The Sun.
London, England, 1851-06-05 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

REMINISENCES of a NAVAL OFFICER,
during the late War, with Sketches and Anecdotes
of Distinguished Commanders. By Captain
Crawford, R.N.
Much as has been said and published upon the mighty
events which will one day make the history of the wars
in Europe, at the end of the last and the commencement
of the present century, one of unsurpassed interest, not
only by the many heroic deeds which crowded upon one
another in a comparatively short period of time, but also
by the number of truly great men whose talents were
then brought into play, and whose efforts achieved for
them a noble and imperishable fame,—we must needs
admit that there are innumerable instances of deeds
worth recording and unrecorded, of men almost un-
known, however deserving of a statue in the temple of
immortality, and how could it be otherwise, when so
many rush on in the same course, performing in mag-
nanimous emulation acts which, if taken singly
would be deemed sublime, but which must yield
in the aggregate to those of the fortunate
winner of the race, which, in such cases is
not merely to the swift, but to the first among the
swift! It behoves us, then, not to be un-
mindful of the noble efforts of those who, but for one
smile the less from the fickle goddess, Fortune, might
have been in the proud situation that all aim at, while
one alone carries off the palm.

It is with such reflections, and with a feeling ranging
between admiration for the noble and daring spirit of
the actors in the drama before us, and the strange yet
natural satisfaction of knowing that we were dealing
with mortals somewhat less elevated above our ordinary
sphere, that we read the above work by Captain Craw-
ford, and from the dignified yet unassuming tone which
pervades its pages, we are inclined to think he will side
with us in the view wo take of the subject. The inci-
dents he narrates, though inseparable from the most me-
morable events of the last great European war, are,
though full of interest, subordinate to the main action.
The men to whom, we are introduced, are for the most
part second in command to those more fortunate
leaders, who have deservedly and universally been pro-
nounced the heroes of their times, and we fully parti-
cipate in what we deem the writer's feeling that some-
thing, nay much, is due to those who by a zealous dis-
charge of the duties intrusted to them, have so mainly
contributed to the successful issue of the contest, and he
invites our sympathy, our gratitude for their often un-
requited, at least as regards renown, noble deeds.
Let us then for a moment follow the writer of these
volumes, we had well nigh said the hero, from his ad-
mission into the service, to that portion of his life in
which he closes his narrative. First, we find him a mid-
shipman in his Alejesty's service, exchanging the scenes
of a quiet peaceful home for the hardships of life at sea,
passing through the long and painful ordeal of that un-
enviable station, with patient endurance and unfired
energy, and right pleased we are in time to find him
capering with joy (a not very heroic process, but
a very natural one) at receiving from my Lords of,
the Admiralty the glad tidings of his promotion to'
the rank and station of a lieutenant and a gentleman.
With him we cruise, fight, explore, land where and
when we can (an amphibious animal is the sailor), and,
after a variety of adventures of all kinds, a glance at
some of the great actors in the mighty struggle which
placed this country in her present proud position at land
and sea, we at last congratulate him on his promotion
to the rank of commander, and can but praise the noble
feeling which induced him to record the fact, that to the'.
spirited advocacy of his claims by a superior, he was in
debted for that reward of his exertions, a circumstance;
equally honourable to both parties. Thus, then, we!
consider this work a fair tribute paid in many instances'
to unknown merit, and we rejoice to find in it anecdotes
and particulars highly interesting from their illustrating
or revealing many peculiarities of the service, to which
public attention should be directed, and finally we re-
commend it as an amusing, companionable book, and
whose least merit is not that it is well written. Indeed
we cannot but admire the talent displayed in this re-
spect, by men whose whole time and best energies have
so long and exclusively been devoted to a career which
could hardly be supposed to foster and encourage a taste
for literature.

PaURS DA Y E'VENII.IG,

1851.