Sse tentieesin.feeetisseatmeaniom nig aor somartoasia rca eat aio avert Honoring Mary S$. Shavb ADELSON LIBRARY AT SAPSUCKER WOODS BH CORNELL LAB of ORNITHOLOGY Illustration of Snowy Owl by Louis Agassiz Fuertes THE BIRDS OF IONA AND MULL 1852—70 BY THE LATE HENRY DAVENPORT GRAHAM AUTHOR OF “THE ANTIQUITIES OF IONA” WITH A MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR EDITED BY J. A. HARVIE-BROWN, F.Z.S. MEMBER OF THE BRIT. ORNITH. UNION Printed by George Waterston & Sons FOR DAVID DOUGLAS, EDINBURGH. LONDON, . . . SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, HAMILTON, KENT, AND CO., LIMITED, GLASGOW, . . .» JAMES MACLEHOSE AND SONS. CAMBRIDGE, . MACMILLAN AND BOWES. Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924090193453 ae ibtey Goes: ore DAVID. DOUGLAS: ORNITH Oi G20 G7 Go> IS 90 PREFACE. WHEN it was first proposed that the late Mr H. D. Graham’s MS8S. should be resuscitated and saved from oblivion, the present Editor had by that time devoted a large share of personal attention to the Natural History of the West of Scotland and the Isles. But as he was aware that Mr H. D. Graham’s Notes and Letters were then under able editorship, and had been announced for publica- tion, he considered his time and opportunities would be better bestowed upon other districts which were not receiving so much attention. Although a few occasions did permit of his visiting portions of Mull, and he kept a few notes of such facts as he met with, no special care was given to Mull until it became surely ascertained that the volume on Iona and Mull was not going to appear under the editorship of Mr Robert Gray; nor were any steps taken until after that gentleman’s death to again communi- cate with the family of Mr Graham regarding the Manuscripts and Sketches, of which latter the present Editor retained a vivid recollection, having seen them in Mr Gray’s house in Glasgow. A correspondence ensued with Mr Charles W. Graham, which vi PREFACE, resulted in a request to undertake the editing, and finally all the materials were placed in the present Editor’s hands in the begin- ning of the year 1889. It was also arranged that, as considerable attention had for some years been bestowed upon many other districts of Argyll and the Isles, this volume should form one of the series on the Vertebrate Fauna of Scotland at present being issued by Mr David Douglas. This was unanimously approved of by all parties concerned. As for those who have not yet, of course, been consulted— viz., the readers of the volume—the present Editor desires that it should be looked upon somewhat in the light of a relief-volume, affording insight into the life in the Hebrides not only of the birds of Iona, but also of the Naturalist who spent so much of his time and leisure in their pursuit and study. The sketches— “ Heart-pictures ”—by the author have been selected for illustra- tion, not as highly-finished artistic productions, but simply as partly illustrating the text, partly illustrating Graham’s sense of humour, whilst rapidly drawing them in the long winter evenings for the amusement of the kind friends with whom he lived, and also to serve the purpose of a pleasant recollection of his life and work in Iona amongst his friends and the remaining members of his family. After careful consideration he has decided not to bring the bird-list up to date, but rather to retain Mr Graham’s Notes almost intact; all the more so, as a later opportunity, under the title of another volume of the series, will, it is hoped, be given, PREFACE. vil which will at the same time afford the means of bringing up to date the fauna of a much larger and natural area. He cannot -take leave of his portion of the duties con- nected with the publication without acknowledging to the full the advantage he possessed in the previous partial editing of the late Mr Robert Gray; and also his thanks are due to Mr Charles W. Graham for the excellent condition and chronological order in which the materials had been lovingly preserved, rendering the Editor’s work all the more a labour of love and a sincere pleasure. Nor can he omit to record his thanks to Mr William Douglas for the careful attention and excellent assistance he rendered in con- nection with the illustrative portions, as well as for his super- vision of the whole book during its passage through the press. Lastly, the Editor’s thanks are also due to Mr Colin M‘Vean, the early friend and companion of Graham, for his ever ready and kindly interest and assistance, his contribution