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Microorganisms for Sustainability 20
Series Editor: Naveen Kumar Arora

Ajar Nath Yadav

Ali Asghar Rastegari
Neelam Yadav
Divjot Kour Editors

Advances in Plant
Microbiome
and Sustainable
Agriculture
Functional Annotation and Future
Challenges
Microorganisms for Sustainability

Volume 20

Series editor
Naveen Kumar Arora, Environmental Microbiology, School for Environmental
Science, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/series/14379
Ajar Nath Yadav • Ali Asghar Rastegari
Neelam Yadav • Divjot Kour
Editors

Advances in Plant
Microbiome and Sustainable
Agriculture
Functional Annotation and Future Challenges
Editors
Ajar Nath Yadav Ali Asghar Rastegari
Department of Biotechnology Department of Molecular
Eternal University and Cell Biochemistry
Sirmour, Himachal Pradesh, India Islamic Azad University
Isfahan, Iran
Neelam Yadav
Food Nutrition and Engineering Divjot Kour
Veer Bahadur Singh Purvanchal University Department of Biotechnology
Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, India Eternal University
Sirmour, Himachal Pradesh, India

ISSN 2512-1901     ISSN 2512-1898 (electronic)

Microorganisms for Sustainability
ISBN 978-981-15-3203-0    ISBN 978-981-15-3204-7 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-3204-7

© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2020

This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of
the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation,
broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information
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Singapore
Foreword

Microbes are ubiquitous in nature. The vast microbial diversity has been found to
associate with the plant systems. The plant-microbe interactions are the key strategy
to colonize and establish in a variety of diverse habitats. Microbes are associated in
three ways with any plant systems in the form of epiphyte, endophyte, and rhizo-
sphere, which are collectively termed as plant microbiomes. Plant microbiomes
play an important role in the growth and development of plants and in the health of
soil. Plant microbiomes with plant growth-promoting (PGP) attributes have emerged
as an important and promising tool for sustainable agriculture. PGP microbes pro-
mote plant growth directly or indirectly by releasing plant growth regulators; solu-
bilization of phosphorus, potassium, and zinc; biological nitrogen fixation; or
producing siderophores, ammonia, HCN, and other secondary metabolites which
are antagonistic against pathogenic microbes. These PGP microbes could be used as
biofertilizers/bioinoculants in place of chemical fertilizers for sustainable agricul-
ture. This book encompasses current knowledge of plant microbiomes and their
potential biotechnological applications for plant growth, crop yield, and soil health
for sustainable agriculture. It will be highly useful to the faculty, researchers, and
students associated with microbiology, biotechnology, agriculture, molecular biol-
ogy, environmental biology, and related subjects.
This book, Advances in Plant Microbiome and Sustainable Agriculture:
Functional Annotation and Future Challenges, is a very timely publication provid-
ing state-of-the-art information in the area of agricultural and microbial biotechnol-
ogy focusing on plant microbiomes and their plant growth-promoting attributes for
plant growth and soil fertility for sustainable agriculture. It comprises 11 chapters.
In Chap. 1, Patel and Goswami describe the biodiversity of phosphorus-solubilizing
and phosphorus-mobilizing microbes, mechanisms, and their applications in agri-
culture. In Chap. 2, Khati et al. highlight the biodiversity of potassium-solubilizing
microbes and their functional impact on plant growth for sustainable agriculture. In
Chap. 3, Jatav et al. describe the biodiversity of zinc-solubilizing microbes and their
applications in agriculture as tool for cereal biofortification for micronutrients.
Chapter 4 by Verma et al. Highlights the microbial ACC deaminase-producing
microbes and their role in the mitigation of different abiotic stress. In Chap. 5,

v
vi Foreword

Yachana Jha describes the biodiversity of phytohormone-producing microbes and

their role in plant growth promotion and adaptation under stress conditions, while
Enespa et al., in Chap. 6, deal with the mechanisms of plant growth promotion by
microbes and their functional annotation in mitigation of abiotic stress. In Chap. 7,
Challa et al. highlight the recent advancements in microbes from hypersaline envi-
ronments and their role in mitigation of salt stress in plants. In Chap. 8, Meena and
his colleagues describe in detail the alleviation of cold stresses in plants by psychro-
trophic microbes. Jain et al. highlight the recent trends and future challenges of
microbe-mediated mitigation of drought stress in plants in Chap. 9. Mondal et al.
explain the future perspective in agriculture by microbial consortium with multi-
functional plant growth-promoting attributes in Chap. 10. Finally, in Chap. 11,
Gunaswetha et al. describe the roles of cyanobacteria as biofertilizers, their current
research, commercial aspects, and future challenges.
Overall, Dr. Ajar Nath Yadav, his editorial team, and scientists from different
countries carried out great efforts to compile this book as a unique and up-to-date
source on plant microbiomes for students, researchers, teachers, and academicians.
I am sure the readers will find this book highly useful and interesting during their
pursuit on plant microbiomes.

Dr. H. S. Dhaliwal is presently the Vice Chancellor of

Eternal University, Baru Sahib, Himachal Pradesh,
India. He completed his PhD in Genetics from the
University of California, Riverside, USA (1975). He
has 50 years of research, teaching, and administrative
experience in various capacities. He is also a Professor
of Biotechnology at Eternal University, Baru Sahib,
from 2011 to date. He had worked as Professor of
Biotechnology at IIT, Roorkee (2003–2011); Founder
Director of Biotechnology Centre, Punjab Agricultural
University, Ludhiana (1992–2003); Visiting Professor,
Department of Plant Pathology, Kansas State
University, Kansas, USA, (1989); Senior Research
Fellow, CIMMYT, Mexico, (1987); Senior Scientist
and Wheat Breeder-cum-Director, PAU Regional
Research Station, Gurdaspur (1979–1990); Research
Fellow FMI, Basel, Switzerland (1976–1979); and
D.F. Jones Postdoctoral Fellow, University of
California, Riverside, USA (1975–1976). He was
elected as Fellow of the National Academy of
Agricultural Sciences, India (1992). He has many
national and international awards such as Cash Award
from the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce
and Industry (FICCI) in 1985 and Pesticide India
Award from Mycology and Plant Pathology Society of
India in 1988. He has to his credit more than 300
Foreword vii

publications including 250 research papers, 12

reviews, 15 chapters contributed to books, 105
abstracts and papers presented in meetings and confer-
ences, 18 popular articles, and a number of project
report/books/bulletins/manuals. His important
research contributions are the identification of a new
species of wild diploid wheat Triticumu urartu; gath-
ering of evidences to implicate it as one of the parents
of polyploid wheat; being the Team Leader in the
development of seven wheat varieties, namely, PBW
54, PBW 120, PBW 138, PBW 175, PBW 222, PBW
226, and PBW 299, approved for cultivation in Punjab
and North Western Plain Zone of India; molecular
marker-assisted pyramiding of bacterial blight resis-
tance genes Xa5, Xa21, and xa13 and the green revolu-
tion semidwarfing gene sd1 in Dehraduni basmati;
and development of elite wheat lines biofortified for
grain iron and zinc through wide hybridization with
related non-progenitor wild Aegilops species and
molecular breeding. Dr.Dhaliwal made a significant
contribution to the development of life and epidemiol-
ogy cycle of Tilletia indica fungus, the causal organ-
ism of Karnal bunt disease of wheat, and development
of Karnal bunt-tolerant wheat cultivars. He has been
the Member/Chairperson of several task forces and
committees in the Department of Biotechnology,
Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of
India, New Delhi, and ICAR, New Delhi. Currently,
he is a Member of an expert committee of DBT for
DBT-UDSC Partnership Centre on Genetic
Manipulation of Crop Plants at UDSC, New Delhi
(2016 onwards), SAC of NABI (DBT), and RAC of
IIAB, Ranchi, ICAR.

Vice Chancellor  H. S. Dhaliwal

Eternal University,
Baru Sahib, Himachal Pradesh, India
Preface

Microbes are ubiquitous in nature. The vast microbial diversity has been found to
associate with the plant systems. The plant-microbe interactions are the key strategy
to colonize and establish in a variety of diverse habitats. Plant microbiomes play an
important role in the growth and development of plants and in the health of soil.
These microbiomes with plant growth-promoting (PGP) attributes have emerged as
an important and promising tool for sustainable agriculture. PGP microbes promote
plant growth directly or indirectly by releasing plant growth regulators; solubiliza-
tion of phosphorus, potassium, and zinc; biological nitrogen fixation; or producing
siderophores, ammonia, HCN, and other secondary metabolites which are antago-
nistic against pathogenic microbes. These PGP microbes could be used as biofertil-
izers/bioinoculants in place of chemical fertilizers for sustainable agriculture. The
present book, Advances in Plant Microbiome and Sustainable Agriculture:
Functional Annotation and Future Challenges, covers biodiversity of plant micro-
biomes and their functional attributes for plant growth promotion under the natural
as well as the abiotic stress environmental conditions. It will be immensely useful
to biological sciences, especially to microbiologists, microbial biotechnologists,
biochemists, researchers, and scientists of microbial and plant biotechnology, as
well as to the faculty, researchers, and students associated with microbiology, bio-
technology, agriculture, molecular biology, environmental biology, and related sub-
jects. We are honored that the leading scientists who have extensive, in-depth
experience and expertise in plant-microbe interaction and microbial biotechnology
took the time and effort to develop these outstanding chapters. Each chapter is writ-
ten by internationally recognized researchers/scientists, providing readers an up-to-­
date and detailed account of the microbial biotechnology and innumerable
agricultural applications of plant microbiomes.

Sirmour, Himachal Pradesh, India  Ajar Nath Yadav

Isfahan, Iran   Ali Asghar Rastegari
Mau, Uttar Pradesh, India   Neelam Yadav
Sirmour, Himachal Pradesh, India   Divjot Kour

ix
Acknowledgments

All authors are sincerely acknowledged for contributing up-to-date information on

the plant microbiomes, their biodiversity, and biotechnological applications for sus-
tainable agriculture and environment. We are thankful to all authors for their valu-
able contributions.
We would like to thank their families who were very patient and supportive dur-
ing this journey. Our sincere thanks to the whole Springer team who was directly or
indirectly involved in the production of the book. Our special thanks to Prof. Naveen
Kumar Arora, Ms. Aakanksha Tyagi, and Mr. Beracah John Martyn for the assis-
tance and supports.
We are very sure that this book will interest scientists, graduates, undergraduates,
and postdocs who are investigating on “plant microbiomes” microbial and plant
biotechnology.

xi
Contents

1 Phosphorus Solubilization and Mobilization: Mechanisms,

Current Developments, and Future Challenge ������������������������������������    1
Dhavalkumar Patel and Dweipayan Goswami
2 Potassium Solubilization and Mobilization: Functional
Impact on Plant Growth for Sustainable Agriculture��������������������������   21
Priyanka Khati, Pankaj Kumar Mishra, Manoj Parihar, Asha Kumari,
Samiksha Joshi, Jaideep Kumar Bisht, and Arunava Pattanayak
3 Zinc Solubilization and Mobilization: A Promising Approach
for Cereals Biofortification����������������������������������������������������������������������   41
Hanuman Singh Jatav, Satish Kumar Singh,
Mahendru Kumar Gautam, Mujahid Khan, Sunil Kumar,
Vishnu D. Rajput, Mudasser Ahmed Khan, Lokesh Kumar Jat,
Manoj Parihar, Champa Lal Khatik, Gaurav Kumar Jatav,
Surendra Singh Jatav, Kailash Chandra,
and Hanuman Prasad Parewa
4 Microbial ACC-Deaminase Attributes: Perspectives
and Applications in Stress Agriculture��������������������������������������������������   65
Pankaj Prakash Verma, Shiwani Guleria Sharma,
and Mohinder Kaur
5 Plant Microbiomes with Phytohormones:
Attribute for Plant Growth and Adaptation
Under the Stress Conditions�������������������������������������������������������������������   85
Yachana Jha
6 Mechanisms of Plant Growth Promotion and Functional
Annotation in Mitigation of Abiotic Stress�������������������������������������������� 105
Enespa, Prem Chandra, and Ranjan Singh

xiii
xiv Contents

7 Microbiomes Associated with Plant Growing Under

the Hypersaline Habitats and Mitigation of Salt Stress ���������������������� 151
Surekha Challa, Titash Dutta, and Nageswara Rao Reddy Neelapu
8 Alleviation of Cold Stress by Psychrotrophic Microbes ���������������������� 179
Meena Sindhu, Kamla Malik, Seema Sangwan, Anuj Rana,
Nayan Tara, and Sushil Ahlawat
9 Microbes-Mediated Mitigation of Drought Stress in Plants:
Recent Trends and Future Challenges �������������������������������������������������� 199
Deepti Jain, Laccy Phurailatpam, and Sushma Mishra
10 Microbial Consortium with Multifunctional Plant
Growth-­Promoting Attributes: Future Perspective
in Agriculture������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 219
Subhadeep Mondal, Suman Kumar Halder, Ajar Nath Yadav,
and Keshab Chandra Mondal
11 Cyanobacteria as Biofertilizers: Current Research,
Commercial Aspects, and Future Challenges���������������������������������������� 259
Gunaswetha Kuraganti, Sujatha Edla,
and Veera Bramhachari Pallaval
About the Series Editor

