Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1856-10-09

hard and fast to the side of the iceberg"
''Keep her away!' cried the skipper.
5000, Steady" and by thus alter
ing our course we brought the iceberg
right ahead. The iceberg had been in
sight since the weather cleared at mid
night, when it looked like some high
rocky head, except that by watching the
bright stars behind it, we could see its
gigantic outlines swaying solemnly and
majestically up and down. There was
something sublimely grand in the slow,
stately movement of such mass. There
it tioated, large enough, had it been land
to have been the dwelling place of hun
dreds ofhuman 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 light pale green,
while onits lofty summit were long slen-
der spires Of fantastic forms, and either
of a crystal .whiteness or tinted with a
beautiful pale pink. There were bays
and promontories, caves and grottoes,
hills and dells, with every variety oflight
and shade. The island was almost
equally divided by great valley run
ming through its centre. This was half
filled with snow, which, having slowly
in the sun, formed the source of a water
fall, at height SO great that is was blown
and scatterd intotinerain before itreach-
ed the sea. Around its base-on which
the sea was breaking with noiseless
booming and more musical than when it
dashed 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 vast, smooth, glas-
sy plane, inclinins steeply towards the
sea, and terminating abruptly in 4 ire
mendous 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 pcering through his glass, when
he said, at is n mann'
Every glass in the ship was in requisi-
ton, and every eye strained towards one
point. The excitement became almost
frantic when one of the watchers sudden
ly exclaimed that he saw the man move
his hand.
We approached SO near at last, that
the plateau above, and its dread object,
were at last hidden from view by the
brink of the precipice itself, which seem
ell as if about to roll over and crush us.
We sailed along it's side, frequently ly-
ing to, to explore each nook and corner
as we passed. The farther end of the
island, when we rounded it, presented
quite a new feature; the base was sap
ped away and undermined for about hall
mile by succession Of low cavernous
hollows, extending inwards farther than
we could see, while the sea rushing in
and out unanimously, made the pent-up
air within howl and whistle like hurri
cane. Altering our course again we steer
ed almost due west under the southern
side, where its vast shadows preado ut tar
and wide over the ocean. 1t now look
ed even grander, darker, more fear-in-
spring than before, with the sun beam
ing over its rugged crest or shining
through the thinner parts and showing
all the prismatic colors Of the rainbow.
The form of the island was that of an
irregular triangle, and i'll 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 a calm, and the sea as still
as mill pond; much less in such q
heavy surf as was then toaming and
Dreaming all around it. No sign of liv-
ing things was seen excepting one great
sleepy seal, that had crept into hole
just above water mark, and lay there as
if he was in comfortable quarters. Nc
sign Of boat, or spar, or wreck. 1t was
a picture OF utter desolation.
We hove to again, at the nearest point
upon which the man upon the iceberg
could be seen. He lay upon his back
with one arm folded in an unusual man
ner under his head, the whole attitude
being one of easy repose; indeed, had
it 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 of the better class of sea,
men, 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 wooden
stuff, apparently piece Of the same
which he wore around his neck. This,
no doubt, the poor fellow had intended
planting on the heights as q signal. In
such a thin, clear atmosphere, with the
aid of a 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 that
he recognized the man-he was quite
sure of it-an old chum and ship-mate
of his, with whom he had sailed many d
long voyage, and some of whose wild
varied history he told us the next eve.
ming. What seemed to convince him
more than anything, was the peculiar
way in which the dead mans arm was
slowed away under his head-his old
shipmate always slept SO, even in his
hammock.
Numerous and strange were the con.
lectures and remarks made by officers
and men. Who, and what was he? How
long had he been there? How did he
get there? The general conclusion was
that he was one of the crew of some YES.
sci wrecked upon the iceberg itself, OF
which no vestige remained.
Perhaps he was aloft when she struck,
and got pitched up where he is now"
Gas like to be pitched into the moon, y
rejoined another contemptuously. why
that there precipice is three times as
hinh nc tho fauntIaSt mast ax-ar rioyual y
perhaps, now," suggested a third,
sits some awfnl cruel skipper, who's
been hazing and ill-using of his crew till
they couldn't bear with it no longer,
and was drove to mutiny, and put him
ashore there, all alone, to die by himself,
50 as they shnnld NOT have his blood ON