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The Voyages And Adventures Of
Captain Hatteras
By
Jules Verne
Contents
PART I. THE ENGLISH AT THE NORTH POLE. =
CHAPTER II. AN UNEXPECTED LETTER.
CHAPTER VI. THE GREAT POLAR CURRENT. =
CHAPTER VII. THE ENTRANCE OF DAVIS STRAIT. =
CHAPTER VIII. THE TALK OF THE CREW. =
CHAPTER XI. THE DEVIL'S THUMB.
CHAPTER XII. CAPTAIN HATTERAS.
CHAPTER XIII. THE CAPTAIN'S PLANS.
CHAPTER XIV. THE EXPEDITIONS IN SEARCH OF FRANKLIN.=
=
CHAPTER XV. THE FORWARD DRIVEN SOUTHWARD. =
CHAPTER XVI. THE MAGNETIC POLE.
CHAPTER XVII. THE FATE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. =
CHAPTER XVIII. THE WAY NORTHWARD.
CHAPTER XIX. A WHALE IN SIGHT.
CHAPTER XXI. THE DEATH OF BELLOT.
CHAPTER XXII. THE FIRST SIGNS OF MUTINY. =
CHAPTER XXIII. ATTACKED BY THE ICE. =
CHAPTER XXIV. PREPARATIONS FOR WINTERING. =
CHAPTER XXV. ONE OF JAMES ROSS'S FOXES. =
CHAPTER XXVI. THE LAST PIECE OF COAL. =
CHAPTER XXVII. THE GREAT COLD AT CHRISTMAS. =
CHAPTER XXVIII. PREPARATIONS FOR DEPARTURE. =
CHAPTER XXIX. ACROSS THE ICE-FIELDS. =
CHAPTER XXXI. THE DEATH OF SIMPSON. =
CHAPTER XXXII. THE RETURN TO THE FORWARD. =
CHAPTER I. THE DOCTOR'S INVENTORY.
CHAPTER II. ALTAMONT'S FIRST WORDS. =
CHAPTER III. SEVENTEEN DAYS OF LAND JOURNEY. =
CHAPTER IV. THE LAST CHARGE OF POWDER. =
CHAPTER V. THE SEAL AND THE BEAR.
CHAPTER VII. A DISCUSSION ABOUT CHARTS. =
CHAPTER VIII. EXCURSION TO THE NORTH OF VICTORIA BA=
Y. =
CHAPTER X. THE PLEASURES OF WINTER-QUARTERS. =
CHAPTER XI. DISQUIETING TRACES.
CHAPTER XIV. THE POLAR SPRING.
CHAPTER XV. THE NORTHWEST PASSAGE.
CHAPTER XVI. NORTHERN ARCADIA.
CHAPTER XVII. ALTAMONT'S REVENGE.
CHAPTER XVIII. THE LAST PREPARATIONS. =
CHAPTER XIX. THE JOURNEY NORTHWARD. =
CHAPTER XX. FOOTPRINTS ON THE SNOW. =
CHAPTER XXII. THE APPROACH TO THE POLE. =
CHAPTER XXIII. THE ENGLISH FLAG.
CHAPTER XXIV. POLAR COSMOGRAPHY.
CHAPTER XXVI. RETURN TO THE SOUTH.
"=
;To-morrow,
at the turn of the tide, the brig =
Forward
, K. Z., captain, Richard Shandon, mate, will clear from New Prince's Docks=
; destination
unknown."
This announcement appeared in the Liverpool Herald of April 5, 1860.
The sailing of a brig is not a matter of great
importance for the chief commercial city of England. Who would take notice =
of
it in so great a throng of ships of all sizes and of every country, that dr=
y-docks
covering two leagues scarcely contain them?
Nevertheless, from early morning on the 6th of
April, a large crowd collected on the quays of the New Prince's Docks; all =
the
sailors of the place seemed to have assembled there. The workingmen of the =
neighboring
wharves had abandoned their tasks, tradesmen had left their gloomy shops, a=
nd
the merchants their empty warehouses. The many-colored omnibuses which pass
outside of the docks were discharging, every minute, their load of sight-se=
ers;
the whole city seemed to care for nothing except watching the departure of =
the Forward .
The F=
orward
was a vessel of one hundred and se=
venty
tons, rigged as a brig, and carrying a screw and a steam-engine of one hund=
red
and twenty horse-power. One would have very easily confounded it with the o=
ther
brigs in the harbor. But if it presented no especial difference to the eye =
of
the public, yet those who were familiar with ships noticed certain
peculiarities which could not escape a sailor's keen glance.
Thus, on the Nautilus , which was lying at anchor nea=
r her,
a group of sailors were trying to make out the probable destination of the =
Forward .
"What do you say to her masts?" said
one; "steamers don't usually carry so much sail."
"It must be," answered a red-faced
quartermaster, "that she relies more on her sails than on her engine; =
and
if her topsails are of that size, it's probably because the lower sails are=
to
be laid back. So I'm sure the Forw=
ard is going either to the Arctic or Antarct=
ic Ocean,
where the icebergs stop the wind more than suits a solid ship."
"You must be right, Mr. Cornhill," s=
aid
a third sailor. "Do you notice how straight her stem is?"
"Besides," said Mr. Cornhill, "=
she
carries a steel ram forward, as sharp as a razor; if the Forward , going at full speed, should ru=
n into
a three-decker, she would cut her in two."
"That's true," answered a Mersey pil=
ot,
"for that brig can easily run fourteen knots under steam. She was a si=
ght
to see on her trial trip. On my word, she's a swift boat."
"And she goes well, too, under sail,"
continued the quartermaster; "close to the wind, and she's easily stee=
red.
Now that ship is going to the polar seas, or my name is not Cornhill. And t=
hen,
see there! Do you notice that large helm-port over the head of her
rudder?"
"That's so," said some of the sailor=
s;
"but what does that prove?"
"That proves, my men," replied the
quartermaster with a scornful smile, "that you can neither see nor thi=
nk;
it proves that they wanted to leave the head of the rudder free, so that it
might be unshipped and shipped again easily. Don't you know that's what they
have to do very often in the ice?"
"You are right," answered the sailor=
s of
the Nautilus .
"And besides," said one, "the
lading of the brig goes to prove what Mr. Cornhill has said. I heard it from
Clifton, who has shipped on her. The Forward
carries provisions for five or six
years, and coal in proportion. Coal and provisions are all she carries, and=
a
quantity of woollen and sealskin clothing."
"Well," said Mr. Cornhill, "the=
re's
no doubt about it. But, my friend, since you know Clifton, hasn't he told y=
ou
where she's bound?"
"He couldn't tell me, for he didn't know;=
the
whole crew was shipped in that way. Where is he going? He won't know till he
gets there."
"Nor yet if they are going to Davy Jones's
locker," said one scoffer, "as it seems to me they are."
"But then, their pay," continued the
friend of Clifton enthusiastically,--"their pay! it's five times what a
sailor usually gets. If it had not been for that, Richard Shandon would not
have got a man. A strangely shaped boat, going no one knows where, and as i=
f it
never intended coming back! As for me, I should not have cared to ship in
her."
"Whether you would or not," answered=
Mr.
Cornhill, "you could never have shipped in the Forward ."
"Why not?"
"Because you would not have answered the
conditions. I heard that married men were not taken. Now you belong to that
class. So you need not say what you would or would not do, since it's all
breath thrown away."
The sailor who was thus snubbed burst out
laughing, as did his companions, showing in this way that Mr. Cornhill's
remarks were true.
"There's nothing but boldness about the
ship," continued Cornhill, well pleased with himself. "The Forward ,--forward to what? Without sayi=
ng
that nobody knows who her captain is."
"O, yes, they do!" said a young sail=
or,
evidently a green-hand.
"What! They do know?"
"Of course."
"My young friend," said Cornhill,
"do you think Shandon is the captain of the Forward ?"
"Why--" answered the boy.
"Shandon is only the mate, nothing else; =
he's
a good and brave sailor, an old whaler, a good fellow, able to take command,
but he's not the captain; he's no more captain than you or I. And who, under
God, is going to have charge of the ship, he does not know in the least. At=
the
proper time the captain will come aboard, I don't know how, and I don't know
where; for Richard Shandon didn't tell me, nor has he leave to tell me in w=
hat
direction he was first to sail."
"Still, Mr. Cornhill," said the young
sailor, "I can tell you that there's some one on board, some one who w=
as
spoken of in the letter in which Mr. Shandon was offered the place of
mate."
"What!" answered Cornhill, "do =
you
mean to tell me that the Forward <=
span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> has a captain on board?"
"Yes, Mr. Cornhill."
"You tell me that?"
"Certainly, for I heard it from Johnson, =
the
boatswain."
"Boatswain Johnson?"
"Yes, he told me himself."
"Johnson told you?"
"Not only did he tell me, but he showed h=
im to
me."
"He showed him to you!" answered
Cornhill in amazement.
"He showed him to me."
"And you saw him?"
"I saw him with my own eyes."
"And who is it?"
"It's a dog."
"A dog?"
"A four-footed dog?"
"Yes."
The surprise of the sailors of the Nautilus was great. Under any other circumstances=
they
would have burst out laughing. A dog captain of a one hundred and seventy t=
on
brig! It was certainly amusing enough. But the Forward was such an extraordinary ship, that one=
thought
twice before laughing, and before contradicting it. Besides, Quartermaster
Cornhill showed no signs of laughing.
"And Johnson showed you that new sort of
captain, a dog?" he said to the young sailor. "And you saw him?&q=
uot;
"As plainly as I see you, with all
respect."
"Well, what do you think of that?" a=
sked
the sailors, turning to Cornhill.
"I don't think anything," he answered
curtly, "except that the Forw=
ard is a ship of the Devil, or of fools fit =
for
Bedlam."
Without saying more, the sailors continued to =
gaze
at the Forward , which was now alm=
ost
ready to depart; and there was no one of them who presumed to say that John=
son,
the boatswain, had been making fun of the young sailor.
This story of the dog had already spread throu=
gh
the city, and in the crowd of sight-seers there were many looking for the
captain-dog, who were inclined to believe that he was some supernatural ani=
mal.
Besides, for many months the Forward had been attracting the public attention=
; the
singularity of its build, the mystery which enshrouded it, the incognito
maintained by the captain, the manner in which Richard Shandon received the
proposition of superintending its outfit, the careful selection of the crew,
its unknown destination, scarcely conjectured by any,--all combined to give
this brig a reputation of something more than strangeness.
For a thoughtful, dreamy mind, for a philosoph=
er,
there is hardly anything more touching than the departure of a ship; the
imagination is ready to follow her in her struggles with the waves, her
contests with the winds, in her perilous course, which does not always end =
in port;
and if only there is something unusual about her, the ship appears like
something fantastic, even to the least imaginative minds.
So it was with the Forward . And if most of the spectators =
were unable
to make the ingenious remarks of Quartermaster Cornhill, the rumors which h=
ad
been prevailing for three months were enough to keep all the tongues of
Liverpool busy.
The brig had been built at Birkenhead, a subur=
b of
the city on the left bank of the Mersey, and connected with it by numerous =
ferry-boats.
The builders, Scott & Co., as skilful as a=
ny
in England, had received from Richard Shandon careful plans and drawings, in
which the tonnage, dimensions, and model of the brig were given with the ut=
most
exactness. They bore proof of the work of an experienced sailor. Since Shan=
don
had ample means at his command, the work began, and, in accordance with the
orders of the unknown owner, proceeded rapidly.
Every care was taken to have the brig made
exceedingly strong; it was evidently intended to withstand enormous pressur=
e,
for its ribs of teak, an East Indian wood remarkable for its solidity, were
further strengthened by thick iron braces. The sailors used to ask why the =
hull
of a ship, which was intended to be so strong, was not made of iron like ot=
her
steamers. But they were told that the mysterious designer had his own reaso=
ns
for having it built in that way.
Gradually the shape of the brig on the stocks
could be clearly made out, and the strength and beauty of her model were cl=
ear
to the eye of all competent judges. As the sailors of the Nautilus had said, her stem formed a right angle =
with
the keel, and she carried, not a ram, but a steel cutter from the foundry o=
f R.
Hawthorn, of Newcastle. This metallic prow, glistening in the sun, gave a
singular appearance to the brig, although there was nothing warlike about i=
t.
However, a sixteen-pound gun was placed on her forecastle; its carriage was=
so arranged
that it could be pointed in any direction. The same thing can be said of the
cannon as of her bows, neither were positively warlike.
On the 5th of February, 1860, this strange ves= sel was successfully launched in the sight of an immense number of spectators.<= o:p>
But if the brig was not a man-of-war, nor a
merchant-vessel, nor a pleasure-yacht, for no one takes a pleasure trip with
provisions for six years in the hold, what could she be?
A ship intended for the search of the Erebus and the Terror , and of Sir John Franklin? No; f=
or in
1859, the previous year, Captain MacClintock had returned from the Arctic
Ocean, with convincing proof of the loss of that ill-fated expedition.
Did the Forward
want to try again the famous North=
west
Passage? What for? Captain MacClure had discovered it in 1853, and his
lieutenant, Cresswell, had the honor of first skirting the American contine=
nt
from Behring Strait to Davis Strait.
It was nevertheless absolutely certain to all
competent observers that the Forwa=
rd was preparing for a voyage to icy region=
s. Was
it going to push towards the South Pole, farther than the whaler Wedell, fa=
rther
than Captain James Ross? But what was the use, and with what intention?
It is easy to see that, although the field for
conjecture was very limited, the imagination could easily lose itself.
The day after the launching of the brig her
machinery arrived from the foundry of R. Hawthorn at Newcastle.
The engine, of one hundred and twenty horse-po=
wer,
with oscillating cylinders, took up but little space; its force was large f=
or a
vessel of one hundred and seventy tons, which carried a great deal of sail,=
and
was, besides, remarkably swift. Of her speed the trial trips left no doubt,=
and
even the boatswain, Johnson, had seen fit to express his opinion to the fri=
end
of Clifton in these terms,--
"When the Forward is under both steam and sail, she gets t=
he
most speed from her sails."
Clifton's friend had not understood this
proposition, but he considered anything possible in a ship commanded by a d=
og.
After the engines had been placed on board, the
stowage of provisions began; and that was no light task, for she carried en=
ough
for six years. They consisted of salted and dried meats, smoked fish, biscu=
it, and
flour; mountains of coffee and tea were deposited in the store-room. Richard
Shandon superintended the arrangement of this precious cargo with the air o=
f a
man who perfectly understood his business; everything was put in its place,
labelled, and numbered with perfect precision; at the same time there was
stowed away a large quantity of pemmican, an Indian preparation, which cont=
ains
a great deal of nutriment in a small compass.
This sort of supply left no doubt as to the le=
ngth
of the cruise; but an experienced observer would have known at once that th=
e Forward was to sail in polar waters, from the ba=
rrels
of lime-juice, of lime lozenges, of bundles of mustard, sorrel, and of
cochlearia,--in a word, from the abundance of powerful antiscorbutics, which
are so necessary in journeys in the regions of the far north and south. Sha=
ndon
had doubtless received word to take particular care about this part of the
cargo, for he gave to it especial attention, as well as to the ship's
medicine-chest.
If the armament of the vessel was small enough=
to
calm the timid souls, on the other hand, the magazine was filled with enough
powder to inspire some uneasiness. The single gun on the forecastle could n=
ot pretend
to require so large a supply. This excited curiosity. There were, besides,
enormous saws and strong machinery, such as levers, masses of lead, hand-sa=
ws,
huge axes, etc., without counting a respectable number of blasting-cylinder=
s,
which might have blown up the Liverpool custom-house. All this was strange,=
if
not alarming, not to mention the rockets, signals, lights, and lanterns of =
every
sort.
Then, too, the numerous spectators on the quay=
s of
the New Prince's Docks gazed with admiration at a long mahogany whale-boat,=
a
tin canoe covered with gutta-percha, and a number of halkett-boats, which a=
re a
sort of india-rubber cloaks, which can be inflated and thereby turned into
canoes. Every one felt more and more puzzled, and even excited, for with the
turn of the tide the Forward was to set sail for its unknown destinat=
ion.
This =
is a
copy of the letter received by Richard Shandon eight months previously:--
ABERD=
EEN,
August 2, 1859.
MR. RICHARD SHANDON, Liverpool .
SIR,--This letter is to advise you of a remitt=
ance
of £16,000, deposited with Messrs. Marcuart & Co., bankers, at Liverpoo=
l.
Enclosed you will find a series of drafts, signed by me, which will enable =
you to
draw upon Messrs. Marcuart & Co. to the amount mentioned above.
You do not know me. No matter; I know you, and
that is enough. I offer you the position of mate on board of the brig Forward , for a voyage which may be long=
and
perilous.
If you decline, well and good. If you accept, =
five
hundred pounds will be assigned you as salary, and at the end of each year =
of
the voyage your pay will be increased one tenth.
The brig Forward
does not exist. You will be oblige=
d to
have it built so that it will be possible to set to sea in the beginning of=
April,
1860, at the latest. Enclosed is a drawing with estimates. You will follow =
them
exactly. The ship will be built in the stocks of Scott & Co., who will
arrange everything with you.
I beg of you to be specially cautious in selec=
ting
the crew of the Forward ; it will
consist of a captain (myself), a mate (you), a second mate, a boatswain, two
engineers, an ice-master, eight sailors, two stokers, in all eighteen men,
including Dr. Clawbonny of this city, who will join you at the proper time.=
Those who are shipped on board of the Forward must be Englishmen, independent, with no
family ties, single and temperate; for the use of spirits, and even of beer,
will be strictly forbidden on shipboard: the men must be ready to undertake=
and
endure everything.
In your selection you will prefer those of a
sanguine temperament, and so inclined to maintain a higher degree of animal
heat.
You will offer the crew five times their usual
pay, to be increased one tenth at the end of each year. At the end of the
voyage each one shall receive five hundred pounds, and you yourself two
thousand. The requisite sum shall be deposited with the above-named Messrs.=
Marcuart
& Co.
The voyage will be long and difficult, but one
sure to bring renown. You need not hesitate, then, Mr. Shandon.
Send your answer to the initials K. Z., at
Gottenburg, Sweden, poste restante=
.
P. S. On the 15th of February next you will re=
ceive
a large Danish dog, with hanging lips, of a dark tawny color, with black
stripes running crosswise. You will find place for him on board, and you wi=
ll feed
him on barley bread mixed with a broth of lard. You will acknowledge the
receipt of this dog by a letter to the same initials at Leghorn, Italy.
The captain of the Forward will appear and make himself known at th=
e proper
time. As you are about setting sail you will receive new instructions.
K. Z., Captain
of the Forward .
Richa=
rd
Shandon was a good sailor; for a long time he had commanded whalers in the
Arctic seas, with a well-deserved reputation throughout all Lancaster. Such=
a
letter was well calculated to astonish him; he was astonished, it is true, =
but
with the calmness of a man who is accustomed to surprises.
He suited all the required conditions; no wife,
child, nor relatives. He was as independent as man could be. There being no=
one
whose opinion he needed to consult, he betook himself to Messrs. Marcuart &=
amp;
Co.
"If the money is there," he said to
himself, "the rest is all right."
At the banking-house he was received with the
respect due to a man who has sixteen thousand pounds deposited to his credi=
t;
having made that point sure, Shandon asked for a sheet of white paper, and =
in
his large sailor's handwriting he sent his acceptance of the plan to the
address given above.
That very day he made the necessary arrangemen=
ts
with the builders at Birkenhead, and within twenty-four hours the keel of t=
he Forward was laid on the stocks.
Richard Shandon was a man about forty years ol=
d,
strong, energetic, and fearless, three qualities most necessary for a sailo=
r,
for they give him confidence, vigor, and coolness. He was known to be sever=
e and
very hard to please; hence he was more feared than loved by his men. But th=
is
reputation was not calculated to interfere with his selection of a crew, fo=
r he
was known to be skilful in avoiding trouble.
Shandon feared that the mysterious nature of t=
he
expedition might stand in his way.
"In that case," he said, "it's =
best
not to say anything about it; there will always be plenty of men who will w=
ant
to know the why and the wherefore of the whole matter, and, since I don't k=
now
anything about it myself, I should find it hard to answer them. This K. Z. =
is certainly
an odd stick; but, after all, he knows me, he depends on me, and that is
enough. As for his ship, it will be a good one, and if it's not going to the
Arctic Ocean, my name is not Richard Shandon. But I shall keep that fact for
myself and my officers."
Thereupon Shandon began to choose his crew,
bearing in mind the captain's wishes about the independence and health of t=
he
men.
He knew a very capital fellow, and a good sail=
or,
James Wall by name. Wall might have been about thirty years old, and had
already made some voyages in the northern seas. Shandon offered him the pla=
ce
of second mate, and Wall accepted it at once; all he cared for was to be at
sea. Shandon confided all the details of the affair to him and to a certain=
Johnson,
whom he took as boatswain.
"All right," answered James Wall,
"that's as good as anything. Even if it's to seek the Northwest Passag=
e,
some have come back from that."
"Not all," said Johnson, "but
that's no reason that we should not try it."
"Besides, if our guesses are right,"
said Shandon, "it must be said that we start with a fair chance of
success. The Forward will be a stanch ship and she will carry=
good
engines. She can go a great distance. We want a crew of only eighteen
men."
"Eighteen men," answered Johnson;
"that's the number the American, Kane, took with him on his famous voy=
age
towards the North Pole."
"It's strange," said Wall, "tha=
t a
private person should try to make his way from Davis Strait to Behring Stra=
it.
The expeditions in search of Sir John Franklin have already cost England mo=
re
than seven hundred and sixty thousand pounds, without producing any practic=
al
good. Who in the world wants to throw away his money for such a purpose?&qu=
ot;
"In the first place, James," answere=
d Shandon,
"we are in the dark about it all. I don't know whether we are going to=
the
northern or the southern seas. Perhaps there's some new discovery to be tri=
ed.
At any rate, some day or other a Dr. Clawbonny is to come aboard who will p=
robably
know more about it and will be able to tell us. We shall see."
"Let us wait, then," said Johnson;
"as for me, I'm going to look after some good men, and I'll answer now=
for
their animal heat, as the captain calls it. You can depend on me."
Johnson was an invaluable man; he was familiar
with high latitudes. He had been quartermaster aboard of the Phoenix , which belonged to one of the
expeditions sent out in 1853 in search of Franklin; he had been an eye-witn=
ess
of the death of the French lieutenant Bellot, whom he had accompanied in his
expedition across the ice. Johnson knew all the sailors in Liverpool, and
immediately set about engaging a crew.
Shandon, Wall, and he succeeded in filling the
number by the middle of December, but they met with considerable difficulty;
many who were attracted by the high pay were alarmed by the danger, and more
than one who had boldly enlisted came later to say that he had changed his =
mind
on account of the dissuasion of his friends. They all tried to pierce the
mystery, and pursued Shandon with their questions. He used to refer them to
Johnson.
"What can I say, my man?" the boatsw=
ain
used to answer; "I don't know any more about it than you do. At any ra=
te
you will be in good company, with men who won't shirk their work; that's so=
mething!
So don't be thinking about it all day: take it or leave it!" And the g=
reater
number took it.
"You understand," added Johnson,
sometimes, "my only trouble is in making my choice. High pay, such as =
no
sailor ever had before, with the certainty of finding a round sum when we g=
et
back. That's very tempting."
"The fact is," answered the sailors,
"that it is hard to refuse. It will support a man all the rest of his
life."
"I won't hide from you," continued
Johnson, "that the voyage will be long, difficult, and dangerous; that=
's
all stated in our instructions; it's well to know beforehand what one
undertakes to do; probably it's to try all that men can possibly do, and
perhaps even more. So, if you haven't got a bold heart and a strong body, if
you can't say you have more than twenty chances to one of staying there, if=
, in
short, you are particular about leaving your body in one place more than
another, here rather than there, get away from here and let some bolder man=
have
your place!"
"But, at least," said the confused
sailor,--"at least, you know the captain?"
"The captain is Richard Shandon, my frien=
d,
until we receive another."
Now it must be said that was what the commander
thought; he allowed himself to think that at the last moment he would recei=
ve
definite instructions as to the object of the voyage, and that he would rem=
ain in
command of the Forward . He was fo=
nd of
spreading this opinion about, either in conversation with his officers or in
superintending the building of the brig, of which the timbers were now risi=
ng
in the Birkenhead ship-yard like the sides of a huge whale.
Shandon and Johnson conformed strictly with the
recommendation about the health of the crew; they all looked hardy and
possessed enough animal heat to run the engines of the Forward ; their elastic limbs, their cle=
ar and
ruddy skin, showed that they were fit to encounter intense cold. They were
bold, determined men, energetic and stoutly built; they were not all equally
vigorous. Shandon had even hesitated about accepting some of them; for
instance, the sailors Gripper and Garry, and the harpooner Simpson, who see=
med
to him too thin; but, on the other hand, they were well built, they were
earnest about it, and they were shipped.
All the crew were members of the same church; =
in
their long voyage their prayers and the reading of the Bible would call them
together and console them in the hours of depression; so that it was advisa=
ble that
there should be no diversity on this score. Shandon knew from experience the
usefulness of this practice and its good influence on the men, so valuable =
that
it is never neglected on board of ships which winter in the polar seas.
When all the crew had been engaged, Shandon and
his two officers busied themselves with the provisions; they followed close=
ly
the captain's instructions, which were definite, precise, and detailed, in =
which
the quality and quantity of the smallest articles were clearly set down. Th=
anks
to the drafts placed at the commander's order, every article was paid for, =
cash
down, with a discount of eight per cent, which Richard carefully placed to =
the
credit of K. Z.
Crew, provisions, and outfit were all ready in
January, 1860; the Forward was approaching completion. Shandon neve=
r let
a day pass without visiting Birkenhead.
On the morning of the 23d of January he was, as
usual, on one of the double-ended ferry-boats which ply between the two sho=
res
of the Mersey; everything was enveloped in one of the ordinary fogs of that=
region,
which compel the pilot to steer by compass, although the trip is one of but=
ten
minutes.
However, the thickness of the fog could not
prevent Shandon from noticing a short, rather stout man, with a refined,
agreeable face and pleasant expression, who came towards him, seized both h=
is
hands, and pressed them with a warmth and familiarity which a Frenchman wou=
ld have
said was "very southern."
But if this stranger was not from the South, he
had escaped it narrowly; he spoke and gesticulated freely; his thoughts see=
med determined
to find expression, even if they had to burst out. His eyes, small like the
eyes of witty men, his large and mobile mouth, were safety-valves which ena=
bled
him to rid himself of too strong a pressure on his feelings; he talked; and=
he
talked so much and joyously, that, it must be said, Shandon could not make =
out
what he was saying.
Still the mate of the Forward was not slow in recognizing this short m=
an
whom he had never seen; it flashed into his mind, and the moment that the o=
ther
stopped to take breath, Shandon uttered these words,--
"Dr. Clawbonny?"
"The same, in person, Commander! For near=
ly a
quarter of an hour I have been looking after you, asking for you of every o=
ne
and everywhere. Imagine my impatience. Five minutes more and I should have =
lost
my head! So this is you, officer Shandon? You really exist? You are not a m=
yth?
Your hand, your hand! Let me press it again in mine! Yes, that is indeed the
hand of Richard Shandon. Now, if there is a commander Richard, there is a b=
rig Forward which he commands; and if he commands it=
, it
will sail; and if it sails, it will take Dr. Clawbonny on board."
"Well, yes, Doctor, I am Richard Shandon,
there is a brig Forward , and it w=
ill
sail."
"There's logic," answered the doctor,
taking a long breath,--"there's logic. So I am delighted, enchanted! F=
or a
long time I've been waiting for something of this sort to turn up, and I've
been wanting to try a voyage of this sort. Now, with you--"
"Excuse me--" said Shandon.
"With you," continued Clawbonny, pay=
ing
him no attention, "we are sure of going far without turning round.&quo=
t;
"But--" began Shandon.
"For you have shown what stuff you are ma=
de
of, and I know all you've done. Ah, you are a good sailor!"
"If you please--"
"No, I sha'n't let your courage and skill=
be
doubted for a moment, even by yourself. The captain who chose you for mate =
is a
man who knew what he was about; I can tell you that."
"But that is not the question," said
Shandon, impatiently.
"What is it, then? Don't keep me anxious =
any
longer."
"But you won't let me say a word. Tell me,
Doctor, if you please, how you came to join this expedition of the Forward ?"
"By a letter, a capital letter; here it
is,--the letter of a brave captain, very short, but very full."
With these words he handed Shandon a letter
running as follows:--
INVER=
NESS,
January 22, 1860.
To DR. CLAWBONNY, Liverpool .
If Dr. Clawbonny wishes to sail on the Forward for a long voyage, he can present himsel=
f to
the mate, Richard Shandon, who has been advised concerning him.
K. Z., Captain
of the Forward .
"=
;The
letter reached me this morning, and I'm now ready to go on board of the
"But," continued Shandon, "I
suppose you know whither we are bound."
"Not the least idea in the world; but what
difference does it make, provided I go somewhere? They say I'm a learned ma=
n;
they are wrong; I don't know anything, and if I have published some books w=
hich
have had a good sale, I was wrong; it was very kind of the public to buy th=
em! I
don't know anything, I tell you, except that I am very ignorant. Now I have=
a
chance offered me to complete, or, rather, to make over my knowledge of
medicine, surgery, history, geography, botany, mineralogy, conchology, geod=
esy,
chemistry, physics, mechanics, hydrography; well, I accept it, and I assure
you, I didn't have to be asked twice."
"Then," said Shandon in a tone of
disappointment, "you don't know where the Forward is going."
"O, but I do, commander; it's going where
there is something to be learned, discovered; where one can instruct himsel=
f,
make comparisons, see other customs, other countries, study the ways of oth=
er
people; in a word, it's going where I have never been."
"But more precisely?" cried Shandon.=
"More precisely," answered the docto=
r,
"I have understood that it was bound for the Northern Ocean. Well, good
for the North!"
"At any rate," said Shandon, "y=
ou
know the captain?"
"Not at all! But he's a good fellow, you =
may
depend on it."
The mate and the doctor stepped ashore at
Birkenhead; Shandon gave his companion all the information he had, and the
mystery which lay about it all excited highly the doctor's imagination. The
sight of the Forward enchanted him. From that time he was alw=
ays
with Shandon, and he came every morning to inspect the hull of the Forward .
In addition he was specially intrusted with the
providing of the ship's medicine-chest.
For Clawbonny was a physician, and a good one,
although he had never practised much. At twenty-five he was an ordinary you=
ng
doctor, at forty he was a learned man; being known throughout the whole cit=
y,
he became a leading member of the Literary and Philosophical Society of Liv=
erpool.
His moderate fortune allowed him to give some advice which was no less valu=
able
for being without charge; loved as a thoroughly kind-hearted man must be, he
did no harm to any one else nor to himself; quick and garrulous, if you ple=
ase,
but with his heart in his hand, and his hand in that of all the world.
When the news of his intended journey on board=
the
Forward became known in the city, all his friends
endeavored to dissuade him, but they only made him cling more obstinately to
his intention; and when the doctor had absolutely determined on anything, he
was a skilful man who could make him change.
From that day the rumors, conjectures, and
apprehensions steadily increased; but that did not interfere with the launc=
hing
of the Forward on the 5th of February, 1860. Two months=
later
she was ready for sea.
On the 15th of March, as the captain's letter =
had
said, a Danish dog was sent by rail from Edinburgh to Liverpool, to the add=
ress
of Richard Shandon. He seemed morose, timid, and almost wicked; his express=
ion
was very strange. The name of the =
Forward
was engraved on his collar.
The commander gave him quarters on board, and =
sent
a letter, with the news of his arrival, to Leghorn.
Hence, with the exception of the captain, the =
crew
of the Forward was complete. It was composed as follows=
:--
1. K. Z., captain; 2. Richard Shandon, first m=
ate,
in command; 3. James Wall, second mate; 4. Dr. Clawbonny; 5. Johnson,
boatswain; 6. Simpson, harpooner; 7. Bell, carpenter; 8. Brunton, first
engineer; 9. Plover, second engineer; 10. Strong (negro), cook; 11. Foker, =
ice-master;
12. Wolston, gunner; 13. Bolton, sailor; 14. Garry, sailor; 15. Clifton,
sailor; 16. Gripper, sailor; 17. Pen, sailor; 18. Warren, stoker.
The 5=
th of
April, the day of departure, came. The fact that the doctor had joined the
expedition gave some comfort to those on board. Wherever he could go they c=
ould
follow. Still, most of the sailors were very uneasy, and Shandon, fearing t=
hat
their number might be diminished by desertion, was very anxious to get to s=
ea.
The land once out of sight, the men would soon be resigned.
Dr. Clawbonny's cabin was situated on the poop,
occupying the extreme after-part of the ship. The cabins of the captain and
mate opened on the deck. That of the captain was kept tightly closed, after=
it
had been provided with various instruments, furniture, clothing, books, and
utensils, all of which had been set down in detail in a letter. As he had
asked, the key was sent to the captain at Lübeck; so he alone had admission
into the cabin.
This fact annoyed Shandon, and diminished his
chances of having chief command. As for his own cabin, he had arranged it
suitably for the presumed voyage, for he knew very well what was necessary =
for
a polar expedition.
The second mate's cabin was on the lower deck,
where the sailors were domiciled; the crew had very comfortable quarters; t=
hey
would hardly have had such accommodations in any other ship. They were trea=
ted
as if they were a valuable cargo; a huge stove stood in the middle of their
sleeping-room.
Dr. Clawbonny was very enthusiastic about it; =
he
took possession of his cabin on the 6th of February, the day after the ship=
was
launched.
"The happiest animal in the world," =
he
used to say, "would be a snail who could make himself just such a shel=
l as
he wanted; I shall try to be an intelligent snail."
And, in fact, for a shell which he was not goi=
ng
to leave for some time, his cabin presented a very comfortable appearance; =
the
doctor took a scientific or childlike pleasure in arranging his scientific =
paraphernalia.
His books, his specimens, his cases, his instruments, his physical apparatu=
s,
his thermometers, barometers, field-glasses, compasses, sextants, charts,
drawings, phials, powder, and medicine-bottles, all were classified in a way
which would have done honor to the British Museum. This space of six feet
square contained incalculable wealth; the doctor needed only to stretch out=
his
hand without rising, to become at once a physician, a mathematician, an ast=
ronomer,
a geographer, a botanist, or a conchologist.
To tell the truth, he was proud of his
arrangements, and very contented in his floating sanctum, which three of his
thinnest friends would have completely filled. They used to crowd there in
great numbers, so that even so good-natured a man as the doctor was occasio=
nally
put out; and, like Socrates, he came at last to say,--
"My house is small, but may Heaven grant =
that
it never be filled with friends!"
To complete our account of the Forward , it is only necessary to add th=
at a
kennel for the huge Danish dog was built just beneath the window of the clo=
sed
cabin; but he preferred to keep himself between decks and in the hold; it
seemed impossible to tame him; no one ever conquered his shyness; he could =
be
heard, at night especially, howling dismally in the ship's hold.
Was it because he missed his master? Had he an
instinctive dread of the dangers of the voyage? Had he a presentiment of the
coming perils? The sailors were sure that he had, and more than one said the
same in jest, who in his heart regarded the dog as a sort of diabolic anima=
l.
Pen, a very brutal man, one day, while trying =
to kick
him, slipped, and fell on the corner of the capstan in such a way that he c=
ut
his head badly. It is easy to see how the sailors put all the blame upon the
dog.
Clifton, who was the most superstitious man in=
the
crew, made, one day, the strange observation that the dog, when on the poop,
would always walk on the windward side; and afterwards, when the brig was a=
t sea
and under sail, this singular animal would shift his position to the other =
side
after every tack, so as to be windward, as the captain of the Forward would have done.
Dr. Clawbonny, who by his gentleness and cares=
ses
would have almost tamed the heart of a tiger, tried in vain to make friends
with the dog; he met with no success.
The dog, too, did not answer to any of the usu=
al
names of his kind. So the men used to call him "Captain," for he
seemed perfectly familiar with all the ways on shipboard. He had evidently =
been
to sea before.
It is hence easy to understand the boatswain's
answer to Clifton's friend, and how this idea found but few sceptics; more =
than
one would repeat it jestingly, who was fully prepared to see the dog, some =
fine
day, take human shape, and with a loud voice assume command.
If Richard Shandon did not share such
apprehensions, he was far from being undisturbed, and on the eve of departi=
ng,
on the night of April 5th, he was talking on this subject with the doctor,
Wall, and Johnson, in the mess-room.
These four persons were sipping their tenth gr=
og,
which was probably their last, too; for, in accordance with the letter from
Aberdeen, all the crew, from the captain to the stoker, were teetotalers, n=
ever
touching beer, wine, nor spirits, except in case of sickness, and by the ad=
vice
of the doctor.
For an hour past they had been talking about t=
heir
departure. If the captain's instructions were to be completely carried out,
Shandon would the next day receive a letter containing his last orders.
"If that letter," said the mate,
"doesn't tell me the captain's name, it must at least tell us whither =
we
are bound. If not, in what direction shall we sail?"
"Upon my word," answered the impatie=
nt
doctor, "if I were in your place, Shandon, I should set sail even with=
out
getting a letter; one will come after us, you may be sure."
"You have a great deal of faith, Doctor. =
But,
if you please, to what part of the world would you sail?"
"Towards the North Pole, of course; there=
can
be no doubt about that."
"No doubt indeed!" said Wall. "=
Why
not towards the South Pole?"
"The South Pole! Never!" cried the
doctor. "Would the captain ever have thought of sending a brig across =
the
whole Atlantic Ocean? Just think for a moment, my dear Wall."
"The doctor has an answer for
everything," was his only reply.
"Granted it's northward," resumed
Shandon. "But tell me, Doctor, is it to Spitzbergen, Greenland, or
Labrador that we have to sail, or to Hudson's Bay? If all these routes come=
to
the same end at last,--the impassable ice,--there is still a great number of
them, and I should find it very hard to choose between them. Have any defin=
ite
answer to that, Doctor?"
"No," answered the doctor, annoyed t=
hat
he had nothing to say; "but if you get no letter, what shall you do?&q=
uot;
"I shall do nothing; I shall wait."<= o:p>
"You won't set sail!" cried Clawbonn=
y,
twirling his glass in his despair.
"No, certainly not."
"That's the best course," said Johns=
on,
mildly; while the doctor walked around the table, being unable to sit quiet=
any
longer. "Yes, that's the best course; and still, too long a delay might
have very disastrous consequences. In the first place, the season is a good
one, and if it's north we are going, we ought to take advantage of the mild=
weather
to get through Davis Straits; besides, the crew will get more and more
impatient; the friends and companions of the men are urging them to leave t=
he Forward , and they might succeed in play=
ing us
a very bad turn."
"And then, too," said James Wall,
"if any panic should arise among the men, every one would desert us; a=
nd I
don't know, Commander, how you could get together another crew."
"But what is to be done?" cried Shan=
don.
"What you said," answered the doctor:
"wait; but wait till to-morrow before you despair. The captain's promi=
ses
have all been fulfilled so far with such regularity that we may have the be=
st
hopes for the future; there's no reason to think that we shall not be told =
of
our destination at the proper time. As for me, I don't doubt in the least t=
hat
to-morrow we shall be sailing in the Irish Sea. So, my friends, I propose o=
ne
last drink to a happy voyage; it begins in a mysterious way, but, with such
sailors as you, there are a thousand chances of its ending well."
And they all touched their glasses for the last
time.
"Now, Commander," resumed Johnson,
"I have one piece of advice to give you, and that is, to make everythi=
ng
ready for sailing. Let the crew think you are certain of what you are about.
To-morrow, whether a letter comes or not, set sail; don't start your fires;=
the
wind promises to hold; nothing will be easier than to get off; take a pilot=
on
board; at the ebb of the tide leave the docks; then anchor beyond Birkenhead
Point; the crew will have no more communication with the land; and if this
devilish letter does come at last, it can find us there as well as
anywhere."
"Well said, Johnson!" exclaimed the
doctor, reaching out his hand to the old sailor.
"That's what we shall do," answered
Shandon.
Each one then withdrew to his cabin, and took =
what
sleep he could get till morning.
The next day the first distribution of letters
took place in the city, but there was none for Commander Richard Shandon.
Nevertheless he made his preparations for
departure; the news spread immediately throughout the city, and, as we have
seen, a great concourse of spectators thronged the piers of the New Prince's
Docks.
A great many people came on board the brig,--s=
ome
to bid a friend good by, or to urge him to leave the ship, or to gaze at th=
is
strange vessel; others to ascertain the object of the voyage; and there wer=
e many
murmurs at the unusual silence of the commander.
For that he had his reasons.
Ten o'clock struck. Eleven. The tide was to tu= rn at half past twelve. Shandon, from the upper deck, gazed with anxious eyes = at the crowd, trying in vain to read on some one's face the secret of his fate. But in vain. The sailors of the Fo= rward obeyed his orders in silence, keeping th= eir eyes fixed upon him, ever awaiting some information which he did not give.<= o:p>
Johnson was finishing the preparations for set=
ting
sail. The day was overcast, and the sea, outside of the docks, rather high;=
a
stiff southwest breeze was blowing, but they could easily leave the Mersey.=
At twelve o'clock still nothing. Dr. Clawbonny
walked up and down uneasily, looking about, gesticulating, and "impati=
ent
for the sea," as he said. In spite of all he could do, he felt excited.
Shandon bit his lips till the blood came.
At this moment Johnson came up to him and said=
,--
"Commander, if we are going to take this
tide, we must lose no time; it will be a good hour before we can get off fr=
om
the docks."
Shandon cast one last glance about him, and lo= oked at his watch. It was after the time of the midday distribution of letters.<= o:p>
"Cast off!" he said to his boatswain=
.
"All ashore who are going!" cried the
latter, ordering the spectators to leave the deck of the Forward .
Thereupon the crowd, began to move toward the
gangway and make its way on to the quay, while the crew began to cast off t=
he
last moorings.
At once the inevitable confusion of the crowd,
which was pushed about without much ceremony by the sailors, was increased =
by
the barking of the dog. He suddenly sprang from the forecastle right through
the mass of visitors, barking sullenly.
All made way for him. He sprang on the poop-de=
ck,
and, incredible as it may seem, yet, as a thousand witnesses can testify, t=
his dog-captain
carried a letter in his mouth.
"A letter!" cried Shandon; "but=
is he on
board?"
" He was, without doubt, but he's not now,&qu=
ot;
answered Johnson, showing the deck cleared of the crowd.
"Here, Captain! Captain!" shouted the
doctor, trying to take the letter from the dog, who kept springing away from
him. He seemed to want to give the letter to Shandon himself.
"Here, Captain!" he said.
The dog went up to him; Shandon took the letter
without difficulty, and then Captain barked sharply three times, amid the
profound silence which prevailed on board the ship and along the quay.
Shandon held the letter in his hand, without
opening it.
"Read it, read it!" cried the doctor.
Shandon looked at it. The address, without date or place, ran
simply,--"Commander Richard Shandon, on board the brig Forward ."
Shandon opened the letter and read:--
You w=
ill
sail towards Cape Farewell. You will reach it April 20. If the captain does=
not
appear on board, you will pass through Davis Strait and go up Baffin's Bay =
as
far as Melville Sound.
K. Z., Captain
of the Forward .
Shand=
on
folded carefully this brief letter, put it in his pocket, and gave the orde=
r to
cast off. His voice, which arose alone above the roaring of the wind, sound=
ed
very solemn.
Soon the Forward
had left the docks, and under the =
care
of a pilot, whose boat followed at a distance, put out into the stream. The
crowd hastened to the outer quay by the Victoria Docks to get a last look a=
t the
strange vessel. The two topsails, the foresail, and staysail were soon set,=
and
under this canvas the Forward , wh=
ich
well deserved its name, after rounding Birkenhead Point, sailed away into t=
he
Irish Sea.
The w=
ind,
which was uncertain, although in general favorable, was blowing in genuine
April squalls. The Forward sailed rapidly, and its screw, as yet un=
used,
did not delay its progress. Towards three o'clock they met the steamer which
plies between Liverpool and the Isle of Man, and which carries the three le=
gs
of Sicily on its paddle-boxes. Her captain hailed them, and this was the la=
st
good-by to the crew of the Forward=
.
At five o'clock the pilot resigned the charge =
of
the ship to Richard Shandon, and sailed away in his boat, which soon
disappeared from sight in the southwest.
Towards evening the brig doubled the Calf of M=
an,
at the southern extremity of the island of that name. During the night the =
sea
was very high; the Forward rode the waves very well, however, and l=
eaving
the Point of Ayr on the northwest, she ran towards the North Channel.
Johnson was right; once at sea the sailors rea=
dily
adapted themselves instinctively to the situation. They saw the excellence =
of
their vessel and forgot the strangeness of their situation. The ship's rout=
ine
was soon regularly established.
The doctor inhaled with pleasure the sea-air; =
he
paced up and down the deck in spite of the fresh wind, and showed that for a
student he had very good sea-legs.
"The sea is a fine thing," he said to
Johnson, as he went upon the bridge after breakfast; "I am a little la=
te
in making its acquaintance, but I shall make up for my delay."
"You are right, Dr. Clawbonny; I would gi=
ve
all the land in the world for a bit of ocean. People say that sailors soon =
get
tired of their business; but I've been sailing for forty years, and I like =
it
as well as I did the first day."
"What a pleasure it is to feel a stanch s=
hip
under one's feet! and, if I'm not mistaken, the Forward is a capital sea-boat."
"You are right, Doctor," answered
Shandon, who had joined the two speakers; "she's a good ship, and I mu=
st
say that there was never a ship so well equipped for a voyage in the polar
regions. That reminds me that, thirty years ago, Captain James Ross, going =
to
seek the Northwest Passage--"
"Commanded the Victory ," said the doctor, quickly,
"a brig of about the tonnage of this one, and also carrying
machinery."
"What! did you know that?"
"Say for yourself," retorted the doc=
tor.
"Steamers were then new inventions, and the machinery of the Victory was continually delaying him. Captain Ro=
ss,
after in vain trying to patch up every piece, at last took it all out and l=
eft
it at the first place he wintered at."
"The deuce!" said Shandon. "You
know all about it, I see."
"More or less," answered the doctor.
"In my reading I have come across the works of Parry, Ross, Franklin; =
the
reports of MacClure, Kennedy, Kane, MacClintock; and some of it has stuck i=
n my
memory. I might add that MacClintock, on board of the Fox , a propeller like ours, succeeded in
making his way more easily and more directly than all his successors."=
"That's perfectly true," answered
Shandon; "that MacClintock is a good sailor; I have seen him at sea. Y=
ou
might also say that we shall be, like him, in Davis Strait in the month of
April; and if we can get through the ice our voyage will be very much
advanced."
"Unless," said the doctor, "we
should be as unlucky as the Fox in 1857, and should be caught the first =
year
by the ice in the north of Baffin's Bay, and we should have to winter among=
the
icebergs."
"We must hope to be luckier, Mr.
Shandon," said Johnson; "and if, with a ship like the Forward , we can't go where we please, t=
he
attempt must be given up forever."
"Besides," continued the doctor,
"if the captain is on board he will know better than we what is to be
done, and so much the better because we are perfectly ignorant; for his
singularly brief letter gives us no clew to the probable aim of the
voyage."
"It's a great deal," answered Shando=
n,
with some warmth, "to know what route we have to take; and now for a g=
ood
month, I fancy, we shall be able to get along without his supernatural
intervention and orders. Besides, you know what I think about him."
"Ha, ha!" laughed the doctor; "I
used to think as you did, that he was going to leave the command of the shi=
p in
your hands, and that he would never come on board; but--"
"But what?" asked Shandon, with some
ill-humor.
"But since the arrival of the second lett=
er,
I have altered my views somewhat."
"And why so, doctor?"
"Because, although this letter does tell =
you
in which direction to go, it still does not inform you of the final aim of =
the
voyage; and we have yet to know whither we are to go. I ask you how can a t=
hird
letter reach us now that we are on the open sea. The postal service on the
shore of Greenland is very defective. You see, Shandon, I fancy that he is
waiting for us at some Danish settlement up there,--at Holsteinborg or
Upernavik. We shall find that he has been completing the supply of seal-ski=
ns,
buying sledges and dogs,--in a word, providing all the equipment for a jour=
ney
in the arctic seas. So I shall not be in the least surprised to see him com=
ing
out of his cabin some fine morning and taking command in the least supernat=
ural
way in the world."
"Possibly," answered Shandon, dryly;
"but meanwhile the wind's freshening, and there's no use risking our
topsails in such weather."
Shandon left the doctor, and ordered the topsa=
ils
furled.
"He still clings to that idea," said=
the
doctor to the boatswain.
"Yes," was the answer, "and it'=
s a
pity; for you may very well be right, Dr. Clawbonny."
Towards the evening of Saturday the Forward rounded the Mull of Galloway, on which t=
he
light could be seen in the northeast. During the night they left the Mull of
Cantire to the north, and on the east Fair Head, on the Irish coast. Towards
three o'clock in the morning, the brig, passing Rathlin Island on its starb=
oard
quarter, came out from the North Channel into the ocean.
That was Sunday, April 8. The English, and
especially sailors, are very observant of that day; hence the reading of the
Bible, of which the doctor gladly took charge, occupied a good part of the
morning.
The wind rose to a gale, and threatened to dri=
ve
the ship back upon the Irish coast. The waves ran very high; the vessel rol=
led
a great deal. If the doctor was not sea-sick, it was because he was determi=
ned not
to be, for nothing would have been easier. At midday Malin Head disappeared
from their view in the south; it was the last sight these bold sailors were=
to
have of Europe, and more than one gazed at it for a long time who was doubt=
less
fated never to set eyes on it again.
By observation the latitude then was 55° 57', =
and
the longitude, according to the chronometer, 7° 40'.[1]
[Footnote 1: Meridian of Greenwich.]
The gale abated towards nine o'clock of the
evening; the Forward , a good sail=
er,
kept on its route to the northwest. That day gave them all a good opportuni=
ty
to judge of her sea-going qualities; as good judges had already said at
Liverpool, she was well adapted for carrying sail.
During the following days, the Forward made very good progress; the wind veered=
to
the south, and the sea ran high. The brig set every sail. A few petrels and
puffins flew about the poop-deck; the doctor succeeded in shooting one of t=
he
latter, which fortunately fell on board.
Simpson, the harpooner, seized it and carried =
it
to the doctor.
"It's an ugly bird, Dr. Clawbonny," =
he
said.
"But then it will make a good meal, my
friend."
"What, are you going to eat it?"
"And you shall have a taste of it," =
said
the doctor, laughing.
"Never!" answered Simpson; "it's
strong and oily, like all sea-birds."
"True," said the doctor; "but I
have a way of dressing such game, and if you recognize it to be a sea-bird,
I'll promise never to kill another in all my life."
"So you are a cook, too, Dr. Clawbonny?&q=
uot;
asked Johnson.
"A learned man ought to know a little of
everything."
"Then take care, Simpson," said the
boatswain; "the doctor is a clever man, and he'll make us take this pu=
ffin
for a delicious grouse."
In fact, the doctor was in the right about this
bird; he removed skilfully the fat which lies beneath the whole surface of =
the
skin, principally on its thighs, and with it disappeared all the rancid, fi=
shy
odor with which this bird can be justly charged. Thus prepared, the bird was
called delicious, even by Simpson.
During the recent storm, Richard Shandon had m=
ade
up his mind about the qualities of his crew; he had tested his men one by o=
ne,
as every officer should do who wishes to be prepared for future dangers; he=
knew
on whom he could rely.
James Wall, who was warmly attached to Richard,
was intelligent and efficient, but he had very little originality; as second
officer he was exactly in his place.
Johnson, who was accustomed to the dangers of =
the
sea, and an old sailor in arctic regions, lacked neither coolness nor coura=
ge.
Simpson, the harpooner, and Bell, the carpente=
r,
were steady men, obedient and well disciplined. The ice-master, Foker, an
experienced sailor, who had sailed in northern waters, promised to be of th=
e greatest
service.
Of the other men, Garry and Bolton seemed to be
the best; Bolton was a jolly fellow, always laughing and joking; Garry, a m=
an
about thirty-five years old, had an energetic, but rather pale and sad face=
.
The three sailors, Clifton, Gripper, and Pen,
seemed to be the least enthusiastic and determined; they were inclined to
grumbling. Gripper had even wished to break his engagement when the time ca=
me
for sailing, and only a feeling of shame prevented him. If things went well=
, if
they encountered no excessive dangers, and their toil was not too severe, t=
hese
three men could be counted on; but they were hard to please with their food,
for they were inclined to gluttony. In spite of their having been forewarne=
d,
they were by no means pleased with being teetotalers, and at their meals th=
ey
used to miss their brandy or gin; but they made up for it with the tea and
coffee which were distributed with a lavish hand.
As for the two engineers, Brunton and Plover, =
and
the stoker, Warren, they had been so far well satisfied with having nothing=
to
do.
Shandon knew therefore what to expect from each
man.
On the 14th of April, the Forward crossed the Gulf Stream, which, after
following the eastern coast of America as far as Newfoundland, turns to the
northeast and moves towards the shore of Norway. They were then in latitude=
51°
37', and longitude 22° 37', two hundred miles from the end of Greenland. The
weather grew colder; the thermometer fell to 32°, the freezing-point.
The doctor, without yet putting on his arctic
winter dress, was wearing a suit of sea-clothes, like all the officers and
sailors; he was an amusing sight in his high boots, in which he could not b=
end
his legs, his huge tarpaulin hat, his trousers and coat of the same materia=
l;
in heavy rain, or when the brig was shipping seas, the doctor used to look =
like
a sort of sea-monster, a comparison which always flattered him.
For two days the sea was very rough; the wind
veered to the northwest, and delayed the Forward . From the 14th to the 16th of A=
pril
there was still a high sea running; but on Monday there fell a heavy shower=
which
almost immediately had the effect of calming the sea. Shandon called the
doctor's attention to it.
"Well," said the doctor, "that
confirms the curious observations of the whaler Scoresby, who was a member =
of
the Royal Society of Edinburgh, of which I have the honor to be a correspon=
ding
member. You see that while the rain is falling the waves are hardly to be n=
oticed,
even when the wind is strong. On the other hand, in dry weather the sea wou=
ld
be rougher even with a gentler wind."
"But what is the explanation of it,
Doctor?"
"It's very simple; there is no
explanation."
At that moment the ice-master, who was on watc=
h in
the topmast cross-trees, cried out that there was a floating mass on the
starboard quarter, about fifteen miles to windward.
"An iceberg in these latitudes!" cri=
ed
the doctor.
Shandon turned his glass in that direction, and
corroborated the lookout's words.
"That's strange," said the doctor.
"Are you surprised?" asked the
commander, laughing. "What! are we lucky enough to find anything that =
will
surprise you?"
"I am surprised without being
surprised," answered the doctor, smiling, "since the brig Ann Poole , of Greenspond, was caught in=
the ice
in the year 1813, in the forty-fourth degree of north latitude, and Dayemen=
t,
her captain, saw hundreds of icebergs."
"Good," said Shandon; "you can
still teach us a great deal about them."
"O, not so very much!" answered
Clawbonny, modestly, "except that ice has been seen in very much lower
latitudes."
"That I know, my dear Doctor, for when I =
was
a cabin-boy on the sloop-of-war, F=
ly --"
"In 1818," continued the doctor,
"at the end of March, or it might have been the beginning of April, you
passed between two large fields of floating ice, in latitude forty-two.&quo=
t;
"That is too much!" exclaimed Shando=
n.
"But it's true; so I have no need to be
surprised, now that we are two degrees farther north, at our sighting an
iceberg."
"You are bottled full of information,
Doctor," answered the commander; "one needs only draw the cork.&q=
uot;
"Very well, I shall be exhausted sooner t=
han
you think; and now, Shandon, if we can get a nearer view of this phenomenon=
, I
should be the gladdest of doctors."
"Exactly, Johnson," said Shandon,
summoning the boatswain; "I think the wind is freshening."
"Yes, Commander," answered Johnson,
"we are making very little headway, and soon we shall feel the currents
from Davis Strait."
"You are right, Johnson, and if we mean to
make Cape Farewell by the 20th of April, we must go under steam, or we shal=
l be
cast on the coast of Labrador.--Mr. Wall, give the order to light the
fires."
The mate's orders were obeyed; an hour later t=
he
engines were in motion; the sails were furled; and the screw, turning throu=
gh
the waves, was driving the Forward=
rapidly in the teeth of the northwest wi=
nd.
Soon =
more
numerous flocks of birds, petrels, puffins, and others which inhabit those
barren shores, gave token of their approach to Greenland. The Forward was moving rapidly northward, leaving be=
hind her
a long line of dark smoke.
Tuesday, the 17th of April, the ice-master cau=
ght
the first sight of the blink [1] o=
f the
ice. It was visible at least twenty miles off to the north-northwest. In sp=
ite
of some tolerably thick clouds it lighted up brilliantly all the air near t=
he
horizon. No one of those on board who had ever seen this phenomenon before
could fail to recognize it, and they felt assured from its whiteness that t=
his
blink was due to a vast field of ice lying about thirty miles farther than =
they
could see, and that it came from the reflection of its luminous rays.
[Footnote 1: A peculiar and brilliant color of=
the
air above a large expanse of ice.]
Towards evening the wind shifted to the south,=
and
became favorable; Shandon was able to carry sail, and as a measure of econo=
my
they extinguished the furnace fires. The Forward under her topsails, jib, and foresail, s=
ailed
on towards Cape Farewell.
At three o'clock on the 18th they made out an
ice-stream, which, like a narrow but brilliant band, divided the lines of t=
he
water and sky. It was evidently descending rather from the coast of Greenla=
nd
than from Davis Strait, for the ice tended to keep on the western side of B=
affin's
Bay. An hour later, and the Forwar=
d was passing through the detached fragmen=
ts of
the ice-stream, and in the thickest part the pieces of ice, although closely
welded together, were rising and falling with the waves.
At daybreak the next morning the watch saw a s=
ail;
it was the Valkyria , a Danish cor=
vette,
sailing towards the Forward , boun=
d to Newfoundland.
The current from the strait became perceptible, and Shandon had to set more
sail to overcome it.
At that moment the commander, the doctor, James
Wall, and Johnson were all together on the poop-deck, observing the force a=
nd
direction of the current. The doctor asked if it were proved that this curr=
ent
was felt throughout Baffin's Bay.
"There's no doubt of it," answered
Shandon; "and sailing-vessels have hard work in making headway against
it."
"And it's so much the harder," added
James Wall, "because it's met on the eastern coast of America, as well=
as
on the western coast of Greenland."
"Well," said the doctor, "that
serves to confirm those who seek a Northwest Passage. The current moves at =
the
rate of about five miles an hour, and it is hard to imagine that it rises at
the bottom of a gulf."
"That is very likely, Doctor," answe=
red
Shandon, "because, while this current flows from north to south, there=
is
a contrary current in Behring Strait, which flows from south to north, and
which must be the cause of this one."
"Hence," said the doctor, "you =
must
admit that America is completely separated from the polar regions, and that=
the
water from the Pacific skirts its whole northern coast, until it reaches the
Atlantic. Besides, the greater elevation of the water of the Pacific is ano=
ther
reason for its flowing towards the European seas."
"But," said Shandon, "there mus=
t be
some facts which support this theory; and if there are," he added with
gentle irony, "our learned friend must be familiar with them."
"Well," answered the latter,
complacently, "if it interests you at all I can tell you that whales,
wounded in Davis Strait, have been found afterwards on the coast of Tartary,
still carrying a European harpoon in their side."
"And unless they doubled Cape Horn, or the
Cape of Good Hope," answered Shandon, "they must have gone around=
the
northern coast of America. There can be no doubt of that, Doctor."
"And if you were not convinced, my dear
Shandon," said the doctor, smiling, "I could produce still other
evidence, such as the floating wood with which Davis Strait is filled, larc=
h,
aspen, and other southern kinds. Now we know that the Gulf Stream could not
carry them into the strait; and if they come out from it they must have got=
in through
Behring Strait."
"I am perfectly convinced, Doctor, and I =
must
say it would be hard to maintain the other side against you."
"See there," said Johnson, "the=
re's
something that will throw light on this discussion. It's a large piece of w=
ood
floating on the water; if the commander will give us leave, we can put a ro=
pe
about it, hoist it on board, and ask it the name of its country."
"That's the way!" said the doctor;
"after the rule we have the example."
Shandon gave the necessary orders; the brig was
turned towards the piece of wood, and soon the crew were hoisting it aboard,
although not without considerable trouble.
It was the trunk of a mahogany-tree, eaten to =
its
centre by worms, which fact alone made it light enough to float.
"This is a real triumph," exclaimed =
the
doctor, enthusiastically, "for, since the Atlantic currents could not =
have
brought it into Davis Strait, since it could not have reached the polar wat=
ers
from the rivers of North America, as the tree grows under the equator, it i=
s evident
that it must have come direct from Behring Strait. And besides, see those
sea-worms which have eaten it; they belong to warm latitudes."
"It certainly gives the lie to those who =
deny
the existence of a Northwest Passage."
"It fairly kills them," answered the
doctor. "See here, I'll give you the route of this mahogany-tree: it w=
as
carried to the Pacific Ocean by some river of the Isthmus of Panama or of
Guatemala; thence the current carried it along the coast of America as far =
as
Behring Strait, and so it was forced into the polar waters; it is neither s=
o old
nor so completely water-logged that we cannot set its departure at some rec=
ent
date; it escaped all the obstacles of the many straits coming into Baffin's
Bay, and being quickly seized by the arctic current it came through Davis
Strait to be hoisted on board the =
Forward
for the great joy of Dr. Clawbonny=
, who
asks the commander's permission to keep a piece as a memorial."
"Of course," answered Shandon; "=
;but
let me tell you in my turn that you will not be the only possessor of such a
waif. The Danish governor of the island of Disco--"
"On the coast of Greenland," continu=
ed
the doctor, "has a mahogany table, made from a tree found in the same =
way;
I know it, my dear Shandon. Very well; I don't grudge him his table, for if
there were room enough on board, I could easily make a sleeping-room out of=
this."
On the night of Wednesday the wind blew with
extreme violence; drift-wood was frequently seen; the approach to the coast
became more dangerous at a time when icebergs are numerous; hence the comma=
nder
ordered sail to be shortened, and the Forward
went on under merely her foresail =
and
forestay-sail.
The thermometer fell below the freezing-point.
Shandon distributed among the crew suitable clothing, woollen trousers and
jackets, flannel shirts, and thick woollen stockings, such as are worn by N=
orwegian
peasants. Every man received in addition a pair of water-proof boots.
As for Captain, he seemed contented with his f=
ur;
he appeared indifferent to the changes of temperature, as if he were thorou=
ghly
accustomed to such a life; and besides, a Danish dog was unlikely to be very
tender. The men seldom laid eyes on him, for he generally kept himself
concealed in the darkest parts of the vessel.
Towards evening, through a rift in the fog, the
coast of Greenland could be seen in longitude 37° 2' 7". Through his g=
lass
the doctor was able to distinguish mountains separated by huge glaciers; but
the fog soon cut out this view, like the curtain of a theatre falling at th=
e most
interesting part of a play.
On the morning of the 20th of April, the Forward found itself in sight of an iceberg one
hundred and fifty feet high, aground in this place from time immemorial; the
thaws have had no effect upon it, and leave its strange shape unaltered. Sn=
ow
saw it; in 1829 James Ross took an exact drawing of it; and in 1851 the Fre=
nch
lieutenant, Bellot, on board of the Prince
Albert , observed it. Naturally the doctor wanted to preserve a memorial of=
the
famous mountain, and he made a very successful sketch of it.
It is not strange that such masses should run =
aground,
and in consequence become immovably fixed to the spot; as for every foot ab=
ove
the surface of the water they have nearly two beneath, which would give to =
this
one a total height of about four hundred feet.
At last with a temperature at noon as low as 1=
2°,
under a snowy, misty sky, they sighted Cape Farewell. The Forward arrived at the appointed day; the unknown
captain, if he cared to assume his place in such gloomy weather, would have=
no
need to complain.
"Then," said the doctor to himself,
"there is this famous cape, with its appropriate name! Many have passed
it, as we do, who were destined never to see it again! Is it an eternal
farewell to one's friends in Europe? You have all passed it, Frobisher, Kni=
ght,
Barlow, Vaughan, Scroggs, Barentz, Hudson, Blosseville, Franklin, Crozier,
Bellot, destined never to return home; and for you this cape was well named=
Cape
Farewell!"
It was towards the year 970 that voyagers, set=
ting
out from Iceland, discovered Greenland. Sebastian Cabot, in 1498, went as h=
igh
as latitude 56°; Gaspard and Michel Cotréal, from 1500 to 1502, reached lat=
itude
60°; and in 1576 Martin Frobisher reached the inlet which bears his name.
To John Davis belongs the honor of having
discovered the strait, in 1585; and two years later in a third voyage this
hardy sailor, this great whaler, reached the sixty-third parallel, twenty-s=
even
degrees from the Pole.
Barentz in 1596, Weymouth in 1602, James Hall =
in
1605 and 1607, Hudson, whose name was given to the large bay which runs so =
far
back into the continent of America, James Poole in 1611, went more or less =
far
into the straits, seeking the Northwest Passage, the discovery of which wou=
ld
have greatly shortened the route between the two worlds.
Baffin, in 1616, found in the bay of that name
Lancaster Sound; he was followed in 1619 by James Monk, and in 1719 by Knig=
ht,
Barlow, Vaughan, and Scroggs, who were never heard of again.
In 1776, Lieutenant Pickersgill, sent to meet
Captain Cook, who tried to make his way through Behring Strait, reached
latitude 68°; the next year, Young, on the same errand, went as far as Woma=
n's
Island.
Then came James Ross, who in 1818 sailed all
around the shores of Baffin's Bay, and corrected the errors on the charts of
his predecessors.
Finally, in 1819 and 1820, the famous Parry ma=
de
his way into Lancaster Sound. In spite of numberless difficulties he reache=
d Melville
Island, and won the prize of five thousand pounds offered by act of Parliam=
ent
to the English sailors who should cross the meridian at a latitude higher t=
han
the seventy-seventh parallel.
In 1826, Beechey touched at Chamisso Island; J=
ames
Ross wintered, from 1829 to 1833, in Prince Regent's Inlet, and, among other
important services, discovered the magnetic pole.
During this time Franklin, by a land-journey,
defined the northern coast of America, from Mackenzie River to Turnagain Po=
int;
Captain Back followed the same route from 1823 to 1835; and these explorati=
ons were
completed in 1839 by Dease, Simpson, and Dr. Rae.
At last, Sir John Franklin, anxious to discover
the Northwest Passage, left England in 1845, with the Erebus and the Terror ; he entered Baffin's Bay, and si=
nce
his leaving Disco Island there has been no news of his expedition.
His disappearance started numerous search-expe=
ditions,
which have effected the discovery of the passage, and given the world defin=
ite information
about the rugged coasts of the polar lands. The boldest sailors of England,
France, and the United States hastened to these terrible latitudes; and, th=
anks
to their exertions, the tortuous, complicated map of these regions has at l=
ast
been placed in the archives of the Royal Geographical Society of London.
The strange history of these lands crowded on =
the
imagination of the doctor, as he stood leaning on the rail, and gazing on t=
he
long track of the brig. The names of those bold sailors thronged into his
memory, and it seemed to him that beneath the frozen arches of the ice he c=
ould
see the pale ghosts of those who never returned.
Durin=
g that
day the Forward made easy progress through the loose ice=
; the
breeze was in a good quarter, but the temperature was very low; the wind co=
ming
across the ice-fields was thoroughly chilled.
At night the strictest care was necessary; the
icebergs crowded together in this narrow passage; often they could be count=
ed
by the hundred on the horizon; they had been loosened from the lofty coasts=
by
the incessant beating of the waves and the warmth of the spring month, and =
they
were floating down to melt away in the depths of the ocean. Often, too, they
came across large masses of floating wood, which they were obliged to avoid=
, so
that the crow's-nest was placed in position on the top of the foremast; it
consisted of a sort of tub, in which the ice-master, partly sheltered from =
the
wind, scanned the sea, giving notice of the ice in sight, and even, if
necessary, directing the ship's course.
The nights were short; since the 31st of Janua=
ry
the sun had reappeared in refraction, and was every day rising higher and
higher above the horizon. But it was hid by the snow, which, if it did not =
produce
utter darkness, rendered navigation difficult.
April 21st, Cape Desolation appeared through t=
he
mist; hard work was wearying the crew; since the brig had entered the ice, =
the
sailors had had no rest; it was now necessary to have recourse to steam to
force a way through the accumulated masses.
The doctor and Johnson were talking together on
the after-deck, while Shandon was snatching a few hours of sleep in his cab=
in.
Clawbonny was very fond of talking with the old sailor, whose numerous voya=
ges
had given him a valuable education. The two had made great friends of one a=
nother.
"You see, Dr. Clawbonny," said Johns=
on,
"this country is not like any other; its name is Greenland, but there =
are
very few weeks of the year in which it deserves this name."
"But, Johnson," answered the doctor,
"who can say whether in the tenth century this name did not suit it? M=
ore
than one change of this sort has taken place on the globe, and I should
astonish you much more by saying that, according to Icelandic chroniclers, =
two
hundred villages flourished on this continent eight or nine hundred years
ago."
"You astonish me so much, Dr. Clawbonny, =
that
I can't believe you; for it's a sterile country."
"Well, sterile as it is, it supports a go=
od
many inhabitants, and among them are some civilized Europeans."
"Without doubt; at Disco and at Upernavik=
we
shall find men who are willing to live in such a climate; but I always supp=
osed
they stayed there from necessity, and not because they liked it."
"I think you are right; still, men get
accustomed to everything, and these Greenlanders appear to me better off th=
an
the workingmen of our large cities; they may be unfortunate, but they are n=
ot
miserable. I say unfortunate, but that is not exactly what I mean; in fact,=
if
they are not quite as comfortable as those who live in temperate regions, t=
hey,
nevertheless, are accustomed to the severity of the climate, and find in it=
an
enjoyment which we should never imagine."
"We have to think so, Dr. Clawbonny, beca=
use
Heaven is just; but I have often visited these coasts, and I am always sadd=
ened
at the sight of its gloomy loneliness; the capes, promontories, and bays ou=
ght
to have more attractive names, for Cape Farewell and Cape Desolation are no=
t of
a sort to cheer sailors."
"I have often made the same remark,"
answered the doctor; "but these names have a geographical value which =
is
not to be forgotten; they describe the adventures of those who gave them; a=
long
with the names of Davis, Baffin, Hudson, Ross, Parry, Franklin, Bellot, if I
find Cape Desolation, I also find soon Mercy Bay; Cape Providence makes up =
for
Port Anxiety, Repulse Bay brings me to Cape Eden, and after leaving Point
Turnagain I rest in Refuge Bay; in that way I have under my eyes the whole
succession of dangers, checks, obstacles, successes, despairs, and victories
connected with the great names of my country; and, like a series of antique
medals, this nomenclature gives me the whole history of these seas."
"Well reasoned, Doctor; and may we find m=
ore
bays of Success in our journey than capes of Despair!"
"I hope so, Johnson; but, tell me, have t=
he
crew got over their fears?"
"Somewhat, sir; and yet, to tell the trut=
h,
since we entered these straits, they have begun to be very uneasy about the
unknown captain; more than one expected to see him appear at the end of
Greenland; and so far no news of him. Between ourselves, Doctor, don't you
think that is a little strange!"
"Yes, Johnson, I do."
"Do you believe the captain exists?"=
"Without any doubt."
"But what reason can he have had for acti=
ng
in this way?"
"To speak frankly, Johnson, I imagine tha=
t he
wants to get the crew so far away that it will be impossible for them to tu=
rn
back. Now, if he had appeared on board when we set sail, and every one had
known where we were going, he might have been embarrassed."
"How so?"
"Why, if he wants to try any superhuman
enterprise, if he wants to go where so many have failed, do you think he wo=
uld
have succeeded in shipping a crew? But, once on the way, it is easy to go so
far that to go farther becomes an absolute necessity."
"Possibly, Doctor; I have known more than=
one
bold explorer, whose name alone would have frightened every one, and who wo=
uld
have found no one to accompany him on his perilous expeditions--"
"Except me," said the doctor.
"And me," continued Johnson. "I
tell you our captain is probably one of those men. At any rate, we shall kn=
ow
sooner or later; I suppose that at Upernavik or Melville Bay he will come
quietly on board, and let us know whither he intends to take the ship."=
;
"Very likely, Johnson; but the difficulty
will be to get to Melville Bay; see how thick the ice is about us! The Forward can hardly make her way through it. See =
there,
that huge expanse!"
"We whalers call that an ice-field, that =
is
to say, an unbroken surface of ice, the limits of which cannot be seen.&quo=
t;
"And what do you call this broken field of
long pieces more or less closely connected?"
"That is a pack; if it's round we call it=
a
patch, and a stream if it is long."
"And that floating ice?"
"That is drift-ice; if a little higher it
would be icebergs; they are very dangerous to ships, and they have to be
carefully avoided. See, down there on the ice-field, that protuberance caus=
ed
by the pressure of the ice; we call that a hummock; if the base were under
water, we should call it a cake; we have to give names to them all to disti=
nguish
them."
"Ah, it is a strange sight," exclaim=
ed
the doctor, as he gazed at the wonders of the northern seas; "one's
imagination is touched by all these different shapes!"
"True," answered Johnson, "the =
ice
takes sometimes such curious shapes; and we men never fail to explain them =
in
our own way."
"See there, Johnson; see that singular
collection of blocks of ice! Would one not say it was a foreign city, an
Eastern city, with minarets and mosques in the moonlight? Farther off is a =
long
row of Gothic arches, which remind us of the chapel of Henry VII., or the H=
ouses
of Parliament."
"Everything can be found there; but those
cities or churches are very dangerous, and we must not go too near them. So=
me
of those minarets are tottering, and the smallest of them would crush a ship
like the Forward ."
"And yet men have dared to come into these
seas under sail alone! How could a ship be trusted in such perils without t=
he
aid of steam?"
"Still it has been done; when the wind is
unfavorable, and I have known that happen more than once, it is usual to an=
chor
to one of these blocks of ice; we should float more or less around with the=
m, but
we would wait for a fair wind; it is true that, travelling in that way, mon=
ths
would be sometimes wasted where we shall need only a few days."
"It seems to me," said the doctor,
"that the temperature is falling."
"That would be a pity," answered
Johnson, "for there will have to be a thaw before these masses separat=
e,
and float away into the Atlantic; besides, they are more numerous in Davis
Strait, because the two stretches of land approach one another between Cape
Walsingham and Holsteinborg; but above latitude 67° we shall find in May and
June more navigable seas."
"Yes; but we must get through this
first."
"We must get through, Doctor; in June and
July we should have found the passage free, as do the whalers; but our orde=
rs
were strict; we had to be here in April. If I'm not very much mistaken, our
captain is a sound fellow with an idea firm in his head; his only reason fo=
r leaving
so early was to go far. Whoever survives will see."
The doctor was right about the falling of the
temperature; at noon the thermometer stood at 6°, and a breeze was blowing =
from
the northwest, which, while it cleared the sky, aided the current in
accumulating the floating ice in the path of the Forward . It did not all follow the same
course; often some pieces, and very high ones, too, floated in the opposite
direction under the influence of a submarine current.
The difficulties of this navigation may be rea=
dily
understood; the engineers had no repose; the engines were controlled from t=
he
bridge by means of levers, which started, stopped, and reversed them instan=
tly,
at the orders of the officer in command. Sometimes it was necessary to hast=
en
forward to enter an opening in the ice, again to race with a mass of ice wh=
ich
threatened to block up their only egress, or some piece, suddenly upsetting,
obliged the brig to back quickly, in order to escape destruction. This mass=
of
ice, carried and accumulated by the great polar current, was hurried through
the strait, and if the frost should unite it, it would present an impassable
barrier to the Forward .
In these latitudes numberless birds were to be
found; petrels and contremaitres were flying here and there, with deafening
cries; there were also many gulls, with their large heads, short necks, and
small beaks, which were extending their long wings and braving the snow whi=
ch
the storm was whirling about. This profusion of winged beings enlivened the
scene.
Numerous pieces of wood were drifting along,
clashing continually into one another; a few whales with large heads approa=
ched
the ship; but they could not think of chasing them, although Simpson, the
harpooner, earnestly desired it. Towards evening several seals were seen,
which, with their noses just above the water, were swimming among the great=
pieces
of ice.
On the 22d the temperature was still falling; =
the Forward carried a great deal of steam to reach an
easier sailing-place; the wind blew steadily from the northwest; the sails =
were
furled.
