No. III.

THE PASSAGE OUT.

Love all; trust a few; be able for thine enemy

Rather in power than in act.

Give thy thoughts no tongue,

Nor any unproportioned thought his act.

SHAKSPEARE.

I WOULD willingly continue the impressive advice, of which my motto forms the exordium; for it is pregnant with instruction to all, and to none more so than the youthful aspirant to military fame.

"Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar.

The friends thou hast, and their adoption tried,
Grapple them to thy soul with hooks of steel;
But do not dull thy palm with entertainment
Of each new-hatched, unfledged comrade-beware
Of entrance to a quarrel; but, being in,
Bear't, that th' opposer may beware of thee.

Give every man thine ear, but few thy voice;
Take each man's censure, but reserve thy judgment.
Costly thy habit, as thy purse can buy,

But not express'd in fancy; rich, not gaudy.

This, above all, to thine own self be true;

And it must follow, as the night the day,

Thou can'st not then be false to any one."

When the fleet came round to the MotherBank, we marched to Cowes, and embarked on board the good old East-Indiaman, Earl Howe, commanded by Captain Murray. The recruits, for different corps in India, were chiefly convicts from the Hulks, who had commuted their punishment for general service; there were about one hundred of this description, with twenty-five English, Scotch, and Irish lads, picked up by the recruiting parties, in the common way. Many of the convicts, and a few of the young adventurers, were married; and it was really a heart-rending scene to witness the separation of several seemingly-fond wives from their husbands. By his Majesty's regulations, only a certain proportion of women are permitted to embark with troops. It is a cruel expedient; and I sincerely hope that much misery which it inflicts will soon be

prevented. Surely it would be better to enlist only single men, and afterwards to permit none but a regulated number to marry, than to break asunder one of the most sacred bonds of human institution, and to lacerate affectionate hearts with incurable wounds. I know not any grievance in the service that requires correction more than this.

The women stood weeping on the quarter-deck around the first officer, Mr. Nesbit, who was preparing lots in a hat for them to try their fortune of chance, as all of them, they well knew, could not accompany their husbands; the men were pressing forward from the waste to witness the touching scene, with anxiety strongly painted on their countenances; the passengers were looking down from the poop with no common degree of interest; and many of the sailors had climbed up the shrouds to view, from aloft, what excited general sympathy. I had been deeply struck by an agony of fear and hope that appeared in the pale looks of a very pretty girl who stood speechless, with a babe in her arms; her cheeks were a trickling stream of tears, and the whole of her

deportment expressed the profoundness of silent grief. At length, the name of Nancy Gordon was called: she trembled from head to foot. The chief-mate, perceiving that she was quite unable to advance to the capstan, on which the hat was placed, humanely took it to her, where she was leaning against a gun, and, to my supreme delight, she drew forth a prize. Never did I behold such an instantaneous change in any countenance: a light seemed at once spread over it, and she instinctively exclaimed—“Thank God!” kissed her baby, and flew to her husband, who was ready to receive her with a transport of joy, indescribable.

During the passage I cultivated the acquaintance of Nancy and her husband: he told me their melancholy story, and I give it, as follows, nearly in his own words::

BOB GORDON'S STORY.

"AN extensive, cheap farm, that had supported my father and mother, was divided at his death between me and my brother; but, as I had been made an expert penman, I disliked the plough, sold