MEDICAL SCIENCE IN ST. DOMINGO. A fact communicated to Sir William Burnett by the late Lieutenant M. Fitton, R.N. Whoever has seen the once happy island of St. Domingo in its state of high cultivation, must feel regret for its present desolation,the mere scoria of a volcano,-that volcano the French revolution, that prolific mother of mischief, which, when "Liberty and Equality" had placed power in the hands of the ignorant multitude, and the will of the many became the sovereign law, and that law was bloody. The Negroes proved true copies of the whites, who had boasted that they had made their enemies "bite the dust." Whether they bettered the instruction, I shall not say. I could furnish some incidents which would enable others to decide, and now send you one that relates to your profession, in which your eminent abilities have justly placed you at its head. It will show a nearer way, a shorter cut, to professional eminence than what is known even to yourself, certainly never practised by you. On one of the many occasions I had to enter the ports of St. Domingo, during the massacre of the whites-men, women, and children, -I anchored during the night in Cape Nicolo mole for a supply of wood and water. At the dawn, the quarter-master, who had the look out, reported a canoe paddling off with two blacks, who, by their rig, he took to be officers. The first that mounted the side held the ropes in his hands, looking forward and then aft, saying, "We come to see English mana-war. We hear much of English man-a-war." "Entrez, Messieurs," said I, and I will show you mine. (I had six three-pounders.) They looked about with an air of importance to impress an idea of their knowledge in such matters, frequently exclaiming, "Quelle superbe batiment. Comme qu'il est bien armée!" My servant came and very foolishly said, "Your breakfast is ready, sir." On hearing this they turned quickly round, and said, "We have not breakfasted; we'll take breakfast with you, captain." I was fairly taken aback with their indomitable assurance. I succumbed under it. My genius was rebuked as it is said Antony's was by Cæsar's, so I invited them, although by no means desirous of having two black fellows in my cabin, and the weather steaming hot. He who took the lead as spokesman had on a military embroidered coat, his roots were a bad fit, his splay feet appearing through slits he had cut to get them on. His woolly matted head, bound with a bandana kerchief, surmounted with a three cornered cocked hat, à la Napoleon, enough to occasion combustion of his brains if he had any. I was compelled to pass an unsavoury ordeal,-to pay a tax for my wood and water. Shakespeare has said, "misfortune occasions a man strange bedfellows." I say, war seats a man in a queer breakfast party. My servant, Tom, seeing how matters were arranged, and having a critical eye on the dimensions of my guests, quickly cut some junks from a shark that was hanging over the stern to drain, and frying them with fat salt pork, he made a heavy addition to my spare diet of coffee and turtle eggs. My guests fed like boa constrictas, giving employment to their chemical laboratories for a week to come. Permit me, messieurs, said I, to ask who I have the honour to entertain?—what rank, what grade you hold in the service?'Moi, monsieur le capitaine! je suis Chirurgeon Major," and he bridled up. I expressed my surprise, saying, "I was not aware they had any college or any institution for the due instruction of the medical profession." To which he replied, "Bah, we do not regard those sort of things, cette chose n'est pas nécessaire avec nous." Then permit me to ask by what other way you attained the high rank of Chirurgeon Major?"Par mon mérite," he replied, and again bridled up. I placed my hand on my breast and bowing low said, "I hoped to rise. in my profession by the same honourable means." "Attendez, Capitaine, and I will tell you how it happened. You know General Le Clerc, who commanded au Cap Francois, he that was beau frère to Bonaparte; ce blanc coquin had great occasion for a place of security for his sick and wounded. He chose the little island of Tortue, that is opposite Port au Paix; he built his hospital and thought all secure, --but mark!-me and my compatriots paddled over in the night, surprised the guard, and killed them." I nodded my head and said, "Good!" "And me, monsieur le Capitaine, it was me that had the good fortune to rencontre with the Chirurgeon Major, and I killed him." "Good," said I (something I must say). He rose np and said, "Voilà son hbit, n'est pas bien brodée, mon Capitaine ?"-and he looked on his finery with gloating exultation. I then said, "I think I begin to perceive the nature of your medical merit; you killed the doctor and wear his coat." 66 Oui, oui, c'est moi qui l'a tué." I then inquired what became of the sick and wounded, how they were provided for after killing the doctor? "Oh, why we killed them also." "What, the devil!" I exclaimed; "Did you kill the sick and wounded?" "Oui, oui, tous, pas un n'est sauvé, pas un." I rose and went on deck. I could sit there no longer. I thought I could have stood anything, but they had me at the top of my bent. Now I confess that if I had not been restrained by orders of "strict neutrality," of "non intervention," no tender considerate feeling, no sympathy for "our sable brethren on the other side of the Atlantic," "our fellow men," would have prevented me from seizing "the doctor" and his "mate" and giving them both a dd good flogging. No disparagement to the medical profession. CYCLONES AND SAXBY'S WEATHER SYSTEM. Sir, The chairman of the "Nautical Club," the proceedings of which are so usefully and amusingly recorded in the Nautical Magazine, has raised the question "whether there was really any faith to be placed in weather prophecying?" Very many are anxiously asking the same question, and although a member of the club did me the honour of saying, in your December number, that he had found reason to be satisfied with my "prophecies,” some of your readers may not be aware that I have during the last two years issued nearly a hundred such predictions in the Nautical, months beforehand, and that in no one case have they failed. Now, I will challenge any man living to predict weather from any other means twelve times in succession for three days in advance of the periods, and arrive at so satisfactory a result I have never boasted, nor am I guilty of any selfish motive in the course I pursued. So far as I have felt justified, I have placed all my views at the service of the public and the nautical profession, and have specially endeavoured to avoid all mystery for