his features were sharp and pinched, and he could only utter a low moaning noise when we had stretched him along the bottom of the boat. "Mercy!" said I, "surely my experiment has not killed him?" However, our best plan now was to get back to the frigate as soon as might be, so Lanyard, who had purposely kept in the background, now gave the word to shove off, and in a minute we were all on the Gazelle's quarterdeck; poor Donovan having been hoisted up, lashed into an accommodation chair. He was instantly taken care of, and, in our excellent surgeon's hands, I am glad to say that he recovered, and lived to be an ornament to the service, and a credit to all connected with him for many a long day afterwards.

The first thing little Binnacle did was to explain to Sir Oliver that he had been ill for three days with brain fever, having had a stroke of the sun; but aware of the heavy responsibility of taking forcibly the command of a vessel from one's superior officer, he was allowed to have it all his own way until the Gazelle hove in sight.

"Pray, Mr. Binnacle," said the commodore, "have you brought me the letters and the English newspapers?"

66

Yes, Sir Oliver; here they are, sir; and here is a memorandum of several vessels expected on this part of the coast that we got from the Cerberus, sir."

"Oh, let me see.'

After a long pause, the commodore again spoke.

"Why, Mr. Binnacle, I have no tidings of the vessels you speak of; but I suppose we must stand in for the point indicated, and take our chance of falling in with them. But where got you all these men? Did the Cerberus man you?"

No, sir, she did not. Ten of the men were landed at Cape Coast, out of the Tobin, Liverpool trader. They are no great things, sir, certainly; they had been mutinous, so the merchantman who unship-ped them chose to make the run home with five free negroes instead. But if they be bad, there is not much of them, for they are the smallest men I ever saw."

The chap who spoke-little Binnacle, viz.—was not quite a giant himself. He was a dapper little blue-jacket, about five feet two. His boat's, or rather his canoe's, crew were all very little men, but still evidently full-grown, and not boys. Every thing about the craft he had come from was diminutive, except her late commander. The midshipman was small-the men were all pigmies. The vessel herself could not have carried one of the pyramids of Egypt. The very bandy-legged cur that yelped and scampered along her deck was a small cock-tailed affair that a large Newfoundland canis might easily have swallowed for his breakfast.

After Binnacle had made his report to Sir Oliver, he, with an arch smile, handed me the following letter, open, which I have preserved

to this hour for the satisfaction of the curious. Many a time have I since laughed and almost cried over this production of poor Donovan's heated brain :—

"MY DEAR BRAIL,-When you receive this, I shall be at rest far down amongst the tangleweed and coral branches at the bottom of the deep green sea, another sacrifice to the insatiable demon of this evil climate-another melancholy addition to the long list of braver and better men who have gone before me. Heaven knows, and I know, and lament with much bitterness therefore, that I am ill prepared to die, but I trust to the mercy of the Almighty for pardon and forgiveness. "It is now a week since I was struck by a flash of lightning at noonday, when there was not a speck of cloud in the blue sky; that glanced like a fiery dart right down from the fierce sun, and not having my red woollen nightcap on, that I purchased three years ago from old Jábos of Belfast, the Jew who kept a stall near the quay, it pierced through the skull just in the centre of the bald spot, and set my brain a-boiling and poppling ever since, making a noise for all the world like a buzzing bee-hive. I therefore intend to depart this life at three bells in the middle watch this very night, wind and weather permitting. Alas, alas! who shall tell this to my dear old mother, Widow Donovan, who lives at No. 1050, in Sackville Street, Dublin, the widest thoroughfare in Europe ?-or to poor Cathleen O'Haggarty? You know Cathleen, Benjie; but you must never know that she has a glass eye-Ah, yes, poor thing, she had only one eye, but that was a beauty: the other was a quaker ;* but then she had five thousand good sterling pounds, all in old Peter Macshane's bank at the back of the Exchange; and so her one eye was a blessing to me; for where is the girl with two eyes, and five thousand pounds, all lodged in Peter Macshane's bank at the back of the Exchange, who would have looked at Dennis Donovan, a friendless, penniless lieutenant in the Royal Navy, and son of Widow Donovan, who lives at 1050, Sackville Street, Dublin, the widest thoroughfare in Europe?-Ah, how Cathleen will pipe her real eye-I wonder if she will weep with the false one--I am sure my story might bring tears from a stone, far more a piece of glass-Oh, when she hears I am gone, she will be after breaking her tender little heart-Oh, murder for the notion of it-that's the thought that I can't bear-that is the blow that kills Ned! The last words of Dennis Donovan, who has nothing on earth to brag of beside a mighty pretty person and a brave soul—that's a good one. Adieu, adieu. Good bless the King and the Royal Family entirely.

