THE LIFE OF A SAILOR.

'THIS is a made book ; but the manufacturer was in possession of ample materials, and has not been unskilful in working them up. Be has refrained from casting his experience in the form of a novel, -after the illustrious examples of COOPER, MARRYATT, and some others, but has thrown his scenes and anecdotes together in the most miscellaneous form possible. - The outline approaches to autobiography—at least this is the peg on which the author sus- pends his stories. A British naval officer of education must ne- cessarily have enjoyed admirable opportunities of seeing both nature and the external foreign world; and if he has a happy com- mand of narrative, fearful are the accidents by flood and field that present themselves for description. Captain CH AM 1E R, the reputed author of this work, has had a full share of adventure, and un- doubtedly possesses a facility of style and a playful manner that may in some measure make up for the want of that genius which may 'be said to characterize the autobiographical anecdotes of BASIL HALL, or the spirited sketches of MARRYATT. One advantage which a writer of miscellaneous naval sketches has over the naval novelist is, that he is not obliged to introduce love into his book. A sailor is but a bad hand at a heroine : she is as much like a real woman as the figure-head of his ship,—unless, indeed, she too closely resembles the ladies of the Point: a sailor on this head is utterly ignorant of the juste milieu. Captain CRAMER scarcely mentions the sex from one end of his work to the other. Sailors find women in port just as they find fresh water and fresh provisions, and there's an end of their speculations. When they attempt to romance on the subject, as in Newton Forster or Cavendish, we know no two combined epithets that so well describe the ale, as bitter-bad.

No persons in England in private society are listened to with so much eager delight as seamen of experience. The transfer of their conversation to paper,is the most natural thine-t' in the world; and yet, from some cause or other, it has been but very lately ef- fected. One of these causes is, undoubtedly, the superstitious dread which sailors have of critics : hew it may have crept into the Navy we know not, but so it is, that critics, attornies, and sharks, seem always to go in the same category. It is quite a mistake, however: towards no possible writer does a critic feel more kindly than to a sailor, partly from his natural unacquaint- pace with literary niceties, partly from the richness and novelty of that which he has to tell, and partly for the dangers he has risked and the service he has done. If a regular critic has a weak side,

it is when a sailor gets under his lee, and begins yarn. We to twist a

We have had many naval novels lately—what critic has 'been hard'? We hope we shall have hundreds more; and less is to be dreaded by their authors than any other author-paladins sallying forth in quest of adventures. The fact is, that seamen only can criticize seamen : we can feel when the crisis of a nautical scene arrives, and understand that preparations are being made for it, but the precise process landsmen cannot be expected to under- stand. When COOPER'S Pilot, the first sea novel, appeared, we re- member putting it into the hands of an old Master in the Navy— himself, by the way, given to scribbling ; and his criticism was this "In all the ma.nceuvres in these three volumes, there is but one -mistake, and it is in the handling of a particular small sail on a particular occasion"—we forget what the sail was : "but," added our warrant-critic, "tile author is not a naval officer; he must have been either a purser or a doctor, for there is something about his style of :handling a vessel that seems to imply task-work." Hear, ye seamen! this is the criticism to be dreaded ; but where else will you find an old sailor dressed up in the robe of Aristarchus ? No— altogether, sailors have less to apprehend in the shape of censure than anyother writers. We at least have always given a proof of -this peculiar leniency, and shall not fail now. j, Our extracts shall be strictly specimens. They are not jewels 'taken out of inferior setting, but truly examples of the sort of entertainment the reader may expect to find.

• A squall on the African coast-

- We were progressing fairly in our work, when an enemy in the shape of the

• elements began to appear. It was a beautiful starlight night, the moon shone

the wind was gentle, and the sea as smooth as a (luck-pond: about ,ten 'o'cloek, a small black speck in the east soon extended itself into an awful thunder-cloud; it seemed an instant only, and the whole horizon was darkened

