Adventure on an Icefield the Editor of the "Nowrit-Cuina Daty News"
'Sm—Vndoubtedly Mr. G. Wright, whose thrilling description of the ex: periences of the str. Shengking you published to-day, was correct in speaking of the recent cold snap in the Gulf of Pechibil as "the most severe lee conditions on record' and certainly the worst within living meniory." But the winter of 1900-01 remains' vividly in the memory of one of your readers for personal reasons, The steamer Kwanehi, about 600 tons burden, commanded by Captain Spear, Jest Shanghai amid the booming of guns from the numerous warships in the river on the occasion of the death of Queen Victoria, It interest to recall that Austeia-Hungary maintained a Far Eastern squad. Fon at that time. 'The concussion of that prolonged death salute, -by' the way, shattered most of the glass and crockery: ware on the Kwanehi.
The vessel duly arrived at Chefoo, tout was delayed for several days by contrary winds. When she at last yot way she encountered ce, at fist declusively tin, but Into which she soon found it aimeutt to penetrate, At last she Became wedged with her bow actually resting on the Joe, Among her more undistinguished passengers were Lieut. Mahon, R, Er and the writer," We had formed a friendship, fand with the arrogant confidence of youth we announced that we were yoing to walk ashore, tis extreme: ly dlileutt to judge of distance eross ce, and we thought that we could Kel ashore In a few hours as we could seo the shadowy outlines of the mountains behind Chingwantao, It was one o'clock in the afternoon that we left, thinking that ice that could bear the Kwanchi was strong enough for us. We speedily found that the feo varied in thickness, First Mahon went through and I had! some imleulty in rescuing him, and about half a mile further on T tested the temperature of the water and Mahon had equal difeulty Ju hauling out, "But we stumbled on, both fecl-Ing poetly sorry for ourselves, but to. proud to admit failure, by returning to the steamer. 'To cut the story as short us Tenn, about nightfall we came (0 an open stream. of water Funning through the tee' about 100 vardy broad, The shore Was the About @ mile distant. This definitely lucked ws and we sought to return the Kwanehi, But she bad mano to yet elf the ice, had towards Shanhaituan, We spent. the night on the fee. Ttwas ap expertence that 1 have no desire 19 repeat, Eventually, after many' vicissitudes, made el way ashore at two vielock the following afternoon, having been saved from certain death by a providential ieetloe upon' which We sprang and crossed to. safely, a Rocky Point. How we maneyed in nur weak slate to climb the lilly wunnd understand, but we did, and tallerwardy found i temporary. asylum in a Chinese temple where we were well treated by' the priests. A Punjabi Fegiment, T forget which, but Colonet Radeliffe was" in command, wae stationed at or near Chingwantao and
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.