The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1864-09-09
BEL AIR MD FRIDAY MORNING SEPTEMBER g. 1864.

last. When he finished With the Comma.
dore, his head dropped upon his breast,
his eyes closed, and he appeared to pass
through second death no pulsation,
nor the least degree of warmth, could be
perceived during the time he was speak.
ing. | ordered him to be laid aside, and
left him. H.t,a nar. N,8 .
was soon calledrinto the cabin, where
the Commodore required from me an ex-
PLANTATION of the case on rational iphilo.
sophical principles. This l endeavored
to give-I but in part Succeeded - 1t
would swell this narrative too much to
repeat all said in endeavorng to eluci-
date the subject; at least i it proved
lame attempt. Fer, when asked how this
man, without education or reading, or
mixing in other society than that of
common sailors, should acquire the COM
mand of the purest language, properly
arranged, and delivered Clearly dis
tinctly, with much animation and great
effect, | gave no reply; and itiwas, and
everWill remain, inexplicable, without ad.
uniting supernatural agency. The days of
miracles are passed, aud | know shall
be laughed at by many for dwelling upon
or repeating this story. But never since
| arrived at the years of discretion, has
anything taken a stronger hold upon my
mind and that man must have been
made of strange materials, who could have
been an indifferent spectator. Was he
divinely illuminated Was he inspired
or was the whole the effect of natural
causes These are questions which have
arisen in the minds of many, and must be
left for the learned of two professions to
answer.
9 I returned to bed, deeply rejecting on
the past, unable to sleep, when about nine
o'clock, P. NJ, many hours after Kemble
had been laid by, I was called out of
bed to visit man taken suddenly i'll, in
his hammock, hanging near Kemble's
apartment. 1t was an hour when all, but
the watch upon deck, had turned in; gen
eral silence reigned, and all the lights be-
low put out, with the exception Of single
lamp in the sick mans apartment, where
lay the remains of Kemble had bled
the sick mamie was relieved. enter
ed the sick room before | retired, to re-
place something and was turning round
to leave it, being alone, when | was al
most pelrifed upon beholding kemble
sitting up in his berth, with his eyes
(Which had regained their former bril-
lianey and iutelhgence,) fixed iuteutly
upon mine. l became, for moment,
speechless and moionlcss. Thinks l to
myself, what have I done or left undone,
in this mans case, that should cause him
thus to stare at me at this late hour, aud
alone I waited a long time in painful sus-
pense, dreading some horrible DISCLOSURE,
when | was relieved by his commanding
me to fetch him some water. With what
alacrity l obeyed can easily be imagined.
I gave him a tin mug containing. water,
which he put to his mouth, drank the con
tents, and returned il to me; then laid
himself quietly down for the last time.--
His situation was precisely the same, in
every respect, as before described. The
time had now expired which he had said
was given to remain in the body 1854
The next day, by noon, all hands atten-
ded us usual, to hear the funeral service
read, and see his remains consigned to a
watery grave. 1t was an unusually solemn
period. Seamen are naturally supersti-
tious, and on this occasion their minds had
been wrought upon in singular manner
Decorum is always observed by sailors at
such times; but now they were all affee-
ted to tears. And when the body was slid
from the plank into the sea, every one
rushed instinctively to the ships side to
take a last look. The usual weights had
been attached to the feet yet as if in
compliment to their anxiety to see more of
him, the body rose perpendicularly FROM
the water, breast high, two or three tires.
This incident added greatly to the aston
ishment already created in the minds of
the men. 2' h. W.
beg leave to remark that it was not
thought proper to keep the body longer in
the warm latitude we were in. I have
now given short and very imperfect
sketch of the important events attending
the last illness and death of William
Kemble -.". .' ''''"' . 2'.'
The change produced upon the crew
was for time very remarkable. 1t APP
peared as if they would never smile or
swear again but the effect wore of by
degrees except when the subject was re-
newed .. M - 10 ''''
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