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 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LIBRARY AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN 
 
 APR 19 198: 
 MAY 03 18*3 
 
 L161— O-1096
 
 TOM BOWLING 
 
 VOL. I.
 
 
 //■,,/,/y,- '//sr ///?</.
 
 TOM BOWLING: 
 
 % CaU of tfje £ea. 
 
 BY 
 
 CAPT. FREDERICK CHAMIER, R.N. 
 
 AUTHOR OF 
 
 " THE LIFE OF A SAILOR," " THE SPITFIRE," 
 
 " JACK ADAMS," ETC. 
 
 IN THREE VOLUMES. 
 
 VOL. I. 
 
 LONDON: 
 HENRY COLBURN, PUBLISHER, 
 
 GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET. 
 1841.
 
 ?43 
 C3Sfct 
 v.l 
 
 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 H^ IN WHICH IS A DESCRIPTION OF TOM BOWLING'S SUPPOSED 
 
 BIRTH, PARENTAGE, AND EDUCATION. 
 
 u It's no use saying that a seaman shall only 
 drink his allowance of grog. Ever since I was 
 the size of a top maul I took to the liquor just 
 as regularly as a horse to his evening's bucket 
 of water, and the more my father tried to correct 
 the disease, the more inveterately it grew upon 
 me. 
 
 " Why, Tom, your father was no sailor." 
 u That's true; but he liked his glass for all that. 
 I remember when he was very ill indeed, that 
 
 VOL. 1. B
 
 2 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 he refused the assistance of one of the best doc- 
 tors in the parish, merely because the man would 
 not drink a drop with him ; and he carried his 
 prejudice so far, that for fear of offending him I 
 was obliged to drink myself. Well, he got worse 
 and worse, when luckily a kind of mafrodite 
 man, something between a German doctor and 
 an English mountebank, came to buy a dog, — 
 for, do you see, my father rather took a fancy to 
 gentlemen's dogs, and was so kind that he fed 
 and kept them for nothing when they came on 
 a visit to him. i Well,' said the German, ' you 
 are looking confounded ill, Mr. Hanson, and I 
 should like to buy that Scotch terrier before 
 you die.' 
 
 '"Thank, you, Sir,' said my father. ' Tom, 
 hand the gemmen some of No. 1 out of the 
 closet there. I'll part with the terrier for a trifle 
 to you, but I don't think it would hunt safely 
 near Enfield ; do you understand, It's the finest 
 creature after vermin of that kind as ever lived. 
 Tom, you sponge, — you gallon-measure, — you 
 hogshead, — take the bottle from your lips. 
 Help the company first, — then don't forget your
 
 TOM BOWLING. 3 
 
 father ; — you've no more religion than the New- 
 foundland puppy that came home last night. 
 There, doctor, that's stuff as never saw a custom- 
 house officer ; it came from Deal in a squall of 
 wind which lasted from the time it landed until 
 it got here ; there's no more water in that than 
 in a dry ditch in summer ; not enough for a 
 frog to swallow, to keep life and soul together. 
 I'm very ill, doctor, very ; I wants your advice.' 
 
 « ( Why,' said the doctor, < there's Mr. 
 Volatily, who is so clever and benevolent a 
 man.' 
 
 " ' I wont sell you the dog, not for its weight 
 in gold, if you talk of that benevolent man 
 again. What's the use of benevolence if a man 
 wont drink a glass with a friend who is goino- 
 out of the world ; I'll take your physic, and you 
 shall take your choice of my dogs — that's a 
 bargain. Tom, give the doctor another glass ; 
 help him as you do yourself ;— and now 1 shall 
 soon get well.' 
 
 " ' No, no, Mr. Hanson,' said the doctor; « I'll 
 buy your dogs, give you my best advice, drink 
 a glass, or smoke a pipe with you ; but I wont 
 b 2
 
 4 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 deceive you. The best of doctors could only 
 prolong your sufferings, by keeping you a few 
 weeks alive ; but die you must, and that shortly ; 
 so take my advice, make your mind up to it, 
 send for a clergyman, and endeavour to go to 
 your grave with an easy conscience.' 
 
 " * Tom, take the liquor away,' cried my 
 father ; ' the doctor's drunk as an owl.' 
 
 " ' Come, Mr. Hanson,' said the doctor, ' its 
 no use putting the blinker over the eye of the 
 question,' — for sometimes the German when he 
 was a little angry forgot his Sunday's English. 
 ' I have bought dogs of you frequently, and you 
 never sold me a bad one. I know all about your 
 mode of life, and the tyfel, — there is a tyfel, — 
 Mr. Hanson, will recollect the yelp of all your 
 dogs, and remember you of their names by and 
 by. Now a clergyman can settle all this for 
 you. I can only patch up your body, but the 
 black gentleman — I mean the clergyman — can 
 patch up your mind, your conscience, and let 
 you lie your head on your pillow comfortably 
 and quietly. Take my physic in the morning, 
 but see the clergyman at noon.'
 
 TOM BOWLING. 5 
 
 " ' Well, sir,' said my father, ' you confound 
 me — you bother me. How is the parson to rub 
 off the names of my dogs from the books of the 
 devil ? I tell you, I never saw a parson but twice 
 in my life, and that was rat-catching — and he 
 spoke for all the world just like another man. 
 Well, sir, I'm not afraid of him, and if he comes 
 to-morrow, I'll see him, provided he'll drink a 
 small drop with me.' 
 
 (i ' Nonsense, man, nonsense,' said the German, 
 interrupting him ; ( don't talk in that strain. In a 
 few days you will be summoned from this world, 
 and I tell you the time is very short between 
 this and your coffin ; and when once you are 
 placed in that narrow house, it is too late 
 for repentance. Your life has been one of 
 crime, and the only favourable circumstance in 
 it is the fact that your son Tom there has been 
 brought up properly, and never was concerned 
 in your various depredations.' " 
 
 Here a loud shout of laughter from all the 
 yarn listeners on the forecastle, at the good cha- 
 racter Tom gave of himself, resounded even to 
 the quarterdeck. Tom blushed, — he had a blush
 
 6 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 or two left ; but he was cheered on by his ship- 
 mates calling upon him to tell the history of his 
 early life ; and the end of his father, whose 
 exit was anything but satisfactory. 
 
 It was, however, the first time his shipmates 
 ever knew that Tom Bowling, the favourite of 
 the ship, the most daring " devil-may-care 
 fellow" of the whole crew, ever came from so 
 very bad a stock as a dog-stealer of St. Giles's. 
 
 t( Go on Tom, my boy, — don't blush so," 
 said a fellow, whose long tail and bushy 
 whiskers gave the very beau ideal of a sailor 
 some sixty years past,—" what does it signify 
 who your father was; if he had been better 
 than you, why then I'm blessed if you would not 
 have been like a potatoe, the best part of you 
 under ground ; whereas now you'r like the tall 
 spars of a line-of-battle-ship, seen first and last, 
 above the hull that bore you, with a good cha- 
 racter for carrying your canvass like a stout 
 spar through every squall ; so go on, and keep 
 that blush for pretty Susan when we get into 
 harbour." 
 
 " Bravo Dick, — well said, my lad, — it's all
 
 TOM BOWLING. 7 
 
 true; Tom Bowling is just as fine a fellow as 
 ever stepped between stem and stern of any craft 
 between Iceland and Cape Horn.' , 
 
 « Well, I'll tell you all about it, lads/' said 
 Tom. u The German doctor, who would have 
 made a horse laugh from his mimicry of any 
 man's face, (he was about five-and-twenty, and 
 often clapped his hat over his head and looked 
 seventy,) twisting his mouth as like my father 
 as if it had been drawn by a painter, said, — 
 ' Now, Mr. Hanson, just look at yourself, and see 
 if you think you can last a fortnight.' My father 
 burst out a laughing, told him to take the 
 terrier, and to send his physic ; and, as the 
 German walked out of the room, he said, — 
 1 I'll send you the physic and the clergyman ; 
 take in the first, but don't deceive the other. 
 Good bye, Mr. Hanson. Here, Tom, I want to 
 speak to you. Don't you give your father any 
 more brandy, and take less yourself. Get me 
 the terrier, and I'll call to-morrow.' 
 
 " My father never closed his eyes all that 
 blessed night ; he was rubbing up his memory, 
 and making long speeches, all of which he in-
 
 8 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 tended for the parson. He hired a maid-servant 
 to scrub the room ; and although he had ever 
 professed the greatest contempt for any one of 
 the black cloth, yet now, with death near at 
 hand, and with the assurance that the reverend 
 gentleman might assuage one or two most un- 
 comfortable reminiscences " 
 
 " Stop, Tom, a moment, what ships are those — 
 ' the Assuageon and the Reminisent/ — I never 
 heard of them in any fleet under Benbow, 
 Vernon, Keppel, or Anson. Perhaps it's the 
 Dragon and the Rhinoceros you mean." 
 
 " Tom's a schoolard, Bill," observed another ; 
 " he's only larding his English with a bit of 
 Spanish, or a touch of that German doctor's 
 lingo; let him make sail, and we shall under- 
 stand somehow or other on which tack the fleet 
 were standing before the action with the parson 
 began." 
 
 6t I beg your pardon, lads," said Tom 
 Bowling ; " I meant to say that the parson 
 would take the rounding off the cable of his 
 conscience, which was chafed by always riding 
 out life in a constant gale of wind, and that he
 
 TOM BOWLING. y 
 
 would be able to return it to the dock-yard 
 above as good as when he first drew it from the 
 store." 
 
 " That's as right as a trivet/' cried Bill ; 
 " that's a lingo every man can fathom; there's 
 none of your dictionary words which would 
 puzzle a Philadelphia lawyer, but real plain 
 upright and downright, like a donkey's fore-leg 
 — good intelligible English. Start a- head, 
 Tom." 
 
 " Well, lads, as I was a saying, when my 
 father heard that the parson could do all this 
 for him, he was determined not to let him work 
 for nothing ; so he ordered lots of good things, 
 some fresh brandy, got the house clean, clapped 
 on some new rigging, and put the skins of some 
 of his dogs which had died before he could sell 
 them as a kind of a mat for the parson to put 
 his feet on. I was dressed up in a new suit, 
 bought for the occasion, with a large shirt 
 collar turned down like a charity boy at Sunday 
 muster, with enough ribbon in my shoes to 
 have made a tie for the tail of Benbow's bowman 
 
 of the barge. 
 
 b 3
 
 10 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 " The physic came first ; that was swallowed 
 after a few faces, and was washed down with a 
 raw nip of brandy that would have startled the 
 boatswain. I tried to stop his grog, according 
 to the doctor's orders ; but he let out a squall of 
 words which frightened me ; and when I told 
 him that Mr. Volatily, the benevolent doctor, 
 said he was coming to see him, he turned round 
 as quiet as a child, and, says he, « Tom, my boy, 
 just go and let Pincher loose, and I'm mistaken 
 if that benevolent doctor comes near me; just 
 clap Pincher on the staircase, and be alive, after 
 he has bit the doctor, to tie him up again, or 
 he'll eat the parson altogether. Go, Tom, that's 
 a good boy ; let the dog loose, and talk to him 
 about physic.' 
 
 " I thought the best way was to go to Mr. 
 Volatily myself, and tell him who was standing 
 sentinel over the hatchway. That was enough 
 for him, although the good man tapped me on 
 the shoulder, and, says he, * Tom, your father's 
 just as great a brute as his dog, and he may die 
 and be d — d for me.' 
 
 iCt Thank you,' says I, ( that's kind of you, to
 
 TOM BOWLING. 11 
 
 let a man die in peace ; they say you are the 
 most benevolent man in the parish, and I'm sure 
 my father will think so too, although you never 
 will take a drop of brandy with him. I'll tell 
 him what you say, and I beg leave to thank 
 you for him.' So I took off my hat, made the 
 benevolent apothecary a low bow, ran home, 
 tied up Pincher, and delivered the message to 
 my father, who was quite pleased at being 
 allowed to die and be d — d without interrup- 
 tion. 
 
 " It was about eleven o'clock that we heard a 
 bit of a rumpus down stairs, and I looked over 
 the railings to see what it was ; when I saw a 
 stranger ascending the hatchway as slowly as a 
 purser in a hot day in the West Indies. He 
 had got a black sack over him, and wore two 
 pieces of white linen hanging from his neck, 
 for all the world as if he had cut off the weekly 
 account of a midshipman, and let them dangle 
 from his neck ; — he hove too once or twice to 
 take breath ; for he never had been so far aloft 
 before. I told my father what was coming up 
 stairs ; and, says he, i It's a parson, Tom ; I 
 hope none of the dogs is loose.'
 
 12 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 "Well, at last he got to the landing-place, 
 and I never ran away, not an inch, although 
 Mr. Monckton was there. I've often thought 
 that was the most resolute moment of my 
 life. 
 
 li l What, had you never seen a parson before, 
 Tom?' asked one of the group. 
 u ' X ever, that I know of.' 
 " 'Does one Mr. Hanson live up here?' said 
 the clergyman. 
 
 c< ' Yes, sir,' said I : as I made a slant towards 
 the door. 
 
 " ' I wish he did not live quite so high up,' 
 said the visitor, ' for it's hard work to march 
 up so many steps. Is he dying V 
 
 "<I thought he would have died,' said I, 
 { this morning; but since he's heard the doctor's 
 not corning, I think he looks better.' 
 
 " The parson looked at me, as much as to say 
 you are a sweet nut for the devil to crack ; and 
 after having got enough wind in him to serve 
 for breath, he pushed me on one side, and 
 came close up to my father's bed ; he looked at 
 him steadfastly for some time, and then, recol- 
 lecting himself, said, i Why, to be sure, you are
 
 TOM BOWLING. 13 
 
 the very man who stole my dog, and was tried 
 for it!' 
 
 " ' Ay, your Reverence,' said my father, 'that's 
 all true enough ; and I'm heartily sorry for it, 
 although it was my trade, — and business must be 
 attended to. Now, the German doctor says 
 that I have not long to live ; that he can only 
 comfort my body, — (Tom, you young black- 
 guard, keep your beak out of that bottle,) — that 
 boy, your Reverence, would drink a gallon of 
 brandy before he had the civility to ask a 
 stranger to take a glass. Well, Sir, it's about my 
 soul that I want to speak. The doctor said it 
 was all in the spirit line, and that you were the 
 best man in the world to see if it was proof, 
 genuine, unadulterated, pure, neat ; and so I 
 took the liberty to ask for your company ; and 
 I hope you'll find the brandy good.' 
 
 " The old gentleman, after listening atten- 
 tively to the length of the yarn my father 
 had spun, now began to talk a little. 
 
 " ' You miserable man,' he said, 'at this 
 awful moment, when the angel of life is holding 
 you over the depths of eternal misery by a
 
 14 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 single hair, do you speak thus ? Do you imagine 
 that your long catalogue of crime, although it 
 has been unseen by an earthly, will be over- 
 looked by a heavenly judge? An eye has 
 watched you from your infancy — every action is 
 recorded ; and when in a few hours you stand 
 before Him who knows every secret of your 
 heart, how will you bear to hear your eternal 
 condemnation V 
 
 " ' Tom/ said my father, as he trembled all 
 over, ' tell Bob to take back the large New- 
 foundland dog, and bring the reward ; and 
 those other ones which lost their way in the 
 dark, and came here for shelter, turn them out, 
 with their heads in the right direction. Put 
 your ear close, your Reverence ; I shall be easier 
 when I have told you all about him there — he's 
 not my child ; 1 found him.' 
 
 " ' Whose child is he ?' asked the parson. 
 
 " e I can't say, seeing as how I don't know ; 
 but he is a gentleman, as you can tell from his 
 taking his liquor so cordially.' 
 
 " I never remember to have seen my father 
 overcome by any set of words before ; the per-
 
 TOM BOWLING. 15 
 
 spiration ran down his face in streams, and he 
 breathed so heavily that I offered him some 
 brandy. 
 
 " ' No, Tom,' he said ; i no, no more of that 
 for me; give it to his Reverence; it will make 
 him talk again, and I think he does me good.' 
 
 " ' Can you pray V said the parson. 
 
 " ' Yes, Sir,' replied my father, as meekly as 
 a child. 
 
 '"What kind of prayer do you use, — the 
 Lord's prayer V 
 
 " < No, your Reverence ; it's one I often used 
 for dark nights.' 
 
 6C ' There is no night of darkness, man, like 
 your soul's; and I should ill perform my duty 
 if I flattered you with pardon ; even at the last 
 moment before the last breath, the last sigh 
 leaves the expiring man, some hope may gladden 
 the eye ; but you offer no repentance for past 
 crimes — your heart is seared in iniquity — there 
 is no hand held in imploring prayer to Him who 
 has said, u Come unto me, all ye who are heavy 
 laden ;" but with brutal indifference, with a reck- 
 lessness incomprehensible, you plunge headlong
 
 16 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 into that hell of darkness which is yawning to re- 
 ceive you ; lift up those guilty hands, and let your 
 sinful lips repeat these words.' I watched Mr. 
 Monckton, who knelt down by his side ; an 
 awful fear came over me, and I fell on my knees 
 by the foot of the bed : my father's hands were 
 held together, and in this attitude, whilst en- 
 deavouring to reach higher and higher as the 
 
 o o o 
 
 words of the clergyman fell upon his ears, he 
 gave one sudden convulsive shake, his arms fell 
 by his side, his lower jaw opened, and he was 
 dead ! 
 
 iC The clergyman saw it all, but he continued 
 praying for him that was gone ; and when he 
 rose he pointed to the corpse and said, ' Be this 
 an useful lesson to you ; and as you toil on 
 through this dreary pilgrimage on earth, re- 
 member there is an eye which never slumbers, 
 an ear which is ever attentive ! And when, 
 fatigued with life's journey, you lay down your 
 staff, may Heaven grant your last hour be not 
 like this, — your only prayer cut short, your falter- 
 ing voice stifled ! Leave this abode when your 
 duty to him you believed your father is done;
 
 TOM BOWLING. 17 
 
 seek a new life ; become useful to your king and 
 your country, and by your conduct obliterate 
 the remembrance of his !' The gentleman then 
 shook me by the hand, and saying, l May the 
 seed of righteousness fall on fruitful ground,' he 
 slowly descended the stairs. I watched him ; I 
 cannot tell you the sensations I felt, — a child 
 might have felled me to the ground ; my knees 
 could scarcely support me, and at last I fell 
 down at the head of the stairs. 
 
 " My father had money enough to procure a 
 proper burial, and the clergyman who saw him 
 die, read the last prayer over him. He beheld 
 me crying over the grave, and when he finished 
 he took me by the hand, — for I had a decent set 
 of rigging over my mast-head, — and he led me 
 to his house. 
 
 " ' This is the lad, Anna,' he remarked to his 
 wife, ' take care of him/ I dare say I might 
 have been happy had I remained with him all 
 the days of my life, — if I had worked for him 
 like a slave, but it was ordained otherwise, 
 and here I am. From the moment I was taken 
 into the clergyman's house, I was put to school 
 with some other lads younger than myself. The
 
 18 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 lady heard us our lessons three times a day ; and 
 although I attended in the house as a servant, 
 I was always obliged to be at my station in 
 school. Her daughter, a girl of my own age, 
 first taught me my letters, and the first word I 
 ever wrote was ' Susan,' 
 
 " When my father died I was only ten years 
 of age. The clergyman sold the property, and 
 I'm afraid to say how much my kind master 
 told me was left to me, — not as his son, but 
 under the name of Thomas Bowling. He 
 might have told me of guineas as plentiful as 
 cowries in Africa, but I never saw one. I 
 worked hard for my wages, which were regularly 
 paid. I had clothes given me ; and what made 
 me a greater favourite was, the manner in which 
 I went a-head in my books. I was never with- 
 out them, and whenever I had a moment to 
 spare I set to work to read or to write. Susan, 
 the clergyman's daughter, called me her pupil ; 
 and at all the examinations at the school I used 
 to see her eyes glisten as she said, when one lad 
 could not answer the question, ' Ask young 
 Bowling, papa, he knows it well enough !' 
 
 " I remained at this work until I was twelve,
 
 TOM BOWLING. 19 
 
 during which time I had learnt to read and 
 write properly, — had been to church twice every 
 Sunday, and knew the Prayer-book by heart. 
 I was a stout looking lad of my age, and when- 
 ever Miss Susan wanted anything done she 
 seemed to like to ask me to do it; for whenever 
 she spoke, my ears were always wide open. 
 
 " There was no man more respected in the 
 parish than the clergyman ; but I fear he was 
 not always so great a friend to himself as to his 
 parishioners. He always gave away more than 
 he ought to have given, because he had a wife 
 and daughter to live after his death. He was 
 very stout built, and somehow I always had an 
 idea that a stout man makes a greater impres- 
 sion upon a society when he speaks, than a 
 skeleton whose jaws you can hear rattle. 
 
 u It was one Sunday evening in July, the 
 weather was as hot as at Port Royal in August, 
 that the clergyman, after coming home from 
 the service, looked very pale and ill. His wife 
 saw it in a moment, and the daughter soon 
 caught the alarm. It was as much as my 
 master could do to reach his chair before he fell
 
 20 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 into a fit. I ran directly for the German doctor, 
 who was then a man of great practice, and he 
 drove to the house directly. The other servant 
 in the house had gone for Volatily, and they 
 both arrived at the same moment. One began 
 to cut away at my poor master's head, to open 
 the artery, whilst the other set to work at both 
 arms. Never did I see more courage in a man 
 than was shewn by the wife and Susan. It's 
 an ugly sight is blood, when flowing down a 
 face we have often loved, revered, and caressed ! 
 But they witnessed the sight without flinching ; 
 there was a determination to do their duty, which 
 seemed to have dried their eyes, — for women 
 oftentimes cry and work, and as they cry work 
 the harder. But here was nothing of the sort; 
 it was all a kind of fevered despair, without a 
 beam of hope, — and they had learnt their duty 
 from him who now received at their hands the 
 benefit of his own Christian instruction. 
 
 " A blister was ordered to be put on the nape 
 of the neck, and Volatily prepared and cut it — 
 but the clergyman's wife put it on. She patted 
 it down more tenderly I thought than the
 
 TOM BOWLING. 21 
 
 apothecary would have done ; and wherever the 
 pain was most likely to be intense, there was 
 the small hand of Susan to assuage it. 
 
 " The German doctor was a man of great 
 feeling. To the hurried questions which were 
 asked with scarcely intermission, he answered 
 as softly as a girl. He gave hope, without in- 
 spiring a perfect confidence ; and to the implor- 
 ing eye of the daughter he had a soothing 
 response. I was by the bedside, and I watched 
 there for five hours ; the good old man never 
 spoke but in a whisper, first to his wife, and 
 then a long time to his daughter. During that 
 time Susan was on her knees in fervent prayer. 
 Yes, and I knelt by the death bed of him who 
 perhaps had saved me from a life as disreput- 
 able as my reputed father's. It was then I re- 
 membered the words of the clergyman when my 
 father died, and I thought of the difference of 
 the scene here. In the midst of his family, 
 surrounded by those who loved him, warm from 
 the church where he had offered up his prayers, 
 — his sickness occasioned by the exertion used 
 to call others to repentance, — the good man
 
 22 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 received the benedictions of all who surrounded 
 his bed, and lay in silent calmness awaiting the 
 last command. 
 
 " It was not until long after the first shock that 
 either wife or daughter shed a tear; but when 
 they burst out, they wept for hours. But there 
 was no complaining ; they seemed wonderfully 
 supported. No thought occurred of the future 
 privations they were destined to experience ; 
 every thought was for him ; every action to 
 assuage his pain. It was about eleven the next 
 morning that the old gentleman spoke, and gave 
 us hopes of his recovery. He seemed, however, 
 to be aware that death was lingering in the 
 room, and he sent for an attorney to arrange 
 some few matters. They mostly concerned me ; 
 for all his worldly wealth would die with him, 
 and his furniture be the fortune of his wife. I 
 heard my name mentioned often. 
 
 '* The attorney being gone, the wife and 
 daughter read prayers to him, during which he 
 fell off again. The doctor had from the first 
 but little hope ; and now it was evident he 
 had still less. He prepared the family for the
 
 TOM BOWLING. 23 
 
 blow so near at hand, and with great feeling 
 declared his incompetency to ward it off. He 
 urged them to place their hope in a higher 
 power, and resign themselves to the calamity, 
 according to the lesson ever inculcated, with 
 Christian resignation. So indeed they did. 
 They watched with all affection ; there was no 
 moment when the eye was withdrawn from the 
 patient ; and his last breath was exhaled be- 
 tween the wife and the daughter. At his 
 funeral a long train of sincere friends attended 
 him to his grave, and his loss was severely felt 
 and regretted. 
 
 " It appeared that I was now to be under the 
 direction of the German doctor, who gave me to 
 understand that I was shortly to be removed to 
 school. It was another trial of strength. I 
 had to part with those who had taught me all 
 I knew; who had rescued me from a life of 
 shame ; and who had fed and clothed me. I 
 was resolved not to make my first farewell my 
 last, and therefore I said * Good bye' to Susan, 
 who looked lovelier than ever in her mourning, 
 and I took up my abode at the doctor's. Here
 
 24 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 I found myself treated more as a gentleman ; 
 for during the three days I was in the house I 
 dined every day with my guardian. The fourth 
 day I was packed off to school ; but I had been 
 told by the doctor that whenever I should come 
 to the age of one-and-twenty, I should be able 
 to live like a lord, and drive a one-horse shay. 
 Amongst other matters, he told me of the distress 
 which the widow and the daughter would ex- 
 perience ; and being a man of the world, and 
 having I suppose known that when people be- 
 come poor they are very much pitied and left 
 to starve, he ventured to say that without Susan 
 got a place, and the widow worked like a 
 pedlar's donkey, one would soon be ruined, and 
 the other buried. 
 
 i( I have no doubt it was my thinking of the 
 wretchedness of their situation that procured me 
 no less than four floggings the first week I was 
 at school, and I dare say I should have got four 
 more the next week if I had not taken the liberty 
 of burning my master's rods, and of walking off 
 with myself. I was the companion of another 
 boy, who was of my own age, and who had
 
 TOM BOWLING. 25 
 
 bothered his father to send him to sea, wishing 
 to carve out his own misery, in direct defiance 
 of his father, who was going to send him to India 
 to make a large fortune in a few years, and 
 enable him to come home with a liver complaint 
 and a yellow face. 
 
 " We never know what is best for ourselves 
 in this world — never; I remember a magistrate 
 at Portsmouth saying as much to a man who 
 was brought before him for stealing poultry. 
 1 I think the best thing I can do/ said the 
 culprit, ' is to go home to my mother and live a 
 better life.' ' Depend upon it,' said the magis- 
 trate, ' you are quite wrong ; the best place for 
 you is the gaol. Take him away for three 
 months.' My first visit after I had ventured to 
 draw breath and look behind me was to the 
 widow and to Susan. A change had taken 
 place in the house, for there was no servant, 
 half the furniture seemed gone, and I knew 
 enough of what had been to know the truth of 
 the doctor's observation; they had the rent to 
 pay, without the means, but by the sale of their 
 
 vol. i. c
 
 26 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 goods ; and their hands never having been 
 accustomed to work, they felt the advances of 
 poverty without the power of warding it off. I 
 had only two shillings in my pocket.
 
 TOM BOWLING. 27 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 IN WHICH IS SHEWN THE TRUTH OF THE PERSIAN RE- 
 MARK, THAT " A BLACK BOY MAY RETURN WITH A 
 WHITE FACE." 
 
 " I did not dare go back to the doctor's, and 
 I had to find out a mode of getting my bread ; 
 that was all arranged in my mind. I was mad 
 to go to sea, and I knew half a score of songs 
 quite historical enough to prove that sailors were 
 the happiest men in the world ; made money as 
 surely as their enemies had ships ; were always 
 in love ; and passed their lives with a grog- 
 bottle by their side, and a song on their lips. 
 So my mind was made up: on that evening 
 c 2
 
 28 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 I would sleep on board a vessel in the river, and 
 trust to the generosity of the crew to give me 
 something to eat. 
 
 " Susan was very kind to me. She hoped 
 the good lesson inculcated by her father and 
 herself would never be lost upon me ; she told 
 me that now she had to practise that patience 
 and resignation which she had ever taught, to 
 comfort her poor mother in her affliction, and to 
 work for her support. But in this trying cir- 
 cumstance she would cheerfully do her duty ; 
 that the hour of toil was the happiest, since it 
 prevented her thinking of times past, and she 
 knew the termination of her work would be the 
 means of providing her poor mother with food. 
 I looked at her — that is, I tried to see her, but 
 my eyes swam in tears. She saw it ; she bade 
 me not fear for her, but in my future life to re- 
 member that my prosperity would be welcome 
 intelligence to her ; and that any proof of ho- 
 nourable conduct would be the most acceptable 
 news which could reach her. She thought of 
 me, not of herself; and when I told her that, 
 whichever way the wind might set, the remem-
 
 TOM BOWLING. 29 
 
 brance of her would ride on the breeze, she 
 shook me by the hand, and went to another 
 room. I put the two shillings on the table, and 
 left a scrap of paper on which I said I wished 
 it had been two hundred pounds ; that I was 
 gone to sea ; and that they might pay me when 
 I came back. 
 
 " I walked out of that room the happiest boy 
 in England, without a rap in the world, without 
 a friend, for my schoolfellow had been picked 
 up by a relation whilst waiting for me; and 
 with a heart as light as a feather, and a stomach 
 very clamorous, I steered a course to Tower 
 Hill, and by four o'clock in the afternoon was a 
 cabin-boy on board of a collier, under the name 
 of Tom Bowling, — had washed the captain's 
 tumbler, wiped his plate, and given him his 
 long-shore-going-coat, after which I got some- 
 thing to eat, and I slept like a top. 
 
 " There, my lads ; there is a yarn long 
 enough for any man to spin in one night." 
 
 * Not a bit of it, Tom. Why, you have not 
 told us anything ; let's hear how you came on 
 board a man-of-war, — what became of Susan,
 
 30 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 bless her little heart ! — and how she lived. 
 Why, my lad, you tip us a stave about your 
 learning and your dogs, but you leave out the 
 women and the love ; we have half an hour 
 more, and a boy's adventure, as you call it, 
 always does my heart good to hear, particularly 
 when the wind has set dead in his teeth, and 
 he has been able to work to windward of every 
 rock and shoal, and come safely to anchor, 
 without having scraped off his character in the 
 shallows." 
 
 " There are many of us, I dare say," resumed 
 Tom, 6< who began life in a collier, with a face 
 as black as a hat, and with heart as sick as such 
 a life could cause. They were clearing the cargo 
 when I entered ; and young as I was, and com- 
 paratively weak, I was not allowed to be idle. 
 I believe I did all the work of the vessel myself, 
 and although I might be called a cabin, yet I 
 hailed for the ' ship's boy;' but when the vessel 
 was cleared and washed, and we had all changed 
 our faces and become white, the crew became 
 discontented because they had nothing to do ; 
 whilst they worked they were happy, when they
 
 TOM BOWLING. 31 
 
 were idle they became miserable ; and, my lads, 
 I think we all know this to be a fact, that 
 whenever a man becomes idle he gets into 
 mischief. I was never idle ; a cabin-boy in a 
 collier has never time enough to wash his own 
 hands without he does it when he cleans the 
 tea-things ; but although I was employed, I was 
 not happy. I kept thinking of Susan, and every 
 now and then made up my mind to take French 
 leave and visit her ; but then I thought that she 
 would pay the two shillings, and that would 
 distress her and myself also, so somehow or 
 other I made up my mind to be contented in my 
 situation, and clapping on a smile of content- 
 ment, worked away like a galley-slave. 
 
 u We sailed with a poor crew enough ; we 
 were e the Empty Bottle,' a light collier, bound 
 to the northward, and being light, we pitched 
 about at every sea. I got over sea-sickness 
 better than many others, for after the first four 
 hours I was kicked and thrashed until I forgot 
 it, and it left me for ever. We were not two 
 days from the river before we were boarded by 
 a cutter, and the crew mustered. We had
 
 32 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 exactly our number; but the officer declared 
 one or so less would be no inconvenience. 
 He asked us if we would volunteer for the 
 navy ; and although each man looked as if it 
 was an offer to go into the worst slavery, which 
 he hardly dared refuse, lest he should be pressed, 
 they all muttered out a most decided ' no/ and 
 the officer continued his offer. 
 
 " ' Why you young handsome fellow,' he 
 began, as he addressed me, ' are you going to 
 spend your best days with a black face in a 
 collier, when you might be a vice-admiral of the 
 red in twenty years V 
 
 " I looked at him with great delight ; it was 
 the first word of encouragement I had received. 
 
 " Wont you volunteer for the king's service, 
 my lad ?' he continued ; J that's the place where 
 merit is always rewarded, and where the young 
 and the active get into notice and promotion. 
 Why, I should be ashamed, if I were you, to 
 spend my life in going for coals and taking 
 them back again; washing up tea-cups, and 
 cleaning other people's shoes ; doing nothing for 
 yourself, and being kicked for your neighbours.
 
 TOM BOWLING. 33 
 
 Go on board a man-of-war ; be a sailor in reality ; 
 make prize-money ; laugh and sing ; drink grog, 
 and christen the cat.' 
 
 " I said I should have no objection. 
 
 " ' Objection !' said he, with a stare as long 
 as if I had asked him for some money or spoken 
 Greek to him ; i objection ! why, if you knew 
 what I offered you, the fortune which I am 
 putting within your grasp, the pleasure I am 
 proffering, you would fall down on your knees 
 and thank me with tears in your eyes.' 
 
 " ' Oh Lord !' said one of the men near me ; 
 6 that man would talk a school-boy out of his 
 bread and butter.' 
 
 " ' Go look at yourself in a glass, my lad,' 
 continued this crimp ; ' see what a gallant 
 fellow you would be in a pair of epaulettes ; 
 fancy yourself an admiral, commanding a rleet, 
 surrounded by your officers, the flag of your 
 enemy just lowered, his sword placed in your 
 hand, your crew cheering their brave com- 
 mander, and then look at this dirty collier, and 
 say, If I slaved on for forty years, I could not 
 expect to command even this.' 
 c 3
 
 34 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 " ' I'll enter,' said I. 
 
 u l That's enough, my lad; put this shilling 
 in your pocket, hand up your chest and bag, 
 and there's the boat.' 
 
 " ' Ah/ said the captain of the collier ; * he 
 wont sink the boat with the baggage. A precious 
 fool you are, Bowling ! An admiral ! my eyes 
 and limbs, but you'll be without your shirt, 
 lashed to the gratings, long before ever you 
 walk on even the lee-side of the quarter-deck, 
 it's all too late now ; you have taken the bounty. 
 There's the boat, and there's another shilling for 
 you, which you may return me with five per cent, 
 interest when you are an admiral. Stupid boy, 
 to be gulled by a parcel of words.' 
 
 " When I was ready, I went to shake hands 
 with my shipmates. ' Good bye, admiral,' said 
 one. ' Hope your honour wont forget an old 
 shipmate,' said another. ' Admiral Bowling, 
 your barge is alongside,' said a third, and all 
 hands burst out a laughing ; but when they saw 
 that I was crying, being quite unable to com- 
 prehend their banter, they shook my hand and 
 comforted me. So it was, my lads, that three
 
 TOM BOWLING. 35 
 
 days after I left the Thames in a collier, I was 
 a volunteer in the service on board the cutter, 
 which, having made a considerable haul from 
 other vessels, was now standing towards the 
 Medway to discharge her cargo at Chatham." 
 
 A youngster is like wet clay — you may 
 mould him anyways. Some take the cast of 
 rather an ugly shape, and never turn out well in 
 life ; others catch better forms and images, and 
 become great men ; whilst by far the greater 
 numbers rush into neither extremes, but go 
 down the great river of life, swept unobserved 
 by its current, and, lost in the great ocean of 
 eternity without a name, are obliterated entirely 
 from memory. Out of the eight hundred millions 
 of people who inhabit the earth, for a period of 
 twenty years, about ten will be remembered in 
 the page of history as great or striking cha- 
 racters. The middling lords are quite unnoticed ; 
 and only four or five hundred persons famous for 
 crimes, daring villanies, or mischievous legisla- 
 tion, make for themselves a notoriety and a 
 name. Such is existence, and such is the end 
 of fame.
 
 36 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 " Every one first emerging into life has hope 
 for his lighthouse, and ambition for his pilot. 
 How few round the point where hidden shoals 
 and sunken rocks occasion the whirlpool of 
 destruction ? Even when safe from the fury of 
 the storm, and past the boiling surf of dangers, 
 they are assailed by the ever-ready wind of 
 detraction, or the poisoned breeze of slander, 
 leaving it to the last a doubt, whether the middle 
 course is not the best, as above detraction, and 
 beneath envy ; but who would, when young, 
 rob his heart of its best wishes, of its ambition? 
 and yet, when attained, where is the happi- 
 ness? 
 
 " I very soon found," continued Bowling ; 
 " that it was not all gold that glittered. I cer- 
 tainly was not placed in any condition on board 
 the cutter likely to make me think that my pro- 
 motion to an admiral was the natural conse- 
 quence of my entering the service ; and however 
 much I might have been kicked and cuffed on 
 board the collier, it was mere child's play to that 
 which followed on board my new vessel. I was 
 merely a boy, but I was every one's boy, and it
 
 TOM BOWLING. 37 
 
 is better to serve under one despotic master than 
 under a dozen slaves who believe themselves 
 free. Everybody conceived I was his slave ; 
 and it was in vain I remarked that I had 
 volunteered for the service of the king — not for 
 the service of his seamen ; but I had much 
 better have kept my remarks to myself, as they 
 only procured me more kicks and cuffs. 
 
 a ' Never mind, youngster,' said one of the 
 old birds employed to decoy the young ones; 
 ' take it easy, grin, and bear it ; you can't strike 
 the hoop of a cask without bruising your 
 knuckles, or stumble over a scraper without 
 hurting your ancles. In a week you will be as 
 hard as a two-and-thirty pound shot, and you 
 wont feel when any one hits you. Patience, 
 my lad ; patience and perseverance ; a marling- 
 spike and a fid of grease, and you'd get your 
 little finger into the touch-hole of a gun ; so 
 patience and perseverance, as the parson says, 
 and you'll soon push your way as well as the 
 best.' 
 
 " I fancy that old fellow's voice now, croak- 
 ing in my ear, and saying, i Take an old sea-
 
 38 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 man's advice, and remember it whenever you 
 feel down-hearted : the longest day will have 
 an end, and though it's cloudy in the morning, 
 the sun may shine bright enough at noon for 
 the master to take an observation !' Its owing 
 to always thinking of this fellow's advice that I 
 have steered clear of the gangway, and never 
 had an angry word from my officers. And 
 many's the time that the darkest cloud has 
 cleared away, and left a smile on the captain's 
 face. There, my lads, I'm off to my hammock. 
 To-morrow morning, and I shall be in the cutter 
 going for fresh beef. The wind is fair, the Ram 
 Head is in sight, and Plymouth Sound will see us 
 at daylight !" 
 
