THE LADY OF THE SHROUD
by Bram Stoker
FROM "THE JOURNAL OF OCCULTISM"
MID-JANUARY, 1907.
A strange story comes from the Adriatic. It appears that on the
night of the 9th, as the Italia Steamship Company's vessel
"Victorine" was passing a little before midnight the point known as
"the Spear of Ivan," on the coast of the Blue Mountains, the
attention of the Captain, then on the bridge, was called by the look-
out man to a tiny floating light close inshore. It is the custom of
some South-going ships to run close to the Spear of Ivan in fine
weather, as the water is deep, and there is no settled current; also
there are no outlying rocks. Indeed, some years ago the local
steamers had become accustomed to hug the shore here so closely that
an intimation was sent from Lloyd's that any mischance under the
circumstances would not be included in ordinary sea risks. Captain
Mirolani is one of those who insist on a wholesome distance from the
promontory being kept; but on his attention having been called to the
circumstance reported, he thought it well to investigate it, as it
might be some case of personal distress. Accordingly, he had the
engines slowed down, and edged cautiously in towards shore. He was
joined on the bridge by two of his officers, Signori Falamano and
Destilia, and by one passenger on board, Mr. Peter Caulfield, whose
reports of Spiritual Phenomena in remote places are well known to the
readers of "The Journal of Occultism." The following account of the
strange occurrence written by him, and attested by the signatures of
Captain Mirolani and the other gentleman named, has been sent to us.
" . . . It was eleven minutes before twelve midnight on Saturday, the
9th day of January, 1907, when I saw the strange sight off the
headland known as the Spear of Ivan on the coast of the Land of the
Blue Mountains. It was a fine night, and I stood right on the bows
of the ship, where there was nothing to obstruct my view. We were
some distance from the Spear of Ivan, passing from northern to
southern point of the wide bay into which it projects. Captain
Mirolani, the Master, is a very careful seaman, and gives on his
journeys a wide berth to the bay which is tabooed by Lloyd's. But
when he saw in the moonlight, though far off, a tiny white figure of
a woman drifting on some strange current in a small boat, on the prow
of which rested a faint light (to me it looked like a corpse-
candle!), he thought it might be some person in distress, and began
to cautiously edge towards it. Two of his officers were with him on
the bridge--Signori Falamano and Destilia. All these three, as well
as myself, saw It. The rest of the crew and passengers were below.
As we got close the true inwardness of It became apparent to me; but
the mariners did not seem to realize till the very last. This is,
after all, not strange, for none of them had either knowledge or
experience in Occult matters, whereas for over thirty years I have
made a special study of this subject, and have gone to and fro over
the earth investigating to the nth all records of Spiritual
Phenomena. As I could see from their movements that the officers did
not comprehend that which was so apparent to myself, I took care not
to enlighten them, lest such should result in the changing of the
vessel's course before I should be near enough to make accurate
observation. All turned out as I wished--at least, nearly so--as
shall be seen. Being in the bow, I had, of course, a better view
than from the bridge. Presently I made out that the boat, which had
all along seemed to be of a queer shape, was none other than a
Coffin, and that the woman standing up in it was clothed in a shroud.
Her back was towards us, and she had evidently not heard our
approach. As we were creeping along slowly, the engines were almost
noiseless, and there was hardly a ripple as our fore-foot cut the
dark water. Suddenly there was a wild cry from the bridge--Italians
are certainly very excitable; hoarse commands were given to the
Quartermaster at the wheel; the engine-room bell clanged. On the
instant, as it seemed, the ship's head began to swing round to
starboard; full steam ahead was in action, and before one could
understand, the Apparition was fading in the distance. The last
thing I saw was the flash of a white face with dark, burning eyes as
the figure sank down into the coffin--just as mist or smoke
disappears under a breeze."
