Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-04-28
A FOREST OF lCEBERGS.
IMPRESSIVE SIGHT ON NEWFOUND.
LANDS COAST.

| er-Northcrnmost Lighthouse on the
American Continent-Hard Lot of the
Hardy Natives of Newfoundland.
While cruising along the coast of
Newfoundland, says writer in the
New York Herald, came on deck one
morning, and looking seaward saw
what can only be described as per-
feet forest OF icebergs. They were
drifting slowly down from the north,
those mysterious regions whence they
are borne by the Arctic current, which
flows close by Newfoundland and
largely accounts for the rigor of the
Newfoundland climate.
Stopping to count these icebergs I
found there were no less than 1856
huge ones in plain view and innumer-
able Others SO small that 1 took no ac-
count of them. Far beyond the line
of icebergs there was curious white
| glare on the horizon. The skipper
told me it was Gloom of ice." When
l asked him to explain his meaning
he said it was an atmospheric effect
produced by large masses of foe ice
in the distance.
Nor was all the ice seaward. Ice
bergs had drifted in between us and
the shore, and some large ones were
stranded, and the waves beat against
them with surf-like roar. In the dis
tance was the sea-circled heap of rock,
which is called Belle Isle-why, it
would be impossible to say, for more
grewsome, weird, uncanny object is
rarely disclosed to view. Lying
aHwart the entrance of the Straits of
Belle Isle, ice dashes against it, fog
hangs around it and sea gulls, crying
shrilly, encircle it. Upon its craggy
summit stands the last lighthouse,
north, on the American continent.
Beyond it the navigator steers into the
unknown for Greenland or the unhos-
pitable shores of Labrador. To add
to the desolation and uncanny sugges-
tiven ess of the scene. there is, half
way up the rock, q shelter for ice
crushed or ship-wrecked sailors.
All this L saw on n summers day,
and you may imagine how far more
rigorous the scene is in winter. From
September until June the straits are
ice locked, but the lighthouse keeper
on that lone outpost of civilization
must stay where he is all winter long,
completely isolated from the outer
world, with storms bowling about the
lighthouse tower and snow and sleet
beating against it. He cannot leave
it, for it is impossible to tell what mo-
ment the ice may break up. He must
be there to light the entrance to the
! straits the instant navigation becomes
possible.
The shores of Newfoundland are
deeply indented by bays, and in these
bays, in turn, are many little islands.
The narrow passages between these
go by the curious name of "tickles, {"
but after you have sailed through
them the word does not seem mis-
homer. You have a feeling that at
some remote epoch the sea must have
run out its foamy fingers and have
tickled the rock ribbed coast until it
split its sides with laughing. Some
of the scenery around these 'tickles"
Is pretty enough, but even in the fairest
weather there is a sense of desolation
in the rockiness of the scene and the
sparseness Of the population.
Often you will pass many islands
without seeing sign of human habi-
tation, and when you do see it it will
be little hut or tilt, as it is called,
made of upright logs, driven into the
ground, the chinks filled in with moss
and the roof often covered with sod.
have seen nanny goat contentedly
browsings.on the roof of Newfound-
land tilt. Sometimes the island on
which the tilt stands will be so rocky
that the fisherman will have his patch
of garden on small island near by.
1t so happens that enough soil is col
lected there TO make it worth while to
plant vegetables, yet the island is too
small for both garden and tilt. So,
while the men are out fishing you will
see the women rowing across from the
tilt island to the garden island in order
to till the sparse soil.
In winter the misery which prevails
along the coast of Newfoundland is
terrible. It is not too much to say
that every winter many of the dwellers
on this rocky shore are brought face
to face with starvation. Almost the
humblest American would turn up his
nose at what these poor people con-
slider luxuries. Outside of st. Johns
every place in Newfoundland is called
On outport. The interior Of the island
is absolutely wild. There are no set
Elements of any kind, save some small
Indian guide villages in the hunting
district. The entire outport popula.
ton may be said to live from fishing
in summer and sealing in winter.
When a Newfoundander says fish
he means Goldfish. Fish is to him
money. 1t is to Newfoundland what
cotton is to the South. The fisher
man goes to his trader in the spring
and practically mortgages his entire
catch for the season for his summer
outfit, which also includes provisions.