"Hush'd is the din of tongues—on gallant steeds,With milk-white crest, gold spurs, and light-poised lance,Four cavaliers prepare for venturous deeds,And lowly bending, to the lists advance;Rich are their scarfs,their chargers featly prance;If in the dangerous game they shine to-day,The crowd's loud shout and ladies' lovely glance,Best prize of better acts, they bear away,And all that kings or chiefs e'er gain their toils repay."
"Hush'd is the din of tongues—on gallant steeds,With milk-white crest, gold spurs, and light-poised lance,Four cavaliers prepare for venturous deeds,And lowly bending, to the lists advance;Rich are their scarfs,their chargers featly prance;If in the dangerous game they shine to-day,The crowd's loud shout and ladies' lovely glance,Best prize of better acts, they bear away,And all that kings or chiefs e'er gain their toils repay."
"Hush'd is the din of tongues—on gallant steeds,With milk-white crest, gold spurs, and light-poised lance,Four cavaliers prepare for venturous deeds,And lowly bending, to the lists advance;Rich are their scarfs,their chargers featly prance;If in the dangerous game they shine to-day,The crowd's loud shout and ladies' lovely glance,Best prize of better acts, they bear away,And all that kings or chiefs e'er gain their toils repay."
"Hush'd is the din of tongues—on gallant steeds,
With milk-white crest, gold spurs, and light-poised lance,
Four cavaliers prepare for venturous deeds,
And lowly bending, to the lists advance;
Rich are their scarfs,their chargers featly prance;
If in the dangerous game they shine to-day,
The crowd's loud shout and ladies' lovely glance,
Best prize of better acts, they bear away,
And all that kings or chiefs e'er gain their toils repay."
Of the eighteen "gallant steeds" which I saw at the bull-fights, there was not one to which I would attach the value of five pounds. None of them essayed to "prance," and unquestionably if a horse equal to the best of them appeared on the streets of Dublin between the shafts of a hackney vehicle, his owner would incur the suspension of his license for plying a horse totally unfit for public accommodation.
The most picturesque assemblage that I ever beheld was the public market at Gibraltar on Sunday morning. Persons of the lower class in the parts of Spain which I visited, are, during the week-days, as poorly attired as any that can be found in a corresponding position in the towns of Ireland, but they are invariably provided with a suit specially reserved for Sundays and two or three festivals. The men have conical hats, round which rows of showy ribbons are twined; and their coats, waistcoats, and small clothes, of whatever colors they fancy, are profusely furnished with globular little buttons of bright metal. Sandals, shoes, or buskins display gilt or silvered fastenings. Gay neckties, and a brooch or chain, complete the holiday costume. I am not competent to describe the female attire, but it comprises a head-dress of lace, fastened with glittering clasps or buckles; boots or shoes gaily ornamented; and a gown of rich material, almost invariably encircled at the waist by a girdle of metallic tissue. Ornaments of gold and jewels, or their semblance, appear in abundance. From a thousand to fifteen hundred such persons may be seen at the market on Sundays, between five and six o'clock in the morning. Females ofvarious ranks, wives or daughters of persons in the garrison, appear arrayed in their best attire. Boats from Tangier and Oran land their produce, to be disposed of by dealers wearing Moorish or Arabic costumes. Sailors from the ships of war and artillerymen mingle their blue uniforms amongst the scarlet-clad regimental soldiers. A similar scene cannot be exhibited in any part of the United Kingdom; and the diversity of attire is fully equalled by the diversity of language which is there to be heard.
Towards the end of May, 1861, the assizes for the city and territory of Gibraltar were held, and at their conclusion, the judge, Sir James Cochrane, asked leave of absence for two months, and I was appointed as hislocum tenensfor that time. I received several official documents incident to the position, and amongst them was the commission of a Justice of the Peace, which was not a temporary authority, and it is still in my possession. I am, perhaps, the only person in Ireland whose designation of J.P. is unconnected with any locality in the United Kingdom. My judicial duties consisted in hearing a few petitions from insolvents seeking discharges from imprisonment, and granting two or three fiats under an Admiralty jurisdiction, in reference to alleged collisions between vessels in the bay. Although my authority was of very brief duration, it imparted, during its continuance, rank next to that of the Governor. It devolved on me, accompanied by his Excellency's principal aide-de-camp, to wait on the present Empress of Austria, who arrived at Gibraltar in the royal yacht, "Victoria and Albert," on her way home from Madeira, where she had been staying for some time to renovate her health. I never beheld a woman of more prepossessing appearance, and I considered her deportment perfectly dignified, but also extremely courteous. She accepted the Governor's invitation to a dejeuner at the convent, but premised, that as she was returning to her family, happily free from any indisposition, she was desirous of first visiting the Catholic cathedral, to return thanks to the Almighty for the mercifulmanifestation which she had experienced. Accordingly, the streets were lined by the troops, and royal salutes from the principal batteries greeted her landing, and attended her return to the steamer, after the coaling and other preparations for continuing the voyage to Trieste had been accomplished.
On one of many occasions that I had the honor and pleasure of enjoying the hospitality of the Governor, Sir William Coddrington, I sat next to the officer who commanded a Portuguese frigate, "The Braganza," that anchored for a few days at the New Mole. He was one of the Royal family of Portugal, and bore the title of Duke of Oporto. His Royal Highness spoke English tolerably well; and having heard me mention Dublin as my native place, asked me numerous questions respecting Ireland and the Irish. I suggested to him that he might induce his Government to let him have a cruise to our shores, that some of our bays were very beautiful, and that a run from Cork to Killarney would not require much time to accomplish, whilst it would assuredly afford him great gratification. At the close of our conversation, he said, "Sir, if you should at any time visit Lisbon, if I shall be there, I hope that you will call on me: I shall be happy to see you, and to endeavour to make the place agreeable to you." I expressed my warm thanks for his courteous expression, but I have not availed myself of his kindness, nor have I any intention to do so. He is now King of Portugal; but at the time when I had the honor of sitting beside him, there were, I believe, three members of his family whose respective claims to the throne were prior to his.