 Tom Bowling was even then ' the darling of 
 the crew ;' for he was ever ready to do a kind- 
 ness. He was a brave, generous, open-hearted 
 lad, and, like all youngsters in the navy, he was 
 in love, and with his Susan. Something tempted 
 him to write to her, for he had never seen her 
 since he left the money on the table. But then 
 he thought how useless it would be, since he 
 had no idea of her residence ; and although she
 
 TOM BOWLING. 39 
 
 had said how happy she should be to receive a 
 letter, yet, boy like, he feared to write it. He 
 was now eighteen years of age, a well-made, 
 handsome, young man. He had ever amused 
 his leisure hours by reading, and unlike his 
 shipmates, who generally availed themselves of 
 all idle moments to sleep, he devoted that time 
 to continuing the education which Susan had 
 begun. Every one of Tom Bowling's songs, 
 and he had written a score of them, had Susan 
 for the heroine ; they all, too, breathed a certain 
 love. He thought in all gallant actions the plea- 
 sure was enhanced by the approbation of women. 
 Such were English seamen ; they were ever 
 ready to fall in love, and although a great stress 
 had been laid upon their inconstancy, this is 
 a point upon which most men familiar with these 
 amphibious mortals may be excused if they 
 differ. Across the Atlantic it is a long way for a 
 lover to send a sigh, and Jack only, I fear, re- 
 membered his love when the ship was ordered 
 home: then he was liberal of his purse and 
 praise, and the money he had gained at the
 
 40 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 peril of his life was flittered away in useless 
 gaudy presents, to dress out the miserable 
 object of his temporary affection. Duty, con- 
 stant employment, and a vigilant first lieutenant, 
 are awful odds against that sincere love which 
 requires time to bring to maturity. 
 
 Of all professions in the world there is 
 none comparable with that of a sailor. Compare 
 him with the labourer of the soil. See how fre- 
 quently a large family and small income help to 
 drive the most industrious man to the poor-house. 
 He is indeed a u day labourer," for he must rise 
 with the sun, sometimes even before, and only 
 for a few weeks in summer after it ; from that 
 moment until darkness comes on, or in summer 
 until seven in the evening, must he drudge and 
 delve at the most irksome, the most monotonous 
 employment, where there is no variation of view 
 to give him a momentary pleasure — no sudden 
 change to enliven his miserable existence. It is 
 a round of eternal labour, at a price barely suf- 
 ficient for his support, and not nearly sufficient 
 for his comfort. The day's work over, he is
 
 TOM BOWLING. 41 
 
 glad enough to creep to his bed, and find in his 
 heavy slumbers some dream of happiness never 
 to be realized. 
 
 Would you compare the sailor with the me- 
 chanic, — there again is the same monotony — the 
 same fixture of residence. If it be his lot to 
 swing the ponderous hammer, which rings 
 against the anvil, — or the saw, or the plane ; or 
 if attached to any manufactory, — there, in that 
 one place, must he linger out his life, unless, 
 indeed, as many have done, he breaks all con- 
 nexion with his own country, and emigrates to 
 a new land, there to go back from the little 
 civilization he ever knew, to herd with savages, 
 or outcasts. 
 
 The soldier, again, paraded at dawn, stand- 
 ing on one leg like a goose, until at a given 
 signal he puts it down only to lift the other, — 
 then the heavy musket, the weighty accoutre- 
 ments, the toilsome march, the covering one 
 dirt with another dirt — pipe-clay, a clean sol- 
 dier is always a dirty man, — then for the forced 
 marches, the array of battle, the long, long 
 hours of anxiety, the charge, the wound, and
 
 42 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 then left on the ground for some malicious 
 enemy to wound more deeply, or to kill, — then 
 comes the stiffened wound, the jolt in the cart 
 to be carried in the rear, the hours necessarily 
 lost before he can be attended to, the nights 
 passed on the cold, damp ground, the difficulty 
 attending the regular service of his provision, 
 and the constant burden strung upon his shoul- 
 ders, and almost bearing down his exhausted 
 frame from its unnecessary weight. 
 
 Give me the life of a sailor; he roams the 
 world, — the ship his home, — he carries with him 
 his apartments ready furnished, — to him the 
 treasures of the new world are shewn, — every 
 climate, every soil, every people, become fa- 
 miliar to him, — his nights are nights of repose, 
 and in the hour of danger he has assistance ever 
 at hand, — if wounded in defence of his country 
 his bed is ready to receive him, and in compa- 
 rative security, the surgeon dresses his wounds. 
 The storms, the thunder and the lightning, 
 the raging winds or towering seas, are dis- 
 regarded by him who ever associates with them ; 
 he is cradled upon the ocean, and with the
 
 TOM BOWLING. 43 
 
 security of a child in its first bed, calmly re- 
 poses in the midst of the storm. He forms one 
 of a small community, each bound to protect 
 and foster the other ; he sees in the flag under 
 which he serves the honour of his cause, and 
 his greatest pride is to maintain it uninjured. 
 With a light heart and cheerful countenance he 
 does his duty to his king ; he has few wants 
 beyond his grog, and his song is ever of that 
 and the girl of his heart. His money has no 
 miser's care, he shares it with his shipmate in 
 open-handed liberality; and if the evening 
 of his life seems lowering from his youthful 
 prodigality, there rises on the distant horizon 
 of his age the stately towers of Greenwich 
 Hospital, his hope, his refuge, his reward. 
 
 Such is a sailor's life. It is strange that one 
 never sees a melancholy seaman ; it is unnatural, 
 and as much in contradiction to his character as 
 top-boots are to his dress. These men have 
 been, and still must be, England's main-stay. 
 And it is the duty of those who have com- 
 manded in the battle and the breeze to keep 
 them in the remembrance of those whose riches
 
 44 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 they have protected, and whose bulwark they 
 remain. 
 
 It was in the month of May, many years ago, 
 that Tom Bowling anchored in Plymouth 
 Sound. He was rated an able seaman, from his 
 intrepidity during a gale of wind ; and in spite 
 of the three hundred men not one of whom had 
 risen to be an admiral, Tom had a few Spanish 
 towers floating in his imagination. Whenever 
 he looked aft, and saw the officers in their 
 Sunday uniforms, he could not help fancying 
 that one day he should rise to their rank, and 
 one day be respected as they were. The fore- 
 mast man has seldom this idea — this gleam of 
 hope ; but Bowling was an educated seaman, 
 — he saw no barrier which good behaviour and 
 steadiness could not overleap, and he kept his 
 eye abaft as the object to be attained. 
 
 In the meantime a change had come over the 
 life of Susan. As long as her father lived, she 
 never was destined to service ; as a clergyman's 
 daughter she had always been respected ; there 
 was a kind of halo which encircled the rector's 
 home and familv ; but this airv nothing soon dis-
 
 TOM BOWLING. 45 
 
 sipated when death deprived the mother and 
 daughter of their protector. For a month or 
 two they struggled on ; but debts began to rise 
 up in various quarters, — their contracted cir- 
 cumstances soon forced them to retire from the 
 little society they ever knew ; and their pride — 
 clergymen's wives and daughters have as much 
 pride as their neighbours — forbad them to 
 solicit assistance. 
 
 At first Susan felt alarmed at proposing to 
 take in work, or to become a governess. She 
 preferred the first to the last ; for she would then 
 still be independent, and whenever a friend did 
 call — friends are very rare visitors when the tide 
 of misfortune sets in — she could still appear as 
 a lady, and maintain a certain dignity; but 
 under all inflictions, all unkindness. — for now 
 and then an expression dropt which the sensitive 
 heard, — she rose superior to sudden outbreaks of 
 temper, and in the calm solitude of her own 
 chamber received the support of religion. 
 
 How different was the fervent appeal to Pro- 
 vidence for assistance in Susan to the self-suffi- 
 cient rant of those visionary enthusiasts who
 
 46 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 know themselvesc ailed, and who unhesitat- 
 ingly denounce their neighbours ; who boldly 
 tell us with unblushing faces, that they feel 
 themselves safe, and are sure of a happy eter- 
 nity when the weariness of life's pilgrimage is 
 over ; who bravely declare that every action of 
 their lives was predestined ; and that they being 
 predestined, and being aware of it, must be 
 saved. Their prayers are the desire of the ar- 
 rogant, rather than the supplication of the lowly- 
 minded and the penitent. 
 
 At last poverty began to stare both the mother 
 and daughter in the face ; there were very few 
 articles left for sale, the produce of which might 
 yield a scanty sustenance for a month ; then 
 indeed the case would be desperate, and a public 
 appeal requisite. Susan's resolution was soon 
 taken. It was useless waiting until the storm 
 burst, when by activity she might avoid it, or 
 so far have sought shelter as to be secure against 
 its ravages. She applied to one who still de- 
 served the name of friend : interest was made in 
 a quarter where few ever applied and were un- 
 ceremoniously dismissed. Susan was eagerly
 
 TOM BOWLING. 47 
 
 engaged ; her meek modest manner being her 
 best recommendation. Her mother was re- 
 moved to a neat cottage not far from Ports- 
 mouth ; and before the last article had been 
 sold, Susan was duly installed as governess in 
 the family of Mrs. Talbot.
 
 48 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 CHAPTER III, 
 
 IN WHICH TOM PEPPER, WHO WAS TURNED OUT OF THE 
 SAME PLACE THAT ORPHEUS WENT TO FOR HIS 
 WIFE, IS OUTDONE. 
 
 There are very few situations in life more 
 painful than that of a governess. In some fami- 
 lies, where their merits are properly estimated, 
 they are companions as well as instructors ; with 
 the haughty, the proud, the poor grown suddenly 
 rich, they are little better than upper servants. 
 Admitted into the drawing-room of an evening, 
 studiously avoided, as " only the governess," 
 and slighted by the frivolous, who, wrapped in 
 io-norance, bring wealth to cover the poverty of
 
 TOM BOWLING. 49 
 
 their minds. Poor Susan had heard from her 
 father how often the poor are despised, or in- 
 sulted by wordy pity. She approached her 
 future residence with fear and trembling ; and 
 imagined she saw, even in the servant who 
 handed her trunk from the coach, his duty done 
 as a favour. But all her misgivings were 
 speedily dissipated ; she was met by her future 
 pupil with a smile of early friendship, and the 
 mother received her as a companion. 
 
 There was in the expression of Rosa Talbot's 
 face some indication of sickness, which might 
 have escaped the unpractical eye of Susan. She 
 was about fifteen years of age, her eyes bright, 
 her complexion very clear, but pale; there was 
 occasionally a slight flush suffused the face, of 
 the most brilliant colour, whilst the figure was 
 very slim and delicate. She was not either 
 handsome or pretty ; but there was a meekness, 
 a mildness so truly feminine, that no one could 
 have observed without being interested. She 
 was a sad contrast, in some respects, to her 
 governess, who was plump and redolent of 
 health ; her dark hair and dark eyes were 
 
 VOL. 1. D
 
 50 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 beautiful, and every feature seemed stamped 
 in nature's loveliest mould. She was much too 
 handsome for her situation. She would have 
 attracted more notice than her pupil, who in 
 her turn would have excited the most interest. 
 
 Susan found her pupil awfully deficient. The 
 fact was, that, with the best talent, her health 
 had been the barrier to accomplishments. She 
 was so weak and fragile, that any exertion over- 
 came her ; and she was obliged to be humoured 
 more than commanded. The governess had been 
 selected, whilst cultivating the closest intimacy, to 
 make her conversation the vehicle of knowledge, 
 and to instil into Rosa's mind, without the 
 fatigue of application, the rudiments of science 
 and of religion ; a better selection could not 
 have been made. Susan was weak, mild, and 
 affable; and having long practised upon the 
 thick skulls and shallow brains of her charity- 
 school, found this mode of enlightening her 
 companion much more easy and agreeable than 
 the everlasting drudgery of a school-room. 
 
 A few months only had elapsed before Susan 
 was so much the friend of Rosa, that each un-
 
 TOM BOWLING. 51 
 
 burthened her mind to the other without reserve. 
 Susan's early history was soon told ; nor was 
 Bowling's name omitted in the recital. In this 
 the attentive pupil, whose ears greedily received 
 the moral so well conveyed, was taught that, 
 in all circumstances of life, those who bear u 
 cheerfully against misfortunes, and who ac- 
 knowledge these misfortunes as the dispensations 
 of a just Providence, shew that the seeds of re- 
 ligion have not fallen on a barren soil : that 
 while the wicked repine at any trivial mischance, 
 grow morose and disheartened in any affliction, 
 the truly great, and the well-grounded in reli- 
 gion, bow submissively to the storm they cannot 
 control, and bear a cheerful and contented 
 heart in the midst of tribulation and adver- 
 sities. 
 
 It was evident to Susan that her companion 
 would never outlive the age of nineteen. She 
 had already outgrown her strength ; and the 
 medical attendant had thought it his duty to 
 warn the parent of his greatest apprehension. 
 In vain were those beautiful ringlets brought 
 further forward to cover the thinness of that 
 d 2 
 
 "WVERWy OF iLLlN 
 
 UBnwx
 
 52 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 pallid cheek ; within that attenuated form the 
 havoc still continued, consumption was sapping 
 life; and yet unfelt by its victim, it neither gave 
 the warnings which accompany less certain 
 death, nor produced the inconveniences of every 
 ordinary indisposition. On the contrary, Rosa 
 often talked of future prospects in life, of the cer- 
 tainty that one day she should be united in 
 marriage with the only man she ever respected, 
 ever loved : she was now eighteen, and Susan 
 well knew the secret of her heart. 
 
 Near the residence of Rosa's mother, which 
 was in Devonshire, resided a rich cousin ; here 
 she had been sent by the careful physician, who 
 was far too liberal to keep his patient in London 
 for the sake of his fees, when he saw that by 
 removing her to a milder climate she might per- 
 haps survive some few months, or years. 
 Cousins are at all times dangerous gentlemen ; 
 they come at once half-way up the ladder of 
 love ; they are privileged to call the lady by 
 her christian name ; they extend the hand as a 
 right; and not unfrequently a caress maybe 
 given without any very particular breach of good
 
 TOM BOWLING. 53 
 
 manners being committed. The cousin may 
 walk alone with his cousin, and may find hun- 
 dreds of opportunities of whispering what it 
 would not be prudent to mention aloud. On 
 the other hand, the suitor not having the ad- 
 vantage of relationship, must make good his 
 approach ; he must read a partial approval 
 before he ventures upon the slightest intimacy ; 
 and can scarcely hope for one minute's conver- 
 sation without some other person overhearing it. 
 
 Love, they say, is blind, it maybe so; we 
 know that love is not always mutual. 
 
 Captain Cornish, of a marching regiment, 
 was one of those young gentlemen by no means 
 unfrequently seen in country places. He was 
 of good family, of good expectations, a good 
 shot, and by no means a bad hand at fishing. 
 He was tall, well-made, handsome; but was 
 not troubled with more sense or principle than 
 he could conveniently carry. He had spent 
 some seasons in London; but in spite of his 
 having mixed in all kinds of societies, he was 
 bashful and reserved before women. He pos- 
 sessed one accomplishment in a greater degree
 
 54 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 than his companions — he could draw the long- 
 bow with persevering steadiness: and he was 
 blessed with a respectable memory, which en- 
 abled him to remember his assertions, and had 
 just readiness enough to support them by other 
 falsehoods. 
 
 " Ah, Rosa, my dear!" said the welcome 
 cousin, " how fares it with you to-day ; and yet 
 I need not ask the question, for I never saw 
 you more redolent of health. What a beau- 
 tiful tinge you have on those lovely cheeks ; and 
 how animated are those brilliant eyes! Can 
 you walk to-day." 
 
 " I fear not, Augustus ; I cannot move with- 
 out feeling a shortness of breath ; and even 
 your entrance, which I had long expected, has 
 made my heart palpitate more than running a 
 race could have done. , ' 
 
 " Poor Rosa, I'm sorry I disappointed you ; 
 I was obliged to attend my father, who required 
 me to read the news to him, for his sight gets 
 gradually worse. And I confess, although you 
 were my heart's object, that I felt an inexpres- 
 sible pleasure in doing my duty."
 
 TOM BOWLING. 55 
 
 Captain Augustus Caesar Cornish had been 
 busily employed from breakfast until a few- 
 minutes before he visited his cousin, in playing 
 billiards with a younger brother, who was just 
 as idle and just as frivolous as himself. 
 
 " I forgive you, Augustus," said Rosa ; " for 
 your duty is, I know, a pleasure to you. How 
 gratified my uncle must be in noticing the 
 cheerfulness in which you devote your time to 
 his wishes. Sit down, and tell me the news. 
 We invalids are ever clamorous for that al- 
 though I hope next season to hear it in London 
 from those who do not require to be asked for 
 it." 
 
 " Charming Rosa ! always playful, always 
 agreeable. The news ; — ah, let me see ! My 
 memory is so treacherous. The news ! — there 
 is nothing particular to-day, excepting the men- 
 tion of a turnip so large that two boys eat their 
 way into it, and remained concealed from the 
 search of the schoolmaster for three days, sub- 
 sisting entirely therein and thereupon." 
 
 " Oh, then," replied Rosa, " Miss Monckton 
 must have been dreaming, for she mentions that
 
 56 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 half London is in agitation on account of the 
 news from America. And scarcely any event 
 has given rise to such popular emotion as the 
 battle which is made public — the battle of 
 Bunker's Hill." 
 
 " Really !" replied Cornish, " why I thought 
 it given on so slender a foundation that I dis- 
 credited it entirely, and am perfectly sure that 
 it will be contradicted to-morrow " 
 
 " That can hardly be, Augustus, for Miss 
 Monckton read it from the Gazette, and re- 
 marked the names of some of the officers offici- 
 ally returned as killed and wounded." 
 
 " Oh, the Gazette ! I must have overlooked 
 that in reading the accounts of partnerships 
 dissolved and bankrupts, both of which are 
 very interesting to my father and myself. Where 
 is Miss Monckton ?" 
 
 " She is taking her morning's walk. What 
 a delightful companion she is." 
 
 " A kind of semi-demi-instructress — an 
 ambulating distributor of science ; one, my dear 
 Rosa, I would not call a governess, and who is 
 too plain to be your companion and friend."
 
 TOM BOWLING. 57 
 
 " Now, Augustus, I verily believe you have 
 lost your sight. You could not see plainness in 
 Susan, whose loveliness is evident to every be- 
 holder, without being so blind as to need spec- 
 tacles. I hardly ever saw her equal ; and if 
 she were dressed as becomes her rank in life, — 
 for she is the daughter of a clergyman, — she 
 would be more admired than any Devonshire 
 lady at the county ball." 
 
 " Not if my cousin Rosa was present." 
 
 " Pooh ! pooh ! Augustus. This wretched 
 bag of bones, these sunken, hollow cheeks, 
 these attenuated arms, could but ill contrast with 
 the plump figure, the healthy hue, the well- 
 rounded shoulders of Susan." 
 
 " I like delicate women. I cannot endure your 
 vulgarly healthy people, who walk six miles 
 before breakfast, and come home covered with 
 dust, and laden with a handful of hedge- 
 flowers. They are too masculine. Give me 
 the soft mildness, the elegant lassitude of my 
 Rosa. Her bright eyes and beautifully tinged 
 cheeks have more charms for me than the 
 d 3
 
 58 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 hoyden impetuosity, the milk-maid rosyness of 
 unfashionable health." 
 
 Here Captain Augustus looked most un- 
 utterable sweetness, and pressed her hand. 
 Mr. Cochrane says, 
 
 " The shake of the hand speaks a language much clearer, 
 Than any which words would essay to express." 
 
 And Rosa Talbot, as she gently returned the 
 squeeze, said she hoped before next spring to 
 be at any rate in a little better health, and to 
 have left some of her unfashionable appetite in 
 Devonshire. 
 
 " Whatever opinion you may have formed 
 of Susan," she continued, "do, my dear Au- 
 gustus, remember she is my friend and com- 
 panion ; and that I should esteem her the more 
 for her praise of your civility to her. She is 
 gone to the churchyard, to attend the burial of 
 poor Hodge's boy, and I sent by her a trifling 
 sum, to which she added more than she could 
 well afford to the afflicted parents. Is it not 
 odd, Augustus, that the wealthy require words
 
 TOM BOWLING. 59 
 
 of consolation for themselves, but think money 
 will heal the afflicted mind in the poor ?" 
 
 u For the matter of that, Rosa, upon my soul 
 I have the greatest esteem for those who heighten 
 consolation by cash. I would be as melancholy 
 and as gloomy as those spirits described by 
 Vathek, and carry my hand over my heart for a 
 month if my father would remember it in the 
 weekly bills, and console me by a few words 
 written in his banker's check. Good bye, dar- 
 ling ; I shall come again to-morrow." 
 
 " Do not disappoint me, Augustus ; before 
 Susan came you were here constantly, and now 
 you think I have a companion, you make me 
 own my greater affection for you, by requesting 
 your return." 
 
 " My dear little creature," said Augustus, as 
 he took his cousin's privilege, and kissed the wan 
 cheek of the girl he was deceiving, " do not 
 doubt me ; you are ever nearest my heart. I 
 have no wish but to be for ever in your pre- 
 sence." 
 
 Poor Rosa burst into a flood of tears. It was 
 an indirect offer, at least the herald of a future
 
 60 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 declaration, and hers were tears of joy. The 
 captain saw them, and he left her to the full 
 enjoyment of the pleasure to be derived from 
 them. 
 
 No sooner was Captain Augustus Csesar Cor- 
 nish clear of the premises, than he stretched his 
 long legs and made good strides towards the 
 church ; and as he turned up the lane which led 
 to its porch, he saw coming towards him the beau- 
 tiful figure of Susan Monckton. A flush suffused 
 his countenance, which the presence of Rosa never 
 occasioned. He felt his heart beat quicker, and 
 involuntarily he quickened his pace. There 
 was a light breeze which gently agitated the 
 thin drapery, and Susan's figure was seen in 
 spite of her dress, and such a figure as poets 
 have described as the perfection of the female 
 form. Captain Cornish had long admired her 
 beauty, and he was fearful that his cousin might 
 perceive it. Women's eyes are very quick when 
 the object of their admiration is near, and thus 
 he contrived his visits so as to be alone with his 
 cousin, and likewise most accidentally alone with 
 Susan.
 
 TOM BOWLING. 61 
 
 u I come, Miss Monckton," he began, " to 
 aid you in your charity. My cousin, poor dear 
 sick girl, told me of your benevolence, and, with 
 your permission, I hasten to contribute the 
 means which may enable you to be more 
 liberal to the afflicted parents. Charity would 
 be more appreciated were such good angels 
 more numerous." Captain Cornish was up 
 to a compliment or two; he had studied the 
 art of love from every author of any repute, 
 and he had also imbibed the vulgar but correct 
 notion of " put it on thick, and a little will stick," 
 so that in plaster and in compliments the 
 proverb is verified. 
 
 Miss Monckton was in no way displeased. 
 There was a slight confusion, the very timidity 
 of love in the gallant captain, and she received 
 the purse with an assurance that it should be 
 bestowed in forwarding his wishes. 
 
 u My cousin, I fear, is very ill," he con- 
 tinued ; " each day appears to me to render her 
 weaker and weaker." 
 
 " She does, certainly," answered Susan, 
 " appear to grow worse, and yet every now and
 
 62 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 then there is a flush of such health, such a 
 brilliancy of the eye when she speaks of her 
 next season in London, that I almost imagine 
 her prepared for the dance. I think I never 
 knew any one more resigned in her sickness. 
 She now finds sufficient amusement in books, 
 and has never a melancholy, because she has 
 never an idle moment." 
 
 " Who could be melancholy in your presence, 
 Miss Monckton ? People dream not of gloom 
 in the splendour of a bright sunshine, and with 
 one of your animated spirits, your lively con- 
 versation, your readiness at reply, my cousin 
 must ever be cheered and amused." 
 
 u It is a pity," said Miss Monckton, endea- 
 vouring to change the conversation a little, 
 " that Miss Talbot is unable to bring music to 
 aid her in her amusements ; she was, I under- 
 stand, so weak in her youth that it was requisite 
 to discontinue the best recreation afforded to our 
 sex." 
 
 " I am glad it was so, for her sake," said 
 Augustus Ceesar ; " for your brilliant exe- 
 cution would only have made her jealous : and
 
 TOM BOWLING. 63 
 
 any very great excitement might make her 
 worse." 
 
 " She has excitement enough, Captain Cor- 
 nish," said Miss Susan with an arch smile. " I 
 hope you have been to see her to-day, for she 
 almost counts the hours of your absence." 
 
 " I could wish others were equally solicitous 
 of my visits, Miss Monckton. I leave you in 
 safety beyond the lodge-gate. Good morning." 
 And with a very elegant bow, he blushed deeply, 
 and volunteered the English salute, the extension 
 of the hand.
 
 64 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 IN WHICH IT IS SHEWN THAT GREAT CAPTAINS HAVE 
 OBSERVANT EYES, AND THAT POVERTY IS NO BAR 
 TO ADVANCEMENT. 
 
 Bowling's industry soon procured him 
 favour and affection. He went in the frigate in 
 which he had first become a volunteer to the West 
 Indies, and was draughted with some other 
 men into the Hinchinbroke, which ship was 
 under the command of Captain Cuthbert Col- 
 lingwood — he had just succeeded Captain 
 Horatio Nelson. She was on an expedition to 
 the Spanish main, whence it was proposed to 
 pass into the South Seas by a navigation of
 
 TOM BOWLING. 65 
 
 boats along the river San Juan, and the lakes of 
 Nicaragua and Leon. 
 
 The plan was formed without a sufficient 
 knowledge of the country, which presented diffi- 
 culties not to be surmounted even by the intre- 
 pidity of the commander, or the perseverance of 
 the British seaman. It was dangerous to pro- 
 ceed on the river from the rapidity of the current 
 and the numerous falls over rocks which inter- 
 cepted the navigation. The climate was too 
 deadly, no constitution could resist its effects, — 
 sickness, disease, and death, marched uninter- 
 rupted over the soil, and the infection of pesti- 
 lence prevailed over every precaution. 
 
 There were two hundred men belonging to 
 the Hinchinbroke ; of these, one hundred and 
 eighty were buried by the miserable remnants 
 of that ship. Nor was the mortality confined to 
 that crew ; each ship suffered in proportion, and 
 thus terminated an ill-advised expedition. In 
 the words of Captain Collingwood, — " My con- 
 stitution resisted many attacks, and I survived 
 most of my ship's company, having buried in 
 four months one hundred and eighty of the two
 
 66 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 hundred who composed it. Mine was not a sin- 
 gular case, for every ship which was long there 
 suffered in the same degree. The transports' 
 men all died, and some of the ships, having none 
 to take care of them, sunk in the harbour ; but 
 transport ships were not wanted, for the troops 
 whom they had brought were no more — they 
 had fallen, not by the hand of the enemy, but 
 from the contagion of the climate." 
 
 In this dreadful service Bowling was engaged; 
 no fatigue overcame, no sickness attacked him ; 
 he seemed singled out of the whole number to 
 carry back to his native country his constitution 
 unsapped and his strength undiminished. There 
 was no danger in which he did not share, no 
 exertion in which he was not a participator ; the 
 scorching heat of the noon-day sun, which 
 levelled many a brave and good man, seemed not 
 to molest him ; and the cold damps of the nights, 
 which brought on a host of fevers, seemed to 
 give him fresh vigour. 
 
 As each bright morn rose to see the wreck of 
 human ruin around, Bowling might have been 
 observed, and was observed by his vigilant com-
 
 TOM BOWLING. 67 
 
 mander, biding, for it could scarcely be called 
 u burying," some unfortunate fellow, a victim to 
 the pestilence. On one occasion a canoe was 
 upset, in which were four men. The alligators 
 swarmed in the river, and death had spread 
 many a net to catch his prey. Three of the men 
 were fortunate enough to reach the shore, but 
 the fourth was a weak swimmer, and was caught 
 in a slight whirlpool, through the circles of 
 which he had not strength to force himself, and 
 was nearly exhausted and despairing of succour, 
 sweeping down with the current without nearing 
 the shore. 
 
 At the moment when his anxious shipmates 
 had watched each struggle grow fainter, Bowling 
 arrived on the bank. He had been employed 
 in bringing up a lead-line to sound a part of the 
 river which was deeper and freer from shoals 
 than the general navigation. In an instant he 
 comprehended the difficulty. He made the line 
 fast to a small piece of wood, and giving the 
 other end to his shipmates, he plunged into the 
 water, succeeded in giving the wood into the 
 hands of the sinking man, who grappled him
 
 68 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 and it in his fearful clutch. Both were dragged 
 to the shore, and rescued from the voracious 
 jaws of the river-monster, who followed his 
 prey, of which he was balked, to the very edge 
 of the bank. 
 
 In this wretched climate, where joy was a 
 stranger, the three cheers which welcomed the 
 brave fellow back to his companions, rang 
 strangely through the wood. The very birds 
 that had perched on the trees awaiting the 
 repast, which was too frequently afforded, on 
 the unburied dead, rose upon the wing ; and 
 then, undismayed even by the shout which was 
 re-echoing through the forest, lazily returned to 
 their perch, keeping ever near the men destined 
 to afford another repast. 
 
 This conduct of Tom Bowling's met a proper 
 reward. Nelson himself advised Collingwood 
 to put him on the quarter-deck, and raise him 
 to a volunteer, preparatory to his becoming a 
 midshipman. 
 
 " We are too short of hands now, my dear 
 Nelson," remarked Bowling's captain ; " we 
 cannot spare a man to make an officer."
 
 TOZU BOWLING. 69 
 
 w It will have more effect upon the others 
 now, Colling wood. A reward on the very scene 
 of the action induces others to be foremost in 
 danger." 
 
 " You are right, Nelson; you are always right. 
 Besides which, Bowling will lend a hand in any 
 difficulty. Send Bowling here." 
 
 Bowling was at that moment taking the pre- 
 caution of drying himself and his clothes, for 
 damp clothing in the sultry climates is, if pos- 
 sible, more dangerous than in colder regions 
 He came before the senior officer, Captain 
 Nelson; the men nearest having been summoned 
 to attend also, Nelson spoke to him — 
 
 " Your conduct, Bowling, has not been un- 
 observed by me from the first moment we 
 landed, and I am glad to learn from your cap- 
 tain that the character you brought from your 
 last ship was as well merited there as any praise 
 I could bestow upon you now. My men, let 
 his conduct and his reward be an example and 
 a spur to you all; we are in a perilous 
 undertaking, and promotion should follow ex- 
 traordinary exertion. You are, Bowling, no
 
 70 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 longer a foremast man, — you are too young to 
 be made a quarter-master, but you are not too 
 old to be made a midshipman. Captain Col- 
 lingwood will from this moment cause you to 
 be rated as a volunteer of the first class, and, 
 on your return to the ship, you will be pro- 
 moted to a midshipman. Neither, Air. Bowling 
 (the Mister sounded strangely in his ears) shall 
 I lose sight of you. You are fortunately with 
 one well able to discriminate true merit ; and 
 remember that his recommendation will be a 
 passport to my protection." Then turning to 
 the other Captain, he added, " I don't know, 
 Collingwood, how we shall fit him out with an 
 uniform, as we are not troubled with any ex- 
 cepting what those scavenger birds were kind 
 enough to leave us!" 
 
 " It will not be long, I fear," replied Colling- 
 wood, "before he will be able to fit himself ; 
 as dead men's clothes are sold at the mast, 
 there can be no harm in his appropriating those 
 of poor Hervey, who died this morning, and they 
 can be charged to his account. Mr. Bowling," 
 he continued, u I act in this case not only under
 
 TOM BOWLING. 71 
 
 the directions of Captain Nelson, but in accord- 
 ance with my own feelings. I should ill dis- 
 charge my duty if I did not promote those who 
 by their example and conduct merit advance- 
 ment. You have, I hear, been well educated, and 
 are therefore better able to appreciate advice. 
 Do not allow this unexpected difference in your 
 situation to relax either your industry or your 
 exertion ; the industrious ever thrive, the idle 
 ever want. My eye will be upon you now more 
 than ever it has been ; because I must satisfy 
 myself and the Lords of the Admiralty, that I 
 have not taken an unworthy person from before 
 the mast to place him amongst gentlemen and 
 officers. Beware of your conversation ; you 
 must change with your situation. I shall ex- 
 pect the most rigid attention in your conduct, 
 and now place you as an officer and as a gen- 
 tleman in whom I repose an equal confidence 
 with those who are of your rank." 
 
 Every man present gave Bowling three 
 cheers; and Mr. Bowling walked away, the 
 tears starting from his eyes, accompanied by 
 some youngsters, all anxious to welcome him.
 
 72 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 Not one of the men seemed jealous of his ad- 
 vancement, although all envied his position. 
 The golden prospects of those who decoyed him, 
 under no idea of his realizing such advantages 
 now, might one day be his lot ; but the only ex- 
 pression which escaped him was the same which 
 the great Lord Exmouth afterwards was heard 
 to utter, — " I have got my foot in the stirrup ; it 
 is my fault if I fail to mount." His health was 
 drunk by his messmates, and that evening Mr. 
 Bowling commanded a party, dressed, as Col- 
 lingwood had too surely predicted, in the uni- 
 form of the unfortunate Hervey. 
 
 Now it was that Bowling, eighteen years of 
 age, courted the most rigid observance of his 
 conduct. He was never known to touch spirits. 
 Some habits caught from his former associates 
 were discontinued with his discontinuance of a 
 a seaman's dress, and the instruction of his 
 youth gave him the air, the manner, and the con- 
 versation of a gentleman. There was no ser- 
 vice, however desperate, he did not court; he 
 was everywhere. Nelson's quick eye perceived 
 that in Tom Bowling an officer was growing
 
 TOM BOWLIXG. 73 
 
 whose reputation would be allowed by all in the 
 service, and not unfrequently he spoke to Col- 
 lingwood concerning him, and again and again 
 promised him his protection. He more than 
 once advised Bowling to be more cautious of his 
 health, and was himself attacked by the fever ; 
 which nearly proved fatal to him at the very 
 moment he was urging: another to be less 
 forward in adventure. Nelson forgot that it 
 was his example Bowling was emulating ; 
 whilst the more prudent and cautious Col- 
 lingwood advanced steadily, without the rest- 
 lessness of his commanding officer, and escaped 
 from that grave of British seamen, to return 
 to Jamaica. 
 
 The expedition failed. " Nelson/' in the 
 words of Collingwood, " received the infection 
 of the climate before he quitted the port, and 
 had a fever from which he could not recover, 
 until he quitted his ship and went to England ;" 
 and Collingwood in the Hinchinbroke, with 
 Bowling a rated midshipman, and scarcely 
 hands enough to navigate his ship, sailed for 
 Port Royal, in August, 1780. In December 
 
 VOL. I. E
 
 74 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 following he was appointed to the Pelican, a 
 small frigate of twenty-four guns ; and the fore- 
 mast man, now an officer, had won so much 
 upon the esteem of his commanding officer, that 
 he was permitted to follow him into that ship. 
 
 The removal shook off a heavy load from the 
 mind of Bowling ; for although much attached 
 to his shipmates, he felt the greatest delicacy 
 and difficulty in performing his duty rigidly, 
 without offending those from whose situation he 
 had escaped. Now he was with those who had 
 never commanded him ; and although it was 
 known he had risen thus unexpectedly, yet his 
 manners were such that they universally be- 
 lieved he was born a gentleman, and had run 
 away from his parents in his enthusiasm for the 
 naval service. His frequent conversations con- 
 cerning the late Mr. Monckton gave his mess- 
 mates an idea that he was under false colours 
 as to his name, and that before long he would 
 be recognised as that clergyman's son. Bowling 
 had some prize-money to receive, and although 
 at that moment, in order to keep up appearances, 
 he required every dollar, yet was he seen busily
 
 TOM BOWLING. 75 
 
 employed for more than one hour counting his 
 money, buying English notes from those who 
 had them, and afterwards getting into the 
 snuggest corner of the berth, he rubbed his 
 hands with a degree of satisfaction, and began 
 to write a letter, which was seen to be directed 
 to Miss Monckton. 
 
 If there is any real happiness in this miserable 
 life, it is in its retrospect, when good actions 
 arise upon the memory, and bring with them the 
 same pleasurable feelings which were experienced 
 when they were performed. Bowling was trea- 
 suring up happiness for the hereafter ; he had 
 all the generosity, the known generosity of the 
 British seaman ; he was kind in his manner, 
 grateful in his behaviour, submissive to his 
 superior, and affable to those beneath him. He 
 pictured to his mind the manner of his captain, 
 and on all occasions where he was the com- 
 manding officer, endeavoured to imitate his 
 mildness and his firmness. 
 
 In July in the following year, the yellow 
 fever broke out in Jamaica, saving which malad y, 
 said an old West India merchant, the climate 
 e2
 
 76 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 would be the best in the world. It was one of 
 those pleasant seasons which render Jamaica 
 cheap, from the superfluity of comestibles and 
 the paucity of inhabitants. Many officers died, 
 and Mr. Bowling was a purchaser of those uni- 
 forms which fitted his form, and which had 
 been bought by some very affectionate parents 
 for some future Benbow or Keppel. Yellow 
 Jack destroyed many a bright prospect. Many 
 a youngster who had risen with hope and heart 
 both strong and free, before sunset was bled, 
 blistered, and his head shaved, with the burning 
 fever unabated. Here, attended by black people, 
 with few comforts and no luxuries, in a ward where 
 others were screaming in madness, or actually 
 dying of the disease under which they were 
 labouring, he could only leave the hospital to be 
 conveyed to the palisades. 
 
 It became necessary to remove the ships from 
 such destruction ; and the Pelican amongst the 
 rest put to sea. Bowling had escaped with a 
 " seasoning," as it is termed. His hair was a 
 little the shorter, his face a little the paler; but 
 he was now voted secure, and had returned to
 
 TOM BOWLING. 77 
 
 his duty as active and as zealous as ever. The 
 Pelican cruised from that time to the beginning 
 of August off St. Domingo, and was on her 
 return to Port Royal in the month of August. 
 There had been a few prizes taken, all of which 
 had been sent into harbour. The men had re- 
 covered from their attack, and the highest spirits 
 prevailed ; still there was some apprehension 
 that the fever would visit them again, and the 
 friendship cemented in the hour of danger be 
 broken by a day of sickness. The crew were 
 weakened from the number of men in the prizes, 
 and the officers reduced to watch and watch. 
 
 " 1 think," said Bowling to the officer of his 
 watch," that this mustbe the land on the lee-bow." 
 
 The officer came, and giving a hasty glance, 
 rebuked the look-out men forward for neglect of 
 duty. 
 
 " It's only the land breeze coming off, Sir," 
 said the seaman; " it has just appeared, or I 
 should have reported it before." 
 
 The officer seemed satisfied with the answer, 
 and said to Bowling, " Your eyes are a little too 
 quick to-night."
 