Naveen Kumar Arora is a Professor and Head of the Department of Environmental

Science at Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (A Central University),
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. He received his PhD in Microbiology. He is a
renowned researcher in the field of environmental microbiology and biotechnology.
His specific area of research is plant-microbe interactions, particularly plant growth-
promoting rhizobacteria. He has more than 75 research articles published in pre-
mium international journals and several articles published in magazines and dailies.
He is an editor of 25 books, published by Springer. He is a Member of several
national and international societies, Fellow of International Society of Environmental
Botanists (FISEB), Secretary General of Society for Environmental Sustainability,
in editorial board of 4 journals, and reviewer of several international journals. He is
also the editor in chief of the journal Environmental Sustainability published by
Springer Nature. He has delivered lectures in conferences and seminars around the
globe. He has a long-standing interest in teaching at the PG level and is involved in
taking courses in bacteriology, microbial physiology, environmental microbiology,
agriculture microbiology, and industrial microbiology. He has been advisor to 134
postgraduate and 11 doctoral students. He has been awarded for excellence in
research by several societies and national and international bodies/organizations.
Although an academician and researcher by profession, he has a huge obsession for
the wildlife and its conservation and has authored a book, Splendid Wilds. He is the
President of the Society for Conservation of Wildlife and has a dedicated website
www.naveenarora.co.in for the cause of wildlife and environment conservation.

xv
Editors and Contributors

About the Editors

Ajar Nath Yadav is an Assistant Professor (SS) in the

Department of Biotechnology, Dr. Khem Singh Gill
Akal College of Agriculture, Eternal University, Baru
Sahib, Himachal Pradesh, India. He has 11 years of
teaching/research experiences in the fields of Microbial
Biotechnology, Microbial Diversity, and Plant-Microbe
Interactions. He obtained his doctorate degree in
Microbial Biotechnology jointly from IARI, New
Delhi, and BIT, Mesra, Ranchi, India, his MSc in
Biotechnology from Bundelkhand University, and his
BSc in CBZ from the University of Allahabad, India.
He has 174 publications with h-index of 37, i10-index
of 75, and 3253 citations (Google Scholar). He has
published 115 research communications in different
international and national conferences and has received
12 Best Paper Presentation Awards and 1 Young
Scientist Award (NASI-Swarna Jayanti Puraskar). He
received “Outstanding Teacher Award” in the 6th
Annual Convocation 2018 from Eternal University,
Baru Sahib, Himachal Pradesh. He has a long-stand-
ing interest in teaching at the UG, PG, and PhD level
and is involved in taking courses in microbiology and
microbial biotechnology. He is currently handling two
projects and is guiding three scholars for PhD degree
and one for MSc dissertations. He has been serving as
an Editor/Editorial Board Member and Reviewer of
the different national and international peer-reviewed
journals. He has a lifetime membership in the

xvii
xviii About the Series Editor

Association of Microbiologist in India and Indian

Science Congress Council, India. Please visit https://
sites.google.com/site/ajarbiotech/ for more details.

Ali Asghar Rastegari currently works as an Assistant

Professor in the Faculty of Biological Science,
Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry,
Falavarjan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan,
Islamic Republic of Iran. He has 13 years of experi-
ences in the fields of Enzyme Biotechnology,
Nanobiotechnology, Biophysical Chemistry,
Computational Biology, and Biomedicine. He received
his PhD in Molecular Biophysics in 2009 from the
University of Science and Research, Tehran Branch,
Iran; MSc in Biophysics in 1994 from the Institute of
Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran;
and BSc in Microbiology in 1990 from the University
of Isfahan, Iran. To his credit, he has 39 publications [21
research papers, 2 books, 16 book chapters] in various
supposed international and national journals and pub-
lishers. He is editor of 7 books. He has issued 12
abstracts in different conferences/symposiums/work-
shops and has presented 2 papers at national and inter-
national conferences/symposiums. He is a Reviewer of
different national and international journals. He is a
Lifetime Member of Iranian Society for Trace Elements
Research (ISTER) and Biochemical Society of Islamic
Republic of Iran, and is a Member of the Society for
Bioinformatics in Northern Europe (SocBiN), Boston
Area Molecular Biology Computer Types (BAMBCT),
Bioinformatics/Computational Biology Student Society
(BIMATICS), Ensembl Genome Database, and
Neuroimaging Informatics Tools and Resources
Clearinghouse (NITRC).

Neelam Yadav currently works on microbial diversity

from diverse sources and their biotechnological appli-
cations in agriculture and allied sectors. She obtained
her postgraduate degree from Veer Bahadur Singh
Purvanchal University, Uttar Pradesh, India. She has
research interest in the area of beneficial microbiomes
and their biotechnological applications in agriculture,
medicine, environment, and allied sectors. To her credit,
she has 51 research/review/book chapter publications
in different reputed international and national journals
and publishers. She is editor of 8 books. She is Editor/
About the Series Editor xix

Associate Editor/Reviewer of different international

and national journals. She has a lifetime membership in
the Association of Microbiologist in India; Indian
Science Congress Council, India; and National
Academy of Sciences, India.

Divjot Kour currently works as Project Assistant in

DEST-funded project “Development of Microbial
Consortium as Bio-inoculants for Drought and Low
Temperature Growing Crops for Organic Farming in
Himachal Pradesh.” She obtained her doctorate degree
in Microbial Biotechnology from the Department of
Biotechnology, Dr. Khem Singh Gill Akal College of
Agriculture, Eternal University, Baru Sahib, Himachal
Pradesh, India; her MPhil in Microbiology in 2017
from Shoolini University of Biotechnology and
Management Sciences, Solan, Himachal Pradesh; and
her MSc in Microbiology (2015) and her BSc (2014)
both from the University of Jammu, Jammu and
Kashmir. She has research experience of 5 years. To her
credit, she has 45 publications in different reputed
international and national journals and publishers. She
is Editor of two books in Springer. She has published
18 abstracts in different conferences/symposiums/
workshops, has presented 9 papers in national and
international conferences/symposiums, and has
received 5 Best Paper Presentation Awards. To her
credit, she has isolated more than 700 microbes (bacte-
ria and fungi) from diverse sources. She is a Member of
the National Academy of Sciences and Agro
Environmental Development Society, India.

Contributors

Sushil Ahlawat Department of Chemistry, College of Basic Sciences and

Humanities, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana, India
Jaideep Kumar Bisht ICAR-Vivekananda Parvatiya Krishi Anusandhan Sansthan,
Almora, Uttarakhand, India
Surekha Challa Department of Biochemistry and Bioinformatics, GITAM
Institute of Science, Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management (GITAM
Deemed-to-be-University), Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India
xx About the Series Editor

Kailash Chandra College of Agriculture, S.K.N. Agriculture University-Jobner,

Fatehpur-Shekhawati, Sikar, Rajasthan, India
Prem Chandra Department of Environmental Microbiology, School for
Environmental Sciences, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar (A Central) University,
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
Titash Dutta Department of Biochemistry and Bioinformatics, GITAM Institute
of Science, Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management (GITAM Deemed-to-­
be-University), Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India
Sujatha Edla Department of Microbiology, Kakatiya University, Warangal,
Telangana, India
Enespa Department of Plant Pathology School for Agriculture, Sri Mahesh Prasad
Degree College, University of Lucknow, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
Mahendru Kumar Gautam Department of Soil Science and Agricultural
Chemistry, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University,
Varanasi, India
Dweipayan Goswami Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, University
School of Sciences, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
Suman Kumar Halder Department of Microbiology, Vidyasagar University,
Midnapore, West Bengal, India
Deepti Jain Interdisciplinary Centre for Plant Genomics, Delhi University-South
Campus, New Delhi, India
Gaurav Kumar Jatav Indira Gandhi Agricultural University, Raipur,
Chhattisgarh, India
Hanuman Singh Jatav College of Agriculture, S.K.N. Agriculture University-
Jobner, Fatehpur-Shekhawati, Sikar, Rajasthan, India
Surendra Singh Jatav Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry,
Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
Lokesh Kumar Jat Agricultural Research Station, S.K.N. Agriculture University,
Jobner, Alwar, India
Yachana Jha N. V. Patel College of Pure and Applied Sciences, S. P. University,
Anand, Gujarat, India
Samiksha Joshi ICAR-Vivekananda Parvatiya Krishi Anusandhan Sansthan,
Almora, Uttarakhand, India
Mohinder Kaur Department of Basic Sciences, Dr. Y.S. Parmar University of
Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan-Himachal Pradesh, India
Mudasser Ahmed Khan College of Agriculture, S.K.N. Agriculture University-
Jobner, Fatehpur-Shekhawati, Sikar, Rajasthan, India
About the Series Editor xxi

Mujahid Khan Agricultural Research Station, S.K.N. Agriculture University,

Jobner, Fatehpur-Shekhawati, Sikar, Rajasthan, India
Champa Lal Khatik Agricultural Research Station, S.K.N. Agriculture University,
Jobner, Fatehpur-Shekhawati, Sikar, Rajasthan, India
Priyanka Khati ICAR-Vivekananda Parvatiya Krishi Anusandhan Sansthan,
Almora, Uttarakhand, India
Asha Kumari ICAR-Vivekananda Parvatiya Krishi Anusandhan Sansthan,
Almora, Uttarakhand, India
Sunil Kumar Department of Agronomy, Institute of Agricultural Sciences,
Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
Gunaswetha Kuraganti Department of Microbiology, Kakatiya University,
Warangal, Telangana, India
Kamla Malik Department of Microbiology, College of Basic Sciences and
Humanities, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana, India
Pankaj Kumar Mishra ICAR-Vivekananda Parvatiya Krishi Anusandhan
Sansthan, Almora, Uttarakhand, India
Sushma Mishra Plant Biotechnology Lab, Department of Botany, Dayalbagh
Educational Institute (Deemed University), Agra, India
Keshab Chandra Mondal Department of Microbiology, Vidyasagar University,
Midnapore, West Bengal, India
Subhadeep Mondal Centre for Life Sciences, Vidyasagar University, Midnapore,
West Bengal, India
Nageswara Rao Reddy Neelapu Department of Biochemistry and Bioinformatics,
GITAM Institute of Science, Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management
(GITAM Deemed-to-be-University), Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India
Veera Bramhachari Pallaval Department of Biotechnology, Krishna University,
Machilipatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India
Hanuman Prasad Parewa College of Agriculture, Sumerpur, Agriculture
University, Jodhpur, Pali, India
Manoj Parihar ICAR-Vivekananda Parvatiya Krishi Anusandhan Sansthan,
Almora, Uttarakhand, India
Dhavalkumar Patel Department of Biotechnology and Microbiology, Parul
Institute of Applied Science and Research, Parul University, Ahmedabad,
Gujarat, India
Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, St. Xavier’s College,
(Autonomous), Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
xxii About the Series Editor

Arunava Pattanayak ICAR-Vivekananda Parvatiya Krishi Anusandhan Sansthan,

Almora, Uttarakhand, India
Laccy Phurailatpam Plant Biotechnology Lab, Department of Botany, Dayalbagh
Educational Institute (Deemed University), Agra, India
Vishnu D. Rajput Academy of Biology and Biotechnology, Southern Federal
University, Rostov-on-Don, Russia
Anuj Rana Department of Microbiology, College of Basic Sciences and
Humanities, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana, India
Seema Sangwan Department of Microbiology, College of Basic Sciences and
Humanities, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana, India
Shiwani Guleria Sharma Department of Microbiology, Lovely Professional
University, Jalandhar, Punjab, India
Meena Sindhu Department of Microbiology, College of Basic Sciences and
Humanities, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana, India
Ranjan Singh Department of Environmental Science, School for Environmental
Sciences, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar (A Central) University, Lucknow,
Uttar Pradesh, India
Satish Kumar Singh Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry,
Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
Nayan Tara Department of Bio and Nanotechnology, Guru Jambheshwar
University of Science and Technology, Hisar, Haryana, India
Pankaj Prakash Verma Institute of Agriculture and Life Science, Gyeongsang
National University, Jinju, Republic of Korea
Department of Basic Sciences, Dr. Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and
Forestry, Nauni, Solan-Himachal Pradesh, India
Ajar Nath Yadav Department of Biotechnology, Dr. Khem Singh Gill Akal
College of Agriculture, Eternal University, Baru Sahib, Sirmour, Himachal
Pradesh, India
Chapter 1
Phosphorus Solubilization
and Mobilization: Mechanisms, Current
Developments, and Future Challenge

Dhavalkumar Patel and Dweipayan Goswami

Abstract Plants require nutrients for their proper growth and development. After
nitrogen phosphate is the second significant element required for plants. Phosphorus
is commonly found in form of polyprotic phosphoric acid (H3PO4); however, phos-
phorus intake is naturally in the form of H2PO−4. The complete phosphorus conver-
sion movements are mineralization and immobilization, weathering, and
precipitation besides adsorption and desorption. Organic phosphate is liberated in
soil environment by three groups of enzymes, while inorganic phosphate mineral-
ization is achieved by microbial species. The solubilization of phosphate can be
elaborated by acid production theory and proton and enzyme theory. The bioformu-
lations of potent phosphorus-solubilizing microbes are used to stimulate the acces-
sibility of phosphate to plant roots. Once potent strain is screened, the metabolic
flux of that strain can be improvised, and more bioformulations can be prepared.
Several phosphate-solubilizing microbial strains have already been commercialized
as formulated products and sold as biofertilizer. However, the use of the biofertilizer
is still insufficient. Despite of extensive research in past few decades, a cooperation
of basic and applied approaches is still required to reveal hidden potentials of phos-
phate solubilizers which may not have documented until now.

