THE SLAVE SQUADRON. THE REVENGE. STRONG was commander (acting) r some months after the occurdents related in a former paper; us or successful officer has never, strated the reputation of the Briciency and daring, in the hazardous ice on the slave coast. In four made three captures-irrespecRosamond,-the name of one of na, a clipper-brig that had long ance and outstripped the speed of well as the ingenious mode by finally made prize of, must have otice of many newspaper-readers But although a first-rate seaman, nmander, there was a defect-peray an exaggeration of characterArmstrong, which, in a considerable his high qualities, and gave a tone his demeanour, under certain cirite foreign, I am sure, to his real le was, in a word, as I believe I y hinted,- -an iron disciplinarian, ly from a conviction that only by ntless application of the maritime ment, could the supremacy of the be permanently maintained. Perponsible power, such as then existed is pretty sure, at one time or other, cer who indulges in it, to the comous wrong and injustice. This, at s once the case, during his profesth Lieutenant Armstrong, and the of that grave error were, by a relity, visited upon him and others, at a manner equally unexpected and is omitted, but instructive passage in tory, I am now about to place before El Reyna into Sierra Leone, and news was brought that Le Requin a fitly-named, notorious and successas on the coast. This vessel, the proFrench Brazilian Creole, was comskilful and active desperado of the e of Harrison, and once a petty offiyal navy. His assumed designation, as borrowed from the fine craft he -Captain Le Requin,-and he was have under his orders a motley crew the most reckless ruffians that could ut of the refuse of half a dozen civilIt was, moreover, well known that when the "Black" market was slack, , or more than usually hazardous, did me way of ordinary, admitted piracy; nt orders had consequently been issued ers of the squadron to use their utmost nk or capture so daring and unscrupu and incessant; and it was whispered amongst us that Harrison had served in the same ship with the commander of the Curlew, and that circumstances of an unusual character had occurred in connection with them both. However this might be, there was evidently some strong private motive at the bottom of the lieutenant's desperate anxiety to get away in search of the piratical slaver, and so quickly did he dispatch his official business relative to the Curlew's last important capture, that we were at sea again in less than half the time we had reckoned upon remaining at Sierra Leone. Our course was to the south and east, and as the winds proved favourable, the Curlew rapidly swept the African sea-board from Sierra Leone to the Bight of Biafra, looking as we passed into every inlet that might afford shelter or concealment to the object of our search. A sharp, wearying look-out was at length rewarded by a passing gleam of success. We were within about thirty leagues of Cape Lopez, which bore about S.S.W., and we were steering, close-hauled upon the larboard tack, as nearly as possible S.W. in order to give the Cape as wide a berth as might be in passing, when the look-out at the mast-head announced first one, and then two sail on the weather-bow. They rose quickly out of the water, and no wonder, for they had half a gale of wind on the quarter, and it was not long before we could guess pretty accurately at the character of both. The headmost was a square-rigged ship, of about four hundred tons burthen, pursued by an armed schooner of half that tonnage, coming up with her hand over hand. Commander Armstrong immediately pronounced the schooner to be Le Requin, an opinion confirmed by several old salts who had obtained a passing glimpse of the celebrated craft upon one or two occasions. As the Curlew, in anticipation of a dirty night, had been made very snug, and did not show much top-hamper, it was hoped she might not be seen till Le Requin was within reach of her guns. For upwards of an hour this appeared likely enough; but at last the anxious men, whose eyes swept the horizon in all directions, from the merchantman's deck, caught sight of us, and unable to restrain their exultation at the glad vision of a British man-of-war creeping up to the rescue, instantly let off a piece of pop-gun artillery, ran up the union-jack, and set up a tiny shout in derision of the pursuer, which the direction of the wind just enabled us to hear and echo, with sundry very hearty maledictions of their stupid throats. Le Requin quickly hauled her wind, and at once recognizing the character of her new customer, got with all possible speed upon the same tack as ourselves, and being a remarkably fine weatherly vessel, went off full half a point closer to the wind than the Curlew, thus showing from the first moment the wellnigh hopeless aspect of the chase. Night fellblack as the inside of a tar-barrel-with a gale of wind that by midnight had increased to a tempest accompanied by flashes of lightning