186 SHIP SAILING THROUGH THE AIR. the moon; they prognosticate from her appearance the kind of weather to ensue. If her horns appear sharp, fine weather is considered likely to follow; it is a bad omen when the new moon lies on her back, that is, when her horns are pointed toward the zenith. It often occurs that the dark side of the moon is seen, or, in other words, that part of the moon which is covered with shadow is visible through it. This they call the new moon carrying the old moon in her arms, and is considered a bad sign; a hazy circle round the moon foretells rain, the distance of the circle from the luminary indicating the near or distant period of its occurring. Friday has, hitherto, been considered an unfortunate day for commencing a voyage-Sunday the reverse. This superstition probably arose from the circumstance of the crucifixion of the Redeemer on the first-mentioned day, and his resurrection on the last. It was the custom of the early mariners to obtain the good wishes of the church previous to going to sea, to protect them from its perils; and it is conjectured the priesthood, in order to enforce a strict observance of their religious rites, were the instigators of this superstition. The grand leveler, steam, however, is fast depriving the one of its supposed evil influence, and the other of its fancied good. All good fortune is supposed to leave the ship while she carries a corpse on board. To lose a mop, or drop a water-bucket into the sea while drawing water-to drown a cat or to kill one, are deemed evil omens; and as a wind-up to these absurd notions, it is believed by most British mariners that all persons born at sea belong to Stepney parish, in London. Some sailors believe that a kingfisher suspended freely in the air, by means of a piece of thread passed through its beak, will show from which quarter the wind blows, by an occult and secret law of its own turning its breast in the true direction, thereby introducing natural weathercocks. Hanging a rope over a ship's side is a superstitious idea which many seamen possess; the belief is that their friends, sweet-hearts, or wives, as the case may be, secretly take hold of it, and help to pull the ship home again. Events frequently happen at sea, strongly tending to feed and cherish a superstitious feeling; and men who too frequently judge of things from appearances, without inquiring into the cause, are apt to ascribe to supernatural agency what might be readily explained by scientific observation. The following is an example: On a calm and sunny day a ship was sailing over the sea, hundreds of miles away from any land, and no other sail in sight, when suddenly the attention of her crew was arrested by the loud and distinct ringing of a bell. Clang, clang, clang it went, to the amazement of all. They ascended the rigging, but nothing could be seen but the gently-heaving sea and the fair blue sky. From whence could this sound proceed? No bell, by the ordinary mode of conveying sound, could be heard from the distance they could see; still the inexplicable sounds continued-clang, clang, clang-and terror was depicted in the countenances of the crew; it seemed to them as though they heard the ship's knell, and many a hardy tar grew pale. A scientific individual calmed their fears, for he accounted for the strange bell at once-upon the well known principle of the acoustic tube-in this way: as the sound of a gun discharged from a high mountain echoes from cliff to cliff, so, in the present instance, the clouds reflected the Soon after, on the sound of a bell of a distant ship to the spot in which they were placed. following day, they met a ship, and on inquiring they found it was her bell they had heard her crew had been violently sounding it for their amusement. But for this explanation, and its happy confirmation, every seaman on board would have believed that the sounds of the bell were caused by supernatural agency. Ships apparently navigated among the clouds are sometimes seen at sea, owing to certain peculiar states of the atmosphere, and under these circumstances it requires no ordinary effort to calm the superstitious apprehensions of ignorant men. A few years ago a ship left an English port on a distant voyage-she was expected to be absent about a year. After that period of time had elapsed, and some few months over, her owners began to be uneasy about her fate; still she came not. Month after month rolled away, until all hope of seeing her return had been banished from the mind of the most sanguine. In the course of the summer a violent storm of thunder and lightning arose, which on clearing away left the sky serene, when a ship bearing a great resemblance to the missing vessel appeared in the air, standing under all her canvas, and bearing for the harbor-she kept in sight twenty minutes. The phantom ship was borne along until she appeared within half a mile of the spectators; she then gradually disappeared, became fainter and fainter, until she wholly vanished into air. The vision was of course believed to be the spectre of the lost ship, and came to warn the towns-people of her fate. In thirty hours after the real missing ship sailed into the harbor. Science explains this mysterious appearance in the following manner : When the spectre of the missing ship was first seen, the real ship herself was a great distance off at sea, but her image was reflected on the clouds within the vision of the spectators in the town, by certain laws of optics well understood, before her outlines could be discerned on the horizon. A slight shifting of the sun's rays, or a different density of the atmosphere, caused her sudden disappearance. A familiar illustration of the above singular appearance may be seen by trying the following experiment: Look at any object through alcohol lying on water, and the object will appear reversed; so a ship, or other object, seen through two strata of air of different densities will appear the same. In the Isle of France there are persons who predict the approach of vessels long before they are visible to the ordinary eye; this is, no doubt, owing to their being reflected in the atmosphere or on the clouds, and caused by the high