During Sunday the sailors had little to do. Af=
ter
divine service, which was read by Shandon, the crew betook themselves to
chasing wild birds, of which they caught a great many. These birds, prepare=
d according
to Dr. Clawbonny's method, were an agreeable addition to the messes of the
officers and crew.
At three o'clock in the afternoon, the Forward sighted the Kin of Sael, which lay east =
one
quarter northeast, and the Mount Sukkertop, southeast one quarter east
half-east; the sea was very high; from time to time a dense fog descended
suddenly from the gray sky. Notwithstanding, at noon they were able to take=
an
observation. The ship was found to be in latitude 65° 20' and longitude 54°
22'. They would have to go two degrees farther north before they would find=
clearer
sailing.
During the three following days, the 24th, 25t=
h,
and 26th of April, they had uninterruptedly to fight with the ice; the
management of the engines became very tedious; every minute steam was shut =
off
or reversed, and escaped from the safety-valve.
In the dense mist their approach to the iceber=
gs
could be known only by the dull roar of the avalanches; then the vessel wou=
ld
shift its course at once; then there was the danger of running into the mas=
ses of
frozen fresh water, which were as clear as crystal and as hard as stone.
Richard Shandon used to take aboard a quantity of this ice every day to sup=
ply
the ship with fresh water.
The doctor could not accustom himself to the
optical illusions produced by refraction; indeed, an iceberg ten or twelve
miles distant used to seem to him to be a small piece of ice close by; he t=
ried
to get used to this strange phenomenon, in order to be able by and by to ov=
ercome
the mistakes of his eyesight.
At last, both by towing the brig along the fie=
lds
of ice and by pushing off threatening blocks with poles, the crew was
thoroughly exhausted; and yet, on the 27th of April, the Forward was still detained on the impassable Pol=
ar
Circle.
Never=
theless,
by taking advantages of such openings as there were, the Forward succeeded in getting a few minutes farth=
er
north; but, instead of escaping the enemy, it would soon be necessary to at=
tack
it; ice-fields of many miles in extent were drawing together, and as these
moving masses often represent a pressure of ten millions of tons, they were
obliged to take every precaution against being crushed by them. Ice-saws we=
re
placed outside the vessel, where they could be used without delay.
Some of the crew endured their hard toil witho=
ut a
murmur, but others complained or even refused to obey orders. While they we=
re
putting the saws in place, Garry, Bolton, Pen, and Gripper exchanged their
diverse opinions as follows.
"Deuce take it," said Bolton,
cheerfully; "I don't know why it just occurs to me that in Water Street
there's a comfortable tavern, where one might be very well off between a gl=
ass
of gin and a bottle of porter. Can you see it from here, Gripper?"
"To tell the truth," answered the sa=
ilor
who had been addressed, and who generally pretended to be very sullen, &quo=
t;I
must say I can't see it from here."
"That's merely your way of talking, Gripp=
er;
it is evident that, in those snow towns which Dr. Clawbonny is always admir=
ing,
there's no tavern where a poor sailor can moisten his throat with a drink or
two of brandy."
"You may be sure of that, Bolton; and you
might add that on board of this ship there's no way of getting properly
refreshed. A strange idea, sending people into the northern seas, and giving
them nothing to drink!"
"Well," answered Garry, "have y=
ou
forgotten, Gripper, what the doctor said? One must go without spirits if he
expects to escape the scurvy, remain in good health, and sail far."
"I don't care to sail far, Garry; and I t=
hink
it's enough to have come as far as this, and to try to get through here whe=
re
the Devil doesn't mean to let us through."
"Well, we sha'n't get through," reto=
rted
Pen. "O, when I think I have already forgotten how gin tastes!"
"But," said Bolton, "remember w=
hat
the doctor said."
"O," answered Pen, with his rough vo=
ice,
"that's all very well to say! I fancy that they are economizing it und=
er
the pretext of saving our health."
"Perhaps that devil Pen is right," s=
aid
Gripper.
"Come, come!" replied Bolton, "=
his
nose is too red for that; and if a little abstinence should make it a trifle
paler, Pen won't need to be pitied."
"Don't trouble yourself about my nose,&qu=
ot;
was the answer, for Pen was rather vexed. "My nose doesn't need your
advice; it doesn't ask for it; you'd better mind your own business."
"Come, don't be angry, Pen; I didn't think
your nose was so tender. I should be as glad as any one else to have a glas=
s of
whiskey, especially on such a cold day; but if in the long run it does more=
harm
than good, why, I'm very willing to get along without it."
"You may get along without it," said
Warren, the stoker, who had joined them, "but it's not everybody on bo=
ard
who gets along without it."
"What do you mean, Warren?" asked Ga=
rry,
looking at him intently.
"I mean that for one purpose or another t= here is liquor aboard, and I fancy that aft they don't get on without it."<= o:p>
"What do you know about it?" asked
Garry.
Warren could not answer; he spoke for the sake=
of
speaking.
"You see, Garry," continued Bolton,
"that Warren knows nothing about it."
"Well," said Pen, "we'll ask the
commander for a ration of gin; we deserve it, and we'll see what he'll
say."
"I advise you not to," said Garry.
"Why not?" cried Pen and Gripper.
"Because the commander will refuse it. You
knew what the conditions were when you shipped; you ought to think of that
now."
"Besides," said Bolton, who was not
averse to taking Garry's side, for he liked him, "Richard Shandon is n=
ot
master; he's under orders like the rest of us."
"Whose orders?" asked Pen.
"The captain's."
"Ah, that ridiculous captain's!" cri=
ed
Pen. "Don't you know there's no more captain than there is tavern on t=
he
ice? That's a mean way of refusing politely what we ask for."
"But there is a captain," persisted
Bolton; "and I'll wager two months' pay that we shall see him before
long."
"All right!" said Pen; "I should
like to give him a piece of my mind."
"Who's talking about the captain?" s=
aid
a new speaker.
It was Clifton, who was inclined to be
superstitious and envious at the same time.
"Is there any news about the captain?&quo=
t;
he asked.
"No," a single voice answered.
"Well, I expect to find him settled in his
cabin some fine morning, and without any one's knowing how or whence he came
aboard."
"Nonsense!" answered Bolton; "y=
ou
imagine, Clifton, that he's an imp, a hobgoblin such as are seen in the Sco=
tch
Highlands."
"Laugh if you want to, Bolton; that won't
alter my opinion. Every day as I pass the cabin I peep in through the keyho=
le,
and one of these days I'll tell you what he looks like, and how he's
made."
"O, the devil!" said Pen; "he'll
look like everybody else. And if he wants to lead us where we don't want to=
go,
we'll let him know what we think about it."
"All right," said Bolton; "Pen
doesn't know him, and wants to quarrel with him already."
"Who doesn't know all about him?" as=
ked
Clifton, with the air of a man who has the whole story at his tongue's end;
"I should like to know who doesn't."
"What do you mean?" asked Gripper.
"I know very well what I mean."
"But we don't."
"Well, Pen has already had trouble with
him."
"With the captain?"
"Yes, the dog-captain; for it's the same
thing precisely."
The sailors gazed at one another, incapable of
replying.
"Dog or man," muttered Pen, between =
his
teeth, "I'll bet he'll get his account settled one of these days."=
;
"Why, Clifton," asked Bolton, seriou=
sly,
"do you imagine, as Johnson said in joke, that that dog is the real
captain?"
"Certainly, I do," answered Clifton,
with some warmth; "and if you had watched him as carefully as I have,
you'd have noticed his strange ways."
"What ways? Tell us."
"Haven't you noticed the way he walks up =
and
down the poop-deck as if he commanded the ship, keeping his eye on the sail=
s as
if he were on watch?"
"That's so," said Gripper; "and=
one
evening I found him with his paws on the wheel."
"Impossible!" said Bolton.
"And then," continued Clifton,
"doesn't he run out at night on the ice-fields without caring for the
bears or the cold?"
"That's true," said Bolton.
"Did you ever see him making up to the men
like an honest dog, or hanging around the kitchen, and following the cook w=
hen
he's carrying a savory dish to the officers? Haven't you all heard him at
night, when he's run two or three miles away from the vessel, howling so th=
at he
makes your blood run cold, and that's not easy in weather like this? Did you
ever seen him eat anything? He never takes a morsel from any one; he never
touches the food that's given him, and, unless some one on board feeds him
secretly, I can say he lives without eating. Now, if that's not strange, I'=
m no
better than a beast myself."
"Upon my word," answered Bell, the
carpenter, who had heard all of Clifton's speech, "it may be so."=
But all the other sailors were silent.
"Well, as for me," continued Clifton,
"I can say that if you don't believe, there are wiser people on board =
who
don't seem so sure."
"Do you mean the mate?" asked Bolton=
.
"Yes, the mate and the doctor."
"Do you think they fancy the same
thing?"
"I have heard them talking about it, and =
they
could make no more out of it than we can; they imagined a thousand things w=
hich
did not satisfy them in the least."
"Did they say the same things about the d=
og
that you did, Clifton?" asked the carpenter.
"If they were not talking about the dog,&=
quot;
answered Clifton, who was fairly cornered, "they were talking about the
captain; it's exactly the same thing, and they confessed it was all very
strange."
"Well, my friends," said Bell, "=
;do
you want to hear my opinion?"
"What is it!" they all cried.
"It is that there is not, and there will =
not
be, any other captain than Richard Shandon."
"And the letter?" said Clifton.
"The letter was genuine," answered B=
ell;
"it is perfectly true that some unknown person has equipped the Forward for an expedition in the ice; but the sh=
ip
once off, no one will come on board."
"Well," asked Bolton, "where is=
the
ship going to?"
"I don't know; at the right time, Richard
Shandon will get the rest of the instructions."
"But from whom?"
"From whom?"
"Yes, in what way?" asked Bolton, who
was becoming persistent.
"Come, Bell, an answer," said the ot=
her
sailors.
"From whom? in what way? O, I'm sure I do=
n't
know!"
"Well, from the dog!" cried Clifton.
"He has already written once, and he can again. O, if I only knew half=
as
much as he does, I might be First Lord of the Admiralty!"
"So," added Bolton, in conclusion,
"you persist in saying that dog is the captain?"
"Yes, I do."
"Well," said Pen, gruffly, "if =
that
beast doesn't want to die in a dog's skin, he'd better hurry and turn into a
man; for, on my word, I'll finish him."
"Why so?" asked Garry.
"Because I want to," answered Pen,
brutally; "and I don't care what any one says."
"You have been talking long enough,
men," shouted the boatswain, advancing at the moment when the conversa=
tion
threatened to become dangerous; "to work, and have the saws put in
quicker! We must get through the ice."
"Good! on Friday too," answered Clif=
ton,
shrugging his shoulders. "You won't find it so easy to cross the Polar
Circle."
Whatever the reason may have been, the exertio=
ns
of the crew on that day were nearly fruitless. The Forward , plunging, under a full head of
steam, against the floes, could not separate them; they were obliged to lie=
at
anchor that night.
On Saturday, the temperature fell still lower
under the influence of an east-wind; the sky cleared up, and they all had a
wide view over the white expense, which shone brilliantly beneath the bright
rays of the sun. At seven o'clock in the morning, the thermometer stood at =
8° above
zero.
The doctor was tempted to remain quietly in his
cabin, or read over the accounts of arctic journeys; but he asked himself,
following his usual habit, what would be the most disagreeable thing he cou=
ld
do at that moment. He thought that to go on deck on such a cold day and hel=
p the
men would not be attractive. So, faithful to his line of conduct, he left h=
is
well-warmed cabin, and went out to help tow the ship. He looked strange with
his green glasses, which he wore to protect his eyes against the brilliancy=
of
the sun, and after that he always took good care to wear snow-spectacles as=
a
security against the inflammation of the eyes, which is so common in these
latitudes.
By evening the Forward had got several miles farther north, tha=
nks to
the energy of the men and the intelligence of Shandon, who was quick at
utilizing every favorable circumstance; at midnight they crossed the
sixty-sixth parallel, and the lead announcing a depth of twenty-three fatho=
ms,
Shandon knew that he was in the neighborhood of the shoal on which her
Majesty's ship Victory grounded. Land lay thirty miles to the e=
ast.
But then the mass of ice, which had hitherto b=
een
stationary, separated, and began to move; icebergs seemed to rise in all po=
ints
of the horizon; the brig was caught in a number of whirlpools of irresistib=
le
force; controlling her became so hard, that Garry, the best steersman, took=
the
helm; the masses began to close behind the brig, hence it was necessary to =
cut
through the ice; both prudence and duty commanded them to go forward. The
difficulties were enhanced by the impossibility of Shandon's fixing the
direction of the brig among all the changing points, which were continually
shifting and presenting no definite point to be aimed at.
The crew were divided into two forces, and one
stationed on the starboard, the other on the larboard side; every man was g=
iven
a long iron-headed pole, with which to ward off threatening pieces of ice. =
Soon
the Forward entered such a narrow passage between tw=
o lofty
pieces, that the ends of the yards touched its solid walls; gradually it
penetrated farther into a winding valley filled with a whirlwind of snow, w=
hile
the floating ice was crashing ominously all about.
But soon it was evident that there was no outl=
et to
this gorge; a huge block, caught in the channel, was floating swiftly down =
to
the Forward ; it seemed impossible=
to
escape it, and equally impossible to return through an already closed path.=
Shandon and Johnson, standing on the forward d=
eck,
were viewing their position. Shandon with his right hand signalled to the m=
an
at the wheel what direction he was to take, and with his left hand he indic=
ated
to James Wall the orders for the engines.
"What will be the end of this?" asked
the doctor of Johnson.
"What pleases God," answered the
boatswain.
The block of ice, eight hundred feet high, was
hardly more than a cable's length from the Forward , and threatened to crush it.
Pen broke out with a fearful oath.
"Silence!" cried a voice which it was
impossible to recognize in the roar of the hurricane.
The mass appeared to be falling upon the brig,=
and
there was an indefinable moment of terror; the men, dropping their poles, r=
an
aft in spite of Shandon's orders.
Suddenly, a terrible noise was heard; a real w=
ater-spout
fell on the deck of the brig, which was lifted in the air by a huge wave. T=
he
crew uttered a cry of terror, while Garry, still firm at the wheel, kept the
course of the Forward steady, in spite of the fearful lurch.
And when they looked for the mountain of ice, =
it
had disappeared; the passage was free, and beyond, a long channel, lit up by
the sun, allowed the brig to continue her advance.
"Well, Dr. Clawbonny," said Johnson,
"can you explain that?"
"It's very simple, my friend," answe=
red
the doctor. "It happens very often; when these floating masses get
detached in a thaw, they float away in perfect equilibrium; but as they get
towards the south, where the water is relatively warmer, their base, eaten =
away
by running into other pieces, begins to melt, and be undermined; then comes=
a
moment when the centre of gravity is displaced, and they turn upside down. =
Only,
if this had happened two minutes later, it would have fallen on the brig and
crushed us beneath it."
The P=
olar
Circle was crossed at last; on the 30th of April, at midday, the Forward passed by Holsteinborg; picturesque moun=
tains
arose in the east. The sea appeared almost free of ice, or, more exactly, t=
he ice
could be avoided. The wind was from the southeast, and the brig, under
foresail, staysail, and topsails, sailed up Baffin's Bay.
That day was exceptionally calm and the crew w=
as
able to get some rest; numerous birds were swimming and flying about the sh=
ip;
among others, the doctor noticed some wild birds which were very like teal,=
with
black neck, wings, and back, and a white breast; they were continually divi=
ng,
and often remained more than forty seconds under water.
This day would not have been marked by any new
incident, if the following extraordinary fact had not taken place.
At six o'clock in the morning, on returning to=
his
cabin after his watch was over, Richard Shandon found on his table a letter,
addressed as follows:--
To COMMANDER RICHARD SHANDON, On board the =
Forward , BAFFIN'S BAY.
Shandon could not believe his eyes; but before
reading it, he summoned the doctor, James Wall, and the boatswain, and show=
ed
them the letter.
"It's getting interesting," said
Johnson.
"It's delightful," thought the docto=
r.
"Well," cried Shandon, "at last=
we
shall know his secret."
He tore open the envelope rapidly, and read the
following:--
COMMA=
NDER:
The captain of the Forward is satisfied with the coolness, skill, a=
nd
courage which the crew, officers, and you, yourself, have shown of late; he
begs of you to express his thanks to the crew.
Be good enough to sail due north towards Melvi=
lle
Bay, and thence try to penetrate into Smith's Sound.
K. Z., Captain
of the Forward .
Monday, April 30, OFF CAPE WALSINGHAM.
"=
;And
is that all?" cried the doctor.
"That's all," answered Shandon.
The letter fell from his hands.
"Well," said Wall, "this imagin=
ary
captain says nothing about coming on board. I don't believe he ever will.&q=
uot;
"But how did this letter get here?"
asked Johnson.
Shandon was silent.
"Mr. Wall is right," answered the
doctor, who had picked up the letter, and who was turning it over with hand=
s as
well as in his mind. "The captain won't come on board, and for an
excellent reason."
"What is it?" asked Shandon, quickly=
.
"Because he's on board now," answered
the doctor, simply.
"Now!" exclaimed Shandon, "what=
do
you mean?"
"How else can you explain the arrival of =
this
letter?"
Johnson nodded approvingly.
"Impossible!" said Shandon, warmly.
"I know all the men in the crew; can he have smuggled himself into the=
ir
number since we left? It's impossible, I tell you. For more than two years =
I've
seen every one of them more than a hundred times in Liverpool; so your
conjecture, Doctor, is untenable."
"Well, what do you admit, Shandon?"<= o:p>
"Everything, except that. I admit that the
captain or some tool of his, for all I know, may have taken advantage of the
darkness, the mist, or whatever you please, to slip on board; we are not far
from shore; there are the kayaks of the Esquimaux which could get through t=
he
ice without our seeing them; so some one may have come on board the ship, l=
eft
the letter,--the fog was thick enough to make this possible."
"And to prevent them from seeing the
brig," answered the doctor; "if we didn't see the intruder slip
aboard the Forward , how could he =
see the
Forward in the fog?"
"That's true," said Johnson.
"So I return to my explanation," said
the doctor; "what do you think of it, Shandon?"
"Whatever you please," answered Shan=
don,
hotly, "except that the man is on board."
"Perhaps," added Wall, "there is
some man in the crew who is acting under his instructions."
"Perhaps," said the doctor.
"But who can it be?" asked Shandon.
"I've known all my men for a long time."
"At any rate," resumed Johnson, &quo=
t;if
this captain presents himself, whether as man or devil, we shall receive hi=
m;
but there's something else to be drawn from this letter."
"What is that?" asked Shandon.
"It is that we must go not only into Melv=
ille
Bay, but also into Smith's Sound."
"You are right," said the doctor.
"Smith's Sound," repeated Shandon,
mechanically.
"So it's very plain," continued John=
son,
"that the Forward is not intended to seek the Northwest Pa=
ssage,
since we leave to the left, the only way towards it, that is to say, Lancas=
ter
Sound. This would seem to promise a difficult journey in unknown seas."=
;
"Yes, Smith's Sound," replied Shando=
n;
"that's the route Kane, the American, took in 1853, and it was full of
dangers. For a long time he was given up for lost. Well, if we must go, we'=
ll
go. But how far? To the Pole?"
"And why not?" cried the doctor.
The mention of such a foolhardy attempt made t=
he
boatswain shrug his shoulders.
"Well," said James Wall, "to co=
me
back to the captain, if he exists. I don't see that there are any places on=
the
coast of Greenland except Disco and Upernavik, where he can be waiting for =
us;
in a few days that question will be settled."
"But," asked the doctor of Shandon,
"are you not going to tell the crew about this letter?"
"With the commander's permission,"
answered Johnson, "I should not do so."
"And why not?" asked Shandon.
"Because everything mysterious and
extraordinary tends to discourage the men; they are already very much troub=
led,
as it is, about the nature of the journey. Now, if any supernatural
circumstances should become known, it might be harmful, and perhaps at a
critical moment we should not be able to count on them. What do you think,
Commander?"
"And what do you think, Doctor?" ask=
ed
Shandon.
"Boatswain Johnson seems to me to reason
well," answered the doctor.
"And you, James?"
"Having no better opinion, I agree with t=
hese
gentlemen."
Shandon reflected for a few minutes; he reread=
the
letter attentively.
"Gentlemen," said he, "your opi=
nion
is certainly worthy of respect, but I cannot adopt it."
"Why not, Shandon?" asked the doctor=
.
"Because the instructions in this letter =
are
formal; it tells me to give the captain's thanks to the crew; now, hitherto=
I
have strictly obeyed his orders, in whatever way they have been given to me,
and I cannot--"
"Still--" interposed Johnson, who ha=
d a
warrantable dread of the effect of such communications on the men's spirits=
.
"My dear Johnson," said Shandon, &qu=
ot;I
understand your objection; your reasons are very good, but read that:--
"He begs of you to express his thanks to =
the
crew."
"Do as he bids," replied Johnson, who
was always a strict disciplinarian. "Shall I assemble the crew on
deck?"
"Yes," answered Shandon.
The news of a message from the captain was
immediately whispered throughout the ship. The sailors took their station
without delay, and the commander read aloud the mysterious letter.
It was received with dead silence; the crew
separated under the influence of a thousand suppositions; Clifton had plent=
y of
material for any superstitious vagaries; a great deal was ascribed by him t=
o the
dog-captain, and he never failed to salute him every time he met him.
"Didn't I tell you," he used to say =
to
the sailors, "that he knew how to write?"
No one made any answer, and even Bell, the
carpenter, would have found it hard to reply.
Nevertheless, it was plain to every one, that =
if
the captain was not on board, his shade or spirit was watching them;
henceforth, the wisest kept their opinions to themselves.
At midday of May 1st, their observation showed
them that they were in latitude 68° and longitude 56° 32'. The temperature =
had
risen, the thermometer standing at 25° above zero.
The doctor amused himself with watching the
gambols of a she-bear and two cubs on some pack-ice near the shore. Accompa=
nied
by Wall and Simpson, he tried to chase them in a canoe; but she was in a ve=
ry peaceful
mood, and ran away with her young, so that the doctor had to give up his
attempt.
During the night a favorable breeze carried th=
em
well to the north, and soon the lofty mountains of Disco were peering above=
the
horizon; Godharn Bay, where the governor of the Danish settlements lived, w=
as left
on the right. Shandon did not consider it necessary to land, and he soon pa=
ssed
by the canoes of the Esquimaux, who had put out to meet him.
The island of Disco is also called Whale Islan=
d;
it is from here that, on the 12th of July, 1845, Sir John Franklin wrote to=
the
Admiralty for the last time, and it was also here that Captain MacClintock =
stopped
on his way back, bringing too sure proofs of the loss of that expedition.
This coincidence was not unknown to the doctor;
the place was one of sad memories, but soon the heights of Disco were lost =
to
view.
There were many icebergs on its shores, which =
no
thaws ever melt away; this gives the island a singular appearance from the =
sea.
The next day, at about three o'clock, Sanderso=
n's
Hope appeared in the northeast; land lay about fifteen miles to starboard; =
the
mountains appeared of a dusky red hue. During the evening many fin-backs we=
re seen
playing in the ice, and occasionally blowing.
It was in the night of May 3d, that the doctor=
for
the first time saw the sun touch the horizon without setting; since January
31st its orbit had been getting longer every day, and now there was unbroke=
n daylight.
For those who were unaccustomed to it, this
continuance of the day is a cause of perpetual surprise, and even of wearin=
ess;
it is difficult to believe how necessary the darkness of the night is for t=
he
eyes; the doctor actually suffered from the continual brilliancy, which was=
increased
by the reflection from the ice.
May 5th the Forward passed the sixty-second parallel. Two mo=
nths later
they would have met numerous whalers in these latitudes; but the straits we=
re
not yet free enough to allow easy ingress into Baffin's Bay.
The next day, the brig, after passing Woman's
Island, came in sight of Upernavik, the northernmost station of Denmark in
these lands.
Shand=
on,
Dr. Clawbonny, Johnson, Foker, and Strong, the cook, got into one of the bo=
ats
and made their way to shore.
The Governor, his wife and five children, all
Esquimaux, received their visitors kindly. The doctor, who was the philolog=
ist
of the party, knew enough Danish to establish friendly relations; moreover,=
Foker,
the interpreter of the party as well as ice-master, knew a dozen or two wor=
ds
of the language of the Greenlanders, and with that number of words one can
express a great deal, if he is not too ambitious.
The Governor was born on the island of Disco, =
and
he has never left the place; he did the honors of his capital, which consis=
ted
of three wooden houses, for himself and the Lutheran minister, of a school,=
and
shops which were supplied by what was cast upon the shore from wrecked ship=
s.
The rest of the town consisted of snow huts, into which the Esquimaux crawl
through a single opening.
A great part of the population came out to meet
the Forward , and more than one of=
them
went as far as the middle of the bay in his kayak, fifteen feet long and two
broad at the widest part.
The doctor knew that the word Esquimaux meant
"eater of raw fish"; but he knew too that this name is considered=
an
insult in this country, so he forbore giving it to the inhabitants of
Greenland.
And yet, from the oily sealskin clothes and bo=
ots,
from their squat, fat figures, which make it hard to distinguish the men fr=
om
the women, it was easy to declare the nature of their food; besides, like a=
ll fish-eating
people, they were somewhat troubled by leprosy, but their general health was
not impaired by it.
The Lutheran minister and his wife, with whom =
the
doctor had promised himself an interesting talk, happened to be away on the
shore of Proven, south of Upernavik; hence he was compelled to seek the com=
pany
of the Governor. The chief magistrate did not appear to be very well inform=
ed:
a little less, he would have been a fool; a little more, and he would have
known how to read.
In spite of that, the doctor questioned him ab=
out
the commerce, habits, and manners of the Esquimaux; and he learned, by mean=
s of
gestures, that the seals were worth about forty pounds when delivered at
Copenhagen; a bear-skin brought forty Danish dollars, the skin of a blue fox
four, and of a white fox two or three dollars.
In order to make his knowledge complete, the
doctor wanted to visit an Esquimaux hut; a man who seeks information is cap=
able
of enduring anything; fortunately the opening of these huts was too small, =
and
the enthusiastic doctor could not get through. It was fortunate for him, for
there is nothing more repulsive than the sight of that crowd of living and =
dead
objects, of seal's bodies and Esquimaux-flesh, decayed fish and unclean
clothing, which fill a Greenland hut; there is no window to renew that
suffocating air; there is only a hole at the top of the cabin which lets the
smoke out, but gives no relief to the stench.
Foker gave all these details to the doctor, bu=
t he
none the less bewailed his portliness. He wanted to judge for himself these=
emanations
sui generis .
"I am sure," said he, "that one
could get used to it in time." In time
shows clearly the doctor's charact=
er.
During these ethnographic studies on his part,
Shandon was busying himself, according to his instructions, with procuring
means of travel on the ice; he was obliged to pay four pounds for a sledge =
and
six dogs, and the natives were reluctant to sell even at this price.
Shandon would have liked to engage Hans Christ=
ian,
the skilful driver of the dogs, who accompanied Captain MacClintock, but Ha=
ns
was then in Southern Greenland.
Then came up the great question of the day; was
there at Upernavik a European awaiting the arrival of the Forward ? Did the Governor know of any
stranger, probably an Englishman, who had come into these latitudes? How
recently had they seen any whalers or other ships?
To these questions the Governor answered that =
no
stranger had landed on that part of the coast for more than ten months.
Shandon asked the names of the whalers which h=
ad
last arrived; he recognized none. He was in despair.
"You must confess, Doctor, that it passes=
all
comprehension," he said to his companion. "Nothing at Cape Farewe=
ll!
nothing at Disco! nothing at Upernavik!"
"Tell me in a few days from now, nothing =
at
Melville Bay, my dear Shandon, and I will salute you as sole captain of the=
Forward ."
The boat returned to the brig towards evening,
bringing back the visitors to the shore; Strong had bought several dozen
eider-duck's eggs, which were twice as large as hen's eggs, and of a greeni=
sh color.
It was not much, but it was very refreshing for a crew accustomed to little=
but
salt meat.
The next day the wind was fair, but yet Shandon
did not set sail; he wanted to wait another day, and, to satisfy his
conscience, to give time for any member of the human race to rejoin the
[Footnote 1: Sea-birds common in these latitud=
es.]
The 8th of May, at six o'clock in the morning,=
the
Forward , under her topsails, fore=
sail,
and main-top-gallant-sail, soon lost sight of the station of Upernavik, and
hideous long poles on which were hanging along the shore the seals' entrails
and deers' stomachs.
The wind was southeast, the thermometer stood =
at
32°. The sun pierced through the fog and the ice melted a little.
The reflection, however, injured the sight of =
many
of the crew. Wolston, the armorer, Gripper, Clifton, and Bell were attacked=
by snow-blindness,
which is very common in the spring, and which totally blinds many of the
Esquimaux. The doctor advised all, the unharmed as well as the suffering, to
cover their faces with a green veil, and he was the first to follow his own
recommendation.
The dogs bought by Shandon at Upernavik were
rather wild; but they soon got used to their new quarters, and Captain show=
ed
no dislike of his new companions; he seemed to know their ways. Clifton was=
not
the last to remark that Captain seemed to be familiar with the dogs of Gree=
nland.
And they, always half starved on shore, only thought of making up for it wh=
en
at sea.
The 9th of May the Forward passed within a few cable-lengths of the=
westernmost
of the Baffin Islands. The doctor noticed many rocks between the islands and
the mainland which were what are called crimson cliffs; they were covered w=
ith
snow as red as carmine, which Dr. Kane says is of purely vegetable origin;
Clawbonny wanted to examine this singular phenomenon, but the ice forbade t=
heir
approaching them; although the temperature was rising, it was easy to see t=
hat
the icebergs and ice-streams were accumulating toward the north of Baffin's
Bay.
After leaving Upernavik the land presented a
different appearance, and huge glaciers were sharply defined against the gr=
ay
horizon. On the 10th the Forward <=
span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> left on its right Kingston Bay, near the=
seventy-fourth
degree of latitude; Lancaster Sound opened into the sea many hundred miles =
to
the west.
But then this vast expanse of water was hidden
beneath enormous fields of ice, in which arose the hummocks, uniform as a
homogeneous crystallization. Shandon had the furnace-fires lighted, and unt=
il
the 11th of May the Forward advanced by a tortuous course, tracing w=
ith her
smoke against the sky the path she was following through the water.
But new obstacles soon presented themselves; t=
he
passages were closing in consequence of the incessant crowding of the float=
ing
masses; every moment threatened to close up the clear water before the Forward , and if she were nipped, it wou=
ld be
hard to get her out. Every one knew it and was thinking about it.
Hence, on board of this ship without any defin=
ite aim,
any known destination, which was blindly pushing on northward, some symptom=
s of
hesitation began to appear; among these men accustomed to dangers, many,
forgetting the advantages which were promised them, regretted having ventur=
ed
so far. A certain demoralization became common, which was further increased=
by
the fears of Clifton and the talk of two or three ringleaders, such as Pen,
Gripper, Warren, and Wolston.
Exhausting fatigue was added to the moral disq=
uiet
of the crew, for, on the 12th of May, the brig was caught fast; the steam w=
as
of no avail. A path had to be cut through the ice. It was no easy task to m=
anage
the saws in the floes which were six or seven feet thick; when two parallel
grooves had divided the ice for a hundred feet, it was necessary to break t=
he
part that lay between with axes and bars; next they had to fasten anchors i=
n a
hole made by a huge auger; then the crew would turn the capstan and haul the
ship along by the force of their arms; the greatest difficulty consisted in
driving the detached pieces beneath the floes, so as to give space for the
vessel, and they had to be pushed under by means of long iron-headed poles.=
Moreover, this continued toil with saws, capst=
an,
and poles, all of which was persistent, compulsory, and dangerous, amid the
dense fog or snow, while the air was so cold, and their eyes so exposed, th=
eir doubt
so great, did much to weaken the crew of the Forward and to act on their imagination.
When sailors have to deal with a man who is
energetic, bold, and determined, who knows what he wants, whither he is goi=
ng,
what aim he has in view, confidence animates them all in spite of themselve=
s;
they are firmly united to their leader, strong with his force and calm with=
his
calmness. But on board of the brig they were aware of the commander's
uncertainty, they knew that he hesitated before the unknown aim and
destination. In spite of the energy of his character, his uncertainty was
clearly to be seen by his uncertain orders, incomplete manoeuvres, his sudd=
en
outbursts, and a thousand petty details which could not escape the sharp ey=
es
of the crew.
And then, Shandon was not the captain of the s=
hip,
the master under God, which was enough to encourage the discussion of his
orders; and from discussion to disobedience is but a short step.
The malcontents soon brought over to their num=
ber
the first engineer, who, hitherto, had been a slave to his duty.
The 16th of May, six days after the Forward had reached the ice, Shandon had not mad=
e two
miles to northward. They were threatened with being detained in the ice unt=
il
the next season. Matters had a serious look.
Towards eight o'clock of the evening, Shandon =
and
the doctor, accompanied by Garry, went out to reconnoitre the vast plains; =
they
took care not to go too far from the ship, for it was hard to find any fixed
points in this white solitude, which was ever changing in appearance.
Refraction kept producing strange effects, much to the doctor's astonishmen=
t;
at one place, where he thought he had but an easy jump before him, he had to
leap some five or six feet; or else the contrary happened, and in either ca=
se
the result was a tumble, which if not dangerous was at any rate painful, for
the ice was as hard and slippery as glass.
Shandon and his two companions went out to see=
k a
possible passage; three miles from the ship, they succeeded with some
difficulty in ascending an iceberg about three hundred feet high. From that
point nothing met their eyes but a confused mass, like the ruins of a vast =
city,
with shattered monuments, overthrown towers, and prostrate palaces,--a real
chaos. The sun was just peering above the jagged horizon, and sent forth lo=
ng,
oblique rays of light, but not of heat, as if something impassable for heat=
lay
between it and this wild country.
The sea appeared perfectly covered as far as e=
ye
could reach.
"How shall we get through?" asked the
doctor.
"I don't know," answered Shandon;
"but we shall get through, if we have to blow our way through with pow=
der.
I certainly sha'n't stay in the ice till next spring."
"But that happened to the Fox , and not far from here. Bah!" =
said
the doctor; "we shall get through with a little philosophy. You will s=
ee that
is worth all the machinery in the world."
"I must say," answered Shandon,
"this year does not begin very well."
"True, Shandon, and I notice also that
Baffin's Bay seems to be returning to the state it was in before 1817."=
;
"Don't you think, Doctor, it has always b=
een
as it is now?"
"No, my dear Shandon, from time to time t=
here
have been great breakings of the ice which no one can explain; so, up to 18=
17
this sea was continually full, when an enormous sort of inundation took pla=
ce, which
cast the icebergs into the ocean, most of which reached the banks of
Newfoundland. From that day Baffin's Bay was nearly free, and was visited by
whalers."
"So," asked Shandon, "from that
time voyages to the North became easier?"
"Incomparably; but for some years it has =
been
noticed that the bay seems to be resuming its old ways and threatens to bec=
ome
closed, possibly for a long time, to sailors. An additional reason, by the =
way,
for pushing on as far as possible. And yet it must be said, we look like pe=
ople
who are pushing on in unknown ways, with the doors forever closing behind
us."
"Would you advise me to go back?" as=
ked
Shandon, trying to read into the depths of the doctor's eyes.
"I! I have never retreated yet, and, even=
if
we should never get back, I say go on. Still, I want to make it clear that =
if
we act imprudently, we do it with our eyes open."
"And you, Garry, what do you think about
it?" asked Shandon of the sailor.
"I, Commander, should go straight on; I a=
gree
with Dr. Clawbonny; but do as you please; command, we shall obey."
"They don't all talk as you do, Garry,&qu=
ot;
resumed Shandon; "they are not all ready to obey. And if they refuse to
obey my orders?"
"I have given you my opinion,
Commander," answered Garry, coldly, "because you asked for it; but
you are not obliged to follow it."
Shandon did not answer; he scanned the horizon
closely, and then descended with his companions to the ice-fields.
Durin=
g the
commander's absence the men had been variously busied in attempts to relieve
the ship from the pressure of the ice. Pen, Clifton, Bolton, Gripper, and
Simpson had this in charge; the fireman and the two engineers came to the a=
id
of their comrades, for, as soon as the engines did not require their attent=
ion,
they became sailors, and as such could be employed in all that was going on
aboard the ship.
But there was a great deal of discontent among
them.
"I declare I've had enough," said Pe=
n;
"and if we are not free in three days, I swear I sha'n't stir a finger=
to
get the ship out."
"Not stir a finger!" answered Plover;
"you'd better use them in getting back. Do you think we want to stay h=
ere
till next year?"
"It certainly would be a hard winter,&quo=
t;
said Pen, "for we are exposed on all sides."
"And who knows," said Brunton,
"whether next spring the sea will be any freer than it is now?"
"Never mind about next spring," answ=
ered
Pen; "to-day is Thursday; if the way is not clear Sunday morning, we s=
hall
turn back to the south."
"Good!" cried Clifton.
"Don't you agree with me?" asked Pen=
.
"We do," cried his companions.
"That's so," said Warren; "for =
if
we have to work in this way and haul the ship along with our own arms, I th=
ink
it would be as well to haul her backwards."
"We shall do that on Sunday," said
Wolston.
"Only give me the order," resumed
Brunton, "and my fires shall be lighted."
"Well," remarked Clifton, "we s=
hall
light them ourselves."
"If any officer," said Pen, "is
anxious to spend the winter here, he can; we can leave him here contentedly;
he'll find it easy to build a hut like the Esquimaux."
"Not at all, Pen," retorted Brunton,
quickly; "we sha'n't abandon any one here; do you understand that, all=
of
you? I think it won't be hard to persuade the commander; he seems to me to =
be
very much discouraged, and if we propose it to him gently--"
"But," interrupted Plover, "Ric=
hard
Shandon is often very obstinate; we shall have to sound him cautiously.&quo=
t;
"When I think," said Bolton, with a =
sigh
of longing, "that in a month we might be back in Liverpool! We can eas=
ily
pass the line of ice at the south! Davis Strait will be open by the beginni=
ng
of June, and then we shall have nothing but the free Atlantic before us.&qu=
ot;
"Besides," said the cautious Clifton,
"if we take the commander back with us, and act under his commands, we
shall have earned our pay; but if we go back without him, it's not so
sure."
"True," said Plover; "Clifton t=
alks
sense. Let's try not to get into any trouble with the Admiralty, that's saf=
er,
and don't let us leave any one behind."
"But if they refuse to come with us?"
continued Pen, who wished to compel his companions to stand by him.
They found it hard to answer the question thus
squarely put them.
"We shall see about that when the time
comes," replied Bolton; "it will be enough to bring Richard Shand=
on
over to our side, and I fancy that won't be hard."
"There's one I shall leave here,"
exclaimed Pen with fierce oaths, "even if he should bite my arm off.&q=
uot;
"O, the dog!" said Plover.
"Yes, that dog! I shall soon settle accou=
nts
with him."
"So much the better," retorted Clift=
on,
returning to his favorite theory; "he is the cause of all our
troubles."
"He has thrown an evil spell upon us,&quo=
t;
said Plover.
"He led us into the ice," remarked
Gripper.
"He brought more ice in our way," sa=
id
Wolston, "than was ever seen at this season."
"He made my eyes sore," said Brunton=
.
"He shut off the gin and brandy," cr=
ied
Pen.
"He's the cause of everything," they=
all
exclaimed excitedly.
"And then," added Clifton, "he's
the captain."
"Well, you unlucky Captain," cried P=
en,
whose unreasonable fury grew with the sound of his own words, "you wan=
ted
to come here, and here you shall stay!"
"But how shall we get hold of him?" =
said
Plover.
"Well, now is a good time," answered
Clifton. "The commander is away; the second mate is asleep in his cabi=
n;
the fog is so thick that Johnson can't see us--"
"But the dog?" said Pen.
"He's asleep in the coal," answered
Clifton, "and if any one wants--"
"I'll see to it," replied Pen, angri=
ly.
"Take care, Pen; his teeth would go throu=
gh a
bar of iron."
"If he stirs, I'll rip him open,"
answered Pen, drawing his knife.
And he ran down between decks, followed by War=
ren,
who was anxious to help him.
Soon they both returned, carrying the dog in t=
heir
arms; his mouth and paws were securely tied; they had caught him asleep, and
the poor dog could not escape them.
"Hurrah for Pen!" cried Plover.
"And what are you going to do with him
now?" asked Clifton.
"Drown him, and if he ever comes back--&q=
uot;
answered Pen with a smile of satisfaction.
Two hundred feet from the vessel there was a h=
ole
in the ice, a sort of circular crevasse, made by the seals with their teeth,
and always dug out from the inside to the outside; it was there that the se=
als used
to come to breathe on the surface of the ice; but they were compelled to ta=
ke
care to prevent the aperture from closing, for the shape of their jaws did =
not
permit them to make the hole from the outside, and in any danger they would=
not
be able to escape from their enemies.
Pen and Warren hastened to this crevasse, and
then, in spite of his obstinate struggles, the dog was pitilessly cast into=
the
sea; a huge cake of ice they then rolled over the aperture, closing all mea=
ns
of escape for the poor dog, thus locked in a watery prison.
"A pleasant journey, Captain!" cried=
the
brutal sailor.
Soon they returned on board; Johnson had seen
nothing of it all; the fog was growing thick about the ship, and the snow w=
as
beginning to fall with violence.
An hour later, Richard Shandon, the doctor, and
Garry regained the Forward .
Shandon had observed in the northeast a passag=
e,
which he determined to try. He gave his orders to that effect; the crew obe=
yed
with a certain activity; they wanted to convince Shandon of the impossibili=
ty of
a farther advance, and besides, they had before them three days of obedienc=
e.
During a part of the following night and day t=
he
sawing and towing went on busily; the Forward
made about two miles of progress. =
On the
18th they were in sight of land, five or six cable-lengths from a strange p=
eak,
to which its singular shape had given the name of the Devil's Thumb.
At this very place the Prince Albert , in 1851, the Advance , with Kane, in 1853, had been c=
aught
in the ice for many weeks.
The odd shape of the Devil's Thumb, the barren=
and
desolate surroundings, which consisted of huge icebergs often more than thr=
ee hundred
feet high, the cracking of the ice, repeated indefinitely by the echo, made=
the
position of the Forward a very gloomy one. Shandon saw that it w=
as
necessary to get away from there; within twenty-four hours, he calculated he
would be able to get two miles from the spot. But that was not enough. Shan=
don
felt himself embarrassed by fear, and the false position in which he was pl=
aced
benumbed his energy; to obey his instructions in order to advance, he had
brought his ship into a dangerous position; the towing wore out his men; mo=
re
than three hours were necessary to cut a canal twenty feet in length through
ice which was generally four or five feet thick; the health of the crew gave
signs of failing. Shandon was astonished at the silence of the men, and the=
ir
unaccustomed obedience; but he feared it was only the calm that foreboded a
storm.
We can, then, easily judge of the painful
surprise, disappointment, and even despair which seized upon him, when he
noticed that by means of an imperceptible movement in the ice, the Forward lost in the night of the 18th all that h=
ad
been gained by such toilsome efforts; on Saturday morning he was opposite t=
he
Devil's Thumb, in a still more critical position; the icebergs increased in
number and passed by in the mist like phantoms.
Shandon was thoroughly demoralized; it must be
said that fear seized both this bold man and all his crew. Shandon had hear=
d of
the disappearance of the dog; but he did not dare to punish the guilty pers=
ons;
he feared exciting a mutiny.
The weather during that day was horrible; the
snow, caught up in dense whirls, covered the brig with an impenetrable veil=
; at
times, under the influence of the hurricane, the fog would rise, and their =
terror-stricken
eyes beheld the Devil's Thumb rising on the shore like a spectre.
The F=
orward
was anchored to a large piece of i=
ce;
there was nothing to be done, nothing to be tried; darkness was spreading a=
bout
them, and the man at the helm could not see James Wall, who was on watch fo=
rward.
Shandon withdrew to his cabin, a prey to perpe=
tual
disquiet; the doctor was arranging his notes of the expedition; some of the
crew were on the deck, others in the common room.
At a moment when the violence of the storm was
redoubling, the Devil's Thumb seemed to rise immoderately from the mist.
"Great God!" exclaimed Simpson,
recoiling with terror.
"What's the matter?" asked Foker.
Soon shouts were heard on all sides.
"It's going to crush us!"
"We are lost!"
"Mr. Wall, Mr. Wall!"
"It's all over!"
"Commander, Commander!"
All these cries were uttered by the men on wat=
ch.
Wall hastened to the after-deck; Shandon, foll=
owed
by the doctor, flew to the deck and looked out.
Through a rift in the mist, the Devil's Thumb
appeared to have suddenly come near the brig; it seemed to have grown
enormously in size; on its summit was balanced a second cone, upside down, =
and revolving
on its point; it threatened to crush the ship with its enormous mass; it
wavered, ready to fall down. It was an alarming sight. Every one drew back
instinctively, and many of the men, jumping upon the ice, abandoned the shi=
p.
"Let no one move!" cried the command=
er
with a loud voice; "every one to his place!"
"My friends, don't be frightened," s=
aid
the doctor, "there is no danger! See, Commander, see, Mr. Wall, that's=
the
mirage and nothing else."
"You are right, Dr. Clawbonny," repl=
ied
Johnson; "they've all been frightened by a shadow."
When they had heard what the doctor said, most=
of
the sailors drew near him, and from terror they turned to admiration of this
wonderful phenomenon, which soon passed from their view.
"They call that a mirage," said Clif=
ton;
"the Devil's at the bottom of it, I'm sure."
"That's true," growled Gripper.
But the break in the fog had given the command=
er a
glimpse of a broad passage which he had not expected to find; it promised to
lead him away from the shore; he resolved to make use of it at once; men we=
re sent
out on each side of the canal; hawsers were given them, and they began to t=
ow
the ship northward.
During long hours this work was prosecuted bus=
ily
but silently; Shandon had the furnace-fires lighted to help him through this
passage so providentially discovered.
"That's great luck," he said to John=
son,
"and if we can only get on a few miles, we may be free. Make a hot fir=
e,
Mr. Brunton, and let me know as soon as you get steam on. Meanwhile, men, t=
he
farther on we get, the more gained! You want to get away from the Devil's
Thumb; well, now is your chance!"
Suddenly the brig stopped. "What's the ma=
tter?"
shouted Shandon. "Wall, have the tow-ropes broken?"
"No," answered Wall, leaning over the
railing. "See, there are the men running back; they are climbing on bo=
ard;
they seem very much frightened."
"What's happened?" cried Shandon,
running forward.
"On board, on board!" cried the sail=
ors,
evidently exceedingly terrified.
Shandon looked towards the north, and shuddere=
d in
spite of himself.
A strange animal, with alarming motions, whose
steaming tongue hung from huge jaws, was bounding along within a cable's le=
ngth
from the ship; it seemed more than twenty feet high; its hair stood on end;=
it was
chasing the sailors as if about to seize them, while its tail, which was at
least ten feet long, lashed the snow and tossed it about in dense gusts. The
sight of the monster froze the blood in the veins of the boldest.
"It's an enormous bear," said one.
"It's the beast of Gévaudan!"
"It's the lion of the Apocalypse!"
Shandon ran to his cabin to get a gun which he
kept always loaded; the doctor seized his arms, and made ready to fire at t=
he
beast, which by its size, recalled antediluvian monsters.
It drew near with long leaps; Shandon and the
doctor fired at the same time, and suddenly the report of the pieces agitat=
ed
the air and produced an unlooked-for effect.
The doctor gazed attentively, and could not he=
lp
bursting out laughing. "It's refraction!" said he.
"Refraction!" cried Shandon.
But a terrible cry from the crew interrupted t=
hem.
"The dog!" shouted Clifton.
"The dog-captain!" repeated his comp=
anions.
"It's he!" cried Pen.
In fact, it was the dog who had burst his bonds
and had made his way to the surface of the ice through another hole. At that
moment the refraction, by a phenomenon common in these latitudes, exaggerat=
ed
his size, and this had only been broken by the report of the guns; but, not=
withstanding,
a disastrous impression had been produced upon the minds of the sailors, who
were not very much inclined to admit any explanation of the fact from physi=
cal
causes. The adventure of the Devil's Thumb, the reappearance of the dog und=
er
such peculiar circumstances, completely upset them, and murmurs arose on all
sides.
The <=
span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Forward was advancing rapidly under steam betwee=
n the
ice-fields and the mountains of ice. Johnson was at the helm. Shandon was e=
xamining
the horizon with his snow-spectacles; but his joy was brief, for he soon saw
that the passage was blocked up by a circle of mountains.
Nevertheless, he preferred to take his chances
with pushing on, to returning.
The dog followed the brig on the ice, but he k=
ept
at a respectful distance. Only, if he lagged too far, there was to be heard=
a
singular whistle which at once brought him on.
The first time that this whistle was heard, the
sailors looked around; they were alone on the deck, talking together; there=
was
no unknown person there; and yet this whistle was often repeated.
Clifton was the first to take alarm.
"Do you hear that?" he said; "a=
nd
do you see how the dog starts as soon as he hears it?"
"It's past belief," said Gripper.
"Very well!" cried Pen; "I'm not
going any farther."
"Pen is right," said Brunton; "=
it's
tempting Providence."
"Tempting the Devil," answered Clift=
on.
"I should rather give up all my share of the pay than go on."
"We shall never get back," said Bolt=
on,
dejectedly.
The crew was exceedingly demoralized.
"Not a foot farther!" cried Wolston;
"is that your opinion?"
"Yes, yes!" answered the sailors.
"Well," said Bolton, "let's go =
find
the commander; I'll undertake to tell him."
The sailors in a dense group made their way to=
the
quarter-deck.
The F=
orward
was then advancing into a large ar=
ena,
which had a diameter of about eight hundred feet; it was completely closed,
with the exception of one place through which the ship entered.
Shandon saw that he was locking himself in. But
what was to be done? How could he retreat? He felt all the responsibility, =
and
his hand nervously grasped his glass.
The doctor looked on in silence, with folded a=
rms;
he gazed at the walls of ice, the average height of which was about three
hundred feet. A cloud of fog lay like a dome above the gulf.
Then it was that Bolton spoke to the commander=
.
"Commander," said he in a broken voi=
ce,
"we can't go any farther."
"What's that you are saying?" said
Shandon, who felt enraged at the slight given to his authority.
"We have come to say, Commander,"
resumed Bolton, "that we have done enough for this invisible captain, =
and
that we have made up our minds not to go on any farther."
"Made up your minds?" cried Shandon.
"Is that the way you talk to me, Bolton? Take care."
"You need not threaten," retorted Pe=
n,
brutally, "we are not going any farther."
Shandon stepped towards the mutinous sailors, =
when
the boatswain said to him in a low voice,--
"Commander, if we want to get out of this
place, we have not a moment to lose. There's an iceberg crowding towards the
entrance; it may prevent our getting out and imprison us here."
Shandon returned to look at the state of affai=
rs.
"You will account for this afterwards,&qu=
ot;
he said to the mutineers. "Now, go about!"
The sailors hastened to their places. The Forward went about rapidly; coal was heaped on t=
he
fires; it was necessary to beat the iceberg. There was a race between them;=
the
brig stood towards the south, the berg was drifting northward, threatening =
to
bar the way.
"Put on all the steam, Brunton, do you
hear?" said Shandon.
The F=
orward
glided like a bird through the bro=
ken
ice, which her prow cut through easily; the ship shook with the motion of t=
he
screw, and the gauge indicated a full pressure of steam, the deafening roar=
of
which resounded above everything.
"Load the safety-valve!" cried Shand=
on.
The engineer obeyed at the risk of bursting the
boilers.
But these desperate efforts were vain; the
iceberg, driven by a submarine current, moved rapidly towards the exit; the
brig was still three cable-lengths distant, when the mountain, entering the
vacant space like a wedge, joined itself to its companions, and closed the =
means
of escape.
"We are lost!" cried Shandon, who was
unable to restrain that unwise speech.
"Lost!" repeated the crew.
"Lower the boats!" cried many.
"To the steward's pantry!" cried Pen=
and
some of his set; "if we must drown, let us drown in gin!"
The wildest confusion raged among these half-w=
ild
men. Shandon felt unable to assert his authority; he wanted to give some
orders; he hesitated, he stammered; his thoughts could find no words. The
doctor walked up and down nervously. Johnson folded his arms stoically, and=
said
not a word.
Suddenly a strong, energetic, commanding voice=
was
heard above the din, uttering these words:--
"Every man to his place! Prepare to go
about!"
Johnson shuddered, and, without knowing what he
did, turned the wheel rapidly.
It was time; the brig, going under full steam,=
was
about crashing against the walls of its prison.
But while Johnson instinctively obeyed, Shando=
n,
Clawbonny, the crew, all, even down to Warren the fireman, who had abandoned
his fires, and Strong the cook, who had fled from his galley, were collecte=
d on
the deck, and all saw issuing from the cabin, the key of which he alone pos=
sessed,
a man.
This man was the sailor Garry.
"Sir!" cried Shandon, turning pale,
"Garry--by what right do you give orders here?"
"Duke!" said Garry, repeating the
whistle which had so surprised the crew.
The dog, on hearing his real name, sprang on t=
he
quarter-deck, and lay down quietly at his master's feet.
The crew did not utter a word. The key which t=
he
captain alone should possess, the dog which he had sent and which had
identified him, so to speak, the tone of command which it was impossible to
mistake,--all this had a strong influence on the minds of the sailors, and =
was enough
to establish firmly Garry's authority.
Besides, Garry was hardly to be recognized; he=
had
removed the thick whiskers which had surrounded his face, thereby giving it=
a
more impassible, energetic, and commanding expression; he stood before them=
clothed
in a captain's uniform, which he had had placed in his cabin.
So the crew of the Forward , animated in spite of themselve=
s, shouted,--
"Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah for the
captain!"
"Shandon," he said to his first offi=
cer,
"have the crew put in line; I want to inspect them."
Shandon obeyed, and gave the requisite orders =
with
an agitated voice.
The captain walked in front of the officers and
men, saying a word to each, and treating him according to his past conduct.=
When he had finished his inspection, he went b=
ack
to the quarter-deck, and calmly uttered these words:--
"Officers and sailors, I am an Englishman
like you all, and my motto is that of Lord Nelson,--'England expects every =
man
to do his duty.'
"As Englishmen, I am unwilling, we are
unwilling, that others should go where we have not been. As Englishmen, I s=
hall
not endure, we shall not endure, that others should have the glory of going
farther north than we. If human foot is ever to reach the Pole, it must be =
the
foot of an Englishman! Here is the flag of our country. I have equipped this
ship, I have devoted my fortune to this undertaking, I shall devote to it my
life and yours, but this flag shall float over the North Pole. Fear not. You
shall receive a thousand pounds sterling for every degree that we get farth=
er
north after this day. Now we are at the seventy-second, and there are ninet=
y in
all. Figure it out. My name will be proof enough. It means energy and
patriotism. I am Captain Hatteras."
"Captain Hatteras!" cried Shandon. A=
nd
this name, familiar to them all, soon spread among all the crew.
"Now," resumed Hatteras, "let us
anchor the brig to the ice; let the fires be put out, and every one return =
to
his usual occupation. Shandon, I want to speak with you about the ship. You
will join me in my cabin with the doctor, Wall, and the boatswain. Johnson,
dismiss the men."
Hatteras, calm and cold, quietly left the
poop-deck, while Shandon had the brig made fast to the ice.
Who was this Hatteras, and why did his name ma=
ke
so deep an impression upon the crew?
John Hatteras, the only son of a London brewer,
who died in 1852, worth six million pounds, took to the sea at an early age,
unmindful of the large fortune which was to come to him. Not that he had an=
y commercial
designs, but a longing for geographical discovery possessed him; he was
continually dreaming of setting foot on some spot untrodden of man.
When twenty years old, he had the vigorous
constitution of thin, sanguine men; an energetic face, with well-marked lin=
es,
a high forehead, rising straight from the eyes, which were handsome but col=
d, thin
lips, indicating a mouth chary of words, medium height, well-knit muscular
limbs, indicated a man ready for any experience. Any one who saw him would =
have
called him bold, and any one who heard him would have called him coldly
passionate; he was a man who would never retreat, and who would risk the li=
ves
of others as coldly as his own. One would hence think twice before following
him in his expeditions.
John Hatteras had a great deal of English prid=
e,
and it was he who once made this haughty reply to a Frenchman.
The Frenchman said with what he considered
politeness, and even kindness,--
"If I were not a Frenchman, I should like=
to
be an Englishman."
"If I were not an Englishman, I should li=
ke
to be an Englishman!"
That retort points the nature of the man.
He would have liked to reserve for his
fellow-countrymen the monopoly of geographical discovery; but much to his
chagrin, during previous centuries, they had done but little in the way of
discovery.
America was discovered by the Genoese, Christo=
pher
Columbus; the East Indies by the Portuguese, Vasco de Gama; China by the
Portuguese, Fernao d'Andrada; Terra del Fuego by the Portuguese, Magellan;
Canada by the Frenchman, Jacques Cartier; the islands of Sumatra, Java, etc=
., Labrador,
Brazil, the Cape of Good Hope, the Azores, Madeira, Newfoundland, Guinea,
Congo, Mexico, White Cape, Greenland, Iceland, the South Pacific Ocean,
California, Japan, Cambodia, Peru, Kamschatka, the Philippine Islands,
Spitzbergen, Cape Horn, Behring Strait, New Zealand, Van Diemen's Land, New
Britain, New Holland, the Louisiana, Island of Jan-Mayen, by Icelanders,
Scandinavians, Frenchmen, Russians, Portuguese, Danes, Spaniards, Genoese, =
and Dutchmen;
but no Englishmen figured among them, and it was a constant source of grief=
to
Hatteras to see his fellow-countrymen excluded from the glorious band of
sailors who made the great discoveries of the fifteenth and sixteenth
centuries.
Hatteras consoled himself somewhat when he
considered modern times: the English took their revenge with Stuart, McDoug=
all
Stuart, Burke, Wells, King, Gray, in Australia; with Palliser in America; w=
ith Havnoan
in Syria; with Cyril Graham, Waddington, Cunningham, in India; and with Bar=
th,
Burton, Speke, Grant, and Livingstone in Africa.
But this was not enough; for Hatteras these men
were rather finishers than discoverers; something better was to be done, so=
he
invented a country in order to have the honor of discovering it.
Now he had noticed that if the English were in=
a
minority with regard to the early discoveries, that if it was necessary to =
go
back to Cook to make sure of New Caledonia in 1774, and of the Sandwich Isl=
ands
where he was killed in 1778, there was nevertheless one corner of the globe=
on
which they had centred all their efforts.
This was the northern seas and lands of North
America.
In fact, the list of polar discoveries runs as
follows:--
Nova
Zembla, discovered by Willoughby in 1553. Island of Wiegehts, discovered by Barro=
w in
1556. West Coast of Greenland,
discovered by Davis in 1585. Davis
Strait, discovered by Davis in 1587. Spitzbergen, discovered by Willoughby in
1596. Hudson's Bay, discovered by
Hudson in 1610. Baffin's Bay,
discovered by Baffin in 1616.
During recent years Hearne, Mackenzie, John Ro=
ss,
Parry, Franklin, Richardson, Beechey, James Ross, Back, Dease, Simpson, Rae=
, Inglefield,
Belcher, Austin, Kellet, Moore, MacClure, Kennedy, MacClintock, were
incessantly exploring these unknown regions.
The northern coast of America had been accurat=
ely
made out, the Northwest Passage nearly discovered, but that was not enough;
there was something greater to be done, and this John Hatteras had twice tr=
ied,
fitting out ships at his own expense; he wanted to reach the Pole itself, a=
nd
thus to crown the list of English discoveries by a glorious success.
To reach the Pole itself was the aim of his li=
fe.
After many successful voyages in the southern
seas, Hatteras tried for the first time in 1846 to reach the North through
Baffin's Bay, but he could get no farther than latitude 74°; he sailed in t=
he
sloop Halifax ; his crew suffered
terribly, and John Hatteras carried his temerity so far that henceforth sai=
lors
were averse to undertaking a similar expedition under such a leader.
Notwithstanding, in 1850, Hatteras succeeded i=
n obtaining
for the schooner Farewell about twenty determined men, but who wer=
e persuaded
especially by the high pay offered their boldness. It was then that Dr.
Clawbonny began to correspond with John Hatteras, whom he did not know, abo=
ut
accompanying him; but the post of surgeon was filled, fortunately for the
doctor.
The F=
arewell
, following the route taken by the Neptune
of Aberdeen in 1817, went to the n=
orth
of Spitzbergen, as far as latitude 76°. There they were obliged to winter; =
but
their sufferings were such, and the cold so intense, that of all on board,
Hatteras alone returned to England. He was picked up by a Danish whaler aft=
er
he had walked more than two hundred miles across the ice.
The excitement produced by the return of this =
man
alone was intense; who, after this, would accompany Hatteras in his bold
attempts? Still he did not abandon the hope of trying again. His father, the
brewer, died, and he came into possession of an enormous fortune.
Meanwhile something had happened which cut John
Hatteras to the heart.
A brig, the Advance , carrying seventeen men, equipp=
ed by
Mr. Grinnell, a merchant, commanded by Dr. Kane, and sent out in search of =
Franklin,
went as far north, through Baffin's Bay and Smith's Sound, as latitude 82°,
nearer to the Pole than any of his predecessors had gone.
Now this was an American ship. Grinnell was an
American, Kane was an American!
It is easy to understand how the customary dis=
dain
of the Englishman for the Yankee turned to hatred in the heart of Hatteras;=
he
made up his mind, at any price, to beat his bold rival, and to reach the Po=
le itself.
For two years he lived at Liverpool incognito.=
He
was taken for a sailor. He saw in Richard Shandon the man he wanted; he
presented his plans by an anonymous letter to him and to Dr. Clawbonny. The=
Forward was built and equipped. Hatteras kept hi=
s name
a secret; otherwise no one would have gone with him. He resolved only to ta=
ke command
of the brig at some critical juncture, and when his crew had gone too far t=
o be
able to retreat; he kept in reserve, as we have seen, the power of making
generous offers to the men, so that they would follow him to the end of the
world.
In fact, it was to the end of the world that he
wanted to go.
Now matters looked very serious, and John Hatt=
eras
made himself known.
His dog, the faithful Duke, the companion of h=
is
expeditions, was the first to recognize him, and fortunately for the bold, =
and unfortunately
for the timid, it was firmly established that the captain of the Forward was John Hatteras.
The
appearance of this famous person was variously received by the different
members of the crew: some allied themselves strongly with him, moved both by
boldness and by avarice; others took renewed interest in the expedition, but
they reserved to themselves the right of protesting later; besides, at that
time, it was hard to make any resistance to such a man. Hence every man went
back to his place. The 20th of May was Sunday, and consequently a day of re=
st
for the crew.
The officers took counsel together in the doct=
or's
cabin; there were present Hatteras, Shandon, Wall, Johnson, and the doctor.=
"Gentlemen," said the captain, with =
his
peculiarly gentle but impressive voice, "you know my project of going =
to
the Pole; I want to get your opinion of the undertaking. What do you think
about it, Shandon?"
"I have not to think, Captain," answ=
ered
Shandon, coldly; "I have only to obey."
Hatteras was not surprised at this answer.
"Richard Shandon," he resumed with e=
qual
coldness, "I ask your opinion about our probable chance of success.&qu=
ot;
"Well, Captain," answered Shandon,
"facts must answer for me; all attempts hitherto have failed; I hope we
may be more fortunate."
"We shall be. And, gentlemen, what do you
think?"
"As for me," replied the doctor, &qu=
ot;I
consider your design practicable, Captain; and since there is no doubt but =
that
at some time or other explorers will reach the Pole, I don't see why we sho=
uld
not do it."
"There are very good reasons why we shoul=
d,"
answered Hatteras, "for we have taken measures to make it possible, an=
d we
shall profit by the experience of others. And, Shandon, you must accept my
thanks for the care you have given to the equipment of the brig; there are =
some
ill-disposed men in the crew, whom I shall soon bring to reason; but on the
whole, I can give nothing but praise."
Shandon bowed coldly. His position on the Forward , of which he had thought himself
commander, was a false one. Hatteras understood this, and said nothing more
about it.
"As for you, gentlemen," he resumed,
addressing Wall and Johnson, "I could not myself have chosen officers =
more
skilled and intrepid."
"On my word, Captain, I am your man,"
answered Johnson; "and although I think your plan a very bold one, you=
can
count on me to the end."
"And on me too," said Wall.
"As for you, Doctor, I know your
worth--"
"Well, you know then a great deal more th=
an I
do," answered the doctor, quickly.
"Now, gentlemen," said Hatteras,
"it is well that you should know on what good grounds I have made up my
mind about the accessibility of the Pole. In 1817 the Neptune , of Aberdeen, went to the north=
of Spitzbergen,
as far as latitude 82°. In 1826 the celebrated Parry, after his third voyag=
e in
polar seas, started also from the extremity of Spitzbergen, and on sledges =
went
one hundred and fifty miles farther north. In 1852, Captain Inglefield reac=
hed,
through Smith's Sound, latitude 78° 35'. All these were English ships, and =
were
commanded by Englishmen, our fellow-countrymen."
Here Hatteras paused.
"I ought to add," he resumed with so=
me
formality, and as if he could hardly bring himself to utter the words,--&qu=
ot;I
ought to add that in 1854 the American, Captain Kane, in the brig Advance , went still farther north, and =
that
his lieutenant, Morton, journeying over the ice, hoisted the United States =
flag
beyond the eighty-second degree. Having once said this, I shall not return =
to
it. Now the main point is that the captains of the Neptune , the Enterprise , the Isabella , and the Advance agree in the statement that beyond these=
high
latitudes there is an open polar sea, entirely free from ice."
"Free from ice!" cried Shandon,
interrupting the captain, "it's impossible!"
"You will notice, Shandon," observed
Hatteras, quietly, while his eye lighted up for an instant, "that I qu=
ote
both facts and authorities. I must add that in 1851, when Penny was station=
ed
by the side of Wellington Channel, his lieutenant, Stewart, found himself in
the presence of an open sea, and that his report was confirmed when, in 185=
3,
Sir Edward Belcher wintered in Northumberland Bay, in latitude 76° 52', and
longitude 99° 20'; these reports are indisputable, and one must be very
incredulous not to admit them."
"Still, Captain," persisted Shandon,
"facts are as contradictory--"
"You're wrong, Shandon, you're wrong!&quo=
t;
cried Dr. Clawbonny; "facts never contradict a scientific statement; t=
he
captain will, I trust, excuse me."
"Go on, Doctor!" said Hatteras.
"Well, listen to this, Shandon; it results
very clearly from geographical facts, and from the study of isothermal line=
s,
that the coldest spot on the globe is not on the Pole itself; like the magn=
etic
pole, it lies a few degrees distant. So the calculations of Brewster, Bergh=
aus,
and other physicists prove that in our hemisphere there are two poles of
extreme cold: one in Asia in latitude 79° 30' N., and longitude 120° E.; the
other is in America, in latitude 78° N., and longitude 97° W. This last alo=
ne
concerns us, and you see, Shandon, that it is more than twelve degrees below
the Pole. Well, I ask you why, then, the sea should not be as free from ice=
as
it often is in summer in latitude 66°, that is to say, at the southern end =
of Baffin's
Bay?"
"Well put," answered Johnson; "=
Dr.
Clawbonny talks of those things like a man who understands them."
"It seems possible," said James Wall=
.
"Mere conjectures! nothing but
hypotheses!" answered Shandon, obstinately.
"Well, Shandon," said Hatteras,
"let us consider the two cases; either the sea is free from ice, or it=
is
not, and in neither case will it be impossible to reach the Pole. If it is
free, the Forward will take us there without difficulty; i=
f it
is frozen, we must try to reach it over the ice by our sledges. You will
confess that it is not impracticable; having once come with our brig to
latitude 83°, we shall have only about six hundred miles between us and the
Pole."
"And what are six hundred miles," sa=
id
the doctor, briskly, "when it is proved that a Cossack, Alexis Markoff,
went along the frozen sea, north of Russia, on sledges drawn by dogs, for a
distance of eight hundred miles, in twenty-four days?"
"You hear him, Shandon," answered
Hatteras, "and will you say that an Englishman cannot do as much as a
Cossack?"
"Never!" cried the enthusiastic doct=
or.
"Never!" repeated the boatswain.
"Well, Shandon?" asked the captain.<= o:p>
"Captain," answered Shandon, coldly,
"I can only repeat what I have said,--I shall obey you."
"Well. Now," continued Hatteras,
"let us consider our present situation; we are caught in the ice, and =
it
seems to me impossible for us to reach Smith's Sound this year. This is wha=
t we
must do."
Hatteras unfolded on the table one of the
excellent charts published in 1859 by the order of the Admiralty.
"Be good enough to look here. If Smith's
Sound is closed, Lancaster Sound is not, to the west of Baffin's Bay; in my
opinion, we ought to go up this sound as far as Barrow Strait, and thence to
Beechey Island. This has been done a hundred times by sailing-vessels; we s=
hall
have no difficulty, going under steam. Once at Beechey Island, we shall fol=
low
Wellington Sound as far northward as possible, to where it meets the channe=
l,
connecting it with Queen's Sound, at the place where the open sea was seen.=
It
is now only the 20th of May; if nothing happens, we shall be there in a mon=
th,
and from there we shall start for the Pole. What do you say to that,
gentlemen?"
"Evidently," said Johnson, "it's
the only way open to us."
"Well, we shall take it, and to-morrow. L=
et
Sunday be a day of rest; you will see, Shandon, that the Bible is read as
usual; the religious exercises do the men good, and a sailor more than any =
one
ought to put his trust in God."
"Very well, Captain," answered Shand=
on,
who went away with the second officer and the boatswain.
"Doctor," said Hatteras, pointing at
Shandon, "there's an offended man, whose pride has ruined him; I can no
longer depend upon him."
Early the next day the captain had the launch
lowered; he went to reconnoitre the icebergs about the basin, of which the
diameter was hardly more than two hundred yards. He noticed that by the gra=
dual
pressure of the ice, this space threatened to grow smaller; hence it became
necessary to make a breach somewhere, to save the ship from being crushed; =
by
the means he employed, it was easy to see that John Hatteras was an energet=
ic
man.
In the first place he had steps cut, by which =
he
climbed to the top of an iceberg; from that point he saw it would be easy to
open a path to the southwest; by his orders an opening was made in the midd=
le
of an iceberg, a task which was completed by Monday evening.
Hatteras could not depend on his
blasting-cylinders of eight or ten pounds of powder, whose action would have
been insignificant against such large masses; they were only of use to break
the field-ice; hence he placed in the opening a thousand pounds of powder,
carefully laying it where it should be of the utmost service. This chamber,=
to
which ran a long fuse, surrounded by gutta-percha, opened on the outside. T=
he
gallery, leading thereto, was filled with snow and lumps of ice, to which t=
he
cold of the next night gave the consistency of granite. In fact, the
temperature, under the influence of the east-wind, fell to 12°.
The next day at seven o'clock the Forward was under steam, ready to seize any chan=
ce of
escape. Johnson was charged with lighting the mine; the fuse was calculated=
to
burn half an hour before exploding the powder. Hence Johnson had plenty of =
time
to get back to the ship; indeed, within ten minutes he was at his post.
The crew were all on deck; the day was dry and
tolerably clear; the snow was no longer falling; Hatteras, standing on the =
deck
with Shandon and the doctor, counted the minutes on his watch.
At thirty-five minutes after eight a dull
explosion was heard, much less deafening than had been anticipated. The out=
line
of the mountains was suddenly changed, as by an earthquake; a dense white s=
moke
rose high in the air, and long cracks appeared in the side of the iceberg, =
of
which the upper part was hurled to a great distance, and fell in fragments
about the Forward .
But the way was by no means free yet; huge lum=
ps
of ice were suspended upon the neighboring icebergs, and their fall threate=
ned
to close the exit.
Hatteras saw their situation in a flash of the
eye.
"Wolston!" he shouted.
The gunner hastened to him.
"Captain!" he said.
"Put a triple charge in the forward gun, =
and
ram it in as hard as possible!"
"Are we going to batter the iceberg down =
with
cannon-balls?" asked the doctor.
"No," answered Hatteras. "That
would do no good. No balls, Wolston, but a triple charge of powder. Be
quick!"
In a few moments the gun was loaded.
"What is he going to do without a ball?&q=
uot;
muttered Shandon between his teeth.
"We'll soon see," answered the docto=
r.
"We are all ready, Captain," cried
Wolston.
"Well," answered Hatteras.
"Brunton!" he shouted to the engineer, "make ready! Forward a
little!"
Brunton opened the valves, and the screw began=
to
move; the Forward drew near the blown-up iceberg.
"Aim carefully at the passage!" cried
the captain to the gunner.
He obeyed; when the brig was only half a
cable-length distant, Hatteras gave the order,--
"Fire!"
A loud report followed, and the fragments of i=
ce,
detached by the commotion of the air, fell suddenly into the sea. The simpl=
e concussion
had been enough.
"Put on full steam, Brunton!" shouted
Hatteras. "Straight for the passage, Johnson!"
Johnson was at the helm; the brig, driven by t=
he
screw, which tossed the water freely, entered easily the open passage. It w=
as
time. The Forward had hardly passed through the opening, b=
efore
it closed behind it.
It was an exciting moment, and the only calm a=
nd
collected man on board was the captain. So the crew, amazed at the success =
of
this device, could not help shouting,--
"Hurrah for John Hatteras!"
Wedne=
sday,
the 21st of May, the Forward resumed her perilous voyage, making her =
way
dexterously through the packs and icebergs, thanks to steam, which is seldo=
m used
by explorers in polar seas; she seemed to sport among the moving masses; one
would have said she felt the hand of a skilled master, and that, like a hor=
se
under a skilful rider, she obeyed the thought of her captain.
The weather grew warmer. At six o'clock in the
morning the thermometer stood at 26°, at six in the evening at 29°, and at
midnight at 25°; the wind was light from the southeast.
Thursday, at about three o'clock in the mornin=
g,
the Forward arrived in sight of Possession Bay, on t=
he
American shore, at the entrance of Lancaster Sound; soon Cape Burney came i=
nto
sight. A few Esquimaux came out to the ship; but Hatteras could not stop to
speak with them.
The peaks of Byam Martin, which rise above Cape
Liverpool, were passed on the left, and they soon disappeared in the evening
mist; this hid from them Cape Hay, which has a very slight elevation, and s=
o is
frequently confounded with ice about the shore, a circumstance which very o=
ften
renders the determination of the coast-line in polar regions very difficult=
.
Puffins, ducks, and white gulls appeared in gr=
eat
numbers. By observation the latitude was 74° 1', and the longitude, accordi=
ng
to the chronometer, 77° 15'.
The two mountains, Catherine and Elizabeth, ra=
ised
their snowy heads above the clouds.
At ten o'clock on Friday Cape Warrender was pa=
ssed
on the right side of the sound, and on the left Admiralty Inlet, a bay which
has never been fully explored by navigators, who are always hastening westw=
ard.
The sea ran rather high, and the waves often broke over the bows, covering =
the
deck with small fragments of ice. The land on the north coast presented a
strange appearance with its high, flat table-lands sparkling beneath the su=
n's
rays.
Hatteras would have liked to skirt these north=
ern
lands, in order to reach the sooner Beechey Island and the entrance of
Wellington Channel; but, much to his chagrin, the bank-ice obliged him to t=
ake only
the passes to the south.
Hence, on the 26th of May, in the midst of a f=
og
and a snow-storm, the Forward found herself off Cape York; a lofty, st=
eep
mountain was soon recognized; the weather got a little clearer, and at midd=
ay
the sun appeared long enough to permit an observation to be taken: latitude=
74°
4', and longitude 84° 23'. The For=
ward was at the end of Lancaster Sound.
Hatteras showed the doctor on the chart the ro=
ute
he had taken and that which he was to follow. At that time the position of =
the
brig was interesting.
"I should have liked to be farther
north," he said, "but it was impossible; see, here is our exact
position."
The captain pointed to a spot near Cape York.<= o:p>
"We are in the middle of this open space,
exposed to every wind; into it open Lancaster Sound, Barrow Strait, Welling=
ton
Channel, and Regent's Inlet; here, of necessity, come all northern
explorers."
"Well," answered the doctor, "so
much the worse for them; it is indeed an open space, where four roads meet,=
and
I don't see any sign-post to point out the right way! What did Parry, Ross,=
and
Franklin do?"
"They didn't do anything in particular; t=
hey
let themselves be governed by circumstances; they had no choice, I can assu=
re
you; at one time Barrow Strait would be closed against one, and the next ye=
ar it
would be open for another; again the ship would be irresistibly driven towa=
rds
Regent's Inlet. In this way we have at last been able to learn the geograph=
y of
these confused seas."
