Year: 1876

ceS presented 1t to h1m as SOUVENIR of
his sojourn on board the st. Pierre; then
he bound up the arm, and half an hour
afterwards the French ship, commander
less, with more than half her crew
dead or dying, struck to the English
commander.


The officers of the Invincible- such
was the name of the British vessel
boarded their prize, and on going below
the first sight that met their eyes was
the four Irishmen, who on the entrance
OF their countrymen rose, scarcely able
to contain their Joy ut this unexpected
deliverance.


But you may imagine their horror
when, instead of being welcomed with
open arms as they had expected, their
story was received with incredulity and
suspicion. They implored to be taken
before the English captain, and their re-
quest was complied with but unhapiIy
for them that individual was of very
different stamp from that of the courte-
GUS French commander. He was one
OF those tyrannical, hectoring, clustering
DULLES who some years ago were rather
too frequently to be met with in the
royal navy, who, having as a youngster
himself tasted weeviled biscuit and the
ropes end pretty freely, had determined,
when his day came, that life should not
be one whit sweeter for his subordinates
than it had been for him. Added to
these amiable. qualities he had the bit
terest contempt aud hatred for his neigh
bors on the other side of the channel
in fact, the name of Frenchman had
pretty much the same effect on him as a
bit of red flag on n bull, and as for
M &lo& l.,
hate them rather more cordially.


This individual went through the form
of hearing their defense, growing to
himself the while, and when they had
finished ordered them, with few choice
nautical expletives, to be put in irons
until the next day, when they would be
tried by naval court martial for the capi-
tai offense of high treason and lese
maVeste, in having joined cause with the
enemies of his most sacred majesty
George III.


Arraigned they were accordingly, and
in spite Of all ut poor Hastings could
say-in spite even of the exculpatory
evidence of the French officers, which
Captain Bulmer, not comprehending,
sneered at-they were found guilty and
condemned to be hung, all four, from
the yard-arm


You can imagine the CONSERVATION of
the unfortunate fellows, who had indeed
fallen from Scylla into Charybdis. In
vain did the unhappy Hastings protest
against the injustice of the proceeding,
stating that Notwithstanding the wound
he had received, which was one of the
points on which special stress was laid
by his accusers, despite the suspicious
appearance which he and his compan-
ions by this time necessarily presented,
he had the honor of wearing his ma
jea$y's uniform and serving his country
rs truly and faithfully as any man ON
board. To each Of these asseverations
the only answer he received was "You
lie, sir y until, half frantic with indig-
nation and despair, he and his com
panions were sent back into irons till
their sentence could conveniently be
carried into effect.


The first lieutenant, who was the only
soul in that great ship who evinced the
smallest compassion towards them,
luckily happened to pay the unfortunate
prisoners visit in the course of the day,
with view to their safe custody.
Though strictly against orders, he could
not refrain from speaking to young
Hastings, who had bright, attractive
face, and asking him how on earth he
found himself dams cctte galere. By
dint of cross-questioning in the cou' Sc
of conversation it came out that not only
had the families of Hastings and Ash
burtons-the name of the first lieutenant
been connected in olden times, but
that actually Hastings mother had in
terested herself in obtaining for this
same Ashburton his commission in the
royal navy! There was no doubt that
Mr.. Hastings was bona .tfde the person
he represented himself to be so Ash
burton went to the captain and terrified
the old sea bear into granting reprieve,
solely against his will, until the arrival
of the Invincible in port. Accordingly
when the man-of-war anchored off Spit
head, Hastings obtained permission to
be confronted with the officers of his own
ship, the Hornet, then opportunely
stationed at Plymouth, and in addition
his father and other relatives hurried to
the spot, so that there was no lack of
evidence sufficient to satisfy the crusty
old captain that for once in his life he
had jumped rather too hastily to conclu-
sions. His conduct was moreover Sc
verely censured by the admiralty, "in-
asmuch as through his rashness and per-
tinacity very promising young officer
was nearly lost to his majesty's service"