Tom Cringle's Log

the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland should no longer languish under the want of a successor to the immortal Nelson, and being then of the great perpendicular altitude of four feet four inc

s, vice-admiral of the red squadrons a Lord of the Admiralty, and one of the old plain K.B.'s (for he flourished before the time when a gallant action or two tagged half of the letters of the

d that of me, Thomas; for as I sat at breakfast with the dear old woman, one fine Sunday morning, admiring my new blue jacket and snow white trowsers, and shining well soaped face, and nicely brus

eemed as often to fail her. At length she laid it down-heaved a long deep sigh-took off her spectacles, which appeared dim-wiped them, put them on again, and making

t the room weeping bitterly. I could hear her praying in a low, solemn, yet sobbing and almost inarticulate voice, as she crossed the passage to her own dress

most fierce countenance, before thoroughly understanding whether I was dre

ty, such

good man, and the schoolmaster on board is an exceedingly decent person I am informed; so I congratulate you on his good fortune in beginning his career, in which I wish him all success, under such favo

n, my de

ery fait

BLUEBLA

of some old tune, in a most doleful manner. "All right-all right," I then exclaimed, as I thrust half a doubled up muffin into my go

Master Tom. You ben't going to leave us, all on a heap like, be you? Surely your stay until your sister comes from your uncle Job's? You know there are only two on ye-You won't leave the old lady all alone, Master Thomas, wi

d fool, I wish I could cry, man-I wish I could cry!" and straightway I hied

ng relations; and especially I desired to parade my fire-new honours before the large dark eyes of my darling little creole cousin, Mary Palma; whereas I was now to be bundled on board, at a few days warning, out of a ready-made furni

ly must confess that the Log, for long long after I first went to sea in the Breeze, and subsequently when removed to the old Kraaken line-of-battle ship, both of which were constantly part of blockading squadrons, could be compared to nothing more fitly than a dish of trifle, anciently called syllabub, with a stray plum here and there scattered at the bottom. But when, after several weary years, I got away in the dear old Torch, on a separate cruise, incidents came fast enough with a vengeance-stem

ingle, hi

had letters, and said I was appointed to the Breeze. Same day, went on board and took up my berth; stifl

Stockings should be one dozen worsted, three of cotton, two of sil

gun and

oard side, listening to the groaning of the main-tack, as the swelling sail, the foot of which stretched transversely right athwart the ship's deck in a black arch, struggled to tear it up, like some dark impalpable spirit of the air striving to burst the chains that held him, and escape high up into the murky clouds, or a giant labouring to uproot an oak, and wondering in my innocence how hempen cord could brook such strain when just

to fet

hear a heavy smash, as the large and ponderous blocks at the clew of the sail struck the doomed sailor under the ear, and whirled him off the booms over

ws is a whisk of the froth, written when we looked into

E DEATH OF S

hou pillar

soldier, Mo

's firmam

as ere in

y weak or

ly thou sto

hunted t

ell, on that

splendour ro

trophies o'e

st more, the

rm offering

ia's rock-

less thy r

t honour bri

ample shal

uneral knel

tomb in mou

wined with c

live while Br

when thou wer

all the p

o'er thy

'd by an en

by it in

heroes w

of Britann

e thy bri

ill be, of

ll danger w

best aim, b

eath-the dea

, we were off Falmouth, and then got a slan

als;-soon after we bore up. Bay of Biscay-tremendous swell-Cape Finisterre-blo

of the two North Sea pilots whom we had on board. This pilot was a tall, raw-boned subject, about six feet or so, with a blue face-I could not call it red-and a hawk's-bill nose of the colour of bronze. His head was defended from the weather by what is technically called a south-west, pronounced sow-west,-cap, which is in shape like the thatch of a dustman, composed of canvass, well tarred, with no snout, but having a long flap hanging down the back to carry the rain over the cape of the jacket. His chin was embedded in a red comforter that rose to his ears. His trunk was first of all cased in a shirt of worsted stocking-net; over this he had a coarse linen shirt, then a thick cloth waistcoat; a shag jacket was the next layer, and over that was rigged the large cumbrous pea jacket, reaching to his knees. As for his lower spars, the rig was still more peculiar;-first of all, he had on a pair of most comfortable woollen stockings, what w

o which I allude, was darker than any which had gone before it; absolutely you could not see the breadth of the ship from you; and as we had not taken the sun for five days, we had to grope our way almost entirely by the lead. I had the forenoon watch, during the whole of which we were amongst a little fleet of fishing-boats, although we could scarcely see them, but being unwilling to lose ground by lying to, we fired a gun every half hour, to give the small craft notice of our vicinity, that they might keep their bells a-going. Every three or

he fog settled down so thickly, although it was not more than five o'clock in the afternoon, that the captain desired that the lamp might be lit. It was done, and I was remarking the contrast between

e fathoms, sir-shells and stones.