"What a strange region!" said the
doctor, gazing at the chart. "How everything is divided and cut up,
without order or reason! It seems as if all the land near the Pole were div=
ided
in this way in order to make the approach harder, while in the other hemisp=
here
it ends in smooth, regular points, like Cape Horn or the Cape of Good Hope,=
and
the Indian peninsula! Is it the greater rapidity at the equator which has t=
hus
modified things, while the land lying at the extremity, which was fluid at =
the
beginning of the world, could not condense and unite as elsewhere, on accou=
nt
of slower rotation?"
"That may be, for there is a reason for
everything, and nothing happens without a cause, which God sometimes lets
students find out; so, Doctor, find it out if you can."
"I shall not waste too much time over it,
Captain. But what is this fierce wind?" added the doctor, wrapping him=
self
up well.
"The north-wind is the common one, and de=
lays
our progress."
"Still it ought to blow the ice toward the
south, and leave our way free."
"It ought to, Doctor, but the wind doesn't
always do what it ought to. See, that ice looks impenetrable. We shall try =
to
reach Griffith Island, then to get around Cornwallis Island to reach Queen's
Channel, without going through Wellington Channel. And yet I am anxious to =
touch
at Beechey Island to get some more coal."
"How will you do that?" asked the
astonished doctor.
"Easily; by order of the Admiralty, a gre=
at
amount has been placed on this island, to supply future expeditions, and
although Captain MacClintock took some in 1859, I can assure you there is s=
till
some left for us."
"In fact, these regions have been explored
for fifteen years, and until certain proof of Franklin's death was received,
the Admiralty always kept five or six ships cruising in these waters. If I'm
not mistaken, Griffith Island, which I see in the middle of the open space,=
has
become a general rendezvous for explorers."
"True, Doctor, and Franklin's ill-fated
expedition has been the means of our learning so much about these parts.&qu=
ot;
"Exactly; for there have been a great many
expeditions since 1845. It was not till 1848 that there was any alarm about=
the
continued non-appearance of the Er=
ebus and the Terror , Franklin's two ships. Then the
admiral's old friend, Dr. Richardson, seventy years of age, went through
Canada, and descended Coppermine River to the Polar Sea; on the other side,
James Ross, in command of the Ente=
rprise
and the Investigator , sailed from Upernavik in =
1848,
and reached Cape York, where we are now. Every day he threw overboard a cask
containing papers telling where he was; during fogs he fired cannon; at nig=
ht
he burned signal-fires and sent off rockets, carrying always but little sai=
l;
finally, he wintered at Leopold's Harbor in 1848-49; there he caught a large
number of white foxes; he had put on their necks copper collars on which was
engraved a statement of the position of the ship and where supplies had been
left, and he drove them away in every direction; then, in the spring, he
explored the coast of North Somerset on sledges, amid dangers and privations
which disabled nearly all his men. He built cairns, enclosing copper cylind=
ers
with instructions to the absent expedition; during his absence, Lieutenant =
MacClure
explored fruitlessly the northern coast of Barrow Strait. It is noteworthy,
Captain, that James Ross had among his officers two men who afterwards beca=
me
celebrated,--MacClure, who found the Northwest Passage, and MacClintock, who
found the last remains of the Franklin expedition."
"Two good and brave captains, two brave Englishmen; go on, Doctor, with this account which you know so well; there = is always something to be learned from the account of bold adventurers."<= o:p>
"Well, to conclude with James Ross, I have
only to add that he tried to go farther west from Melville Island; but he
nearly lost his ships, and being caught in the ice he was carried, against =
his
will, to Baffin's Bay."
"Carried," said Hatteras,
frowning,--"carried against his will!"
"He had discovered nothing," resumed=
the
doctor; "it was only after 1850 that English ships were always explori=
ng
there, when a reward of twenty thousand pounds was offered to any one who
should discover the crews of the E=
rebus and =
span>Terror
. Already, in 1848, Captains Kellet and Moore, in command of the Herald and the Plover , tried to make their way through=
by
Behring Strait. I ought to say that the winter of 1850-51, Captain Austin
passed at Cornwallis Island; Captain Penny, with the Assistance and =
span>Resolute
, explored Wellington Channel; old John Ross, who discovered the magnetic p=
ole,
started in his yacht, the Felix , =
in
search of his friend; the brig Pri=
nce
Albert made her first voyage at the
expense of Lady Franklin; and, finally, two American ships, sent out by
Grinnell, under Captain Haven, carried beyond Wellington Channel, were cast
into Lancaster Sound. It was during this year that MacClintock, Austin's
lieutenant, pushed on to Melville Island and to Cape Dundas, the extreme po=
ints
reached by Parry in 1819, and on Beechey Island were found traces of Frankl=
in's
wintering there in 1845."
"Yes," answered Hatteras, "thre=
e of
his sailors were buried there, three fortunate men!"
"From 1851 to 1852," continued the
doctor, with a gesture of agreement, "we find the Prince Albert making a second attempt with the French
lieutenant, Bellot; he winters at Batty Bay in Prince Regent's Sound, explo=
res
the southwest of Somerset, and reconnoitres the coast as far as Cape Walker.
Meanwhile, the Enterprise and =
span>Investigator
, having returned to England, came under the command of Collinson and MacCl=
ure,
and they rejoined Kellet and Moore at Behring Strait; while Collinson retur=
ned
to winter at Hong-Kong, MacClure went on, and after three winters, 1850-51,
1851-52, and 1852-53, he discovered the Northwest Passage without finding a=
ny
traces of Franklin. From 1852 to 1853, a new expedition, consisting of thre=
e sailing-vessels,
the Assistance , the Resolute , the North Star , and two steam-vessels, the =
Pioneer and the Intrepid , started out under the orders =
of Sir
Edward Belcher, with Captain Kellet second in command; Sir Edward visited
Wellington Channel, wintered in Northumberland Bay, and explored the coast,
while Kellet, pushing on as far as Brideport on Melville Island, explored t=
hat
region without success. But then it was rumored in England that two ships,
abandoned in the ice, had been seen not far from New Caledonia. At once Lad=
y Franklin
fitted out the little screw-steamer Isabella
, and Captain Inglefield, after ascending Baffin's Bay to Victoria Point, at
the eightieth parallel, returned to Beechey Island with equal unsuccess. At=
the
beginning of 1855 the American Grinnell defrays the expense of a new
expedition, and Dr. Kane, trying to reach the Pole--"
"But he did not succeed," cried Hatt=
eras
with violence, "and thank God he did not! What he did not do, we
shall!"
"I know it, Captain," answered the
doctor, "and I only speak of it on account of its connection with the
search for Franklin. Besides, it accomplished nothing. I nearly forgot to s=
ay
that the Admiralty, regarding Beechey Island as a general rendezvous, order=
ed
the steamer Phoenix , Captain
Inglefield, in 1853, to carry provisions there; he sailed with Lieutenant
Bellot, who for the second, and last, time offered his services to England;=
we
can get full details about the catastrophe, for Johnson, our boatswain, was
eye-witness of this sad affair."
"Lieutenant Bellot was a brave
Frenchman," said Hatteras, "and his memory is honored in
England."
"Then," resumed the doctor, "the
ships of Belcher's squadron began to return one by one; not all, for Sir Ed=
ward
had to abandon the Assistance in 1854, as McClure had the Investigator in 1853. Meanwhile Dr. Rae, in a letter =
dated
July 29, 1854, written from Repulse Bay, gave information that the Esquimau=
x of
King William's Land had in their possession different objects belonging to =
the Erebus and =
span>Terror
; then there was no doubt possible about the fate of the expedition; the "Well, we shall try it!" said Hatter=
as. Phoenix , the North Star , and the ship of Collinson
returned to England; there was then no English ship in these waters. But if=
the
government seemed to have lost all hope, Lady Franklin did not despair, and
with what was left of her fortune she fitted out the Fox , commanded by MacClintock; he set s=
ail in
1857, wintered about where you made yourself known to us, Captain; he came =
to
Beechey Island, August 11, 1858; the next winter he passed at Bellot Sound;=
in
February, 1859, he began his explorations anew; on the 6th of May he found =
the
document which left no further doubt as to the fate of the Erebus and =
span>Terror
, and returned to England at the end of the same year. That is a complete
account of all that has been done in these regions during the last fifteen
years; and since the return of the Fox ,
no ship has ventured among these dangerous waters!"
Towar=
ds
evening the weather cleared up, and land was clearly to be seen between Cape
Sepping and Cape Clarence, which juts out to the east, then to the south, a=
nd
is connected to the mainland on the west by a low tongue of land. There was=
no
ice at the entrance of Regent's Sound; but it was densely massed beyond Leo=
pold
Harbor, as if to form an impassable barrier to the northward progress of th=
e Forward .
Hatteras, who, although he carefully concealed=
his
feelings, was exceedingly annoyed, had to blow out a way with powder in ord=
er
to enter Leopold Harbor; he reached it at midday, on Sunday, May 27th; the =
brig
was securely anchored to the large icebergs, which were as firm, solid, and
hard as rock.
At once the captain, followed by the doctor,
Johnson, and his dog Duke, leaped out upon the ice and soon reached the lan=
d.
Duke leaped about with joy; besides, since the captain had made himself kno=
wn,
he had become very sociable and very gentle, preserving his ill-temper for =
some
of the crew, whom his master disliked as much as he did.
The harbor was free from the ice which is
generally forced there by the east-wind; the sharp peaks, covered with snow,
looked like a number of white waves. The house and lantern, built by James
Ross, were still in a tolerable state of preservation; but the provisions a=
ppeared
to have been eaten by foxes, and even by bears, of which fresh traces were =
to
be seen; part of the devastation was probably due to the hand of man, for s=
ome
ruins of Esquimaux huts were to be seen on the shores of the bay.
The six tombs, enclosing six sailors of the Enterprise and the Investigator , were recognizable by litt=
le
mounds of earth; they had been respected by all, by both men and beasts.
On first setting his foot on this northern ear=
th,
the doctor was really agitated; it would not be easy to describe the emotio=
ns
one feels at the sight of these ruined houses, tents, huts, supplies, which
nature preserves so perfectly in cold countries.
"There," said he to his
companions,--"there is the spot which James Ross himself named Camp
Refuge! If Franklin's expedition had reached this spot, it would have been
saved. Here is the engine which was taken out and left here, and the furnace
which warmed the crew of the Prince
Albert in 1851; everything remains=
as it
was left, and one might fancy that Kennedy, her captain, had sailed away fr=
om
here yesterday. This is the launch that sheltered them for some days, for K=
ennedy
was separated from his ship, and only saved by Lieutenant Bellot, who braved
the cold of October to join him."
"A brave and excellent officer he was,&qu=
ot;
said Johnson. "I knew him."
While the doctor eagerly sought for traces of
previous winterings there, Hatteras busied himself with collecting the scan=
ty
fragments of fuel and provisions which lay there. The next day was devoted =
to carrying
them on board ship. The doctor explored the whole neighborhood, never going=
too
far from the brig, and sketched the most remarkable views. The weather
gradually grew milder; the snow-drifts began to melt. The doctor made a
tolerably large collection of northern birds, such as gulls, divers,
molly-nochtes, and eider-ducks, which resemble ordinary ducks, with a white
back and breast, a blue belly, the top of the head blue, the rest of the
plumage white, shaded with different tints of green; many of them had alrea=
dy
plucked from their bellies the eider-down, which both the male and the fema=
le devote
to lining their nests. The doctor also saw great seals breathing at the sur=
face
of the water, but he was unable to draw one.
In his wanderings he discovered the stone on w=
hich
is engraved the following inscription:--
[E I=
] 1849,
which marks the passage of the Enterprise and =
span>Investigator
; he pushed on to Cape Clarence, to the spot where, in 1833, John and James=
Ross
waited so impatiently for the ice to thaw. The earth was covered with the
skulls and bones of animals, and traces of the dwellings of Esquimaux were =
to
be seen.
The doctor thought of erecting a cairn at Leop=
old
Harbor, and of leaving a letter there to indicate the passage of the Forward and the aim of the expedition. But Hatte=
ras
formally objected; he did not wish to leave behind him any traces which mig=
ht
be of use to a rival. In spite of all he could say, the doctor was obliged =
to
yield to the captain's will. Shandon was ready enough to blame this obstina=
cy,
for, in case of accident, no ship could have put out to the aid of the Forward .
Hatteras refused to comply. Having completed h=
is
preparations on Monday, he tried once more to go to the north through the i=
ce,
but, after dangerous efforts, he was obliged to descend again Regent's Chan=
nel;
he was utterly averse to remaining at Leopold's Harbor, which is open one d=
ay
and closed the next by the unheralded motion of the ice,--a frequent phenom=
enon
in these seas, and one against which navigators have to be ever on their gu=
ard.
If Hatteras kept his anxiety from the others, =
he
was at heart very anxious; he wanted to go northward, and he was obliged to
retreat to the south! Where would that bring him? Was he going as far back =
as Victoria
Harbor in the Gulf of Boothia, where Sir John Ross wintered in 1833? Should=
he
find Bellot Sound free at this time, and, by going around North Somerset, c=
ould
he ascend through Peel Sound? Or should he, like his predecessors, be caught
for many winters, and be obliged to consume all his supplies and provisions=
?
These fears tormented him; but he had to decid=
e;
he put about and started for the south.
Prince Regent's Channel is of nearly uniform w=
idth
from Leopold's Harbor to Adelaide Bay. The Forward went rapidly through the ice, with better
fortune than many other ships, most of which required a month to descend the
channel, even in a better season; it is true that none of these ships, exce=
pt
the Fox , had steam at their comma=
nd,
and were obliged to do their best against frequent unfavorable winds.
The crew seemed overjoyed at leaving the north=
ern
regions; they had but a slight desire to reach the Pole; they were alarmed =
at
Hatteras's plans, for his reputation as a fearless man inspired them with b=
ut little
confidence. Hatteras tried to make use of every opportunity to go forward,
whatever the consequences might be. And yet in these parts, to advance is a=
ll
very well, but one must also maintain his position and not run the risk of
losing it.
The F=
orward
went on under full steam; the black
smoke whirled in spirals about the sparkling summits of the icebergs; the
weather was changeable, turning from a dry cold to a snowstorm with
inconceivable rapidity. Since the brig drew but little water, Hatteras hugg=
ed
the west shore; he did not want to miss the entrance of Bellot Sound, for t=
he
Gulf of Boothia has no other entrance towards the south than the slightly k=
nown
sound of the Fury and the Hecla ; hence the gulf would be impassab=
le, if
Bellot Sound were missed or found impracticable.
By evening the Forward was in sight of Elwin Bay, which was rec=
ognized
by its high, steep cliffs; Tuesday morning Batty Bay was seen, where, on the
10th of September, 1851, the Prince
Albert anchored for the winter. The
doctor examined the coast with interest through his glass. From this point
started the expeditions which determined the shape of North Somerset. The
weather was clear enough for them to see the deep ravines surrounding the b=
ay.
The doctor and Johnson were probably the only =
ones
who took any interest in these deserted countries. Hatteras, always studying
his charts, talked little; his silence increased as the ship drew southward=
; he
often went upon the quarter-deck, and there he would remain for hours, with
folded arms, gazing absently at the horizon. His orders, when he gave any, =
were
short and quick. Shandon maintained a cold silence, and drawing more and mo=
re
into himself, he had nothing more to do with Hatteras than was officially
required; James Wall remained devoted to Shandon, and modelled his conduct
after that of his friend. The rest of the crew waited for whatever might tu=
rn
up, ready to make the best use of it for their own profit. On board there w=
as
none of the unanimity which is so necessary for the accomplishment of great
things. Hatteras knew this well.
During the day two whalers were seen making to=
ward
the south; a white bear, too, was saluted with a few rifle-shots, but
apparently without success. The captain knew the worth of an hour at that t=
ime,
and refused permission to chase the animal.
Wednesday morning the end of Regent Channel was
passed; the angle of the west coast was followed by a deep curve in the lan=
d.
On examining his chart, the doctor recognized Somerset-House Point, or Point
Fury.
"There," he said to his usual
companion,--"there is where the first English ship was lost that was s=
ent
to these seas in 1815, in Parry's third voyage; the Fury was so much injured by the ice in her se=
cond winter,
that the crew were obliged to abandon her and to return to England in her
companion, the Hecla ."
"A good reason for having another ship,&q=
uot;
answered Johnson; "that is a precaution which polar explorers should n=
ot
neglect; but Captain Hatteras was not the man to burden himself with a
companion!"
"Do you consider him rash, Johnson?"
asked the doctor.
"I? O, I don't say anything of the sort, =
Dr.
Clawbonny! But see those piles there, with fragments of a tent hanging to
them."
"Yes, Johnson, it is there Parry unloaded=
all
his ship's supplies, and, if my memory serves me right, the roof of the hut=
he
built was made out of a mainsail covered by the running-rigging of the Fury ."
"That must have changed a good deal since
1825."
"Not so very much. In 1829, John Ross kept
his crew safe and sound in this light building. In 1851, when Prince Albert
sent out an expedition, this hut was still standing; Captain Kennedy repair=
ed
it nine years ago. It would be interesting to visit it, but Hatteras is unw=
illing
to stop."
"And he is probably right, Dr. Clawbonny;=
if
in England time is money, here it is safety, and for the delay of a day, of=
an
hour even, the whole voyage might be rendered useless. We must let him do a=
s he
pleases."
On Thursday, June 1st, the Forward sailed diagonally across Creswell Bay; f=
rom
Point Fury the coast rises in steep rocks three hundred feet high; towards =
the
south, it is lower; a few snowy summits are to be seen, of a regular shape,
while others, more fantastic, were hidden in the clouds.
During that day the weather grew milder, but
cloudier; they lost sight of land; the thermometer rose to 32°; a few
water-quail were to be seen, and flocks of wild geese flew toward the north;
the crew laid aside some of their thick clothes; they began to be aware of =
the approach
of summer in the arctic regions.
Toward evening the Forward doubled Cape Garry, a quarter of a mile =
from
the shore. The lead marked ten to twelve fathoms, and they bore along the s=
hore
to Brentford Bay. In this latitude they were to find Bellot Sound, a sound
which entirely escaped the notice of Sir John Ross in his expedition of 182=
8;
his charts indicated an unbroken coast-line, with the least irregularities
indicated with the utmost care; hence it is to be supposed that when he pas=
sed
by the entrance of the sound, it was completely closed with ice and so could
not be distinguished from the land.
This sound was really discovered by Captain
Kennedy in an excursion made in April, 1852; he named it after Lieutenant
Bellot, as "a just tribute," as he said, "to the important
services rendered to our expedition by the French officer."
As Ha=
tteras
drew near this sound he felt his anxiety redoubling; in fact, the success of
his expedition was at stake; so far he had done nothing more than his
predecessors, the most successful of whom, MacClintock, had consumed fifteen
months in reaching this spot; but that was little, indeed nothing, if he co=
uld
not make Bellot Sound; being unable to return, he would be kept a prisoner
until the next year.
Hence he took upon himself the care of examini=
ng
the coast; he went up to the lookout, and on Saturday passed many hours the=
re.
The crew were all acquainted with the situatio=
n of
the ship; an unbroken silence reigned on board; the engine was slackened; t=
he Forward ran as near shore as possible; the coast=
was
lined with ice which the warmest summers could not melt; a practised eye was
needed to make out an entrance through them.
Hatteras was comparing his charts with the
coast-line. The sun having appeared for a moment at noon, Shandon and Wall =
took
an observation, the result of which was at once told him.
There was half a day of anxiety for all. But
suddenly, at about two o'clock, these words were shouted from aloft,--
"Head to the west, and put on all
steam."
The brig obeyed at once, turning to the point
directed; the screw churned the water, and the Forward plunged under a full head of steam betwe=
en two
swiftly running ice-streams.
The path was found; Hatteras came down to the
quarter-deck, and the ice-master went aloft.
"Well, Captain," said the doctor,
"we have entered this famous sound at last!"
"Yes," answered Hatteras; "but
entering is not all, we have got to get out of it too."
And with these words he went to his cabin.
"He is right," thought the doctor;
"we are in a sort of trap, without much space to turn about in, and if=
we
had to winter here!--well, we shouldn't be the first to do it, and where ot=
hers
lived through it, there is no reason why we should not!"
The doctor was right. It was at this very plac= e, in a little sheltered harbor called Port Kennedy by MacClintock himself, th= at the Fox wintered in 1858. At that moment it was = easy to recognize the lofty granite chains, and the steep beaches on each side.<= o:p>
Bellot Sound, a mile broad and seventeen long,
with a current running six or seven knots, is enclosed by mountains of an
estimated height of sixteen hundred feet; it separates North Somerset from
Boothia; it is easy to see that there is not too much sailing room there. T=
he Forward advanced carefully, but still she advanc=
ed;
tempests are frequent in this narrow pass, and the brig did not escape their
usual violence; by Hatteras's orders, all the topsail-yards were lowered, a=
nd
the topmasts also; in spite of everything the ship labored fearfully; the h=
eavy
seas kept the deck continually deluged with water; the smoke flew eastward =
with
inconceivable rapidity; they went on almost at haphazard through the floati=
ng
ice; the barometer fell to 29°; it was hard to stay on deck, so most of the=
men
were kept below to spare them unnecessary exposure.
Hatteras, Johnson, and Shandon remained on the
quarter-deck, in spite of the whirlwinds of snow and rain; and the doctor, =
who
had just asked himself what was the most disagreeable thing to be done at t=
hat
time, soon joined them there; they could not hear, and hardly could they se=
e,
one another; so he kept his thoughts to himself.
Hatteras tried to pierce the dense cloud of mi= st, for, according to his calculation, they should be through the strait at six o'clock of the evening. At that time exit seemed closed, and Hatteras was obliged to stop and anchor to an iceberg; but steam was kept up all night.<= o:p>
The weather was terrible. Every moment the
The temperature arose strangely in that terrib=
le
night; the thermometer marked 57°; and the doctor, to his great surprise,
thought he noticed some flashes of lightning followed by distant thunder. T=
his seemed
to corroborate the testimony of Scoresby, who noticed the same phenomenon a=
bove
latitude 65°. Captain Parry also observed it in 1821.
Towards five o'clock in the morning the weather
changed with singular rapidity; the temperature fell to the freezing-point;=
the
wind shifted to the north and grew quiet. The western opening of the strait
could be seen, but it was entirely closed. Hatteras gazed anxiously at the =
coast,
asking himself if there really were any exit.
Nevertheless, the brig put out slowly into the
ice-streams, while the ice crushed noisily against her bows; the packs at t=
his
time were six or seven feet thick; it was necessary carefully to avoid them,
for if the ship should try to withstand them, it ran the risk of being lift=
ed half
out of the water and cast on her beam-ends.
At noon, for the first time, a magnificent sol=
ar
phenomenon could be observed, a halo with two parhelions; the doctor observ=
ed
it, and took its exact dimensions; the exterior arc was only visible for ab=
out thirty
degrees each side of the horizontal diameter; the two images of the sun were
remarkably clear; the colors within the luminous area were, going toward the
outside, red, yellow, green, faint blue, and last of all white, gently fadi=
ng
away, without any sharp line of termination.
The doctor remembered Thomas Young's ingenious
theory about these meteors; he supposed that certain clouds composed of pri=
sms
of ice are hanging in the air; the sun's rays falling on these prisms are r=
efracted
at angles of sixty and ninety degrees. The halos can only be formed in a cl=
ear
sky. The doctor thought this an ingenious explanation.
Sailors, who are familiar with northern seas,
consider this phenomenon a forerunner of heavy snow. If this should be the
case, the position of the Forward =
was very critical. Hence Hatteras resolv=
ed to
push on; during the rest of that day and the next night he took no rest, but
examined the horizon through his glass, entering every inlet, and losing no
opportunity to get out of the strait.
But in the morning he was compelled to stop be=
fore
the impenetrable ice. The doctor joined him on the quarter-deck. Hatteras l=
ed
him clear aft where they could talk without fear of being overheard.
"We are caught," said Hatteras.
"It's impossible to go on."
"Impossible?" said the doctor.
"Impossible! All the powder on board the =
Forward would not open a quarter of a mile to
us."
"What are we to do?" asked the docto=
r.
"I don't know. Curse this unlucky year!&q=
uot;
"Well, Captain, if we must go into
winter-quarters, we'll do it. As well here as anywhere else!"
"Of course," said Hatteras in a low
voice, "but we ought not to be going into winter-quarters, especially =
in
the month of June. It is demoralizing, and bad for the health. The spirits =
of
the crew are soon cast down during this long rest among real sufferings. So=
I
had made up my mind to winter at a latitude nearer the Pole."
"Yes, but, unluckily, Baffin's Bay was
closed."
"Any one else would have found it open,&q=
uot;
cried Hatteras; "that American, that--"
"Come, Hatteras," said the doctor,
purposely interrupting him, "it's now only the 5th of June; we should =
not
despair; a path may open before us suddenly; you know the ice often breaks =
into
separate pieces, even when the weather is calm, as if it were driven apart =
by some
force of repulsion; at any moment we may find the sea free."
"Well, if that happens, we shall take
advantage of it. It is not impossible that beyond Bellot Strait we might get
northward through Peel Sound or MacClintock Channel, and then--"
"Captain," said James Wall, approach=
ing,
"the ice threatens to tear away the rudder."
"Well," answered Hatteras, "nev=
er
mind; I sha'n't unship it; I want to be ready at any hour, day or night. Ta=
ke
every precaution, Mr. Wall, and keep the ice off; but don't unship it, you
understand."
"But--" began Wall.
"I don't care to hear any remarks, sir,&q=
uot;
said Hatteras, severely. "Go!"
Wall returned to his post.
"Ah!" said Hatteras, angrily, "I
would give five years of my life to be farther north! I don't know any more
dangerous place; and besides, we are so near the magnetic pole that the com=
pass
is of no use; the needle is inactive, or always shifting its direction.&quo=
t;
"I confess," said the doctor, "=
that
it is not plain sailing; but still, those who undertook it were prepared for
such dangers, and there is no need to be surprised."
"Ah, Doctor! the crew has changed very mu=
ch,
and you have seen that the officers have begun to make remarks. The high pay
offered the sailors induced them to ship; but they have their bad side, for=
as soon
as they are off they are anxious to get back. Doctor, I have no encourageme=
nt
in my undertaking, and if I fail, it won't be the fault of such or such a
sailor, but of the ill-will of certain officers. Ah, they'll pay dearly for
it!"
"You are exaggerating, Hatteras."
"Not at all! Do you fancy the crew are so=
rry
for the obstacles we are meeting? On the contrary, they hope I shall be
compelled to abandon my plans. So they do not murmur, and when the Forward is headed for the south, it will be the =
same
thing. Fools! They imagine they are returning to England! But when I'm turn=
ed
towards the north, you will see a difference! I swear solemnly that no livi=
ng
being shall make me swerve from my course! Give me a passage, an opening
through which my brig can go, and I shall take it, if I have to leave half =
her sheathing
behind!"
The desires of the captain were destined to be
satisfied in a measure. As the doctor had foretold, there was a sudden chan=
ge
in the evening; under some influence of the wind, the ice-fields separated;=
the
Forward pushed on boldly, breaking the ice with =
her
steel prow; all the night they advanced, and towards six o'clock they were
clear of Bellot Strait.
But great was Hatteras's anger at finding the =
way
to the north closed! He was able to hide his despair; and as if the only op=
en
path were the one of his choice, he turned the Forward towards Franklin Sound. Being unable to =
go up
Peel Sound, he determined to go around Prince of Wales Land, to reach
MacClintock Channel. But he knew that Shandon and Wall could not be deceive=
d,
and were conscious of the failure of his hopes.
Nothing especial happened on the 6th of June; =
snow
fell, and the prophecy of the halo came true.
For thirty-six hours the Forward followed the sinuosities of the coast of
Boothia, without reaching Prince of Wales Land. Hatteras put on all steam,
burning his coal extravagantly; he still intended to get further supplies on
Beechey Island; on Thursday he arrived at Franklin Sound, and he still found
the way northward impassable.
His position was a desperate one; he could not
return; the ice pushed him onward, and he saw his path forever closing behi=
nd
him, as if there were no open sea where he had passed but an hour before.
Hence, not only was the Forward unable to go toward the north, but she c=
ould
not stop for a moment lest she should be imprisoned, and she fled before the
ice like a ship before a storm.
Friday, June 7th, she arrived near the coast of
Boothia, at the entrance of James Ross Sound, which had to be avoided becau=
se
its only exit is to the west, close to the shore of America.
The observations taken at noon showed them to =
be
in latitude 70° 5' 17", and longitude 96° 46' 45"; when the doctor
heard this he examined his chart, and found that they were at the magnetic
pole, at the very point where James Ross, the nephew of Sir John, came to
determine its situation.
The land was low near the coast, and it rose o=
nly
about sixty feet at the distance of a mile from the sea.
The boiler of the Forward needed cleaning; the captain anchored hi=
s ship
to a field of ice, and gave the doctor leave to go ashore with the boatswai=
n.
For himself, being indifferent to everything outside of his own plans, he s=
hut
himself up in his cabin, and studied the chart of the Pole.
The doctor and his companion easily reached la=
nd;
the first-named carried a compass for his experiments; he wanted to test the
work of James Ross; he easily made out the mound of stones erected by him; =
he ran
towards it; an opening in the cairn let him see a tin box in which James Ro=
ss
had placed an account of his discovery. No living being had visited this lo=
nely
spot for thirty years.
At this place a needle suspended as delicately= as possible assumed a nearly vertical position under the magnetic influence; h= ence the centre of attraction was near, if not immediately beneath, the needle.<= o:p>
The doctor made the experiment with all care. =
But
if James Ross, owing to the imperfection of his instruments, found a
declination of only 89° 50', the real magnetic point is found within a minu=
te
of this spot. Dr. Clawbonny was more fortunate, and at a little distance fr=
om there
he found a declination of 90°.
"This is exactly the magnetic pole of the
earth!" he cried, stamping on the ground.
"Just here?" asked Johnson.
"Precisely here, my friend!"
"Well, then," resumed the boatswain,
"we must give up all the stories of a magnetic mountain or large
mass."
"Yes, Johnson," answered the doctor,
laughing, "those are empty hypotheses! As you see, there is no mountain
capable of attracting ships, of drawing their iron from them anchor after
anchor, bolt after bolt! and your shoes here are as light as anywhere in the
world."
"But how do you explain--"
"There is no explanation, Johnson; we are=
not
wise enough for that. But what is mathematically certain is that the magnet=
ic
pole is at this very spot!"
"Ah, Dr. Clawbonny, how glad the captain
would be to say as much of the North Pole!"
"He'll say it, Johnson; he'll say it!&quo=
t;
"God grant it!" was the answer.
The doctor and his companion raised a cairn at=
the
spot where they tried their experiment, and the signal for their return bei=
ng
made, they returned to the ship at five o'clock of the evening.
The <=
span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Forward succeeded, though not without difficulty=
, in
getting by James Ross Sound, by frequent use of the ice-saws and gunpowder;=
the
crew was very much fatigued. Fortunately the temperature was agreeable, and
even thirty degrees above what James Ross found at the same time of year. T=
he
thermometer marked 34°.
Saturday they doubled Cape Felix at the northe=
rn
end of King William's Land, one of the smaller islands of northern seas.
At that time the crew became very much depress=
ed;
they gazed wistfully and sadly at its far-stretching shores.
In fact, they were gazing at King William's La=
nd,
the scene of one of the saddest tragedies of modern times! Only a few miles=
to
the west the Erebus and =
span>Terror
were lost.
The sailors of the Forward were familiar with the attempts made to =
find
Franklin, and the result they had obtained, but they did not know all the s=
ad
details. Now, while the doctor was following on his chart the course of the
ship, many of them, Bell, Bolton, and Simpson, drew near him and began to t=
alk
with him. Soon the others followed to satisfy their curiosity; meanwhile the
brig was advancing rapidly, and the bays, capes, and promontories of the co=
ast
passed before their gaze like a gigantic panorama.
Hatteras was pacing nervously to and fro on the
quarter-deck; the doctor found himself on the bridge, surrounded by the men=
of
the crew; he readily understood the interest of the situation, and the impr=
ession
that would be made by an account given under those circumstances, hence he
resumed the talk he had begun with Johnson.
"You know, my friends, how Franklin began:
like Cook and Nelson, he was first a cabin-boy; after spending his youth in
long sea-voyages, he made up his mind, in 1845, to seek the Northwest Passa=
ge;
he commanded the Erebus and the Terror , two stanch vessels, which had v=
isited
the antarctic seas in 1840, under the command of James Ross. The Erebus , in which Franklin sailed, carri=
ed a
crew of seventy men, all told, with Fitz-James as captain; Gore and Le
Vesconte, lieutenants; Des Voeux, Sargent, and Couch, boatswains; and Stanl=
ey, surgeon.
The Terror carried sixty-eight men. Crozier was the=
captain;
the lieutenants were Little, Hodgson, and Irving; boatswains, Horesby and
Thomas; the surgeon, Peddie. In the names of the bays, capes, straits,
promontories, channels, and islands of these latitudes you find memorials of
most of these unlucky men, of whom not one has ever again seen his home! In=
all
one hundred and thirty-eight men! We know that the last of Franklin's lette=
rs
were written from Disco Island, and dated July 12, 1845. He said, 'I hope to
set sail to-night for Lancaster Sound.' What followed his departure from Di=
sco
Bay? The captains of the whalers, the Prince
of Wales and the Enterprise , saw these two ships for the=
last
time in Melville Bay, and nothing more was heard of them. Still we can foll=
ow
Franklin in his course westward; he went through Lancaster and Barrow Sounds
and reached Beechey Island, where he passed the winter of 1845-46."
"But how is this known?" asked Bell,=
the
carpenter.
"By three tombs which the Austin expediti=
on
found there in 1850. Three of Franklin's sailors had been buried there; and,
moreover, by a paper found by Lieutenant Hobson of the Fox , dated April 25, 1848. We know also=
that,
after leaving winter-quarters, the Erebus
and Terror =
ascended
Wellington Channel as far as latitude 77°; but instead of pushing to the no=
rth,
which they doubtless found impossible, they returned towards the south--&qu=
ot;
"And that was a fatal mistake!" utte=
red
a grave voice. "Safety lay to the north."
Every one turned round. It was Hatteras, who, leaning on the rail of the quarter-deck, had just made that solemn remark.<= o:p>
"Without doubt," resumed the doctor,
"Franklin intended to make his way to the American shore; but tempests
beset him, and September 12, 1846, the two ships were caught in the ice, a =
few
miles from here, to the northwest of Cape Felix; they were carried to the
north-northwest of Point Victory; there," said the doctor, pointing ou=
t to
the sea. "Now," he added, "the ships were not abandoned till
April 22, 1848. What happened during these nineteen months? What did these =
poor
men do? Doubtless they explored the surrounding lands, made every effort to
escape, for the admiral was an energetic man; and if he did not succeed--&q=
uot;
"It's because his men betrayed him,"
said Hatteras in a deep voice.
The sailors did not dare to lift their eyes; t=
hese
words made them feel abashed.
"To be brief, this paper, of which I spok=
e,
tells us, besides, that Sir John Franklin died, worn out by his sufferings,=
June
11, 1847. All honor to his memory!" said the doctor, removing his hat.=
The men did the same in silence.
"What became of these poor men, deprived =
of
their leader, during the next ten months? They remained on board of their
ships, and it was not till April, 1848, that they made up their mind to aba=
ndon
them; one hundred and five men survived out of the hundred and thirty-eight=
. Thirty-three
had died! Then Captains Crozier and Fitz-James erected a cairn at Point
Victory, and left their last paper there. See, my friends, we are passing by
that point. You can see traces of the cairn, placed, so to speak, at the
farthest point reached by John Ross in 1831! There is Cape Jane Franklin! T=
here
Point Franklin! There Point Le Vesconte! There Erebus Bay, where the launch,
made of pieces of one of the ships, was found on a sledge! There were found
silver spoons, plenty of food, chocolate, tea, and religious books. The hun=
dred
and five survivors, under the command of Captain Crozier, set out for Great
Fish River. How far did they get? Did they reach Hudson's Bay? Have any
survived? What became of them after that?--"
"I will tell you what became of them,&quo=
t;
said John Hatteras in an energetic voice. "Yes, they tried to reach
Hudson's Bay, and separated into several parties. They took the road to the
south. In 1854 a letter from Dr. Rae states that in 1850 the Esquimaux had =
met
in King William's Land a detachment of forty men, chasing sea-cows, travell=
ing on
the ice, dragging a boat along with them, thin, pale, and worn out with
suffering and fatigue. Later, they discovered thirty corpses on the mainland
and five on a neighboring island, some half buried, others left without bur=
ial;
some lying beneath an overturned boat, others under the ruins of a tent; he=
re
lay an officer with his glass swung around his shoulder, and his loaded gun
near him; farther on were kettles with the remains of a horrible meal. At t=
his
news, the Admiralty urged the Hudson's Bay Company to send its most skilful=
agents
to this place. They descended Black River to its mouth. They visited Montre=
al
and Maconochie Islands, and Point Ogle. In vain! All these poor fellows had
died of misery, suffering, and starvation, after trying to prolong their li=
ves
by having recourse to cannibalism. That is what became of them along their =
way
towards the south, which was lined with their mutilated bodies. Well, do you
want to follow their path?"
Hatteras's ringing voice, passionate gestures,=
and
glowing face produced an indescribable effect. The crew, moved by the sight=
of these
ill-omened lands, cried with one voice,--
"To the north! to the north!"
"Well, to the north! Safety and glory awa=
it
us there at the north! Heaven is declaring for us! The wind is changing! The
passage is free! Prepare to go about!"
The sailors hastened to their places; the
ice-streams grew slowly free; the =
Forward
went about rapidly, and ran under =
full
steam towards MacClintock's Channel.
Hatteras was justified in counting on a freer =
sea;
on his way he retraced the probable path of Franklin; he went along the eas=
tern
side of Prince of Wales Land, which is clearly defined, while the other sho=
re
is still unknown. Evidently the clearing away of the ice towards the south =
took
place through the eastern strait, for it appeared perfectly clear; so the <=
span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Forward was able to make up for lost time; she w=
as put
under full steam, so that the 14th they passed Osborne Bay, and the farthest
points reached by the expeditions of 1851. There was still a great deal of =
ice
about them, but there was every indication that the Forward would have clear sailing-way before her.=
The c=
rew
seemed to have returned to their habits of discipline and obedience. Their
duties were slight and infrequent, so that they had plenty of leisure. The
temperature never fell below the freezing-point, and the thaw removed the
greatest obstacles from their path.
Duke had made friends with Dr. Clawbonny. They=
got
on admirably together. But as in friendship one friend is always sacrificed=
to
the other, it must be said that the doctor was not the other. Duke did with=
him
whatever he pleased. The doctor obeyed him as a dog obeys his master. Moreo=
ver,
Duke conducted himself very amicably with most of the officers and sailors;
only, instinctively doubtless, he avoided Shandon; he had, too, a grudge
against Pen and Foker; his hatred for them manifested itself in low growls =
when
they came near him. They, for their part, did not dare attack the captain's
dog, "his familiar spirit," as Clifton called him.
In a word, the crew had taken courage again.
"It seems to me," said James Wall one
day to Richard Shandon, "that the men took the captain's words for
earnest; they seem to be sure of success."
"They are mistaken," answered Shando=
n;
"if they would only reflect, and consider our condition, they would se=
e we
are simply going from one imprudence to another."
"Still," resumed Wall, "we are =
in a
more open sea; we are going along a well-known route; don't you exaggerate
somewhat, Shandon?"
"Not a bit, Wall; the hate and jealousy, =
if
you please, with which Hatteras inspires me, don't blind my eyes. Say, have=
you
seen the coal-bunkers lately?"
"No," answered Wall.
"Well! go below, and you'll see how near =
we
are to the end of our supply. By right, we ought to be going under sail, and
only starting our engine to make headway against currents or contrary winds;
our fuel ought to be burned only with the strictest economy, for who can say
where and for how long we may be detained? But Hatteras is pushed by this m=
ania
of going forward, of reaching the inaccessible Pole, and he doesn't care for
such a detail. Whether the wind is fair or foul, he goes on under steam; an=
d if
he goes on we run a risk of being very much embarrassed, if not lost."=
"Is that so, Shandon? That is serious!&qu=
ot;
"You are right, Wall, it is; not only wou=
ld
the engine be of no use to us if we got into a tight place, but what are we=
to
do in the winter? We ought to take some precautions against the cold in a
country where the mercury often freezes in the thermometer."
"But if I'm not mistaken, Shandon, the
captain intends getting a new supply at Beechey Island; they say there is a
great quantity there."
"Can any one choose where he'll go in the=
se
seas, Wall? Can one count on finding such or such a channel free of ice? An=
d if
he misses Beechey Island, or can't reach it, what is to become of us?"=
"You are right, Shandon; Hatteras seems t=
o me
unwise; but why don't you say something of this sort to him?"
"No, Wall," answered Shandon, with
ill-disguised bitterness, "I have made up my mind not to say a word; I=
am
not responsible any longer for the ship; I shall await events; if I receive=
any
commands, I obey, and I don't proclaim my opinions."
"Let me tell you you are wrong, Shandon; =
for
the well-being of all is at stake, and the captain's imprudence may cost us=
all
dear."
"And if I were to speak, Wall, would he
listen to me?"
Wall did not dare say he would.
"But," he added, "he would perh=
aps
listen to remonstrances of the crew."
"The crew," said Shandon, shrugging =
his
shoulders; "but, my dear Wall, haven't you noticed that they care for
everything else more than for their safety? They know they're getting near
latitude 72°, and that a thousand pounds is paid for every degree of latitu=
de
beyond which is reached."
"You are right, Shandon," answered W=
all,
"and the captain has taken the surest means of securing his men."=
"Without doubt," answered Shandon;
"for the present, at least."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that all will go very well in the
absence of all dangers and fatigues, in an open sea; Hatteras has caught th=
em
by his money; but what is done for pay is ill done. But once let hardships,
dangers, discomfort, sickness, melancholy, and fierce cold stare them in th=
e face,--and
we are flying towards them now,--and you will see whether they remember the=
pay
they are to get."
"So, in your opinion, Shandon, Hatteras w=
ill
fail?"
"Exactly; he will fail. In such an
enterprise, there should be an identity of interests among the leaders, a
sympathy which is lacking here. Besides, Hatteras is mad; his whole past pr=
oves
it! But we shall see! Circumstances may arise in which the command of the s=
hip
will have to be given to a less foolhardy captain--"
"Still," said Wall, shaking his head
doubtfully, "Hatteras will always have on his side--"
"He will have," interrupted
Shandon,--"he will have that Dr. Clawbonny, who only cares to study;
Johnson, who is a slave to discipline, and who never takes the trouble to
reason; perhaps one or two besides, like Bell, the carpenter,--four at the
most, and there are eighteen on board! No, Wall, Hatteras has not the
confidence of the crew; he knows it well, and he tries to make up for it by
bribery; he made a good use of the account of Franklin's catastrophe to cre=
ate a
different feeling in their excited minds; but that won't last, I tell you; =
and
if he don't reach Beechey Island, he is lost!"
"If the crew suspected--"
"I beg of you," said Shandon, quickl=
y,
"not to say a word about this to the crew; they'll find it out for
themselves. Now, at any rate, it is well to go on towards the north. But who
can say whether what Hatteras takes for a step towards the Pole may not be
really retracing our steps? At the end of MacClintock Channel is Melville B=
ay,
and thence open the straits which lead back to Baffin's Bay. Hatteras had b=
etter
take care! The way west is easier than the way north."
From these words Shandon's state of mind may be
judged, and how justified the captain was in suspecting a treacherous
disposition in him.
Shandon, moreover, was right when he ascribed =
the
present satisfaction of the crew to the prospect they had of passing latitu=
de
72°. This greed of gold seized the least audacious. Clifton had made out ev=
ery one's
share with great exactness. Leaving out the captain and the doctor, who cou=
ld
not be admitted to the division, there were sixteen men on board the Forward . The amount was a thousand poun=
ds,
that was £72 10 s . for each man, for every degree. If they should ever rea=
ch the
Pole the eighteen degrees to be crossed would give each one a sum of £1,125=
, a
fair fortune. This whim would cost the captain £18,000; but he was rich eno=
ugh
to pay for such a costly trip to the Pole.
These calculations aroused wonderfully the ava=
rice
of the crew, as can be readily believed, and more than one longed to pass
latitude 72°, who, a fortnight before, rejoiced to be sailing southward.
The F=
orward
sailed by Cape Alworth June 16th. =
Mount
Rawlinson raised its white peaks towards the sky; the snow and mist exagger=
ated
its size so that it appeared colossal; the temperature remained a few degre=
es
above the freezing-point; cascades and cataracts appeared on the sides of t=
he
mountain; avalanches kept falling with a roar like that of artillery. The l=
ong
stretches of glaciers made a loud echo. The contrast between this wintry sc=
ene
and the thaw made a wonderful sight. The brig sailed along very near the co=
ast;
they were able to see on some sheltered rocks a few bushes bearing modest
little roses, some reddish moss, and a budding dwarf willow barely rising a=
bove
the ground.
At last, June 19th, in latitude 72°, they doub=
led
Point Minto, which forms one of the extremities of Ommanney Bay; the brig
entered Melville Bay, called "the Sea of Money" by Bolton; this
good-natured fellow used to be always jesting on this subject, much to
Clawbonny's amusement.
The obstacles to their course were but few, for
June 23d, in the teeth of a strong northeasterly breeze, they passed latitu=
de
74°. This was at the middle of Melville Bay, one of the largest seas of this
region. It was first crossed by Captain Parry, in his great expedition of 1=
819,
and there it was that his crew won the £5,000 promised by act of Parliament=
.
Clifton contented himself with remarking that
there were two degrees between latitude 72° and latitude 74°: that was £125=
to
his credit. But they told him that a fortune did not amount to much up ther=
e,
and that a man could be called rich only when he could have a chance to dri=
nk
to his wealth; it seemed better to wait for the moment when they could meet=
at
some tavern in Liverpool before rejoicing and rubbing their hands.
Melvi=
lle
Bay, although perfectly navigable, was not wholly free of ice; immense
ice-fields could be seen stretching to the horizon; here and there appeared=
a
few icebergs, but they stood motionless as if anchored in the ice. The Forward went under full steam through broad pass=
es
where she had plenty of sailing-room. The wind shifted frequently from one
point of the compass to another.
The variability of the wind in the arctic seas=
is
a remarkable fact, and very often only a few minutes intervene between a ca=
lm
and a frightful tempest. This was Hatteras's experience on the 23d of June,=
in
the middle of this huge bay.
The steadiest winds blow generally from the ic=
e to
the open sea, and are very cold. On that day the thermometer fell several
degrees; the wind shifted to the southward, and the heavy gusts, having pas=
sed
over the ice, discharged themselves of their dampness under the form of a t=
hick
snow. Hatteras immediately ordered the sails which were aiding the engine t=
o be
reefed; but before this could be done his main-topsail was carried away.
Hatteras gave his orders with the utmost cooln=
ess,
and did not leave the deck during the storm; he was obliged to run before t=
he
gale. The wind raised very heavy waves which hurled about pieces of ice of
every shape, torn from the neighboring ice-fields; the brig was tossed abou=
t like
a child's toy, and ice was dashed against its hull; at one moment it rose
perpendicularly to the top of a mountain of water; its steel prow shone like
molten metal; then it sank into an abyss, sending forth great whirls of smo=
ke,
while the screw revolved out the water with a fearful clatter. Rain and snow
fell in torrents.
The doctor could not miss such a chance to get=
wet
to the skin; he remained on deck, gazing at the storm with all the admirati=
on
such a spectacle cannot fail to draw forth. One standing next to him could =
not
have heard his voice; so he said nothing, but looked, and soon he saw a
singular phenomenon, one peculiar to the northern seas.
The tempest was confined to a small space of a=
bout
three or four miles; in fact, the wind loses much of its force in passing o=
ver
the ice, and cannot carry its violence very far; every now and then the doc=
tor
would see, through some rift in the storm, a clear sky and a quiet sea beyo=
nd
the ice-fields; hence the Forward =
had only to make her way through the pas=
ses to
find smooth sailing; but she ran a risk of being dashed against the moving
masses which obeyed the motion of the waves. Notwithstanding, Hatteras
succeeded in a few hours in carrying his vessel into smooth water, while the
violence of the storm, now at its worst at the horizon, was dying away with=
in a
few cable-lengths from the Forward=
.
Melville Bay then looked very different; by the
influence of the winds and waves a large number of icebergs had been detach=
ed
from the shores and were now floating northward, continually crashing again=
st
one another. They could be counted by hundreds; but the bay is very broad, =
and
the brig avoided them without difficulty. The sight of these floating masse=
s,
which seemed to be racing together, was indeed magnificent.
The doctor was wild with enthusiasm about it, =
when
Simpson, the harpooner, came up to him and asked him to notice the changing
tints of the sea, which varied from deep blue to olive green; long bands ra=
n from
north to south with edges so sharply cut that the line of division could be
seen as far as the horizon. Sometimes a transparent sheet would stretch out
from an opaque one.
"Well, Dr. Clawbonny, what do you think of
that?" said Simpson.
"I agree, my friend, with what Scoresby s=
aid
about these differently colored waters," answered the doctor,
"namely, that the blue water does not contain the millions of animalcu=
les
and medusæ which the green water contains; he made a great many experiments=
to
test it, and I am ready to agree with him."
"O, but there's something else it
shows!"
"What is that?"
"Well, if the Forward were only a whaler, I believe we should =
have some
sport."
"But," answered the doctor, "I
don't see any whales."
"We shall very soon, though, I promise yo=
u.
It's great luck for a whaler to see those green patches in these
latitudes."
"Why so?" asked the doctor, whose
curiosity was aroused by these remarks of a man who had had experience in w=
hat
he was talking about.
"Because," answered Simpson, "i=
t is
in that green water that most of the whales are caught."
"What is the reason, Simpson?"
"Because they get more food there."<= o:p>
"You are sure of that?"
"O, I have seen it a hundred times in
Baffin's Bay! I don't see why the same shouldn't be the case in Melville
Bay."
"You must be right, Simpson."
"And see," Simpson continued as he
leaned over the rail,--"see there, Doctor."
"One would say it was the track of a
ship."
"Well," said Simpson, "it's an =
oily
substance that the whale leaves behind it. Really, the whale itself can't be
far off."
In fact, the atmosphere was filled with a stro=
ng
fishy smell. The doctor began to examine the surface of the sea, and the
harpooner's prediction was soon verified. Foker was heard shouting from
aloft,--
"A whale to leeward!"
All turned their eyes in that direction; a low
spout was seen rising from the sea about a mile from the brig.
"There she spouts!" shouted Simpson,
whose experienced eye soon detected it.
"It's gone," said the doctor.
"We could soon find it again, if it were
necessary," said Simpson, regretfully.
But to his great surprise, although no one had=
dared
to ask it, Hatteras gave the order to lower and man the whale-boat; he was =
glad
to give the men some distraction, and also to get a few barrels of oil. They
heard the order with great satisfaction.
Four sailors took their places in the whale-bo=
at;
Johnson took the helm; Simpson stood in the bow, harpoon in hand. The doctor
insisted on joining the party. The sea was quite smooth. The whale-boat wen=
t very
fast, and in about ten minutes she was a mile from the brig.
The whale, having taken another breath, had di=
ved
again; but soon it came up and projected fifteen feet into the air that
combination of gases and mucous fluid which escapes from its vent-holes.
"There, there!" cried Simpson, point=
ing
to a place about eight hundred yards from the boat.
They approached it rapidly; and the brig, havi=
ng
also seen it, drew near slowly.
The huge monster kept appearing above the wave=
s,
showing its black back, which resembled a great rock in the sea; a whale ne=
ver
swims rapidly unless pursued, and this one was letting itself be rocked by =
the
waves.
The hunters approached in silence, choosing the
green water, which was so opaque as to prevent the whale from seeing them. =
It
is always exciting to watch a frail boat attacking one of these monsters; t=
his one
was about one hundred and thirty feet long, and often between latitude 72° =
and
80° whales are found more than one hundred and twenty-four feet long; ancie=
nt
writers have often spoken of some longer than seven hundred feet, but they =
are
imaginary animals.
Soon the boat was very near the whale. Simpson
made a sign, the men stopped rowing, and, brandishing his harpoon, he hurle=
d it
skilfully; this, with sharp barbs, sank into the thick layers of fat. The
wounded whale dived rapidly. At once the four oars were unshipped; the rope=
which
was attached to the harpoon ran out rapidly, and the boat was dragged along
while Johnson steered it skilfully.
The whale swam away from the brig and hastened
towards the moving icebergs; for half an hour it went on in this way; the c=
ord
had to be kept wet to prevent its taking fire from friction. When the anima=
l seemed
to go more slowly, the rope was dragged back and carefully coiled; the whale
rose again to the surface, lashing violently with its tail; huge spouts of
water were dashed up by it and fell in torrents on the boat, which now
approached rapidly; Simpson had taken a long lance and was prepared to meet=
the
whale face to face.
But it plunged rapidly into a pass between two
icebergs. Further pursuit seemed dangerous.
"The devil!" said Johnson.
"Forward, forward, my friends," shou=
ted
Simpson, eager for the chase; "the whale is ours."
"But we can't follow it among the
icebergs," answered Johnson, turning the boat away.
"Yes, yes!" cried Simpson.
"No, no!" said some of the sailors.<= o:p>
"Yes!" cried others.
During this discussion the whale had got betwe=
en
two icebergs which the wind and waves were driving together.
The whale-boat was in danger of being dragged =
into
this dangerous pass, when Johnson sprang forward, axe in hand, and cut the
line.
It was time; the two icebergs met with
irresistible force, crushing the whale between them.
"Lost!" cried Simpson.
"Saved!" said Johnson.
"Upon my word," said the doctor, who=
had
not flinched, "that was well worth seeing!"
The crushing power of these mountains is enorm=
ous.
The whale was the victim of an accident that is very frequent in these wate=
rs.
Scoresby tells us that in the course of a single summer thirty whalers have=
been
lost in this way in Baffin's Bay; he saw a three-master crushed in one minu=
te
between two walls of ice, which drew together with fearful rapidity and sank
the ship with all on board. Two other ships he himself saw cut through, as =
if
by a long lance, by huge pieces of ice more than a hundred feet long.
A few moments later the whale-boat returned to=
the
brig, and was hauled up to its usual place on deck.
"That's a lesson," said Shandon, alo= ud, "for those who are foolhardy enough to venture into the passes!"<= o:p>
June =
25th
the Forward sighted Cape Dundas, at the northwest ex=
tremity
of Prince of Wales Land. There they found more serious difficulties amid
thicker ice. The channel here grows narrower, and the line of Crozier, Youn=
g,
Day, and Lowther Islands ranged in a line, like forts in a harbor, drive the
ice-streams nearer together. What would otherwise have taken the brig a day=
now
detained her from June 25th to the end of the month; she was continually
obliged to stop, to retreat, and to wait for a favorable chance to reach
Beechey Island. Meanwhile a great deal of coal was consumed; though during =
the frequent
halts only small fires were kept burning, sufficient to keep steam up day a=
nd
night.
Hatteras knew as well as Shandon the reduced s=
tate
of their supply; but feeling sure that he would find fuel at Beechey Island=
, he
did not wish to lose a minute for the sake of economy; he had been very muc=
h delayed
by running south; and, although he had taken the precaution of leaving Engl=
and
in April, he now found himself no farther advanced than previous expeditions
had been at that time of year.
The 30th they passed Cape Walker at the northe=
ast
extremity of Prince of Wales Land; this is the farthest point seen by Kenne=
dy
and Bellot, May 3d, 1852, after an expedition across North Somerset. In 185=
1, Captain
Ommaney of the Austin expedition had been fortunate enough to get fresh
supplies there for his detachment.
This cape, which is very lofty, is remarkable =
for
its reddish-brown color; in clear weather one can see as far as the entranc=
e of
Wellington Channel. Towards evening they saw Cape Bellot, separated from Ca=
pe
Walker by MacLeon's Bay. Cape Bellot was so named in presence of that young
French officer to whom the English expedition gave three cheers. At this pl=
ace
the coast consists of a yellowish limestone, very rough in appearance; it is
protected by huge masses of ice which the north-wind collects there in the =
most
imposing way. It was soon no longer to be seen from the Forward's deck, as she was making her way amid the=
loose
ice towards Beechey Island through Barrow Strait.
Hatteras, having resolved to go on in a straig=
ht
line, in order not to be carried past the island, hardly left the deck duri=
ng
the subsequent days; he would go aloft to the cross-trees in order to pick =
out
the most favorable path for the brig. All that skill, coolness, boldness, a=
nd
even maritime genius could do, was done by him while sailing through the
strait. It is true that fortune did not favor him, for at that season he ou=
ght
to have found the sea nearly open. But by dint of sparing neither steam, his
men, nor himself, he succeeded in his aim.
July 3d, at eleven o'clock in the morning, the
ice-master saw land to the north; Hatteras soon made it out as Beechey Isla=
nd,
the general rendezvous for arctic explorers. Almost all the ships which sai=
l in
these latitudes touch here. Here Franklin passed his first winter before
advancing into Wellington Channel. Here Creswell, MacClure's lieutenant, af=
ter
a march of four hundred and sixty miles on the ice, rejoined the Phoenix and returned to England. The last ship w=
hich anchored
at Beechey Island before the Forwa=
rd was the Fox ; MacClintock took in supplies there,
August 11, 1855, and repaired the dwellings and storehouses; that was but a
short time previous. Hatteras knew all these details.
The boatswain's heart beat strongly at the sig=
ht
of this island; when he had last seen it he had been quartermaster on the <=
span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Phoenix ; Hatteras asked him about the c=
oast,
the place for anchoring, the possible change of the bottom. The weather was
perfect; the thermometer marked 57°.
"Well, Johnson," said the captain,
"do you recognize this place?"
"Yes, Captain, it's Beechey Island! Only =
we
ought to bear a little farther north; the coast is more easily approached
there."
"But the buildings, the stores?" said
Hatteras.
"O, you can't see them till you get ashor=
e;
they are hidden behind those hillocks you see there!"
"And did you carry large supplies
there?"
"Yes, they were large. The Admiralty sent=
us
here in 1853, under the command of Captain Inglefield, with the steamer
"But did not the commander of the Fox take a great deal away in 1855?" sa=
id
Hatteras.
"O, don't be anxious, Captain!" answ=
ered
Johnson; "there will be enough left for you; the cold keeps everything
wonderfully, and we shall find everything as fresh and in as good condition=
as
on the first day."
"I'm not so anxious about the
provisions," answered Hatteras; "I have enough for several years;
what I stand in need of is coal."
"Well, Captain, we left more than a thous=
and
tons there; so you can feel easy about that."
"Let us stand nearer," resumed Hatte=
ras,
who, glass in hand, kept examining the shore.
"You see that point," said Johnson;
"when we've doubled it, we shall be near our anchorage. Yes, it's from
there we started for England with Lieutenant Creswell and twelve sick men of
the Investigator . But if we were
fortunate enough to be of service to Captain MacClure's lieutenant, Bellot,=
the
officer who accompanied us on the =
Phoenix
, never saw his home again! Ah, that's a sad memory! But, Captain, I think =
it's
here we ought to anchor."
"Very well," answered Hatteras.
And he gave the proper orders. The Forward lay in a little harbor sheltered from the
north, east, and south winds, about a cable-length from the shore.
"Mr. Wall," said Hatteras, "you
will lower the launch and send six men to bring coal aboard."
"Yes, sir," answered Wall.
"I am going ashore in the gig with the do=
ctor
and the boatswain; Mr. Shandon, will you go with us?"
"At your orders," answered Shandon.<= o:p>
A few minutes later the doctor, with gun and
baskets for any specimens he might find, took his place in the gig with his=
companions;
ten minutes later they stepped out on a low, rocky shore.
"Lead the way, Johnson," said Hatter=
as;
"do you remember it?"
"Perfectly, Captain; only here is a monum=
ent
which I did not expect to find here."
"That," shouted the doctor, "I =
know
what it is; let's go look at it; it will tell us of itself why it was put
here."
The four men went up to it, and the doctor, ba=
ring
his head, said,--
"This, my friends, is a monument raised to
the memory of Franklin and his companions."
In fact, Lady Franklin having, in 1855, sent a
tablet of black marble to Dr. Kane, gave another in 1858 to MacClintock to =
be
placed on Beechey Island. MacClintock discharged his duty, and placed this =
tablet
near a funeral pile raised to the memory of Bellot by Sir John Barrow.
This tablet bore the following inscription:--<= o:p>
TO THE MEMORY OF =
FRANKLIN, CROZIER, FITZ-=
JAMES,
AND ALL THEIR GALLANT BROTHER OFF=
ICERS
AND FAITHFUL COMPANIONS Who have suffered and pe=
rished
in the cause of science and the service=
of
their country. THIS TABLET
&qu=
ot; And
so he bringeth them unto the Haven where they would be. " 1855.
This =
stone,
on a lonely shore of these remote regions, touched every one's heart; the d=
octor
felt the tears rising in his eyes. On the very spot whence Franklin and his=
men
sailed, full of hope and strength, there was now merely a slab of marble to
commemorate them; and in spite of this solemn warning of fate, the Forward was about to follow the path of the Erebus and =
span>Terror
.
Hatteras was the first to rouse himself; he
ascended quickly a rather high hillock, which was almost entirely bare of s=
now.
"Captain," said Johnson, following h=
im,
"from there we ought to see the stores."
Shandon and the doctor joined them just as they
reached the top of the hill.
But their eyes saw nothing but large plains wi=
th
no trace of a building.
"This is very strange," said the
boatswain.
"Well, these stores?" said Hatteras,
quickly.
"I don't know,--I don't see--" stamm=
ered
Johnson.
"You must have mistaken the path," s=
aid
the doctor.
"Still it seems to me," resumed John=
son
after a moment's reflection, "that at this very spot--"
"Well," said Hatteras, impatiently,
"where shall we go?"
"Let's go down again," said the
boatswain, "for it's possible I've lost my way! In seven years I may h=
ave
forgotten the place."
"Especially," said the doctor,
"when the country is so monotonous."
"And yet--" muttered Johnson.
Shandon said not a word. After walking a few
minutes, Johnson stopped.
"No," he said, "I'm not
mistaken."
"Well," said Hatteras, looking aroun=
d.
"What makes you say so, Johnson?" as=
ked
the doctor.
"Do you see this little rise in the
earth?" asked the boatswain, pointing downwards to a mound in which th=
ree
elevations could be clearly seen.
"What does that mean?" asked the doc=
tor.
"There," answered Johnson, "are=
the
three tombs of Franklin's sailors. I'm sure of it! I'm not mistaken, and the
stores must be within a hundred paces of us, and if they're not there,--it's
because--"
He durst not finish his sentence; Hatteras ran
forward, and terrible despair seized him. There ought to stand those
much-needed storehouses, with supplies of all sorts on which he had been
counting; but ruin, pillage, and destruction had passed over that place whe=
re civilized
hands had accumulated resources for battered sailors. Who had committed the=
se
depredations? Wild animals, wolves, foxes, bears? No, for they would have
destroyed only the provisions; and there was left no shred of a tent, not a
piece of wood, not a scrap of iron, no bit of any metal, nor--what was more
serious for the men of the Forward=
--a
single lump of coal.
Evidently the Esquimaux, who have often had mu=
ch
to do with European ships, had finally learned the value of these objects;
since the visit of the Fox they had come frequently to this great
storehouse, and had pillaged incessantly, with the intention of leaving no
trace of what had been there; and now a long drift of half-melted snow cove=
red the
ground.
Hatteras was baffled. The doctor gazed and sho=
ok
his head. Shandon said nothing, but an attentive observer would have notice=
d a
wicked smile about his lips.
At this moment the men sent by Wall arrived. T=
hey
took it all in at a glance. Shandon went up to the captain and said,--
"Mr. Hatteras, we need not despair;
fortunately we are near the entrance to Barrow Strait, which will carry us =
back
to Baffin's Bay."
"Mr. Shandon," answered Hatteras,
"we are fortunately near the entrance of Wellington Channel, and it wi=
ll
lead us to the north."
"And how shall we go, Captain?"
"Under sail, sir. We have two months' fuel
left, and that is more than we shall need for next winter."
"Permit me to say," began Shandon.
"I permit you to follow me to the ship,
sir," was Hatteras's answer.
And turning his back on his first officer, he
returned to the brig and locked himself in his cabin.
For two days the wind was unfavorable; the cap=
tain
did not come on deck. The doctor profited by this forced delay to examine
Beechey Island; he collected a few plants which a comparatively high temper=
ature
let grow here and there on some rocks which projected from the snow, such as
heather, a few lichens, a sort of yellow ranunculus, a plant like sorrel wi=
th
leaves a trifle larger, and some sturdy saxifrages.
The fauna of this country was much richer; the
doctor saw large flocks of geese and cranes flying northward; partridges,
eider-ducks, northern divers, numerous ptarmigans, which are delicious eati=
ng, noisy
flocks of kittiwakes, and great white-bellied loons represented the winged
tribe. The doctor was lucky enough to kill some gray hares, which had not y=
et
put on their white winter coat of fur, and a blue fox, which Duke skilfully
caught. A few bears, evidently accustomed to fear men, could not be approac=
hed,
and the seals were very timid, probably for the same reason. The harbor was
full of a very good tasting shellfish. The genus articulata , order diptera , family culicides , division nemocera , was represented by a simple m=
osquito,
a single one, which the doctor, though much bitten, had the pleasure of
catching. As a conchologist, he was less fortunate, and he was obliged to
content himself with a sort of mussel and some bivalves.
The
temperature remained at 57° during July 3d and 4th; this was the highest
temperature observed. But on Thursday, the 5th, the wind shifted to the
southeast, with violent snow-squalls. The thermometer fell twenty-three deg=
rees
in the preceding night. Hatteras, indifferent to the hostility of the crew,
gave the order to set sail. For thirteen days, ever since passing Cape Dund=
as,
the Forward had not gone a single degree farther nor=
th;
hence the party represented by Clifton was dissatisfied; their wishes, it is
true, coincided with those of the captain, namely, that they should make th=
eir
way through Wellington Channel, and they were all glad to be off once more.=
It was with difficulty that sail was set; but
having in the course of the night run up the mainsail and topsails, Hatteras
plunged boldly into the ice, which the current was driving towards the sout=
h.
The crew became very tired of this tortuous navigation, which kept them very
busy with the sails.
Wellington Channel is not very broad; it lies
between North Devon on the east and Cornwallis Island on the west; for a lo=
ng
time this island was considered a peninsula. It was Sir John Franklin who c=
ircumnavigated
it, in 1846, from the western side, going about its northern coast.
The exploration of Wellington Channel was made=
in
1851, by Captain Penny, in the whale-ships Lady Franklin and =
span>Sophia
; one of his lieutenants, Stewart, who reached Cape Beechey, latitude 76° 2=
0', discovered
the open sea. The open sea! It was for that Hatteras longed.
"What Stewart found, I shall find," =
he
said to the doctor; "and I shall be able to get to the Pole under
sail."
"But," answered the doctor, "do=
n't
you fear lest the crew--"
"The crew!" said Hatteras, coldly.
Then in a lower tone he murmured,--
"Poor men!" much to the doctor's
surprise.
It was the first sentiment of this sort which =
he
had ever noticed in the captain.
"No," he went on warmly, "they =
must
follow me, and they shall."
Still, if the Forward need not fear collision with the ice-str=
eams, she
made but little way northward, being much delayed by contrary winds. With s=
ome
difficulty they got by Capes Spencer and Innis, and Tuesday, the 10th, lati=
tude
75° was at last reached, much to Clifton's joy.
The F=
orward
was now at the very spot where the
American ships, the Rescue and the Advance , commanded by Captain Haven, ra=
n such
terrible dangers. Dr. Kane accompanied this expedition; towards the end of
September, 1850, these ships were caught in the ice, and carried with
irresistible force into Lancaster Sound.
Shandon told James Wall about it in the presen=
ce
of some of the men.
"The =
span>Advance
and the Rescue ," he said, "were so to=
ssed
about by ice, that they could keep no fires on board; and yet the thermomet=
er stood
at 18° below zero. During the whole winter the crews were kept imprisoned,
ready to abandon their ships, and for three weeks they did not take off the=
ir
clothes! It was a terrible situation; after drifting a thousand miles, they
were driven to the middle of Baffin's Bay!"
One may easily judge of the effect of such a
narration on a crew already discontented.
While this conversation was going on, Johnson =
was
talking with the doctor about an event which had taken place here; the doct=
or,
at his request, told him the exact moment when the brig reached latitude 75=
° 30'.
"There it is! there it is!" said
Johnson, "there is that unlucky land!"
And so speaking, tears came into the boatswain=
's
eyes.
"You mean Lieutenant Bellot's death,"
said the doctor.
"Yes, sir, of that brave, good man!"=
"And it was here, you say, that it took
place?"
"Just here, on this part of the coast of
North Devon. It was very great ill-luck, and this would not have happened if
Captain Pullen had come on board sooner."
"What do you mean, Johnson?"
"Listen, Doctor, and you will see by how
slight a thread life is held. You know that Lieutenant Bellot had already m=
ade
an expedition in search of Franklin, in 1850?"
"Yes; in the Prince Albert ."
"Well, in 1853, having returned to France=
, he
got permission to sail in the Phoe=
nix ,
in which I was a sailor, under Captain Inglefield. We came with the Breadalbane to carry supplies to Beechey Island.&quo=
t;
"Those which we did not find!"
"Exactly, Doctor. We arrived at Beechey
Island at the beginning of August; the 10th of that month, Captain Inglefie=
ld
left the Phoenix to rejoin Captain Pullen, who had been a=
way
for a month from his ship, the Nor=
th
Star . He intended on his return to send the Admiralty despatches to Sir Ed=
ward
Belcher, who was wintering in Wellington Channel. Now, shortly after our
captain's departure, Captain Pullen reached his ship. If he had only come b=
ack
before Captain Inglefield had left! Lieutenant Bellot, fearing that our
captain's absence might be a long one, and knowing that the Admiralty despa=
tches
were important, offered to carry them himself. He left the two ships under =
Captain
Pullen's charge, and left August 12, with a sledge and an india-rubber cano=
e.
He took with him Harvey, quartermaster of the North Star , and three sailors, Madden, =
David
Hook, and me. We thought that Sir Edward Belcher would be somewhere near Ca=
pe
Beecher, at the northern part of the channel; hence we made for that part i=
n our
sledge, keeping on the east bank. The first day we encamped three miles from
Cape Innis; the next day we stopped on the ice nearly three miles from Cape
Bowden. During the night, which was as bright as day, land being only three
miles distant, Lieutenant Bellot determined to go and camp there; he tried =
to
reach it in the canoe; a violent southeast breeze drove him back twice; Har=
vey
and Madden tried in their turn, and with success; they carried a rope, and =
with
it they established communication with the shore; three objects were carrie=
d across
by it; but at the fourth attempt, we felt the ice moving away from us; Mr.
Bellot shouted to his companions to loosen the rope, and we (the lieutenant,
David Hook, and I) were carried to a great distance from the shore. Then a
strong southeaster was blowing, and snow was falling. But we were not in any
great danger, and he might have been saved, since the rest of us were
saved."
Johnson stopped for a moment, and gazed at the
ill-fated shore, then he went on:--
"After losing sight of our companions, we
tried at first to shelter ourselves under the cover of our sledge, but in v=
ain;
then with our knives we began to cut a house in the ice. Mr. Bellot sat down
for half an hour, and talked with us about the danger of our situation; I t=
old
him I was not afraid. 'With God's protection,' he said, 'not a hair of our =
heads
shall be hurt.' I then asked him what time it was. He answered, 'About quar=
ter
past six.' It was quarter past six in the morning of Thursday, August 18th.
Then Mr. Bellot bound on his books, and said he wanted to go and see how the
ice was moving; he was gone only four minutes, when I went to seek him behi=
nd
the floe which sheltered us; but I did not find him, and, returning to our
retreat, I saw his stick on the opposite side of a crevasse about three fat=
homs
wide, where the ice was all broken. I shouted, but there was no answer. At =
that
time the wind was blowing very hard. I searched all around, but I could fin=
d no
trace of the poor lieutenant."
"And what do you suppose became of him?&q=
uot;
asked the doctor, who was much moved by this account.
"I suppose that when he left the shelter,=
the
wind drove him into the crevasse, and that, being thickly clad, he could not
swim to the surface. O Dr. Clawbonny, I never felt worse in my life! I could
not believe it! That brave officer fell a victim to his sense of duty! For =
you
know that it was in order to obey Captain Pullen's instructions that he was
trying to reach the land before the ice began to break! He was a brave man,
liked by every one, faithful, courageous! All England mourned him, and even=
the
Esquimaux, when they heard of his death from Captain Inglefield, when he
returned from Pound Bay, did nothing but weep and repeat, 'Poor Bellot! Poor
Bellot!'"
"But you and your companions, Johnson,&qu=
ot;
asked the doctor, much moved by this touching account,--"how did you
manage to get to shore?"
"O, it was very simple! We remained
twenty-four hours on the ice without food or fire, but finally we reached a
firmly fastened ice-field; we sprang upon it, and with an oar we got near a
floe capable of supporting us, and being controlled like a boat. In that wa=
y we
reached the shore, but alone, without our brave officer."
At the end of this account the Forward had passed by this fatal shore, and John=
son
soon lost sight of the scene of this terrible catastrophe. The next day they
left Griffin's Bay on the starboard, and two days later, Capes Grinnell and
Helpman; finally, July 14th, they doubled Osborne Point, and the 15th the b=
rig
anchored in Baring Bay at the end of the channel. The navigation had not be=
en
very difficult; Hatteras found a sea nearly as free as that by which Belcher
profited to go and winter with the Pioneer
and Assistance in latitude 77°. That was his first wint=
er,
1852-53, for the next he spent in Baring Bay, where the Forward now lay at anchor.
It was in consequence of the most terrible dan=
gers
and trials that he was obliged to abandon the Assistance in the midst of the eternal ice.
Shandon gave a full account of this catastroph=
e to
the demoralized sailors. Was Hatteras aware of the treachery of his first
officer? It is impossible to say, but, at any rate, he said nothing about i=
t.
At the end of Baring Bay is a narrow canal uni=
ting
Wellington Channel with Queen's Strait. There the ice had accumulated very
closely. Hatteras made vain efforts to get through the passages to the nort=
h of
Hamilton Island; the wind was unfavorable; hence it was necessary to go bet=
ween
Hamilton and Cornwallis Islands; five precious days were lost in vain attem=
pts.
The air grew colder, and, July 19th, fell as low as 26°; the next day was
warmer, but this harbinger of the arctic winter warned Hatteras not to ling=
er
longer. The wind seemed to blow steadily from the west and delayed his
progress. And yet he was in haste to reach the point whence Stewart saw an =
open
sea. The 19th he resolved to enter the channel at any price; the wind blew =
dead
against the brig, which, with her screw, could have made headway against th=
e violent
snow-squalls, but Hatteras had before all to be economical with the fuel; on
the other hand, the channel was too broad to permit of the brig being towed.
Hatteras, without taking into account the fatigue of his crew, made use of a
device which whalers often employ under similar circumstances. He lowered t=
he
small boats to the surface of the water, not letting them free from their
tackle; then they were made fast, fore and aft; oars were put out, to starb=
oard
on one side and to port on the other; the men sat on the thwarts and rowed =
vigorously,
so as to propel the brig against the wind.
The F=
orward
made slight headway; this method of
working was very fatiguing; the men began to murmur. For four days they
advanced in that way, until July 23d, when they reached Baring Island, in
Queen's Channel.
The wind was still unfavorable. The crew could=
go
no farther. The doctor found the strength of the crew much pulled down, and=
he
thought he detected the first symptoms of scurvy; he used every precaution =
against
this terrible disease, having abundant supplies of lime-juice and
chalk-pastilles.
Hatteras soon saw there was nothing more to be=
got
from his crew; kindness and persuasion were fruitless; he resolved to emplo=
y severity,
and, if need be, to be pitiless; he distrusted especially Richard Shandon, =
and
even James Wall, who, however, never dared to speak too loud. Hatteras had =
on
his side the doctor, Johnson, Bell, and Simpson; these were all devoted to =
him
body and soul. Among the uncertain were Foker, Bolton, Wolston, the gunner,
Brunton, the first engineer, who might at any moment declare against him. A=
s to
the others, Pen, Gripper, Clifton, and Warren, they openly meditated mutiny;
they wanted to bring their companions over and compel the Forward to return to England.
