impregnable and incombustible: they were of a strength and solidity hitherto unparalleled, and were completely roofed and walled in on the exposed side with defenses six or seven feet in thickness, consisting of green timber bolted together with iron, cork, junk, and raw hides, and made bomb-proof on the top. These would discharge shot and shell from between two and three hundred guns of largest caliber, and be seconded by a squadron of about thirty men-ofwar, and a whole fleet of gun and mortar-boats, bomb-ketches, and floating batteries. This prodigious assault by sea was to be accompanied simultaneously by a grand attack from the land batteries on the isthmus, while an army of forty thousand men in camp were ready at any moment to take advantage of any opportunity for landing and carrying the fortress by storm. The effective strength of the garrison, although it had been considerably reinforced, consisted of barely seven thousand men; but, nothing daunted by the threatened destruction, the Governor calmly took his measures for the coming crisis. Toward the end of July the garrison were inspirited by the news of Admiral Rodney's great victory in the West Indies, where the French fleet had been totally defeated, and suffered the loss of their admiral and his ship, the "Ville de Paris." An animated fire was now kept up upon the enemy's works, both by day and night, and it was known from the reports of deserters who came in that they suffered cruelly by it. As affairs drew to a head, the utmost activity prevailed on either side, the noise and bustle of preparation never ceasing for a moment. The Duc de Crillon assumed the command early in August, and chivalrously wrote a complimentary letter to General Elliot, his sturdy foe, accompanying it with a handsome present of fruit, vegetables, game, and other delicacies, of which he knew the General must stand in need. The General replied in the same courteous spirit, but cautiously deferred the establishment of a private friendship till the interests of his royal master should have been worthily vindicated. By the beginning of September the enemy's works on the land side had advanced to a degree of perfection which the garrison regarded with feelings the reverse of pleasant. On the forenoon of the 6th Lieutenant-General Boyd proposed to the Governor to try the use of red-hot shot against the newly erected batteries. The Governor assented, and the necessary preparations being made, the attack commenced on the morning of the 8th. The result exceeded the most sanguine expectations; in a few hours two of the hostile batteries were on fire, and, in spite of all exertions to extinguish them, they were totally consumed before night. It is supposed that the Spaniards lost in this single cannonade above three hundred men in killed and wounded. This unlooked-for check galled the enemy, and provoked him to immediate retaliation. The next morning at daybreak he opened fire upon the rock from the whole of his lines, and in the course of that day and the following night launched upon the British defenses nearly eight thousand shot and shell exclusive of those fired from the men-of-war and mortar-boats. This tremendous cannonade was continued with varying intensity, and amidst it all the utmost efforts were making for the completion of the formidable battering ships, to the instrumentality of which they looked for final success. On the morning of the 12th the combined fleet came in sight, and in the afternoon were all at anchor in the bay, ready for the assault. At seven in the morning of the 13th the dreaded battering ships got under weigh, and bore down to their several stations; and now commenced the fearful and decisive struggle which was to decide the fate of Gibraltar. The huge floating forts took up a position at from nine hundred to twelve hundred yards from the garrison. When the first dropped her anchors, the British commenced their fire. In ten minutes the enemy were all moored, and then their fire became tremendous; from above four hundred pieces of the heaviest artillery, including both land and sea batteries, descended a blinding shower of shots and shells, furnishing a scene to which no powers of description could do adequate justice, and no imagination realize unaided by the recollections of experience. The chief hope of the garrison lay in their red-hot shot, which, however, from want of timely preparation, they could not bring into general use till near two o'clock in the day. The battering ships were found truly formidable; the largest shells rebounded harmless from their roofs, and the heaviest shot made no impression upon their hulls; while from the effects of their fire the casualties of the British were serious and distressing. For many hours the attack and defense were both so well supported that success on either side. hung doubtful, the solid construction of the ships seeming to bid defiance to the heaviest ordnance. In the afternoon, however, when the supply of red-hot shot became abundant, things began to assume a different aspect. Smoke appeared issuing from the flag-ship, and the admiral's second was also seen to be on fire. Confusion ensued, 1 their cannonade abated, and, save from one or two ships at a great distance, ceased altogether. Signals