taught weather rigging. Presently I heard the word given to take in the two gaff topsails and flying jib, which was scarcely done, when the moaning sound roughened into a roar, and the little vessel began to yerk at the head seas, as if she would have cut through them, in place of rising to them, and to tie over, as if Davy Jones himself had clapperclawed the mast heads, and was in the act of using them as levers to capsize her, while the sails were tugging at her, as if they would have torn the spars out of her, so that I expected every moment, either that she would turn over, keel up, or that the masts would snap short off by the deck.

All this, which I would without the smallest feeling of dread, on the contrary with exhilaration, have faced cheerily on deck in the course of duty, proved at the time, under my circumstances, most alarming and painful to me; a fair strae death out of the maintop, or off the weather-yard arm, would to my imagination have been an easy exit comparatively, but to be choked in this abominable hole, and drowned darkling like a blind puppy -the very thought made me frantic, and I shouted and tumbled about, until I missed my footing and fell backwards down the ladder, from the bottom of which I scuttled away to the lee-side of the cabin, quiet, through absolute despair and exhaustion from the heat and closeness.

I had remarked that from the time the breeze freshened, the everlasting Yankee drawling of the crew, and the endless confabulation of the captain and his mate, had entirely ceased, and nothing was now heard on deck but the angry voice of the raging elements, and at intervals a shrill piercing piercing v word or two from Obed, in the altered tone of which I had some difficulty in recognising his pipe, which rose clear and distinct above the roar of the sea and wind, and was always answered by a prompt, sharp, "aye, aye, sir," from the men. There was no circumlocution, nor calculating, nor guessing now, but all hands seemed to be doing their duty energetically and well. "Come, the vagabonds are sailors after all, we shan't be swamped this turn;" and I resumed my place on the companion ladder, with more ease of mind, and a vast deal more composure, than when I was pitched from it when the squall came on. In a moment after, I could hear the captain sing out, loud even above the howling of the wind and rushing of the water,

"There it comes at last - put your helm hard aport - down with it, Paul, down with it, man-luff, and shake the wind out of her sails, or over we goes, clean and for ever." Every thing was jammed, nothing could be let go, nor was there an axe at hand to make short work with the sheets and haulyards; and for a second or two I thought it was all over, the water rushing half way up her decks, and bubbling into the companion, through the crevices; but at length the lively little craft came gaily to the wind, shaking her plumage like a wild duck; the sails were got in, all to the foresail, which was set with the bonnet off, and then she lay-to like a seagull, without shipping a drop of water. In the comparative stiliness I could now distinctly hear every word that was said on deck.

"Pretty near it; rather close shaving that same, captain," quoth Paul, with a congratulatory chuckle; "but I say, sir, what is that wreath of smoke rising from Annotta Bay over the headland ?יי

Why, how should I know, Paul? Negroes burning brush, I guess."

"The smoke from brushwood never rose and flew over the bluff with that swirl, I calculate; it is a gun or I mistake."

And he stepped to the companion for the purpose, as I conceived, of taking out the spy-glass, which usually hangs there in brackets fitted to hold it; he undid the hatch, and pushed it back, when I popped my head out, to the no small dismay of the mate; but Obed was up to me, and while with one hand he seized the glass, he ran the sliding top sharp up against my neck, till he pinned me into a kind of pillory, to my great annoyance; so I had to beg to be released, and once more slunk back into my hole. There was a long pause; at length, Paul, to whom the skipper had handed the spy-glass, spoke.

"A schooner, sir, is rounding the point."

As I afterwards learned, the Negroes who had witnessed my capture, especially the old man who had taken me for his infernal majesty, had raised the alarm, so soon as they could venture down to the overseer's house, which was on the smuggling boat shoving off, and Mr. Fyall immediately dispatched an express to the Lieutenant commanding the Gleam, then lying in Annotta Bay, about ten miles distant, when she instantly slipped and shoved out.

rejoined the captain.

Another pause.

"Why, I don't like her, sir; she looks like a man-of-war-and that must have been the smoke of the gun she fired on weighing."

"Eh?" sharply answered Obed, "if it be, it will be a hanging matter if we are caught with this young splice on board; he may belong to her for what I know. Look again, Paul."

A long, long look.

"A man-of-war schooner, sure enough, sir; I can see her ensign and pennant, now that she is clear of the land."

"Oh Lord, oh Lord," cried Obed, in great perplexity, "what shall we do?" "Why, pull foot, captain," promptly replied Paul; "the breeze has lulled, and in light winds she will have no chance with the tidy little Wave."