 78 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 " I hope, Sir," he replied, 6C it may prove that 
 my eyes are in error; but it looks so much like 
 the land to me even now, that I am inclined 
 to differ a little with the look-out man." 
 
 " It is the land breeze, and we shall soon run 
 right into it." 
 
 Bowling suggested with great modesty that it 
 was usually calm before that cool restoration 
 came; but the lieutenant, a young man just 
 promoted, and who was perhaps thinking more 
 of harbour than of dangers, turned away and 
 continued his quarter-deck walk.
 
 TOM BOWLING. 79 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 IN WHICH IS SHEWN HOW THE TORCH OF HOPE BLAZES TO 
 THE LAST, AND MAKES AROUND IT AN ATMOSPHERE 
 OF LIGHT AND LIFE. 
 
 Captain Augustus Csesar Cornish, who 
 could not bear Miss Susan Monckton, had con- 
 trived to make himself especially civil and 
 agreeable to her. He lied so much like truth 
 that she was deceived ; he never ventured upon 
 the slightest freedom or rudeness, but conducted 
 himself with such respect that she never doubted 
 his intentions towards his cousin, and frequently 
 ventured on the conversation she believed most 
 consonant with his wishes.
 
 80 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 " It is, Captain Cornish, a dreadful blow 
 suspended for a short season over, your head ; 
 but I have no doubt, however poignantly you 
 may feel its force, time and religion will afford 
 you some relief. The medical men have an- 
 nounced that there are no hopes for your cousin, 
 without she could be removed to Lisbon or to 
 Madeira. They believe the angel of death to be 
 hovering over her couch, and have limited the 
 short space of her life to two months." 
 
 u l cannot believe you sincere, Miss Monckton, 
 in this declaration," replied Cornish, with won- 
 derful melancholy of mien. " If she died, I 
 should mourn over her grave; but I have 
 brighter views ; I do not credit the dark fore- 
 bodings of those men. The apothecary, a man 
 who has attended our family for years, declares 
 the expectoration of blood as perfectly trivial ; 
 the voracious appetite as a proof of returning 
 health ; he calls appetite, health's barometer, 
 and the flushing of the cheek the beautiful 
 emblem of youth and modesty. I have a firm 
 reliance in this man, and my hope gives me 
 additional confidence."
 
 TOM BOWLING. 81 
 
 " She is anxious to see you. She herself 
 was desirous I should prepare you for an in- 
 terview which, under the circumstances even of 
 the difference of opinion between the medical 
 men from the doubt of any certainty of recovery, 
 must be painful. I beg of you to command 
 your feelings, for you will require all your 
 courage to receive from her mouth this mournful 
 preface to a last farewell. Oh, Captain Cornish, 
 if ever there was an angel on this earth, vour 
 cousin is that angel. It is now three years 
 since I have been her companion ; as her 
 friend, she has told me of your mutual attach- 
 ment ; and in all her sickness and tribulation, 
 your name has ever been on her lips. Never 
 have I heard from her one word of reproach or 
 hnsty expression ; but with patience and resig- 
 nation she awaits that moment which no phy- 
 sician can prolong. Let me request you to 
 discredit this country apothecary, and believe 
 that no regular practitioner would have imparted 
 such unwelcome tidings to the mother, or feel- 
 ingly hinted it to the patient, but under the 
 strongest conviction of the truth." 
 e 3
 
 82 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 Captain Cornish by no means relished this 
 meeting, but he was a doomed man, and he 
 went with as much coolness as he could com- 
 mand. He had never positively made his 
 cousin an offer, but he perceived that she ex- 
 pected it. Although almost within the grasp of 
 death, she pictured to herself a long life of 
 pleasure, the invariable consequence of the fatal 
 disease under which she laboured. 
 
 Cornish entered the apartment, and found his 
 cousin, as usual, reclining on a couch near the 
 window. It was a beautiful summer's day ; all 
 nature was smiling ; the garden exhibited a 
 profusion of flowers, the perfumes of which 
 reached the couch of the invalid. There was 
 the hectic flush, so delicately red, resting on her 
 cheek : but she was dreadfully emaciated, and 
 her long thin fingers felt hard and unfeminine 
 as Cornish took her hand. The eye, bright and 
 vivid, rested upon the fine features before her : 
 and she first spoke, in a voice deeper than usual, 
 but in her general strain of liveliness. " Well, 
 Augustus; never punctual, — always a little too 
 late : you would lose your promotion at the
 
 TOM BOWLING. 83 
 
 Horse Guards by being a quarter of an hour 
 after the appointed time. Ah, you truant! I 
 have heard of your pretty speeches to Miss 
 Monckton, and your having waylaid her from 
 the church. I shall be jealous, my fine cousin, 
 if I hear of any more accidental meetings." 
 
 " The greatest accident in life, I assure you. 
 I was so occupied in thinking of you and our 
 last conversation, that I took a contrary direction 
 to that I had intended, and, to my great surprise, 
 stumbled upon that girl." 
 
 " Why, you went on purpose to aid her in 
 her work of charity, and like the good Christian 
 you are, enabled her to do much for those poor 
 
 people.'' 
 
 " The sudden thought of a second. It occurred 
 to me she might imagine I had purposely come 
 that road, and therefore I determined to account 
 for the intrusion. Indeed, I was glad to have 
 the opportunity of assisting Hodge; for although 
 I have every disposition to relieve the wants ot 
 others, I have but little time, to act up to my 
 inclination,— but enough of myself. I think you 
 are looking better this morning."
 
 84 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 " I always look better when you are near ; 
 who else do I see but those wretched doctors, 
 whose long faces quite scare me. It was but 
 yesterday one of these melancholy personages 
 began in a low tone of voice to speak of the un- 
 certainty of life, and the necessity of a constant 
 preparation for death ; and he looked at me as 
 if I was likely to be summoned. I could hardly 
 resist smiling, for in the middle of his warning 
 I thought how delightful it would be to have 
 my box at the Opera next year, which mamma 
 had promised me ; and how pleased I should be 
 at our rides in the Park." 
 
 She had her hand in that of her cousin's; 
 and the last few words, accompanied as they 
 were by a look which no lover, however cold, 
 could mistake, suddenly awoke his sensibility. 
 
 " Yes, dearest," he began, (a tremour came 
 over the sick girl,) (i these doctors, whenever 
 their antidotes fail, talk of that which is most 
 familiar to them — death. It is a subject on which 
 I hope we need not descant for years and years ; 
 there are brighter prospects, I trust, for both of 
 us. The next season, I hope, will see my darling
 
 TOM BOWLING. 85 
 
 Rosa restored to her former health, and even 
 the Opera become a secondary thought ; for I 
 would, if I dared venture, picture happiness 
 more complete to yourself, by sharing it with 
 me." 
 
 A sudden burst of tears rendered her inau- 
 dible; but Cornish felt the increased pressure 
 of the hand, and knew in that pressure that he 
 had mentioned the subject nearest her heart. 
 
 " Come, dearest Rosa, let me dry those tears 
 which I am vain enough to imagine are not 
 tears of sorrow. I will hail your silence as an 
 acceptance of that you could not have mis- 
 taken. We are not like strangers ; we have 
 known each other from our youth upwards, and 
 I have felt that my greatest happiness was ever 
 near you. There, now that you smile again, I 
 will take from those rosy lips the consent that 
 poor, weak woman's tongue is afraid to confess." 
 
 He kissed her, he had kissed her often before; 
 but never with the warmth of affection with 
 which he now embraced her. An age of sick- 
 ness and sorrow was obliterated in that moment ; 
 a glow of health and animation came over her
 
 86 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 countenance which would have deceived even 
 the anxious eye of a mother; and at that 
 moment Rosa never looked more beautiful. 
 Long and anxiously she gazed at him without 
 speaking ; the heart was too full. All she had 
 ever regarded as Paradise in this world was 
 realized ; her love was returned. She could now 
 pour out her soul to the only man she ever 
 regarded with the eye of affection, who was 
 setting by her side, her hands clasped in his. 
 
 u I have read, " she began, '« l that a girl un- 
 asked may own a well-placed flame.' And I 
 have long before this moment spoken of you 
 with admiration to Susan ; she has ever been the 
 confidant of my affections, and she will hear 
 this hour's conversation with almost as much 
 pleasure as I shall relate it. Susan, too, likes 
 you, Augustus. You must not any longer shun 
 her because she is only my governess or com- 
 panion. She is of good family ; and she will be 
 happy to forward our mutual views. I feel so 
 much strong-er, that I could almost walk in the 
 garden ; and I long to run to my mother and 
 confess to her my acceptance of your love."
 
 TOM BOWLING. 87 
 
 "That, ray dear Rosa, had better be deferred. 
 It is useless trumpeting to the world our engage- 
 ment. As yet you are too ill to be married. We 
 can keep our own secret ; and our constancy 
 will best test our affection until the time when 
 you are so far recovered as to be led to the 
 altar." 
 
 " I will be guided by you in everything, 
 Augustus. Your words shall be my law ; nay, 
 do not look affronted at the word. A wife 
 should obey ; and I will practise that difficult 
 task before marriage, in order better to conform 
 to it hereafter." 
 
 " Then let us see, my Rosa, if you can 
 obey me in what I have heard is almost impos- 
 sible in a woman." 
 
 "There is nothing impossible when a woman 
 loves, and her lover asks. I'll do it." 
 
 u Then do not mention one word of this to 
 Susan. I would rather it were kept a profound 
 secret from all." 
 
 (i Why, you cruel hard-hearted soldier ! you 
 would rob me of my greatest delight, that of 
 praising you to Susan, — of listening to her ani-
 
 88 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 mated picture of you, — of hearing your name, 
 — and of bringing you, when absent, near to my- 
 self by being occupied in conversation about 
 you. You have asked, or ordered, the most 
 cruel compliance to the most cruel order. I 
 obey you ; but may I ask why you wish it?" 
 
 A smile passed over his lips. " I want to see 
 how long a woman can keep a secret, which at 
 present would be useless to divulge. Besides, 
 my fair cousin, there is a little of man's vanity 
 at the bottom of all this ; and I will make a 
 clear confession to you. There is no secret if 
 more than one person besides the parties con- 
 cerned know it. If we cannot keep it ourselves, 
 it is rather too much to expect other people to 
 do so; and thus I infer, that if Miss Monckton 
 knew it, she would confide it to another, and I 
 should hear of it at the county ball, and then 
 what girl would dance her curls out with a man 
 engaged to be married to another ? Put it down, 
 my Rosa, call it vanity or by any name you 
 like, only oblige me — nay, obey me, in this my 
 most particular request." 
 
 " Well, well," said Rosa, " it is easily done,
 
 TOM BOWLING. 89 
 
 after all. I have only to keep silent ; for if I 
 speak, your name is so near my heart it will 
 most certainly escape." 
 
 Cornish kissed her affectionately as he took 
 his leave ; and scarcely had he left the room, 
 when, the excitement being passed, the poor 
 weak girl fainted away. 
 
 " I hope," said Susan, as she met the captain, 
 who had again quite accidentally taken a wrong 
 direction to his house, " that you acted up to 
 your promise, and spoke to your cousin in the 
 serious manner her situation requires." 
 
 l( I never saw any one, Miss Monckton, so 
 resigned to her fate. She spoke of the cruelty 
 of being torn away so young from this world. 
 She mentioned the physician's kind admonition; 
 but she still, with a hope which seems beyond 
 understanding, hinted at her probable recovery. 
 There is no chance, I fear, of that ; and may I 
 trust, my dear Miss Monckton, (here the hand- 
 some captain took her hand,) that you will con- 
 tinue that kindness, that affection for her which 
 you have ever manifested; that you, the very 
 picture of good temper, will bear the hasty re-
 
 90 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 marks, the frivolous complaints, without allow- 
 ing yourself to be annoyed ?" 
 
 " All I can do, Captain Cornish, to alleviate 
 her wants, to console her in affliction, and to en- 
 courage her by a hope of the goodness of God 
 hereafter, you may rely upon being done. She 
 must now, whilst living, become dead to this 
 world in her preparation for the next." 
 
 "And fortunate beyond all imagination is that 
 woman who, at her last illness, has a companion 
 so religious, so excellent as yourself; who will 
 kindly lean over the couch of sickness, forestal 
 her very wants, soothe her anguish, and hold 
 out the balm of relief before the complaint is 
 uttered. To you in every confidence I leave 
 her; she has ever been a favourite of mine, but 
 nothing beyond a favourite. It would be highly 
 criminal in any man to acknowledge, even if he 
 felt it, a passion for one whose days are num- 
 bered, and whose grave I may almost say is pre- 
 pared." 
 
 " And yet, Captain Cornish, I think — pardon 
 me for the liberty of intruding my thoughts — 
 that your cousin would die happier if you would
 
 TOM BOWLING. 91 
 
 make some acknowledgment of a feeling she 
 certainly experiences for you." 
 
 " It is impossible, Miss Susan," (the gallant 
 captain here advanced another step up the 
 ladder of courtship,) "I cannot avow what I never 
 experienced. Would you — you who I believe 
 the very pattern of your sex — would you recom- 
 mend me to make an avowal at her last moments 
 which is not founded on truth. I cannot tell a 
 falsehood. From my youth to the present mo- 
 ment, no man ever believed me capable of 
 such meanness ; and I think I may con- 
 scientiously say, I never told an untruth in all 
 my life." 
 
 " Even I, Captain Cornish, whom you have 
 so highly complimented, think there are circum- 
 stances which warrant a slight deviation, not a 
 wilful abandonment of the truth ; and I think, 
 since your cousin only seems to receive delight 
 in your presence, that you might, even without 
 exactly speaking, give her a prospect of realizing 
 her fondest hope. It is indeed a nice point ; 
 but it is hard to leave this world with our hearts 
 so fixed upon one worldly point, that we cannot
 
 92 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 bring our minds to a due consideration of our 
 awful state." 
 
 " Why, it would be a mockery of that holy 
 ceremony to carry almost a corpse to the altar, 
 and swear to love and cherish it so long as I 
 should live." 
 
 " The oath would not bind you long ; but I 
 am bound to say, your views are most honour- 
 able. There are many men who would rejoice to 
 marry her now, and thus secure her property. If 
 my opinion could have been heightened of Captain 
 Cornish, his generous behaviour in this point 
 would have raised it — who would not seek the 
 hand of any one for the sake of her fortune." 
 
 " Never woman spoke truer, Miss Susan. I 
 would rather be loved for myself, and I would 
 rather love her whose fortune never tempted me 
 into her society. I shall call every day now ; 
 and I hope I may sometimes have the good for- 
 tune to meet Miss Susan." So saying, Captain 
 Cornish having wound up his hypocrisy, struck 
 across the road to his father's house. 
 
 The last sentence was not lost upon Susan; 
 and as she pondered over his sayings, his honour-
 
 TOM BOWLING. 93 
 
 able conduct, his kind expressions, she thought 
 how sad it was to be hurled from her proper 
 situation in life, where she could command 
 respect, to the level of a governess. In the midst 
 of her reflections she arrived at Mrs. Talbot's 
 door, and received from the servant a letter 
 written in a strange hand, and with a foreign 
 post-mark.
 
 94 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 IN WHICH IS SHEWN THAT THE YOUNG OF A PELICAN 
 DO NOT ALWAYS THRIVE ON ITS BLOOD. 
 
 It was nearly the end of the hurricane season, 
 — but hurricanes sometimes extend their visits, 
 and then disasters accompany their line of 
 march. Bowling's eyes were soon directed from 
 the leeward to the weather side. There was 
 gathering on the horizon a large black cloud, in 
 the centre of which was a round clear space ; it 
 seemed quite a contradiction to the surrounding 
 gloom. With a rapidity perfectly astounding 
 the whole horizon to windward became dark,
 
 TOM BOWLING. 95 
 
 and sounds were heard aloft like the rushing of 
 contrary winds. 
 
 In this fast approaching enemy all thoughts of 
 the loud wind were soon lost. The hands were 
 turned up, and Collingwood, as he looked to 
 windward, was the first to call out " Bear a 
 hand, my lads, aloft ; furl everything !" And 
 turning to the first lieutenant, he desired him to 
 strike the top-gallant yards and mast, to pass 
 additional lashings round the quarter boats, and 
 hasten every preparation which could make the 
 ship snug. " That," he said, as he looked at 
 the round clear part, — " that is the eye of the 
 hurricane , and aloft the wind is already over us." 
 
 The Pelican was in good order, but there was 
 a slight confusion at the unusual summons. Still 
 a general activity prevailed. The pipe was 
 given to " furl sails," and as there was then but 
 little wind, everything was made safe and snug. 
 Then came " down top-gallant yards and masts," 
 and by following up one order by another, as 
 the duty of the first was completed, the little 
 Pelican was getting ready to meet the attack of 
 the furious enemy.
 
 96 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 In the execution of these duties Captain Col- 
 lingwood was most active. But in passing along 
 the lee gangway to the forecastle, where he was 
 anxious to see that some orders had been exe- 
 cuted, he was surprised to see Bowling appa- 
 rently perfectly inactive, leaning his chin on his 
 hands, and, if not asleep, in the attitude gene- 
 rally observed when midshipmen are, like hack- 
 ney-coach horses, taking a standing doze. He 
 called him in a voice full of anger and aston- 
 ishment, and expressed his wonder that at such 
 a moment one who had experienced such favour 
 and promotion should be asleep. 
 
 Bowling answered equally surprised, and 
 with more than usual haste, and less of his 
 usual submission — 
 
 " I never sleep, Sir," he said, " when danger 
 unexpected is at hand ! I was satisfying myself 
 that my eyes had not deceived me before I ven- 
 tured to apprize you of that of which at this 
 moment you are ignorant !" 
 
 " Pray what may that be, Sir V said Colling- 
 wood, evidently annoyed at the answer, which at 
 that moment he believed an evasion.
 
 TOM BOWLING. 97 
 
 "Those are the Morant Keys to leeward," 
 said Bowling, as he pointed to a low black line 
 hardly perceptible in the horizon. 
 
 6i Impossible!" replied his captain, alarmed at 
 the very suggestion of a greater danger than the 
 one now near at hand. 
 
 u I mentioned it, Sir, to the officer of the 
 watch before that hurricane cloud appeared to 
 windward; the darkness of that cloud has made 
 the part of the horizon beyond its extension 
 more discernible, I am satisfied that is the 
 land." 
 
 The Morant Keys were exactly in the lee- 
 beam; and most certainly hope itself could 
 not have believed them more than five miles 
 distant. To those who looked with the cool con- 
 sideration of the danger, undismayed by the 
 probable result, that distance would be reduced 
 to at least three miles, — a distance so perfectly 
 insignificant, that one hour would be sufficient 
 to drive the vessel, against every effort to coun- 
 teract it in a hurricane, on the rocks. 
 
 The orders were given to clear away the bower- 
 anchors ; to bend the sheet-cable ; but nothing 
 
 VOL. I. F
 
 98 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 as to the alteration of the vessel could be 
 effected. The sails were all furled, and to wind- 
 ward were clouds sufficiently threatening to 
 oblige the most anxious to keep them so. 
 
 It was about this time when, by the means of 
 the night-glass no doubt remained as to the 
 dark mark to leeward being the land, that the 
 wind was heard aloft whistling and roaring, 
 whilst below it was a dead calm. This extraor- 
 dinary phenomenon attracted the attention of 
 all. The dog vane made of feathers never 
 moved ; there was the most awful stillness in 
 the lower regions of the atmosphere, whilst at a 
 very small distance from the topmast-head all 
 the furies of elemental war seemed striving for 
 pre-eminence. The clouds had now extended 
 themselves from a little on the lee-bow to right 
 astern, and the moon, which an instant before 
 was unclouded, was suddenly covered as with a 
 large dark veil. Every man stood in awful sus- 
 pense, and each bold seaman wound himself up 
 to meet undismayed an enemy as impossible to 
 conquer as to evade. The vessel lay waiting the 
 attack ; " no force could then resist, no flight
 
 TOM BOWLING. 99 
 
 could save." The howling of the storm grew 
 louder and louder, and once the loose ropes at 
 the topmast-head blew out like the lightest 
 pendant in a breeze. 
 
 It was now upon the water everywhere. To 
 windward, to leeward it seemed breaking at 
 once like a huge wave upon the shingles of the 
 shore. In spite of the darkness the foam of the 
 sea was plainly visible ; and whilst remarking 
 this to the first-lieutenant, as Collingwood whis- 
 pered his apprehension for the safety of the 
 ship, the whole fury of the hurricane burst upon 
 the vessel. She reeled over to starboard for a 
 second, when, being met by a counter squall, 
 she heeled over to port. No orders could be 
 heard ; each man clung to the cleats and ropes. 
 The spray flew like a sea over her; and the 
 wind, which blew apparently from every quarter 
 at once, sprinkled it lavishly on the deck. The 
 precautions so carefully taken, saved the masts ; 
 but the wind in one of its most furious squalls 
 shook the starboard quarter boat with such 
 violence that a part of the gunwale was blown 
 jp 2
 
 100 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 adrift, and the bolt to which the slings were 
 fastened was drawn. 
 
 It was most desirable to ascertain if, in this 
 furious war of winds, the ship neared the Mo- 
 rant Keys; but the old quartermaster, who, 
 undismayed at the danger, stood by the wheel, 
 declared that no man could tell which way the 
 vessel had drifted ; for no sooner had the wind 
 appeared to come from the east, than it as sud- 
 denly shifted to the west ; and that already the 
 head of the vessel had gone round the compass 
 three or four times. It was equally impossible 
 to see the approach to any danger, the spray 
 was so thick, and now the night so dark that 
 no man could discern a line-of-battle ship had she 
 been there at the distance of one hundred yards. 
 The wind howled and roared ; the spray came 
 like a sea ; the ship swayed to and fro, some- 
 times running a-head at the rate of ten knots 
 an hour, then as suddenly check into stern 
 way, with her head in every position. And in 
 this fearful uncertainty was she retained for at 
 least a quarter of an hour, when the wind
 
 TOM BOWLING. 101 
 
 seemed inclined to settle to the north-eastward, 
 and continue a heavy gale. Again it suddenly 
 shifted with apparently accumulated force ; for 
 the main-topmast was snapped short off, and 
 the jib-boom was carried away. Again the 
 wind seemed disposed to settle to the north- 
 west, leaving the Pelican on a lee-shore; and 
 that lee-shore, providing every chance had been 
 in her favour, not more than four miles distant. 
 As the prospect of the gale becoming steady 
 increased, the energy of the captain increased 
 also. The courses and topsails had been furled 
 without being reefed; and in order to shew 
 them at all to the furious gale, it was requisite 
 to close reef one, and reef the other. Then was, 
 indeed, the danger ; for the sail, when released 
 from the gaskets, would be partially subject to 
 the wind; and however well it might be re- 
 tained in the clue-lines and bunt-lines, yet such 
 was the force of the hurricane, that it might be 
 split even in that situation, or breaking adrift 
 from the slender ropes which confined it, might 
 blow over the lee-yardarm, and sweep the cling- 
 ing seamen from their hold.
 
 102 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 It is in situations such as these that the cour- 
 age and the seamanship of British tars have ever 
 been shewn ; and never did they better deserve 
 the praise their captain lavished upon them 
 than on this night. But in spite of every pre- 
 caution, the furious gale caught in the main- 
 sail. It tore the sail from its protecting rope ; it 
 was split to ribbons, and there flapping about 
 with a violence quite inconceivable to those 
 who never have witnessed a scene like the pre- 
 sent, it seemed to defy every exertion either to 
 furl or to unbend it. 
 
 With the other sails they had been more for- 
 tunate, for they contrived to close reef the three 
 topsails and foresail, and the last sail was set. A 
 tysail was got up abaft, the wind having so far 
 settled and moderated as to allow the Pelican to 
 appear under some canvass ; but what could 
 be done without the mainsail? — literally nothing. 
 And although many had made attempts to lie 
 out on the yard, they were as often obliged to 
 return and seek shelter in the top. Rewards 
 were offered, — threats,cheers, every extreme was 
 resorted to ; but no sailor could face the diffi-
 
 TOM BOWLING. 103 
 
 culty. Whilst the captain was roaring through 
 his speaking-trumpet, which scarcely conveyed 
 the voice to the hearing of the men aloft, 
 Bowling was seen descending the main-lift on 
 the weather side. He reached the yardarm, and 
 instantly began to cut the sail away. As it 
 became liberated, it of course blew over to lee- 
 ward ; and thus the great end was accomplished. 
 The useless canvass was entirely cut away from 
 the yard, and a new mainsail was got up and 
 prepared for bending. In the meantime the 
 gale continued ; and as the heavy clouds which 
 had enshrined the hurricane were dissipated, 
 when the winds broke loose, the moon was again 
 visible ; and with its clear light came the cer- 
 tainty of shipwreck. 
 
 The sea, which was high, prevented the 
 Pelican from fore-reaching much, and the 
 Morant Keys extended to about two points on 
 the lee-bow. To veer would be to run closer to 
 the shore, and on the starboard tack there was 
 equally little hope of clearing the rocks, which 
 extended from the further end of the Key. The 
 main-topmast was cleared away ; the stump
 
 104 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 sent on deck, and the mainsail set. It was 
 entirely useless. Every time the ship lifted to 
 the sea, the land was more plainly visible. 
 Hope only could suggest the avoiding the 
 wreck until daylight, now within an hour of 
 breaking;. The wind in the meantime seemed 
 to moderate as the approach of the sun grew 
 nearer. And some who clung to hope with most 
 tenacity, talked of the possibility of tacking ; 
 and that then, under the fore and mizzen topsails 
 with reefed courses, a fore-topmast-staysail, and 
 a reefed driver, they might yet weather the 
 danger. 
 
 Captain Collingwood, with the coolness which 
 ever distinguished that officer in the days of his 
 early command, gave his orders with clearness 
 and precision. The booms were not cut adrift, 
 as the motion of the ship was too violent; but 
 men were stationed with axes ready to effect 
 this when it became impossible to avoid the 
 shock now growing closer and closer. The 
 same orders were given for the quarter-boats ; 
 loose gratings were placed where they would 
 float clear of the ship ; and no one precaution
 
 TOM BOWLING. 105 
 
 was omitted which the wisdom and experience 
 of former seamen had handed down to their 
 successors. In this severe trial, the dauntless 
 courage of the officers inspired the men with 
 confidence; the wind roared, the sea raged, 
 and the surf beat against the rocks, which 
 the first streak of daylight made visible to 
 all. The discipline of the ship remained un- 
 impaired ; and the men stood at their station 
 for bringing the ship to an anchor, without at- 
 tempting to seek a more comfortable or a less 
 hazardous place. 
 
 When daylight broke there was yet half-an- 
 hour of existence left. Soundings were ineffec- 
 tually tried for; one hundred and eighty fathom 
 of line reached no bottom ; and it was well 
 known by the experienced in those seas, that 
 near the shore the water was too deep for an- 
 chorage. It was suggested to unclench one 
 cable and to splice it to another, thus making 
 about two hundred and forty fathoms; but the 
 master shook his head, and declared it was use- 
 less. 
 
 To wear ship, if she failed to stay, was now 
 f 3
 
 106 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 hinted at by the first-lieutenant. It was one of 
 those desperate chances just as well to try since 
 persevering in the same course was certain ruin. 
 The surf beat high over the rocks which ap- 
 peared shewing their treacherous heads as the 
 towering sea passed over them ; and on these 
 rocks it was almost certain that the ship would 
 go during the manoeuvre. It was the only 
 chance left to avoid the danger under the lee-bow, 
 and it was resorted to. The ship was kept quite 
 full, with her head actually towards the rock, 
 and she soon gathered good way. A smoother 
 place was watched for in the roll of the seas. 
 The helm was put gently down, — the fore-top- 
 mast staysail was hauled down, — the foresail 
 hauled up as it touched. Every scientific 
 manoeuvre was used to coax her round ; but as 
 she came up to the wind, a sea struck her on 
 the weather-bow, it stopped the little way she 
 had ; she fell round off; and before the ship 
 gathered way enough to make the helm useful, 
 she struck upon the outer rock. The foremast 
 went by the board ; the mizzen-topmast came 
 down by the run ; and the grinding keel, torn
 
 TOM BOWLING. 107 
 
 from its strong fastening, floated alongside. 
 The booms were cut adrift. Disorder and con- 
 fusion usurped the place of obedience and dis- 
 cipline. The Pelican had ceased to exist. Her 
 wreck, her loss was inevitable. 
 
 When she struck, some boys shrieked at the 
 danger, and were rushing to the lee-gangway. 
 Bowling stopped them, and taking them away 
 from all danger from the fall of the mainmast, said 
 authoritatively, " Stick by the wreck. It's time 
 enough to take to the water when we have no 
 dry footing left." Another sea washed the ship 
 on an inner rock, which was partially under 
 shelter of the outer one; and fortunately she 
 rested upon this, or she would have sunk. It 
 stove her in about ten feet before the step of 
 the mainmast; and as she rolled to the sea, 
 which now made a clear breach over her, the 
 planks gave way, and the rock appeared further 
 and further in the ship. 
 
 Some hasty rafts were constructed ; some 
 clung desperately to the spars as they were 
 swept clear of the ship, and trusted to the 
 goodness of Providence and their own exertions ;
 
 108 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 others took a wild farewell, and lept headlong 
 into the angry surf; others lashed themselves 
 on gratings; some rushed to the quarter-boat, 
 cut her adrift, and lept into the sea, and clung 
 to her keel as she rolled over and over. 
 
 The sea came rolling along as fiercely and 
 as savagely as ever, although the wind had 
 considerably abated. The mainmast fell over 
 the starboard side, and took with it a consider- 
 able part of the upper bulwark; and it was 
 evident that two or three more seas would split 
 the Pelican to pieces. Bowling still clung to 
 the wreck. He lashed the boys, who clung 
 trembling to the spot he had assigned them, to 
 different spars, and he launched them over- 
 board, cheering them with the hope that others 
 had already reached, and that the same Pro- 
 vidence which guided and directed their ship- 
 mates through the foaming breakers might still 
 watch over them and bring them safe to the 
 Sandy Key, now their only refuge. 
 
 " Hold on, youngsters/' he cried, " and shut 
 your mouths. It's no use bellowing now. Cling 
 to your hold, and God protect you."
 
 TOM BOWLING. 109 
 
 He had launched the last who cried and 
 clung to him, calling on his mother and father 
 for succour, when Captain Collingwood touched 
 him on the shoulder. 
 
 " If you live, Bowling, England will see in 
 you one whom she may regard with pride. If 
 I live, I am your guardian ; and should I die, I 
 leave behind me a prayer for your welfare 
 through life. Remember the promise of Nelson; 
 tell him at my last moment I bequeathed you to 
 him. Now, leave the wreck ;— I will be the last 
 man in my ship." 
 
 (i It is the only command I am likely to dis- 
 obey, Sir," replied Bowling, who answered with 
 as much coolness as if no danger was near. " I 
 must see you safe, and then I will trust to my 
 arms and to my own good fortune." 
 
 " No, no, Bowling ; I will be the last man. 
 Hold on, hold on ! this sea will annihilate us all." 
 It came howling and foaming over the outer 
 rock, which it seemed to pass uninterupted. It 
 dashed full upon the Pelican. The devoted 
 vessel split asunder ; and the two last on board, 
 the captain and Bowling, were precipitated into
 
 110 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 the sea. Bowling was a strong swimmer, and 
 soon caught hold of one of the many planks 
 which now almost covered the sea. He launched 
 it towards his captain, who saw the generous 
 effort, and availed himself of it. Whilst Bow- 
 ling, trusting to his strength, struck out for 
 another: — he clutched it, and used his utmost 
 power to reach the shore. The heavy surf rolled 
 him over, and almost buried him ; but he rose 
 superior to it, and every time he came to the 
 surface he turned his anxious eye towards the 
 man who, on the verge of death, had thought 
 of him. 
 
 In the meantime many had reached the Key ; 
 and some not injured in the swim had unwound 
 the light rope which had fastened the raft 
 together, and used it as well as they were able, 
 to throw to others as they neared the shore, and 
 thus some almost on the point of being drowned 
 from exhaustion had been saved* The generous 
 fellow who used this remedy, followed the sea 
 as it ebbed back from the shore, and thus got 
 nearer the object, at the risk of being again 
 sucked into the foaming water.
 
 TOM BOWLING. Ill 
 
 Bowling was some distance a-head of his 
 captain, for he did not cling to his plank until 
 the sea came towards him ; then, as it passed, 
 he propelled it forward, and thus got nearer and 
 nearer the shore. He caught the rope, and was 
 dragged into security ; but it was instantly to 
 return to danger. Although his captain was 
 yet out of reach, he twice endeavoured to force 
 his way through the rolling breakers, and take 
 the rope to him. Each time he was dashed 
 back upon the shore ; and the last time stunned 
 by the effect. He was rescued by the officer of 
 his watch, and lay extended on the beach. 
 
 For a long time the fate of the captain was 
 precarious; his youth, his courage, his hope bore 
 him up, and he reached the shore in security. 
 Not one soul was lost ; a watch-bill in the 
 pocket of one of the youngsters served as a 
 muster-roll, and an hour after the captain 
 touched the shore, every man of the Pelican 
 answered his muster. The difficulty had but 
 begun. The Morant Keys are low sandy islands 
 in which there is very little vegetation, and less 
 sustenance for hungry shipwrecked seamen.
 
 112 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 Rarely is a turtle found, and in stormy weather 
 they never come near the land. A cask of salt 
 pork was luckily cast on shore, but not until the 
 second day, when the gale still continued, and 
 any attempt by any ingenuity to reach Jamaica 
 was held impossible. 
 
 This cask of pork was husbanded with nig- 
 gardly care ; and portioned out at one quarter 
 of the usual allowance. Water was procured 
 by means of holes dug in the sand; but there 
 was no covering from the sultry noonday sun, 
 or from the more baneful effects of night damps, 
 and the moon's putrifying power. It was expected 
 by the surgeon that fever would take what the 
 gale had spared ; but singular as it may appear, 
 it is no less true, the excitement of the situation, 
 the constant hope of release, and perhaps the 
 very low simple diet, warded off all attacks of 
 the fever and kept the crew in health. 
 
 As the different spars were washed on shore, 
 the crew were employed in converting them into 
 large rafts. There were several boat oars secured , 
 and thus a chance was created of effecting a 
 landing in Jamaica, when the gale ceased, and
 
 TOM BOWLING. 113 
 
 the usual smooth water nights succeeded. This 
 kept the men in employment, or there might 
 have been some discontent. Idleness is ever 
 fruitful of mischief. For ten days did the crew 
 of the Pelican remain on the Keys, and no 
 chance had offered of escape. A boat washed on 
 shore was made partially seaworthy, Bowling 
 was sent to Jamaica to apprize the senior officer 
 of the desperate state of the crew, and reached 
 his destination in safety. 
 
 The last piece of pork had been distributed. 
 Famine stared them in the face, when the 
 Diamond frigate hove in sight, and, attracted by 
 the signals made from the Keys, she stood close 
 in. The crew of the ill-fated Pelican,not a vestige 
 of which remained, were received on board, and 
 all were safely landed at Port Royal.
 
 114 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 IN WHICH IS A SAILOR S LOVE-LETTER, AND A SPICE 
 OF FEMININE MANCEUVRES. 
 
 Susan, on receiving the letter, went to her own 
 apartment, and closing the door, examined with 
 care the seal, the direction, and the post mark. 
 It frequently happens, that even the most curi- 
 ous lose five or six minutes in guessing by the 
 seal from whom the letter came, when by open- 
 ing it all doubts would be removed. " I 
 neither know the seal nor the hand-writing," she 
 said to herself as she turned it from one side to 
 the other; and then, as if some evil was fore-
 
 TOM BOWLING. 115 
 
 boded, with trembling hand she opened it. 
 Great was her surprise to find four five-pound 
 notes fall from the folds ; and at once, without 
 looking at the beginning, she turned to the 
 conclusion, and saw the name of Thomas Bow- 
 ling. Thus it ran : — 
 
 " Jamaica, June, 1781. 
 (( Miss Monckton, — There never yet was a 
 long lane that had neither end nor turning ; and 
 so it is with bad fortune or ill luck, it's sure to 
 take another course in time, and get us into a 
 snug anchorage. The tide at first set strongly 
 against me. I thought I should have grounded 
 with the ebb, and never got afloat again ; but 
 all of a sudden in came the flood, and swept 
 me clear of the shoals into fair weather and 
 pleasant prospects. I left you nearly aground 
 too. I hope you have held on, although the 
 cable was two parts stranded ; and that the en- 
 closed will put some new rigging over your 
 mast head, and make you as trim and as neat 
 below and aloft as you always were when you 
 patted me on the head, and said, ' Well done, 
 Bowling.' I never shall forget your sweet face ;
 
 116 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 and when I prove ungrateful for all your kind- 
 ness, may I be blown away in a hurricane. No, 
 no ; whichever course I steer, Susan is before 
 me — my hope, my haven ; every wind which 
 blows bears your name upon its wings. And 
 there is no lighthouse in the stormy night half 
 so welcome as the beam of those dark eyes. 
 
 " I left you to be a cabin-boy in a collier. 
 I am now a midshipman in the Pelican. Before 
 me is every bright prospect; and I have left 
 behind me the shoals and the shallows of life. 
 Take the trifle I have enclosed; and when we 
 come athwart any more of the French vessels, 
 you shall halve my prize money, as I value your 
 life equally with my own. Oh, for the day 
 when I shall see you again, and learn from you 
 how you have weathered the squalls which 
 threaten to dismast you. Until then give poor 
 Tom a corner in your heart. The tide may set 
 against me, the winds may be unfavourable, my 
 friends may prove false, poverty may overtake 
 me; but nothing can rob my heart of your image, 
 as no other portrait can efface the remembrance 
 thereon engraven. May He whom you taught
 
 TOM BOWLING. 117 
 
 me to know, hear my prayers for your guidance 
 and safety. I lower my flag as I salute yours; 
 and as I write this respectfully, I hope I may 
 not be thought impertinent. I remain, Miss 
 Monckton, 
 
 " One grateful for your kindness, — one who 
 prays for your safety, 
 
 " Thomas Bowling. 
 
 " P.S. If ever you see the German doctor, 
 say Tom lives, and will one day shake him by 
 the hand. And if you could find out what 
 was my father's name, and who I am, just 
 tip me a stave ; for somehow I think I was a 
 gentleman's son, kidnapped by the dog-stealer." 
 
 This production was read by Susan again 
 and again. The tears came in her eyes when 
 she thought that out of all her pretended 
 friends, in the hours of her affluence, not one 
 had proffered her assistance; and that the fa- 
 therless boy, taken from the grave of a con- 
 victed scoundrel, and taught by her the first 
 rudiments of knowledge ; buffeted about in life, 
 without a friend to assist, with no prospect
 
 118 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 of reward, save that arising from good be- 
 haviour, had thought of her when separated 
 thousands of miles, and had sent, as a free gift, 
 perhaps the whole of his little stock, earned at 
 the risk of death before the cannon's mouth. 
 
