The Sun.
London, England, 1824-11-05 00:00:00

LITERARY NOTICE.

NARRATIVE of Lord BYRON'S VOYAGE to CORSICA
and SARDINIA, during the Summer of the Year 1821,
compiled from Minutes made during the Voyage by the
Passengers, and Extracts from the Journal of his Lordship's
Yacht, The Mazeppa, kept by Captain BENSON, R. N.
Commander.
The great talents and distinguished character
of Loql AttoN must give:in inteuet, to what-
ever i.e.1114 to him. IVe. -havl aii4ed greaf,
pleasure from this interesting tract. It is written
with great spirit, and bears an air of authenticity
upon which we should be disposed to rely, even
if it had not the respectable sanction of a Captain
of the Royal Navy. Strong prejudices prevail
against the character of the Noble Poet ; but his
conduct, as represented in this interesting NVork,
gives a very amiable colouring to his memory.—
We are not to consider Captain BENSON as the
Author of this Work, but as having favoured the
Editor with the use of his Journal, and as also
having procured for him the notes made by the
several partners of the voyage ; and as all those
persons can contradict any false statements, if
there any, we confidently rely on the truth of
the whole ; and since it has afforded much amuse-
ment to usf, we may fairly recommend it to the
attention of our Readers, as proper to be ap-
pended to Capt. MEDwises more comprehensive
publication. Our Readers will be amused by
the following extract :
" Sailors say, that a calm always precedes a storm; and we
had reason to give into such presentiments, for the next morn-
ing the wind, which had blown from the South-west, with a
light gale, suddenly changed to the opposite point of the com-
pass, and come down with sweeping vengeance.
We close reefed our sails, and made all snug ; the Captain
and Captain F—n declaring we should have to encounter
a strong " Levanter," all our efforts were strained to double the
headland, and get into the gulf of St. Florenao, but in vain ; so
that a whole day was spent in tacking and veering, to close in
with the land, to no purpose.
Sea-sickness now laid all our ladies and gentlemen "on their
beam-ends;" Count P.--, Mr. Denzell, and the amiable
orphan, St. were also overcome, and the whole were
bed-ridden. The sun sat angrily, and the wind, veering more
to the Westward, brought us upon a lee shore to our utter dis-
may. The elegant Falconer says, in his unrivalled poem—
" Ah! were it mine with tuneful illaro's art.
To wake to sympathy the feeling heart,
Then too severely taught by cruel fate
To share in all the perils I relate,
How might I with unequall'd strains deplore
The impervious horrors of a leeward shore."
These horrors we were doomed to experience; we reduced
our sails to a few yards of canvas, and lowered the yards on
deck. The sky appeared as an extensive sheet of lightning,
and peals of thunder overhead appeared as if ready to dispart
the vessel, and bury us in the waves which rolled over the vessel
with irresistible force. Ills Lordship, with Captain F---,
Dr. Peto, and Percy 5---, kept the deck, and the hatches
were battened down over the rest of our company ; a tremen-
dolls sea carried away the boat which was hoisted up at the
stern, and broke in all the bulk-heads of the quarters. For
our own safety all hands, after being revived with a dram,
began to throw overboard the guns, Lord Byron assisting him-
self in this 'painful duty ; the long-boat was then released
from her lashings, and, as we wished, the waves soon swept
her from the deck ; our two cows and goats shared the same
fate, as well as one of the horses; the others were in the hold,
and to that they owed their preservation. The two large an-
chors were cut from the bows, and the vessel, thus eased of a
heavy top-load, danced more lightly over the tremendous bil-
awtcihth-
re Italian bil-
lows, and inspired us with fresh hopes. The crew were all
ordered to the after part of the deck, and again refreshed
a,n,ds
t t.epeer.s sailors,
W
with liquor. A light was seen -apparently in the clouds,
which shone from some mountaineer's cottage; it gleamed
h a
light" to shcw us to the grave; indeed, we were all inclined
to think it foreboded no good, as the Captain (Benson) in-
formedus that there was no light-house on that part of
the coast, and we must he very near the land to see a light so
plainly. We soon saw the high mountains, and would have
been

