Modern Biology Holt Rinehart Winston Holt Rinehart and Winston Staff Download
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Modern Biology ®
Chapter Tests
with Answer Key
General and Advanced
Name Class Date
Assessment
Chapter Test B
The Science of Life
In the space provided, write the letter of the description that best matches the
term or phrase.
Complete each statement by writing the correct term or phrase in the space
provided.
In the space provided, write the letter of the term or phrase that best completes
each statement or best answers each question.
______14. To maintain their internal organization, all living things must have a
constant supply of
a. oxygen. c. water.
b. carbon dioxide. d. energy.
______18. The scientific process that involves using the five senses is
a. inference. c. modeling.
b. analyzing. d. observation.
______23. Two parents are required for the type of reproduction known as
a. asexual reproduction. c. sexual reproduction.
b. binary fission. d. cell differentiation.
Read each question, and write your answer in the space provided.
24. List three major themes of biology.
26. Would a field biologist who studies the ecology of a bird species necessarily
use the same scientific methods as a laboratory biologist who studies how a
virus infects cells? Why or why not?
27. Why is it important for scientists to communicate about their work, and what
are two common ways that they do so?
28. Why do scientists use SI (Système International d’Unités) rather than the
system of measurement adopted for use in their own country?
29. Which step in the scientific methods does the chart below represent?
Apparent
index case
KEY
Confirmed case
Person died
Person left community
Medium A
Bacterial growth
Medium B
0 12 24 36 48 76
Time (in hours)
a. At what time was the growth rate equal for the bacteria in both media?
d. What does the descending part of the curves represent? What may have
caused this effect?
e. What can you predict about the results of a similar experiment run for one
week?
Assessment
Chapter Test B
Chemistry of Life
Write the correct letter in the blank before each numbered term.
______12. Matter can change from a solid to a liquid by the addition of energy,
which makes the particles in the matter
a. move faster. c. dissociate.
b. move slower. d. increase their specific heat.
______14. Chemical bonds are broken, atoms are rearranged, and new bonds are
formed during
a. changes of state.
b. chemical reactions.
c. the addition of energy to an element.
d. measurement of pH of a solution.
______15. Atoms with filled orbitals in the outermost energy levels tend to
a. participate in chemical reactions.
b. not participate in chemical reactions.
c. participate only in redox reactions.
d. dissociate in water.
______ 17. Which of the following represents the correct order of states of matter
from that having the slowest moving particles to that having the fastest
moving particles?
a. gas, liquid, solid c. solid, gas, liquid
b. liquid, solid, gas d. solid, liquid, gas
______18. An attachment between atoms that results from the atoms sharing one
or more pairs of electrons is a(n)
a. ionic bond. c. reduction reaction.
b. covalent bond. d. oxidation reaction.
24. Why is it necessary for oxidation and reduction reactions to occur as paired
reactions?
25. What is the role of enzymes in chemical reactions occurring in living things?
26. Describe the relationship between the solute, the solvent, and the concentration
of a solution.
28. What is the pH scale, and what does its range of values mean?
29. What is the atomic mass and the atomic number of an atom that has
6 protons, 8 neutrons, and 6 electrons?
Pepsin Trypsin
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
pH
a. The liquid in the stomach has a pH of about 2. Which of the two enzymes
would be active in the stomach?
b. The liquid in the small intestine has a pH of about 8. Which of the two
enzymes would be active in the small intestine?
c. What must happen to the liquid as it passes from the stomach to the small
intestine for digestion to occur normally?
e. Can pepsin and trypsin function in the same environment? Why or why not?
Assessment
Chapter Test B
Biochemistry
Write the correct letter in the blank before each numbered term.
______ 1. nucleotide a. forms large molecules from smaller
ones
______ 2. hydrolysis
b. fatty acid linked to alcohol chain
______ 3. steroid c. monomer of many polysaccharides
______ 4. amino acid d. component of many lipids
e. monomer of nucleic acids
______ 5. condensation reaction
f. lipid not composed of fatty acids
______ 6. glucose g. monomer of proteins
______ 7. wax h. breaks large molecules into smaller
ones
______ 8. fatty acid i. influences the characteristics of
molecules
______ 9. functional group
In the space provided, write the letter of the term or phrase that best completes
each statement.
______14. A compound found in living things that supplies the energy in one
of its chemical bonds directly to cells is
a. phosphate. c. ATP.
b. RNA. d. alcohol.
CH2OH CH2OH
CH2OH
H C O OH O H HO C O H
C H C C C H C
OH H H OH C OH H
HO C C H OH C C H C C OH
CH2OH
H OH OH H H OH
______21. Carbon atoms can bond together to form all the following EXCEPT
structures.
a. ring c. straight chain
b. inorganic d. branched chain
______24. Energy is released when the bond between _______ in ATP are broken.
a. carbon atoms c. phosphate groups
b. ribose and adenine d. two ATP molecules
Read each question, and write your answer in the space provided.
25. How does a condensation reaction differ from a hydrolysis reaction?
27. Living things contain many different proteins of vastly different shapes and
functions. What determines the shape and thus the function of a particular
protein?
28. How does the structure of phospholipids, linear molecules with a polar end
and a nonpolar end, relate to their function in the cell membrane?
29. In the diagram of the molecule below, draw in lines as necessary to indicate
the presence of any double bonds.
H H
H C H H C H
C C
H H H H
C C C C C C
C C
H H H H
H C H
H
H
CH2OH
CH2OH
H C O H H
O
C H C C
OH H H OH C
O H H
HO C C C C
CH2OH O
OH H
H OH
a c
O OH
C
H C H
H CH3
H C H
H C H H N C C N C C OH
H C H H H O H H O
H C H
d
H C H
H C H
H C H
H C H
H C H
H C H
H C H
H C H
H C H
H C H
b e
Assessment
Chapter Test B
Cell Structure and Function
In the space provided, write the letter of the description that best matches the
term or phrase.