 In that moment Susan experienced perfect 
 happiness. Her pupil had risen to be an officer 
 by his own good conduct; and that good 
 conduct was the result of her exertions. Nor 
 could she forget, that when that youngster 
 embarked in the low drudgery of a cabin-boy, 
 he had left for her every farthing he had in the 
 world, and began life a penniless child of fortune. 
 
 Then again the letter contained more than 
 gratitude ; it bore in the rough language of the 
 sailor the finest sentiments of the heart. It 
 merely required the common exertion of the 
 mind to render his rude phrases into the warmest 
 effusion of love ; and Susan, overcome by this 
 unexpected gratitude, found her heart beat with 
 an emotion she had never before experienced. 
 
 She had lingered longer than usual, and Rosa 
 now expected her; for Susan was the companion 
 most welcome when Cornish was absent.
 
 TOM BOWLING. 119 
 
 The lively air with which Susan entered ex- 
 cited the attention of her companion ; whilst, on 
 the other hand, the attenuated form, the fast- 
 falling cheeks of the invalid, struck Susan with 
 a momentary horror. 
 
 "Welcome, Susan, welcome. You are late; 
 but your cheerful looks betoken some good 
 news. A letter ! why, with the exception of 
 those written by your mother, I never knew 
 you receive any correspondence. A man's hand, 
 too, — what marvel is this ?" 
 
 " Yes, indeed, a letter from a friend — from a 
 lover — from Tom Bowling — the poor boy of 
 whom I have already spoken ; say not now that 
 the world is composed of the false-hearted, the 
 selfish, the interested. There is nothing in its 
 contents of which I am ashamed. Read it ; it 
 has made me the happiest of women; for it is 
 the hand of a grateful — an honourable man." 
 
 Rosa laughed at the unusual style, and said 
 she required an interpreter. 
 
 " You would not require one, Rosa, if the 
 letter had been addressed to you ; only put 
 these words into others more familiar to our
 
 120 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 ears, and what could the warmest lover add to 
 it?" 
 
 " Lord, my dear Susan, how can stranded 
 cables, ebbs and flood-tides, rigging and mast- 
 heads, be turned into a lover's epistle ?" 
 
 " What do you think of that part which 
 speaks of the portrait ? and what say you to the 
 poor fellow who robs himself of his all, to send 
 me what he can ill afford to spare?" 
 
 " Bless me, Susan, if you are not in love with 
 that rough sailor who is going to be blown 
 away in a hurricane — " 
 
 « If a grateful heart is a proof of affection, 
 and affection is the touchstone of love, I am in 
 love, nor do I blush to confess it. How can I 
 be otherwise with one who wafts my name on 
 every breeze ?" — and she added, laughingly, li he 
 really is very good looking." 
 
 u Wait, child, until next season, and I will 
 find you a lover as handsome as my Captain 
 Cornish." 
 
 " Ah," she continued, " Captain Cornish is 
 indeed handsome; but we are not all Rosa 
 Talbots, with her fortune and her eyes to cap-
 
 TOM BOWLIXG. 121 
 
 tivate such heroes. I hope your last interview 
 with him relieved your mind of all its anxieties, 
 for this love conversation of mine is neither fit 
 nor wholesome for either of us now." 
 
 " Susan, my dear, I feel so uncommonly well 
 this morning that I cannot allow you to enact 
 the ruler. I have a secret to tell you, Susan ; 
 but are you quite sure that you would not 
 whisper it even in the ears of your Tom Bow- 
 ling. Heavens ! what a name ! — one might as 
 well marry Ben Backstay, who, you know, ac- 
 cording to the song, l was a sailor and a very 
 merry boy.'" 
 
 " Oh, dearest Rosa, do not, I beseech you, 
 waste your time in the remembrance of such 
 sayings. Why talk of this world's love when 
 our thoughts should be directed to a more pure, 
 a more heavenly love, in the situation in which 
 it has pleased God to place you, with the 
 knowledge that your physicians have imparted 
 to you. Let me implore you to devote your time 
 to those books which alone can give support 
 and consolation." 
 
 It so happened that Rosa Talbot was in one 
 VOL. I. g
 
 122 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 of those intervals so common in the disease 
 under which she was gradually sinking. She 
 was certain of a long life, and had suggested to 
 herself schemes worthy of the most robust 
 health. She saw before her days of happiness 
 as the wife of Cornish — the envy of some who 
 already admired him — the despair of others 
 who had for ever lost him ; and strange it is 
 that in these disgraceful moments, when ' envy, 
 hatred, and jealousy,' are the thoughts, we 
 sometimes derive the keenest pleasure. She 
 had quite forgotten the hint of the doctors, and 
 was in no mood to be lectured. 
 
 " I ask you, Susan," she said, rather abruptly, 
 "if I can confide a secret to you — one you 
 must not mention again hardly to yourself. I 
 thought in you I had found a companion and 
 a friend." 
 
 " And do you doubt it now, Rosa, when I am 
 using the greatest privilege of a friend — that of 
 an adviser ? Had I not known how devoted this 
 poor heart is to your service, I never should 
 have intruded my counsels, or hazarded your 
 last remark. Do not, I beseech you, Rosa,
 
 TOM BOWLLXG. 123 
 
 look doubtingly upon me. I have no wish 
 beyond your happiness, and I gladly devote 
 myself to your service." 
 
 " Kiss me, Susan; forgive me if I offended 
 you. I will shew you I still rely upon you, — 
 that I still think you my dearest friend. I have 
 not even told it to my mother, although she 
 half guessed it from my manner. I am going to 
 be married !" 
 
 Susan shrunk backwards with dismay, be- 
 lieving that the unrelenting disease under 
 which her poor friend laboured had not only 
 sapped her bodily, but impaired her mental 
 strength. " Married !" she exclaimed. 
 
 " Yes, Susan, married ; and before six weeks 
 are elapsed, I shall be the wife of the only man 
 I ever loved. Why do you look so fearfully 
 upon me ? I have not robbed your heart. Ever 
 since I knew him, he has been devoted to me ; 
 and at last he has confessed his love, and I 
 have accepted his offer." 
 
 It was impossible for Susan to doubt that 
 Cornish had deceived her by his narration of 
 the conversation ; but she could not recover 
 g 2
 
 124 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 herself. Before her, extended upon a sofa, 
 from which she could not rise without assist- 
 ance, reposed, if such a state could warrant the 
 term, the bones of her friend, — evidently within 
 the six weeks, she would be wedded to a colder 
 bridegroom. That no skill could restore her was 
 certain ; and instead of preparing herself for 
 her approaching dissolution, her heart was fixed 
 upon an object evidently too unworthy of her. 
 
 At once to turn her thoughts from the bright 
 prospect of life to the cold reality of death was 
 a cruelty ; but to allow her to linger longer in a 
 disregard of her perilous condition was crimi- 
 nal. To refuse to listen to her tale of love 
 would only have irritated the invalid ; but to 
 have joined in her rapture, Susan considered, 
 would be highly blameable. 
 
 " Your mother," said Susan, after a pause, 
 " is ignorant of this marriage. It is, my dear 
 Rosa, very wrong in a daughter to conceal 
 from her parent such a declaration as you have 
 received. She is your best friend, as well as 
 your mother. From her you should have no 
 secret; for that which is improper for her to
 
 TOM BOWLING. 125 
 
 know is unworthy of you to do. Let me call 
 her; — let me, if you are unable to tell her your- 
 self, impart to her this intelligence." 
 
 u On no account, Susan. I feel I have done 
 wrong in relating the secret, I had promised 
 never to reveal, to you, and pardon me if I 
 say, I had expected from one who has ever 
 called herself my friend, some expression of con- 
 gratulation, — some wish for my happiness — my 
 welfare — my health." 
 
 " And if my congratulations, Rosa, my 
 wishes, could avail, how soon and how very 
 fervently would I express them. I cannot, with 
 the remembrance of the last injunctions of my 
 father, picture that which never can exist. I 
 would not have you violate your word further 
 than you have done at this moment. He will 
 be here shortly. Do an act of justice to yourself 
 and to your mother. Tell him your surviving 
 parent is your proper guardian and protector ; — 
 insist on his declaring to your mother the affec- 
 tion he has expressed for you ; and warn him 
 that, when he is gone, your duty to your parent 
 will not be omitted."
 
 126 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 " And why, if Captain Cornish wishes this a 
 secret, should I disoblige him by revealing it ?" 
 
 " It cannot long remain a secret, Rosa. You 
 cannot buy your bridal-dress, — make any pre- 
 paration for your marriage, — without your 
 mother's knowledge ; and therefore, even taking 
 the subject in this light, it is better to make a 
 virtue of necessity, and mention that yourself 
 which your actions must declare hereafter. 
 Besides this, how long do you think a lady has 
 a secret, to which her maid is a stranger ? I 
 tell you, Rosa, that lovers always write notes, 
 and ladies' maids always peep into them. What 
 would your mother think if the first intimation 
 of her daughter's engagement came through the 
 scullery-maid? For no sooner will your maid 
 have discovered it than Robert the butler will 
 be made a confidant ; it will be told as a secret, 
 never to be divulged, to the housekeeper: the 
 housekeeper will condescend to relate it to the 
 coachman ; the coachman will tell the groom 
 that his young missus is going to be married ; 
 it will be whispered to the housemaid at some 
 accidental meeting ; and the last of the house-
 
 TOM BOWLING. 127 
 
 hold below, the scullery-maid, will be en- 
 trusted with it. Since, my dear Rosa, you 
 could not keep it yourself, it is hard to expect 
 secrecy from others. On this ground alone, for 
 at this moment I will not suggest any other, I 
 call upon your good sense to second my pro- 
 position. Now I leave you, for here is Captain 
 Cornish. He dines here to-day, of course, — a 
 lover could not be so long absent as one even- 
 ing!" 
 
 "Ah! ah!" faintly laughed the invalid. 
 "And now, Susan, you will have time to read 
 your sailor's letter over again, and to spoil half- 
 a-dozen sheets of paper in attempting to answer 
 it." 
 
 11 No, no, Rosa," she replied, smilingly ; (i it 
 is easy to be grateful ; and the fewer words 
 and the more actions, are the best responses. 
 The Captain is here ! I will escape through 
 your maid's room." 
 
 That Susan was right in her conjectures as to 
 the intuitive knowledge of her friend's maid 
 was certain. Miss Waller, who, of course, 
 could not be called by such a vulgar appellation
 
 128 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 as Betsy, had brought her work very close to 
 the door, and had heard every syllable which 
 had been uttered. She regarded Miss Monck- 
 ton as not one bit better than herself; and as 
 Susan, in passing through her room, which was 
 an unusual proceeding, apologized for disturb- 
 ing her, she was quick enough to perceive the 
 malicious sneer with which she was welcomed. 
 
 Even Susan, generally above the little weak- 
 ness of the sex — curiosity, on closing the outer 
 door, could not refrain from peeping through 
 the keyhole ; and saw the faithful Waller place 
 her ear so close to the door which led to Rosa's 
 apartment, that it was evident it was her inten- 
 tion to burden herself with the secret her dying 
 mistress could not retain.
 
 TOM BOWLING. 129 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 IN WHICH 13 SHEWN THAT A LADY S MAID NEVER MISSES 
 A GOOD OPPORTUNITY OF MAKING MISCHIEF. 
 
 " Come, sit close to me, Augustus. Now for 
 the news; but first look at that clock, — a lover 
 should be before, not after his time. I thought 
 the lazy hand which marks the minutes never 
 would gain the spot when five would strike. 
 At last it came, and since then a quarter of an 
 hour has flown." 
 
 Augustus took her hand ; but there was that 
 constrained look about him, that evident care- 
 lessness, as if he did from duty what might have 
 g 3
 
 130 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 been expected from love. Usually he was 
 cheerful, loquacious, and quick ; now he was 
 reserved, cautious, and silent. He squeezed her 
 hand, and after passing his unemployed fingers 
 hurriedly across his forehead, he said, " You 
 have told your mother of our engagement." 
 
 " Indeed, Augustus, I have not ;" but she 
 said, as she recapitulated Susan's arguments, 
 "The sooner she is told the better." 
 
 " It must not be," he added, with some vehe- 
 mence. " Your mother would never give her 
 consent, and we should become estranged even 
 for the short time — " he paused, — he was 
 evidently about to inflict the severest wound the 
 invalid could receive ; and even he, who having 
 caught the hint given by Susan that a marriage 
 would gain him the property without being long 
 encumbered by the wife, forbore to mention 
 death, when death was more certain than her 
 marriage. 
 
 " I am certain of my mother's consent, Augus- 
 tus. There is no one thing I could ask to which 
 she would not accede ; and this, the object 
 nearest my heart, — this, which already has made
 
 TOM BOWLIXG. 131 
 
 me strong and restored me to health, do you 
 think she would refuse ? Oh no ! she is much 
 too affectionately fond of me. You shall see 
 how badly you have estimated her kindness. 
 I will mention the subject to her this night, and 
 to-morrow my Augustus shall be welcomed as 
 her son-in-law." 
 
 u I would rather the secret were never di- 
 vulged," said Captain Cornish, abstractedly ; 
 " for it is useless to believe this marriage could 
 ever be consummated." 
 
 The invalid endeavoured to raise herself up, 
 but in this she failed. Her hoarse voice seemed 
 deeper as she added, " You have deceived me; 
 you love another." Most fortunately for Cap- 
 tain Cornish he was saved the explosion which 
 he himself had caused by the announcement of 
 dinner; and he was quick enough to follow the 
 servant, leaving Rosa in a state more easily 
 imagined than described. 
 
 No sooner was he gone than Waller entered 
 the room. Such was her invariable custom, as 
 her mistress was scarcely ever left alone, and at 
 this hour some refreshment was always offered. 
 Waller was just as well aware of the secret as if
 
 132 TO.AI BOWLING. 
 
 it had been placarded on the walls ; and hating 
 Susan with a hate only known to exist between 
 ladies' maids and governesses, she resolved to 
 frustrate any kind intentions which before long 
 Rosa might be inclined to manifest in her last 
 will. She had some money at her own disposal ; 
 and from the intimacy subsisting between her 
 and Susan it was more than probable that some 
 of that property would be left to her friend. 
 
 " I'll pay you off," said the jade to herself 
 " I'm afraid you have exerted yourself too much, 
 Miss," she remarked to Rosa ; " and whilst 
 Captain Cornish is eating his dinner with Miss 
 Monckton you had better refresh yourself with 
 a little broth." 
 
 i( Surely my mother, Waller, dines at home ?" 
 said Rosa. 
 
 " Yes, Miss, she does ; but as your mother's 
 solicitor is here, and there seems some business 
 of importance, your mother is not at dinner, nor 
 will she join that party until eight o'clock." 
 
 " Well, well," said Rosa, " I am not sorry for 
 the interruption, as the Captain will the sooner 
 return, and I have much to say to him." 
 
 " I should rather think, Miss, it will keep
 
 TOM BOWLING. 133 
 
 him the longer away. Perhaps he may be 
 inclined to take one of his usual walks with 
 Miss Monckton, and then it might be proper to 
 await your mother's arrival, and then — " 
 
 " A walk !" interrupted Rosa, apparently 
 somewhat disturbed by the intelligence. 
 
 " Oh, it's nothing unusual, Miss, I assure you. 
 They do make the most unaccountable mistakes. 
 One takes the wrong turning to the place she is 
 going, and Captain Cornish takes the wrong 
 one also, and somehow they both meet." 
 
 " Well, Waller, and what of all this ? May 
 not Captain Cornish by accident meet Miss 
 Monckton ?" 
 
 "Oh yes, Miss, no doubt; but then it's a 
 pity when he sees her he does not look both sides 
 of the hedges. They say walls have ears ; I 
 know quick-set hedges do not much interrupt 
 the sound, however much they may hinder the 
 sight. Bless you, Miss, Captain Cornish is over 
 head and ears in love with you, and Miss 
 Monckton is just as much in love with him. 
 She can't keep her eyes off him ; and the other 
 day-" 
 
 "Well!" ejaculated Rosa, almost over-
 
 134 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 powered even with the slight exertion required to 
 produce the sound, "what occurred the other 
 day ?" 
 
 " Oh dear me, Miss, you would not ask me 
 to speak of that which I quite accidentally 
 heard ; it would be quite improper, — you really 
 must excuse me, Miss, — shall I get you some 
 broth ?" 
 
 The poison began to work. The very help- 
 less situation of Rosa made her more alive to 
 jealousy than otherwise her nature would have 
 permitted. Now awakened, as it were, from her 
 dreams of love by the cunning cruelty of her 
 maid, she brought to her mind the different con- 
 versations she had held with Susan, that ap- 
 peared to strengthen the suspicions Waller had 
 awakened. " Yes, yes !" she exclaimed hur- 
 riedly, at intervals, "so she did, and admired 
 him to my face. How blind — how blind is 
 love !" 
 
 " Yes, Miss," said Waller, apparently uncon- 
 scious of the mischief she had created, — " so it is, 
 Miss. We have got a figure of it in the house- 
 keeper's room, with a bandage round its eyes 
 and with a pair of scales in its hands."
 
 TOM BOWLING. 135 
 
 " That is the figure of Justice," said Rosa, 
 catching at the last remark. 
 
 « Is it, Miss?" said the artful girl. "Well, 
 I have heard that there is very little justice in 
 love, for its course never ran smooth and with- 
 out interruption." 
 
 " Oh !" sighed Rosa, " oh for one real friend ! 
 Waller, you have lived with me for four years, 
 and I have ever been kind to you. Cannot I 
 place confidence in you ?" 
 
 " Oh certainly, Miss ; nothing I should like 
 so much. And as for secrets, I never say a word 
 about them, although I think Miss Monckton 
 will tell yours to your mother." 
 
 "What do you mean, Waller? Of what 
 secret do you speak ?" 
 
 " Oh nothing particular, Miss, only the secret 
 of your heart. A person must be as blind as a 
 beetle not to see how you change colour 
 whenever the Captain is mentioned ; and it 
 makes me so uneasy. Ah ! indeed I could tear his 
 eyes out when I see that he comes into this room 
 without hesitation, but that when he speaks to 
 that beautiful girl below he is all of a tremble,
 
 136 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 - 
 and I assure you, Miss, can scarcely say a 
 
 word." 
 
 " Give me something to drink, Waller. My 
 throat seems parched, and I can scarcely see. 
 Do you really think Miss Monckton handsome?" 
 
 " The greatest of her enemies, Miss, cannot 
 deny her great beauty, and every one admires 
 her figure." 
 
 " False, false girl that she is ! And to blind 
 me with her letter from that sailor. Ah this 
 has been a part of her perfidious plan !" 
 
 " Poor girl, Miss, she cannot help being in 
 love with the Captain, he is so handsome ; and 
 when he talked to Miss Monckton yesterday, 
 and she spoke of his honourable intention, his 
 eyes were so lit up — " 
 
 At this confirmation of her worst suspicions, 
 overpowered by her feelings, Rosa fell back in 
 a swoon. 
 
 " Now is my time to call her up," said 
 Waller, as she ran down stairs. " Oh dear, 
 Miss," said the maid, as she bounced open the 
 door, " do go up to Miss Rosa ; she has fainted 
 dead away." Susan heard no more, but instantly
 
 TOM BOWLING. 137 
 
 rushed up stairs; whilst Captain Cornish, as he 
 was not summoned, continued his dinner. 
 
 Susan found the report true ; Rosa had fainted 
 away. She immediately took the pillow from 
 under her head, and placed her flat upon her 
 back ; and then, sprinkling her forehead with 
 cold water, soon restored her to animation. But 
 when her returning sense assured her of the pre- 
 sence of Susan, she turned away with unaffected 
 dislike, and calling Waller, begged Miss 
 Monckton would go down stairs and continue 
 her dinner. 
 
 "I have finished, my dear Rosa," she said; 
 '* do let me stay ; — I cannot leave you thus ; — let 
 me wipe your forehead." 
 
 " Do not touch me ; — go, go." 
 
 The hurried manner in which this was articu- 
 lated convinced Susan that the fit had left her 
 so weak that her senses wandered ; and fearing 
 it might be the prelude to something more 
 serious, she desired Waller to bathe her temple 
 with vinegar and water, whilst she communi- 
 cated the intelligence to her mother. 
 
 Mrs. Talbot had schooled her mind well.
 
 138 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 Half her life had been a continued series of mis- 
 fortunes. Her husband had been killed in a 
 duel ; her only son had been drowned in his 
 passage to India; the last prop of the house was 
 bending under the weight of disease, from which 
 there was no hope of recovery. She had pre- 
 pared herself to hear any tidings, for none could 
 be worse than she anticipated. Fortune could 
 not make her happiness; that was wrecked for 
 ever; death could not unnerve her; she was 
 prepared for the intruder whenever he might 
 come. She had been busily employed in one of 
 her many generous acts. Conceiving that it 
 would be a pleasure to her daughter at her last 
 moments to make some remuneration beyond 
 what was hers for the undeviating affection and 
 attention of Susan, Mrs. Talbot had been 
 engaged with her solicitor for the transfer of two 
 thousand pounds into her daughter's name ; and 
 this gift, she meditated, would be left to Susan, 
 whilst the rest of the property which did not go 
 in that direction Mrs. Talbot knew would be 
 given to Captain Cornish. The last-named 
 gentleman was quite at his ease. He was mak-
 
 TOM BOWLING. 139 
 
 ing himself as comfortable as possible ; and not 
 hearing the report that his betrothed was de- 
 ranged, he took care not to derange himself. 
 
 Susan followed Mrs. Talbot into the room ; 
 and the first words she heard were — " Do not, 
 dear mother, let me be annoyed by that false 
 girl/* the sudden change of all affection for her — 
 she had long looked upon Susan as her best 
 companion, — without any apparent reason, con- 
 vinced both the mother and Susan of the state 
 of the invalid's mind. 
 
 Susan, yielding to the caprice, immediately 
 retired ; but she sat on the staircase, her face 
 buried in her hands, and her eyes streaming 
 with tears. She knew how surely her friend's 
 days were numbered ; and sincerely regretted 
 that those days should be embittered by a dis- 
 appointment too certain to occur, when her 
 whole heart and soul should be upon holier 
 and more comforting thoughts. 
 
 "There, she is gone, dearest," said Mrs. 
 Talbot, as she beckoned Waller to leave the 
 room. iC Look at me, child ; you know who / 
 am, Rosa ! Come, speak to your mother."
 
 140 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 Rosa's look was a strong indication of what 
 passed in her mind. She half imagined her 
 mother deranged for asking the question. 
 " Why, my dearest mamma, why do you ask if 
 I know you ?" 
 
 " Because, my dear, you do not appear to 
 recollect Susan." 
 
 " I shall never forget her, to my last hour," 
 replied the daughter. 
 
 " I hope and trust not, my dearest girl ; half 
 the world might have been searched and her 
 equal never found. Never was there a more 
 amiable, religious, excellent girl." 
 
 " Never was there a viler, more ungrateful 
 hypocrite !" coolly answered the daughter. 
 
 The mother looked doubtingly at her daugh- 
 ter. " I see, Mother, what is passing in your 
 mind ; but I am neither mad nor foolish. I 
 should have told you before, but that Cornish 
 did not wish it." 
 
 A flush of suspicion crimsoned the face of 
 Mrs. Talbot ; but it as quickly evaporated. She 
 had no suspicion beyond a second, and she 
 was ashamed even of that. " Let me hear this
 
 TOM BOWLING, 141 
 
 marvellous story, Rosa. I will answer for it 
 some designing creature has made this mischief, 
 — some whispering, tattling — " 
 
 " I beg your pardon, Madam," said Waller, 
 suddenly entering. " I never make mischief — 
 nor am I a whispering, tattling — " 
 
 " Leave the room, Waller," said Mrs. Talbot, 
 as she rose from the sofa ; " and when you have 
 shut the door, see if you cannot sit at some dis- 
 tance from the keyhole. Now, Rosa, if you 
 please, let me hear this secret. You are in no 
 state of health to be flurried and annoyed by 
 such romances. Waller, T should think, might 
 find a better situation, where she will be kept 
 at a greater distance." 
 
 " It is easily told, mamma ; and I am ashamed 
 of not having at once informed you. You know 
 ever since my childhood that I have loved 
 Augustus. He has declared his love for me, 
 and I have accepted him." There was a pal- 
 pable shudder which shook Mrs. Talbot's frame. 
 She looked at her daughter with an eye of in- 
 tense feeling ; and yet not willing to shock her, 
 begged her to continue her statement. " Miss
 
 142 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 Monckton, mamma, availed herself of my situa- 
 tion, — has secretly met him ; and Waller over- 
 heard him make a proposal, which she, too, 
 gladly accepted." 
 
 " I beg your pardon, Miss," said Waller ; " I 
 did not tell you exactly that /" 
 
 Mrs. Talbot rang the bell twice, without 
 heeding the intrusion. She desired the coach 
 might be stopped which passed the gate that 
 evening ; ordered Miss Waller's things to be 
 ready ; paid her her wages, with a month's 
 besides, packed her off from the vicinity of her 
 daughter's room, and locked the outer door; — 
 in five minutes the artful lady's maid was no 
 longer a servant in Mrs. Talbot's house. She 
 however made as much mischief as she could. 
 She rushed into the parlour, and informed Cap- 
 tain Cornish that Miss Rosa was quite aware 
 of his perfidy ; that Miss Susan had men- 
 tioned the offer he had made to her ; that the 
 mother was determined the match should take 
 place ; and that she would mention what the 
 Captain had said to her to every servant of the 
 establishment.
 
 TOM BOWLING. 143 
 
 Augustus did not care one straw about all 
 she had said, or could say. He poured out an- 
 other glass of wine; told the intruder she might 
 either talk on or walk out ; and helping him- 
 self to a most inviting peach, set to work to 
 demolish it. Not even the impertinence of 
 Waller could withstand the undisguised con- 
 tempt of the Captain; and the maid retired, 
 banging the door violently, and declaring her- 
 self the happiest creature in England, in thus 
 escaping the society of a sickly mistress, and 
 a disreputable upper-housemaid : an insult 
 intended for Susan. Her flourish of tongues 
 did no harm to any, Rosa's door was fortu- 
 nately closed, and Mrs. Talbot, in the pre- 
 sence of her daughter, was hearing from Susan 
 every word she either heard or uttered when in 
 the society of Captain Augustus Caesar Cornish.
 
 144 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 IN WHICH OUR HERO WETS HIS FIRST COMMISSION, AND 
 IS SHEWN WHAT FAVOUR AND AFFECTION MAY BE 
 BESTOWED UPON THE SON OF A LORD AND THE SON 
 OF A DOG-STEALER. 
 
 "Well, I have no objection, Sir, in such a 
 cause, to drink another glass ; and here's to his 
 good health ; and long may he live to enjoy 
 it, and to step up the ladder as quickly as 
 he has got his promotion. Mr. Bowling, here's 
 your very good health. There's not a drop of 
 water in it, Sir, — it's a raw nip. And I beg 
 your pardon, Sir, I ought to have said Lieute- 
 nant Bowling." 
 
 "Well said, old Pipes !" rejoined one of the
 
 TOM BOWLING. 145 
 
 midshipmen ; " bring yourself to an anchor. 
 You are not to be made drunk by a glass or 
 two, any more than a Jamaica fly is to be killed 
 by rum and sugar." 
 
 u I am not so much afraid of being hazy with 
 this stuff as I was of being swamped in the salt- 
 water, when the Pelican was wrecked," said 
 Pipes. "Lord love you, Mr. Bowling, how I 
 envied you being the last man on board. I 
 think the crack I got from the sea must have 
 sent me half on shore before I had time to 
 strike out; and when I landed, I had grown 
 as round as a puncheon, and with as much 
 water in my hold as there was in the craft 
 before she split." 
 
 "Take another nip, Pipes, and shake your- 
 self — it will turn into grog, well mixed." 
 
 " Well, young gentlemen," said Pipes, 
 " there's an example before you, as the Captain 
 used to say when he punished a man ; — there's 
 Mr. Bowling, a lieutenant, and he'll live to be 
 an admiral, if yellow Jack don't catch him on 
 shore, or John Shark afloat — that's what it is 
 to serve with captains who watch every step of 
 
 VOL. I. H
 
 146 TOM BOWLING. % 
 
 their officers. He's none of your short-hair and 
 long-teeth gentlemen — king's hard bargains — 
 who are always asleep, and for ever getting the 
 middle-watch fever — do as he has done, and 
 when I am boatswain of Portsmouth Dock- 
 yard, some of you will be the Port-admirals. 
 All I can say is, Lieutenant Bowling, I'm sorry 
 you are going to leave us." 
 
 " Well, Pipes," said Bowling, a I'm sorry, 
 although I'm glad that I am going to leave you 
 — sorry, because we have all been some time 
 together, and all wrecked together--here we are 
 all drafted on board of another ship together — 
 and friendship ever increases the more we are 
 bound together in danger ; but I'm glad I'm ap- 
 pointed to the Creole, because it is difficult for 
 a promoted officer to do his duty rigidly in the 
 same ship,^and not give offence to some of his 
 former mesfmates. Why, there's Pat Heavisides 
 if he was in my watch, he'd grow thin in a week ; 
 he can't keep his eyes open to take leave of his 
 old shipmate. Stir him up, Pipes." 
 
 Pipes took his call, and, placing it close to 
 Heavisides' ear, blew a shrill note, which 
 startled the heavy-headed slumberer.
 
 TOM BOWLING. 147 
 
 " All hands wash decks, ahoy !" the boatswain 
 bellowed ; whilst another midshipman soused 
 a basin of water in his face, and a third began 
 to scrub his face with a rough towel. " Sprinkle 
 and scrub, my lads," said Pipes, who held the 
 poor deviPs head as in a vice, whilst the first 
 youngster continued to pour some more water 
 over him, and the other one rubbed hard 
 enough to remove the skin. " There now," he 
 continued, " here you are, clean for muster ; 
 your eyes washed like a turtle's, and your lips 
 sweet enough for a lady to taste. Stir up, man, 
 you'll never get rid of that weekly account on 
 your collar. Nelson never spoke to you — and 
 Collingwood never took you by the hand. 
 There, say good-bye to Lieutenant Bowling 
 before you lose sight of him for ever ; — he'll be 
 a post-captain whilst you are lugging that fat 
 carcase of yours about the lower deck, seeing it 
 holy stoned." 
 
 The Creole was about to put to sea; and 
 
 Bowling wished to shew himself no loiterer in 
 
 his new situation. He shook his old messmates 
 
 by the hand, wished them equal good fortune 
 
 h 2
 
 148 TOM ROWLING. 
 
 with himself ; and was about to do the same to 
 Heavisides, who he found had again put his 
 face on the back of his hands, and, leaning on 
 the table, had gone fast asleep. 
 
 " Good-bye, Heavisides," he said ; " one 
 of these days we shall meet again, when I shall 
 have the captain's permission to sleep, and 
 you'll keep your eyes open in a squally middle 
 watch. Shake him by the ear, Pipes." 
 
 Pipes gave him a pull of the lug, which 
 would have lifted a sow from the ground. 
 
 " Take my blessing and my advice," continued 
 Bowling ; " keep awake whilst anything is to 
 be obtained, and go to sleep when all the work 
 is done." 
 
 " Mr. Heavisides," said a quarter-master, 
 6i the first lieutenant wants you on deck di- 
 rectly. You are to take Lieutenant Bowling's 
 chest and hammock on board the Creole." 
 
 " It's devilish hard I am always to do the 
 work when it's not my watch on deck," 
 grumbled the sleepy-headed fellow. 
 
 " That's all fair enough," said Bowling. 
 " You sleep on your own watch, so of course
 
 TOM BOWLING. 149 
 
 you must be kept awake afterwards. Come, 
 look sharp ! I want to be off; and I'm not going 
 like a marine drafted into a strange ship, and 
 sitting on his chest ; look sharp and be back 
 again, and then you shall take me." 
 
 " Soon on the stilts, you see," growled Heavi- 
 sides. i( Promotion makes us wonderfully proud ; 
 curse all such pride, say I." Thus he con- 
 tinued as he slowly went through the steerage 
 and mounted the companion. 
 
 " Bless you, Mr. Bowling," said Pipes ; 
 iC you and I have had some rough weather 
 together ; we started in life somewhat the same. 
 You have both forereached and weathered on J 
 me ; but I don't look with a jealous eye; you 
 deserve all you have got. But I do not think I 
 could ever bring myself to pipe the side for that 
 heavy-headed fellow, or for young Curlew, who 
 is to pass to-morrow, and who has got his com- 
 mission waiting for him at the admiral's office. 
 That fellow has never done any one thing but 
 steer the captain's boat, or pick flowers for the 
 admiral's daughters ; he hardly knows the stem 
 from the stern, and has no more notion of
 
 150 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 seamanship than a Newfoundland dog has of 
 making a silk veil." 
 
 The young gentleman here alluded to was the 
 Hon. William Curlew, the eldest son of Vis- 
 count Seagull. Seagull was an admiral ; and 
 his son was to rise as rapidly as the service 
 would permit. He was now only sixteen ; he 
 was to pass the following day ; and whatever 
 questions might be asked, there was little fear of 
 any examination as to the certificate of his age. 
 
 In those days passing went by favour; a 
 youngster of no birth and less pretensions stood 
 an awful chance of being sent back for six 
 months ; whilst such a hobble-de-hoy as Cur- 
 lew was quite sure of success, and of advance- 
 ment. The passing was to take place on board 
 the Creole ; and as the captain of that frigate 
 was the senior officer, and Curlew was the only 
 midshipman to be examined, the captain availed 
 himself of the event to do two services at once 
 — one in the way of a dinner-party, and the 
 other as the senior officer of the examination ; and 
 both events were to take place at the same time. 
 
 It was six o'clock when the captains and Cur-
 
 TOM BOWLING. 151 
 
 lew arrived on board the Creole. Curlew had 
 some apprehensions which nothing could en- 
 tirely eradicate; he knew his ignorance and 
 inexperience, and had been stuffed by Pipes in 
 the art of bending a top-sail; — the names even 
 of the ropes used on such an occasion, not being 
 in his vocabulary. As to navigation, he was in 
 that respect in the happiest state of ignorance ; 
 he might by some very great exertion have 
 mastered both the taking of the altitude and 
 the working of the latitude ; but as to the longi- 
 tude by chronometer, or by lunar observation, 
 these were quite out of his reach, and subjects 
 he had never studied or contemplated. 
 
 By some great oversight of the captain's, the 
 new lieutenant, Mr. Bowling, was invited ; for, 
 on these occasions, it would have been as well 
 if no ear overheard the examination. Bowling 
 was the rough son of the service. Curlew was 
 born in the lap of luxury ; the path of existence 
 was made smooth for him. Cakes and jams 
 had accompanied him to sea ; money was only 
 asked for, and had ; and promotion was the 
 natural consequence of great parliamentary in-
 
 152 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 fluence. His conversation was of lords ; his 
 dreams of ribbons and stars, earned without 
 danger or difficulty. Exactly opposite to him 
 at table sat Bowling ; his eye quick and in- 
 telligent; his ear attentive whenever anything 
 relative to the service was the subject, and 
 coldly indifferent, when the conversation turned 
 upon Lord Seagull and his mighty relatives. 
 
 The first part of the dinner, the soup and 
 fish, having been dispatched, and the meat and 
 poultry having replaced them, the servants were 
 sent out of the cabin, and the examination of 
 the Hon. William Curlew began. And this ex- 
 amination was in order to ascertain if the said 
 William Curlew was, in every respect, qualified 
 to take charge of one of his Majesty's ships, — 
 to navigate her through the pathless seas, — to 
 extricate her from difficulties and dangers, — 
 and to lead her into action against the foes of 
 his country, with such seamanship and ability 
 as would enable him to conduct himself and his 
 ship with credit to the service. 
 
 There is no examination which should be 
 more rigid ; the lives of hundreds are at the
 
 TOM BOWLING. 153 
 
 caprice of the captain ; to him every man looks 
 in the hour of danger ; and from his eagle eye 
 is courage imparted, when many might waver. 
 Sometimes " the impervious horrors of the lee- 
 ward shore" are only to be averted by the most 
 consummate seamanship ; and when, far away 
 from any land, disaster overtakes the ship — the 
 furious gale and angry sea raging to destroy 
 her — then is the talent of the seaman shewn 
 to the best advantage, and difficulties, appa- 
 rently insurmountable, easily overcome. 
 
 " Pay attention, Mr. Curlew, to the question 
 I am about to ask," said the senior captain ; 
 " and do not answer without due reflection." 
 Curlew turned as pale as ashes ; he was quite 
 certain that he could not have answered any 
 question of navigation, even if it were only to 
 navigate himself from the midshipman's berth 
 to the boatswain's store-room, for he never had 
 ventured into such holes as the fore cockpit. 
 " Now, Sir," continued the captain, with a very 
 grave and officer-like countenance, " have the 
 goodness to answer this question : — ' If a ham 
 is placed before you at a captain's table, who 
 h 3
 
 154 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 has not more money than he can spend, and it 
 is requisite to practice economy, how would you 
 carve it ?' " 
 
 " Ah !" ejaculated the second captain, who was 
 very much in that predicament, and who thought 
 he might pick up a little useful knowledge him- 
 self, " Ah !— let us hear, Mr. Curlew." 
 
 " I should," replied Curlew, with a little 
 assumption of knowledge — " I should cut the 
 ham right through the middle/' 
 
 " Quite wrong — quite wrong," interrupted 
 the second captain, laying a great stress upon 
 the repetition of the words. " If that plan were 
 pursued, the juice would escape from both sides, 
 the ham would dry up sooner, and would be- 
 come unpalatable, hard, and useless." 
 
 " I am rather inclined to differ in opinion 
 with you, Captain Skinner," said the junior 
 captain, who was a man of large fortune, and a 
 particular favourite of the admiral's. " I have 
 remarked that at the admiral's table the ham is 
 always cut in the manner described by Mr. 
 
 Curlew; and ,? 
 
 " It should be cut, Captain Freightall," in-
 
 TOM BOWLING. 155 
 
 terrupted Skinner, " close to the knuckle, in 
 such a manner as to occasion the smallest sur- 
 face. I assure you I have tried it merely ex- 
 perimentally, and I can assure you, my dear 
 FreightaU" — here he gave a very intimate 
 and confidential nod, — " on this subject you 
 may rely upon my experience." 
 
 " I must say, Sir," said Curlew, " that I am 
 indebted to you for your suggestion. Perhaps 
 I may be allowed to say, that I should cut it 
 from the knuckle for economy, but through the 
 middle as most savoury." 
 
 " Bravo !" called out the captain of the Creole, 
 " answered most properly. Take a glass of 
 wine, Curlew. Mr. Bowling, will you do me 
 the favour to join us?" 
 
 " Have you any questions to ask Curlew ?" 
 said the senior captain, addressing FreightaU. 
 
 " Yes," said the young captain ; " I should 
 like to know if it was blowing hard at south- 
 west how he would run in and anchor in Ply- 
 mouth Sound." 
 