t the door, with the lead in his claws, an octagonal-shaped cone, like the weight of a window-sash, about eighteen inches long, and two inches diameter at the bottom, tapering away nearly to a point at top, where it was flattened, and a hole pierced for the line to be fastened to. At the lower end-the but-end, as I would say there was a hollow scooped

ells; why, you should have deeper water, Mr

; but we cannot be f

w when you come n

me my situation, I rose and

gauze-like appearance, as if it had been luminous in itself, that cannot be described to any one who has not seen it. The gun had been fired just as I came on deck, but no responding tinkle gave notice of any vessel being in the neighbourhood. Ten minutes, it may hav

boatswain,-"port your helm, or

nd a heavy smashing thump against our bows told, in fearful language, that we had run her down. Three of the men and a boy hung on by the rigging of the bowsprit, and were brought safely on board; but two poo

, we had to wait, having no pilot for the port, although we had the signal flying for one all morning, until noon, when we ran in close to the green mound which constituted the rampart of the fort at the entrance. To our great surprise, when we hoisted our colours and pennant, and fired a gun to leeward, there was no flag hoisted in answer at the

don't certain dat all i

n Deadeye; "why,

surely be possib dat de Prussian an' Hanoverian troop have left de place, and da

ch hereabouts; none nearer than those cooped up

dat rampart, parapet you call, dat look dem like de shako of de infanterie legere of dat willain de Empe

ed, but with less sure aim. Returning the fire was of no use, as our carronades could not have pitched their metal much more than halfway; or, even if they had been long guns, they would merely have plumped the balls into the tu

oon sucked into the current, and had only to keep our oars in the water, pulling a stroke now and then to give the boat steerage way. As we shot through the gap into the smooth water beyond, we once more gave way, the boat's head being kept in the direction of lights that we saw twinkling I in the distance, apparently in some village beyond the inner embankmen

, and caught it in his hands, as he brought it down to the charge. Our passenger seemed a little taken aback; but he

ckness; "pull the starboard oars; we are in the wrong

pany of French soldiers standing to their arms, with several cannon, but we were speedily out of the reach of their musketry. Several round shots were now fired, that hissed, recochetting along the water close by us. Not a word was spoken in the boat all this time; we continued to pul

and made several barefaced attempts to

as the flood made, the current against us increased, and we barely held our own. "Steer her, out of th

ave you are rone in order de igh bank! How you sall satisfy me no France infanterie legere

legere be damned simply. Mind your eye, my fine fellow, or I shall be m

a bright, spitting sparkling fire of musketry opened at t

," said the coxswain; "none of th

gures of the French soldiery, and the black outline of the bank on which they were posted, the flashes that answered them shewed us three

" sung out th

," was t

he jollyboat, and launch, and cutter of the Torch, with twen

enail, my boy?"

ely, are still here, as well as at Cuxhaven, not in force certainly,

any of the

not hurt, but some of us frightened leet

nter, my man, now since the enemy have occupied the dike in fron

ior lieutenant, "we

his time close to us, on the larboard side, commanded by Mr Julius Caesar Tip, the senior midshipman, vulgarly called in

nail, a sharp

instant the hull and rigging of the sloop of war at anchor in the river glanced in the blue-w

e distinctly heard the commixed rumbling and ratt

aid Mr Treenail. "What is to be done? Ah, Splinter, we are in a

ficer. "True enough, Treenail; so the sooner w

ree

bout cheering, when their commanding officer's voice controlled

ently we were so near the opening that we could see the signal lig

e retreated after al

shouted a gruff vo

w away a shot; men, pull like fury. So-give way, my lads, a minute of

volley of musketry. The fierce mustaches, pale faces, glazed shakoes, blue uniforms, and

in the very act of being unlimbered. We could distinctly hear the clash of the mounted artillerymen's sabres against

ove our boat into staves, and all hands were the next moment squattering in the water. I sank a good bit, I suppose, for when I rose to the surface, half drowned and

vous,

ontain proof that the boats had been accounted for. The French party now ceased firing, and retreated by the edge of the inundation, keeping the dike between them and the brig, all except the artillery, who had to scamper off, running the gauntlet on the crest of the embankment

re. I was immediately marched between a file of men into a small room, where the commanding officer of the detachment was seated at a table, a blazing wood fire roaring in the He was a genteel, slender, dark man, with very large black mustaches, and fine sparkling black eyes, and had apparently just dismounted, for the mud was fresh on his boots and trowsers. The latter were blue, with a broad gold lace down th

