Vincent is entitled to the gratitude of the country for the establishing of this commission; for dragging forth, and for endeavouring to crush, the swoln upstarts, who were, and who yet are, daily insulting, domineering over, and trampling upon, the people whose blood they have already sucked. These are the things that are hard, to bear. A man must be little better than a brute, who can, with indifference, nay, with any degree of patience, see a fellow, who was but a few years, perhaps only a few months, ago, worth not a shilling; a clerk, may be, in some counting house, or a sort of upper servant to some man in power; perhaps, too, amongst the most profligate of wretches; I say, that he who can, with any degree of patience, see such a fellow purchasing estates and purchasing boroughs, conscious that the means have been stolen from him and his fellow-subjects; he who can see this with patience is not a little better, for he is even worse than a brute. Whether the commission, recently given to Sir Charles Middleton, Mr. Fordyce, Sir Roger Curtis, Mr. Domett, and Mr. Serle, and dated on the 8th ultimo, be intended to supersede that of the Board of Naval Inquiry, I know not. The reasons for this new commission will, perhaps, by-and-by, appear. In the mean-time, every one, who has an opportunity of so doing, should read with attention, the reports of the Board of Naval Inquiry which has been published. As somewhat connected with this subject, it is proper here to take some notice of what passed in the House of Lords, on Monday last, the 11th instant. During a recent debate in the House of Com mons, Mr. Fox observed, that seeing that the subject of an inquiry into the measures of the late Admiralty Board had not been revived, he supposed the Chancellor of the Exchequer, by coming into office, had changed his opinion, with regard to the conduct of that board. To which Mr. Pitt answered, that he still retained all the opinions he had formerly expressed, relative to the conduct of the late Admiralty. Hence, on the day before-mentioned, Lord St. Vincent was induced to ask the ministers in the House of Lords, whether it was true, that it was intended to institute an inquiry into his conduct; for, that it was what he most earnestly wished for. Lord Hawkesbury said, he had never before heard of such an intention. Lord St. Vincent said, that he would sit down with bothing short of an unequivocal answer. Lord Hawkesbury then said, that, as a member of His Majesty's council, he had o declare, that he never heard that it was

thought of to make such an inquiry.It is remarkable enough, that Lord Sidmouth. said not a word upon the subject, though certainly the occasion might, considering his late connexion with Lord St. Vincent, have been expected to call him forth. Nor, in the other house, when Mr. Pitt declared that he still retained all his former opinions relative to the late Board of Admiralty, did any of the Addington's say a word. They ought not, one would think, so soon to forget the shelter which they enjoyed behind the name of Lord St. Vincent ! The forbearance, and, in some instances, the powerful support they received, merely because they had Lord St. Vincent amongst them! But, his lordship is not one of THE FAMILY. When with them, he was quite out of his place --The printing of the tenth report of the Board of Naval Inquiry has been moved, and ordered, in both Houses of Parliament; so that there is every reason to suppose, that the most material parts of it can be laid before the public in the next number of this work His Royal Highness, the Duke of Clarence, who, of course, takes a particular interest in matters relating to the navy, moved the printing of the report in the House of Lords, and signified his intention of bestowing particular attention on its contents.

NEW MINISTRY. Matters of more importance than any thing that relates personally to the members of the present cabinet prevented me, last week, from taking any notice of the progress of those contentions, by which to all appearance, they are agitated and shaken.--In page 105, a report was given, as I received it, that, at the earnest and repeated solicitation of Mr. Pitt and some of their common friends, Lad Sidmouth (or "Mr. Addington, as the Pit. tites continue to call him) had finally consented to the appointment of Dr. Prettyman to the Archipiscopal see of Canterbury. It was observed, besides that, seeing how long Mr. Pitt was well known to have destined Dr. Prettyman to that exalted station, Lord Sidmouth's insisting upon refusing the promotion to that right reverend person could not, were it to take place, be possibly view: ed in any other light than that of a barbarous and wanton outrage upon the feelings of Mr. Pitt. To my utter astonishment, however, I heard, before the number I am referring to was closed, that had Lord Sidmouth persevered in his refusal, that Dr. Pretty man was to remain wh re he was, and that Dr. Sutton, the Bishop of Norwich, was actually promoted to the archbishoprick! This event appears at once to have convinced every one, not only that Lord Sidmouth had obtained a complete

