The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, May 21, 1899, Page 19

THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, SUNDAY, MAY 21, 1899. Y T LS g 5 > 7% ) 47 R L La 2 N % J lfl EI'A e A HIS s the story of an American a-w an wrec These ex e aboard s! R ling for the mere the cold serfous- somfort- And » the first 1 oratio, that e ces on the irs ago Mrs. West, the cap- stepped aboard the whaling rthas V! rd to try her new deep. years a N 1d In va ex- rs to the Des o eae 1 an open icep: ed for an extende: fearful -thing in the bedded by the . which every cuts bot ptain stood at the head nig! day, shout- ing ‘Starboard and st then ‘Port,’ and so on, worki ough the fleld ice. The ypped and auled up like a pump le to cut the packice, which was six about the bark. The crown of t hor was soon polished as bright as a new dollar. ““For day nd days we watched for a breeze, and when at last through the glass some one that ifted from from ing from hearts of 1 hours the southeast chopped the ice up into small e =oon out of a wind had s and the most terrible st n West ever weathered swooped coast of Ji d we wer The waves over the ste: tool ch that had been lashe f the boats on the cranes we it was flatten it, and lee bulwarks u to 28.80. ““When the ship hove down had not kn wind ed the sea down, the Hora- have been d the about y or- rain when the the worst down like t 1. There's always dar er rudder. “Up to that time the wind had been blowing from the southeast and the whole il was set in Im between wind from southeast to the wind came down orce, ‘butt end to,’ as the It came so sudden- ptain had lashed me to a chair se I insisted upon being near fury of the storm made it - D e o N N \\Y:w\\{\\ \\\\\\\\‘ IR \ X 78 N o N ooV, 2 A Ve // 0000000000000000002000000C000000000020000000000700000 San Francisco from there. [ (=) [+ o [x} o [ [+ o o » her caun words below. (4} impossible to stand upright anywhere. When the lower main topsail, main spen- cer and fore sail were carried away, Cap- taln West came below and ordered me to it on all the warm clothes 1 could wear to make haste about it. 1 was so ghtened that my flugers were numb, but somiehow I managed to put.on four es over my bloomers. I knew with- 1t questioning that 1 was preparing for an open boat in that awful sea. It was blowing so hard that looking windward we could see nothing but spray off the top of the sea. That was the very worst storm, but it suddenly left us, and the Horatio, though badly strained, weath- ered the gale. “Now comes the strangest part of my whole experience. the part that almost every one will say is too extraordinary to admit of belief. From the time the Horatio left Francisco last Decem- ber I had a soul-pervading horror of be- »cked. The great big dangers tted out on our horizon pre- d not seem to fear, for T re- the captain’s skill to evade them. But the undefinable, clinging pre- monition that we were to be in danger when we least expected it filled me with a fearful foreboding. fear did not possess me until we ssing the bar, and I felt then Horatio was on her last voy- she would be shipwrecked. in laughed at my supersti- tions 1 while he respected them: but the days went by, and as nothing oc- urred that was not anticipated, I, too, hegan to doubt the prediction would come “But one night I had a singular dream. San lied upon the that at evi It was not result of ill health nor of seasickness. Aboard ship 1 am not troubled with Indigestion. so that the dream and its subsequent fulfillment was 1 her remarkable. Much of the vis- fon, of co was Inexplicable, but enough of it portended the disaster which actually happened to make me ever after- ward a believer In dreams. which I took with me from co were a canary, a rat ter- rier and a black kitten. “The entire crew of thirty-six men looked askance at the black cat and shook their heads disapprovingly. Once I heard a sallor say, ‘Let’s throw it over- board.’ “Well in my dream I thought the Ho- ratio was painted vellow, just the color of the canary—in fact the bark had sud- denly been metamorphosed into the bird, and the cat sat on a rock splashed by the The cat's eyes seemed dilated and steadfast, and I knew that it was charm- ing the bird and luring her to destruction, All at once the dog set up a bark that sea. D e S O R S e e e ] AN IGUANA AND A SNAKE HAVE A FIERCE FIGHT the a in- Rouge- etween ymbats cer- The two enmity a T the . no matter ¢ be than us or black length, measured t in snapping w its aliates sonous g hap- go his hold a kind of fern W considerable quantities; 1 being to counteract’ the . poison. When he thinks he ste he rushes The fight hour, ‘but ting. The five or 0 , and this time ol to let go his hold, no matter how snake may struggle and en- its coils. Over and over batants, but the grip of the relentl and the struggles ce grow weaker, untl at length he is stretched out dead. Then the tri- ump na steals slowly away. . spectators would never dream of kfliing him, partly on account of their admiration for Lis prowess, but more 'ttty s, 7y, T2, The Grip of the Victorious Iguana Is Relentless. particularly because his flesh i{s talnted with poison from the repeated snake bites. These curious fights generally take place near water-holes. I have also seen remarkable combats between snakes of various species and sizes. A small snake will always respond to the challenge of a much larger one, this challenge taking the form of rear- ing up and hissing. The little snake will then advance slowly toward its opponent and attempt to strike, but as a rule the big one crushes it before it can do any harm. 1 had often heard of the joke about two snakes of an equal size trying to swallow one another, and was, there- fore, the more interested when I came across this identical situation in real life. One day, right in my track lay two very large snakes which had evidently been engaged in a very serious encounter, and the victor had commenced swallowing his exhausted adversary. He had disposed of some three or four feet of that adver- gary’s length when I arrived on the scene, and was evidently resting before taking in the rest. I easily made prison- ers of both. Seven years ago Mrs. West, the captain’s bride, stepped aboard the whaling bark at Marthas Vineyard to try her new home on the deep. For seven years a bark has been her only dwelling, and in that length of time her voyages have extended over 50,000 leagues. through Arctic Ice, with the whalers, and through tropic storms, with the traders. constant and thrilling adventures. How Mrs. West was warned of her terrible danger in a dream is given CC000000000000000000000O0000000DONV0VO0OCODOO00000D0000 0z Several times it looked as if all hands must go down in some terrible disaster, and at last the disaster came in a far away eastern sea. (\} # lar:fi'r MOST OF THE NIGHT WALKING Yoy A In that time she sailed It was a life of She has just arrived in 00000000000 THE BEACH,WAITING & WATTHINGY g could not be quieted and ran about like mad in the cabin and finally upon deck, while I followed close behind. When halt way up the steps there came a dreadful shock, and, grasping the rall, I escaped falling backward. en T heard the cap- tain shouting, ‘Clear away vour boats!’ “I awoke with a jerk, sat bolt up- right in bed and for some moments thought the Horatio had surely foun- dered. To make it more real the dog was howling. “To satisfy me the captain went on deck to take a look around. Of course we were in midocean with land nowhere in sight, and the next morning I even laughed with him over my vivid dream. “To tell the truth, I did not think of it again until the Horatlo really did strike the rocks. “Then what occurred was surely a co- incidence, if nothing more. We were go- ing Into the harbor of Kusale during the highest tide of the year. The captain had been in this port several times and thought he knew it well. I was below and very much interested in reading a novel, but the fox terrier made such a racket that I finally had to close my book. Then he suddenly made for the deck, and knowing that he would be in the cap- tain’s way I quickly followed. “While half way up the steps thera came a shock so ferrible that I grasped the rail to keep from faliing backward. Just then the captain’'s voice rang out, ‘Clear away your boats “Like a flash 1 remembered my dream! “The swell lifted the bark only to toss it with greater force upon the next rock. Again and again we struck the reef, each time with a harder cra ** ‘Sound the pumps. E all the yards and carry out an anchor.’ Such orders followed fast, and faster the bark glided on to the reef. “In less than twenty minutes after the Horatio struck she lost her false keel. The awful ripping, grinding and sizzing will always ring in my ears. The signals of distress were given, and though we were two miles from shore the natives saw our predicament and boats were soon making out toward us. “I went ashore in the first boat and carrled with me my pets, the trunks and the two chronometers “It was quite dark before I stepped into the lifeboat, and the fitful, sullen glare of rockets across the water only intensified the gloom. ; a_native woman, kind-he: , took me to her home and made me com- fortable as possible. However, 1 spent most of the night walking the beach, waiting and watching until 3 a. m., when the last boat left the wreck. “T did not sleep much that night. I was haunted by the memory of my dream and its uncanny realization. “Shall T give up the life of the sea? Oh, no. 1 am willing and ready to start on a voyage to-morro but for the. peace of the crew I'll leave the black cat ashore. Tt so happened that the bark struck the gunken rock on Friday. and above the roar of the grinding ck I heard the muttered imprecation, ‘Curse that cat." " NABEL LEE. :600000000000000@009000000@@0@@00000000000@0@0000@00000'»000000000000000®0®: ¢ This American Girl Gave Up Christianity and Became a Swaml. : © Marle Louise Davitt, Who Was Once the Friend of Soclalists Emma Goldman and Justus Schwab, Is Now :: Z ' on Her First Visit to India. Z 6 0000000000030 8000200030090800060080000000000000000600000800000000608006000006884 MONG the passengers on board the Peninsular and Oriental steam- ship Carthage, which arrived at Bombay recently, was an Ameri- can lady of French extraction, who is known as Swami Abhayananda, and who is the first European, if we may 80 call her, to be actually and practically converted to Hindooism."” This little item, clipped from an English newspaper, may recall to many—at least those in any way Interested in Theosophy —the very peculiar conversion, some four years ago, of a woman to the Hindgo faith, who preached and lectured in Brooklyn, and who was known as the “‘woman monk.” Bhe created quite a sensation at the time of her first appearance, especlally as the public mind was rather prepared for Theosophical discussion from its in- tense interest In the Congress of Re- ligions held at the world’s fair. Her mas- ter and teacher was the Swaml Virikan- anda, who was so prominent in Chicago during the Exposition. There is little known of her to-day In New York, though she was so prominent among the Socialists some ten years ag: Justus Schwab, in speaking of her, sal “She was a very fine woman, of an un- determined age, very homely, but very intelligent. I have known Marie Louise for twenty-five years, but, of course, all interest in her ceased as soon as she took up with Theosophy. She was of French parentage, and spoke the language flu- ently, but she claimed to love America better. She was very prominent at the different liberal clubs, but, of course, that is all over with now.” I found upon further investigation that she was a French woman, but natural- ized, and had been a resident of New York for twenty-five years. She had rath- er a curlous history. For a quarter of a century she had been known as a ma- terialist, socialist—some say anarchist—a friend of Emma Goldman and others of that {lk. Twelve months before she be- came converted to Hindooism she was a prominent member of the Manhattan Liberal Club. Then she was known in the press and on the platform Mme. Maria Louise, a fearless, progressive, advanced woman, whose boast it was that she was always in the front of the battle and ahead of her times. In an interview which she gave the Her- ald in 1396 she gave the following as tho Swami's fundamental teaching: “Every man must develop according to his own nature. As every science has its methods so has every religion. Methods of attaining the end of our religion are called Yoga, and the different forms of Yoga that we teach are adapted to the different natures and temperaments of men. We classify them in the following way, under four heads: “(1) Karma Yoga—The manner {n which a man realizes his own divinity through works and duty ) Bhaktl Yoga—The realization of a Givinity through a Jevotion to and love of a personal God. “(3) Rajah Yoga—The realization of a divinity through control of mind. “(4) Guanna Yoga—The realization of a man’s own divinity through knowledge. “These are all different roads leading to the same center—God. Indeed, the varie- ties of religious bellef are an advantage, since all falths are good so far as they encourage man to religious life. The moer gects there are the more opportunities there are for making successful appeals to the divine instincts of all men.” In contemplating the step she had taken and in considering the future this woman has chosen to