The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-04-27
THE ENCHANTED SHIP.

THE ENCHANTED SHIP
IA TALE FROM THE pERs1AN.l
nv father was small shopkeeper at Bal
cora, Hewas neither rich nor poor, being one
n those people who speculate cautiously, for
fear 81 losing that which they already pos
sees He instilled honorable principles into
my mind, and soon taught me 10 assist him
In his trade. was eighteen years Of age
when be made bis first great venture. He
shortly afterwards died, probably from re-
oret at having trusted thousand pieces OF
nold to the uncertain risks Of the sea. His
disease was happily timed for him, as In the
course Of d few weeks, intelligence arrived
that the vessel in which he had embarked his
property was totally lost
NV courage WAS not depressed by this mis-
fortune. converted into money ell that my
father had left me, and quilted my native
town In the hope of realizing d fortune In
foreign countries My only companion was
40 old domestic, whose attachment to me
was not weaked by my adverse circumstances,
and who wished to live and die in my service.
we sailed with o favorable wind from the
port Of Halsora, In vessel bound for the
indies. On the fifteenth day Of our voyage,
4 the capt&in intimated that storm threatened
us. Hid manner was uneasy, and he did not
appeart 10 be sufficiently acquainted with the
navi6stion of the ATTITUDES la which we found
ourselves to view with calmness the impend-
ing tA1hpest. Upon the approach Of night the
weather became clear and cold. and the cap
5nln Hready fancied that he had been deceived
Ii I'M anticipations Of hurricane, when sud-
deS1y vessel. which we had not previously
lcl1erved, was seen to pass close to ours. An
AEOnce groans and wild outcries issued from
{ho strange ship, like those which are heard
tn|the howlings Of tempest. Our captain,
Who was standing at my side on the quarter
deck, turned fearfully pale, and exclaimed:
5"Our ship Is doomed, and death awaits US
ID al
Before could inquire into the meaning Of
these singular expressions, the sailors gath
cred round us, inquiring with terror In their
Hooks:
.Dtd you see that2 Did you hear those
Nhorrid eounds-those evil forebodings2"
The captain aroused himself and ordered
that verses from the Koran should be read;
he then took charge of the helm himself; but
his devotion and his care alike availed US
nothing gale arose which rapidly increased
10 a storm, and, In less than an hour the yes
eel sprang leak. which all hands at the
humps could not keep under. The long boat
vas then hastily cleared and hoisted out, and
scarcely had the last mariner quilted the ILL
Yatad merchantmen ere she WIS swallowed
nm in the devouring waves. Thus were we
east adrift Cd the wild and foaming sea, with
nothing but what we had on us, and very
little hope Or saving even our lives. The hur-
ricane still ragged furiously, and, incapable Of
assisting Ia the management OF our frail
bark. kept my old servants arm linked In
mine. and we vowed not to abandon each
other whatever might befall us.
Day at length dawned, but with the first
beams of the sun came the crisis OF our fate;
our boat was capsized by violent squall, and
/ never afterwards saw any 81 our uhapless
The main" soon became unconscious, and
when sensation returned | found myself sup
nOrted In the arms Oh my faithful servant,
who had scrambled on to the keel Of our still
floating boat, and succeeded In dragging me
after him. the tempest gradually abated,
INT no yestige remained Of our lost ship; at
A short distance from us, however, TO our
great ioy, we deserted another vessel against
which the waves, no longer fearful, impo-
fantlv broke; as she drifted toward us. dis
covered that she was the same ship that had
nassed us on the previous evening, and which
kad struck such terror into the hearts of our
commander and the sailors.
On making this discovery all my apprehen-
ns returned tas Tears ar 81 she captain SO
shin. on which no one appeared to answer to
our repeated calls, all contributed to inspire
me with an indescribable dread. However,
tO board her was our only chance Of saving
lives and grateful % Alan Ior hayns
manner. we again invoked his protection
and awaited the event.
From the bow OF the vessel hung piece OF
chain, and as she neared us we labored with
our hands and feet to reach it. AT length we
succeeded. and shouted again, but no voice
greeted me In return. We then climbed up
M bv means of the chain, /, as the younger
man. being the first to make the attempt.
Oh, horror! what spectacle met my eyes
eOned with blood, and between twenty and
thirty corpses In Turkish costume were
strewed about the deck. A dead man, SPLEEN
didly attired, was standing. bolt upright
against the mainmast; he held q sabre in his
hand. lis form was shrivelIed and ghastly.
and large nail, passing through his fore
head transfixed him to the wood against
which he leaned. Terror paralyzed my limbs
and scarcely dared to breathe. My compan-
Ion, whopresently joined me, was equally ter
rified at the scene before him, where, instead
OF living beings, mangled carcasses shocked
our senses.
After commencing ourselves to the protec-
ton OF the Holy Prophet, we determined to
descend below, expecting at each step that
some new horror would present itself to stay
our progress We scarcely dared to turn our
heads lest the chief nailed to the mast should
men should raise his CHASTITY visage.
we arrived at length at q stairway which
ied TO a cabin, where we stopped involuntarily
- 10 lnterrogate each other whether to 60
ON or return to the deck, for neither had as yet
SenIured TO utter his thoughts.
un, my masterp said my faithful fol-