Mars and Hercule.

- On the 21st April, 1798, a part of Lord Bridport's squadron cruising off Brest discovered the French 74, Hercule, Capt. L. Heritier. Chase was immediately given by the Mars, 74, Captain Alexander Hood, in company with the Ramilies, of the same force, and Jason frigate, but the Ramilies, in a short time, carried away her fore-topmast, and dropt astern. The Hercule evinced an intention to escape through the passage Du Raz, but finding herself unable to work up against a strong current, dropped her anchor and furled her sails. She then carried a spring out abaft, and put herself in the best possible state to give the Mars, who was then coming up, a warm reception. At about past eight, the latter, who had by this time nearly run the Jason out of sight, hauled up her courses.

At a

quarter past nine, the Hercule opened her broadside on the Mars, and received an almost immediate return. Captain Hood, finding, however, that the strength of the current would not allow him, while under weigh to take up a proper fighting position, resolved to anchor.

Accordingly at 25 minutes past nine the Mars ranged a-head of the Hercule; and having passed her a short distance dropped anchor. As the former dropt a-stern, the anchor

on her larboard bow caught the anchor on the starboard bow of the Hercule; and thus entangled, their sides rubbing together, did the two ships engage, until past ten, when the Hercule, having failed in two attempts to board, and being dreadfully shattered in her hull, particularly on the starboard side, hailed that she had struck.

So close had the ships fought, that the guns on the lower deck of each could not as usual be run out but were obliged to be fired in-board. With the exception of the jib-boom of the Mars, neither ship, lost a spar. During the first ten minutes of the action however, while the latter was obstructed in her manœuvres by the wind and tide, her bowsprit, foremast and foreyard received several of the Hercule's shot-her hull was also much damaged and she lost about 80 men killed and wounded, including her gallant captain killed. The Hercule's starboard side was riddled from stem to stern and the space between the ports in some places being completely laid open. Her loss is supposed to have been about 290 killed and wounded, but no accurate account has been given. In weight of metal they were exactly equal but in men and tonnage the Frenchman had a slight advantage. H. A.

A Hurricane.

The wind was from the N. W. -the water as it blew on board, and all over us, was warm as milk; the murkiness and close smell of the air was in a short time dispelled; but such was the violence of the wind, that, on the moment of its striking the ship, she lay over on her side with her lee guns under water. Every article that could move was danced to leeward; the shot flew out of the lockers, and

the greatest confusion and dismay prevailed below, while above deck things went still worse; the mizen mast and the fore and main-topmast went over the side; but such was the noise of the wind that we could not hear them fall; nor did I, who was standing close to the mizen mast at the moment, know it was gone until I turned round and saw the stump of the mast snapped two like a carrot. The noise wind "waxed louder and lon

it was like one continued peal of thunder; and the enormous waves as they rose were instantly beheaded by his fury, and sent in foaming spray along the bosom of the deep; the storm stay-sails flew to atoms; the captain, officers, and men, stood aghast, looking at each other, and waiting the awful event in utter amazement.

The ship lay over on her larboard side so heavily as to force in the gun ports, and the nettings of the waist hammocks, and seemed as if settling bodily down; while large masses of water, by the force of the wind, were whirled up into the air; and others were pouring down the hatchways, which we had not had time to batten down, and before we had succeeded, the lower deck was half full, aud the chests and the hammocks were all floating about in dreadful disorder. The sheep, cows, pigs, and poultry, were all washed overboard out of the waist and drowned; no voice could be heard, and no orders were given; all discipline was suspended; every man was equal to his neighbour captain and sweeper clung alike to the same rope for security.

The fore and main-masts still stood, supporting the weight of rigging and wreck which hung to them, and which, like a powerful lever, pressed the labouring ship down on her side. To disengage this enormous top hamper, was to us an object more to be desired than expected. Yet the case was desperate, and a desperate effort was to be made, or in half an hour we should have been past praying for, except by a Roman Catholic priest. The danger of sending a man aloft was so imminent, that the captain would not order one on this service; but calling the ship's company mon the quarter-deck, pointed to the impending wreck, and by signs and gestures, and hard bawling, convinced them that ounless the ship was immediately

eased of her burden, she must go down.

