Pagina-afbeeldingen
PDF
ePub

musk; a quart of oil of bergamotte; two boxes of Tom. I know his honor well. I cut him out of rouge, and not to weary the reader-a hundred a shark at Jamakay. Bless you, bless you, Susan, of the like articles, indispensable to a young gen-lass! tlewoman.

I next visited Madame Crinoline's, and entirely cleared the dear creature's window of her whole stock of petticoats, etcetera, of horsehair. I had heard that birds were caught with horse-hair; and why not-in the skittishness of my heart I thought-why not husbands? Besides this-as I had heard much of the effects of Indian fevers-I bought myself three sets of curls, brown, dark brown, and auburn. To capture in an engagement, I thought it was lawful to use any colors.

My outfit completed, I awaited, with beating heart, the 10th of May. On that day the Ramo Samee was to drop down to Gravesend. On that day I left home, telling my dear father that I was going with some fashionable acquaintances to the exhibition of a sweet little love of a child with two heads and twelve toes. I hurried with my faithful friend to Gravesend. She went on board the ship with me; and, before the captain, kissed me and bade me farewell, as her dear daughter.

We weighed anchor; the breeze freshened, and I went below, with some natural thoughts about my native land and my band-boxes.-Punch.

A NEW NAVAL DRAMA.-THEATRE ROYAL,

WHITECHAPEL ROTUNDA.

"Smoking has been forbidden in Britain's navy. Tars and Englishmen! up and rally round. Fitz-Brick's new Drama.

Susan. Farewell, dearest; here is your bundle. Here is the bacco-bag I worked for you, and here is your pipe.

it.

Screw. Ha, ha! put it in your mouth and smoke

[General Tableau.-National Air.-Pressgang wave their cutlasses-Peasantry in groups-Tom tears himself from Susan-Susan faints.

ACT II.- -The Breeze.

SCENE I.-The Quarter-deck of the “Blazes " off Tobago. The American ship "Gouger" lies N. N. E. by S. W. in the offing.

1 American, officer. A tarnation neat frigate this!

2 American officer. And a pretty crew; and yet I calculate the old Gouger would chaw her up in twenty minutes if she were placed alongside of her.

Captain Bowie. Silence, gents.! we are hurting the feelings of yonder honest seaman at the wheel. Tom. Belay, belay, there, noble captain; jaw away and never mind me. Chaw up the Blazes, indeed! [He hitches up his pantaloons.

Captain. (To Tom, mysteriously, having given a signal to his officers, who retire up the mizen mast.) You seem a gallant fellow, and, by the cut of your foretop, an old sea-dog.

Tom. Twenty-five years man and boy. Twentynine general hactions, fourteen shipwrecks, ninety

THE SEAMAN'S PIPE! OR, THE BATTLE AND THE six wounds in the sarvice of my country-that's 99 BREEZE.

ACT I.-A SEAMAN'S LOYALTY.

all,

your honor.

Captain. Ha! Try this cigar, my gallant fellow.

The scene represents the village green, the village—(They smoke on the quarter-deck; the American church in the midst; on the left, Dame Rosemary's cottage.

Enter Susan, Tom Clewline, and villagers from the church. Screw from opposite side. Tom. Yes, lads, old Tom Clewline's spliced at last; hauled up high and dry, hey, Suky, my lass? Come into dock like an old sea-dog, after twenty years' battling with the ocean and the enemy; and laid up in ordinary in Susan's arms. Screw. Fiends! Perdition! A thousand furies and demons! married! but I know of a revenge. [Exit.

Tom. And now, per's ready? All. The hornpipe; Tom's hornpipe? Tom. Well, then, here goes. [Tom dances the well-known truly British figure. While dancing the hornpipe, reënter Screw, with a press-gang, consisting of a young Midshipman (Miss Tibbits) and four sailors, with battle-swords in their girdles. Screw. (After the encore of the hornpipe) There's your man!

lads, what next, before the sup

captain expectorates a great deal.)—So much_bravery, and a seaman still! Some few faults, I suppose? a little fond of the can, hey? There's a power of rum on board the Gouger.

Tom. No, no, Captain, I don't care for rum, and the bos'ns cat and my shoulders was never ac quainted. 'Tis the fortune of war, look you.

