Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1891-10-23
OCEAN "REMINISCENCES.


We were on the Mozambique parallels.
well to the eastward, the weather hot.
the Sky copperish and the sea Of sal
lowlaI blue, with a thick, slow flow Of
swell is though the water was heavy
and sluggish with oil, a weak breeze Of
wind blew off the port quarter with
sort of sting Of heat in it. like the bite Of
the sun himself and the ship under all
studdingsails on that side went rolling
forward in d kind Of lOathing way, as
though alive to the trucks with instinct;
and very we'll remember the stopping
noise Of the water as it fell from her
bow like iinging bucketfuls of liquid
grease overheard
1t was about 2 o'clock in the after
noon when the thickness over the star
board bow died out along the horizon
there and showed the seaIine clear to the
edge Of the ocean, with a twisting and
CHANGING 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 thereabouts apparently a
large ship, showing to her courses with
her mizzentopmast gone and the spanker
gaff naked with some col0rs flying at it.
AS we slowly rose she showed like a
frigate upon the water, with her band Of
broken ports and her big wing OF stand
ing jib, and heard the captain tell the
the mate, after taking a long view Of her
through telescope, that he believed that
she was such and such q ship naming a
we'll known lndiamau Of those days. She
WAS in distress, it WAS now gathered; for
it seems that She carried brace Of sig
nal halliar,ls at her gaff end, on one Of
which was hoisted the English engign
jack down while on the other huttered
row Of bunting ont Of Maryatt's code
sIgnIfyiug that there was serious sickness
on board
see that ship now as saw her then,
her canvas had the whiteuess of froth
touched by moonshiue, she rose and fell
very majesrically, her ports bristling
and fading as she leaned to the heave Of
the waters BY the aid of the glass
which / turtively employed on the mate
turning his back could distinctly
make out the white quarter boat swing
ing at her davits the CLEANS off the
glass or her large windows. the hurried
shadowing Of her sails as they swung in
and out and the sdags lowering in reds
and Thites ,sSa $50. - frolnfhe peak end
The helm q our snip was shifted for her
and we got her right under our flying lib
boom end There was not enough yawn
IN the foot OF the foresail to disclose her
from the poop, and it being now 4
o'clock and my turn TO quit the deck,
strolled forward on to the forecastle to
watch the very noble picture on the sea
line that was rendered significant beyond
expression by her appealing colors and
by the mutlation Of her abaft "A group
Of our Jacks stood against one Of the
catheads, gazing too had not been
looking above three minutes when one
Of them exclaimed in Il hOarse voice:
What, the bazes! Is that there muck
.>a-drawing up around her, or is she ads
solving
The Flying Dutchman, or my eyes
amt mates! said d second man in sub
dued voice Of mingled awe and astouish
ment
Watch her a-dying out! Smite me.
if mortal eyes ever see the like Of that
afore.
! My gaze was upon the ship as the men
spoke, and sure enough observed her to
/ be slowly melting out, not as though
/ fog Were driving down upon her, but as
a rainbow dies, the tints shining ana
fading and perishing In a few mo-
ments all was blank sea where she had
been
There was an expression Of dismay on
/ every wart-riddeu, whisEcred face |
glanced at. The captain, the mate ana
number Of passengers were moving and
moping like COLLINS over the brass rail
at the break of the poop in search Of the
/ amazing phantasm 1t was. of course. a
I mirage: but it took all hands, from the
/ skipper down to the cooks mate, some
/ time to realize it, so marvellous had been
the illusion. SO substantial to the vision
that rolling and stately fabric. so exqui-
sitely had the painted mirroring of her
fitted the line Of the sea. With some
fancy that the real object could not be
far off. the captain continued to head IN
the direction in which the mirage had
shone until the darkness came. when the
ship was brought to her course afresh
few days before we sailed from Cal
cutta we got news Of this phantom yes
sci She had been some leagues below
the horizon on which her likeness was
painted, signaling for assistance to an
other ship seven or eight miles distant
from her Had The quality Of the at
mOsphere remained as it was, by which
mean had the mirage fingered awhile
longer, no doubt we should have brought
the simulacrum of the other vessel into
view Thus it win be seen that ships as
well as men have their ghosts
This recalls to me another incident
belonging, however, to no experience Of
my own 1t was the chief mate Of this
same ship from whose deck we sighted
the mirage who told me the story. He
was third mate Of a very handsome clip
per bark. bound to New Zealand port
The captain Of her was tail, austere
man, with a grizzly beard and an eye Of
the dead blackness Of unpublished jet
instead of speaking of him as the old
man. his sailors called him the monk.
lie was exceedingly reserved said little
or nothing at table or on deck outside
snch instructions as he had to give, yet
spite OF his monastic or collegiate looks.
winch might have qualified him to acorn
pulpit rather than merchantmen
'inarterdeek, he was au excellent sailor
possessed OF thorough knowledge Of
every walk Of his vocation, and man
q considerable refinement of sDecch