Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1856-09-26
A BRUSH WITH DEATH.

Saturday Post. ---
A BRUSH WITH DEATH.
The next day gave Us admirable pro-
gross. The ice opened in leads before
us, somewhat tortuous, but, on the whole
favoring, and for sixteen hours never
left the helm. We were all of us ex-
hausted when the day work came to
close. Our allowance had been small
from the first but the delays we seemed
fatcd to encounter had made me reduce
them to what then thought the mini
mum quantity, six ounces Of brcad-dust
and lump Of tallow the size of wal
nut a paste or broth, made Of these
before setting out in the morning and
distributed occasionally through the
day in scanty rations, was our only fare.
We were all of us glad when. running
the boats under the lee Of berg, we
were able to fill our kettles with snow
and boil up for our great restorative,
tea. | may remark that, under the cir
cumstancas of most priva.ion, found no
comforter SO welcome to the party as
this. We drank immoderatcly of it,
and always with advantage.
While the men slept after their weary
labor. McGary and myself climbed the
berg for view ahead. 1t was a sadlcn-
ing one. We had lost sight of Cary Is
land but shoreward. up Wostenholme
Channel, the ice seemed as if it had not
yet begun to yield to the influence Of
summer. Every thing showed how in
tense the last winter had been. We
were close upon the lst of July. and had
right to look for the North Water of
the Whalers where we now had solid ice
or close pack, both of them almost equal
ly uufavorablc TO our progress Far off
in the distancc-how far | could not
mcasure-rosc the Dalrvmple Rock.
projecting from the precipicc of the is
land ahead but between us and it the
land-ice spread itself from the base of
Saunders island uabroken to the Far
South.
The next DAYS progress was Of course
slow and wearisomc, pushing through
alternate ice and water for the land-belt
We fastened at last to the great foe near
the shore. making our har6or in crack
which opened with the changes OF
tide.
The imperfect diet of the party was
showing itself more in the decline Of
their muscular powor. They seemed
scarcely aware of it themselves. and re-
ferred the difficulty they found in drag
riny and pushing to solnethsny uncom-
mon about the ice or sludse rather than
to their own weakness. But, as we en-
deavored to renew our labors through
the morning fog, bolted in on all sides
by lce-helds 50 distorted ana rugged as
to DEFY our Efforts TO cross them' the
truth seemeu 10 oaFst upon every one
we had ios' the iecl'hs ol munger anu
We're almost sat'shed wi'h our pasty
oroth anu 'ne iaf o'"usn'' oi 'oa "h'cn
accompanied H. was ANXIOUS 10 sen
our smali ooat' the Liic' across " I'll
lumme NH Appan, wnpfe Nne" rom
hsqulhauA we shou'u iha P19n'y oi
oirds' on. 'he s'fehs'h o' 'n' party
was lhsuiheieh' 70 utaa ner'
we were sotgi! o'sAe~'teneu' anu Goui' ,
only walt iof 'he 'os 10 rise' IN 'he hoP'
oi sonio sniooanei P.a''o. ~ '1"n '"as .ha .ha
wh1ch was ABOUT u.s. vi some ieeu INA
mgh' save as tne Painiu' iaool oi 'facA
ins. ! haa ei.moea 'he icepels R' ah'
there was hoshihs IN view except La
iymple nocA, win i's 'Gu oiaSS! p ,ao'
towering IN 'he unknown distance. Du
naruiy gov oach 10 my ooal' o.toto
gaze s'lush US rom ,he nof.nwes', IN : .ni', an,
noe, 'aA'S upon a sonsue u ,oo 49, ao'. y,
mic " .nI hor'n Vi US oeean "
SWING upou II Ake pivo' anu oioso si'"
~ III upon ouf mario" resting place.
AT first our own foe was driven be
fore the wind but in little while i
encountered the stationary ice at the
foot of the very rock itself. On the in
~ hla r,,,p rnc,