I could now perceive that the smugglers made all sail, and I heard the frequent swish-swish of the water, as they threw bucketsful on the sails, to thicken them and make them hold more wind, while we edged away, keeping as close to the wind, however, as we could, without stopping her way.

"Starboard," quoth Obed "rap full, Jem-let her walk through it, my boy-there, main and fore-sail, flat as boards; why, she will stand the maingaff-topsail yet- set it, Paul, set it;" and his heart warmed as he gained confidence in the qualifications of his vessel. "Come, weather me, now, see how she trips it along-poo, I was an ass to quail, wan't I, Paul?" No chance, now, thought I, as I descended once more; "I may as well go and be suffocated at once." I knocked my foot against something, in stepping off the ladder, which, on putting down my hand, I found to be a tinder-box, with steel and flint. I had formerly ascertained there was a candle in the cabin, on the small table, stuck into a bottle; so I immediately struck a light, and as I knew that meekness and solicitation, having been tried in vain, would not serve me, I determined to go on the other tack, and to see how far an assumption of coolness and self-possession, or, it might be, a dash of bravado, whether true or feigned, might not at least ensure me some consideration and better treatment from the lawless gang into whose hands I had fallen.

So I set to and ransacked the lockers, where, amongst a vast variety of miscellaneous matters, I was not long

rum, some salt junk, some biscuit, and a goglet or porous earthern jar of water, with some capital cigars. By this time I was like to faint with the heat and smell; so I filled a tumbler with good half and half, and swigged it off. The effect was speedy, I thought I could eat a bit; so I attacked the salt junk and made a hearty meal, after which I replenished my tumbler, lighted a cigar, pulled off my coat and waistcoat, and, with a sort of desperate glee, struck up at the top of my pipe, " Ye Mariners of England." My joviality was soon noticed on deck.

"Eh, what be that?" quoth Obed, "that be none of our ditties, I guess? who is singing below there?"

"We be all on deck, sir," responded Paul.

"It can't be the spy, eh? -sure enough it must be he, and no one else; the heat and choke must have made him mad."

"We shall soon see," said Paul, as he removed the skylight, and looked down into the cabin.

Obed looked over his shoulder, peering at me with his little short-sighted pig's eyes, into which, in my pot valiancy, I immediately chucked half a tumbler of very strong grog, and under cover of it attempted to bolt through the scuttle, and thereby gain the deck; but Paul, with his shoulder of mutton fist, gave me a very unceremonious rebuff, and down I dropped again.

"You makes yourself at home, I sees, and be hanged to you," said Obed, laying the emphasis on the last word, pronouncing it "yoo-oo" in two syllables.

"I do, indeed, and be damned to you-oo," I replied; "and why should I not? the visit was not volunteered, you know; so come down, you longlegged Yankee smuggling scoundrel, or I'll blow your bloody buccaneering craft out of the water like the peel of an onion. You see I have got the magazine scuttle up, and there are the barrels of powder, and here is the candle, so"

Obed laughed like the beginning of the bray of the jackass before he swings off into his "heehaw, heehaw" "Smash my eyes, man, but them barrels be full of pimento, all but that one with the red mark, and that be crackers fresh and sharp from the Brandywine mills.”

"Well, well, gunpowder, or pimento, I'll set fire to it if you don't be civil."

"Why, I will be civil; you are a curious chap, a brave slip, to carry it so, with no friend near; so, civil I will be."

He unlocked the companion hatch and came down to the cabin, doubling his long limbs up like foot rules, to suit the low roof.

"Free and easy, my man," continued the captain, as he entered. "Well, I forgive you -we are quits now-and if we were not beyond the Island Craft, I would put you ashore, but I can't stand back now."

"Why, may I ask?"

"Simply, because one of your men of war schooners an't more than hull down astarn of me at this moment; she is working up in shore, and has not chased me as yet; indeed she may save herself the trouble, for ne'er a schooner in your blasted service has any chance with the tidy little Wave."

I was by no means so sure of this. "Well, Master Obediah, it may turn up as you say, and in a light wind, I know you will either sail or sweep away from any one of them; but, to be on the square with you, if it comes on to blow, that same hooker, which I take to be his Britannic Majesty's schooner, Gleam, will, from his greater beam, and superior length, outcarry and forereach on you, aye, and weather on you too, hand over hand; so this is my compact-if he nails you, you will require a friend at Court, and I will stand that friend; if you escape and I will not interfere either by advice or otherwise, either to get you taken or to get you clear-will you promise to put me on board the first English merchant vessel we fall in with, or, at the longest, to land me at St. Jago de Cuba, and I will promise you, on my honour, notwithstanding all that has been said or done, that I will never hereafter inform against you, or in any way get you into trouble, if I can help it. Is it done? Will you give me your hand upon it?" Obed did not hesitate a moment; he clenched my hand and squeezed it, till the blood nearly spouted from my finger-ends; one might conceive of Norwegian bears greeting each other after this fashion, but I trust no Christian will ever, in time coming, subject my digits to a similar species of torture.

