VARIETIES.

Law of Marriage in Scotland.In a report of a case of marriage and legitimacy, published in the last number of the "Scottish Jurist," certain principles appear to be maintained by the judges of the court of session, which are not only at variance with English jurisprudence, but with English notions of what constitutes matrimo nial obligation. We shall give the fol lowing outline of the case, as it is not probable that many of our readers are in the habit of seeing the publication to which we refer: The defendant, Sir R. Honeyman, had endeavoured to secure the affections of a Miss Campbell, who was governess in his father's family. She hesitated to accept of his proposal to marry her, because she was afraid that he would make a sacrifice in the estimation of his relatives, which might injure his future prospects, she having neither connexions nor wealth to qualify her for such an union. He persisted in paying his addresses and, at length, she consented that he should call her wife. He, in return had asked her to call him husband, to which she replied, "Dearest, dearest Dick, you are my husband." It was proved that afterwards he had frequently admitted her to be his wife. Subsequently she bore two children to him. This was established; and it was further shown, from the language used in his correspondence, that the connexion was virtnous. The judges were of opinion that a promise, followed by cohabitation, constituted marriage and that it was not necessary to prove such promise by written documents. She was accordingly declared, by the law of Scotland, to be the legal wife of Sir R. Honeyman.

Dumb Motions. In Italy, a lover, at a ball, places two fingers on his mouth, which signifies to a lady, you are very handsome, and I wish to speak to you, If she touches her cheek with her fan, and lets it gently drop, that signifies I consent; but if she turns her hand, it is a denial. At a ball in Paris, to take a lady out to dance with her, is only indifference; to place yourself near her is interest; but to follow her with your eyes in the dance, is love.

Bear and Birds.-Mr. Bear being at a public dinner at Hammersmith, two gentlemen of the name of Bird being in the company, after the cloth was removed, Mr. Bear, who was a good singer, was called on to oblige the company with a song: he immediately arose, and said, "Gentlemen, your conduct on this occasion is so highly improper, that I cannot help noticing it."-" For why?" said the gentlemen. "That you should call on

a Bear to sing, when you have two Birds in the company."

Watering Places.-Tunbridge Wells is, like Cranbourn Alley, carried to Clapham Common; Bognor, with its pebble-stone rocks, dullness below misery; Hastings, a row of houses in a fives' court; Worthing, a bad imitation of its neighbour; Bath, a tea-kettle, always boiling and steaming; and Cheltenham a cockney edition of Ham. mersmith.-Hood's Maxwell.

Method of obtaining the Skeletons of Fish. Mr. Bluell's plan is to suspend a fish in a vessel full of water, into which he introduces a number of tadpoles, which devour the flesh, without injuring the bones. The tadpoles should be taken as small as possible: at the end of four and twenty hours the skeleton will be cleansed, but the water must be renewed several times.

Sturdy Bonapartism.-A courtier of the imperial regime, conversing with some ladies who absolutely refused to share his adiniration for the Emperor Napoleon, expressed his overflowing zeal in rather a novel manner. Ladies," said he, "I have such perfect confidence in the emperor, that were he to call me knave, I might at first humbly remonstrate; but were he a second time to say, with an air of conviction, I assure thee thou art a knave!"" As I am a man of honour, I would take his majesty's word. St. Maure's Petersburgh.

Mrs. Jordan. Mrs Jordan was originally known as Miss Francis. Quarrelling with the Dublin manager, she joined Tate Wilkiuson's corps at York, where she took the name of Jordan. As I had never heard (says Bernard in his "Retrospections of the Stage") that Miss Francis was married, I inquired of Wilkinson the cause, and he replied, "Her name?-Why, God bless you, my boy! I gave her her name,-I was her sponser."—" You ?"—" Yes; wheu she thought of going to London, she thought Miss sounded insignificant, so she asked me to advise her a name :-'Why, said, my dear, you have crossed the water, so I'll call you Jordan;' and by the memory of Sam! if she didn't take my joke in earnest, and call herself Mrs. Jordan ever since." This was Tate's story; but as it was told in his usual ambiguous way, my reader may attach what credence to it he pleases.