In the space provided, write the letter of the term or phrase that best completes
each statement or best answers each question.
______ 9. The maximum size to which a cell may grow is limited mainly by the
cell’s
a. shape. c. function.
b. surface area. d. internal organization.
______11. Which of the following are components of the plasma membrane that
have a significant role in its functioning?
a. lipids c. carbohydrates
b. proteins d. All of the above
______12. In which of the following types of cells would you expect to find a
large number of mitochondria?
a. bone c. muscle
b. skin d. blood
______15. Short, hairlike organelles that can move and may cover a unicellular
organism or line the respiratory tract are called
a. chromatin strands. c. cilia.
b. flagella d. spindle fibers.
______ 17. Which of the following membrane proteins are integral proteins?
a. cell-surface markers c. transport proteins
b. receptor proteins d. All of the above
______19. Which scientist determined that cells come only from other cells?
a. van Leeuwenhoek c. Schwann
b. Schleiden d. Virchow
A B
Cell membrane C
Read each question, and write your answer in the space provided.
25. Name two different kinds of animal cells, and describe how their shape is
related to their function.
26. Describe two differences between prokaryotic cells and eukaryotic cells.
27. The diagram depicts a plant cell. Write the names of structures a–e in the blanks.
c
b d
e
a
28. What are the major roles of the nucleus, and what parts of the nucleus carry
out these roles?
29. What is a colonial organism, and what does it have in common with a multi-
cellular organism?
30. Where in the cell do the following steps of energy conversion occur?
Assessment
Chapter Test B
Homeostasis and Cell Transport
In the space provided, write the letter of the description that best matches the
term or phrase.
______ 8. pinocytosis
In the space provided, write the letter of the term or phrase that best completes
each statement or best answers each question.
______ 17. Most of the time, the environment that plant cells live in is
a. isotonic. c. hypotonic.
b. hypertonic. d. None of the above
______18. Plasmolysis of a human red blood cell would occur if the cell were
a. in an isotonic solution. c. in a hypotonic solution.
b. in a hypertonic solution. d. None of the above
______22. When a cell uses energy to transport a particle through the cell
membrane to an area of higher concentration, the cell is using
a. diffusion. c. osmosis.
b. active transport. d. facilitated diffusion.
Read each question, and write your answer in the space provided.
23. Describe how different kinds of cells react to hypertonic solutions.
24. Name three types of passive transport and three types of active transport.
25. Describe what would happen to the molecules in a drop of ink dropped into a
beaker of water. What is this process called?
26. What is the fundamental difference between carrier proteins that participate
in facilitated diffusion and carrier proteins that function as pumps?
27. How do ions cross the lipid bilayer of the cell membrane?
Bacterium Cl
O2
CO2
a b c
K Glucose
Na
d e f
Assessment
Chapter Test B
Photosynthesis
In the space provided, write the letter of the description that best matches the
term or phrase.
Complete each statement by writing the correct term or phrase in the space provided.
9. The is the most
common pathway of carbon dioxide fixation.
photosystem to photosystem .
In the space provided, write the letter of the term or phrase that best completes
each statement or best answers each question.
______15. Where does the energy required for the Calvin cycle originate?
a. ATP and NADPH produced by the light reactions
b. O2 produced by the light reactions
c. the sun’s heat
d. chlorophyll in the leaf cells
______16. Protons are moved into the thylakoid using energy from
a. ATP. c. electrons in the transport chain.
b. NADPH. d. the sun’s heat.
______21. In the diagram of a chloroplast, the light reactions would occur in area
a. a. c. c.
b. b. d. d.
Read each question, and write your answer in the space provided.
24. Describe the internal structure and the external structure of a chloroplast.
25. What happens to the components of water molecules that are split during the
light reactions of photosynthesis?
27. What is the fate of most of the G3P molecules in the fourth step of the Calvin
cycle? What happens to the remaining G3P molecules?
28. How do CAM plants differ from C3 and C4 plants? How does this difference
allow CAM plants to exist in hot, dry conditions?
a b
Light Light
NADPH
NADP
c f
Assessment
Chapter Test B
Cellular Respiration
In the space provided, write the letter of the description that best matches the
term or phrase.
In the space provided, write the letter of the term or phrase that best completes
each statement or best answers each question.
______10. Yeast cells produce alcohol and carbon dioxide in the process of
a. lactic acid fermentation. c. aerobic respiration.
b. alcoholic fermentation. d. cytosol respiration.
______ 17. In the first step of aerobic respiration, pyruvic acid from glycolysis
produces CO2, NADH, H, and
a. citric acid.
b. acetyl CoA.
c. oxaloacetic acid.
d. lactic acid.
______18. The electron transport chain is driven by two products of the Krebs
cycle—
a. oxaloacetic acid and citric acid.
b. H2O and CO2.
c. NADH and FADH2.
d. acetyl CoA and ATP.
______19. What happens to electrons as they are transported along the electron
transport chain?
a. They lose energy.
b. They gain energy.
c. They are pumped into the space between the inner and outer mito-
chondrial membranes.
d. They combine with O2 and protons to form water.
______21. In the diagram, the reactions of the Krebs cycle would occur in area
a. a. c. c.
b. b. d. d.
c d
b
a
Read each question, and write your answer in the space provided.
24. The fourth step of glycolysis yields four ATP molecules, but the net yield from
glycolysis is only two ATP molecules. Explain this discrepancy.
