A Panic at Night.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 142, 21 May 1885, Page 3

A Panic at Night.

In the nighr. our camp witnessed ; scene uever to be forgotton by thost< under whose notice it came. Tliis was a panic amongst our men ; for our chief steward hud the nightmare, and th<iiru'urthly yt-lls which came from him greatly alarmed all who were awuk>. But on those who chanced to be asl.-ep and were suddenly aroused, the effect was awful. They sprang up, clutching wildly at. one unothtr and echoing the yells which hud first fallen on tht'ir i-ms Iv one case a nailor threw himself so viciously on a fireman that he inflicted ji very bad wound with his nails on the hum's throat. Fv.rtuii-.uely, I was on watch at the time and being a witness to the whole affiir, did 'not experience the sensation i-.f being suddenly aroused up under such circunmunes. I shouted to the men that all was well, but it was several minutes before they could be quietened down. One of the Italian sailors was on watch with me, but not being able to speak English, he could not give any help to bring matters to a close. Any attempt to rouse the steward from his dream only made him yell the louder. He afterwards informed us he was dresuuing that a number of armed natives were iv the house, aud that one of them clapped his hand <»v his ut<jut.tt to in t; vent him giving us alarm, while he th/.ugijfc that all hand* were asleep and, about to be murdered. His attempt to f'^ree out the waniiii" produced the aw:ul noises which miglit have ended seriously. One man made attempts to procure the chopper which had bern brought ashore, but fonuuutdy was too excited to »> } jU t» mind wh«-re lie had seen it. Tfte Wreck of the JViscro by W Bradley.