New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1879-04-02
an ADVENTURE ON An ICEBERG.

An ADVENTURE On AN lCEBER6s
Peter Alswig was the Government
cooper in the little Danish Colony Of
| Upernavik, on the West Coast of North
Greenland. He had gone thither when
. young man, intending to remain only
short time, but he married there dur
ing the very first year, and. with .
family growing up about him, it was
not strange that he became perma-
nent colonist.
His frst-born was q son, and he
named him Carl Emile. Young Carl
grew up to be q tall, bright-eyed, act
i've fellow, and, bleak and desolate as
was his native Upernavik, he loved it
dearly. Had he wished, he could have
gone home to his fathers old home in
Denmark, whore for youth of his age
there were many advantages that {,
wild Greenland colony does not pos. .
sess; but Carl cared for none of them;
he preferred the perfect freedom of hi,
life, the CHEEKY shop where he worked
by his fathers side and the excitement
OF the seal-hunt. Beside, there wss
Nickolina. Nicholina was the daughter
Of the Governors assistant, and it was
said that in all that country round
about, there was no one like her; no
girl SO pretty, no girl SO kind, SO gem
erous or SO good. Carl would have
made sorry work of it had he tried TO
hide his feelings toward Nicholina; as
it was, they seemed to be known to
everybody but Nicholina herself. When
he would fain talk seriously, her merry
laughter forbade it; she would never
listen to him. She seemed never to
think Of marriage. Some people
said she was too proud, and that
she thought there was nobody good
enough for her. She was, however,
never backward in promoting plans for
general pleasure. In all dances and
festivals she took q leading part, and
possessing q fine taste and great skill
in needle-work, she was always con-
spicuous on such occasions, for her
cunningly embroidered dress of cloth
and seal-skin, trimmed with tender
eider-down, and her jacket sparkling
with beads.
So it came about that slthough Carl
was always happy he was never quite
contented. But he was brave, manly
fellow, who was not ashamed of his
own thoughts, and he worked blithelY
at the barrels and tubs, with no fear for
the future.
Perhaps all this made Carl care less
for the public festivals and dances than
the other young men. At any rate al
though the Spring Festival was at hand,
he went off to hunt seals with his
father.
Seal-hunting in the spring is greaas
event in Greenland life. Thera is one
kind of seal that cuts holes in the ice
with its sharp claws, and when the
sun shines the animals come out of the
water and sleep. While thus sleeping
they are approached by the hunters,
who conceal themselves behind white
screens attached to little sleds which
push noiselessly over the ice. I'll.
Peter and Carl decided that they
would 60 to Peverick, little rocky un-
inhabited island about twenty miles
to the northward of Uperna.1ik. The
ice, as seen from the hill behind the
village, was firm all the way to the
island; but, outside, it had been already
a good deal broken up and drifted off
by recent gales.
Not much time was needed for prep
aration. They would take the whole
family, consisting Of two boys and two
girls beside Carl Emile and their moth
er, and they would stay two weeks.
Peter took three of the children and
the family tent on his sledge, while
Carl took his mother and one brother
and all the camp fixtures. Each sledge
was drawn by nine strong dogs, and the
journey was quickly made. The tent
was pitched on level spot overlooking
the sea, and, after hearty supper and
q good nights rest, the two hunters
harnessed their dogs to their sleds, and
drove at a lively pace far out upon the
frozen sea. After some time, they dis
covered a number of seals lying beside
their holes, and the dogs were quickly
made fast to q stake driven in the snow
drift, and each hunter was soon behind
his white screen and sled, stealing eau
tiously upon the game. Bat though
they moved very slowly for half an
hour. tho seals somehow became fright
ened and plunged into the water before
Peter and Carl got within shooting
distance from them.
This was an unlucky failure, especial
ly as no more seals were to be seen in
any direction. A small iceberg in the
distance, however, seemed to offer
better spot from which to survey the
ice-tield, and, having driven to it, the
two hunters proceeded to climb it.
They looked out over the great waste,
but few seals that they perceived far
off did not tempt them. and as strong
wind had suddenly sprung up and a
storm was threatening, they felt that
there would be no luck on that day and
they might as well 60 back to the camp
at Peverick.
When they had descended the sea-
ward side Of the iceberg, they paused q
little WHILE, attracted by an immense
fight of sea-gulls that came sailing
about the icebergs, uttering wild, dis
cordant screams. While watching the
birds, they were startled by noise sud-
den and appalling as of tremendous
discharge of artillery. A huge iceberg,
not half a mile distant, had split in
two, and, as it fell apart, it set in mo-
ton great waves which threatened to
shatter the ice in all directions. AL
ready, as they gazed bewildered,
long crack spread with loud splitting
noise between them and the shore!
Not moment was to be lost! The
dogs heads were turned tow ard Peve-
rick, the long lashes whistled in
the air, and away they dashed
as hard as they could 60 over
the dark, treacherOus ice. Too late!
Too late! As they approached, they
could see the black assure grow wider
and wider, and, when they reached the
edge, the eddying water between for
babe all hope of crossing.
They drove back to the iceberg and
climbed it, hoping to find that to the
northward the ice still held fast to the
mainland. They were disappointed.
On every side they saw the water.
They were afloat upon q great raft Of
ice that was bearing them steadily away