towards the Memoir, and criticism in detail of the sketches, many, if not all, of the incidents themselves remaining green in his memory. Dunipace Houses, LARBERT, Sth Sept. 1890. Qk thet tpon Hak aer1wx Vdland or tH 74 peccacly . ORIGINAL PREFACE BY MR ROBERT GRAY. Tue following pages contain the substance of numerous communica- tions addressed to me by the late Henry Davenport Graham, Esq. These were commenced in 1851, and were continued during an interval of twenty years. Shortly before his death he agreed, at my suggestion, to their publication, as a memorial of many pleasant years spent in Jona, and as a contribution to the ornithology of Scotland, to be dedi- cated chiefly to those who, like himself, preferred seeking their infor- mation in the open fields. Mr Graham was, in the strictest sense, a field naturalist, as his glowing descriptions of his favourites and their interesting haunts abundantly prove. No one, indeed, who has studied the habits of birds can fail to appreciate what he has written. The Notes contain so much descriptive power and genuine admiration of Nature in all her varied aspects that it is impossible not to feel that their author was a naturalist of rare abilities. Through the kindness of Mrs Graham, I have been permitted to examine the collection of drawings executed by her husband during his residence in Iona, The bird portraits—about one hundred and seventy in number, and all painted from life—are extremely charac- teristic, and were at one time, we believe, intended for publication. These are bound together in a volume, entitled, Zhe Birds of Iona: All Shot upon that Sacred Island or in its Vicinity, and each drawing is supplied with manuscript notes on the habits of the birds and the localities they frequent, some of which I have made use of in these pages. In a separate volume, containing upwards of two hundred and fifty coloured sketches of sporting recollections, extending over a period of four years, Mr Graham has left a most vivid pictorial history of his x ORIGINAL PREFACE BY MR ROBERT GRAY. life in Iona. T have pondered over this “book of sports” with an intense although a melancholy interest, many of the drawings being illustrative of incidents narrated in his letters, from which the present volume has been compiled. In one of the scenes is depicted a life-like flock of thirteen long-tailed ducks, and the author in his shooting punt with his two dogs, “ Dash” and “ Doran,” looking eagerly at the result of a poking shot at the retreating birds; in another, a vast colony of Puffins at Lunga Island ; in a third, a Cormorant battue at Staffa ; and in a fourth, a Peregrine Falcon exultingly clutching a Chough, while he himself is being shot at from below. a Epinzureu, 1875. Our deceased friend, the previous Editor, Mr Robert Gray, in winding up the above preface, goes on to say that in prosecuting his task he ever kept in view the difficulty, he might almost say impossi- bility, of adding to the journals of so gifted a writer a word that would enhance their originality or freshness. CONTENTS. PAGE Memoir, . 3 ‘ : : F 1 Letters rrom H. D. Granam to Ropert Gray, SECRETARY or THE GLascow Natura History Society, ; 35 Extracts From D1arils, INCLUDING A “ WaLK THROUGH GLEN- MORE IN Mutt,” : ; 3 : ; . 187 Notes From Minute-Books oF tHe Naturat Hisrory Society oF GLascow, ; ; ; ; ; i . 201 Tue Birps or Jona anp Mutt, , : ; . 207 APPENDIX, : : : ; : : : : : . 273 INDEX, . , , : ; ‘ 3 é : ; . 277 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE Illustrated title-page, ‘ : é ‘ : : ili Birds of Iona, 5 : : . Vill Doran medal, . F ; : x Heather bed, : ; xii Doran, . ‘ : : : : : xvi My room, ‘ : F : ; 3 The Manse, Iona, : ; ; 26 Spouting Cave, Iona, 34 Winter travelling in Mull, 3 ; 37 Catching the Water-rail, . ‘ ; : : 37 Crossing the ferry, . ; 3 F : 43 Carnbulg Island, AG Gathering carrigean at Soay, . 46 Returning from Staffa, : : : 48 Iona Cathedral, 2 51 Shooting Kestrels in the Cathedral, : : 53 Going after Long-tailed ducks, . ‘ 54 Raven’s nest, . ‘ ; F : 56 Second night at Staffa, : . : 58 Crofter at work, : : ; 59 xiv LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE The wounded Lairig, : : : ‘ : : . 62, 63 Punting with Doran, : : , : F : 64 Scudding home, ‘ 3 : 3 , ‘ j 68 Flight of the Long-tailed ducks, ; ; ' 69 Doran chasing wounded duck, . : ‘ ‘ ; 73 Punt and Doran, . 2 ‘ i j : . : 75 The old Hoody Crow, ; , : : ; j 76 Great Pigeon Cave, . ' . ; F , : 78 Shooting pigeons at my cave, . : : ‘ : : 80 Climbing after a shot pigeon, . ‘ ; : : ‘ ‘ 82 Pigeon egg-hunting, ‘ . ‘ ‘ : F 5 : 83 The ‘Scarbh,’ . . ; : : ; ; : ‘ ; 87 Squall—‘ Let fly everything !’ : ; F : . : 90 Dutchman’s Cap, : 4 : : d ; : 93 Shooting puffins, . : , : : : : : . 94, 95 Birds breakfasting, . : ‘ : : : : ; ; 96 Marsh, . ; , ; ; i ‘ ‘ F F ; 97 Heron on stone, : : : : ; ‘ . 101 Cormorant-shooting in punt, . ; : ; : 103 Hauling up punt, . ; ; : ‘ ‘ . . 108 Beul Mor, the Great Gorge, ‘ : ; . lil Dash and Doran, . : . : p . 112 Colin’s first shot, : : . 118 Shelter from a squall, ' ‘ F ; ‘ ‘ . L116 Fishing cuddies, _.. : “ : ‘ ‘ : . 122 Heads, feet, and feathers, : 3 j ‘ : . 128 White cormorant, . . : ; . 130 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. xv PAGE Perforated shell, . : ‘ : ; 131 Blowing up an old blunderbuss, : : ‘ : é . 138 Shooting Scarts at Staffa, : ‘ ‘ d . . 135 Waiting for Scart to dive, i : ‘ ‘ : : . 137 Scart-shooting, 3 ‘ ‘ : j i . 140, 141 The hubble-bubble occasioned by a wounded Scart, . : . 142 The Cormorant, : F ‘ : ‘ ; : . 144 Ardrishaig, 3 : i , é . 145 Looking after curlews, . , , 5 F d ; . 147 Stalking curlews, . : ; F : ; . 150 The punt and curlews, 7 : ‘ : 5 . 153 Returning from Bunesan, ; ; ‘ F i . 155 Bernacle geese, F : : : : ‘ ; . 163 Bernacle geese ; last shot of the old year, . : 168, 169 Loch Potii, Mull, . : F - 173 Greylag geese, : . : : : , 176 Red-legged Crow, . : : : : : ‘ ‘ . 186 Picking up the wounded, . . : : : ‘ : . 189 Moored off Garveloch, . ‘ : : : : : 191 Glenmore, ‘ ’ : ; : : ‘ 195 Tramp through Glenmore, 5 ; . 3 : » 199 Rain from the hills, ; ; : ‘ : é ‘ - 200 Hunting scarts, : ‘ : : : 4 ‘ . 201 Colony of puffins at Lunga Island, . : 5 oe 206 Gull-chick, 3 : 3 : ‘ . 272 Map of Iona, . 5 ; : F 274 Doran’s grave ‘ : : ‘ f P . 280 co} > MEMOTR. “Every one knows with what interest it is natural to retrace the course of our own lives. The past state of a man’s being is retained in a connection with the present by that principle of self-love which is unwilling to relinquish its hold on what has once been his, “Though he cannot but be sensible of how little consequence his life can have been in the creation, compared with many other trains of events, yet to himself he has felt it more important than all other trains together.” Foster (First Essay). ZEEE iff ZI, September 1850. THE storm is roaring in blasts down the chimney, the doors creak, the windows rattle, and the rain in impetuous gusts is driven against the panes. A winter storm is raging among the Hebrides, and howls and dashes round the island of Iona. Things being thus uninviting out of doors, indoor occupation must be looked for. My gun, well oiled, lies idle in the corner, with the ‘Scarbh’s’ flag dangling from its nail above it. Doran has been out several times to survey the state of the weather, and has at last returned resignedly to dry his shaggy hide at the blazing peats, and I compose myself to start a new diary. But this diary, before commencing it from the present date, I intend prefacing with a few notes of the principal events as far back as I can remember that have occurred to me during my life. Foster’s first essay is on “A man’s writing a memoir of himself,” which is recommended by that clever writer as a useful 4 MEMOIR, and interesting practice, and the sentences on the preceding page are copied from him as the best introduction and apology to my diary. Born August 13,1825. Baptised in the following September. My father was residing at this time in Upper Gower Street, and was in business at Lincoln’s Inn. Before I began to recollect anything, we left London, my father retiring from active business; and in the year 1830 he went abroad with his whole family. My earliest recollections are of the yellow travelling carriage in which we performed the tour—my mother and myself, Charles and his nurse in the inside, my father and Reginald on the box, and Emma (now Mrs P.) on the dickey behind. The well-loaded carriage was dragged along by four horses, mounted by a pair of French postilions in jack-boots. A few miles in advance we were pre- ceded by Victor, the courier, a big, good-natured Frenchman, in moustache and a sort of uniform. Thus we traversed France, crossed the Alps, and advanced into Italy till we reached Naples. Mount Vesuvius was in a state of eruption, and I recollect watching its flames at night; but little else made any impression upon my mind. While staying in Rome (1831) we witnessed the election of anew Pope. At night St Peter’s was magnificently illuminated ; the carnival next came on; but at this time there were great political disturbances, a revolution was apprehended, and the safety of all foreigners, particularly that of the English, was endangered. The hotels containing strangers were barricaded and fortified to ‘resist any attack made by the mob. At length we made our escape, and left the Eternal City precipitately. MEMOIR. 