"Once more I implore of you to take my petition to the governor."

"I shall not-nor will I allow you to enter the port."

He paused a moment.

"Then I will take my chance; as well be sunk here in the very harbour, as perish at sea." "But no,-since man is thus obdurate, I will throw myself upon the mercy of my God! But mark me," and now he seemed restored to all his former strength as he stood erect beside the companion; "mark me-if we do not reach our port in safety, I will cruise these seas until the resurrection gun fires.."

"Up with the helm-square the main-yard." At the sound of the well-known voice which they had so long been accustomed to obey, those spectral figures left the pumps, at which they were mechanically continuing their exertions, and with slow and noiseless steps glided along the deck; those at the wheel, roused into momentary activity by the sudden energy of the command, also performed their part of the duty. The helm was up—the main top-sail shivering and the bows of the ship had fallen off from the wind before the astonished Dutchman could recover himself; but when at last he did so, he hurried to the gangway with a speed at variance with all his usual habits.

Before he passed over the sides, he, almost instinctively, gave a terrified glance aft, and there he beheld the captain of the doomed ship, standing still erect, and glaring upon him with a look which he never forgot. His exit was not very dignified. He tumbled headlong into the boat, and when he recovered himself he bade his men pull for their lives, for he believed the devil himself was on board. The men, catching from him a portion of his fear, bent to the oars with unusual efforts, and the gaudy tub was forced through the water at a speed to which she had been little accustomed. Before they had reached the shore, the shades of approaching darkness had hidden from their view the ill-fated ship,—and no mortal man ever knew what was her final doom.

It was scarcely a month after this event, when a ship was again discovered standing into the bay. The worthy master of the port and his boat's crew were again called into requisition to warn the ship off. They got alongside, and as Adrian Von Tillerman, to whom the important office of steering this illustrious craft was confided, afterwards said, they boarded her on exactly the same spot where they had overhauled the other ship. None of the usual ceremonies were here neglected, all honours were paid, and he ascended the side in due official dignity. All was prepared for his reception, but he had scarcely time to give a glance around, before the scene was changed, and he again stood on the deck of that ship he had doomed to destruction.

There he stood as once before,-amidst the dead and dying,-and there stood the captain with the same glance which he had last cast upon him, and which had haunted his imagination ever since there he stood with that letter still held in his hand, and although the words were not spoken, yet they seemed branded upon his senses in characters of fire-Will you take my letter to the governor? With a strange cry the horrified man leaped into the boat, and the crew, to whom the transformation was visible at the same time with himself, needed no stimulus to excite them to exertion; but even before they could betake themselves to their oars, or had time to raise their eyes to the object of their terror, she was no more to be seen! They raised the form of their patroon, and placed him in his usual berth in the stern-sheets. No word did he utter during the time they were pulling to shore, yet this excited no surprise in those used to his habits; but when the boat had touched the beach, and they came to assist him ashore, the master of the port was dead!

Since that time the Flying Dutchman, as the ship was soon named, from the crowd of canvass she was generally seen under, has often been seen by those who circumnavigate the Cape; but there is this difference to be observed, that she is seldom seen under the same canvass as a mortal ship. If the weather be fine, she is under her storm canvass; if, on the contrary, it be a gale, she is seen gliding along under all the sail she can spread. Sometimes she appears in the trim of another vessel, and on these occasions she hoists out her boat, and boards any ship she may fall in with. At such times, he in command of the boat, on reaching the deck of the other vessel, always offers a letter; but he has never been known to speak; and this, with the strange, unearthly appearance of the boat's crew, always causes the letter to be refused. There is a notion prevalent amongst mariners, that should that letter be once received, the doomed crew will at last find rest; but no one has yet been found hardy enough to hazard the experiment. Perhaps, unless that event should take place, the words of the Dutch captain will be made good, and he "will cruise those seas until the resurrection gun fires.'