Doctors Dispensed with.-In the hospital of the nunnery there were several sick; and, on our inquiring for the doctor, and asking what remedies were usually employed, they pointed to the image in corner of the apartment, and said, “That is our doctor; if it is God's will the sick will recover; if not, what's to be done? sicho dielitt?" On being asked, “If a

person breaks a leg, what's to be done?" the reply was, "if it is God's pleasure, it will become straight again."-Alexander's Travels in Russia.

Quin.-Quin dining one day at a party in Bath, uttered something which caused a general murmer of delight. A nobleman present, who was not illustrious for the brilliancy of his ideas,, exclaimed, "What a pity 'tis, Quin, my boy, that a clever fellow like you should be a player!" Quin fixed and flashed his eye upon the person, with this reply, "What would your Lordship have me be?-a Lord! Retrospections of the Stage.

Lord Rodney's Kindness to his Midshipmen. -When Lord Rodney's dinner was going aft, he has often he says, seen the hungry mids. cast over the dishes a wistful eye, with a watery mouth; upon which, he has instantly arrested their supporters, and ordered the whole of his dinner, save one dish, to be be carried to the midship mens' mess.-Mundy's Life of Rodney.

desire of making prisoners, of adding to the number of his wives, of providing victims for the altar of idolatry, or of furnishing a horrible banquet. He succeeds in his enterprise; or, met by a wary adversary, with equal weapons, and with everything to defend, they join battle; instead of trumpets, the wild whoop and war-conchs sound the onset; arrows and javelins are hurled, clubs are brandished; the frail barks of the combatants are overturned beneath them; and with the sea for an arena, and fury to make up for the imperfection of their weapons, they are enabled to strew it with victims. And thus we find the Caribs, not only destructively encountering each other, but disputing the victory with the steel-clad Spaniards, who first intruded upon the scenes of their triumphs; and with no better weapons than bows and arrows, even these wielded by the hand of woman, offering fatal resistance to ferocity of the civilized.

Not very different from these Carib battles was naval war in the earliest ages reached by history or tradition. The he

AMERICAN NAVY IN PARTICULAR.+

NAVAL WARFARE.

IT is purposed in the following paper, to institute a brief inquiry into the origin and progressive improvement of navies in general, and into the condition and prospects of the American navy in particular. When it is considered, that independently of the protection of our commerce, a navy is our national means of defence, and that it goes forth to meet the danger at a distance from our shores, leaving the culti vator to reap in peace the fruits of his labor, unalarmed by the turmoil of approaching war, and spared the slaughter and destruction that mark the track of armies; if we keep in mind these facts, the subject may well command our attention.

Naval war exists in the earliest stages of society; it has its origin in the very passions and constitution of our nature, The savage has scarce learned to venture forth upon the water in the canoe which he has rudely hollowed from a tree of the forest, ere, embarking with his bow and atrow, his hardened war-club, his javelin, or his lance, he transports himself to the spot whither he is attracted by revenge for some real or supposed injury, by avaricious longing for some contemptible booty, the

that were stranded and launched at pleasure, and the same individuals rowed. and fought alternately. Among them, as among the Caribs, superior strength and valor decided the victory. In process of time, however, naval war began to assume a peculiar system; the ordinary vessels built for commerce were no longer used for warlike purposes, but as transports; and the galley, in whose construction and exercise the Athenians espceially excelled, already acted an important part at the battle of Salamis.

In suceeeding centuries naval warfare was gradually improved with the general progress of civilization. The Carthaginians, inheriting all the commercial skill of their Phoenician ancestors, were stimulated to new enterprise by their condition as colo nists in a novel and growing region. Re moved too from the extremity of the Mediterranean to the neighbourhood of its mouth, they were no longer willing to res main circumscribed within its narrow limits, but stood boldly out beyond the Ne Plus Ultra of less adventurous voyagers, carrying their commercial enterprises to the extremities of Europe and Africa. As in all other countries the developement of their military marine kept pace with the commercial ore, of which it was the natural and necessary protector; and Carthage,monopolizing the maritime trade of the world, pretended, like her modern representative in pursuits and character, to the exclusive dominion of the common

highway. To support these pretensions, formidable and well-equipped navy was

constantly maintained; and we may accordingly look to the most flourishing era of Carthaginian history for the perfection of naval war, as it existed among the ancients,

