A SQUALL IN THE SOUTHERN OCEAN. pointed to be read at sea-and the blessed assurance that our feeble voices are heard, although ascending from a mere speck in the ocean many hundred miles removed from the habitations of our fellow men-all tend to inspire feelings of devotion, to impress us with a conviction of our own insignificance, our utter dependence on the goodness of our Creator-"The eternal Lord God, who alone spreadest out the Heavens, and rulest the raging sea." And the heart of the most thoughtless is filled with gratitude toward Him, without whose aid vain indeed were the feeble efforts of man to contend against the spirit of the tempest. But this is a digression. Divine service had been performed, and we were all lounging about upon the poop; some impatient spirits grumbling at the delay occasioned by the calm, and making absurd bets as to the probable time of our arrival at Madras. Others, with more philosophy, smoking their cheroots in silent enjoyment of the peaceful scene, or watching the sportive gambols of a dolphin, which glided round the ship, sparkling in all the pride of green, and purple, and gold; while the officer of the watch paced slowly up and down, now casting his eyes aloft in hopes that some passing current of air might fill the light duck of the sky sails, and now whistling as though to awake the sleeping breeze. Some having remarked this circumstance, the conversation naturally turned upon the superstitions of seamen, and one of the party, a wild young ensign of the name of Cproposed that we should try the experiment of procuring a breeze by sticking a knife in the mast. "What are you at, there, young gentleman?" cried the chief mate, a venerable old seamen, and a firm believer in all nautical superstitions—as C- -opened a large clasp knife, and drove it, with all his strength, into the mizen mast, leaving it sticking in the wood : "Only conjuring up a breeze, old boy," replied laughing. "I am sure you want one." C "May be, may be," replied the mate, resuming his walk, with rather a dogged air! "but mind that you don't get more wind than you bargain for, young gentleman. I have seen that trick played before now, and no good came of it, I can tell you." At this moment the dressing bugle sounded, and the youngsters rushed to their cabins to prepare for dinner, laughing immoderately at the solemn visage of the mate. I had the middle watch that night, and accordingly retired early to my berth; but, before doing so, I went on deck to see how the weather looked. It was still as calm as ever, but the night was very dark; a swell was getting up, and I could see from the anxious looks of the men who stood clustered in groups, in the waist and at the gangways, that they expected a dirty night of it. I could also gather, from a few words that reached my ears, that my friend C, and his incantation formed the subject of their conversation. 141 At twelve o'clock I was roused from a comfortable nap, by the shrill pipe of the boatswain, and a hoarse voice bawling down the hatchway-"Larboard watch, ahoy! All hands reef topsails!" which, together with the uneasy motion of the ship, proved that a change had taken place in the weather. Next moment the unwelcome apparition of a dripping, shivering middy stood in the doorway, cap in hand. "Very dirty to windward, sir-breeze freshening— sea getting up, heavy rain, every appearance of a squally night, sir," and with this lob's comfort, middy made his bow and exit. Remarkably pleasant, thought I, as I jumped out of my comfortable cot, and huddled on a thick pea-jacket and pair of Flushing trowsers. When I got on deck I found the night darker than ever. There was a thick drizzling rain, the sea had got up in an extraordinary manner, and the ship under double reefed topsails, with topgallant sails over them, was rolling along at the rate of eleven knots, with a fresh breeze on her quarter; the royal yards were on deck, and all appeared to be made snug for the night. Having mustered my watch, I ascended the poop ladder, and found the second mate, who had been relieved from his watch, taking a parting glance, to see that all was right, before leaving the deck. The wind groaned and whistled through the straining cordage, and the rain beat in my face, so as to almost blind me, as I looked out to windward and attempted to pierce the dense gloom which brooded over sea and sky. "What sort of a night are we likely to have?" said I, addressing the second mate, "Yes, sir, saw them all clear myself." "Eh! you did, did you? that's right, smart fellow, Master Peter. Never trust to another. Always see things done yourself, that's ship shape, eh? Well, go below now, and turn in. But stay; go to my cabin first, and get a glass of grog, for you are wet to the skin, you poor little imp, and must want something to warm you." Peter made a grateful duck of acknowledgement for the mate's kind offer, and disappeared down the hatchway. "And now, gentlemen," continued the second mate, "I shall wish you a good night and a pleasant watch. "Your orders," addressing the third mate, who relieved him, "are to carry on as long as you can, to keep a good look out, and to call the captain and first mate, if any particular change should take place in the weather. You need not trouble yourself about me, Good night, gentlemen. unless you want to