H. B.

THE EMIGRANT'S FAREWELL

FAREWELL to thee, my native land!
Far o'er the ocean I must roam-
Farewell to thee my homely cot,

No longer thou wilt be my home!
I lately hoped to end my days

Within thy lowly, white-wash'd walls;
But all such hopes have pass'd away,
And sorrow urges, duty calls
Thy humble tenant far from thee,
To lands which lie beyond the sea!

Oh! happy, happy have I been

Beneath thy roof,-e'en from a boy Few days of sorrow have I seen

But what were sweetened with some joy; Here on thy hearth in early days

I listened to instruction's voice,
Seeking the light which love displays

To those who hail her as their choice;
And here upon thy floor of clay
My mother taught me how to pray!

"Twas here within thy chimney nook,
At eve when daily toil was done,
My father used to read the book

From which our greatest good is won.
And here my faithful wife and me,
When all our little ones were sleeping,
Would picture scenes of future glee,

Or gaze upon each other weeping,
As Hope's sweet sunshine, or Despair,
Wakened our souls with joy or care!
How many hearts of sterling worth

Now mingle with their kindred clay, Who often joined our harmless mirth, To sweep the clouds of care away; Those days were blythesome, blest, and sweet, Health, peace, and plenty, hither hied, For labour earned enough to eat,

And all our wants were soon supplied;

But now fell want and poverty
In sorrow make us weep and sigh!

Farewell! my humble, homely cot!

Alas! from thee that I should part; But thou shalt never be forgot

So long as life warms in my heart!
Perchance my far-off dwelling place
May be more fair to view than thee,
But there my ken will never trace

Those beauties which thou showest me:
My mother's wheel will not be there,
Not yet my father's elbow chair!

Farewell ye friends who stay to brave
The storms of ire which 'gin to blow

On this side the Atlantic wave,
Where discord is begetting woe.

North Shields.

Oh! may ye brave the tempest well,

May lasting comfort with ye bide-
May health and plenty with ye dwell

To bless and gladden each fireside:
I may not tell how beats my heart
To think that we must shortly part.

And fare thee well, my father-land!
Thou spurn'st me from thee, and I go
In sorrow to a foreign strand,

Where I shall end my life of woe!
Thou art misgoverned, and I mourn,

And weeping wish thy troubles past;
That thy lost gladness would return,

That all thy children may be blest!
Though thou wert neither fair nor free,
My father-land, I'd weep for thee!

And this shall ever be my prayer,
And thus I'll bid my children pray,-
That thou may'st heaven's blessings share,
Till all earth's glory pass away;
May virtue, right, and reason reign
In every soul that dwells in thee;
May freedom break the biting chain
Which binds the slave in misery;
May all the nations of the earth

Greet thee with kindness, not with fear,
And for thy greatness, learning, worth,
May all mankind thy name revere!
Land of my love, my father-land!
My heart is fraught with bitter woe,

I go to seek a foreign strand,

Where thousands of thy children go.
Though from thy face thou spurnest me,
With my latest breath,

On the verge of death,

My father-land-I'll pray for thee!

S. SHERIF.

THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A COCKED HAT.

BY JAMES WYATT.

THE nineteenth century teems with memoirs, sketches, anecdotes, and biographies of the distinguished personages who flourish, and have flourished, in this bright isle. Not so with earlier periods. Many important events and splendid actions have been lost to the world for ever, in consequence of the scarcity of historians, and ignorance of the uses of that magnificent boon,-the press; so that there are many wide gaps in the history of our country, to the great inconvenience of antiquaries, and vast annoyance of bookworms. To prevent a continuance of this, hundreds of disinterested, unpretending philanthropists record the actions, sayings, and doings of themselves and their neighbours, in order to make complete the great historical chain of the land of their birth. Having at one period of my life taken a very high position, I follow in their wake, and venture to add my link.

