By this time we were in the heart of the village, and surrounded with a whole lot, forty at the least, of Blankanese boatmen. We were not long in selecting one of the fleetest-looking of those very fleet boats, when we all trundled on board; and I now witnessed what struck me as being an awful sign of the times. The very coachman of the stuhl wagen, after conversing a moment with his master, returned to his team, tied the legs of the poor creatures as they stood, and then with a sharp knife cut their jugular veins through and through on the right side, having previously reined them up sharp to the left, so that, before starting, we could see three of the team, which consisted of four superb bays, level with the soil and dead; the near wheeler only holding out on his fore-legs. We shoved off at eleven o’clock in the forenoon; and after having twice been driven into creeks on the Holstein shore by bad weather, we arrived about two next morning safely on board the Torch, which immediately got under weigh for England. After my story had been told to the Captain, I left my preserver, his father, and his sisters in his hands, and I need scarcely say that they had as hearty a welcome as the worthy old soul could give them, and dived into the midshipmen’s berth for a morsel of comfort, where, in a twinkling, I was far into the secrets of a pork pie. CHAPTER II.--The Cruise of the Torch. Sleep, gentle sleep-- Wilt thou, upon the high and giddy mast, Seal up the shipboy’s eyes, and rock his brains, In cradle of the rude imperious surge; And in the visitation of the winds, Who take the ruffian billows by the top, Curling their monstrous heads, and hanging them With deafning clamour in the slippery clouds, That, with the hurry, death itself awakes-- Canst thou, O partial sleep! give thy repose To the wet sea-boy in an hour so rude? 2 HENRY IV, Ill. 1. 5, 18--27. Heligoland light-north and by west--so many leagues--wind baffling weather hazy--Lady Passengers on deck for the first time. Arrived in the Downs--ordered by signal from the guard--ship to proceed to Portsmouth. Arrived at Spithead--ordered to fit to receive a general officer, and six pieces of field artillery, and a Spanish Ecclesiastic, the Canon of----. Plenty of great guns, at any rate--a regular park of artillery. Received General ---- and his wife, and aide-de-camp, and two poodle dogs, one white man-servant, one black ditto, and the Canon of ----, and the six nine-pound field-pieces, and sailed for the Cove of Cork. It was blowing hard as we stood in for the Old Head of Kinsale pilot boat breasting the foaming surge like a sea gull--“Carrol Cove” in her tiny mainsail-pilot jumped into the main channel a bottle of rum swung by the lead line into the boat--all very clever.