Tom Cringle's Log

sea to sky, th

ON JUAN,

s, that the lieutenant of the watch had ordered the look-out at the mast-head down on deck. The man, on his way down, had gone into the maintop

es she l

he is in the middle of the

ns, jump forward, and see what you

-out again hailed "She is a ship, sir, close-hauled on t

s almost incredible to one unacquainted with these latitudes, the veil of mist that had hung to windward the whole day was rent and drawn aside, and the red and level rays of the setting sun flashed at once, through a long arch of glowing clouds, on the black hull and tall spars of his Britannic Majesty's sloop, Torch. And, true enough, we were not the only spectat

he foreyard-"The strange

the gun, as if it had been an echo, and the sharp, half-ringing half-hissing sound of the shot. It f

lieutenant, jumped fr

ay a bit"-and dived into th

rlinspike with a tuft of oakum at the end of it,-it would have puzzled Old Nick to say which. His lower spars were cased in tight unmentionables of what had once been white kerseymere, and long boots, the coal-skuttle tops

clean out of the fiddle into the lap of Mr Saveall, the purser, who had dined with him, and nearly extinguishing the sa

Wilson," to

out it," said Mr Treenail, the second lieutenant, f

eadeye gave orders to "clear away the weather-bow gun;" and as it was now getting too dark for flags to be se

dy forwa

ready

went our carronade, but our friend to windward paid no regard to the private sig

it would have been wiser to have made sail, and widened our distance, a little, in place of bothering with old fashioned manoeuvres, which might end in our catching a tartar; but the skipper had b

s short lower masts, white canvass, and the tremendous hoist in his topsails, showed him to be a heavy American frigate; and it was equally certain that he had cleverly hooked us under his lee, within comfortable range of his long twenty-four

led to Treenail, who was standing forward near the gun which

you my boy?" the growing seriousness of the affair in no way c

r honour; but th

or get into the top, and I wi

top, as he was ordered, where he was found after t

ite sufficient for a little eighteen-gun sloop, close under his lee; but the fight was not to

yard will carry. Keep her away, my man," to the seaman at the helm. "Crack on, Mr Splinter, shake all the reefs out,--set the

long the wounded foreyard would carry the weight and drag of the sails. To mend the matter, Jonathan was coming up h

It appeared such downright madness to show fight under the very muzzles of the guns of an enemy, half of whos

punching of handspikes, and the dancing and jumping of jack himself, were heard through the whistling of the breeze, as the guns were being shotted and

ses buckled round their waists, all without jackets and

the wind." As she came round, blaze went our carronades and long-gun in succession, with goodwill and good aim, and down came his foretop-sail on the cap, with all the superincumbent sp

hundred and twenty never saw the sun rise again; seventeen more were wounded, three mortally; we had eight shot between wind and water, our maintop-mast shot away as clean as a carrot, and our hull and rigging otherwise regularly cut to pieces. Another broadside succeeded; but by this time we had bore up thanks to the loss of our after sail, we could

. With breathless anxiety did we carry on through that night, expecting every lurch to send our remaining topmast by the board; but

ertures, made by the 24-pound shot from the long guns, with the bruised and splintered ones from the 32-pound carronades; but the men had begun to wash down the decks, and the first gush of clotted blood an water from the scuppers fairly

broadside; but the excitement of a boy, who had seldom smelled powder fired in anger before, had kept m

a grapeshot had struck him, and torn his belly open. There he lay in his bloody hammock on the deck, pale and motionless as if he had

n the old man's cheeks, and filled the furrows worn in them by the washing up of many a salt spray. On the other side of his narrow bed, fomenting the rigid muscles of his neck and chest, sate Mistress Connolly, one of three women on board-a rough enough creature, Heaven knows! in common weather; but her stifled sobs showed that the mournful sight had stirred up all the woman within her. She had opened the bosom of the poor boy's shirt, and untying the riband that fastened a small gold crucifix round

ablecloths over the body. "And is it really gone you are, my poor dear boy!" forgetting all difference of rank in the fulness of her heart. "Who

acteristic samples of the inhabitants. Their faces and sins, where exposed, were not tanned, but absolutely burnt into a fiery-red colour by the sun. They guessed and drawled like any buckskin from Virginia, superadding to their accomplishments their insul

h of the sea. I had jumped from the nettings, where I was perched, to assist in unbolting one of the carronade slides, when I slipped and capsized against a peg sticking out of one of the scuppers. I took it for something else, and d--d the ring-bolt incontinently. Caboose, the cook, was passing with his mate