To return.

"DENNIS DONOVAN,

"Lieutenant, R.N., and son of Widow Donovan, who lives at 1050, Sackville Street, Dublin, the widest thoroughfare in Europe."

And pray," said the commodore "what captures may you have made in this redoubtable man-of-war of yours-in his Britannic Majesty's felucca, Midge ?"

"Why, none, sir," said wee Middy, blushing; " but I hope you will soon put us in the way of having a brush, sir.”

"We shall see, we shall see," said the good-hearted old sailor; "but come and take a glass of wine, Mr. Binnacle, and after you have told Mr. Lanyard all about the Midge, what she has and wants, etc., get on board again, and keep near us for the evening.—I say, Mr. Steelpen," to his clerk, who was lounging about, "come to the cabin, now, will you, and draw out Mr. Lanyard's instructions, as Mr. Garboard is still confined to his cot."

This was the second lieutenant, who had been ill for a week of a fever.

The moment I knew Lanyard was going in the Midge, I determined to accompany him, if possible, so I asked the commodore's leavehinting that my knowledge of the rivers might be of use. laughed.

He

"Pilot, indeed-mind you don't evaporate in one of your pilotings, and then what shall I say to your friends, Master Benjamin ?" I pressed my suit.

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Why my dear boy, you had better not-take my word for it, if you carry on in this way, you will either get your head broken, or be caught by one of these infernal marsh fevers, which will be worse.'

No fear, Sir Oliver, I am a seasoned cask-do give me leave-I shall be back in a week.

"Well, well, as you please, my young master."

And it was at once so fixed.

Lanyard heard the order given, and instantly set about getting his kit arranged for his departure, although he seemed to think it would have been more pleasing in his excellent captain had he appeared to have consulted him a little on the subject; but to hear was to obey, and Dick was quite ready to move by the time he was sent for to receive his orders, when I adjourned to the cabin also to say good-by. Sir Oliver was sitting at his wine; and so soon as the steward had left us to ourselves, the knight rang the bell, the cord of which, ending in a handsome brass handle, hung within a foot of his head.

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Potter, send the first lieutenant here."

Sprawl was in immediate attendance.

"Glad to see you, Mr. Sprawl; sit down and take wine."

After a pause

"Do you think if the breeze holds that we shall make the land again before morning, Mr. Sprawl ?"

No, sir, for we have run thirty miles off since morning, and there is no appearance of any wind at present; but we should be able, notwithstanding, to beat up to it by noon to-morrow.”

"Very well. Pray, Mr. Lanyard, how many men, counting the strangers, are there on board?”

Thirty-three, sir, all told."

And the gun she carries?"

A long twelve, sir, with a six-inch howitzer affair fitted forward,

for throwing grape."

Do you think you can stow ten men more comfortably?"

Dick had been on board of his new command before he came down, and had made such passing observations as the time permitted.

"Why, I dare say, for a few days we might, sir."

"Then send your purser, or whoever may be acting for him, aboard this evening."

The lieutenant made his bow, whipped off his glass, and went on deck to be off. It was getting dark fast-the wind had risen suddenly -the frigate had been carrying top-gallant sails up to the time I had gone below, but they were now handed, and the watch were in the act of taking a reef in the top-sails.

