The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1851-11-20

Extract from Journal kept bya Seaman who
served in the Artic Expedition Of l95O-5l.l

| liiuIly oiue; surrounded by vast number o
stupendous bergs, glittering beneath the reful
gent rays Of mid day sun
A great portion of the crew had gone on shore
to gather the eggs Of the wild sea birds that
| frequent the lonely ice-bound precipices of
Bafiin's Bay, while those on board had retired to
rest, wcaried with the harrassing toll. of the
preceding day.
To me- walking the deck and alone all nature
| seemed hushed to universal repose. While thus
contemplating the stiffness of the monotonous
scene around me, I observed in the ofIing n
| large iceberg completely perforated, exhibiting
! IN the distance an arch, or tunnel, apparently
/ so uniform in its conformation that was induced
! to call two of the seamen to look at it, ut the
! same time telling them that | had never read or
ne''Fu OF any q, Cur Arctic voyagers passing
.0ugu one OF those arches so frequently seen
through large bergs, and that there would be a
| novelty in doing so, and if they choose TO ac-
company me would get permission to take the
dingy "a small boat and endeavor TO accom-
plish the unprecedented feat. They readily
agreed and away we went.
On nearing the arch, and asceEtaining that
there was sufficiency of water for the boat to
pass through, we rowed slowly and silently un-
der, when there burst upon view one of the
most magnificent specimens Of natures handy
work ever exhibited TO mortal eye; the sublimity
and grandeur of which no language can des-
cribe-no Imagination conceive.
Fancy immense arch Of 50 feet span, so
feet high, and upwards of 100 in breadth-as
correct in its conformation as if it had been
Of solid ice Of q beautiful emerald green, its
whole expanse of surface smoother than the
most polished slabsster, and you may form some
slight conception of the architectural beauties of
this icy temple, the wonderful workmanship Of
time and the elements
When we had got about halfway through the
mighty structure, on looking upward l observed
that the berg split the whole breadth of the
arch, and in perpendicular direction to the
summit, showing two vertical sections Of regu-
lar surfaces, "darkly, deeply, beautifully blue"
here and there illumined by an arctic sun which
darted it's golden rays between, presenting to
the eye picture Of ETHEREAL grandeur which no
poet could describe, no painter portray. / was
so enraptured with the sight that for a moment
fancied the blue vault of heaven had open
ed a..d that actually gszed on the celestial
splendor of n world beyond this But alas! in
an instant the scene changed, and | awoke as it
were from delightful dream to experience all
the horrors OF a terrible reality. l observed
the fracture rapidly close, then again slowly
open. This stupendou. mass Of ice, millions of
tons in weight, was afoat, consequently in mo-
ton, and apparently about to lose its equilibri
um, capsze, burst into fragments. Our pe-
aitien was truly awful; my feelings at the mo-
ment may be conceived, but cannot be described.
1 looked downward and around He; the sight
Was equally appalling; the very sea seemed
agitated. | at last shut my eyes from scene
so terrible, the men at the if by instinct
s.gaye way" and our little craft swiftly glided
beneath the gigantic mass
We then rowed round the berg, keeping at a
respectable distance from it, in order to judge
of its magnitude. 1 supposed it to be about a
mile in circumference, and its highest pinnacle
$50 feet.
Thus ended excursion, the bare recollec-
ton Of which at this moment awakens in me q
shudder, nevertheless, 1 would not have lost the
opportunity of Witnessing scene so awfully
sublime, so tragicaly grand, for thousands ster-
ling, but would not again run such a risk for
u world.
We passed through the berg about P. NJ,
and at 10 o'clock the same night it burst, agi-
| tating the sea for miles around.
| may also observe that the two mon who
| were with me in the boat did not observe that
the berg was rent until told them, after we
were out of danger, We having agreed previously
to entering the arch, not to speak word to
| each other, lest echo itself should disturb the
| fragile mass
N. B.-Arctic voyagers differ as to what por-
ton of an iceberg is under water Some say
one-ffth; some one-seventh; some more
| refer the reader to the works of Ross and Parry
! as the best authorities.
| PENNsYLvANIANs IN LUcK.-In addition to the
election of John Bigler of this State as Governor
of California, we note the election of Robert
| McClelland, Esq, formerly of Chambersburg
as Governor of Michigan; and the election o.
Edward Johnston, ESQ., formerly of Westmore
land county, and brother of VIM F. Johnston
our present worthy Governor, as one of tn,
Supreme Bench Of Iowa