Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1841-05-20

a. well deserves, high commentator from the
British reviewers, fos the novelty Of the design, the
excellence Gifts execution and the truth and aecurs-
ey OF IT'S details One of,he reviewers, aftee saying
that us literary merits are great" adds that cit Is
real, natural, and unaffected narration Of daily life
a, sea, aud the nautical character; combining in
the character OF its Incidents. and the Defoe-like
suehgth OF ITS descriptions, the interest Of hetion
with the sober accuracy Of positive fact"
But to return To the iceberg give his description
Of ono in his own langua &c, having designated 10y
small capitals) the passages which appear to me
pecaliy striking and fine.
al ~ O'Clock We went below, and had just got
through dinner, when the cook put his head down
the scutte, and told ms TO deck, and see the
hnest sight that we had ever seen. Where away,
cookP asked the hrst man who was up. 'On the
larboard bow And there lay floating on the Ocean,
several miles off, an immen,c Irregular mass its top
ana POINTS covered with snow, and its centre OF a
deep, indigo color. This was iceberg, and Of
the largest size, rs one Of our men said, who had
been IN the Northern Ocean. As far as the eye
could reach, the sea, in every direction, was of a
deep blue color; the waves running high and fresh,
and sparkling in the light and in the midst Law this
immense mountain'island, ITS CAVITIES AND VAL.
LIES THROWN INTO DEEP SHADE, AND Irs POINTS
AND rhsAcLEs GLIrrERINe IN rHE SUN. All
hands were soon on deck, looking at it, and admir-
Ing IN various ways, its beauty and grandeur. But
no description can give any idea OF the strange.
ness, spendor, and really, the submity Of The sig ht
It's great size-for IL must have been from two TO
three miles IN circumference and several hundred
teet high; ITS SLOW MOTION, AS IT'S BASE ROSE AND
SUNK IN rHE WATER, AND ITS HIGH POINTS NOD
pEp AGAINST THE CLOUDS; tbs pAsHiso OF THE
WAVES UPON TT, WHICH, BREAKING HIGH WITH
FOAM, LiSEpIrs BASE WITH WHITE CRUST, AND
rHE LAUNDERING SOUND OF the CRACKING OF rHE
MASS, AND TIE BREAKING AND rUABLIso DOWN
OF HUGE PIECES; together with its nearness and APP
proach, which added slight element OF fear; all
combined to give it the character OF true subIimity
The main body Of the mass was, as have said, Of
an indigo color, its base froze with crusted foam;
and asst grew thin and transparent toward the edges
and top, Its color shaded of from deep blue 10 the
whtencss of snow. IL seemed TO be drifting to.
wards the north, so that we kept away and avoid
cd 1t. Ii was in sigh, all the afternoon and when
we got 10 leeward OF it, the wind died away so that
we lay-to quite near il for a greater part of the
night. Unfortunately there was no moon, but it
THE LONG, REGULAR HEAvIsG OF THE sruPEsDous
MASS AS ITS EDGES MOVED SLOWLY AGAINST rHE
STARS Several times in our watch, loud cracks
were heard, which sounded though they must
have run through the whole length Of the iceberg
AND SEVERAL PIECES FELL DOWN Win THUNDER
ING CRASH rLusGISG HEAVILY INTO THE SEA- No
pencil has ever yet given any thing like the true eff
feet OF an iceberg. In picture, they huge, un.
couth masses, stuck IN the sea; while their chief
beauty nnG grandeur, their slow, stately motion, the
whiriins OF the snow about their submits, and the
fearful groanlng and cracking of their parts the pic
ture cannot gve.-This is the large iceberg, while
the small and distant islands, floating on the smooth
sea- IN the light OF clear day, look like little float
ing fairy isles ofsapPhire."