the boarding pikes." Thus saying, he rushed into the thickest of the fight, and was followed instantly by the wrongly accused Wilson. The lieutenant had thrown himself on the enemy's deck-a pistol was raised to his breast-his fate seemed inevitable; when Wilson with one bound threw himself before him, and received the shot in his own bosom. I dashed forward to revenge him, cut the Frenchman down with one blow, and then stooped to see if the wound was mortal. It was. There he lay, cold and still, with his usual calm melancholy smile on his lips, and his hand tightly grasping the to my duty; and in half an hour victory declared for us. The lieutenant was deeply affected at his fate. body was discovered, and decently consigned to the deep. The prize was secured, our decks washed down, and we set sail for England. We soon arrived in the Downs, and I set off to console poor Mary with the lieutenant's promise that she should be amply provided for. But bad news flies apace, so I found she had heard of his death—and I just arrived in time to see her laid in her

grave.

A NAVAL EPITAPH.

His

dying when she she was quite young, she was taken and adopted by his parents; and thus, as they grew together, a natural affection sprung up between them, so deep, so true, and lasting, that death itself could only break the bonds. A day was fixed for their union, but war breaking out, he was dragged away from her as he was leaving the church, and they parted in the manner before described. Thus ended his short tale, which told more than any long yarn could. I consoled him, and from that moment we were sworn friends. I often shielded him from the taunts and insults of the crew, to whom he had rendered himself obnoxious by his re-portrait, which I seized, let drop a tear, and hastened served manner. What stung him most was that his courage was doubted. And oft have I heard him on the mid-watch, in the dead hour of the night, kissing the picture of his beloved Mary (which he carried constantly in his bosom), and praying for an action, that he might wipe the stains off his wounded honour. His prayer was at length heard. We were cruising near the Cape of Good Hope one hazy morning, when the man on the look-out gave intelligence of a strange sail in sight, which soon after proved to be a French frigate of superior force, carrying forty-two guns, and we but thirty-six. All hands were piped up, the bulk-heads stove in, the hatches knocked up, and the deck in a short time cleared for action. The enemy bore down, and in less than ten minutes the action commenced. It was a hard fight. The enemy fought vigorously, relying on their superior weight of metal. The contest had lasted about an hour, and was going rather in favour of our enemy, our topmasts being shot away, and splinters flying about in all directions, when the captain gave orders instantly to board. The grapplings were thrown out, and we were soon lashed side to side. During the whole contest, Wilson and I had fought together. He fought with desperate courage, rushing into the midst of danger with a fearful and reckless energy. Just as the orders for boarding had been given, I was despatched by the captain to the cock-pit with a message to the first lieutenant, who had been wounded in he beginning of the onset. He inquired if he could possibly come on deck, as the danger was imminent. Snatching his wounded arm from the surgeon, who was dressing it, and seizing his sword, he rushed up the ladder and soon reached the quarter-deck, where a desperate struggle was now taking place, and all were taking an earnest part in the affray except Wilson, who had paused for a moment to kiss Mary's picture, to nerve him in this trying hour; and just as he was about raising it to his lips, the lieutenant approached, and striking him with the flat part of his sword, exclaimed, "How now, sir coward thinking of love still! To your post, sir, or the marines shall prick you on with

HERE peaceably beneath this old oak tree
Two sailors sleep;
For years they wandered o'er the fickle sea,
And braved the deep
All fearlessly.
They heard the cannons roar in deadly fray,
When Nelson lost his life, but won the day;
And France and Spain
Their banners humbled, and themselves distressed,
The British ensign candidly confessed
Pride of the main-
Of flags the best!

But not alone amid the battle's strife
A foe they've met-

The gale has seen them struggling for life,
Storm-staysails set,

And mischief rife,

When baffling leaks the carpenters provoked,
And pumps, by swallowing overmuch, got choked
'Mid heavy swell:

It might be said whene'er she lurched a-lee,
So dropsical from suction would she be,
"All's well-all's well."

Malum in se.

Peace and old age at length brought promised rest;
They anchored here;

The turf lies lightly on the gallant breast
That ne'er knew fear
When danger pressed.

Now safe from raging storm or battle's din,
Their souls, redeemed by HIM who knew no sin,
Find calm retreat:

And when all bodies, from the general wreck,
Are mustered by the angel of the cheque
Their souls to meet-
First upon deck!

Loss of the Forfarshire Steamer, Captain John Humble, pumps were able to keep the vessel quite dry. The September 7, 1838.

