The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1880-09-30
SUICIDE AT SEA
Thrilling Sequel to a Sailors EARN
Told on Shi picard in the
Atlantic.

QUEENSTOWN. August %O.-IIdst ouuuds
morning notice was given that divine ser
vice would be held in the dining saloon, the
doors of which would be closed promptly at
10 o'clock, in order to prevent the Wor-
shippers being disturbed. Quite a number
of passengers were a few minutes late, and
unable to get In. Among them was a young
lady who had attracted a great deal OF atten-
ton. Of medium height and slender figure,
she had a very pleasing but strikingly pale
face. Illuminated by large tender brown eyes,
and framed in light brown hair, rather
wavy, and dressed simply in a braided knot.
There was something inexpresslbly pathetic
in her expression, and the way in which she
held herself aloof from every one, often sit
ting on deck quite alone and for hours, IN
clined to the opinion that some great grief
was weighing upon her.
On this morning when she found the door
locked, all her melancholy calm deserted
her, and throwing herself on her knees be-
fore it, she wrung her hands in an agony of
feeling, crying, shut out! Shut out =
Her companions tried In vain to sOothe her !;
she only repeated the cry, and remained
k~neeling outside the door until the service
was over. This incident reused fresh inter
est in her, but whenever approached she re-
sisted both curiosity and kindness by a
proud reserve, only admitting That she was
going to England to seek a position as gov
erness, which seemed rather an improbable
statement.
The following day was the only disagree
able one of the voyage. Hour after hour
the rain fell heavily, the wind hOwled, the
sea reared, and the ship lurched and lunged
over the rough waters. The leaden sky,
blotched with huge black clouds, the vio-
lent beating of the rain. the sounds OF the
raging ocean, combined to produce a most
dismal effect. Doors and windows were
tightly closed, everybody looked blue-nosed
and blue spirited, and the day seemed IN
tarminable. But soon after sunset the
storm came to a sudden end, aud everyone
rushed for wraps seeking the fresh air.
Neither moon nor stars lightened the yet
dark sky the waters We're yet turbulent,
their sombre surface varied only by great
masses of snowy foam, turned into fire by
the phosphorcent CLEANS of insect life. At
last the passengers, tired of promenading
the slippery deck, settled down on their
steamer chairs, and listened to the yarns
there Is always some one to SPIN. The best
your correspondent heard was from the lips
of an old sea captain =
twenty-five years ago." he said, Il was
Bringing a large number of Indian troops,
with their wives and children, from Alden to
Bombay. The heat was intense, the vessel
crowded, and the natives put on half Ia
tions. from lack of provisions. But these
misfortunes seemed but triiing when the
latter was attacked with a terrible scourse
called the sweating disease Though con.
tagious among themselves, it never attacks
Europeans; but owing to the lack OF
physique, the result of poor food. 1t sweeps
away the Seroys, the victims seldom living
twelve hours after the attack. Strangely
enough, the very blood seems to turn into
-~.1 l.A,l IL II
skin, until the sufferer seems Ia melt away
before the eye.
The first man who died" continued the
captain, I'VE shrouded in canvas and read
the funeral service over, bat after that the
deaths TO lowed each other with such fright
iul rapidIty that the supply of canvas gave
OUT. and without any ceremony the poor
fellows were pitched ovcrhoard. The wo-
men and children also tel before the dis
ease, and whole families were swept away
by it. At the end of ten DAYS o;er three
hundred were consigned t. the deep. Then
followed a short season 1t makes rnv ShUdder
to think of. We We're again becalmed. and
the silent sea seemed determined To give up
its dead, the bodies Of the brave Sepoys
rising to the surface and floating close about
the ship.
Zone morning, coming on deck, | saw as
far as the eye could reach, the ocean as
white as milk. As an old sailor | recog-
nized the phenomena, which is caused by
vast bodies of animalcule imparting their
colour to the water; but the native unused
to such a change thought themselves threat
ened with same new calamity, and the
wildes, scenes ensued. Then followed a
horrible spectacle. The sharks. who had
been in waiting, suddenly appeared in large
numbers, their hideous backs, bronze in the
SIM rose from The nuyap Snpyy-NyhItn Surfa.a
which In a brief time was streaked with the
deep red that told of their awful feast. No
picture of pen or brush ever depicted so
internal a scene, and many of the crew turn
ed violently sick or tainted at the appalling
spectacle.
Meantime one of the bravest and hand
soonest Sepoys was taken with the disease
his wife of a few months, and a remarkably
beautiful Indian girl, was by the doctors
orders carried from his side by force. He
was sick only live hours, and was cast over
board with dispatch in order to prevent his
bride seeing the dlstigured corpse. At last
she succeed in forcing her way to the spot
where she left him. She saw the empty
berth, and rushed up on deck shrieking
wildly. Twice she ran frantically round the
ship, her great black eyes, her coal black
hair flying in the wind, calling Maya.
Maya - Then all at once the fearful truth
seem to dawn upon her; she saw the milk
white sea toamlng with blood, the torn
bodies, the monsters at their horrid carni-
val, and with a terrible scream she flung
herself overheard right in their midst
We"
Hardly had the Captain said the last word
wien there rushed by us a black robed figure,
a beautiful, blanched, despairing face, and
like a lightning dash we saw the girl throw
herself overheard.
For a moment every one was plralyzed,
it seemed like a part of the terrible tragedy
To which we We're listening. Then the alarm
was given. L ran to the railing, in a minute
the poor girl rose, rose through one of the
patches of fiery white foam We had been
watching rose with wide distended eyes.
and a face white even beside the snowy
foam. Then she was hurled into darkness
and space. And the great ship plowed on.
Dreadful it seem this speeding on as though
unmindfuI of the poor perishing life yet
Captain Murray, a brave and true hearted
man, said it was more than useless to at
tempt any recovery as we were dashing on