of Trafalgar. The cockpit was crowded with wounded and dying men; over whose bodies he was with some difficulty conveyed, and laid upon a pallet in the midshipmen's birth. It was soon perceived, upon examination, that the wound was mortal. This, however, was concealed from all except Captain Hardy, the chaplain, and the medical attendants. He himself being certain, from the sensation in his back, and the gush of blood he felt momently within his breast, that no human care could avail him, insisted that the surgeon should leave him, and attend to those to whom he might be useful; For," said he, " you can do nothing for me."-All that could be done was to fan him with paper, and frequently to give him lemonade to alleviate his intense thirst. He was in great pain, and expressed much anxiety for the event of the action, which now began to declare itself. As often as a ship struck, the crew of the victory hurraed; and at every hurra, a visible expression of joy gleamed in the eyes, and marked the countenance of the dying hero. But he became impatient to see Captain Hardy: and as that officer, though often sent for, could not leave the deck, Nelson feared that some fatal cause prevented him, and repeatedly cried: "Will no one bring Hardy to me? He must be killed! He is surely dead!" An hour and ten minutes elapsed from the time when Nelson received his wound, before Hardy could come to him. They shook hands in silence; Hardy in vain struggling to suppress the feelings of that most painful and yet sublimest moment. "Well, Hardy," said Nelson," how goes the day with us?"" Very well," replied Hardy; "ten ships have struck, but five of the van have tacked, and show an intention to bear down upon the Victory. I have called two or three of our fresh ships round, and have no doubt of giving them a drubbing."-"I hope," said Nelson, none of our ships have struck?" Hardy answered, "There was no fear of that." Then, and not till then, Nelson spoke of himself. am a dead man, Hardy," said he: "I am going fast:-it will be all over with me soon. Come nearer to me. Let my dear Lady Hamilton have my hair, and all other things belonging to me.' Hardy observed, that he hoped Mr. Beatty could yet hold out some pros

I

pect of life. "Oh, no!" he replied: "it is impossible. My back is shot through. Beatty will tell you so." Captain Hardy then, once more, shook hands with him; and, with a heart almost bursting, hastened upon deck.

66

By this time all feeling below the breast was gone; and Nelson, having made the surgeon ascertain this, said to him: "You know I am gone. I know it. I feel something rising in my breast,"-putting his hand on his left side.-" which tells me so." And upon Beatty's inquiring whether his pain was very great? he replied, "So great, that he wished he was dead. Yet," said he, in a lower voice, one would like to live a little longer too!" And after a few minutes, in the same under tone, he added-" What would become of poor Lady Hamilton, if she knew my situation!" Next to his country she occupied his thoughts. Captain Hardy, some fifty minutes after he had left the cockpit, returned; and, again taking the hand of his dying friend and commander, congratulated him on having gained a complete victory. How many of the enemy were taken he did not know, as it was impossible to perceive them distinctly; but fourteen or fifteen at least." That's well," cried Nelson, "but I bargained for twenty." And then in a stronger voice, he said: "Anchor, Hardy, anchor." Hardy, upon this, hinted that Admiral Collingwood would take upon himself the direction of affairs. "Not while I live, Hardy," said the dying Nelson, ineffectually endeavouring to raise himself from the bed: "Do you anchor." His previous order for preparing to anchor had shown how clearly he foresaw the necessity of this. Presently, calling Hardy back, he said to him in a low voice, "Don't throw me overboard;" and he desired that he might be buried by his parents, unless it should please the king to order otherwise. Then reverting to private feelings: "Take care of my dear Lady Hamilton, Hardy: take care of poor Lady Hamilton.-Kiss me, Hardy," said he. Hardy knelt down and kissed his cheek: and Nelson said, "Now I am satisfied. Thank God, I have done my duty." Hardy stood over him in silence for a moment or two, then knelt again and kissed his forehead. "Who is that?" said Nelson; and being informed, he replied, "God bless you,

for ever.