electric state of the air in that part of the world. Sailors call the lightning seen in those parts "Madagascar lightning," the most incessant and vivid known. Whenever we are at a loss to assign to an object presented to our notice for the first time its proper class, or to trace a cause to its effect, we exercise the faculty of wonder, differing in intensity in proportion to the power of the exciting cause; and in elucidation of this theory, a circumstance which occurred to some English sailors, while investigating an island in the Pacific, is introduced here. The shore-going party had left the ship, and were proceeding toward the land, which the morning sun had revealed to them rather unex 188 EXPLODING A MONSTER. pectedly. They had two boats, the jolly-boat After passing over this singular place the from its mouth the cavern branched off in two Pulling gently along, and constantly sounding the bottom with a boat-hook, they ultimately arrived at the other entrance of the cavern; but before coming to it they entered one of the most stupendous and magnificent-looking halls the mind can contemplate, placed at such a distance from the mouth of the cave as to exclude the too scrutinizing effects of the daylight, and yet obtaining sufficient light to indistinctly show the outlines of the place. It was impossible to ascertain the height of the roof, as it was totally concealed from view in impenetrable gloom; on rowing round it, the circumference was considered at least a quarter of a mile. In different places broad, lofty aisles, flying buttresses, Gothic pillars-all on the grandest scale-were presented to the imagina-excited imagination of the sailors converted into tion; and the effect of the whole was singularly the agonizing throes of some dying sea-monheightened by the flashes of phosphorescent ster. How many of our superstitious fears light emitted from the water as the boat passed might be calmed if a similar investigation into through it; living streams of pale blue fire cause and effect were instituted! seemed to cling to the blades of the oars, and the boat's wake shone with the brilliancy of melted silver. JACK OF ALL TRADES. A MATTER OF FACT ROMANCE. [Written exclusively for HARPER'S MAGAZINE.] BY CHARLES READE, stone," etc. САР 3. Admiration and astonishment are but poor terms to express the emotions of the mind in visiting this extraordinary place. If a mermaid or a siren, or any other fabled creation of the brain, had sprung out of the water, she would Author of "Never too late to Mend," "Christie Johnhave been considered in her proper place; in short, it seemed the fitted abode for such beings. After lingering about, loth to leave the spot containing such singular beauty, and regretting that a natural curiosity so stupendous-good-humored and sensible girl. We used oftly elegant should be so far removed from the civilized world, the boat's crew retraced their course, in order to join their companions. IT was now time that Miss Paley should suffer the penalty of her sex. She was a comely en to walk out together on Sundays, and very friendly we were. I used to tell her she was the flower of her sex, and she to laugh at that. One Sunday I spoke more plainly and laid my heart, my thirteen shillings, the fruit of my last imposture on the public, and my various arts, at her feet out walking. A proposal of this sort, if I may trust the stories I read, produces thrilling effects: if agreeable, the Ladies either refuse in order to torment themselves, which act of virtue justifies them they think in tormenting the man they love, or else they show their rapturous assent by bursting out crying, or by fainting away or their lips turning cold, and other signs proper to a disordered stomach; if it is to be "no" they are almost as much cut up about it, and say no like yes, which has the happy result of leaving him hope and prolonging his pain. Miss Paley did quite different. She blushed a little and smiled archly and said "Now John They were doomed to be terrified as well as delighted ere they reached the open day again, as, by the time they had gained the spot where the boats separated, they found their shipmates waiting their return in the greatest impatience. It appeared, after their separation, the boat's crew investigating the opening in the cavern to the left, after penetrating a little distance, found their further progress impeded by some object which nearly reached across the channel of the cave, and which appeared to move itself up and down as if endowed with life. The indistinctness of the light prevented an accurate examination, and as mystery always magnifies danger, they concluded it was some huge marine monster entangled in the mazes of the cavern; and not knowing what to make of it, they paused at a respectful distance, to examine more closely. One roll of the mass, however, completely dis-you and I are good friends, and I like you very concerted their nerves; and the sighing of the wind through the vaulted roofs and arches of the cave gave a moaning and indistinct sound, which had a powerful effect upon their imagination. After waiting a single instant they pulled the boat's head round, and rowed with all their might toward their companions, who arrived just in time to witness their excitement. Now these very men, who, in all probability, would have faced the battery of a ninety-gun ship, hour after hour, without flinching, fled from an indistinct and unknown danger acting upon their superstitious fears. much; and I will walk with you, and laugh with you as much as you like: but I have been engaged these two years to Charles Hook, and I love him, John." "Do you? Lucy!" "Yes," under her breath a bit. "So if we are to be friends you must not put that question to me again John; what do you say? we are to be friends are we not ?" and she put out her hand. "Yes Lucy." "And John, you need not go for to tell my father. What is the use vexing him? He has got a notion, but it will pass away in time." I consented of course and Lucy and I were friends. After quieting their apprehensions, the boats united and returning to the charge with increased numbers, they set about in right earnest to unriddle the cause of their dismay. Upon close examination it proved to be an old palm, Mr. Paley somehow suspected which way his which, having been blown from the land into daughter's heart turned, and not long after this the sea, had floated into the cavern, where the set a neighbor told me he heard him quizzing her of the tide had placed it in the position found unmerciful for her bad judgment. As for harshby the party. One end was poised upon a shelv-ness or tyranny that was not under his skin as ing rock, and time had covered the whole with the saying is. He wound up with telling her a mass of long sea-weed. The rising and fall- that John was a man safe to rise. ing of the waters, caused by the swell of the sea from the outside, gave it that motion which the VOL. XVI.