Our Sailors; Gallant deeds of the British Navy during Queen Victoria'sreign, by W. H. G. Kingston. 

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This book was originally written by Kingston quite early on in hiscareer as a writer. As he died in 1880 he predeceased the Queen byquite a few years. The book was bought up to date, including, webelieve, some input by George Henty, the writer of numerous books forboys, who had been a friend of Kingston's. So this edition presses on aquarter of a century beyond Kingston's death. 

Much the same can be said about the parallel book "Our Soldiers" whichis also to be found on the Athelstane website. 

Most of the stories are, surprisingly enough, actually military ones. It is surprising how often naval forces were engaged in direct supportof military actions. It was not just the Relief of Mafeking in whichthey were involved, though of course through the writings ofBaden-Powell most of us have heard of that event. 

The book is laid out in a way that is slightly different from the usualKingston book is presented, but we hope we have followed the book fairlyfaithfully. 

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OUR SAILORS; GALLANT DEEDS OF THE BRITISH NAVY DURING QUEEN VICTORIA'SREIGN, BY W. H. G. KINGSTON. 

CHAPTER ONE. 

OUR SAILORS. 

"Let fall the topsails, hoist away--up anchor, round goes the capstan--sheet home--haul taut the braces! and away we glide, to prove to ourcountrymen that British sailors have not been sleeping on beds of rosesfor the last quarter of a century since her gracious Majesty QueenVictoria came to the throne. " So wrote our author some forty years ago. "Up anchor, full speed ahead, " is, we suppose, the modern equivalentfor his nautical simile, and very prosaic and commonplace it sounds; butwe shall find that the romance of the Navy did not go out with the lastof the sailing frigates, and that the age of steam and electricity, ofenormous ironclads and rapid cruisers, affords as great a scope forindividual daring, resource, and heroism as the days of sailing frigatesand boarding parties; and that though in recent years our sailors havenot had many chances of using their weapons on the sea, the NavalBrigade has taken its part in many an expedition, on land, and on alloccasions the British tar has proved himself a worthy successor to theheroes of Trafalgar and the Nile. 

During the earlier years of the Great Queen's reign her sailors hadlittle to do in the fighting line, though on the West Coast of Africathe slave traffic gave occasion to many a lively skirmish, and on otherseas various events from time to time afforded an opportunity forshowing that their weapons were as effective as of old. 

THE CAPTURE OF ADEN. 

Somewhat of that character was the capture of Aden, an Arab town on theentrance of the Red Sea. A former sultan or chief of Aden had by treatygiven up the place to the British; but his successor, not approving ofthe bargain, refused to submit to it. As it was important for theEnglish to hold the place, to facilitate the navigation of the Red Sea, an expedition, under Captain Smith of the _Volage_, was sent by SirFrederick Maitland, then Commander-in-Chief on the East India Station, to bring the Sultan to reason. 

It was not a big affair, though unhappily it cost several lives, but itsresult was important and lasting. Captain Smith's expedition comprised, besides HMS _Volage_, three smaller vessels and some transports. On the19th of January 1839 he bombarded the town and landed his troops, whoafter a short resistance overcame the Sultan's army, and hoisted theflag on its walls, and Aden became a port of the British Empire, as ithas remained ever since. 

From early times it had been a very important centre for the tradebetween Europe and the East, but when the Portuguese opened up the routeto India by the Cape it lost its advantage. In the hands of the Britishits prosperity has returned, and the return of the Eastern trade bymeans of the Suez Canal to the Red Sea has raised it to a far higherposition than ever it possessed in ancient days; it is now the greatcoaling station for the British fleet and merchantmen in the East. Thetrade passing through it to and from Southern Arabia exceeds fivemillions a year, and it is also a strongly fortified naval station. 

CHAPTER TWO. 

WAR ON THE COAST OF SYRIA--1840. 

The next affair in which our bluejackets were engaged was the war on thecoast of Syria, in 1840. The causes of this were as follow. MehemetAli, Pasha or Governor of Egypt, wished not only to make himselfaltogether independent of the Sultan of Turkey, who claimed to be hissovereign, but also to hold possession of Syria. Into that country hesent an army under the command of Ibrahim Pasha, who was everywheresuccessful, and was approaching Constantinople itself. This so alarmedthe Sultan, that he was about to ask for assistance from the Russians. On this, England, France, and Austria thought it high time to interfere;for had the Russians once taken possession of Constantinople, it wouldhave been a difficult matter to turn them out again. Accordingly, thosethree powers sent to the Turks to promise them assistance if they wouldhold out, and immediately despatched a large number of ships-of-war tothe coast of Syria. Sir Robert Stopford was Admiral of the Britishfleet, and Sir Charles Napier, having his broad pennant flying, commanded a squadron under him. 

BOMBARDMENT OF BEYROUT--SEPTEMBER 1840. 

The first place attacked was the town and fortress of Beyrout. TheEnglish had thirteen sailing ships and four steamers. There was aTurkish squadron of seven ships, under Admiral Walker, who was then inthe service of the Sultan, and three Austrian ships. Though cannonadedfor several days, the place still held out. However, on the 2nd ofOctober an Egyptian gunner, who had deserted, came on board the_Hastings_ at Beyrout, and gave information that a train had been laidalong the bridge to the eastern castle, where a large quantity of powderwas concealed; and he undertook to guide a party to cut the train andseize the powder. 

Commander Worth at once offered to perform this dangerous service, andnumbers volunteered to follow him. He embarked in one of the boats ofthe _Hastings_, protected by the launch and pinnace of the _Edinburgh_, and covered by the fire of the ships. Dashing on in the face of a heavyfire of musketry, he landed on the bridge, cut off the train, and thenforced his way into the castle, over the walls of which he threw somesixty or seventy barrels of powder, and succeeded in bringing offthirty-one barrels more. 

Unfortunately, in this service, Mr Luscomb, a midshipman of the_Hastings_, was killed; the Egyptian, and two seamen of the _Hastings_and one of the _Edinburgh_, were wounded. 

CAPTURE OF SIDON. 

While the fleet lay off Beyrout, it was considered important to drivethe Egyptians out of Sidon, a strong and important place. CommodoreNapier undertook to perform the work, and be back off Beyrout in threedays. With two steamers and five other ships, having on board 750English and 800 Turkish marines, he appeared off the place on the 26thSeptember. The town having been summoned to surrender, and no answerbeing given, was cannonaded for half an hour. Captain Austin, at thehead of the Turkish battalion, landed, but was very warmly received, andseveral of his followers were killed. The fleet again accordinglyopened fire, and battered down a number of houses, after which thecommodore, at the head of the main body of the British marines, andCaptain Henderson at the head of another, in the most spirited mannerbroke open the gates, fought their way in, and took possession of thecastle. Numberless acts of gallantry were displayed. Among others, there was a complete race from the spot where they landed between MrJames Hunt, a midshipman of the _Stromboli_, and Signor Dominica Chinca, a midshipman of the Austrian frigate _Guerriera_, who should first planttheir colours on the walls of the town. All now appearing quiet in thetown, the commodore left a guard in the castle, and descended into it. No town was ever taken where less blood was unnecessarily spilt, ordisorders more speedily put a stop to. 

ATTACK ON THE CASTLE OF D'JEBEL. 

A strong body of Albanian troops being posted in the Castle of D'Jebel, Captain Martin was despatched in the _Carysfort_, with the _Dido_ and_Cyclops_, having on board 220 marines and 150 armed mountaineers, toturn them out. 

As soon as the marines were prepared for landing, the ships opened theirfire on the castle, which was returned by musket-shots. 

After the fire had been continued for an hour, the marines, commanded byCaptain Robinson, accompanied by a large party of armed mountaineers, pushed off from the _Cyclops_, and formed on the beach to the south ofthe town, their landing being covered by the ships, which again openedon the castle. The fire from the ships and the launch's carronadeshaving cleared the gardens in front of the castle, the signal was madeto push on. The marines on this advanced with their invariablegallantry to the assault; but when they got within thirty yards of thetowers, a destructive fire was opened on them from a crenelated outwork, having a deep ditch in front, which was completely masked from the fireof the ships, and numbers fell killed and wounded. In vain CaptainRobinson and the other officers looked for some part of the castle wallwhich might prove practicable. No gate was accessible, and they weretherefore compelled to abandon the enterprise. The ships again startedfiring on the castle, but it was so stoutly built that no impressioncould be made on it, and at half-past five the firing ceased and thelanding party re-embarked. 

As the force was retiring it was discovered that an English flag, whichhad been planted on a garden wall by the pilot of the _Cyclops_ as asignal to the ships, had been accidentally left there; it could not besuffered to fall into the hands of the enemy, and therefore had to berecovered, whatever the cost. It was a dangerous undertaking to run thegauntlet of the enemy's guns and bring it back, but Lieutenant Grenfelland a seaman from the _Cyclops_ volunteered to attempt it. Theirprogress was watched with much anxiety. They crept along from cover tocover, and at last reached the flag, which they hauled down, andhastened back again with their prize. Loud cheers greeted them as theyreturned to the ships uninjured and successful. 

Although the attempt to take the castle by storm had not beensuccessful, it was not found necessary to renew it on the following day, for when morning came it was found that the steady fire from the shipshad proved too much for the nerves of the garrison, and that rather thanface it another day they had vacated the position and stolen away undercover of the night. 

BOMBARDMENT AND CAPTURE OF ACRE--3RD NOVEMBER 1840. 

Ibrahim Pasha, who had taken Acre in 1837, had commenced to strengthenit greatly; but the fortifications he had designed were not completedwhen the allied squadron of twenty ships, mostly line-of-battle ships, appeared off it, 2nd November 1840. Towed by the steamers, the shipsthe next morning speedily took up their positions, and opened their firein the most spirited manner. 

After the ships had hotly engaged the batteries for nearly two hours, the grand magazine blew up with a most tremendous explosion, whethercaused by a shell or by accident it is difficult to say. A large numberof the garrison were blown up, and many probably were buried alive inthe ruins or in the casements. The guns, however, notwithstanding thiscatastrophe, kept up their fire with great spirit to the last. Aboutsunset the signal was made to discontinue the engagement; but thecommodore kept the fire up some time after dusk, lest the enemy shouldbe tempted to re-man their guns. The flag-lieutenant then brought theorders to withdraw. 

In the middle of the night a small boat brought off the information thatthe Egyptian troops were leaving the town, and in consequence, atdaylight, 300 Turks and a party of Austrian marines landed, and tookunopposed possession of the place. The havoc caused by the guns of thesquadron on the walls and houses was very great, though, notwithstandingthe hot and long-continued fire they had been exposed to, the shipsescaped with little damage, and the amount of casualties was very small, being fourteen English and four Turks killed, and forty-two wounded. 

An entire battalion, which had been formed near the magazine, ready toresist any attempts to storm, was destroyed. The appearance of the deadand wounded, as they lay scattered about the town, was very dreadful, but they seemed to excite but little sympathy in the breasts of theTurks. Every living creature within the area of 60, 000 square yardsround the magazine had ceased to exist, the loss of life being computedfrom 1200 to 2000 persons. Certainly two entire regiments wereannihilated, with fifty donkeys, thirty camels, twelve cows, and somehorses. 

This was the first occasion on which the advantages of steam had beenfully proved in battle, by the rapidity with which the steamers took uptheir positions, and the assistance they rendered to the other ships; asalso by the destruction caused through the shells thrown from them. 

On the 4th another explosion took place, by which a marine was killedand Captain Collier had his leg fractured. 

The garrison being placed in a state of order, was left under thecommand of Sir Charles Smith, with 3000 Turkish troops and 250 marines, under Lieutenant-Colonel Walker, with the protection of the _Pique_ and_Stromboli_. 

The results of the capture of Acre were very important. Ibrahim Pashaevacuated Syria, and Mehemet Ali gave up the whole Turkish fleet, whichsailed for Marmorice under Admiral Walker. Soon after, the Sultan senta firman, according to the Pasha the hereditary possession of Egypt, without any interference on the part of the Porte, while a yearlytribute of 2, 000, 000 pounds was to be paid to the Sultan, besides about2, 000, 000 pounds more of arrears. 

Thus terminated the part taken by the British at that time in theaffairs of Turkey and Egypt. 

CHAPTER THREE. 

WARFARE IN CHINESE WATERS--1840-1842. 

The war in China was undertaken to punish the Government for thenumerous injuries and insults they had offered to the English, and, byteaching them to respect our power, to induce them to trade with us onfair and equal terms, and to treat us in future as one civilised peopleshould treat another; also to demand reparation of grievances, andpayment for the property of British subjects destroyed at Canton; toobtain a guarantee against similar occurrences in future; and, what wasof the greatest importance, to open up the trade at the different portsalong the coast. 

With these objects to be accomplished, a large squadron and a number oftransports, containing a considerable body of troops, were despatched in1840 by the Governor-General of India to the Chinese seas. 

Soon after this a large fleet arrived from England, under the command ofAdmiral the Honourable G. Elliot, while Sir Gordon Bremer had his broadpennant flying on board the _Wellesley_. Captain Elliot, RN, it must beunderstood, was acting on shore as Chief-Superintendent of Trade. 

The Chinese are a very clever people, but though their civilisation isvery ancient it has been stationary for ages, and all change and advanceof Western ideas has been violently opposed both by the governingclasses and the people. In the matter, however, of armament they havein recent years made great advance, but at this time this advance hadhardly yet commenced, and they had nothing to oppose to the Britishfleet. 

Not having the real thing, with great ingenuity they proceeded toextemporise an imitation, the appearance of which they hoped would besufficient to frighten off the foreigner. They purchased an Englishtrading vessel, the _Cambridge_, intending to turn her into, at least inappearance, a man-of-war, and built some strange-looking littleschooners upon a European model, for the purpose of employing themagainst the English. Commissioner Lin also got up some sham fights atthe Bogue, dressing those who were to act as assailants in red coats, inorder to accustom the defenders to the sight of the red uniform, --theredcoats, of course, being always driven back with tremendous slaughter. They also ran up formidable-looking forts along the banks of many oftheir rivers, which on examination, however, turned out to be merelythin planks painted. The object of these was to alarm the barbarians, and to prevent them from entering their harbours. But the crowning andmost ingenious device was the construction of some vessels, with largepaddle-wheels like those of steamers, which were worked inside by men;though, that they might appear to be real steamers, they had, it issaid, funnels and fires under them to create a smoke. 

Although from these accounts it would appear that the Chinese were notvery formidable enemies, it must be understood that they also possessedsome forts which were really very strong; and that though the trueChinese are not very fond of fighting, and, from their peculiartemperament, (looking upon discretion as the better part of valour), prefer running away to stopping with the certainty of being shot orbayoneted, yet that, as they fully understand division of labour, theyemploy a large number of Tartars to do their fighting for them. TheseTartars are very brave fellows, and so are their officers; and innumberless instances they preferred death to defeat. They invariablyfought to the last; and often, when they could fight no longer, cut thethroats of their wives and children, and then their own, rather thanyield. This horrible practice arose undoubtedly from ignorance, theybelieving that their conquerors would ill-treat and enslave them if theycaptured them alive. Besides these Tartar troops, who were far fromcontemptible enemies, our gallant redcoats and bluejackets had tocontend with the pernicious climate of the south of China, by which, more than by the jingall-balls of the enemy, numbers were cut off. TheTartars we have been speaking of are powerful men, armed with longspears, and often they crossed them with the British bayonet, for whichthe long spear was sometimes more than a match. Hand-to-hand encounterswith the Tartar troops were not uncommon, and our men learned to theircost that they had held the Chinese too cheap. Instances occurred inwhich the powerful Tartar soldier rushed within the bayonet guard of hisopponent, and grappled with him for life or death. 

A full description of the numerous actions which took place from thecommencement to the termination of the war, extending over so manymonths, would at the present day be far from interesting. We shall, therefore, but briefly allude to some of them. 

CAPTURE OF CHUSAN. 

The crisis had come. The Chinese had determined to drive away the"foreign devils" from their coasts, and the "foreign devils" had equallydetermined to show that they were a match for the Celestials. 

On 5th July 1840, Chusan, a small island in the Chinese sea, fell intothe hands of the British. The previous day, HMS _Conway, Alligator_, and _Wellesley_, with a troopship and two transports, arrived in Chusanharbour. The ships took up position opposite a large Joss House orTemple. Sir Gordon Bremer was in command of our force. In the eveninga deputation was sent on shore, calling upon the governor to surrenderthe town of Chusan and avoid unnecessary bloodshed. The Chinese admiraland two mandarins themselves came to refuse this offer. During thatnight the people were seen strengthening their fortifications, while theinhabitants were flying up the river in their merchant junks, which wereallowed to pass without impediment, although their cargoes, probablycontaining much that was valuable, would have made the fortunes of manya British officer. However, they were allowed through untouched, forour bluejackets had not come to war against civilians and women andchildren. Indeed, to their credit, in no instance throughout the wardid the helpless suffer injury at the hands of either British soldiersor sailors. 

On the 5th, vast crowds could be seen along the hills and shores, andthe walls of the city were lined with troops. Twenty-four guns wereplaced on the landing-place, which, with the appearance of severalwar-junks, showed that resistance was going to be offered. 

The troops were landed in two divisions, under Major-General Burrell'ssupervision. The fire from the batteries and from the shores was soonsilenced by the British "men of war. " Not far distant from the city wasa hill surrounded on three sides by a deep canal and very boggy land, and our troops took up position on this hill; and though fire was openedon them till nearly midnight, the effects of it were scarcely felt. Onthe morning of the 6th the guns were directed towards the city, but asno sound could be heard or troops seen, it was thought that the city hadprobably been evacuated, and a party was sent forward to find out ifthis was the case. The walls of the city were scaled, and then it wasfound that, with the exception of one or two unarmed Chinese, the placewas empty. Over the principal gate was a placard on which wasinscribed, "Save us for the sake of our wives and children. " TheBritish flag was, without loss of time, hoisted upon that gate. 

On 19th August 1840, Captain Smith, in the _Druid_, and a few smallerships of war and some troops, attacked and defeated the Chinese in avery spirited manner, stationed in some fortifications known as theMacao Barrier. The guns were spiked, and the whole of the troops fled;nor did they ever again occupy the barrier. Two junks were sunk, andthe rest allowed to escape round the opposite point, while the barracksand the other buildings were burned. The British, having four men onlywounded, re-embarked, and the ships returned the same evening to theirformer anchorage in Macao roads. This well-timed and important piece ofservice of Captain Smith's was the last hostile movement of the Britishduring the year 1840. On the 6th November a truce was announced byAdmiral Elliot, and on the 29th he resigned his command from extremeill-health, and returned to England, leaving Sir Gordon Bremer ascommander-in-chief. 

After this, nothing very remarkable was done till the Bogue forts werecaptured, on the 7th January 1841. The Chinese Emperor had only openednegotiations for the purpose of gaining time it was resolved, therefore, to attack Canton itself. Several fleets of war-junks were destroyed, some of the junks being blown up with all on board. On the 26th ofFebruary the Boca Tigris forts were taken by Sir Gordon Bremer; and, onthe 5th of March, the squadron having advanced up the river, Howqua'sFort was captured. Other forts in succession fell into the hands of theBritish force; and on the 28th of March, the passage up to Whampoa beingforced, the forts of Canton and a large Chinese flotilla were captured. After this, the Chinese came to terms; trade was again opened, and wenton for some time with great activity. All this time, however, thetreacherous Chinese were plotting how they might exterminate theEnglish; and, on the night of the 21st of May, a bold attempt was madeby them to destroy the British fleet by means of fire-rafts. Theattempt, however, was happily defeated, and warlike operations were oncemore commenced. 

During these operations, Mr Hall performed a gallant act, whichprobably saved the lives of Captains Elliot and Herbert and all standingnear. A congreve rocket had been placed in a tube and ignited, when ithung within it instead of flying out. In another moment it would haveburst, scattering destruction around, had not Mr Hall thrust his arminto the tube and forced it out from behind. The rush of fire, however, severely burnt his hand, and caused him much suffering; it was long, indeed, before he recovered the use of it. 

Canton was now attacked both by sea and land; and after some severefighting, which lasted from the 23rd up to the 30th of May, thatimportant city was taken possession of by the British. 

Amoy was captured on the 26th of August in a dashing manner, andChinghae on the 10th of October 1841, and Ningpo was occupied on the12th of the same month. Early in the year, Captain Hall and theofficers and crew of the _Nemesis_ had a spirited brush with theChinese, to the north of Chusan. After this, the enemy kept at adistance from that place. 

Several attempts were made by the Chinese to destroy the ships of thesquadron, each time defeated by the vigilance of the officers and crews. On the 13th of May 1843, Chapoo, a large town near the sea, wasattacked and captured; and Woosung and Shanghai shared the same fate onthe 16th and 19th of June, the greater part of the fighting on bothoccasions being performed by the seamen and marines of the fleet. 

CAPTURE OF CHIN-KEANG-FOO AND NANKIN--21ST JULY 1842. 

We now come to the crowning victory of the British in China in this war. 

Considerable reinforcements having arrived, it was resolved to advanceon Nankin itself, the ancient capital of the empire, as the most certainway of bringing the Chinese to terms. To reach that city, the admiralhad determined to conduct his fleet, consisting of nearly eighty sail, including two line-of-battle ships, up the great river Yang-Tze, intothe very heart of the empire, 200 miles from the sea. 

On the 6th July, this imposing fleet passed up the river without anyopposition, the Chinese having even withdrawn their guns from most ofthe towns on its banks, to escape the injury they expected would beinflicted had they made any hostile demonstration. At Seshan, however, about fifteen miles below Chin-Keang-Foo, some batteries at the foot ofa hill, mounting about twenty guns, opened their fire on the _Pluto_ and_Nemesis_, as those vessels were surveying in advance. On the followingday, the batteries having fired on the _Modeste_, she very speedilydrove out their garrisons, and destroyed them completely. 

On the 16th, the naval and military commanders-in-chief went up theriver in the _Vixen_, followed by the _Medusa_, to reconnoitre theapproaches to Chin-Keang-Foo. They approached the entrance of theImperial Canal, which passes close to the city walls, and is one of thegreatest works in China for facilitating the internal watercommunication through the country. As no soldiers were seen on thewalls, and no other preparations for defence were visible, it was hopedthat resistance would not be offered, and that thus all effusion ofblood would be spared. When, however, some of the officers landed onGolden Island, which is opposite the mouth of the Great Canal, andclimbed to the top of the pagoda in the centre of the island, theydiscovered three large encampments on the slope of the hills to thesouth-west of the city. This showed that the Chinese had a large armyready to defend the place, though it was doubted if the troops wouldfight. The British land force consisted of about 7000 men of all arms. It had been determined that none of the ships-of-war should be engagedin the attack. The _Auckland_ was therefore the only vessel which firedinto the city, when employed in covering the landing of the troops. 

On the evening of the 20th all preparations were completed for theattack, which was to take place at daylight the next day. A body ofseamen and marines, however, under Captain Peter Richards, took anactive part in the engagement, accompanied by Sir William Parker, whoforced his way with the general through the gates of the city. LordSaltoun's brigade was the first on shore, and, gallantly attacking theChinese encamped outside the walls, soon drove them over the hills. General Schoedde's brigade, however, was received by a hot fire of guns, jingalls, and matchlocks, and in consequence he gave orders forimmediately escalading the walls. The Tartars fought with the mostdetermined bravery, often in hand-to-hand combats, and several of theBritish officers and men were wounded. The walls were soon scaled; and, as the troops scoured them to the right and left, they fell in with SirHugh and Sir William, who had forced their way in at the gate, whileCaptains Peter Richards and Watson, with the seamen and marines, hadscaled the walls in another direction. Still, in the interior of thecity, the Tartars held every house and street where they could hope tomake a stand, determined to sell their lives dearly; and often, whendriven back by superior force, they with perfect deliberation put an endto their own lives, and frequently those of their wives and children. 

While these events were taking place, another of a more naval characterwas enacting elsewhere. The _Blonde_ was anchored off the mouth of theGrand Canal, and her boats had been employed in the morning in landingthe artillery brigade. At ten o'clock they were ordered away to carrysome of the artillery, with two howitzers, up the canal, to create adiversion in favour of the troops. They were under the command ofLieutenant Crouch, of the _Blonde_, who had with him Messrs. Lambert, Jenkins, and Lyons, midshipmen. The barge, cutter, and a flat were alittle in advance, when, coming suddenly in sight of the west gate ofthe city, they were assailed by a heavy fire of jingalls and matchlocksfrom the whole line of the city wall, running parallel with the canal. As the wall was nearly forty feet high, the gun in the barge could notbe elevated sufficiently to do service, and the fire of the musketry wasineffectual. Lieutenant Crouch and Mr Lyons, midshipman, two artilleryofficers, sixteen seamen, and eight artillerymen were wounded. As itwould have been madness to have remained longer than necessary exposedto such a fire, the men leaped from the boats, which they abandoned, andtook shelter under cover of some houses in the suburbs. The crews ofthe launch and pinnace, however, which were some way astern, remainedunder cover of some buildings, and escaped without loss. LieutenantCrouch's party now saw that their only chance of escape was to join thelatter, though to do so they would have to pass across a wide space, exposed to the fire from the walls. They succeeded, however, in doingthis without loss, and in getting on board the two boats. The wholeparty returned down the canal to the _Cornwallis_, where they reportedwhat had happened to Captain Richards. They were compelled to leavesome of the wounded behind, who, it is satisfactory to report, werekindly treated by the Chinese, --a strong proof of the advantage of theexample set by the British. 

As soon as Captain Richards was informed of the circumstances which hadoccurred, he landed with 200 marines at the entrance of the canal, wherehe was joined by 300 men of the 6th Madras Native Infantry, underCaptain McLean. 

This body then made their way through the suburbs, to escalade the citywalls. At the same time the boats of the _Cornwallis_, under LieutenantStoddart, with those of the _Blonde_, pulled up the canal, with ordersto bring off the boats and guns which had been left behind, and toendeavour to check the fire of the Chinese, while Captain Richards'party were engaged in escalading the walls. As soon as Captain Richardslanded, he was joined by Captain Watson and Mr Forster, master of the_Modeste_, with a boat's crew and a small body of seamen from that ship. 

A quantity of rubbish was found near the walls, on which the ladderswere planted by Captains Peter Richards and Watson, when, in face of astrong body of Tartars, who opened a tremendous fire on them, they beganthe hazardous ascent. Captain Richards escaped unhurt; but CaptainWatson was wounded, as was Lieutenant Baker, of the Madras Artillery;and a marine, who with them was one of the first on the walls, waskilled. 

At this juncture, Lieutenant Fitzjames brought up some rockets andlodged one in a guard-house, which, catching fire, threw the enemy intosuch consternation that they gave way, followed by Captain Richards, who, at the head of his men, had jumped down into an open space betweentwo gateways. At the same moment the gate was blown open by powderbags; and Sir William Parker, with the third brigade under GeneralBartley, accompanied by Sir Hugh Gough, dashed over its ruins. Severalofficers and a large number of men suffered from the effects of the hotsun. The Naval Brigade having in consequence rested for some time in aguard-house, on hearing some firing, again sallied out, when they weremet by a sudden fire from a body of Tartars, drawn up across a streetbehind a small gateway. Here Lieutenant Fitzjames was wounded, as wereseveral of the men. 

The British, however, uttering a loud cheer, attacked the Tartars withsuch fury that they were soon driven back and put to flight, whennumbers fell by their own hands. The city was speedily in entirepossession of the British, when every means was taken to spare life, toprevent plunder, and to restore order. We must not omit to speak of thegallantry of several naval officers mentioned by Sir Hugh Gough. Havingheard that the canal was fordable, he had sent Major Gough to ascertainthe fact, accompanied by Captain Loch, RN, who acted as an amateurthroughout the campaign, as the general's extra aide-de-camp, andLieutenant Hodgson, of the _Cornwallis_, as also by Lieutenant Heatley. Instantly rushing down the bank, the four officers plunged into thecanal and swam across, thus proving the impracticability of fording it. 

The city was now completely in the power of the British; but, inconsequence of the bad drainage and the number of dead bodies left inthe houses, the cholera broke out, and raged with fearful violence amongthe troops, even though they were removed to an encampment outside thewalls. The number of Tartars who destroyed themselves and families wasvery great; while much damage was committed by the Chinese plunderers, who flocked in from the country, and pillaged in every direction; yet, although the place had been taken by assault, none of the British troopswere allowed to plunder or to commit violence of any description. 

These triumphant successes of the British had at length brought theEmperor to reason. 

The true state of affairs was represented to him; and, on the 20th ofAugust, his commissioner came on board the _Cornwallis_, with authorityto treat for peace. On the 24th, the visit was returned by Sir HenryPottinger, Sir Hugh Gough, Sir William Parker, and upwards of a hundredofficers. 

On the 29th, a treaty of peace, for which the British had been so longcontending, was happily signed on board the _Cornwallis_ by Sir HenryPottinger on the part of Great Britain, and by Ke-Ying, Elepoo, andNew-Kien, on the part of the Emperor of China. 

While the British fleet remained in the China seas, several gallantacts, well worthy of record also, were performed by some of the officersof the ships. 

Although a very imperfect account has been given of the operations inthe China seas, enough has been said to show that the Tartar troops wereno despicable enemies, while the bluejackets of Old England had ampleopportunities of exhibiting their daring courage, as well as thatperseverance, discipline, endurance, and humanity, for which they haveever been conspicuous. 

A TIMELY RESCUE. 

CALLAO, 20TH AUGUST 1844. 

Her Majesty's ship _Collingwood_, Captain R. Smart, was lying off theport of Callao, in China, on the 20th of August 1844. There were at thetime two mates on board, Mr Roderick Dew and the Hon. FrederickWilliam Walpole. The latter officer had, it appears, in the afternoongone on board a cutter-yacht, belonging to a gentleman at Callao. Asnight came on there was a fresh breeze blowing, which knocked up a shortchopping sea. It was also very dark, so that objects at any distancefrom the ship could scarcely be discerned. The officer of the firstwatch on that night was Lieutenant Richard R. Quin, and the mate of thewatch was Mr R. Dew. In those seas the currents run with greatrapidity, and where the ship lay there was a very strong tide. Just asthe quartermasters had gone below to call the officers of the middlewatch, it being then close upon twelve o'clock, the look-out man forwardreported a boat ahead under sail. The lieutenant of the watch, on goingto the gangway, observed a small cutter on the starboard bow, which, aswell as he could make out through the obscurity, appeared to be hove to. He judged from the position of the cutter that she wished tocommunicate with the ship, but it was impossible to see what was takingplace on board of her. Shortly afterwards a dark object was observed onthe water on the starboard bow approaching the ship, but it did not looklike a boat. When it was at the distance of seventy or eighty yards, itwas hailed by the sentry. An answer was returned, but too indistinctlyfor the officers aft to understand what was said. The sentry, however, on the forecastle seems to have made out the answer, for he instantlysung out the startling cry of "A man overboard!" No boats were down atthe time; and in that hot tideway in another minute the drowning manwould have been swept past the ship, and carried in all probability outto sea, where he must have perished. Mr Dew was forward. Whether ornot he knew the person who was in peril of his life, I cannot say;probably any human being would equally have claimed his aid; but withouta moment's hesitation he jumped fearlessly overboard, and swam to theassistance of the man he supposed was drowning. He struck out bravely, but could not at first succeed in the object for which he was aiming. Meantime the order for lowering a boat was given; but long before shewas got into the water the figure of a human being was discerned closeto the ship. The sentry again hailed, when a voice, which wasrecognised as that of Mr Walpole's, answered with a cry for help. MrDew cheered him up by letting him know that he was coming to hisassistance; and very soon after he got up to him, and found him clingingto a small boat full of water, and, as he was encumbered with a heavypea-coat, holding on with the greatest difficulty. Mr Dew, who waslightly clad and fresh, enabled him to guide the swamped boat up to theship, near which the current was of itself carrying her. As they passednear the gangway, a coil of rope was hove to them, which they gettinghold of, the boat was hauled alongside, and Mr Walpole and his gallantpreserver Mr Dew were brought safely upon deck. Mr Walpole then gavean account of the accident which had befallen him. He had shoved offfrom the cutter in her dinghy, which was very soon swamped; and as thetide would not allow him to regain the vessel, he was being carriedrapidly to destruction, and would, he gratefully asserted, haveinevitably perished, had it not been for the heroic conduct of Mr Dew, who, under Providence, was thus the means of preserving his life. 

CHAPTER FOUR. 

CAPTURE OF A VENEZUELAN SQUADRON--FEBRUARY 1841. 

Among the numerous states which have arisen from the fragments of theSpanish empire in South America is that of Venezuela, of whichCarthagena on the northern coast, and on the eastern shore at theentrance of the Gulf of Darien, is one of the chief towns. Although theinhabitants have proved themselves on many occasions to be a brave andgallant people, they too frequently, after they drove out the Spaniards, quarrelled among themselves, and at the time of which we write hadallowed their navy to fall into a very disorganised condition. Itappears that the British merchant brig _Jane and Sarah_, in company witha sloop called _Little William_, were lying at Sapote, a harbour nearCarthagena, when, on the 6th of February 1841, some Venezuelanships-of-war, under the orders of General Carmona, attacked the twovessels and plundered them of a large amount of goods and specie. AColonel Gregg and other passengers, together with their crews, weretaken on shore and imprisoned. We are not aware of what crime ColonelGregg and the other persons were accused. They found means, however, tocommunicate their condition to the British consul resident atCarthagena, who immediately interested himself on their behalf, andapplied to the Government for their release. 

His intercession was perfectly unsuccessful. As soon, therefore, as hewas able, he sent off a despatch to Lieutenant De Courcy, commanding HMbrig _Charybdis_, stationed on the coast to protect British interests, and which was fortunately then in the neighbourhood. Immediately onreceiving the communication, Lieutenant De Courcy came off the port ofCarthagena, and despatched a boat with an officer bearing a letter tothe commodore of the squadron, then at anchor inside, demanding therelease of Colonel Gregg and the other British subjects. 

The Venezuelan squadron consisted of a corvette, a brig, and threeschooners of war. When the officer got on board the corvette, he foundthe commodore, who treated him with great insolence, observing that, asthe letter was not written in Spanish, he could not understand it, andtherefore could not receive it, treating the threatened interferencewith the greatest contempt. The unfortunate Colonel Gregg, it appears, was shot, immediately after the application for his release had beenmade; so that probably the commodore was acting under the orders of theGovernment, who were little aware of the punishment they were about todraw down on the head of the commander of their ships. 

As soon as the British officer had returned on board the _Charybdis_, and reported these circumstances, Lieutenant de Courcy determined tocompel attention to his communications. The _Charybdis_ was rated as asix-gun brig, but she carried only one long gun amidships and twocarronades, and her full complement of officers and men was butfifty-five. Nothing daunted, however, he boldly entered the port, andwas passing up to an anchorage, when, without any provocation, he wasfired into by the corvette, --the commodore's vessel, --and the forestayof the _Charybdis_ was shot away. 

This was an insult not for an instant to be borne, and, in spite of thesmall size of his vessel and the apparently overwhelming force opposedto him, he immediately took up a position, and opened his fire on thecorvette. His officers and crew enthusiastically supported him, and, working their guns with a will, so rapidly was their fire delivered, andso well was it directed, that in a short time the corvette hauled downher colours and surrendered, when, on taking possession of her, it wasfound that the commodore and twenty-five of his men had been killed. 

In the meantime, a brig-of-war had been coming down to the assistance ofthe corvette, followed by three schooners; and scarcely had the firstbeen disposed of when she came into action. Unexhausted by theirexertions, the gallant crew of the _Charybdis_ fought their guns asbefore, and in five minutes after they had been brought to bear on thebrig, she sank; and in a short time the schooners, after exchanging afew shots, also surrendered. 

Thus, in the course of less than an hour, the whole of the squadron wascaptured or destroyed, --the victor remaining at anchor in their portwith his prizes, to await the decision of the admiral on the station asto their disposal. In consequence of Lieutenant De Courcy's capture ofthe Venezuelan squadron, he at once received his promotion to the rankof commander. 

CHAPTER FIVE. 

SUPPRESSION OF PIRACY IN BORNEO--RAJAH BROOKE. 

Sir James Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak, went out as a cadet to India, wherehe distinguished himself in the Burmese war, but, being wounded there, he returned home. A warm admirer of Sir Stamford Raffles, by whoseenlightened efforts the flourishing city of Singapore was established, and British commerce much increased in the Eastern Archipelago, he tooka voyage there to form a personal acquaintance with those interestingislands. He found the people groaning under oppression, piracyunchecked, and commerce undeveloped. He here secretly resolved todevote his life to remedying these evils. On his return home hepurchased a yacht, the _Royalist_, of 142 tons, and with care andkindness, for three years, he trained a crew zealously ready to followhis fortunes. 

Having been appointed Governor of Sarawak, 24th September 1841, he sethimself actively to work to reform abuses, to improve the cultivation ofthe country, and to secure peace and happiness to the people. Havingarranged the internal affairs of his government, he went back toSingapore for the purpose of asking the aid of some ship-of-war to putdown piracy. The _Dido_, the Honourable Captain Keppel, was accordinglysent to assist him in carrying out his object. Among the many gallantacts performed by that officer and ship's company, we have space torecount only one. 

ATTACK ON SAREBUS PIRATES. 

The _Dido_, after leaving Sarawak, proceeded to the island of Burong, which was appointed as the place of rendezvous. The force selected forthe expedition consisted of the _Dido's_ pinnace, two cutters, and agig, with Rajah Brooke's boat, the _Jolly Bachelor_, carrying a longsix-pounder brass gun and thirty of the _Dido's_ men. Several chiefssent their fleets, so that the native force was considerable, and itcaused no little trouble to keep them in order. 

On the 11th, as they passed rapidly up the stream, the beating of gongsand the loud yelling warned them that they were approaching theirenemies. A sudden turn in the river brought them in front of a steephill, which rose from the bank. As they hove in sight, several hundredsavages rose up, and gave one of their war-yells. "It was the first, "says Captain Keppel, "I ever heard. No report from musketry or ordnancecould ever make a man's heart feel so _small_ as mine did at that horridyell. I had no time to think, but took a shot at them with mydouble-barrel as they rushed down the steep, while we hurried past. " Asthe large boat came up, she gave them a dose from her heavy gun. Abarrier of stakes was now encountered, but the gig pushed through, andfound herself in the presence of three formidable-looking forts, whichimmediately opened a heavy fire on her. Luckily the enemy's guns wereelevated for the range of the barrier, a few grape-shot only splashingthe water round the gig. The boat was drifting fast towards the enemy. The banks of the river were covered with warriors, who yelled and rusheddown to secure her. With some difficulty the long gig was got round, and, Rajah Brooke steering, she was paddled up against the stream. During this time Captain Keppel and his coxswain kept up a fire on theembrasures, to prevent the enemy reloading before the pinnace couldbring her twelve-pounder carronade to bear. Unfortunately she fellathwart the barrier, and had three men wounded while thus placed. Withthe aid, however, of some of the native auxiliaries, the rattan lashingswhich secured the heads of the stakes were cut, and the first cutter gotthrough. The other boats then followed, and kept up a destructive fireon the fort. Mr D'Aeth, who was the first to land, jumped on shorewith his crew at the foot of the hill on the top of which the nearestfort stood, and at once rushed for the summit. 

This mode of warfare--this dashing at once in the very face of theirfort--was so novel and incomprehensible to the enemy, that they fledpanic-struck into the jungle, and the leading men of the British couldscarcely get a snap-shot at them. That evening the country wasilluminated for miles by the burning of the capital, Paddi, and theadjacent villages. The guns in the forts were also taken and thestockades burnt. The banks of the river were here so narrow that it wasnecessary to keep vigilantly on the alert, as a spear even could easilybe thrown across, though for the greater part of the night the burninghouses made it light as day. In the evening, Doctors Simpson andTreacher amputated the arm of the captain of the forecastle on board the_Dido_. In the morning, a fleet of prahus came sweeping towards them, and were only discovered to be friends just in time to save them from adeadly discharge from the six-pounder. 

In the evening, a party under Lieutenant Horton, who was accompanied byRajah Brooke, was sent up the left stream. Captain Keppel was at supperon board the _Jolly Bachelor_, when the sound of the pinnace'stwelve-pounder carronade broke through the stillness of the night. Thiswas responded to by one of those simultaneous war-yells, apparently fromevery part of the country. Captain Keppel, on this, jumping into hisgig, pulled off to the aid of his friends. From the winding of thestream, the yells appeared to come from every direction--sometimesahead, sometimes astern. Proceeding thus for nearly two hours, a suddenand quick discharge of musketry warned him that he was approaching thescene of action. 

He kept his rifle ready for use on his knee; and to give an idea that hewas bringing up a strong reinforcement, he ordered the bugler he hadwith him to strike up "Rory O'More. " This was immediately responded toby three British cheers, followed, however, by a deathlike silence, which made him suppose that the enemy were between him and his friends. 

Seeing some human forms before him, he hailed, and, receiving no answer, fired, supposing them to be Dyaks, when, to his horror, LieutenantHorton exclaimed, "We are here, sir. " Providentially no one was hurt. The sound of the current had prevented his hail being heard. The partyhad taken up a very clever position on the top of a bank from which thejungle had been cleared for about thirty yards, and which roseperpendicularly from a little bay just big enough to hold the boats. Here Lieutenant Gunnel was posted, with seven royal marines as arear-guard. This was an important position, and one of danger, as thejungle itself was alive with the enemy; and although spears were hurledfrom it continually during the night, no shot was thrown away unless thefigure of a pirate could be distinctly seen. The rain fell heavily, themen wore their greatcoats to keep their pieces dry. Often during thelong night a musket was raised to the shoulder, and lowered, as theenemy flitted by. Those in the boats below stood facing the oppositebank of the river, with their arms in their hands. 

It appears that the enemy had come down in great force to attack theboats from that side; and as the river was there very shallow, and thebottom hard, they could, by wading not more than knee-deep, haveapproached to within five or six yards of them. But in the first attackthey had lost a good many men, and it is supposed that their repeatedadvances during the night were more to recover their dead and wounded, than to make any attack on the compact little force of British, whosedeadly aim and rapid firing had told with such effect, and who certainlywere, one and all, prepared to sell their lives as dearly as possible. For some object, the enemy had begun felling some large trees, and theirtorches showing their position, Mr Partridge kept up a hot fire on themfrom the pinnace, till a signal rocket fired among them made them taketo flight. Two natives and one marine of the British party werewounded; and the latter poor fellow, a gallant young officer namedJenkins, already distinguished in the Chinese war, volunteered to conveyin the second gig, with four boys only, down to the _Jolly Bachelor_. He performed his duty, and was again up with the party before daylight. 

At dawn the pirates began assembling in some force; but as the boatsadvanced up the river towards a spot where they had left their wives andchildren, they sent in a flag of truce. Several chiefs soon appeared, and the result of the conference was, that they undertook to abandonpiracy if their lives were spared. This was agreed to, and they havestrictly adhered to their promises. 

CHAPTER SIX. 

WARFARE ON THE RIVERS LA PLATA AND PARANA. 

BATTLE OF THE PARANA--30TH NOVEMBER 1845. 

Juan da Rosas, having made himself master of La Plata, and takenpossession of Buenos Ayres, closed the Rio de La Plata against allstrangers. This was contrary to a treaty with the English and French;and accordingly an English and French squadron was despatched to open upthe channel of commerce, the lighter vessels forming an expedition toforce the Parana. 

Rear-Admiral Inglefield was commander-in-chief, with his flag on boardthe _Vernon_. The French squadron was commanded by Admiral Laine. Thecommand of the English force was given to Captain Charles Hotham, of HMsteam-frigate _Gorgon_; and he had under him, _Firebrand_, steam-frigate, Captain J Hope; _Philomel_, surveying brig, Commander BJSulivan; _Comus_, eighteen guns, Acting Commander EA Inglefield;_Dolphin_, brigantine, Lieutenant R Levinge; _Fanny_, tender, LieutenantAC Key. 

On the 18th, the expedition arrived within three miles of the verystrong defences General Rosas had caused to be thrown up on the rightbank of the Parana, on Punta Obligada, to oppose their progress. Thisspot was about thirty miles below the river San Nicholas, and a hundredfrom the mouth of the river. 

At daylight the following morning the two captains reconnoitred theposition of the enemy, and soon discovered that great military skill hadbeen evinced, both in the ground chosen and the plan of defence pursued. 

The morning of the 20th broke dark and foggy, but about eight a. M. Theweather cleared, and a southerly breeze sprang up. At a quarter tonine, the southern division weighed, and with a light wind stood towardsthe batteries, followed shortly afterwards by the _San Martin_ and_Comus_. The _Dolphin_ and _Pandour_ had previously anchored on thenorth shore. Two of the _Dolphin's_ crew--R Rowe, gunner's mate, and WRoss, caulker's mate--though severely wounded, refused to leave theirquarters till the day was won. 

At about ten minutes before ten the batteries commenced the action byopening a heavy fire on the _Philomel_ and the southern division, whichCommander Sulivan speedily returned with interest. On this occasion thegallant Lieutenant Doyle, of the _Philomel_, had his arm shot away, andfor some time his life was despaired of; but, notwithstanding the agonyof his wound, he still showed his interest in the progress of theaction. On this the _Dolphin_ weighed, to support the ships in action;but as some of her sails were shot away before she could reach herappointed station, the current drove her astern, and compelled her toanchor. Lieutenant Levinge, however, contrived to place her in aposition where her guns did good execution; she, however, wasunavoidably exposed all the time to a tremendous shower of shot, shell, grape, and rockets, which came flying over her. During it several ofher people were wounded; and Mr G Andrews, clerk in charge, wasunhappily killed while assisting the surgeon in his duties to thewounded. 

The remaining ships of the north division were gallantly led into actionby the brave Captain Trehouart, whose brig succeeded in reaching herappointed station. 

A terrific cannonade was now taking place, increasing as the ships, oneafter the other, got into action. It had, however, unfortunately theeffect of making the wind fall light; and, in consequence, the ships ofthe northern division, having to contend with a current running threemiles an hour, were compelled to anchor two cables short of the stationsassigned to them. About this time the Spaniards cast loose thefire-vessels, chained two and two together; and as they came driftingdown rapidly towards the squadron, the steamers kept moving about to towthem clear, should they drift against any of the ships. Fortunatelythey did no harm; but, till they had drifted past, the steamers couldneither anchor nor open their fire. 

At about ten minutes to eleven the action became general; and the effectof the admirable gunnery practice, both of the English and French crews, was soon evident by the unsteadiness with which the enemy continuedtheir fire. No men could, however, have fought more bravely than theydid. No sooner had the fire from the British ships swept one set of menfrom their guns, than they were replaced by others, compelled, if notdetermined of their own accord, to fight to the last. At length thefire from the batteries began to slacken, some of the guns beingdismounted, and the gunners driven from the others; and at four p. M. , anoccasional shot only being fired, Captain Hotham made the signal for theboats of the squadron, manned and armed, to rendezvous alongside the_Gorgon_ and _Firebrand_, sending at the same time to the Frenchcommander, to propose that the remaining part of their plan, which wasthat they should land and storm the batteries, should be carried intoimmediate execution. Captain Hotham landed with 180 bluejackets and 145marines, when, giving three hearty British cheers, they formed on thebeach preparatory to making a rush up the hill. Commander Sulivan, whohad under him the skirmishing party and light company of seamen, led theway up the hill; the rest quickly followed, and, as they reached thecrest, they were received by a smart fire of musketry. The enemy were, however, quickly driven back before the bayonets of the marines, underthe command of Captain F Hurdle, RM; while, at the same time, the lightcompany of seamen, under Lieutenant AC Key, made a dash at the wood, which it was most important to hold. In a few minutes it was carriedand taken possession of. Shortly after this the French brigade landed;and, the enemy taking to flight in all directions, little more remainedto be done, beyond spiking the guns and destroying the batteries. Captain Hope, after cutting the chain across the river, landed withCaptain Hotham, and acted as his aide-de-camp throughout the day. 

In consequence of this action, Captain C Hotham was made a Commander ofthe Order of the Bath; Commander BJ Sulivan was posted; and LieutenantsInglefield, Levinge, Doyle, and Key were made commanders; R Rowe, gunner's mate, was made a gunner, and W Ross, caulker's mate, was made awarrant officer, both of whom, though severely wounded, had refused toquit their quarters till the battle was over. 

Two ships of war being left to prevent the enemy offering anyobstruction to the navigation of the Parana, the squadron proceeded toconvoy a fleet of merchantmen up the river. 

Captain Hope, in a very gallant way, pursued and destroyed the schooner_Chacabuco_, belonging to the enemy. 

ENGAGEMENTS WITH THE BATTERIES OF SAN LORENZO. 

After the squadron and convoy had passed up, which they did without theloss of a single vessel or man, Rosas set to work to fortify the cliffsof San Lorenzo. This he did in the most effectual way in his power, bythrowing up large works of earth, and in collecting guns from everydirection, and also in training his men to the use of them. He hadplenty of time to effect these objects, as the squadron was detainedsome time at Corrientes, while the merchantmen were disposing of theircargoes, and collecting fresh ones to take back in return. May 1846, indeed, had arrived before the different vessels of the convoy hadsettled all their affairs, and to the number of no were ready to descendthe river. 

In the meantime, a constant communication had been kept up with theadmiral at Monte Video by the men-of-war, which had on each occasion torun the gauntlet of the batteries, and in some instances with severeloss, their commanders at the same time affording a noble display ofgallantry, in obeying the orders they had received. Commander Sulivan, among others, made himself very conspicuous by the accurate knowledge hepossessed of the river, which enabled him to pilot the ships up withoutrisk. 

The _Philomel_ having been despatched from Corrientes to Monte Video, asshe approached the batteries of San Lorenzo, Commander Sulivan madepreparations to pass them. Knowing that he could pass under the cliffs, he judged it best to hug them as closely as possible, lest any gunsshould already be mounted. Having made a barricade of hammocks and bagsfor the helmsman, he sent all hands below to be out of harm's way, --hehimself only, and his first lieutenant, remaining on deck to con thebrig. Slowly and silently the little vessel drew near the point ofdanger. A light and favourable air filled her sails, and, almostgrazing the perpendicular cliff, she glided slowly by. When the brigwas close under the first battery, the enemy opened their fire at her;but so near was she to the cliffs, that they could not sufficientlydepress their guns to touch her decks, their lowest shot going throughthe boom-mainsail, four or five feet above the hammock-netting. Theycontinued their ineffectual fire till the gallant little _Philomel_ wasquite clear and out of range. 

HM steamer _Lizard_, HM Tylden, lieutenant in command, which was sent upthe Parana on the 21st of April, was not so fortunate in escapingwithout damage. When about six miles from San Lorenzo, LieutenantTylden observed that large batteries had been erected on a commandingpoint, and that the adjacent coast was lined with artillery andfield-pieces. As the _Lizard_ approached the batteries, LieutenantTylden ordered three ensigns to be hoisted, as a signal to the enemythat he intended to fight as long as the ship floated. At half-pasteleven a. M. , the northern batteries opened a heavy fire; and onapproaching nearer, the other batteries and artillery commenced a quickand well-directed fire also, which was returned by the _Lizard_ withrockets and her forecastle gun, until the rocket-stand was shot away, and the gun could no longer be elevated sufficiently to bear on theenemy. 

When the gallant commander found that the heavy shot, grape, andmusketry were riddling his vessel from stem to stern, he ordered theofficers and men to go below, with the exception of those absolutelyrequired on deck, in the hopes that they might thus escape injury. Scarcely, however, had they gone below, when two shots entered thegun-room, one of which killed Mr Barnes, clerk in charge, and the otherMr Webb, master's assistant. Two seamen also were killed; and MrMiller, assistant surgeon, and three men were wounded. As the wind andcurrent were against her, and there was a great deal of water in thehold, she made but slow progress, and it was not till twenty-fiveminutes past one p. M. That she got out of fire. She received 7 shotbetween wind and water, besides 9 cannon, 14 grape, and 41 musket-ballsin the hull and bulwarks, and 7 cannon and grape in the funnel andsteam-pipe; while her boats, mainmast, and rigging were pierced throughand through by round shot. 

HM steam-sloop _Alecto_, Commander FW Austen, had previously, early inApril, gone up, towing three heavily-laden schooners against a currentof three knots and a head wind. On approaching a place called Tonelero, a number of workmen were seen throwing up batteries, clearly for thepurpose of annoying the convoy on their way down. Opening her fire onthem, she soon put the men to flight. She came up to the batteries onthe morning of the 6th, with a strong wind and current against her, andthe heavy schooners in tow. She had been accompanied all the way by asquadron of cavalry, who kept pace with her in an easy walk, haltingevery now and then. At two her crew went to quarters; and at fortyminutes past two, having before fired a few shot, her three guns androckets were got into full play. This was answered by the lower guns onthe batteries with round shot until she reached the narrowest part, whenthe enemy opened with round shot and grape together. Their guns wereraking her at this time from head to stern in such a way that none ofher guns could be brought effectually to bear on them. In this stateshe remained for twenty minutes, scarcely going ahead, and receiving thefire of seven eighteen-pounders, several of which were pointed down onher decks. During this time she fired away in return at the enemy, whoappeared abreast of her, every charge of grape and canister on board, and was then reduced to round shot. For a few minutes, also, sheexchanged with them a sharp fire of musketry. She then went graduallyahead, and as the river widened, and the current decreased in strength, she drew out of shot, having been an hour and fifteen minutes underfire. 

Captain Austen, her commander, was the only person hurt, a spentgrape-shot having struck him a severe blow on the thigh. CommanderMackinnon, then a lieutenant, who has written a most amusing account ofthe affair, says "that in going into action the men appeared to take itas a matter of course; but as the plot thickened and they warmed at thework, they tossed the long guns about like playthings, and indeedmanaged them in an admirable manner. " This he attributes to the systemtaught on board the _Excellent_. 

The crews of the Monte Videan schooners were in a dreadful fright allthe time, expecting to be sent to the bottom. On sounding the well onboard the _Alecto_, a considerable quantity of water was found in thehold. When search was made, a shot-hole was discovered forward, betweenwind and water. This was speedily plugged. Just as she came in sightof the convoy, after her long and tedious voyage, she got on shore, andthere remained for some days before she was again floated off. 

GALLANT EXPLOIT OF A ROCKET-BATTERY. 

Santa Fe is situated on the east bank of the river. It is a place ofsome size. Built partly at the foot and partly on the side of a loftyhill, surrounded by _corrales_ where thousands of cattle areslaughtered, their hides and their tallow being shipped from the port, while vast flocks of vultures, carrion crows, and other birds of preyhover over them to consume the refuse beef, which there are not humanmouths sufficient to eat. As may be supposed, it is far from anagreeable place. The greater part of the English and French men-of-warwere lying at Baxadar de Santa Fe, which was the appointed rendezvous ofthe merchantmen. Here the larger number, having effected their object, collected towards the middle of May. The difficulty was now to get theconvoy safely back past the batteries of San Lorenzo. Sir CharlesHotham had got up to settle some diplomatic affairs with the Governmentof Corrientes, and on the 16th of May he returned in the _Alecto_. 

A plan had occurred to Lieutenant Mackinnon of that ship, by which thepassage of the convoy might be facilitated; and, having proposed it toSir Charles Hotham, he, after a short consideration of its possibility, expressed his willingness to have it carried out, should everything beas supposed. 

Lieutenant Mackinnon stated that opposite to the heavy part of thebatteries of San Lorenzo he had observed an island covered with longreeds, grass, and small trees, but completely commanded by the guns ofthe battery. He proposed, the night before the convoy was to fighttheir way down, to take on shore a certain number of congreve rockets, to land them at the back of the island, and to place them in readinessfor use when the time of action should arrive; this could be effected ina few minutes, --then to dig by the side of each rocket a hole largeenough to contain the men working them, and to throw the earth up as akind of barricade before it; at the signal given by thecommander-in-chief, when all the enemy's batteries were fully manned, waiting for the convoy, to commence a tremendous fire of rockets, which, being totally unexpected by the enemy, would be proportionally effectiveand destructive. The chances were that they would return this fire, which the prepared holes would render harmless; and if the rocket-standsor tubes were hit, --very difficult objects, --poles and instruments wouldbe at hand to repair them immediately. Besides, when the vessels werepassing, the chances were that, from the height of the cliffs, therockets would strike the enemy over the mast-heads of the ships, thuscausing a double-banked fire of great force. 

Sir Charles Hotham having consulted Captain Hope and Captain Trehouart, who highly approved of the plan, provided the ground when reconnoitredwas found as suitable as expected, the execution of it was entrusted toLieutenant Mackinnon, of the _Alecto_, with Lieutenant Barnard, of the_Firebrand_, as his second. For several days the preparations weregoing on; and on the 25th of May, all being ready, the convoy andmen-of-war dropped down the river, and anchored about five miles abovethe batteries of San Lorenzo, while the _Alecto_, continuing her course, brought up still nearer to them. 

At length, on the night of the 1st of June, Sir Charles Hotham and theFrench captain, with some other officers, reconnoitred the locality. Besides the island we have spoken of, there were several others ofnearly the same size, and at the same distance from the western shore;to the eastward of them, again, was an immense archipelago of low swampyislands, covered with brushwood, extending in that direction six oreight miles between them and the main shore of Entre Rios. 

There was just sufficient light for the reconnoitring party to see theirway as they steered through the intricate passages to the east of thelarge islands. With muffled oars and in dead silence they pulled ontill they reached the island they wished to examine; and as they shovedthe boat's bow into the mud, a loud rustling was heard in the brushwood, and a wild beast of some sort, which they took for a tiger, rushedtowards them. They dared not fire, of course, and without allowing amoment's hesitation to interfere with the service they were upon, proceeded to land according to seniority. As the first officers leapedon shore, sword in hand, the supposed tiger, with a loud snort, jumpedinto the river, proving to be a harmless capybara, or water-hog, peculiar to the large rivers of South America. 

They now advanced cautiously, among the reeds and brushwood, across theisland, when, to their great satisfaction, they found that the riveritself had performed the very work required, by throwing up, whenswelled by the rains, an embankment many feet high along the entirelength of the island, so as completely to screen them from the enemy'sbatteries, --a work, indeed, which many hundred men could not so wellhave executed in a week. Behind this the land rising, there wasconsequently a large natural trench; here the rockets might be placed incomparative safety. The only difficulty would be to get the men intothe trench and to retire safely after the ammunition was expended, andalso to avoid any suspicion on the enemy's part of the proximity of sucha foe. The party then returned to the ship, and completed the necessarypreparations. 

