66

or

on deck, walking about in considerable agitation, and breaking through all discipline by herding upon the quarter-deck. "Holloa!" said the lieutenant," what the devil is the matter now? How is it, Mr. W." continued he, addressing himself to the midshipman, "that the men are not in their hammocks?" The whole crew answered at once-" That they would rather sleep on the cross-trees than go below again, for they had seen a ghost." "Seen a what?" roared the lieutenant.- -"A ghost!" they answered. "A ghost," said the lieutenant, "what is he like ?-here, you lumping, cowardly cur," said he, seizing hold of the stoutest man of the crew, who was shaking like a leaf, "tell me, I say, what the devil is the ghost like ?Is he a Greek, a Turk, or a Christian ?-What did he say?-Damn you, speak directly, or I'll find a way to make you.” It was all in vain, not a word could he get from one of the crew but that they had seen a ghost." One declared the unceremonious phantom got under his hammock, and, capsizing it, threw him on the deck; another swore to his having been cuffed by the shadow; and all admitted they had received some injury. "Quarter-master, give me a light, and let me see if I can find the ghost," said the lieutenant; and down he went by the main-hatchway to hunt up the spirit-the midshipman, who was young, and who had caught the sympathetic fright, remaining on deck. Below was glorious confusion-every thing indicated that by some means another the crew had jumped on deck without waiting to dress themselves, and the half-naked appearance of the men confirmed that idea. In vain the lieutenant called for one of the men to come down to lift the fore-hatch: not a soul obeyed the order, and, after a fruitless search, he repaired on deck again. "Come here, my men," said he," you see I have been below, and hunted fore and aft for your ghost, and cannot find him!-How can you be such cursed asses as to believe that a dead man, which a ghost must be, could turn you all out of your hammocks,-pinch one-cuff another—and slap a third !-Will any man step forward and tell me that he saw the ghost? Here, you lubberly fellow-you Jackson, you have seen dead men by dozens-now tell me, did you see it?" This was a home question; and Jackson, after due consideration, and looking round, during which it was quite amusing to see how studiously every man seemed to wish to avoid being the outside man, replied-" that he certainly had not seen the ghost himself, and," added he, “ I begins to think as how I've been imposed upon." Fatal speech! Never did man since the creation make more innocent words to cause his death. Then set the example to these old women, and go down to your hammock." "Aye, aye, Sir," said Jackson, who, turning round, added-" Come along, lads," but the devil a lad followed. His hammock was in the fore-peek of the vessel, consequently the very farthest point from the quarter, from which no power could make the sailors budge an inch. He had not much clothing of which to divest himself, and, turning into his hammock, endeavoured to court sleep-the only power not gained by courting. Half an hour had elapsed, and some of the crew began to think a snug hammock was just as good as walking half-naked in the night air, when a scream was heard, and up the hatchway flew Jackson in his shirt, his hair standing on end, and his face the very picture of terror and dismay. The crew caught

66

the fear, and the sudden noise roused the lieutenant, who was instantly on deck. Well," said he, "what now,-have you caught the ghost?" The pale and affrighted face of Jackson struck the lieutenant with indignation and disgust, for the lieutenant believed in no ghost but one that used to drink the boatswain's grog. It often happens in Malta that a swell sets into the harbour, and boats, which are fast to the stern, wash against the counter of the ship, giving the boat a very unwholesome shake, and producing a noise by no means conducive to sleep-this was the case on that night. "Here, you Jackson," said the lieutenant, "damn your white face-you're not fit to be a sailor,--Go down and keep that boat clear of the counter." To this order the sailor willingly acceded, as it placed him out of the reach of his spiritual tormentor; but such was his fright, that he missed his hold in descending by the boat's painter--fell overboard, and sunk like a stone it was but the splash-and life was gone. The crew now became more alarmed, but the lieutenant retired to rest. Daylight dawned before the crew followed so good an example. The next morning the seaman's body was found perfectly black, and was interred on shore with due honours. A generation of priests, properly garbed, were paid for walking round the decks with crucifixes and lighted wax-candles, although it was broad daylight; a certain quantity of holy water was sprinkled on the decks; prayers were said in Latin, of which certainly neither ghost nor crew understood one single word: and, strange as it may appear, the men were perfectly satisfied that the ghost was imprisoned in one of Pharoah's chariots in the Red Sea; they slept in their hammocks as usual, and from that hour neither ghost nor goblin was seen, felt, or heard.

