all the bars through which he continues is the bar sinister-is another of the same class, and the like zeal is perceivable in the wealthy citizen whose laborious flourishes commence at a charity school, and end at the Mansion House. Still, whatever greatness such persons attain in these performances, there cannot be any sufficient reason for ranking them in their art higher than the originator of Morrison's Pills, or the exhibiter of the Industrious Fleas. They have all a like talent, and should all be held in a like estimation.

Sufficient care, however, must be taken that the exhibition fulfils its object; for some instances are on record in which the performer did nothing to his own credit, and quite as little to the honour of the individual for whom his skill was employed. A lamentable instance of this exists in the very singular-looking statue at King's Cross-the sculptor of which doubtless brought it forward as a grand flourish both on his own behalf, and on that of the illustrious individual he has caricatured. Another example of more recent occurrence is to be found in the pea-green absurdity, perched upon a globe, lately erected in Victoria Square, Pimlico.

Having glanced at the diffusion of trumpeters over the civilised world, nothing remains for us but to give a few brief hints as to the most appropriate mode of trumpeting. The compass of the instrument ought at first to be well understood, ard great attention should be employed in obtaining a brilliant execution. The pianissimo may be considered obsolete. Quiet as may be thought that immortal flourish "try Warren's," it is a style dangerous to imitate. The fortissimo, however, requires great judgment, else the performer may "split the ears of the groundlings" without the slightest profit to himself. We should advise a medium; not too loud to be boisterous, nor too gentle to be inaudible. We particularly recommend those trumpeters who employ their talents in the way of dedications to patrons either existing or expectant, to be attentive to this point. If their tones are too feeble, they cannot give satisfaction to the person they desire to honour. Those who "roar you as gently as a sucking dove" must not expect to be listened to. If, on the other hand, they strive to fulfil the command of Lear, "Blow winds and crack your cheeks," they will render their performance too conspicuous.

It is the characteristic of every genuine trumpeter to despise the trumpetings of others. He cannot tolerate any flourishes but those of his own producing, and whenever an extraordinary performance in this way is attempted, it is sure to rouse the whole fraternity as effectually as if it were the last trump.

It is also an important point to conceal the performer's vocation as effectually as possible. It may be all very well for a royal parrot, or any other courtier, to declare openly and honestly "Poll's the King's trumpeter," and follow the announcement with the usual too-tootoo-too, but in all other cases he should appear to take up the instrument as an amateur only. The same advice holds good when he essays a flourish on his own account,-with this addition, that he should take the same care not to betray his object too openly. Let him begin his performance at a point so distant from that he has in view that their connexion cannot be anticipated, and gradually and imperceptibly ap

proach the real theme till he can indulge in it with a satisfactory deof freedom. Great effect has been and always must be produced gree by a due observance of this rule. Never let him neglect, however, in the course of his performance to indulge his auditors with an occasional phrase that is evidently for them, and no one else." The learned judge," "the worthy magistrate," "my noble friend," "the gentle reader," "the enlightened people of England," &c. &c. &c., may give an idea of the extent to which this rule is practised by experienced professors. If applied at proper intervals, and with proper tact, it invariably creates attention, and the trumpeter is allowed to exert his abilities on his own behalf ad libitum. Great care must be taken not to be monotonous. The trumpeter should employ the whole compass of the instrument, and infuse into his performance as much variety as he has at his command; the serious should be contrasted with the playful, and the majestic set off by a proper juxtaposition with the homely.

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The advantages which the study of this favourite instrument hold out are too well known to require comment here. Nothing can come so thoroughly home to men's bosoms and businesses. The hints, therefore, we have put down we have no doubt will receive the attention they so well deserve, and we hope the result will completely fulfil the desire expressed on various copper tokens current during the late war, "May Britain flourish."

H.B.

A SPORTING ADVENTURE IN ARCADIA.

T

FROM THE JOURNAL OF AN OFFICER IN THE GREEK SERVICE.

FIELD-SPORTS were always one of my favourite amusements; and it is singular enough that the most momentous events of my life have arisen out of sporting-parties. In my native country, a party of this kind led to scenes between one of my companions and myself, the consequence of which was a sentence that banished me from my home for ten years. A shooting-party in Africa threw me into the hands of the Bedouins, with six comrades, four of whom lost their lives on the occasion, while I escaped with a few slight sword-wounds; and the indulgence of this propensity in Greece, brought upon me one of the most painful and memorable days in a life not unmarked by stirring incidents. It is the last and the most interesting of these three incidents that I shall here relate.