The sky was changed ; and such a change !" The brightness of the night

Lad passed away like a dream, and a tornado was about to supply its place. We !knew notithefince of the foe ; but the cheering cry of, "Bear a hand, lads, be-

fore the ,squall comes! " indicated too certainly the presages of the officer's

mind. . It fell to my lot to be ordered to land the powder in the yawl, having -as few hands only as were absolutely requisite for the labour required. My orders were to place it in an empty house which the crew of the-brig had inha- bited :. and smog that the darkening cloud increased apace, and was rapidly ap- proaching, I, was anxious to get clear of my charge, or, at any rate, to reach the- shore before, tlie squall burst. We had not a hundred yards to go, and scarcely had we "-shoved off," when the forked lightning began to show itself in itnick.and.vistid.f.Bashes, while the loud roar of the thunder increased in force as it neared the ship. We had a tarpaiffin in the boat to cover the powder-.bars ; but this was no security against the lightning. The boat ap- peared not to move. No sooner did I look with eager eye to the shore, than an anxious glanCe was cast at the coming enemy ; then would I double bank am oar, and pull and Mg with all my strength, whilst I cheered my little crew to all additional exertion. We landed the yery moment the storm burst. Heavens —no poetical imagination could convey the hurried and varied feelings of that moment ! To secure the boat was our-first endeavour, which we effected by

placing her firmly on the beach, and taking the painter to a neighbouring log. The trees groaned as the whirlwind whistled through the long branches; and the rain fell, or rather came from the clouds, with the force of water ejected from a fire. engine. The lung cocoa-nut bent like a bow its branchless trunk, surging about its leafy head in the storm ; and the lightning, which flashed around us in horribly quick succession, only showed us the wreck of ruin which

surrounded us, leaving us in tenfold darkness. The ship, which we saw through the momentary flame of fire, appeared a mass of ropes ; the yards were hang- ing in different directions ; the tierce wind swung her about with the ease that a cradle is moved ; and the flash, which showed her broadside on, would be succeeded in the moment by another which showed her bow to the shore. The instant lull, before the loud wind and hoarse roaring of the elements resumed, their fury, only bore upon its wings the confusion on board the ship and the • brig ; and the succeeding flash exhibited its own power, as it rent the main- topmast from top to bottom : a prolonged existence of a moment's light showed' us the fishes of the mainmast rent from their iron fastenings. The time elapsed since the commencement of the squall was about ten minutes, when a calm, aa

tranquil as an infant's sleep, succeeded the storm. The sky assumed its former serenity, the moon and stars again shone, and few could imagine, who had not witnessed a hurricane, the desolation and ruin of an African tornado. We ima- gined our miseries at an end, and cheerfully resumed our labours. Delusive hope ! for soon, too soon, we found the evil had but commenced, and that For- tune, already unkind, only smiled for the moment, to make her frown more severely felt. In the mean time we availed ourselves of the calm. The Negroes

still worked at the pump, and our nautical term of " Spell oh !" gave way to some elegant word in the Black vocabulary. A party of hands were employed to thrumb a sail—a process by which canvass is converted into a mat ; and this was intended to be hauled under the ship's bottom to stop the leak, or at any rate to be so far sucked up into the holes as to block up in some degree the unwelcome apertures. The quarter-deck guns were transferred to the brig ; the ship was made a little more snug aloft, and the launch despatched with ten men and lieutenant to Sierra Leone, to desire the attendance of any man-of-war there, and to urge them to use all possible despatch in coming to our assistance. The powder was safely landed, and we returned to the ship as wet and as tired as rain and labour could make us. Every man in the ship was turned to some use; the servants were taken from the lieutenants and midshipmen, and all 02 board put their shoulders to the wheel in good earnest.

Our men worked bard and in silence ; but the Blacks sung some of their:out- landish songs, as they laboured at the pumps and kept the winches at a rapid rotatory movement. This singing soon gave way to fatigue ; and from their- surly looks and sulky dispositions we argued no very flattering degree of obedi- ence, if they were at all oppressed by labour. Every thing was going on favourably : the different requisite works were progressing towards a termina- tion, and we anticipated some hours' sleep, notwithstanding our misfortune.

