his father as follows:—“You may rely upon it that none of _his class can be recommended for the Cross of Valour without your brave boy being one_. His is now a world-wide fame, and requires no certificates, no testimonials, to bolster it up. It is difficult to imagine _what_ kind of naval merit can include if his excludes.” Our readers will experience the same difficulty in discovering the grounds on which Mr. Wood’s claim was disallowed, and his name omitted from the list of those who received the Cross of Valour. Political considerations ought to have no influence in deciding the claims of those who aspire to this honour; where all are equally brave, all ought to be equally rewarded. But it was not so in this case. It was in vain that his friends remonstrated, and Sir Stephen Lushington wrote thus strongly in his favour:—“It is still my opinion that Mr. Wood deserves the Victoria Cross as much as any one that I recommended at the same time, not excepting his gallant chief, the late Sir William Peel; and it will afford me much pleasure to hear that he has received the much-desired honour.... He was one of the first officers I recommended for it, and certainly one of the most gallant in the Naval Brigade.” The writer of this letter went even so far as to remonstrate with the authorities on the omission of Mr. Wood’s name, but all this led to nothing; and our young hero, tired of inaction, and longing for other opportunities of distinction, exchanged into the 17th Lancers, and embarked for India.