No tinselled herald welcomed them to birth,

As pampered sovereigns of a despot's land,
They came from 'mid the earth to rule the earth;
They learned subjection ere they taught command;
When they commanded, wisdom seemed to guide,
And victory took her station by their side.

"Farewell! God knows when we shall meet again.

I have a faint cold fear thrills through my veins,

That almost freezes up the heat of life.”—Romeo and Juliet.

"A violent suppression of the natural feelings is not the best expedient for obviating their injurious effects; and though nothing requires a more vigilant restraint than the emotion of anger, the uneasiness of which it is productive, is, perhaps, best evaporated by its natural and temperate expression; not to say that it is a wise permission in the economy of nature for the repression of injury, and the preservation of the peace and decorum of society."—Robert Hall.

But

NONE but those who have been miraculously snatched from impending death can appreciate the feelings with which we rounded Point Icacos, and entered the harbor of Matanzas. two days previous we had taken our supposed farewell of life; we could almost feel the assassin's knife at our throats, and the lead tearing its burning way through the sinews to the heart's blood. A hand unseen had rescued us, and we felt like beings just entering upon a new existence. The earth seemed re-cre

ated. Nature was arrayed in a new and lovelier dress: the zephyrs played softer upon the cheek, and the sky was brighter, while the hills of the beauteous isle, breathing forth their spicy fragrance, seemed the reflected images of those of a fairer world.

The past flitted across the memory like a painful dream ;-the future embosomed higher hopes and purer delights than the heart had ever known. Joy there was in every bosom, a proud, exulting joy; but not a thought of gratitude trembled in the soul, or was embodied in a single action. The sailor can weep over distress, and will beggar himself to relieve another; he will pray and promise and vow when death shakes his javelin at him; but once preserved, he never thinks of the past as a lesson for the future, and hurries on in his recklessness, to dance and sing upon the verge of a more dangerous precipice.

'We have cheated the devil out of his due, this time,' said an old Jack-tar, as the anchor was let go and the chain rattled through the hawse-hole.

'Darn'd if we hai'nt,' responded the Vermonter, but he'll catch you yet, old salt, if you don't keep your left eye open.'

'Blast my old dead-lights if you need fear, for the devil will never touch you; he'd be afraid you'd cheat him out of all his property if you were down there with him.'

6

May be so! I guess I'd be a match for him. This going to sea ain't so bad a thing after all, when one gets used to it, as the feller said when the barber shaved him with a hand-saw. By jingo, I'd like to have one more crack at them fellows that shot off two of my fingers. I wonder how they liked their scalding? I guess cotton wool will be in demand for a few days to come.'

Such is a fair specimen of the conversation which followed our fortunate escape. In further proof of what I have asserted in regard to a sailor's generosity and recklessness, I will now sketch you, reader, an incident which transpired shortly after our arrival.

The city of Matanzas, in the island of Cuba, is situated at the head of a deep bay, which stretches in from the ocean, and which, bending back, conceals the city from the sight of those who approach it by water, until they are within three or four miles distance. The entrance to the harbor is somewhat difficult, as ledges of coral rocks run far out from the shore on either side, leaving but a narrow ship channel. In that latitude, the trade winds prevail from the north-east, and blow during the day directly up the bay. At night these die away, and after a short calm, give place to the land breeze which comes in an opposite direction. As the entrance to the harbor is so very narrow, it is impossible for a vessel to beat out, and it therefore becomes necessary to take advantage of the land breeze, and get beyond the reefs during the night, before the trade winds set in.

At about a hawser's length from the Java, was anchored a Portland brig, which had just received her cargo of molasses, and was now ready to sail. The yellow fever was, at this time, raging violently in Cuba, and the first mate, together with four of the crew, were sick, and unable to perform any duty. As the brig's complement consisted of only ten persons, Captain Grozer, her

commander, was somewhat unwilling to start with only five ablebodied men; but as his cargo was in demand at home, and his instructions were "to sail as soon as possible," he thought it better to proceed, with the hope that the sea air would restore the invalids. As he was an old friend to Captain N- our services were volunteered to assist him in getting in his long-boat, and in towing out the brig beyond the ledges. At sun-set we rowed off to the vessel, and, after having completed all preparation for sailing, assisted, at about midnight, in getting out into the bay. As there was now sufficient room for beating, when the sea breeze should set in, we left him, little thinking of what was so soon to follow.

I have stated that the bay of Matanzas stretches far into the land, and, at a few miles from the harbor, makes a bend of nearly seventy degrees. At day-break the brig was seen just shooting round this bend, and in a few minutes was out of sight. Captain N, as usual, went ashore during the forenoon to transact his business, leaving me aboard to receive and take account of the cargo. About the middle of the afternoon I observed several boats, belonging to the different vessels in the harbor, rowing off at an unusual speed, and among the rest, I noticed that of the Java. As it was not the custom of our captain to leave the shore before evening, I was impressed that something unusual must have occurred. The cause was soon learnt. About two o'clock a carriage drove rapidly into the city, in which were two individuals, one of whom was well known as a distinguished planter, residing but a few miles distant; the other was dressed in the habiliments of a sailor; his left arm was confined in a sling, while upon the collar and sleeve of his jacket could be discovered traces of blood. What was the astonishment of Captain N, in recognizing in him the second mate of the brig, aboard of which he was the night before. His story was as follows.