The Salsette was ordered from the Toulon blockading squadron to Malta; and there the Fame, a seventy-four, becoming vacant, Captain Bathurst was appointed to her, and I followed in his train. I confess I did not much like the change, for in those days a certain stigma was attached to midshipmen who belonged to line-ofbattle ships, while the midshipmen of frigates were the aristocracy of their grade in the profession. As far as room was concerned, of course the change was beneficial. We were ordered to England, and had a pretty respectable convoy under our charge; but, previous to sailing, I must be allowed to give some few particulars touching an execution.

The Russians, when they hung their five or six criminals to the walls of the fortress of St. Petersburg, bungled the business, notwithstanding they grew the hemp themselves, and down tumbled three in the mud, owing to the rope slipping in one instance, and breaking in two others. But the Maltese are the proper executioners; a man must be an eel indeed to slip through their fingers. A murderer, (inasmuch as a young man of about twenty-seven thought proper to return the obligation for being brought into this world by sending his parents out of it with a knife,) having been brought before the judges, was condemned; and as popular fury was at its height, and expectation alive, I, like the rest of the company, resolved to see how a man goes out of the world who has been guilty of the greatest of all possible crimes-parricide. There is a rising ground which commands a view of the whole harbour close to the

Florian Gardens, and on this was erected the hanging wood, which would have answered the purpose very well, had it not been evidently too low. Near this gallows was a chair, in which sat in quiet composure the only true friend, the man who never deserts you at the last pinch-the executioner. First came a generation of boys bearing candles, and singing a requiem: next followed a whole set of friars, and monks, and priests, and ragged youths; but one more pious than the rest of the priests carried a large crucifix, and close to him walked the criminal: the latter seemed the only unconcerned person in the procession. A respectable body of soldiers and acquaintances followed in the rear, and took up a circular position, with the gallows for the centre. Prayers were freely offered up, and the crucifix handed or rather poked into the criminal's face about a thousand times. At last, for there must be an end to all things, the service was concluded, and evident preparations made for ending the ceremony. The rope was placed round the neck of the culprit; but instead of a noose or hangman's knot, they substituted a timber hitch, and then jimmed the parts, to be quite certain that the rope would do its duty. The criminal was then desired to stand upon a chair, and no sooner had he accepted the kind offer, than the executioner shortened the rope a very little, and then removed the chair; down fell the poor devil with quite enough of a jerk to tighten the hitch, but not enough to cause suffocation: the rope being too long, the toes of the man just touched the ground, by which means he was enabled to retard the process of strangulation. The priest sung loudly, and kept the crucifix close to the man's mouth: he only thought of prolonging life.-Alas! how we cling to life even when the case is desperate and the certainty of death before us. The executioner was quite astonished that the man did not die; and, after a patient trial of about five minutes, he ascended the gallows, then descended by the rope, and planted his feet firmly by the neck of his prey with cold-blooded barbarity: he then proceeded to jump on the shoulders, and never do I remember to have shuddered in such disgust as when I heard the cracking of the neck at each succeeding jump. This operation stretched the rope, and the culprit's feet came firmly on the ground: at last, to murder him who had murdered his parents, another executioner, or the assistant Ketch, lifted the criminal's legs from the ground, which gave the body a slanting direction, and the horrible scene was soon closed.

This made a proper impression on me, more especially as I was given to understand that one or two gentlemanly people had expressed a wish that they could get hold of a midshipman belonging to the Fame, in order to allow their bungling executioner an opportunity for practising his art. The reason was as follows:-A certain now captain, and then midshipman, used in his nightly walks to make it a constant practice to break the lamps which the good-natured saints, stuck in niches at every corner of every street in Malta, hold in their hands to light themselves and the public. Vengeance had often been vowed by the Maltese for this unhallowed practice; and one night, very shortly after the execution above-mentioned, it occurred to this midshipman that the unicorn, which stands before the entrance of the famous church of St. John, would make a capital figure-head for a yacht, and he resolved to have it. I was one

of the party who, at twelve o'clock at night, proceeded with a rope to commence the sacrilege: it was placed round the unicorn's neck; and about ten of us proceeded, with a one, two, three haul, to dislodge the cornuted animal. In about five minutes we found a crowd collected in the Strada Reale, vowing vengeance against the ruthless spoliators, and preparing to retaliate upon us. To add to our dismay, or rather mine, we saw that a quantity of people were collecting in the Strada St. Giovanni, the direct route to the landingplace. We dropped the rope, and, making one glorious charge, succeeded in getting through and escaping, one midshipman having to swim for it. Like cowards, as the Maltese invariably are, notwithstanding their historical records and their valiant knights, they wreaked their revenge on two of our men who were ashore, and the next morning they were found dead in the Strada Torrente. From the situation where the murders were committed, the Maltese authorities argued, that intrigue, and consequent jealousy on the discovery, occasioned the loss of life. But, Lord bless them, sailors do not intrigue; Jack is very common in his amours, and poesy and loveelegies seldom emanate from his brain; if they did, want of liberty and the first-lieutenant are monstrously against their carrying the tender scheme into execution.