On a Saturday afternoon, in the beginning of July, 1861, I was passing through the hall at the Governor's residence, on my way to the garden, to which I was allowed the fullest access. The windows were all open; and groups of persons, including the Governor and some members of his family, were sitting beneath the trees, but within hearing of any expressions uttered in an ordinary tone in the hall. A naval captain, in full uniform, hastily enteredfrom the street, and said to the servants in attendance, "Let the Governor be immediately informed thatCaptain Jones has brought The Scourge for him." On hearing this announcement, I exclaimed, "Good heavens! What has he done to deserve that?" This occasioned some laughter, in which, I believe, his Excellency participated. The Scourge was not unexpected, and its arrival was very satisfactory. On the 25th of the previous month, the late Sultan of the Ottoman Empire had commenced his reign; and Sir William Coddrington, having been the Commander-in-chief of our army at the conclusion of the Crimean war, was very judiciously selected to proceed in "The Scourge" steamer to Constantinople, for the purpose of presenting Queen Victoria's letter of congratulation on his accession, to the Turkish monarch. His Excellency left Gibraltar on his mission in two or three hours after Captain Jones' arrival, and a Lieutenant-Governor, Colonel Stehelin, of the Engineers, was sworn into office by me on the following Wednesday; but in the interim, my position, as acting judge, gave me precedence of all other functionaries, civil or military, in the territory. If I had been told, before leaving home, that such an elevation, even for a few hours, would occur, I should have deemed it incredible.
About the beginning of August, 1861, two vessels of the Russian Imperial navy, a frigate and a corvette, both steamers, came into Gibraltar, and anchored for the purpose of coaling. A considerable portion of their crews were indulged by their commanding officers with leave to come ashore; and certainly they could not have landed at any place more likely to excite surprise and gratify curiosity during a ramble of a few hours through it. However, they did not evince any anxiety for a close inspection of the fortress, or how its natural formation and elaborate constructions imparted unrivalled strength. Potency of a far different description engrossed their attention. They proceeded to some taverns or public-houses near to the boat-wharf, and only a few entered the premises, whilst the others remained in groups under trees or shaded bythe walls. In less than an hour they were all drunk, and many of them were lying on the thoroughfare in the most helpless state of complete intoxication. The scene of their unrestrained indulgence was about one hundred yards from the residence of my friend, and the windows of his drawing-room, from which I had a full view of them, were all open. If I had been only half as far from them, without having them in sight, I should never have noticed their total lapse from sobriety, for there was no shouting, or singing, or quarrelling; in fact, their intoxication was a silent enjoyment, and formed a most thorough contrast to that of every liquor-loving group that ever came under my observation on any other occasion. They were taken down to their boats by parties of their shipmates who were on duty, and consequently constrained to keep sober.
I believe that the population of Gibraltar, in 1861, was about 16,000 persons, exclusive of the officials and military. The Christian portion consisted of Roman Catholics, Protestants, and Presbyterians. There was a considerable number of Jews, amongst whom several were reputed to be extremely wealthy, and there were some resident Mahometans. It might be supposed that in such a mixed community, religious bickering and polemical acerbity would be sometimes manifested, but my own observation, and the deliberate statements of all those with whom I associated or communicated, enable me to express my decided conviction that the place was as free from religious animosity or controversial skirmishing as Ireland is from toads or snakes. I have seen the funerals of persons belonging respectively to the various religious denominations; and although the covering of the hearse or bier, the presence of priestly functionaries in sacerdotal costume, or the direction in which the procession was moving, indicated the religion which the deceased had professed, all those who met it on the way to the cemetery, stood with uncovered heads as the corpse passed them, and offered to those engaged in the mournful ceremony a courteous but tacit mark of sympathy and respect.
Although Gibraltar has been deliberately recognisedand acknowledged to be British territory by the Spanish Government, prominent members of political parties have repeatedly advocated a demand for its restoration to Spain, and there have been some Englishmen who expressed opinions of a similar tendency. Alfonso, who has recently been elevated to regal dignity in Madrid, introduced the subject in his address on assuming the sovereignty; and we may expect, if his realm becomes completely subject to his rule, and ceases to be the theatre of sanguinary intestine encounters, that a claim will be addressed to the British government for the cession of a fortress which was tremendously strong when it was captured, and has been, by consummate skill, and a profuse expenditure, rendered completely impregnable. A prompt and direct refusal will, I have no doubt, be the reply to all demands or requests for the transfer of this important possession; but I feel perfectly convinced that a British minister might safely refer the application to the decision of the inhabitants, the great majority of whom have been born in the place, and are, to all intents and purposes, British subjects. I do not think it possible for a population to be more attached to any government than they are to our rule; and if Spanish agents were permitted to canvass them, and proceeded to solicit their adhesion, they would find their mission replete with danger. In 1861, being one day in the shop of a bootmaker, named Finochio, I amused myself by pretending to argue with my friend, Dr. Williams, in the presence of some native residents, that the territory was really Spanish, and that it should be relinquished by England. I was greatly surprised, and in some degree alarmed, at the effect produced by my observations on the hearers. Finochio rushed impetuously to the door of his shop, which commanded a view of the signal-station, on which the British flag was displayed, and pointing to it he exclaimed, "I would rather endure to be bombarded or famished—I would rather see the whole town burned to ashes, than have that flag changed for any other. Let me tell you, sir, that if you talk to the people here about England giving them up to Spain, some of them will losetemper and insult you." The others approved fully of Finochio's observations. However, it is not difficult to ascertain the grounds and reasons for such attachment on the part of the native population. Their tenements are almost entirely held directly from the Crown; and although the leases are not in general granted for a longer period than twenty-one years, the rents are very seldom raised, or a renewal refused at the expiration of the term, if the tenant has been punctual and improving. Taverns and hotels are subjected to considerable licence duties, and there is some charge incident to the importation of spirits. These are the only taxes which, I believe, are levied in the territory. Wine, tea, sugar, coffee, tobacco, wearing apparel, and furniture, or materials for the two latter are freely admitted. The streets and roads are constructed by the military, and cleansed by convict labor. The places of worship are exempt from rents to the Crown, and the legal institutions are highly appreciated by the people, who regard the administration of justice, and especially the trial by jury, according to the laws of England, as forming a most favorable contrast to the proceedings before the Spanish tribunals in the cities and towns of Andalusia. I may add, that in 1861 there was a very extensive trade in English manufactures and many other productions, especially tobacco, carried on by smuggling vessels conveying contraband cargoes to Spain, Portugal, Italy, and the Balearic Islands. I believe, that in no part of the world are there more devoted, although not disinterested, supporters of English authority than were to be found navigating their picturesque latteen craft, laden with articles derived from the factories of Manchester, Leeds, Nottingham, or Sheffield.
