328 Notice of Sketches of Naval Life. 



vision, both in kind and variety, laid in for the crew — the 

 greater attention paid, in every way, to their comfort ; and 

 the alleviation found in coffee, spruce beer, diluted acids, 

 and even French wines, will probably reconcile them entire- 

 ly, to their new regimen. Who can say that a similar experi- 

 ment cannot be successfully made in the navy, even without 

 using those abundant means of enforcing subniission, which 

 should be resorted to only in the last extremity, and which 

 are so effectual on other occasions. Who can decide, that 

 a war ship, on whose colors was inscribed, no grog-, but more 

 comfort and better pay, would not enlist a crew of contented 

 sober men, who, in battle would be sustained by cool moral 

 courage, and who, on coming into port, would not disgrace 

 their country's flag, by immoralities which our author, else- 

 where, so feelingly laments, and so justly attributes to strong 

 drink. 



In accordance with the spirit of this work, we may be al- 

 lowed to add, with respect to the physical effects of stimulus ; 

 that it creates no power, it only acts on power already exist- 

 ing, and excites to effort ; a wastmg effort of course, if often 

 repeated, under the influence of stimulus. The spur quickens 

 the generous courser to leap the ditch, or to scale the fence ; 

 but, both the stimulus and the effort tend to impair the ani- 

 mal energy, which can be renewed only by repose and food. 

 It would, perhaps, be hard to say, that there is no possible 

 contingency, in which it may be proper to prompt human ef- 

 fort, by a measured stimulus of alcohol ; but certain it is, 

 that such cases are few, and far between. The continued 

 use of the stimulus of ardent spirits creates local disease in 

 the organs ; and ultimately in the system ; and as in its pure 

 state, it is decidedly and powerfully a poison, operating with 

 rapid and fatal energy ; so in its more diluted forms, it works 

 the same way, and produces a sure although a more tardy 

 catastrophe. 



Mr. Jones's travels contain a nuniber of notices of natural, 

 or other objects connected with science. In the harbor of 

 Mahon, where the squadron passed so much time, he found 

 many interesting things. He says, 



" As I sauntered along its shores, my attention was drawn to a 

 beautiful flower, at the bottom, where the water was near a 

 fathom in depth. It grew on a stalk about three eighths of an 

 inch in diameter, and about ten inches in length ; was, in shape, 



