A WONDERFUL CLOCK

Waipukurau Press, Issue 310, 19 September 1908, Page 2

A WONDERFUL CLOCK

King Gustaf of Sweden, has a wonderful clock, the work of one of the famous Augsburg clockmakers of the fifteenth century, and it has had a curious history. It was presented to the late King Oscar by Nordenskjold, the explorer. It represents a formidable lion held by an Arab youth, and when the clock strikes both lion and boy move limbs and eyes in quite a natural fashion. Nordenskjold acquired it in Spitsbergen, of all places in the world. The explorer was in port, making preparations for a voyage in the Arctic seas, when some fishermen came to him. “ Since I began my life,” said one of them, “ I brought up many marvels from the sea. I know that there is no limit to the power of God, but, none the less, I was sore afraid when my net brought up a chest of metal so heavy that it burst the meshes and required four men to put on board. Bearing some witchcraft, we left it awhile unopened, but finally, with great labour, we used up innumerable instruments on ■what appeared to be the enchanted walls of the chest, and brought forth this.” The clock was revealed. Contemplating it, Nordenskjold replied : “ You are right my son! You cannot keep this prodigy. How much do you want for your ‘ catch’?”" For thirty crowns he bought the statue-clock, fished up from among the icebergs of the Polar Sea, and presented it to King Oscar. Specialists and antiquaries were consulted, and all agreed that it was one of the famous Augsburg clocks, made at the end of the fifteenth century. They further declared that it had been so well preserved in the ice and in its metal case that it would go.” The problem remained, however, as to the way in which an Augsburg clock should be found in the depths of the ocean off Spitzbergen. This, too, was satisfactorily solved, since all the important objects turned out by the clcckmakers were catalogued and numbered. References established the fact that this particular clock hacl been ordered by monks at Archangel for their protectory. Put on a Dutch ship, it had been despatched, and no doubt the ship was wrecked and the precious clock sunk where it was found off the ■coast of Spitzbergen.