Captain. Look at me! Thomas Clewline. I'm a Commodore of the United States navy; I've a swab on each shoulder, a seat in the senate, and twenty thousand dollars a year. I'm an Englishman like you, and twenty years ago was a common seaman like you. Hark ye-but ho! the British Admiral. [Walks away.

Admiral Chainshot. Captain Chainshot, you must read out the order about smoking, to the ship's crew.

Captain Chainshot. Ay, ay, sir.

Adm. To begin with Tom Clewline, at the helm there. Tom! you saved my life fourteen times, and have received ninety-four wounds in the service of

Tom. Ninety-six, your honor. Does your honor remember my cutting you out of the shark, in Jamaiky harbor?

Adm. I was swimming

Tom. Up comes a great shark

Adm. Open goes his jaws, with ninety-nine rows of double teeth

[Press-gang draw cutlasses and advance. Tom. What! on my wedding-day! After twenty years' sarvice-after saving the lives of nine admirals, and scuttling four-and-twenty menof-war? Dash! it is hard! is n't it, Susan? And for that snivelling traitor there (turning fiercely upon Screw)-but never mind; a British tar does n't trample upon worms; a British seaman knows his duty to his king. What ship, sir? Mids. The Blazes, Captain Chainshot, with Ad-main-top gallantmiral Chainshot's flag to the fore.

Tom. My gallant captain sucked in like a horange

Adm. But Tom Clewline, seeing him from the

Tom. Jumps into the sea, cutlass in hand

Adm. Cuts open the shark's jaws just as they were closing

Tom. And lets out his captain
Adm. My friend!
Tom. My Admiral!

[They dance the hornpipe. [Sailors gather round, smoking; the American officers look on with envious countenances. Adm. But Tom, I've bad news for you, my boy. The admiralty has forbidden smoking on board-all smoking, except in the galley.

Tom. What! tell that to the marines, your honor-forbid a sailor his pipe. Why, my pipe was given me by my Syousan. When I'm smoking that pipe, on the lonely watch, I think of my Syousan; and her blessed blue eyes shine out from the backy

(The British seaman may be accommodated to any length in this style.)

Only smoke in the galley! Why, your honor, the black cook's so fat that there 's scarce room for more than two seamen at a time-and that the only place for a whole ship's crew!

WO-WO-Wo-wo.

Crew. Hum! hum! [They make the usual strange noise indicative of dissent.]

Capt. A mutiny! a mutiny! Adm, Silence, men! Respect your queen and country. Each man fling down his pipe! [They dash them down to a man.—) Anthem.-Grand Tableau.

-National

Adm. My heart bleeds for my brave fellows! Now, Captain Bowie, your gig 's alongside, and I wish you a good day. You will tell your government that a British seaman knows his duty.

[Exeunt. SCENE II-Sunset-Moonlight-Six bells-Midnight.-Tom still at the wheel.

Tom. No-no, but I would n't, I couldn't break Syousan's pipe-my pretty little pipe-my pretty Syousan's last gift! part with yow! No, not if I were to die for it. (He puts it in his mouth.)

Captain (coming unperceived out of the binnacle.) Ha! smoking!-You shall have five hundred lashes, as sure as my name 's Chainshot. Ho, bos'n! pipe all hands for punishment.

(Exit Captain.) Tom. What! flog me? flog Tom Clewline? No, dash it, never. Farewell, admiral! Farewell, my country! Syousan, Syousan! [Jumps overboard. Cries of "A man overboard! He's swimming to the American frigate; she's standing out to sea!" &c.

Commodore. Syousan! go below to the gunroom. The deck is no place for woman, at an hour like this. (Exit Susan.) How 's the wind, Master?

Master. North-south by east. Commodore. Ease her head a and cluff her gib a point or so. my, Mr. Brace?

little, Mr. Brace; How's the ene

Master. Gaining on us, sir; gaining on us, at ten knots an hour. I make her out to be the old Blazes, sir, in which we sailed.

Commodore. Hush! The Blazes, ha! And I must meet my countrymen face to face, sword in hand, stern to stern, and poop to poop! Who would ever have thought that I-I should fight against my country?

