oldiers, and the
orders delivered continually by officers on horseback, with all the
confusion arising from crowds of spectators, mingling their voices
together, formed a scene as dreadful as it was novel.

After surveying it for a few minutes, I went up to an officer on
horseback, and told him in French that I wished to surrender myself as a
prisoner.

"We have no time to take prisoners now," replied he: "hundreds are
buried in the ruins, and we must try to save them. We must now attend
to the claims of humanity."

"Will you allow my men to assist you, sir?" replied I. "They are active
and strong fellows."

"Sir," said he, taking off his hat, "I thank you in the name of my
unfortunate countrymen."

"Show us, then, where we may be most useful."

He turned and pointed to a house higher up, the offices of which were
blown down. "There are living beings under those ruins."

"Come, my lads," said I: and sore as they were, my men hastened with
alacrity to perform their task. I could not help them myself, my side
was so painful; but I stood by giving them directions.

In half-an-hour we had cleared away so as to arrive at a poor negro
girl, whose cries we had distinctly heard. We released her, and laid
her down in the street, but she fainted. Her left hand was dreadfully
shattered. I was giving what assistance I could, and the men were busy
clearing away, throwing on one side the beams and rafters, when an
officer on horseback rode up. He stood and asked me who we were. I
told him that we belonged to the brig, and had been wrecked; and that we
were giving what assistance we could until they were at leisure to send
us to prison.

"You English are fine brave fellows," replied he, as he rode on.

Another unfortunate object had been recovered by our men, an old
white-headed negro, but he was too much mangled to live. We brought him
out, and were laying him beside the negro girl, when several officers on
horseback rode down the street. The one who was foremost, in a
general's uniform, I immediately recognised as my former friend, then
Colonel O'Brien. They all stopped and looked at us. I told who we
were. General O'Brien took off his hat to the sailors, and thanked
them.

He did not recognise me, and he was passing on, when I said to him in
English, "General O'Brien, you have forgotten me; but I shall never
forget your kindness."

"My God!" said he, "is it you, my dear fellow?" and he sprang from his