To ask would you come for to go

How a true-hearted tar 'you'd discern, He's as honest a fellow, I'd have you to know As e'er stept between stem and stern. Let furious winds the vessel waft,

In his station a midships, or fore, or aft,

He can pull away, Cast off, belay, Aloft, alow,

Avast, yo ho!

And hand, reef, and steer,
Know each halliard and jeer,
And of duty every rig;
But his joy and delight
Is on Saturday night

A drop of the creature to swig.
The first voyage I made to sea,
One day as I hove the lead,

GREAT GUNS.

Be not alarmed, gentle reader; for although great guns are dangerous things to play with, and still more dangerous to use in arnest, as the boys have it, we are not aware of any real danger that can arise from reading, whatever may be produced by writing about them; we [No. 2.

The main top gallant mast went by the lee,
For it blew off the Devil's head.
Tumble up there, bear a hand, turn to,
While I, the foremost of the crew,

Soon could pull away, &c.

There was Kit with a cast in his eye,
And Tom with the timber toe,
And shambling Will, for he hobbled awry,
All wounded a fighting the foe;
Three lads, though crazy grown and crank,
As true as ever bumbo drank,

For they'd pull away, &c.

Then over life's ocean I'll jog,

Let the storm or the Spaniards come on; So but sea-room I get and a skinful of grog, I fear neither devil nor don;

For I am the man that's spract and daft
In my station a midships, or fore, or aft.
I can pull away, &c.

do not mean to say that any immediate bodily danger is to be apprehended from writing about great guns; but we do mean to say, that effects, most dangerous to the safety of a state, may be produced by the writings of far fetching-fine spinning theorists. We are induced to make these observations in conse

quence of our attention having been called to an article on the subject of NAVAL GUNNERY, originally published in the "Globe and Traveller." We will first insert the article in question, and then offer such remarks as we conceive it to call for.

"The Ordnance Office, it is understood, is to be dissolved; the branch of it which concerns the Sea

force being transferred to the Admiralty, the Military part to the Commander-in-chief. This arrangement, the expediency of which we advocated a considerable time since, will, we imagine, be productive as well of advantage to the service, as of economy. Nothing can be more absurd than the separation at the naval arsenals; for instance, of the gun wharfs and the dock yards, each not only with separate premises, but with the whole apparatus of distinct establishments, and superior officers, clerks, &c. It would be practically just as rational, to have separate establishments for fitting the two sides of a ship. The existence of the Ordnance as a separate department, has not even been attended with any of the advantages which attend a division of labour. What attention has ever been paid by the Ordnance to the important subject of naval gunnery? Or, indeed, how could any attention be paid to it?—The material, the guns themselves, being under the superintendance of the Ordnance, while the men who worked them were under the command of the Admiralty. The Board of Ordnance too, was composed of military men, who, while they seemed to relieve the Admiralty from the care of the Marine Artillery, were scarcely capable of judging of its efficiency, or even (from their habits) disposed to attend to it. It may be worth enquiring whether, while this needless multiplication of places and departments are put an end to, something may not be done to increase the efficiency of the artillery service, by a real division of labour and atten

tion. It cannot be denied, we fear, that in cases in the last war, some of our ships' crews did not show themselves so expert in the working of their guns as in general seamanship and valour. In the land service, the working of the guns is entrusted to persons carefully and scientifically instructed, and whose attention is devoted to that subject only. The same arrangement may not be applicable, to its full extent, to the naval service, but it is worth while to enquire how far it may be possible to introduce it. Some captains of the navy have lately been distinguished for the care they have bestowed on this subject, and for the skill which their crews have acquired in gunnery.* But in the same degree as the distinction which these ships have obtained, is honorable to the gentlemen who command them, is it disgraceful to the Admiralty that the efficiency of so important a part of the service should depend not upon system, but upon accident? If the power of two or three ships be greatly increased by mere voluntary efforts on the part of the captains, the Admiralty is criminal, not only that it did not originate the improvement, but that it did not take advantage of it when it was put before their eyes, to place the rest of the navy in a similar condition. There may be prejudices and inertness to overcome, but the subject is too important to be trifled with, and we have again to contend with an enemy not too proud to take advantage either of our example, or our blunders."

