Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-03-27


 touched, and felt in his pockets; but neither on him nor on the other did find what wanted, though was not little astonished to discover in the pockets of the occupants of so small and humble ship as this schooner a fine gold watch, as rich as the one I had brought away from the man on the rocks, and more elegant in shape. a gold snufbox set ~ltn olsAlonos, several rings or beauty and value lying looSe in the brooches pocket of the man whose face was hidden, a handful of Spanish pieces in gold, handkerchiefs of fine silk, and other articles, as if indeed these fellows had been overhauling parcel of booty, and then carelessly returned the contents to their pockets
 But what needed was the means of ob- taining light; sos after casting about, thought I would search the body on deck, and went to it, and to my great satisfaction discovered what wanted in the first pocket dipped my hand into, though had to rip open the mouth of it away from the snow with the hanger.
 I returned to the cabin and lighted the candle, and carried the lantern into the black passage or corridor. There were four small doors, belonging to as many berths I opened the first, and entered compartment that smelled so intolerably stale and fusty that had to come into the passage again and fetch few breaths to humor my nose to the odor. As in the cabin, however, so here found this noxiousness of air was not caused by putrefaction or any tainting quail ties of vegetable or animal kind, but hy the deadness of the pent up air itself, as the foulness of bilge water is owing to its being imprisoned from air in the bottom of the hold.
 held up the lantern and looked about me. A glance or two satisfied me that was in a room that had been appropriated by the steward and his mates. A number of dark objects, which on inspection found to be hams, were slowed snugly away in battens under the ceiling upper deck; cask half full of four stood in corner; near it lay a large coarse sack in which was quantity of biscuit, piece of which bit and found it as hard as flint and tasteless, but not in the least degree moldy. There were four shelves running athwartships full of glass, knives and forks, dishes and so forth, some of the glass very choice and elegant, and many of the dishes and plates also very fine, fit for the greatest noblenan's table. Under the lower shelf, on the deck, lay a sack of what believed to be black stones until, after turn ing one or two of them about, it came upon me that they were or had been, should say, potatoes.
 Not to tease you with too many particulars under this head, let me briefly say that in this larder, or stewards room, found among other things several cheeses, a quantity of candles, great earthenware pot full of peas, several pounds of tobacco, about thirty lemons, along with two small casks and three or four jars, manifestly of spirits, but of what kind could not tell took stout sharp knife from one of the shelves, and pulling down one of tho hams tried to cut it. but might as well have striven to slice piece of marble. I attempted next to cut cheese, but this was frozen as hard as the ham. Tho lemons, candles and tobacco had the same astonishing quality of stoniness, and nothing yielded to the touch but the four. l laid hold of one of the jars, and thought to pull the stopper out, but it was frozen hard in the hole it fitted, and was five minutes hamnering it loose. When it was out inserted asteel-used for the sharp ening of knives-and found tAc contents solid ice; nor was there the faintest smell to tell me what the spirit or wine was.
 Never before did plenty offer itself in so | mocking shape. It was the very irony of abundance substantial ghostliness and a Barmecide's feast to my aching stomach. But there was biscuit, not unconquerable | by teeth used to the fare of sea life, and | picking up whole one sat me down on the edge of cask and fell a-munching. One re- fection, however, comforted me-namely, that this petrifaction by freezing had kept | tha victuals sweet. was sure there was | little that might not be thawed into relish l able and nourishing food and drink by a good fire. Thesight of these stores took such 1 a weight off my mind that no felon reprieved l from death could feel more elated than l. My forebodings had. come to naught in this | regard, and here for the moment my grate- | full spirits were content to stop.