It was

We sailed from Malta with our convoy, and touched at Gibraltar. With what delight I visited the convent, may be easier imagined than written. I had not forgotten a beautiful creature there; and, whilst at Constantinople, had provided attâr of roses and supposed Cashmere shawls for the dear object of my early affections. the last time I ever saw her as a spinster; and I left her with all the regret of a young and ardent mind, perfectly persuaded that I was desperately in love, and quite unable to outlive the separation.

It was in our passage home that the Fame rolled her lower yardarms in the water. I did not see it myself, and I do not believe it; therefore my readers have the story just as cheaply as I got it; but she was a glorious tub, and rolled about like a Dutchwoman. When we arrived at Spithead, or rather the Mother-Bank, one of our men died; and as quarantine is no very pleasant thing to endure, we buried our departed friend out of the bow-port, and left the doctor to settle about plagues and contagious disorders. I was instantly removed to the Arethusa, Captain C, and took leave of my fatherly Captain, Bathurst, with real regret. To me he had been a father and a friend; he was a kind-hearted, excellent, brave man, universally beloved and respected; he died as a sailor ought to die —in battle and victorious, and the shot which struck him at Navarino deprived the poor of a friend and the helpless of a protector.

I saw just enough of home this time to make me regret the parting. My good-natured sister gave me a little more of honour and glory; my mother regarded me with the fondest affection, and, perhaps, gave greater vent to her feelings at my departure, owing to the station to which the Arethusa was ordered-namely, the coast of Africa.

We had had several accounts of that very delightful residence Sierra Leone; and in those days they practised the same

humbug that a certain Macgregor afterwards tried, when magnificent prints were circulated descriptive of the theatre and palace at Poyais; although for the life of me I never could discover the ruins of these beautiful specimens of architectural design, and I know the inhabitants in those parts are by no means disposed to use labour to remove stones. But we shall come to that and one or two other such scenes before long.

Every body has heard the song of the " saucy Arethusa," and therefore I considered it a feather in my cap to belong to such a frigate. The last cruise she had taken she had contributed to the capture of a French frigate. In those days she was a crack ship, and we strutted about like midshipmen of a frigate. I disowned the Fame entirely, and always maintained I was only a passenger on board of her, and never felt gratified when told that I came from a regular old mizen-staysail dodger.

We sailed, cleared the Channel, touched at Madeira and Teneriffe, and proceeded to St. Jago in the Cape Verd Islands. Here we came to an anchor for a day or two, completed our water, took in a wholesome stock of fruit and fowls, and proceeded to Goree. Our mess was pretty fair for those times; but we benefited very little by a morning-watch breakfast in the cabin, for our chief was one of those followers of Abernethy who considered overloading the stomach especially bad for the young and old, and therefore hot rolls and meat were dispensed with. Tea is decidedly a beverage likely to make a man nervous if it is strong, and sick if it is weak; and as it is almost impossible to hit the middle path, it was discouraged on the score of health; and burgoo, otherwise oatmeal and water jammed into a brown consistency, with ship's biscuits, was substituted. There were several reasons, no doubt, why our noble captain always adhered to this fare, and one was-example. When the captain eat only the ship's allowance, of course the men could not repine at their lot; besides, the tea on board had been selected from the greenest hedges in England, and looked as much like sloe-leaves as two leaves could resemble each other; but no doubt it was tea, the real Hyson Mundungo, three halfpence a cart-load as sold at Canton or Portsmouth. We were badly enough off in the berth, but we considered an invitation to breakfast a real calamity: however, this niggardly mode of living turned to good account afterwards, for there is nothing like being used to a thing; and it pleased God to inflict one or two calamities upon me during my stay in this crack frigate.

As usual, we smelt the coast of Africa long before we saw it, and came to an anchor in Goree roads. We found the heat of the sun oppressive beyond all description, and the breeze which came from the shore appeared as if it had been blown out of an oven. We were desirous of recruiting the ship's company's health, for which purpose a fishing party was selected, and the same placed in a cutter with about fourteen hands, under the command of a lieutenant. I went in the humble capacity of midshipman of the boat. To the southward of Goree there is a flat beach terminating in some sand hills, behind which the parched ground appears here and there sprinkled with some refreshing green spots. On this beach we landed, and carried out the net according to all received rules of fishermen.