 " Oh, my dear FreightaU, it would occupy 
 an hour to answer all the details of bending
 
 156 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 cables, striking masts, soundings, and so on. 
 Here, Curlew, rny boy; let us have some prac- 
 tical knowledge. Let me see you carve this 
 fowl without withdrawing your fork once ; and 
 mind how you do it, as you will have to eat the 
 legs devilled for breakfast to-morrow." 
 
 When the question relative to Plymouth 
 Sound was asked, Bowling, who had devoted 
 his attention to his plate, raised his head. It 
 was a question which involved local knowledge, 
 and required some seamanship properly to 
 answer ; but when his captain changed the 
 question, he saw at once that the passing was a 
 mere farce, and that " a smile would best be- 
 come him." 
 
 " Take a glass of Champagne with me," said 
 Skinner, " before you begin. Your health and 
 promotion. Do you sail to-morrow, Freightall?" 
 
 " Why, yes; I believe I do," said Freightall, 
 with some indifference. " There are some pri- 
 vateers lurking about Honduras, and I suppose 
 I shall, as usual, be made to cruise there; but 
 I shall lose the ball at Spanish Town, which is 
 hard upon me."
 
 TOM BOWLING. 157 
 
 In the meantime, Curlew was hacking the 
 fowl ; and the captain of the Creole was keep- 
 ing up a hurried conversation about Lord Sea- 
 gull, and in his influence soon procuring pro- 
 motion ; Captain Skinner had acted the part 
 of a listener, and the role of a gourmand ; no 
 one looked at the lacerated piece of poultry, 
 and the fork had been withdrawn a dozen 
 times. The servants were rung for, the clerk 
 was ordered to bring in the passing certificate ; 
 it was signed without any reluctance ; Mr. Cur- 
 lew was voted capable of taking charge of any 
 ship, and his promotion was sure to follow im- 
 mediately, as an admiralty vacancy would occur 
 in consequence of the invaliding of an officer, 
 who was good enough to make a vacancy rather 
 than run the chance of a court martial, which 
 might have made him minus his half-pay for 
 ever. 
 
 There were many who had served long and 
 meritoriously, who were anxiously watching the 
 event. Many were reported as first en the 
 admiralty list; some, indeed, had received
 
 158 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 letters from their friends, assuring them that the 
 first lord had actually promised, — and who 
 could doubt the veracity of a first lord ; others, 
 again, looked, as it were through a telescope 
 reversed, and saw the object of their greatest 
 hope diminished in size, and far off in the dis- 
 tance ; but all had a chance, for all were passed 
 who looked forward to the reward of the service. 
 Bowling, perhaps, was the only indifferent per- 
 son, as he had got his commission, and no one 
 could overtop him. He saw by his captain's 
 manner that Curlew had the best chance, and 
 began to think that he might be asked to 
 change ships in order to accommodate a man of 
 Curlew's influence. 
 
 The medical department and the invaliding 
 officers were in those times not overscrupulous. 
 Mr. Buzzard was brought before them. He 
 complained of all sorts of diseases ; and was 
 perfectly certain he should die if he remained. 
 He had a violent dyspepsia, the everlasting 
 complaint for invaliding. The medical man ex- 
 amined him, and was quite certain he was unfit
 
 TOM BOWLIXG. 159 
 
 for the service in these climates. The invalid- 
 ing papers were signed ; they were sent to re- 
 ceive the proper approval from the Admiral's 
 pen, and the next morning the Honorable Wil- 
 liam Curlew was appointed lieutenant in the 
 room of John Buzzard, invalided.
 
 160 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 IN WHICH MASTER CUPID IS BEGINNING TO SHARPEN 
 HIS ARROWS AND PREPARE HIS BOW. 
 
 Although Captain Colling wood and Cap- 
 tain Horatio Nelson had left the station, 
 they both had left Bowling under the special 
 protection of the admiral. He had likewise 
 made the acquaintance of his late Majesty 
 William the Fourth, and had received a pro- 
 mise from him of future support. Bowling was 
 amongst officers, as amongst seamen, an universal 
 favourite; and a circumstance soon occurred, 
 which shewed how British seamen followed an
 
 TOM BOWLING. 161 
 
 officer in whom they have the greatest confi- 
 dence. 
 
 No sooner was Bowling fairly installed in his 
 dignity as lieutenant of the Creole, had taken 
 leave of his hammock for ever, and had made 
 his bed in a cot, than his full heart seemed to 
 overflow with satisfaction. He sat down in his 
 cabin, and reflected on his past life, which 
 flitted before him as a shadow ; he thought how 
 she, if she valued his existence, would rejoice 
 in his advancement ; and felt proud in having 
 leaped barriers apparently insurmountable, and 
 by his own exertions, backed by the quick eye of 
 such men as Nelson and Collingwood, rose into 
 notice and esteem. He resolved to write to the 
 German doctor, and to his Susan, before the 
 Creole sailed; and he had not much time to lose. 
 
 The packet had hove in sight, and her signal 
 had been made as the sun went down. Buzzard 
 was invalided to a moment. Had the mail 
 arrived that night, which, luckily or not, the 
 dying away of the sea-breeze prevented, even 
 Curlew might have lost his promotion, as a 
 young lord was sent out in. her to fill the first
 
 162 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 vacancy. The Creole was allowed to wait the 
 anchorage of the packet to receive her letters ; 
 and Bowling had passed one night as a lieu- 
 tenant in all the glory of having charge of a 
 watch. He never winked during those four 
 hours; the time seemed too short for the 
 summing up of his happiness. He gave the 
 midshipman of his watch permission to turn in ; 
 and he preferred being left alone in his felicity 
 rather than be observed by another. 
 
 The sea-breeze came down late and strong ; 
 and the Creole having lost the opportunity of 
 going out of Port Royal with the land breeze, 
 was allowed to remain a day longer at anchor. 
 
 Ever since Bowling had embarked in the 
 collier he had not received a letter from any 
 one. He w r as fourteen when he first cut out 
 his own life ; he was now passed twenty ; and 
 often did he rebuke himself for the neglect of 
 the doctor, to whom he was much indebted ; 
 once only he had written to Susan, and once to 
 her mother, in both cases inclosing money, but 
 he had received no answer. This made him think 
 that he was neglected, or that his letter had mis-
 
 TOM BOWLING. 163 
 
 carried. He never thought of the money, his 
 mind was much too liberal for that; it had 
 started in the right course, and if wrecked it 
 was a matter of indifference to the possessor, 
 had Susan not had some influence over it. 
 
 The letters for his former ship arrived; she 
 was no more ; but the crew existed. On looking 
 over these eagerly sought and welcome sheets, 
 there was one for Mr. Thomas Bowling of his 
 majesty's ship the Pelican; and Mr. Heaviside 
 was sent with it to the Creole. The boat's crew 
 seemed to partake of the heaviness of the officer, 
 who was almost asleep under, the awning, and 
 who cared not how long they were in pulling 
 from ship to ship, as he was seated, his face 
 protected from the sun, and the sea-breeze blow- 
 ing delightfully strong. 
 
 u Come, jump up, Heavisides," said Bowling, 
 who saw the sleepy fellow loitering alongside, 
 " there is your pendants with the recall flying 
 from the guard-ship." Heaviside had never seen 
 that, but Bowling knew the signal well. " Come, 
 hand yourself up the side, you are as long getting 
 under weigh as a Spanish line-of-battle-ship."
 
 164 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 6i It's only a letter for you, Bowling." 
 " Only a letter for me ; if I had known what 
 it was, I would have swam for it ; hand it here ; 
 away with you back again, and see if you can't 
 keep your eyes open, and be more active in 
 future." 
 
 Bowling took the letter; he did not dare trust 
 himself to look at the direction lest he should be 
 tempted to break through all discipline and read 
 it on the quarter-deck. Two steps lodged him 
 on the main-deck ; two more and he was in his 
 cabin. It was a woman's hand ; and the first 
 word he saw was the pleasant of the whole — 
 Susan. Greedily his eyes devoured it, and thus 
 it ran : — 
 
 " There never was a letter written which was 
 more warmly welcomed than yours from Jamaica, 
 and never did a grateful heart more truly beat 
 than mine in its reception. I valued your re- 
 membrance of me more than the enclosure, 
 which I instantly forwarded to my mother, and 
 for which, with the two shillings, you are my 
 creditor. I will not deny to you that your letter
 
 TOM BOWLING. 165 
 
 awakened in me the warmest wish that we might 
 meet again; that with my own eyes I might 
 behold the lad I taught, grown into an officer 
 and a man. That day, I hope, is not far dis- 
 tant; and until it arrives, I shall live in the 
 hope of its consummation — then will I pour 
 forth my gratitude with more words than you 
 will hear with pleasure." — (' Dear little soul,' 
 said Bowling to himself, ' if she was to spin 
 a yarn as long as all my namesakes' placed 
 together, she never would tire me of listening/) 
 — " And then you shall be fully satisfied that I 
 have remembered you, although you were far 
 distant, and that the breeze has borne your name 
 upon its wings. You will be delighted to hear 
 that my mother continues in excellent health. 
 My situation as companion to Miss Rosa Tal- 
 bot has enabled me as yet to supply her wants ; 
 but this resource will soon, I fear, be cut off. 
 This young and beautiful girl will soon be 
 dead ; indeed, each day's dawn seems the last 
 she is destined to see. Still she clings to life, 
 and still sees her health restored, and visions of 
 earthly happiness within her reach. In this
 
 166 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 dreadful state, when the mind should only 
 dwell on its hereafter, we cannot wean her from 
 this life ; and even at this moment, attenuated 
 in form, a mere living skeleton, she has en- 
 gaged herself in marriage, and urges her mother 
 to the completion of the ceremony. I cannot 
 write more on this subject ; it pains me to think 
 how we are all wedded to this world and its 
 transitory enjoyments. May that God who 
 has sheltered you from the storm and shielded 
 you from the enemy, watch over, keep and pre- 
 serve you : there is no night in which this is 
 not repeated by me. Remember the instruc- 
 tions of your youth. Courage, boldness, enter- 
 prise, may merit promotion in this world ; be it 
 yours, by your conduct and virtue, to establish 
 a well-grounded hope of an eternity of reward. 
 Rest assured, that no earthly calamity can ob- 
 literate my remembrance of you, as no other per- 
 son can inspire the gratitude which it will ever be 
 my greatest pride to acknowledge. Therefore, 
 if the knowledge that my prayers are ever for 
 your welfare — your name ever on my lips — 
 and your memory ever in my heart— be accep-
 
 TOM BOWLING, 167 
 
 table to you, receive the assurance with the 
 acknowledgment that 
 
 r * I am, ever affectionately, yours, 
 
 "Susan." 
 u P.S. — If my wishes could be realized, I 
 should receive frequent letters from the West 
 Indies." 
 
 Bowling read the epistle twice — lovers always 
 do that, or say they do ; then he kissed it — that 
 seems requisite ; then he overhauled the seal — 
 it was a leaf — "I only change in death," the 
 motto. There was no mistake ! Bowling was 
 in love forthwith, and armed himself with des- 
 perate resolves the better to merit his former 
 preceptress. " D — it," said he (very impro- 
 perly, no doubt), " if I don't make myself a cap- 
 tain in a year, I'll swallow the fid of the main- 
 topmast. Something must turn up — the Creole 
 has ever been a lucky vessel — pirates and pri- 
 vateers are plentiful — the sooner we are at sea 
 the better — but before we go, hurrah for an 
 answer !" — 
 
 " My dear Miss Monckton," (one never loses
 
 168 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 by civility, thought Tom ; it's as cold as a 
 norther at Vera Cruz, but it's very respectful), 
 " I have this instant received your letter, without 
 any date or any departure, so that I am adrift 
 how to shape the course of my answer. I never 
 was so happy in all my life. All the prizes that 
 once carried the flag of an enemy, and were 
 hauled down by the British sailor, never gave 
 half the pleasure to the captors as your dear letter 
 did to me. You are the prize I seek ; although 
 it will somehow be reversed, for I have already 
 struck my colours to the fire of your eyes. Lord 
 love you for the seal ! Keep true to your motto, 
 as the trade wind to tropical climates; and when 
 you do die, if I live to step up the ladder, you 
 shall die like a dolphin — a gold colour! I'll 
 soon send your mother as many doubloons as 
 will buy the state carriage of the king, and pay 
 more taxes than the prime minister votes for in a 
 year ! I see your dear face in every cloud. I 
 hear your sweet voice in every breeze; and in 
 the midnight watch, your fancied presence keeps 
 me ever awake and lively. I shall write to you 
 again soon — I think I am speaking to you now.
 
 TOM BOWLING. 169 
 
 So believe me — ay, from stem to stern, from 
 the keel to the upper deck, in calm, in breeze, 
 and in storm — the vessel you may command 
 until the timbers rot, and the hull is dismantled. 
 
 11 Tom Bowling. 
 " N.B. — I see you put P.S. I'm made a lieu- 
 tenant, and am now Lieutenant Bowling, of his 
 Majesty's ship Creole, at your service. I was so 
 taken up with you in the first start of my letter, 
 that I never thought of myself. We are off on 
 a cruise directly, so pray excuse the scrawl. 
 My best love to your mother. Do tell the doc- 
 tor I'm alive, and can sing a good song, all about 
 you ; but I can't play an overture as he does 
 yet." 
 
 Now came the difficulty. Tom was resolved 
 to send a seal which should be a clincher, and say 
 more than he dared to write. He rummaged every 
 part of his property, but he could find nothing to 
 suit him. He found one old seal with a sun- 
 flower ; but Tom was not aware of the fabulous 
 properties ascribed to that gaudy plant, and he 
 could not twist the sun into anything applicable 
 
 VOL. I. I
 
 170 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 to present circumstances. Then he got hold 
 of another, which was, a violet peeping out 
 from under its natural covering, and meant 
 as emblematic of modesty, with a motto, " Fleur 
 sans ambition je me cache/' That was quite 
 enough for Tom ; he threw the seal overboard, 
 and was angry with himself for having kept 
 anything French about him. " I've got it !" 
 said he. "An anchor is the emblem of hope. I 
 should like to stamp the letter with the print of 
 t he best bower, but that's too large, and so is 
 the sheet-anchor. That would suit me best," 
 thought Tom, " but an anchor's the thing, and 
 a purser's anchor's the best. Here's two of them, 
 with a cable, that's meant for affection, twisted 
 round them, and with two anchors and cables 
 he's not likely to part." Pleased with the idea, 
 Tom borrowed the purser's coat, and with one 
 of the buttons stamped the seal of his letter. 
 " She'll understand it," said he. " Leave a girl 
 who's in love alone for making a sentiment out 
 of a bread-bag, and she'll turn it somehow or 
 other until she makes it answer her wishes. 
 And now only let me get athwart hawse of a
 
 TOM BOWLING. 171 
 
 Frenchman, and if I don't make such a figure 
 that my name shall remain in the despatch or 
 my carcass feed the sharks, my name is not Tom 
 Bowling — and to be sure I have some doubts of 
 that, so I withdraw it, and add — there are no 
 snakes in Virginia." 
 
 " The letter-bag is going to be closed directly, 
 Sir," said^a midshipman, who tapped at his door. 
 Bowling gave the letter a kiss, in the fond hope 
 that Susan might kiss the same place ; then hand- 
 ing his despatch to the midshipman, to be given 
 to the Captain's clerk, he went on deck to hear 
 the news. 
 
 Scarcely had he got on deck before he saw the 
 Honourable Charles Curlew coming along- 
 side, in a lieutenant's uniform, steering the Cap- 
 tain's gig, which he managed so admirably that 
 she shot right under the fore channels with her 
 bow under the anchor. When with a stern 
 boat-hook the gig was hauled aft to the gang- 
 way, and Mr. Curlew stepped on board, it was 
 evident his lofty blood was not circulated in 
 plebeian veins. His memory was very dull, and 
 he did not recognise the man with whom he had 
 i 2
 
 172 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 dined the day before. He begged to see the 
 Captain, and was forthwith ushered into his 
 cabin. Bowling looked at him with all the 
 honest indignation of a real British seaman. 
 " I can fathom his heart," he said to himself. 
 " He thinks he will pass me in the service ; and 
 whilst I am drudging out life as a first-lieu- 
 tenant, he will be lolling on the sofa in the Cap- 
 tain's cabin, giving his orders to exercise the 
 men whilst he is slumbering in inactivity. But 
 if he passes me, and I have an opportunity of 
 distinguishing myself, I am mistaken." As 
 Bowling was pondering these things in his mind, 
 and looking at that low, miserable place, Port 
 Royal, the sentinel from the cabin-door informed 
 him that the Captain wished to speak to him. 
 Bowling comprehended at once the case, and 
 made up his mind before he went down the 
 companion. 
 
 " Sit down, Mr. Bowling," said the Captain. 
 Mr. Curlew managed to bend one joint in his 
 aristocratic neck, in return for the acknowledg- 
 ment the open-hearted Bowling made of recog- 
 nition.
 
 TOM BOWLING. 173 
 
 " The fact, Mr. Bowling, is this," said his 
 Captain, " and the shorter we cut these matters 
 the better. The Admiral wishes Mr. Curlew to 
 join my ship ; Mr. Curlew wishes it himself; I 
 wish it, so of course you have no objection." 
 
 The Creole was a frigate; the vessel into 
 which Bowling was to exchange was a gun-brig. 
 Curlew knew that his next step was sure, and 
 that he was very ill calculated to command a 
 vessel. Besides which, gun-brigs are proverbially 
 dangerous, are employed, generally speaking, in 
 minor affairs, carry letters, bring despatches, run 
 to St. Jago de Cuba for wine, or are bundled 
 down to the Havannah for cigars. Then in the 
 navy a gun-brig is thought a very inferior affair, 
 both as to size and respectability, whilst a frigate 
 is the principal object of every seaman's heart. 
 Even the Captain feels himself shelved when 
 exchanged into a line-of-battle ship, as his hope 
 of prize-money (although there are many in- 
 stances to the contrary) dwindles into despair. 
 Bowling knew well how dangerous it was in 
 those times for a young man without interest to 
 combat the wishes of his Captain ; and feeling
 
 174 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 that it was better in this instance to make a 
 virtue of necessity, he at once said, " I have no 
 objection to make, Sir. I should have been 
 proud to have served under you, and to have 
 merited your praise, as I have already merited 
 and obtained that of Captain Nelson and Cap- 
 tain Collingwood ; but since the Admiral wishes 
 it, and you request it " 
 
 " Stop, Mr. Bowling ; I do not request ; I 
 wish it." 
 
 " The terms in my mind, Sir," said Bowling, 
 with a little quickness, " are the same, and I 
 assent to it." 
 
 " I will arrange the affair in a moment, Mr. 
 Bowling," said Curlew. " I believe the gig is 
 alongside; the order will be on board in less 
 than a quarter of an hour ; it is, I believe, 
 already signed ; and by sunset, Sir, I hope to 
 have joined " 
 
 "You had better dine here, Curlew." 
 
 (t Thank you, Sir, I am engaged to dine with 
 
 the Admiral. Good morning, Mr. Bowling." 
 
 Mr. Curlew jumped down the side, and Bowling 
 
 as quickly descended to his cabin. It required
 
 TOM BOWLING. 175 
 
 very little time to prepare himself for the change, 
 and he felt some pride in having a command, 
 however insignificant it might appear. " Give 
 me only a chance," he said to himself, " one hour 
 of the flood-tide of opportunity, and I'll cut out 
 my own path in the service, or I will make Jack 
 Shark a present of my carcass."
 
 176 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 IN WHICH OUR HERO BECOMES A REAL HERO, AND IS 
 NOT TO BE CONFOUNDED WITH HERO AND LEANDER. 
 
 " That's the way of the world," said Bow- 
 ling, " the crowd are elbowed to make way for 
 peers ; and thousands are sacrificed that one 
 may be great. I have lost by the exchange, 
 for a young lieutenant is better placed under 
 the protection of a powerful Captain than under 
 chance and his own exertions ; but here am I, 
 Captain of his majesty's sloop, Zebra, — Captain 
 to all intents and purposes ; and now is my time 
 to do my utmost."
 
 TOM BOWLING. i77 
 
 The following morning the Creole and the 
 Zebra weighed at daylight, and went out of 
 Port Royal with the land breeze. Bowling 
 surveyed through his glass the well-set sails of 
 the frigate, the neatness of her rigging, and her 
 clean man-of-war-like appearance. The Zebra was 
 very dingy outside, and very much in want of paint 
 inside. The crew had been accustomed to the 
 free-and-easy system ; and in those days a ten- 
 gun brig, commanded by a lieutenant, was no- 
 thing more or less than a kind of tender to the 
 admiral's ship. But Bowling had served under 
 one of the most careful men in the navy ; and 
 in after years, husbanding the stores of the 
 ship, became the object of Captain Colling- 
 wood's greatest attention. There is an anec- 
 dote told of that captain, that during the 
 hottest of the fire at the battle of St. Vin- 
 cent, Collingwood, who commanded the Ex- 
 cellent, observed the new fore-topsail, which he 
 had bent only the day before the action, almost 
 cut to pieces by the shot. 
 
 " Dear me," he said to the boatswain, " how 
 very annoying ! They will quite spoil that sail, 
 i3
 
 178 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 I declare ; we ought to have bent an old one 
 before we began to engage." Serving under a 
 man like that makes an officer. The Zebra was 
 ordered off to Barbadoes with despatches ; and 
 directly the sea breeze came down, she made 
 the best of her way to her destination. The 
 Creole parted company, and ran down to the 
 westward. Every hour of every day was turned 
 to advantage by Bowling. Before he had got 
 a hundred miles from Jamaica, no one would 
 have recognised the Zebra. An active captain 
 makes a vigilant crew. At last, having toiled 
 up against the trade-winds, the Zebra, on the 
 5th of February, 1794, made the island of 
 Martinique at daylight, in the morning. Bow- 
 ling was first awakened to all the consciousness 
 of his responsibility when he was informed that 
 there were several strange sail in sight, all of 
 which appeared to be men-of-war. He was in- 
 stantly on deck. The fleet were not distant 
 more than six miles, and were soon made out to 
 consist of a three-decker, four line-of-battle- 
 ships, eight frigates, and six vessels of a smaller 
 class.
 
 TOM BOWLING. 179 
 
 The Zebra sailed as well as those naval 
 coffins, ten-gun brigs, can be expected to sail. 
 The breeze was light, and that was an advan- 
 tage. Day had scarcely dawned before one of 
 the frigates had her skysails set, and was stand- 
 ing towards the Zebra in chase. 
 
 "These cannot be Frenchmen," said Bo wling 
 to one of his midshipmen, — he had but two, — 
 one about forty, and the other about twenty-five 
 years of age. " They look much too smart 
 aloft ; their masts do not rake enough, and the 
 sails are too well set. Well, at any rate, the 
 frigate has paid us the same compliment, for 
 there is the signal to shew our number." 
 
 The Zebra answered the signal, when the 
 recal flag was hoisted, and she joined the fleet 
 under the command of Sir John Jervis, who, 
 with his ships, having on board about seven thou- 
 sand troops under the command of Sir Charles 
 Grey, was intent on the reduction of Martinique. 
 
 As small vessels were of the greatest service, 
 and the despatches of very little consequence, 
 the Zebra was kept under the admiral's orders.
 
 180 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 There were only two French vessels of war in 
 the ports of the island. The Bienvenue, a 
 frigate of thirty-two guns, was at Fort Royal, 
 and an eighteen-gun corvette was at St. Pierre. 
 For the purpose of dividing the force of the 
 enemy, the British troops landed at three dif- 
 ferent points considerably distant from each 
 other. The plan had been ably drawn out, and 
 British officers of high spirit and undaunted 
 courage led on the divisions. They bore down 
 all opposition ; victory after victory was the 
 result of high discipline and able tacticians ; 
 and by the sixteenth of the month, the whole 
 island, with the exception of the Forts Royal 
 and Bourbon, surrendered to the English. In 
 this affair, so hastily dismissed, the seamen were 
 not unemployed. They were landed in great 
 numbers, and dragged cannon and mortars up 
 heights considered inaccessible, and which 
 seemed to defy all exertions. Neither were 
 they tame spectators of the storming the very 
 important post of Monte Catharine. To those 
 hardy sons of the ocean nothing seemed imprac-
 
 TOM BOWLING. 181 
 
 ticable : they cut roads through thick woods, 
 they made passages across rivers, they filled up 
 the shallow parts with stones, and covered them 
 with branches of trees ; they levelled banks by 
 removing vast fragments of rocks, and with 
 undaunted spirit succeeded in placing howitzers 
 and mortars on the summit of a hill so steep 
 that a loaded mule could not walk up in a 
 direct ascent. 
 
 The French troops and seamen beheld with 
 wonder and astonishment the completion of a 
 work never contemplated by them. They saw 
 the commanding heights bristling with cannon, 
 and perceived the destructive shell, fired with 
 unerring precision, bursting over their heads. 
 It was at this moment, when the first discovery 
 almost paralyzed the exertions of the enemy, that 
 Bowling,* with the boats of the squadron, made 
 a dash at the frigate ; he pushed bravely into the 
 Carenage. It was noonday, and no conceal- 
 ment could be resorted to. The enemy lay 
 
 * The name of the gallant officer who commanded the 
 boats on this occasion, was, Lieutenant Richard Bowen, of 
 the Boyne, the admiral's ship.
 
 182 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 chain-moored within fifty yards of the shore ; 
 the walls of Fort Louis were covered with 
 troops ; the officers cheered on their men, and 
 pointed to the coming boats as bringing only a 
 cargo of carcasses to rot in the water. The 
 broadside of the frigate was opened ; the grape, 
 canister, and langrage whistled over the heads 
 of the brave fellows, who, undismayed at the 
 shower which fell around, pushed fearlessly and 
 gallantly forward. Every soldier on the walls 
 was urged to deliberation and coolness ; the 
 men on board the frigate fired with steadiness 
 and dexterity ; the boarding pikes seemed to grow 
 from her sides ; the soldiers appeared animated 
 with more than national vanity to defend the 
 ship ; and the roar of the guns and the cheers 
 of the men resounded to the hills. Steadily and 
 undauntedly, without wavering from their course, 
 the gallant seamen, in the face of this fire, ap- 
 proached the frigate. Bowling's voice was heard 
 cheering them onwards to the undertaking. If 
 courage had been wanting, his bold front and 
 daring manner would have inspired the most 
 t imid. He waved his hat ; he gave the cheers ;
 
 TOM BOWLING. 183 
 
 he was first of the foremost ; and as he coolly 
 remarked, that at their approach the fire of the 
 frigate became less and less destructive, he 
 called out, " Now, now, my lads — success to 
 the first on board !" 
 
 There was no lack of strength in the different 
 boats ; each seaman, catching the enthusiasm 
 of his officer, bent his back to the oar as he 
 answered the cheer. The sea seemed alive from 
 their exertions ; and in spite of all the fire of 
 the Fort, the blazing of the frigate, and the 
 tumultuous voices which seemed to come from 
 thousands of the enemy, the boats dashed 
 alongside. The wonder-stricken enemy crouched 
 when they saw what danger had been over- 
 come; a panic reigned where confidence had 
 previously existed ; and after a resistance, 
 which was only the dying embers of former 
 courage, the frigate was boarded and car- 
 ried. 
 
 The crew availed themselves of their vicinity 
 to the shore to escape by swimming; and 
 Bowling, finding the fire of the Fort too warm 
 for security,— the frigate not having her sails
 
 184 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 bent, and it being impossible to send men aloft, 
 exposed to the tremendous fire of musketry, — 
 placed his men in the boats, and taking his 
 prisoners with him, returned to the ships. His 
 success was the signal for another attack upon 
 the town of Fort Royal. A number of scaling 
 ladders, made of long bamboos, tied together by 
 stout lines, were soon ready. The Asia, a sixty- 
 four, and the Zebra,* were ordered to be in 
 readiness to enter the Carenage for the purpose 
 of battering the lower and exposed parts of Fort 
 Louis, and to cover the boats intended to land a 
 vast number of men to aid in the assault, whilst 
 a detachment of the army, advancing with field 
 pieces, would draw or divide the attention of the 
 assailed. 
 
 The 20th was the day fixed for the attack, 
 and the Asia and Zebra weighed to perform 
 their allotted duty. The Asia had a Monsieur 
 de Tourelles, the former lieutenant of the port, 
 acting in the voluntary situation of pilot; but 
 no sooner did she approach the Carenage, than 
 
 * Captain Faulkner commanded the Zebra, Bowling 
 being merely the personification of these gallant officers.
 
 TOM BOWLING. 185 
 
 the pilot wavered ; he refused openly to take 
 charge of the ship, giving as his reason that he 
 was insufficiently informed of the situations of 
 the shoals; but much more probably he re- 
 linquished his charge from the real dread of 
 what he might reasonably expect from his 
 perfidy, had the assault failed, and one of the 
 many chances of war thrown him into the 
 hands of his old companion and governor of the 
 French forces, General Rochambeau. 
 
 Bowling, who followed as close as prudence 
 could dictate in the wake of the Asia, per- 
 ceiving her baffled in her attempts, disregarded 
 the danger of the shoals, and, without waiting 
 for orders, stood in unprotected into the anchor- 
 age. Then was the moment seized by the 
 French to devote the sloop to destruction ; and 
 every gun which could be brought to bear, 
 poured forth its contents at the Zebra ; they 
 had no other mark for a target. The Asia was 
 too large a ship to venture without a pilot ; but 
 the Zebra, with a careful leadsman, cleared 
 the tails of the shoals ; and Bowling, taking an 
 exposed position, and apparently ignorant of
 
 186 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 any danger, piloted the sloop in. In vain the 
 enemy continued to pour at him their masses of 
 round and grape ; Fortune, they say, favours 
 the brave ; the sails still performed their duty, 
 though perforated with balls ; the Zebra dashed 
 singly on ; and Bowling, in spite of all oppo- 
 sition, run the vessel close to the walls of the 
 fort. # Captain Bowlingf now leapt overboard at 
 the head of his sloop's company, and assailed and 
 took this important post before the boatscould get 
 on shore, although rowed with all the force and 
 animation which characterize English seamen 
 in the face of an enemy. 
 
 It is now many years since this daring, this 
 chivalrous success was achieved ; and many, 
 many of the brave fellows who assisted our 
 gallant hero in his unexampled exploit, are 
 gathered to their fathers. The long peace, 
 which has nearly obliterated the remembrance 
 of the many gallant services of the navy, has 
 seen most of the officers employed in the expe- 
 dition against Martinique in their graves. Day 
 
 * James's Naval History. 
 t Sir John Jervis's Dispatch.
 
 TOM BOWLING. 187 
 
 after day blots out from the list of life men who. 
 have fought and bled for their country, and who 
 are forgotten by the rising generation. The 
 navy — England's hope and firmest stay, rots 
 gradually in the Medway and the Plym ; her 
 hardy veterans linger out the last remains of 
 life in Greenwich, or a poor-house ; the works 
 of the historian become vapid and uninterest- 
 ing ; and naval novels are made the vehicles of 
 knowledge, and are the last embers of history 
 raked together to keep the navy before the eyes 
 of the pifblic : thus is Tom Bowling's career 
 made to embody the services of many of the 
 greatest men our navy has produced. 
 
 Sir John Jervis was always known as a man 
 who duly estimated the services of an officer — 
 he could not but see the great gallantry of the 
 action ; but he was not slow to perceive its rash- 
 ness. It is said, " success justifies the means ;" 
 but if the success of one act of temerity induces 
 others to seek equally perilous undertakings, 
 the list of killed and wounded would be fear- 
 fully increased, and every man whose promo- 
 tion was slow would attempt a desperate act,
 
 188 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 and in all probability fail, to the great preju- 
 dice of the service. Bowling's success had the 
 greatest effect upon the French general ; and, at 
 his request, commissioners were appointed to 
 discuss the terms of surrender, which shortly 
 afterwards took place. 
 
 Bowling felt himself a rising and a lucky man. 
 The desperate service he had accomplished he 
 knew would be passed from mouth to mouth, 
 and that for the future his name would be 
 known. It was eight o'clock on the morning 
 of the twenty-second that Bowling sat at 
 breakfast with his senior midshipman. The 
 island had afforded a few nautical luxuries ; 
 and soft bread, fruit, and other delicacies, in a 
 ten-gun brig, covered the table. 
 
 " I think, Sir, it is strange that the Admiral 
 has not ordered us to proceed to Barbadoes," 
 remarked the mid ; he was old enough to 
 hazard a thought, even in the presence of his 
 commander. 
 
 " I expect the order every minute ; the fleet 
 will sail to-morrow, or next day ; everything is 
 arranged, and the island ours ; and of all
 
 TOM BOWLING. 189 
 
 the islands which dot these seas, there is none 
 so lovely, none so useful, as Martinique. If 
 I were prime minister England should never 
 part with it again." 
 
 " When the peace comes, Sir, it will be given 
 back, and then we shall have to take it again 
 next war. For my part, if I were not profes- 
 sional, I should wonder what could be the use 
 of war. We make war, man fleets, collect ar- 
 mies, fight like devils — cut every man's throat 
 because he is of a different nation — take islands, 
 forts, ano\ settlements — sacrifice the lives of mil- 
 lions, and then comes negotiations for peace; 
 and every place we have taken is given back 
 again. It appears odd, that men with heads on 
 their shoulders should consent to have them 
 lopped off at this game of war, merely that the 
 caprice of an emperor, or the folly of a king, 
 should be gratified. I don't know how many 
 wars I have not seen, or how many times I have 
 been shot at, and poked at; and here I am, at 
 forty -five, * a young gentleman',* with a weekly 
 account on the collar of my coat." 
 
 * Midshipmen, although as old as the hills, with their
 
 190 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 " I'm all for war," said Bowling. " I hate 
 a Frenchman — that frog-eating, monkey-look- 
 ing people, are my detestation. Damn it ! — I 
 would make war for the value of a looking- 
 glass, and " 
 
 "The Admiral has the signal up, Sir, for 
 you," interrupted the other young gentleman. 
 
 " The devil he . has ?" was the reply. 
 " Steward, my coat, cocked hat, and sword. 
 Man the boat — look sharp ; — never mind me ; 
 finish your breakfast." And in a moment, 
 Bowling was on deck, down the side, and on 
 board the Boyne. He was met at the gangway 
 by a lieutenant, who conducted him to Captain 
 Grey, and Captain Grey announced him to the 
 Admiral. 
 
 " Sit down, Mr. Bowling," began Sir John 
 Jervis ; " I have been so occupied that I have 
 not had time to express my high opinion of the 
 service you have performed- You are but of a 
 few months' standing as a lieutenant ; but I 
 shall take care to insure your promotion. Bear 
 
 heads as snow-covered as the Andes, are called " Young 
 gentlemen !''
 
 TOM BOWLING. 191 
 
 well in mind, however, that your temerity 
 might have sacrificed many a man, and that 
 your success is as much a miracle as your pre- 
 servation. Here is your appointment as acting 
 commander of the Echo. You will sail directly 
 under sealed orders. You may consider your- 
 self as confirmed in your rank ; and with this I 
 give you the assurance that I shall never lose 
 sight of you. Good morning, Captain Bowling."
 
 192 TOM BOWLING, 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 THE BRAVE ASCEND THE LADDER OF ASSAULT, AND 
 EACH STEP LEADS TO PROMOTION. 
 
 Bowling flew up the hatchway. Captain 
 Grey congratulated him warmly. He was down 
 the side ; and a very few minutes saw him on 
 board the Zebra. The young gentleman, who 
 was quite sure his commander had been sent 
 for to receive his sailing orders, had got the 
 messenger passed, and all ready for weighing. 
 At the sight of the midshipman Bowling sud- 
 denly felt that he had been remiss in his duty — 
 that the intoxication of pleasure at the an-
 
 TOM BOWLIXG. 193 
 
 nouncement of his promotion had made him 
 guilty of a certain remissness, if not injustice. 
 He immediately returned to the flag ship, and 
 requested to see the admiral. 
 
 Sir John was much occupied, but desired 
 Captain Bowling might be sent to him. Bow- 
 ling was no hand at a speech ; and as he began 
 to stammer something about gratitude, Sir John 
 cut him unceremoniously short. 
 
 " If, Captain Bowling, you have returned 
 here to make a speech about gratitude, you 
 might have saved yourself the trouble. I have 
 promoted you because you have done a desperate 
 service, which has been crowned with success. 
 You may rely upon this, that had you not 
 merited, I should not have promoted you." 
 
 Bowling, when the admiral came to his full 
 stop, mustered up a little courage. He would 
 much sooner have faced a battery than have 
 spoken to the admiral ; but he felt he had a 
 duty to perform, and thus he commenced his 
 task. 
 
 " I have returned, Sir John, to ask your 
 pardon for having, to a certain extent, omitted 
 
 VOL. I. K
 
 194 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 to do a duty to others. I was so overjoyed at 
 your notice of my conduct, that I forgot on 
 that occasion I was not alone. The senior 
 midshipman of the Zebra, who is forty-five 
 years of age, (here Sir John started,) swam by 
 my side, his cutlass in his mouth, and was the 
 first on the rampart. I feel satisfied you will 
 pardon me this intrusion, since it was my duty, 
 as well as my greatest desire, to bring this long- 
 neglected and deserving officer to your notice." 
 " I should have thought as badly of you, 
 Captain Bowling, as before I thought highly, 
 had you omitted this most essential branch of 
 your duty; at the same time I beg to inform 
 you, that when great services are performed, 
 my eye is on every one. I inquired at the time 
 who assisted you ; and as I can see that you 
 will be gratified in doing a kind act, take this 
 commission. You will see it is already signed ; 
 and in your assistant in that gallant affair you 
 will find your successor to the command of the 
 Zebra. You have no time to lose; you will 
 sail at daylight to-morrow, in company with the 
 Zebra, for a few miles, and as you have much
 
 TOM BOWLING. 195 
 
 to do, I shall not perhaps see you again." Sir 
 John Jervis gave his hand, and as he warmly 
 pressed it, said, " I shall not forget or lose sight 
 of you." 
 
 With a light heart and cheerful countenance 
 Bowling returned to the Zebra. 
 
 tC Are we to weigh, Sir?" said the midship- 
 man. 
 
 " No, Sir," said Bowling, rather sharply ; 
 " turn the hands up, and send everybody aft ; 
 we must set the business to rights directly." 
 
 And here he turned round, leaving his gallant 
 successor in considerable uneasiness, as he ima- 
 gined something had been done amiss for 
 which he should incur some displeasure. 
 
 " The men are all aft, Sir," said the young 
 gentleman. 
 
 " My men," said Bowling ; " I am sorry to 
 tell you that I am about to leave you ; for a 
 more gallant set of fellows never stepped a deck. 
 And if I were to lead a party to storm the gates 
 of Paris, I should like to have the volunteers 
 from this craft. We have not been together 
 two months, and in that time I have seen as 
 k 2
 
 196 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 much of you as if we had served together for 
 years. The admiral has removed me from this 
 vessel, and I must change my ship to-night. 
 As you have acted since I have been on board, 
 so let me advise you to continue under my suc- 
 cessor. He is a brave and gallant officer, and 
 will never disgrace the crew of the Zebra. You 
 will pay attention to this paper I am about to 
 read, as I have no doubt it will give you all 
 satisfaction to hear." 
 