Hatteras soon saw that he could get no more wo=
rk
from his dispirited crew, who now were worn out with fatigue from their hard
work. For twenty-four hours they remained in sight of Baring Island without=
getting
a foot forward. Still the weather grew colder, and in these high latitudes =
even
July felt the influence of the approaching winter. The 24th, the thermometer
fell to 22°. The young ice formed during the night to a depth of about half=
an
inch; if snow should fall on it, it would soon be strong enough to bear the
weight of a man. The sea soon acquired the turbid tint which indicates the
formation of the first crystals.
Hatteras read aright these alarming signs; if =
the
passes should close, he would be obliged to winter here, far from the aim of
his voyage, and without even having seen that open sea which he must have g=
ot
very near, according to the accounts of his predecessors. Hence he resolved=
to
get on at any price a few degrees farther north; seeing that he could neith=
er
try rowing with his crew exhausted, nor going under sail with the wind alwa=
ys
unfavorable, he ordered the fires to be lighted.
At th=
is
unexpected command, the surprise on board of the Forward was very great.
"Light the fires!" said some.
"With what?" said others.
"When we have only two months' supply in =
the
hold!" cried Pen.
"And how are we to keep warm in the
winter?" asked Clifton.
"We shall have to burn the ship down to t=
he
water-line, I suppose," said Gripper.
"And cram all the masts into the stove,&q=
uot;
answered Warren, "from the foretopmast to the jib-boom."
Shandon gazed intently at Wall. The surprised
engineers hesitated to go down into the engine-room.
"Did you hear what I said?" shouted =
the
captain, angrily.
Brunton walked toward the hatchway; but he sto=
pped
before going down.
"Don't go, Brunton," some one said.<= o:p>
"Who spoke then?" shouted Hatteras.<= o:p>
"I did," said Pen, approaching the
captain.
"And what is it you're saying?" asked
the captain.
"I say--I say," answered Pen with ma=
ny
oaths,--"I say that we have had enough of this, that we are not going =
any
farther, that we don't want to wear ourselves out with fatigue and cold dur=
ing
the winter, and that the fires shall not be lighted."
"Mr. Shandon," answered Hatteras,
coldly, "have this man put in irons."
"But, Captain," said Shandon, "=
what
this man said--"
"If you repeat what this man said,"
retorted Hatteras, "I shall order you to your cabin and confine you th=
ere.
Seize that man! Do you hear?"
Johnson, Bell, and Simpson stepped towards the
sailor, who was beside himself with wrath.
"The first man who lays a finger on
me--" he cried, seizing a handspike, which he flourished about his hea=
d.
Hatteras walked towards him.
"Pen," he said very quietly, "if
you move hand or foot, I shall blow your brains out!"
With these words he drew a revolver and aimed =
it
at the sailor.
A murmur arose from the crew.
"Not a word from any of you," said
Hatteras, "or he's a dead man."
At that moment Johnson and Bell disarmed Pen, =
who
no longer resisted, and suffered himself to be led to the bottom of the hol=
d.
"Now go below, Brunton," said Hatter=
as.
The engineer, followed by Plover and Warren, w=
ent
below. Hatteras returned to the quarter-deck.
"That Pen is a worthless fellow," the
doctor said to him.
"No man was ever nearer death," answ=
ered
the captain, simply.
Soon there was enough steam on; the anchors of=
the
Forward were raised; and the brig started eastwa=
rd,
heading for Point Beecher, and cutting through the newly formed ice.
A great number of islands lie between Baring
Island and Point Beecher, scattered in the midst of the ice-fields; the
ice-streams crowd in great numbers in the little straits into which they di=
vide
the sea; when the weather is cold they have a tendency to accumulate; here =
and there
hummocks were forming, and it was easy to see that the floes, already harder
and more crowded, would, under the influence of the first frosts, soon form=
an
impenetrable mass.
It was with great difficulty that the Forward made her way through the whirling snow. =
Still,
with the variability which is a peculiarity of these regions, the sun would
appear from time to time; the air grew much milder; the ice melted as if by
enchantment, and a clear expanse of water, a most welcome sight to the eyes=
of
the crew, spread out before them where a few moments before the ice had blo=
cked
their progress. All over the horizon there spread magnificent orange tints,=
which
rested their eyes, weary with gazing at the eternal snow.
Thursday, July 26th, the Forward coasted along Dundas Island, and then st=
ood
more northward; but there she found herself face to face with a thick mass =
of
ice, eight or nine feet high, consisting of little icebergs washed away from
the shore; they had to prolong the curve they were making to the west. The
continual cracking of the ice, joining with the creaking of the rolling shi=
p,
sounded like a gloomy lamentation. At last the brig found a passage and
advanced through it slowly; often a huge floe delayed her for hours; the fog
embarrassed the steersman; at one moment he could see a mile ahead, and it =
was easy
to avoid all obstacles; but again the snow-squalls would hide everything fr=
om
their sight at the distance of a cable's length. The sea ran very high.
Sometimes the smooth clouds assumed a strange
appearance, as if they were reflecting the ice-banks; there were days when =
the
sun could not pierce the dense mist.
The birds were still very numerous, and their
cries were deafening; the seals, lying lazily on the drifting ice, raised t=
heir
heads without being frightened, and turned their long necks to watch the sh=
ip
go by. Often, too, the brig would leave bits of sheathing on the ice against
which she grazed.
Finally, after six days of this slow sailing,
August 1st, Point Beecher was made, sighted in the north; Hatteras passed t=
he
last hours in the lookout; the open sea, which Stewart had seen May 30, 185=
1, towards
latitude 76° 20', could not be far off, and yet, as far as Hatteras could s=
ee,
he could make out no sign of an open polar sea. He came down without saying=
a
word.
"Do you believe in an open sea?" ask=
ed
Shandon of the second mate.
"I'm beginning to have my doubts,"
answered James Wall.
"Wasn't I right in considering this prete=
nded
discovery as a mere hypothesis? No one agreed with me, and you too, Wall,--=
you
sided against me."
"They'll believe you next time,
Shandon."
"Yes," he answered, "when it's =
too
late."
And he returned to his cabin, where he had kept
himself almost exclusively since his discussion with the captain.
Towards evening the wind shifted to the south.
Hatteras then set his sails and had the fires put out; for many days the cr=
ew
were kept hard at work; every few minutes they had to tack or bear away, or=
to shorten
sail quickly to stop the course of the brig; the braces could not run easily
through the choked-up pulleys, and added to the fatigue of the crew; more t=
han
a week was required for them to reach Point Barrow. The Forward had not made thirty miles in ten days.
Then the wind flew around to the north, and the
engine was started once more. Hatteras still hoped to find an open sea beyo=
nd
latitude 77°, such as Edward Belcher had seen.
And yet, if he believed in Penny's account, the
part of the sea which he was now crossing ought to have been open; for Penn=
y,
having reached the limit of the ice, saw in a canoe the shores of Queen's
Channel at latitude 77°.
Must he regard their reports as apochryphal, or
had an unusually early winter fallen upon these regions?
August 15th, Mount Percy reared into the mist =
its
peaks covered with eternal snow; a violent wind was hurling in their teeth a
fierce shower of hail. The next day the sun set for the first time, termina=
ting
at last the long series of days twenty-four hours long. The men had finally
accustomed themselves to this perpetual daylight; but the animals minded it
very little; the Greenland dogs used to go to sleep at the usual hour, and =
even
Duke lay down at the same hour every evening, as if the night were dark.
Still, during the nights following August 16th=
the
darkness was never very marked; the sun, although it had set, still gave li=
ght
enough by refraction.
August 19th, after taking a satisfactory
observation, Cape Franklin was seen on the eastern side, and opposite it Ca=
pe
Lady Franklin; at what was probably the farthest point reached by this bold
explorer, his fellow-countrymen wanted the name of his devoted wife should =
be remembered
along with his own, as an emblem of the sympathy which always united them. =
The
doctor was much moved by this sight in this distant country.
In accordance with Johnson's advice, he began =
to
accustom himself to enduring low temperature; he kept almost all the time on
deck, braving the cold, wind, and snow. Although he had grown a little thin=
ner,
he did not suffer from the severity of the climate. Besides, he expected ot=
her
dangers, and he rejoiced, almost, as he saw the winter approaching.
"See," said he one day to
Johnson,--"see those flocks of birds flying south! How they fly and cry
adieu!"
"Yes, Dr. Clawbonny," answered Johns=
on,
"something has told them it was time to go, and they are off."
"More than one of our men, Johnson, would=
be
glad to imitate them, I fancy."
"They are timid fellows, Doctor; what a b=
ird
can't do, a man ought to try! Those birds have no supply of food, as we hav=
e,
and they must support themselves elsewhere. But sailors, with a good deck u=
nder
the feet, ought to go to the end of the world."
"You hope, then, that Hatteras will succe=
ed
in his projects?"
"He will succeed, Doctor."
"I agree with you, Johnson, even if only =
one
faithful man accompanies him--"
"There will be two of us!"
"Yes, Johnson," the doctor answered,
pressing the brave sailor's hand.
Prince Albert's Land, along which the Forward was now coasting, is also called Grinnel=
l's
Land; and although Hatteras, from his dislike to Americans, never was willi=
ng
to give it this name, nevertheless, it is the one by which it is generally
known. This is the reason of this double title: at the same time that the
Englishman Penny gave it the name of Prince Albert, the captain of the Rescue , Lieutenant DeHaven, named it Gr=
innell's
Land, in honor of the American merchant who had fitted out the expedition in
New York.
As the brig followed the coast it met with ser=
ious
difficulties, going sometimes under sail, sometimes under steam. August 18t=
h,
Mount Britannia was sighted through the mist, and the next day the Forward cast anchor in Northumberland Bay. The s=
hip
was completely protected.
Hatte=
ras,
after seeing to the anchorage of the ship, returned to his cabin, took out =
his
chart, and marked his position on it very carefully; he found himself in
latitude 76° 57', and longitude 99° 20', that is to say, only three minutes
from latitude 77°. It was here that Sir Edward Belcher passed his first win=
ter
with the Pioneer and =
span>Assistance
. It was from here that he organized his sledge and canoe expeditions; he
discovered Table Island, North Cornwall, Victoria Archipelago, and Belcher
Channel. Having gone beyond latitude 78°, he saw the coast inclining towards
the southeast. It seemed as if it ought to connect with Jones's Strait, whi=
ch
opens into Baffin's Bay. But, says the report, an open sea, in the northwes=
t,
"stretched as far as the eye could reach."
Hatteras gazed with emotion at that portion of=
the
charts where a large white space marked unknown regions, and his eyes always
returned to the open polar sea.
"After so many statements," he said =
to
himself,--"after the accounts of Stewart, Penny, and Belcher, doubt is
impossible! These bold sailors saw, and with their own eyes! Can I doubt th=
eir
word? No! But yet if this sea is closed by an early winter-- But no, these =
discoveries
have been made at intervals of several years; this sea exists, and I shall =
find
it! I shall see it!"
Hatteras went upon the quarter-deck. A dense m=
ist
enveloped the Forward ; from the d=
eck
one could hardly see the top of the mast. Nevertheless, Hatteras ordered the
ice-master below, and took his place; he wanted to make use of the first br=
eak
in the fog to look at the horizon in the northwest.
Shandon took occasion to say to the second mat=
e,--
"Well, Wall, and the open sea?"
"You were right, Shandon," answered
Wall, "and we have only six weeks' coal in the bunkers."
"The doctor will invent some scientific
way," continued Shandon, "of heating us without fuel. I've heard =
of
making ice with fire; perhaps he will make fire with ice."
Shandon returned to his cabin, shrugging his
shoulders.
The next day, August 20th, the fog lifted for a
few minutes. From the deck they saw Hatteras in his lofty perch gazing inte=
ntly
towards the horizon; then he came down without saying a word and ordered th=
em
to set sail; but it was easy to see that his hopes had been once more decei=
ved.
The F=
orward
heaved anchor and resumed her unce=
rtain
path northward. So wearisome was it that the main-topsail and fore-topsail
yards were lowered with all their rigging; the masts were also lowered, and=
it was
no longer possible to place any reliance on the varying wind, which, moreov=
er,
the winding nature of the passes made almost useless; large white masses we=
re
gathering here and there in the sea, like spots of oil; they indicated an
approaching thaw; as soon as the wind began to slacken, the sea began to fr=
eeze
again, but when the wind arose this young ice would break and disperse. Tow=
ards
evening the thermometer fell to 17°.
When the brig arrived at the end of a closed p=
ass,
it rushed on at full steam against the opposing obstacle. Sometimes they
thought her fairly stopped; but some unexpected motion of the ice-streams w=
ould
open a new passage into which she would plunge boldly; during these stoppag=
es
the steam would escape from the safety-valves and fall on the deck in the f=
orm
of snow. There was another obstacle to the progress of the brig; the ice wo=
uld
get caught in the screw, and it was so hard that the engine could not break=
it;
it was then necessary to reverse the engines, turn the brig back, and send =
some
men to free the snow with axes and levers; hence arose many difficulties, f=
atigues,
and delays.
It went on in this way for thirteen days; the =
Forward advanced slowly through Penny Strait. Th=
e crew
murmured, but obeyed; they knew that retreat was now impossible. The advance
towards the north was less perilous than a return to the south; it was time=
to
think of going into winter-quarters.
The sailors talked together about their condit=
ion,
and one day they even began to talk with Shandon, who, they knew, was on th=
eir
side. He so far forgot his duty as an officer as to allow them to discuss i=
n his
presence the authority of his captain.
"So you say, Mr. Shandon," asked
Gripper, "that we can't go back now?"
"No, it's too late," answered Shando=
n.
"Then," said another sailor, "we
need only look forward to going into winter-quarters?"
"It's our only resource! No one would bel=
ieve
me--"
"The next time," said Pen, who had
returned to duty, "they will believe you."
"Since I sha'n't be in command--"
answered Shandon.
"Who can tell?" remarked Pen. "=
John
Hatteras is free to go as far as he chooses, but no one is obliged to follow
him."
"Just remember," resumed Gripper,
"his first voyage to Baffin's Bay and what came of it!"
"And the voyage of the Farewell ," said Clifton, "whi=
ch was
lost in the Spitzenberg seas under his command."
"And from which he came back alone,"
added Gripper.
"Alone, but with his dog," said Clif=
ton.
"We don't care to sacrifice ourselves for=
the
whims of that man," continued Pen.
"Nor to lose all the wages we've earned so
hard."
They all recognized Clifton by those words.
"When we pass latitude 78°," he adde=
d,
"and we are not far from it, that will make just three hundred and
seventy-five pounds for each man, six times eight degrees."
"But," asked Gripper, "sha'n't =
we
lose them if we go back without the captain?"
"No," answered Clifton, "if we =
can
prove that it was absolutely necessary to return."
"But the captain--still--"
"Don't be uneasy, Gripper," answered
Pen; "we shall have a captain, and a good one, whom Mr. Shandon knows.
When a captain goes mad, he is dismissed and another appointed. Isn't that =
so,
Mr. Shandon?"
"My friends," answered Shandon,
evasively, "you will always find me devoted to you. But let us wait and
see what turns up."
The storm, as may be seen, was gathering over
Hatteras's head; but he pushed on boldly, firm, energetic, and confident. In
fact, if he had not always managed the brig as he wanted to, and carried her
where he was anxious to go, he had still been very successful; the distance=
passed
over in five months was as great as what it had taken other explorers two or
three years to make. Hatteras was now obliged to go into winter-quarters, b=
ut
this would not alarm men of courage, experience, and confidence. Had not Sir
John Ross and MacClure spent three successive winters in the arctic regions?
Could not he do what they had done?
"Yes, of course," Hatteras used to s=
ay,
"and more too, if need be. Ah!" he said regretfully to the doctor,
"why was I unable to get through Smith's Sound, at the north of Baffin=
's
Bay? I should be at the Pole now!"
"Well," the doctor used invariably to
answer,--if necessary he could have invented confidence,--"we shall get
there, Captain, but, it is true, at the ninety-ninth meridian instead of the
seventy-fifth; but what difference does that make? If every road leads to R=
ome,
it is even surer that every meridian leads to the Pole."
August 31st, the thermometer fell to 13°. The =
end
of the summer was evidently near; the Forward
left Exmouth Island to starboard, =
and three
days afterward she passed Table Island, lying in the middle of Belcher Chan=
nel.
Earlier in the season it would have been possible to reach Baffin's Bay thr=
ough
this channel, but at this time it was impossible to think of it. This arm of
the sea was completely filled with ice, and would not have offered a drop of
open water to the prow of the Forw=
ard ;
for the next eight months their eyes would see nothing but boundless,
motionless ice-fields.
Fortunately, they could still get a few minutes
farther north, but only by breaking the new ice with huge beams, or by blow=
ing
it up with charges of powder. They especially had cause to fear calm weathe=
r while
the temperature was so low, for the passes closed quickly, and they rejoiced
even at contrary winds. A calm night, and everything was frozen!
Now the Forward
could not winter where she was, ex=
posed
to the wind, icebergs, and the drift of the channel; a safe protection was =
the first
thing to be found; Hatteras hoped to gain the coast of New Cornwall, and to
find, beyond Point Albert, a bay sufficiently sheltered. Hence he persisted=
in
crowding northward.
But, September 8, an impenetrable, continuous =
mass
of ice lay between him and the north; the temperature fell to 10°. Hatteras,
with an anxious heart, in vain sought for a passage, risking his ship a hun=
dred
times and escaping from his perils with wonderful skill. He might have been
accused of imprudence, recklessness, folly, blindness, but he was one of the
best of sailors.
The situation of the Forward became really dangerous; in fact, the se=
a was
closing behind her, and in a few hours the ice grew so hard that men could =
run
upon it and tow the brig in perfect safety.
Hatteras, not being able to get around this
obstacle, determined to attack it boldly in front. He made use of his stron=
gest
blasting cylinders, containing eight or ten pounds of powder. The men would=
dig
a hole in the broadest part of the ice, close the orifice with snow, after
having placed the cylinder in a horizontal position, so that a greater exte=
nt
of ice might be exposed to the explosion; then a fuse was lighted, which was
protected by a gutta-percha tube.
In this way they tried to break the ice; it was
impossible to saw it, for the fissures would close immediately. Still, Hatt=
eras
was hoping to get through the next day.
But during the night the wind blew a gale; the=
sea
raised the crust of ice, and the terrified pilot was heard shouting,--
"Look out there aft, look out there
aft!"
Hatteras turned his eyes in that direction, and
what he saw in the dim light was indeed alarming.
A great mass of ice, drifting northward with t=
he
tide, was rushing towards the brig with the speed of an avalanche.
"All hands on deck!" shouted the
captain.
This floating mountain was hardly half a mile
away; the ice was all in confusion and crashing together like huge grains of
sand before a violent tempest; the air was filled with a terrible noise.
"That, Doctor," said Johnson, "=
is
one of the greatest perils we have yet met with."
"Yes," answered the doctor, quietly;
"it is terrible enough."
"A real attack which we must repel,"
resumed the boatswain.
"In fact, one might well think it was an
immense crowd of antediluvian animals, such as might have lived near the Po=
le.
How they hurry on, as if they were racing!"
"Besides," added Johnson, "some
carry sharp lances, of which you had better take care, Doctor."
"It's a real siege," shouted the doc=
tor.
"Well, let us run to the ramparts!"
He ran aft where the crew, provided with beams=
and
bars, were standing ready to repel this formidable assault.
The avalanche came on, growing larger at every
moment as it caught up the floating ice in its eddy; by Hatteras's orders t=
he
cannon was loaded with ball to break the threatening line. But it came on a=
nd
ran towards the brig; a crash was heard, and as it came against the starboa=
rd-quarter,
part of the rail had given way.
"Let no one stir!" shouted Hatteras.
"Look out for the ice!"
They swarmed on board the ship with an
irresistible force; lumps of ice, weighing many hundredweight, scaled the s=
ides
of the ship; the smallest, hurled as high as the yards, fell back in sharp
arrows, breaking the shrouds and cutting the rigging. The men were overcome=
by numberless
enemies, who were heavy enough to crush a hundred ships like the Forward . Every one tried to drive away =
these
lumps, and more than one sailor was wounded by their sharp ends; among othe=
rs, Bolton,
who had his left shoulder badly torn. The noise increased immensely. Duke
barked angrily at these new enemies. The darkness of the night added to the
horrors of the situation, without hiding the ice which glowed in the last l=
ight
of the evening.
Hatteras's orders sounded above all this stran=
ge,
impossible, supernatural conflict of the men with the ice. The ship, yieldi=
ng
to this enormous pressure, inclined to larboard, and the end of the main-ya=
rd
was already touching the ice, at the risk of breaking the mast.
Hatteras saw the danger; it was a terrible mom=
ent;
the brig seemed about to be overturned, and the masts might be easily carri=
ed
away.
A large block, as large as the ship, appeared = to be passing along the keel; it arose with irresistible power; it came on past the quarter-deck; if it fell on the Forward , all was over; soon it rose even above the topmasts, and began to totter.<= o:p>
A cry of terror escaped from every one's lips.
Every one ran back to starboard.
But at that moment the ship was relieved. They
felt her lifted up, and for an instant she hung in the air, then she leaned
over and fell back on the ice, and then she rolled so heavily that her plan=
ks
cracked. What had happened?
Raised by this rising tide, driven by the ice
which attacked her aft, she was getting across this impenetrable ice. After=
a
minute of this strange sailing, which seemed as long as a century, she fell
back on the other side of the obstacle on a field of ice; she broke it with=
her
weight, and fell back into her natural element.
"We have got by the thick ice!" shou=
ted
Johnson, who had run forward.
"Thank God!" said Hatteras.
In fact, the brig lay in the centre of a basin=
of
ice, which entirely surrounded her, and although her keel lay under water s=
he
could not stir; but if she were motionless, the field was drifting along.
"We are drifting, Captain!" shouted
Johnson.
"All right," answered Hatteras.
Indeed, how was it possible to resist it?
Day broke, and it was evident that under the
influence of a submarine current the bank of ice was floating northward with
great rapidity. This floating mass carried the Forward with it, in the midst of the ice-field, =
the
edge of which could not be seen; to provide for any accident that might hap=
pen,
Hatteras had a large supply of provisions carried on deck, as well as mater=
ials
for camping, clothing, and cover; as MacClure had done under similar
circumstances, he surrounded the ship with hammocks filled with air to prot=
ect
her from damage. Soon it was so cold (7°), that the ship was surrounded by a
wall from which only the masts issued.
For seven days they sailed in this way; Point
Albert, which forms the western extremity of New Cornwall, was seen Septemb=
er
10th, and soon disappeared; the ice-field was seen to be drifting eastward =
from
that time. Where was it going? Where would it stop? Who could say?
The crew waited with folded arms. At last,
September 15th, towards three o'clock in the afternoon, the ice-field, havi=
ng
probably run against another one, stopped suddenly; the ship was jarred
violently; Hatteras, who had kept his reckoning all along, looked at his ch=
art;
he found himself in the north, with no land in sight, in longitude 95° 35',=
and
latitude 78° 15', in the centre of the region of the unknown sea, which
geographers have considered the place of greatest cold.
The s=
ame
latitude is colder in the southern than in the northern hemisphere; but the
temperature of the New World is fifteen degrees beneath that of the other p=
arts
of the world; and in America these countries, known under the name of the
region of greatest cold, are the most inclement.
The mean temperature for the whole year is two
degrees below zero. Physicists have explained this fact in the following wa=
y,
and Dr. Clawbonny shared their opinion.
According to them, the most constant winds in =
the
northern regions of America are from the southwest; they come from the Paci=
fic
Ocean, with an equal and agreeable temperature; but before they reach the
arctic seas they are obliged to cross the great American continent, which i=
s covered
with snow; the contact chills them, and communicates to these regions their
intense cold.
Hatteras found himself at the pole of cold, be=
yond
the countries seen by his predecessors; he consequently expected a terrible
winter, on a ship lost amid the ice, with a turbulent crew. He resolved to =
meet
these dangers with his usual energy. He faced what awaited him without flin=
ching.
He began, with Johnson's aid and experience, to
take all the measures necessary for going into winter-quarters. According to
his calculation the Forward had been carried two hundred and fifty m=
iles
from any known land, that is to say, from North Cornwall; she was firmly fi=
xed in
a field of ice, as in a bed of granite, and no human power could extricate =
her.
There was not a drop of open water in these va=
st
seas chained by the fierce arctic winter. The ice-fields stretched away out=
of
sight, but without presenting a smooth surface. Far from it. Numerous icebe=
rgs stood
up in the icy plain, and the Forwa=
rd was sheltered by the highest of them on =
three
points of the compass; the southeast wind alone reached them. Let one imagi=
ne
rock instead of ice, verdure instead of snow, and the sea again liquid, and=
the
brig would have quietly cast anchor in a pretty bay, sheltered from the
fiercest blasts. But what desolation here! What a gloomy prospect! What a m=
elancholy
view!
The brig, although motionless, nevertheless ha=
d to
be fastened securely by means of anchors; this was a necessary precaution
against possible thaws and submarine upheavals. Johnson, on hearing that th=
e Forward was at the pole of cold, took even great=
er
precautions for securing warmth.
"We shall have it severe enough," he=
had
said to the doctor; "that's just the captain's luck, to go and get cau=
ght
at the most disagreeable spot on the globe! Bah! you will see that we shall=
get
out of it."
As to the doctor, at the bottom of his heart he
was simply delighted. He would not have changed it for any other. Winter at=
the
pole of cold! What good luck!
At first, work on the outside occupied the cre=
w;
the sails were kept furled on the yards instead of being placed at the bott=
om
of the hold, as the earlier explorers did; they were merely bound up in a c=
ase,
and soon the frost covered them with a dense envelope; the topmasts were not
unshipped, and the crow's-nest remained in its place. It was a natural
observatory; the running-rigging alone was taken down.
It became necessary to cut away the ice from t=
he
ship to relieve the pressure. That which had accumulated outside was quite
heavy, and the ship did not lie as deep as usual. This was a long and labor=
ious
task. At the end of some days the ship's bottom was freed, and could be ins=
pected;
it had not suffered, thanks to its solidity; only its copper sheathing was
nearly torn away. The ship, having grown lighter, drew about nine inches le=
ss
than she did earlier; the ice was cut away in a slope, following the make of
the hull; in this way the ice formed beneath the brig's keel and so resisted
all pressure.
The doctor took part in this work; he managed =
the
ice-cutter well; he encouraged the sailors by his good-humor. He instructed
them and himself. He approved of this arrangement of the ice beneath the sh=
ip.
"That is a good precaution," he said=
.
"Without that, Dr. Clawbonny," answe=
red
Johnson, "resistance would be impossible. Now we can boldly raise a wa=
ll
of snow as high as the gunwale; and, if we want to, we can make it ten feet
thick, for there is no lack of material."
"A capital idea," resumed the doctor;
"the snow is a bad conductor of heat; it reflects instead of absorbing,
and the inside temperature cannot escape."
"True," answered Johnson; "we a=
re
building a fortification against the cold, and also against the animals, if
they care to visit us; when that is finished, it will look well, you may be
sure; in this snow we shall cut two staircases, one fore, the other aft; wh=
en
the steps are cut in the snow, we shall pour water on them; this will freez=
e as
hard as stone, and we shall have a royal staircase."
"Precisely," answered the doctor;
"and it must be said it is fortunate that cold produces both snow and =
ice,
by which to protect one's self against it. Without that, one would be very =
much
embarrassed."
In fact, the ship was destined to disappear
beneath a thick casing of ice, which was needed to preserve its inside
temperature; a roof made of thick tarred canvas and covered with snow was b=
uilt
above the deck over its whole length; the canvas was low enough to cover the
sides of the ship. The deck, being protected from all outside impressions, =
became
their walk; it was covered with two and a half feet of snow; this snow was
crowded and beaten down so as to become very hard; so it resisted the radia=
tion
of the internal heat; above it was placed a layer of sand, which as it
solidified became a sort of macadamized cover of great hardness.
"A little more," said the doctor,
"and with a few trees I might imagine myself at Hyde Park, or even in =
the
hanging-gardens at Babylon."
A trench was dug tolerably near the brig; this=
was
a circular space in the ice, a real pit, which had to be kept always open.
Every morning the ice formed overnight was broken; this was to secure water=
in
case of fire or for the baths which were ordered the crew by the doctor; in=
order
to spare the fuel, the water was drawn from some distance below the ice, wh=
ere
it was less cold. This was done by means of an instrument devised by a Fren=
ch
physicist (François Arago); this apparatus, lowered for some distance into =
the
water, brought it up to the surface through a cylinder.
Generally in winter everything which encumbers=
the
ship is removed, and stored on land. But what was practicable near land is
impossible for a ship anchored on the ice.
Every preparation was made to fight the two gr=
eat
enemies of this latitude, cold and dampness; the first produces the second,
which is far more dangerous. The cold may be resisted by one who succumbs t=
o dampness;
hence it was necessary to guard against it.
The F=
orward
, being destined to a journey in arctic seas, contained the best arrangemen=
ts
for winter-quarters: the large room for the crew was well provided for; the
corners, where dampness first forms, were shut off; in fact, when the
temperature is very low, a film of ice forms on the walls, especially in the
corners, and when it melts it keeps up a perpetual dampness. If it had been
round, the room would have been more convenient; but, being heated by a lar=
ge
stove, and properly ventilated, it was very comfortable; the walls were lin=
ed with
deerskins, not with wool, for wool absorbs the condensed moisture and keeps=
the
air full of dampness.
Farther aft the walls of the quarter were taken
down, and the officers had a larger common-room, better ventilated, and hea=
ted
by a stove. This room, like that of the crew, had a sort of antechamber, wh=
ich
cut off all communication with the outside. In this way, the heat could not=
be
lost, and one passed gradually from one temperature to the other. In the
anterooms were left the snow-covered clothes; the shoes were cleansed on the
scrapers, so as to prevent the introduction of any unwholesomeness with one
into the room.
Canvas hose served to introduce air for the
draught of the stoves; other pieces of hose permitted the steam to escape. =
In
addition two condensers were placed in the two rooms, and collected this va=
por instead
of letting it form into water; twice a week they were emptied, and often th=
ey
contained several bushels of ice. It was so much taken from the enemy.
The fire was perfectly and easily controlled, =
by
means of the canvas hose; by use of merely a small quantity of coal it was =
easy
to keep the temperature of 50°. Still, Hatteras, having examined the bunker=
s, soon
saw that the greatest economy was necessary, for there was not two months' =
fuel
on board.
A drying-room was set apart for the clothes wh=
ich
were to be washed; they could not be dried in the open air, for they would
freeze and tear.
The delicate pieces of the machinery were
carefully taken down, and the room which contained them was hermetically
closed.
The life on board became the object of serious
meditation; Hatteras regulated it with the utmost caution, and the order of=
the
day was posted up in the common-room. The men arose at six o'clock in the m=
orning;
three times a week the hammocks were aired; every morning the floors were
scoured with hot sand; tea was served at every meal, and the bill of fare
varied as much as possible for every day of the week; it consisted of bread,
farina, suet and raisins for puddings, sugar, cocoa, tea, rice, lemon-juice,
potted meats, salt beef and pork, cabbages, and vegetables in vinegar; the
kitchen lay outside of the living-rooms; its heat was consequently lost; but
cooking is a perpetual source of evaporation and dampness.
The health of the men depends a great deal on = the sort of food they get; in high latitudes, the greatest amount of animal food ought to be eaten. The doctor had supervised the sort of food to be given.<= o:p>
"We ought to follow the Esquimaux," =
he
used to say; "they have received their lessons from nature, and are our
masters in that; if the Arabs and Africans can content themselves with a few
dates and a handful of rice, here it is important to eat, and to eat a good=
deal.
The Esquimaux take from ten to fifteen pounds of oil a day. If that fare do=
es
not please you, we must try food rich in sugar and fat. In a word, we need
carbon, so let us manufacture carbon! It is well to put coal in the stove, =
but
don't let us forget to fill that precious stove we carry about with us.&quo=
t;
With this bill of fare, strict cleanliness was
enforced; every other day each man was obliged to bathe in the half-frozen
water which the iron pump brought up, and this was an excellent way of
preserving their health. The doctor set the example; he did it at first as =
a thing
which ought to be very disagreeable; but this pretext was quickly forgotten,
for he soon took real pleasure in this healthy bath.
When work or hunting or distant expeditions to=
ok
the men off in the severe cold, they had to take special care not to be
frost-bitten; if they were, rubbing with snow would restore the circulation.
Moreover, the men, who all wore woollen clothes, put on coats of deerskin a=
nd trousers
of sealskin, which perfectly resist the wind.
The different arrangements of the ship, the
getting-to-rights on board, took about three weeks, and they reached October
10th without any special incident.
On th=
at day
the thermometer fell to three degrees below zero. The day was calm; the cold
was very endurable in the absence of wind. Hatteras took advantage of the
clearness of the air to reconnoitre the surrounding plains; he ascended one=
of
the highest icebergs to the north, but even with his glass he could make out
nothing but a series of ice-mountains and ice-fields. There was no land in
sight, nothing but gloomy confusion. He returned, and tried to calculate the
probable length of their imprisonment.
The hunters, and among them the doctor, James
Wall, Simpson, Johnson, and Bell, kept them supplied with fresh meat. The b=
irds
had disappeared, seeking a milder climate in the south. The ptarmigans alon=
e, a
sort of rock-partridge peculiar to this latitude, did not flee the winter; =
it
was easy to kill them, and there were enough to promise a perpetual supply =
of
game.
Hares, foxes, wolves, ermines, and bears were
plentiful; a French, English, or Norwegian hunter would have had no right to
complain; but they were so shy that it was hard to approach them; besides, =
it
was hard to distinguish them on the white plain, they being white themselve=
s,
for in winter they acquire that colored fur. In opposition to the opinions =
of
some naturalists, the doctor held that this change was not due to the lower=
ing
of the temperature, since it took place before October; hence it was not du=
e to
any physical cause, but rather providential foresight, to secure these anim=
als
against the severity of an arctic winter.
Often, too, they saw sea-cows and sea-dogs, an=
imals
included under the name of seals; all the hunters were specially recommende=
d to
shoot them, as much for their skins as for their fat, which was very good f=
uel.
Besides, their liver made a very good article of food; they could be counte=
d by
hundreds, and two or three miles north of the ship the ice was continually
perforated by these huge animals; only they avoided the hunter with remarka=
ble
instinct, and many were wounded who easily escaped by diving under the ice.=
Still, on the 19th, Simpson succeeded in getti=
ng
one four hundred yards distant from the ship; he had taken the precaution to
close its hole in the ice, so that it could not escape from its pursuers. H=
e fought
for a long time, and died only after receiving many bullets. He was nine fe=
et
long; his bull-dog head, the sixteen teeth in his jaw, his large pectoral f=
ins
shaped like little wings, his little tail with another pair of fins, made h=
im
an excellent specimen. The doctor wished to preserve his head for his
collection of natural history, and his skin for future contingences, hence =
he
prepared both by a rapid and economical process. He plunged the body in the
hole, and thousands of little prawns removed the flesh in small pieces; at =
the
end of half a day the work was half finished, and the most skilful of the h=
onorable
corporation of tanners at Liverpool could not have done better.
When the sun had passed the autumn equinox, th=
at
is to say, September 23d, the winter fairly begins in the arctic regions. T=
he
sun, having gradually sunk to the horizon, disappeared at last, October 23d=
, lighting
up merely the tops of the mountains with its oblique rays. The doctor gave =
it
his last farewell. He could not see it again till the month of February.
Still the darkness was not complete during this
long absence of the sun; the moon did its best to replace it; the stars were
exceedingly brilliant, the auroras were very frequent, and the refractions =
peculiar
to the snowy horizons; besides, the sun at the time of its greatest southern
declension, December 21st, approaches within thirteen degrees of the polar
horizon; hence, every day there was a certain twilight for a few hours. Only
the mist and snow-storms often plunged these regions in the deepest obscuri=
ty.
Still, up to this time the weather was very
favorable; the partridges and hares alone had reason to complain, for the
hunters gave them no rest; a great many traps were set for foxes, but these
crafty animals could not be caught; very often they scraped the snow away
beneath the trap and took the bait without running any risk; the doctor cur=
sed them,
being very averse to making them such a present.
October 25th, the thermometer fell as low as -=
4°.
A violent hurricane raged; the air was filled with thick snow, which permit=
ted
no ray of light to reach the Forwa=
rd .
For several hours there was some anxiety about the fate of Bell and Simpson,
who had gone some distance away hunting; they did not reach the ship till t=
he
next day, having rested for a whole day wrapped up in their furs, while the
hurricane swept over them and buried them under five feet of snow. They were
nearly frozen, and the doctor found it very hard to restore their circulati=
on.
The tempest lasted eight days without
interruption. No one could set foot outside. In a single day there were var=
iations
in the temperature of fifteen or twenty degrees.
During this enforced leisure every one kept to
himself, some sleeping, others smoking, others again talking in a low tone =
and
stopping at the approach of Johnson or the doctor; there was no moral tie
between the men of the crew; they only met at evening prayers and at Sunday=
services.
Clifton knew perfectly well that when the
seventy-eighth parallel was passed, his share of the pay would amount to th=
ree
hundred and seventy-five pounds; he thought it a good round sum, and his
ambition did not go any further. His opinion was generally shared, and all =
looked
forward to the day when they should enjoy this hardly-earned fortune.
Hatteras kept almost entirely out of sight. He
never took part in the hunts or the walks from the ship. He took no interes=
t in
the meteorological phenomena which kept the doctor in a constant state of a=
dmiration.
He lived with but a single idea; it consisted of three words,--The North Po=
le.
He only thought of when the Forwar=
d , free
at last, should resume her bold course.
In fact, the general feeling on board was one =
of
gloom. Nothing was so sad as the sight of this captive vessel, no longer
resting in its natural element, but with its shape hidden beneath thick lay=
ers
of ice; it looks like nothing; it cannot stir, though made for motion; it is
turned into a wooden storehouse, a sedentary dwelling, this ship which knows
how to breast the wind and the storms. This anomaly, this false situation,
filled their hearts with an indefinable feeling of disquiet and regret.
During these idle hours the doctor arranged the
notes he had taken, from which this book is made up; he was never out of
spirits, and never lost his cheerfulness. Yet he was glad to see the end of=
the
storm, and prepared to resume his hunting.
November 3d, at six o'clock in the morning, wi=
th a
temperature of -5°, he set off in company with Johnson and Bell; the expans=
e of
ice was unbroken; all the snow which had fallen so abundantly during the pr=
eceding
days was hardened by the frost, and made good walking; the air was keen and
piercing; the moon shone with incomparable purity, glistening on the least
roughness in the ice; their footprints glowed like an illuminated trail, and
their long shadows stood out almost black against the brilliant ice.
The doctor had taken Duke with him; he preferr=
ed
him to the Greenland dogs to hunt game, and he was right; for they are of v=
ery
little use under such circumstances, and they did not appear to possess the=
sacred
fire of the race of the temperate zone. Duke ran along with his nose on the
ground, and he often stopped on the recent marks of bears. Still, in spite =
of
his skill, the hunters did not find even a hare in two hours' walking.
"Has all the game felt it necessary to go
south?" said the doctor, stopping at the foot of a hummock.
"I should fancy it must be so, Doctor,&qu=
ot;
answered the carpenter.
"I don't think so," said Johnson;
"the hares, foxes, and bears are accustomed to this climate; I think t=
his
last storm must have driven them away; but they will come back with the
south-winds. Ah, if you were to talk about reindeer and musk-deer, that mig=
ht
be different!"
"And yet at Melville Island numberless
animals of this sort are found," resumed the doctor; "it lies far=
ther
south, it is true, and during the winters he spent there Parry always had
plenty of this magnificent game."
"We have much poorer luck," answered
Bell; "if we could only get enough bear's meat, we would do very
well."
"The difficulty is," said the doctor,
"the bears seem to me very rare and very wild; they are not civilized
enough to come within gun-shot."
"Bell is talking about the flesh of the
bear," said Johnson, "but his grease is more useful than his fles=
h or
his fur."
"You are right, Johnson," answered B=
ell;
"you are always thinking of the fuel."
"How can I help it? Even with the stricte=
st
economy, we have only enough for three weeks!"
"Yes," resumed the doctor, "tha=
t is
the real danger, for we are now only at the beginning of November, and Febr=
uary
is the coldest month in the frigid zone; still, if we can't get bear's grea=
se,
there's no lack of seal's grease."
"But not for a very long time, Doctor,&qu=
ot;
answered Johnson; "they will soon leave us; whether from cold or frigh=
t,
soon they won't come upon the ice any more."
"Then," continued the doctor, "=
we
shall have to fall back on the bear, and I confess the bear is the most use=
ful
animal to be found in these countries, for he furnishes food, clothing, lig=
ht,
and fuel to men. Do you hear, Duke?" he said, patting the dog's head,
"we want some bears, my friend, bears! bears!"
Duke, who was sniffing at the ice at that time,
aroused by the voices, and caresses of the doctor, started off suddenly with
the speed of an arrow. He barked violently and, far off as he was, his loud
barks reached the hunters' ears.
The extreme distance to which sound is carried
when the temperature is low is an astonishing fact; it is only equalled by =
the
brilliancy of the constellations in the northern skies; the waves of light =
and
sound are transmitted to great distances, especially in the dry cold of the=
nights.
The hunters, guided by his distant barking,
hastened after him; they had to run a mile, and they got there all out of
breath, which happens very soon in such an atmosphere. Duke stood pointing
about fifty feet from an enormous mass which was rolling about on the top o=
f a
small iceberg.
"Just what we wanted!" shouted the
doctor, cocking his gun.
"A fine bear!" said Bell, following =
the
doctor's example.
"A curious bear!" said Johnson, who
intended to fire after his companions.
Duke barked furiously. Bell advanced about twe=
nty
feet, and fired; but the animal seemed untouched, for he continued rolling =
his
head slowly.
Johnson came forward, and, after taking careful
aim, he pulled the trigger.
"Good!" said the doctor; "nothi=
ng
yet! Ah, this cursed refraction! We are too far off; we shall never get use=
d to
it! That bear is more than a mile away."
"Come on!" answered Bell.
The three companions hastened toward the anima=
l,
which had not been alarmed by the firing; he seemed to be very large, but,
without weighing the danger, they gave themselves up already to the joy of =
victory.
Having got within a reasonable distance, they fired; the bear leaped into t=
he
air and fell, mortally wounded, on the level ice below.
Duke rushed towards him.
"That's a bear," said the doctor,
"which was easily conquered."
"Only three shots," said Bell with s=
ome
scorn, "and he's down!"
"That's odd," remarked Johnson.
"Unless we got here just as he was going =
to
die of old age," continued the doctor, laughing.
"Well, young or old," added Bell,
"he's a good capture."
Talking in this way they reached the small
iceberg, and, to their great surprise, they found Duke growling over the bo=
dy
of a white fox.
"Upon my word," said Bell, "tha=
t's
too much!"
"Well," said the doctor, "we've
fired at a bear, and killed a fox!"
Johnson did not know what to say.
"Well," said the doctor with a burst=
of
laughter in which there was a trace of disappointment, "that refractio=
n again!
It's always deceiving us."
"What do you mean, Doctor?" asked the
carpenter.
"Yes, my friend; it deceived us with resp=
ect
to its size as well as the distance! It made us see a bear in a fox's skin!
Such a mistake is not uncommon under similar circumstances! Well, our
imagination alone was wrong!"
"At any rate," answered Johnson,
"bear or fox, he's good eating. Let's carry him off."
But as the boatswain was lifting him to his
shoulders:--
"That's odd," he said.
"What is it?" asked the doctor.
"See there, Doctor, he's got a collar aro=
und
his neck."
"A collar?" asked the doctor again,
examining the fox.
In fact, a half-worn-out copper collar appeared
under his white fur; the doctor thought he saw letters engraved upon it; he
unfastened it from the animal's neck, about which it seemed to have been fo=
r a
long time.
"What does that mean?" asked Johnson=
.
"That means," said the doctor,
"that we have just killed a fox more than twelve years old,--a fox who=
was
caught by James Ross in 1848."
"Is it possible?" said Bell.
"There's no doubt about it. I'm sorry we
killed him! While he was in winter-quarters, James Ross thought of trapping=
a
large number of white foxes; he fastened on their necks copper collars on w=
hich
was engraved the position of his ships, the Enterprise and =
span>Investigator
, as well as where the supplies were left. These animals run over immense
distances in search of food, and James Ross hoped that one of them might fa=
ll
into the hands of one of the men of the Franklin expedition. That's the sim=
ple
explanation; and this poor beast, who might have saved the life of two crew=
s,
has fallen uselessly beneath our guns."
"Well, we won't eat it," said Johnso=
n,
"especially if it's twelve years old. But we shall keep the skin as a
memento."
Johnson raised it to his shoulders. The hunters
made their way to the ship, guiding themselves by the stars; their expediti=
on
was not wholly without result; they were able to bring back several ptarmig=
ans.
An hour before reaching the Forward , there was a singular phenomeno=
n which
greatly interested the doctor. It was a real shower of shooting-stars; they
could be counted by thousands, flying over the heavens like rockets; they
dimmed the light of the moon. For hours they could have stood gazing at this
beautiful sight. A similar phenomenon was observed in Greenland in 1799, by=
the
Moravians. It looked like an exhibition of fireworks. The doctor after his
return to the ship spent the whole night gazing at the sight, which lasted =
till
seven o'clock in the morning, while the air was perfectly silent.
The b=
ears,
it seemed, could not be caught; a few seals were killed on the 4th, 5th, and
6th of November, and the wind shifted and the weather grew much milder; but=
the
snow-drifts began again with incomparable severity. It became impossible to
leave the ship, and it was hard to subdue the dampness. At the end of the w=
eek
the condensers contained several bushels of ice.
The weather changed again November 15th, and t=
he
thermometer, under the influence of certain atmospheric conditions, sank to
-24°. That was the lowest temperature they had yet observed. This cold would
have been endurable in calm weather; but the wind was blowing at that time,=
and
it seemed as if the air was filled with sharp needles.
The doctor regretted his captivity, for the sn=
ow
was hardened by the wind, so as to make good walking, and he might have gone
very far from the ship.
Still, it should be said that the slightest
exercise in so low a temperature is very exhausting. A man can perform hard=
ly
more than a quarter of his usual work; iron utensils cannot be touched; if =
the hand
seizes them, it feels as if it were burned, and shreds of skin cleave to the
object which had been incautiously seized.
The crew, being confined to the ship, were obl=
iged
to walk on the covered deck for two hours a day, where they had leave to sm=
oke,
which was forbidden in the common-room.
There, when the fire got low, the ice used to
cover the walls and the intervals between the planks; every nail and bolt a=
nd
piece of metal was immediately covered with a film of ice.
The celerity of its formation astonished the
doctor. The breath of the men condensed in the air, and, changing from a fl=
uid
to a solid form, it fell about them in the form of snow. A few feet from the
stove it was very cold, and the men stood grouped around the fire.
Still, the doctor advised them to harden
themselves, and to accustom themselves to the cold, which was not so severe=
as
what yet awaited them; he advised them to expose their skin gradually to th=
is
intense temperature, and he himself set the example; but idleness or numbne=
ss nailed
most of them to their place; they refused to stir, and preferred sleeping in
that unhealthy heat.
Yet, according to the doctor, there was no dan=
ger
in exposing one's self to great cold after leaving a heated room; these sud=
den
changes only inconvenience those who are in a perspiration; the doctor quot=
ed examples
in support of his opinion, but his lessons were for the most part thrown aw=
ay.
As for John Hatteras, he did not seem to mind =
the
inclement cold. He walked to and fro silently, never faster or slower. Did =
not
the cold affect his powerful frame? Did he possess to a very great degree t=
he principle
of natural heat which he wanted his men to possess? Was he so bound up in h=
is
meditations that he was indifferent to outside impressions? His men saw him
with great astonishment braving a temperature of -24°; he would leave the s=
hip
for hours, and come back without appearing to suffer from the cold.
"He's a singular man," said the doct=
or
to Johnson; "he astonishes me! He carries a glowing furnace within him=
! He
is one of the strongest natures I ever saw!"
"The fact is," answered Johnson,
"he goes and comes and circulates in the open air, without dressing any
more thickly than in the month of June."
"O, it doesn't make much difference what =
one
wears!" answered the doctor; "what is the use of dressing warmly =
if
one can't produce heat within himself? It's like trying to heat ice by wrap=
ping
it up in wool! But Hatteras doesn't need it; he's built that way, and I sho=
uld not
be surprised if his side was as warm as the neighborhood of a glowing
coal."
Johnson, who was charged with clearing away the
water-hole every morning, noticed that the ice was ten feet thick.
Almost every night the doctor could observe the
magnificent auroras; from four o'clock till eight of the evening, the sky in
the north was slightly lighted up; then this took a regular shape, with a r=
im
of light yellow, the ends of which seemed to touch the field of ice. Gradua=
lly
the brilliancy arose in the heavens, following the magnetic meridian, and
appeared striped with black bands; jets of luminosity shot with varying
brightness here and there; when it reached the zenith it was often composed=
of
several arcs bathed in waves of red, yellow, or green light. It was a dazzl=
ing
sight. Soon the different curves met in a single point, and formed crowns of
celestial richness. Finally the arcs all crowded together, the splendid aur=
ora
grew dim, the intense colors faded away into pale, vague, uncertain tints, =
and this
wonderful phenomenon vanished gradually, insensibly, in the dark clouds of =
the
south.
It is difficult to realize the wonderful, magi=
cal
beauty of such a spectacle in high latitudes, less than eight degrees from =
the
pole; the auroras which are seen in the temperate zone give no idea of it; =
it
seems as if Providence wished to reserve the greatest wonders for these
regions.
Numerous mock-moons appeared also while the mo=
on
was shining, and a great many would appear in the sky, adding to the general
brilliancy; often, too, simple lunar halos surrounded the moon with a circl=
e of
splendid lustre.
with =
great
violence; the thick crust of ice seemed pushed up by the force of the sea, =
and
the frequent cracking of the ice proclaimed the conflict that was going on
beneath; fortunately the ship remained firm in her bed, but her chains work=
ed
noisily; it was as a precaution against just such an event, that Hatteras h=
ad
made the brig fast.
The following days were still colder; a dense =
fog
hid the sky; the wind tossed the snow about; it was hard to determine wheth=
er
it came from the clouds or from the ice-fields; everything was in confusion=
.
The crew kept busy with various interior occup=
ations,
the principal one being the preparation of the grease and oil from the seal=
; it
was frozen into blocks of ice, which had to be cut with a hatchet; it was b=
roken
into small fragments, which were as hard as marble; ten barrels full were
collected. As may be seen, every vessel became nearly useless, besides the =
risk
of its breaking when the contents froze.
The 28th the thermometer fell to -32°; there w=
as
only ten days' coal on board, and every one awaited with horror the moment =
when
it should come to an end.
Hatteras, for the sake of economy, had the fir=
e in
the stove in the after-room put out; and from that time Shandon, the doctor,
and he were compelled to betake themselves to the common-room of the crew. =
Hatteras
was hence brought into constant communication with his men, who gazed at him
with surly, dejected glances. He heard their fault-finding, their reproache=
s,
even their threats, without being able to punish them. However, he seemed d=
eaf
to every remark. He never went near the fire. He remained in a corner, with
folded arms, without saying a word.
In spite of the doctor's recommendations, Pen =
and
his friends refused to take the slightest exercise; they passed whole days
crouching about the stove or under their bedclothes; hence their health beg=
an
to suffer; they could not react against the rigor of the climate, and scurvy
soon made its appearance on board.
The doctor had long since begun to distribute,
every morning, lemon-juice and lime pastilles; but these precautions, which
were generally so efficacious, did very little good to the sick; and the di=
sease,
following its usual course, soon showed its most horrible symptoms.
Terrible indeed it was to see those wretches w=
ith
their nerves and muscles contracted with pain! Their legs were fearfully
swollen, and were covered with large bluish-black patches; their bleeding g=
ums,
their swollen lips, permitted them to utter only inarticulate sounds; their
blood was poisoned, deprived of fibrine, and no longer carried life to the
extremities.
Clifton was the first to be attacked by this c=
ruel
malady; soon Gripper, Brunton, and Strong had to keep to their hammocks. Th=
ose
whom the illness spared could not avoid the sight of the sufferings of their
friends; the common-room was the only place where they could stay; so it was
soon transformed into a hospital, for of the eighteen sailors of the Forward , thirteen were soon down with s=
curvy.
It seemed as if Pen would escape the contagion; his strong constitution pre=
served
him; Shandon felt the first symptoms, but it went no further with him, and
plenty of exercise soon restored him to good health.
The doctor tended his patients with the greate=
st
devotion, and his heart would bleed at the sight of the sufferings he could=
not
assuage. Still, he inspired as much cheerfulness as he could in the lonely =
crew;
his words, his consolations, his philosophical reflections, his fortunate
inventions, broke the monotony of those long days of suffering; he would re=
ad
aloud to them; his wonderful memory kept him supplied with amusing anecdote=
s,
while the men who were well stood pressing closely around the stove; but the
groans of the sick, their complaints, and their cries of despair would
continually interrupt him, and, breaking off in the middle of a story, he w=
ould
become the devoted and attentive physician.
Besides, his health remained good; he did not =
grow
thin; his corpulence stood him in better stead than the thickest raiment, a=
nd
he used to say he was as well clad as a seal or a whale, who, thanks to the=
ir
thick layers of fat, easily support the rigors of the winter.
Hatteras did not suffer physically or morally.=
The
sufferings of the crew did not seem to depress him. Perhaps he would not let
his emotions appear on his face, while an acute observer would have detected
the heart of a man beneath this mask of iron.
The doctor analyzed him, studied him, and could
not classify this strange organization, this unnatural temperament.
The thermometer fell still lower; the deck was
entirely deserted; the Esquimaux dogs alone walked up and down it, barking
dismally.
There was always a man on guard near the stove,
who superintended putting on the coal; it was important not to let it go ou=
t;
when the fire got low the cold crept into the room, formed on the walls, an=
d the
moisture suddenly condensed and fell in the form of snow on the unfortunate
occupants of the brig.
It was among these terrible sufferings that th=
ey
reached December 8th; that morning the doctor went as usual to look at the
thermometer. He found the mercury entirely frozen in the bulb.
"Forty-four degrees below zero!" he =
said
with terror.
And on that day the last piece of coal on board
was thrown into the stove.
For a
moment he had a feeling of despair. The thought of death, and death by cold,
appeared in all its horror; this last piece of coal burned with an ominous
splutter; the fire seemed about to go out, and the temperature of the room =
fell
noticeably. But Johnson went to get some of the new fuel which the marine
animals had furnished to them, and with it he filled the stove; he added to=
it
some tow filled with frozen oil, and soon obtained sufficient heat. The odor
was almost unendurable; but how get rid of it? They had to get used to it. =
Johnson
agreed that his plan was defective, and that it would not be considered a
success in Liverpool.
"And yet," he added, "this
unpleasant smell will, perhaps, produce good results."
"What are they?" asked the carpenter=
.
"It will doubtless attract the bears this
way, for they are fond of the smell."
"Well," continued Bell, "what is
the need of having bears?"
"Bell," replied Johnson, "we ca=
n't
count on seals any longer; they're gone away, and for a long time; if bears
don't come in their place to supply us with their share of fuel, I don't kn=
ow
what is to become of us."
"True, Johnson, our fate is very uncertai=
n;
our position is a most alarming one. And if this sort of fuel gives out, I
don't see how--"
"There might be another--"
"Another?" asked Bell.
"Yes, Bell! in despair on account of--but=
the
captain would never--but yet we shall perhaps have to come to it."
And Johnson shook his head sadly, and fell to
thinking gloomily. Bell did not interrupt him. He knew that the supply of f=
at,
which it had been so hard to acquire, would only last a week, even with the=
strictest
economy.
The boatswain was right. A great many bears,
attracted by the scent, were seen to leeward of the Forward ; the healthy men gave chase; bu=
t these
animals are very swift of foot, and crafty enough to escape most stratagems=
; it
was impossible to get near them, and the most skilful gunners could not hit
them.
The crew of the brig was in great danger of dy=
ing
from the cold; it could not withstand, for forty-eight hours, such a
temperature as would exist in the common-room. Every one looked forward with
terror to getting to the end of the fuel.
Now this happened December 20th, at three o'cl=
ock
in the afternoon; the fire went out; the sailors, grouped about the empty
stove, gazed at one another with haggard eyes. Hatteras remained without mo=
ving
in his corner; the doctor, as usual, paced up and down excitedly; he did not
know what was to be done.
The temperature in the room fell at once to -7=
°.
But if the doctor was baffled and did not know
what they should turn their hands to, others knew very well. So Shandon, co=
ld
and resolute, Pen, with wrath in his eyes, and two or three of his companio=
ns,
such as he could induce to accompany him, walked towards Hatteras.
"Captain!" said Shandon.
Hatteras, absorbed in his thoughts, did not he=
ar
him.
"Captain!" repeated Shandon, touching
him with his hand.
Hatteras arose.
"Sir," he said.
"Captain, the fire is out."
"Well?" continued Hatteras.
"If you intend that we shall freeze to
death," Shandon went on with grim irony, "we should be glad if you
would tell us."
"My intention," answered Hatteras wi=
th a
deep voice, "is that every man shall do his duty to the end."
"There's something superior to duty,
Captain," answered his first officer, "and that is the right of
self-preservation. I repeat it, we have no fire; and if this goes on, in two
days not one of us will be alive."
"I have no wood," answered Hatteras,
gloomily.
"Well," shouted Pen, violently,
"when the wood gives out, we must go cut it where it grows!"
Hatteras grew pale with anger.
"Where is that?" he asked.
"On board," answered the sailor,
insolently.
"On board!" repeated the captain, wi=
th
clinched fists and sparkling eyes.
"Of course," answered Pen, "when
the ship can't carry the crew, the ship ought to be burned."
At the beginning of this sentence Hatteras had
grasped an axe; at its end, this axe was raised above Pen's head.
"Wretch!" he cried.
The doctor sprang in front of Pen, and thrust =
him
back; the axe fell on the floor, making a deep gash. Johnson, Bell, and Sim=
pson
gathered around Hatteras, and seemed determined to support him. But plainti=
ve, grievous
cries arose from the berths, transformed into death-beds.
"Fire, fire!" they cried, shivering
beneath their now insufficient covering.
Hatteras by a violent effort controlled himsel=
f,
and after a few moments of silence, he said calmly,--
"If we destroy the ship, how shall we get
back to England?"
"Sir," answered Johnson, "perha=
ps
we can without doing any material damage burn the less important parts, the
bulwarks, the nettings--"
"The small boats will be left," said
Shandon; "and besides, why might we not make a smaller vessel out of w=
hat
is left of the old one?"
"Never!" answered Hatteras.
"But--" interposed many of the men, =
shouting
together.
"We have a large quantity of spirits of
wine," suggested Hatteras; "burn all of that."
"All right; we'll take the spirits of
wine!" answered Johnson, assuming an air of confidence which he was far
from feeling.
And with the aid of long wicks, dipped into th=
is
liquid of which the pale flame licked the walls of the stove, he was able to
raise the temperature of the room a few degrees.
In the following days the wind came from the s=
outh
again and the thermometer rose; the snow, however, kept falling. Some of the
men were able to leave the ship for the driest hours of the day; but ophtha=
lmia
and scurvy kept most of them on board; besides, neither hunting nor fishing=
was
possible.
But this was only a respite in the fearful
severity of the cold, and on the 25th, after a sudden change of wind, the
frozen mercury disappeared again in the bulb of the instrument; then they h=
ad
to consult the spirit-thermometer, which does not freeze even in the most i=
ntense
colds.
The doctor, to his great surprise, found it
marking -66°. Seldom has man been called upon to endure so low a temperatur=
e.
The ice stretched in long, dark lines upon the
floor; a dense mist filled the room; the dampness fell in the form of thick
snow; the men could not see one another; their extremities grew cold and bl=
ue;
their heads felt as if they wore an iron band; and their thoughts grew conf=
used
and dull, as if they were half delirious. A terrible symptom was that their
tongues refused to articulate a sound.
From the day the men threatened to burn the sh=
ip,
Hatteras would walk for hours upon the deck, keeping watch. This wood was f=
lesh
and blood to him. Cutting a piece from it would have been like cutting off =
a limb.
He was armed, and he kept constant guard, without minding the cold, the sno=
w,
or the ice, which stiffened his clothing as if it covered it with a granite
cuirass. Duke understood him, and followed him, barking and howling.
Nevertheless, December 25th he went down into =
the
common-room. The doctor, with all the energy he had left, went up to him and
said,--
"Hatteras, we are going to die from want =
of
fire!"
"Never!" said Hatteras, knowing very
well what request he was refusing.
"We must," continued the doctor, mil=
dly.
"Never!" repeated Hatteras more firm= ly; "I shall never give my consent! Whoever wishes, may disobey me."<= o:p>
Thus was permission given them. Johnson and Be=
ll
hastened to the deck. Hatteras heard the wood of the brig crashing under the
axe, and wept.
That was Christmas Day, the great family festi=
val
in England, one specially devoted to the amusement of the children. What a
painful recollection was that of the happy children gathered about the gree=
n Christmas
tree! Every one recalled the huge pieces of roast meat, cut from the fatten=
ed
ox, and the tarts, the mince-pies, and other luxuries so dear to the English
heart! But here was nothing but suffering, despair, and wretchedness, and f=
or
the Christmas log, these pieces of a ship lost in the middle of the frigid
zone!
Nevertheless, under the genial influence of the
fire, the spirits and strength of the men returned; the hot tea and coffee
brought great and immediate consolation, and hope is so firm a friend of ma=
n,
that they even began to hope for some luckier fate. It was thus that the ye=
ar 1860
passed away, the early winter of which had so interfered with Hatteras's pl=
ans.
Now it happened that this very New Year's Day =
was
marked by an unexpected discovery. It was a little milder than the previous
days had been; the doctor had resumed his studies; he was reading Sir Edward
Belcher's account of his expedition in the polar regions. Suddenly, a passa=
ge
which he had never noticed before filled him with astonishment; he read it =
over
again; doubt was no longer possible.
Sir Edward Belcher states that, having come to=
the
end of Queen's Channel, he found there many traces of the presence of men. =
He
says:--
"There are remains of dwellings far super=
ior
to what can be attributed to the savage habits of the wandering tribes of
Esquimaux. The walls are firmly placed on deep-dug foundations; the inside,
covered with a thick layer of gravel, has been paved. Skeletons of moose,
reindeer, and seals abound. We found coal there."
At these last words an idea occurred to the
doctor; he took his book and ran to tell Hatteras.
"Coal!" shouted the captain.
"Yes, Hatteras, coal; that is to say, our
preservation!"
"Coal, on this lonely shore!" contin=
ued
Hatteras; "no, that's impossible!"
"How can you doubt it, Hatteras? Belcher
would not have mentioned it if he had not been sure, without having seen it
with his own eyes."
"Well, what then, Doctor?"
"We are not a hundred miles from the place
where Belcher saw this coal! What is a journey of a hundred miles? Nothing.
Longer expeditions have often been made on the ice, and with the cold as in=
tense.
Let us go after it, Captain!"
"We'll go!" said Hatteras, who had m=
ade
up his mind quickly; and with his active imagination he saw the chance of
safety.
Johnson was informed of the plan, of which he
approved highly; he told his companions; some rejoiced, others heard of it =
with
indifference.
"Coal on these shores!" said Wall fr=
om
his sick-bed.
"We'll let them go," answered Shando=
n,
mysteriously.
But before they had begun to make preparations=
for
the trip, Hatteras wanted to fix the position of the Forward with the utmost exactitude. The importan=
ce of
this calculation it is easy to see. Once away from the ship, it could not be
found again without knowing its position precisely.
So Hatteras went up on deck; he took observati=
ons
at different moments of several lunar distances, and the altitude of the
principal stars. He found, however, much difficulty in doing this, for when=
the
temperature was so low, the glass and the mirrors of the instrument were
covered with a crust of ice from Hatteras's breath; more than once his eyel=
ids
were burned by touching the copper eye-pieces. Still, he was able to get ve=
ry
exact bases for his calculations, and he returned to the common-room to work
them out. When he had finished, he raised his head with stupefaction, took =
his
chart, marked it, and looked at the doctor.
"Well?" asked the latter.
"What was our latitude when we went into
winter-quarters?"
"Our latitude was 78° 15', and the longit=
ude
95° 35', exactly the pole of cold."
"Well," added Hatteras in a low voic=
e,
"our ice-field is drifting! We are two degrees farther north and farth=
er
west,--at least three hundred miles from your coal-supply!"
"And these poor men who know nothing about
it!" cried the doctor.
"Not a word!" said Hatteras, raising=
his
finger to his lips.
Hatte=
ras
did not wish to let his crew know about this new condition of affairs. He w=
as
right. If they had known that they were being driven towards the north with
irresistible force, they would have given way to despair. The doctor knew t=
his,
and approved of the captain's silence.
Hatteras had kept to himself the impressions w=
hich
this discovery had caused within him. It was his first moment of joy during
these long months of struggle with the hostile elements. He was one hundred=
and
fifty miles farther north; hardly eight degrees from the Pole! But he hid h=
is
joy so well that the doctor did not even suspect it; he asked himself why
Hatteras's eye shone with so unusual a lustre; but that was all, and the
natural reply to this question did not enter his head.
The F=
orward
, as it approached the Pole, had drifted away from the coal which had been =
seen
by Sir Edward Belcher; instead of a hundred miles, it would have to be soug=
ht
two hundred and fifty miles farther south. Still, after a short discussion
between Hatteras and Clawbonny, they determined to make the attempt.
If Belcher was right, and his accuracy could n=
ot
be doubted, they would find everything just at he had left it. Since 1853, =
no
new expedition had visited these remote continents. Few, if any, Esquimaux =
are
found in this latitude. The disaster which had befallen at Beechey Island c=
ould
not be repeated on the shores of North Cornwall. Everything seemed to favor=
an
excursion across the ice.
They estimated that they would be gone forty d=
ays
at the outside, and preparations were made by Johnson for that time of abse=
nce.
In the first place, he saw about the sledge; it
was of the shape of those used in Greenland, thirty-five inches broad and
twenty-four feet long. The Esquimaux sometimes make them fifty feet long. It
was built of long planks, bent at each end, and kept in position by two str=
ong cords.
This shape adapted it to resist violent shocks. The sledge ran easily upon =
the
ice; but before the snow had hardened, it was necessary to place two vertic=
al
frames near together, and being raised in this way, it could run on without
cutting too much into the snow. Besides, by rubbing it with a mixture of
sulphur and snow in the Esquimaux fashion, it ran very easily.
It was drawn by six dogs; they were strong in
spite of their thinness, and did not appear to be injured by the severity of
the winter; the harnesses of deerskin were in good condition; perfect relia=
nce
could be placed on the equipment, which the Greenlanders at Upernavik had s=
old
in conscience. These six animals alone could draw a weight of two thousand
pounds without inordinate fatigue.
They carried with them a tent, in case it shou=
ld
be impossible to build a snow-house; a large sheet of mackintosh to spread =
over
the snow, so that it should not melt at contact with their bodies; and, las=
t of
all, many coverings of wool and buffalo-skin. In addition, they carried the
Halkett-boat.
Their provisions consisted of five chests of p= emmican, weighing four hundred and fifty pounds; a pound of pemmican was allotted for each man and dog; of the latter there were seven, including Duke; there wer= e to be four men. They carried, besides, twelve gallons of spirits of wine, weig= hing nearly a hundred and fifty pounds; tea and biscuit, in proper amounts; a li= ttle portable kitchen, with a great many wicks; and much tow, ammunition, and fo= ur double-barrelled guns. The men of the party made use of Captain Parry's invention, and wore girdles of india-rubber in which the heat of the body a= nd the motion in walking could keep tea, coffee, and water in a liquid state.<= o:p>
Johnson took special care of the preparation of
snow-shoes, with their wooden frames and leathern straps; they served as
skates; on thoroughly frozen spots deerskin moccasins could be worn with
comfort; every man carried two pairs of each.
These preparations, which were so important
because the omission of a single detail might have caused the ruin of the w=
hole
expedition, required four whole days. Every day at noon Hatteras took an ob=
servation
of the ship's position; it was no longer drifting, and this had to be perfe=
ctly
sure in order to secure their return.
Hatteras undertook to choose the four men who =
were
to accompany him. It was not an easy decision to take; some it was not
advisable to take, but then the question of leaving them on board had also =
to
be considered. Still, the common safety demanded the success of this trip, =
and
the captain deemed it right to choose sure and experienced men.
Hence Shandon was left out, but not much to his
regret. James Wall was too ill to go. The sick grew no worse; their treatme=
nt
consisted of repeated rubbing and strong doses of lemon-juice; this was eas=
ily
seen to without the presence of the doctor being essential. Hence he enroll=
ed
himself among those who should go, and no voice was raised against it. John=
son
would have gladly gone with the captain in his dangerous expedition; but
Hatteras drew him to one side and said to him in an affectionate, almost
weeping voice,--
"Johnson, you are the only man I can trus=
t.
You are the only officer with whom I can leave the ship. I must know that y=
ou
are here to keep an eye on Shandon and the others. They are kept to the shi=
p by
the winter; but who can say what plans they are not capable of forming? You
shall receive my formal instructions, which shall place the command in your
hands. You shall take my place. We shall be absent four or five weeks at the
most, and I shall be at ease having you here where I cannot be. You need wo=
od,
Johnson. I know it! But, as much as possible, spare my ship. Do you underst=
and,
Johnson?"
"I understand, Captain," answered the
old sailor, "and I will remain if you prefer it."
"Thanks!" said Hatteras, pressing the
boatswain's hand; and he added, "In case we don't come back, Johnson, =
wait
till the next thaw, and try to push on to the Pole. If the rest refuse, don=
't
think of us, but take the Forward =
back to England."
"That is your wish, Captain?"
"It is," answered Hatteras.
"Your orders shall be obeyed," said
Johnson, quietly.
The doctor regretted that his friend was not g=
oing
to accompany him, but he was obliged to recognize the wisdom of Hatteras's
plan.
His two other companions were Bell the carpent=
er,
and Simpson. The first, who was sturdy, brave, and devoted, would be of gre=
at
service in their camping in the snow; the other, although less resolute, ne=
vertheless
determined to take part in this expedition in which he might be of use as
hunter and fisher.
So this detachment consisted of Hatteras,
Clawbonny, Bell, Simpson, and the faithful Duke, making in all four men and
seven dogs to be fed. A suitable amount of provisions was made ready.
During the early days of January the mean
temperature was -33°. Hatteras waited impatiently for milder weather; he
frequently consulted the barometer, but no confidence could be placed in th=
is instrument,
which in these high latitudes seems to lose some of its customary accuracy;=
in
these regions there are many exceptions to the general laws of nature: for
instance, a clear sky was not always accompanied by cold, nor did a fall of
snow raise the temperature; the barometer was uncertain, as many explorers =
in
these seas have noticed; it used to fall when the wind was from the north or
east; when low it foretold fine weather; when high, rain or snow. Hence its
indications could hardly be relied on.
Finally, January 5th an easterly breeze brought with it a rise in the thermometer of fifteen degrees, so that it stood at -= 18°. Hatteras resolved to start the next day; he could no longer endure seeing h= is ship torn to pieces before his eyes; the whole quarter-deck had been burned up.<= o:p>
So, January 6th, amid squalls of snow, the ord=
er
to depart was given; the doctor gave his last words of advice to the sick; =
Bell
and Simpson shook hands silently with their companions. Hatteras wanted to =
make
a farewell speech to the men, but he saw nothing but angry faces around him=
. He
fancied he saw an ironical smile playing about Shandon's lips. He held his
peace. Perhaps he had a momentary pang at parting as he gazed at the Forward .
But it was too late for him to change his mind;
the sledge, loaded and harnessed, was waiting on the ice; Bell was the firs=
t to
move; the others followed. Johnson accompanied the travellers for a quarter=
of
a mile; then Hatteras asked him to return, which he did after a long leave-=
taking.
At that moment, Hatteras, turning for the last time towards the brig, saw t=
he
tops of her masts disappearing in the dark snow-clouds.
The l=
ittle
band made their way towards the southeast. Simpson drove the sledge. Duke a=
ided
him much, without being disturbed at the occupation of his mates. Hatteras =
and
the doctor followed behind on foot, while Bell, who was charged with making=
a
road, went on in advance, testing the ice with the iron point of his stick.=
The rise in the thermometer foretold a fall of
snow, and soon it came, beginning in large flakes. This added to the hardsh=
ips
of their journey; they kept straying from a straight line; they could not g=
o quickly;
nevertheless, they averaged three miles an hour.
The ice-field, under the pressure of the frost,
presented an unequal surface; the sledge was often nearly turned over, but =
they
succeeded in saving it.
Hatteras and his companions wrapped themselves=
up
in their fur clothes cut in the Greenland fashion; they were not cut with
extraordinary neatness, but they suited the needs of the climate; their fac=
es
were enclosed in a narrow hood which could not be penetrated by the snow or=
wind;
their mouths, noses, and eyes were alone exposed to the air, and they did n=
ot
need to be protected against it; nothing is so inconvenient as scarfs and
nose-protectors, which soon are stiff with ice; at night they have to be cut
away, which, even in the arctic seas, is a poor way of undressing. It was
necessary to leave free passage for the breath, which would freeze at once =
on
anything it met.
The boundless plain stretched out with tiresome
monotony; everywhere there appeared heaped-up ice-hills, hummocks, blocks, =
and
icebergs, separated by winding valleys; they walked staff in hand, saying b=
ut little.
In this cold atmosphere, to open the mouth was painful; sharp crystals of i=
ce
suddenly formed between the lips, and the heat of the breath could not melt
them. Their progress was silent, and every one beat the ice with his staff.
Bell's footsteps were visible in the fresh snow; they followed them
mechanically, and where he had passed, the others could go safely.
Numerous tracks of bears and foxes crossed one
another everywhere; but during this first day not one could be seen; to cha=
se
them would have been dangerous and useless: they would only have overloaded=
the
already heavy sledge.
Generally, in excursions of this sort, travell=
ers
take the precaution of leaving supplies along their path; they hide them fr=
om
the animals, in the snow, thus lightening themselves for their trip, and on
their return they take the supplies which they did not have the trouble of =
carrying
with them.
Hatteras could not employ this device on an
ice-field which perhaps was moving; on firm land it would have been possibl=
e;
and the uncertainty of their route made it doubtful whether they would retu=
rn by
the same path.
At noon, Hatteras halted his little troop in t=
he
shelter of an ice-wall; they dined off pemmican and hot tea; the strengthen=
ing qualities
of this beverage produced general comfort, and the travellers drank a large
quantity. After an hour's rest they started on again; in the first day they
walked about twenty miles; that evening men and dogs were tired out.
Still, in spite of their fatigue, they had to
build a snow-house in which to pass the night; the tent would not have been
enough. This took them an hour and a half. Bell was very skilful; the block=
s of
ice, which were cut with a knife, were placed on top of one another with
astonishing rapidity, and they took the shape of a dome, and a last piece, =
the
keystone of the arch, established the solidity of the building; the soft sn=
ow
served as mortar in the interstices; it soon hardened and made the whole
building of a single piece.
Access was had into this improvised grotto by
means of a narrow opening, through which it was necessary to crawl on one's
hands and knees; the doctor found some difficulty in entering, and the othe=
rs followed.
Supper was soon prepared on the alcohol cooking-stove. The temperature insi=
de
was very comfortable; the wind, which was raging without, could not get in.=
"Sit down!" soon shouted the doctor =
in
his most genial manner.
And this meal, though the same as the dinner, =
was
shared by all. When it was finished their only thought was sleep; the
mackintoshes, spread out upon the snow, protected them from the dampness. At
the flame of the portable stove they dried their clothes; then three of the=
m, wrapped
up in their woollen coverings, fell asleep, while one was left on watch; he=
had
to keep a lookout on the safety of all, and to prevent the opening from bei=
ng
closed, otherwise they ran a risk of being buried alive.
Duke shared their quarters; the other dogs
remained without, and after they had eaten their supper they lay down and w=
ere
soon hidden by the snow.
Their fatigue soon brought sound sleep. The do=
ctor
took the watch until three of the morning. In the night the hurricane raged=
furiously.
Strange was the situation of these lonely men lost in the snow, enclosed in
this vault with its walls rapidly thickening under the snow-fall.
The next morning at six o'clock their monotono=
us
march was resumed; there were ever before them the same valleys and iceberg=
s, a
uniformity which made the choice of a path difficult. Still, a fall of seve=
ral
degrees in the temperature made their way easier by hardening the snow. Oft=
en
they came across little elevations, which looked like cairns or storing-pla=
ces
of the Esquimaux; the doctor had one destroyed to satisfy his curiosity, bu=
t he
found nothing except a cake of ice.
