that, for a time, I was under the blessed delusion of believing myself happy.

I had now been two years and a half in the West Indies, and I was fast approaching my eighteenth year. At this period we had taken several English West Indiamen. There was a fearful, a soul-harrowing, yet a tender tale, connected with one of these recaptures. It should be told, for the honour of that sex, whom to honour is man's greatest glory; but not now-nor in this life. Yet it ought to be narrated; and I here record my vow, that if I live, and I have the heart to go through it, and my dear will resolve me that one incubus of a doubt that has hung heavily on my heart for these fiveand-twenty years, that that tale shall be told, that man may admire, and wonder, and weep.

In one of these retaken merchant vessels there was found, as the French prize-master, and now of course our prisoner, a mercurial little fellow of the name of Messurier. He was very proud of the glory of his nation, and still prouder of his own. As France possessed many historians, and Monsieur Adolphe Sigismund Messurier but one, and that one himself, of course he had the duty of at least three hundred sçavans thrown upon his own shoulders: he performed it nobly, and with an infinite relish. Now, when a person who is given to much talking is also given to much drinking, it generally happens, injurious as is the vice of the grog bottle, that the vice of the voluble tongue is still worse. When in his cups, he told us of the scores that he had slain, counting them off by threes and fives upon his fingers, his thumbs indicating captains, his forefingers first lieutenants, and so on with the various grades in our service, until the aspirants, or middies, were merely honoured by his little finger as their representative. We only laughed; and asked him, if he had been so destructive to the officers, how many men had fallen by the puissance of his arm. It seemed that these latter were too numerous and too ignoble to be counted; for that question was always answered with a bah! and a rapidly passing over the extended palm of his left hand with his open right one.

But when, one evening, he mentioned that he could pilot a frigate into the inland waters from whence swarmed the crowd of schoonerprivateers that infested the islands, and by their swift sailing to windward, eluded our fastest ships, we laughed still, and I did something more; I reported this boast to Captain Reud.

"Then," exclaimed my valorous little Creole, " by all the virtues of a long eighteen, he shall take in his Majesty's frigate Eos."

Whenever he protested by a long eighteen, in the efficacy of whose powers he had the most implicit reliance, we might look upon the matter as performed.

The next morning, whilst Monsieur Messurier was solacing his aching head with his hands, oblivious of the events of the preceding evening, he was feelingly reminded of his consummate skill in pilotage. He then became most unnaturally modest, and denied all pretensions to the honour. Now Captain Reud had no idea that even an enemy should wrap up his talent in a napkin, or hide his light under a bushel, so he merely said to him, "You must take my ship in."

When the captain had made up his mind, the deed generally trod upon the heels of the resolve. Poor man! he was always in want of something to do, and thus he was too happy to do anything that offered excitement. Monsieur Messurier was in despair; he prayed and swore alternately, talked about sacrificing his life for the good of his country, and told us, in a manner that convinced us that he wished us to believe the absurdity, that honour was the breath of his nostrils. However, the captain was fully intent upon giving him the glorious opportunity of exclaiming with effect, Dulce et decorum est pro patriâ mori.

Not knowing the strength of the stronghold that it was our intention to surprise, Captain Reud cruised about for a few days, until he had collected another frigate, a sloop of war, and two eighteen gunbrigs, the commanders of all being of course his juniors. Having made all necessary arrangements, one beautiful morning we found ourselves close off the iron-bound and rocky shores of the east end of St. Domingo. We ran along shore for a couple of hours, when we perceived an opening in the lofty piles of granite, that frowned over the blue ocean. This was the entrance into the harbour where lay our destined prizes.

Captain Reud, taking the responsibility into his hands, had determined to lead in. The charts were minutely examined, but they gave us no hope. The soundings laid down were so shallow, and the path so intricate, that, by them, we wondered much how even a privateer schooner could make the passage in safety. To a frigate drawing three-and-twenty feet of water, the attempt seemed only a precursor to destruction. We hove-to; the captains of the other vessels were signalled on board, and with them and our first lieutenant and master, a sort of council of war was held; and as every one present gave his voice against the attempt, our skipper's mind was made up directly. He resolved to go in, trusting to the chapter of accidents, to a gracious Providence, and Monsieur Messurier upon the foreyard, with a seamen with a pistol at each ear to scatter his brains the moment the ship struck. The weather was brilliant, the wind moderate and fair, when we bore up for the mouth of the passage. It was something at once ludicrous and painful to witness the agony of our pilot in spite of himself. Between oaths, protestations, and tremors, the perspiration of terror flowing down his face, mingled with his tears, he carried the ship with a precision that proved, at least in that matter, that he was no vain boaster.

