boarding in the former war, after having been disabled by the
loss of her wheel. He fitted her with extraordinary dispatch; but from
the number of ships commissioned at the same time, there was great
difficulty in manning her. Anticipating this, Captain Pellew wrote to
Falmouth as soon as he had received his appointment, and adverting to
the importance of getting his ship to sea quickly, he requested his
brother to assist him in procuring a crew--of sailors, if possible; but
if not, then of Cornish miners.

The choice may appear extraordinary, but Cornish miners are better
calculated to make seamen than any other class of landsmen; not so much
because they are always accustomed to difficult climbing, and familiar
with the use of ropes, and gunpowder, as that the Cornish system of
mining, with an order and discipline scarcely surpassed in a ship of
war, compels the lowest workman to act continually upon his own
judgment. Thus it creates that combination of ready obedience, with
intelligence, and promptitude at resource, which is the perfection of a
sailor's character. Familiarity with danger gives the miner a cool and
reflective intrepidity; and the old county sport of wrestling, so
peculiarly a game of strength and skill, now falling into disuse, but
then the daily amusement of every boy, was admirably calculated to
promote the activity and self-possession necessary in personal
conflicts.

Captain Pellew's quick discrimination is remarkably shown in thus
discovering the capabilities of a class of men, who had never before
been similarly tried, and with whom he could have had comparatively but
little acquaintance There were no mines in the immediate neighbourhood
of anyplace where he had lived; and as his professional habits were not
likely to give him an interest in the subject, he had probably never
held much intercourse with miners, except when he might have met them as
rioters. For at that period, the attention of the west countrymen was
devoted almost exclusively to their mines and fisheries, to the neglect
of agriculture; and the county being thus dependent upon importations,
famine was not uncommon. At such times, the poor tinners would come into
the towns, or wherever they had reason to believe that corn was stored,
with their bags, and their money, asking only barley-bread, and offering
the utmost they could give for it, but insisting that food should be
found for them at a price they could afford to pay. If t