Year: 1871

In the year 1858 l was first mate of the
"H." three-dccked ship Of about fifteen
hundred tons burden, lying in Mobile Bay
waiting for cargo of cotton. Our sailors
twenty-four in number, were all colered
men, pretty fair seamen, generally, but,
with four or five exceptions, wofully igno-
rant and correspondingly superstitious.
We had been in the bay three or four
months, so the spars and rigging had been
thoroughly overhauled and put to rights.
was sitting in the cabin one evening
planning out work for the ensuing day,
when my second mate, rough old sea-
man of the packet school, requested an
audience.


We'll, Mr. X, what is the matter now P'


The matter is, sir, that those dark eyes
forward there are getting so scared that
unless we do something to or for them
they won't be worth shucks; some of them
ain't good for much now and there's nc
use of having the rest of them spoiled


But what are they frightened at
have never heard anything of it before
now"


"No; they were afraid to say anything
to you about it; but for the last month
they have yarn about headless ghost
going around the deck at night, groaning
at an awful rate. Some of 'em say it is a
darkey without a head, and others say it
is white chap with black face but
whatever it is, there they are, afraid to
come on deck after dark or stand anchor
watch alone"


This is strange piece of business. If
there is ghost aboard should think it
would first pay its respects TO the quarter
deck. Do you think any Of the rascals are
playing tricks ?n


mo, sir, the knowingest ones are the
most scared. There's Bob and Jackson
ought to know better, but they both swear
they saw it in the middlewatch last night
Just told the third mate So"


'Well, suppose we 60 and inquire into
it,


We went forward together, and came
down SO suddenly upon the sailors that
they evidently thought two ghosts had ar
rived instead of one. After the alarm and
confusion had subsidized. l told them what
had already heard, and asked for further
information, which was readily furnished
by dozen eager volunteers, who now
that their tongues were loosed by authOri-
ty, seemed anxious to out-rival each other
in their tale of horrors. 1t is needless o
repeat their stories but about half of them
had seen the ghost in one of its forms, and
all of them had repeatedly heard the
groans. Bob and Jackson, my two best
men, who were acting as boatswains, pos
lively declared that they had seen it in
the torecastle on the previous night, stand
ing up against the bitt, where | was then
leaning. This bitt, q timber about a foot
square, coming down through from the
upper to the main deck, near the middle
OF the forecastle, was painted black up to
within a foot of the deck. and the re-
mainder of it lead color On either side
of it, in the spar deck, was bull's-eye to
admit light, and there were several nails
on which were hanging various articles OF
clothing


You saw the ghost standing right here,
did you?"


"Yes, sir! right where you are now,
sir ?"


WAS the moon shining last night ?"


''Yes, sir quite bright in the middle
watch


'Did you speak to or try to catch the
ghost ?"


mo, sir wouldn't do such a thing for
the world


eff you had, you would have found out
that the ghost was nothing more nor less
than this bit, with the moon shining
through the bulls-eyes on the clothing you
see hanging there now, ] never knew of
ghost that didn't dwindle into u moon
beam or piece of linen"


There was a general look of incredibly
upon the faces Of the crew, and one of
them mustered up the courage TO ask:


''But how about the groans and noises,
sir? ?"


90 some of you snore loud, and all the
rest is Imagination


Finding that arguments or persusions
were of no use in altering the opinions OF
my crew. l left them, after giving the fol-
lowing admonition:


''Now, men in the first place there are
no such things as ghosts; and secondly, |
wish you to understand that there is no
ghost aboard this ship; and if you can't
be made to understand it in any other way,
Iii give you the fun of hunting all night
for it. You know what mean. Good
night -


Having given the second mate his orders
for the following day, sat down to think
the matter over, and task myself few
questions, as the sailors say. One thing
that had puzzled me was now accounted
for. Several ofthe men had come to me for
permission to be transferred to other ships
that were ready for sea, but this had at
tributed to the characteristic restlessness
of the class. My ship was considered a
good one for sailors; they were well fed
and kindly used so long as they behaved
themselves; had plenty of work to do, so
that there was nos time for growing or
fomenting discord


II was the ghost that made Them anxiOuS
to leave the ship. There was no fear of
them running away ashore, because, in
those days if colored man could not show
his free papers in the South, he was pre-
sumably slave, and held as such but
there were many ships in the bay that
were short handed, and it was no uncom-
mon thing for men to be spirited away
from one ship to another, when the latter