Year: 1869

I, WATTS BROWN, follow very haz-
ardOus calling, or, at all events, call
ing in which, if you choose to face dangers
for the sake of higher remuneration, peril
Gus adventures are common enough. am
not too presumptuOus when say am as
brave as most men, naturally, and my
sense of fear has been further blunted by
a constant companionship with danger
The adventure am about to narratc was
horrible enough to me when Twas a prin-
ciple actor in it, and to this day an in
voluntary shudder of horror accompanies
the recollection of it.


Some years ago large vessel laden with
a mixed cargo was bound to New York
from South America. Striking sunken
reef off the dangerous shore of Florida,
she was wrecked, and very few of the
passengers or seamen escaped. The owner,
who was also captain, was drowned. His
heirs lived in New York. 1t appears the
vessel had settled down in the ocean, hav-
ing escaped the attack of any storm, so as
might be supposed her cargo would be
pretty we'll recoverable but it was USE
less and foolish attempt to try to get any
thing from her in lonely sea, and on a
dangerous coast. However, one of those
men whom nature has formed for the out
Ot-the-way modes of getting money in this
world, having obtained the consent of the
heirs in New York, fitted out large yacht,
and promising money only on condition
of success, l was prompted to hazard the
spec-it agreed with my adventurous dis
position, and l signed articles. and shipped
myself. After deal of trouble we picked
up another diver, coarse, brutal, drunken
rascal, whose conduct, as hereafter seen,
will sufficiently justify these remarks
From the beginning had a kind of antipa-
thy against the fellow, and shrank from
his society as from some loathsome reptile.
His profile was that of a baboOn; his eyes,
peering from under his heavy brOws,
twinklcd with satanic wickedness, and
seemed to be looking all ways at once !;
and when he laughed, his satanic majesty
himself might have envied his ugly grin.
My employer Stunned him, and would
gladly have parted with him, but no other
could be got to engage in such foolhardy
scheme.


Having got the diving bell and other
apparatus on board, we at last set sail on
this novel pursuit of lucre The voyage
was fine, and having nothing to do, | en-
joyed it very much, and was even soften
ing towards my fellow diver when we
reached that part of the coast of Florida
where the sunken wreck lay, and where
our fortunes were buried beneath the
waves


We were considerable time in discov-
ering the wreck, but we found it at last far
down in the depths of the still blue sea,
where troops of sharks were pursuing
each other about and through it for
want of better prey. No pleasant sight, |
can assure you My fellow diver gave
them fearful curse, and took an extra
long pull at his brandy flask AS for my
self the affair seemed more dangerous than
ever. The vessel would have to be moored
above bed of reefs, and if storm were
to arise, i'll fate would catch us, for there
is little mercy to be expected for a ship
from the cruel and jagged coral However,
| plucked up the very best heart, saying
to myself, My dear fellow, the more dam
ger the more money" Jim Crow-that
was the divers name-gave utterance to a
nOwise pleasant oath about having been
swindled, muttering at the end, "but I'll
pay them off deuced sharp, or I'm not"
concluding his sentence very suspiciously,
which did not tend to increase my conf
dence respecting his intentions.


We pulled back to the ship, after placing
buoy to mark the spot. The two next
days Jim Grow and l were busy In pre-
pairing our things for the attack on the
sunken wreck. The tide of my thoughts
was checked by my work, but / still no.
ticed that Crow was in an evil mood
After about four days were spent, the ship
was anchored. The bell was swung for the
plunge, and Crow and l went below and
dressed. My suspicious seemed now
on the increase, and my readers may
think that 1 was very fearful, but l
provided myself with long and sharp
knife, which l stuck unobserved down my
long leathern boot. Crow stuck one in
his belt, saying with rather diabolical
laugh, L think it is better being prepared
for water sharks" and | almost think he
added "land sharks" This opened my
eyes little, and some rather curious spec
ulations fitted through my brain. He was
a man to be feared, being hugely big and
strong, and wicked withai.


With many such reflections | took my
place in the bell, and amidst the hurrahs
of the crew and the excitement OF the
master we dipped into the sea. Common
life had passed away, and, to a novice, a
new world opens to his eyes beneath the
wave, and even to me the scene was
fresh. The coral reefs, like grand archi-
tectural structures, covered with weeds
and shells of the deep, of every possible
variety of color; the fish, large and
small, darting about the water, and flying
at the approach of the bell as before the
sweep of the sharks, and even they
grinned with their long jaws, and fly
upon our approach. Down, down, down,
till the light was dim, and then we struck
the wreck. Armed with crOwbars, sharp
at one end to repulse the sharks and other
monsters of the deep, we planted our feet
on the bell Instantly we separated /;
Crow burst open the cabin door, and alter
while joined him. By this time he
was in the cabin, searching about. L
watched him as well as l could all the
while. Thus we spent our first journey,
and after lading our bell, gave the signal,
and were hauled up on deck. The sailors
crowded round us, gloating over the vari-
Gus things we had brought up; they also
hauled on deck several things to which we
had attached ropes. Thus our first day
passed All were exulting, and the sailors
cracked over the galley fire the possible
price of money to each, and the master
dreamt of princely independence.


Several days thus passed over; we had
broken into the cargo, and what we con-
sidered of value, and the sea had not dam
aged, was hauled on deck, and the schooner
became pretty well laden. think it was
about the last day of working, as we were
down in the bell, that Crow again wended
his way towards the cabin. BY this time
my suspicious regarding his evil intentions
were quieted, yet there still fingered about
him traces of obstinate sulkiness, so that
took very little notice of his operations.
l busted myself about different things in
the hold of the vessel.


/ think about half an hour must have
passed by when | returned to the bell, and