The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1860-02-08

both came forward, and expressed in tho
highest terms, their gratitude for delivet-
ance from horrible fate-slow coming
death and exposure and starvation,
The captain replied that lie had but
done what he was certain they would
have done for him under the saiae cir.
cum.tances, and asked them both to step
down inlo the cabin. Then tarniag w
the passenger, he said, II hope sir, YOU
will not think am trifiing with you; bat
[ would be much Obliged to you would
write few words OH this slate." And
he handed him the slate, with that side
up on which the mysterious writing was
not. 81 will do anything you ask" ro-
piled the passenger; "but what shall I
write?"
ga few words are all l want. Suppose
you write Steer to the nor west"
Tho passenger evidently puzzled to
make out the motive for such reduest-
complied, however with smile. The
captain took up the slate and examined it
closely then stepping aside SO as to con-
cell the state from the passenger, he tur-
mel it over and gave it to him again will,
the other SD mp.
You say that that is your handwritingp
said he.
81 need not say So" rcjoinod the other
looking at it ''for vol saw me write
can this" said the captain turning
;ho slate over.
The man looked first at one writing,
thcn at the other, quite confouadcl.-
At last "What is the meaning Of this?"
said he II only wrote one of thcse. VIII,
wrote the other!"
"That's more than can tell you. SIR.
My mate here says you wrote it, sitting
at this desk, at n ,on to-day.
The captain of the wreck and the pas.
sens er looked at each othor, exchanged
.lances Of intelligence and surprise; and
the ftrmer asked the latter, "Did you
dream that you wrote on this slate!"
"No, sir, not that remember"
"You speak of dreaming" said the
captain of the bark. "What was this
gentleman about at noon to-day?"
Captain" rejoinined the other. "thc
whole thing is most mysterious and ex-
traordnary and had intended to speak
to you about it as soon as we got little
quiet. This gentleman" (pointing to the
passeDger,) "being much exhausted, fol
into heavy sleep, or what seemed such.
some time before noon. After an hour
or more, be awoke, and said to me, Cap
tain, we shall be relieved til s very day.
| When asked him what reason ho had
for saying so, he replied that he had
dreamed that he was on board a bark and
| s'iit SIio was CotiihiS W oui ioocuc. Ilc
described her appearance and rig; and,to
our utter astonshment, when Your vessel
hove in sight she correspondent exactly to
his description of her. We had not put
much faith in what he said; yet still VIC
hoped there might be something in it,
for drowning men, you know. will eateli
at straws. AS it had turned out, | can
not doubt that it was all arranged,i in some
incsmprehensiblc way, by an overrulmg
Providence, SO that We might be saved
To Him be all thanks for His goodness
TO u.s.
"Thcro is not doubt" rejoined the
other captain, 'that the writing on the
slate, let it have come there as it NAV.
saved all your lives. | was steering at the
time considerably south of west, and |
altered my course to north west, and bad
lookout aloft to see what would come
Of it. But You say" he added, turning
to tho passenger, that you did not dream
of writ hg on slates'
"No, sir. have no recollection what
ever of doing so. | got the impression,
that the bark saw in my dream was
CON g to rescue us; but how that i'm
preston camc l cannot tell. There is
another very strange thing about it," he
added. Every thing here on board
seems to me quite familiar; yet I am
very sure never was in your vessel be-
fore. 1t is all puzzle to me. What
did your mate sect"
Thereupon MFR. Bruce related to them
all the circumstances above detaied.--
The conclusion they finally arrived at was.
that it was q special interposition of Pror-
idence to save them from what seemed a
hopeless fate.
The above narrative was communica:.
ed to me by Capt. J. S. Clarke, of the
schooner Julia Hallock, who had it dir