ascendancy in His Majesty's confidence and councils, but, which was a fact not less material, that he had resolved to avail himself of the power, which that ascendancy gave him. Of the bickerings which have since taken place, the public have heard much. All agree, that Mr. Pitt has been compelled to drink the cup of humiliation to its very dregs; and, his friends, out of office, think he intends to resign, of which intention his early and unexpected development of the budget is, by some, regarded as an infallible sign. Of this opinion, however, I am not, for the reasons stated in page 32 of the present volume. I thought that Lord Sidmouth would have shown more mercy towards his vanquished rival; but, treat him as harshly as he would, I never thought that he would induce him to resign, and this opinion I have constantly expressed. It was supposed, that Lord Sidmouth would not push his triumph so far as finally to refuse Mr. Pitt's solicitations in favour of Dr. Prettyman; but, if he did, it was predicted that Mr. Pitt would not stir, unless his Lordship absolutely turned him out, an event that may not be at so great a distance as the remaining adherents of the minister en second seem to imagine. The breach has been made too wide ever to be perfectly closed. Attempts are making to close it, and the side which is to yield may easily be discovered from the language of the public journals respectively attached to the Minister and Mr. Pitt. It will be recollected, that the SUN, which is the print exclusively in the interest of the Pitt's, began, under the guise of a free discussion of the Spanish question, a furious attack upon Lord Sidmouth on the 25th of January, that is to say, just at the time when Dr. Sutton's promotion had been finally resolved on by Lord Sidmouth. In the article here alluded to, which will be found in p. 116 of the present volume, the charge of "indecision" and "imbecillity" was revived; and, in the same journal of the 28th of January, Lords Sidmouth and Hawkesbury were represented as persons" not of sufficient impor

tance in the eyes of the country to pro" cure readers for observations upon their "conduct." Since that, however, the haughty and insolent writers in the SUN have, gradually, fallen into a softer and more humble tone; till, at last, in that print of the 7th instant, they have made a direct and unequivocal apology for their behaviour. Alluding to the observations that were made on, and the inferences that were drawn from, the articles wherein they assaulted Mr. Addington and Lord Hawkesbury, they say: "The opposition prints, mortified

was immediately magnified into a syste"matic attack by Mr. Pitt himself, and an "instance of the jealousy and dissatisfaction

66

66

supposed to exist between him and Lord "Sidmouth. The speculation was a bold one, but did not succeed; and the best answer to it, as it affects the two persons "themselves, is to be found in the present "state of harmony and good understanding in "which Mr. Pitt and Lord Sidmouth have "continued, in spite of all the efforts of party "to produce a separation!The attempt to involve Mr. Pitt's name in the dispute was confined to the champion of opposiThose who pretended to be the "exclusive friends of Lord Sidmouth, were eager to manifest their disapproba"tion of our conduct; no language was too

66

66

❝tion.

66

66

strong to express their indignation; and "all for what? Because, in recording a "transaction which passed a year ago, and "of which, as far as we knew the facts,

we had always expressed an unfavourable "opinion, we did not retract or stifle that "opinion, when confirmed by the additional "and complete evidence which it was our "duty to lay before the public. We neither "sought the occasion to find fault, nor took "pains to make the most of it. We are "perfectly ready to allow, that some of our "expressions might be harsher than, upen "sober reflexion, we should wish to repeal, "in relation to any member of a Cabinet of "which Mr. Pitt is at the head, and to "which, as a whole, we are cordially at"tached nor have we the slightest hesita "tion in apologizing for such expressions." Poor souls! There; in that very apology of the writers in the SUN, the Pitt party knuck led down to that of the Addingtons! There, the "young friends" came down to the earth, at the feet of Brother Hiley and Brother Bragge!