Keywords Phosphate solubilization · Phosphate mobilization · Microbial strains ·

Bioformulations · Biofertilizer

D. Patel
Department of Biotechnology and Microbiology, Parul Institute of Applied Science and
Research, Parul University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous),
Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
D. Goswami (*)
Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, University School of Sciences, Gujarat
University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
e-mail: [email protected]

© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2020 1

A. N. Yadav et al. (eds.), Advances in Plant Microbiome and Sustainable
Agriculture, Microorganisms for Sustainability 20,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-3204-7_1
2 D. Patel and D. Goswami

1.1 Introduction

Microbes are involved in vital functions of the soil and interact with plant roots and
aerial parts of plants making several endophytic and non-endophytic associations.
Nutrients acquisition by roots from soil is accomplished by the exchange of cations,
in which root hairs propel hydrogen ions (H+) keen on the surrounding environment
passing through the proton pumps (Puga et al. 2015). Hydrogen ions which are
formed causes shift in cations that are bonded to soil particles which are anionic in
nature and makes the accessibility of the cations that can be easily taken up by the
roots. Stomata in the leaves open and absorb carbon dioxide and in return exorcize
oxygen. Here carbon dioxide serves as the source of carbon that is required in pho-
tosynthesis (Sakimoto et al. 2017). Nitrogen is a chief component of several vital
plant constituents. After nitrogen, phosphate is the second significant element
required for plants (Razaq et al. 2017).
Identical to nitrogen, phosphorus is tangled with many dynamic plant processes.
In the interior of plant, phosphate is bonded chiefly as an essential factor of the
nucleic acids, i.e., deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA), in
addition to an integral of fatty phospholipids, which are significant in development
of membrane and for its functioning (Van-Berkum and Bohlool 1980). Both inor-
ganic and organic forms of phosphate are freely translocated inside the plant. The
transfer of energy, i.e., adenosine triphosphate (ATP), in the plant cell is critically
reliant on phosphorus. Overall with living individual, phosphorus is an element of
the ATP, which is of an immediate routine in all metabolisms that impose energy by
the cells (Meyrat and Von-Ballmoos 2019). Activity of various enzymes can be
modified by phosphorus, i.e., by phosphorylation, and it can also be secondhand for
cell signaling. Phosphorus is intense at the most vigorously emergent points of a
plant and stockpiled within seeds in expectancy of their germination (Roy and Saha
2018; Yadav et al. 2018).
Phosphorus is utmost present in the form of polyprotic phosphoric acid (H3PO4)
from the soil; nevertheless, phosphorus is utilized most readily in H2PO−4 form.
Phosphorus is not accessible to crops in adequate amount from the soils since it’s
discharging is very slow from insoluble phosphates; besides, it is rapidly fixed yet
again (Khan et al. 2019; Kaur et al. 2020; Singh et al. 2020). Under utmost environ-
mental circumstances, phosphate is the element which confines the growth as of this
compression and owing to its supplementary requirement by plants and microor-
ganisms. Plants’ phosphur requirement can be intensified by mutualism with mycor-
rhiza (Yang et al. 2018). Penetrating reddening in leaves (owing to lack of
chlorophyll) or green coloration in plant are the characterized symptoms of phos-
phorus deficiency. In extreme conditions the leaves become denatured and illus-
trated as dead leaves. Sporadically, the leaves possibly will seem purple due to an
accretion of anthocyanin. Mature leaves will demonstrate the primary signs of defi-
ciency as phosphorus are mobile nutrient (Criado et al. 2017).
1 Phosphorus Solubilization and Mobilization: Mechanisms, Current Developments… 3

Phosphorus deficit can yield symptoms analogous to those of nitrogen deficit;

however, as renowned by Russel, “Phosphate deficiency diverges from nitrogen
deficiency in being tremendously problematic to identify, in addition crops can be
misery from life-threatening starvation deprived of there being any apparent signs
that lack of phosphate is the source” (Carstensen et al. 2018, 2019).

1.2 Sources of Phosphate in Soil

Phosphorus occurs in various diverse forms in soil. Aimed at applied purposes, it

can be grouped into four overall forms: (1) inorganic phosphorus, the only form
which is available to plant; besides three other forms that are not available to plant
are (2) organic phosphorus, (3) adsorbed phosphorus, and (4) mineral phosphorus
(Zemunik et al. 2015: Nottingham et al. 2015). Figure 1.1 displays all phosphorus
forms as they flow in soil. The overall phosphorus conversion progressions are min-
eralization along with immobilization, weathering, and precipitation besides adsorp-
tion as well as desorption. Weathering, desorption, and mineralization augments
plant accessible phosphorus. Immobilization, adsorption, and precipitation decline
plant accessible phosphorus (Menezes-Blackburn et al. 2017; Yadav 2017; Yadav
et al. 2020).

Fig. 1.1 Display the elementary phosphorus cycle in soil

4 D. Patel and D. Goswami

1.2.1 Mineralization and Immobilization

Microbial alteration of organic phosphorus to the ionic forms, H2PO4− or HPO4−2, is

known as mineralization (Kour et al. 2019a). Phosphorus forms which are plant
accessible are identified as orthophosphates. Immobilization ensues when these
phyto-accessible phosphorus forms are expended by microbes, whirling the phos-
phorus to the organic phosphorus forms that are not accessible to plants. The bacte-
riological phosphorus will turn out to be accessible over spell as the microbes perish
(Yadav et al. 2015). Upholding soil organic stuff intensities is an imperative in phos-
phorus managing. This progression diminishes the necessity for fertilizer practice
plus the peril of runoff in addition leaching may be the outcome from supplemen-
tary phosphorus (Bhatti et al. 2017; Kour et al. 2020b; Rana et al. 2020b).

1.2.2 Weathering and Precipitation

Farm soils indeed comprise phosphorus minerals that are weathered in excess of
extensive eras of interval and deliberately make accessible to the plants. Phosphorus
can turn out to be inaccessible over precipitation, that take place if plant accessible
inorganic phosphorus retorts with dissolved iron, aluminum, manganese (in lower
pH soils), or calcium (in higher pH soils) to formulate phosphate minerals (Stockdale
et al. 2016).

1.2.3 Adsorption and Desorption

The biochemical binding of plant accessible phosphorus to soil particles is called

adsorption, which later become inaccessible to plants while desorption is the proc-
lamation of adsorbed phosphorus as of its bounded form into the soil environment
(Fink et al. 2016). Adsorption (or “fixing”) happens rapidly although desorption is
generally a sluggish progression. Adsorption fluctuates commencing precipitation
as adsorption is a reversible chemical requisite of phosphorus to the particles of soil
whereas precipitation take in an additional perpetual alteration in the chemical
assets of the phosphorus as it is detached from the soil environment. Soils that con-
tains high amount of aluminum and/or iron are likely to adsorb extra phosphorus
than normal soils (Moran-Salazar et al. 2016). Phosphorus is available in most plant
accessible form as soon as the pH of soil gets little acidic. When the pH gets high,
phosphorus is precipitated with calcium. As the pH gets low, phosphorus inclines to
be sobbed to iron and aluminum amalgams in to the surrounding. All soil contains
a supreme quantity of phosphorus which can be adsorbed. Phosphorus can also be
lost to the surroundings over leaching and/or runoff upsurge with phosphorus inun-
dation level. Precise fertilizer settlement can decline phosphorus desorption or
1 Phosphorus Solubilization and Mobilization: Mechanisms, Current Developments… 5

adsorption effects by abating phosphorus interaction with soil plus segregating

phosphorus into a minor zone (Lynch et al. 2017).

1.2.4 Leaching

The elimination of dissolved phosphorus from soil by perpendicular water crusade is

known as leaching. Leaching is an apprehension in comparatively great phosphorus
soils (neighboring or at phosphorus permeation), exclusively wherever privileged
flow or uninterrupted influences by tile plumbing be existent (Madiba et al. 2016).

1.2.5 Runoff

Runoff, the foremost reason of phosphorus forfeiture from farms soil. Water trans-
mits away soil-bound particulate phosphorus in battered dregs, over and above dis-
solved phosphorus from fertilizers and pragmatic manure. Wearing away of soil
control practices decline the phosphorus losses by means of decelerating water flow
over the surface of soil besides cumulative infiltration (Lippmann and
Schlesinger 2017).

1.3 Process of Solubilization

1.3.1 Organic Phosphate Solubilization

Organic phosphate solubilization is often known as organic phosphorus mineraliza-

tion; also it ensues in soil surrounding at the outflow of animals and plant leftovers
that hold huge sum of compounds which contain organic phosphorus. The putrefac-
tion of organic substance in soil environment is processed by the exploit of abundant
saprophytes that yield the proclamation of radical orthophosphate from the struc-
tural carbon molecule (Liste 2003). The organophosphates be able to correspond-
ingly grieve a course of mineralization once fatalities by biodegradation. The
mineralization of phosphorus (organic) by microbes is strappingly inclined by sur-
rounding strictures; in actual fact, sensible alkalinity string pulls organic phospho-
rus mineralization. Degradability of the organic phosphorous amalgams be
contingent principally on the physicochemical and biochemical assets of their
molecular structure, e.g., phospholipids, sugar phosphates, and nucleic acids are
straight forwardly fragmented; nevertheless polyphosphates, phosphonates, and
phytic acid are disintegrated extra sluggishly (Turner et al. 2006: Kruse et al. 2015;
Yadav 2019).
6 D. Patel and D. Goswami

Phosphorus possibly could be unconfined from organic amalgams in soil envi-

ronment by mainly three groups of enzymes: first is nonspecific phosphatases that
accomplish dephosphorylation of phospho-ester phosphor anhydride bonds in
organic stuff, second is phytases that precisely cause phosphorus discharge from
phytic acid, and finally phosphonatases and C–P lyases, enzymes that achieve car-
bon–phosphorus cleavage in organophosphonates (Gong et al. 2018; Lusk et al.
2017; Kour et al. 2020c; Rastegari et al. 2020a). The chief commotion apparently
resembles to the reactions of phytases and acid phosphatases for instance their sub-
strates predominant presence in the soil (Zhang et al. 2018).

1.3.2 Inorganic Phosphate Mineralization

Quite a few data reports have recommended the capability of diverse microbial spe-
cies to solubilize insoluble inorganic phosphate amalgams, for example, dicalcium
phosphate, tricalcium phosphate, rock phosphate, and hydroxyapatite. About 65%
of entirely arable farm soils have alkaline pH, so that maximum mineral phosphorus
is in the formula of low-slung soluble calcium phosphates (CaPs) (Purushotham
et al. 2017). Microbes indispensably assimilate phosphorus by means of membrane
transport; consequently suspension of CaPs to Pi (H2PO4) is well-thought-out cru-
cial to the overall phosphorus cycle. Assessment of trials from these soils through-
out the ecosphere has revealed that, usually, the direct oxidation pathway delivers
the biochemical root for extremely effective solubilization of phosphate in Gram-­
negative bacteria through dissemination of the robust organic acids formed in the
periplasm into the head-to-head soil environment (Kahlon 2016).
Consequently, the quinoprotein glucose dehydrogenase (PQQGDH) possibly
will reveal a crucial part in nutritional ecophysiology of soil microflora mainly bac-
teria. MPS bacteria possibly will be rummage-sale for industrial down processing of
rock phosphate minerals (a replaced fluorapatite) otherwise even intended for
straight inoculation as a “biofertilizer” in the soils equivalent to bacteria used for
nitrogen fixation. Mutually the ecological and agronomic characteristics of the
direct oxidation interceded MPS trait (Ganeshamurthy et al. 2015). The bacterial
genera reported to solubilize inorganic phosphate are Pseudomonas, Rhizobium,
Burkholderia, Bacillus, Achromobacter, Agrobacterium, Micrococcus, Erwinia,
and Flavobacterium (Kudoyarova et al. 2017; Verma et al. 2019; Yadav et al. 2017a).