The next night the rocket-party, in the _Alecto's_ paddle-box boat, tooktheir departure under the command of Lieutenant Mackinnon. He wasaccompanied by his second in command, Lieutenant Barnard, of the MarineArtillery, by Mr Hamm, the boatswain of the _Alecto_, and Mr Baker, the pilot, with twelve artillerymen and eleven seamen. Silent as thegrave, they pulled behind the islands, and without accident reached theappointed spot. They first set to work to get the rocket-stands androckets up to the embankment; and very fatiguing work it was to the men, for they had to carry them through a swamp, into which they sank up totheir knees, and then a considerable distance over rough and unevenground, among thick reeds and brushwood. A glass of grog, with somepork and biscuits, set them to rights again; and without delay theyplanted the rocket-stands, pointing them so that the rockets might justclear the top of the batteries. Fortunately, a few yards beyond thelittle bay where the boat had been lying all night, a large willow treehad fallen into the river, of her exact length, and beyond that was apoint of land running out likewise; between these she was hauled in. Branches of willow were stuck in all round and inside the boat, whichmost effectually concealed her, --so much so, that when Lieutenant Bakerarrived the next night at the spot, he was observed standing up in thestern-sheets of the gig, looking wistfully towards the sandy beach, without seeing anything of the boat, though the starboard bow-oar of hisgig splashed the water in Lieutenant Mackinnon's face. The latterofficer whistled; upon which Lieutenant Baker pulled in, and beganconversing. 

All this time Lieutenant Mackinnon was standing with one leg on thegunwale of the boat and the other on land, the boat's gunwale beingflush with it; it appeared, therefore, as if he was partly standing on atree in the water, and so completely deceived Lieutenant Baker that heexclaimed, "But where on earth have you put the boat to?" The low laughfrom the men, who were hid under a tarpaulin, revealed where she was. When they were moving about in daylight, they were obliged to crouchdown like a herd of kangaroos, creeping behind the bushes and among thelong grass, so as not to be seen by the enemy, to whom the whole islandwas then exposed to view. Had the Spaniards found out that they werethere, of course they would have sent boats across to attack them, andwould have fired on them from the forts; and though no doubt thebluejackets would have made a good fight of it with their rockets, theplan for preserving the fleet must have failed entirely. 

The first day all hands were roused from their sleep in the boat andmustered at two p. M. ; their arms being examined, they were ordered toremain at the boat in readiness for any emergency, while the officersand two artillerymen relieved the look-out at the battery. Twenty-eightembrasures, with heavy guns in them, were counted in the enemy's forts;and so close were the party, that with pocket-telescopes they couldclearly distinguish the faces of the people, and observed GeneralMoncellia, the brother-in-law of Rosas, drive up in his carriage withfour horses, and, dismounting, inspect the troops and guns. Little didhe suspect the foe he had near him. Having remained some time, theofficers crawled back to the boats to take some rest, but they were fartoo anxious to sleep long; and the next night was passed, as before, inpaying constant visits to the rocket-battery. Once they were nearlydiscovered, by one of the men incautiously exposing himself. AsLieutenant Mackinnon was watching the battery, he observed the sentrysuddenly stop, and eye the spot narrowly. "Hold fast, " he whispered tothe man; "don't move, as you value your life. " The man obeyed, and, tothe lieutenant's infinite relief, he at last saw the sentry move on. 

Daybreak of the 4th came at length; the wind blew fairly down thestream, and everyone was on the tiptoe of expectation, listening for thereport of two guns, the preconcerted signal of the fleet being about tosail. It was a time of the greatest anxiety, for any moment, ifdiscovered, the twenty-eight pieces of ordnance might have commencedplaying on them, and blown them all to atoms; but fortunately the eyesof the enemy were turned up the stream, towards the point from whencethe fleet was expected to appear. Slowly the hours seemed to pass, tillat length, at nine a. M. , the welcome sound of the two guns came boomingalong the water; and immediately the men proceeded from the boat to therocket-stands, creeping along like a band of North American Indians on awar expedition to surprise a sleeping foe. 

A long pole, with the British flag made fast to it, had been prepared, on the elevation of which the first discharge of rockets was to takeplace. The squadron of men-of-war and merchantmen now approached, the_Gorgon, Fulton_, and _Alecto_ leading. Majestically they glided ontill they came within range of the batteries, at which they commencedfiring their shells with admirable precision. The long and anxiousmoment at length arrived for the discharge of the rockets. LieutenantMackinnon waved his cap aloft; at this signal Lieutenant Barnard plantedthe British flag under the nose of the enemy, and, taking off his cap, made them a low bow. 

Up went a flight of rockets; two of them flew into the very centre ofthe most crowded part of the batteries, completely clearing them oftheir defenders, two went over their heads, and two stuck in the cliffsbeneath them. The elevation of the four stands which were wronglypointed being rectified, they were once more charged; and as soon as theenemy had returned to their guns, and were looking along the sights totake aim at the steamers, Lieutenant Mackinnon, jumping up on theembankment, thoughtless of how he was exposing himself, sang out, "Pepper, lads! pepper, lads! pepper, pepper, pepper!" and pepper awaythe men did with a vengeance. The crash was tremendous. 

The enemy, with dismay, deserted their guns; and terrific must have beenthe slaughter among them, for in one minute, forty rockets, admirablydirected, were poured in among them. To add to their confusion, arocket had penetrated an ammunition cart, which, blowing up with aprodigious sound, filled the air with smoke. At the same time the drygrass about the seamen catching fire, they were surrounded by so densean atmosphere that it was impossible for some moments to see what wasgoing forward. The wind, however, soon blowing aside the murky veil, the fleet of merchantmen were seen passing quickly down, while thesteamers took up their position directly under the batteries. 

On this up went another shower of rockets, which continued withoutcessation, filling the air with long delicate threads of smoke, underwhich the vessels passed in safety, the effect being most beautiful. These events occupied some time; and as soon as the sternmost ships ofthe squadron were well out of range of shot, the _Gorgon_ hoisted thesignal for their return. The enemy's guns, as soon as they had nofloating opponents directly in front, directed their fire at the island, but, misled by the flagstaff, peppered away at that, to the greatdelight of the rocket-party, who were safe behind the bank; however, theenemy discovered their mistake, and turned their guns in the properdirection of the rocket-battery. The shot fell harmless, as they eitherstuck in the bank or passed over the men's heads like cricket balls. 

Now and then a single rocket was sent into some of the enemy'sembrasures, which accelerated a return of shot. When the little_Dolphin_ came down, leading the convoy, at the order, "Cover the_Dolphin_, " another volley and running fire burst forth, accompaniedwith loud cheers for the gallant little vessel, which passed down withslight damage. 

Preparations were made for decamping, and, as a last salute, theflagstaff was waved in the face of the enemy, which appeared to annoythem much, as a heavy fire was drawn towards the retreating party; but, as they spread out wide apart, the shot passed through without touchinga single man or article belonging to them. The boat was soon reached, the willows cast off, and all hands got on board, when "Out oars!" wasthe word, and away they pulled down the stream to join the fleet. 

After these events, the British and French squadron relieved Monte Videofrom an attack made on it by some of the allies of Rosas, and for sometime their marines and seamen occupied it, and assisted in placing it ina better position of defence. 

CHAPTER SEVEN. 

EXPEDITION TO SAN JUAN DE NICARAGUA. 

CAPTURE OF FORT SERAPAQUI--21ST FEBRUARY 1848. 

The state of Nicaragua will be found towards the southern portion ofthat narrow neck of land which joins the two continents of North andSouth America. A variety of outrages and insults having been offered toBritish subjects, --two individuals especially having been carried offfrom San Juan by Colonel Salas, of the Nicaraguan army, --Mr Walker, HerMajesty's Consul-General and Agent stationed at Bluefields, requestedAdmiral Austen, the Commander-in-chief on the West India station, tosend some ships-of-war to support and protect British interests in thatpart of the world. 

In consequence of this request, the admiral despatched HMS _Alarm_, Captain Granville G. Loch, and HMS _Vixen_, Commander Ryder, toBluefields. They reached the mouth of the river the following day, where the ships came to an anchor. The nearest Nicaraguan settlementwas at Serapaqui, about thirty miles up the river, but this, owing tothe strength of the current and various rapids, was generally a fourdays' journey by boats. It was understood that Colonel Salas wasstationed at this fort with a considerable body of troops. Nothingdaunted by this, by the known strength of the fort, or by the difficultyof approaching it on account of the rapidity of the current of the riverwhich there flows by the place, Captain Loch resolved to insist onColonel Salas making all the reparation in his power, or, in the eventof his refusal, to compel him to do so by force. 

The fort of Serapaqui was situated on a point projecting into the riververy abruptly, and rising to the height of fifty feet. It was protectedin the rear by a dense forest, and in the front by an abattis formed oflarge trees felled, with their heads and branches reaching into theriver. The defences of the fort consisted of six angular stockadedentrenchments, formed of very tough timber, eight feet high and fourfeet thick, one side of each stockade looking across the river, and theother down the reach. The principal stockade commanded the onlylanding-place, on which also a gun was at the time mounted. The fortwas only to be approached by heading a rapid current of nearly fiveknots an hour, in order to pass the fort and descend towards thelanding-place, which was above the stockaded batteries, and excessivelysteep and narrow. The fort is situated at the head of a straight reachabout a mile and a half long, the woods on either side affording analmost impenetrable shelter to a concealed foe. 

As soon as the ships anchored, the expedition, consisting of 260officers and men, left their sides in twelve boats. 

The representations as to the strength of the current were found to bein no way exaggerated; but, with a gallantry, zeal, and perseverancenever surpassed, Captain Loch and his brave followers pulled on hourafter hour against the stream. Often they had to pass over downfallsand rapids, when it was only by the greatest exertions that the heavyboats could in any way be forced along. In this service, LieutenantScott, first of the _Vixen_, showed the most praiseworthy zeal andgallantry. 

At night they rested, but at an early hour again each morning theyrecommenced their exertions, and at length, after a most fatiguing pullof seventy-two hours, they anchored a short distance below the fort. Early on the morning of the 12th of February the expedition got underweigh, and proceeded up towards the fort. Captain Loch and CommanderRyder went on ahead in their gigs, in order to communicate with ColonelSalas, and to state the object of Her Majesty's forces being in theriver. 

No sooner, however, were they seen from the fort than they were fired atby two guns, and directly afterwards by musketry from both sides of theriver. As this act effectually prevented any peaceable arrangements, Captain Loch immediately ordered up the boats for the purpose ofstorming the fort. The two gigs then took the lead, followed prettyclosely by some of the lighter-pulling boats. On they went, pullingagainst the rapid current, which, as they advanced, grew still stronger, and exposed all the time to a hot fire of musketry from men concealedbehind both banks of the river, so that there was little use even inattempting to return it. 

From this severe fire several men were wounded, and one officer veryseverely, --Mr R. Turner, midshipman, --and two killed. The boats werealso almost riddled with shot, and nearly half the oars were broken; itseems, indeed, surprising, considering also their crowded state, withthe mill-stream rate of the current, that a greater number of casualtiesdid not occur. In this exposed position, often appearing to be quitestationary, they had to pull one hour and forty minutes before they wereenabled to pass the batteries sufficiently high to drop down to thelanding-place previously mentioned. 

By this time nearly all the boats were up, and Captain Loch gave theorder to land, he himself leading the way. The boats' crews, with aBritish cheer, leaped on shore, and gallantly charged the enemy. TheNicaraguans withstood them for some time, but the cutlass and pistolsoon did their work; and in ten minutes they had taken to flight, andthe British flag was hoisted on the fort. One of the first on shore wasa seaman of the _Vixen_ (Denis Burke, stoker), who quickly fought hisway up to the enemy's colours, and captured them. 

As the enemy fled, the British pursued them into the thick woods; butafter they had been chased for about thirty minutes, Captain Loch, considering that they had been sufficiently punished, ordered the recallto be sounded. The English then destroyed the stockades, spiked theguns, broke the trunnions, and threw them, together with all the musketsand ammunition left behind, into the river. The force was nextembarked, when the whole of the defences were set on fire. 

From the dangers to which the party were exposed, and the difficultiesthey overcame, this affair may well be considered as one of the mostgallant among those we have to record. 

CHAPTER EIGHT. 

THE DESTRUCTION OF LAGOS--26TH DECEMBER 1851. 

The town of Lagos, built at the mouth of the river Ogun, which debouchesin the Bight of Benin, is a healthy place, and well situated for trade. It is the seaport also of Abbeokuta, a town of considerable dimensions, sixty miles inland from it, and which it is hoped will become a veryimportant place, now that Lagos is open for legal commerce. 

The more immediate cause of the attack on Lagos was in consequence of anapplication made for assistance by Akitoye, the lawful chief of Lagos, to Mr Beecroft, the British consul for the Bight of Benin, residing atFernando Po. 

Akitoye, the younger of two brothers, had, by his father's will, succeeded as king of Lagos. The elder, Kosoko, had been, formisbehaviour, banished. After the death of the old king, Akitoyerecalled Kosoko, and took him into favour; but Kosoko, bribing the army, usurped the government, and drove Akitoye to take refuge at Badagry. Onthis, Kosoko prepared to attack Badagry, and, had he been successful, would doubtlessly, as he intended, have attacked Abbeokuta also, andgiven a severe blow to the advancement of Christianity and civilisationin Africa. On this account Mr Beecroft felt it his duty to apply tothe senior officer on the coast for a force to destroy Lagos, hismovements being hurried by hearing that the king of Dahomey had sent1000 picked troops for its support. 

The commodore, however, sent only the _Bloodhound_ and a few boats; andLagos being really a strong place, they were compelled to retire withthe loss of several men. 

The first expedition against Lagos having failed solely from want ofsufficient force to keep possession of the town, Commodore Bruce sentone of ample strength, and thoroughly organised, to drive theslave-dealing chief Kosoko from his stronghold. 

The squadron appeared off Lagos by the 24th December. The boats of the_Sampson_ and _Bloodhound_ were for some time employed in ascertainingthe position of the enemy's fortifications. The _Bloodhound_ and_Teazer_ at this time got on shore, and while they were being hove off, their people were exposed to a very hot fire from the negroes, who soonproved that they were no contemptible antagonists. 

As the fire from jingalls, petrals, and muskets continued from the ditchand embankment abreast of the ship, and as the enemy were observedtrying to bring their guns into position, at half-past two, LieutenantThomas Saumarez, with the boats of the _Sampson_, accompanied byLieutenant E. McArthur, R. M. A. , in command of the Marine Artillery, wasdespatched to attempt a landing and to spike the guns. They did allthat men could do; but it was found impossible to make their way throughthe showers of musketry opened against them. Mr Richards, a gallantyoung midshipman, was mortally wounded, and ten men were severelywounded; while so hot was the fire, that there seemed every prospect ofthe whole party being cut off. Still they bravely persevered. Whileundaunted efforts were being made to get on shore, Mr William J. Stivey, carpenter of the _Sampson_, setting a noble example, whichothers followed, leaped on shore, and, axe in hand, hewed manfully awayat the stakes to make a passage for the boats to go through them. 

All, however, was in vain; their numbers were thinning rapidly; and atlength Lieutenant Saumarez himself, being hit in three places, reluctantly, but very properly, gave the signal for return. Theremainder of the day was spent in throwing shot and shell, ascircumstances required, so as to prevent any guns being moved againstthe steamer. The nearest shot passed about ten yards astern of her. 

The _Teazer_ still continuing on shore, it became evident that beforethe tide rose the enemy would destroy her, unless the guns which wereannoying her were captured. It was resolved, therefore, at once toeffect this. 

All being ready, the boats pulled in towards the stockade, where thebest place for landing appeared to exist, keeping up all the time acontinued fire of spherical, grape, and canister shot. As the boatstouched the shore, they received a discharge directly in their faces ofsome 1500 muskets; but, notwithstanding this, the men undauntedlylanded, and, forming on the beach, after some severe fighting forcedtheir way into the stockade, driving out the enemy, who fled into thethick bush close to the rear of it. Among those who landed and chargedwith Captain Lyster were Mr Walling and Mr Sproule, surgeons of the_Penelope_, and who afterwards exposed themselves equally in theirattendance on the wounded under fire. Scarcely had the blacks retreatedthan Lieutenant Corbett rushed ahead and spiked all the guns in thefort. 

This object being accomplished, Captain Lyster issued orders for there-embarkation of the party; but scarcely had he done so, when it wasdiscovered that the enemy, having made a desperate rush at the firstlifeboat, had succeeded in getting hold of her, and were tracking heralong the beach towards the spot where the guns were posted which hadfirst opened on the _Teazer_. On seeing this, the British, headed bytheir gallant leader, Captain Lyster, hurried down to the shore for thepurpose of retaking her; but some delay occurred in consequence ofhaving to divide her crew of sixty men among the other boats, whichsomewhat crowded them. The enemy, on seeing this, rushed back fromtheir concealment in the woods by swarms, and poured in a destructive, crushing fire on the boats at pistol range. 

On this occasion a gallant young officer, Mr F. R. Fletcher, midshipmanin command of the second cutter, and who had charge of the boats whileon shore, was shot through the head and killed. Several officers andmen had before been wounded on shore, among whom was LieutenantWilliams, of the Marine Artillery, who, though hit in three places, hadcontinued at the head of his men till they returned to the boats. Commander Hillyar was also wounded, and very many of the men werekilled. Among the latter was James Webb, gunner's mate, belonging tothe first lifeboat. When he saw that she was likely to fall into thehands of the blacks, he made a desperate attempt to spike her gun; but, while thus engaged, he was cut down by the enemy, and mortally wounded. 

While Commander Hillyar was arranging the boats so that they might keepup their fire as they retreated to the _Teazer_, some of the kroomen onboard Mr Beecroft's _Victoria_ let go her anchor, and there she layexposed entirely to the fire of the blacks. On seeing this, CaptainLyster pulled back to her to learn what was the matter. "What hasoccurred now?" he asked of Mr Blight, the boatswain. "The kroomen letgo the anchor without orders, " he replied. "Then slip your cable, andget out of this, " exclaimed Captain Lyster. "It's a chain cable, clenched to the bottom, and we can't unshackle it, " replied Mr Blight. On hearing this disheartening intelligence, Captain Lyster jumped onboard to see what assistance he could render. Just then LieutenantCorbett staggered up towards the stern, exclaiming, "I have done it, andam alive!" In truth, he had cut the chain cable with a cold chisel, andin so doing, while leaning over the bows of the boat, had received fivedifferent wounds, which, with the addition of a severe one received onshore, rendered him almost helpless. His right arm was hanging to hisside, but he still with his left worked away, and assisted in gettingthe _Victoria_ off to the _Teazer_. 

While Captain Lyster was leaving the _Victoria_ to get into his ownboat, he was shot in the back with a musket-ball. On account of the hotfire to which they were still exposed, and the number of men alreadykilled and wounded, he judged that he should not be justified inattempting to recover the lifeboat on that occasion. Leaving her, therefore, on the beach, the party returned to the _Teazer_. The peoplewho had at first got possession of the lifeboat had afterwards abandonedher; but they now returned, and some forty or fifty got into her, intending to carry her off. Seeing this, Mr Balfour, acting mate, assisted by Mr Dewar, gunner, pulling back to the shore in the firstcutter, threw a rocket towards her, and so well-directed was it that itentered her magazine and blew it up. As soon as the party got back tothe _Teazer_ (having now pretty well silenced the fire of the enemy), they set to work to get all the provisions out of her, and then, havingthrown overboard all her coals with the exception of ten tons, theycontrived to shore her up, to await the rising of the tide. At lengththeir exertions were crowned with success, and at sunset they succeededin heaving her off. Then, getting up the steam, they anchored out ofgunshot for the night. 

On this unfortunate occasion there were no less than thirteen men killedbelonging to HMS _Penelope_, besides Mr Fletcher and Mr H. M. Gillham, master's assistant, who afterwards died of his wounds; while CaptainLyster, Commander Hillyar, Lieutenant Corbett, and First Lieutenant ofMarines J. W. C. Williams were wounded severely, together withfifty-seven men of the _Penelope_ and two of the _Teazer_, most of themalso very severely wounded. Crowded together in so small a vesselduring the night, the poor fellows suffered greatly, though the medicalofficers of the expedition, Mr R. Carpenter, senior surgeon, MrWalling, assistant surgeon of the _Penelope_, Dr Barclay, actingsurgeon, and Dr Sproule, assistant surgeon, exerted themselves to theirvery utmost in the performance of their duty to the wounded. During theday they had never flinched from exposing their own lives, as, in themidst of the fire, they stepped from boat to boat to alleviate thesufferings of the wounded and dying. 

Soon after seven o'clock in the morning the _Teazer_ was got underweigh, and, finding the right channel, steamed up towards the_Bloodhound_, with the squadron of boats in her company. As soon as shewas seen from the _Bloodhound_, Captain Jones ordered that the guns ofthe _Bloodhound's_ gunboats should open a deliberate flanking fire onthe west part of the enemy's defences; and he then sent a boat under MrBullen, his clerk, who was acting as his aide-de-camp, to point out toCaptain Lyster the position in which he wished the _Teazer_ to beanchored. At ten minutes past eight, the _Teazer_ having anchored, Captain Jones pulled on board her, to consult further with CaptainLyster on the plan of proceeding. The rocket-boats were then ordered totake up a position to the northward of the _Bloodhound_. This wasquickly done, and Lieutenant Marshall threw some rockets with beautifuleffect, setting fire to several houses, among which, to the satisfactionof all, was that of the Prime Minister Tappis. When this was seen, ahearty and spontaneous cheer ran through the whole squadron for the crewof the rocket-boat, who had thus punished the chief instigator of theformer attack on the British boats. 

After this, the rocket-boat shifted her position ahead of the _Teazer_, and a general but deliberate fire was opened from the whole force. Atforty-five minutes past ten, Lieutenant Marshall threw a rocket, whichstruck the battery below Tappis' house, and at the same time a shot fromthe _Teazer_ capsized the gun. The firing became still more rapid; anawful explosion ensued; a magazine of the enemy's had blown up. Andfrom this moment the fate of Lagos was decided; house after house caughtfire, and the whole town was shortly in a general blaze. Moreships-of-war now came in, and Kosoko, finding his case hopeless, took toflight, and Akitoye was reinstated. 

The only portion of the British forces landed was a small body underCommander Coote, who went on shore to spike guns. 

The next morning he and Commander Gardner, with the boats' crews of the_Sampson_ and _Penelope_, were employed in a similar way. They returnedin the afternoon, having by extraordinary exertions embarked ordestroyed fifty-two pieces of ordnance. 

Lagos has now become a British province. 

CHAPTER NINE. 

THE BURMESE WAR--1851-1852. 

By the treaty of Yandaboo in 1824 the Burmese granted security toEnglish merchants and English commerce. It seemed then as if the firstBurmese war had really had some good results, and as if civilisation hadtaken an immense stride in the country. 

But, twenty-six years after this treaty had been signed, numerouscomplaints reached the supreme government of Calcutta of the oppressivetyranny of the governor of Rangoon, which, it appeared, was directedchiefly against traders in Rangoon. 

One of the immediate causes of British interference was the conduct ofthe governor towards certain captains of British trading vessels; one ofwhom, on the false representations of a Burmese pilot, was placed in thestocks and fined nine hundred rupees. A representative at Ava wasplaced on an island on the Irrawaddy without provisions, and left theretill the river rose and nearly swamped him. Sooner than irritate thecourt, the representative was withdrawn. Insult after insult was heapedupon the British, and though every means was taken to ensure peace andconciliate the Burmese, it was soon seen that sterner measures must betaken with them. 

On 7th January the governor of Rangoon ordered a merchant, Mr Birrell, to take down a flagstaff he had erected, and to remove a gun placed onhis landing-stage. 

Mr Birrell refused to comply with this order, as the flagstaff had beenplaced there by consent of the commodore, as a means of communicationbetween the Europeans on shore and the men-of-war. 

The governor, enraged at this refusal, ordered all communication withthe shipping to be stopped. Commodore Lambert, sooner than give theBurmese any cause of offence, directed the flagstaff to be removed, andfor the time trade was resumed. 

Not long after this a deputation from the British to the governor wastreated with the utmost incivility and contempt, and was even refusedadmission to his presence. 

The commodore now resolved to take action. He ordered the King ofBurmah's ship, which was lying in the harbour, to be seized, and sent amessage to all the British residents in Rangoon to come on board thefrigate, and at the same time informed the governor that as the Britishflag and Government had been grossly insulted, he intended to place thetown under blockade. 

By the same evening all the British subjects had embarked, and themen-of-war moved down the river. 

Some of the Burmese officers now came to the flagship to offer apologiesfor their rudeness; but as the viceroy himself refused to apologise, none of these were accepted. The Burmese, seeing that the British werein earnest, tried to avert the war for a time; and the commodore, alsoanxious to avoid hostilities, allowed twenty-four hours' grace to givethe viceroy time to change his mind. Instead of an apology, however, came a message, to the effect that if the British ships attempted topass the stockades on the banks of the river, they would be fired on. 

Information was received that nearly 5000 troops were assembled near thestockades, and during the night and the following day numerouswar-boats, each containing from fifty to eighty men, were discoveredcoming down the river. At the same time several vessels full of armedmen arrived at the general rendezvous from the Pegu river. The war hadbegun. 

On the next morning active hostilities commenced. The _Henries_steamer, Captain Fishbourne, first towed the _Fox_ frigate to within 400yards of the stockade, where she anchored to protect the merchantmen asthey passed by to be out of fire. In the meantime the _Hermes_ went insearch of a large Burmese war-vessel, with which she soon returned asher prize in tow. 

The English vessels, having dispersed or sunk a fleet of war-boats whichcame out to meet them, steamed along the shore, pouring in an ironshower, which tore the stockades to pieces and quickly silenced theenemy's batteries. 

The squadron now took up a position at the mouth of the Rangoon river, the commodore declaring the rivers of Rangoon, the Bassein, and theSalween above Maulmain, to be in a state of blockade. 

Meanwhile the steamer _Proserpine_, after landing the hostages fromRangoon at Maulmain, was ordered to proceed to Calcutta with despatchesfrom the commodore. 

On her arrival on the 17th of January, the Governor-general beingabsent, the Supreme Council resolved to equip a force to carry onhostilities against Burmah; while reinforcements were despatched withunusual promptitude, to strengthen the forts guarding the passes leadingfrom the Burmese territory. 

General Godwin, the commander-in-chief, arrived on the 13th of April;and the Burmese Emperor having offered no apology, the steamers ranclose in with Martaban, rapidly firing broadside after broadside. Theenemy for some time returned their fire with spirit; but their gunsbeing silenced, the troops were thrown on shore, and they fled in everydirection. The walls and defences exhibited the terrific effects of thebroadsides poured in on them. Of the English, only eight were wounded. 

The squadron was now augmented by twelve East India Company's steamers, which had, besides marines, 5767 troops on board. 

With this formidable force Rangoon was attacked on the 12th of April. The steamers fired for many hours shot and shell without intermission, which destroyed and set on fire the enemy's stockades and otherdefences. A small naval brigade, commanded by Lieutenant Darville, HMS_Rattler_, did good service on shore. For three days the Burmesegarrison held out; stockade after stockade was stormed and taken in amost gallant way by the troops. On the 14th the grand attack was made, and the great pagoda was stormed, when, after some more severe fighting, Rangoon fell into the hands of the British. Captain Armstrong andseveral other officers and men of the land forces were killed, and manywounded. 

Bassein was captured in the same spirited way on the 19th of May. Atthe pagoda here, the Burmese defended themselves with muchdetermination; but it was stormed by some troops and some of the navalbrigade, when Lieutenant Rice, RN, was wounded severely, three menkilled, and seven officers and twenty-four men wounded. 

While these operations were going on, Martaban, in which only a smallgarrison had been left, was attacked by the Burmese, but they weredriven back in a very gallant manner by Major Hall and his men. 

CAPTURE OF PEGU--14TH JUNE 1852. 

An attack on Pegu, seventy-five miles north of Rangoon, being nextresolved on, an expedition, consisting of 230 troops, who were embarkedon board the _Phlegethon_, and the boats of that vessel and HMS _Fox_, under the command of Captain Tarleton, left Rangoon on the 3rd of June, and proceeded up the river. 

As the boats advanced, a sharp fire of musketry was opened on them fromthe Pegu side. On this, Captain Tarleton, seeing the disadvantage underwhich they laboured from being beneath the enemy's fire, with noeffectual means of returning it, landed with the boats' crews of HMS_Fox_, and was shortly after joined by Captain Neblett and the boats'crews of the _Phlegethon_, --in all about fifty men. Meantime MrMcMurdo, mate, was left in charge of the boats. 

As Captain Tarleton and his party advanced, the Burmese fired on them, but were driven from point to point, until completely broken, --one partyretreating by the riverside to the northward, and the other within theold wall of the city. The object of the British being attained, theywere retiring in close order to the boats, when a fire of jingalls andmusketry was opened on them from the walls. Deeming it unwise to allowthe Burmese to suppose they were retreating, Captain Tarleton led hisparty to the attack, having found a native guide to show them thecauseway through the ditch. Having halted a few seconds to gain breath, they rushed in over the causeway, and through a breach to the right ofthe gateway. On the storming-party getting over the wall, after a stoutdefence the enemy fled, and ultimately retired within the great pagoda. 

Meantime the boats had been attacked, but were bravely defended by MrMcMurdo, who succeeded in getting them to the other side of the river, Major Cotton having sent a detachment to their support. After thetroops and seamen had rested for some time, the Burmese were observedissuing from the pagoda in considerable strength, with the evidentintention of attacking them. The troops lost not a moment in gettingunder arms, and the seamen forthwith came on shore. The Britishinstantly advanced; and before the Burmese could recover from theirsurprise at a movement so little expected, the place was carried withoutanother casualty. HMS _Fox_ had three men wounded, and the _Phlegethon_one seaman killed. 

The force, after destroying the fortifications, returned to Rangoon onthe 5th. 

EXPEDITION UP THE IRRAWADDY. 

It being important to ascertain the number and position of the enemyposted on the banks of the Irrawaddy, Commodore Lambert directed CaptainTarleton to take under his orders HMS _Medusa_ and three Company'ssteamers, and to proceed up the river for the purpose of obtaining thatinformation. Accordingly, on the 6th of July, the vessels proceeded upthe Irrawaddy. 

At a place called Konnoughee, twenty-five miles below Prome, a largebody of armed men were observed collected on the banks; and on a shellbeing fired among them, they opened a vigorous fire from six guns andfrom a large number of musketry. At a short distance from Prome theriver divides into two streams, --the left, or western, being thedeepest, and the only navigable branch at any season but the rainy one. At sunset the expedition anchored off Meaoung. At daylight on the 8thit again weighed, and proceeded till within sight of an extensivefortification, crowning the end of a ridge of hills 300 feet high, terminating abruptly at the town of Akouktoung, which completelycommands the river. Here, the position being strongly fortified, aBurmese army of about 10, 000 men had been assembled, under GeneralBundoola, to guard the passage to Prome and the capital. CaptainTarleton having been warned of the resistance he would meet, and hearingfrom the native pilots that at that season the eastern stream wasnavigable, determined to try it. Instead, therefore, of keeping on, tothe disappointment of the enemy, who had begun to fire on him, he turnedoff through the eastern channel, and was quickly beyond their reach, having had not less than two fathoms water in the channel. By steamingthrough the night, the rest of the squadron came off Prome by daylighton the morning of the 9th. At the south end of the town, near thewater's edge, four heavy guns were seen, but no troops were observed inthe place. 

Captain Tarleton accordingly anchored the _Medusa_ abreast of the spot, and soon hove them off. The iron guns were disabled and sunk in deepwater, and the brass ones were taken on board. When the other vesselsjoined their crews with the boats' crews of the _Fox_, heartily enteringon the work, every gun in Prome, twenty-three in number, was broughtoff. In the afternoon the _Medusa_ ascended the river ten miles higher;but Captain Tarleton felt himself bound by his orders to return. Hisfeelings may be supposed when he thus found himself at Prome, withinfour days' steaming of Ava, with a certain knowledge that there wasnothing to oppose him, and with a broad, deep river, easy of navigation, before him. Had he had with him one regiment and half a battery ofguns, there is every reason to believe he might have taken the capital, so totally unprepared were the Burmese for any advance in the rains. 

However, he was of course compelled to obey the orders he had received. After remaining there for twenty-four hours, the place was evacuated, and the flotilla returned. On reaching the main stream, the army ofBundoola was observed in motion, crossing the river, evidently with theintention of following the steamers. They in consequence opened withshot and shell upon the confused masses on shore and on the boats, spreading havoc and dismay among them. Between forty and fifty boatswere captured and destroyed. The general's state-barge, several largewar-canoes, a standard, two gold umbrellas, and other spoil fell intothe hands of the British. The whole trip occupied only nine days. Inits progress the expedition received the most convincing proofs that thepopulation of Burmah were adverse to the war, and anxious to come underthe British rule. Looking at the expedition by itself, it was asgallant and dashing an undertaking as any which took place during thewar. 

When Captain Tarleton returned and reported what had occurred, a largebody of troops were sent up the river on board the steamers to Prome, which was captured on the 9th of October, after a slight loss, only fourmen being wounded on the side of the British. 

The inhabitants of Pegu were friendly to the English; but soon after thetroops had been withdrawn, a strong Burmese army re-entered the town, and commenced fortifying the city. A force was accordingly sent todrive out the enemy and reoccupy it. This was done in a spirited manneron the 21st November. The morning being foggy, the Burmese, who did notsee the English approaching, were taken by surprise. They retreated asusual to the pagoda, from whence, by a rush of the troops, they weredriven out. The fighting was severe, as no less than six men werekilled and thirty-one wounded of the troops. The navy, as usual, didtheir part well. 

The principal towns of the province being in the hands of the British, it became important to clear the intermediate country of the enemy, especially the banks of the rivers, where they were of much annoyance tothe provision-boats. In this service the naval force were constantlyand very actively employed. Several of the expeditions were under thecommand of the lamented Captain Granville Loch, who displayed in themthe same zeal and daring courage for which he had already made himselfconspicuous. 

ATTACKS ON MYA TOON, THE ROBBER CHIEFTAIN. 

The rapidity and success of the first movements of the British in Burmahparalysed the Burmese authorities; but their subsequent inactivity againgave heart to the Government at Ava, and encouraged the idea that it waspossible to drive them back to the sea. 

In consequence of the absence of all local government, robbers sprang upin every direction, and, being allowed to organise themselves, devastated and almost ruined the country. Among the most noted of theserobber chieftains was Mya Toon. He burned down Donabew, Zaloon, andmany other villages. His stronghold was about twenty-five miles inlandfrom Rangoon. In consequence of the depredations he was committing, Brigadier Dickenson, the commandant at Rangoon, and Commodore Lambertresolved to send a combined naval and military force to dislodge him. The military force consisted of 300 men of the 67th Regiment BengalNative Infantry, who, together with a body of marines and bluejacketsfrom HM ships _Fox_, _Winchester_, and _Sphinx_, were placed under thecommand of Captain Granville Loch. There were 185 seamen, 62 marines, and 25 officers; but of these, 42 seamen and 5 officers were left incharge of the boats. This force was conveyed from Rangoon to Donabew onthe 2nd July, in the _Phlegethon_ and ships' boats. They landed atDonabew without opposition, and, having procured some natives to act asguides and to aid in drawing the two three-pound field-guns belonging tothe _Phlegethon_, they proceeded to march on the following day towardsthe position the enemy was supposed to occupy. 

The whole of the 3rd of February they marched along a pathway which laythrough a jungle of forest trees and brushwood. Encamping in a desertedvalley, about fifteen miles from Donabew, they were disturbedoccasionally by the distant shots and noises of the marauders. Early onthe following morning, the column moved on about five miles fartheralong the same path, until it abruptly terminated on the side of a broadnullah or creek, the opposite side of which was high enough to commandthe approach, and the whole well entrenched and armed, after the mannerof the native fortifications of Burmah. The road at this point had beennarrowed by an abattis of sharp-pointed bamboos, which rendered itimpossible to deploy the whole strength of the column; indeed, theadvance-guard, consisting of seamen and marines, marched with difficultytwo or three abreast, and the field-guns were in the rear. At thismoment a heavy and murderous fire was opened by the enemy upon theBritish troops, the Burmese being wholly concealed by the breastworks, and the British, on the contrary, entirely exposed. 

Almost every man who approached the edge of that fatal creek was moweddown. Lieutenant Kennedy, of the _Fox_, and Captain Price, of the 67thBengal Infantry, were killed on the spot. Captain Loch, with the daringwhich had always distinguished him, led on his gallant followers to theattack. For ten minutes he seemed, to use the expression of one of hiscompanions, "to bear a charmed life, " for he stood unhurt in the midstof that terrible fire. Twice he made an unsuccessful attempt to leadhis men across the nullah, to storm the fort hand to hand, but each timehe was driven back. As he again rallied the seamen and marines for athird attack, a ball fired by a man in a tree struck him on the leftside, on his watch, and with such force that it drove the watch itselfinto his body. He instantly felt that he was mortally wounded, but hadstill strength and self-possession to fall back about fifteen paces tothe rear. 

The command of the naval force, which had hitherto sustained the bruntof the action, devolved by the death and wounds of the senior officerson Commander Lambert, the son of the commodore. Twice with his bravecompanions he made determined but vain attempts to get across to theenemy, when many more lives were lost. He himself received four ballsthrough his clothes, though he fortunately escaped unhurt; but a largeproportion of officers and men were already wounded. It thereforebecame absolutely necessary to provide without delay for the retreat ofthe party by the only road left open to them, the one by which they hadadvanced, the jungle being impervious in every other direction. Thefire of the enemy was still very severe, and each instant more of theBritish were falling. 

Most of the native dooly-bearers and guides had in a cowardly andtreacherous manner decamped; and it was therefore necessary to employevery man in carrying the wounded. As, under these circumstances, itwas impossible to carry off the guns, they were spiked, and thecarriages destroyed. The party were compelled even to leave their deadon the field. The enemy kept up a distant fire, but never ventured toapproach within fighting distance of the rear, which was manfullycovered by the grenadier company of the 67th. 

For twelve hours of a most fatiguing march did the dejected and mourningparty retreat towards Donabew, displaying in adversity the same courage, discipline, and goodwill they had so often exhibited in success. Lieutenants Glover and Bushnell, and also Messrs. Hinde and Wilson, mates, though themselves suffering from their own wounds, successfullyexerted themselves in keeping up the spirits of their men, who, under aburning sun, without water, had to carry the heavy burden of theirwounded leader for nearly twenty-four miles. At Donabew, the seamen andmarines embarked in their boats, and the troops were conveyed in the_Phlegethon_ to Rangoon. The gallant Captain Loch was removed to the_Phlegethon_, where he expired on the morning of the 6th February, aboutforty hours after he had received his wound. He was buried near thegreat pagoda at Rangoon, amid the general grief of all who served underhim or knew him. 

It was not till some time after this that Mya Toon was dislodged fromhis stronghold, by a strong force under Sir John Cheape, when severalofficers and men were killed and wounded. 

The war itself was soon afterwards brought to a successful conclusion. 

CHAPTER TEN. 

THE CRIMEAN WAR. 

Towards the end of 1853 difficulties had arisen between Turkey and herancient enemy Russia. The matters in dispute were of no realimportance. Russia was persuaded that the Turkish Empire was breakingup, and that the time for its partition was at hand, and that thereforeany pretext was good enough upon which to found a quarrel. France andEngland, however, were not willing to see Constantinople in the hands ofRussia, and accordingly formed forces to assist Turkey. On the 30th ofNovember a Russian fleet leaving Sebastopol under cover of a dense fogmade a dash upon the Turkish harbour of Sinope. Here they surprised aTurkish squadron of eight frigates, two schooners, and three transportsutterly unprepared for battle. Without warning, the Russian AdmiralNachenioff opened fire upon them, and though the Turks fought bravely, in the course of a few hours all their ships but two were destroyed. This action cannot be described as a battle, but as an inhuman, unnecessary massacre, 5000 men, including the wounded, being destroyedby the fire of the Russians, who offered no terms and gave no quarter. 

This barbarity aroused the utmost indignation in Europe, and theprospect of war with Russia was greeted with enthusiasm by the British. The allied fleets of Great Britain and France, the former consisting offorty-nine ships mounting an aggregate of 1701 guns, and the latter ofthirty-six ships with 1742 guns, entered the Black Sea in Januaryfollowing, and on the 28th of March war was formally declared. 

On 11th March Queen Victoria reviewed at Spithead the most powerfulfleet that up to that time had ever been collected. This was under thecommand of Sir Charles Napier, with his flag on board the _Duke ofWellington_, of 131 guns, --which ship alone would almost have beencapable of contending with the largest fleet Howe, Jervis, or Nelsonever led to victory. That superb fleet was intended chiefly for theBaltic, where it was hoped that not only would it humble the pride ofthe Czar, by capturing Sveaborg, Helsingfors, and Cronstadt, but mightlay Saint Petersburg itself under contribution. Some of the ships wentto the Black Sea and in other directions; but Sir Charles Napier foundhimself in command of a fleet in the Baltic, consisting altogether ofthirty steamers and thirteen sailing ships, mounting 2052 guns. TheFrench also had a fleet of twenty-three ships carrying 1250 guns. 

BOMBARDMENT OF ODESSA. 

The naval operations were opened with two very regrettable incidents. The steamer _Furious_ was sent to Odessa early in April, to bring offthe British consul. Having anchored in the bay with a flag of truce ather mast-head, she sent off a boat, also with a flag of truce flying, tothe shore, when, against all the laws of civilised warfare, thebatteries opened fire on them. No one was hit, and the _Furious_steamed back to the fleet. 

The allied admirals, indignant at the outrage, addressed a note to theRussian governor, General Osten-Sacken, pointing out the outrage whichhad been committed, and demanding "that all the British, French, andRussian vessels now at anchor near the citadel or the batteries ofOdessa be forthwith delivered up to the combined squadron; and that ifat sunset no answer or a negative be received, they will be compelled byforce to avenge the insult offered, though, for humanity's sake, theyadopt the alternative with regret, and cast the responsibility of theact upon those to whom it belongs. "

No satisfactory answer having been received, the combined fleet openedfire on the fortifications of Odessa on the 22nd of April. Thebombardment lasted for ten hours, during which the Russian batterieswere considerably injured, two batteries blown up, vast quantities ofmilitary stores were destroyed, and several ships-of-war were sunk. 

On the 12th of May, during a thick fog, the steam-sloop _Tiger_, sixteenguns, Commander Gifford, went on shore on the rocks near Odessa. Whileshe was thus utterly helpless, the Russians, as soon as she wasobserved, opened fire on her, and Captain Gifford, being desperatelywounded (mortally, as it proved), was at length compelled to strike hisflag. The Russians, having removed her guns and stores, set fire to thevessel, and forwarded the flag as a trophy to Saint Petersburg. It wasone of the very few, either from redcoats or bluejackets, they gotduring the war. 

OPERATIONS IN THE BALTIC. 

Sir Charles Napier's squadron reached Wingo Sound on the 15th March, andon the 25th it entered the Great Belt, and anchored in Kiel Bay. Soonafterwards, Sir Charles was reinforced by Admiral Corry, with the seconddivision of the fleet. On the 12th of April Sir Charles sailed for theGulf of Finland, where he established a rigorous blockade. As, even atthis season of the year, there is a considerable amount of ice in theBaltic, the navigation of the ships demanded all the vigilance of theofficer in charge. Sir Charles, hearing that a Russian squadron, consisting of seven line-of-battle ships and one frigate, was shut up atHelsingfors, made sail in that direction for the purpose of preventing ajunction between the two portions of the Russian fleet. In this veryimportant object, in which the enemy's plan of naval operations wascompletely defeated, he was entirely successful. 

Admiral Plumridge meantime was scouring the Gulf of Bothnia, and in ashort period captured or destroyed forty-six merchantmen and a quantityof naval stores, without losing a man. 

A SPIRITED ACTION. 

On the 19th May the _Arrogant_ and the _Hecla_, two steamers--the firsta screw, commanded by Captain Yelverton, and the second by CaptainHall--had been detached from the fleet, and employed for a considerabletime in reconnoitring the forts of the enemy about Hango Bay. Propulsion by means of a screw was at this time a novelty, thesteamships of war being generally large paddle boats and sailing shipscombined, a state of transition between the frigate of Nelson's day andthe modern steamship. 

The two captains, hearing that some ships lay off the town of Eckness, some way up a narrow river, determined to cut them out. They boldlyentered the river, and on the evening of the 19th came to an anchor. 

A boat from one of the men-of-war was sent on ahead, but before she hadgot 800 yards from the ship, a hot fire was opened on her from behind asandbank in a thickly-wooded place. At the same time some round shotstruck the _Hecla_. Both ships instantly beat to quarters, and, castingloose their guns, poured showers of shot and shell into the wood, fromwhence they speedily dislodged the enemy. They then shifted theirberth, and were not further molested during the night. A brightlook-out was kept, however, to prevent surprise. 

At two a. M. Both ships weighed, the _Hecla_ leading, and the crews beingat their quarters. They slowly and carefully felt their way along theintricate navigation of the river, till they suddenly found themselveswithin range of the guns of a battery posted on a promontory beforethem, which was crowded with Russian soldiers--stout-looking fellows, habited in long grey coats and spiked helmets of steel, which glitteredbrightly in the sun; and the bluejackets now for the first time saw theenemy. 

The _Hecla_ immediately opened fire, which the battery returned withspirit; and the _Arrogant_ now coming up, let fly a whole broadsideamong the soldiers, just as some horse artillery had made theirappearance, and were unlimbering preparatory to engaging. As the smokecleared off, the troop of artillery were seen scampering away at fullspeed. A heavy fire of musketry now burst forth from a wood on oneside, and continued for some time without intermission, the bulletsfalling thick on board both ships. 

While this work was going forward, the _Arrogant_ ran aground withintwenty yards of the battery, but most fortunately in a position whichallowed her guns full play on it. At this close range the ship's gunswere more than a match for those in the fort, and so smartly were theyworked that in a short time they dismounted all the guns of the enemyand drove the gunners from the fort. 

The crew were now able to turn their attention to the position theirship was in, and turning to with a will, unmolested by the enemy, theysucceeded in getting afloat again. As they passed close to the fort, they witnessed the state of complete ruin which they had so speedilycaused, --guns dismounted, carriages blown to fragments, andaccoutrements and helmets scattered around. 

As they proceeded up the river the town of Eckness now opened ahead ofthe two steamers, and before the town lay the vessels which they wishedto carry off. The water now shoaled, and the _Arrogant_ could proceedno higher. Just then artillery opened on them. The _Arrogant_accordingly anchored, swung broadside to the shore, and engaged thebatteries; while the _Hecla_, throwing shells at the enemy, steamed upto Eckness, and running alongside a barque, the only one of the vesselsafloat, to the astonishment and dismay of the inhabitants took her intow, and carried her off in triumph. The two ships then returned downthe river with their prize. 

AN UNSUCCESSFUL VENTURE. 

On the 1st of June a gallant adventure similar to the last narrated wasnot so successful. The _Odin_ and _Vulture_, two steamers belonging toAdmiral Plumridge's division in the Gulf of Bothnia, employed indestroying the shipping and marine stores in various places along thecoast, had arrived in the neighbourhood of Old Carleby. 

At seven p. M. , two paddle-box boats, two pinnaces, four cutters, and onegig, --nine boats in all, --containing 180 officers and men, carrying sixtwenty-four-pounder howitzers and two twelve-pounders, were sent awayunder the command of Lieutenant Wise, of the _Vulture_, who wasaccompanied by Lieutenants Madden and Burton, Marine Artillery, and byDr Duncan. 

After a long pull, the boats anchored near some store-houses at themouth of a narrow creek, when, with a flag of truce, Lieutenant Wisewent on shore and communicated with the authorities. 

On his return, the flag of truce was withdrawn, and some of the boatswent ahead to sound, the others following closely. A narrow creekappearing, leading to the town, Lieutenant Carrington, in one of theboats, was ordered up it to explore. On passing some buildings somesoldiers were seen, and the boat was on the point of returning to reportthe circumstance, when a wall was thrown down, and a volley of musketrywas poured on her, which killed Lieutenant Carrington, Mr Montague, mate, and Mr Athorpe, midshipman, and wounded Lieutenant Lewis, R. M. , and Mr McGrath, midshipman, and fourteen men. The boat, which was muchinjured, was taken in tow, and carried out to the _Odin_. The otherboats immediately opened fire, the gunner of the _Vulture_ firing noless than twenty-seven times before he fell, badly wounded. 

One of the _Vulture's_ boats, with Mr Morphy, mate, and twenty-fiveseamen, was disabled, and, drifting on shore, was captured by the enemy. In another of her boats one marine was killed and six were wounded. Bythis time the enemy had brought five field-pieces into action; theremaining boats, therefore, pulled off out of range, having lostaltogether fifty-two killed, wounded, and missing, in this mostunfortunate though gallant affair. 

No fault was found with the way in which the expedition was commanded, while both officers and men behaved with the most perfect intrepidityand coolness. 

Most of the crew of the missing boat escaped with their lives, and weremade prisoners. 

BOMARSUND--21ST JUNE. 

A small squadron, consisting of the _Hecla, Valorous_, and _Odin_, underCaptain Hall, was sent in to engage the batteries of Bomarsund on the21st of June. This they did in the most spirited manner, receiving ahot fire in return both from the forts and from riflemen posted in theneighbourhood, rifle bullets and shot and shell falling thickly onboard. The British bluejackets were, however, far better pleased tohave a few shot sent among them, than to be doomed to play at longbowls, with all the firing on their side, as was sometimes the caseduring the war. 

The casualties were very slight. After engaging for three hours, andsetting some buildings on fire, the ships drew out of action. 

It was clearly perceived that the fleet alone could not take the place. Bomarsund, indeed, might well be considered the Sebastopol of theBaltic, its evident object being to overawe the neighbouring kingdoms ofSweden and Denmark. Its destruction, therefore, was of the greatestimportance. The allied fleet lay at anchor at Ledsund, about eighteenmiles from Bomarsund, anxiously waiting for the arrival of the Frenchtroops promised for the service. 

It was not, however, till the end of July that the first divisionreached Ledsund, brought in British ships-of-war. They were under thecommand of General Baraguay D'Hilliers. On the 5th of August the siegeartillery arrived, and on the 8th more troops and marines were landed. The fortifications of Bomarsund lie on the eastern point of the largestof the Aland Islands. The principal fortress commands a semicircularbay on the south, with intricate passages leading to it. At thenorthern side of the fort the land rises considerably; and the defenceon that part consisted of three round towers, one on the highest groundto the west, a second in the centre, and a third to the east. On the8th of August, 11, 000 men were landed on the north side of the island, in the short space of three hours, after the _Amphion_, _Phlegethon_, and _Edinburgh_ had blown a fort to atoms, and cleared the ground withtheir fire. The army then marched across the island, and encampedagainst the western fort. The English and French marines, with someseamen, were landed. 

Batteries were immediately thrown up round the fortress, while thirteenships of the allied fleet attacked from the sea. The towers were takenin succession; and the large circular fort, mounting nearly 100 guns, surrendered, with a garrison of 2000 men, soon after the effect of thefire from the ships had been felt. The effect of the shot on the fortis thus described by an eye-witness:--

"Three or four shots set the big stones visibly clattering, as I couldmark by a pocket-telescope. One block then fell out, then another, thena third, fourth, etcetera; and these were followed by an avalanche ofloose rubbish, just as you see a load of gravel pour out from the end ofa cart when the back-board is removed. " From this it was argued thatthe fortifications of Sebastopol would be as easily knocked to pieces;but experience showed that there was a vast difference in the two works. Bomarsund was somewhat of contract work. The sea towers of Sebastopolwere as strong as hewn stone scientifically put together could makethem. 

The navy lost only one man killed and one wounded. A number of braveand dashing acts were performed by naval men during the operations ofthe fleet in the Baltic, to which it is impossible to refer in detail. Amongst the many gallant acts performed by seamen on this occasion onemay specially be mentioned. During the first attack upon the batteriesat Bomarsund, a live shell fell on the deck of the _Hecla_ with its fusestill burning. Had it remained there and been permitted to explode, great damage to the ship and loss of life must have occurred. Lieutenant Charles D. Lucas seeing this, with the greatest presence ofmind and coolness, and regardless of the risk he incurred of being blownto pieces, took up the shell, carried it to the side and dropped itoverboard. 

A CAPTURE OF DESPATCHES. 

While Captain Yelverton's squadron was off the island of Wardo, information was received that an aide-de-camp of the Emperor of Russiawas about to land in charge of a mail and despatches for the Russiangeneral. As there could be little doubt that these despatches wouldcontain valuable information for the guidance of the Allies, it wasimportant to secure them. 

It occurred to Commander Bythesea that he could render this service tohis country. He accordingly offered his services, and obtainedpermission for himself and William Johnstone, a brave fellow, a stoker, to proceed on shore for the purpose of intercepting them. Being wellarmed, they put on disguises, and went on shore, leaving the boat atsome distance; they then, ascertaining the spot where the mail-bagswould be landed, concealed themselves in some bushes in theneighbourhood. 

At length, after it was dark, on the night of the 12th of August, theiranxiety was relieved by the arrival of the Russian officer and themails, but they were accompanied by an escort of soldiers. It wouldhave been madness to attack so large a body, and there appeared noprospect of carrying out their bold attempt. Great was theirsatisfaction, however, to see the soldiers, believing that the coast wasclear, take their departure. The officer and four men, however, stillremained. The odds against them would have been great, had the men notbeen loaded with the bags. 

As soon as the soldiers were out of hearing, the gallant commander andhis companion sprang from their concealment, attacked the five men; twoof them fled; the other three they succeeded in making prisoners anddragged them off to the boat with the mail-bags, which they alsosecured, and then rowed off in triumph to the _Arrogant_. Thedespatches were carried to General Baraguay D'Hilliers, who expressedhigh admiration at the bravery and dash of the exploit. Both CommanderBythesea and William Johnstone obtained the Victoria Cross. 

ATTACK ON VIBORG--13TH JULY 1855. 

The _Arrogant_, Captain Yelverton, having been joined by the_Magicienne_, Captain Vansittart, proceeded with the _Ruby_ gunboatalong the coast to Kounda Bay, where a large body of Cossack troops wereencamped. The _Ruby_ and the boats of the two ships stood in, anddislodged the enemy with shells and rockets. In spite of a fire kept upon them from behind hedges, they landed; but as it was found that theplace contained only private property, it was not injured. 

Next morning Captain Yelverton, having driven some soldiers from astation at the mouth of the Portsoiki river, and destroyed some barracksand stores, proceeded off Viborg. Here the ships anchored as close asthey could get to the island of Stralsund. An expedition was at onceformed to look into Viborg. It consisted of the _Ruby_, commanded byMr Hale, mate, and the boats of the _Arrogant_, commanded byLieutenants Haggard and Woolcombe, and those of the _Magicienne_, underthe command of Lieutenants King and Loady; Captains Yelverton andVansittart, with Captain Lowdes, R. M. , in command of a strong detachmentof marines, going on board the _Ruby_, which steamer towed the boats. The expedition having opened the bay of Trangsund, a Russian man-of-warsteamer, with two large gunboats in tow, was seen not far off. 

This novel and unexpected sight of a Russian man-of-war for once clearof a stone wall, and to all appearance prepared for a fair and honestfight, created the greatest enthusiasm among men and officers. The_Ruby_ at once opened fire on her, and compelled her to retire out ofrange, with some damage. The entrance of the Sound being reached, Viborg was now in sight, and there was a fair prospect of attackingthree large gunboats lying with another steamer under an island about amile off, when suddenly an impenetrable barrier was found to have beenthrown across the passage. At the same moment, at about 350 yards off, a masked battery on the left opened on the _Ruby_ and boats, which they, however, kept in check by an ably-directed return fire. 

The enemy's steamer and gunboats now approached from under the island, and opened fire on the expedition. As it was impossible to get the_Ruby_ through the barrier, Captain Yelverton ordered her other boats toreturn towards Stralsund, --the enemy's riflemen, who followed along thebanks, being kept off by their fire. Unhappily, an explosion took placeon board the _Arrogant's_ second cutter, by which the midshipmancommanding her, Mr Storey, was killed, and the boat was swamped. Inthis condition the boat drifted under the enemy's battery, when a hotfire was poured into her. 

All probably would have been killed or taken prisoners, had not GeorgeIngouville, one of the _Arrogant's_ crew, though already wounded, of hisown accord jumped overboard, and, taking the painter in hand, towed heroff the shore. Probably his gallant conduct might not have availed tosave the lives of his shipmates, many of whom were by this time wounded, had not the condition of the cutter been perceived from the _Ruby_. 

On this, Lieutenant George Dare Dowell, R. M. A. , of the _Magicienne_, calling out for a volunteer crew, jumped into the _Ruby's_ gig, where hewas joined by Lieutenant Haggard of the _Arrogant_, and together theypulled off, under a fire which grew hotter and hotter, to the rescue ofthe boat and men. Lieutenant Dowell was waiting at the moment on boardthe _Ruby_ while his own boat was receiving a supply of rockets. Takingthe stroke oar, he and his three companions pulled on, in spite of theshower of grape and musketry which the Russians poured on them toprevent them from accomplishing their object. They succeeded, in spiteof this, in taking in three of the cutter's crew, and were mainlyinstrumental in keeping the boat afloat and bringing her off to the_Ruby_. Two were killed and ten wounded during the whole affair. Captain Yelverton speaks highly of the conduct of all the officersengaged, where their cool and determined courage enabled them to handlemost severely, and to keep in check for upwards of an hour, a farsuperior force of the enemy. These were perhaps the most creditableacts of individual gallantry performed at this time in the Baltic. BothLieutenant Dowell and George Ingouville received the Victoria Cross. 

It would be scarcely interesting or useful to describe the numberlessperformances of the boats of the fleets in destroying barracks, stores, and shipping. 

It was a stern though painful necessity which demanded this mode ofproceeding. The object was to show the enemy the power of the Allies toinjure them, and to make them earnestly desire peace, at every cost. Inno instance was private property on shore intentionally injured. 

The shipping, however, did not escape; and in the two nights of the 23rdand 24th of July, the boats of the _Harrier_, Captain Storey, destroyedin the harbour of Nystad forty-seven vessels, amounting to nearly 20, 000tons. 

On the 6th July the first shot was fired at Cronstadt, from a gun slungon board a timber barge, by Captain Boyd. 

The Russians, in return, endeavoured to injure the vessels of theAllies, and to protect their shores by the employment of infernalmachines, as they were then called. We call their much more certain andmore dangerous successors submarine mines, and regard them as a regularmeans of defence. These were intended to explode under water, and somewere fired by voltaic batteries, but invariably failed of going off atthe proper time; others exploded on being struck; but though the_Merlin_ ran on to one, which went off under her bottom, comparativelyslight damage was done her. The articles in her store-room, directlyover the spot where the machine struck her, were thrown about in everydirection, showing the force of the concussion. Admiral Dundas andseveral officers with him had, however, a narrow escape, one of themachines exploding while they stood around it examining its structure. 

BOMBARDMENT OF SVEABORG. 

Among the more important performances of the allied fleet in the Balticwas the severe injury inflicted on the fortress of Sveaborg, one of thestrongest belonging to Russia to keep her neighbours in awe in that partof the world. 