" Happy to bribe with India's richest ore
A safe accession to that barren shore."
, The' Captain, who had been anxiously looking out, acquaint-
ed us, so as not to be heard by the crew, that he saw breakers
nearly a-head, and had no hopes of being able to weather them,
Captain F—n coincided in this opinion, to which his Lord.
ship said—" Well, we are all born to die-1 shall go with re.
gret, but certainly not with fear." Dr. Pew counted his
rosary, and kissed his crucifix with fervent devotion on his
knees.
Percy S—, who heretofore made no secret of his infidelity,
and whose spirits we thought no danger could appal, appeared
to have lost all energy, and the horrors of approaching death
made him weep like a child. Those names which he never be-
fore pronounced but in ridicule, he now called upon in moving
accents of serious prayer, and implored the protection of that
Being whose existence he affected to disbelieve. Thus—
" Conscience does make cowards of us all."
The horrors surrounding us were too appalling for human
nature to contemplate without shuddering, for—
" In vain, alas I the sacred shades of yore
Would arm the mind with philosophic lore
In vain they'd teach us with our latest breath,
To smile serene amid the pangs of death.
Even Zeno's self, and Epictetus old,
yards, which
This fell abyss had shudder'd to behold."
The breakers were now visible to all the crew, to whom his
Lordship gave his advice to lash
:Tr,sa,uitinprthemselvesinwednophw:se:i,a
they did.—Captain and Captain Bensoncwetoneotrk-ebtotloie:cihnnielunhclii
came
ll to
theyr
hesb roused
rising
indeed,
oi
t
sat long when lie asked—" Is there any chance ?" to which he
Is every man's duty to endeavour to preserve the life God has
se
shalli use
k placidly td oi
e thi
ee era
iirleelrpo
;ow
repose
-we,
withas w
God's
children,
sr en,
blessingwh exhausteden
weatiri
we shall soon be at rest."
His Lordship then threw off every thing but his trowsers,
and binding his silk neckcloth round his loins, he sat down
and folding his arms across his chest, waited in tranquil
resignation his fate. Percy 8--- lay at his feet in a state
of insensibility. His Lordship looked down upon him, and
ejaculated " Poor fellow." Doctor Peto had covered his head
with his cloak, and was stretched at full length groaning In
e
bitter anguish.
galaibli
nitayi :nstesnhatew:fhabsd:
ro,ntoelfrwylt Ineui
crying,
on:
gerLflliyll):;eielihn,ill:ss'nigt
oethgidN,li descended
ipneboaleelafdnecwdvheoihedsif(sael
bytt; teyhovoe heiuthrrhei.
aaed,
Captain F—....n was removing some dollars from his coat into
the pocket of his small clothes, which his Lordship observing
smiled and said, " do you mean that as a ballast to
sink you sooner, or as a bribe to Neptune to give you a good
birth In his watery palace ?" The sun was now nearly an
hour high, but all like the twilight of the grave. The sea
was long and heavy, and as it broke upon the rocks the
crash struck the car as though a forest of lofty oaks were
falling by a whirlwind. The countenance of his Lordship
never changed whilst the person who writes this had the power
to view it,. but
The heart that bleeds with sorrow all its own,
Forget the pangs of friendship to bemoan.
The breakers now were not a quarter of a mile distant on the
lee bow when Capt. Benson remarked to his Lordship. " Our
only chance is to put away a point before the wind, or se are
sure to go broadside into the surf and perish at once." "As
you like,' said his Lordship, raising his head and looking upon
the danger ; he then resumed his former position.
A heavy surge now swept the vessel fore and aft, and carried
overboard the doctor, who instantly sank to rise no more.
His Lordship exclaimed, "Good God !" and at the moment
the vessel rose upon a mountain billow to a tremendous height,
from whose summit she descended with the velocity oflightening,
as if she was going to bury herself in the remorseless deep. By
this rapid movement she was precipitated forward beyond the
reach of the breakers, that rolled behind her stern, and burst in
impotence, as if incensed at the loss of their destined prey. " We
are safe," exclaimed Captains IP--. and Benson : "jump, men,
from the yards, and make sail ;" this they did with tumultuous
joy, which his Lordship checked, and told them," Whilst you
are working, silently thank God for your miraculous preserva-
tion." lie then went below, and bringing up a bottle, bade
every one drink, couldrttehs
swimming,adtoaaidown
diwsi the
himself pled them. Percy S-- was re-
moved in a state of stupor toms bed; his Lordship comforted
those below with assurances of safety, and the vessel was laid to
under " snug canvas," in the mouth of the Gulf of Saint Flo-
rence, with every part of which the Captain was sell acquaint.
ed. The sea upon which the vessel rose was the i. ea is of her
preservation ; probably there was not, if the sea had been calm,
a depth of two feet water on the rocks over which she passed ;
hut the sea carried her safe over at a moment when every hope
but that of immortality was gone. ;
Tho vessel now rose smoothly, and the hour of eight being