The galley was the form of vessel used for war. It was long, low, and narrow, having space for the arrangement of many rowers, whilst it offered little resistance in dividing the water. Thus the Carthaginian triremes were usually one hundered feet long, by only ten broad, and seven high. The prow either curved gracefully, or was formed into the image of some ferocious beast. It was always sharp, and armed with metal to cleave the side of an adversary, and often had a projecting weapon, like a ploughshare, beneath the surface of the water, to pierce the bottom. On the summit of the prow stood the emblem; on the Athenian galleys it was an owl, on the Phoenician and Carthaginian, a cock. Here also floated the distinguish ing pendant. The stern was no less sharp than the bow, curving gracefully upward so as to overhang the poop, and sometimes presented the figure of a shield. Below it stood the tutela, representing the deity, patron of the ship, to which prayers and sacrifices were offered, and which was held so sacred, as to afford a sanctuary to those who took refuge there. Nor was exterior ornament neglected in the galley; paint and gilding were profusely used, and gods and animals represented on the outside. The locomotive means of the galley consisted in sails, which, with their masts, were taken down at pleasure; and in oars, which constituted the main dependence. These were arranged in rows ascending above each other, to the number of three; for though we read of quinquiremes, octoremes, up even to thirty and forty, this cannot mean distinct banks, but probably divisions; for the length of the oar, increasing for each ascending bank, must have been already unwieldy in the upper row of a trireme. The oars ascended diagonally above each other; the bench of one rower furnishing the footstool for the one immediately above and behind him. Each bank of rowers had its distinct name and class; the higher ones received most pay; for in addition to their being stouter men, it was necessary to load the handles of their oars, in order to counterbalance the increased length of the portion without, which the narrowness of the galley did not admit of doing by a corresponding length of loom. A large oar from either quarter changed the direction of the galley at the pleasure of the pilot. The officers and men, by whom the vessel was thus propelled and guided, were entirely distinct from those who fought. These were heavy-armed soldiers, trained to sea ser

vice, who stood drawn up in-battle-array upon the deck which covered the rowers. In preparing for battle, the galleys were disburthened of all unnecessary articles, the sails and masts were taken down and stowed, and the oars alone used, so as to move, turn, and assail, without reference to the prevailing wind. The fleet was then formed into a triangle, pointing towards the enemy, the store-ships forming the base, and the admiral-ship being at the angle in advance. This being done, the chief, entering a boat, passed from galley to galley, encouraging his followers in a set speech. When he had returned to his own, a gilded shield or a blood-red banner was conspicuously displayed as a signal for the onset. As the opposité fleets now approached by the exertions of the rowers, the shrill trumpets animated the soldiers by their blasts, as they passively awaited their moment for exertion, invoking the gods, and singing a pæan to the lord of battles. The admirals being in advance, first came in contact, each endeavouring, by celerity of movement, to break the oars of his adversary, and pierce his side with his beak, so as to sink or overturn him; darts, javelins, and stones hurled; when nigh enough, the soldiers thrust at and transfixed each other with their spears of twenty cubits, or plied their battering-rams against the sides; huge pieces of iron (called dolphins, from being cast in the form of that fish) were projected from the top of the mast, so as to pass through the deck and bottom; fire-ships, filled with pitch and brimstone, were sent among the adverse fleet, or pots of combustibles were cast aboard, until at length, ship grappling ship, the soldiers fought foot to foot and hand to hand with sword and buckler. The battle being decided, the victorious fleet returned to port, towing its prizes, and hung round with pieces of the wrecks; the conquerors, crowned with wreaths, entered the port shouting and singing pæans to Apollo. The choice of the spoil was piously set apart as an offering to the gods; wrecks and entire galleys were placed at the porticos of the temples, and, to commemorate the event, the beaks of others were raised upon the tops of columns.

were

Naval war underwent but slight variation until the Romans, urged by their contest with Carthage for the possession of Sicily, first turned their attention to the creation' of a marine. It is a singular instance of national greatness and magnanimity, that, when without a ship, and totally ignorant of maritime affairs, the Romans should have meditated a contention for the dominion of the seas. Carthaginian galley, opportunely cast upon their shore, furnished them with a model;