The fortress of Sveaborg is built on a granite island about a mile inadvance of Helsingfors, the Russian capital of Finland. There are eightisland rocks connected by strong fortifications, and in the centre issituated the fort in which the Russian flotilla was congregated. It waslooked upon as the Gibraltar of the North, and had been considerablystrengthened since the commencement of the war. The citadel of thiswater-surrounded fortress is called Wargon. The allied fleet, consisting of seventeen British men-of-war, fifteen gunboats, andsixteen mortar-vessels, with two French men-of-war, six gunboats, andfive mortar-vessels, left Nargen on the 6th of August, and anchored thesame night among the islands about five miles from Sveaborg. During thenight and next day, some batteries were thrown up on the neighbouringislands; and early on the morning of the 9th, the squadron having takenup their positions, --several behind the islands, where the enemy's gunscould not reach them, --the bombardment commenced. The showers of shotand shell told with terrific effect on the devoted fortress; powdermagazines and stores of projectiles one after the other blew up, andfires broke out in various directions, which all the efforts of thegarrison could not extinguish, and in a short time the whole of thearsenal was reduced to ashes. Still the mortars continued to play, toprevent the fires which were blazing up around from being extinguished. Very few men were wounded, and none were killed during the whole of theoperations. Although the naval and military stores were destroyed, thefortress still remained intact. The Russians, however, had been taughtthe lesson that it would be better for them in future not to makeaggressions on their neighbours, or to venture hastily into war. 

Captains Yelverton and Vansittart had already shown them how little theycould rely on their boasted fortifications, by destroying all betweenViborg and Helsingfors, Fredericksham, Kotka, and Swartholme. 

THE WHITE SEA SQUADRON. 

A small squadron, consisting of the _Eurydice_, twenty-six guns, _Miranda_, fifteen, and _Brisk_, fourteen, had been sent in July 1854into the White Sea, to destroy the Russian shipping and forts on thecoasts of Russian Lapland. 

On the 23rd of July the town of Novitska was attacked and burned by the_Miranda_ and _Brisk_. 

On the 23rd of August the _Miranda_ anchored off Kola, the capital ofRussian Lapland. A flag of truce was sent on shore, demanding thesurrender of the fort, garrison, and government property. All night thecrew remained at their quarters, and no answer being returned in themorning, the flag of truce was hauled down, and the ship, getting within250 yards of the battery, opened a fire of grape and canister. A partywas then landed under command of Lieutenant J. Mackenzie and MrManthorpe, mate, who, at the head of a party of bluejackets and marines, rushed up, sword in hand, to dislodge the enemy from the batteries andto capture the guns. A hot fire was opened on them from the towers of amonastery; but they soon drove out the garrison, who took to flight, andit, with all the government stores and buildings, was immediately set onfire and completely consumed. 

Kola lies thirty miles up a river of most difficult navigation, with astrong current, and often so narrow that there was scarcely room for theship to swing. Captain Lyons also had a very uncertain knowledge of thestrength of the enemy; but nothing could check his determination, and itwas, as we have seen, rewarded with complete success. Taking intoconsideration the difficulties to be encountered, this was one of themost daring naval exploits performed in the north. The _Miranda_, atthe approach of autumn, returned to England, and from thence went out tojoin the fleet in the Black Sea. 

ACTION ON THE DANUBE--JUNE AND JULY 1854. 

The blockade of Sebastopol having been established, some of the lightercruisers were sent along the coast on various detached enterprises, forthe purpose of annoying and misleading the Russians, and effecting thedestruction of government property. 

Two of the cruisers, the _Firebrand_, Captain Hyde Parker, and the_Vesuvius_, Captain Powell, were despatched to destroy the guard-housesand signal-stations on the banks of the Danube, which kept up thecommunication with the Russian forts. On the morning of the 22nd ofJune the boats of the two steamers, manned and armed, with a Turkishgunboat, all under the command of Lieutenant Jones, of the _Firebrand_, pulled off towards a guard-house and signal-station about twenty milesnorth of Sulineh. As they approached, the signal was made from stationto station, summoning aid. Behind some banks, close to the beach, wereposted bodies of Cossack cavalry, while others were scattered aboutwherever they could find shelter from the shells and shot fired from theboats' and ships' guns. They, however, could not stand this long, andfled in confusion. 

On the boats reaching the shore, the seamen and marines landed, and, forming on the beach, advanced in skirmishing order towards theCossacks, who, mounting their horses, fled in all directions. Theguard-houses were immediately burnt, the signal-staff destroyed, and themen returned to their ships in admirable order. Several other stationswere destroyed on that and the following days; and on one occasion, onthe night of the 27th of June, Captain Parker surprised the garrison ofSulineh, whom he put to flight, after capturing the officer in commandand others. The officer was forwarded to Lord Raglan, who obtained someimportant information from him. 

The _Firebrand_ and _Vesuvius_ now kept up a strict blockade of theDanube, and the crews were allowed to land without opposition; but atlength Captain Parker suspected that the gabion battery attached to thequarantine ground was occupied, and, for the purpose of examining it, entered the river on the 6th with the boats of the two ships. Nothingwas discovered until Captain Parker's galley arrived opposite the gabionbattery, when a single rifle-shot was fired, which passed through theboat, and this was followed by a volley, piercing the boat, grazing thecaptain's elbow, and severely wounding one man. Captain Parker on thisordered the boat to pull round, and, as she retreated, with the greatestcoolness he discharged his rifle at the enemy, who were now pouring in agalling and heavy fire on all the boats. The pinnace, being in advance, was especially exposed, and unhappily grounded within fifty yards of thebattery. 

On seeing this, Captain Parker leaped on shore from his galley, exclaiming, "We must storm--follow me, my men!" and gallantly rushedforward, followed by all who had then come up. Parallel with the river, and at about fifteen yards from it, ran a line of high canes growing ina marsh. He advanced along this, and having fired and knocked down aCossack, he was reloading, when a volley of bullets came flying roundhim, one of which pierced his heart, and he fell dead into the arms ofhis coxswain, Mr Everard, a naval cadet, being at the moment by hisside. 

Commander Powell, who succeeded to the command, ordered a heavy fire ofshell and congreve rockets to be opened on the battery, under cover ofwhich the marines and seamen stormed the place, and drove out theRussians, who took shelter in the marsh, where they could not befollowed. 

Captain Parker was a most gallant officer, and his loss caused deepregret among all his brother officers. 

On the 13th, the _Spitfire_, Lieutenant Johnstone, towing the boats ofthe _Vesuvius_, crossed the bar at the Sulineh mouth of the Danube, and, having driven off the enemy, the marines and bluejackets landed andtotally destroyed the town of Sulineh, by setting it on fire in everydirection. 

BOMBARDMENT OF SEBASTOPOL--17TH OCTOBER 1854. 

We have now to give an account of the chief naval exploits of the war, when the wooden walls of Old England were to try their strength with thestone ramparts of Russia. While the heavy artillery of the Alliesopened fire on the city from the newly-erected batteries on theneighbouring heights, it was arranged that the fleets should attack fromthe sea. The fleet was to form a semicircle before the harbour's mouth;the French to engage the forts on the south, the English the fortsConstantine and Alexander and the Stone and Wasp forts on the north. The morning was actively spent by the crews in preparing for action. 

At fifty minutes past ten the signal for weighing was made; and thefleet, the fine old _Agamemnon_ leading, stood towards the batteries. She was followed in order by the _Sanspareil_, screw, the sailing--shipsbeing moved by steamers lashed alongside, --_Albion_, by _Firebrand;Queen_, by _Vesuvius; Britannia_, by _Furious; Trafalgar_, by_Retribution; London_, by _Niger; Vengeance_, by _Highflyer; Rodney_, by_Spiteful; Bellerophon_, by _Cyclops; Arethusa_, by _Triton_; while_Samson, Tribune, Terrible, Sphinx, Lynx_, and _Spitfire_ acted aslook-out ships, and were allowed to take up independent positions. Besides the stone fortifications, the enemy had thrown up numerousearthworks, and placed guns along the cliff to the north. To one ofthese forts the seamen gave the name of the Wasp; to another, theTelegraph battery. 

The French weighed first, a little before ten, and proceeded to theirposition, on the south of the line, when the enemy opened fire on them. The Turks took up a position in the centre; and now the magnificent_Agamemnon_ steamed on, with the gallant little _Circassian_, commandedby the brave Mr Ball, piloting the way, sounding as he went, andmarking the position the larger ships were to take up. 

At half-past one the _Agamemnon_ began to draw in close with the land, when, to try range, she opened fire from her large pivot-gun on the Waspbattery, which instantly returned it; and in a short time FortConstantine commenced firing with terrible effect, the _Agamemnon_suffering fearfully. 

At two p. M. She anchored, head and stern, in a quarter less fivefathoms, 750 yards off Fort Constantine, on which she immediately openedher fresh broadside. At five minutes past two, the _Sanspareil_ and_London_ anchored astern, and ably seconded the gallant Sir Edmund bythe fire which they poured into the Star Fort and the smaller forts onthe cliff. At twenty minutes past two, the _Albion_ anchored, andengaged the Wasp, to take off the fire from the _Agamemnon_, which, fromher position, exposed to a cross fire, was suffering more than the otherships. The _Britannia_, now in fifteen fathoms water, and some twothousand yards off, opened fire, and the action became general. 

The commander of the detached steamers determined that they also shouldplay their part. The _Terrible_ and _Samson_ dashed on inside the otherships, and engaged the northern forts in the most gallant manner. Nothing could exceed the steady way in which the _Vesuvius_ carried herhuge consort into action, nor the spirited manner in which the _Albion_engaged Fort Constantine. The _Arethusa_, --a name long known to fame, --urged on by the little _Triton_, well preserved the renown her name hasgained, by boldly engaging the huge stone fort, at which, in rapidsuccession, broadside after broadside was discharged, the crew of the_Triton_ coming on board to assist in manning her guns. At length, withher rigging cut to pieces, and numerous shot-holes in her hull, andeighteen killed and wounded, and five wounded belonging to the _Triton_, she was towed out of action. 

The _Albion_, though farther out than the _Agamemnon_, was in realitysuffering far more than that ship, and she at length was compelled tohaul off, with one lieutenant and nine men killed, and three otherofficers and sixty-eight men wounded. The _London_, also, with fourkilled and eighteen wounded, was at the same time taken out of action. All this time the gallant Sir Edmund Lyons refused to move; indeed, hisship was suffering more aloft than in her hull, and, notwithstanding thetremendous fire to which she had been exposed, she had only four killedand twenty-five wounded. This was owing to the vice-admiral's braveryin going so close to the shore; the majority of the shot, flying high, struck her rigging instead of her hull. Still she was struck 240 times, and became almost a wreck, --her hull showing gaping wounds, hermain-yard cut in two places, every spar more or less damaged, twoshot-holes in the head of the mainmast, and her rigging hanging inshreds; the ship also having twice caught fire, --once when a shell fellin her maintop and set fire to the mainsail, and another having burst inthe port side and set fire to the hammock-nettings. The _Rodney_, however, suffered still more in masts and rigging, she having tailed onthe reef, whence she was got off by the gallant exertions of CommanderKynaston, of the _Spiteful_. The _Albion_ and _Arethusa_ sufferedgreatly in their hulls. 

At length one ship after another had drawn off; and the fire of theforts being concentrated on the _Agamemnon_, Sir Edmund despatched oneof his lieutenants in a boat, to summon the _Bellerophon_ to his aid. The appeal was nobly and immediately answered, and she contributedgreatly to take off the fire which the Wasp and Telegraph batteries wereshowering on her. As the _Agamemnon_ was the first to go into battle, so she was one of the last to haul out of the engagement, which she didsoon after six p. M. , but not till darkness had compelled the combatantson shore to cease from firing. The action lasted altogether fromhalf-past one to half-past six, --the loss being 44 killed and 266wounded. 

A naval brigade had at this time been formed, and a considerable numberof officers and men belonging to the different ships were consequentlyserving on shore. Owing to this circumstance, probably, the casualtieswere lessened. The admiral had also left all the spare top-masts andspars on board the _Vulcan_, with the sick and prisoners, at theanchorage off the Katscha; so that the ships were soon able to repairthe damages they had received aloft. No sooner had the fleet once moreanchored in safety, than the captains went on board the _Agamemnon_, topay their respects to Sir Edmund Lyons, as did the French on thefollowing day, all declaring that his ship had held the post of honour. Still, many other ships were not behind his in the gallant way in whichthey were fought. 

The French ships were also fought with great courage and judgment, andsuffered even more than the English. The Turks, from being much fartherout, escaped with slight damage. 

The result of the action, bravely as it had been fought, was notsatisfactory. It was a trial of strength between stone and wood, andthe stone was undoubtedly the victor. Probably a considerable number ofRussians were killed and wounded, and it served as a diversion to theland attack; but next day not a gun the less frowned from the batteriesof Fort Constantine, and but a trifling damage had been done to thestonework. 

However, the diversions caused by these attacks from the sea were ofmuch consequence; and on other occasions the smaller steamers, gun androcket-boats, were sent off the mouth of the harbour during the night todistract the attention of the Russians. 

CRIMEAN NAVAL BRIGADE. 

Soon after the army reached Balaclava, portions of the crews of most ofthe larger ships had been sent on shore, at first simply to assist ingarrisoning the heights above Balaclava, and placed under the command ofCaptain Lushington. The brigade was soon afterwards increased by aparty under Lord John Hay, of the _Wasp_. Both officers and men, however, very soon volunteered for other services, and in every post ofdanger there was some portion of the naval brigade to be found. It washere that Captain William Peel first showed the gallantry and judgmentfor which he became so conspicuous. He took command of one of theadvanced batteries before Sebastopol, which did good service. Duringthe first six days of the bombardment, ending October 22nd, the navalbrigade lost twelve killed and sixty-six wounded. 

From the first, the conduct of all the men, though placed in a novelsituation, was excellent, and the gallantry of officers and menconspicuous. From being near Balaclava, and from being supplied withtents and clothing and food from their ships, they had not the samedreadful hardships to endure as the soldiers; they yet sought outdanger, and as readily exposed their lives on shore as they areaccustomed to do at sea. 

Among all the acts exhibiting gallantry, coolness, and judgment, oneperformed by Mr N. W. Hewett, then acting mate of HMS _Beagle_, standsconspicuous. 

On the 26th of October 1854, the day after the battle of Balaclava, hewas in charge of the right Lancaster battery before Sebastopol, with aparty of bluejackets under him, when the Russians made a desperatesortie from the walls against Sir De Lacy Evans' division. The advanceof the Russians placed the gun in great jeopardy; and their assault wasso vigorous that their skirmishers had got within 300 yards of thebattery, and were pouring in a sharp fire from their Minie rifles. Bysome misapprehension the word was passed to spike the gun and retreat;but Mr Hewett, taking upon himself to disregard what he heard, answered, "That order did not come from Captain Lushington, and till hedirects us to desert the gun, we'll not move. " This proceeding washazardous, for at the time the gun was in an ineffectual position, inconsequence of the enemy advancing on its flank. With the assistance, however, of the seamen with him, and of some soldiers who came to hisaid, he got round the gun into position; then, blowing away the parapetof the battery, he opened on the advancing column of the Russians soeffective a fire, that they were completely staggered, and theirprogress was stopped. Seconded by his companions, whom his spiritanimated, again and again he discharged his death-dealing gun, till theenemy gave way and retreated. 

A story is current that he actually did receive an order to abandon thegun, and that afterwards, while he was reflecting what might be theconsequences of having disobeyed it, his commanding officer inquired, "Mr Hewett, were you not ordered to spike that gun and retreat?"

"I was, sir. "

"And you chose to disregard the order, and fight the gun?"

"I did, sir; but I am sorry if--"

"Well, then, you are promoted. " Sir Stephen Lushington brought MrHewett's conduct before the commander-in-chief, and he received from theAdmiralty, as a reward, his lieutenancy, which he so well merited. Atthe battle of Inkermann his bravery was again conspicuous, and he wassoon afterwards appointed to the command of the _Beagle_ gunboat in theSea of Azov. 

A LIVE SHELL AMONG THE POWDER. 

Captain Peel of the _Leander_ repeated the exploit of Mr Lucas, alreadyrelated, under even more exciting circumstances. 

He was in command of a battery outside Sebastopol on the 18th ofOctober, when a live shell with fuse burning fell among the powder casesoutside the magazine. Had it exploded, it would in any case havecreated great havoc, but there was the additional risk that it mightexplode the magazine, in which case everyone near would have beenkilled. The moment it fell, Captain Peel seized it and threw it overthe parapet, which was not quite the same as throwing it overboard atsea, for it exploded as it fell, but happily, being outside the battery, caused no mischief. 

Captain Peel distinguished himself on many occasions during the war. Atthe battle of Inkermann he joined the officers of the Grenadier Guards, and assisted them in defending and saving the colours of the regimentwhen hard-pressed in the Sandbag Battery. At the assault of the Redanhe volunteered to lead the ladder-party, and carried the first ladderuntil disabled by a severe wound. 

EDWARD SAINT JOHN DANIELS. 

This young officer, a midshipman of Captain Peel's ship, took examplefrom the conduct of his noble chief, and vied with him in feats ofdaring. In Captain Peel's battery there was a call for volunteers tobring in powder to the battery from a waggon in a very exposedsituation, a shot having disabled the horses. Instantly Mr Danielssprang forward, and, followed by others, performed the dangerousservice. At the battle of Inkermann he followed his captain as hisaide-de-camp through the terrific fire of that eventful day. Again, onthe 18th of June, he accompanied Captain Peel when he led theladder-party in the assault on the Redan. Together they approached thedeadly breach, when Captain Peel was struck in the arm, and might havebled to death, had not young Daniels remained by him on the glacis undera terrific fire, and with admirable devotion and perfect coolnessapplied a tourniquet to his arm, not leaving him till he was able togain a less exposed position. 

BRAVERY OF FIVE SEAMEN AT INKERMANN. 

During the battle of Inkermann, while the right Lancaster battery wasfiercely attacked by the Russians, five gallant bluejackets, picking upthe muskets of the disabled soldiers, mounted the banquette, and, undera fierce fire, kept rapidly discharging them, while their comrades belowloaded and handed them up others as fast as they could, contributingmuch to keep the enemy at bay. Two were killed, or died from theirwounds; but the three survivors, Thomas Reeve, James Gorman, and MarkScholefield, obtained the Victoria Cross. 

COMMANDER ROBY. 

John Taylor, captain of the forecastle, and Henry Curtis, boatswain'smate, were in the advance sap opposite the Redan on 18th June 1855, immediately after the assault on Sebastopol, when they observed asoldier of the 57th Regiment, who had been shot through both legs, sitting up, and calling for help. Lieutenant D'Aeth, of HMS _Sidou_, was also of the party, but died of cholera soon after. The brave seamencould not bear to see their poor countryman thus perishing, and, thoughthe Redan was still keeping up a tremendous fire, climbing over thebreastwork of the sap, Captain Roby and the two seamen proceeded upwardsof seventy yards across the open space towards the salient angle of theRedan, and, at the great risk of their own lives, lifted up the woundedsoldier and bore him to a place of safety. 

John Sullivan, boatswain's mate, while serving in an advanced battery, on the 10th of April 1855, showed the most perfect coolness and bravery, by going forward and placing a flag on a mound in an exposed situation, under a heavy fire, to enable another battery, Number 5, to open fire ona concealed Russian battery, which was doing great execution on theBritish advanced works. Commander Kennedy, commanding the battery, spoke in the highest terms of Sullivan's bravery on that and on otheroccasions, and recommended him for promotion. 

DASHING SERVICE OF JOHN SHEPHERD, A BOATSWAIN. 

While he was boatswain's mate of the _Saint Jean d'Acre_, and serving inthe naval brigade, he volunteered to proceed in a punt, during a darknight, into the harbour of Sebastopol, and to endeavour, with anapparatus he carried, to blow up one of the Russian line-of-battleships. He reached the harbour, and had got past the enemy's steamboatat the entrance of Careening Bay, when he was prevented from proceedingfarther by a long line of boats, which were carrying troops from thesouth to the north side of Sebastopol. On the 16th of August, he againmade the attempt from the side of Careening Bay, then in possession ofthe French. 

The above are only some few of the gallant deeds done by the officersand men of the naval brigade before Sebastopol. All, from Sir StephenLushington downwards to the youngest midshipman or ship-boy, did theirduty right nobly; and though the bluejackets of England have no cause, as a rule, to complain that their gallantry is not sufficientlyappreciated, perhaps on this occasion the service they rendered to theircountry is scarcely understood as it should be. On the disastrousassault on the Redan, 18th of June 1855, the naval brigade consisted offour parties of sixty men each, one for each column; but two only wentout, the other two being kept in reserve. They were told off to carryscaling-ladders and wool-bags, and to place them for thestorming-parties. They were led by Captain Peel. Severely theysuffered. Out of the two small parties, fourteen were killed andforty-seven were wounded. 

When the soldiers, overwhelmed by the terrific fire of the batteries, retreated towards the trenches, several officers and men were leftbehind wounded, and endured fearful agonies for hours, without a drop ofwater or a cheering voice to comfort them. Among others, LieutenantErmiston lay for five hours under the abattis of the Redan, and wasreported dead; but he had only a contusion of the knee, and, watchinghis opportunity, he got safely away. 

Mr Kennedy, mate of the _London_, was also left behind, close to theabattis, and, after several hours of painful suspense, concealed amongthe dead, he rolled himself over and over down the declivity, andmanaged to get into the trench. 

Lieutenant Kidd came in all safe, and was receiving the congratulationsof a brother officer, when he saw a wounded soldier lying out in theopen. He at once exclaimed, "We must go and save him!" and leaped overthe parapet in order to do so. He had scarcely proceeded one yard onhis errand of mercy, when he was shot through the breast, and died anhour afterwards. 

Lieutenant Dalyell, of the _Leander_, had his left arm shattered by agrape-shot, and underwent amputation. 

Lieutenant Cave, and Mr Wood, midshipman, were also wounded; as wasCaptain Peel, as has been described. Indeed, of the whole detachment, only three officers came out of action untouched. 

Not only were the subordinate officers of the navy thus conspicuouslybrave and active, but a sailor was from the first one of the rulingspirits of the campaign. To Sir Edmund Lyons did England owe, in anincalculable degree, the success which attended our arms on the shoresof the Euxine. 

He it was who organised and conducted the expedition to the Crimea, prepared the means of landing, and superintended all so closely, that"in his eagerness he left but six inches between the keel of his nobleship and the ground below it. " Not only in matters connected with thetransport of the troops, but also in every subsequent stage of theexpedition, Sir Edmund Lyons gave the most valuable assistance to LordRaglan and his successors. How, at the battle of the Alma, he supportedthe French army by bringing the guns of his ship to bear on the leftflank of the Russians, and what a conspicuous part he took with the_Agamemnon_ on the first bombardment of Sebastopol, are incidentswell-known at the time. But he had more to do in the way of advice andof encouragement than the public ever heard of. Day after day he mighthave been seen on his grey pony, hovering about the English lines on theheights of Sebastopol; he was present at Balaclava, and he was presentat Inkermann. It was thus that, having conveyed our soldiers to theCrimea, he saved them from being compelled to leave it, baffled, if notvanquished. A day or two after the battle of Balaclava, Sir EdmundLyons, on landing, learnt to his astonishment that orders had beenissued to the naval brigade to embark as many guns as possible duringthe day, for Balaclava was to be evacuated at night, --of course, surrendering to the enemy the greater portion of the guns. On his ownresponsibility, the admiral at once put a stop to the execution of thisorder, and went in search of Lord Raglan, who, it appears, had come tothe resolution of abandoning Balaclava, in consequence of the opinionexpressed by the engineers, that, after the loss of these redoubts inour rear lately held by the Turks, we ought to concentrate our strengthon the plateau. Taking Lord Raglan aside, Sir Edmund Lyons stronglyopposed these views. He pointed out that the advanced position in thevalley in front of which these redoubts were situated had beenoriginally occupied in accordance with the advice of those veryofficers, and in opposition to that of Sir Edmund, who had suggested atthe time that they were covering too much ground. He argued that, asthe engineers had been mistaken once, they might be wrong again; and heclinched his argument by saying that, whatever might be the value of hisopinion in such a case, he was at all events entitled to pronounce anopinion as to the insufficiency of Kamiesch as a harbour for the alliedarmies; that this harbour was utterly inadequate; and that theabandonment of Balaclava meant the evacuation of the Crimea in a week. After some conversation, Lord Raglan said, "Well, you were right before, and this time I will act upon your advice. " Sir Edmund obtained leaveto countermand the orders which had been issued; Balaclava wasmaintained as our base of operations, and the army was saved from whatmight have proved an inglorious defeat, if not a terrible disaster. This, as we have said, was perhaps the most important of all theservices rendered by the admiral, and he well deserved the peerage whichit earned for him. 

Sir Stephen Lushington, having attained his rank as admiral in July1855, was succeeded in the command of the naval brigade by Captain theHonourable Henry Keppel, whose gallantry on various occasions had beenespecially conspicuous. At length, on the 19th September, Sebastopolhaving fallen, the gallant naval brigade was disbanded, --the jovialbluejackets leaving Balaclava to return to their ships, amid theenthusiastic cheers of their red-coated comrades, among whom but onefeeling was universal, that of regret at losing the company of so merrya band. Not a soldier but admired their bravery, their invariablegood-humour, and marvellous aptitude in adapting themselves to whatevercircumstances they might fall in with. 

EXPEDITION TO KERTCH. 

The importance of securing the outlet to the Sea of Azov had long beenseen; and on the 22nd of May an expedition sailed from Balaclava, underthe joint command of Sir George Brown and General D'Autemarre, for thepurpose of capturing the fortresses of Kertch and Yenikale, whichcommand its entrance. They had under them 15, 000 troops and fivebatteries of artillery. Admirals Lyons and Bruat accompanied theexpedition. While the troops were landed some miles to the south ofKertch, the squadron proceeded on to attack it in front; but, beforethey arrived, the Russians, believing that they could not defend theplace, evacuated it, as did most of the inhabitants. Yenikale wasdeserted in the same manner, and the armies and fleets achieved abloodless victory, while the smaller steamers of the squadron were sentoff up the Sea of Azov in chase of the Russian men-of-war. 

A light squadron of English and French vessels was placed under thecommand of Captain Lyons of the _Miranda_, with directions to captureand destroy all the ships, magazines, and stores of provisions belongingto the enemy. The larger quantity of provisions for the Russian army inthe Crimea had hitherto been conveyed across the Sea of Azov. In a fewdays the _Miranda_ and her consorts destroyed four months' rations for100, 000 men, and not less than 300 Russian vessels. 

This work was ably done, and individuals often even thus hadopportunities of exhibiting their gallantry. Arriving off Genitchi on29th May 1855, with his little squadron, Captain Lyons sent CommanderCraufurd with a flag of truce, to demand the surrender of a number ofvessels which were seen, as well as government stores. This demandbeing refused, the squadron opened fire on the town, while the boatsunder the command of Lieutenant Mackenzie pulled in, and set fire toseventy-three vessels and some corn-stores on shore. The wind shifting, there seemed a probability that the more distant vessels and storesmight escape. 

As the enemy had had time to make preparations, another expedition wouldbe, it was evident, more dangerous than the first. As, however, thevessels were in a favourable position for supplying the Russian armiesin the Crimea, and their destruction was of the greatest importance, Captain Lyons despatched the boats, commanded and officered as before. 

Seeing that there would be great risk in landing a party in presence ofa superior force out of gunshot of the ships, Lieutenant Cecil Buckley, _Miranda_, Lieutenant Hugh Burgoyne, _Swallow_, and Mr J. Roberts, gunner of the _Ardent_, volunteered to land alone and fire the stores. While these three gallant officers proceeded on their dangerousundertaking, Lieutenant Mackenzie pushed on under a fire of fourfield-guns and musketry, and destroyed the remaining vessels, the shipsresuming their fire on the town. The shore party succeeded in reachingthe stores, to which they effectually set fire. On their retreat totheir boat, they were, however, very nearly cut off by a body ofCossacks who charged down on them, but they got safe on board. Thoughseveral shots struck the boats, only one man was slightly wounded. 

PROCEEDINGS AT TAGANROG--3RD JUNE. 

Captain Lyons arrived off this place with a large mosquito fleet ofsteamers, gunboats, and boats from the English and French men-of-war. Taganrog was summoned to surrender, but the governor refused, and abrisk fire was opened on the place. In vain the enemy endeavoured toget down to the store-houses on the beach to protect them. LieutenantMackenzie, first of the _Miranda_, had charge of a separate division oflight boats, with rockets and one gun, to cover the approach ofLieutenant Cecil Buckley, _Miranda_, who, in a four-oared gig, manned byvolunteers, accompanied by Mr Henry Cooper, boatswain, repeatedlylanded and fired the different stores and public buildings. Thisdangerous, not to say desperate, service, when carried out in a towncontaining upwards of 3000 troops, constantly endeavouring to preventit, and only checked by the fire of the boats' guns, was mosteffectually performed. 

GALLANTRY OF S. TREWAVAS, SEAMAN. 

The _Beagle_, to the command of which ship Lieutenant Hewett had beenappointed on the 3rd July, was off the town of Genitchi, where there wasa floating bridge which it was most important to destroy, as itcommunicated with the town and the Arabat spit. Mr Hewett accordinglydespatched his gig, under command of Mr Hayles, gunner of the _Beagle_, and paddle-box boats under Mr Martin Tracy, midshipman of the_Vesuvius_. The undertaking was one of considerable danger, for troopslined the beach not eighty yards off, and the adjacent houses werefilled with riflemen, all of whom opened a hot fire on the boats. The_Beagle_ fired on them in return, as did Mr Tracy from the paddle-boxboats, causing great confusion and dismay in their ranks. However, MrHayles pulled in, ably seconded by a seaman lent from the _Agamemnon_, Stephen Trewavas, who, though already wounded from the fire of theenemy, cut the hawsers and cast the boats adrift. Mr Hayles was alsowounded. Trewavas obtained the Victoria Cross for his coolness anddetermination on this occasion. 

The squadron continued its course round the coast, destroying fisheries, guard-houses, barracks, stores of forage and provisions, and vessels, wherever they could be found. 

BRAVE DEVOTION OF F. KELLAWAY, BOATSWAIN. 

The _Wrangler_, Commander Burgoyne, came off Marioupol, Sea of Azov, where some boats, fishing-stations, and haystacks were discovered acrossa small lake. On this, Commander Burgoyne despatched Mr Odevaine, mate, and Mr Kellaway, boatswain, to destroy them. They had nearlyreached the spot, when they were fired on by a party of Russians, whosuddenly rushed out from their ambush, and endeavoured to cut off theirretreat. One seaman fell into the enemy's hands, but the rest of theparty were making good their escape, when Mr Odevaine tripped up andfell. Mr Kellaway, believing that his commanding officer was wounded, though at the risk of his life, ran back to his rescue. While liftinghim up they were surrounded by the Russians, and though the gallantboatswain made a stout resistance, they were both made prisoners andcarried off. Commander Burgoyne and the other officers of the ship werewitnesses of the devoted conduct of Mr Kellaway, but were unable torender them assistance. 

LIEUTENANT G. F. DAY AT GENITCHI. 

While Lieutenant Day was in command of the _Recruit_ he performedseveral very gallant acts, but none surpassed the following:--

It was important to ascertain the practicability of reaching the enemy'sgun-vessels which lay within the Straits of Genitchi, close to the town. With this object in view, Mr Day, having provided himself with apocket-compass, went on shore one dark but fine night, and proceededthrough the enemy's lines, traversing a distance of four or five miles, occasionally up to his knees in water, till he got within 200 yards ofthe vessels. From the perfect silence which reigned on board them, hewas persuaded that they were without crews; and when he returned, it waswith the conviction that the expedition was a feasible one. Thecorrectness of this opinion he was induced to doubt on the followingday, in consequence of the increased activity apparent in the directionof the vessels. Notwithstanding the danger he must have been aware hewas running, --for it was in attempting a reconnaissance on the sameground that Captain L'Allenand, of the French steam-vessel _Monette_, lost his life, --he resolved to pay another visit to the spot. The nightwas squally, and he thought it wiser to take a larger circuit thanbefore. He persevered, and gained the spot, when he ascertained thatthe vessels were manned, and that their crews were apparently on thealert. He decided, consequently, that it would be out of the questionto make any attempt to surprise them. 

CLOSELY PURSUED. 

Captain Commerell, having ascertained that large quantities ofcorn-forage were collected on the Crimean shore of the Sivash, considered that it was of importance to destroy them, and determinedhimself to undertake the dangerous task, accompanied by Mr Lillingston, mate, William Rickard, quartermaster, and George Milestone, A. B. , andanother man. Having left the ship at nightfall, they hauled their smallboat across the spit of Arabat, and traversed the Sivash to the Crimeanshore of the Putrid Sea. Here Mr Lillingston and one man remained incharge of the boat. They had now a distance of two miles to proceed, toreach the magazine of corn and forage, amounting to 400 tons, which theyhad devoted to destruction. They had also two rivers to ford, --theKara-su and Salghir, --the magazine being on the banks of the latterstream. Near the magazine was a guard-house, and close to it a village, in which twenty or thirty mounted Cossacks were posted. Nothingdaunted, they pushed on, and, having crossed the two rivers withoutbeing discovered, they set light to the stacks. With unexpectedrapidity the whole blazed up, and soon gave notice to the enemy of whathad occurred. They beat a rapid retreat, and, having recrossed theSalghir, ran for their lives, pursued by the Cossacks, who soon openedon them a hot fire. On they ran, fortunately taking the right road, theCossacks increasing in numbers. Milestone at length gave signs of beingexhausted. The boat was yet some way off. The Cossacks were scarcelyfifty yards behind, when Milestone fell in some deep mud, from which, inhis tired condition, he had no power of drawing himself out. On this, Rickard, discovering his condition, entreated his captain to make goodhis escape, while he attempted to help Milestone. This he succeeded indoing, though the Cossacks were now not forty yards from them, MrLillingston and a man who remained in the boat covering them with theirrifles; and there fortunately being some 200 yards of mud for thehorsemen to traverse, all the party reached the boat in safety. BothCaptain Commerell and his brave boatswain Rickard most deservedlyreceived the Victoria Cross. 

CAPTURE OF KINBURN--17TH OCTOBER 1855. 

The allied fleet left Kamiesch on the 7th of October, with about 5000British troops on board, and a still larger number of French. Appearingoff Odessa to alarm that place, and to mislead the Russians, theyproceeded directly for Kinburn. 

The troops landed about three miles south of Kinburn early on the 15th, and the bombardment soon afterwards commenced; but it was not till the17th that the grand attack took place, thus described by aneye-witness:--

"Continually on the move, the steamers and gunboats, firing as theywent, swept down the defences of the Russians, silencing their guns, killing the men, or forcing them to take refuge underground. Then agrand movement of the fleet took place. The admirals and theirthree-deckers were observed at noon entering into action in splendidorder, French and English advancing in line under steam, and approachingclose into the land. The fleet in the lagoon closed in at the samemoment, and simultaneously heavy broadsides were poured in from allquarters. The central fort was the only one which replied, and thenonly with a solitary gun at long intervals. Nothing of a grander ormore imposing effect could be witnessed than the three-deckers veeringround to deliver their fire, their jibs set to bring their guns to bear. Three times the _Montebello_, commanded by the French admiral, delivered a broadside from every gun in her sides. As she did so, shebecame lost in wreaths of white smoke. The iron shower swept over thefort with a din that surpassed all other sounds, and the airreverberated with the roar of ordnance. All round the enemy the firewas delivered in continuous discharges, and there was no pause. It wasthen that the Russians gave signs of surrender. A struggling form wasseen on the ramparts, waving a white flag as a token. As by magic, thefiring ceased. "

The old Russian general shortly afterwards came out of the castle, anddelivered his sword to Admiral Sir Houston Stewart and General Bazaine. Only two seamen were hit; but the Russians lost 43 men killed, 114wounded, and upwards of 1200 prisoners. 

CHAPTER ELEVEN. 

THE INDIAN MUTINY. 

THE "SHANNON'S" BRIGADE IN INDIA. 

From the Journal of Lieutenant E. Hope Verney, RN, published bySaunders and Otley. 

HM screw steam-frigate _Shannon_, of fifty-one guns, 600 horse-power, and 2667 tons, at that time the largest frigate afloat, was commissionedat Portsmouth by Captain William Peel on the 13th of September 1856, anddestined for the China Seas. On her arrival at Hong-Kong, Lord Elgin, hearing of the outbreak of the mutiny in India, embarked in her with abody of troops for Calcutta. She arrived on the 6th of August in themouth of the Ganges, when Captain Peel offered the services of his crew, with the ship's guns, to the Governor-General to form a naval brigade. On the 14th, Captain Peel, with a number of officers and 450 seamen, embarked in a flat, towed by a river steamer, and proceeded up theHooghly, to join the force advancing to the relief of Lucknow. On the18th, they were followed by another party of five officers and 120 men, under the command of Lieutenant Vaughan, --the frigate being left with140 men, under the command of Mr Waters, the master. 

The steamers were of light draught, and could proceed but slowly withthe heavily-laden flats in tow against the strong current. The vesselsanchored at night, and proceeded on their voyage during the day, whenthe men underwent a course of drilling, to fit them for the service theyhad undertaken. At length, towards the end of October, they reachedAllahabad, at the junction of the Jumna and Ganges; and while onedivision was left to garrison that place, the remainder proceeded ontowards Cawnpore by land. While at Futtehpore, near the Ganges, information was received that a party of rebels were in theneighbourhood; and 100 men of the naval brigade, commanded by CaptainPeel, with Lieutenant Hay, Mr Garvey, Lieutenant Stirling, RM, and MrBone, and 430 men of different regiments, under command of ColonelPowell, started in pursuit. "After marching about twenty-four miles, atthree p. M. They came in sight of the enemy, found entrenched in a strongposition behind some hillocks of sand; and, driving their skirmishersout of a field of corn, engaged and defeated them, capturing two gunsand an ammunition waggon. The whole force of the enemy exceeded 4000men, of whom about 2000 were Sepoys, who fought in uniform. The enemy'sartillery was well served, and did great execution. The gallant ColonelPowell, pressing on to the attack, had just secured two guns, when hefell dead with a bullet through his forehead. "

Captain Peel then took the command. It was not till half-past four thatthe enemy fired their last shot and retreated, leaving 300 killed behindthem, while the British loss was 95 killed and wounded. Of the navalbrigade, Lieutenant Hay, RN, was wounded in the hand, and LieutenantStirling, RM, severely in the leg. 

On the 12th of November, the naval brigade arrived before Lucknow. Onthe 14th, an attack was made on the city, when the Martiniere Collegeand another large building were captured. While the brigade's guns werein action, one of them exploding, killed Francis Cassidey, captain ofthe maintop and severely wounded several other men. 

Again, on the 16th, the naval brigade guns were engaged in the attack onSecundra Bagh, when Lieutenant Salmon, RN, was severely wounded, andMartin Abbot Daniel, midshipman, was killed by a round shot in the head. 

In writing to his father, Captain Peel says: "It was in front of theShah Najeef, and in command of an eight-inch howitzer, that your nobleson was killed. The enemy's fire was very heavy, and I had just askedyour son if his gun was ready; he replied, `All ready, sir'; when Isaid, `Fire the howitzer'; and he was answering, `Ay, ay, ' when a roundshot in less than a moment deprived him of life. We buried him where hefell, our chaplain reading the service; and, in laying him in hisresting-place, we felt, captain, officers, and men, that we had lost onethe best and noblest of the `Shannons. '"

Twelve or thirteen of the naval brigade were wounded on this occasion, and three or four were killed. On the following day, that masterlymovement took place by which the women and children, and sick andwounded, were safely brought out of Lucknow; and on the 24th, one ofEngland's noblest heroes--Sir Henry Havelock--died. 

On the 28th of November, the brigade marched on Cawnpore, when, meetingthe enemy, a party of thirty-six bluejackets, with two twenty-fourpounders, under Lieutenant Hay, with Mr Garvey, mate, and Mr H. A. Lascelles, did good service. Mr Lascelles, naval cadet, aide-de-campto Captain Peel, greatly distinguished himself, seizing a rifle from awounded man of the 88th, and charging with that regiment. About thistime the brigade was joined by Captain Oliver Jones, RN, on half-pay, asa volunteer, who did good service on various occasions. 

"Our army on the march is a sight affording much interest andamusement, --such a menagerie of men and beasts, footmen and cavalry, soldiers and sailors, camels and elephants, white men and black men, horses and oxen, marines and artillery, Sikhs and Highlanders. 

"When we leave the encampment, all is shrouded in darkness, and everyonenaturally feels a little grumpy; but when the first streaks of dawnappear, and we have been an hour on the road, the welcome note is heardin the distance of the bugles sounding the `halt. ' With great rapidityit passes from regiment to regiment, and dies away in the rear. Cavalrydismount, infantry pile arms in the middle of the road, and for a fewminutes the whole army disperses on each side of it. The favouriterefreshment of officers is bread, cold tongue, and `brandy pawnee, 'which find their way out of innocent-looking holsters. And now we takeoff overcoats and monkey-jackets, which were needed when we started inthe cold and damp night; the bluejackets fasten theirs over theirshoulders, and the officers strap theirs to their saddles. The briefhalt is too quickly at an end, and after a ten minutes' rest the advanceagain sounds down the line from bugler to bugler. All at once fall in, arms are unpiled, and, enlivened by our band, we again step out; nowfeet begin to ache, and boots to chafe; but the cheery music of thebands, bugles, or drums and fifes of the regiments marching next to us, generally the Rifles, infuses energy into the most footsore. We makethree halts in a march of thirteen or fourteen miles, of which the lastis the longest, to allow the quartermaster-general and his staff to rideon and mark out the camp. As the sun rises, the heat rapidly increases, and the camels and elephants are seen making short cuts across thefields, and keeping always clear of the road. When our bands have blownas much wind as they can spare into their instruments, our men strike upa song; and old windlass tunes, forecastle ditties, and many awell-known old ballad resound through the jungles and across the fertileplains of Bengal, and serve to animate our sailors and astonish thenatives. "

On the 2nd of January 1858, the naval brigade were engaged at the battleof Kallee-Nuddee. A party of seamen, under Lieutenant Vaughan, had beenrepairing the bridge across that river, when the Sepoys opened fire onhim from a small gun in the opposite village. He returned it, and, crossing the bridge with three guns, held in check a body of the enemy'scavalry visible beyond the village. Brigadier Greathed's division andother troops were engaged all the time. Lieutenant Vaughan now pointedand fired one of his guns at a small gun of the enemy, which wasconcealed behind the corner of a house. His first shot struck the roofof the house; his second struck the angle of the wall about half-waydown; and a third dismounted the gun, and destroyed the carriage. Captain Peel, who was standing by, said, "Thank you, Mr Vaughan;perhaps you will now be so good as to blow up the tumbril. " LieutenantVaughan fired a fourth shot, which passed near it, and a fifth, whichblew it up, and killed several of the enemy. "Thank you, " said CaptainPeel, in his blandest and most courteous tones; "I will now go andreport to Sir Colin. "

The village was stormed and the enemy driven out by the 53rd Regiment, when the cavalry pursued and cut up the rebels terribly, capturing alltheir guns. 

Soon after this, as Captain Peel and Captain Oliver Jones with three menof the 53rd were passing through the battery, five Sepoys jumped out ofa ditch, and attacked them frantically. All were killed, Captain Jonesshooting the last with his revolver, --one man of the 53rd, however, being dangerously wounded. 

Eighteen or twenty bluejackets were attached to each gun, and withdrag-ropes ran them about with the greatest rapidity. On the march theywere dragged by bullocks; but if a gun stuck, the animals were takenout, and the wheels and drag-ropes manned by bluejackets; and having anelephant to push behind with his forehead, they never failed toextricate a gun from the worst position. This was carrying out toperfection the principle of a "steady pull and pull together. "

On the 3rd of March the brigade were before Lucknow, and engaged in thetaking of the Dilkoosah, when two were mortally wounded. 

Captain Oliver Jones was at this time serving as a volunteer with HM53rd Regiment. He was the second to mount a breach at the capture ofone of the forts, when he received a wound on the knuckles, but cut downthe fellow who gave it him. 

The naval brigade guns were now posted to the right of the Dilkoosah, and near the river Goomtee. Mr Verney had a narrow escape. The enemybrought two guns down to the corner of the Martiniere, and opened onthem. A shot struck the ground close to where he was standing, and socompletely surrounded him with dust that his comrades supposed he hadbeen killed, and were surprised to see him standing in the same placewhen the dust cleared off. 

Lieutenant Vaughan was now made a commander, but resumed his formerduties. 

On the 9th of March, the brigade's six eight-inch guns and twotwenty-four pounders went down in front of the Dilkoosah, with fourrocket-hackeries, the whole under command of Captain Vaughan, accompanied by Lieutenants Young, Salmon, Wratislaw, Mr Daniel, andLords Walter Kerr and Arthur Clinton, midshipmen. Captain Peel was alsothere, with his two aides-de-camp, Watson and Lascelles. Unhappily, while looking out for a suitable spot in which to post some guns forbreaching the Martiniere, he was severely wounded in the thigh by amusket-ball. The brave captain was carried to the Dilkoosah, where thebullet was extracted by the surgeon of the 93rd Highlanders. Thebrigade's guns were most actively engaged in battering the Begum'spalace; and it was here, on the 12th, that Mr Garvey, mate, as he wasriding fast on in front of a row of cohorns to deliver a message, andnot perceiving that the quick-matches were alight, was struck dead byone of the shells. He was the second officer of the brigade killed, anda most promising young man. 

All the guns of the brigade were on that memorable day very hotlyengaged. Several had been posted behind some earthworks thrown up bythe enemy. As the men could not see over the bank to point their guns, Captain Oliver Jones placed himself at the top, and, though thusbecoming a clear mark for the enemy, with the greatest coolness directedtheir fire. 

On the 13th the naval guns were placed in a more advanced battery. While warmly engaged with the enemy, some sand-bags forming the front ofthe battery caught fire. A coloured man of the name of Hall, aCanadian, under a heavy fire of bullets from loopholes not forty yardsdistant, gallantly jumped out and extinguished some, and threw awayothers that were burning. In the performance of this service he wasseverely wounded. He was a man of athletic frame, and always remarkablefor his steady good conduct. He afterwards received the Victoria Cross. 

The next day, after Sir James Outram had, by his admirable manoeuvre, driven the rebels from their lines, Captain Vaughan being in front, SirColin Campbell met him, and desired him to bring up a gun's crew ofbluejackets to man an abandoned gun, which was to be turned against theretreating enemy. Lord Walter Kerr was sent back for the gun's crew, and Captain Vaughan and Mr Verney proceeded to the gun itself, whichwas at the gate of an outer court of the Kaiser Bagh. They found that abody of Sepoys were defending themselves in an adjoining court, and thatit was necessary to blow away the gate of it, that the troops mightstorm. It was for this object that Sir Colin ordered the guns to beturned against them. In the meanwhile, however, they kept a continualfire on the little band of British, from the walls and over and roundthe gate, whenever they approached the gun. Captain Vaughan then fireda few rounds at the gate, Mr Verney loading and sponging, three of the_Shannon's_ bandsmen bringing up the powder and shot, and some of themen of the 38th, under command of Lieutenant Elles, running the gun upafter every round. Near them, all the time, was a house full of loosegunpowder, while close to it was another in flames. A sentry, however, was posted to give warning in time, should the flames approach the loosepowder. Captain Vaughan now went back to meet the gun's crew that hadbeen sent for, and to show them the way, leaving orders with Mr Verneyto keep up the fire. He discovered that the Sepoy charges were so heavythat the shot went clean through the solid gate every time he fired. Byreducing the charges, the firing at last began to tell; and when thebluejackets came up, under command of Lieutenant Hay, the gate was blownopen, and the court captured by the company of the 38th. 

On the 16th of March, the guns of the naval brigade were advanced to theResidency, whence they occasionally fired a shot over the town. On the22nd, the last of the rebels evacuated Lucknow; and, on the 29th, thebrigade handed over to the artillery, to go into park in the smallImaumbarah, the six eight-inch guns which they had brought from the_Shannon_. The word "Shannon" was deeply cut into each carriage, andmust last as long as the wood exists. There they will remain, amemorial of what sailors can do on land. Here the active services ofthe gallant naval brigade ceased. Mr Verney had been sent to theKaiser Bagh to bring out one of the King of Oude's carriages for theconveyance of Captain Peel to Cawnpore. He selected the best he couldfind, and the ship's carpenter padded it and lined it with blue cotton, and made a rest for his feet, and painted "HMS Shannon" over the royalarms of Lucknow. When, however, he saw it, he declined making use ofit, saying that he would prefer travelling in a doolie, like one of hisbluejackets. Alas! the doolie chosen for him had in all probabilitycarried a smallpox patient, for he was shortly afterwards seized withthat dire disease, under which, already weakened by his severe wound, hesuccumbed, and the country lost one of the most gallant captains in thenaval service. 

The brigade now once more turned their faces towards Calcutta, and onthe 12th and following days of August rejoined their ship. On the 15thof September, the _Shannon_ sailed for England. 

The officers received their promotion as follows:--Commander Vaughanreceived the Order of C. B. , an honour never before accorded to anyofficer of that rank, and after serving a year he was posted. Lieutenants Young, Wilson, Hay, Salmon, and Wratislaw were promoted tothe rank of commanders; Dr Flanagan, assistant surgeon, was promoted tothe rank of surgeon; Mr Verney, mate, was promoted to the rank oflieutenant; Mr Comerford, assistant paymaster, was promoted to the rankof paymaster; and each of the engineers and warrant-officers received astep. On passing their examination, all the midshipmen and naval cadetshave been promoted. 

The Victoria Cross was presented to Lieutenants Young and Salmon, and tothree bluejackets, "for valour" at the relief of Lucknow. The Indianmedal with the Lucknow clasp was presented to each officer and man whoformed part of the naval brigade. The following officers, who werepresent at the relief of Lucknow on the 19th of November, received alsothe "Relief of Lucknow" clasp:--Lieutenants Vaughan, Young, Salmon;Captain Grey, RN; Reverend EL Bowman, Dr Flanagan, Mr Comerford;Messrs. MA Daniel, REJ Daniel, Lord Walter Kerr, Lord Arthur Clinton, and Mr Church, midshipmen; Messrs. Bone and Henri, engineers; and MrBrice, carpenter. 

Never was medal more highly prized or clasp more nobly won. 

The following letter from Sir Edward Lugard to Captain Vaughan shows thehigh estimation in which the _Shannon's_ naval brigade was held by themilitary officers high in command:--

"The _Shannon's_ Brigade advanced upon Lucknow with my division, andacted with it during the entire operations, as you well know. The menwere daily--I may say hourly--under my sight, and I considered theirconduct in every particular an example to the troops. During the wholeperiod I was associated with the _Shannon's_ Brigade, I never once sawan irregularity among the men. They were sober, quiet, and respectful;and often I remarked to my staff the high state of discipline Sir W. Peel had got them into. From the cessation of active operations until Iwas detached to Azimghur, I commanded all the troops in the city; andall measures for the repression of plundering were carried out throughme, and, of course, every irregularity committed was reported to me. During that period, not one irregularity was reported to me. Indeed, inthe whole course of my life, I never saw so well-conducted a body ofmen. .. All I have written about the good conduct and discipline of the_Shannon's_ men would, I am convinced, be confirmed by the unanimousopinion of the army at Lucknow. Poor Adrian Hope and I often talkedtogether on the subject; and many a time I expressed to Peel the highopinion I had of his men, and my admiration of their cheerfulness, andhappy, contented looks, under all circumstances of fatigue anddifficulty. 

"Believe me, my dear Vaughan, sincerely yours--

"Edward Lugard. 

"Captain Vaughan, C. B. "

Another naval brigade was formed from the officers and ship's company ofHMS _Pearl_, which did good service, and won the respect of allassociated with it. 

CHAPTER TWELVE. 

THE SECOND CHINESE WAR--1856-1860. 

The Chinese Government, forgetting the lesson they had received in theformer war with Great Britain, or believing that they could follow thebent of their inclinations with impunity, committed a series ofaggressions on British subjects, which demanded our immediateinterference. Sir Michael Seymour, the admiral on the station, commenced vigorous measures, without loss of time, to recall them totheir senses, with the squadron and marines under his command. He beganby opening fire on Canton in October. On the 5th of November hedestroyed several Chinese war-junks; and on the 12th and 13th of thatmonth, the Bogue Forts, mounting 400 guns, were captured. On the 12thof January 1857, the marines, with a detachment of the 59th Regiment, attacked the suburbs of the city of Canton, when a few casualtiesoccurred both among the seamen and troops. 

We now come to the month of May, when more active operations werecommenced. Near Canton several creeks run into the Canton river, withwhich the English were but slightly acquainted; up these the war-junkshad to take refuge whenever the British ships approached. CommodoreElliot heard that a large number of war-junks were collected some fivemiles up one of them, called Escape Creek, and accordingly, early on the25th of May, he went on board the _Hong-Kong_ gunboat, and got underweigh, followed by _Bustard, Staunch, Starling_, and _Forbes_, towingthe boats manned from the _Inflexible, Hornet_, and _Tribune_. Steaminginto the creek, they before long came upon forty-one Mandarin junks, moored across the stream. Each junk had a long twenty-four orthirty-two pounder gun forward, and carried also four or sixnine-pounders. The _Hong-Kong_ gallantly led. No sooner had she gotwithin range, than the Chinese, with much spirit, opened fire, the firstshot striking her, and others following rattling thick and fast onboard. The other gunboats coming up, formed in as wide order aspossible, and opened fire. It was wonderful, considering the exposedposition of the Chinese guns, that the crews so long stood the returnshower of shot sent at them by the gunboats. In time, however, theybegan to show signs of not liking the treatment they were receiving. First one was seen to cut her cable, get out her oars, or hoist hersails, and, falling out of the line, turn her stern for flight up thecreek. 

The example set by one was quickly followed by others. The wholeMandarin fleet was soon in full flight, firing away, however, with theirstern-chasers; but they were guns of light calibre, and were not wellserved, thus doing little damage. The junks were fast craft, and thecrews pulled for their lives, to aid the sails, so that the steamers hadto put on all speed to come up with them. They had not got far beforethe water shoaled. The gunboats drew upwards of seven feet, the junksless than three. One after the other the gunboats grounded. "On, lads, on!" cried the commodore, leaping into one of the boats towing astern;"never mind the vessels. " Imitating his example, officers and menjumped into the boats, each boat having a gun in her bows; and after thejunks they pulled with might and main. Away went the junks up thecreek, the boats hotly pursuing them. The guns in the bows of thelatter kept up a hot fire on the enemy, and told with great effect. Thespeed of several lessened, and, one after the other, numbers wereovertaken. Though all hope of escape was gone, when a boat gotalongside, the Chinese fired a broadside of grape into her, and then, leaping overboard on the opposite side, swam towards the shore, and weresoon beyond pursuit among the rice-fields which bordered the banks ofthe stream. In this way sixteen junks were captured in succession, anddestroyed in the principal channel. Ten more took refuge in a channelto the left, but a division of the boats was sent after them. Nosooner, however, did the English appear, than the crews, setting fire totheir vessels, abandoned them, and swam to shore. They burned liketouch-paper, and were quickly destroyed. Another turned into an inleton the right, but some boats were quickly after her; and so frightenedwere the crew, that they forgot to set her on fire, and she was thustowed out in triumph. 

The heat of the sun was terrific, many men suffered from sunstroke, andthe casualties from the shot of the enemy were considerable. Thirteenjunks escaped by dint of hard pulling, and the commodore determined tohave these as well as many more which he suspected were concealed in thevarious creeks. 

Next day he accordingly blockaded the mouths of all the creeks. CaptainForsyth, in the _Hornet_, was stationed at the mouth to prevent escape, the _Inflexible_ at that of Second Bar Creek, and the _Tribune_ at theSawshee channel entrance. This done, the commodore, with the gunboatsand a large flotilla of the boats of the squadron in tow, proceeded upthe Sawshee channel. For twelve miles no enemy was seen. At length, leaving the steamers, he pulled up another twelve miles, when suddenlyhe found himself in the midst of a large city, with a fleet of war-junksbefore him, one of large size and richly adorned, while a batteryfrowned down on the invaders. It was not a moment for hesitation. Every gun and musket was discharged at the enemy ahead, and then, with acheer, the British seamen dashed alongside the big junk. As theyclimbed up the side the Chinese sprang on shore, and immediately a hotfire from jingalls was opened on the boarders. The marines at the sametime were landed from the other boats, and, forming, prepared to chargethe enemy. As they were about to do so, flames burst out from thehouses near the big junk. "To the boats! to the boats!" was the cry ofthe officers on board her. It was discovered that a quantity of powderhad been left in her, and that a train was laid from her to the shore. Not a moment was to be lost. Her captors sprang into their boats; thecrew of the last, a pinnace, were leaping from her sides, when up shewent, with a loud explosion. Several of the seamen were singed, if notmore seriously hurt. The other twelve junks were immediately set onfire, while the gallant marines charged down the street, and put all thejingall firers to flight. No work could have been accomplished moreeffectually, though at severe loss, for one man in ten at least had beenhit. The surgeons having attended to the hurts of the men, the boats'heads were once more turned down the creek. The crews had fitted them, from the captured junks, with an extraordinary variety of sails, --someof matting, others of coloured cloths, or any material which could bestretched on spars to hold wind. In this guise they returned to thesteamers. The town thus unexpectedly entered was found to be Tunkoon. 

BATTLE OF FATSHAN. 

To the south of Canton, one of the numerous creeks of that river runs upto the city of Fatshan. Some considerable distance up this creek, andnearly south of Canton, is the long, low island called Hyacinth Island, making the channels very narrow. On the south shore of the creek is ahigh hill. On the summit of this hill the Chinese had formed a strongfort of nineteen guns. A six-gun battery was erected opposite it, andseventy junks were moored so as to command the passage. The Chinesefully believed that this position was impregnable. The British squadronhad rendezvoused a short distance below this formidable obstruction ofthe navigation. The admiral was on board the little _Coromandel_steamer, and before dawn on the 1st of June he led the way up thechannel, towing a whole flotilla of boats, with 300 soldiers on boardthem. The other steamers followed, all towing boats with red- andbluejackets on board. The _Coromandel_ was steaming up the left-handchannel, when she ran on to a line of junks which had been sunk acrossthe passage. The admiral had wisely chosen the time of dead low waterto commence the ascent. Lieutenant Douglas leaped into a dinghy, andsounded on all sides. A passage was found close in shore; but thelittle steamer could not get off, and a heavy fire was opened on herfrom the nineteen-gun battery. In vain her crew ran from side to sideto start her. Several were struck. The boats had been cast off, andlanded the troops. Now Commodore Keppel came up in the _Hong-Kong_, andobtained leave to proceed through the channel Mr Douglas haddiscovered. The _Haughty_, with boats in tow, _Bustard_ and _Forester_, followed. _Plover_ stuck on the barrier; but _Opossum_, casting off herboats, dashed up the right-hand channel. Now boats of all descriptionsraced up, each eager to be first, many a brave fellow being picked offas they passed through the showers of shot hurled on them from theChinese batteries. The Chinese were showing themselves to be of sternerstuff than many had supposed. The garrison of the hill battery foughtbravely. 