25. Under what conditions would cells in your body undergo lactic acid
fermentation?
26. Glycolysis produces only 2% of the energy that would be produced if an equal
quantity of glucose were completely oxidized. What has happened to the
remaining energy in the glucose?
27. Explain the role of oxaloacetic acid with respect to the cyclical nature of
Krebs cycle.
28. What happens to electrons that accumulate at the end of the electron
transport chain?
29. Where in the mitochondrion do protons accumulate, and what is the source
of the protons?
Glucose
a 2 ATP
No O2 O2
Pyruvic acid
b c
NADH, FADH2
e 34 ATP
Assessment
Chapter Test B
Cell Reproduction
In the space provided, write the letter of the description that best matches the
term or phrase.
Complete each statement by writing the correct term or phrase in the space provided.
Questions 9–11 refer to the sequence below.
G1 S G2 M C
occurs.
11. Phases G1, S, and G2 in the sequence above are collectively called
In the space provided, write the letter of the term or phrase that best completes
each statement or best answers each question.
______15. If an organism has 12 chromosomes in each body cell, how many chro-
mosomes would you expect to find in the organism’s gametes?
a. 4 c. 10
b. 6 d. 12
______24. What structure not found in animal cells forms along the midline of a
dividing plant cell?
a. cleavage furrow c. cell plate
b. chloroplast d. kinetochore
Read each question, and write your answer in the space provided.
25. Describe how you could determine if a dividing cell is a prokaryote or a
eukaryote. What structures would you look for?
27. In the space below, draw a diagram of the cell cycle. Label and briefly
describe the events that take place during each phase of the cell cycle.
29. What is independent assortment, and how does it affect the genetic makeup
of offspring cells?
a b c
d e f
Assessment
Chapter Test B
Fundamentals of Genetics
Write the correct letter in the blank before each numbered term.
In the space provided, write the letter of the term or phrase that best completes
each statement or best answers each question.
______11. An organism that is homozygous for flower color could NOT have the
genotype
a. Qq. c. qq.
b. QQ. d. QQRR.
______16. In guinea pigs, black fur is dominant. A black guinea pig is crossed
with a white guinea pig. If the litter contains a white offspring, the
genotype of the black-haired parent is probably
a. homozygous dominant. c. homozygous recessive.
b. heterozygous. d. None of the above.
______19. A trait occurring in 400 offspring out of a total of 1,600 offspring has a
probability of
a. 0.04. b. 0.25. c. 0.50. d. 0.75.
______20. Suppose you have found a new species of plant. Some of the plants
have yellow flowers, and some have red flowers. You cross a red-
flowering plant with a yellow-flowering plant. All of the offspring
have orange flowers. Suggest a possible genotype for the offspring.
a. RR b. Rr c. RR d. rr
26. Purple flowers are completely dominant in pea plants. How can you
determine the genotype of a purple-flowering pea plant? Draw a Punnett
square for each of the possible genotypes.
27. In tomatoes, red fruit color is dominant over yellow fruit color. Predict the
genotypic ratio of offspring produced by crossing a homozygous dominant
parent with a homozygous recessive parent. Draw a Punnett square to
illustrate your prediction.
28. In pea plants, yellow seeds are dominant over green seeds. Predict the
genotypic ratio of offspring produced by crossing two parents heterozygous
for this trait. Draw a Punnett square to illustrate your prediction.
29. In step 1 of his experiments, how did Mendel ensure that each variety of
garden pea was true-breeding for a particular trait?
QT Qt qT qt
c. Complete the Punnett square. Then list all the genotypes predicted by the
Punnett square.
d. Give the genotypic ratio predicted by the Punnett square for the cross.
e. Give the phenotypic ratio predicted by the Punnett square for the cross.
Assessment
Chapter Test B
DNA, RNA, and Protein Synthesis
In the space provided, write the letter of the description that best matches the
term or phrase.
______ 8. uracil
Complete each statement by writing the correct term or phrase in the space
provided.
are called .
11. Nucleotides that make up RNA contain the nitrogen bases adenine, guanine,
cytosine, or .
14. The instructions for building a protein are written as a series of three-
In the space provided, write the letter of the term or phrase that best completes
each statement or best answers each question.
______15. Which of the following bonds to one specific type of amino acid?
a. mRNA c. rRNA
b. tRNA d. DNA
______19. During replication, the two strands of DNA separate at a point called a
a. helicase. c. replication fork.
b. ribosome. d. mutation.
______20. A section of one DNA strand has the sequence ACCGAGGTT. What is
the sequence of an mRNA transcribed from this section of DNA?
a. ACCGAGGUU c. TGGCTCCAA
b. ACCGAGGTT d. UGGCUCCAA
Refer to the figure at right to answer questions 21–22.
point labeled Y?
a. peptide bond
b. covalent bond
c. hydrogen bond
d. nitrogen bond
Read each question, and write your answer in the space provided.
24. Describe the differences between transcription and translation.
26. Explain the significance of the start codon and the stop codons.
27. Describe the structure and function of three different types of RNA.
29. Why did Hershey and Chase use radioactive elements in their experiments?
d. Do the data support the near-universality of the genetic code? Explain your
answer.
Assessment
Chapter Test B
Gene Expression
In the space provided, write the letter of the description that best matches the
term or phrase. a. prevents uncontrolled cell division
______ 8. carcinogen
Complete each statement by writing the correct term or phrase in the space provided.
11. The lac operon is switched off when a protein called a(n)
are called .
In the space provided, write the letter of the term or phrase that best completes
each statement or best answers each question.
______14. The spread of cancer cells beyond their original site is called
a. gene expression. c. metastasis.
b. morphogenesis. d. cell differentiation.
