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LIEUTENANT PETERSON.
they now stand before me. But, alas ! their beauty is all gone,—their discoloured leaves seem to mourn their own dishonour ; and only that " the scent of the roses hangs round it still," I should scarcely know what the vase contains. After resting in a cool apartment for some time, and taking a glass of lemonade which Pomona herself would not have refused, the carriage was ordered to the door, and we were in the act of stepping in, when it occurred to us that this was a good opportunity to visit the spot where Lieut. Peterson received his death wound. I have already mentioned, in the historical part of this work, this unfortunate incident, but, with the permission of my readers, I must again allude to it. At the time of the occurrence, Lord Camelford commanded the " Favourite," sloop of war, and Commodore Fahie the ship "Perdrix," Mr. Peterson holding the rank of first lieutenant on board the last-named vessel. Commodore Fahie had left Antigua a short time before, to take temporary command of the fleet, then anchored before St. Kitts,* and during his absence, Lieutenant Peterson was, of course, left in command of the " Perdrix." It was the custom, in those troubled days of warfare, for boats to row backwards and forwards across the harbour during the hours of night, the sailors of the different ships in the dock, headed by one of their officers, taking it by turns to keep this watch ; and the sleeper might often be roused from his dreams as the deep-toned all's well resounded through the still night air. Lord Camelford and Lieutenant Peterson were unhappily at variance ; and, perhaps to mortify his rival, Lord Camelford ordered Mr. Peterson to take the watch upon the very evening that a gay ball was to be given at Blacks Point to the naval officers. Unfortunately Lieutenant Peterson entertained the idea that as he was in command of the ship " Perdrix," in the absence of Commo* Of which island he was a native.
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