Meantime the troops were climbing the heights, the admiral had landed, and so had Commodore Elliot and many other naval officers, leading theirbluejackets. As the stormers got within fifty yards of the summit, thegarrison fired a volley, and then retreated down the hill; nor could thefire of the marines, who had gained the fort, make them run. The fortgained, the naval officers hurried down to their boats and pulled uptowards the junks, which, as the flotilla advanced, opened a heavy fire. As the boats dashed alongside, the Chinamen invariably discharged around of grape, but generally too high to do damage; and the seamenboarding under it, they leaped overboard and swam on shore. Then junkafter junk was set on fire and blown up. It being low tide, they werenearly all on shore, and could not escape. The _Haughty_ ran stem oninto one, and crumpled her up as if she had been paper. Thusseventy-two were either burnt or captured. Heavy firing was heard inthe distance. Commodore Keppel had meantime gone up through theright-hand channel. His own steamer grounded, and so did the _Plover_;and he, therefore, with seven boats of the _Calcutta, Bittern_, and_Niger_, pulled on under the fire of the six-gun battery, and boarded abig junk, which, when the boats were scarcely free of her, blew up. Onhe went, right through the junks, till he came to an island causing twonarrow channels. One was thickly staked. Across the other were mooredtwenty large junks, their guns so placed that they could sweep bothchannels. In vain the commodore attempted to dash through with hisgalley. Three boom-boats following took the ground. Grape, canisters, and round shot came tearing among them. Numbers were struck. MajorKearney, a volunteer, was torn to pieces; Barker, a midshipman of the_Tribune_, was mortally wounded; the commodore's coxswain was killed, and every man of his crew was struck. A shot came in right amidships, cut one man in two, and took off the hand of another. Lieutenant PrinceVictor of Hohenlohe was leaning forward to bind up with his neckcloththe arm of the seaman whose hand had been taken off, when a round shotpassed between his head and that of the commodore, wounding two more ofthe crew. Had he been sitting in his place, it would have taken off hishead. The boat, almost knocked to pieces, was filling with water. Thecommodore jumped on one of the seats, to keep his legs out of the water, when a third round shot went through both sides of the boat, not morethan an inch below the seat on which he was standing. Many of the boatshad now got huddled together, the oars of most being shot away. A boatof the _Calcutta_ being nearest, Commodore Keppel and his officers gotin, hauling all the wounded men after them. The commodore had a dogwith him, "Mike" by name, and the animal having been a favourite of thecoxswain, Tolhurst, and always fed by him, refused to leave his deadbody, and remained in the wreck of the boat drifting up towards thejunks. It became absolutely necessary to retire for reinforcements. Asthe boats began to pull down the stream towards the _Hong-Kong_, theChinese in triumph redoubled their fire, setting up loud shouts andstrange cries, and beating their gongs with increased vigour. One shotknocked away all the oars on one side of the _Calcutta's_ boat. Thecommodore had just directed Lieutenant Graham to get his boat, thepinnace, ready for his pennant, as he would lead the next attack in her, when a shot wounded Mr Graham, killing and wounding four others anddisabling the boat. Mr Graham appeared to be a mass of blood, but itwas that of a marine who stood next to him, and part of whose skull wasforced three inches into another man's shoulder. The _Hong-Kong_, supported by the _Starling_, was meantime throwing shot and shell amongthe Chinamen, to which they responded with considerable vigour. 

At length the deck of the _Hong-Kong_ was reached. Her deck was coveredwith the wounded who had been brought on board; but the whole fire ofthe Chinese was now concentrated on her, and she was hulled twelve timesin a few minutes. One shot struck a marine standing near the wounded, and he fell dead among them. The sound of the firing had, however, brought up numerous others boats. The commodore had got a piece of bluebunting ready to represent his broad pennant. "Let us try the row-boatsonce more, boys, " he shouted, as he jumped into the _Raleigh's_ cutter. A true British seaman's shout was the answer to the proposal, and a signthat it was all up with John Chinaman. He might sink twenty boats, butthirty others would be ready to follow. On dashed the British boats. The Chinese did not wait their coming, but, cutting their cables, withoars and sails attempted to escape; still, however, keeping up a hotfire, and retiring in good order. Again three cheers rose from theBritish boats, and the chase commenced, not to end for seven miles. Asthe shot and shells from the English guns began to play on the junks, they ran on shore, the terrified crews leaping out and escaping. Junkafter junk was captured, but some eight remained. Suddenly entering afresh reach, the pursuers close astern of the pursued, the British foundthemselves almost in the middle of a large city, Fatshan itself, withshops and other houses lining the quays, and trading-junks along thebanks. Five of the junks were headed, abandoned, and captured; threeescaped, and they would have been farther pursued, had not a large bodyof troops--militia probably--turned out to repel the invaders. Thecommodore instantly landed his marines, who, firing a volley, made readyto charge. The Chinese braves, not liking their aspect, went about, andmarched double-quick time into the town, where they could not be seen. Commodore Keppel proposed landing and fortifying himself in the city, and demanding a ransom; but a message from the admiral recalled him, andhe had to give up his daring scheme. Most unwillingly he obeyed themandate; and, having secured five junks, he towed them out astern of hisflotilla, promising the Chinese that he would pay them another visitbefore long. As he went down the river, a dog was seen on the shore, and, plunging into the stream, the animal swam off to his boat. It washis faithful "Mike, " who had escaped the shower of shot and shell andthe hungry Chinese, and now recognised the boat of his master. 

Of the fleet of war-junks captured, only five were saved fromdestruction; and for some time during the night they were burning away, sending their shot right and left, and occasionally one of them wouldexplode. The British lost, in killed and wounded in these twoengagements, no less than eighty-four men, and found to their cost thatthe Chinese were no contemptible opponents. 

CAPTURE OF CANTON--29TH DECEMBER. 

Although the capture of Canton may be looked upon as a military exploit, the bluejackets took so large a share in it that it must not be passedover. 

The British had now been joined by a considerable French force; and theunited squadron having proceeded up the river, the troops prepared toland at Kupar Creek, on the north shore, just to the east of Napier'sIsland, on the 28th of December. The _Actaeon, Phlegethon_, and asquadron of English gunboats, followed by the French fleet, had in themeantime gone on, and anchored directly facing the city, opposing a lineof forts along the banks of the river. 

A naval brigade was formed under the command of Commodore Elliot, consisting of 1501 men, formed in three divisions, --the first underCaptain Stuart, second under Captain Key, and third under Captain Sir R. McClure, who landed with the troops. At a signal given, the steamersand gunboats opened fire on the devoted city, and immediately thelanding commenced. The fleet gave ample occupation to the Chinese, anddrew off their attention from the operations of the troops. These nowlanded, and, while the fleet continued their slow and steadybombardment, marched to the capture of Lin's Fort, a powerful battery ona hill to the east of the town. The British naval brigade entered avillage to the right, and from thence clambered up the height to stormthe fort; but, as they rushed in, the Chinese rushed out and down thehill, while the bluejackets in hot haste made chase after them, led byCaptains McClure and Osborne. On they went, rifle, cutlass, and bayonetpitted against jingalls and rockets. Meantime Lin's Fort blew up. While reconnoitring the walls to discover a suitable spot for placingthe ladders, the much-esteemed and excellent Captain Bate, RN, was shotdead. Early on the morning of the 29th the signal for the assault wasgiven. The English and French troops rushed on most gallantly to theattack. Of the bluejackets, Commander Fellowes was the first on thewalls, from which, after a stout resistance, the Chinese were driveninto the town, which, after a week, was occupied by the Allies. 

The fleet, with the army on board, now proceeded to Tientsin, preparatory to an attack on Pekin. The naval officers obtained deservedcredit for the admirable way in which so large a fleet of eighty shipsor more, including men-of-war and transports, was navigated, and for theperfect order and regularity with which the army was landed. An accountof the operations against Pekin, which were of a military character, will be found in _Our Soldiers_, page 198. 

CHAPTER THIRTEEN. 

THE SLAVE TRADE. 

Ever since the settlement of Europeans on the continent of America andthe West Indian Islands, a trade in slaves had existed to a very greatextent. The slaves were taken from among the many tribes in theinterior of Africa in large numbers, and transported across theAtlantic. 

The evils of such an inhuman custom were manifold, and were a very darkstain on civilisation. In course of time the conscience of England wasawakened to the evil, and the nation decided to take some stern steps toput a stop to this trade in human beings, both in the interests ofhumanity and justice, and for the sake of Africa. 

On 25th March 1807 the Royal assent was given to a Bill for the totalabolition of the British slave trade on and after 1st January 1808. Atfirst only a penalty of money was exacted from those who were convictedof slave-dealing. This, of course, was soon found to be without mucheffect, and in consequence, in 1811, slave-dealing was made punishableby transportation for fourteen years. Even this was found to be veryinadequate. The slave-dealer knew that the risks of his being caught athis illicit trade were very small, and as the profits were very great hewas quite willing to run that risk. Slave-dealing still continued withrenewed zeal, and, if possible, greater cruelty than before. 

In 1824, therefore, the offence was declared to be piracy, andpunishable with death. In 1837, however, the punishment inflicted onBritish subjects for trading in slaves was changed to transportation forlife. 

A squadron of small vessels supposed to be suited for the purpose wasforthwith equipped and sent to the African coast, to capture slaverswherever they could be found north of the equator, either embarkingtheir cargoes or prepared to receive them, or with full ships, andwhether up rivers, on the coast, or out at sea. 

These expeditions were full of excitement for the bluejackets, andcountless were the chases after slavers by the ships of the squadrons. The danger was great in many cases. The slave-dealers were of thelowest grade of humanity, and cruel to the last degree. The barbaritywith which they tore away the poor blacks from their native country, andthe cruelty with which they treated them on board, is indescribable. 

The slaves were treated worse than animals, and many died during thevoyage, but that mattered little to the slave-dealer, who had paidnothing for them, and who could find plenty more where they came from. Often the slave-dealers had on board, or rather in the hold of the ship, something like 900 slaves. When the decks were battened down duringstorms the tortures they endured were frightful. Often when the hatcheswere opened after a hurricane more than one-third of the slaves werefound to be dead from suffocation or want of food, and often, soonerthan have the trouble of hauling up the dead bodies, the hatches werebattened down again and the poor slaves left in their misery till theend of the voyage, when perhaps another third were found to have died. 

It was to prevent atrocities such as these that our sailors were calledupon to perform such gallant deeds on the African Coast, and theirgallantry and powers of endurance were never displayed to better purposethan during the chases and captures of slavers. Accounts of some ofthem are given, to show the sort of work our officers and men are calledupon to perform to keep down this horrible evil. 

CAPTURE OF BRAZILIAN SLAVER "FIRME" BY THE BOATS OF HMS "DOLPHIN"--1840. 

At daylight on the 30th May 1840, the _Dolphin_ being under easy sailoff Whydah, a brigantine was observed on the lee-bow. All sail wasimmediately made in chase; but as the stranger increased her distance, the cutter, a twenty-foot boat, with nine men, including the officer, and the gig with six, were despatched at half-past six o'clock, undercommand of Mr Murray and Mr Rees, to endeavour to come up with anddetain the chase before the setting in of the sea-breeze. Both boatsbeing soddened from constant blockading pulled heavily, and the crewshad been employed during a squally, rainy morning in trimming and makingsail; but after a harassing pull of two hours and a half under a hotsun, they came up with the chase, the gig being rather ahead. Thebrigantine bore down upon her, opening a sharp and continued fire ofmusketry, which was returned, when both boats, after steadily reloadingunder her fire, cheered and boarded on each quarter. The sweeps of thebrigantine were rigged out, which prevented their boarding by thechains, thereby rendering it difficult for more than one or two to getup the side at a time. 

Mr Murray was the first on board; and though knocked back into the boatwith the butt-end of a musket, which broke his collar-bone, heimmediately clambered up the side again, in which act his left hand wasnearly severed at the wrist with the blow of a cutlass. Another cut wasmade at his head, which he parried, cutting the man down. The bowman ofthe gig was shot through the heart while laying his oar in, and thebowman of the cutter in getting up the side. After a resistance oftwenty minutes, the vessel was captured, most of the crew running below, firing their muskets as they retreated. 

Mr Rees had previously proved himself a most zealous and activeofficer, particularly in the destruction of the slave factories atCorisco, by the boats of the _Wolverine_, Captain Tucker. 

VOYAGE OF A PRIZE FROM ACCRA TO SIERRA LEONE. 

FROM 12TH AUGUST 1840 TO 5TH JANUARY 1841. 

The _Dores_, a schooner of about sixty feet in length and fifteen inbreadth, had been taken at Quettah in June, and sent in charge of the_Dolphin's_ gunner to Sierra Leone. Six weeks afterwards she was foundabout twenty miles below Accra, having performed scarcely thirty milesof her passage, and lost almost all her prize-crew, including thegunner, from fever. Mr Murray, who had but just recovered from woundsreceived in the action with the _Firme_, was then put in command of her, with a crew of two men, two boys, and a prisoner boy, the only one whohad survived the fever. 

His orders were to proceed to Sierra Leone; and the indomitableperseverance with which he adhered to them, through formidable dangersand difficulties, together with his care for the men under his commandduring a voyage of 146 days, are well worthy of being recorded. 

The only cabin which was at all habitable was eight feet in length, fivein height at the centre, and three at the sides, the breadth decreasingfrom eleven to two and a half. It was entirely destitute of furniture, swarming with vermin, and, before the end of the voyage, the fumes ofthe rotting tobacco, with which the vessel was laden, clinging to thebeams, formed a coat nearly an inch in thickness. This, with an awningof monkey skins, manufactured by themselves, was the only refuge for theyoung officer and his men. The fourth night of the voyage was usheredin by the most fearful squalls, which gradually freshened till about twoin the morning, when a tremendous storm came on, and obliged them tobear up under bare poles; the seas washing over the little vessel, andthe wind blowing in the most terrific manner until about seven, when itmoderated and fell calm. The schooner was then observed to float muchdeeper than before, and on sounding, nearly three feet of water werefound in the hold. The pump was immediately set to work, but it hadhardly fetched when it broke and became useless. This was repaired byabout sunset, and in two hours afterwards the vessel was cleared. 

They then made sail and tacked, steering for Sierra Leone, till, on themorning of the 14th of September, they sighted land just below the riverSestos. Finding that they had but three days' provisions left, thecommander determined to make them last six, and stood on, in the hope ofweathering Cape Palmas. This was baffled by a tide that set down alongshore; but, on the 20th of September, they anchored off Cape CoastCastle. They had no provisions remaining, but the governor suppliedthem with sufficient for forty days; and, having refitted the schooner, they put to sea again on a close, sultry morning, which was succeeded bya violent gale, lasting three days. 

About two o'clock one afternoon, a rakish-looking brigantine wasperceived standing towards the _Dores_; and judging her to be a slaver, the young officer called his crew together, and having loaded themuskets and got the cutlasses ready, they silently awaited her comingup, determined to defend themselves. To their great joy, when she gotwithin two miles and a half of them, a strong breeze sprang up, whichplaced the schooner dead to windward, and in the morning the brigantinewas out of sight. Their sails were now so worn that they were obligedto lower them, and drift about for a whole day to repair them. Havingneither chronometer nor sextant, and only a quadrant of antique date, often ten and even twenty miles out of adjustment, the position of thevessel could only be guessed. The men behaved admirably during thisweary time, employing themselves in cleaning their arms, fishing, ormending their clothes. The rain generally fell in torrents till the 4thOctober, when the day closed in with appearances threatening heavyweather. All preparations were made for the coming gale; the sails werelowered down with the exception of the fore-staysail, and everythinglashed and secured. The fore-staysail was kept up in order to put theschooner dead before the wind. 

At about five in the evening it became a dead calm, the atmosphereclose, and all around dark. After about half an hour, a sound likeheavy thunder was heard in the distance, and through the gloom a bank offoam was seen hastening towards the schooner; in a few minutes thestaysail was stowed, and the wind caught her, gradually freshening untilit burst upon her in all its fury; the rolling sea broke in upon her, and completely filled her upper deck; but the side bulwarks were open, and the sea found vent. Having battened his crew down below, Mr Murraylashed himself to the deck, and steered the vessel through the storm, which continued with heavy thunder and torrents of rain till about twoin the morning, when, completely exhausted, he fell asleep, and wasaroused by the crew (who, having knocked once or twice without reply, believed him to have been washed overboard) hammering at the skylight toget out. This gale so strained the schooner that the water gained twofeet a day, and, to add to their disasters, one of the crew was ill fora fortnight. 

From the 10th of October till the 4th of November, when land was againdiscovered, the _Dores_ continued her course for Sierra Leone, experiencing the whole weight of the rainy season. It now becameevident that she could not stem the current, for in the course of manydays she had not made more than four or five miles. Mr Murray thendetermined to try again to reach Cape Palmas, by standing along theland; and thus nearly incurred a new danger from the natives, whoassembled on the beach, armed with pikes and clubs, and as night drew onprepared to attack the schooner should she run on shore. Happily aslight breeze sprang up, which gave her steerage way, and enabled her todraw off the land. No resource remained but to shape her course againfor Cape Coast Castle, to obtain provisions, their stock beingexhausted. The governor made every effort to prevail on Mr Murray torelinquish the undertaking, which now appeared so hopeless, but he wasresolute in staying by the charge entrusted to him; and, calling his mentogether, he gave them the choice of going on shore to await a passagedown to the _Dolphin_. With one consent they replied that they wouldnever leave him; holding to the old feeling of a true seaman, never toleave his officer at a time of difficulty till death parts them. Theirprovisioning was just completed when a fatal accident diminished thenumber of the crew. They had been bathing after their day's work, andone of them, a black, was still in the water, when he was seized by ashark, and so fearfully injured that he died before he could be got onboard. The weary voyage recommenced, and, as before, their chiefdiversion was fishing. The sharks, skipjacks, dolphins, and bonetaswhich were caught were counted by hundreds, for they literally sailedthrough a sea of fish. Two parrots had been added to their crew, andwere a great amusement, becoming so tame that they would obey theirmaster's call, and follow him afterwards through the streets like a dog. 

The 9th of December was marked by a serious disaster. Seeing a hugeshark alongside, they had fastened a boneta as a bait to a piece ofsmall line, and made a running bowline in the end of a peak-halliardwith the fish towing a little ahead of it; the shark immediately saw itand swam after it; they were already on the bowline to run him up theside with his head a little out of water; gliding silently along, nottwo feet from them, he came up to the bowline, which was held wide open, while the bait was quietly hauled ahead until he was far enough throughit; then, giving a sudden jerk on it, they closed it just behind the twoside-fins and tried to catch a turn with the rope; but, quick aslightning, the shark gave a terrific plunge and tore it through theirhands, when Mr Murray unfortunately got in the middle of the coil, andas the men had all let go, it had got a half-hitch round his leg, and inan instant he was drawn up and over the gunwale. Catching at thepeak-halliards, which were belayed close to him, he held on with hisonly sound hand as he was flying overboard, the men also seizing him bythe arm. Before he could be extricated, the limb was severely injuredand torn. The only remedy which could be applied was bathing it in oil. 

In the meantime the _Dores_ progressed, though very slowly; she hadbecome much more leaky, the cargo was completely rotten, and the stenchdrove them all on deck; nor could they heave a particle of it overboard, for then the vessel would have capsized, as she had no ballast in. Thesails were perfectly rotten--so bad that the vessel was often a wholeday without a stitch of canvas set when the wind fell light, that theymight be repaired with monkey skins, of which there was a good stock onboard. 

The fourth month closed, and the schooner had not yet performed a voyageof ten days, from seven to fifteen miles a day being the progress latelymade; but now the current seemed to favour her, for a change of fortymiles a day was observed in the latitude, and the hearts of officer andmen grew lighter, notwithstanding their miserable plight, always wet tothe skin, and unable to change their clothes for days together. Twoterrific storms were still to be encountered; and, at the commencementof the second, Mr Murray sent the men below, and remained alone on thedeck, which he never expected to leave alive. The heat of each flash oflightning was felt as if from a fire; the rain falling in torrents, leaked in every direction through the deck, and the schooner was fastfilling with water. At length the rain ceased, and the lightning becamefainter, when they made sail again, pumped out, and proceeded till theyhad made sufficient northing for Sierra Leone. They then bore up east, and, on the 31st December, the colour of the water showed that they werenearing the land. On this day they kept their Christmas, and many werethe hearty toasts they drank to those at home. It was not till the 6thJanuary, 146 days from the commencement of their voyage, that theyanchored off Sierra Leone, where it was fully believed that they werelost. Here Mr Murray found his promotion awaiting him for the captureof the _Firme_, and was at once invalided home. 

CAPTURE OF AN ARMED SLAVER BY A FOUR-OARED GIG--1844. 

On the 13th of August 1844, Mr John Francis Tottenham, mate of HMS_Hyacinth_, Commander Scott, performed a gallant and dashing exploit, which obtained for him his promotion to the rank of lieutenant, and thetestimony of his commander to the coolness, decision, and gallantrydisplayed by him on the occasion. When off Fish Bay, on the West Coastof Africa, Mr Tottenham was sent in a four-oared gig, with one sparehand, to communicate with the Portuguese governor. The weather becamethick, and he missed his port; but knowing that the _Hyacinth_ wasworking along the coast, he anchored for the night, and pulled to thesouthward. On the morning of the 13th he discovered a brig at anchorwithout colours, and saw her slip and make sail, on which he gave chase. Being to windward, and the breeze light, he was enabled to approach herweather-beam, and fire a musket ahead, to induce her to heave to andshow her colours. This and a second were disregarded; but a port wasopened and a gun run out and brought to bear on the boat, which causedthe officer to pull into her wake, when part of the crew of the brigcommenced firing musketry, while the others got the gun on the poop, andpointed it at the boat. 

Mr Tottenham now commenced firing as fast as the spare hand could loadfor him, being just able to keep way with the brig. 

Four of the men on board the brig having been hit, her crew left thegun, and after firing muskets for twenty minutes, finding that they wereunable to weather the land or tack without being boarded by the boat, they ran the brig on shore. Here her crew, to the number of eighteen, including three wounded men, abandoned her, leaving another mortallywounded on board. 

In the course of the afternoon the brig was perceived from the mast-headof the _Hyacinth_, which stood in and anchored, and hove her off; whenshe proved to be of 200 tons, fully equipped for conveying about 1000slaves, with two guns of four pounds calibre loaded, a barrel of powder, and a quantity of langridge-shot, a number of muskets, swords, andbayonets on the deck. Almost every bullet expended in the gig wastraced to the gun-carriage, or its immediate vicinity on the poop. 

A PINNACE ATTACKS A SLAVER--1845. 

On the 12th of January 1845, Lieutenant Lodwick, first lieutenant of HMsteamer _Growler_, Captain Buckle, who had been away for some timecruising in the pinnace on the look-out for slavers, fell in with afelucca, which, on seeing the pinnace, hove to. The lieutenantnaturally expected that she would make no resistance, as she might havegot away if she had chosen. When the pinnace, however, was withinthirty yards of the felucca, a whole range of muskets was observedpointed over her bulwark. After this, Lieutenant Lodwick cheered hismen on to get up to her before she discharged this fearful battery; butno sooner was the cheer uttered than the felucca opened on the boat. This was a staggerer for the British boat; but fortunately the slaver'screw fired too high (the felucca had now filled, and was going just asfast as the boat could pull). Lieutenant Lodwick--the rim of whose hatwas shot through--at once returned the first volley with a round shotand 180 balls in a bag. A second volley from the felucca told with farmore disastrous effect; two men were shot dead, and Lieutenant Lodwickand two men severely wounded--the lieutenant having been struck on theleft knee and thigh. This left the pinnace with so few men, that, having also had six of her oars shot away, Lieutenant Lodwick wasobliged to abandon the chase, and was picked up by the _Growler_, standing towards the _Gallinas_, boat and gear being literally riddledwith shot. 

Lieutenant Lodwick was promoted for his gallantry. The felucca had beenchased by every vessel on the coast, and always got away clear. She wasafterwards captured by a war-steamer, and bore evident marks of herconflict with the pinnace. There were about seventy men on board--English, French, and Americans--and she was commanded by an Englishman. 

ADVENTURE OF HMS "WASP"--1845. 

As HMS _Wasp_, Captain Usherwood, was cruising in the Bight of Benin, near Lagos, on the 27th of February 1845, a strange sail was seen, andLieutenant Stupart was immediately ordered in pursuit. At about eighto'clock in the evening he came up with her, and found her to be the_Felicidade_, a Brazilian schooner, fitted for the slave trade, with aslave-deck of loose planks over the cargo, and a crew of twenty-eightmen. With the exception of her captain and another man, they weretransferred to the _Wasp_; and Lieutenant Stupart, with Mr Palmer, midshipman, and a crew of fifteen English seamen, remained in charge ofthe prize. On the 1st of March, the boats of the _Felicidade_, underMr Palmer, captured a second prize, the _Echo_, with 430 slaves onboard, and a crew of twenty-eight men, leaving Mr Palmer, with sevenEnglish seamen and two Kroomen, on board the _Felicidade_. Several ofthe _Echo's_ crew were also sent on board as prisoners, with theircaptain. Soon afterwards Mr Palmer and his small crew were overpoweredand murdered by the crew of the _Felicidade_, and an unsuccessfulattempt made by the miscreants to gain possession of the _Echo_. The_Felicidade_ was seen and chased on the 6th of March by HMS _Star_, Commander Dunlop. When she was boarded, no one was on her deck, thecrew being concealed below; and on being found and questioned, theystated the vessel to be the _Virginie_, and accounted for their woundsby the falling of a spar; but there were traces of a conflict, and manytokens which proved that English seamen had been on board. She was thensent to Sierra Leone, in charge of Lieutenant Wilson and nine men. 

Whilst on the passage, during a heavy squall, the schooner went over, filled, and sank, so as only to leave part of her bow rail above water. When the squall passed, the whole of the crew were found clinging to thebow rail. Some expert divers endeavoured to extract provisions from thevessel, but without success; and nothing but death stared them in theface, as the schooner was gradually sinking. Lieutenant Wilsonascertained that there were three common knives among the party, and itwas resolved to make a raft of the main-boom and gaff, and such otherfloating materials as remained above water. These they secured by suchropes as could be cut and unrove from the rigging, and a small quantityof cordage was retained to make good any defects they might sustain bythe working of the spars; a small topgallant studding-sail was obtainedfor a sail; and upon this miserable raft the ten persons made sail forthe coast of Africa, distant 200 miles, without rudder, oar, compass, provisions, or water. 

Being almost naked, and washed by every wave, their sufferings were verygreat. Destitute of food or fresh water, scorched by a burning sunduring the day, and chilled with cold during the night, they thusremained twenty days. Delirium and death relieved the raft of part ofits load of misery, two blacks being the first to sink under theirsufferings. 

The question naturally suggests itself, How did the survivors supportlife? Some persons would be almost afraid to put the question, or hearthe answer. There is nothing, however, to wound our feelings, but muchto admire in the admirable conduct of Lieutenant Wilson and his menduring these melancholy and miserable twenty days. Showers of rainoccasionally fell; they caught some water in their little sail, whichthey drank, and put some into a small keg that had floated out of thevessel. The sea was almost always breaking over the spars of the raft, which was surrounded by voracious sharks. 

The famishing sailors actually caught with a bowling-knot a shark eightfeet in length, with their bare hands, and hauled it upon the raft; theykilled it, drank the blood, and ate part of the flesh, husbanding theremainder. In this way three other sharks were taken, and upon thesesharks the poor fellows managed to prolong their lives till picked up(in sight of the land) in what may be termed the very zero of livingmisery. Lieutenant Wilson and four seamen survived, and recovered theirstrength. Order and discipline were maintained upon the raft;fortitude, forethought, a reliance upon Divine Providence, and goodconduct, enabled these Englishmen to surmount such horrible sufferings, while the Kroomen and Portuguese sank under them. 

CAPTURE OF A SLAVER--1845. 

HMS _Pantaloon_, ten-gun sloop, Commander Wilson, had been for two daysin chase of a large slave-ship, and succeeded in coming up with herbecalmed, about two miles off Lagos, on the 26th May 1845. The cutterand two whale-boats were sent, under the command of the firstlieutenant, Mr Lewis D. T. Prevost, with the master, Mr J. T. Crout, and the boatswain, Mr Pasco, some marines and seamen, amounting toabout thirty altogether, to make a more intimate acquaintance with thestranger. The pirate gave the boats an intimation of what they were toexpect as they neared, by opening on them a heavy fire of round shot, grape, and canister, in so spirited a style, that after returning thecompliment by a volley of musketry, the boats prepared for hard work. Animated by the show of resistance, each boat now emulated the other inreaching the enemy, the pirate continuing a sharp fire as they steadilyadvanced, the marines as briskly using their muskets. In half a hourfrom the discharge of the first gun from the slaver, the boats of the_Pantaloon_ were alongside; Lieutenant Prevost and Mr Pasco on thestarboard, and Mr Crout, in the cutter, on the port side. The piratecrew, sheltering themselves as much as possible, nevertheless continuedto fire the guns, loading them with all sorts of missiles, bullets, nails, lead, etcetera; and, amidst a shower of these, our brave sailorsand marines dashed on board. Lieutenant Prevost and his party, in thetwo boats, were soon on the deck of the prize. The master boarded onthe port bow, and, despite the formidable resistance and danger, followed by one of his boat's crew, actually attempted to enter the portas they were firing the gun from it. He succeeded in getting through, but his seconder was knocked overboard by the discharge. The gallantfellow, however, nothing daunted, was in an instant up the side again, taking part with the master, who was engaged in a single encounter withone or two of the slaver's crew. Having gained the deck after a mostdetermined resistance, they now encountered the pirates hand to hand, when the cutlass and bayonet did the remainder of the work. LieutenantPrevost finally succeeded in capturing the vessel, but the piratesfought desperately; and it was not until seven of their number lay deadon the deck, and seven or eight more were severely wounded, that theyran below and yielded. In the encounter, two British seamen werekilled; the master and boatswain, and five others were severely wounded. Lieutenant Prevost received immediate promotion. 

AN ATTEMPT TO RECAPTURE A PRIZE--1847. 

On the 22nd of July 1847, HMS _Waterwitch_, with HMS _Rapid_ in company, captured the Brazilian brigantine _Romeo Primero_, which wassubsequently given in charge to Lieutenant W. G. Mansfield, RN, and fourseamen, to be conveyed to Saint Helena for adjudication. Owing toadverse winds, and the unmanageable qualities of the prize, the officerin command found it necessary to alter his destination, and to bear upfor Sierra Leone. 

On the 11th of August, about midday, two of the crew being engagedaloft, and the others in the bunks, where the arms were stowed, thelieutenant being at the moment pulling a rope which had been recentlyspliced, was murderously assailed from behind by one of the prisoners, with an axe used for chopping firewood. There were four of them whowere during the daytime allowed the liberty of the vessel. At the samemoment, the other three prisoners furiously attacked the sailors in thebunks, who, from the unexpected nature of the assault, were driven fromtheir post wounded and unarmed. Lieutenant Mansfield, laying hold of apiece of firewood, gallantly but unequally contended with a Brazilianarmed with a cutlass. In the course of a desperate struggle, theofficer received no fewer than nine wounds, more or less severe; agreatcoat which he wore being, under Providence, the means of saving himfrom instant death. The two sailors who had been occupied in theshrouds, having reached the deck, of course unarmed, the lieutenant, nearly exhausted by profuse haemorrhage, made a violent effort to jointhem, in which he fortunately proved successful, though in his progressone of the prisoners discharged at him a marine's musket, the contentsof which took effect, inflicting a most dangerous wound in his head, andbringing him for an instant to the deck. Having succeeded in recoveringhis feet and gaining his men, he encouraged them to rush aft upon theirarmed antagonists--a piece of service which three of their numberperformed in the most daring manner; the fourth seaman (since dead)being _hors de combat_ from his wounds, and the lieutenant himselffainting at the instant from loss of blood. The intrepidity of thethree British tars rendered them more than a match for their armedantagonists, whom they speedily overpowered, one of the prisonersleaping overboard and perishing in the waves. Believing their officerto be killed, the seamen, in the excitement of the moment, were about tohurl the surviving prisoners over the gangway, when LieutenantMansfield, partially reviving, ordered them to be imprisoned, that theirwounds should be washed, and that they should be reserved to be dealtwith by the authorities at Sierra Leone. 

On the 1st of September the _Romeo Primero_, the scene of this bloodyencounter, entered the port. Lieutenant Mansfield, who, since the dayof the conflict, had scarcely been able to stir hand or foot, waspromptly conveyed to sick-quarters, and for many days his life wasentirely despaired of by his medical attendants. The gallant littlecrew, all wounded, were also looked after in the best manner which skilland sympathy could suggest; but two were soon beyond the reach of humansuccour, --one dying of the direct consequences of his wounds, and thesecond of fever induced by them. After a fortnight of extreme danger onshore, Lieutenant Mansfield showed symptoms of recovery, and in the sameyear received the rank of commander. 

ATTEMPT TO RETAKE A PRIZE--1848. 

The _Grecian_ having captured a clipper Brazilian hermaphrodite brig, with nearly 500 slaves on board, Lieutenant D'Aguilar was placed incharge of her as prizemaster, with ten men, and ordered to proceed toBahia, the sloop following him thither. The prize duly arrived, andanchored at Bahia before the _Grecian_, and not the slightest suspicionwas entertained but that she was safe. In the course of the day, however, Lieutenant D'Aguilar received some hints to the effect that acombination was being made on shore among the slavers to attempt toretake the prize; and, although nothing definite was communicated, itwas sufficient warning to him to be on the alert, and to takeprecautions which saved him and his men from being massacred. Theevening passed off without disturbance; but about ten o'clock at nightseveral boats from the shore were seen pulling for the brig, containing, it was estimated, 150 Brazilians. As they neared the prize, they werehailed, and ordered to keep off, but with some boldness they advancedalongside. The strangers having approached too near to be agreeable, Lieutenant D'Aguilar endeavoured to check them by a discharge ofmusketry. This commenced a most severe conflict, the fire beingreturned by the pirates as they dashed alongside and attempted to board. That firmness and undaunted bravery, however, which is characteristicof British seamen, was here displayed in an eminent degree; and theBrazilians, with their overpowering numbers, were completely beaten offby Lieutenant D'Aguilar and his little band, with a loss, on the enemy'sside, it is said, of upwards of ten killed and thirty wounded. As maynaturally be supposed, where the contest was one at close quarters, andwhere each of the gallant defenders had so many assailants to wait upon, they did not come out of the _melee_ unscathed. Scarcely one of themescaped a mark, and several of them were severely wounded. LieutenantD'Aguilar received many hurts about the head. It subsequentlytranspired that it was the intention of the Brazilians to have silentlygot alongside the vessel, and to have secured the prize-crew. Theywould then have cut the cables and made sail, to land the cargo ofslaves at another part of the coast. This affair was the theme ofgeneral applause in the squadron on the station. 

CHAPTER FOURTEEN. 

THE RECAPTURE OF THE EMILY SAINT PIERRE BY CAPTAIN WILLIAM WILSON--1862. 

The recapture of the _Emily Saint Pierre_ reminds us of the fightingdays of the wars with France and America, when several similar eventstook place; but during the whole course of English naval history we findno deed more gallant or more worthy of record. The _Emily Saint Pierre_was a large Liverpool East Indian trader, commanded by Captain WilliamWilson. She left Calcutta on the 27th of November 1861, with orders tomake the coast of South Carolina, to ascertain whether there was peaceor war. If peace had been declared, Captain Wilson was to take a pilotand enter the port of Charleston; if there was a blockade, he was toproceed to Saint John's, New Brunswick. 

On the 8th of March 1862, he considered his vessel to be about twelvemiles off the land, when a steamer was made out approaching. When thesteamer, which proved to be a Federal vessel of war, the _James Adger_, came within hail, the _Emily Saint Pierre_ was ordered to heave to, andwas soon afterwards boarded by two boats, whose officers and crews tookpossession of her. Filling on the main-yard, they steered for theFederal squadron. Captain Wilson was now ordered into the boat, andcarried on board the flagship, when he was informed by flag-officerGoldboursh that his vessel had saltpetre on board, and that consequentlyshe was a lawful prize to the Federal Government, but that he might takea passage on board her to Philadelphia. He replied that his cargo wasnot saltpetre, that his ship was British property, and that he could notacknowledge her a lawful prize. 

On returning to his ship in about an hour, he found that all his crewhad been taken away except the cook and steward, and that a fresh ship'scompany had been placed on board, consisting of Lieutenant Stone, amaster's mate, twelve men, and an engineer, a passenger, fifteen in all. Having weighed anchor, they proceeded to sea. Captain Wilson feltconfident of the illegality of the capture, and that if he could regainpossession of his ship, he was justified in making the attempt. He hadstudied the characters of his cook and steward, and knew that he couldtrust them. He waited his opportunity. There was, however, not muchtime to spare. The 21st of March arrived. The commanding officer, Lieutenant Stone, had the watch on deck. It was about half-past four, and still dark, when Captain Wilson called his steward and cook into hisstate-room, and told them that he was resolved to regain his ship orlose his life. He asked their assistance, which they at once promisedto afford. He then gave them each a pair of irons, which he hadsecured, and a sheet, and told them to follow him, as the moment foraction had arrived. The master's mate was asleep in his berth. CaptainWilson opened the door, and walked in. After handing out his revolverand sword, he grasped the mate's hands. In an instant the gag was inhis mouth, and the irons were fixed. The brave captain, with his twofollowers, then went to the passenger's cabin, and having taken the armsfrom his berth, secured him in the way they had the mate. The mostdifficult part of the undertaking was now to overcome the commandingofficer, who, unsuspicious of danger, was walking the deck of his prize. However, retaining wonderful coolness, and undaunted by the hazard heran, Captain Wilson went on deck, as if he had just turned out, andjoined Lieutenant Stone in his walk, making some remarks as to the stateof the weather. After walking for about ten minutes, he induced him togo down into the cabin to look at the chart which he had himself beenexamining, taking up on his way, as he followed, a belaying-pin. Nowwas the critical moment--the cook and steward stood in ambush behind thedoor. They reached the door of the after-cabin, where the chart wasspread out, when, lifting up the belaying-pin, Captain Wilson told thelieutenant that if he moved he was a dead man, and that the ship shouldnever go to Philadelphia; when the cook and steward, springing on him, had in a moment the irons on his wrists and the gag in his mouth, and hewas pitched without ceremony into a cabin, and the door locked upon him. The crew had next to be mastered. Three were walking the deck, anotherwas at the helm, and a fifth was on the look-out forward. 

With truly wonderful nerve and command of voice, Captain Wilson calledthe three men aft, and pointing to the hatchway of the store-room, nearthe helm, told them that a coil of rope was wanted up. He then shovedoff the hatch, and as he showed them the corner where it was, they allthree jumped down. Quick as lightning he replaced the hatch, which hisfollowers secured, while he warned the man at the helm that his lifewould pay the penalty if he moved or uttered a word. The look-out wasthen called aft, and being seized, was asked if he would assist innavigating the ship to a British port. On his declining to do so, hewas handcuffed and secured in a cabin. Captain Wilson then called thewatch, knowing well that they would not all come on deck together. Hewas consequently able to secure two before the suspicions of the restwere aroused. The third, however, drew his knife as the steward wasabout to seize him, when the latter shot him in the shoulder with hispistol, and he was seized. The remaining men, jumping on deck, wereknocked over and secured. 

Once more Captain Wilson had entire command of his ship, but with a crewof two men, neither of whom could even steer, nor were they accustomedto go aloft; while he had fifteen prisoners below, who would naturallylose no opportunity of retaking the ship. His greatest difficultieswere only now beginning. What consciousness of his superlativeseaman-like qualities, what perfect and just self-reliance he must havepossessed, to have undertaken the task of navigating a ship completelyacross the Atlantic with such means at his disposal! Considerate andgenerous, as well as brave, as soon as he had shaped a course forEngland, he went below, and announced to Lieutenant Stone that the shipwas his own again; but offered to take the gag out of his mouth and theirons off his wrists if he would consent to remain a prisoner in hisberth, and make no attempt to regain possession of the ship. 

To this Lieutenant Stone consented, and dined at table every day underguard, while the crew were supplied with an ample allowance of bread, beef, and water. Four of their number, after some consideration, volunteered, rather than remain prisoners, to lend a hand in working theship; but as they were landsmen, they were of no use aloft. It seemssurprising that Captain Wilson should have trusted them; but undoubtedlyhis bravery must have inspired them with such awe that they dared notprove treacherous. 

But few days had passed after he had commenced his homeward passage, with his crew of six landsmen, than it came on to blow so hard that hehad to close reef the topsails. Placing his cook and steward at thehelm, he made the other men take reef tackles to the capstern, while hewent alone aloft, lay out on the yard, passed the earings, and tied thereef-points, keeping an eye all the time at the helm, and directing histwo faithful men by signs how to steer. The wind increased till it blewa heavy gale, and the sea getting up, the tiller by a sudden jerk wascarried away. He now began for the first time, perhaps, to have fearsthat he might not after all make his passage; but undaunted, he set towork to repair the mischief as well as he was able. His strength andenergies, as well as those of his brave companions, were tried to theutmost. They had both to navigate the ship, to watch the four men whohad been liberated, and to feed and attend to their prisoners. 

Providence favoured them; the weather moderated, the wind was fair, andwithout accident Captain Wilson brought the _Emily Saint Pierre_ intothe Mersey thirty days after he had retaken her, having accomplished apassage of nearly 3000 miles. As an act of individual courage, forethought, coolness, nerve, and the highest seaman-like qualities, therecapture of the _Emily Saint Pierre_ stands unsurpassed by anyperformed by a sailor of any period, rank, or country. 

Captain Wilson received the welcome he so richly deserved on his arrivalat Liverpool, from the mercantile as well as all other classes. TheCouncil of the Mercantile Marine Service presented him with a goldmedal, and silver medals with suitable inscriptions to the steward andcook; they also each of them received a purse with twenty guineas, and170 merchants of Liverpool bestowed on Captain Wilson the sum of 2000guineas; while numerous other presents were made by various companies, eager to show him in what high estimation his gallantry was held. Hisofficers and crew who had been made prisoners by the Federals, on theirarrival at Liverpool after their release, presented to him a valuablesextant, to show their sense of his kindness to them during the voyagefrom India, and of his noble conduct. 

CHAPTER FIFTEEN. 

ARCTIC EXPLORING EXPEDITIONS. 

THE NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 

The discovery of a passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean hasbeen the darling project of numberless Englishmen of science as well asnavigators, from the time of Henry the Eighth down to the present day. A short account of the various expeditions, and of the adventures of thegallant men who have made the attempt, would alone fill a volume. Bythese expeditions, unsuccessful though they mostly were in accomplishingtheir object, the names of many of the bravest and best of England'snaval commanders have become immortalised. Well indeed may Englishmenbe proud of men such as Ross, Parry, Clavering, Lyon, Beechey, andFranklin, and of others who have in still later days exhibited theirdauntless courage and perseverance in the same cause--Collinson, McClure, McClintock, Sherard Osborn, Forsyth, and many more. 

Nowhere can all the noble qualities which adorn the British seaman bemore fully called forth than during a voyage in the Arctic seas, and thedetention to which he is subject for years together on its ice-boundshores. From the first entering these regions, dangers beset him. Suddenly he finds his vessel among immense fields of floating ice, through which he can with difficulty force a passage or escapeshipwreck. Then, in the darkness of night, icebergs of vast height areseen close aboard, towering above the mast-heads, the sea dashing withfury round their bases, from which, should he not scrape clear, hisdestruction is certain. Sometimes, to prevent his vessel being driftedon icebergs, or the rocky shore, or fields of ice, to leeward, hesecures her on the lee side of some large berg. The base of the massbeneath the water is continually melting; and, while he fancies himselfsecure, it decreases so much as to lose its balance, and its loftysummit bending down, it may overwhelm him in its ruins. Then, again, large masses become detached from its base, and, rising up violentlyfrom far down in the sea, strike the bottom of the vessel with terrificforce, capable of driving in her planks and breaking her stout timbers. Often, also, he has to saw his way through sheets of ice, cutting outcanals with untiring perseverance to gain a piece of clear water beyond. Sometimes his vessel is so tightly frozen within a field of ice that hehas no power to extricate her; then the field, urged by the tides orwind, moves on at a rapid rate for hundreds of miles, till it encounterssome other field or a projecting shore. Now commences a scene of horrorwhich may well make the stoutest heart tremble. The field breaks intothousands of fragments; huge masses of many hundred tons weight, andlarger than his ship, are thrown up, one on the other, rising almost asif they had life, till they tower far above the sides of his vessel, andappear ready every instant to crush her, as she lies helplessly amongthis icy mass of a seeming ruined world. Sometimes a huge lump, biggerthan the ship herself, becomes attached to her bottom; and as the massaround her melts, it rises to the surface, and throws her on herbeam-ends. Sometimes, as she is sailing in an open space, two fieldssuddenly close in on her. If her crew have time to cut a dock in thefield nearest her, or find a bay ready formed, she may escape; if not, when the fields meet, her stout ribs are crushed in as if they were ofwax, and the explorer is fortunate if he escapes to the ice with some ofhis boats and a few provisions and clothes before his vessel disappears, to encounter a voyage without shelter in that frigid region, till hefalls in with some whale ship, or can gain its inhospitable shores. Butsuppose he escapes the dangers of the sea I have described, and manyothers, and takes shelter for the winter in some bay or gulf, ice-bound, he must remain during the winter without any communication with the restof his fellow-creatures besides those who form his own adventurous band. The sun sinks below the horizon, and it is not seen again for monthstogether; darkness is around him, and one dreary mass of snow covers theface of nature. The intense cold prevents him often from venturingbeyond the shelter with which he has surrounded his vessel; or if he istempted to do so, frost-bites may attack his hands and his feet, anddeprive him of their use. Sometimes the Arctic explorer has had tojourney for weeks together across the barren waste of ice orsnow-covered ground, dragging his sledge after him, and sleeping nightafter night under the thin roof of a canvas tent; and, as summer drawson, often wet through from the melting snow, without an opportunity ofdrying his clothes. Seldom has he an abundance, and often he suffersfrom a scarcity, of provisions; while, if his strength fails him fromillness or injury, he can scarcely hope to regain his ship alive. Thefirst exploring expedition which was sent out during the reign of QueenVictoria was placed under the command of Sir George Back, in the_Terror_; but winter setting in early, his ship was caught by the ice, thrown on her beam-ends, and nearly destroyed. Though in a dreadfullyshattered condition, she was providentially enabled to return home. Itwas not till the year 1845 that a new expedition by sea was determinedon, and the command given, at his earnest request, to Sir JohnFranklin--an expedition over the fate of which for many long years hunga mysterious uncertainty, full of pain and anxiety. Notwithstanding thehazardous nature of the work in which they were to be engaged, numbersof officers and men eagerly pressed forward as volunteers to serve underthe veteran Arctic explorer. The chief difficulty was in selecting themost fit among the many applicants, and happy did those considerthemselves who were chosen. 

The following is a list of the officers who were finally appointed tothe expedition:--

"_Erebus_. "

Captain, Sir John Franklin, KCH; Commander, James Fitzjames;Lieutenants, Graham Gore, Henry T. Le Vesconte, James William Fairholm;mates, Charles T. Des Vaux, Robert O'Sargent; second master, Henry F. Collins; surgeon, Stephen Stanley; assistant surgeon, Harry D. S. Goodsir; paymaster and purser, Charles H. Osmer; master, James Reid, acting; fifty-eight petty officers, seamen, etcetera. Full complement, seventy. 

"_Terror_. "

Captain, Francis R. M. Crozier; Lieutenants, Edward Little, George H. Hodgson, John Irving; mates, Frederick J. Hornby, Robert Thomas;ice-master, T. Blakey, acting; second master, G. A. Maclean; surgeon, John S. Peddie; assistant surgeon, Alexander McDonald; clerk in charge, Edwin G. H. Helpman; fifty-seven petty officers, seamen, etcetera. Fullcomplement, sixty-eight; making in all one hundred and thirty-eightsouls. 

The expedition sailed from England, May the 26th, 1845. They arrived atthe Whalefish Islands, a group to the south of Disco, on the 4th ofJuly. On the 26th they were seen moored to an iceberg, in 74 degrees 48minutes north latitude, and 66 degrees 13 minutes west longitude, by aHull whaler, the _Prince of Wales_, Captain Dannet. The ships had thenon board provisions for three years, on full allowance, or even four, with the assistance of such game as they might expect to obtain. Everyone on board had resolved to persevere to the utmost in pushingtheir way through any channel which might offer a prospect of successtowards the west; but the letters of Captain Fitzjames especially seemedto point clearly to Wellington Channel as the passage they would mostprobably first attempt. No news of the expedition having reachedEngland up to the year 1847, some slight apprehensions began to be felt, though the general hope was that Sir John had pushed on perhaps into thePolar basin, and might make his appearance by way of Behring's Straits. However, it was thought right in 1848 to despatch another expedition tosearch for the missing ships. Two vessels were commissioned for thatpurpose, and placed under the command of Sir James Ross, an officer whohas been nearer the northern and southern poles than any other humanbeing. The ships were not ready for sea till the 12th of June. Theywere fitted to contend with the dangers of the Polar seas in a way noformer ships had been, and every means that could be devised for thecomfort and convenience of their crews were liberally supplied; whilethe officers and men were influenced by an earnest zeal to discovertheir missing countrymen, and to rescue them from the forlorn conditionin which it was too probable they were placed. Such have been themotives which have induced, year after year, numbers of other gallantofficers and men to volunteer their services to encounter the terrificdangers and hardships of a Polar voyage to search for Sir John Franklinand his brave followers. Who also has not heard of the noble effortsand sacrifices the late Lady Franklin made to despatch expedition afterexpedition in search of her gallant husband? and with what untiringzeal, and deep, earnest devotion, she and his faithful niece labouredon, month after month, and year after year, with talents, mind, and alltheir best energies devoted to the cause? All honour be to those nobleladies, worthy to be loved and reverenced by all who love and respectthe British navy, and admire the gallant spirit which imbues it. 

But to return to our narrative. Our space will not allow us to givemore than a very brief sketch of the several searching expeditions whichhave been sent out, and the names of the ships and officers composingthem. 

The first, then, was that under Captain Sir J. Ross, consisting of--

"_Enterprise_, " 540 Tons. 

Captain, Sir James C. Ross; Lieutenants, R. J. L. McClure, F. L. McClintock, and W. H. J. Browne; master, W. S. Couldery, acting; surgeon, W. Robertson, acting; assistant surgeon, H. Matthais; second master, S. Court; clerk, Edward Whitehead. Total complement, sixty-eight. 

"_Investigator_, " 480 Tons. 

Captain, E. J. Bird; Lieutenants, M. G. H. W. Ross, Frederick Robinson, and J. J. Barnard; master, W. Tatham; surgeon, Robert Anderson; mates, L. John Moore and S. G. Cresswell; second master, John H. Allard;assistant surgeon, E. Adams; clerk in charge, J. D. Gilpin. Totalcomplement, sixty-seven. 

The expedition left England on the 12th of June 1848, and reachedBarrow's Straits by the end of August. Sir James Ross then endeavouredto find a passage through Wellington Channel; but it was so completelyblocked up with ice that he was compelled to give up the attempt thatyear as hopeless. The ice closing in on the ships at an unusually earlyperiod, after running great risk of being crushed, Sir James took refugein Leopold Harbour for the winter. Hence several expeditions were sentout on foot. Sir James Ross and Lieutenant McClintock set out in May, with sledges, each accompanied by six men, and explored the whole of thenorth and west coasts of North Somerset; and, being absent thirty-ninedays, returned to the ships on the 23rd of June. Meantime LieutenantBarnard started for the northern shore of Barrow's Straits, crossing theice to Cape Hind. Lieutenant Browne visited the eastern shore of RegentInlet, and Lieutenant Robinson the western shore, and reached severalmiles to the southward of Fury Beach. No traces were discovered, however, of Sir John Franklin, but every device that could be thought ofwas employed to let his party know of the position of the ships. AtFury Beach, Lieutenant Robinson discovered Sir John Ross' house, andmuch of the provisions left there by the _Fury_ in 1827 still remaining, and in excellent condition. On the 28th of August the vessels quittedLeopold Harbour, where, at Whaler Point, a large supply of provisions, fuel, and a steam-launch were left, in the hopes that some of Sir John'sparty might visit the place. Again, from the 1st to the 25th ofSeptember, the vessels were so closely beset with ice, that it wasfeared they might be compelled to spend another winter in those regions, even should they escape being crushed to fragments. Happily they gotclear, after drifting into Baffin's Bay, and reached England inNovember. 

The _North Star_, an old twenty-six-gun frigate, of 500 tons, had in themeantime, in the spring of 1849, been despatched with provisions for SirJames Ross, under command of Mr J. Saunders. Having got blocked in bythe ice for sixty-two days, she was compelled to winter in WolstenholmeSound, on the western coast of Greenland. 

Immediately on the return of the _Enterprise_ and _Investigator_ theywere re-commissioned, and placed under the command of Captain B. Collinson, with directions to proceed to Behring's Straits, to resumethe search in that direction. HMS _Plover_, Commander Moore, wasalready there, employed in surveying the north-western coasts of theAmerican continent. 

The following were the officers appointed to them:--

"_Enterprise_. "

Captain, R. Collinson; Lieutenants, G. A. Phayre, J. J. Barnard, andC. T. Jago; master, R. T. G. Legg; second master, Francis Skead; mate, M. T. Parks; surgeon, Robert Anderson; assistant surgeon, Edward Adams;clerk in charge, Edward Whitehead. Total complement, sixty-six. 

"_Investigator_. "

Commander, B. J. McClure; Lieutenants, W. H. Haswell and S. G. Cresswell; mates, H. H. Saintsbury and R. J. Wyniatt; second master, Stephen Court; surgeon, Alexander Armstrong, MD; assistant surgeon, Henry Piers; clerk in charge, Joseph C. Paine. Total complement, sixty-six. 

Mr Miertsching, a Moravian missionary, who had spent five years on thecoast of Labrador, was appointed to the _Enterprise_ as interpreter. The vessels sailed from Plymouth on the 20th of January 1850, andreached the Sandwich Islands on the 29th of June. Meantime the_Herald_, Captain Kellet, had been ordered up from Oahu to Behring'sStraits, to assist in the search. At Petropaulski she met the RoyalThames Yacht Club schooner _Mary Dawson_, owned by Mr Shedden, who hadcome along the Chinese coast to Behring's Straits, also in search of SirJohn Franklin. After exploring for some time in company, they werecompelled by the ice to leave the Straits; but the _Plover_ winteredthere, while Lieutenant Pullen led a boat expedition of a most arduousnature along the northern shores of America, towards the Hudson's Bayestablishment on the Mackenzie River. Sir John Richardson also led aland party from the south to the Polar seas, but was compelled to returnwithout discovering any trace of the expedition. 

In 1846, also, the Hudson's Bay Company sent out an expedition, commanded by Dr John Rae, to survey the unexplored portion of theAmerican continent, between the farther point reached by Dease andSimpson and the strait of the Fury and Hecla. 

In the year 1850 several expeditions were sent out. The first consistedof HMS _Resolute_ and _Assistance_, Captain Ommaney, with thescrew-steamers _Pioneer_, Lieutenant Osborn, and _Intrepid_, LieutenantCator, as tenders, under the command of Captain Horatio T. Austin, inthe _Resolute_. Their chief aim was to visit Melville Island, and toexplore the shores of Wellington Channel, and the coast about CapeWalker. The ships were provisioned for three years, and a transportcompleted their supply at Whalefish Islands. 

No expedition ever left England with a greater prospect of success, allengaged in it being enthusiastically resolved to use every exertion toadvance the noble cause. 

The ships were commissioned on the 28th of February 1850, and leftEngland the 3rd of May. On the 16th of June they arrived at theWhalefish Islands, where they received the remainder of their supply ofprovisions from the transport. 

At the same time that Captain Austin's expedition was fitting out, another was arranged and placed under the command of Mr William Penny, an experienced whaling captain of Dundee, to act in concert with it. Mr Penny, by the directions of the Admiralty, proceeded to Aberdeen andDundee, where he purchased two new clipper-built vessels, which werenamed the _Lady Franklin_ and _Sophia_; the first in compliment to SirJohn's devoted wife, the latter to his admirable niece. These vesselswere placed under Mr Penny's command, with separate instructions directfrom the Admiralty. The ships showed during the voyage the goodjudgment employed by Mr Penny in their selection, and the men acquittedthemselves throughout the enterprise in a way to justify the praisebestowed on them by their associates in the ships-of-war. Mr Penny hadbeen employed in the Arctic seas since he was twelve years old, and hadcommanded a whaling ship for sixteen years. 

The ships left Aberdeen on the 13th of April, but did not fall in withCaptain Austin's squadron till the 28th of June, off Berry Island, onthe west coast of Greenland. 

About the same time that the above-named ships left England, three otherexpeditions were despatched; one in the _Prince Albert_, under CommanderForsyth, chiefly at Lady Franklin's expense. She had a crew of twentymen. Her mates were W. Kay and W. Wilson, and Mr W. P. Snow acted asclerk. She sailed from Aberdeen on the 5th of June, and was thus thelast vessel which left England that year. Another in the _Felix_ yacht, with a tender--the _Mary_--under the veteran Captain Sir John Ross, athis own charge. The Americans likewise showed a generous sympathy inthe fate of the missing expedition, and sent out one to aid in thesearch, under Lieutenant de Haven, in the U. S. Brig _Advance_, and theU. S. Vessel _Rescue_, commanded by Mr S. P. Griffen. 

These various expeditions were to examine the different channels upwhich it was supposed Sir John Franklin might have endeavoured to workhis way. The result of their examinations proved beyond almost alldoubt that he proceeded up Wellington Channel. 