In this inefficient state the vessel, with above sixty | a desperate effort to get into the boat just as it was individuals on board, was sent out and proceeded on leaving the wreck, and in endeavouring to leap on her voyage, and passed through the "Fairway," be- board, they fell into the sea and perished in his sight. tween the Fern Islands and the land, about six o'clock He had nothing on all the time he was in the boat, but on Thursday evening. She entered Berwick bay about a shirt and a pair of trousers; and his employment eight o'clock the same evening, the sea running high, whilst in it was baling out the water with a pair of and the wind blowing strong from the N.N.E. From shoes for a "howskelly." The escape of the boat was the motion of the vessel the leak increased to such a remarkable. There was only one outlet by which it degree, that the firemen could not keep the fires burn- could escape being dashed by the breakers against the ing. Two men were then employed to pump water island, and that outlet was taken without the parties into the boilers, but it escaped through the leak as fast being aware of it. The boat's crew passed through the as they pumped it in. About ten o'clock she bore up mighty current uninjured, and, after being exposed in off St. Abb's Head, the storm still raging with unabated an open boat all night, were picked up about eight fury. The engines soon after became entirely useless, o'clock on Saturday morning by a Montrose sloop, and and the engine-man reported that they would not work. carried into Shields. Mr. Ritchie had fortunately some There being great danger of drifting ashore, the sails sovereigns in the pockets of his trousers, which he were hoisted fore and aft, and the vessel got about in brought out of the cabin, and these enabled him to proorder to get her before the wind, and keep her off the cure clothes soon after being landed. The following is land. No attempt was made to anchor. The vessel a list of the crew and passengers brought into Shields: soon became unmanageble, and the tide setting strong John Matson, second mate; James Hill, Alexander to the south, she proceeded in that direction. It rained Murray, Robert Fox, Allan Stewart, engineer; James heavily during the whole time, and the fog was so dense Hall, coal-trimmer; David Grant, Ruthven Ritchie, that it became impossible to tell the situation of the farmer; and James Duncan, first mate. Mr. Ritchie vessel. At length breakers were discovered close to proceeded to Bamburgh, to inquire into the fate of his leeward, and the Fern Lights, which about the same fellow passengers, and thence he went to Edinburgh on period became visible, felieved all doubt as to the im- his way home to communicate the melancholy intelliminent peril of all on board. An attempt was made to gence to his friends. The mate and some other of the run the vessel between the Fern Islands, but she refused crew reached Dundee on the Tuesday following. to answer her helm, and at three o'clock on Friday morning, she struck with tremendous force against the outer or Long-stone Island.

The vessel struck aft the paddle-boxes, and not above three minutes after the few survivors had rushed upon deck, a second shock separated her into two parts-the

away with all upon them through a tremendous current called the Piper Gut, which is dangerous even in temperate weather, running between the islands at the rapidity of six miles an hour, and in tempestuous weather becomes terrific; whilst the fore part of the vessel remained fast on the rock. The captain stuck to the wreck, till washed overboard with his wife in his arms, and both were drowned.

A portion of the crew, intent only on self-preserva-stern, quarter-deck, and cabin, being instantly carried tion, had lowered the larboard-quarter boat down, and left the ship, amongst whom was the first mate, James Duncan. The stroke of the vessel on the rock was regarded as the signal of death. The master lost all self-possession, and his wife, who was on board with him, sought in cries of anguish and despair the protection which, alas, he could not extend. The cries of females on deck, mingled with the roaring of the ocean and the screams of the wild fowl disturbed from their resting-places, whilst the men, clinging to the vessel, awaited in silence their inevitable fate. Most of the cabin-passengers were below, and many of them asleep in their berths. As soon as the vessel struck, the steward ran down and gave an alarm; but one passenger only, namely, Mr. Ruthven Ritchie, of Hill of Ruthven, Perthshire, was saved. On being awoke he arose instantly, and seizing his trousers rushed upon deck; from whence, observing the sailors leaping into the boat, he, with an extraordinary effort by means of a rope, swung himself into it, and was thus miraculously preserved. The uncle and aunt of this gentleman made

The situation of the few passengers who remained on the fore part of the vessel was perilous in the extreme. Placed on a small rock surrounded by the sea, which threatened to engulph them, and their companions having but just before been swept away from them, they were clinging to life whilst all hope of relief was sinking within them, and crying for help, whilst the tempestuous billows drowned their feeble shrieks, and defied their puny efforts to escape. Their cries, however, were not unheard.' Their shouts of distress fell upon the ear of Miss Grace Horsley Darling, who, with her father, Mr. W. Darling, occupies the outer Fern Lighthouse. She awakened her parent, and at daybreak he launched his boat and pre

