The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1875-08-20
Life Beneath the Wares.
Capt. Boyton an Genasmen's Magazine.

Soon afterward l worked down into the
1ulf OF Mexico. The first coral | raised
was iE Catoche. Knocking round about
there L beard of the loss of the schooner
Foam. The first mate and three men got
saved, but the captain, his daughter and
three men got lost. l slung round to see
If she could he raised. After we'd spent
the best part of The week, we sailed over
her and dropped anchor. 1t was a lovely
Sunday morning when we struck her. She
lay in sixty feet of water on a bottom as
white as the moon. Looking down l could
see her leaning over on one side upon the
coral reef. When / got down to her saw
she'd torn great gap in the reef when
she ran against it. The mainmast was
gone and hung by the fore. / clambered
up. | saw whole shoals of fish playing in
and out of the matches. First | went to
look for the bodies, for / never like to
work while there's any of them about.
Finding the foIecastle empty | went to the
two little state cabins. 1t was rather dark,
and l had to feel in the lower hunks.
There was nothing in the first, and in the
other the door was locked. / piied it open
and shot back the lock with my adze. 1t
few open and out something fell right
against me. l felt at once it was the wo-
mans body. | was not exactly frightened,
but it shook me rather. | slung it from
me and went out into the light bit until
| had got hold of myself. Then | turned
and brought her Out-pOor thing She'd
been very pretty, and as l carried her in
my arms, with her white face nesting
against my shoulder, she seemed as if she
was only sleeping. | made her fast to the
line as carefully as / could to send her up,
and the fish played about her as if they
were sorry she was going. At last L gave
the signal, and she went slowly up, her
hair floating round her head like pillow
of golden seaweed. That was the only
body found there, and | managed after
to raise pretty considerable of the cargo.
One of my expeditions was among the
silver banks of the Antilles, the ioveliest
place l ever saw, where the white coral
q ows into curious trce-like shapes. As l
stepped along the bottom it seemed as if |
were in frosted forest Here and there
trailed long fronds of green and crimson
seaweed. Silver bellied fish flashed about
among the deep brown and purple seaferns,
which rose high as my head. Far as |
( could see all round in the transparent
water were different colored leaves. and on
the floor piles of shells so bright in color
that ii seemed as if | had stumbled on a
place where they kept a stock Of broken
| M f,.r nd
had 4 quarter determination to sit down a
while and wait for mermaid. l guess if
those sea girls hive anywhere they select
that spot. After walking the inside out of
half an hour l thought l had better go to
work and blast for treasure. 4 little bit
/ on from where | sat were the remains of a
treasure ship. 1t was Brtisher, think,
and corals bad formed all about what was
! left of her. The coral on the bottom and
round her showed black spots. That meant
a deposit of either iron or silver. | made
fairly good hauls every time | went down,
and sold one piece | found to Balnum, of
/ New York.
| After | left there ! had a curious ad-
venture with shark. | was down on n
comfortable on them he can't tell what
. big creature may be hiding under the huge
quarter deck sea leaves which grow there.
! The first part of the time / was visited by a
/ porcupine fish, which kept sticking its
: quills up and bobbing in front Of my bel
met. Soon after saw big shadow fall
across me, and looking up there was an in
fernal shark playing about my tubing. 1t
makes you feel chilly in the back when
they're about. He came down to me slick
as l looked up. | made at him and ho
sheared off. For an hour ne worked at It,
till I could stand it 10 longer. If you can
I keep your head level it's all right, and
you're pretty safe if they're not on you
sharp. This ugly brute was twenty feet
long, | should think, for when lay down
all my length on the bottom he stretched "A
considerable way ahead of me, and | could
: see him beyond my feet. Then | waited.
They must turn over to bite, and my living
down bothered him. He swan over me
three or four times, and then skulled off
to big thicket of seaweed to consider.
knew he'd come back when he'd settle his
mind. 1t seemed long time waiting for
him. At last he came viciously over me,
buJ,. like the time before, too far from my
/ arms. The next time ! had NV chance
and ripped him with my knife as neatly as
/ could. 4 shark always remembers he's
got business somewhere else when he's
cut, so off this fellow goes. 1t is a curious
fling, too, that all the sharks about will
follow in the trail he leaves. / got on my
hands and knees and as he swan off
noticed four shadows slip after him.
saw no more that time. They did not like
my company.
WOMAN will reach up aud pull at a