Year: 1873

Mark Twain writes as follows 10 the
New York HeraH concerning the dis
play made by the English navy on the
occasion Of the visit OF the Shah "Our
ship sailed out through narrow way,
bordered by piers that swarmed with
people, and likewise by prodigious men
of~war Of the fashion OF q hundred
years ago. There were, perhaps, doz-
en- OF the stately veterans, these relics OF
an historic past; and not looking aged
and seedy, either, but as bright and
fresh ae if they had been painted yes
terday. They were the noblest Great
ures to look upon hulls OF huge pro-
portion and great length; four long
tiers 0! cannon griuning from their tall
sides; vaet sterns that lowered into the
air like the gable end OF a church; grace.
ful bows and fgure-heads; masts as
trim and lofty as spires--sureIy no
spectacle could be go imposing as a sea
fight in the old times, when such beau
tiful and such lordIy ships as these ruled
the seas. And how it must have stirred
the heart of England when fleet Of
them used to come sailing in from
victory, with ruined sides and tattered
spars and sails, while bells and cannon
pealed welcome ,


One OF the grandest OF these veterans
was the very one upon whose deck


NELSON HIMSELF FELL


In the moment OF triumph. | suppose
England would rather part with ten
colonies than with that old ship. We
passed along within thirty steps other,
and was just trying to picture IN my
mind the tremendous scenes that had
transpired upon her deck upon that day
the proudess inEnglands naval history,
when the venerable craft, stirred by the
boom of saluting cannon, perhaps woke
up out Of her long sleep aud began to
vomit smoke and thunder herself, aud
then she looked her own natural sell
again, and no doubt the spirit OF Nelaon
was near. Still it would have been
pleassnter to be on her decks than in
front of her guns for, as the white
volumes OF smoke burst in our faces,
one could not help feeling that p ball
might by accident have got mixed up
with a blank cartridge and might clip
just enough,


OFF The UPPER END OF A MAN


To disfgure him for life; and, besides,
the powder they use in cannon is in
grains as large as billiard chalks, and
it does not all explode-suppose few
should enter ones system? The crash
and roar Of these great guns was as
uusettlinga sound as l have ever heard
at short range. / took off my hat and


ACKNOWLEDGED THE SALUTE,


| OF course, though it seemed to me that
it would have been better manners II
thev had saluted the Lord Mayor, in-
asmuch as be was on board.


TIE WORLDS GREATEST NAVY IN VIEW.


We went out TO the Spitbead and
sailed up and down three or four hours
through four long ranks Of stately men
of-war-torrnidable iron.clads they
were-she most Insignificant OF which
would make a breakfast Of a whole
fleet OF Nelson's prodigious ships and
still be hungry. The show was very
fine, for there were forty-nine OF the
finest iron-clsds the world can chow,
and many gunbosts besides. Indeed
here in is full strength was
the finest navy in the world
and this the only time in history
thatjust such a spectacle has been seeu,
and none who saw it that day is likely
to live long enough to see its like again.
The vessels were all dressed out with
flags, and all about them fro!icked 8
beTildering host OF baDrered ys,chs
steamers and every imaginable sort o.
craft. 1t world be hard TO coutrIve Q
gayer scene. One OF the royal yacht:
came flying along presently aud Pu
the Shah on board one OF the iron-cisds
and then the yards Of the whole fee
were manned simultaneously, and such