The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1878-07-11

4 .9ftfssfag3 tssse 1871 6ls1 ~ sMs4
j., While these orders were Issued one
lafter the other, the men were working
with will to execute them. Every
lincand spar and every inch Of canvass
| was covered half an inch deep With ice,
while our frail footing, at the yards
wasas slippery as glass, as we, SWING
at our gidly sperchess q hundred feet
through the air; at every lurch the yes
sci gave, binding sleet filed. our eyes
and ears, cutting our faces like knives
and lbenumbed our, hands. All was
darkness. around MS above and below,
yet still we workedferlifs.- had just
secured my last gasket to the royal
yard and was abont TO descend, when a
shrek far, far below me, pierced my
ears. I reached the deck as soon as my
slippery way would permit me. to fad
the nlangled body of Dick Graham lay
ing on the main hatch with several Of
his ship. mates bending over him and
wiping the blood which was fast flows
ling from his nose aud mouth. He was
dead, and Marsa's prophecy was being
fulfilled. He had slipped from the
main topmast yard and fallen to the
deck where his head had struck the
combing of the main hatch, and crushed
hiss sknlL Had Maria's appnrition
again appeared to, him? knew not,
The morning broke bright and beauti :
full yet frosty. aud the sun shone ont
in all his splenAor as il in scorn to the
fearful night through which we had
| inst passed. The sea was still running
high from her last nights fury, but the
wind had lul.ed and Suited to the
southeast into good sailing breeze,
while our good ship WAS bowling along
at ten-knot rate, with every inch OF
canvass spread Onr course was west
northwest, we had rounded Cape
Horn. As the day wore on the sea be-
came more calm, and the evening was
appointed to bury poor Dick. The last
sound of the bell announcing three
o'clock had scarcely died away on the
waters when our ship was hove to. The
| flag which all day had flung her folds
to the breeze at half mast. now hung
dropping towards the deck. The un~
filed sails tapped almost hoiselessly
in the breeze which had calmed down
to q gentle zephyr. Not a ripple dis
turbed the surface of the great swells
as they came and went past us uhheed-
ed in their never ending course. All
was quiet above, below and around lis
as the Great Spirit who made the
mighty ocean, on whose placid bosom
we reposed. All work was stopped on
board ship. and silence reigned su-
preme. +gf s., s,
| An awful hush had taken possession
of the elements which but few hours
before wers making terrific battle, as
if in mokery of that great power which
now commanded peace. Twas ter
riple calamity, aud all seemed impress
ed with the deep solemnity of the occa-
sion. The sailors gathered in little
knots, stood apart or grouped around
the Captain and spoke in monrnful
sympathy of their shipmate cold in
death. In the same sympathetic
manner they recounted his many
virtues. for he was general favorite
and faults he had but few, and those
weather beaten sailors We're too gener-
Gus to ever speak of them. At length
the ships bells tolled. The body of
the de ,eased served up in his ham,
mock with heavy weights attached to
his feet. placed on grating and borne
npon the shoulders of four of his ship
mates to the starboard gangway. Mr..
Jones, the first mate. then read the i'm
pressive and beautiful service of the
Episcopal Church, while the officers
and men stood with uncovered heads
and fearful eyes around the body of
him whom they were about to consign
to the deep. The service was conclud-
ed. The bell again tolled; the head OF
the grating was raised; the body slid
gently off; a plunge was heard and the
waters of the South Pacific closed over
the mortal remains of Richard Graham.
The sails we're now trimmed; the helm
put hard down; the breeze freshened,
and we again stood ou our course. Kind
reader, / will not tire you with the de-
tails of our long and dangerous cruise.
Suffice it to say, we spent two seasons
in the North Pacific and one in the
Ochotsk sea, during which time we cap
tured many whales and returned home
after an absence of more than four
years, with a full cargo of oil. But
never fulfilled the promise l made to
poor Dick on that fatal night. The
news of his death had preceded MS by
letter from Capt. Holmes to Capt
Drummond, soon after we reached the
Sandwich Islands. Eliza Drummond
survived the news but a short time
the shock killed her. 1 VISITED her
grave, and as Isstoodn nabove that sacred
spot / could not but feel that the
prophecy of Maria Valesco had been
fulfilled. st.1.i
| -~N sA---4------ L. ~
Kiss Me.
A very funny incident occurred a few
days since at certain store in this