Master. My country 's where I can get backy. Commodore. You are right, Brace; you are right. Why did they cut off our backy, and make mutineers of our men? We'll do our duty by the stars and stripes; eh, gentlemen? and will show Britons how Britons can fight. Are the men at their Lieutenant Bang? guns,

Lieut. Ay, ay, sir; but I think there's something would give 'em courage.

Commodore. What! grog, is it?

Lieut. No, sir; the national hornpipe. (Commodore dances the hornpipe.) And now, all things being ready, let the action begin, and strike up "Yankee Doodle."

[The "Blazes" luffs up with her head across the bows of the "Virginia." Boarders follow Chainshot. Terrific rush of the British, headed by the Captain, who clears the maindeck and lee-scuppers of the enemy. Yankee Rally. Combat between the Commodore ana the Captain. Chainshot falls: the British crew fling down their arms.

Adm. My son! My son! Ah, this would not have happened if Tom Clewline had been by my side.

Commodore. HE IS HERE! (Opening his cloak and showing the American star and epaulettes.) Tom Clewline, whom your savage laws made a deserter-Tom Clewline, to whom his native country grudged even his backy-is now Commodore Clewline, of the American Navy. (Takes off his hat.)

Adm. Commodore-I am your prisoner. Take the old man's sword.

Commodore. Wear it, sir; but remember this: Drive not loyal souls to desperation. GIVE THE SEAMAN BACK HIS BACKY, or, if you refuse, you will have thousands deserting from your navy, like

Tom Clewline.

[This is a beautiful scene. The "Gouger" Susan. And if our kyind friends will give us with all her canvass set, her bowlines gaffed, their approval, we will endeavor to show, that as and her maintop-halyards reefed N. S. by long as the British navy endures, and the boatS. N., stands out of the harbor, and passes swain has his pipe, 't is cryouel, 't is unjust, ununder the bows of the "Blazes." Distant kyind to deny his to the seaman ! music of "Yankee-doodle." Tom is seen Punch.] coming up the side of the ship.

ACT III.

[Curtain drops.

BENTICK'S SUDDEN THOUGHT."-Lord George Bentick has accused Sir Robert of "hunting CanSCENE I.—The main-deck, U. S. line-of-battle ship ning to death;" this accusation was made, too, "Virginia," Commodore In the offing, after nineteen years' cordial intimacy between the the "Blazes" is seen in full chase, with her dead-lord and the homicidal baronet. Lord George eyes reefed, her caboose set, and her trysail scup- surely meant to parody Canning's speech in The pers clewed fore and aft. Rovers:-"A sudden thought strikes me; let us swear eternal hatred."

Susan. But, my love, would you fight against your country?

LITTELL'S LIVING AGE.-No. 118.-15 AUGUST, 1846.

From the Spectator. COLONEL KING'S TWENTY-FOUR YEARS IN THE

ARGENTINE REPUBLIC.

|faction is of less interest than the personal narrative. This is partly owing to the writer's want of a comprehensive mind. The incongruity which is shown in the account of his personal adventures is THE author of this volume is a native of New still more visible in the history of larger events, York; who "foolishly" ran away from home at where conclusions have to be drawn as well as a fourteen years of age, and, after trying without mere story to be told, and the reader ought to see success to get a living, allowed his landlord to ship cause and consequence, though he does not trace him on board the brig Wycoona, in the year 1817. them very clearly in Colonel King's account. A The disclosure of concealed arms at sea, and the further diminution of interest arises from the system of training and exercise on board, terrified dramatic form in which the writer thinks proper young King with the notion that he had fallen into to present some of the more atrocious examples of the hands of pirates: but the vessel was designed the cruelty of Rosas. We have scenes and diafor the "Patriot" service of South America; and logues at large; a thing which not only mars the on reaching Buenos Ayres, he was sent ashore as impression of accuracy, since it is not likely and unfit for the service, and left to shift for himself. sometimes it is impossible that a report of the vicBy the kindness of an Irishman and a Frenchman, tim's conversation should have reached the world; young King got a situation in the Frenchman's but, what is of more importance, Colonel King store; but, becoming tired of the perfumery and wants the dramatic qualities requisite to sustain fancy business, he resolved to fight in defence of this artificial kind of composition. The incident freedom; and, through the acquaintance of his consequently becomes tedious from being overlaid patron's family with an officer of the Patriot army, with unessential matter of a poor kind. The and the moral influence of United States citizen- author's own story is occasionally flattened by the ship, he procured a commission as ensign. For a introduction of dialogues; but these may possibly dozen years he was knocked about in the Spanish be accurate, as they occurred in his presence, and and civil wars which distracted the Argentine he is himself often a speaker. Republic and Peru; and rose to the rank of No very definite idea of the state of society, or colonel; which unsubstantial honor seems to of the causes of the anarchy which reigns throughhave been his chief reward. In 1829 he withdrew out the New World that poor Canning" called from the service, declining any further command; into existence," can be gleaned from Colonel and soon afterwards, marrying a lady of some King's pages. So far as we comprehend the subproperty, he embarked in business as a merchant;ject, the whole cause of failure may be found in till the death of his wife and the horrible atrocities the total deprivation of the means of self-governof Rosas induced him, in 1841, to withdraw from the country and return to the United States. He has now published the results of his experience, in order to disseminate more correct views of the state of the Argentine Republic, and to moderate American indignation touching the interference of France and England with Rosas.

