A PANORAMA ALL IN ICE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1266, 4 June 1896, Page 39

A PANORAMA ALL IN ICE.

No liner ever had a moro spectacular voyage than the twin-screw Atlantic transport steamship Middle, which arrived yesterday from London. Tho Mobile carried 34 saloon passengers, among whom were many children. When she struck tho latitude of tho south-easterly edge of the Banks, on Friday last, tho temperature took a tumble of 30d0g., and tho passengers who had been on deck for several days sought comfort in tliu saloon. At 8 o'clock that morning tho mercury had fallen to the freezing point. Captain Laylaud had observed at dawn an immense ice field to the south-west of the ship. Ho changed his course to tho westward to avoid danger in the masses of drifting ico. But ho couldn't escape the crystalline panorama, and the children, who peeped through tho ports at the gorgeous arctic show, were glad ho couldn't.

There was a stiff wind blowing from the ico cavern.'; of tho noith, and if was hustling tho big bergs down across the westward steamship track. There were fleets and Heels of them, so many that Captain Luyland couldn't, count them, and

I so fahtastic that the children couldn't be i persuaded to leave the purls for fear of I misoing any part of the spectacle. Tie. 1 I captain says that the sea t" the south of him l"i - miles and miles looked in the clear atmosphere like a city adrift. Tin' bergs were from 20 feet to 200 feet high. Some of them were, green, and simmered like spring foliage after a shower. Those were; bergs recently detached from the great glaciers of Labrador; others of the gigantic ileet were, snow white, and under the glare of the sun and the warm iuiluoneo of th.i Gulf stream Ihoy were fast going to pieces. Cataract.; and livulets pmiiod down their honeycombed sides into Lie sea with a gurgle that was heard aboard the ship. For four hour,; Hie Mobile threaded her way among fie; big ami little bergs and Hues. She was forced to change her coursu live times to avoid collision or imprisonment. Every now and then one of tho honeycombed ice mountains would " turn turtle," with a rush and a roar that filled the hearts of the littlo ones at tho ports with wonder and dolight. lii was so cold when the ship was in the middle of the great pack that only a few of tho hardiest; passengers ventured on deck. They wore their overcoats, and Captain Layland says that tho officers found pea jackets comfortable'. The biggest berg seen was about 200 ft high, and nearly il quarter of a mile long. If was decorated with minarets, pinnacles, .and all sorts of architectural ico frills. The ship steamed so close to several of tho big bergs that a good ball player might have easily tossed a bull to them. Sumo of tho bergs were almost circular and so white that thoy looked liked mammoth snowballs. Captain

j Layland says that ho doesn't believe that I the ice extended to tho southern steamI ship lane. Nearly all of the ico was melt- \ ing rapidly as it approached the edge of ; the Gulf stream. There was a very littlo of it to tho northward of him, but, as far /as tho vision extended, it stretched to the i south and the east. There was also a good deal of it to tho west. I Tho brand now steamship Glenlochy, : from Glasgow, which completed her maiden trip to this port yesterday, also had an exj perienco with tho bergs on tho same daj - . j Ono looked just like a dismantled steamship carved in crystal. It was awashamid- , ships. It had a well-defined bow and stem. The water pouring over tho sido was from the melting of tho berg, but it; had the appearance of being a sea. that had swept athwart the shiplike phantom.—Now I York Sun.