Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-07-23
MISCELL A n Y
The Man on an Iceberg.

sit is man." said the captain, handing MS
telescope to the mate, after long, steady look !;
'sand he seems frozen hard and fast to the side
of the iceberg"
''Keep her away y,n cried the skipper. $50
%. Steady" and by thus altering our course
we brought the iceberg quite ahead
The iceberg had been in sight since the wealth
er 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 g.
gantic outlines swaying solemnly and majestlcaliy
up and down. There was some thing sublimey
GRAND in the slow stately movement of such a
mass. There it hoated, 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, it shaded off to a bright azure, then
to light pale green, while on its lofty summit
were long slender spires of fantastic forms, and
either of crystal whiteness, or tinted with
beautiful pale pink There were bays and pro-
montories, caves, and grottos, hills and dells,
with every variety of light and shade. The. is
land was almost equally divided by great val
lev running through its centre This was half
filled with snow which, thawing slowly in the
sun, formed the source of waterfall, at height
so great that it was blown and scattered into
fine rain before it reached the sea- Around its
base-on which the sea was breaking with O
noise less booming and more musical than when
It dashes on the solid shore-was a broad band
of frozen spray, which glittering 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 a vast smooth, CLASSY plane, lnclln-
ing steeply towards the sea, and terminating alb
ruptly in a tremendous overhanging precipice.
In the very centre OF this plane, those among US
who had good eyes could see small black spot.
1t was at this, the captain had been peering
through his glass, when he said, ut is man -
Every glass in the ship was in requisition, and
every eye strained towards one point The ex-
citement became almost frantic when one OF the
watchers suddenly exclaimed that he saw the
man moves his hand.
We approached, so near at last, that the pla-
teau above, and its dread object, were at last
hidden from view by the brink OF the preciplce
itself, which seemed as if about to roll over and
crush us. We sailed along its side, frequently
lying-to, 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 a mile by q succession OF low cavernous
holows, extending inwards farther than we
could see, while the sea rushing in and out
tumultuorsly, made the pent-up air within howl
and whistle like q hurricane. Altering our
course again, we steered almost due west under
the southern ide,where its vast shadow spread
out far and wide over the ocean. Itnow looked
even grander, darker, more fear-inspiring, 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.
L.. 80 tbo ,oa,o1orN tbat 0f
lar triangle, and in about five hours we had
sailed completely round it. But there was no
single point at which any boat ever built could
have landed, even had it been dead calm, and
the sea as still as mill-pond much less in such
a heavy surf as was then foaming and creaning
all around it. No sign of living thing was seen,
excepting one great sleepy SEAL that had crept
into a hole just above water-mark, and lay there
as if he was in comfortable quarters. No sign
of boat or spar, or wreck. 1t was picture OF
utter deSolation.
We hove to again, at the nearest point from
which the man upon the iceberg could be seen
He Law on his back with one arm folded in an
unusual manner under his head the whole atti
tude being one of easy repose; indeed, had it
not been for the marble look of his face and
hands, we could have fancied that he was sleep
ing soundly He was clothed as one of the bet
ter class of seamen, 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 a strip of red wollen stuff, apparently q
piece of the same which he wore round his neck
This no doubt, the poor fellow had intended
planting on the heights as signal. In such a
thin, clear atmosphere, with the aid of power
ful telescope, even his features might be plainly
traced, and his iron grey hair was seen moving
in the wind.
The second mate stoutly declared that he re-
coenized the mamie was quite sure of it-an
old chum and shipmate of his with whom he
had sailed many long voyage, and some part
of whose Wild varied history he told us the next
evening. What seemed to convince him more
than anything, was the peculiar way in which
tbe dead mans arm was slowed away under his
head-his old shipmate always slept so, even in
his hammock.
Numerous and strange were the conJectules
and remarks made by officers and men, Who,
and what was he9 How long had he been
there2 How did he get therel The general
conclusion was, that he was one of the crew of
ome vessel wrecked upon the iceberg itself, of
y n no vestige remained.
"hlS; III like enough" said one of the sailors
eS, :, - the ice in the DARK, and went down
sue i''.i 80 90, ne as we may have done any
IKE ! .SaSa SeoaGI last st. six weeks"
lne LoSops e1a1 he be was a,ot when she struck, and
rot pitched up where ne . A'"'