We have elsewhere said, and we now repeat it, that of all the evils with which this devoted country is beset, and God knows they are numerous enough, that of a plethora of political economists, is by far the most mischievous! they fasten on every subject, and their track may be readily traced by the all perish

*Why not name them? they should he held up as an example of obedience to instruction.

ing mildew visible in their wake: they are everlastingly endeavouring to discover a hole in the kettle of the state, in order that they may have an opportunity of making a public display of their tinkering capacity; and, like true tinkers, if they stop one hole, they invariably make two. Here now is one of them who would fain persuade us that the glorious victories of USHANT -of St. VINCENT-of CAMPERDOWN of the NILE-and of TRAFALGAR (to say nothing about the small fry) were mere matters of chance, and not the consequent results of premeditated skill and matured arrangement!

Who would

fain persuade us that the tremendous precision of the fire of our ships, in hundreds of instances, was purely accidental! Who would fain persuade us that the ocean is as smooth as a bowling green, that ships are as motionless as fortresses on shore, and that the science of limited ranges and angles of elevation might be advantageously introduced therein, and practised thereon! Who would fain persuade us that there is great merit in an officer doing that, the neglecting to do which would be a highly criminal breach of the permanent and positive regulations of the service, and a downright disobedience of his printed instructions! Who would finally persuade us to abandon a system which, when strictly adhered to, has never failed to produce the most glorious results, merely because, in some three or four particular instances, it has miscarried. Of all the sins with which the Admiralty may be chargeable, the sin of inattention to suggestions is by no means one of the number; and we do most earnestly entreat their lordships to turn a deaf ear to this naval gunnery yarn of "The Globe and Traveller," because, from experience, we are convinced that the present system of naval gunnery, if strictly adhered to, will ensure to us future harvests of glory, equal to those which we have already reaped.

Returning from the Mediterranean, a few years since, about the autumnal equinox, we had reached the British Channel, where our vessel was compelled to beat about for some days in consequence of thick fogs. At last a brisk breeze sprang up, clearing the atmosphere in its progress, when we discovered a dangerous shore on our lee bow, at the distance of half a mile: our Captain immediately ordered the ship about, and, as night was approaching with appearance of storm, the greatest care and vigilance became necessary. To our tars this was all a matter of course; but to a landsman, like myself, the scene was truly alarming.

To sleep appeared impossible under such circumstances; I therefore determined on sitting up. Our chief mate, a Cornishman, and an old sailor, being, during his watch, full of direful tales, I was compelled to listen to many a tale of hair-breadth escapes, storms, and shipwrecks, which would elsewhere have been much more entertaining. One was so striking, that I afterwards committed it to paper-it was as follows:

Towards the close of the 16th century, a horrid custom still prevailed in some parts of the coast of Cornwall, of luring vessels to destruction, in stormy weather, by fastening a lantern to a horse's head,

and leading it about on the top of the cliffs, that the bewildered mariner, mistaking it for the light of a vessel, and consequently not apprehending land could be in that direction, might be induced to shape his course thither; till the foaming breakers gave too late warning of his fate, and the vessel became the prey of a set of ruthless barbarians called wreckers;' who, to legalize their plunder, frequently murdered those who had escaped drowning, and then called the wreck a Godsend.'

In a hovel, on the craggy shore of a deep and dangerous bay, dwelt one of these wretches-an old and hardened desperado, who united in himself the fisherman, smuggler, and wrecker; but to his depraved mind the two latter were the favorite professions, and such was the confidence of his companions, in his experience on these occasions, that he was usually leader, nor did he ever fail in his office. His wife, too, encouraged him in his deeds of iniquity, and sometimes aided in his exploits. Shocked at the wickedness of his parents, their only son had long since fled his home, and driven away by their cruelty, had sought a more honorable course of life on board a West Indian trader.

