turned to England with that portion of the fleet which had been left at Vigo, he was presented to the Queen by His Royal Highness the Prince of Denmark, Lord High Admiral; on which occasion, her majesty, in consideration of his great services performed at Vigo, was pleased to knight him, and afterwards settled a pension upon him of £500 per annum, for life.

Charles Hamilton was the only son of a gentleman of independent fortune, and nearly allied to the noble duke of that name. During his boyhood days, he had imbibed the wild feelings of adventure, such as a greedy perusal of the then popular works of chivalry was likely to inspire. The dry profession of the law, for which his parents had intended him, and in order to which he had received a liberal education, became increasingly distasteful to him. The wild, the daring, and the dangerous, accorded better with his genius and spirit; neither the advice and wisdom of his father, or the entreaties and tears of his fond mother, availed to turn his mind: his determination appeared unalterably fixed, and, therefore, a reluctant consent was given that he should be equipped for the sea.

At this period, an expedition against Cadiz, on an extensive scale, appeared to excite the attention and arouse the energies of the whole nation; and many who had never before felt an emotion, which turned to a desire to gain a name in arms, seemed to glow with longings after naval glory.

Amongst the number of those thus uddenly inspired with a love of fame, young Hamilton stood foremost. Bright visions of glory and renown played before his heated imagination, and he resolved at once to rush to their possession.

Vice-admiral Hopson was on terms of intimacy with the Hamilton family, and to his patronage and care Charles was consigned. With as much delight as a youth would be supposed to feel who was about to enter upon the flowery

Before the fire-ship had closed with the Torbay, two smaller vessels had attacked her, one on each quarter. Amidst the heat of the contest, an attempt was made to board the admiral's ship, and with partial success. At this moment, when all was confusion and strife, and numbers rushed, sword in hand, over the sides of the Torbay, young Hamilton stood calm and collected, with his hanger girt about him, and a brace of pistols stuck in his belt; he had taken his stand near the admiral, and the instant the boarders, headed by a lieutenant, appeared upon the deck, he drew a pistol with each hand, and placing himself, as if by magic, between the admiral and his assailants, laid two of the foremost at his feet, and then, drawing his hanger, he attacked others who pressed forward with such intrepidity, as to hold the most daring in check. At one time he defended himself against two full-grown men, although himself was only a stripling of about seventeen; at length a severe blow from an athletic Spaniard's sword struck him down on the deck; recovering himself in an instant, he sprank on one knee, and in that position continued to fight with desperate courage, until overpowered by numbers, he again fell, and was borne in a state of insensibility from the Torbay, by some of the retreating boarders, as a prize of rare account, and placed on the deck of their own vessel.

In a short time the youthful hero recovered, and on looking round and discovering the situation in which he was placed, resolved at all hazards not to continue a prisoner. With his eye fixed on every movement which took place, he watched a favourable opportunity, and as soon as the confusion arising from

the explosion of the fire-ship took place, he leaped from the deck of the Spaniard into the sea, and swimming towards the boat which conveyed Admiral Hopson from the Torbay to the Monmouth, was taken up by the crew, and received with three hearty cheers, as a just reward for the bravery he had displayed. The admiral himself declared that he owed his life to the extraordinary activity and heroism of his young protege, for had he not, with the wonderful calmness and presence of mind which he displayed, placed himself between the boarders and his commander, and shot two of the foremost dead, he must soon have been borne down by numbers, and have fallen a sacrifice to their fury.

The splendid career of the heroic youth was, however, of short duration; like a shooting star which suddenly blazes in the heavens, filling all who gaze upon it with wonder and astonishment, and which as soon is lost amidst the profundity of illimitable space-his glory set. On the return of Admiral Hopson to England, young Hamilton accompanied him. The reception which he received from his friends was such as strong affection and the report of his bravery were likely to command.

Three weeks only had passed after reaching his native land, when a sudden attack of fever seized the youth, and bore him, after a few days' confinement, to another world. His ashes were consigned to their last abode, while, upon a superb monument which was reared to his memory, were recorded the splendid achievements he had performed at Vigo.

INFERNAL MACHINES.

EARLY on the night of the 4th of April, the Prince of Parma and his army were amazed by the spectacle of three huge masses of flame floating down the river, accompanied by numerous lesser appearances of a similar kind, and bearing directly against the prodigious barrier which had cost months of labour to him and his troops, and immense sums of money to the state. The whole surface of the Scheldt presented one sheet of fire; the country all around was as visible as at noon; the flags, the arms of the soldiers, and every object on the bridge, in the fleet, or the forts,

stood out clearly to view; and the pitchy darkness of the sky gave increased effect to the marked distinctness of all.

