actually made for his expected ap-ing the longest, and by that exertion proaching funeral. Mr. Scoresby having been taught to read by his mother, when he had attained his seventh year, was sent to a free-school at Cropton, rather more than a mile from his home. To this school he went every morning, returning to his father's house at night. The distance being considerable, he was sometimes late at school, which frequently brought him into trouble. Of this, some of the boys took an advantage, and on one occasion they so dirtied one of the leaves of his book, that, to prevent it from being seen, they persuaded him to tear it out. Having done this, they contrived, during his absence, to detach the leaves from the binding, leaving the book to all appearance perfectly sound. The next morning, on reaching school, he was called on by the master to approach his desk, and produce his lesson. In finding his book he was readily assisted by the boys, and, on taking it to the master's presence, to his utter astonishment, as soon as the book was opened, nearly one half of the leaves fell out before his face. He then turned to the remaining part, in hopes of finding his lesson, when, to complete his misfortune, these followed their companions, and he was left with nothing but the covers of the book in his hands. On seeing this, the master exclaimed, "Who has torn your book?" Being unable to return an immediate answer, the boys caught the sound, and immediately circulated a whisper through the school-" He has torn the book himself; he has done it himself." The master, on hearing this, without farther inquiry, inflicted on his hand three unmerciful strokes with his ferula, which hurt him considerably. Young as Mr. Scoresby was, he felt indignant at this treatment, and justly thought that the master ought to have investigated the matter more fully, and to have discriminated between truth and falsehood, in which case he would not have punished him for an offence of which the boys had been guilty. render himself the blackest in the face. Young Scoresby was among these candidates for fame; and, animated with the reiterated cries of "Well done, Scoresby !" he continued to suppress his breath, until he fell from the form apparently dead; and, according to the master's account, remained in a state of insensibility upwards of two hours. Such tricks give a loud admonition to schoolmasters to watch with vigilance those committed to their care. This incident Mr. Scoresby places among the more serious misfortunes of his life. Prior to this time, his memory was so retentive, that it rarely lost what had once been committed to it, and with no multiplicity of objects was it ever overloaded. But from this unfortunate affair it received a serious shock, accompanied with a dulness of apprehension, which renders it highly probable, that the organization connected with these powers had undergone an important change. To ascertain the correctness of this opinion, Mr. Scoresby has observed, that should he breathe his last in a situation where it can conveniently be done, he has no objection for his head to be examined by some gentleman acquainted with anatomy. This accident, however, did not reach his intellectual faculties; these remained uninjured, as is obvious from the successful manner in which they have been employed in scientific researches. Several among In behalf of the master, Mr. Scoresby thinks it just to state, that when the incident happened, he was not more than seventeen years of age, and was totally ignorant of the irregularities which occurred. Since that time he has been called to holy orders, and he continues to officiate as a worthy minister of the church to the present day. For the boys, the same apology cannot be made. them were sufficiently advanced in age to know that they were acting wrong. One of them was older than the master. The recital may, howBut, unhappily, the evil did not ever, serve as a hint to youth, how terminate here. A few days after- they attempt to sport with those whom wards, the senior boys seated some they call country lads. From such of the junior ones on a long form, and acts of indiscretion, many have susrequesting them to fold their arms tained injuries, more fatal in their across their breasts, encouraged them nature than those which have been to try who could suppress his breath-recounted; and which, unfitting them for any useful employment, have followed them through life. Mr. Scoresby continued at this school during the summer, but in consequence of the disaster already noticed, he made but little proficiency in learning. This seems to have been noticed by his father, who, perceiving the change that had taken place, without knowing the cause, took him from school, and at nine years of age employed him on the farm. At this exercise he continued, occasionally working with his father, and sometimes with the neighbouring farmers, until he was about nineteen, when, being disgusted at the indignant treatment he received from the family in which he resided, he formed a resolution to abandon the plough, and try his fortune on the watery element, thinking the sea might furnish him with a more favourable prospect than the land, of advancing in life. Having taken this resolution, Mr. S. soon left his place, and proceeded to Whitby, at which port he arrived on the afternoon of the same day; and having found out a distant relation, to whom he communicated his intentions, he was recommended to Mr. John Chapman, a Quaker, with whom he engaged himself as an apprentice for three years, to sail on board a ship called the Jane, of which Mr. Chapman's son was the master. For this service, he was to receive for the first year £8, the second £12, and the third £20. sleep on the road at a village called Sleights. The evening, however, being