reef. So saying, and humming a tune, No. 2 dived below. During the first hour of my watch, no change took place in the weather; but about two bells (or one o'clock in the morning) the dark gloomy haze which had hung so long to windward, gradually rose till it had attained a certain height, where it hung like a huge black curtain, a lurid mysterious light extending "Eight bells, if you please, sir." "Very good, Master Peter. What sort of a night is from its lower edge to the horizon, and showing the it ?" foaming crests of the waves, as they rushed along tu "Not very settled, sir, from the appearance of the sky," he replied in an abstracted manner. "Rather squally or so, eh? A small pull of that weather main topsail brace! So! Belay every inch of that! Now that's something ship shape, eh? Mr. Peter," addressing the little dripping middy before mentioned, who, buttoned up in a huge pea-jacket large enough to hold three of him, looked very much like a young polar bear, "just run down to the cabin and see how the barometer stands." "A little down since it was last set, sir," reported Master Peter, returning on deck, and touching his hat. "The devil it is, eh? Smart fellow you Master Peter. Are the ropes all clear, and ready for running?" 142 A SQUALL IN THE SOUTHERN OCEAN. multuously in our wake, roaring and hissing in their vain attempts to overtake the bounding ship; the rain suddenly ceased, and the breeze freshened rapidly, coming in strong fitful puffs. "I don't much like the looks of the night, sir," said the gunner approaching the officer of the watch, and touching his hat respectfully. "Neither do I," replied the mate, "there's a fresh hand at the bellows, and we'll catch it before long, I suspect." "I beg your pardon, sir, for offering an opinion," said the gunner modestly, after a turn or two across the deck; "but that main top-gallant mast is complaining a good deal, sir; shall we settle a little of the top-gallant halyards to ease it?" "Aye," replied the mate, looking aloft and smiling, "it's grinning a little, but it's a good stick, and my orders are to carry on till all's blue; so we'll let it grin a little longer; there are plenty of spare spars on board." sound, gradually increasing to a fearful hissing noise, was heard. "Port!" roared the captain, who at this moment rushed on deck half dressed, and who, bewildered by the darkness and confusion, did not appear to know exactly what he was about. "Starboard your helm! hard a starboard!" shouted the first mate, in a clear manly voice that was heard above every thing. This was no time for etiquette. The man at the wheel hesitated for a single moment, and then obeyed the latter order. It was well for us he did so. The low, hissing sound increased to a terrific roar, and a thick mist drove full in our faces. It was not rain, but salt spray. Before I had time to remark any thing further, the tempest had burst upon the ship in all its fury. The wind had flown round in an instant, from NW to SSE, and struck us with a violence that baffles all description. Had it not been for the quick eye and presence of mind of the first mate, the ship must have been thrown on her beam ends, and would probably have been dismasted. As it was, she careened for an instant, and then, being right before it, flew through the boiling sea with a velocity that was fearful to behold. But the breeze now freshened so rapidly that the dashing mate was obliged to furl his top-gallant sails; and, in another hour, in spite of his intention to "carry on," he began to think seriously of taking another reef in the topsails. He was just about to issue orders to A terrific crash followed by wild shrieks from the afthis effect, when the wind suddenly lulled as if by ter cabins, was now heard. The cross jack yard had magic. The black cloud again descended to the hori- snapped right in the slings, and the unfortunate lady zon, rendering the darkness more intense than ever. passengers, thinking, no doubt, from the tremendous It fell stark a calm, and the ship having no steerage noise over head, that the ship had struck, rushed wildway, reeled and staggered like a drunkard, threaten-ly from their cabins in their night dresses, and were ing at every lurch to roll the masts over the side, and making the wet sails flap and thrash about with a noise like thunder. I found it quite impossible to keep my feet and was obliged to hold on by the mizzen rigging. "This is strange weather," said I, addressing the mate. "You may say that, sir, I have been expecting Mr. C's breeze all night, and we are going to have it now, with a vengeance. Here youngster," addressing a midshipman, "call the captain and first mate, and desire the boatswain to pipe all hands, to reef topsails." The first mate, who like a good seaman always slept in his clothes in such unsettled weather, was on deck in an instant, and his experienced eye at once detected that mischief was brewing. "Shall I reef the main topsails, sir?" asked the officer of the watch. "Yes, sir, yes!” replied the first mate, hurriedly. "Away aloft there, main topsail yard!" The gunner was already in the top, and a few hands besides the topmen. But just as the words left the mouth of the chief mate, a flash of forked lightning, far exceeding in intensity anything I have witnessed before or since, burst from the black cloud over