Astonishment was soon succeeded by consternation, when one of the three machines burst with a terrific noise, before they reached their intended mark, but time enough to offer a sample of their nature. The Prince of Parma, with numerous officers and soldiers, rushed to the bridge, to witness the effects of this explosion; and just then a second, and still larger fire-ship, having burst through the flying bridge of the boats, struck against one of the estoccades. Alexander, unmindful of danger, used every exertion of his authority to stimulate the sailors in their attempts to clear away the monstrous machine, which threatened destruction to all within its reach. Happily for him, an ensign, who was near, forgetting, in his general's peril, all rules of discipline and forms of ceremony, actually forced him from the estoccade. He had not put his foot on the river bank when the machine blew up. The effects were such as really baffle description. The bridge was burst through; the estoccade was shattered almost to atoms, and, with all that it supported—men, cannon, and the huge machinery employed in the various work-dispersed in the air. The cruel Marquis of Roubais, many other officers, and eight hundred soldiers perished, in all varieties of death-by flood or flame, or the horrid wounds from the missiles with which the terrible machine was overcharged. Fragments of bodies and limbs were flung far and wide; and many gallant soldiers were destroyed, without a vestige of the human form being left to prove that they had ever existed. The river, forced from its bed at either side, rushed into the forts and drowned numbers of their garrisons; while the ground far beyond shook as in an earthquake. The Prince was struck down by a beam, and lay for some time senseless, together with two generals, Delvasto and Gajitani, both more seriously wounded than he; and many of the soldiers were burned and mutilated in the most frightful manner. Alexander soon recovered; and by his presence of mind, humanity, and resolution, he endeavoured with incredible quickness to repair the mischief,

and raised the confidence of his army as high as ever. Had the Zealand fleet come in time to the spot, the whole plan might have been crowned with success; but by some want of concert, or accidental delay, it did not appear; and, consequently, the beleaguered town received no relief.

HEROISM OF THE MODERN GREEKS.

THE following remarkable incident is related by an English philhellenist, who has long resided in Greece, as a proof that the modern Greeks have not degenerated. Sophia Condulina was the wife of an officer of rank, who was killed during the siege of Missolonghi. She succeeded in escaping with her son and daughter (the latter a beautiful young woman of sixteen), when the Turks entered the place. The fugitives, however, had reached but a short distance from its dilapidated walls, when they were met by a troop of Turkish cavalry. Sophia instantly formed her resolution; she ordered her son to discharge his pistol at his sister's head. This dreadful order was executed, and the young virgin fell bathed with her blood. The mother and son endeavoured to gain a cavern where they might conceal themselves; but, just at the moment when they reached this asylum, the son was struck by a bullet, which broke his leg. Sophia took the wounded youth upon her shoulders, and succeeded in conveying him into the cavern; but the Turks followed close upon them, and pistols were presented at the two fugitives, when the mother loudly exclaimed"Barbarians! do you not perceive that I am a woman!" The exclamation was not without its effect, even in that day of slaughter: the lives of the mother and the son were spared; but they could not avoid slavery. Hitherto the adventure is not distinguished from those tragical incidents of which a town taken by assault affords so many affecting examples; but the sequel is remarkable. The mother and son were both redeemed by the Continental Committee employed in this work of humanity; they were sent to Corfu, and received into the asylum prepared for these victims of war and barbarity. Judge of Sophia's astonishment, when the first person she cast her eyes upon in this

place was her own daughter, the fair Crepula, whom she had devoted to death, in order to preserve her from a more cruel fate. The singular beauty of this damsel had struck the Turks, who, finding she yet breathed, although her wound appeared mortal, took such extreme care of her that she recovered. This miraculous preservation so forcibly excited the curiosity and the interest of the agents employed in the redemption of captives, that the amiable Crepula was restored to liberty and to her relations, who had been inconsolable at her loss.

HORSE ARTILLERY AFFAIR.

COLONEL NAPIER, in his history of # the Peninsula War, says "Houston's people being thus entirely exposed, were charged strongly, and Captain Ramsay's horse artillery was cut off and surrounded. The light division instantly threw itself into squares, but the main body of the French horsemen were upon the south division ere a like formation could be effected; nevertheless, the troops stood firm, and, although some were cut down, the Chasseurs Britanniques, taking advantage of a loose wall, received the attack with such a fire, that the enemy recoiled. Immediately after this, a great commotion was observed among the French squadrons; men and officers closed in confusion towards one point, where a thick dust was rising, and where loud cries and the sparkling of blades and flashing of pistols indicated some extraordinary occurrence. Suddenly the multitude was violently agitated, an English shout arose, the mass was rent asunder, and Norman Ramsay burst forth at the head of his artillery; his horses breathing fire, and stretching like greyhounds along the plain; his guns bounding like things of no weight, and the mounted gunners, close and compact order, protecting the rear.”

in

BRITISH ARMY.-English troops are exposed to greater vicissitudes of climate than any other troops. In the East Indies the average of mortality is 6 in 100 men; West Indies, 12; Mediterranean, N. America, and Great Britain, not 3.

London:- Printed by JOSEPH LAST, No. 3, Edward-street, Hampstead-road.-Published by WILLIAM MARK CLARK, No. 19, Warwick-lane, Paternoster-row; and sold by all Booksellers.

