The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1841-10-29
MfSrfIlaMeou1 us.
From the New Orleans Picdyune.
THE wHITE-HEADED PASSENGER.
FROM THE pLoTTER OF =. PICKLE, JR., ACCOUNTANT.

FROM THE pLoTrER OF p. PICKLE, JR, ACCOUNTANT.
Some wears ago was passenger on board the
baroue Jane & Eliza, from Boston to Southern
pert. We started from Massachusetts Bay with
fresh breeze and fresh breeze urged US onward
upon our course, day after day, until one morning,
inst ms the sun was hrusilng It's red and smiling
Glce forth from its ocean bed, we made one OF the
fines, land falls npon record, As The morning mist
cleared away the low shore Of Ahaco discovered
itself two or three miles off our starboard bow, the
li.h house at the Hole standing proud.
~ conscious that it had performed many good
deed in its day and generation, in giving 'lme'y
warning 10 the lone wanderers upon the ocea'''-
BEFORE we made the Bahamas, our vessel had been
speedinu so calamity upon It's way, mat hose h:-
nosed to be sea sick, grnitled themselves 10 'he'r
hearts content. OF the few passengers on bonrd
wos the only oae who had not given way to that
mos, ds,creeablc complaint; the others had scarce
To- exhibited their faces at any point south OF Cape
God. The Captain and myself had occupied the
dnner-,nbIe solitary aud alone. Divers and sun
dry groa rs. no, unmiyed with Imprccalions Of
character by no means gentle, saluied us from
o,ch side of the narrow cabin. Al last, as we
nnssed Abaco Island, the wind gradually died
n,yoy 10 the cenest of gentle breezes, and IN the
course of the day, my fellow-passengers crawled
from their births, looking, in fashionable por'or-
nhrnse. cas- though they had been dawn through
Lnot holes There was one of them who attract
ed nv attention the day of our departure from
Long Wharf He was n small man, some forty
wears old, dark in complexion, with pair oil little
ewes, black and sparkling hut extremely restless
His hair was what gave oddty to his appearance
for i, was perfectly white. lie was indeed the
oueerest looking mortal ever sci eyeson j. lhcre
,yns nothing mccarthy in his appearance, when he
- r., ;,,ht tan fuys sickness. Look
inc nc thin ns shad cadaverous and ghostly, there
was ot leos, hut little about him that reminded one
or ordinary mor,als The very sailors acted to-
yards him as though they believed hun TO be II
;,,;,r Jonob. saw them engaged in various dis
cuss,ns in the region of the forecase, ollen'lmcs
cas,ina suspicious gances towards HIM, Tor dhy
n, two after he came on deck, and verify believe
that if storm had arisen, they would nave cast
INN into the sea. food for whales as did their pro-
,o,vnes Of olden time. Ligh, and pleasant winds,
howeyer, accompanied US across the banks, ns we
bore nm 10 the KEYS which skirt the coast OF Flor.
ida. and finally leaving the 1orlugases launched
gu, into the broad Mexican gull.
II was bright and beautiful day when we pass
ed Kew West. Several schooners were dashhs
nhon, IN the oing, and the fatal reefs, the scene
Of 20 many terrible DISASTER seemed as ha,0'ess
and innoccn, ms pebbles upon the sandy beach, and
the waves threw themselves smilingy against them,
as waves that never dreamed of harm, while The
very murmur they gave forth as they broke upon
the rocks, in their wantonness, might properly De
considered the requum Of the dead they had cast
there in their hours of savageness and fury. The
white headed passenger and myself were stretched
ubon an old sail upon the deck, watching the ten
Thousand specimens Of the nautilus tribe, as they
oaily sporled around us, their transparent sails
snre,d 10 catch the breeze, living s,res in their
exquisite perfection, upon the bungllng nautical
machinery of man. All about US, too, the waters
were alive with the unwieldy, yet wild Dorpolses,
friskinr and gamboIing as though Just released io'
an hours reckless play in the free element: fo'
half mile one of these monsters had neen 'ro''ck
ing about the bows Of our vessel, now disappearing
beneath The wave, anon throwing his huge IRAN,
out of the water. and jumping ahead, as 'nous'
endeavorng 10 entice our barqne into trial
speed.
81 should like TO take ride on the back OF tina
fellow" said to my wh,e-headed companion
ESQ should MT - replied he: " i had ride
once that satisfied me for lifetime"
"Perhnps that was what made your head white,
observed I, carelessly.
"Exnctly, stranger; you guessed RICH, the frs
fine
"The deuce did, twas altogether acciden
tai. don't see, though, how ride could whittier
your head
Perhaps not" said he. "Was you ever II
Vermont