"You know I once was all your own I'm neither here nor there. "Alas! death has a strange divorce Effected in the sea, It has divided me from you, And even me from me! "Don't fear my ghost will walk o'nights My ghost can't walk, for, oh! my legs "Lord! think when I am swimming round, 6 "One half is here, the other half "But now, adieu a long adieu ! I've solved death's awful riddle, And would say more, but I am doomed THE FALL. "Down, down, down, ten thousand fathoms deep." COUNT FATHOM. WHO does not know that dreadful gulf, where Niagara falls, Where eagle unto eagle screams, to vulture vulture calls; Where down beneath, Despair and Death in liquid darkness grope, And upward, on the foam there shines a rainbow without Hope; While, hung with clouds of Fear and Doubt, the unreturning wave Suddenly gives an awful plunge, like life into the grave; And many a hapless mortal there hath dived to bale or bliss ; One-only one that abyss ! hath ever lived to rise from Oh, Heaven! it turns me now to ice with chill of fear extreme, To think of my frail bark adrift on that tumultuous stream! In vain with desperate sinews, strung by love of life and light, I urged that coffin, my canoe, against the current's might: On — on still on direct for doom, the river rushed in force, And fearfully the stream of Time raced with it in its course. My eyes I closed — I dared not look the way towards the goal ; But still I viewed the horrid close, and dreamt it in my soul. Plainly, as through transparent lids, I saw the fleeting shore, And lofty trees, like winged things, flit by for evermore; Plainly but with no prophet sense I heard the sullen sound, The torrent's voice and felt the mist, like death sweat gathering round. O agony! O life! My home! and those that made it sweet: Ere I could pray, the torrent lay beneath my very feet. With frightful whirl, more swift than thought, I passed the dizzy edge, Bound after bound, with hideous bruise, I dashed from ledge to ledge, From crag to crag-in speechless pain - from midnight deep to deep; I did not die- but anguish stunned my senses into sleep. How long entranced, or whither dived, no clue I have to find: At last the gradual light of life came dawning o'er my mind ; And through my brain there thrilled a cry a cry as shrill as birds' Of vulture or of eagle kind, but this was set to words: "It's Edgar Huntley in his cap and nightgown, I. declares ! He's been a walking in his sleep, and pitched all down the stairs !' STEAM SEA SONGS. I STEAMED from the Downs in the Nancy, As ever boiled through the salt seas. When up the flue the sailor goes And ventures on the pot, But thinks hard is his lot. Bold Jack with smiles each danger meets, Trims up the fire, picks out the slates, Go patter to lubbers and swabs do you see, 'Bout danger, and fear, and the like; * But a Boulton and Watt and good Wall's-end give me ; And it ain't to a little I'll strike. Though the tempest our chimney smack smooth shall down smite, And shiver each bundle of wood; Clear the wreck, stir the fire, and stow every thing tight, And boiling a gallop we'll scud. Hark, the boatswain hoarsely bawling, Ply your bellows, raise the wind, boys, Though the weather should be worse. |