South-eastern Independent. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1871-1871, 1871-07-14

Kent was one evening requested by his
master to go next morning to a church
yard in the Deighborhood and measure the
work which had been done to a wall, in
order that an account might be sent in to
the church wardens. The man went to
bed at the usual time u when he awOke
he found himself fully dressed, in the
open air, and in the dark. Presently a
clock struck two, and he knew that he was
in the c~hurch-yard. As he found that he
had a measuring-rod and q book in his
hand, he resolved to walk about till day
break Git being summer weather. and as
certain what il was he had really done.
He then found that he had measured the
wall correctly, and had entered the par
ticulars in his book. Sometimes, instead
of starting up from sleep to go to work,
persons will fall asleep while working or
walking. When Sir John Moore made
his famous retreat to COfunna whole bat
talions of exhausted troops slumbered as
they marched. Muleteers have been
known to sleep while guiding their mules,
coach1nen while driving OF the box, post
boys while trotting on their horses, and
factory children while at work. There
was a rope maker in Germany who often
fell asleep when at wofk, and either con
tinued his work In a proper way OF use
lessly remade cordage already finished.
Sometimes when walking long distances
ne was similarly overtaken with sleep; he
went on safely, avoiding horses and car
riages, sud timber lying on the road. On
one occasion he fell asleep just as he
got on horseback; yet he went on. rode
through a shallow river, allowed his
horse to drink, drew up his legs TO prevent
his feet from being wetted. passed through
a crowded market-piace, and arrived safely
at the house of an acquaintance; his eyes
We're closed the whole time, and he awOke
just after reaching the house. Gassendi
describes a case of a man who ssed 10 rise
in the night, dress himself while asleep,
draw wine treai , cask, and walk back
to his room without stumbling over any
thing. In the morning like other sleep
walkers, he knew nothing Of what had
happened. If he CHANGED to wake while
in the cellar, which once or twice occurred,
he CROPPED his way back in the dark with
more difficulty than when the sleep was
upon him. Another Italian, also men
toned by Gsssendi. passed on stills over q
swollen torrent in the night while asleep,
her awoke, and was too much afraid TO
recross until daylight came.
An additional element of interest is
presented IN tbOse cases in which speaking
is concerned, the somnambulist either
talking or hearing what is said to him by
others. Many writers mention the in
stance of a young naval officer who was
signal lieutenant 10 Lord Hood when the
British fleet was watching Toulon. He
sometimes remained On deck eighteen or
twenty hours at a time, watching for sig
nails, from the other ships; he would then
retire to his cabin, and fall into a sleep so
profound that no ordinary voice could
wake him; but if the word "signal" was
even whispered in his ear he was reused
instantly. DR.. James Gregory cites the
case of a young military officer, going with
his regiment in a troOp-ship 10 a foreign
station in 1853. who, when asleep, was
peculiarly sensitive to the voices of his
familiar acquaintances, and powerfully in
fiuenced by anything they said to him.
Some of the other young officers, ready
for any pranks, would lead him OF through
all the stages of a duel, or of am impending
ship-wreck, or ola %sanguinary battle each
sentence spoken by them turning his
dream If it may be called a dreamy into a
particular direction, until at length he
would start up in imaginary danger, and
perhaps awake by falling out OF his berth
or stumbling over a rope