this occasion she beat the Arrow and America very considerably in going to windward, but of course the larger sails of these yachts gave them a decided advantage in going free in the smoother water inside the Wight. The race terminated in the bowsprit of the Arrow being declared by the Umpire to be about two or three feet in advance of that of the Mosquito, while the two English yachts were some minutes ahead of their formidable American adversary.

In these races she met and vanquished the following yachts of equal size or larger than herself,

1852 Alarm

1847 Bacchante

1853 Osprey

1844 Zephyretta

1852 Claymore

1851 America

1849 Cynthia

1853 Aurora

1853 Julia

1852 Lavrock

1852 Arrow

1851 Volante

1852 War-Hawk
1852 May-fly

Of these yachts the Alarm, Arrow, Bacchante, Aurora and Zephyretta were winners of Queen's Cup at Cowes, and many of the others had either won the honors of the Royal Yacht Squadron, or had vanquished the Mosquito before the change of management. The date appended to each yacht shows the year in which she was last altered, built or lengthened, and it appears, that with two or three exceptions the Mosquito was comparatively an old vessel when she won her prizes.

Apart from the question of racing, the Mosquito is in some respects to be admired. She was almost the only successful racing yacht which has not been cut about or altered; she was roomy below with several inches more height in her cabin than that of the America of 208 tons, and she had more fittings and bulkheads than most yachts of double her tonnage.

There is a moral in her career which may be of use to many yachtsmen. When it is required to win races, unless the yachtsmen direct his whole energies to the subject success will seldom be obtained even if his vessel be a Mosquito; but if the requisite time, skill, and attention are bestowed upon the subject, even a small, and not over fast yacht may be made superior in point of speed to larger and faster vessels. The dimensions of the Mosquito, are as follows:

Length over all

A REMINISCENCE OF ST. HELENA, IN 1818.

BY A VETERAN YACHTSMAN.

"By Jove! there's a strange sail to windward," exclaimed Bedford, the smart signal midshipman of the Rn as the said "jackass frigate." lay at anchor between Barnes' Point and the Sugar Loaf Hill. The south-east trade wind blew unusually strong, and it was owing to this circumstance that our "mud hook" with some forty fathoms of chain cable attached to it, was at the bottom of the sea. The R--n was stationed by the Admiral to cruise on the weather-side of the Island t St. Helena within signal distance of some one of the numerous telegrapa posts which encircled it, her duty being to board and overhaul all vessels approaching the Island and in order to secure the most vigilant look out for these, the sum of five shillings was invariably awarded and given to that signal-man (on the shore) who was the first discoverer of a strange ship, but small as the amount was, it usually stimulated them to watchfulness, indeed it was nothing remarkable to get sight of a vessel when she was at least a distance of ninety miles from the Island: the land being nearly 3,000 feet above the level of the sea, added to the frequency of mirage in the locality, will at once explain these otherwise remarkable instances of "clairvoyance."

:

Having premised this much, we may proceed to account for the exclamation of young Bedford, with which we opened our little narrative— "By Jove! there's a strange sail to windward."

"And not yet reported by any of the stations ?" asked his messmate, Jack Maxwell.

"No," said Bedford, "we are the first discoverers although she is so close to the Island."

46

Why you'll get the five shillings, old fellow," responded Maxwell: "the price of champagne is only eight dollars a bottle at Lowden's; of course you'll stand a couple of the long corks when the authorities tip you the fee."

"The five shillings, the champagne, and you be spitflicated," growled Bedford. "I'm savage old fellow,-you know of course that Saul S-1-0-m-n made the mess a present of a bag of murphies by way of discount to his little bill, which the caterer paid when he went in yesterday in the soft tack boat."

"Don't I know it ?—can a duck swim ?” said Jack, "but what makes you savage ?"

NO. 2.-VOL. V.

K

"Even that, old fellow. I've an amiable weakness for lobscouse, which is just being carried into the berth, and I shall be done brown out of my whack by those cormorants, the idlers* of the mess, as I must now go signalizing to the shore, owing to the appearance of this strange sail, and just at dinner time too: an' ye love me Jack (as you are going below,) ye'll shovel out a decent lot of it, with a due proportion of the murphies, for a vigilant officer who helps to keep the Ex-Emperor to his small helm, and saves you perhaps from the pleasure of wearing a wooden pin or the loss of a top-light.”

"Oh, as to your vigilance, Bedford, that's gammon; and touching the wooden peg, my motto is 'a golden chain or a timbering toe,' and I heartily wish master Nap had contrived to help me to my Lieutenant's commission before he became such a bankrupt in power that his creditors seemed to have determined that their dividends shall be taken out of his carcase, as it is evident that his release can only be obtained by payment of the great debt of nature."

"Well, Jack" said the signal middy, "I can't stay to talk politics with you, I'll to the captain and report the new comer ; but Jack remember I'm sharp set, look after my interests in the victualling department, and don't let that lanthorn jawed pill builder, or the rawboned quill driver, take out all the murphies. And I'll keep your watch for you when you want to go on shore."

