The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1877-05-05
For Thu Cecil VIII.
HARD YARNS by AN OLD SALT.
On tie Return Trip-7he Uncertainty of
Weafher at SEQ icejerys-.4 BeautifW
.Sight-ISut4 PASSAGE MrOuqh them. etc.

On tie Return Trip-7he Jnceytaintv of
weather at Sea lceJergs-4 BeautifuE
.'tght-SJe Passage MrougA them, etc.
Mr.. EDIToR:-Either recolections. clus-
terng around the luscious Brazilian fruit,
the effects of The tropical sun, or the bor-
rors impressed on my mind 10y Portuguese
John, who wished to sell his then first dis
covered gutta percha water proof suits, as
to what we should endure in our passage
around Cape Horn, so effected our digestive
organs, rs TO prevent our yarn for last
week. ct it turned ont to be fortunate
OMISSION leaving more room in your vau-
able columns to report the proceedings of
the late very interesting session of the
| Public School Institute of Cecil county.
The teachers and others connected with it
may be proud, as it shows that Maryland is
not behind her sister States in the cause of
education. Besides the views of the teach
ers, the citizens enjoyed rich treat from
addresses by some of their own members
| Prominent among them was one by r. G.
| Thackery, ESD, who with a flow of elo-
! quence. chaSte and beautiful language and
a grace of manner not often exceled, held
his audience enraptured for too short
t>perod. Let his motto be excelsior. =
| There are yet inches in the Temple of
| Fame to be filled. But methinks | hear
! you say, "W What has this to do with an old
| salts yarn | must, therefore, "vere
| ship, and contine myself to what | know
something about.
| Our repairs completed, provisions laid in,
officers and men recruited; the youngsters
! having seen the elephant-some of them to
their sorrow-the boatswain's mate having
had his spree on shore, we were once more
ready for another start, and TO facilitate
| our leaving that glorious harbor we had to
embrace the "land breeze" that prevails
from midnight to A. NJ, when the "sea
breeze sets in. Therefore, at daylight all
hands were called to get ship under way
Sail made to royal, the anchors weighed
and cat headed, and on: bows cast seward, |
amid the booming of cannon belched forth |
10y the different national ships of war, as a |
parting salute and wishes for a safe and |
prosperous voyage around the % bug bear |
to sailors, as the sun rose in all her gran
deur, we took our departure from Rio de !
.lanelro; and ere night approached were |
out OF sight OF land, anchors slowed, chains |
unbent, everything movable securely lash |
ed, matches ready to be battened down,
flying kites and tapering spars, sent on
deck, sea forgery put on, and we were
ready for whatever storms might arise.
With the blue above and the blue below
We were once more crooked in the cradle |
of the deep" Then broke upon us one of
those nights only to be seen in southern
ATTITUDES. AS the shades of night ap
preached, star after star blazed out until
the whole heavens We're lit up with a gal
axy more dazzling and brighter than mil
lions upon millions of diamonds: and most
prominent was that ever notable group, the
Southern Cross an object that never
fail
for there is attached to a beautiful legend,
always significant to their minds: viz,
. that just prior to the crucifixlon of our
Saviour, lie gave to His mother, the Virgin
Mary, diamond breach in the shape of a
cross, and that she took it from her bosom,
during the TRANSPORTATION, placed it in the
heavens, as an emblem of hope to the
sailor, teaching thereby, that amidst all
the dangsrs and privatlous he has to en-.
counter, there stlll is a safe refuge for him
at the foot of the cross. No wonder that
they lock upon it with veneration and awe
sure enough, as we began to approach
the more southern ATTITUDES, as John Por-
tuguese predicted, we began to find that
Old Boreas intended to show us that his
lungs had not become weakened, but was
going 10 give US Il specimen of how he
could blow, equal to some people of the
present day who do their own blowing.
Our little ship, which short time before
Was gallantlnS along under all sail, like
miss III her new Spring suit, waS brought
down. first to duubereeted topsails, then
to storm. staysails only; matches battened
down. not dry spot 10 be found, either Oh
deck OF below; bulk heads creaking; mast
and tlmbers groaning as if in their last
agoEies, as we were tossed to and fro by
the violence of the wind and the-raging of
RI, Va, fires i,,,I t,l T. /
ing " hard tack and fat salt pork, with mo-
lasses our only food. Who would not leave
4 good, comfortable home, to enjoy such
comforts. Yet our good old craft weathered
1t all. Then a lull for few days before
We reached still\ sGOrmier point; but ere
long We were called upon to encounter
much earlier than We anticipated, numerous
floating islands OF Ice, or lcebergs, several
OF them over five miles Ill length, two hun
drcd feet out OF water; and, when | tell
The landsman, that two>thirds at least of
these floating masses are submerged, they
may possibly form some idea of their mag
ntude One of them had lately capSlzed
or rolled over, caused by the action of the
water melting IL away underneath, until it
became top-heavy and rolled over. And
oh, what a grand and beautiful sight it
presented, as the sun shone upon it, por-
traying an enormous crystal city, SUCH as
the New Jerusalem is pictured by St. John,
in his Revelations: And these walls of
the city were garnished with all manner of
precious stones The first foundation was
jasper, the second sapphire, the third chal-
cedony, and the fourth emerald. With
golden palaces, lofty spires, broad avenues
gittering as paved with diamonds of the
first water. Towering fortresses, deep
caves, hanging with glittering stalactites.
Conceive all this, and you can form some
idea OF what | have SO feebly attempted
to portray. While working our way through
them, We saw and felt the shock of one of {
the largest as it rolled over, and though
distant three miles, our ship rocked like
bubble on the water. One night spent in
their midst, with their chilling atmosphere,
not knowing what moment you might be a
dashed against one of their 1iinty sides, !
was enough for time experience, and !
many d prayer assembled on high, as we
began to loose sight of them in the distance:
'Oh, Lord, how manifold are thy works.
In wisdom thou hast made them all, and
thy glory shall endure forever
Reservlug our doubling the Cape " for
a future article, close, hoping | have
neither wearied you or your readers.
Yours, L.