1.3.3 Acid Production Theory

Bestowing to current theory, the progression by PSM of phosphate solubilization is

owing to the release of organic acids that is convoyed by the lowering the pH (i.e.,
acidification) of the environment. The study of culture filtrates obtained of PSMs
has revealed the occurrence of a few of organic acids such as glyoxalic, malic,
1 Phosphorus Solubilization and Mobilization: Mechanisms, Current Developments… 7

succinic, tartaric, fumaric, oxalic, alpha-keto butyric, citric, and 2-ketogluconic in

addition to gluconic acid (Kumar et al. 2016: Hamim et al. 2019)
The volume and nature of the organic acid forms speckles with the microbes. The
organic acids unconfined in the culture scum retort by means of the insoluble phos-
phate. The quantity of soluble phosphate unconfined hinge on the asset and form of
acid. Moreover, aliphatic acids are tending to be extra operative in phosphorus solu-
bilization compared to citric acids and phenolic acids (Menezes-Blackburn et al.
2016). Fumaric acid has the chief phosphorus-solubilizing aptitude. Dibasic and
tribasic acids are also supplementary active than monobasic acids in phosphorus
solubilization. Existence of dibasic acids and tribasic acids exhibit an ancillary
effect that give an impression owing to capability of these acids to form unionized
connotation amalgams with calcium in so doing removes calcium from the environ-
ment and cumulative soluble phosphate meditation (Edelson et al. 2016).
Organic acids subsidize to the dropping of environment pH as these acids detach
in a pH hooked one equipoise, keen on their corresponding anions and protons.
Organic acids shield environment pH besides will linger to separate as protons
expended by the suspension reaction (Meers et al. 2008; Verma et al. 2017).
Correspondingly, microbes frequently disseminate organic acids by means of anions.
Above and beyond organic acids, the inorganic acids for instance sulfuric acid and
nitric acid are also formed by Thiobacillus through the oxidation of inorganic com-
pounds of sulfur and nitrogenous by the nitrifying bacteria that retort with calcium
phosphate in addition alter them into resolvable forms (Kumar et al. 2019; Rajawat
et al. 2020; Sahu et al. 2018). In Gram-negative bacteria, the most competent min-
eral phosphate solubilization (MPS) phenotype grades from extracellular oxidation
of glucose to gluconic acid through the enzyme quinoprotein glucose dehydroge-
nase. The subsequent pH alteration and decline potential are believed to be account-
able for the suspension of phosphate in the microbial medium (Bharti et al. 2017).
Glucose dehydrogenase (GDH) enzyme carries the gluconic acid biosynthesis
with the help of cofactor, i.e., pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ). Erwinia herbicola
is well known for mineral phosphate solubilization, and a gene was cloned by
Goldstein and Liu (1987). The manifestation of this gene permitted the yield of
gluconic acid; besides mineral phosphate solubilization commotion in E.coli HB101
was also studied (Yu et al. 2019). Gluconic acid is one of the prime organic acids
which are produced through Pseudomonas sp., Pseudomonas cepacia, Erwinia her-
bicola and Rhizobium leguminosarum, Rhizobium meliloti, and Bacillus firmus
yield perceptible sum of 2-ketogluconic acid (El-Badry et al. 2016; Kour et al.
2020d; Rana et al. 2020c; Unden et al. 2017). Khanghahi et al. (2018) testified
microbial solubilization for insoluble zinc oxide in addition to zinc phosphate, arbi-
trated by 2-ketogluconic and gluconic acid produced. Additional organic acids, such
as isovaleric, lactic, isobutyric, glycolic, acetic, oxalic, succinic, and malonic acids,
are also produced by various phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (Kaur et al. 2016;
Rawat et al. 2018).
Goebel and Krieg reported that A. lipoferum or else A. brasilense when cultivated
on fructose (a mutual source of carbon) gluconic acid was not bent all through the
growth of and was only formed during development of glucose. Valdehuesa et al.
8 D. Patel and D. Goswami

(2018) testified that gluconic acid can be produced by A. brasilense when it is full-
grown on fructose (in vitro) and modified with glucose which serves as an inducer
to produce gluconic acid and possesses phosphate-solubilizing aptitude (in vitro).
For the formation of gluconic acid, glucose serves as the precursor which has
been recommended for phosphate solubilization by these strains is arbitrated by
gluconic acid or else glucose metabolism. Phosphate solubilization is achieved by
heralded exposure of gluconic acid to the environment, possibly even low-slung
amount of the acid (even underneath the for HPLC detection) in progress to dissolve
parsimoniously soluble phosphate. On contrary, ingesting of the gluconic acid by
increasing cells could similarly take place. In A. brasilense, after incubation for 48 h
there is a drop in the amount of soluble phosphate and that can be enlightened as
auto ingesting of soluble phosphate by rising of bacterial inhabitants (Sabalpara and
Mahatma 2019).
The concluding may consequence from gluconic acid production with NH4+
uptake that possibly will release protons to the environment. In the quicker cultiva-
tion of A. brasilense strains, possibly the cells cast off supplementary NO−3 after the
incubation period is over, thereby liberating OH−, that gives justification for the rise
in pHv (48 h later). The metabolic machinery of gluconic acid formation remains
unrevealed (Madhaiyan et al. 2013)
The phosphate-solubilizing aptitude was considerably higher of gluconic acid as
related to 2-ketogluconic acid in the dregs of CC-Al74 strain culture. The course of
chelation and acidification by 2-ketogluconic acid and gluconic acid thaws trical-
cium phosphate (TCP) in medium containing culture. The chelation characteristics
of gluconic acid empower it towards formulating insoluble composite. Insoluble
metal possibly will be solubilized via protons, through Ca++ delivering phosphates
(Lin et al. 2006: Joshi et al. 2014). Protons are driven to the exterior environment by
several membrane associated pumps that arrange ionic gradients intended for the
procurement of nutrients. Furthermore, organic acids give rise to protons which are
released and also possess an organic acid anion that are generally accomplished of
forming an intricate with metal cation (Fasim et al. 2002).
The yielding of gluconic acid or citric acid also the extrusion of H+ up shot as of
membrane transport mechanisms is described as probable progression for disband-
ing rock phosphate from aluminum phosphate, hydroxyapatite, and iron phosphate
by Penicillium rugulosum (Walia et al. 2017). These progressions are inclined by
the springs of the phosphate, carbon, and nitrogen. If nitrate is the solitary nitrogen
source for production of citric acid, then the consequential volume of phosphate
dissolution is augmented. Since citric acid is not solitary one to be involved in the
phosphate dissolutions but then again in iron dissolution along with other metals as
of minerals, the method of nitrate accretion in soils possibly will show an impera-
tive part for the rock weathering all together (Güler et al. 2017). The type of acid
and its nature production is mostly reliant on the source of carbon available. Overall,
oxalic acid, citric acid, and gluconic acid are biotite, phyllosilicates, and feldspar
stout-solubilizing agents (Kour et al. 2020a; Rana et al. 2020a; Sindhu et al. 2016).
Some PSMs (phosphate-solubilizing microorganisms) that produce different acids
are précised in Table 1.1.
1 Phosphorus Solubilization and Mobilization: Mechanisms, Current Developments… 9

Table 1.1 Organic acid productions by different phosphate-solubilizing microorganisms

Phosphate-solubilizing
microorganisms Organic acid production
Acetobacter sp. Gluconic acid
Aspergillus flavus Gluconic, fumaric, succinic, acetic, oxalic, citric
Penicillium sp. and Aspergillus Gluconic acid
niger
Burkholderia cepacia Gluconic acid
Burkholderia sp.,
Serratia sp., Ralstonia sp., Gluconic acid
Pantoea sp.
Citrobacter sp. Gluconic acid
Enterobacter sp. Gluconic, succinic, acetic, glutamic, oxaloacetic, pyruvic,
malic, fumaric, alpha-ketoglutaric
Escherichia freundii Lactic acid
Penicillium bilaii Citric and oxalic acid
Penicillium regulosum Citric and gluconic acid
Pseudomonas aeruginosa Gluconic acid and 2-ketogluconic acid
Pseudomonas putida Gluconic acid and 2-ketogluconic acid
Pseudomonas fluorescens Citric acid and gluconic acid
Pseudomonas striata Tartaric and citric acid
Rhizobium leguminosarum 2-ketogluconic acid
Serratia marcescens Gluconic acid
Sinorhizobium meliloti Malic, succinic and fumaric
Stenotrophomonas maltophilia Gluconic acid

1.3.4 Proton and Enzyme Theory

Enzymes of esterase type are identified to be tangled in delivering phosphorus com-

mencing organic phosphatic amalgams. PSMs are similarly identified to yield phos-
phatase enzyme accompanied by acids that roots the solubilization of phosphate in
marine environs (Eida et al. 2017). Din et al. (2019) conveyed that four proficient
phosphates-solubilizing microbes, Penicillium simplicissimum, Aspergillus niger,
Penicillium aurantiogriseum, and Pseudomonas sp., and out of these four strains
only A. niger possibly yield organic acids. Two utmost plausible elucidations for
this are as below.
Solubilization deprived of production of acid is owing to the discharge of protons
supplementing respiration otherwise ammonium assimilation (Kishore et al. 2015:
Hajiboland 2018). Superfluous solubilization take place with ammonium salts than
by nitrate salts as per the accessibility of nitrogen source in the medium (Lowrey
et al. 2016: Kashyap et al. 2017). Above and beyond these two mechanisms, the
assembly of chelating elements CO2, H2S, siderophores, mineral acids, and biologi-
cally active phytohormone like gibberellins, indole acetic acids, and cytokinins is as
well associated with solubilization of phosphate. Chelation implicates the
10 D. Patel and D. Goswami

development of at least two coordinate bonds among an anionic and/or polar mol-
ecule with cations, occasioning in a ring structure moiety. Organic acids (mainly
anions), using oxygen that contain carboxyl and hydroxyl groups, devour the capa-
bility to form firm complexes thru cations such as Fe3+, Fe2+, Ca2+, and Al3+ which
are frequently bound to phosphate in feebly forms (Adusei-Gyamfi et al. 2019).
Phosphate dissolution in soil environment is an actually a vital process for plant’s
overall growth and development. More than a few researches have revealed that the
phosphate intake by plants can be evidently amplified by mycorrhizal fungi (Zhang
et al. 2019) or inoculation of soil with species are proficient in free phosphate solu-
bilizing, for instance, P. bilaii (Mukherjee 2017).

