As I was walking on the beach here in my last visit, looking for shells
and pebbles, just after that storm, which I have mentioned as moving
the sand to a great depth, not knowing but I might find some cob-money,
I did actually pick up a French crown piece, worth about a dollar and
six cents, near high-water mark, on the still moist sand, just under
the abrupt, caving base of the bank. It was of a dark slate color, and
looked like a flat pebble, but still bore a very distinct and handsome
head of Louis XV., and the usual legend on the reverse. _Sit Nomen
Domini Benedictum_ (Blessed be the Name of the Lord), a pleasing
sentiment to read in the sands of the sea-shore, whatever it might be
stamped on, and I also made out the date, 1741. Of course, I thought at
first that it was that same old button which I have found so many
times, but my knife soon showed the silver. Afterward, rambling on the
bars at low tide, I cheated my companion by holding up round shells
(_Scutellæ_) between my fingers, whereupon he quickly stripped and came
off to me.
In the Revolution, a British ship of war called the Somerset was
wrecked near the Clay Pounds, and all on board, some hundreds in
number, were taken prisoners. My informant said that he had never seen
any mention of this in the histories, but that at any rate he knew of a
silver watch, which one of those prisoners by accident left there,
which was still going to tell the story. But this event is noticed by
some writers.
The next summer I saw a sloop from Chatham dragging for anchors and
chains just off this shore. She had her boats out at the work while
she shuffled about on various tacks, and, when anything was found, drew
up to hoist it on board. It is a singular employment, at which men are
regularly hired and paid for their industry, to hunt to-day in pleasant
weather for anchors which have been lost,—the sunken faith and hope of
mariners, to which they trusted in vain; now, perchance, it is the
rusty one of some old pirate’s ship or Norman fisherman, whose cable
parted here two hundred years ago; and now the best bower anchor of a
Canton or a California ship, which has gone about her business. If the
roadsteads of the spiritual ocean could be thus dragged, what rusty
flukes of hope deceived and parted chain-cables of faith might again be
windlassed aboard! enough to sink the finder’s craft, or stock new
navies to the end of time. The bottom of the sea is strewn with
anchors, some deeper and some shallower, and alternately covered and
uncovered by the sand, perchance with a small length of iron cable
still attached,—to which where is the other end? So many unconcluded
tales to be continued another time. So, if we had diving-bells adapted
to the spiritual deeps, we should see anchors with their cables
attached, as thick as eels in vinegar, all wriggling vainly toward
their holding-ground. But that is not treasure for us which another man
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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