The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1899-06-08

Was q home when I was. We both
tried 70 arrange 1t better. but some
thing would always interfere TO prevent
our ,peeting. Still We never abandoned
the hope of getting together some day.
The same thing occurred when went
to Glasgow, in Scotland, in ship called
The Robert Burns. The vessel to which
Sam belonged had left the place only
the day before, and gone down to Car
diff, in Wales, to load with iron for
home.
At Glasgow our homeward cargo was
soon taken in, and after dropping down
to Greenock we made sail on our return
voyage; and how romantic the Scottish
coast appeared as we passed. under all
sail. down the Firth of Clyde. There,
close at hand. were the isles of Butte and
Arran, and there, too, was old Ailsa
Craig. SEQ feet high. How l enjoyed
| such scene!
We doubled the Null Of Cantyre, ut
the mouth Of the wide firth, and with
every sail drawing, from courses to
royals, passed rapidly out through the
North channel, between Scotland and
Ireland-the stout ship pitching and
rolling merrily as she took the broad
swells that met her from the Atlantic.
Some of our Scottish passengers wept
outright as the beloved shores of their
country faded away; and heard one
of them repeating q verse Of poetry.
something like this: .
Butte, Arran Isle Is passed,
Scotland farewell. for hilea Craig
Is out Of sight at last!'
On We went, leaving astern the great
Irish promontory of Malin Head. until
Ireland, as well as Scotland. sank final
~ below the horizon. And now, with
only the wide ocean about her, the Rob
ert Burns kept steadily on her why.
Then commenced the usual routine
Of sea life. We had our wheels" and
our "lookouts," each man in his turn
standing two hours at the wheel and an
equal time on the top-gallant forecastle.
to guard against any possible collision
with another vessel.
II being the month Of June, there ex-
listed some danger from floating Ice,
which had begun to come down from
the north. loosened by the summer sun.
We, however, kept on our way without
seeing single fragment, until close OF
Cape Race, In Newfoundland.
One very dark night. when We were
nearly up with the cape. I took my po-
sition ss usual on the top-gallsn. fore
castle, which was about four feet high
er than the deck. and one foot below
the head-rail. IL was impossible to sec
anything through the darkness, but the
lookout must be kept all the sams.
The ship was moving only sbout three
knots an hour, and was seated on the
head-raii with my legs hanging over It
when suddenly there was heavy shock,
which threw me Aeadlong over the bow.
remember the shock and the plunge,
but nothing further. Ny head must
have struck With force enough to stop
III thought rendering me entirely IN.
conscioua
When recollection returned II was
near morning. though Il was still dark.
Al last the sun came up, and then I was
abis 70 realize what had happened.
Iwas on an Ice field. and the ship was
out Of sight A. soon - my head BE-
came sufficiently clear 70 admit Of CO.
herent thought saw how the accident
had occurred, and why I had been left
behind. The ship, l reasoned. must
have struck . glancing blow on cor
ner Of the drift ice, and then, her head
way being stopped, and her topsails.
perhaps, being caught aback, she he'd
cleared the obstruction and finally slid
past It. All this, sdmitting that she
had not gone TO the bottom, which
thought not improbable, though she
was moving 80 slowly at the time. OF
course, in the darkness, I would not be
missed. or, II 70, ! should be supposed
to have been drowned.
My head ached badly from the blow II
had received, but otherwise ! felt In
sound condition.
As the sun mounted higher I saw that
the field OF ice was Of no great length,
comprising. should think. five or six
acres, with the surface about four feet
above the water. What was I to do2
Nothing at all, but remain there till
should starve to death. There was no
land in sight, no sail visible; and when.
ever, since then, I have heard Q person
complain Of loneliness I have thought
Of that hopeless morning.
Towards evening there came up .
heavy gale from the northwest, raising
tremendous sea, which broke con.
tinually against the windward side Of
the Ice. sending q deluge Of water over
the entire field, but my strange raft was
quite steady through the whole; being.
ss I suppose, too large TO pitch like q
ship t..
The night which followed, waa, Of
course, short one in that latitude, but
the gale continued, and the SEQ roared
and swashed 30 that did not get much
comfort from the morning light. Soon
after daybreak discovered close over
my head a flock Of wild geese. which
had No dOuht hesu driven ~ fro,v, ~ a