THE DEMON-SHIP. 'TWAS off the Wash-the sun went down-the sea look'd black and grim, For stormy clouds, with murky fleece, were mustering at the brim ; Titanic shades! enormous gloom !—as if the solid night Of Erebus rose suddenly to seize upon the light! It was a time for mariners to bear a wary eye, With such a dark conspiracy between the sea and sky! Down went my helm-close reef'd—the tack held freely in my hand With ballast snug-I put about, and scudded for the land. Loud hiss'd the sea beneath her lee-my little boat flew fast, But faster still the rushing storm came borne upon the blast. Lord! what a roaring hurricane beset the straining sail! What furious sleet, with level drift, and fierce assaults of hail! What darksome caverns yawn'd before! what jagged steeps behind! Like battle-steeds, with foamy manes, wild tossing in the wind. Each after each sank down astern, exhausted in the chase, But where it sank another rose and gallop'd in its place; As black as night-they turned to white, and cast against the cloud A snowy sheet, as if each surge upturn'd a sailor's shroud : Still flew my boat; alas! alas! her course was nearly run! Behold yon fatal billow rise-ten billows heap'd in one! With fearful speed the dreary mass came rolling, rolling, fast, As if the scooping sea contain'd one only wave at last! Still on it came, with horrid roar, a swift pursuing grave; It seem'd as though some cloud had turn'd its hugeness to a wave! Its briny sleet began to beat beforehand in my face- had I, on God to cry, or think of wife and home; The waters clos'd-and when I shriek'd, I shriek'd below the foam ! Beyond that rush I have no hint of any after deed— For I was tossing on the waste, as senseless as a weed. * * * * "Where am I? in the breathing world, or in the world of death?" With sharp and sudden pang I drew another birth of breath ; My eyes drank in a doubtful light, my ears a doubtful sound And was that ship a real ship whose tackle seem'd around? A moon, as if the earthly moon, was shining up aloft; But were those beams the very beams that I had seen so oft? A face, that mock'd the human face, before me watch'd alone; But were those eyes the eyes of man that look'd against my own? Oh! never may the moon again disclose me such a sight As met my gaze, when first I look'd on that accursed night! I've seen a thousand horrid shapes begot of fierce extremes Of fever; and most frightful things have haunted in my dreams Hyenas-cats-blood-loving bats-and apes with hateful stare, Pernicious snakes, and shaggy bulls-the lion, and she bear Strong enemies, with Judas looks, of treachery and spiteDetested features, hardly dimm'd and banish'd by the light! Pale-sheeted ghosts, with gory locks, upstarting from their tombs All phantasies and images that flit in midnight glooms— Hags, goblins, demons, lemures, have made me all aghast, But nothing like that GRIMLY ONE who stood beside the mast! His cheek was black-his brow was black-his hair as dark : eyes and His hand was black, and where it touch'd, it left a sable mark; His throat was black, his vest the same, and when I look'd beneath, His breast was black-all, all was black, except his grinning teeth. His sooty crew were like in hue, as black as Afric slaves! Oh, horror! e'en the ship was black that plough'd the inky waves ! "Alas!" I cried, "for love of truth and blessed mercy's sake, |