The Sun.
London, England, 1834-01-03 00:00:00

THE MONTHLY REPOSITORY.

The improvement which we noted as having
taken place some time:ago in this Magazine, under
the conduct of Mr. W. Fox, still continues to
manifest itself. It is now both entertaining and
instructive in a high degree. Its grave articles
are as sound as those of the Westminster Re-
view, whilst its light contributions are as read-
able as anything in the Metropolitan or New
Monthly. The following extract treats of a
hackneyed subject, " The Setting Sail of a
Man-of-war ;" but the beauty of the description
will prove our justification for giving it:—

" Up and down' was sung out from the forecastle ;
then stopper the cable,' and pall the capstern,' from
the quarter-deck ; and unship the bars,' all hands make
sail,' followed, and instantly the shrouds on either side
were filled with men like swarming bees; no voice was
heard hut his who gave command, and a noble voice it
was ; but his words were repeated in the outpoured shril-
ness of the silver calls of the boatswain and his mates ;
and when every man bad set his foot in the rigging, with
hands grasping the ratlines, Away aloft l'—away the
swarm rushed with an upward rapidity, as if the life of
each depended on his being first. There was another
pause; then ' trice up, lay (lie) out,' and the long-out-
stretched naked limbs of the ship were everywhere, up-
mingling in the blue of the sky, and down and out over
the sea, alive with creeping things, hurrying out to their
extremities, between them and certain destruction was a
curved, swinging, loose rope, on which they struck their
feet: this was all that held them from plunging into the
sea, or crashing to mummy on the deck. Strange as it
is, reader, there is not an atom of danger in this. I never
saw an accidental fall from a ship's yards in my life."
• • • •

" It is in vain that you will look even in the most
skilfully manned merchant vessels for any thing which can
glimpse a conception of a ship of war making sail from bar
anchorage. In a merchantman the sails are spread and
set stragglingly and partially ; portions tumble down, flap
about, and slowly, creepingly spread at intervals, and from
the several points ; but with the words 1 above quoted,
the instant flashing effect is magical and magnificent; the
minute•ago-naked masts, beams, and yards, the whole of
the uptowering scaffolding and beautiful skeleton is clothed
in fifteen thousand feet of graceful drapery, so perfectly
fitted, and so admirably put on ; then out it swells and
curves in the wind—it is beauty itself. Not a word is
spoken till belay !' then the rumbling of four or five
hundred stamping feet; the rattling of blocks and pulleys,
the whirring of ropes, and the grinding of the massive
beams which are by these adjusted in their required
positions, are all at once stopped. Still the immense and
splendidly compact machine lies motionless; the anchor
has not yet quitted its mighty grip of the solid
ground, ten fathoms beneath the surface of that glassy
field on which she sits, but ready for her start. ' Ship
the capstern bars,' a few more turns and the anchor is
away ; Man the cat and fish' (odd things there are in a
ship, reader, but I cannot stop to explain), the pond and
gorgeous mass of machinery, slowly gathering progress,
glides round to her destined track."

THE SP 0 RTIIY G MAGAZINE.

THE NEW SPORTING lIIAGAZIiVE.

We almost fear to couple the old and the
young dog together, inasmuch as there appears
symptoms of their long snarl coming to a down-
right fight. The " old 'un" threaten the
youngster with Chancery injunctions for pub-
lishing Nimrod's papers, and the latter retarts
by a review, furiously cutting up the last double
number of the former. Verily we see little need
for this quarrelling; the field is wide enough for
both. But besides this we would remind them
that whatever grievances each may think he has
to allege against the other, the public care not

one farthing for !4tn, and that:strictures upon
one anothcor's Frformances only excite the laugh•
ter of by-staudt'rs. We have been induced to
say this much, because we really feel that both
may flourish together, to the delight and edifi-
cation of the sporting world. The Old Magazine
boasts of the contributions of Octogenarian,
with whose reminiscences this month we have
been much pleased; but the New Magazine has
another Nimrod, who has pleased us as much.
We speak always under -correction, for we do
not pretend to enter into the minutia which
perhaps mark the distinguishing merits of each
work, being neither horse jockeys, dog fanciers,
nor cock fighters.