The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1879-03-27
cucioua Eases Of SLeep-WqLkfnq

On the above subjects iEetired naval
officer obligingly sends US the following
notes:
One bright moonlight night was on
deck, as was frequently my wont, chat
/ ting with the lieutenant of the middle
watch. 1t was nearly calm, the ship
making little way through the water.
and the moons light nearly as bright as
day. We were together leaning over the
capstan, chatting away, when W" sud-
| denly exclaimed: "LOOk, H, at the
sentry" and pointed to thequarter deck
marine, who was pacing slowly back
wards and forwards on the lee-side Of
the deck.
well" I replied, after watching him
somewhat inattentively, as he passed
once or twice on his regular beat "What
Of HIM %
''IFy:ly, don't you see he-is fast asleep?
Take good look at him when he next
passes"
t did 50, and found W-was right.
The man, although pacing and turning
regularly at the usual places, was fast
asleep, with his eyes closed.
When next the man passed, W
stepped quickly and noiselessly to his
side, and pacing with him, gently disen-
gagged the bunch of keys which were his
special charge, being the keys of the
spirit room, shell rooms, store rooms,
ETC., from the fingers Of his left hand, to
which they were suspended by a small
chain; he then removed the bayOnet
fromhis other hand, and laid it and the
keys on the capstan head After letting
him take another turn or two, W
suddenly called Sentry"
Sir" replied the man, instantly stop
ping and facing round as>be came to the
attention"
why, you were fast asleep, sentry"
''No, sir"
''But say you were"
''No, sir. l assure you was not"
You were not, eh? Well, where are
the keys ?'
The man instantly brought up his
hand to show them, as he supposed, but
to his confusion the hand was empty.
" Where is your bayonet2" continued
The poor fellow brought forward his
other hand, but that was empty also.
But the puzzled look of astonishment he
put on was more than we could stand;
the keys and bayonet were pointed to
him lying on the Capstan, the poor fel.
low was perfectly dumbfounded. W
was too merry over the joke, however, tc
punish the man, and he escaped with a
warning not to fall asleep again.
Sentries and lOok-outs must be very
liable to fall asleep from the very nature
Of the mcuOtonous pacing, and this may
in some degree account for the facility
with which sentTies have at times been
surprised and secured before they could
give any alarm. In this instance, the
most curious fact, think, was the regu-
laTity with which the man continued to
pace his distances and turn at the right
moment. have known other instances
Of sentries and others walking IN their
Bleep hOugh the end has not always
been so pleasant to the victims. In one
case, the quarter deck sentry, in the
middle of the night, crashed down the
Ward-room hatchway with musket and
fixed bayonet, with a rattling that
startled usall outof our cabins. ThefelloW
fell on his back upon the top Of the mess
table, but not much the worse for his eX-
plot. On another occasion a messenger
boy paid US visit in the night; he fell
upon a chair, which he smashed to
pieces, but the sleeper escaped unhurt.
These can hardly be considered true
cases of sOmnambulism. but show how
men may continue their occupation
when overcome by sleep. Nothing but
seeing his bayonet and keys lying on the
Capstan could have ever convinced the
marine that he had been sleeping; no
mere assertion to that effect would ever
have influenced him.