I So saying, he left me: and, finding all desire for sleep completely banished, I sat ruminating on the perversity of human nature-on the various means man falls on to embitter the brief tenure of human life, bringing imaginary evils and miseries in aid of those which we all too truly experience as the concomitants of our existence. Sir, that is not what troubles me. fully; and when it expired, made sevenow know but too well that I am a ral voyages to different ports of Ameridoomed man-I feel that my fate is seal- ca and the West-Indies. I was shorted, and it is that fearful certainty which, ly afterwards made mate of the vessel, with a weight like our best bower-an- and we were on our passage to Smyrchor, presses on my soul, paralizes all na, when we were captured by a French my faculties, and renders existence a privateer off the Land's end, and carricurse instead of a blessing. I see that ed into Port Lodis. Unfortunately for you think me raving under the influence us, this happened at the period when of a distempered imagination. At one Buonaparte permitted no exchange of period of my life I was as incredulous prisoners between the two nations: we as you, but woeful experience has since were, therefore, marched far into the taught me otherwise. I will explain interior along with several ships' commyself more at large; but I must now panies, and confined in the fortress of go on deck till these squalls blow over, Breal. I will not take up your attenfor nothing encourages seamen so much tion by a recital of the hardships we enas seeing their commander vigilant in dured during the five years of our imhis duty; besides, were I known to be prisonment. Our treatment was more a doomed man, not a single hand would like that of brutes than of one Christian trust himself in the ship with me. I nation towards another; but Cuthbertmust, therefore beware of giving them son and I weathered through it, and that further cause to conjecture the reason was more than hundreds of our fellowof my abrupt retreat." captives did. Twice we made our escape, but were recaptured both times, treated with additional rigour, and threatened with instant death if we made the attempt again. Nevertheless, we tried it once more, with the resolution either to regain our freedom or perish. After months of cautious and unremitting labour, we succeeded in undermin ing the corner of our stone floor, and bored a passage through the wall at the bottom of the building. This outlet took us clear of the centinels, but still we had a descent of more than twenty feet over the face of the rock to overcome. There were eleven of us confined in the same dungeon, and most of these were our own crew. We set all hands to work; soon cut up our blankets into strips, and formed a sort of rope by which we were to lower ourselves down. We all landed safe except our captain, who was a heavy man, and on that account agreed to be the last; he was not so fortunate. He had hardly descended half way, when his weight proved too great for the frail tackling; it broke, and he was precipitated to the bottom. No time was now to be lost-the noise of his fall would probably alarm the soldier on duty, and the guard would be down on us in the turning of a capstanbar. We all, therefore, separated; each taking a different course, the better to elude pursuit, and every one shift After a while the captain came below again; the gale had abated, and there was no immediate necessity for his remaining on deck. "And now, Sir," said he, "if you feel no inclination for bed, and are willing to lend me your attention, I will recount a few of the leading incidents of my life, which will show you that a mariner's superstition has nought to do with the affair:" I was sent to sea at an early age, and bound cabin-boy to a barque belonging to S, a small sea-port village in Ayrshire. I had for my fellow-apprentice a boy nearly of my own age, and my most intimate companion, called George Cuthbertson. Our parents were next door neighbours, and in habits of great friendship. We had been at school together-shared in the same amusements-had fought each others battles and now felt happy that we were to acquire our nautical knowledge unseparated. We served our time faith ing for himself the best way he could. George and I were just darting off, when the faint voice of Green the captain arrested our steps. "Jack," said he, "and you Cuthbertson, will ye both sheer off like land-lubbers, and leave your old master and townsman aground here without ever lending a-hand to tow him off a lee-shore?" We were not proof against this appeal. Both of us esteemed him; and though we were in manner giving up our only chance of escape, we had not the heart to leave him to die, without contributing what we could to his assistance. We tried to raise him on his feet, but in vain he had broken his right leg below the knee, and could not move a step. What was now to be done ?