Tom a trip took to jail, an old messmate to free, And four thankful prattlers soon sat on his knee. Then Tom was an angel, down right from heav'n sent! While they'd hands, he his goodness should never repent; Return'd from next voyage, he bemoan'd his sad case, To find his dear friend shut the door in his face! Why d'ye wonder, cried one, you're serv'd right to be sure, Once Tom Tackle was rich-now Tom Tackle is poor! I ben't you see vers'd in high maxims and sitch, But don't this same honor concern poor and rich? If it don't come from good hearts, I can't waters send her, So slowly and rise up again. Ah! man, on thy mightiness dwelling, May tell thee it will not endure. She went through an echo of voices Respondent that spoke to the sea, Like the sound of a number whom pleasure rejoices, Light-hearted, and dreaming of glee. She went, but no eye has e'er known her Return, though her season is o'er; And the numbers that hail'd ere the tempest had blown her, Shall look on her beauty no more. The ocean has ta'en in its distance nob L 'Twas on a charming summer's morning, as I was walking on the delightful terrace fronting Greenwich hospital, viewing with admiration the grandeur of the majestic Thames before me, which was most picturesquely studded with vessels of all classes, proudly bearing up with their wealthy cargoes to the great metropolis, that my attention was attracted by the conversation of some of those remnants of bravery, the pensioners, seated on the benches near me. They were engaged in fighting their battles over again, with all the enthusiasm of young heroes, and seemed rejoicing in the remembrance of those actions in which they had severally either lost an arm, a leg, or an eye; or, in some way or other, could boast a noble scar, won in defending their native shores. Others were amusing themselves by relating some of the most wonderful anecdotes of their shows his honor knew well how to behave to a British Sailor." "Well, well,” replied the veteran, "if 'twill amuse you, d'ye see, why I dosen't care, altho' you've heard it as many times as there are trees in the park." My curiosity was a little excited by this, and drawing myself nearer towards them, I took out my pocket book, and under the feigned appearance of sketching the scene before me, sketched the following, which is nearly verbatim with the original: You must all of you, my lads, recollect the Northumberland; well, I sailed in her for six years until she was paid off, and I had a good bit of Prize money and wages due to me, which when I got I resolved to make a voyage to dear ould Ireland, God bless it, and steer my course for Kilmacthomas, in the county of Waterford, on a visit to my poor parents, who I'd not seen for some fifteen years. Well, for the first time in my life I touched at Port Roguery-that London. Well, I had just been to see Nelson's monument and was bearing away to get myself shipped on board a stage coach for Bristol when thinks 'I, I'll sport a pair of new pumps. Well, I spys an old man standing at the corner of a street and hails him, to point out a shop to get 'em -he took me under his convoy, and we bore up for a shoemaker's. Well in we went. Ho! ho! says I, I wants a pair of prime long quarters and buckles fit for an admiral. I was sarved in a crack and out I hauls a bundle of Notes, for I'd a pretty sample, and bids the cobbler take for 'em. He picks out a Two, but not having change, handed it over to the old man to go and get it. Well, he made sail you know, but some how or 'tother, he was not able to keep his reckoning so as to make the port again;-and the lubber of a snob, thinking I had never doubled Cape Horn, asked me to unship the shoes again. Avast there, cried I, I've not been to sea all my life for nothing, and am not to be taken aback in that kind of way, and swore he should hand me over my change; on which he swore he would send for an officer. That made me contented, for I thought, d'ye see, he meant one of his Majesty's, and I should be sure of being righted-Well, up comes the officer, but he'd no uniform, and when I asked him if he belonged to bis Majesty's ser vice, he laughed at me and told me he would introduce me to a civil magistrate that would do me jus tice, and we all set sail for his worship's. When we arrived the lubber spun a long yarn about my not paying him for the shoes, and asked his honor to make me-but Lord bless you, his civil honor told him plain he couldn't, and asked me what I'd got to say, when 1 hauls over a power of lingo, just by way d explanation, like to what I've tol you. 'Well,' says his honor, says he'l think you unfortunately got into bad company,'- I don't know what you call it says I, but I knows that that land crab, wants to bamboozle me out of the note he gave to the old man. Please your worship,' says the snob, the old man called him his son, he did not deny it, and I supposed I was right in giving him the note to change'-If he did call me his son, says I, I didn't know it, and if he is my father it is without my know. ledge, and if I am his son, all I can say is that I've got a damned rogue of a father. Well, my man, said his worship, I wish you had some friend to take care of the rest of your money for you.' Why as to that your honor, says I, I can do that myself, but who would have supposed that the first civil man I met with in London should be a rogue-you won't think I mean any allusions your honor. No, no,' replied his civility, ‘but I would recommend you to pay the shoemaker, and then pursue your journey to Bristol.' To Bristol, your honor, says I, why I am bound beyond that, and for twenty years I have been trying to come at the wish of my heart, that is, to see my parents once more, and with some cash in my pocket. I would have gone before, but I could not assist them. I ran away from them twenty years ago, and I suppose they think I have gone to Davy's Locker; but if ever I reach Kilmacthomas, in the county of Waterford, I will make their ould hearts leap with joy, and prove that Jack has still a soul to be saved. But I do not think I ought to pay for the shoes again, as the lubber himself gave the note to the old rogue. Do not mistake me,' said his worship, I did not order you to pay for the shoes, I only recommended it to you; in fact I have no power to make such an order.' The officer was right, cried I, when he said you were a civil magistrate, and there is no advice. you can give me that I will not follow. I can say no more,' replied his worship, follow the course you have intimated with prudence, and I am sure you will do right, but