head, lighting up the wild scene with a ghastly blue light, and glaring fearfully on the pale, anxious faces and dripping forms of the crew. Another and another followed in rapid succession, and the thunder bellowed as if the whole firmament were being rent to pieces. "Lie down there in the tops! Off the yards, men! Stop where you are, you on deck!" roared the chief mate, as the men were swarming up the rigging like bees. At this moment, I looked over the gangway. The rain had suddenly ceased, the dark cloud lifted a little, and a line of bright phosporic light appeared to fringe the horizon; at the same moment a low moaning a speedily joined by the gentlemen from below, in a similar state of dishabille. It was a scene which at any other time would have made one laugh, but other thoughts were uppermost at that moment. The work of destruction once begun, went on rapidly, sail after sail was split and torn to ribbons, and in a few minutes the unfortunate ship was flying along under bare poles, dismantled wreck. The noise of splitting canvass, the splintering of wood, the furious clanging of the chain sheets, as they banged and thrashed against the masts, the dismal howling of the wind, the shouts of the men and the screams of the women, formed the most terrific concert I have ever heard; whilst the fire balls that played about the mast heads and the yard arms lighted up the wild scene with a ghastly blue that rendered it perfectly awful. concerned in the midst of the hubbub was the second The only man in the ship who appeared perfectly unmate. He was quite in his element, and bustled about, laughing and joking, as if the whole thing had been got for his special amusement. up "Why," said he, laughing, as he picked up a large splinter of wood which had been hurled from the poop with great violence," one might as well be in action at once; here are splinters and chain shot," alluding to the chain sheets which were hanging about, unpleasantly near our heads, "and all the delights of a naval engagement. And some work for the doctor, too," he continued, as an apparently lifeless form was carried past him between two of the men. But his levity gave way to better feelings, when he discovered the sufferer to be his favorite middy, little Peter. The poor little fellow had been struck by a splinter, and his head was so fearfully mangled, that we supposed him dead. But the kind hearted reader will be glad to know that he eventually recovered. The squall, although so furious during the time it lasted, blew over in less than a quarter of an hour, when it again fell stark calm. But the sea which had hither A MANIAC BRIDEGROOM. to been kept down by the extreme fury of the blast, now got up so suddenly, and in so frightfully agitated a manner, that nothing could be done towards repairing damages; and for the remainder of that night we continued in about as uncomfortable a plight as can be imagined. The whole odium of the affair, of course, fell upon poor C, who from that time forth was looked upon as a perfect Jonah, by the ship's crew in general, and the old quartermaster in particular. SONNET. BY LAWRENCE LABREE. BLEST spirit of the Christian's heaven! Sweet saint! I see thee as when first my heart I taught To yield thee homage; and as morning's beams To earth, thou to my soul wert joy and light; And, like a new-born spirit, I did feel That bliss so exquisite would ne'er take flight, Making a wound that Hope can never heal; And ever, while I live, this heart must mourn That pall-spread hour when thou wert from me torn. A MANIAC BRIDEGROOM. A THRILLINGLY TOLD LOVE STORY OF VENICE. PERFECTLY Overcome by the heat of an Italian evening at Venice, I quitted the bustling gayety of St. Mark's Place for the quiet of a gondola, and directing the man to shape his course for the Island of Lido, (a narrow strip of land dividing the "lagunes," or shallows beyond the city, from the open sea,) I seated myself on the prow of the vessel, with a firm determination to make the most of the flimsy wafts of air that every now and then ruffled the surface of the still, dark waters. Nothing intercepted my view of the distant city, whose mighty buildings glowed beneath the long, red rays of the setting sun, save, occasionally, when a market boat, on its return, floated lazily past us, or the hull of some tall merchantman shut out for an instant the dome of a magnificent church, or the deep red brickwork of the Ducal Palace. Inexpressibly beautiful was the glimmering of the far-off lights in the houses, as, one after another, they seemed to start out of the bosom of the deep; and at that quiet hour the repose-the peculiar repose of Venice-seemed mellowed into perfect harmony with the delicious languor of the atmosphere. The sounds of laughter, or snatches of rude songs that now and then came over the waves, instead of interrupting, invested with fresh charms the luxurious silence of the moment. We touched the narrow strip of land that forms the beach of the little island, and stepping ashore, I enjoyed the only particle of green sward in all Venice. I walked backwards and forwards for some time, thinking of England and English friends (for at such hours the mind wanders to distant scenes and old customs) without interruption, until a slight rustling among the bushes of the island reminded me that I was not the only tenant of the garden of the Lido, and looking through the fast-gathering darkness, I discovered an aged female pacing the smooth walk near, apparently lost in contemplation. 