5 When passing through Florence we were seized with the measles. An order had been issued forbidding any foreigners remaining more than a single night in the city; however, on my father’s representing his case to the authorities, we obtained leave to rest three days. I recollect looking out at the carriage window at Mont Blane as we passed within sight of its glaciers. I also retain a vivid recollection of Switzerland and the tedious zig-zag roads across the Alps. We narrowly escaped destruction here. The ropes which attached the carriage to a team of oxen broke, the carriage rolled backwards down the declivity, ran to the side of the road, which was bounded by a precipice, and came in contact with a small tree growing by the roadside, which stopped its career. My father and Reginald had dismounted, and were walking up the hill at the time, and Emma, to save herself, jumped down from her elevated seat behind on to the road and escaped injury. An agreeable sojourn of some continuance we spent on the banks of the Lake of Geneva, at Ouchy, near the town of Lausanne, where we hired a house situated among vineyards and chestnut-trees. We also resided for some time in Paris at a hotel in the Place Vendéme.. On returning home from the Continent we brought a Parisian tutor, Mr B., who, though of English parentage, had been brought up in France, and was indeed quite a model of a Frenchman, volatile and thoughtless, with a truly Parisian vanity and love of showing of: However, we became much attached to him for his amiable manners, and because he was B 6 MEMOIR. our companion as well as tutor. We resided chiefly at [ose Cottage, E.B., and he used to lead us forth on long rambles upon the South Downs, armed with leaping-poles, and in quest of adventures, or under the chalk cliffs of Beachy Head, where he led us up desperate attempts at escalading the crumbling heights ; but his belief was that any hazard was trifling, provided one created admiration, more especially in female spectators. We spent one winter in the Crescent, Clapham, also some time in Brighton. Mr B. left us after two years, and returned to France. Mr B.’s successor in the dominie’s chair was Mr T., a native of Greenock, and a student for the Scotch Church. He was a very great contrast to our last preceptor, for as Mr B. was a thorough Frenchman, so, on the other hand, Mr T. was as demure, as quiet, and retiring as a native of Scotland need be. Besides being an excellent instructor, he was a man of steady religious principles, which he was careful to instil into the minds of his pupils. During this time we resided half the year at Rose Lodge, Clapham Common, within ball-shot of the Hall, where my father’s mother lived. Of course, we spent a great deal of our time there. She was a very superior and clever woman, an excellent artist, and exceedingly particular. Indeed, she was the authoress of Teresa Tidy’s Eighteen Maxims on Neatness and Order. As her publisher observed of her, “Mrs G. was a lady who made herself beloved and feared.” The other half of the year we spent at Rose Cottage. Eastbourne was then a lovely, retired spot. On one side the beautiful undulating South Downs extended like a huge sea wave. Upon them one may walk without ever feeling MEMOIR. T fatigue, so elastic is the short green turf, so sweet the yellow blossoming furze, and so exhilarating the pure sea breeze. The sea continually rolled upon the beach at the foot of the long range of white chalk cliffs forming the stupendous heights of Beachy Head, and which give Albion her name. About nine miles west is Windmill, the property of my grandfather, Mr C., whom I but lightly remember; but we children used frequently to visit there while Mrs C. was still living. The mansion-house is closely surrounded by wood, the lofty trees being inhabited by a rookery and heronry. What deeply im- pressed our childish minds was the mysterious quietness which reigned through the apartments indoors, contrasted with the noise of the rookery out of doors; the damp, musty smell which prevailed everywhere, in consequence of being so much shut in by wood; the excessively high feeding, which caused a visit to Windmill always to terminate with a dose of salts; and the ten-shilling tip we received at our departure. 