ment under which the colonists labored, and the imitative character of their revolt. That they had grievances enough to justify rebellion, is probably true; but the mere grievances would never have made them rebels. They were goaded into revolt by ambitious or patriotic schemers, incited by the examples of the United States and by the mere Though not formally divided, the Twenty-four name of republic. The terrible wars they underYears in the Argentine Republic really consists of went in throwing off the yoke of the mother-countwo parts; one embracing the personal narrative try, hardened their hearts, corrupted their political of Colonel King, the other, a general description morals, and broke up such social power as really of the state of parties in the country, and an existed, till, at the close, a strong government, or any account of some of the most remarkable cruelties government in an European sense, was impossible, of Rosas. The personal narrative chiefly deals save in the hands of a despot, who could only rule with the dangers, privations, battles, imprisonments, by means of an army, or a rabble organized after and escapes, in which Colonel King was engaged the fashion of the Parisian Jacobins. This last during his military career; involving many sketches seems to be the mode of Rosas; many of his atroof the principal men with whom he was brought cities being, apparently, forced upon him in order into contact, and a pretty full picture of South to find means through confiscation to gratify his American warfare. The story is somewhat defi- followers. At present the moral condition of the cient in chronological congruity-passing with so Argentine Republic seems to bear a strong resemmuch rapidity from one leading incident to another, blance, though upon a small scale, to the state of that when an allusion to time occurs, the reader is society during the decline of the Roman Empire. surprised to find years instead of months have The victims are sufficiently refined to feel their elapsed. With these deductions, it is a very miseries acutely; yet they have not power pubinteresting narrative, full of hairbreadth 'scapes licly to resist, or personal courage to compel reand battle dangerous, and furnishing a striking spect by the use of the ultima ratio of the oppressed, picture of the dangers and privations of South the blow of the assassin. The fear of assassination American war, as well as of the ruthless cruelty -one of the modes by which Nature punishes with which it is carried on. Taken prisoner tyrants-is indeed ever present to Rosas; but no and shot" would seem to be a standing epitaph one appears to have resolved to rid his country of for the officers engaged. this or any other oppressor, either from motives The general history of Rosas and the Federalist of vengeance or patriotism. Every one crawls on,

66

[blocks in formation]

hoping to escape, till he is overtaken by the fear or avarice of the tyrant.

The style of Colonel King, at once rhetorical and gossipy, is not well adapted to quotation, from its looseness; but we will take a few of the more separable passages.

TREATMENT OF PRISONERS BY ROSAS.

:

