any one introduced "Rule Britannia," but all old ditties that could be recollected were inflicted upon our guardians, doubtless much to their edification.

25th.-H. M. steamship Furious came a second time, I think to offer an exchange of prisoners, and to find out how the Captain was progressing. At first, I understood the surgeon had great hopes of a favourable termination to this trial of the Captain's; but now evidence appeared to alarm him for the result, and he wrote accordingly to his friends in the fleet; and about this time, as satisfaction that everything possible had been done, he requested and obtained a consultation of the principal medical men in Odessa.

Our life in quarantine was losing its novelty, and the change from constant watchfulness to perfect sloth, at first agreeable, was now beginning to show that man's natural life is not one of indolence. Our minds were lying perfectly fallow; the only books we had being one or two common French novels, lent us by the interpreter, which all could not read, and a "Byron." Smoking, sleeping, eating, drinking a little, walking, and a great deal of sitting, had been pretty well tried, and now we began to wish for some change, and the conversation would invariably run upon the topic of wishing to be in some favourite spot, or being kicked down a street, or suffering some imaginary hardship, if inflicted upon us as free agents in a free country. The "iron of the prison was entering the soul."

Our interpreter had great tact in keeping our expectation alive, for if he had any news or any articles for us, he so managed the matter that we were constantly expecting some addition to what we received. At times some article of dress had been recovered from the plunderers of the Tiger, or some of our missing silver forks and spoons were found, or it was intimated that a clue had been obtained to the whereabouts of the same. Then the articles sent us by the Furious and Vesuvius had all to undergo purification in the sulphur-house, and our interpreter would say we should have such and such things, and if asked "When?" his invariable answer was "Now!"-but we did not get the article expected until "now" became a word to create a laugh, for it did not seem in Russia to have the same import as we had been taught from our childhood to attach to it; in fact, the word "now" became an indefinite period, for, in the case of our books sent us by these ships, few have ever reached us; and although the daily reply to our application for them was, "You will have them now,"" it seems from some cause-probably that the answer was simply an evasive one, their contents being too liberal or too illiberal for the censor's brains-they could not be passed to us. So that reading formed no part of our amusement in quarantine.

It began to be rumoured about this time that we should be sent into the interior of Russia. From the first the Austrian consul had given it as his private opinion that we should be sent to some inland fortified town; and, indeed, our interpreter had held out no hopes of our being kept in Odessa, where our ships were constantly popping in and out of the bay. So we made up our minds that we were destined to travel; the only question was, to what place?—and many seemed to think Moscow the most likely one.

Daily the railings in front of our quarantine quarters were visited by some or other of the officials-something they had found not understood. Among other articles were medals; one, Captain Giffard's, for "Navarino," was discovered, and this, of course, was the subject of inquiryits meaning, and to whom did it belong? The obtaining our ranks and exact position seemed to occupy many visits, and I believe much surprise. When it was asked, From what class do the naval officers come? the answer, "From all classes," seemed singular to them. It is not so in Russia, I think, and in fact their navy has not exactly the same description of officers that we have; and then the duties are performed by persons of no position, or by the lieutenants. In Russia every servant of the crown seems to be an officer, and wears a uniform; but it is only their fighting or executive class of officers that are considered strictly officers in the sense we had applied the word, and they could not understand why our ship had so many. Our numbers were: 1 captain, 3 lieutenants, 1 master, 2 second masters, I surgeon, 1 assistant surgeon, 1 paymaster, 1 lieutenant marine artillery, 1 naval instructor (not in uniform), 4 midshipmen, 1 cadet, 1 clerk, 3 engineers, 1 gunner, 1 boatswain, 1 carpenter-all wearing similar caps, crowns, and bands, and having, as we were dressed, little or no distinction of uniform; we had only saved our frock-coats, and only one or two had saved their epaulettes, and we all mixed together and were called officers. At first they would not admit that the young cadet could be an officer, and would have put him with the men, but this was overruled. The giving in our ranks and positions as established by the Queen's Order in Council, of course became the duty of the first lieutenant, who spoke French fluently.

About this time a more particular scale of diet was established, and although the tea and wine were continued, it was intimated they were not exactly according to scale, but in excess of our allowance; in fact, that probably we should have to pay for them. Our men's rations consisted of meat twice a-day, with soup at dinner, and good white bread, but no tea or sugar; and when it is known that the private soldier's rations consist of exceedingly brown bread, or rather black bread, a small portion of spirits, and but little meat, it will appear hard that the prisoners over whom they were put as guards should fare better than themselves; but so it was, and our men showed in their looks that they were a better fed, freer, more independent, happy race than the serf soldiers their guards.

