A BAND OF BRITONS. 83 



was a few miles off ; and, although its coast at this part was a salt-marsh, with mangrove- 

 trees growing out in the water so thick and entangled that it almost prevented them 

 landing, every soul was got off safely. Good feeling and sensible councils prevailed. At 

 first there was no fresh water to be obtained. It was 



" "Water, water everywhere, 

 Yet not a drop to drink." 



In a short time, however, they dug a deep well, and soon reached plenty. Then the Malays 

 attacked and surrounded them ; at first a few score, at last six or seven hundred strong. 

 Things looked black ; but they erected a stockade, made rude pikes by sticking their knives, 

 dirks, and small swords on the end of poles ; and, although they had landed with just seventy- 

 five ball-cartridges, their stock soon grew to fifteen hundred. How ? Why, the sailors set 

 to with a will, and made their own, the balls being represented by their jacket-buttons 

 and pieces of the glass of broken bottles ! Of loose powder they had, fortunately, a sufficient 

 quantity. The Malays set the wreck on fire. The men waited till it had burned low, 

 and then drove them off, and went and secured such of the stores as could be now reached, 

 or which had floated off. The natives were gathering thick. Murray made his sailors a 

 speech in true hearty style, and their wild huzzas were taken by the Malays for war-whoops : 

 the latter soon "weakened," as they say in America. From the highest officer to the 

 merest boy, all behaved like calm, resolute, and sensible Britons, and every soul was saved. 

 Lord Amherst, who had gone on to Batavia, sent a vessel for them, on board which Maxwell 

 was the last to embark. At the time of the wreck their condition was infinitely worse 

 than that of the Medusa ; but how completely different the sequel ! The story is really 

 a pleasant one, displaying, as it does, the happy results of both good discipline and mutual 

 good feeling in the midst of danger. Nil desperandum was evidently the motto of that 

 crew; and their philosophy was rewarded. The lessons of the past and present, in regard 

 to our great ships, have taught us that disaster is not confined to ironclads, nor victory to 

 wooden walls; neither is good discipline dead, nor the race of true-hearted tars extinct. 

 " Men of iron " will soon be the worthy successors of " hearts of oak." 



Having glanced at the causes which led to the ironclad movement, and noted certain 

 salient points in its history, let us now for a while discuss the ironclad herself. It has been 

 remarked, as a matter of reproach to the administrators and builders of the British ironclad 

 navy, that the vessels composing it are not sufficiently uniform in design, power, and speed. 

 Mr. Reed, however, tells us that la marine moderne cuirassee of France is still more 

 distinguished by the different types and forms of the vessels ; and that ours by comparison 

 wears "quite a tiresome appearance of sameness;" while, again, Russia has ironclads even 

 more diversified than those of France. The objection is, perhaps, hardly a fair one, as the 

 exigencies of the navy are many and varied. We might have to fight a first-class power, 

 or several first-class powers, where all our strength would have to be put forth; some 

 second-class power might require chastising, where vessels of a secondary class might suffice ; 

 while almost any vessel of the navy would be efficient in the case of wars with native tribes, 

 as, for example, the Maories of New Zealand, or the Indians of the coasts of North-west 

 America. In a great naval conflict, provided the vessels of our fleet steamed pretty evenly 

 as regards speed, there would be an advantage in variety; for it might rather puzzle and 



