vessel thus assured, what a joyous moment for these brave and daring fellows, as they descended to receive the heartfelt cheers and gratulations of their officers and shipmates, as fine a crew as ever trod a vessel's deck: it was a scene not to be soon forgotten, and calculated to inspire confidence in the resources of British seamanship, and courage under the most trying circumstances."

Regimental bands.-Drum.-Trumpet.-Bugle.-Kettle-drum of the life-guards. Kettle-drum of the royal artillery.-Qualities in British soldiers.-The Rhine! The Rhine !-Love of country.-Cowardice.-Death of Admiral Byng.-Native cavalry in India.-Daring intrepidity of a seaman. Preparations for an engagement. Battle of the Nile.-Superstitious seamen. Saragossa. Missolonghi.

"You may never have heard, boys, the tread of a thousand men, all putting down their feet to the ground at the same moment? There is something arresting and awful in it- it goes to the heart at

once. Whether marching on the hard ground or on the soft green sod, in either case there is no other sound like it, that I know of in the world. The earth seems to shake beneath it.”

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Ay, when a whole regiment march together they must make a fine tramping.”

"It is not so much the noise they make, as it is the particular sound that I allude to; a lone, dull, heavy, and ponderous tread. A soldier distinguishes it from every other sound in an instant. Some regiments have excellent bands; but trumpets, bugles, drums and fifes, are the prevailing musical instruments in the army. The spirit-stirring voice of the trumpet, the stormy music of the rattling drum, and the blast of the mellow bugle, sound grateful in a soldier's ears. The kettledrums of the life-guards are silver, presented by King William IV."

"Of silver! Why, what a deal of money they must be worth!"

"The kettle-drum belonging to the royal regiment of artillery would surprise you. It is mounted on a very superb waggon, richly gilt, whereon is a seat for the drum-major-general, and it is drawn by four, and sometimes by six, richly caparisoned white horses."

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They must look very grand indeed. Can you tell us why drummers and fifers wear such odd dresses? Their coats and jackets are very different to what are worn by other soldiers."

"I have heard that these odd dresses were originally intended to prevent military musicians from playing in public houses, as they used to do when they wore plain clothes."

"Oh! oh! If they went into public houses to play now, every one would know them directly."

"The qualities in British soldiers that recommend themselves to all, may be said to be cleanliness, order, obedience, fidelity, and invincible courage; to which, among the officers, may be added enterprize, and that quality so susceptible of injury and disgrace, and so emulous of reputation, called honour. The love of country is strong in almost every bosom, from the recruit to the commanding officer. The Egyptians idolize the Nile, and the Hindoos worship the Ganges, but their reverence and affection for their native rivers is hardly greater than what is felt by the Germans for the Rhine. When the armies of Austria and Prussia came in view of the Rhine, after beating back the invader of their country Napoleon Buonaparte, they fell down on their knees, and shouted, as with the voice of one man, 'The Rhine! the Rhine!' Englishmen love their country as much as the Germans love the Rhine !"

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Ay, boys! while you can pronounce her name, so long as your hearts throb, and the ruddy drops run through your veins, love your country!"

"Whether we are soldiers or not, we ought to do that."

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Very true; and I hope you will find means to serve her without unscabbarding a sword in her True courage is not confined to the army and navy; though cowardice is one of the blackest marks that can be set on the brow of a soldier or

cause.

a sailor. Admiral Byng was shot at Portsmouth, suspected of cowardice, though he had given many proofs of determined courage. The second regiment of native cavalry fled before the Affghan horse, in the affair of Parwun Durra, in Kohistan, changing, as it were, a triumph into a scene of humiliation. The government of India could not brook this dishonour without visiting it with its heaviest displeasure. Lord Auckland directed that the dastardly troops and officers should be disgraced, by obliterating the number of their regiment from the roll of the army, by expelling them ignominiously from the service, and by declaring them for ever incapable of serving the state in any capacity whatever."

"It would never do for soldiers and sailors to want courage. Do you think Admiral Byng was really a coward?"

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No, I do not think he was. He met his end with great resolution, and that was not cowardly. The following inscription to his memory may be read in the church of South Hill, Bedfordshire : To the perpetual disgrace of public justice, the

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