The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1880-09-29
A story OF a Dre.,,,i.

s- .r5s fl77 = III . ~ 5ls-'---'' ~
The reading Of the ''Puzzle for Met.
aphysicians" in the June number Of
your Monthly, recalls TO the writer
the most remarkable occurrence Of
like nature which a nautical exper.
ience of twenty years afforded. This
is another.ofthose experiences which
go to prove the occasional thinness
of the curtain which limits the nat
ural vision Of mortals.
In 1865 / was in Suez, in command
the British steamship Neera, belong.
ihgto the Bombay and Bengal Steam
ship Company-a company owning
a line of steamers born of the neces-
stiles of the manufacturing world
when the supply Of American cotton
was SO largely cut of by the war Of
Ethe rebellion. The line was under
the management Of VIM. P. Stearns,
now deceased, son Of the late Profess.
or stearns, of Amherst College-a
man who, going to India penniless,
developed qualities which enabled
lhim;to rise onthe flood tide of pros.
perity to colossal fortune and high
social position, but, as it proved, on
lly to see his riches float out on the
receding tide and leave his family
but poorly provided for at his un-
timely death.
The Neera was lying in suez roads
the canal being. not yet open-await-
ing passengers, &C., before sailingon
her return voyage to Bombay. The
Peninsular and Oriental Company's
steamship Carnatic was also about
ready to sail for the same port, and
only waiting mails and passengers
for the two steamers came across the
lsthmus together, and that two old
friends and schoolmates met. the one
to joinsthe Neera, the other the Cor
natic. A 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 good deal of badinage between
them as to the comparative merits Of
the two steamers, as to which could
first land on the "coral strand" up
on which these "griffins" 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; the Neera left early in the
evening, some ten or twelve hours
after the mail steamer. The night
was fine and at breakfast time we
had passed Shadman Island, were
out of the Gulf of Suez and into the
Red Sea proper. Breakfast was
served on deck, under double avn.
ings of heavy canvas. The young
gentleman who had left his friend
the day before seemed somewhat de-
pressed in spirits, and during break
fast said, rather anxiously, captain,
at what time did we stop last night2"
"stopl We have not stopped since
leaving" was the reply.
"Not even to take soundings?"
''No; the engines have not been
ceased since leaving the port"
The young man seemed much sur
prised, and finally said that he had a
most vivid and remarkable dream
during the night, and this he pro.
ceeded to relate in substance as fol-
lows
SIN my dream it appeared to me
that the steamer was stopped during
the night, and that / went on deck
to ascertain the cause. l saw boat
pulling off from an Island to inter
cept us, and lantern was waved to
arrest our attention. AS the boat
came nearer l saw my friend Morton
standing in. the stern. AS he came
up the gangway ladder / said, "lSor
Gods sake, Morton, what brings you
here?" ! never saw him palmer,
nor heard his voice more distinctly