"What do you expect to find, Clawbonny?&q=
uot;
asked Hatteras; "are we not the first men to penetrate into this part =
of
the globe?"
"Probably," answered the doctor,
"but who knows?"
"Don't let us waste our time in useless
searching," resumed the captain; "I am in a hurry to rejoin the s=
hip,
even if this long-wanted fuel should not be found."
"I have great hopes of finding it," =
said
the doctor.
"Doctor," Hatteras used to say
frequently, "I did wrong to leave the Forward ; it was a mistake! The captain's
place is on board, and nowhere else."
"Johnson is there."
"Yes! but--let us hurry on!"
They advanced rapidly; Simpson's voice could be
heard urging on the dogs; they ran along on a brilliant surface, all aglow =
with
a phosphorescent light, and the runners of the sledge seemed to toss up a
shower of sparks. The doctor ran on ahead to examine this snow, when sudden=
ly,
as he was trying to jump upon a hummock, he disappeared from sight. Bell, w=
ho
was near him, ran at once towards the place.
"Well, Doctor," he cried anxiously,
while Hatteras and Simpson joined him, "where are you?"
"Doctor!" shouted the captain.
"Down here, at the bottom of a hole,"
was the quiet answer. "Throw me a piece of rope, and I'll come up to t=
he
surface of the globe."
They threw a rope down to the doctor, who was =
at
the bottom of a pit about ten feet deep; he fastened it about his waist, and
his three companions drew him up with some difficulty.
"Are you hurt?" asked Hatteras.
"No, there's no harm done," answered=
the
doctor, wiping the snow from his smiling face.
"But how did it happen?"
"O, it was in consequence of the
refraction," he answered, laughing; "I thought I had about a foot=
to
step over, and I fell into this deep hole! These optical illusions are the =
only
ones left me, my friends, and it's hard to escape from them! Let that be a
lesson to us all never to take a step forward without first testing the ice
with a staff, for our senses cannot be depended on. Here our ears hear wron=
g, and
our eyes deceive us! It's a curious country!"
"Can you go on?" asked the captain.<= o:p>
"Go on, Hatteras, go on! This little fall=
has
done me more good than harm."
They resumed their march to the southeast, and=
at
evening they halted, after walking about twenty-five miles; they were all
tired, but still the doctor had energy enough to ascend an ice-mountain whi=
le
the snow-hut was building.
The moon, which was nearly at its full, shone =
with
extraordinary brilliancy in a clear sky; the stars were wonderfully brillia=
nt;
from the top of the iceberg a boundless plain could be seen, which was cove=
red
with strangely formed hillocks of ice; in the moonlight they looked like fa=
llen
columns or overthrown tombstones; the scene reminded the doctor of a huge,
silent graveyard barren of trees, in which twenty generations of human bein=
gs
might be lying in their long sleep.
In spite of the cold and fatigue, Clawbonny
remained for a long time in a revery, from which it was no easy task for his
companions to arouse him; but they had to think of resting; the snow-hut wa=
s completed;
the four travellers crawled in like moles, and soon were all asleep.
The following days went on without any particu=
lar
incident; at times they went on slowly, at times quickly, with varying ease,
according to the changes in the weather; they wore moccasins or snow-shoes,=
as
the nature of the ice demanded.
In this way they went on till January 15th; the
moon, now in its last quarter, was hardly visible; the sun, although always
beneath the horizon, gave a sort of twilight for six hours every day, but n=
ot enough
to light up the route, which had to be directed by the compass. Then Bell w=
ent
on ahead; Hatteras followed next; Simpson and the doctor sought also to kee=
p in
a straight line behind, with their eyes on Hatteras alone; and yet, in spit=
e of
all their efforts, they often got thirty or forty degrees from the right wa=
y,
much to their annoyance.
Sunday, January 15th, Hatteras judged that they
had come about one hundred miles to the south; this morning was set aside to
mending their clothes and materials; the reading of divine service was not =
forgotten.
At noon they started again; the temperature was
very low; the thermometer marked only -22°; the air was very clear.
Suddenly, without warning, a frozen vapor arose
into the air from the ice, to a height of about ninety feet, and hung
motionless; no one could see a foot before him; this vapor formed in long,
sharp crystals upon their clothing.
The travellers, surprised by this phenomenon,
which is called frost-rime, only thought of getting together; so immediately
various shouts were heard:--
"O Simpson!"
"Bell, this way!"
"Dr. Clawbonny!"
"Doctor!"
"Captain, where are you?"
They began to look for one another with
outstretched arms, wandering through the fog which their eyes could not pie=
rce.
But to their disappointment they could hear no answer; the vapor seemed
incapable of carrying sound.
Each one then thought of firing his gun as a
signal to the others. But if their voices were too feeble, the reports of t=
he
fire-arms were too loud; for the echoes, repeated in every direction, made =
but
a confused roar, in which no particular direction could be perceived.
Then they began to act, each one as he thought
best. Hatteras stood still and folded his arms. Simpson contented himself w=
ith
stopping the sledge. Bell retraced his steps, feeling them with his hand. T=
he doctor,
stumbling over the blocks of ice, wandered here and there, getting more and
more bewildered.
At the end of five minutes he said to himself,=
--
"This can't last long! Singular climate! =
This
is too much! There is nothing to help us, without speaking of these sharp
crystals which cut my face. Halloo, Captain!" he shouted again.
But he heard no answer; he fired his gun, but =
in
spite of his thick gloves the iron burned his hands. Meanwhile he thought he
saw a confused mass moving near him.
"There's some one," he said.
"Hatteras! Bell! Simpson! Is that you? Come, answer!"
A dull roar was alone heard.
"Ah!" thought the doctor, "what=
is
that?"
The object approached; it lost its first size =
and
appeared in more definite shape. A terrible thought flashed into the doctor=
's
mind.
"A bear!" he said to himself.
In fact, it was a huge bear; lost in the fog, =
it
came and went with great danger to the men, whose presence it certainly did=
not
suspect.
"Matters are growing complicated!"
thought the doctor, standing still.
Sometimes he felt the animal's breath, which w=
as
soon lost in the frost-rime; again he would see the monster's huge paws bea=
ting
the air so near him that his clothes were occasionally torn by its sharp cl=
aws;
he jumped back, and the animal disappeared like a phantasmagoric spectre.
But as he sprang back he found an elevation
beneath his feet; he climbed up first one block of ice, then another, feeli=
ng
his way with his staff.
"An iceberg!" he said to himself;
"if I can get to the top I am safe."
With these words he climbed up an elevation of
about ninety feet with surprising agility; he arose above the frozen mist, =
the
top of which was sharply defined.
"Good!" he said to himself; and look=
ing
about him he saw his three companions emerging from the vapor.
"Hatteras!"
"Dr. Clawbonny!"
"Bell!"
"Simpson!"
These names were shouted out almost at the same
time; the sky, lit up by a magnificent halo, sent forth pale rays which col=
ored
the frost-rime as if it were a cloud, and the top of the icebergs seemed to
rise from a mass of molten silver. The travellers found themselves within a
circle of less than a hundred feet in diameter. Thanks to the purity of the=
air
in this upper layer in this low temperature, their words could be easily he=
ard,
and they were able to talk on the top of this iceberg. After the first shot=
s,
each one, hearing no answer, had only thought of climbing above the mist.
"The sledge!" shouted the captain.
"It's eighty feet beneath us," answe=
red
Simpson.
"Is it all right?"
"All right."
"And the bear?" asked the doctor.
"What bear?" said Bell.
"A bear!" said Hatteras; "let's=
go
down."
"No!" said the doctor; "we shall
lose our way, and have to begin it all over again."
"And if he eats our dogs--" said
Hatteras.
At that moment Duke was heard barking, the sou=
nd
rising through the mist.
"That's Duke!" shouted Hatteras;
"there's something wrong. I'm going down."
All sorts of howling arose to their ears; Duke=
and
the dogs were barking furiously. The noise sounded like a dull murmur, like=
the
roar of a crowded, noisy room. They knew that some invisible struggle was g=
oing
on below, and the mist was occasionally agitated like the sea when marine
monsters are fighting.
"Duke, Duke!" shouted the captain, a=
s he
made ready to enter again into the frost-rime.
"Wait a moment, Hatteras,--wait a moment!=
It
seems to me that the fog is lifting."
It was not lifting, but sinking, like water in=
a
pool; it appeared to be descending into the ground from which it had risen;=
the
summits of the icebergs grew larger; others, which had been hidden, arose l=
ike new
islands; by an optical illusion, which may be easily imagined, the travelle=
rs,
clinging to these ice-cones, seemed to be rising in the air, while the top =
of
the mist sank beneath them.
Soon the top of the sledge appeared, then the
harnessed dogs, and then about thirty other animals, then great objects mov=
ing
confusedly, and Duke leaping about with his head alternately rising and sin=
king
in the frozen mist.
"Foxes!" shouted Bell.
"Bears!" said the doctor; "one,
two, three."
"Our dogs, our provisions!" cried
Simpson.
A troop of foxes and bears, having come across=
the
sledge, were ravaging the provisions. Their instinct of pillaging united th=
em
in perfect harmony; the dogs were barking furiously, but the animals paid no
heed, but went on in their work of destruction.
"Fire!" shouted the captain, dischar=
ging
his piece.
His companions did the same. But at the combin=
ed
report the bears, raising their heads and uttering a singular roar, gave the
signal to depart; they fell into a little trot which a galloping horse could
not have kept up with, and, followed by the foxes, they soon disappeared am=
id
the ice to the north.
This
phenomenon, which is peculiar to the polar regions, had lasted three quarte=
rs
of an hour; the bears and foxes had had plenty of time; these provisions
arrived opportunely for these animals, who were nearly starved during the
inclement weather; the canvas cover of the sledge was torn by their strong
claws, the casks of pemmican were opened and emptied; the biscuit-sacks
pillaged, the tea spilled over the snow, a barrel of alcohol torn open and =
its
contents lost, their camping materials scattered and damaged, bore witness =
to
the ferocity of these wild beasts, and their greediness.
"This is a misfortune," said Bell,
gazing at this scene of ruin.
"Which is probably irreparable," said
Simpson.
"Let us first estimate the loss,"
interrupted the doctor, "and we'll talk about it afterwards."
Hatteras, without saying a word, began to gath=
er
the scattered boxes and sacks; they collected the pemmican and biscuits whi=
ch
could be eaten; the loss of part of their alcohol was much to be regretted;=
for
if that was gone there would be nothing warm to drink; no tea, no coffee. In
making an inventory of the supplies left, the doctor found two hundred poun=
ds
of pemmican gone, and a hundred and fifty pounds of biscuit; if their journ=
ey
continued they would have to subsist on half-rations.
They then began to discuss what should be done,
whether they should return to the ship and start out again. But how could t=
hey
make up their minds to lose the hundred and fifty miles they had already ma=
de? To
return without fuel would have a depressing effect upon the spirits of the
crew. Could men be found again to resume their march across the ice?
Evidently it was better to push on, even at the
risk of severe privations.
The doctor, Hatteras, and Bell were of this
opinion; Simpson wanted to go back; the fatigue of the journey had worn upon
his health; he was visibly weaker; but finding himself alone of this opinio=
n,
he resumed his place at the head of the sledge, and the little caravan
continued its journey to the south.
During the three next days, from the 15th to t=
he
17th of January, all the monotonous incidents of the voyage were repeated; =
they
advanced more slowly, and with much fatigue; their legs grew tired; the dog=
s dragged
the sledge with difficulty; their diminished supply of food could not comfo=
rt
men or beasts. The weather was very variable, changing from intense, dry co=
ld
to damp, penetrating mists.
January 18th the aspect of the ice-fields chan=
ged
suddenly; a great number of peaks, like sharp-pointed pyramids, and very hi=
gh,
appeared at the horizon; the ground in certain places came through the snow=
; it
seemed formed of gneiss, schist, and quartz, with some appearance of limest=
one.
The travellers at last touched earth again, and this land they judged to be
that called North Cornwall.
The doctor could not help striking the earth w=
ith
joy; they had now only a hundred miles to go before reaching Cape Belcher, =
but
their fatigue increased strangely on this soil, covered with sharp rocks, a=
nd
interspersed with dangerous points, crevasses, and precipices; they had to =
go
down into the depths of these abysses, climb steep ascents, and cross narrow
gorges, in which the snow was drifted to the depth of thirty or forty feet.=
The travellers soon regretted the almost easy
journey over the ice-fields, which so well suited the sledge; now it had to=
be
dragged by main force; the weary dogs were insufficient; the men, compelled=
to take
their place alongside of them, wore themselves out with hauling; often they=
had
to take off the whole load to get over some steep hills; a place only ten f=
eet
wide often kept them busy for hours; so in this first day they made only fi=
ve
miles in North Cornwall, which is certainly well named, for it exhibits all=
the
roughness, the sharp points, the steep gorges, the confused rockiness, of t=
he
southwest coast of England.
The next day the sledge reached the top of the=
hills
near the shore; the exhausted travellers, being unable to make a snow-hut, =
were
obliged to pass the night under the tent, wrapped up in buffalo-skins, and
drying their wet stockings by placing them about their bodies. The inevitab=
le
consequences of such conduct are easily comprehended; that night the
thermometer fell below -44°, and the mercury froze.
Simpson's health caused great anxiety; a
persistent cough, violent rheumatism, and intolerable pain obliged him to l=
ie
on the sledge which he could no longer guide. Bell took his place; he too w=
as suffering,
but not so much as to be incapacitated. The doctor also felt the consequenc=
es
of this trip in this terrible weather; but he uttered no complaint; he walk=
ed
on, resting on his staff; he made out the way and helped every one. Hattera=
s,
impassible, and as strong as on the first day, followed the sledge in silen=
ce.
January 20th the weather was so severe that the
slightest effort produced complete prostration. Still, the difficulties of =
the
way were so great, that Hatteras, the doctor, and Bell harnessed themselves=
with
the dogs; sudden shocks had broken the front of the sledge, and they had to
stop to repair it. Such delays were frequent every day.
The travellers followed a deep ravine, up to t=
heir
waists in snow, and perspiring violently in spite of the intense cold. They=
did
not say a word. Suddenly Bell, who was near the doctor, looked at him with =
some
alarm; then, without uttering a word, he picked up a handful of snow and be=
gan
rubbing his companion's face violently.
"Well, Bell!" said the doctor,
resisting.
But Bell continued rubbing.
"Come, Bell," began the doctor again,
his mouth, nose, and eyes full of snow, "are you mad? What's the
matter?"
"If you have a nose left," answered
Bell, "you ought to be grateful to me."
"A nose!" answered the doctor, quick=
ly,
clapping his hand to his face.
"Yes, Doctor, you were frost-bitten; your
nose was white when I looked at you, and if I had not done as I did, you wo=
uld
have lost that ornament which is in the way on a journey, but agreeable to
one's existence."
In fact, the doctor's nose was almost frozen; =
the
circulation of the blood was restored in time, and, thanks to Bell, all dan=
ger
was gone.
"Thanks, Bell!" said the doctor;
"I'll be even with you yet."
"I hope so, Doctor," the carpenter
answered; "and may Heaven protect us from worse misfortunes!"
"Alas, Bell," continued the doctor,
"you mean Simpson! The poor fellow is suffering terribly."
"Do you fear for his life?" asked
Hatteras, quickly.
"Yes, Captain," answered the doctor.=
"And why?"
"He has a violent attack of scurvy; his l=
egs
have begun to swell, and his gums too; the poor fellow lies half frozen on =
the
sledge, and every movement redoubles his suffering. I pity him, Hatteras, a=
nd I
can't do anything to relieve him."
"Poor Simpson!" murmured Bell.
"Perhaps we shall have to halt for a day =
or
two," resumed the doctor.
"Halt!" shouted Hatteras, "when=
the
lives of eighteen men are hanging on our return!"
"Still--" said the doctor.
"Clawbonny, Bell, listen to me," said
Hatteras; "we have food for only twenty days! Judge for yourselves whe=
ther
we can stop for a moment!"
Neither the doctor nor Bell made any reply, and
the sledge resumed its progress, which had been delayed for a moment. That =
evening
they stopped beneath a hillock of ice, in which Bell at once cut a cavern; =
the
travellers entered it; the doctor passed the night attending to Simpson; the
scurvy had already made fearful ravages, and his sufferings caused perpetual
laments to issue from his swollen lips.
"Ah, Dr. Clawbonny!"
"Courage, my dear fellow!" said the
doctor.
"I shall never get well! I feel it! I'd
rather die!"
The doctor answered these despairing words by
incessant cares; although worn out by the fatigue of the day, he spent the
night in composing a soothing potion for his patient; but the lime-juice wa=
s ineffectual,
and continual friction could not keep down the progress of the scurvy.
The next day he had to be placed again upon the
sledge, although he besought them to leave him behind to die in peace; then
they resumed their dreary and difficult march.
The frozen mists penetrated the three men to t=
he
bone; the snow and sleet dashed against them; they were working like
draught-horses, and with a scanty supply of food.
Duke, like his master, kept coming and going,
enduring every fatigue, always alert, finding out by himself the best path;
they had perfect confidence in his wonderful instinct.
During the morning of January 23d, amid almost
total darkness, for the moon was new, Duke had run on ahead; for many hours=
he
was not seen; Hatteras became uneasy, especially because there were many tr=
aces
of bears to be seen; he was uncertain what to do, when suddenly a loud bark=
ing
was heard.
Hatteras urged on the sledge, and soon he found
the faithful animal at the bottom of a ravine. Duke stood as motionless as =
if
turned to stone, barking before a sort of cairn made of pieces of limestone=
, covered
with a cement of ice.
"This time," said the doctor, detach=
ing
his harness, "it's a cairn, there's no doubt of that."
"What's that to us?" asked Hatteras.=
"Hatteras, if it is a cairn, it may conta=
in
some document of value for us; perhaps some provisions, and it would be wor=
th
while to see."
"What European could have come as far as =
this?"
asked Hatteras, shrugging his shoulders.
"But in lack of Europeans," answered=
the
doctor, "cannot Esquimaux have made it here to contain what they have
fished or shot? It's their habit, I think."
"Well, go and look at it," continued
Hatteras; "but I'm afraid it will be hardly worth your while."
Clawbonny and Bell walked to the cairn with pi=
cks
in their hands. Duke continued barking furiously. The limestones were firmly
fastened together by the ice; but a few blows scattered them on the ground.=
"There's something there, evidently,"
said the doctor.
"I think so," answered Bell.
They rapidly destroyed the cairn. Soon they fo=
und
a bundle and in it a damp paper. The doctor took it with a beating heart.
Hatteras ran forward, seized the paper, and read:--
"Altam..., Porpoise , December 13, 1860, longitude =
12..°,
latitude 8..° 35'."
"The =
span>Porpoise
?" said the doctor.
"The =
span>Porpoise
!" replied Hatteras. "I never heard of a ship of this name in the=
se
seas."
"It is clear," resumed the doctor,
"that travellers, perhaps shipwrecked sailors, have been here within t=
wo
months."
"That is sure," said Bell.
"What are we going to do?" asked the
doctor.
"Push on," answered Hatteras, coldly.
"I don't know anything about any ship called the Porpoise , but I know that the brig Forward is waiting for our return."
They
resumed their journey; the mind of every one was filled with new and unexpe=
cted
ideas, for to meet any one in these regions is about the most remarkable ev=
ent
that can happen. Hatteras frowned uneasily.
"The =
span>Porpoise
!" he kept saying to himself; "what ship is that? And what is it
doing so near the Pole?"
At the thought, he shuddered. The doctor and B=
ell
only thought of the two results which might follow the discovery of this
document, that they might be of service in saving some one, or, possibly, t=
hat
they might be saved by them. But the difficulties, obstacles, and dangers s=
oon
returned, and they could only think of their perilous position.
Simpson's condition grew worse; the doctor cou=
ld
not be mistaken about the symptoms of a speedy death. He could do nothing; =
he
was himself suffering from a painful ophthalmia, which might be accompanied=
by deafness
if he did not take care. The twilight at that time gave light enough, and t=
his
light, reflected by the snow, was bad for the eyes; it was hard to protect =
them
from the reflection, for glasses would be soon covered with a layer of ice
which rendered them useless. Hence they had to guard carefully against acci=
dent
by the way, and they had to run the risk of ophthalmia; still, the doctor a=
nd
Bell covered their eyes and took turns in guiding the sledge. It ran far fr=
om smoothly
on its worn runners; it became harder and harder to drag it; their path grew
more difficult; the land was of volcanic origin, and all cut up with crater=
s;
the travellers had been compelled gradually to ascend fifteen hundred feet =
to
reach the top of the mountains. The temperature was lower, the storms were =
more
violent, and it was a sorry sight to see these poor men on these lonely pea=
ks.
They were also made sick by the whiteness of
everything; the uniform brilliancy tired them; it made them giddy; the earth
seemed to wave beneath their feet with no fixed point on the immense white
surface; they felt as one does on shipboard when the deck seems to be givin=
g way
beneath the foot; they could not get over the impression, and the persisten=
ce
of the feeling wearied their heads. Their limbs grew torpid, their minds gr=
ew
dull, and often they walked like men half asleep; then a slip or a sudden f=
all
would rouse them for a few moments from their sluggishness.
January 25th they began to descend the steep
slopes, which was even more fatiguing; a false step, which it was by no mea=
ns
easy to avoid, might hurl them down into deep ravines where they would
certainly have perished. Towards evening a violent tempest raged about the
snowy summit; it was impossible to withstand the force of the hurricane; th=
ey
had to lie down on the ground, but so low was the temperature that they ran=
a
risk of being frozen to death at once.
Bell, with Hatteras's aid, built with much
difficulty a snow-house, in which the poor men sought shelter; there they
partook of a few fragments of pemmican and a little hot tea; only four gall=
ons
of alcohol were left; and they had to use this to allay their thirst, for s=
now
cannot be absorbed if taken in its natural state; it has to be melted first=
. In
the temperate zone, where the cold hardly ever sinks much below the
freezing-point, it can do no harm; but beyond the Polar Circle it is differ=
ent;
it reaches so low a temperature that the bare hand can no more touch it tha=
n it
can iron at a white heat, and this, although it is a very poor conductor of
heat; so great is the difference of temperature between it and the stomach =
that
its absorption produces real suffocation. The Esquimaux prefer severe thirs=
t to
quenching it with this snow, which does not replace water, and only augments
the thirst instead of appeasing it. The only way the travellers could make =
use
of it was by melting it over the spirit-lamp.
At three in the morning, when the tempest was =
at
its height, the doctor took his turn at the watch; he was lying in a corner=
of
the hut when a groan of distress from Simpson attracted his attention; he a=
rose
to see to him, but in rising he hit his head sharply against the icy roof;
without paying any attention to that, he bent over Simpson and began to rub=
his
swollen, discolored legs; after doing this for a quarter of an hour he star=
ted
to rise, and bumped his head again, although he was on his knees.
"That's odd," he said to himself.
He raised his hand above his head; the roof was
perceptibly sinking.
"Great God!" he cried; "wake up=
, my
friends!"
At his shouts Hatteras and Bell arose quickly,
striking their heads against the roof; they were in total darkness.
"We shall be crushed!" said the doct=
or;
"let's get out!"
And all three, dragging Simpson after them,
abandoned their dangerous quarters; and it was high time, for the blocks of
ice, ill put together, fell with a loud crash.
The poor men found themselves then without she=
lter
against the hurricane. Hatteras attempted to raise the tent, but it was imp=
ossible,
so severe was the wind, and they had to shelter themselves beneath the canv=
as,
which was soon covered with a thick layer of snow; but this snow prevented =
the
radiation of their warmth and kept them from being frozen to death.
The storm lasted all night; Bell, when he was
harnessing the half-starved dogs, noticed that three of them had begun to e=
at
the leather straps; two were very sick and seemed unable to go on. Still, t=
hey
set out as well as they could; they had sixty miles between them and the po=
int
they wished to reach.
On the 26th, Bell, who was ahead, shouted sudd=
enly
to his companions. They ran towards him, and he pointed with astonishment t=
o a
gun resting on a piece of ice.
"A gun!" cried the doctor.
Hatteras took it; it was in good condition, and
loaded.
"The men of the Porpoise can't be far off."
Hatteras, as he was examining the gun, noticed
that it was of American make; his hands clinched nervously its barrel.
"Forward!" he said calmly.
They continued to descend the mountains. Simps=
on
seemed deprived of all feeling; he had not even strength left to moan.
The tempest continued to rage; the sledge went=
on
more and more slowly; they made but a few miles in twenty-four hours, and, =
in
spite of the strictest economy, their supplies threatened to give out; but =
so
long as enough was left to carry them back, Hatteras pushed on.
On the 27th they found, partly buried beneath =
the
snow, a sextant and then a flask, which contained brandy, or rather a piece=
of
ice, in the middle of which all the spirit of the liquor had collected in t=
he
form of snow; it was of no use.
Evidently, without meaning it, Hatteras was
following in the wake of some great disaster; he went on by the only possib=
le
route, collecting the traces of some terrible shipwreck. The doctor kept a
sharp lookout for other cairns, but in vain.
Sad thoughts beset him: in fact, if he should
discover these wretches, of what service could he be to them? He and his
companions were beginning to lack everything; their clothing was torn, their
supplies were scanty. If the survivors were many, they would all starve to =
death.
Hatteras seemed inclined to flee from them! Was he not justified, since the
safety of the crew depended upon him? Ought he to endanger the safety of al=
l by
bringing strangers on board?
But then strangers were men, perhaps their
countrymen! Slight as was their chance of safety, ought they to be deprived=
of
it? The doctor wanted to get Bell's opinion; but Bell refused to answer. His
own sufferings had hardened his heart. Clawbonny did not dare ask Hatteras:=
so
he sought aid from Providence.
Towards the evening of that day, Simpson appea=
red
to be failing fast; his cold, stiff limbs, his impeded breathing, which for=
med
a mist about his head, his convulsive movements, announced that his last ho=
ur had
come. His expression was terrible to behold; it was despairing, with a look=
of
impotent rage at the captain. It contained a whole accusation, mute reproac=
hes
which were full of meaning, and perhaps deserved.
Hatteras did not go near the dying man. He avo=
ided
him, more silent, more shut into himself than ever!
The following night was a terrible one; the
violence of the tempest was doubled; three times the tent was thrown over, =
and
snow was blown over the suffering men, blinding them, and wounding them with
the pieces torn from the neighboring masses. The dogs barked incessantly. S=
impson
was exposed to all the inclemency of the weather. Bell succeeded in again
raising the canvas, which, if it did not protect them from the cold, at lea=
st
kept off the snow. But a sudden squall blew it down for the fourth time and
carried it away with a fierce blast.
"Ah, that is too much!" shouted Bell=
.
"Courage, courage!" answered the doc=
tor,
stooping down to escape being blown away.
Simpson was gasping for breath. Suddenly, with=
a
last effort, he half rose, stretched his clinched fist at Hatteras, who was
gazing steadily at him, uttered a heart-rending cry, and fell back dead in =
the
midst of his unfinished threat.
"Dead!" said the doctor.
"Dead!" repeated Bell.
Hatteras, who was approaching the corpse, drew
back before the violence of the wind.
He was the first of the crew who succumbed to =
the
murderous climate, the first to offer up his life, after incalculable
sufferings, to the captain's persistent obstinacy. This man had considered =
him
an assassin, but Hatteras did not quail before the accusation. But a tear,
falling from his eyes, froze on his pale cheek.
The doctor and Bell looked at him in terror.
Supported by his long staff, he seemed like the genius of these regions,
straight in the midst of the fierce blast, and terrible in his stern severi=
ty.
He remained standing, without stirring, till t=
he
first rays of the twilight appeared, bold and unconquerable, and seeming to
defy the tempest which was roaring about him.
Towar=
d six
o'clock in the morning the wind fell, and, shifting suddenly to the north, =
it
cleared the clouds from the sky; the thermometer stood at -33°. The first r=
ays
of the twilight appeared on the horizon above which it would soon peer.
Hatteras approached his two dejected companions
and said to them, sadly and gently,--
"My friends, we are more than sixty miles
from the point mentioned by Sir Edward Belcher. We have only just enough fo=
od
left to take us back to the ship. To go farther would only expose us to cer=
tain
death, without our being of service to any one. We must return."
"That is a wise decision, Hatteras,"
answered the doctor; "I should have followed you anywhere, but we are =
all
growing weaker every day; we can hardly set one foot before the other; I ap=
prove
of returning."
"Is that your opinion, Bell?" asked
Hatteras.
"Yes, Captain," answered the carpent=
er.
"Well," continued Hatteras, "we
will take two days for rest. That's not too much. The sledge needs a great =
many
repairs. I think, too, we ought to build a snow-house in which we can
repose."
This being decided, the three men set to work
energetically. Bell took the necessary precautions to insure the solidity of
the building, and soon a satisfactory retreat arose at the bottom of the ra=
vine
where they had last halted.
It was doubtless after a hard struggle that
Hatteras had decided to discontinue his journey. So much effort and fatigue
thrown away! A useless trip, entailing the death of one of his men! To retu=
rn
without a scrap of coal: what would the crew say? What might it not do unde=
r the
lead of Shandon? But Hatteras could not continue the struggle any longer.
He gave all his attention to their preparations
for returning; the sledge was repaired; its load, too, had become much ligh=
ter,
and only weighed two hundred pounds. They mended their worn-out, torn cloth=
es, all
soaked through and through by the snow; new moccasins and snow-shoes replac=
ed
those which were no longer serviceable. This kept them busy the whole of the
29th and the morning of the 30th; then they all sought what rest they could
get, and prepared for what was before them.
During the thirty-six hours spent in or near t=
he
snow-house, the doctor had been noticing Duke, whose singular behavior did =
not
seem to him to be natural; the dog kept going in circles which seemed to ha=
ve a
common centre; there was a sort of elevation in the soil, produced by
accumulated layers of ice; Duke, as he ran around this place, kept barking
gently and wagging his tail impatiently, looking at his master as if asking
something.
The doctor, after reflecting a moment, ascribed
this uneasiness to the presence of Simpson's corpse, which his companions h=
ad
not yet had time to bury. Hence he resolved to proceed to this sad ceremony=
on that
very day; the next morning they were to start. Bell and the doctor, picks in
hand, went to the bottom of the ravine; the elevation which Duke had noticed
offered a suitable place for the grave, which would have to be dug deep to
escape the bears.
The doctor and Bell began by removing the soft
snow, then they attacked the solid ice; at the third blow of his pick the
doctor struck against some hard body; he picked up the pieces and found the=
m the
fragments of a glass bottle. Bell brought to light a stiffened bag, in which
were a few crumbs of fresh biscuit.
"What's this?" said the doctor.
"What can it be?" asked Bell, stoppi=
ng
his work.
The doctor called to Hatteras, who came at onc=
e.
Duke barked violently, and with his paws tried=
to
tear up the ice.
"Have we by any possibility come across a
supply of provisions?" said the doctor.
"It looks like it," answered Bell.
"Go on!" said Hatteras.
A few bits of food were found and a box quarter
full of pemmican.
"If we have," said Hatteras, "t=
he
bears have visited it before we did. See, these provisions have been touched
already."
"It is to be feared," answered the
doctor, "for--"
He did not finish his sentence; a cry from Bell
interrupted him; he had turned over a tolerably large piece of ice and show=
ed a
stiff, frozen human leg in the ice.
"A corpse!" cried the doctor.
"It's a grave," said Hatteras.
It was the body of a sailor about thirty years
old, in a perfect state of preservation; he wore the usual dress of Arctic
sailors; the doctor could not say how long he had been dead.
After this, Bell found another corpse, that of=
a
man of fifty, exhibiting traces of the sufferings that had killed him.
"They were never buried," cried the
doctor; "these poor men were surprised by death as we find them."=
"You are right, Doctor," said Bell.<= o:p>
"Go on, go on!" said Hatteras.
Bell hardly dared. Who could say how many corp=
ses
lay hidden here?
"They were the victims of just such an
accident as we nearly perished by," said the doctor; "their
snow-house fell in. Let us see if one may not be breathing yet!"
The place was rapidly cleared away, and Bell
brought up a third body, that of a man of forty; he looked less like a corp=
se
than the others; the doctor bent over him and thought he saw some signs of
life.
"He's alive!" he shouted.
Bell and he carried this body into the snow-ho=
use,
while Hatteras stood in silence, gazing at the sunken dwelling.
The doctor stripped the body; it bore no signs=
of
injury; with Bell's aid he rubbed it vigorously with tow dipped in alcohol,=
and
he saw life gradually reviving within it; but the man was in a state of com=
plete
prostration, and unable to speak; his tongue clove to his palate as if it w=
ere
frozen.
The doctor examined his patient's pockets; they
were empty. No paper. He let Bell continue rubbing, and went out to Hattera=
s.
He found him in the ruined snow-house, clearing
away the floor; soon he came out, bearing a half-burned piece of an envelop=
e. A
few words could be deciphered:--
....=
tamont
.... orpoise ....w York.
"Altamont!" shouted the doctor, &quo= t;of the Porpoise ! of New York!"<= o:p>
"An American!" said Hatteras.
"I shall save him," said the doctor;
"I'll answer for it, and we shall find out the explanation of this
puzzle."
He returned to Altamont, while Hatteras remain=
ed
pensive. The doctor succeeded in recalling the unfortunate man to life, but=
not
to consciousness; he neither saw, heard, nor spoke, but at any rate he was
alive!
The next morning Hatteras said to the doctor,-=
-
"We must start."
"All right, Hatteras! The sledge is not l=
oaded;
we shall carry this poor fellow back to the ship with us.
"Very well," said Hatteras. "But
first let us bury these corpses."
The two unknown sailors were placed beneath the
ruins of the snow-house; Simpson's body took the place of Altamont's.
The three travellers uttered a short prayer ov=
er
their companion, and at seven o'clock in the morning they set off again for=
the
ship.
Two of the dogs were dead. Duke volunteered to
drag the sledge, and he worked as resolutely as a Greenland dog.
For twenty days, from January 31st to February
19th, the return was very much like the first part of the journey. Save tha=
t it
was in the month of February, the coldest of the whole year, and the ice wa=
s harder;
the travellers suffered terribly from the cold, but not from the wind or
snow-storm.
The sun reappeared for the first time January
31st; every day it rose higher above the horizon. Bell and the doctor were =
at
the end of their strength, almost blind and quite lame; the carpenter could=
not
walk without crutches. Altamont was alive, but continued insensible; someti=
mes
his life was despaired of, but unremitting care kept him alive! And yet the
doctor needed to take the greatest care of himself, for his health was
beginning to suffer.
Hatteras thought of the Forward ! In what condition was he going=
to find
it? What had happened on board? Had Johnson been able to withstand Shandon =
and
his allies? The cold had been terrible! Had they burned the ship? Had they
spared her masts and keel?
While thinking of this, Hatteras walked on as =
if
he had wished to get an early view of the Forward .
February 24th, in the morning, he stopped
suddenly. Three hundred paces before him appeared a reddish glow, above whi=
ch
rose an immense column of black smoke, which was lost in the gray clouds of=
the
sky.
"See that smoke!" he shouted.
His heart beat as if it would burst.
"See that smoke!" he said to his
companions. "My ship is on fire!"
"But we are more than three miles from
it," said Bell. "It can't be the Forward !"
"Yes, but it is," answered the docto=
r;
"the mirage makes it seem nearer."
"Let us run!" cried Hatteras.
They left the sledge in charge of Duke, and
hastened after the captain. An hour later they came in sight of the ship. A
terrible sight! The brig was burning in the midst of the ice, which was mel=
ting
about her; the flames were lapping her hull, and the southerly breeze broug=
ht
to Hatteras's ears unaccustomed sounds.
Five hundred feet from the ship stood a man
raising his hands in despair; he stood there, powerless, facing the fire wh=
ich
was destroying the Forward .
The man was alone; it was Johnson.
Hatteras ran towards him.
"My ship! my ship!" he cried.
"You! Captain!" answered Johnson;
"you! stop! not a step farther!"
"Well?" asked Hatteras with a terrib=
le air.
"The wretches!" answered Johnson,
"they've been gone forty-eight hours, after firing the ship!"
"Curse them!" groaned Hatteras.
Then a terrible explosion was heard; the earth
trembled; the icebergs fell; a column of smoke rose to the clouds, and the =
Forward disappeared in an abyss of fire.
At that moment the doctor and Bell came up to
Hatteras. He roused himself suddenly from his despair.
"My friends," he said energetically,
"the cowards have taken flight! The brave will succeed! Johnson, Bell,=
you
are bold; Doctor, you are wise; as for me, I have faith! There is the North
Pole! Come, to work!"
Hatteras's companions felt their hearts glow at
these brave words.
And yet the situation was terrible for these f=
our
men and the dying man, abandoned without supplies, alone at the eighty-four=
th
degree of latitude, in the very heart of the polar regions.
END O=
F PART
I.
The d=
esign
which Captain Hatteras had formed of exploring the North, and of giving Eng=
land
the honor of discovering the Pole, was certainly a bold one. This hardy sai=
lor
had just done all that human skill could do. After struggling for nine mont=
hs
against contrary winds and seas, after destroying icebergs and ice-fields, =
after
enduring the severity of an unprecedentedly cold winter, after going over a=
ll
that his predecessors had done, after carrying the Forward beyond the seas which were already known=
, in
short, after completing half his task, he saw his grand plans completely
overthrown. The treachery, or rather the demoralization of his wearied crew,
the criminal folly of some of the ringleaders, left him in a terrible
situation; of the eighteen men who had sailed in the brig, four were left,
abandoned without supplies, without a boat, more than twenty-five hundred m=
iles
from home!
The explosion of the Forward , which had just blown up before=
their
eyes, took from them their last means of subsistence. Still, Hatteras's cou=
rage
did not abandon him at this terrible crisis. The men who were left were the
best of the crew; they were genuine heroes. He made an appeal to the energy=
and
wisdom of Dr. Clawbonny, to the devotion of Johnson and Bell, to his own fa=
ith
in the enterprise; even in these desperate straits he ventured to speak of
hope; his brave companions listened to him, and their courage in the past
warranted confidence in their promises for the future.
The doctor, after listening to the captain's
words, wanted to get an exact idea of their situation; and, leaving the oth=
ers
about five hundred feet from the ship, he made his way to the scene of the =
catastrophe.
Of the Forward
, which had been built with so much care, nothing was left; pieces of ice,
shapeless fragments all blackened and charred, twisted pieces of iron, ends=
of
ropes still burning like fuse, and scattered here and there on the ice-fiel=
d,
testified to the force of the explosion. The cannon had been hurled to some
distance, and was lying on a piece of ice that looked like a gun-carriage. =
The
surface of the ice, for a circle of six hundred feet in diameter, was cover=
ed with
fragments of all sorts; the brig's keel lay under a mass of ice; the iceber=
gs,
which had been partly melted by the fire, had already recovered their rock-=
like
hardness.
The doctor then began to think of his ruined
cabin, of his lost collections, of his precious instruments destroyed, his
books torn, burned to ashes. So much that was valuable gone! He gazed with
tearful eyes at this vast disaster, thinking not of the future, but of the =
irreparable
misfortune which dealt him so severe a blow. He was immediately joined by
Johnson; the old sailor's face bore signs of his recent sufferings; he had =
been
obliged to struggle against his revolted companions, defending the ship whi=
ch
had been intrusted to his care. The doctor sadly pressed the boatswain's ha=
nd.
"Well, my friend, what is going to become=
of
us?" asked the doctor.
"Who can say?" answered Johnson.
"At any rate," continued the doctor,
"don't let us give way to despair; let us be men!"
"Yes, Doctor," answered the old sail=
or,
"you are right; it's when matters look worst that we most need courage=
; we
are in a bad way; we must see how we can best get out of it."
"Poor ship!" said the doctor, sighin=
g;
"I had become attached to it; I had got to look on it as on my own hom=
e,
and there's not left a piece that can be recognized!"
"Who would think, Doctor, that this mass =
of
dust and ashes could be so dear to our heart?"
"And the launch," continued the doct=
or,
gazing around, "was it destroyed too?"
"No, Doctor; Shandon and the others, who
left, took it with them."
"And the gig?"
"Was broken into a thousand pieces. See,
those sheets of tin are all that's left of her."
"Then we have nothing but the
Halkett-boat?"[1]
[Footnote 1: Made of india-rubber, and capable=
of
being inflated at pleasure.]
"That is all, and it is because you insis=
ted
on our taking it, that we have that."
"It's not of much use," said the doc=
tor.
"They were a pack of miserable, cowardly
traitors who ran away!" said Johnson. "May they be punished as th=
ey
deserve!"
"Johnson," answered the doctor, mild=
ly,
"we must remember that their suffering had worn upon them very much. O=
nly
exceptional natures remain stanch in adversity, which completely overthrows=
the
weak. Let us rather pity than curse them!"
After these words the doctor remained silent f=
or a
few minutes, and gazed around uneasily.
"What is become of the sledge?" asked
Johnson.
"We left it a mile back."
"In care of Simpson?"
"No, my friend; poor Simpson sank under t=
he
toil of the trip."
"Dead!" cried the boatswain.
"Dead!" answered the doctor.
"Poor fellow!" said Johnson; "b=
ut
who knows whether we may not soon be reduced to envying his fate?"
"But we have brought back a dying man in
place of the one we lost," answered the doctor.
"A dying man?"
"Yes, Captain Altamont."
The doctor gave the boatswain in a few words an
account of their finding him.
"An American!" said Johnson,
thoughtfully.
"Yes; everything seems to point that way.=
But
what was this Porpoise which had evidently been shipwrecked, an=
d what
was he doing in these waters?"
"He came in order to be lost," answe=
red
Johnson; "he brought his crew to death, like all those whose foolhardi=
ness
leads them here. But, Doctor, did the expedition accomplish what it set out
for?"
"Finding the coal?"
"Yes," answered Johnson.
The doctor shook his head sadly.
"None at all?" asked the old sailor.=
"None; our supplies gave out, fatigue nea=
rly
conquered us. We did not even reach the spot mentioned by Edward Belcher.&q=
uot;
"So," continued Johnson, "you h=
ave
no fuel?"
"No."
"Nor food?"
"No."
"And no boat with which to reach
England?"
They were both silent; they needed all their
courage to meet this terrible situation.
"Well," resumed the boatswain,
"there can be no doubts about our condition! We know what we have to
expect! But the first thing to do, when the weather is so cold, is to build=
a
snow-house."
"Yes," answered the doctor, "wi=
th
Bell's aid that will be easy; then we'll go after the sledge, we'll bring t=
he
American here, and then we'll take counsel with Hatteras."
"Poor captain!" said Johnson, forget=
ting
his own griefs; "he must suffer terribly."
With these words they returned to their
companions. Hatteras was standing with folded arms, as usual, gazing silent=
ly
into space. His face wore its usual expression of firmness. Of what was thi=
s remarkable
man thinking? Of his desperate condition and shattered hopes? Was he planni=
ng
to return, since both men and the elements had combined against his attempt=
?
No one could have read his thoughts, which his
face in no way expressed. His faithful Duke was with him, braving a tempera=
ture
of -32°.
Bell lay motionless on the ice; his insensibil=
ity
might cost him his life; he was in danger of being frozen to death. Johnson
shook him violently, rubbed him with snow, and with some difficulty aroused=
him
from his torpor.
"Come, Bell, take courage!" he said;
"don't lose heart; get up; we have to talk matters over, and we need a
shelter. Have you forgotten how to make a snow-house? Come, help me, Bell!
There's an iceberg we can cut into! Come, to work! That will give us what we
need, courage!"
Bell, aroused by these words, obeyed the old
sailor.
"Meanwhile," Johnson went on, "=
the
doctor will be good enough to go to the sledge and bring it back with the
dogs."
"I am ready," answered the doctor;
"in an hour I shall be back."
"Shall you go too, Captain?" added
Johnson, turning to Hatteras.
Although he was deep in thought, the captain h=
eard
the boatswain's question, for he answered gently,--
"No, my friend, if the doctor is willing =
to
go alone. We must form some plan of action, and I want to be alone to think
matters over. Go. Do what you think right for the present. I will be thinki=
ng
of the future."
Johnson turned to the doctor.
"It's singular," he said; "the
captain seems to have forgotten his anger; his voice never was so gentle
before."
"Well!" answered the doctor; "he
has recovered his presence of mind. Mark my words, Johnson, that man will be
able to save us!"
Thereupon the doctor wrapped himself up as wel=
l as
he could, and, staff in hand, walked away towards the sledge in the midst o=
f a
fog which the moonlight made almost bright. Johnson and Bell set to work im=
mediately;
the old sailor encouraged the carpenter, who wrought on in silence; they did
not need to build, but to dig into the solid ice; to be sure it was frozen =
very
hard, and so rendered the task difficult, but it was thereby additionally
secure; soon Johnson and Bell could work comfortably in the orifice, throwi=
ng
outside all that they took from the solid mass.
From time to time Hatteras would walk fitfully,
stopping suddenly every now and then; evidently he did not wish to reach the
spot where his brig had been. As he had promised, the doctor was soon back;=
he brought
with him Altamont, lying on the sledge beneath all the coverings; the Green=
land
dogs, thin, tired, and half starved, could hardly drag the sledge, and were
gnawing at their harness; it was high time that men and beasts should take =
some
rest.
While they were digging the house, the doctor
happened to stumble upon a small stove which had not been injured by the
explosion, and with a piece of chimney that could be easily repaired: the
doctor carried it away in triumph. At the end of three hours the house was
inhabitable; the stove was set in and filled with pieces of wood; it was so=
on roaring
and giving out a comfortable warmth.
The American was brought in and covered up
carefully; the four Englishmen sat about the fire. The last supplies of the=
sledge,
a little biscuit and some hot tea, gave them some comfort. Hatteras did not
speak; every one respected his silence. When the meal was finished the doct=
or
made a sign for Johnson to follow him outside.
"Now," he said, "we are going to
make an inventory of what is left. We must know exactly what things we have;
they are scattered all about; we must pick them up; it may snow at any mome=
nt,
and then it would be impossible to find a scrap."
"Don't let us lose any time, then,"
answered Johnson; "food and wood is what we need at once."
"Well, let us each take a side,"
answered the doctor, "so as to cover the whole ground; let us begin at=
the
centre and go out to the circumference."
They went at once to the bed of ice where the =
Forward had lain; each examined with care all the
fragments of the ship beneath the dim light of the moon. It was a genuine h=
unt;
the doctor entered into this occupation with all the zest, not to say the
pleasure, of a sportsman, and his heart beat high when he discovered a chest
almost intact; but most were empty, and their fragments were scattered
everywhere.
The violence of the explosion had been
considerable; many things were but dust and ashes; the large pieces of the
engine lay here and there, twisted out of shape; the broken flanges of the
screw were hurled twenty fathoms from the ship and buried deeply in the
hardened snow; the bent cylinders had been torn from their pivots; the chim=
ney,
torn nearly in two, and with chains still hanging to it, lay half hid under=
a
large cake of ice; the bolts, bars, the iron-work of the helm, the sheathin=
g,
all the metal-work of the ship, lay about as if it had been fired from a gu=
n.
But this iron, which would have made the fortu=
ne
of a tribe of Esquimaux, was of no use under the circumstances; before anyt=
hing
else food had to be found, and the doctor did not discover a great deal.
"That's bad," he said to himself;
"it is evident that the store-room, which was near the magazine, was
entirely destroyed by the explosion; what wasn't burned was shattered to du=
st.
It's serious; and if Johnson is not luckier than I am, I don't see what's g=
oing
to become of us."
Still, as he enlarged his circles, the doctor
managed to collect a few fragments of pemmican, about fifteen pounds, and f=
our
stone bottles, which had been thrown out upon the snow and so had escaped d=
estruction;
they held five or six pints of brandy.
Farther on he picked up two packets of grains =
of
cochlearia, which would well make up for the loss of their lime-juice, whic=
h is
so useful against the scurvy.
Two hours later the doctor and Johnson met. Th=
ey
told one another of their discoveries; unfortunately they had found but lit=
tle
to eat: some few pieces of salt pork, fifty pounds of pemmican, three sacks=
of biscuit,
a little chocolate, some brandy, and about two pounds of coffee, picked up
berry by berry on the ice.
No coverings, no hammocks, no clothing, were
found; evidently the fire had destroyed all. In short, the doctor and boats=
wain
had found supplies for three weeks at the outside, and with the strictest e=
conomy;
that was not much for them in their state of exhaustion. So, in consequence=
of
these disasters, Hatteras found himself not only without any coal, but also
short of provisions.
As to the fuel supplied by the fragments of the
ship, the pieces of the masts and the keel, they might hold out about three
weeks; but then the doctor, before using it to heat their new dwelling, ask=
ed Johnson
whether out of it they might not build a new ship, or at least a launch.
"No, Doctor," answered the boatswain,
"it's impossible; there's not a piece of wood large enough; it's good =
for
nothing except to keep us warm for a few days and then--"
"Then?" asked the doctor.
"God alone knows," answered the sail=
or.
Having made out their list, the doctor and Joh=
nson
went after the sledge; they harnessed the tired dogs, returned to the scene=
of
the explosion, packed up the few precious objects they had found, and carri=
ed
them to their new house; then, half frozen, they took their place near their
companions in misfortune.
Towar=
ds
eight o'clock in the evening the snow-clouds cleared away for a few minutes;
the constellations shone brilliantly in the clear air. Hatteras made use of
this change to get the altitude of some stars; he went out without saying a
word, carrying his instruments with him. He wished to ascertain his position
and see if the ice-field had not been drifting again. After an absence of h=
alf
an hour he came back, lay down in a corner, and remained perfectly still,
although not asleep.
The next day snow began to fall heavily; the
doctor could not help being glad that he had made his examination the day
before, for a white curtain soon covered the whole expanse, and every trace=
of
the explosion was hidden under three feet of snow.
On that day they could not set foot outside;
fortunately their quarters were comfortable, or at least seemed so to the
exhausted travellers. The little stove worked well, except occasionally whe=
n violent
gusts drove the smoke into the room; with its heat they could make coffee a=
nd
tea, which are both so serviceable beverages when the temperature is low.
The castaways, for they deserve the name, found
themselves more comfortable than they had been for a long time; hence they =
only
thought of the present, of the agreeable warmth, of the brief rest, forgett=
ing,
or even indifferent to the future, which threatened with speedy death.
The American suffered less, and gradually retu=
rned
to life; he opened his eyes, but he did not say anything; his lips bore tra=
ces
of the scurvy, and could not utter a sound; he could hear, and was told whe=
re he
was and how he got there. He moved his head as a sign of gratitude; he saw =
that
he had been saved from burial beneath the snow; the doctor forbore telling =
him
how very short a time his death had been delayed, for, in a fortnight or th=
ree
weeks at the most, their supply of food would be exhausted.
Towards midday Hatteras arose and went up to t=
he
doctor, Johnson, and Bell.
"My friends," he said to them, "=
;we
are going to take a final resolution as to the course we must follow. In the
first place, I must ask Johnson to tell me under what circumstances this ac=
t of
treachery came to pass."
"Why should we know?" said the docto=
r;
"the fact is certain, we need give it no more thought."
"I am thinking of it, all the same,"
answered Hatteras. "But after I've heard what Johnson has to say, I sh=
all
not think of it again."
"This is the way it happened," went =
on
the boatswain; "I did all I could to prevent the crime--"
"I am sure of that, Johnson, and I will a=
dd
that the leaders had been plotting it for some time."
"So I thought," said the doctor.
"And I too," continued Johnson;
"for very soon after your departure, Captain, on the very next day,
Shandon, who was angry with you and was egged on by the others, took comman=
d of
the ship; I tried to resist, but in vain. After that, every one acted as he=
saw
fit; Shandon did not try to control them; he wanted to let the crew see that
the time of suffering and privation had gone by. Hence there was no economy=
; a huge
fire was lighted in the stove; they began to burn the brig. The men had the
provisions given them freely, and the spirits too, and you can easily imagi=
ne
the abuse they made of them after their long abstinence. Things went on in =
this
way from the 7th to the 15th of January."
"So," said Hatteras, in a grave voic=
e,
"it was Shandon who incited the men to revolt?"
"Yes, Captain."
"Say nothing more about him. Go on,
Johnson."
"It was towards January 24th or 25th, that
the plan of leaving the ship was formed. They determined to reach the weste=
rn
coast of Baffin's Bay; from there, in the launch, they could meet whalers, =
or, perhaps,
the settlements on the eastern side. Their supplies were abundant; the sick
grew better with the hope of reaching home. So they made their plans for
leaving; they built a sledge for the transport of their food, fuel, and the
launch; the men were to drag it themselves. This occupied them until Februa=
ry
15th. I kept anxiously awaiting your return, Captain, and yet I feared havi=
ng
you present; you would have had no influence over the crew, who would rather
have killed you than have remained on board. They were wild with the hope of
escape. I took all my companions aside and spoke to them, I besought them to
stay; I pointed out all the dangers of such a journey, as well as the cowar=
dliness
of abandoning you. I could get nothing, even from the best. They chose Febr=
uary
22d for leaving. Shandon was impatient. They heaped upon the sledge all the
food and liquor it could hold; they took a great deal of wood; the whole
larboard side had been cut away to the water-line. The last day they passed
carousing; they ravaged and stole everything, and it was during this
drunkenness that Pen and two or three others set fire to the ship. I resist=
ed,
and struggled against them; they threw me down and struck me; at last, thes=
e villains,
with Shandon at their head, fled to the east, and disappeared from my sight=
. I
remained alone; what could I do against this fire which was seizing the who=
le
ship? The water-hole was frozen over; I hadn't a drop of water. For two days
the Forward was wrapped in flames, and you know the
rest."
Having finished this account, a long silence
prevailed in this ice-house; the gloomy tale of the burning of the ship, the
loss of their precious brig, appeared so vividly before the minds of the ca=
staways;
they found themselves before an impossibility, and that was a return to
England. They did not dare to look at one another, for fear of seeing on ea=
ch
other's faces blank despair. There was nothing to be heard save the hasty
breathing of the American.
At last Hatteras spoke.
"Johnson," said he, "I thank yo=
u;
you have done all you could to save my ship. But you could not do anything
alone. Again I thank you, and now don't let us speak again of this misfortu=
ne.
Let us unite our efforts for the common safety. There are four of us here, =
four
friends, and the life of one is of no more worth than the life of another. =
Let
each one give his opinion on what should be done."
"Ask us, Hatteras," answered the doc=
tor;
"we are all devoted to you, our answers shall be sincere. And, in the
first place, have you any plan?"
"I can't have any alone," said Hatte=
ras,
sadly. "My opinion might seem interested; I want to hear your opinion
first."
"Captain," said Johnson, "before
speaking on such weighty matters, I have an important question to ask
you."
"What is it?"
"You ascertained our position yesterday;
well, has the ice-field drifted any more, or are we in just the same
place?"
"It has not stirred," answered Hatte=
ras.
"The latitude before we left was 80° 15', and longitude 97° 35'."=
"And," said Johnson, "how far a=
re
we from the nearest sea to the west?"
"About six hundred miles," answered
Hatteras.
"And this water is--"
"Smith's Sound."
"The same which we could not cross last
April?"
"The same."
"Well, Captain, now we know where we are,=
and
we can make up our minds accordingly."
"Speak, then," said Hatteras, letting
his head sink into his hands.
In that way he could hear his friends without
looking at them.
"Well, Bell," said the doctor,
"what do you think is the best course to follow?"
"It isn't necessary to reflect a long
time," answered the carpenter; "we ought to return, without wasti=
ng a
day or an hour, either to the south or the west, and reach the nearest coas=
t,
even if it took us two months!"
"We have supplies for only three weeks,&q=
uot;
answered Hatteras, without raising his head.
"Well," continued Johnson, "we =
must
make that distance in three weeks, since it's our only chance of safety; if=
we
have to crawl on our knees at the end, we must leave, and arrive in twenty-=
five
days."
"This part of the northern continent is n=
ot
known," answered Hatteras. "We may meet obstacles, such as mounta=
ins
and glaciers, which will completely bar our progress."
"I don't consider that," answered the
doctor, "a sufficient reason for not attempting the journey; evidently=
, we
shall suffer a great deal; we ought to reduce our daily supply to the minim=
um,
unless luck in hunting--"
"There's only half a pound of powder
left," answered Hatteras.
"Come, Hatteras," resumed the doctor,
"I know the weight of all your objections, and I don't nourish any vain
hopes. But I think I can read your thoughts; have you any practicable
plan?"
"No," answered the captain, after a =
few
moments' hesitation.
"You do not doubt our courage,"
continued the doctor; "we are willing to follow you to the last, you k=
now
very well; but should we not now abandon all hope of reaching the Pole? Mut=
iny
has overthrown your plans; you fought successfully against natural obstacle=
s,
but not against the weakness and perfidy of men; you have done all that was=
humanly
possible, and I am sure you would have succeeded; but, in the present condi=
tion
of affairs, are you not compelled to give up your project, and in order to =
take
it up again, should you not try to reach England without delay?"
"Well, Captain?" asked Johnson, when
Hatteras had remained a long time silent.
At last the captain raised his head, and said =
in a
constrained tone,--
"Do you think you are sure of reaching the
shore of the sound, tired as you are, and almost without food?"
"No," answered the doctor; "but
it's sure the shore won't come to us; we must go to it. Perhaps we shall fi=
nd
to the south tribes of Esquimaux who may aid us."
"Besides," added Johnson, "may =
we
not find in the sound some ship that has been forced to winter there."=
"And if need be," continued the doct=
or,
"when we've reached the sound, may we not cross it, and reach the west
coast of Greenland, and then, either by Prudhoe's Land, or Cape York, get to
some Danish settlement? Nothing of that sort is to be found on the ice-fiel=
d.
The way to England is down there to the south, and not here to the north!&q=
uot;
"Yes," said Bell, "Dr. Clawbonn=
y is
right; we must go, and go at once. Hitherto we have forgotten home too much,
and those who are dear to us."
"Do you agree, Johnson?" Hatteras as=
ked
again.
"Yes, Captain."
"And you, Doctor?"
"Yes, Hatteras."
Hatteras still remained silent; in spite of al=
l he
could do, his face expressed his agitation. His whole life depended on the
decision he should take; if he should return, it was all over with his bold
plans; he could not hope to make the attempt a fourth time.
The doctor, seeing the captain was silent, aga=
in
spoke.
"I ought to add, Hatteras," he said,
"that we ought not to lose an instant; we ought to load the sledge with
all our provisions, and take as much wood as possible. A journey of six hun=
dred
miles under such circumstances is long, I confess, but not insuperable; we =
can,
or rather we ought, to make twenty miles a day, which would bring us to the
coast in a month, that is to say, towards March 26th."
"But," said Hatteras, "can't we
wait a few days?"
"What do you hope for?" answered
Johnson.
"I don't know. Who can foretell the futur=
e?
Only a few days yet! It's hardly enough to rest your wearied bodies. We
couldn't go two stages without dropping from weariness, without any snow-ho=
use
to shelter us!"
"But a terrible death certainly awaits us
here!" cried Bell.
"My friends," continued Hatteras in a tone almost of entreaty, "you are despairing too soon! I should propos= e to seek safety to the north, were it not that you would refuse to follow me. A= nd yet are there not Esquimaux near the Pole, as well as at Smith's Sound? That open sea, of which the existence is uncertain, ought to surround a continen= t. Nature is logical in everything it does. Well, we ought to believe that vegetation appears when the greatest cold ceases. Is there not a promised land awaitin= g us at the north, and which you want to fly from without hope of return?"<= o:p>
Hatteras warmed as he spoke; his heated
imagination called up enchanting visions of these countries, whose existence
was still so problematical.
"One more day," he repeated, "a
single hour!"
Dr. Clawbonny, with his adventurous character =
and
his glowing imagination, felt himself gradually aroused; he was about to yi=
eld;
but Johnson, wiser and colder, recalled him to reason and duty.
"Come, Bell," he said, "to the
sledge!"
"Come along!" answered Bell.
The two sailors turned towards the door of the
snow-house.
"O Johnson! you! you!" shouted Hatte=
ras.
"Well, go! I shall stay!"
"Captain!" said Johnson, stopping in
spite of himself.
"I shall stay, I say! Go! leave me like t=
he
rest! Go!--Come, Duke, we two shall stay!"
The brave dog joined his master, barking. John=
son
looked at the doctor. He did not know what to do; the best plan was to calm=
Hatteras,
and to sacrifice a day to his fancies. The doctor was about making up his m=
ind
to this effect, when he felt some one touch his arm.
He turned round. The American had just left the
place where he had been lying; he was crawling on the floor; at last he ros=
e to
his knees, and from his swollen lips a few inarticulate sounds issued.
The doctor, astonished, almost frightened, gaz=
ed
at him silently. Hatteras approached the American, and examined him closely=
. He
tried to make out the words which the poor fellow could not pronounce. At l=
ast,
after trying for five minutes, he managed to utter this word:--
" Porpoise ."
"The =
span>Porpoise
?" asked the captain.
The American bowed affirmatively.
"In these seas?" asked Hatteras with
beating heart.
The same sign from the sick man.
"To the north?"
"Yes."
"And you know where it lies?"
"Yes."
"Exactly?"
There was a moment's silence. The bystanders w=
ere
all excited.
"Now, listen carefully," said Hatter=
as
to the sick man; "we must know where this ship lies. I am going to cou=
nt
the degrees aloud; you will stop me by a sign."
The American bowed his head to show that he
understood.
"Come," said Hatteras, "we'll b=
egin
with the longitude. One hundred and five? No.--Hundred and six? Hundred and
seven? Hundred and eight? Far to the west?"
"Yes," said the American.
"Let us go on. Hundred and nine? Ten? Ele=
ven?
Twelve? Fourteen? Sixteen? Eighteen? Nineteen? Twenty?"
"Yes," answered Altamont.
"Longitude one hundred and twenty?" =
said
Hatteras. "And how many minutes? I shall count."
Hatteras began at number one. At fifteen Altam=
ont
made a sign for him to stop.
"All right!" said Hatteras. "Now
for the latitude. You understand? Eighty? Eighty-one? Eighty-two?
Eighty-three?"
The American stopped him with a gesture.
"Well! And the minutes? Five? Ten? Fiftee=
n?
Twenty? Twenty-five? Thirty? Thirty-five?"
Another sign from Altamont, who smiled slightl=
y.
"So," continued Hatteras, in a deep
voice, "the Porpoise lies in longitude 120° 15', and 83° 35'
latitude?"
"Yes!" said the American, as he fell
fainting into the doctor's arms. This exertion had exhausted him.
"My friends," cried Hatteras, "=
you
see that safety lies to the north, always to the north! We shall be
saved!"
But after these first words of joy, Hatteras
seemed suddenly struck by a terrible thought. His expression changed, and he
felt himself stung by the serpent of jealousy.
Some one else, an American, had got three degr=
ees
nearer the Pole! And for what purpose?
This =
new
incident, these first words which Altamont uttered, had completely altered =
the
situation of the castaways; but just now they had been far from any possible
aid, without a reasonable chance of reaching Baffin's Bay, threatened with
starvation on a journey too long for their wearied bodies, and now, within =
four
hundred miles from their snow-house, there was a ship which offered them
bounteous supplies, and perhaps the means of continuing their bold course to
the Pole. Hatteras, the doctor, Johnson, and Bell, all began to take heart =
after
having been so near despair; they were nearly wild with joy.
But Altamont's account was still incomplete, a=
nd,
after a few moments' repose, the doctor resumed his talk with him; he framed
his questions in such a way that a simple sign of the head or a motion of t=
he
eyes would suffice for an answer.
Soon he made out that the Porpoise was an American bark from New York, that=
it
had been caught in the ice with a large supply of food and fuel; and, altho=
ugh
she lay on her beam-ends, she must have withstood the ice, and it would be
possible to save her cargo.
Two months before, Altamont and the crew had
abandoned her, carrying the launch upon a sledge; they wanted to get to Smi=
th's
Sound, find a whaling-vessel, and be carried in her to America; but gradual=
ly fatigue
and disease had fallen upon them, and they fell aside on the way. At last o=
nly
the captain and two sailors were left of a crew of thirty men, and Altamont=
's
life was the result of what was really a miracle.
Hatteras wanted to find out from the American =
what
he was doing in these high latitudes.
Altamont managed to make him understand that he
had been caught in the ice and carried by it without possibility of resisti=
ng
it.
Hatteras asked him anxiously for what purpose =
he
was sailing.
Altamont gave them to understand that he had b=
een
trying the Northwest Passage.
Hatteras did not persist, and asked no other
question of the sort.
The doctor then began to speak.
"Now," he said, "all our efforts
should be directed to finding the =
Porpoise
; instead of struggling to Baffin's Bay, we may, by means of a journey only=
two
thirds as long, reach a ship which will offer us all the resources necessary
for wintering."
"There's nothing more to be done," s=
aid
Bell.
"I should add," said the boatswain,
"that we should not lose a moment; we should calculate the length of o=
ur
journey by the amount of our supplies, instead of the other and usual way, =
and
be off as soon as possible."
"You are right, Johnson," said the
doctor; "if we leave to-morrow, Tuesday, February 26th, we ought to re=
ach
the Porpoise March 15th, at the risk of starving to d=
eath.
What do you think of that, Hatteras?"
"Let us make our preparations at once,&qu=
ot;
said the captain, "and be off. Perhaps we shall find the way longer th=
an
we suppose."
"Why so?" asked the doctor. "Th=
is
man seemed certain of the situation of his ship."
"But," answered Hatteras,
"supposing the Porpoise has been drifting as the Forward did?"
"True," said the doctor, "that's
not unlikely."
Johnson and Bell had nothing to urge against t=
he
possibility of a drift of which they had themselves been victims.
But Altamont, who was listening to the
conversation, gave the doctor to understand that he wished to speak. After =
an
effort of about a quarter of an hour, Clawbonny made out that the Porpoise was lying on a bed of rocks, and so coul=
d not
have drifted away. This information calmed the anxiety of the Englishmen; s=
till
it deprived them of their hope of returning to Europe, unless Bell should be
able to build a small boat out of the timbers of the Porpoise . However that might be, it was=
now
of the utmost importance that they should reach the wreck.
The doctor put one more question to the Americ=
an,
namely, whether he had found an open sea at latitude 83°.
"No," answered Altamont.
There the conversation stopped. They began at =
once
to prepare for departure; Bell and Johnson first began to see about the sle=
dge,
which needed complete repairing. Since they had plenty of wood, they made t=
he
uprights stronger, availing themselves of the experience of their southern
trip. They had learned the dangers of this mode of transport, and since they
expected to find plenty of deep snow, the runners were made higher.
On the inside Bell made a sort of bed, covered
with the canvas of the tent, for the American; the provisions, which were
unfortunately scanty, would not materially augment the weight of the sledge,
but still they made up for that by loading it with all the wood it could ca=
rry.
The doctor, as he packed all the provisions, m=
ade
out a very careful list of their amount; he calculated that each man could =
have
three quarters of a ration for a journey of three weeks. A whole ration was=
set
aside for the four dogs which should draw it. If Duke aided them, he was to
have a whole ration.
These preparations were interrupted by the nee=
d of
sleep and rest, which they felt at seven o'clock in the evening; but before
going to bed they gathered around the stove, which was well filled with fue=
l, and
these poor men luxuriated in more warmth than they had enjoyed for a long t=
ime;
some pemmican, a few biscuits, and several cups of coffee soon put them in
good-humor, especially when their hopes had been so unexpectedly lighted up=
. At
seven in the morning they resumed work, and finished it at three in the aft=
ernoon.
It was already growing dark. Since January 31st the sun had appeared above =
the
horizon, but it gave only a pale and brief light; fortunately the moon would
rise at half past six, and with this clear sky it would make their path pla=
in.
The temperature, which had been growing lower for several days, fell at las=
t to
-33°.
The time for leaving came. Altamont received t=
he
order with joy, although the jolting of the sledge would increase his
sufferings; he told the doctor that medicine against the scurvy would be fo=
und
on board of the Porpoise . He was
carried to the sledge and placed there as comfortably as possible; the dogs,
including Duke, were harnessed in; the travellers cast one last glance at t=
he
spot where the Forward had lain. A glow of rage passed over
Hatteras's face, but he controlled it at once, and the little band set out =
with
the air very dry at first, although soon a mist came over them.
Each one took his accustomed place, Bell ahead
pointing out the way, the doctor and Johnson by the sides of the sledge,
watching and lending their aid when it was necessary, and Hatteras behind, =
correcting
the line of march.
They went along tolerably quickly; now that the
temperature was so low, the ice was hard and smooth for travel; the five do=
gs
easily drew the sledge, which weighed hardly more than nine hundred pounds.
Still, men and beasts panted heavily, and often they had to stop to take br=
eath.
Towards seven o'clock in the evening, the moon
peered through mist on the horizon. Its rays threw out a light which was
reflected from the ice; towards the northwest the ice-field looked like a
perfectly smooth plain; not a hummock was to be seen. This part of the sea =
seemed
to have frozen smooth like a lake.
It was an immense, monotonous desert.
Such was the impression that this spectacle ma=
de
on the doctor's mind, and he spoke of it to his companion.
"You are right, Doctor," answered Johnson; "it is a desert, but we need not fear dying of thirst."<= o:p>
"A decided advantage," continued the
doctor; "still, this immensity proves one thing to me, and that is tha=
t we
are far distant from any land; in general, the proximity of land is indicat=
ed
by a number of icebergs, and not one is to be seen near us."
"We can't see very far for the fog,"
said Johnson.
"Without doubt; but since we started we h=
ave
crossed a smooth field of which we cannot see the end."
"Do you know, Doctor, it's a dangerous wa=
lk
we are taking! We get used to it and don't think of it, but we are walking =
over
fathomless depths."
"You are right, my friend, but we need not
fear being swallowed; with such cold as this the ice is very strong. Beside=
s,
it has a constant tendency to get thicker, for snow falls nine days out of =
ten,
even in April, May, and June, and I fancy it must be something like thirty =
or forty
feet thick."
"That is a comfort," said Johnson.
"In fact, we are very much better off than
those who skate on the Serpentine, and who are in constant dread of falling
through; we have no such fear."
"Has the resistance of ice been calculate=
d?"
asked the old sailor, who was always seeking information from the doctor.
"Yes," the latter answered:
"everything almost that can be measured is now known, except human
ambition! and is it not that which is carrying us towards the North Pole? B=
ut to
return to your question, my answer is this. Ice two inches thick will bear a
man; three and a half inches thick, a horse and rider; five inches thick, an
eight-pound cannon; eight inches, a fully harnessed artillery-piece; and ten
inches, an army, any number of men! Where we are now, the Liverpool Custom
House or the Halls of Parliament in London could be built."
"One can hardly imagine such strength,&qu=
ot;
said Johnson; "but just now, Doctor, you spoke of snow falling nine da=
ys
out of ten; that is true, but where does all the snow come from? The sea is=
all
frozen, and I don't see how the vapor can rise to form the clouds."
"A very keen observation, Johnson; but, i=
n my
opinion, the greatest part of the snow or rain which we receive in the polar
regions is formed from the water of the seas in the temperate zones. One fl=
ake arose
into the air under the form of vapor from some river in Europe, it helped m=
ake
a cloud, and finally came here to be condensed; it is not impossible that we
who drink it may be quenching our thirst at the rivers of our own
country."
"That is true," answered Johnson.
At that moment Hatteras's voice was heard
directing their steps and interrupting their conversation. The fog was grow=
ing
thicker, and making a straight line hard to follow.
Finally the little band halted at about eight
o'clock in the evening, after walking nearly fifteen miles; the weather was
dry; the tent was raised, the fire lighted, supper cooked, and all rested
peacefully.
Hatteras and his companions were really favore=
d by
the weather. The following days brought no new difficulties, although the c=
old
became extremely severe and the mercury remained frozen in the thermometer.=
If
the wind had risen, no one could have withstood the temperature. The doctor=
was
able to corroborate Parry's observations, which he made during his journey =
to
Melville Island; he said that a man comfortably dressed could walk safely in
the open air exposed to great cold, if the air were only calm; but as soon =
as
the slightest wind arose, a sharp pain was felt in the face, and an extreme
headache which is soon followed by death. The doctor was very anxious, for a
slight wind would have frozen the marrow in their bones.
March 5th he observed a phenomenon peculiar to
these latitudes: the sky was clear and thick with stars, and thick snow beg=
an
to fall without any cloud being visible; the constellations shone through t=
he flakes
which fell regularly on the ice-field. This went on for about two hours, and
stopped before the doctor had found a satisfactory explanation of its fall.=
The last quarter of the moon had then disappea=
red;
total darkness reigned for seventeen hours out of the twenty-four; the
travellers had to tie themselves together by a long cord, to avoid being
separated; it was almost impossible for them to go in a straight line.
Still, these bold men, although animated by an
iron will, began to grow weary; their halts were more frequent, and yet they
ought not to lose an hour, for their supplies were rapidly diminishing.
Hatteras would often ascertain their position by observation of the moon an=
d stars.
As he saw the days pass by and the destination appear as remote as before, =
he
would ask himself sometimes if the Porpoise
really existed, whether the Americ=
an's
brain might not have been deranged by his sufferings, or whether, through h=
ate
of the English, and seeing himself without resources, he did not wish to dr=
ag
them with him to certain death.
He expressed his fears to the doctor, who
discouraged them greatly, but he readily understood the lamentable rivalry
which existed between the American and English captains.
"They are two men whom it will be hard to
make agree," he said to himself.
March 14th, after journeying for sixteen days,
they had only reached latitude 82°; their strength was exhausted, and they =
were
still a hundred miles from the ship; to add to their sufferings, they had t=
o bring
the men down to a quarter-ration, in order to give the dogs their full supp=
ly.
They could not depend on their shooting for fo=
od,
for they had left only seven charges of powder and six balls; they had in v=
ain
fired at some white hares and foxes, which besides were very rare. None had=
been
hit.
Nevertheless, on the 18th, the doctor was
fortunate enough to find a seal lying on the ice; he wounded him with sever=
al
balls; the animal, not being able to escape through his hole in the ice, was
soon slain. He was of very good size. Johnson cut him up skilfully, but he =
was
so very thin that he was of but little use to the men, who could not make up
their minds to drink his oil, like the Esquimaux. Still the doctor boldly t=
ried
to drink the slimy fluid, but he could not do it. He preserved the skin of =
the
animal, for no special reason, by a sort of hunter's instinct, and placed i=
t on
the sledge.
The next day, the 16th, they saw a few iceberg=
s on
the horizon. Was it a sign of a neighboring shore, or simply a disturbance =
of
the ice? It was hard to say.
When they had reached one of these hummocks, t=
hey
dug in it with a snow-knife a more comfortable retreat than that afforded by
the tent, and after three hours of exertion they were able to rest about th=
eir glowing
stove.
Johns=
on had
admitted the tired dogs into the snow-house; when the snow is falling heavi=
ly
it serves as a covering to the animals, preserving their natural heat. But =
in
the open air, with a temperature of -40°, they would soon have frozen to de=
ath.
Johnson, who made an excellent dog-driver, tri=
ed
feeding the dogs with the dark flesh of the seals which the travellers could
not swallow, and to his great surprise they made a rich feast out of it; the
old sailor in his delight told the doctor. He, however, was not in the least
surprised; he knew that in the north of America the horses make fish their =
main
article of food, and what a herbivorous horse could content himself with wo=
uld
certainly satisfy an omnivorous dog.
Before going to rest, although sleep became an
imperious necessity for men who had walked fifteen miles on the ice, the do=
ctor
wished to have a few serious words with his companions about the dangers of
their situation.
"We are only at latitude 82°," he sa=
id,
"and our supplies are already running short."
"A reason for losing no time," answe=
red
Hatteras; "we must push on; the strong can draw the feeble."
"Shall we find a ship when we get
there?" asked Bell, who was much depressed by the fatigue of the journ=
ey.
"Why doubt it?" said Johnson; "=
the
American's safety depends on ours."
To make sure, the doctor was anxious to questi=
on
Altamont again. He could speak easily, although his voice was weak; he
confirmed all the statements he had already made; he repeated that the ship=
was
aground on some granite rocks, where it could not stir, and that it lay in =
longitude
120° 15', and latitude 83° 35'.
"We can't doubt this statement," res=
umed
the doctor; "the difficulty is not whether the Porpoise is there, but the way of getting to her.=
"
"How much food have we left?" asked
Hatteras.
"Enough for three days at the outside,&qu=
ot;
answered the doctor.
"Well, we must get to her in three
days," said the captain, firmly.
