European soldiers, with those on the main guard, and even the sick in the hospital, were inhumanly butchered; after which, the assassins hastened to the houses of the officers, where they put to death all that fell into their hands. Colonel M'Kerras, who commanded | one of the battalions, was shot while haranguing his men on the parade ground; and Colonel Fancourt fell in like manner, as he was proceeding to the main guard. Lieutenant Ely, of the sixty-ninth, with his infant son in his arms, was bayoneted in the presence of his wife; and this scene of barbarity continued till about seven o'clock, when two officers and a surgeon, whose quarters were near to the European barracks, contrived to get in, and take the command of the remains of the four companies. These few men made a sally from the barracks; and having gained possession of the six-pounder, they fought their way desperately through their assailants till they succeeded in reaching the gateway, on the top of which Serjeant Brodie, with his European guard, continued most gallantly to resist the whole body of insurgents.

Such was the state of things at Vellore, when Lieutenant-Colonel Gillespie, totally ignorant of the confusion that raged there, mounted his horse at six o'clock in the morning, with the intention of riding over to breakfast. At the instant he was about to set out, the dismal tidings came of the tragic fate of his friend, and of the horrors that were still prevailing. No time was to be lost; and, therefore, collecting immediately about a troop of the nineteenth dragoons, and ordering the gallopper guns to follow with all speed, he hastened forward with the utmost eagerness. So anxious, indeed, was he to reach the place, that he was considerably in advance of his men all the way; and on his appearance, Serjeant Brodie, who had served with him in St. Domingo, instantly recognized him, and turning to his drooping comrades, he exclaimed: "If Colonel Gillespie be alive, he is now at the head of the nineteenth dragoons, and God Almighty has sent him from the West Indies, to save our lives in the East." It was, indeed, in all respects, such a display of divine goodness, as could hardly fail to kindle in the most

thoughtless mind a ray of devotional gratitude, while hope was pointing out a prospect of deliverance. Urged on by the noblest of all motives, that of saving his fellow-creatures, the Colonel, regardless of his own safety, and in the face of a furious fire poured upon him from the walls, pushed towards the bastion, where a chain, formed of the soldiers' belts, being let down by the serjeant, the latter had the indescribable satisfaction of welcoming a leader, from whom he knew every thing might be expected that energy and perseverance could accomplish. Immediately on assuming the command, the Lieutenant-Colonel formed the resolution of charging the mutineers with the bayonet, which he carried into execution, and thus kept them in check till the arrival of the gallopper guns, when orders were given to blow open the gates, which being promptly done, the dragoons entered, and a short, but severe conflict ensued. The sepoys were encouraged to make a desperate stand by their officers; but after losing about six hundred, who were cut in pieces on the spot, the rest fled in all directions. A considerable number escaped through the sallyport; but many hundreds were taken in hiding-places, and imprisoned. The standard of Tippoo had been hoisted on the palace soon after the dreadful business commenced, which left no doubt of its being projected with the knowledge of the princes. So well assured, indeed, was the Lieutenant-Colonel of this fact, that in the first emotion of indignation, occasioned by the death of his friend, and the shocking spectacle which presented itself on all sides, he would have consented to the demands of the enraged soldiers, who were bent upon entering the palace; but the entreaties of some persons who had the care of the princes prevailed; and though the Colonel could not be persuaded of their innocence, he condescended to take them under his protection, and sent them soon after with a guard to Madras. Thus, it may be truly said, did the prompt and decisive spirit of one man put an end to this dangerous confederacy; for had the fort remained in the possession of the insurgents but a few days, they were certain of being joined by fifty thousand men from Mysore.

