The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1833-01-08 00:00:00

A SQUALL ON THE AFRICAN COAST.

We were progressing fairly in our work, when an en-:''
the shape of the elements began to appear. It was a bea
starlightlnight, the moon shone brilliantly, the wind was ,
and the sea as smooth as a duck-pond: about ten o'cl"
small black speck in the east soon extended-itself into an
thunder-cloud; it seemed an instant only, and the whole ho
was darkened—" The sky was changed; and such a ch. ,
The brightness of the night had passed away like a dream,
a tornado was about to supply its place. We knew not the
of the foe; but the cheering cry of Bear a hand, lads,
the squall comes !" indicated too certainly the presages of
officer's mind. It fell to my lot to be ordered to land, the po
in the yawl, 'having as few hands only as were absolutely r
site for the labour required. My orders were to place it i'
empty house which the crew of the brig had inhabited; and
ing that the darkening cloud increased apace, and was ra
approaching, I was anxious to get clear of my charge, or at
rate, to reach the shore before the squall burst. We had
hundred yards to go, and scarcely had we "shoved off," •
the forked lightning began to show itself in quick and
flashes, while the loud roar of the thunder increased in fo
it neared the ship. We had a tarpaulin in the boat to cove
powder-barrels; but this was no security against the ligh
The boat appeared not to move. No sooner did I look
eager eye to the shore, than an anxious glance was cast at
coming enemy; then would I double bank an oar, and pull
tug with all my strength, whilst I cheered my little crew t,
additional exertion. We landed the very moment the s
burst. Heavens ! no poetical imagination could convey the
ried and varied feelings of that moment! To secure the
was our first endeavour, which we effected by placing her fi
on the beach, and taking the painter to a neighbouring
The trees groaned as the whirlwind whistled through the 1,
branches; and the rain fell, or rather came from the clouds,
the force of water ejected from a fire engine. The long co
nut bent like a bow its branchless trunk, surging about its 1,
head in the storm; and the lightning, which flashed around
n horribly quick succession, onh showed us the wreck of
which surrounded us, leaving us in tenfold darkness. The s'
which we saw through the momentary flame of fire, appear''
mass of ropes the yards were hanging in different directly
the fierce wind swung her about with the ease that a crash
moved; and the flash, which showed her broadside-on, would
succeeded in the moment by another which showed her boo
the shore. The instant lull, before the loud wind and ho
roaring of the elements resumed their fury, only bore upon
wings the confusion on board the ship and the brig;- and
succeeding flash exhibited its own power, as it rent the mains
mast from top to bottom : a prolonged existence of a mOmi:s
light showed us the fishes of the mainmast rent from their i
fastenings. The tithe elapsed 'since the commencement of
squall was about ten minutes, when a calm, as tranquil a
infant's sleep, succeeded the storm..The.sky assumed its fo
serenity, the moon and stars again shone, and few could
gine, who had not witnessed a hurricane, the desolation
ruin of an African tornado. We imagined our miseries at
end, and cheerfully resumed our labours. Delusive hope!
soon, too soon, we found the evil had but commenced, and
Fortune, already unkind, only smiled for the moment, to
her frown more severely felt. In the mean time we availed
;elves of the calm. The negroes still worked at the pump,
sun nautical term of "Spell oh !" gave way to some eleg
word in the black vocabulary. A party of hands were employ
,o thrumb a sail—a process by which canvas is converted inf°
nat; and this was intended to be hauled under the ship's bott
o stop the leak, or at any rate to be so far sucked up into
soles as to block up in some degree the unwelcome apertilit,
the quarter-deck guns were transferred to the brig ; the
vas made a little more snug aloft, and the launch despatcht
vith ten men and a lieutenant to Sierra Leone, to desire v
Itendance of anyman-of-war there, and to urge them to use $
,ossible despatch in coming to our assistance. The powder 0'
afely landed, and we returned to the ship as wet and as tired
ain and labour could make us. Every man in the ship vi'
arned to some use; the servants were taken from the lieutenol
nd midshipmen, and all on board put their shoulders to v
iheel in good earnest.
. _ _