1.4 Phosphate Solubilization Bioformulation

Soil microbes are associated in a series of practices that distress phosphate transfor-
mation besides addition thus stimulates the successive accessibility of phosphate to
roots of plant as free-living PSM permanently exist in soils. The inhabitants of inor-
ganic PSM are every so often little, less than even 102 CFU (colony forming unit)
per gram of soil as detected in Northern Spain’s soil (Meena et al. 2016). In soils of
four Quebec, the number of PSM are aorund 26-46% of total micro flour (Mpanga
et al. 2019). As observed with soil microbes other than PSM, the amount of them are
more significant in the rhizosphere soil compared to non-rhizosphere soil (Field
et al. 2019). However, inoculation data intended to refining phosphate in plants
nutrition comprises bacteria as well as fungi and is obtainable commercially in
Western Canada as per the phosphate inoculant JumpStart (Philom Bios, Saskatoon,
Sask.). They are traded for canola, mustard, wheat, and other legumes that comprise
Penicillium bilaii bacterial strain (http://www.philombios.ca/).
Biofertilizers improve the nutrient superiority in the soil. The foremost bases of
biofertilizers are bacteria, fungi, as well as blue-green algae (cyanobacteria). Plants
have several associations with those microbes (Rastegari et al. 2020b; Singh and
Yadav 2020). Afterward contribution by chemical fertilizers through the preceding
ten decades, farmers were pleased with the amplified harvest from the agriculture.
Nevertheless, gradually chemical fertilizers underway demonstrate their unfriendly
paraphernalia such as contaminating water basins, leaching out, terminating normal
flora and fauna which include approachable organisms, creating vulnerability for
crops to the occurrence of diseases, tumbling the fertility of soil, and thus triggering
irretrievable impairment to the ecosystem (Kour et al. 2019b; Sohail et al. 2019).
The principle behind phosphate-solubilizing bioformulation is that microbes
owe countless capabilities that could be oppressed for healthier agriculture per-
forms. Some benefit in brawl diseases, while others have the aptitude to reduce soil
multifaceted compounds into meeker forms that are employed by crops for their
overall growth and development. They are tremendously advantageous in elevating
the soil by fabricating organic nutrients into the soil. To transform insoluble phos-
phates to available form to the plants, resembling orthophosphate, is an imperative
Another Random Scribd Document
with Unrelated Content
 GLORVINA, THE MAID OF MEATH.
BY JAMES SHERIDAN KNOWLES.
Ireland has had her heroines. Glorvina, the daughter of Malachi,
king of Meath, was the joy and pride of her father, yet at the same
time his anxious, never-resting care; for the Dane was in the land.
The rovers were led by Turgesius, a voluptuous prince, though
advanced in years. Turgesius approached the gate of Malachi with
the smile of peace upon his countenance, but with the thoughts of
rapine in his heart. He was hospitably received; the banquet was
spread for him; and when he was weary with feasting and hilarity,
he was conducted to the richest, softest couch.
He had not yet seen Glorvina, but he had heard of her surpassing
beauty; and one day he requested of the king that his daughter
should sit at the feast. A shade came over the brow of Malachi; but
he bowed his head, and it was gone. With a timid, yet stately step,
the virgin entered the hall. Thick and clustering, and reaching far
below her tapering waist, hung her auburn hair; her eyes were cast
down; her fair skin mantled and faded, as her colour came and
went; and she spake not as she sank in modest, graceful obeisance,
to the salutation of Turgesius.
The Dane had no appetite for the banquet that day. He seemed
to be conscious of nothing but the presence of Glorvina. Alarm and
ire were painted in the countenance of the king, but Turgesius noted
it not. He never removed his eyes from the royal maid; they
wandered incessantly over her features and her form, and followed
the movements of her white, roundly-moulded arms, as she
accepted or returned the cup or the viands which were proffered for
her use. Haughty for the first time was the fair brow of Glorvina: the
bold stare of man was a stranger to her. Again and again she offered
to retire, but was withheld by the dissuasions of Turgesius, seconded
by the admonishing glances of her father. At last, however, in spite
of all opposition, she withdrew.
The Dane sat abstracted with a clouded brow; deep sighs came
thick and strugglingly from his breast. Malachi tried to rouse his
guest, and succeeded at last, with the aid of the cup. Turgesius
waxed wildly joyous; he spoke of love, and of the idol before which
the passion bows; and he asked for the strain that was in unison
with the tone of his soul; the song of desire was awakened at his
call; and as it flowed, swelling and sinking with the mood of the fitful
theme, the rover's cheek flushed more and more, and his eyes more
wildly flamed.
Turgesius did not sleep at the castle that night. He was
summoned on a sudden to a distance: oppression had produced
reaction. In the place of the slave, the man had started up; and the
air all at once was thick with weapons, where for months the glare
of brass or of steel had not been seen, except in the hand of the
foreigner. Outposts had been driven in; large bands were retracing
steps which they had no right to take; the sway of the freebooter
was tottering. His presence saved it, and the native again bowed
sullenly to resume the yoke.
After the lapse of a few weeks, Turgesius once more drew near
the gate of Malachi. Loudly the blast of his herald demanded the
customed admission, and with impatience the Dane awaited the
reply to his summons. It came; but there was wailing in the voice of
welcome, and the visitor felt that he grew cold. The mourner
received him in the hall:—Glorvina was no more! Turgesius turned
his face away from the house of death, and departed for his own
stronghold, where with alternate sports and revels he endeavoured
to assuage disappointment and obliterate recollection.
Dusk fell. Silent and gloomy was the aisle of the royal chapel.
Before a monument, newly erected, stood a lonely figure gazing
upon the name of Glorvina, which was carved upon the stone. The
figure was that of a youth, tall, and of matchless symmetry. His arms
were folded, his head drooped, he uttered no sound; his soul was
with the inmate of the narrow house. He heard not the step of the
bard who was approaching, and who presently stood by his side
unnoted by him.
Long did the reverend man gaze upon the youth without
attempting to accost him. More and more he wondered who it could
be whom sorrow so enchained in abstraction. At length the lips of
the figure moved, and a sigh, deep-drawn, ushered forth the name
of Glorvina. No stranger to the bard was the voice that fell upon his
ear. "Niall!" he exclaimed. The youth started and turned; it was Niall.
He threw himself upon the neck of the bard. The flood of the eyes
began to flow: he sobbed forth aloud and incontinently the name of
Glorvina!
"Niall," said the bard, as soon as the paroxysm of grief had a
little subsided,—"Niall, you are changed in form, your stature has
shot up, your shoulders have spread, and your chest has rounded.
Your features, too, I can see by this spare light, have received from
manhood a stamp which they did not bear before; but your heart,
my son, is the same. Niall in his affections has come back what he
went. The Saxon has not changed him, nor the Saxon's daughter;
her golden hair has waved before his eyes, her skin of pearl has
shone upon them, the silver harp of her voice has streamed upon his
ear; but his heart hath been still with Glorvina!"
"To what end?" passionately burst forth the youth. "Glorvina is in
the tomb!" The tears gushed again; the bard was silent.
"Where is your prophetic Psalter?" resumed Niall; "where is it?
Who will give credence to it now? Did you not say that Glorvina was
the fair maid of Meath by whom it foretold that the land was to be
rescued from the Dane; and that I was that son of my house who
should be joined with her in perilous, yet happy wedlock? This did
you not say and repeat a thousand times?—Then why do I look upon
that tomb?"
 "Niall," said the bard, "have faith, though you look upon the
tomb of Glorvina!" The youth shook his head.—"Have you yet seen
the king?" inquired the bard. Niall replied in the negative. "Come,
then, young man, and look upon a father's grief!"
The bard led the way towards the closet of the king. The light of
the taper streamed from the half-open door: and as Niall, by the
side of the bard, stood in the comparative darkness of the ante-
chamber, he stared upon the face of Malachi, bright with a smile at a
false move at chess which a person with whom the king was playing
had just that moment made. Niall could scarce believe his vision.
—"Where is the grief of the father?" whispered he to the bard.
"Note on!" was the old man's reply.
"He laughs!" exclaimed Niall, almost loud enough to be heard by
those within.—"Yes," said the bard; "he who wins may laugh. He has
got the game."
"And where is his child?" ejaculated Niall with a groan so audible
that Malachi heard it and started; but the bard hurried the youth
from the room.
Niall and the bard sat alone in the apartment of the latter.
Sparingly the youth partook of the repast, which was presently
removed. He sat silent, leaning his head upon his hand. At length he
lifted his eyes to the face of the bard; it was smiling like the king's,
as he played the game of chess. The young man stared; the bard
smiled on.
"A strain!" cried the reverend man, and took his harp and tuned
it, and tried the chords till every string had its proper tone. "Now!"
he exclaimed, ready to begin. The young man watched the waking
of the lay, which he expected would be in unison with the mood of
his soul: but, lo! note rapidly followed note in mirthful chase, still
quickening to the close; and the countenance of Niall, overcast
before with grief, now lowered with anger.
"I list not strain like that!" he exclaimed, starting from his seat.
 "You list no other, boy, from me," rejoined the old man; "it is your
welcome home."—"My home," ejaculated Niall, "is the tomb where
Glorvina sleeps the sleep of death!"
"The Psalter," said the old man solemnly, "is the promise of
Destiny, and is sure to be fulfilled."
"Why, then," asked the youth sternly,—"why, then, is Glorvina no
longer among the living?—Why in the place of her glowing cheek do
I meet the tomb?—the silence of death, instead of her voice?"
The bard made no reply, but leaned over his harp again, and
spanned its golden strings. He sang of the chase. The game was a
beauteous hind; eager was the hunter, but too swift was her light
foot for his wish. She distanced him like the wind, which at one
moment brushes the cheek, and the next will be leagues away; and
now she was safe, pressing the mossy sward in the region of the
mountain and the lake, where the waters mingle and spread one
silvery sheet for the fair tall heavens to look into.
Niall sat amazed!—conjecture and doubt seemed to divide his
soul. He sprang towards the old man, and, throwing himself at his
feet, snatched the hand that still lay upon the strings and caught it
to his bosom. Yet he spake not, save by his eyes; in the intense
expression of which, inquiry, and entreaty, and deprecation were
mingled.
The old man rose and stood silent for a time, looking down
benevolently upon Niall, who seemed scarcely to breathe, watching
the lips that he felt were about to move.
"Niall," at length said the bard,—"Niall, the strength of the day is
the rest of night. Fair upon the eye of the sleeper, awakening him,
breaks the light of morning. Then he springs from his couch, and
stretches his limbs, and braces them, eager for action; and he asks
who will go with him to the field of the feat; or haply betakes him to
the road to try his strength alone; and following it through hill and
valley, moor and mead, suddenly shows his triumph-shining face to
the far friend that looked not for him!"
 The bard ceased. Both he and the youth remained motionless for
several seconds, intently regarding one another. At last Niall sprang
upon his feet, and threw himself upon the neck of the old man,
whose arms simultaneously closed around the boy.
"You will sleep to-night, my son," said the bard, withdrawing
himself at length from the embrace of Niall. "The dawn shall not
come to thy casement before thou shalt hear my summons at thy
door. Good-night!" They parted.

By the side of a bright river strayed hand in hand two young

females, seemingly rustics. Rain had fallen. The thousand torrents of
the mountains were in play; and the general waters, swoln beyond
the capacity of their customed channel, ran hurried and ruffled.
"Who would think," remarked the younger of the two,—"who
would think that this was the river we saw yesterday?"
"'Tis changed indeed," said her companion; "but the sky that was
lowering yesterday, you see, is bright and serene to-day. Did you
hear the storm in the night?"
"No: I would I had. It would have saved me from a dream darker
than any storm."
"A dream!—Tell it me. I am a reader of dreams."
"You know," began the younger,—"you know I was brought up
with the only son of a distant branch of my father's house. I know
not how it was, but, from my earliest recollection, my foster-mother,
and others as well as she, set me down for his wife; and, strangely
enough, I fancied myself so. Yet could it be nothing more than a
sister's love that I bore him. Much he used to make of me. His
pastime—even his studies—were regulated by my will. Being older
than I, he let me play the fool to the very height of my caprice,
which cost me many a chiding,—but not from him, though he had to
bear the greater portion of the consequences. You know by his
father's will he was enjoined to travel the last four years preceding
his majority. He set out the very day that I completed my fourteenth
year. I wish it had been before. I should have felt the separation
less, for indeed it cost me real agony. For months after, they would
catch me weeping: they did not know the cause; but 'twas for him!
Still I only loved him as a brother—but a dear one,—Oh, Myra! I
cannot tell you how dear!—and absence has not abated my feelings,
as you may more than guess by my dream last night."
"Look!" interrupted the other; "see you not some one through
the interval of the trees descending yonder road that winds round
the foot of the nearest mountain?"
"No," replied the former, after she had looked in the direction a
moment or two. "But attend to my dream. I thought I was married
indeed, and that he was my husband; and that we were sitting at
the bridal feast, placed on each side of my father; and there were
the viands, and the wine, and the company, and everything as plain
as you are that are standing there before me; when, all at once——"
"I see him again!" a second time interrupted the friend. "Look!
don't you catch the figure?"—"No."
"Then you'll not catch it at all now, for he has dived into the
wood through which the road runs."
"Was it a single person?"—"Yes."
"Then we have nothing to care for; so don't interrupt me in my
dream again."
"Go on with it," said the other.
"Well; we were sitting, as I said, at the bridal feast, when,
turning to speak to my father, the fiery eyes of one I hope never to
see again were glaring on me, and my father was gone; and fierce
men, with gleaming weapons waving above their heads, surrounded
him to whom I had just pledged my troth, and bore him, in spite of
his struggles and my screams, away: leaving me to the mercy of the
spoiler, who straight, methought, started up with the intent of
dragging me to the couch which had been prepared for another!"
 "Do you mark," interrupted the friend, "as you increase in
loudness, the echoes waken? I heard the last word repeated as
distinctly as you yourself uttered it. But go on. Yet beware these
echoes; they may be tell-tales. What followed?"
"Oh, what harrows my soul even now! Thither, where I told you,
did he try to force me, struggling with all my might to resist him. I
called on my father,—I called on my bridegroom,—I called on every
one I could think of; but no one came to me, and fast we
approached the door, on the threshold of which to have died, I
thought in my dream, would be bliss to the horror of crossing it, and
there at last we stood: but it was shut. Yet soon it moved; and who
think you it was that opened it? Niall!—Niall himself! and no
resistance did he offer to him that forced me onward,—none, though
I called to him by his name, shrieking it louder than I am speaking
now, 'Niall!—Niall!' He spoke not,—he moved not; and I was within a
foot of the very couch, when I awoke, my face bathed in the dew of
terror. 'Niall!—Niall!' did I cry, did I shriek; and Niall was there, and I
shrieked in vain—'Niall!—Niall!'——"
"Here!" cried Niall himself, springing from a copse, out of which
led a path that made a short cut across an angle of the road, and
throwing himself breathless at the feet of Glorvina.
The astonished maid stood motionless, gazing on the young
man, who remained kneeling, until her companion, taking her hand,
and calling her by her name, aroused her from the trance of
astonishment.
"Come," said Myra, "let us return;" and, motioning to the young
man to follow them, she led her passive companion back to the
lonely retreat whither Malachi had transported his fair child.
Glorvina did not perfectly recover her self-possession till she
arrived at the door. Then she stopped, and turning, bent her bright
gaze full upon the wondering Niall, who moved not another step.
"Niall—if you are Niall—" said the maid. She paused, and a sigh
passed, in spite of them, the lips that would have kept it in: "If you
are the Niall," she resumed, "to whom I said farewell four years ago,
the day and the hour are not unwelcome that bring back, in health,
and strength, and happiness, the playmate of our childhood to the
land of his fathers; and we bless God that he has suffered them to
shine. But why comes Niall hither? Who taught him to doubt the
testimony of the tomb? Who directed his steps to the solitudes of
the mountains, the woods, and the lakes? Who cried, "God speed!"
when his heel left the home of my father behind it? Was it the
master of that home?—was it Malachi, my father?"
A thought that had not occurred to him before, seemed suddenly
to cross the mind of Niall. His lips that would have spoken remained
motionless, his cheek coloured, his eye fell to the feet of Glorvina;
he stood confounded and abashed.
"'Tis well!" cried the stately maid. "The tongue of Niall is yet
unacquainted with falsehood, though his feet may be no strangers to
the steps of rashness. The repast is spread; enter and partake!" and
she paused for a second or two. Niall slowly lifted his eyes till they
met those of Glorvina; apprehension and supplication mingled in the
gaze of the youth. At length, with a tone that spoke at once
compassion and resolve, the word "Depart!" found utterance; and
the maid and her companion, stepping aside, left the entrance of
their lonely habitation free, as Niall mechanically passed in.
(To be concluded in our next.)
 THE ROYAL ROSE OF ENGLAND.
AN IRISH BALLAD,
ON THE BIRTH-DAY OF THE PRINCESS VICTORIA,
May 24, 1837.

BY J. A. WADE.
Tune—"Young Love lived once."

I.
Within a fine ould ancient pile
(Where long may splendour
And luck attend her!)
The Royal Hope of Britain's isle
Has shed her eighteenth summer's smile!
No winter mornin'
Was at her bornin',
But with the spring she did come forth,
A flow'r of Beauty, without guile,
Perfumin' sweet the neighb'rin' earth!