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and, for want of better sailors, a sufficient number were hastily manufactured, while the galleys were building, by means of benches placed upon the land, where the rowers were trained to the use of the oar. The galleys being complete, the rowers were embarked and further exercised in port; and then the soldiers were taken on board, and the fleet set sail. And now, to do away with the vast disparity between his own motley crew and a thoroughly practised enemy, the consul Duillius resorted to an expedient which brought about a partial revolution in naval warfare. He caused a plank bridge to be so suspended from the mast of each galley, that, by loosening a cord, it could be let fall at pleasure on board of au adjoining vessel, where the spikes at the bottom, and grap nels attached to it, held it immovably fixed. This was the origiu and character of the corvus; the result will show its use. The adverse fleets came in sight off Sicily, and the Carthaginians, flattered by the comparison between their own trim ships, and the clumsily built and worse manœuvred galleys of the Romans, were filled with the happiest anticipations. As they drew nigher, the lumbering appendage at the mast, hitherto the object of derision, began to excite distrust. This grew stronger when they found that, instead of pausing to send off their missiles, the Romans, concealed behind their curtain of hides, urged boldly on until each galley had struck an adversary, when the corvus was let fall with terrible force upon the deck, crushing and transfixing those who had gathered to defend the entrance. The two galleys being thus connected as by a bridge, the Romans rushed boldly to the assault, covering their bodies with their shields. The skill of the Carthaginians was completely neutralized, while their previous confidence was exchanged for consternation; the Roman soldiers, on the contrary, fighting as on land, deserved and won the victory.

Little modification took place in this system of naval warfare until the introduction of cannon. The navies of the Eastern empire continued to consist of galleys, now reduced to dromones, having two tiers of fifty oars, making in all one hundred, rowed by as many men. Signals had been introduced to convey orders when out of hearing, and the line of battle was changed from a triangle to a crescent, of which the horns pointed rearward. The admirals, remaining in the centre, continned to head the encounter. The weapons of annoyance were still bows and arrows, engines discharging javelins with terrible force, as well as huge rocks, a single one of which was often fatal to a

galley and her crew. But the most destructive machine then used was the iron tube which each galley carried on her bow, and from which the Greek fire was projected in a constant stream upon the enemy, kindling a blaze which water made but more furious, and scattering a horrible death, to which the sea offered no alternative.+ Thongh the assault of the beak remained in use, it was more common to grapple at once, so as to escape the terrible range of the fire-tube, and lie broadside to broadside; thus attached, whilst the rowers transfixed each other with lances through their row-locks, the soldiers fought with such desperation, that often none remained to claim the victory.

The revolution in naval war produced by the introduction of cannon, though not immediate, was eventually greater than upon land. They were first used by the Venetians, who mounted them upon the deck of their galleys, either pointed over the rail, or through port-holes pierced through the bulwarks. In galea, which was first used at the battle of Lepanto, a row of small cannon was pointed between different divisions of the oars, while the heavier pieces were arranged upon the poop and forecastle. Notwithstanding the efficacy of cannon to destroy such frail fortresses as ships that a single shot might deliver over to the lurking enemy on whose bosom they reposed, yet, perhaps because their adaptation was at first imperfect, we do not find that they immediately became the chief means of annoyance in naval engagments. At Lepanto we see Don Juan and Ali, the rival. admirals, after a short cannonade, rushing to the encounter, grappling ship to ship, and fighting with bows and arrows, firelocks, swords, attaghans, pikes, and battleaxes. The Christians prepared for the melée by such defensive armour as mail and helmet, and the Turks covered their bodies with huge leathern shields. length, as the adaptation of cannon to ships of war became more complete, this means of annoyance grew more prominent, and was made the arbiter of almost every battle. Ships of war, too, had increased so greatly in size, that it became dangerous to both parties to come in contact, lest the weight and mass of each, moving

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+ The Greek fire has been lately rediscovered by our countryman, Mr. Brown. He discharges it, like water from an ordinary engine, through a leathern hose terminating in a tube of metal; and from its resinous and adhesive quality, he projects it to a much greater distance. The moment the stream emerges into the open air, it is kindled by a match affixed to the end of the tube, and converted into a liquid fire of a destructive activity, nowise inferior to that described by the ancients.-ED. N. A. R.