their sakes. The only use I have made of anonymous abuse has been the strengthening of my position in case of open attack, for which I was, and am now, certainly well prepared. In the Nautical for November last you kindly published my letter (written in October), wherein, at page 624, I particularly cautioned your readers against "the cyclonic periods of November 14th and 15th and December 11th," while I also warned against the periods of 2nd to 6th November and 1st to 3rd December. That I was strictly right in doing so the following will prove : We had a furious gale on the 2nd November; a terrible cyclone on the 14th and 15th November; a very heavy gale on the 1st December; and a terrible cyclone reached the western coast of England on the 11th of December, and was two days travelling across our island. Other points in my theory were also verified by these occurrences, such as the one mentioned in the Nautical at page 623, line 12, (November). But it would not be just to leave the opinion so generously expressed by my (stranger) friend of the Nautical Club unsupported by the best means in my power. Allow me then to state that being in London on the 13th November (the day before my predicted cyclone was "due" at the British Isles), on referring to my aneroid at daybreak of 13th, I saw enough in the "premonitory wave" to satisfy me. Accordingly, at 10h. 30m., I proceeded to the Underwriters' Room at Lloyd's, both to convince them of the sincerity of my convictions and in person to prepare them for the coming hurricane of the next day. That which your correspondent states did occur there in my presence, at Lloyd's, during the day: and while, in answer to questions, I was explaining my theory to some underwriters, one remarked that the barometer had already begun to fall rapidly. There were, however, two formidable difficulties in my way, for, in the first place, the wind on the 13th (Wednesday) was, and had been, steady from E.N.E., with a very cool temperature; and, on the other hand, the official announcement affixed in the room for that period-and which was in several cases quoted against me-suggested a probability of moderate weather till the Friday. As the day wore on, telegrams were, to my knowledge, sent by shipowners to warn ships in the Downs, &c. And the gale did come on the same evening, and spent its fury over London, &c., early in the morning of the 14th, as I had predicted. These indisputable facts I beg to offer in justification of the remark of your facetious correspondent Rodmond. At the special request of several of the underwriters I have written a small book (Longman and Co.) for their further information. But allow me to remark (and I never state publicly as facts what I am not prepared to fully prove) that the theory opens up a vast field for research, and it of course takes me longer to verify and to confirm than it does those who have access to records and facts stored as public property. Nevertheless, I think I foresee one startling result in the application of this theory,-one startling explanation of certain phenomena, which, although it would be imprudent to publish in a crude state, shall, if permitted, be first announced in the pages of the Nautical, always open, as it is, to what may concern the seaman and the man of science;-and I trust that the large circulation which the Nautical has among the mercantile as well as the royal navy will have conveyed to them during the past two years the means of safety to persons and property. Always ready to afford required assistance in explanation, I have, &c., To the Editor of the Nautical Magazine. S. M. SAXBY, R.N. EVENINGS AT HOME AT THE NAUTICAL CLUB:-- The Chairman's Introduction of a New Member-Objects of the Club-The Loss Sustained by the Country in the Demise of the Late Prince Consort-The National Life-boat Institution-The American Difficulty: the Whole Case; the American Senators; Mr. Seward's Sentiments-The Naval Reserve and the Officers of the Merchant Service. The Club-room was warm and snug, just as it should be at Christmas season, Albert and Rodmond, with the Secretary, were discussing the pros and cons concerning the American difficulty, when the Chairman, with a friend under his arm, was ushered in. Here we are, gentlemen, I have brought you a volunteer of the right sort. NO. 1.-VOL. xxxi. Naval? asked Rodmond. Nautical or naval, whichever you like, returned the Chairman, eh? Commodore (presenting him). No matter, we shall know more of that by and bye. Yes, gentlemen, a volunteer, an aspirant for a share in the pleasures of our "evenings at home," The new member was cordially received, and the Chairman proceeded to initiate him into the mysteries of Club management. Here, Commodore, is our sanctum, he said,—here it is that we discuss the world and its doings,-here we contemplate the stream of time, the odds and ends of man's designs as they float along to the shade of oblivion or to honour, conspicuous as it should be,-and here, too, as Pope says, we manage to— Well said, continued the Chairman; very true, friend Rodmond, no bad idea, for that too is our duty. But I was going to say,—and having dealt with the great topics of the day, we get resolved into a "committee of ways and means," as they do in another house, and set to with minor matters, those that mostly are on the road to oblivion,— happy state, free from the cavils, the jeers, the jealousies, the neglectaye, the cold, freezing neglect of the ungrateful world. How correct is old Shakspeare when he says "Blow thou winter wind, Thou art not so unkind For you well know, gentlemen, that Many a flower is born to blush unseen." because it is not worth transplanting from the wild imagination of its author. Our committee of ways and means, sir, sits with closed doors. Our ways are peculiar, as you will find, ministered to by our means, which had better be nameless. In fact, Commodore, we have all passed not a few Saturday nights at sea, when we have had each to look to our own flowing bowl under various difficulties. True, those difficulties vanish on shore, and the discomforts of a club are somewhat less than those of a creaking, rolling ship in a gale of wind, although, it is said, they surpass those of home, but I never thought so,—for "there's no place like home." But, sir, here harmony prevails (I do not mean to say that it is not the case elsewhere) and that is essential to business. Even our ways and means promote harmony, and although in our country all vulgar business is transacted before we dine, yet respectable business like ours is better done afterwards, a season when the world and its affairs move more smoothly than in any |