This energetic act was, indeed, the

preservation of the Carnatic; and so convinced was the General, Sir John Cradock, of the immense value of the service performed by the Colonel, that he called it in his dispatch" a military wonder;" and well might it be so termed, for Vellore is one of the strongest fortresses in that part of India. The gratification produced by the suppression of this systematic combination, and the sensation of delight excited by the deliverance of many valuable lives, particularly of the wife and family of his friend, experienced a melancholy depression in the loss of an esteemed acquaintance under such circumstances. Though Colonel Gillespie exposed himself throughout this arduous conflict in every part where danger and death prevailed, he fortunately received no other injury than a severe contusion on the right arm; which, however, neither slackened his own exertions, nor dispirited those who fought under his directions. Soon after this he was called upon to act at Wallajabad, and other stations, for the purpose of repressing the symptoms of insurrection which were indicated in these places.

For this important service, the Colonel was rewarded by the supreme government with a vote of thanks, very handsomely expressed, accompanied by a pecuniary present.

VARIETIES

ANECDOTE OF THE IRISH REBELLION.

On the 23d of May, 1798, a party of rebels stopped and plundered the Limerick mail-coach and massacred one of the passengers, Lieutenant William Gifford, of the 83d regiment. The savages having shot one of the horses so as effectually to prevent the coach from proceeding, demanded of Lieutenant Gifford who and what he was; to which he answered without hesitation, that he was an officer proceeding on his way to Chatham, in obedience to orders he had received. They held a moment's conversation, and then told him that they wanted officers; that if he would, take an oath to be true to them, and join them in an attack to be made next morning upon Monastereven, they would give him a command, but otherwise, he must die. To this the gallant youth re

plied, that he had already sworn allegiance to the king, that he would never offend God Almighty by a breach of that oath, nor would he disgrace himself by turning a deserter and join the king's enemies; that he could not suppose an army of men to be so cruel as to murder an individual who had never injured them, and who was merely passing through them to a country from whence possibly he never would return; but if they insisted on this proposal he must die, for he never would consent to do it. This brave and yet pathetic answer, which would have kindled sentiments of humanity in any breasts but those of rebels, had directly the contrary effect upon them. With the utmost fury they assaulted him; and he had a case of pocket pistols, which his natural courage, and the love of life, though hopeless, prompted him to use with effect. Being uncommonly active he burst from them, and vaulting over a six-feet wall, he made towards a house where he saw lights, and heard people talking. Alas! it afforded no refuge, it was the house of a man of the name of Crawford, whom with his grandfather they had just piked. A band of the barbarians returning from this exploit met Lieutenant Gifford there; he fell covered with wounds and with glory, and his mangled body was thrown into the same ditch with honest Crawford and his innocent grand-child. Thus he expired at the age of seventeen, a martyr to religion and honour, whose memory will ever be respected by the virtuous and the brave.

HUMANITY OF JOSEPH II.

An old Austrian officer, who had a pension very insufficient to the demands of his family explained to the emperor, his indigent situation, and entreated his compassion, saying that he had ten children alive. The emperor wishing to know the truth of this representation, went to the officer's house in disguise, and instead of ten, found eleven children there. "The eleventh child," said the old officer, "is a poor orphan that I took into my house from motives of compassion.' The emperor, astonished at such an instance of humanity, amidst so much poverty, immediately ordered a hundred florins to be given to each of the children.

On the 18th of June, 1812, war was declared between England and the United States of America. This event gave rise to some of the most interesting passages which have ever distinguished maritime warfare. Frequently largely manned by British seamen, and greatly superior in size and weight of metal, the American navy, for nearly a year after the commencement of the war, had an almost uninterrupted career of success over the English. The British name was, however, at last gloriously retrieved, by the action between the SHANNON AND THE CHESAPEAKE, an event which we shall detail at length, especially as it is one of the most brilliant naval actions on record, and unfolds to our view a scene of glory linked with the remembrance of many of our readers.

VOL. I.

