Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1826-01-28
TALE OF THE SEA.


Dor readers will recognize in the follow
ing extract, the strange pen OF that
wild writer in Blackwood's Magazine,
who seems 10 delight in portraying
those horrible occurrences which mad
den the imagination, and
Make each particular hair to stand on end,
Like quilts on the fretful porcupine.
was on my voyage back to my native
country, after an absence of FIVE years
spent in unrcmitting toll in foreign
land 10 which had been driven by q
strange fatality. voyage had been
singular and prosperous, and on Christ
mas day we were within fifty lesgues o'
port. Passengers and crew were all In
the highest spirits, and the ship was
alive with mirth and jolliiy. For my
own part | was the very happiesi man in
existence. | had been unexpectedly
raised from poverty to affluence--my
parents were once more longing TO be-
hold their erring and beloved son, and !
parent, who had remained true to me
through all my misfortunes, and would
soon be mine for life.
About 8 o'clock in The evening went
on deck. The ship was sailing upon a
wind at the rate of seven knots an hour,
and there was a wild grandeur in the
night. A strong snow storm blew hard
but steadily, and without danger, and
now and then, wheDthe struggling moon.
light avercame the sieety and mys'y
darkness, we saw for some distance
around US, the agifated sea all lum5iing
with foam. There were no shoals TO
fear, and the ship kept boldly on her
course, close reefed and mistress of the
storm. leant over the gunwale, sd-
mir:ng the water rushing past me like a
foaming cataract, when by some unac-
conntable accident, lost my balance,
and in an instant fell overheard into the
sea.
remember convuisive shudiering
al over my body, ADD hurried lesping
IN ny breast, as felt myself about 10
lose hold of the vessel, and afterwards
sensation Of the most icy chillness from
immersion into the waves--hut NOTHING
resembling fall Of precipitation When
below the water, think that the momen.
tary belief rushed across my mind, that
the ship had sunk, that was bu, one Of
q perlshing crew. imagined that felt
q hand with long fingers cutchisg a, nv
legs, and made a violen. ag5rt to escape,
dragging alter ne, as l thought, the bo-
dy OF some drowning wretch. On rising
to the surface, recollected in a moment
what had befsllen rae. and uttered cry
Of horror which is in my ears to this day,
end often makes me hudder, as ,f It
were the mad shrek Of another person
III ltc mids, Of psrilous agony Oi,en
have | dreamed over again that dire mo.
men,, and he cry utter in my sleep is
something more horrible than human
voice. No ship was to be seen. Ste
was gone forever. The little happy
world to which moment before had
belonged, had swept by the waves that
dashed on me, and struck me ON the face
and hcwled at me; the waves yelled, and
snow bea, like drifting sand into my eyes
-and there was left to struggle, and
buffet, and grasp, and sink, and perish,
alone, unseen, and unpi,ied by man, and
as thought too, by the everlasting God.
i 'ried TO penetrate the surrounding
darkness with my glaring eyes, tina, felt
ieaping from their sockets, and saw as
il by miracuhu power, 10 great dis
lance through the aight--but no ship
nothing but white cres'sd waves, and the
dismal noise Of thunder. shouted,
shriked and yelled, that nigh, be heard
by the crew til my voice was gone--and
that too, when knew there was none to
hear me. Al last I became utterly
speecbless, and when sried 10 call aloud,
there was nothing bu, a silent gasp and
convulsions; while the waves came up
or me like stunning blows, reiterated
and reiteraing, and drove me along like
log Of wood or dead animal.
Once muttered to myself, this is a
dream, ! shall awake. had often
dreamt OF being drowned, and the idea Of
Its being dream SO pressed upon me,
that hoped the noise might awaken me.
But on the transition from this momen-
tary and wild hope Of its being all a
dreadful dream, into the conviction Of
its reality! That indeed was something
more hideous than . lunatic's thoughts
Of hell. Al At once felt my Utmost
soul hrailed and s,ifled, by an insupera-
BILE fear Of death. That dseth which to
my imagination had ever appeared the
most hideous, and Of which had often
dreamt until tho drops fell down my fore