Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1845-07-29
From the Philadelphia North American.


Cape have been thrown into a great ex
element 10 day by some Of the most stu
pendous phenomena connected with the
ocean. The extreme coldnes Of the las
night was accounie ed for by the discovery
at daylight this morning. of an enormous
iceberg. moving ma'es,ically in toward
the Cape. The SUBMITS of The soaring
mass We're lost in the clouds; between The
gutterng pnnaces which seemed to pierce
the blue dome Of heaven the morning star
looked forth with a pale and troubled as
pect. 1t was at least ten O'Clock before
the sun was sufficiently high to scale its
sleeps; at last lis light rushed over its sum
mits with the breadth and force Of nigh.
~ cataract. All its cliffs and caverns now
become visible, and threw their spectral
terTors on the eye wolf was seen chs
ing goat among lis CT IS, an eagle cir
cled around one Of its loitIest turrets. while
a vulture had bounced on pig that squeal-
ed most piteously in its talons
The water was seen to heave on one
SIDE OF the iceberg, and Immediately sue
cession Of blows was given il which shook
the whole mountain mass. Judge of our
surprise on discovering that this mist en-
veloped battering ram was an enormous
whale; at every strike OF his tail, vas;
sheets Of pale light were thrown from The
iceberg, which falling on the faces Of the
spectators, made them look like an army
of dead men. | had read that the whale
has teen known to cut ship of the line
in twain with single stroke OF his tail.
bu. still had no conception of his enormous
strength. The iceberg shook and reeed
under its blows as If an earthquake had
hold of it. Every blow was followed bv
the plunge Of some lofty pinnacle. or stu.
Pendous crag, into the ocean, which threw
up clouds OF sp'ay, over which a hundred
ralnbows stretched t. cir magnificent rch-
rs. Al this NOM nj thunder cloud of inn
mense darkness, which had been towering
more remotely from the scene, stationed it.
self near the iceberg, aid began to play up
on ii with is red hot bolts. Spinters of
ice flew like arrows N every direction. and
large masses whirled away like comets
from the sun, with white bears still cling
ing 10 Them. The cloud Now changed its
position and unmasled Il battery, compa red
with which the war of Waterloo would be
but the report of bursting bubble. The
iceberg was split into thousand pieces and
disappeared in the lumultuous waters.
The wild animals that inhabited it were
seen every where floating on the waves.
They made Immediately for the Cape, bu,
on reaching the beach were caugh, and
secured by the stout nets which were used
here, for catching sturgeon. Cages are
now being built for them, and they will
soon be exhibited as the iceberg mcna-
geric. Never before has zoology achieved
such rich acquisition One man devoted
to this science, in the ecstacy of his feelings
went to turning sumersets. The most
curious of the animals caught is a mer-
maid. She resembles a dark eyed Span-
ISL girl of sixteen: her raven tresses fall
round her like flowing robe, and 80 con-
ceal the lower half of her form. and one
your exqusites made love to her. She
speaks Arabic. Another great curiosity
is the Porphyrion-a bird known TO ancien,
Greece, but not heard of since. 1t is about
The size of Chandelier. unwebfoo,ed, snow
white DO ly, with blue wings and red crest.
Aristotle says of this blfd-''lt keeps strict
watch over the married women, whose in.
discretions it immediately detected and re-
vealed 10 their husbands: after which,
knowing the revengeruI spirit of ladies',
II very prudently hung ITSELF" This bird
is looked upon here with great deal of
suspicion by the ladies'. One of them told
me she would wiring his neck for him
the first time she got chance.
The ocean near the beach was again sud
denly thrown into comotion. when up-rose,
like long ridge Of rocks, the Sea Serpent.
The whale that dashed the iceberg was en-
deavorIng TO strike him with his tail, and
and at las, succeeded, when the serpent
threw his head in agony, some thirty feet
out OF the water-the very lightning fash
leg from its forked tongue. With one
sweep he threw himself, like an enormous
Anaconda, direct, around the whale, Jus,
back Of the fore fins. AT each convusive
construction, as he frightened his folds.
column of water flew from the blowing
hole of the whale sky high.-He plunged
and reared, can,ed and struggled. to cx-
tricaie himself from the folds Of the ser.
pent, but in vain. AT last, in the strug-
gle, the serpeni's head had come near his
own, when he severed it with his jaws at
once, from the body. A torrent of blood
rushed out, which inc,rnadined the sea
around for leagues. The folds of the SER
pent only frightened themselves the more
in his death convulsions, and The whale was
evidently iE greater agony than before.
At this moment a sword fish of vast size
and strength joined the confess. and plung-
ed his weapon, now on this side, now on
that, and now from beneath, into the whale.
A stream Of blood followed every lungs;
the convulsions Of The whale grew less,
ana it was evident that life was fas. eb-
b'ng away. A physician being asked if
he did not think the whale quite dead, said
he probably was, but he could not
speak posItiselyuness able TO feel his pulse.
A fiood-tlde rising some fifteen feet higher
than usual, now rolled the whale, with
the serpent around him, TO the beach. and
as II retired. left Them high ano dry The
sword fish, unable to extrica,e his weapon
from It's last unge. where it had penetrated
bone, was also borne by the whale 10 the
shore. Several yoke of stout oxen were
employed to disengage the folds of the
serpent, This monstsr measures from
tail to shout three hundred and fifty feet