"All right, Bedford," replied Maxwell, whilst the former descended to make his report to the Captain.

"A strange sail running down for the Island, sir," sung out the signal middy, as his tap at the after cabin door was answered by a "Come in " from Captain Salt,† who we may observe en passant was a perfect gentleman, and certainly studied the comforts of his officers and crew so closely, that the tedium and monotony of this vilest of all stations was greatly ameliorated by his commendable behaviour.

"What signal post first reported her, Mr. Bedford?" enquired the worthy Captain.

"Not any sir," was the reply, "we are the first discoverers."

"How far off is she?" questioned the chief.

"I should think about six or seven miles, sir," said Bedford. "Very strange" mused Captain Salt "that no one should have seen her until now."

Idlers in a ship of war, include Clerks, Assistant Surgeons, Second Masters, and others whose duties do not require them to keep watch.

Although the main incidents herein related are facts, yet the names given to the officers are purely fictious.

"She is only just open of Barne's Point, sir, or we should have discovered her long since."

"I know that, Mr. Bedford, as far as we are concerned; but I am at a loss to account for the blindness of all the look-outs at the signal stations to windward of the Island: however, if they have neglected their duty it is no reason why we should be remiss in ours, therefore make the signal for 'strange sail to windward' to the Sugar Loaf Hill station."

"Aye, aye, sir," answered Bedford, as he retired with a smart step from the cabin and ascended to the quarter-deck, three steps at a time up the after ladder on the main-deck; arriving there he found the first Lieutenant, Mr. Gustavus, to whom the circumstance of the strange sail had been reported by the mate of the watch. The signal middy conveyed to the Lieutenant the order he had received from the Captain, and in accordance therewith three flags in a few moments were displayed at the main truck of the Rn indicating that a sail bearing S.S.E., was in sight from our ship, and as we were anchored at little more than a mile from Sugar Loaf, and the breeze blew the flags well out, there could be but a trifling difficulty in decyphering them, had the signal-man at the station have been on the alert, such however did not seem to be the ease, and they remained unanswered.

"Very strange this," again remarked the Captain.

""Tis singular, sir," said the first Lieutenant.

Something morally wrong here," put in the Chaplain.

"It's physically impossible to understand it," said the Doctor. "It's mighty quare," observed the Master, who was of the Emerald Isle.

"Uncommon rum start," said Bedford (sotto voce) to the midshipman of the watch.

"It beats cock fighting," was the opinion of the signal-man expressed to his mate, whilst an old quarter-master took up the ball and added, "Talk about cock fighting, why it bangs hookem snivey all to fits."

As nobody present called upon the quarter-master to explain the amount of science required of those who are anxious to amuse themselves at the game of "hookem snivey," we are unable to enlighten the reader on the subject, perhaps

"Where ignorance is bliss,

"Twere folly, to be wise."

There were now two remarkable circumstances to be accounted for. First, that a strange vessel should be allowed to approach so near to the Island unnoticed by any of the numerous telegraphs; and secondly that our signal to the shore should remain unanswered, seeing the ships

proximity to the station. It was something to speculate on, and anything of an exciting nature to us poor devils was indeed a great treat, seeing that our monotonous cruising without hope of prize money, besides being half starved upon the vilest of salt provisions, was enough to break the spirits of the most volatile.

"Had we not better enforce the signal with a gun, sir?" asked the first Lieutenant.

"Do so if you please," answered the Captain.

One of the forecastle twelve pounders was now loaded and fired, the report reverberating from the high rocks above us with a most deafening roar. "That will open your peepers for you, my lad," said Bedford. "Be all ready to haul down the signal."

The order was however somewhat premature as there seemed but little chance of an acknowledgment of the message conveyed through the medium of the flags. In the mean time the stranger was made out to be a schooner, of a long, low, and rakish appearance, quite in the clipper style of build it was further observed that she altered her course as if desirous of avoiding the proximity of the frigate. It should be stated here, that for some time previous, reports were circulated and believed that attempts were to be made to steal away (the once) great Napoleon Bonaparte: there were to be submerged vessels, ærial machines, Red Rovers, Phantom ships, &c., called into operation to effect this end; what wonder then that the apparently wilful neglect of all the signal stations, added to the suspicious movements and appearance of this schooner, should induce many on board to believe that the time was at length arrived for the experiment to be made, and although the suspected craft was now steering as if to pass the Island, yet (if they had the power of submerging themselves) their approach after nightfall would not be easy to discover, these conjectures were soon strengthened by a singular circumstance, which will develope itself in due time.

The signal had been flying more than twenty minutes, when the Captain ordered a second gun to be fired, adding, "I think we may as well put a shot in, and let us see if the gunner is marksman enough to hit that small spot near the cavity in the cliff."

"Mr. Bedford will direct his glass towards the mark and ascertain where the shot will strike," said the first Lieutenant.

"Aye, aye, sir,” answered the signal midshipman.

The telescope was accordingly brought to bear; bang, went the gun, and as the shot flew to its destination, and splintered the rock, to the infinite astonishment of Bedford up jumped a MAN, from within a few yards of where the projectile had dropped.