1845.] FLIGHT OF STUDENTS. 15 



our visitors were many who spoke Dutch, and wished 

 much to find persons on board who could converse in that 

 language, but this the authorities did not approve of, and 

 as we had but one, and he understood but little, he was 

 kept out of the way. 



One of the young students understood English slightly, 

 could pronounce a few English words, and readily caught 

 at every expression, recording it in his note book. He had 

 proceeded so far as to write several of the names of the 

 Officers in English, when it was probably noticed by some 

 of the authorities ; and as my readers have, doubtless, fre- 

 quently noticed a dead silence amongst a collection of noisy 

 sparrows, followed by a sudden chirrup and flight, with- 

 out any visible cause, so it happened with these young 

 students ; who, without any apparent authority, hurried 

 off" very suddenly to the boats. I strongly suspect that 

 many of our visitors were persons of high rank in dis- 

 guise. The greater number wore two swords, denoting 

 gentlemen of consideration ; and from the devices or 

 crests (in solid gold), noticed upon the hilts of those 

 worn by one or two rather distingue individuals, and 

 which I was assured were armorial bearings, and duly 

 acknowledged amongst themselves, I was induced to 

 draw comparisons to similar outlines of the badges on 

 the shoulders of the attendants, who were in their turn 

 designated as the retinue belonging to persons of high 

 rank. Coupling their emblems with those on the swords, 

 and the evident connection of master and follower, I had 

 travelled rather too fast in my chain of reasoning, forgetting 

 that discovery would very soon leave me deserted ; and 

 such was the result of my asking, if the person behind 

 my nearest friend was one of his retainers. They did not 