But we had scarcely advanced a few hundred yards within the gorge, than I had eyes only for the sublimity of the scenery that opened itself in succession as we passed. The water was as smooth as the cheek, as bright as the smile, and as blue as the eye of our first love. Indeed, it was " deeply, beautifully blue," as Lord Byron saith to that deeply we owed every thing. The channel was so narrow, that in many places there was not sufficient room to tack the ship, even if she could have turned within her own length, and, in two remarkable points, we had not sufficient width to have carried our studding sails. At one singularly romantic spot of this pass, the rocks far above our mast-heads leant over towards each other, and

the ancient forest trees that crowned the heights, mingled their feathery branches, and permitted us to get a sight of the vaulted blue above us only at intervals, between the interstices of the dark green foliage.

The seamen regarded their situation with wonder, not unmixed with awe. But the view was not the unvaried one of two gigantic walls festooned with flowers and crowned with trees. At intervals, we found the channel open into wide lagunes, with shelving and verdant shores, studded with white stone buildings, and well cultivated plantations, and then the passage would narrow again suddenly, and the masses of rock rose so high on each side of us, as almost to exclude the light of the day. The way was tortuous, but not abruptly so; and as we wound through it, ever and anon we came to some picturesque inlet, some cool grotto, so beautiful that its very beauty must have peopled it with nymphs, for none could look upon them, without feeling for a time like poets. At the entrance, the heaving water rose and fell with a heavy moaning against the eternal bases of the rocks, though the surface in mid channel was perfectly smooth; but as we advanced, this dull undulation gradually subsided, and its measured splash no longer echoed amongst the cliffs. The silence, as we proceeded, grew strange to us. An awe crept over us, like that which is felt upon the first entrance into a vast cathedral; and the gentle wind came to us noiselessly, and dying away at intervals, left the ship silently stealing on, impelled, for a space, by no visible means.

The hush throughout the ship was tomb-like, and the few words of command that from time to time broke upon the ear sounded hollow and unearthly from the reverberations of the overhanging precipices.

But quickly the scene would change; the jutting promontories and overtopping walls would recede, and a fairy spot encircled by forestland would open upon us, studded with green little islands, glorious in all the beauties of an eternal spring, and crowded and crowned with flowers of every hue, and of a brilliancy the most intense. We proceeded in this delightful manner for more than twelve miles, yet no one had appeared in the least to notice our approach. Had the most trivial attempt at defence been made, we could not have proceeded a quarter of the distance; for I verily believe that we passed by points so overhanging, that a couple of pounds of gunpowder, properly applied and fired at the right moment, would have tumbled fragments of solid rock upon us, that would have crushed us to the bottom in an instant, to mention nothing of the several protruding corners of this singular pass, on which two or three guns could have raked an approaching vessel for half an hour with impunity; as I have before stated, that it would have been impossible in those straitened passages to have turned a broadside to bear on any impediment. On we came, and at last a noble bay, or rather salt-water lake opened upon us, with two wide rivers delivering their waters into the bottom of it. On our right lay the town of Aniama, with a fort upon a green mount overlooking the town, and rising much higher than our floating pennant.

Our unexpected entrée, like all other mistimed visits, caused the visited a terrible degree of confusion. Twelve or thirteen beautiful schooners had their sweeps out and all their sails set immediately.

We having anchored opposite the town about noon, the breeze fell away into almost a perfect calm, and off they went, making the best of their way up the rivers. There were several other craft lying off the town, into which the inhabitants were crowding with all their effects of any value, no doubt intending to go a little way up into the country also, to avoid the inconvenience of inopportune calls. The signal was made for our little squadron to get out their boats, chase, and capture.

We first of all brought out the heavily-laden craft that were still near the town, and anchored them under our guns. To the privateers that showed their heels, all the larger boats gave chase, and coming up with them one after another, they were finally all captured. Had they but acted in combination, I think they might have resisted the boats with success, but they seemed to have lost all presence of mind, in the confusion and astonishment into which our sudden appearance had thrown them.

