The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1849-12-13
A RACE FOR LIFE.


Presence Of mind is a life preserver which,
although not patented, is not yet TO be pos.
sessed by all men. Presence ofmind is the
power of'maintaining the operation Of reason
in the midst Of danger and against the as
sauIts Of fear and surprise. Its invaluable
to the possessor as personal safeguard,
and gives him the power TO protect the
lives Of many of his fellow men.
As an instance Of this Ia,ter1'power, we
will relate little incident told Us By one
who had seen much Of the world in various
lands. lie was at port in the West Indies.
With two friends he went down to the water
TO battle. While he remained upon the
shore, aud his compa Mons were sporting
with the waves at q considerable distance,
ne espied an enormous shark making
straight for the unconscious swimmers
The first impulse Of a hasty and inconsider-
ate person would have been to alarm the
bathers by loud outcries Of danger. Blu.
our friend knew that such course would,
by frightening them, deprive his compan.
ions Of all power Of escape. lie therefore
preserved his unconcerned appearance and
playfully shouting to them, ban,ered them
to race; and TO increase the rivalry be-
tween them, promised the one who should
first reach the shore slight reward. Moth
ing 10th to try their powers Of speed, the
two swimmers struck out for The shore
with all the swiftness at their command.
All this while the shark had been silently
nearing his prey and as they turned to the
shore, he shot through the waves with in
creased rapidity. The race for life, uncon-
scionsly on the part Of the pursued, was
now fairly begun. The swimmers strained
every nerve in their friendly rivalry, while
yet the shark gained rapidly upon them.
Our friend on the shore, although inwardly
tortured with anxiety, still preserved his
calm and smiling appearances, as he contin-
ued to throw out Incentives to increase the
speed Of his unfortunate friends. They
we're still long way from the shore, when
one showed signs Of fatigue and was ap-
paren.iy about to relinquish the race
This was moment Of great agony to our
friend. !. Still he preserved his presence oil
mind, aud shouting encouragingly to the
tired swimmer, induced him to continue the
contest for the victory. On came the shark
nearer and nearer, his fins flashing in the
sunlight. The swimmers approached the
shore; the shark was SO near his victims
that he turned upon his back to begin the
work Of death; our friend rushed into the
water, dragging his amazed friends upon
the bank, pointed to the bafiled sea monster
now lashing the water with bis fms. Then
the swimmers comprehended the eminent
danger from which they had escaped, and
one oflhem fell fain,ing to the earth. They
never forgot the unconscious race with the
shark, or that it was 10 the admirable pres
ence Of mind oftheir friend that they owed
their liyes.-Portland Transcript. y
THE EXECUTION OF CoUNT BATHYANI-
HIS EsrATE.--We have published an ac-
count Of the execution of Count 9a,hy AMI
by the Austrians. A correspondent Of the
Boston Traveller gives some account Of .
visit paid in lS47 to the estate Of Count
Bathyani, on the borders Of the Bakonyel
Forest. in Hungary. After describing th.
agricultural improvements, the vineyards
the astronomical observatory, the beautiful
mansion and grounds, which he examined
the writer says:-
''In all the estates Of Coun, Bathyani, the
peasants were not merely physically com
Portable, but happy in the enjoyment Of .
higher culture than that Of the peasants in
almost any other corner Of the land. The
courts Of justice which, in the sem.-feuda
state of Hungarian society, are held in thu
name Of the Lord Of the Manor, had beer
remodcled; religious instruction had beer
provided for the peasants; and neat ant
commodious houses built in the place Of
shabby and confined cabins. But neither
Ba,hyan nor Karoly Macy were satisfied
with ",ruly patriarchal state Of society,"
their aims were at something higher ane
nobler still. They worked on, difnsine
their benign influence like the sunshine
which not only blesses the land on which
it streams, but enlightens oil tho earth by
its reflected radiance.
Il have said that they aimed at the in
tellectuai independence Of their country
This was fruitful topic Of conversation
and in this connection they always spoke
Of the labors Of mn ally in good works. the
editor Of daily journal published at Pesth
in The Hungarian language-the Pest
Harlip. Althoug man hardly in middle
life, he had been long striving for the same
great end, awakening the common people
from the lethargy of,beir ignorance, and
nrousing the educated classes to sense Of
the beauty and capacities Of their harmoni-
Gus but powerful language-n abandoning
which they were abandoning their nation.
atty. The name Of this editor has since
been written in indellibe characters on the
hearts of,hose who love freedoms champi.
ons. Il is Ludwig Kossuth."
/ A singular property Of limestone is nc,
neneralh known to the initiated. lit be