Washington telegraph., 1851-03-05
THE FROZEN SHIP.

At this period. when so much anxiety
prevails respecting the fate of Sir John
franklin, everything relating to the Polar
regions is of interest. The following
sketch is one of the most thrilling we
have ever read:
One serene evening in the middle of
August, 1775, Capt. Warrens, the master
of the Greenland whaleship. found him.
self becalmed among an immense number
OF icebergs in about II degrees Of north
latitude. On one side, and within mile
of his vessel these were closely wedged
together, and succession of snow-colnred
peaks appeared behind each other as far
as the eve could reach, showing that the
ocean was completely blocked up in that
quarter, and that it had probably been SO
for long period of time. Capt. Warrens
did not feel altogether satisfied with his
situation; but there being no wind he
could not move one way or the other,
and he therefore kept a strict watch,
knowing that he would be safe so long
| as the icebergs continued in their respec-
tive places.
About midnight the wind rose to a
gale, accompanied by thick showers Of
snow, while succession of tremendous
laundering. grinding, and crashing noises,
gave fearful evidence that the ice was in
motion. The vessel received violent
shocks every moment; for the haziness of
the atmosphere prevented those on board
| from discovering in what direction the
open water lay, or if there actually was
anv at all on either side of them The
night was spent in tacking as often as
any cause of danger happened to present
itself, and in the morning the storm abat-
ed, and Capt. Warrens found to his great
loy, that his ship had not sustained any
serious injury. He remarked with sur
| prise that the accumulated icebergs,
which had on the preceding evening
formed an impene:rable barrier, had been
separated and disarranged by the wind,
and in one place, canal OF open sea
wound its course among them as tar as
the eye could discern.
1t was two miles beyond the entrance
of this canal that a ship made its appear
ance about noon. The sun shone bright
ly at the time, and gentle breeze blew
from the north At first some interven-
ing iceburgs prevented Capt. Warrens
from distinctly seeing anything but her
masts; but he was struck with tae strange
manner in which her sails were disposed,
and with the dismantled aspect of her
wards and rigging. She continued to &c
before the wind for a few furlongs, and
then, grounding upon the low icebergs
remained motioness.
Capt Warrens' curiosity was so much
excited, that he Immediately leaped into
his boat with several seamen, and rowed
towards her. On approaching, he OBJ
served that her hull was miserably wealth.
er-beaten, and not soul appeared on
deck, which was covered with snow to
a considerable depth. lie hailed heI
crew several times, but no answer was
returned Previous to stepping on board,
an open port-hole near the main chains
caught his eye, and on looking into 1t,
he perceived man reclining back on a
chair, with writing materials on table
| before him, but the feebleness Of the
light made everything indistinct. The
party went upon deck, and having re-
moved the hatchway, which they found
closed, .hey descended to the cabip.--
| They first came to the apartment which
| Capt. Warrens viewed through the port.
hole. A tremor seized him as he entered
| it. Its inmate retained his former posi-
ton, and seemed to be insensible to stran'
gers. He was found to be a corpse, and
a green damp mould had covered his
cheeks and forehead and veiled his open
eye-balls. He had pen in his hand, and
a log-book lay before him, the last sen
tence in whose unfinished page ran thus
"Nov. IA, 1862. We have now been
enclosed in the ice seventeen days. The
fire went out yesterday. and our master
has been trying ever since to kindle IT
again without success. His wife died
this morning There is no relief"
Captain Warrens and his seamen hur
ried from the spot without uitering a
word. On entering the principal cabin
the first object that attracted their atten
ton was the dead body of female re.
clining on bed in an attitude of deep
interest and attention. Her countenance
retained the freshness of life, and con-
traction of the limbs showed that hei
form was inanimate. Seated on the hOoI
was the corpse of an apparently young
man, holding steel in one hand, and
flint in the other, as if in the act OF strlk
ing fire upon some tinder which lay be.
side him. In the fore part of the vessel
several sailors were found lying dead IN
their berths, and the body of boy was
crouched at the bottom of the gangway
stairs. Neither provisions nor fuel could
! be discovered any where, but Captain
Warrens was prevented by the superstl'
tious prejudices of his seamen, from ex'
amining the vessel as minutely as ne
wished to have DONE He therefore car
ried away the log book, already men,
| toned and returned to his own ship, and