DOWN AMONG THE COALS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume X, Issue 86, 10 April 1875, Page 4

DOWN AMONG THE COALS.

[Auckland Star, March 17.J A curious story reaches us of the adventures of a " lo3t child" on board the Cyphrenes. It appears that about oue o'clock on the morning of the 9th, while the steamer was lying alongside the wharf, one of the steerage passengers missed his eon, a little boy of some ton or twelve summers. The man had gone on shore early in the evening, and had loft the youngster in charge of the steward. When asked where his charge was, this official now Baid he did not know; he thought be had gone to bed. Not finding him, the father became alarmed, and ran about all over the vessel in search of him. To the astonished inquiries of the awakened passengers he had but one reply, which was, " My boy, my boy, oh, tell me where he is." Nobody could tell him, for the very good reason that nobody kuew, and the poor man at last became firmly conviueed that the boy had fallen overboard, and gave way to very violent expressions of grief. At length he came across a man who told him that he had seen the boy playing with a little girl close to the open coal-bunkers while the vessel was being couled at eleven o'clock. Could he have fallen down into one of the bunkers ? No sooner wae the idea started than both men started away in the direction of the coal-bunkers. Removing the iron cap on the hole, the father culled down, in a voice which was husky wiih coaldust and emotion, " Edward, my boy, are you there ? " " Yes, pa, I am, and want to get out," came back a little tiny voice, which seemed as if at a great distance. The joyful father nearly fainted from the revulsion of feeling which resulted from the discovery. Assistance was procured, and the young imp was hauled up. He was a sight. Black as night from top to toe, he nevertheless was seized by his frantic parent and covered with kisses, to the no small ornamentation of the parental visage and linen. But what did he care for that ? He led the darling boy away, exclaiming to all who passed by, wondering at the strange spectacle presented by the pair, •• I've found, I've found my child." The boy had been nearly three hours " down among the coals," and was found to have built himself in that time a regular little house with the big lumps, because, as he explained, he was afraid of their pouring any more in on his head.