The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-05-12
tall erenadier, led between two bluff taIs

a tall grenadier, led between two bluff taIs
to the hospital, moving at the pace of an
Infant, death in his features, the cheek bones
sticking out sharply from his face, the clear
eye, the whispering hollow voice. "Wound-
ed. my good man! you are 10 pain?" ono,
ino, only weak, weak" The horrible
fever that attenuates life by inches was on
him. Hundreds were taken in this way to
the barracks and hospitals until the build
ings were crammed. and thence 10 the grave.
All who had spare beds gave them up to
officers, many Of whom were not in a much
better state than the men. The best look
ed as they had been clad out OF second
hand shop. | allude more particularly to
the infantry, the cavalry had been pre-
viously embarked. There was great con-
fusion at the embarkation, though all were
safely got of. A naval lieutenant, whom ]
knew, commanded in the boats upon this
service, going backwards and forwards from
the ships to the shore. He told me that be
had scarcely two men Of the same regiment
in his boat at one time. The embarkation
Of the wounded was very painful. Men at
their last gasp imploring not to be left be-
hind, while every movement In conveying
them caused intense suffering. The mas
ters Of several Of the transports got fright
ened in consequence Of the French firing
few shots at them from some field pieces
and ran aground. or there would not have
been the slightest loss. One Of the line Of
battle ships turning her broadside towards
the French and giving them few OF her
heavy shots, sent them off at full trot.-
saw two or three rifles Of the 95th regi-
ment without owners. Of which my friend
took care; the men were probably in some
other vessel. "COme, my men, get in, we
shall quickly return for more of you" was
lost upon them. Il was needful to shove
loft per force when full. Vigorously did
Jack work to save the "lobster backs" as
he called them in those days, and most
kindly did he divide his allowance Of food
with them. had a room at an inn. The
inkeeper came TO me and asked part oil il
for an officer, at once ushering him in
That officer was the present Sir Edward
Kerrison, K.B., who, / recollect, had a
broken arm. Death. in spite Of every at
tsn,ion, laid numbers low, for disease in
war commits ravages as great as the sword.
This reminds me not to pass unfoTgotten
a short-lived acquaintance which | made
with gallant man, Governor Mccarthy,
because Of his most melancholy end, now
matter OF history. He had not been in
England for twenty years, had been Gov
ernor Of Honduras, and had come home for
a short time on his way to Sierra Leone,
where he had also been Just appointed
Governor. He had been the survivor oil
thousands Of British soldiers who had died
Of fever in the West Indies, and was by
this time perfectly acclimated. He was q
strong, bulky man, above six feet high.
Expressed my fears that he might find the
African fever more formidable than that oil
the West Indies. He said he was seasoned;
he had passed his better years in the midst
Of pestilence; sand you too. Major kava.
naugh," he said, addressing the officer who
had Just introduced him to me, ''you saw
: enough Of fever horrors at St. Domingo
and Port Royal, when we lost 500 men oui
: of a corps embarked in two frigates, ia one
fortnight" eyes" replied the major, 81
lived through it all. | kept drunk, or al
least was never sober. or | should have died
Of the sight; this kept off the fever" "Aye,
r said Mccarthy, al have never been home
till now, and you have had time to become
a strong and sober man again. Unfor
tunately. poor Mccarthy, to whom the
dreadful African fever that destroyed SC
MANY governors Of Sierra Leone in success
90. did ne hera,, led etteel. Prsas;P al ,
OF black troops, against the King Of Ash.
antee. His black troops fed, and the Gov.
ernor wes killed. They cut his head of,
and carried il away as trophy.
Among the novelists prior to the svatar
of Scott. whom | have not already recalled
to recollection. was Bane, the author oil
"Hermsprong. or man as he is not" He
!, had written "Man as he is" and several
other ingenious works, but / forget their
titles. He died, 1 believe, about the time
that the Edinburgh Repiep started, and
though at the age generally given as the
uttermost allotment Of human life, he wrote
his best works last. Some OF bis novels
were republished by Scott in "Ballantyne's
Library" He was far superior to the CON-
mon run Of novelisis. who seek only to
amuse. it matters not how. He endeavored
TO inculcate certain religious and political
Opinions with no small ability. Two OF
his works were the "Fair Syrian" and
"Barham Downs" His writing possesses
great originality Of manner, but remem.
Der only "Hemsprong." and that afforded
me great pleasure.
| was in company with Coeridge but
once or twice. My opinion was, and is,
that his abilities were superior to any other
individual Of The Lake school, but that he
idly gave up all. for the most evanescent of
qualifications that @'foolishness Of talking. I"
for which he grew famous, to crafty his
selfloye. The "Ienevieve' Of Coleridge
is worth, to my seeming. all that Soulhey
ever wrote Of poetry, throwing Lamb into
the scale. remember Coleridge laid down
law for reviewers. He insisted that they
should never know more Of an author than
the work before them told. He was an
swered-then, il Bill Soames picked peck.
cts. and published treatise on honesty and
the deadly sin Of prigging handkerchiefs,
the book was to be reviewed as the work
Of an honest man. 1t was an excellent
mode to cover the principles OF tlrncoats,
and suffer laPses m honesty Of profession to