rary father, than our hero did from his unmartial master; but a brighter fortune was awaiting him. About the year 1795, three regiments were formed, which went under the name of experimental, and were composed of boys taken from the several parishes. One winter's morning, when John was working in a field, he was accosted by a parish officer, who informed him that if he was so inclined he might now go for a soldier. The offer was eagerly accepted, and he was immediately sent to the depôt at Colchester. His first taste of a military life was not such as served to realize his hopes. He was laughed at, beaten, put to the torture by his new uniform, and suffered all the little inconveniences which it may easily be imagined such a novel situation presented. But his ardour conquered every thing, and he soon obtained the distinguished rank of fife-major and afterwards that of drum-major. But we must pass pass over these home scenes of his career. After having learnt something of a military life in England, he was ordered with his regiment to the Cape of Good Hope. His voyage thither was a most perilous one, and if the description be correct, never did poor wretches suffer so frightfully as the crew of the Surat-Castle. The vessel was literally crammed with human beings, many of which, famished and helpless Lascars, were dying of pestilential diseases. But we give the author's own words.

'In three or four hours we had entirely lost sight of our convoy. We were running at the rate of eleven knots an hour, and, as it seemed, into the very jaws of danger. The clouds began to assume a pitchy and awful darkness, the distant thunder rolled angrily, and the vivid lightning's flash struck each watching eye dim, and, for a moment, hid the rolling and gigantive wave from the sight of fear. The wind whistled terrifically, and the shattered sails fanned the flying clouds. All was consternation; every eye betrayed fear. Sail was taken in, masts lowered, and yards stayedpreparations which bespoke no good tidings to the inquiring and terrified landsman. I was seated in the poop, alone, holding by a hen-coop, and viewing the mountainous and angry billows, with my hand partly covering my eyes to protect them against the lightning. It was a moment of the most poignant sorrow to me; my heart still lingered on the white cliffs of Albion, nor could I wean it from the sorrowful reflection that I was, perhaps, leaving that dear and beloved country for ever. During this struggle of my feelings, our vessel shipped a tremendous sea over her poop, and then angrily shook her head, and seemed resolved to buffet the raging elements with all her might and main. The ship was shortly after this "hove to," and lay comparatively quiet; and, in about a couple of hours, the wind slackened, and we again stood on our way, the masts cracking under her three topsails and fore storm-staysail. However, she rode much easier, and the storm still continued to abate. I was dreadfully wet and cold, and my teeth chattered most woefully; so I made towards the gundeck, some portion of which was allotted for the soldiers. There the heat was suffocating, and the stench intolerable. The scene in the orlop-deck was truly distressing; soldiers, their wives and children, all lying together in a state of the most dreadful sea-sickness, groaning in concert, and calling for a drop of water to cool their parched tongues. I' screwed myself up behind a butt, and soon fell into that stupor which sea-sickness will create. In this state I continued until morning; and, when I awoke, I found that the hurricane had returned with redoubled fury, and that we were standing towards land. The captain came a-head to look out, and, after some consideration, he at last told the officer to stand out to sea. The following morning was ushered in by the sun's bright beams diffusing their lustre on the dejected features of frightened and helpless mortals. The dark clouds of sad despair were in mercy driven from our minds, and the bright beams of munificent love from above took their place. The before down-cast eye was seen to sparkle with delight, and the haggard cheek of despondency resumed its wonted serenity. The tempestuous bosom of the main was now smooth as a mirror, and all seemed grateful and cheerful, directing the eye of hope towards the far-distant haven to which we were bound.

'Some three weeks after this, we were again visited by a most dreadful storm, that far exceeded the former one, and from which we suffered much external injury, our main top-mast, and other smaller masts, being carried away. But the interior of our poor bark exhibited a scene of far greater desolation. We were then far from land, and a pestilential disease was raging among us in all its terrific forms. Naught could be seen but the pallid cheek of disease, or the sunken eye of despair. The sea-gulls soared over the ship, and huge sharks hovered around it, watching for their prey. These creatures are sure indications of ships having some pestilential disease on board, and they have been known to follow a vessel so circumstanced to the most distant climes-to countries far from their native element. To add to our distresses, some ten barrels of ship's paint, or colour, got loose from their lashings, and rolled from side to side, and from head to stern, carrying every thing before them by their enormous weight. From our inability to stop them in their destructive progress, they one and all were staved in, and the gun-deck soon became one mass of colours, in which lay the dead and the dying, both white and black.'vol. i. pp. 69-73.

