The Hawaiian gazette., 1884-09-10

three quarters of an hour, and if the whole
could have been taken down at the time, they
would have made a considerable pamphlet,
which would no doubt have been in great de-
mand. DR.. Birchmore, now at Boston, heard
all the addresses, only the last
"When he had finished with the Commodore
his head dropped upon lis breast, his eyes
closed, and he appeared to have passed through
second death. No pulsation nor the least
degree of warmth could be perceived during
the time that he was speaking. l ordered
him to be laid aside and left him.
81 retired to bed, deeply rejecting upon the
past, unable TO sleep, when about o'clock p.
m. many hours after Kemble had been laid
by, was called out of bed to visit man taken
suddenly i'll in his hammock, hanging near
Kemble's apartment. 1t was an hour when
all but the watch on deck had turned in; gen.
eral silence reigned, and all the lights below
put out, with the exception of a single lamp
in the sick apartment, where lay the remains
of Kenble. l had bled the sick mamie was
relieved. | entered the sick roem before re-
tired, TO replace something, and was turning
round TO leave it, being alone, when suddenly
was almost petriied upon beholding Kemble
sitting up in his berth, with his eyes (Which
had regained their former brilliancy and intel
ligence) fixed intently upon mine. became
for moment, speeches. and motionless.
Thinks / to myself, what have done, or left
undone in this mans case, that should cause
him thus to stare at me, at this late hour and
alone? | waited long time in painful sus-
pense, dreading some horrid disclosure, when
was relieved by his commanding me to fetch
him some water. With what alacrity obeyed
can easily be imagined. l gave him a tin mug
containing water, which he put to his mouth,
drank off tue contents, and returned it to me;
then laid himself quietly down for the last
time. His situation was precisely the same in
every respect as before described The time
was now expired which, lie had said, was
given him to remain in the body. The next
day by noon, all hands attended as usual to
hear the funeral service read, aud see his re-
mains consigned to watery grave. 1t was
an unusually solemn period. Seamen are nat
urally superstitious, and on this occasion their
minds had been wrought upon in a singular
manner. DeCorum is always observed by sailors
at such times; but now they were all affected
to tears, and when the body was slid from the
plank into the sea, everyone rushed instinct
lively to the ships side to take a last look
The usual weights had been attached to the
feet, yet, as if in compliment to their anxiety
to see more of him, the body rose perpendicu-
larly from the water breast-high two or three
times. This incident added greatly to the as
constituent already created in the minds of the
men. / beg leave to remark that it was not
thought proper to keep the body longer in the
warm latitude we were in.
81 have now given short and very imper-
feet sketch of the important events attending
the last illness and death of William Kemble.
1t is submitted to the ladies in this state, beg
ging they will excuse haste and inaccuracy.
The change produced upon the crew was for
time very remarkable. 1t appeared as if they
would never smile or swear again. The effect
wore off by degrees, except when the subject
was renewed" W. TURK,