MILITARY FORCE. All the returns, relative to the army, moved for in the House of Commons, having been laid before that House, we are now enabled to take a tole rably complete view of the state of our regular military force; noticing the army of reserve and militia apart, and always leaving out the volunteers, because, as far as applies to real military duty, whether abroad or at home, they cannot fairly be considered as any force at all. First, let us see what is

the total of our force, as it stood on the first day of the present year: Second; how it is distributed as to locality: Third; in what degree it has increased during the last year: Fourth; whit are the numbers required annually to make up for the casualties of the regular army this will lead us, Fifthly, to view the effects of Mr. Pitt's Parish Army bill, and to enquire, whether, according to our present system, there is a probability of an addition being made to the strength of the regular army. The Guards we will conside ras making part of our disposable force, and, therefore, include them with the troops of the line.

subjects. But, no such thing. First of all, we must reckon as part of the increase, 7,143 men transferred from the Army of Reserve. This is, in fact, no addition to the number of men. Then come about 3,000 Germans. Next about 1,000 Maltese. Next about 1,000 North American fencibles. Next about 5,000 Dutch troops in Demerara. Negroes in the West Indies, and Malays, or sooty slaves of some other name, in Ceylon. Next about 8,000 men raised in Great Britain and Ireland for rank. And last of all, comes the ordinary recruiting service for the regular army, which yielded, during the whole year, 901 aye, and of

January, 1805.

Cavalry. Artillery. Infantry.

104,131

2. Distribution of this Force at the same Period. Cavalry. Artillery. Infantry.. .14,857

Great-Britain.. Ireland

Jersey and Guernsey Colonies......

968

4,70S

4,070

18,927

.....

2,296

5,676 112 2,771

Total as above ..21,223

29,113 20,019

49,162

4,549

8,559 104,131

Thus, then, it appears, that there was a trifling err: r in my statement of last week, and that instead of forty-six thousand, we have forty-nine thousand regular Infantry, in the whole kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.In the army, as above stated, there are 21,208 foreigners, nearly half of which are negroes, and East Indians.

Besides the above, we have, however, in the whole United Kingdom, and in Jersey and Guernsey, 20,747 Army of Reserve and Parish Army men ; and, in addition thereto, we have 89,809 men of the militia in the United Kingdom.

3. Increase of the regular Army during the

Strength.

At 1st. Jan. 1805

last Year.

Abroad it cannot be much less; for there the deaths surpass even the desertions at home. The regular army, then, upon its present strength and its present system, requires, to make up for mere waste, about 20,000 men a year. And, where are they to come from? From the Africans or the Malays? From the recruiting for rank, a system which Mr. Pitt has so strongly reprobated, and which every man ought to reprobate? No: they are to come from the Parish Army.

5. Effects of the Parisb-Army Bill. Men raised by parish-officers England. By regimental officers

At 1st. Jan. 1804

of which number 62 have died, 2 have been discharged, and 361 have deserted, that is to say, one man out of every eight men! The bill began to be carried into execution in the beginning of September; so that this far famed project has produced 2,318 effective men in the space of five months. And, observe, that these men are raised for limited service, in which servirce, notwithstanding the tender of an additional bounty, they appear to be very much disposed to continue. There have been, during the same space of time, only 376 of them who have enlisted into the regular army! Is it not to insult the understandings of men to persevere in calling this "An act for establishing "and maintaining a permanent additional "force for the defence of the realm, and to provide for the augmenting of his Majesty's "regular forces? "- Without another word said upon the subject, I think it must appear evident to every one, who pays the slightest attention to the facts above stated, that, if the present system be pursued, it is impossible that an addition should be made to the regular army, but that, on the contrary, weak as that army already is, it must daily become weaker.

FAMILY EPISTLES.

It is well known, that in the great measure for recruiting the regular army, by which the present "vigorous and efficient" ministry triumphed over the "incapacity

and imbecility" of their predecessors, much reliance was had on the operation of a sort of family feeling, which it was to create and cherish between the old battalions on actual service, and the new parish battalions at home. Half a dozen scraps of dirty paper with military cyphers, wafted across the At lantic or the Pacific, two or three times in a year, were supposed capable of kindling the sacred flames of heroism and patriotism in the bosoms of idle boys, vagabonds, and reputed thieves. Unfortunately, however, there has hitherto been no opportunity of making the experiment. The second battalions as yet have no existence, except in the appointment of a handsome proportion of their officers. One of these gentlemen, having nothing else to do, has amused himself with collecting the family-feelings, of the two or three stragglers, whom he has had to pass into the hands of the drill-serjeants; and as he has a knack of versification, a little relish of classical literature, and a great deal of leisure, he has endeavoured to express the sentiments of Mr. Pitt's he