I came into existence about the year 18-, to all intents and purposes a "thing of shreds and patches.' The ordeal of beating, thumping, welting and dyeing, to which

my young frame was subject, was most severe; but, having been "licked into shape," I was mounted on a block for a considerable period, and kept out of doors, in order that I might experience the benefit of the fresh air; and upon being pronounced convalescent, I was rewarded for all my patient endurance of ills by being dressed in a fine black glossy suit of fur, which had been stripped from the back of an unfortunate little animal in North America, by some civilized individual, on purpose to cover the nakedness of a' creature like myself. In this very aristocratic condition I emerged from the vulgar neighbourhood where I had been produced, and became transplanted to the classic regions of Bond Street, where I formed by no means an inconsiderable character in the shop of the bon ton hatter of the street. I was mounted on a pedestal, from which I took a survey of the company by whom I was surrounded. Creatures of every denomination were there. An Anglesey, a Wellington, a D'Orsay, and a Conservative, were cheekby-jowl with a pale Radical, a Bit-of-Blood and a Four-in-hand, in the most admired harmony; whilst in one corner a capacious Jolliffe was holding a little flirtation with a silk Donna Maria and a gossamer Lady Hamilton; saying nothing of an old Opera-visitor being laid on the shelf above with a Countess, two Varmints, and a Wide-awake, smiling at the opposite shelf tenanted by a Di-Vernon, a Tally-ho, and two Clericals. Below were pegs and stands on which were perched endless varieties of young, middle-aged, and old ramifications of the previously named standard families, many of whom were constantly sold, like other blacks, and carried away to serve cruel and fickle masters.

My first intercourse with society taught me that the main feature in this world was ingratitude. I maintain it, and I will prove it; for I have experienced it throughout my life. I was frequently admired for my sleek proportions, particularly as my master was very kind to me, in brushing my hair, and making me look tidy, two or three times in the day. I remained in this serene condition for a few weeks, when one day a portly gentleman came into the shop, and having cast a scrutinizing glance upon me, ordered me to be lifted down. He examined and admired me for some time, and at length complimented me by raising me to his upper dominions, from which there issued such a greasy odour that, except for the venerable appearance of the individual, I should have judged him to have been a partner in some candle manufacturing concern. This was my first real contact with human nature. The perfume was so strong, and my position so novel, that I became giddy, and it was with the greatest difficulty I could keep my equilibrium. I was at length, after being nodded about, and squeezed closer to my new sticking place, and examined in a looking-glass by the stout gentleman, taken off and rubbed with the sleeve of his coat, (which process considerably ruffled my hair and my temper at the same time), and handed back to my master, who, in that cold-blooded and mercenary manner for which all hatters are notorious, sold me to “the old gentleman," of course I do not mean that phrase to be taken in the same sense Friar Bacon or Friar Bungay would use it. Yes, he literally sold me for filthy lucre; and I was hurriedly put up into a box, in the dark recess of which I gave vent to my griefs, and shed tears in the silver paper with which I was enveloped. In this state I was carried away, and after many bumps against the sides of the box, where I ran great risk of being bruised, I at length experienced some rest. I judged from the partial sounds which reached me that our porter, Joe, had conveyed me in my prison to the old gentleman's house, and had left me to the tender mercies of the housemaid; and my indignation was roused to the highest pitch, when I found that even Joe himself felt no compunction at leaving me; but, instead of regretting the loss of me, fell to kissing the young woman into whose hands he placed me. This was the unkindest cut of all, for I always deemed that Joe had some regard for me, as he had so very frequently caressed me. However, I was deceived, and this gave me the grandest insight to human nature;-people will look to their own pleasures and pursuits before they attend to others.

me.

I had rested quietly in my new lodging for about an hour, when I felt myself again carried, and shortly afterwards the box-lid was lifted up, and daylight again shone upon I felt myself lifted out, and the old gentleman himself had got hold of me, carefully divesting me of my folds of silver paper to exhibit me to his wife and daughter; and I then learned for what purpose I had been purchased. The stout gentleman had just been appointed Alderman of the Ward ofand had procured me as the badge of his civic dignity.. Nothing could exceed the admiration of the young lady, who took hold of me as tenderly as if I had been as delicate and beautiful as herself; and she moothed my nap with her sweet hand in such a kind manner, that in the exstacy of the

moment I literally forgot I was a hat! Her good humour was unbounded, and the darling, after paying me the most flattering compliments on my elegant appearance, confessed my power by putting me on her head, and declaring that I made her look like an Alderman! Some philosophers say manners make the man," and I add, "and the

hat marks the quality."

