in the old tower loading their guns, and preparing to do their part towards our destruction.

The boats were nearly within pistol-shot before the enemy opened upon us, and the silence that prevailed on hoth sides at this time was awful. Just at the moment when his inaction left us in doubt as to his intention, his broadside, by means of a spring on the cable, was brought to bear, and a most murderous discharge of round, grape, and canister gave fearful proof to our gallant fellows that they had an enemy to deal with who was deficient neither in ability nor courage. The effect of this first discharge was apalling, and made sad havoc among us, causing a confusion and a momentary resting on the oars; but it was only momentary-a wild, a fearful burst of defiance immediately succeeded this dreadful check, and one of those soul-thrilling hurrahs, which only those who have heard them can understand, broke from every boat at once, as, with body bent, eye fixed, and every muscle strained to its utmost bearing, the men, now desperate, replied to the cheering voice of our well-tried First Lieutenant, as he repeated in tones of the most determined coolness, "Give way, my lads, for the honour of the old ship give way, before the rascals can get another slap at us.

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The

In two minutes more we were alongside; and our tars, infuriated by the slaughter of their comrades, became like enraged tigers, demolished the cheval-de-frise, cut through the boarding netting, and carried everything before them. enemy disputed every inch of the deck, but were ultimately cut down, or driven overboard and a small ensign, belonging to one of the boats (which a Midshipman had wrapped round him, in the full persuasion and determination that he should have an opportunity of hoisting it) displayed at the peak, was a signal to those who had unwillingly remained on board the frigate, that British valour had, as usual, been crowned with complete success, and that their comrades were masters of the brig.

The vessel thus fairly in our possession, the tower began to blaze away at us, which being seen from the ship, the signal was made to land and storm battery." To effect this, all the seaman who could be spared were placed under the

command of the Second Lieutenant, who was ordered to land to the right, while the marines were sent to disembark about a mile to the left, and the two parties were to effect a junction in rear of the tower, and endeavour to storm it from that point. This manoeuvre had the desired effect. The officer commanding, seeing he was likely to be hemmed in, both right and left, while the ship was in the mean time warping in to take him in front, bethought him that discretion was the better part of valour, and beat his retreat so very opportunely, that neither the blue jackets nor the marines could bring him to the charge; and, upon meeting, the two parties proceeded to the fort, which they found completely deserted, and its late occupiers were seen, and saluted from their own guns, before they got clear of the olive groves to the right. Upon entering the old tower, we found it was furnished with four 12 pounders, and, besides other arms and ammunition, contained twelve barrels of powder, so that it might have made a much better defence than it did.

We were just beginning to take measures to spike the guns, and carry off the powder, when a signal from the ship informed us the enemy were approaching in great force, and ordered us to blow up the fort and embark as quickly as possible. To effect this, all the powder was placed in the lower part of the building, the guns dismounted, which, together, with their carriages, stores, and every heavy material we could get, were placed upon it in order to create a greater resistance, and do the work, more effectually. These preparations being made, and completed as quickly, as possible, the seamen were sent down from the hill on which the fort stood to the boats which had been brought to the foot of it. The Second Lieutenant and the writer of this alone remained for the purpose of giving the coup de grace to the fort. For this purpose we had a sausage or canvas hose, about eight yards long, filled with powder, and a port-fire at the end of it, calculated to burn half a minute, which would have given us ample time to have got clear of the crown of the hill before the explosion should take place.

My companion, who was also my commanding officer, de

termined on firing the train himself. When every thing, therefore, was in perfect readiness, I moved off towards the brow of the hill, expecting the Second Lieutenant would immediately follow me, as he had nothing to do but apply the match which he had already lighted in his hand. Just before beginning to descend, I turned to see if he was near me, and at that instant a most awful explosion took place, by which I was knocked down, and rendered completely senseless. On partially recovering from the stupor occasioned by this dreadful fall, I found myself covered with blood, and most severely bruised and lacerated. With regaining my senses came a confused recollection of my companion, tower, blowing up, &c.; and, on looking towards where the old fort had stood, not a vestige of it was remaining, so completely had the work of demolition been accomplished. I crawled towards the spot with a fearful apprehension for the fate of my comrade, which was too truly verified, for I found him lying on his face, bathed in blood, as I was myself, but, alas! without any power of moving. He was dead every vestige of life had fled. The concussion had been so violent, that every bloodvessel in his body appeared to have burst. I managed to get again to the brow of the hill, within hail of the boats, and having got some of the men up, the body of my late gallant companion was carried to the beach, and we had just time to shove off, and get clear out of reach of musketry, when the enemy made his appearance, in overwhelming force, on the heights we had just quitted. In sorrow and sadness we pulled off to the ship, which had in the mean time stood out with our hard-earned and dearly-bought prize in tow. She had cost us some gallant spirits, and had made sad havoc among one of the finest and bravest crews our Navy ever boasted.

