A FLOATING COFFIN.

Patea Mail, Volume VI, Issue 529, 5 June 1880, Page 2

A FLOATING COFFIN.

A mystery of Uio sea, in the sliapo of a box-coflin, has been floating about Cook’s Strait. How long it was floating, or what part of the world it came from, or what ghastly secret it once contained, deponent sayeth not ; but it has been found washed up as ocean wreckage on the coast near Hm TJnncciHhei river. and a carefully complete description has been taken 01 u, „ n ,i we presume forwarded to Government, with a view to official enquiry. The coffin-like shape of the box suggests that it has been used for burial—the sad and mournful ceremony of burial at seaTherc is also painted on the box this legend : “ Itequiescat hi pace." There can be no mistaking the funereal significance of those touching words : the expression of a hope that the “ dear departed” may not be disturbed in his long sleep, that nothing may happen to cause him to “ turn in his grave” or to “ come again.” The box was empty when found, and the lid was missing. This suggests unimaginable possibilities of active spritualism. The lid may have been removed to destroy a clue. Could the tenant have got out, and taken the lid with him ? Could lie have got out without opening the lid ? These be mysteries beyond human skill of divination, for the particular operation is so unusual that we seem to bo led across the confines-of the spirit world, where disembodied forms dance on the point of a needle, or turn tables, or play spiritual airs on concertinas, or write inspired letters to Te Whiti iu bad grammar. Strange hieroglyphic figures wore also painted on the box-end, resembling the signs of the Zodiac, or perhaps intended as emblems of some distinguished child of nature of peculiar physiognomy. These are but guesses—feeble attempts to penetrate an empty, hollow, ghastly mystery. The box, though empty, is yet full of a certain silent significance. It conceals an untold tale, a revelation yet to be made, and one that, when it comes, may be so strange, so startling, so horrific as to make the World’s hair stand on end. These shocks to human sensibility are fortunately not frequent, or there would be a tendency to paratysis of the whole body politic. This emptj r box conceals matter for enquiry careful and most searching enquiry. The clue to great crimes done in secret is often at first so slight as to escape common notice. 5 The smallest uncommon relic should suffice in these days to. rouse suspicion. The resurrection of a box-coffin may be as significant of a hidden crime as the finding of a boot in the hospital soup. There should be enquiry, either by a Select Committee of the House, or by a Royal-Commission.

In confirmation of the : above, the following evidence from the Rangitikei Advocate may be commended to cautious perusal, and the intelligent reader will carefully read between the lines :—“An ocean waif was; discovered on the sea beach last Sunday week, between the mouths of the Rangitikei and Turakina rivers, in the form of a box about four feet long, with a scantling nailed along one side of it, to which had evidently been attached some ballast. •'On one ond’of the box was neatly painted a skull arid .crossbones, and ~on either side. the words requiescai ’in pace were painted. The lid was missing, but a closer examination of the case suggested the’ idea of its having been a child’s coffin, thrown overboard from some passenger ship.”