the man whom her husband had introduced as a miner's son, to be the Swedish hero. The door was blocked up by soldiers. In an instant she replied, without once glancing at Gustavus, who sat motionless with surprise: "If you mean the melancholy gentleman my husband has had here these few days, he has just walked out into the wood on the other side of the hill. Some of those soldiers may readily seize him, as he has no arms with him."

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The officer did not suspect the easy simplicity of her manner, and ordered part of the men to go in quest of him. At that moment, suddenly turning her eyes on Gustavus, she flew up to him, and, catching the stick out of his hand, exclaimed, in an angry voice: "Unmannerly wretch! What! sit before your betters? Don't you see the king's officers in the room? Get out of my sight, or some of them shall give you a drubbing!" As she spoke she struck him a blow on the back with all her strength: and opening a side-door: "There, get into the scullery," cried she; "it is the fittest place for such company!" and giving him another knock, she flung the stick after him, and shut the door. "Sure," added she, in a great heat, never woman was plagued with such a lout of a slave!" "The officer begged she would not disturb herself on his account; but she, affecting great reverence for the king, and respect for his representative, prayed him to enter her parlour while she brought some refreshment. The Dane civilly complied-perhaps glad enough to get from the side of a shrew; and she immediately hastened to Gustavus, whom she had bolted in, and, by means of a back-passage, conducted him in a moment to a certain little apartment, which projected from the side of the house close to the bank of the lake where the fishers' boats lay: she lowered him down the convenient aperture in the seat, and giving him a direction to an honest curate across the lake, committed him to Providence.'

After making this narrow escape, Gustavus was not long in effecting the independence of Sweden. He took the opportunity of a festival, at which the peasants of the canton assembled, and appeared in the midst of them.

His noble and confident air, his misfortunes, and the general hatred against Christian, all lent an irresistible power to his words. The people rushed to arms; the castle of the governor was stormed; and, emboldened by his success, the Dalecarlians—who may be called the Highlanders of Sweden-flocked together under the banners of the conqueror. From this moment, Gustavus entered upon a career of victory. At the head of a selfraised army, he advanced rapidly, and completed the expulsion of the enemy. The Estates first conferred upon him the title of administrator, and afterwards proclaimed him as king. Gustavus, however, was not ambitious of sovereignty, and would rather have remained an elective president, notwithstanding his claims of birth. It was not without a sufficient reason that he hesitated to accept the office of king. At this period (1523) Europe was torn with religious dissensions, and the reigning monarchs had an extremely delicate and difficult task in preserving a balance betwixt the advocates of the reformed doctrines and their adversaries. The behaviour of Gustavus upon this occasion is acknowledged to have been exceedingly prudent. He effected the establishment of reformed usages to the satisfaction of all parties. After performing this important duty, he perfected the legislation, formed by his taste and judgment the character of the nation, softened manners, encouraged industry and learning, and extended commerce. After a glorious reign of thirty-seven years, he died in 1560, at the mature age of seventy.

What became of Sweden after the death of this extraordinary man, is a question which may be asked. It continued a monarchy under his descendants till 1809, when the reigning monarch, Gustavus IV., was expelled from the kingly office for repeated acts of folly and bad government. A collateral branch of the family ascended the throne; but death carrying off the crown-prince, in 1810, the Estates made choice of Bernadotte, one of Bonaparte's generals, as sovereign, and this eminent individual became king of Sweden-which is now united

to Norway-under the title of Charles XIV. His son is now the reigning monarch. In the meanwhile, the expelled imbecile, Gustavus IV., became an eccentric religious fanatic, and for some years furnished amusement to the courtly circles of the continent. His son, we believe, is a lieutenant-colonel in the Austrian service, and takes the name of Gustavson.

YOUNG'S RESIDENCE ON THE MOSQUITO SHORE.*

SOME fifteen years ago, a society under the name of the British Central American Land Company,' was formed for the purpose of carrying out a system of emigration to the Mosquito Shore-a tract of land south of the Gulf of Mexico, and nearly at the spot on which the unhappy settlement of Poyais was attempted to be made thirty-five years since. By the originators of this new scheme, the author of the narrative before us was appointed deputy-superintendent, and his duty, as he tells us, was 'to proceed with a few others to the Mosquito Shore, to form a settlement at Black River, about eighty miles from the central American port of Truxillo, in the state of Honduras, there to establish friendly relations with the people around, so that in time trade might be opened with the Spaniards in the interior, for the introduction and disposal of such British goods as they might be willing to take in exchange.'

