as if he had been 'the Spirit of the Lamp.' The light was still there, but a cloud of mist, like a burst of vapor from a steam boiler, came down upon the gale and flew past, when it disappeared. I followed the white mass as it sailed down the wind; it did not, as it appeared to me, vanish in the darkness, but seemed to remain in sight to leeward, as if checked by a sudden flaw; yet none of our sails were taken aback. A thought flashed on me. I peered still more intensely into the night. I was not certain. "A sail, broad on the lee bow." The captain answered from the quarter deck-" Thank you, Mr. Cringle. How shall we steer?" "Keep her away a couple of points, sir, steady." Steady," sung the man at the helm; and a slow melancholy cadence, although a familiar sound to me, now moaned through the rushing wind, and smote upon my heart as if it had been the wailing of a spirit. I turned to the boatswain, who was now standing beside me, "Is that you or Davy steering, Mr. Nipper? if you had not been there bodily at my side, I could have sworn that was your voice."When the gunner made the same remark, it started the poor fellow; he tried to take it as a joke, but could not. "There may be a laced hammock with a shot in it, for some of us ere morning. At this moment, to my dismay, the object we were chasing shortened, gradually fell abeam of us, and finally disappeared. "The Flying Dutchman." "I can't see her at all now. will be a fore and aft rigged vessel that has tacked, sir." sure enough, after a few seconds, I saw the white object lengthen and draw out again abaft our beam. "The chase has tacked, sir; put the helm down, or she will go to windward of us." We tacked also, and time it was we did so, for the rising moon now showed us a large schooner with a crowd of sail. We edged down on her, when finding her manœuvre detected, she brailed up her flat sails and bore up before the wind. This was our best point of sailing, and we cracked on, the captain rubbing his hands -"It's my turn to be the big un this time." Although blowing a strong north-wester, it was now clear moon-light, and we hammered away from our bow guns, but whenever a shot told amongst the rigging, the injury was repaired as if by magic. It was evident we had repeatedly hulled her, from the glimmering white streaks along her counter and across her stern, occasioned by the splintering of the timber, but it seemed to produce no effect.

"She

And

At length we drew well upon her quarter. She continued all black hull and white sail, not a soul to be seen on deck, except a dark object which we took for the man at the helm. "What schooner is that?" No answer. "Heave to, or I'll sink you." Still all silent. "Serjeant Armstrong, do you think you can pick off that chap at the wheel?" The mariner jumped on the forecastle, and levelled his piece, when a musket-shot from the schooner crushed through his skull, and he fell dead. The old skipper's blood was "Forecastle there! Mr. Nipper, clap a canister of grape

up.

"Ay

In a

over the round shot, in the bow gun, and give it to him." ay, sir!" gleefully rejoined the boatswain, forgetting the augury, and every thing else, in the excitement of the moment. twinkling, the square foresail-topgallant-royal, and studdingsail haulyards, were let go by the run on board the schooner, as if they had been shot away; and he put his helm hard aport, as if to round to. “Rake him, sir, or give him the stern. He has not surrendered. I know their game. Give him your broadside, sir, or he is off to windward of you, like a shot. No, no, we have him now; heave to, Mr. Splinter, heave to!" We did so, and that so suddenly, that the studding sail booms snapped like pipe shanks short off by the irons. Notwithstanding, we had shot two hundred yards to the leeward, before we could lay our maintopsail to the mast. I ran to windward. The schooner's yards and rigging were now black with men, clustering like bees swarming, her square sails were being close furled, her fore and aft sails set, and away she was, dead to windward of us. "So much for undervaluing our American friends," grumbled Mr. Splinter.

at us.