 Bowling then stood upon a carronade slide, 
 and read out the young gentleman's commission, 
 making him a lieutenant, and appointing him 
 to the Zebra; but as no name is mentioned on 
 such a document, the ship's company and the 
 gentleman himself were kept in the dark until 
 the very end, when Bowling concluded thus: — 
 " Signed, John Jervis, vice-admiral. To Mr. 
 Robert Watson, midshipman of the Zebra, 
 hereby promoted to the rank of lieutenant, and 
 appointed to the command of his majesty's 
 sloop, the Zebra; vice Bowling, promoted to 
 the command of the Echo." 
 
 Never were three lustier cheers heard than
 
 TOM BOWLING. 197 
 
 followed the announcement. The tears came 
 into old Watson's eyes, and Bowling gave 
 an audible sniffle; and it was on this occasion 
 that Captain Bowling ventured upon a glass of 
 grog to the success of his shipmate, who had so 
 gallantly seconded him. As Bowling was now 
 to wear an epaulette on the left shoulder, and 
 was for the future to discontinue the blue coat 
 edged with white, he made Lieutenant Watson 
 a present of his garment. Watson was deter- 
 mined not to run the risk of bad luck by any 
 deviation from old rules and customs. He 
 ordered the pendant to be hauled down, and, 
 coming on deck in his new uniform, desired it 
 to be hoisted again as his pendant. Captain 
 Bowling asked permission to give Watson a 
 luncheon in the cabin of the latter, he being 
 no longer the commander; and although it was 
 only noon, and the sun scorching hot, a slight 
 jollification took place. Bowling sent on shore 
 for a small cask of vin ordinaire, which would, 
 when shared out to the crew, give them some 
 satisfaction, and in all probability act as a pre- 
 servation against fever. There was nothing
 
 198 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 likely to be done which could cause annoyance. 
 Everything looked prosperous. One or two of 
 the petty officers who had been foremost in the 
 attack were made gunners and boatswains ; and 
 the only dejected countenance on board, and he 
 was much too generous to damp the general enthu- 
 siasm, was that of the other midshipman, who, 
 with heart as noble and courage as high, had 
 been debarred the chance of promotion by being 
 left in charge of the sloop when the rest swam 
 on shore. However, he had got a step, for he 
 was now chief mate. 
 
 " Now," says Watson, " all the drudgery of 
 life is over. I have carried the pedlar's pack 
 of a midshipman's life for twenty-five years, 
 and I have been passed fifteen years. I always 
 thought that every man who came into the 
 Zebra would try to get rid of me, and leave me 
 to starve on shore; for a midshipman's half-pay 
 is not easily reckoned. Now I'll get married. 
 I'll try to pick up a little prize money to fit out 
 my bride, and then I cast anchor on shore never 
 again to get under weigh." 
 
 " Well said, Watson," replied Bowling ; " I
 
 TOM BOWLING. 199 
 
 think there is not a man in the service who 
 would begrudge us a slight jollification upon 
 our advancements. We'll have our dinner to- 
 gether at six o'clock ; I'll pay the piper. But 
 I must go and take command of the Echo, and 
 then shift my traps ; after that, and all the work 
 done,— for there may be lots to do yet,— I'll 
 return here, and we'll spend the evening like 
 men who have reason to rejoice, and like officers, 
 who should set an example." 
 
 Captain Bowling was received on board the 
 Echo with three cheers. His gallant conduct 
 had long since been heralded through the fleet. 
 His predecessor had died of the fever ; and this 
 comfortable shipmate had made himself very 
 familiar with some more of the crew. Bowling 
 saw at a glance that great care and good dis- 
 cipline were requisite. Before the Echo sailed, 
 the water had to be completed, provisions were 
 required, and the rigging must be set up. He 
 became the captain directly he read his com- 
 mission; and the officers saw in the gallant 
 fellow who had swam on shore and scaled a 
 fortress, a careful and an active seaman.
 
 200 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 He was to sail with sealed orders, to be 
 opened on the Equator, in the longitude of 
 fifty ; and one of the line-of-battle ships was 
 ordered to supply his ship with provisions. 
 Bowling felt that the oftener he changed his 
 vessel the less remembrance there was of his for- 
 mer life. And in the Echo, just from England, 
 not a soul had the slightest idea of his having 
 served before the mast. This kind of news flies 
 rapidly, and Bowling, to avoid its being spread 
 from the Zebra, particularly desired that none 
 of the men should be allowed to come on board, 
 assigning for a reason his fear of the contagion 
 of the yellow fever. 
 
 He visited his cabin ; the difference was strik- 
 ing. Instead of having passed from old lieu- 
 tenant to old lieutenant, each endeavouring to 
 save a dollar, the cabin of the Echo had been 
 fitted out by a young nobleman. There were 
 provisions and wines of the choicest selection, 
 with a respectable servant. A strict account 
 had been taken of all these things. Bowling 
 at once took everything that was left, and 
 found himself just as comfortably situated as
 
 TOM BOWLING. 201 
 
 the captain of the Creole, who had so very un- 
 expectedly caused his promotion. It was at 
 this thought that a flush of pride passed over 
 his face. 
 
 " Another chance," said he, " and the Ho- 
 nourable Charles Curlew will be my junior officer, 
 in spite of his high-flown birth, his ministerial 
 interest, his carving fowls, and his judgment of 
 wine. Once posted, then hurrah for Susan. 
 But I will deserve her yet. I feel myself well 
 in the saddle. Neither Nelson nor Collingwood 
 will forget me ; and Jervis has promised not to 
 lose sight of me." Then he suddenly com- 
 menced — " Oh, Susan, Susan, lovely dear," — 
 one of the finest songs that ever was penned by 
 a poet. " I must write to her," he added, as 
 he placed his writing materials before him. 
 
 rt Why I dare do it, I hardly know," he 
 began ; " but I do it even at the risk of your 
 displeasure. I call you, dearest Susan; — ah! 
 how often, how very often does the name mur- 
 mur from my lips. This letter conveys to you 
 news which I know will be acceptable. I am 
 a captain. The poor boy, taken from the grave- 
 k3
 
 202 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 side of his reputed father by your honoured 
 parent, fed, housed, educated, cleansed in mind 
 and body, has risen to be a captain in the navy. 
 Now, Susan, the winds may howl, the seas run 
 mountains high, thousands of miles may sepa- 
 rate us, but nothing but death shall stop my 
 gratitude, and even then I will shew you, in my 
 last hour, that of all the world you were the 
 only woman I adored. My heart's too full 
 to write ; but my vanity makes me wish that 
 you could see me with an epaulette on my 
 shoulder, walking, with a full impression of the 
 importance of my command, on the deck of the 
 Echo. I dare say my old valued friend, the 
 German doctor, will rejoice at my advancement, 
 and I shall write to him shortly. I sail to- 
 morrow ; but where I cannot tell. Be assured, 
 however, I will not lose an opportunity of pray- 
 ing you never to forget your faithful sailor, and 
 of giving you every tidings of my prospects, my 
 hopes, and my destination. God bless you, 
 Susan ! God bless you."
 
 TOM BOWLING. 203 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 IN WHICH IS SHEWN HOW DIFFICULT A TASK IT IS TO PER- 
 SUADE A PERSON TO DIE WITHOUT BEING MARRIED. 
 
 " Did I ever, dearest Rosa, thwart you in one 
 of your wishes, when those wishes were tem- 
 pered by prudence and discretion? And now, 
 what do I ask of you but that which your own 
 good sense must approve ? I would not shock 
 you by an appeal to your long sufferings ; but 
 let me entreat you to relinquish all thoughts 
 of marriage, and turn your attention to that 
 awful moment which, sooner or later, we must 
 all meet."
 
 204 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 " Why, my dearest mother, for ever talk of 
 death ? I know we cannot escape it ; but why 
 should I be pointed out as if death was in the 
 chamber?" A fearful shudder passed over Su- 
 san, who was sitting at the foot of the sofa, 
 whilst the mother sat by the side of the invalid, 
 holding her hand. " I feel no pain ; I cough 
 but a little ; and if when I endeavour to rise I 
 feel giddy, it is only from my long sickness now 
 leaving me. By December I shall be well ; and 
 Susan and myself will ride in the fresh air, and 
 our cheeks will then look as ruddy as the rose." 
 
 " Will nothing, my dear child, wean you from 
 the thoughts of this world ? Must I shew you 
 this arm, now so thin that the pulsation of the 
 artery can be seen? Must I, in performance of 
 the duty I owe to my God, — to you, — to myself, 
 hold up the mirror before those bright eyes, and 
 shew you the sunken cheek and the hectic flush 
 of consumption?" 
 
 "Of what! my dear mother?" said the 
 affrighted girl. " Of consumption ? Oh, it 
 cannot be. Where are the symptoms which 
 mark that dreadful complaint ? Not an hour
 
 TOM BOWLING. 205 
 
 since, Augustus rallied me on the beauty of my 
 complexion, and my certain return to health and 
 strength. Where are the symptoms, Susan? 
 You know I eat with the appetite of health." 
 
 "Alas! my child," said Mrs. Talbot, whose 
 firmness of mind never deserted her, " alas ! in 
 the very questions you have put may your 
 answers be found. It is useless now to attempt 
 to ward off the danger. The worst is told. Let 
 me turn your heart to other objects than marriage. 
 You would at this last moment repay back all my 
 acknowledged kindness and attention by allowing 
 us to lift your mind to a more exalted kingdom 
 than this world can give." 
 
 The solemn manner in which Mrs. Talbot 
 expressed herself had a wonderful effect upon 
 Rosa ; and when, at the conclusion of the above 
 remark, the mother overcame the woman, and 
 she burst into tears, Susan could no longer 
 restrain herself, and the invalid became fearfully 
 agitated. For some time they remained in 
 total silence, Mrs. Talbot resting with her eyes 
 fixed on her daughter with an expression of the 
 most acute grief.
 
 206 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 " Your mind, dearest Rosa, has not been pre- 
 pared for receiving the impressions your danger- 
 ous state requires, and it is from those who are 
 accustomed to administer relief that you must 
 seek and obtain the consolation you require. 
 Your physician more than a month since hinted 
 to you your situation, but so delicately that you 
 seem to have misunderstood him. I have 
 schooled myself to bear that calamity with which 
 it has pleased God to threaten me. Now let me 
 instil into your mind fortitude and resignation. 
 I have solicited my old and valued friend, our 
 clergyman, to attend upon you almost directly , 
 and when he leaves you, that good, kind, con- 
 stant girl, who has watched over you with sis- 
 terly affection, will pray with you that we may 
 all look with pious cheerfulness upon the sepa- 
 ration about to ensue." 
 
 It is difficult to describe the whirlwind which 
 seemed to blow about the thoughts of the inva- 
 lid. Although fearfully alive to her situation, 
 since the hated word had been pronounced, 
 she could not feel the danger others, and 
 amongst those her own mother, had pronounced.
 
 TOM BOWLING. 207 
 
 Her very eager desire for food seemed to buoy 
 her up with hope ; and in that very hope was 
 marked the strongest symptom of her disease. 
 Her confidence as to her recovery still lingered 
 on her mind, and she could not but think the 
 next spring would revive her. Then came the 
 thought of her lover, now wisely excluded by the 
 mother. 
 
 A circumstance similar, in many respects, hap- 
 pened but a very few years ago. A most beau- 
 tiful girl, only eighteen years of age, was seized 
 by this unrelenting malady. Gradually her 
 strength was sapped away; the cough came 
 on ; the most weakening perspirations saturated 
 her bed ,* the appetite grew voracious, and death 
 approached. Within three days of her death, 
 so strongly was the conviction on her mind, in 
 spite of every communication to the contrary, 
 that she would recover, that after her parent had 
 knelt by her side and offered up her heartfelt 
 prayer, the daughter, discrediting even her 
 anguish, said, " Oh, do not despond ; I feel quite 
 confident that next spring I shall be as well as 
 ever, and in your opera-box/' She died within 
 four and twenty hours of that speech.
 
 208 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 There are a vast number of men who have 
 steeled their minds to meet death without appre- 
 hension; and in the tumult of the battle, when 
 cheered on by their comrades in the excitement of 
 victory, those men have met him with unblanched 
 cheek and unquivering lips. But when sickness 
 weakens the mind ; when each morning only too 
 plainly heralds the destroyer; when the physician 
 hints, and the clergyman is summoned; he must 
 indeed have lived a life of conscious rectitude who 
 can hear the prayer read for the sick and not 
 feel some apprehension. 
 
 In the lingering of consumption, when the 
 mind retains its powers, and the wretched vic- 
 tim cannot imagine itself on the verge of the 
 grave, the scene becomes more trying than in 
 those cases where hope has lingered into despon- 
 dency, and the elasticity of the mind is so lost 
 that death or life appear indifferent. 
 
 Rosa's hectic flush forsook her as the clergy- 
 man entered. The mother and Susan were on 
 their knees ; and for the first time some misgiv- 
 ing seems to have taken possession of the invalid, 
 for she trembled like a leaf. In a low, but deep 
 and steady voice the clergyman performed his
 
 TOM BOWLING. 209 
 
 solemn duty, and then became the friend and 
 the monitor. He had been prepared for this 
 unwelcome task by Mrs. Talbot, who urged him 
 to purge her daughter's mind from the worldly 
 thoughts which still held it in possession. He 
 fancied he had succeeded, but soon discovered 
 his mistake when the poor creature, clinging still 
 with woman's affection to the object of her 
 heart, made the extraordinary request that she 
 might be married before she died, urging as an 
 argument, that from the age of fifteen she had 
 cherished the thought of being her cousin's wife, 
 and it was the gratification of a last worldly wish, 
 innocent and requisite, as she had pledged her- 
 self to the union, and had strength enough to 
 repeat her vows. 
 
 Quite in vain was every argument used as to 
 the impropriety of such a request at such an 
 awful moment. Her mind was bent upon it. 
 It was her first, her last, her only request. The 
 world and its pleasures might have ceased, but 
 her constancy should never waver. Her lover 
 was true to his word, the priest was already in 
 the room, and every attempt to dissuade her 
 had not the slightest effect.
 
 210 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 Susan, although much shocked at her com- 
 panion's determination, generously used her 
 endeavours to forward her wish ; and after a long 
 conversation with Mrs. Talbot in the presence 
 of the clergyman, and after every point having 
 undergone a thousand discussions, Mrs. Talbot 
 gave an unwilling consent, with the concurrence 
 of the divine. It was agreed upon that in a week 
 the marriage should take place ; and even now, 
 Mrs. Talbot, with the warmest affection for her 
 daughter, and a solicitude which made her dread 
 that every hour might fob her of her only child, 
 seemed to say," She will never live for that event." 
 
 Susan conveyed the result of the conference 
 to her friend. She received the intelligence 
 with a gleam of delight which seemed to re-ani- 
 mate her entirely. The treacherous flush was 
 deeper on her cheek, and she spoke, although in 
 the hoarse voice which ever accompanies the 
 disease, in rapture. She desired, she urged 
 Susan to write to her lover to call immediately, 
 and flattered herself that he would receive the 
 summons to this strange bidding with equal 
 delight and affection. 
 
 Mrs. Talbot was a woman of very good pro-
 
 TOM BOWLING. 211 
 
 perty, the whole of which was settled upon her 
 daughter. If her daughter died without issue, 
 or without being married, it became the mother's 
 absolutely. This disposition, however, never 
 gave that generous woman a thought. It was 
 her property as long as she lived ; and having 
 been rather unfortunate in her marriage, she was 
 resolved never to hazard her liberty again. 
 Mrs. Talbot knew well enough, what some 
 widows of our own time had done well to have 
 remembered, that whenever a young man of 
 prepossessing appearance, whose character has 
 been stamped as void of principle, solicits 
 the hand of a woman at least thirty years 
 his superior, the marriage is thought of merely 
 for the money ; and that whilst the woman is 
 using her utmost power to retain the most trivial 
 affection, her wealth is squandered in unbridled 
 licentiousness. 
 
 Sufficient for Mrs. Talbot was the solitude of 
 Grove Hall, and sufficient was the excitement of 
 watching over and attending her only child. 
 But a handsome appearance in a man often 
 overcomes the general suspicion of the sex : and
 
 212 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 Mrs. Talbot, although sensible that Augustus 
 Cornish was a little addicted to the long bow 
 and to deep potations, overlooked in him the 
 faults which in others would have assumed a 
 criminal appearance. Besides, he was her 
 nephew, though not the man for whom she had 
 destined Grove Hall. For a moment the thought 
 that her intentions would be thwarted by this 
 marriage flashed across her, but she was much 
 too liberal to allow it to have the slightest 
 weight in opposition to the wishes of her dying 
 daughter. Still nothing could overcome the 
 shock her feelings sustained as she thought of 
 the ceremony which appeared to her the union 
 of life and death, health and disease ; for her 
 opinion of her nephew was such that she doubted 
 he would consent to become a husband under 
 such circumstances. Once she thought of a 
 mock ceremony; but she never had deceived 
 her daughter, and in perfect despair gave up all 
 idea of hindering what she had promised. 
 
 To her very considerable astonishment, no 
 objection was raised by her nephew. He can- 
 didly admitted having made a proposition, and
 
 TOM BOWLING. 213 
 
 as candidly declared his intentions of fulfilling 
 his engagement if his dearest aunt would 
 sanction the union. He mentioned his bride's 
 health as gradually improving ; and, with a 
 countenance which defied suspicion, spoke of 
 days of happiness yet in store for them. 
 
 " Surely, surely, Augustus," said Mrs. Talbot, 
 " you cannot pretend ignorance of her awful 
 situation. I question if she can outlive the 
 short period between this and that day I so 
 much dread." 
 
 " She assures me she feels better. It is true, 
 she is, I think, thinner, her voice is hoarse ; but 
 then her appetite is good, her eyes bright, and 
 her cheek blooming with colour." 
 
 Mrs. Talbot eyed her nephew narrowly during 
 this exhibition of medical knowledge ; but he 
 was proof against any assault of the eyes. He 
 had turned over in his mind the chances, and 
 he was resolved to get possession of the money 
 by marriage, and be free of all expenses but 
 those arising from " the undertaker's bill, or lapi- 
 dary's scrawl." He knew just as well as the
 
 214 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 doctor that a month was the utmost even the 
 most sanguine could expect her to survive. 
 
 " I have long been attached to her," he con- 
 tinued, " and now my devotion is about to be 
 rewarded, I shall shew by my conduct, by my 
 attention and solicitude, how much she is, and 
 ever has been, the object of my sincerest affec- 
 tion." 
 
 An idea of the intelligence of Captain Cor- 
 nish's father may be gathered from the following 
 conversation. 
 
 " Augustus," said he, tapping his son's curly 
 head when a child, " do you see those tall 
 trees ?" 
 
 " Yes, papa," responded the boy. 
 
 " What trees are they, my son ?" 
 
 " Poplars," answered the lad. 
 
 " Do you know what they are used for ?" 
 
 That was a puzzler ; and the youth answered 
 with much hesitation, " No." 
 
 " I'll tell you, my child ; and now take care 
 not to forget it. They saw them up into pieces 
 and make oak planks of them. And do you
 
 TOM BOWLING. 215 
 
 know what they do with the oak planks, my 
 child ?" 
 
 " No," answered the boy. 
 
 " They make mahogany bedposts of them, 
 boy. There, remember all this, because this is 
 what is called useful knowledge." 
 
 Augustus found out a more useful master, 
 and became as cunning as a Russian diplo- 
 matist. 
 
 Mrs. Talbot in vain endeavoured to master 
 her feelings, and left the room; at which moment 
 Susan entered. Her face was a little flushed, 
 which heightened her charms; and such was 
 her elegance of figure and softness of expression 
 that the most indifferent could not have passed 
 her by unregarded. 
 
 Captain Cornish seemed to undergo some 
 little sensation akin to surprise. Susan ex- 
 pressed her astonishment that Mrs. Talbot was 
 not there ; and Augustus very civilly remarked 
 he did not regret the absence of his mother-in- 
 law and aunt, as it afforded him the pleasure of 
 an interview with Miss Monckton. Susan, who 
 was evidently thinking of something else than
 
 216 TOM BOWLIXG. 
 
 flattering speeches, sat down near the window, 
 and gave vent to a deep sigh. 
 
 " You sigh heavily," said the handsome 
 captain, as he advanced towards her. " I wish 
 it were in my power to lighten the load which 
 seems to press upon your mind." 
 
 " And who, may I ask," continued Cornish, 
 in a voice attuned to as much harmony as he 
 had at his command, " is the fortunate man 
 who thus occupies so much of that heart as to 
 mar its repose V 
 
 " At present," replied Susan, " you are the 
 man who caused that sigh, and who so much, 
 to use your own words, mars my repose." 
 
 il Indeed !" ejaculated Cornish. 
 
 " Yes, indeed, Captain Cornish ; and strange, 
 nay, rude as it may appear, I wish you so far 
 from me that you could no longer occupy my 
 thoughts." 
 
 " Would absence then, Miss Susan, blot me 
 from your memory ?" 
 
 " It would save me from an act I shall ever 
 blush to acknowledge, and which nothing but 
 absence can effect."
 
 TOM BOWLING. 21 
 
 " I could easily absent myself, and be under 
 no apprehension of a reprimand ; but I would 
 rather be near you, rather listen to your re- 
 proaches, rather hear my own name uttered 
 with coldness by you, than be absent from you. 
 Then," he added, in a Romeo look and tone, 
 " all the gathering clouds around me seem to 
 dissipate when I 'hear thee, see thee, gaze on all 
 those charms !' " 
 
 " Sir !" said Susan, rising. 
 " It is only a quotation, Miss Susan, " said 
 Augustus, with consummate coolness. " Poets 
 string words, like pearls, and they make the 
 handsomest corollary. You speak of my ab- 
 sence; could I trust you with a secret?" 
 
 " I fear, Captain Cornish, I am not suffi- 
 ciently your equal to be made the depository of 
 your thoughts." 
 
 " I asked you, Miss Monckton, if I might 
 entrust you with a secret ?" 
 
 " I think it unfair, Captain Cornish, to en- 
 trust any one with a secret. You betray it by 
 making me aware of it; and how, therefore, 
 
 VOL. I. L
 
 218 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 could you rebuke me if I betrayed it to an- 
 other?" 
 
 " You will oblige me much by receiving it, 
 and promising not to betray it." 
 
 Curiosity overcame discretion ; and Captain 
 Cornish put a large official letter into her hand, 
 and begged her to peruse it.
 
 TOM BOWLING. 219 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 THE MARRIAGE OF DEATH. 
 
 Everything was arranged for the marriage. 
 Susan was to be bridesmaid. On this occa- 
 sion a suitable dress was provided, and it 
 afforded Mrs. Talbot some trifling satisfaction — 
 the only drop of sweetness in the cup brimming 
 with bitterness — in having the opportunity, 
 without hurting the feelings of her daughter's 
 companion, to present her with a very handsome 
 necklace and earrings. Susan had received 
 Bowling's letter, in which he gave her the cheer- 
 ful intelligence of his promotion ; and how far 
 l2
 
 220 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 the sailor's words had won her heart is best 
 understood by the letter Bowling received, and 
 which we have given before. In spite of the 
 joy of her generous heart in the knowledge that 
 the poor boy was now a lieutenant in the navy, 
 and still acknowledged with gratitude her former 
 kindness and protection; in spite also of the 
 assurances of a mutual affection, and of ever- 
 lasting constancy, (words readily received by 
 those who are willing to believe them, but 
 sadly discredited by maturer minds,) Susan 
 was frequently seen in tears. 
 
 " Oh, that I dared betray this secret to Mrs. 
 Talbot,'' she said ; " and yet what good could 
 result? He would swear to die by her side 
 rather than leave her ; whilst in his hand is the 
 official order to join his regiment within ten 
 days, in order to embark for the Cape of Good 
 Hope. He would not relinquish the service, 
 for he has vanity enough to sacrifice his cousin 
 rather than lose his uniform and his cockade. 
 Two days hence is the wedding; five days 
 hence and Captain Cornish must be at Ports- 
 mouth. My poor friend would die if she knew
 
 TOM BOWLING. 221 
 
 of this resolution, and she would die of the 
 sudden disappointment if the match were broken 
 off. I must leave it to the Disposer of all 
 events, and ever regret my curiosity which 
 forced me to receive the burthen of a secret." 
 
 Miss Talbot had made a will in which she 
 left the money given her by her mother to her 
 best friend, Miss Monckton; but Susan was 
 ignorant of such a testament. She never 
 thought of money whilst her mother had enough 
 to maintain the most humble respectability; 
 and her heart was too much occupied by Bow- 
 ling and her friend to think of any provision 
 when her friend should be no more. 
 
 The day arrived, and the poor, sick, emaciated 
 being was dressed as a bride. She fainted 
 twice during the exertion of the toilette ; but at 
 each revival she seemed more resolute to go 
 through the ceremony, and after the adminis- 
 tration of some restoratives she was declared 
 ready. The clergyman was introduced, the 
 doctor gave her away, and this poor victim of 
 human weakness was married. She was elated 
 with joy at the termination of the affair, and
 
 222 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 seemed flushed with unusual rosyness when she 
 heard herself addressed as Mrs. Cornish. The 
 ceremony had been performed whilst she re- 
 clined on her sofa, for she was far too weak to 
 stand during the period required; and the con- 
 gratulations which the etiquette of society de- 
 manded were rather in accordance with custom 
 than ebullitions of the heart. 
 
 Susan could not restrain her tears. The 
 bride had strength enough to rally her on her 
 own expectations of being an officer's wife, and 
 claimed priority of rank. " Who, indeed," she 
 said, playfully," would marry a sailor? — people 
 who are wandering over the ocean, the emblems 
 of inconstancy, — rocked by the inconstant wind 
 upon the inconstant wave ! I pity you," con- 
 tinued the excited girl; " my husband — J have 
 him now, Susan, tied fast to me for ever — will 
 never leave me; and, in spite of the croaking 
 of the doctor, I shall live to see many happy 
 days with him." 
 
 Susan could not answer ; her generous heart 
 was too full ; and she would not for worlds have 
 damped the joy which illuminated the eyes of
 
 TOM BOWLING. 223 
 
 her attenuated friend. She shook her warmly 
 by the hand ; but in spite of all endeavours she 
 could not restrain her tears. 
 
 " Why, Susan, you make me jealous before 
 I have been an hour a wife. Why should you 
 weep because I am married ? Ah, I begin to 
 feel a little of the green-eyed monster, and am 
 almost weak enough to place some credit in 
 that story of my lost Abigail." 
 
 " You need not fear, my kind friend/' said 
 Susan, " any rival in me. No, no; it is not for 
 myself I weep. Since I have been your com- 
 panion everything has prospered, therefore I 
 regret not my circumstances ; neither do I feel 
 disposed to worry myself about the inconstancy 
 of sailors. Mr. Bowling left me a mere child. 
 I was exactly his age, and I only wonder that 
 he ever recollects my name. I cannot, however, 
 mistake his meaning, nor would I for worlds, 
 for he must have a noble heart. No, no, Rosa, 
 I weep for you. The time is very short before 
 disappointment must come, and how will my 
 dear friend be prepared to receive it?" 
 
 " Oh, dear," replied Rosa, rather pettishly,
 
 224 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 " do not croak like that disagreeable old 
 doctor," 
 
 It was some time before the bridal dress could 
 be exchanged ; for the excitement being par- 
 tially checked by Susan's tears, the reaction was 
 in proportion. The young wife became pale, 
 unusually weak, and perfectly helpless. At 
 last, however, she was re- dressed, and appeared 
 occasionally flushed into animation. 
 
 In the mean time the bridegroom, who con- 
 sidered the whole business as merely to gratify 
 his cousin in a whim before she died, had not 
 been idle in his speculations. There was a 
 dirty attorney in the village, who enlightened 
 his client upon one or two points, the most mate- 
 rial of which was that a will made before mar- 
 riage is invalid directly the woman becomes une 
 femme couverte ; and that whatever disposition 
 she might have made, it could only govern the 
 distribution in proportion as he felt inclined to 
 honour her wishes. As to love, he could not 
 have the slightest affection for the " bag of 
 bones" he considered his wife; and had long 
 since endeavoured, with anything but honour-
 
 TOM BOWLING. 225 
 
 able views, to win the heart of Susan. His 
 home was not far distant ; and at the request 
 made by Mrs. Talbot that he would allow her 
 daughter to recover herself from the excitement, 
 he very coolly betook himself to his father's 
 billiard-table, and quite forgot, in the excite- 
 ment of play, the constant girl who at death's 
 door had married him. He, too, was well aware 
 it was but a nominal marriage, and that his 
 father's house would still remain his home. 
 There was yet a task imposed on him, to which 
 he did not feel equal : it was the divulging to 
 his wife the order for his departure. 
 
 At this time it was resolved by the govern- 
 ment to make a descent on the Cape of Good 
 Hope, and to maintain it, in the event of success, 
 as an English colony. It was of the greatest 
 importance in regard to the India trade, and 
 was considered as an easy conquest. Troops were 
 embarked under the command of General Alured 
 Clarke, and the officers of each regiment were 
 fully aw r are, from the importance of the service, 
 that any flinching or applying for exchange 
 would be considered as wearing a white feather 
 
 L 3
 
 226 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 — a disgrace unknown to the British army. 
 The fleet of Indiamen were at Portsmouth, and 
 the day was fixed for their departure. Men-of- 
 war go to sea to look for a fair wind, and the 
 gallant captains of the India fleet, who well won 
 the lion on their buttons, never lingered in port 
 when any service was required of them. 
 
 Cornish was no coward : he lied from vanity 
 and want of principle. He was uneasy if any 
 one was reported to do anything better than he 
 could do it. The admirable Crighton was a fool 
 to him, in his own estimation; and therefore 
 Cornish lied immensely to maintain his ground. 
 As an example of his ability in the Munchausen 
 vein, he once declared he had taken a jack, 
 with a line, that weighed ninety-four pounds — 
 that he had lifted a butt of porter to his mouth, 
 and drunk out of the bung-hole (he did not drink 
 it all at a draught) ; and that he had walked, one 
 morning in the shooting season, from Tottenham 
 to Cambridge, where he intended to dine, 
 through all the fields, carrying with him his 
 game, which, as he never accidentally missed, 
 amounted to about forty brace of birds. There
 
 TOM BOWLING. 227 
 
 was not a woman in the county who had not 
 fallen in love with him, nor any fox-hunter who 
 ever could ride like him. He was believed, 
 according to his own account, to have more 
 influence than the lord-lieutenant, and was dis- 
 gusted at the refusals he was obliged to give to 
 the everlasting request, that he would represent 
 different counties in parliament. However, he 
 only imposed upon people as silly as himself. 
 He did no particular harm to any one, and had, 
 from the volubility of his words and the bril- 
 liancy of his imagination, acquired the name of 
 Captain Pepper, — there being an anecdote 
 concerning a certain Tom Pepper, who was so 
 superior in the art as to be turned out of a place, 
 which most men are particularly anxious to 
 avoid. 
 
 In stating the case to his friend the attorney, 
 he declared that the enterprise at the Cape 
 would, to a certainty, fail if he did not lend his aid, 
 and therefore it was imperative on him to go, 
 although he was aware that his bride would ill 
 receive the intelligence ; and he prayed the 
 attorney to invent some story likely to be ere-
 
 228 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 dited — thus paying the attorney a professional 
 compliment, and acknowledging how much he 
 was himself discredited. The attorney seemed 
 to think, for once in his life, that the truth was 
 preferable to any concealment ; and after recom- 
 mending his client instantly to prepare a will, 
 which he was quite ready to draw up to the 
 prejudice of anybody, advised Captain Augustus 
 Cornish to return to Mrs. Talbot, and shew her 
 the letter. i( Anything you think proper to add 
 as to your military reputation, the probable 
 failure of the expedition in the event of your 
 counsels being withdrawn, or the sudden dismay 
 of the troops, should they be deprived of your 
 guidance, may be poured into the ears in pro- 
 portion as there is an avidity to listen; but I 
 need not advise one so qualified to judge of 
 the fair sex — one whose conquests in the fields 
 of love are as numerous as those of Marlbo- 
 rough in the fields of war." 
 
 " You overcome me — positively — damme ! — 
 Good morning." 
 
 " There goes," said the attorney, as he looked 
 out of his window, a about as shallow a pated
 
 TOM BOWLING. 229 
 
 coxcomb as ever it fell to my lot to be ac- 
 quainted with, and the veriest murderer of 
 truth that ever escaped the execution of public 
 opinion. " 
 
 " A shrewd, sharp-sighted, clever man that 
 attorney," said Augustus to himself; "he is 
 aware of my power, and of my courage. He 
 recommends a will, because he knows I cannot 
 restrain myself in the presence of an enemy; 
 and his allusion to Marlborough was a compli- 
 ment to myself." 
 
 Great was the surprise of Mrs. Talbot when 
 the letter was placed in her hands, and she was 
 made aware that Cornish had received it some 
 days before the marriage. That letter might 
 have saved her the criminal act to which she 
 imagined she had been accessary. To rebuke 
 her son-in-law with duplicity was useless ; the 
 marriage was celebrated ; and how now to turn 
 the letter to the best advantage occupied her 
 active mind. 
 
 " Only two days more !" she said ; " that is 
 indeed sudden." 
 
 " And the difficulties," said Augustus, ' ; are
 
 230 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 insurmountable. Had I been on half-pay I 
 could have avoided so hasty an order, because 
 I could easily have been absent when the letter 
 arrived ; but my being on leave, and having 
 named my father's house as the place where 
 any despatch could reach me, renders that 
 evasion impossible. I have no time to ex- 
 change — to sell out — or get sick ; if I do not 
 join I shall be subject to a court-martial — dis- 
 missed the service in disgrace, — scouted as a 
 coward — degraded as a man. If I go, I leave 
 behind me the dearest object of my life in a 
 precarious state of health ; and how long it may 
 be before I return who can possibly tell ?" 
 
 " It is a difficult case," said Mrs. Talbot, 
 whose expression of countenance, had Cornish 
 been an observant man, was evident of her 
 having read the secret wishes of his heart ; and 
 these were in accordance with her own, for she 
 wished him far away, so that the very whisper- 
 ings of the marriage might not be trumpeted 
 throughout the county. She bade the captain 
 go and watch over his bride ; and, ringing her 
 bell, desired Miss Monckton might attend her.
 
 TOM BOWLING. 231 
 
 {i Again, Susan," she said, as Miss Monck- 
 ton obeyed the call, "again I must solicit your 
 kindness in our behalf. Read that letter." 
 
 Susan instantly recognised the same letter 
 that Cornish had placed in her hand. She 
 hesitated one moment, in which the quickness 
 of woman's thoughts flashed across her, — " She 
 might know I have seen it, and this is to try 
 me," overcame all others, and indicated honesty 
 as the best policy. " I have read it before," she 
 said. 
 
 " When ?" asked Mrs. Talbot, with some 
 quickness. 
 
 u Before the marriage," replied Susan. 
 " And you kept it a secret from me ! This 
 letter, Susan, would have saved us the painful 
 ceremony we have witnessed, by faithfully pro- 
 mising that on his return the marriage should 
 take place/' 
 
 " I foolishly consented to secresy, Mrs. Tal- 
 bot; and my honour was pledged before I read 
 the contents." 
 
 " Young ladies," replied Mrs. Talbot, with
 
 232 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 some degree of sarcasm, " would do well not to 
 pledge their honour at all." 
 
 Susan burst into tears ; it was the first un- 
 kind word she had ever received to make her 
 feel her dependency ; and in the expression 
 she read a doubt as to the truth of Waller's 
 assertions. 
 
 " Dry those tears, child," said Mrs. Talbot, 
 recovering her serenity ; u none but fools mourn 
 over events they cannot remedy. I am well 
 aware why my nephew consented to this union, 
 and why he seeks now to abandon his wife. 
 There is some truth in what he has said, — his 
 name will be tarnished if he refuses to go ; this 
 point must be urged strongly on Rosa. A 
 woman who does not feel every imputation cast 
 on her husband as hurled against herself, 
 neither deserves to share his honours, nor pre- 
 serve his affections. We must make this the 
 grand point : the honour she will acquire by 
 the preservation of his honour ; — the disgrace 
 she will share if he is branded as a coward. 
 Go, Susan, you must break this subject care- 
 fully. 1 will come to your aid when it is most
 
 TOM BOWLING. 233 
 
 required ; it is better one should follow the 
 other, than that both should appear together. 
 Send my son-in-law" — (she said this in rather 
 a sharp manner) — " to me directly." 
 
 It was a harsh, ungenerous task to be forced 
 to open a subject so painful to the invalid ; but 
 ably was it done. Susan spoke carelessly of 
 the news of the day, — the great and important 
 service about to be performed, the high character 
 of the general, and the rush of officers as volun- 
 teers ; how each father urged his best interest to 
 get his son a partaker in the glorious enterprise ; 
 and how each soldier cursed the lazy hours 
 which seemed to linger through the days. 
 
 " And Augustus," said Rosa, brightening 
 up ; lt does he not wish to be there ?" 
 
 " Indeed he does ; but then he could not 
 leave you." 
 
 " I would not have him here to share my 
 sickness ; I would rather he shared the enter- 
 prize, and came home to me covered with 
 honour. Let me speak to him, I will overcome 
 his scruples. I shall not be the first bride who 
 has separated with her husband at the church-
 
 234 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 door. A captain went to India for three years, 
 and his beautiful bride returned to her parents 
 to linger out that time in watching his fortune, 
 and in sharing his distress. I shall Jive to see 
 him return ; and I can manage to endure the 
 parting."
 
 TOM BOWLING. 235 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 IN WHICH THE AUTHOR FLATTERS HIMSELF ARE TWO 
 VERY PRETTY SONGS, AND EXPECTS SOME PROFESSOR 
 WILL SET THEM TO MUSIC. 
 
 "A glorious jollification, Watson! — suc- 
 cess to the service ! — I'll sail with you to-morrow 
 morning for a doubloon ! and I'd sing you a song- 
 to-night if I did not think it unbecoming a cap- 
 tain to tune up his pipes to the disturbance of 
 others !" 
 
 " Never mind that," said Watson. " I'll give 
 you leave to chant as loud as the chimes of a 
 cathedral clock ; only take care old Jarvis does 
 not hear you."
 
 236 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 " He would not mind a man's wetting his 
 commission, and we will proceed to this duty 
 first ; hand over yours." Bowling took the order, 
 and, bending it up into a cocked-hat shape, 
 filled it full of pretty strong brandy and water ; 
 and before it had time to leak through, he drank 
 to Watson's "Success in the navy; his success 
 on shore ; prize-money now, and Greenwich 
 Hospital in old age !" 
 
 " Now hand us yours, Captain Bowling, and 
 I'll do as much for you, if good wishes can 
 avail. Here's all the luck the world can give, 
 and all the pleasures life can enjoy! Success 
 to you, Captain Bowling!" 
 
 u Bear a hand, my dear fellow," said Bow- 
 ling, interrupting him, " the grog is leaking 
 through, and all my luck will ooze away." 
 
