Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-08-21
DROWNING.

The following is from letter by Admiral BEAU
FORT to DIR. WoLLAsToN, in the Memoirs Of Sir
JOHN BARROW, just published in London:
MANY years ago. when was youngster on board one
OF his Majeys ships, in Portsmouth harbor after scung
about IN very small boat was endeavonng to iaen her
alongside the ship Of the scuerngs in foolish eager
ness stepped upon the gunwae, the boat of upset.
and fell into the water, and not knowing how SWIM all
efforts lay hold either of the boat Of the floating souls
uess. The transaction had not been observed by the
sentinel the gangway and therefore not till the tide
had dred distance astern of the ship that in
the oreop spashng in the water and gave the alarm
The first lieutenant instantly and calamity jumped overheard
the carpenter followed his example, and the gunner fastened
into boat and pulled after them.
With the violent but vain attempts to make myself heard
had swallowed much water soon exhausted by my
struggles and before any relief reached me had sunk be-
low the surface all hope had fled, all exerton ceased and
felt that was drowning.
$50 far these facts either partially remembered after
my recovery supplied by those who had atery witnessed
the scene for during interval Of such agitation drowning
person Is too much occupied in catching at every passing
straw or too much absorbed by alternate hope and despair to
mark the succession of events very accurately Not how
ever with the facts which Immediately ensued my mind had
then undergone the sudden revolution which appeared you
SO remarkabe and all the circumstances Of which
vvdy fresh In my memory they had occurred but yes
terday.
"From the moment that all exeItion had ceased-whch
imagine the immediate consequence of complete suoc
ona calm feeling OF the most perfect tranquility superseded
the previous umuuous sensatonst might be called apathy
certainly not resignation, for drowning longer appearedto
be evil no longer thought Of being rescued nor
IN any bodily pam On the contrary, my sensations were
now Of rather peaarabe cast paakng Of that dull but
coniented sort Of feeling which pecedes the sleep produced
fatigue Though the were thus deadened not SO the
mind its activity seemed be invgorated in ratio which
defes all descrponfor thought after thought with
rapdy of succession that's only indescrbabe but poba-
bly, nconceivable, by any who has not himself been
in similar situation The of those thoughts
even now IN great measure etracehe event which had
just taken pace-he awkwadness tina. had produced 1.-THE
hustle must have occasoned or had observed
jump from the chains)-the effect ii would have on most
fectionae atherthe which be would disclose
the Of the amly-and thousand other circumstances
mnutey associated with home the first series of refec
tons that occurred They took then wider rangeour last
cruse-a former voyage, and shpwreck-my schoohe pro-
gress had made there, and the time had misspent-and
all boyish pursuits and adventures Thus travelling
backwards, every past incident Of my life seemed glance
recollection etrograde succession not however,
in outline, here stated but the picture filled up with
every minute and collateral feature Short the whole period
of my existence seemed be placed before in kind of
panoramic review, and each act of seemed to be accompa
MED by consciousness of right wrong, by reec
on on Its cause its consequences indeed many thing
events which had been long forgotten then crowded into my
imagination and with the character Of recent familiarity.
May not this be indication Of the almost infinite
power OF memory with which may awaken in another
world and thus be compelled contemplate our past lives
Or might it not in degree the inference that
death only change modification of existence
which there is no real pause interruption But however
that may be, circumstance highly remarkable that
the nnumerable ideas which flashed into my mind all
retrospective yet had been reigousy brought up my
hopes and fears of the next world had lost nothing of their
early strength and at other period intense interest and
awful anxiety would have been excited by the probability
that floating the threshold of eternity yet at that
nexpcabe moment when had full conviction that had
already crossed that threshold single thought wandered
into the future-I was wrapt entirely in the past
The length OF time that occupied by this deluge of
ideas, rather the shorness of time into which they
condensed cannot state with precision certainly two
minutes could have elapsed from the of suoca
ton to that of my being hauled up.
"The strength Of the flood tide made it expedient to pull
the boat another ship, where underwent the usual
vulgar process empyng the water by letting my head hang
downward then bleeding, chatting, and administering
gin but my submersion had been really brief that accord
ing the account of the lockers on very quickly
stored to animation.
aMy feelings while life returning the reverse in
point of those which have been described above One
single but confused dea-a miserable belief that drown
ng-dwelt upon my mind instead of the multitude of clear
and definite ideas which had recently rushed through it
helpless anxiety, kind of continuous nightmare seemed to
press heavily every and to prevent the formation OF
any distinct thought and with difficulty that be-
convinced that really alive Again, instead Of
being absolutely free from all bodily pain. my drowning
state, was tortured by pain all and though
have been since wounded several places and have often
submitted surgical discipline yet my uferngs
that time far greater at least, in general distress On one
occasion shot in the lungs and after lying the deck
at night for hours bleeding from other wounds length
tainted Now, felt that the wound in the lungs
mortal will appear obvious that the overwhelming sensation
which accompanies anng must have produced perfect
vcton that then in the act of dying Yet nothing in
the least resembling the operations Of my mind when drown
ing then took place and when began recover returned
| to a clear conception my real state.