II.
We've seen the blossom 'pon the stem
From early childhood—
Both in the wild-wood
And in the halls where many a gem
Did sparkle from the diadem,
But always bloomin',
Without presumin'
On the rich cradle of her birth;
Her eyes beam'd softly—while from them
All others gather'd love and mirth!

III.
Dear offspring of a royal race,
In this dominion
(It's my opinion)
There's not a soul that sees your face,
But prays for it sweet Heaven's grace.
May every birth-day
Be found a mirth-day,—
No clouds or tears e'er frown or weep,
But Pleasure's smile where'er you pace
Bless you for ever 'wake or 'sleep!

Jack outwitting Davy Jones

 NIGHTS AT SEA:
Or, Sketches of Naval Life during the War.
BY THE OLD SAILOR.

No. III.
WITH AN ILLUSTRATION BY GEORGE CRUIKSHANK.

THE CHASE.—THE FORECASTLE YARN.

"Not a cloud is before her

To dim her pure light;
Not a shadow comes o'er her,
Her beauty to blight:
But she glows in soft lustre—
One star by her side—
From her throne in the azure,
Earth's beautiful bride."

A cheerless and disheartening spectacle is a dismasted ship, with

all her mass of wreck still clinging to the hull, that it once bore
proudly over the billows! 'Tis like the unfortunate abandoned by his
friends, who, however, continue to hang around him, though more
to impede his way than to retrieve his fortunes! And there lay the
Spankaway, with her long line of taper spars reversed, their heads in
the water, and their heels uppermost; and, as if in mockery of the
mishap, the beautiful bright moon showed their diminished shadows
on the again smooth surface of the ocean. The squall had passed far
away to leeward, and was dwindling to a mere speck of silvery
vapour, whilst all besides was still, and calm, and passionless.
 Now it was no pleasant sight to Lord Eustace Dash and his
officers to witness the dismantling of the craft they loved; and, as
the chief, it may be naturally supposed that the chagrin of his
lordship far exceeded that of his subs: but there was one amongst
them almost affected to tears, and that was old Will Parallel, the
master.
"Smack smooth to the lower caps, by ——!" said his lordship, as
he surveyed the havoc made in his dashing frigate; "not a rope-yarn
above the lower mast-heads, and—"
"Not a bit of canvass abroad big enough to make a clout for a
babby," chimed in the old master; "spanker, jib, topsels all gone to
the devil, as 'll have no more manner o' use for 'em than a serjeant
of jollies has for a hand-bible."
"Where's Mr. ——?" shouted his lordship, and the master's mate
who had had charge of the deck stood before him. "How came all
this, sir?"
"It was a white squall, my lord," returned the young man
addressed; "not a soul saw it till it caught the ship, and the topmasts
went over the side immediately."
"I shall inquire into the fact presently, sir," rejoined his lordship,
excessively vexed and mortified. "Turn the hands up—clear the
wreck!"
"Hands up—clear the wreck!" shouted the first lieutenant.
"Hands up—clear the wreck!" repeated the master's mate.
"Boatswain's mate, pipe 'Clear the wreck!'" reiterated the
midshipmen. "Twhit! twhit!" went the call; and, "Clear wreck, a-hoy!"
vociferated Jack Sheavehole, in a voice resembling the roar of the
bellows of an anchor-forge. The summons, however, was hardly
necessary, as every soul had tumbled up at the moment the frigate
righted; and all turned to with a hearty goodwill to repair damages,
every officer and man using his best exertions.
 "The squall spoilt our fun, master," said the first lieutenant to old
Parallel, as the latter was superintending the preparations for
unrigging the old, and rigging the new spare topmasts.
"Ay! ay! 'twas an onfortunate blow to the harmony of the
evening; but it will do for an incident for Nugent," responded the
veteran. "Where's his fine lady curtcheying to herself in a mirror
now? If he had stuck to plain matter-of-fact, mayhap the spars
would have behaved better; though, arter all, it's a marcy they were
so carroty, or mayhap her ladyship might have curtcheyed so low as
to have gone to the bottom."
That night was a night of arduous but light-hearted toil; no man
shrunk from his task; and, when they piped to breakfast next
morning, the frigate was once more all ataunt'o, with royals and
studding-sails set, in chase of a large ship of warlike appearance that
was seen in the north-west, running away large, apparently bound in
for Toulon.
"Foretopsel-yard, there!" shouted Lord Eustace, from the quarter-
deck. "What do you make of her, Mr. Nugent?"
"She's nearly end on, my lord," responded the young lieutenant,
as, steadying himself by the topsail-tie, he directed his glass towards
the stranger; and then, in a few minutes, added, "She spreads a
broad cloth, my lord; and, from the cut of her canvass, I should
most certainly say——" and he paused to take another look.
"I'd take my daffy on it, Mr. Nugent," said the look-out man, "her
topsels are more hollowed out than ourn; her royals never came out
of a British dock-yard; and I'd bet my six months' whack again a
scupper-nail that she's a Frenchman, and a large frigate too."
"Well, what is she, Nugent?" shouted the noble captain. "Can you
see down to her courses!"
"Yes, my lord," responded the lieutenant; "we shall, I hope, have
her hull in sight before long, as I have no hesitation in saying—that
is, my lord, I think she's an enemy frigate."
 This annunciation was heard fore and aft; for, during the time of
his lordship hailing, every whisper was hushed, and scarcely even a
limb moved, lest the listener should lose the replies. Expectations
had been raised that the vessel in sight might be a French transport,
from the Egyptian coast, or perhaps a merchantman; but the chance
of an enemy's frigate was indeed joyous news. Breakfast was hastily
despatched; the mess-kits were speedily stowed away, and the
boatswain's shrill call echoed amongst the canvass as he piped
"Make sail, ahoy!" In an instant every man was at his station; every
yard of cloth that could catch a breath of wind was packed upon the
Spankaway, who seemed to glide along through the water just as
easy as when she first started from the buttered slips. Indeed, Jack
Sheavehole declared that "she wur all the better for the spree she'd
had the night afore."
An exciting period is the time of chase, and it is extremely
interesting to observe the anxious looks of the officers as they eye
the trim of the sails, and the ready attention of the tars as they
execute the most minute command, as if everything depended on
their own individual exertions. The usual routine of duty frequently
gives place to the all-absorbing stimulus which actuates every mind
alike; and, as the seamen group themselves together, they spin their
yarns of battles and captures, and calculate their share of the
amount of prize-money before they engage the enemy, totally
regardless of the advice in the "Cook's Oracle," viz. "First catch an
eel, and then skin him." But what have they to do with the "Cook's
Oracle," when every man is by rotation cook of the mess in his own
natural right, and "gets the plush (overplus) of grog?"
All day the chase continued; and the Spankaway overhauled the
stranger so as materially to lessen the distance between them: in
fact, her hull could be plainly discerned from the deck, and there
was no longer any doubt of her national character. In the afternoon
permission was given to take the hammocks below, but not a man
availed himself of it; they were therefore re-stowed in readiness for
that engagement which all hearts were eager for, all hands itching to
begin. Evening closed in, and keen eyes were employed to keep
sight of the enemy. The men lay down at their quarters; some to
take a nigger's sleep,—one eye shut and the other open; some to
converse in good audible whispers; some leaning out at the ports,
and watching the moonbeams reflected on the waters, whilst the
hissing and chattering noise made by the progress of the ship was
sweet music to their ears.
It was a lovely night for contemplation,—but what did Jack want
with contemplation whilst an enemy's frigate was in sight? The
breeze was light enough to please a lady,—it would have scarcely
vibrated the cords of an Æolian lyre: but this was not the breeze for
our honest tars; they wanted to hear the gale thrilling through the
harpstrings of the standing rigging, with a running accompaniment
of deep bass from the ocean, as their counter, set in sea, trebled the
piping noise of the wind. Yet there was one satisfaction; the
Frenchman had no more than themselves, and they carried every
fresh capful along with them before it reached the chase. The full
round moon tried her best endeavour to make her borrowed
radiance equally as luminous as that of the glorious orb which so
generously granted the loan, with only one provision, that a certain
rate of interest should be paid to the earth; but the old girl on this
night tried to sport the principal. The waters were lucidly clear, and
the mimic waves on its surface would scarcely have been a rough
sea to that model of a Dutch dogger—a walnut-shell. Yet the
Spankaway was stealing along some seven knots an hour, and the
sails just slept a dreamer's sleep.
On the forecastle—that post of honour to a seaman, where the
tallest and the best of Britain's pride are always to be found—men
who can take the weather-wheel, heave the lead, splice a cable, or
furl a foresail,—the A. B.'s of the royal navy,—on the forecastle, just
in amidships, before the mast, sat our old friend, Jack Sheavehole,
Sam Slick, the ship's tailor, Joe Nighthead, Mungo Pearl, a negro
captain of the sweepers, Jemmy Ducks, the poulterer, Bob Martingal,
a forecastleman, and several others, who were stationed at the
foremost guns.
 "I just tell you what it is, Jack," said Bob Martingal, continuing a
dispute that had arisen, "I tell you what it is; some on you is as
onbelieving as that 'ere Jew as they've legged down so much again,
and who, they say, is working a traverse all over the world to this
very hour, with a billy-goat's beard afore him as long as a chafing
mat. But, take care, my boyo, you arn't conwincetecated some o'
these here odd times, when you least expects it."
"Onbelieving about what, Bob?" responded the boatswain's mate.
"Onbelieving 'cause we don't hoist in all your precious tough yarns
as 'ud raise a fellow's hair on eend, and make his head look a
mainshroud dead-eye stuck round with marlin'-spikes?"
"Or a cushionful of pins," chimed in Sam Slick.
"Or a duck with his tail up," added the poulterer.
"Hould your precious tongues, you lubbers!—what should you
know about the build and rig of a devil's own craft? retorted Bob,
addressing the two officials. "My messmate here, and that's ould
Jack, has got a good and nat'ral right to calculate the jometry of the
thing, seeing as he has sarved his life to the ocean, man and boy,
and knows an eyelet-hole from a goose's gun-room, which, I take it,
is more nor both on you together can diskiver either in the twist of a
button-catcher or the drawing of a pullet. But I'm saying, Jack, you
are onbelieving,—else why do you misdoubt the woracity of my
reckoning."
"'Cause you pitches it too strong, Bob," answered the boatswain's
mate; "your reck'ning is summut like ould Blowhard's, as keeps the
Duncan's Head at Castle-rag,—chalks two for one. Spin your yarns to
the marines, Bob; they'll always believe you. Cause why?—they
expects you'll just hould on by their monkey-tails in return."
"Monkey-tails or no monkey-tails arn't the question," returned
Bob with some warmth; "it's the devil's tail as I'm veering away
upon, and——"
"I'm blessed if it won't bring you up all standing with a roundturn
round your neck some o' these here days," uttered Jack, interrupting
him.
"Never mind that," returned Bob with a knowing shake of the
head; "I shall uncoil it again, if he arn't got the king's broad arrow
on the end on it. But mayhap, then, you won't believe as there is
such a justice o' peace as ould Davy?"
"Do I believe my catechiz as I forgot long ago?" responded old
Jack. "Why, yes, messmate, I wooll believe that there is a consarn o'
the kind; but not such a justice o' peace as you'd make of him,
rigged out in one o' your 'long-shore clargy's sky-scraper shovel-
nosed trucks, leather breeches, and top-boots! I tell you it won't do,
Bob, in the regard o' the jography o' the matter. Why, where the h—
is he to coil away his outrigger in a pair of tight leather rudder
casings over his starn? Ax the tailor there whether it arn't
onpossible. And how could he keep top-boots on to his d—d
onprincipled shanks, as are no better in the fashion of their cut than
a couple of cow's trotters? And what single truck would fit two mast-
heads at once, seeing as he al'ays carries a pair of horns as big as a
bull's. No, no, Bob; you wants to make a gentleman of the
picarooning wagabone, when everybody as knows anything about
him knows he's a thundering blagguard, as my ould captain, Sir
Joseph Y—ke, used to say in one of his beautiful sarmons, 'he goes
cruising about seeking to devour a roaring lion,' and that's no child's
play anyhow! But, howsomever, a yarn's a yarn, ould chap; so
lather-away with your oak stick: I'll hoist in all I can, just to confar a
favour on you; and, as for the rest, why I'll let it go by the run."
"I must crave permission to put in a word, since I have been
professionally appealed to," said Sam Slick with becoming gravity,
and smoothing down the nap of his sleeping-jacket. "With respect to
the breeches,—wash-leather, after they have been worn for some
time, will give and stretch, and——"
"Come, none o' your stretching, Sam," chimed in Jemmy Ducks.
"What you've got to show is, whether you can stow a cable in a hen-
coop."
 "Not exactly," returned Sam; "for I'm sure Mister Sheavehole
must allow that the capacity and capability of a pair of leather
breeches——"
"I shan't never allow no such consarns as them 'ere!" exclaimed
Jack. "Do, Bob, get on with your yarn, and clap a stopper on the
lubber's jawing-gear."
"Well, since you've put me upon it by misdoubting my woracity,"
said Bob, "why, I'll up and tell you a thing or two. Which on you has