"Agreed, my boy, I have promised, and you may depend on me; smuggler though I be, and somewhat worse on occasion mayhap, I never breaks my

There was an earnestness about the poor fellow, in which I thought there could be no deception, and from that moment we were on what I may call a very friendly footing for friendly a prisoner and his jailor.

"Well, now, I believe you, so let us have a glass of grog, and"

Here the mate sung out, "Captain, come on deck, if you please; quickly, sir, quickly."

By this time it had begun to breeze up again, and as the wind rose, I could see the spirits of the crew fell, as if conscious they had no chance if it freshened. When we went on deck, Paul was still peering through the telescope.

"The schooner has tacked, sir." A dead silence; then giving the glass a swing, and driving the joints into each other, with such vehemence as if he would have broken them in pieces, he exclaimed, "She is after us, so sure as I ben't a niger.”

"No! is she though?" eagerly enquired the captain, as he at length seized the spy-glass, twisting and turning it about and about, as he tried to hit his own very peculiar focus. At length he took a long, long, breathless look, while the eyes of the whole crew, some fifteen hands or so, were rivetted upon him with the most intense anxiety.

"What a gaff top sail she has gotmy eye!-and a ringtail with more clothes in it than our square sail-and the breeze comes down stronger and stronger!"

All this while I looked out equally excited, but with a very different interest. "Come, this will do," thought I; "she is after us; and if old Dick Gasket brings that fiery sea-breeze he has now, along with him, we shall puzzle the smuggler, for all his long start."

"There's a gun, sir," cried Paul, trembling from head to foot.

"Sure enough," said the skipper, "and it must be a signal. And there go three flags at the fore. She must, I'll bet a hundred dollars, have taken our tidy little Wave for the Admiral's tender that was lying in Morant Bay."

"Blarney," thought I ; "tidy as your little Wave is, she won't deceive old Dick-he is not the man to take a herring for a horse; she must be making signals to some man-of-war in sight."

"A strange sail right-a-head," sung out three men from forward all at once. "Did'nt I say so?"-I had only thought so. "Come, Master Obediah, it thickens now, you're in for it," said I. To be concluded in our next.

In the year 1821, (says a correspondent of the United Service Journal), I was a midshipman in his majesty's ship Vigo, guardship at St. Helena, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Lambert, and commanded by Capt. Thomas Brown, during the latter period of Napoleon's exile. I had charge of an excellent establishment on shore, called the stockyard, for keeping a supply of fat cattle for the squadron, after the arrival of the animals from the Cape, lank and lean. My party of men always slept on board, landing the next morning at day-light.

It was in the early part of May, a month rendered remarkable by the death of the great chieftain, which took place on the 5th day, that we were pulling in as usual in the launch, with several working-parties on board, but observing that the surf was too violent for the Large boat, filled with men, to attempt a landing, we tried to accomplish it by a few at a time in the jollyboat. A small number, including myself, got on shore in this manner. Shortly after, I was engaged in conversation with one of the officers of the Hon. Company's ship Ganges, surrounded by native women, some children, and Lascars, when I felt myself forcibly pulled by the arm, and heard a person exclaim-Look at the

horizon, run, save yourself, we shall be all lost.

I did look, and the sight I shall never cease to remember, it was so frightfully grand. On the horizon, from the northwest, appeared an immense undulation, or swell resembling a bank of water rolling majestically in, directly in the wind's eye. Whether it was my anxiety for the boats, or that astonishment had paralyzed me, I cannot tell, but I felt rivetted to the spot, and before I could attempt to save myself as others did by climbing the rocks, I was whirled along with the rapidity of lightning in the midst of this dark wave. Almost in an instant I experienced a violent shock, which stunned me for a few moments; on recovering the perfect use of my senses, I found myself in the armourer's cave, with the forge lying across my thigh. To this circumstance I must draw attention, as, by its weight keeping me from going into the sea as the water receded, and from being dashed against the rocks, to it I owe my preservation. Near me were lying two Lascars, one was split up the middle, and the other's skull was beat to pieces -both were dead. Fearing a return of the surf, as the sea usually rolls in quickly, twice, and then comes with redoubled violence, I made the best use of my lungs; the carpenter fortunately heard my cries and rescued me. My clothes were torn to shreds, my ears, eyes, and nose filled with ashes and blood; but with the exception of a few contusions, and lacerated hands, I was otherwise unhurt. One woman was drowned, and several men and children were picked up by the boats. The first swell that I have mentioned was the prelude to a gigantic surf, which lasted three days.

