The crew proper consisted of captain, chief-officer, and cook, which latter functionary used to steer, haul ropes &c. &c. in the intervals of preparing Yankee hash, bean soup, and other toothsome compounds, on which we sharpened our teeth. The skipper had a holy horror of sextants, charts and all such gimcracks as he termed them. He used to swear with ponderous New England oaths, that he knew every rod of the way, and that he could tell where he was blindfold, by the set and sound of the waves, and said he intended to run close to Cuba by Cape San Antonio where a strong eddy of the Gulf stream forms a favourable five-knot current: one morning we made the land on the starboard bow, and found ourselves in sight of some ruins on Isla Mujeres in Yucatan, just ninety miles from the place to which our sapient skipper had meant to take us! and in the full tide of the Gulf stream dead against us!

With light winds we held our own for three days and nights close to those wretched ruins, rocking on the great green glaring glassy swell-like riding on a rail, as our bucolic Mississipian remarkedwith some dozen dolphins constantly under the counter. In vain we tempted them with that daintiest of tit-bits, salt pork rind, they would not bite. At last the wind freshened and we slowly proceeded.

On the night of the 11th September, a glare in the sky, gradually expanding as we drew near with a slashing breeze, attracted our notice, this was a volcano close to Truxillo. About noon on the following day we opened the harbour, mountains rising precipitously from the water's edge, clothed luxuriantly with impenetrable jungle of living green. One in particular, with a strange gap like a gigantic embrasure stood immediately above Truxillo; a little to the right was our beacon of the night before, smoking like an exaggerated factory chimney. We could hardly see the town, the dingy adobe houses of sun-dried brick being all but hidden in the masses of luxuriant foliage. Presently we made out the fort-a huge affair with lofty adobe walls, mounting some two dozen honey-combed guns half silver-half copper. Above its walls floated a white rag with a blue border. We began to look a little blue ourselves-this was the Honduranean flag—and we feared some disaster had happened to Walker; however we stood in, a scrubby-looking tub of a schooner lying close under the ramparts fiercely hoisted her mainsail, and we were soon saluted with round shot, most carelessly distributed without the slightest regard for anybody's feelings-one very nearly sunk our hostile man-of-war! This was unmistakably a hint to leave, and we left accordingly, overhauling in our course a Carib creer, but could get no information from her people; as they professed to be inward bound from another port, however the darkies. had some turtle and fruit on board of which we took possession, paying for the same. One Irishman was horrified at the turtle, "the big four-legged baste laying eggs like a hin."

We went over to Ruatan, and there learnt that Walker had been

ordered to quit Truxillo by Captain Salmon V.C. of H.M.S. Leopard, and having been misled by his guides, had come to some mahogany works farmed by British subjects, had been seized and conveyed to Truxillo, while the Leopard went to Belize for instructions from the Lieutenant-Governor as to the disposal of the prisoners.

