American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1844-11-23

Win RAIN, were hanging down, ana apparently
almost touching the ships mast heads; the night
was dark, and long southerly swell made the
old ship tumble about much more than was
agreeable to either passengers or crew. The
pale, blue compassant was fitting from spar
to spar, or in the beautiful language of Falco-
ner-
''EIgh on the masts with pale and l.vd rays,
Amid the gloom pJrtentous meteors blaze"
making the darkness still more impenetrable.
Six bells of the first watch had been struck
and now the rain began to fall, in the way that
it only does between the tropics; loud peals Of
thunder broke over our heads, and the lightning
flashed around us, Illuminating the ship fore
and aft.
''Thc ethereal dome in mournfUl pomp array'd
Now buried lies beneath mper0us shade;
Now flashing round intolerable light,
Redoubles all the terrOrs of the nght.'
At this time the danger from the electric
fuid was so great, that the first mate ordered
al the watch to 90 under the shelter of the
poop, so as to be less exposed to danger, and
'at the same time ready in case of an accident
and on no account to 90 forward near the an
Choir, or to stand in the way of the chain top
sail sheets. We had thus remained in a close
body until near midnight, the thunder and
Lightning becoming more and more terrific,
guailing the hearts ofthe stoutest men on board,
when lo the ships bell on the forecastle, gave
one loud peal.
"Who is that at the bell," cried out the
mate.
"No answer" Dong, dong.
Forward, there! what dc you mean, by toll
ing that bell''
All was silent for moment, and then ano-
Their toll louder than before. "Go, some of you,
and see who is tolng the bell;' but no one
seemed inclined to obey the order. "Why don't
you move?" he said again. care You afraid to
| go'" 'Let him 60 HIMSELF said an old tar, che
rs better paid for it than we are"
The party were huddled together like flock
Of sheep, probably thinking there was safety in
number. "What can it be7" said one. ''Old
Davy Jones will have somebody in his locker
before long," said another, ''Aye boys; this
comes of letting the passengers shoot the mo-
Their Carey's Chickens said third. ats Bill
Youngs ghost" (alluding to youngster who
had died few days BEFORE whispered a young
lad who stood trembling by my side; che was
always fond Of striking bell"
The excitement was now SO great that the
0oldest heart seemed struck with terror; and
rmen who had braved every danger of the seas
for years were apparently paralyzed and nerve
less. Peal after peal of thunder broke above
our heads, the lightning FLASHED and missed
around u.s. the rain poured down as if q second
deluge was coming, and every moment we ex-
pected the electric fluid would strike the ship,
and wrap her in a sheet of fame. At intervals
went the MISUNDERSTANDING
the scene more appalling.
For few minutes there was a cessation of
the rolling thunder, and the mate thought this
a good opportunity ofdiscoyering the unknown
bell-ringer. Advancing few PAGES, he said,
"Come men, we will go in body, and so find
out who is amusing himself with the bell D.
! So saying, he led the way, and we all followed
rather closely packed, and great inclination
for each one to be the last. In this way we
had reached the main deck, when one of the
most intense and whitening hashes-no, not
f1ash-but a stream of lightning sealed up our
eyes, and was followed by yolley of thunder
which broke directly over our heads, shaking
the ship to her very keelson. AS soon as we
recovered from the shock a rush was made for
the quarter deck, and there we stood breathless
and horror-stricken - dong - dong dong
dong. "Ah! hear that sr?'' said one of the
men; ''lts no use tempting God and Bill
Young's 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.
A breeze of wind at this moment taking the
ship aback, the order was given to haul the
mainsail up, preparatory to bracing the yards
round. Now, although sailors have great dis
like to encounter anything in the shape of
ghosts, invisible bell-ringers, &c., they never
think of disobeying an order when they know
it is for some necessary duty. Away started
the whole party, the clew garnets were rove
through the windlass holes, q must speak tech
nically )--dong- dong-dong- ropes were
grasped, but Just as the word was given to haul
up, burst of thunder louder than the roar of
ten thousand heavy artillery, rent the air, ST.
simultaneously with most vivid flash of light
ming, and every man was Frustrated on the
deck; how long | lay there stunned and blinded,
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 as
pulled it, the bell began again such success
sion of sounds that completely astonished me;
I out by tracing along the yarn, | found one end
fast to the tongue of the bell, and the other to
the finger of one of my messmates. JENNY
McD-, who was snugly seated in the cooks
Coal bucket taking comfortable snooze in the
galley. 1t being his turn to strike the hours
during the watch, he had adopted this method
| 10 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 a