Without following the ships step by step through their laboriousprogress across Baffin's Bay, down Lancaster Sound and Barrow's Straits, we will carry them at once to Beechey Island, which lies at thesouth-eastern extremity of Wellington Channel, just at its entrance intoBarrow's Straits. Here, on the 27th of August, Mr Penny discoveredundoubted traces of Sir John Franklin. Here, accordingly, the shipsassembled to prosecute the examination. Dr Sutherland, who went out inthe _Lady Franklin_, gives the following account of the interestingevent:--

"Traces, " he observes, "were found to a great extent of the missingships: tin canisters in hundreds, pieces of cloth, rope, wood--in largefragments and in chips; iron in numerous fragments, where the anvil hadstood, and the block which supported it; paper, both written andprinted, with the dates 1844 and 1845; sledge marks in abundance;depressions in the gravel, resembling wells which they had been digging;and the graves of three men who had died on board the missing ships inJanuary and April 1846. One of the shore party was despatched with thisintelligence to Mr Penny, who immediately came on shore, accompanied bySir John Ross, Commander Phillips of the _Felix_, Sir John's vessel, Commander De Haven and Lieutenant Griffiths of the American expedition, which had joined our ships in Barrow's Straits, and other officers. There were unequivocal proofs that the missing ships had spent theirfirst winter in the immediate vicinity of Beechey Island. A finger-postwas picked up, which we at once supposed had been made use of to directparties to the ships during winter, if they should happen to have losttheir way in a snowstorm. Captain Parry adopted the same precautionsaround his winter quarters at Melville Island; and it is not improbablesome of the posts may be found, after a lapse of thirty years. Ourideas were, that the ships had wintered in a deep bay between BeecheyIsland and Cape Riley, which we called Erebus and Terror Bay. 

"Immediately adjacent to the supposed position of the ships, we foundthe site of a large storehouse and workshop, and smaller sites, whichwere supposed to have been observatories and other temporary erections. Meat-tins to the amount of 600 or 700, and a great number of coal-bags, one of which was marked `T-e-r-r-o-r, ' were found. _But there were nopapers found anywhere that had been left by the missing ships_. "

This station, in the opinion of Captain Penny, was occupied by Sir JohnFranklin's party until the 3rd of April 1846, if not longer, as alook-out up Wellington Channel, to watch the first opening of that icybarrier which seems so frequently to block it up. 

No record, however, was left to show in what direction the boldexplorers had proceeded. With deep regret, therefore, that no furtherinformation could be gained, the various vessels continued the search. Captain Forsyth had, however, before this returned in the _PrinceAlbert_ to England, with news of an interesting discovery made byCaptain Ommaney, of some articles left by Sir John Franklin on CapeRiley. He reached Aberdeen on the 22nd of October, having been absentsomewhat less than four months. 

Early the next year the _Prince Albert_ was again despatched, under thecommand of Mr Kennedy, an old Arctic explorer; but he was unable toeffect more than to prove where Sir John Franklin and his followers werenot. 

Captain Austin's ships were constantly placed in great peril as theyproceeded on their voyage. "The _Assistance_ was hemmed in by the icein the centre of Wellington Channel, and was in such imminent danger ofbeing crushed to pieces, that every preparation was made to desert her, "writes an officer belonging to her. "Each person on board was appointedto a particular boat, provisions were got on deck, and every two menwere allowed one bag between them for spare clothes, attached to lineswhich were passed through the upper deck, ready to be pulled up at anymoment. One day the vessel was raised six feet out of the water by thepressure of the ice; and it became so probable that she would fall onher broadside, that the men were employed with shovels and pickaxes insmoothing a place on the ice for her to lie upon. " Again, on the 6th, alarge floe came down upon them with great violence, and, pressing thevessel against the land ice, lifted her several feet out of the water. Everyone rushed on deck, with the exception of the carpenter, who coollysounded the well to ascertain the depth of water in the hold. For somehours the ship was in danger of being driven on shore; the ice continuedto grind and pile up round her, while all the ice-anchors were laid out, one of which was wrenched in two by the tremendous strain, and thrownhigh up into the air. The wind, however, providentially changed, theice slackened, and they were safe. At length, while Captain Austin'ssquadron were secured for the winter in a field of ice betweenCornwallis and Griffiths Islands, Mr Penny and Sir John Ross reachedAssistance Harbour, where they wintered. A variety of means were takento amuse the crews during the depth of winter; and, as soon as springbegan, exploring parties went out in every direction. We cannot tracethe progress of the several parties in boats and sledges. Theirpersevering struggles serve to prove the existence, at all events, ifthat were required, of the heroic endurance of hardships, theindomitable courage, the invariable cheerfulness under the mostdepressing trials, and the unconquerable ardour, in spite of everyobstacle, characteristic of British seamen. About 2000 miles altogetherwere traversed by the different parties. Mr Penny made every effort toascend Wellington Channel; but his success was trifling compared to hisunwearied endeavours. When his sledge was stopped by open water, andafter incredible labours a boat was brought to the spot, thick-ribbedice had collected to impede its progress. All the efforts of the heroicexplorers were in vain. Lieutenant De Haven's ships returned to theUnited States, after enduring many hardships; and Captain Austin, SirJohn Ross, and Mr Penny came back to England in the autumn of 1851. 

Another year, however, was not allowed to pass before a furtherexpedition was entrusted to the command of a talented officer, SirEdward Belcher. The _Assistance_ and _Resolute_ were againcommissioned, and, with the _Pioneer_ and _Intrepid_ screw-steamers, were placed under his orders, many of the officers who beforeaccompanied Captain Austin volunteering their services. Captain Kellet, who had returned home in the _Herald_, was appointed to command the_Resolute_. 

They proceeded early in the spring for Wellington Channel, and, favouredby an open season, part of the squadron entered that mysterious inlet, with a favourable breeze, in high health, and with buoyant hopes thatthey were about to carry succour to their long-lost countrymen--howsoon, like those of many others, to meet with disappointment! Up thatvery channel, it has since been ascertained, the expedition under SirJohn Franklin had gone, but had been compelled, as those in search of itsoon were, to return southward. 

In the meantime, Commander Inglefield, who had first gone out in the_Isabel_, commissioned the _Phoenix_ steam-sloop, with the _LadyFranklin_ as a sailing-tender, and proceeded to Baffin's Bay. MrKennedy again went out in the _Isabel_, and the Americans sent forth thewell-known expedition under Dr Kane, whose narrative must be read withthe deepest interest by all, and his early death, the result of thehardships he endured on that occasion, sincerely deplored. 

While Sir Edward Belcher in the _Assistance_, accompanied by the_Pioneer_, proceeded up Wellington Channel, Captain Kellet in the_Resolute_, accompanied by the _Intrepid_, leaving the _North Star_ withstores at Beechey Island, continued his voyage to Melville Island, whichhe reached after encountering many dangers, and where he was frozen upat Bridport Inlet, on the 11th of September 1852. 

We before narrated how the _Enterprise_ and _Investigator_ left Englandin January 1850, and, proceeding round Cape Horn, the latter reached theSandwich Islands in June, and sailed again for Behring's Straits the daybefore the arrival of her consort. The _Investigator_ had a remarkablyquick passage to Behring's Straits; and after communicating with the_Herald_, Captain Kellet, off Cape Lisbourne, and exchanging signalswith the _Plover_, which vessel wintered in those seas, she pursued hercourse easterly along the north coast of North America, and passed PointBarrow under press of sail on the 5th of August. Thus it will be seenthat several ships as well as land parties were engaged in the searchfor the long-lost crews of the _Erebus_ and _Terror_ at the same time--from the east and west as well as from the south. 

Since the 5th of August 1850, no tidings had been received of CaptainMcClure and the _Investigator_, till the time that Captain Kellet, wholast saw him in the west, had once more made his way into the ArcticOcean from the east, and was now commencing his long winter imprisonmentat Bridport Inlet, Melville Island, in September 1852. The only timethat exploring parties can travel is during daylight in the early autumnor in the spring. The spring is most fitted for crossing the FrozenSea, before the ice breaks up and the cold has become less intense. Inthe autumn of 1852, Lieutenant Median, of the _Resolute_, was despatchedby Captain Kellet to explore the coast of Melville Island to the west, and to form depots of provisions, as were other parties in differentdirections. On his return, passing through Winter Harbour, in MelvilleIsland, at no great distance to the west of Bridport Inlet, what was hissurprise and satisfaction to find in a cairn, a record, with a chart ofhis discoveries, left by Captain McClure on the previous May, statingthat he should probably be found in Mercy Harbour, Banks' Land, unlesshe should be able to push on through Barrow's Straits, which it seemedvery unlikely that he could have done. This was the first evidence tothe new explorers of the actual existence of a continuous channel fromthe Atlantic to the Pacific--that there exists a North-West Passage. 

Most tantalising was it, however, to them to know that at that seasonthey could not possibly venture across to meet their countrymen. Indeed, the gallant McClure expressly forbade them in the document theyhad discovered. "Any attempt to send succour will only increase theevil, " were his words. The winter passed rapidly away, but it was nottill March that Captain Kellet considered it prudent to send anexpedition across the Straits to where he supposed the _Investigator_was to be found. 

We will now trace the progress of the _Investigator_, from the time shewas last seen passing Point Barrow under a press of sail. 

She made the ice on the 2nd of August, and, more than once being nearlycaught by it, she reached Cape Bathurst by the 30th. Rounding it, shestood east and north, passing the south of Baring Island, which wascalled Cape Nelson. She then reached a channel with Baring Island onthe west, and another land on the east, to which the name of PrinceAlbert's Land was given, when, on the 30th of September, she was fairlyfrozen in. Prince Albert's Land was taken possession of on the 8th ofOctober, in the name of Her Most Gracious Majesty, by Captain McClure, with a party of officers and men, who landed, and planted a staff with aflag to it on the shore. On their return to the ship, they found thatthe land and sea ice had separated, and they were alarmed with theprospect of having to remain on shore during the whole of an Arcticautumn night. Happily, their signals were at last seen, and a party, with two of Halkett's inflatable boats, was sent to their assistance. In consequence of the excessive roughness of the ice, no other boatcould have been got across. "By these means a large party wererelieved, who were without tents, clothing, fuel, provisions, or in anyway provided to withstand the severities of a Polar night, with thethermometer eight degrees _minus_. " We take the opportunity of advisingthat all vessels should be provided with one or more of these admirablecontrivances. They may be of any size, from that in which one man alonecan sit, to one capable of carrying fifty people. One might always bekept on deck, which could be launched in a moment should a man falloverboard. By this means numberless lives might be saved. 

Captain McClure, feeling assured that the ship was immovably fixed forthe winter, started with a sledge party on the 21st, to proceed to thenorth-east, in the hopes of discovering Barrow's Straits; and, aftertravelling for upwards of seventy miles, they had the intensegratification, on the 26th of October, of pitching their tents on itsshores. The next morning, before sunrise, he and Mr Court ascended ahill, 600 feet in height, whence they could command a view of forty orfifty miles over the Straits, though the opposite shore of MelvilleIsland could not be discerned. They found, however, by theirobservations, that Sir Edward Parry had very correctly marked the loomof the land on which they stood; and that thus the long-vexed questionwas solved, and that, whatever others might have done, or might bedoing, they had, at all events, found a watery way from the Pacific tothe Atlantic Oceans. 

They reached the ship again on the 31st, narrowly escaping destructionin a fog, when Captain McClure had to wander about during a whole nighton a floe, with the thermometer from five to fifteen degrees below zero. And now the first winter of the _Investigator_ was commenced in thoseice-bound regions. By the middle of April, expeditions were sent out inall directions, and depots of provisions established for the relief ofthe long-lost companions of Sir John Franklin. 

Both sides of the Prince of Wales' Straits were thoroughly explored, aswas Baring Island and Prince Albert's Land as far as its southern shore, known as Wollaston Land, --a continuous coast-line being thus laid downalong the whole southern shore of Barrow's Straits, and that of thenorth shore of the American continent, united with the discoveries ofprevious explorers. This, it will be remembered, was the winter of1850-51. 

When the short summer once more returned, Captain McClure made everyendeavour to get the ship to the north-east, through the Prince ofWales' Straits into Barrow's Straits, but in vain. So closely was theice packed at the north-east end, that, after running great hazard ofshipwreck, he was compelled to give up the attempt on the 16th of July, when only twenty-five miles distant from Barrow's Straits, and bearingup, he ran to the south and west round Baring Island. The voyage offthe west coast of that large island was full of danger, the shipfrequently narrowly escaping being cast away, till at length, with afair breeze, she entered Banks' Straits, which, leading into MelvilleSound, may be looked upon as the western end of Barrow's Straits. Theywere but some eighty miles distant from Barrow's Straits, with everyprospect of gaining them, and being able the following season to returnhome, when a heavy barrier of ice rose before them to intercept theirprogress. Backward they were driven into a deep bay, to which the nameof the Bay of Mercy was given, as an acknowledgment of the merciful wayin which they had been preserved from so many dangers. They hadactually been only five days under weigh after leaving their winterquarters in Prince of Wales' Straits. 

As in the previous season, their time was fully occupied in makingexploring expeditions in all directions, and in shooting excursions. With the exception of about three weeks in January, when it was too darkto shoot, enough game was killed to enable them to enjoy a meal of freshmeat three days in the fortnight. 

On the 11th of April, Captain McClure, with Mr Court, second master, and a sledge party, started to cross the ice on sledges, to visit WinterHarbour, in Melville Island. Soon after leaving the ship a thick fogcame on, and continued for several days, so that their destination wasnot reached till the 28th. 

We must picture to ourselves the sort of work these brave men had to gothrough, to do full justice to their perseverance and courage, --dayafter day travelling on, dragging their sledges across the frozenstrait, often in the face of biting winds, encamping night after nightwith simply a tent to shelter them and a spirit-lamp only with which tocook their food or to afford them warmth. Yet thus, during thateventful period in the history of Arctic discovery, were many hundredBritish seamen employed in different portions of the icy ocean, allnobly engaged in the search for their lost countrymen and brothersailors. Not only for month after month, but year after year, --the onlyinterruption being the dark, long night of mid-winter, and the briefperiod of summer navigation, --when, amid icebergs and ice-fields, whirled here and there, tossed by storms, and urged impetuously on bycurrents, they forced their way onward, in the hope of gaining the openocean in another hemisphere. 

At Winter Harbour Captain McClure found a large fragment of sandstone, with this inscription--"His Britannic Majesty's ships _Hecla_ and_Griper_, Commanders Parry and Lyddon, wintered in the adjacent harbourduring the winter of 1819-20. _A. Fisher, sculpsit_. " LieutenantMcClintock had left a notice of his visit on the previous year on thesame fragment, and protected it by a large cairn. In this cairn CaptainMcClure now deposited his own despatches, giving a plan of the way heintended to proceed under the various circumstances which might occur. One portion especially is worthy of notice. 

After stating his intention of visiting Port Leopold, in Barrow'sStraits, and of leaving there information of the route he purposed topursue, he says: "Should no intimation be found of our having beenthere, it may be at once surmised that some fatal catastrophe hashappened, either from being carried into the Polar Sea, or smashed inBarrow's Straits, and no survivors left. If such should be the case, itwill then be quite unnecessary to penetrate farther to the westward toour relief, as, by the period that any vessel could reach that port, wemust, from want of provisions, all have perished; in such case I wouldsubmit that the officer may be directed to return, and by no means incurthe danger of losing other lives in quest of those who will then be nomore. " Admirable indeed is the calm courage with which he contemplatedthat fearful contingency which we now know too well overtook theexpedition of which he was in quest, and his generous anxiety that nomore valuable lives should be sacrificed in searching for him. Accomplishing in ten days what occupied eighteen upon the outward trip, the party reached the ship on the 9th of May. Summer was approaching. Some deer and musk oxen were shot. By the 10th of August the frozen-upmariners began to entertain the joyful hopes of being liberated. Lanesof water were observed to seaward, and along the cliffs of Banks' Landthere was a clear space of six miles in width extending along them asfar as the eye could reach; and on the 12th the wind, which had been forsome time from the northward, veered to the south, which had the effectof separating the ice from that of the bay entirely across the entrance. Every moment they were in expectation of their release, and then a fewdays' sail would carry them into Barrow's Straits, and perhaps intoBaffin's Bay itself. Shortly, however, the wind changed to thenorthward, the ice again closed: in vain they waited for it to open. 

On the 20th the temperature fell to 27 degrees, and the entire bay wasfrozen over. The ice never again opened, and the usual preparationswere made for passing a third winter in those Arctic seas. It iswonderful to observe how officers and men kept up their spirits, and howcheerfully they bore their trials and privations. They had for a yearbeen placed on two-thirds allowance of provisions; the consumption wasstill further decreased, to enable them to exist another eighteenmonths. The winter was severe, but passed away without sickness; andnow Captain McClure informed his crew that it was his purpose to send aportion home in a boat by Baffin's Bay. The intended travellers wereput on full allowance, and all preparations were made for their startingon the 15th of April. 

One day towards the end of March, Captain McClure and his firstlieutenant were taking their daily exercise on the floe near the ship, when they saw running towards them a person whom they supposed to be oneof their own men chased by a bear. They hurried on, when, to theirsurprise, they discovered that he was a stranger, his face so blackenedby the smoke from the oil-lamp that his features could not berecognised. "Who are you? Where are you come from?"

"Lieutenant Pim--_Herald_--Captain Kellet, " was the answer. Wonderfulindeed it seemed; for Lieutenant Pim was the last person with whom thecaptain of the _Investigator_ had shaken hands in Behring's Straits. Itwas some time before Lieutenant Pim could find words to express himself, when he announced that he was ahead of his party, who had crossed fromthe winter quarters of the _Resolute_ in Bridport Inlet, MelvilleIsland. Captain McClure then set out with a party of officers and mento visit the _Resolute_, which ship was reached on the 19th of April1853, after traversing a distance of 170 miles. 

Great was the satisfaction of the two gallant captains at thus againmeeting. It was finally resolved that a portion of the crews of bothships should be sent home, while the remainder should stay in the hopesof extricating them during the coming summer. As, however, many of the_Investigator's_ crew were suffering from scurvy, only a small numberwere able to continue the journey westward, under command of LieutenantCresswell and Lieutenant Wynniett. 

On the 2nd of June they arrived on board the _North Star_, CaptainPullen, at Beechey Island. The distance was 300 miles, and it had takenthem four weeks to perform the journey. 

On the 8th of August the _Phoenix_ screw-steamer, Captain Inglefield, arrived. At that time Captain Pullen had been away a month upWellington Channel, to communicate with Sir Edward Belcher. By the timehe returned, the season had so much advanced, that it was decided tosend back the _Phoenix_ with Lieutenant Cresswell and his party. On the4th of October they landed at Thurso, and on the 7th of October arrivedat the Admiralty, with the announcement of the safety of the_Investigator_, and the tidings that the geographical question of theexistence of the long-sought-for North-West Passage had beensatisfactorily solved. 

We must now turn briefly to narrate the fate of the numerous exploringvessels left in the Arctic regions at the setting in of the winter of1853-54. 

Before we do so, we must, however, give a brief account of the progressmade by the persevering and brave Captain Collinson. 

When, in 1850, Captain McClure succeeded in reaching the ice throughBehring's Straits, the _Enterprise_, from having been somewhat longer onher voyage, was not so fortunate, and was compelled to winter in PortClarence. Hence the _Enterprise_ again sailed on the 10th of July 1851, to push her way eastward along the American coast, visiting the islandswhich form the northern shore of the channel. Here he found severaldepots and marks left by Captain McClure in the spring or in theprevious autumn. The _Enterprise_ finally was frozen in, in a shelteredharbour in Prince Albert's Land, near the entrance of Prince of Wales'Straits. 

Several long and hazardous expeditions were performed on foot withsledges during the spring of 1852, both north and east, being outbetween forty and fifty days. Again putting to sea, the _Enterprise_passed through Dolphin and Union Straits and Dean's Straits eastward. By the 26th of September the _Enterprise_ reached Cambridge Bay, whenshe was again frozen in, to pass her third winter in the ice--one of themost severe ever experienced in those regions. During the next spring, that of 1853, Captain Collinson, with his Lieutenants Jago, Parkes, andother officers, were employed in pushing on their laborious explorationsin the direction where they hoped some traces of their long-lostcountrymen might be found. In latitude 70 degrees 3 minutes north andlongitude 101 degrees west they fell in with a cairn erected by Dr Rae, from which they obtained the first intimation that any parties hadpreceded them in the search, and their observations tended tocorroborate his, namely, that the ice, _except in extraordinary seasons, does not leave the east coast of Victoria Land_. 

Little did Captain Collinson know that from the shore on which he stood, as he looked eastward, he gazed on the very ice-field in which the_Erebus_ and _Terror_ had been beset, and that amid it, not many milesdistant, the brave, the noble Franklin had breathed his last--that itwas during an extraordinary season the two exploring ships had enteredthe icy snare, from which they were never to be released. 

But we are anticipating the events of our deeply interesting andmelancholy history. 

Captain Collinson and his companions reached their ship on the 31st ofMay, after an absence of forty-nine days. It will be thus seen, that injustice the honour should be awarded to Captain Collinson and hisfollowers, equally with Captain McClure and his, of having discoveredthe North-West Passage. Indeed, it is believed that it is only by theway he came, if any passage is practicable, that a ship could get roundfrom the east to the west. 

On the 10th August the _Enterprise_ once more put to sea, steeringwestward. The Straits were found free of ice till they were abreast ofthe mouth of the Coppermine River, where they were detained till the23rd. They passed Cape Bathurst on the 31st, again encountering ice;Herschel Island on the 5th of September; and, after overcoming variousobstacles, were finally fixed for the winter on the west side of CamdenBay. 

The season passed mildly away. In the spring more expeditions weremade, and visits received from the Esquimaux. The ship was not freetill the 20th of July. She reached Port Clarence on the 21st of August;and at length Captain Collinson was able to send home despatchesannouncing the safety of his ship, officers, and crew. 

We are inclined to consider Captain Collinson's voyage, with the lightof the information subsequently given us, not only as the mostremarkable of all the Arctic voyages, but as guided by the greatestwisdom, and executed with a courage, forethought, and perseveranceunsurpassed. He may well claim the honour of being "the first navigatorwho took a ship of 530 tons through the narrow Dolphin and Union Straitsand Dease's Strait, ice-strewn and rocky as they are, in safety toCambridge Bay (105 degrees west), preserved his men in health throughthree winters, and finally brought them home in health and his ship insafety. "

We must now return to Sir Edward Belcher's expedition. The greatestservice it rendered was through Captain Kellet, by whose means the braveCaptain McClure and his crew were rescued from their perilous position. We left the _Resolute_ and _Intrepid_ on the northern side of theStrait, frozen up in Bridport Inlet, in the spring of 1853. Although anorthern gale drove them to sea during the summer, when they driftedabout for eighty-seven days helplessly in the pack till off CapeCockburn, on the 12th of November they were again frozen in; and the_Investigator_, also remaining fixed, was abandoned, the officers andcrew spending the winter on board the _Resolute_. The _Assistance_ and_Pioneer_ being likewise frozen in, Captain Kellet received orders fromSir Edward Belcher to abandon his part of the squadron; and on the 26thof August the two last-named ships were also abandoned, the officers andcrews arriving safely on board the _North Star_ on the following day atBeechey Island. Fortunately the next day the _North Star_ met the_Phoenix_ and _Talbot_, when all the ships returned to England. 

All due praise must be awarded to the gallant officers and men of theexpedition, who exerted themselves heroically in the great cause theyhad undertaken. An Arctic passage was discovered; McClure and hisfollowers performed it _on the ice_, probably the only way in which itever will be performed; but the most important Arctic mystery was stillunsolved--the fate of Franklin remained undiscovered. It was only knownwhere he was not. As if to teach all those engaged in thatwell-arranged, powerful expedition a lesson of humility, the discoverywas reserved for others with far humbler means at their disposal. 

CHAPTER SIXTEEN. 

VOYAGE OF THE FOX. 

None of the numerous expeditions sent forth to discover traces of SirJohn Franklin's expedition afford matter of greater interest than thatof the little yacht the _Fox_, while it has surpassed all insuccessfully clearing up the mystery which for ten long years or morehung over the fate of that gallant Arctic explorer and his bravecompanions. 

The _Fox_, a screw-steamer of 177 tons, was the property of LadyFranklin, and the command of her was confided to Captain McClintock, RN, who had already made several Arctic voyages. He had as officers, Lieutenant Hobson, RN, and Captain Allan Young, a noble-minded commanderof the mercantile marine; with Dr Walker as surgeon, and Mr CarlPetersen as interpreter. She was prepared at Aberdeen for her arduousundertaking, and sailed 1st of July 1857. She entered Baffin's Bay, andhad got as far north as Melville Bay, on its north-west shore, when shewas beset by the ice early in September, and there blocked up for thewinter. 

Soon after midnight on the 25th of April 1858, she was once more underweigh, and forcing her way out from among huge masses of ice thrown inon her by the ocean swell. Repeatedly the frozen masses were hurledagainst the sharp iron bow, causing the vessel to shake violently, thebells to ring, and almost knocking the crew off their feet. On oneoccasion the ice stopped the screw for some minutes. Anxious momentsthose--"After that day's experience I can understand how men's hair hasturned grey in a few hours, " says Captain McClintock. 

Touching at the Danish settlements to refit, and at Pond's Bay, thelittle _Fox_, narrowly escaping destruction, at length reached BeecheyIsland on the 11th of August. Here a tablet was erected to the memoryof Sir John Franklin and his officers and crew, and the _Fox_, havingfilled up with stores and coals from the depot there, left again on the16th. 

On the 18th she had run twenty-five miles down Peel's Straits, the hopesof all raised to the utmost, when a pack of ice appeared, barring theirfarther progress. Putting about, she visited the depot at Port Leopold, where boats and an abundant supply of all sorts of articles were found, which, in case of the destruction of their own vessel, would afford theexplorers a fair prospect of escape. 

Far different was the condition of Arctic explorers now, than it hadbeen when Franklin sailed on his fatal expedition. Then they had todepend entirely on their own resources; now, through the sagacity andforethought of those who sent them forth, depots of provisions and boatsand sledges, and even huts, had been provided, to afford every possiblemeans of escape should any disaster overtake their ships. 

Captain McClintock, on leaving Leopold Harbour, sailed north down PrinceRegent's Inlet, but in vain attempted to force a passage through anychannel to the east. At last he returned some way north to Bellot'sStraits, discovered by Mr Kennedy, and called after his unfortunatecompanion, Lieutenant Bellot, of the French navy, who lost his life whenbelonging to Sir Edward Belcher's expedition. He passed some distancethrough Bellot's Straits, and the _Fox_ was finally beset, on the 28thSeptember, in a beautiful little harbour in them, to which the name ofKennedy Harbour was given. 

Depots were now established by travelling parties to the north-east, some eighty miles or more from the ship, and all preparations made forprosecuting their interesting search in the spring. This commenced thewinter of 1858-59, the second passed by the _Fox_ in the ice. 

On the 17th February, Captain McClintock started with Mr Petersen andone man, Thompson, on a long pedestrian expedition, with two sledgesdrawn by dogs. Lieutenant Hobson set off about the same time, as didalso Captain Young, --all three expeditions in different directions, towards the south; the first two accomplished several hundred miles toKing William's Island. 

Great indeed were the trials and hardships they underwent in theseexpeditions. Day after day they trudged on, employed for two hours eachevening, before they could take their food or go to rest, in buildingtheir snow huts, exposed to biting winds, to snow and sleet, and oftento dense fogs. 

On one occasion one man alone of a whole party escaped being struck bysnow-blindness; and he had to lead them with their packs, and to guidethem back to the vessel. How terrible would have been their fate had healso been struck with blindness!

On the west coast of King William's Island, which is separated by abroad channel from the mainland of America, they fell in with severalfamilies of Esquimaux, among whom numerous relics of the Franklinexpedition were discovered. The most interesting were purchased. Farther north, on the west coast, a cairn was found, within which was apaper with the announcement of Sir John Franklin's death, and with thesad statement, written at a subsequent period, that it had been foundnecessary to abandon the ships and to proceed to the southward. 

A boat on runners also was found with two skeletons in her, and anotherskeleton at a distance--all too plainly telling a tale which shall benarrated hereafter. The Esquimaux also said that they had seen men sinkdown and die along the shore; and that one ship had gone down crushed bythe ice, and that another had been driven on shore. With this terribleelucidation of the long-continued mystery, only partly cleared up beforeby Dr Rae, they began their return journey. 

On the 19th of June Captain McClintock reached his ship, the ice havingbegun to melt with the increased warmth of the weather. August arrived, and the explorers began to look out anxiously for the breaking up of theice. 

At last, on the 10th, a favourable breeze drove the ice out of the bay, and the trim little _Fox_, under sail and steam, merrily darted out ofher prison, and hurried north towards Barrow's Straits. She reachedBaffin's Bay, and, touching at the Danish settlements, arrived in theEnglish Channel on the 20th of September, having made the passage undersail in nineteen days from Greenland. 

THE FATE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN'S EXPEDITION. 

The last intelligence which had been received of the _Erebus_ and_Terror_ was from the whalers in July 1845, at Melville Bay. Thence theexpedition passed on through Lancaster Sound to Barrow's Straits, andentered Wellington Channel, the southern entrance to which had beendiscovered by Sir Edward Parry in 1819. Up by it the ships sailed for150 miles, when, being stopped by the ice, they returned south by a newchannel into Barrow's Straits, and passed the winter of 1845-46 atBeechey Island. In 1846 they proceeded to the south-west, andultimately reached within twelve miles of the north entrance of KingWilliam's Land. 

Here they spent the winter of 1846-47, as far as can be known, in theenjoyment of good health, and with the intention and hope of prosecutingtheir voyage to the westward through the only channel likely to be openalong the northern shore of America, and from the known portion of whichthey were then only ninety miles distant. 

On Monday the 24th May 1847, Lieutenant Gore, with Mr Des Voeux, mate, and a party of six men, left the ship, and proceeded for some purpose toKing William's Island, where, on Point Victory, he deposited a documentstating that Sir John Franklin and all were well. 

This document was afterwards visited by Captain Crozier, and a brief butsad statement of after events written on it. In less than three weeksafter that time, the brave, kind, and well-beloved commander of theexpedition, Sir John Franklin, had ceased to breathe, as Captain Crozierstates that he died on the 11th of June 1847. Who can doubt that hislife was taken by a merciful Providence before he could become aware ofthe dreadful doom about to overtake his gallant followers?

Probably Lieutenant Gore returned from that journey of exploration, asCaptain Crozier speaks of him as the late Commander Gore, showing thaton the death of their chief he had been raised a step in rank; but notlong to enjoy it--he having among others passed away. The command ofthe expedition now devolved on Captain Crozier; but who can picture hisanxiety and that of his officers and men, as the summer of 1847 drewon--the sea open to the north and south, but the ships immovably fixedin the vast mass of ice driven down upon them from Melville Sound? Howbitter must have been their grief and disappointment when August andSeptember passed away, and they found that they must pass anotherwinter, that of 1847-48, in those regions! We know, too, that the shipswere only provisioned up to 1848. 

Painfully that dreary winter must have passed away, and sad must havebeen the feelings of Captains Crozier and Fitzjames when they came tothe resolution of abandoning the ships, by which a high sense of dutyhad induced them hitherto to remain. 

Up to 22nd April 1848, the total loss by deaths had been nine officersand fifteen men. On the 22nd April 1848, Captains Crozier andFitzjames, with their officers and crews, consisting of 105 men, abandoned their ice-bound ships, and landed on the 25th on KingWilliam's Island, and started the following day for Back's Fish River, which runs through the Hudson's Bay territories from the south. 

Their hope was that they might, voyaging up that river, at length reachsome of the Hudson's Bay Company's trading posts. That they reached themouth of Fish River we have melancholy evidence. Here they probablyencamped, and, when the season advanced, proceeded some way up, but, finding the difficulties of the navigation insurmountable, they returnedto the mouth of the river, with the intention perhaps of proceedingalong the coast to the westward through the North-West Passage, whichthey now knew for a certainty to exist. Before, however, they could dothis, it was necessary to send to the ships for stores and anyprovisions which might have remained on board. 

For this purpose a strong party must have been despatched with a boat ona sledge, showing that they started rather early in the summer season, before the Straits were frozen over, or late in the spring, when theymight expect to have to return by water. They greatly overrated theirstrength. When still eighty miles from the ships, they left the boatwith two or more invalids in her, and a variety of valuables, hoping toreach the ships more speedily, and to return to her. One or more ofthose left with the boat attempted to follow, and dropped by the way. Some, perhaps, reached the ships, and attempted to regain the boat; butthe greater number, overcome with hunger, disease, and cold, fell ontheir northward journey, never to rise again. 

Two skeletons were found in the boat; and one, supposed to be that of asteward, between her and the ships. Of the ships, one was seen by theEsquimaux to go down, while the other drove on shore with one body onlyon board, probably that of a person who had died during the final visit. Certain it is that no one regained the boat on their return journey tothe south. Plate and vast quantities of clothing were found along theroute, showing that on leaving the ships the hapless men consideredthemselves capable of considerable exertion; and as they carried a largeamount of powder and shot, they undoubtedly hoped to maintain themselvesby means of their guns. 

In vain did the main body at the mouth of Back's Fish River wait thereturn of their shipmates. Week after week, month after month, passedby--they did not appear. How long they remained encamped on this bleakand barren coast it is difficult to determine. If the account receivedby Dr Rae is to be credited, it was not till the spring of 1850 thatthe survivors of that gallant band made a last desperate attempt to pushtheir way inland, and sank down, as had their companions in sufferingmany months before them. Thus perished the whole of that gallant bandof true-hearted seamen, who, with high hopes and spirits, had leftEngland five years before in the prosecution of an undertaking whichthey had every reason to believe would so greatly redound to the honourand glory of England, and to their own high renown. The task wasaccomplished; a knowledge of the North-West Passage was obtained. Theirlives were sacrificed in the attainment; but they won names imperishablein English naval history, and gave another example of the undauntedcourage, hardihood, and perseverance of British seamen. 

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN. 

THE EXPEDITION TO THE NORTH POLE--1875. 

Since the numerous expeditions connected with the search for Sir JohnFranklin, England had sent forth none towards the North Pole. Othernations, in the meantime, had been making efforts to reach thelong-desired goal. Influenced by the representations of numerousofficers and other scientific men interested in Arctic discovery, theBritish Government at length came to the resolution of despatching someships under the command of naval officers, who were to penetrate throughSmith's Sound, to ascertain whether an open Polar sea existed, and toendeavour to reach the North Pole. 

Two screw-steamers, the _Alert_ of 751 tons, and the _Discovery_ of 668tons, --being strengthened by every means science could devise forresisting the Polar ice, --were fitted out, and Captain Nares wasselected to command the expedition. Commander Markham, who hadconsiderable experience, was appointed to act under him on board the_Alert_. Captain Nares and Commander Markham were the only two officersin the expedition who had previously crossed the Arctic Circle, but allthe others were selected for their known high character and scientificattainments. 

The other officers of the _Alert_ were Lieutenants Aldrich, Parr, Giffard, May, and Sub-Lieutenant Egerton. Various important dutiesconnected with the scientific objects of the expedition were undertakenby them. Dr Colan, the fleet surgeon, was known as a good ethnologist;Dr Moss, in addition to other scientific attainments, was an excellentartist. Captain Fielden went as ornithologist; Mr Wootton, the seniorengineer, was an officer of experience; Mr White was the photographerof the _Alert_; and Mr Pullen, the chaplain, was a botanist. Besidesthe officers, the complement of the _Alert_ was made up of pettyofficers, able seamen, marines, and others, forty-eight in all, some ofwhom were well able to assist the superior officers in their scientificduties. Christian Neil Petersen, a Dane, who had served in theexpedition of Dr Hayes, was engaged as interpreter and dog-driver onboard the _Alert_. 

The _Discovery_ was commanded by Captain Henry Stephenson. His activestaff consisted of Lieutenants Beaumont, Rawson, Archer, Fulford;Sub-Lieutenant Conybeare; Doctors Ninnis and Coppinger; engineersGartmel and Miller; assistant paymaster Mitchell, a photographer andgood artist. Mr Hodson was the chaplain, and Mr Hart the botanist. 

Their scientific duties were divided like those of the officers of the_Alert_. HM steamship _Valorous_ was at the same time commissioned byCaptain Loftus Jones to accompany the exploring ships up Davis' Straitsas far as Disco, where she was to fill them up with the coals andprovisions which she carried for the purpose. She was an oldpaddle-wheel steamer of 1200 tons, and was but ill fitted to withstandthe ice she was likely to encounter in those seas. Loud cheers fromthousands of spectators rose in the air, as, on the 29th of May 1875, the three ships steamed out of Portsmouth harbour and proceeded towardsBantry Bay, which they left on the 2nd of June for their voyage acrossthe Atlantic. Heavy gales were met with, which tried the gear of theships, the _Alert_ and the _Discovery_ each losing a valuablewhale-boat, besides receiving other damage. The _Valorous_ reachedGodhaven on the 4th of July, and the _Alert_ and _Discovery_ arrivedthere on the 6th. Some days were spent here in transferring the coalsand stores brought out by the _Valorous_ to the two exploring ships--the_Alert_ receiving also twenty-four dogs, which had been provided by theDanish Government. The ships then proceeded, accompanied by the_Valorous_, to Riltenbenk, where the _Discovery_ received her twentydogs, and an Eskimo named Frederik, who came on board with his kayak. 

On the 17th of July the _Alert_ and _Discovery_ steamed northward ontheir adventurous expedition, while the _Valorous_ proceeded towards theDisco shore, where, from its coal cliffs, she was to supply herself withfuel. 

A fog coming on hid the ships from each other. After running through aperfectly clear sea for some distance, the weather being fine, CaptainNares determined to take his ships through the middle ice of Baffin'sBay, instead of passing round by Melville Bay. On the 24th of July thepack was entered, but the floes were rotten, and at first not more than250 yards in diameter. As the ships advanced, the ice became closer, and the floes of much larger circumference, making it necessary to lookout for channels. The commanders were constantly in the crow's nests, and succeeded at length in carrying their ships through, in the space ofthirty-four hours, although not without some scratches, and having toput on full steam. 

They found the entrance to Smith's Sound perfectly clear of ice, nonedrifting southward, although there was a fresh northerly breeze. Thescene of the wreck of the _Polaris_ was visited, and either the log, ora copy, of the ill-fated vessel discovered. The next point touched atwas Cape Isabella, on the 29th of July. Here a cairn with a small depotof provisions was erected, at an elevation of 700 feet from the water, by the crew of the _Alert_, while the _Discovery_ pushed forward. Onthe 30th of July the _Discovery_ was beset off Cape Sabine, by a closepack five or six miles broad. The _Alert_, having bored through it, joined her, and both ships spent three days, sometimes getting underweigh and attempting to escape, until the 4th of August, when the packmoving forward enabled them to round Cape Sabine. Proceeding twentymiles farther along the south side of Hayes Sound, they put into a snugharbour, near which was discovered a valley with abundance ofvegetation, and traces of musk oxen. Finding, however, that there wasno channel in that direction, they bore away to the eastward, towardsCape Albert. Here a clear space of water appeared along the shore ofthe mainland; but the coast affording no protection, they ran into thepack, with the expectation of forcing their way through. In this theywere disappointed, and, unable to extricate themselves, they weredrifting at a fearful rate towards an iceberg. The _Discovery_ seemedto be in the greatest danger, but suddenly the floe wheeled round, andthe icy mountain was seen tearing its way through the surface icedirectly down on the _Alert_. Her destruction seemed inevitable, when, at the distance of scarcely a hundred yards, the iceberg turned over, the floe splitting up, when the ship, although nipped, made her escape. They both then got round in the wake of the iceberg. For the nexttwenty-four hours they were struggling towards the shore, through icefour feet thick, amidst bergs of 300 feet in diameter, although onlyfrom twenty to forty high. At length successful, they reached, on the8th of August, the land of Victoria. Thus they pushed forward, sometimes struggling with the ice, and boring their way through thepacks, at others making progress by an open space near the shore. Soclosely-packed was the ice, that the channel by which the ships advancedwas often immediately closed astern, so that they would have found it asdifficult to return as to proceed northward. 

On the 25th August, after many hairbreadth escapes, a sheltered harbourwas reached on the west side of the channel in Hall's Basin, north ofLady Franklin's Sound, in latitude 81 degrees 44 minutes north. Herethe _Discovery_ was secured for the winter, while the _Alert_, as it hadbeen arranged, pushed onwards, for the purpose of proceeding as far aspossible through the supposed open Polar Sea, and reaching, some mighthave vainly hoped, the Pole itself. 

After rounding the north-east point of Grant's Land, instead ofdiscovering, as had been expected, a continuous coast leading a hundredmiles farther towards the north, the _Alert_ found herself on theconfines of what was evidently a very extensive sea, but covered as faras the eye could reach by closely-packed ice of prodigious thickness. Through this ice it was at once seen that it would be impossible topenetrate. The ship, indeed, herself was placed in the greatest peril, for the ice was seen bearing down upon her while she lay unable toescape, with a rock-bound coast to the southward, and no harbour inwhich to seek for refuge. 

Happily she was saved by the extraordinary depth to which the ice sank;for the mass grounding on the beach, formed a barrier inside of whichshe was tolerably safe. We can well enter into the disappointment ofthose who expected to have found the long-talked-of open Polar Sea, instead of which ice, evidently of great age and thickness, theaccumulation, it might be, of centuries, and resembling rather lowfloating icebergs massed together, than the ordinary appearance ofsalt-water. When two vast floes meet, the lighter portions floatingbetween the closing masses are broken up and thrown over their surface, sometimes to the height of fifty feet above the water, forming asuccession of ice-hills of the most rugged description. 

Although Captain Nares saw at once the almost impracticable character ofthe ice in the direction of the Pole, and which there was everyprobability would prove continuous, he resolved, as soon as the weatherwould allow, to despatch a sledge party in the desired direction. Thesupposed Polar Sea was appropriately named the "Palaeocrystic Sea, " or"Sea of Ancient Ice. "

The ice hitherto met with was seldom more than from two to ten feet inthickness; that which was now stretched before them was found to measurefrom eighty to one hundred and twenty feet in depth, its lowest partbeing fifteen feet above the water-line. This enormous thickness wasproduced in consequence of its being shut up in the Polar Sea, with fewoutlets by which it could escape to the southward, the ice of one seasonbeing added in succession to that of the previous year. 

The two ships were now in their winter quarters, --the _Alert_ off thecoast of Grant's Land, with a bleak shore to the southward, and to thenorth a vast wilderness of rugged ice, extending in all probability tothe Pole, in latitude 82 degrees 27 minutes, many miles farther than anyship had ever attained; while the _Discovery_ was seventy miles off, ina harbour on the coast of Greenland, inside Smith's Sound, in latitude81 degrees 45 minutes. Lieutenant Rawson, with a party of men, had comeon board the _Alert_ in order to convey notice of her position to the_Discovery_. He made two determined attempts to perform the journeybetween the two ships without success, owing to the ice remainingunfrozen till late in the autumn in Robson's Channel. He and his menhad therefore to pass the winter on board the _Alert_. As soon as thesafety of the _Alert_ was secured, sledge parties were sent on along theshore to the southward and westward, with boats and provisions for theuse of the travelling parties in the spring, under the command ofCommander Markham and Lieutenant Aldrich. The latter advanced threemiles beyond Sir Edward Parry's most northward position, and from amountain 2000 feet high sighted land towards the west-north-west; but noland was seen to the northward. On their return journey, which lastedfor twenty days, most of the people were frost-bitten in the feet. 

The winter was passed by the officers and crews of the two ships much inthe same way. Banks of snow were heaped round the vessels, and thedecks covered ten feet thick with snow to keep out the cold from below, the only apertures being those required for ventilation or egress. Theinteriors of the ships being warmed by hot-water pipes, a comparativelycomfortable atmosphere below was maintained. The time was passed byholding schools, with theatricals, penny readings, and games of allsorts. As soon as travelling was possible, on the 12th of March, Lieutenant Rawson and Mr Egerton, accompanied by Neil Petersen and hisdog sledge, set off from the _Alert_ to communicate with the_Discovery_, the temperature being at this time forty degrees belowzero. Two days after leaving the ship Petersen was taken ill. A campwas pitched, but, as he showed no signs of recovering, the officersdetermined to return. At the utmost risk to themselves they succeededin retaining heat in the body of the sufferer, and were thus able tobring him alive to the ship; but his feet, which they were unable toprotect, were so severely frost-bitten that it was found necessary toamputate both of them, from the effects of which operation he died twomonths afterwards. The following week, the two officers with fresh menset out and succeeded in reaching the _Discovery_, thus relieving thoseon board of the anxiety they had felt in regard to her consort's safety. During the first week in April, the exploring parties, with sledgesfrom both ships, started off in various directions. The party selectedto make the desperate attempt to reach the North Pole was under thecharge of Commander Markham and Lieutenant Parr. Such was the roughnature of the ice, that a road had to be formed in many places bypickaxes before an advance could be made, even with light loads. Thesledges having thus to go backwards and forwards over the same road, theadvance was very slow, averaging not more than a mile and a quarter eachday. Unable to obtain any fresh provisions, their food was of acharacter not calculated to maintain their health, and consequently erelong they were all attacked by scurvy. Notwithstanding this, thegallant men pushed on, until on 12th May they planted the British flagin latitude 83 degrees 20 minutes 26 seconds north, leaving only 400miles between them and the North Pole--many miles farther to the norththan any explorers had hitherto succeeded in gaining. The distance madegood was 73 miles only from the ship, but in order to accomplish it 276miles had been travelled over. Commander Markham saw clearly that byproceeding farther he should run the risk of sacrificing the lives ofhis people. Thus, with a heavy heart, he determined to go back. 

The return journey was attended by even greater difficulties than theadvance. From the time of their start in April to their return in June, the days had been spent in dragging the sledges over a desert ofice-hills, which resembled a stormy sea suddenly frozen; half the timethe men facing the sledges, and hauling forward with their backs in thedirection they were going. On getting to within 30 miles of the ship, so large a number were suffering from scurvy, that Lieutenant Parrgallantly volunteered to set out alone to obtain relief. Happily hesucceeded, after much difficulty, in arriving, and help was immediatelydespatched, the officers and men vieing with each other in draggingforward the sledges. Unhappily one man had died before assistance hadarrived. Of the rest, only two officers and three men were able towork; three others painfully struggling on rather than add to thedifficulties of their companions. The remainder, being perfectlyhelpless, were carried on the sledges. 

Another party sent out by the _Alert_ proceeded to the west underLieutenant Aldrich, and, after exploring 220 miles of coast-line, theyalso were attacked by scurvy. Not returning at the time appointed, relief was sent to them. Lieutenant Aldrich and one man alone, out of acrew of seven, remained at the drag-ropes. Numerous expeditions hadbeen sent out also by the _Discovery_, one of which proceeded alongGreenland and suffered greatly. When met by a party, under LieutenantRawson, sent out to their assistance, they were found dragging forwardfour of their helpless comrades, two at a time, advancing only half amile a day. Two of the men died just as Polaris Bay was reached, opposite Discovery Harbour. 

Other exploring expeditions were made in various directions. CaptainStephenson made two trips across Hall's Basin to Greenland. When atPolaris Bay he hoisted the American ensign and fired a salute, while abrass plate, which had been prepared in England, was fixed on Hall'sgrave. On the tablet was the following inscription:--"Sacred to thememory of Captain C. F. Hall, of the U. S. _Polaris_, who sacrificed hislife in the advancement of science, on 8th November 1871. This tablethas been erected by the British Polar Expedition of 1875, who, followingin his footsteps, have profited by his experience. "

No inhabitants were seen in the neighbourhood of the ships' winterquarters, but ancient Eskimo remains were traced on the west side ofSmith's Sound up to latitude 81 degrees 52 minutes. From thence theycrossed it at the narrowest parts of the channel to Greenland. It seemssurprising that animal life should exist so far north; but that it doesso was proved, six musk oxen having been shot at the _Alert's_ winterquarters, besides fifty-seven others near Discovery Grave. In the sameneighbourhood, although not, unfortunately, until the summer hadcommenced, a seam of good coal, easily worked, was discovered by MrHart, the naturalist. It is remarkable that the aurora was far lessmagnificent than in more southern latitudes. Of the numerousexpeditions sent out by the _Discovery_, several were exposed to extremedanger, while nearly the whole of the men engaged in them suffered fromscurvy. One expedition had been despatched to explore North Greenlandwith a lifeboat. In this party Lieutenant Rawson with four men hadbecome detached, when, with the exception of the lieutenant and amarine, they were attacked with scurvy. One of the men died on the way. Happily they were met by Dr Coppinger, by whose assistance they weregreatly restored; an Eskimo, also, being successful in shooting seals, supplied them with fresh food. Dr Coppinger, feeling anxious about theNorth Greenland party, set out with the Eskimo in a dog sledge, andfound them in a most exhausted condition; everything had been leftbehind, and four were so crippled with scurvy that they were beingdragged on by two others, who were only slightly attacked. When thedoctor arrived they had not a particle of food, and must inevitably havesuccumbed. One of the party died the morning after their arrival atHall's Rest, to which they had been dragged. So critical was thecondition of the sufferers, that an officer and two men were despatchedin a dog sledge to communicate with the ships; but, as the ice wasalready breaking up, it was with the greatest difficulty that thechannel was crossed in about three days. On their arrival, the captainimmediately set out with a relief party. Great anxiety was felt foranother party under Lieutenant Beaumont, which was absent far longerthan had been expected. He had with him a whale-boat, in which he andhis people were driven far up the Sound, and it was not until the shipswere on the point of returning home that they were picked up. 

The above brief account may give some faint idea of the hardships andsufferings endured by the officers and men of the expedition, as well asof their courage and perseverance. 

At length the icy barrier which had enclosed the _Alert_ for so manylong months began to break up; but there appeared not the slightestindication of a passage opening up to the northward by which the desiredgoal could be reached. Captain Nares felt fully confident that the seabefore him had for centuries remained frozen, and would continue forages more in the same condition. His crew were all, more or less, suffering from scurvy. 

As much resolution and moral courage is often exhibited in retreating asin advancing. Captain Nares saw that to remain longer in the Polar Sea, in the vain attempt to carry out the object of the expedition, would notonly be useless, but would in all probability prove destructive to thelives of his gallant followers. Steam was accordingly got up, and the_Alert_, boring her way through the ice, succeeded in again enteringSmith's Sound. Early in August she got within ten miles of the_Discovery_; but for some time being prevented moving farther south bythe ice, an officer was despatched overland to direct Captain Stephensonto get ready for sea. Not, however, until the 28th of August could the_Discovery_ force her way out of her ice-bound harbour. 

It often appeared as if all their efforts to get free would be baffled, but by dint of constant watchfulness for an open channel, by boring andblasting the ice before them, and often running full tilt at the masswhich impeded their progress, they forced their onward way, until atlength the open sea was gained. The Arctic Circle was recrossed on the4th of October, exactly fifteen months after it had been crossed on thenorthward voyage. 

Happily the _Pandora_, Captain Allan Young, who had gone in search ofthe expedition, was met with, and returned with the ships. Heavy galeswere encountered in the Atlantic, when they were all separated. The_Alert_ reached Valencia harbour, in Ireland, on the 27th of October, and the _Discovery_, Queenstown, on the 29th, soon after which they bothreturned to Portsmouth. 

Besides Neil Petersen, three men, George Porter, James Ward, and CharlesPaul, seamen, died of scurvy. The scientific results of the expeditionare considerable; and the gallant men engaged in it have fullymaintained the high reputation of British seamen for courage, perseverance, high discipline, hardihood, and endurance. 

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN. 

MEMOIR OF COMMODORE JAMES GRAHAM GOODENOUGH. 

To die in the path of duty, whatever that duty may be, is as honourableas to fall when engaged on the field of battle, or on the deck in fightwith an enemy; and for either lot, British officers have ever shownthemselves ready. 

Among those of whose services the country has lately been deprived, nonestood higher in the estimation of all who knew him than Commodore JamesGraham Goodenough. A brief notice of his career may induce others tofollow his example. He was the second son of the Dean of Wells, wasborn in 1830, and sent at the age of eleven to Westminster School, ofwhich his father had once been headmaster. He there gained thecharacter he ever maintained of a brave, noble, and kind-hearted boy, who hated all evil doings or evil things. He was diligent andsuccessful in his studies, and was beloved by all his companions. 

In 1844 he joined HMS _Collingwood_ as a naval cadet, and in herproceeded to the Pacific station. Here he spent four years, gainingfrom his messmates the same warm regard he had won from hisschoolfellows. Ready for the performance of every duty, he was theleader among his companions on all occasions. He was a good linguist, and equal to the best in navigation and seamanship, as well as in allexercises. His chief characteristic was the thought of others ratherthan himself. When the _Collingwood_ was paid off, he joined the_Cyclops_, commanded by Captain Hastings, and in her continued some timeon the coast of Africa. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant in1851, passing the best examination at college. In that rank he servedon board the _Centaur_, the flagship on the Brazilian station. He nextserved, during 1855, on board the _Hastings_, commanded by CaptainCaffin, a Christian officer, whose advice to his young midshipmen whenjoining is worthy of being noted: "If you are a Christian, nail yourcolours to the mast and fight under them; you will be sure, in the end, to overcome your opponents!" While belonging to the _Hastings_, he wasgazetted as having served with the rocket-boats at the bombardment ofSveaborg. After commanding the gunboat _Goshawk_, he proceeded toChina, where he joined the _Calcutta_, flagship; and was gazetted onfour occasions: for the capture of a large snake-boat from pirates inthe Canton River, for being thrice in action in boats for thedestruction of Chinese war-junks, for gallant services at the assaultand capture of Canton, and for services on shore at the capture of theChinese forts in the Peiho River. He now obtained the rank ofcommander, and returned for a brief time to England. After this he hadfor three years the command of the _Reynard_, on the China station. Henext served as commander on board the _Revenge_, in the Channelsquadron, and in 1863 was promoted to the rank of captain. During aresidence on shore of about eighteen months he married. In 1864 he wassent by the Admiralty to America to visit the dockyards of the UnitedStates, and, at the end of that year, he went out to the Mediterraneanas captain of the _Victoria_, flagship of Sir Robert Smart. 

For five years, until 1870, he was in command of the _Minotaur_. Thehigh esteem in which he was held was shown by his having been selectedto assist in the revictualling of Paris after the Prussian siege, andalso in distributing the peasant relief fund, when, accompanied by hiswife, he gained the affection of all with whom he came in contact. 

In 1871 the Admiralty again employed him to visit and report on thenaval dockyards of Russia, Austria, Italy, and France, --another proof ofthe confidence reposed in him. 

At length, on the 22nd of May 1873, he was appointed to command HMS_Pearl_, as commodore on the Australian station. He went out with thedetermination of doing his utmost for the advancement of science and forfurthering the cause of humanity. In the duties he had undertaken hewas engaged for nearly two years, during which, while cruising throughvarious parts of the Western Pacific, he never failed when visitingislands inhabited by savage races to endeavour by every means in hispower to establish with them a friendly intercourse. On the 12th ofAugust he had landed at Carlisle Bay, on the island of Santa Cruz, accompanied by an interpreter, through whose means, according to hisusual plan, he was engaged in communicating with the natives, when, after a conference with some who appeared to have no hostile intentions, as he was in the act of stepping into his boat, a savage, a few yardsoff, shot a poisoned arrow, which struck him in the side. The examplethus set was followed by the other natives, and several of the Britishwere wounded. The boats immediately returned to the ship, but, notwithstanding the efforts of the surgeons to counteract the effects ofthe poison, the commodore felt that death was approaching. His greatanxiety during the following days of intense suffering was to impressthe principles by which he had been guided on those serving under him. As he lay in his cabin and his last hours were passing, not a murmurescaped his lips. The only regret he expressed was that he had notstrength enough to praise God sufficiently for all His mercies. "Theday before his death, believing that he would not live out the night, hehad all his officers summoned to his bedside, " writes his chaplain, "where, in lovely and loving words, he spoke of the truth and theinfinite love of God, and the readiness he felt to go. He had a wordfor each--a word of love--as, at his request, each kissed him and saidgood-bye. He then caused himself to be carried on to the quarter-deckand placed on a bed there, the ship's company being assembled to hearhis last words to them. He earnestly desired that no revenge should betaken on the natives of Santa Cruz. In these last words to the men hespoke to this effect: `We cannot tell their reason, perhaps they hadbeen injured by white people, but we cannot communicate with them, notknowing their language; perhaps some day, it may be twenty or thirtyyears hence, some good missionary, some Christian man, may go among themand find out why they did this. ' His heart was full of God's love tohimself. He spoke of this love, and exhorted all to love God, tellingthem how he had loved them all, even when having to punish them, seeinggood in them to love. Many such words were spoken before he saidgood-bye, blessing them all in the name of God. He passed away inperfect peace at 5:30 p. M. , on Friday the 20th of August 1875. Thusdied, in the performance of his duty, as true and noble a sailor as anyof the gallant officers who have graced our naval annals. The two youngseamen, Smale and Rayner, who had been wounded at the same time as thecommodore, died within a few hours of him. "

CHAPTER NINETEEN. 

THE ABYSSINIAN EXPEDITION--1867. 

Far to the south of Egypt, beyond Nubia, lies a little known andmysterious country now called Abyssinia, formerly a part of Ethiopia, the wonderful kingdom of the renowned Prester John and once of the Queenof Sheba. 

Bounded on the north by the Eastern Soudan, on the east by a stretch ofsterile, uninviting ground varying in width to the Red Sea from a dozento at least two hundred miles, and a sort of "no man's" land unlessclaimed in a measure by Egypt and in a kind by Italy in these latterdays; adjacent in the south to the broad lands of the warlike Gallastribes, and approached from the west by the barren Southern Soudan, --Abyssinia has from time immemorial been the arena of rebellions, ofinter-tribal hostilities, of inroads by neighbouring tribes, of attacksby civilised powers. Least of all has the land produced signs ofprogress in the arts of peace. Its mountains, towering to heights of8000, 10, 000 and 13, 000 feet, have been the hiding-places of cruelrobbers, of deposed chiefs, of disappointed insurgents; and its valleyshave rung with countless cries of dying men in hotly contested battles. 

Abyssinia has throughout the ages been divided into provinces, althoughthe greatest authority has been nominally centred in one royalpersonage, or Negus. In the fact of these divisions, or principalities, we have largely the secret of continual disturbance. Jealousy has beenresponsible for much. The three principal provinces are Amhara, Tigre, and Shoa; the first being in the centre, with Tigre in the north, andShoa in the south. Gondar is the capital of Amhara, Adowa is the maintown of Tigre, and Amkobar is the most important place in Shoa. Theprince, or governor, of each province, is known as "Ras, " a term weoften find in reference to Abyssinian matters. 

In the seventh century of the Christian era, 200 years after the countryhad passed the zenith of its power and glory, the Mohammedans swept likea great avalanche upon Abyssinia, stifled but did not utterly destroyChristianity, which had been introduced in the middle of the fourthcentury of the era in which we live; and maintained such a stronginfluence, that for century after century the whole land was in darknessand ignorance; and though the Christian religion has remained, it is ina debased and corrupt form. Europe knew nothing of Abyssinia worth thename for ages. Then a princess of Judah, Judith, prosecuted designsupon poor Abyssinia, sought out the members of the reigning family, andwould have caused each one to be slain. Fortunately, a young prince wascarried off to a place of safety. Coming to maturity, he ruled in Shoa, while for nearly half a century Judith reigned in the north. In theyear 1268 a. D. The true royalists were restored to power in the wholekingdom. 

