The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1882-11-16
Around Cape Horn.
SHIP INANlIOE HAS A ROUGH PASSAGE. GALES
OF WIND AND FIELDS OF FLOATING ICE EN-
COZ INFERRED. ARRIVAL AT NIC'TORIt

| AL SEA. Lat. 4 ueS. >. Lon. 81 deg. W.
EDITOR JOURNAL: I intended writing from
Rio. but the cares and troubles of eakv ship
| took all the romance out of me, beside nothing
occurred on the passage worthy place in the
| columns of the journal. We had fine weather
| most of the time from Cardiff to Rio with the
exception of gale occasionally, which served
| to break the monotony of an otherwise pleas
ant passage. We were much pleased to receive
| the file of Journals kindly sent us and enjoved
| their peruSal very much. The Journal is al
| ways welcome guest in any part of the globe.
The city of Rio is beautifully situated at the
| foot of mountain range, and distance lends
enchantment to the view !" but on near approach
| ii proves very unattractvc. The streets are
very narrow and filthy, and the water front of
| the town seems infested with vile smells
and and sharks. Most of its denizens are in
one way or another connected with the ship
ping and deem sailor common prey, from the
captain TO the cook. The only buildings worthy
Of mention are the cathedral and Emperor's
palace, the latter resembling some charitable
institution rather than the abode of ROYALTY.
Most Of the citizens of wealth have fine resi-
dences III the suburbs. Some of them are per-
feet palaces, surrounded with gardens of tropi-
cal plants and fruits. The mountain scenery is
enchanting, and the views from Liiuca and
Corcoyado well repay the fatigue of the jour-
ncy. Looking north, the city and harbor
with its shipping lie spread beneath you, with
the beautiful bay studded with green islands,
backed BY the lofty range of Organ mountains,
of the world.
We left Rio July 10th, and had a fair run of
Il days to 30 deg. 5. in the Atlantic; from that
to 30 deg in the Pacific is called doubling Cape
Horn. wherein lies the rub So it has proved
to rs, at least. Some ships fly around in few
days with fair winds and weather, aud the cap
tain says doubling the Cape is nothing in COM
pari>on to our coast in winter. Others will
beat and buffet against adverse gales and seas
for weeks and dn the Cape as an enchanted
place and think the Flying Dutchman'S expert
encc Oft Good Hope nothing in comparison to
theirs. | viii try to give You a little expert
ence we had in the Atlantic regions at the time
YOU Were roasting and sweltering in the dog
days ut home. We passed Staten land August
9th, about u miles off. The land, completely
covered with snow, presented dreary and
dcSolate appearance. We held our course to
the southwark with an Increasing gale from
the westward, hoping to find the wind more
favorable in a higher latitude, but on attaining
the ) dc z. parallel the gales became 50 violent
that it reduced us down to three lower topsails
The night Of the 18th it was blowing furious
gale, with squalls of hail ana snow, of hurri-
cane violence, and a heavy. dangerous sea
running. NJ L. " took in fore and mizZen
lower topsails and hove the ship to, with
lower main topsail and trysai The baronl-
eter stood Is 10. thermometer 30 lee form
ed about the decks and rigging. At twelve
midnight, the wind shifting to w. 5. W. de-
cidcd to wear ship to the northward. With
in the last hour the sea had fallen fast and
cold increased. Called MI hands and while in
the act of wearing, found the ship WAS entering
a Arg" field of pack ice, extending Us far us
could re to the southwark i vast, white plain
showing in bold relief under the black stormy.
sky, lis edge extending W. :. w. and Z. y. F.
All on board realized the danger the ship was
in without being informed and worked accord
mgIy. Never was main yard squared with
more aacrity, and rs the old ship fell off before
the gale and began to gather Roadway She
craunched her way through the ice, seeming to
realize the peril she was in. Fortunately the
10y was in small pieces and well detached, and
after getting dead before the wind the ship
worked her way back slowly to the edge.
felt relieved when saw her bow entering blue
water again and determined to run off to the
\. y. L. until We We're well clear of our dan
gcrou> neighborS. We had not run the main
pack ont OF sight. when we encountered Il sec
ond lnStalmcnt. Not seeing ii in time to avoid
it we went tearing through it at the rate of
knots. It proved to be Il small field of loose
ice. After running to the N.-eastward for an
hour. and the sea rising as we increased our dis
lance from the ice we brought her to the wind
heading NJ W. The decks and rigging were
now mass of ice. and water froze IN the bath
room ot the cabin. After sounding the pumps
and finding the Ship made no water and max
ing all snug about decks. all hands were called
aft 70 "Sphca tn unta hrtce." Never was a nall-
tical ta>k performed with more cheerfulness.
A- each old tar came under the swinging lamp
IN the deck house to receive his portion, be
touched his fortIocl under his icy sou-wester
and with "a long life and health to YOU, Sir
swallowed his dram and departed.
II bew heavily the rest of the night but mod
Grated during thu next forenoon. 50 that we
could carry recfed top-sais. On examination
we found the ship was only damaged by the
copper being somewhat torn around the bow
Our observed position at noon of the 18th was
- deg. Is $. G3 deg. T. W. Adding the dis
tance run since midnight gave the northern
edge of the ice to be in 81 deg. 30 5. at the place
where we encountered it. [ have examined
the logs of some four hundred western passages
of ships around the Horn at all seasons. con
tained in Maury's sailing directions, and in no
instance was field ice encountered. Many ships
went TO 81 deg. :. 4 few saw iccbergs in that
latitude, which is not uncommon during the
summer season of this region. The tranquility
of the sea and low temperature of air and
water while in the vicinity Of the ice leads me
TO believe it was no small body but large field
extending many miles to the South. We had
strong westerly gales, with hail and snow for
several days after. but on getting up to the
Cape. Which we passed 30 miles off the winds
and weather We're more favorable.
Oct. 18th. We arrived safely at Victoria this
morning after passage of IS days to Cape
Fattcry. where we Were detained by an easterlv
gale for twenty-four hours. Will write again.
Yours truly, j. II. HERMAN.
SHIPPING ITEMS. Goss 4 SAWYER, at Bath.
Thursday noon, launcheda ship of 2003 SO tons.
owned by Messrs. Kelley, Moody, Patten and
Capt. Henry X. Otis. all of Bath. She will load
at New York for San Francisco. Capt. Otis
commands her.....The statement that the Ken
nebec 4 Boston Steamboat Co. propose to put
a propeller for freighting business and winter
travel from Bath, is pronounced false by the
stockholders in the company...... Light
House Board gives notice to mariners Of
change of lights on the coast of Maine: Notice
is hereby given that on July l, 1888. the 1st Or
der fixed white light now displayed from the
Eastern tower on Cape Elizabeth, will be
changed to ID order white light, flashing at in
tervals of 80 seconds The light on the Western