48 



THE CHARACTER OF A BRITISH SEAMAN. 



Voltaire has the merit of having discovered the 

 physical cause of the superiority of the English at sea. 

 The natives of the South of Europe navigate smooth 

 seas : those of the North are frozen up during the win- 

 ter ; but the English seas are navigated in long, dark, 

 stormy nights, when nothing but great skill and in- 

 cessant exertion can preserve the vessel. Hence arises 

 a degree of confidence in their sailors, which is almost 

 incredible ; the greater the danger, the greater is the 

 activity. Instead of shrinking from toil, every man is 

 at his post. Having no faith in miracles for their de- 

 liverance, they almost work miracles to deliver them- 

 selves ; and, instead of preparing for death, strain every 

 sinew to avoid it. Added to this confidence, they have 

 also in war that which arises from constant success. 

 The English sailor feels that he is master of the sea. 

 Whatever he sees, is to do him homage. He is al- 

 ways on the look-out, not with the fear of an enemy 

 before his eyes, but like a strong pirate, with the hope 

 of gain ; and when going into action with an equal, or 

 even a superior force, he calculates his profits as cer- 

 tainly as if the enemy were already taken. " There,*' 

 said the master of a frigate, when the captain did not 

 choose to engage a superior French force because he 

 had a convoy in charge — "there," said he with a 

 groan, " there's seven hundred pounds lost to me for 

 ever !" As for fear, it is not in their nature. One of 

 these men went to see a juggler exhibit his tricks; 

 there happened to be a quantity of gun-powder in the 

 apartment underneath, which took fire and blew up 

 the house. The sailor was thrown into the garden be- 

 hind, where he fell without being hurt. He stretched 

 his arms and legs, and got up, shook himself, rubbed 

 his eyes, and then cried out, conceiving what had 

 happened to be only a part of the performance, and 

 perfectly willing to go through the whole, " D — the 

 fellow ; I wonder what the devil he'll do next." 



CURSITOR. 



