text: A Chinese Biographical Dictionary/Chang Liang-chi

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text: A Chinese Biographical Dictionary/Chang Mao


text: A Chinese Biographical Dictionary/Chang Ming


text: A Chinese Biographical Dictionary/Chang Pang-ch'ang


text: A Chinese Biographical Dictionary/Chang P'ei


text: A Chinese Biographical Dictionary/Chang P'ei-lun


text: A Chinese Biographical Dictionary/Chang P'eng-ho


text: A Chinese Biographical Dictionary/Chang Pin


text: A Chinese Biographical Dictionary/Chang Po-chieh


text: A Chinese Biographical Dictionary/Chang Po-hsing


text: A Chinese Biographical Dictionary/Chang Sêng-yu


text: A Chinese Biographical Dictionary/Chang Shang-ying


text: A Chinese Biographical Dictionary/Chang Shao


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Rh ship-owners began to buy and build ships for the Australian trade in the United States.

The Sovereign of the Seas had attracted much attention upon her arrival at Liverpool in 1853, and was almost immediately chartered to load for Australia in the Black Ball Line. It is to be regretted that for some reason Captain McKay gave up charge of the ship and returned to the United States, the command being given to Captain Warner, who had no previous experience in handling American clipper ships, although he proved an extremely competent commander. The Sovereign of the Seas sailed from Liverpool September 7, 1853, and arrived at Melbourne after a passage of 77 days. In a letter from Melbourne Captain Warner gives the following account of this passage:

"I arrived here after a long and tedious passage of 77 days, having experienced only light and contrary winds the greater part of the passage—I have had but two chances. The ship ran in four consecutive days 1275 miles; and the next run was 3375 miles in twelve days. These were but moderate chances. I was 31 days to the Equator, and carried skysails 65 days; set them on leaving Liverpool, and never shortened them for 35 days. Crossed the equator in 26° 30', and went to 53° 30' south, but found no strong winds. Think if I had gone to 58° south, I would have had wind enough; but the crew were insufficiently clothed, and about one half disabled, together with the first mate. At any rate, we have beaten all and every one of the ships that sailed with us, and also the famous English clipper Gauntlet ten days on the

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270 passage, although the Sovereign of the Seas was loaded down to twenty-three and one half feet." On the homeward voyage she brought the mails and over four tons of gold-dust, and made the passage in 68 days. On this voyage there was a mutiny among the crew, who intended to seize the ship and capture the treasure. Captain Warner acted with great firmness and tact in suppressing the mutineers and placing them in irons without loss of life, for which he received much credit.

The White Star Line, not to be outdone by rivals, followed the example of the Black Ball and in 1854 chartered the Chariot of Fame, Red Jacket, and Blue Jacket. These ships, of which the first was a medium clipper and the other two extreme clippers, were built in New England. The Chariot of Fame was a sister ship to the Star of Empire, 2050 tons, built by Donald McKay in 1853, for Enoch Train's Boston and Liverpool packet line. The Chariot of Fame made a number of fast voyages between England and Australia, her best passage being 66 days from Liverpool to Melbourne. The Blue Jacket as a handsome ship of 1790 tons, built by R. E. Jackson at East Boston in 1854, and was owned by Charles R. Green, of New York. Her best passages were 67 days from Liverpool to Melbourne and home in 69 days.

The Red Jacket, the most famous of this trio, was built by George Thomas at Rockland, Maine, in 1853–1854, and was owned by Seacomb & Taylor, of Boston. She registered 2006 tons; length 260 feet, breadth 44 feet, depth 26 feet; and was designed by Samuel A, Pook, of Boston, who had

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274 half floor. She had long, concave water-lines, and at her load-displacement line a chord from her cut-water to just abaft the fore rigging showed a concavity of 16 inches. Her stem raked boldly forward, the lines of the bow gradually becoming convex and blending with sheer line and cutwater, while the only ornament was a beautiful full-length figure of a young woman holding a golden thunderbolt in her outstretched hand, the flowing white drapery of her graceful form and her streaming hair completing the fair and noble outline of the bow. The after body was long and clean, though fuller than the bow, while the stern was semi-elliptical in form, with the plank-sheer moulding for its base, and was ornamented with gilded carved work, though this really added nothing to the beauty of the strong, sweeping outline of her hull.

Aloft the Lightning was heavily and strongly rigged. Her main yard was 95 feet in length, and the total height from the deck to the mainskysail truck was 164 feet; her lower studdingsail booms were 65 feet in length; her topsails and topgallantsails were diagonally roped from clews to earings, and her fore and main stays, lower rigging, and topmast stays and backstays were of 11½ inch Russian hemp, with the rest of the standing rigging in proportion. Indeed, her masts and spars were as strongly secured as skill and labor could make them. Evidently, Mr. McKay had grown weary of having his ships go to pieces aloft.

The quarter-deck was 90 feet long, flush with the top of the bulwarks, and protected by a mahogany rail on turned stanchions of the same wood. She

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Rh had also two large deck-houses, which, together with the between-decks, gave ample passenger accommodation. The quarters for the steerage passengers were comfortably fitted and well ventilated, while the saloons, staterooms, bathrooms, and smoking-room for the cabin passengers were superbly decorated and furnished.

Captain Forbes, late of the Marco Polo, was appointed to command the Lightning, and came to Boston by one of the Cunard steamers to superintend the outfit of his ship. He brought good letters of introduction, and was well received; indeed, he hardly needed any introduction, as the high reputation he had gained while in command of the Marco Polo had preceded him. He made many friends in Boston, especially among the clergy, as he was an enthusiastic churchman, and he found a congenial spirit in Captain Lauchlan McKay, who likewise took a great interest in ecclesiastical affairs. These two mariners became such close friends that Captain McKay consented to accompany Captain Forbes to Liverpool as his companion and adviser, and as we shall presently see, the Lightning developed her finest speed in the hands of these experienced and skilful seamen.

The Lightning loaded in Train's Line at Constitution Wharf, and sailed for Liverpool, February 18, 1854. The Boston Daily Atlas of that date published the following account of her departure:

"At 2 o'clock the Lightning hove her anchor up, and at 3 o'clock discharged her pilot off Boston Light. She went down in tow of the steamer Rescue, Captain Hennessy, and was piloted by Mr.

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276 E. G. Martin. Before the steamer left her, she set her head sails, fore- and mizentopsails, and had a moderate breeze from west to southwest. She appeared to go at the rate of 6 knots under this canvas, though she draws 22 feet of water, and has only 23 feet depth of hold. We have seen many vessels pass through the water, but never saw one which disturbed it less. Not a ripple curled before her cutwater, nor did the water break at a single place along her sides. She left a wake as straight as an arrow and this was the only mark of her progress. There was a slight swell and as she rose we could see the arc of her forefoot rise gently over the seas as she increased her speed. At 5, two hours after the pilot left her, the outer telegraph station reported her thirty miles east of Boston Light, with all drawing sails set, and going along like a steamboat. We think her talented designer and builder, Mr. McKay, cannot improve upon her model. Her commander, being a pious man, was attended down the harbor by a select party of brethren and sisters of the church, who at parting gave him their blessing. This is much better than the dram-drinking and vociferous cheering which usually make up the parting scenes of the unregenerated."

The voyage so auspiciously begun proved one of the most remarkable ever made by a ship on the ocean; for before the Lightning set her pilot signal off Point Lynas, she had left more miles of salt water astern in twenty-four hours than any vessel that has ever sailed the seas propelled by winds and canvas. From the abstract log, published in the

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Rh Liverpool Albion soon after her arrival, it appears that she went round the north of Ireland, making the run to Eagle Island in 10 days, and to the Calf of Man, within 80 miles of Liverpool, in 12 days, thence to Liverpool in 13 days 19½ hours from Boston Light. Her day's runs were as follows :

1.—"February 19th. Wind west-southwest, and north-west, moderate; 200 miles. 2.—20th. Wind north-northeast and northeast, strong breezes with snow; 328 miles. 3.—21st. Wind east-southeast with snowstorms; 145 miles. 4.—22d. Wind east-southeast, a gale with high cross sea and rain; 114 miles. 5.—23d. Wind north. Strong gales to east-southeast; ends moderate; 110 miles. 6.—24th. Wind southeast, moderate; 312 miles. 7.—26th. Wind east-southeast and southeast. Fresh breezes with thick weather; 285 miles. 8.—26th. Wind west-southwest, moderate; 295 miles. 9.—27th. Wind west-northwest, moderate; 260 miles. 10.—28th. Wind west and northwest, steady breezes; 306 miles." [The position at noon on this day was latitude 52° 38' N., longitude 22° 45' W., and here began the greatest day's run ever made by a ship under canvas.] 11.—"March 1st. Wind south. Strong gales; bore away for the North Channel, carried away the foretopsail and lost jib; hove the log several times and found the ship going through the water at the rate of 18 to 18½ knots; lee rail under water, and rigging slack. Distance run in twenty-four hours, 436 miles. 12.—2d. Wind south, first part moderate, latter part light and calm. 13.—3d. Light winds and calms. 14.—4th. Light southeast winds and calms; at 7 off Great Orma Head; 12 M. off the N. W. Lightship."

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278 This was a remarkable passage considering the percentage of easterly winds, though its memorable incident is, of course, the phenomenal run of 436 miles in twenty-four hours, an average of 18½ knots, which entitles the Lightning to the proud distinction of being the swiftest ship that ever sailed the seas. There was no ocean steamship of her day that approached her record by less than 100 miles, and another flve-and-twenty years passed away before the Atlantic greyhound, the Arizona, made 18 knots for a single hour, on her trial trip. Even at the present time, according to Lloyd's Register, there are not more than thirty oceangoing mail steamships afloat, that are able to steam over 18 knots. It must have been blowing hard enough when the Lightning's jib and foretopsail carried away, for these were not old, worn-out sails, put on board to attract the favorable consideration of underwriters, but were of new canvas, made unusually strong, and had not been out of the sail loft more than a couple of weeks.

Strange as it may seem, the "wood butchers of Liverpool," as Donald McKay used to call them, were allowed to fill in the concave lines of the Lightning's bow with slabs of oak sheathing, and while she continued to be a fast ship, she doubtless would have proved still faster had her original design not been tampered with.