______15. Pre-mRNA is a form of RNA that contains
a. euchromatin.
b. prokaryotic transcription factors.
c. introns and exons.
d. only exons.
______16. Operons have been identified in
a. prokaryotes only. c. archaebacteria only.
b. eukaryotes only. d. both prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
______ 17. Liver cells differ from muscle cells in the same organism because of
a. different chromosomes. c. crossing-over.
b. morphogenesis. d. cell differentiation.
______18. Active transcription in eukaryotes occurs within
a. an operon. b. an operator. c. euchromatin. d. an enhancer.
______19. The activation of a gene that results in the formation of a protein is called
a. translation. c. enhancement.
b. gene expression. d. gene repression.
______20. An operon consists of
a. a group of operators.
b. a group of structural genes.
c. an operator, a promoter, and structural genes.
d. lactose, polymerase, and operators.
structural genes
X
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
Modern Biology 86 Chapter Test
Name Class Date
______23. Normal genes that control a cell’s growth and differentiation are called
a. tumor-suppressor genes.
b. oncogenes.
c. proto-oncogenes.
d. growth factors.
Read each question, and write your answer in the space provided.
24. How is it beneficial for cells to be able to control gene expression?
NUCLEUS
B A B A B
A
B B B
CYTOPLASM
26. List three ways cancer cells differ from normal cells.
______ b. Lactose binds to repressor protein, releasing the protein from the
operator.
Assessment
Chapter Test B
Inheritance Patterns and Human Genetics
Write the correct letter in the blank before each numbered term.
Complete each statement by writing the correct term or phrase in the space provided.
results in .
11. A frameshift mutation occurs any time a mutation results in the insertion or
13. Many human conditions are complex because they are influenced both by the
and by .
carrying a .
15. If two genes cross over 35 percent of the time, they will be
In the space provided, write the letter of the term or phrase that best completes
each statement or best answers each question.
______16. If two genes are closely arranged on a chromosome, they probably will
a. cross over. c. control the same trait.
b. segregate separately. d. be inherited together.
______ 17. Which of the following mutations does not affect an organism but can
be passed on to offspring?
a. somatic cell c. germ cell
b. translocation d. substitution
______18. Which of the following is a point mutation that does not result in a
frame shift?
a. addition c. deletion
b. substitution d. inversion
______20. If the parents of a child have the ABO blood group genotypes I AI B
and ii, what are the possible blood types of the child?
a. A or B c. O
b. A only d. AB
______21. A man and woman are both heterozygous for the pattern-baldness
allele, but only the man loses his hair. This is an example of a(n)
a. Y-linked trait. c. sex-influenced trait.
b. X-linked trait. d. sex-linked trait.
0 10 15 25 40
______23. Which of the following genotypes is possible for a person whose ABO
blood type is B?
a. I BI B c. Both a and b
b. ii d. None of the above
Read each question, and write your answer in the space provided.
24. Why is hemophilia carried by females and yet rarely expressed in females?
26. Describe the difference between a chromosome mutation and a gene mutation.
28. Use the data table below to draw a chromosome map of traits A, B, and C.
Include the number of map units between each trait in your chromosome map.
Crossing-Over Data
Trait Percentage of cross-over
A and C 5
C and B 15
A and B 20
29. Explain the difference between a sex-linked trait and a sex-influenced trait.
c. Predict the possible phenotypes of a child born to the F2 son if the son
marries a woman who does not carry the cystic-fibrosis trait.
Assessment
Chapter Test B
Gene Technology
In the space provided, write the letter of the description that best matches the
term or phrase.
Complete each statement by writing the correct term or phrase in the space provided.
9. Recombinant DNA is made when a DNA fragment from one species is put
10. Any two fragments of DNA cut by the same restriction enzyme can pair
13. Scientists with the Human Genome Project discovered that there are only
In the space provided, write the letter of the term or phrase that best completes
each statement or best answers each question.
“Thank you for reading us the list. The company at the banquet,
who fought at Waterloo, will be getting less and less every year.
Where is Apsley House? we have often heard of it; no doubt it is a
grand place.”
“Apsley House stands at the south-east entrance of Hyde Park, and
near it may be seen the celebrated bronze statue of Achilles, erected
in honour of the Duke of Wellington. The mansion is certainly a
splendid one, though the strong musket-proof iron gratings, which
defend the windows, are no ornament to it. Those gratings were
placed there because a rude assemblage of people once threatened
the duke, and demolished his windows. Popularity with the people is
a very uncertain possession. The bronze palisading and gates in front
are very strong. I can tell you a very curious anecdote about Apsley
House, which appeared in the newspapers, if you should like to listen
to it.”
“Oh yes! do let us hear it; we hope it is a very long one.”
“Not very long, but, as I said, very curious. As George II. was one
day riding on horseback in Hyde-park, he met an old soldier who had
fought with him in the battle of Dettingen. With this soldier he
entered into free discourse. After talking together for some time, the
King asked the old veteran what he could do for him? ‘Why, please
your Majesty,’ said the soldier, ‘my wife keeps an apple-stall on the
bit of waste ground as you enter the park, and if your Majesty would
be pleased to make us a grant of it, we might build a little shed and
improve our trade.’
“The request was a very moderate one, and was at once granted. In
a little time the old apple-woman prospered greatly, for the shed was
built, and her business surprisingly increased. The situation was a
good one for the purpose, and she carried on a very profitable trade.
