Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-09-15

How does this wild north rock ap-
pear2 It's size is not great compared
with other mountains, bat it is fit
ting end Of great continent. 1t is
scanned with long lines of white and
black, as though marked by fire and
thunder. 1t has its caves washed by
epochs Of oceanic tempest. At its
base is a green fringe of seaweeds,
which, on near inspection, We find very
Shiny and dangerous TO stand upon.
Below this is white line of breakers,
in snowy contrast with the bleak
mountain and green margin. Our
vessel turns around the point and en-
ters into the shadow of the mountain.
The harbor, if it be one, is rs black as
ink. When we stop the screw stirs
the dark flood into flashes of green
and white, making it seem to boil with
unaccustomed noise, so deep is the ST.
lence and solitude. The throb of the
engine and the song Of the sea cease,
and we are comparatively quiet in this
lonely cove. We are sent on shore in
the captains gig, the captain himself
taking the helm. But the landing is
difficult. The slippery boulders give
unsafe footing, aud one woman at last
has to be carried ashore by the sturdy
sailors. The rest of us have to be
heedful of our steps before we are safe
under the frowning rock.
Some of our paTty-the more Wig
orous Scotch young men-endavored
TO ascend the gulch in the mountain.
1t has been done Our captain has
done it twice but not with such a
mass Of melted and melting snow a.
now fills up the gorge. We see them
afar up, on hands aud knees, patiently
climbing. They fail and have still
more trouble and danger in the de-
scent The captain calls his company
"A score of us--tog9ther, and the
difficulty Of reaching the small boat,
especially by the ladies, Is overcome.
On our return TO the ship each one
lays down his trophy. One has
piece of wood evidently borne by the
Gulf stream from American. 1t is
palmetto. He holds aloft Bayard
Taylor's description, with his proof of
the existence of the grand river in the
ocean. He dwelIs on Taylor's de.
scription of the island, Us il glowed
in the blended lovcliness Of sunrise
and sunset, and wondered if his pic
ture would be realized when midnight
came? Another Scotchman brings rs
his trophy beautiful grecn.cup, with
n diamond upon it, repeating the verse,
with a thrill Of music in his voice:
Hka blade of sras. k'r. it, drap Of deu.
Another has his thermometer, and
has been testing the heat of the wa
ter, and is reducing Raumer to Fab
renheit. Some have rounded pebbles
as paper-weight souvenirs of the spot.
The captain, who has been far up the
mountain-looking like 4 little sill
houette against the immaculate snow
brings "A variety Of Arctic howerets
for general distribution. My wife has
handkerchief fnll OF little love drops
of flowers on the iinicst of moss ten.
drills One sturdy engineer bears in
his buttouhoIe big boquet of the
smallest and prettiest of flowers known
TO the nomenclature of botany. The
beauty of the tropics in its daintiest
sense Is thus reproduced ut this frozen
and bleak end Of the continent
What a kind dispensation is that
which places amid the meagre moses
of this far.of Arctic rock these little
flowers? How brief is their summerl
May, June, all the seasons of the
horescence which are ours. are here
the work Of brief week or month.
These flowers are the smiles upon these
ultimate rocks. These are beauteous
proofs that summer has reached these
grim abodes, soon to be enveloped in
wintry gloom. They teach US TO be
Patient With our lo-s and pain.
Tar truubie'i space Of days 80 email.
But it is no time 10 reflect or moral.
izc. We prepare to move from our
enchanted, almost sinister, mOorings.
The gloom which Carlyle, in his "Teu.
fuldscroch," inspires, comes over the
soul as we take our last look at this
"Infnite Brine" on which he located
the low and lazy sun, slumbering on
his cloud couch, wrought of crimson
gold. yet with light streaming over
the mirror of waters, like a tremulous
fire pilIar-thc porch lamp to the
palace oil the eternal. Shall we real.
ize this weird picture of the cynical
yet sublime critic? We shall see.
Midnight draws near, aud all are
anxious. The anchors are lifted. The
unusual clangor disturbs one solitary
bird, cormoraut, which flies around
our boat as though inspecting the in.
vaders of his melancholy home. He
is used to sitting upon these rocks--a
lonely iisherman--from which, unlike
a 4 4.