Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1889-10-25
NEW FOUNDLAND.
From ship and I Car.
For the Alma RECORD.

In such a sea as this, filled with
these strange, huge, needless, heart
less wanderers, on the wild. rough
and rocky coast, what must be the
dangers encountered by seamen when
down upon them comes the fog, the
darkness and the storm. Is it any
wonder that tablets in several of the
churches record tremendous disasters
in which went down whole families
of fathers and their boys on some
dark night? Often in the midst OF
richest blessings we forget the cost
at which they are purchased. Our
experience in fogs and storms was
by no means disastrous; yet we had
enough to show what light easily
be. On the second day out as we
drew near Hamilton Inlet, towards
evening a heavy fog settled down
upon us; and the problem was to pass
the tickle" Strait and do Stag Har-
Dor Run (entrance to inlet before
dark, 1t is surprising to observe
how accurately the ship captains
know their positions by the chart
from course and the log. From five
O'Clock unable to See any guiding OBJ
iect, about eight o'clock from sound
ings it was evident we drew near to
land. Onward at quarter speed We
crept through the fog, descending
the rocks at the bow just in time to
back off: tried again, and again pull
led back from the black, i'll defined
masses of rock towering far above
our mast head. a few efforts and
the vessel feels her way into Stag
Harbor, where anchor is dropped
beneath the cliff, and the captain
says, "Here for the night" but the
mist lifts a little and we can see the
close encompassing hills that form
the harbor; and again he says "If !
were around that point and past a
certain ledge of rock we could get on
well enough. But the fog closes in;
and what ever the captain thinks, the
passengers are more than reconclled
to remain there under good shelter
But there is another rift and the
first thing we hear, the little engine
is hosting anchor. We back out Of
the harbor, round the point, put our
nose into the''tickle" crawl along.
Everybody on board is nervous
and all eyes are strained, for we
are just ignorant enough to be timid.
But there is faith in the captain.
The ticklish point is reached, the fog
is dense: so we fall off again into
a bay and anchor again for the night.
But scacrely had auchor touched
bottom when there is another open
ing another hosting another creep
ing and cautious advance; another
moment of high strung expectance
and anxiety; a burst of relief
There, were through a sharp click
Of the bell; off at increased speed,
then by course and log and sounding
in more open water on undera clear
err sky to Fogo the focus town of
this island of fire Terra del Fuego of
the North at its northwest angle;
and with capacious harbor narrower
at the north than that of St. Johns
1t just looks and feels queer to be
poking around among these rocks at
midnight, and foggy at that. Surely
knowledge is defence: a strong de-
sire to shun evil guided by sufficient
knowledge is a triumphant safeguard.
We pull out of Fogo a little after
midnight by the same narrow gate
way where man might almost jump
to rock on either side of the ship;
and the Twillingate light greets us
flashing across the waters for thirty
miles. The morning brought us by
another narrow rocky entrance into
Twilingate, the capital of the north,
comparatively new and thriving
town; and the breakfast hour gave
us sweet and enjoyable repast after
which we wentoff ship board in our
own home.
(THE END.