“In the course of years the old soldier died, and the lord-
chancellor, who was looking around him at the time for a suitable
piece of ground whereon he might build himself a mansion, fixed his
mind on this very spot. The old woman was sadly alarmed when she
saw her poor shed pulled down, and preparations made for building
up a great house where it stood, so away she went to her son, an
attorney’s clerk, to consult with him as to what course should be
pursued. The son was shrewd enough to see at once the advantage
that might be gained by remaining quiet in the matter, so he advised
his mother to say nothing until the great mansion should be
completed. No sooner was the house finished, than the son waited on
the lord-chancellor to complain of the trespass committed on his
mother’s property, and to claim a recompense for the injury that had
been sustained.
“When the chancellor saw that the claim was undeniable, he
directly offered a few hundred pounds, by way of compensation; but
this was altogether refused; the old woman, advised by her son,
would by no means settle the affair on such easy terms. After some
deliberation, a ground-rent of four hundred pounds a-year was
demanded, and his lordship at last agreed to the terms. To this very
day, Apsley House, the mansion of the Duke of Wellington, yields a
ground-rent of four hundred pounds per year, to the descendants of
the old apple-woman.”
“There never was a more curious tale than that, however! It was
enough to make the old apple-woman wild with joy.”
“Some few years ago two gentlemen waited on the Duke of
Wellington, at Apsley House, and told him, that a friend of theirs had
died, leaving them executors to his will, in which, among other
bequests, he had left five hundred pounds to the bravest man in the
British army, and that as they considered his Grace to be the bravest
man, they had called to hand over to him a check for the money.
“The duke was much pleased at the compliment paid to him, but
declined to receive the money, as he said there were many other men
in the British army who equalled him in bravery. He was then
requested to decide on whom the money should be bestowed. This
was a difficult point; but at length he proposed it should be given to
Major-General Sir James Macdonnel, who so resolutely defended
Hougomont, the key to the British position, in the memorable battle
of Waterloo.
“The two gentlemen then called on Major-General Macdonnel,
telling him the decision of the Duke of Wellington, and tendering
him the five hundred pounds. But Sir James, in his turn, declined to
receive it, knowing, as he said, a man who, in the battle of Waterloo,
had showed himself equal to any one in bravery. The major-general
then described, that when the French troops made one of their
rushes at the gates of the farm-house, called Hougomont, in that
critical moment when victory and defeat hung evenly in the balance,
Sergeant-Major Frazer, a very powerful man, boldly assisted him to
close the gates, thereby shutting out the French, who were soon after
driven back with great slaughter. Thus was the fortune of the day
decided.
“The Duke of Wellington considered Major General Macdonnel
deserving of the money, on account of his resolute defence of
Hougomont, and Sir James considered that Sergeant-Major Frazer,
was entitled to share it with him, on account of the great service he
had rendered him on that occasion. The money was divided between
the general and the sergeant-major, and the generosity of the Duke
of Wellington and Sir James Macdonnel will not soon be forgotten.”
CHAPTER XVII.
“Now please to tell us all that you know about Buonaparte, for he
was as fond of fighting as any man.”
“That is true. The history of Buonaparte, and that of the Duke of
Wellington, would be the history of almost all great battles fought
since the French Revolution, fifty years ago; but you shall have a
sprinkling of such things as I can remember of Buonaparte. Every
soldier is pretty well acquainted with the fame of the Emperor
Napoleon.”
“They say, that he was not a Frenchman: was he?”
“He was a Corsican; but as the island of Corsica became, by law, a
French department two or three months before his birth, so he may
be called a Frenchman. Napoleon Buonaparte was one of the greatest
warriors of modern times. For many years before his death he
became Emperor of the French.”
“Great as he was, Wellington beat him! Please to tell us something
about him.”
“When a boy, his principal plaything was a brass cannon; and so
fond was he of being alone, that when he could do so, he retired to a
solitary summer-house among the rocks. The place is now called
‘Napoleon’s Grotto.’ In after-life he has been heard to say, that in
childhood he was remarkable for obstinacy, and curiosity. Others say
that he was high-spirited, quarrelsome, imperious, fond of solitude,
and a sloven in his dress. One good thing I will tell you of him. He
always spoke gratefully of the kindness of his mother. It was a saying
of his, ‘The future good or bad conduct of a child depends entirely on
his mother.’ From Brienne, where he was for a time educated, he was
sent to the Royal Military School of Paris.”
“Ay! There he would learn everything about war.”
“At sixteen years of age he was made second lieutenant in a
regiment of artillery, and seven years after he became a captain.
During the French Revolution he took the command of a battalion of
national guards; and the first military service he performed was
against his own country, Corsica.”
“That was a bad beginning, to fight against his country.”
“I shall tell you about some of the battles in which he was
afterwards engaged, but will now only give you a few anecdotes about
him. Some of them are against him, and some in his favour.”
“That is the fairest way, to let us know both sides of the question.”
“At the age of twenty-six Buonaparte assumed the command of the
army of Italy! ‘You are too young,’ said one of the directors, who
hesitated about his appointment as general. ‘In a year,’ replied
Napoleon, ‘I shall be either old or dead.’”
“He seems to have had a great deal of spirit.”
“‘Soldiers!’ said he, to the army under his command, ‘you are
hungry and naked: the Republic owes you much, but she has not the
means to pay her debts: I am come to lead you into the most fertile
plains that the sun beholds. Rich provinces, opulent towns, all shall
be at your disposal. Soldiers! with such a prospect before you, can
you fail in courage and constancy?’ This was the first address he
made to his army, and it ran like lightning from rank to rank. The
men, who before were downhearted, became animated with hope
and confidence, and the most distinguished officers of France, from
that moment, determined to follow their youthful leader, as one who
would assuredly lead them to victory and renown. Massena, Joubert,
Augereau, Serrurier, and Lannes, were among them; though their
well-tried courage and experience might have justified them in
seeking the supreme command, yet they cheerfully followed one
whom they were fully convinced, would be successful in his daring
enterprise.”
