Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-08-27
4 Puzzle for observation-disclosures.

Il
aphysicians," in the June number of
your Monthly recalls to the writer the
most remarkable occurrence of like ma
ture which nautical experience of
twenty years afforded. This is another
Of those experiences which goes to
prove the occasional thinness of the
curtain which limits the natural vision
OF mcrtals. In 1869 l was in Suez. in
command of the British steam iio
Neera, belonging to the Bombay AMI
Bengal Steamship Company-a com.
pany owning line of steamers born of
the necessities of the manufacturing
world when the supply of American
cotton was so largely cut off by the war
of the rebellion. The line Was under
the management of Wm. F Stearns, now
deceased, son of the late Prof. Stearns,
Of Amherst College, man who, going
to India penniless. developed qualities
which enabled him to rise on the flood
tide of prosperity to u colossal fortune
aud high social position, but, as it
proved, only to see his riches float out
on the receding tide, and leave his fam.
lily but poorly provided for ut his I'M.
timely death.
The Neera was lying in Saez roads,
the canal being not yet open, awaiting
passeis ers, ETC., before sailing on her
return voyage to Bombay. The PENN
sular and Oriental Company steamship
Carnatic was also about ready to sail
for the same port, and only waiting
mails and passengers. 1t happened
that the passengers for the two steam
ers came across the isthmus together,
and that two old friends and school.
mates met, the ono to join the Neera,
the other the Carnatic. A day was
spent by the desert, in recounting their
experiences since they last parted, and.
naturally enough, there was good deal
of badinage between them as to the
comparative merits of the two steamers,
and as to which should first land on the
"coral strand" upon 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 BIZ 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 Snaduan
Island, were out of the Gulf of Suez,
and into the Red Sea proper. Break.
fast was served on deck, under double
awnings of heavy canvas. The young
gentleman who had left his friend the
day before seemed somewhat depressed
in spirits, and during breakfast said,
rather anxiously, Captain, at what
time did we stop last nisht?"
stop! We have not stopped since
leaving" was the reply.
" Not even to take soundings?
"No; the engines have not been
eased since leaving port"
The young man seemed much sur
prised, and hlally sSid that he had
most vivid and remarkable dream dur
ing the night, and this he proceeded to
relate in substance as follows:
In my dream it appeared to me that
the steamer was stopped during the
night, and that went ON deck to ascer.
tain the cause. saw boat pulling
of from an island to intercept us, and
u lantern was waved to arrest orr atten-
ton. As the boat came nearer saw
my friend Morton standing in the
stern. AS he came up the gangway
l3aus- said, Fer Sod . sake, MYr.on,
what brings you here?' never saw
him palmer, nor heard his voice more
distinctly than when he said, The Car
natic has struck rock, and gone down
the passengers and crew are on the
island close by, all safe, and We want
your snip to take them en- board l
dreamed that our ship stopped until
other boats came off with the remain
der of the people, and that We then
proceeded"
The narration of the dream made o
profound impression UPON the passen.
gers, but the captain, as in duty bound,
laughed it of. The young man proved
a jolly sort of fellow, but was called
"tho dreamer during the rest of the
voyage.
On arrival at Alden, five days later,
before our anchor was down, we were
hailed by boat which had been dis.
patched from the Peninsulsr and ORR
entail Office, and asked if we had any
news of the Carnatic, that ship being Q
day overdue. We had no news to give;
but our dreamer quietly remarked to
me, You may find that there is more
to my dream than you supposed"
A few hours completed our coaling,
and we were off again for Bombay.
On arrival 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 Shandaan Island,
some twelve hours after leaving Suez.
The passengers and crew we're landed
on the island; the steamer subse-
quently slid off the rock, and went
went down in deep water. During the
night a steamers lights were seen by
the shipwrecked crew, and boat was
sent out to intercept her. Our dream
er's friend Morton went in the first
boat; the remainder Of the people were
subsequently taken on board. and the
rescuing steamer proceeded on her
voyage to Suez. Except that another
steamer, not the Neera, rescued the
party, the dreamer told the story as we'll
as it could be told to-day.
1t seems probable that our dreamer's
vision was shown him at the very mo
ment the shipwrecked people were en-
barking upon the steamer which came
to their aid, and that the Neera was no!
ten miles from the scene at the time.
II p,ov ho otatoI IN conC1u aiOn Ia