I have already mentioned several Spanish towns which I visited for the purpose of seeing bull-fights. I was also at some fairs; and although there are some points in the Spanish character and habitudes which I am far from admiring, I must, in justice to the people who came under my observations, state that I never saw one of them intoxicated, although wine and spirits are, in their country,to be had for less than half what they cost here. Some gentlemen at Gibraltar, who had travelled through Spain, told me that they believed there was more drunkenness in our small possession than in the entire kingdom. I never saw a Spanish person of respectable appearance, drink a glass of undiluted sherry. The addition of cold water in equal quantity seemed indispensable. I have seen muleteers setting out on a journey requiring an entire day for its completion, and they carried no animal food. Each man had a bottle containing a little more than a pint of red wine called Priorato, a couple of onions, and a large roll of bread made of two-thirds of maize, ground fine, and one-third of wheaten flour. They consider onions and bread, sliced and eaten together, as very nutritive diet, and their strong and healthful appearance justifies their opinion. The Priorato wine has a taste somewhat resembling Port, but I was forbidden by medical authority to take it at all, and I was told that the berries of the elder tree were plentifully added to the grapes in its manufacture.
Spaniards of the humbler class and of either sex, who bring edible commodities for sale in Gibraltar, demand a much higher price from any person whom they believe to have just arrived, and not to have acquired a knowledge of the marketable value of the articles, than they ask of those whose faces are familiar, or with whom they have had previous dealings. Nevertheless, they do not manifest any surprise or indignation at being offered, or any laxity in accepting, a mere fractional portion of the sum first mentioned. A milkman demanded two shillings and two pence for about three pints of goat's milk, which he left with me on being offered sixpence. A woman sold me muscatel grapes for a shilling, after having named eight shillings and eight pence for them. I had an opportunity of sending home to Dublin some Murcian melons, and proposed to purchase six which had been brought to market in a limber kind of basket or net-work neatly made of rushes. The vendor did not speak English, and I reciprocated his ignorance of my language by beingequally unacquainted with his vernacular. He managed, mostly by signs, to apprise me that he required six dollars for his fruit. I regarded this demand, amounting to twenty-six shillings, as utterly unreasonable, and relinquished all expectation of acquiring a gratifying treat for my people, when Dr. Williams happened to approach, and on being informed of my disappointment, became an interpreter and negotiator between the Spaniard and me. His interference eventuated in rendering me the owner of the fruit and the basket, in which the melons could be very conveniently transmitted, at the very reasonable price of seven shillings. He told me that he had expostulated with the seller on his attempt to obtain from a purchaser more than three-fold the fair value of the articles; but the Spaniard considered himself fully justified in the course he had adopted previous to my friend's arrival, inasmuch as he believed me to be a complete stranger, ignorant of the language, and of the usual prices demanded for fruits, but that in any future dealings with me I should not be overcharged, although he was quite convinced that, like all other English gentlemen, I was very rich and well able to pay.
The mention of my friend's name reminds me that in Gibraltar there is no scarcity of surgeons and physicians possessing high professional qualifications. The more respectable classes of society avail themselves, in their ailments, of the aid which skill and experience can fully impart. The lower classes seem insensible or indifferent to the character or capability of those to whom they have recourse, and there are in the territory some practitioners who profess to repair human hurts or maladies, and also the injuries of certain inanimate articles. There is an inscription on the front of a small shop, that I venture to transcribe, even at the risk of mistaking the exact spelling of the Spanish words, and I subjoin an English translation:—
"Barbero, Sanguedor y Sacamuelas,Se reparen abanicos paraguas y parasoles.""Barber, bleeder, and Tooth-drawer,Fans, umbrellas, and parasols repaired."
Towards the conclusion of my visit to Gibraltar, a marriage was solemnized between an officer commanding a frigate lying off the New Mole and a young lady of very prepossessing appearance who came from England, accompanied by her mother and some other relatives. The ceremony was performed at the Protestant Church, about eleven o'clock in the forenoon, and an arrangement had been made that the wedding dejeuner should take place on board the vessel, after which the happy couple were to proceed by boat to Algesiras to spend the honeymoon. The frigate was directly in view of Mr. Costello's residence, and with the help of a binocular glass I could see persons on deck as plainly as if I stood amongst them. As soon as the bridegroom came ashore to proceed to the church, several boats came from the stairs at the Ragged Staff, conveying a profuse supply of evergreens and flowers. These were quickly taken aloft by the crew who swarmed up, and in a few minutes the masts, yards, and rigging were festooned with floral decorations, amongst which the peculiarly appropriate nuptial ornament, "a wreath of orange blossoms," was conspicuously displayed on each bow and quarter. The other ships were dressed in the usual manner, but the frigate appeared pre-eminently beautiful. The reception of the bride and bridegroom and their cortege was most enthusiastic. I was assured by several naval officers that the display, which excited the unqualified admiration of all who witnessed it, was a spontaneous manifestation on the part of the crew of their respect and affection for their captain. I regret that I do not recollect his name, but the feeling evinced towards him was not the only instance that came under my observation indicative of great attachment on the part of British sailors for their commanders.
