The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-10-27

IectIy clear OF lhe spray. Here l found
tolerably level space. The schooner
had struck on the least precipitous side of
the berg, and, having run nearly half her
length up out OF The wafer, had be-
come firmly fixed but this, of course,
did not discover until the day broke.
Returning cautiously, hailed for a
stronger rope, and regained the deck. /
found that during my absence 1nanti;v
OF provisions and cioihing had been got ON
deck, which directed TO be made into
bundles, and, having directed each person
TO secure one to hIs body, | caused the
men to land on the berg in The manner
had done myself. Had | known how
firmly fixed the schooner was, we mic BIT
have been spared that nights discomfort
but, not knowing, | deemed it ad, isabl
To abandon her at once, fearing she might
glide of, in which case no mortal power
could have rescued US.
Leaving the vessel the last, juined nv
men on the ice, and then, In few feryent
words, we thanked the Almighty for our
escape, and implured his protection
L can scarcely picture the horrors of
that night. / would fain indeed forget
them, but that is impossible We had
preserved our lives for the present mo,
m~nt, but we knew not at what moment
the schooner might break up, or glide off
the ice, and then what could we exsect
but starvation in its worst form Strange
TO say, we did not suf' SO much from the
cold AS might have been expected proba-
bly, the sense of our greater danger rem
dered US less susceptible TO the lesser one.
We had many hours to wait till day.
light, but as several of the men had their
pipes and tobacco in their pockets, and /
had box OF lights, we smoked. and. bV
keeping close huddled together, goi thro'
the night better than might have been ex-
pecied. To favor Us still further, the
wind fell very much, and veering round to
the southwark, made il much warmer.
Morning dawned at last. and what a
change from The previous day Then
We had good staunch vessel under our
feet; now, we were adrift on an iceberg,
our poor little schooner half in, half ont
"f wafer, with II hole in her bows biz
enough to drive n wagon through bat tie
storm had ceased, aud the sea was rapid
ly going down thick fog came on, but
that we cared little about
Our first act was again to offer our
thanks to that benIficent Power who had
so mercifully spared US. This done, we
descended TO the wieck, and then saw
that she was 80 firmly fixed, that, unless
heavy weather again came ON, we might
get make her our home for some time TO
alf ~ h. 4
our puwer to make her seawurthy again,
even If II had been possible for US to
launch her, which it most decidedly was
not.
Climbing on bnard, the cook was at
once set TO light the galley fire ard pre-
pare breakfast, and | then cast about for
some means of securing her in her posi
tion, and this / determined to do, by lay
ing the bower anchors out on the ice, and
heaving in laut on the cables.
breakfast over, we rig9ed a pair of
sheers, and dismounfIng one of ouI guns.
got It's carriage over the bows, and lowers
ing the starooard anchor into it, cnntrived
by the aid of deck-iackle to drag it I'D
to the level space we had spent the night
on.
This done, we served the port>anchor
the same. and then dragged the ends of
the cables TO them and reshackled them
We then, by the aid of pickaxes, buried
the anchors securely in he ice, and bring
ing the cables TO the windlass hove them
taut. Doing his occupied as nearly the
whole of the day..
Again night approached, and again we
assembled but this lime ON board the
schooner-to offer up our deliveranee
and then, having set a watch, turned in
and slept The sleep of the tired
Another dawn brought no change in
the weather, the fog hanging like pail
around US, and The sea continuing smooth
and calm; but towards night the wind
sprang Cp again from the north, and clear
ing the fog off, gave US hopes of being
able on the morrow 10 determine our
position, which had every reason to
believe was not very far from frequented
fishing ground but we were again disap-
pointed, for before daybi eak the fog came
down again, and another day was passed
in uncertainty and doubt.
During the afternoon, / eDdeavored to
form some idea of the size of the berg,
but was unable to do so. The highes,
point we could see appeared TO be about
one hundred and fifty feet in altitude but
IT rose SO precipitously from Ihe plain on
which we spent our first night, that we
could not ascend it, SO were unable TO
form any conjecture AS TO its shape or
size One fear alone haunted me, and
that was that il might capsize, and /
could not help remembering hat l had on
previous occasions seen icebergs do SO
without giving any warning. save pre-,
nfonitdry rocking but this was not des
tined to be our fate, and our third night
passed unmarked by any accident.
About noon of the fourth day the glo>
rious sun shnne out, and Quickly dispelIed
the fog, and our eyes were eladdened by