Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-02-18
OCEAN "REMINISCENCES.
A Remarkable Mirage, and the
Captains Mad Purpose.

A Remarkable Mirage, and the
Captains Mad Purpose.
Let me recall trifing incident of
my shipboard life-an experience small
and brief, indeed, but wildly fresh and
of clearcst and keenest outline in mem
DRY. We were on the Mozambique par
allels, we'll to le eastwards; the wealth
er hot. the Sky copperish, and the sea
of sallowish blue, with thick. slow
flow of swell as though the water was
heavy and sluggish with oil; a weak
breeze of wind blew off the port quar-
ter with sort of sting of heat in it, like
tho bite of the sun himself; and the
ship under ali studding-sails on that
side went rolling forward in 4 kind Of
1oathing way, as though alive to the
trucks with instinct; and I very we'll re-
member the stopping noise OF tho water
as it fell from her bow like fiinging
bucketsful of liquid grease overheard.
1t was about two o'clock in the after
noon, when the thickness over the star
board bow died out along the horizon
there and showed the sea-line clear to
the edge of the ocean, with a twisting
and glancing of yellow fires in it from
the sun, as though lines of molten brass
were slowly sinking in it. 1t was then
that a sail was made out some three
points on the bow or Whereabouts, APP
parently a large ship, showing to her
courses with her mizzcn-topmast gone,
and the spanller-gaff naked, with some
colors flying at it. AS we slowly rose
her she showed like frigate upon tho
water, with her band of broken ports
and her big wing of standing jib; and l
heard the captain tell the mate after
taking long view of her through
telescope that he believed she was such
and such ship, naming well-known
Indiaman of those days. She was in
distress, it was now gathered; for II
seems that she carried brace of signal
halyards at her gaff-end, on one of which
was hoisted the English ensign, jack
down, while on the other fluttered row
of bunting out of Marryat's Code, sig
nifying that there was serious sickness
on board.
1 can see that ship now as l saw her
then; her canvas had the Wilderness of
froth touched by moonshine: she rose
and fell very majestically, her ports
bristling and fading as she leaned to the
heave of the waters. By the aid of the
glass, which furtively employed on the
mate turning his back, could distinctly
make out the white quarter-boats swing
ing at her davits, the CLEANS off the
glass of her large windows, the hurried
shadowing of her sails as they swung in
and out, and the flags lowering in reds
and whites and blues from the peak end.
The helm Of our ship was shifted for
her, and we got her right under our fly
ing iibboom end. There was not
enough yawn in the foot of the foresail
to disclose her from the poop; and it be-
ing now four o'clock and my turn to quit
the deck, l strolled forward on to the
forecastle to watch the very noble pict-
ure on the sealine that was rendered
significant beyond expression by her ap-
pealing colors and by the mutilation of
her abaft. A group of our Jacks stood
against one of the catheads gazing, too.
l had not been looking above three min
utes when one of them exclaimed, in a
hoarse voice:
"What, the blazes! Is that there muck
a-drawing up around her, or is she adds
solving?"
"The Flying Dutchman,' or my eyea
amt mates!' said a second man, in sub
| dued voice of mingled awe and astonish-
ment.
"Watch her a-dying out! Smite me,
If mortal eyes ever see the like of that
| afore.''
NY gaze was upon the ship as the men
spoke; and, sure enough, l observed her
to be slowly melting out, not as though
fog were driving down upon her, but
as rainbow dies, the tints shining and
fading and perisH>ing. In few mo-
ments all was blank sea where she had
| been.
There was an expression of dismay on
| every wart-ridden, whiskered face
| glanced at. The captain, the mate and
| a number of passengers were moving
and hopping like COLLINS over the brass
rail at the break of the poop in search
| Of the amazing phantasm. 1t was, OF
! course, mirage; but it took all hands,
from the skipper down to the cooks
mate, some time to realize it, so mar
velous had been the illusion, so sub
stantial to the vision that rolling and
painted mirroring of her fitted tho line
| Of the sea. With some fancy that the
real object could not be far off, the
captain continued to head in the direc.
ton in which the mirage had shone
| until the darkness came, when the sher
was brought to her course afresh. A
few days before we sailed from Cal
cutta we got news of thia phantom
vessel. She had been some leagues be.