snug for the night. As it is customary in some crack ships,' for the warrant officers to examine the rigging aloft, in the evening as well as the morning, to see that no part of it chafes, or is liable to injury; the gunner, in the performance of this duty, was laying out on the lee main yard-arm, and in over-reaching himself, he unfortunately fell from his elevated situation, clear over-all' into the The announcement of this catastrophe soon reached, with electric effect, the little parliament between decks, and shortened the debate without coming to a division on the question.

sea.

เ

"A man overboard!—A man overboard!" was caught and reiterated by twenty voices in a breath.

"There it is!-Didn't I tell you," said Toggle. You'll have more of it yet."

"Ay, it's only beginning," said another, as he knocked down poor Tom, in his generous hurry to assist a ship.

mate.

A scene of confusion and anxious alarm here ensued, which it is impossible to conceive, much more describe. Tompion was a general favourite. Had it been otherwise, the cry of "a man overboard" is sure to harrow up the feelings of every being in the ship. In the scramble to get upon deck, the crossed-ladders in the hatchways were choked; and their eagerness to get up, only proved the means of detaining them longer below. The more

light and nimble lads caught hold of the combings, and swinging themselves up by their arms, fell sprawling on all fours, into the 'lee-scuppers.' Some ran aft to lower the jolly-boat. Others flung, with all their united force, towards the direction where the man was seen, a grating which was destined never to reach him. The life-buoy was cut away, the carpenter's bench thrown overboard; while the master, who was officer of the watch, gave the sharp word to haul up the courses, and heave the maintopsail aback,' to arrest the ship in her progress. The hurry and agitation of all tended, in part, to defeat their object; nor could it yet be inferred that this was any imputation on the discipline of the ship, as every thing was done on the spur of a moment, too pregnant with fear, sympathy, and solicitude, not to afford abundant pretext

for spontaneous and unbidden alacrity. In consequence of the foremast tackle being untimely let go, the jolly-boat was swamped under the stern, and before there was time to hoist the cutter off the booms, the man was observed sinking without a possible chance of relief, as he was unable to avail himself of the assistance of the grating, life-buoy, or boat's-oars, thrown overboard. There was enough of light on the water, despite of the gloom of the evening, to render the hopeless features of the man distinguishable to Brace, the boatswain; his partner in many a youthful freak, both having entered the service together. Roused from stupifying horror by an imploring glance from his messmate, the latter shouted in anguish-" By Heavens, Tom! I can't bear that look, I'll save you, or go with you."* Nor was it long ere this awful pledge of friendship was redeemed, for in an instant throwing off his looser attire, he plunged amid the waves, through which he cut his way to the sinking man. Aware of the danger of thrusting himself within that grasp, which is known never to relax but with life, he cautiously, though firmly, seized him by the collar with his left hand, turning the gunner thus on his back, as the most favourable position for floating; while, treading the water,' as it is termed, Brace supported his exhausted companion's head above the unfriendly element, and kindly cheered him with assurances of his safety. Nor was the sympathy of the crew suffered to waste itself in unavailing regrets, or in mere admiration of their brave shipmate the cutter had been 'hoist out,' and manned by eager hands, who pulled with inconceivable alacrity to their rescue; and in a few minutes this scene of painful excitement on board was happily changed for that of heartfelt and general congratulation.

* Were it necessary to quote a case, in order to prove that we do not deal in the marvellous, or sport with the feelings of the reader, we might appeal to the experience of some of the officers of the Barfleur, for an authentication of an anecdote relative to two seamen on board that ship, resembling the above stated in most of its details.

CHAPTER XXV.

A CONFLAGRATION.

E'en now the devastation is begun,

And half the business of destruction done.

GOLDSMITH.

DURING several days which elapsed since parting with the cutter, nothing of importance occurred on board the Spitfire, which had been beating up against a strong adverse breeze, occasionally under close-reefed topsails and courses. The wind and sea had considerably abated; when Staunch, anxious to reach his cruizing ground as soon as possible, just previously to piping to dinner, thus addressed the master

"Come, Stowel!-with this wind we shall never get hold of a Yankee runner, unless we clap sail on the brig, and beat her across the Bay."*

"Why, no, Sir, we shall not make mooch of it rowling in the trough of the sea, like a gull with a wownded wing --she wants more sail to steady her-more spars are sprung by a weather lurch, than fifty lee ones.