-every moment was precious-there was nothing for it but to get him on my back, which we did, and I fled as fast as the weight of my burden would allow me. Taking spell and spell about, we travelled till day-breaking warned us to seek some place of concealment. We according ly lay down in the middle of a large turnip field, and covered ourselves with leaves as much as possible. When twilight came on, we again took up our charge, marched all night, and in the morning, found ourselves in a lonely little dell, over arched with trees and bushes, and with a small stream of water flowing through the midst. I now found that our poor Captain had not much longer to endure his sufferings his limb had swelled to a fearful size, with the bone protruding several inches; it was prodigiously inflamed, and mortification had already taken place. "God bless you both, my good lads!" he murmured, as we laid him in a sort of recess under the bank, "God in heaven bless you! you have acted the part of sons towards me, and what I would have done by you had you been stranded in a strange land. I feel that my last yarn's spun out, and my glass run down-only I should have liked better to have been laid under hatches in my own country, and along-side of my own kith and kin. But there's no help for it! The old hull must break up somewhere, and it's all one whether she lies stranded ashore, or founders under the deep-sea waves. Tell them all about my mishap at home, if ever you reach it; and bid Will be kind to his poor mother and the little ones—and now give me a drop of that pure water to quench my burning thirst-fare ye well once more, and the blessing of heaven go with you!" He died in the course of the afternoon; in the evening we dug his grave by the margin of the stream-laid him in-and departed on our way. We travelled eight nights in the same manner, avoiding every habitation, and living on such wild berries and field roots as we could gather, till the ninth, when we reached St. Malo just as day was beginning to dawn. We proceeded directly for the harbour, where seeing a fishing-boat lying afloat with her nets on board, we jumped in -sang a French sea-song to deceive the sentinel while we pulled past the batteries-trimmed our sails to the wind and stood out to sea. Our good fortune still accompanied us; the wind held fair, and the next day we were picked up by the Huntingdon West-Indiaman, bound for Savannah-la-mer; the Captain of which purchased our boat, and gladly received us on board. On our arrival at port, we found the bloody flux raging with such violence, that, during the time we were discharg ing the vessel, we buried the mate and two thirds of our crew. Upon this the Captain ordered me the birth, with orders to carry the ship round to Mondego-bay, and take in the produce of two estates there belonging to the owners. Cuthbertson had also got charge of a schooner for Clyde, which had lost her master, and he accompanied me round, as she was lying there too. The evening previous to his sailing, he came on board the Huntingdon, that we might spend one night together before we separated. It was one of the loveliest evenings I ever beheld. The sun had set behind the Blue Mountains, but the reflection of his parting rays still tinged with purple and gold the edges of the few light clouds which floated round their summit. A gentle land-breeze had sprung up, insufficient to ripple the smooth surface of the water, but capable of diffusing a refreshing coolness through our fames, wearied and ex hausted by the day's labour. All our hands were ashore at one of the plantations, for the ship was anchored up a narrow creek; and the balmy fragrance of plants and flowers uniting with the solitude of the scene, shed a soothing influence over us. Insensibly I fell into a train of melancholy musing. My mind wandered to the home I had been so long absent from. The dear friends I had left there were they still in existence, and did they recal thoughts of their wandering sailor? We talked over our early days-of our scattered school-fellows of our boyish adventures of our more recent perils-and now of our parting. "I wish I could persuade you, Jack,' said my companion, "to give up your birth here and go home with me. One of your late crew told me that this ship would never see Old England again, for all the rats had forsaken her; and you know as well as any of us, that it is a sure sign the ending of the vessel is not far distant when they leave her." "Well, let them go," returned I, "and a fair wind to their tails! I care not though I never see a whisker of them again, we shall get the more beef and biscuit for ourselves in that case. I know it's a common superstition among seamen, but do you think I am such a swab as to believe that a parcel of vermin_can foretell a vessel's fate? No, no, I have engaged to go the voyage, and, if that's all, I'll- 66 Aye, but hearken to me," interrupted he, "that's not all." Many years ago, this ship left Nata, in the bay of Panama, with a quantity of specie for the merchants in London. They had