"We must indeed," continued the doct=
or,
"and if we succeed we shall have no need to complain, for we shall have
been favored by faultless weather; the snow has given us a fortnight's resp=
ite,
and the sledge has glided easily on the hardened ice! Ah, if it only carried
two hundred pounds of food! Our dogs could have managed it easily enough. B=
ut
still we can't help it!"
"With luck and skill," said Johnson,
"we might put to some use the few charges of powder which are left us.=
If
we should kill a bear we should be supplied for all the rest of the
journey."
"Without doubt," answered the doctor,
"but these animals are rare and shy; and then, when one thinks of the
importance of a shot, his hand will shake and his aim be lost."
"But you are a good shot," answered
Bell.
"Yes, when four men's dinners do not depe=
nd
on my hitting; still, I will do my best if I get a chance. Meanwhile let us=
try
to satisfy ourselves with this thin soup of scraps of pemmican, then go to
sleep, and to-morrow early we'll start forth again."
A few moments later excessive fatigue outweigh=
ed
every other feeling, and they all sank into a heavy sleep. Early on Saturday
Johnson awoke his companions; the dogs were harnessed to the sledge, and th=
ey
took up again their journey northward.
The heavens were magnificent, the air was very
clear, the temperature very low; when the sun appeared above the horizon it
appeared like an elongated ellipse; its horizontal diameter appeared, in co=
nsequence
of refraction, to be double its vertical diameter. It sent forth its clear,
cold rays over the vast icy plain. This return to light, if not to heat,
rejoiced them all.
The doctor, gun in hand, walked off for a mile=
or
two, braving the cold and solitude; before going he measured the supply
carefully; only four charges of powder were left, and three balls; that was=
a
small supply when one remembers that a strong animal like the polar bear of=
ten
falls only after receiving ten or twelve shots. Hence the doctor did not go=
in
search of so fierce game; a few hares or two or three foxes would have
satisfied him and given him plenty of provisions. But during that day, if he
saw one, or could not approach one, or if he were deceived by refraction, he
would lose his shot; and this day, as it was, cost him a charge of powder a=
nd a
ball. His companions, who trembled with hope at the report of his gun, saw =
him
returning with downcast looks; they did not say anything; that evening they
went to sleep as usual, after putting aside two quarter-rations reserved fo=
r the
two following days. The next day their journey seemed more laborious; they
hardly walked, they rather dragged along; the dogs had eaten even the entra=
ils
of the seal, and they were beginning to gnaw their harness.
A few foxes passed at some distance from the
sledge, and the doctor, having missed another shot as he chased them, did n=
ot
dare to risk his last ball and his last charge save one of powder.
That evening they halted early, unable to set =
one
foot before the other, and, although their way was lighted by a brilliant
aurora, they could not go on. This last meal, eaten Sunday evening under th=
eir
icy tent, was very melancholy. If Heaven did not come to their aid, they we=
re
lost. Hatteras did not speak, Bell did not even think, Johnson reflected in
silence, but the doctor did not yet despair.
Johnson thought of setting some traps that nig=
ht;
but since he had no bait, he had very little hope of success, and in the
morning he found, as he expected, that, although a great many foxes had left
their marks around, yet not one had been caught. He was returning much disa=
ppointed,
when he saw an enormous bear sniffing the air at about thirty yards from the
sledge. The old sailor thought Providence had sent this animal to him to be
slain; without awakening his companions he seized the doctor's gun and made=
his
way towards the bear.
Having got quite near he took aim, but just as=
he
was about to pull the trigger he felt his arm trembling; his large fur glov=
es
were in his way; he took them off quickly, and seized his gun with a firmer=
hand.
Suddenly, a cry of pain escaped him; the skin of his fingers, burned by the
cold of the gun-barrel, remained clinging to it, while the gun fell to the
ground, and went off from the shock, sending the last ball off into space. =
At
the sound of the report the doctor ran; he understood everything at a glanc=
e;
he saw the animal trot quickly away; Johnson was in despair, and thought no
more of the pain.
"I'm as tender as a baby," he cried,
"not to be able to endure that pain! And an old man like me!"
"Come back, Johnson," the doctor sai=
d to
him, "you'll get frozen; see, your hands are white already; come back,
come!"
"I don't deserve your attentions,
Doctor," answered the boatswain; "leave me!"
"Come along, you obstinate fellow! Come
along! It will soon be too late!"
And the doctor, dragging the old sailor under =
the
tent, made him plunge his hands into a bowl of water, which the heat of the
stove had kept liquid, although it was not much above the freezing-point; b=
ut Johnson's
hands had no sooner touched it than it froze at once.
"You see," said the doctor, "it=
was
time to come back, otherwise I should have had to amputate your hands."=
;
Thanks to his cares, all danger was gone in an=
hour;
but it was no easy task, and constant friction was necessary to recall the =
circulation
into the old sailor's fingers. The doctor urged him to keep his hands away =
from
the stove, the heat of which might produce serious results.
That morning they had to go without breakfast;=
of
the pemmican and the salt meat nothing was left. There was not a crumb of
biscuit, and only half a pound of coffee. They had to content themselves wi=
th
drinking this hot, and then they set out.
"There's nothing more!" said Bell to
Johnson, in a despairing accent.
"Let us trust in God," said the old
sailor; "he is able to preserve us!"
"This Captain Hatteras!" continued B=
ell;
"he was able to return from his first expeditions, but he'll never get
back from this one, and we shall never see home again!"
"Courage, Bell! I confess that the captai=
n is
almost foolhardy, but there is with him a very ingenious man."
"Dr. Clawbonny?" said Bell.
"Yes," answered Johnson.
"What can he do in such circumstances?&qu=
ot;
retorted Bell, shrugging his shoulders. "Can he change these pieces of=
ice
into pieces of meat? Is he a god, who can work by miracles?"
"Who can say?" the boatswain answered
his companion's doubts; "I trust in him."
Bell shook his head, and fell into a silent
apathy, in which he even ceased to think.
That day they made hardly three miles; at even=
ing
they had nothing to eat; the dogs threatened to devour one another; the men
suffered extremely from hunger. Not a single animal was to be seen. If ther=
e had
been one, of what use would it have been? They could not go hunting with a
knife. Only Johnson thought he recognized a mile to leeward the large bear,=
who
was following the ill-fated little party.
"It is spying us!" he said to himsel=
f;
"it sees a certain prey in us!"
But Johnson said no word to his companions; th=
at
evening they made their accustomed halt, and their supper consisted only of
coffee. They felt their eyes growing haggard, their brain growing confused,
and, tortured by hunger, they could not get an hour's sleep; strange and pa=
inful
dreams took possession of their minds.
At a latitude in which the body imperiously
demands refreshment, these poor men had not eaten solid food for thirty-six
hours, when Tuesday morning came. Nevertheless, inspired by superhuman ener=
gy,
they resumed their journey, pushing on the sledge which the dogs were unabl=
e to
draw. At the end of two hours they fell, exhausted. Hatteras wanted to push=
on.
He, still strong, besought his companions to rise, but they were absolutely
unable. Then, with Johnson's assistance, he built a resting-place in an
iceberg. It seemed as if they were digging their own graves.
"I am willing to die of hunger," said
Hatteras, "but not of cold."
After much weariness the house was ready, and =
they
all entered it.
So that day passed. In that evening, while his
companions lay inert, Johnson had a sort of hallucination; he dreamed of an
immense bear. That word, which he kept repeating, attracted the doctor's
attention, so that he shook himself free from his stupor, and asked the old=
sailor
why he kept talking about a bear, and what bear he meant.
"The bear which is following us,"
answered Johnson.
"The bear which is following us?"
repeated the doctor.
"Yes, the last two days."
"The last two days! Have you seen him?&qu=
ot;
"Yes, he's a mile to leeward."
"And you didn't tell us, Johnson?"
"What was the use?"
"True," said the doctor; "we ha=
ve
no ball to fire at him."
"Not a slug, a bit of iron, nor a bolt!&q=
uot;
said the old sailor.
The doctor was silent, and began to think
intently. Soon he said to the boatswain,--
"You are sure the bear is following us?&q=
uot;
"Yes, Doctor, he's lying in wait to eat u=
s.
He knows we can't escape him!"
"Johnson!" said the doctor, touched =
by
the despairing accent of his companion.
"His food is sure," continued the po=
or
man, who was beginning to be delirious; "he must be half famished, and=
I
don't see why we need keep him waiting any longer!"
"Be quiet, Johnson!"
"No, Doctor; if we've got to come to it, =
why
should we prolong the animal's sufferings? He's hungry as we are; he has no
seal to eat! Heaven sends him us men; well, so much the better for him!&quo=
t;
Thereupon Johnson went out of his mind; he wan=
ted
to leave the snow-house. The doctor had hard work to prevent him, and he on=
ly succeeded
by saying, as if he meant it,--
"To-morrow I shall kill that bear!"<= o:p>
"To-morrow!" said Johnson, as if he =
had
awakened from a bad dream.
"Yes, to-morrow."
"You have no ball!"
"I shall make one."
"You have no lead!"
"No, but I have some quicksilver."
Thereupon the doctor took the thermometer; it
marked +50°. He went outside, placed the instrument on the ice, and soon
returned. The outside temperature was -50°. Then he said to the old sailor,=
--
"Now go to sleep, and wait till
to-morrow."
That night they endured the horrors of hunger;
only the doctor and the boatswain were able to temper them with a little ho=
pe.
The next morning, at dawn, the doctor rushed out, followed by Johnson, and =
ran to
the thermometer; all the mercury had sunk into the bulb, in the form of a c=
ompact
cylinder. The doctor broke the instrument, and seized in his gloved fingers=
a
piece of very hard metal. It was a real bullet.
"Ah, Doctor," shouted the old sailor,
"that's a real miracle! You are a wonderful man!"
"No, my friend," answered the doctor,
"I am only a man with a good memory, who has read a good deal."
"Why, what do you mean?"
"I happened to remember something Captain
Ross related in the account of his voyage: he said he shot through an inch
plank with a bullet of frozen mercury; if I had any oil it would amount to
nearly the same thing, for he speaks of a ball of sweet almond, which was f=
ired
against a post and fell back to the ground unbroken."
"That is hardly credible!"
"But it is true, Johnson; this piece of m=
etal
may save our lives; let us leave it here in the air before we take it, and =
go
and see whether the bear is still following us."
At that moment Hatteras came out of the hut; t=
he
doctor showed him the bullet, and told him what he thought of doing; the
captain pressed his hand, and the three went off to inspect. The air was ve=
ry
clear. Hatteras, who was ahead of his companions, discovered the bear about=
a half-mile
off. The animal, seated on his hind quarters, was busily moving his head ab=
out,
sniffing towards these new arrivals.
"There he is!" shouted the captain.<= o:p>
"Silence!" said the doctor.
But the huge beast did not stir when he saw the
hunters. He gazed at them without fear or anger. Still, it would be found h=
ard
to approach him.
"My friends," said Hatteras, "we
have not come out for sport, but to save our lives. Let us act
cautiously."
"Yes," answered the doctor; "we=
can
only have one shot, and we must not miss; if he were to run away, he would =
be
lost, for he can run faster than a hare."
"Well, we must go straight for him,"
said Johnson; "it is dangerous, but what does it matter? I am willing =
to
risk my life."
"No, let me go!" cried the doctor.
"No, I shall go," answered Hatteras,
quietly.
"But," said Johnson, "are not y=
ou
of more use to the others than I should be?"
"No, Johnson," answered the captain,
"let me go; I shall run no needless risk; perhaps, too, I shall call on
you to help me."
"Hatteras," asked the doctor, "=
are
you going to walk straight towards the bear?"
"If I were sure of hitting him, I would d=
o so,
even at the risk of having my head torn open, but he would flee at my appro=
ach.
He is very crafty; we must try to be even craftier."
"What do you intend to do?"
"To get within ten feet of him without his
suspecting it."
"How are you going to do it?"
"By a simple but dangerous method. You ke=
pt,
did you not, the skin of the seal you shot?"
"Yes, it is on the sledge."
"Well, let us go back to the snow-house,
while Johnson stays here on watch."
The boatswain crept behind a hummock which hid=
him
entirely from the sight of the bear, who stayed in the same place, continua=
lly
sniffing the air.
Hatte=
ras
and the doctor went back to the house.
"You know," said the captain, "=
that
the polar bears chase seals, which are their principal food. They watch for
days at their breathing-holes, and seize them the moment they come upon the
ice. So a bear will not be afraid of a seal; far from it."
"I understand your plan," said the
doctor, "but it's dangerous."
"But there is a chance of success,"
answered the captain, "and we must try it. I am going to put on the
sealskin and crawl over the ice. Let us lose no time. Load the gun and give=
it
to me."
The doctor had nothing to say; he would himself
have done what his companion was about to try; he left the house, carrying =
two
axes, one for Johnson, the other for himself; then, accompanied by Hatteras=
, he
went to the sledge.
There Hatteras put on the sealskin, which very
nearly covered him. Meanwhile, Hatteras loaded the gun with the last charge=
of
powder, and dropped in it the quicksilver bullet, which was as hard as steel
and as heavy as lead. Then he handed Hatteras the gun, which he hid beneath=
the
sealskin. Then he said to the doctor,--
"You go and join Johnson; I shall wait a =
few
moments to puzzle the enemy."
"Courage, Hatteras!" said the doctor=
.
"Don't be uneasy, and above all don't show
yourselves before you hear my gun."
The doctor soon reached the hummock which
concealed Johnson.
"Well?" the latter asked.
"Well, we must wait. Hatteras is doing all
this to save us."
The doctor was agitated; he looked at the bear,
which had grown excited, as if he had become conscious of the danger which
threatened him. A quarter of an hour later the seal was crawling over the i=
ce;
he made a circuit of a quarter of a mile to baffle the bear; then he found
himself within three hundred feet of him. The bear then saw him, and settled
down as if he were trying to hide. Hatteras imitated skilfully the movement=
s of
a seal, and if he had not known, the doctor would certainly have taken him =
for
one.
"That's true!" whispered Johnson.
The seal, as he approached the bear, did not
appear to see him; he seemed to be seeking some hole through which to reach=
the
water. The bear advanced towards him over the ice with the utmost caution; =
his eager
eyes betrayed his excitement; for one or perhaps two months he had been
fasting, and fortune was now throwing a sure prey before him. The seal had =
come
within ten feet of his enemy; the bear hastened towards him, made a long le=
ap,
and stood stupefied three paces from Hatteras, who, casting aside the seals=
kin,
with one knee resting on the ground, was aiming at the bear's heart.
The report was sounded, and the bear rolled ov=
er
on the ice.
"Forward!" shouted the doctor. And,
followed by Johnson, he hastened to the scene of combat. The huge beast ros=
e,
and beat the air with one paw while with the other he tore up a handful of =
snow
to stanch the wound. Hatteras did not stir, but waited, knife in hand. But =
his
aim had been accurate, and his bullet had hit its mark; before the arrival =
of
his friends he had plunged his knife into the beast's throat, and it fell,
never to rise.
"Victory!" shouted Johnson.
"Hurrah! hurrah! hurrah!" cried the
doctor.
Hatteras, with folded arms, was gazing calmly =
at
the corpse of his foe.
"It's now my turn," said Johnson;
"it's very well to have killed it, but there is no need of waiting till
it's frozen as hard as a stone, when teeth and knife will be useless for
attacking it."
Johnson began by skinning the bear, which was
nearly as large as an ox; it was nine feet long and six feet in circumferen=
ce;
two huge tusks, three inches long, issued from his mouth. On opening him, n=
othing
was found in his stomach but water; the bear had evidently eaten nothing fo=
r a
long time; nevertheless, he was very fat, and he weighed more than fifteen
hundred pounds; he was divided into four quarters, each one of which gave t=
wo
hundred pounds of meat, and the hunters carried this flesh back to the
snow-house, without forgetting the animal's heart, which went on beating for
three hours.
The others wanted to eat the meat raw, but the
doctor bade them wait until it should be roasted. On entering the house he =
was
struck by the great cold within it; he went up to the stove and found the f=
ire
out; the occupations as well as the excitement of the morning had made John=
son
forget his customary duty. The doctor tried to rekindle the fire, but there=
was
not even a spark lingering amid the cold ashes.
"Well, we must have patience!" he sa=
id
to himself. He then went to the sledge to get some tinder, and asked Johnson
for his steel, telling him that the fire had gone out. Johnson answered tha=
t it
was his fault, and he put his hand in his pocket, where he usually kept it;=
he was
surprised not to find it there. He felt in his other pockets with the same
success; he went into the snow-house and examined carefully the covering un=
der
which he had slept in the previous night, but he could not find it.
"Well?" shouted the doctor.
Johnson came back, and stared at his companion=
s.
"And haven't you got the steel, Dr.
Clawbonny?" he asked.
"No, Johnson."
"Nor you, Captain?"
"No," answered Hatteras.
"You have always carried it," said t=
he
doctor.
"Well, I haven't got it now--" murmu=
red
the old sailor, growing pale.
"Not got it!" shouted the doctor, who
could not help trembling. There was no other steel, and the loss of this mi=
ght
bring with it terrible consequences.
"Hunt again!" said the doctor.
Johnson ran to the piece of ice behind which he
had watched the bear, then to the place of combat, where he had cut him up;=
but
he could not find anything. He returned in despair. Hatteras looked at him
without a word of reproach.
"This is serious," he said to the
doctor.
"Yes," the latter answered.
"We have not even an instrument, a glass =
from
which we might take the lens to get fire by means of it!"
"I know it," answered the doctor;
"and that is a great pity, because the rays of the sun are strong enou=
gh
to kindle tinder."
"Well," answered Hatteras, "we =
must
satisfy our hunger with this raw meat; then we shall resume our march and we
shall try to reach the ship."
"Yes," said the doctor, buried in
reflection; "yes, we could do that if we had to. Why not? We might
try--"
"What are you thinking of?" asked
Hatteras.
"An idea which has just occurred to
me--"
"An idea," said Johnson; "one of
your ideas! Then we are saved!"
"It's a question," answered the doct=
or,
"whether it will succeed."
"What is your plan?" said Hatteras.<= o:p>
"We have no lens; well, we will make
one."
"How?" asked Johnson.
"With a piece of ice which we shall cut
out."
"Why, do you think--"
"Why not? We want to make the sun's rays converge to a common focus, and ice will do as much good as crystal."<= o:p>
"Is it possible?" asked Johnson.
"Yes, only I should prefer fresh to salt
water; it is more transparent, and harder."
"But, if I am not mistaken," said
Johnson, pointing to a hummock a hundred paces distant, "that dark gre=
en
block shows--"
"You are right; come, my friends; bring y=
our
hatchet, Johnson."
The three men went towards the block which, as
they supposed, was formed of fresh water.
The doctor had a piece, a foot in diameter, cut
through, and he began to smooth it with the hatchet; then he equalized the
surface still further with his knife; then he polished it with his hand, an=
d he
obtained soon a lens as transparent as if it had been made of the most magn=
ificent
crystal. Then he returned to the snow-house, where he took a piece of tinder
and began his experiment. The sun was shining brightly; the doctor held the
lens so that the rays should be focused on the tinder, which took fire in a=
few
seconds.
"Hurrah! hurrah!" cried Johnson, who
could hardly trust his eyes. "O Doctor, Doctor!"
The old sailor could not restrain his joy; he =
was
coming and going like a madman. The doctor had returned to the house; a few
minutes later the stove was roaring, and soon a delicious odor of cooking a=
roused
Bell from his torpor. It may be easily imagined how the feast was enjoyed; =
still
the doctor advised his friends to partake in moderation; he set an example,=
and
while eating he again began to talk.
"To-day is a lucky day," he said;
"we have food enough for our journey. But we mustn't fall asleep in the
delights of Capua, and we'd better start out again."
"We can't be more than forty-eight hours =
from
the Porpoise ," said Altamont=
, who
could now begin to speak once more.
"I hope," said the doctor, smiling,
"that we shall find material for a fire there."
"Yes," said the American.
"For, if my ice lens is good," conti=
nued
the doctor, "there would still be something desired on cloudy days, and
there are many of them less than four degrees from the Pole."
"True!" said Altamont with a sigh,
"less than four degrees! My ship has gone nearer than any yet has
been!"
"Forward!" said Hatteras, quickly.
"Forward!" repeated the doctor, gazi=
ng
uneasily at the two captains.
The strength of the travellers soon returned; =
the
dogs had eaten freely of the bear's flesh, and they continued their journey=
northward.
During their walk the doctor tried to draw from Altamont the object of his
expedition, but the American gave only evasive answers.
"There are two men to be watched," he
whispered to the boatswain.
"Yes," answered Johnson.
"Hatteras never says a word to the Americ=
an,
and the American seems to show very little gratitude. Fortunately I am
here."
"Dr. Clawbonny," answered Johnson,
"since this Yankee has returned to life, I don't like his face much.&q=
uot;
"Either I'm mistaken," answered the =
doctor,
"or he suspects Hatteras's plans."
"Do you think that the stranger has the s=
ame
plans?"
"Who can tell? The Americans are bold; an
American may well try what an Englishman tries!"
"You think that Altamont--"
"I don't think anything about it,"
answered the doctor; "but the situation of this ship on the way to the
Pole gives one material for thought."
"But Altamont said he had drifted
there."
"He said so! Yes, but he was smiling in a
very strange way."
"The devil, Dr. Clawbonny; it would be
unfortunate if there should be any rivalry between two such men."
"Heaven grant that I may be mistaken,
Johnson, for this misfortune might produce serious complications, if not so=
me
catastrophe."
"I hope Altamont will not forget that we
saved his life."
"But isn't he going to save us? I confess
that without us he would not be alive; but what would become of us without =
him,
without his ship, without its resources?"
"Well, Doctor, you are here, and I hope w=
ith
your aid all will go well."
"I hope so, Johnson."
The voyage went on without incident; there was=
no
lack of bear's flesh, and they made copious meals of it; there was a certai=
n good-humor
in the little band, thanks to the jests of the doctor and his pleasant
philosophy; this worthy man always had some scrap of information to give to=
his
companions. His health continued good; he had not grown very thin, in spite=
of
his fatigues and privations; his friends at Liverpool would have recognized=
him
without difficulty; especially would they have recognized his unaltered
good-humor.
During the morning of Saturday the appearance =
of
the plain of ice changed materially; the perturbed fragments, the frequent
packs, the hummocks, showed that the ice-field was enduring some severe
pressure; evidently some unknown continent, some new island, might have cau=
sed this
by narrowing the passes. Blocks of fresh water, more frequent and larger,
indicated the coast to be near. Hence, there was near them a new land, and =
the
doctor yearned with a desire to add to the charts of the northern regions.
Great is the pleasure of ascertaining the line of these unknown coasts, and=
of
tracing it with a pencil; that was the doctor's aim, while that of Hatteras=
was
merely to place his foot upon the Pole, and he took pleasure in advance in
thinking of the names he was going to give to the seas, straits, bays, and
slightest promontories in these new continents; certainly he would not forg=
et the
names of his companions, his friends, nor her Gracious Majesty, nor the roy=
al
family; and he foresaw a certain "Cape Clawbonny" with great
satisfaction.
These thoughts kept him busy all day; that eve=
ning
they encamped as usual, and each one took his turn at watching near these
unknown lands. The next day, Sunday, after a heavy breakfast of bear's paws=
, which
were very good, the travellers pushed on to the north, inclining a little to
the west; the road grew difficult, but yet they advanced rapidly. Altamont,
from the top of the sledge, scanned the horizon with feverish attention; his
companions were the victims of involuntary uneasiness. The last solar
observations gave them latitude 83° 35', and longitude 120° 15'; that was t=
he
place where the American ship was said to be lying; the question of life and
death was to be solved that day. At last, at about half past two in the
afternoon, Altamont stood straight, stopped the little band by a loud cry, =
and,
pointing with his hand to a white mass, which all the rest had taken for an
iceberg, he cried with a loud voice,--
"The =
span>Porpoise
!"
March=
24th
was Palm Sunday,--that day when the streets of the towns and villages of Eu=
rope
are filled with flowers and leaves; bells are ringing, and the air is filled
with rich perfumes. But here, in this desolate country, what sadness and
silence! The wind was keen and bitter; not a leaf of foliage was to be seen!
But still, this Sunday was a day of rejoicing for our travellers, for at la=
st
they were about to find supplies which would save them from certain death. =
They
hastened their steps; the dogs drew the sledge briskly, Duke barked joyousl=
y,
and they all soon reached the American ship. The Porpoise was wholly buried beneath the snow; ther=
e was
no sign of mast, yard, or rigging; all had been lost at the time of the
shipwreck; the ship lay on a bed of rocks now completely hidden. The Porpoise was careened to one side by the violence=
of
the shock, her bottom was torn open, so that the ship seemed uninhabitable.
This was soon seen by the captain, the doctor, and Johnson, after they had
entered the vessel; they had to cut away fifteen feet of ice to get to the
hatchway; but to their great joy they saw that the animals, many traces of
which were to be seen, had spared the supplies.
"If we have here," said Johnson,
"plenty of food and fuel, this hull does not seem inhabitable."
"Well, we must build a snow-house,"
answered Hatteras, "and make ourselves as comfortable as possible on t=
he
mainland."
"Without doubt," continued the docto=
r;
"but don't let us hurry; let us do things carefully; if need be we can=
fit
out some quarters in the ship; meanwhile we can build a strong house, capab=
le
of protecting us against the cold and wild beasts. I am willing to be the
architect, and you'll see what I can do."
"I don't doubt your skill, Doctor,"
answered Johnson; "we'll make ourselves as comfortable as possible her=
e,
and we'll make an inventory of all that the ship contains; unfortunately, I
don't see any launch, or boat, and these ruins are in too bad a state to pe=
rmit
of our making a small boat."
"Who can say?" answered the doctor.
"With time and thought a great deal can be done; now we have not to
trouble ourselves about navigation, but about a house to live in; I propose=
not
to form any other plans, and to let everything have its turn."
"That is wise," answered Hatteras;
"let us begin with the beginning."
The three companions left the ship, returned to
the sledge, and announced their determination to Bell and the American; Bell
said he was ready to work; the American shook his head, on learning that no=
thing
could be done with his ship; but since all discussion would have been idle,
they determined at first to take refuge in the Porpoise , and to build a large building=
on
the shore.
At four o'clock in the afternoon the five
travellers were installed as comfortably as possible between decks; by mean=
s of
spars and fragments of masts, Bell had made a nearly level floor; there they
placed coverings stiffened by the frost, which the heat of the stove soon b=
rought
back to their natural state; Altamont, leaning on the doctor, was able to m=
ake
his way to the corner which had been set aside for him; on setting foot on =
his
ship, he had sighed with a feeling of relief, which did not encourage the
boatswain.
"He feels at home," the old sailor
thought, "and one would say that he had invited us here."
The rest of the day was devoted to repose; the
weather threatened to change under the influence of the westerly winds; the
thermometer outside stood at -26°. In fact, the Porpoise lay beyond the pole of cold, at a latitu=
de relatively
less severe, though farther to the north. On that day they finished the bea=
r,
with some biscuits they found on the ship, and a few cups of tea; then fati=
gue
overcame them, and each one sank into a sound sleep.
The next morning they all awoke rather late; t=
hey
soon recalled the difference in their situation; they were no longer perple=
xed
with uncertainty about the morrow; they only thought of establishing themse=
lves
comfortably. These castaways looked at themselves as colonists who had reac=
hed
their destination, and, forgetting the sufferings of their long march, they=
had
no other thought than that of securing a comfortable future.
"Well," said the doctor, stretching =
his
arms, "it's something not to have to wonder where one will sleep to-ni=
ght
and what one will have to eat to-morrow."
"Let us first make an inventory of the
ship," answered Johnson.
The P=
orpoise
had been carefully equipped for a =
long
voyage.
The inventory, when complete, indicated the
following supplies:--
6,15= 0 lbs. of flour, fat and raisins for puddings; 2,000 " " beef and salt pork; 1,500 " " pemmican; 700 " " sugar; 700 " " chocolate; 500 " " rice; 1½ chests of tea, weighing 87 lbs; = many barrels of canned fruits and vegetables, lime-juice in abundance, cochleari= a, sorrel and water-cresses, and three hundred gallons of rum and brandy; in t= he hold there was a large supply of ammunition; there was plenty of coal and w= ood. The doctor collected carefully the nautical instruments, and he also found a Bunsen's Pile, which had been carried for electrical tests and experiments.= In short, they had supplies enough to keep five men on whole rations for two years; all fear of starving or freezing to death was hence wholly removed.<= o:p>
"Our means of living are certain," s=
aid
the doctor to the captain, "and there is nothing to prevent our reachi=
ng
the Pole."
"The Pole!" answered Hatteras, tremb=
ling
with excitement.
"Certainly," continued the doctor;
"what's to prevent our pushing on during the summer across the land?&q=
uot;
"Across the land! true! But how about the
sea?"
"Can't we build a small boat out of the
timber of the Porpoise ?"
"An American boat, you mean," answer=
ed
Hatteras, scornfully, "and commanded by this American!"
The doctor understood the captain's repugnance,
and judged it best to change the conversation.
"Now that we know what our supplies
are," he went on, "we must build some safe place for them, and a
house for ourselves. We have plenty of material, and we can settle ourselves
very comfortably. I hope, Bell," he added, turning to the carpenter,
"that you are going to distinguish yourself; I may be able to help you
too, I trust."
"I'm ready, Doctor," answered Bell;
"if it were necessary I could easily build a whole city with houses and
streets out of these blocks of ice--"
"We sha'n't need as much as that; let us
follow the example of the agents of the Hudson's Bay Company; they build fo=
rts
which protect them from the wild beasts and the Indians; that is all we nee=
d;
let us make it no larger than necessary; on one side the dwelling, on the o=
ther
the stores, with a sort of curtain, and two bastions. I'll try to rub up wh=
at I
know about fortification."
"Upon my word, Doctor," said Johnson,
"I don't doubt that we shall make something very fine under your
direction."
"Well, my friends, we must first choose a
site; a good engineer should first study the lay of the land. Will you come
with me, Hatteras?"
"I shall trust to you, Doctor," answ=
ered
the captain. "You see about that, while I explore the coast."
Altamont, who was still too feeble to get to w=
ork,
was left on board of his ship, and the two Englishmen set foot on the mainl=
and.
The weather was thick and stormy; at noon the thermometer stood at -11°, bu=
t,
there being no wind, that temperature was comfortable. Judging from the out=
line
of the shore, a large sea, at that time wholly frozen, stretched out farther
than eye could reach in the west; on the east it was limited by a rounded
coast, cut into by numerous estuaries, and rising suddenly about two hundred
yards from the shore; it formed a large bay, full of dangerous rocks, on wh=
ich
the Porpoise had been wrecked; far off on the land ro=
se a
mountain, which the doctor conjectured to be about three thousand feet high=
. Towards
the north a promontory ran into the sea, after hiding a part of the bay. An
island of moderate size rose from the field of ice, three miles from the
mainland, so that it offered a safe anchorage to any ship that could enter =
the
bay. In a hollow cut of the shore was a little inlet, easily reached by shi=
ps,
if this part of the arctic seas was ever open. Yet, according to the accoun=
ts
of Beecher and Penny, this whole sea was open in the summer months.
In the middle of the coast the doctor noticed a
sort of plateau about two hundred feet in diameter; on three sides it was o=
pen
to the bay; the fourth was enclosed by an elevation about a hundred and twe=
nty feet
high; this could be ascended only by steps cut in the ice. This seemed a pr=
oper
place for a solid building, and it could be easily fortified; nature had
adapted it for the purpose; it was only necessary to make use of the place.=
The
doctor, Bell, and Johnson reached this place by means of steps cut in the i=
ce.
As soon as the doctor saw the excellence of the place, he determined to dig
away the ten feet of hardened snow which covered it; the buildings had to b=
e built
on a solid foundation.
During Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, work we=
nt
on without relaxation; at last the ground appeared; it consisted of a hard,=
dense
granite, with the angles as sharp as glass; it contained, moreover, garnets=
and
large crystals of feldspar, against which the pickaxe struck fire.
The doctor then gave them the dimensions and p=
lan
of the snow-house; it was to be forty feet long, twenty broad, and ten deep=
; it
was divided into three rooms, a sitting-room, a bedroom, and a kitchen; more
was not needed. To the left was the kitchen, to the right the bedroom, in t=
he
middle the sitting-room. For five days they worked busily. There was no lac=
k of
material; the ice walls were thick enough to resist thawing, for they could=
not
risk being wholly without protection, even in summer. In proportion as the
house rose, it became agreeable to see; there were four front windows, two =
in
the sitting-room, one in the kitchen, another in the bedroom; for panes of =
glass
they substituted large sheets of ice, in the Esquimaux fashion, which serve=
d as
well as unpolished glass for the passage of light. In front of the
sitting-room, between two windows, there ran a long entry like a tunnel, wh=
ich
gave admission to the house; a solid door, brought from the Porpoise , closed it hermetically. When =
the
house was finished, the doctor was delighted with his handiwork; it would h=
ave
been impossible to say to what school of architecture the building belonged,
although the architect would have avowed his preferences for the Saxon Goth=
ic,
so common in England; but the main point was, that it should be solid;
therefore the doctor placed on the front short uprights; on top a sloping r=
oof
rested against the granite wall. This served to support the stove-pipes, wh=
ich
carried the smoke away. When the task was completed, they began to arrange =
the
interior. They carried into the bedroom the sleeping-accommodations from th=
e Porpoise ; they were arranged in a circle
about a large stove. Benches, chairs, sofas, tables, wardrobes, were arrang=
ed
in the sitting-room, which was also used as a dining-room; the kitchen rece=
ived
the cooking-stoves of the ship, and the various utensils. Sails, stretched =
on
the floor, formed the carpet, and also served as hangings to the inner door=
s,
which had no other way of closing. The walls of the house averaged five fee=
t in
thickness, and the recesses for the windows looked like embrasures in a for=
t.
It was all built with great solidity; what more was to be desired? Ah, if t=
hey
had listened to the doctor, there is no knowing what they would not have ma=
de
of this ice and snow, which can be so easily manipulated! He all day long w=
ould
ponder over plans which he never hoped to bring about, but he thereby light=
ened
the dull work of all by the ingenuity of his suggestions. Besides, he had c=
ome
across, in his wide reading, a rather rare book by one Kraft, entitled
"Detailed Description of the Snow-Palace built at St. Petersburg, in
January, 1740, and of all the Objects it contained." The recollection =
of
this book impressed him. One evening he gave his companions a full account =
of
the wonders of that snow-palace.
"Why couldn't we do here," he asked,
"what they did at St. Petersburg? What do we need? Nothing, not even
imagination!"
"So it was very handsome?" said John=
son.
"It was fairy-like, my friend. The house,
built by order of the Empress Anna, and in which she had celebrated the
marriage of one of her buffoons in 1740, was nearly as large as ours; but in
front stood six cannons of ice; they were often fired without bursting; the=
re
were also mortars to hold sixty-pound shells; so we could have some formida=
ble
artillery; the bronze is handy, and falls even from heaven. But the triumph=
of
taste and art was on the front of the palace, which was adorned with handso=
me
statues; the steps were garnished with vases of flowers of the same materia=
l;
on the right stood an enormous elephant, who played water through his trunk=
by
day, and burning naphtha by night. What a menagerie we might have if we only
wanted to!"
"As for animals," answered Johnson,
"we sha'n't lack them, I fancy, and they won't be any the less interes=
ting
for not being made of ice."
"Well," said the doctor, "we sh=
all
be able to defend ourselves against their attacks; but to return to the pal=
ace,
I should add that inside there were mirrors, candelabra, beds, mattresses,
pillows, curtains, clocks, chairs, playing-cards, wardrobes well furnished,=
and
all cut out of ice; in fact, nothing was lacking."
"It was then a true palace?" said Be=
ll.
"A splendid palace, worthy of a sovereign!
Ice! It was kind of Providence to invent it, since it lends itself to so ma=
ny
miracles and accommodates so readily to the needs of castaways!"
It took them until March 31st to get the house
ready; this was Easter Sunday, and the day was set aside for rest; the whole
day was spent in the sitting-room, where divine service was read, and each =
was
able to judge of the excellent arrangements of the snow-house.
The next morning they set about building stores
and a magazine; this took them about a week, including the time employed for
emptying the Porpoise , which was =
not
done without difficulty, for the low temperature did not permit them to work
very long. At last, April 8th, provisions, food, and supplies were safely
sheltered on land; the stores were placed to the north, and the powder-hous=
e to
the south, about sixty feet from the end of the house; a sort of dog-kennel=
was
built near the stores; it was destined for the Greenland dogs, and the doct=
or
honored it with the title of "Dog-Palace." Duke partook of the co=
mmon
quarters.
Then the doctor passed to the means of defence=
of
the place. Under his direction the plateau was surrounded by a real
fortification of ice which secured it against every invasion; its height ma=
de a
natural protection, and as there was no salient, it was equally strong on a=
ll sides.
The doctor's system of defence recalled strongly the method of Sterne's Unc=
le
Toby, whose gentleness and good-humor he also shared. He was a pleasant sig=
ht
when he was calculating the inclination of the platform and the breadth of =
the
causeway; but this task was so easy with the snow, that he enjoyed it, and =
he
was able to make the wall seven feet thick; besides the plateau overlooking=
the
bay, he had to build neither counterscarp nor glacis; the parapet of snow,
after following the outlines of the plateau, joined the rock on the other s=
ide.
The work of fortification was finished April 15th. The fort was completed, =
and
the doctor seemed very proud of his work.
In truth, this fortified enclosure could have
withstood for a long time against a tribe of Esquimaux, if such enemies were
met under that latitude; but there was no trace of human beings there;
Hatteras, in making out the outline of the bay, did not see any ruins of the
huts which are so commonly found in the places resorted to by Greenland tri=
bes;
the castaways of the Forward and the Porpoise appeared to be the first ever to set foo=
t on
this unknown shore. But if they need not fear men, animals were to be dread=
ed,
and the fort, thus defended, would have to protect the little garrison agai=
nst
their attacks.
During
these preparations for going into winter-quarters, Altamont had entirely
recovered his health and strength; he was even able to aid in unloading the
ship. His vigorous constitution at last carried the day, and his pallor soon
gave way before the vigor of his blood.
They saw in him a sanguine, robust citizen of =
the
United States, an intelligent, energetic man with a resolute character, a b=
old,
hardy American ready for everything; he was originally from New York, and h=
ad
been a sailor from infancy, as he told his companions; his ship, the Porpoise , had been equipped and sent ou=
t by a
society of wealthy American merchants, at the head of whom was the famous M=
r.
Grinnell.
There was a certain similarity between his
disposition and that of Hatteras, but their sympathies were different. This
similarity did not incline them to become friends; indeed, it had the oppos=
ite
effect. A close observer would have detected serious discordances between t=
hem;
and this, although they were very frank with one another. Altamont was less=
so,
however, than Hatteras; with greater ease of manner, he was less loyal; his
open character did not inspire as much confidence as did the captain's gloo=
my
temperament. Hatteras would say what he had to say, and then he held his pe=
ace.
The other would talk a great deal, but say very little. Such was the doctor=
's
reading of the American's character, and he was right in his presentiment o=
f a
future disagreement, if not hatred, between the captains of the Porpoise and the Forward .
And yet only one could command. To be sure,
Hatteras had all the right of commanding, by virtue of anterior right and
superior force. But if one was at the head of his own men, the other was on
board of his own ship. And that was generally felt. Either from policy or i=
nstinctively,
Altamont was at first attracted towards the doctor; it was to him he owed h=
is
life, but it was sympathy rather than gratitude which moved him. This was t=
he
invariable effect of Clawbonny's nature; friends grew about him like wheat
under the summer sun. Every one has heard of people who rise at five o'cloc=
k in
the morning to make enemies; the doctor could have got up at four without d=
oing
it. Nevertheless, he resolved to profit by Altamont's friendship to the ext=
ent
of learning the real reason of his presence in the polar seas. But with all=
his
wordiness the American answered without answering, and kept repeating what =
he
had to say about the Northwest Passage. The doctor suspected that there was
some other motive for the expedition, the same, namely, that Hatteras suspe=
cted.
Hence he resolved not to let the two adversaries discuss the subject; but he
did not always succeed. The simplest conversations threatened to wander to =
that
point, and any word might kindle a blaze of controversy. It happened soon. =
When
the house was finished, the doctor resolved to celebrate the fact by a sple=
ndid
feast; this was a good idea of Clawbonny's, who wanted to introduce in this
continent the habits and pleasures of European life. Bell had just shot some
ptarmigans and a white rabbit, the first harbinger of spring. This feast to=
ok
place April 14, Low Sunday, on a very pleasant day; the cold could not enter
the house, and if it had, the roaring stoves would have soon conquered it. =
The dinner
was good; the fresh meat made an agreeable variety after the pemmican and s=
alt
meat; a wonderful pudding, made by the doctor's own hand, was much admired;
every one asked for another supply; the head cook himself, with an apron ab=
out
his waist and a knife hanging by his side, would not have disgraced the kit=
chen
of the Lord High Chancellor of England. At dessert, liquors appeared; the
American was not a teetotaler; hence there was no reason for his depriving
himself of a glass of gin or brandy; the other guests, who were never in any
way intemperate, could permit themselves this infraction of their rule; so,=
by
the doctor's command, each one was able to drain a glass at the end of the
merry meal. When a toast was drunk to the United States, Hatteras was simply
silent. It was then that the doctor brought forward an interesting subject.=
"My friends," he said, "it is n=
ot
enough that we have crossed the waters and ice and have come so far; there =
is
one thing left for us to do. Hence I propose that we should give names to t=
his
hospitable land where we have found safety and rest; that is the course pur=
sued
by all navigators, and there is not one who has neglected it; therefore we =
ought
to carry back with us not only a map of the shores, but also the names of t=
he
capes, bays, points, and promontories which we find. That is absolutely
necessary."
"Good!" cried Johnson; "besides,
when one can give all these lands their own names, it looks like genuine wo=
rk,
and we can't consider ourselves as cast away on an unknown shore."
"Besides," added Bell, "that
simplifies instructions and facilitates the execution of orders; we may be
compelled to separate during some expedition or in hunting, and the best way
for finding our way back is to know the names of the places."
"Well," said the doctor, "since=
we
are all agreed, let us try to settle on some names without forgetting our
country and friends."
"You are right, Doctor," answered the
American, "and you give what you say additional value by your
warmth."
"Well," continued the doctor, "=
let
us go on in order."
Hatteras had not taken part in the conversatio=
n;
he was thinking. Still the eyes of his companions were fastened on him; he =
rose
and said,--
"If you are all willing, and I don't think
any one will dissent,"--at those words Hatteras looked at
Altamont,--"it seems to me proper to name this house after its skilful
architect, and to call it 'Doctor's House.'"
"That's true," said Bell.
"Good!" shouted Johnson; "Docto=
r's
House!"
"Couldn't be better," added Altamont.
"Hurrah for Dr. Clawbonny!"
Three cheers were then given, to which Duke ad=
ded
an approving bark.
"So," resumed Hatteras, "let th=
is
house bear that name until some new land is discovered to bear the name of =
our
friend."
"Ah!" said Johnson, "if the ear=
thly
Paradise were to be named over again, the name of Clawbonny would suit it t=
o a
miracle!"
The doctor, much moved, wanted to defend himse=
lf
by modesty, but he was unable. It was then formally agreed that the feast h=
ad
been eaten in the grand dining-hall of Doctor's House, after being cooked in
the kitchen of Doctor's House, and that they would go comfortably to bed in=
the
chamber of Doctor's House.
"Now," said the doctor, "let us
take the more important points of our discoveries."
"There is," said Hatteras, "this
immense sea which surrounds us, and in which no ship has ever floated."=
;
"No ship!" interrupted Altamont;
"it seems to me the Porpoise =
should not be forgotten, unless indeed i=
t came
by land," he added jestingly.
"One might think it had," retorted
Hatteras, "to see the rocks on which it is now resting."
"Indeed, Hatteras," answered Altamont
with some vexation; "but, on the whole, isn't even that better than
blowing up as the Forward did!"
Hatteras was about to make some angry reply, w=
hen
the doctor interrupted him.
"My friends," he said, "we are =
not
talking about ships, but about the new sea--"
"It is not new," interrupted Altamon=
t.
"It already bears a name on all the charts of the Pole. It is the Arct=
ic
Ocean, and I don't see any reason for changing its name; if we should find =
out
in the future that it is only a sound or gulf, we can see what is to be
done."
"Very well," said Hatteras.
"Agreed," said the doctor, regretting
that he had aroused a discussion between rival nationalities.
"Let us come to the land which we are now
in," resumed Hatteras. "I am not aware that it bears any name on =
the
most recent maps."
At these words he turned to Altamont, who did =
not
lower his eyes, but answered,--
"You may be mistaken again, Hatteras.&quo=
t;
"Mistaken! this unknown land, this new
country--"
"Has a name already," answered the
American, quietly.
Hatteras was silent. His lips trembled.
"And what is its name?" asked the
doctor, a little surprised at the American's statement.
"My dear Clawbonny," answered Altamo=
nt,
"it is the custom, not to say the habit, of every explorer to give a n=
ame
to the continent which he has discovered. It seems to me that on this occas=
ion
it was in my power and that it was my duty to use this indisputable
right--"
"Still--" said Johnson, whom Altamon=
t's
coolness annoyed.
"It seems to me hard to pretend," the
American resumed, "that the P=
orpoise
did not discover this coast, and e=
ven on
the supposition that it came by land," he added, glancing at Hatteras,
"there can't be any question."
"That is a claim I can't admit," ans=
wered
Hatteras, gravely, forcibly restraining himself. "To give a name, one
should be the discoverer, and that I fancy you were not. Without us, beside=
s,
where would you be, sir, you who presume to impose conditions upon us? Twen=
ty
feet under the snow!"
"And without me, sir," replied the
American, "without my ship, where would you be at this moment? Dead of
cold and hunger?"
"My friends," said the doctor,
intervening for the best, "come, a little calm, it can all settle itse=
lf.
Listen to me!"
"That gentleman," continued Altamont,
pointing to the captain, "can give a name to all the lands he discover=
s,
if he discovers any; but this continent belongs to me! I cannot admit of its
bearing two names, like Grinnell Land and Prince Albert's Land, because an =
Englishman
and American happened to find it at the same time. Here it's different. My =
rights
of precedence are beyond dispute! No ship has ever touched this shore before
mine. No human being before me has ever set foot upon it; now, I have given=
it
its name, and it shall keep it."
"And what is its name?" asked the
doctor.
"New America," answered Altamont.
Hatteras clinched his fists on the table. But =
with
a violent effort he controlled himself.
"Can you prove to me," Altamont went=
on,
"that any Englishman has ever set foot on this soil before me?"
Johnson and Bell were silent, although they we=
re
no less angry than the captain at the haughty coolness of their opponent. B=
ut
there was nothing to be said. The doctor began again after a few moments of=
painful
silence.
"My friends," he said, "the fir=
st
law of humanity is justice; it embraces all the rest. Let us then be just, =
and
not give way to evil feelings. Altamont's priority appears to me incontesta=
ble.
There is no question about it; we shall have our revenge later, and England
will have a good share in future discoveries. Let us leave to this land, th=
en,
the name of New America. But Altamont, in giving it this name, has not, I
imagine, disposed of the bays, capes, points, and promontories which it
encloses, and I don't see anything to prevent our calling it Victoria
Bay."
"None at all," answered Altamont,
"provided that the cape jutting into the sea over there is named Cape
Washington."
"You might have chosen, sir," cried
Hatteras, beside himself, "a name less offensive to an English ear.&qu=
ot;
"But none dearer to an American ear,"
answered Altamont, with much pride.
"Come, come," continued the doctor, =
who
found it hard to keep the peace in this little world, "no discussion a=
bout
that! Let an American be proud of his great men! Let us honor genius wherev=
er
it is found, and since Altamont has made his choice, let us now speak for
ourselves and our friends. Let our captain--"
"Doctor," answered Hatteras, "s=
ince
this is an American land, I don't care to have my name figure here."
"Is that opinion unchangeable?" asked
the doctor.
"It is," answered Hatteras.
The doctor did not insist any further.
"Well, then, it's our turn," he said,
addressing the old sailor and the carpenter; "let us leave a trace of =
our
passage here. I propose that we call that island about three miles from here
Johnson Island, in honor of our boatswain."
"O," said the latter, a little
embarrassed, "O doctor!"
"As to the mountain which we have seen in=
the
west, we shall call it Bell Mountain, if our carpenter is willing."
"It's too much honor for me," answer=
ed
Bell.
"It's only fair," said the doctor.
"Nothing better," said Altamont.
"Then we have only to name our fort,"
resumed the doctor; "there need be no discussion about that; it's neit=
her
to Her Royal Highness Queen Victoria nor to Washington that we owe our
protection in it at this moment, but to God, who brought us together and sa=
ved
us all. Let it be called Fort Providence!"
"A capital plan!" answered Altamont.=
"Fort Providence," added Johnson,
"that sounds well! So, then, in returning from our excursions in the
north, we shall start from Cape Washington to reach Victoria Bay, and from
there to Fort Providence, where we shall find rest and plenty in Doctor's
House."
"Then that's settled," answered the
doctor; "later, as we make discoveries, we shall have other names to g=
ive,
which I hope will not give rise to discussion; for, my friends, we ought to
stand by one another and love one another; we represent humanity on this
distant shore; let us not give ourselves up to the detestable passions whic=
h infest
society; let us rather remain unattackable by adversity. Who can say what
dangers Heaven has in store for us, what sufferings we may not have to supp=
ort
before we return to our own country? Let us five be like one man, and leave=
on
one side the rivalry which is wrong anywhere, and especially here. You
understand me, Altamont? And you, Hatteras?"
The two men made no reply, but the doctor did =
not
seem to notice their silence. Then they talked about other things; about
hunting, so as to get a supply of fresh meat; with the spring, hares,
partridges, even foxes, would return, as well as bears; they resolved
accordingly not to let a favorable day pass without exploring the land of N=
ew
America.
The n=
ext
morning, as soon as the sun appeared, Clawbonny ascended the wall of rock w=
hich
rose above Doctor's House; it terminated suddenly in a sort of truncated co=
ne;
the doctor reached the summit with some little difficulty, and from there h=
is
eye beheld a vast expanse of territory which looked as if it were the resul=
t of
some volcanic convulsion; a huge white canopy covered land and sea, renderi=
ng
them undistinguishable the one from the other. The doctor, when he saw that=
this
rock overlooked all the surrounding plain, had an idea,--a fact which will =
not
astonish those who are acquainted with him. This idea he turned over, ponde=
red,
and made himself master of by the time he returned to the house, and then he
communicated it to his companions.
"It has occurred to me," he said to
them, "to build a lighthouse at the top of the cone up there."
"A lighthouse?" they cried.
"Yes, a lighthouse; it will be of use to =
show
us our way back at night when we are returning from distant excursions, and=
to
light up the neighborhood in the eight months of winter."
"Certainly," answered Altamont,
"such an apparatus would be useful; but how will you build it?"
"With one of the Porpoise's lanterns."
"Very good; but with what will you feed t=
he
lamp? With seal-oil?"
"No; it doesn't give a bright enough ligh=
t;
it could hardly pierce the fog."
"Do you think you can get hydrogen from o=
ur
coal and make illuminating gas?"
"Well, that light would not be bright eno=
ugh,
and it would be wrong to use up any of our fuel."
"Then," said Altamont, "I don't
see--"
"As for me," answered Johnson,
"since the bullet of mercury, the ice lens, the building of Fort
Providence, I believe Dr. Clawbonny is capable of anything."
"Well," resumed Altamont, "will=
you
tell us what sort of a light you are going to have?"
"It's very simple," answered the doc=
tor;
"an electric light."
"An electric light!"
"Certainly; didn't you have on board of t=
he Porpoise a Bunsen's pile in an uninjured state?&q=
uot;
"Yes," answered the American.
"Evidently, when you took it, you intende=
d to
make some experiments, for it is complete. You have the necessary acid, and=
the
wires isolated, hence it would be easy for us to get an electric light. It =
will
be more brilliant, and will cost nothing."
"That is perfect," answered the
boatswain, "and the less time we lose--"
"Well, the materials are there,"
answered the doctor, "and in an hour we shall have a column ten feet h=
igh,
which will be enough."
The doctor went out; his companions followed h=
im
to the top of the cone; the column was promptly built and was soon surmount=
ed
by one of the Porpoise's lanterns. Then the doctor arranged the
conducting wires which were connected with the pile; this was placed in the=
parlor
of the ice-house, and was preserved from the frost by the heat of the stove=
s.
From there the wires ran to the lantern. All this was quickly done, and they
waited till sunset to judge of the effect. At night the two charcoal points,
kept at a proper distance apart in the lantern, were brought together, and
flashes of brilliant light, which the wind could neither make flicker nor
extinguish, issued from the lighthouse. It was a noteworthy sight, these
sparkling rays, rivalling the brilliancy of the plains, and defining sharply
the outlines of the surrounding objects. Johnson could not help clapping his
hands.
"Dr. Clawbonny," he said, "has =
made
another sun!"
"One ought to do a little of
everything," answered the doctor, modestly.
The cold put an end to the general admiration,=
and
each man hastened back to his coverings.
After this time life was regularly organized.
During the following days, from the 15th to the 20th of April, the weather =
was
very uncertain; the temperature fell suddenly twenty degrees, and the atmos=
phere
experienced severe changes, at times being full of snow and squally, at oth=
er
times cold and dry, so that no one could set foot outside without precautio=
ns.
However, on Saturday, the wind began to fall; this circumstance made an exp=
edition
possible; they resolved accordingly to devote a day to hunting, in order to
renew their provisions. In the morning, Altamont, the doctor, Bell, each on=
e taking
a double-barrelled gun, a proper amount of food, a hatchet, a snow-knife in
case they should have to dig a shelter, set out under a cloudy sky. During
their absence Hatteras was to explore the coast and take their bearings. The
doctor took care to start the light; its rays were very bright; in fact, the
electric light, being equal to that of three thousand candles or three hund=
red
gas-jets, is the only one which at all approximates to the solar light.
The cold was sharp, dry, and still. The hunters
set out towards Cape Washington, finding their way made easier over the
hardened snow. In about half an hour they had made the three miles which
separated the cape from Fort Providence. Duke was springing about them. The
coast inclined to the east, and the lofty summits of Victoria Bay tended to=
grow
lower toward the north. This made them believe that New America was perhaps
only an island; but they did not have then to concern themselves with its
shape. The hunters took the route by the sea and went forward rapidly. There
was no sign of life, no trace of any building; they were walking over a vir=
gin
soil. They thus made about fifteen miles in the first three hours, eating
without stopping to rest; but they seemed likely to find no sport. They saw
very few traces of hare, fox, or wolf. Still, a few snow-birds flew here an=
d there,
announcing the return of spring and the arctic animals. The three companions
had been compelled to go inland to get around some deep ravines and some
pointed rocks which ran down from Bell Mountain; but after a few delays they
succeeded in regaining the shore; the ice had not yet separated. Far from i=
t.
The sea remained fast; still a few traces of seals announced the beginning =
of
their visit, and that they were already come to breathe at the surface of t=
he
ice-field. It was evident from the large marks, the fresh breaking of the i=
ce,
that many had very recently been on the land. These animals are very anxious
for the rays of the sun, and they like to bask on the shore in the sun's he=
at.
The doctor called his companions' attention to these facts.
"Let us notice this place," he said.
"It is very possible that in summer we shall find hundreds of seals he=
re;
they can be approached and caught without difficulty, if they are unfamiliar
with men. But we must take care not to frighten them, or they will disappea=
r as
if by magic and never return; in that way, careless hunters, instead of kil=
ling
them one by one, have often attacked them in a crowd, with noisy cries, and
have thereby driven them away."
"Are they only killed for their skin and
oil?" asked Bell.
"By Europeans, yes, but the Esquimaux eat
them; they live on them, and pieces of seal's flesh, which they mix with bl=
ood
and fat, are not at all unappetizing. After all, it depends on the way it's
treated, and I shall give you some delicate cutlets if you don't mind their
dark color."
"We shall see you at work," answered
Bell; "I'll gladly eat it, Doctor."
"My good Bell, as much as you please. But,
however much you eat, you will never equal a Greenlander, who eats ten or
fifteen pounds of it a day."
"Fifteen pounds!" said Bell. "W=
hat
stomachs!"
"Real polar stomachs," answered the
doctor; "prodigious stomachs which can be dilated at will, and, I ough=
t to
add, can be contracted in the same way, so that they support starving as we=
ll
as gorging. At the beginning of his dinner, the Esquimaux is thin; at the e=
nd,
he is fat, and not to be recognized! It is true that his dinner often lasts=
a whole
day."
"Evidently," said Altamont, "th=
is
voracity is peculiar to the inhabitants of cold countries!"
"I think so," answered the doctor;
"in the arctic regions one has to eat a great deal; it is a condition =
not
only of strength, but of existence. Hence the Hudson's Bay Company gives ea=
ch
man eight pounds of meat a day, or twelve pounds of fish, or two pounds of
pemmican."
"That's a generous supply," said the
carpenter.
"But not so much as you imagine, my frien=
d;
and an Indian crammed in that way does no better work than an Englishman wi=
th
his pound of beef and his pint of beer a day."
"Then, Doctor, all is for the best."=
"True, but still an Esquimaux meal may we=
ll
astonish us. While wintering at Boothia Land, Sir John Ross was always
surprised at the voracity of his guides; he says somewhere that two men--tw=
o,
you understand--ate in one morning a whole quarter of a musk-ox; they tear =
the
meat into long shreds, which they place in their mouths; then each one, cut=
ting
off at his lips what his mouth cannot hold, passes it over to his companion=
; or
else the gluttons, letting the shreds hang down to the ground, swallow them
gradually, as a boa-constrictor swallows an animal, and like it stretched o=
ut
at full length on the ground."
"Ugh!" said Bell, "the disgusti=
ng
brutes!"
"Every one eats in his own way,"
answered the American, philosophically.
"Fortunately!" replied the doctor.
"Well," said Altamont, "since t=
he
need of food is so great in these latitudes, I'm no longer surprised that in
accounts of arctic voyages there is always so much space given to describing
the meals."
"You are right," answered the doctor;
"and it is a remark which I have often made myself; it is not only that
plenty of food is needed, but also because it is often hard to get it. So o=
ne
is always thinking of it and consequently always talking of it!"
"Still," said Altamont, "if my
memory serves me right, in Norway, in the coldest countries, the peasants n=
eed
no such enormous supply: a little milk, eggs, birch-bark bread, sometimes
salmon, never any meat; and yet they are hardy men."
"It's a matter of organization,"
answered the doctor, "and one which I can't explain. Still, I fancy th=
at
the second or third generation of Norwegians, carried to Greenland, would e=
nd
by feeding themselves in the Greenland way. And we too, my friends, if we w=
ere
to remain in this lovely country, would get to live like the Esquimaux, not=
to
say like gluttons."
"Dr. Clawbonny," said Bell, "it
makes me hungry to talk in this way."
"It doesn't make me," answered Altam=
ont;
"it disgusts me rather, and makes me dislike seal's flesh. But I fancy=
we
shall have an opportunity to try the experiment. If I'm not mistaken, I see
some living body down there on the ice."
"It's a walrus," shouted the doctor;
"forward silently!"
Indeed, the animal was within two hundred feet=
of
the hunters; he was stretching and rolling at his ease in the pale rays of =
the
sun. The three men separated so as to surround him and cut off his retreat;=
and
they approached within a few fathoms' lengths of him, hiding behind the
hummocks, and then fired. The walrus rolled over, still full of strength; he
crushed the ice in his attempts to get away; but Altamont attacked him with=
his
hatchet, and succeeded in cutting his dorsal fins. The walrus made a desper=
ate
resistance; new shots finished him, and he remained stretched lifeless on t=
he
ice-field stained with his blood. He was a good-sized animal, being nearly
fifteen feet long from his muzzle to the end of his tail, and he would
certainly furnish many barrels of oil. The doctor cut out the most savory p=
arts
of the flesh, and he left the corpse to the mercies of a few crows, which, =
at
this season of the year, were floating through the air. The night began to =
fall.
They thought of returning to Fort Providence; the sky had become perfectly
clear, and while waiting for the moon to rise, the splendor of the stars was
magnificent.
"Come, push on," said the doctor,
"it's growing late; to be sure, we've had poor luck; but as long as we
have enough for supper, there's no need of complaining. Only let's take the
shortest way and try not to get lost; the stars will help us."
But yet in countries where the North Star shin=
es
directly above the traveller's head, it is hard to walk by it; in fact, when
the north is directly in the zenith, it is hard to determine the other card=
inal
points; fortunately the moon and great constellations aided the doctor in d=
etermining
the route. In order to shorten their way, he resolved to avoid the sinuosit=
ies
of the coast, and to go directly across the land; it was more direct, but l=
ess
certain; so, after walking for a few hours, the little band had completely =
lost
its way. They thought of spending the night in an ice-house and waiting till
the next day to find out where they were, even if they should have to return
along the shore; but the doctor, fearing that Hatteras and Johnson might be=
anxious,
insisted on their going on.
"Duke is showing us the way," he sai=
d,
"and he can't be wrong; he has an instinct which is surer than needle =
or
star. Let us follow him."
Duke went forward, and they all followed confidently. And they were justified in so doing. Soon a distant light appe= ared on the horizon; it was not to be confounded with a star in the low clouds.<= o:p>
"There's our light!" cried the docto=
r.
"Do you think so, Doctor!" asked the
carpenter.
"I'm sure of it. Let us push on."
As they approached the light grew brighter, an=
d soon
they enjoyed its full brilliancy; they advanced in full illumination, and t=
heir
sharply cut shadows ran out behind them over the snow. They hastened their =
gait,
and in about half an hour they were climbing up the steps of Fort Providenc=
e.
Hatte=
ras
and Johnson had waited for the three hunters with some uneasiness. When they
returned they were delighted to find a warm and comfortable shelter. That
evening the temperature had decidedly fallen, and the thermometer outside s=
tood
at -31°. The three were very much fatigued and almost frozen, so that they
could hardly drag one foot after the other; fortunately the stoves were dra=
wing
well; the doctor became cook, and roasted a few walrus cutlets. At nine o'c=
lock
they all five sat down before a nourishing supper.
"On my word," said Bell, "at the
risk of passing for an Esquimaux, I will say that food is an important thin=
g in
wintering; one ought to take what one can get."
Each of them having his mouth full, it was
impossible for any one to answer the carpenter at once; but the doctor made=
a
sign that he was right. The walrus cutlets were declared excellent; or, if =
they
made no declarations about it, they ate it all up, which is much more to th=
e purpose.
At dessert the doctor made the coffee, as was his custom; he intrusted this
task to no one else; he made it at the table, in an alcohol machine, and se=
rved
it boiling hot. He wanted it hot enough to scald his throat, or else he did=
not
think it worth drinking. That evening he drank it so hot that his companions
could not imitate him.
"But you'll burn yourself, Doctor," =
said
Altamont.
"O no!" was the answer.
"Is your throat lined with copper?"
asked Johnson.
"No, my friends; I advise you to take cou=
nsel
from me. There are some persons, and I am of the number, who drink coffee a=
t a
temperature of 131°."
"One hundred and thirty-one degrees!"
cried Altamont; "but the hand can't support that heat!"
"Evidently, Altamont, since the hand can't
endure more than 122° in the water; but the palate and tongue are not so te=
nder
as the hand; they can endure much more."
"You surprise me," said Altamont.
"Well, I'm going to convince you."
And the doctor, bringing the thermometer from =
the
parlor, plunged the bulb into his cup of boiling coffee; he waited until it
stood at a 131°, and then he drank it with evident joy. Bell tried to do the
same thing, but he burned himself and shouted aloud.
"You are not used to it," said the
doctor.
"Clawbonny," asked Altamont, "c=
an
you tell me the highest temperature the human body can support?"
"Easily," answered the doctor;
"various experiments have been made and curious facts have been found =
out.
I remember one or two, and they serve to show that one can get accustomed to
anything, even to not cooking where a beefsteak would cook. So, the story g=
oes
that some girls employed at the public bakery of the city of La Rochefoucau=
ld, in
France, could remain ten minutes in the oven in a temperature of 300°, that=
is
to say, 89° hotter than boiling water, while potatoes and meat were cooking
around them."
"What girls!" said Altamont.
"Here is another indisputable example. Ni=
ne
of our fellow-countrymen in 1778, Fordyce, Banks, Solander, Blagden, Home,
North, Lord Seaforth, and Captain Phillips, endured a temperature of 295°,
while eggs and roast beef were cooking near them."
"And they were Englishmen!" said Bel=
l,
with an accent of pride.
"Yes, Bell," answered the doctor.
"O, Americans could have done better!&quo=
t;
said Altamont.
"They would have roasted," said the
doctor, laughing.
"And why not?" answered the American=
.
"At any rate, they have not tried; still,=
I
stand up for my countrymen. There's one thing I must not forget; it is
incredible if one can doubt of the accuracy of the witnesses. The Duke of
Ragusa and Dr. Jung, a Frenchman and an Austrian, saw a Turk dive into a ba=
th which
stood at 170°."
"But it seems to me," said Johnson, =
that
that is not equal to other people you mentioned."
"I beg your pardon," answered the
doctor; there is a great difference between entering warm air and entering =
warm
water; warm air induces perspiration, and that protects the skin, while in =
such
hot water there is no perspiration and the skin is burned. Hence a bath is =
seldom
hotter than 107°. This Turk must have been an extraordinary man to have been
able to endure so great heat."
"Dr. Clawbonny," asked Johnson,
"what is the usual temperature of living beings?"
"It varies very much," answered the
doctor; "birds are the warmest blooded, and of these the duck and hen =
are
the most remarkable; their temperature is above 110°, while that of the owl=
is
not more than 104°; then come the mammalia, men; the temperature of English=
men
is generally 101°."
"I'm sure Mr. Altamont is going to claim
something more for the Americans," said Johnson.
"Well," said Altamont, "there a=
re
some very warm; but as I've never placed a thermometer into their thorax or
under their tongue, I can't be sure about it."
"The difference of temperature," res=
umed
the doctor, "between men of different races is quite imperceptible when
they are placed in the same circumstances, whatever be the nature of their
bringing-up; I should add, that the temperature varies but little between m=
en
at the equator and at the pole."
"So," said Altamont, "our
temperature is about the same here as in England?"
"About the same," answered the docto=
r;
"as to the other mammalia, their temperature is a trifle higher than t=
hat
of man. The horse is about the same, as well as the hare, the elephant, the
porpoise, the tiger; but the cat, the squirrel, the rat, panther, sheep, ox,
dog, monkey, goat, reach 103°; and the warmest of all, the pig, goes above =
104°."
"That is humiliating for us," said
Altamont.
"Then come amphibious animals and fish, w=
hose
temperature varies very much according to that of the water. The serpent do=
es
not go above 86°, the frog 70°, and the shark the same in a medium a degree=
and
a half cooler; insects appear to have the temperature of the water and the
air."
"That is all very well," said Hatter=
as,
who had not yet spoken, "and I'm much obliged to the doctor for his
information; but we are talking as if we had to endure torrid heats. Would =
it
not be wiser to talk about the cold, to know to what we are exposed, and wh=
at
is the lowest temperature that has ever been observed?"
"True," added Johnson.
"There's nothing easier," continued =
the
doctor, "and I may be able to give you some information."
"I dare say," said Johnson; "you
know everything."
"My friends, I only know what others have
taught me, and when I've finished you'll know exactly as much. This is what=
I
know about cold and the lowest temperatures observed in Europe. A great man=
y noteworthy
winters have been known, and it seems as if the severest has a periodic ret=
urn
about every forty-one years,--a period which nearly corresponds with the
greater appearance of spots on the sun. I can mention the winter of 1364, w=
hen
the Rhone was frozen as far as Arles; that of 1408, when the Danube was fro=
zen
its whole length, and when wolves ran over to Jutland without wetting their
feet; that of 1509, during which the Mediterranean at Cette and Marseilles =
and
the Adriatic at Venice were frozen, and the Baltic as late as April 10; tha=
t of
1608, which killed all the cattle in England; that of 1789, when the Thames=
was
frozen--as far as Gravesend, six leagues--below London; that of 1813, of wh=
ich
the French retain such a terrible memory; and that of 1829, the earliest and
longest winter of this century. So much for Europe."
"But what temperature has been reached ab=
ove
the Arctic Circle?" asked Altamont.
"Really," said the doctor, "I
believe we have experienced the greatest cold that has ever been observed,
since our spirit thermometer indicated one day -72°; and if I remember arig=
ht,
the lowest temperatures ever observed before were only -61° at Melville Isl=
and,
-65° at Port Felix, and -70° at Fort Reliance."
"Yes," said Hatteras; "we were
delayed, and unfortunately too, by a very severe winter!"
"You were delayed?" exclaimed Altamo=
nt,
staring at the captain.
"In our journey westward," interposed
the doctor, hastily.
"So," said Altamont, continuing the
conversation, "the maximum and minimum temperatures endured by men vary
about two hundred degrees?"
"Yes," answered the doctor; "a
thermometer exposed to the open air and sheltered from reflection has never
risen above 135°, and in the greatest colds it never falls below -72°. So, =
my
friends, you see we can take our ease."
"But still," said Johnson, "if =
the
sun were to be extinguished suddenly, would not the earth endure greater co=
ld?"
"The sun won't be extinguished,"
answered the doctor; "but even if it should be, the temperature would =
not
fall any lower, probably, than what I have mentioned."
"That's strange."
"O, I know it used to be said that in the
space outside of the atmosphere the temperature was thousands of degrees be=
low
zero! but since the experiments of the Frenchman Fourrier, this has been di=
sproved;
he has shown that if the earth were placed in a medium void of all heat, th=
at
the temperature at the pole would be much greater, and that there would be =
very
great differences between night and day; so, my friends, it is no colder a =
few
millions of miles from the earth than it is here."
"Tell me, Doctor," said Altamont,
"is not the temperature of America lower than that of other countries =
of
the world?"
"Without doubt; but don't be proud of
it," answered the doctor with a laugh.
"And what is the reason?"
"No very satisfactory explanation has ever been given; so it occurred to Hadley that a comet had come into collision w= ith the earth and had altered the position of its axis of rotation, that is to = say, of its poles; according to him, the North Pole, which used to be situated a= t Hudson's Bay, found itself carried farther east, and the land at the old Pole preser= ved a greater cold, which long centuries of the sun have not yet heated."<= o:p>
"And you do not admit this hypothesis?&qu=
ot;
"Not for a moment; for what is true of the
eastern coast of America is not true of the western coast, which has a high=
er
temperature. No! we can prove that the isothermal lines differ from the
terrestrial parallels, and that is all."
"Do you know, Doctor," said Johnson,
"that it is pleasant to talk about cold in our present
circumstances?"
"Exactly, Johnson; we can call practice to
the aid of theory. These countries are a vast laboratory where curious
experiments on low temperatures can be made. Only, be always careful; if any
part of your body is frozen, rub it at once with snow to restore the
circulation of the blood; and if you come near the fire, be careful, for you
may burn your hands or feet without noticing it; then amputation would be n=
ecessary,
and we should try to leave nothing of ourselves in these lands. And now I t=
hink
it would be well for us to seek a few hours of sleep."
"Willingly," answered the doctor's
companions.
"Who keeps watch over the stove?"
"I do," answered Bell.
"Well, my friend, take care the fire does=
not
fall out, for it's most abominably cold this evening."
"Don't be uneasy, Doctor; it's very sharp,
but see, the sky is all ablaze!"
"Yes," answered the doctor, going up=
to
the window, "it's a magnificent aurora. What a glorious sight! I should
never get tired of looking at it!"
In fact, the doctor admired all these cosmic
phenomena, to which his companions paid but little attention; he had notice=
d,
besides, that their appearance always preceded disturbances of the magnetic
needle, and he was preparing some observations on the subject which he inte=
nded
for Admiral Fitz-Roy's "Weather Book."
Soon, while Bell was on watch near the stove, =
all
the rest, stretched on their beds, slept quietly.
There=
is a
gloomy monotony about life at the Pole. Man is wholly the sport of the chan=
ges
of the weather, which alternates between intense cold and severe storms with
savage relentlessness. The greater part of the time it is impossible to set
foot out of doors; one is imprisoned in the hut of ice. Long months pass in
this way, so that men lead the life of moles.
The next day the thermometer was several degre=
es
lower, and the air was full of clouds of snow, which absorbed all the light=
of
day. The doctor saw himself kept within doors, and he folded his arms; ther=
e was
nothing to be done, except every hour to clear away the entrance-hall and to
repolish the ice-walls which the heat within made damp; but the snow-house =
was
very finely built, and the snow added to its resistance by augmenting the
thickness of its walls.
The stores were equally secure. All the objects
taken from the ship had been arranged in order in these "Docks of
Merchandise," as the doctor called them. Now, although these stores we=
re
at a distance of only sixty feet from the house, it was yet on some days al=
most
impossible to get to them; hence a certain quantity of provisions had alway=
s to
be kept in the kitchen for daily needs.
They had been wise in unloading the Porpoise . The ship was exposed to a gen=
tle,
but persistent pressure, which was gradually crushing it; it was evident th=
at
nothing could be done with its fragments; still the doctor kept hoping to be
able to build a launch out of them to return to England in, but the time for
building it had not yet come.
So for the most part the five men remained in
complete idleness. Hatteras was pensive and always lying on the bed; Altamo=
nt
was drinking or sleeping, and the doctor took good care not to rouse him fr=
om
his slumbers, for he was always afraid of some distressing quarrel. These t=
wo
men seldom spoke to one another.
So during meal-time the prudent Clawbonny alwa=
ys
took care to guide the conversation and to direct it in such a way as not to
offend the susceptibilities of either; but he had a great deal to do. He did
his best to instruct, distract, and interest his companions; when he was not
arranging his notes about the expedition, he read aloud some history,
geography, or work on meteorology, which had reference to their condition; =
he
presented things pleasantly and philosophically, deriving wholesome instruc=
tion
from the slightest incidents; his inexhaustible memory never played him fal=
se;
he applied his doctrines to the persons who were with him, reminding them of
such or such a thing which happened under such or such circumstances; and he
filled out his theories by the force of personal arguments.
This worthy man may be called the soul of this
little world, a soul glowing with frankness and justice. His companions had
perfect confidence in him; he even improved Captain Hatteras, who, besides,=
was
very fond of him; he made his words, manners, and custom so agreeable, that=
the
life of these five men within six degrees of the Pole seemed perfectly natu=
ral;
when he was speaking, any one would have imagined he was in his office in
Liverpool. And yet this situation was unlike that of castaways on the islan=
ds
of the Pacific Ocean, those Robinsons whose touching history always aroused=
the
envy of their readers. There, the natural richness offers a thousand differ=
ent
resources; a little imagination and effort suffice to secure material
happiness; nature aids man; hunting and fishing supply all his wants; the t=
rees
grow to aid him, caverns shelter him, brooks slake his thirst, dense thicke=
ts
hide him from the sun, and severe cold never comes upon him in the winter; a
grain tossed into the earth brings forth a bounteous return a few months la=
ter.
There, outside of society, everything is found to make man happy. And then
these happy isles lie in the path of ships; the castaway can hope to be pic=
ked
up, and he can wait in patience.
But here on the coast of New America how great=
is
the difference! This comparison would continually occur to the doctor, but =
he
never mentioned it to the others, and he struggled against the enforced idl=
eness.
He yearned ardently for the spring, in order to
resume his excursions; and yet he was anxious about it, for he foresaw
difficulties between Hatteras and Altamont. If they pushed on to the Pole,
there would necessarily be rivalry between the two men. Hence he had to pre=
pare
for the worst, and still, as far as he could, to try to pacify these rivals=
; but
to reconcile an American and an Englishman, two men hostile to one another =
from
their birth, one endowed with real insular prejudice, the other with the
adventurous, irreverent spirit of his country, was no easy task. When the
doctor thought of their eager rivalry, which in fact was one of nationaliti=
es,
he could not help, not shrugging his shoulders, but lamenting human weaknes=
s.
He would often talk to Johnson on this subject; he and the old sailor agree=
d in
the matter; they were uncertain what view to take, and they foresaw complic=
ations
in the future.
Still, the bad weather continued; they could n=
ot
leave Fort Providence even for an hour. Night and day they had to remain in=
the
snow-house. They all found it tedious, except the doctor, who found diversi=
on
for himself.
"Isn't there any way we can amuse
ourselves?" said Altamont one evening. "This isn't really living,
lying here like sluggish reptiles all winter."
"It's a pity," said the doctor,
"that we are too few to organize any system of distractions."
"Do you mean it would be easier for us to
combat idleness if there were more of us?" asked the American.
"Yes; when whole crews have wintered in
boreal regions, they have found out the way to avoid idleness."