To the respectable residents of Gibraltar, whether official or commercial, the place affords many advantages. The comforts attainable in the cities of the United Kingdom can be there procured on terms in many respects more moderate, and in none, as far as I could learn, seriously greater, whilst many articles of domestic requirement, are vastly cheaper, owing to their importation not being subjected to Customs' duties. The prices of shoes, boots, and hats appeared to me to be lower than those I should have to pay in Dublin for a similar description and quality of goods. Woollen, linen, and cotton fabrics are somewhat dearer than here, and tables, chairs, and bedsteads, unless made of very old and well-seasoned wood, shrink and shrivel in the sultry time, and require repairs involving some outlay. The expenses incident to soft goods and furniture are not much complained of, and do not appear to be considered serious inconveniences.
Respectable residents or visitors can have, at a cost of twenty shillings yearly, access to a library, from which useful information and amusement may be extensively derived. The building is of elegant structure, of extensive dimensions, and its furniture unites beauty of appearance with utility and comfort. It is supplied with the principal newspapers and periodical publications of the civilized world, and its shelves contain about twenty thousand volumes, most conveniently arranged, and comprising the choicest specimens of ancient and modern literature. No person should visit Gibraltar, even during the time required for coaling a steamer, without taking a glance or two at the library and from its windows, for some of them command a splendid view of the bay and of a considerable portion of the fortress, whilst many others are immediately over parterres of the choicest and most luxuriant floral productions.
Having enumerated almost every agreeable or advantageous circumstance that I can recollect respecting the time I spent in Gibraltar, I shall proceed to notice the only alloys to the varied pleasures which I experienced there. From the middle of June to the beginning ofSeptember the heat is extremely oppressive, and when the wind is easterly, as it frequently was during my sojourn, its effect is extremely debilitating to the body and depressing to the mind. During the sultry months no rain ever falls, and, nevertheless, the wind coming from the Levant is surcharged with moisture. Clothes hung out to dry under a scorching sun continue as damp as when first exposed, or perhaps become more so. Fish or flesh meat killed in the morning will not be eatable in seven or eight hours. Wine bottled, marmalade or jams made, turn acid very soon. The slightest exertion becomes a labour, and persons are less censurable for inattention to the comforts of others as they lapse into indifference to their own requirements. A long continuance of an east wind would probably prove disastrously unhealthy, but it seldom lasts long, and generally, after a couple of days or a few hours, it is succeeded by a westerly breeze from the broad Atlantic, cool, dry, and invigorating.
This impregnable fortress, which may defy all human efforts for its forcible reduction, is not proof against the invasion of countless small but most sanguinary creatures that, if they could audibly express their universal craving, would make an unvaried and continuous demand of blood. The mosquitoes appear early in June, and are a most persistent nuisance during the sultry months. It is no slight advantage to Great Britain and Ireland to be free from their annoyance. I suffered greatly from their envenomed bites, and although sex or age appears to be utterly disregarded in their insatiate and incessant attacks, they are reputed to accord a preference to the blood of a stranger. The slightest aperture in the curtains of my bed resulted in numerous punctures being made in the skin of my face and hands. My friend Costello slept in an uncurtained bed, and was not attacked by the mosquitoes. He told me that, after he had resided in Gibraltar for a couple of years, they ceased to annoy him. Dr. Williams described them as "the most affectionate little creatures in the world, for if you killed one, some hundreds would come to his funeral."
During the months of May and June in 1861, I heard more cannon shots than ever reached my ears in the rest of my existence. The artillery were practising daily for several hours at floating targets in the bay, and the noise was certainly far from agreeable to me. In the expression of a wish for more quietude, I met no sympathy from those who had resided in Gibraltar for a year or two, and who had become accustomed to the firing, and perhaps, if I spent a few months more in the fortress my nerves would have become more obtuse. The convict depot, outside the line wall, was very near to the battery principally used for practice, and I have seen the premises occupied by the superintendent completely clouded with smoke, whilst his walls reverberated the repeated discharges of heavy cannon. He directed my attention to the domestic fowl, of which he had a considerable number, and to the poultry of various kinds having become quite accustomed and apparently reconciled to the appalling sounds, and to the fire and smoke copiously emitted in their proximity.
I was told, in casual conversations with artillery officers, that one-third of the ammunition contained in the magazines of Gibraltar was expended yearly, and that the deficiency was supplied by an equal quantity from home. I was informed that gunpowder becomes deteriorated if kept beyond three years, and that the most advantageous use of the old stock was to expend it in artillery practice. Some of the floating targets were stated to be eight hundred yards, and others six hundred, from the battery. I saw shells used very frequently, and was informed that the practice was not efficient or satisfactory if at least one-third of the shells did not explode directly over the target. The bay is occasionally visited by large shoals of porpoises, and in calm weather they frolic in great numbers on the surface of the water. On a day in June, 1861, they were extremely abundant, and no where more so than close to the floating targets. Every shell discharged, killed or disabled some of them without frightening the others or dissolving their "aggregate meeting."Some tons of porpoises were collected after the firing ceased, and subjected, I believe, to some process for the extraction of oil. I was a spectator, for about two hours, of the scene I have endeavoured to describe, and it impressed me with an awful appreciation of our artillery as applicable to actual warfare.