“He was just the man for the French, then, for he knew how to call
up their courage. But six-and-twenty must have been a young age for
a general?”
“When Buonaparte was in his prosperity he employed, it is said,
the same trades-people who supplied him in his former days. A
silversmith, who had given him credit, when he set out for Italy, for a
dressing-case, worth fifty pounds, was rewarded with all the business
which his recommendations could bring to him; and being clever in
his trade, he became, under the patronage of the emperor, one of the
wealthiest citizens of Paris. A little hatter, and a cobler, who had
served Buonaparte when a subaltern, might have risen in the same
manner, had their skill equalled that of the silversmith. Napoleon’s
example, however, could not persuade the good people of Paris to
wear ill-shaped hats and clumsy boots; but he, in his own person,
adhered to the last to his original connexion with these poor trades-
people.”
“That is very much to his credit, whatever might be his faults.”
“It is, and we should act honestly when speaking of the character
of an enemy. The British army and navy have furnished instances of
this kind. Courage and fidelity frequently go together, so that the
soldier or sailor, who is the first to face the cannon’s mouth, is often
the last to turn his back on a friend. Buonaparte, once apprehensive
that his generals were on the point of breaking into open mutiny,
threw himself suddenly among them, and addressing the tallest of
them in a threatening vehement tone, said, ‘You have been talking
sedition: take care lest I fulfil my duty: your five feet ten inches
would not hinder you from being shot within two hours.’”
“That was enough to make the general that he spoke to tremble.”
“One of the blackest stains on the reputation of Buonaparte, is the
massacre at Jaffa. Twelve hundred, some say nearly three thousand
Turks, a part of the garrison of the place, surrendered. These were
marched to some sand-hills, at a little distance from the town, and
there, being divided into small parties, every man was shot or
bayonetted. Not all the waters of the green ocean would ever wash
that dark blot from Napoleon’s brow.”
“Shocking! shocking! That is a black mark on his brow indeed.
There are quite enough soldiers fall in battle, but to shoot men when
the battle is over is dreadful.”
“He is no true soldier who covers the name of an enemy with the
slime of slander, but the truth must be spoken when it condemns as
well as when it approves. The murder of the Duke d’Enghein, for
murder it may properly be called, was another of the black acts of
Buonaparte. The duke was surprised in his castle, hurried off to the
citadel of Strasburgh, called up at midnight three days after, taken to
Paris, and then to the Castle of Vincennes, hastily tried, and
condemned, and afterwards shot in the ditch of the castle by
torchlight. The seizure, trial, and condemnation, were all contrary to
the laws of France.”
“Poor Duke d’Enghein!”
“Buonaparte was a man of great parts and much energy, but self
was the centre of all he did, though many of his acts appear to
manifest a love of his country. He instituted the famous legion of
honour: every Frenchman is proud of it. The decoration of the legion
of honour was given to those who performed any meritorious service,
whether in the army or out of it. A common soldier could obtain it as
well as a general. It entitles the wearer to certain precedence, and a
pension. Napoleon, when made First Consul, was much thinner than
in his after life. I have seen a picture of him, wherein he appeared to
be taller and altogether a different kind of man to what he was when
he became somewhat corpulent. Buonaparte threatened to invade
England, but the attempt was never made, though he assembled one
hundred thousand troops, and an immense flotilla of flat-bottomed
boats, to bear them across the channel. If war can be justified at one
time more than another, it is when a country is invaded. The British
spirit rose at once, so that, besides the regular troops, and militia of
the country, three hundred and fifty thousand volunteers were soon
in arms. On this occasion Sir Walter Scott wrote his song to the
Edinburgh volunteers. One of the verses runs thus:—
‘If ever breath of British gale
Shall fan the tri-colour,
Or footsteps of invader rude,
With rapine foul, and red with blood,
Pollute our happy shores—
“We want to know who are the highest officers in the army and
navy. They are generals and admirals, are they not, uncle?”
“The highest officer is the King himself—when there is a king on
the throne of England. And the virtues in his heart ought ever to
exceed in value the jewels of his crown. He is captain-general of all
the forces of Great Britain, the head of all rank, power, and authority.
Under him come the commander-in-chief, at the head of the army,
and the lord-high-admiral at the head of the navy; but generally the
office of lord-high-admiral is filled by commissioners, under the
name of the lords of the admiralty.”
“What is a field-marshal? Wellington is called a field-marshal.”
“Yes, he is a field-marshal, and when an army is in the field, a
field-marshal is the highest officer among them, he takes the
command of them all.”
“Is there any other field-marshal in the army besides the Duke of
Wellington?”
“Oh yes! several. The King of Hanover, the Duke of Cambridge,
and the King of the Belgians, are all field-marshals in the British
army; and there is another too, Prince Albert.”
“And what is the next rank to a field-marshal?”
“A general. There are many of these in the army, for though every
field-marshal is a general, every general is not a field-marshal. A
general is a chief officer in the army, to whom the command of
soldiers has been entrusted by the sovereign or the senate of a
country. The commander-in-chief, of course, ranks first. If a general
have not a martial genius, a sound judgment, and a healthy
constitution, united with intrepidity, self-possession, business-like
habits, and goodness of heart, he is not equal to the duties of his
station. A young general will lack experience and prudence, and an
old general will hardly be sufficiently energetic and active. The next
in rank to a general is a lieutenant-general, and then come the
major-general and the brigadier-general.”
“What a sight it would be to see all the Field-marshals and
generals and colonels together!”