The second of these ships, the Champion of the Seas, measured: length 269 feet, breadth 45 feet, depth 29 feet, dead-rise at half floor 18 inches;

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288 built with a view to carrying large cargoes and steerage passengers, so that by 1860 the day of the Australian clippers had passed away, although the later China tea-clippers sometimes made this voyage. Almost countless splendid iron and steel sailing ships have since been built in Great Britain, and many fine passages have been made to and from Australia, yet the records of the James Baines, North Wind, Lightning, Mandarin, and Lord of the Isles remain unbroken.

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Rh length of mainyard 95 feet. The concavity of her water-line forward was 2½ inches, from which it will be seen that she was a differently designed ship from the Lightning. She was considered by many to be even a handsomer vessel. Her stern was ornamented with the arms of Australia, while at her bow she carried a full-length figurehead of a handsome sailorman rigged out in all his best go-ashore togs. She was commanded by Captain Alexander Newlands, who came from Liverpool to superintend her construction and equipment, the whole inside arrangements of the ship, including the complicated plan for light and ventilation and the details of the cabin, being made according to his designs. After fitting out at Grand Junction Wharf, East Boston, she was towed to New York by the R. B. Forbes, where she loaded for Liverpool, and made the passage to that port during the month of June, 1854, in 16 days.

The James Baines measured: length 266 feet, breadth 46 feet 8 inches, depth 31 feet, with 18 inches dead-rise at half floor. Her mainyard was 100 feet in length, and a single suit of sails contained 13,000 running yards of canvas 18 inches wide. Originally she carried a main skysail only, but later she was fitted with three skysails, main moonsail, and skysail studdingsails, and so far as I know, she was the only clipper ship so rigged. There was only a very slight difference between the lines of the Champion of the Seas and those of the James Baines, the latter ship having a somewhat more raking stem, which brought her lines out forward a little longer and sharper above the

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280 water-line. Her bow was ornamented with a finely executed bust of her namesake, which was carved in England and was said to be an excellent likeness. Across her stern she carried a carved medallion of the globe, supported by the arms of Great Britain and the United States. She was commanded by Captain McDonnell, late of the Marco Polo, who sailed from Liverpool for Boston soon after his return from Melbourne.

The James Baines sailed from Boston, September 12, 1854, and made the run from Boston Light to the Rock Light, Liverpool, in the record time of 12 days 6 hours. An English correspondent of one of the Boston papers remarked: "You wish to know what professional men say about the ship James Baines. Her unrivalled passage, of course, brought her prominently before the public, and she has already been visited by many of the most eminent mechanics in the country. She is so strongly built, so finely finished, and is of so beautiful a model, that even envy cannot prompt a fault against her. On all hands she has been praised as the most perfect sailing ship that ever entered the river Mersey."

The last of this quartette, the Donald McKay, measured: length 269 feet, breadth 47 feet, depth 29 feet, with 18 inches dead-rise at half floor, and her mainyard was 100 feet long. While her waterlines were fuller than those of the James Baines, she was still an extremely sharp vessel, and with the single exception of the Great Republic was the largest merchant ship afloat. She sailed from Boston, February 21, 1855, under the command of

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Rh Captain Warner, late of the Sovereign of the Seas, and made the run to Cape Clear in 12 days, and thence to Liverpool in 5 days. On February 27th, she ran 421 miles in twenty-four hours, and on that date her log records: "First part, strong gales from northwest; middle blowing a hurricane from west-northwest, ship scudding under topsails and foresail at the rate of 18 knots; latter part, still blowing from west-northwest with heavy hail squalls; very high sea running."

The Lightning sailed from Liverpool on her first voyage to Melbourne, May 14, 1854. She encountered light winds and calms to the equator, which she crossed in 25 days from the Mersey; such was the nature of the winds that the topgallantsails were not taken in during the passage, and her best day's runs were only 332, 348, 300, 311, and 329 miles on various dates. She arrived out in 77 days, but the passage home to Liverpool was made in the record time of 63 days. In ten consecutive days of twenty-four hours each, she sailed no less than 3722 miles, her best day's run being 412 miles. On this voyage she brought home gold and dust to the value of £1,000,000 sterling.

The James Baines sailed from Liverpool for Melbourne December 9, 1854, and made the passage out in the record time of 63 days, her best twenty-four hours' run being 420 miles. She made the passage home in 69 days, thus sailing around the globe in the record time of 132 days. On a subsequent voyage in 1856 her log records, "June 16th. At noon sighted a ship in the distance ahead; at 1 alongside of her; at 2, out of sight astern.

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282 The James Baines was going 17 knots with main skysail set; the Libertas, for such was her name, was under double-reefed topsails." "June 17th. Latitude 44° S., longitude 106° E., ship going 21 knots with main skysail set." This appears to be the highest rate of speed ever made by a sailing vessel of which any reliable record has been preserved.

The Champion of the Seas made the passage out in 71 days and home in 84 days, and the Donald McKay made the voyage in about the same time, but the Lightning and James Baines proved the most famous of these ships. So well pleased was Mr. Baines that he wrote to Mr. McKay, saying, "In these ships you have given us all and more than we expected." These were the last extreme clipper ships built by Donald McKay.

During the Sepoy Mutiny in 1857 a large number of British and American merchant ships were chartered by the British Government to carry troops to India, and among others the James Baines, Champion of the Seas, and Lightning. The James Baines sailed from Portsmouth for Calcutta on August 8th, with the Ninety-seventh Regiment on board, and the Illustrated London News, in a notice of her departure, remarked: "Previous to her starting she was honored by a visit of Her Majesty, who highly eulogized the vessel and is said to have declared that she was not aware that so splendid a merchant ship belonged to her dominions."

The Champion of the Seas sailed from Portsmouth on the same day, also bound for Calcutta with troops, and the race between these clippers was close and exciting. Nine days out they fell in

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190 6th. All had able commanders, who carried Maury's wind and current charts to assist them. In this month of light and baffling breezes a quick run to the equator was hardly to be expected, but these clippers threaded their way across the calm belt of Cancer, ran down the northeast trades, and drifted through the doldrums, with surprising speed. The Sea Witch still kept her lead at the equator, crossing on August 30th, closely followed by the Raven and the Typhoon, which crossed together on the 31st, so that the Raven had gained four and the Typhoon two days on their swift competitor. They all weathered Cape St. Roque and stood away to the southward for a splendid dash of over three thousand miles through the southeast trades and the strong westerly winds further south, all crossing the parallel of 50° S. in the same longitude, 64° W. The Raven had gained another day on the Sea Witch and these two clippers were now side by side, with the Typhoon only two days astern.

Here began one of the keenest races ever sailed upon the ocean. They all stood to the southward with studdingsail booms and skysail yards sent down from aloft, with extra lashings on the boats, spare spars, and skylights, while all hands hardened their hearts for a thrash to windward round Cape Horn. On this desolate ocean the clippers raced from horizon to horizon in heavy westerly gales and a long, fierce, sweeping head sea. For fourteen exciting days and nights, with single-reefed, double-reefed, close-reefed topsails, reefs in and reefs out, their keen, watchful captains made use of every lull and slant to drive their ships to

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Rh the westward of Cape Horn, across the great, broad-backed, white-crested seas. The Sea Witch and Raven were having it out tack for tack, sometimes one and then the other gaining an advantage, both carrying sail to the utmost limit of prudence, lifting their long, sharp bows to the wild, surging seas, the cold spray flying across their decks and blue water swirling along their lee waists, each handled with consummate skill, and not a spar carried away or rope parted. The Typhoon in hot pursuit, was pressing the two leaders and slowly closing upon them, for her greater length and power helped her here. Finally the Sea Witch and Raven emerged from this desperate contest side by side, as they had entered it, both crossing latitude 50° S. in the Pacific in fourteen days from the same parallel in the Atlantic. The Typhoon had now gained another day, and was within twenty-four hours' sail of each.

Clear of Cape Horn they all went away fast to the northward, rushing through the southeast trades with studdingsails, skysails, water-sails, and ringtails—every yard of canvass set that would draw. On this stretch to the equator, the Sea Witch fairly flew through the water, and crossed in 22 days from 50° S., leading the Raven 2 and the Typhoon 4 days. They now stood to the northward, close-hauled on the starboard tack, for their final struggle. Here again length and power counted in favor of the Typhoon, and she came up with the Sea Witch and Raven, leading them both into port; the Raven, too, for the first time fairly headed the Sea Witch. The Typhoon glided through the Golden Gate, November

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192 18th, 106 days from Sandy Hook; the Raven, November 19th, 105 days from Boston Light, and the Sea Witch, November 20th, 110 days from Sandy Hook. Here is a brief abstract from their log-books:

This was a great victory for the Raven, the only ship of her tonnage that ever outsailed the Sea Witch, to say nothing of vanquishing the large and famous Typhoon, a ship more than double her size. It should, however, be remembered with regard to the Sea Witch, that she was at that time over five years old, and had led a pretty wild life under Waterman, while she had known no peace with Prazer in command, and had been strained and weakened by hard driving. Moreover, a wooden ship, after five or six years, begins to lose her speed through absorbing water, and becomes sluggish in light airs. In her prime and at her best with Waterman in command, the Sea Witch was probably the fastest sailing-ship of her inches ever built.

The California clippers were, of course, racing all the time, against each other and against the record,

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Rh and the strain upon their captains in driving their ships against competitors whose relative positions were unknown, was terrific. It became a confirmed habit with them to keep their ships going night and day in all weathers and at their utmost speed.

In order to appreciate what a passage of 110 days or less from an Atlantic port to San Francisco really means, we must take a few of the long passages of 1851, made by ships that were not clippers: Arthur, from New York, 200 days; Austerlitz, Boston, 185 days; Barrington, Boston, 180 days; Bengal, Philadelphia, 185 days; Capitol, Boston, 300 days; Cornwallis, New York, 204 days; Franconia, Boston, 180 days; Henry Allen, New York, 225 days; Inconium, Baltimore, 190 days. The logs of these vessels tell of long, weary days and nights of exasperating calms, and dreary, heartbreaking weeks of battle with tempests off Cape Horn.

Some of the vessels built in 1851 did not take part in the races of that year, as they were not launched until too late; and did not arrive at San Francisco before 1852. Those among them which became most famous were the Hurricane, Comet, Northern Light, Flying Fish, Staffordshire, Trade Wind, Sword-Fish, and Shooting Star. We shall hear of them later.