1834.—I have a regular diary for this and the two succeed- ing years, a singular sort of production ; but we were early taught to keep journals—an admirable habit ! October 4.—My sister Caroline born. 1835.—In September the entire family went to Edmond Castle on a visit to our uncle. Mr T. left us, very much to our regret. He went afterwards to Kelso, but after that we never heard anything more of him. 1836.—This winter we spent in Paris, living in the Rue de la Paix. We renewed our acquaintance with Mr B., whom we found in Paris giving lessons in French and English. He 8 MEMOIR. accordingly came daily to teach Charles and me French. This was a very happy, agreeable winter, and, besides the enjoyment, we received the benefit of the instructions of a whole mob of French masters. Mons. F. taught elocution; Mons. 8. dancing, Mons. N. drawing, Mons. R. music, Mr B. French; and lastly, we went to the barracks of the pompiers (firemen) to be exercised by a sergeant in gymnastics. Returned home to England in May. This time we also brought a tutor with us, Mr K., a German; but though he got us on very well with German and French, yet his temper was so disagreeable that we had to part with him in the autumn. He was a native of Saxony, banished from thence for writing against the Government. This winter, instead of living at Rose Cottage, which was getting too small for us, we went into Susan’s. 1837.—Having now no tutor in the house, Reginald went to the Rev. Mr T.’s, who lived on the other side of Clapham Common, with about a dozen pupils. Charles and I received daily lessons from Mr R. (nicknamed M‘Diarmid), who taught us writing, English, geography, and the globes, chemistry, geometry, &e., &e. 1838.—Charles and I now went to school at the Rev. Mr G.’s, Clapham, where there were about twenty other boys besides ourselves. Of course we disliked it exceedingly, it being the first time of our leaving home. When the summer holi- days came on, we went down to Susan’s, Eastbourne. After this, instead of returning to Mr G.’s, I was sent to Dr B.’s, Coombe Wood, near Kingston-upon-Thames. It was a much larger school, containing sixty boys, and it was conducted on the MEMOIR. 9 Pestalozzi system. There were seven under- masters, and each class never remained more than an hour at the same task. At this time I had a strong inclination to go to sea, which originated from perusing Captain Basil Hall’s Fragments, from dislike to school, and from a kind of taste for enterprise. An extraordinary freak entered into my head to perform. One fine afternoon I jumped over the playground palings and set off, without knowing whither or wherefore. After walking till midnight in the direction of Dorking, I crept into the window of a barn, and slept on a ladder. At sunrise I resumed my journey, breakfasted for a shilling at a roadside inn (the sign of Tangiers), and walked in the direction of London, taking a considerable circuit to avoid the neighbourhood of Kingston. It was a lovely day; the sun shone bright, and I enjoyed it as an escaped convict or a truant schoolboy can alone do. However, after walking till four in the afternoon, I arrived at Westminster Bridge, hungry, weary, and quite unresolved what next to do. While I was sitting in one of the alcoves on Westminster Bridge (where I thought that, if it came to the worst, I might pass the night), an old man with a bundle turned in and seated himself on the stone bench. He had the appearance of great poverty, though his dress, patched and threadbare as it was, showed attempts at neatness and shabby gentility; but there was something exceedingly mild and benevolent in his thin, starved physiognomy, so that after a few commonplace remarks I told him that I was a boy just come up from the country in search of a place, and asked him if he could recommend me where to go. Now, this poor old man was a real good Samaritan, as I will presently show, and it reminds me of 10 MEMOIR. the passage, “ Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares;” for while this old man thought he was sheltering a poor, friendless boy, who could never make him any return, yet by it he eventually made friends who saved him from starvation, and enabled him to end his days in comfort. We jogged on together till he brought me to the Cheshire Cheese, a small public in St Clement Danes, where he had a garret, and, like the Irish bard who burnt his harp to cook his guest’s supper, so my poor host