Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1827-09-15


We copy the following sketch from the
lively and interesting work, tho Youth
and Manhood of Cyril Thornton 1t is
most powerful description Of the horrid
ravages Of Il disease that mocks human
skill and laughs at human suffering.
Deep gloom hung on US all. Melan-
choly was The daily meeting at the mess;
for we had only to recount the still ad-
vancing progress of the pcstiIencc, or
The name Of some companion who since
yesterday had fallen its victim But
worse than all was it, when called by
duty to descend into tho town,-to see
the streets desolatc and descrted-to
hear, as we passed the closed dwellings,,
the loud and terrible shrcks of some de-
lirious sufferer within; and then the. horn
that gave the signal ofthc approach OF
the dead-cart, as it slowly moved onwards
in its dismal circuit! Never has its wild
dissonancc passed from my ear-nevcr
| believe, shall it utterly pass away and
be forgotten. Many Of the Europeans
on the first appearance of the fever had
quilted the town, and taken up their res
idencc at Algesiras or st. ROGUE, or
gone OH board Of the ships in the bay.
This, however, could net continue. The
Spaniards formed Gordon few miles
distance from tho fortress, in order to
prevent any communication with the in
terror, and all avenue Of escape from the
danger was at once closed. The saase
soon spread its havoc among the ship
ping and the deep daily yawnpd over a
new accession Of its victims. There was
death alike upon the land and the waters
In the camp, too, he was busy; and in
the course of about three weeks, we had
lost five officers, and above hundre d
meu. Among the former were Major
Warburton and Captain Spottiswoode,
to whose company was attached. Pop
ham, too, was attacked, bat recovered.
was not coward enough to be pre-
vented by my fears from attending bis
sick-bed; and the little that friendship
could do to aIlay his suferings,' was done.
mention this, confess, with something
Of pride, for the conflict within was a
severe one, and the struggle long. The
pestilence, which had hitherto despised
the feeble efforts of man to obstruct its
! progress, was at length arrested by the
hand Of God. With no external or vis-
ible cause to produce change in its
character or consequences, when it was
already raging in its fury, and even
hope was wavering in the stou.cst heart,
a sudden relaxation of its power became
apparent. From that hour its gripc
was loosencd; day after day its victims
were diminished in numbers, and in a
few weeks all traces Of its former ray
ages were to be found only in the grave
Then, as if vast and overwhelming
pressure had been removed there was
a sudden revulsion of our spirits, a re-
bounding OF the heart so powerful and
extraordinary, as to seem almost allied
to madness. The lips on which no
smile had been seen for months, now
gave utterancc to sounds of mcrrimcnt.
and downcast and heavy eyes were
lighted up with more than their orig inal
gladness. Each individual felt as Il he
himself had been preserved from death
by miraculous interposition Of Provi-
dence. Never at mess had seen the
winc-cup filed So high, nor heard the
wild rcvclry Of light and jovial hearts
echoed so loudly and so Ioag. Let us
hope this was not all Let us believe
that in silence and retirement, there were
knees bent in the humility of prayer land
that the sound ofthanksgiving, rose from
many voices, to that God by whose al
mighty arm they had been upheld and
supported