It was at a period when a long and profitless summer and autumn had nearly passed away, that Terloggan, like the vulture ever watchful for his prey, was more than usually observant of the signs of the heavens: nor was any one more capable than himself of tracing the most distant indications of tempest, Nature had for several months worn a placid, and to honest minds, a delightful aspect: the soft and azure sky had beautifully tinted the transparent sea, and the expanding waves swept with low murmurings along the shining sands of the deep bay, in mild and stately majesty, playfully casting up their white foamy margins, gently splashing the feet of the Not more hateful craggy rocks.

were the beams of the orb of day to Satan, as described by our poet, than was this quiescent state of nature to Terloggan's dark mind: in his impatience he cursed the protracted summer, and hailed the approaching dreary season as more congenial to his interest. At length he saw, with savage delight, the sun sink in angry red beneath the cloudy horizon; he heard with exulting feelings, the hollow murmuring of the wind, and beheld the blackening waves rising in angry roar, lashing the lofty rocks with the ascending spray. As the night advanced in chaotic darkness, the horrors of the tempest increased; and the long and loud blast of the contending elements seemed enough to overawe any mind but Terloggan's. "Now's the time, boy," said the old hag his wife; "go th'ways out 'pon the cleaves-there's death in the wind." Terloggan speedily equipped himself, and ascended the steep promontory at the entrance of the bay; the lantern was displayed in the usual manner, and he soon observed a light at sea, as if in answer to his own signal; which caused the old demon to rejoice in anticipation of speedy success. The light evidently approached nearer, and ere an hour had elapsed, the white close-reefed sails of the vessel could be discerned through the darkness, and the uprorious cry on board, at the discovery of their danger, could be distinctly heard. Signal guns of distress were fired-the loud commands,' All hands on deck,' and About ship,' were uttered in a wild despairing tone: every exertion was made to carry into effect the salutary orders; but alas! the redeeming moment was passed, the vessel was completely embayed, nor strength nor skill could avert her impending fate. In a few moments the tremendous crash, the heartrending, but fruitless cries for help, announced the horrid catastrophe; and the last flashing signal gun gave a momentary view too shocking to be described. Alas! it was indeed

To

There was one, however, in whose eyes such a scene was joyous-in whose ears such sounds were melody --and that was Terloggan. He impatiently waited till the storm had somewhat moderated, and when silence indicated that death had done its work, he descended the wellknown cliffs to grasp his prey. Unmoved by the horrid spectacle, he stood awhile and gazed with fiendlike pleasure on the rich booty that lay around him, (for the rising moon now shot forth her light), as if at a loss where to begin his work; but to his surprise and momentary dismay, there was yet one living soul on board, who, should he survive, would bar the wrecker's claim. despatch this poor unfortunate, was his immediate object; then scrambling over the rocks, as if to save him from destruction, he becomes his murderer. He rifled the pockets of his victim, took a ring from his finger, and then, laden with the most portable articles of plunder, bent his footsteps homewards. "Well, feyther, what luck?" exclaimed the old woman, as he entered. "Never better," replied Terloggan; "look zee mauther," pointing to his plunder. He then describes the success that had attended his stratagem; not even withholding the particulars of the murder after which he displayed some pieces of foreign gold coin, and the ring belonging to the murdered man. As he held the ring near the light, he recognised its form and certain marks on it: he started back, his countenance fell, and he quickly

passed it to his wife. She too well knew from whose haud it must have been taken, and no sooner examined it than she exclaimed, 66 Plaise God thee'st murdered our son Tom!Oh, my son-my poor dear son!"and sunk on the floor, rolling about in frantic ravings. Terloggan endeavoured to master his feelings, and chid the old woman's hasty conclusion; although he was himself secretly stung to the heart, and but too apprehensive of the dreadful deed he had committed. He lay on his bed, however, and tossed to and fro till morning, when, with the dawn of day, he walked forth to ascertain if he had really been the destroyer of his child. He reached the spot where he had left the body, and soon as his eyes lighted on the countenance, he beheld his only son. Who can describe the deep remorse that now stung his soul-who can paint the horror that now pervaded even Terloggan's hitherto callous heart! He returned to his hovel, and having related the doleful news, fled the face of man for ever. several days and nights he was known to wander among the rocks -many, who accidentally passed near him, shuddered to behold his horror-struck countenance, and to hear his wild ravings of despair. There was, indeed, a tempest in his soul, black and horrible, the transcript of what he had so lately witnessed and the dreadful forebodings of his conscience, as to futurity, forbade him to call the grave a hiding place. Thus overwhelmed by despair, and hurried to self-destruction, his mangled body was found dashed to pieces among the rocks, and was buried in the sands, not far from the spot where he had perpetrated his last deed of blood. For a considerable period, the fishermen and smugglers-some of whom had been his companions in iniquity-would feel a chill of horror in passing near the spot and observed a melancholy silence; while their superstitious fears often traced in the hollow murmur

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For