A PASSAGE AT ARMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2299, 24 March 1898, Page 55

A PASSAGE AT ARMS.

Whilst the siege or Leith yeas goings on, the skirmishing was not confined to the southern side of the Forth. Crossing to the other side, the French established themselves in Kingborn, and, sallying forth, laid waste all the adjoining country, sparing neither Papist nor Brotestanr, and even pillaging tha estates of their own confederates. Amongst tha ebie f sufferers from their depredations and wanton destruction of property was Sir William Kirkcaldy, whose house was deliberately blown up. N«xt day he sent a characteristic communication to the French leader, DOysel. He t-jld him that, tjp to that hour, he had acted considerately towards the F>eucb, and fayed their lives when he raight have allowed their throafce to be cat. But he warned him not to expect such treatment for the future. "As for Monsieur D'Ojsel," reports the chronicler, •• he bade sayto^him he knew he would not gee him to skirmish with, because he knew he was but a coward. Sue it might be he should require »iini in fall, either in Scotland or in France."

The French soon -learnt to their cost that Kirkcaidy had not been indalging in meie braggart threats. At the head of a thousand horse, and accompanied by the Master oil Sinclair, bs lay in wait for them day aod night, and made it unsafe for them to ye;. - tore out of Kinghorn except in large bodies One of his exploits was 'the capture cf three ships, lsden with victuals, end the slaughter of some 60 Frenchmen that were on board. Another, of which the details have been recorded, resulted i.i tbe death cf the French captain, L'Abast, and of 40 cr 50 of his men. L'Abaat, having sallied out irooci Kinghorn, 'vas plundering as usual, sparing " neither sheep, oxen, kye, nor horse." When he and his men got sufficiently far inland to make it impossible for reinforcements to come to them from the main body, Grange, who had been following their movements, charged down upon them with a company of his horsemen. Trie French beat a hasty retreat as far as GUenrsis House, into which they threw themselves. Whilst some occupied the mansion, others took up their position within the courtyard. The assailants were at considerable disadvantage, for they were armed with spears only ; and their horses were useless to them in an attack against men posted behind sfcone walte. The French, on the contrary, all had arquebuses. Undeterred by the odds against him, Kirkcaidy ordered his men to, dismount and led them to the assault. As they advanced, they were met with a sharp fire that iDJored several of them — amongst others, Sir William's brother David. There was one critical moment of hesitation, which would probably hav.e beea followed by a disordered and disastrous retreat but for the courage ef the Scottish leader. " Fie ! " he cried to his men. " Let us never live afrer this dsy if it is to be said we recoiled before Frecch skybalds 1 " Then rushing forward with the Master of Sinclair, and followed by others whom his words had roused, he succeeded ia forcing his way into tbe courtyard. The death of L'Abast, who, though borne down by the impetuous inrush, refused to ask for quarter, threw the French into confusion. Few of those outsido the