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Among the numerous instances of gallantry on that day was one of heroic courage and coolness, on the part of a foretopman, that deserves to be noticed While pulling up to the attack, and when the murderous fire, to which I have before alluded, assailed us, he was struck by grape, which smashed and shattered his left arm so dreadfully, that it was left dang

VOL. III.

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ling by a piece of the skin, which alone prevented it from dropping off. With the utmost sang froid, he laid the mutilated arm on the gunwale of the boat, and, drawing his cutlass, severed the useless limb from his body. He was one of the first on board the enemy; but, before any of us had leisure to think of him, his gallant spirit had fled for ever. He bled to death, and was found on the deck of the brig, where he had jumped on board, with the lanyard of his cutlass between his teeth, while using his right arm for mounting the vessel's side.

After hoisting the boats in, we made sail with our prize; and at six the same evening, the hands were turned up for Funeral Service, when more than one heroic spirit was consigned to the watery deep. Among them was our late gallant Second Lieutenant, one of the most promising officers in the service, who, had he lived, would have won for himself never fading laurels.

There is something most peculiarly impressive and sad in the Burial Service at sea. The corpse, sewed up in a hammock, in which are put several very heavy shot, as well to secure its sinking as to prevent its afterwards rising, is laid upon a grating, covered with the union jack, which serves for a pall. The grating is placed just upon a balance at the the gangway, and two Quartermasters, one on each side, stand ready to give it a launch. As the Captain proceeds with the service, a death-like silence is preserved, which, when he comes to the words « We commit his body to the deep,» is broken by the last cold plunge. A seaman's corpse has found a seaman's grave, and all is over.

As we moved slowly and silently from the gangway, where we had seen the remains of our dear departed messmate committed to the briny waves, the most unthinking and giddy among us was forcibly impressed with the awful truth, that in the midst of life we are in death.

When we met at mess that evening, one was wanting. The light-hearted, the merry, the gallant F., the life and soul of the mess, had departed; and it was long, long, ere the day of the Church and the Chase was forgotten.

(UNITED SERVICE JOURNAL.)

MISCELLANEA.

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STAGE SWEEPINGS.-It was some years ago the fashion to attribute bulls to Sinclair, in consequence of his having once made a singular perversion of the text in Rob Roy. The language is, Rashleigh is my cousin; but, for what reason I am unable to divine, he is my bitterest enemy. " Sinclair said, Rashleigh is my cousin, but for what reason I am unable to divine. The jokes he endured on this account made him nervous and uncertain, and in Guy Mannering, when Dinmont says he sees two lights dancing bonnily yon,» instead of replying Two! I see but one, and that seems pretty steady, he said. Two! I see but a couple, and they are pretty steady. On the first night of the Hunchback, Abbott, from overanxiety, said, in the last scene, «I'll marry no man but my cousin Ellen. His brethren joked and warned him against repeating it, and hardly a night passed that he did not consequently incur the danger of saying the same thing.

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THE POETICAL CHARACTER.- Poetry forms its professors to no definite human character. Like horses trained to play tricks, they can put themselves into all sorts of strange and surprising postures-but they are generally useless on the road.

A DRAMATIC COUPLE. - Mr. and Mrs. J-, in the Glasgow company, lived unfortunately very much after the fashion in which Mr. and Mrs. Milton, Dr. and Mrs. Sherlock, and many other great personages are said to have existed; with the exception that Mr. J—— adopted the permission accorded by Judge Buller, and generally silenced Mrs. J by the