A ROMANTIC STORY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5264, 6 February 1878, Page 3

A ROMANTIC STORY.

A. captain of an English ship which arrived at San Francisco lately related a romantic story to a reporter of the San Francisco Mail with regard to the following entries which appear in the official log ol his voyage “August 16 ; latitude, ; longitude, ; James Uolton, a stowaway, fell from the foretopgallant yard to the deck, and was instantly killed." “ August 16 ; latitude, —— ; longitude, - ; William Bean, an ordinary seaman, while the funeral -service was being read over Colton, jumped from the topgallant-rail and sank immediately. Ship hove-to at the time. A boat was lowered, but no traces of the man were discerned.” The circumstances, according to the captain's statement, were as follows ;—Bean shipped in Liverpool, and was a tall, good-looking, young fellow, active and zealous in the performance of his duties. Two days after the sailing of the vessel “ a little bit of a fellow with short curly hair and a round face” was found by the mate stowed away under the forehatch. He gave his name as Colton, and was claimed by Bean as an old “ chum,” who, wanting a passage to California, but having no money, had secreted; himself on board the ship. Colton was set to work to assist the steward, and was employed in odd jobs about the cabin. He also colored .some photographs in the captain’s album, in a manner which showed considerable artistic skill. He and Bean were observed to be constantly in each other's society, and from their intimacy it was supposed that Bean had induced Colton to ran away from school and try his fortune in California. One day a squall came on suddenly, and Colton jumped into the fore-rigging to get aloft and stow the foreroyal. Bean followed ; but Colton got ahead of him, and, missing his footing, fell with a “ thud” on the deck, breaking: his nedk. : Bean, bn seeing what had happened, was seized with a fit. On recovery he confessed that Colton was his wife, who had disguised herself as a boy in order to follow him. Ho produced the marriage certificate and letters, which showed that ho was a young man of good family, that his name of Bean was assumed, and that he had

married his whe, whom be. had known from, childhood, against the wi h of his and her friends. Not having .sixpence'in the world, they came on board ship, Bean hav ng been to sea before. The next day, when the funeral service had been read over his wife’s lemains and her body slipped off into the s-ia, Bean leaped over the side of the vessel and disappeared. The captain, who drank a good deal of sherry and we.it copiously as he related tinstory to the repo-ter, particularly requested that iu publishing the account of the sad incident the name of his ship might not be men tinned, observing that u he didn’t like that sort of sensation.”