Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1854-06-08

bear, and we couldn't see couple of fathoms
nowhere; and drops of rain, big as bullets,
was a drifting hard in our faces, for all the
world as if it was somebody splitting.
After long talk and hollering ourselves
hoarse to try and make 'em hear aboard, we
determined to wrap ourselves up in the bear
skin, and wait for daylight. 1t was pretty
well big enough to hold all three, and the doc
tor had got blanket besides.
1t wasn't very jolly sort of thing, as you
may guess ; but somehow, we couldn't say
nothing to the doctor, he seemed so tremen-
dous down in the mouth at what he called his
cursed folly in coming at all. Arter we'd
taken a suck or two at the bottle, we felt bet
ter; and then he told us what it was made the
cracking and roaring in the ice, and how we
coined to lose the boat All very material it
seemed too, only I've forgot how it was.'
Go on with your story, Ben, said our doc
tor; 'I'll tell how all that happened, when
you have done
We'll, SIR said Ben, after turning off
another glass of rum as if it had been water,
we stopped without moving peg for NOR
tai long while, only giving holer now and
then TO the ship, just not to throw away
chance. | should reckon it must have
been pretty far into Christmas-day afore we
beginning TO get low, and SO was our spirits,
| can tell you. There wasn't no signs of IFS
getting clearer. found myself getting
precious sleepy, and know'd that it warn't a
safe feel I; so we turned out, all three, to have
walk, and try if we could hit on any way of
swarming up to thetop of the iceberg. Luck
lily, this wasn't to be done, nohow, il was one
wall of ice going straight up; and, afore the
fog come, you had to turn your head back,
with your head quite fiat, to see the top of it.
1t struck me then as it warn't quite straight
somehow, and the sort Of deck we was on
seemed to have got slant since we first came
on 1t. | said as much to the doctor, and off
he started like mad to the side where our flat
bit was joined on to the body-like of the ice.
thought he was going to pitch himself in,
for he went down on his knees, and was
looking into the water ever so long. Pres
emily, he came back, quite cool and deter
mined-looking, and then saw as he was like
coming down hill towards US, instead Of COM
ing along a fiat. Anything the matter q
said |. WE'LL says he, taking stiff pull
at the grog, and waiting till we'd done that
same too - well, there is something the mat
ter; we'd best square ourselves as best we
can, for loe're turning ouer.'
Sure enough it was time. The ice being
top heavy from the melting OF it down under
the water, was turning over, side-ways-like,
that is, sideways as we was standing, with
backs to the ice behind US, and looking out
to sea from the fiat we was on. 1t went on
getting more up hill every minute, till at last
we was obliged TO lie down right on the top
edge where it was rising further and further
out Of the water, on the top of weed lying in
heap there 1t was the awfulest position as
| was in / dream about it sometimes now
when I'm ashore, though it was a good many
years ago. There was just little chopping
sea all round, and the ice rising out Of it un-
derneath US, as we looked over the edge where
we was lying on, was as clear as glass;
The whole iceberg seemed to be groaning
with pain, there was such a splitting and
cracking, which seemed to come from its
very middle There was the doctor on my
left hand holding on, and with his rifle right
under him, and the bear skin covering the
pair of US. Bill had got the blanket and was
on the far side of the doctor; and. be sure,
we was precious quiet, it warn't no time to
talk. | heard the doctor saying something
to-hisself, quite solemn and low, and it seemed
to do me good somehow, listening to him.
Well, we got slowly raised about couple of
tathoms above the water, when all at once we
began to go up a! a tremendous rate; we was
shot up another couple Of fathom in no time,
and then came the fearsomost crash as ever
heard. clenched my teeth and held on, arms
and legs, as hard as could. couldn' have
looked up to save my life but heard a
something like gun go off close to me, and
screech as would have frightened the dead, ,
as a noise, like as if all the sky had fallen in
to the sea. don't know any thing as can
think of as it was more like. Then there was
sort of swimminess in my head as | felt we
was going down again fast, and expected to
feel myself go right under water. All at once
we stopped, and / felt we was being driven on
through the water at spanking pace, for the
spray came right over US. 1t freshened me a
bit, and just looked out afore me, when,
sure enough, we was driving on through
the water as if the ice had gone mad
couldn't bear to look round for the others as
was lying 'atween me and where the body of
the iceberg had been when last looked. |
was pretty near done, that's the fact, and saw
only one thing clear, and that was as must
hold on tight any how best could.
1t might have been matter of five minutes
afore the ice we was on stopped the uncommon
rate it was going on at and it was full FIVE
minutes afore | could have the pluck to look
up. never saw so much in one look in all
my life, and thought at first as Twas gone mad
or was dreaming.
We was right on the top Of a lump Of ice,
about as big as the ship. There wasn't Moth