ts refreshing fruit and juicy beverage; and he named the vine,
his friend and favourite.

Despair not, ye forsaken; bear--be patient,--and strive.

From the insignificant reed flows the sweetest of juices;--from the
bending vine springs the most delightful drink of the earth.

* * * * *

THE SKETCH-BOOK.

THE BATTLE OF NAVARINO.--BY AN OFFICER ENGAGED.

(_Abridged from No. 2, of the United Service Journal._)

We had been cruizing off the coast of the Morea, for the protection of
trading vessels, and to watch the motions of the numerous Greek pirates
infesting the narrow seas and adjacent islands. For fourteen months we
had been thus actively employed, when the arrival of the Albion and
Genoa, from Lisbon, hinted to us, that some coercive measures were
about to be used against the Turks, to cause them to discontinue the
exterminating war they carried on against the Greeks, and to evacuate
the country pursuant to the terms of the treaty of July, 1827. The
prospect of a collision with the Turkish fleet appeared to be very
agreeable to the ship's crew, as they had got a little tired of their
long confinement on board, and anxiously looked for a speedy return to
Malta to get ashore, which they had not been able to do for upwards of a
year. We again proceeded on our protecting duty, and parted company with
the admiral in the Asia. In about six weeks we returned, and found that
many other British vessels had joined the Asia, whilst the squadrons of
France and Russia added to the number of the fleet, which altogether
presented an imposing attitude.

The Turkish and Egyptian fleets had arrived from the unsuccessful
attempt in the Gulf of Patras some time before, and lay off the Bay of
Navarino, before they finally entered and took up a position within
the harbour. While the Ottoman fleet lay off the bay, the Turkish
troops were said to have committed many unjustifiable outrages on the
defenceless inhabitants of the country adjacent to Navarino; information
of these oppressive acts was conveyed to the British admiral, and, it
is believed, formed the grounds of a strong remonstrance on his part,
addressed to the Turkish commanders, which hastened the collision
between the two armaments. These facts were generally known throughout
the fleet, and a "_row_" was eagerly expected.

About the beginning of October we had returned from our cruize; the men,
ever since we had been in commissi