fine, and the setting sun gilding the distant hills, he was tempted to proceed to Salter Gate, which was about twelve miles from Whitby. Having arrived near the sixth milepost, on the Yorkshire moor he was suddenly encircled by a dense and gloomy cloud, accompanied with a tremendous gale of wind, and such a descent of fleecy snow, as left him involved in darkness, which for some moments forbad him either to advance or to retreat. On mature reflection, however, he determined to shape his course towards Salter Gate, from which he was now about six miles distant, and not a house was on the road. Scarcely had he begun to advance, before he missed the turnpike road, which once more brought him to a stand. It was in this perplexing situation that he found his geometrical acquirements to afford him essential service. He observed that the wind continued to blow from the same quarter whence it first assailed him with violence; and, pursuing the line of the road in which he had walked, he took his departure; and proceeding in a straight direction, over hills, through bogs, and surmounting every obstacle that offered to impede his progress, he providentially accomplished another mile, reaching its termination not twenty yards from the post. During this journey, he proved the accuracy of geometry, while traversing the highest part of the moors; the importance of perseverance; and the watchful care of divine providence. These arrangements having been made, Mr. S. returned to his home, to make his father acquainted with what he had done. By his advice, he went back to the place he had so abruptly left, engaging to remain with the family until another man could be procured, to succeed him in his employment. In this place he remained only a few days, after which he resided with his father at Cropton, and spent most of the winter in studying geome-pany. Towards the end of March she try and navigation. On the 1st of February, according to previous agreement, he repaired to Whitby, and having ratified the agreement, returned immediately to his father's house, to prosecute his studies, as the ship was not to sail until April. Being anxious that no time might be lost, he left Whitby in the afternoon, when the ground was covered over with snow, intending to After encountering various other difficulties, he reached his father's house, and resumed his mathematical studies, which he successfully pursued until the middle of March, the time appointed for his departure. His clothes being ready, he repaired to Whitby, and joined the ship's com was hauled down to the mouth of the harbour, and moored at a place called Street End. In this situation she was assailed by a strong gale from the north, which brought with it a heavy sea. This obliged them to get out all their cables, hausers, and other ropes, to secure the ship. Here she rode out the storm in safety, and here Mr. Scoresby received his first lesson on mooring a ship. Having about twenty hands on board, twelve of whom were apprentices, early in April, the weather proving favourable, they set sail, but nothing remarkable occurred until they reached the Naise of Norway, when they were overtaken with another gale; which, as the ship was lightly ballasted, and the apprentices were not able to get in the sails in time, pressed her so much on her broadside, that the water flowed up to the middle of the deck. The sails being clued up, the ship righted, but being unable to hand them, they lay fluttering about until morning, when the gale abating, and the wind becoming fair, they proceeded on their voyage, and within about ten days reached Memel, the port of their destination. The ballast having been taken out, the captain one day called for the boat to put him on shore. Mr. Scoresby, on hearing his voice from between decks, the raft-port being out, which furnished him with light, ran along the ballast stancheons that were laid upon the hold-beams, when, striking his head against a break in the upper deck, he was precipitated into the hold, about twelve feet deep, and was taken up in a state of insensibility, in which he remained several hours; but on being taken on shore, and receiving some excellent surgical attendance, he recovered in a few days. "This," he observes, "is another kind interposition of Providence, which has a claim on my grateful homage.' regimentals, who appeared like a serjeant. This man contrived to join them, and pretending to have come out of Yorkshire, and that he knew them, said that this was a fine opportunity for them to see his majesty, who was then about to attend a general review, and invited them to accompany him to the Park. Assenting to his proposal, they moved in that direction, when, on reaching Temple Bar, he asked them to go into an eatinghouse to take some refreshment, apparently with an intent to treat them. On entering the house, which they afterwards found was kept by a widow, he ordered some victuals. The landlady, on making her appearance, looked him full in the face, then surveyed the young men, and then looked on him again. At length, turning to this pretended guide, she exclaimed, "Get out of my house, you rogue." The man affected much surprise, as though he was not the person she meant. She, however, persisted in her knowledge and accusation of him, and, threatening to get him secured if he did not instantly leave the house, he took the hint, and disappearing, Mr. Scoresby and his companion saw him no more. On his departure, she turned to the two sailors, and thus addressed them: "I perceive, young men, that you are from the country, and are strangers in London. I am from the country myself, and know that man to be a villain. Not long since he was in my house, and stole some articles, and I am fully assured that he will wait for you to get you