Chamber of Deputies in June, 1820, by M. Morenas, in which many of the above facts were detailed."

"On the 4th of March, 1820, after a long chase, a vessel was boarded by the boats of his majesty's ship Tartar, commanded by Sir George Collier, which proved to be La Jeune

Eslelle, of Martinique, M. , master. On being boarded, he declared that he had been plundered of his slaves, and that none remained on board. His agitation and alarm however excited suspicion, and led to an examination of the vessel's hold. During this examination, a sailor who struck a cask, which was tightly closed up, heard a faint voice issue from it, as of a creature expiring. The cask was immediately opened, when two girls of about twelve or fourteen years of age, in the last stage of suffocation, were found to bu enclosed in it, and by this providential interposition were probably rescued from a miserable death.

"These girls, when brought on the deck of the Tartar, were recognised by a person on board, who had been taken prisoner in another slave-ship, as having been the property of the captain of a schooner belonging to New York An investigation having taken place, it appeared that this American contrabandist had died at a place on the coast called Trade Town, leaving behind him fourteen slaves, of whom these two girls formed a part; and that after his death the master of the vessel had landed his crew, armed with swords and pistols, and carried these four

teen slaves on board the Jeune Estelle. Sir George Collier, conceiving that the other twelve slaves, who had been procured by this piratical act, might still be secreted in that vessel, ordered a fresh search. The result was, that a Negro man, not however one of the twelve, was rescued from death. A platform of loose boards had been raised on the water-casks of the vessel, so as to form an entre-pont, or between-decks, of twenty-three inches in height, which was the only space allotted for the accommodation of this unfortunate cargo of human beings, whom M. intended to procure and carry from the coast. Beneath this platform, one of the boards resting on his body, jammed between two water-casks, appeared the above wretched individual, whom it was a matter of astonishment to find alive. Sir George Collier was inclined to remove him on board the Tartar, as he had done the two girls: butM. having proved that the poor African had been bought by him for eight dollars worth of brandy and iron, Sir George did not feel himself authorised to do so; although, had the vessel been capable of beating up to Senegal, he would have sent her thither for judgment, as he had done the two former ships."With respect to the other twelve slaves taken by force from Trade Town, no distinct information could be obtained beyond the assertion of M. , that he had been plundered of them by a Spanish pirate. But it was recollected with horror by the officers of the Tartar, that when they first began the chase of La Jeune Estelle, they had seen several casks floating past them, in which they flow suspect that these wretched beings might have been enclosed, having been thrown overboard by thisinan to elude the detection of his piratical proceedings. It was now impossible, however, to ascertain the fact, as the chase had led them many leagues to leeward; and, even after they had consumed the time which would have been necessary, by beating to windward, to reach the place where the chase commenced, there were many chances against herai*ain seeing the casks, and not the slightest probability that any of the slaves inclosed in them, if they were so inclosed, would be found still alive."—fifteenth Refiort of the African Institution.

AN APOCRYPHAL CHAPTER IN THE HISTORY OF ENGLAND;

BEING

i A TRUE AND PARTICULAR ACCOUNT OF WHAT DID NOT HAPPEN IN THIS UNITED KINGDOM IN THE YEAR 18**—18*•.'

INTRODUCTION.

There is a gossip's story in a work of one of our old poets,* concerning a storm of rain in a certain island, which drove every body mad on whom a drop of the unholy water fell; when the pranks which these unfortunate people committed under the inspiration of that insanity, so much resembled the extravagancies of reasonable beings, that the whole might be regarded as a satirical picture of the age in which the author lived. Now it is not intended that there should be a word of satire in the following authentic history of a period not to be found in the annals of any nation, but which, if it had occurred, would undoubtedly, have produced events (perhaps not these identical ones), of the same character with those which shall be forthwith faithfully recorded. Should the scrupulous reader question this disavowal of every purpose, either invidious or insidious, the author can most positively assure him, that it is as true as any thing else in this chapter. It is morever to be hoped, that this impartial exhibition of unrealities will not be without benefit to those who consider the subject duly; for then this figurative exemplification of some of the fearful issues that might be expected, were the beneficent influence of the Gospel entirely suspended among us, cannot fail to impress the mind with a grateful sense of the blessings accruing from it. The measure of that influence (though unhappily not so predominant as the antagonist principle,) is little suspected by superficial observers; but it cannot be denied by those who look closely into the agency of great causes, that the sanctions of religion not only operate directly on the hearts of true believers, but indirectly affect all the institutions of civil government, and silently regulate the courtesies of private life. There lives not the man, woman, or child in this kingdom, capable of distinguishing between good and evil, who is not, more or less, whether knowingly or not, under the control of Christian principles acting upon his hopes, his fears, or his good sense, as a member of the community.

• Urayton's Moon Calf.