.Nelson now desired to be turned upon his right side, and said, "I wish I had not left the deck; for I shall soon be gone." Death was, indeed, rapidly approaching. He said to the chaplain, "Doctor, I have not been a great sinner:" and after a short pause, "Remember that I leave Lady Hamilton and my daughter Horatia as a legacy to my country." His articulation now became difficult; and he was distinctly heard to say, "Thank God, I have done my duty." These words he repeatedly pronounced: and they were the last words which he uttered. He expired at thirty minutes after four, three hours and a quarter after he had received his wound.-Family Library. (TO BE CONTINUED.)

A SCENE

AFTER THE STORMING OF BADAJOS.

WHEN I observed the defences that had been made here, I could not wonder at our troops not succeeding in the assault. The ascent of the breach near the top was covered with thick planks of wood firmly connected together, staked down, and stuck full of sword and bayonet blades, which were firmly fastened into the wood with the points up; round the breach a deep trench was cut in the ramparts, which was planted full of musquets with the bayo. nets fixed, standing up perpendicularly, and firmly fixed in the earth up to the locks. Exclusive of this they had shell and hand grenades ready loaded, piled on the ramparts, which they lighted and threw down among the assailants. Round this place death appeared in every form, the whole ascent was completely covered with the killed, and for many yards around the approach to the walls, every variety of expression in their countenance, from calm placidity to the greatest agony. The sight was awful. Anxious to see the place where we had so severe a struggle the preceding night, I bent my steps to the ditch where we had placed the ladders to escalade the castle. The sight here was enough to harrow up the soul, and of which no descripiion of mine could convey an idea. Beneath one of the ladders, among others, lay a corporal of the 45th regiment, who, when wounded had fallen forward on his knees and

nose.

Returning to the camp, I passed the narrow path across the moat, where many lay dead, half in the water. I had scarcely reached the opposite side, when I perceived a woman with a child at her breast, and leading another by the hand, hurrying about with a distracted air, from one dead body to another, eagerly examining each. I saw her come to one whose appearance seemed to strike her (he was a grenadier of the 83d regt.) she hesitated some moments, as if afraid to realize the suspicion which crossed her mind. At length seemingly determined to ascertain the extent of her misery, releasing the child from her hand, she raised the dead soldier, (who had fallen on his face) and looking on his pallid features. she gave a wild scream, and the lifeless body fell from her arms. Sinking on her knees, she cast her eyes to heaven, while she strained her infant to her bosom with a convulsive grasp; the blood had fled her face, nor did a muscle of it move; she seemed inanimate, and all her faculties were absorbed in grief,

The elder child looked up in her face for some time with anxiety; at last he said, "Mother, why don't you speak to me? what ails you ?-what makes you so pale ?-O speak to me, mother, do speak to me !" "A doubt seemed to cross her mind. Without noticing the child, she again raised the mangled corpse, looked narrowly at the face, and carefully inspected the mark of his accoutrements-but it was too true-it was her husband.-Neither sigh, nor groan, nor tear escaped her, but sitting down, she raised the lifeless body, and placing his head on her knee, gazed on his face with feelings too deep for utterance.The child now drew himself close to her side, and looking at the bleeding corpse which she sustained, in a piteous tone, inquired, "Is that my father? is he asleep? why doesn't he speak to you? I'll waken him for you"-and seizing his hand; he drew it towards him, but suddenly relapsing his hold, he cried, "Oh! mother, his hand is

cold-cold as ice." Her attention had been drawn for some moments to the child, at length bursting out, she exclaimed, "Poor orphan! he sleeps, never to wake again-never, O never, will he speak to you or me!" The child did not seem to understand her, but he began to cry. She continued, "O my God! my heart will burst, my very brain burns-but I can't cry-surely my heart is hard-I used to cry when he was displeased with me-and now I can't cry when he is dead!-Oh, my husband, my murdered husband!-aye, murdered," said she, wiping the blood that flowed from a wound in his breast. -"O my poor children!" drawing them to her bosom, "what will become of you?" Here she began to talk incoherent-" Will you not speak to me, William-will you not speak to your dear Ellen-last night you told me you were going on guard, and you would return in the morning, but you did not come; I thought you were deceiving me, and I came to look for you." She now ceased to speak, and rocked backwards and forwards over the bleeding corpse; but her parched quivering lip and wild fixed look, showed the agonized workings of her mind. I stood not an unmoved spectator of this scene, but I did not interrupt it. I considered her sorrow too deep and sacred for commonplace consolation. A woman and two men of the same regiment who had been in search of her, now came up and spoke to her, but she took no notice of them. A party also who were burying the dead joined them, and they crowded round, striving to console her. | I then withdrew, and hastened on to the camp, my mind filled with melancholy reflections; for many days I felt a weight on my mind, and even now I retain a vivid recollection of that affecting scene. But she was not a solitary sufferer; many a widow and orphan was made by the siege and storming of Badajos; our loss amounting in killed and wounded to about three thousand men.-Recollections of a Soldier.