When the warrior-mariners of Portugal were searching for new empires inevery sea and upon every continent, rumours reached them of a kingdomsomewhere, at the head of which was Prester John. This was just priorto the dawn of the fifteenth century. 

Filled with wonder at the reports that reached them, and curious tosolve the mystery that enshrouded Prester John and his wonderfulkingdom, the Portuguese went on making their searches, under Pedre deCovilham, of renown, fixed upon Abyssinia, entered it, and secured thefriendship of the chief ruler. Strange to relate, the Portuguese madeno serious attempt to add Abyssinia to their dominions--possibly theydid not think the task worth the trouble and expense; but theymaintained some degree of power over the people through their religion, an influence whose effects were seen by Bruce and by other travellers ofscarcely a hundred years ago--one not obliterated by tribal warfare andby a terrible, merciless coming of the Gallas from their country in thesouth. 

In the year 1818 was born in Kaura, a child to whom the name Lij Kassiwas given--a lad whose uncle was then governor of that part ofAbyssinia. The boy grew to be wilful, self-reliant, and very ambitious;it is even said that he set himself out to be the elect of God, whoshould raise his country to a glory equal to that of Ethiopia of old. There was a prophecy indeed, "And it shall come to pass that a kingshall arise in Ethiopia, of Solomon's lineage, who shall be the greateston earth, and his powers shall extend over all Ethiopia and Egypt. Heshall scourge the infidels out of Palestine, and shall purge Jerusalemclean from the dealers. He shall destroy all the inhabitants thereof, and his name shall be Theodoras. " Whether Lij Kassi really pretended tobe the elect of Heaven, the Messiah, or not, certain it is that when hehad fought very bravely to found a state of his own, and had defeatedthe prince of Tigre in pitched battle, he gave himself out to hisfollowers and to all Abyssinia as Theodore, king of Ethiopia, and wascrowned under that name in his thirty-eighth year. 

The ambition of Theodore was still boundless. He gathered an increasedfollowing, conquered tribe after tribe in Abyssinia proper, andprosecuted a most successful crusade in the country of the Gallas, subduing descendants of those who had wrought havoc in his native landfrom time to time, and established himself at a place nearly a milesquare, and 9000 feet above the level of the sea. The town is known tous as Magdala. 

Gondar was still the capital of Abyssinia, and to it and the countrygenerally Theodore invited Europeans. Ambitious as he was, and warlike, the king--for Theodore had become the acknowledged ruler of the nation--was anxious to develop the resources of his kingdom, and that his peopleshould be taught trades and industries. He was intelligent enough tosee that Abyssinia could not be a great country if its natives were notimbued with ideas of civilisation, and if its products were notpurchased by foreigners and their wares imported to the interior. Manymerchants and artisans in search of employment under another flag wentout to Abyssinia, therefore, and found employment; while consuls, orrepresentatives, of European powers were appointed, and welcomed byTheodore to his court. 

The British consul, Mr Plowden, was killed by a rebel force in March1860, while on his way to the port of Massowah upon the coast; and sogrieved was Theodore that he commissioned a superior body of hissoldiers, not only to subdue the offending tribes, but to seek out themurderers of Mr Plowden and to punish them. This was done, and theking was greatly pleased when the British Government freely acknowledgedhe was in no sense to blame for the massacre. They sent out CaptainCameron to succeed the unfortunate Plowden, and presents were carriedfrom our Queen. Theodore was delighted, further, to receive Protestantmissionaries from England, and to show other tokens of friendship forBritannia. 

A great change came over Theodore's conduct at length. His temper wassoon ruffled, his pride was unbearable, he practised cruelties upon hispeople, and he became cold towards England, more particularly whenmonths passed away and he received no answer to a letter sent to theBritish Government. So wroth was the king when he heard that Cameronwas going to Egypt--a country Theodore disliked--that he ordered thearrest of the British consul and two missionaries, named Sterne andRosenthal. They were thrown into a dungeon, in the year 1863. Greatindignation was aroused in England. When, however, it was known thatTheodore had some grounds for thinking that he had not been treated withfull courtesy, Mr H. J. Rassam, then at Aden, was sent with LieutenantPrideaux and Dr Blaine on an embassy to Theodore, taking with themfriendly letters from the British Government, together with handsomepresents; and it was expected that upon their arrival and explanationthe prisoners would be released. 

The king at first received them courteously, but, his mood soonchanging, they too were seized and thrust into prison. The BritishGovernment in vain endeavoured to procure their release; but findingthis impossible, an expedition was prepared. 

As the Red Sea lies under the jurisdiction of the Indian Government, itwas at Bombay that the preparations were made, and the command was givento Sir Robert Napier, then commander-in-chief of the Bombay army, withSir Charles Staveley second in command. Vast numbers of ships weretaken up for transport, 30, 000 animals were purchased in India, Arabia, Egypt, and the Mediterranean, and 15, 000 troops received orders toembark. An advance party under command of Colonel Merewether, arrivedat Zula, a tiny village in Annesley Bay, and preparations were at oncecommenced for the disembarkation of the troops and stores upon theirarrival. HMS _Satellite_ and other men-of-war also arrived in the bay, and the work of making the piers and preparing store-houses commenced. The construction of the piers, and the duty of landing the stores, fellupon the naval force, and were admirably performed, the manner in whichthe Jacks worked under a blazing sun eliciting the warmest encomiumsfrom the military officers. Water was terribly scarce, and the boilersof the men-of-war were kept constantly at work distilling for the use ofthe transport animals and troops. 

When the expeditionary force marched inland a Naval Brigade of eightymen with two rocket tubes, commanded by Captain Fellowes of the _Dryad_, was organised. These marched forward, and speedily took their placewith the advanced division, under General Staveley. Their arrival waswarmly greeted in the camp, their cheerfulness and good-humour here, asduring the Indian Mutiny, rendering the men of the Naval Brigade greatfavourites with the soldiers. Their camp was a sort of rendezvous, andround the fires many a cheerful song was sung, many a joke exchanged, after the day's work was over. 

Theodore had retreated, upon the news of our advance, to Magdala, anatural fortress of immense strength situate 400 miles from the coast. At Antalo, half-way up, a halt was made for three weeks, to allow storesto be accumulated. Here, fortunately, large quantities of provisionswere procured from the natives, and numbers of little cattle hired fortransport; for the want of water upon landing, and a terrible diseasewhich broke out among the horses in the passes up to the plateau land, had disorganised the transport train, and immense as was the number ofanimals, it proved wholly incapable of transporting the stores for solarge a force. At Senafe, at Adigerat, and at Antalo, strong fortifiedcamps were erected, and bodies of troops left to overawe the king ofTigre, who, although professing to be our ally, could not have beendepended upon had misfortune of any kind befallen us. 

The march from Antalo led over a mountainous country almost bare ofhabitations, and the fatigues endured by the men were very great. Theclimate, however, proved exceedingly healthy, and although the heat byday was great, at night the air was cool and bracing, and in some placeseven sharp cold was experienced. From the plateau of Dalanta, some 15miles from Magdala, a view of the fortress was obtained, and after aday's halt the advanced column was ordered to move forward. Itconsisted of the 4th Regiment, a regiment of Punjaubees, one ofBeloochees, and the Naval Brigade. 

The march commenced at daybreak. The road was extremely difficult, andthe men suffered greatly from want of water. The baggage had proceededup a valley under the charge of the Beloochees and a baggage guard ofmen of the 4th Regiment, the rest of the column marching along the hill, so as to protect it from a flank attack. It had been intended that thecolumn of baggage should not emerge from the valley upon the plateau ofAroge until the troops had arrived there for its protection. Owing tosome misapprehension, however, upon the part of Colonel Phayre, whocommanded it, the Beloochees were marched up on to the plateau beforethe covering force arrived there, and while the column of baggage wasstill in the valley. A continuation of this led direct to Magdala, andTheodore seeing it there, apparently unprotected and open to attack, ordered his men to advance and seize it. 

The fortress of Magdala consists of three hills. Magdala itself, thestrongest of the three, upon which the royal town is situate, lay behindthe other two, and, except across a wide neck separating it from them, was inaccessible, as upon its other three sides it rose almostprecipitously from the plain. The two hills in front were calledSallasye and Fala. As there was no intention of attacking until thesecond division had reached the spot, the troops were ordered to liedown, and an hour or two passed in inactivity. Then, with telescopes, astir could be seen upon the top of Fala, where several guns were inposition. Presently there was a flash, a pause for a second or two, andthen the sound of a ball whistling through the air. This fell near theBeloochees, who were lying with piled arms on the plateau. Almostsimultaneously a great body of men were seen descending by the roadwhich led from the neck connecting the hills of Fala and Sallasye. Whenthe head of this body reached the plateau it broke up, and was seen tobe composed of great numbers of natives, headed by many chiefs onhorseback. 

Sir C. Napier at once gave orders for the 4th to advance. Thirst andfatigue were forgotten in a minute, and at a swinging trot the 4thpassed to the front. The next order was for the Naval Brigade toadvance to a knoll which commanded the plateau, and to open fire withtheir rockets upon the crowd of advancing enemies. 

The moment was critical, the head of the baggage train had just reachedthe plateau from the ravine below, and there was a doubt whether theenemy would not be upon it before the troops could come to itsassistance. The sailors were but a short time in laying their tubes, and a cheer broke from the troops as the first rocket whizzed out acrossthe plateau. The roar and rush of this strange, and to them unknown, missile caused an instant halt of the advancing crowd of Abyssinians. The horses of the chiefs swept round and round, and scampered hither andthither in wild affright. The footmen paused, and for a moment itseemed as if the attack was coming to an end. Rocket after rocketwhizzed out; but as the Abyssinians soon saw that the destructionwrought by these missiles bore no proportion whatever to the noise theymade, they speedily recovered themselves, and advanced bravely to theattack. 

The delay, short as it was, had, however, enabled the 4th to come intoline, and as the Abyssinians advanced they opened a heavy fire ofmusketry upon them with their breechloaders, which were here for thefirst time used by British soldiers in actual warfare. For a fewminutes the Abyssinians stood bravely against the storm of shot; then, leaving the ground scattered with dead and wounded, they turned and madetowards the fortress. 

In the ravine itself the combat had been more serious. There a largenumber of Abyssinians, coming straight down from Magdala, fell upon thebaggage train. The company of the 4th under Captain Roberts, formingthe baggage guard, defended themselves and their charge gallantly. Fortunately many of the mules were loaded with ammunition. These werebroken open, and the contents served out; and the men were consequentlyenabled to keep up a steady stream of fire upon their opponents. These, however, pressed gallantly forward, and did not give way until thePunjaubees, advancing to the edge of the plateau, took them in flank, and, pouring volley after volley among them, drove them up the hillsidewith a loss of more than 500 killed. This body was estimated at 2000strong, and it is questionable whether any of them returned to Magdala. 

As the enemy upon the plateau retreated, the Naval Brigade moved forwardand took up a fresh position, and sent their rockets into the crowd asthey ascended the path to their fortress, and then, turning their aim atthe guns upon its edge, near which Theodore was himself standing, senttheir rockets up with so accurate an aim that the guns were speedilydeserted. King Theodore himself was greatly moved by these strangeimplements, and asked Mr Rassam, whom he had placed near him, if theywere allowed in civilised warfare. In all, the fight cost theAbyssinians 800 killed and 1500 wounded, besides the 1500 whose retreatto the fortress was cut off. 

The effect of this encounter upon Theodore was immense. Hitherto he hadlooked upon himself as invincible, and believed that he should defeatthe English without the least difficulty. This view was also held byall the people through whom we had marched upon our way. In Abyssiniait is the priests only who wear head-gear, and the people viewed thehelmets of our soldiers as signs that, if not absolutely clerical, theywere at least men of a peaceful disposition. Our close formation, too, had altogether failed to impress them, and the reports which had beenforwarded to Theodore had no doubt confirmed his belief that we were notformidable as opponents. The complete defeat of his army on the plateauof Aroge, in which his most trusted general, Fitaurari Gabriye, waskilled, completely shook him, and among his people the disinclination torenew the combat with men armed with such wonderful weapons wascomplete. The Abyssinians, indeed, complained that we did not fightfair; their custom being that a line of men should advance, dischargetheir pieces, and then retire, after which the opposite side did thesame. Then when the battle had gone on for some hours, the party thathad lost most men retired. The steady advance of the British troops, and the incessant fire which they kept up, struck them as opposed to allrules of fairness. 

Theodore now sent down to inquire what terms would be given him; but thereply was that nothing short of unconditional surrender could now begranted, but that if he would send down his captives, and submit, hislife should be spared, and honourable treatment given him. He now sentdown a large herd of cattle, and these were, somewhat unfortunately, received, for there is no doubt that the reception was, in accordancewith Abyssinian customs, a sign that hostilities would come to an end, and the following morning the whole of the captives were sent into camp. Theodore again asked for terms; but was again informed thatunconditional surrender could alone be accepted. 

By this time the second division had arrived upon the scene, and astrong force prepared to attack the stronghold of the Abyssinian king. The Gallas, the hereditary enemies of the Abyssinians, had come up ingreat numbers and encircled the fortress behind, rendering all escape inthat direction impossible, for although the fortress could not beattacked from the rear, there existed two or three narrow paths by whichescape was possible. On the night before we attacked, Theodoreattempted to escape in this manner; but finding the Gallas everywhere inforce, he returned to his citadel and prepared to defend it to the last. His army was now, however, determined to offer no further resistance. Cowed by the terrible slaughter at Aroge, and seeing that the power toorder wholesale executions had now passed out of the tyrant's hands, thewhole of the chiefs and their followers declared that they would nolonger obey his orders, and only some twenty or thirty faithful menremained with him. 

The 33rd Regiment led the assault, and advanced up the steep road bywhich the enemy had before descended to the attack. Fala and Sallasyewere covered with natives, and at every moment an attack was expectedupon us, although messages had been sent down by the chiefs saying thatthey rendered their submission. The 33rd, however, gained the top ofthe hill without a shot being fired, and there some 15, 000 or 20, 000persons were seen sitting quietly down. Orders were given to disarm themen, and they and their families were then suffered to leave, and theforce moved over the shoulder of Sallasye towards Magdala itself. 

A small party of officers and others, riding on in advance, came, at theedge of the shoulder connecting Sallasye with Magdala, upon some fifteenof Theodore's guns, which he had not had time to take with him intoMagdala. At the same moment a party of horsemen, among whom the nativesrecognised Theodore himself, came down the steep path from the fortress, and rode about on the plateau, brandishing their arms and shoutingdefiance. The officers dismounted, and finding some cases of ammunitionwith the guns, turned these upon Theodore, and speedily drove him andhis companions up into the fortress again. 

Presently the 33rd and Naval Brigade arrived on the spot, as well asPenn's Battery, and fire was opened upon Magdala by the guns androckets. Soon some of the conical thatched houses which covered the topof Magdala were in flames, and after half an hour's fire the 33rdadvanced to the attack. As they ascended the steep hill, shots werefired from the inside. The 33rd replied by thrusting their musketsthrough the loopholes; others climbed up a steep shoulder, from whichthey commanded the back of the gate. The defenders were shot down, andthe English soon entered the place. A few shots more only were fired, and one of these proved fatal to the Abyssinian king. Whether he killedhimself, or whether he was shot, will ever remain a disputed question. But the general opinion was that he fell by his own hands. Certain itwas that the shot entered his mouth and passed out at the back of hishead. 

The work of the expedition was now over. Great numbers of nativeprisoners, many of whom had been detained in Magdala for years, werereleased; the huts dignified by the name of the Palace were fired; andsoon nothing remained of the royal town save blackened ashes. Theexpedition then turned its face to the sea, which it reached just intime. Had it been a few days later, the rains, which had alreadycommenced, would have filled the passes, and confined the troopsprisoners on the plateau land until their subsidence. 

The result of this expedition gave great satisfaction at home, and apeerage was conferred upon the able and fortunate commander, under thetitle of Napier of Magdala. 

CHAPTER TWENTY. 

THE ASHANTI WAR--1874. 

Seven years after the Abyssinian campaign another African war broke out, this time upon the western coast. 

Here, at a short distance above the line, lies the British colony ofCape Coast. The town, known as Cape Coast Castle, had been in thepossession of the English for centuries, and a large tract of countrydown the sea coast, and extending back 80 miles to the river Prah, wasunder their protectorate. 

North and west of the Prah were the Ashantis, a warlike race, who hadgradually conquered and absorbed all their neighbours. The rites andceremonies practised by the kings at Coomassie, their capital, were ofthe most savage and bloodthirsty nature, rivalled in this respect onlyby the neighbouring kingdom of Dahomey. At coronations, funerals, orother state occasions, it was customary to immolate hundreds of victims, and in order to supply this demand constant wars were undertaken. TheAshantis had for the most part kept up their connection with the seathrough Elinina, a town situate some seven or eight miles from CapeCoast Castle. This place belonged to the Dutch; but a short timebefore, it had been handed by them to us in exchange for some positionsfarther up the coast. This caused much offence to the Ashantis, whomaintained that Elmina was tributary to them, the Dutch having been inthe habit for very many years of sending an annual present, or, as theAshantis regarded it, tribute. 

The Ashantis had some grounds for their belief that they could overcomeany force that the English could send against them, for in the year 1824an expedition, headed by the governor, Sir Charles Macarthy, had crossedthe Prah against them, and had been surrounded and cut to pieces, onlythree men escaping. As this defeat had never been avenged, the Ashantiswere justified in the belief that they were capable of overrunning ourcountry; and in 1873 a large force crossed the Prah and fell upon thevillages of the Fantis, as the natives of this part under Britishprotection are called. The natives of the protectorate having for verymany years been prevented from fighting among themselves, had lost alltheir national virtues of bravery, and the consequence was that theywere utterly unable to withstand the advance of the Ashantis. 

The only forces at the command of the governor were some companies ofthe 2nd West India Regiment, a body of Fanti police, and a small forceof Houssas, an extremely brave and warlike people living near Lagos, ready at all times to enlist where fighting is likely to go on. Thislittle force was commanded by Lieutenant Hopkins; but, when the Ashantisapproached, the great body of our Fanti allies, after fighting for a fewhours, fled, and Lieutenant Hopkins, being unable with so small a forceto withstand the approach of the enemy, fell back. The Ashantis tookpossession of Dunquah, and thence threatened both Elmina and Cape CoastCastle. The castle itself was originally strong, and was still insufficiently good repair to resist any attack that the enemy were likelyto make upon it, but the town was entirely incapable of defence; and hadthe Ashantis pushed on after their victory, there can be little doubtthat both Cape Coast and Elmina would have fallen into their hands. 

Fortunately, however, HMS _Baracouta_, Captain Freemantle, arrived uponthe spot, and a body of 110 marines under the command of Lieutenant--Colonel Festing, of the Royal Marine Artillery, was landed. Martial lawwas proclaimed. The inhabitants of the native town of Elmina rose; butthe _Baracouta_ bombarded the place, and set it on fire, and the nativesretired to join their Ashanti friends in the woods. These were nowapproaching the town; and Colonel Festing landed with the marines andmarine artillerymen, a party of bluejackets belonging to the _Baracouta, Druid, Seagull_, and _Argus_, under Captain Freemantle, some men of the2nd West India Regiment, and a body of Houssas. The Ashantis, some 2000in number, marched boldly along, and attempted to outflank the positionoccupied by the English. 

In this they would have succeeded had not Lieutenant Wells of the_Baracouta_ opened fire upon them with a very heavy fire of Sniders onthe part of his tars. The head of the column was arrested, and ColonelFesting, advancing upon them with his main force, opened fire, and thus, attacked both in front and on the flank, the Ashantis fled, leaving 200killed. Several other skirmishes took place. Lieutenant Gordon, whohad raised a body of Houssas, did excellent service, and formed aredoubt at the village of Napoleon, about five miles from Cape Coast. Except, however, within range of the guns of the forts, the wholecountry was in the hands of the Ashantis. 

It was now evident that a force which was estimated at 20, 000 could notbe driven out from the vast woods which covered the whole country as faras the Prah, with so small a force as that at the disposal of theauthorities, and it was determined by the Home Government to send out anexpedition to deliver the protectorate of its invaders, and to chastisethe Ashantis on their own ground. In the meantime the _Simoom_ arrivedon the coast with a strong body of marines and marine artillerymen, andCommodore Commerell came up from the Cape of Good Hope and took thecommand of the naval portion of the forces. 

He determined to ascend the Prah with the boats of the squadron, to seewhat facilities that river offered as a means of advance into theinterior, and to communicate with the chiefs upon the bank. He hadascended the river only about a mile and a half when a very heavy firewas suddenly opened upon him by the enemy concealed in the thick bushwhich lined the banks. The commodore himself was badly wounded;Captains Luxmore and Helden were also severely hurt; and 4 men killedand 16 wounded. The boats returned at once to the _Rattlesnake_. Thetown of Chamoh, which stood at the entrance of the Prah, was the nextday bombarded and burnt. 

Several other skirmishes occurred; but as we were not in a position totake the offensive, and the Ashantis appeared indisposed to renew theirattacks upon Elmina or Cape Coast, things remained quiet until thearrival of Sir Garnet Wolseley, with some twenty English officers, inthe _Ambriz_. No troops had been sent with him, as it was consideredthat the situation might have changed before he reached the coast, orthat upon his arrival there he might find the force of marines andbluejackets, with the aid of the 2nd West India Regiment, another wingof which had come down from Sierra Leone, sufficient for the purpose. 

He found, however, that the situation was far too serious: that theFantis were utterly untrustworthy; and that with so small a force hecould make no impression upon the great Ashanti armies gathered in thewoods. Two regiments of natives were, however, enrolled, the one underLieutenant-colonel Evelyn Wood, the other under Major Russell, each ofthem numbering some 300 or 400 men. It was decided that the advanceinto Ashanti should be attempted from two different points. At thesouthern point of the colony, where the river Volta forms the frontierof the territory, Captain Glover, formerly of the Royal Navy, wascommissioned to raise a large native force. Upon the opposite side ofthe Volta the people were in alliance with the Ashantis, and unless astrong demonstration had been made at this point, they might at anymoment have crossed the river and attacked the protectorate from theeast. 

The first operation undertaken by Sir Garnet Wolseley was an attack uponseveral of the villages near Elmina, occupied by the Ashantis. The mostperfect secrecy was maintained as to the plans, for it was certain thatthe enemy were accurately informed of all our doings. It was given outthat Sir Garnet intended to go down to Accra, some 50 miles down thecoast, and many of his officers at the time of embarkation believed thisto be the true state of the case. 

On board ship all preparations had been made for landing, and beforedaybreak the men-of-war were off Elmina. The boats were at oncelowered, and the marines and bluejackets disembarked. At Elmina theywere joined by several companies of the 2nd West India Regiment ingarrison there. A large number of native bearers were also inreadiness, these having been sent off the night before, with orders tobring back stores. 

Morning was just breaking when the force moved forward. For the nextthree hours no resistance was met with. One village found deserted wasburnt. 

As they passed along through the bush, the Houssas, who had been drilledby Captain Rait, RA, kept up a tremendous fire, yelling and shouting. But as their aim was quite wild and half the guns fired into the air, much ammunition was wasted. Captain Freemantle with the sailors thenmade for the left of the wood so as to divert the enemy's attention. Aheavy fire was poured in upon them by the natives, who were completelyhidden from our men. 

The marines and bluejackets pushed on steadily in the direction of avillage which lay in the centre of the wood. The natives, who wereassembled in large numbers, kept up a heavy fire from the roofs of thehuts. As Captain Freemantle was advancing to find a better place forthe gun, he was wounded by a slug, which passed right through his arm, but fortunately was able to continue directing the gun. The Houssasunder Captain McNeill were doing little good by their indiscriminatefiring, and indeed it was a matter of some difficulty to keep themtogether. Colonel McNeill was severely hit in his arm, and subsequentlyhad to return to England from the effects of the wound. 

A combined movement was made upon the enemy, who retreated from thevillage before the dashing of the bluejackets. 

From this village the force marched to the sea coast, whence a portioncontinued their way some four miles farther, and attacked and carriedanother village, where the Ashantis made a somewhat obstinate defence. The force here was embarked by the boats of the squadron, while theremainder marched back to Elmina. The distance marched by the seamenand marines who had been up all night, was no less than 21 miles, undera burning sun. In the course of the march several deep swamps, wherethe water came over the men's knees, had to be crossed. The paths wereeverywhere difficult in the extreme, and yet no man fell out, and onlyfour were admitted to hospital upon the following day. 

The next engagement took place near Dunquah, where Colonel Festingcommanded the force. Sallying out to attack a large body of Ashantis, he inflicted considerable damage upon them; but their numbers were sostrong, and they fought with such determination, that he was obliged tofall back. Lieutenant Wilmot, who commanded eight Houssas of theartillery, was early in the fight wounded in the arm, but continued athis post until, an hour later, he was shot through the heart. A fewdays afterwards another indecisive fight of the same nature took place. 

A position of much importance, lying some three miles off the main road, was the village of Abrakrampa. This place had been a missionarystation, and contained a church and several houses, besides the villagehuts. It lay in the heart of the forest, and at night the sound of thewar-drums of the Ashantis could be plainly heard. The post wascommanded by Major Russell, with his black regiment, and he had with hima body of seamen and marines. As, however, the amount of fever amongthe white men on shore was very great, and the naval officer in command, Captain Freemantle--for Commodore Commerell had been obliged to returnto the Cape from the effect of his wound--was anxious that his menshould not remain upon shore, orders were sent up to Major Russell tomarch the marines and seamen down to the shore. Fortunately, however, an hour or two before the men were to start, the news arrived that theAshantis were advancing to attack the camp. 

A breastwork had been thrown up round the village, and the church wasconverted into a sort of keep, platforms having been raised inside tothe level of the upper windows, through which the marines and seamencould fire at the advancing enemy. When, from the noise in the woods, Major Russell became assured that the news was true, he sent a messengerto Cape Coast for assistance, and prepared to repel the attack. TheAshantis advanced with great bravery, but were driven back by the rapidfire kept up upon them from the breastworks and church, and presentlyfell back into the woods again. They, however, continued to beleaguerthe place, occasionally showing in great masses. 

Directly the news reached Cape Coast every available seaman and marinewas landed from the ships, and at seven in the morning the columnstarted. The distance was about 15 miles, and the heat tremendous. Anhour's rest was allowed at a village where the road for Abrakrampaturned off from the main line, and at the end of that time the greatproportion of our men were sufficiently recovered to continue theirmarch. They made a long detour, so as to avoid coming down by the roadby which the Ashantis would naturally expect them to advance, and inwhich they would have been engaged in a fight in the thick of theforest. They therefore arrived at Dunquah without firing a shot. 

It was then late in the evening. The following morning the black troopsadvanced into the forest, and reported that the Ashantis were in fullflight. The garrison then sallied out, and found that the villageoccupied as the Ashanti headquarters had been deserted, and that theenemy had left. They still, however, lingered in large numbers in thewoods near, for a party of Fantis were fallen upon, and many werekilled. 

The force of bluejackets and marines, together with the 2nd West IndiaRegiment, now advanced towards the Prah, the Ashantis hastilyretreating, and no more fighting took place. 

Thus the invasion of the protectorate was defeated, and the invadersdriven across their frontier, with a loss admitted by themselves ofseveral thousands, before the arrival of a single soldier from England, solely by the naval forces, aided by the one black regiment upon thespot. The West Indians were placed in garrison upon the Prah, and thebluejackets returned to their ships. 

In December the 42nd, a battalion of the Rifle Brigade, and the 23rdFusiliers arrived. It was found, however, that it was impossible toprovide transport for so large a force, and the 23rd were thereforere-embarked, together with a battery of Royal Artillery which had alsocome out. Two hundred of the Fusiliers, however, subsequently re-landedand marched to the front. 

On the 1st January the disembarkation took place, and the 42ndHighlanders and Rifle Brigade marched for the front, the Naval Brigadehaving gone up a week previously. On the 20th the bridge across thePrah was completed by the bluejackets and engineers, under the commandof Colonel Home. Lord Gifford, in command of a party of native scouts, first went forward, and was followed by Wood and Russell's nativeregiments. These pushed forward without opposition, and gained thecrest of the Adansi hills. The King of Ashanti was now seriouslyalarmed, and sent in three German missionaries and a French merchant, whom he had retained for some time as prisoners. 

Short as the time had been that the force was on shore, already largenumbers were suffering from sickness, and out of the total Europeanforce of 1800 men, 215 were already unfit for duty. 

Without opposition the force arrived as far as Fommanah, a large village30 miles from Coomassie. Here letters were received from the king, asking for peace. Sir Garnet Wolseley, however, demanded that hostagesconsisting of leading members of the king's family should be given up asproofs of his sincerity. The king, however, who was in reality onlytrying to gain time, took no notice of the demand, and the advancecontinued. 

At the village of Borborassie, a few miles farther, the Ashantis offeredtheir first resistance. The place was carried with a rush by the NavalBrigade, a company of Fusiliers, and some of Russell's regiment. Captain Nicol, who led the advance, was killed. 

Information was now gained that the enemy was posted in great force nearthe villages of Amoaful and Beckquah, and here a battle was expected totake place. Owing to the number of garrisons left at the various postsupon the road, Wood's regiment was now reduced to three companies only, Russell's to four companies. These regiments took their place in theline in the rear of the Naval Brigade. 

The plan of battle was that the 42nd were to form the main attackingforce, and were to drive the enemy's scouts out of Agamassie, a littlevillage two miles in front of Amoaful, situate in a dense wood. Aftercarrying the village, they were to move straight on, extending to theright and left, and if possible advance in a skirmishing line throughthe bush. The right column, consisting of half the Naval Brigade andWood's regiment, was to cut a path out to the right, and then turnparallel with the main road, so that the head of the column should touchthe right of the skirmishing line of the 42nd; the left column, consisting of the other half of the Naval Brigade, was to proceed aftera similar fashion on the left. The Naval Brigade, it should be said, was commanded by Commodore Hewett. The company of the 23rd was to gobehind the head-quarter staff, and the Rifle Brigade to remain inreserve. Thus, could this plan of battle have been carried out, thewhole would have formed a hollow square, the right and left columnsprotecting the 42nd from any of those flanking movements of which theAshantis were always so fond. 

Upon the preceding evening Major Home, advancing from the village ofQuarman, at which the head of the column had halted the night before, cut a wide path to within 50 yards of the village of Agamassie, andascertained that that village was held by a small body only. 

The 42nd went on in advance, and with a rush carried the village. For aminute or two the fire lulled, and then from the circle of woods lyingaround it, a tremendous fire broke out upon them. The first shot wasfired a few minutes before eight. The 42nd gradually made their wayforward; but some delay elapsed before the Naval Brigade could take upthe two positions assigned to it, for Agamassie was but a tiny village, and this was so encumbered by the troops, and with the bearers of thehammocks and ammunition, that movement was difficult in the extreme. The noise was prodigious, the Ashantis using very heavy charges ofpowder. Close to the village Captain Buckle of the Royal Engineers wasshot dead as he led his men, cutting a path into the forest from whichthe Ashanti fire was pouring out. 

For an hour but little advance was made, the Ashantis holding theirground most tenaciously. The two bodies of the Naval Brigade wereaccompanied by parties of Rait's artillerymen with rockets, but the fireof these and the Sniders was insufficient to clear the way. Even afteran hour's fighting, the Ashantis still held the bush, not 200 yards fromthe village, and two companies of the Rifle Brigade were sent up theleft-hand road to keep the line open. The wood was so thick that theNaval Brigade were unable to make much way, and were forced to lie downand fire into the dense bush, from which the answering discharges cameincessantly, at a distance of 20 yards or so. The air above wasliterally alive with slugs, and a perfect shower of leaves continued tofall upon the path. 

In the wood, all just views of direction were lost. The sailorscomplained that the 23rd or the 42nd were firing at them, and the 42ndand 23rd made the same complaint of the Naval Brigade. In fact, fromthe denseness of the wood, and the general and continuous roar ofmusketry, it was impossible to gain any just ideas of direction. 

Colonel Macleod, who commanded the left column, presently found theresistance in front of him cease; but he knew nothing of the position ofthe 42nd, with whose left he should have been in touch. 

The 42nd were having a hard time of it. They were well handled by MajorMacpherson, who was in command. For a time they succeeded in forcingthe enemy back, but coming to a swamp between two rises, their advancewas for a time completely arrested. Not an enemy was to be seen; butfrom every bush on the opposite side the puffs of smoke came thick andfast, and a perfect rain of slugs swept over the ground on which theywere lying. Captain Rait, assisted by Lieutenant Saunders, brought hisgun--for from the narrowness of the path he was able to bring only oneinto action--well to the front of the 42nd, and poured round after roundof grape into the enemy, until their fire slackened a little, and the42nd again advanced. At the top of the hill the Ashantis made again adesperate stand. Here the gun again did good service, and at last theregiment fought their way over it, the enemy contesting every foot. Another rush was made, and the regiment then burst through the wood intothe open clearing in which the large village of Amoaful was situate. Out of 450, they had 9 officers and 104 men wounded. For a short timethe Ashantis kept up a fire from the houses; but the 42nd soon drovethem from the village, and all further resistance at this point was atan end. 

The right-hand column, too, had suffered severely. Colonel Woodreceived a slug in the left breast, and 6 naval officers and 20 men werealso wounded. Captain Luxmore, RN, was in command here. A company ofthe Rifle Brigade had been sent out to strengthen them, when all atonce, just when the battle appeared over, the Ashantis made a tremendouseffort to turn our flank and to retake the village of Agamassie. TheRifles in reserve sprang to their feet and advanced to meet them, andfor a while the roar of musketry was as heavy as it had been during theday. Then, after an hour's fighting, Sir Garnet Wolseley gave the wordto advance. The men of the Rifle Brigade sprang forward, and in fiveminutes the Ashantis were in full retreat. Altogether, including thenatives, the number of British casualties exceeded 250. 

The force slept at Amoaful, and the next day the Naval Brigade, withRussell's regiment and Rait's battery, supported by the 42nd, moved offthe main road to attack the neighbouring village of Beckquah, which wasthe capital of one of the most powerful of the Ashanti kings. As thenarrow road entered the clearing, the enemy opened a tremendous fireupon them. Lord Gifford rushed forward, followed by his scouts. TheHoussas, who were next behind, for once hung back; but the sailors, whocame next, sprang forward over the Houssas, and entered the village. The natives, encouraged by the smallness of our force, fought strongly;and as there were over a thousand fighting men in the village, we shouldhave suffered heavily had not the lesson given the day before of thewhite men's superiority stood us in good stead; and as the Houssas andother companies of Russell's regiment now poured in, the enemy speedilylost heart and fled. The troops were placed in position to defend theplace from any attack from the bush, and the sailors, provided withport-fires, set fire to the town from end to end. 

Next day the advance began, the orders being that every man was toreceive four days' rations, and each regiment take its own provision andbaggage. The advance began at seven o'clock. The road was found strewnwith the litter cast away by the retreating enemy. The road was verydifficult and boggy. Streams had to be bridged in many places by theengineers, and it took six hours to move as many miles. At one villageon the way, a thousand of the enemy assembled to make a stand; but theirdefence was feeble, and Russell's regiment carried the place at a rush. 

Upon reaching the village of Agamemmoo, the general sent back for thebaggage. This did not arrive until nearly four o'clock, and it was thentoo late to move on in the night. The clearing was a small one, and soclose had the troops to lie, that the whole width and length of thestreet was paved with human bodies. The next day there was fightingduring the whole march, the Ashantis having placed several ambushes. The streams and swamps were even more frequent than upon the daypreceding, and eight hours were occupied in going six miles, when thecamp halted on the river Dah. A flag of truce came in, but as the kingdid not send the hostages required, preparations were made for anadvance at daybreak in the morning. The engineers set to work to bridgethe river, and Russell's regiment waded through, and bivouacked upon theopposite bank. 

The night was tremendously wet; but the troops moved forward in highspirits in the morning. The fight commenced as soon as the column hadcrossed, and was a repetition of that of Amoaful. Lieutenant Saunders, in the front, with his gun cleared the way with grape. The Bonny men, who were in advance, would at last go no farther, and Lieutenant Eyre, adjutant of Wood's regiment, to which they belonged, was killed. 

The Rifles then came forward, and very slowly the advance was continueduntil the head of the column was within 50 yards of the village. Thenthe Rifles gave a cheer, and with a sudden rush cleared the way to theopen, and carried the village. In the meantime the whole column wasengaged in repelling a series of flank attacks. These attacks were mostgallantly persevered in by the Ashantis, who at times approached in suchmasses that the whole bush swayed and moved as they poured forward. Their loss must have been extremely large, for our men lined the roadand kept up a tremendous Snider fire upon them. Our own casualties wereslight, the road, like almost all roads in the country, being sunk twofeet below the level of the surrounding ground; consequently the menwere lying in shelter, as behind a breastwork. 

The Naval Brigade at one time inflicted great slaughter upon the foe, byremaining perfectly quiet, until the enemy, thinking that they hadretired, advanced full of confidence, cheering, when a tremendous firealmost swept them away. 

It took us, altogether, nearly six hours from the time our advance beganuntil the rear-guard had gained the village, a distance of only a mileand a half. Coomassie was still six miles off, and had the Ashantiscontinued to fight with the same desperation, we should not have reachedCoomassie that night. 

The instant the baggage was all in the village, the advance again began. 

At first the Ashantis fought with great determination. But our menpushed steadily forward, and then, advancing at a double, the foes, scared by the onslaught, gave way, and fled at the top of their speed. The whole force now pushed forward, and without further oppositioncrossed the pestilential swamp which surrounds Coomassie, and enteredthe town. 

The king and the greater portion of his fighting men had retired, and asthe provisions were running short, and the force greatly weakened by thenumber of wounded and of men who had dropped with fever, it wasimpossible to pursue him in the bush. After a day's halt, theblood-stained capital was burnt, and the army retired to the coast. 

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE. 

SPIRITED AND GALLANT EXPLOITS. 

A REMARKABLE RESCUE. 

The following account is given in the words of Admiral Castle:--

"In the year 1837, I commanded HMS _Pylades_, on the East India station. We were on our return home, by the way of the Cape of Good Hope, when, on the 8th of May of that year, we were off Cape L'Agulhus. It wasblowing a heavy gale of wind, with a tremendous sea running, such a seaas one rarely meets with anywhere but off the Cape, when just atnightfall, as we were taking another reef in the topsails, a fine youngseaman, a mizen-topman, James Miles by name, fell from themizen-topsail-yard, and away he went overboard. In his descent he cameacross the chain-span of the weather-quarter davits, and with such forcethat he actually broke it. I could scarcely have supposed that he wouldhave escaped being killed in his fall; but, as the ship flew away fromhim, he was seen rising on the crest of a foaming wave, apparentlyunhurt. The life-buoy was let go as soon as possible, but by that timethe ship had already got a considerable distance from him; and evencould he reach it, I felt that the prospect of saving him was smallindeed, as I had no hope, should we find him, of being able to pick himout of that troubled sea; and I had strong fears that a boat would beunable to swim, to go to his rescue, should I determine to lower one. Iwas very doubtful as to what was my duty. I might, by allowing a boatto be lowered, sacrifice the lives of the officer and crew, who would, Iwas very certain, at all events volunteer to man her. It was a momentof intense anxiety. I instantly, however, wore the ship round; andwhile we stood towards the spot, as far as we could guess, where thepoor fellow had fallen, the thoughts I have mentioned passed through mymind. The sad loss of the gallant Lieutenant Gore and a whole boat'screw a short time before, about the same locality, was present to mythoughts. To add to the chances of our not finding the man, it was nowgrowing rapidly dusk. As we reached the spot, every eye on board wasstraining through the gloom to discern the object of our search, butneither Miles nor the life-buoy were to be seen. Still, I could notbring myself to leave him to one of the most dreadful of fates. He wasa good swimmer, and those who knew him best asserted that he would swimto the last. For my part, I almost hoped that the poor fellow had beenstunned, and would thus have sunk at once, and been saved the agony ofdespair he must be feeling were he still alive. Of one thing I feltsure, from the course we had steered, that we were close to the spotwhere he had fallen. Anxiously we waited, --minute after minute passedby, --still no sound was heard; not a speck could be seen to indicate hisposition. At least half an hour had passed by. The strongest man alivecould not support himself in such a sea as this for so long, I feared. Miles must long before this have sunk, unless he could have got hold ofthe life-buoy, and of that I had no hope. I looked at my watch by thelight of the binnacle lamp. `It is hopeless, ' I thought; `we must givethe poor fellow up. ' When I had come to this melancholy resolve, Iissued the orders for wearing ship in a somewhat louder voice thanusual, as under the circumstances was natural, to stifle my ownfeelings. Just then I thought I heard a human voice borne down upon thegale. I listened; it was, I feared, but the effect of imagination; yetI waited a moment. Again the voice struck my ear, and this time severalof the ship's company heard it. `There he is, sir! There he is away towindward!' exclaimed several voices; and then in return they uttered aloud hearty cheer, to keep up the spirits of the poor fellow. Now camethe most trying moment; I must decide whether I would allow a boat to belowered. `If I refuse, ' I felt, `my crew will say that I am careless oftheir lives. It is not their nature to calculate the risk theythemselves must run. ' At once Mr Christopher, one of my lieutenants, nobly volunteered to make the attempt, and numbers of the crew cameforward anxious to accompany him. At last, anxiety to save a drowningman prevailed over prudence, and I sanctioned the attempt. 

"The boat, with Mr Christopher and a picked crew, was lowered, notwithout great difficulty, and, sad to say, with the loss of one of thebrave fellows. He was the bowman; and, as he stood up with hisboat-hook in his hand to shove off, the boat give a terrific pitch andsent him over the bow. He must have struck his head against the side ofthe ship, for he went down instantly, and was no more seen. Thus, inthe endeavour to save the life of one man, another was already sent tohis long account. With sad forebodings for the fate of the rest of thegallant fellows, I saw the boat leave the ship's side. Away she pulledinto the darkness, where she was no longer visible; and a heavy pull Iknew she must have of it in that terrible sea, even if she escapeddestruction. It was one of the most trying times of my life. We waitedin suspense for the return of the boat; the minutes, seeming like hours, passed slowly by, and she did not appear. I began at length to dreadthat my fears would be realised, and that we should not again see her, when, after half an hour had elapsed since she had left the ship's sideon her mission of mercy, a cheer from her gallant crew announced herapproach with the success of their bold enterprise. My anxiety was not, however, entirely relieved till the falls were hooked on, and she andall her crew were hoisted on board, with the rescued man Miles. To mysurprise I found that he was perfectly naked. As he came up the side, also, he required not the slightest assistance, but dived below at onceto dry himself and to get out of the cold. I instantly ordered him tohis hammock, and, with the doctor's permission, sent him a stiff glassof grog. I resolved also to relieve him from duty, believing that hisnervous system would have received a shock from which it would take longto recover. After I had put the ship once more on her course, beinganxious to learn the particulars of his escape, as soon as I heard thathe was safely stowed away between the blankets, I went below to see him. His voice was as strong as ever; his pulse beat as regularly, and hisnerves seemed as strong as usual. After pointing out to him howgrateful he should feel to our Almighty Father for his preservation froman early and dreadful death, I begged him to tell me how he hadcontrived to keep himself so long afloat. He replied to me in thefollowing words:--`Why, sir, you see as soon as I came up again, after Ihad first struck the water, I looked out for the ship, and, gettingsight of her running away from me, I remembered how it happened I wasthere, and knew there would be no use swimming after her or singing out. Then, sir, I felt very certain you would not let me drown without anattempt to pick me up, and that there were plenty of fine fellows onboard who would be anxious to man a boat to come to my assistance, ifyou thought a boat could swim. Then, thinks I to myself, a man can diebut once, and if it's my turn to-day, why, there's no help for it. YetI didn't think all the time that I was likely to lose the number of mymess, do ye see, sir. The next thought that came to me was, if I am todrown, it's as well to drown without clothes as with them; and if I getthem off, why, there's a better chance of my keeping afloat till a boatcan be lowered to pick me up; so I kicked off my shoes, and then I gotoff my jacket, and then, waiting till I could get hold of the two legsat once, I drew off my trousers in a moment. My shirt was soon off me, but I took care to roll up the tails, so as not to get them over myface. As I rose on the top of the sea, I caught sight of the ship asyou wore her round here, and that gave me courage, for I felt I was notto be deserted; indeed, I had no fear of that. Then I knew that therewould be no use swimming; so all I did was to throw myself on my backand float till you came up to me. I thought the time was somewhat long, I own. When the ship got back, I saw her hove to away down to leeward, but I did not like to sing out for fear of tiring myself, and thoughtyou would not hear me; and I fancied also that a boat would at once havebeen lowered to come and look for me. Well, sir, I waited, thinking thetime was very long, and hearing no sound, yet still I could see the shiphove to, and you may be sure I did not take my eyes from off her; whenat last I heard your voice give the order to wear ship again. Thenthinks I to myself, now or never's the time to sing out. And, raisingmyself as high as I could out of the water, I sang out at the top of myvoice. There was a silence on board, but no answer, and I did begin tofeel that there was a chance of being lost after all. "Never give in, though, " thinks I; so I sung out again, as loud, you may be sure, as Icould sing. This time the answering cheers of my shipmates gave mefresh spirits; but still I knew full well that I wasn't safe on boardyet. If I had wanted to swim, there was too much sea on to make anyway; so I kept floating on my back as before, just keeping an eye toleeward to see if a boat was coming to pick me up. Well, sir, when theboat did come at last, with Mr Christopher and the rest in her, I feltstrong and hearty, and was well able to help myself on board. I now canscarcely fancy I was so long in the water. ' I was much struck with theextraordinary coolness of Miles. He afterwards had another escape, which was owing less to his own self-possession, though he took it ascoolly as the first. On our passage home, the ship was running with alightish breeze and almost calm sea across the Bay of Biscay, when Mileswas sent on the fore-topgallant-yard. By some carelessness he fellcompletely over the yard, and those aloft expected to see him dashed topieces on the forecastle. Instead of that, the foresail at that momentswelled out with a sudden breeze, and, striking the bulge of the sail, he was sent forward clear of the bows and hove into the water. A ropewas towing overboard. He caught hold of it, and, hauling himself onboard, was again aloft within a couple of minutes attending to his duty, which had so suddenly been interrupted. On his arrival in England, Lieutenant Christopher received the honorary silver medal from the RoyalHumane Society for his gallant conduct on the occasion of saving Miles'life. "

TWO COURAGEOUS SWIMMERS--1838. 

HMS _Seringapatam_, Captain Leith, was lying off the island of Antigua, in August 1838, when, on Sunday, the 26th of that month, eight of herofficers, three of whom were youngsters, and all belonging to themidshipmen's berth, with a gentleman, a resident in the island, and twoseamen, started away from the ship in a pinnace on a cruise. Theirintention was to go down to Falmouth Bay, situated about two miles toleeward of English Harbour, where the ship was, and to beat back. Theafternoon was very fine, and everything seemed to promise them apleasant excursion. Having spent a short time in Falmouth Harbour, theyhauled their wind, and made three or four tacks on their way back to theship. The boat, however, made little or nothing to windward, inconsequence of the wind being very light. Forgetful of the suddensqualls which visit those latitudes, the merry party of young officersseemed to have kept but a bad look-out to windward; for, while standingin on the starboard tack, the boat was taken by a sudden squall. Thehelm was put down; but the boat not coming up to the wind so as to liftthe sails, she was capsized under every stitch of canvas. She, however, went over so gradually, that all hands had time to creep to windward andseat themselves on the gunwale. The sails prevented her from turningbottom up, and at the same time protected them in some measure from thebreaking of the sea. What seems very extraordinary is, that not one ofthe party, officers or seamen, had a knife in his pocket, so that theyhad no means of cutting away the rigging and righting the boat. As soonas they had settled themselves on the side of the boat, they had time tolook about them, and to consider their perilous position. They werefully two miles from the shore, whence it was scarcely possible anyoneshould have observed the accident, and they were an equal distance ormore from the ship; thus the current might carry them far away beforeanyone could come to their assistance. A sea might get up and wash themoff the wreck; or sharks might attack and devour them, for the boat'sgunwale was only six inches awash. Not a sail was in sight; and allfelt convinced that if some unforeseen assistance did not come to theiraid, they must perish. Despair was well-nigh taking possession of thebosoms of all the party. Silent and melancholy they sat on the wreck, meditating on their fate. All were young. Life, with all its fanciedcharms and anticipated pleasure, had a few short moments previously beenbefore them; and now, death in all its terrors--slow, lingering, andagonising--stared them in the face. One only of the whole party was agood swimmer, Mr W. R. Smith, and he was a very bold and strong one. He looked at the shore: two miles was a long distance to swim, with afull consciousness, too, that those deep waters swarm with thoseterrific monsters of the deep, the seamen's just dread--the hideous, shark. "Well, " said Smith at last, looking wistfully at the distantshore, "I feel that I ought to try, as it is the only chance of savingall hands; and I think I could have managed it if I had had but acompanion, but it's a long way to go alone through the silent water. "

"If that is your only reason, Smith, why, I will try and keep youcompany, " said Palmes, another midshipman, who had hitherto sat silent, not complaining like some of the rest. "I am not much of a swimmer, andI don't feel as if I could ever get to shore. However, it's a goodcause, and I'll do my best. " Thus it was speedily settled, for therewas no time to be lost. The two noble adventurers, having bid farewellto their shipmates, whom Palmes, at all events, never expected to seeagain, threw off their jackets and shoes, and struck away together fromthe wreck. The prayers of those they left behind followed them, for thesafety of all depended on their success. Smith swam steadily andstrongly, and Palmes made amends for his want of strength and skill byhis courage and spirit. Still, before they got half-way to the shore, the courage of one of them was to be sorely tried. As Smith swam along, he felt his legs strike against something, and, looking down into theclear water, he saw, to his horror, two enormous sharks swimming pasthim. As yet they had not noticed him; and fortunate was it for both ofthe brave fellows that they had kept on their trousers and socks, forhad the monsters seen the white flesh of their naked feet, they would toa certainty have fixed on them as their prey. With admirable presenceof mind, Smith kept this dreadful fact to himself, lest the knowledge ofit should still further unnerve his companion, who already was almostexhausted by his exertions. At this time they were still full a milefrom the shore, which, to their anxious eyes, appeared still fartheroff. "Smith, my dear fellow, " exclaimed Palmes, "I can swim no farther. Do you push on, and leave me to my fate. "

"Not I, my lad, " answered Smith. "Cheer up, man; we'll yet do well. Here, rest on me for a time; but don't cease striking out. " Suiting theaction to the word, he came alongside and supported his companion; buthe did not tell him why he urged him to keep striking out. Again theystruck out together, and Palmes seemed somewhat recovered; but once morehis strength forsook him, and he fancied himself incapable ofproceeding. Still Smith did not lose courage; but he saw the necessityof keeping their limbs moving, lest the dreadful sharks should betempted to lay hold of them. Palmes had fully as much moral courage ashis companion, but he was his inferior in physical strength; yet, feeling that not only his own life and that of Smith, but that of theirnine fellow-creatures remaining on the wreck, depended on their reachingthe shore, nerved him to further exertions. 

Those only who have swam for their lives, when the arms have begun toache, the knees refuse to bend, and the breath grows short, can tell thefeelings of the two gallant young men, but more especially those of thebrave Palmes. Spurred on by Smith, each time that he grew faint andweary, he nerved himself for fresh exertions. At last, as they strainedtheir eyes ahead, the shore seemed to come nearer and nearer. Theycould distinguish the sandy beach and the green herbage beyond. On asudden, before even he expected it, Smith felt his foot touch the shore. With a joyful exclamation of thankfulness, he grasped Palmes by thehand, and aided him to wade on to the dry land. No sooner had theyemerged from the water, than, overcome with fatigue, poor Palmes sankdown on the beach, where he lay for some time unable to move. We fainwould believe--nay, we are certain--that they both offered up in theirhearts a silent thanksgiving to the Great Being who had thus mercifullypreserved them from the perils of the deep. But the gallant Smith, while rejoicing in his own preservation and that of his friend, did notforget the shipmates he had left floating on the wreck. As soon as hehad recovered sufficient strength to move, he hurried off to the nearesthabitation, to give information of the accident, and to procure a boatto go to their assistance. Already much time had been lost. It washalf-past four when the accident occurred, and they had been two hoursin reaching the shore, so that darkness was now rapidly approaching, which, of course, would increase the difficulty of finding the wreck. The instant Palmes was able to move, he also got up and went in searchof a boat. He procured one, with a crew to man it, while Smith tookcharge of another; and they immediately started in search of theirshipmates. Meantime information of the sad accident had been conveyedon board the _Seringapatam_. The kind heart of the captain was muchgrieved when he heard of it, for he could not but fear that theremainder of the party had perished. From him, downwards to thesmallest boy in the ship, everybody was most painfully anxious aboutthem. He instantly despatched boats in all directions to search for themissing party. All sorts of reports were flying about on board; and assharks were known to abound, it was feared by the seamen that they mighthave destroyed their young shipmates. The night also became very bad:the wind rose, and threatened to increase; the sea got up with it, thickclouds collected, and the white-topped waves added to the gloominess ofthe night, while the rain came down in torrents, and the lightning burstforth in sharp and vivid flashes, increasing the dangers to beapprehended. The boats of the _Seringapatam_ took different directions, each officer commanding shaping the course he thought most likely tobring him up to the wreck. Some of the searching boats went in a wrongdirection altogether, being misled by a pilot as to the direction thecurrent took. Hour after hour passed by, and no sign of the wreck wasperceived; and both those on board, and many of those in the boats, began to despair of success. As they looked out through the darkness, they fancied they could hear the voices of their shipmates at adistance, imploring aid, or that they saw their figures on the bottom ofthe boat amid the surrounding gloom. We shall, however, follow the_Seringapatam's_ barge, commanded by her gunner. He knew the set of thecurrent; and, as soon as he shoved off from the ship's side, he randirectly down to leeward along the coast, at the distance he understoodthe boat had been capsized, he being thus better able to calculate thedirection in which she would have drifted. His purpose was then to beatback again, thus entirely covering the ground where the wreck must be. On his way down he fell in with the shore-boat, commanded by Mr Smith, who, at once approving of his plan, joined him in the search. By theircalculations, the boat would have drifted some five or six miles toleeward, and would be drawn rather off shore. They were right; andabout the very place where they expected, she was discerned stillfloating as Smith had left her. With anxious hearts they pulled up toher. Five only of the nine were seen still clinging to her. The otherfour had too probably given themselves up to despair. The crew of thebarge cheered, and were answered with a faint hail from those they hadcome to save, almost sinking from exhaustion. "Where are the rest?"exclaimed Smith, as he saw their diminished numbers. "Only a shortdistance inshore of us, " was the answer. "They have not left the wreckfive minutes. "

"Alas! but in those five minutes the poor fellows may have sunk fathomsdown, or been grasped by the jaws of the hungry sharks, " thought Smith, as he instantly pulled away in the direction indicated. 

His four shipmates were found not far apart, each of them lashed to anoar, and striking out as well as they could for the shore; but, strangeto say, only one of them could swim at all. 

It was then past nine o'clock, making nearly five hours that the poorfellows had held on to the boat, with all the horrors of death staringthem in the face; for of course they were not aware that Smith andPalmes had reached the shore, and indeed had begun to fear that theywere already numbered with the dead. Their pleasure, and--we believe, their gratitude--was increased when they discovered that both hadescaped, and had been the means under Providence of preserving theirlives. 

Their sufferings had been very great. When the storm came on, theyexpected every moment to be washed from the wreck; and, to add to theirhorrors, a shark had been for most of the time lying between the mastsof the pinnace, his fiery eyes glaring up at them, and watching them, asabout soon to become his prey. Had it not, indeed, been for Smith'scoolness and skill as a swimmer, and for the generous daring of Palmes, in all human probability every soul must have perished. Thecircumstances we have narrated having been represented to the RoyalHumane Society, the silver medallion of the Society, with acomplimentary letter, was sent out, and presented on the quarter-deck ofthe _Seringapatam_, by Captain Leith, to each of the two young officers, in the presence of the whole ship's company, --a suitable and gratifyingreward for their gallantry, in addition to that their own consciencescould not fail to afford. 

Some years after the events I have just described, Mr W. R. Smith, having reached the rank of lieutenant, belonged to HMS _Endymion_. Onthe 4th of February 1847, she was at anchor off Sacraficios Island, nearVera Cruz. The night of the 4th was excessively dark, and a strongcurrent was running past the ship, when Mr West, mate, slipped his footfrom the gangway, and fell into the sea, striking his head against theship's side. On the cry of "A man overboard!" which was instantlyraised, Lieutenant W. R. Smith and others rushed on deck; but, owing tothe excessive darkness and the strong current, no object could at firstbe seen floating. At length something white was perceived at adistance, when Lieutenant Smith immediately plunged into the water, andstruck rapidly out towards it. On reaching the object, he found it tobe Mr West, who was lying quite motionless, though, from his headsinking under water, he would speedily have been deprived of life. Lieutenant Smith at once raised his head above water, and kept himfloating until by repeatedly calling he attracted a boat to hisassistance, when he and his companion were carried on board. The crewwere thickly clustering on the rigging to see them return, and fromamong them another man missed his footing and fell overboard from themain-chains. Mr Smith, who saw the accident, not knowing whether theman could swim, instantly plunged in again to his assistance, but found, on reaching him, that he was perfectly able to keep himself afloat tillthe boat could arrive to pick him up. 

RESCUE OF A BOAT'S CREW--JANUARY 1840. 