The ship, however, arrived at the Cape, and a little time restored the author to health and strength; soon after which the regiment was again embarked, and he found himself in the barracks of Fort William. He was now eighteen, in good health, and possessing an excellent character for sobriety and regularity. He was fifer and bugler, and had so far gained the good will of his captain, as to have received some instructions from him in reading and writing. His ambition thus took a higher character, and he requested to be removed from the drummers to the ranks. He obtained his wish; and to his great delight was not only transferred to the ranks, but was promoted to be a corporal. He was now in a situation where his exertions and good conduct were likely to obtain their full reward. Of this he was further assured by being, at the end of six months, advanced to the rank of sergeant, and shortly after to that of pay-sergeant. The army was proceeding against Hoolkah, and on the 29th December, 1804, they set down to the siege of Bhurtpore, the grand scene of our author's heroism; for three times was

he at the head of the forlorn hope, and on each occasion was driven back wounded and disabled. The account of these desperate attacks is given with force, and will be read by most persons who take any pleasure in military details, with lively interest. We have room only for the narrative of the last of the attempts made upon this apparently impregnable fortress, and which it seems was besieged when our army had neither force nor energy sufficient to give any hope of success.

some

• The storming-party marched out in the usual steady order: yet, from our recent calamitous defeats, there was not that spirit amongst the men which I had witnessed on former occasions. We had already experienced three disastrous repulses from this fort, and there now seemed a cloud on every brow, which proceeded, I have no hesitation in asserting, from a well-grounded apprehension that this, our fourth assault, would be concluded by another retreat. If any sight could be exhibited to the human eye that was calculated to work upon the feelings of men already disappointed and dispirited, it was the scene that was exposed to our view on approaching to this breach; for there lay our poor comrades who had fallen in previous attempts, many of them in a state of nudity; without heads; some without arms or legs; and others whose bodies exhibited the most barbarous cruelties, for they were literally cut to pieces. The sight was truly awful and appalling, and the eye of pity closed instinctively on such a spectacle of woe. Those who attempted to extend the hand of relief were added to the number of the slain, as the spot was much exposed to a cross-fire from the fort. Could any sight be more distressing for affectionate comrades to look on? I say affectionate, for, among men living together in one barrack, and, perhaps under one tent, in familiar intercourse, there must be a greater regard for each other than is found to exist among those who meet casually, once a day or once a week. In a soldier's barrack the peculiarities, good or bad, of every individual are known; added to which, arduous services will always link men together in the bond of union and affection. Many of these mutilated objects still breathed, and could be seen to heave the agonized bosom; some raised their heads clotted with blood; others their legs and arms; and, in this manner, either made signs to us, or faintly cried for help and pity. It was a sight to turn nature's current, and to melt a heart of stone. Such was its effect upon our lines, that, after a short conflict of the softer feelings, the eye of every man flashed the vivid spark of vengeance against the cruel race who had committed such wanton barbarities; and, if mortal effort could have surmounted the obstacles in our path, those who witnessed the horrid scene I have just described, must infallibly have succeeded. But the effort was beyond mortal power. Braver hearts, or more loyal, never left the isle of Albion, than those who fell like withered leaves, and found a soldier's grave at Bhurtpore.

Our ascent was found, for the fourth time, to be quite impossible: every man who showed himself was sure of death. The soldiers in the fort were in chain armour. I speak this from positive conviction, for I myself fired at one man three times in the bastion, who was not six yards from me, and he did not even bob his head. We were told afterwards, that every man defending the breach, was in full armour, which was a coat,

breast-plate, shoulder-plates, and armlets, with a helmet and chain faceguard; so that our shots could avail but little. I had not been on the breach more than five minutes, when I was struck with a large shot on my back, thrown down from the top of the bastion, which made me lose my footing, and I was rolling down sideways, when I was brought up by a bayonet of one of our grenadiers passing through the shoe, into the fleshy part of the foot, and under the great toe.'-pp. 199-202.