At this moment every wave seemed to make a deeper and more fatal impression on her. She descended rapidly in the hollows of the sea, and rose with dull and exhausted motion, as if she felt she could do no more. She was wom

got

out in the contest, and about to surrender, like a noble and battered fortress, to the overwhelming power of her enemies. The men seemed stupitied with the danger; and I have no doubt, could they have g at the spirits, would have made themselves drunk; and in that state have met their inevitable fate. A every lurch, the main-mast appeared as if making the most violent effort to disengage itself from the ship. the weather shrouds became like straight bars of iron, while the le shrouds hung over in a semi-circle to leeward, or with the weatherroll, banged against the mast, an threatened instant destruction, eac moment, from the convulsive jerks We expected to see the mast fall, and with it the side of the ship to be beaten in. No man could be found daring enough, at the cap tain's request, to venture aloft, and cut away the wreck of the main-top mast, and the main-yard, which was hanging up and down, with the weight of the top-mast top-sal yard resting upon it. There was a dead and stupid pause, while the hurricane, if any thing, increased in

violence.

at

I confess that I felt gratified this acknowledgment of a danger which none dare face. I waited a few seconds, to see if a volunteer would step forward, resolved, if he did, that I would be his enemy for life, inasmuch as he would have robbed me of the gratification my darling passion-unbounded pride. Dangers, in common with others, I had often faced, and been the first to encounter; but to dare that which a gallant and hardy crew of a frigate had declined, was the

climax of superiority which I had never dreamed of attaining. Seizing a sharp tomahawk, I made signs to the captain that I would attempt to cut away the wreck, follow me who dared. I mounted the weather rigging; five or six hardy seamen followed me; sailors will rarely refuse to follow where they find an officer to lead the way.

The jerks of the rigging had nearly thrown us overboard, or jammed us with the wreck. We were forced to embrace the shrouds with arms and legs; and anxiously, and with breathless apprehension for our lives, did the captain, officers, and crew gaze on us as we mounted, and cheered us at every stroke of the tomahawk. The dan

room.

ger seemed passed when we reached the catharpens, where we had foot We divided our work, some took the lanyards of the topmast rigging, I, the slings of the mainyard. The lusty blows we dealt, were answered by corresponding crashes; and at length, down fell the tremendous wreck over the larboard gunwale. The ship felt instant relief; she righted, and we descended amidst the cheers, the applauses, the congratulations, and, I may add, the tears of gratitude, of most of our shipmates. The work now became lighter, the gale abated every moment, the wreck was gradually cleared away, and we forgot our cares. Naval Officer.

Admiral Cornish. It is well known that the late Admiral Sir Samuel Cornish rose solely by his merit, from a very low situation in life, to a high command in the navy. If his abilities as an admiral were undoubted, his acquisitions as a scholar were but few. At the surrender of Manilla, in 1763, his colleague, Colonel Draper, afterwards Sir William, who was one of the most accomplished scholars of his age, and prided himself highly on his literary attainments, carried on all the negociations relative to the ransom of the city, in the Latin language, with the Spanish archbishop. On the shameful evasion of the payment of this ransom, Admiral Cornish declared, that he would never accept a command again in conjunction with a man who understood Latin.

Peter the Great.-In his passage from Holland in 1698, on board a British ship of war, commanded by Admiral Sir David Mitchell, his Czarish Majesty asked the Admiral

a variety of questions concerning the modes of punishing seamen in the British navy. When the admiral mentioned keel-hauling, among many others, the Russian Sovereign desired it might be explained to him, not by words, but by experiment. This the admiral declined as not having then an offender who deserved correction; the Czar replied, "take one of my men." But Sir David informed him, that all on board his ship were under the protection of the laws of England, and he was accountable for every man there according to those laws; upon which the monarch persisted no farther in his request.

