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by them, bringing plenty of good salmon and berries. After we left the river in November, 1814, the natives had been very troublesome. A blacksmith and two men were sent a short distance into the woods to burn char coal, where they commenced building a hut; several Indians gathered round them, apparently in a friendly manner, but the moment an opportunity offered they took the axes belonging to the party, and made a furious attack, cutting and mangling them most barbarously. They then made off, taking the axes with them; and the bodies were found next morning by some of the people. A strict inquiry was set on foot for the authors of this outrage, king Comley offering his services to find them; and at length, by the help of many valuable presents and some threats, two of them were discovered. One of the others was recognized by the Americans; he had, on a former occasion been kicked from the fort for theft, and belonged to a tribe in the interior, denominated Soosoonies; and it was to revenge his disgrace that he pursuaded some of his nation to join him and murder the men. The prisoners were confined in the bastion, and next morning led out, blindfolded, to be shot. They were placed opposite a six-pounder, while a party of riflemen were in the bastion ready to fire through the loop-holes, which manoeuvre was made use of in order to make the Indians believe that they were shot by the great gun. Their dead bodies were taken down to the wharf in coffins, and exposed for some days, till their friends were allowed to carry them away.

The Columbia now took another trip to Monterey, where we recovered all our people who deserted from the Isaac Todd. We found the cooper had not been idle; he had cured plenty of beef, and collected flour, beans, corn, tallow, &c. the farmers bringing these provisions in daily. The town of Monterey is most pleasantly situated on a beautiful and extensive plain, and

nearly half a mile from a sandy beach. It consists of about 50 houses of one story, built in a square, surrounded by a stone wall, about 18 feet high; on the south side of the square stands the church; on the west the governor's house; and on the east side, the lieutenant governor's house and king's stores; on the north side is the grand and principal entrance, gaol and guard house, and in the middle are two field pieces, six-pounders. There are many farm houses scattered over the plain, with large herds of cattle and sheep; on the north side of the bay is the river Carmel, which is full of excellent salmon and other fish. The fort stands on a hill, about one mile to the westward of the town; and just above the landing-place, it is quite open on the land side, and embrazures thrown up on the sea-side, mounting ten brass 12-pounders, with a good supply of copper shot. At the landing place, close to Captain Vancouver's Observatory, is a battery of two long 9-pounders, manned by about thirty soldiers. The governor and a few others are old Spaniards; the remaining inhabitants are creoles of the country. They keep the Indians under great subjection, making them work very hard, chained two and two: the whole population of Monterey does not exceed 400 souls. About four miles to the southward stands the Mission of Carmel; and about twelve miles to the northward is the Mission of Santa Cruz. The bay is sheltered from east to west, lying open to the northerly winds; the best anchorage is in 7 fathoms, the fort bearing west, half a mile from the shore. The country is well wooded with pine and oak, but badly watered. There are many bears, wolves, foxes, deer, beaver, &c. and in the winter the ducks and geese are very plentiful. The bullocks are sold at four dollars each, and the sheep at one; two ships touch here annually for tallow, and to bring supplies for the establishments on California.

LIFE OF DAVID HAGGART.*

THE

WRITTEN BY HIMSELF.

HE career of vice is not without its moral lesson; and, in this respect the memoirs of the wretched Haggart, who has expiated his offences on the gallows, is unquestionably calculated to do more good than the adventures of Juans and other heroes of the modern school, tricked out with all the gay colouring of genius, and painted as happy revellers in every indulgence and change of sin; lust, robbery, murder, have their true proportions here. The youth of the miserable criminal alone excites our pity, and we are not led by delusive reasoning and dazzling fancies to lose our hatred of guilt in admiration of its perpetrator, in doubt as to his motives, and in sorrow for apparently inevitable circumstances which control his destiny. Here the Haidees are the Blones of slang depravity; the goblets of wine, in lascivious inebriety, sink into Budge or Lush (drink); the dearest associate in depredation is but a Pall, and the high-spirited corsair is no better than a Snib, or a Geach, whose pluck carries him through his brief span, and finally surrenders him to the Bulkies and Toping Cove (constables and hangman.)