“It would indeed, especially to a soldier. A colonel is the
commander of a regiment, whether of horse, foot, dragoons, or
artillery, and a lieutenant-colonel is next in rank. They should be
men of talent and resolution, for their duties are very important, and
good officers often make good soldiers. Next to the lieutenant-
colonel come the major, adjutant, and sergeant-major. The drum and
fife-majors are at the head of the drummers and fifers, and instruct
others in their duty.”
“You have not told us what a captain is, and surely he comes before
the drummers and fifers, though he does not make half the noise that
they do?”
“A captain is a commander either of a troop of horse, or of a
company of foot or artillery. In marching or fighting, at the head of
his company, he is much looked up to by his men. If he be not every
inch a soldier, it is soon found out by the men under his command. It
is his business both to march and fight at the head of his company.”
“The lieutenant comes next to the captain?”
“He does. The name lieutenant is French, lieu-tenant—holding the
place of another. After the lieutenant come the ensign and cornet:
the former carries the standard in a company of foot, and the latter
in a troop of horse. An ensign is the lowest commissioned officer in a
company of foot; after him come the sergeant and corporal.
Buonaparte was called by his soldiers, ‘The Little Corporal.’ There
are other posts of authority beside what I have mentioned, for the
discharge of particular duties. Every officer is as liable to punishment
if he break the articles of war, as a common soldier is; and then, if a
superior officer act improperly to the officers beneath him, they
sometimes send him a round-robbin.”
“Oh, what is a round-robbin? Do tell us.”
“A Frenchman told me that the name came from ‘ruban rond,’
which means a round riband. When officers wish to send a
remonstrance in writing to one above them, instead of writing their
names one under the other, they write them in a round form, so that
no one can tell who signed the paper first. It is a kind of honourable
agreement into which they enter among themselves, every one taking
an equal share in the transaction. But round-robins are not often to
be seen. I should have told you, that a quarter-master is an officer
whose duty it is to see after the quarters of the soldiers, together with
their food, clothing, fuel, and ammunition. A quarter-master-general
is a considerable officer; and is required to know well the country
where he is, having to mark the marches and encampments of the
army.”
“You have made us understand the different ranks very well.”
“That being the case, I must give you another of my military
sayings. A private should be proud of his general good character. A
staff-officer should lean on nothing but his merit. The major part of
a captain’s duty is the care of his company. A quarter-master should
do the whole of his duty, and the highest officer in the army should
remember that he is but a man.”
“Capital! capital! We shall not forget that, you may depend upon
it.”
“It sometimes happens that good soldiers are obliged to take up
with very bad quarters. Officers themselves are, at times, very
slenderly provided for—in such cases, and indeed in all others, a
good temper, and a good stock of patience, are excellent things. I will
give you an instance of the good temper, steadiness, and fortitude of
an officer’s daughter, Miss Elizabeth Smith, when deprived of
common comforts. This young lady had taught herself, with little
assistance, the French, Italian, Spanish, German, Latin, Greek and
Hebrew languages, and somewhat of the Arabic and Persic:—she was
the daughter of Captain Smith; and her mother gives the following
account:—We had spent three happy weeks at the hospitable
mansion of Lord Kingston, from whence we set off on horseback for
our quarters, which were about twenty miles distant. During the last
ten miles of the journey it rained most heavily, and without ceasing.
We arrived at the barracks dripping wet; our luggage was not come,
and, owing to the negligence of the quarter-master, there was not
even a bed to rest on. The whole furniture of our apartments
consisted of a piece of a cart-wheel for a fender; a bit of iron,
probably from the same vehicle, for a poker; a dirty deal table, and
three wooden-bottom chairs. It was the first time we had joined the
regiment; and I was standing at the fire, meditating on our forlorn
state, and perhaps dwelling too much on the comforts we had lost,
when I was roused from my reverie by my daughter Elizabeth,
exclaiming, ‘Oh! what a blessing!’ ‘Blessing!’ I replied, ‘there seems
none left.’ ‘Indeed there is, my dear mother, for see, here is a little
cupboard.’ I dried my tears, and endeavoured to learn fortitude from
my daughter.”
“Very good! That young lady had a very happy temper, or she
would not have been so pleased with only a cupboard.”
“I have told you of the ranks of the officers of the army only. The
officers of the navy are divided into flag-officers; captains who
command post-ships; commanders who command sloops;
lieutenants, and sub-lieutenants. But I had better tell you how
officers rank with one another in the army and navy.”
Navy. Army.
Total 850
“Eight hundred and fifty in one ship!”
“Yes, boys; and there were, perhaps, a thousand people on board
the Royal George when she went down at Spithead.”
“Dreadful! dreadful! How did it happen?”
“I will tell you, as well as I can. The ships in the royal navy are
sheathed with copper. The Royal George, the flag-ship of Admiral
Kempenfeldt, a first-rate, of a hundred and eight guns, had just
returned from a cruise, and required some repairs in her sheathing
and water-pipe. To do these repairs it was necessary to run her heavy
furniture to one side, and tilt her up, or to give her what shipwrights
call the parliament-heel. When the ship was in this position, with her
crew, and at least three hundred women on board,—for the vessel
was crowded with friends to welcome home the crew,—when the ship
was in this position a sudden squall, it is thought, came on,—though
I fear one of the lieutenants was sadly in fault,—and over she tipped;
down went the Royal George, with the admiral, officers, crew, and all
that were aboard!”
“What a terrible accident!”
“It was indeed a very terrible one! Seamen are usually very steady
in storms and dangers, but the crew of the Royal George foundered
without warning. You shall have an instance of the resolution of
seamen in a storm. The following relation is given by a young officer.
