The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-03-10
AMONG THE DEAD.
The conversation turned on yellow fever,

81 have had the fever more than ones
that is, if The opinion of n surgeon be worth
anything. You see, gentlemen, il was this
way: | had had the fever in New Orleans
in lS53--bud case, so the doctor said--h1it
recovered, and, after drifting around tn"
world, l brought up in the harbor of Ha-
vana one fine day in June, first mate of Il
trim little bark.
"In those days there was yellow fevci'
hospital there, and in the season merchant
vessels crews We're taken by NJ Jacques al
SO much n head, by contract If taken
sick they were cured or killed-gcncra)ly
he lattcr--without further charge, but If
NJ contract was made why, you paid by
the day; but, if i'll, go to the hospital you
must, by n Spanish ordinance.
"Well, yot. see, our boys commenced to
80 under, first one and then another, until
had hardly any one left, and to end this
part was luggcd off myself to the Beglas.'
They broke the foyer on me, when L began
to get SO hungry I could have eaten a don
key, l think; but it was no use. Soup,
gentlemen, a very little bread, and that
was all. I complained to the house sur
geon. He spoke of relapse, fatal results,
etc, but was not satisfied with that so l
watched my chance and got II piece of cake
one night at ~ o'clock Never did any
thing taste so good. Then 1 went to sleep
"Old Down Below as the sailors called
him, used TO come round every morning at
10 O'Clock, and when he entered my ward
/ was the first one he visited.
You have been eating said he. I de.
MED it, but he didn't believe me and pass q
on with the cheering remark that Il was a
dead man l laughed but soon after be
gan to feel queer. The servant looked very
| impcrtincnt. and became Obvious to all
surroundings in my attempt to correct him.
| II became conscious that evening when
some one lifted UP my eyelid and then said:
Take him out It's no use. 1t flashed
on me in "a second that thcv were to take
me out TO die When 700 or 500 are dying
daily, they can't waste their time with
thcm-at least they think they can't. I
had seen many 90 the same road, and they
never came back. So felt the cool night
| breczp frat and then that sensation that 10
! indcscribablc but insepara blc from n dead
house. was nut down on NV stretcber
and left there to die. and | knew it. Pret
ty soon they brought in another one-hc
was raying-and then another one in the
samo condition. We vcro given nm. and
there was no time TO waste on lis. The
first one. In his delirium. manared TO oct
across my body. and there died. NV brain
never was SO clear as i; was that NIGHT,
and after the other one was dead. which
soon happened, lived ruy life over again.
"The old SONGS | used to sing came back
TO me, and l could sing them, so to speak
internally. Scenes long FORGOTTEN passed
in review. and. after had gone through it
all Thought that il WIS wears that had
lain there, it seemed so long since I left
the tarz-so long since l had heard anv
| -. r
that night, [ could feel nv hand against
nv side as YOU feel with your hand asleep,
as YOU term it. 1 could feel the dead man
across me, as though he were pressing some
one else. and then by and by n SLIGHT rose
ate huc took NV Cyslids, What was il? I
could not omen them Was it the transla-
zion of the soul to the other, the great un.
known, world beyond the dark river?
thought so. l was not afraid. thought,
I am dead
''The hue became more intense-it was
the sun-and with it came the carriers OF
the dead. Men dying with Yellow .Jacl,
must be buried soon and so they bury
, early those who die during the night !
was the first in. | would be the last out
II heard the steps of the negroes as they
became fainter in their retreat, and as
they became louder in their advance l felt
lhe stretchcr lifted up, the oscillating mo-
ton as they bore me along, when, like a
flash of lightning, came the conviction
that | was not dead. / could not move.
| tried in vain to open my eyes. prayed
that they would cast their eyes upon me,
but felt they would not / could not see,
but l knew they were not looking at me.
| have heard the word agony used gentle.
men, but l never appreciated it until that
: moment. / never felt the meaning of il
until then. Was l TO be buried alive? How
long before it would be over? Would they
walk over my head, and could then hear
them? Did the earth transmit sound yer
1865 $1,000 49, W