"I am perfectly aware of it,' replied the captain, in a calm tone; but as I said before, and you must now be aware, it is our only chance. The consequence of any carelessness or neglect in the fitting and securing of the rigging, will be felt now; and this danger, if we escape it, ought to remind us how much we have to answer for if we neglect our duty. The lives of a whole ship's company may be sacrificed by the neglect or incompetence of an officer when in harbor. I will pay you the compliment, Falcon, to say, that I feel convinced that the masts of this ship are as secure as knowledge and attention can make them.' The first lieutenant thanked the captain for his good opinion, and hoped it would not be the last compliment which he paid him. 'I hope not too; but a few minutes will decide the point.' 6 The ship was now within two cables' lengths of the rocky point; some few of the men I observed to clasp their hands, but most of them were silently taking off their jackets, and kicking off their shoes, that they might not lose a chance of escape provided the ship struck. "Twill be touch and go indeed, Falcon,' observed the captain, (for I had clung to the belay. ing pins, close to them, for the last half hour, that the mainsail had been set.) Come aft, you and I must take the helm. We shall want nerve there, and only there, now.' The captain and first lieutenant went aft, and took the fore spokes of the wheel, and O'Brien, at a sign made by the captain, laid hold of the spokes behind him. An old quarter-master kept his station at the fourth. The roaring of the seas on the rocks, with the howling of the wind were dreadful; but the sight was more dreadful than the noise. For a few moments I shut my eyes, but anxiety forced me to open them again. As near as I could judge, we were not twenty yards from the rocks, at the time that the ship passed abreast of them. We were in the midst of the foam, which boiled around us; and as the ship was driven nearer to them, and careened with the wave, I thought that our mainyard-arm would have touched the rock and at this moment a gust of wind came on, which laid the ship on her beam-ends, and checked her progress through the water, while the accumulated noise was deafening. A few moments more the ship dragged on, another wave dashed over her and spent itself upon the rocks, while the spray was dashed back from them, and returned upon the decks. The main rock was within ten yards of her counter, when another gust of wind laid us on our beam ends, the foresail and mainsail split, and were blown clean out of the boltropes, the ship righted, trembling fore and aft. I looked astern; the rocks were to windward on our quarter, and we were safe. I thought at the time, that the ship, relieved of her courses, and again lifting over the waves, was not a bad simile of the relief felt by us all at that moment; and, like her, we trembled as we panted with the sudden re-action, and felt the removal of the intense anxiety which oppressed our breasts. The captain resigned the helm, and walked aft to look at the point, which was now broad on the weather quarter. In a minute or two, he desired Mr. Falcon to get new sails up and bend them, and then went below to his cabin. I am sure it was to thank God for our deliverance: I did most fervently, not only then, but when I went to my hammock at night. We were now comparatively safe, in a few hours, completely so; for strange to say, immediately after we had weathered the rocks, the gale abated, and before morning we had a reef out of the topsails. It was my forenoon watch, and perceiving Mr. Chucks on the forecastle, I went forward to him, and asked him what he thought of it. Thought of it, sir!' replied he. Why I always think bad of it, when the elements won't allow my whistle to be heard; and I consider it hardly fair play. I never care if we are left to our own exertions; but how is it possible for a ship's company to do their best, when they cannot hear the boatswain's pipe? However, God be thanked, nevertheless, and make better Christians of us all! As for that carpenter, he is mad; just before we weathered the point, he told me that it was just the same 27,600 and odd years ago. I do believe that on his death-bed, (and he was not far from a very hard one yesterday,) that he will tell us how he died so many thousand years ago, of the same complaint. And that gunner of ours is a fool. Would you believe it, Mr. Simple, he went crying about the decks, "O my poor guns! what will become of them, if they break loose!" He appeared to consider it of no consequence if the ship and ship's company were all lost, provided that his guns were safe landed on the beach. Mr. Dispart,' said I, at last, ‘allow me to observe in the most delicate way in the world, that you're a d-d old fool.' You see, Mr. Simple, it's the duty of an officer to generalize, and be attentive to parts, in consideration of the safety of the whole. I look after my anchors and cables, as I do after the rigging; not that I care for any of them in particular, but because the safety of a ship depends upon her being well found. I might just as well cry because we sacrificed an anchor and cable yesterday morning, to save the ship from going on shore.' Very true, Mr. Chucks,' replied I. Private feelings,' continued he, ' must always be sacrificed for public service. As you know, the lower deck was full of water, and all our cabins and chests were afloat; but I did not think then about my shirts, and look at them now, all blowing out in the fore rigging, without a part'cle of starch left in the collars or the frills. I shall not be able to appear as an officer ought to do for the whole of the cruize.' 