It had been promised our author, that if he succeeded in entering the fort, he should be rewarded with a commission. We have seen how unfortunately the affair terminated, but this was the consequence of no deficiency in the resolution of the men who composed the forlorn hope, and Mr. Shipp, much to the praise of the commander-in-chief be it spoken, received an ensigncy, and soon after was made a lieutenant in the 76th regiment, and returned to England, where he arrived in October, 1807. His principal reason for leaving India was to afford himself some chance of seeing his father-another instance of that goodness of nature, marks of which we have reason to admire in many parts of the memoirs. To his grief, however, he found his parent was no longer living; this unsettled his feelings, he entered into all the pleasures of society, lost his money, and, to our great regret, for we really feel sympathy with him, had to sell his commission to liquidate his debts. With proper resolution, he again entered his profession by enlisting as a private into the 24th Dragoons, was soon promoted to the rank of sergeant, and returned to India.

After suffering a few disappointments, he was further promoted to the rank of sergeant-major, and obtained some minor appointments, which considerably augmented his income. He now, therefore, thought it would be advisable to settle himself by marriage, and he obtained the hand of the daughter of a respectable officer in the commissariat department. Soon after this, as if the stream of his good luck was to be fuller and fuller every day, he again obtained a commission, having an ensigncy given him in the 87th regiment, which corps he was directed to join without delay. There are some highly interesting passages in the detail of the campaign in which our author was now engaged. Indian warfare affords excellent subjects for description. Wild adventures, desperate attempts, and romantic successes, fill the pages of any ordinary history of an Indian campaign, but Mr. Shipp was peculiarly fortunate in this respect. His natural bravery led him into every scene of danger, and he was never so happy as when leading a forlorn hope, or making his way through impassable barriers of dark morass or gloomy jungle. If he had been so fortunate as to have lived some three hundred years back, he would have infallibly obtained a renowned name in minstrelsy; but in default of this, he has related his own adventures with excellent skill, and there are not many books of the class from which more entertainment may be gleaned. From the anecdotes with which the work abounds, we extract the following of the sagacity and fidelity of the dog :

I believe it was when on this service that I had occasion to notice an instance of sagacity in a dog, that may be deemed worthy of being re

corded.

' In passing the sentinels, I found it necessary to admonish one of them for not challenging in a louder voice. To my astonishment, the excuse which the man made was, that he was afraid of waking a faithful dog of his, that was asleep under a bush just by.

"What!" said I, "then I suppose you sometimes take nap about with this faithful animal." "Why, yes," said the man, innocently, "sometimes, sir; and, to say truth, I have but five minutes ago relieved him from his post."

"Very candid, truly," said I; "but are you not aware, my good fellow, that you could be shot for sleeping on your post ?",

• The sentinel adınitted that he knew well the consequences to which he would be subjected by sodoing; but not withstanding this, he asserted that he could thoroughly confide in his faithful companion, who, on the slightest noise, would jump upon him, and awake him.

• On further enquiry, I learnt that this sagacious and faithful creature would regularly, when his master was on watch, stand his hour and walk his round; that, in very dark nights, he would even put his ear to the ground, and listen; and that, during the period assigned to him as his turn to watch, he would never venture to lie down, but would steadily and slowly walk his round, which nothing could induce him to leave, such was his opinion of the nature and responsibility of his post. The man added, that he once gave him to an officer of the Company's service, who took him from the station where he was (Meerut), to Loodiannah, a distance of four hundred miles, and that, the moment the officer let him loose, he returned to his old master, having performed that great distance in two days and a half. That he was on the main-guard the night he returned, and he was awoke by the dog licking his face. It appeared that he had been through the barrack, and visited every sleeping soldier on their separate cots, until he had found his master. The man related several anecdotes of this animal: among the rest, he said he was one day out drinking toddy, some miles from camp, and from the intoxicating effect, and the extreme heat of the liquor, he went to sleep. On awaking he found his clothes torn in several places, and that he had been dragged more than three yards from the bush under which he had lain down; but what was his astonishment, on getting up, to find a large snake almost torn to pieces, no doubt by his faithful guard! He was a powerful dog,a kind of Persian-hill greyhound, that would kill a wolf single-handed.'vol. ii. pp. 125-127.

As these illustrations of natural history are both useful and interesting, when related by persons who there is any reason to suppose have had an opportunity of verifying them by observation, we extract another from these amusing volumes.

'One night, having dined with an officer of the Madras army, at the time that we were before this place, and partaken rather too freely of the Tuscan grape, I started towards home on my favourite mare, whose