roes, as well as he could, in the poetical language of Ovid's heroines. We have been so fortunate as to obtain a correct copy of the First Epistle, which we here insert. Our readers will perceive one little deviation in it from the plan of the original. Several allusions are made to letters supposed to have been formerly received from the first battalion. This was essentially necessary; as it is precisely in the effect of such an intercourse, that our great master of human nature, Mr. Pitt, places his chief hope of success. -There is another sort of familyfeelings which we beg leave to recommend, as affording excellent matter for a different set of more tender Epistles: we mean the feelings which of late have been so interest ingly displayed by the two branches of the present Cabinet. The sudden change of passions, which would be to be delineated in the Rupture, the Retonciliation, the Quarri and the Compromise, would very much enliven this species of half-dramatic poetry. At present we only throw out this hint to our readers. Should any thing result from it, we shall be happy in communicating it to the Public. EPISTLE I.

From BATTALION THE SECOND in England to BATTALION THE FIRST in the WestIndies.

To you, long lost beyond th'Atlantic main, We write, dear BATT;O! come; nor write again.

Now Surinam is ours, though PIT r lament;
With WILBERFORCE, the slaves that must be sent;
And sure 'tis hardly worth our while to keep,
Where soldiers die by scores, like rotten sheep.
Oh! when the transports came for you to sail,
Would, they had founder'd in some farious gale!
Then should not we, in ale-houses forlorn,
O'er beer and bitters for our comrades mourn;
Then should not we, divided from your side,
Our days mispent in ill-taught drills deride;
Nor to beguile the night, while farmers snore,
Alone their henroosts and their coops explore,
Ah! with what fond anxiety we view
In fancy, every chance that threatens you!

IMITATIONS.

PENELOPE ULIXI.
Hanc tua Penelope lento tibi mittit, Ulixe;
Nil mihi rescribas ut tamen: ipse veni.
Troja jacet certè, Danaïs invisa puellis:

Vix Priamus tanti, totaque Troja, fuit.
O utinam tunc, cum Lacedæmona classe petebet,
Obrutus insanis esset adulter aquis!
Non ego deserto jacuissem frigida lecto,
Nec quererer tardos ire relicta dies:
Nec mihi, quærenti spatiosam fallere noctem,
Lassaret viduas pendula tela manus.
Quando ego non timui graviora perfcula veris!
Res est solliciti plena timoris amor
In te fingebam violentos Troas ituros, &c. &c.

What! though *Brown-Ladies fondly meet your

loves

In jasmine-how'rs and orange-scented groves;
Or to the fresh Savannah's grassy bed

Your jetty favourites," nothing lot," are led; What! though of teeth, that shine like ivory white,

And pouting lips, that tempt the kiss, you write,
Till for one mement kindling from your fire,
For equal joys we burn with new desire:

Yet, when you bring before our startled eyes
Black scurvies here, there hoary leprosies,
And hideous yaws with all their train impure;
We find what you may vainly seek-a cure.
What! though your stills with rum delicious flow,
And limes, if punch you chuse, in hedges grow;
What! though to us but by your praises known,
The lux'ry of mandram is all your own;
While we in thought partake your noble thirst,
And BATT THE SECOND soaks like BATT THE
FIRST,

Too soon we read, what evils take their turn;
Dry calicks rack, and yellow fevers burn;
That many an honest fellow drunk at night,
Lies stretch'd a tainted corse ere morning light.
Though aldermen might hear with envious grief
Your boast, that turtle-steaks are cheap as beef,
And to make sauce, for which our boisterous seas
Are dredg'd with danger, oysters grow on trees;
Fell dearly you may buy the luscious dish;
Yourselves perhaps the living food of fish,
Snapt by some hungry shark, and sent to beg
Inglorious, with BROOKE WATSON'S wooden leg.
Then, what dire tales old invalids repeat !
Of snakes that measure three and thirty feet,
Monsters, that suck down oxen with their bones,
As boys gulp cherries nor regard the stones;
Of alligators with tremendous jaws

That open to their ears, and teeth like saws;
Eels, which the hand that touches them, benimb;
Huge bats, whose wings would cover our great
drum;

The tatal fruit, whose poison none can heal,
Decking with treacherous charms the manchineel;
Earthquakes, that swallow; hurricanes, that tear,
And whirl men, trees, and houses through the
air.