mson collar, which fitted close round his neck, and was richly embroidered with gold acorns and oak l

captured me had told his story-"so your Governme

olar as times went, and answ

; but, from your question, I presume

ron on the river?" said h

loop of war, sir"-an

d then continued "I don't command the rear-gu

ered in the

ts; they will see them at Cuxhaven-men," fall in-ma

on board, two into each; one hundred and fifty men embarked in them and the other craft, which I found partly loaded with sacks of corn. I was

ir," replied

ans, and some heavy falls, and a struggling splash or two in the

t the colonel commanding the post had overrated our strength, and, under the belief

y on the pretty villas and bloomin Gartens on the hill side, while here and there a Chinese pagoda, or other fanciful pleasure-house, with its gilded trellis

t living Greece no more,"-not a fishing-boat was nea

o are those?" as a group of three of four men presented themselves at a sharp

of the Prussi

ssians," s

d so it was, but the very fact of his having advanced his

cal conformation of our Gallic neighbours, and hugs itself with the absurd notion, "that on one pair of English legs doth march three Frenchmen." But when I saw the weather-beaten soldierlike veterans, who formed this compact battalion, part of the elite of the first corps, more commanding in its aspect from severe service having worn all the gilding and lace away-"there was not a piece of feather in th

ld not call them boats-of unpainted pine timber, which had arrived from the upper Elbe, loaded with grain: with gardens, absolute gardens, and cowhouses, and piggeries on board; while their crews of Fierlanders, men, women, and children, cut a most extraordinary appearance,-the men in their jackets, with buttons like pot-lids, and trowsers fit t

th the peculiarity of the gables of the tall houses being all turned towards the thoroughfare, and with the stupendous size of the churches. We halted for a moment, in the porch o

rade, faced by a street of splendid houses on the left hand,

anging from a low gibbet,-so low in fact, that although their heads were not six inches from the beam, their feet were scarcely three from the ground. I was here placed in a guard-house, and kept there until the evening, when I was again marched off under my former escort, and we soon arrived at the door of a large mansion, fronting this parade, where two sentries were walking backwards and forwards before the door, while five dragoon horses, linked together, stood in the middle of the street, with one soldier attending them, but there was no other particular bustle,

ppro

ntly not above twenty-two, as I judged, with small tiny black, jet-black, must

nswered, "A young Englishm

only his rating, which even his captain, without a court-mar

, and the jingle of spurs on the stairs, and

ey, "where the devil have you come from? We t

ever mind, boys, I have come to help you here-you will need help before long;-but how is-?" Here he made a comical con

tures on the walls, a handsome sideboard of plate, a rich Turkey carpet an unusual thing in Germany-on the floor, and a richly gilt pillar, at the

ringe, like the bullion of an epaulet. There was a small round table near the stove, on which stood a silver candlestick, with four branches filled with wax tapers; and bottles of wine, and glasses. At this table

lso richly embroidered, and an embroidered scarlet waistcoat; a large solitary star glittered on his breast, and the grand cross of the Legion of Honour sparkled at his buttonhole; his black neckerchief had been taken off; and his cocked hat lay beside him on a sofa, massively laced, the edges richly ornamented with ostrich down;

h he had gallantly wrought for on the glowing sands of Egypt, and the bronzing of his general features from fierce suns and parching winds. His bare neck and hands were delicately fair, the former firm and muscular, the latter slender and tapering, like a woman's. He was reading a gazette, or some printed paper, when we entered; and although there was a tolerable clatter of muskets, sabres, and spurs, he never once lifted his eye in the direction where we stood

on, the aide-de-camp approached with a good

wait on you

poke,-"ah, colonel, what do you her

he rear-guard were cut off by the Prussians, and th

he general, "but

ttacked through a gap in the dike, by some armed boats from an English squadron, and hearing a distant firing at the very moment, which I concluded t