a drunken rascal, and had a wooden leg; for, as to his gastronomical qualifications, he knew no more of the science than just sufficient to watch the copper where the salt junk and potatoes were boiling. Having been a little in the wind overnight, he had quartered himself, in the superabundance of his heroism, at a gun where he had no business to be, and in running it out, he had jammed his toe in a scupper hole, so fast that there was no extricating him; and notwithstanding his piteous entreaty "to be eased out handsomely, as the leg was made out of a plank of the Victory, and the ring at the end out of one of her bolts," the captain of the gun finding, after a stout pull, that the man

I have not;

sir, had Doctor Kelson not coopered me, where should I have been?-Why, Doctor, had I been looked aft

o slay a pig for the gunroom mess. "Oh, Lad, oh!-Massa Caboose!-Dem da

on deck. "You John Crow

r killed, Capt

d?-Doctor, is

fax three cruises ago; I am sure I don't know how he survived one, but the seamen took a fancy to him,

ost whimsical expression; they saynno one can fathom a negro's affection for a pig. "Poor Purser! de people call him Purser, sir, because him know

in as high glee as if those who were killed had been snug and well in their hammocks on the berth-deck-, in place of at the bottom of the sea, with each a shot at his feet. We weighed, and began to work up, tack and tack, towards the island of Ireland, where the arsenal is, amongst a perfect labyrinth of shoals, through which the Mudian pilot conned the ship with great skill, taking his st

ea, on our voyage to Jamaica, when the g

n deck, were prophetic of wet jackets to some of us; still, midshipman-like, we were as happy as a good dinner and some wine could make us, until the old gunner shove

his Majesty's offi

why? here, man, ta

ndeed more than once I thought there was a strange sail close aboard of us, the scud is flying so low, and in s

o"-Angelice, from a first lieute

se, the rain was beating in my face, and the spray from the stem was flashing over me, as it roared through the waste of sparkling and hissing waters. I turned my back to the weather for a moment, to press my hand on my strained eyes. When I opened them again,

that; look forward, Mr Cringle-look t

bout, it wavered round the point that seemed to attract it, like a soapsud bubble blown from a tobacco pipe before it is shaken into the air; at the core it was comparatively bright, but gradually faded into a halo. It shed a baleful and ominous light on the surrounding objects; the cup of sailors on the forecastle looked like spect

rkle's monkey, sir. You, Jem, you'll never

team boiler, came down upon the gale, and flew past, when it disappeared. I followed the white mass as it sailed down the wind; it did not, as it appeared to me, vanish in the darkness, but seemed to remain in

aptain answered from the quarterdeck-"Th

couple of point

lthough a familiar sound to me, now moaned through the rushing of the

hat you or Davy Jones steering, Mr Nipper? if you had not been

ow he tried to take it as a joke, but could not. "There may be

e chasing shortened, gradually fell abeam of us

see her a

," said the gunner. And sure enough, after a few seconds, I sa

ung out; "put the helm down, or

st point of sailing, and we cracked on, the captain rubbing his hands-"It's my turn to be the big un this time." Although blowing a strong north-easter, it was now clear moonlight and we hammered away from bow guns, but whenever a shot told amongst th

er. "Heave-to, or I'll sink you." Still all silent. "Sergeant Armstrong, do you think you could pick off that chap at the wheel?" The marine jumped on the forecastle, and levelled his piece, when a musket-shot

he moment. In a twinkling, the square foresail-topsail-topgallant-royal-and studdingsail haulyards were let go by

so, and that so suddenly, that the studdingsail booms snapped like pipe-shanks, short off by the irons. Notwithstanding, we had shot two hundred yards to leeward before we could lay our maintopsail to the mast. I ran to wi

ng our American friends

n his mainsail, triced up the bunt of his foresail, and fired his long thirty-two at us. The shot came in at the third aftermost port on the starboard side, and dismounted the carronade, smashing the slide, and wounding three men. The second shot miss

ech, and discharge the gun in his fall. Thereupon a blood-red glare shot up into the cold blue sky, as if a volcano had burst forth from beneath the mighty deep, followed by a roar, and a shattering crash, and a mingling of unearthly cries and groans, and a concussion of the air, and of the water, as if our whole broadside had been fired at once. Then a solitary splash here, and a dip there, and short sharp yells, and low choking bubbling moans, as the hissing fragme