At one o'clock in the morning, another black cloud showed its head above the horizon, and soon spread its sable wings over the whole sky. We knew what was coming, fast enough : the other bower and sheet anchor were let go, the ropes all properly belayed, for nothing can impede work more than wet ropes eternally dabbing in one's face. The main-topmast, or rather its wreck, had been struck, and the fishes of the mainmast removed • the quarter-deck suns had been hoisted into the brig, and we had done prodigies in the way of labour. The instant the squall was observed, the brig was cast off, towed some small dis- tance, and well secured, as fur as anchors could secure her; and we were soon prepared for the coming squall. It came howling and whistling in all the fury of the former one, accompanied by the rain, the thunder, and the lightning ; the wind moaned through the rigging, coming from all quarters at once, and heeling the ship, first on one side, then the other, like boys on a see-saw. The Blacks, who seem rather partial to a squall on shore, began to manifest consi- derable uneasiness when they heard the unusual roar of strange sounds; and it was with some difficulty and gentle violence that they were made to continue their work. They toiled sullenly and silently, until a flash of lightning struck the ship, and ran along the decks. This fatal flash left three men dead at the pumps; the Blacks hid their faces in their hands, and threw themselves on the deck, roaring and howling as dismally as the wind, creating a confusion quite beyond description. A report that the lightning had gone through the ship be- low occasioned an instant search : the monotonous sound of the water, as it bubbled through the leak forward, was audible enough ; but we could not trace any further damage, or discover any other mischief. During this interval the leak gained upon us, for the Blacks di-regarded all threats of punishment or all promises of reward: the removal of the dead operated like a charm ; it is quite "out of sight, out of mind" in Africa ; so the Blacks forgot the danger in the removal of their friends, and went to work again. Our men were kept at work, as many as possible, on the sail, and the rest were sent to their hammocks to steal a few hours' sleep, for we had plenty to do, without intermission, for at least a week. The squall passed over us, and left us the same calm and beautiful night which had preceded its coming. Day dawned, and what a sight presented it- self! No longer the dashing Arethusa, in all the trim neatness of a well-or- dered ship ! No longer the tall mast and the squared yard, the tight rope, and the man-of-war's appearance. She was as much altered in one night, as the face of a beauty after an attack of small-pox. A wreck—a palpable wreck ; the crew jaded and fatigued; the Blacks nearly exhausted ; the rigging more like tr. Russian frigate's under repair, than the boasted neatness of an English man-of- war ; around us a scene of desolation and destruction, without a prospect of further assistance ; and with an African sun rising, to scorch us into sickness and fever. From the shore, the ship's appearance was by no means flattering.. The mainmast was standing; but here and there were pieces rent by the light- fling: the long fish in front of the mast was lying in the booms, with its end on the quarter-deck. It was a sight to humiliate any pride, such as Nelson felt when his fleet was dispersed in a gale. One night had reduced us from the most powerful adversary the French had on that coast, to the level of the most insig- nificant cruiser. Alas ! our sufferings were but begun, for hitherto the ram. had kept us cool ; but heat and thirst, and sickness and fever, were-yet to follow up the disaster; and there is no calamity like a hot sun and a parched throat when fatigue and indisposition are to be endured. It was useless prognostic,ating misfortunes; it was the business of men and officers to remedy what had befallen us. The sail was completed and placed under the bottom, and it afforded no small gratification to find it answeredits pinposeeffectually : it so far relieved the men, that the hand-pumps kept her free, and we got rid of a great part of our Black assistance: had they not been on board, the Arethusa would have sunk.

A naval war-incident on shore— We were about ten miles to the eastward of Marseilles, when we saw a vessel at anchor in a narrow bay. Prize-money to a sailor is like blood to a blood- hound ; once tasted, never relinquished, unless indeed superior force interfere. To see this little vessel, small as she was, and to know that a certain sum, how- ever, insignificant, would result from her capture, were sufficient excitements. Sir Peter'jjarker,.who closely watched the position of thit. mi*mble seit-ee, and whe had satisfied himself of her .veryrlefenceless situation, manned the boats, ind desired one of the lieutenants t bring .ont the prize' forte we rowed her, long before we had her. On this expedition we had only three boats empleied for, as we could net distinguish the slightest fortification, or any think ilia z. battery, or numerous men assembled, the small force was deemed amply suffi- cient, ILA we left the ship just as certain of a bloodless prize as we were of our Antistence. Three. marines had been placed in each boat, in order to attract aretiee,. in the event done or two French soldiers being in the neighbourhood. We approached the land about noon, and shortly were within pistol-shot. It -*as a fine Calm day, the shore looking attractive beyond measure to our long- Wanderiog eyes,- the wood which overhung the right-hand entrance of -the'bay t'Ast a calm and beautiful shade over the landscape. At the extremity of the