The record of San Francisco passages for 1851 should not be closed without mention of the pilotboat Fanny, of 84 tons; length 71 feet, breadth 18 feet 4 inches, depth 7 feet 2 inches, built by Daniel D. Kelly at East Boston in 1850. This schooner was commanded by Captain William Kelly, a brother

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text: 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Houdenc, Raoul de


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HE California clippers, after discharging their cargoes at San Francisco, either returned in ballast round Cape Horn, or continued their voyages across the Pacific and loaded cargoes at Asiatic ports for the United States or Great Britain.

Some of the ships which sailed to China from San Francisco, raced across the Pacific in ballast, touching at the Sandwich Islands only long enough to back the main yard off Diamond Head and send the mails ashore with perhaps a missionary or two. In those days the Kanuka maidens used to swim off alongside the ships, and they were probably the nearest approach to mermaids that has ever been known in real life. The Stag-Hound made the passage from San Francisco to Honolulu in 9, and the Flying Cloud and Surprise in 12 days each. The Flying Cloud sailed 374 miles in twenty-four hours, the day after leaving San Francisco, with a fresh whole-sail breeze and smooth sea, under skysails and royal studdingsails. The Southern Cross made the passage from San Francisco to Hong-kong in 32, and the Game-Cock in 35 days, the run of the Game-Cock from Honolulu to Hong-kong in 19

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Rh Invincible, Witch of the Wave, Blue Jacket, Charmer, Sovereign of the Seas, Lightning, and Andrew Jackson which should not be mistaken for the famous clippers after which they were named.

One may well ask what became of all the splendid clipper ships? The fate of some of them has already been told in these pages, others have disappeared from one cause or another, as time went on, until now scarcely one is left. During the Civil War many of them were sold and sailed under foreign flags, their names were changed and their identity all but lost.

Of the more famous early clippers, the Houqua foundered in a typhoon in the China seas in 1865 while under command of Captain McKenzie. The Sea Witch made her last voyage to San Francisco in 1852 and then returned to the China trade for which she had been built. On her voyage to China in 1855 Captain Fraser was murdered at sea by his chief mate, and the vessel put into Rio Janeiro, where Captain Lang took command. On the homeward voyage from Amoy to Havana with a cargo of coolies, the Sea Witch was wrecked and became a total loss on the eastern coast of Cuba, March 26, 1856. The Samuel Russell was wrecked in the Caspar Straits in 1870, under command of Captain Frederick Lucas.

The Stag-Hound was burnt off the coast of Brazil in 1863, her United States ensign, which the captain brought off and returned to the owners in Boston, being the sole relic. The Surprise, under command of Captain Charles Ranlett, struck a sunken rock while beating into Yokohama Bay and became a

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342 total wreck, February 4, 1876; the Game-Cock was condemned at the Cape of Good Hope in 1880.

The Staffordshire was lost off Cape Sable, while bound from Liverpool for Boston in December, 1854. She struck on a ledge during a thick fog and foundered in deep water. Two days before her wreck Captain Richardson had fallen on deck and fractured his spine, and while he lay helpless in his berth, Joseph Alden, his chief mate, reported that the ship was sinking. Captain Richardson gave directions to the mate for saving the women and children passengers, but declined assistance for himself. His last words were: "God's will be done," and as the vessel settled deeper and deeper in the water and the waves closed in upon her deck, the brave spirit of her captain returned to God who gave it, to join the innumerable host of heroes and martyrs of the sea.

The Flying Cloud was sold to James Baines in 1863 and was destroyed by fire at St. John, N. B., in 1874. The Flying Fish was wrecked in November, 1858, while coming out of Foo-chow, bound for New York with a cargo of tea, and was abandoned to the underwriters, who sold her to a Spanish merchant of Manila. She was subsequently floated and rebuilt at Wampoa, her name being changed to El Bueno Suceso. She sailed for some years between Manila and Cadiz, and finally foundered in the China Sea. The Typhoon was sold to the United States Government during the Civil War, and was finally broken up. The Northern Light was abandoned at sea, December 25, 1861, after being in collision while bound from Havre for New York.

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Rh The Comet was sold under the British flag and renamed the Fiery Star. She sailed between England and Australia for several years and was finally burned at sea in 1865, while on a voyage from Moreton Bay, Queensland, for London. She had been on fire for twenty-one days when the crew were rescued by the ship Dauntless. The Trade Wind, while bound from Mobile for Liverpool, in 1854, was in collision with the ship Olympus, from Liverpool for New York. Both vessels foundered, forty-four of the sixty-four passengers and crew of the Trade-Wind and fifty-two of the fifty-eight on board the Olympus being rescued by the Belgian barque Stadt Antwerpen, Captain Wyteerhoven, and landed at New York.

The Nightingale was sold to a firm in Salem and sent to Rio Janeiro, where she was bought and sailed in the African slave trade under the Brazilian flag. About the year 1860 she was captured by a United States war-vessel and sent home as a prize. She was subsequently fitted out by the Government as an armed cruiser during the Civil War, and at the close of the war was sold and sailed in the California and China trade. Later she sailed for many years under the flag of Norway. The Shooting Star was sold to a merchant of Siam in 1862 and was wrecked on the coast of Formosa in 1867. Captain Low remained in command of the N. B. Palmer until she was sold abroad in 1872. The Tornado, Whirlwind, and Neptune's Car were sold in England and disappeared from the Shipping Lists many years ago.

The Golden Light under command of Captain C.

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344 F. Winsor, sailed from Boston on her first voyage bound for San Francisco, February 12, 1853, and ten days out was struck by lightning which set fire to cargo in the forehold. After every exertion had been made to save the vessel. Captain Winsor gave orders to abandon the ship, and at 6, February 23d, her people took to the boats. At that time the ship was in flames. Her foremast had burnt off and fallen; soon after her main- and mizzen-masts went over the side. She had eleven passengers, including three ladies who were in the long boat with the captain. There were five boats in all, four of which, after being adrift eight days, were picked up by the British ship Shand from Calcutta bound for Boston; the other boat, in charge of the mate, reached Barbadoes in safety, so that all hands were saved.

The Sovereign of the Seas was sold to a Hamburg firm and was wrecked on the Pyramid Shoal in the Straits of Malacca, August 6, 1859, becoming a total loss. The Contest and Winged Racer were destroyed by the Alabama off the coast of Java in 1863, and the Jacob Bell by the Florida during the same year. The Harvey Birch was destroyed by the Nashville in 1861. The Flying Dutchman went ashore on the Brigantine Shoal, off the coast of New Jersey, during a thick snowstorm in February, 1858, and became a total loss. The Highflyer, under command of Captain Gordon B. Waterman, sailed from San Francisco, October 24, 1856, bound for Hong-kong and was never heard from. The John Gilpin struck an iceberg off Cape Horn and foundered, January 29, 1858, while bound from

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Rh Honolulu for New Bedford under command of Captain John F. Ropes, all hands, including fifteen passengers, being saved by the British ship Herefordshire.

The Phantom was lost on Prates Shoal, about two hundred miles east-southeast of Hong-kong, in 1862, while under command of Captain Henry Sargent. All hands were saved in the boats, which reached Hong-kong safely, and a large amount of treasure that she had on board was also saved. Captain Sargent received great credit for his brave and judicious action at the time of the wreck; for in those days the China Sea was filled with junks whose crews required only the sight of a vessel in distress to turn them into most barbarous pirates. Captain Sargent soon after took command of the clipper barque Emily C. Starr and sailed from Shanghai for Yokohama. She was never heard from, and it was supposed that she foundered in a typhoon. Captain Sargent belonged to an old Boston family whose home was on Beacon Street. He had sailed with Captain Nickels in the Flying Fish and had also commanded the ship Rockland. He was one of the youngest and most accomplished of all the American clipper ship captains.

The Bald Eagle and Romance of the Seas both sailed from Hong-kong in 1860 and were never heard from. The Reporter foundered off Cape Horn in, and in the same year the Undaunted was condemned at Rio Janeiro.

The Sweepstakes was condemned in Batavia in 1864. The Great Republic was sold to the Merchants' Trading Company, of Liverpool, in 1869 and

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346 her name was changed to the Denmark. She finally foundered in a hurricane off Bermuda in 1872. The Morning Star was sold to a Liverpool firm, who renamed her the Rockingham; she foundered while on a voyage from Samarang for Falmouth in 1879. The Ocean Telegraph was sold to an English firm and renamed the Light Brigade and was finally condemned at Gibraltar and converted into a coal hulk.

The Marco Polo, Red Jacket, and Donald McKay ended their days in the Quebec lumber trade, and the Lightning disappeared from the Shipping List in 1866. The Champion of the Seas foundered while homeward bound round Cape Horn in 1877. The James Baines was burnt at Liverpool in 1858, and her wreck was converted into the old landing stage for Atlantic steamship passengers, few of whom probably realized that they were walking over the remains of one of the grandest ships that ever sailed the sea.

Of the British-built clippers, the first Lord of the Isles built in 1854 was burnt in 1862. The second of the name, built in 1864 by Robert Steele, of Greenock, was sold in France and became known as the Paul Albert. The Spindrift and Serica were both wrecked in 1869. The Forward Ho was lost in 1881. The Sir Launcelot was sold to a merchant of Bombay and sailed for many years between that port and Mauritius, and was finally wrecked in 1895. The Cutty Sark was sold to a merchant in Lisbon in 1895. The Chinaman was sunk by a steamer on the coast of China in 1880. The Windhover was wrecked on the coast of Australia in

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Rh 1884. The Falcon was sold in Australia, her name being changed to the Sophia Branilla. She was wrecked on the coast of Java in 1871. The Thermopylæ is now a schoolship at the mouth of the Tagus. The Yang-tze was lost in 1872. The first Guinevere, built by Robert Steele, in 1862, was lost in 1866, while the second Guinevere, built by Randolph Elder & Co., in 1868, was sold in Norway. The Ariel sailed for Melbourne and was never heard from. The Taitsing was wrecked on the coast of Zanzibar in 1883.