143 My curiosity was rather excited by the presence of an old woman in such an unfrequented place; but the haze of the evening prevented my observing her with any degree of accuracy, and as I feared to disturb her by advancing too near, I could only guess at her features. At last the dwarf trees on the island "began to glitter with the climbing moon," and I saw that she was weeping bitterly. Her thick, gray tresses were braided over a face that had evidently once been beautiful, and there was a dignity and propriety in her demeanor, and a native nobleness of expression in her countenance, which told me that I looked on no common person. She continued her solitary walk for some time, occasionally pausing to look up to the stars that now gemmed the clear glowing firmament, or to pluck a few dead leaves from a little rosebush that grew in an obscure corner of the garden, until a thought seemed suddenly to strike her, and hastening to the shore, she stepped into a small gondola that was in waiting, and rapidly disappeared. On my return to Venice, I mentioned the circumstance to my "cicerone," or guide, a remarkably intelligent fellow and much to my astonishment, he solved the mystery of the lonely lady to me immediately. As her history is one of great devotion and misfortune, it may, perhaps, merit repetition. It appeared, then, from the statement of the "cicerone," that the elderly lady was an English woman, who had once been the "beauty" of the gay circle of Venice. She had there met a student in astronomy; and whether it was his lonely mystic life, the charm of his conversation and person, or his scientific attainments, that won her, I know not, but he gained her affections, and it is still remembered by those acquainted with her at the time, that her attachment to him was so intensely passive in its devotion as to seem almost unearthly; and that very Lido, now the scene of her affliction, was once the favorite spot for their early love greetings. He was a strange, wild creature, that student; his family were natives of a distant land, and he had traveled to Italy to devote himself, body and mind, to his favorite pursuit. From the after testimony of one of his friends, it appeared that, in childhood, he had been attacked with temporary derangement, and his extraordinary application to the mysterious, exciting study of astronomy had increased this infirmity in a most extraordinary and terrible manner. At times, he was haunted by a vision of a woman of digusting ugli. ness, who seemed to pursue and torment him whereever he went. In a few hours delirium, and sometimes raging madness, would ensue from this hallucination; by this terrible creation of his mind, his constitution became more and more decayed by each successive ravage of his disorder. As he advanced, however, to manhood, these violent attacks became less and less frequent; and at the time that he met with the beautiful English lady, though his conscience seemed to tell him he was no companion for a delicate woman, he tried to persuade himself that his constitution had at last mastered his imagination, and that he was as fit for society as his less excitable fellow men. And he thought there was much excuse for him, for he could not withstand the quiet, yet intense affection of the English woman! Who could resist the temptation of listening to her sweet, musical voice, of watching her sad soft blue eyes, or of hearing her fascinating conversation? She was so devoted, so gentle, so en LUDICROUS SITUATION. By degrees her more immediate friends died or were called into other countries, and she was left alone in Venice; and then her solitary pilgrimages to the Lido became more and more frequent. As years grew on, and the finger of time imprinted the first furrows on the fair, delicate cheek, and planted the gray among thusiastic on his favorite subject, so patient of his melancholy, so considerate of his enjoyments, so comforting in his afflictions, he must surely have been without heart or feeling to have been coldly calculating on possibilities at such a time. He schooled himself to think that it was his solitary life that so affected his faculties, and that a companion-and such a companion as his betrothed-would drive out all remains of his disorder, even supposing it to be still existing. In short the eloquent pleading of his heart triumphed over the still, small voice of conscience; the wedding day was fixed, and it was remarked, with surprize, that the nearer it approached the more melancholy did Vol-the rich beauties of her hair, these visits increased. purno become. However, the ceremony was perform- While, from day to day, the powers of her body became ed with great splendor, and the bridal party set out to older, the faculties of her heart grew greener and spend the day on the mainland; where the friends of younger. Years dulled not the pristine delicacy of her the bride were to say farewell before she proceeded feelings, and age seemed in her to nourish instead of with her husband on the wedding tour. They were impairing the silent growth of memory. chatting merrily in the little hotel at Mestri, on the A few months afterward, I