Графични страници
PDF файл
ePub

say why this is necessarily the case; but one of the reasons seems to be, that many of the important duties of a naval officer are, and ever must be, performed without witnesses, and often beyond the reach of scrutiny."

And again,

"One of the duties of the aristocracy, and by no means their least important function, is to keep alive this sacred fire, this quality (gentlemanly spirit,) by which, after all, Earthly power doth show likest God's." 6 It is they, and they alone, who can give a right tone to manners, by setting the fashion in every thing which is true in principle, or practically wise in morals and in politics, and by encouraging science, letters, and the fine arts, or otherwise contributing to soften the asperities of vulgar life. This is the true intent and purpose of a powerful aristocracy, and if its obligations be duly fulfilled, its members execute a task not only of the highest possible utility to the country, but one which, for many reasons, no other class has the means even of attempting to perform.

"Let the scoffers at high rank and unequal wealth say what they please, there can be no doubt, that since these are the obligations which time has fixed, no inatter how or when, upon the aristocracy of this country; so, in the main, the persons who compose that order, actually perform, and, indeed, must always continue to perform their duty, as long as the merciless searchings of our inquisitorial press, goaded on by the vigilance and insatiable curiosity of public opinion, shall place all its members, all their property, and all their proceedings in the fullest possible review before the world."

Here we have the controlling power which preserves, and which, we hope, may long preserve to us the valuable services of a high-minded aristocracy. We know what human nature is, and therefore know into what its privileged orders would relapse, if the watchful scrutiny of an intelligent, and we may add, a high-minded public, were withdrawn.

The same consideration of what human nature is, teaches us most fully to agree with Capt. Hall in estimating the value of an aristocracy thus prominently and honourably placed in a situation in which they are made to feel themselves called upon to stand forward as an example to their fellow-men. On this consideration we hail with pleasure the prospect of their being emancipated from the odium attached to the abuse of a power which could not constitutionally be called their own. In applying these opinions on the advantageous influence which a well-principled and public-spirited aristocracy has upon society, to their use in the navy, Capt. Hall proceeds:

"Precisely what the aristocracy does on the great scale for the community at large, in maintaining at a high level the pure standard of national manners; the introduction of a proportionate number of persons of good family into the navy, does for that service in particular."

With these opinions we feel generally disposed to concur, on the ground of the inferred benefit to the service at large, not with the abstract view of favouring a particular class; and upon the proviso that positive injustice to any party be not the price of favour to another. The British Navy will continue, we trust, as heretofore, to produce from its subordinate stations, men without other pretensions than the will and the capacity to achieve the highest posts and dignities; while it will still recognize, with no less pride, those aspirants for its honours, who ennoble hereditary rank by personal and professional deserts. At what follows we may be allowed, as old officers, to indulge a growl.

"But I have heard it said, why not put matters in this respect upon a fair and equitable footing? If this sprinkling of the aristocracy do good, as you say it does, to the spirit of the navy, why not let men of family enter the field on equal terms with the rest, and so take their chance with men of humble birth? The simplest answer to this appears to be, that as there is no method by which such persons can be impressed into the service, we must of necessity enter into some tacit kind of

compromise, and agree to take them on the best terms for which we can enlist them as volunteers."

To this we answer, that if such compromise be necessary, it is a necessary evil: the necessity, however, seems to be clearly made out; and we must say, that we would not forego the advantage of having the aristocracy of the land among us, to get clear of the evil; and, what is of more consequence than the feeling of growling old officers like ourselves, we believe that the country would lose by having recourse to such an alternative.

But, according to our recollection, officers were generally very liberal in regard to the promotion of their juniors who belonged to families of high rank. The truly sore subject was, the promotion of men of low and vulgar habits; sometimes, moreover, incapable of performing the duties of the station they had already attained. We can remember more than one instance of such persons even boasting of the borough interest by which they had received, or were about to receive their promotion. We have no disposition to grumble against former administrations; the wonder is, how they found means to promote so many officers who had no borough interest, hampered as they were by that overweening power, the undue and obnoxious exercise of which is, we trust, about to receive an effectual check, without a still more mischievous violation of the spirit and forms of the established constitution. So much for politics and promotion.

We now turn to the more agreeable task of considering the amusement to be derived from this book.

To us it brings back the days of our youth in all their freshness; and we cannot resist the feeling of being ourselves one of the mischievous party who stuck the tail of the tailor to the cable tier with handfuls of pitch, or tore their black handkerchiefs in pieces to put the Lieutenants' dogs in mourning for our poor friend "Shakings!"

If our partiality for those days does not blind us, we think that the scenes in these volumes cannot fail to absorb the mind of every reader, although unacquainted with the localities referred to. This seems to arise from that power of true painting, that faculty which we admire so much in Sir Walter Scott, by which our author brings before us the actors in those scenes, with all the force of real presence. We suspect that not a few of Capt. Hall's fair readers have laughed over the pranks of his midshipmen, and grieved when they reflected that "by far the greater number of these promising young men have found graves, some on land, some in the deep sea."