Our men worked hard and in silence; but the blacks sill
ome of their outlariclish songs, as they laboured at the plus)
nd kept the winches at a rapid rotatory movement. This slot
ig soon gave way to fatigue; and from their surly looks a$
iiky dispositions we argued no very flattering degree of obg
ience, it they were at all oppressed by labour. Every thin
as going on favourably : the different requisite works WO
rogressing towards a termination, and we anticipated solo
ours sleep, notwithstanding our misfortune.
At one o'Clock in the morning, another black cloud showed it
cad above the horizon, and soon spread its sable wings over a 6
hole sky. 'We knew what was coming, fast enough: the othe
3wer and sheet anchor were let go, the ropes alt properly be
yed, for nothing can impede work more than wet ropes etq
illy dabbing in one's face. The main-topmast, ortather rt
reek, had been struck, and the fishes of the mainmast remove('
.e quarter-deck guns had been hoisted into the brig, and
id done prodigies in the way of labour. The instant the sqn
as observed, the brig was cast off; towed some small distant
id 'well secured, as far as anchors could secure her; and ic
?.re soon prepared for the coming squall. It came howling an
iistling in all the fury of the former one, accompanied by tb
int thunder, and the lightning; the wind moaned through
;ging, coming from all quarters at once, and heeling the shi
st on one side, then the other, like boys on a see-saw. Tb
icks, who seem rather partial to a squall on shore, began
inifest considerable uneasiness when they heard the unusual
ar of strange sounds; and it was with some difficulty and geo;
violence that they were made to continue their work.
led sullenly and silently, until a flash of lightning struck the
ip, and ran along the decks. The fatal flash left three we
ad at the pumps; the blacks hid their faces in their, handl
d threw themselves on the deck, roaring and howling as
illy as the wind, creating a confusion quite beyond descriptioP
report that the lightning had gone through the ship bele°
:asioned an instant search: the monotonous sound- of tbg
ter, as it bubbled through the leak forward, was audibl
Pugh; but we could not trace any further damage, or discove
r other mischief. During this interval the leak gained up();
for the blacks disregarded all threats of punishment or 3'
'raises of reward: the removal of the dead operated like
am ; it is quite "out of sight, out of mind" in Africa; so the
as forgot the danger in the removal of their friends, and'
rt to work again. Our men were kept at work, as-many al
sible, on the sail, and the rest were sent to their hammock°
;teal a few hours' sleep, for we had plenty to do, without inter
sion, for at least a week. The squall passed over us, and le,
he same calm and beautiful night which had preceded id
ling. Day dawned, and what a sight presented. itself! N.,_"
ger the dashing Arethusa, in all the trim neatness of a wer
ered ship ! No longer the tall mast and the squared yarof,
tight rope, and the man-of-war's appearance. She was
altered in one night, as the face of a beauty after an attae*,
mall-pox. A wreck—a palpable wreck; the crew jaded and
pied; the blacks nearly exhausted; the rigging more like $
;sian frigate's under repair, than the boasted neatness of ars
;fish man-of-war; around us a scene of desolation and dr
ction, without a prospect of further assistance;. and with s$
ican sun rising, to scorch us into sickness and fever. Front
shore, the ship's appearance was by no means flattering'
mainmast was standing; but here and there were piece°
by the lightning : the long fish in front of the mast woe
gin the booms, with its end on the quarter-deck. It was $
t to humiliate any pride such, as Nelson felt when his fleet
dispersed in a gale. One night had reduced us from the
t powerful adversry the French had on that coast, to tb°
lof the most insigificant cruiser. Alas ! our suffering'
but begun, for hitherto the rain had kept us cool; but hest
thirst, and sickness and feYer, were yet to follow up the dis;
r; and theie is no calamity like a hot sun and a parched
at whenfatigue and indisposition are to be endured. It was
rss prognosticating misfortunes; it was the business of moll
officers to remedy what had befalen us. The sail was cal;
'd and placed under the bottom, and it afforded no snow.'
ification to find it answered its purpose effectually: it so fal,
ved he men, that the hand-pumps kept her free, and we go'
f a great part of our black assistance: had they not been on
d, the Arethusa would have sunk.—From the Life of a Sailor'

r. STANLEY has removed from his residence in Whitehall'
to the spacious mansion in Carlton-gardens, lately °col'
by the Count de Salis. The house heretofore tenanted lit
fight honourable gentleman at Whitehall,' was not se'
'y capacious for his establishment.—Courier.
LE REVENUE.—WC understand that the probable deficienel
e Quarter's Revenue, as compared with the correspouden'
wf the last year, will be about £250,000. The deficiency ;°
ipally in the excise, owing to a large amount of cane
which was received in the quarter ending sth Jan. 1831;
not in the present corresponding quarter. The custool
materially improved, probably £200,000 on the, quart&
of the taxes are deficient owing to an arrear of wile',
which of course will add to the amount of a sub Sequel)
In the stamps there is a trifling deficiency, but•tve ha!e
n to believe that the receipt on the year, as compared with
ear ending sth Jan. 1832, may possibly show animproce,
of £400,000. The prospects for the future aie i!pon 11,
flattering, and it must be remembered that as the ineresr.,
A quarter was about £700,000, it was expected that so"
:erbalancing deficiency would occur in the present one.

CORRESPONDENCE.

THE JAMAICA QUESTION.

**! Although it is rather a violation of a rule generally re-
cognised by the public journals of this country—not to reprint
a communication addressed to, and published in a particular
paper—we yield to the wishes of friends whom we are anxious
to oblige, in copying, from the Times, the following letter, on a
subject in which our readers in general take a lively interest.