The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1890-11-01
BURIED IN THE OCEAN.

Francisco for wheat. We arrived here
safely, loaded with wheat, and soon
were outside the Golden Gate, heading
for home. Everything went smoothly,
and nothing occurred to forewarn me
of the terrible adventure the future had
in store for me.
We were to the southwark of Valpa-
raiso when l fell i'll. 1t was a kind OF
faintness that would suddenly and with
out warning come upon me, SO that I
often fell on the deck and lay there un-
til some one could come to my assis-
tance. This continued without my
getting much worse until we got down
eff the Magellan Straigts, in the lati-
tude of Cape Pillar or Whereabouts.
One day, gloomy, forbidding day,
such as the mariner often meets with
down there, l had the afternoon watch,
and was experimenting one of my men
who was fixing a ratline IN the weather
mizzen topmast rigging. The fellow
was very clumsy, TO say the least of it.
1 got annoyed watching his awkward.
ness more annoyed, in fact, than was
warranted, | think, now that l look
back. But was growing more and
more irritable every day, which was
probably owing to my fainting spells.
Suddenly became so excited that |
jumped into tie mlzzen rigging, and
was into the top in tiice. l was
about TO pull the fellow away from his
job when fit came on. A sudden
mist clouded my eyes. My senses left
me l reeled and fell from the top to
the deck. In my descent l struck once
or twice, which caused me to turn over,
with the resul; that fell on my head.
When | recovered consciousness l
was lying in a bunk IN the hospital.
Still there was thick mist before my
eyes. | could indeed see everything
SO as to recognize where l was, but
somehow my eyes refused to move
about, and l could only stare straight
up at the deck. | tired to turn in my
bunk, but | could not. To raise my
arm, but | could not. To sit up, but
my muscles failed ne. AT last the
truth struggled into my darkened mind.
l perceived at last that | was in a per
feet cataleptic trance. The strange
part of it was that my mind was almost
as active as ever. | knew all that was
going on about me, and | felt an over
waelming terror at my possible fate.
1t was soon made known to me.
The captain entered my room. l
could hear indistlLctly, as if it were afar
of his footsteps on the deck. Then
the steward also came in. l heard
them consulting together, and both
came TO the conclusio that was dead,
that my neck was broken by the fall.
"rell Sails to come in and take his
measure. We must bury him tomorrow
while lhe fine weather lasts" l heard
the captain say, and presently the sail
maker came in and measured me for
the last hammock | should ever sleep
IN. | could not feel him, but l knew
by his motions what he was doing, l
will not describe how they laid me out
on the cabin table and left me there,
while Sails, close by, made my shroud.
Stitch, stitch, went his needle, seeming
to enter my brain every time instead of
the thick canvas. l can distinctly re-.
member that while l lay there the
steward tried 10 close my eyelids, but
thank God, they flew up every time
and left me the Ioor consolation OF
seeing the preparations for my doom.
At last all was finished. The canvas
was spread on the deck and was laid
in it. Then the saimaker begain to
stitch me up. He had stitched up all
but my face when l heard him say he
had lost his knife A rigid search was
made everywhere, but 1t could not be
found, so Sails returned to work, and
all that time was thinking In my dull
way what fools they were for not look
ing into my shroud for the lost knife.
As | afterward learned, it was next day
at noon that l was carried on deck and
laid on plank preparatory to being
shot overheard. The men one by one
took look at my face, and then it
was covered up forever. The burial
services was read by the captain, there
was little delay, and then the plank
was tilted, and l shot into the bitter
cold water off the Diego Ramirez. 1t
must have been the shock that brought
me to my senses, for as l sank down,
dragged lower and lower by the shot at
my feet, ! felt my feeling and action
return.
AT the same moment my right hand,
released from its dread inertia, grasped
what | instantly knew to be a knife.
Mechanically l forced the blade and
ripped my canvas shroud so that the
shot fell, and l began to rise to the
surface. In few seconds, | suppose,
although it seemed years, opened my
eyes-for 1t is curious fact that while
| lay in a state OF coma they remained
open, yet when my feelings returned
with the shock | closed them at once
and saw once more the light OF day,
which | had never expected to see
again. 1 was an excellent swimmer,
and had soon regained my breath, and
cast from me the canvas which impe-
ded my movements. Then | looked
around over the waters, and saw that
my miraculous escape had been all for
nothing. The ship, looking like great
swan, was several miles away, getting
smaller even as looked.
There arose from nv lin, a trenZie1