30th May.-Rumours had now reached us that the Emperor's answer from St. Petersburg had arrived at Odessa. I may remark that it seems nothing can be done in Russia without the Emperor's sanction; that only one or two railways exist, and no electric telegraphs; consequently, with such an immense territory to govern, a deal of time must be lost in racing about with messages. The messengers themselves are said to die comparatively early. The vehicle in use is the clumsy country cart I have attempted to describe as the one in which we were brought part of the way from the wreck,-without springs, and over roads in part, not unfrequently perfect, sloughs of mire, at the rate which three or four horses can gallop the mail-cart along. The reader may form some idea of the wear and tear of animal life to keep such a system in motion,

If a bird's-eye glance could be obtained of Russia, what a strange scene would present itself! This immense tract of country with myriads of these wild charioteers galloping frantically (they say at 15 miles an hour) night and day; for at the posts are relays, and the horses carry bells, so that the post-keeper hears the demand for fresh horses some time before the arrival, and, therefore, no delay; but onward, onward, onward, like Mazeppa, they go, carrying messages of happiness or woe, and tidings of freedom or banishment, galloping their lives, and the lives of their horses, to a speedy goal. And thus at last our messenger arrived, and our anxious and eager-expecting curiosity was to be gratified, our weal or woe sealed by the fiat of our great and (?) generous foe. The prisoner's doom was to be revealed. The fate of the first English war-captive, which misfortune, not the force of arms, had given to Russia, was now to be revealed. The mighty Autocrat! fancy his feelings when he dictated, for the first time since Russia had been a nation, HIS WILL TO BRITISH CAPTIVES OF WAR. Not captives, however, gained by fair force of arms, but victims of circumstances, shipwrecked mariners, whose house having stranded, the mighty arms of Russia fired, and smoked its inmates to accept captivity or death. How magnanimous it would have sounded had the messenger brought liberty; but no! It is the Imperial will you are to march-the men at least, but drive the officers- far, far into the interior of my domains. But stop! Let me see at least one of these presumptuous creatures who have dared to invade and threaten my territory. Bring hither the captain of this band. Yet, hold! 'tis said he is wounded. Then let me have the next-his chief. But to drop the metaphor and proceed in sober prose, the decision was thus: The Captain being wounded and too ill to travel, the first lieutenant was to go, immediately quarantine was over, to St. Petersburg to the Imperial presence, post haste, and take one of the crew as servant. Now, fancy a Russian man-of-war stranded in a fog on the coast of Scotland (though this is hardly far enough for the simile), our artillery destroy the ship and capture the crew. Fancy, I say, the captain, if unhurt, or the first lieutenant then, ordered post haste to St. James's! It is too ridiculous for England, but not so for Russia. There it seems as if the end and aim of all is to minister to one.

The superior officers of the ship, and here I may have to comment by-and-by, the superior officers of which they, or at least somebody, did select as such the two other lieutenants and the surgeon,-these three, then, were to be considered as the superior officers, to have thirtypence allowance for rations, or rations to that amount, and twenty of the crew as servants, to be sent in mail-carts and quick stages to Riazan, a town some 800 miles N.N.E. of Odessa, and about 100 miles S.E. of Moscow. The three midshipmen, one being dead, and the cadet, in consideration of their age, and the fact of their being generally of good families, were to be also sent in the mail-carts, with one servant, to Moscow, to be placed at the university.

The other fifteen officers, classing them altogether, were to be sent by the common country carts, but at a slower pace, to Riazan; a journey perhaps of thirty days. These were to have twenty-pence ration allowance, and four servants. The men and boys were to foot it U. S. MAG., No. 312, NOVEMBER, 1854.

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[NOV., through Russia to this Riazan, their final prison. I believe carts were to be provided for their clothes; but MARCH they must. And thus our doom. These arrangements were communicated to us by our interpreter, about two days before our quarantine was up. I cannot say if this was told the Captain, I think he was too ill. The sick were to be permitted to remain at Odessa until recovered sufficiently to accomplish the long journey to Riazan.