HMS _Wolverine_ formed one of the African squadron, and was commanded bythe brave and kind Commander Tucker. She had been cruising off thecoast, when, on the 15th of January 1840, she anchored off the riverBrass, or Saint John, one of the mouths of the far-famed and mysteriousNiger. Captain Tucker had made himself thoroughly acquainted with thecoast, as well as with the modes of proceeding of the slave-dealers andof the slavers, and he was thus enabled to capture a very large numberof vessels, though, with single-minded purpose, as his object was tostop the slave trade, he endeavoured to take them before they got theirslaves on board. Soon after the brig had brought up, about four milesfrom the shore, Captain Tucker ordered the boats to be hoisted out, andto be fitted for service during an absence of three days. While thiswork was going forward, a canoe was observed paddling off from the shoretowards the ship. On her coming alongside, she was found to contain twonatives of great consequence, it seemed, judging from their costume, --that is to say, if scarlet dresses, or rather wrappers round the loins, and ornamented caps, might be admitted as tests of rank. They came upthe side without hesitation, and, after some cross-questioning, theyinformed Captain Tucker that they had seen a fine schooner, underAmerican colours, up the river Nun, and that from her appearance andmovements there could be no doubt that she was a slaver. The promise ofa reward induced them, with negro eagerness, to undertake all CaptainTucker proposed, --to act as spies, and to bring further informationabout the vessel, and then to perform the part of pilots in conductingher, when captured, down the river. This information, which it washoped was correct, hurried the departure of the boats. LieutenantDumaresq took charge of the pinnace, as commanding officer of theexpedition; Mr Arthur B. Kingston, then a mate, had the cutter; andMr Thorburn, another mate of the _Wolverine_, went in the gig. Water, provisions, and arms having been placed in the boats, and all beingready, they shoved off from the ship at half-past ten in the morning. Lieutenant Dumaresq had one of the black pilots in his boat, and MrKingston had the other with him. Sometimes sailing when there was abreeze, and at others, when it fell light, the crews, eager for work ofsome sort, pulling away with a will, they soon reached the mouth of theriver Brass. The river is here pretty broad; its banks, as far as theeye can reach, covered with tall mangroves, their dark foliage impartinga sombre and almost funereal aspect to the scenery. After the boats hadpulled about ten miles up the Brass, they reached a sort of naturalcanal which connects the Brass with the Nun. On passing through this, they entered the Nun, when they hove to for dinner, --a meal not at allunwelcome after their long pull. The crews being refreshed, they againbent to their oars, and proceeded about 30 miles up the Nun. Darknessnow rapidly came on, and they were no longer able to see ahead, nor hadthey been able to discover anything of their looked-for prize. Onquestioning their black volunteer pilots, the worthy gentlemen seemedvery uncertain, not only whether the slaver had sailed, but where shehad been and where they then were. One declared that they had come muchhigher up than where she was last seen, and that she had probably beensheltered from their observation in one of the numerous creeks which runthrough the banks of the river. In this dilemma a council of war washeld, and at first it was proposed to retrace their steps, till theelder of the black pilots offered to take a small canoe they had withthem higher up the river, to ascertain whether or not the slaver wasthere. This proposal being agreed to by Lieutenant Dumaresq, the twonegroes pulled away, and were soon lost in the darkness, not withoutsome slight misgivings as to whether or not they would ever return. However, to pass the time during the absence of the negroes, they pipedto supper. A small portion only of the ship's biscuit and salt pork hadbeen discussed, and a glass of grog had just been served out all round, when the canoe was seen gliding at full speed out of the darkness, thedip of her paddles just breaking the stillness of the night. "Well, mymen, any news of the slaver?" asked the lieutenant in an eager whisper, for the return of the canoe gave him hopes that a prize was at hand. "Ship live there, " answered the elder black, in the clear and distincttones in which his race can speak, but still only in a whisper. Nosooner was this announcement made than the oars were got outsimultaneously, and, at a word from Lieutenant Dumaresq, the boats wentahead like magic. Not a word except the necessary ones of command wasuttered. Everyone knew the importance of silence. The three boats, urged on by their eager crews, advanced abreast at full speed. Tenminutes, or little more, were sufficient to show the dark outline of aschooner, her masts and spars relieved against the starry sky. Silentas the grave, the boats pulled on, their oars so carefully dipped, thatscarcely a splash was heard. Those on board the schooner slept, orseemed to sleep, for not a sound was heard from her decks. A slaver'screw, however, conscious of the risks they are running in theirnefarious traffic, are seldom off their guard, and the British seamenwere fully prepared for a reception with a shower of grape and musketry. Yet, without a thought of the consequences, on getting close to her, onthey dashed with a cheer, and in another instant were alongside andscrambling up her sides. So unexpected had been their attack, that notan attempt at resistance was made; and, to the no small delight ofLieutenant Dumaresq and his followers, they found themselves inpossession of a fine little schooner, which proved to be the _Lark_, with a crew of no less than thirty Spaniards. They were first allproperly secured and sent down below, with orders to behave themselves, and a hint that if they did not, it would be the worse for them. 

A slaver's crew have a right, it is understood, to try and retake theirvessel without being treated as pirates and hung in case they do notsucceed, or are afterwards captured; so it becomes necessary to keep avery sharp look-out after them. Her papers were at the same timesecured, and, on her circumstances being investigated, not a doubtremained as to her character. 

Bending sails, and getting all ready for an early start, occupied sometime, when, the watch being set, with strict orders to keep a wakefuleye on the prisoners, the rest of the party lay down on the sails, andwere soon sound asleep. 

At early dawn all hands were roused up, and the schooner was very soongot under weigh. There was little or no wind to fill her sails, so theboats' crews had to tow her down the river, hoping to find a breeze, asthey got near its mouth, to take her out. Nine miles of their distancehad been thus accomplished, when, at about seven o'clock, as she waspassing through a long reach of the river Nun, a sail hove in sight, which was soon discovered to be a rakish two-topsail schooner. Shestood boldly on up the river towards the barracoons, either notobserving the little _Lark_, or, at all events, not suspecting intowhose hands she had fallen. Lieutenant Dumaresq on this instantlyordered the man-of-war boats to be hauled up alongside of the schooneron the opposite side to that on which the stranger was approaching, sothat she should not observe them, and, by taking fright, endeavour tomake her escape. At the same time, the pinnace and gig were manned andheld in readiness (the crews being well armed) to board the schooner, Mr Kingston receiving orders to remain in charge of the _Lark_ with thecutter's crew. On slowly came the stranger, the light wind only justenabling her to stem the current. She seemed totally unconscious of theneighbourhood of her enemies. On a sudden something seemed to awakenher suspicions; and Lieutenant Dumaresq, judging that the best time hadarrived for taking possession, shoved off and pulled towards her as fastas the crews could lay their backs to the oars. Mr Kingston meantimewas left in command of the _Lark_, with the cutter's crew; Mr Thorburnaccompanied their leader. Away went the boats. The stranger now forthe first time was aware of her danger, or rather certainty of capture, unless she could blow the approaching boats out of the water; but shecould have had but slight hopes of doing so with any chance of ultimatesuccess, as she saw that the _Lark_ was in the hands of her enemies, andshe could not tell how many people might be remaining on board to avengethe destruction of their comrades. Still, slavers, when they have seena chance of success, have often fought desperately; and the cutter'screw on board the _Lark_ watched with deep interest the approach of thetwo boats to the big schooner, not knowing what moment she might openher fire on them; but the slaver's crew had not even the brute-likecourage to induce them to fight in defence of their accursed calling, and, without firing a shot, they allowed the two boats to comealongside. Once having a firm hold of the slaver's chains with theirboat-hooks, the British seamen very quickly scrambled on board. Thecrew, who were chiefly Spaniards, made no opposition, nor did a numberof other people, who, dressed in shore-going clothes, announcedthemselves as passengers. There was certainly a wonderfully sea-goinglook about them, though they all seemed very anxious to leave the vesselas fast as possible. Now, as the consequences of detaining peopleagainst their will are often very disagreeable, Lieutenant Dumaresq, whatever might have been his suspicions, thought it best to allow thegentlemen to take their departure. It was afterwards discovered thatthe fellows, who were all of them belonging to the slaver's crew, tookon shore a very considerable number of doubloons, which form in generalthe most valuable portion of a prize, unless she has her cargo of slaveson board; the slave-vessel herself and her stores rarely sell for much. What was called head-money has of late years been reduced to one-fourthof what it was formerly. The new prize proved to be the _Asp_, a fitname for a slaver, though she was now effectually deprived of her sting. As soon as she was thoroughly overhauled, and all her forthcomingpapers secured, the Spanish crew were sent below, and the man-of-war'sboats began towing the two schooners down the river. It was laboriouswork, after the incessant labour for so many hours the men had gonethrough; but a prize tows easily, and the gallant fellows cheerfullybent to their oars. Thus the two vessels proceeded on rapidly betweenthe mangrove-covered banks of the river. By five p. M. The entrance ofthe Nun appeared in sight, and preparations were instantly made forcrossing the bar, --I must rather say bars, for there are three, onewithin the other, at some distance apart; and over them, when thecurrent sets out and the wind blows in, the sea breaks with greatviolence, so that, under those circumstances, the crossing them, even ina decked vessel, is a work of very considerable danger. On thisoccasion appearances were far from favourable: the wind was foul, andblowing very strong; a heavy sea was breaking over the bars, itsincessant roar seeming like a warning not to venture into its power;while evening was rapidly closing in, the coming darkness threatening toincrease the difficulties to be encountered. Still Mr Dumaresq wasunwilling to expose his followers to the baneful atmospheric influencesof another night spent within the mouth of the river, or to the chancesof attack from any of the slavers' friends who might be in theneighbourhood, and who would always be ready to win back a prize at anysacrifice of the lives of the captors; though that was a contingency notlikely to happen. He was rather influenced, probably, by his anxiety tosecure his prizes, and to report his proceedings to his superiorofficer. The schooners had anchored just inside the inner bar, and allthe necessary preparations having been made, and the tide serving, theyagain got under weigh. Mr Dumaresq led in the _Asp_, directing MrKingston to follow in his wake. This Mr Kingston did, approaching thebar on the starboard tack, the _Lark_ having the cutter towing astern, and her own boat, which could not be hoisted up on account of thetackles being unrove, and a net full of vegetables being worked athwartthe davits. Neither could her boat be got on board, on account of thecrowded state of the decks. As the _Lark_ drew close to the bar, theappearance of things in no degree mended. Hands were placed in thechains, who kept the lead constantly going; and, as the water shoaled, the schooners had to tack repeatedly, wearing sometimes, as the heavyswell threatened otherwise to prevent their coming round. From thefirst, Mr Kingston had but little confidence in the black volunteerpilot who had accompanied him on board the _Lark_; and now, though heurged him by threats to perform the duty he had undertaken, and tried tostimulate him to exertion by reminding him of his promised reward, heonly answered, "This is no my bar!" and finally threw himself down onthe deck under the bulwarks, refusing to take any further charge of thevessel. It must be remembered that the boats had entered the Niger bythe _Brass_ river, the bar of which was _his bar_, and that he hadbargained to act as pilot through its mouth, so that there was ampleexcuse for the poor wretch; this, however, in no degree lessened thedanger of the position in which the little _Lark_ was placed. 

It was now perfectly dark and very squally, while nothing was visible tomark the course the vessel should pursue but the phosphorescent light ofthe breakers stretching across the bar from shore to shore; while to allappearance there seemed to be reef only beyond reef, destruction onwhich it was scarcely possible the schooner could escape. Though the_Lark_ was pressed to the utmost, the _Asp_ soon distanced her; andthough Lieutenant Dumaresq showed lights, they were of little or no usein guiding her course. Squall after squall struck the little schooner;and, as she heeled over, it sometimes appeared that she would neveragain rise, or be able to beat out through the tremendous surf whichcame rolling in. At length Mr Kingston judged it wise to shorten sail, which he forthwith did, having set only his mainsail, jib, andfore-and-aft foresail, a fore-trysail. He also sent a good hand on thefore-yard to look out for any break which might happily appear in thewhite wall of surf which came rolling in over the surrounding shoals. The little _Lark_ had now reached the innermost of the three bars, andwas pitching into the seas, which came foaming up and rolling over herdecks. She had the cutter towing after her, and astern of that was theschooner's boat. That very soon began to fill, and finally swamped, when it became necessary to cut her adrift. This was done, and shequickly disappeared. At about a quarter to eight a blue light wasobserved close to windward; and as the _Lark_ was wearing off theheaviest part of the bar, some voices were heard hailing her. It wassoon discovered that they proceeded from the pinnace, which hadapparently several hands in her. Again they hailed, imploring to bepicked up, stating, as far as could be understood, that they had brokenadrift from astern of the _Asp_, with the gig, which was lost; and fromthe words which reached the _Lark_, Mr Kingston was very much afraidthat several lives were already sacrificed, while it seemed too probablethat those in the pinnace would share the same fate, unless he couldmanage to get near them to take them on board. There was not a momentto spare. The pinnace, it must be understood, was inside the _Lark_, higher up the river, the _Lark_ having passed her after she had brokenadrift from the _Asp_. In another minute she would have drifted amongthe breakers, when the destruction of all on board would be sealed. Topick her up under weigh was almost impossible; and, with the tide andheavy sea, the schooner could not be steered with any degree ofcertainty even near her; and could even this be done, the probabilitieswere that she would be swamped before the men could be got out of her. The young officer therefore saw that but one course only was open forhim to pursue with any chance of success, and that involved immense riskboth to the vessel and his people. To think is to act with a Britishseaman in a case of emergency. He saw that to intercept the boat hemust anchor; and, having both anchors clear, and a hand by the weatherone all along, he ordered it to be let go, though he had but two fathomsat the time under the vessel's keel, while the surf from the second barwas curling up round the vessel's sides, threatening to make a clearsweep of her decks. His order to let go was perhaps not understood, orthe Spanish crew, some thirty in number, seeing what was about to bedone, and expecting instant destruction in consequence, endeavoured toimpede it; at all events, he had to rush forward and cut the stopperswith an axe, which he luckily had at hand. 

The schooner brought up all standing, the sea at the same instant makinga terrific breach over her; but the helmsman was a good hand, andsheered her over to the exact spot the pinnace must pass. The whole wasthe work of a moment. The boat drifted near, a rope was hove into her, and providentially caught by the nearly exhausted crew. She was hauledalongside, her people being got out, while some fresh hands went downinto her and secured her with her own cable and the end of theschooner's main-sheet. At the same time the schooner's fore-sheet waspassed into the cutter as a preventer. Four men were saved from thepinnace. They stated that she and the gig had been towing astern of the_Asp_, with two hands in each, when, on crossing the inner bar, theyboth broke adrift together. Instead, however, of the two men in thepinnace getting into the gig, which they might have managed, those inthe smaller got into the larger boat, fancying they would be safer, whenthey found themselves totally unable to pull her against the tide, or toguide her to shore. The _Lark_ very soon after this began to drive, when the other anchor was dropped under foot, while they veered away onthe larboard cable. She now held, but the breakers made a clean breachover her decks, washing adrift the numerous casks, loose spars, fowl-coops, and a variety of other things; and in addition, what wasworse than all, a large scuttle-butt of palm-oil. Meantime, to increasethe confusion and danger, the cutter and pinnace were striking the sternand quarters of the vessel with great force, often coming as far forwardas the main-chains on both sides. The Spaniards had from the first beenvery unruly, and they now gave symptoms of an intention of breaking intoopen mutiny. In addition, therefore, to the variety of other duties theBritish seamen were called on to perform, it became necessary for themto keep their arms in readiness, to repel any sudden attack the fellowsmight venture to make on them for the purpose of regaining the schooner. The palm-oil, also, which is like very thick red mud, had coated thewhole deck from before the foremast nearly as far aft as the mainmast, making it more slippery even than ice, so that no one could either standor walk on it. The water, also, had no effect on its greasycomposition, and as there were no ashes on board to strew over it, onepart of the deck became almost separated from the other. The Spaniardswere evidently watching their opportunity, and kept eyeing the Britishseamen with no friendly intentions. They were four to one of them, andthough deprived of their muskets and cutlasses, they had still the longknives in their belts, without which no Spaniard ever thinks his costumecomplete. The wretches kept up such a hubbub, and did so much to impedethe work of the vessel, that some of them very nearly got shot, as ahint to the rest of what they might expect if they proceeded toextremities. The gallant young officer himself had little fear of whatthey might venture to do, as, considering the dilemma the vessel wasplaced in, surrounded by shoals, with heavy breakers close at hand, andin thick darkness, they could scarcely hope to get out to sea and escapethat way, or, if they returned up the river, to avoid recapture shouldthey regain possession of the vessel. In obedience, however, to hiswritten instructions, he kept some of his people under arms to watch thefellows. For full half an hour the little schooner lay in this way, itbeing expected every instant that her anchors would part, when a roller, more severe even than the others, threw the cutter on board on thelarboard quarter, breaking the bunk adrift and capsizing it. As thevessel rose again, the boat fell aft and immediately filled, when shewas of necessity cut adrift to prevent her doing more damage; and assoon as this was done she sank. Shortly after this the squalls began tobecome less frequent, and the breakers moderated gradually; an opening, also, was seen in the line of sparkling foam from the fore-yard; so MrKingston resolved to make sail and to get out of the river. Hecontrived to weigh the starboard or lee anchor, after very manyfruitless attempts to do so on account of the heavy surges; but as itwas found impossible to purchase the weather one, it was slipped, andthe schooner wore round under her jib in a quarter less two fathoms. Asharp-sighted seaman stood on the fore-yard, from whence he conned thevessel, --the lead kept going as before. The mainsail was then set, andthe schooner stood out towards the opening which appeared in the surf. She obeyed her helm readily, the rocks and shoals were avoided, and atlength the outer bar was safely passed. At about ten p. M. She came upwith the _Asp_, anchored a short distance outside. Lieutenant Dumaresqstood with speaking-trumpet in hand, and hailed the _Lark_. "I'm gladyou've got out safe; but I fear four of my poor fellows are lost, andour two boats. "

"They're safe on board, and I have your boat in tow, " was the answer. Aloud congratulatory cheer from the British seamen on board the _Asp_signified their satisfaction at the success of Mr Kingston's gallantexploit. He then anchored, and, going on board the _Asp_, was furtherthanked and congratulated by his superior officer; who had not onlygiven up all hopes of the people in the pinnace and gig having escaped, but of the _Lark_ herself, as his own vessel had had a most perilouspassage across the bars. She had struck three times, in one of whichshocks the boats had broken adrift. The two schooners again weighed andran down to the _Wolverine_, lying off the Brass, ten miles distant. Ontheir arrival, Mr Kingston had the satisfaction of receiving thewarmest approval of his excellent commander for the gallantry andjudgment he had displayed. The vessels were afterwards sent to SierraLeone, where they were condemned and cut up. 

Mr Kingston having taken the _Lark_ schooner to Sierra Leone, where shewas condemned, was appointed to HMS _Saracen_, which soon afterwardsarrived there. From that place the _Saracen_ sailed for the riverGambia, soon after the 2nd of March. 

On the evening of the 13th of the same month, while on her passagethere, when it was blowing fresh, with a heavy cross sea, a ladaged nineteen, named John Plunket, fell overboard from themain-topgallant-yard. In falling he struck against the topsail-yard andthe sweeps stowed on the quarter, and was bleeding at the mouth andalmost senseless when he reached the water. The lad could not swim, andhis death seemed inevitable; when Mr Kingston, who was on thequarter-deck, without a moment's hesitation sprang overboard, exclaimingto his commander as he ran aft, "Send a boat as quick as you can, sir--I'll save him. " He struck out bravely towards the poor lad, but beforehe could reach him he sank. A cry of horror arose from all on board, for they thought the lad was lost, though every exertion was made to geta boat in the water to pick up Mr Kingston. Plunket, however, againrose, and Mr Kingston grasping hold of him, supported him above water, though with much difficulty, as the lad, who bled profusely from themouth and nostrils, convulsively clung round him, and almost dragged himdown to the bottom. Fortunately, he released himself from the clutch ofthe now senseless youth, and continued to support him by swimming andtreading water. For fear of exhaustion, he afterwards threw himself onhis back, and, placing the head of his almost inanimate shipmate on hischest, he kept him up for a quarter of an hour, till a boat reached themand took them on board. 

On another occasion, while on the coast of Africa, in a spot wheresharks were known to abound, Mr Kingston leaped overboard after anotherlad who had fallen into the water. Fortunately the life-buoy was let goat the same time, and, wisely catching hold of it, he towed it up to thesinking youth, and providentially preserved his life. 

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO. 

GALLANT DEEDS. 

HUMANITY OF LIEUTENANT BREEN, RN--MEDITERRANEAN, 1850. 

That the seamen of the British navy are as humane as they are brave wehave numberless examples to prove. The following is one of numerousinstances in which they have risked and often sacrificed their lives forthe good of others, and should on no account be passed over. 

As one of the boats of HMS _Ganges_, forming part of the British fleetin the Piraeus, with Lieutentant Breen, Mr Chatfield, midshipman, and16 men, was returning from the shore, laden with water, she was swampedand turned over just half-way between the _Queen_ and the east point ofthe island of Lypso. 

Mr Breen, Mr Chatfield, and most of the men, immediately struck outfor the island, and reached it. The gale increased, and the cold becameso intense that their clothes were frozen stiff upon them. In themorning they could see the fleet, but were unable to draw attention tothemselves by the signals they were making. One of the men suffered somuch from the cold that Lieutenant Breen generously stripped off hiscoat and put it on him. As the day closed, most of the men retired intoa cave; but Mr Breen separated himself from the others, and was no moreseen. On board the _Ganges_ it was thought that they had not put offfrom shore; but next night it was known that they had set out, and aboat was sent to search. As she was passing by Lypso at dawn on thethird day, the wrecked boat was accidentally descried on the beach. MrChatfield and half a dozen men were found in the cave in a torpid state;Mr Breen was found dead, crouched under a bush, and ten seamen weremissing. There is little doubt that poor Mr Breen lost his life fromhis generous act in favour of the suffering seamen. The survivors foundin the cave all recovered. 

GALLANTRY EXHIBITED IN PRESERVING LIFE--CAPTAIN WASEY, RN--1860. 

On the 22nd of January 1860, the schooner _Ann Mitchell_ went ashorenear Fleetwood. A new lifeboat, not long before placed there by theNational Lifeboat Institution, was immediately launched, when CaptainWasey, Inspecting Commander of the Coast Guard, to encourage the men, went off in her. A strong tide was running in, and a hard gale blowingfrom the west-north-west. It was night. Stronger and stronger blew thegale, the sea breaking terrifically on the shore and over the haplessvessel. A small steamer was got ready, and took the lifeboat in tow. Even thus but slow way was made in the teeth of the gale, the tide, andthe raging sea. Still the steamer persevered. Slowly she gainedground, and at length, having got to windward of the wreck, the tow-ropewas cast off, and the boat proceeded alone on her work of mercy. Shegot within a few yards of the wreck, when a tremendous sea rushing in, struck her and filled her, breaking some of her oars. At that moment itseemed as if the lifeboat herself was doomed to destruction. She wasbut small, pulling only six oars, and scarcely fitted for the arduouswork in which she was engaged. Captain Wasey now anchored, andattempted to veer her down to the wreck, but the strong tide runningdefeated his intention. The anchor being then weighed, another attemptwas made to board the vessel to leeward; but a heavy sea striking her, she was thrown over altogether, her masts falling within a few feet ofthe lifeboat, whose brave crew thus narrowly escaped destruction. Again, therefore, Captain Wasey determined to anchor to windward, andonce more to veer down. This time success attended the efforts of thelifeboat's crew, lines being thrown on board of the wreck and secured. One of the people from the schooner then threw himself into the sea, andwas hauled into the boat; but unhappily the others appeared to be eitherfearful or unable to follow his example; and, from the pitchy darknessand the noise of the sea and wind, it was impossible to communicateintelligibly with them. Captain Wasey learned from the man saved, thatthree persons remained; one--the master--had his back hurt, andanother--a boy--his leg broken. While endeavouring to carry out theirhumane purpose, a heavy sea broke over both vessel and boat, carryingaway the lines, and sweeping the boat some 300 yards to leeward. Manyseamen might have despaired of regaining the wreck, but the men of thelifeboat, encouraged by their gallant leader, pulled up once more, inthe hopes of saving the poor fellows on the wreck. Great was theirdisappointment, however, on again getting alongside, to discover thatthe last heavy sea had washed them all off. Captain Wasey and hisgallant followers having done all that men could do, had at length toreturn to the shore with one only out of the four people who had formedthe crew of the _Ann Mitchell_. They had been thus occupied for nearlynine hours of a dark winter's night, with untiring exertion andexposure. The lifeboat had been launched at six p. M. On the 22nd, anddid not return to the shore till forty minutes past two a. M. On the23rd. 

Their labours in the cause of humanity were, however, not over for thatday. Soon after daylight broke, it was reported to Captain Wasey thatanother vessel had apparently sunk on the shoals which surround andextend to a long distance from the port of Fleetwood. Rising without amoment's hesitation, he summoned John Fox, chief boatman of the CoastGuard, and coxswain of the lifeboat, with some other men, and two of hisformer crew, James Turner and John Aspingal, fishermen. The lifeboatwas once more afloat, and, towed for two hours against a strong tide andheavy sea by the steam-tug, she at length reached the wreck, whichproved to be the schooner _Jane Roper_, of Ulverstone. Her crew, consisting of six men, were in the rigging, crying out for aid. CaptainWasey and his men happily succeeded in getting them all on board, and inlanding them safely at Fleetwood. 

On the 19th of February, while it was blowing a heavy gale from thenorth-north-west, with squalls, the schooner _Catherine_, of Newry, wenton shore, when again Captain Wasey went off in the lifeboat, andsucceeded in saving all the crew. 

On 20th October 1861, the same brave officer, taking command of thelifeboat, was instrumental in saving the lives of 16 persons from thebarque _Vermont_, of Halifax, Nova Scotia, wrecked on Barnett's Bank, three miles from Fleetwood. For these and various other similarservices he has received several medals and clasps from the RoyalNational Lifeboat Institution. 

GALLANTRY OF LIEUTENANT BOYLE, RN. 

Lieutenant the Hon. H. F. Boyle, RN, chief officer of the Coast Guardat Tenby, distinguished himself in the same humane manner. 

At daybreak on the 2nd of November, the smack _Bruce_, of Milford, anchored, being totally dismasted, about three miles east of Tenby. Itwas blowing a furious gale from the west-south-west, and the sea, running very high, threatened every instant to overwhelm the smack, orto drive her on the rocks. Lieutenant Boyle, immediately on seeing hercondition, embarked in the Tenby lifeboat, and pulled off towards theunfortunate vessel. Her crew, three in number, were found in an almostexhausted state, and taken into the lifeboat, which then made for thesmall harbour of Saundershott, four miles distant. 

On the 9th of November, at nine p. M. , the commencement of a dark coldnight of that inclement season, a large brig was observed to go on shorein Tenby Bay. The lifeboat, manned by her usual varied crew ofcoastguardsmen and fishermen, under the charge of Robert Parrott, chiefboatman of the Coast Guard, who acted as coxswain of the lifeboat, atonce proceeded through a tremendous sea towards her, the wind blowing agale from the south-west. The vessel was discovered to be on shore, ina peculiar position, on a rocky reef, so that she could only beapproached from windward. The lifeboat's anchor was accordingly let go, with the intention of being veered down to the wreck, but a heavy rollerstriking the boat, carried away the cable and broke three of her oars. 

Finding it then impossible to close with the vessel, in consequence ofher peculiar position and the heavy sea breaking over her, the lifeboatreturned to Tenby, and Lieutenant Boyle and his crew proceeded to thespot with all haste by land with the rocket apparatus. Several effortswere made before the party succeeded in sending a line over the wreck. At length perseverance crowned their efforts, a line was thrown, andcaught by the crew on the wreck; a stouter rope was next hauled onboard, and by its means, in the course of three hours, the whole of thecrew, who would otherwise have met with a watery grave, were safelylanded. The silver medal of the Lifeboat Institution was awarded toLieutenant Boyle, and the second-service clasp was added to the medalreceived on a former occasion by Robert Parrott. 

LOWESTOFT LIFEBOAT. 

Few boats have been the means of saving more lives from destruction thanthat of the lifeboat belonging to Lowestoft, on the Suffolk coast. Wewill mention a few instances to show the way in which the seamen andboatmen of that place have risked their lives for the sake of those oftheir fellow-creatures. On the 26th of October 1859, the schooner _LordDouglas_ parted from her anchors in a heavy gale from the south, andfoundered off the village of Carton, on the Suffolk coast; the crew, asshe went down, climbing into the rigging, where they lashed themselves. 

The Lowestoft lifeboat proceeded under sail to the spot, and, havinganchored to windward of the wrecked vessel, succeeded in getting linesdown to the crew, who were then drawn from the masts safely on board, and were landed at Carton. So heavy was the gale, that she split herforesail in the service. Scarcely had the lifeboat returned from savingthe crew of the _Lord Douglas_, than another schooner, though lying withthree anchors ahead, drove ashore at Carton. A foresail was borrowed, and the lifeboat again started on her mission of mercy. She reached thevessel under sail, and happily succeeded in rescuing all the crew; buthaving split her borrowed sail, she was compelled to run in for Yarmouthbeach. Here the shipwrecked crew were hospitably received at theSailors' Home. 

Again, on the 1st of November, the screw-steamer _Shamrock_, of Dublin, ran on shore on the Holme Sand during a heavy gale from the south-west. As soon as the position of the unfortunate vessel was discovered, thelifeboat was launched, and proceeded under sail to the spot. The seawas breaking fearfully over the mast-head of the steamer, repeatedlyfilling the lifeboat. To increase the danger, an expanse of shoal-waterlay close to leeward of the wreck, so that had the lifeboat's cableparted, her destruction and that of her crew might have followed. Fullyaware of the risk they ran, they persevered, as brave men will, in spiteof danger to themselves; and, sending lines on board the wreck, thewhole crew, not without considerable difficulty, were hauled on board. 

BRAVERY OF JOSEPH ROGERS, A MALTESE SEAMAN--25TH OCTOBER 1859. 

No one will forget the dreadful loss of the _Royal Charter_ on the Welshcoast, when, out of 490 souls on board, not more than 25 persons came onshore alive; but many may not recollect that it was owing, underProvidence, to the bravery, presence of mind, and strength of one manthat even these few were saved. When the ship struck on the rocks, thesea instantly broke over her with fearful violence, filling theintermediate space between her and the shore with broken spars andfragments of the wreck; while the waves burst with fury on the hardrocks, and then rushed back again, to hurl with redoubled force on theiron shore the objects which they had gathered up in their forwardcourse. Pitchy darkness added to the horror of the scene and the dangerto be encountered by the hapless passengers and crew of the ill-fatedship. Among the ship's company was a Maltese, Joseph Rogers--afirst-rate swimmer, as are many of the inhabitants of the island inwhich he was born. To attempt to swim on shore in that boiling caldronwas full of danger, though he might have felt that he could accomplishit; but the difficulty and danger would be far greater should theswimmer's progress be impeded by a rope. In spite of that, thinkingonly how he might save the lives of those on board the ship to which hebelonged, taking a line in hand, he plunged boldly into the foaming sea. On he swam; the darkness prevented him from being seen, but those onboard felt the rope gradually hauled out. Anxiously all watched theprogress of that line, for on the success of that bold swimmer the livesof all might depend. If he failed, who could hope to succeed? Atlength they felt it tightened, and they knew that it was being hauled upby many strong hands on shore. Now a stout rope was fastened to theline, and that being hauled on shore was secured, and a cradle wasplaced on it. No time was to be lost. The large ship was striking withterrible violence on the rocks, it appearing that every instant would beher last. One after the other, the people on board hastened into thecradle--as many as dared to make the hazardous passage. Ten, fifteen, twenty landed--the twenty-fifth person had just reached the shore, when, with a horrible crash, the ship parted, breaking into fragments, and 454persons were hurried in a moment into eternity. Even Rogers, braveswimmer as he was, could not have survived had he attempted to swimamong those wreck-covered waves. For his heroic courage the NationalLifeboat Institution awarded the gold medal to Rogers and a gratuity of5 pounds. 

REMARKABLE INSTANCE OF ENDURANCE OF A CREW OF BRITISH SEAMEN. 

A small fishing smack, with a crew of five people, was wrecked offBacton, near Great Yarmouth, on the 27th of November 1859. The poor menwere in the rigging, without food or drink, for 60 hours before theywere rescued from the mast of their sunken vessel, to which they hadbeen clinging for more than 60 hours. For three nights and two daysthey held on to this uncertain support, about 8 feet above the ragingsea, without food, and almost without clothing. One of the men took offhis shirt and held it out as a signal of distress, till it was blownfrom his feeble grasp. The vessel struck upon the Harborough Sand onFriday evening at nine o'clock, and they were not rescued till teno'clock on Monday morning--a case of most remarkable endurance. Thevessel was but a small one, a smack with four hands. The fourth hand, aboy, climbed the mast with the others, and held on till the Saturday, when he became exhausted, and, relaxing his hold, slipped down into thesea. One of the men went down after him, seized him, and dragged him upthe mast again; but there was nothing to which to lash him, and nocrosstrees or spars on which to rest; so that during the night, whenalmost senseless with cold and fatigue, the poor boy slipped down again, and was lost in the darkness. On Sunday they were tantalised with thehope of immediate succour. A vessel saw their signals and heard theircries, and sent a boat to their relief; but after buffeting with thewind and tide, they had the mortification to see her give up theattempt, and return to the vessel. Then it was that black despair tookpossession of them, and they gave themselves up for lost; but clingingto their frail support for an hour or two longer, they heard a gun fire. This gave them fresh courage, for they took it to be a signal, as infact it was, that their case was known, and an attempt would be made tosave them. The vessel stood in and communicated with the shore, and aboat put off to search for them; but they were such a speck on theocean, that, night coming on, they could not be seen, and the boatreturned to shore. For the third night, therefore, they had still tocling on, expecting every moment that the mast would go over and burythem in the deep. On the Monday morning the Bacton boat made anotherattempt, fell in with them at ten o'clock, and landed them at Palling, more dead than alive, whence, as soon as they could be moved, they werebrought to the Yarmouth Sailors' Home, their swollen limbs, benumbedframes, and ghastly countenances testifying to the sufferings they hadundergone. At this Home the poor men remained several weeks, receivingevery attention from the officers of the establishment. 

To conclude our short account of the services of lifeboats, we may statethat in the year 1860 the lives of no less than 326 persons were savedby those stationed on the British coast, every one of which would havebeen lost. 

We will give another example, to exhibit more clearly the nature of thework the brave crews undertake. 

In the early part of that year, as the day closed, it was blowing aheavy gale off Lyme-Regis. About eight o'clock at night the alarm wasgiven that a vessel was in distress in the offing. It was pitchy dark;indeed, the intense darkness, the strong gale, and the heavy surf onshore were enough to appal any man entering the lifeboat. After someshort delay, however, the boat was manned by a gallant crew--hercoxswain, Thomas Bradley, being early at his post. Tar barrels werelighted up on shore, and the boat proceeded on her mission of mercy. Sotruly awful was the night, that nearly everyone on shore believed shewould never return again. However, after battling with the fury of thestorm, and after an absence of about an hour and a half, the lifeboatdid return, laden with the shipwrecked crew of three men of the smack_Elizabeth Ann_, of Lyme-Regis. 

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE. 

A BRUSH WITH AN IRONCLAD. 

On the 29th of May 1877 two British corvettes, the _Shah_ and the_Amethyst_, were engaged in the only encounter at sea in which HerMajesty's ships have been engaged, (with the exception of fights withslavers) for very many years, and this conflict was the more remarkableinasmuch as their opponent was an ironclad. Peru is the land ofrevolution and revolt against authority. Such a rising took place inthe last week of May. Pierola, the leader, had as his friends theofficers of the Peruvian ironclad the _Huascar_, and this vesselpronouncing in his favour, put to sea with him on board. The PeruvianGovernment at once sent news of the mutiny on board this ship to Admiralde Horsey, and also notified that they would not be answerable for theproceedings of those on board. The _Huascar_ put into Perajua, and tookcoal from an English depot there; she then put to sea, stopped twoBritish steamers and took coal also from them. As this was an act ofpiracy on the high sea, Admiral de Horsey determined to engage herwhenever he met her. 

On the 28th of May the _Huascar_ appeared off the port of Iquique. Herboats disembarked a portion of her crew, and after a fight with thePeruvian troops, they captured the town. A few hours after that thePeruvian squadron, consisting of the ironclad _Independencia_, thecorvette _Unica_ and the gunboat _Pilsomayo_, arrived, and it wasresolved to engage the _Huascar_. The fight lasted for an hour and ahalf, and then darkness came on and the _Huascar_ steamed away. 

The next morning she met the _Shah_ and the _Amethyst_. Admiral Horseysent an officer on board the _Huascar_ to demand her surrender. Pierolarefused, and upon the return of the officer to the _Shah_, the battle atonce commenced. 

The _Huascar_ was built for the Peruvian Government by Messrs. Samuda, and was a turret-ship mounting two 300-pounder guns in her turret. Shehad also two 40-pound pivot-guns. The _Shah_ and _Amethyst_ wereunarmoured cruisers, but in point of number of guns they were superiorto the ironclad. The fight lasted for three hours. The _Huascar's_smoke-stack was pierced, and damage done to her deck beams, but themetal of the British guns were not heavy enough to pierce the armour. In the course of the fight the _Shah_ launched a Whitehead torpedoagainst the ironclad, but it failed to strike her. The British shipswere ably handled, and received no serious damage in the encounter; andafter a three hours' engagement the _Huascar_ steamed away and made fora Peruvian port. As this was the first time that unarmoured vessels hadventured to engage an ironclad of modern type, every credit is due tothe gallantry of our seamen, although they were unsuccessful in theirattempt to capture or sink their opponent. 

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR. 

GALLANT DEEDS PERFORMED BY NAVAL MEN. 

DEATH OF CAPTAIN BROWNRIGG--1881. 

This officer had greatly distinguished himself by the energy and successwith which he had carried on operations against the slaving dhows duringthe term of his command on the Zanzibar coast. On the 27th of November1881 he started in the steam pinnace of the _London_, accompanied by hissteward, a native interpreter, and a writer, with a crew consisting of acoxswain, Alfred Yates, three seamen, and three stokers. CaptainBrownrigg was going upon a tour of inspection among the boats engaged inrepressing the slave trade, and the various depots. On his way heexamined any dhows he met which he suspected to contain slaves. On the3rd of December a dhow was sighted flying French colours. In such casesit was not Captain Brownrigg's custom to board, but only to go alongsideto see that the papers were correct. He therefore ordered the boat'screw to be careful not to board without direct orders, intending a merecursory examination, and no detention whatever, as he did not arm theboat's crew, and directed the time alongside to be noted. 

He went alongside without hailing or stopping the dhow in any way, thewind being light and the craft scarcely forging ahead. 

Prior to getting alongside he sent the coxswain forward to make a hook, with a chain and rope attached, fast to the dhow, his object in doing soseemingly being to prevent the necessity of the vessel stopping, and toenable him to converse with the captain and to quietly verify herpapers. He took the tiller himself, and was alone, with the exceptionof his steward (a Goanese) and a native interpreter, in the after-part, which is separated from the rest of the boat by a standing canopy, overwhich one has to climb to get fore or aft. It was still more cut off bythe fact of the main-boom having been raised to the height of the top ofthe ensign staff on the mainmast, and over it the after-part of therain-awning was spread, being loosely gathered back towards the mast. 

When the boat was quite close to the dhow, a man, supposed to be thecaptain of her, stood up aft with a bundle or roll of papers in hishand, and said something as he unfolded them, and pointed to the Frenchflag. What he exactly said is unknown. 

There were then visible on board the dhow four men, two aft and twoforward, all armed with the usual Arab swords and creeses. Theforecastle sun-awning was spread at the time from the foremast to astanchion shipped abaft the stern-piece, and under it were twobluejackets and the writer, the leading stoker was at the engines, whilst the two stokers appear to have been sitting on the inside of thegunnel of the well, i. E. The space for boilers and engines. 

As the coxswain was standing on the stem of the boat, in the act ofmaking fast with the hook rope, he caught sight of some eight or ten mencrouched in the bottom of the boat with guns at the "ready" position. He sang out to the captain aft, when they rose up and fired; he flungthe hook at them, and closed with one, both falling overboard together. 

The Arabs, the number of whom is variously estimated at from fifteen totwenty-five, then jumped into the pinnace with drawn swords and clubbedguns. As their first fire killed one man (a stoker) outright, mortallywounded another, and severely wounded two others of the boat's crew, theArabs found but little difficulty in driving the rest, unarmed as theywere, overboard. 

Captain Brownrigg and his steward were the only two left, and both werein the after-part of the boat. He seized a rifle, and at the first shotknocked an Arab over; but before he could reload three or four of themrushed aft to attack him, getting on the top of the canopy and at thesides, but he, clubbing his rifle, kept them at bay, fighting with adetermination that filled the survivors, who were then in the waterunable to get on board, with the greatest admiration, they describinghim as "fighting like a lion. "

He knocked two of his assailants over, but was unable to get at themproperly, owing to the awning overhead, whilst they were above him onthe canopy cutting at him with their long swords, but fearing to jumpdown and close with him. As he knocked one over, another took hisplace. 

The first wound that seems to have hampered him in the gallant fight wasa cut across the forehead, from which the blood, pouring over his face, partially blinded him. He was then cut across the hands, the fingersbeing severed from the left and partially so from the right one, and, badly wounded in both elbows, he could no longer hold the rifle. 

He then appears to have tried to get hold of any of his foes or ofanything wherewith to fight on, but, blinded as he was, his efforts werein vain. He fought thus for upwards of twenty minutes, keeping his faceto his assailants, and having no thought, or making no effort, to seeksafety by jumping overboard. At length he was shot through the heartand fell dead, having, besides the fatal one, received no less thantwenty wounds, most of them of a severe, and two of a mortal nature. 

During this time, of the men in the water, Thomas Bishop, seaman, wasbadly wounded, and was supported to the dinghy astern of the pinnace byWilliam Venning, leading stoker, who was himself slightly wounded in thehead by a slug. There he held on, but the Arabs, hauling the boat upalongside the pinnace, cut him over the head until he sank. 

Samuel Massey, A. B. , was severely wounded, and was supported to theshore, a distance of about 700 yards, by Alfred Yates, leading seaman, and William Colliston, ordinary; the remaining stoker swam there byhimself, as also did the interpreter. The writer (third class), JohnG. T. Aers, having been mortally wounded at the first fire, there wasleft on board the pinnace only the captain's steward, who lay quiet, pretending to be dead. 

The Arabs then left the boat and sailed away in their dhow, when theleading stoker got on board of her, --he having been in the water all thetime, --got up steam, and picked up the men on the beach. 

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE. 

THE EGYPTIAN CAMPAIGN--1882. 

The bombardment of Alexandria, which commenced the war in Egypt, was ofthe highest interest to naval men; for here, for the first time, ironclad ships, armed with new and heavy ordnance, attacked fortsmounted with the heaviest guns. A bloodless revolution had taken placein Egypt. The army, headed by Arabi Pasha, had quietly pushed aside theauthority of the Khedive, and had become supreme in Egypt. The peopleat large were with the army, and regarded the movement as a nationalone; its object being to emancipate the country from foreign control. England was unable to behold the change without apprehension; theKhedive was her own nominee, and had from the commencement of thetrouble with the army acted entirely in accordance with the advice ofthe representative of England. We had a large stake in the country fromthe numerous loans which had been raised for the most part in England;but we were principally affected by the fact that the rebels would haveit in their power to stop the canal, and so to block the highway to ourEastern possessions. 

The Egyptians began to manifest a hostile spirit towards foreigners, andan attack was made upon the Europeans in Alexandria; a large number werekilled, and the rest compelled to take shelter on board a ship. Apowerful English fleet was assembled in the port of Alexandria; theattitude of the Egyptians became more and more threatening, and theyproceeded to throw up batteries to command the British fleet. AdmiralSeymour, who was in command, peremptorily called upon them to desist;but in spite of his threat to open fire upon them they continued to workupon the forts; the fleet therefore prepared for action. All neutralships were warned to withdraw from the harbour, and the fleet thensteamed out and took up its position facing the outer forts. 

At seven o'clock on the morning of the 5th of July 1882, the signal toengage the batteries was made on board the admiral's ship the_Invincible_; and the _Invincible, Monarch_, and _Penelope_ immediatelyopened fire on the forts known as the Mex batteries; while the _Sultan, Alexandria, Superb_, and _Inflexible_, at the same moment, opened fireon the forts at Pharos Point and Ras-el-Tin. The Egyptians werestanding at their guns, and instantly replied to the fire. The gunboatswere lying in a second line behind the line of battle-ships, but thesailors who manned them were not content to remain idle, and, thoughwithout orders to engage, the _Cygnet_ soon crept in close enough to useher guns. The _Condor_ steamed away to the west, and engaged alone andunsupported the Marabout Fort. The admiral, seeing the disproportion offorce between the Egyptian fort and the little gunboat, signalled the_Bittern_ and _Beacon_ to join her. The _Decoy_ went of her own accord, and the other gunboats and the _Cygnet_ also moved off to aid inpounding the Marabout Fort. 

The roar of the heavy guns of the fleet and batteries was tremendous, and on both sides cannon of vastly heavier metal than had ever beforebeen used in war were sending their deadly messengers. The Egyptiansstuck to their guns with the greatest bravery, but their skill was farfrom being equal to their courage, and the greatest portion of theirshot flew high over the vessels; this was especially the case with theheavy guns, the lighter and more manageable pieces were better aimed, and the round shot continually struck the men-of-war but failed topenetrate their iron sides. On the other hand, the huge shot and shellof the ironclads committed terrible devastation on the batteries. Thesewere for the most part constructed of stone, which crumbled and fell ingreat masses under the tremendous blows of the English shot and shell. 

After an hour's continued firing the return from the forts began toslacken. Many of the guns were dismounted, and rugged gaps appeared intheir walls; but it was not for three hours later that the Egyptiangunners were driven from their pieces. Even then they continued to firesteadily from several of their forts. At one o'clock the gunboats hadsilenced the fire of the Marabout Fort, and proceeded to aid the_Invincible, Monarch_, and _Penelope_ in their bombardment on the Mexbatteries; and the _Temeraire_, which had hitherto been engaged with afort commanding the Boghaz Channel, joined the _Alexandria, Sultan_, and_Superb_, and their fire completely silenced the Pharos forts and blewup the enemy's powder magazine. By four o'clock in the afternoon, theenemy's fire ceased altogether, but for another hour and a half thefleet continued to pound the forts. 

The action was decisive; almost every Egyptian gun was dismounted, theforts were riddled with holes and reduced to ruins, and the slaughter ofthe Egyptian artillery was very great, while on the English side thecasualties amounted to only 5 killed and 28 wounded. So tremendous wasthe effect produced by the fire of the British guns, that the Egyptiansoldiers entirely lost heart, and although the fleet carried no forcecapable of effecting the capture of the town, if staunchly defended, theEgyptians at once evacuated Alexandria. The European quarter wasplundered and fired by the mob of the town, and an enormous amount ofdamage done. 

As soon as the place was found to be evacuated, a strong body of marinesand bluejackets landed and took possession of it, and speedily restoredorder, and held the city until the arrival of the troops from England. Sir Archibald Alison came out and took command of the force on shore, and, sallying out with 600 men, captured the waterworks at Ramleh--animportant position between the sea and the canal, and facing the camp ofArabi's army some four miles distant; here, for some time, artilleryduels from time to time went on between the guns of the two armies. 

Captain Fisher of the Royal Navy took possession of a railway train andmade of it a moving battery. Its armament consisted of two heavy gunsand some gatlings; the trucks were protected by sand-bags, and thebattery was manned by sailors. This train did great service, as theline of railway ran from Alexandria through the rebel camp, and whenreconnaissances were made the movable battery accompanied the troops, and by its fire greatly facilitated the operation. 

Until the end of July the principal part of the work of defendingAlexandria and checking the army of Arabi fell upon the Naval Brigade, but by that time so large a number of troops had arrived that theservices of the sailors on shore were no longer required, and, with theexception of those serving in Captain Fisher's battery, they returned totheir respective ships. The marines, however, remained on shore andtook part in a sharp engagement which took place on the 5th of August. Sir Archibald Alison was desirous of discovering the exact position andforce of Arabi's advance line of defences, and a reconnaissance, composed of six companies of the 60th Rifles, four companies of the38th, and four of the 46th, were told off for the service; and sevencompanies of marines under Colonel Tewson were ordered to advance alongthe railway embankment in company with the ironclad train. The Rifleswere to march by the canal, and the two parties would join at the pointwhere the canal and railway approach closely to each other. The groundbetween the line taken by the two columns consisted of fields and marshyswamps. 

No sooner had the advance begun than a movement was visible in theenemy's lines, and the Egyptians were soon seen extending in skirmishingorder 1000 yards in front of the 60th. They took up their position in adeep ditch which crossed the British line of advance, and behind whichwas a thick jungle, and opened a heavy fire upon the Rifles. The troopsadvanced steadily in skirmishing order, opening fire upon their almostinvisible foes, whose heads only could be seen when they raised them todischarge their muskets. The Egyptians fired high, and although a hailof bullets swept over the heads of the advancing troops there were butfew casualties. When the Rifles approached the ditch, the supports werebrought up and a rush was made, when the Egyptians at once forsook theirposition and fled through the jungle. 

In the meantime, the marines, advancing along the embankment, had beenmet by a hot fire from the enemy, whose main position here was a largehouse, surrounded by entrenchments on which some guns were mounted. Theforty-pounder on the moving battery kept up a steady fire on thisposition; while the marines, pushing forward, were hotly engaged withthe enemy's infantry. The two columns advanced abreast until theyreached a point some 600 yards from the spot where the railway and canalcome together; the embankment was strongly held by the Egyptians, butthe marines charged them with fixed bayonets and drove them beforethem--bayoneting and shooting great numbers. 

By this time the enemy were coming up in great strength from theircamps. The marines were now unsupported, for Colonel Thackwell, whocommanded the other column, had received orders to advance to the WhiteHouse. There were two white houses on the canal, and he stopped at thefirst, whereas the second was the one intended; the marines havingpushed on farther, were therefore entirely without support, and theenemy, massing in great numbers, threatened them on both flanks. Theorder was therefore given to fall back, but in order to check the enemywhile the movement was being carried out, Major Donald with 50 marinesadvanced boldly close up to the Egyptian position, and kept up so hot afire that the enemy's advance was checked, while the main body of themarines retired steadily across the fields to the embankment, keepingperfect order in spite of the tremendous fire which was poured intothem, and bringing off every wounded man as he fell. 

The enemy had now brought up several batteries of artillery, whichopened from a distance, and under this cover pressed hotly upon themarines; these, however, retired in alternate companies, turning roundand facing their pursuers, and aided by the musketry fire of the sailorsin the train as well as by their machine guns and forty-pounder. 

Darkness was fast coming on, and as the batteries at the waterworks nowopened fire upon the Egyptians, the latter ceased to press the retiringtroops, who withdrew without further molestation to their position atRamleh. 

When the main body of troops from England reached Alexandria, with SirGarnet Wolseley in supreme command, steps were taken to remove the sceneof war to Ismailia--half-way along the Suez Canal--in order to advanceupon Cairo from that place, and to avoid the necessity for attacking theformidable works which Arabi had erected facing Alexandria. The planwas kept a profound secret: the troops were placed on board thetransports, and, escorted by the fleet, steamed away to Port Said at themouth of the Suez Canal, and then up the canal to Ismailia. 

In spite of the efforts of the sailors, upon whom the burden of theoperation of disembarkation fell, there was considerable delay beforethe troops were in a position to advance, and Arabi was able to collecta large army at Tel-el-Kebir, on the line by which the army would haveto advance. While the preparations for a forward movement were goingon, a portion of the British troops pushed forward; and a brigade, amongwhom was a battalion of the marines, occupied Kassassin, a few milesdistant from the Egyptian position. 

On the 10th of September, Arabi, seeing how small was the force whichhad taken up its post near him, determined to attack them, with theintention of crushing them first, and then advancing and destroying oneby one the small bodies of British troops at the posts on the line downto Ismailia. He advanced with a powerful force, and so quickly did hepush forward that the British had scarcely time to get under arms whenthe Egyptian shell began to fall fast in the camp. The little forcefell in with the greatest coolness, and the marines and 60th Riflesadvanced in skirmishing order to meet the vastly superior numbers of theEgyptians. So staunchly and steadily did they fight, that they wereable to keep their assailants at bay until the English cavalry came upfrom the next post, and, falling upon the Egyptians in flank, completelyrouted them. At the battle of Tel-el-Kebir, where Arabi's army wascompletely defeated and the rebellion finally crushed, the marines, whohad hitherto borne the brunt of all the fighting which had taken place, were not in the front line of attack, and bore but little share in thefighting, which was done almost entirely by the Highland Brigade. 

CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE MAHDI--1883-1885. 

After the English had broken up the Egyptian army, and had, for a timeat least, practically assumed the direction of affairs there, they foundthemselves face to face with an insurrection under a fanatic who assumedthe title of the Mahdi. The followers of this man had overrun the wholeof the Soudan, shutting up the various Egyptian garrisons in the townsthey occupied. One of the chiefs of the Mahdi, named Osman Digma, wasthreatening the port of Suakim, on the Red Sea, and had besieged theEgyptian garrisons in the towns of Sinkat and Tokar. Admiral Hewett wasordered to protect Suakim, and with the _Ranger, Sphinx, Euryalus_, and_Decoy_ took his station off that town. 

Several times Osman Digma's followers came close up to the place, but, whenever they did so, the bluejackets and marines from the four Englishships were landed, and the men-of-war opened a fire over the town uponthe ground which the rebels must cross to reach it. Thus they succeededin defending Suakim from any serious attack until Baker Pasha, who wasin command of a miscellaneous force known as the Egyptian Police, camedown with some thousands of newly-raised troops. These men had receivedbut little drill, and were scarce worthy the name of soldiers; but, asthe garrisons of Sinkat and Tokar still held out, although sorelypressed by hunger, Baker Pasha determined to make an effort to relievethem, although he and his officers were well aware of the whollyuntrustworthy nature of the force at his command. There were plenty ofEnglish troops doing nothing in Egypt, and had but one regiment beensent down to Baker Pasha it would have been worth all the armed rabblehe had under him; but the English Government could not at the time bringitself to acknowledge its responsibility for the safety of the Egyptiangarrisons. 

Baker's force was conveyed down the coast to Trinkatat; Admiral Hewettwith some of the ships going down with him. The force was landed andmarched towards Tokar; on the way it was attacked by the tribesmen whohad embraced the cause of Osman Digma. The undisciplined levies ofBaker broke at once when attacked; their English officers foughtgallantly; many were killed, and the greater portion of the Egyptiansmassacred almost unresistingly; the rest fled to Trinkatat. The rebels, fearing to come within range of the guns of the English ships, ceasedfrom their pursuit, and the survivors of Baker's force were able to geton board the vessels in safety. 

The result of this defeat was that the garrison of Sinkat, who had heldout heroically, finding themselves without a hope of relief, and theirprovisions being wholly exhausted, marched out and tried to cut theirway through the besieged town to the coast. They were, however, exterminated, not a man making his way through to tell the tale. 

Tokar also fell into the Mahdists' hands, its garrison having acceptedterms of surrender; and thus Osman Digma was left free to attack Suakimitself, which but for the presence of the fleet must have fallen intohis hands. 

BATTLE OF EL TAB. 

In the meanwhile the British Government, under the leadership of MrGladstone, had come to the conclusion that the advanced posts of theEgyptian Government in the Soudan could no longer be held, and pressedupon that Government the necessity of withdrawing the garrisons. TheEgyptians reluctantly accepted the advice of their powerful "ally, " butwere unable of themselves to execute its purpose. The BritishGovernment then applied to General Gordon, who had been formerlygovernor of the Soudan, and who had more influence over the Arab tribesthan any other European of modern times, to undertake the task of theevacuation of Khartoum, the civil population of which numbered about11, 000. General Gordon at once responded to the call of his country, and set out for Khartoum, which he reached with General Stewart as hissole companion on the 16th of February. 

At first all seemed well, and Gordon was able to send down some widowsand children, 2500 in all, to Korosko, but the events above related atonce destroyed all hope of a peaceful retreat; and it became evidentthat help from without would become necessary if the population were tobe saved; but the two British officers never doubted that their countrywould aid them in their time of need. 

The sensation caused in England by the events around Suakim now becameso great that Mr Gladstone's Government could no longer evade theirresponsibility, and now took the step which, had it been taken six weeksearlier, would have saved thousands of lives. English troops were setin motion from Egypt, some regiments were stopped on their way home fromIndia up the Red Sea, and a force was assembled at Suakim under GeneralGraham; when these were collected they were taken down to Trinkatat bysea, and the disembarkation there began on the 23rd of February 1884. 

As usual, all the hard work to be done fell upon the sailors, who workedincessantly--landing stores through the surf, working up to their necksin water. On the 26th, having accomplished this work, a Naval Brigade, consisting of all the marines and sailors who could be spared from themen-of-war, was landed to take part in the expedition, taking with themseveral gatlings and light ship guns; all of which were dragged by themthrough the deep sand, no means of transport being available. Two orthree days now elapsed before the advance commenced, as some of thetroops had not yet arrived; but on the 65th Regiment coming into port inthe _Serapis_ transport, orders were given for the advance to commence. As soon as the 65th landed, they crossed a lagoon, or shallow salt-waterlake, which lay behind Trinkatat, and joined the main body, who hadalready taken post on the other side. 

The column consisted roughly of 3000 infantry, 750 cavalry and mountedinfantry, 115 men of the Naval Brigade, and about 200 artillery andengineers; of these 150 were left at Trinkatat, and 200 men at thecamping ground across the lagoon, which had been entrenched by GeneralBaker and bore his name. The troops advanced in a hollow square. TheGordon Highlanders formed the front face, the Irish Fusiliers the rightface, the 65th the left, and the 42nd Highlanders formed the rear of thesquare. The Rifles marched inside the square next to the Fusiliers, themarines next to the Rifles, the sailors, with six gatling guns, werestationed to the left of the Gordon Highlanders; while the eightseven-pounder guns belonging to the fleet, which had been transferred tothe camel battery, were in the centre of the square in reserve. Twosquadrons of cavalry were to scout far out on the front and flanks, therest of the cavalry were to remain in readiness for action in the rearof the square. 

Soldiers and sailors were alike in good spirits, and longing to meet thefoe and to avenge the massacre of Baker's troops on the very groundacross which they were about to march; but they knew that the work wouldbe no child's play, and that the greatest steadiness would be needed toresist the tremendous rush of the fanatics. The march began in themorning, and the enemy's scouts were seen falling back as the cavalrydashed out ahead. Their main position was in the neighbourhood of somewells. It was marked by a number of banners floating in the light airon a low ridge which was swarming with men; guns could be seen inposition at various points along the position, which extended about amile in length. 

As the column approached the ridge, the natives took up their postbehind it; but, as in a direct advance against it, the column would beswept by the fire of their guns and musketry, without being able to makeany adequate return against the concealed foes, General Grahamdetermined to turn it by working round its flank. Accordingly, after ahalt, the column continued its march in an oblique direction across theface of the position. 

At a few minutes before eleven, the cavalry scouts moved away from thefront of the column and left it face to face with the enemy, who werenow but a few hundred yards away. Their heads could be seen popping upbehind the bushes and earthworks, and every moment it was expected thatthey would rise from their hiding-places and charge down upon the columnwhich was marching past their front at a distance of about 400 yards. 

The assault did not come, but a sudden fire of musketry broke out fromthe face of the position, and the Krupp guns, captured from Baker'sforce, in their batteries opened fire on the column. The effect was atonce visible, several men in the square fell out from the ranks wounded;but fortunately the enemy fired high, and the storm of shot and shell, for the most part, passed harmlessly over the column. Without returninga shot, the column moved steadily on in the line which would soon placethem across the end of the enemy's position, and enable them to take itin the rear. 

