e engineer who was to discharge
it by my direction was considerably alarmed. I took my stand on some
stone-work behind the cannon, gave the signal, and felt a shock like
that of earthquake! At the distance of three hundred fathom the ball
burst into three pieces; the fragments crossed the strait, rebounded on
the opposite mountain, and left the surface of the water all in a foam
through the whole breadth of the channel."

This, gentlemen, is, as near as I can recollect, Baron Tott's account
of the largest cannon in the known world. Now, when I was there not long
since, the anecdote of Tott's firing this tremendous piece was mentioned
as a proof of that gentleman's extraordinary courage.

I was determined not to be outdone by a Frenchman, therefore took this
very piece upon my shoulder, and, after balancing it properly, jumped
into the sea with it, and swam to the opposite shore, from whence I
unfortunately attempted to throw it back into its former place. I say
unfortunately, for it slipped a little in my hand just as I was about to
discharge it, and in consequence of that it fell into the middle of the
channel, where it now lies, without a prospect of ever recovering it:
and notwithstanding the high favour I was in with the Grand Seignior,
as before mentioned, this cruel Turk, as soon as he heard of the loss of
his famous piece of ordnance, issued an order to cut off my head. I
was immediately informed of it by one of the Sultanas, with whom I was
become a great favourite, and she secreted me in her apartment while the
officer charged with my execution was, with his assistants, in search of
me.

That very night I made my escape on board a vessel bound to Venice,
which was then weighing anchor to proceed on her voyage.

The last story, gentlemen, I am not fond of mentioning, as I miscarried
in the attempt, and was very near losing my life into the bargain:
however, as it contains no impeachment of my honour, I would not
withhold it from you.

Now, gentlemen, you all know me, and can have no doubt of my veracity.
I will entertain you with the origin of this same swaggering, bouncing
Tott.

His reputed father was a native of Berne, in Switzerland; his profession
was that of a surveyor of the streets, lanes, and alleys, vulgarly
called a scavenger. His mother was a native of the mountains of Savoy,
and had a most beautiful large wen on her neck, common to both sexes in
that part of the world; she left her parents wh