The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-07-22

The reading Of the " Puzzle Tor Metaphy.
s,eisus.v IA The June number Of Harpers'
uonfkiv. recalls to the writer the most re-
variable occurrence OF Ike nature which
= nautical experience Of twenty years
Afforded. This IL another al those ex.
periences which go to prove the occasional
ihinncss OF the curtain which limits the
natural vision Of nortsls.
In 1859 Twas 10 suez, 10 command OF the
British steamship Neera, belonging TO tue
Bombay and Bengal Steamship Compsny--
4 company owning a line OF steamers born
Of the necessities of the manufacturing
world when The supply OF American COTTON
was 20 largely cut OF by the war OF tte re-
bcllicn. The line was under the manage,
meut Of William +. Stearns, now deceased
eon Of the late Professor Stearns' OF
Amherst Colleges man who, going 10
India penniIess. devoIved qualities when
enabled him TO rise on the HOOD tue OF
prosperity TO a colossal fortune ana D'gn
social position, but, as IL proved, only 10
see his riches float out on the rcceding uae,
ana leave bis family but poorly provided
for at his untimely death.
The Nce,a was lying in Suez roads, the
canal being not yet open, awaiting pas
sengers. etc, before sailing on her return
VOYAGE to Bombay. The Peninsular and
Oriental Company's steamship Carnstic
WAS also about ready TO sail for the same
mort. and only waiting mails and pas
sengers. 1t happened that the passengers
for the two steamers came across the
istbmus together, and that two old friends
and school mates met, the one to Join the
Necra, the other the Carnatic. day was
spent by the friends, who Unexpectedly
met on the Egyptian desert, In recounting
their experiences since they last parted,
and. naturally enough, there was a gooo
deal of badinage between them as 10 the
eomparat,ye merits OF the two steamers
and NJ TO which should first land on the
"coral strand" upon which these "gfI'
fms" were TO, be initiated into their duties
in the "civil service" to which they had
been newly appointed.
The Carnatic was the first to be ready,
and sailed from SueZ In the morning; tue
Neera left early in the evening, some ten
or twelve hours after the mail steamer.
The night was fne, and at breakiast-time
we bad passed Shaduan island, were out OF
the Gulf OF Suez, and into the Red sea
proper. Breakfast was served on deck,
under double awnings OF heavy canvas.
The young gentleman who had lett his
friend the day before seemed somewhat de-
pressed 10 spirits, and during breakfast said,
rather anxiously, Captain, at what time
did we stop last ni0ht?"
"Stop. We have not stopped since
leaving,s was the reply.
mot even to take soundings?"
"No; the engines have not been eased
since leaving port"
The young man seemed much surprised,
and finally said that he had most vivid
Ix,. Attri s.ar shn ifhf
and this be proceeded to relate in substance
40 follows:
ain my dream II appeared TO me that the
steamer was stopped during the night, and
that went on deck to ascertain the cause.
saw boat pulling off from an island 10
intercept Us, and a lantern was waved to
arrest orr attention. AS the boat came
nearer l saw my friend Morton Standing
in the stern. AS he came up the gaugway
ladder / said, For Gods sake, Morton,
what brings you here!' / never saw him
plsiner, nor heard his voice more distinctly
than when be said, "The CarDatic has
struck a rock, and gone down the passeD-
gers and crew are on an island close by, all
safe, and we want your ship to take them
on board dreamed that our ship stop
ped until other boats came off with the re-
mainder Of the people, and that We then
proceeded"
The narration Of the dream made pro-
found impression upon the passengers, but
the captain, a. in duty bound, laughed it
OF. The young man proved jolly sort OF
fellow, but was called "the dreamer"
during the rest OF the voyage.
On arrival at Alden, hye days later, be.
fore our anchor was down, we were hailed
by boat W bich bad been dispatched from
the Peninsular and Oriental Office, aud
asked IL we had any news OF the Carnatic,
that ship being day overdue. We bad no
news to give; but our dreamer quietly re-
mai ked to me, "You may find that there
Is more to my dream than you supposed"
few hours completed our coaliDg, and
we were offagain for Bombay. On arriving
at that port we heard the news OF the loss
OF the Carnatic. and the circumstances
were Just as narrated to us two weeks
before. The ship struck on rock near
Sbaduan island, some twelve hours after
leaving Suez. The passengers and crew
were landed on the island; the steamer
slid of the rock, and went
down 10 deep water. During the night q
lights were seen by the ship
wrecked crew, and boat was sent out to
her. Our dresruer's friend Nor
ION went III Tue uTsb ooat Tue IsLDaihuei
OF the people were subsequently taken on
board, and the rescuing steamer proceeded
on her voyage to SueZ. Except that an
other steamer, not the Neera, rescued the
party, the dreamer told the story as well as
II could be told to-day.
1t seems probable that our dreamer's
vision was shown him at the very moment
the ship-wrecked people were embarking
upon the steamer which came 10 their aid,
and that the Neera was not ten miles from
the scene at the time.
1t may be stated, In conclusion, to show
the perfection to which the postal system OF
the world has arrived, that the only letter
addressed to the writer which ever failed 10
reach him in all his twenty years. wander
ings went down in the Carnatic. Harpe,'S
Monthly.