6 As he said this, the cooper, going forward, passed by him, and jostled him in passing. Beg pardon, sir,' said the man, but the ship lurched.' The ship lurched, did it?' replied the boatswain, who, I am afraid was not in the best of humors about his wardrobe. And pray, Mr. Cooper, why has Heaven granted you two legs, with joints at the knees, except to enable you to counteract the horizontal deviation? Do you suppose they were meant for nothing but to work round a cask with? Hark, sir, did you take me for a post to scrub your pig's hide against? Allow me just to observe, Mr. Cooper—just to insinuate, that when you pass an officer, it is your duty to keep at a respectable distance, and not to soil his clothes with your rusty iron jacket. Do you comprehend me, sir; or will this make you recollect it in future?' The rattan was raised, and descended in a shower of blows, until the cooper made his escape into -the head. There, take that, you contaminating, stave-dubbing, gimletcarrying quintescence of a bung-hole! I beg your pardon, Mr. Simple, for interrupting the conversation, but when duty calls we must obey.' Very true, Mr. Chucks. It's now striking seven bells, and I must call the master-so good bye.' 6 6 A few days afterwards, a cutter joined us from Plymouth; with orders for the frigate to proceed forthwith to Gibraltar, where we should learn our destination. We were all very glad of this; for we had quite enough of cruizing in the Bay of Biscay; and as we understood that we were to be stationed in the Mediterranean, we hoped to exchange gales of wind and severe weather, for fine breezes and a bright sky. The cutter brought out our letters and newspapers. I never felt more happy than I did when I found one put into my hands. It is necessary to be far from home and friends, to feel the real delight of receiving a letter. I went down into the most solitary place in the steerage, that I might enjoy it without interruption. I cried with pleasure before I opened it; but I cried a great deal more with grief, after I had read the contents for my eldest brother Tom was dead of a typhus fever. Poor Tom! when I called to mind what tricks he used to play me-how he used to borrow my money and never pay me-and how he used to thrash me, and make me obey him, because he was my eldest brother,—I shed a torrent of tears at his loss; and then I reflected how miserable my poor mother must be, and I cried still more. What's the matter, spooney? said O'Brien, coming up to me. 'Who has been licking you now?' "O nobody,' replied 1; but my eldest brother Tom is dead, and I have only one other about three years old.' 'Well, Peter, I dare say that your brother was a very good brother; but I'll tell you a secret. When you've lived long enough to have a beard to scrape at, you'll know better than to make a fuss about an elder brother. But you're a good, innocent boy just now, so I won't thrash you for it. Come, dry your eyes, Peter, and never mind it. We'll drink his health and long life to him after supper, and then never think any more about it.' I was very melancholy for a few days; but it was so delightful running down the Portuguese and Spanish coasts, the weather was so warm, and the sea so smooth, that I am afraid I forgot my brother's death sooner than I ought to have done; but my spirits were cheered up, and the novelty of the scene prevented me from thinking. Every one, too, was so gay and happy, that I could not well be otherwise. In a fortnight we anchored in Gibraltar Bay, and the ship was stripped to refit. There was so much duty to be done, that I did not like to ask to go on shore. Indeed, Mr. Falcon had refused some of my messmates, and I thought it better not to ask, although I was very anxious to see a place which was considered so extraordinary. One afternoon, I was looking over the gangway as the people were at supper, and Mr. Falcon came up to me and said, Well, Mr. Simple, what are you thinking of?' I replied, touching my hat, that I was wondering how they had cut out the solid rock into galleries, and that they must be very curious. That is to say that you are very curious to see them. Well, then, since you have been very attentive to your duty, and have not asked to go on shore, I will give you leave to go to-morrow morning, and stay till gun-fire.' I was very much pleased at this, as the officers had a general invitation to dine with the mess, and all who could obtain leave being requested to come, I was enabled to join the party. The first lieutenant had excused himself on the plea of there being so much to attend to on board; but most of the gun-room officers and some of the midshipmen obtained leave. We walked about the town and fortifications until dinner-time, and then we proceeded to the barracks. The dinner was very good, and we were all very merry; but after the desert had been brought in, I slipped away with a young ensign, who took me all over the galleries and explained everything to me, which was a much better way of employing my time than as the others did, which the reader will acknowl edge. I was at the sally-port before gun-fire-the boat was there, but no officers made their appearance. The gun fired, the drawbridge was hauled up, and I was afraid that I should be blamed; but the boat was not ordered to shove off, as it was waiting for commissioned officers. About an hour afterwards, when it was quite dark, the sentry pointed his arms and challenged a person advancing with Who comes there?' -Naval officer, drunk on a wheel-barrow,' was the reply, in a loud singing voice. Upon which the sentry recovered his arms, singing in return,Pass, naval officer, drunk on a wheel-barrow-and all's well!' and then appeared a soldier in his fatigue dress, wheeling down the third lieutenant in a wheel-barrow, so tipsy that he could not stand or speak. Then the sentry challenged again, and the answer was, 'Another naval officer, drunk on a wheel-barrow,' upon which the sentry replied as before, Pass, another uaval officer, drunk on a wheel-barrow-and all's well.' This was my friend O'Brien, almost as bad as the third lieutenant; and so they continued for ten minutes, challenging and passing, until they wheeled down the remainder of the party, with the exception of the second lieutenant, who walked arm in arm with the officer who brought down the order for lowering the drawbridge. I was much shocked, for I considered it very disgraceful; but 1 afterwards was told, which certainly admitted of some excuse, that the mess were notorious for never permitting any of their guests to leave the table sober. They were all safely put into the boat, and I am glad to say the first lieutenant was in bed and did not see them; but I could not help acknowledging the truth of an observation made by one of the men, as the officers were handed into the boat, I say, Bill, if them were we, what a precious twisting we should get to-morrow at six bells!' STOCK IN TRADE OF MODERN POETESSES. Lonely shades, and nurm'ring founts; Pallid nymphs with fronts of snow, . |