by stood a low hut, which could scarcely be dignified by the name of cottage, near which an old woman sat spinning, and who continued her toil without bestoiviok the slightest notice on the approach of her nation's enemies. It was 4 dead ealm, and " ocean slumbered likean unweaned child." The boat almost Silently sprang through the water ; and war and all its horrors seemed far diitlint from this pretty, retired spot. The bowman was a Corpse. . A snuslcet-

hadheen fired from behind a rock on the left-hand entnince, and that first allot was fatal: it was succeeded by another from the same .place, and: one marine was disabled; a third tore the cravat from the lieutenant's neck, but otherwise was harmless ; -a fourth, anni. the cockswain lost his ann. . Still no one was visible ;, and the distance of time between each shot convinced us that we had not more than two people opposed to us at the Must. This deliberate murder Was-by no means pleasant. Concealed behind the sock, the Frenchmen flied in . perfect security ; and so small were the apertures from which they

issued their , .destruction that they were imperceptible to us. We gave three cheers, and pulled right for the place.' . Only one more shut was fired, and that stench au already wounded man. A small:sandy cove offered a landing, and one •Midill,.saving the. wounded, jumped on shore, and commenced a search for the enemy. 'Flue ,lieutenant, myself, and a niarine, took one direttion ; . the other marine and the boat's crew began to examine the rock near which we had landed. In the mean time the other boats pulled to the vessel, cut her cable,

apd begart• tow, her mit. To this there was not the slightest apposition, and net a man was to be seen' in the vicinity of the bay. After examining every P. laiie with the utmost precaution, we hail well nigh declared the search as fruit- _ less ; but, in, turning a narrow point; of rock which led to a wiiler path, another sEat'conyinced us we were olose to our enemy. . We pushed on, one. after the other, for. the path was. rugged and .narrow, until coming into a broader and Fiore open view, we perceived a man and boy retreating with all speed. . The instant we hailed • him to stop, he turned round and fired.' It was a harmless shoi.,, Thelieutenaot instantly fired, but Missed his mark ; and the marine who levelled Ids.niusket was desired to do the same, but to be cautious not to hit the child. •The Frenchman, who had loaded his musket as be retreated, turned rotund .and 'fired again. . It was so completely a runtting fight and.fire, that little harm wailikely.to occur. The marine now stopped, and, resting his gun over a sinali projection Of a rock, fired, and shot the child : he fell in the act of Offer- ing,another cartridge to the French soldier. The father instantly dropped his musket, and fell by the side of his son. Of course we made a rush to the spot, artarbnth were:prisoners at a moment: The soldier seemed as insensible to our Movements as if we were lodes from the spot : he perfectly disregarded our approach: he had seated himself in the centre of the road, and, having placed the hny'S head upon his lap,.begao to wipe away the,blood as it oozed from a wOund ih the child's forehead. Ori being desired to get up' and follow: us, he mid not the least attention. The world. amid the worlfl's light were shut to lmint :, lie saw.not—thought not—spoke mint but, With a Rind of .mechanical motion, itpirtreatly involuntary, he wiped and wiped the blood, as the increasing llthiguSbed through the wound. The eye rested upon the spot ; but witlasuch inanimation as almost made it a Mockery of sight. There Were no tears, no siidia; and save now and then .a gurgle in the throat, as-he made an endeavour to breathe, the stillness of death itself could not have been more pro- found. At .last s shivering seized the boy ; the eye became fixed and glassy ; ad tlie opened jaw, graduallyalistending, marked the rapid approach of death ; ,then came one short convulsive sigh, and the boy was a corpse. . My voice, like time death-raven's, croaked out the miserable truth ; on which the father sprang from his seat, the marine brought his bayonet to the charge, and the Frenchinau endeavoured to throw himself upon its point ; but the marine as the father leashed on dropped his musket and encircled him in his arms. We irunediateJy secured bends, and desired him to lead us to the beach near the cettage.. The marine carried the dead boy ; and the father walked by the side, his eyes riveted on the cerpse, in perfect silence, without a tear, and apparently without „It thought. We certainly did not return the way we advanced, for we had passed our boat before we came suddenly upon the rear of the cottage. The wPinan was still at her wheel; she was .very old, and apparently childish. She never, raised her eyes from her employment until we were within. about two y4rds.Of her, when; lifting her head, she fixed her eyes upon her son, bound, and in the Custody of strangers: she gave a violent shriek ; and, after gazing a short seoond, she turned the wheel again and began to spin out her thread. The shriek was not ineffectual ; for a.fine woman, about thirty, immediately rushed from the hut, and there saw, in painful reality, her husband a prisoner, her child dead, and her mother an idiot. . She looked first at her parent, and then rushed to Seize her dead child from the arms of its murderer. She kissed it, bugged it, pied • on it ; then, giving one deep and audible sigh, fell at the feet of her mother. The husband had been unbonnd, and looked at the scene in perfect stone-like apathy ; the grandmother .still turned the wheel and pinched the thread with all the indifference Of mechanism; the wife still clung to the dead child, which she convulsively grasped ; and we, the cause of all this ruin and

