THE BOATSWAIN'S MATE. BY A BROTHER CRUISER. office. No lord-mayor of London was ever more proud of his chain, than is George Brown of that and its appendage. Look where it falls over his THERE stands the outer man of George Brown- thumb. You see, stretching from the "breeching" to boatswain's mate, in the United States navy!-a the "quoin," a crooked silver tube. This is his perfect specimen of a true American seaman; and "call"-his harmonicon-his shepherd's pipe, with a better fellow than whom, never piped to grog or which he enticeth the sheep from the lazy fold, the reigned at a gangway. birth-deck; with which he discourseth in musick Reader! thou beholdest in the picture, the spar- that hath no gamut; nay, that hath no parallel but deck of a sloop-of-war, part of the main rigging, a itself, in this or any other world. Musick, unlike couple of belaying-pins to throw the bight of this that of Orpheus, which draweth no wicked stones yarn over, and "No. six," or "the gunner's daughter," about his head-and for the reason that none but whom many a lad has kissed to his sorrow. A "holy stones" are allowed to be in a man-of-war. stout, strapping wench she is, a medium twenty- That " call," my friend, swayeth more choice spirits four; not one of your bull-dog, big-muzzled carron-with its witching melody, than the fiddle of Paganiades, that are only good at close quarters, but a ni-that is, when there's a "whip" on the main little of the greyhound species-sure for a long run. yard, and the "launch alongside with a cargo of See her side-tackles and breeching, how gracefully Monongahela!" Hang your hurdy-gurdies and muthey coquet over her sun-burned cheeks; and, gal- sick-grinding machines, but give me the shrill clear lantly standing by her side, is our friend Brown, note of a boatswain's call, piping all hands to reef with one hand on his hip, and the other very famil- topsails in a midwatch, insinuating its beautiful iarly upon the young lady. sound to the auditories of a poor devil, just turned in, and walking it off in a ten-knot sleep. Your shore folk, when they become rich enough to think of family portraits, get themselves depicted upon canvass, sitting in an easy chair, looking wondrous wise, with the dexter hand grappling a gaudily-bound volume. Not so with my shipmate-he planks it in a wood-cut, and stands at his quarters, with his hand on a volume that, erewhile, loudly proclaimed the honour and glory of his country. Survey the man from truck to keelson, take all his bearings, and say-could manhood be better personified? No common mutations of fortune can ever induce a boatswain's mate to part with his chain and call; both are held sacred! In passing a pawnbroker's shop, in Chatham street, the other day, I saw one dangling from a hook in the window. The tear stood in my eye. Poor fellow how awful must have been the fate that compelled the rightful owner to part with it! Such a picture as that, I love to look upon-a He is in his winter muster-dress: black hat, real man-of-war's man-a hearty, able-bodied, Amerhighly varnished, with a profusion of riband, and set ican seaman. One, whose very look indicates a on the after part of his head, whilst the seaman's love of enterprise, firmness of purpose, and a reckpride a smooth, glossy forelock-rests upon his less daring that would command the attention of any manly brow. The frock is of the finest white duck, man. Unlike the seafaring man of any other counexcept the collar and bosom, which are blue nan-try, is the American sailor. He never forgets the keen, bordered with white tape, and the corners proud circumstance of his birthright. He is never touched off with white cotton stars. On the back a fawning, cringing, sycophantick creature, but alof the collar is worked an anchor; and at the bot-ways a man! True, he takes off his hat, and tom of the bosom is stamped the initials of our smooths down his forelock, when he addresses a hero-G. B.-by way of a hint to the afterguard superiour officer upon any important occasion--but banditti, that the property aforesaid has an owner this is the custom of discipline, and like a sensible with a Lame. A little lower down, and hid from man, knowing the necessity of military authority, vulgar gaze, is the number of his bag and hammock. he merges so much of his republicanism as would The jacket of blue, to be sure, is not quite so fine interfere with it; but by so doing, he commits no as it might be; nor does it fit with more mathemat-violence on his feelings as a freeman. ical nicety than do "Uncle Sam's" slops generally; I would willingly commute the minute, automaton but the slashed cuffs and bright eagle of our starry discipline, so loudly boasted of in other navies, for button, throw into the shade such trifling defi- the national pride, the high moral feeling, the home ciencies, while the two foul anchors worked on the endowments of the American sailor. In