The anniversary of one of our most glorious naval battles, the 1st of June, brought to a termination the sufferings of our poor Captain, who expired in peace and tranquillity at about 8 A.M. It has been asserted, and probably much credited, that on his death-bed he made a speech to the assembled officers and men. This I can confidently contradict. He died, as he lived, a religious man, much regretted by all; and no one, until we left Odessa, heard of the romantic, revengeful speech to which I allude. The only remark I ever heard attributed to him, and made by him soon after he was wounded, was to the effect, that probably it was better as it was that he was one of the first wounded, or he might have prolonged the resistance and have lost many of the

crew.

The news of this melancholy event soon spread; our quarantine period would not terminate till the day following. The officials were frequent in their visits, and exceedingly busy making inquiry as to our customs in these cases of death, and offering to give the Captain's remains a public military funeral-an offer which the senior lieutenant thought best to accept; though, from the quiet, unostentatious habits of the deceased, many thought the graveyard in the quarantine ground, where the others were laid, would have been more in unison with the event.

Some of the Russian customs were observed; the body was dressed in uniform, and laid for the inspection of visitors. The likeness was taken by photography, and kept by many as a souvenir; and a highly decorated coffin was prepared. A Mr. Tovey, an English medical man, but Russian official, did us the honour to interrupt our dinner and assemble us to ask what we considered un-English and impertinent questions relative to the deceased, until he was cut short by the first lieutenant telling him how unnecessary it was, as all had been previously settled by the general.

2nd June. We had obtained upwards of £1,200 in Russian coins, by a bill of exchange on our Government, the negotiation of which was effected, with the permission of the Governor Osten Sacken, through the Austrian consul, at a small discount; and two months' full pay was made to all the men and officers who desired it. We had thus the means of purchasing a stock of clothes and necessaries to fit us for our journey into the interior.

3rd June, Saturday. About 9 A.M. the troops began to assemble. We were now in pratique, and communication had been shut off with the quarantine ground, and the doors opened at the back of our houses into another ground, the pratique quarter; so we had plenty of visitors. The opening of the pratique doors, and closing of the quarantine ones, had its conveniences, and it brought several new official faces for us to A number from the Customs' department rushed in, wished us "bon pratique," and searched our traps for contraband articles. But

scan.

to return to the funeral: a line of some hundreds of foot soldiers, without their usual great-coats, and a troop of Cossacks, were assembled in front of our dwellings. Two or three generals joined the party, and a singular custom ensued as each superior officer arrived. The men shouted out, simultaneously, some word which, I believe, was that they were "well," meaning prepared for duty. The body was placed on a gun-carriage drawn by horses. A Lutheran clergyman, a German, blessed the corpse in that language on its being placed on the bier. The procession then moved on, preceded by the band, and on each side the troops; the corpse being followed by the English officers, two and two, and most of the men; the whole closing with a few soldiers. The distance to the cemetery was nearly four miles, and the procession passed along the boulevards outside the town, and the whole distance was lined with crowds of spectators. One thing struck our people as singular in a country so strict in its military duties, that the people on this occasion were not kept in better order, but were allowed to press upon the followers much to their inconvenience. At the grave the senior lieutenant read our burial-service, and the Lutheran clergyman also performed service, interrupted by the discharge of five rounds of musketry, and the body was consigned to a brick grave; and thus terminated this grand military spectacle, which answered two purposeshonouring the captive and honouring the captors, by displaying their prisoners to the people.

(To be continued.)

A RIDE ON SERVICE.

Ir was a splendid summer evening, and the moon was shining out from the sky, bright as if, like a fortunate general, she never knew what it was to be behind a cloud. But wherever she smiled, it was on few pleasanter spots than one of those half valleys, half slopes, which form so agreeable a feature of South African scenery, where the gracefully undulating ground is covered-not too closely-with clumps of trees and flowering shrubs, so picturesquely grouped that one might have fancied wealth had been expending itself there in park-adornment, only that so much taste would never be displayed by man's decorating hand.

But the moon shone also on other objects less in harmony with the peaceful valley than gleaming leaves or drooping blossoms; for brightly her rays were falling on piled arms and military acoutrements, which flashed up to her recollections of strife and bloodshed. And scarlet uniforms moved in and out among the greenwood, and around the fires which flung the glow of their red flames upon the moonlight.

It was, in short, the bivouac of a detachment of British-I mean white-troops, en route from head-quarters to their destined post on the extreme frontier. We did not belong to the party, but, journeying also "under orders," had halted in the valley some time previous to the arrival of the detachment, which had been tempted to bivouac there by the same attraction as ourselves-a spring of sweet fresh water, a luxury