His four shipmates were found not far apart, each of them lashed to an oar, and striking out as well as they could for the shore; but, strange to say, only one of them could swim at all.

It was then past 9 o'clock, making nearly five hours that the poor fellows had held on to the boat, with all the horrors of death staring them in the face; for, of course, they were not aware that Smith and Palmes had reached the shore, and, indeed, had began to fear that they were already numbered with the dead. Their pleasure, and, we believe, their gratitude, was increased, when they discovered that both had escaped, and had been the means under Providence of preserving their lives.

Their sufferings had been very great-when the storm came on, they expected every moment to be washed from the wreck, and to add to their horrors, a shark had been for most of the time lying between the masts of the pinnace, his fiery eyes glaring up at them, and watching them, as about soon to become his prey. Had it not, indeed, been for Smith's coolness and skill as a swimmer, and for the generous daring of Palmes, in all human probability every soul must have perished. The circumstances we have narrated, having been represented to the Royal Humane Society, the Silver Medallion of the Society, with a complimentary letter, was sent out, and presented on the quarter-deck of the Seringapatam,' by Captain Leith, to each of the two young officers, in the presence of the whole ship's company; a suitable and gratifying reward for their gallantry, in addition to that their own consciences could not fail to afford.

A SECOND ACT OF GALLANTRY RECORDED OF

MR. W. R. SMITH.

SOME years after the events I have just described, Mr. W. R. Smith having reached the rank of lieutenant, belonged to H.M.S.' Endymion.' On the 4th of February, 1847, she was at anchor off Sacraficios Island, near Vera Cruz. The night of the 4th was excessively dark, and a strong current was running past the ship, when Mr. West, mate, slipped his foot from the gangway, and fell into the sea, striking his head against the ship's side. On the cry of "A. man overboard!" which was instantly raised, Lieut. W. R. Smith and others rushed on deck; but, owing to the excessive darkness and the strong current, no object could at first be seen floating: at length, some white substance was perceived at a distance, when Lieut. Smith immediately plunged into the water, and struck rapidly out towards it. On reaching the object, he found it to be Mr. West, who was lying quite motionless, though, from his head sinking under water, he would speedily have been deprived of life. Lieut. Smith at once raised his head above water, and kept him floating, until, by repeatedly calling, he attracted a boat to his assistance, when he and his companion were carried on board. The crew were thickly clustering on the rigging, to see them return, and from among them another man missed his footing and fell overboard from the main-chains. Mr. Smith, who saw the accident, not knowing whether the man could swim, instantly plunged in again to his assistance, but found, on reaching him, that he was perfectly able to keep himself afloat till the boat could arrive to pick him up.

ACCOUNT

OF RESCUE OF BOAT'S CREW OF H. M. S. 6 WOLVERINE' BY LIEUT. ARTHUR BURRARD KING

STON, R.N.,

January 16th, 1840;

ALSO OF HIS SAVING THE LIFE OF A BOY OF H.M.S.

'SARACEN,'

March 13th, 1840.

H.M.S. WOLVERINE' formed one of the African squadron, and was commanded by the brave and kind Commander Tucker. She had been cruizing off the coast, when, on the 15th of January, 1840, she anchored off the River Brass, or St. John, one of the mouths of the far-famed and mysterious Niger. Captain Tucker had made himself thoroughly acquainted with the coast, as well as with the modes of proceeding of the slave-dealers and of the slavers, and he was thus enabled to capture a very large number of vessels, though with single-minded purpose, as his object was to stop the slave-trade, he endeavoured to take them before they got their slaves on board. Soon after the brig had brought up about four miles from the shore, Captain Tucker ordered the boats to be hoisted out, and to be fitted for service, during an absence of three days. While this work was going forward, a canoe was observed paddling off from the shore towards the ship. On her coming alongside, she was proved to contain two natives of great consequence, it seemed, judging from their costume-that is to say, if scarlet dresses, or rather wrappers, round the loins, and ornamented caps, might be admitted as tests of rank. They came

up the side without hesitation, and after some crossquestioning they informed Captain Tucker that they had seen a fine schooner, under American colours, up the River Nun; and that from her appearance and movements there could be no doubt that she was a slaver. The promise of a reward induced them, with negro eagerness, to undertake all Captain Tucker proposed, to act as spies, and to bring further information about the vessel, and then to perform the part of pilots in conducting her, when captured, down the river. This information, which it was hoped was correct, hurried the departure of the boats. Lieut. Dumaresq took charge of the pinnace, as commanding officer of the expedition; Mr. Arthur B. Kingston, then a mate, had the cutter; and Mr. Thorburn, another mate of the Wolverine,' went in the gig. Water, provisions, and arms having been placed in the boats, and all being ready, they shoved off from the ship at half-past 10 in the morning.

Lieut. Dumaresq had one of the black pilots in his boat, and Mr. Kingston had the other with him. Sometimes sailing, when there was a breeze, and at others, when it fell light, the crews, eager for work of some sort, pulling away with a will, they soon reached the mouth of the River Brass. The river is here pretty broad, its banks, as far as the eye can reach, covered with tall mangroves, their dark foliage imparting a sombre and almost funereal aspect to the scenery. After the boats had pulled about ten miles up the Brass, they reached a sort of natural canal, which connects the Brass with the Nun. After they had passed through this, and had entered the Nun, they hove-to for dinner, a meal not at all unwelcome after their

long pull. When the crews were refreshed, they again bent to their oars, and proceeded about 30 miles up the Nun. Darkness now rapidly came on, and they were no longer able to see ahead, nor had they been able to discover anything of their looked-for prize. On questioning their black volunteer pilots, the worthy gentlemen seemed very uncertain, not only whether the slaver had sailed, but where she had been, and where they then were. One declared that they had come much higher up than where she was last seen, and that she had probably been sheltered from their observation in one of the numerous creeks which run through the banks of the river. In this dilemma a council of war was held; and at first it was proposed to retrace their steps, till the elder of the black pilots offered to take a small canoe they had with them, higher up the river, to ascertain whether or not the slaver was there. This proposal being agreed to by Lieut. Dumaresq, the two negroes pulled away, and were soon lost in the darkness, not without some slight misgivings as to whether or not they would ever return. However, to pass the time during the absence of the negroes, they piped to supper. small portion only of the ship's biscuit and salt-pork had been discussed, and a glass of grog had just been served out all round, when the canoe was seen gliding at full speed out of the darkness, the dip of her paddles just breaking the stillness of the night. Well, my man, any news of the slaver ?" asked the lieutenant in an eager whisper, for the return of the canoe gave him hopes that a prize was at hand. "Ship live there," answered the elder black, in the clear and distinct tones in which his race can speak, but still

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