Now all this was very pleasant to us, Messieurs les concernés. We calculated upon having the whole wealth of the French town, and the little French fleet, converted into lawful prize-money. The deeplyladen poop encumbered brigs and schooners, so ungracefully down by the stern, we imagined to be full of treasure. Visions of gold glittered before our mind's eye. We were about to recover the plunder of ages, for it must be confessed, that this same Aniama was no better than a haven for pirates. One of us was cruelly undeceived in one respect. As yet, we had met with no manner of resistance whatever -it was ten o'clock in the evening, the full moon giving us a very excellent imitation of daylight, when all the commanders who had dined with our yellow skipper came on deck, in the highest possible glee, delightedly rubbing their hands, and calculating each his share of the prize-money. All this hilarity was increased every now and then by some boats coming on board, and reporting to us, as commodore, another privateer or some fugitive merchant-man taken, and then immediately shoving off in chase of others.

"Well, gentlemen," said our skipper, "I'll tell you what we'll do. We'll send the marines on shore to-morrow, and take possession of the town. However, we will be very civil to the ladies;—we will, by Venus! As commanding officer, I'll permit of no rudeness."

"None whatever: who could think of frightening them? I suppose, Captain Reud, there could be no harm in going ashore and paying them a visit, just to alleviate their fears," was the reply of one of the commanders.

"Not to-night, not to-night. Depend upon it, all the best of the beauty, and the best of the wealth is safely stowed in this numerous fleet, safely anchored about us: we have them all safe. There might be some villains lurking about the town with their cane knives in their belts: let us have all clear, and day-light before us. Not that I think there is any pluck among them-they have not spirit enough left to throw a stone at a dog."

Hardly had these taunting words escaped his lips than "bang,. crash," and a four-and-twenty pound shot came reeking through the waist-hammocks, for they had not yet been piped down, and covered us over with horse-hair, and an abominable composition called flock. The

ball took a slanting direction through the main and orlop decks, and came out just below the water-line, making instantly a leak that we could not affect to despise.

"Droll," said Reud, shaking the dust from his person.

66

Very," said his well-dined echoes around him.

If this be jesting, thought I, the cream of the joke is to come yet. "Beat to quarters, Mr. Percy." The lieutenants and more than half of the crew were away in the boats. The men were soon at their guns, and as they had been only slightly secured, they were ready to return the fire almost immediately. Upon looking up at the source of our annoyance, we found that it was a hopeless case. The height was so great and so immediately above us, that without heeling the frigate over, not a gun could be brought to bear. Another shot from the battery served to quicken our deliberations. There was no time to be lost.

Captain Reud sent the various commanders on board their respective vessels, with orders, that, as fast as any of their boats came in to send them to us immediately with their marines. For ourselves, all our boats were away except the gig. Into that I jumped, followed by the captain and six marines. Every man, except a quarter-master and a couple of look-outs, was piped down below, with strict orders that they were to stay there and not expose themselves, and the ship was left in charge of the gunner, whilst the carpenter and his crew were actively employed in plugging the shot-holes; for every ball that was fired came in somewhere upon the decks, and made its way through the ship's sides, low under the water.

However, annoying as this was, there were but two guns playing upon us which, though served with admirable precision, fired but slowly. We had not lain on our oars a quarter of an hour between the ship and the shore, a space of not more than forty yards, when we were joined by seven boats of various dimensions, crammed as full of jollies as they could possibly hold. We were on shore in a moment, and, without much care as to forming, we all scrambled up the hill as fast as we could. It was very steep indeed, but we were not fired upon by any small arms whatever, and the guns could not be sufficiently depressed from the embrasures to be made to bear upon us. They certainly must have perceived us, for the moon was shining with singular splendour; but they seemed to take no notice of our advance, but fired twice upon the frigate as we were climbing, or, rather, scrambing up.

This assault was an affair got up with so little premeditation, that Captain Reud had no other arms than his regulation sword, and his aide-de-camp, my redoubtable self, no other weapon of offence than a little crooked dirk, so considerately curved, that it would not answer the purpose of a dagger to stab with, and so blunt, that I am sure, though it might separate, it could not cut through a plum-pudding. Though I was approaching pari passu with my commander to a parapet, where there there was no "imminent deadly breach," I was so much ashamed of my side-arms, that I would not expose them to the night air.

Up we tumbled close under the low, turf-constructed battlement, and, as we were in the act of scrambling over it, we received a