The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1844-11-26
looked 10 10 ebdsavor 70 discover how s0hir1 were
going. Pesg, therefore, stands alone ibid singular,
0n~-
"rHE NAN WHO DlDs'r tors AT ALL"
From the Nsw Fork Mercury.
A THRILLING INCIDENT.

From the Nsw York Mercury
A THRILLING INCIDENT.
Some years since, in one of my passages to India,
we were laying becalmed tho equator in the
parlaDce oitbe castle the horse latitude" Heavy
clouds, surcharged with rain, were hanging down,
and apparently almost touching the ships msst-hcads;
the night was dark, and long souherly swell made
| the old ship tumble about much more than as
| agreeable to either passengers or crew The pale
blue compassant was fitting from spar 70 spar, OF In
| the beautiful language Of FaIconer-
"High on tho masis, with pale and livid rays,
Amid he gloom porsentous meteors blaze"
making the darkness still moro impenetrable
Six bells of the first watch had been struck, and
now the rain began to fall, IN the WY mat Il only
does between the trorics loud peaIs OF thunder
broke heads, and the lightning dashed around
us, illuminating the ship fore and aft.
The ethereal dome in mournful pomp arrayed,
Now buried lies beneath mperious shade;
Now flashing round intolerabe light,
Redoubles ali the terrors OF the night"
At this time the danger from the electric fluid was
great, that the first mate ordered all the watch
der the shelter Of the poop, as TO be less exposed
to danger, and at the time ready in case of an
accident and on no account to 60 forward near the
anchor, or to stand in the way of the chain topsai
sheets. We had thus remained in close body I'M
til near midnight the thunder and lightning becom-
ing more and more terrific, quaDg the hearts Of the
stuutest men an board, when 10 the ships bell on
the forecastle gave one loud peal
"Who is that at the bcli!n cried the mate.
No answer. "Dong, dong"
Forward! there, what do mean by tolling that
bell3'
All was silent for moment, and then another toll,
louder than before. $50 some of you, and see who
is toIling the bell !" but no seemed ncliped To
obey the order. "Wby don't you mover he said
lgain, are you afraid to go?" Let him go him
SELF" said old tar, she is better paid for it than
we are"
The party were huddled together like flock Of
sheep, probably thinking there was safety in num-
will have somebody in his locker before long," said
another. Gay, boys this comes of letting the pas
sengers shoot the Mother Careys chickens" said a
third. " Its Bill Young's ghost,') alIuding to
youngster who had died few days before whisper
ed young lad who stood trembling by my side she
always fond of striking bell"
The excitement great that the bodest
heart seemed struck with terror and men who had
braved every danger of the for years appa
renty paralyzed and neryeless. Peal after peal of
thunder broke above cur heads, the lightning flashed
and Kissed around u.s. the rain poured down if
coDd deluge was coming, and every moment we ex"
pecled the elecrict fluid would strike the ship, and
wrap her in sheet or fame. At intervals went tho
,dong-dong- dong YakiOg' the scene more
appalling.
FOR lew minutes tncro was a cessation OF the
rolling thunder, and the mate thought this good OPP
portunity of discovering the unknown bell-rnger.
Advancing few PAGES, he said, Come men, we
will 90 in body and find out who is amusing him.
self with the bell" So saying he led the way, and
all followed rather closely packed, and great in
clnaton for each to be the last. In this way
had reached the main deck, when one of the most
intense and wI,hering fasbes-no, not fash-but
stream of lightning sealed up eyes, and fol-
lowed by volley of thunder which broke directly
heads, shaking the ship to her very keeson.
As soon we recovered from the shock, rush was
made for the quarter deck, and there stood breath
less and horror-stricken-dong- -dong-doDg.
"Ah hear that sir 7" said Of the men, it's no
use tempting God and Bill Youngs ghost A shark
was along side this evening, which bodies no good,
and some poor fellow will have to leave the key Of
his chest with his mess-mate before long.
breeze Of wind at this moment taking the ship
aback the order given to haul the mainsail up
preparatory TO bracng the yards round. Now, al
though sailors have great dislike TO encounter any
thing in the shape Of ghosts, invisible be-rlngers
SC, they never think Of disobeying an order when
they know il is for some necessary duty. Away
started the whole party, the clew garnets
through the windlass holes, Il must speak techn-
cally dong dong-doDg-the ropes were grasped,
but just the word was gwen to haul up, burst OF
thunder louder than the Of ten thousand heavy
ARTILLERY, rent the air, simultaneously with most
vivid flash of lightning and every man was Frustrated
on the deck; how long lay there stunned and blind
ed | know not, but on recovering my feet, began to
feel around me, when my hands came in contact
with rope yarn stretched fore and aft, from the
cook house to the foremost and | pulled il, the
bell began again such a succession Of sounds that
completely astonshed me but by tracing along The
yarn found end fas, to the tongue of the bell,
and the other 10 the finger of of my messma,es.
Jenny Med -, who was snugly seated in the
cooks coal bucket, taking comfortable snooze in
The galley. Ii being his turn to strike the hours
during ,he watch, he had adopted this method to
shelter himself from the storm, and loose rope
swinging across the deck with the rolling of the ship,
caused all the alarm. Master Jenny only escaped
tasting the virtue Of ropes end, by pleading uncon-
seriousness OF the storm above aud around him. How
he could have slept under such circumstances always
remained mystery. When day ght came, We
found the sails much scorcbed, and the main royal
mast shivered by lightning nothing but the torrents
Of rain which fell during the night, saved the ship
and all on board from certain destruction.