Black Horse

The Island Mistaken for an Iceberg

In short: Before a snow squall, a shape at sea looks like an iceberg. When the sky clears, Captain Heard’s wife tries to sketch its outline.

The Island Mistaken for an Iceberg · A silhouette emerging from snow FAIRY TALE ATLAS · № 291 The Island Mistaken for an Iceberg Before a snow squall, a shape at sea looks like an iceberg. Origin Eyewitness testimony from the 1853 voyage of the Oriental. Atlas record 1853 First appearance Exact date unknown SIGNATURE MOTIF A silhouette emerging from snow Reach¹ 1/10 Suggested age² 8+ Member rating No votes yet 1 records · 1 countries or regions blackhorsestories.com

¹ Based on the number of Atlas countries, capped at 10. ² Editorial suggestion for reading this page. Discover Black Horse’s question

Origin and tradition

Eyewitness testimony from the 1853 voyage of the Oriental.

On 25 November 1853, aboard the Oriental, the captain takes a shape in the haze for a large iceberg. Snow hides it. When the sun comes out, the captain’s wife uses a telescope to make out the outline, but glare on the water and snow on the heights blur the edges. The eyewitness account, reproduced by the Australian Antarctic Program, shows how difficult it could be to identify an island at sea before it appeared on a chart. The pin indicates the approximate area around the island.

Dated records and sources

  1. 1853 · Waters off Heard Island · approximate
    Australian Antarctic Program · Discovery · Mrs Heard’s eyewitness account · Eyewitness account

Country pages

Origin
Black Horse. The Island Mistaken for an Iceberg. https://blackhorsestories.com/en/atlas-tale-heard-island-iceberg/