FALSE ALARM.

DURING the late siege of Gibraltar, in the absence of the fleet, and when an attack was daily expected, one dark night, a sentry whose post was near the Devil's Tower and facing the Spanish lines, was

ing at the end of his walk, whist

ling, looking towards them, his head filled with nothing but fire and sword, miners, breaches, storming and bloodshed! By the side of his box stood a deep narrow-necked earthern jug, in which was the remainder of his supper, consisting of boiled peas. A large monkey, encouraged by the man's silence, and allured by the smell of the peas, ventured to the jug, and in endeavouring to get at its contents, thrust his head so far into the neck as to be unable to withdraw it: at this instant the soldier turning round, and came whistling towards his box, the monkey, unable to get clear of it, started up to run off with the jug sticking on his head; this terrible apparition no sooner saluted the eyes of the sentry, than his frantic imagination converted poor pug into a fine, blood-thirsty spanish grenadier, with a most tremendous high cap on his head; full of this dreadful idea, he instantly fired his piece, roaring out that the enemy had scaled the walls. The guard took the alarm, the drums were beat, signal guns fired, and in less than ten minutes the governor and his whole garrison were under arms. The supposed grenadier, being very much incommoded by his cap, and almost blinded by the peas, was soon overtaken and seized, and by his capture the tranquillity of the garrison was restored without that slaughter and bloodshed which every man prognosticated in the beginning of the direful alarm.

ORDERLY DRAGOON.

IN one of the battles in the Peninsula, one of Lord Wellington's orderly dragoons had his horse shot under him; the man exclaimed, "Good God! what am I to do? My lord will be very angry if he sees me without a horse;" upon this, with the utmost sang froid, he rushed into the midst of a party of French dragoons, and knocked one of them off his horse, which he instantly mounted and returned to Lord Wellington; followed him the remainder of the day on the French horse, with the French accoutrements, trappings, &c.

London: Published by W. M. CLARK, 19, Warwick Lane, Paternoster Row; by Pattie, 17, High Street, St. Giles's; Berger, Holywell Street; G.

Purkess, Compton Street; Strange. Paternoster Row; Stapleton, 5, Chapel Street, Tottenham Court Road; and may be had, by order, of all Booksellers. J. LAST, Printer, 3, Edward-st. Hampstead-rd.

THE British army after the most splendid and masterly retreat that has been recorded in the annals of modern warfare, harrassed at all points by the rapid and skilful manoeuvres of the pursuing army, and pressed with a fury that seemed to increase every moment, at length arrived at Corunna, almost entire and unbroken. Nearly 70,000 Frenchmen, led by Buonaparte, with a great superiority of cavalry, had endeavoured in vain to surround or to rout 26,000 British. Two hundred and fifty miles of country had been traversed; mountains, defiles, and rivers had been crossed, in daily contact with their enemy; and victorious in every en

counter.

Much baggage undoubtedly was lost, and some field-pieces abandoned: but nothing taken by force. VOL. I.

In fine, neither Napoleon nor the Duke of Dalmatia won a piece of artillery, a standard, or a single military trophy from the British army.

On the 15th January, 1809, in the course of the night, marshal Soult with great difficulty established a battery of eleven guns, (eight and twelve pounders) on the rocks which formed the left of his line of battle. Laborde's division was posted on the right; half of it occupied the high ground, the other half was placed on the descent towards the river. Merle's division was in the centre. Mermet's division formed the left. The position was covered in front of the right by the villages of Palavia Abaxo, and Portosa, and in front of the centre by a wood; the left was strongly posted on the rugged heights where the great battery was established. The

C