Early in the month of September I mentioned, in a conversation with the naval superintendent, my intention to leave Gibraltar for England by the first homeward-bound steamer of the Peninsular and Oriental Company that arrived. He observed that the "St. Jean d'Acre," the flag-ship of Admiral Elliot, was to sail for Plymouth on the 8th or 9th, and that if I chose to go in her he would ask the Admiral to give me a passage. To this most friendly proposal I thankfully acceded, and received, through Captain Warden, an invitation from the Admiral, and an intimation that a cot should be slung up for me in his saloon. At the appointed time, I went on board, and met with a most gratifying reception from the Admiral and the other officers. I was apprised that the ship was to call at Tangier, and also at Cadiz, which might cause a delay of some hours at each place. We went very quickly to Tangier, where a communication was received for the British ambassador at Madrid, to be transmitted to him from Cadiz. On arriving off the latter place, the Admiral landed and came back in about an hour to have his personal luggage packed up, to put his sailing captain in full command of the vessel, and then to proceed himself to Madrid as speedily as possible, in accordance with a telegraphic message from our ambassador. All requisite arrangements were very quickly completed; but before he left the ship he addressed the officers and crew, expressing briefly but strongly his regret at parting from those who had evinced, whilst under his command, the greatest efficiency in the discharge of their duties, accompanied by numerous manifestations of respect and attachment, ofwhich he felt extremely proud, and should never be forgetful. As soon as his barge pulled off, the crew, of their own accord, rapidly manned the yards, and cheered him most enthusiastically until he entered the port and was no longer in sight. It was a most affectionate farewell, and must have been thoroughly disinterested, for the ship was going home to be paid off, and, consequently, her officers and crew would be dispersed amongst the general body of the naval service. Immediately after we left Cadiz, the midshipmen came into the saloon to receive lessons from the naval instructor; and as each of them entered he saluted me with a semblance of the utmost respect and humility, as "Admiral Porter." When I disclaimed the rank and authority ascribed to me by the middies, one of them replied, that when the admiral had gone away, leaving me in full possession of his cabin, they had agreed to make me an admiral, at all events until we reached Plymouth; and he begged leave to suggest that the first exercise of my authority ought to be an order to the instructor to give them a holiday or two. I laughed heartily at the young scamp's suggestion, and the lessons commenced. The instructor reprimanded one of his pupils for not having previously studied some pages assigned to him to learn, saying, "You will never attain rank in the navy if you continue so ignorant of Navigation," The middy replied, pointing to me, "The admiral who is sitting there is of very high rank, and I could safely swear that I know as much about navigation as he does."
A woman and two children had been sent on board the "St. Jean d'Acre" at Gibraltar to be taken to England. Her name was Crompton, and she was the widow of a carpenter who had been accidentally killed at the New Mole two or three months previous to our departure. Of the children, both boys, one was still unweaned, and the poor mother and her offspring appeared to be miserably destitute. Their scanty clothing was squalid and ragged,and her health had been seriously impaired. She said that her native place was in Durham, and that on arriving at Plymouth she should apply to be transmitted home by the parochial authorities. We were not forty-eight hours at sea before she and her infants were comfortably and neatly clad, the outer garments being made of blue serge, and the others of checkered stuff. She and her elder boy were furnished with hats and boots, fitting perfectly, the uppers of the latter being made of canvas darkly varnished. I was greatly surprised at the skill displayed in attiring the poor creatures, for the needlework was faultless. The younger child was made the favorite plaything of the crew, who seemed delighted to pet and nurse him. When our voyage was completed, a subscription amongst the officers, seamen, and marines provided her with twenty-two pounds, to which I added half a sovereign. The boatswain was the principal collector for the poor widow, whom he described in nautical phraseology, to be "at dead low water."
The progress of the "St. Jean d'Acre" did not appear to me to be very speedy after our departure from Cadiz until we arrived off Cape St. Vincent. The vessel was propelled solely by the steam-screw. She was large and heavy, and the weather was quite calm, so that sails were useless. I did not regret the delay, for I could not be in more agreeable society, and I never experienced any tendency whatever to sea-sickness. However, just as we sighted St. Vincent, a strong and very favorable breeze sprung up, and the sails were ordered to be set. Whilst all hands were engaged aloft, I was sitting on the quarter-deck, enjoying the novelty of the scene before me, and admiring the celerity with which the work was accomplished. The men were beginning to descend, when a poor fellow named Parkes dropped from a great height. I think he fell from what is termed the mizen-topsail-yard, and he came down very close to me. I instantly took him under the armpitsand drew him lengthways on his back. He muttered, "Too much tobacco," and died instantly. It appeared that he had been cautioned by the medical officers against the excessive chewing of tobacco, but his neglect of the warning, and a persistent indulgence in the unwholesome mastication, produced a very fatal fall. In the evening of the following day, his body was committed to the deep. It was sewn in his hammock, in which a large cannon ball was also enclosed. The band played some mournful music whilst the corpse was conveyed to a grating, on which it was laid, covered with the British flag. The officers were in full uniform, and all the men not actually engaged in navigating the ship came on deck. The chaplain read the Burial Service of the Church of England, substituting "the deep" for "the ground," and the grating and flag were then released from their horizontal position, and the body, slipping from between them, sank into the ocean. The ceremony was extremely solemn and respectful; but as soon as it concluded, the band went down between decks and commenced playing very lively tunes, and the crew betook themselves to dancing and other pastimes incident to an hour of merry "sky-larking." I believe that in the navy and army it is deemed desirable to discourage the continuance, after discharging the last duties to the deceased sailor or soldier, of gloomy thoughts or dismal recollections.
When we arrived in the Bay of Biscay, it was in a state very unlike that which I endeavoured to describe in reference to my passage through it on my voyage to Gibraltar. It then fully realised the Byronic line—
"And ocean slumber'd like an unwean'd child;"
"And ocean slumber'd like an unwean'd child;"
"And ocean slumber'd like an unwean'd child;"
"And ocean slumber'd like an unwean'd child;"
but when I viewed it from the deck of the homeward-bound war-steamer, its surface was free from foam, and perfectly glassy, but the smooth, unbroken water exhibitedstupendous undulations. We had a steady breeze on our quarter, filling every sail, and directing the roll of the sea completely with us, and our decks were quite dry. From the summit of a mountain wave, we slided noiselessly down, and were immediately raised again to a great but transient elevation. In my former passage across the bay, I was charmed by its unusual placidity, and on my return I was struck with admiration of its grand appearance, and highly gratified by the safe and very quick run that we accomplished.