save his drawers, which were rolled up, and fastened about his thighs. Both he and his horse were covered with blood; and altogether they presented an appearance that could be compared to nothing human. Goaded with the prospect of defeat, he dashed from place to place, cutting down with his own sword such of his troops as quailed or turned "Near his encampment were two or three country for their lives, and leading detachments into the Naked as he was, and mansions; one of which, not more than three hun- hottest of the fight. dred yards from the scene, was occupied by Don streaming with the gore that had spirted from his whose lady chanced to be on the assote victims upon him, he seemed a very devil presiding when three prisoners were brought into the camp. their flight, and were rushing in small bands from over carnage. His troops had already commenced The natural sympathies of a woman's heart were at once excited in their behalf, and she watched the battle in every direction; some halting, and at with great anxiety the course pursued toward an auspicious moment dashing again into the fray; them. Each having been divested of his coat, some resting, and others again flying for their vest, and hat, was brought out upon the plain and lives. In this manner our little party of neutrals placed in what is called stac; that is to say, they became entangled in the mass of moving detachwere placed upon their backs on the ground, their ments; and at one time we were compelled to fight our own way out. But at sunset the battle was arms extended and secured in that position by thongs tied about the wrists, and fastened to stakes decided Paz was victorious; and Quiroga, at driven in the ground for that purpose, with their length finding all efforts hopeless, turned, and, feet in the same manner; and the poor fellows without a signal for retreat, fled from the spot." were thus left in the sun, with their faces upward. When the lady saw this, she hastened to inform "On the following morning, accompanied by two her husband, and entreated of him to intercede for soldiers as attendants or servants, I crossed the their liberation; but he answered, that to interfere river Jujuy, and commenced my journey; which, with a decree of Rosas, would be to endanger his after a ride of about six leagues, lay through the own life without the possibility of saving the vic-wonderful ravine known as the Cavrado de Humatims. The lady's anxiety increased. Again and guaca. This cavrado or chasm, which was formed again during the day would she go to the house- by a convulsion of the earth, extends a distance of top in hopes of finding that they had been remov-about ten leagues, varying in width from a space ed; but as often did she see them in their helpless of one hundred yards to that of a quarter of a mile, position broiling in the sun! As the shades of and presenting one of the most wild and singular night came on and found them still there, she curiosities of nature. The opening of the earth became almost frantic: in vain had her husband has left a ravine walled on either side with imurged and entreated her to remain below-there mense and lofty palisadoes of jagged rock, broken was a horrible infatuation that drew her, spite of here and there with gaping chasms, through which her will, to look upon the scene until it had un-the mountain-streams dash and foam, on their fitted her for every other thought. At night she could not sleep; the vision of those miserable men was constantly before her eyes, and at the earliest dawn she was again at the house-top. They were still in view, stretched out as she had last seen them, and where they had now remained during the space of at least twenty hours.

[ocr errors]

"At last they were unbound; and the lady, clapping her hands, with joy exclaimed, They have taken them up! they have taken them up! But her joy was of short duration; the poor fellows, blinded, and scarcely able to stand, were staggering about on their feet as Rosas came from his tent; and in a few minutes after, a volley of six muskets brought them to the ground, and put an end to their mortal agony."

QUIRAGO IN ACTION.

NATURAL CHASM.

downward course, into what might be aptly termed the regions of Erebus, since all below is impenetrable darkness; and how far into the bowels of the earth these streams may dash and fret in their downward passage, is beyond the estimate of man.

"Strange as it may seem, man has set his foot and built his habitation within this pass of gloom; and the occasional spots of earth, occupied and cultivated by Peruvian mametas and tatetas, formed a singular contrast to the natural wildness of everything about them."

CAMP EQUIPAGE.

"At this place we were visited by LieutenantColonel Roues, who owned and occupied a farm not far from us. He was a native of the province, and a sincere patriot at heart, but at that time living in retirement. Perceiving that we were in For a long time Paz's reserve remained immova- a suffering condition, this gentleman immediately 'ble, but at last we saw them dash into the conflict. sent us provisions of sheep, &c, from his own It was a moment of intense excitement with us all; farm; which our people paid their respects to shouts and cheers ascended from the house-tops in without ceremony. Dishes were unknown in our every quarter, as though our fighting friends could camp, knives and forks we were not encumbered hear their encouraging tones. None could form with, and camp-kettles were a thing unknown. the slightest opinion upon the chances of success; Our mode of cooking our mutton was by forcing and, unable at last to bear the excitement and sus-lengthwise through the whole side of a sheep, a pense, about twenty of us determined to go to the stick about four feet long, of which we made a scene of action, yet without any direct object, skewer, and driving the end of it into the ground except it was to quell the burning fever of anxiety. near the fire. As the meat was turned and gradu Passing hastily from the town, we ran towards the ally roasted, cach man helped himself, by cutting, tablada; the roar of the battle growing louder and with his sword or clasp-knife, a long slice from the louder as we approached. Both armies had broken part most cooked, eating it from his hand; and into detachments; and the men were fighting on thus the process was continued until the meat was all hands like bloodhounds. We saw Quiroga: all gone. In this way, washing down our meat he had thrown off every vestige of his clothing with water from the bold and clear stream beside

us, we fared sumptuously. Roues cheered us too in mind as well as body.

