My first is in night, but not in day:
My second in hear, but not in say;
My third is in long, but not in short;
My fourth is in sold, but not in bought;

My fifth is in love, but not in hate;
My sixth is in soon, but not in late;
My whole is an Admiral famed in fight,
Who fought and fell for his country's right.
E. S. H.

VII. TRIPLE DECAPITATION.

I am a word of five letters, the name of a mollusc; behead me, and I am a part of the finger; again behead me, and I am indisposed; do so a third time, and I am a French personal pronoun.

OUR PRIZE COMPETITIONS.

In consequence of some misunderstanding as to the object of the Prize Certificates issued every month, we would repeat the announcement made not long ago, viz., Prizes are awarded to the best, Certificates to the very good, and hon. mention to those that are good. In no cases do certificate winners gain a prize as well.

WE offer a PRIZE OF BOOKS TO THE VALUE OF HALF A GUINEA

to Competitors under Twenty-one; a SECOND PRIZE TO THE VALUE OF SEVEN SHILLINGS AND SIXPENCE to those under Seventeen; and a THIRD PRIZE TO THE VALUE OF FIVE SHILLINGs to those under Fourteen, for the largest number of words formed by transposition out of the name

BALTIMORE.

A Competition of this kind in Excelsior, some time ago, proved so successful (upwards of 700 lists being sent in) that we have great hopes of a similar result. Let all our readers, from the youngest to the oldest, "try their hand."

Conditions:-No dictionary, or similar help, must be used.

No proper names, abbreviations, foreign words, slang, or ungrammatical expressions, will be allowed. The use of any of the above will tend to disqualify the competitor.

All words must be legibly written, in list form, one below the other, and papers should not be written on both sides.

Each Competitor must count the number of words carefully, and affix the total at the end of the list, with the signature of a competent witness (parent, guardian, or teacher).

Every paper sent in must be accompanied by a written voucher, certifying that the Competitor has followed the rules laid down.

We offer BooKS TO THE VALUE OF HALF A GUINEA to Competitors under Twenty-one; a SECOND PRIZE TO THE VALUE OF SEVEN SHILLINGS AND SIXPENCE to those under Seventeen; and a THIRD PRIZE TO THE VALUE OF FIVE SHILLINGS to those under Fourteen, for the best

MAP OF EGYPT. Specimens must be coloured and should measure twelve inches by eight.

We offer BOOKS TO THE VALUE OF HALF A GUINEA to Competititors under Twenty-one; a SECOND PRIZE TO THE VALUE OF SEVEN SHILLINGS AND SIXPENCE to those under Seventeen; and a THIRD PRIZE TO THE VALUE OF FIVE SHILLINGS to those under Fourteen, for the best RECITATION SUITABLE FOR A BAND OF HOPE ENTERTAINMENT.

If prose, the piece must not exceed 1,500 words: if in verse, not more than 100 lines. Competitors must count their compositions, and write the total at the end of the last page.

There being a wide scope given for selection of a subject, we hope all our young authors will "enter the lists." We hope to publish the prize paper.

General conditions applicable to the above Competitions :All specimens must have name, age, and address attached. Must be guaranteed as original by parent, guardian, minister, or teacher.

All papers must be fastened together, but different competitions must be kept separate.

Yet here, too, the "waits" go from street to street and house to house, and many curious customs are observed, and Christmas plays are acted in the homes amongst the families, such as St. George and the Dragon, and many others. This town of Plymouth may be said to have two giants connected with it, whose fame, methinks, might well be remembered at Christmas-time. One of these is called Gog Magog and the other Corineus. And, for as much as I know my dear sister Lettice likes well to read strange stories, I am minded to write for her this queer old legend, which she will care more to hear when she knows that I myself have seen the gigantic patterns of these two warriors cut out ingeniously in the grass on the Hoe, within a few yards

of our fort.