and peals of thunder which those acquainted only with the electrical phenomena of temperate regions, can form but a faint conception of. Frequently, during the night, a more than usually brilliant coruscation showed us Le Requin, upon the white crest of a huge wave, far away to windward; but when the cold grey morning dawned, the schooner had er. TALES OF THE SLAVE SQUADRON t e utterly disappeared, leaving us miserably cold, the stranger, whose wet, disappointed, and savage. events, our night's chase had taught us,-that the newly-risen uncloude Curlew was no match for Le Requin in point of affected to be sure it One thing, at all those of a schoonerspeed, and that if we ever should succeed in put the schooner-which ting salt upon his tail, it must be by some cleverer pear to see us-turned expedient than that of running after him at the Curlew, and crowded s rate of five feet to his six. Captain Armstrong-right aft), evidently looked considerably bluer than the bluest of us, ing doubt vanished. and did not reappear on deck till five or six hours ly busied ourselves w after the ascertained disappearance of the schoon- effect our escape from He then ordered the Curlew's course to be But spite of all we coul changed to the north-west till further orders. ship handled and stee Those further orders were not issued till about do nothing well,-that noon on the morrow, when the sloop's head was knots out of her; an pointed nearly due south; and whilst cracking on would, it was quite cer under a stiff breeze in that direction, the com- than no time. The com mander's new "dodge" for entrapping the coveted pale from over-excitem prey developed itself. The broad white ribbon for the crew, they wer along the gun line, was painted black; our No. 1 trollable mirth. The n wan-of-war canvas was exchanged for some worn, war running away from and here and there patched, merchant-sails, fished slaver or pirate, was a j up from the hold; the shiny brass fittings of the all ordinary modes of deck, and the glittering figure-head, were smudged tounding capers the me brown; the brass swivel-gun amidships was un- squints and winks, and shipped and sent below; the carpenter and his strictly enforced) they crew manufactured a lot of wooden gun-muzzles and the advancing sch (Quakers), and these, when painted, were pro- droll. Once it was fear truded from the port-holes, in place of the real whom it was he was so ea barkers, which were carefully concealed beneath our friend, for when not tarpaulin, sails, hencoops, gratings, and other lum- astern, he suddenly luffe ber, and so ostentatiously warlike were the wake, apparently in ke "Quakers" fashioned, that their harmless charac- tion. His hesitation w ter could be detected by half an eye, at half a fierce aspect of the "Qua league's distance. Many other minor changes him,-and the chase w and disguises were effected, and the Curlew's half an hour he ranged transmogrification was complete. We now gra ther-beam, and as the re dually edged away to the eastward, and as soon as which heralded a shot a we reached about nine degrees south latitude, and broke out of the schooner five degrees east longitude, the Curlew's bows ful voice roared through a once more pointed northward, and we crept slowly part of the deck, "Heave enough along in the day, whilst during the night we generally lay to, in order not to get along too rapidly. cers,-himself included,-replaced their epauBy the commander's orders, all the offiletted and laced uniforms and cocked hats, by round jackets and hats, and not more than twenty men were allowed to be on deck during day-light. All these twigs being carefully limed, we made way at an average rate of not more than three or four knots an hour, and in as lubberly a fashionconsidering the but recent practice of the crew in that line-a -as could be expected. as lazily as we did, and doubts whether our captain's clever contrivance would not end in smoke, Time crept on were beginning to be entertained, when we spoke a brig bound for the Cape, a little north of the equator, which gave us the pleasant information that a large barque she had fallen in with, laden with ivory, palm-oil, and gold-dust, had been plundered the previous evening by a piratical schooner supposed to be Le Requin. The crew, it was further stated, had not been personally maltreated, and the barque had proceeded on her course. This was great news, and so well did it sharpen the optics of many of us, that an almost simultaneous hail from half-a dozen voices, at daybreak Brazilian the next morning, announced a strange down, astern, and steerin glass in the Sail the gun-carriage, lifted his ro ed that the captain had been nortally wounded, was rapidly and could not therefore be restanding close by Commander moment, and noticed that a hot, ssed over his pale, excited feaoment's thought he said, hastily a boat alongside, manned and as you can; I must see this d without delay, it seems.' So e desk. By the time the boat eappeared in full uniform, and on