AMID the internal commotions with which Paris was afflicted in 1830, as recently related in this publication, the arms of France had been overturning the regency of Algiers, and had gained for herself a permanent settlement on the coast of Africa. The expedition had been fitted out by the ministry of Prince Polignac, in 1830; but for several years France had had a standing quarrel with the dey of Algiers, the origin of which went very far back. During a period of scarcity, in the time of the French republic, the French government had entered into contracts with a Jew, named Bacry, for a supply of corn. The Jew was connected with the dey; the money due for the corn amounted to 7,000,000 francs, and payment of it had been voted in the French chambers in 1824, but the dey had not touched a farthing of it. VOL. III.

Four millions of francs were said to have been paid to his agent; but report alleged, that the greater portion of it had never gone farther than the hands of French officials. The other three millions had been retained, on the pretext that they fell to be divided among French subjects, who had suffered loss by Algerine captures. Thence arose law-suits, which threatened to have no end. The dey wrote a letter to the French cabinet, requesting that the money should be sent to him, reserving to himself the power of doing justice to the claimants. The Baron de Damas, who was then foreign minister, did not even answer the letter. Again his highness wrote, and again his letter remained unanswered. While affairs stood thus, M. Deval, the French consul at Algiers, having waited on the dey to pay his

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respects at the feast of Bairam, in 1827, a lively conversation took place between him and the dey, regarding the conduct of the French government; in the course of which, the dey struck the consul with his fly-flap. The rupture having taken place, France added many new complaints to the immediate cause of quarrel. The French ministry said, that the two principles which had constantly served as the basis of their transactions with the regencies of Africa, had been violated; namely, that the French flag should protect merchandise, whatever it might be, and that French merchandise should be inviolable, even under the enemy's flag. Arbitrary visits and depredations had been committed on board French ships; and the sovereignty of France over that portion of territory which is comprised between the river Seibus and Cape Roux, and of which she had been in possession since the middle of the fifteenth century, had been disputed. These, and the insult of the fly-flap, were the causes of war which had been carried on since 1827, by a blockade of Algiers, so inefficiently maintained, as not to prevent the state of hostilities from being extremely detrimental to the French trade in the Mediterranean.

The expedition equipped in 1830 was upon a scale which gave every assurance of complete success. The naval part of the expedition, under the command of Admiral Duperre, consisted of nine ships of the line, twenty-five frigates, six corvettes, twenty-five brigs, besides bomb-vessels, smaller craft, and eight steam-boats. The military force embarked on board of this fleet consisted of 37,000 men, including the artillery, and 4000 horses, under the command of Marshal Bourmont, the minister of war, who thus escaped the fate which was preparing for his colleagues. The expedition sailed from Toulon on the 25th of May, 1830. On the 27th it encountered a strong gale of wind from the east and south-east, which induced the admiral to take shelter to the leeward of Majorca. The weather moderating, the fleet again proceeded towards the coast of Africa. It came in sight of land, in the neighbourhood of Algiers, on the 29th of May, and manœuvred all next day, at a short distance from the shore, to enable the flotilla and convoys

which carried the necessary materiel, and were to be employed in effecting a landing, to come up. But the weather became hazy, the wind increased, and continuing to blow from the same point for three days, the admiral, who found it impossible to bear up against it in anything like good order with so many vessels of different kinds, and sizes, and qualities of sailing, was compelled to make his way again to Majorca, where, in the bay of Palma, he re-collected his armament, the convoys and flotillas having been dispersed by the gales which they had encountered on the coast of Africa.

On the 10th of June the fleet again sailed, and on the 12th it again came in sight of the land. Strong easterly winds again obliged it to stand out to sea; but some light vessels were despatched to examine the peninsula of Sidi-Ferruch, and the adjoining breaches, at some distance from Algiers, where it had been determined to effect a landing, from the certainty of finding safe moorings, the shelter afforded against the prevalent winds by the direction and boldness of the shore, and the nature of the coast, which, being entirely open to the sea for an extent of 4000 metres, afforded no ambush or concealment from the enemy. On the night of the 12th the weather moderated, and the fleet again made sail for the land. During the night the agitation of the sea subsided, and on the 13th, at daybreak, the armament was not more than two or three leagues from Algiers. The fleet changed its southwardly coast, and ran parallel with the coast towards the peninsula; the ships of war taking the lead, to attack any works which the Algerines might have constructed on the point of disembarkation. The breeze now blowing from the east, it was decided to land on the west of Sidi-Ferruch. At ten in the morning the armed ships arrived off the peninsula, and found that the tower called Torre Chica, which stands upon it, had been abandoned. The enemy had dismounted a battery of twelve pieces of cannon, and a camp was established at about a league from the shore. In advance of it were several batteries, and parties of Arab horsemen. A steamer approached the shore and soon dispersed the horsemen; and though