 " There," said Watson, reversing the cocked 
 hat, " there's not enough left to tempt a Jamaica 
 fly, and I took it as strong as my heart's desire. 
 It was neat as imported, and although I have 
 swallowed enough in my time to float the brig, 
 yet I never drank a drop with half the pleasure 
 I have drank this. Come, tune up your pipes, 
 it's only half-past eight."
 
 TOM BOWLING. 237 
 
 " I ordered my gig at nine," said Bowling. 
 
 " You could have had mine/' said Watson, 
 rubbing his hands at the very idea of his gig, 
 his ship. He was fairly turning round in the 
 whirlpool of intoxication occasioned by joy, not 
 by rum, and could not fancy himself the charac- 
 ter he had a right to assume. " Shoot a-head ! 
 Captain Bowling, and save the tide." 
 
 " When the breeze swells the canvas, the anchor's a-trip, 
 
 And the ensign's hauled down from the peak of the ship;* 
 
 When the land is receding, and fresh is the breeze 
 
 That bears us away on the breast of the seas ; 
 
 Hope swells my fond bosom, and this is my strain, — 
 
 ' Believe me, dear Susan, I'll come back again.' 
 
 " When the decks are all clear, and the foe is in sight, 
 And the ensign waves proudly to challenge the fight; 
 When the smoke of the broadside is curling around, 
 And the cheers grow the louder, the louder's the sound ; 
 Hope swells my proud bosom, and this is my strain, — 
 ' Believe me, dear Susan. I'll come back again.' 
 
 " W 7 hen the enemy's struck, and her colours are down, 
 And the cross of St. George o'er the French flag is shewn ; 
 
 * Hauling down the ensign when a ship goes out of a port 
 is as much as to say, " Good-bye."
 
 238 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 When we've mourned for the dead who have fallen that day, 
 And our hearts are with those who are then far away ; 
 Hope swells ray fond bosom, and this is my strain, — 
 1 Believe me, dear Susan, I'll come back again.' 
 
 u When the winds and the waves are in tumult and strife, 
 
 And the fever stalks forth as the foe to man's life; 
 
 Though distant in climes of the snow or the sun, 
 
 Ere the battle is fought, or the battle is won ; 
 
 I think of the girl who enlivens the strain, — 
 
 For believe me, dear Susan, I'll come back again." 
 
 Xi Bravo !" said Watson, " bravo ! Here's a 
 health to pretty Susan, for pretty she must be, 
 and success to her lover who wrote the song. 
 Lord ! what is a sailor without a Susan ? I 
 wonder if this was black-eyed Susan." 
 
 Bowling smiled as he said, " I fancy this 
 Susan is at any rate as handsome as ever black- 
 eyed Susan might have been." 
 
 " Well, it's very odd, Captain Bowling," said 
 Watson, after a moment's reflection, "that sail- 
 ors always fall in love. Now I'm not at all par- 
 ticular in that respect. I don't care one straw 
 if the girl's black, brown, or fair — if she's a nose 
 as flat as a flounder, or if it's arched in the
 
 TOM BOWLING. 239 
 
 middle, like a bridge — if her hair is as fine as the 
 hemp in a Spanish yarn, or as stiff and as curly 
 as a door-mat — as long as she's young. I'm in 
 love with youth ; that's always fresh and rosy. 
 I never could fall in love with anything like 
 parchment, except in the shape of a commission. 
 No, no ! hurrah, I say, for the wind that blows 
 — the ship that goes — and the lass that loves a 
 sailor !" 
 
 " Why, Watson, the parchment has made you 
 young again, or the grog has warmed up your 
 heart to fever heat. Can you sing?" 
 
 " Can't I, that's all ! If I never sang before, 
 I could sing now; and if old Jervis only knew 
 how light he has made one poor fellow, he would 
 not mind my being a little excited this evening." 
 
 li Why, you deserved it. There's not a braver 
 fellow ever stood between the stem and the stern 
 of the ship than Thomas Watson. I think I see 
 you now with the cutlass in your mouth, the 
 shot falling around you like hail, so close that 
 they splashed the water in your face whilst your 
 eye was fixed on the port, which never winked 
 to the whiz of the balls. You deserved what
 
 240 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 you got, and Jervis never yet let a brave fellow 
 linger out his life without promotion. You led 
 the way — I only followed." 
 
 u But you were overboard first, and set the 
 example ; I only followed that. Blow high, blow 
 low," said Watson, "let me only have you for 
 a guide, and I'll follow you, if it's to draw the 
 black gentleman out of his lodgings, as a terrier 
 does a badger." 
 
 " We shall meet again, my old friend," said 
 Bowling, " and now for your song." 
 
 " Here goes — excuse the voice, it's husky 
 with joy ; and as for the music, I never liked 
 that since I first heard a hand-organ and a hur- 
 dy-gurdy. Suit the word to the action and the 
 action to the word, as the auctioneer said when 
 he knocked down a bidder : — 
 
 " Pass the grog, pass the grog ! 
 Your sailor is a jolly dog, 
 Ever laughing, ever gay, — 
 Sings at night and works by day, 
 Cares no more for wounds or wealth 
 Than doctors for their patients' health. 
 
 " Fill the bowl, fill the bowl ! 
 Be to-night a jovial soul.
 
 TOM BOWLING. 241 
 
 Here's to her who loves a tar ; 
 Here's to love, and here's to war ; 
 Here's to youth's dark flashing eyes ; 
 Here's war, which brings us many a prize. 
 
 " Fill the glass, fill the glass ! 
 Every sailor loves a lass ; 
 Mine's the maiden fresh and fair, 
 Clear blue eyes and auburn hair ; 
 If dark or hazel, brown or green, 
 I* she's young, she's beauty's queen." 
 
 " Well sung, Watson ; it does my heart good 
 to see you so happy, and I wish you a wife as 
 young and as green as you can desire." 
 
 " Captain Bowling," said the midshipman, 
 " your gig is alongside." 
 
 " Tell them to remain in the boat," said 
 Bowling, who instantly thought of the secret he 
 wished respected — a secret which almost all 
 men are inclined to keep, although it is more to 
 their honour than any advancement through 
 interest; yet the expression, so frequently used 
 as a kind of reproach, " Oh, he rose from before 
 the mast," thereby implying the man could not 
 have been born a gentleman, outweighs all 
 
 VOL. J. M
 
 242 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 consideration of personal service and merited 
 reward. 
 
 " Good night," said Bowling, " good night, 
 Watson. We shall weigh to-morrow at day-light 
 — here comes the flag-ship's boat — then for our 
 doubloon bet ; and if, old boy, I ever get another 
 chance with you at a fort, I will see if I cannot 
 be first. Success to you, wherever you go ; and 
 see, I drain my glass to the toast." 
 
 Captain Bowling was now on deck. To his 
 astonishment he found the whole crew of the 
 brig upon deck also. Every man had his hat 
 off, and every one seemed to outvie the other in 
 the determination of being heard. " God bless 
 you, sir!" — " God bless you, Captain Bowling !" 
 "We'll all volunteer for your ship, sir." — "May 
 you live for ever, your honour !" — " Wull, I 
 hope you'll be happy, sur." — "Success to you 
 below, sir, and a comfortable berth aloft after- 
 wards, any how !" 
 
 " Thank you, my lads, thank you !" said 
 Bowling, warmly. " Every happiness attend 
 you, and lots of prize-money to make the fiddles 
 play at Portsmouth Hard ! Where's the ship's 
 corporal?"
 
 TOM BOWLING. 243 
 
 " Here, your honour !" said a smart-looking 
 Irishman. 
 
 " Take this for the ship's company, andptvhen 
 you get to Barbadoes ask the captain in my 
 name to let you have some liberty-liquor to 
 remember your old commander. And now 
 good night to you, my lads." 
 
 The Echo's gig's crew had their oars up ; the 
 boat shoved off; and no sooner was the bow-oar 
 lifted up, before it fell in the water, than Bow- 
 ling heard, " Now then, my lads !" and three 
 such cheers followed, such hearty cheers, that 
 the vice-admiral started in his cabin. " I like to 
 hear that !" said Jervis to Captain Grey ; " it's a 
 proof that young man was as good as he was 
 brave." The gig's crew returned the cheer, 
 before the echo had ceased to respond from hill 
 to hill. It was a beautiful, clear, calm silent 
 night, and that cheer was long remembered by 
 Bowling. 
 
 It is very difficult to describe the first sensa- 
 tions produced by a command. At once to be 
 free from all control; to be the absolute mo- 
 narch of an obedient people; to be approached 
 m 2
 
 244 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 with respect ; to hear no murmur of discontent, 
 or in contradiction to your authority ; to have 
 the p^er of inflicting punishment or rewarding 
 services; to have the responsibility, the heavy 
 responsibility, of life or death (for on many 
 occasions the order of the captain saves the one, 
 or courts the other) ; must produce very power- 
 ful sensations. 
 
 It was with a certain degree of modesty that 
 Captain Bowling received a large packet which 
 the officer of the watch had received from the 
 Admiral's ship ; which Bowling immediately 
 took below, after wishing the officer good night. 
 
 He found not the tallow candles of a lieu- 
 tenant's command, but wax candles in silver 
 candlesticks, the steward waiting for orders, and 
 altogether a degree of comfort he never had 
 before experienced in his life. It reminded him 
 of Captain Collingwood's cabin on a smaller 
 scale. The Echo was fresh from England, and 
 Bowling had escaped another plague, the worst 
 of all inflictions in tropical climates : there 
 were no cockroaches whizzing about the lights ; 
 no centipedes crawled along the beams ; no
 
 TOM BOWLING. 245 
 
 scorpions concealed in the lockers ; rausquitoes 
 never come that distance from the shore, and 
 the large black ant had not yet paid a visit to 
 the Echo. 
 
 Bowling opened the packet. The first was 
 his order to sail at daylight, and make the best 
 of his way to the Equator, in longitude 40°, 
 there to open the sealed orders. A letter, written 
 by the Admiral, addressed to Captain Bowling, 
 was next placed and opened on the table ; he 
 rang his bell, and desired the first-lieutenant 
 might be sent to him. 
 
 "We must be underweight' he said to that 
 officer, " five minutes before daylight ; and be 
 careful to be rather sooner than later. Is there 
 anything to be done before we sail V 
 
 " The purser has some papers for you to 
 sign, sir, which must be returned to the ships 
 to-night." 
 
 " Very good ; if you have no other boat 
 down, use my gig. Send the purser to me." 
 The papers were signed ; orders were left to call 
 the captain at four o'clock ; the wine and water 
 was removed untasted from his table; and Bow-
 
 246 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 ling, with no small anxiety, opened the Admiral's 
 letter. 
 
 It was one of those letters which are most 
 beneficial to a young officer. It was highly 
 complimentary to his courage. It recom- 
 mended to Bowling the necessity of always 
 well weighing the worth of a prize before he 
 hazarded its capture ; it recalled to his good 
 sense the foolish sacrifices often made by young 
 captains to gain their own promotion by an 
 enormous expenditure of life ; and called to 
 Bowling's recollection the fearful responsibility 
 which rested upon every officer who uselessly 
 sacrificed a human being. " Our country," it 
 said in one part, " requires an occasional dash to 
 awe an enemy, and many lives are sometimes 
 saved by this show of vigilance, bravery, and 
 power, as one severe example in punishments 
 often is the means of rendering such an oc- 
 currence unnecessary afterwards ; but never 
 hazard the life of a man but under the sternest 
 emergency ; and never have recourse to punish- 
 ment but when an example is absolutely neces- 
 sary." The letter concluded with the earnest
 
 TOM BOWLING. 247 
 
 wish for Bowling's health and advancement, and 
 a desire that the Admiral might occasionally 
 receive an account of his proceedings. 
 
 There was no happier man alive than Bow- 
 ling : he could not sleep ; he wished to go on 
 board to thank the Admiral in person ; he 
 thought of writing to him the warmest ex- 
 pressions of his gratitude ; he was afraid to fall 
 asleep, lest he should slumber past four o'clock ; 
 and in this excitement, occasionally humming 
 Watson's song — " Here's to her who loves a 
 tar — here's to love, and here's to war," — he 
 turned and tumbled about in his cot, mixing 
 up in the jumble of his half dream and half 
 wakefulness, the Admiral's letter with the last 
 line of each verse of his own song, until he 
 heard seven bells strike, when out he jumped, 
 and called for a light. 
 
 " How many bells struck V he said to the 
 sentinel, who came head-foremost into his cabin 
 with the lantern. 
 
 " Seven bells in the Jlrst watch, sir," an- 
 swered the man. 
 
 " Oh, never mind the light, then," and he
 
 248 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 turned in again, making a most sensible reso- 
 lution not to be so very over-zealous ; but 
 although he had four hours to sleep, he could 
 not bear to close his eyes for fear something 
 might be remiss in the morning, and the 
 vigilant Admiral remark that he had been 
 deceived in his protege. 
 
 Very different was it with old Watson. All 
 the fire of youth had been pretty well taken out 
 of him long before; and the recent attempt at wet- 
 ting his commission made him feel less inclined 
 for activity than usual. He read his orders ; and , 
 going on deck, gave directions to be called at day- 
 light ; and that the brig was to weigh and keep 
 company with the Echo. He intended, it was 
 quite evident, to take a captain's privilege, and 
 let others work whilst he slept. 
 
 As the first streak of day appeared, the Echo 
 was underweigh ; her sails trimmed ; every 
 stick set in a real man-of-war style; and she 
 was creeping to the eastward under the influence 
 of a light land-air, which, as she opened the 
 point, soon changed into the sea-breeze; but 
 the Zebra was still at anchor. Bowling in-
 
 TOM BOWLING. 249 
 
 wardly cursed the last night's jollification, which 
 thus made Watson slow to obey the orders of 
 his Admiral ; and whilst he was surveying his 
 late command through the glass, and observing 
 that something was at last stirring, a gun from 
 the Boyne — the daylight gun — was fired : he 
 turned to look at her ; he saw the Admiral 
 paying him the same compliment; whilst at 
 that moment the signal went up for the Zebra 
 u to weigh directly." Bowling, suspecting that 
 some signal might be made to him, kept a man 
 ready at the signal halyards ; he saw some flags 
 going aloft, which, before they reached the mast- 
 head, he was satisfied were his pendants. The 
 answering pendant was run up to the truck 
 unbroken ; and as soon as the flag was broken, 
 the signal was answered. It was, " Your zeal I 
 have noticed." The signal for the Zebra to 
 weigh was again repeated with a gun ; and 
 Watson found his doubloon and his credit fast 
 goino; from him. 
 
 " There," said the Admiral, pointing to the 
 Echo, " that man will be a credit to me, and to 
 the service ; he was a little before his time. 
 m 3
 
 250 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 That one," he continued, pointing to the Zebra, 
 " is just fit to go on shore and get married ; he 
 has outlived all the desire of an officer to be 
 first in the field — his promotion has already 
 ruined him j and he had better sleep with his 
 wife, than slumber in his cot."
 
 TOM BOWLING. 251 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 IN WHICH IS SHEWN THAT A FOREMAST MAN NEVER IS 
 SO GOOD A JUDGE OF SAFETY AS A CAPTAIN. 
 
 After considerable delay, in spite even of 
 Watson's appearance on deck, the Zebra was 
 got underweigh ; and by noon both vessels 
 were out of sight of the Admiral. Bowling's 
 orders were to use his utmost endeavours to 
 gain as quickly as possible the longitude in the 
 Equator, where his sealed orders were to be 
 opened ; he could not, therefore, heave-to to 
 communicate once more with his old shipmate, 
 and infuse some of his own spirit for the service
 
 252 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 in Watson. He therefore telegraphed to him a 
 compliment on the powder the Admiral had 
 expended, and wished him good-bye. He then 
 hoisted his ensign and hauled it down again, 
 which means, that the ships may part company. 
 
 The Echo was in good order ; and Bowling 
 soon made her a match for any vessel in the 
 rapidity of her manoeuvres. He carried a great 
 press of sail; and on his arrival at the ap- 
 pointed place, he broke the seal of his des- 
 patches on the quarter-deck ; and the same was 
 duly inserted in the log. He now found him- 
 self ordered to the Cape of Good Hope, with 
 particular injunctions not to communicate with 
 any vessels outward-bound, and, as far as it 
 was possible, to keep his destination a secret. 
 
 At dinner, on that everlastingly hot day — for, 
 in spite of the awnings and continually wetting 
 the decks, the pitch of the seams bubbled up, 
 and nature seemed almost exhausted from the 
 heat — the first-lieutenant gave a very intel- 
 ligible hint of his desire to know their destina- 
 tion ; and Bowling, with considerable address, 
 evaded the question. But in the course of con-
 
 TOM BOWLING. 253 
 
 versation the captain asked the doctor if, 
 amongst his other works, he had any books of 
 travels in the East Indies? 
 
 The doctor replied that he had none; but 
 that he had some interesting accounts of the 
 Dutch settlement at the Cape. 
 
 "The devil you have !" said Bowling. " Do 
 me the favour to allow me to see them." 
 
 In the evening, when the officers resorted on 
 deck, to inhale enough cool air to get their 
 lungs at proper heat, Bowling was below, pon- 
 dering over the book the doctor had lent. He 
 was seen consulting charts, making sketches, 
 and taking notes. 
 
 " We are bound to Madras/' said the first- 
 lieutenant. 
 
 " To the Cape, for any sum," interrupted the 
 doctor. " If we were bound to India, the cap- 
 tain would have time enough to glean all the 
 knowledge in that book before our arrival. He 
 is getting up the history of the Cape to astonish 
 the Dutch Governor on our arrival : there's 
 something in ^he wind, you may rely upon it." 
 
 " I wish," said the second-lieutenant, who 
 was a wit, " that it was a little freshness ; for
 
 254 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 even now it's more like the breath of an oven 
 than a Christian's atmosphere ; — if we don't get 
 out of these dolderums in a week, my skeleton 
 will be keeping watch over my clothes. I 
 wonder where we are bound to !" 
 
 " We are all wondering about that," said his 
 messmate ; " and I think it odd, as we cannot 
 tell the secret to any but the sharks, that the 
 captain keeps it all to himself." 
 
 " Bless you, the flying fish would whisper it 
 to the dolphin when they pass down their gul- 
 lets, and it would soon be known over the ocean. 
 For my part, I don't care one straw where we 
 go to, as long as we go out of this broiling, 
 baking heat. I don't wonder at everyone being 
 crusty in such weather." 
 
 "The men, sir, want to know if you will give 
 them permission to bathe ?" 
 
 " I'll ask the captain," replied the first-lieu- 
 tenant to the midshipman. 
 
 Orders were immediately given to get a large 
 lower-studding sail overboard, in which per- 
 mission was given for the men to bathe ; but a 
 command accompanied it that no man should 
 venture outside of the sail, on any account
 
 TOM BOWLING. 255 
 
 There always are some men in every ship 
 who disregard all caution; and the Echo had 
 her share of these fool-hardy fellows, who never 
 consider why an order is given, but think it 
 rather unnecessary or tyrannical, and out of 
 pure contradiction oppose it. 
 
 The sail was soon pretty well filled with 
 bathers, grateful for the opportunity of getting 
 cool, or comparatively cool, in that lukewarm 
 sea. Some were amusing themselves splashing 
 their neighbours ; here one boy, who could 
 swim, was ducking his messmate, whilst the 
 poor urchin took in vast quantities of salt 
 water, to the infinite amusement of others, who 
 laughed at his wry faces. There was noise 
 enough alongside to have rivalled the largest 
 school at a break-up at holiday-times. 
 
 Whilst the officers were amusing themselves 
 in looking at the fun, or lounging over the 
 tafrrail, some of the men were availing them- 
 selves of the absence of the official eye to jump 
 overboard from the cathead, or fore-chains, 
 diving down head-foremost, and coming up 
 close to the rim of the sail, in which were the
 
 256 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 bathers. By degrees they increased their dis- 
 tance, and one, more venturous than the rest, 
 dropped from the spritsail yard-arm. 
 
 It is well known that as tyrants are the 
 greatest cowards, so the most ferocious animals 
 are the most timid. A tiger would skulk away 
 at the noise that a bull-dog would have the 
 curiosity to inquire into. An alligator will 
 sneak from the brake, and endeavour to creep 
 silently into the water, to avoid the cry a 
 child would make, if it scratched its face 
 w'ith a briar. Sharks generally shun the surf; 
 and a stone thrown in the water will scare a 
 thousand. These are generally well-ascertained 
 facts ; but there are exceptions to them all. 
 The hungry tiger will seize a bullock — the 
 half-famished alligator has been known to 
 attack a boat, and in spite of the courageous 
 resistance of the crew, to have seized one and 
 carried him away. Sharks have been known to 
 have dashed at a soldier washing his legs at 
 Port Royal Point, and to have bitten them off; 
 nay, they have followed ships in action, undis- 
 mayed by the noise of the guns, or the fall of
 
 TOM BOWLING. 257 
 
 the shot; and so susceptible are they of sound, 
 that they have been known to follow music. 
 The Equator is the habitation of these ferocious 
 and appalling monsters. They are larger per- 
 haps in the vicinity of Bermuda 'than almost 
 any other part ; whilst the tiger-shark of the 
 West Indies has gained its unenviable appella- 
 tion from its cunning, its resolution, and its 
 ferocity. Sharks have been seen which have 
 bitten at a bait, been hooked, and held, until 
 harpoons had been driven into them, then to 
 have shaken themselves off the hook and re- 
 turned directly to snatch at a fresh bait. It is 
 hard to cope with such determination and 
 courage. 
 
 The man who had dropped from the spritsail- 
 yard-arm was soon to be outdone by another, 
 who, running out to the jib-boom end, dropped 
 overboard, and on coming to the surface floated 
 a little to regain his breath ; he then struck out 
 leisurely for the sail. He was a fine handsome 
 fellow, one who was a stranger to fear, and who 
 had often dared death. He was under the 
 dolphin-striker when a midshipman observed
 
 258 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 the fin of a shark ; the fish was evidently going 
 fast across the bows. The alarm was instantly 
 given, and although the sail was a sufficient 
 defence, every one used his utmost endeavour to 
 regain the vessel. 
 
 The cry of lt A shark ! a shark !" reached the 
 ears of the seaman, who struck out quicker to 
 gain the sail. The officers rushed to the side, 
 and a boat which had been lowered, and in 
 which were two youngsters, was immediately 
 hailed and desired to splash their oars and make 
 as much noise as possible. The man gained 
 the edge of the sail when the shark was seen 
 under him. A simultaneous burst of horror 
 came from the assembled crowd. The poor 
 fellow felt that he was the object of commise- 
 ration, although within an inch of safety; and 
 before he could lift himself into the sail — which, 
 from the men having left it, was now higher than 
 before — the white belly of the infernal creature 
 was seen, and in a second the water was co- 
 loured with blood. The man let go his hold, 
 and his mutilated body presented itself as a 
 resistless object to its infuriated enemy. The
 
 TOM BOWLIXG. 259 
 
 blood had been tasted ; before the boat could 
 near the horrible scene, the monster rose again, 
 and the poor fellow was taken away, and sank 
 to rise no more. 
 
 It is impossible to paint the dismay of that 
 ship's company at witnessing the horrible catas- 
 trophe, and no one felt it more keenly than 
 Bowling, for, as the poet who afterwards did 
 credit to his memory remarks, u His heart was 
 kind and soft." The eyes of the men seemed 
 to endeavour to penetrate the ocean, which was 
 rendered obscure from the blood of their ship- 
 mate ; and it was deemed advisable instantly to 
 withdraw their attention by the calling of all 
 hands to muster. 
 
 It was well known who was the unfortunate 
 sufferer thus taken from them ; but Bowling 
 thought this time the best, whilst the scene was 
 fresh before their eyes, to make a proper impres- 
 sion upon his men. The mutilated corpse had 
 sunk, and other sharks had been seen, attracted 
 no doubt by their pilot fish,* who readily scent 
 blood, and lead their protectors to their food. 
 
 " We have been but a very short time to-
 
 260 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 gether," said Bowling to his men, " and one 
 life has been sacrificed by the disobedience of 
 my orders. It is an example to which I refer 
 with horror. I gave positive directions that no 
 man should go out of the sail. I foresaw that 
 an accident might occur, and I guarded against 
 it. My orders have been disobeyed, and you 
 see the fearful consequences which have ensued. 
 Where is the boatswain ?" Mr. Lanyard stept 
 forward. 
 
 " Did you see that poor fellow drop from the 
 jib-boom end?" 
 
 " No, sir; I was in my cabin." 
 
 The same question was put to the gunner, to 
 the captain of the forecastle ; but although many 
 had seen it, not one avowed it. Captain Bow- 
 ling then adverted to the impossibility of a man's 
 running out to the jib-boom end when the fore- 
 sail was hauled up without being seen, and 
 again warning his men that he would have the 
 most implicit obedience to his orders, sent them 
 below to talk over "a scene which a sailor never 
 forgets. 
 
 Captain Bowling had endeavoured as much
 
 TOM BOWLING. 261 
 
 as possible to imitate the behaviour of Captain 
 Collingwood, and upon this occasion he put one 
 of his maxims in force. Whenever Collingwood 
 had found it requisite to find fault with an 
 officer, he invariably did it the first time in a 
 kind but firm manner. He never sent for that 
 officer on the quarter-deck, and by any hasty 
 word lowered him in his own estimation, and 
 also in that of his inferiors; but he shewed the 
 error in its proper colour, and warned the officer 
 of the impropriety of its consequences. Bow- 
 ling, when the hands were piped down, walked 
 to the taffrail. The first-lieutenant, if on deck, 
 always walks by the captain's side. Bowling, 
 in the most gentlemanly manner, rebuked his 
 officer in such a low voice that it was not over- 
 heard. He told him he should have placed 
 midshipmen to see his orders were not disobeyed, 
 and should himself have seen those midshipmen 
 attended to their duty ; that even from the 
 quarter-deck this ought to have been observed, 
 and that whilst he regretted the unpleasant 
 duty of thus finding fault with his first-lieu- 
 tenant, he felt the greater necessity from the
 
 262 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 horrible accident which had occurred of implor- 
 ing him to be more circumspect in future. 
 
 There are some men in the navy who would 
 do well if they followed this example. There 
 is nothing so degrading to an officer of rank as 
 an intemperate reprimand before his inferiors. 
 If he be respectful as he would have others 
 respect him, his conduct is said to have merited 
 the rebuke from his not having defended it. If 
 both parties lose their temper, a court-martial 
 generally follows, and neither party gains by the 
 result. A rebuke, to be effective, and not to 
 sacrifice either party, must be done in calmness 
 and in privacy : if such unhappily is ineffective, 
 the sooner the inferior withdraws from the 
 superior the better. The first requisite in a 
 commanding-officer is, as Bonaparte observed, 
 " health ;" the second, " temper." Without 
 the first, the second is seldom found ; and with- 
 out the second, a good officer, mingling the 
 gentleman with the commander, cannot exist. 
 " Keep your temper" ought to be written on 
 one side of the chronometer, and on the other, 
 i( Wind me up on Saturday."
 
 TOM BOWLING. 263 
 
 There are some men in the navy who, in the 
 intemperance of passion, (with just reason 
 enough left to know that they will escape kick- 
 ing under the garb of their rank,) have threat- 
 ened to flog their first-lieutenant ; and there are 
 first-lieutenants who, cringing and lick-spittling 
 to such a tyrant, have submissively bowed the 
 neck, and walked away like frightened curs. 
 For the honour of the navy be it said, this is 
 only found where the victim of abuse is some 
 poor fellow who has tumbled from the clouds, 
 and -whose parents are as unknown as the crea- 
 ture is insignificant. To make a good officer a 
 man must be a gentleman ; they are inseparable. 
 The man who cannot command his tongue and 
 his temper is the worst man to entrust with any 
 command. The supercilious and the arrogant 
 always meet from men endowed with common 
 sense the contempt such childish frivolity de- 
 serves. Well might Shakspeare say, " That 
 foolish man, dressed in a little brief authority, 
 plays such fantastic tricks before high heaven," 
 &c. Captain Bowling's conduct had the effect 
 upon the first-lieutenant the former anticipated ;
 
 264 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 he became sensible of its delicacy, and practised 
 towards his inferiors the same kindness and for- 
 bearance. 
 
 The Echo at last got out of those dolderums, 
 the curse of all voyagers. There nature sinks 
 under the overwhelming power of the sun; a gene- 
 ral lassitude prevails ; the ocean seems weary of 
 motion, and calmly sleeps, her broad expanse 
 idly reflecting the heaven above her, from which 
 it receives its intensity of blue. There the 
 turtle dozes almost in security, the shark's large 
 fin seems too idle to mark the progress of the 
 fish, the sea is not even disturbed by a breath 
 of air, and in its large mirror everything seems 
 placid and motionless. At last the current 
 having swept her to the southward, a light 
 breeze aloft caught the sails ; once more a gentle 
 air disturbed the face of the waters; the sea 
 rippled at the bows, and, escaping from that 
 week's enthralment, the Echo got into the sea- 
 breeze, the trade wind, and crowded her canvas 
 towards her destination. 
 
 It was early in the month of August, 1795, 
 that the Echo made the Cape of Good Hope.
 
 TOM BOWLING. 265 
 
 No sooner had she discovered the land than 
 a squadron of ships were seen standing in to- 
 wards Simon's Bay. A vessel, apparently about 
 the size of the Echo, tacked on perceiving the 
 Echo, and stood towards her; signals were ex- 
 changed. The stranger was the Rattlesnake ; 
 and both vessels followed the squadron, which 
 was led by the Monarch, bearing the flag of 
 Sir George Elphinstone, into Simon's Bay. 
 His force consisted of four line-of-battle ships 
 and the two brigs; and they had on board a 
 detachment of the 78th Regiment, under the 
 command of Major-General Craig. The des- 
 patches of the Echo seemed to occupy the atten- 
 tion of the Admiral. Everything now breathed 
 of war ; preparations were made for some active 
 service, and a general animation prevailed. 
 
 The Cape of Good Hope was at this time 
 under the command of the Dutch governor, 
 General Sluysken ; and as it was deemed advis- 
 able that such an important place should not 
 fall by any negociation or attack into the hands 
 of the French government, it was modestly pro- 
 posed to the General that the settlement should 
 
 VOL. 1. N
 
 266 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 be placed under the protection of the British 
 fla£. There was no misunderstanding the 
 meaning of the message ; it was a gentle com- 
 mand to surrender the place, and the impos- 
 ing force which had come to make the request 
 was a sufficient indication of the intentions of 
 the Admiral. Calling things by their proper 
 names, or putting the message into language so 
 plain that no blockhead could misunderstand it, 
 it amounted to this: "Dear General, — If you will 
 place the Cape under the protection of his Bri- 
 tannic Majesty, I shall not take it from you; 
 but if you do not, 1 shall." The blood of the 
 old Dutchman got to fever heat, without the use 
 of his pipe. He sent back a positive refusal in 
 the fewest possible words; and at once shook off 
 the lethargy which occasionally attends his coun- 
 trymen. He gave orders to the inhabitants of 
 Simon's Town to depart, and mentioned his 
 determination of setting fire to the town.
 
 TOM BOWLING. 267 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 IN WHICH THE CAPE BECAME IN REALITY A CAPE OF GOOD 
 HOPE TO OUR HERO. 
 
 The determination of General Sluyskin 
 (Sly skin, as the sailors called him,) was not 
 long a secret ; and it became necessary for the 
 Admiral to prevent a calamity which was 
 not only ungenerous towards the proprietors, but 
 of considerable importance to the English. The 
 Dutch were not quite so active in obeying the 
 orders as the Governor had been in issuing 
 them. They lingered at their thresholds — the 
 furniture was lazily lumbered into the heavy 
 N 2
 
 268 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 car ts — and before one quarter could be re- 
 moved, four hundred and fifty men of the 78th 
 Regiment, and three hundred and fifty of 
 those gallant fellows, the Marines, were hastily 
 landed ; and making one rush at the town, they 
 took possession of it without any resistance. 
 
 The Dutch possessed a post of great im- 
 portance in the pass of Muyzenburg, which is 
 about six miles from Cape Town. It is over- 
 looked by heights that were soon occupied by 
 the Dutch militia, and the Hottentots. 
 
 The British force was altogether too insig- 
 nificant to oppose those numerous troops, and 
 still more so to attack their positions ; but reso- 
 lution is equal to numbers, as velocity is equal 
 to weight. From these heights the Dutch 
 amused themselves by firing on the English 
 patrolles; and any person reconnoitring the posi- 
 tion afforded capital practice for the " Make 
 ready — present — fire and load," — part of the 
 Dutch exercise. The fire was never returned — 
 the object was to take the Cape under our pro- 
 tection, as civilly set forth in the message ; — 
 not to murder the innocent subjects of the
 
 TOM BOWLING. 269 
 
 Dutch monarch : but this everlasting firing 
 grew a great deal too noisy to be allowed long 
 to continue. A few days were lost in the hope 
 of the arrival of the fleet from England ; and 
 the tidings of this expedition, and its probable 
 sailing, constituted the important despatches 
 which had been entrusted to Bowling. Now, 
 however, hope deferred only made the heart 
 sick. A new joy soon sprang up when the 
 orders came to each ship to muster a certain 
 number of small-arm men, to be under the com- 
 mand of Captain Bowling, of the Echo, and 
 Captain Spranger, of the Rattlesnake. The 
 amount of seamen selected for this service were 
 about one thousand ; and the whole force united, 
 the 78th Regiment, the Marines, and the sea- 
 men, numbered one thousand eighteen hundred 
 men. These men were landed without any oppo- 
 sition, and were assisted in their attacks by the 
 boats of the squadron, armed with carronades. 
 
 On the morning of the 17th, the general 
 advance began ; and great was the trouble 
 experienced by Bowling in keeping his amphi- 
 bious army in their proper position. Jack has
 
 270 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 no idea of the necessity of keeping step, or 
 keeping in line — a flight of wild ducks are much 
 more obedient than a division of small-armed 
 men, sent to co-operate with regular troops ; 
 and without each man is kept between two 
 marines, it's a hundred to one if a stray pig- 
 coming within hail of the detachment is not 
 sufficient inducement to make every man rush 
 forward to secure so savoury a prize : a flock of 
 geese are irresistible. Sailors are very fastidious 
 in their food. Ham and eggs may be esteemed 
 the first delicacy ; after which, a roast goose 
 has no rival. The march was along the shore, 
 which was sandy, hot, and tiresome; but on 
 these occasions, the more difficulties, the more 
 annoyances which occur, the more fun is found in 
 the sailors. As the pass was at some distance, 
 and the boats cleared away any obstacles in the 
 shape of the enemy, the men, although kept in 
 some degree of regularity, strolled a little, and 
 talked a great deal. 
 
 " Holy Father !" said an Irishman, who had 
 trotted over every bog in the county of Sligo, 
 " here's a footing for a gentleman, — it's as much
 
 TOM BOWLING. 271 
 
 as a duck could do to waddle over this san4 — 
 bad luck to it!" 
 
 " Form two deep !" roared General Craig. 
 
 " By my soul, Fm too deep already !" said 
 another, up to his knees in the loose, hot sand. 
 
 " Why don't you march together?" 
 
 " March ! do you call it ? — It's much more 
 like a hop. Oh, bad luck to the day I ever 
 came for a sailor, to be turned into a soldier !" 
 
 "Nonsense — nonsense!" said a good-humoured 
 sergeant, who attempted to keep the men in 
 some order ; " we had a sail with you, and now 
 you'll have a march with us. Cheer up, Paddy ; 
 we are all of one party — all in the same boat !" 
 
 " In the same boat, Mr. Sergeant, we may 
 be ; but can you tell us how we are off for 
 
 skulls r 
 
 Not even Bowling could help smiling at this, 
 although he was not in a laughing humour : 
 
 O DO 
 
 whilst in his own element he had no fears 
 for any result, but on shore he knew he could 
 not keep his men up to military discipline, or 
 make soldiers of a crew who hated the very 
 idea of a lobster. If ever a first-lieutenant
 
 272 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 wants an effective punishment, without appear- 
 ing to be inflicting it, let him only practice the 
 culprits at the small-arm exercise, and he will 
 succeed more effectually than all the bright 
 polishing, or all the oakum-picking in the 
 world. It is almost impossible to make sailors 
 understand a march and counter-march ; and 
 you may drill them as much as you like, but 
 directly the fun begins, in the shape of firing, 
 they will set to work their own fashion, and 
 blaze away at random. 
 
 In the meantime, the ships were not idle ; 
 they followed the boats in shore, and took up 
 good and effective positions. They soon suc- 
 ceeded in getting well within range of the 
 Dutch camp, after having driven the enemy 
 from two very commanding positions. In vain 
 the gallant General Craig used his utmost en- 
 deavours to share in the glory of driving the 
 enemy from their camp. The seamen, now im- 
 pressed with the necessity of military discipline, 
 acted well in concert with the soldiers, and 
 marched merrily along. The fire of the ships 
 at last drove the enemy from their camp, which
 
 TOM BOWLING. 273 
 
 was afterwards taken possession of by General 
 Craig, who, in spite of all exertions, could not 
 reach the spot in time to co-operate with the 
 ships. 
 
 The Dutch, driven from their camp, took up 
 an advantageous position on a ridge of rocky 
 heights, not far distant from the field of battle ; 
 but they were not long indulged with the idea 
 of security. The advanced guard of seventy- 
 eight, supported by the battalion, drove them 
 from the heights, and the position thus gained 
 was of great importance to the British forces. 
 Now all was joy with the sailors on shore. 
 They began to understand their work ; and 
 although, as the Irishman observed, they were 
 only paid for fighting on board a ship, they had 
 no objection to a liberty-day on shore, to assist 
 their friends in any amusements. 
 
 The Dutch began to fear for the loss of the 
 settlement. The steady advance and the con- 
 tinued success of the enemy had damped a little 
 of the hope which inspired them with a belief of 
 the security of their positions. The object was 
 now evidently Cape Town. The British were 
 n3
 
 274 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 within six miles of that situation, and General 
 Sluysken saw the necessity of active operations ; 
 he therefore reinforced his troops with all his 
 disposable force from Cape Town : eight field- 
 pieces were brought forward, and a vigorous 
 attack made to regain the lost positions. 
 
 As the Irishman said, now comes the fun. 
 The first battalion of seamen were under the 
 command of Bowling; and seeing the enemy 
 advance, he recommended his men to look to 
 their muskets rather than the sand on which 
 they walked. Bowling had crossed the water 
 with his battalion, supported by Major Hill and 
 his marines. The Dutch warmly saluted them, 
 but no shot was returned, and considerable dis- 
 cipline and coolness were exhibited by both sea- 
 men and marines upon this trying occasion. 
 The enemy, after manoeuvring some time, made 
 a desperate attempt, which was perfectly frus- 
 trated by the intrepidity of Bowling and his 
 party; and the result was that the Dutch were 
 defeated in all points, and retired. From the 
 8th of August to the end of the month the Dutch 
 made frequent attacks; and having met with
 
 TOM BOWLING. 275 
 
 some partial success, their General meditated 
 one grand attack upon the British camp, which 
 would, if successful, free him from his enemies, 
 and drive them to their ships again. During 
 this time, the seamen had undergone continual 
 drillings ; they could march with some steadi- 
 ness, although all attempts to begin, at the begin- 
 ning, "the goose-step, " were unavailing. 
 
