374 WELL-MANAGED STEAMER.
five feet in thickness, rising from eight inches to a foot and a half above the water, and interspersed with ice bergs, some of them comparatively small, and others of portentous size and altitude. By the Divine blessing upon nautical skill and presence of mind, we were a second time extricated from these besieging and para lyzing foes ; but our path still lay through clusters and hosts of icebergs, which covered the whole sea around us. The captain, who had not left his post of respon sibility during the night, reported between three and four hundred distinct ones, visible to the naked eye. There they were, of all forms and sizes, careering in every direction. Their general aspect was vitreous, or of a silvery whiteness, except when a sunbeam pierced the mist ; then they loomed up, and radiated with every hue of the rainbow, striking out turrets, and columns, and arches, like solid pearl and diamond, till we were transfixed with wonder at the terribly beauti ful architecture of the northern deep.
The engine of The Great Western accommodated itself every moment, like a living and intelligent thing, to the commands of the captain. " Half a stroke ! " and its tumultuous action was controlled ; " a quarter of a stroke ! " and its breath seemed suspended ; " stand still ! " and our huge hulk lay motionless upon the waters, till two or three of the icy squadron drifted by us ; " let her go ! " and with the velocity of lightning we darted by another detachment of our deadly foes. It was then that we were made sensible of the advan tages of steam, to whose agency, at our embarkation,
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