Year: 1870

Some twenty years ago, in conse-
quence of the encroachment of French
and American fishermen upon our fish
ing g-grounds on the coast of New(ound-
land, the commander-in-chief of the
North American station hired and
equipped number of small fast-sailing
schooners. and dispatched them from
Halifax, Nova Scotia, to cruise on the
banks, for the double purpose of stop
ping encroachments, and also of pre-
venting the Newfoundland fishermen
from smuggling capeling a small fish
used for bait for Goldfish } to the French
island of st. Pierre, on which rock
bound coast it is not to be caught
OF one of these schooners l was put in
charge, and it was while running
throu gh the Straits of Bellisle, that the
adventure / am about to relate oc-
CURED to me.


had been visiting the stations on the
coast of Labrador, and was returning
to Saint Johns, Newfoundland, through
the Straits, when one morning l was
caught in heavy northern gale. As
night closed in, | reduced our sail to
treble reefs, and, knowing that ice was
knocking about, placed extra lookouts
on and remained on deck in charge of
the vessel myself.


To say the night was dark would
give no idea of the inky obscurity in
which we appeared to be sailing. One
could scarcely see an arms length, and
as for discerning any thing ahead, that
appeared impossible. l say appeared,
because there is much difference in
having something to look at and moth
ing; because, in the latter case, you
fancy nothing could be seen, even if
anything were there to be seen.


Meantime the breeze kept increasing,
and had the close reefs taken in
At midnight we were heading we'll out
of the Straits, and 1 thought l would
90 below and snatch an hours sleep,
and was In the act-of giving my orders
to the officer of the watch, when a
loud cry from the lookout men of, GA
sail ahead, standing right for US, sir!'
startled me. Rushing forward, saw
the heavy, indistinct form of what l
thought to be large vessel under a
press of canvass, within a cables
length Of us.


"Luff! luff all you canl" l bel
lowed to the man at tie helm; but he,
either misunderstanding my order, or
else having caught sight of the object
we were approaching, was too terrified
to carry it out, and, instead of putting
the helm down, put it hard aweather.
The schooner fell off, felt the full force
of the gale, and flew with redoubled
speed through the water.


In almost less time than it has taken
me to write the above half-dozen lines,
saw that it was no sail, but gigantic
iceberg! Had the helmsman luffed,
we might perchance have weathered it;
but it was now too late, and, with a
loud and fearful crash, which threw
myself and all near me to the deck, the
schooner struck full upon it, her fore
mast going short off by the board, but
fortunately injuring no one.


Cries of horror and distress arose
from all parts of the vessel. The
watch below rushed up on deck, many
of them without their clothes. All
was for moment dismay and confu-
sion, and as the schooner rose and fell
with the heave of the sea, the crash
ing forward showed that, unless she
fixed herself upon ice, she must, if she
backed off it, go down. Most for
tunately, she showed no sign of doing
this, and, as the force of the wind, aid
ed by every heave of the sea, forced
her still further on the berg, l began to
entertain some slight hopes of saving
my crew.


Collecting all hands, l told them that
the only chance we had of escape was
by their regaining their GOODNESS and
strictly obeying my orders, and that,
could we but land on the berg, we
would be comparatively safe.


then directed one watch to get up
provisions, while with the other l got
the main-mast safely cut away. This
done, l secured the end of the deep
sea headline round my body, and,
laying out along the bowsprit, l lowered
myself by a rope-end, and landed on
a part of the ice which the waves did
not reach, and with some difficulty sue
ceeded in scrambling up perfectly clear
of the spray. Here l found tolera-
bly, level space. The schooner had
struck on the least precipitous side Of
the berg, and having rur nearly hall
her length up out of the water, and be-
came firmly fixed; but this of course,
l did not discover until the day broke.


Returning cautiously, l hailed for a
stronger rope, and regained the deck.
found that during my absence
quantity of provisions and clothing
had been got on deck, which l directed
to be made into bundles and having
directed each person to secure one to
his body, caused the men to land on
the berg in the manner 1 had done
myself. Had 1 known how firmly fixed
the schooner was, we might have
spared that nights discomfort; but
not knowing, l deemed it advisable tc
abandon her at once, fearing she nigh
glide off, in which case no morta
power could have rescued her.


Leaving the vessel last, joined m,