The Titania is the only one of all the old clipper ships that can now be traced as in active service. She is owned by Madame Maresca, of Castellamare, and sails under the flag of Italy, usually between European and South American ports. A few years ago she arrived at New York, and I was much interested in going on board of her, as I had known the ship and her captain many years before in China. She appeared so little changed that it was difficult to realize that nearly forty years had passed away since I last stood upon her deck one bright June morning at the Pagoda Anchorage, bidding Captain Burgoyne good-bye as he was getting under way bound for London with new teas. Her spars had been somewhat reduced and her rig changed to a barque, but the beautiful India teak used in the construction of her hull, decks, and bulwarks, with the polished brasswork of her rails, skylights, bells, and capstans, blinking cheerfully in the autumn sunshine, seemed to have paid little heed to the flight and ravages of time.

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MacMoyer the Difference between the Reformed Presbytery and some Brethren who lately deserted them, Edinburgh, 1763). Macmillan died at Broomhill, in the parish of Bothwell, on Saturday, 1 Dec. 1763, 'in the greatest serenity and perfect exercise of his intellectuals to the very end' (''Observations on a Wolf in Sheepskin. . . to which is subjoined an Account of the Last Words of the Rev. Mr. J. M'M. on his Deathbed'', Edinburgh, 1763). An inscription on his monument at Broomhill describes him as 'first minister to the United Societies in Scotland, adhering at the Revolution to the whole covenanted Reformation attained to between 1638 and 1649. A son John was ordained by the 'Reformed Presbytery,' and became minister at Glasgow.

 MACMOYER, FLORENCE (d. 1713), last keeper of the book of Armagh, known in Irish as Finghin Maclnmhaoir, wrote his name in Latin Flarentinus Muire (Book of Armagh, fol. 1046), and when in England was called Florence Wyer. The 'Book of Armagh,' written in 807, was one of the most precious possessions of the church of Armagh, and its custody was the official duty of the Clan MacMoyre from the fourteenth century and probably much earlier. The townlands of Agincurk, Ballintate, Ballintemple, Cavanakifl,Corlat, Knockavannon, Lurgana, Outleckan in the parish of Ballymyre, Barony of Fews, co. Armagh, were time out of mind the property of the sept (Armagh Inquisition, 12 Aug. 1609), and at Ballymyre the last keeper was born. He was educated at a large school of which the locality is unknown, and himself became a schoolmaster (Letter of Bishop Cusack). In 1680 he pledged the book for five pounds to pay his expenses to London. On 3 May 1681 he was the first witness at the trial of Oliver Plunket [q. v.], archbishop of Armagh, and swore that Plunket obtained the primacy by promising to aid in a French invasion of Ireland, that he aided Colonel Miles Rely and Colonel Bourne to raise forces to join the French when they landed, and wrote treasonable letters. The foreman of the jury seems to have thought him a villain (, ii. 502) ; and it is clear that he and his kinsman, John Moyer, a Franciscan friar, had in revenge for a private quarrel determined to compass Plunket's death by agreeing in what now seems incredible evidence as to his association in a treasonable conspiracy. He explained his not giving evidence earlier than 1681 of what happened in 1667 by saying that he was a Roman catholic. The lord chief justice asked 'Are you not so now?' and he replied 'Yes, I am so,' Plunket solemnly affirmed that he had never spoken to him, and had never to his knowledge seen him before MacMoyer was detained in prison in London till after 1683. He then returned to Ireland, lived in a glen in the townland of Ballintate, co. Armagh, and died 12 Feb. 1713, universally despised. He was buried in Ballymyre churchyard, and his tombstone was treated with indignity. Those of the sept who lived in their ancient district changed their name to MacUidhir or MacGuire, which though written differently approaches the sound of the abbreviated Irish form Maclnmhaoir, and it was long believed that every year Florence MacMoyer was solemnly cursed by the pope. He never redeemed the 'Book of Armagh,' which about 1707 came into the possession of Arthur Brownlow, from whose descendant it was bought by Bishop William Reeves and given to Trinity College, Dublin.

 MACMURCHADA, DIARMAID (Dermod MacMurrough) (1110?–1171), king of Leinster, was doubtless son of Enna, king of Leinster, who, dying in 1126, is said to have been murdered by the citizens of Dublin, and to have been contemptuously buried with a dog. The best authority, the ‘Book of Leinster,’ says that Enna died at Lough Carman, Wexford, in the eighth year of his reign. He was son of Donnchadh, son of Murchadh, and descended from Enna Ceinnselach, king of Leinster in the fourth century. The statements as to the date of MacMurchada's birth are conflicting. According to information supplied by the ‘Book of Leinster,’ he was only fifteen years old when, in 1126, on his father's death, he became king of Leinster. Giraldus


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MacMurrough maid MacMurchada, king of Leinster, by whom a trembling sod was made of all Ireland … died of an insufferable and unknown disease, for he became putrid while living through the miracle of God and the saints of Ireland whose churches he had profaned and burnt. He died at Ferns without making a will, without penance, without the body of Christ, without unction, as his evil deeds deserved.’ The ‘Book of Leinster,’ on the other hand, states that ‘he died after the victory of unction and penance,’ adding, ‘thenceforward is the miserable reign of the Saxons, amen, amen.’ His son-in-law, Earl Richard, at once attempted to exercise all Dermod's powers as king of Leinster, but he found a powerful rival in Roderick O'Connor [q. v.] Henry II, on his arrival in person at the close of 1171, received the submission of natives and invaders alike, and set on a permanent basis that subjection of Ireland to England which was the inevitable outcome of Dermod's appeal to the English king.

 MACMURROGH or MACMURCHAD, ART (1357–1417), styled also Cavanagh, Irish chief, born in 1357, was descended from Donall, illegitimate son of Diarmaid or Dermod MacMurchada [q. v.], king of Leinster. The sept of which he was the head was so numerous and important that the name of 'Cavanaghs' country' was applied to districts occupied by them, which are now comprised in the counties of Carlow, Wexford, and Wicklow. Under a compact with the government at Dublin, an annual subvention was long paid to the head of the Cavanagh sept for protection which he agreed to afford to the English settlers in their district. In connection with this subvention, which occasionally remained unpaid, disputes from time to time arose between the governmental officials and MacMurchad. By native writers he was extolled as courageous, liberal, and hospitable. He married Elizabeth Veele, who, as heiress to Anglo-Norman settlers, was entitled to lands of considerable value in Leinster. These were seized by the crown on the plea that she had forfeited them by her marriage. Richard II when in Ireland in 1395 propitiated MacMurchad, and, according to Froissart, conferred knighthood on him at Dublin. The king's representatives also concluded an agreement with MacMurchad for the restoration of his wife's lands and the payment of the subvention as formerly. The subsequent non-fulfilment of this agreement led to hostilities by MacMurchad, and Thomas de Spencer, earl of Gloucester, was delegated to negotiate with him when Richard II revisited Ireland in 1399. Some details of the interview between them have been chronicled in verse by Creton, a contemporary French writer. He mentions that their meeting was between two woods near the sea, that MacMurchad, a fine large man, marvellously agile, stern in aspect, rode on a very swift horse of high value, and bore a spear in his right hand, which he used with great dexterity. The discourse, according to Creton, lasted for some time, but led to no satisfactory result. King Richard subsequently by proclamation offered a hundred marks of gold for MacMurchad, alive or dead. The meeting between MacMurchad and Gloucester formed the subject of an elaborate drawing in colours and gold in Creton's manuscript, now in the British Museum (MS. Harl. 1319), and an accurate reproduction of it will be found in the 'Facsimiles of National Manuscripts of Ireland,' edited by the present writer. After the deposition of Richard II the representatives of Henry IV in Ireland entered into new negotiations with MacMurchad, which were, however, often broken off. The death of MacMurchad in 1417 was ascribed to poison administered by a woman.

 MACNAB, ALLAN NAPIER (1798–1862), Canadian soldier and politician, was born at Newark, now Niagara, Ontario, 19 Feb. 1798. His father, Allan MacNab, who had served as a lieutenant in the 3rd dragoons and the queen's rangers, and had been aide-de-camp to General Simcoe, settled in Upper Canada with his young wife, the daughter of Captain William Napier, commissioner of the port and harbour of Quebec. Soon after their son's birth the family moved to Toronto, where the father became a clerk in the office of the provincial secretary, William Jarvis, and young Allan was sent to a district school, and proved a dunce. He was fifteen at the time of the American invasion in 1813, and went to the front with his father in a small force of regulars and militia, which was driven back on Kingston.


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Rh Cambrensis notes that ‘his youth and inexperience in government led him to become the oppressor of the nobility.’ His education was entrusted to Aedh mac Crimthainn, abbot of Terryglass, co. Tipperary, termed ‘the chief historian of Leinster,’ for whom the ‘Book of Leinster’ is said to have been compiled by Bishop Finn of Kildare, who was previously abbot of Newry. Dermod appears to have profited little by his instruction. Cruelty and profligacy characterised his youth. He is described by Giraldus as of giant stature, his voice hoarse from shouting his war-cry in battle, his hand against every man and every man's hand against him. According to the ‘Chronicon Scotorum,’ at the age of twenty-two he forcibly abducted the Abbess of Kildare, and when the community endeavoured to prevent the crime he slew 140 of them and set fire to the monastery.

In the confusion which prevailed in the government of Ireland at this period, Dermod asserted a claim to the whole south of Ireland, called Leth Mogha. Accordingly he invaded Ossory in 1134, and though repulsed at first he returned to the attack and defeated the people of Ossory and their allies the Danes of Waterford. In 1137 he besieged Waterford, which was within the territory he claimed. In 1149 he plundered the stone-church of St. Cianan of Meath with the assistance of the Danes. Laurence O'Toole, then a boy of ten, was delivered into his hands, and was treated by him with such cruelty that O'Toole's father threatened to execute twelve of Dermod's followers unless the boy was restored to him. He is further charged in the ‘Annals of the Four Masters’ with putting to death or depriving of sight seventeen of his subordinate chieftains, though Leland attributes this offence to his father. The crime for which he is chiefly notorious was the abduction of Dervorgill, wife of Tiernan O'Ruark, lord of Breifne, a territory comprising the counties of Leitrim, Longford, and Cavan. The Anglo-Norman writers and the native annals supply different versions of the affair. The former, of whom Giraldus Cambrensis is the principal, describe Dervorgill as taking advantage of her husband's absence to invite Dermod to carry her off, and as feigning reluctance. Keating, who follows Giraldus, adds that her husband was at the time on a pilgrimage to St. Patrick's Purgatory at Lough Derg, and both writers agree that Dermod was expelled from his kingdom for this act, and that his journey to England and the Anglo-Norman invasion were the immediate consequences of it. But according to the more probable account in ‘Annals of the Four Masters’ under the year 1152 it was when the combined armies of O'Connor, Dermod, and others had invaded O'Ruark's territory, defeated him and deprived him of the district of Conmaicne, that Dermod took the opportunity of ‘carrying off Dervorgill with her cattle and furniture,’ whether with or without her consent is not stated. In the following year O'Connor, who had previously been Dermod's ally, marched against him, retook Dervorgill, and delivered her to her kinsmen the people of Meath. In the course of the same year she, according to the ‘Four Masters,’ ‘came to her husband again.’ In 1157 she was present with her husband at the consecration of the church of Mellifont, co. Louth. She survived her husband twenty-one years, and died in the monastery of Mellifont in her eighty-fifth year, in 1193.

