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waving his hat, pointed to the English colours, which had been hoisted at the main, as much as to say, They never shall come down!" The Frenchman did the same to the tricolour, and the action recommenced.

"Well done, my lads!" cried Captain Oughton; "well done! that broadside was a staggerer-right into his ribs. Hurrah now, my hearts of oak! this fellow's worth fighting. Aim at his foremast—another broadside will floor it. It's on the reel. Newton, jump forward, and ——'

But the order was stopped by a grape-shot, which struck Captain Oughton on the breast. He staggered and fell off from the poop to the quarter-deck. Newton leapt down, and went to him. The torrents of blood from his breast at once told the tale; and Newton called to some of the men that his commander might be taken below.

"Wait a moment, my dear lad," said Captain Oughton, faintly, and catching his breath at every word; "it's a finisher-can't come to time--I die game." His head fell on his breast, and the blood poured out of his mouth.

Newton directed the body to be taken into the cuddy, that the men might not be dispirited by the sight. He then hastened to the poop, that he might reconnoitre the enemy. He perceived that the corvette had hauled on board his tattered courses, and was standing ahead of them.

"He's off, sir!" cried one of the quarter-masters. "I suspect not," replied Newton, who had his glass to his eye, looking upon the decks of the French vessel. They are preparing to board, and will be round again

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in five minutes. Cutlasses and pikes ready-forward, my lads, all of us! We must beat them off!" "And will, too," cried the seamen, as, in obedience to their orders, they collected on the forecastle. But they mustered thin; nearly half of the ship's company were either lying dead or under the hands of the surgeon; and, as Newton surveyed his little force, fatigued as they were with their exertions, black with powder, stained with blood, and reeking with perspiration, he could not but acknowledge how heavy were the odds against the attack of a vessel so well manned as the corvette appeared to be. Newton said but a few words, but they were to the point; and he had the satisfaction to perceive, as they grasped their cutlasses, that if their numbers were few and their frames exhausted, their spirit was as unsubdued as

ever.

The corvette had in the meantime run ahead on a wind, about a mile, when she wore round, and was now standing right on to the Windsor Castle, and had neared to within three cables' length. A few minutes were to decide the point. Her courses were again hauled up, and discovered her lee fore-rigging, bowsprit, cat-heads, and forecastle, crowded with men ready for the dash on board, as soon as the vessels should come in contact. Newton stood on one of the forecastle guns, surrounded by his men; not a word was spoken on board the Windsor Castle, as they watched their advancing enemy. They were within a cable's length of each other, and Newton could plainly distinguish the features of the gallant Surcœuf, who was in advance on the knight-heads, when a puff of wind, which at any other time would not have

occasioned the starting of a royal sheet, took the sails of the corvette; and her wounded foremast, laden with men in the lee-rigging, unable to bear the pressure, fell over the side, carrying with it the maintop-mast, and most of the crew, who had been standing in the rigging, and leaving the corvette an encumbered wreck. A loud shout from the forecastle of the Windsor Castle announced that the English seamen were but too well aware of their desperate situation, and that they hailed the misfortune of the Frenchmen as their deliverance.

Now, my lads, be smart," cried Newton, as he sprang aft to the wheel, and put up the helm ; “man the flying jib-halyards (the jib was under the fore-foot); let go the main top bowling; square the main-yard. That will do; she's paying off. Man your guns; half a dozen broadsides, and it's all our own.'

The sun had disappeared below the horizon, and the shades of evening had set in, before this manœuvre had been accomplished. Several broadsides were poured into the corvette, which had the desired effect of crippling her still more, and her encumbered condition prevented any return. At last the night hid both vessels from each other; and the breeze freshening fast, it was necessary that the remaining masts of the Windsor Castle should be properly secured.

The guns were therefore made fast; the decks washed; a jury mizzen-mast stuck up abaft; Captain Oughton, and the gallant fellows who had fallen in the combat, committed to the deep with the usual ceremonies; the wounded made as comfortable as possible in their hammocks; the carpenters busied with the necessary repairs; and the Windsor Castle,

commanded by Newton Forster, running before a spanking breeze, at the rate of eight knots per hour.

From "Newton Forster," by CAPTAIN MARRYAT.

Poop. The highest part of the hull | A royal sheet. of a ship.

Hammock netting. The netting

beside the ship's rail to keep the hammocks in their places by day. At the main. On the main-mast. Can't come to time. Another of

Oughton's prize-ring phrases. It
was used when a fighter received
such a knock-down blow that he
could not rise within the time
allowed.

The cuddy. A small cabin under
the poop.
Quarter-master. An officer who
attends to the stowage, helm,
signals, etc.

To board.

To come on board the enemy's ship.

A sheet is a rope

used in setting a sail; a royal sheet is therefore the rope used in setting the royal sail-a light sail above the top-gallant sail. Flying jib-halyards. The jib is generally the foremost sail of a ship, extending from the end of the jib-boom toward the fore-topmast-head. Sometimes, however, a boom is rigged out beyond the jib-boom. The sail on this is the flying jib. The ropes for raising and lowering this are the flying jib-halyards. Fore-foot. The bottom of the front

part of the keel. The sail had fallen under it during the action.

Forecastle. The upper part of the Square the main-yard. So that the

deck forward of the foremast. Wore round. When a vessel changes her tack by turning against the wind she is said to tack; when she turns with the wind she is said to veer or wear. Bowsprit. A large boom or spar which projects over the stem of a ship to carry sail forward. Cat-heads. Large timbers projecting from the vessel's sides to which the anchor is raised and secured.

Knight-heads. Two projections rising up from the bow.

The

bowsprit was fixed between them.

mainsail may catch the wind. Forster was doing all he could to make his vessel move. A line to Bowling, or bowline. bring a sail into line with the bow. Jury mizzen-mast.

A temporary mizzen-mast put up instead of the one carried off.

Knots. Miles. The divisions in the log-line are called knots, and are usually seven fathoms asunder. As many of these as the log-line runs out in half a minute, so many miles the ship runs in the hour.

COMPOSITION.-Write a short account of the fight between

the Windsor Castle and the French corvette.