pawned some of the last articles of his furniture (including his poker, which fetched a halfpenny) to procure a supper. Next day was Sunday, and being very tired, I remained at home with my friend, old 8. He was a singular old man; he had seen better days, and had manners worthy of a gentleman, but now, alas! he was struggling to support existence as a journeyman tailor. He was very loquacious, and, being an astrologer, he cast my horoscope and told me my fortune. He was a bit of an antiquary also, and said that this narrow lane, St Clement Danes, was so called from the Danes, when they invaded England, landed from the Thames, and entered London through this street. On Monday my adven- tures were brought to an abrupt termination, for, proceeding to Tower Hill and inquiring at the Naval Rendezvous, with a swagger, for a billet on board a man-of-war, the landlord, who had been put on the look-out by my friends, immediately pinned me, and carried me back in triumph in his gig to Coombe Wood. As I afterwards learned, old S. was very unhappy at my not returning. Some days after my father saw him. He had not even ventured to examine a small bundle which I had tied MEMOIR. 11 up in a handkerchief, which, by-the-bye, contained a bible, a map of England, a telescope, and a pocket compass! Worthy old 8. lived about five years after this, and proved himself a most worthy object of charity. I remained at Coombe Wood till the Christmas holidays, when I returned to Rose Lodge, and this was the only year that I ever was at school. 1839, January 17.—I was appointed as volunteer first class (now called Naval Cadets) to the ‘Zebra, a brig of 16 guns, fitting out at Sheerness. A few days after I was swaggering about in my uniform and dirk, and went down to join my ship. Captain P. of the ‘Howe’ enrolled me in the service, and taking me by the arm and giving me a shake, said, “Ah, there’s some beef in this boy!” This was meant as a compliment. I was then examined by the schoolmaster to see if I was qualified to enter. The questions were to write from dictation, “I have joined H.MLS. ‘ Zebra,” and this rule of three, “If one bushel costs 10s., what will ten bushels ?” In February we sailed for the Mediterranean. I was ap- pointed mid of the fore-top and of the jolly-boat. The first time I went aloft the captain hailed me to go through the “lubber’s hole;” however, I succeeded in surmounting the difficulties of getting over the futtock shrouds, and at the end of my watch, when I went below, the captain’s steward came with a pound of gingerbread “for going aloft so well.” While the ‘Zebra’ was fitting we were hulked on board the ‘Shannon,’ the remains of the ship which was so celebrated in the American War under Captain Broke. She was a very little frigate. Captain Broke was one of the first to improve the practice of naval gunnery, 12 MEMOIR. and it was this probably that enabled him to beat the ‘ Chesapeake.’ Broke must have been previously known as a brave man, for a fo’castle ditty made at the beginning of the war contained these lines, “ And as the war they did provoke, We'll pay them with our cannon ; And the first to do it shall be Broke, In the gallant ship the ‘Shannon.’ ” After touching at Gibraltar, we proceeded for Malta, encoun- tering a tremendous gale off Cape Bon. We were scudding under close-reefed maintopsail and foresail, and shipped a tremendous sea. The brig, being an old-fashioned, deep-waisted vessel, retained a great body of water within her bulwarks; for a few seconds she remained as if stunned by the blow, her lee gunwale completely below water, and her yardarms touching the sea. It was a very critical moment; but gradually the water escaped, she rose, and again began to labour among the waves. “All hands shorten sail!” We passed some ships under bare poles. At last we reached Malta, and anchored in Valetta Harbour, and went into Dockyard Creek. We found all the squadron here, with Admiral §. in the ‘Princess Charlotte’ 104. The other ships composing the Mediterranean Squadron were the ‘ Asia,’ 84 ; ‘ Bellerophon, 78; ‘ Belleisle,’ 72; ‘Benbow, 72; ‘Ganges,’ 84; ‘Hastings,’ 72; ‘Implacable, 74; ‘Minden, 72; ‘Pem- broke’ 72; ‘Powerful, 84; ‘Carysfort, 26; ‘Castor,’ 36; ‘Daphne, 18; ‘Dido, 18; ‘Wasp, 18; ‘Hazard, 18; ‘Jaseur, 16; ‘Rodney, 92; ‘Talavera, 72; ‘Vanguard,’ 80. Steamers—‘ Hydra,’ ‘ Gorgon,’ ‘ Vesuvius,’ ‘ Stromboli,’ ‘ Ache- ron, ‘ Blazer,’ &e. MEMOTR. 