 There can be no doubt but the British were 
 in a very perilous situation. It was evident 
 their force had been considered too weak to 
 advance, and delays on shore are sadly against 
 the habits of the seamen ; besides which, in 
 several of the late skirmishes the enemy had 
 had the advantage, although that advantage 
 was trifling. He now came forward with six- 
 teen pieces of artillery, and a strong reinforce- 
 ment of Hottentots, to settle the question. 
 The English were resolute in maintainino- their 
 position, and the night previous to the attack 
 was by both parties employed in preparing for 
 the morrow. At daylight, every thing was bustle 
 and activity ; and each moment was a mo- 
 ment of anxious suspense. The soldiers, accus-
 
 276 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 tomed to the scenes of preparation, seemed to 
 consider the affair as one of an ordinary nature ; 
 whilst the seamen betrayed the utmost anxiety 
 to rid themselves of the worst part of a battle, — 
 the expectation of it, — by immediately com- 
 mencing hostilities. 
 
 No attack was made. General Craig, who 
 was well aware of the intention of the enemy, 
 wondered at the delay ; but the Irish sentinel 
 soon explained the cause. 
 
 ; ' Come forward, is it you mean, your honour? 
 It's not Slyskin who'll come forward this blessed 
 day. He's making a starn-board already, and 
 doe* not like the look of that flate in the offing." 
 
 • ; Fleet in the offing!" reiterated the General. 
 
 " Flate in the offing, your honour ; and 
 where** the wonder, when they've all got masts 
 and sails ? They are much better off the Cape, 
 I'm thinking, than we are on it." 
 
 The Dutch General had seen the fleet. 
 There were no less than fourteen sail of East 
 India ships, wonderfully resembling ships of 
 the line, crowding all sail for the anchorage in 
 Simon's Bay. It was perhaps more necessary
 
 TOM BOWLING. 277 
 
 now than ever for the Dutch to make their 
 attack, and drive back the 78th Regiment and 
 the sailors, before the attack was made on them 
 by the increased numbers in the ships; but the 
 tide, which generally only flows once in all 
 affairs of war, was neglected, and each party 
 remained on their respective grounds. 
 
 By the 14th the troops were landed, and 
 provisioned for four days. The seamen, with 
 their usual zeal and resolution to overcome dif- 
 ficulties, dragged the cannon through the heavy 
 sand ; whilst a division of the squadron weighed 
 and ran into Table Bay, making a diversion in 
 the rear of the enemy. 
 
 General Clarke, resolving upon an immediate 
 attack upon Cape Town, marched the whole 
 force forward, as if determined to end the war at 
 one stroke. The Dutch, seeing this dauntless 
 front, began to retire towards Cape Town ; no 
 sooner, however, did the open bay become visi- 
 ble, than the detached ships of the squadron 
 were seen entering it. With a powerful enemy 
 in front, a harassing foe in the rear, and his men 
 wavering from a knowledge of the surrounding
 
 278 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 position of the British forces, the Dutch General 
 asked for forty-eight hours to settle the terms of 
 capitulation. 
 
 Time is uselessly allowed when one party are 
 at the gates, and those inside first offer the flag 
 of truce. It was evident from the request of 
 General Sluysken that he was check-mated ; 
 and Clarke, who was anxious to secure the 
 enemy, now within his grasp, allowed only twen- 
 ty-four hours for the terms of capitulation. 
 
 Half that time would have been suffi- 
 cient. All the parade and nonsense of garrisons 
 walking out with their flags flying and arms 
 displayed, is like giving a child a sugar-plum 
 to prevent its crying. There is no fear of an 
 .enemy being baked and eaten by the victors; 
 and what difference can it make if a garrison 
 lays down its arms and surrenders outside of a 
 town, or if they surrender at once, when all 
 retreat is cut off, and all chance of defence gone ? 
 It is a little bit of the humbug of war, left from 
 by-gone days, as ear-rings and necklaces are the 
 remnants of savage life. 
 
 Thus fell the town and colony into the hands
 
 TOM BOWLING. 279 
 
 of Great Britain ; and as the General had refused 
 to put it under the protection of the British 
 government, the latter took the liberty of taking 
 it altogether, and they have very carefully main- 
 tained so eligible a position ever since. 
 
 When, after millions had been slain that 
 Napoleon might stand on the top of the pillar in 
 the Place Vendome, still looking down upon the 
 nation he once made great, and the balance of 
 power was held in the false hands of diplomacy, 
 the different conquests for which Great Britain 
 had fought and bled were again restored to the 
 different nations from which they had been 
 wrested, the Cape, with one or two other impor- 
 tant places, were retained; and throughout the 
 whole war it would be difficult to name a more 
 important situation, which fell into our hands. 
 
 There had been but very trifling fighting in 
 the reduction of the Cape, and the army under 
 General Alured Clarke had suffered very incon- 
 siderably ; but there were some killed and some 
 wounded. Amongst the latter was a tall, well- 
 looking young man, who had received a flesh- 
 wound in the leg, and lay on the ground waiting
 
 280 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 to be carried like a gentleman, instead of hop- 
 ping on one leg, like a school-boy at play. 
 
 Bowling, seeing this officer in no very com- 
 fortable situation, called two or three of his men, 
 and desired them to lift the gentleman carefully, 
 and convey him to his tent, which was near at 
 hand ; whilst he ordered another seaman to run 
 for the surgeon who had been landed from the 
 America. 
 
 "You are not much hurt, I hope, Sir?" said 
 Bowing. 
 
 "Not much," replied the officer, with an 
 especial dandy intonation ; " the ball has passed 
 through the calf of my leg, and will be, I fear, 
 detrimental to exertion during the shooting sea- 
 son." 
 
 " That's the season, your honour," said the 
 Irishman, who seemed to be, like his coun- 
 tryman's bird, in two places at once, " that's 
 just over, and which, bad luck to it ! spoilt 
 the calf of your honour's leg." Then, calling 
 to a comrade, he added, " Tim, go to the 
 gen'lman's head, you're the strongest of the 
 party ; it will take eight of us to lift the length
 
 TOM BOWLING. 281 
 
 of him, not to mention his honour's boots. 
 Aisy, boys, aisy ; kape his head up. Now then, 
 lads, lift handsomely together, and away we go 
 to the tent. Tim, you butcher's baby you ! 
 make a circumbendibus, and let the gen'lman 
 put his best foot forward ; you would not let him 
 go into the tent, sure, like an ox to the shambles, 
 head-foremost ?" 
 
 "I think the less you talk, Mr. Irishman," 
 said the officer, " and the more you work, the 
 better ; and I'll trouble you to walk as evenly 
 as you can." 
 
 " Gently, boys, gently ; his honour ain't 
 accustomed to horse-exercise — you see he's no 
 spurs to his boots. By my soul, here's the doc- 
 tor with as many knives as would cut up the 
 salt junk for the dinner of a frigate's ship's com- 
 pany ! Your honour had better be put on the 
 table at once; he's the cleverest man in the 
 univarsal world, and you'll be fit for Chelsea in 
 ten minutes." 
 
 The officer was placed, from preference, on a 
 cot which was on the ground, the amputation- 
 table, at which Paddy in revenge had hinted, 
 not being at all in accordance with his views.
 
 282 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 "What is the matter?" said the surgeon, as 
 he approached. 
 
 " Nothing particular, your honour," inter- 
 rupted Paddy. " The gen'lman's got a shooting 
 season in his leg." 
 
 The wound was examined : the ball had 
 passed, as the officer said, right through, leaving 
 a flesh-wound of little or no importance, save 
 the temporary pain, the confinement, and, above 
 all, the necessary abstinence, which must result 
 before a cure could be effected. 
 
 Bowling's party having been commanded 
 back to their ships, in order to get the squadron 
 into Table Bay, he was on his march before the 
 officer had been placed in his tent ; and on the 
 Irish seaman rejoining him, he was sent back to 
 attend upon the wounded gentleman, and on 
 his removal to bring down to Table Bay the cot 
 and other articles. The officer would just as 
 soon have seen the devil as the Irishman; but 
 he soon learned to appreciate the kind-hearted 
 fellow, who, although he was not sparing of his 
 words, was ever ready to go through any fatigue 
 to comfort the officer, notwithstanding that he 
 was as fretful under the necessary restraint
 
 TOM BOWLING. 283 
 
 and confinement as a newly-caged canary- 
 bird. 
 
 " What's your name ?" said the officer, 
 rather hastily. 
 
 " It's Patrick O'Leary, to be sure, as if all the 
 flate did not know that ; and now could your 
 honour be afther returning the compliment, by 
 informing me of your own beautiful name?" 
 
 The officer smiled as he said, " I am Captain 
 Augustus Csesar Cornish." 
 
 " Holy Father !" said O'Leary, in an Irish 
 whisper, " here's names enough to beat the 
 Dutch Governor, any how I"
 
 284 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 IN WHICH SOME TROPICAL AMUSEMENTS ARE SHEWN TO 
 THE READER. 
 
 Captain Augustus Cesar Cornish was 
 not in mourning when he arrived at the Cape. He 
 was supposed to be a single man ; and, from his 
 own confessions, generally wheedled out of him 
 with considerable ease, was with the women 
 one of the most successful men in England. 
 For this qualification he certainly possessed 
 many requisites ; and his commanding figure 
 made him an especial favourite with the ma- 
 jority of the sex.
 
 TOM BOWLING. 285 
 
 The heat of the Cape was likely to draw out 
 some of his rosiness, whilst the musquitoes 
 always fed luxuriantly during the time he re- 
 mained in the tent, situated on the sand, from 
 which, at sunset, these tormenting devils rise 
 by thousands. Bowling had no musquito- 
 curtains ; he had few luxuries, but plenty of 
 the requisites for war; and Patrick O'Leary, 
 in answer to a question from the wounded 
 captain, as to what kind of a man his master 
 could be to do without curtains, replied, " By 
 my faith, your honour, the captain's a man very 
 fond of music !" 
 
 If all the annoyances of tropical climates 
 were heaped together, what an encouragement 
 it would be for young men of good fortune to 
 emigrate, and leave the luxuries of England, in 
 the great cause of serving their country I The 
 weakening heat of the day passed, the partially 
 revived exile sits down to dinner. No sooner 
 has the steam of the soup arisen to the beams 
 above, than down comes a cockroach into the 
 savoury mess, and away goes the soup un- 
 tasted. No living creature but a mongoose
 
 286 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 can relish a cockroach ; and cockroach Madeira 
 is a bestiality at which point few can arrive. 
 The continued dance of St. Vitus, occasioned 
 by the incessant bites of those tiny blood- 
 suckers, the musquitoes, keeps the healthy part 
 of the company in a fever of excitement; whilst 
 along the beams myriads of ants,— insects which 
 sometimes take the liberty of attempting to 
 colonize the stranger's person — swarm above 
 the head, and crawl along the decks. 
 
 Suddenly a rush, like the noise of many 
 winds is heard ; it is a flight of amatory cock- 
 roaches, attracted by the light, — they fly with 
 the rapidity of partridges ; — the candles are ex- 
 tinguished — the nasty things stick in the hair 
 of your head — fly against your face — get inside 
 of the waiscoat, and all — ay, every idea of the 
 most common comfort, is in a moment put to 
 flight. Half starved, from the inroad of the 
 harpies, who defy extinction, and who increase 
 and multiply and replenish the ship in spite of 
 the most revengeful warfare waged against 
 them by every boy in her, who each morn- 
 ing is obliged to muster with a certain, not 

 
 TOM BOWLIXG. 287 
 
 insignificant, number of either the insects or 
 their eggs, the exhausted exile seeks oblivion 
 in the luxury of sleep : he walks the deck of 
 his cabin for a moment without slippers, to 
 cool his feverish feet. The enemy, ever watch- 
 ful, at once seizes his opportunity. The jigger 
 fastens itself upon the skin ; it digs its way 
 through the outer cuticle ; it establishes an 
 habitation, as rabbits burrow in the earth, and 
 fearful indeed are the consequences of allow- 
 ing these intruders to remain unmolested, — 
 amputation has been sometimes resorted to, 
 and mortification has more than once ensued. 
 With this enemy, who so cautiously attacks 
 his victim that he is perfectly unconscious of 
 his harbouring such a foe, the bed is resorted 
 to ; and there, even in spite of O'Leary's mu- 
 sic, the exhausted man believes himself partially 
 relieved from the unceasing annoyances of the 
 day. 
 
 The feeble light of the sentinel's lantern 
 enables him to discern something black just 
 over his face ; his weary eyes can only discover 
 that it moves. The man, overcome by lassitude,
 
 288 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 dozes ; and something falls upon his face. 
 He rises at the unwelcome salute ; but what- 
 ever it might have been, it has disappeared. 
 To sleep again, he again closes his heavy 
 eyes ; but a curious sensation, resembling a 
 scratch and a tickle, disturbs him once 
 more. He feels something which crawls up 
 his arm, having found a cheerful warmth by 
 making its way to the skin through the opening 
 at the wrist; hastily unbuttoning the wrist- 
 band, he turns up his sleeve in some dismay — 
 and there, cased in its saffron mail, the long 
 centipede, dragging with it its hundred feet, is 
 seen pursuing its slow pace towards the neck. 
 If it stops even for a second, it bites — and then 
 come pains and aches which would defy the 
 leaden power of sleep. 
 
 With cautious but trembling hand he flips 
 the nasty vermin from his skin ; but there it 
 still is, alive, and crawling in his cabin, and 
 may, before the night is past, mount the 
 bulkhead, and, crawling along the beam, again 
 be attracted by the heat, and again endeavour 
 to nestle on his arm. The musquitoes, in the
 
 TOM BOWLING. 289 
 
 meantime, buzz about his ears, and not un- 
 frequently, as if determined to be noticed, force 
 themselves within the entrance. The cock- 
 roaches crawl, the ants creep, and all nature 
 seems alive, whilst man solicits repose. A 
 strange sail is reported at daylight : ever alive 
 to the service, the anxious officer jumps from 
 his cot — he encases himself in his clothes — he 
 thrusts his foot into his shoe ; a sharp sting 
 soon obliges turn to retreat ; he shakes the shoe 
 to find the hidden enemy, when out falls a 
 green scorpion, and, curling his tail aloft, as if 
 in defiance, and shewing itself ready for attack 
 though eager for retreat, the poisonous reptile 
 skims along the deck. Then follows all the 
 effects of the venom — " A bolt of ice runs hiss- 
 ing through the veins, and now again he 
 burns;" the tongue is quickly projected and 
 returned to the mouth ; an excruciating pain 
 shoots up the leg, fever instantly attacks the 
 patient ; and whilst occupied in remedying the 
 evil in one foot, the crafty jigger, or chigoes, is 
 enlarging its habitation; — innumerable eggs 
 vol. i. o
 
 290 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 are deposited, and a growing and a serious 
 malady is gaining ground. 
 
 Does he, to avoid these annoyances, seek the 
 shore — alas ! they are all bred on shore. It is 
 but a colony that has emigrated : the mother 
 country swarms with unhealthy population. If 
 to cool himself he tries the water, the greedy 
 shark, the terrific alligator, the sword, cat, dog, 
 and pikefish, are all on the look-out to attack 
 him. He turns to the shady grove— the speckled 
 snake is everywhere in his path ; the viper 
 hangs from the tree ; the venomous spider de- 
 scends as it spins its attenuated web ; the fleas, 
 flies, musquitoes, ants, wasps, hornets — a myriad 
 of moving devils — hunt him from his repose, and 
 make even the yellow fever insignificant. 
 
 To a man who has basked in luxury on the 
 happy shore where all the most serious of these 
 annoyances and dangers are unknown, the know- 
 ledge of the enemies amongst which he is des- 
 tined to live makes his life one of care and un- 
 easiness. Some indeed have been frightened 
 at the descriptions, and died of their fears — 
 others have returned in the packet which con-
 
 TOM BOWLING. 291 
 
 veyed them to the unhealthy shores ; and some, 
 eager to avoid the calamity, have had recourse 
 to precautions which have suddenly failed, and 
 ultimately proved their worst enemy. It re- 
 quires a man of some nerve calmly to bear 
 these evils ; the fretful predispose themselves to 
 fever ; and the idle loiterer in the sun, or the 
 moon's rays, courts the malady. 
 
 After Cape Town had fallen, and all the 
 nonsense and parade of the surrender had been 
 gone through, Cornish was placed in a cart, 
 drawn by bullocks — a most uncomfortable car- 
 riage for an invalid, being so very rough and 
 slow in its motions — and was conveyed to a con- 
 venient house, for which he paid a handsome 
 rent. Money was no object; he had plenty of 
 that most requisite article. And now, placed 
 on a comfortable couch, everlooking Table Bay, 
 he enjoyed all the luxuries of his new habitation. 
 In his usual forgetfulness, or rather ingratitude, 
 he had never even asked the name of the cap- 
 tain who had lent him his tent and his servant. 
 As Captain Bowling had quite enough to do 
 without wasting his time on morning visits, he 
 o 2
 
 292 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 allowed a fortnight to pass without encumbering 
 the patient with any more of his attentions. 
 
 At the termination of this time, the officers of 
 the army proposed to give a grand dinner to 
 their worthy coadjutors in arms. The utmost 
 harmony prevailed between the two services, and 
 an entertainment of this kind was not likely to 
 lessen it. Cornish was resolved to be present ; 
 indeed there was no reason why he should not : 
 his wound was sufficiently well to enable him 
 to walk, and comjnon temperance was all that 
 his medical adviser required. 
 
 It was a grand spread ; the table was 
 honoured by the attendance of General Sluy- 
 skin, and all the captains of the East India 
 ships then in the bay. The army, the navy, 
 foreigners, civilians, and captains, all were pre- 
 sent ; and certainly on that occasion no one 
 could complain of the want of liberality in the 
 donors of the feast. The best wines were sent 
 from the ships — English mutton was also pro- 
 vided in capital order ; and, in short, everything 
 from turtle to yams decorated the table. 
 
 No man looked more at his ease than General
 
 TO.M BOWLING. 293 
 
 Sluyskin. He sat on the right of General 
 Clarke, and on the left of the Admiral. His 
 government had passed from him — all his 
 honours and glories had faded away ; the old 
 man had changed from governor to captive, yet 
 nothing could rob him of his cheerfulness. He 
 had done as much as could have been expected 
 from him ; he had yielded when all resistance 
 was useless, and with that composure that a 
 brave man ever experiences, he regarded his 
 captors. Bowling looked at him with admira- 
 tion ; and in his manner observed the greatness 
 of his mind. Cornish was astonished that he 
 should condescend to shew himself before his 
 conquerors as a kind of wild beast exhibition. 
 This soldier, although brave, for no one ever 
 doubted the animal courage of Cornish, had not 
 that high opinion of moral courage which marks 
 the superior man. Cornish would have sunk 
 under what he would have called the disgrace 
 of the defeat, or have died in making an use- 
 less resistance, surrounded by his gallant band, 
 who might have said, as the French Guard at 
 Waterloo, " We may die — but we will never
 
 294 TOM BOWLIXG. 
 
 surrender." He might have won golden opin- 
 ions from some, in perilling the blood of his 
 soldiers when the battle was won ; but men 
 who judge differently, and who draw a just line 
 between bravery and desperation, would cen- 
 sure, and properly censure, the useless waste of 
 life that must have ensued, had he continued an 
 obstinate resistance. When Sluyskin's health 
 was drunk, and every officer, out of respect for 
 the former Governor, rose as he offered the 
 toast, he made a reply in which the above ar- 
 gument was the groundwork of his speech ; 
 and he finished by declaring, " The brave man 
 knew when to surrender, and when further re- 
 sistance would be criminal. " 
 
 It was the remarks which followed this speech 
 that first elicited a conversation between Cornish 
 and Bowling; indeed Bowling had not recos;- 
 nised in the gaily-dressed Cornish the wounded 
 man he had served. Bowling was warm in his 
 admiration of the temper of Sluysken, and 
 espoused his sentiments; whilst Cornish, to 
 make the argument closer to his feelings, asked 
 if he would not sooner his ship had sunk under
 
 TOM BOWLING. 295 
 
 his feet than surrender, as the Vengeur did with 
 her crew on the 1st of June, 1794. 
 
 Bowling's reply was looked for with much 
 interest by the younger officers of the army. He 
 was known to them all, in spite of the benevo- 
 lence so strongly marked in his countenance, to 
 be one of the most daring fellows in the service. 
 
 (i In the first place," he said, " Sir, you have 
 misstated the circumstance of the Vengeur; 
 and most certainly nothing would tempt me to 
 imitate so bad an example." 
 
 " Bad an example !" interrupted Cornish ; 
 ** why she went down with her crew on board, 
 and they, waving the tricoloured flag, even as 
 the ship was disappearing, shouted ' Vive la 
 republique !' The action was fought only last 
 year, and we are all acquainted with the facts" 
 
 11 1 should think not," said Bowling, coolly ; 
 " and for one I am quite sure you are not ac- 
 quainted with the facts." 
 
 i( Sir !" exclaimed Cornish. 
 
 " Sir," said Bowling, as he quietly placed 
 on his plate a piece of pine apple, " suppose 
 you give me time to state my facts before I state
 
 296 TOM ROWLING. 
 
 my sentiments. The Vengeur, it is true, was 
 sunk in Lord Howe's action, and it is equally 
 true that the French flag was waved as she 
 sunk ; but you have forgotten to state, that so 
 far from this being a proof of determined resist- 
 ance to the last, it was merely the exhibition of 
 a few men, all totally devoid of danger by their 
 being; drunk, and that over their heads was an 
 English flag waving in the breeze, which their 
 comrades had hoisted as a proof of surrender, 
 and as a signal for assistance ; that, so far from 
 the crew being at all anxious for the unenviable 
 distinction you have so lavishly bestowed, not 
 more than fifteen men, and they were too in- 
 toxicated to avail themselves of the chance of 
 escape, sank in the ship. Captain Reverdin 
 and all his crew, with the exception of the 
 fifteen, availed themselves of the first oppor- 
 tunity, and saved themselves.* Now these are 
 
 * There is a fine painting by a Monsieur Leon Morel 
 Fatio, in the Louvre, on this subject ; he has fallen into a 
 complication of errors. The Vengeur is sinking with at 
 least five hundred men on board. The ship is perfectly 
 dismasted, and no English flag is seen ; but on the poop
 
 TOM BOWLING. 297 
 
 my facts ; and in answer to the question put to 
 me as to what I should have preferred, I an- 
 swer, that when resistance is vain, it becomes 
 criminal, as the General said in his speech, and 
 no man has a right, from a false feeling of 
 honour, to sacrifice the lives of brave men, who 
 gallantly defend themselves as long as resist- 
 ance is attended with any hope of escape or 
 conquest. When you cannot save the ship, 
 she is lost under every circumstance, but the 
 crew may be saved to serve their country again, 
 perhaps with better success." 
 
 " I really cannot agree with you," said 
 Cornish ; " I really cannot." 
 
 " Perhaps not ; but allow me to ask you one 
 question. When I found you the other day 
 lying wounded on the sand, unable to move 
 from loss of blood, perfectly helpless as to the 
 smallest resistance, if I, instead of being your 
 
 there are about two hundred persons, all pointing to a tri- 
 coloured flag, and all going down with the greatest possible 
 satisfaction. He has been misled by the author of " Les 
 Victoires et Conquetes," who is as erroneous in his descrip- 
 tion as the artist. 
 
 o 3
 
 298 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 friend had been your foe, and had come raging 
 with fury to destroy all I could of my enemies, 
 would you have said, ' By all means stick me, 
 poke me through and through with that long 
 pike; put me like a frog upon a spit; make a 
 kabob of me; transfix me on a skewer to be 
 fried?' or would you have said, 'I surrender, 
 spare my life V " 
 
 " I take this to be personal, decidedly per- 
 sonal; and I am at a loss to imagine howl 
 have drawn on myself such an insult." 
 
 " Insult," said Bowling, good-humouredly, 
 " that is rather too good. You ask me a ques- 
 tion, and I answer it in a straightforward man- 
 ner. I put the same question to you, and you 
 shelter yourself under the assumption of an 
 offence you must know I never could have in- 
 tended." 
 
 " Shelter!" said Cornish, to a young ensign 
 close to him; " by Jove, he said shelter ! As if 
 a man got under an umbrella to shelter himself 
 from the attack of the rain, or behind a tree to 
 shelter himself from a storm. By the Lord 
 Harry, he shall never say I sheltered myself
 
 TOM BOWLING. 299 
 
 from him. You will be my friend, of course. 
 These young captains of cockle shells are mighty 
 bumptious, and require some bleeding." 
 
 Bowling caught just enough of the words to 
 comprehend their meaning; and although he 
 was the braver man of the two, and possessed 
 more coolness and discretion, he took no notice 
 of the expressions whatever ; but, turning to 
 the president, asked permission to give a toast. 
 The president gave his consent, and Bowling 
 rose.
 
 300 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 IN WHICH ARE TWO MORE SONGS FOR THE AMUSEMENT 
 OF THE PUBLIC, AND TWO OLD ACQUAINTANCES 
 GET UP A LITTLE AMUSEMENT FOR THEMSELVES. 
 
 " Mr. President," said Bowling, (as he in 
 reality began his first speech, and might have 
 continued with " unaccustomed as I am to 
 public speaking,") " I feel a little alarmed even 
 at the pleasure I had anticipated in proposing 
 the toast which you have kindly given me per- 
 mission to offer; but it is a toast I feel con- 
 fident will be received by us all — all, I hope " 
 (he repeated, looking towards Cornish, whose 
 upper lip was turned up with a sneer, whilst his
 
 TOM BOWLING. 301 
 
 whole countenance betokened the hope he enter- 
 tained that the speaker would break down,) 
 " with the sincerity it is offered. In all great 
 undertakings, Mr. President, where the union 
 of the two services is requisite, there is nothing 
 tends so much to the success of the enterprise 
 as a good and proper understanding between 
 every officer engaged in it. In these times 
 envy and jealousy should be laid aside; we 
 should all be prompted by one determination, 
 that of acting in concert, so that success may 
 not be endangered by any ill-feeling. If there 
 had been dissension amongst us, could we ever 
 have hoped to have overcome that gallant and 
 excellent officer on your right, even had our force 
 been more numerous, and we had been enabled 
 to hem him in on every side ? Had we not 
 acted in concert, his gallantry, and talent in 
 availing himself of every favourable event, might 
 have occasioned a very different result. As in 
 public, so may it ever be in private life,- — may 
 the two services (I mean no disrespect to that 
 gallant, that enterprising corps, the marines, in 
 which we both merge) — may the two services,
 
 302 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 Mr. President, ever be united in friendship and 
 cordiality; and may no jealousy sever us in 
 public, or any hasty expression promote discord 
 in private life. Mr. President, I give, with 
 your permission, l The Union of the Services.' " 
 It was perfectly impossible even for the fire- 
 eating Captain Cornish to pretend not to under, 
 stand the application of the toast, and the deli- 
 cate manner in which Bowling had held out 
 the hand of reconciliation in his reference to the 
 union of the services in private life. He was, 
 however, in high dudgeon, and would, had not 
 the stream of applause been too strong for him 
 to contend against, have manifested a kind of 
 parliamentary disapprobation of the sentiments. 
 The president himself returned thanks for the 
 toast; and, in conclusion, gave " The Navy." 
 It is customary on such occasions for every officer 
 of the other service to name every officer of the 
 profession present, and to say, " Your health." 
 This was the touchstone on which to test Corn- 
 ish's intention: and he, mad that his adversary 
 had obtained some notice from all, most studi- 
 ously omitted Bowling.
 
 TOM BOWLING. 303 
 
 Bowling saw the storm brewing ; and as he 
 could not reach the friendly port to which he 
 had attempted to steer, he shortened sail to 
 meet the squall with coolness whenever it might 
 attack him. 
 
 In the meantime the senior officers retired 
 with the Governor, and left the entertainment 
 to be carried on by the younger men, all of 
 whom, with the exception of one, were in very 
 high spirits, and in capital humour. It might 
 have been supposed that the room was an area 
 for the practice of public speaking ; for as the 
 wine circulated freely, the imaginations of many 
 of the company got a little confused, and ar- 
 rived at that pitch when the speaker has a 
 thousand brilliant ideas, but the words become 
 clogged together, the idea escapes before it can 
 be expressed, and twenty speeches were begun 
 without one being properly terminated. 
 
 There were several Dutch officers present at 
 the beginning of the feast ; but as they could 
 not understand the language when the speakers 
 were soSer, they felt they were now only wet 
 blankets over the fire of conviviality, and re-
 
 304 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 tired. The president, who had superseded 
 General Clarke in the chair, availed himself of 
 this opportunity of withdrawing, and it became 
 necessary to elect another to fill the situation. 
 
 There was a very cheerful expression of coun- 
 tenance about Bowling. He had naturally 
 high spirits, and his dark eye flashed with de- 
 light at any witticism. In his youth he had 
 drunk enough of stronger liquor than claret to 
 accustom him to take a very large quantity of 
 that wine without getting inebriated. He was 
 known to sing a good song, that is as far as the 
 music was concerned, the words being always 
 his own, and the subject nearly the same. 
 Every one seemed to look at him, and there was 
 a simultaneous desire expressed that he should 
 fill the chair. Many persons present were 
 aware he had stepped up the ladder by his own 
 exertions, and the gallant manner in which he 
 captured the fort at Martinique had been of 
 course mentioned by his officers, who felt a 
 pride in serving under a man so distinguished 
 for his bravery. Cornish, when he saw his 
 enemy thus promoted by the company, rose to
 
 TOM BOWLLVG. 305 
 
 withdraw ; but one or two of his regiment, who 
 carried sail with some difficulty, held him firmly 
 by the arm, and desired him not to leave a 
 society to the pleasures of which he could so 
 largely contribute. 
 
 " By the Lord Harry, Apollo !" said one of 
 them, " we will have half-a-dozen songs out of 
 you, and we shall have a grand account of all 
 the girls who have been desperately in love 
 with you, from the first Fanny to your black- 
 eyed Susan in Devonshire. There's no fun 
 without you, so, as our friend in the chair would 
 say, bring yourself to an anchor." 
 
 Bowling distinctly heard the mention of 
 black-eyed Susan in Devonshire ; and although 
 there might have been some hundreds of Susans, 
 all with black eyes and all residing in Devon- 
 shire, the name awakened in him some very 
 uncomfortable feelings in regard to Cornish. 
 The latter gentleman was perfectly cool and 
 sober; for throughout the whole evening, when 
 others had become a little excited and, after 
 numerous toasts had been drunk, a little bor- 
 dering on the uproarious, Cornish, for once in
 
 306 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 his life, had kept steady and been reflective. 
 He saw before him his brave companions in 
 arms, no longer under the fear of restraint ; 
 but, the bridle being removed, they galloped in 
 unrestrained liberty. 
 
 In all dinner-parties of this kind, there are 
 some of the company who forget their situations 
 as officers, and become, in a trifling degree, loose 
 and disorderly ; and now, even in spite of Bow- 
 ling's presidential restraint, the song and the 
 anecdote got adrift and became loose. Bowling 
 sang the first strain. In all his songs the heart 
 seemed resting on a distant hope; and although 
 he had cheered up, in by-gone days, the rough- 
 est sailor on the Saturday night by some allusion 
 to gales and battles, yet even in the very first 
 songs he had written there was always a lurking 
 after Susan, and in every one he had ever penned 
 her name was in some part of the verse. He 
 sang the following to the tune of " When at war 
 on the ocean we meet the proud foe :" — 
 
 " When the wind swells the canvas, and strong is the breeze 
 Which drives our brave ship o'er the far-distant seas ;
 
 TOM BOWLING. 307 
 
 If we see but a speck on the ocean's white foam, 
 We think of old England — we think of our home. 
 
 For there, in that island, the pride of the brave, 
 Whose flag rides in triumph o'er every wave — 
 Who is great in her court, in her camp, in her mart — 
 There dwells the fond maiden, the pride of my heart. 
 
 Oh, grant me, kind Heaven ! that girl for a wife, 
 Whilst the sun-rise of health gives me vigour and life ; 
 And constant I'll be from the day that I wed, 
 For Susan, dear Susan, shall pillow my head." 
 
 64 That's not a bad song," said the young 
 officer who had detained Cornish; "it seems odd, 
 though, that both sailors and soldiers should all 
 tumble in love with Susans. I say, Apollo, my 
 boy, what is the other name of your Susan? 
 Yours is 'The Susan;' for yours is a reality. 
 Captain Bowling's, I fancy, is a poet's imagina- 
 tion." 
 
 "Not quite," said Bowling, "not quite. I 
 have seen a girl of that name, but it's many 
 years ago. It's more than eight years since I 
 put my foot on the English shore ; so that whe- 
 ther my Susan has grown up as pretty as she 
 promised to be, or has made a stretch on the
 
 308 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 other tack and skimmed along the ugly shore, 
 are points on which I am in total ignorance." 
 
 " I do know a Susan/' said Cornish, with most 
 particular emphasis, " and I flatter myself she 
 knows me. There never was a prettier girl born 
 in old England ; and as far as black eyes are 
 good towards making a handsome woman, with 
 smooth, glossy, raven hair — the most even and 
 white teeth — features as regular as if they were 
 chiselled by that old Greek (I always forget his 
 name) — with a smile upon her cherry lips, and 
 good humour on her features — with a figure as 
 beautiful as was ever created for the admiration 
 of man, I know her to be exquisitely lovely ; and, 
 poor girl, I think I may add, without incurring 
 the imputation of flattery, my absence is not 
 congenial to her wishes." 
 
 " Don't get Cornish in his loves, or we shall 
 never hear another song," interrupted a veteran 
 captain, whose bent had long since been fixed 
 upon promotion rather than on woman. "Let's 
 have ( Corporal Scamp.' " 
 
 The young man thus called upon for the song 
 was the friend of Cornish, but as different from
 
 TOM BOWLING. 309 
 
 him as light from darkness, a kind of proof that 
 extremes do meet. With a good-humoured 
 acquiescence he filled his glass, and sang the 
 following rather opposite opinion to the one 
 expressed in Bowling's song : — 
 
 " Corporal Scamp, Corporal Scamp, 
 Was the greatest rogue in all the camp. 
 
 If he saw pass by 
 
 A dark black eye, 
 Or if it was blue, or a lighter shade, 
 Scamp tried for a kiss from the pretty maid. 
 
 It chanced one day, as he happened to stray, 
 He met a nun who was running away. 
 
 All hooded in black, 
 
 She never looked back ; 
 So Scamp caught the fugitive round the waist, 
 And softly whispered, ' Why in such haste ?' 
 
 She never spoke, but away she broke, 
 Without once deigning to cast a look : 
 
 Her course she bent 
 
 To an officer's tent, 
 Who was teaching recruits to ' shoulder arms,' — 
 Who forgot his love in his war's alarms. 
 
 The corporal's feet were nearly as fleet, 
 His heart and his pulse were at fever heat : 
 
 It's youth's pretty face 
 
 That can run such a pace. 
 ' Hark, hark !' cried the figure, ' I hear the tramp, 
 The coming step, of that Corporal Scamp.'
 
 310 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 He entered the tent, and at once he went 
 To gratify his heart's content : 
 
 The hood's thrown back — 
 
 He gave her a smack — 
 Then he bit his lips, and he cursed his life ; 
 The amorous nun was — the corporal's wife !" 
 
 "Hah, hah, hah!" laughed the old captain. 
 " That's just the reason I never married. I should 
 always be afraid of kissing my wife by mistake." 
 
 " Or of her kissing another," said Cornish. 
 " For Susan, dear Susan, shall pillow my head," 
 he hummed aloud. " Rather pretty that: senti- 
 mental withal ; and most especially in accord- 
 ance with my feelings !" 
 
 " Who the devil is this Susan?" said the old 
 captain. " I fancy, Cornish, you are like Cor- 
 poral Scamp, after every pretty girl in your 
 parish." 
 
 " Oh, she is nobody of any birth, parentage, 
 or education. She tumbled from the clouds, I 
 believe, and was taken, as a matter of charity, 
 as a companion to a sick young lady ; a kind of 
 pretty piece of furniture, when worn out to be 
 changed or discharged, or hired at discretion ; 
 a piece of sticking-plaster, when it has served 
 its destined turn, to be thrown aside ; a — "
 
 TOM BOWLING. 311 
 
 " Oh Lord !" interrupted the veteran ; " she's 
 like a woman, isn't she?" 
 
 " Yes ; and a prettier woman than Susan 
 Monckton does not exist." 
 
 "Sir!" said Bowling, "who did you mention?" 
 
 " Who ? " replied Cornish (who, having 
 nursed his hatred for Bowling, was quite pleased 
 at the prospect of ripping up an old quarrel, or 
 establishing a new one), " why Susan Monckton, 
 the companion of Rosa Talbot; the paid attachee 
 to her petticoat; and a young woman I have 
 honoured by my protection." 
 
 So completely was Bowling overcome by the 
 heaps of insults thus lavishly, thus unexpectedly 
 thrown upon his own Susan, that he remained 
 perfectly silent. He felt a cold shiver run over 
 him, and was on the point of leaving the chair, 
 when he was recalled to his duty by a rather 
 intoxicated cornet proposing " The health of 
 Susan Monckton," Cornish's beauty. 
 
 A general cheer followed the proposition, for 
 in Susan Monckton all the sex was included ; 
 and this toast, " Women," is and was, ever since 
 the army of England has existed, the toast best 
 received ; for as none but the brave deserve the
 
 312 TOM BOWLING. 
 
 fair, and all soldiers are presumed to be brave, 
 it followed that they only drank what they 
 deserved. The evening was setting in for a wet 
 night; a vast number had already begun to 
 speak rather thick ; one young gentleman was 
 getting sentimentally lachrymose ; another was 
 beginning to make very indifferent puns, and 
 nearly fell into hysterics as he laughed aloud ; 
 but all were sober enough to drink their favourite 
 toast in a brimmer, the rose in the middle attest- 
 ing that the glass would not hold a drop more 
 without running over. Even Bowling, who was 
 now a very respectable imitation of inebriety, 
 inasmuch as he could not bring his mind to any 
 subject, mechanically filled his glass. 
 
 " Women \" he exclaimed. 
 
 " Susan Monckton !" said Cornish, aloud ; 
 and scarcely had the glass touched the lips of 
 Bowling ere it fell from his hand, and he most 
 unceremoniously deserted his post — ran to his 
 boat — and, having gained the Echo, retired to 
 his cabin to brood over his misfortunes. 
 
 END OF VOL. I. 
 
 T. C. Savill, Printer, 107, St. Martin's Lane.
 
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