escaped the fierce slaughter that followed ; whilst those within it were glad to surrender at discretion. From that day, as the chronicler drily remarks, " the French were more circumspect in straying abroad." At Tullybodie, too, there was some sharp fighting for possession of the bridge. But though Kirkcsldy succeeded in cutting It down, the check to the advance of the "French was only temporary. They retired to Doune, where they crossed the river by meana of a bridge, which they built of timber torn from the roof of th« parish church. j Kirkcaldy and Sinclair did not on ' this harassing mode of warfare without con- j siderable danger to themselves. On one ] occasion the master bad his horse slain under | him, and barely got off with his life. Oa another, Grange was nearly captured in his own house at Halyards. Referring to these narrow escapes Maitland of Lsthington bears te&timony to the estimation in which the dashing leaders were held, and to the value set on their services by the Lords of the congregation. "If at this time they should have lost the services of the said two men," be wrote, 'fit "would have been to them- more "hurt than 1 to the , Frenchmen to have lost a thousand Soldiers ; it would nave beemnore sk&ith ithan to b&ve had all the .Frenchmen in Scotland slain*" John Kuox, in. a letter' to' Mrs Ann Locke, also make 3 admlrjug and grateful mention of Kirkcaldy's achievements. " God will recompense him I doubt not," he says ; " for in this cause and since the beginning of this last trouble especially he has behaved himself: so* boldly a3 never man of our nation hath deserved more praise.. He hath been in many clangers, and yet God hath delivered him above man's expectation. He was shot at Lundie, right under the left pap, through the jack, doublet, and Bark, and the bullet did strike in one of his ribs. Mr Whitelaw hath gotten a fall, by the 'which he is unable to bear ajmsour. But, Gid be praised, both their lives be saved." — *' Kirkcaldy of Grange," by Louis A. Barbe. THE DATS OF PBIYATEERIFG. Livkepool's Early Contbaband Tkade in Manchester Goods Mr Heinemann has just published, from ' the pen of Mr Gonier Williams, a " History . of the Liverpool Privateers and Letters of Marque, with an account of the Liverpool | Slave Trade." Privateering is a subject of ■ no sligV* importance in naval history, ' though less so in connection with our navy t than with that of France. The British Ad- j miralty regarded it as a nuisance, and did little to ei><^ar*ge it ; and it was only when the course- A trade. was seriousjy interfered ■with that privateering, as such, received any j large development in this .country. But it i Happened that such interferences weighed i more heavily on Liverpool than oh any other seaport in the kingdom. Why this was so . is lucidly explained 'in Mr Williams's pages. During the eighteenth century the commerce of Liverpool "was in negro slaves and in the shipping of contraband goods to the Spanish j West Indies. , ii J eace was absolutely essen- , tial to the successful carrying on of such ; trades ; primarily, peace with Spain, and ! then with our colonies, but generally peace , everywhere. In 1739, however, war with ' Spain interrupted the contraband trade ; in 1776 war with our colonies put a stop to the American trade ; and in 1779 war in the West Indies rendered the negro trade too risky. At these times, then, the Liverpool ; merchants found an alternative and fairly ; lucrative industry in privateering ; and thus j it comes about that the history of English privateering is very largely a history of the , rise and growth of Liverpool. And the rise and growth of Liverpool is, in turn, intimately associated with the slave trade, while ' indirectly even Manchester had an influence ; in bringing about this unhallowed associa- - tion. What led to this strange development Mr Williams tells in the following words : — " The great wealth of merchants of London and Bristol enabled them to enjoy a practical monopoly of the African slave trade for ■ a long period prior to Liverpool having any . share in it. Liverpool adventurers with a ' small capital were unable to equip vessels and purchase goods specially adapted to the African market and of no use outside of that market, nor could they afford to wait the uncertain results of round voyages, some- ' times prolonged to more than a year, and ' subject to terrible dangers unknown to any -other description of trading adventures. '< iCarly in the eighteenth century,' however, * successful x'ivalship with Bristol in export- , ing provisions * and coarse checks and silk handkerchiefs of Manchester make to the , Wesfc Indies and the Continent of America, eventually enabled the merchants of Liverpool to.partcipate in the more lucrative slave traffic. While Liverpool obtained from this competition a sudden accession to her commerce* which filled her warehouses with sugar, rum, and other West India produce, the trade of Bristol to the West Indies declined. The checks of Manchester, carried in Liverpool ships, ousted from that market the C4erman, French, and Scotcii jsnaburgs exported from Bristol." Bristol, Jms driven from the West Indian trade proper, threw all its energies into the slave iraJe j and succeeded in beating London out of the ! field, while Liverpool had almost a mono- j poly of the contraband trade carried on with the (Spanish settlements :— " Spain shipped to her colonists in America French and Ger- : man checks, stripes, and osnaburgs, under a duty of 300 per cent. To evade this ex©rbita'nt impost the Spanish West India . traders ran down in schooners and large canoes from Havannah, Portobello, and Carthagena to Jamaica to purchase Manchester goods, which they found not only cheaper, but superior in quality to those made in France and Germany. A growing demand resulted in ample returns in specie to Liverpool and Manchester, and in spite of the vigilance of the Spanish Guarda Costa this trade flourished for about 20 years "- - Mercury. GAMBLING IN THE BRITISH ARMY. One has only to be conversant with the inner workings of barrack life to know that gambling in the army is by no means extinct. The limits to which a soldier may go in his speculations is narrowed entirely by the smallness of his pay, which is not on lines to pomote excessive gambling. He is subject to little other restriction. Betting