-No. 92.-N "I hope he may, father, I am sure," says Lucy. "Well and can't you see he is the man for hunger and fatigue. you ?" "No, father, I can't see that, he he!" CAP 4. "Leave me," I said "perhaps some charitable hand will aid me, and if not why then I shall die: and I don't care if I do, for I have lost all hope." "Nonsense," cried the fine fellow "I'll carry you home on my back sooner than leave youdie? that is a word a man should never say— Come, courage, only four miles more." No. I could not move from the spot. I was what I believe seldom really happens to any man, dead beat, body and soul. I sank down on a heap of stones. Johnstone sat down beside me. The sun was just setting. It was a bad look out: starving people to lie out on stones all night. A man can stand cold and he can fight with hunger: but put those two together and life is soon exhausted. I DON'T think I have been penniless not a dozen times in my life. When I get down to twopence or threepence, which is very frequent indeed, something is apt to turn up and raise me to silver once more, and there I stick. But about this time I lay out of work a long time and was reduced to the lowest ebb. In this condition a friend of mine took me to the "Harp" in Little Russell Street to meet Mr. Webb, the manager of a strolling company. Mr. Webb was beating London for recruits to complete his company which lay at Bishop's Stortford, but which owing to desertions was not numerous enough to massacre 5 Act plays. At last a rumble was heard, and presently an I instantly offered to go as Carpenter and Scene-empty coal wagon came up: a coal-heaver sat shifter: to this he demurred. He was provided on the shaft, and another walked by the side. with them already-he wanted Actors; to this Johnstone went to meet them they stopped, I objected, not that I cared to what sort of work I saw him pointing to me, and talking earnI turned my hand, but in these companies & car-estly. penter is paid for his day's work according to his agreement, but the actors are remunerated by a share in the night's profits, and the profits are often written in the following figures LO Os. Od. However Mr. Webb was firm: he had no carpenter's place to offer me, so I was obliged to lower my pretensions; I agreed then to be an Actor. I was cast as "Father Philip" in the Iron Chest next evening: my share of the profits to be one-eighth. I borrowed a shilling, and my friend Johnstone and I walked all the way to Bishop's Stortford. We played the Iron Chest and divided the profits. Hitherto I had been in the mechanical arts. This was my first step into the fine ones. Father Philip's share of the Chest was 24d. Now this might be a just remuneration for the performance; I most think it was; but it left the walk, thirty miles, not accounted for. The next night I was cast in "Jerry Sneak." I had no objection to the part, only under existing circumstances the place to play it seemed to me to be the road to London, not the boards of Bishop Stortford; so I sneaked off toward the Seven Dials. Johnstone, though cast for the hero, was of Jerry's mind and sneaked away along with him. We had made but 12 miles when the Manager and a Constable came up with us. These were peremptory days; they offered us our choice of the fine arts again or prison; after a natural hesitation we chose the arts, and were driven back to them like sheep. Night's profits, 5d. In the morning the whole company dissolved away like a snow ball. Johnstone and I had a meagre breakfast and walked on it 26 miles. He was a stout fellow-shone in Brigands-he encouraged and helped me along but at last I could go no further. The men came up to me: they took hold of me and shot me into the cart like a hundred weight of coal. Why he is starving with cold said one of them, and he flung half a dozen empty sacks over me, and on we went. At the first public the wagon stopped, and soon one of my new friends, with a cheerful voice, brought a pewter flagon of porter to me: I sipped it: "don't be afraid of it," cried he,- "down with it; it is meat and drink that is :" And indeed so I found it-it was a heavenly solid liquid to me—it was "stout" by name, and "stout" by nature. These good fellows, whom men do right to call black Diamonds carried me safe into the Strand, and thence, being now quite my own man again, I reached the Seven Dials. Paley was in bed. He came down directly in his night gown, and lighted a fire and pulled a piece of cold beef out of the cupboard and cheered me as usual, but in a fatherly way this time; and of course at my age I was soon all right again, and going to take the world by storm to-morrow morning. He left me for a while, and went up stairs: presently he came down again. "Your bed is ready, John." "Why," said I "you have not three rooms." 66 Lucy is on a visit," said he: then he paused "stop a bit, I'll warm your bed." He took me up stairs to my old room and warmed the bed. I, like a thoughtless young fool rolled into it, half gone with sleep, and never woke till 10 next morning. I don't know what the reader will think of me, when I tell him that the old man had turned Lucy out of her room into his own, and sat all night by the fire that I might lie soft after my troubles. Ah-he was a bit of steel. And have you left me, and can I share no more sorrow or joy with you in this world!? Eh dear! it makes me misty to think of the old man, aft My slighter frame was quite worn out with er all these years. |