Well, I never says nothing till I looks well around (for you see I had the starboard cat-head at the time); so I waits till I hears it again-when skylarking Dick, who'd the larboard look-out, sneaks over and says, 'Bob, I say, Bob-by, did you never hear nothing just now?' Well, he scarcely axes the question, when we hears hailing again— 'Aboard the G―e, ahoy,—a—. Well, there was nothing, you know, in sight within hail (for the starnmost ships of the convoy were more nor two miles a-head)—so Dick and myself was puzzled a bit, for we weren't just then in old Badgerback's track. Well, we looks broad on the bows, and under the bows, and over the bows, and every where round we could look; when the voice now, nearing us fast, and hailing again, we sees something as white as a sheet on the water! Well, I looks at Dick, and Dick looks at me-neither of us never saying nothing, you know, at the time, when looking again, by the light of the moon,

says I, 'It is the corporal's ghost!'-'So it is,' says Dick, and aft he flies to make the report. Well, I felt summut or so queerish (though I says nothing to no one, you know), for 'twas only a fortnight afore, the corporal and I had a bit of a breeze 'bout taking my pot off the fire. Well,"

says the voice, will you heave us a rope? I don't want a boat!' was the cry. 'Ghost or no ghost,

says I, 'I'll give you a rope, if it's even to hang you;' so flying, you see, to the chains, I takes up a coil in my fist, and heaves it handsomely into his hands.

"Well, I was as mum as a monk, till he fixes himself in the bight of a bowling knot; when, looking down on his phiz, says I, just quietly over my breath, Is that Corporal Craig?' says I. Corporal Hell!' says he: why don't you haul up? Well, I sings out for someun to lend us a fist (for Dick was afeard to come forward again,' and I'm blowed but the leeftenant himself was as

shy as the rest o' the watch). So I sings out again for assistance: for there was the unfortunate fellow towing alongside like a hide what was softening in soak.— Will no one lend us a hand?' says I, ́or shall I turn the jolly adrift?' Well, this puts two o' the topmen, you see, on their pluck, for both on 'em claps on the rope, and rouses clean into the chains-now, what do you think?'- Why, the corporal's ghost, to be sure,' says one of the group.-'No, nor the sign of a ghost-nor a ghost's mate's minister's mate—nor nothing that looked like a lubberly lobster, dead or alive; bnt as fine a young fellow as ever I seed in my days: for, you see, the whole on it is this: 'twas no more than a chap of an apprentice, whose master had started him that morn; and rather nor stand it again, he takes to his fins and swims like a fish to the Gee-mind! the starnmost ship of the convoy! though his own was one of the headmost; ay, and running the risk not to fetch

us, you know, nor another chance to look to for his life. And why ?-why ?-becase the ship had a name-ay, sure! she was the Gee!!!"

A RETROSPECTIVE REVIEW.

TO ROBERT CRUIKSHANK, ESQ.

DEAR SIR,-Conversing a few mornings ago with an old friend, we insensibly fell into a long discourse about the visible degeneracy of manners in this country, and observed that if a review was taken of our ancestors about two centuries since, we should scarcely look upon ourselves as one species of people. Every thing at present seems inverted. Instead of the manly simplicity kept up in the days of our forefathers, we have dwindled into a disingenuous sort of politeness, which