t was hit at t

ain, sir. The last sho

island to afford protection to the coasting trade. One fine morning, about a fortnight after we had left Port Royal, the Torch was lying at anchor in Bluefields Bay. It was between eight and nine; the land-wind had died away, and the sea-breeze had not set in-th

e swell rolled in from the offing in long shining undulations, like a sea of quicksilver, whilst every now and then a flying fish would spark out from the unruffled bosom of the heaving water, and shoot away like a silver arrow, until it dropped with a flash into the sea again. There was not a cloud in the heavens, but a quivering blue haze hung over the land, through which the white sugar-works and overseers' houses on the distant estates appeared to twinkle like objects seen through a thin smoke, whilst each of the tall stems of the cocoa-nut trees on the beach, when looked at steadfastly, seemed to be turning round with a small spiral motion, like so many endless screws. There was a dreamy indistinctness about the outlines of the hills, even in

more use, more hornament, too, I'm sure, den de piece of greasy junk dat hangs from de Captain's t

ghtcap, one

get for

t day him s

at good so

chattered the monk

koo, come up, sir: don't you see dat big shovel-nosed fis

, lost his hold, and fell into the sea. The shark instantly sank to have a run, then dashed at his prey, raising his snout over him, and shooting his head and should

over my head. I looked up and saw a gawnaso, the large carrion-crow of the tropics, sailing, contrary to the habits of its kind, seaward over the brig. I followed it with my eye, until it vanished in the distance, when

and as we approached, one of the crew said he thought he saw some

the sheet aft, and c

fell on the short sea raised by the first of the breeze

when the crow that I had seen, rose from the boat into the air, but immediately alig

cheeks. It was the face of a putrefying corpse. In this floating coffin we found the body of another sailor, doubled across one of the thwarts, with a long Spanish knife sticking between his ribs, as if he had died in some mortal struggle, or, what was equally probable, had put an end to himself in his frenzy; whilst along the bottom of the boat, arranged with some show of care, and cove

its prey. Heaven and earth, what an object met our eyes! It was a full-grown man, but so wasted, that one of the boys lifted him by his belt with one hand. His knees were drawn up to his chin, his hands were like the talons of a bird, while the falling in of his chocolate-coloured and withered features gave an unearthly relief to his forehead, over which the horny and transparent skin was braced so tightly that it seemed ready to crack. But in th

ari mi-oh la noche pasado, la noche pasado!" He was told to compose himself, and that his boy would be taken care of. "Dexa me verlo entonces, oh Dios, dexa me verlo"--and he crawled, grovelling on his chest, like a crushed worm, across the deck,

vice already alluded to, we were ordered

ockaded the place by sea; and it pleased the officer who commanded the inshore division to conceive, whil

as taken aback, and fetching stern-way, a sea struck her. How I escaped I never could tell, but I was pitched right in on deck over the poop, and much bruised, where I found a sad scene of confusion, with the captain and several of the officers in their shirts, and the men tumbling up from below as fast as they could-while, amongst other incidents, one of our passengers who occupied a small cabin under the poop, having gone to sleep with

ary distance. At length some of the shot falling near us, the skipper cleared for action, and with his own hand fired a 32-pounder at the nearest gun-boat, the crew of which bobbed as if they, had seen the shot coming. This opened the eyes of the Dons, who thereupon ceased firing; and as a light breeze had now set down, they immediately made sail in pursuit of a schooner that had watched the opportunity of their being employed with us to run in under the walls, and was at this moment chased by a ship and a gun-boat, who had got within gun-shot and kept

t'other place-and such a squealing and creaking of blocks and rattling of the gear, while yards braced hither and thither, and topping-lifts let go, and sheets let fly, showed that the Dons were in a sad quandary; and no wonder, for we could see the

ching it, we had to walk, under a roasting sun, about two miles through miry roads, until we arrived at the barrier, where we found a detachment of artillery, but the commanding officer could only give us one poor broken-winded horse, and a jackass, on which w

hussar and his horse sticking fast in a slough. We arrived about nightfall, and as the village was almost entirely deserted, we were driven to take up our quarters in an old house, that seemed formerly to have been used as a distillery. Here we found a Spanish lieutenant and several soldiers quartered, all of them suffering more or less from dysentery; and after passing a very comfortless night on hard benches, we rose at grey dawn, with our hands and faces blistered from musquitto bite

