THE PHANTOM BOAT.

Patea Mail, Volume II, Issue 118, 27 May 1876, Page 2

THE PHANTOM BOAT.

A Piotox contemporary publishes tlm following extraordinary communication from its own correspondent at Havelock. Some of the good folks thereabouts must have very vivid imaginations, or 'somebody is playing them a trick. Anyway, here is the story:—“ Extraordinary Phenomenon.-. —Some short time after Inst Christmas two poor fellows mined Charles N'chofeon and James Hroa Ibenfc were drown 'd in a gale, in Nydia Bay. Since that time a most curious phenomenon appears over the spot where the boat capsized. Sometimes in the mornin sj- mid sometimes in the evening, in all weathers, clear or cloudy, a seeming boat will appear, as though it came up from the, sea, and will skim rapidly along backwards and forwards for a short time and as suddenly disappear. Being in company with a gentleman from Havelock yesterday evening, wo were talking about this (as it is called here.) phantom boat. It was a fine clear evening, not a sign of a cloud, and we wore looking towards the place, when my suddenly called out, ‘ There it is;’ ami sure enough there it was. It came up as suddenly as a flash of lightninWand seemed going along most rapidly over the spot where the real boat went down. We both watched it for about three or four minutes, and it seemed as though a slight mist was gathering round it; and, as wo watched it, if vanished as suddenly as it came. It did not seem to go down, neither can I describe exactly how it went; Imt it was clean gone in one moment. Many others besides ourselves saw it at the same time, from different parts of the bay, and it is seen very often, appearing and disappearing in a most mysterious manner, which has caused it to bo called by the inhabitants of the bay ‘ Charley Nicholson’s Phantom Boat.’”