Soon after rounding the point to which I have alluded, a small fore-topsail schooner was discovered coming out from one of the little creeks which abound in the island. As she made directly for the brig, fears were entertained that she might be a pirate, which, alas, too soon proved to be true. She was commanded by one of those ruffians, whose motto is, "dead men tell no tales," and many a victim had been murdered by his ruthless hand, whom friends had supposed to have been lost in the ocean. The brig, being unarmed, was soon captured, Captain Grozer making no resistance, as he hoped that when they found there was nothing valuable aboard, if he did not irritate them, they would suffer him to proceed without injury. As the pirates boarded the vessel, the second mate was standing by the fore-topsail braces. The first person who came over the rail was a tall, muscular man, apparently an Englishman by birth, dressed in a suit of stainless

white. A pair of enormous whiskers and mustaches, evidently false, gave him a terrible appearance.

D- -n your black souls! why did'nt you heave to sooner?' were the first words he uttered, and as he spoke, his cutlass came down upon the shoulder of the second officer, cutting it to the bone. The vessel's papers were then demanded, and the officers driven down into the cabin, and the men into the fore-castle, from which places they were soon called up, one by one, and their throats cut by these incarnate fiends. While this infernal tragedy was being acted, the second mate had concealed himself among the cargo in the hold. Here, with a mental agony indescribable, heightened too by the pain arising from his wound, he listened to the prayers, the entreaties, the groans of his slaughtered shipmates. Captain Grozer suffered last. He plead for life, not as one unprepared to die, for he was a pious man, and had made the subject of death a familiar one, but his wife, his children, and he their only protector and support,-these were his arguments, for these his supplications. Spare me,' he cried, 'oh, spare my life! chain me in a dungeon! make me your vilest slave! torture me if you will, but oh, let me live for my wife, for my children.' Useless were all prayers to men who had no hearts but those long since rendered callous by crime. He died! his grey hairs were stained with a father's blood, and the sea was instantaneously his winding sheet and grave. Search was made for the second mate, as he had been missed during the massacre, which, fortunately, proved unsuccessful. After some time had elapsed, during which, by the flapping of the sails, and the cessation of conversation on deck he supposed that the miscreants had departed, he returned upon deck and found himself alone. Horrible indeed was the sight that deck presented. It flowed with human blood, while here and there were scattered fragments of flesh hewn from the unhappy victims. Hearing a rush of water, and perceiving by the settling of the vessel that something was the matter, he hastened below again, and found that the pirates had knocked out the lumber port, with the intention of sinking her. Into this he hastily thrust the now useless bedding, and squaring the brig before the wind, endeavored to run her ashore; finding, however, that she continued to settle in the water, he constructed a rude raft, upon which he embarked but a few moments before the brig went down. The wind and seas soon drifted him to the shore. Here he was kindly received; his wound was dressed, and soon after he was carried to the city.

Such was the account given by the only survivor of that most horrible massacre. Scarcely had he concluded his story when a person on horse-back galloped up to the Exchange, and corroborated the statement, having witnessed the capture from the shore; and at the same time announced that two brigs, which for some

time had been expected, were outside chased by a schooner, which he believed to be the pirate. A consultation was immediately held by the captains, as to the possibility of affording the vessels some assistance. Captain S. S- who then commanded the sloop Huron, a regular trader between Matanzas and New Orleans, with the consent of his consignee, volunteered the use of his vessel to go out to the rescue, provided a sufficient number of men and suitable armament could be obtained. All, of course, offered their own services, together with those of their men. It was then agreed that each should repair to his vessel, and with all possible despatch bring with him to the sloop all the men and arms he could obtain. It was for this purpose, the boats, which I had observed, came off. In less than an hour from the time this plan was adopted, the sloop was underweigh. Captain N, in consequence of the cargo which was then along-side in lighters, could not leave, but deputed to me the charge of our men. Immediately upon starting, we proceeded to choose our officers, and to arm, station, and instruct the crew. Captain L- was chosen commander; a man in whose character fear formed no ingredient, and the second mate,* who had embarked with us, was our pilot. My own humble appointment was that of gunner's mate. The crew, consisting of seventy men, were all ordered below, with the exception of those who were needed to work the vessel. Coffee bags, of which, fortunately, there was a small quantity aboard, were piled up around the deck, that we might elude suspicion, by presenting the appearance of a trader. Our armament consisted of seven cannon of various calibres, all double shotted, together with a musket and cutlass for each individual; the officers, in addition to these arms, being provided with pistols.

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Such was my first and only appearance in character aboard of a man of war." True, we were not in a government vessel;— true, also, our frigate was only a sloop of one hundred and fifty tons, yet in the strictest sense of the expression, she was a man of war," and was far better prepared to contend, yes, and to conquer too, in defense of justice, than many a "seventy-four," that makes greater pretensions. Nevertheless, it was a rash undertaking, and none but sailors would have engaged in it. We had no command, no authority to go forth and capture another vessel, and were, strictly considered, but pirates ourselves. The flag under which we were to fight was "the stars and stripes," but a foreigner commanded us, and our crew was composed of men from every nation. Of this, however, we never thought. The lives of our fellow beings, and of brothers of the ocean too, were

* This individual, who appears so often in the sketch, is Captain H——, of Portsmouth, N. H. He was in the Steam Packet Home, at the time she was lost, and was among the number who were saved.