Feb.] OMINOUS DREAM. 377 



After carefully examining and naming Westervelt's Group, we con- 

 tinued to steer to the west, a little northerly, with a fine breeze from 

 north-east, and squally, until eight, P. M., when the weather set in so 

 thick, that it was judged imprudent to run. The Antarctic was there- 

 fore hove-to, with the starboard tacks on board. At eleven, P. M., 

 the weather cleared off, and we filled away, steering to the westward, 

 with a ten-knot breeze, keeping the " look-outs" stationed at their re- 

 spective posts, as mentioned above, hailed every few minutes by the 

 officer of the deck. We were now going off under the mainsail, fore- 

 topsail, top-gallant-sail, square-sail, jib, and flying-jib, at the rate of 

 ten miles an hour. 



I had not slept a wink the two preceding nights, and was now nearly 

 exhausted by fatigue and watchfulness. At midnight, therefore, having 

 renewed my injunctions of caution to the watch on deck, I went below 

 to take a short nap ; but feeling a presentiment that it would be very 

 temporary, I merely threw a mat on the ca^in floor, and lay down upon 

 it, where I soon fell into a disturbed slumber, which was very far from 

 being refreshing. My bodily senses, it is true, were " steeped in for- 

 getfulness ;" but my better part was still actively employed in the du- 

 ties of the deck. Confused and undefinable images of difficulties and 

 dangers flitted across my imagination, and in a few minutes I passed 

 through weeks and months of fruitless toils, strange incidents, and un- 

 heard-of disasters. 



At length the broken fragments of a tragical picture seemed to be 

 reunited, and the visions of my fancy assumed some orderly arrange- 

 ment. I was sailing on an unknown coast, by moonlight, running be- 

 fore a gentle breeze, with every inch of canvass extended. Every thing 

 wore a sombre and melancholy appearance — the moon even seemed 

 to look down upon me in pity, and the shore, as it glided past me, ap- 

 peared to be peopled with spectres. I thought I was at the helm, and 

 all alone. The deck was running with blood, and the idea now flashed 

 across my mind that all my crew had been cut to pieces by pirates. 

 My situation was lonely and dreary in the extreme, and I longed to 

 hear the voice of a human being. In the next instant a shadowy form 

 flitted past me without sound of footsteps, and mounted the cat-head. 

 After looking out on the deep a few moments, he suddenly turned his 

 face aft, and I recognised the countenance of my deceased friend, the 

 youthful and amiable Samuel Geery. With his right hand and arm 

 extended in the direction we were sailing, he suddenly exclaimed, in a 

 loud voice, " Breakers ahead, sir !" 



I was on deck, and had the helm hard down, before the officer of 

 the watch had time to repeat the startling exclamation. My dream 

 had become a frightful reality, and the warning voice which dissolved 

 its vision was from the mast-head. 



Mr. Hunt was scarcely an instant behind me in reaching the deck, 

 from which he leaped on the forecastle, and in a moment more all 

 hands were aft, gathering in the main-sheet, which was then about five 

 points off ; at the same time the head-yards were kept pointed to the 

 wind, and the headsail hauled down. 



I had not yet seen the breakers myself ; but I perceived that every 