attiest fellows in the service, it was a very different matter. He had issued forth on the enterprise, cased in tight blue pantaloons that fitted him like his skin, over which were drawn long well-polished Hessian boots, each with a formidable tassel at top, and his coat was buttoned close up to the chin, with a blazing swab on the right shoulder, while a laced cocked hat and dress sword completed his equipment. But, alas! when we were accounted for on board of the old Torch, there was a fearful dilapidation of his external man. First of all, his inexpressibles w

ieces, and the Captain was about abandoning his ground, and returning to Port Royal, when it came on to blow with redoubled violenc

e sea had if any thing increased. I had just come on deck, when Mr Splinter sung out-"L

spare spars, I had nearly lost an eye by a floating boarding-pike that was lanced at me by the jauglet of the water. As for the boats on the booms, they had all gone to sea separately, and were bobbing at us in a squadron to leeward, th

r feathers, and quizzing each other. But anon a sudden and appalling change came over the sea and the sky, that made the stoutest amongst us quail and draw his breath thick. The firmament darkened-the horizon seeme to contract-the sea became black as ink-the wind fell to a dead calm-the teeming clouds

, even the creaking of the bulkheads, was heard with startling distinctness; and the water-logged brig, having no wind

t, sir?" said Lieutenant

and the rest of the ocean, gleaming on the extreme verge of the horizon-it grew broader-a low increasing growl was

it r

o-salt

ous and sheer force, crushing down beneath his chariot wheels their mountainous and howling ridges into one level plain of foaming water. Our chainplates, strong fastenings, and clenched bolts, drew like pli

remast, with four men at the wheel, one watch at the pumps, and, the other clearing the wreck. But our spirits were soon dashed, when the old carpenter, one of the coolest and bravest men in the ship, rose t

ave either started a but, or the wreck of the foremast has gon

hen, man, and try it over the leak; b

f us, she gave a drunken sickening lurch, and pitched right into it, groaning and trembling

heave the gu

gasping faces, and struggling arms, and colourless clutching hands, and despairing yells for help, where help was impossible; when I felt a sha

d amidst-the hissing spray, we reached th

my horrible extremity, I imprecated the wrath of Heaven on my defenceless head, and shaking my clenched hands against the brazen sky, I called aloud on the Almighty, "Oh, let me never see him rise again!" I glared on the noble dog, as he lay dying at the bottom of the

oists that bound the rafters of the roof together, rested a light canoe with its paddles, and over against me, on the wall, hung some Indian fishing implements, and a long-barrelled Spanis

m leaf. In the dark corner of the hut half a dozen miserable sheep shrunk huddled together. Through the open door I saw the stars in the deep blue heaven, and the cold beams of the newly risen moon were dancing in a long flickering wake of silver light on the ever-heaving bosom of the ocean, whilst the mel

n, with the wool on, is not a mess to thrive on, Tom. All that the sharks have left of the Captain and five sea men came ashore last night. I have buried the poo

ody; and the honest fellow's

s, after having weathered it so long with him through gale and sunshine, to lay the kind-hear

ire. Clung and famished, the poor brute could no longer resist the temptation, but, making a

drop the mutton-drop it, sir, drop it, drop it." And away r

ntly the dog stole into the hut after them, and patiently lay down in a corner, until the Li

ined from pressing his society on me; and we, ther

RE CHRISTO

LD GEN

Chapter-confound my cramp fist-regarding which Old Splinter (erst of

ote STEM, the cutwater of the ship, the coulter as it were-the head of her, not the tail, as the devil would have it. And again, when the privateer hauls his wind suddenly to let the Torch shoot past him, and thereby gain the weather-gage, when old Splinter should sing out, as it was written-but, confound the fist once more "Give her the stem"-that is,

at, and, leagued with John Barleycorn, (let us imagine an impossibility,) floors you by a peg on the gnomon-the wound is in the front-your snout is broken, but your honour is whole. Would it be so, were the Gael to allege, that "her main

ithout explanation, is inconvenient, trowsers being likely to come as high up in these days as pantaloons, and I have some claim on him, seeing that my uncle, Job Cringle, some five-and-forty years ago, at Jamaica, in the town of Port Royal, had hi

is a sternutation?" (words being his weapons) "What is a sternutation?" He shall answer learnedly by the card-"A sneeze," the nose or stem being the organ. Then he shall a

cordiality, n

AS CR