We anchored in Plymouth harbour late in the evening of the 16th of September, and I landed on the following morning, and remained at a hotel for two days, awaiting the arrival of the steamer on her way from London to Dublin. During my short stay, I was able to go through Plymouth, Devonport, and their environs, which, whilst they display natural beauties of no ordinary character, afford to a stranger, in their public establishments, many objects which cannot fail to excite admiration. Eventually, I reached Dublin on the 21st, and received the affectionate congratulations of my family on my return to them in perfect health. On the day after my arrival, my youngest child designated me "the sweetest papa in the world." The appellation was undoubtedly suggested by the circumstance, that I had brought home 100 lbs. of orange marmalade, 70 lbs. of preserved nectarines, 70 lbs. of apricot jam, and six large Murcian melons. The excellence of my sweets was fully proved by the rapidity of their consumption. I fetched from Gibraltar a snake and a green lizard, which I sent to the Zoological Gardens; but I believe they did not long survive their transportation from the South of Spain to our cold and humid climate.
After my return from Gibraltar, I found the tenor of my life in Dublin forming the greatest contrast to the twenty years during which I had been engaged in magisterial duties of a multifarious nature, extending from thecognizance of lapses from sobriety or neglect of sweeping a footway, to authorising a search for concealed pikes or firearms, or taking informations and issuing warrants for treason-felony. I regarded my release from any further attendance at the place in Exchange-court, dignified by the appellation of the Head-Office, as a most agreeable and healthful change; but I often regretted the cessation of my functions at the branch-court in Kingstown, where I enjoyed the ventilation of a pure atmosphere through cleanly and elevated premises, whilst the bench which I occupied commanded a view of almost the entire Bay of Dublin. I also derived from my official position a free passage, by first-class carriage, on the Dublin and Kingstown Railway, and occasionally received passes on the Great Southern and Western Line, enabling me to visit Cork or Killarney. All these advantages terminated on my retirement. Persons sometimes came to my house, supposing that I still had sufficient authority to take declarations or attest signatures; and when informed that my functions had ceased, expressed their disappointment at finding that I was "no longer of any use." My next-door neighbour was a Rev. Dr. Browne; and a gentleman who had some business with him, but did not exactly know his residence, pointed out my door to a cabman, and desired him to "try there." Cabby replied, "No, sir, that is where Porter, thedecayed magistrate, lives." I do not believe, however, that in the use of such an expression any wilful disrespect was intended. I have often heard owners and drivers of public vehicles declare that they regretted my retirement.
The Italians have a very current phrase,[19]which attaches delight to the total absence of employment. I never could appreciate idleness as pleasurable; and I believe that numerous instances of mental aberration have originated in the want of occupation. I am disposed to insert in these pages a few productions of my first year of unrelished leisure. If their perusal is pleasing to a reader, they require noapology; and if they are considered unworthy of attention, they may serve as a warning to others against being induced to waste their time in similar attempts.
A gentleman of literary tendencies, and for whom I had a great personal regard, mentioned to a small party of friends his intention to publish a semi-monthly periodical in Dublin, under the title of "The Irish Review." I stated that whilst wishing the utmost success to his undertaking, my hopes were extremely slender, and adduced what I considered cogent reasons for the opinion expressed. None of the others coincided with me, and one of them jocularly remarked that a penance should be imposed on me by requiring me to write the preface. With this proposition the others fully agreed, and although I steadfastly declined to comply with their requisition, I expressed a willingness to attempt a contribution of a prefatory nature, the topics and composition being completely left to my own discretion, or perhaps I should say, indiscretion. The production was sent and published, and although the periodical was not ultimately successful, a better result may possibly attend the next attempt to establish an enlightened and impartial organ of literary criticism in the Irish metropolis. My contribution was headed—
AN IRISH REVIEW.
When Albion, proud Albion, heard threats of invasion,Her spirit and energy met the occasion;She call'd on her sons, and they readily back'd her,And perhaps for that reason, no foes have attack'd her.Of Ireland, it seems, there were doubtings and fears;From us they declined to demand volunteers;They thought that if bay'nets and muskets we got,We'd exchange with each other a thrust or a shot.They thought Tipperary could ne'er meet Tyrone,And part in whole skin without any sore bone,That lads from old Galway or Southern Tralee;With Derry's apprentices might disagree.We've no volunteers, and we'll not have a fight,Our colors are peaceful, they're plain black and white;But without volunteers in green, scarlet, or blue,We're determined on havingAn Irish Review.A review—where a mere moral force we demand,A review—at which Intellect takes the command,A review—where each Science delights to combine,A review—where Wit's facings appear in the line.A review—where apressprocureswillingrecruits,A review—where at Folly the satirist shoots;At poorPrivateFolly no aim is directed,ButGeneralFolly's the mark that's selected.ToGen'ralGoodhumor the duty's assignedOf keeping the ground, and the public shall findHe'll drive away Rancor and Prejudice, too,TillGen'ralApplause greetsThe Irish Review.
When Albion, proud Albion, heard threats of invasion,Her spirit and energy met the occasion;She call'd on her sons, and they readily back'd her,And perhaps for that reason, no foes have attack'd her.Of Ireland, it seems, there were doubtings and fears;From us they declined to demand volunteers;They thought that if bay'nets and muskets we got,We'd exchange with each other a thrust or a shot.They thought Tipperary could ne'er meet Tyrone,And part in whole skin without any sore bone,That lads from old Galway or Southern Tralee;With Derry's apprentices might disagree.We've no volunteers, and we'll not have a fight,Our colors are peaceful, they're plain black and white;But without volunteers in green, scarlet, or blue,We're determined on havingAn Irish Review.A review—where a mere moral force we demand,A review—at which Intellect takes the command,A review—where each Science delights to combine,A review—where Wit's facings appear in the line.A review—where apressprocureswillingrecruits,A review—where at Folly the satirist shoots;At poorPrivateFolly no aim is directed,ButGeneralFolly's the mark that's selected.ToGen'ralGoodhumor the duty's assignedOf keeping the ground, and the public shall findHe'll drive away Rancor and Prejudice, too,TillGen'ralApplause greetsThe Irish Review.
