ctions, in or near to the
harbour, and in repelling attempts to run the blockade from the town,
our officers, even our captains, fought side by side with their men.

The marines were particularly gallant and courageous. Sir John Jervis
delighted to honour this gallant body of men. They certainly deserved to
be petted and made much of; but the admiral had another reason for his
treatment of them. He thought he might possibly have eventually to play
them off against the seamen in case of revolt.

Surely, upon the whole, this year 1797 was one of the most eventful in
the whole history of this long and bloody war. A dark cloud seemed
hanging over our native land, which at any moment might burst into a
storm that would end in our utter collapse, if not destruction. And the
shadow of this cloud was in every heart. Nor is this to be wondered at.
The people were positively an-hungered, the children were crying for
bread. Far away in the north, the crops had all but failed, and famine
and death stared the people in the face. Britain's best blood was being
drained off to the wars; her sturdiest sons--those who ought to have
stayed at home to work for the women and children--were "weeded away."
Money seemed to have taken unto itself wings and flown off; and in
February the Bank of England itself came down with a crash, and closed
its doors. Even those who in wild disorderly mobs did not preach anarchy
or cry for bread, called aloud for "Peace." Peace, indeed! what would
peace have meant at such a time but dishonour and ruin. No, no! peace
could not again hover on her white wings over our distracted country for
many a day. To make matters worse, Ireland was ripe for rebellion, and
our British forces by land had been unsuccessful; for we had been beaten
and thrashed by the French in Holland. Is it not a pretty picture?

But the darkest hour had yet to come. I have already told you about the
combination formed against us. Well, had the Dutch fleet been able to
join forces with the French, this brave Britain of ours would no longer
have ruled the ocean, and all the horrors of invasion, massacre, and
rapine would have been added to our other troubles. We were depending
upon our Channel fleet to avert the last and overwhelming calamity, when
all at once, to the horror of every one, this fleet mutinied and refused
to go to sea. They even seized their officers, and though they lifted no
hand against them, they disarmed them, and either m