SIGHTING ICEBERGS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2240, 30 September 1889, Page 2

SIGHTING ICEBERGS.

The passengers ou board tie pasaeng r railing ahip R doey, Captain Borrot f whioh reaohod Sydney a fortnight ago from Loudou, bad a grand view (f Tolar. icebergs while crossing the Southern Oceai. The meridian of !h« Oapo of n»;>d EL.p» -as crossed on Ju-y 22nd, m 40dff. 47m. south, and at daylight on July 23, an iceberg rome two miles n length, and from 700 ft to 800 t ir. height, waa pasaar', and baforß dusk 11 other berg 3 were soon from the deck, whilst from the maiu royal yard many more co 1 Id ho counted, ail varying m Blza from 20Cyda t) balf a mile In length , and from l_Uf fc to 500 ft m height. T c bergs themselves were simply perfeotion n grandeur, aud of all shapes, so that tha eye could easily fashion mountains, dihedrals, castles, snd towers out of them, Ono Imm^nso berg looked Ike tbe loaning t)wer of PiS-, greatly enlarged, but it. < soon loßt lie balance and fell over with a terrific roar, oausing a great oommoiloa In the water. At midnight on the came day a huse berg waa passed on the starboard aide of the ship. The weather afterwardo became very th'ck, and It wao Impossible to shs a hundred yards ah aad of the ship. It was then dseired prudent to bring tbe _hlp to the wind till daylight. Shortly aft r this the wind oleaced up aud no futtu r toa was seen. It was observed that there were pleoes of ice a long way to leeward, even to a distanoe <f two miles from the bergs, making the approach to them at night or m thick weather very hrztrdous. The thermometer did not give any indication of their presence, although the majority were paeaed tn leeward.