, "but sorry for the cause why you have retu

t lad is one of the British office

eral again, "how d

ix-pound shot. He was the only one of the enemy who swam ashore. Th

general, "British

shal, you will allow him his parole

-"parole! such a mere lad canno

of rashness

No, no-send him to prison;" and he resumed the

man before whom I stood, and I remembered that even a tiger might be checked by a

lowly lifted his eyes, and fastened them on

u will grant him his parole, I."-"Take it, colonel-

" said I, with a hardihood which at the

hy will you not take advantage of the offer-a kinder one, le

ll endeavour to escape on

e-de-camp,-"a file of soldiers." The handsome young officer hesitated hung in

take him forth," and-here he energetically clutched the steel hilt of his sword, and instantly dashed it from him-"Sacre!-the dev

ook serious-I should rather write fierce joined, and there he was, the bloody Davoust-Duke of Auerstad Prince of Eckmuhl-the Hamburgh Robespierre-the terrib

w rose; but I noticed that he had been fixing his eyes intently on

you intrust t

with him;"-then, as if suddenly recollecting himself, "But, Mr--,

pectedly patronized me rose,

st. "Lafontaine, desire

and my new ally a

ve-and-twenty respectable-looking men, very English in appearance, all to their long cloaks, an unusual sort of garment to my eye at that time. The night was very wet, and the aforesai

ome to his neighbour, the others across the table, bu

se?" said I

s here" said he,

had been imposed on the doomed city, and that this very night they had been tom from their families, and cooped u

half-naked figures and pale visages glimmering in the glancing lights, under the dripping rain; and, had it not been for the numerous sentries scattered along the thoroughfares, I believe we should have been tom to pieces by bands of moping idiots, now rendered ferocious from their sufferings, in consequence of the madhouses having been cleared of their miserable, helpless inmat

centre with a number of bales of goods, and a variety of merchandise, while a heavy wooden stair, with clumsy oak balustrades, wound round the sides of it. We ascended, and, turning to the right, entered a large well furnished room, with a table laid out for supper, with lights, an

rhungern nahe and were just on the point of o

hought I; for the food was a

dged the speech wi

aited a moment "Etes-vous Francais?" I gave him no answer. H

he does speak a little French in

ivility itself, pressing my host to drink his own wine, and eat his own food and even rat

how have you spe

ore, at the time he was taken so very ill, and he has not forgotten it; so I am not included amongst the unfortunate detainee

ase," said the colonel

saved by a very laughable circumstance certainly; merely, by the marshal's sword, from resting on the stove, having become

over quickly. About eleven we retired to rest, my friend furnishing me with clothes, and warning me, that next morning he

tled up to the door, just before day-dawn. Presently the reveille was bea

ed the gate, where we had to pun up until the officer on duty appeared, and had scrupulously comp

of the great strength of Hamburgh, to look out on the lar

ith a low parapet of masonry, and bristling with batteries about half way down, so that the muzzles of the guns were flush with the neighbouring country beyond the ditch. Still there was wanting, to my imagination, the strength of the high perpendicular wall, with its gaping embrasures, and frowning cannon. All this time it never occurred to me, th

otector's family, and walked into a large room, with a comfortable

re his sisters,-blue-eyed, fair-haired, white-

ruhstucht?" sa

sisters, I have brought a stranger here, a young Engl

white cloth on the collar; and I began to find the eloquent blood mangling in my cheeks, and tingling in my ears; but their kindly feelings got the better of a gentle propensity to laugh

nding at the window looking out on a small lawn, where evergreens of the most beautiful kinds were checkered with little round clumps of most luxuriant hollyhocks, and the fruit t

for showing me, an entire stranger to you, all this unexpec

amburgher born, and I consider you, therefore, in the light of a countryman. Besides, I will not

ve so much influence wi

house in Hamburgh-mention last night at supper. But a man like Davoust cannot be judged of by common rules. He has, in short, taken a fancy to me

he room, leaning on his stick

ing; but he could not rest quietly, after he had heard there wa

these worthy people. For three days I was fed and clo

morning at grey dawn, to be aiding in dragging

length of the pond, thereby driving the fish into an enclosure, about twenty feet square, with a sluice towards the pond, and another fronting the dull ditch that flowed past beyond it. Whenever we had hunted the whole of the finny tribes-(barring those slippery youths the eels, who, with all their cleverness, were left to dry in the mud)-into the toils,

lay about four miles distant from us. The whole country about Hamburgh is level, except the right bank below it of the noble river on which it stands, the Elbe. The house where I was domiciled stood on nearly the highest point of this bank, which

lf, filling the lower part of it with a dense white bank of fog, which rose so high that the spires alone, with one or two of the most lofty buildings, appeared a bove the rolling sea of white fleece-like vapour, as if it had been a model of the stronghold, in place of t

at had been slung across it. Who can they be telegraphing to? thought I, while I could notice my host assume a most anxious and startled look, while he pe

noise in the ravine. Mr -- heard it as well as I apparently, for he put his fi

d then disappear over the crest of the hill. Twenty or thirty pioneers, who had been carried forward behind as many of the cavalry, were now seen busily employed in filling up the ditch, and cutting down the short scrubby hedge; and presently, the artillery coming up also, filed off sharply to the right, and formed on the very summit of the hill, distinctly visible between us and the grey cold streaks of morning. By the time we had noticed, this, the clatter in our immediate neighbourhood was renewed, and a group of mounted officers dashed past us, up the path, like a whirlwind, followed at a distance of twenty yards, by a single cavalier, apparently a general officer. These did not stop, as they rode at speed past the spot where the artillery were in position, but, dipping over the summit, disappeared down the road, from which they did not appear to diverge, until they were lost to

his mean-is it a review?"