pared to proceed to their rescue. The state of the tide | north, and requested the captain to proceed to the wreck, and of the weather was such as to render any attempt to offering at the same time to pilot the vessel, as they could reach the wreck extremely dangerous; and the old man, easily have done to within a few yards of the lee of the who had never before known the quailings of fear, was rock in seven fathoms water. The captain, however, loath in such a tremendous gale to rush, as he considered declined, and the men in the coble, after much exertion, on certain death. After watching the wreck for some succeeded in reaching the wreck. They found three time, they discovered, from some movement, that living bodies, one of them dressed in black, apparently about beings were still clinging to it, and the gallant female, forty years of age, who, from papers found on his person, who partook of her father's generous sympathy, as she is supposed to be the Rev. John Robb, of Dunkeld. The acknowledged the relationship of flesh and blood, with other two were brother and sister, the boy eleven and matchless intrepidity, seized the oar and entered the boat. the girl eight years of age, and children of Mrs. Dawson, This was enough-the noble parent followed, and, with who was saved by the exertions of Mr. Darling and his the assistance of the fair sailor, conducted the frail skiff daughter. They also took a quantity of copper and some over the foaming billows to the spot where the wreck light articles which would soon have been washed away. appeared. By a dangerous and desperate effort the father The storm raged with unabated fury, and in attempting was landed on the rock, and to preserve the frail coble to return, they were compelled to put in at Longstone from being dashed to pieces, it was rapidly rowed back Lighthouse, which they reached with much difficulty, among the awful abyss of waters, and kept afloat by the were they where obliged to remain two days and tw skilfulness and dexterity of this noble-minded young nights in a temporary building, the waves occasionally woman. At length the whole of the survivors, consisting bursting in and obliging them to seek shelter in the of five of the crew and four of the deck passengers, were Lighthouse tower, which was occupied by Mr. and Miss taken from the wreck, and conveyed to the lighthouse, Darling, and the persons they had saved from the where the same tender hand administered to their wants, wreck. They made another attempt to reach North and anxiously, for three days and three nights, waited on Sunderland on Sunday, but they were obliged to run in the sufferers, and soothed their afflictions. By the assist- at Beadnel, where they remained till the following day. ance of the crew, they were enabled to bring the coble They visited the wreck on Monday, and found the body and its burthen to the Long-stone Island. It is im- of an Irishman, named John Gallehar, who lately resided possible to speak in too high terms of this unparalleled act at Dundee. The names of the brave and meritorious indiof humanity, bravery, and disinterestedness. This peril-viduals who ventured their lives from North Sunderland ous achievement-unexampled in the feats of female are as follow:-Wm. Robson, James Robson, Michael fortitude was witnessed by the survivors in silent won-Robson, Wm. Swain, Brooks Darling (brother, to Miss der. The main land could not be reached, from the state Darling), Thomas Cuthbertson, and Robert Knox. They of the weather, till Sunday, and during the whole of this behaved most gallantly. time the attentions of the heroine were indefatigable.

The wreck was discovered from Bamburgh Castle early on Friday morning, when a signal was imme

to apprise the fishermen of the calamity. The life-boat could not be launched from the extremely boisterous state of the weather, but every thing was done that could be devised; and Mr. Smeddle, the principal agent, Mr. Hamilton, and others attached to the castle, were most indefatigable in their exertions.

The names of the individuals saved from the wreck of the Forfarshire, by Mr. Darling and his daughter, are-diately hoisted, and the alarm-gun fired along the shore John Kidd, fireman, of Dundee; Jonathan Ticket, cook, of Hull; John Macqueen, coal trimmer, Dundee; John Tullock, carpenter, Dundee; John Nicholson, fireman, Dundee, of the crew. D. Donovan, fireman, and free passenger, of Dundee; James Keeley, weaver, Dundee; Thomas Buchanan, baker, Dundee; Mrs. Dawson, bound to Dundee, passengers. The entire number saved is On the following Monday the four bodies were eighteen, of whom thirteen belonged to the vessel, and brought to the castle, and on the next day an inquest five were passengers. The remainder on board perished. was held before Stephen Reed, Esq., in the absence of The wreck of the steamer was seen from North Sun-T. A. Russell, Esq., when, after a patient investigation, derland, on the morning of the wreck, about six o'clock, the coroner summed up, and the jury returned a verdict when signals were hoisted and guns fired immediately, to the following effect :-Wrecked on board the Forfarbut men could not be found to go off in the life-boat.shire steam-packet by the imperfections of the boilers, After some delay seven persons volunteered their services, and culpable negligence of the captain not putting back and set out in a four-oared coble. The boat shipped to port. Deodand on the vessel, £100, being one-half several seas in the course of her perilous voyage, and on of the estimated value of that part of the vessel and their way they spoke a steam-vessel of London, going machinery left upon the rock.