of distress were hoisted, and boats were seen to row to their assistance. Darkness came down upon their calamity, and as the artillery of the garrison poured in its iron storm upon the frenzied and helpless crews, an indistinct clamor of lamentable cries and groans arose from all quarters. Pieces of wreck, crowded with drowning wretches, floated to the shore, and others were dimly seen struggling for life in the troubled waters. About an hour after midnight the nearest battering ship burst into flames, and was soon in one blaze from stem to stern; the light she afforded enabled the garrison to fire with the utmost precision, and to consummate the awful ruin of which she was an example. Between three and four o'clock six others of these huge vessels were on fire. The Governor now ordered Brigadier Curtis to sally out with his gun-boats, to complete the confusion of the enemy. He made a capture of two boats filled with men endeavoring to escape, and learning from them the horrible condition of their friends on board, devoted the remainder of the night to saving as many as he could from their impending fate. He succeeded in bringing off three hundred and forty-five men from the burning ships. Notwithstanding his efforts, however, vast numbers were left to perish; and the scene now exhibited was one of the most heart-rending description-men crying from the midst of flames for pity and assistance, and others imploring relief with the most frantic gesticulations. On the morning of the 14th six of the battering ships were in flames; three of them blew up before eleven o'clock; the three others burnt to the water's edge, their magazines having been flooded. It was thought that the other two might be saved as trophies; but one of them blew up suddenly, and the other, from motives of caution, was burnt by order of the Governor. Thus, in a few short hours that tremendous armament, which had cost so much to prepare, and to which the enemies of England looked exultantly for her humiliation, was annihilated. The loss of the combined forces in this attempt was not less than two thousand men, while that of the garrison was but fifteen killed and sixtyeight wounded. The men who were saved from the burning wrecks complained bitterly of the conduct of their chief officers, who had abandoned them to their fate so soon as the danger became imminent. They had been led to believe that the battering ships were invulnerable, and had been further taught that the garrison would not be able to fire many rounds of hot balls. This defeat, the most remarkable to be met with in the history of besieging forces, though it did not terminate the siege of Gibraltar, may be said to have established that fortress in the permanent possession of the English. Though the Spaniards continued to annoy the garrison from the isthmus, they never afterward entertained the hope of success. News of peace arrived in February of the following year, when both parties, weary of the woes and miseries of a protracted war, were but too glad to meet once more on terms of friendship. The above is a short summary of what may be termed the military history of the siege of Gibraltar. If we turn from its warlike and historical aspects to contemplate the social and individual miseries of which it was the fruitful occasion, we shall see helpless women and children reduced to the last straits of famine, dashed to pieces by cannon shot, or blown to atoms by the bursting shell, and driven to holes and caves of the rocks for shelter from the ruthless storm beneath which their homes were crumbling into dust. We shall see the timid and helpless, frenzied with the roar of the thunderous artillery, and the sight of the ruin descending upon them, purchasing shelter from the Jews and ruined tradespeople, who, having lost all other property, made a capital of these rude strongholds, and at the hazard of their lives insured their safety by covering with wet hides the fallen shells ere they had time to explode. We shall see the closest social bonds rent asunder by abject misery and still more abject fear; and sordid avarice grimly at work amidst the infernal wreck and din, gathering a rich harvest from man's despair. Worst of all, we shall see human life reduced to a terrible discount, and all that makes life instrumental to the happiness of man or the glory of his Maker banished from the scene. Of the extreme personal misery endured by both sides during the protracted and horrible struggle, some faint idea may be formed from the numerous desertions which were constantly taking place. Almost daily deserters came in from the enemy's lines, and these described the fearful carnage produced by the fire of the garrison, and the unbearable fatigues they were compelled to endure in repairing the mischief it occasioned; to escape these horrors by desertion, they ran the most fearful risks, and numbers of them were shot dead by their own comrades in making the attempt. On the other hand, desertions from the garrison were only less frequent because more difficult of accomplishment. The only mode of escape was down the precipitous front of the rock which faced the isthmus; the attempt was nothing short of madness, yet numbers, cutting their clothing into strips, trusted their weight to that