unfortunate boy, and an hour elapsed before proper ropes could be procured and stretched across the river. The boy was then extremely benumbed with the severe cold, and when the rope was brought in contact with him and he had laid hold of it, he was raised almost above the ice, but his hold suddenly giving way, he dropped down and had very nearly sunk beneath the hole. This so terrified him, that he could never again be prevailed upon to attempt the rope. Amongst the persons assembled were the boy's father and brother. The father would have precipitated himself upon the ice, but he was forcibly withheld; and the brother, a young man who could swim well, stripped off part of his clothes, and the ice being broken from the sides by poles, he went into the water to attempt reaching his brother, but so intensely severe was the cold, that he was utterly incapable of making any impression on the ice, and with some difficulty he was drawn out, and laid almost insensible upon the bank.

The boy from the first had cried out most distressingly for assistance, but he had now become so enfeebled that his voice was rapidly failing, and it was evident that in a short time he must sink beneath the ice. At this period the son of a neighbouring miller, celebrated for the possession of extraordinary agility and athletic powers, which, hitherto, had only been employed in low combats and alehouse brawls, happened to come in view of the people at the river side, and curiosity in an instant brought him amongst them. Breathless and silent, he viewed the scene around him-the boy in feeble wailings presaging his approaching end-the father held fast, and uttering the most heart rending expressions of distress-the brother, half naked and half perished, stretched upon the bank. In an instant, and without uttering a word, he kicked the shoes from off his feet, threw off his hat, coat, and waistcoat, and in a moment dashed into the hole where the ice had been broken, and reaching the edge, he raised both his arms over the ice, and with rapid ambidexter blows beat it down and swam in through the aperture almost with unobstructed facility. From his first coming up and stripping, the crowd had viewed him with silent wonder, and on his passing through the ice, not a whisper escaped from any one, the attention of all being held in dumb suspense. But when he was seen to reach the boy, and seizing one arm, to raise him half out of the water, a spontaneous and universal shout of triumph burst from the gazing crowd, and continued without intermission as he returned through the broken ice, guiding the boy with one hand and himself with the other. Both were quickly on the bank, and while shaking the wet from himself, observing the people to gather out of curiosity around the boy instead of carrying him away, he uttered an indignant exclamation, and tumbling down half a dozen

of them that were in his way, snatched up the boy, placed him across his shoulder, ran off to his own father's house, at a short distance, and had him instantly stripped and put into his own bed. The name of this spirited young man merits preserving; it was GEORGE COCKBURN, and many of the inhabitants of Alnwick will still recollect him and the transaction.

BOUT thirty five years since, a boy, seven years of age, whilst playing with his comrades at the end of Bower's lane, a little above Tyne bridge, fell back over into the river. He rose to the surface, and, unable to afford himself any assistance sunk, apparently to rise no more, when Mr. James Pollock, dyer in the Close, hard by, who had instantly pushed off in a boat, dashed into the water, seized him by the collar and brought him to shore. Mr. Pollock completed his work of humanity by immediately using means to restore suspended animation, and these means were happily successful. The parents of this young man were in humble circumstances, and time rolled on without Mr. Pollock ever seeing them, or seeing or hearing from the youth whose life he had thus certainly rescued from a premature grave.

About fifteen years after the occurrence thus related, this gentleman was one day visited by a stranger named Freeman, who, after introducing himself, informed Mr. Pollock that the youth he had

saved from death fifteen years before was now a man, in the employment of Mr. Thompson, a highly respectable merchant and banker at Appleby in Westmorland, and concluded by presenting him with a medal exhibiting on one side, a representation of the river Tyne, and the rescue from its waters, and bearing on the other, this inscription: "Presented by W. Pearson to Mr. James Pollock, by whose courage and humanity he was saved from drowning in the river Tyne." On the rim, "Eripuisti me morti, 1810.” It was accompanied by the following letter :

SIR, With this you will receive a medal by the hands of Mr. Freeman, which I beg you will accept, as a small token of gratitude from one who, through the blessing of Providenee, owes his life to your humanity. It is many years since the occurrence took place, but I assure you the remembrance of your goodness is still as fresh as ever in my mind, and will never be effaced from it, as long as the power of recollection is prolonged. I have always had an anxious wish to present you with some small memorial expressive of your noble conduct on that occasion, but unfortunately my father dying soon after, and being very young myself, I was prevented from taking an earlier opportunity of evincing my thankfulness. But I am sensible you will have felt your sweetest reward in the approbation of your own heart. To snatch a fellow-creature from destruction, to restore him to his parents, his brothers and his sisters, who but for your courage and humanity had long since mourned over his untimely grave, is a reflection calculated to cheer you under all circumstances; it will secure you the homage of every feeling bosom, and draw down the rich benediction of Him whose approbation far outweighs the best earthly blessings or the proudest earthly distinction. The triumphs of humanity are above all others most grateful, both to heaven and earth; but, sir, I cannot find words to express the fullness of my heart on this (to me) important event. I can only request you to accept this simple offering in rememberance of it; and whenever you look upon it, let it be with the assurance of knowing that "the blessings of him that was ready to perish" will ever be invoked on you and yours. I am, dear sir, with unchangeable regard,

Your most affectionate well-wisher

"To Mr. James Pollock,

Windmill Hills, Gateshead."