ned my friend. "The Allied troops

t his eye steadily turned towards the ridge of the hill, and, when he involuntarily wr

of the light infantry bugles above us on the hill-side, and we could see them suddenly start from their lair, and form; while between us and the clearing morning sky, the cavalry, magnified into giants in the strong r

the devils their due, formed again in a instant, under the shelter of the high ground. The artillery again opened their fire the cavalry once more advanced, and presently we could see nothing but the field-pieces, with th

l exposure to danger do,

r--as we entered the house. "The Allied Forces would have been welcome, however;

her head mournfully; but, nevertheless, b

that?" said to an old servant

men, sir, have passed o

ost, in great bit

fieldpieces above us open their fire, and in the intervals we could distinguish the distant rattle of musketry. Presently this rolling

velvet grass, about forty yards square, separated from the high-road by a low ornamental fence of green basket-work, as already mentioned. The firing from the gr

ere was any echo here,"

o echo;" and he put up his hand to his ear, and list

. "God help us! it can no longer be an affair of posts; the heads of the Allied c

us down the road at speed, and vanished in

th a loud ringing and hissing sound, pitched over the hill, and knocked one of the fish-tubs close to us to pieces, scattering the poor f

t he may do, if they are really investing the place. At any rate, here, in the very arena where the struggle will doubtless be fiercest, we cannot abide. So go, my dear sisters, and

on the fortifications, when compelled to do so, by that inhuman monster Davoust, amidst the ribaldry of a licentious soldiery, merely because poor Janette had helped to embroider a standard for the brave Hanseatic Legion you know how we bore this"-here the sweet girl held out h

rest, sister.-Wilhehn,

carried before Davoust, entered, splashed up to the eyes, and much heated and excited. I noticed blood on the hilt of his sword. His orderly sat on his foaming steed, righ

oor, and then, with all the grace in the world, addressed himself to discuss the comestibles. He tried a slight approach to jesting now and then; bu

ckled on his sword again, drew on his gloves, and taking his hat in

men?" said

sapeurs for these three days back in th

diers carried slow matches in their hands, while their muskets

en a shot came crashing through the roof, broke down the ceiling, and knocking the flue of the stove to pieces, rebounded from the wall, and rolled harmlessly beneath the table. He was the only person who d

emy is pressing on us in force. The Allied columns are in sight; their cannon shot have but now penetrated your roof; we have but driven in the

h rushed into

es the Prin

said, "Mr--, I duly appreciate your situation, and respect your feelings; but the Prince of Eckmuhl i

," said--, "but what is

proceed t

agen, and give us, at all events, h

nged looks wit

officer; "and I will myself

the carriage was at the door, they, with two female domestics, were ready to mount. I cannot better describe their vehicle, than by comparing it to a canoe mounted on four wheels, connected by a long perch, with a coachbox

at I made no

in bank is open to us. Anywhere but Hamburgh n

ay, while the musketry breezed up again in the distance. A mounted bugler rode half way down the hil

ow-break the windows, and let the air in-set the house on fire; and, Sergeant Guido,

same swinging run with which the whole of the infantry had originally

e sergeant, "My good fellow, the reconnoissance will

e vieux mousta

it him in a Frenchman's

hem drive in pell-mell with the troops, exposed most like

cross-road, we turned down towards the river; and at the angle we could see thick wreaths of smok

s that?

ed by the stirrup, passed us at full speed,

is

of his brutal commander. There was a musket-shot right in the middle of his fine forehead, like a small blue point, with one or two heavy black drops of blood oozing from it. His pale

but the firing seemed to approximate, whereupon our hos

we arrived at the beautiful, at a mile off, but

he nonce, between my friend and his sisters. They said something very sharply, and with a degree

ey. "Very well," said he; "but

rd man sich eins

what struck me as being an awful sign of the times. The very coachman of the stuhl wagen, after conversing a moment with his master, returned to his team, tied the legs of the poor creatures as they stood, and then with a sharp knife cut their jugular veins thro

ch, which immediately got under weigh for England. After my story had been told to the Captain, I left my preserver, his father, and his sisters in his hands, and I need scarcely say that the