"The company of wretches that he had found in the morning-dejected, hungered, and worn down with toil and sickness-he now left in a perfect alegre; for a more happy, comfortable, and jovial set of fellows, never were met together."

us.

PEEL LYRICS.

From the Spectator.

A CURIOUS flood of Peel poetry pours in upon As the gods have not made the Spectator poetical, we grudge room for more than a couple of specimens; but the fact that the versifiers, who, as a body, reflect prevalent notions and feelings, should have adopted the late premier, so warmly, is not without its value as a proof of the juster estimate to which the public opinion has arrived. It is remarkable that another lyrical correspondent, from Dublin, has taken for his text the same drama with the writer of the ballad below-the part of Shylock being allotted to the minister's "Hebrew Caucasian" assailant.

TO SIR ROBERT PEEL, ON HIS RESIGNATION.
Great statesman! greatest in thy fall-for now
The crew that hated thee because they felt
Thou wert the first, the herd who erewhile knelt,
Shall in their helmless bark thy loss avow.
Where now the venal shouts, the false acclaim
Of parasites, of things without a name?
Scum of the ocean, hurled away before

The Inaccessible: so calm wert thou!
What is thy guerdon? we cannot repay;
We offer but the homage of a day.
Thou claim'st from us, and from posterity,
Undying laurels: yet high poetry

Tells what they are the poor man's blessing thine!

Thou like a light before his path dost shine, Sole watcher over his humanities;

Thou laidst thy hand on aristocracy, Staying its grasp; beside the laborer's door

Thy voice of law o'er tyranny doth rise"Bread shall be watered by his tears no more!" JOHN EDMUND READE.

THE LEADER OF THE MILLIONS.

"The best conditioned and unwearied spirit
In doing courtesies, and one in whom
The ancient Roman honor more appears

Than any that draws breath."-Merchant of Venice.

The leader of the millions,

The leader of the free,
The honest, the industrious,
My brothers, who is he?

What say ye to a noble lord,
The rider in the van
Of the gallant self-protectionists,
Dutch George, the stable man?

No! he may be the slanging cad
Of an opposition 'bus;
But as leader of the millions
He will not do for us.

What to the flashy novelist,
The orator, the wit,

Who raked up bygone grievances,
And was the biter bit?

We say that when we buy our coats
Of puffing Moses, then
Will we entrust the government
To Israelitish Ben.

But there are those who deem us all
A race of Canaan's brats,
To be the serfish heritage

Of whig aristocrats;

And that although, with bully Polk,
We rouse a war, to show
The poor vicarious manliness

Of a selfish battered beau;

Still we must take them as our lords,
And let them round the throne
Entwine our sacred interests
Forever with their own.

No! we who knew the goodly tree
Will not endure the stump
Of barren self-sufficiency,

The greedy Melbourne rump.
Then who shall be, we ask again,
My brothers, who shall be
The leader of the millions,

The leader of the free?

Oh we have not forgotten him,
The one, the only one,
No scion of our Norman lords,
But a princely merchant's son,

Who legislates for future years;
Who, conscience-led, in spite
Of enemy or partisan,

Does simply what is right,

Who spares not mighty interests
Which grind the helpless down;
Who treats mankind all equally,
The noble and the clown;

He to whose suasive accents

The crowded senate bends,
Who turns it from each selfish plan
To his more glorious ends;

Who, listening to his own good heart,
Amid the cares of state,

And venom'd maledictions

Of disappointed hate,

Can find the time and find the will

To do a kindly deed,

To help the artist in despair,
The widow in her need;

Yes, he who ever nobly acts,
Who all unflinching bears
The burdens of our fatherland,
Its glory and its cares;
Who high above all selfish ends
Consults the public weal,
Is the leader of the millions,
The noble-hearted Peel.

King's College, Cambridge.

« VorigeDoorgaan »