WILLIAM PEARSON.

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"This letter" justly remarks the record tained so interesting a detail, "does honour to the heart of the writer, and though the medal which accompanies it be of little intrinsic worth, as a memorial, it is of inestimable value. We confess there is nothing for which we could envy the owner the possession more, as the very sight of it must excite the most gratifying emotions of which the human breast is susceptible."

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S William Pawson, jun., Esq., of Shawdon, was returning from a pleasure excursion at sea (on the 20th of August 1841), owing to the boatman (Cook) running too much before the wind, and there being a heavy swell from the eastward, a sea struck and upset the coble when about three miles from the haven. Mr Pawson was swept out of the boat, but succeeded in regaining the wreck, to which he and the boatman clung as their last refuge. In this perilous situation, submerged by heavy seas, they remained about a quarter of an hour. At this juncture a boat containing Mr. George Walker of Newcastle upon Tyne, his son Mr. George Walker jun., and two others, who were employed in gull shooting, hove in sight. It happened that Mr. Walker jun., was standing on the boat's head, looking out with gun in hand, when he descried the struggle of the wrecked persons, and instantly informed his father, and though nearly a mile to the leeward, by the most strenuous exertions they succeeded in reaching the coble, and found the two parties clinging by the mast and sail which alone had kept them afloat. It is worthy of remark that while Mr. Walker, sen. was preparing to haul them in, he took hold of the poor old boatman first, but this he generously resisted, saying "Save the gentleman first." When Mr. Pawson was rescued, it was found that he had saved a favourite dog, by clasping it beneath his arm during the whole time he was in danger. A few weeks after, Mr. Walker received a richly chased claret jug, with an inscription, and accompanied by the following letter::

"Tynemouth, Sept. 1st 1841.

MY DEAR SIR,-Allow me to beg your acceptance of the accompanying piece of plate-a very slight token, I assure you, of the gratitude I entertain towards you-the preserver of my life. My whole

* Newcastle Magazine.

family respond the same sentiments and with me join in wishing you and yours every happiness this world can afford. I remain, dear sir, with feelings of the deepest esteem, yours ever gratefully

"To Mr. George Walker,

8, Ridley Villas, Newcastle."

WM. JNO. PAWSON.

The inscription on the jug is as follows

"Presented to Mr. Geo: Walker of Newcastle upon Tyne by Wm. John Pawson, Junr. of Shawdon, in grateful remembrance of the generous humane exertions by which he was saved from the wreck of a boat off Tynemouth, on the 20, Aug. 1841."

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UT perhaps the most remarkable of any of the instances we have recorded is that of MR. PETER GIBSON, Shoemaker of Dean street, Newcastle, who saved from drowning no less than three persons, and on two different occasions-one in 1813 and two in the succeeding year. During a very dark night,* two Prussian sailors in a state of intoxication, were quarrelling on board a vessel lying at the Quayside, Newcastle, and one of them fell overboard into the water. Mr. Gibson, who was standing by, instantly threw off his coat, hat, and other curabrous garments, and prepared to plunge in but was forcibly withheld by others on the Quay. With great exertion he extricated himself from their grasp, and without knowing anything of the state of the tide, the depth of the stream, and under the serious disadvantage of darkness the most intense, leaped into the river, and without taking breath, instantly dived in search of the sailor, who in an agony of utter helplessness and fear of death, threw his arms around Mr. Gibson's neck. So serious a hindrance had well nigh proved fatal, but by a tremendous effort he rose with his incumbrance-but immediately beneath the vessel. Under difficulties of the most appalling kind, and after a prolonged but vain struggle of a quarter of an hour for a better position, Mr. Gibson succeeded in clutching a rope hung out at the stern and the two were drawn up by those on deck, who, with the spectators on the Quay, were anxiously awaiting the issue of so desperate an undertaking. So deeply did the man and the rest of the crew appreciate this noble and disinterested conduct, that, to a man, did the sailors subscribe half a guinea each, and the captain, a

Sunday, October 3, 1813.