Meanwhile political changes were going forward; O'Loughlin, who had been Dermod's ally, was killed in the battle of Litterluin in 1166, whereupon Roderick O'Connor his enemy became king of Ireland, and Dermod, anticipating an attack, burnt his town of Ferns. Soon after another of Dermod's enemies, O'Ruark, marched against him, defeated him, burnt the castle of Ferns, and ‘banished him over sea.’ This took place, according to the ‘Four Masters,’ in 1166, and as this was fourteen years after the carrying off of Dervorgill it is evident that there is little direct connection between the two events. It was probably the fact of his evil life that led to his liberality in founding monasteries; among these was the convent of St. Mary de Hogges for Augustinian nuns, established in 1146. To this he subjected Kilclehin in the county of Kilkenny, and Aghade in the county of Carlow. In the same year convents at Baltinglass and Ferns were founded by him, and lastly the priory of All Saints, Hoggin Green, Dublin, where Trinity College now stands, in 1166. This liberality gained him the favour of the clergy.

When banished over sea Dermod sought the aid of Henry II to recover his kingdom, imploring his protection and promising, if successful, to hold his kingdom as Henry's vassal. The application was highly acceptable to Henry, who in 1154 or 1155 had in view an expedition to Ireland, and according to many authors, obtained a bull from Adrian IV authorising the invasion, the pope sending him at the same time a valuable ring as a token of investiture. But the queen-mother being opposed to the enterprise, and matters not being ripe for action, the bull was kept secret for some years. Attempts are made from time to time to question the authenticity of this bull, but without sufficient reason. It is attested by abundant contem-


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Rh porary evidence (, Sylloge), and it was confirmed by a subsequent bull of Alexander III in 1172, and consistently acted on by the papal authorities. Cardinal Vivian at the synod of Dublin in 1177 ‘set forth Henry's right by virtue of the pope's authority.’ Its authenticity has always been maintained by the best authorities, as Ussher, Bellarmine, Lanigan, Bossuet, Fleury, and recently by Döllinger. Henry, unable to afford direct help to Dermod, gave him letters patent authorising any of his subjects who might be willing to render him assistance. Armed with this document Dermod, after much negotiation, prevailed on Richard de Clare, called Strongbow, to undertake the enterprise, promising him his daughter Eva in marriage, and the succession to the kingdom of Leinster [see, (d. 1176)]. With the assistance of David [q. v.], bishop of St. Davids, he induced several others to join him. Returning to Ireland in the following year (1167) with a few of his new allies, to whom thenceforth the ‘Four Masters’ apply the term Galls, formerly used of the Danes, he remained in the monastery of Ferns during the winter. In 1168 he sent Morice Regan, his faithful adherent, to hasten the promised expedition. Meantime he was hard pressed by King Turlough O'Connor and O'Ruark, and compelled to give seven hostages to the former for permission to retain ten cantreds of his native territory. He had also to pay one hundred ounces of gold as einech, or compensation, to O'Ruark for the wrong formerly done him. Dermod's object was to gain time, but it was not until May 1169 that Robert Fitzstephen [q. v.] entered the bay of Bannow (Cuan an bainb), in the county of Wexford, with a force of about 390 men, and landed at Bagganbun, a name which represents the Beannán bo[i]nn of Keating's ‘History.’ On the following day Maurice de Prendergast arrived from Milford with another force, chiefly consisting, it appears, of Flemings. Dermod having joined the allies, Wexford was assaulted and soon after surrendered by the advice of the bishops. A great expedition was now (1169, Annals of the Four Masters) organised by King Roderick to attack Dermod at Ferns, where he was strongly entrenched, but after much delay the king entered into a treaty with him, ‘yielding to the weak counsels of some of the principal ecclesiastics’. Dermod gave his son and grandson as hostages, and entered into a secret agreement not to bring any more foreigners into Ireland and to send away those who were already with him as soon as Leinster was subdued. Dermod then marched to attack Dublin, but the citizens, terrified at his approach, returned to their allegiance. Emboldened by his success he now aimed at the sovereignty of Ireland, and messengers were sent to Earl Richard urging him to hasten to his aid. The earl first despatched Raymond, who landed at Dundonnell, co. Waterford, in May 1170, and immediately fortified himself. In the following August Richard himself landed in the same neighbourhood with two hundred knights and twelve hundred infantry. The men of Waterford had attempted to overpower Raymond before Earl Richard's arrival, but were defeated with great slaughter and seventy prisoners taken. These, according to Regan, were beheaded, a woman being employed as executioner, and their bodies then thrown over the cliff. Earl Richard now joined his forces to those of Raymond Fitzgerald [q. v.], the city was quickly taken, and immediately afterwards the marriage of Eva to Earl Richard took place as previously arranged. Dermod, before the close of the year, having now a considerable force at his command, set out again to attack Dublin, the citizens of which had incurred his mortal hatred by their brutal treatment of his father. Unable to withstand the force brought against them, they engaged St. Laurence O'Toole, archbishop of Dublin, to treat with Strongbow on their behalf, but while negotiations were going on Raymond and Miles de Cogan, with their followers, scaled the walls and captured the city. Hasculf, the Danish king, and the greater number of the inhabitants escaped with their valuables and took refuge on board their ships. Miles de Cogan was appointed governor of the city, and Dermod proceeded with Strongbow to overrun Meath, a territory to which he had no claim. On this Roderick sent him word that as long as he confined himself to the recovery of his own territories he had not opposed him, but as he was now making aggressions on others he must interfere, and he reminded him that his son was in his power as a hostage. Dermod returned an insolent reply, declared that he claimed not Leinster but all Ireland, and expressed himself utterly indifferent to the fate of his son. Roderick immediately put the unhappy youth to death, an act which the chroniclers greatly lament.

The successes of the Normans having excited the jealousy of Henry II, he issued early in 1171 an edict forbidding any one to aid them, and commanding all of every degree to return to England on pain of being regarded as traitors. It was at this crisis that Dermod's death took place, and they were left without an ally. The event is thus described by the ‘Four Masters’ under the year 1171: ‘Diar-


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 being returned against M'Gavin. A public subscription in his favour produced 900l.

M'Gavin wrote also in the 'Glasgow Chronicle' refutations of the principles of Robert Owen of Lanark (1823), and of the views promulgated by William Cobbett in his discreditable 'History of the Protestant Reformation' (1825), both series of letters being afterwards published separately. He took part in the Apocrypha controversy of 1825. In 1826 he published an edition of Knox's 'History of the Reformation,' and subsequently defended the views expressed then in the 'Christian Herald' (1827-9), under the title of 'Church Establishments considered, in a Series of Letters to a Covenanter' (reissued in 8vo). He superintended an edition of John Howie's 'Biographia Scoticana' in 1827 (other editions, 1833–4, 1846, 1858), and wrote an introductory essay to John Brown of Whitburn's 'Memorials of the Nonconformist Ministers of the Seventeenth Century' (1832), besides numerous tracts and books for the young. His posthumous works, with a memoir, were issued in two volumes in 1834.

McGEE, THOMAS D'ARCY (1825–1868), Irish-Canadian statesman and poet, born of an Ulster family at Carlingford, co. Louth, on 13 April 1825, was second son of James McGee, a coastguard. His mother's father, a Dublin bookseller named Morgan, had suffered imprisonment and financial ruin owing to his connection with the United Irishmen. In 1833 his father obtained an appointment in the custom-house at Wexford, and Thomas attended a day-school there. He showed an aptitude for study and a natural gift of eloquence. In 1842 he emigrated to America. After a brief stay at Providence, Rhode Island, he reached Boston in June, and entered the office of the ‘Boston Pilot’ as a clerk (, Four Years of Irish History, pp. 18–20). Before long he became editor of the newspaper. Reports of his activity in the Irish political movements in America, and his reputation as a writer and speaker, reached Ireland, and through the influence of O'Connell, it is said, he was appointed parliamentary correspondent of the ‘Freeman's Journal’ in London. Literature, however, had greater attractions for him than the business of the House of Commons. Duffy says he ‘was more absorbed in the achievements of Luke Wadding and Art Kavanagh than in those of Sir R. Peel or Lord John Russell’ (ib.) His connection with the ‘Freeman's Journal’ consequently soon closed. But he subsequently became London correspondent of the ‘Nation.’ To that paper he sent, besides letters, many poems, which appeared over one or another of the following signatures: ‘Montanus,’ ‘Amergin,’ ‘Feargail,’ ‘Sarsfield,’ ‘An Irish Exile,’ ‘GillaEirin,’ ‘Gilla-Patrick,’ and ‘M.’

In 1847 he was appointed secretary to the committee of the Irish Confederation, and returned to Ireland to take an active part in the literary propaganda of Young Ireland. In the same year he was arrested at Hollywood, co. Wicklow, but was released, and shortly afterwards he married. He was sent on a secret mission, which proved abortive, to Scotland in the following year. His orders were to rouse the Irish of Glasgow, to seize two or three of the Clyde steamers, and to force the hands to work the vessel round to the coast of Sligo. [q. v.] bears testimony to the courage, enthusiasm, tact, and energy of M'Gee, and the charge that he betrayed the cause in Scotland may safely be rejected (, Memoirs of T. F. Meagher, 1892, pp. 245–6). On his return to Ireland he was sheltered by Dr. [q. v.], catholic coadjutor bishop of Derry, whose biography he wrote in later years, and finally, after the rout of his party, he escaped to America disguised as a priest. He arrived in Philadelphia on 10 Oct. 1848, and proceeding to New York, started there within a month the ‘New York Nation,’ which was a success until he came into collision with the clergy by his denunciations of the priests for dissuading the peasants from rebellion. He then went to Boston and founded in 1850 a paper called ‘The American Celt.’ The tone of this journal was at first republican or revolutionary, but McGee gradually changed his views, under the influence, it is said, of the Know-nothing movement in America, and advocated a return to constitutional methods (, Dict. of Amer. Biog. p. 518). His secession from the ranks of his old comrades led to accusations of treachery, and he found it needful to remove his paper, first to Buffalo, and then to New York. But the continued attacks made upon him by Devin Reilly and others made it impossible for him to remain in America. Duffy remarks that ‘some of Reilly's articles about McGee were a disgrace to Irish-American journalism by their foulness and mendacity’ (Four Years of Irish History, 1883, pp. 458, 459, 775).

