The "Narval" 



themselves — perhaps because they feel it is part of their 

 profession to be shot now and then, and find the scrupulous 

 public object to performing their legitimate share in the 

 transaction. I read in the Granada newspaper, a curious 

 story of the suicide of a notorious robber the other day, 

 near Seville. It appeared that he had been robbing a horse- 

 dealer, but whether his desperation proceeded from remorse, 

 which seemed improbable, or from a quarrel with his sweet- 

 heart, which is, perhaps, still more so, the writer had not 

 been able to make out." 



" Perhaps he shot himself by accident," said I ; and the 

 conversation turned. 



Well, the pilot's boat took us aboard the Narva/y a for- 

 midable large black war-steamer. We were relieved of 

 some slight uncertainty, as to how such strange figures 

 would be received, by the lieutenant, who politely addressed 

 us in very good English, and after making our acquaint- 

 ance in about two minutes, introduced us to his brother 

 officers. 



We breakfasted with the gamelle^'^ and afterwards smoked 

 and delivered a lecture on the English language, for several 

 of the officers were learning it, but our lieutenant (Morin) 

 had a surprisingly accurate and critical knowledge. The 

 surgeon was musical, and had a book full of Spanish airs, 

 which he had written after Rousseau's method, which, he 

 says, is coming very much into use. The reader will 

 remember that Jean Jacques' first effort was to publish a 

 system of musical notation by numerical figures, instead of 

 those mysterious dots and lines ; but at the time the idea 

 met with no attention. The surgeon played the guitar and 

 sang. 



Morin, from English literature, came to French. His 



• Mess. 

 191 