We made all sail in chase, blazing away to little purpose; we had no chance on a bowline, and when our Amigo' had satisfied himself of his superiority by one or two short tacks, he deliberately took a reef in his mainsail, hawled down his flying jib and gaff topsail, triced up the bunt of his foresail, and fired his long thirty-two The shot came in our third aftermost port or the starboard side, and dismounted the carronade, smashing the slide, wounding three men. The second missed, and as it was madness to remain to be peppered, probably winged, whilst every one of ours fell short, we reluctantly kept away on our course, having the gratification of hearing a clear well blown bugle on board the schooner play up "Yankee Doodle." As the brig fell off, our long gun was run out to have a parting crack at her, when the third and last shot from the schooner struck the sill of the midship port, and made the white splinters fly from the solid oak like bright silver sparks in the moonlight. A sharp, piercing cry rose in the air -my soul identified that death-shriek with the voice that I had heard, and I saw the man who was standing with the lanyard of the lock in his hand drop heavily across the breech, and discharge the gun in his fall. Thereupon a blood-red glare shot up in the cold blue sky, as if a volcano had burst forth from beneath the mighty deep, followed by a roar, and a scattering crash, and a mingling of unearthly cries and groans, and a concussion of the air and the water as if our whole broadside had been fired at once. Then a solitary splash here, and a dip there, and short sharp yells, and low choking bubbling moans, as the hissing frag ments of the noble vessel we had seen fell into the sea, and the last of her gallant crew vanished forever beneath that pale broad moon. We were alone; and once more all was dark, wild and stormy Fearfully had that ball sped, fired by a dead man's hand. But

what is it that clings, black and doubled, across the fatal cannon, dripping and heavy, and choking the scuppers with clotting gore, and swaying to and fro with the motion of the vessel, like a bloody fleece? "Who is it that was hit at the gun there?" *** Mr. Nipper, the boatswain, sir, the last shot has cut him in two. '

NELSON.

Horatio, son of Edmund and Catharine Nelson, was born Sept. 29, 1758-in the parsonage house of Burnham Thorpe, a village in the county of Norfolk, England. He was never of a strong body; and at the age of twelve years, when he entered the service of his country, the ague, which at that time was one of the most common diseases in England, had greatly reduced his strength; yet he had already given proofs of a resolute heart and great nobleness of mind.

His first appointment, was on board the Raisonnable, commanded by his uncle, Capt. Maurice Suckling. The Raisonnable was lying in the Medway. He was put into the Chatham stage, and on its arrival was set down with the rest of the passengers, and left to find his way on board as he could. After wandering about in the cold, without being able to reach the ship, an officer observing the forlorn appearance of the boy, questioned him; and happening to be acquainted with his uncle, took him home, and gave him some refreshments. When he got on board, Capt. Suckling was not in the ship, nor had any person been apprised of the boy's coming. He paced the deck the whole remainder of the day, without being noticed by any one; and it was not till the second day that somebody, as he expressed it, "took compassion on him.

The Raisonnable having been paid off shortly afterwards, he was removed to the Triumph, a seventy-four, then stationed as a guard-ship in the Thames; but this being considered too inactive a life for a boy, he was sent a voyage to the West Indies, and returned a practical seaman, but with a hatred of the king's service, and a saying then common among sailors-" aft the most honor, forward the better man." Being reconciled to the service, he was received on board his old ship, the Triumph, where he had not been many months, before his love of enterprise was excited by hearing that two ships were fitting out for a voyage of discovery towards the North Pole. By his uncle's interest, he was admitted as coxswain under Capt. Lutwidge, second in command. They sailed from the Nore on the 4th of June 1773, and were away about three years, suffering many hardships and braving

many dangers, in which Nelson, young as he was, displayed many of those qualities, for which he afterwards became so remarkable. After they had carefully surveyed the barrier of ice extending for more than twenty degrees between the latitudes of 80° and 81°, without the smallest appearance of any opening, they returned to England and were paid off.

Nelson was then appointed to the Seahorse, of twenty guns, then going out to the East Indies; but in about eighteen months, he experienced the effects of that climate, so perilous to European constitutions; and was carried home, with a body broken down by sickness, and spirits which had sunk with his strength. His health being somewhat improved, he was appointed actinglieutenant in the Worcester, sixty-four, then going out with convoy to Gibraltar, and on his return, passed his examination for a lieutenancy, on the 8th of April, 1777.

