New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-08-05
SUMNER LEISURE.
AMONG TRE ICEBERGs.

ING OF ICEBERGs OFF CAPE SPEAR.
lPRoM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRB UEE !
ST. JOHNS, N. f., July GA peculiar
interest is centred in the idea OF g vacation
spent in this proverbially bleak and isolated
Northland, though it would seem at first rash
experiment to Detake ones self region where the
uries OF life only available in a tN and
where the prOspeetso the tourist Of adventure
and tOisOme travel
IN the last week Of May sailed in a small steamer
IRON New-YOrk to Halifax N s., where two weeks
passed among quiet, plOdding semirstic people. But
with these qualities the inhabitants OF the humdrmp
town OF Halifax combined ingenious manners am IN
dc onstratlve hospitality aud easy tact for making
money The officials OF this town inevitably prone
to assume the mannersms Of the English gentry, while
their clerks and surbOrdmates ape Gd nauseam the
idosyncracies Of the cOckney. The outand-Out Nova
scotan who pays little heed to politics, and is patriot
IN his waysO far as Nova Scotia is eODeerned-appears
10 be an admirable species. may add that this class
and made it point to inquire-genealy express a
stronger feeling for the States than FOR Mother Eng
land.
Several years ago Nova Scotia accepted terms Of con-
federation with the Dominion Of Canada and the old
Parliament House at Halifax, where the late Joe
Howe, OF Hants County, made the walls FesOund with
his feryent pleas In behalf OF responsible government
self-taxatiOn, and freedom from the Canadian Yoke"
is now pareelled out into Offices and petty departments
for the officials appointed OF Ottawa visit to the Colo
me, for in tho Summer of 1857 1 made voyage from
Liverpool with the Nova Scotia delegates who had
across on visit to the Foreign Office protest against
the scheme Of confederation. Whether they had sue
eeeded in thtir patriotic missio' seemed proDemate
the colonial statesmen themselves did appear to have
very clear convictions that they had arranged matters
in satisfactory way. Some OF the DelegatesExtraor
binary worried with dutifu anxiety over what their
constituents might think OF their diplomacy, and Others
bewailed not having uttered at the proper time and
place certain forcble arguments and feuotous hits
which most unfortunately only to light In the un
official smoking cabin of an Inman steamer.
TO my bewderment on landing at Halifax after that
pleasant voyage, the Delegates Extraordinary in whose
midst walked, were received by highly excited popu
lace with rounds Of applause and squalls Of hssng
they stepped down the gangway. The crowds looked
like mob with sinister intent that greatly
soled on finding myself in antiquated vehicle my
way to a hotel To my extreme disappointment was
apprsed some years later, that those colonial pat
riots had harered the precious rights OF responsible
government and the power OF taxation, by aIluring
their people into fruitless union with the Canadian
Government which had nothing return for and all to
gain by the contract
Ahttle new schooner lay of ChebuctOo Head one az
ternOOn during my recent stay when tired OF pen
colonial town, essayed turn at the and owed
far from Halifax. With spontaneous unanimity my
companion and broke into EXPLANATIONS OF approval OF
the pretty crafts Sheer" her "rallshness" her
the purpOrt Of the terms Our eoxswaiD Hegolandor
and versed 10 the prOvineiasms Of the sea, the
frankest OF crew, for the that he did
eudge bis memory for nautical expressions combining
himself to the passing remark She's cruel nice little
vessel" "Cruel is sometimes slang in Halifax when
the person using 1t means 10 be hyperbOlc in his utter
/ ances Of praise admiration.
We boarded the little schooner met her courteous
skipper and shown into a cabin of unexpected dr.
mansions and neat appointments After BRIEF parley
Told the captain Of the Ellen Gray that tired
Of Halifax that II out Of the question TO wait for
the next steamer to ST. Johns, and that n ho could
accommodate US with passage 10 Newfoundland,
! whittier he bound would sail for Bermuda the
following afternoon. Oh certainly the jolly skipper
wOuid be charmed TO accommodate II he could only
make comfortable enough, and besides be was only
waiting for breeze that might favor him quarter Of
an hour from then. But we explained the incon-
veuences that were prepared TO encounter during
vacation spent of the beaten track and 10 was arranged
that should take passage In the schooner Ellen
Gray.
Next day the desired breeze sprang up and the vessel
was got under weigh From the start had prosperous
winds and made the voyage from Halifax 70 st. Johns
in the remarkably short time Of four days and six
hours. Had the wind continued brisk enough to III the
/ canvas well the Ellen Gray would have surpassed
some Of the fabu,ousy swift voyages attributed 20
slavers, flibusterers and blOckaderuuners. During
the trip the tedium OF cabin life amply counter
Jolly skipper planned or suggested. We had miniature
targets for pistol practice, and account OF the rolling
OF the schooner the widest shots often made by
the best marksmen-the mate and ono Of party.
Tine was not allowed 20 carefully watch the move
ments the vessel, only two seconds allowed
for taking aim and shot made after the word 1.-TWO
did not count. The Captain was Ver1table artist at
the banjo and the hours from supper until bedtime
were joYOusly wbiled away by familiar songs and
ehoruses with occasional breakdown by Key" the
negro eabnbOy. The scenery which surrounded these
evening amusements on the main deck were the slowly
setting sum- and the sublmely mOnotOnous sight which
Virgil simply describes as THE sea on ali Sides
ALI aides the sea-" Late IN the afternoon before Cape
Spear was sighted the weather became unaecOuntaby
cold-sO bitterly cold that compelled to don
heavy OveroOats. While walking briskly 10 and FRO
the poop, well as our Impractical sea-legs would
allow and shiverng with Arctic GOODNESS, tho Captain
came and told us that he little doubted that we were
near one OF of the stray icebergs which casually
drift down from Greenland. and mako the air In their
we we're, therefore, the inmates of a vast
he Intrusion Of icebergs would have been DELIGHTFUL
Suddenly were startled by great crash Ike the
simultaneous explosion OF many heavy pieces OF ord
nance. Then followed medley OF low, mufted noises
fire Of rifles a0d then came sounds like booming of
cannon in the distance Half an hour later we saw
bugo iceberg Oscillatng like some cumbersome mon
ster Presently II otteTed and with sdelong ncDa-
ton It's way into tho bosom Of the sea Roar upon
Cape Spear, which were gradually becoming visible.
The Captain said that the first uproar came from a
/" perg that was partly sunk, meaning an iceberg
whose foundation had gradually melted IN those waters
its ron body having become 80 unequal IA weight 10
me horizon beneath the water as 70 cduse the whole
mass OF ice founder The Captain believed that h0se
ice snags" halfmelted bergs, Bnnkeu only snort
distance from the surface OF the water give substan
tal clue 20 fate OF many ship ike the CITY OF BOs
tn and others which, AFTER sailing, never heard o.
Now as we sail the light of Cape Clear IL quite ds-
nc and to the southward OFF Is the cosy settlement
Calvert afterward Lord Baltimore was once about 10
seftle down AGED fBheTs of Feryland VIII sun point
ou m the tourist vestige Of the sOiourn there OF
tle coOpizer of Maryland but there Is no record OF