Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1886-02-06
A Secret of the Sea-"

The following story was told me
short time ago by a friend, who had it
only 1T second hand from an eye wit
ness of tile whole affair. My friend
began thus:
The strange thing l am going to
tell you is true; | know it because
have it from friend, or, rather re-
lation, of one Of the officers on board
the ship.
"Some years ago, before the exist
ence of the Suez Camel, large East
Indiaman was making her way easily,
with light Summer winds, along
through the Indian Ocean to Calcutta.
The Cape had been passed several days
before, and now, with charming
weather, officers and passengers, to say
nothing Of the crew, were looking for
ward to the end of what had been
pleasant, though quite uneventful,
voyage
They had had nothing more serious
than a 'half-gale o wind, had met only
three or four ships, hOmeward bound;
and IN spite Of score OF more agreea-
bic passengers, in spite of the last SEN
sation novels, of musical entertain
ments, of tirtations by moonlight on
deck, and even IN spite of unlimited
gossip, the dayg had grown very mo-
notonOuS, and the weeks unaccountablv
long; even lighthearted middies had
hegun TO Chafe and fret over the long
confinement on shipboard, and the
young ladies to sigh for an excitement
81 take it for granted that you know
that the service of the East India
Eompany'S ships was like the Naval in
its organization; there were captain,
heutenants, midshipmen and petty Of
1cers; the ships were mounted with
heavy guns. and were we'll armed, and
manned with men trained for lighting.
The voyage was long. and in time Of
war the lndiamen were regarded as
very desirable booty. The ships were
large, strongly built and very commo-
dious, and often luxuriously fitted up.
The day had been hot, and the light
wind had died almost entirely away;
the great ship rose and fell on the
waves and~Lcr sails hung loosely from
the tall masts that slowly swayed back
and forth with monotonous, cracking
sound one knows so we'll who has been
much at sea. It was sundown,' and
the short twilight of the tropics was
fast deepening into night: vervbody
had come upon deck to enjoy such
whifls Of air as might be stirring the
passengers and officers on the quarter.
deck, while the crew were hanging
over the side or lazily lounging on the
neat coils of rope about the deck.
suddenly a faint. Iery faint sount
SO faint, one knew not what 1t wa
whence il came--or scarcely II ther'
had been a sound at all. People asked
each other about it, some had heard i
and others had not; and after SOM
discussion il was decided there reall.
was nothing at all. And Just as the,
reached that conclusion the soun'
came again. and little clearer, NOR
positive than before, So that every on
=
heard something. 1t was the moan o
the breeze through the rigging NC
it was the bell for'ard : II was NIT
most ordinary sounds in the worlo
and quite matter Of course that l
should have been heard; and then
again it came--as if it dropped iron
the air. and were the sob of some sad
hearted spirit floating by: And the
the thing was talked over an
! over. and everybody had theory. an
nobody was satisfied with any of then
meantime it grew darker, and tn
great stars of the Southern Worl
started out. making the night lum
nous with their wonderful glory
silence fell upon the busy tongues. an