Of course our expedition was at an end, and we started for Utilla, where the skipper intended to take in a cargo of fruit; as we passed Port McDonald a large brig put out after us, it being about ten o'clock and very dark; she, fortunately for us, grounded, upon which we gave a cheer to encourage them, and went on our way rejoicing. At Utilla, a beautiful coral island with reefs and islets all round it, we chopped cocoa-nuts, pitched into plantains and luscious fruit of all kinds, swam in the sheltered basin, and altogether enjoyed ourselves wonderfully. Here, after a week's frolic, I parted with my fellow buccaneers, and went in a little native craft to Ruatan, hoping to get over to Truxillo, and communicate with General Walker. I found, on landing, that the Honduraneans, had, during his absence, violated the promise they had given to Captain Salmon, not to molest the prisoners till his return-and alarmed at the appearance of our schooner on the 12th, which they afterwards alleged, as an excuse for their baseness, was armed with twelve guns and had 300 men on board-had taken him out to the Plaza and cruelly shot him through the back, his body having been frightfully mangled with some seventy ineffectual wounds before life was extinct. I met some the men who had concealed themselves, when the rest surrendered to the Leopard, and then escaped in canoes. It appeared that on leaving Truxillo Walker had intended to strike direct for Nicaragua, but was treacherously led astray, his march for eight days being continually harassed by the natives; one night two men were cut to pieces, their Sharp's rifles, which they had evidently been cleaning, being found dismounted and partly oiled in the morning the flesh of these unfortunates had been separated from the bones and chopped into mincemeat. After terrible hardships, living, as one of them graphically described to me "for a week on the smell of an oiled rag," and keeping up a running fight with the "Greasers," many of whom bit the dust, the poor fellows at last came to the coast to a British settlement, and stockaded themselves against their pursuers; the proprietor whose cattle pens and other belongings were suffering much injury, and who rather objected to the incessant whistling of bullets, sent off a boat to meet the Leopard and beg for protection. Captain Salmon armed with a hat and umbrella, and backed by a detachment of the Royal Marines, insisted on the surrender of the beleagued party, and took them to Truxillo, where he left them in charge of the Commandante, with orders to treat them well till he came back. When he returned and discovered the pleasant trick played upon him, he threatened to hang the Military Governor, and then ordered the master-at-arms with two blue-jackets to bundle him ignominiously over the side.

Colonel Ruddler, Walker's second in command, who had been sentenced to four years in chains at the mines of Comayagua, was released, and with the rest of the unsuccessful adventurers was sent back in H.M.S. "Gladiator" to New Orleans, where I am sorry to say her commander was mobbed and maltreated by some miscreants at the St. Charles Hotel, who had misunderstood the very kind part he had taken in the affair.

STAFF COLLEGE versus STAFF CORPS.

Among the many changes which have taken place of late years in our Military departments, there are perhaps none more important than those which have been effected in the formation of the General Staff. The subject has excited a great deal of public attention, it being naturally felt that the efficiency of our army depends to a very great extent on a perfect system of administration. During the Crimean War, it was found that in this latter respect the then existing state of affairs was most unsatisfactory-the officers chosen for the Staff were selected at haphazard, or through private interest, it being by no means considered necessary that the fortunate nominee should have given any previous proof of his fitness for the appointment. Thus they were often found unequal to their duties, and confusion and disaster reigned paramount. On the return of peace, the attention of the authorities was almost immediately turned towards establishing our Staff on a more satisfactory footing. The result of their endeavours was the formation of the Staff College, an institution which has existed with but slight modifications up to the present day.

At first this proceeding met with universal approbation-it promised to work well both in theory and practice, and it was confidently anticipated that in the event of a sudden war, the administrative departments would be found equal to all emergencies.

By degrees, however, feelings of dissatisfaction crept in. Some of our leading periodicals adopted the plan of "writing down the Staff College, and there now appears to be a daily increasing prejudice against the institution. It has been urged that the system is good only in theory, and that before it can be made practically perfect, the hand of the reformer is once more needed-at the same time the adoption of the French establishment of the Etat-Major has been strongly advocated. These opinions, have, we regret to state, been very generally endorsed.

Now we must remember that a large proportion of the public receive their ideas second hand only. Either from want of time or inclinanation, they are unwilling to examine the subject thoroughly for themselves, and are therefore liable to be swayed by the first plausi ble objection which may be urged, since it seems to be a peculiarity

of Englishmen to rail against existing authorities. Hence the hostile feelings which have arisen against the Staff College, and which we trust to be able to prove are unfounded; but it will first be necessary to give a general outline of the system pursued at the above institution, in order that we may be able to judge how far it tends to render a man fit for the efficient discharge of Staff duties.

