Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1856-03-28
Correspondence.
For the Standard.
Incident in a Whaling VOYAGE.

/ After sailing across the Atlantic anC
5 being pitched, rolled and tumbled aroun,
Cape Horn, and sailing smoothly al6n.
the coast Of South America, we came {,
anchor at Honolulu, one of the chic
ports Of the kingdom of Hawaii. Herr
we took in water and some vegetables
and after eapering a few days ashore t.
the no small amusement of ourselye.
| and disturbance Of the. inhabitants, We
once more made sail and shaped oul
course for the Arctic ocean.
! Nothing occurred to disturb the monot.
ony Of the voyage, and We were becom-
ing impatient for something to relieve the
long dreary hours, for the weather was
so cold that the common work about the
ship had to be abandoned, and every one
was taxing his brain to contrive some way
to pass away time the pleasantest.
! We passed along the coast of Hams
chatka and through Bherring's Straits,
without seeing whales, and all began 10
believe that we should have dull cruise,
and many we're the hints thrown out that
there must be Jonah on board and that
it would be necessary to throw him over
board before we could have good luck
Now, viii give a sailors definition of a
Jonah. It is any one who will not split
his last biscuit with a friend.
But to my story. Every one was be-
coming impatient, and even the captain,
"a gray haired and weather beaten son
of Neptune-paced the deck with long
impatient strides, every now and then
calling to the man alof to know if any
thing was in sight; and to the oft re-
peated "No, sir," be would mutter some
thing about " Damning his eyes" But
one morning the starboard watch were
aroused from their slumbers by the loud
call Of All hands ahoy p and the imme-
date order to Stand by the boats."-I
We were soon on deck where the star
board watch were employed in clearing
away the boats.
After all was ready, the crew collected
on the top-gallant forecastle to wait for
the re-appearance ofa school of whales
that had just gone down about half a
mile from the shop; ard bearing two points
on our sea bow.
While we were waiting, we had time
TO look around US, There was a gentle
breeze blowing from the Nor'west, and as
far as the eye could reach the ocean was
covered with floating fields of ice, while
here and there an iceberg reared its gi-
ant form aloft, a stern sentry over the
floating mass below Birds of different
kinds and plumage were fitting about.
no" cutting a circle around the mast and
again alighting upon the ice, while others
flew round and round, and with loud
screaming testified their displeasure at
having their element intruded upon by
so strange an object. Schools of seals
were swimming about in the wafer. or
sliding along on the floating ice, while
high upon an iceberg sat huge white
bear, who seemed to take no interest in
what was passing around him; and even
the loud shouting of the sailors as We
swept past, did not disturb him in the
least. Presently all along the eastern
horizon it grew brighter and brighter
Soon a sunbeam darted up in the heav-
ems, then another, and another, till ALL
along the floating ice they blazed ike
diamonds, and huge icebergs. presented
the appearance of diamond palaces
When the sun rose up in full view. the
birds and seals seemed endowed with
ne" life, and even his bearship lifted his
head and snufied the air, and then stretch
ing out his fore paws and laying his head
upon them, seemed determined in sp;te
of the continued hum of the feathered
tribe, and the bowling of the seals, to
take a sound nap.
While we were gazing at the different
OBJECTS our attention was called by the
mates boat steerer, who pointed to an
iceberg that lay to the eastward of US
lie declared that it was covered with
blood. We all looked at If. but could see
nothing unusual in its appearance, but
he declared that it looked so CHASTITY that
he never wished to see it again. and he
gave ltas hisopinion that some one wouId
lose the number of his mess that dav-
All rldlculed the idea; yet it was plain
10 oe seen that it had taken a firm hold
on the superstitious minds of some of the
crew. The songs and jests that were
wont to cheer us in our leisure hours
were suspended, and the silence was be-
coming tedious, when the cry of sThere
she blows, from the man at the mast
head, reused every man to a sense Of his
and each few to his stain,