The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1821-1823, 1822-06-19

thunder-cloud. The by-standers looked at
Hans Van Pelt to see what he would say to
this report. Hans Van Pelt screwed his mouth
closer together and said nothing; upon which
some shook their heads, and others shrugged
their shoulders.
The ship was now repeatedly hailed, but
made no reply, and passing by the fort, stood
on up the Hudson. gun was brought to
bear on her, and, with some difficulty, loaded
and fired by Hans Van Pelt, the garrison not
being expert in artillery. The shot seemed
absolutely to pass through Che ship, and to
skip along the water on the other side, but no
notice was taken of il. What was strange,
she had all her. sails set, and sailed right a.
gainst wind and tide, which were both down
the river.
Upon this, Hans Van Pelt, who was likewise
harbour-master, ordered his boat, and set off
to board her; but after rowing two or three
hours, he returned without success. Some
times he would get within one or two hum
drcd yards of her, and then, in a twinkling,
she would be hall mile eff. Some said it
was because his oars-men, who were rather
pursy and short-wnded, stopped every now
and then to take breath, and spit on their
hands; but this. is probable, was mere
see the crew, who were all dressed IN the
Dutch style the officers in aoublets and high
hats and feathers Not word was spoken
by any one on board: they stood as notion
less as SO many statues and the ship seemed
as If left to her own government. Thus she
kept on, away up the river, lessening and les
SEEMING In the evening sunshine, Until shr faded
from sight, like little white cloud, melting
away in summer sky.
The appearance of this ship threw the
governour into one of the deepest doubts
that ever beset him in the whole course of
his administration. Fears were entertained
for the security of the infant settlements on
the river, lest this might be an enemy's ship
in disguise sent to take possession. The gov
ernour called together his counsel repeatedly
to assist him with their conjectuFes. He sat
in his chair of state, built of timber from the
sacred forest of the Hagne and smoked his
long jasmin pipe; and listened to all that his
counseilors had 10 say, on subject about
which they knew nothing; but in spite of all
the conjecturing Of the sagest and Oldest
heads, the goVernour still continued to doubt.
Messengers were dispat ched to different
places on the river but they returned with
out any tidings the ship had made no port
Day after day. and week after week elapsed !:
but she never returned down the Hudson
As, however, the council seemed solicitous
for intelligence, they soon had it in album
dance. The captains of the sloors seldom
arrived without bringing some report of having
seen the strange ship, at different parts of the
river. Sometimes near the Palisades some
times of Groton Point and sometimes in the
Highlands; but she was never reported as
having been seen above the Highlands. The
crews of the sloops, it is true, generally differ
ed among themselves in their accounts OF
these apparitions; but that may have arisen
from the uncertain situations in which they
saw her. Sometimes it was by the flashes of
a thunderstorm, lighting up pitchy night
and giving giimpses Of her careering across
Tappaan Zee, or the wide waste of Haver-
straw Bay. At one moment she would APP
pear close upon them, as if likely to run them
down and would throw them into great
hustle and alarm, when the next flash would
show her far off; always sailing against The
wind. Sometimes, in quiet moonlight nights,
she would be seen under some high bluff of
the Highlands, all in deep shadow. excepting
her top-sais giittering in the moon beams.
By the time, however, that the yoyagers
would reach the plaoe, there would be no
ship to be seen and when they had passed
on for some distance. and looked back. be-
hold there she was again, with her top-sails
in the moonshine Her appearance was al
ways just after, or Just before, or lust in the
midst of unruly weather; and she was known
by all the shippers and voyagers OF the Hud-
son by the name off, the Storm Ship"
These reports perplexed the governour and
his counsel more than ever; and it would be
endless to repeat the conjectures and opinions
that were uttered on the subject Some quot
ed cases in point of ships seen of the coast Of
New England naViga'ed by witches and Cob.
Inns. Old Hans Van Pelt, who had been more.
than once to the Dutch colony at the Cape Of
Good Hope, insisted that this must be The.
Flying Dutchman, which had so long haunted
Table Bay, but being unable to make port.
had now sought another harbour Others sce-
ge.ted that if it really was a supernatural an
partition, as there was every natural reason to,
believe, it might be HendriclS Hudson and his
crew of the Half Moon; who, IL was well
known, had once run aground in the upper
part of the river, in seeking northwest pas
sage to China. This opinion had very little
weight with the governour; but it passed cur.
rent out of doors. Indeed it had already been,
reported that Hendrick Hudson and his crew
haunted the Kaatskill Mountain and il APP
peared very reasonable to suppose that his
ship might infest the river where the enter
prise was bailled, or that it might bear the
shadowy crew to their periodical revels in the
mountain.
Other events occurred to occupy the
thoughts and doubts Of the sage Wouter and
his council; and the Storm Ship ceased to be
subject of delberation at the board. 1t con-
snned, however, to be matter Of popular be-
lief and marvellous anecdote throughout the
whole time of the Dutch government and par
fIcularlH hofn L. e NJ