Whereabouts is the felucca?" said I to the officer of the watch, the old gunner, who, in the absence of Mr. Garboard, the second lieutenant, who, as already stated, was sick, and in his cot, had charge of the deck.

Close to, sir," was the reply; but presently he continued, looking over the side, "Deuce take me, sir, if I can see her just at this

present"

.

You don't? I say, quartermaster, do you see the small craft down to leeward there?"

"No, sir. I sees nothing of her; but she can't be far away, sir, as she was close to, within this last half hour."

By this time the night had fallen with a heavy dew and a thick haze, Presently we saw a small spark down to leeward.

"Ah," said the man again, "there she is; she is in chase of something, sir."

"What can they mean?" said Lanyard.

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They know they can

not follow out their chase when I am on board here."

The riddle was soon read. Little Binnacle had returned on board, and, as it turned out, he was determined to have some fun, in the interregnum between the unshipping of poor Donovan and Lanyard's appointment.

"What is that abeam of us?" said Mr. Sprawl, who had now come upon deck." Hand me up the night-glass, Jeremy."

He worked away with it for some time. At length Lanyard spoke. Why, Sprawl, will you have the kindness to fire a gun, and show a light at the mizen peak, as the felucca must be hereabouts."

"True enough, Lanyard, she cannot be far off, but"--Here we saw another flash, and this time we heard the report of the cannonThere' continued the first lieutenant,-"there she is, sure enough; but how the devil can you expect her to come up to us, seeing she is

cut off by that large craft there?" And he pointed abeam of us, where following the direction indicated, I soon saw a large vessel, standing under easy sail, on the same tack.

"Quartermaster," exclaimed Sprawl, "keep her away and edge down towards that chap, will ye?"

The commodore was now on deck.

I was on the point of reporting to you, sir, that the felucca was a good way off to leeward, apparently cut off by a strange sail, sculling along right between us," said David Doublepipe.

"Whereabouts," said the captain,

whereabouts is this strange sail? and why the deuce did the felucca not fire a gun?”

She did, sir," answered the lieutenant, "but I could not divine what she would be at, as she did not make the night-signal."

"True enough," said Lanyard." I dare say all the signals and instructions, and everything else are locked up on board, sir. May I therefore request the favour of your standing down to her, or I don't see how we shall manage at all?"

The weather now cleared, and the fog rose, or blew past. Another flash down to leeward, in the direction of the felucca, and presently she burned a blue light, which cast a lurid wake on the rolling waters, cresting the sparkling waves with a wavering line of unearthly light. It lit up the little vessel and her white sail, and the whole horizon in her neighbourhood, with a blue ghostly glare, across which, as a bright back ground, we suddenly saw the tall spars, dark sails, and opaque hull of a large polacre brig intervene, as she gradually slid along, rising and falling majestically on the midnight sea, between us and the tender.

"Ah ha!" said the commodore. Why, Master Brail, your retreat is cut off, and all the honour and glory will be gathered by the Midges without you, for there the brig is bearing up-there she has made us out, and if the little fellows don't get out of her way, she will run them down."

The black bank in the east now broke away, the newly risen moon shone out bright and suddenly, and we distinctly saw the polacre crowding all sail from us, with the gallant little Midge to leeward of him about half a mile, under easy sail, apparently waiting for him, and standing directly across the bows of his large antagonist, into which he once more fired his long gun, and then as he came down he luffed up, and hove a capful of grape into him from his howitzer. The chase up to this time had not fired a shot, but continued to crowd all sail, the little fellow now sticking in his skirts like a bur.

The night began to lower again; the wind fell from a fine working breeze to nearly calm, and the rain soon began to descend in torrents. At length it became stark calm, and as dark as the shrouded moon would let it. But every now and then we could see a tiny flash in the south-east, that for a moment lit up the outline of the black sail of the