Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1891-05-29
LOST AMONG BUBBLES,

LOST AMONG BUBBLES.
While spending a few weeks shoot
ing in Labrador early in recent
autumn, | had an adventure which
was so singular that am sure the like
of it has never come within the cxpcr-
iencc of anyone else.
| was living at the house of fisher
man who had a little hut among the
rocks at the foot of a great cliff
From this place | could pass, at low
tide, to the cast or west of the cottage
for considerable distance along the
coast.
The coast was a series of bights or
coves, all open to the ocean, but
nearly every ono sheltered at the sides
by a long reef of rocks which ran far
out into the sea. The point always
protected the cove, and made it smooth
when the wind blew up or down the
coast
During such gale myriads of sea-
birds seek the sheltered side of the
reef and dive for small univalves
which cling to the rocks.
One morning took my dog to a
cove which l knew would contain
many sea birds. 1t was surrounded,
save for the front, by high cliffs, and
at one side a high ridge of rock ran
out into the sea. 1t was blowing a
gale, and throngs of ducks floated un-
der the lee side of this point, as the
water there was smooth.
As lay OH one of the shelves of
this reef, noticed that constant
stream Of foam passed across from the
windward side Of the point, where
the sea was chatting and churning
against the rocks, TO the little cup
shaped cave beyond.
Great masses of this foam, lighter
than thistledown, had already gath
cred in the shelter; and as a flaw from
the gale touched it, the mass quivered
from end to end.
What a mass it was! | could hard
ly believe my eyes as stood among
the rocks and looked across at it. 1t
was probably about an Gcre and half
in area, and how deep l could not tell,
though was sure that it must have
been forty feet deep we'll back in the
cove, and not less than ten feet any
where.
The mass was not white, but yell
lowish, though whenever the sun
burst through the scudding clouds the
bubbles all along the top cleaned in
rainbow colors. Still more foam came
drifting across the reef, settling on
the top and rolling along to find a
level.
Great masses of foam like this are
very common in the far north. They
disappear in few hours after the
storm which causes them, leaving
nothing but a soft, greasy paste on the
rocks. 1t was pretty generally be-
lieved at one time that meerschaum or
sea-foam pipes were made from this
matter.
This great, unstable, quivering mass
had an unaocountable fascination for
me. was seized with a strong de-
sire to go down and into il; and that
was Just what ] did, leaving my dog
beside my gun on a small patch of
sand.
Now as | have said, the cove into
which This froth was heaped was closed
round with straight cliffs except for a
little opening in front through which
the sea ran gurgling il marrow chan
mel. had TO jump across this chan
mel; and then | found eight or ten
square feet of bare beach, from which
the foam ran slantingly backward.
The bubbles We're of all sizes, some of
them being no larger that a grain of
shot, some of them more than an inch
in diameter.
The dog jumped across to where |
stood and looked into my face, WON
dering what | was about. l ordered
him back, and he turned away very
unwilingly.
first thrust my hands and arms
into the heap, and it became nothing
in my grasp. OF course all the bub-
bles had air in them, and | was sure
that ran no risk of suAocation in
plunging into the mass.
Ducking my head went in, under
mass fully 40 feet high, advancing
carefully lest there should be holes or
rocks In the way. 1t seemed to me as
if was moving the whole mass in the
cove, and very likely was.
put the bubbles away from my
face, and opened my eyes; before the
foam closed down again l noticed n
faint light. But my attempt at breath
ing was not comfortable. When | in