Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1853-08-31
Sensations I'm Drowning.

Sensations in Drowning.
The following letter, addressed by Admira
Beaufort to DR.. W. HI. Wollaston, giving an ac
count of the feelings of the former when apparent
ly on the very point of death from drowning, wa
originally published in the life of Sir John Bar
row:
"The following circumstances which ATTENDED
Inv being drowned have been drawn up at you
desire they have not struck me as being SO curl
GUS as YOU consider them, because from two o
three persons who, like myself, have been recov
cred from similar state, have heard detail
of their feelings, which resemble mine as nearl.
as was consistent with our different constitution
and dispositions.
"Many wears ago, when | was youngster OIL
board one of his majesty's ship in Portsmouth har
Dor, after sculling about in a very small boat,
was endeavoring to fasten her alongside the shll
to one of the scutte rings in foolish eagerness
stepped upon the gunwale; the boat, of course.up
set, and | fell into the water, and, not KNOWN!
how to swim, all my efforts to lay hold either o
the boat or the floating sculls were fruitless. Th
transaction had not been observed by the sentlne
on the gangway, and therefore it was not unit
the tide had drifted me some distance astern o
the ship that man on the foretop saw me splash
ing in the water and gave the alarm. The hrs
lieutenant Instantly jumped overheard, the carpen
ter followed his example and the gunner hastenet
into boat and pulled after them. With the VIC
lent but vain attempts to make myself heard
had swallowed much water; | was soon exhaust
ed by my struggle, and before any relief had
reached me had sunk below the surface; al
hopes had fed-all exertions ceased-and fell
that was drowning.
$50 far, these facts were either partially re-
membered after my recovery or supplied by those
who had latterly witnessed the scene; for during
an 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 so however with the facts which
Immediately ensued; my mind had been undergo
ing the sudden revolution which appeared to you
so remarkable, and all the circumstances of which
are now as vividly fresh in my memory as if they
had occurred but yesterday. From the moment
that all eXertion had ceased-whch imagine
was the immediate consequence of complete Suffo-
caton-a calm feeling of the most perfect tran
guilty superseded the previous tumultuous resig-
nation, for drowning no longer appeared to be an
evil | no longer thought of being rescued, nor
was in any bodily pain.
son the contrary, my sensations now were OF
rather pleasurable cast, partaking Of that dull
but contented sort of feeling which proceeds the
sleep produced by fatigue. Though the senses
were thus deadened, not so the mind its activity
seemed to be invigorated in ratio which defes
all description, for thought rose after thought with
rapidity of succession that is not on y indescri-
bable, but inconceivable to any one who has not
himself been in similar situation. The course
of those thoughts | can even now in great meas
ure retrace: the event which had just taken place
the awkwardness that had produced 1.-THE
hustle it must have occasioned (for | had observ-
ed two persons jump from the chains s)-the effect
it would have on most affectonate father-the
manner in which he would disclose it 10 the rest
of the family-and thousand other crcumstan-
ces minutely associated with home, were the first
series of reflections that occurred. Then they
took wider range; our last Cruise-a former
voyage and shipwreck--my school-the progress
made there, and the time had misspent-and
even all my boyish pursuits and adventures.
"The travelling backward, every past incident
of my life seemed to glance across my recollection
in retrograde succession; not however, in mere
outline as here stated, but the picture filled up
with every minute and collateral feature in short
the whole period of my existence seemed to be
placed before me in kind of panoramic review,
and each act of it seemed to be accompanied by a
consciousness of right or wrong, or by some re-
Election on its cause or its consequences; indeed,
many trifing events which had been long forgot
ten then crowded into my imagination, and with
the character of recent familiarity. May not all
these be some indication of the almost infinite
power of memory with which we may awaken in
| thar md thus hn a1 IA
plate our past lives?
"But however that may be, one circumstance
was highly remarkable; the innumerable ideas
which flashed upon my mind were all retrospect
i've, yet had been religionsly brought up; my
hopes and fears the next world had lost nothing Of
their early strength and at any other period intense
by the mere probability that was floating OH the
threshold of eternity yet at that inexplicable
moment, when had full conviction that had
crossed that threshold, not single thought wan
dered into the future-I was wrapped entirely in
the past. The length of time that was occupied
with this deluge of ideas, or rather the shortness
of time into which they were condensed, cannot
now state with precision, yet certainly two min
utes could not have elapsed from the moment of
suffocation TO that of my being hauled up
''The strength OF the flood tide made it expedi-
en to pull the boat at once to another ship where
underwent the usual vulgar process of emptying
the water by letting the head hang downward,
then bleeding, chafng, and even administering
gin, but my submerson had been really so brief.
that according to the account of the lockers on,
was quickly restored To animation
"My feelings while life was returning were the
very reverse to those which have been described
above. One single but confused idea-a msera-
BILE belief that was drowning dwelt upon my
mind instead of the multitude of clear and definite
ideas which had recently rushed through it; a
helpless anxiety; kind of continuous nightmare
seemed to press heavily on every sense, and to
prevent the formation of any distinct thought, and
it was with difficulty that became convinced that
was really alive.
"Again, instead of being absolutely free from
bodily pain, as in my drowning state, was now
tortured with pain all over me and though have
been since wounded in several places,and have of
ten submitted to severe surgical dscipline,yet my
suferings were at that time far greater, at least in
general distress. On one occasion was shot in
the lungs, and after lying on the deck at night r
some hours bleeding from other wounds,I at length
tainted. Now, as felt sure that the wound in
the lungs was mortal, it will appear obvious that
the overwhelming sensation which accompanies
fainting must have produced perfect conviction
that was then in the act of dying. Yet nothing
in the least resembling the operations of my mind
when drowning, then took place; and, when be-
gan to recover returned to clear conception of
my real state"
A GUILTY CoNsc1ENcE.-When DR.. Dome,
afterwards Dean of ST. Pauls, took possession of
his first living as he walked into the churchyard
he took up skull thrown by the sexton out of the
crave. and in it found small headless nail which
he drew out secretly, and wrapt in the corner of