The Portland daily press., 1883-11-20

Wan, and as was his wont, spent an evening
with me. After he had lighted the long,
slender clay pipe, which he kept in my
room, and settled down for q comfortable
smoke, stated the case to him. The Cap
tain was man of Imagination and extern
sive reading, and he at once saw that the
philosophical question was one of deep in
terest. He carefully went over the dates
with me, and verified them, and added that
the Indian relieved the first Canadian which
was wrecked in the ST. Lawrence, when in
charge of pilot, and this he knew, as he
was in command. This completed the chain
from beginning to end, and we speculated
on the subject. 1t could not be owing to
Jonah among the crew, who had served in
all the boats in succession, for every soul
persisted on the Hungarian. Could the ill
fortune attach to some particular article OF
furniture which had passed from one steam
er to another, and what could it be? Could
there be more than one talisman of ill-luck
concerned? for the Norwegian was wrecked
at st. Paul Island, in June, 1868, shortly
after the Anglo Saxon. Did the Norwegian,
as well as the Anglo Saxon, take something
from the North Briton? She was out at the
same time. 1t is possible she took some
thing from the Canadian, as she followed
closely. AT any rate the North American
relieved the Norwegian, if Irecollect right
ly, and she was wrecked afterwards going
through the straits of Belle Isle. She was
afterwards got off, and therefore probably
did not transmit her i'll luck.
Pains seem to have been taken to avoid, at
least the feeling of superstition among the
crew, as did not learn of anything from
the Bohemian being sent back by the regular
line; but think the Jura must have taken
something, for on her voyage from Quebec,
October %, 1864, she was lost in the Mersey
just going into Liverpool. Cousin Mary's
aunt was on board, at that time, and she
brought me Sauterne wine-glass from it,
as arctic. have it before me, as / write, but
/ should not like to take it to sea with me,
for fear that it might carry the ill-luck with
it, which otherwise seemed to die out by the
Jura being lost in her own dooryard.
l am not sure that after twenty years
remember all these dates exactly, but do
know that when / went over the matter with
Captain Ballantine, in 1864, we were able
to verify them all, and do know that six
months before the Bohemian was wrecked
her crew had figured the thing out to their
own satisfaction, and predicted that the Bo-
hemian would follow next, and I know that
the prediction was fully verified.
should have written of this years ago.
but while the misfortunes were fresh upon
the noble firm which owned the steamships,
it would have CALLED the wound, though
touched gently by the kindest hand; but
now that score of years have passed, and
the company, with splendid pluck and per-
severance, have not only borne up load of
misfortune ''enow to press royal mer-
chant down." but "out of this nettle, dan
ger, have plucked the flower, safetyp' now
that to their reputation for the highest eff
cheney and unvarying and unfailing courtesy
they add that of many years of good fortune
and successful passages, feel that the rela-
ton of this curious and interesting incident
can only help them should it attract the pub
lie attention.