again visited the Lido at mainland, when they were horrified by suddenly hear- the same hour, but the English woman did not appear. ing sounds of frantic laughter, followed by wild shrieks I walked toward the rose-bush which I conjectured of agony, and the student rushed into the room; his grew over the grave of Volpurno; its whithered leaves frame convulsed with horror, and a drawn sword in his were untrimed, and the earth around it newly heaped hand, as if pursuing something a few yards before him, up. I asked no more questions; the freshness of the with an expression of mingled fury and despair. Be-mould and the neglect of the rose tree were eloquent fore the guests could interfere, he had jumped from the window, and with the same shrieks of laughter, sped across the country in pursuit of his phantom enemy. * * informers. 144 The corpse was carried to Venice, and interred by the English woman by her former trysting place on the Lido. People wondered at her calmness under such an affliction, for she lived on, but little changed-save that she was paler and thinner-from the quiet creature that had won the fatal affection of Volpurno. LUDICROUS SITUATION FOR A PO LITICAL CONFERENCE. MR. PITT and the Duke of Newcastle frequently differed in opinion; but Pitt always carried his point in spite of the Duke. A curious scene occurred on one of these occasions. It had been proposed to send Admiral Hawke to sea, in pursuit of M. de Conflans. The season was unfavorable and even dangerous for that fleet to sail, being the month of November. Mr. Pitt was at this time confined to his bed with the gout; and was obliged to receive all his visitors in his chamber, in which he could not bear to have a fire. The Duke of Newcastle waited upon him in this situation, to discuss the affair of this fleet, which he was of opinion ought not to sail in such a stormy season. Scarcely had he entered the chamber, shivering with cold, he said: "What! have you no fire ?"—"No!" replied Pitt, "I can never bear a fire when I have the gout." The Duke sat down by the side of the invalid, wrapped in Toward the going down of the sun, Volpurno be- his cloak, and began to enter upon the subject of his came conscious, and though the delirium had left him, visit. There was a second bed in the room; and the the agony of his situation allowed no repose to his Duke being unable to endure the cold, at length said: jarred, disordered nerves. His remorse was terrible to "With your leave I'll warm myself in this other bed," behold; over and over again did he heap curses on his and without taking off his cloak, he actually stepped selfishness in drawing an innocent, trusting woman into Lady Esther Pitt's bed, and resumed the debate. into such a laybrinth of suffering. All her repeated The Duke was entirely against exposing the fleet to assurances of her forgiveness, of her happiness at his hazard in the month of November, and Mr. Pitt was as recovery, of her hopes for the future failed to quiet positively determined that it should be put to sea him; and so, between soothing his anguish and ad-The fleet must absolutely sail," said Mr. Pitt, accomministering his remedies, three days passed, and on the panying his words with the most animated gestures. third a material change took place. The dim eye of "It is impossible," said the Duke, making a thousand the student brightened, and his wan cheek flushed contortions; "it will certainly be lost." Sir Charles with the hue of health. He commanded all to leave Frederick, of the Ordinance department, arriving just the room but his bride, and to her he made full con-at that time, found them both in this laughable posture, fession of his terrible infirmity, of its seizing him with and had the greatest difficulty in preserving his gravitenfold violence at the inn of Mestri, and of the fright ty at seeing two ministers of state deliberating upon an ful forebodings he had felt as their wedding day ap-object so important in such a ludicrous situation. The proached. And then he grew calmer, and the smile fleet, however, did put to sea, and Mr. Pitt was justified again came forth from his lip, and the melody returned by the event; for Admiral Hawke defeated M. de Conto his voice, and at his favorite hour of midnight-inflans, and the victory was more decisive in favor of the a peaceful quietude that had been unknown to him in English than any other that was obtained over France his life-Volpurno died. during the war.-Duten's Memoirs. Assistance was at hand; he was instantly followed; but with supernatural strength he held on his wild course. He was occasionally seen as he paused for an instant to strike furiously in the air, and his cries of anguish were sometimes borne by the wind to the ears of his pursuers; but they never gained on him, and unless he neared a village, and was stopped by the inhabitants, his capture seemed impracticable. At last, as night grew on, he sunk exhausted at a lone hovel, by the wayside and the bride and her party came up with the maniac bridegroom. But the stern fit was past and gone, and he was lifted insensible upon a coarse pallet in the hut. The English woman sat by his side, and bathed his temples, and watched his deep, long slumber, from the rise of the moon to the bright advent of day. And thus passed the bridal night of the heiress and the beauty. |