When Albion, proud Albion, heard threats of invasion,Her spirit and energy met the occasion;She call'd on her sons, and they readily back'd her,And perhaps for that reason, no foes have attack'd her.
When Albion, proud Albion, heard threats of invasion,
Her spirit and energy met the occasion;
She call'd on her sons, and they readily back'd her,
And perhaps for that reason, no foes have attack'd her.
Of Ireland, it seems, there were doubtings and fears;From us they declined to demand volunteers;They thought that if bay'nets and muskets we got,We'd exchange with each other a thrust or a shot.
Of Ireland, it seems, there were doubtings and fears;
From us they declined to demand volunteers;
They thought that if bay'nets and muskets we got,
We'd exchange with each other a thrust or a shot.
They thought Tipperary could ne'er meet Tyrone,And part in whole skin without any sore bone,That lads from old Galway or Southern Tralee;With Derry's apprentices might disagree.
They thought Tipperary could ne'er meet Tyrone,
And part in whole skin without any sore bone,
That lads from old Galway or Southern Tralee;
With Derry's apprentices might disagree.
We've no volunteers, and we'll not have a fight,Our colors are peaceful, they're plain black and white;But without volunteers in green, scarlet, or blue,We're determined on havingAn Irish Review.
We've no volunteers, and we'll not have a fight,
Our colors are peaceful, they're plain black and white;
But without volunteers in green, scarlet, or blue,
We're determined on havingAn Irish Review.
A review—where a mere moral force we demand,A review—at which Intellect takes the command,A review—where each Science delights to combine,A review—where Wit's facings appear in the line.
A review—where a mere moral force we demand,
A review—at which Intellect takes the command,
A review—where each Science delights to combine,
A review—where Wit's facings appear in the line.
A review—where apressprocureswillingrecruits,A review—where at Folly the satirist shoots;At poorPrivateFolly no aim is directed,ButGeneralFolly's the mark that's selected.
A review—where apressprocureswillingrecruits,
A review—where at Folly the satirist shoots;
At poorPrivateFolly no aim is directed,
ButGeneralFolly's the mark that's selected.
ToGen'ralGoodhumor the duty's assignedOf keeping the ground, and the public shall findHe'll drive away Rancor and Prejudice, too,TillGen'ralApplause greetsThe Irish Review.
ToGen'ralGoodhumor the duty's assigned
Of keeping the ground, and the public shall find
He'll drive away Rancor and Prejudice, too,
TillGen'ralApplause greetsThe Irish Review.
I wrote at the request of my beloved and truly lamented son, Austin Duggan Porter, the following lines in his Album:—
My youthful years have pass'd away,My step hath lost its lightness,And scanty locks, once brown, then gray,Now show unvaried whiteness.My failing eyes can see but fewOf early friends remaining,Yet have I many reasons trueTo keep me from complaining.To be a blessing to mine age,I see mine offspring striving;And even in this little pageMy boyhood seems reviving.I feel that they who bear my nameMy early tastes inherit,And their pursuits are just the sameAs pleased my youthful spirit.
My youthful years have pass'd away,My step hath lost its lightness,And scanty locks, once brown, then gray,Now show unvaried whiteness.My failing eyes can see but fewOf early friends remaining,Yet have I many reasons trueTo keep me from complaining.To be a blessing to mine age,I see mine offspring striving;And even in this little pageMy boyhood seems reviving.I feel that they who bear my nameMy early tastes inherit,And their pursuits are just the sameAs pleased my youthful spirit.
My youthful years have pass'd away,My step hath lost its lightness,And scanty locks, once brown, then gray,Now show unvaried whiteness.My failing eyes can see but fewOf early friends remaining,Yet have I many reasons trueTo keep me from complaining.
My youthful years have pass'd away,
My step hath lost its lightness,
And scanty locks, once brown, then gray,
Now show unvaried whiteness.
My failing eyes can see but few
Of early friends remaining,
Yet have I many reasons true
To keep me from complaining.
To be a blessing to mine age,I see mine offspring striving;And even in this little pageMy boyhood seems reviving.I feel that they who bear my nameMy early tastes inherit,And their pursuits are just the sameAs pleased my youthful spirit.
To be a blessing to mine age,
I see mine offspring striving;
And even in this little page
My boyhood seems reviving.
I feel that they who bear my name
My early tastes inherit,
And their pursuits are just the same
As pleased my youthful spirit.
FOOTNOTE:[19]Dolce far niente.
[19]Dolce far niente.
[19]Dolce far niente.
Several friends have suggested that, even at the risk of being considered discursive or irregular in the arrangement of my Gleanings and Reminiscences, I should not conclude without narrating a few of the incidents which my intimacy with the late Patrick Brophy, of Dawson Street, the State Dentist, enabled me to witness or to hear described by him.
