The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-05-20
CHAPTER XIX.
WE TAKE A VIEW OF THE ICE

For seven days the gale ragged with uncom-
mon violence: ii then broke, and this brought
us into the first week in August. The wind
fell in the night, and ! was awakened by
the silence, which you will not think strange
if you consider how used were my ears to the
fierce seething and strong believing of the
blast | lay listening believing that it had
only veered, and that it would come on
again in gusts and guns; but the stiffness CON
| tinued, and there were no sounds whatever
save the noises Of the ice, which broke upon
the ear like slow answers from batteries near
and distant half whose cannon have been
silenced
! slept again, and when ] awoke il was
$50 o'clock in the morning The French
man was snoring Justify. | went on deck
before entering the cook house, and had
| like 20 have been blinded by the astonishing
brillance of the sunshine upon the ice and
snow All the wind was gone. The air was
exqusitey frosty and sharp. But there was
heavy sound coming from the sea which
gave me to expect the sight Of a.trong swell.
The sky was a clear blue, and there was no
cloud on as much Of its face as showed be-
twixt the brows Of the slopes.
Ny attention was quickly attracted by the
appearance of the starboard cliff over against
our quarter The whole shoulder of it had
broken away, and / could Just catch view
Of the horizon of the sea from the deck by
stretching my figure. The sight of the ocean
showed me that the brcakage had been pro
| iigious, for TO have come at tina. prospect
before | should have had 10 climb 20 the
height of the main lower masthead No
other marked or noteworthy change did de-
tect from the deck; but on stepping 70 the
larbOard side to peer over ! spied a split in
the ice that reached from the very margin Of
the ravine-i mean 10 that end Of 1t where it
terminated in cliff-to and past the bows OF
he schooner by at least four times her own
length
returned to the cook room and Went about
The old business Of lighting the fire and pre-
pairing the brcakfast-this job, by an under
standing between the FrenChman and me,
falling to him who was first ont Of bed-and
ia about twenty minutes Tassard arrived
"Thc wind IS gone said he.
YES replied; 1T is q bright, stillmorn
ing. have been on deca. There has been
great fall of ice close TO-"
Does it block U.S.
mo on the contrary, il clears the way TO
The sea; the ocean is now visible from the
deck. Not that it mcnds our case / added
But there is a great rent IN the ice that puts
4 fancy into my head; I'll speak OF it later,
after a closer look"
The breakfast was ready, and we fell TO in
hurry the Frenchman sObbling like hog
in his eagerneSs 10 make an end. When we
were finished he wrapped himself up in three
Or four coats and cloaks, warming the under
ones before folding them ABOUT him, and
completing his preparations for the eXcur-
sion 10y swallowing half pint Of raw brandy.
babe him arm himself with "a short headed
spear 10 save his neck, and thus equipped We
went on deck.
He stood stock still with his eyes shut on
emerging through the hatch, crying out with
number of French oaths that he had been
struck blind This did not believe though
| readily supposed that the glare made his
eyeballs smart 50 rs 10 cause him good deal
Of agony. Indeed, all along had been sur
priscd that he should have found his sight so
easily after having sat in blindness for forty
eight years and it was not wonderful that
the amazing brillance on deck, shifting his
sight on a sudden. should have caused him TO
cry out us if he had lost the use of his eyes
forever.
l waited patiently, and in about ten min
rteS he was able 10 look about him, aud then