the most cruel and ignominious punishment man can inflict upon his fellow men, is still enforced in the english naval service; though many indignantly deny it, and stigmatize this story as "a libel on the british navy." unfortunately for "blue jackets" this is not so, and the novel is founded on facts, as i have been in the service, and, on many occasions, seen sailors subjected to most painful degradation at the caprice of those, who, because they were officers, seemed to forget that the men possessed feelings in common with them. as facts are the best proofs, i quote the "london daily news," november 7, 1870, which records that on october 30, 1870, a scene, similar in barbarity to the one described in the fifth chapter, occurred in plymouth sound, england, on board the "vanguard" (captain e. h. g. lambert), "within hearing of a large number of women and children, who were waiting permission to go on board the iron-clad."

it may interest readers to know, that the adventures of j. thompson, a. b., among "the heathen chinee," are not entirely fictitious, the descriptions of the peculiar habits of "the coming man" being from personal observation during a lengthened sojourn in china.

edward greey.

new york, january 1, 1871.