The subject of this little volume was hanged at Edinburgh, on the 18th of July last, at the age of 21. His life, though short, was full of infamy; and his story unfolds as undeviating a course of wickedness as, perhaps, ever disgraced humanity. He tells it himself, while under sentence of death, and thus the evil he has done lives after him-there was, unfortunately, little of good to be interred with his bones. His adventures are far from partaking of those entertaining incidents which amuse the reader of Barrington and Vaux. He is rather a Jonathan Wild of a lower order, that is to say, without the atrocity which has

a certain grandeur about it, and demands abhorrent vengeance, while lesser villanies obtain only contemptuous stripes. Yet he committed at least one murder, that of Morrin, the turnkey of Dumfries gaol, for which he suffered, and never appears to have wanted courage in any of the dangers to which he was exposed.

He was born at Edinburgh, and commenced thief at the early age of ten years. Being however apprenticed to a millwright, he was afterwards somewhat reclaimed; but he says—

"Although, during my service, I acted with fidelity towards my masters, yet in the latter part of it, I had contracted an intimacy with several loose characters, and had various adventures in the streets at night: but these were very limited, owing to the early hours which my parents forced me to keep, and also owing to my want of knowledge of the flash kanes, where I might fence my snib'd lays; therefore my attentions were entirely confined to blunt. I was very fond of company, and I now had greater opportunities of gratifying my propensities. I was never given to drink, or, indeed, to the company of men, but principally frequented dances and raffles, where I mingled in the society of both sexes of the most dissolute character. I was thrown idle about the month of April, 1817, and in less than three months ĺ found myself plunged into such a state of vice and wickedness, that my mind could not suffer reflection. I spent whole nights in the streets, or in worse places. Every thing I saw, or heard, or did, was wicked; my nights and my days were evil; I could not bear to look at my relations; and growing at last impatient of the restraint of living in my father's house, I formed the resolution of shifting my scene of action.

Alias John Wilson, alias John Morrison, alias Barney McCoul, alias John McColgan, alias Daniel O'Brien, alias The Switcher. Written by himself, while under sentence of death.

0 ATHENEUM VOL. 10.

"Among my associates, I had formed a great intimacy with Barnard McGuire, an Irishman, a darling of a boy. He was brought up to the trade of a tailor, in Dumfries. He was considerably older than myself. He was of a bold enterprising spirit, of great bodily strength, and a most skilful pickpocket. He was good at every thing in his profession, and always gave me fair play; but we sometimes did our comrades, even Barney's own brother." From this we gather, that among thieves there is not that honour which has, not very beneficially for society, passed into a proverb; and our attention is further pointed to that grand source of all these dishonest practices, namely, the existence of flash kanes, or houses for the reception of stolen goods, which hold out encouragement and security to pickpockets and burglars. With his experienced companion, Haggart resorted to races and fairs, levying contributions wherever opportunity offered. His accounts of the mode of picking pockets may furnish hints for caution in carrying money about the person. Speaking of one theft he says:

"The other £11 was taken by myself from a gentleman whom we had observed, in the early part of the day, with a very large bundle of notes, but it was five o'clock at night before I could get a touch of him, when, to my disappointment, I only got 11. I think I got all he had, as it was wrapped in a parchment wrapper, where the large quantity had been. I took it out of his breeches pocket in the usual way. He was talking to a gentleman when I slipped past and did him. The keekcloy is easily picked. If the notes are in the long fold, just tip them the forkst; but if there is a purse or open money in the case you must link it."‡ With regard to this forking, the author tells us in another part, that his abilities were consummate :

*

"I had," says he, "the ill-luck to be born left-handed, and with thieves' fingers, for my forks are equally long, and never failed me."

* Breeches pocket. § Breast pocket.