Plain English. An English officer was recommended to Lord Nelson for a ship, as not only being a good commander, but one that would be of service, as he could talk Spanish very well. His Lordship replied that "his talki Spanish, could be of no advant for if I sail to the Spanish coas shall talk to them in plain Eng

Poetical Scraps.

AN ODE.

BY DIBDIN.

[The naval odes of Dibdin have never been surpassed either in ancient or modern literature; they at once speak to the heart in a manner the most simple and persuasive. Like the songs of the Bards, they should be deeply impressed on the memory of the rising generation, as having a powerful tendency to awaken a generous and heroic spirit in the mind of the young Mariner.]

Tight lads have I sail'd with, but none e'er so sightly

As honest Bill Bobstay, so kind and so true!

He'd sing like a mermaid, and foot it so lightly,

The forecastle's pride, and delight of the

And mounts, fierce as fire, a dog-vane in his hat.

My bark, though hard storms on life's ocean should rock her,

hough she roll in misfortune, and pitch end for end;

No, never shall Bill keep a shot in the locker, When by handing it out, he could succour a friend.

Let them throw out their wipes, and cry "spight of their crosses,

"And forgetful of toil that so hardly they bore,

"That sailors at sea earn their money like horses,

"To squander it idly like asses ashore." Such lubbers their jaw would coil up, could they measure

By their feelings, the generous delight without end,

That gives birth in us Tars to the truest of

The rights of us Britons we knows to be loyal,

In our country's defence our last moments to spend ;

To fight up to our ears to protect the blood Royal,

To be true to our wives, and to succour & friend.

A SONG.

If a landman would know the true creed of tar,

Tell him this, just his wish to belay; A sailor believes, foul or fair, peace or war, "Tis all for the best come what may. His heart at humanity's post never nods, Honest sympathy beams in his eye; In battle successful; if not where's the odds, He won't run, but with glory he'll die. His home and relations he seems to forego,

But his country new joys can impart; For a true honest tar, don't all of us know, Finds a home in each Englishman's heart. Britannia's his mother, his brethen are we,

And besides, 'tis with rapture I sing, That each gallant lad, that for us braves the

sea,

Finds a father beloved in his King.

THE DYING TAR.

The battle's o'er, the foe is fled,
The wounded sailor lifts his head,
And asks the chance of war;
"And is the glorious combat won?
I go with joy my work is done!"
Exclaims the dying tar.

"But brother messmates e'er we part,
Take this dear locket from my heart,
Tell Mary how I fell :
When she with sorrow hears my death,
Oh, say that with my parting breath,
I bade my love farewell "

DESCRIPTION OF A FLEET SETTING SAIL.

BY SHAKSPEARE.

We know not, if among the several qualities, to the possession of which, philosophers have ascribed our superiority over frogs and jackdaws, the spirit of commerce has been duly registered, whether the continually working principle of barter, wanting in all other animals, has given a triumphant distinction to humanity, and thus proved the immortal essence of man in his daybook and ledger. We think the fact too evident to have been unknown to ancient wisdom, although we cannot, at this moment, take upon ourselves to particularize the discoverer.

Of course there are none of our readers that have not seen a Jew: the sight amounts to nothing-it is a common spectacle, which neither does, nor ought to excite an unusual thought. Have they, however, beheld a Jew Slopseller? The sun scarcely attracts a momentary gaze -so general is its influence: let a rainbow appear, and old grey-headed

water," or the half of a severed viper- may represent an object useful or harmless;-but a Jew Slopseller-aye, there is the deadly meaning of the united words-there the full venom of the active snake; Those who would pass through Rosemary-lane without the least emotion, would start and turn pale at an Israelite inhabitant of Gosport or Sheerness. Lest, however, some of our readers should not wholly comprehend the term "Slopseller," we may briefly inform them, that it applies to those individuals who, on our seamen receiving their hardearned infest the decks of English men-of-war: there they toi and there they fatten. Let us ever, strive to make out a so of the effects, natural and act which compose a Jew Slops:

pay,