In 1857 McGee disposed of his newspaper property in America and settled in Montreal. There he started another paper, the ‘New


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 Era,’ which was less successful than the ‘American Celt,’ but he soon achieved a high place in Canadian politics. Within a year of his arrival he was elected one of the three members for Montreal in the Legislative Assembly, and in May 1862, and again in 1864, his eloquence and administrative capacity procured him the important post of president of the council. He devoted much energy to assisting the formation of the Dominion of Canada and the federation of the provinces. ‘To him is due the chief credit of having all over British North America, in the maritime provinces as well as in Ontario, popularised the idea’ (Irishman in Canada, p. 654). When the union was accomplished, in 1867, his post of president was exchanged for that of minister of agriculture and emigration, and he was elected member for Montreal West in the Dominion parliament on 6 Nov. 1867.

McGee resolutely denounced the threatened Fenian invasion of Canada, and supported the prosecution of disloyal Irishmen. A plot to murder him was consequently matured, and in the early morning of 7 April 1868, as he was returning home after a parliamentary sitting, he was shot before his own house in the streets of Ottawa. Public indignation was intense, and McGee was accorded a magnificent state funeral. He left a widow and two daughters, who were provided for by the Canadian government. Twenty thousand dollars were offered for the capture of the murderer, and one P. J. Whelan was taken and hanged.

McGee was gifted with great eloquence, and his verse possessed a strength and terseness not very common in Irish poetry. His prose was virile and picturesque, and his ‘Popular History of Ireland’ is considered the best of its kind. His efforts to promote the union of the Canadian provinces and to render them loyal to England have met with due recognition, while his name is as well known in Ireland as that of any of the Young Irelanders, except Thomas Davis. His dark complexion gave him the sobriquet of ‘Darky’ McGee.

His published works, apart from separately published pamphlets and speeches, and twenty-eight lectures on English, Irish, and Canadian subjects (see, Bibl. Canadensis, pp. 265–7), are:
 * 1) ‘Historical Sketches of O'Connell and his Friends,’ 3rd edit. 12mo, Boston, 1845.
 * 2) ‘Irish Writers of the Seventeenth Century,’ 18mo, Dublin, 1846.
 * 3) ‘Memoir of the Life and Conquests of Art McMurrogh, King of Leinster,’ 12mo, Dublin, 1847.
 * 4) ‘Memoir of C. G. Duffy,’ Dublin, 1849.
 * 5) ‘A History of the Irish Settlers in North America,’ 12mo, Boston, 1851; 2nd edit. 8vo, 1852.
 * 6) ‘Irish Letters,’ New York, 1852.
 * 7) ‘History of the Attempts to establish the Protestant Reformation in Ireland,’ 12mo, Boston, 1853.
 * 8) ‘Catholic History of North America,’ 12mo, 1854.
 * 9) ‘Life of Edward Maginn, Coadjutor Bishop of Derry,’ 8vo, New York, 1857; Montreal, 1857, 12mo.
 * 10) ‘Canadian Ballads and Occasional Pieces,’ 8vo, Montreal, 1858.
 * 11) ‘A Popular History of Ireland,’ 8vo, 2 vols. New York, 1862; another edition in one volume, London, 1869.
 * 12) ‘The Crown and the Confederation’ (‘by a Backwoodsman’), 8vo, Montreal, 1864.
 * 13) ‘Notes on Federal Governments Past and Present,’ 8vo, Montreal, 1865; a French translation appeared in the same year at the same place.
 * 14) ‘Speeches and Addresses, chiefly on the subject of the British American Union,’ 8vo, London, 1865.
 * 15) ‘Two Speeches on the Union of the Provinces,’ 8vo, Quebec, 1865.
 * 16) ‘Poems,’ edited by Mrs. M. A. Sadleir, with introductory memoir and portrait, 8vo, New York, 1869.

 MACGEOGHEGAN, CONALL (fl. 1635), Irish historian. [See .]

MACGEOGHEGAN, JAMES (1702–1763), historian, was born near Uisnech in co. Westmeath in 1702, and belonged to the family known in Irish as CinelFhiachach, so that he was related to Richard MacGeoghegan, the defender of Dunboy in 1602, and to [q. v.], translator of the 'Annals of Clonmacnoise,' as well as to Francis O'Molloy, author of the 'Lucerna Fidelium.' He was educated in France, and entered the church, becoming an abbe. In 1758 he published in Paris 'Histoire de Flrlande, ancienne et moderne,' of which the second volume appeared in 1762, and the third in 1763. Amsterdam appears on the title of vol. iii., but as the paper, type, and most of the ornaments are identical, and as the royal approbation for the first two volumes appears at the end of the third, the place is probably merely an indication that an official approval was not given to the recent politics of the last volume. The work is dedicated to the Irish troops in the service of France, and is a summary of the existing


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McKenzie McKENZIE, MURDOCH, the younger (1743–1829), commander in the navy and hydrographer, born in 1743, was the nephew of Murdoch McKenzie the elder [q. v.] He is said to have been a midshipman of the Dolphin in her voyage round the world under Commodore John Byron [q. v.], 1764-6. In 1771 he succeeded his uncle as surveyor of the admiralty. In 1773 he was surveying the coast of Cornwall, in 1775 the coast of Kent, in 1779 the south coast of Devon. On 5 Aug. 1779 he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant in the navy, but the promotion made no difference in his work. In 1780 he surveyed the channel between the Isle of Sheppey and the mainland, an idea having been started that the Dutch might attempt to get again into the Medway by this passage. In 1781 he surveyed the Needles, at the request of the Trinity House, in order to determine the best way of protecting vessels from the rocks. About this time his eyesight began to fail, but he continued to act as chief surveyor of the admiralty till 1788. His charts were not published till 1804, and it does not appear that he had anything to do with that stage of the work. He was promoted to be commander on 31 Jan.' 1814, and died on 27 Jan. 1829, in his eighty-sixth year (Gent. Mag. 1829 pt. i. p. 188). He is described as of Minehead in Somerset. The confusion between the two hydrographers of the same name is almost inextricable, and the 'Treatise on Marine Surveying' is commonly attributed to the nephew.

 MACKENZIE, ROBERT (1823–1881), miscellaneous writer, born in 1823 at Barry, Forfarshire, where his father was parish schoolmaster, was educated by his father and at a school at St. Andrews. The family moved to Dundee, and Mackenzie was apprenticed as a clerk in a merchant's office, He served in various situations, but about 1843 became reporter to the 'Northern Warder,' which he afterwards sub-edited. He quitted journalism for commerce, and became partner in the firm of Mackenzie, Ramsay & Co., which failed after the crisis of 1857. He then returned to journalism, frequently visited America, and wrote a few books. Just before his death he was actively engaged as agent for the Westinghouse Brake Company. He died at his house in Magdalen Yard Road, Dundee, on 2 Feb. 1881. He had married, first, a daughter of John Home Scott, and secondly a daughter of William Cunningham (1805-1861) [q. v.], and left four children.

His chief works were: 1. 'The United States of America. A History,' London, 1870, 8vo. 2. 'The Nineteenth Century. A History,' London, 1880, 8vo; abridged in 1881 as 'The Reign of Queen Victoria,' 3. 'America. A History,' London, 1882, 8vo. He also edited with notes in 1883 an incomplete edition of 'Gulliver's Travels.'

 MACKENZIE, ROBERT SHELTON (1809–1880), miscellaneous writer, born at Drews Court, co. Limerick, on 22 June 1809, was the second son of Captain Kenneth Mackenzie, an officer in the army, and author of a volume of Gaelic poetry, published in Glasgow in 1796. Robert was educated at a school in Fermoy, co. Cork, where his father held the office of postmaster after his retirement from the army, and at the age of thirteen he was apprenticed to an apothecary in Cork. He seems to have opened a school in Fermoy after serving his term, and in 1825–6 was still in that town, writing poems for the ‘Dublin and London Magazine’ and other journals, over the signature of ‘Sholto.’ The statement that he graduated in medicine at Dublin is unconfirmed by the university register. About 1828 he acted for a short time as editor of a paper at Hanley, Staffordshire. It was in 1828 that his first work, a volume of poems entitled ‘Lays of Palestine,’ appeared in London. After 1830 he went to London, and wrote for various journals, including the ‘Lady's Magazine’ and the ‘London Magazine.’ He contributed biographies to ‘The Georgian Era’ (1832–4), and was engaged on the staff of several London newspapers. In 1834, according to his biographers, he received the degree of LL.D. at Glasgow. Besides writing for the ‘Dublin University Magazine’ (1837–8), he edited the ‘Liverpool Journal’ and corresponded with American papers. He was the first European correspondent for the American press, and in 1852 emigrated to the United States, settling in New York, and engaging in literary work. In 1857 he went to Philadelphia, and there remained till his death on 30 Nov. 1880. The statement that he obtained the degree of D.C.L. at Oxford is an error.

His original writings are not remarkable, but one or two of his compilations are extremely useful. Besides ‘Lays of Palestine’ (London, 1828), he published in England ‘The Dramatic Works of J. S. Knowles,’ with biographical introduction, &c. (4to, London, 1838); ‘Titian, a Romance of Venice’ (3 vols. 12mo, London, 1843); ‘Life of Guizot,’ prefixed to a translation of


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Mackenzie ‘Democracy and its Mission’ (1846); ‘Partnership en Commandite,’ a work on commercial law (8vo, 1847); ‘Mornings at Matlock,’ a collection of stories (3 vols. 8vo, London, 1850).