"To tell the truth," said Altamont,
"I should like to know how they did; they must have been very ingeniou=
s to
get any fun out of these surroundings. They didn't ask one another riddles,=
I
suppose?"
"No," answered the doctor, "but
they introduced into these lands two great means of amusement, the press and
the theatre."
"What! did they have a newspaper?" a=
sked
the American.
"Did they act plays?" asked Bell.
"Yes, and with much amusement. While he w=
as
wintering at Melville Island, Captain Parry offered his crews these two
entertainments, and they enjoyed them very much."
"Well," said Johnson, "I should
have liked to be there; it must have been funny enough."
"Funny indeed; Lieutenant Beecher was man=
ager
of the theatre, and Captain Sabine editor of the 'Winter Chronicle, or Gaze=
tte
of North Georgia.'"
"Good names," said Altamont.
"The paper appeared every Monday morning,
from November 1, 1819, to March 20, 1820. It contained an account of everyt=
hing
that happened, the hunts, accidents, incidents, and of the weather; there w=
ere stories
written for it; to be sure, it lacked the humor of Sterne, and the delightf=
ul
articles of the 'Daily Telegraph'; but they got amusement from it; its read=
ers
were not over-critical, and I fancy no journalists ever enjoyed their
occupation more."
"Well," said Altamont, "I should
like to hear some extracts from this paper, my dear Doctor; its articles mu=
st
all have been frozen solid."
"No, no," answered the doctor; "=
;at
any rate, what would have seemed simple enough to the Liverpool Philosophic=
al
Society, or the London Literary Institution, was perfectly satisfactory to =
the
crews beneath the snow. Do you want a sample?"
"What! Do you remember--"
"No, but you had 'Parry's Voyages' on boa=
rd
the Porpoise , and I can read you =
his
own account."
"Do!" shouted the doctor's companion=
s.
"There's nothing easier."
The doctor got the book from the shelves, and =
soon
found the passage.
"See here," he said, "here are =
some
extracts from the newspaper. It is a letter addressed to the editor:--
"'It is with genuine satisfaction that yo=
ur
plan for the establishment of a newspaper has been received. I am convinced
that under your charge it will furnish us with a great deal of amusement, a=
nd
will serve to lighten materially the gloom of our hundred days of darkness.=
"'The interest which I, for my part, take=
in
it has caused me to examine the effect of your announcement upon the member=
s of
our society, and I can assure you, to use the consecrated phrase of the Lon=
don
press, that it has produced a profound impression upon the public.
"'The day after the appearance of your
prospectus, there was on board an unusual and unprecedented demand for ink.=
The
green cloth of our tables was suddenly covered with a deluge of quill-pens,=
to
the great injury of one of our servants, who, in trying to remove them, got=
one
under his nail.
"'Finally, I know that Sergeant Martin has
had no less than nine pocket-knives to sharpen.
"'Our tables are groaning beneath the
unaccustomed weight of inkstands, which had not seen the light for two mont=
hs;
and it is even whispered that the depths of the hold have been often opened=
to
secure many reams of paper, which did not expect to issue so soon from thei=
r place
of repose.
"'I shall not forget to say to you that I
have some suspicions that an effort will be made to slip into your box some
articles, which, lacking complete originality, and not being wholly
unpublished, may not suit your plan. I can affirm that no later than last
evening an author was seen bending over his desk, holding in one hand an op=
en volume
of the "Spectator," while with the other he was thawing his ink by
the flame of the lamp. It is useless to recommend you to keep a lookout aga=
inst
such devices; we must not see reappearing in the "Winter Chronicle&quo=
t;
what our ancestors used to read at breakfast more than a century ago.'"=
;
"Well, well," said Altamont, when the
doctor had finished reading, "there is really good humor in that, and =
the
writer must have been a bright fellow."
"Bright is the word," answered the
doctor. "Stop a moment, here is an amusing advertisement:--
"'Wanted. A middle-aged, respectable woma=
n to
help dress the ladies of the troupe of the "Theatre Royal of North
Georgia." Suitable salary given, tea and beer free. Address the Commit=
tee
of the theatre.--N. B. A widow preferred.'"
"They were not disgusted, at any rate,&qu=
ot;
said Johnson.
"And did they get the widow?" asked
Bell.
"Probably," answered the doctor,
"for here is an answer addressed to the committee:--
"= ;'Gentlemen: I am a widow, twenty-six years old, and I can produce warm testimonials as = to my morals and talents. But before taking charge of the dresses of the actre= sses of your theatre, I am anxious to know if they intend to keep their trousers= on, and whether I can have the aid of some strong sailors to lace their corsets properly. This being arranged, gentlemen, you may count upon your servant.<= o:p>
"'A. B.
"'P. S. Can you not substitute brandy for
beer?'"
"=
;Bravo!"
shouted Altamont. "I suppose they had ladies'-maids to lace you by the
capstan. Well, they were jolly fellows!"
"Like all who do what they set out to
do," remarked Hatteras.
Hatteras uttered these words, and then he rela=
psed
into his usual silence. The doctor, unwilling to dwell on that subject,
hastened to resume his reading.
"See here," he said, "here is a
picture of arctic sufferings; it may be varied infinitely; but a few of the
observations are wise enough; for instance:--
"'To go out in the morning to take the ai=
r,
and on setting foot off the ship, to take a cold bath in the cook's trough.=
"'To go on a hunting-party, get near a fi=
ne
reindeer, take aim, try to fire, and miss the shot on account of a damp cap=
.
"'To start out with a piece of fresh brea=
d in
the pocket, and when one gets hungry to find it frozen hard enough to break
one's teeth.
"'To leave the table suddenly on hearing a
wolf is in sight of the ship, and to come back and find one's dinner eaten =
by
the cat.
"'To return from a walk rapt in thought, =
and
to be awakened suddenly by the embrace of a bear.'
"You see, my friends," said the doct=
or,
"we should not find it hard to imagine other polar troubles; but from =
the
moment it becomes necessary to endure these miseries, it would be a pleasur=
e to
narrate them."
"Upon my word," said Altamont,
"that's an amusing paper, and it's a pity we can't subscribe to it.&qu=
ot;
"Suppose we should start one," sugge=
sted
Johnson.
"We five!" answered Clawbonny; "=
;we
should all be editors, and there would be no readers."
"Nor audience either, if we should act a
play," said Altamont.
"Tell us, Doctor," said Johnson,
"something about Captain Parry's theatre; did they act new plays
there?"
"Of course; at first they made use of two
volumes which were put on board of the =
span>Hector
, and they had plays every fortnight; but soon they had acted all; then they
resorted to original authors, and Parry himself wrote a suitable play for t=
he
Christmas holidays; it was very successful, and was called 'The Northwest
Passage, or the End of the Voyage.'"
"A capital title," answered Altamont;
"but I confess, if I had to write on that subject, I should be puzzled
about the end."
"You are right," said Bell; "who
can say how it will end?"
"True," answered the doctor; "b=
ut
why bother about the end, since the beginning is so favorable? Let us trust=
in
Providence, my friends; let us act our part well, and since the end depends=
on
the Author of all things, let us have confidence in him; he will know what =
to
do with us."
"Let us sleep on it," answered Johns=
on;
"it is late, and since bedtime has come, let us turn in."
"You are in a great hurry, my old
friend," said the doctor.
"Naturally enough, Doctor, I am so
comfortable in bed! And then my dreams are pleasant. I dream of warm countr=
ies;
or that, to tell the truth, half of my life is spent at the equator and hal=
f at
the Pole!"
"The deuce," said Altamont, "you
have a happy temperament."
"True," answered the boatswain.
"Well, it would be cruel to detain Johnson
any longer. His tropical sun is waiting for him. Let us go to bed."
In the
night of April 26-27, the weather changed; the thermometer fell many degree=
s,
and the inhabitants of Doctor's House perceived it from the cold which made=
its
way beneath their coverings; Altamont, who was watching the stove, took care
not to let the fire get low, and he was kept busy putting on enough coal to
keep the temperature at 50°. This cold weather announced the end of the sto=
rm,
and the doctor was glad of it, for now they could resume their usual
occupations, their hunting, excursions, and explorations; this would put an=
end
to the apathy of their loneliness, which in time sours even the finest char=
acters.
The next morning the doctor rose early, and ma=
de
his way over the drifts to the lighthouse. The wind was from the north; the=
air
was clear, the snow was hard under his feet. Soon his five companions had l=
eft
Doctor's House; their first care was to dig away the drifted snow, which now
disguised the plateau; it would have been impossible to discover any traces=
of
life upon it, for the tempest had buried all inequalities beneath fifteen f=
eet
of snow.
After the snow was cleared away from the house=
, it
was necessary to restore its architectural outline. This was very easy, and
after the ice was removed a few blows with the snow-knife gave it its norma=
l thickness.
After two hours' work the granite appeared, and access to the stores and the
powder-house was free. But since, in these uncertain climates, such things =
can
happen every day, a new supply of food was carried to the kitchen. They were
all wearied of salt food and yearned for fresh meat, and so the hunters were
charged with changing the bill of fare, and they prepared to set out.
Still the end of April did not bring with it t=
he
polar spring, which was yet six weeks off; the sun's rays were still too fe=
eble
to melt the snow or to nourish the few plants of these regions. They feared=
lest
animals should be scarce, both birds and quadrupeds. But a hare, a few
ptarmigans, even a young fox, would have been welcome to the table of Docto=
r's
House, and the hunters resolved to shoot whatever should come within range.=
The doctor, Altamont, and Bell determined to
explore the country. Altamont, they felt sure from his habits, was a bold a=
nd
skilful hunter, and, with all his bragging, a capital shot. So he went with=
the
hunters, as did Duke, who was equally skilful and less prone to boasting.
The three companions ascended the east cone and
set out towards the large white plains; but they had gone no farther than t=
wo
or three miles before they saw numerous tracks; from that point, they ran d=
own to
the shore of Victoria Bay, and appeared to surround Fort Providence with a
series of concentric circles.
After they had followed these footprints for a
short time, the doctor said,--
"Well, that is clear enough."
"Too clear," said Bell; "they a=
re
bear tracks."
"Good game," continued Altamont,
"and there is only one fault in it to-day."
"What's that?" asked the doctor.
"The abundance," answered the Americ=
an.
"What do you mean?" asked Bell.
"I mean that there are distinct tracks of
five bears; and five bears are a good many for five men."
"Are you sure of what you say?" asked
the doctor.
"Judge for yourself; this mark is differe=
nt
from any other; the claws on this one are farther apart than those. Here is=
the
print of a smaller bear. If you compare them together, you'll find traces of
five animals."
"You are right," said Bell, after a
careful examination.
"Then," said the doctor, "there=
is
no need of useless bravado, but rather of caution; these animals are famish=
ed
at the end of a severe winter, and they may be very dangerous; and since th=
ere
is no doubt of their number--"
"Nor of their intentions," interrupt=
ed
the American.
"Do you suppose," he asked, "th=
at
they have discovered our presence here?"
"Without a doubt, unless we've fallen on a
whole band of bears; but in that case, why do their prints go about in a
circle, instead of running out of sight? See, they came from the southwest =
and
stopped here, and began to explore the country."
"You are right," said the doctor,
"and it's certain they came last night."
"And the other nights too," answered
Altamont; "only the snow has covered their tracks."
"No," said the doctor; "it's mo=
re
likely that they waited for the end of the storm; they went to the bay to c=
atch
some seals, and then they scented us."
"True," said Altamont; "so it is
easy to know whether they will return to-night."
"How so?" asked Bell.
"By rubbing out some of their tracks; and=
if
we find new ones to-morrow, we can be sure that they are trying to get into
Fort Providence."
"Well," said the doctor, "we sh=
all
at least know what to expect."
The three then set to work, and soon effaced a=
ll
the tracks over a space of about six hundred feet.
"It's strange, however," said Bell,
"that they could scent us at so great a distance; we didn't burn anyth=
ing
greasy which could attract them."
"O," answered the doctor, "they
have very fine sight, and delicate sense of smell! Besides, they are very
intelligent, perhaps the most intelligent of animals, and they have found o=
ut
something strange here."
"Perhaps," continued Bell, "dur=
ing
the storm, they came up as far as the plateau."
"Then," said the American, "why
should they have stopped there?"
"True, there is no answer to that,"
answered the doctor; "and we ought to believe that they are shortening=
the
circle about Fort Providence."
"We shall see," answered Altamont.
"Now, let us go on," said the doctor;
"but we'll keep our eyes open."
They kept careful watch, through fear lest some
bear should be hidden behind the masses of ice; often they took the blocks =
for
animals, from their shape and whiteness, but soon they discovered their
mistake.
They returned at last to the shore beneath the
cone, and from there their eyes swept in vain from Cape Washington to Johns=
on
Island. They saw nothing; everything was white and motionless; not a sound =
was
to be heard. They entered the snow-house.
Hatteras and Johnson were informed of the
condition of affairs, and they resolved to keep a strict watch. Night came;
nothing occurred to alarm them, or to mar its beauty. At dawn the next morn=
ing,
Hatteras and his companions, fully armed, went out to examine the condition=
of the
snow; they found the same tracks as on the previous day, only nearer. Evide=
ntly
the enemy was preparing to lay siege to Fort Providence.
"They have opened their second
parallel," said the doctor.
"They have made a point in advance,"
answered Altamont; "see those footprints coming nearer the plateau; th=
ey
are those of some strong animal."
"Yes, they are gaining ground gradually,&=
quot;
said Johnson; "it is evident that they are going to attack us."
"There's no doubt of that," said the
doctor; "let us avoid showing ourselves. We are not strong enough to f=
ight
successfully."
"But where do these devilish bears come
from?" asked Bell.
"From behind those pieces of ice to the e=
ast,
where they are spying us; don't let us get too near them."
"And our hunt?" asked Altamont.
"Let us put it off for a few days,"
answered the doctor; "let us again rub out these nearest marks, and
to-morrow we shall see if they are renewed. In this way we can see the
manoeuvres of our enemies."
The doctor's advice was taken, and they return=
ed
to the fort; the presence of these terrible beasts forbade any excursion.
Strict watch was kept over the neighborhood of Victoria Bay. The lighthouse=
was
dismantled; it was of no real use, and might attract the attention of the
animals; the lantern and the electric threads were carried to the house; th=
en
they took turns in watching the upper plateau.
Again they had to endure the monotony of
loneliness, but what else was to be done? They dared not risk a contest at =
so
fearful odds; no one's life could be risked imprudently. Perhaps the bears,=
if
they caught sight of nothing, might be thrown off the track; or, if they we=
re
met singly, they might be attacked successfully. However, this inaction was
relieved by a new interest; they had to keep watch, and no one regretted it=
.
April 28th passed by without any sign of the
existence of the enemy. The next morning their curiosity as to the existenc=
e of
new tracks was succeeded by astonishment. Not a trace was to be seen; the s=
now
was intact.
"Good," shouted Altamont, "the
bears are thrown off the track! They have no perseverance! They are tired of
waiting, and have gone! Good by, and now off to the hunt!"
"Eh!" answered the doctor, "who=
can
say? For greater safety, my friends, I beg one more day of watching; it is
certain the enemy did not approach last night, at least from this side--&qu=
ot;
"Let us make a circuit of the plateau,&qu=
ot;
said Altamont, "and then we shall make sure."
"Willingly," said the doctor.
But with all their care in exploration, not the
slightest trace could be found.
"Well, shall we start on our hunt?"
asked Altamont, impatiently.
"Let us wait till to-morrow," urged =
the
doctor.
"All right," answered Altamont, who =
had
some reluctance, however, about conceding.
They returned to the fort. Each one had to wat=
ch
for an hour, as on the previous evening. When Altamont's turn came, he went=
to
relieve Bell. As soon as he was gone, Hatteras called his companions togeth=
er. The
doctor left his notes, and Johnson his furnaces. It might have been supposed
that Hatteras was going to discuss the dangers of the situation; he did not
even think of them.
"My friends," he said, "let us =
take
advantage of the absence of this American, to talk over our affairs; some
things don't concern him at all, and I don't care to have him meddling with
them."
The others looked at one another, uncertain of=
his
meaning.
"I want to speak with you," he said,
"about our future plans."
"Well," answered the doctor, "l=
et
us talk now we are alone."
"In a month, or six weeks at the
latest," Hatteras began, "we shall be able to make distant
excursions. Had you thought of what might be done in the summer?"
"Had you, Captain?" asked Johnson.
"I? I can say that not an hour passes wit=
hout
my mind's recurring to my plan. I suppose no one of you has any thought of
returning--"
There was no immediate answer to this insinuat=
ion.
"As for me," continued Hatteras,
"if I have to go alone, I shall go to the North Pole; we are only three
hundred and sixty miles from it at the outside. No men have ever been so ne=
ar
it, and I shall not let such a chance go by without the attempt, even if it=
be
impossible. What are your views in the matter?"
"Your own," answered the doctor.
"And yours, Johnson?"
"The same as the doctor's," answered=
the
boatswain.
"It is your turn to speak, Bell," sa=
id
Hatteras.
"Captain," answered the carpenter,
"it is true we have no family awaiting us in England, but our country =
is
our country: don't you think of going back?"
"We shall go back easily as soon as we sh=
all
have discovered the Pole. In fact, more easily. The difficulties will not
increase, for, on our way thither, we leave behind us the coldest spots on =
the
globe. We have supplies of all sorts for a long time. There is nothing to
hinder us, and we should be to blame if we did not push on to the end."=
;
"Well," answered Bell, "we are =
all
of your opinion, Captain."
"Good!" replied Hatteras. "I ha=
ve
never doubted of you. We shall succeed, my friends, and England shall have =
all
the glory of our success."
"But there is an American with us," =
said
Johnson.
Hatteras could not restrain a wrathful gesture=
at
this remark.
"I know it," he said in a deep voice=
.
"We can't leave him here," continued=
the
doctor.
"No, we cannot," answered Hatteras,
coldly.
"And he will certainly come."
"Yes, he will come, but who will
command?"
"You, Captain."
"And if you obey me, will this Yankee ref=
use
to obey?"
"I don't think so," answered Johnson;
"but if he is unwilling to obey your orders--"
"It would have to be settled between him =
and
me."
The three Englishmen looked at Hatteras withou=
t a
word. The doctor broke the silence.
"How shall we travel?" he asked.
"By keeping along the coast as much as
possible," answered Hatteras.
"But if we find the sea open, as is
likely?"
"Well, we shall cross it."
"How? We have no boat."
Hatteras did not answer; he was evidently
embarrassed.
"Perhaps," suggested Bell, "we
might build a launch out of the timbers of the Porpoise ."
"Never!" shouted Hatteras, warmly.
"Never?" exclaimed Johnson.
The doctor shook his head; he understood the
captain's unwillingness.
"Never!" the latter answered. "A
launch made out of the wood of an American ship would be an American
launch--"
"But, Captain--" interposed Johnson.=
The doctor made a sign to the old boatswain to
keep silent. A more suitable time was required for that question. The docto=
r,
although he understood Hatteras's repugnance, did not sympathize with it, a=
nd
he determined to make his friend abandon this hasty decision. Hence he spok=
e of
something else, of the possibility of going along the coast to the north, a=
nd
that unknown point, the North Pole. In a word, he avoided all dangerous
subjects of conversation up to the moment when it was suddenly ended by the
entrance of Altamont. He had nothing new to report. The day ended in this w=
ay,
and the night was quiet. The bears had evidently disappeared.
The n=
ext
day they determined to arrange the hunt, in which Hatteras, Altamont, and t=
he
carpenter were to take part; no more tracks were to be seen; the bears had
decidedly given up their plan of attack, either from fear of their unknown
enemies, or because there had been no sign of living beings beneath the mas=
s of
snow. During the absence of the three hunters, the doctor was to push on to
Johnson Island to examine the condition of the ice, and to make some
hydrographic investigations. The cold was sharp, but they supported it well,
having become accustomed to it by this time. The boatswain was to remain at=
Doctor's
House; in a word, to guard the house.
The three hunters made their preparations; each
one took a double-barrelled rifled gun, with conical balls; they carried a
small quantity of pemmican, in case night should fall before their return; =
they
also were provided with the snow-knife, which is so indispensable in these
regions, and a hatchet which they wore in their belts. Thus armed and equip=
ped
they could go far; and since they were both skilled and bold, they could co=
unt
on bringing back a good supply.
At eight in the morning they set out. Duke spr=
ang
about ahead of them; they ascended the hill to the east, went about the
lighthouse, and disappeared in the plains to the south, which were bounded =
by
Mount Bell. The doctor, having agreed on a danger-signal with Johnson, desc=
ended
towards the shore so as to reach the ice in Victoria Bay.
The boatswain remained at Fort Providence alon=
e,
but not idle. He first set free the Greenland dogs, which were playing about
the Dog Palace; they in their joy rolled about in the snow. Johnson then ga=
ve his
attentions to the cares of housekeeping. He had to renew the fuel and
provisions, to set the stores in order, to mend many broken utensils, to pa=
tch
the coverings, to work over the shoes for the long excursions of the summer.
There was no lack of things to do, but the boatswain worked with the ease o=
f a
sailor, who has generally a smattering of all trades. While thus employed he
began to think of the talk of the evening before; he thought of the captain,
and especially of his obstinacy, which, after all, had something very heroic
and very honorable about it, in his unwillingness that any American man or =
boat
should reach the Pole before him, or even with him.
"Still, it seems to me," he said to
himself, "no easy task to cross the ocean without a boat; and if we ha=
ve
the open sea before us, we should need one. The strongest Englishman in the
world couldn't swim three hundred miles. Patriotism has its limits. Well, we
shall see. We have still time before us; Dr. Clawbonny has not yet said his
last word in the matter; he is wise, and he may persuade the captain to cha=
nge
his mind. I'll bet that in going towards the island he'll glance at the
fragments of the Porpoise , and wi=
ll
know exactly what can be made out of them."
Johnson had reached this point in his reflecti=
ons,
and the hunters had been gone an hour, when a loud report was heard two or
three miles to windward.
"Good!" said the sailor; "they =
have
come across something, and without going very far, for I heard them distinc=
tly.
After all, the air is so clear."
A second and then a third report was heard.
"Hulloa!" continued Johnson,
"they've got into a good place."
Three other reports, in quicker succession, we=
re
heard.
"Six shots!" said Johnson; "now
they've fired off everything. It was a hot time! Is it possible--"
At the thought, Johnson grew pale; he quickly =
left
the snow-house, and in a few moments he had run up to the top of the cone. =
He
saw a sight that made him tremble.
"The bears!" he shouted.
The three hunters, followed by Duke, were runn=
ing
rapidly, followed by five enormous animals; their six bullets had not disab=
led
them; the bears were gaining on them; Hatteras, behind the others, could on=
ly keep
his distance from the animals by throwing away his cap, hatchet, and even h=
is
gun. The bears stopped, according to their habit, to sniff at the different
objects, and lost a little on this ground on which they would have outstrip=
ped
the swiftest horse. It was thus that Hatteras, Altamont, and Bell, all out =
of
breath, came up to Johnson, and they all slid down the slope to the snow-ho=
use.
The five bears were close behind, and the captain was obliged to ward off t=
he
blow of a paw with his knife. In a moment Hatteras and his companions were =
locked
in the house. The animals stopped on the upper plateau of the truncated con=
e.
"Well," said Hatteras, "we can =
now
defend ourselves better, five to five!"
"Four to five!" shouted Johnson in a
terrified voice.
"What?" asked Hatteras.
"The doctor!" answered Johnson, poin=
ting
to the empty room.
"Well?"
"He is on the shore of the island!"<= o:p>
"Poor man!" cried Bell.
"We can't abandon him in this way," =
said
Altamont.
"Let us run!" said Hatteras.
He opened the door quickly, but he had hardly =
time
to shut it; a bear nearly crushed his skull with his claw.
"They are there," he cried.
"All?" asked Bell.
"All!" answered Hatteras.
Altamont hastened to the windows, heaping up t=
he
bays with pieces of ice torn from the walls of the house. His companions did
the same without speaking. Duke's dull snarls alone broke the silence.
But it must be said these men had only a single
thought; they forgot their own danger, and only considered the doctor. Poor
Clawbonny! so kind, so devoted! the soul of the little colony! for the first
time he was missing; extreme peril, a terrible death, awaited him; for when=
his
excursion was over he would return quietly to Fort Providence, and would fi=
nd
these ferocious animals. And there was no way of warning him.
"If I'm not mistaken, he will be on his
guard; your shots must have warned him, and he must know something has
happened."
"But if he were far off," answered
Altamont, "and did not understand? There are eight chances out of ten =
that
he'll come back without suspicion of danger! The bears are hiding behind the
scarp of the fort, and he can't see them."
"We shall have to get rid of these danger=
ous
beasts before his return," answered Hatteras.
"But how?" asked Bell.
To answer this question was not easy. A sortie
seemed impossible. They took the precaution to barricade the entrance, but =
the
bears could easily have overcome the obstacles if the idea had occurred to
them; they knew the number and strength of their adversaries, and they coul=
d easily
have reached them. The prisoners were posted in each one of the chambers of
Doctor's House to watch for every attempt at entrance; when they listened, =
they
heard the bears coming and going, growling, and tearing at the walls with t=
heir
huge paws. But some action was necessary; time was pressing. Altamont resol=
ved
to make a loop-hole to shoot the assailants; in a few minutes he had made a
little hole in the ice-wall; he pushed his gun through it; but it had scarc=
ely reached
the other side before it was torn from his hands with irresistible force be=
fore
he could fire.
"The devil!" he cried, "we are =
too
weak."
And he hastened to close the loop-hole. Thus
matters went for an hour, without any end appearing probable. The chances o=
f a
sortie were discussed; they seemed slight, for the bears could not be fough=
t singly.
Nevertheless, Hatteras and his companions, being anxious to finish it, and,=
it
must be said, very much confused at being thus imprisoned by the beasts, we=
re
about to try a direct attack, when the captain thought of a new means of
defence.
He took the poker and plunged it into the stov=
e;
then he made an opening in the wall, but so as to keep a thin coating of ice
outside. His companions watched him. When the poker was white hot, Hatteras=
said,--
"This bar will drive away the bears, for =
they
won't be able to seize it, and through the loop-hole we will be able to fir=
e at
them, without their taking our guns away from us."
"A good idea!" cried Bell, going tow=
ards
Altamont.
Then Hatteras, withdrawing the poker from the
stove, pushed it through the wall. The snow, steaming at its touch, hissed
sharply. Two bears ran to seize the bar, but they roared fearfully when four
shots were fired at once.
"Hit!" shouted the American.
"Hit!" repeated Bell.
"Let us try again," said Hatteras,
closing the opening for a moment.
The poker was put again into the fire; in a few
minutes it was red hot.
Altamont and Bell returned to their place after
loading their guns; Hatteras again pushed the poker through the loop-hole. =
But
this time an impenetrable substance stopped it.
"Curse it!" cried the American.
"What's the matter?" asked Johnson.<= o:p>
"The matter! These cursed animals are hea=
ping
up the ice and snow so as to bury us alive!"
"Impossible!"
"See, the poker can't go through! Really,
this is absurd!"
It was more than absurd, it was alarming. Matt=
ers
looked worse. The bears, which are very intelligent beasts, employed this
method of suffocating their prey. They heaped the ice in such a way as to
render flight impossible.
"This is hard," said Johnson, with a
very mortified air. "It's well enough to have men treat you in this wa=
y,
but bears!"
After this reflection two hours passed by with= out any material change in their situation; a sortie became impossible; the thickened walls deadened all sound without. Altamont walked to and fro like= a bold man in face of a danger greater than his courage. Hatteras thought anx= iously of the doctor, and of the great danger awaiting him when he should return.<= o:p>
"Ah," shouted Johnson, "if Dr.
Clawbonny were only here!"
"Well, what would he do?" asked
Altamont.
"O, he would be able to help us!"
"How?" asked the American, with some
asperity.
"If I knew," answered Johnson, "=
;I
shouldn't want him here. Still, I can think of a piece of advice he would g=
ive
us at this moment."
"What is that?"
"To take some food. It can't hurt us. Wha=
t do
you think, Mr. Altamont?"
"Let us eat if you care to," was the
answer; "although our condition is stupid, not to say disgraceful.&quo=
t;
"I'll bet," said Johnson, "that
we'll find some way of driving them off after dinner."
They made no reply, but sat down to dinner.
Johnson, as a pupil of the doctor, tried to be a philosopher in the face of=
danger,
but he succeeded ill; his jokes stuck in his throat. Besides, they began to=
feel
uncomfortable; the air was growing bad in this hermetically sealed prison; =
the
stove-pipe drew insufficiently, and it was easy to see that in a short time=
the
fire would go out; the oxygen, consumed by their lungs and the fire, would =
be
replaced by carbonic acid, which would be fatal to them, as they all knew.
Hatteras was the first to detect this new danger; he was unwilling to hide =
it
from the others.
"So, at any risk we must get out!" s=
aid
Altamont.
"Yes," answered Hatteras; "but =
let
us wait till night; we will make a hole in the snow that we may get fresh a=
ir;
then one shall take his place here and fire at the bears."
"It's the only thing we can do," said
the American.
Having agreed on this, they waited for the tim=
e of
action; and during the following hours, Altamont did not spare imprecations
against a state of things in which, as he put it, "there being men and
bears concerned, the men were getting the worst of it."
Night=
came,
and the lamp began to burn dimly in the close air of the room. At eight o'c=
lock
they made their final preparations. The guns were carefully loaded, and an
opening was begun in the roof of the snow-house. Bell worked cleverly at th=
is
for a few minutes, when Johnson, who had left the bedroom, where he was on
guard, for a few minutes, returned rapidly to his companions. He seemed
disturbed.
"What is the matter?" the captain as=
ked.
"The matter? nothing!" answered the =
old
sailor, hesitatingly, "yet--"
"What is it?" asked Altamont.
"Hush! Don't you hear a strange sound?&qu=
ot;
"On which side?"
"There! There is something happening to t=
he
wall of that room."
Bell stopped his work; each one listened. A
distant noise could be heard, apparently in the side wall; some one was
evidently making a passage-way through the ice.
"It's a tearing sound!" said Johnson=
.
"Without a doubt," answered Altamont=
.
"The bears?" asked Bell.
"Yes, the bears," said Altamont.
"They have changed their plan," continued the sailor; "they've given up trying to suffocate us."<= o:p>
"Or else they think they've done it,"
added the American, who was getting very angry.
"We shall be attacked," said Bell.
"Well," remarked Hatteras, "we
shall fight against them."
"Confound it!" shouted Altamont; &qu=
ot;I
prefer that decidedly! I've had enough working in the dark! Now we shall see
one another and fight!"
"Yes," answered Johnson; "but w=
ith
our guns it is impossible in so small a space."
"Well, with a hatchet or a knife!"
The noise increased; the scratching of claws c=
ould
be heard; the bears had attacked the wall at the angle where it joined the =
snow
fastened to the rock."
"Evidently," said Johnson, "the
animal is within six feet of us."
"You are right, Johnson," answered t= he American, "but we have time to prepare ourselves to receive it!"<= o:p>
The American took the axe in one hand, his kni=
fe
in the other; resting on his right foot, his body thrown back, he stood rea=
dy
to attack. Hatteras and Bell did the same. Johnson prepared his gun in case=
fire-arms
should be necessary. The noise grew louder and louder; the ice kept cracking
beneath the repeated blows. At last only a thin crust separated the
adversaries; suddenly this crust tore asunder like paper through which a cl=
own
leaps, and an enormous black body appeared in the gloom of the room. Altamo=
nt
raised his hand to strike it.
"Stop! for heaven's sake, stop!" sai=
d a
well-known voice.
"The doctor, the doctor!" shouted
Johnson.
It was indeed the doctor, who, carried by the
impetus, rolled into the room.
"Good evening, my friends," he said,
springing to his feet.
His companions remained stupefied; but joy
succeeded their stupefaction; each one wished to embrace the worthy man;
Hatteras, who was much moved, clasped him for a long time to his breast. The
doctor answered by a warm clasp of the hand.
"What! you, Dr. Clawbonny!" said the
boatswain.
"Why, Johnson, I was much more anxious ab=
out
your fate than you about mine."
"But how did you know that we were attack=
ed
by bears?" asked Altamont; "our greatest fear was to see you
returning quietly to Fort Providence without thought of danger."
"O, I saw everything!" answered the
doctor; "your shots warned me; I happened to be near the fragments of =
the Porpoise ; I climbed up a hummock; I saw=
five
bears chasing you; ah, I feared the worst for you! But the way you slid down
the hill, and the hesitation of the animals, reassured me for a time; I knew
you'd had time to lock yourselves in. Then I approached gradually, climbing=
and
creeping between cakes of ice; I arrived near the fort, and I saw the huge
beasts working like beavers; they were tossing the snow about, heaping up t=
he
ice so as to bury you alive. Fortunately, they did not think of hurling the
blocks down from the top of the cone, for you would have been crushed witho=
ut mercy."
"But," said Bell, "you were not
safe, Doctor; couldn't they leave their place and attack you?"
"They didn't think of it; the Greenland d=
ogs
which Johnson let loose would sniff around at a little distance, but they
didn't think of attacking them; no, they were sure of better game."
"Thanks for the compliment," said
Altamont, smiling.
"O, you needn't be vain of it! When I saw=
the
tactics of the bears, I resolved to join you; to be prudent, I waited till
night; so at twilight I slipped noiselessly towards the slope, on the side =
of
the magazine; I had my own idea in choosing this point; I wanted to make a =
gallery;
so I set to work; I began with my snow-knife, and a capital tool it is! For
three hours I dug and dug, and here I am, hungry and tired, but here at
last--"
"To share our fate?" asked Altamont.=
"To save all of us; but give me a piece of
biscuit and some meat; I'm half starved."
Soon the doctor was burying his white teeth in=
a
large slice of salt beef. Although he was eating, he appeared willing to an=
swer
the questions they put to him.
"To save us?" Bell began.
"Certainly," answered the doctor,
"and to rid us of the malicious pests who will end by finding our stor=
es
and devouring them."
"We must stay here," said Hatteras.<= o:p>
"Certainly," answered the doctor,
"and yet rid ourselves of these animals."
"There is then a means?" asked Bell.=
"A sure means," answered the doctor.=
"I said so," cried Johnson, rubbing =
his
hands; "with Dr. Clawbonny, we need not despair; he always has some
invention handy."
"Not always handy; but after thinking for=
a
while--"
"Doctor," interrupted Altamont,
"can't the bears get through the passage-way you cut?"
"No, I took the precaution of closing it
behind me; and now we can go from here to the powder-magazine without their
suspecting it."
"Good! Will you tell us what means you in=
tend
to employ to rid us of these unpleasant visitors?"
"Something very simple, and which is alre=
ady
half done."
"How so?"
"You'll see. But I forgot I didn't come
alone."
"What do you mean?" asked Johnson.
"I have a companion to introduce to
you."
And with these words he pulled in from the gal=
lery
the newly killed body of a fox.
"A fox!" cried Bell.
"My morning's game," answered the
doctor, modestly, "and you'll see no fox was ever wanted more than this
one."
"But what is your plan, after all?"
asked Altamont.
"I intend to blow the bears up with a hun=
dred
pounds of powder."
They all gazed at the doctor with amazement.
"But the powder?" they asked.
"It is in the magazine."
"And the magazine?"
"This passage-way leads to it. I had my o=
wn
reason for digging this passage sixty feet long; I might have attacked the
parapet nearer to the house, but I had my own idea."
"Well, where are you going to put the
mine?" asked the American.
"On the slope, as far as possible from the
house, the magazine, and the stores."
"But how shall you get all the bears
together?"
"I'll take charge of that," answered=
the
doctor; "but we've talked enough, now to work; we have a hundred feet =
to
dig out to-night; it's tiresome work, but we five can do it in relays. Bell
shall begin, and meanwhile we can take some rest."
"Really," said Johnson, "the mo=
re I
think of it, the more I admire Dr. Clawbonny's plan."
"It's sure," answered the doctor.
"O, from the moment you opened your mouth
they are dead bears, and I already feel their fur about my shoulders!"=
"To work, then!"
The doctor entered the dark gallery, followed =
by
Bell; where the doctor had gone through, his companions were sure to find n=
o difficulty;
two reached the magazine and entered among the barrels, which were all arra=
nged
in good order. The doctor gave Bell the necessary instructions; the carpent=
er
began work on the wall towards the slope, and his companion returned to the
house.
Bell worked for an hour, and dug a passage abo=
ut
ten feet long, through which one might crawl. Then Altamont took his place,=
and
did about as much; the snow which was taken from the gallery was carried in=
to
the kitchen, where the doctor melted it at the fire, that it might take up =
less
room. The captain followed the American; then came Johnson. In ten hours, t=
hat
is to say, at about eight o'clock in the morning, the gallery was finished.=
At
daybreak the doctor peeped at the bears through a loop-hole in the wall of =
the
powder-magazine.
The patient animals had not left their place;
there they were, coming and going, growling, but in general patrolling
patiently; they kept going around the house, which was gradually disappeari=
ng
beneath the snow. But at length they seemed to lose patience, for the doctor
saw them begin to tear away the ice and snow they had heaped up.
"Good!" he said to the captain, who =
was
standing near him.
"What are they doing?" he asked.
"They seem to be trying to destroy what t=
hey
have done and to get to us! But they'll be destroyed first! At any rate, th=
ere
is no time to lose."
The doctor made his way to the place where the
mine was to be laid; then he enlarged the chamber all the height and breadt=
h of
the slope; a layer of ice, only a foot thick at the outside, remained; it h=
ad
to be supported lest it should fall in. A stake resting on the granite soil
served as a post; the fox's body was fastened to the top, and a long knotted
cord ran the whole length of the gallery to the magazine. The doctor's
companions followed his orders without clearly understanding his intention.=
"This is the bait," he said, pointin=
g to
the fox.
At the foot of the post he placed a cask holdi=
ng
about a hundred pounds of powder.
"And here is the charge," he added.<= o:p>
"But," asked Hatteras, "sha'n't=
we
blow ourselves up at the same time?"
"No, we are far enough off from the
explosion; besides, our house is solid; and if it is hurt a little we can
easily repair it."
"Well," continued Altamont; "but
how are you going to set it off?"
"This way. By pulling this cord we pull o=
ver
the post which holds up the ice above the powder; the fox's body will sudde=
nly
be seen on the slope, and you must confess that the starving animals will r=
ush
upon this unexpected prey."
"Certainly."
"Well, at that moment I shall explode the
mine, and blow up guest and dinner."
"Well, well!" exclaimed Johnson, who=
was
listening eagerly.
Hatteras had perfect confidence in his friend,= and asked no question. He waited. But Altamont wanted it made perfectly clear.<= o:p>
"Doctor," he began, "how can you
calculate the length of the fuse so exactly that the explosion will take pl=
ace
at the right moment?"
"It's very simple," answered the doc=
tor;
"I don't make any calculation."
"But you have a fuse a hundred feet
long?"
"No."
"Shall you set a train of powder
simply?"
"No! that might fail."
"Will some one have to volunteer and light
the powder?"
"If you want any one," said Johnson,
eagerly, "I'm your man."
"It's not necessary, my friend,"
answered the doctor, grasping the boatswain's hand; "our five lives are
precious, and they will be spared, thank God!"
"Then," said the American, "I c=
an't
guess."
"Well," answered the doctor, smiling,
"if we couldn't get out of this little affair, what would be the use of
physics?"
"Ah!" said Johnson, brightening up,
"physics!"
"Yes! Haven't we here an electric pile and
wires long enough,--those, you know, which connected with the lighthouse?&q=
uot;
"Well?"
"Well, we shall explode the powder when we
please, instantly, and without danger."
"Hurrah!" shouted Johnson.
"Hurrah!" repeated his companions, n=
ot
caring whether the enemy heard them or not. Soon the electric wires were run
through the gallery from the house to the chamber of the mine. One of the
extremities remained at the pile, the other was plunged into the centre of =
the
cask, the two ends being placed at but a little distance from one another. =
At nine
of the morning all was finished, and it was time; the bears were tearing the
snow away furiously. The doctor thought the proper time had come. Johnson w=
as
sent to the magazine and charged with pulling the cord fastened to the post=
. He
took his place.
"Now," said the doctor to his
companions, "load your guns in case they should not be all killed at o=
nce,
and take your place near Johnson; as soon as you hear the explosion, run
out."
"All right!" said the American.
"And now we have done all that men can do=
! We
have helped ourselves; may God help us!"
Hatteras, Altamont, and Bell went to the magaz=
ine.
The doctor remained alone at the pile. Soon he heard Johnson's voice crying=
,--
"Ready?"
"All right!" he answered.
Johnson gave a strong pull at the rope; it pul=
led
over the stake; then he ran to the loop-hole and looked out. The surface of=
the
slope had sunk in. The fox's body was visible upon the shattered ice. The
bears, at first surprised, crowded about this new prey.
"Fire!" shouted Johnson.
The doctor at once established the electric
current between the threads; a loud explosion followed; the house shook as =
if
in an earthquake; the walls fell in. Hatteras, Altamont, and Bell hastened =
out
of the magazine, ready to fire. But their guns were not needed; four of the
five bears fell about them in fragments, while the fifth, badly burned, ran
away as fast as he could.
"Hurrah! hurrah! hurrah!" shouted the
doctor's companions, while they crowded about him and embraced him.
The
prisoners were set free; they expressed their joy by the warmth of their th=
anks
to the doctor. Johnson regretted somewhat the skins, which were burned and
useless; but his regret did not sour his temper. They spent the day in
repairing the house, which was somewhat injured by the explosion. They took
away the blocks heaped up by the animals, and the walls were made secure. T=
hey
worked briskly, encouraged by the cheery songs of the boatswain.
The next day the weather was much milder; the =
wind
changed suddenly, and the thermometer rose to +15°. So great a difference w=
as
soon felt by both man and nature. The southerly wind brought with it the fi=
rst signs
of the polar spring. This comparative warmth lasted for many days; the
thermometer, sheltered from the wind, even rose as high as +31°, and there =
were
signs of a thaw. The ice began to crack; a few spirts of salt-water arose h=
ere
and there, like jets in an English park; a few days later it rained hard.
A dense vapor arose from the snow; this was a =
good
sign, and the melting of the immense masses appeared to be near at hand. The
pale disk of the sun grew brighter and drew longer spirals above the horizo=
n;
the night lasted scarcely three hours. Another similar symptom was the
reappearance of some ptarmigans, arctic geese, plover, and flocks of quail;=
the
air was soon filled with the deafening cries which they remembered from the
previous summer. A few hares, which they were able to shoot, appeared on the
shores of the bay, as well as the arctic mice, the burrows of which were li=
ke a
honeycomb. The doctor called the attention of his friends to the fact that
these animals began to lose their white winter plumage, or hair, to put on =
their
summer dress; they were evidently getting ready for summer, while their
sustenance appeared in the form of moss, poppy, saxifrage, and thin grass. A
new life was peering through the melting snows. But with the harmless anima=
ls
returned the famished foes; foxes and wolves arrived in search of their pre=
y;
mournful howling sounded during the brief darkness of the nights.
The wolf of these countries is near of kin to =
the
dog; like him, it barks, and often in such a way as to deceive the sharpest
ears, those of the dogs themselves, for instance; it is even said that they
employ this device to attract dogs, and then eat them. This has been observ=
ed on
the shores of Hudson's Bay, and the doctor could confirm it at New America;
Johnson took care not to let loose the dogs of the sledge, who might have b=
een
destroyed in that way. As for Duke, he had seen too many of them, and he was
too wise to be caught in any such way.
During a fortnight they hunted a great deal; f=
resh
food was abundant; they shot partridges, ptarmigans, and snow-birds, which =
were
delicious eating. The hunters did not go far from Fort Providence. In fact,=
small
game could almost be killed with a stick; and it gave much animation to the
silent shores of Victoria Bay,--an unaccustomed sight which delighted their
eyes.
The fortnight succeeding the great defeat of t=
he
bears was taken up with different occupations. The thaw advanced steadily; =
the thermometer
rose to 32°, and torrents began to roar in the ravines, and thousands of
cataracts fell down the declivities. The doctor cleared an acre of ground a=
nd
sowed in it cresses, sorrel, and cochlearia, which are excellent remedies f=
or
the scurvy; the little greenish leaves were peeping above the ground when, =
with
incredible rapidity, the cold again seized everything.
In a single night, with a violent north-wind, =
the
thermometer fell forty degrees, to -8°. Everything was frozen; birds,
quadrupeds, and seals disappeared as if by magic; the holes for the seals w=
ere
closed, the crevasses disappeared, the ice became as hard as granite, and t=
he waterfalls
hung like long crystal pendants.
It was a total change to the eye; it took plac=
e in
the night of May 11-12. And when Bell the next morning put his nose out of
doors into this sharp frost, he nearly left it there.
"O, this polar climate!" cried the
doctor, a little disappointed; "that's the way it goes! Well, I shall =
have
to begin sowing again."
Hatteras took things less philosophically, so
eager was he to renew his explorations. But he had to resign himself.
"Will this cold weather last long?"
asked Johnson.
"No, my friend, no," answered Clawbo=
nny;
"it's the last touch of winter we shall have! You know it's at home he=
re,
and we can't drive it away against its will."
"It defends itself well," said Bell,
rubbing his face.
"Yes, but I ought to have expected it,&qu=
ot;
said the doctor; "and I should not have thrown the seed away so stupid=
ly,
especially since I might have started them near the kitchen stove."
"What!" asked Altamont, "could =
you
have foreseen this change of weather?"
"Certainly, and without resorting to magi=
c. I
ought to have put the seed under the protection of Saints Mamert, Panera, a=
nd
Servais, whose days are the 11th, 12th, and 13th of this month."
"Well, Doctor," said Altamont,
"will you tell me what influence these three saints have on the
weather?"
"A very great influence, to believe
gardeners, who call them the three saints of ice."
"And why so, pray?"
"Because generally there is a periodic fr=
ost
in the month of May, and the greatest fall of temperature takes place from =
the
11th to the 13th of this month. It is a fact, that is all."
"It is curious, but what is the
explanation?" asked the American.
"There are two: either by the interpositi=
on
of a greater number of asteroids between the earth and the sun at this seas=
on,
or simply by the melting of the snow, which thereby absorbs a great quantit=
y of
heat. Both explanations are plausible; must they be received? I don't know;=
but
if I'm uncertain of the truth of the explanation, I ought not to have been =
of
the fact, and so lose my crop."
The doctor was right; for one reason or another
the cold was very intense during the rest of the month of May; their hunting
was interrupted, not so much by the severity of the weather as by the absen=
ce
of game; fortunately, the supply of fresh meat was not yet quite exhausted.
They found themselves accordingly condemned to new inactivity; for a fortni=
ght,
from the 11th to the 25th of May, only one incident broke the monotony of t=
heir
lives; a serious illness, diphtheria, suddenly seized the carpenter; from t=
he
swollen tonsils and the false membrane in the throat, the doctor could not =
be
ignorant of the nature of the disease; but he was in his element, and he so=
on drove
it away, for evidently it had not counted on meeting him; his treatment was
very simple, and the medicines were not hard to get; the doctor simply
prescribed pieces of ice to be held in the mouth; in a few hours the swelli=
ng
went down and the false membrane disappeared; twenty-four hours later Bell =
was
up again.
When the others wondered at the doctor's
prescriptions: "This is the land of these complaints," he answere=
d;
"the cure must be near the disease."
"The cure, and especially the doctor,&quo= t; added Johnson, in whose mind the doctor was assuming colossal proportions.<= o:p>
During this new leisure the latter resolved to
have a serious talk with the captain; he wanted to induce Hatteras to give =
up his
intention of going northward without carrying some sort of a boat; a piece =
of
wood, something with which he could cross an arm of the sea, if they should
meet one. The captain, who was fixed in his views, had formally vowed not to
use a boat made of the fragments of the American ship. The doctor was uncer=
tain
how to broach the subject, and yet a speedy decision was important, for the
month of June would be the time for distant excursions. At last, after long
reflection, he took Hatteras aside one day, and with his usual air of kindn=
ess
said to him,--
"Hatteras, you know I am your friend?&quo=
t;
"Certainly," answered the captain,
warmly, "my best friend; indeed, my only one."
"If I give you a piece of advice,"
resumed the doctor, "advice which you don't ask for, would you conside=
r it
disinterested?"
"Yes, for I know that selfish interest has
never been your guide; but what do you want to say?"
"One moment, Hatteras; I have something e=
lse
to ask of you: Do you consider me a true Englishman like yourself, and eager
for the glory of my country?"
Hatteras looked at the doctor with surprise.
"Yes," he answered, with his face
expressing surprise at the question.
"You want to reach the North Pole,"
resumed the doctor; "I understand your ambition, I share it, but to re=
ach
this end we need the means."
"Well, haven't I so far sacrificed everyt=
hing
in order to succeed?"
"No, Hatteras, you have not sacrificed yo=
ur
personal prejudices, and at this moment I see that you are ready to refuse =
the
indispensable means of reaching the Pole."
"Ah!" answered Hatteras, "you m=
ean
the launch; this man--"
"Come, Hatteras, let us argue coolly, wit=
hout
passion, and look at all sides of the question. The line of the coast on wh=
ich
we have wintered may be broken; there is no proof that it runs six degrees =
to
the north; if the information which has brought you so far is right, we oug=
ht
to find a vast extent of open sea during the summer months. Now, with the
Arctic Ocean before us, free of ice and favorable for navigation, what shal=
l we
do if we lack the means of crossing it?"
Hatteras made no answer.
"Do you want to be within a few miles of =
the
Pole without being able to reach it?"
Hatteras's head sank into his hands.
"And now," continued the doctor,
"let us look at the question from a moral point of view. I can underst=
and
that an Englishman should give up his life and his fortune for the honor of=
his
country. But because a boat made of a few planks torn from a wrecked Americ=
an
ship first touches the coast or crosses the unknown ocean, can that diminish
the honor of the discovery? If you found on this shore the hull of an aband=
oned
ship, should you hesitate to make use of it? Doesn't the glory of success
belong to the head of the expedition? And I ask you if this launch built by=
four
Englishmen, manned by four Englishmen, would not be English from keel to
gunwale?"
Hatteras was still silent.
"No," said Clawbonny, "let us t=
alk
frankly; it's not the boat you mind, it's the man."
"Yes, Doctor, yes," answered the
captain, "that American; I hate him with real English hate, that man
thrown in my way by chance--"
"To save you!"
"To ruin me! He seems to defy me, to act =
as
master, to imagine he holds my fate in his hands, and to have guessed my pl=
ans.
Didn't he show his character when we were giving names to the new lands? Ha=
s he
ever said what he was doing here? You can't free me of the idea which is
killing me, that this man is the head of an expedition sent out by the
government of the United States."
"And if he is, Hatteras, what is there to
show that he is in search of the Pole? Can't America try to discover the
Northwest Passage as well as England? At any rate, Altamont is perfectly
ignorant of your plans; for neither Johnson nor Bell nor you nor I has said=
a
single word about them in his presence."
"Well, I hope he'll never know them!"=
;
"He will know them finally, of course, fo=
r we
can't leave him alone here."
"Why not?" asked the captain, with s=
ome
violence; "can't he remain at Fort Providence?"
"He would never give his consent, Hattera=
s;
and then to leave him here, uncertain of finding him again, would be more t=
han
imprudent, it would be inhuman. Altamont will come with us; he must come! B=
ut
since there is no need of suggesting new ideas to him, let us say nothing, =
and
build a launch apparently for reconnoitring these new shores."
Hatteras could not make up his mind to accede =
to
the demands of his friend, who waited for an answer which did not come.
"And if he refused to let us tear his shi=
p to
pieces!" said the captain, finally.
"In that case, you would have the right on
your side; you could build the boat in spite of him, and he could do nothing
about it."
"I hope he will refuse," exclaimed
Hatteras.
"Before he refuses," answered the
doctor, "he must be asked. I will undertake to do it."
In fact, that evening, before supper, Clawbonny
turned the conversation to certain proposed expeditions in the summer months
for hydrographic observations.
"I suppose, Altamont," he said,
"that you will join us?"
"Certainly," was the reply; "we
must know how large New America is."
Hatteras gazed earnestly at his rival while he
made his answer.
"And for that," continued Altamont,
"we must make the best use we can of the fragments of the Porpoise ; let us make a strong boat whi=
ch can
carry us far."
"You hear, Bell," said the doctor,
quickly; "to-morrow we shall set to work."
The n=
ext
day Bell, Altamont, and the doctor went to the Porpoise ; they found no lack of wood; t=
he old
three-masted launch, though injured by being wrecked, could still supply
abundant material for the new one. The carpenter set to work at once; they
needed a seaworthy boat, which should yet be light enough to carry on a sle=
dge.
Towards the end of May the weather grew warmer; the thermometer rose above =
the freezing-point;
the spring came in earnest this time, and the men were able to lay aside th=
eir
winter clothing. Much rain fell, and soon the snow began to slide and melt
away. Hatteras could not hide his joy at seeing the first signs of thaw in =
the
ice-fields. The open sea meant liberty for him.
Whether or not his predecessors had been wrong=
on
this great question of an open polar sea, he hoped soon to know. All chance=
of
success in his undertaking depended on this. One evening, after a warm day =
in which
the ice had given unmistakable signs of breaking up, he turned the conversa=
tion
to the question of an open sea. He took up the familiar arguments, and found
the doctor, as ever, a warm advocate of his doctrine. Besides, his conclusi=
ons
were evidently accurate.
"It is plain," he said, "that if
the ocean before Victoria Bay gets clear of ice, its southern part will als=
o be
clear as far as New Cornwall and Queen's Channel. Penny and Belcher saw it =
in
that state, and they certainly saw clearly."
"I agree with you, Hatteras," answer=
ed
the doctor, "and I have no reason for doubting the word of these sailo=
rs;
a vain attempt has been made to explain their discovery as an effect of mir=
age;
but they were so certain, it was impossible that they could have made such =
a mistake."
"I always thought so," said Altamont;
"the polar basin extends to the east as well as to the west."
"We can suppose so, at any rate,"
answered Hatteras.
"We ought to suppose so," continued =
the
American, "for this open sea which Captains Penny and Belcher saw near=
the
coast of Grinnell Land was seen by Morton, Kane's lieutenant, in the straits
which are named after that bold explorer."
"We are not in Kane's sea," answered
Hatteras, coldly, "and consequently we cannot verify the fact."
"It is supposable, at least," said
Altamont.
"Certainly," replied the doctor, who
wished to avoid useless discussion. "What Altamont thinks ought to be =
the
truth; unless there is a peculiar disposition of the surrounding land, the =
same
effects appear at the same latitudes. Hence I believe the sea is open in th=
e east
as well as in the west."
"At any rate, it makes very little differ=
ence
to us," said Hatteras.
"I don't agree with you, Hatteras,"
resumed the American, who was beginning to be annoyed by the affected uncon=
cern
of the captain; "it may make considerable difference to us."
"And when, if I may ask?"
"When we think of returning."
"Returning!" cried Hatteras, "a=
nd
who's thinking of that?"
"No one," answered Altamont; "b=
ut
we shall stop somewhere, I suppose."
"And where?" asked Hatteras.
For the first time the question was fairly put=
to
Altamont. The doctor would have given one of his arms to have put a stop to=
the
discussion. Since Altamont made no answer, the captain repeated his questio=
n.
"And where?"
"Where we are going," answered the
American, quietly.
"And who knows where that is?" said =
the
peace-loving doctor.
"I say, then," Altamont went on,
"that if we want to make use of the polar basin in returning, we can t=
ry
to gain Kane's sea; it will lead us more directly to Baffin's Bay."
"So that is your idea?" asked the
captain, ironically.
"Yes, that is my idea, as it is that if t=
hese
seas ever become practicable, they will be reached by the straightest way. =
O,
that was a great discovery of Captain Kane's!"
"Indeed!" said Hatteras, biting his =
lips
till they bled.
"Yes," said the doctor, "that
cannot be denied; every one should have the praise he deserves."
"Without considering," went on the
obstinate American, "that no one had ever before gone so far to the
north."
"I like to think," said Hatteras,
"that now the English have got ahead of him."
"And the Americans!" said Altamont.<= o:p>
"Americans!" repeated Hatteras.
"What am I, then?" asked Altamont,
proudly.
"You are," answered Hatteras, who co=
uld
hardly control his voice,--"you are a man who presumes to accord equal
glory to science and to chance! Your American captain went far to the north,
but as chance alone--"
"Chance!" shouted Altamont; "do=
you
dare to say that this great discovery is not due to Kane's energy and
knowledge?"
"I say," answered Hatteras, "th=
at
Kane's name is not fit to be pronounced in a country made famous by Parry,
Franklin, Ross, Belcher, and Penny in these seas which opened the Northwest
Passage to MacClure--"
"MacClure!" interrupted the American;
"you mention that man, and yet you complain of the work of chance? Was=
n't
it chance alone that favored him?"
"No," answered Hatteras,
warmly,--"no! It was his courage, his perseverance in spending four
winters in the ice--"
"I should think so!" retorted the
American; "he got caught in the ice and couldn't get out, and he had to
abandon the Investigator at last to go back to England."
"My friends--" said the doctor.
"Besides," Altamont went on, "l=
et
us consider the result. You speak of the Northwest Passage; well, it has ye=
t to
be discovered!"
Hatteras started at these words; no more vexat=
ious
question could have arisen between two rival nationalities. The doctor again
tried to intervene.
"You are mistaken, Altamont," he sai=
d.
"No, I persist in my opinions," he s=
aid
obstinately; "the Northwest Passage is yet to be found, to be sailed
through, if you like that any better! MacClure never penetrated it, and to =
this
day no ship that has sailed from Behring Strait has reached Baffin's Bay!&q=
uot;
That was true, speaking exactly. What answer c=
ould
be made?
Nevertheless, Hatteras rose to his feet and
said,--
"I shall not permit the good name of an
English captain to be attacked any further in my presence."
"You will not permit it?" answered t=
he
American, who also rose to his feet; "but these are the facts, and it =
is
beyond your power to destroy them."
"Sir!" said Hatteras, pale with ange=
r.
"My friends," said the doctor,
"don't get excited! We are discussing a scientific subject."
Clawbonny looked with horror at a scientific
discussion into which the hate of an American and an Englishman could enter=
.
"I am going to give you the facts,"
began Hatteras, threateningly.
"But I'm speaking now!" retorted the=
American.
Johnson and Bell became very uneasy.
"Gentlemen," said the doctor, severe=
ly,
"let me say a word! I insist upon it, I know the facts as well, better
than you do, and I can speak of them impartially."
"Yes, yes," said Bell and Johnson, w=
ho
were distressed at the turn the discussion had taken, and who formed a majo=
rity
favorable to the doctor.
"Go on, Doctor," said Johnson,
"these gentlemen will listen, and you cannot fail to give us some
information."
"Go on, Doctor," said the American.<= o:p>
Hatteras resumed his place with a sign of
acquiescence, and folded his arms.
"I will tell the simple truth about the
facts," said the doctor, "and you must correct me if I omit or al=
ter
any detail."
"We know you, Doctor," said Bell,
"and you can speak without fear of interruption."
"Here is the chart of the Polar Seas,&quo=
t;
resumed the doctor, who had brought it to the table; "it will be easy =
to
trace MacClure's course, and you will be able to make up your minds for
yourselves."
Thereupon he unrolled one of the excellent maps
published by order of the Admiralty, containing the latest discoveries in
arctic regions; then he went on:--
"You know, in 1848, two ships, the Herald , Captain Kellet, and the Plover , Commander Moore, were sent to B=
ehring
Strait in search of traces of Franklin; their search was vain; in 1850 they
were joined by MacClure, who commanded the Investigator , a ship in which he had sa=
iled,
in 1849, under James Ross's orders. He was followed by Captain Collinson, h=
is
chief, who sailed in the Enterpris=
e ;
but he arrived before him. At Behring Strait he declared he would wait no
longer, and that he would go alone, on his own responsibility, and--you hear
me, Altamont--that he would find either Franklin or the passage."
Altamont showed neither approbation nor the
contrary.
"August 5, 1850," continued the doct=
or,
"after a final communication with the Plover , MacClure sailed eastward by an =
almost
unknown route; see how little land is marked upon the chart. August 30th he=
rounded
Cape Bathurst; September 6th he discovered Baring Land, which he afterwards
discovered to form part of Banks Land, then Prince Albert's Land. Then he
resolved to enter the long straits between these two large islands, and he
called it Prince of Wales Strait. You can follow his plan. He hoped to come=
out
in Melville Sound, which we have just crossed, and with reason; but the ice=
at
the end of the strait formed an impassable barrier. There MacClure wintered=
in 1850-51,
and meanwhile he pushed on over the ice, to make sure that the strait conne=
cted
with the sound."
"Yes," said Altamont, "but he
didn't succeed."
"One moment," said the doctor.
"While wintering there, MacClure's officers explored all the neighbori=
ng
coasts: Creswell, Baring's Land; Haswell, Prince Albert's Land, to the sout=
h;
and Wynniat, Cape Walker, to the north. In July, at the beginning of the th=
aw,
MacClure tried a second time to carry the Investigator to Melville Sound; he got within twenty =
miles
of it, twenty miles only, but the winds carried him with irresistible force=
to
the south, before he could get through the obstacle. Then he determined to =
go
back through Prince of Wales Strait, and go around Banks Land, to try at the
west what he could not do in the east; he put about; the 18th he rounded Ca=
pe
Kellet; the 19th, Cape Prince Alfred, two degrees higher; then, after a har=
d struggle
with the icebergs, he was caught in Banks Strait, in the series of straits
leading to Baffin's Bay."
"But he couldn't get through them," =
said
Altamont.
"Wait a moment, and be as patient as MacC=
lure
was. September 26th, he took his station for the winter in Mercy Bay, and
stayed there till 1852. April came; MacClure had supplies for only eighteen
months. Nevertheless, he was unwilling to return; he started, crossing Bank=
s Strait
by sledge, and reached Melville Island. Let us follow him. He hoped to find
here Commander Austin's ships, which were sent to meet him by Baffin's Bay =
and
Lancaster Sound; April 28th he arrived at Winter Harbor, at the place where
Parry had wintered thirty-three years previously, but no trace of the ships;
only he found in a cairn a paper, telling him that MacClintock, Austin's
lieutenant, had been there the year before, and gone away. Any one else wou=
ld
have been in despair, but MacClure was not. He put in the cairn another pap=
er,
in which he announced his intention of returning to England by the Northwest
Passage, which he had discovered by reaching Baffin's Bay and Lancaster Sou=
nd.
If he is not heard from again, it will be because he will have been to the
north or west of Melville Island; then he returned, not discouraged, to Mer=
cy
Bay for the third winter, 1852-53."
"I have never doubted his courage," =
said
Altamont, "but his success."
"Let us follow him again," resumed t=
he
doctor. "In the month of March, being on two-thirds rations, at the en=
d of
a very severe winter, when no game was to be had, MacClure determined to se=
nd
back half of his crew to England, either by Baffin's Bay, or by Mackenzie R=
iver
and Hudson's Bay; the other half was to bring the Investigator back. He chose the weakest men, who coul=
d not
stand a fourth winter; everything was ready, and their departure settled for
April 15th, when on the 6th, MacClure, who was walking on the ice with his
lieutenant, Creswell, saw a man running northward and gesticulating; it was=
Lieutenant
Pim of the Herald , lieutenant of =
the
same Captain Kellet whom two years before he had left at Behring Strait, as=
I
said when I began. Kellet, having reached Winter Harbor, found the paper le=
ft there
by MacClure; having heard in that way of his position in Mercy Bay, he sent
Lieutenant Pim to meet the captain. He was followed by a detachment of the =
men
of the Herald , among whom was a
midshipman of a French ship, M. de Bray, who was a volunteer aid of Captain=
Kellet.
You don't doubt this meeting?"
"Not at all," answered Altamont.
"Well, see what followed, and whether the
Northwest Passage was really made. If you join Parry's discoveries to those=
of
MacClure, you will see the northern coast of America was rounded."
"But not by a single ship," said
Altamont.
"No, but by a single man. Let us go on.
MacClure went to see Captain Kellet at Melville Island; in twelve days he m=
ade
the one hundred and seventy miles between Winter Harbor and the island; he
agreed with the commander of the H=
erald to send him his sick, and returned; many=
others
would have thought, had they been in MacClure's place, that they had done
enough, but this bold young man determined to try his fortune again. Then, =
and
please observe this, Lieutenant Creswell, with the sick and disabled men of=
the
Investigator , left Mercy Bay, rea=
ched
Winter Harbor, and from there, after a journey of four hundred and seventy
miles on the ice, reached Beechey Island, June 2d, and a few days later, wi=
th
twelve of his men, he took passage on board of the Phoenix ."
"In which I was at the time," said
Johnson, "with Captain Inglefield, and we returned to England."
"And October 7, 1853," continued the
doctor, "Creswell arrived at London, after having crossed over the who=
le
distance between Behring Strait and Cape Farewell."
"Well," said Hatteras, "to ente=
r at
one end and go out by the other, isn't that going through?"
"Yes," answered Altamont, "but =
by
going four hundred and seventy miles over the ice."
"Well, what difference does that make?&qu=
ot;
"The whole," answered the American.
"Did MacClure's ship make the passage?"
"No," answered the doctor, "for
after a fourth winter, MacClure was obliged to leave it in the ice."
"Well, in a sea-voyage it's important to =
have
the ship reach her destination. If the Northwest Passage ever becomes
practicable, it must be for ships and not for sledges. The ship must accomp=
lish
the voyage, or if not the ship, the launch."
"The launch!" shouted Hatteras, who
detected the hidden meaning in the American's words.
"Altamont," said the doctor, hurried= ly, "you make a puerile distinction, and we all consider you wrong."<= o:p>
"That is easy, gentlemen," answered =
the
American; "you are four to one. But that won't keep me from holding my=
own
opinion."
"Keep it," said Hatteras, "and =
so
closely that we need hear nothing about it."
"And what right have you to speak to me in
that way?" asked the American in a rage.
"My right as captain," answered
Hatteras.
"Am I under your commands?" retorted
Altamont.
"Without doubt, and look out for yourself,
if--"
The doctor, Johnson, and Bell intervened. It w=
as
time; the two enemies were gazing at one another. The doctor was very anxio=
us.
Still, after a few gentler words, Altamont went off to bed whistling "=
Yankee
Doodle," and, whether he slept or not, he did not speak. Hatteras went=
out
and paced up and down for an hour, and then he turned in without saying a w=
ord.
On May
29th, for the first time, the sun did not set; it merely touched the horizon
and then rose at once; the day was twenty-four hours long. The next day it =
was
surrounded by a magnificent halo, a bright circle with all the colors of the
prism; this apparition, which was by no means rare, always attracted the do=
ctor's
attention; he never failed to note the date and appearance of the phenomeno=
n;
the one he saw on that day was of an elliptic shape, which he had seldom se=
en
before.
Soon the noisy flocks of birds appeared; busta=
rds
and wild geese came from Florida or Arkansas, flying northward with
inconceivable rapidity and bringing the spring with them. The doctor shot a
few, as well as three or four cranes and a single stork. However, the snow =
was
melting everywhere beneath the sun; the salt-water, which overran the ice-f=
ield
through the crevasses and the seal-holes, hastened the melting; the ice whi=
ch
was mingled with salt-water formed a soft slush. Large pools appeared on the
land near the bay, and the exposed soil seemed to be a production of the ar=
ctic
spring.
The doctor then resumed his planting; he had
plenty of seed; besides, he was surprised to see a sort of sorrel growing
naturally between the dried rocks, and he wondered at the force of nature w=
hich
demanded so little in order to manifest itself. He sowed some cresses, of w=
hich
the young sprouts, three weeks later, were already an inch long.
The heath began to show timidly its little pal=
e,
rosy flowers. In fact, the flora of New America is very defective; still, t=
his
rare vegetation was agreeable to their eyes; it was all the feeble rays of =
the
sun could nourish, a trace of the Providence which had not completely forgo=
tten
these distant countries. At last it became really warm; June 15th the
thermometer stood at 57°; the doctor could hardly believe his eyes; the cou=
ntry
changed its appearance; numerous noisy cascades fell from the sunny summits=
of
the hills; the ice loosened, and the great question of an open sea would so=
on
be decided. The air was full of the noise of avalanches falling from the hi=
lls
to the bottom of the ravines, and the cracking of the ice-field produced a =
deafening
sound.
A trip was made to Johnson Island; it was mere=
ly
an unimportant, arid, barren island; but the old boatswain was no less prou=
d of
giving his name to a few desolate rocks. He even wanted to carve it on a hi=
gh peak.
During this excursion, Hatteras had carefully explored these lands, even be=
yond
Cape Washington; the melting of the snow sensibly changed the country; ravi=
nes
and hillocks appeared here and there, where the snow indicated nothing but
monotonous stretches. The house and magazines threatened to melt away, and =
they
had frequently to be repaired; fortunately, a temperature of 57° is rare in
these latitudes, and the mean is hardly above the freezing-point.
By the middle of June the launch was far advan=
ced
and getting into shape. While Bell and Johnson were working at it, the othe=
rs
had a few successful hunts. Reindeer were shot, although they are hard to a=
pproach;
but Altamont put in practice a device employed by the Indians of his own
country; he crept over the ground with his gun and arms outstretched like t=
he
horns of one of these shy animals, and having thus come within easy gunshot=
, he
could not fail.
But the best game, the musk-ox, of which Parry
found plenty at Melville Island, appeared not to frequent the shores of
Victoria Bay. A distant hunt was determined on, as much to get these valuab=
le animals
as to reconnoitre the eastern lands. Hatteras did not propose to reach the =
Pole
by this part of the continent, but the doctor was not sorry to get a general
idea of the country. Hence they decided to start to the east of Fort
Providence. Altamont intended to hunt; Duke naturally was of the party.
So, Monday, June 17th, a pleasant day, with the
thermometer at 41°, and the air quiet and clear, the three hunters, each
carrying a double-barrelled gun, a hatchet, a snow-knife, and followed by D=
uke,
left Doctor's House at six o'clock in the morning. They were fitted out for=
a
trip of two or three days, with the requisite amount of provisions. By eight
o'clock Hatteras and his two companions had gone eight miles. Not a living
thing had tempted a shot, and their hunt threatened to be merely a trip.
This new country exhibited vast plains running=
out
of sight; new streams divided them everywhere, and large, unruffled pools
reflected the sun. The layers of melting ice bared the ground to their feet=
; it
belonged to the great division of sedimentary earth, and the result of the
action of the water, which is so common on the surface of the globe. Still a
few erratic blocks were seen of a singular nature, foreign to the soil where
they were found, and whose presence it was hard to explain. Schists and
different productions of limestone were found in abundance, as was also a s=
ort
of strange, transparent, colorless crystal, which has a refraction peculiar=
to
Iceland spar.
But, although he was not hunting, the doctor h=
ad
not time to geologize; he had to walk too quickly, in order to keep up with=
his
friends. Still, he observed the land and talked as much as possible, for ha=
d he
not there would have been total silence in the little band; neither Altamont
nor the captain had any desire to talk to one another.
By ten o'clock the hunters had got a dozen mil=
es
to the east; the sea was hidden beneath the horizon; the doctor proposed a =
halt
for breakfast. They swallowed it rapidly, and in half an hour they were off
again. The ground was sloping gently; a few patches of snow, preserved eith=
er
by their position or the slope of the rocks, gave it a woolly appearance, l=
ike
waves in a high wind. The country was still barren, and looking as if no li=
ving
being had ever set foot in it.
"We have no luck," said Altamont to =
the
doctor; "to be sure, the country doesn't offer much food to animals, b=
ut
the game here ought not to be over-particular, and ought to show itself.&qu=
ot;
"Don't let us despair," said the doc=
tor;
"the summer has hardly begun; and if Parry met so many animals at Melv=
ille
Island, we may be as lucky here."
"Still, we are farther north," said =
Hatteras.
"Certainly, but that is unimportant; it is
the pole of cold we ought to consider; that is to say, that icy wilderness =
in
the middle of which we wintered with the Forward ; now the farther north we go, t=
he farther
we are from the coldest part of the globe; we ought to find, beyond, what
Parry, Ross, and others found on the other side."
"Well," said Altamont, with a regret=
ful
sigh, "so far we've been travellers rather than hunters."
"Be patient," answered the doctor;
"the country is changing gradually, and I should be astonished if we d=
on't
find game enough in the ravines where vegetation has had a chance to
sprout."
"It must be said," continued Altamon=
t,
"that we are going through an uninhabited and uninhabitable country.&q=
uot;
"O, uninhabitable is a strong word!"
answered the doctor; "I can't believe any land uninhabitable; man, by =
many
sacrifices, and for generations using all the resources of science, might
finally fertilize such a country."
"Do you think so?" asked Altamont.
"Without doubt! If you were to go to the
celebrated countries of the world, to Thebes, Nineveh, or Babylon, in the
fertile valleys of our ancestors, it would seem impossible that men should =
ever
have lived there; the air itself has grown bad since the disappearance of h=
uman
beings. It is the general law of nature which makes those countries in whic=
h we
do not live unhealthy and sterile, like those out of which life has died. In
fact, man himself makes his own country by his presence, his habits, his
industry, and, I might add, by his breath; he gradually modifies the
exhalations of the soil and the atmospheric conditions, and he makes the ai=
r he
breathes wholesome. So there are uninhabited lands, I grant, but none
uninhabitable."
Talking in this way, the hunters, who had beco=
me
naturalists, pushed on and reached a sort of valley, fully exposed, at the
bottom of which a river, nearly free of ice, was flowing; its southern expo=
sure
had brought forth a certain amount of vegetation. The earth showed a strong
desire to grow fertile; with a few inches of rich soil it would have produc=
ed a
good deal. The doctor called their attention to these indications.
"See," he said, "a few hardy
colonists might settle in this ravine. With industry and perseverance they
could do a great deal; not as much as is seen in the temperate zones, but a
respectable show. If I am not mistaken, there are some four-footed animals!
They know the good spots."
"They are Arctic hares," shouted
Altamont, cocking his gun.
"Wait a moment," cried the
doctor,--"wait a moment, you hasty fellow. They don't think of running
away! See, they'll come to us!"
And, in fact, three or four young hares, sprin=
ging
about in the heath and young moss, ran boldly towards the three men; they w=
ere
so cunning that even Altamont was softened.
Soon they were between the doctor's legs; he
caressed them with his hand, saying,--
"Why shoot these little animals which com=
e to
be petted? We need not kill them."
"You are right, Doctor," answered
Hatteras; "we'll let them live."
"And these ptarmigan, too, which are flyi=
ng
towards us!" cried Altamont; "and these long-legged water-fowl!&q=
uot;
A whole flock of birds passed over the hunters,
not suspecting the peril from which the doctor's presence saved them. Even =
Duke
was compelled to admire them.
They were a curious and touching sight, flying
about without fear, resting on Clawbonny's shoulders, lying at his feet,
offering themselves to his caresses, seeming to do their best to welcome th=
eir new
guests; they called one another joyously, flying from the most distant poin=
ts;
the doctor seemed to be a real bird-charmer. The hunters continued their ma=
rch
up the moist banks of the brook, followed by the familiar band, and turning
from the valley they perceived a troop of eight or ten reindeer browsing on=
a
few lichens half buried beneath the snow; they were graceful, quiet animals,
with their branching antlers, which the female carried as well as the male;=
their
wool-like fur was already losing its winter whiteness in favor of the summer
brown and gray; they seemed no more timid than the hares and birds of the
country. Such were the relations of the first men to the first animals in t=
he
early ages of the world.
The hunters reached the middle of the band wit=
hout
any one flying; this time the doctor found it hard to restrain the instinct=
s of
Altamont, who could not calmly look on this game without a thirst for blood
rising in his brain. Hatteras looked mildly at these gentle beasts, who rub=
bed
their noses against the doctor's clothes; he was the friend of all the anim=
als.
"But," said Altamont, "didn't we
come here to shoot?"
"To shoot musk-ox," answered Clawbon=
ny,
"and nothing else! We should have no need of this game; we have food
enough, so let us enjoy the sight of man walking thus among these animals,
without alarming them."
"That proves they have never seen one
before," said Hatteras.
"Evidently," answered the doctor;
"and so we can be sure that these animals are not of American
origin."
"And why so?" said Altamont.
"If they were born on the continent of No=
rth
America, they would know what to think of men, and they would have fled at =
the
sight of us. No; they probably came from the north, from those unknown lands
where our kind has never set foot, and they have crossed the continents near
the Pole. So, Altamont, you can't claim them as your fellow-countrymen.&quo=
t;
"O," answered Altamont, "a hunt=
er
does not scrutinize so closely, and the game belongs to the land where it w=
as
shot!"
