A Strange Dream.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2933, 10 July 1878, Page 2

A Strange Dream.

I am not a fatalist or anything of that kind, and until one fine summer*! day, five years ago come next January, did not believe in dreams," and even row, though the circumstances I am about to describe ought to have driven into me some faith m the significance of dreams, I really hardly know whether Ido or not. Well, I will get on with my yam. On the night of the 20th January, 1874, I w^nt to bed, and was soon placidly nestled in the arms of Morpheus, and during that night I dreirut the dream. I dreamt that tho battery at which I was employed stopped work, and all hands—l am an amalgamator— gc'i lao sack. I was out of work some days, and was gelling hard up, and as thirgs were dull, I took a prospecting tour up the Waiotahi creek. I thought I fossicked about all day and staled to return home about two o'clock in the afternoon. When near Wesson's battery-1 thought a most violent thirst came on me, and~ I rushed down to the creek to quench it. I knalt down and was soon taking in the dear cool water. Whilst rising . after satisfying my thirst I displaced • stone, and saw under it a small circular hole about four inches in diameier apparently full of quicksilver I stocped down, and on putting my hand into the hole found that its contents was. undoubtedly mercury, and of such a specific gravity that I, as an amalgamator, knew it was what is called rough amalgam; I shoved my hand into the hole, bat could not reach bottom. Then I thought I looked round to see if any one saw me—everything appeared as real and substantial as I am now describing it— and replaced the stone. I then dreamt I 'Went home to ponder over my great discovery, and thick over a scheme by which ■ I might save all the precious amalgam and convert it to my own use. (Yon s; a that even asleep, original sin wai strongly developed in me.) Well, I hit upon a plan, and having borrowed a number of silver bottles from Morria'a store, I made a sort of small bucket or dipper out of a piece of zinc water pipe. I then, taking my implements -with me, went up to the rcene of my discovery, and socn had all my bottles fall of the rich amalgam, which I had conveyed down on the tram to a battery and smarted ratortin it, and " Wake up daddy. Nearly sir o'clock " fine of my youngsters oaw^eci in my ear, and my bright vision came to a:sudden termination. -Well this c had a great effect on me, but itu:d.a much greater effect when I went down to work and was told that the directors had decided to run the battery one shifty and I had got the sack. The first part of my dream had thus come true. Why should not the second P So I argued, and that very day proceeded to visit the locality I had visited in my dream. I searched for about half an hour all round Weston's battery, and commenced to laugh at my stupidity, which, at that time, I resembled to the story of the boy that went to look for a pot of treasure at the end of a rain* bow. I was stooping down to drink for the fiftieth time, lor I esteemed it necessary to follow my action in the dream, aud in doing so moved a large stone, which rolled into the shallow water. I got up to go home, and while standing just ready to start my eyes wandered to the piece of stone I had rolled into the oreek. Could that little narrow yellow seam I saw be any thing. I hastily grabbed the piece of quartz, and found I held in my hand a valuable specimen, seamed and spotted with gold, and slightly water-worn. I have that piece of stone in my little, parlour now, and would, never think of selling it; and sometimes when I look at it I almost believe that therj is something in the signi6sance of dreams.—J.A.P.