Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-10-06
4 SAILORS DREAM.

"peoiii vi tiic OllltCu
Navy, a highly mcritorious officer, was
ordered, in the year 1919, to take out the
flagship to the West Indies. ut was, I
believe the eConstellation.) At the Island
of st. Thomas, several of our vessels OF
war were to rendezvous; and Com. Perry
would there come on board the Constella-
ton, and take the command of the squad
ron, for the purpose of securing the pirates
from the halnts they infested. Perry had
sailed short time before in the corvette
John Adams. Capt. n. sailed on slowly,
annoyed by head winds and detained by
calms. One night he dreamed he was
standing on his quarter deck admiring
the view ofsea and sky, when he sudden
ly observed that sort of confusion at the
gangway which announces the arrival of
visiter. lie locked in that direction,
and saw advancing, Capt. Gordon, who
had died Some years before in the MIedter-
ranean service. He felt, as weusually do,
when we dream Of the departed, a con-
sciouSneS that they are dead. vet not sur
prlsed TO sec them alive and performing
all the actions ofliving discrepancies
that dreams alone can reconcile. Gordon
politely saluted him, and then inquired
whittier he was bound 2" Capt. n.
answered, Il am going out as Perry's
captain, who will hoist his flag OH board
at st. Thomas" NO" said Capt. Cor
don, " that you must not expect to see,
for Perry now belongs to my squadron:
look round, and you will be convinced"
He then pointed over the side of the ship.
Captain \. looked in the direction dcsig-
mated, and saw what appeared to be an
island, with town and fort: flags of va
rious vessels and of tie fort were hoisted
half-mast high: minute guns were firing;
vessel lay out in the road, at distance
from the land, also with marks of mourn
ing-prcscntly, two or three boats shot
into view from the side of the vessel near
est the land, containing officers, and
rowed slowly by with muffled oars: then
another boat with music and muffled
drums, playing dead march; and last of
all, came boat with a coffin, covered
with black, military hat and sword living
on it, and surrounded by several officers,
seemingly i'll deep grief: he saw the pro-
cesSion glide with measured strokes to-
wards the town, and plainly heard the
mingled sounds of bells ringing, music
playing, and the cannon firing. He con-
tinued looking, lost III anxiety and Won
der, when some accidental noise in the
ship aroused him from his sleep. lie felt
his mind so strongly impressed with this
awful dream, that to sleep was impossi-
bic; he lay restless till the morning: he
then assembled his officers, and told them
all the particulars sailors are pro-
verbally superstitious they agreed to
put down the day of the month, &c.
After a few days more sailing they came
to the island of St. Thomas, where Law
the corvette John Adams; boat soon
put of from her, when they were informed
that Commodore Perry had died on board,
of yellow fever, and had been actually
buried on shore witha procession of boats
and on the very day of the month Oh
which Capt. N had had the wonder
full dream. ...
may have made some unimportant
errors in this account of time or place, as
it was told to me seven or eight years ago;
but my memory as to the essentials is
correct and l believe | tell it, without
any attempt at making fine story,) ex-
actly as Captain N told it himself to
me.