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they enlisted they were promised besides pay and provisions, a gill of rum a day, which was punctually served out to them-half in the morning and the other half in the evening, and I observed they were punctual in attending to receive it; upon which I said to the chaplain, ' It is perhaps below the dignity of your profession to act as steward of the rum, but were you only to distribute it out after prayers, you would have them all about you.' He liked the thought, undertook the task, and with the help of a few hands to measure out the liquor, executed it to satisfaction: and never were prayers more generally and more punctually attended. So that I think this method preferable to the punishment inflicted by some military laws for non-attendance on divine service."

After the campaign, and on his return to Philadelphia, Franklin was chosen colonel by the officers of a militia regiment. "I forget," says he, "how many companies we had, but we paraded about twelve hundred well-looking men, with a company of artillery, who had been furnished with six brass field pieces. which they had become so expert at as to fire twelve times in a minute. The first time I reviewed my regiment they accompanied me to my house, and would salute me with some rounds fired before my door, which shook down and broke several glasses of my electrical apparatus. And my new honour proved not much less brittle; for all our commissions were soon after broken by a repeal of the law in England."

The defence of her Transatlantic colonies was a great expense to the mother country, and the most obvious as well as effective mode of reducing this, was to put arms into the hands of the inhabitants, and to teach them their use. Still, England had no wish that the Americans should become acquainted with their own strength; for she was apprehensive that as soon as this period arrived, the colonists would no longer submit to that monopoly of trade which to them was deeply injurions, but highly beneficial to the mother country. Large as was the expense to her of defending the colonies, yet in comparison with the profits of monopoly, the maintained armies and fleets cost but a trifling sum. England therefore studied to keep the American people dependent upon her for protection, this appearing to be the best method for retaining them in peaceable subjection. The slightest appearance of a military spirit was consequently to be guarded against; and though the war with the French still raged, the act by the Assembly for organizing a militia,-Franklin having been mainly instrumental in its passing,-was disap

proved of by the British ministry. The regiments which were formed under it were ordered to be disbanded, and the defence of the province was intrusted to regular troops.

Frankin from this period is to be viewed by us rather as a politician and statesman than a natural philosopher. Already, whether in regard to the defence of his country against foreign aggression, or to the contentions which had arisen in the province of Pensylvania, he displayed great foresight and ability. Indeed the disputes between the proprietaries and the people continued with a force as if a war had not been raging on their frontiers. Not even did the fact and sense of danger from without prove sufficient to reconcile for even so short a time their jarring interests. The Assembly still insisted upon the justice and necessity of taxing the proprietary estates; while the governors constantly laboured to have these estates exonerated, and without their assent no bill could pass into a law. Indignant at the obstinacy, and what was keenly felt to be the unjust claims and proceedings of their opponents, the Assembly at length resolved on applying to the mother country for relief and assistance. A petition was prepared, being addressed to the king in council, stating the hardships under which the great majority of the Pensylvanians laboured, from the preposterous conduct, of the proprietaries and praying for redress. Franklin was the person who was wisely appointed to present and support the petition, and in the capacity of such an agent, he left America in June, 1757.

He sailed from New York on board a vessel which the captain declared to be the swiftest on the packet service, and able to make thirteen knots an hour. She proved, however, to be too much loaded a-head. Franklin had, as fellow passenger, Captain Kennedy (afterwards Lord Cassilis), who had served in the British navy, and who ridiculed the account of the fast sailing of the vessel; but when the lading was removed backward, and she had a fair wind, Kennedy threw the log himself, and acknowledged that she made the thirteen knots per hour. From that, our philosopher, suggests the propriety of adopting scientific principles for the determination of the most proper form of the hull for swift-sailing; next the best dimensions and most proper place for the masts; then the force and quantity of sails, and their position, as the winds may be; and lastly, the disposition of the lading. The naval passenger proved to be the preservation of the ship; for, on approaching the British shores, after they had taken an observation, from which the captain judged himself near Falmouth, all but the watch had retired to rest, when the ship was

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suddenly discovered to be running on the Scilly rocks. Mr. Kennedy was one of the first on deck, and perceiving the danger, ordered the ship instantly to wear round, sails standing, by which means she just escaped striking on the rocks. "They were so near," says Franklin, "that the light on the light-house appeared to him as large as a cart-wheel." On the morning of the 17th of July, the fog clearing up, disclosed the town of Falmouth with England's beautiful fields and crowding vessels before them. It seems to have been Sunday morning, and Franklin's heart responded to the sound of Sabbath bells. "On landing,” he says, "the bell ringing for church, we went thither immediately, and with hearts full of gratitude, returned sincere thanks to God for the mercies we had received. Were I a Roman Catholic, perhaps I should on this occasion vow to build a chapel to some saint; but as I am not, if I were to vow at all, it should be to build a light-house." He set out immediately with his son William, who had accompanied him from America, only stopping by the way a little to view the remarkable Druidical remains of Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain, and Lord Pembroke's house and gardens, with the very curious antiquities at Wilton. They arrived in the metropolis the 27th July, 1757.*

PRECAUTIONS FOR THE USE OF VOYAGERS.

