The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1872-05-17

oil some KIND close 10 It,
As they approached, the captain
glass disclosed the fact that it was
dismantled ship, apparently frozen
tie ice, and with a good many h
man beings on board. Shortly aft
they hove to, and sent out the boa
to the relief of the sufferers.
1t proved TO be vessel from Ga
bee, bound to Liverpool, with pa
sengers on board. She had got e.
tangled in the ice, and finally froze
fast, and had passed several weeks
most critical condition. She ws
) stove, her decks swept--in fact
mere wreck all her provisions, an
almost all her water was gone. He
crew and passengers had lost a
hopes of being saved, and their grati
tude for the unexpected rescue wa
proportionally great.
As one OF the men who had bee
brought away in the third boat tina
had reached the wreck was ascendin,
the ships side, the mate catching
glimpse at his face, started back il
CONSERVATION. 1t was the very fac,
he had eeen three or four hours he
fore, looking up at him from th'
captains desk
At hIst he tried to persuade him
self it might be fancy; but the NOR,
he examined the man the more sure
he became that he was right. No
only the face but the person and the
dress exactly cOrresponded.
As soon as the exhausted crew and
famished passengers were cared fol
and the barque On her course again
the mate called the captain aside, "It
seems that WIS not ghost saw &C
by sir the mans alive"
"What do you mean? Who's
alive?"
"Why, sir, one OF the passengers
we have just saved is the man i saw
writing On your slate at noon ]
would swear 10 it in court of jus
tice"
"Upon my word, Mr.. Bruce" re.
piled The captain, "this gets more and
more singular. Let US 60 and see
this man."
Tbey found linn in conversation
with the captain of the rescued ship
They both came forward and express
ed, in the warmest terms, their graft
tude for deliverance from horrible
fste-slOw coming to death by ex-
posure and starvation.
The captain replied that he had
but done what he was certain they
would have done for him under :he
same circumstances, and asked them
both TO step down into tue cabin.
Then turning to the passenger he
said, 81 hope, sir, | would be much
obliged TO you if you would write q
few words ON this slate.'' Aud he
handed him the slate, with that side
upon which the mysterious writing
was not. 81 will do anything you
ask" replied the passenger "but
what shall | write 2"
"a few words are all | want.
Suppose you write, steer to the nor'-
west.'
TIE passenger, evidently puzzled
10 make out the motive for such a
request, complied, however, with a
smile. The captain took up the slate
and examined il closely; then step
ping aside so as TO conceal the slate
Iroln the passenger he turned it over
and gave 1t to him with the other
side up.
"You say that is your haudwritingf"
said he.
81 need not say so," rejoined the
other, locking at it, "ior you saw me
write it."
sand this ?" said the captain, turn
ing the slate over.
The man looked first at one writing,
and then at the other, quite con-
founded. At last, "Whatis the mean
ing of this p said he. II only wrote
one of these. Who wrote the other p
That's more than / can tell you,
sIr. My mate here says you wrote it,
sitting at this desk at noon to-day"
The captain of the wreck and the
passengers looked at each other, ex-
changing glances of intelligence and
surprise; and the former asked the
latter. ibid you dream that you
wrote on this slate ?"
"NO, sir, not that / remember
You speak of dreamiEg,' said the
captain of the bark; what was this
gentleman about at noon to day?'
"Captain," rejoined the other, "the
whole thing is most mysterious and
extraordinary; and l had intended
to speak to you about it. as soon as
we got little quiet. "This gentle
mani (pointing to the passenger }
"being much exhausted, fell into a
heavy sleep, or what seemed such,
some time before noon; after an hour
or more he awoke and said to me,
Captain, we shall be relieved this
very day. When asked him what
reason he had for saying so, he re
piled that he had dreamed that he
was on board bsrque, and that she
was coming to our rescue. He de-
scribed her appearance and rig; and,
to our utter astonishment, when your
vessel hove in sight, she corresponded
exactly with his description of her.
We had not put much faith in wfat
he said, yet still We hoped there might
be something in it, for drowning
men, you know, will catch at straw.
As it has turned out, l cannot doubt
that it was all arranged in some in,
COMPREHENSIVE way, by an overrul
ing Providence, 30 that we might be
saved. To Him be all thanks for His
goodness to u.s.
.There is not a doubt" rejoined
tie other captain, "that the writing
on the slate, let it come there as II
may, saved all your lives. L wa:
steering at the time considerably
South of West, and l altered my
course to Northwest, and l had
lookout aloft, to see what would come
OF it. But you ssy he added, turn
ing to the passenger, "that you dlC
not dream Of writing on slate ~
"No, sir. l have no recollection
whatever, of doing 80. 1 got tn
impression that the barque l saw IL
nv dream was coming to rescue US
but how that impression came | can
not tell. There is another yer.
strange thing about it," be added
Q "exerything here on board seems t
. me quite familiar yet / am very sur
, | never was in your vessel before
1t is q puzzle to me. What did you
mate see?
Thereuron MIR. Bruce stated I
them all the circumstances above d'
/. tailed, The conclusion they final