The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1876-02-29
The Open Polar Sea.
BY J. 7. GoLDRIck.

Up in the Arctic ocean, in tho cold and biting
blast.
A saior stood the lockout, on the fore-to gal
liant mas,
To the south'ard an open ocean, crested and
fecked with foam;
Where the petrol swept the billow and the sea
NEW found home;
Where the drifting iceborgs glstened and nodded
to and fro,
Like stately towers and castles In the oeaseless
ebb and now;
Where the giant bowhoad sportsd and gamboled
Wild and free;
And the sea gull spread bis pinions and swept
n that Northern sea.
The bosts sped over tho billow, sklmmlDs the
tossing seas,
Urged by tho hardy whalemen and puts of q
favorng breeze;
And brawny sailor hurled an Iron keen and
bright
Into the ocean monarch, who Hed In wild alright.
Swift as a clipper standing under press Of sail,
The boat few over the billow, after the fleeing
whale.
North by cast she headed, faster still they go,
Away by berg and drih ioo, into an open foe
On either hand. the lee 6olds, stretching far
Behind, an open ocean, whore the bark at anchor
lay;
Ahead was hill and hummosk, and as far as eye
could see,
Lay tn. realms Of the frost king, silent, froter
sea-
ovs the rippllns water, after the whale they
glide,
Drift Ice all about them, bcrgs on every side;
Leaving the bark behind them, elsavinR the part
ing wave,
The rounded lofty Iceberg, and entered al
icy cave
The massive walls were gllttsrlng aud hashing
back the light,
The lofty roof was glowing In the glare Of jewell
bright,
Ths water, deep and wsvsless, rippled beneath
And tho echoes of the whales head upon theil
| senses steal.
| No thought had they Of danger, for each hear
was beating high,
Each had sworn to the other that the giant whale
should die.
They were straining on the tow line, and still
nearer they advance,
| And the msto was standing ready to heava th'
deadly lance.
But see, glimmer stealing, like the coming o
the sun,
Through the rosy gates Of morning, whom hi
nightly course Is run!
And flood Of golden glory burst upon ths
dazzlod sight,
As they leave the icy cavern and emerge into tn,
light
Of calm and placid ocean, where genial light
did smile,
And the breezes waited perfume from each yer
dure covered isle;
Where countless whales were sporting, and tn
dolphin glided free
In the clear and limpid waters Of AN open Po!a
Sea.
There were fair and lovely Islands in that strange
mysterious sea,
Girdsd round about with verdurs which wa
beautiful to sec;
Where the lofty palm was nodding 10 the odo
laden'd air,
And the Wales were studded over with blossom
rich and rare,
Binds of gay and brilliant plumage futtered il
the golden light,
And the sound Of falling water filled their sense
with delight;
And lovely village nestled In q green an
grassy dell,
Rom which was waited to their ears tbs soiemi
vcsper bell.
In the heavens that rose above them create
i wonders met each eye,
Brilliant lines Of rosy crimson radlatei throug
the sky;
Northern Bear
Shed his 1very beams upon them from the pure
upper air
Far behind thom lowered mountains, ruantled /
their tops with snow;
Where the glacier moved reslstlcss 10 tho ocsa
far below;
Whore Franklin's sailors rested, and the wind
sad dirges sung.
Aud white and lasting garment above sac
grave had flung.
Up in the Arctic ocean In the cold and bltip
blast,
A sailor stood on the lookout, on the fore to- ga
liant mast.
His eyes were fixed and CLASSY, as II their iigt
had fed,
Rigid was every muscle. and slumber bowed b
head.
They lowered him in s'eith-lins aud bore hll
down below;
They rubbed his frozen muscles Till the blood b,
gan to flow;
They brought him back from roaming ttro' tn,
fairy Northern sceno-
The whale was only a visloa; that Polar Sea
dream,
Twas but sailors vision In that cold and ssarcl
Ing breeze,
Twas but the wandering faneies Of one ebout
drowsy feeling stealing over the blOodle
brain;
A swsot and langaid thrilling through cvSI
pulse and vein.
The bark rode over the bllows, thu gala bega
to blow;
, Tbs sky grew black and gloomy, aud faster fe
the snow;
The iceberga pitched and tumbied, and under Il
{ good ships lee,
Lay vast and frozen ocesn-ays. and en- "0p'
Sea-"