"To be sure, Stowel! that can be easily accounted for--one occasions something of a steady strain, while the other, in consequence of the sea receding from the weather bilge of the vessel, brings up every thing with a sudden surge."

This little council of war terminated like many greater; where, not unfrequently, a vast deal of trouble is taken, in sounding the opinion of others, to afford a colourable pretext for following the opinion of the principal. Nor is this permission to the inferior to sport an opinion either impolitic, or prejudicial to the service; as long as there is any truth in the adage, that men would rather prefer being led than driven.

"Come, Hasty," said Staunch, looking to windward, and then aloft-" Come,-turn the hands up, make sail.

*Bay of Biscay.

Shake two reefs out o' the taupsels-cross the to'gallantyards, and set the sails."

Busied in this duty, the whole ship's company had deserted the 'tween decks, and were occupied on deck and aloft, with the exception of our old friend the linguist, whose attention to duty, from being on the doctor's list, was dispensed with. Poring over the pages of an old "Porney's French Grammar,' a present from Burton; his lucubrations were interrupted by the unseasonable susceptibility of his olfactory nerve. 'Puzzled as usual in the pronouns' this intimation of that vigilant sense would perhaps have been unnoticed, had not the impulse been repeated again and again; when, like a man thoroughly awakened from a dream, he started on his feet, at seeing a smoke oozing from the crevices of a locker, on the lee side of the lower deck, a few feet abaft the foremast. Flinging down the book, he with a precipitancy só common in cases of imminent alarm, was about to exclaim aloud "Fire!" when, recollecting the regulations of the ship, he repressed his breath, and quickly repaired to the quarter-deck, where he announced his apprehensions to his commander in a low tone of voice. Without exchanging a word with any but the quarter-master, on whose mind the necessity for silence was impressed by the captain's significant and anxious gesture; Staunch descended with alacrity below to ascertain how far these suspicions were founded.

The dark, dingy smoke which now began to pervade the deck, left no doubt in the captain's mind as to the correctness of the seaman's suspicions.

66

The topsails had been hoisted, and the top-gallant yards just swayed across," with about twenty of the crew aloft, when returning upon deck without betraying any thing like perturbation, Staunch directed the drummer to beat the "Fire-roll."

On board many ships, even some of those most highly disciplined in the service, an alarm of fire would have created general consternation, and the worst consequences might have been anticipated, from the embarrassing, and appalling confusion which would probably ensue. But numerous provisions had been made by the

Captain of the Spitfire, to counteract the often too fatal effects of an alarm, which has a tendency to dissolve discipline, set obedience at defiance, and unman the stoutest heart. He had formerly served in a ship of the line, a number of whose crew, in consequence of a sudden cry of fire, had, in their alarm, jumped overboard; although the ship was moored within a few cables' length of the dock-yard, from whence they were certain of immediate succour, independently of that which was sure to be afforded by the boats of all the men-of-war in the port. He knew that in such cases much depended upon the officer of the watch at the time, whose prudence or activity might often render the consequences less calamitous, if not altogether prevent the catastrophe. Stimulated by regrets and reflections of this nature, his active mind, even while a junior, had devised many expedients and precautions, for increasing the chances of saving the lives of the crew, or preserving the ship herself, in case of a fire at sea. His love for the service, and his really humane disposition, induced him, the moment he found himself in command, to reduce these reflections to practice : and he had not been long appointed to the Spitfire, ere he laid the foundation of a system, by the introduction of what he termed a Fire Bill,' by which every individual 'borne on the books,' in the event of fire, whether at sea or in port, was stationed to some specific duty, the moment the alarm roll was beaten. And in these duties his crew was instructed, and occasionally exercised in the same manner as they were wont at their guns, and various evolutions aloft.

The roll of drum was no sooner heard than the crew, startled by the unwelcome sound, were for a moment arrested in the performance of their duty, remaining stationary in the tops and various parts of the rigging.

The emotion occasioned by the dreaded drum soon subsided; and the men, turning their eyes to their commander, seemed to derive encouragement from, and be actuated by the same cool intrepidity, which characterized the conduct of their brave superior; whose humane and keen sensibility to the imminent peril of all committed to his charge, was neither discernible in his look or demeanour. That