war, it is sleeves, with gold and silver thread, decide at once, not his master's battle he fights, but his own; he feels in the petty officer's view, the fashion and elegance himself a component part of the nation. His father of the garment. fought and felt so before him, and the united reverence The trousers are in themselves unique: of blue for country and sire, makes him more than equal to cloth, with no seam on the outside, very taut around an enemy, not strengthened by these ennobling feelthe waist, sitting to the figure over the hips as ings. From what class of society is the foreign smoothly as the skin itself, and fastened behind with seaman taken! From the lowest, the purely necesa bunch of riband; legs sufficiently wide for ventil- sitous, who, when a choice is given them of starvaation and easy movement, and the suspenders or tion, the workhouse, or the sea, generally choose the braces-why, bless your soul! it is only when a latter. Is it so here? No. Bread can be obtained sailor has committed crime, that he is brought to in this country at a much cheaper rate, a more comthe gallows, and he despises the use of "topping- fortable, less dangerous and laborious manner, than lifts," as much as he would that of corsets! The chain you see slung around his neck, is of solid silver it is his "regalia”—the insignia of his by seeking it at sea. What then induces the sons of our farmers, mechanicks, and merchants-lads, frequently, of good morals and education—to relin quish the comforts of home, and ship in the merchant or naval service? A love for adventure-a truly American propensity—a cherished hope, which impels and governs our countrymen all over the globe, of being able by some lucky hit, when once afloat on the tide of human affairs, to gain either fame or fortune. Thus, many of a superiour education are to be found amongst the seafaring class with us, who, though disappointed in their early and Quixotick expectations, yet continue in the hardy occupation of their younger years, contented with a livelihood that could be more easily, but not more bravely earned, and not always receiving that kind consideration, from their fellow-citizens, to which they are eminently entitled. Such are the men, that place the moral standing of American seamen upon an eminence, not easily attained by foreigners, and to that class belongs the owner of the portrait before you. Man and boy, for five-and-twenty years, he has worn a blue jacket. His feet have never been lashed to a 66 grating," or his wrists adorned with a pair of "darby's." From his entré in the service on board the gallant Constitution-where as powder-boy, he acquired credit for his agility-he gradually worked his way upward in rank, from the cleaner of a priming-wire, to the furbisher of a cutlass, from first captain of a gun, to first captain of the foretop, till the next step in promotion, put him in rightful possession of the "Colt" and "Call." In every situation he has done his duty as a man. He is not one of your envious "beach-combers," who, if a good man was promoted above him, would grumble and swear that the service was going to ruin; or who, if a poor devil was launching from bad to worse, would "slush down his ways," that he might go the faster. No-such meanness never lay coiled away in his bosom. spare shot never rusted in his locker, when a distressed shipmate might have occasion for its use; and, as the rarest virtue of a seaman, I may conclude by remarking, that, he was never appealed to, for the loan of his pea-jacket in a rainy watch, and known to refuse it! A ON the Ohio, twenty miles below the mouth of the Wabash, is a cavern, in which are found many hieroglyphicks, and representations of such delineations as would induce the belief, that the authors were, indeed, comparatively refined and civilized. It is a cave in a rock, or ledge of the mountain, which presents itself to view, a little above the water of the river when in flood, and is situated close to the bank. In the early settlement of Ohio, this cave became possessed by a party of Kentuckians, called "Wilson's gang." Wilson in the first place, brought his family to this cave, and fitted it up, as a spacious dwelling, erecting a signpost on the water-side, on which were these words: "Wilson's Liquor-Vault and House of Entertainment." The novelty of such At a tavern induced almost all the boats descending the river, to call for refreshments and amusement. tracted by these circumstances, several idle characters took up their abode at the cave, after which it continually resounded with the shouts of the licentious, the clamour of the riotous, and the blasphemy of gamblers. Out of such customers Wilson found no difficulty in forming a band of robbers, with whom he formed the plan of murdering the crews of every boat that stopped at his tavern, and of sending the boats manned by some of his party, to New Orleans, and