He had commenced industrial avocations as an apprentice to a jeweller in Skinner Row, and became singularly skilful in the execution of articles in the precious metals, especially in the making of necklaces or setting of gems. He subsequently obtained employment from a German dentist who lived in Golden Lane; and from him he acquired a practical knowledge of the operative means necessary for the relief of personal suffering by stuffing or extracting teeth. The German returned to his native country in 1815, and Brophy immediately succeeded to his Dublin business. When I became acquainted with him, he was living in Dawson Street, and reputed to be in the most extensive practice of a profession for which he had not received any special preliminary instruction. He was extremely convivial, but far more willing to give than to receive invitations; and although his table was most profusely supplied with the choicest wines and spirits, I never perceived in him the slightest indication of intemperance. Amongst his intimates the most intimate was a gentleman who resided in the town of Galway, and whose person was so very bulky as to obtain for him thesoubriquetof "The Great Western." He required no invitations to Brophy's table, for whenever he visited Dublin, he became a daily dinner guest during his stay; and certainly his host did not hesitate to make him the subject of tricks or bantering. At one time, Brophy had just returned from a Parisian trip, and brought home two or three shawl orscarf-pins made of polished steel, and having large mother-of-pearl heads. The "Great Western" was in town, and was in his usual place at dinner time, on a day when I happened to be a guest. Pat had a dark scarf on his neck, and it was fastened with one of the Parisian pins which I afterwards heard had cost about tenpence. His bulky friend had a finger ring, on which there was one diamond, and soon after dinner, he took it off, and handed it to Brophy, saying—
"Pat, you are considered a very competent judge of diamonds; what would you value that ring at?"
Brophy examined the article, and replied, "I think it is worth about thirty pounds."
"Well," said the other, "I bought it this morning at West's in Capel Street, for thirty guineas."
"I do not think you should be dissatisfied with your bargain. It is a nice, clear stone, and has been very neatly set," was the observation of our host; but the proprietor of the ring very soon observed that Pat was sporting a beautiful pearl pin, and asked him where he had procured it.
"This pin," said Brophy, taking it out of his scarf, and holding it up to the view of his interrogator, "should be in some national museum or institution where the relics of departed heroism and the memorials of glorious achievements would excite the curiosity and admiration of future generations. I have neither the time nor the ability necessary to the description of its formation or value. I almost wish that I never became its possessor."
The "Great Western" took the pin, and expressed his admiration at the neatness of its formation, and the clearness and smoothness of the beautiful pearl, of which he implored his dear friend Pat to disclose the entire history. Pat consented, and proceeded as follows:—
"I was for several years on terms of the closest intimacy with the late Dr. Auchmuty, who had a dispensary at Rathfarnham. In his latter years his teeth had completely decayed, and I made him a set, with which he was highly pleased, and for which I declined to accept of anyremuneration. I kept them in order by occasional repairs and cleaning, and frequently visited the old doctor, for whom I had the highest esteem, and whose conversation was extremely interesting, for he had been a naval surgeon, and served on board the "Victory" at the battle of Trafalgar. At length he found his health declining very rapidly, and felt that his end was approaching; and he said to me, a short time before his death, that he wished to leave me a token of his gratitude for my attentions, and begged me to accept this pin, which he assured me was formed from a nail drawn from the timbers of the 'Victory,' steeled and highly polished, and then mounted with the pearl,which he had taken from Nelson's eye. Such is the simple history of this extraordinary relic."
"Oh! what a treasure you obtained from your old friend!" exclaimed the "Great Western," "exquisitely beautiful in appearance, and also surpassingly interesting in reference to its materials and origin."
"Its intrinsic value," said Brophy, "is not half, or perhaps a quarter, of what your ring cost."
"I would give two such rings for that pin," was the reply.
"Suppose I let you have it for one."
"I would close the bargain at once."
"Then close it," said Pat, handing the pin to the "Great Western," from whom he received in return the thirty-guinea ring.
Within forty-eight hours all the very numerous friends and acquaintances of the dentist became fully informed respecting the substitution of the Parisian shawl-pin for the pearl off Nelson's eye. The former owner of the ring became the object of cajolery and mock condolence wheresoever he appeared, and no one quizzed or bantered him more than his friend Pat, who advised him to get up a raffle for the pin, and offered to take three tickets, provided each chance of obtaining the Trafalgar relic did not exceed fourpence. He retained the ring; but, certainly, the "Great Western" could console himself in the enjoyment of very frequent repasts, which he appeared fully to appreciate.
When Prince Napoleon, some years since, went round Great Britain and Ireland in the Imperial yacht, "La Reine Hortense," he was detained at Galway by the weather becoming extremely boisterous. Having landed and arranged to remain for a few days at the railway hotel, he was waited on by the "Great Western," who then happened to be the High Sheriff, and who, accompanied by some of the principal gentry, welcomed the Prince, and expressed an anxiety to give him a cordial reception and to render his sojourn agreeable. The sheriff addressed him in French, but was immediately requested to speak English, with which language the Prince stated that he was perfectly acquainted. In a short time after, I was dining at Brophy's, and the Galway functionary commenced a narration of the interview, but was immediately interrupted by Pat, who told him that we knew all about the affair already.
"How can you know anything about it?" said the sheriff; "there was nothing published beyond the fact of our having called to pay our respects."
"Oh!" replied Pat, "one of your companions was here very soon after, and gave me the particulars fully, and I mentioned them to a great many of my friends. He said that you told those who were going with you that you would address Napoleon in French, and when you and the others were admitted, you began to speak, but were immediately stopped by the Prince, who said, 'Mr. Sheriff, you will greatly oblige me by speaking English, for I assure you and the other Galway gentlemen that I do not understand theIrishlanguage.'"
The laughter excited by Brophy's imaginative statement that the sheriff's French had been mistaken for Irish was renewed and increased by the earnest declaration of the latter that the Prince had not uttered a word about the Irish language, nor imputed any imperfection to his French. By his energetic denials of the fiction he rendered it extremely amusing.
Along with great hospitality, Brophy afforded his guests frequent and varied amusements. He had a considerablenumber of costumes, which enabled him to impart a grotesque and motley appearance to the occupants of his dinner-table, or to produce atableau vivantin his drawing-room. There was a young barrister whose stature exceeded six feet, and he was generally wigged, robed, and placed on an elevated seat, to be styled "The Lord High Chancellor." I was usually equipped to personate a Lord Mayor; but whenever his favorite tableau of the death of Nelson was produced, I was in the garb of a sailor, and had to catch the falling hero as soon as one who sang, with a splendid voice and great musical taste, the recitative and air descriptive of the casualty, came to the lines announcing—