in dress of
a common sailor, one day got admittance to a knot of these unsuspecting
"old salts," and by his liberality and good humor acquired their
confidence. Under some plausible pretext he induced a dozen or fifteen
Dutchmen, Swedes, Britons, and Yankees to accompany him to a wharf on
the opposite side of the harbor, where an alarm or cries for succor
could hardly be heard by any of the sailors on shore. Instead of the
sport which was expected, they found themselves surrounded by the boat's
crew of a man-of-war! After a brief, but unsuccessful struggle, they
were all, with the exception of two, hustled into the boat and carried
off in triumph on board an English frigate. Those two effected their
escape by making good use of their legs, and their account of this most
unjustifiable but successful case of man-stealing created a feeling
of hatred against the officers of British men-of-war, which manifested
itself on several occasions, and was near being attended with serious
results.

One pleasant morning, an American clipper brig arrived at St.
Bartholomew from the United States. The event was soon known to every
person in the island, and caused quite an excitement. When a boat from
the brig, with the captain on board, reached the landing-place, a crowd
was assembled to hear the news and inquire into the results of the
war. Englishmen and Americans met upon the wharf upon the most friendly
footing, and jocularly offered bets with each other in regard to the
nature of the intelligence brought by this arrival.

The captain stepped on shore and was besieged on every side. "What is
the news, captain?" eagerly inquired half a dozen individuals in the
same breath.

"Is Canada captured by the Americans?" shouted an undoubted Jonathan,
one of those persevering, restless mortals of whom it has been said by a
Yankee girl,

"No matter where his home may be,
What flag may be unfurled;
He'll manage, by some cute device,
To whittle through the world!"

"Has there been any naval engagement? Any American frigates taken,
hey?" inquired a genuine native of Albion, his eyes sparkling with
expectation.

The captain, although thus suddenly surrounded, captured, and taken
possession of, seemed more amused than annoyed by these inquisitorial
proceedings, and, with a clear voice and a good-humored smile, replied,
while the tumult was hushed and every ear expanded to catch the
interesting intelligence, "I know of