band of the frigate from which I had escaped, while the report of the heavy guns of the flagship reverberated among the rocks, in acknowledgment of our more pigmy efforts at salutation."

CHAPTER X.

My heart laments that virtue cannot live

Out of the teeth of emulation.

SHAKSPEARE.

It is necessary here to digress a little from the story, to inform our readers that this part of the master's history relates to a period before St. Helena became the prison or the grave of Napoleon, that wonder of the world, who shot like a brilliant meteor across the political hemisphere, at once to dazzle and to darken, leaving us bewildered at its power; till

"His glory, like a circle in the water,

Which never ceaseth to enlarge itself,

Till, by broad spreading, it disperse to nought."

The community of the island then consisted

On

of soldiers, merchants, and slaves; and although the ladies born and bred there, did not at that time profess to think "London must be very dull when the China Fleet sailed," yet the China Fleet was their vortex of delight, and drew them from their stores to participate in the news, the gossipings, and gaieties of this enormous accession to their population. these occasions, their watchings over the poor negro dangling a bait by the side of his canoe to attract the swift albicore, were suspended; they no longer observed him dodging in the bottom of his frail bark at the sudden appearance of a shark, or marked the address with which he slipped the line off the pole when the bait was taken. No longer the ladies stood gazing from the cliffs for some dear speck on the horizon, or wandered listlessly up the ladders of their rocky hills to contemplate the growing of prickly pears, plantains, guavas, or No: their attention was more peculiarly fixed on man; and the poor Negro, with

bananas.

his canoe filled, according to his own account, with every species of fruit except precisely that which you wished for, and which invariably "Missa Tompson had forgot to put in de Bwot che!" was more watched for the cargo he should bring on shore, and was welcomed according to the forgetfulness occasioned by the sight of red or blue coats, cocked hats, or epaulets.

Their days were spent in a continued change of motley society, while a little jealousy obtruded itself into their evening saloons, by means of the appearance of those ladies who are charitably said, "à chercher le bonheur," and uncharitably," à chercher les bons hommes," in a voyage to India; while many fabricated scandalous stories, of officers being seen escaping from port-holes, were confidentially whispered, to the great disadvantage of some of these amiable adventurers. Such was St. Helena at the period from which the Master now continued his story.

"Death is the life of promotion, Harold," continued he, "and I was put into a vacancy, occasioned by the death of one of the master's mates, the other midshipmen being too young and inexperienced for the duty; but what was my surprise a few days afterwards, when I learned the captain had brought his commission in his pocket for another ship, and the very officer who had impressed me, stepped on board of us as captain, and charged with dispatches for England.

"The burry and bustle of preparation for sea, prevented these usual inquiries into the characor of officers and men on such appointments, and saved me being exposed, and probably the hove of being given up to be tried, and then A me the feet as a deserter.

Iouill not hope to remain unrecognised, and we were saree out of sync of the island, whow I wreves ecer o de pan, informing bin I was the me mpressed a żw months Axxore

dat we te's form, he sent