not been long at sea when the mate and crew agreed to kill the captain, share the money, and turn pirates. He was accordingly attacked when he came on deck, but being a stout man he resisted, until, weakened by loss of blood, he retreated to the bows, where he was overpowered, murdered, and thrown overboard. The villains kept these seas in terror for some time; but at last, decoyed by a disguised sloop of war, which they mistook for a merchantman, they were captured, and the mate and five men run up to the fore-yard arm. Ever since that, the captain's ghost haunts the vessel, but is never seen except to foretell some disaster, either to the ship or crew. The sailor who told me saw him that night we arrived at Savannah; and has not the prediction been fulfilled in the death of our men ?" I could not forbear laughing at the conclusion of this story, to his great annoyance, for he gave implicit credit to such tales. I declared my total unbelief of supernatural appearances, and tried to argue him out of his faith in them, but to no purpose; he remained firm and fast. We had much discussion on the subject, by which neither of us was convinced; so, getting fairly tired of the topic, I proposed taking supper and turning in. I do not know how long I had slept, when I was roused by Cuthbertson shaking me violently, and exclaiming, "Rise, Jack, for God sake, rise, I have seen him!" I immediately started up; "Seen what," inquired I, "what have you seen?" but the poor fellow was in no condition to reply-he had become insensible. I lifted him up, and carried him on deck, where, by the application of a little water, he soon recovered. "After turning in," said he, "I lay thinking on what we had been conversing about, till I worked myself up to such a state that I could not fall asleep. I tried repeatedly to banish it from my mind, but in spite of all my efforts to get rid of it, it still recurred. After tossing about for some hours, 1 got so heated that I could lie no longer, so I thought I would rise, and take a turn fore and aft to cool myself, and see how the night looked. The moon was dim and hazy, and her light much obscured by clouds driving with great swiftness across her surface. The wind was all a-peak-for the fly of the vane at the mast-head was motionless and drooping. Not a leaf rustled on the trees; and I almost fancied I heard the rushing of the clouds as they hurried over my head. I never felt myself so impressed with the awful stillness of nature. I walked a good while to and fro, and then stopped and leaned over the bulwarks at the waist to watch the the progress of the carries, wondering why they flew so rapidly above, when it was such a dead calm below. While thus engaged I chanced to turn my head, and thought I saw something white standing behind me. I started, and rubbed my eyes to ascertain if I saw distinctly, for I had walked the length of the deck only a few minutes before, and knew that our men had not yet returned. The story of the captain haunting the vessel now flashed across my mind, and the idea that I stood in the presence of an unearthly being created a feeling I cannot describe my heart leaped to my mouth at the conviction, and a cold shivering thrilled through my body. I tried to shut out the vision, but my eyes were fascinated by some spell against which I had no power of resistance. As I continued to gaze it gradually became brighter and more defined, until I distinguished a human face, wan and ghastly-its eyes, lustreless and fixed, as those in the sockets of a dead man; and gore streaming from a wound over its temple. I shuddered with horror at the sight, my knees bent beneath me, and I was on the point of sinking down, when, rallying all my fortitude, with an effort of desperation I threw myself forward and attempted to seize it—but nothing met my grasp. Panting and breathless, a cold perspiration bursting through every pore, and with a feeling as if the scalp of my head was sinking to nothing, I stopped and again looked on it. It stood without motion with its dull and lifeless eyes still riveted on me. I could endure their gaze no longer-I felt my brain maddening with terror: driven to frenzy, I again darted forward, and tried to grapple with it; but without any sensible motion it receded as I advanced, and, the moon suddenly becoming obscure, it vanished from my sight on the forecastle. A faintness came over me--I thought the ship whirling round-I staggered to the companion, but how I got down to the cabin I know not." He ceased, and the agitation of his frame showed how deeply he was impressed with the reality of the apparition. I again ridiculed the notion of its having been a spirit, but rather some phantasy of the brain -a form conjured up by the force of an over-wrought imagination; and, perhaps a particular reflection of moon light might perfect the delusion: and I ended by swearing I would not trust the evidence of my senses, although my father should rise from the grave and present himself