frail support, and were dashed to pieces; their mangled bodies, when found, were brought into the garrison and exhibited as a warning to others. Sometimes a poor wretch would succeed in getting as far as a cavern about half way down, and after starving there till the pangs of hunger and thirst compelled him to cry for assistance, would be drawn up with a rope and led off to execution. I BEAUTIFUL EXTRACT. SAW the temple reared by the hand of man, standing with its high pinnacles in the distant plain: the stream beat upon it-the god of nature hurled its thunderbolts against it—and yet it stood firm as adamant. Revelry was in its hall-the gay, the young, the happy, and beautiful were there. I turned and the temple was no more-its high walls scattered in ruins, the moss and ivy grass grew wildly there, and at midnight hour the owl's cry added to the desolation of the scene the young and the gay, who had reveled there, had passed away. I saw the child rejoicing in his youth-the idol of his father. I returned, and the child had become old. Trembling with weight of years he stood, the last of his generation—a stranger amid the desolation around him. I saw an oak stand in all its pride on the mountain; the birds were caroling on its boughs. I returned-the oak was leafless and saplessthe winds were playing their pastime through the branches. As a relief to these revolting details, it is pleasant to recur to some of the many acts of noble and self-denying courage afforded by the records of the siege. Thus, when an officer of artillery, observing a shell falling toward the place where he stood, leaped into an excavation to avoid it, and was followed into his retreat by the shell itself, a man of the name of Martin dragged him out, at the imminent risk of his own life, but an instant before the shell burst! Another man, named Hartley, was engaged in the laboratory filling shells, when by some unaccountable accident one of them took fire; had he followed the natural impulse, and ran away from the danger, the whole laboratory would have blown up, numbers of lives would have been sacrificed, and the loss of ammunition to the garrison would have been irreparable. With astonishing cool-earth-plucked the sun from its sphere-vailed ness he seized the lighted shell, carried it in his arms to a place where it could do no mischief, and had not parted with it two seconds before it exploded harmlessly! "Who is the destroyer?" said I to my guardian angel. "It is Time," said he. "When the morning stars sang together with joy over the new-made world, he commenced his course, and when he shall have destroyed all that is beautiful on the moon in blood-yea, when he shall roll the heaven and earth away as a scroll, then shall an angel from the throne of God come forth, and with one foot upon the land, and one upon A somewhat singular feature observable in the the sea, lift up his head toward heaven and whole conduct of the attack and defense of Gib-heaven's Eternal, and say, 'Time is, Time was, raltar was the maintenance of a certain spirit of Time shall be no longer!"-Paulding. chivalry and honor on both sides, contrasting advantageously with the merciless details we read of in connection with sieges of an earlier date. Prisoners were constantly exchanged, with ARAB ODDITIES. out much reference either to number or grade; AN Arab, entering a house, removes his shpen intercepted correspondence, not relating to the war, was politely transmitted under a flag of truce; the wives of soldiers taken prisoners were well treated, and forwarded, when opportunity offered, to their husbands; and when the body of a Spanish gentleman was washed ashore on the rock, his gold watch and purse of pistoles, found upon him, were conveyed to his friends after he had been buried with the honors of but not his hat. He mounts his horse upon the right side, while his wife milks their cows upon their left side. Writing a letter, he puts nearly all the compliments on the outside. With him the point of a pin is its head, while its head is made its heel. His head must be wrapped up warm, even in summer, while his feet may well enough go naked in winter. Every article of merchandise which is liquid he weighs, but measures wheat, barley, and a few other articles. He reads and writes from right to left, but figures are read from left to right. He eats almost nothing for breakfast, about as much for dinner, but, after the work of the day is done, sits down to a hot meal, swimming in oil, or, better yet, boiled butter. His sons eat with him, but the females of the house wait till his lordship is done. He rides his donkey when traveling, his wife walking behind. He laughs at the idea of walking in the street with his wife, or of ever vacating a seat for a woman. He knows no use for chairs, tables, knives, forks, nor even spoons, unless they are wooden ones. Bedsteads, bureaus, and fireplaces may be put in the same category. If he be an artisan, he does his work sitting, perhaps using his toes to hold what his hands are engaged upon. Is rarely seen drunk, too seldom speaks the truth-is deficient in affection for his kindred. Has little curiosity, and no imitationno wish to improve his mind-no desire to surround himself with the comforts of life. THE AFFLICTED FLOWER. BY