It was very trying to the nerve of the troops to march on without firingwhile pelted with such a storm of missiles. General Baker was badlywounded in the face by a bullet from a shell, and many men were struck, but by this time the column had reached the desired position; they hadpassed round the enemy's line, and were almost in their rear. Theyhalted now, and the men lay down, while the sailors opened fire upon theenemy with the gatlings, and the men of the camel battery with theirseven-pounders, --six guns of the enemy replying. These were wellhandled and aimed, for the garrison of Tokar had three days beforesurrendered, and were now fighting in the ranks of their captors, whoseguns were all worked by the Egyptian artillerymen. 

By twelve o'clock the English guns had silenced those of the enemy, andthe word was given for an advance against their position; the bagpipesstruck up, the men sprang to their feet cheering, and the column, stillkeeping its formation as a square, marched straight at the enemy'sposition. The Arabs ceased firing as the British approached, and whenthe column was close at hand they leapt to their feet and chargedfuriously down. 

The change of the direction of the march had altered the position of thecolumn, the flank of the square was now its front, and the brunt of theattack fell on the 42nd, 65th, and the Naval Brigade. Groups of twentyand thirty Arabs rushed fiercely down upon them, but they were sweptaway by the fire of the musketry and the machine guns; but in someplaces the Arabs came to close quarters, but were unable to breakthrough the line of bayonets. 

The column had now reached the position, and with a cheer rushed overthe bank of sand. From every bush around them the Arabs leapt up andflung themselves upon the troops. Admiral Hewett himself led thesailors and joined in the hand-to-hand fight. A party of fanaticsnearly succeeded in breaking in between the sailors and the 65th, butCaptain Wilson, of the _Hecla_, threw himself into the gap, and, fighting desperately, drove back the assailants. 

There was a short halt when the post was captured, to reform the columnbefore moving forward to the attack of the main position of the enemy, of which we were now well in rear; and after a short artillery duel thecolumn again advanced. The whole ground was covered with trenches andinnumerable little rifle-pits, all hidden by the close growing bushes, and every foot was contested, the Arabs leaping from their defences anddashing recklessly on the British bayonets. Great numbers of them wereslaughtered; and they fought with a desperate courage which extorted theadmiration of our soldiers. 

At last the column, which was now extended into line, passed across thewhole of the position occupied by the enemy and emerged in front; themain body of the enemy withdrawing sullenly. Of the Naval Brigade twomen were killed, and Lieutenant Royds and six sailors wounded. 

No more fighting took place; a portion of the column advanced to Tokar, which the enemy evacuated at their approach, and brought off such of thetownspeople as wished to leave. The force then marched down toTrinkatat, and, re-embarking, were conveyed in the transports back toSuakim, and marched out to attack Osman Digma. The Naval Brigade tookpart in the advance. 

BATTLE OF TAMANIEB--1884. 

When the column arrived within half a mile of the position occupied bythe main force of Osman Digma, they encamped for the night. At eight inthe evening, Commander Rolfe, RN, performed a most daring action; hestarted alone to reconnoitre the camp of the enemy, and made his wayclose up to their fires, and was able to bring back the news that theenemy were quiet and evidently meditated no immediate attack; the menwere therefore able to lie down quietly and sleep for a while. At oneo'clock, however, the enemy gathered round the position and kept up afire all night. 

The next day the advance was made, not in squares as before, but in twobrigades. In the first of these, with the 42nd and 65th, were themarines and Naval Brigade. As the brigade advanced, the enemy swarmeddown to the attack, and the soldiers with their rifles, and the sailorswith their machine guns, opened a tremendous fire upon them; but theArabs still came on with desperate bravery. The brigade was in square, and the 42nd, who were in front, charged the enemy at the double, cheering loudly; but this movement left a gap between them and the 65th, who formed the right face of the square, and, before the gap could beclosed up, great hordes of Arabs charged down and burst into the square. 

For a while all was confusion. The 65th fell back on the marines. TheNaval Brigade, surrounded by the broken soldiers, were unable to usetheir guns, and, as the confused mass fell back, had to leave thesebehind them; but with great coolness they removed portions of themachinery, so that when the guns fell into the hands of the enemy theywere unable to use them against us. 

Wildly the Arabs pressed down upon the retreating troops, but the secondbrigade, under General Buller, came up in splendid order, their volleyssweeping away the enemy. This gave the retreating troops time to reformtheir ranks, and they at once advanced again in line with Buller'sbrigade; and the enemy were put to flight, after suffering a loss ofover 5000 men. 

Amongst those who fell in this action were Lieutenant Montresor, RN, Lieutenant Almack, RN, and Lieutenant Houston, RN, with seven of theirmen who were killed at their guns. 

For the subsequent proceedings against the Mahdi, see _Our Soldiers_, page 338. 

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX. 

WARS IN SOUTH AFRICA. 

In 1879 Great Britain became involved in war with Cetewayo, chief of apowerful race of savages on the north-eastern border of the colony ofNatal in South Africa, and two years after in a short conflict with theBoers, or Dutch farmers, in the Transvaal; and in both of these wars aNaval Brigade took part. From this time onward, South Africa has held aposition of increasing importance in our colonial history, and is likelyto continue to do so for many years to come; it will be well thereforebefore considering the wars referred to, to give a general view of theposition of the British, the Dutch, and the Zulu at the date of theircommencement. 

Cape Colony was originally founded by the Dutch about the middle of theseventeenth century; it was seized by Great Britain during the wars withFrance in 1806, and finally annexed to the British Empire by virtue ofthe Treaty of Vienna in 1815. 

A great proportion of the colonists, and especially of the farmers inthe districts farthest from the coast and from civilisation, did nottake kindly to British rule; and in 1835 and succeeding years a greatnumber crossed the Orange River--at that time the boundary of the colonyon the north--with the intention of setting up independent Dutchcommunities. To this movement, known as the Great Trek, the occupationby the Dutch Boers (i. E. Farmers) of the territories, since known as theOrange Free State and the Transvaal, or South African Republic, is due. 

At that time the limits of the British colony were, on the north, theOrange River; and, on the east, the Fish River. Beyond this, on theeast, was territory occupied by hostile Kaffir tribes, afterwards calledBritish Kaffraria, and now annexed to Cape Colony, and still farther tothe east of these lay the fertile land of Natal. 

A large section of the trekking Boers, after passing the Orange andgoing north, crossed the mountains, and descended upon Natal. Therewere a few English hunters and traders settled upon the coast, but thecountry had been depopulated of its original inhabitants by a ferociousand warlike race of superior physique, whom we call the Zulu. These hadbeen trained to a high state of military and athletic perfection by asuccession of sanguinary chiefs, and had broken and massacred everytribe with whom they had come in contact, so that in this district ofNatal alone it is computed that over a million had perished, and butfive or six thousand of the original inhabitants remained lurking incaverns and amid the dense bush. 

The first leader of the Boers, Retief, and some 70 persons, weretreacherously murdered by Dingaan, the chief or king of the Zulus, athis kraal, which they had visited at his request in February 1838; andthe chief made a sudden attack with his armies upon the isolated bandsof farmers, and killed a great many of them. After many bloody fights, in which large numbers of Zulus were killed, the Boers drove Dingaan andhis armies across the Tugela, and occupied the country. 

The British Government, however, declined to recognise the right of itscolonists to leave the colony, wage war upon the native tribes, and setup as independent republics, and therefore, after overcoming theresistance of the Boers, occupied Natal, and eventually made it into aseparate colony. After some trial of British rule, the bulk of theDutch recrossed the mountains, and joined their fellow-countrymen in theOrange Free State, or in the land beyond the Vaal. 

At length in 1852 the British Government, having enough to do withnative wars on the Cape frontier, found it expedient to concedeindependence to the Transvaal Boers; and two years afterwards abandonedthe territory between the Orange and Vaal Rivers to its inhabitants, theDutch farmers, who thus founded the Orange Free State. 

The Dutch of the Free State were of much the same type and education asthe Cape Dutch, and soon settled down and arranged their affairs, andevolved an almost ideal form of republican government, under which, after having at great sacrifice and courage overcome the nativedifficulties on their borders, they lived a happy and contentedexistence, with increasing prosperity, no public enemy, perfect civiland religious equality, and, except for railways and public works, nopublic debt, until in 1899 that wonderful loyalty to race which is soremarkable a trait in the Dutch African involved them in the ambitionsand the ruin of the South African Republic. 

With the Transvaal Boer it was far otherwise. Amongst the leaders ofthe Voor-trekkers, as the original emigrants from Cape Colony arecalled, were leaders of whom colonists of any race might be proud, suchas Pretorius, Potgieter, Uys, and Retief, and, no doubt, among theirfollowers were many like them; but it was the most discontented and themost uncivilised and turbulent, as a rule, that crossed the Vaaloriginally; and there they lived isolated lives, far away from any whitebeing but those of their own family, without books, without intercoursewith the outer world, surrounded only by their wives and children andKaffir servants, or rather slaves; and thus the Transvaal Boer, to whomalone we ought to apply the name, became more sullen, obstinate, bigoted, and ignorant than his cousins farther south. 

Very little good could such people, with few exceptions little above theaverage of an English farm-labourer, do with independence. Many yearswere wasted in quarrelling and even fighting among themselves, everyleader of a district with a few scattered farms claiming independence, before all were united under one government. There was constant warwith natives on the border, no means of collecting taxes or providingfor public works, and by the year 1877 it seemed as though the Statemust collapse and the Transvaal be overrun by its enemies. The Boerswere defeated by Sekukuni, chief of the Bapedi; they had an open disputewith Cetewayo about territory which they had annexed from his country, and he was preparing for war; the tribes in the north had driven backthe farmers; the State was bankrupt, and all was confusion. The moresettled members of the community in the towns called for firmgovernment, but the president had no power at his back to enforce it. 

Such a state of things encouraged a general native rising, and was amenace to the safety of all the whites in South Africa. The CapeGovernment watched the situation with anxiety, and at length the BritishGovernment intervened, and on 12th April 1877 proclaimed the Transvaalto be annexed to the British dominions. 

At the time it was believed that the majority of the burghers were infavour of this step, which met with no serious opposition. Subsequentevents, however, proved that this belief was not well founded. It is, however, tolerably certain that it saved the Transvaal an attack fromthe thirty or forty thousand Zulus collected by Cetewayo on itsfrontier. 

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN. 

THE ZULU WAR. 

Cetewayo had for many years been training a large army of warriors, andhad intended, unquestionably, to use them for an attack upon hisneighbours the Boers of the Transvaal, who, indeed, had given him morethan sufficient cause, by constantly violating the frontier, squattingupon Zulu territory, and committing raids upon Zulu cattle. Upon ourtaking over the Transvaal, however, the prospect of great plunder andacquisition of territory vanished, and the king and his warriorsremained in a state of extreme discontent. So large and threatening washis army, that Sir Bartle Frere, the Governor of the Cape, considered itabsolutely necessary to bring matters to a crisis. A commission satupon the disputed frontier question between the Zulus and the Boers. They had also to investigate charges of a raid into Natal territory bysome Zulu chiefs. Their decision was in favour of the Zulus against theBoers; and, in respect of the raids, they ordered that a fine should bepaid and the offenders given up. 

At the time that this decision was announced to the Zulus, Sir BartleFrere called upon Cetewayo to disband his army, to abandon the custom ofuniversal conscription, and of the refusal of marriage to the young menuntil they had proved their prowess in battle. To this demand Cetewayoreturned an evasive answer, and an ultimatum was then sent to him. 

Preparations were made to enforce the British demands, and, as theBritish force in Natal was not large, the ships of war on the coast wereasked to furnish a contingent. Sailors being always ready for anexpedition afloat or ashore, the demand was gladly complied with, and abrigade with rockets and gatling guns was at once organised. Thisbrigade was attached to the column which, under the command of ColonelPearson, was to advance by the road nearest to the coast. 

On the 12th of January, no answer having been received to the ultimatum, the column crossed the Tugela. The sailors had been at work at thispoint for some time. They had established a ferry-boat worked by ropes, and by this they transported across the river the stores and ammunitionneeded for the expedition. The column advanced slowly and carefully, and upon the 23rd they were attacked at the Ebroi River by the enemy. These had placed themselves upon high ground, and opened a heavy fire. The sailors at once got the gatlings and rockets to work, and so greatwas their effect that the rush of the Zulus was checked, and they wereunable to carry out their favourite tactics of coming to close quarters. Three hundred of them were killed, and the rest retired. 

The column now marched on to Ekowe, and upon reaching that place amessenger from the rear brought the news of the terrible disaster whichhad befallen Lord Chelmsford's column at Isandhlwana. The British campat that place had on the advance of the main body been rushed by a largeZulu force, and the whole of the British and native troops, numberingover 1000, were killed, only a few, scarce 50 escaping. It was ahand-to-hand combat against thousands, and from the Zulus themselves, for no white man saw the end, come the accounts of how firmly thesoldiers stood. The Zulus, who had a keen appreciation of gallantry, tell many tales of how our men stood fighting till the last. "How fewthey were and how hard they fought, " they said; "they fell like stones, each man in his place. "

There was only one sailor in the camp. He belonged to HMS _Active_, andthroughout the terrible fight displayed the utmost courage. At last, when all was nearly over, he was seen in a corner of the laager, leaningagainst a waggon wheel, keeping the Zulus at bay. One after anotherfell as he stabbed them with his cutlass. The savages themselves werelost in admiration at his stern resistance. At last a Zulu crept roundat the back of the waggon, and stabbed him through the spokes of thewheel. 

It would have been the height of rashness to have advanced farther, asthe column would now have been exposed to the whole force of the Zulus. Colonel Pearson determined, therefore, to fortify Ekowe, and to maintainhimself there until reinforcements came up. The cavalry and the nativecontingents who had accompanied the column were therefore sent back, thesailors being retained to assist the regular troops in holding theplace. 

The first step was to erect fortifications, and, as the enemy attemptedno attack, these were made strongly and massively. Here for many weeksthe little garrison held out. The Zulus surrounded the place closely, but never ventured upon any sustained attack upon it. The garrison, however, suffered severely from fever, heat, and the effects of bad foodand water. For some time they were cut off entirely from allcommunication with Natal; but at length an officer, upon the top of thechurch, observed one day, far among the hills to the south, a twinklinglight. From the regularity with which it shone and disappeared, he cameto the conclusion that it was caused by signallers endeavouring to opencommunications. The flashes were watched, and were found to be inaccordance with the Morse alphabet; and the joyful news was spread thattheir friends were telegraphing to them. 

After some trouble, a mirror was fixed and signals returned, and fromthat time, until relief, regular communication was kept up by thismeans. There was disappointment at first when it was found that sometime must elapse before a relieving column could advance; but as thenews came of the arrival of ship after ship, laden with troops fromEngland, confidence was felt that relief would arrive before theexhaustion of the stock of provisions. The garrison on their part wereenabled to send to their friends accurate information of the state oftheir stores, and the time which they would be able to hold out. 

At length, on the 28th of March, the news arrived that the column wouldadvance upon the following day. The relieving force was attacked atGingihlovo, near the river Inyanzi, and there the Zulus were defeatedwith great loss. With this relieving column was another Naval Brigade, consisting of men of the _Shah_ and _Tenedos_. The _Shah_ was on herway to England when, upon arriving at Saint Helena, the news of themassacre at Isandhlwana reached her. Captain Bradshaw, who commanded, at once determined to take upon himself the responsibility of returningto Natal, where his arrival caused the liveliest satisfaction, as atthat time none of the reinforcements from England had reached the spot, and strong fears were still felt of the invasion of the colony by theZulus. The Naval Brigade bore their part in the fight at Gingihlovo, and were with the relieving force when it entered Ekowe. The garrisonof this place, small as they were, had been prepared upon the followingday to sally out to effect a diversion in favour of the column, shouldit again be attacked in its advance to Ekowe. 

The garrison was now relieved. Few of those who had formed part of itwere fit for further service. Ekowe was abandoned, and the NavalBrigade returned to Natal. The brigade took part in the further advanceafter the arrival of Sir Garnet Wolseley; but the defeat of the Zulus atUlundi occurring a few days after the start had been made, hostilitiesceased, and the Naval Brigade were not called upon for furtherexertions. 

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT. 

THE BOER WAR--1881. 

Two years after the conclusion of the Zulu war, when the troops who hadbeen hurried from England to take part in that campaign had for the mostpart returned, and the country was almost deserted of troops, the Boers, saved by our arms from all danger of a native rising, longed again forindependence, and they determined to have it. They had, in fact, neveracquiesced in the act of annexation. At the time, the residents in thetowns had desired it for the sake of law and order, and in the generalhelplessness of the State many of the country Boers acquiesced, and tomany it seemed the only way to save the country from the Zulu. But itwas expected and promised that some form of self-government would beleft to the Dutch community. As time went on, the discontent grew, andit was fomented by the speeches of party leaders in England, where theLiberal party were violently attacking the colonial policy of LordBeaconsfield; and Mr Gladstone, referring to the Boers' country, actually said, that if the acquisition was as valuable as it wasvalueless, nevertheless he would repudiate it. When Mr Gladstone cameinto office, the Boers, who did not understand the ethics of electioncampaigns, expected him to reverse an act which he repudiated; and whenthey found that though he disapproved the act he did not intend torevoke it, they saw that they must take up arms, thinking that theircause would have many supporters among the English, who would putpressure upon the Government to give way, --a view which subsequentevents proved to be correct. 

The burghers have always objected to paying taxes even to their ownrepublic, and naturally the opposition to our rule presented itself, inthe first place, by a resistance to the payment of taxes. Meetingsassembled, at which rebellious speeches were uttered; and the risingcommenced by an attack upon the English at Potchefstroom, the investmentof the garrisons of Pretoria, Leydenburg, Standerton, and otherpositions, and by an attack upon a column of the 94th on their way fromLeydenburg to Pretoria, ending with the slaughter or captivity of thewhole force. The instant the news arrived at Pietermaritzburg, thecapital, Sir George Colley, the governor, commenced preparations formarching to the frontier, and the ships in harbour were called upon tofurnish a naval contingent. A hundred and fifty bluejackets and marineswere landed and marched rapidly to Newcastle, an English town within afew miles of the frontier of Natal. 

At the attack upon the Dutch lines at Laing's Nek, the Naval Brigadewere in reserve, and took no active part in the engagement. But on the26th of February a portion of them accompanied General Colley on hisnight march to Majuba Hill. This mountain was situate on the flank ofthe Boer position. The Dutch were in the habit of occupying it duringthe daytime with their videttes, but these at night fell back, leavingthe place open to the British assault. 

All through the night the troops, who with the bluejackets numberedbetween 500 and 600 men, laboured across an extremely difficult country;but, after encountering immense fatigue and difficulty, they reached thetop of Majuba Hill before sunrise. It was not until two hours laterthat the Boer videttes, advancing to occupy their usual look-out, foundthe English in position. The Boers at once perceived the danger, astheir position was made untenable by the possession of Majuba Hill bythe English. Had the force left in camp been sufficiently strong tothreaten a direct attack at this moment, the Boers would doubtless havefled: but the paucity of numbers there prevented any demonstration beingmade in favour of the defenders of Majuba Hill, and the Dutch were ableto use their whole force against these. 

Surrounding the hill, and climbing upwards towards the precipitoussummit, they kept up for some hours a heavy fire upon the defenders. Presently this lulled, and the garrison thought that the attack hadceased. The Dutch were, however, strongly reinforcing their fightingline, creeping among the bushes and gathering a strong force on the sideof the hill, unseen by the British. Suddenly these made an attack, andthis in such force that the defenders at the threatened point fell backin haste before they could be reinforced from the main body, who werelying in a hollow on the top of the small plateau which formed thesummit of the mountain. 

The first to gain the summit were rapidly reinforced by large numbers oftheir countrymen, and these, covering their advance with a tremendousfire of musketry, rushed upon the British position. The defence wasfeeble. Taken by surprise, shot down in numbers by the accurate firingof the Boers, attacked on all sides at once, the garrison failed todefend their position, and in a moment the Boers were among them. Atthis point a bayonet charge would have turned defeat into a victory, butthere were no officers left to command, all had been picked off by theaccurate shooting of the Boers, and the soldiers were panic-stricken. All cohesion became lost, and in a few minutes the whole of thedefenders of the position were either shot down or taken prisoners, withthe exception of a few who managed to make their escape down the side ofthe hill and to lie concealed among the bushes, making their way back tocamp during the night. Sir George Colley stood still, and was shot downat close range as the men ran down the hill. 

This was the only affair in which the Naval Brigade were engaged duringthe war, as, shortly afterwards, just as they were hoping to retrievethe disasters which had befallen the force, --the reinforcements fromEngland having now come up to the spot, --peace was made, the Transvaalwas surrendered to the Boers, and the sacrifices made and the bloodwhich had been shed were shown to have been spent in vain. The intensedisappointment of the troops at this summary and unexpected terminationof the campaign was fully shared by the bluejackets and marines. 

The defeat at Majuba Hill was a great blow to British prestige, but itwas one that, in the course of the war which all the world expected tofollow, could have been speedily retrieved, but the effect upon theDutch must have remained. It seemed, indeed, as if in fighting forfreedom they were truly invincible, and as if they could withstand thepower of Great Britain, and defeat it, just as their fathers, a fewhundred in number, had withstood Dingaan and defeated his thousands ofwarriors. This impression was greatly strengthened by the action of theBritish Government. 

The Liberal party in England had undertaken the war with very littlefervour, to many the cause of the Boer was the cause of freedom, and thesight of a small peasant nation, armed as it then was only with rifles, rising against the power of Great Britain, appealed to the sentiment ofmany people, to whom the great popular orator had repeatedly declaredthat the act of annexation was an act of tyranny. 

Still the war was the act of their great leader, and had therefore beensupported; moreover, regarded as a military matter only, the defeat wasof no importance; the various British garrisons in the country weremanfully holding their own; Sir Evelyn Wood was gathering sufficientforce to take action; he held, he said, the Boers in the hollow of hishand, --so the war must go on, and Sir F (now Lord) Roberts was sent outto take command. 

Mr Gladstone now suddenly changed his mind; further prosecution of thewar, he said, would be "sheer blood-guiltiness. "

He gave the Boers their independence, but they and all the world notedthat he did not discover the blood-guiltiness of the war before thedefeat, and they drew their inferences; and to their dislike of Britishrule, added a contempt for British courage, which led their leaders intoa course of action which culminated in an ambition to substitute Dutchfor British throughout South Africa, and thus brought down upon the tworepublics the ruin and disasters of the great war of 1899-1901. 

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE. 

THE BOER WAR IN 1900. 

THE SIEGE OF LADYSMITH. 

Early in the year 1899 the differences between Mr Kruger, President ofthe South African Republic, and the British Government, upon theposition of the foreign population in his territory, began to assume anacute phase. A petition to Her Majesty, setting out their grievancesand asking for protection for her subjects in the Transvaal, was verylargely signed, and the British High Commissioner stated his opinionthat the position of the non-burgher population was intolerable, andthat this was an overwhelming case for intervention. For many weeksnegotiations were carried on between London and Pretoria, the BritishGovernment making very little preparation for a war which it hoped toavoid; while Mr Kruger, on the other land, proceeded to arm hisburghers and make every preparation for a war which, if he made noconcessions, he knew to be inevitable if the British Government did notretire from the position they had taken. 

At length, everything being ready on his side, on 9th October PresidentKruger issued an ultimatum, demanding the withdrawal of Great Britain'stroops within forty-eight hours. This was a declaration of war. Warimmediately followed, and armed Boers, previously assembled on thefrontier, poured in thousands into Natal, crossing the frontier both onthe north and on the west on the 12th of October, and gradually overranthe north of the colony, converging upon Ladysmith. The British forcein that part was small, and though in the various actions at TalanaHill--in which the situation of Majuba Hill may be said to have beenreversed--Elandslaagte, and Rietfontein, portions of the Boer forces hadbeen met and defeated, it became evident that their numbers and theirmobility had been absurdly underestimated, and that when onceconcentrated they far outnumbered the forces at the disposal of SirGeorge White, who therefore decided to entrench and await reinforcementsat Ladysmith, --not a strong position, for it was commanded by hills onall sides, but it had been a great depot of military stores which couldnot be removed. 

By 2nd November the railway and telegraph connecting Ladysmith with thesouth was cut, and the strict siege began. The Boers brought intoposition on the neighbouring hills guns of far greater calibre than anyof those possessed by the garrison and its defences, and kept up a heavybombardment out of range of their guns. 

Most fortunately HMS _Powerful_, then at Durban, was armed with 4. 7-inchguns of as great range as any of the "Long Toms" of the assailants. Aland carriage for these had been designed by Captain Percy Scott, andrapidly constructed by the ship's engineers, and the guns sent up byrail just before the line was cut, together with a Naval Brigade ofbluejackets from the ship under the command of Captain Hon. H. Lambton. These guns, the two 4. 7-inch and four 12-pounders, were of thegreatest value to the defence, for they were the only guns capable ofequalling the big guns of the Boers, and the firing was so accurate thatduring the whole of the siege they succeeded in keeping the enemy'ssiege guns at a distance, with so little waste of ammunition, the supplyof which was of course limited, that when the siege was raised on 20thFebruary 1900 it was not yet exhausted. 

On the 30th of October Lieutenant Egerton, RN, of the _Powerful_, wasstruck by a shell and died of his wounds a few days after; he had beenat once promoted to commander for his services, and receivedintelligence of this before his death. 

The most serious fight during the siege took place on 6th January, whenthe enemy made a most determined and as it proved final attempt to carryLadysmith by storm. Every part of the position was attacked, but thechief assault was upon Cassar's Camp and Wagon Hill. On the former wasa detachment of the Naval Brigade with a 12-pounder gun and some NatalNaval Volunteers, as well as the 1st Battalion Manchesters and 42Battery, RA; and on Wagon Hill, in addition to its usual garrison, a12-pounder gun and a 4. 7-inch had arrived the day before. The fightingwas very severe and at close quarters, and the Boers were only finallydriven off after 15 hours' battle, our losses being 14 officers and 135men killed, 31 officers and 244 wounded. The Boers lost much moreheavily, and made no further attempt. 

The sufferings of the garrison and inhabitants during this memorablesiege were very severe, and the losses by disease amounted to 12officers and 529 men. 

In addition to those engaged in the defence of Ladysmith, naval brigadeswith guns from various ships of war on the South African stationaccompanied the various columns engaged in the movement through theOrange Free State and the Transvaal, which republics have since becomethe Orange River Colony and the Transvaal Colony. 

CHAPTER THIRTY. 

FIGHTING IN CHINA--1900. 

The early part of 1900 saw an outbreak of religious and anti-foreignfanaticism in China which rapidly assumed alarming proportions. A sector society known as the Boxers, founded in 1899 originally as apatriotic and ultra-conservative body, rapidly developed into areactionary and anti-foreign, and especially anti-Christianorganisation. Outrages were committed all over the country, and theperpetrators shielded by the authorities, who, while professing peace, encouraged the movement. Thousands of native Christians were massacred, and the protests of the ministers of Christian powers disregarded oranswered by lies and denials, and at length Pekin itself became nolonger safe to Europeans. 

FIRST ATTEMPT TO RELIEVE THE LEGATIONS AT PEKIN. 

On the 30th of May Sir E. H. Seymour, the British admiral on the Chinastation, received a telegram from Sir Claude Macdonald, the Britishminister at Pekin, stating that the situation there had become verygrave, the China soldiers mutinous, the people very excited, and thatEuropean life and property were in danger. Guards were immediatelydespatched by train to Pekin, and these, numbering 337 of all nations, among them 79 men and 3 officers of the British Marines, arrivedunopposed on the 31st. The position of the legations, however, soonbecame extremely difficult, and on the 9th of June another telegram wasreceived by the admiral, stating that if relief did not reach theEuropeans in Pekin very soon, it would be too late. 

The admiral at once put in motion all his available men, and the foreignnaval officers commanding on the station co-operated with him. By the11th, four trains had reached Lofa station, some distance out ofTientsin, containing over 2000 men, namely, 915 British (62 officers, 640 bluejackets, and 213 marines), 25 Austrians, 40 Italian, 100 French, 450 German, 54 Japanese, 112 Russians, and 112 Americans, all under thecommand of the British admiral. 

From this time onward there was continuous fighting. About six p. M. , three miles outside Langfang, Boxers attacked Number 1 train, but wererepulsed. The next day, after repairing the line, the force advanced toLangfang, but beyond this the line was found to be cut up and bridgesdestroyed; and, as the necessary repairs would occupy some time, Lieutenant Smith, RN, of HMS _Aurora_, was sent forward with 3 officersand 44 men to prevent further damage if possible. He occupied a villageon the line next morning, and was at once attacked by Boxers. Afterbeing driven off three times, they made a final and determined attack, and about 450 charged in line with great bravery, but were againrepulsed with heavy loss; this fighting, however, had so reduced theammunition of his party that Lieutenant Smith was compelled to return tothe main body. 

The next day, 14th June, the outposts came running in, closely followedby Boxers, who made a determined attack upon the first train, with somuch courage that some of them, notwithstanding a tremendous fire, actually reached the train before they were killed. An unfortunatepicket of five Italians on outpost duty were cut off and killed by thisparty. 

Meantime the Boxers were also gathering in the rear and damaging theline from Tientsin, and attacked the guard left to protect the line atLofa. These succeeded in beating them off, and on the arrival ofreinforcements, sent back to their assistance, cut them up as theyretreated. All was of no avail, for while the force remained atLangfang repairing the road forward, the enemy was busy in the rearbreaking up the line, and so cutting off communication with Tientsin, and it now became clear that the attempt to reach Pekin must fail, asprovisions and ammunition were running short and it became necessary toprotect the rear. 

The expedition was, in fact, now in a very critical position. Allattempts to send couriers back to Tientsin had failed, and it was cutoff from all communication with the outer world, the lines were brokenup in front and rear, the whole country was overawed by Boxers, and nosupplies could be obtained from the inhabitants. 

It was therefore decided to desert the trains and march by the left bankof the river to Tientsin, putting the wounded on board of some junkswhich had been captured by the Germans. The latter had beenunexpectedly attacked on the 18th at Langfang by some 5000 of the enemy, some of whom were undoubtedly imperial troops acting with the Boxers, thus exploding the idea that the Chinese Government would assist theEuropeans against the latter. The Chinese on this occasion, thougharmed with the latest type of magazine rifle, were driven off with aloss of 400 killed, the allies losing only 6 killed and 48 wounded. 

The retreat commenced on the afternoon of the 19th June, and it wasnecessarily slow, as the junks could not be got along very fast, our mennot being accustomed to the craft, and the river shoals making thepassage in places difficult. The Chinese harassed and obstructed theadvance of the column on shore as much as possible, and villages _enroute_ had to be taken by the bayonet, and so persistent was theresistance that on the 21st the column did not advance more than sixmiles, and was brought to a dead stop at a place called Peitang, wherethe enemy were in such a strong position that by the evening they hadnot been dislodged from it. 

It now appeared to be becoming doubtful whether the column, embarrassedwith the wounded, and with no reserves of ammunition, would succeed ingetting through to Tientsin; it was therefore determined, after a rest, to make a night march, and, wearied with a continuous day's battle, thecolumn started again at one a. M. On the 22nd. 

After it had gone about one and a half miles, the column was heavilyattacked from a village, but the bayonets of the marines soon clearedthis, not, however, without a serious loss. The junk which carried thefield-guns was sunk by a shot, and all but the Maxim guns lost. 

This disaster was, however, destined to be retrieved in a veryunexpected manner. At four a. M. The force found itself opposite theImperial Chinese Armoury, near Hsiku; the allies were not at war withthe Imperial Government, by whom officially the Boxers were calledrebels, nevertheless the guns from the armoury opened fire upon them. Major Johnstone, Royal Marines, with a party of bluejackets and marines, crossed the river at a point where they were under cover of a village, then, appearing suddenly with a cheer and with the sheen of glitteringbayonets, put the Chinese to flight, and captured two Krupp guns. Atthe same time the Germans crossed over lower down, with similar results, and the Armoury was taken. The Chinese, recovering from their panic, made a determined attempt to retake the position by assault, under coverof artillery fire, but were driven off with loss; but at the same timethe allies suffered severely also. 

The force now settled down in the Armoury, which could easily bedefended and was well supplied with guns and ammunition, and the sickand wounded were now in quarters which, compared with the holds of thejunks, must have seemed luxurious; and, but for the question of rations, the force was now safe, but of these latter only enough for three daysand that at half allowances remained. Anxiety on this last account washappily set at rest the next day, 23rd June, when, besides immensestores of ammunition, which included war material of the newest pattern, 15 tons of rice were discovered. 

All danger was now past. Several efforts had been made to communicatewith Tientsin, only five miles distant, but none of the native runnershad got through, till the 24th, when a force at once set out under theRussian Colonel Shrinsky, who led a force of 1000 Russians; 600 British, under Captain Bayly, and 300 of other nationalities then arrived atdaylight on the 25th. The arsenal, said to contain three million poundsworth of military stores, was set on fire, and the united forcesreturned to Tientsin the next day without further incident. 

So ended the first expedition to relieve the legations in Pekin. Thefailure was owing to the destruction of the railway and the fact thatthe Imperial Chinese army, so far from assisting or even standingneutral, took the side of the Boxers and opposed the expedition. Thatit was not a disaster was owing to the wonderful manner in whichofficers of no less than eight nationalities worked together, and thecourage and endurance of their men. The thought of the Chinese habit oftorturing their captives must have added to the natural anxiety ofdepression on board the junks and to the terrible strain upon thecommander. 

THE CAPTURE OF THE TAKU FORTS. 

Soon after the admiral's departure it became clear to the commanders ofthe ships off Taku that the Chinese Government were preparing to bringdown an army upon Tongku, the terminus of the railway, and that thecommunication with Tientsin was threatened, and that the Taku forts werebeing provisioned and manned. It was therefore decided to occupy theforts, and notice was given to the Chinese of the intention to do so attwo a. M. Of 17th June. 

Taku is situate at the mouth of the Peiho river, which was until therailway was built, and, if this were interrupted, would become again theprincipal approach from the sea to Pekin, about 80 miles by river, andto Tientsin 44 miles. The entrance, which runs east and west, isstrongly guarded by a series of forts on the north and south sides, theprincipal fort being the north, which is very strong and mounts some 50guns of all sizes, and connected with this by a covered way is anotheron the same side but farther up the river with 30 guns. On the southside there is a series of strong forts and batteries for about a milealong the shore, mounting about 120 guns of various patterns, thegreater part being quite modern. Some distance inland is another fortand the magazines. These forts, designed to protect the sea-front, aretherefore very formidable, and well manned with competent gunners wouldconstitute a real danger to any ships entering the river. The bar ofthe river is 5 miles off, and is so shoaly that vessels drawing 20 feethave to lie 5 miles off that, that is 10 miles from the forts, and itwas at this point that the fleet of the various nations was at this timelying at anchor, the British being _Centurion_, flagship, _Barfleur, Orlando, Endymion, Aurora_. 

The only vessels that could therefore enter the river and bombard theforts were gunboats and destroyers; of these the Russians had three, _Bobr, Koreelah_, and _Gilyak_; the French, the _Lion_; the British, the_Algerine_, steel despatch boat with six 4-inch guns, and twodestroyers, the _Whiting_ and _Fame_. These two last captured fourperfectly equipped modern destroyers, whose crews bolted; properlyhandled, they might have destroyed all the attacking ships, who withoutthem found sufficient work to do in keeping down the fire of the forts. 

The plan arranged by the others was that, after an effectivebombardment, a landing party should attack the north-west and northforts and the other forts in succession. 

The Chinese, however, had no intention of letting the Westerns have itall their own way, but at a quarter to one a. M. On the morning of the17th opened the ball by firing upon the _Algerine_, who promptlyreplied, and the battle became general. A terrific bombardment on bothsides roared through the night, the gunboats in addition to the fire oftheir big guns keeping up a continuous hail from their quick-firing gunsin their tops. The Chinese were equally determined, and stuck to theirguns through it all, but they were very poor gunners, and their shellsdid not burst, and so for six hours the gunboats' targets for two milesof forts and some 200 or more guns escaped serious injury. 

As daylight came, however, the Chinese made better practice, and theposition became more serious for the allies, and it seemed as though theattack was going to fail. The Russian ship _Gilyak_ was hit by a shell, and lost several men. She could not leave her moorings in consequence, and suffered severely from rifle fire from the shore, her losses duringthe action being the heaviest in the fleet, 2 officers and 10 men killedand 47 wounded. 

The tide now rising, the ships boldly steamed amid a storm of shot andshell close under the forts. The German _Itlis_ was seen constantly inthe post of danger, and the gallantry with which she was fought evokedthe admiration of all. 

HMS _Algerine_, commander R. H. Stewart, greatly contributed to thefinal success, which at one time was so doubtful. She was always in thethick of the fight, but escaped with only slight damage to cowls andrigging, and received no shot in her hull, largely owing to the factthat her commander put her so close into the forts that they could notbe brought to bear on her, and the shot passed over. She had only 1officer wounded and 3 men killed. 

Still the battle continued, and the Chinese kept doggedly at it, andsucceeded in bursting their shells. Fortunately about seven a. M. Anawful explosion occurred, the chief magazine blew up, and the Chineselost heart, and soon after all firing ceased. Meantime thestorming-parties had seized the north-west fort. 

The landing party consisted of British, 23 officers and 298 men, fromthe _Alacrity, Barfleur_, and _Endymion_; German, 3 officers and 130men; Japanese, 4 officers and 240 men; Russian, 2 officers and 157 men;Italian, 1 officer and 24 men; Austrian, 2 officers and 20 men, --total, 904 officers and men. The command was confided to Commander Craddock, RN. These landed under heavy shell fire in the dark by 2:30 a. M. Withno loss, and at 4:30, when the ships' guns had silenced those of theforts, advanced upon the north-west fort. In the firing line were menfrom the _Alacrity_ and _Endymion_ on the right, Russians on the left, and Italians on the right flank; the _Barfleur's_ men supported thecharge, and the rest of the force were in support. The Japanese, however, were not to be restrained, and as soon as the charge sounded, raced with the British for the west gate, and both nations climbed theparapet together. Their commander was first in, and the Englishcommander a good second, the former unfortunately being killed. Theremaining forts were easily taken, and with small loss to the allies. The Chinese garrison was estimated at 3000, of whom one-third waskilled. 

THE CAPTURE OF TIENTSIN CITY. 

During the absence of the admiral and his force, the Chinese had keptour force defending the foreign settlement at Tientsin sufficientlybusy, and did everything in their power to prevent trains withreinforcements going forward even before the 14th June, when the railswere torn up. Captain Bayly, RN, of HMS _Aurora_, had been left incharge of the British forces, and was joined on the 11th June byCommander Beattie, of HMS _Barfleur_, with 150 bluejackets and marines, and later by between 1600 and 1800 Russians, with cavalry and artillery. The Boxers made their first attack upon the settlement upon 16th June, and from that time, until the capture of the Chinese city, there wasalmost continual fighting, in the course of which the Naval Brigade lostseveral officers and men. 

The native city began to bombard the settlement on the 17th, and on the25th a 12-pounder gun from the _Terrible_, one of those mounted onCaptain Percy Scott's system, which had done such service in SouthAfrica, arrived and shelled the forts. 

The _Terrible_ had also brought to Tongku a military force consisting ofRoyal Welsh Fusiliers, 7 officers and 328 men, some engineers, and otherdetails, under Major Morris; these with a naval force of about 150, under Captain Craddock, RN, of the _Alacrity_, together with 1500Russians with 4 guns and 100 American marines, made on the 23rd June anattack upon the military school, a strong position commanding thesettlements. A great deal of bayonet-fighting took place in clearingthe villages on the way, but the position itself was easily taken andthe settlement relieved. The approximate total of the forces of allnations at Tientsin after this reinforcement was 4500, of whom about1400 were British. 

On 27th June a force of British seamen under Commander Craddock, andmarines under Major Johnstone, the whole about 600 strong, under thecommand of Captain Burke, joined with the Russians in an attack upon theChinese arsenal. The Russians took the centre and right face, our menbeing ordered to advance parallel to the left face. At 200 yards theywere met with a heavy fire, and had to advance for some space over aflat piece of ground until they could turn and face the arsenal, andwhen they advanced received the fire of a field-gun at the left corner. However, fixing bayonets, the bluejackets charged with a cheer, theenemy quickly bolted, and were met with the fire of the marines, who hadbeen left outside for that purpose. The Russians also drove out theenemy at their end, and destroyed the arsenal. Our losses were 7 killedand 21 wounded. 

On 28th June and the following day messages came in from Pekin, dated24th June, "Our case is desperate; come at once. " Terrible news indeedfor the allies; it was but two days since the expedition which had setout for Pekin had returned, and now the Tientsin settlement itself wasin danger, besieged and bombarded daily by the Chinese forts. Noattempt even at relief was at this time possible, and there was an awfulanxiety both here and in Europe as to what the fate of the embassiesmight be. 

On the 4th of July the Chinese made an attack upon the railway station, and were repulsed; and on the same day two additional 12-pounder gunsfrom the _Terrible_ arrived, and also two Krupp guns taken from the Takuforts, a most important access of strength to the Naval Brigade, for upto this time the only guns had been the 12-pounder of the _Terrible_, two 9-pounder marine field-guns, and three 6 pounder Hotchkiss. 

The next two days the forts in the native city were heavily bombarded bythe _Terrible's_ guns, assisted by French and Japanese field-guns. Several of the Chinese guns were silenced, but others, difficult tolocate owing to the use of smokeless powder, replied with spirit andmade good practice. A gallant attempt was made on the afternoon of the6th by Major Bruce of the 1st Chinese Regiment to silence a 9-pounderwhich had been pushed up to within short range, and appeared to beaiming at the waterworks. The admiral lent him a 9-pounder gun, andCommander Beattie, of the _Barfleur_, with 70 men. No cover could befound, and the 9-pounder could not be brought into action owing to theheavy rifle fire, and the attempt had to be abandoned. The force lost 2killed and 5 wounded, among the latter being Major Bruce and Mr F. Esdaile, midshipman of the _Barfleur_, the latter mortally. 

The Chinese for some days had gradually been pushing their lines roundto the west and south of the native city, with a view to cutting thecommunication by river and also placing the battery of the British navalguns under a fire from the rear as well as front. Moreover, the Chinesegunners were improving daily in their practice, and evidently hadknowledge from spies of the exact position and ranges of the barracks. It became therefore necessary to clear the enemy out of their position. 

It was accordingly arranged that a combined movement should be made atdaybreak on 9th July to drive the enemy out of their position, and by awide flanking movement to converge upon and capture the west arsenal. The command was entrusted to the Japanese General Fukushima, whose forceconsisted of about 1000 infantry and 150 cavalry, with 150 American 9thInfantry Regiment. The British sent 1000 men, namely, two companies 2ndBattalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers, half company Hong-Kong Regiment, twocompanies Chinese Regiment, and 400 bluejackets and marines underGeneral Dorward as supports; and the Russians a reserve of 400. 

The force moved off before daylight on the 9th. The bulk of thefighting fell upon the Japanese, but there was very little of that, forthough the Chinese artillery replied briskly for some time, when oncethe guns were silenced and the infantry through the line of fire, theChinese fled precipitately. The Japanese cavalry charged and disperseda body of Boxers, killing about 200, and the infantry advancing capturedfour Krupp guns. The arsenal was taken with a rush by the Japanese, andfound to be deserted, but being commanded by rifle fire was found to beuntenable. The place was therefore set on fire, and the forcesreturned, having most thoroughly effected their purpose. The navalcasualties among the British were 1 killed and 3 wounded. 

This reverse, severe though it was, did not weaken the determination ofthe Boxers, for early in the morning of the 11th they made a mostdetermined attack upon the railway station, an important position forthem, from which they could bombard the settlement as well as destroythe rolling stock. The fight lasted three hours, and was stubbornlycontested. The Chinese got to close quarters and even crossed bayonetswith the allies. They were at length driven out with very heavy loss. The allies also lost heavily, 150 killed and wounded, principallyJapanese and French. The British loss was very slight. 

At this time the number of the enemy attacking was estimated at 20, 000, while of the allies the total force was 12, 170, namely, 50 Austrians, 2160 French, 1420 British, 400 Germans, 40 Italians, 3090 Japanese, 4450Russians, and 560 Americans. The bombardment of the settlement by theChinese was inflicting daily losses. Hitherto their artillery had beensuperior to ours, but by the arrival of two 4-inch guns, one from HMS_Algerine_, and another from HMS _Phoenix_, the position was altered andit was at length decided to make a general attack upon the enemy on the18th, with a view to capturing the native city and finally relieving theforeign settlement. In this action the British naval guns were assigneda prominent part, and to their very accurate shooting the success wasmainly due. The plan arranged was that under cover of the naval guns onthe east the Russians and Germans should take the Chinese batteries tothe north-east of the city, while the Japanese and British should at thesame time deliver their attack upon the city to facilitate the captureof the batteries by the Russians. The Japanese were under their owngeneral, the rest of the allies under General Donvard. The forcesconsisted of 1500 Japanese, under General Fukushima; 800 British, ofwhom 300 were naval; 900 Americans, 30 Austrians, 900 French, and about3000 Russians and 400 German marines. 

After about an hour's bombardment the main attack was delivered, theFrench on the right, the British on the left, and the Japanese in thecentre, which was the point of greatest danger, for they were to advanceupon the south gate and blow it up to effect an entrance. The Americanswere ordered to support the left of the Japanese, and to their left werethe Welsh Fusiliers. The Americans unfortunately soon became involvedin a very exposed position, whence they could neither retreat noradvance, their colonel was killed and they lost very heavily, and 100men of the Naval Brigade under Lieutenant Phillimore were sent to theiraid. 

Meantime the naval guns were keeping up a constant and accurate fire, keeping down the fire from the city walls. Still, however, the day woreon; the Japanese were unable to reach the gate, and the city, which itwas expected to enter by noon, was not yet taken, and the Japanesegeneral decided to hold his position through the night and to resume theattack in the morning. 

Under fire of the naval guns the Fusiliers and American marines werewithdrawn with very slight loss, and then the unfortunate 9th Regimentwith the company of the Naval Brigade. This was a very delicatebusiness, for they were in danger of being themselves hit by the guns, but so accurate was the fire that it was performed without accident. Splendid work had meantime been done by our men in getting in theAmerican wounded, nearly all of whom they brought in under fire. 

The Russians, of whom nothing had been heard during the day, had beenthoroughly successful, although their attack had been delayed. In theend they completely routed the Chinese and captured 11 guns, but notwithout heavy fighting, in which they lost 120 in killed and wounded. 

The next morning the Japanese, who in the night had made a bridge acrossthe canal, crossed over at three a. M. , blew in the gate, and in lessthan an hour the city was taken. The British seized a number of junksand a steamer and 8 guns, which had kept up such a fire on the precedingday. The total loss of the allies concerned in the attack on the southgate was--British, naval, 6 men killed, among whom was Captain Lloyd ofthe marines, and 38 wounded; military, 12 killed, 38 wounded; Americans, 9 killed, 119 wounded; French, no killed and wounded; Japanese, 400. 

The effect of the naval guns was remarkable, and is thus reported byGeneral Dorward:

"The success of the operations was largely due to the manner in whichthe naval guns were worked by Lieutenant Drummond, RN, the accuracy oftheir fire alone rendering steady fire on the part of the troopspossible against the strong Chinese position, and largely reducing thenumber of casualties. 

"The delicate operation of withdrawing troops from advanced positions atnightfall to strengthen other parts of the line, and the bringing backof the wounded, could not have been effected without the aid of thewell-directed fire of the guns. 

"I desire to place on record my appreciation of the gallantry and finespirit of the men, and to join in their regret for the heavy loss inkilled and wounded, and particularly with the Royal Marines in regretfor the death of Captain Lloyd. 

"The Naval Brigade had their full share in the fighting at the centreand right of the position, and had the honour of being among the firsttroops to enter Tientsin. The succour they brought under a heavy fireto the hard-pressed American troops on the right was highly appreciatedby the 9th Regiment United States Infantry, who found themselvesunexpectedly under the heaviest fire of the day, and were much heartenedby the arrival of Lieutenant Phillimore, RN, and his men. "

A YOUNG V. C. 

During the fighting on 13th July a midshipman, Basil John Douglas Guy, displayed great coolness and bravery in stopping with and attending to awounded seaman, under an excessively hot fire, eventually assisting tocarry him across a fire-swept force. When it is remembered what kind oftreatment the Chinese dealt out to all who fell into their hands, andthe brutalities of which they were guilty, the heroism of the above actstands out all the more sharply and unmistakably. For the action thusdescribed in the _Gazette_ Mr Guy was awarded a Victoria Cross. 

THE SIEGE OF PEKIN. 

The foreign guard that arrived in Pekin on the evening of 31st May andfollowing days numbered only 18 officers and 389 men, far too few forthe defence, and ridiculously inadequately supplied with guns andammunition. The British brought one old type Nordenfeldt; theAustrians, one quick-firing gun; while the Russians brought a supply of12-pound shell, but left their gun behind. It seemed as if the powersonly contemplated a demonstration, whereas this little force wasdestined to sustain a siege that will rank amongst the most memorable inhistory, and to hold--against Krupp guns and hordes of Chinese, firingat close quarters modern magazine rifles--gardens and buildingsoccupying some ten acres of ground, surrounded by a high wall, but inother respects before the commencement of the siege utterly unprotected. 

The superior number of the enemy and the daily bombardment was not thegreatest danger they had to meet. One compound was crowded with womenand children and native refugees; famine and failure of ammunition dailyapproached; the only hope of relief from these was the arrival of arelieving force. The thought of the horrors that must follow if thisfailed, and the awful fate at the hands of the fanatic and cruel Chinesesoldiery which must befall the women and children, was ever before eachmember of the force, as day by day, for over nine weeks, day and nighthe guarded his post, cut off from the world outside and with hardly ahope of rescue. 

The British party consisted of 75 non-commissioned officers and men ofthe Royal Marines, under Captains Strouts, Halliday, and Wray. Therewere also present of other nations--American, 3 officers and 52 men;Austrians, 5 officers and 30 men; French, 2 officers and 45 men; German, 1 officer and 51 men; Italian, 1 officer and 28 men; Japanese, 1 officerand 24 men; Russian, 2 officers and 79 men. The British brought anold-fashioned five-barrel Nordenfeldt, the Italians one small gun and120 rounds, the Americans a machine gun with good supply of ammunition;but the supply of small arm ammunition was very scanty, ranging from 300to 100 rounds per man. 

In addition to these trained men the embassies supplied of students andothers 85 men, of whom 31 were Japanese armed with any rifle or weaponthat they could find; and these men shared in all the fatigues of thesiege, and added greatly to the strength of the garrison. 

At this time fearful and indescribable horrors were occurring in theChinese city, thousands of Chinese Christians were cruelly tortured andkilled. Reports came in daily of the murder of missionaries, of railwaystations destroyed, and the gradual isolation of Pekin. Missionariesand their families and native Christians took refuge in the legations, and rescue parties were sent out to bring in others, and these reportedthe most terrible scenes of massacre and indescribable cruelty. 

The Paitang, the great Roman Catholic cathedral, saved some thousands ofChristians. These with the priests and sisters, assisted by 30 Frenchmarines, were enabled to keep the attacking forces at bay till the citywas taken by the allies. The guard lost 10 killed, and some 200 of thepeople died also, but the rest must have soon perished of starvationwhen the supplies collected with wonderful prudence by Bishop Favier, who foresaw what was coming, had been exhausted. 

All this time Pekin was in the hands of the Boxers, with the Imperialsoldiers looking on, assisting, but the Chinese Government officiallyprofessing great solicitude for the safety of the legations. This didnot prevent the Boxers firing, and upon the 17th June Imperial soldierswere observed doing the same. Upon 19th June the storm burst; theGovernment had heard of the attack upon the Taku forts, and gave theambassadors notice to leave Pekin within twenty-four hours. To havedone so would have been to leave all the thousands of Chinese Christiansto their fate, and to have ensured a massacre; nevertheless some of theembassies at once prepared to move, and began to pack up. The Britishdecided to remain and hold the legation at all hazards, and the courseof events next day decided for the others. 

The German minister, Baron von Ketteler, went unattended with hissecretary to the Yamen. On the way he was murdered and his secretarywounded by Imperial troops. 

The same day the Yamen withdrew the ultimatum, and requested theministers to remain in Pekin, as the country was so disturbed. 

This expression of anxious care for the welfare of the Europeans was ablind, for at four o'clock, the hour fixed in the ultimatum, fire wasopened upon the legations, and the siege began. 

All the women and children were brought in to the legation compound, andit was decided to hold the British Embassy as the last line of defence, the supreme command being assigned to Sir Claude Macdonald, thecommanding officer of each guard being in command of their severallegations. 

Three sides of the legation compound were surrounded by Chinesebuildings, and these constituted a very grave danger, as attempts weremade, by setting them on fire, to burn out the legation buildings; andon the 22nd June one of these attempts nearly succeeded, the fire wasgot under, and the building destroyed under a hail of bullets. 

Just outside the legation and only a few feet away was the HanlinAcademy. This was the most venerated and ancient building in Pekin, andcontained a priceless collection of books and ancient Chinesemanuscripts, which could never be replaced. These buildings were asource of great danger if fired; the Europeans hesitated to destroy sucha building; not so the Chinese, and on the 23rd it was found to be inflames, with a strong wind blowing towards the legation buildings. Fortunately, the wind changed, or these could not have been saved. 

On the discovery that the building was on fire, a party of British andAmerican marines and volunteers rushed in and drove out the Chinese, killing a good many; but it was too late to save the library, and only afew of its manuscripts were rescued. Thus the Chinese in their furyagainst the foreigner had destroyed a collection which for manycenturies had been the pride of their literati. 

The buildings had to be demolished on all sides as they weresuccessively set on fire, and at length the legation buildings were safefrom this source of danger, but the work was carried out under acontinuous rattle of rifle fire, and there were numerous casualties. 

On 24th June Captain Halliday with 30 marines was sent to clear out aparty of the enemy who had set fire to the State buildings of theBritish legation, and were taking cover in the buildings. A hole beingmade in the legation wall, Captain Halliday followed by his men creptthrough, and at once came upon the enemy, and before he was able to usehis revolver received a serious wound from a rifle at point-blank range, the bullet breaking his shoulder and entering the lung; notwithstanding, he shot three of the enemy and walked back unaided to the hospital. Forthis gallant action Captain Halliday was awarded the V. C. CaptainStrouts then took charge, and driving back the enemy captured somerifles, and, what was most valuable, a large quantity of ammunition. 

Danger from incendiarism was now removed, but a new peril appeared. Theenemy on the 26th opened fire at 1000 yards with a Krupp 2. 7-inch gun;this was silenced by rifle fire, and the next day, when a sortie wasmade to take it, it had been withdrawn. As, however, it was known thatthere were ten more in Pekin, all hands turned to making bomb-proofshelters, and on the 28th the enemy mounted another gun at 300 yards, but soon withdrew it when a sortie was made to take it. 

It was at length found possible to make some reply, for an oldsmooth-bore gun was found, and the projectiles the Russians had broughtwere made use of, and a 1-pounder gun, which the enemy had posted but100 yards off, was silenced after the ninth round. What a curiousinstance of our Western ways this incident affords; the Chinese firingupon our own people with the latest artillery made by ourselves, whilethey are left to improvise a gun from a relic found in an old ironstore!

The enemy now began to give up their attempt to get into the Britishlegation, and to devote their attention to the Italians, Japanese, French, and Germans, who protected most of the Chinese converts, againstwhom they were increasingly savage; consequently the British marines hadto reinforce all the posts outside the legation. 

On 16th July, Captain Strouts was killed--a very great loss to thedefence--and Captain Halliday being wounded, Captain Wray took commandof the marines and Sir Claude Macdonald of the legation. 

On the 17th the Chinese Imperial authorities were getting frightened, nodoubt affected by the fall of Tientsin, and till the 4th of August, except for occasional sniping practice, suspended hostilities, and againmade suggestions that the embassies should retire under escort toTientsin, and leave the native Christians to the Government, whopromised them protection; but, nevertheless, the firing continued after4th August, especially at night, and there were many casualties, butbeyond this there was no serious fighting. 

On 14th August the sound of guns was heard, and shells were seenbursting against the gates of the Tartar city, and the besieged knewthat relief was at hand, and so it proved. At three p. M. The Britishnative troops, followed by General Gaselee and staff, entered thelegation, and the siege was at an end. 

The relief and thankfulness felt in Great Britain and throughout theempire at the conclusion of this memorable siege could not be betterexpressed than in the words telegraphed by Queen Victoria to the officercommanding the marine guard:

"I thank God that you and those under your command are rescued from yourperilous situation. With my people I have waited with the deepestanxiety for the good news of your safety and a happy termination of yourheroic and prolonged defence. I grieve for the losses and sufferingsexperienced by the besieged. "

The casualties among the British garrison amounted to 6 killed and 21wounded, among the latter being Dr Morrison, the _Times_ Chinesecorrespondent, the total amongst all the defenders being 65 killed and160 wounded, although 4000 shells fell in the legation during the siege. The relief arrived only just in time, as there were but three days'rations left, and the Chinese were attacking with increasing rigourtowards the end. 

THE RELIEF OF PEKIN. 

In Europe and in America, cut off from all reliable sources ofinformation about what was happening at the embassies, the suspense wasvery great. In July rumours came of the fall of the legation, and themassacre of all the Europeans. Even in official circles the news wasaccepted as true; obituary notices of the members of the legationappeared in the daily press, and arrangements were made for a publicfuneral service at Saint Paul's Cathedral. 

It was some time after the arrival of this report in Europe that theallies found themselves able to start from Tientsin, being equallyuncertain as to what they would find to be the state of the embassies, if they themselves should arrive there; happily, though late, it provednot too late. 

On 3rd August the allied generals arrived at a resolution to commencethe advance the next day with, approximately, 20, 000 men, namely, 10, 000Japanese, with 24 guns; 4000 Russians, with 16 guns; 3000 British, with12 guns; 2000 Americans, with 6 guns; 800 French, with 12 guns; and 300Germans, Austrians, and Italians. 

Among the British contingent the navy was well represented, the NavalBrigade, under the command of Captain Gallaghan of the _Endymion_, consisted of 125 bluejackets with four 12-pounders from the _Barfleur, Terrible, Endymion, Phoenix_, and _Algerine_, and 278 marines underMajor Luke; there were also two more naval 12-pounders manned byHong-Kong artillery under Major Saint John; there started on the sameday the junks which had been captured from the enemy. 

The principal Chinese position was at Peitsang, where they were stronglyentrenched on both sides of the river. This position was attacked andstormed by the Japanese, supported by the British, on the morning of the5th, the brunt of the action being borne by the Japanese, who lost 200in killed and wounded, the British only 25, of whom 21 were Indian. Theforce pressed on day after day, driving the enemy before them, theJapanese bearing the brunt of the fighting all the way up. Pekin wasreached on the 14th, and about 2:45 General Gaselee had the good fortuneto enter the legation first of all the generals. In these actions verylittle fighting fell to the Naval Brigade, but the marines under MajorLuke co-operated in the relief of the cathedral the next day.