The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1861-05-23
tflisfcllallll,
a Marvellous Escape

..
in slcdge, over the ice, to one of their set
Elements situated farther north.
They started early in the morning. Tht
weather was all that could DO wished to "a
vor their journey. In those northern re
gions the air is clear and biting to an extcn;
never known in moro temperate climates
The members Of their party were each
wrapped up warmly, and anticipated q pleas
ant drive. Their siedgc was drawn by dogs,
and driven by All Esquimaux Indian. AZ
other slcdge followed, in which were other
natives who were friends Of the mssionaries,
and among them was woman and her child.
The whole party were in high spirite.~~~
They had one hundred ard City miles 70 60,
which they expected to accomplish in about
two day IS most Of the way was eve? tho
frozen Hea, and the alcdgcs ran with case, and
the dogs were fresh and in full vigot
After thoy had journeyed some hours, ana
were a leng distance from the shore, upon the
clear, glistoning ice that covered the ocean,
they met sledgc containing some strange
Esquimaux Indians. These natives were
fastening for the land as rapidly as possible.
Tney barely stopped moment, and advised
the missionari' s to return at once to the
shore. They gave no reasons for their advice
and as the missionaries could see no cause
for returning. it was not needed by them.-
The wearthcr was fair. Hardly cloud was
seen in the sky. The frozen occ.n. as far as
the eye could reach. was as motionIess as
though the 'roachoroas waves benesth were
chained forever. No, many moments passed,
however, before tn ,ir driver thought he per-
ceived, what is called . glou',d.sv ell, under
the ice. He jumped from his slcdge. Ly-
ing dowo, he placed his eag upon the frozen
surface. lie then distinctly heard hollow
grating and roaring noise that seemed as if
ascending from the abyss beneath.
The travellers now quickeucd the pace Of
their dogs. Soon the motion OF the sea un.
der the ice was more perceptib!e. The dri-
ycrs turned for tue shore and urged the dogs
to their utmost speed. The wind soon began
to blow, and DARK clouds seemed to rise up
as if by magic from the horizon. The ice
began to break 1t opened here and there In
fisures and cracks one or two feet wdc
hese were rapidly crossed by the frightened
company, and still they urged forward their
dogs Oh their peril,us way.
But now the warning Signs increased
As the sun descended toward the west, the
wind rose 10 a storm. The snow upon the
rocks and mountainous Iedgcs of the coast
was violently driven up by occasional gusts,
and filled the atmosphere. The groun1-swell
increase, SO much that the vast body Of ice,
upreared by a troub cd ocean be cath, hcaved
teartully in many places, and rose slowly like
gathering waves. The slcdges no longer
moved swiftly and smoothly along, but could
with difficulty be preserved from overtUrnpg.
Loud noises, too, were heard in the distance,
resembling discharges OF cahnon, occasloued
by tn, breaking up OF the ice.
The EsquiuauX eagerly strove to gain the
shore; but it soon appeared evident that the
ice would burst midway between them and
the land AS they ncared the coast the
orospe, before them Was truly terrific. The
ice was grudin. and breaking into thou
sand pieces against the preciplces with tre-
nendous noise, which added TO the raging OF
;he wind, and the snow-storms driving about
n he air, utterly prevented their hearln@ or
seeing any thing distinctly. 1t was with the
almost diff ulty tie terrified dogs could be
lrged Onward ar.id the rising and falling Of
he icy sea. The divers paused few Sec
,nds in sort Of mute despair. Then, seiz-
ng the critical moment when the trembling
mass d shed wildly 10 the level Of the coast,
hey drove their sedges turiousy along it,
nd succeeded in their hazardous attempt.
They had hardly time to lock around them
fter gaining the land, when that part of the
&C from which they had just made tn ir es-
ape burst asunder, and the water forced it.
elf from below. In an instant the whole
rozen mass, in the widest imaginable ruin,
rohe loose. Tie vast surface, as far as the
ye could reach, was crumbling, crushing,
ling, and tossing itself madly, amidst o
lamor indescribablc and through which the
rayiny Of "a thousand trumpets could no
,oro have BEEN hoard than the puny voice Of,
child.
The missionaries were overwhelmed with
at their marvellous escape, and
ven the pagan Esquimaux expressed graft
Inc to God on account of their doliverauce.
Tpeir first care was to build snow-housc
bout thirty PAGES from the bach, and very
lad we're they to creep into its shelter,
nanking God for this place Of refuge from
be stormy wind and cold, which were so vio-