tly
raised, Lieutenant W.R. Smith and others rushed on deck; but, owing to
the excessive darkness and the strong current, no object could at first
be seen floating. At length something white was perceived at a
distance, when Lieutenant Smith immediately plunged into the water, and
struck rapidly out towards it. On reaching the object, he found it to
be Mr West, who was lying quite motionless, though, from his head
sinking under water, he would speedily have been deprived of life.
Lieutenant Smith at once raised his head above water, and kept him
floating until by repeatedly calling he attracted a boat to his
assistance, when he and his companion were carried on board. The crew
were thickly clustering on the rigging to see them return, and from
among them another man missed his footing and fell overboard from the
main-chains. Mr Smith, who saw the accident, not knowing whether the
man could swim, instantly plunged in again to his assistance, but found,
on reaching him, that he was perfectly able to keep himself afloat till
the boat could arrive to pick him up.

RESCUE OF A BOAT'S CREW--JANUARY 1840.

HMS _Wolverine_ formed one of the African squadron, and was commanded by
the brave and kind Commander Tucker. She had been cruising off the
coast, when, on the 15th of January 1840, she anchored off the river
Brass, or Saint John, one of the mouths of the far-famed and mysterious
Niger. Captain Tucker had made himself thoroughly acquainted with the
coast, as well as with the modes of proceeding of the slave-dealers and
of the slavers, and he was thus enabled to capture a very large number
of vessels, though, with single-minded purpose, as his object was to
stop the slave trade, he endeavoured to take them before they got their
slaves on board. Soon after the brig had brought up, about four miles
from the shore, Captain Tucker ordered the boats to be hoisted out, and
to be fitted for service during an absence of three days. While this
work was going forward, a canoe was observed paddling off from the shore
towards the ship. On her coming alongside, she was found to contain two
natives of great consequence, it seemed, judging from their costume,--
that is to say, if scarlet dresses, or rather wrappers round the loins,
and ornamented caps, might be admitted as tests of rank. They came up
the side without hesitation, and, after some cross-questioning, they
informed Captain Tucker that they had seen a fine schooner, u