desolation, remained with fixed eyes upon the melancholy sight before us. .

' A tale of sharks. . The following is a complete- sea novel in itself, and has not been outdone for skill in the management of effect. The only writer of the present day who has been down in the great waters, that can pretend to write any thing better, is the author of the Younger Son: he would have taken less space, and shortened some of the points : nevertheless, if ever there was a story to excite sympathy and interest the feelings, and awake the imagination of the' reading world, it is the following. The story is of the Magpie' schooner- 7.A•squall of wind, which, must have been fearfully strong, seemed to burst from the cloud alongside the schooner; it reached her before the mate could call the watchinto activity. The vessel was taken aback ; and Mr. Smith,as he put his foot upon the 'last step of the ladder, found his schooner upset, a scarcely time had he toseach the deck before she sunk, to rise no.more. •

the.crew, amounting in all to twenty,four, happened luckily to be on deck, with the exception of two who were drowned iv the schooner; and in one minute they found themselves struggling in the water—their home, their ship, and some of their companions lost for ever. The wild cry for assistance from some, of sur- prise from others, and fear from all, seemed to drown the wind ; for, as if sent by Providence to effect this single event, no sooner had the schooner sunk, than the wind entirely ceased, a calm came on, and the bright rays of the moon fell upon the wet faces of the struggling crew—most fortunately, as some would • •

ame,'. and seemed followedon: tithes think, but in reality. the most painfully tmfortnnate

boat on the booms of the schooner floated clear of the sinlatig

got. 431.411i.siatil she prepared for their salvation ; the foreyard-arm had somehow gunwale, • and• as. the • schooner • sunk,- it naturally heeled ' the boar

was nearly upset and half full of water, when the yard got disentangleadr the oelnioner snnk; and the boat floated. ' •

The only ark of their safety was amply large enough to have saved the twenii-, two Nen who instantly swam to her ; and such was the impetuosity occasion by theirlright, that prudencewas overlooked and in the harried exertion of" eight or tei.. endeavouring to scramble in, all on one •side, the half-filled boat heeled below tht.r gunwale in the • Ivater, and rolled over and oval; some.got across her keel, the others held on by her, and all were safe from drowning. Mr. Smith, who appears to have been a man of most consummate rowsmand and coolness, began to reasini ivith his' crew: on the impoeSibility of their being saved, if they continued hi their present position ; for those who were am the keerivould shortlyroll off, and exertion and fatigue wiiuld goon force the otter to relinquish their holds, or urge arern to endeavour foreible to dislodgethe vel= sessors from their quiet seats. He printed out the nereisity efrighting the bcret;. of allowing only two men to get in het' to bale her oat, While the others, sup, ported by the gunwales which they kepe•upright, . might remein in the water until the boat was in such a condition as ta receive two more ; anti thus by de- grees to ship the whole crew in security. Evert in this moment of peril, the disciAle of the naty assumed its com- mend. At•the order from the lieutenant,' for he men bratite keettorelinquish their position, they instantly obeyed, the boat 0:1 turned over', and tinily more the expedient was tried, but quite in vain; for no acioner had the twOmembegun to bale with a couple of hats, and the safety of the crew to appear Cih the bounds-of probability, than one man declared be saw . the fin of a sharks No language eatucorivey.the panic whicii. seized the strugginig Seamen : a Stark is at all times an object of horror to a Sailor; and thown-lin have seen structive jaws of these voracious fiSh, and their immense end almost isieretlitile power—their love of blood, and their bold daring to obtain :*---alone can toieraw idea of the sensations produced to a swimmer by the oy., of " a shark!: a

shark !" . .