The remainder of his works, chiefly compilations, with notes and memoirs, were issued in America. His editions of ‘Noctes Ambrosianæ,’ 5 vols. 1854 (another edition, of which only a hundred copies were printed, was published in 1861–3, 4to, the second and fifth vols. bearing the latter date), and Dr. Maginn's ‘Miscellaneous Works’ (5 vols. 1855–7) are of standard value. Other of his productions after leaving England were Sheil's ‘Sketches of the Irish Bar,’ with memoirs and notes (2 vols. 8vo, New York, 1854); De Quincey's ‘Klosterheim,’ with memoir (8vo, 1855); ‘Life of Curran,’ by his son, with additions by R. S. M. (12mo, 1855); ‘Bits of Blarney,’ sketches and stories (12mo, 1855); Lady Morgan's ‘O'Briens and O'Flaherties,’ with introduction (2 vols. 1857); ‘Tresillian, or the Story-tellers’ (12mo, Philadelphia, 1859); ‘Memoirs of Robert Houdin’ (1859); ‘Father Tom and the Pope, or a Night at the Vatican,’ with preface (16mo, Philadelphia, 1868. Mackenzie assigns this famous sketch to John Fisher Murray [q.v.] in error; it was written by Sir Samuel Ferguson [q. v.]); ‘Life of Charles Dickens,’ with hitherto unpublished letters, anecdotes, &c. (12mo, Philadelphia, 1870); ‘Sir Walter Scott, the Story of his Life’ (12mo, Boston, 1871). The three works which Allibone says Mackenzie had in preparation in 1880—namely, ‘The Poets and Poetry of Ireland,’ ‘Men of '98,’ and ‘Actors and Actresses’—were not completed.

 MACKENZIE, SAMUEL (1785–1847), portrait-painter, was born in the parish of Kilmuir, Ross-shire, in 1786 (information from his son), and he is probably the child (name omitted) of William Mackenzie, fisherman in Portlich, Ross-shire, and Ann Mackenzie his spouse, whose birth on 28 Dec. and baptism 31 Dec. 1786 are recorded in the Kilmuir parish register. His father died before he had attained the age of eight, and he became a herd-boy in the service of an uncle. He also worked in the north, under Telford, as a superintendent of stone-hewers. To avoid the press-gang he came on foot to Edinburgh, where he was employed by Dalziel, a marble-cutter in Leith Walk. The arms over the entrance of the Bank of Scotland and the sphinxes in Charlotte Square were carved by him and John Marshall. Deeply impressed by the paintings of Raeburn, he began, at the age of about twenty-five, to study as a portrait-painter. His productions gained for him Raeburn's friendship, and he worked in Raeburn's studio. In 1812, when he was residing in Shakespeare Square, he contributed a portrait of a gentleman to the Exhibition of Associated Artists, Edinburgh, and he continued to contribute to the same exhibitions from 1814 to 1816. He was much employed by George Gordon, fifth duke of Gordon [q. v.], and James Innes Ker, fifth duke of Koxburghe [q. v.], and for a time visited the north annually to paint portraits. In 1821 his full-length of the Duchess of Roxburghe and the Marquis of Bowmont appeared in the first modern exhibition of the Royal Institution, Edinburgh ; and his contributions there from 1826 to 1829 included the group of Mrs. Burns, widow of the poet, and her granddaughter, engraved by William Holl [q. v.] in 'The Land of Burns.' He also painted Lord Brougham. Mackenzie was one of the twenty-four artists who in 1829 were admitted members of the Scottish Academy (, Notes on the Royal Scottish Academy), which obtained its royal charter in 1838, and, with the single exception of 1842, he contributed to every exhibition of that body till 1846, showing mainly portraits. In 1830 he exhibited a portrait of James Silk Buckingham [q. v.] He also exhibited a few genre subjects, such as 'The Beggar Girl,' 1839, and 'The Sailor's Orphan Boy,' 1841. He was considered especially successful in his female portraits, and he painted some fancy heads, several of which have been engraved. Examples of his art are at Floors and Gordon Castles, and in the possession of the Royal Scottish Academy. He was a man of considerable culture, and a good mathematician. He was particularly interested in horology, and constructed sundials for every latitude. Of kindly character, he was especially helpful to young artists. Mackenzie painted the portrait of the Rev. Dr. David Dickson (1780-1842) [q. v.], and modelled the head in Alexander Handyside Ritchie's monument to Dickson in St. Cuthbert's burying-ground, Edinburgh. He died in Edinburgh, 23 Jan. 1847, and was buried in the Warriston cemetery.

 MACKENZIE, the STEWART (1783–1862), widow of Sir Samuel Hood. [See .]


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Rh to perform their proper functions, preferring to spend their time in sports, amusements, or money-making occupations; the skill they displayed and the success they achieved in these pursuits proving that the physiological theory ascribing to them intellectual inferiority was not altogether well founded. Or, if they did exercise their power of veto, it was usually done with respect to some measure which the popular assembly and the country had set their hearts on. As intelligence advanced the people and their elected members grew impatient of the check imposed on their wishes by the chamber of first-borns. The members of the popular chamber chafed at the idea of the fruits of their sagacity and intelligence being liable to rejection by a council of hypothetical dullards, and repeatedly urged the Government to devise some means for putting a stop to this intolerable censorship.

In this state of feeling the minister of the period, who shared the popular feeling, had little difficulty in doing away entirely with the chamber of first-borns, which had come to be considered as altogether out of date and as a useless drag on the machinery of the state. Very little excitement was produced in the country by the abrogation of the upper house, and few even of its members regretted their political extinction, as they had long silently chafed at their imputed mental incapacity. The popular chamber was thus left free to effect those constant changes and reforms which were its chief occupation and pleasure, and which were constantly demanded by the change-loving people, or the demagogues who constituted themselves the exponents of popular wishes.

The kings, seeing all power in the state gradually slipping away from them, made no effort to retain 5em

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130 any. At last the only functions that remained to them were to assist at state ceremonials and to sign state papers.

When it came to this pass, the last king requested to be spared the trouble of signing the state papers, and his request was immediately granted by the chief of the party then in power, and thereafter a commission was appointed to do the signing for him.

But the monarchical fiction was always kept up, and every act of government was said to be performed by the king. The chief of the state was said to be chosen by the king, every act was said to receive the sanction of the sovereign, and though the king had not the slightest power to enact a new law, to choose a minister or to pardon a criminal, no law was passed, no minister appointed, no criminal pardoned, no office in the state bestowed, except in the king's name.

This fiction of the king doing everything was sometimes' made use of by the minister to pass a law against the will of the parliament. When the chief found that he could not persuade the parliament to sanction some measure on which he had set his heart, he would boldly allege that the king had taken the matter into his own hands and passed the measure in spite of the parliament.

Of course, all knew the impossibility of the king doing anything of the sort, but it was considered contrary to etiquette to appear to doubt the king's power in the matter. So the chief would have his own way and the measure became law without a murmur of remonstrance, though all knew what a sham the whole transaction was.

The most striking illustration of this fiction of the king's unlimited power was given when the human king was done away with.

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Rh The chief of the state in those days had a great craze for economy, and he thought he could make a bold stroke for saving money by doing away with the human king, who cost a good deal, and substituting a dynasty of turtles, which would be cheap.

He made his proposal to parliament, and supported it for days by the most cogent arguments. He said the position of a king who had nothing to do was dangerous and demoralizing to both country and king. He might rebel against his lot and enter into a conspiracy against the constitution and even succeed in upsetting it; or, if he did not do so, he would certainly tend to degenerate into a mere idle, luxurious wretch. They had no right to expose the constitution to such danger, or the king to this demoralization. Since they had done away with the king's signature to state documents, the sovereign had now nothing earthly to do except to show himself on occasions of public ceremonials. In other countries the sovereign, however destitute of real power, had always to prove himself to be a person of intelligence by receiving and talking to illustrious persons who might visit the country, or ambassadors who might be accredited to him. But as there was no possibility of such services being demanded from him here, no intelligence whatever was required by him; consequently a turtle would be able to discharge the duties of the office with equal or greater efficiency than the human king. He adduced a hundred other reasons for doing away with the human sovereign, for he was a most fluent orator, but the feeling was so strong against the proposed change, that he saw there was no chance of carrying it by the votes of the members of parliament; so when the progress of the debate convinced

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Mackonochie with Hubbard. Before he was appointed a strong protest was made by a neighbouring clergyman, and as he gradually added to the ceremonies he was subjected to a long series of lawsuits promoted by the Church Association. Lord Shaftesbury, who visited St. Alban's in 1866, made a note on the service in his diary, 'In outward form and ritual it is the worship of Jupiter or Juno;' others regarded Mackonochie as a Jesuit in disguise. In 1865 Mackonochie had become chaplain to the sisterhood of Haggerston. The former chaplain had become a Roman catholic, and shortly after Mackonochie assumed office the superior and several of the sisters went over also.

Throughout the prosecutions to which Mackonochie was subjected the plaintiff was Mr. Martin, a solicitor, who was technically a parishioner. The first trial took place on 15 June 1867, the disputed points being matters of ritual (mixed chalice, altar lights, &c), and in the judgment, given 28 March 1868, by Sir Robert Phillimore [q. v.], several points were decided in favour of Mackonochie, and others against him. No order was made as to costs. On appeal to the privy council, however, practically all the points were decided against Mackonochie, and he had to pay all costs. On 19 Jan. 1869 a monition was issued directing him to obey the judgment, and on 2 Dec. 1869 a further decision was given against him because he had not obeyed the first judgment, and on 25 Nov. 1870, for continued disobedience, he was suspended for three months. Meanwhile he was inhibited from preaching in the Ripon diocese by its bishop, and at the Liverpool Church Congress Dean Hugh McNeile [q. v.] refused to appear on the platform if Mackonochie's name were on the programme. In 1870, however, Lord Eliot, as a mark of sympathy, made him his domestic chaplain. A fresh suit was commenced in 1874, and on 12 June 1875 he was suspended for six weeks. A further prosecution followed in 1882, but on 1 Dec. 1882 he resigned his living, chiefly to please the dying Archbishop of Canterbury (Tait). In January 1888 he became vicar or St. Peter's, London Docks, but in face of threats of fresh litigation he resigned 23 Dec., and went back to St. Alban's, where he lived and worked unofficially for the rest of his life. In December 1887, being in weak health, he went on a visit to the Bishop of Argyll and the Isles at Ballachulish, and, going out for a walk over the hills, was found dead, 17 Dec. 1887, in the deer forest of Manore, twenty miles from Ballachulish. On 13 Feb. 1888 a memorial fund was inaugurated at St. Alban's, with which additions are being made to the church. Mackonochie was an excellent organiser, and practised the strictest self-denial. The points for which he strove have been generally allowed since. His litigation did much to settle church law, or at all events to show the necessity for settlement.

