THE LAST CRUISE OF THE MIRANDA. 29 



it is a thing of beauty that adds a real charm to the monotonous 

 expanse of the sea; but distance lends enchantment to the 

 view, as we discovered on the following morning. 



It was foggy now, very foggy, and we were bowling along 

 at a speed of about seven knots, on the morning of July 17. 

 It was after breakfast, and a quarter after eight o'clock. I was 

 standing on deck talking to Dr. Cook and Mr. Kersting, when 

 suddenly the signal to reverse the engine was given. Simul- 

 taneously we looked forward, and through the dense fog there 

 loomed an immense mass of ice directly ahead. It was too 

 large a berg to give us time to clear it ; there was nothing to 

 be done but to strike it full and square. My eyes were 

 fixed upon that great pile of ice with a strange fascination ; 

 there was hardly time to think or to have the feeling of 

 fear communicated to the brain before, with a great crash, 

 we struck the awful wall of ice before us. The iron prow of 

 the ship ran right into the berg fully seven feet, and the ice, 

 crumbling and breaking from the shock, fell in a great 

 shower upon the forward deck. The reverse action of the 

 propeller now began to draw us away from the berg, and the 

 Miranda backed and careened to one side ; there was a ter- 

 rible moment of suspense, and then the vessel righted itself. 

 A cry arose to lower the boats, and many rushed to get them 

 in readiness. All this took less time than it takes to tell it. 

 I had last seen my young charge, Carl Garrison, in our cabin, 

 just forward of the dining-room, where he was engaged in 

 cleaning his rifle — a favorite pastime of his on dull days, and 

 one that brought to him dreams of the polar bear and the wal- 

 rus that would fall by it later on. Naturally, I immediately 

 went below to hunt for him, and as I passed through the 

 dining-room I caught sight of Commodore Gardner coolly 

 finishing his breakfast, as if unaware of the terrific shock that 

 had made havoc with the plates and dishes. I caught sight 

 of other forms also, rushing about in wild confusion. Cap- 