Every man.now struggled to Obtain a momeat's safety. Wettliity krieW that` one drop of blood would latiee been scented by the everlastinatyilet-fish, die jackals of the shark ; and that their destruction was inevitable, :f One only at these monsters should discover the rich repast, or be led to its food by theliteir rapid hunter of its prey. All discipline was now unavailing, thii boat nabs turned keel :Op : one man only gained his security, to be pushed frurn it by others ; and thus their strength began to fail from. loug-continued exertion. As-however the enemy so much dreaded did not make its appearance; Smith' once more urged them to endeavour to save themselves by the only meanSI left, that of the boat ; but as he knew that he would only increase their alarm3hy ens deavouring to persuade them that sharks did not nbound in those parts, he uSed• the wisest planof desiring those who held on by the gunwale, to keep splashing; in the water with their legs, in order to frighten the monsters at which they were so claimed. •

Once more had hope begun to dawn; the boat was clear to her thwarts, midi four men:were in her hard at Work: a little forbearance and a little obedienoe, and they were safe. At this moment, when those in the ' water urged their messinates in the boatto continue baling with onreinitted exertion, n.n.orse-was• heard close tOthein, and about fifteerisharks came right in amongst them. The panicwas ten times more dreadful than before ; the boat again was upset by the simultaneous endeavour to escape the danger ; and the twenty-two -sailors were :twain devoted to deetreeijoo...

At first the sharks did ft:A Seem • inelined - to 'seizetheir prey, but swam in amongst the men, playing in the water, sometimes leaping about and rubbing against their victims. This was of -short duration—a fond Shriek, from one of the men announced his sudden pain: a shark had seized him by the leg, and severed it entirely from the body. No sooner bad the Peed been tisted, than the long-dreaded attack took place ; another and another shriek proclaimed the loss of limbs: some were torn from-the boat, to which they YitiUl)i eficleaveured to cling—some, it was.supposed, sunk-from the fear alone—ail were in dreadful

peril. . •

• Mr. Smith even now, when of all horrible deaths the most horrible seemed to await him, gave his orders with clearness and coolness; and ti . the everlasting honour of the poor departed crew be it known, they were obeyed: .again the boat was righted, and again two men were in her. Incredible as it may appear, still however it is true, that the voice of the officer was beard amidst the danger, aunt the survivors actually, as before, clung to the gunwale,land kept the. boat upright. Mr. Smith himself held by the stern, and cheered and applauded his men. The sharks had tasted the blood, and were not to be driven frurn..their feast; in one Short moment, when Mr. Smith ceased splashing, as he looked into the boat to watch the progress, a Shark seized both his legs, Land bit the'm off just above the knees. Human nature was nut strong enough to bear the immense pain without a groan; but Smith endeavoured to conceal the misfortwae;.na- ture, true to herself, resisted the endeavour, and the groan was deep and 'audible. The crew had long respected their .gallant commander ; they knew hit worth and his courage: on hearing him express his pain, and. seeing-him relinquish his hold to sink, two of the men grasped their dying officer, and placed him in the stern sheets. Even now in almost insupportable agony,, that gallant fellow forgot own sufferings, and thought only on rescuing the remaining few from the untimely grave which awaited them; he told them again of their only hive, deplored their perilous state, and concluded with these words: "If any of you •survive this fatal night, and return to Jamaica, tell the Admiral ("Sir Laurence-Halsted) that I was in.seach of the :pirate when this lamentable oc- currence took place ; tell hint, I hope I have always done my duty, and that I" —here thnendeavour of some of the men to get-into the boat,gave here heel on ode 'side; the men who were supporting poor Smith, relinquished him for a moment, and he rolled overboard and MIS drowned. His last bubbling cry was soon lost amidst the shrieks of his former companions—he sunk to rise no more Could he haye been saVed, his life would have .becti irksome ;- and, but for the time which even the best desire to make atonement for the sins and errors of early life —to offer their Contrite prayers to the throne of grace—to implore that salvation we all hope for, and none of themselves can clann—he had better haYe.died as he did, than live to be dependent on others ; to hear the peevish complaint of his attendants,.or to sigh for pleasures be could never enjoy, or for comforts he could never obtain. With him died every hope; all but two of the crew gave way to loud execrations and cursings. Some, who had not been so seriously injured by the monsters of the deep, endeavoured to get upon the keel of the boat, which was again upset ; but Worn out with excessive fiti,gue, and sinarting under the keen pain, they gave up the chance of safety, and were either eaten immediately by the sharks, or courting death, which appeared inevitable; they threw themselves from their only support, and were drowned. '

