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Sociology

Poverty - by James Platt

demanded the surrender of the ship, explaining all the news of the recapture of Toulon by the Republican forces. The English captain expressed his surprise at this intelligence, and the French officer replied, " Such is the fortune of war." The English captain asked him politely to step into the cabin and partake of some refreshment "over the fortune of war," and to learn fuller particulars of the capture. He found means to let the first lieutenant know the state of things, and to do his best whilst he engaged the French officer's attention (who was a military man). The cable was quietly slipped, the topsails unfurled, and drifting with the tide out of the harbour, the batteries being only manned with sentinels, as it was nearly dark. No suspicion was aroused until she was outside, when the drums beat to quarters, and the forts opened fire. But the wind freshening, she put such a distance between her and the forts that their fire was harmless. The noise of the drums and artillery fire startled the French officer, and he asked what was the cause, and was told they had run out, and if