adopt, one can not but be reminded of Schopenhauer's strange pre- diction when he said, in reference to the ethics and philosophy of - Hindooism: “The world is about to see a revolution in thought more extensive and more power- ful than that which was witnessed by the Renaissance of Greek literature.” During the time of the soclal furor cre- ated by the Swami Virikanandi, when he was the social lion of New York's Four Hundred, after the Chicago XFair, the Swaml Abhayananda was at that time earning - her living as a journalist in Brooklyn, and known as Marie Loulse Davitt. She was among the number of those who were particularly impressed by the philosophical doctrine expounded by the young Bengali “Sunyas She made a noint of attending his lec- tures, and after a full exchange of id she expressed her desire of becoming h “chela,” or disciple, with a'view of finally adopting Hindooism. Then, carried aw by zeal, she asked for permission, and was allowed, to enter one of the religious orders of Shivaisen, that being the sect of Hindooism to which her “guru,” or spiritual guide, Virikananda, beionged. The latter “ordained” her in New York in 1895, and subsequently at intervals raised her through all the ranks of the priesthood until she reached the highest rung of the ladder, and was finally made a “Suny of the “puri” order. As such she is the very first of the Western world, and, in fact. it sounds incompatible —an American lady becoming a Hindoo “Sunyasl,” or “Yogi. The lady Swami, if we may so call her, is a little over 50 vears of age, stands somewhat above the average height and is of rather imposing figure. Her face impresses one at the outset with its ex- calmness and kind- aits she possesses the strong chin and massive jaw which betray the dominant will power and in- vineible determination without which he could never have crossed such a wide social gulf as that which she has over- stepped. She wears her halr, whkich is gray al- most to whiteness, cut very short and ‘brushed backward, a mode which shows to advantage the breadth and height of her straight forehead. Imagine her, too, with a pair of dark eyes, full of earnest- ness, set in a face of a pale hue, and you have a portrait of Swami Abhayananda. According to the rules of her order, she wears a simple cloth gown of saffron color of a style modified to suit European con- ventionalities, but cut perfectly plain, like that of a monk, and without any adorn- ment at all beyond a sash of the same color carrled around her waist and with the ends hanging down in front of her. Strange to say, after she was ordained a priestess at New York in 1 the lady Swami collected a congregation around her at the mission she started here, and succeeded in converting a number of American men and women to the Shivaite sect of Hindooism. The lady Swami fs now on her first visit to India. It is @ matter of some specula- tion to see in what light the Hindoos of India will receive Swami Abhayananda as she goes about among them in her saffron gown. Bands on the Battle Field. rT\HE utility of music in matters per- taining to war is probably one of the l greatest forces. At the present day, in all the armies of the world, musical war signals are considered not only use- ful, but absolutely indispensable. The In- atry drill regulations of many countries give the music and significance of more than sixty trumpet signal alls of nam- ing, of assembling, of alarm, of service and so on—besides a dozen or more drum and fife signals, all of which is a definite language to soldiers. But its use is not merely confined to sig- naling, for music used in other ways for purposes of war. In the way of dis- pelling weariness on the march, nothing is equal to the music of a brass band. Lord ‘Wolsel has remarked that * that sing as they march will not only reach their destination more quickly and in better fighting condition than those who march in silence, but, in- spired by the music and words of the Na- tional song, will feel that self-confidence which is the mether of victory.” Probably savages are the most suscep- tible te the warlike feeling inspired by certain class music. It arouses their an- ger, incites their fanaticism, and by ac- companying their war dances in time of ce it arouses their lust of war. For reason it is among warlike nations early music_was most developed. The German army includes more than ten thousand military musicians. Other powerful nations on the Continent enploy rather less numbers in military bands.