13 My shipmates in the ‘Zebra’ were particularly kind, gentle- manly, and agreeable. M‘K. was my particular friend; he was the beau-ideal of a naval officer, very handsome, exceedingly lively, with a continual flow of the highest spirits, and a most excellent seaman. He was a native of Ayrshire; his father was a colonel, his mother a French nun, whom the colonel rescued from some Spanish town during the Peninsular War, and married her. He inherited the good qualities of the Briton with the vivacity of the Frenchwoman. Cruising about all the summer and autumn, sometimes with the fleet and sometimes alone, we visited Sicily, Catania, and Palermo, the Greek islands, Paros, Smyrna, the Plains of Troy, Alexandria, &c. In November I exchanged into the ‘ Bellerophon,’ liner, 78 guns. Changing from the little brig of 16 guns, the ‘ Bellerophon ’ (or Billy rough ‘wn, as she was commonly called) of 78 guns was a new world to ne. Such a number of messmates, such superior accommodation and comfort, and so little duty to do! Itisa great advantage to begin with a small vessel, as one then becomes accustomed at once to the roughs of the service, and a youngster learns much more in less time. In the ‘ Zebra’ I was made a top and boat midshipman at once; in a big ship I should have had nothing to do for the two first years. In the ‘Zebra’ I was mate of the watch and kept the log ;* in the ‘ Bellerophon’ I was about the sixth or seventh officer in a watch, though we were in four watches instead of three. The captain was an old easy-going man. 1 The log was a large black board four feet long, folding on hinges like a book, ruled with white paint lines, and was marked with a lump of chalk.—Note by C. W. Graham. 14 MEMOIR. 1840.—The ‘ Bellerophon’ had a fine smart ship’s company, but she was in a wretched state of discipline. On Christmas Day, as we were lying at anchor with the rest of the squadron at Vourla, the whole ship’s company were drunk, and the noise of the revelry was so great that the admiral, though lying half a mile off and more, made a signal for the ‘ Bellerophon’ “ to make less nowse,” as it disturbed the whole fleet. In May we were sent to Naples. Our Government had some dispute with the king relating to the sulphur trade, and we ran into the Bay of Naples, with our guns loaded and double-shotted, threatening to bombard the town. This not taking effect, we went out again, and blockaded the port. We had the assistance of the ‘Hydra’ steamer, and we captured a great number of Nea- politan ships and sent them as prizes to Malta. One day, while we were on this service, we spied a little brig, hull down, on the horizon. We immediately gave chase. As soon as the brig saw that she was chased she altered course and made all sail to escape. She sailed very well, and we observed that she was also much better handled than the other Italian traders that we had previously taken. It was a whole forenoon before we came within range of her, and then we fired a shot across her bows. The only effect it had was to make her run up her white Neapolitan ensign as if in defiance. The chase still continued, and we repeatedly fired at and over her, till at length, as we rapidly closed with her, she reluctantly shortened sail and hove to. At this time our ship was bowling along under an immense cloud of canvas, and we swooped down upon the little brig like a gigantic eagle upon a partridge. We were cracking on stu’nsails alow and MEMOIR. 15 aloft. In a moment the hands were turned up. “Shorten sail!” “Every man at his station.” “Trip up the lower stu’n- sails!” “Lower away!” “Rig in your booms!” And the vast expanse of stu’nsails were rapidly folded in, the ship’s speed gradually decreased, till at length, with the maintopsail laid aback, she remains stationary, though pitching and tossing over the waves like an impatient courser curvetting and plunging when he is reined in by his rider. In the meanwhile, though, where’s the brig? We had shot nearly a mile beyond her, and in the bustle of. the moment no one had been watching her motions. She had turned her head inshore, and was crowding all sail to get within the range of the land batteries’ guns. However, we were not long in following her, and a good shot from the bow-guns tore off one half of her maintop-gallant mast, and she was again reduced to surrender herself. We were sur- prised on nearing her to see the crew all dressed in blue and white in the man-of-war fashion, as well as their smartness aloft, and we soon discovered that the brig had already been taken by the ‘ Hydra,’ and the mid who had been put in charge of her had been leading us this long wild-goose chase for his own private amusement. Our captain, of course, was very angry, but he let him go with a slight reprimand. I believe he got off so well from the captain’s admiration of his adroitness. At last the sulphur question was settled, and we went into Naples Bay, where we remained at anchor for about a month. Our ship was continually crowded with visitors, and regattas, balls, and parties, on board and ashore, succeeded one another in rapid succession. 