board the prize. recting the men to disarm and he hurried below, motioning as should accompany him. The equin-a tall, gaunt, but not, I ginally ill-looking man-was unag. His right leg had been carthe knee by a round shot, and Courniquet had been applied, the d previously been so great that red, fluttered but feebly in his was scant breath left, it struck ated, panting frame, to answer , if that were, as I supposed, trong's purpose there. This was Lon; but the ferociously triumphroke from his darkening eyes, at visitor's voice (he had not seemed =by sight), testified to the still of will, which could thus force life to the citadel it had all but d. He partially raised himself, - lieutenant, as if in fearful doubt ye-sight and hearing had deceived re-Lieutenant Armstrong here," ned as he fell back,-then is death ide!" on. 837 locker in front of his open sleeping-berth, in which hung a short bell-pull, the tassel of which his right-hand fingers clutched convulsively;but what help could he summon? The crew, we knew from the quiet overhead, had been secured. He was, no doubt, I concluded, partially delirious, and fancied himself still in command of Le Requin. The lad, whose bright glistening eyes had been intently fixed upon us, (he was Harrison's son) handed his father a cordial of some sort. It greatly revived him, and the expiring lamp of life played up with momentary brightness in the socket. "You well know, Harrison," urged the commander of the Curlew, "what I wish to be informed-assured of." mudian Creole live, die, or marry? To be sure. "Will you answer me, or not? say yes or no!" A terrible volume of bright flame, accompanied VOL. I.-W The melancholy days are come, The saddest of the year, The wither'd leaves lie dead; And to the rabbit's tread; And from the shrub the jay, And now when comes the calm mild day, From out their winter home; The waters of the rill, The south wind searches for the flowers Whose fragrance late he bore, And then I think of one who in In the cold moist earth we laid her, DINING WITH THE MILLION. THE French journals, debarred from the discussion of prohibited politics, have been lately discovering several heroes in humble life. Modest merit is very apt thus to turn up in the newspapers at dead seasons, like the Shower of Frogs, and Tremendous Turnips, which, in England, are among the most important results of the close of the parliamentary session. It happens occasionally that we read in the obituary of some very distinguished person, an honour to his country; whose like, the journalist inform us, we ne'er shall look upon again, and whose name we thus hear mentioned for the first time. We have never suspected the great man's existence until he has ceased to exist. We have never known of the honour we enjoyed until we have ceased to enjoy it. Thus it is that a large portion of the Parisian public were perhaps utterly unable to do honour to the Père Nicolet, until they were all of a sudden deprived of him. Death, however, unlocks the biographical tre and they have celeb Nicolet with that ni that neatly-balanced pity, and that enlarge tonist (who is paid by repress. "Who is, or rathe may especially be a where ignorance-so choice-is so distingu Few can answer the The Père Nicolet! H great and magnificent carries me back (with nothing but Prince Hu sion at two and two-p -to "Other lips not to mention "other -Paris with its narro does not separate its tains, and statues; its immaculate toilettes, a correspond; its balls wh and its conversazione unknown-Paris, wher merely because they li though a play be in ni carried to perfection; to consider any man a you have been introduc is so ill-bred as to blush. have reason to do so; w deal more polite to ever deserves; where all the the men are children, are more important tha for the politest nation in the Rights of Woman to The Père Nicolet! 1 recalls an eventful eveni been accustomed to sun Paris has experienced Not difficulty in a vulg experienced elsewhere, more painful embarrass land, where great men ha In England, according to their horses upon cheese in the choice of a religi are fifty of them; but he his fish sauce, because th In France the case is rev the English philosopher, the ready adaptation of alternativeless conditionmatters of faith; it is in f excuse a course expression finds himself at fault. have found what I may c hundred dishes an insupe way of a dinner, compare embarrassment between a tony in variety it is to go taurants! How soon the chop and a steak, is felicit Maison Dorée; how quiel Frères speedily become. Then and Vefour-Vefour, Véry, and ringing the changes in vain. The was probably prepared for the previously to her siesta, and hundred years, may have been behind the age when it came to it could not have been more unchangeable than those great Esines. thickly populated that the Government find it desirable to extend the boundary and bring it within the jurisdiction of the city authoritieswhich has happened now and then-that these establishments suffer. Placed under the ban of the octroi, their wines and viands are no longer cheaper than in the heart of the city; and their customers forsake them for the new establishments set up on the outside of the new Barriers -destined perhaps some day to be themselves subjected to a similar proceeding. 