I was in garrison at Tripolitza. A garrison life, wearisome anywhere for a man of cultivated mind, is doubly so in Greece. There he finds no society; a ball never breaks the dull uniformity of life-nay, not even a book is to be procured to beguile the idle hours. Exercise, eating, and sleep are the only daily recurring variations in garrison life in Greece: no wonder, then, if men strive to render it endurable by means which elsewhere would be regarded as puerile. To me, fieldsports offered a desirable recreation; and game is so abundant in the environs of Tripolitza, as well as in Arcadia in general, that you are July.-VOL. LXII. NO. CCXLVII.

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amply compensated for the fatigues incident to the pursuit. The plains to the westward are particularly frequented by ducks. Having often been out in this direction, I one day took it into my head to try my luck in the country to the east, towards Argos. It was a fine winter day in the year 1838. I sallied from Tripolitza before daybreak, so that by sunrise I was in the environs of the village of Aglado-Campo, three leagues distant. Here I fell in with two Greeks, apparently pursuing the same object as myself. They were armed with long Palikar pieces, but I remarked that they purposely abstained from firing them. When I inquired their reasons, they told me that they wished to spare their powder till we got nearer to Argos, where we should be sure to meet with ducks. Uninfluenced by their example, I continued shooting, killed, among other things, a hare, and was just going to fire at a partridge, when I was suddenly seized by both arms with such violence, that I had well nigh dropped my piece. Each of my companions had laid hold of an arm: one of them as coolly as possible took my gun out of my hands, which were then tied behind me. I angrily inquired what they meant to do with me.

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Be easy, my dear brother," replied the one on the right, we are robbers, and beg thee not make a noise, or " He pointed to the yataghan in his belt, and I perfectly comprehended him.

"What would ye have?" I began again; "I carry no treasures about me; unbind me, give me my piece, and let me go quietly."

"We want nothing of thee, dear brother, but thou must not shoot here any more here we are masters; follow us."

So we kept walking on in the direction of Argos. My entreaties to be released from the annoying bonds were to no purpose: on the contrary, they tied a long cord round my neck, and thus led me like a vicious beast towards my destination. At length my word of honour to behave quietly, and to follow them without resistance, procured me milder treatment; and I was assured at the same time, that in this case no harm should befal me, and that my gun should by and by be restored. Resigning myself to my fate, and occasionally forgetting it while musing upon the beauty of Arcadia, I cheerfully followed my guides. They scarcely noticed me, merely exchanging now and then a few indifferent words with me.

We might have proceeded thus for an hour, when all at once, on a given signal, as I observed, we were joined by four more Pallikars who eyed me with very suspicious looks. One of them, a black, said plumply, that it would be better to slaughter me than to take me any further. I must confess that at this expression, big drops of perspiration stood upon my brow, though I am not one of the most timid. Greek robbers are not in the habit of attaching much value to a man's life; and besides, I was a " Bavaros," a foreigner, whose extermination the Greeks in general consider rather as a meritorious work than a sin. My fear, however, was unfounded: the mediation of my two sporting companions, their assurance that I was a "good man," a "good patriot," as well as my own affected indifference, which made me watch every bird that we started with all the eagerness of a keen sportsman, saved

me.

The robbers struck off to the right of the road to Argos, proceeding in a direction parallel to it, and at length halted in a rocky ravine, about

midway between Tripolitza and Argos. They made preparations from which it might be inferred that they intended to stop there some time. Having divested themselves of the few incumbrances which they carried about them, and which they threw in a heap, they relieved me from my heavy game-bag. One of the Palikars asked me for the contents of my powder-horn-who could have refused such a request ?-and, before I could give him permission, he had half emptied it. They were so polite as to praise my powder, and allow that it was particularly excellent, complaining at the same time of the bad quality of the commodity bought at Tripolitza and, to prove that they were in earnest, they took out the two charges that were in my piece. My hands continued all this while to be tied behind me.

After a short rest, the Klephts prepared to proceed; the pieces were examined, the yataghans stuck in their belts, and, from their conversation, it was evident that they were bound upon some serious enterprise. But I soon perceived that the camp was not to be entirely broken up: it was intimated to me that I was to remain there with the baggage, under a guard. Accordingly five of the robbers went off, and the black was left behind in charge of the baggage and me.