In short, whatever terrible is told

Of those hot climes, for you our blood runs cold.
But Heav'n be prais'd! Though we but little heed
Our chaplain's mumbled pray'rs, for you they
speed.

Nor have you perish'd whole: some part alive,
To tell your fortunes and your toil survive.
The ship-news mention captains, where and when,
Arrived in safety-though without their men ;

IMITATIONS.

Denique, quisquis erat castris jugulatus Achivis,
Frigidius glacie pectus amantis erat.
Sed bene consulu it casto deus æquus amori.
Versa est in cinerem sospite Troja viro.
Argolici rediere duces; altaria fumant;
Ponitur ad patrios barbara præda deos.
Grata ferunt nymphæ pro salvis dona maritis:
Illi vieta suis Troia fata canunt,

NOTES.

In Jamaica the female sex is divided into White Women, Brown Ladies, and Black Women and Ladies. For what follows see the different accounts of the climate, diseases, and natural history of the West Indies.

+ See Sir Hans Sloane's account of the Mangrove-tree.

While parents who yet hope their sons to view,
And girls, who still believe their sweethearts true,
Pour their glad raptures, and to sight present
The last kind token from the regiment,
Hot pickles, rich preserves, a keg of rum
Or bag of dollars, yet an honest sum;
Soon, by the Bank re-coin'd, to steal the place
Of English crowns, before our Sovereign's face.
With bits of broken pipes, and slops of beer,
While his old dame around him hangs to hear,
Poor Serjeant Toмs describes his last campaign,
And points the single hand, which now remains.
Suppose," he cries," this drop of beer the sea;"
And spills some beer: "These bits of pipe are we.
"St. Lucia here with little loss we got;

"Tobago there we took without a shot : "Here Curassoa beat our troops away; "There Demerara fell an easy prey.

"But now for Surinam: my finger shows "Where full of sands and shoals the river flows; "This battery at Bram's-point the mouth com"mands,

"But soon it struck to our victorious bands. "This ten leagues Eastward, is Warappa Greek, "Whence MAITLAND march'd, and left us for a ❝ week.

"And there, see there! is Frederici Fort; "Our bayonets there made a little sport "Till the broad bottoms flying in alarm "Blew up their powder, and blew off my arm. "Mynheer grew sick, when MAITLAND here was

❝ seen

"Descending by the Commewyne to GREEN,

"So begg'd for terms, which had he lik'd before "We should have sav'd some knocks, he many

66 more.'

The drummer-hoy, your son of doubtful name
Learn'd all at Chelsea; so to us it came.
He told us too, how all one dismal night,
Through woods at noon impervious to the light,
O'er swamps from recent rains yet more unsound
Now stuck, now sliding on the slipp'ry ground,
Led by black guides, and led perhaps astray,
With weary feet you held your toilsome way:
And still our bosoms beat, till you were clear,
Form'd in good order on the Dutchmen's rear.
But, ah! though won almost without a stroke
All that was there Batavian, wears our yoke,

IMITATIONS.

Mirantur justique senes, trepidæque puellæ : Narrantis conjux pendet ab ore viri. Atque aliquis positâ monstrat tera prælia mensa; Pingit et exigua Pergama tota mero. "Hac ibat Sirois, hic est Sigeia tellus; "Hic steterat Priami regia celsa senis. "Illic acides, illic tendebat Ulixes:

Hic lacer admissos terruit Hector equos. Omnia namque tuo senior, te quærere misso, Rettulerat nato Nestor; at ille mihi.

Rettullit et ferro Rhesumque Dolonaque cæsos,

Usque metu micuere sinus, dum victor amicum
Dictus es Ismariis isse par agmen equis.
Sed mihi quid prodest vestris disjecta lacertis
Ilios, et, murus quod fuit ante, solum ;
Si maneo, qualis Trojâ durante, manebam,
Virque mihi, dempto fine caiendus, abest?

NOTE.

The Gazette account will show the old serjeant's accuracy. See Polit. Reg. Vol. V. 0,199.