The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1860-02-24
VOL. 1.

surely would, sir, If | were in your
place. It's only few hours lost, al the
worst
"Well, well see. Go on deck and give
the course nor west. And, Mr.. Bruce"
he added, as the mate rose to go, "Lave a
look out aoft, and let it be hand you can
depend on
His orders were obeyed. About three
o'clock the look out reported an ICEBERG
nearly ahead, and, shortly after, what he
thought was vessel Of some kind close to
it.
As they approached, the captains glass
disclosed the fact that it was a dismantled
ship, apparently frozen to the ice, and with
a good many human beings on it. Short
ly after they hove to, and sent out the boats
to the relief of the sufferers.
1t proved to be vessel from Quebec,
bo,nd to Liverpool, with passengers on
brard. She had got entang led in the ice,
and finally frozen fast, and had passed sew
eral weeks in most critical situation. =
She was stove her decks swept-in fact, a
mere wreck; all her provisions and al
most all her water gone. Her crew and
passengers had lost all hopes of being saw
ed, and their gratitude for the unexpected
rescue was proportionately great.
As one Of the men who had been brought
away in the third boat that had reached
the wreck was ascending the ships side
the mate, catching u glimpse Of his face,
started back in CONSERVATION. 1t was the
very face he hal seen three or four hours
b.f L. I ~
desk.
At first he tried to persuade himself it
might be fancy but he more he examin
Ell the man the more sure he became that
he was right. Not only the face, but the
person and the dress, exactly correspond
ed.
As soon as the exhausted crew and fam
ished passengers were cared for, and the
bark on her course again, the mate called
the captain aside 1T seems that was
not a ghost l saw to-day, sir, the man
is alive ~
What DO you mean2 Who is alive?"
Why, sir, one Of the passengers we
have just saved is the same man | saw
| writing OH your slate at noon. | would
swear to it in court of justice"
Upon my word, Mr.. Bruce" replied
the captain, "this gets more and more sin
gular Let us go and see this man
They found him in conversation with
the captain of the rescned ship. They
both came forward, and expressed, in the
warmest terms, their gratitude for deliver
ance from a horrible fate-slow- coming
death by exposure and starvation.
Tie captain replied that lie had bat done
What lie was certain they would have done
for him under the same circumstances,
and asked them both to step down into
the cabin, TLen, turning to the passen-
ger, he said, " hope, sir, you will not
t. ink | am trilling with you; but | would
be much obliged TO you if you would write
few words on this slate" And he hand
ed him the slate. with that side up on
which the mysterious writing was not
81 will do anything you ask replied the
passenger; but what shall | write g.
a few words are all 7 want. Suppose
you write, Steer the nor west. "
The passenger, evidently puzzled to
make out the motive for such request,
complied, however, with smile. The cap
tain took up the slate aud examined it
closely; then stepping aside so as to con
ceal the slate from the passenger, he turn
ed it over, and gave it to hlm with the
| other side up.
"Your say that is your hand writing?'
said he.
" neod not say So" rejoined the other
looking at it. for you saw me write it"
"And this ~ said the captain, turning
the slate over.
The man looked first at one writing,
then at the other, quite confounded. AT
last, "What is the meaning Of this 2 said
be. q only wrote one of these. Who
wrote the other?"
That's more than l can tell you, sir.
Ny mate here says you wrote II, sitting at
this desk, at noon today
The captain Of the wreck and the pas
scnger looked at each other, exchanging
! glances of intelligence and surprise; and
! tie former asked the latter, Did you
dream that you wrote on this slate 2
" No sir, not that | remember
"You speak Of dreaming" said TIE cap
tain Of the bark Wha: was this gentle
man about at noon to day 2"
Captain" rejoined the other, "the
! whole thing is most mysterious and ex-
traordinary, and had intended to speak
TO you about it as soon as we got a little
quiet This gentleman" (pontng to the
! passenger,) being much exhausted, fell
/ into a heavy sleep, or what seemed such,
some time before noon After an hour OF
more Ire awoke and said to me, Captain
/ we shall be relieved this very day When
/ asked him what reason he had for saying
so. Lc replied that be had dreamed that
he was on board bark, and that she was
/ coming TO our rescue. lie described her
appearance and rig and, to our utter as
constituent, when your vessel love in sight
/ she corresponded exactly to his description
of her. We had not put much faith IN
what he said yet still we hoped there
might be something in it, for drowning
men, YOU know, will catch st straws. As
it has turned out, | cannot doubt that II
was all arranged, in some incompGehensi
bIe way, by an oyerruling Providence, SC
that We might Ge saved. To Him be all
thanks for his goodness to US
There IS not a doubt" rejoined the
/ other captain, that the writing on the
! slate let IL have coma there As IL NAV