The Wasp, 1913 · page 357 of 364
The Wasp — 1913 — page 357: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page appears to be **prose fiction rather than a political cartoon**—a dramatized account of a naval battle, likely from the Napoleonic Wars era (references to French ships and "Breda" suggest a historical engagement). The narrative depicts a heroic death scene: James Burnham, a young sailor, sacrifices himself in battle while an admiral (Benbow) witnesses the act from his cot after losing his leg. The text romanticizes naval warfare through dialogue emphasizing duty, sacrifice, and patriotism. The passage's satirical purpose—if any—is **unclear from the image alone**. It may be earnestly depicting British naval heroism, or *The Wasp* may be ironically mocking overwrought patriotic narratives. Without additional context about *The Wasp's* editorial stance or publication date, the intended tone cannot be determined with certainty.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ee aan 350 THE WASP “Lad, you would have been safe!” whispered Benbow. “I lied when I said otherwise.” “Tt is better this way,” breathed James. “May God have mercy on your soul,” said the admiral tenderly. ’ “TI look for no mercy,” replied James. “Where is Todd? Right here, of course. Good-by to you, lad!” He was dead before they could carry him be- low. Half an hour later the admiral’s right leg was smashed by a chain-shot. He ordered a cot to be brought to the quarter-deck. From the cot he di- rected the last desperate messages of that desperate fight. But a terrible spirit of destruction had fled from the Breda with the flight of James Burnham’s soul. No longer did her guns repulse the clinging ships of France. So, in mid-afternoon, on a strengthen- ing wind, the Breda and the Ruby pulled sullenly away from the pack, still firing a few guns, still flying their country’s flag. From the masthead of the Breda the order for a general attack still flashed. Comichooks.com