64

Nothing could exceed my regard for this young lady, and I began to think that at least there was one person in the world who possessed entire sympathy for the helpless; but even here I was mistaken, for in a few minutes afterwards a gay young man stepped into the room, and no sooner did she observe him than she thrust me into my pasteboard lodging, ran to welcome him with open arms, and received and returned even fonder caresses than she had bestowed upon me.. Jealousy, hatred, and every other bitter uncharitableness possessed me at the moment; and if I could have avenged myself, the fellow should have perished on the spot. I felt the most deadly revenge for him, and contempt for her;-in fact, I felt all that an aristocratic hat could feel under such circumstances.

I fell into a kind of stupor, and several days passed over me, when I was again roused by the stout gentleman, who set to work brushing me up, and then, taking me under his arm, got into his carriage, and after a short ride we were ushered into the council chamber. Here I had an opportunity of seeing all the magnificence of the civie functionaries, and was for the time positively lost in admiration. A hat, like myself, that was in the next seat, scraped acquaintance with me, and gave me a great deal of information upon all civic subjects. My eyes were dazzled with the splendour of the robes and badges of office. The Lord Mayor himself was a meagre, unhappy-looking man. He had the appearance of a person who has "bled too freely." His immediate neighbours, two Aldermen, were the very opposites to him in appearance, and looked as if they had not only found what he had lost, but had fattened most gloriously on it in the bargain. Mr. Tuble, the senior Alderman, was one of those fine specimens of municipal dignity-like angels' visits, few and far between a race now fast approaching to decay, whose "like we ne'er shall look upon again,"-with a face fat, fair and glossy, bearing no semblance of a wrinkle, save in the division of his double chin, and a nose of crimson hue, whereon was kept a fair record of twenty-two Mayor's feasts, eightyeight corporation banquets, and eight hundred and sixty-four miniature feeds-he sat the pride, and pomp, and principal pillar of the civic state.

After many important questions had been discussed and decided, a subject of patronage was introduced, namely, the appointment of a beadle, in the room of Mr. Smithers, deceased. Mr. Councillor Pluffy (a solicitor) apologized for intruding upon the valuable time of the council; but this being a question of vital importance to the nation at largehe thought he might say the nation at large-(for their body was looked up to as the fountain-head of municipal law and intelligence) he felt that he could not with justice to that intelligent body of citizens who had elected him as their representative-in justice to himself as a man and a Briton, (hear hear) and in accordance with the declaration he had subscribed to in his first election to this parliament-he begged pardon, he meant corporation-refrain from proposing Mr. Solomon Sprig, as the most fit and proper person to fill the office of beadle. In fact, no person could be so well calculated for it, both from his efficiency as a man of business, and from his very respectable connections. His father was well known to all gentlemen present, as being a highly respectable gentleman in the wholesale gingerbread line, in Anchor Court; and he himself had earned a considerable reputation in the sausage and savilloy department, in Brick Lane. He (Mr. Pluffy) felt proud in being permitted to propose so intelligent and deserving an individual, one whom he felt confident would reflect credit on the corporation, if elected.

Alderman Tubb rose and felt very great pleasure in seconding the nomination of Mr. Sprig. He (Mr. Tubb) had nothink to say on the subject; but this he would say, if so be the corporation did appoint a hofficer of that nater, they ought to appoint a sufficient man; leastways one as could and would keep up the onour of the hoffice. (Great cheering.)

The worthy Alderman having delivered himself of this brilliant effusion, plumped down in his seat, where my master had laid me for a moment, whilst he arranged his neck-cloth and robe before he rose to nominate some other person. This Alderman Tubb, I say, plumped down upon me, and completely crushed me, in defiance of the maxim that too much familiarity breeds contempt. My sides were squeezed together,