' of course, is sternly forbidden, and if a gambling " school," as ifc is called, gets caught, its component parts receive a severe lecture or are " confined to barracks " for a specified number of days. There is something particularly funny in a i major, who himself is head and ears over in gambling debts, gravely rebuking his men for falling into such pernicious habits. Probably, however, lie is all the more qualified for the task ; and certainly an artillery colonel, who owned a racehorse which never could win, though always well backed, thought so. " Men," began this officer, addressing six surpris.ee! and heavy-eyed gamblers, " it's a ruinous bad thing this betting, and I think I ought to know. Never let me catch you again at it, or, by Jove, I'll fine each of you so that you can't gamble for six months." Many people know with what precision barrack lights are extinguished, but " where lis Tommy when the gas goes out ? " To ; suggest that he is in his narrow bed is not | always hitting the nail on the head. A mess is either gambling or non-gambling. Half measures are unknown, and a private whose domicile is in oue of the former, but who rather wishes it were in the later, bows to the taste of the majority with wonderful good nature. Shortly after the'Govenuperit ■ lights' have departed for the night the gam- '■ bling coterie throw a blanket over the mess j table, so that the sound of money may be- j come deadened, and a tallow "dip, shaded to diffuse its light downwards, is fixed up. Then the cards, for it is tolerably certain j to be cards, are dealt out, and the struggle j for appropriation begins. There are three j card games looked upon with particular favour by Tommy Atkins — viz., '".Nap," '•Banker," and "Brag." The last-named is worthy of some little description, for it is pre-eminently the soldier's money game, anJ is not so generally known as the others. The principle of " brag," as the name implies, is simply one of bragging. It is a terribly speculative game, chance being its main feature. Each player having been duly served with three cards, the dealer begins by throwing a sixpence, it may be, on the table. If his neighbour has received a poof " hand," and is not spendthrifty, he unhesitatingly returns his trio to the pack, and incurs no liability. But, probably, in a company of half a dozen players three or four will have bufficient confidence to cover the dealer's coin. ' l Then bsgins the bragging proper. Closely scanning their cards the survivors will continue''increasing the original stake till half their number drop -out, either because the bragging of their opponents frightens them or their capital is not elastic enough. If the couple left in compromise they compare " hands," and the ownership of the consolidated stock is decided by the highest counting value. It frequently happens, however, that a player with a wretched " hand " brags with such vigour that his opponents sheer off disheartened, leaving him, to their intense chagrin when they learn the truth, in possession of the spoil. It will thus be gleaned that there is practically no limit to the money that may change hands at " brag." While cards hold premier place as a speculative medium there are other ways in which the soldier may circulate his spare money. Only the more level-headed Tommies have a leaning to draughts, while billiards are at a discount, and neither game resolves itself into a gambling one. It is quite the other way with domiuoes, where at a halfpenny a pip money may quickly be made to go. When a typical Tommy Atkins finds himself a heavy winner the barracks will scarcely contain him — at least till he has made serious inroads into his wealth. Money, he finds, goes with more advantage in town, where there is also the pleasing prospect of losing a few shillings on a street-corner race tip In a certain battery south of London a gunner introduced a unique form of speculation, which, from the innocent design of deciding who was to " stand treat," blossomed out into quite a gigantic gambling concern. This man brought into the mess room one evening a few paper bags, and placing each j balloon-shape, on the floor, offered two drinks to one to the person who would fore- : cast the bag to soar highest. The top corners of the bags were then ignited, and up they majestically sailed roofwards — one or ! two with fierce rapidity, only to collapse \ half way ; others to mount with deliberate ; slowness till they almost the ceil- | ing. The vagaries of the " pocks " were alto- ' gether so entertaining that as a gambling medium the sport caught on immensely. Every paper bag was treasured, and even the local bakers were appealed to ; and when a Tommy fancied he had a champion " riser," he planked down his money with a vengeance. The promoter distinguished himself, however, by capturing nearly every sweepstake. No matter how old or dis-reputable-looking was the bag he placed upon the field, it Avas pretty sure to rub against the roof, while rivals hovered sickly lin mid-air. It was seriously projected to handicap all bags "run" by this competitor, with the aid of pieces of coal placed on top, till finally he confessed that their phenomenal rising capacity was simply due to his | crumpling them before ignition. ; Another soldier founded a new edition of I a roulette board, made from a box lid, which [ latterly possessed so strong a fascination for his corporal that, fearing the latter might j lose heavily some day and " blow " the sport, | he kindled the mess fire with it. But it is in barracks abroad that gambling : is carried en with real vigour by our soldiers. Here the private is not only better paid, but Ims more leisure and less means of . spending either. In India it is no uncom- ! mon thing for a gambling " school " to remain out of bed feverishly 'dealing and playing until the morning parade interrupts the sitting. Men who have lost their last pice will continue up stolidly watching the vaga- ! ries of chance. It is, by the way, considered most unlucky to lend a " broke " player money. A private once ran against the suuersition to oblige a non-com., and the latter had the excessive bad taste to clean every anna out of the company with. the aid i of his borrowed capital. J In a well-known Punjab station the men ! regularly adjourned when on gambling bent ' to a little thatched bungalow known by the salubrious name of "Cholera Shed." For many years the building was used for this purpo&e by all and sundry, sergeants and cor-

porals spooring down whenever convenient. A man coming fresh out of the hospital with accrued pay of, perhaps, 100 rupees to his credit, was pretty certain to pay his respects to " Monte Carlo," as the shed was re-chris-tened Quite recently, however, a non-com. , mad at having lost his month's pay in this den, vowed he'd have no more of it, and dashing down a paraffin lamp, which supplied the place with light, the oil burst into ilame, and " Monte Carlo " was in a few minutes a smoking heap of ashes.