Feats Accomplished by Some Men While in the Arms of Morpheus. SLEEPING WONDERS.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 222, 1 October 1887, Page 2

Feats Accomplished by Some Men While in the Arms of Morpheus.

SLEEPING WONDERS.

.Sletp in most indhiduals lasts for the .space of eight hours. Exceptions to this statement are numerous ; whether these atise from duty or laziness we shall not \enture to examine. Sir E. Codrington, the famous na\al officer, when a midshipman, could watch on deck for nineteen hours ; this only left five for bleep, w hich in his case was most profound— so profound, that no noise was sufficiently stiong to waken him : yet if the word " Signal !"' was whispered in his ear he awoke and was on deck instantly. Reporters of the House of Commons require great exertions to keep themselves from sleeping. A few years ago a distinguished member of " the gentlemen in the gallery " took down a speech while he was sleeping. His statement re^ts on hi« oath. Calvin tells of a friend of his reading aloud to him while asleep. The organ of vision was alone active. Coleridge, the dreaming philosopher, composed " Cubia Khan " (one of his poems) while fast asleep. Next morning he was sure there had been an acquisition to his literature, but was too negligent to wiite the stanzas. A few days afterward he attempted to recall the verses, but they had for the most part fled, and the poem as it now stands is but a fragment. Every one knows that extreme fatigue induces .sleep, and this in spite of surrounding relations, which in ordinary circumstances would hinder anyone from letting. Previous to the shortening of the hour* of work, factory childi en frequently fell asleep while working at the machines, although well aware that they would incur severe punishment by doing so. The North Americon Indian, at the stake of torture, has been known to go asleep on the least remission of agony, and will slumber until the fire is applied to waken him. It is on record that during the heat of the battle of the Nilo some of the overfatigued boys fell asleep upon the deck, and during the attack upon Rangoon, in the Burmese war, the Captain of one of the ! steam frigates most aetivel}' engaged, worn out by the excess of continued mental tension, fell asleep and remained perfectly unconscious for two hours within a yard of his largest guns, which wero being worked energetically the whole period. Habit and time, place and circumstance predispose us all to sleep. The celebrated pedestrian, Captain Barclay, when accomplishing his extraordinary feat of walking 1,000 miles in as many successive hours, obtained at last such a mastery over himself that he fell asleep the instant ho lay down. The doctor's wife never hears the door-bell during jhe night, although the noise is sufficient to rouse the wearied husband, but should a child in the nursery cry, then the mother, oblivious of all other sounds, hears at once the infant's voice. It is related that the Abbe Faria, who acquired notoriety through his power of inducing somnambulism, was accustomed merely to place his patient in an armchair, after telling him to shut his eyes and collect himself, and pronounce in a strong voice, " Dormez," which was usually successful. There seems to be no limit to the wonders displayed by man in sleeping. Condercet, the mathematician, solved one of the most difficult problems while asleep— a problem, too, which puzzled him during his waking hours. A professor of theology in the University of Basle, once wrote a sermon while asleep : he found it on his desk next morning. The preceding night; he could not grapple with the subject as he desired, but the performance of his sleeping hours was quite satisfactory to him. Jenny Lind was one of the most celebrated singers of her time. No one could rival her powers except a factory girl, who sang sometimes better than the famous Jenny. Tho girl could not attempt any difficult piece when aw r ake, but when sleeping she sang so correctly, so like the renowned artiste, that it was difficult distinguish between their voices. On one occasion Mile. Lind heard the girl, and even tested the accuracy of her powers by giving her a long and elaborate chromatic exercise. This the sleeping girl performed, much to the wonder of the famous Swedish singer.

Said Miss Spinster (no longer youthful), when she heard that her friend Miss Marriwell was going to wed : " Well, let those marry who vfish, but for my part I never saw a man I could care enough for to be his wife." "That is to say, aunt," remarked Kate, very demurely, "you never yet saw a gentleman after your own heart." Conversation overheard at a fashionable cricket match in England. — Jones to Smith : "And how did Blank get out?" Smith: "Oh ! the ball broke afoot." Elderly lady (in great coneorn) : " Dear mo ! how sad, poor fellow ! which foot ?"