the rocks broken. The engine, which was 180-horse power, was greatly damaged. A quantity of new boiler plate was found among the wreck. A part is sunk a little to the south of Hawker's rock, and, as it is supposed, the bodies of several persons who have not been found are in it, a rope has been attached to it, for the purpose of raising it, in order to satisfy the anxiety of their surviving friends. The cargo is stated to have

One of the most heart-rending circumstances connected with this melancholy event occurred during the night when the survivors were on the rock. The vessel became a total wreck in less than a quarter of an hour after she struck; and those that were fortunate enough to get on the rock suffered severely from the cold, and from the heavy seas which washed over them at intervals. Their clothes were mostly torn off, and from continued exertions they were reduced to a state of complete ex-been very valuable, having been insured to the amount haustion. The most agonising spectacle was that of Mrs. Dawson, with her two children, a boy and a girl, eight and eleven years of age, firmly grasped in each hand: there she held them in the agonies of despair long after the buffetings of the waves, which drove them to and fro, had deprived them of existence. She is severely injured, and remains at Bamburgh, unable to proceed homewards. Donovan is also much hurt; and he states that he lay for three hours holding on by a spike nail.

Is is impossible to tell with certainty the number of those who have suffered, inasmuch as no entries were made when the passengers embarked. One of the survivors states the number at forty-two, and another at forty-seven. As only five are known to be saved, the probable loss of life will be between thirty-seven and forty-two passengers; and the master and his wife, and seven of the crew, will make the total loss between forty-six and fifty-one persons. The following are the names of some of the sufferers :

Captain Humble and wife; the Rev. John Robb, Dunkeld; Mr. Bell, factor to Lord Kinnoul; Mrs. Allison, Peasholme-house, York, with son and grandson; Miss Martin, of No. 28, St. James's-street, Aberdeen, and one child. This lady had considerable property on her person; it is said 300 sovereigns, in some part of her dress. Mr. and Mrs. Allen, and one child, said to be last from Russia; Mr. Robert Allison, of Dundee; Mr. John and Mr. William Grant, of Louth, Lincolnshire; Mr. Paston and a friend; Mr. Scott, of Dundee, and his son, about seven years of age; Mr. Brown and Mr. M'Cloud; Mr. Arnett and two friends; Mrs. Patrick, of Hull, wife of Captain Patrick, of the Clara.

There are among the sufferers three gentlemen belonging to Perth, one to Fife, and one to St. Petersburgh. A female steerage passenger lost two children, one was drowned, and the other died in her arms. Amongst the persons brought to the spot from a distance, was one gentleman who had lost his wife, son, and grandson, another his mother and brother.

The only part of the vessel which remained, consisted of the forecastle, part of the engine, paddle-wheels, anchor, cable, foremast and rigging. One of the boilers was washed to sea, while the other two were thrown on

of £4000; but only three boxes of soap have been discovered. Parts of the wreck have been thrown on shore at Hauxley, Amble, Hartley, and other parts on the coast of Northumberland. The stern of the vessel, with the name, a hair-covered trunk, and a corded box, were seen on Monday, the 10th of September, from the deck of the London Merchant steam-vessel, floating off Seaham. The stern was also seen, near the same place, from the City of Edinburgh steamer, the day before. The brig Williams, Captain Blyth, of Sunderland, from Hamburgh, when about five miles from the land, off Hartlepool, on the same day, fell in with a quantity of wreck, which is supposed to have belonged to the For farshire steamer. Among other materials was the poop of a vessel, together with a box about fifteen feet long, and two and a half feet square, containing a quantity of new machinery. The search is still going on for the bodies of the unfortunate sufferers, and the property of the vessel; and every assistance is rendered by the agents at Bamburgh Castle, as well as by the fishermen and revenue-officers on the coast.

The Forfarshire was a new vessel, having been little more than two years at sea. She first sailed from Dundee in May, 1836; she sailed weekly between Dundee and Hull, and had engines of 120 or 200-horse power. The captain (Mr. John Humble) belonged to Shields, and served his apprenticeship to the sea in one of the collier sloops trading between that place and Newcastle. The first steamer he was in was a small tug-boat, which belonged to Shields, called the Tarset; he afterwards commanded another steamer, called the Neptune, which sailed between Hull and Newcastle. He also was some time mate of the Eclipse, the Newcastle and Leith boat already mentioned.

The Brothers.

Ir was in the year 1779 that I belonged to the Glasgow, of twenty guns, when she was stationed in the West Indies. I was then seventeen years old; and though I say it myself, who perhaps ought not to say it, yet I was as good a looking fellow as ever weathered the Palisade, at Jamacia, or sucked a monkey at Barbadoes. My