The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-04-29

TIL FROZEN

N|-
found my.elf on tho summit Of q Lini Of
table land VASE boGics of ice, every block
weighing hundreds and perhaps thousand
Of tons. lay catered over il, yet for the
space Of C. milo or so the character wasthat "
natness Southwark the range went upward
to O coastal front of souc hundred feet, with
n huddlo of peaks and strange configurations
behind soaring TO an elevation from the sea
line OF Two or three hundred feet. North
ward the range slOpcd gradually, with sUcha
shelving Of lis hinder part that could catch
a glimpse Of q little space Of the blue sea that
way. From this | perceived that whatever
Thickness and surface Of ice lay southwark,
in the north it was attcnuatcd TO the shape
OF q wedge. SO that It's extreme breadth
where D.; projected It's cape or extremity
would not exceed q mUsket shot.
Bon ca tie top of the range now. ! could
plainly hear the noises Of the splitting and
internal commissions Of this vast formation.
The sounds are nos dcscribabie. j. was im-
possible o. lz tic direction OF these sounds
tho island w. tlll OF them, and always sui
lcn,g booming upon the breeze was the voice
of the ocean swell bursting IN foam against
thcic. coast t.1t coafror-ei il.
Yol may talk III the sol tudc Of Sclkirk.
but surely the spirit q Loneliness in Aim
could not rival the unuttcrab.e emotion Of
so..tarlues- that filed I1y mind as | sent my
gaze over those miles OF frozen. ~s:irless white
ness. lie had tho sight Of fair pastures, of
trees making "a %twiukling twilight on the
sward, of grassy savanna and pleasant
slopes Of hills the AIR was Illuminated by
the glorious plumage Of flying birds, the
bloat Of goats broke the stiffness in the val
lcys there was q golden regale for his eye,
and his other senses were gratified with the
perfumes Of rich flowers and engaging con-
certs among the trembling leaves. Above
all, there was the soothing warmth of a de
liciOus climate. But out upon those heapcd
and spreading plains of snow nothing stirred,
II il were not once that ! was startled by a
loud report, and spied "a rock about half a
mile away slide down the edge of the lat
clif and tumble into the sea
turned my eyes ssawGrd.
There Were a few heavy clouds in the
northeast. SO stoaInlike that methought they
borrowed their complexion from the snow on
the islands cape There. / was pretty sare,
however, that there was wind behind them,
for if the roll Of the ocean did not signify
heavy weather near TO-, then what clse it be
toEeucd ! could not imagine.
l caunot cxprcs TO You how the very soul
within mo .hraul from putting 20 sea in the
little boat. Yet / could not but consider
that tNoall b. equally shocking o. me tobe
locked up in TINS ,lowly %crumbliug body Of
icc-nay, tcufoid moro s-hccking-and that,
if had g. choose between the boat and this
hidcoua solitude and sure starvation. would
checriuily accept fifty timcs over again the
perils OF q navigation IN my tiny ark.
This rclection c0mfortcd me somewhat.
and while ! thus unused / remained standing
with NY eyes upon the little group Of fanci-
fal fame, and spires Of ice on the edge OF the
abrupt hollow.
While looking at this my eye traced, a
little distance beyond, the form Of "a ships
spars and rigging. Through tho labyrinth Of
the ice outlines | clearly made out two masts,
with two square yards on the foremost. the
rigging perfect 50 far as it went; for the
tiguratiOn showed no more than half the
height of the masts, the lower parts being
apparently hidden behind the edge OF the
hollow.
The fabric appeared as if formed of frosted
glass. The masts had a good rake, and with
a seaInan's eye took notice of the furni
ture, Observing the shrouds, stays, backstays
and braces to he perfect. Nay, as though the
spiritartist of this fragile, glittering pageant
had resolved to omit no detail TO complete
the illusion, there stood "A vane at the mast
head, shining like a tongue Of ice against the
soft blue Of the sky. Come, thought I, re-
covering from my wonder, there is more in
this than 1t is possible for me TO guess by
staring from "A distance; SO, striking my pole
into the snow, | made carefully toward the
edge of the hollow.
The gradual unfolding OF the picture pre-