The same powers of description place before us, with wonderful truth, the characteristic invasion, by the French, of Corcubion—a Galician village lying in a secluded nook within the great Bay of Finisterre. Of this remote spot, in connection with the Peninsular contest, few of us have ever heard before; yet has the author constructed upon the scenes he witnessed there in the Endymion, an episode awakening powerful interest, and produced a stirring and faithful epitome of the general war on the Peninsula.

With equal fidelity, spirit, and, we may even add, originality, Capt. Hall traces his recollections of the battle of Corunna, at which he contrived to be present as a shoregoing interloper. This description, we have heard from an officer who was present and recollects to have noticed the Amateur Blue Jackets, conveys a striking impression of the general scene, and is peculiarly calculated to revive in the memories of its surviving actors, touching associations of its glory and its gloom.

Notwithstanding the superabundant details we already possess of this battle, we follow Capt. Hall with no common interest in his ramble among "the sleeping soldiers, piled muskets, and camp equipage," and readily recall to our minds similar instances of the heartless and spirit-worn appearance of the men while the enemy remained still, and the quick return to life and animation when his movement gave promise of a battle; "I saw these

men spring from the ground as if touched by a magic wand, all full of life and vigour."

In the details of the loss of His Majesty's ship Atalante, off the harbour of Halifax in Nov. 1813, an admirable lesson of discipline and the force of example is judiciously presented to the junior ranks of the service. The conduct of the commander, Capt. Frederick Hickey, like that of Sir Murray Maxwell under similar circumstances, does honour to the man, and exalts the character of his profession.

The adventure off "Rockall" is made the most of, and is expertly interposed between familiar professional details, which it pleasantly relieves. We observe that this chequering of his subjects is practised by the writer throughout these volumes, with much tact and effect. Thus, for instance, he winds up his desultory labours with a most animated sketch of the chase and capture of a French privateer by the Endymion, from which we can only afford the following extracts.

"By this time, of course, every man and boy in the ship was on deck, whether it was his watch or not, even the marine officer, the purser, and the doctor, left their beds a rare phenomenon! Every one was giving his opinion to his neighbour; some said the shot went over her, some that they fell short, and the opinion that she was a witch, or the flying Dutchman, or some other phantom, was current amongst the sailors. Whilst the marines were clinking their flints, and preparing to give our little gentlemen a taste of the small arms, when within their reach. While things were in this anxious, but very pleasurable state, our foresail flapped slowly against the mast; a sure indication that the breeze was lulling. The quadruple rows of reef-points were next heard to rattle along the topsails, sounds too well known to every ear as symptoms of an approaching calm.

*

"Not a mortal on board the frigate ever expected to see the poor brig again. What, then, was our surprise, when the smoke blew swiftly past, to see the little cocky gliding away more merrily than before As far as good discipline would allow, there was a general murmur of applause at the Frenchman's gallantry. In the next instant, however, this sound was converted into hearty laughter over the frigate's decks, when, in answer to our thundering broadside, a single gun, a six-pounder, was fired from the brig's stern, as if in contempt of his formidable antagonist's prowess."

We lament that our limits will not permit us to give the whole of this spirit-stirring chase; but we must leave room to give one more specimen of the generous and gentlemanly feeling which pervades the writings of Capt. Basil Hall;-he is describing another chase.

"During the chase, indeed, while our masts are bending over the sides, and we can scarcely walk the decks under the press of canvass: while we are banging off the bow-chaser guns at the flying enemy, at whose gaff-end we can see the golden flag of Spain, yellow, red, yellow, with a flaming crown in the centre, fluttering before us, and telling a tale of bullion in huge bars, or cochineal in bales, our whole thoughts and feelings are absorbed in the pursuit, and in the erection of castles in the air, out of the proceeds of the treasure close a-head, and all but grasped. By and by, the well-aimed six pounder, fired from the forecastle, cuts away the peakhaulyards of the chase, and down comes his mainsail. In the next minute we are alongside of our prey.

[ocr errors]

The prize is hailed, with a query- Where are you from?' La Vera Cruz.' This answer produces a loud expression of pleasure along the decks; but is instantly hushed to have the reply of the next question- What is your cargo ?' 'Plata senor.' Which is echoed by a hundred voices; and it is not saying too much to suppose that the pleasure of that moment far exceeds any that attends the subsequent distribution, or even spending of the money.

"The boat is soon lowered down, and the Spanish captain, with his papers, brought on board; upon which we learn that the ship and cargo are chiefly the property of an old Spanish merchant, who with his wife and family, are in the

vessel, on their return to Cadiz, after twenty long years of honest industry in the colonies. The next boat brings the white-headed old gentleman and the ladies on board, calm and dignified under their calamity, according to the noble spirit of their country, although totally and irretrievably ruined.