Captain P. B. V. Broke, the gallant commander of the Shannon, was appointed to watch the Chesapeake as she lay in Boston harbour, and about the middle of the month of May, 1813, she appeared to be nearly ready for sea, and engrossed all the attention of our intrepid hero. For various reasons his anxiety was naturally great. The Chesapeake seemed to present the last chance, that season, of avenging the insulted honour of the British flag-of confounding the insolent pretensions of an enemy whose triumphs had originated solely in superiority of force-of making the Americans feel that, upon equal terms, they were unable successfully to contend against the prowess of their parent stock. Serious apprehensions were entertained lest the last remaining frigate might escape from

her antagonists, as others, favoured by the weather, had lately done. Had the Chesapeake once passed beyond the blockading squadron, she would inevitably have effected considerable mischief amongst the British trade, where least expected; and she might probably have fallen in with English ships of war, which, being of inferior force, or weakened by the manning of prizes, would have been much less capable of supporting the national fame than the Shannon and the Tenedos, which had been particularly appointed to watch, and were thoroughly prepared to meet, her. Under these considerations Captain Broke regarded it as an important duty, to obtain, by any honourable means, a meeting with the enemy. He had previously sent several verbal invitations to Commodore Rogers to meet the Shannon and Tenedos, his two frigates, with the President and Congress. The contest would have been very unequal; but Captain Broke trusted that his gallant second, Captain Parker, would vanquish the Congress in time to assist him against the President, should there be occasion for such aid. The badness of the weather, however, prevented the continuance of a close blockade, and afforded Rogers the opportunity of escape. It is probable, too, that independently of his having other objects in view, the American commander, when out, might not have deemed it prudent to seek a meeting with the British frigates, without an assurance on their part that they would not receive assistance from other ships.

This consideration induced Captain Broke to draw up and combine, in a written form, the substance of the different proposals which he had already sent in to the captain of the Chesapeake. In this letter, which was expressed in the following terms, Captain Broke endeavoured to answer every objection that could possibly be made to his wishes.

“H. B. M's ship Shannon, off Boston, June, 1813.

SIR,

As the Chesapeake appears now ready for sea, I request you will do me the favour to meet the Shannon with her, ship to ship, to try the fortune of our respective flags. To an officer of your character, it requires some apology for

proceeding to further particulars. Be assured, sir, that it is not from any doubt I can entertain of your wishing to close with my proposals, but merely to provide an answer to any objection which might be made, and very reasonably, upon the chance of our receiving unfair support.

After the diligent attention we had paid to Commodore Rodgers; the pains I took to detach all force but the Shannon and Tenedos to such a distance that they could not possibly join in any action fought in sight of the Capes; and the various verbal messages which had been sent into Boston to that effect, we were much disappointed to find the commodore had eluded us, by sailing the first chance, after the prevailing easterly winds had obliged us to keep an offing from the coast. He perhaps wished for some stronger assurance of a fair meeting. I am, therefore, induced to address you more particularly, and to assure you that what I write I pledge my honour to perform to the utmost of my power.

The Shannon mounts twenty-four guns upon a broadside, and one light boat gun; eighteen pounders on her main deck, and thirty-two pound carronades on her quarter-deck and forecastle; and is manned with a complement of three hundred men and boys, (a large proportion of the latter) besides thirty seamen, boys and passengers, who were taken out of recaptured vessels lately. I am thus minute, because a report prevailed in some of the Boston papers that we had one hundred and fifty men, additional, lent us from La Hogue, which really was never the case. La Hogue is now at Halifax for provisions, and I will send all other ships beyond the power of interfering with us, and meet you wherever it is most agreeable to you, within the limits of the undermentioned rendezvous, viz:

From 6 to 10 leagues east of Cape Cod Lighthouse, from 8 to 10 leagues east of Cape Ann Light, on Cashe's Ledge, in lat. 43, north, at any bearing and distance you please to fix off the South Breakers of Nantucket, or the Shoal in St. George's bank.

If you will favour me with any plan of signals or telegraph, I will warn you (if sailing under this promise) should any of my friends be too nigh or any where in sight, until I can detach them out of my way, or I would sail with