The true Democrat., 1856-09-16
Tho Man on the Iceberg.

we brought the iceberg right ahead The ice berg hao been In sight since the weather cleared at midnight, when it looked like some high rocky head and, except that by watching the bright stars behind it, we could see its majestic outlines swaying solemnly and maiesticalIy m and down. There was something sublimely V grand in the slow stately movement of such a mass. There it foated, large enough, had it been land, to have been the dwelling place of hundreds of human beings. The lower part was of so deep purple as to look almost black; but higher up 1t shaded off to bright azure then light pale green while on its lofty sum- init were long slender spires of fantastic forms and either of chrystal whiteness or tinted with beautiful pale pink. There were bays and rromontories, caves and grottos, hills and dels, With every variety of light and shade The Island was almost equally divided by great valley running through its centre. This was half filled with snow, which, thawing slowly in the sum- formed the source of waterfall, at a height So great that it was blown and scattered into tlne rain fore 1t reached the sea- Around It's Oase-on W ch the sea was breaking with nolseless booming and more musical than when 1t dashes on the solid shore-was broad band of frozen spray which, gittering in the sunshine, looked like the silver setting of an enormous sapphire.
 Not far from the top, and on the side nearest to Us, was vast, smooth, glassy plane, nclin- Ing steeply towards the sea, and terminating abruptly iu a tremendous overhanging preci- pce. h the centre of this plane those among us who had good eyes could see a small black spot. It was at this the captain had been peer ing through the Z lass, when he said, "It is 6 man."
 Every g ass in the ship was in requisiton and every eye strained towards one point. The excitement became almost frantic, when one o the watchers suddenly exclaimed that he saw the man move his hand.
 We approached so near at last, that the lla- teau above, and its dreal object, were at last hidden from view by the brink of the precipice itself, which seemed as if about to roll over and crush us. We sailed along its side, frequently lying too to explore each nook and corner as We passed. The farther end of the island when we rounded it, presented quite new feature the base was sapped away and undermined for about half mile ty succession of low caver- nous hollOws, extending inwards farther than we could see, while the sea rushing in and out tumultuously, made the peut up air within howl and whistle like hurricane Altering our course again, we steered almost due west under the southern side, where its vast shad- ows spread out far and wide over the ocean, Il now looked even grander, darker more fear-in. spring than before, with the sun beaming over Its rugged crest, or shining through the thinner parts, and showing all the priSmatic colors of the rainbow. The form of the ice island was that ot an irregular triangle, and ill about five hours we had sailed compete y round it. But there was no single point at which any boat ever built could have landed, even had 1t been fta cnl,,, nd tb t;l1 much less ln such q heavy surf as was then foamlng and creaming all around it. No sign of llvlng thing was seen excepting one great sleepy seal, that had crept into a hole inst above water mark, and lay there as if he was in comfortable quarters No sign of boat, or spar, or wreck It was a picture of utter desolaton
 We hove to again at the nearest point from which the man upon the iceberg could be seen lie lay on his back with one arm folded in all unusual manner under his head, the whole at- ttude being one of easy ,epose; indeed had il not been for the marbly look of his face and hands, we could have fancied that he was sleeping soundly. He was clothed as one o the better class of scamen in rough blue pilot cloth, With large horn buttons; he had no hat and by his side lay small boat hook, to which was tied strip of red woolcn stuff apparently piece ot the same which he wore round his neck. This, no doubt, the poor fellow had in- tended planting on the heights as signal. In such thin clear atmosphere, with the aid of @ powerful telescope, even his features might be plainly traced, and his iron gray hair was seen moving in the wind.
 The second mate stoutly declared tn at he re- cognlzed the man-he was quite sure of it-ar old chum and shipmate of his, with whom he sailed many long voyage, and some part o whose wild varied history he told us the nex evening. What seemed to convince him more than anything was the peculiar way in which the dead mans arm was slowed away-his old shlpmate always slept so, even in his ham. mock.
 Numerous and strange were the conjectures and remarks made by officers and men, Who and what was he How long had he beer there? How did he get there? The genera conclusion was, that he was one of the crew o some vessel wrecked upon the iceberg itself, o which no vestige remained.
 :"Yes, like enough" said one of the sailors; "she run into the ice in the dark, and went down like astone, same as we might have done any time these last six weeks"
 Perhaps he was aloft when she struck, and got pitched up where he is now"
 ' As like to be pitched into the moon," re. joined another contemptously. "Why, that there preciplce is three times as high as the tauntest mast ever rigged.''
 Perhaps now," suggested third, "t's some awful cruel skipper who's been hazing and ill- using his crew till they couldn't bear with it nc longer and was drove to mutiny, and put him ashore there, all alone, to die by himself so as they should not have his blood upon thei hands; or may be he was murderer"
 "Ah, Bill" growled out previous speaker "youve always got good word to say fol every one, you have"
 It was very old man who spoke next; one who was looked up to as a great authority or all such matters, although he was usually re- markably taciturn, and would never enter into an argument. He quietly deposited his quid in his hat, and, as this was always done pre-. paratory to his making speech, his shipmates waited in silence for him to begin.
 "That there ice island," said he at last "wasn't launched yesterday, nor yet last year nor the year before, perhaps; and by the look of him, he's been for pretty long cruise ir warm latitudes-last summer, may be-and then come back home for the winter. If You look away yonder-there-ju this side of that high point like a church h-steeple, only lower down, there's place looks darker than the rest Now it's just there l expect that great piece udo OIOhcu Ou anu uIlitcU dWdy qua l CdlCu- late 'txas lower and more shelving off-not SC steep and rocky y-like as it is now. Twas there that poor chap was cast ashore from ship O, boat. He was trying to make his way up tc the heights to take look round and hoist a signal, when he lay down and went asleep, and never woke again; only where he is now, you see, must have been covered with snow then or he couldn't have kept his footing"
 Having said thus much, he replaced the quid in his mouth, and spoke no more.
 There was no earthly use in waiting longer and yet the captain seemed 10th to give the order to fill and bear away.
 C If the poor fellow had spark of life in him he would have moved before this, for it's six or seven houls since we first saw him. But if he did move. it would only be to slide down over the precipice, for no living thing could keep a footing dn such slope as that And if there are any more of them We should have seen them before this time, although we could never Oat the,n off if ua h;j