458 REPAST OF OYSTERS. more particularly noticed the circumstance, because sea-faring men seem to think an oath necessary to their consequence, or indicative of their courage, whereas, TRUE DIGNITY and REAL BRAVERY are not merely compatible with, but flow from the fear of God and the keeping of his commandments. When the dessert was finished, and we were at a loss for something to amuse us, the bucket of oysters was brought forward for consumption. They were instantly opened and distributed. We had two or three a-piece by way of taste; they were good, and as large as could be expected at so early a part of the season. Having devoured our shell fish, we thought of amusing ourselves by drawing up our NET, and ascertaining what other fish might be obtained on the occasion. Considerable effort was necessary to pull it up; indeed, so much so, that I thought of one of RAPHAEL'S cartoons, where the men are depicted as exerting their whole strength in securing the miraculous draught of FISHES! But some crowding around that part of the vessel, and others even climb ing up the rigging to behold the wondrous sight-the net was drawn up, and not a single fish to be found! Nothing was to be seen, excepting a quantity of sea galls, (a white sort of glutinous substance,) which, we were told, had some small degree of life in them. It is a 'kind of zoophite, I presume, forming the lowest link of inert matter with animated being. Our sails being down, and the vessel drifting with the tide, there was an ease and carelessness attaching to our situation, which accorded with the pleasures of the day Smooth went OUR BOAT upon the summer seas, O! were this little boat to us the WORLD, BOWLES. The TIDE now having turned, we hoisted our sails and availed ourselves of a fresh breeze which had just sprung up, seemingly destined to waft us back to the desired haven. We first sailed round the Admiral's ship, the NAMUR, of ninety-eight guns! It stood like a tower, pre-eminent, and overlooked our little bark tossing around like a cork on the watery element. We approached it. I gazed with wonder! The centinel pacing to and fro on the upper deck, with his instrument of death, having the shining blade affixed to its extremity, had a very diminutive appearance: With three tiers of guns breathing defiance, the whole cast a deep shadow on the restless waves, and frown 460 CURIOUS CEMENT. ing, seemed to menace the invading foe with irremediable destruction. Hail, glory of ALBION! ye fleets and ye hosts, I breathe not the tones of dismay! Thou gem of the OCEAN that smil'st in thy pow'r, ROLL, ROLL thy white waves and envelop'd in foam, Thou guard of OLD ENGLAND, my country, my home, BLOOMFIELD. We tacked about in various directions, and had beautiful alternate views of the opposite coasts of Kent and Essex. At the extremity of the horizon I saw, with my pocket glass, many small vessels, which I imagined to be fishing boats. I asked if my conjecture was right, the reply was, "No, Sir, they are catching stone." "Stone," said I, "what can that mean?" I was then informed, that a particularly strong cement is made of stone taken from the bottom of the sea, and carefully pulverised. Thus, through the restless ingenuity of man, improvements are constantly making to promote the comforts and multiply the blessings of civilized society. EXECUTION OF R. PARKER. 461 We were re-approaching SHEERNESS, and at that distance from it, where the ships were moored in 1797, whose men mutinied, and which MUTINY threw the nation, for some weeks, into the utmost consternation! They had formed themselves into delegates, and RICHARD PARKER was the chief amongst them. Their resistance was alarming; but when they interrupted the commerce of the Thames and Medway, it began to rouse the mercantile world. The plea was, increase of wages and an extension of privilege. PARKER was executed near Sheerness, as were many of his comrades! He died with a fortitude worthy of a better fate. The execution of this extraordinary man excited great interest at the time, and an account of it shall be transcribed. The MUTINY forms an epoch in the annals of our NAVY. 66 66 Saturday, July 1, 1797. Yesterday, at eight in the morning, a gun was fired from on board his Majesty's ship L'Espion, lying off SHEERNESS GARRISON, Vice-Admiral Lutwidge's flag-ship, and the yellow flag, the signal of capital punishment, was hoisted, which was immediately repeated by THE SANDWICH hoisting the same colour on her foretop. The Sandwich was stationed 462 EXECUTION OF R. PARKER. rather above Blackstakes, the headmost ship of the fleet. "The GARRISON, on the gun firing, were immedidiately under arms, consisting of the East and West York, and West Norfolk Militia; a corps of invalids, and a train of artillery; all of which, with fixed bayonets, marched out of the Sally Port Gate, with their colours flying; and proceeded in single files along the south shore of the Medway, near to Queenborough, in order to be spectators of the event. All the barrier gates of the garrison were now shut, and each ship in the fleet at this time sent a boat off with a lieutenant and a party of marines, to attend the Sandwich; and the crews of all were piped to the fore-castle, and the marines drawn up on the quarter-deck, to be witnesses of the execution. "The PRISONER was awaked a little after six o'clock, from a sound sleep, by the marshal provost, who, with a file of marines, composed his guard; he arose with cheerfulness, and requested permission might be asked for a barber to attend him, which was granted; he soon dressed himself in a neat suit of mourning, (waistcoat excepted,) wearing his half boots over a pair of black silk stockings: he then took his breakfast, talked of a will he had written, in which he had bequeathed to his wife a little estate he said he was heir to; and after that lamented the misfortune that had been brought on the country by the mutiny, but solemnly denied having the least connexion or correspondence with any disaffected persons |