One time, a sloop, in passing by the Dunderberg, was
overtaken by a thunder-gust, that came scouring round the mountain,
and seemed to burst just over the vessel. Though tight and well
ballasted, yet she laboured dreadfully, until the water came over the
gunwale. All the crew were amazed, when it was discovered that there
was a little white sugar-loaf hat on the mast-head, which was known at
once to be that of the Heer of the Dunderberg. Nobody, however, dared
to climb to the mast-head, and get rid of this terrible hat. The sloop
continued labouring and rocking, as if she would have rolled her mast
overboard. She seemed in continual danger either of upsetting or of
running on shore. In this way she drove quite through the highlands,
until she had passed Pollopol's Island, where, it is said, the
jurisdiction of the Dunderberg potentate ceases. No sooner had she
passed this bourne, than the little hat, all at once, spun up into the
air like a top, whirled up all the clouds into a vortex, and hurried
them back to the summit of the Dunderberg, while the sloop righted
herself, and sailed on as quietly as if in a mill-pond. Nothing saved
her from utter wreck, but the fortunate circumstance of having a
horse-shoe nailed against the mast--a wise precaution against evil
spirits, which has since been adopted by all the Dutch captains that
navigate this haunted river.
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