there sell their loading for cash, which was to be conveyed to the cave, by land, through the states of Tennessee and Kentucky; the party returning with it being instructed to murder and rob, on all good occasions on the road. After a lapse of time the merchants of the upper country began to be alarmed, on finding their property make no returns, and the people never coming back. This naturally led to inquiry, and large rewards were offered for the discovery of the perpetrators of such unparalleled crimes. It soon came out, that Wilson, with an organized party of forty-five men, was the cause of such waste of blood and treasure; that he had a station at Hurricane island, to arrest every boat that passed by the mouth of the cavern, and that he had agents at Natchez and New Orleans, of presumed respectability, who converted his assignments into cash though they knew the goods to be stolen, or obtained by the commission of murder. The publicity of Wilson's transaction soon broke up his party; some dispersed, others were taken prisoners, and he himself was killed by one of his associates, who was tempted by the reward offered for the head of the captain of the gang. This cavern measures about twelve rods in length, and five in width; its entrance presents a width of eighty feet at its base, and twenty-five feet high. The interiour walls are smooth rock. The floor is very remarkable, being level through the whole length of its centre, the sides rising in stony grades, in the manner of seats in the pits of a theatre. On a diligent scrutiny of the walls, it is plainly discerned that the ancient inhabitants at a very remote period, had made use of the cave as a house of deliberation and council. The walls bear many hieroglyphicks well executed, and some of them represent animals, which have no resemblance to any now known to natural history. This cavern is a great natural curiosity, as it is connected with another still more gloomy, which is situated exactly above, united by an aperture of about fourteen feet; which, to ascend is like passing up a chimney, while the mountain is yet far above. Not long after the dispersion and arrest of the robbers who had infested it, in the vault upper were found the skeletons of about sixty persons, who had been murdered by the gang of Wilson, as was supposed. But the tokens of antiquity are still more curious and important than a description of the mere cave, which are found engraved on its sides within. In this cave, it appears, that in addition to numerous familiar animals and devices, there are sketched on the rock the figures of several animals now extinct: among which are three, much resembling the elephant, the tail and tusk excepted. 1.ALLANSON [Hamet, the pilot of Lord Nelson, at the battle of the Nile.] LIVING COSTUMES. THE above cut represents the costume of Hamet, the pilot of Lord Nelson, at the battle of the Nile. The engraving is from an original drawing with which the proprietors of the Family Magazine have been politely favoured by Capt. Perry, U. S. N. A brief description of this important battle, may not be unacceptable to our readers. Previous to this ever memorable battle, Nelson had been actually engaged against the enemy one hundred and twenty times; had lost his right eye and arm, and been otherwise severely wounded. Great, however, as had been the services of this enterprising and skilful seaman, it was in the year 1798 that an important and glorious victory, entitled him to still more distinguished laurels. The government of France had sent an expedition of magnitude into Egypt, and it became that of Britain to use every effort to neutralize or destroy it. The French fleet, with Bonaparte and his wellappointed army on board, had left Toulon on the twenty-second of May; but it was not till the eight No of June that Sir Horatio Nelson, (who had been sent by Earl St. Vincent into the Mediterranean, with a small squadron, in the hope of discovering them,) was joined by the main body of the fleet, viz., eleven sail of the line, under Captain Trowbridge, which had been despatched to reinforce him. instructions, however, were sent to him in regard to the course he was to steer; nor was there any certain information to be obtained respecting the destination of the French expedition. The admiral was therefore left entirely to his own judgment; but he knew that the enemy had sailed with a northwest wind, which naturally led him to conclude that their course was up the Mediterranean. He first steered toward Corsica and Elba, then made toward the Roman coast, and afterward bore up on Naples, in the hope of receiving some satisfactory information; but the most he could learn was, that though many thought the plundering of Algiers was the object of the French armament, yet a more general report was current that they had gone to Malta. At Sicily, he obtained intelligence from the British consul that 45 |