Unhappy qualification! yet it might have been the reverse in a teacher of the piano-forte or player on the violin, and was once the distinction of an Egyptian king. But we proceed with our hints to the bearers of purses or pocket-books.

"Picking the suck is sometimes a kittle job. If the coat is buttoned, it must be opened by slipping past. Then bring the lil down between the flap of the coat and the body, keeping your spare arm across a man's breast, and so slip it to a comrade, then abuse the fellow for jostling you. When we foregathered with Barney, he showed us the dumbie stuffed with cambric-paper, and he quizzed his brother for having given us so much trouble about luke. But when Barney and I got by ourselves, he showed me the blunt, which consisted of 1007. in ten-pound notes, and 1017. in twenty-shilling notes, making in all 2017. I never was happier in my life than when I fingered all this money: but I thought sore about it afterwards when I was ill, and like to die."

Edinburgh, Carlisle, Montrose, &c. &c. &c. were all visited and revisited with effect, by this accomplished scoundrel, who run through every kind of villany,-from picking pockets and shop-lifting to highway-robbery and house-breaking. He was often apprehended and occasionally imprisoned; but his assurance and dexterity, as well as a powerful arm, and apparently great speed of foot, has frequently saved his carcase, either in avoiding being taken, or in escaping from gaol. In January, 1819, we find him released from the House of Correction, or Planting,and, as soon as his health and strength were restored, returning to his old ways. At length he was apprehended for his many depredations, and committed to Dumfries prison, where he consummated his heinous race by the murder of the turnkey, with a stone tied in a bag. He thus describes this dreadful event :

"I concealed myself in the closet at the head of the stair, where I had

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previously placed the bag with the stone. They were not in my hat when I left the cage, as was supposed on my trial. Dunbart then called Morrin to come up and let out the ministers. He came up the stairs accordingly with a plate of potatoe-soup for McGrory. When he got to the top, he shut the cage-door. I then came out upon him from the closet, and the pushing open of the door knocked the plate out of his hand. I struck him one blow with the stone, dashed him down stairs, and, without the loss of a moment, pulled the dub of the other jiger from his suck. I gave only one blow with the stone, and immediately threw it down. Dunbar picked it up, but I believe no more blows were giv en, so that Morrin must have received his other wounds in falling. I observed Dunbar on the top of him rifling his breast for the key, I suppose, which I had got. Simpson had hold of Mor-, rin's shoulders, and was beating his back on the steps of the stair. I rushed past them, crossed the yard as I could, pulled the dub from my cloy, where I had concealed it, and opened the outer jiger. It was sworn upon my patter,** that I had the dub in my famit when I passed through the yard, but this neither is, nor could be true, for it would let all the debtors see what I was about. Besides, I well remember, that upon getting to the top of the outer stair, I sunk into my cloys with both fams, not being sure in my hurry, into which of them I had put the key. Some of the witnesses also said that I was bare-headed, but this was not the case, for I had Dunbar's toper‡‡ upon

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ten yards, and I had the mortification to see my fellow adventurer secured. I once thought of bolting among them to rescue him; but the mob was too great for me. I went up through the yard of the King's Arms, crossed the High street, and ran down the Vennel to the Nith. I kept along the waterside till I got away to the east of Cumlungan Wood, having run nearly ten miles in less than an hour. I then got upon the high-road to Annan, when I saw a post chaise at full gallop, almost within 20 yards of me. dub'd my tuig,† and leapt a hedge into a field, where some coves were rousting ronnies. They all joined the bulkies, who had got out of the chaise, in the pursuit of me. I crossed the field at a slapping pace, and made for Cumlungan wood. I bolted over a very deep ditch, covered with briers,and ran a few steps along the side of the hedge, for the purpose of making the bulkies think I was going into the wood. I then wheeled round, louted, and, when they went up the one side of the ditch, I shirried¶¶ down the other little did they know I was so near them—I could have breathed upon John Richardson as he passed me. In this way I came to the cross road which leads from the Nith to the public road, and never did a fox double the hounds in better style.