Twelve hundred years before the birth of our Lord, Brutus the Trojan came to conquer these islands. They landed at Totness, now, I am told, an inland town, but which may, at so great a distance of time, have been girt by the sea. They liked the country around so well they determined to stay in these parts, and to conquer the giant inhabitants, to make good their possession. But one day, while Brutus and his friends were holding a festival to their gods, these giants thought fit to assemble in full force and make an attack upon them. A terrible struggle ensued, but at last the Trojans were victorious, and killed all their enemies, save the leader of them, Gog Magog, who was reserved for single combat with Corineus. Gog Magog was twelve cubits high, and of such strength that with one stroke he pulled up an oak, as it had been a hazel wand. Nevertheless his adversary met him manfully, holding it a diversion to encounter giants, and a tremendous fight ensued. Gog Magog at length broke three of his opponent's ribs, which so enraged the Trojan that, taking the giant upon his shoulders, he ran with him to the shore, and getting upon the top of a high rock, hurled down the savage monster into the sea, where, falling on the sides of craggy rocks, he was torn to pieces, and covered the waves with his blood. This high rock was the Hoe, a grassy eminence on which our fort, and the windmill of which I have spoken, and Sir Francis Drake's compass and landmark, and various other buildings have been erected. Here in times of peace, plenty of good sport is to be had, so my friends of this town inform me, and here the train-bands as well as the regular troops are exercised. Around the windmill is a seat which is always occupied with old and young; the old delight to criticise our drill, and the young admire our uniforms and emulate our practice. Perhaps some few of the lasses admire us.

These two giant figures cut in the turf are not of equal size, and they hold clubs in their hands. My sister Lettice may make of the story what it is worth, she will at least like to know the curious things I look upon. But I could have wished, as a Briton, that the Trojan had been beaten by the British giant, Goe Magog, or Gog Magog, as his name is variously written, instead of our old hero being cast so ignominiously into the sea.

There is a watch tower as well as a beacon on the Hoe. The beacon is always kept well stored with furze, wherewith to signal the approach of danger. When Drake and the other Admirals chased the

Armada, its approach was signalled by the watchman at Rame Head in Cornwall, on his bold point, who lit his fire, and spread the news along the coast, watch-tower to watch-tower answering, marking the proud defiance of our heroes of the seas to the Papists and oppressors.

I do rejoice to know that Englishmen have never been in love with oppression, and are not to-day. This time of year, when we have never hitherto failed to be together at Brier Grange, sends my thoughts homewards with very sad forebodings. I have dispatched a short letter to my mother many weeks ago, by the hand of one whom I hoped might prove a safe messenger; but I am in much doubt of its reaching her. I have had no further news of my father, and the brave old sergeant, whose regard for him seemed like a link between myself and my parent, is no longer on this earth to cheer me with his noble words and inspire me by his determined acts of heroism. I could better dispense with Christmas cheer if I could receive the old accustomed Christmas greetings of Brier Grange.

Dick Tonkin, in his kindly way, has invited me to dinner on Christmas-day, and I have joyfully accepted his invitation. Two of Dick's brothers have become officers of the train-bands. Mr. Tonkin's spirits have sunk very low, so that there is little prospect of cheerfulness from him, and his wife has many anxieties. But she always has a smile of welcome for her visitors, and a kindly word for everybody. Dick and his mother are blessed with sunny tempers: they see a possible good out of evil, and rest like children in the hands of God. I much fear I shall never attain to such a high state as theirs.

For the last few days there have been some skir mishes between ourselves and the enemy, though nothing of very great moment. They sought to gain an advantage at Lipson, but we, by our counterbattery, kept them off, for we played upon them from a commanding ground. On Wednesday, December 20th, through the carelessness of the captain of the guard, who omitted to order out sentries on a wet and dirty night, the enemy raised a square work, using a corner of a field for two sides thereof, within pistol shot of Maudlyn Work, almost in a direct line between that and Pennycomequick, which, if they had held, might have cut us off from the relief of that work. Next morning, as soon as this was discovered, the ordinary guard, about sixty men, fell on, in hopes to have regained it without any more help, but found their work guarded with two or three hundred men, and so were obliged to retreat till help came from the

town.

About nine o'clock we were ordered to repair to Maudlyn to assist the handful of men there, and thence to the enemy's new work, which we fell on, and received a repulse twice, once even after we had gained their work, but the cry of "God with us!” reanimated our brave fellows, whose perseverance is wonderful and worthy of great admiration. Another attempt was altogether successful; we took the work. and slighted it, that it should not do us a fresh damage. Amongst our prisoners were a captain and the trumpeter of Prince Maurice, the King's nephew, while near a hundred men were killed. All our loss were two lieutenants, prisoners, of whom we