The Little Glass Bottle

H. P. Lovecraft

Rating: | **

Publication History

The following entries include the first publication of this work and any publications currently in print.

The Shuttered Room and Other Pieces. Compiled by August Derleth. Sauk City, WI: Arkham House, 1959, 45–46.
Miscellaneous Writings. Ed. S.T. Joshi. Sauk City, WI: Arkham House, 1995, 7–8.
H. P. Lovecraft: The Fiction. New York, NY: Barnes & Noble, 2008, 1018–19.
H. P. Lovecraft: The Complete Fiction. New York, NY: Barnes & Noble, 2011, 1018–19.

The Little Glass Bottle

By H. P. Lovecraft
------=-O-=------
“Heave to, there’s something floating to the leeward” the speaker was a short stockily built man whose name was William Jones. he was the captain of a small cat boat in which he & a party of men were sailing at the time the story opens.
      “Aye aye sir” answered John Towers & the boat was brought to a stand still Captain Jones reached out his hand for the object which he now discerned to be a glass bottle “Nothing but a rum flask that the men on a passing boat threw over” he said but from an impulse of curiosity he reached out for it. it was a rum flask & he was about to throw it away when he noticed a piece of paper in it. He pulled it out & on it read the following
Jan 1 1864
I am John Jones who writes this letter my ship is fast sinking with a treasure on board I am where it is marked * on the enclosed chart
      Captain Jones turned the sheet over & the other side was a chart

on the edge were written these words dotted lines represent course we took

      “Towers” Said Capt. Jones exitedly “read this” Towers did as he was directed “I think it would pay to go” said Capt. Jones “do you”? “Just as you say” replied Towers. “We’ll charter a schooner this very day” said the exited captain “All right” said Towers so they hired a boat and started off govnd by the dotted lines of they chart in 4 weeks the reached the place where directed & the divers went down and came up with an iron bottle they found in it the following lines scribbled on a piece of brown paper
Dec 3 1880
Dear Searcher excuse me for the practical joke I have played on you but it serves you right to find nothing for your foolish act—
      “Well it does” said Capt Jones “go on”
However I will defray your expenses to & from the place you found your bottle I think it will be $25.0.00 so that amount you will find in an Iron box I know where you found the bottle because I put this bottle here & the iron box & then found a good place to put the second bottle hoping the enclosed money will defray your expenses some I close—Anonymus”
“I’d like to kick his head off” said Capt Jones “Here diver go & get the $25.0.00 in a minute the diver came up bearing an iron box inside it was found $25.0.00 It defrayed their expenses but I hardly think that they will ever go to a mysterious place as directed by a mysterious bottle.