Under certain very necessary qualifications as to rank and length of service, the admission is thrown open to the competition of the whole army. Fifteen of the successful candidates are selected every year, and are forthwith put through a course of instruction in which practice is admirably combined with theory, and which it is presumed will be most useful to them in the posts they ultimately hope to fill. The subjects studied, comprise fortification, surveying, practical artillery, military history, military law, and riding. All of the above must be taken up by every officer, and all in a great measure relate to the practical parts which may make an officer most valuable in the field. In addition to these, three of the following are selected at the option of the student, viz., mathematics, chemistry, geology, French, German, Persian, Hindustani, or any other modern language. Periodical examinations take place every half year, and should any candidate fail to convince the examiners that he has made reasonable progress in his studies, he is liable to be sent back to regimental duty.

At the end of two years' residence, he undergoes his final examination, which is more severe and more minute in detail than any of the preceding ones. If he fails to obtain the minimum number of marks, he reverts to his position as a regimental officer, and has no claim for Staff employment. If successful, he is attached to the two branches of the service in which he has not served - for instance, if an infantry officer, he performs a tour of duty with the cavalry and the artillery. He thus becomes acquainted with the working of the different arms. He is now considered qualified to fill a Staff situation, but as there are not sufficient vacancies to supply all the aspirants, a large proportion of them rejoin their regiments temporarily, until their turn for employment may come round. It will, we imagine, be scarcely denied that such a course of instruction must be highly advantageous to any officer who may subsequently be employed on the Staff. We would point out its very practical nature, especially as regards those subjects which are obligatory. For instance, it must be most desirable that a Staff officer should be able at a short notice to produce a sketch which may give a General a fairly accurate idea of the ground represented, whether it may be required for purposes of encampment, for taking up a position, or for conducting a retreat. Yet we believe that we are correct in stating that not one officer in fifty on first joining the Staff College possesses this facility. The same may be said of the other subjects. The value of a man who is competeut to plan and to superintend the throwing up of a field work, or who, on emergency, is capable of

placing a house or a village in a posture of defence, is beyond estimation. Yet it seldom happens that an officer's knowledge of fortification comprises any thing more than a parrot-like acquaintance with Vauban's First System.

We now come to the theoretical part of the studies. The importance of modern languages is now a recognized fact, and at Sandhurst the officers have every opportunity of improving their attainments in this respect. With respect to Military history, it is true that no amount of theoretical study will enable an officer to become a good general in the field; but it will greatly tend to develop and foster any latent talent he may possess; it will augment his interest in his profession, it will lead him to take warning from the mishaps of others, and to emulate those brilliant exploits which are so frequently recorded of both high and low in English history.

The study of Military Law by young officers has been condemned by no less an authority than the late General Sir Charles James Napier; he asserts that it makes them litigious and argumentative, that it leads them to neglect the plain rules of common sense, and to follow instead the tortuous mazes of legal quibbles. Now, while we bow with all deference to the opinions of so great a soldier, we must suggest that his arguments are not convincing.

It appears to be unwise to condemn theory altogether because it sometimes militates against practice, provided always that the former is based on the latter, and not vice versa; so, in the present case, the rules of all law are founded upon the rules of common sense, and though time and ingenuity may have strangely perverted them, their fundamental principles remain unchanged. Experience has taught us that certain motives may, with justice, be attributed to certain acts, and that those acts will be followed by certain results. In very rare instances, certainly, this reasoning may lead us astray, but is it not clear that any fixed rules, even though they may not invariably prove correct, must be of value, in that most difficult of all tasks of administration of justice.

There are, however, many individuals who deprecate the special instruction of any particular class of officers for the duties of the Staff. They assert that many efficient men are, under the present system, excluded from employment, because they have not had those advantages of previous education which may enable them successfully to compete with the bookworms of modern times in the preliminary examination. We can afford to disregard any expression of lofty contempt for theoretical knowledge; but we assert that though there are undoubtedly many men in the service who might, with great advantage, be employed on the Staff, but who are excluded from it under the present system, there are none such who could not, with a moderate amount of time and trouble, render themselves capable of passing through the prescribed course of instruction. It is not too much to require some slight exertion for the attainment of an object so greatly desired.