ever been down to Baltimore?"
"I have," returned a forecastleman, impatient to wedge in a word
or two. "I was there onest in a ship transport, and our jolly-boat
broke adrift in the night, and went ashore without leave; and so,
next morning, we sees her lying on the beach all alone, as if she'd
been a liberty-boy hard up in the regard o' the whiskey. And so the
second mate and a party goes to launch her: but some wild Ingines,
only they warn't quite black, came down, and wouldn't let us lay a
finger on her till we'd paid summut for hauling her up, which was all
nat'ral in course; but the second mate hadn't never got not a single
copper whatsomever about him, and so he orders us to launch her
whether or no, Tom Collins; and, my eyes! but they did kick up a
shindy, jabbering in a lingo like double Dutch coiled again the sun;
and says one on 'em, seeing as we were man-handling the boat,
says he, 'Arrah, Tim, call to de boys to bring down de shticks—— '"
"You means Baltimore in Ireland," uttered Bob, with some degree
of contempt, "and I means Baltimore in the United States o'
Maryland, where the river runs along about three leagues out of
Chesapeake Bay,—and a pretty place it is too of a Saturday night for
a bit of a John Canooing, and a bite of pigtail, letting alone the grog
and the gals——"
"Which you never did, Bob, I'll be sworn," said Jack laughing.
"Never did what, Jack?" asked the other, apparently surprised at
the positive assertion.
 "Why, let the grog and the gals alone, God A'mighty bless both
on 'em!" replied the boatswain's mate; "but heave a-head, my
hearty."
Bob gave a self-satisfied grin, and proceeded. "Why, d'ye mind,
I'd been fool enough to grease my heels from a hooker,—no matter
whatsomever her name might be or where she sailed from, seeing
as she carried a coach-whip at her main-truck and a rogue's yarn in
her standing and running gear. But I was young and foolish, and my
brains hadn't come to their proper growth; and one o' your land-
sharks had got a grip o' me; and there I was a-capering ashore, and
jumping about like a ring-tail monkey over a hot plantain; and so I
brings up at the sign of the General Washingtub, and there used to
be a lot of outrageous tarnation swankers meet there for a night's
spree,—fellows as carried bright marlin'-spikes in their pockets for
toothpicks, and what not, and sported Spanish dollars on their
jackets for buttons. They belonged to a craft as laid in the harbour,—
a reg'lar clipper, all legs and wings: she had a white cherry-bum for
a figure-head; ounly there was a couple o' grease-horns sprouting
out on the forehead, and she was as pretty a piece of timber upon
the water as ever was modelled by the hand of the devil."
"Why, how do you know who moulded her frame, Bob?" inquired
Jack provokingly. "It might have been some honest man's son,
instead of the ould chap as you mentions. But if any one sees a
beautiful hooker that's more beautifuller nor another, then she's
logged down as the devil's own build, and rigged by the captain of
the sweepers."
"Wharra you mean by dat, Massa Jack?" exclaimed Mungo Pearl,
who held that honourable station, and felt his dignity offended by
the allusion; "wharra you mean by dat, eh?"
"Just shut your black-hole," answered Jack with a knowing look;
"don't the ould witches ride upon birch-brooms, and sweep through
the air,—and arn't the devil their commander-in-chief? Well, then, in
course he is captain o' the sweepers. But go along, Bob. I'll lay my
allowance o' grog to-morrow she was painted black."
 "Well, so she was, Jack," responded Martingal, "all but a narrow
fiery red ribbon round her sides, as looked for all the world like a
flash o' lightning darting out of a thunder-cloud; and her name was
the In-fun-oh (Infernaux), but I'm d—d if there was any fun in the
consarn arter all. Well, d'ye see, the hands were a jolly jovial set,
with dollars as plentiful as boys' dumps, and they pitched 'em away
at the lucky, and made all sneer again. The skipper was a civil-
spoken gentleman, with a goodish-sized ugly figure-head of his own,
one eye kivered over with a black patch, and the other summut like
a stale mackerel's; but it never laid still, and was al'ays sluing round
and round, 'cause it had to do double duty. Still he was a pleasantish
sort of a chap, and had such a 'ticing way with him, that when he
axed me to ship in the craft, I'm blow'd if I could say 'No,' though I
felt summut dubersome about the consarn; and the more in regard
of an ould tar telling me the black patch was all a sham, but he was
obliged to kiver the eye up, 'cause it was a ball o' fire as looked like
a glowing cinder in a fresh breeze. He'd sailed with him a voyage or
two, and he swore that he had often seen the skipper clap his cigar
under the false port and light it by his eye; and one night in a gale o'
wind, when the binnacle-lamp couldn't be kept burning, he steered
the ship a straight course by the compass from the brightness of his
eye upon the card. Howsomever, I didn't much heed to all that 'ere,
seeing as I knowed how to spin a tough yarn myself: and then there
was the grog and the shiners, a sweet ship and civil dealing; and I'll
just ax what's the use o' being nice about owners, as long as you do
what's right and ship-shape? 'Still, messmate,' thinks I to myself, 'it's
best not to be too much in a hurry;' so I backs and fills, just
dropping with the tide of inclination, and now and then letting go
the kedge o' contradiction to swing off from the shore; and at last I
tould him 'I'd let him know next day.' Well, I goes to the ould tar as I
mentioned afore, and I tells him all about it. 'Don't go for to sign
articles in no such a craft as that 'ere,' says he in a moloncholy way.
—'Why not?' says I, quite gleesome and careless, though there was
a summut that comothered me all over when he spoke.—'I mustn't
tell you,' says he; 'but take my advice, and never set foot on board a
craft that arn't got no 'sponsible owners,' says he.—'You must tell me
more nor that,' says I, 'or you may as well tell me nothing. You've
been to sea in her, and are safe enough; why shouldn't I?'—'I advise
you for your good,' says he again, all fatherlike and gently; 'you can
do as you please. You talk of my safety,' and he looked cautiously
round him; 'but it's the parsen as has done it for me.'—'Oh! I see
how the land lies,' says I; 'you're a bit of a methodish, and so
strained the yarns o' your conscience, 'cause you made a trip to the
coast o' Guinea for black wool.'—He shook his head: 'Black wool,
indeed,' says he; 'but no man as knows what I knows would ever lay
hand to sheet home a topsel for a commander who ——' and he
brought up his speech all standing.—'Who what?' axes I; but he
wouldn't answer: and so, being a little hopstropulous in my mind,
and willing to try the hooker, 'It's no matter,' says I, 'I'll have a shy
at her if I loses my beaver. No man can expect to have the devil's
luck and his own too.'—'That's it!' says he, starting out like a
dogvane in a sudden puff.—'That's what?' axes I.—'The devil's luck!'
says he: 'don't go for to ship in that craft. She's handsome to look
at; but, like a painted scullerpar, or sea-poll-ker, or some such name,
she's full o' dead men's bones.'—'Gammon!' says I boldly with my
tongue, though I must own, shipmates, there was summut of a
flusteration in my heart as made me rather timbersome; 'Gammon!'
says I, 'what 'ud they do with such a cargo even in a slaver?'—'I
sees you're wilful,' says he angrily; 'but log this down in your
memory: if you do ship in that 'ere craft, you'll be d—d!'—'Then I'll
be d—d if I don't:' says I, 'and so, ould crusty-gripes, here goes;'
and away I started down to one of the keys just to take a look at her
afore I entered woluntary; and there she lay snoozing as quiet as a
cat on a hearth-rug, or a mouse in the caulker's oakum. Below, she
was as black as the ace o' spades, and almost as sharp in the nose;
but, aloft, her white tapering spars showed like a delicate lady's
fingers in silk-net gloves——"
"Or holding a skein of silk," chimed in Sam Slick.
"Well, shipmates," continued Bob; "whilst I was taking a pretty
long eye-drift over her hull and rigging, and casting my thoughts
about the skipper, somebody taps me on the arm, and when I slued
round, there he was himself, in properer personnee; and, 'Think o'
the devil,' says I, 'and he's over your shoulder, saving your honour's
presence, and I hopes no offence.' Well, I'm blessed but his eye—
that's his onkivered one, messmates—twinkled and scaled over dark
again, just for all the world like a revolving light, and 'Not no offence
at all, my man,' says he; 'it's al'ays best to be plain-spoken in such
consarns; we shall know one another better by-and-by. But how do
you like the ship?'—'She's a sweet craft, your honour,' says I; 'and I
should have no objection to a good berth on board her, provided we
can come to reg'lar agreement.'—'We shall not quarrel, I dare say,
my man,' says he, quite cool and insinivating; 'my people never
grumble with their wages, and you see yourself they wants for
nothing.'—'All well and good, your honour,' says I; 'and, to make
short of the long of it, Bob Martingal's your own.' Well, his eye
twinkled again, and there seemed to be such a heaving and setting
just under the tails of his long togs, and a sort o' rustling down one
leg of his trousers, that blow me if I could tell what to make on it;
and 'I knew you'd be mine,' says he: 'we shall go to sea in the
morning, so you'd better get your traps aboard as soon as possible.'
Well, messmates, I bids him good morning; but, thinks I to myself,
I'll just take a bit of a overhaul of the craft afore I brings my duds
aboard; and so, jumping into a punt, a black fellow pulls me
alongside, and away I goes on to the deck, and there the first
person I seed was the skipper. How he came there was a puzzler, for
d—the boat had left the key but our own since we parted a few
minutes afore. 'And now, Bob,' says he, 'I suppose you are ready to
sign.'—'All in good time, your honour,' says I. 'You're aboard afore
me, but I'm blessed if I seed you come.'—'It warn't necessary you
should,' says he; 'my boat travels quick, my man, and makes short
miles.'—'All's the same for that, your honour,' says I, 'whether you
man your barge or float off on the anchor-stock—it's all as one to
Bob.'—'You're a 'cute lad,' says he, twinkling his eye, 'and must rise
in the sarvice. Go below and visit your future shipmates.'—'Thanky,
your honour,' says I, and down the hatchway I goes; and there were
the messes, with fids o' roast beef and boiled yams in shining silver
platters, with silver spoons, and bottles o' wine, all in grand style, as
quite comflogisticated me; and 'What cheer—what cheer, shipmate?'
says they; and then they axed me to take some grub with 'em,
which in course I did. She'd a noble 'tween decks,—broad in the
beam, with plenty o' room to swing hammocks; but, instead of
finding ounly twenty hands, I'm blowed if there warn't more nor a
hundred. So arter I'd had a good tuck-out, I goes on deck again and
looks about me. She was a corvette, flush fore and aft, with a tier of
port-holes, but ounly six guns mounted; and never even in a man-o'-
war did I see everything so snug and neat. 'Well, your honour, I'm
ready to sign articles,' says I.—'Very good,' says he; and down we
goes into the cabin; and, my eyes! but there was a set-out,—gold
candlesticks and lamps, and large silver figures, like young himps,
and clear looking-glasses, and silk curtains, and handsome sofas;
and there upon one on 'em sat a beautiful young creatur, with such
a pair of large full eyes as blue as the sky, and white flaxen hair that
hung like fleecy clouds about her forehead,—it made a fellow think
of heaven and the angels: but she never smiled, shipmates,—there
was a moloncholy about the lower part of her face as showed she
warn't by no manner o' means happy; and whilst the skipper was
getting the articles out of the locker, she motioned to me, but I
couldn't make out what she meant. The skipper did, though; for he
turned round in a fury, and stamped on the cabin deck as he lifted
up the black patch, and a stream of light for all the world like the
glow of a furnace through a chink in a dark night fell upon her. He
had his back to me, so I couldn't make out where the light came
from; but the poor young lady gave a skreek and fell backard on the
sofa. Now, messmates, I'd obsarved that when he stamped with his
foot that it warn't at all like a nat'ral human stamp, for it came down
more like the hoof of a horse or a box; and thinks I to myself, 'I'm d
—, Bob, but you're in for it now; the skipper must be a devil of a
fellow to use such a lovely creatur arter that fashion.'—'You're right,
my man,' says he, grinning like one o' them faces on the cat-head,
'he is a devil of a fellow.'—'I never spoke not never a word, your
honour,' says I, thrown all aback by the concussion. 'No, but you
thought it,' says he; 'don't trouble yourself to deny it: tell lies to
everybody else, if you pleases, but it's no use selling 'em to
me.'—'God forbid, your—' I was going to say 'honour,' but he
stopped me with another stamp, and 'Never speak that name in my
presence again,' says he; 'if you do, it ull be the worse for you.
Come and sign the articles.' My eyes! shipmates, but I was in a
pretty conflobergasticationment; there stood the skipper, with a
bright steel pen in his hand as looked like a doctor's lanchet, and
there close by his side, upon her beam-ends, laid that lovely young
creatur, the sparkling jewels in her dress mocking the wretchedness
of her countenance. 'Are you ready?' says he; and his onkivered eye
rolled round and round, and seemed to send out sparks through the
friction. 'Not exactly, your honour,' says I, 'for I carn't write, in
regard o' my having sprained both ankles, and got a twist in my
knee-joint when I warn't much higher than a quart pot.'—'That's a
lie, Bob,' says he; and so it was, messmates, for I thought I must
make some excuse to save time. 'Howsomever,' says he, 'you can
make your mark.'—Thinks I so myself, 'I would pretty soon, my tight
