Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-10-09
AN EXCHANGE OF SHIPS.

] " Z NNAt W ittiAiiS IL INV %hhNftN -
the north of Point Barrow, Alaska, in the
old Scotch bark Emma Davis. That was
my fifth whaling voyage and no ship could
have had worse luck. When we had been
out fourteen months we had to buy bar
rel of oil to keep our lamps going. We had
sighted whale now and tnen, but they
were as wild as deer, and twice when we
had made fast we had our boats stove and
lost two or three men. We had lost top
masts. been aleak, had several sails de-
stroyed, been ON fire, and it seemed as if
the very devil was to pay with the voyage,
and yet no one could blame any one else.
1t was simply ships luck" and we had
to make the best of it. Finally, late in the
season, when we ought to have been head
ing for the south, we got among the
whales That is, they suddenly appeared
all around us, and on the very first day we
/ killed four without accident. We cut them
in without trying out, as this was the
| quicker way to dispose Of them, and the
| last of the blubber was no sooner over the
/ rail than down went the boats and two
/ more whales were secured.
/ The winter gales were at hand and ice
4 was making fast but it was our golden OPP
| portunity. We drifted slowly to the south,
killing and cutting in as we went, and if
we could have had two more weeks of it we
could have filed the ship. One afternoon,
as we had a half cut whale on each side
of us, a gale sprang up, heavy snow
storm came on and in less than an
hour we had to let go Of our prizes and
look sharply after the bark. 1t was the
beginning Of the arctic winter, and while
the captain was satisfied of it he decided to
take one more chance There might come
few days Of fine weather after the gale
and so we drifted away to the north 20
wear out the gale. For thirty hours there
was no let up and every half hour we had
To turn out and shovel snow over the rails
just as the gale broke we got among the
field ice, aud the temperature went down
in four hours from 2 degs below zero to
IS dogs below From a gale blowing
at the rate of forty miles an hour the
wind died out until it hadn't motion
enough to flare candle. On that first
night, when we were surrounded by field
ice and drifting with it, many of the men
were badly frostbitten, and the frost
cracked through the old ship like muskets.
Morning came without breath OF wind,
with the temperature down to 81 degs. be.
low, and now every man knew it was one
chance in ten for us, We were drifting
very slowly TO the south, and while we
made everything as snug as possible the
captain hoped for break before winter
actually shut down. Before noon the sea,
as far as could be discovered from the
crows nest with glass, was covered with
field ice, and by night the temperature was
30 degs. below. We kept up our fires and
got out all the spare clothing and bedding.
but many Of the men suffered with the
cold, and no one slept more than ten min
utes at time on account of the noises
When morning came again it brought in
wind, while the cold was just as intense
and we could now discover great change
in the ice around us. It was rugged and
broken, the heave Of the sea having piled
cakes on top of each other, and the field
was four or five feet thick. The old man
himself went to the crows nest and took !
long look. and when he came down he said
TO the men, who were waiting to hear his !
words:
Well boys, it looks very serious to me,
and expect you had better prepare to win !
ter this side Of Dundee"
That settled il with US. We turned TO |
and began to caulk and batten to keep out
the cold. and in a couple Of DAYS we were |
As ready as we could be- For four days |
and nights there wasn't puff of wind with |
the cold so intense that ice formed to the |
thickness of seven feet alongside the bark.
At daylight on the morning of the 9Th a |
squat came out Of the southwest, accom-. |
panied by snow, and before noon the ice
field was broken up. At noon the wind |
died almost out, but within an hour il |
shipped To the north, and away went every.
thing to the south. A wilder sight than
sea covered with great cakes and blocks of
ice, each one tossing, grinding and crash
ing on its own account, no one ever saw
We dared show only a rag of sail-iust
enough to give her Storage way-and the
smashing she got that afternoon seemed
enough to break every timber in her bows.
At night the wind fell again, aud at
O'Clock the thermometer marked ~ degs
below. As soon as the heave Of the sea
subsidized the ice was firmly welded to
gether again, and when morning came
there were hills and hummocks in sight as
big as the ship. The men were now told
by the mate that our position was about
ninety miles north Of Smiths bay, and
that our iioe was no longer drifting This
signified that the southern edge OF il rested
against the shore ice, and that we were in
for it, unless some unlocked for streak OF
luck came to our aid
Next day there were heavy wind squalls.
but the ice did not break nor did the shin
move. That settled il. For the next week
we had Gains and squalls. with the tenn
perature ranging from q TO IS degs. be
low, but the pack was as solid as a rocky
ledge. We were housed in by this time
and had established the winter routine
and the arctic night had come For the
next month, not 70 weary the reader with
ietails. our life WAS that 50 often described
N the books Then a sudden and terrible
interruption came. The bark began To
leave out The first movement occurred
1t about 70 o'clock In the forenoon. and
He'd everybody with dire alarm. After
i've minutes she beavod again, lifting right
lut q the solid held, with great cakes
,hngiag . Der, as Il machinery was at
vork A. she ifted she canted 70 star.
'oarsi. and at noon her decks were
L an angle % - degrees Il has
llwavs seemed % ne thai powder
'ught % have been used 70 blow up The Ice
lroand her and iet her back. Indeed. bad
iot oor captain Eot so badly ratified We