16 MEMOIR. Visited Pompeii, Herculaneum, and went to the bottom of the crater of Mount Vesuvius. We also took the ship round to Bahia Bay, a very pretty place, with a great number of temples. Thence we went to Malta, passing through the Straits of Messina. Becalmed for a night off Mount Stromboli, which was flaming and bellowing loudly. Visited Rhodes and Alexandria, where I saw old Mehemet Ali, a white-haired old patriarch, mounted on a mule, riding through the streets of his capital with little ceremony. In September the British fleet commenced active operations in aid of the Sultan against his rebellious vassal Mehemet Ali. That very clever man, having raised the character and efficiency of the Egyptian troops by introducing European discipline and the assistance of European officers, was much more than a match for the Turkish army. The Egyptians, under the command of Ibrahim Pacha (son of Mehemet Ali), a very brave soldier, had driven the Turks completely out of: Palestine, and no doubt that if it had not been for foreign interference they would have forced their way to the walls of Constantinople, and there have enforced the demands of Mehemet Ali. The greater part of the Turkish fleet had deserted and gone to Alexandria to join the pacha. Our naval instructor met some of the native officers on board this fleet who had been at Ports- mouth under his instruction. The remainder of the Turkish fleet was under the command of Admiral Walker, a captain in the British navy. The Egyptian ships, though well manned and equipped, never ventured out of the port of Alexandria. Operations commenced at the ancient town of Beyrout. MEMOIR. 17 Upon the 11th of September the fleet anchored there, consisting of several line-of-battle ships, besides smaller vessels and two Austrian corvettes. At about 1 P.M. they opened fire upon the town. Broadsides were poured without ceasing into its walls until long after dark. A small vessel was coming into the harbour at the time, and her officers described the scene as being very grand. The silvery light of the moon, sleeping upon the white minarets and mosques of the devoted town, contrasted with the red lurid flashes of fire issuing from the black hulls ; above hung a dark, black pall of sulphurous smoke, which was occasionally cleft by the meteor-like rockets thrown up by the Austrians. The town made little or no return to our fire. The troops retired for safety into cellars and bomb-proof buildings. In the morning we found the town in ruins, though the houses escaped being utterly destroyed owing to the softness of the stone, which allowed the shot free passage without being shattered. As the town did not yet surrender, and it not being thought safe to land in consequence of the great force of the enemy within the town (and from our mastheads we could see a large camp behind the town), so firing was still continued at intervals when- ever any movement was seen. There appeared to be a storehouse of some kind which they were very anxious to reach to carry off its contents; to reach it, however, the soldiers had to walk a short distance exposed to our shot, which always stopped any attempt of the kind. At night they had no better fortune, for the moment a light was observed moving in that direction a volley of shot extinguished it. An old Turk, who had apparently charge of this depdt, certainly deserved credit for his perseverance 18 MEMOIR. at his post. The ships having nothing particular to fire at, the guns’ crews of the various ships vied with one another in hitting some particular mark to prove their skill in aiming. This door happened to attract notice, and so many shots were directed against it. At last one pierced it, bursting it open at the same time. Upon this the old custodian came, and after looking out as if to see who had knocked, he shut the door and retired. This happened several times, till at last a shot came and knocked the door all to atoms, upon which the porter for the last time presented himself, and finding that his occupation was gone, calmly walked away from the spot.