“‘The dead-lights were shipped, our hatches were battened down,
and eight men stationed to the relieving tackles in the gun-room. At
this period the sea was tremendously heavy, the ship rolling her
quarter-deck bulwarks under, although going at the rate of twelve
and a half knots per hour; the wind howled most dreadfully, and,
altogether, it was a most dismal sight to behold our ship’s company
shivering with cold and rain, not able to procure any refreshment,
the sea having soon washed out the galley fire; and it was impossible
to get at the spirit-room to splice the mainbrace; altogether it was
truly miserable.
“‘About three P. M. the fore-sail, although furled, was blown away
from the yard, and shortly afterwards the larboard main-top-sail
sheet went, and the sail flapped furiously against the top-mast and
main-mast head. At this critical juncture the spirit of the British
seaman was evinced; for, unless the sail was cut away, the main-mast
must be lost, and, as a necessary consequence, the vessel herself
would have a bad chance, if broached to the wind. It was a moment
of terrible suspense and anxiety to all hands, not one of whom could
stand or move on deck without holding on by the lifelines, passed
fore and aft; and even thus, two men had been washed overboard,
who were standing near the main-mast, and, strange to relate, the
next sea washed them in again, the bight of the fore-sheet having
caught them; but one had his neck terribly cut.
“‘In this extremity the captain had too much feeling and humanity
to order any men aloft, as it was deemed impossible for them to
succeed, and that their lives must be inevitably sacrificed in making
the attempt; however, the gunner, Mr. Collier, who had served as
chief gunner’s mate of the Shannon, in her splendid action with the
Chesapeake, and two seamen, whose names deserve to be handed
down to posterity, immediately volunteered their services. It was a
moment of extreme dread and anxiety, to behold these gallant
fellows mounting the shrouds at a period when the sea broke over
our lower yard-arms, and every roll of the ship threatened to consign
them to eternity. Each man on deck felt as if his own life were at
stake: when one of them, William Murray, the captain of the main-
top, laid out and cut away the larboard earing, while the gunner,
assisted by the other, whose name I regret at this distant period I
cannot bring to memory, severed the remaining top-sail sheet from
the main-yard: the sail rent asunder with a terrible crash, which was
heard far above the howling of the wind. The safety of the vessel thus
assured, what a joyous moment for these brave and daring fellows, as
they descended to receive the heartfelt cheers and gratulations of
their officers and shipmates, as fine a crew as ever trod a vessel’s
deck: it was a scene not to be soon forgotten, and calculated to
inspire confidence in the resources of British seamanship, and
courage under the most trying circumstances.’”
CHAPTER XIX.
“You may never have heard, boys, the tread of a thousand men, all
putting down their feet to the ground at the same moment? There is
something arresting and awful in it—it goes to the heart at once.
Whether marching on the hard ground or on the soft green sod, in
either case there is no other sound like it, that I know of in the world.
The earth seems to shake beneath it.”
“Ay, when a whole regiment march together they must make a fine
tramping.”
“It is not so much the noise they make, as it is the particular sound
that I allude to; a lone, dull, heavy, and ponderous tread. A soldier
distinguishes it from every other sound in an instant. Some
regiments have excellent bands; but trumpets, bugles, drums and
fifes, are the prevailing musical instruments in the army. The spirit-
stirring voice of the trumpet, the stormy music of the rattling drum,
and the blast of the mellow bugle, sound grateful in a soldier’s ears.
The kettle-drums of the life-guards are silver, presented by King
William IV.”
“Of silver! Why, what a deal of money they must be worth!”
“The kettle-drum belonging to the royal regiment of artillery would
surprise you. It is mounted on a very superb waggon, richly gilt,
whereon is a seat for the drum-major-general, and it is drawn by
four, and sometimes by six, richly caparisoned white horses.”
“They must look very grand indeed. Can you tell us why drummers
and fifers wear such odd dresses? Their coats and jackets are very
different to what are worn by other soldiers.”
“I have heard that these odd dresses were originally intended to
prevent military musicians from playing in public houses, as they
used to do when they wore plain clothes.”
“Oh! oh! If they went into public houses to play now, every one
would know them directly.”
“The qualities in British soldiers that recommend themselves to
all, may be said to be cleanliness, order, obedience, fidelity, and
invincible courage; to which, among the officers, may be added
enterprize, and that quality so susceptible of injury and disgrace, and
so emulous of reputation, called honour. The love of country is
strong in almost every bosom, from the recruit to the commanding
officer. The Egyptians idolize the Nile, and the Hindoos worship the
Ganges, but their reverence and affection for their native rivers is
hardly greater than what is felt by the Germans for the Rhine. When
the armies of Austria and Prussia came in view of the Rhine, after
beating back the invader of their country Napoleon Buonaparte, they
fell down on their knees, and shouted, as with the voice of one man,
‘The Rhine! the Rhine!’ Englishmen love their country as much as
the Germans love the Rhine!”
“Every one ought to love his country.”
“Ay, boys! while you can pronounce her name, so long as your
hearts throb, and the ruddy drops run through your veins, love your
country!”
“Whether we are soldiers or not, we ought to do that.”
“Very true; and I hope you will find means to serve her without
unscabbarding a sword in her cause. True courage is not confined to
the army and navy; though cowardice is one of the blackest marks
that can be set on the brow of a soldier or a sailor. Admiral Byng was
shot at Portsmouth, suspected of cowardice, though he had given
many proofs of determined courage. The second regiment of native
cavalry fled before the Affghan horse, in the affair of Parwun Durra,
in Kohistan, changing, as it were, a triumph into a scene of
humiliation. The government of India could not brook this dishonour
without visiting it with its heaviest displeasure. Lord Auckland
directed that the dastardly troops and officers should be disgraced,
by obliterating the number of their regiment from the roll of the
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