before me. “Well, Jack," he returned, "I'll argue the matter no more. I don't pretend to guess at the purport of its visit—no trifle would occasion its becoming visible to human eyes; but this I know, that all the powers on earth cannot shake my conviction of its reality, or prove it a mere delusion of sight. We are now about to part, perhaps for ever; and if so, and I am permitted, I promise to be thrice visible to you before your death, if you are left in this world behind me." I laughed, and swore I should be glad to see him-that I should deem myself secure till the last visit; and moreover, that I did not value all the rats and ghosts on earth a rotten-rope-yarn. Here we ended. The boats came off with our men, we all went to help the schooner into the bay, bade him farewell as he got under-way, and returned to our ship. A few weeks afterwards we loaded, and left Savannah; and falling in with a Halifax brig, we were informed that war had been declared against the United States, whose privateers were swarming in all directions. One morning at day break we discovered a small cutter to windward; she was on the contrary tack, but in place of holding on her straight course, she kept yawing, and sheering, and gradually bearing down on us under English colours, and her foresail unset. Our men pronounced her to be American built, and seemingly a Charleston pilot-boat; but the Captain, on the contrary, thought her one of the mail-carriers which ply between the islands, and shortened sail to send a boat on board to get the news. The jolly-boat was therefore prepared; but by way of precaution we cast loose our guns and prepared for engaging. As she neared us we could see but few men on board, which, with their manner of manoeuvring, gave her such a suspicious appearance, that I proposed to fire a gun and bring her to: for at arm's length I knew our heavy metal was capable of blowing her out of the water; but if she got under our guns she might easily carry us by boarding. The Captain still hesitated, and desired me 10 have patience, but he had scarcely pro-nounced the words when a gust of wind blew aside the corner of the foresail, and disclosed the muzzle of a long swivel pointing out. There was no time for hesitation now-so I seized a trumpet, and desired them to haul their wind, or else we would fire into them. "Fire, and be damned," was the reply. The sail was cast off, and the contents of the swivel, with a shower of small arms, poured on us. We returned the broadside; but it was now too late to do any service, for she was so close, and so much under us, that our shot went clean over them. We had not time to exchange another, ere she was laid athwart our bows, and boarding us by the bowsprit. I now left the gun I had been working, and called out for our men to stand fast; but instead of obeying, they ran below for safety, with the captain at their head, leaving me alone on deck, and the colours flying. I saw there was nothing more to be done, so throwing away my cutlass, I was following their example, and had my back to the companion in the act of descending, when I was surrounded, and ordered to stand. I cried out, that surely they wouldn't kill an unarmed man. "Then, why don't you haul down your colours?” replied one of the fellows, and fired his pistol right in my face, I gave my head a sudden jerk to one side, by which means the ball only grazed my teeth and went through my cheek, while both eyes were scorched and driven full of powder from the closeness of the discharge. I was knocked over, and fairly thought I was shot through the head; but in a little time I recovered, and finding the blood flowing from my mouth and cheek, I groped my way down the ladder, where, getting hold of a sail, I scraped off some tow, thrust it into the wound, and bound it round with a handkerchief. I next extended my search for my chest, out of which I took all my money, hid it about me, and lay down in my bed. I remained undisturbed for an hour, brooding over the disasters such a short time had brought about, when I heard some one enter the cabin, and recogniz ed the voice of the Captain. "We "Well, my lads," said the same person whom I supposed to be the Captain of the pirates, "have you agreed to find the Spanish for us, or must we knock about for it ourselves?" "I told you before," replied the Captain, "that there was no gold on board, we left it -" "None of your infernal lies!" interrupted the other; "do not your own papers tell us to the contrary, and do you take us for such cursed fools, as to be gulled, like a parcel of land swabs, with a long-spun yarn? No, no, the devil a skulking I'll allow of in this ship!-It does'nt signify arguing, the flash of a flint,-overhaul your secret stowing holes and bowse out the dust, or, by 99 I'll make you walk the plank in the turning of an hour-glass." "I know I am completely in your power," returned the Captain, "to do with me as you will; but again I declare my utter inability to comply with your de |