It cannot be a misplaced extract, if we here introduce Franklin's "Precautions to be used by those who are about to undertake a Sea Voyage." He thus writes:-" when you intend to take a long voyage, nothing is better than to keep it a secret till the moment of your departure. Without this, you will be continually interrupted and tormented by visits from friends and acquaintances, who not only make you lose your valuable time, but make you forget a thousand things which you wish to remember; so that when you are embarked and fairly at sea, you recollect with much uneasiness, affairs which you had not terminated, accounts which you have not settled, and a number of things which you proposed to carry with you, and which you find the want of every moment. Would it not be attended with the best consequences to reform

*Here close Dr. Franklin's Memoirs as written by himself, which have been closely followed in the present life. From several passages in his letters, it would seem that he had intended to extend the autobiography. Public business, however, for a time, and afterwards declining health, prevented him from fulfilling his purpose.

such a custom, and to suffer a traveller, without deranging him to make his preparations in quietness, to set apart a few days, when these are finished, to take leave of his friends, and to receive their good wishes for his happy return?

"It is not always in one's power, to choose a captain; though great part of the pleasure and happiness of the passage depends upon this choice, and though one must for a time be confined to his company, and be in some measure under his command. If he is a social, sensible man, obliging, and of a good disposition, you will be so much the happier. One sometimes meets with people of this description, but they are not common; however, if yours be not of this number, if he be a good seaman, attentive, careful, and active in the management of his vessel, you must dispense with the rest, for these are the most essential qualities.

"Whatever right you may have, by your agreement with him, to the provisions he has taken on board for the use of the passengers, it is always proper to have some private store, which you may make use of occasionally. You ought, therefore, to provide good water, that of the ship being often bad; but you must put it into bottles, without which you cannot expect to keep it sweet. You ought also to carry with you good tea, ground coffee, chocolate, wine of the sort which you like best, cider, dried raisins, almonds, sugar, capillaire, citrons, rum, eggs dipped in oil, portable soup, bread twice baked. With regard to poultry, it is almost useless to carry any with you, unless you resolve to undertake the office of feeding and fattening them yourself. With the little care which is taken of them on board a ship, they are almost all sickly, and their flesh is as tough as leather.

"All sailors entertain an opinion, which undoubtedly originated formerly from a want of water, and when it has been found necessary to be sparing of it, that poultry never know when they have drunk enough, and that when water is given them at discretion they generally kill themselves by drinking beyond measure. In consequence of this opinion they give them water only once in two days, and even then in small quantities: but as they pour this water into troughs inclining on one side, which occasions it to run to the lower part, it thence happens that they are obliged to mount one upon the back of another in order to reach it; and there are some which cannot even dip their beaks in it. Thus continually tantalized and tormented by thirst, they are unable to digest their food, which is very dry, and they soon fall sick and die.

Some of them are found thus every morning, and are thrown into the sea; while those which are killed for the table are scarcely fit to be eaten. To remedy this inconvenience it will be necessary to divide their troughs into small compartments, in such a manner that each of them may be capable of containing water, but this is seldom or never done. On this account sheep and hogs are to be considered as the best fresh provisions that one can have at sea; mutton there being generally very good, and pork excellent.

"It may happen that some of the provisions and stores which I have mentioned may become almost useless by the care which the captain has taken to lay in a proper stock, but in such a case you may dispose of it to relieve the poor passengers, who, paying less for their passage, are stowed among the common sailors, and have no right to the captain's provision, except such part of them as is used for feeding the crew. These passengers are sometimes sick, melancholy, and dejected; and there are often women and children among them, neither of whom have an opportunity of procuring those things which I have mentioned, and of which perhaps they have the greatest need. By distributing amongst them a part of your superfluity, you may be of the greatest assistance to them. You may restore their health, save their lives, and in short, render them happy, which always affords the liveliest sensation to a feeling mind.

"The most disagreeable thing at sea is the cooking; for there is not, properly speaking, any professed cook on board. The worst sailor is generally chosen for that purpose, who for the most part is equally dirty. Hence comes the proverb, used among the English sailors, that God sends meat, and the devil sends cooks.' Those, however, who have a better opinion of Providence will think otherwise. Knowing that sea air, and the exercise or motion which they receive from the rolling of the ship, have a wonderful effect in whetting the appetite, they will say that, Providence has given sailors bad cooks to prevent them from eating too much, or that, knowing they would have bad cooks, he has given them a good appetite to prevent them from dying of hunger. However, if you have no confidence in these succours of Providence, you may yourself, with a lamp and a boiler, by the help of a little spirits of wine, prepare some food, such as soup, hash, &c. A small oven made of tin-plate is not a bad piece of furniture; your servant may roast in it a piece of mutton or pork. If you are ever tempted to eat salt beef, which is often very good, you will find that cider is the best liquor to quench the thirst generally caused by salt meat or salt fish. Sea biscuit,

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