The next day Nelson received his commission as second lieutenant of the Lowestoffe frigate and sailed for Jamaica. On the 8th of December, 1778, he was appointed commander of the Badger brig. While the Badger was lying in Montego Bay, Jamaica, the Glasgow, of twenty guns came in and anchored there, and in two hours was in flames, the steward having set fire to her while stealing rum out of the after-hold. Her crew were leaping into the water, when Nelson came up in his boats, made them throw their powder overboard, and point their guns upward. and, by his presence of mind and personal exertions, prevented the loss of life which would otherwise have ensued. On the 11th of June, 1779, he was made post into the Hinchinbrook, of twenty-eight guns; so that we find him, before he had attained the age of twenty-one, with that rank that brought all the honors of the service within his reach; thoroughly master of his profession, and his zeal and ability acknowledged wherever he was known. He remained in the West Indies about five years, actively employed, until he became so debilitated that he was compelled to ask leave of absence, and returned home with Capt. (afterwards Admiral Cornwallis), to whose care and kindness Nelson believed himself indebted for his life.

His health was not thoroughly established, when he was sent to the North Seas; and on his return to the Downs, in the Albemarle, while he was ashore visiting the senior officer, there came on so heavy a gale, that almost all the vessels drove, and a store ship came athwart-hawse of the Albemarle. Nelson feared she would drive on the Goodwin Sands: he ran to the beach; but even the Deal boatmen thought it impossible to get on board, such was the violence of the storm. At length, some of the most intrepid offered to make the attempt for fifteen guineas; and to the astonishment and fear of all the beholders, he embarked during the height of the tempest. With great difficulty and imminent danger, he succeeded in reaching her. She lost her bowsprit and foremast,

but escaped farther injury. He next sailed for Canada, and during his first cruise on that station, captured a fishing schooner, which contained, in her cargo, nearly all the property that her master possessed; and the poor fellow had a large family at home, anxiously expecting him. Nelson employed him as a pot in Boston Bay, then restored him the schooner and cargo, and gave him a certificate to secure him against being captured by any other vessel. The man came off afterward to the Albemarle, at the hazard of his life, with a present of sheep, poultry, and fresh provisions. The certificate was preserved at Boston in memory of an act of unusual generosity; and now that the fame of Nelson has given interest to every thing connected with his name, it is regarded as a relic. On Nelson's arrival at New York, Lord Hood, on introducing him to Prince William Henry, as the Duke of Clarence was then called, told the prince, if he wished to ask any questions respecting naval tactics, Captain Nelson could give him as much information as any officer in the fleet. After cruising some time off the Spanish Main and making many captures, he received intelligence that the preliminaries of peace had been signed, and he returned to England, at the latter part of the year 1783.

"I have closed the war" said Nelson, in one of his letters, "without a fortune, but there is not a speck in my character. True honor, I hope, predominates in my mind, far above riches." He did not apply for a ship, because he was not wealthy enough to live on board in the manner which was then customary. Finding it, therefore, prudent to economise, on his half pay, he went to France. In March 1784-he was appointed to the Boreas twenty-eight guns, going to the Leeward Islands on the peace establishment. On the 11th, March 1787, he was married to the widow of. Dr. Nisbet, who was niece to Mr. Herbert, the President of Nevis-then in her eighteenth year; Prince William Henry, being present, gave away the bride. During his stay upon this station he had ample opportunity of observing the scandalous practices of the contractors, prize-agents, and other persons in the West Indies connected with the naval service. These accounts he sent home to the different departments which had been defrauded; but the peculators were too powerful; and they succeeded not merely in impeding inquiry but even in raising prejudices against Nelson at the board of Admiralty, which it was many years before he could subdue. He returned to England and remained principally in the country, with his family and friends.

On the 30th of January 1793, he was appointed to the Agamemnon of sixty-four guns, and ordered to the Mediterranean under Lord Hood, by whom he was sent with despatches to Sir William Hamilton, at the court of Naples. Here, that acquaintance with the Neapolitan court commenced, which led to the only