At eight o'clock in the evening the Magpie was upset ; it Was calculated by the two survivors that their companions had all died by nine. The eliarki seemed satisfied for the moment; and they With gallant hearts resolved to profit by the precious time in order to save themselves: they righted the boat, and one getting over the bows, and the other over the stern, they found themselves, although nearly exhausted, yet alive, and in comparative security; they began the work of baling, and soon lightened the boat sufficiently not to be easily up- set, when both us down to rest. The return of the sharks was the signal ter

their return to labour. The voracious monsters endeavoured to upset the beet: they swam by its side in seeming anxiety for their prey ; but, after waiting some time, they separated—the two rescued seamen found themselves free from thew in- satiable enemies, and by the blessing of God, saved. Tired as they-were; they ; continued their labour until the boat was nearly dry, .when tinth lay down to • rest, the one forward and the other aft : so completely had fear operated on their minds, that they did not dare even to move, dreading that an incautious step ! ,Might. again have . capsized the boat. • They.soon,.in spite of the horrors they lad witnessed, fell into a sound sleep ; • and .day had dawned before they awoke 'td hOrrible.relleetiOns; and apparently worse dangers. • •• • • - s The sun rose•clear and unclouded, the cool calm-or the night was followed bv 'the, iailtry calin,of the miming ; and-heat and hunger, thirst and fatigue, skirted to settle on the unfortunate men, rescued by Providence and-their own exertions from the jaws of -a horrible death. They- awoke and looked at each other—the very. gaze of despair Was appalling far as the eye could teach, no object could .benhscerned ;.-the, bright haze of the morriing.added to the strong refraction of ,one-stnootti interminable plain, one endless ocean, one cloudless sky, and one burning stI14 were,all they hail to gaze upon. The boat lay like the Ark., in a world alone ! They, had no oar, no mast, no sailnothing but the bare planks and themselves, without provisions or water, food or raiinent. They lay Upon -the cairn-Ocean, hopeless, friendls, miserable. It was a time of intense anxiety ; ...their eyes rested upon each.other, in silent pity, not unmixed with fear. Each :knew the dreadful alternative to which nature, would urge them. The cannibal was already in their looks, and fearful would-have been the first attack on either aide, for they were both' brave and stout men, and equals in strength and

courage. • • .

. " 'Tis a bad business this, Tom," said the man on the how—" a very bad business, indeed ; I think I am sorry I was not eaten by the sharks with the rest of the poor fellows, and then I should never have known the misery of this mo- ment.'' "I have been," replied Jack, "in many a heavy squall before now, but I never felt sneli a-gale as this—no hope, Toni, none! Here we are, doomed to die of thirst and hunger !—nothing to eat you know, Tom, nothing!" The word "nothing" was repeated by Tom, who afterwards continued the conversation : • --" Well, boy, many's the ship that passes through the Gulf of Florida, and which must come nearly within hail of .us ; so that if we, or one of us, can but .1:ire a little—and! dare say we can find food ti,r one—why, then, you know, the whole of the story will be told, and that will be something."

We regret we cannot give the conclusion: the poor men are saved-by a brig heaving in sight—which, however, did net observe them. One of the gallant fellows jumped out among the sharks, and swam two miles to catch it. The circumstances all came out on a Court-martial at Kingston.