un, if I had you ashore.'—'I know it,' says he; 'but you're aboard
now, and so you may either sign or not, just as it suits your fancy,
my man; ounly understand this—if you don't sign, you shall be
clapped in irons, and fed upon iron hoops and scupper-nails for the
next six months, and I wish you a good disgestion.'—'Thanky, your
honour,' says I; 'and what if I do sign?'—'Why then,' says he, 'you
shall live like a fighting-cock, and have as much suction as the Prince
of Whales.' Well, shipmates, I was just like the Yankee's schooner
when she got jammed atwixt two winds, and so I thought there
could be no very great damage in making a scratch or two upon a
bit o' parchment; and 'All right, your honour,' says I; 'hand us over
the pen: but your honour hasn't got not never an inkstand.'—'That's
none o' your business,' says he; 'if you are resolved to sign, I'll find
materials.'—'Very good,' says I; 'I'll just make my mark.'—'Hould up!'
says he to the young lady; and she scringed all together in a heap,
and shut her large blue eyes as she held up a beautiful white round
arm, bare up to the shoulder: it looked as solid and as firm as a
piece of marble stationery."
 "Statuary, you mean," said Sam Slick, interrupting the narrative.
"But I say, Bob, do you expect us to believe all this?"
"I believes every word on it," asserted Jemmy Ducks, who had
been attentively listening, with his mouth wide open to catch all that
was uttered: "what can you find onnat'ral or dubersome about it?
The skipper was no doubt a black-hearted nigger."
"Nigger yousef, Massa Jemmy Ducks," exclaimed Mungo Pearl; "d
—you black heart for twist 'em poultry neck."
"Silence there in amidships," said Mr. Parallel: "you make so
much noise that I can't keep my glass steady. Spin your yarns, Mr.
Pearl, with your mouth shut, like an oyster;" and then, addressing
the captain, "We rise her fast, my lord, and the breeze freshens: the
ould beauty knows she's got some work cut out for her; she begins
to smell garlic, and walks along like an ostrich on the stretch—legs
and wings, and all in full play."
"What distance are we from Toulon?" inquired Lord Eustace, as
he carefully and anxiously scanned the stranger through his glass.
"About nine leagues," promptly answered Mr. Parallel; "and if the
breeze houlds on, or comes stronger, another three hours will carry
us alongside of the enemy."
"We shall soon have her within reach of the bow-guns," said the
first lieutenant, "and a shot well thrown may take in some of her
canvass."
"That's a good deal of it chance-work," responded the master; "it
mought and it moughtn't; but firing is sure to frighten the——"
"Spirits of the wind," added Nugent, who stood close beside him;
"they become alarmed and take to flight, and so we lose the
flapping of their airy wings."
"Hairy grandmother," grumbled old Parallel, "hairy wings indeed;
why, who ever seed such a thing? Spirits of wind, too,—rum spirits,
mayhap, to cure flatulency. Stick to natur, Mr. Nugent, or she'll be
giving us another squall, just out o' revenge for being ridiculed."
 "Get on with your yarn, Bobbo," said Joe Nighthead in an under
tone; "and just you take a reef in your bellows, Mister Mungo, and
don't speak so loud again."
"Where was I?" inquired Bob thoughtfully: "oh, now I recollect;—
down in the cabin, going to sign the articles. 'Are you quite ready?'
says the skipper to me as he raised the pen. 'All ready,' says I.
—'Then hould up,' says he to the young lady, and she raised her fair
arm. 'Come here, my man,' says he again to me, and I clapped him
close alongside at the table; 'be ready to grab hould o' the pen in a
moment, and make your mark there,' and he pointed to a spot on
the parchment, with a brimstone seal stamped again it—you might
have smelt it, messmates, for half a league—and, I'm blessed if I
didn't have a fit o' the doldrums; but, nevertheless, I put a bould
face upon it, and, 'Happy go lucky,' says I, 'all's one to Bob!' and
then there was another rustling noise down the leg of his trousers,
and his eye—that's his onkivered one—flashed again, and took to
rolling out sparks like a flint-mill; 'Listen, my man,' says he, 'to what
I'm going to say, and pay strict attention to it'—'I wool, your honour,'
says I; 'but hadn't the lady better put down her arm?' says I; 'it ull
make it ache, keeping it up so long.'—'Mind your own business, Bob
Martingal,' says he, quite cantankerously; 'she's houlding the
inkstand.'—'Who's cracking now, your honour?' says I laughing; 'the
lady arn't got not nothing whatsomever in her hand. I'm blowed if I
don't think you all carries out the name o' the craft In-fun-
oh.'—'Right,' says he; 'and now attend. If after I have dipt this here
pen in the ink, you refuse to sign the articles—you have heard o'
this?' and he touched the black patch. I gave a devil-may-care sort
of a nod. 'Well, then, if you refuses to sign, I'll nillyate you.'—'Never
fear,' says I, making out to be as bould as a lion, for there was ounly
he and I men-folk in the cabin; and, thinks I to myself, 'I'm a match
for him singly at any rate.'—'You're mistaken,' says he, 'and you'll
find it out to your cost, if you don't mind your behaviour, Bob
Martingal.'—'I never opened my lips, your honour,' says I.—'Take
care you don't,' says he, 'and be sure to obey orders.' He turned to
the lady. 'Are you prepared, Marian?' axes he; but she never spoke.
'She's faint, your honour,' says I, 'God bless her!' The spiteful wretch
give me a red-hot look, and his d—— oncivil cloven foot—for I'd
swear to the mark it made—came crushing on my toes, and made
me sing out blue blazes. 'Is that obeying orders?' says he: 'didn't I
command you never to use that name afore me?'—'You did, your
honour,' says I; 'but you might have kept your hoof off my toes,
seeing as I haven't yet signed articles.'—'It was an accident,' says
he, 'and here's something to buy a plaster;' and he throws down a
couple of doubloons, which I claps into my pocket. 'You enter
woluntarily into my service, then?' says he.—'To be sure I do,' says I,
though I'm blessed if I wouldn't have given a treble pork-piece to
have been on shore again.—'And you'll make your mark to that?'
says he, 'and ax no further questions?'—'To be sure I will,' says I;
and I'll just tell you what it is, messmates, I'm blowed if ever I was
more harder up in my life than when I seed him raise the pen, as
looked like a sharp lanchet, in his infernal thieving-hooks, and job it
right into that beautiful arm, and the blood spun out, and the lady
gave a skreek; and 'Sign—sign!' says he; 'quick, my man—your
mark!'—'No, I'm d—if I do,' says I; 'let blood be on them as sheds
it.'—'You won't?' says he.—'Never, you spawn o' Bellzebub!' says I;
for I'd found him out, shipmates.—'Then take the consequences,'
says he; and up went the black patch, and, by the Lord Harry! he
sported an eye that nobody never seed the like on in their lives; it
looked as big and as glaring as one o' them red glass bottles of a
night-time as stands in the potecarry's windows with a lamp behind
'em; but it was ten thousand times more brilliant than the fiercest
furnace that ever blazed,—you couldn't look upon it for a moment;
and I felt a burning heat in my heart and in my stomach, as if I'd
swallowed a pint of vitriol; and my strength was going away and I
was withering to a hatomy, when all at once I recollects a charm as
my ould mother hung round my neck when I was a babby, and I
snatches it off and houlds it out at arm's length right in his very
face. My precious eyes and limbs! how he did but caper about the
cabin, till his hat fell off, and there was his two fore-tack bumkins
reg'larly shipped over his bows and standing up with a bit of a twist
outwards just like the head-gear of a billy-goat. 'Keep off, you bitch's
babby!' says I, for he tried onknown schemes and manœuvres to get
at me; till suddenly I hears a loud ripping of stitches, and away went
the casings of his lower stancheons, and out came a tail as long——"
"Almost as long as your'n, I suppose," said old Jack Sheavehole;
"a precious yarn you've been spinning us, Mister Bob!"
"But what became of the lady?" inquired Sam Slick; "and what a
lubber of a tailor he must have been to have performed his work so
badly!"
"The lady?" repeated Bob; "why, I gets her in tow under my arm,
and shins away up the companion-ladder, the ould fellow chasing me
along the deck with a boarding-pike, his tail sticking straight out
abaft, just like a spanker-boom over his starn; but the charm kept
him off, and away I runs to the gangway, where the shore-boat and
the nigger were waiting, and you may guess, shipmates, I warn't
long afore we were hard at work at the paddles; for I laid the lady
down in the bottom o' the punt, and 'Give way, you bit of ebony,'
says I, 'or Jumbee 'ull have you stock and fluke.' Well, if there warn't
a bobbery aboard the In-fun-oh, there never was a bobbery kicked
up in the world; and 'Get ready that gun there!' shouted the
skipper."
At this moment the heavy booming of a piece of ordinance was
heard sounding across the water. Up jumped Jemmy Ducks, and
roared out, "Oh Lord! oh dear!—there's the devil again!—what shall I
do!" and a general laugh followed.
"The chase is trying his range, my lord," exclaimed Mr. Seymour;
"but the shot must have fallen very short, as we couldn't hear it."
"Keep less noise on the fokesel," said old Parallel. "What ails that
lubberly wet-nurse to all the geese in the ship? Ay, ay, he'll have
hould on you by-and-by! Get a pull of that topmast-stud'nsel tack."
The men immediately obeyed; and, as they were coming up fast
with the enemy, excitement and impatience put an end to long
yarns. But Bob just squeezed out time to tell them that he got safe
ashore with the lady; and the "In-fun-oh" tripped her anchor that
same tide, dropped down the river, and put to sea, nor was she ever
heard of again afterwards. The lady was the daughter of a rich
merchant in Baltimore, who had been decoyed away from her family,
but by the worthy tar's instrumentality was happily restored again.
Bob got a glorious tuck-out aboard, the two doubloons were safe in
his pocket, and the father of Marian treated him like a prince.
Half an hour elapsed from the first discharge of the enemy's
sternchaser, when he again tried his range; and, to prove how
rapidly they were nearing each other, the shot this time passed over
the British frigate. There was something exhilarating to the ears of
the seamen in the whiz of its flight. Two or three taps on the drum
aroused every man to his quarters; the guns were cast loose, and
the bowchasers cleared away for the officers to practise. Heavy bets
were made relative to hitting the target, the iron was well thrown,
and every moment increased the eagerness of the tars to get fairly
alongside. The land was rising higher and higher out of the water,—
the French port was in view,—the enemy began to exult in the
prospect of escape, when an eighteen-pounder, pointed by the
hands of the old master, brought down her maintop-gallant-mast;
and the Frenchman, finding it was utterly impossible to get away
without fighting, shortened sail, and cleared for action. Three cheers
hailed this manœuvre. The British tars now made certain of their
prize; and, when within half pistol-shot, in came the Spankaway's
flying-kites, and in five minutes he was not only under snug
commanding canvass, but the moment they returned to their
quarters they passed close under the French frigate's stern, and
steadily poured in a raking broadside, every shot doing its own
proper duty, and crashing and tearing the enemy's stern-frame to
pieces, ploughing up the decks as they ranged fore and aft, and
diminishing the strength of their opponents by no less than twenty-
seven killed and wounded. Still the Frenchman fought bravely, and
handled his vessel in admirable style. Six of the Spankaway's lay
dead, and thirteen wounded. Amongst the latter was our worthy old
friend Will Parallel, the master; a splinter had struck him on the
breast, and he was carried below insensible. Sea-fights have so
often been described, that they have now but little novelty; let it
therefore suffice, that, in fifty-six minutes from the first broadside,
the tricoloured flag came down, and the national frigate Hippolito,
mounting forty-four guns, struck to his Britannic Majesty's ship the
Spankaway, whose first lieutenant, Mr. Seymour, was sent aboard to
take possession, as a prelude to that step which he was now certain
of obtaining. Thus two nights of labour passed away, and the
triumph of the second made ample amendment for the misfortunes
of the first; besides enabling the warrant-officers to expend their
stores, and not a word about the white squall.
 INDEX.
A.
356,
357,
Addison, Mr. inedited letters of, 358,
360,
363;
anecdotes of him, 357 n.;
358,
359 n.,
remarks respecting him,
361,
362 n.;
Advertisement Extraordinary, theatrical, 152.
Ainsworth, W. H. piece by, 325.
Alps, inhabitants of the, observations on their superstition, 608.
Anatomy of Courage, 398.
An Evening of Visits, 80.
Anselm, Abbot, 347.
Anspach, Margravine of, mistake in her Memoirs respecting
7.
the elder George Colman,
Anti Dry-rot Company, song of the, 94.
April Fools, song of the month, 325.
Authors and Actors, a dramatic sketch, 132.

B.
Bannister, J. his intimacy with George Colman, 14.
Baon Ri Dhuv, or the Black Lady, legend of, 519.
Barter, Richie, see Richie Barter.
——, Mrs. see Plum, Lady.
Bath, Lord, 7
79, 153,
260,
Bayly, T. Haynes, pieces by,
354,
576.
Beaumanoir, Col. de, 96
Beaumarchais, M. de, passage in his life, 233
Biographical Sketch of Richardson the Showman, 178
Black Lady, legend of, see Baon Ri Dhuv.
Blue Wonder, story of the, 450
Bob Burns and Beranger, 525
Bobis Head, legend of, 519
Bottle of St. Januarius, song of the month for January, 1
105,
218,
"Boz," pieces by,
225,
291,
326,
430,
515.
Budgell, Mr. his remarks respecting Lord Halifax and Mr.
358n.
Addison,
Bugle, Miss Sarah, account of, 451.
Bullfinch, Mr. Theophilus, 591.
109,
218,
Bumble, Mr.
225,
430.
Byron, his opinion of Sheridan, 427.

C.
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