The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-05-13


4
| While in. the harbor of Valparaiso,
on board the a1oop of war Virago, one
I Of our midshipmen touched me on the
shoulder, and said that Lieutenant Bar
.. dolph wanted to see me.
III have heard that you are some
thing Of Q naturalist, Starbuck, p said
the officer, smiling.
i "No, sif, y Ireplied, I" no naturalist,
but ] take an interest in-,u
80, well, never mind,o quoth the
lieutenant; have you seen our diving
4 aYes.u
The lieutenant then said that he
wanted me to 90 down under the sea
with our old boatswain, Randolph, for
nieriy pearl diver, to look for Curl
Gus fish, which on the day previous
had been pierced and killed with a
pike.
In form, the fish resembled SER
pent; about thirty inches in length,
and had upon both sides Of his neck
pair Of singular appendages, something
like wings. Its most striking peculi-
arity, however, was one eye, greenish
color situated in the top of his head.
On being struck by the pike, the crea-
ture had rolled over apparently dying,
and then had gone out of sight.
II think continued the lieutenant,
"that such a curiosity is worth secur-
/ ing, and have picked YOU out to go with
Randolph, believing that you are inter-
terested in natural history"
4 I bowed acquiescence, and went
away to make preparations.
4 nyl,<, Asx,sv,nr hell xxor oo<r, ~, <loal-
ready to be hoisted and swung over the
side. The instrument was little dam
aged, but neither Randolph nor anti
cipated danger.
/ We We're presently in our places,
singing out, :" All right.' when the
bell began slowly to descend.
| Down, down, lower and lower. We
glanced around us On all sides, but saw
nothing OF the strange fish. Curious
looking specimens of the finny tribe,
however, greeted us in many directions.
i We could see the sword-fish dart past,
with its long, protruding bone-weap-
ons; the globe-fish, the sun-fish, the
] moon-fish, the balloon fish, and the
spiteful-looking shark, swept through
the green waters, almost brushing our
bell with their tails and fins.
Air was becoming somewhat impure
so we opened the stop-cock, and let it
out, feeling moment after a fresh
/ supply sent down to us through the
India-ribber pipe or hose secured TO
the top of the bell.
Randolph was about touching the
signal cord to intimate our desire to be
lowered still further, when we felt u
sudden jerk, felt the bell going down
| ronidlr, an1 fo .or.y. 1,orvop ysoaI:zQI
that the rope by which the instrument
was suspended had parted from the
hook to which twas attached
Away went the pipe at the same
moment, and we only saved ourselves
| from instant destruction by stopping
up the aperture with thick handker-
chief. Otherwise, the water beneath
must have filled the bell in q very
short time.
We heard the water roaring and
| gurgling around us as We descended;
our descent, however, became each
instant slower, until the confined air
In the bell Kept us suspended about
| two feet above the bottom of the sea.
The air in our floating prison became
almost unbearable, not only from its
being so densely compressed, hut also
from long confinement.
Terror-stricken, We glanced at each
other. The eyes of Randolph protrud-
| ing from his head, looked bIOodsllot
and tinged with a very strange green
color, while his dusky skin seemed to
shrink like shrivelled parchment. The
most startling change in his appear
ance was the sudden apparently super.
natural look of his viSagc. a man of
4 1,a aofv Qf ir5x-
older.
Presently his teeth began to rattle in
his head, his form was bent almost
double; he threw his arms around him
in agony as if he were clutching at
something. &i
How horribly useless this pantomiIne
seemed to me! He wanted fresh air.
/ to clutch at air! What q mockery!
"Starbuck," he presently gasped,
"God have mercy on us. What shall
wedo ?''
What could We do? | could only
stare at him, stupid with despair.
The air in the bell became more and
more sitting. The boatswain flew to
my side, and squeezed me in his eH-
treme agony.
I endeavOred to speak, but only u
hoalsc rattle in my throat obeyed my
will. My brain began to whirl. i
gasped hard for breath. a terrible OPP
preston was on my lungs. The boat
swain had now released me. L stag
gered against the side of our prison
my senses seemed deserving me.
Gradually, to my confused sight, q
dark red clOud-mist seemed TO float up
all around the bell. My head now felt
4 as though it would burst Terribly
4 oppressed, / fell upon my knees and
would have fallen into the sea, but for
the boatswain, who now held Ine.
!, Then all began to grow dark. Nith
superhuman effort / raised myself
and looked aroundme, feeling like one
grooping in the dark, Bewildered,
and full Of the most agonizing pain, /
became aware that something was
swaying up and down before my sight !;
up and down in that red mist, ming
ling with the water I made another
effort-a great effort-to comprehend
what it was, This swaying thing and
at last did so; understood that it
was hook attached to the end of q
rope, lowered from the deck of the
Virago, so far above.
"Starbuck - gasped the boatswain,
"I'll dash open the lens (this was a
glass in the top of the bell; then you
, stand by to hook it on the inside.
just managed to hear the words,
and they Strengthened me with a wild
hope, though was still so bewildered
that could scarcely now see the sway
ing hook. The boatswain's arm was
before my eyes. With one blow of his
, huge fist, dealt with the remains of his
. great strength, he shivered the lens.
There was roaring sound; it was
the upward rush of the water into the
bell and the air escaped.
There was no time to be lost. /
thrust my arm through the aperture
! and drew i'm the hook, quickly attached
it to the top of the inside of the instru-
ment
The next moment the water came
bubbling over the heads of tic boat
swain and myself, and that was the
: last ] remember OF what transpired
in the bell.
= WhenI recovered my senses found
myself in the steera9e, with the ships
doctor bending over me.
"a narrow escape. ~ were his iirst
words.
"Where is Randolph ~ Iexclaimed.
n " Here,p replied n feeble voice, and
: rising, Ibeheld the boatswain ina bunk
!. under me.
(" He had \ narrower escape than you
ib:ttls said the doctor The thumb