This phenomenon (as nothing like it had ever taken place in the memory of the oldest inhabitants) was attributed to an earthquake. We had only telegraphic communication with the ship while it lasted. The fortifications were much injured in front of James Town; huge rocks were torn up and tossed into our little bathing-place to the left of the landing; the guard-house was abandoned, the sea reaching the upper windows; the ships rode with sails aback to keep them astern of their anchors; and, while it lasted, to see the mass of water burst upon the cliffs, as if to shake the island from its foundation, was the grandest sight I ever beheld.

CANNOCK MOOR.

BY HORACE GUILFORD. For the Olio.

Here a huge heather-moor dilates the eye, Where royal woods in shadowy majesty Womb'd the wild monster and the woodland sprite,

And pale shades shudder'd at the Druid's rite.

Long did those forests furnish from their fall The high-carved cieling of the feudal hall; Their crackling logs on Christmas stormy night,

Long cast from mighty hearths a festal light; And their proud trunks, their leafy honours o'er,

Launched a triumphant navy from the shore.

Now on those glades where once the entangled ray

Scarce dared to glimmer, sweeps the shadeless day;

herd's tread,

But tassell'd heath-flowers 'neath the shep. Lay their fine tapestry purple white and red; And golden gorsebuds proud in guarded bloom,

Repay the sun's fierce kisses in perfume.

THE AUTHOR OF "LACON."

THE recent death of this eccentric man inclines us to believe that the following sketch of his peculiar habits will be perused with interest by the readers of the "OLIO."

"Some years have elapsed since chance first threw me in the way of the Rev. C. C. Colton, now so well known to the public by his various writings, but more especially by his admirable series of apothegms, entitled 'Lacon, or Many Things in Few Words. For my introduction to this very talented but eccentric personage, I was indebted to the politeness of my worthy friend John Stewart, formerly secretary to the Nabob of Arcot, but better known to the generality of my readers by his cognomen of Walking Stewart; a man no less remarkable for the originality of his character, than the individual whose name I have prefixed to the present paper. It was the custom of my travelled acquaintance to give musical soirees, at his apartments in Cockspurstreet, twice a week, viz., on the evenings of Tuesday and Sunday. His concerts were formed, in the first instance, chiefly of amateurs; but finding their attendance very little to be depended upon, Mr. Stewart determined to secure his visitors against disappointment, by

hiring musical professors expressly for the occasion. These entertainments, to which no passport beyond the introduction of a friend was considered necessary, provided that friend was one of the intimate acquaintances of the worthy traveller, continued without intermission, on every appointed night throughout the season, nay, sometimes throughout the entire year; and although the company on such occasions was frequently of a singularly mixed character, there wanted neither beauty, talent, nor fashion, to add to the attractions of the hour. At one of these soirees, Mr. Stewart introduced to me a military looking gentleman, of somewhat peculiar physiognomy, whom he described as 'Mr. C. C. Colton Colton, the

author of a singularly clever brochure, as yet unpublished. My old friend had no very remarkable respect for the dignity of Mr. Colton's office, and consequently left the word Reverend entirely out of the introduction. Mr. C.'s. tout-ensemble was at once striking and peculiar. There was an indefinable something in the general character of his features, which, without being remarkably prepossessing, fixed the attention of a stranger in no ordinary degree. His keen grey eye was occasionally overshadowed by a scowl, or inflection of the brow, indicative rather of an habitual intensity of reflection than of any cynical severity of disposition. His nose was aquiline, or (to speak more correctly, if less elegantly) hooked; his cheek bones were high and protruding; and his forehead by no means remarkable, either for its expansiveness or phrenological beauty of development. There was a singular variability of expression about his mouth, and his chin was precisely what Lavater would have called an intellectual chin. Perhaps the shrewdness of his glance was indicative rather of extraordinary cunning than of high mental intelligence. His usual costume was a frock-coat, sometimes richly braided, and a black velvet stock; in short, his general appearance was quite military; so much so, that he was often asked if he was not in the army.I am half inclined to believe that he courted this kind of misconception, as his reply was invariably the same :'No, Sir, but I am an officer of the church militant. Had not this pun been destined for immortality, he must inevitably have worn it out many years ago; for scarcely a day passed that he did not put it in requisition.