you must not stop on the road.' Your honor may depend I will not said I, and if I could go all the way by sea I would, for I should never be out of my latitude then; but these damned stages bring up So often, they make seven bells thirty times a-day. However, I shall never forget what your honor has said, and if ever I hear any one speak of a civil magistrate, I will be sure to tell them that they will find one in London. But what am I to do with the lubber, your honor? I have already told you what I recommend!' said his worship, and must leave it to yourself." Upon this I hauled out another note, gave it to the lubberly snob, desiring him to hand over the change to a poor half-starved look ing fellow who stood near, and, wishing his civility good day, with a promise that I would call on him again if ever I came that way, I once more set sail on my journey to Kilmacthomas. Here the College bell summoning them to mess, cut short the conversation, and I retired much amused with the story and much more pleased with the worthy old subject of it. GALLANT CONDUCT OF BRITISH SEAMEN. For the following very excellent letter, we are indebted to a correspondent of the Examiner, in which Journal it has already appeared, We cannot but applaud the sentiments it contains; nor too highly appreciate those instances of heroic bravery quoted in it; while we view with disgust the inhuman apathy of the neighbouring nation in question: are "Not with the view of keeping alive a feeling of resentment, or a desire to create a spirit of retaliation, is the motive that induces me to trespass on the columns of the Examiner, with a subject it would be well to obliterate from the memory, for such things have a tendency to make man dissatisfied with his species; but corrective means necessary to the well-being of society, and the public record of a disgraceful event is generally the most efficacious. Did not the catastrophe of the Medusa frigate, in 1816, prove that the politest nation of Europe might be deficient. in the more honorable traits of human character, the conduct of the French on the occasion of the wreck of the William of Liverpool,* * About six o'clock on the morning of the 19th of December, 1828, a large brig, of about 250 tons burthen, went on a reef of rocks near Fortelle, about two miles cast of Boulogne; a dreadful surf running at the time, she very shortly rolled over and went en to pieces, and all on board perished. of colour reached the shore, drea hausted and bruised; he was able might be placed to the account of the marvellous and untrue;-such conduct, only on suspicion that danger of disease might come to them from the saving of life! The Caffre would have been ashamed of such barbarity! Would a British tar have disregarded a signal of distress, because it was on the mast of a Levanter, and might come from Smyrna and bring danger from the plague? No; the half-hoisted Jack is an appeal to his feelings, though an enemy, and he forgets the foe when the tempest endangers him. To such claims on the best feelings of society it has been my lot from early life to be a witness; and the record of one so opposite in character to that recorded in the last week of 1828, in the first week of 1829, may add to the interest as well as the utility of the Examiner:-In the last war between England and France, a sloop, bearing a flag of truce, and having several neutral passengers on board, was wrecked after sunset in the passage from Calais to Dover, and near to the mouth of the harbour of the latter port. To the fury of a December gale may be added a frost that iced the spray as it fell on the deck and rigging of the vessel; the darkness of the night hid the sloop from the people on shore, and only by the cries of the sufferers was their condition known. To discover the situation of the wreck, tar barrels were set fire to, and by that light five brave follows, selected from a hundred, equally willing, committed themselves to the perils of an enter the sands some distance by the aid of some humane fishermen, but was unable to speak; they gave him a little brandy, and were in the act of taking him to their house when the custom-house officers arrived, who ordered the fishermen to leave their charge, on the penalty of a thrust from their bayonets if they refused; this they reluctantly did, and the custom house officers proceeded to get such valuables as might float ashore, while the poor black-left exposed in the wet and co for several hours!-perished on the spot where the inhuman monsters left him. -She cold prize, that was more likely to terminate in their destruction than the rescue of the people on the wreck. Success followed their exertions; all (but a female who died in the arms of a seaman while carrying her from the boat to the York Hotel) were saved. The generous spirit that selected and directed that little crew, had at that time a wife and seven children dependant on his life. for support; from early manhood on many similar occasions he had been the first in danger; his skill, personal strength (for nature gave to him the symmetry of the Farnesian Hercules) and courage, begat a confidence in others, and a boat's crew was ever ready to encounter any peril when he directed the enterprize. He is now one of the Senior Wardens of the Fellowship of Pilots. That the conduct of the public authorities in Boulogne on this occasion should have excited in many French disgust, was most likely. If the remnant of the crew of a vessel belonging to that port saved by English seamen, are dead, many of the place, and perhaps relations to them, must remember the time and danger encountered for their service. Very likely the good fishermen who tried to succour the poor black, were stimulated by the recollection of the fate of their townsmen, and would have done their best, but for the cold-blooded inteference of the Douaniers; be this as it may, the spirit of the British tar will not shake in the wind, blow it ever so foul from the southward: the following reminiscence proved to be the William, of Liverpool, from the West Indies, with a cargo of coffee, sugar, cotton, logwood, &c. Several of the dead bodies were seen floating in along shore in the afternoon, but the douaniers would not permit them to be picked up, consequently they washed out again. The only excuse made by the principals in this affair, was, they were apprehensive the vessel was from an unhealthy port; if this had been the case, surely much more was to be apprehended from the cotton, and other articles which they sought after with great avidity and much risk |