The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1876-01-14
FoREeAsTI.E YAnNs.

nsh1bg had been good In the Arctic. al
the captain wonld not come while Il
flsh were SO plentifnl, although he kne
the danger of staying too long in Il
northern seas and the sailors. prover
lably careless of danger, OILY though
that each fish towed alongside added
the yalqqe OF their clay" The sea ":
( beglnalng to show signs of coming dai
ger, and was full Of floating blocks {,
ice and foes, but as yet not enough {
give cause for serious Apprehension
There was always danger at sea, an
especially in the whale-fshery that W
we'll Knew, but that We were in irnn1ed
aieadanger, no one wouid believe. w
had good ship aud kind officers, wh
always took their share in any danger
cheertully and bravely, as officers should
Ii 1t had been otherwise, themen " woule
have been clamoreus, long before TO
them to take the ship out of those seas
They would have smelled danger then
only too quickly.
We werefult now, however, and
were tosaii early next day for the South
Pacific, there to winter. The mel
were growing over the pleasant days
they were to spent among the delightful.
/ ly immoral inhabitants of the South Sea
Islands, and thinking of the quantity OF
IRoee they would stow away when once
at Tahiti. But their dreams Were bro
ken-that night by a call to the deck,
and AN order to sail at once. 4 They un-
dArstopd the. danger how; the wind
bad shifted, and was blowing quite
| strongly from the southwest. All those
/ floating fragments which had been pass
ing them for many days would be driv-
en- back upon them, crowding them in
upon that desolate coast; and If that
was done, it meant, st the least, win
ter OF terrible toll and danger in those
icy seas.
1t was beautiful! clear night, such as
we see only in the frigid zone. The
pale moon beamed full upon the turrets
and pinnacles of wering iccburgs. al
ready bearing down upon us in majestic
beauty for our destruction. A dozen
were in sight, al tending toward the
coast, and threatening us in their dumb
strength. Wesmust get ont OF this
we must clear the cape, forty miles is !
tant, or we We're doomed. Every MAJ.
was on deck at his station, for we knew
that it needed quick hands and willing
hearts to save us row, and to AVOID the
'bergs in our path. Two of the best
men were at the wheel, and the first
mate, n stanch old whaler, conned the
ship and gave orders. Again and again |
we seemed about to foul one of these |
lce-mountains; but, as often, the prompt |
orders OF the mate carried us out of dan.
ger, and the white mass passed us by /
on its way to the &C asst. 1t was mag
nificcnt sight, but fnll of peril, tor We
knew that many ship had been crushed
by the sudden ovcrturning of one of
these floating hills.
Twill be touch and go if we Gear
the cape," / heard the captain Wills
per to the second mate ttThe ice is
coming in fast now, and if the foe gets
ahead OF rs, it will be all we can do to
save the ship"
"Can't we carry li:tle more sail,
captain 90 said the mate, uncasi!y.
''It wont do now We are carrying
all we dare in this sea, for it is hard
70 avoid the 'bergs as it is.'' +
''lIard a-starboard {" yelled the first
nate S'Hdrd!n
The Prov OF the ship receded from a {
great berg we were approaching, and
We fairy seemed to fly. The next mo-
nent tie iceberg lowed its mighty head il
Ind went down with great surge and /
plasil, some of its pinnacles striking the {
yater scarcely a hundred yards astern.
he base came up from the depths of t
he sea, and the great mass sailed on its I
vay. % q
/
We ran north ten miles, for we need G
d that much ofiing to weather the cape, s
nd then headed southwest by west. e
We were now going through the water n
the rate OF ten knots an hour, scatter c
ng the spray before ms, while the bump
g OF small cakes of ice against our E
des told MS that the run was coming h
owl. rapidly. It was q night OF toll 81
nd danger, but when morning came "
@ were close to the cape, and as we "
,oked seward cry burst from every ir
P, as our danger became apparent.
Two miles of blue sea were clear, but f.
ayond that, we saw the ice-field stretch m
e away to the distant horizon. tossing es
nder the rays of the rising sun. K m
ast white surface, broken and irregular.
here great blocks had been forced L
rough the face of the field in yarious 10
ositions, coming down before the wind ia
ward the point which we desired to tn
lss, and we had yet some miles to go di
fore we could clear it. Captain Law ri,
n sprung mp On the capstan and look SO
out, and then spoke to his men. &.
Boysp he cried, his shrill voice al
lging nut like the blast of q trumpet. G,
'ou can see the danger Us well as /. lev
lele is time yet for us to go about and IL: u:
AXE a winter Iafbor, before the field ur
n strike us, butt think the chances NJ
out even whether we clear the cane Sa
not. Az many as arc in favor of ex
king the chances; hold up their right
nd. ssssfs5se - = .slssI 52.7 : 2
A cheer broke from the lips OF the ST.
W and every hand cams mp, and q pu
lie was seen upon the lace ofthe cat,-I sid
n tsfss4 ssssfzzftysss @szs5sg$ .s45s,i1s L.
You have voted as / wish. boys. to
brisk Mr. Frazer: set the studding int
Is and shake cut everything which to
/ draw, for Whist we want is speed Z
sssas s;5as n ss.s..s ...si..s me
Lay aloft, you sons of freedom 70 am