Mackonochie wrote 'First Principles v. Erastianism,' a number of sermons, London, 1876, 8vo.

 McKOWEN, JAMES (1814–1889), Ulster poet, was born at Lambeg, near Lisburn, co. Antrim, on 11 Feb. 1814, and received an elementary education at a local school. After working as a boy at a thread manufactory he entered Messrs. Richardson's bleach works, Belfast, and remained there during the whole of his active life. About 1840 he had begun to contribute racy poems to the ‘Northern Whig’ and other Ulster papers, generally over the signature of ‘Kitty Connor,’ and he also wrote a little for the ‘Nation,’ using the signature of ‘Curlew.’ One of his pieces, ‘The Old Irish Cow,’ became very popular throughout his native province, while another, ‘The Ould Irish Jig,’ a humorous effusion, is known throughout Ireland. He died on 22 April 1889. His poems have secured him a place in several Irish anthologies, where his name is sometimes misspelt McKeown. Like many other popular Irish poets, his writings have not yet been collected, but there are nine of his poems in ‘The Harp of Erin,’ a collection of Irish verse edited by Ralph Varian (‘Duncathail’), Dublin, 1869.

 MACKRETH, ROBERT (1726–1819), club proprietor, began life as a billiard-marker at White's Club. With money put by as a waiter in the same club he acquired a vintner's business in St. James's Street, and became a valued assistant of Robert Arthur, the original proprietor of White's, who on his death, 6 June 1761, left the property to Mackreth, then about to marry his only child, Mary Arthur (the wedding took place in October). Mackreth apparently retained this property until his death, but managed the club through an agent, a near relation of his whom he calls 'Cherubim'


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132 him that he must certainly be defeated, he suddenly rose in his place, unfolded a paper, called a royal warrant, which had been entirely concocted by himself, without even the king's knowledge, and read to the astonished assembly a formal abrogation by the king of the dynasty of human kings and the substitution of a dynasty of turtles. Parliament was completely checkmated, but they did not resent this self-evident absurdity out of loyalty to the king who had just been superseded; and thus it was that the king of Colymbia formally deposed himself, though it was well known to all that he wished to do nothing of the sort, and had no cognizance of the matter until it was irrevocably accomplished.

The most curious part of the business is that the king accepted meekly his own deposition, and retired into private life without an effort to retain his throne; for, if it was a breach of loyalty in members to find fault with anything nominally done by the king, though he had actually nothing to do with it, so it was unconstitutional in the king to object to anything his ministers or parliament might do, however disagreeable to his feelings, however contrary to his inclinations it might be. Thus it was that parliament submitted to the dethronement of a king they wished to retain, and the king submitted to be dethroned, though he did not like it.

Under the turtle dynasty the same monarchical fiction is kept up, and all actions of the Government are still performed in the king's name—indeed, it made no difference whether the king was man or turtle, for the kingly power was but a name, and even the kingly will had long been nothing but a phrase.

I asked a gentleman who held an important office

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Rh under Government why the fiction of a monarchical constitution was not done away with when the monarchical power was abrogated.

"Well," he said, "we Colymbians do things gradually. We were ripe for the abrogation of the monarchical power, but we are not yet ripe for the doing away with the monarchical name. We all see, of course, as well as you do, that monarchy is a pure fiction, but we are so attached to old names after the thing is gone, that it would probably create a rebellion if a chief of the state were to attempt to do away with the name. Our people are eager for substantial changes in the constitution of the country; but they are so attached to old names and formulas of government that it is only long after the substance is gone that the shadow takes its departure. No doubt when the time comes the name will be abolished, but at present we would feel it strange if our edicts and Government appointments were not made in the name of the king, even though that king is but a turtle."

The hereditary representative of the dethroned human dynasty was a young man of intelligence, passionately fond of sports, and he often made one of our hunting expeditions. He did not seem to regret his exclusion from the throne, in fact, he spoke rather contemptuously of his predecessors who had been contented to occupy the position of royal puppets so long, and said he infinitely preferred the liberty and independence of his own life to the gilded slavery of theirs. He always spoke of the reforming minister who had founded the turtle dynasty with the highest respect, and in a way that showed me he was grateful to him for what he had done. "For," he said, "had I been born in the purple, I should perhaps have

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134 wished to remain in it, and probably should have felt extremely mortified at being deprived of it"

I frequently attended the meetings of parliament, which are held in a vast hall, built on the most approved acoustic principles; for all the speaking here consists of the musical oratory I have before described, and it is contrary to precedent, and, in fact, quite unconstitutional to speak in any other way.

It would, therefore, seem that a chief qualification for membership of the parliament ought to be a proficiency in musical oratory; but this is by no means the case, for many of the members are mere dummy legislators, never addressing the house, but giving silent votes. The chief, however, and his colleagues in office are necessarily adepts in the musical oratory, and the finest illustrations of this wonderful art are sometimes given in the parliament hall. The notes are struck by machinery brought into play by means of a key-board similar to that of our pianos or organs. Each member sits in a comfortable arm-chair on the floor of the hall, with a desk before him on which is this key-board. The keys are connected by wires with the great instrument occupying the acoustic focus of the hall which is of elliptical shape. Electricity is the means by which the touch on the keys is conveyed to the instrument. A thin rope, composed of the wires that communicate between the key-board and instrument, stretches from each member's seat to the instrument, which is fixed at a considerable elevation. These ropes form a graceful canopy over the members' heads, that is highly ornamental owing to the ropes being variously coloured and harmoniously arranged.

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Rh The bursts of eloquent music, or musical eloquence I should rather say, that are elicited by some of the orators are often magnificent. Others, again, less gifted with oratorical powers, sometimes flounder away among the notes, producing nothing but discord. These speakers are not listened to; their attempts to speak are drowned in a clamour set up by the audience, produced by striking a small hammer on a metallic knob, which causes a loud, harsh noise, and indicates disapprobation.

Applause is expressed by striking a glass bell, with which each member is provided, and which brings forth an agreeable musical note.

It is remarkable how well adapted the musical oratory is for expressing, not only emotions and passions, but raillery, sarcasm, innuendo, refined wit and broad humour.

Some orators would excite the risible faculties of members to such a degree that neither the sanctity of the place, nor the inconveniences attending the art, would prevent them exploding into loud guffaws.

The effect of this laughter was often more comic to my mind than its exciting cause. Along with the cacchination, there issued from the laughers' mouths great bubbles of air, which quickly ascended through the whole height of the hall, threading their way among the ropes, until they attained the large glass dome or air-reservoir at the top. A hundred or more of these large bubbles proceeding out of the mouths of as many members had an exceedingly droll effect.

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HE young people of both sexes in Colymbia are excessively fond of racing. They train seals to run, or rather swim, races for them; and much money changes hands on these occasions, for the Colymbians are given to betting like their terrestrial fellow-creatures. Almost every gentleman keeps his seal, as these sagacious animals, whom the Colymbians facetiously term their poor relations, are of a great variety of uses, more especially for watching the house and destroying crabs, cuttles and other vermin. By careful breeding, a very fine-bodied, broad-flippered and long-armed seal has been developed, which is used almost exclusively for racing and hunting purposes.

It is delightful to see the eagerness and intelligence displayed by these animals in their encounters, which form one of the favourite amusements of all classes of Colymbians. The course is marked out by posts, on the outside of which the racing seals must keep, otherwise their chance is forfeited. A starter arranges them in line, and at a given signal the seals, decorated with their masters' colours, dart away with the rapidity of an arrow. They display the utmost sagacity in

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Rh availing themselves of all the ruses the most cunning jockey on the turf could employ. It was beautiful to observe how an artful old seal would allow the younger ones to make the running at the commencement and exhaust themselves, and then putting on a tremendous spurt would gain a forward position, give his opponents his wash, and effectually prevent them getting ahead again.

All classes, and both sexes, assist at these races, which are, indeed, the most popular amusement of the country. But the Colymbians have many other sports. Thus, they have what we may call coursing matches, with seals. A small, bright-coloured fish, with large pectoral fins of a beautiful blue colour, a sort of gurnard, is let loose and two or more seals sent after it. In this case, the sportsmen require to follow their seals, which sometimes lead them a considerable distance before the fish is captured by one of them. The short body and large fins of the fish enable it to turn very abruptly, which the seals are unable to do, and though the latter are the faster swimmers, the fish often baffles its pursuers by its zig-zag course.

The young men have also races among themselves scarcely less popular than the seal races.

In order to increase their speed, they fasten on to their feet sandals with a stout leather sole, from which projects a sort of circular fan that expands when the leg is thrust out and collapses when it is retracted, thus giving a greatly increased resisting surface to help the onward progress of the swimmer. These fans are strictly limited to a certain size, so that no competitor shall have an advantage over the others, and the races are swum with wonderful quickness.

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138 In some of the races the competitors all start at once and on equal terms, and the strongest swimmer or best stayer is the victor. In other races the competitors are handicapped, some being allowed a few seconds' start in advance of their opponents. In yet other races the handicapping is done by the best swimmers being, not weighted, but lightened by means of bladders full of air attached to them, which reduce their speed and bring them to more equal terms with less powerful competitors.

Crowds assemble to witness the prowess of these athletes, and it is amusing to watch the eager excitement of the friends, male and female, of the swimmers.

Each on starting takes a full inspiration of the oxygenated air, and much depends on the staying power of the swimmer and on his capacity for finishing his course without a fresh inspiration. It often happens that a swimmer who seems to be certain of an easy victory, is forced to sacrifice his chance in order to get a fresh breath of air, and it is curious to observe the rush the victor immediately makes to an air-pipe the instant he reaches the goal.

When the course is very long the swimmers are allowed to carry with them a bottle of compressed air, but for the shorter courses this is not permitted, and the competitors have to do with the one inspiration they take at starting. The victor in the shorter races often owes his victory more to the capacity of his lungs than to his muscular power.

There are races also for the ladies, and nothing could be more delicious than to see their graceful forms gliding through the crystal waters, their

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