*

"It might savour of affectation to declare, that I have seldom paid away a dollar of prize-money got in this way, without its summoning up the image of some of these wretched groups of captives, whose grief forms such a deep contrast to the joyous expression of the light-hearted winners."

The views of Capt. Hall as regards the management, habits, and comforts of honest Jack are practical and benevolent. They may be read with advantage by his younger brother officers. We shall close our remarks by observing that the spirit of self-devotion to the public good, and consideration for others while performing our own duties, which we find inculcated in these volumes, are as applicable to the military as to the naval service, and as likely to be serviceable in a barrack as in a cock-pit.

Since the foregoing went to press, we find that the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws has been publicly conferred on Capt. Hall, by the University of Oxford. This distinction, as in the late instance of Sir Howard Douglas, may fairly, we think, be viewed and appreciated as a compliment to the United Service, thus honoured in the person of one of its eminent members. It shows that the bay on the brow of a sailor or soldier may imply a double trophy, denoting him alike distinguished tam Marte quam Mercurio.

When the late Capt. Foster (then a Lieutenant) received the Copley Medal from the Royal Society, that lamented officer went straight to the Admiralty, and mentioned the fact to their Lordships in the following terms, "Here is the symbol of the highest honour the Royal Society can bestow: it has been given to me for works I have done in his Majesty's Service-and I cannot but feel that the compliment is paid to the Navy at large:-I have merely been their instrument." There was truth and elevation in the

sentiment.

The length of the foregoing Reviews compel us to defer the continuation of our Critical Notices for the present month.

QUERIES.

1. Should not the towers built for defence upon sea coasts be termed Metella towers, and not, as generally written, Martella, and Martello? 2. Which is the proper word-shoal-school-scole-or shole, as applied to a collection of fishes in the ocean, and differently written? 3. Which is the proper word for a mountain which ejects fire, &c. Volcano as is generally written, or Vulcano?

4. Jetty-jettie-or jutty-of those three words, which is the most proper ?

5. The proper name, "Tom Collins," is of frequent use among the

Mids and the sailors in a man-of-war. Who was this said Tom Collins ?

6. What could have given rise among seamen to the strange idea of calling the ocean "David Jones's locker?" Who was this said David

Jones?

The name is evidently Welsh; I may just add that from our Cam

brian brethren not having any direct trade to the West India Isles, the Negroes were puzzled to class them among nations; these sable gentry remarked that Englishmen, Frenchmen, Spaniards, &c. &c. "hab ship, all hab ship but Welchman, he no hab ship-Khi! warra sort of somebody dis Welchman?-Cho! he mus lib in bush like Neger!

7. Tell that to the Marines." Whence this saying, and what is its import ?

8. Why is the term "messenger" applied to the small cable used in heaving up the anchor? Would not " aider” have been more appropriate?

9. The origin of the expression among seamen, for transitory airs of wind-" Cat's-paw?"

10. The Anglo-Americans of the United States in their journals generally write," reeved" the topsails, for "reefed" the topsails: Which is correct? and, would not "reft" the topsails, be more appropriate than either?

11. What gave rise to the term "Cat-head" being applied to the timber-piece employed in lifting the anchor to the bulwark; Was it originally given arbitrarily by some shipwright, who thought proper to ornament the butt with the representation of a cat's head?

12. What is meant by the (inelegant) expression used in old voyages, (such as James's Voyage of Discovery, 1631,) of “ stinking fog?” Is the odour of any fog offensive to the olfactory nerves?

13. Spar-deck. Whence this term applied to a deck loosely planked with fir, bamboo, split, &c.? a spar, according to the genial acceptation of the term, being a solid stick, a tree shorn of its limbs, either rough, or otherwise shaped for use.

14. The origin of the term caboose, or cubhouse, in use for the portable kitchen on board merchant-vessels-is it a corruption of " Cook'shouse?"

[ocr errors]

15. Why is the term companion" used to the screen and covering at the cabin hatchway, in merchant-vessels?

16. Is not the space in frigate-built ships called the "steerage," misnamed?-as is also the " gun-room?" Why were these originally

so named?

17. Which is the proper orthography-grapnel-graplin—or grappling? (a small anchor.)

18. The term " sheet" anchor, applied to the reserve anchor-why so called?

19. Gudgeon, or googing, the metal eye of the rudder-are either of these words correct? if not, what word is?

20. Imprest; the origin of this term used by our "afectonate friends," when a charge is made upon the wages or pay of a naval officer ?

21. Kelson-Keelstone-are either of these the proper orthography for the upper part of a ship's keel? and whence the term "keel?"

QUÆRO.

« ПредишнаНапред »