We were, as I have already observed, in a ravine formed by two long naked walls of rock, uniting at their termination in a tolerably spacious grotto, so that our sphere of vision was confined to the ravine and the serene sky of Greece over our heads. There I sat, and in painful suspense awaiting what was to happen, gazed sometimes at the sky, sometimes at my unloaded piece, sometimes at my guard. I was no better pleased with the one than the other, and even the thought that I was on the classic soil of Arcadia, afforded me this day very little gratification.

The black seated himself on a block of stone near me, smoking a cigar with great composure. Greek robbers are, as I have intimated, in general men who care as little about cutting off a human head as shooting a hare; but, on the other hand, you may speak freely without exciting their anger, and tell them home truths, without extorting from them more than a cold smile. Such a man was the black sitting near me with his cigar. He was the person, it is true, who had advised his comrades to "slaughter" me; but a certain force of character expressed in his apathetic features gave me confidence; and, hoping for some alleviation of my most inconvenient condition, I strove to open a conversation with him.

"Thou wouldst do well," I began " to untie my hands for a moment; I should like to smoke a cigar too."

"By and by," replied the son of Arabia; "it is not time yet, though I am not afraid that thou wouldst try to escape, as thou knowest that we shall do thee no harm."

"Indeed I will not attempt it, but I should much like to smoke a cigar. Why wilt thou not grant me this wish?" "I cannot, I tell thee, and that is enough.

But if thou hast some

tobacco, give it me, and I will make thee a cigar with it."

"In my bag there is some; be so good as to fetch it."

Accustomed to ransack pouches, the black soon found what he looked for, rolled some of the tobacco, after the Greek fashion, in paper, formed a sort of small cone which he twisted together at top, and the

By this

cigar was finished. Dimitri, for this was the name of the black, slipped the rest of my tobacco into his pocket, lighted the cigar, and like the good Samaritan, put it between my lips, as a solace for me. act a certain familiarity seemed to be established between us: availing myself of this, I sought to continue our conversation, in order to learn, if I could, something concerning my situation and the intentions of

the robbers.

"I am sorry for thee, Dimitri," I began; "thou seemest made for something better than to act the part of jailer. Thou hast a good heart."

The black fellow felt flattered.

"It may be so," said he ; " but what can I do? As Heaven pleases." "In reality, it depends entirely on thyself: thou knowest that as a robber thou riskest thy head, and nevertheless leadest a wretched life."

"I formerly led one still more wretched, and quite as hazardous as at present. 'Tis no fault of mine that I am a robber."

"I believe it," said 1; "and for that very reason, thou oughtest to turn back before it is too late; I know-"

"What knowest thou? I tell thee thou knowest nothing. Didst thou but know what I have undergone, thou wouldst not talk so. But no more of that!"

Perceiving that it would not be advisable to urge him further on this point, I turned the conversation, affected indifference, asked him how old he was, and begged him to tell me some particulars of his life. Dimitri had the foible of all the Greeks-he was fond of talking, and especially about himself. So, after he had lighted a fresh cigar, he gave me the following account of his life.

"How old I am, Heaven alone knows. I recollect being told by my mother that the grapes were just ripe when I first saw the light. I was born at Tripolitza, where, at the time of the Greek insurrection, my parents were in the service of the pacha. About my childhood I know very little the taking of Tripolitza by the Greeks (1821) is almost the earliest, and at the same time the most painful recollection of my life. That was the cause of my misery. Those Greek conquerors, who robbed me of my eternal salvation-my religion! saw my father butchered before my face because he was a Turk; my mother breathed her last in the hands of inhuman monsters. She was so good—that mother! I was her all! Those Greek Christians took my mother from me! Me, a poor black child, the ruffians trampled under foot: I survived their cruelty to endure severer sufferings. Ever since then I have been a Christian, though not baptized, yet a very good Christian. Heaven is my witness that I have never yet broken the fasts. A Greek in Tripolitza took the poor black boy into his housein his service. I received food enough to keep me from starving, rags to cover me, and when my strength was not equal to the labour imposed, plenty of blows.

"In this house I continued for many years, till I felt strong enough to make my way in the world by myself. I went to Nauplia, where I lived for some time free and jovially as a water-carrier. At length the King-God bless him!-came into the country with the Bavarians. Soldiers were wanted, and I enlisted for one. They gave me green