trepanned: you therefore shall not leave my house this night." They accordingly tarried until the morning, when, on taking their How-leave, she refused to accept any thing more than was barely sufficient to pay for what they had taken. This act of generous friendship deserves to be recorded on three accounts; first, for the honour of our common nature; secondly, to be contrasted with the villany of the pretended soldier; and thirdly, to illustrate the watchful providence of God. He had not been on shore more than two hours, before the carpenter was conducted to the same place, having also fallen into the hold with an adze in his hand, with which he cut his face in a dreadful manner. ever, in about six or eight days, though the wound was nearly five inches long, he recovered also, and returned to the ship, but the mark he will carry to his grave. Their cargo of timber being completed, they sailed immediately, joined convoy at Elsinore, and reached Limehouse-hall, London, in safety. While their ship was lying in this port, Mr. Scoresby and another, furnished with a three years' protection, obtained liberty, one Sunday, to visit London. On reaching the city, they were accosted by a man dressed in No. 48.-VOL. IV. Having delivered their cargo at Limehouse, and taken in ballast, they sailed for St. Petersburgh, for a cargo of hemp and iron. Here they were seized with the ice, with but little expectation of escaping during the 4 I winter. But on the 4th of November, a gale coming from the eastward, which broke up the ice, they sailed on the same day, and reached Elsinore in four days, where they expected to join convoy. The men-of-war, however, having sailed, they joined some other ships, and mustering in all twenty-six, they took their departure for England. About half way across the German ocean, they were attacked by a large cutter privateer, which continued to fire on them from a distance. This compliment was returned by the merchant ships, which formed a line, but unfortunately they quickly expended nearly all their ammunition. The enemy, however, ignorant of this circumstance, kept aloof, and night coming on, they pursued their course, and saw nothing of him more. They reached Portsmouth about the middle of December, and delivered their cargo in the basin, to the King's yard. erly, and the weather foggy, having their studding-sails set, and sailing at about five knots an hour, a little past twelve at noon, as they were comparing their journals, which varied several miles, the young man exclaimed, "According to your account, we are directly running down Bruntholm, but my journal is the same as the ship's, and we are going round the northward of the island." While this question was in agitation, and before any reply could be given, the land appeared a-head. The master, on seeing this, exclaimed, "Let go the anchor," which was immediately done, with all the sails standing; when the ship tending to the anchor, swung round with her head to the wind, in about four and a half fathoms of water, her stern being within about twenty fathoms from the shore. The weather soon cleared up, when they found themselves in a sandy bay, on the south-east side of the island. The During the delivery of the cargo, sea being smooth, they soon got under the mate having taken occasion, weigh, and sailing round the south of without any provocation, to abuse the island, they reached Elsinore the Mr. Scoresby, he resolved to quit the next day. It was to this private Jane, and enter on board the Royal reckoning kept by Mr. Scoresby, and George, which had just sailed by them the debate to which it led, that the from the graving dock. But, reflect-preservation of the ship and cargo ing on the hurry, the bustle, and the may evidently be ascribed. confusion, which prevailed on board, while she was alongside, he paused for a moment, and, under the watchful eye of that Providence which had hitherto protected him, he resolved to return to his duty, and fulfil the remaining part of the engagement into which he had previously entered. The remaining part of this winter the Jane was laid up; the men were discharged; and the apprentices sent by sea to Whitby. Remaining here about two months, they again returned to London, fitted out the Jane, and in the month of April sailed to Riga for masts, for Government. Having completed their cargo, they sailed for Elsinore. It was during this voyage that Mr. Scoresby commenced keeping a journal. This was also done by another during their alternate watches, each being resolved to keep a nautical account of the ship's progress, and to mark down his own observations of the ship's situation, which were not to be altered. On the third day after their departure from Riga, the wind being cast The reward which Mr. Scoresby received for this piece of essential service, was such as the deserving too frequently obtain from their superiors in office, who feel themselves insulted when their deficiencies are exposed by the efforts of their superiors in merit. The preservation of the ship and cargo drew upon him the envy of the mate, and the disapprobation of the inferior officers. These, in their combined effect, rendered his situation so uncomfortable, that on reaching the Thames he left the ship, and engaged in an ordnance armed store ship, the Speedwell cutter, in which he sailed until the 26th of October, 1781, when she was taken off Trafal gar, and carried into Cadiz bay. Mr. Š. was then sent prisoner to St. Luker, from which place he contrived to make his escape; and, after suffering numerous hardships, to find his way once more to his father's house in Yorkshire, which he reached about the middle of February. In this situation he remained about two years, assisting his father on the farm, but without abandoning all thoughts of |