The Penn's Grove record., 1885-01-31
THE LONELY SHIP.

More than a century ago an incident
occurred which took, finally, the form
of narrative, and travelled from II gen.
Grafton to another, bearing a perplexing
name.
One morning in the autumn of 1860 a
square-rjgged vessel under full sail
appeared ins the harbor Of Newport.
This created only the ordinary interest
due to the arrival of home-bound craft,
for the Sea Bird, commanded by Capt.
Huxham, was due at this time from
Bristol, and no one felt any surprise at
seeing her steer toward her port. The
captains friends assembled on shore to
give him greeting. As they waited
and gaZed, they perceived that the ship,
instead Of altering her course for Mar
Tagansett bay, was running directly to-
ward the beach. What could it mean?
Voices rang out a warning of the dan
ger. Nobody replied. Nobody heard
them. As the people looked they were
filled with establishment. Not a man
was to be seen on deck. On, on, came
the vessel, as if steered by d ghostly
hand, and struck the shore half a dozen
yards from the spot where the group
was standing.
Boats were instantly put out to search
into the cause of this singular proceed
Ing. Not d human being was found on
board the ship. Only a little dog of all
the living creatures who had embarked
at Bristol, remained in the vessel.
A fire was still burning in the ca
boose, and there were signs that some
preparation had been made for break
fast.
The captains journal was in order,
but the log-book was missing. The
boats too, were gone. A dressing gown
lay at the foot Of the stairs, as if hastily
thrown off. No traces Of violence or
conflict we're visible. Great was the
mysteryl Many the coAjectures as to its
cause. Some supposed that captain aud
crew had been the victims of pirates.
But then how account for the orderly
condition of the ship? Had the sailors,
terrified by a squall, taken to the boats2
Had there been any panic, and of what
nature? 1t was easy to ask questions
impossible to answer them. No soIu-
ton of the enigma could be found.
People shook their heads when it was
mentioned Some believed that invisible
hands had transported the crew to
another sphere and had guided the YES
sci to its haven.
Here was an instance, which showed
that we were surrounded and possessed
by spirits. Only sceptics could iout
testimony like this. Thus, for sixty
years the story lived and the fate of
Capt. Huxham and his company re-
manned an unsolyed problem.
Early in the year 1900 the ship Sedan
of New York, commanded by Captain
Henry Robson, ran OF to Falsterbo
shoals in the Baltic sea, and being con-
siderably damaged was taken to the
Swedish port Ysted for repairs During
his stay Captain Robson heard rumors
of an old man, supposed to be an
American, who led an eccentric life in
the little town. The captain paid a
visit to his c~ouHtryman, whom he fonnd
venerable of aspect and walking in the
shadows cast by the passage of eighty
years. Whether the fact that they were
compatriots Embossed his lips, or that a
guilty conscience felt weary of its bur
den, who can say2 Speech seemed to
him relief, and he related to Capson the
secret of his life.
My name is Thomas HanWay. At
the age of 10 l shipped with Captain
Huxham on board the Sea Bird.
My luck was bad. Tie captain seemed
a stern man from the first. The mate
l took a fancy to. He wasa cookbook
ing fellow, black-haired, blaek-eyed,
rosy checked, with white teeth which
he showed a good deal when he spoke
or laughed. He had a dashing manner,
too, that / liked,
But after we got TO sea he changed
his ways. He grew sharper than the
captaln-sharp as "a carving knife. |
wondered how | could have ever
thought him handsome. There was
something in his speech that rouse1 the
evil spirit in me. He would turn round
on a poor fellow and give him a stab
with two civil words. | never could
tell how he did it. When | repeated the
words owe to myself l couldn't see
what there was in 'em to make me feel
pTlcked. But | knew, too. Twas the
the hooking look IN his face when he
spoke. Twas the crafty smile that
parted away from his white teeth;
a smile that didn't mean good
will to anybody. We had passengers
on board and they all liked Mr.. Run
dell. He could be very pleasant TO
them. He could tell stories and sing
songs, and he had ways like a gentle
man when he chose to put them on.
We had two children ON board. He
amused them, vas polite to their
mother and had long talks with their
father, who was a sea captain going out
to bring home a vessel of which he was
part owner. / heard hun say that MI.
Rundell vas a capital officer. Perhaps
he was-but how he did swear at US
poor fellows. If the boys mother had
known It don't think she would have
them listen 10 Mr.. Rundell's stories for
fear they might hear words not good
tor them to know. But after all We