The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1875-11-03
IIFE BENEATH TIE WAVES.
RI CAT. BOVTOT.

RI CAT. BOETON.
soon ofterward l worked down into the
Gulf of Mexico The first coral l raised
wos in Catoche. Knocking round about there
7 heard of the loss Of the schooner Foam.
The first mate and three men got saved,
but the captain. his daughter, and three
mon rot lost. I slung round to see If she
conld he raised. After we'd spent the best
part Of the wecl; we sailed over her and
dropped anchor. 1t was lovely Sunday
morning when we strucl. her. She lay III
sixtv feet of water Oh q bottom as White as
tho NOON Looking towS 1 could see her
looninr over on one side upon the coral
reef. When 1 got down to her saw she'd
torn a great gap in the reef whcn she ran
ooo;nst # The ma;nmast WAS gone and
hing bv the fore; / claml,ered up; l saw
whole shoals Of fish playing in and out OF
tho batches. First I went to look tor the
bodies, for l never Ike to work while there 8
onv of them about. Finding the fo'castle
empty, l went to the two little state ca'lns'
r was rather dark, and I had to feel in the
lower hunks. There was nothing IN the
FIRST, and in the other the door was locked.
I ptried it open and hot back the lock WIN
NV adze. It few open, and ont something
fell right against ME. felt at once 1t was
the womans body. l was not eXacty
frirhiepcd but it shook me rather. lsluns
it from me and went out into the light a
bit until I got hold of myself. Then L
turned back and brought her out-poor
thing! She'd been very pretty, and so L
carried her in my arms; with her white
face nesting against my shoulder she
seemed as if she was only sleeping. l
made her fast to tie line as carefully as
could to send her up, and the fish played
about her as il they were sorry she was
roine. At last I gave the signal, and she
went slowly up, her hair floating round
her head like a pillow of golden seaweed.
That was the only body I found there
and 1 managed after to raise pretty con-
siderable OF the cargo.
One of my expeditions was among the
silver banks Of the Antilles, the loyel'est
nlace I ever saw. where the white coral
crows into curious tree-l;l:c shapes. AS l
sten,ed along .he bottom it seemed as It
were in frosted forest. EeTe and there
trailed long fionds Of green and crimson
seaweed. Silver hel!icd fish flashed ABOUT
among the dee,-lnown and purple sea
ferns, which rose high as my head.
Far as l could see III round in the tran
srarcnt water we're different co'orcd leaves
and on the floor piles of shells so bright III
color that it seemed as il l had stumbled
on y place where they kept stock Oh
broken rairbows. I could not work Tor
bit, and had 4 quarter determination to sit
down a while and wait for Il mermaid.
ruess if those sea girls hive anywhere, they
select that spot After walking the inside
ont of half an hour, though: had better
ro to work and blast foc treasure. A little
bit on from where I sat were the remains
Of q treasure ship. Il was Brlt!sher, l
think, end corals had formed all about her,
or rather abou. what was left of her. Ihe
coral on the bottom und round her showed
blacl, spots. That meant deposit Of either
iron or silver. l made fairly good hauls
every time went down, and sold one piece
I found to Barnum Of New York.
After I left there l had curious adj
venture with shark. was down on
nasty rock bottom. A man never feels
y 2Tcomfortable on them; he can't tell what
big creature may be hiding under the huge
ouarter-deck sea leaves which grow there
The first part of the time l was visited by
bv porcupine fish. which kept sticking Its
ouills up and boiling in front OF my
helmet Soon after 1 saw big shadow
fall across me, and looking up there WAS an
internal shark playing a5ont my tuong
It makes you feel chilly in the back when
they're about. He came down to me sllcs
as looked up. l made at him and h'
sheared off. For ali hour he worked ut i
I'll, could stand it no Logger. If you car
keen your head level, its all right, ane
you're pretty safe if they're not on yor
SHARP. This ugly brute was twenty Zee
long, 1 should think, for when lay dowr
all MY length on the bottom ne stretched
a considerable way ahead OF me, and
could see him beyond my feet Then
waited. They must turn over to bite, anc
my lying down bothered him. lie swan over
three or four times, and then skulked OF to
= big thicket of ssaweed to consider.
knew he'd come back when he'd settle bis
mind.5 It seemed long time waiting tol
him. At last he came viciously over me
but like the time before, too far from my
arms. The next time bad my chance
and ripped him with my knife as neatly
as could. A shark always remembers
he's got business somewhere else when he's
cut, 50 off this fellow goes. 1t is curious
thing, too, that all the sharks about vii
follow in the trail he leaves. l got on my
hands and knees, and as he swan OF
noticed four dark shadows slip after him
I saw no more that time. They did moi
like my company.
MUST NOT DO IT.