1, however, that I am not assumay particular claims to epicurean Meantime, on every day of the year-but on not going to set up an ideal on Sundays more especially-thousands upon thoua subject, to talk about the spi- sands, attracted perhaps as much by the excure side of gastronomy; to fall into sion as by other considerations, flock to these ress at the traditions of Vatel or the taurants to transact the mighty affair of dinner. rin; to talk of the rare repasts I Let us plant ourselves-that is to say, myself and el in before the old Rocher was two or three congenial associates, at one of the wonderful old vintages which I largest and most respectable. The place is the 1 not then come under my notice. Barrière Clichy, and the time, Sunday, at six this manner but antiquated dogs, o'clock. The principal dining-room, on the first nly had their day, but who have floor, is spacious and lofty, with all the windows A night of it ever since-except, open to the air. Nearly all the long narrow tables omic bon vivant of some Irish which look very white and well appointed—are has probably drawn his inspiration occupied by satisfied or expectant guests. Yonder ant in the Palais Royal, at two is a respectable shop-keeper at the head of his e. Perhaps there is no subject very respectable family. See with what wellore nonsense has been written bred politeness he places chairs for his wife and e lucubrations of the comic Irish- the elder girls; who hang up their bonnets, and sides of the question than upon adjust their already nicely adjusted hair in the y. For my part, I am perfectly mirror with perfect composure-not at all embarbest diuners in the world are to rassed by the presence of a couple of hundred is, if you go to the right places. persons whom they have never seen before. At ed variety is all nonsense as far as the next table is a grisette dining with a young linner is concerned. Deduct from gentlemen of rustic appearance, with red ears, nd plats, or whatever number the who does not seem quite at his ease. Never ess to contain, the dishes that do mind, she does, that's very plain. They are waitbe in season (always a large pro-ing to order their dinner. The young lady that never are, and never will be stamps impatiently with her little foot upon the ll larger number); those of which, floor, and strikes a glass with a fork to attract the ne you dine, the last plat hast just attention of a waiter-a practice that is consian equally large number); those dered underbred by fastidious persons; and es to be specially ordered in the which, to be sure, one does not observe at the a few); and you will find that as to Trois Frères. The garçon at length arrives, and emainder is not very bewildering- the young lady pours into his car a voluble order; n it is remembered that two differ- -a flood of Jullienne soup and a bottle of anyy often refer to one dish or to two, thing but ordinaire wine, corking it down with a ice so slight as to be scarcely dis- long array of solid matters to correspond. The young gentleman with the red ears, meantime, s, I hope, justified myself for find-grins nervously; and indeed does little else during us dining in Paris, monotonous after a a very long dinner, making up, however, for the E it, I need not farther explain how subordinate part he has hitherto played, by payst the resources of the Barriers in ing the bill. Round the room are scattered simiand how, in the course of not find- lar parties, arranged variously. Now a lady and as looking for, I met with the Père gentlemen--then a gentlemen alone-then a lady alone (who partakes of everything with great gravity and decorum); then two ladies together, who exchange confidences with mysterious gestures, show one another little letters, and are a little lavish in the article of curaçoa; then two gentlemen together, who are talking about the two ladies, exchange a glance with one of them, and depart. ers, I may premise, are a grand nly of dancers (to whom I have ed in this journal) but of diners and ll descriptions and degrees. It is eir happy attraction that so few sons are seen about the streets of not, as has been sagaciously inferred, ken persons are by any means rare mong a Parisian population. The pon viands and wine entering Paris, ed a few months ago by a popular resident, but not sufficiently so to nterests of the restaurants outside. e neighbourhood around becomes so Such is a specimen of the society nsually to be met with at a dinner outside the Barriers. If you wish to exchange a little for the worse, you will not find the process very difficult. In the restaurants of a lower class, there is a greater preponderance of cold veal and fried potatoes among the viands, and of blouses among the |