With this sufficiently comprehensive commission, the deputy-superintendent sailed from Gravesend in July 1839, in the brig Rose, and after a stormy and far from agreeable passage across the Atlantic, came in sight of that great South American headland, Cape Gracias a Dios, near which the settlement was to be formed. As the

Narrative of a Residence on the Mosquito Shore, during the years 1839, 1840, and 1841, by Thomas Young. London: Smith and Elder. 1842.

vessel approached the place of its destination, the weather, as a matter of course, became unpleasantly hot, and the land as it came into sight was so low, and so covered with dark-green vegetation, as to appear a very fit habitation for the insect whose name it appropriately bears. Landed in a boat from the brig, and surrounded by a parcel of natives half clothed, and speaking a jargon of broken English, picked up by their connection with Balize, the deputy-superintendent found things in a rude and unsatisfactory state, but much pleasure was manifested by the assembled Indians; and an Englishman, previously located near the spot, gave the party a hearty welcome. Having tracked his way through the thick brushwood, adorned with rich odorous plants, to a wigwam prepared for his reception, the deputy-superintendent attempts to give us some description of the country and its inhabitants. His story is terribly confused, but we shall try to make something of it.

The Mosquito Shore is that part of the coast of America lying within the tenth and fifteenth degree of north latitude, immediately south of the peninsula of Yucatan, and with a frontage to the Caribbean Sea. Whether it is pretendedly included in any of the new Spanish - American republics, we are unable to say: practically, it is an independent state, under the rule of a native king, half barbarian, half Anglo-creole, named Robert Charles Frederic, a gentleman who, we are informed, received his education in Jamaica, wears a naval officer's uniform, and is friendly to the English. It is stated that he owns allegiance to the British government, but this is not clearly made out; and it only appears that his majesty considers himself in some way under British protection, the fear of his country falling into the hands of the neighbouring Spaniards most likely leading him to make this concession of supreme authority to a friendly power. The English settlements at Balize, and one or two other parts of the coast of Honduras, a short way to the north, formed and supported to aid the shippers of mahogany, further lead to this good-will and submission of the chief of

the Mosquitos. A few days after their arrival, the deputysuperintendent and his companions were visited by the king, accompanied by a number of soldiers and quartermasters. On being presented, and delivering our credentials and gifts, he appeared highly delighted, and taking each of us by the hand in turn, said slowly and distinctly: "You are my very good friend;" altogether, he made a most favourable impression. A day or two afterwards, a native, named Deverin, who had been guilty of killing Lyndia, an aunt of the king, was seized and brought to justice.

'The next morning the trial commenced before three magistrates and the king; all the white people at the Cape, and several natives, attended. The king was dressed in his plain clothes, but had his naval sword and hat with him. He listened attentively, and repeatedly testified his pleasure at having the prisoner tried in the English fashion. A jury having been formed, and a person well acquainted with the language appointed as interpreter, several witnesses fully proved that the prisoner had maliciously shot Lyndia, the king's aunt. He said nothing in his defence. He was, therefore, after a patient investigation in the open air, under some cocoanut trees, unanimously found guilty by the jury, and sentenced to be hanged. To this sentence the natives around shewed no symptom of dissent or dissatisfaction. The prisoner betrayed no emotion, but simply requested that the sookeah woman (native doctor), who advised him to the deed, might be sent for. Messengers were immediately despatched, who soon returned bringing the wretched woman, who had by her advice brought the prisoner to an untimely end. After a long conversation, the king started up, saying angrily: "Let the woman go! -take the man away-to-morrow he dies!" Next day, accordingly, the execution took place; the king at the same time causing it to be proclaimed, that any of his people who did wrong, should be hung, and warning them to beware of putting faith in, or following the bad advice of, the sookeahs.' This circumstance gives a favourable