Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1852-01-17
Passing through an Iceburgh.


Extract from u Journal kept by y scadrr
who served in the Arctic Expedition of
1s50-5l. l. Sunday, June 80, 1856, Moored
10 an iceberg; weather calp; sky cloudlcss,
and beautifully blue surrounded hy a vast
humber OF stupendous bcrgs, glltering aud
gliSiening benealh Ille reiilgent rays of Il
lnd-dny sun.
great portion of tic crew had gone on
shore To gather The eggs OF the wild seu.biris
that frequent the louey icebouud prrcipces
of Bilin's Bay, Willie llInse on board, had
retired 10 rest, wcuried with the hurrassng
tolls of the preceding dny.
To me, walking the deck, aud alone, all
nnlure seemed hushGd in universal reposc.
| While Illus contemplating the s;ilncss of
HE mountainous scene around me, observed
/ ~ llc oiling, a large iceberg completed,
/ prriorlcd, exhibiting m the distance an arch
or tunnel, illnlcnily 80 uniform IN lis rnlI-
formation, that | was induced to call Two
ul lhe senuNen Ia look at it, at the same time
telling IIicm That had never read or hcaid
oi any OF our arctic voyugcrs passing
through one of those arches 50 Frequently
seen through large hcrgS, aud that There
would he novelty in doing so, aud If they
chose to accompany me, would get pprms.
SION to take The dlngy, Ia small boat, and cn-
ueaNor 10 accomplish the unprecedented lcnt
liey readily agreed, aud away we went
Oh nearing the arch, aud Hsccriainiug thft
there was slliliclency of water for the hout
to pass through, we rnwcd slowly aud silent
~ under, when there hurst upon our view
one oi the most magnificent spoci,n .ns OF
hutures handiwork ever exhibited to mortal
eye; Tie sublmliy aud grandeur of which
40 ihIlsuhge can descrlbe-no Imagination
conceive.
fhhcy I'M immense arch of eighty feet
span, my feet high, aud upward OF one
hundred feet ~ brendtl--us correct in lis
conformation as it it had been constructed
ny ne most scientific artist, formed of solid
ice OF beautiful emerald green, It's whole eX-
Phlse ol surface smoother Than the most
polished alahaser, and you may form some
siIght conception of the architectural beau.
lies OF tills icy temple, the wonderful work
lhallsllp OF time and the elements.
When we had got half way through the
mighty structure, on looking upward, ! oh
served That tie berg wns rent the whole
nreaulh OF HE nrch, aud in II perpendicular
dfeclloU to lis summit, showing lwu vertical
sections OF irregular surfaces, 'darkly, deeply.
beautifully blue, here aud there Illuminated
ny an nrciic sun, which darled its golden rnys
between, presenting to the eye II picture of
ethereal grandeur which no poet could de.
scribe, no painter portray. was SO enrnp-
lIlred with the sight thnI for moment fam
cled the blue vnult OF heavcn' had opened
nnd that ! actually gazed on the celestial
spendor OF world beyond this. But, alas.
IN an instant the scene changed, and awoke
ms It were from Il delightful ureaul, to experi-
ence nll the horrors Of terrible reality. /
observed the fracture rapidly close, aud then
again slowly open.
This slupendOus mass of ice, millions of
tons IN weight, was alloat, consequently in
mollon,nnd apparently about to lose It's equili-
briunI capsize, or burst into fragments. Our
position was truly awful my feelings nt the
moment may be conceived, but cauno. be
described looked downwards and around
me; the sight was equally appalling, the very
sen seemed agitoted. at last shut my ewes
from a scene so terrible, the men at the oars,
as if by instinct gave way and our lille
craft swiftly gided from beneath the gigantic
mass.