"I then made for Annan, and got through it before the town rose, and getting on a mile or two upon the Carlisle

road, I went into a belt of planting, close to a small farm town. Watching an opportunity, I dived into a haystack, and lay there all night, and next day till two in the afternoon, when I heard a woman ask a boy if that lad was taken that had broken out from Dumfries jail,' the boy answered No, but the jailor died last night at ten o'clock.' His words struck me to the soul; my heart died within me, and I was insensible for a good while : .on coming to myself I could scarcely believe I had heard them, for the possibility of poor Morrin's death had never

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entered my mind. The woman and boy passed on. I came out of the stack, and resolved to proceed, whatever should be the consequence. I advanced upon the road, and would have given the world for a change of clothes. Seeing a scare-crow in a field, I went up, undressed him, and marched on in the dress of a potatoe-bogle. "On the Wednesday night I slept in a hay-loft. In the morning a man came up to fill the horses' racks, and was within a foot of me; but I was nicely plank't among the hay, and I heard all his conversation with a cove down in the stable, without being observed. They had been talking about me before they came to the stable, for the first thing I heard was, He maun be a terrible fallow.'-The other said, Ou, he's the awfu'st cheild ever was; he has broken a' the jails in Scotland but Dumfries, and he's broken hit at last. 'Am sure I wish he may keep awa'-it will no bring back the man's life, and I ken his father.'

"About 8 o'clock in the morning I started from my place of concealment, without being noticed, and proceeded on my weary way. I got to Carlisle on the Thursday evening, and went to Mrs. Stubbs's in Riccargate; being told there that the whole voil was in an uproar about me, I said she was quite mistaken to suppose that my name was Haggart, and assured her that my name was Barney McCoul, by which name she formerly knew me. At length she prevailed on me to go out of the house along with her to a friend of her's, as I was in danger to remain with her.

"She conducted me accordingly to a very snug crib, where I got some victuals which was the first time had broken my fast since I left Dumfries. Next day I got a fresh dress, and also procured blones tuigs, in which, determined to prosecute the rest of my journey, I travelled through night and lurked about plantings and wild places in the day time; I took care to provide myself with a good parcel of grub before I left Carlisle. In Newcastle I remained twelve days, and was dressed in coves tuigs* all the time.

|| Concealed.

"One day, another lad named Fleming, alias Yorkshire Bill, with whom I had formerly been acquainted, went with me to the market, and seeing an old conish cove with a rum lil in his suck, we determined to have it. Bill crossed him and undubbed his tuig, I followed and touched his lil with my forks, which Bill raised from the bottom, brought it with me, and proceeded through the market. We got twentytwo screaves by this adventure, which we whacked."+

In bringing the notice of this biography to a conclusion, we are rather inclined to copy what may interest our readers as a tale, than what we might chuse to place before them for the sake of moral influence. After all, a thief is but a thief, and little good can be drawn from depravity, which to know is almost a vice; and yet, which to know may be useful. After Haggart's murder at Dumfries, from his quick lapse into crime, his remorse and repentance, he was again involved in the full swing of crime. After performing many feats in England and Scotland, he went to Ireland with one Edgy, and he gives an alluring account of the sister isle for persons of his profession.

"Edgy (he says) was well known in Belfast, and was pulled for some old offence. Being left by myself, I went to attend Lisburne market, and commenced my first operations upon Irish ground. I had not been long in the market till I could observe how freely the Irish boys dashed about their blunt, although they are the worst in the world at parting with it upon my terms; for when a snib is caught in the attempt, they practise his own profession upon him. They strip him of all his blunt, and even his clothes, and batter his brains like a pigeon-house door, and trouble themselves no further about him. But for all this, Paddyland is the land for pick-pockets; lots of money, oceans of drink, and knocking down pellmell even on ;then is the time to work away at the business. England is too much hunted, and there is no money in Scotland."

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