SERENNA BALDWIN. SAW I in a garden walk, Just as it began to open! Soon the gard❜ner pass'd along, And the sun sent down a shower AILEE. BY KATE BRADFORD. SWEET as the breath of midsummer air, Will miss thy glad step, angel Ailee. SONNET. LUTHER BEFORE THE DIET OF WORMS. BROKE ever words from lips of mortal one, WOMAN AND FLOWERS. BY CELESTIA RICE COLBY. "Blessed be God for flowers! For the bright, gentle, holy thoughts, that breathe From out their odorous beauty, like a wreath "Not Of sunshine on life's hours !" [O marvel woman should love flowers." A taste for flowers and a love for the beautiful, as exhibited in the wonders of creative power, are evidences of a refined and sensitive nature, and peculiar traits of character which distinguish man from the lower order of animals. The ox or horse may roam at will among earth's fairest scenesmay graze among flowery vales and cultivated fields, or browse in the wilderness, and be alike unconscious of nature's charms. The beauty of the landscape inspires within them no thrill of delight; they turn not aside to admire the blushing rose or inhale its fragrance, and crush without emotion the gay cowslip and meek-eyed violet beneath their careless hoof, and nip the grass and daisies, too, in their eager haste for food. This single desire gratified, they lie down in the green pastures, not to enjoy the fair scene stretching away as far as the eye can reach, and bounded only where the blue sky embraces the green hills, but to a dreamless slumber. The changing seasons, with their panorama of beauty, have no peculiar charm for them. The melody and fragrance of spring find no inlet into their darkened understanding, and awaken within them no responsive echo. "But man superior walks, And muses lively gratitude." Though the love for the beautiful and a taste for flowers may be modified by circumstances, and varied by the ever-varying shades of character and mental culture, yet the lowest intellect and most sensual mind are at times susceptible to the sweet influences of these silent teachers. True, all may not gaze upon them with a poet's rapture, nor contemplate their loveliness with a philosophic eye; yet we think there is no being who bears the impress of humanity upon his brow that is wholly incapable of appreciating the silent influence of flowers. They are God's own missionaries; and they speak to a fallen race of peace and purity, and faintly shadow forth the glories of the "better land," where no blighting frosts mar their beauty. They come to us in mercy; and happy is he who heeds their gentle errand, and opens his heart to their instructive lessons. They come to all; the high and low, the rich and poor, the bond and the free, feel the sunlight which they fling freely and constantly around them. Even the idiot is sometimes charmed with their beauty, and a ray of light penetrates the darkness which envelops his soul-a ray from the fountain of light whose source is God. The raving maniac is often calmed by the inspiration of their presence, and gazes with childlike wonder and affection upon their fairy forms and delicate tints, and crowns herself with fresh garlands, and converses with them as with the friends she has known and loved, and lost. The oppressed slave, the rude, untutored son of the forest, may feel an indefinable thrill of pleasure as their eyes rest upon the verdant beauty of spring, and behold Nature's emerald robe embroidered with buds and blossoms of every form and hue; and the hardy sons of toil who labor for their daily bread will pause to admire the single wild flower which springs up along the dusty wayside, and an influence, pure, subtile, and ethereal as the aroma of its breath, may silently leave its impress upon their souls. Thus the love of flowers seems to be a universal sentiment of the human heart, more or less developed in different individuals; yet the living germ exists in every mind. Man may admire them for their beauty and fragrance; but woman loves them for the poetry which they breathe, the glowing thoughts they bring. To her they have a language expressive of the loftiest thoughts of the intellect, the noblest sentiment of the heart, the deepest emotion of the soul. To her listening spirit their "voiceless lips" are eloquent teachers, silently proclaiming the wisdom and goodness of Him who has clothed the earth with beauty as with a garment, who has made the waste places and the desert glad with his presence, and caused the wilderness to bud and "blossom as the rose," and the vernal grass, and gay dandelion, and modest violet to adorn the dusty wayside of daily toil, to cheer the desponding soul with a glimpse of heaven. It is woman's province to multiply the sources of beauty and pleasure around her home, and this may be effectually performed by cultivating the rich and fragrant flowers which nature has strewed with lavish profusion over the earth. No desert is so barren that it is not graced by their presence; no vale so fair that its beauty is not enhanced by their loveliness. If her home is one of luxury and refinement, they may minister to her pride, and costly exotics and rare blossoms from sunny climes may reward her fostering care, and flourish as luxuriantly in her parlor or conservatory as beneath the genial sun |