Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1851-01-22
THE FROZEN SHIP.

Al this period when SO much anxiety prevails res
pecng the fate Of Sir John Franklin, every thing re-
laling TO the Polar regions is OF interest The fol-
lowing sketch is one Of the most thrilling we have
ever heard:
One serene evening in the middle ofAugust, l775
Capt, Warrens, the master of the Greenland, whale
hipfound himself becalmed among an Immense num-
ber of cebergs in about n degrees OF north latitude
On one side, and within mile Of his vessel, they
were closely wedged together, and succession OF
snow-colored peaks appeared behind each other as
far as the eye could reach showing that the ocean
was completely blocked up in that qnarer 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 the other, and he therefore kept q
strict watch, knowing that he would be safe as long
the cebergs continued in their respective places.
About midnight the wind rose 10 gale, accompa.
MED by thick showers of snow, while succession OF
tremendous Numbering, grinding and crashing noises
gave fearful evidence that The ice was in notion
The vessel received violent shocks every moment
for the hazness of The atmosphere prevented those on
board from discovering in what direction the open wa
Ter lay il there any Of all on eerslde OF tem
The night was spent in tacking as often as any cause
Of danger happened TO present itself, and in the morn
ing the storm abaed, and Capt Warrens found 10 his
great Joy that his ship had not sustained any serious
injury. He remarked with surprise that the accumu-
lated icebergs which had on the proceeding evening
formed an impenetrabe barrier, had been separated
and dsarranged by the wind and in one place ca
nal of open sea wound its course among them as far
as the eye could discern.
1t was two miles beyond the entrance oflhis canal
that ship made its appearance about noon. The
sun shone brightly at the time, and gentle breeze
blew from the north. Al first some intervening ice
bergs prevented Capt Warrens from distinctly seeing
ANYTHING but her masis, but he was struck with the
strange manner in which her sails were dsposedand
with the dismanlled aspect Of her yards and rigging
She continued 10 60 before the wind Tor few fur
longs, and then. grounding upon the low icebergs
remained mo!ionless.
Capt. Warrers' curiosity was much excited that
he Immediately eaped into his boat with several sea-
men, and rowed towards her. On approaching, he
observed that her hull was miseraby weather-beaien
and not soul appeared on the deck, which was COW
cred with snow to considerable depth. He hailed
her crew several times, but no answer was returned
Previous 10 stepping on board,an open por-hoe near
the main chains caught his eye, and on looking into
it, he perceived man reclining back on chair, with
writing materials on table before him, but the fee
bleness of light made every thing indistinct The
party went upon deck, and having removed the hatch
way, which they found closed, they descended 10 The
cabin. They first CAME TO the apartment which Capt.
Warrens viewed through the port hole. A tremor
seized him as he entered it. It's inmate retained his
former position, seemed TO be Insepsible TO strangers.
He was found to be cerpse,ant green damp mould
had covered his cheeks and forehead and veiled his
open eye-balls. He bad pen in his hand, and
og-book lay before him, the last sentence IN whose
unfinished page ran thus-"Nov. IA, 1852. We have
now been enclosed IN the ice seventeen days. The
fire went out yesterday and master has been try
ing ever since 10 kinde il again without success His
wife died this morning. There is no relief"
Capt. Warrens and his seamen hurried from the
spo, without uttering word. On entering the prin-
cipa cabin the first object that attracted their alten-
tion was the dead body of female reclining on
bed attitude of deep interest anil attention Her
countenance retained the freshness of life, and con-
traction of the limbs showed that her form was IMAM
ima,4 Seated on the floor was the corpse of an ap-
parently young man, holding steel in one hand, and
flint in the other as if in The act of striking fire upon
some tinder which lay beside him. In the forepart
of the vessel several sailors were found lying dead
in their berths, and the body of boy was couched
at the bottom of The gangway stairs. Neither provis
ions nor fuel could be discovered any where, but
Capt. Warrens was prevented by :he supersliiious
preudices of his seanen, from examining the vessel
as minuely as he wished to have done He therefore
carried away the log-book, already mentioned, and
returned to his own ship, and Immediately steered TO
the soulhward, deeply impressed with The awful ex-
ample, which he had just witnessed, of the danger of
navigating The Polar seas in high northern atludes.
On returning to England he made various inquiries
respecting vessels that had disappeared in an unknown
way, aud by comparing the results of those with in
formation which was afforded by the written docu-
menls in his possessions he ascerlaned the name and
history Of The imprisoned ship and her unfortunate
master, and found that she had been lrozsn thirteen
years previous 10 the time Of his discovering her a.
mong the ice.-W Westminster Reuiew
FEMALE SociETY.-You know my opinion of fe-
male society. Without il, we ould degenerate in
to brutes. This observation applies with enfold force
to Young men, and those who are in the prime of
manhood. For, after certain time of life, the lite
rary man may make shift IA poor one grant to
do without The society Of ladies. To a young
man, nothing so important as spirit of devotion
(next 10 his Creator) TO some amiabe woman, whose
image NAV occupy his heart guard ii from pollution