almost in sight of the fort. Unhappily, the
consul and a friend accompanying him fell overboard during the night,
and both were drowned. The next morning on approaching the fort the
boats were received by a tremendous fire from it and from both banks of
the river, which riddled them with shot, broke nearly half the oars,
killed two men, and severely wounded Mr Turner, a midshipman, and
several others. Notwithstanding this, pulling on against the strong
current for an hour and forty minutes, they got past the batteries, and
then, dropping down to the landing-place, sprang on shore, and the
crews, uttering a loud cheer, stormed the stockades. The Nicaraguans
withstood them for some time, but at length giving way fled into the
forest, leaving twenty dead behind them, while twice that number were
wounded, and two officers and seven men captured. The boats returned
down the river, and arrived safely on board the ships.

ATTACKS ON PIRATES.

It is impossible to mention one-tenth part of the services performed by
our men-of-war in all parts of the world of late years in capturing
slavers, destroying pirates, and punishing outrages committed on British
subjects. In 1848 an English merchant-vessel, the _Three Sisters_, was
taken possession of by the notorious Riff pirates, and towed close in to
the shore on the coast of the Mediterranean, after her master and the
crew had fortunately escaped. Commander McCleverty, of the
_Polyphemus_, was at once despatched to retake the brig. On approaching
the shore he found a force of 500 men drawn up to defend their prize.
The pirates on this daringly opened a hot fire of musketry upon the
steamer, which she returned with doses of grape and canister, and
quickly dispersed them. The boats, under the command of Lieutenant
Allen Gardner, were then sent to bring off the brig, but as they got up
to her a gun opened fire on them, and the pirates returning commenced
blazing away from behind the rocks at them and the ship, by which
Lieutenant Wasey and seven men were wounded. Lieutenant Gardner,
notwithstanding, got hold of the brig, and towed her to the
_Polyphemus_, which steamed off with her to sea.

The punishment inflicted on the Riff pirates was soon forgotten, and
they continued their depredations on British commerce. In 1851 they
captured the brigantine _Violet_ and the schooner _Amelia_, killing the
masters and several men among their crews, while the survivors were
carried i