"Well, calm yourself, my Nimrod! As for m=
e, I
would rather never fire a gun in my life than alarm this timid population. =
See,
even Duke fraternizes with the charming beasts! Come, we'll be kind when we
can! Kindness is a force!"
"Well, well," answered Altamont, who
sympathized but slightly with this sensitiveness; "but I should be amu=
sed
to see you armed with this kindness alone among a flock of bears or
wolves!"
"O, I don't pretend to charm wild
beasts!" answered the doctor; "I have little faith in the enchant=
ment
of Orpheus; besides, bears and wolves wouldn't come up to us like the hares,
partridges, and reindeer."
"Why not," answered Altamont, "=
if
they have never seen men?"
"Because they are naturally ferocious, and
ferocity, like maliciousness, begets suspicion; a remark which is true of m=
an
as well as of animals. A wicked man is distrustful, and fear is commonly fo=
und in
those who are able to inspire it."
This little lesson in natural philosophy ended=
the
conversation.
The whole day was passed in this Northern Arca=
dia,
as the doctor named the valley, with the consent of his companions; and that
evening, after a supper which had not cost the life of a single inhabitant =
of the
country, the three hunters went to sleep in a cleft of a rock which was
admirably adapted for a shelter.
The n=
ext
day the doctor and his two companions woke up after a perfectly quiet night.
The cold, although not keen, increased towards daybreak, but they were well
covered, and slept soundly under the watch of the peaceful animals.
The weather being pleasant, they resolved to
consecrate the day to a reconnaissance of the country, and the search of
musk-oxen. Altamont insisted on shooting something, and they decided that, =
even
if these oxen should be the gentlest animals in the world, they should be s=
hot.
Besides, their flesh, although strongly flavored with musk, was pleasant
eating, and they all hoped to carry back to Fort Providence a good supply of
it.
During the early morning hours nothing notewor=
thy
took place; the land grew different in the northeast; a few elevations, the
beginning of a mountainous district, indicated a change. If this New America
were not a continent, it was at any rate an important island; but then they=
did
not have to trouble themselves about its geography.
Duke ran ahead, and soon came across some trac=
es
of a herd of musk-oxen; he then advanced rapidly, and soon disappeared from=
the
eyes of the hunters. They followed his clear barking, which soon grew so ha=
sty
that they knew he had discovered the object of their search. They pushed on,
and in an hour and a half they came up to two of these animals; they were
large, and formidable in appearance. They appeared much surprised at Duke's
attacks, but not alarmed; they were feeding off a sort of reddish moss which
grew on the thin soil. The doctor recognized them at once from their modera=
te
height, their horns, which were broad at the base, the absence of muzzle, t=
heir
sheep-like forehead, and short tail; their shape has earned for them from n=
aturalists
the name of "ovibos," a compound, and which expresses the two sor=
ts
of animals whose characteristics they share. Thick, long hair and a sort of
delicate brown silk formed their fur.
They ran away when they saw the two hunters, w=
ho
came running up after them. It was hard to reach them for men who were out =
of
breath after running half an hour. Hatteras and his companions stopped.
"The Devil!" said Altamont.
"That's just the word," said the doc=
tor,
as soon as he could take breath. "I'll grant they are Americans, and t=
hey
can't have a very good idea of your countrymen."
"That proves we are good hunters,"
answered Altamont.
Still, the musk-oxen, seeing they were not
pursued, stopped in a posture of surprise. It became evident that they could
never be run down; they would have to be surrounded; the plateau on which t=
hey
were aided this manoeuvre. The hunters, leaving Duke to harass them, descen=
ded
through the neighboring ravines, so as to get around the plateau. Altamont =
and
the doctor hid behind a rock at one end, while Hatteras, suddenly advancing
from the other end, should drive the oxen towards them. In half an hour each
had gained his post.
"You don't object any longer to our
shooting?" asked Altamont.
"No, it's fair fighting," answered t=
he
doctor, who, in spite of gentleness, was a real sportsman.
They were talking in this way, when they saw t=
he
oxen running, and Duke at their heels; farther on Hatteras was driving them,
with loud cries, towards the American and the doctor, who ran to meet this =
magnificent
prey.
At once the oxen stopped, and, less fearful of=
a
single enemy, they turned upon Hatteras. He awaited them calmly, aimed at t=
he
nearest, and fired; but the bullet struck the animal in the middle of his f=
orehead,
without penetrating the skull. Hatteras's second shot produced no other eff=
ect
than to make the beasts furious; they ran to the disarmed hunter, and threw=
him
down at once.
"He is lost," cried the doctor.
At the moment Clawbonny pronounced these words
with an accent of despair, Altamont made a step forward to run to Hatteras's
aid; then he stopped, struggling against himself and his prejudices.
"No," he cried, "that would be
cowardice."
He hastened with Clawbonny to the scene of com=
bat.
His hesitation had not lasted half a second. But if the doctor saw what was
taking place in the American's heart, Hatteras understood it, who would rat=
her
have died than have implored his rival's interference. Still, he had hardly=
time
to perceive it, for Altamont appeared before him. Hatteras, lying on the
ground, was trying to ward off the horns and hoofs of the two animals. But =
he
could not long continue so unequal a struggle. He was about to be torn in
pieces, when two shots were heard. Hatteras heard the bullets whistling by =
his
head.
"Don't be frightened!" shouted Altam=
ont,
hurling his gun to one side, and rushing upon the angry animals.
One of the oxen fell, shot through the heart; =
the
other, wild with rage, was just going to gore the captain, when Altamont fa=
ced
him, and plunged into his mouth his hand, armed with a snow-knife; with the=
other
he gave him a terrible blow with a hatchet on the head. This was done with
marvellous rapidity, and a flash of lightning would have lit up the whole
scene.
The second ox fell back dead.
"Hurrah! hurrah!" cried Clawbonny.
Hatteras was saved. He owed his life to the man
whom he detested most in the world. What was going on in his mind at this t=
ime?
What emotion was there which he could not master? That is one of the secret=
s of
the heart which defy all analysis.
However that may be, Hatteras advanced to his
rival without hesitation, and said to him seriously,--
"You have saved my life, Altamont."<= o:p>
"You saved mine," answered the Ameri=
can.
There was a moment's silence. Then Altamont added, "We are now quits,
Hatteras!"
"No, Altamont," answered the captain;
"when the doctor took you from your icy tomb, I did not know who you w=
ere,
and you have saved me at the risk of your own life, knowing who I was."=
;
"You are a fellow-being," answered
Altamont; "and whatever else he may be, an American is not a coward.&q=
uot;
"No, he is not," said the doctor;
"he is a man! a man like you, Hatteras!"
"And like me he shall share the glory whi=
ch
is awaiting us!"
"The glory of going to the North Pole?&qu=
ot;
said Altamont.
"Yes," said the captain, haughtily.<= o:p>
"I had guessed it!" exclaimed the
American. "So you dared conceive of this bold design! You dared try to
reach that inaccessible point! Ah, that is great! It is sublime!"
"But you," asked Hatteras, hurriedly,
"were you not on your way to the Pole?"
Altamont seemed to hesitate about replying.
"Well?" said the doctor.
"Well, no," answered the
American,--"no; tell the truth, and shame the Devil! No, I did not have
this great idea, which has brought you here. I was trying simply to sail
through the Northwest Passage, that is all."
"Altamont," said Hatteras, holding o=
ut
his hand to the American, "share our glory, and go with us to the North
Pole!"
The two men then shook hands warmly.
When they turned towards the doctor, they saw =
his
eyes full of tears.
"Ah, my friends," he murmured, as he
dried his eyes, "how can my heart hold the joy with which you fill it?=
My
dear companions, you have sacrificed a miserable question of nationality in
order to unite in your common success! You know that England and America ha=
ve
nothing to do with all this; that mutual sympathy ought to bind you togethe=
r against
the dangers of the journey! If the North Pole is discovered, what difference
does it make who does it? Why stand bickering about English or American, wh=
en
we can be proud of being men?"
The doctor embraced the reconciled foes; he co=
uld
not restrain his joy. The two new friends felt themselves drawn closer toge=
ther
by the friendship this worthy man had for them both. Clawbonny spoke freely=
of
the vanity of competition, of the madness of rivalry, and of the need of
agreement between men so far from home. His words, his tears and caresses, =
came
from the bottom of his heart.
Still, he grew calm after embracing Hatteras a=
nd
Altamont for the twentieth time.
"And now," he said, "to work, to
work! Since I was no use as a hunter, let me try in another capacity!"=
Thereupon he started to cut up the ox, which he
called the "ox of reconciliation," but he did it as skilfully as =
if
he were a surgeon conducting a delicate autopsy. His two companions gazed at
him in amusement. In a few minutes he had cut from the body a hundred pound=
s of
flesh; he gave each one a third of it, and they again took up their march to
Fort Providence. At ten o'clock in the evening, after walking in the oblique
rays of the sun, they reached Doctor's House, where Johnson and Bell had a =
good
supper awaiting them.
But before they sat down to table, the doctor =
said
in a voice of triumph, as he pointed to his two companions,--
"Johnson, I carried away with me an
Englishman and an American, did I not?"
"Yes, Dr. Clawbonny," answered the
boatswain.
"Well, I've brought back two brothers.&qu=
ot;
The two sailors gladly shook Altamont's hand; =
the
doctor told them what the American captain had done for the English captain,
and that night the snow-house held five perfectly happy men.
The n=
ext
day the weather changed; there was a return of cold; the snow and rain gust
raged for many days.
Bell had finished the launch; it was perfectly
satisfactory for the purpose it was intended for; partly decked, and partly
open, it could sail in heavy weather under mainsail and jib, while it was so
light as not to be too heavy a load on the sledge for the dogs.
Then, too, a change of great importance was ta=
king
place in the state of the polar basin. The ice in the middle of the bay was
beginning to give way; the tallest pieces, forever weakened by the collisio=
n of
the rest, only needed a sufficiently heavy tempest to be torn away and to b=
ecome
icebergs. Still, Hatteras was unwilling to wait so long before starting. Si=
nce
it was to be a land journey, he cared very little whether the sea was open =
or
not. He determined to start June 25th; meanwhile all the preparations could=
be
completed. Johnson and Bell put the sledge into perfect repair; the frame w=
as
strengthened and the runners renewed. The travellers intended to devote to
their journey the few weeks of good weather which nature allows to these
northern regions. Their sufferings would be less severe, the obstacles easi=
er to
overcome.
A few days before their departure, June 20th, =
the
ice had so many free passages, that they were able to make a trial trip on
board of the new launch as far as Cape Washington. The sea was not perfectly
free, far from it; but its surface was not solid, and it would have been im=
possible
to make a trip on foot over the ice-fields. This half-day's sail showed the
good sailing qualities of the launch. During the return they beheld a curio=
us
incident. It was a monstrous bear chasing a seal. Fortunately the former wa=
s so
busily occupied, that he did not see the launch, otherwise he would certain=
ly
have pursued it; he kept on watch near a crevasse in the ice-field, into wh=
ich
the seal had evidently plunged. He was awaiting his reappearance with all t=
he patience
of a hunter, or rather of a fisherman, for he was really fishing. He was
silent, motionless, without any sign of life. Suddenly the surface of the w=
ater
was agitated; the seal had come up to breathe. The bear crouched low upon t=
he
ice, and rounded his two paws about the crevasse. The next moment the seal
appeared, with his head above water; but he had not time to withdraw it. The
bear's paws, as if driven by a spring, were clashed together, strangling the
animal with irresistible force and dragging it out of the water.
It was but a brief struggle; the seal struggled
for a few seconds, and was then suffocated on the breast of his adversary, =
who,
dragging him away easily, in spite of his size, and springing lightly from =
one piece
of ice to another, reached land and disappeared with his prey.
"A pleasant journey!" shouted Johnso=
n;
"that bear has got rather too many paws!"
The launch soon reached the little anchorage B=
ell
had made for her in the ice.
Only four days were there before the time fixed
for their departure. Hatteras hurried on the last preparations; he was in a
hurry to leave New America, a land which was not his, and which he had not
named; he did not feel at home.
June 22d they began to carry to the sledge the=
ir
camp-material, tent, and food. They carried only two hundred pounds of salt
meat, three chests of preserved meat and vegetables, fifty pounds of pickles
and lime-juice, five quarters of flour, packets of cresses and cochlearia f=
rom
the doctor's garden; with the addition of two hundred pounds of powder, the
instruments, arms, and personal baggage, the launch, Halkett-boat, and the
weight of the sledge itself, the whole weighed fifteen hundred pounds,--a h=
eavy
load for four dogs, especially since, unlike the Esquimaux, who never travel
more than four days in succession, they had none to replace them, and would
have to work them every day. But the travellers determined to aid them when=
it
was necessary, and they intended to proceed by easy stages; the distance fr=
om
Victoria Bay to the Pole was three hundred and fifty-five miles at the outs=
ide,
and going twelve miles a day they could make the journey in a month. Beside=
s,
when the land came to an end, the launch would enable them to finish the
journey without fatigue for dogs or men.
The latter were well, and in excellent conditi=
on.
The winter, although severe, ended favorably enough. Each one had followed =
the
doctor's advice, and escaped from the diseases common in these severe clima=
tes.
In fact, they had grown a trifle thinner, which gave a great deal of pleasu=
re
to Clawbonny; but their bodies were inured to the rigors of that life, and
these men were able to face the severest attacks of cold and hunger without
succumbing. And then, too, they were going to the end of their journey, to =
the
inaccessible Pole, after which their only thought would be of returning. The
sympathy which bound together the five members of the expedition would aid
their success in this bold trip, and no one doubted of their success.
As a precaution, the doctor had urged his
companions to prepare themselves for some time beforehand, and to
"train" with much care.
"My friends," he used to say, "I
don't ask you to imitate the English racers, who lose eighteen pounds after=
two
days' training, and twenty-five after five days, but we ought to do somethi=
ng
to get into the best possible condition for a long journey. Now the first p=
rinciple
of training is to get rid of the fat on both horse and jockey, and this is =
done
by means of purging, sweating, and violent exercise. These gentlemen know t=
hey
will lose so much by medicine, and they arrive at their results with incred=
ible
accuracy; such a one who before training could not run a mile without being
winded, can run twenty-five easily after it. There was a certain Townsend w=
ho
ran a hundred miles in twelve hours without stopping."
"A good result," answered Johnson; "and although we are not very fat, if we must get thinner yet--"<= o:p>
"There is no need of it, Johnson; but wit=
hout
exaggerating, it can't be denied that training produces good effects; it
strengthens the bones, makes the muscles more elastic, improves the hearing=
and
the sight; so let us not forget it."
In short, whether in training or not, the
travellers were ready June 23d; it was Sunday, and the day was devoted to
absolute rest.
The time for departure drew near, and the
inhabitants of Fort Providence could not see it approach without a certain
emotion. It grieved them to leave this snow-hut which had served so well to=
protect
them; Victoria Bay, this hospitable shore where they had spent the last day=
s of
the winter. Would they find these buildings standing when they returned? Wo=
uld
not the rays of the sun melt away its fragile walls?
In a word, they had passed pleasant hours ther=
e.
The doctor, at the evening meal, called up to his companions' memory touchi=
ng reminiscences,
and he did not forget to thank Heaven for its evident protection.
At last the hour of sleeping came. Each one we=
nt
to bed early, so as to be up betimes. Thus passed their last night at Fort
Providence.
At da=
wn the
next day Hatteras gave the signal for departure. The dogs were harnessed to=
the
sledge; since they were well fed and had thoroughly rested, after a comfort=
able
winter there was no reason for their not being of great service during the
summer. Hence they were not averse to being put into harness.
After all, these Greenland dogs are kind beast=
s.
Their wildness was partly gone; they had lost their likeness to the wolf, a=
nd
had become more like Duke, the finished model of the canine race,--in a wor=
d, they
were becoming civilized. Duke could certainly claim a share in their educat=
ion;
he had given them lessons and an example in good manners. In his quality of
Englishman, and so punctilious in the matter of cant, he was a long time in
making the acquaintance of the other dogs, who had not been introduced to h=
im,
and in fact he never used to speak to them; but after sharing the same dang=
ers
and privations, they gradually grew used to one another. Duke, who had a ki=
nd
heart, made the first advances, and soon all the dogs were friends. The doc=
tor
used to pet the Greenland dogs, and Duke saw him do it without jealousy. The
men were in equally good condition; if the dogs could draw well, the men co=
uld
walk well.
They left at six o'clock in the morning; it wa=
s a
very pleasant day. After they had followed the line of the bay and passed C=
ape Washington,
Hatteras gave the order to turn northward; by seven the travellers lost sig=
ht
of the lighthouse and of Fort Providence in the south.
The journey promised well, much better than the
expedition begun in the dead of winter in search of coal. Hatteras then left
behind him, on board of the ship, mutiny and despair, without being certain=
of
the object of his journey; he left a crew half dead with cold, he started w=
ith
companions who were weakened by the miseries of an arctic winter; he, too,
eager for the north, had to return to the south! Now, on the other hand,
surrounded by vigorous, healthy friends, encouraged and aided in many ways,=
he
was starting for the Pole, the object of his whole life! No man had ever be=
en
nearer acquiring this glory for himself and his country.
Was he thinking of all this, which was so
naturally inspired by his present position? The doctor liked to think so, a=
nd
could hardly doubt it when he saw him so eager. Clawbonny rejoiced in what =
so
pleased his friend; and since the reconciliation of the two captains, the t=
wo friends,
he was the happiest of men; for hatred, envy, and rivalry were passions he =
had
never felt. What would be the issue of this voyage he did not know; but, at=
any
rate, it began well, and that was a good deal.
The western shore of New America stretched out=
in
a series of bays beyond Cape Washington; the travellers, to avoid this long
curve, after crossing the first spurs of Mount Bell, turned northward over =
the
upper plateaus. This was a great saving of time; Hatteras was anxious, unle=
ss
prevented by seas or mountains, to make a straight line of three hundred and
fifty miles to the Pole from Fort Providence.
Their journey was easy; these lofty plains were
covered with deep snow, over which the sledge passed easily, and the men in
their snow-shoes walked easily and rapidly.
The thermometer stood at 37°. The weather was =
not
absolutely settled; at one moment it was clear, the next cloudy: but neither
cold nor showers could have stopped the eager party. They could be followed=
easily
by the compass; the needle was more active as they receded from the magnetic
pole; it is true that it turned to the opposite direction and pointed to the
south, while they were walking northward; but this did not in any way embar=
rass
them. Besides, the doctor devised a simple method of staking out the way and
thereby avoiding perpetual reference to the compass; when once they had got
their bearings by some object two or three miles to the north, they walked =
till
they reached it, when they chose another, and so on. In this way they had a=
straight
road.
In the first two days they made twenty miles in
twelve hours; the rest of the time was devoted to meals and rest. The tent =
was
ample protection against the cold when they were sleeping. The temperature =
gradually
rose. The snow melted away in some places, according to the shape of the
ground, while in others it lay in large patches. Broad pools appeared here =
and
there, often almost as large as lakes. They would walk in up to their waists
very often; but they only laughed at it, and the doctor more than any.
"Water has no right to wet us in this
country," he used to say; "it ought to appear only as a solid, or=
a
gas; as to its being liquid, it's absurd! Ice or vapor will do, but water
won't!"
They did not forget their shooting, for thereby
they got fresh meat. So Altamont and Bell, without going very far away, sco=
ured
the neighboring ravines; they brought back ptarmigan, geese, and a few gray
rabbits. Gradually these animals became very shy and hard to approach. With=
out
Duke they would often have found it hard to get any game. Hatteras advised =
them
not to go off farther than a mile, for not a day nor an hour was to be lost,
and he could not count on more than three months of good weather.
Besides, each one had to be at his post by the
sledge whenever a hard spot, a narrow gorge, or steep inclines lay in the p=
ath;
then each one helped pull or push. More than once everything had to be taken
off; and this even did not fully protect against shocks and damage, which B=
ell
repaired as well as he could.
The third day, Wednesday, June 26th, they came
across a vast lake, still frozen by reason of its being sheltered from the =
sun;
the ice was even strong enough to bear both men and sledge. It was a solid =
mirror
which no arctic summers had melted, as was shown by the fact that its borde=
rs
were surrounded by a dry snow, of which the lower layers evidently belonged=
to
previous years.
From this moment the land grew lower, whence t=
he
doctor concluded that it did not extend very far to the north. Besides, it =
was
very likely that New America was merely an island, and did not extend to the
Pole. The ground grew more level; in the west a few low hills could be seen=
in
the distance, covered with a bluish mist.
So far they had experienced no hardships; they=
had
suffered from nothing except the reflection of the sun's rays upon the snow,
which could easily give them snow-blindness. At any other time they would h=
ave
travelled by night to avoid this inconvenience, but then there was no night.
The snow was fortunately melting away, and it was much less brilliant when =
it
was about turning into water.
June 28th the temperature arose to 45°; this w= as accompanied with heavy rain, which the travellers endured stoically, even w= ith pleasure, for it hastened the disappearance of the snow. They had to put on their deer-skin moccasins, and change the runners of the sledge. Their journey was delayed, but still they were advancing without any serious obstacles. At ti= mes the doctor would pick up rounded or flat stones like pebbles worn smooth by= the waves, and then he thought he was near the Polar Sea; but yet the plain stretched on out of sight. There was no trace of man, no hut, no cairn nor = Esquimaux snow-house; they were evidently the first to set foot in this new land. The Greenlanders never had gone so far, and yet this country offered plenty of = game for the support of that half-starved people. Sometimes bears appeared in the distance, but they showed no signs of attacking; afar off were herds of musk-oxen and reindeer. The doctor would have liked to catch some of the la= tter to harness to the sledge; but they were timid, and not to be caught alive.<= o:p>
The 29th, Bell shot a fox, and Altamont was lu=
cky
enough to bring down a medium-sized musk-ox, after giving his companions a =
high
idea of his bravery and skill; he was indeed a remarkable hunter, and so mu=
ch admired
by the doctor. The ox was cut out, and gave plenty of excellent meat. These
lucky supplies were always well received; the least greedy could not restra=
in
their joy at the sight of the meat. The doctor laughed at himself when he
caught himself admiring these huge joints.
"Let us not be afraid to eat it," he
used to say; "a good dinner is a good thing in these expeditions."=
;
"Especially," said Johnson, "wh=
en
it depends on a better or worse shot."
"You are right, Johnson," replied the
doctor; "one thinks less of one's food when one gets a regular supply =
from
the kitchen."
The 30th, the country became unexpectedly rugg=
ed,
as if it had been upheaved by some volcanic commotion; the cones and peaks
increased indefinitely in number, and were very high. A southeast breeze be=
gan to
blow with violence, and soon became a real hurricane. It rushed across the
snow-covered rocks, among the ice-mountains, which, although on the firm la=
nd,
took the form of hummocks and icebergs; their presence on these lofty plate=
aus
could not be explained even by the doctor, who had an explanation for almost
everything. Warm, damp weather succeeded the tempest; it was a genuine thaw=
; on
all sides resounded the cracking of the ice amid the roar of the avalanches=
.
The travellers carefully avoided the base of t=
hese
hills; they even took care not to talk aloud, for the sound of the voice co=
uld
shake the air and cause accident. They were witnesses of frequent and terri=
ble
avalanches which they could not have foreseen. In fact, the main peculiarit=
y of
polar avalanches is their terrible swiftness; therein they differ from thos=
e of
Switzerland and Norway, where they form a ball, of small size at first, and
then, by adding to themselves the snow and rocks in its passage, it falls w=
ith
increasing swiftness, destroys forests and villages, but taking an apprecia=
ble
time in its course. Now, it is otherwise in the countries where arctic cold
rages; the fall of the block of ice is unexpected and startling; its fall i=
s almost
instantaneous, and any one who saw it from beneath would be certainly crush=
ed
by it; the cannon-ball is not swifter, nor lightning quicker; it starts, fa=
lls,
and crashes down in a single moment with the dreadful roar of thunder, and =
with
dull echoes.
So the amazed spectators see wonderful changes=
in
the appearance of the country; the mountain becomes a plain under the actio=
n of
a sudden thaw; when the rain has filtered into the fissures of the great bl=
ocks
and freezes in a single night, it breaks everything by its irresistible
expansion, which is more powerful in forming ice than in forming vapor: the
phenomenon takes place with terrible swiftness.
No catastrophe, fortunately, threatened the sl=
edge
and its drivers; the proper precautions were taken, and every danger avoide=
d.
Besides, this rugged, icy country was not of great extent, and three days l=
ater,
July 3d, the travellers were on smoother ground. But their eyes were surpri=
sed
by a new phenomenon, which has for a long time claimed the attention of the
scientific men of the two worlds. It was this: the party followed a line of
hills not more than fifty feet high, which appeared to run on several miles,
and their eastern side was covered with red snow.
The surprise and even the sort of alarm which =
the
sight of this crimson curtain gave them may be easily imagined. The doctor
hastened, if not to reassure, at least to instruct, his companions; he was =
familiar
with this red snow and the chemical analysis made of it by Wollaston, Cando=
lle,
Bäuer. He told them this red snow was not found in the arctic regions alone,
but in Switzerland in the middle of the Alps; De Saussure collected a large
quantity on the Breven in 1760; and since then Captains Ross, Sabine, and
others had brought some back from their arctic journeys.
Altamont asked the doctor about the nature of =
this
extraordinary substance. He was told that its color came simply from the
presence of organic corpuscles. For a long time it was a question whether t=
hese
corpuscles were animal or vegetable; but it was soon ascertained that they
belonged to the family of microscopic mushrooms, of the genus Uredo , which Bäuer proposed naming Uredo vivalis .
Then the doctor, prying into the snow with his
cane, showed his companions that the scarlet layer was only nine feet deep,=
and
he bade them calculate how many of these mushrooms there might be on a spac=
e of
many miles, when scientific men estimated forty-three thousand in a square
centimetre.
This coloring probably ran back to a remote
period, for the mushrooms were not decomposed by either evaporation or the
melting of the snow, nor was their color altered.
The phenomenon, although explained, was no less
strange. Red is a rare color in nature; the reflection of the sun's rays on
this crimson surface produced strange effects; it gave the surrounding obje=
cts,
men and animals, a brilliant appearance, as if they were lighted by an inwa=
rd
flame; and when the snow was melting, streams of blood seemed to be flowing
beneath the travellers' feet.
The doctor, who had not been able to examine t=
his
substance when he saw it on crimson cliffs from Baffin's Bay, here examined=
it
at his ease, and gathered several bottlefuls of it.
This red ground, the "Field of Blood,&quo=
t;
as he called it, took three hours' walk to pass over, and then the country
resumed its habitual appearance.
July =
4th a
dense fog prevailed. They were only able with the greatest difficulty to ke=
ep a
straight path; they had to consult the compass every moment. Fortunately th=
ere
was no accident in the darkness, except that Bell lost his snow-shoes, which
were broken against a projecting rock.
"Well, really," said Johnson, "I
thought, after seeing the Mersey and the Thames, that I knew all about fogs,
but I see I was mistaken."
"We ought," answered Bell, "to
light torches as is done at London and Liverpool."
"Why not?" asked the doctor;
"that's a good idea; it wouldn't light up the road much, but we could =
see
the guide, and follow him more easily."
"But what shall we do for torches?"<= o:p>
"By lighting tow dipped in alcohol, and
fastening to the end of walking-sticks."
"Good!" said Johnson; "and we s=
hall
soon have it ready."
A quarter of an hour later the little band was
walking along with torches faintly lighting up the general gloom.
But if they went straighter, they did not go
quicker, and the fog lasted till July 6th; the earth being cold then, a bla=
st
of north-wind carried away all the mist as if it had been rags. Soon the do=
ctor
took an observation, and ascertained that meanwhile they had not made eight=
miles
a day.
The 6th, they made an effort to make up for lo=
st
time, and they set out early. Altamont and Bell were ahead, choosing the way
and looking out for game. Duke was with them. The weather, with its surpris=
ing fickleness,
had become very clear and dry; and although the guides were two miles from =
the
sledge, the doctor did not miss one of their movements. He was consequently
very much startled to see them stop suddenly, and remain in a position of
surprise; they seemed to be gazing into the distance, as if scanning the
horizon. Then they bent down to the ground and seemed to be examining it
closely, and they arose in evident amazement. Bell seemed to wish to push o=
n,
but Altamont held him back.
"What can they be doing?" asked the
doctor of Johnson.
"I know no more than you, Doctor; I don't
understand their gestures."
"They have found the track of some
animals," answered Hatteras.
"That's not it," said the doctor.
"Why not?"
"Because Duke would bark."
"Still, they've seen marks of some
sort."
"Let us go on," said Hatteras; "=
;we
shall soon know."
Johnson urged on the dogs, who quickened their
pace.
In twenty minutes the five were together, and
Hatteras, the doctor, and Johnson were as much surprised as Bell and Altamo=
nt.
There were in the snow indubitable traces of m=
en,
as fresh as if they had just been made.
"They are Esquimaux," said Hatteras.=
"Yes," said the doctor, "there =
is
no doubt of that!"
"You think so?" said Altamont.
"Without any doubt."
"Well, and this mark?" continued
Altamont, pointing to another print, which was often repeated.
"That one?"
"Do you think it was made by an
Esquimau?"
The doctor examined it carefully, and was
stupefied. The print of a European shoe, with nails, sole, and heel, was cl=
early
stamped in the snow. There could be no further doubt; a man, a stranger, had
been there.
"Europeans here!" cried Hatteras.
"Evidently," said Johnson.
"And still," said the doctor, "=
it
is so unlikely, that we ought to look twice before being sure."
Thereupon he looked twice, three times, at the
print, and he was obliged to acknowledge its extraordinary origin.
De Foe's hero was not more amazed when he saw =
the
footprint on the sand of his island; but if he was afraid, Hatteras was sim=
ply
angry. A European so near the Pole!
They pushed on to examine the footprints; for a
quarter of a mile they were continually repeated, mingled with marks of
moccasins; then they turned to the west. When they had reached this point t=
hey
consulted as to whether they should follow them any farther.
"No," said Hatteras. "Let us go
on--"
He was interrupted by an exclamation of the
doctor, who had just picked up on the snow an object even more convincing, =
and
of the origin of which there could be no doubt. It was the object-glass of =
a pocket
telescope.
"Now," he said, "we can't doubt
that there is a stranger here--"
"Forward!" cried Hatteras.
He uttered this word so sharply that each one
obeyed, and the sledge resumed its monotonous progress.
They all scanned the horizon attentively, exce=
pt
Hatteras, who was filled with wrath and did not care to see anything. Still,
since they ran the risk of coming across a band of travellers, they had to =
take
precautions; it was very disappointing to see any one ahead of them on the =
route.
The doctor, although not as angry as Hatteras, was somewhat vexed, in spite=
of
his usual philosophy. Altamont seemed equally annoyed; Johnson and Bell
muttered threatening words between their teeth.
"Come," said the doctor, "let us
take heart against our bad fortune."
"We must confess," said Johnson, wit=
hout
being heard by Altamont, "that if we find the place taken, it would
disgust us with journeying to the Pole."
"And yet," answered Bell, "ther=
e is
no possibility of doubting--"
"No," retorted the doctor; "I t=
urn
it all over in vain, and say it is improbable, impossible; I have to give it
up. This shoe was not pressed into the snow without being at the end of a l=
eg,
and without the leg being attached to a human body. I could forgive Esquima=
ux,
but a European!"
"The fact is," answered Johnson,
"that if we are going to find all the rooms taken in the hotel of the =
end
of the world, it would be annoying."
"Very annoying," said Altamont.
"Well, we shall see," said the docto=
r.
And they pushed on. The day ended without any =
new
fact to indicate the presence of strangers in this part of New America, and
they at last encamped for the evening.
A rather strong wind from the south had sprung=
up,
and obliged them to seek a secure shelter for their tent in the bottom of a
ravine. The sky was threatening; long clouds passed rapidly through the air;
they passed near the ground, and so quickly that the eye could hardly follow
them. At times some of the mist touched the ground, and the tent resisted w=
ith
difficulty the violence of the hurricane.
"It's going to be a nasty night," sa=
id
Johnson, after supper.
"It won't be cold, but stormy," answ=
ered
the doctor; "let us take precautions, and make the tent firm with large
stones."
"You are right, Doctor; if the wind should
carry away the canvas, Heaven alone knows where we should find it again.&qu=
ot;
Hence they took every precaution against such a
danger, and the wearied travellers lay down to sleep. But they found it
impossible. The tempest was loose, and hastened northward with incomparable=
violence;
the clouds were whirling about like steam which has just escaped from a boi=
ler;
the last avalanches, under the force of the hurricane, fell into the ravine=
s,
and their dull echoes were distinctly heard; the air seemed to be struggling
with the water, and fire alone was absent from this contest of the elements=
.
Amid the general tumult their ears distinguish=
ed
separate sounds, not the crash of heavy falling bodies, but the distinct
cracking of bodies breaking; a clear snap was frequently heard, like breaki=
ng
steel, amid the roar of the tempest. These last sounds were evidently
avalanches torn off by the gusts, but the doctor could not explain the othe=
rs.
In the few moments of anxious silence, when the hurricane seemed to be taki=
ng
breath in order to blow with greater violence, the travellers exchanged the=
ir
suppositions.
"There is a sound of crashing," said=
the
doctor, "as if icebergs and ice-fields were being blown against one
another."
"Yes," answered Altamont; "one
would say the whole crust of the globe was falling in. Say, did you hear
that?"
"If we were near the sea," the doctor
went on, "I should think it was ice breaking."
"In fact," said Johnson, "there=
is
no other explanation possible."
"Can we have reached the coast?" ask=
ed
Hatteras.
"It's not impossible," answered the
doctor. "Hold on," he said, after a very distinct sound;
"shouldn't you say that was the crashing of ice? We may be very near t=
he
ocean."
"If it is," continued Hatteras, &quo=
t;I
should not be afraid to go across the ice-fields."
"O," said the doctor, "they mus=
t be
broken by such a tempest! We shall see to-morrow. However that may be, if a=
ny
men have to travel in such a night as this, I pity them."
The hurricane raged ten hours without cessatio=
n,
and no one of those in the tent had a moment's sleep; the night passed in
profound uneasiness. In fact, under such circumstances, every new incident,=
a tempest,
an avalanche, might bring serious consequences. The doctor would gladly have
gone out to reconnoitre, but how could he with such a wind raging?
Fortunately the hurricane grew less violent ea=
rly
the next day; they could leave the tent which had resisted so sturdily. The
doctor, Hatteras, and Johnson went to a hill about three hundred feet high,=
which
they ascended without difficulty. Their eyes beheld an entirely altered
country, composed of bare rocks, sharp ridges entirely clear of ice. It was
summer succeeding winter, which had been driven away by the tempest; the sn=
ow
had been blown away by the wind before it could melt, and the barren soil
reappeared.
But Hatteras's glances were all turned towards=
the
north, where the horizon appeared to be hidden by dark mist.
"That may be the effect of the ocean,&quo=
t;
said the doctor.
"You are right," said Hatteras;
"the sea must be there."
"That's what we call the blink of the
water," said Johnson.
"Exactly," said the doctor.
"Well, let us start," said Hatteras,
"and push on to this new ocean."
"That rejoices my heart," said Clawb=
onny
to the captain.
"Certainly," was the enthusiastic
answer. "Soon we shall have reached the Pole! and doesn't the prospect
delight you, too, Doctor?"
"It does. I am always happy, and especial=
ly
about the happiness of others!"
The three Englishmen returned to the ravine; t=
he
sledge was made ready, and they left the camp and resumed their march. Each=
one
dreaded finding new tracks, but all the rest of the way they saw no trace of
any human being. Three hours later they reached the coast.
"The sea! the sea!" they all shouted=
.
"And the open sea!" cried the captai=
n.
It was ten o'clock in the morning.
In fact, the hurricane had cleared up the polar
basin; the shattered ice was floating away in every direction; the largest
pieces, forming icebergs, had just weighed anchor and were sailing on the o=
pen
sea. The wind had made a harsh attack upon the field. Fragments of ice cove=
red
the surrounding rocks. The little which was left of the ice-field seemed ve=
ry
soft; on the rocks were large pieces of sea-weed. The ocean stretched beyond
the line of vision, with no island or new land peering above the horizon.
In the east and west were two capes gently slo=
ping
to the water; at their end the sea was breaking, and the wind was carrying a
slight foam. The land of New America thus died away in the Polar Ocean, qui=
etly
and gently. It rounded into an open bay, with roadstead enclosed by the two
promontories. In the middle a rock made a little natural harbor, sheltered
against three points of the compass; it ran back into the land in the broad=
bed
of a stream, through which ran down the melted snows of winter, now forming=
a
perfect torrent.
Hatteras, after noticing the outline of the co=
ast,
resolved to make the preparations for departure that very day, to launch the
boat, to put the unloaded sledge on board for future excursions. That took =
all day;
then the tent was raised, and after a comfortable meal work began. Meanwhile
the doctor took out his instruments to take an observation and determine the
position of a part of the bay. Hatteras hurried on the work; he was anxious=
to
start; he wanted to leave the land, and to be in advance in case any others
should reach the sea.
At five o'clock in the evening Johnson and Bell
had nothing to do but to fold their arms. The launch was rocking gently in =
her
little harbor, with her mast set, her jib lowered, and her foresail in the =
brails;
the provisions and most of the things on the sledge had been put on board; =
only
the tent and a little of the camping material remained to be put on board t=
he
next day. The doctor found all these preparations complete on his return. W=
hen
he saw the launch quietly sheltered from the wind, it occurred to him to gi=
ve a
name to the little harbor, and he proposed that of Altamont. This propositi=
on
was unanimously agreed to. So it was named Altamont Harbor.
According to the doctor's calculations, it lay=
in
latitude 87° 5', and longitude 118° 35' E. of Greenwich; that is to say, le=
ss
than three degrees from the Pole. The band had gone more than two hundred m=
iles
from Victoria Bay to Altamont Harbor.
The n=
ext
morning Johnson and Bell set about carrying on board the camping material. =
At
eight o'clock all the preparations for departure were complete. At the mome=
nt
of starting the doctor's thoughts returned to the footprints they had seen.
Were these men trying to gain the North? Had they any means of crossing the
Polar Sea! Should they meet them again? For three days they had come across=
no
trace of the travellers, and certainly, whoever they were, they could not h=
ave reached
Altamont Harbor. That was a place which they were the first to set foot in.=
But
the doctor, who was harassed by his thoughts, wanted to take a last view of=
the
country, and he ascended a little hill about a hundred feet high, whence he=
had
a distant view to the south.
When he had reached the top, he put his glass =
to
his eyes. Great was his surprise when he found he could not see anything,
either at a distance on the plains, or within a few feet of him. This seemed
very odd; he made another examination, and at last he looked at the glass,-=
-the
object-glass was missing.
"The object-glass!" he cried.
The sudden revelation may be imagined; he utte=
red
a cry so loud as to be heard by his companions, and they were much astonish=
ed
at seeing him running down the hill.
"Well, what's the matter now?" asked
Johnson.
The doctor was out of breath, and unable to sp=
eak.
At length he managed to bring out,--
"The footprints!--the expedition!--"=
"Well, what?" said Hatteras; "a=
re
they here?"
"No, no!" resumed the doctor,--"=
;the
object-glass, mine!"
And he showed his own glass.
"O, ho!" cried the American, "so
you lost--"
"Yes!"
"But then the footprints--"
"Our own!" cried the doctor. "We
lost our way in the fog! We went around in a circle, and came across our own
footprints!"
"But the print of the shoes?" asked
Hatteras.
"Bell's, you know, who walked all day in =
the
snow after breaking his snow-shoes."
"That's true," said Bell.
Their mistake was so clear, that they all, exc=
ept
Hatteras, burst out laughing, and he was none the less pleased at the
discovery.
"We were stupid enough," said the
doctor, when they had stopped laughing. What good guesses we made! Stranger=
s up
here! Really, we ought to think before speaking. Well, since we are easy on
this point, we can't do better than start."
"Forward!" said Hatteras.
A quarter of an hour later each one had taken =
his
place on board of the launch, which sailed out of Altamont Harbor under
mainsail and jib. This voyage began Wednesday, July 10th; they were then ve=
ry
near the Pole, exactly one hundred and seventy-five miles from it. However =
small
the land might be at that point of the globe, the voyage would certainly be=
a
short one. The wind was light, but fair. The thermometer stood at 50°; it w=
as
really warm.
The launch had not been injured by the journey=
on
the sledge; it was in perfect order, and sailed easily. Johnson was at the
helm; the doctor, Bell, and Altamont were lying as best they might among th=
e load,
partly on deck, partly below.
Hatteras stood forward, with his eyes turned to
the mysterious point, which attracted him with an irresistible power, as the
magnetic pole attracts the needle. If there should be any land, he wanted t=
o be
the first to see it. This honor really belonged to him. He noticed, besides,
that the surface of the Polar Sea was covered with short waves, like those =
of
land locked seas. This he considered a proof of the nearness of the opposite
shore, and the doctor shared his opinion.
Hatteras's desire to find land at the North Po=
le
is perfectly comprehensible. His disappointment would have been great if th=
e uncertain
sea covered the place where he wanted to find a piece of land, no matter how
small! In fact, how could he give a special name to an uncertain portion of=
the
sea? How plant the flag of his country among the waves? How take possession=
, in
the name of her Gracious Majesty, of the liquid element?
So Hatteras, compass in hand, gazed steadily at
the north. There was nothing that he could see between him and the horizon,
where the line of the blue water met the blue sky. A few floating icebergs
seemed to be leaving the way free for these bold sailors. The appearance of
this region was singularly strange. Was this impression simply the result of
the nervous excitement of the travellers? It is hard to say. Still, the doc=
tor
in his journal has described the singular appearance of the ocean; he spoke=
of
it as Penny did, according to whom these countries present an appearance
"offering the most striking contrast of a sea filled with millions of
living creatures."
The sea, with its various colors, appeared
strangely transparent, and endowed with a wonderful dispersive quality, as =
if
it had been made with carburet of sulphur. This clearness let them see down
into immeasurable depths; it seemed as if the sea were lit up like a large =
aquarium;
probably some electric phenomenon at the bottom of the sea lit it up. So the
launch seemed hung in a bottomless abyss.
On the surface of the water the birds were fly=
ing
in large flocks, like thick clouds big with a storm. Aquatic birds of all s=
orts
were there, from the albatross which is common to the south, to the penguin=
of
the arctic seas, but of enormous size. Their cries were deafening. In
considering them the doctor found his knowledge of natural history too scan=
ty;
many of the names escaped him, and he found himself bowing his head when th=
eir
wings beat the air.
Some of these large birds measured twenty feet
from tip to tip; they covered the whole launch with their expanded wings; a=
nd
there were legions of these birds, of which the names had never appeared in=
the
London "Index Ornithologus." The doctor was dejected and stupefie=
d at
finding his science so faulty. Then, when his glance fell from the wonders =
of
the air to the calm surface of the ocean, he saw no less astonishing
productions of the animal kingdom, among others, medusæ thirty feet broad; =
they
served as food for the other fish, and they floated like islands amid the
sea-weed. What a difference from the microscopic medusæ observed in the sea=
s of
Greenland by Scoresby, and of which that explorer estimated the number at
twenty-three trillions eight hundred and ninety-eight billions of millions =
in a
space of two square miles!
Then the eye glancing down into the transparent
water, the sight was equally strange, so full was it of fishes; sometimes t=
he
animals were swimming about below, and the eye saw them gradually disappear=
ing,
and fading away like spectres; then they would leave the lower layers and r=
ise
to the surface. The monsters seemed in no way alarmed at the presence of the
launch; they even passed near it, rubbing their fins against it; this, which
would have alarmed whalers, did not disturb these men, and yet the sea-mons=
ters
were very large.
Young sea-calves played about them; the sword-=
fish,
with its long, narrow, conical sword, with which it cleaves the ice, was
chasing the more timid cetacea; numberless spouting whales were clearly to =
be heard.
The sword-caper, with its delicate tail and large caudal fins, swam with
incomprehensible quickness, feeding on smaller animals, such as the cod, as
swift as itself; while the white whale, which is more inactive, swallowed
peacefully the tranquil, lazy mollusks.
Farther down were Greenland anamaks, long and
dark; huge sperm-whales, swimming in the midst of ambergris, in which took
place thomeric battles that reddened the ocean for many miles around; the g=
reat
Labrador tegusik. Sharp-backed dolphins, the whole family of seals and walr=
uses,
sea-dogs, horses and bears, lions and elephants, seemed to be feeding on the
rich pastures; and the doctor admired the numberless animals, as he would h=
ave
done the crustacea in the crystal basins of the zoölogical garden.
What beauty, variety, and power in nature! How
strange and wonderful everything seemed in the polar regions!
The air acquired an unnatural purity; one would
have said it was full of oxygen; the explorers breathed with delight this a=
ir,
which filled them with fresher life; without taking account of the result, =
they
were, so to speak, exposed to a real consuming fire, of which one can give =
no
idea, not even a feeble one. Their emotions, their breathing and digestion,
were endowed with superhuman energy; their ideas became more excited; they
lived a whole day in an hour.
Through all these wonders the launch pushed on
before a moderate breeze, occasionally feeling the air moved by the
albatrosses' wings.
Towards evening, the coast of New America
disappeared beneath the horizon. In the temperate zones, as well as at the
equator, night falls; but here the sun simply described a circle parallel to
the line of the horizon. The launch, bathed in its oblique rays, could not =
lose
sight of it.
The animate beings of these regions seemed to =
know
the approach of evening as truly as if the sun had set; birds, fish, cetace=
a,
all disappeared. Whither? To the depths of the ocean? Who could say? But so=
on
total silence succeeded to their cries, and the sound of their passage thro=
ugh
the water; the sea grew calmer and calmer, and night retained its gentle pe=
ace
even beneath the glowing sun.
Since leaving Altamont Harbor the launch had m=
ade
one degree to the north; the next day nothing appeared on the horizon, neit=
her projecting
peaks nor those vague signs by which sailors detect their nearness to land.=
The wind was good, but not strong, the sea not
high; the birds and fish came as thick as the day before; the doctor, leani=
ng
over the gunwale, could see the cetacea rising slowly to the surface; a few=
icebergs
and scattered pieces of ice alone broke the monotony of the ocean.
But the ice grew rarer, and was not enough to
interfere with the boat. It is to be remembered that the launch was then ten
degrees above the pole of cold; and as to the parallels of temperature, they
might as well have been ten degrees to the other side. There was nothing su=
rprising
in the sea being open at this epoch, as it must have been at Disco Island in
Baffin's Bay. So a sailing vessel would have plenty of sailing room in the
summer months.
This observation had a great practical importa=
nce;
in fact, if whalers can ever get to the polar basin, either by the seas of
North America or those of the north of Asia, they are sure of getting full
cargoes, for this part of the ocean seems to be the universal fishing-pond,=
the
general reservoir of whales, seals, and all marine animals. At noon the lin=
e of
the horizon was still unbroken; the doctor began to doubt of the existence =
of a
continent in so high latitudes.
Still, as he reflected, he was compelled to
believe in the existence of an arctic continent; in fact, at the creation of
the world, after the cooling of the terrestrial crust, the waters formed by=
the
condensation of the atmospheric vapor were compelled to obey the centrifugal
force, to fly to the equator and leave the motionless extremities of the gl=
obe.
Hence the necessary emersion of the countries near the Pole. The doctor
considered this reasoning very just. And so it seemed to Hatteras.
Hence the captain still tried to pierce the mi=
sts
of the horizon. His glass never left his eyes. In the color of the water, t=
he
shape of the waves, the direction of the wind, he tried to find traces of n=
eighboring
land. His head was bent forward, and even one who did not know his thoughts
would have admired, so full was his attitude of energetic desire and anxious
interrogation.
The t=
ime
flew by in this uncertainty. Nothing appeared on the sharply defined circle=
of
the sea; nothing was to be seen save sky and sea,--not one of those floating
land-plants which rejoiced the heart of Christopher Columbus as he was abou=
t to
discover America. Hatteras was still gazing. At length, at about six o'cloc=
k in
the evening, a shapeless vapor appeared at a little height above the level =
of
the sea; it looked like a puff of smoke; the sky was perfectly cold, so this
vapor was no cloud; it would keep appearing and disappearing, as if it were=
in
commotion. Hatteras was the first to detect this phenomenon; he examined it
with his glass for a whole hour.
Suddenly, some sure sign apparently occurred to
him, for he stretched out his arms to the horizon and cried in a loud voice=
,--
"Land, ho!"
At these words each one sprang to his feet as =
if
moved by electricity. A sort of smoke was clearly rising above the sea.
"I see it," cried the doctor.
"Yes! certainly!--yes!" said Johnson=
.
"It's a cloud," said Altamont.
"It's land!" answered Hatteras, as if
perfectly convinced.
But, as often happens with objects that are
indistinct in the distance, the point they had been looking at seemed to ha=
ve disappeared.
At length they found it again, and the doctor even fancied that he could se=
e a
swift light twenty or twenty-five miles to the north.
"It's a volcano!" he cried.
"A volcano?" said Altamont.
"Without doubt."
"At this high latitude?"
"And why not?" continued the doctor; "isn't Iceland a volcanic land, so to speak, made of volcanoes?"<= o:p>
"Yes, Iceland," said the American,
"but so near the Pole!"
"Well, didn't Commodore James Ross find in
the Southern Continent two active volcanoes, Erebus and Terror by name, in
longitude 170° and latitude 78°? Why then shouldn't there be volcanoes at t=
he
North Pole?"
"It may be so, after all," answered
Altamont.
"Ah," cried the doctor, "I see =
it
clearly! It is a volcano."
"Well," said Hatteras, "let us =
sail
straight towards it."
"The wind is changing," said Johnson=
.
"Haul on the fore-sheet, and bring her ne=
arer
the wind."
But this manoeuvre only turned the launch away
from the point they had been gazing at, and even with their closest examina=
tion
they could not find it again. Still, they could not doubt that they were
nearing land. They had seen, if they had not reached, the object of their v=
oyage,
and within twenty-four hours they would set foot on this unknown shore.
Providence, after letting them get so near, would not drive them back at the
last moment.
Still, no one manifested the joy which might h=
ave
been expected under the circumstances; each one wondered in silence what th=
is
polar land might be. The animals seemed to shun it; at evening the birds,
instead of seeking refuge there, flew with all speed to the south. Could no=
t a single
gull or ptarmigan find a resting-place there? Even the fish, the large ceta=
cea,
avoided that coast. Whence came this repugnance, which was shared by all the
animals they saw, unless from terror?
The sailors experienced the same feeling; they
gave way to the feelings inspired by the situation, and gradually each one =
felt
his eyelids grow heavy. It was Hatteras's watch. He took the tiller; the do=
ctor,
Altamont, Johnson, and Bell fell asleep, stretched on the benches, and soon
were dreaming soundly. Hatteras struggled against his sleepiness; he wished=
to
lose not a moment; but the gentle motion of the launch rocked him, in spite=
of
himself, into a gentle sleep.
The boat made hardly any headway; the wind did=
not
keep her sails full. Far off in the west a few icebergs were reflecting the
sun's rays, and glowing brightly in the midst of the ocean.
Hatteras began to dream. He recalled his whole
life, with the incalculable speed of dreams; he went through the winter aga=
in,
the scenes at Victoria Bay, Fort Providence, Doctor's House, the finding the
American beneath the snow. Here remoter incidents came up before him; he
dreamed of the burning of the Forw=
ard ,
of his treacherous companions who had abandoned him. What had become of the=
m?
He thought of Shandon, Wall, and the brutal Pen. Where were they now? Had t=
hey succeeded
in reaching Baffin's Bay across the ice? Then he went further back, to his
departure from England, to his previous voyages, his failures and misfortun=
es.
Then he forgot his present situation, his success so near at hand, his hopes
half realized. His dreams carried him from joy to agony. So it went on for =
two
hours; then his thoughts changed; he began to think of the Pole, and he saw
himself at last setting foot on this English continent, and unfolding the f=
lag
of the United Kingdom. While he was dozing in this way a huge, dark cloud w=
as
climbing across the sky, throwing a deep shadow over the sea.
It is difficult to imagine the great speed with
which hurricanes arise in the arctic seas. The vapors which rise under the
equator are condensed above the great glaciers of the North, and large mass=
es
of air are needed to take their place. This can explain the severity of arc=
tic
storms.
At the first shock of the wind the captain and=
his
friends awoke from their sleep, ready to manage the launch. The waves were =
high
and steep. The launch tossed helplessly about, now plunged into deep abysse=
s,
now oscillated on the pointed crest of a wave, inclining often at an angle =
of
more than forty-five degrees. Hatteras took firm hold of the tiller, which =
was
noisily sliding from one side to the other. Every now and then some strong =
wave
would strike it and nearly throw him over. Johnson and Bell were busily
occupied in bailing out the water which the launch would occasionally ship.=
"This is a storm we hardly expected,"
said Altamont, holding fast to his bench.
"We ought to expect anything here,"
answered the doctor.
These remarks were made amid the roar of the
tempest and the hissing of the waves, which the violence of the wind reduce=
d to
a fine spray. It was nearly impossible for one to hear his neighbor. It was
hard to keep the boat's head to the north; the clouds hid everything a few =
fathoms
from the boat, and they had no mark to sail by. This sudden tempest, just as
they were about attaining their object, seemed full of warning; to their
excited minds it came like an order to go no farther. Did Nature forbid
approach to the Pole? Was this point of the globe surrounded by hurricanes =
and
tempests which rendered access impossible? But any one who had caught sight=
of
those men could have seen that they did not flinch before wind or wave, and
that they would push on to the end. So they struggled on all day, braving d=
eath
at every instant, and making no progress northward, but also losing no grou=
nd;
they were wet through by the rain and waves; above the din of the storm they
could hear the hoarse cries of the birds.
But at six o'clock in the evening, while the w=
aves
were rising, there came a sudden calm. The wind stopped as if by a miracle.=
The
sea was smooth, as if it had not felt a puff of wind for twelve hours. The =
hurricane
seemed to have respected this part of the Polar Ocean. What was the reason?=
It
was an extraordinary phenomenon, which Captain Sabine had witnessed in his
voyages in Greenland seas. The fog, without lifting, was very bright. The
launch drifted along in a zone of electric light, an immense St. Elmo fire,
brilliant but without heat. The mast, sail, and rigging stood out black aga=
inst
the phosphorescent air; the men seemed to have plunged into a bath of trans=
parent
rays, and their faces were all lit up. The sudden calm of this portion of t=
he
ocean came, without doubt, from the ascending motion of the columns of air,
while the tempest, which was a cyclone, turned rapidly about this peaceful
centre. But this atmosphere on fire suggested a thought to Hatteras.
"The volcano!" he cried.
"Is it possible?" asked Bell.
"No, no!" answered the doctor; "=
;we
should be smothered if the flames were to reach us."
"Perhaps it is its reflection in the
fog," said Altamont.
"No. We should have to admit that we were
near land, and in that case we should hear the eruption."
"But then?" asked the captain.
"It is a phenomenon," said the docto=
r,
"which has been seldom observed hitherto. If we go on we cannot help
leaving this luminous sphere and re-entering storm and darkness."
"Whatever it is, push on!" said
Hatteras.
"Forward!" cried his companions, who= did not wish to delay even for breathing-time in this quiet spot. The bright sa= il hung down the glistening mast; the oars dipped into the glowing waves, and appeared to drip with sparks. Hatteras, compass in hand, turned the boat's = head to the north; gradually the mist lost its brightness and transparency; the = wind could be heard roaring a short distance off; and soon the launch, lying over before a strong gust, re-entered the zone of storms. Fortunately, the hurri= cane had shifted a point towards the south, and the launch was able to run before the wind, straight for the Pole, running the risk of foundering, but sailing very fast; a rock, reef, or piece of ice might at any moment rise before th= em, and crush them to atoms. Still, no one of these men raised a single objecti= on, nor suggested prudence. They were seized with the madness of danger. Thirst= for the unknown took possession of them. They were going along, not blinded, but blindly, finding their speed only too slow for their impatience. Hatteras h= eld the tiller firm amid the waves lashed into foam by the tempest. Still the proximity of land became evident. Strange signs filled the air. Suddenly the mist parted like a curtain torn by the wind, and for a moment, brief as a f= lash of lightning, a great burst of flame could be seen rising towards the sky.<= o:p>
"The volcano! the volcano!" was the =
cry
which escaped from the lips of all; but the strange vision disappeared at o=
nce;
the wind shifted to the southeast, took the launch on her quarter, and drove
her from this unapproachable land.
"Malediction!" said Hatteras, shifti=
ng
her sail; "we were not three miles from land!"
Hatteras could not resist the force of the
tempest; but without yielding to it, he brought the boat about in the wind,=
which
was blowing with fearful violence. Every now and then the launch leaned to =
one
side, so that almost her whole keel was exposed; still she obeyed her rudde=
r,
and rose like a stumbling horse which his rider brings up by spur and reins.
Hatteras, with his hair flying and his hand on the tiller, seemed to be par=
t of
the boat, like horse and man at the time of the centaurs. Suddenly a terrib=
le
sight presented itself to their eyes. Within less than ten fathoms a floe w=
as
balancing on the waves; it fell and rose like the launch, threatening in its
fall to crush it to atoms. But to this danger of being plunged into the aby=
ss
was added another no less terrible; for this drifting floe was covered with=
white
bears, crowded together and wild with terror.
"Bears! bears!" cried Bell, in terro=
r.
And each one gazed with terror. The floe pitch=
ed
fearfully, sometimes at such an angle that the bears were all rolled togeth=
er.
Then their roars were almost as loud as the tempest; a formidable din arose
from the floating menagerie.
If the floe had upset, the bears would have sw=
um
to the boat and clambered aboard.
For a quarter of an hour, which was as long as=
a
century, the launch and floe drifted along in consort, twenty fathoms from =
one
another at one moment and nearly running together the next, and at times th=
ey were
so near to one another, the bears need only have dropped to have got on boa=
rd.
The Greenland dogs trembled from terror; Duke remained motionless. Hatteras=
and
his companions were silent; it did not occur to them to put the helm down a=
nd
sail away, and they went straight on. A vague feeling, of astonishment rath=
er
than terror, took possession of them; they admired this spectacle which
completed the struggle of the elements. Finally the floe drifted away, born=
e by
the wind, which the launch was able to withstand, as she lay with her head =
to
the wind, and it disappeared in the mist, its presence being known merely by
the distant roaring of the bears.
At that moment the fury of the tempest redoubl=
ed;
there was an endless unchaining of atmospheric waves; the boat, borne by the
waves, was tossed about giddily; her sail flew away like a huge white bird;=
a whirlpool,
a new Maelstrom, formed among the waves; the boat was carried so fast that =
it
seemed to the men as if the rapidly revolving water were motionless. They w=
ere
gradually sinking down. There was an irresistible power dragging them down =
and
ingulfing them alive. All five arose. They looked at one another with terro=
r.
They grew dizzy. They felt an undefinable dread of the abyss! But suddenly =
the
launch arose perpendicularly. Her prow was higher than the whirling waves; =
the
speed with which she was moving hurled her beyond the centre of attraction,=
and
escaping by the tangent of this circumference which was making more than a
thousand turns a second, she was hurled away with the rapidity of a
cannon-ball.
Altamont, the doctor, Johnson, and Bell were
thrown down among the seats. When they rose, Hatteras had disappeared. It w=
as
two o'clock in the morning.
One c=
ry,
bursting from the lips of the other four, succeeded their first stupefactio=
n.
"Hatteras!" cried the doctor.
"Gone!" said Johnson and Bell.
"Lost!"
They looked about, but nothing was to be seen =
on
the storm-tossed sea. Duke barked despairingly; he tried to spring into the
water, but Bell managed to hold him.
"Take a place at the helm, Altamont,"
said the doctor; "let us try everything to save the captain."
Johnson and Bell took their seats. Altamont to=
ok
the helm, and the launch came into wind again. Johnson and Bell began to row
vigorously; for an hour they remained at the scene of the accident. They so=
ught
earnestly, but in vain. The unfortunate Hatteras was lost in the storm! Los=
t,
so near the Pole, so near the end, of which he had had but a glimpse!
The doctor called aloud, and fired the guns; D=
uke
added his howling, but there was no answer. Then profound grief seized
Clawbonny; his head sank into his hands, and his companions saw that he was
weeping. In fact, at this distance from land, with a scrap of wood to hold =
him up,
Hatteras could not reach the shore alive; and if anything did come ashore, =
it
would be his disfigured corpse. After hunting for an hour, they decided to =
turn
to the north, and struggle against the last furies of the tempest.
At five o'clock in the morning of July 11th the
wind went down; the sea grew quieter; the sky regained its polar clearness,=
and
within three miles of them appeared the land. This continent was but an isl=
and,
or rather a volcano, peering up like a lighthouse at the North Pole. The
mountain, in full eruption, was hurling forth a mass of burning stones and
melting rocks. It seemed to be rising and falling beneath the successive bl=
asts
as if it were breathing; the things which were cast out reached a great hei=
ght
in the air; amid the jets of flame, torrents of lava were flowing down the =
side
of the mountain; here creeping between steaming rocks, there falling in
cascades amid the purple vapor: and lower down a thousand streams united in=
one
large river, which ran boiling into the sea.
The volcano seemed to have but a single crater,
whence arose a column of fire, lighted by transverse rays; one would have s=
aid
that part of the magnificence of the phenomenon was due to electricity. Abo=
ve
the flames floated an immense cloud of smoke, red below, black above. It ro=
se
with great majesty, and unrolled into huge layers.
The sky at a considerable height had an ashy h=
ue;
the darkness, which was so marked during the tempest, and of which the doct=
or
could give no satisfactory explanation, evidently came from the ashes, whic=
h completely
hid the sun. He remembered a similar fact that took place in 1812, at the
Barbadoes, which at noon was plunged into total darkness by the mass of cin=
ders
thrown from the crater of Isle St. Vincent.
This enormous volcano, jutting up in mid-ocean,
was about six thousand feet high, very nearly the altitude of Hecla. A line
from the summit to the base would form with the horizon an angle of about
eleven degrees. It seemed to rise from the bosom of the waves as the launch=
approached
it. There was no trace of vegetation. There was no shore; it ran down steep=
to
the sea.
"Shall we be able to land?" said the
doctor.
"The wind is carrying us there,"
answered Altamont.
"But I can't see any beach on which we co=
uld
set foot."
"So it seems from here," answered
Johnson; "but we shall find some place for our boat; that is all we
need."
"Let us go on, then!" answered
Clawbonny, sadly.
The doctor had no eyes for the strange contine=
nt
which was rising before him. The land of the Pole was there, but not the man
who had discovered it. Five hundred feet from the rocks the sea was boiling=
under
the action of subterraneous fires. The island was from eight to ten miles in
circumference, no more; and, according to their calculation, it was very ne=
ar
the Pole, if indeed the axis of the world did not pass exactly through it. =
As
they drew near they noticed a little fiord large enough to shelter their bo=
at;
they sailed towards it, filled with the fear of finding the captain's body =
cast
ashore by the tempest.
Still, it seemed unlikely that any corpse shou=
ld
rest there; there was no beach, and the sea beat against the steep rocks; t=
hick
ashes, on which no human foot had ever stepped, covered the ground beyond t=
he reach
of the waves. At last the launch slipped between the breakers, and there she
was perfectly sheltered against the surf. Then Duke's lamentable howling
redoubled; the poor animal called for the captain with his sad wails among =
the
rocks. His barking was vain; and the doctor caressed him, without being abl=
e to
calm him, when the faithful dog, as if he wanted to replace his master, mad=
e a
prodigious leap, and was the first to get ashore amid the dust and ashes wh=
ich
flew about him.
"Duke! Duke!" said the doctor.
Duke did not hear him, but disappeared. The men
then went ashore, and made the launch fast. Altamont was preparing to climb=
up
a large pile of rocks, when Duke's distant barking was heard; it expressed
pain, not wrath.
"Listen!" said the doctor.
"Has he got on the track of some
animal?" asked the boatswain.
"No," answered the doctor, quivering with emotion; "he's mourning, crying! Hatteras's body is there!"<= o:p>
At these words the four men started after Duke=
, in
the midst of blinding cinders; they reached the end of the fiord, a little
place ten feet broad, where the waves were gently breaking. There Duke was =
barking
near a body wrapped up in the English flag.
"Hatteras, Hatteras!" cried the doct=
or,
rushing to the body of his friend.
But at once he uttered an explanation which it=
is
impossible to render. This bleeding and apparently lifeless body had just g=
iven
signs of life.
"Alive, alive!" he cried.
"Yes," said a feeble voice, "li=
ving
on the land of the Pole, where the tempest cast me up! Living on Queen
Island!"
"Hurrah for England!" cried the five
together.
"And for America!" added the doctor,
holding out one hand to Hatteras and the other to Altamont. Duke, too, hurr=
ahed
in his own way, which was as good as any other.
At first these kind-hearted men were wholly gi=
ven
up to the pleasure of seeing their captain again; they felt the tears welli=
ng
up into their eyes. The doctor examined Hatteras's condition. He was not se=
riously
injured. The wind had carried him to the shore, where it was hard to land; =
the
bold sailor, often beaten back, at last succeeded in clambering upon a rock
above the reach of the waves. Then he lost consciousness, after wrapping
himself up in his flag, and he only came to himself under Duke's caresses a=
nd
barking. After receiving a few attentions, Hatteras was able to rise, and,
leaning on the doctor's arm, to go to the launch.
"The Pole, the North Pole!" he repea=
ted
as he walked along.
"You are happy!" the doctor said to =
him.
"Yes, happy! And you, my friend, don't you
feel happy at being here? This land is the land of the Pole! This sea we ha=
ve
crossed is the sea of the Pole! This air we breathe is the air of the Pole!=
O,
the North Pole, the North Pole!"
As he spoke, Hatteras was the victim of a viol=
ent
excitement, a sort of fever, and the doctor in vain tried to calm him. His =
eyes
were strangely bright, and his thoughts were boiling within him. Clawbonny =
ascribed
this condition to the terrible perils he had gone through. Hatteras evident=
ly
needed rest, and they set about seeking a place to camp. Altamont soon foun=
d a
grotto in the rocks, which had fallen in such a way as to form a cavern.
Johnson and Bell brought provisions there, and let loose the dogs. Towards
eleven o'clock everything was prepared for a meal; the canvas of the tent
served as a cloth; the breakfast, consisting of pemmican, salt meat, tea and
coffee, was set and soon devoured. But first, Hatteras demanded that an
observation should be made; he wanted to know its position exactly. The doc=
tor
and Altamont then took their instruments, and after taking an observation t=
hey
found the precise position of the grotto to be latitude 89° 59' 15". T=
he
longitude at this height was of no importance, for all the meridians run
together within a few hundred feet higher. So in reality the island was
situated at the North Pole, and the ninetieth degree of latitude was only
forty-five seconds from there, exactly three quarters of a mile, that is to
say, towards the top of the volcano. When Hatteras knew this result, he ask=
ed
that it should be stated in two documents, one to be placed in a cairn on t=
he
shore. So at once the doctor took his pen and wrote the following document,=
one
copy of which is now in the archives of the Royal Geographical Society in L=
ondon:--
"=
;July
11, 1861, in north latitude 89° 59' 15", 'Queen Island' was discovered=
at
the North Pole by Captain Hatteras, commanding the brig Forward of Liverpool, who has set his name heret=
o,
with his companions. Whoever shall find this document is entreated to forwa=
rd it
to the Admiralty.
(Signed) JOHN HATTERAS, Cap=
tain
of the Forward . DR. CLAWBONNY. ALTAMONT, Captain of the Porpoise . JOHNSON, Boatswain. BELL, Carpenter."
"=
;And
now, my friends, to table!" said the doctor, gayly.
Of co=
urse,
to eat at table, they were obliged to sit on the ground.
"But," said Clawbonny, "who
wouldn't give all the tables and dining-rooms in the world, to dine in north
latitude 89° 59' 15"?"
The thoughts of each one were about their
situation. They had no other idea than the North Pole. The dangers they had
undergone to reach it, those to overcome before returning, were forgotten in
their unprecedented success. What neither Europeans, Americans, nor Asiatic=
s had
been able to do, they had accomplished. Hence they were all ready to listen=
to
the doctor when he told them all that his inexhaustible memory could recall
about their position. It was with real enthusiasm that he first proposed th=
eir
captain's health.
"To John Hatteras!" he said.
"To John Hatteras!" repeated the oth=
ers.
"To the North Pole!" answered the
captain, with a warmth that was unusual in this man who was usually so
self-restrained, but who now was in a state of great nervous excitement. Th=
ey
touched glasses, and the toasts were followed by earnest hand-shakings.
"It is," said the doctor, "the =
most
important geographical fact of our day! Who would have thought that this
discovery would precede that of the centre of Africa or Australia? Really,
Hatteras, you are greater than Livingstone, Burton, and Barth! All honor to
you!"
"You are right, Doctor," said Altamo=
nt;
"it would seem, from the difficulty of the undertaking, that the Pole
would be the last place discovered. Whenever the government was absolutely
determined to know the middle of Africa, it would have succeeded at the cos=
t of
so many men and so much money; but here nothing is less certain than succes=
s, and
there might be obstacles really insuperable."
"Insuperable!" cried Hatteras with
warmth; "there are no insuperable obstacles; there are more or less
determined minds, that is all!"
"Well," said Johnson, "we are h=
ere,
and it is well. But, Doctor, will you tell me, once for all, what there is =
so
remarkable about the Pole?"
"It is this, Johnson, that it is the only
motionless part of the globe, while all the rest is turning with extreme
rapidity."
"But I don't see that we are more motionl=
ess
here than at Liverpool."
"No more than you perceive the motion at
Liverpool; and that is because in both cases you participate in the movemen=
t or
the repose. But the fact is no less certain. The earth rotates in twenty-fo=
ur hours,
and this motion is on an axis with its extremities at the two poles. Well, =
we
are at one of the extremities of the axis, which is necessarily
motionless."
"So," said Bell, "when our
countrymen are turning rapidly, we are perfectly still?"
"Very nearly, for we are not exactly at t=
he
Pole."
"You are right, Doctor," said Hatter=
as
seriously, and shaking his head; "we are still forty-five seconds from=
the
precise spot."
"That is not far," answered Altamont,
"and we can consider ourselves motionless."
"Yes," continued the doctor, "w=
hile
those living at the equator move at the rate of three hundred and ninety-six
leagues an hour."
"And without getting tired!" said Be=
ll.
"Exactly!" answered the doctor.
"But," continued Johnson, "besi=
des
this movement of rotation, doesn't the earth also move about the sun?"=
"Yes, and this takes a year."
"Is it swifter than the other?"
"Infinitely so; and I ought to say that,
although we are at the Pole, it takes us with it as well as all the people =
in
the world. So our pretended immobility is a chimera: we are motionless with
regard to the other points of the globe, but not so with regard to the
sun."
"Good!" said Bell, with an accent of
comic regret; "so I, who thought I was still, was mistaken! This illus=
ion
has to be given up! One can't have a moment's peace in this world."
"You are right, Bell," answered John=
son;
"and will you tell us, Doctor, how fast this motion is?"
"It is very fast," answered the doct=
or;
"the earth moves around the sun seventy-six times faster than a
twenty-four-pound cannon-ball flies, which goes one hundred and ninety-five
fathoms a second. It moves, then, seven leagues and six tenths per second; =
you
see it is very different from the diurnal movement of the equator."
"The deuce!" said Bell; "that is
incredible, Doctor! More than seven leagues a second, and that when it would
have been so easy to be motionless, if God had wished it!"
"Good!" said Altamont; "do you
think so, Bell? In that case no more night, nor spring, nor autumn, nor
winter!"
"Without considering a still more terrible
result," continued the doctor.
"What is that?" asked Johnson.
"We should all fall into the sun!"
"Fall into the sun!" repeated Bell w=
ith
surprise.
"Yes. If this motion were to stop, the ea=
rth
would fall into the sun in sixty-four days and a half."
"A fall of sixty-four days!" said
Johnson.
"No more nor less," answered the doc=
tor;
"for it would have to fall a distance of thirty-eight millions of
leagues."
"What is the weight of the earth?" a=
sked
Altamont.
"It is five thousand eight hundred and
ninety-one quadrillions of tons."
"Good!" said Johnson; "those
numbers have no meaning."
"For that reason, Johnson, I was going to
give you two comparisons which you could remember. Don't forget that it wou=
ld
take seventy-five moons to make the sun, and three hundred and fifty thousa=
nd
earths to make up the weight of the sun."
"That is tremendous!" said Altamont.=
"Tremendous is the word," answered t=
he
doctor; "but, to return to the Pole, no lesson on cosmography on this =
part
of the globe could be more opportune, if it doesn't weary you."
"Go on, Doctor, go on!"
"I told you," resumed the doctor, who
took as much pleasure in giving as the others did in receiving
instruction,--"I told you that the Pole was motionless in comparison w=
ith
the rest of the globe. Well, that is not quite true!"
"What!" said Bell, "has that go=
t to
be taken back?"
"Yes, Bell, the Pole is not always exactl=
y in
the same place; formerly the North Star was farther from the celestial pole
than it is now. So our Pole has a certain motion; it describes a circle in
about twenty-six years. That comes from the precession of the equinoxes, of=
which
I shall speak soon."
"But," asked Altamont, "might it not happen that some day the Pole should get farther from its place?"<= o:p>
"Ah, my dear Altamont," answered the doctor, "you bring up there a great question, which scientific men investigated for a long time in consequence of a singular discovery."<= o:p>
"What was that?"
"This is it. In 1771 the body of a rhinoc=
eros
was found on the shore of the Arctic Sea, and in 1799 that of an elephant on
the coast of Siberia. How did the animals of warm countries happen to be fo=
und
in these latitudes? Thereupon there was much commotion among geologists, who
were not so wise as a Frenchman, M. Elie de Beaumont, has been since. He sh=
owed
that these animals used to live in rather high latitudes, and that the stre=
ams
and rivers simply carried their bodies to the places where they were found.=
But
do you know the explanation which scientific men gave before this one?"=
;
"Scientific men are capable of
anything," said Altamont.
"Yes, in explanation of a fact; well, they
imagined that the Pole used to be at the equator and the equator at the
Pole."
"Bah!"
"It was exactly what I tell you. Now, if =
it
had been so, since the earth is flattened more than five leagues at the pol=
e,
the seas, carried to the equator by centrifugal force, would have covered m=
ountains
twice as high as the Himalayas; all the countries near the polar circle,
Sweden, Norway, Russia, Siberia, Greenland, and New Britain, would have been
buried in five leagues of water, while the regions at the equator, having
become the pole, would have formed plateaus fifteen leagues high!"
"What a change!" said Johnson.
"O, that made no difference to scientific
men!"
"And how did they explain the
alteration?" asked Altamont.
"They said it was due to the shock of
collision with a comet. The comet is the deus ex machina ; whenever one comes to a
difficult question in cosmography, a comet is lugged in. It is the most
obliging of the heavenly bodies, and at the least sign from a scientific ma=
n it
disarranges itself to arrange everything."
"Then," said Johnson, "accordin=
g to
you, Doctor, this change is impossible?"
"Impossible!"
"And if it should take place?"
"If it did, the equator would be frozen in
twenty-four hours!"
"Good! if it were to take place now,"
said Bell, "people would as likely as not say we had never gone to the
Pole."
"Calm yourself, Bell. To return to the
immobility of the terrestrial axis, the following is the result: if we were=
to
spend a winter here, we should see the stars describing a circle about us. =
As
for the sun, the day of the vernal equinox, March 23d, it would appear to u=
s (I
take no account of refraction) exactly cut in two by the horizon, and would
rise gradually in longer and longer curves; but here it is remarkable that =
when
it has once risen it sets no more; it is visible for six months. Then its d=
isk
touches the horizon again at the autumnal equinox, September 22d, and as so=
on
as it is set, it is seen no more again all winter."
"You were speaking just now of the flatte=
ning
of the earth at the poles," said Johnson; "be good enough to expl=
ain
that, Doctor."
"I will. Since the earth was fluid when f=
irst
created, you understand that its rotary movement would try to drive part of=
the
mobile mass to the equator, where the centrifugal force was greater. If the
earth had been motionless, it would have remained a perfect sphere; but in =
consequence
of the phenomenon I have just described, it has an ellipsoidal form, and po=
ints
at the pole are nearer the centre of the earth than points at the equator by
about five leagues."
"So," said Johnson, "if our cap=
tain
wanted to take us to the centre of the earth, we should have five leagues l=
ess
to go?"
"Exactly, my friend."
"Well, Captain, it's so much gained! We o=
ught
to avail ourselves of it."
But Hatteras did not answer. Evidently he had =
lost
all interest in the conversation, or perhaps he was listening without heari=
ng.
"Well," answered the doctor,
"according to certain scientific men, it would be worth while to try t=
his
expedition."
"What! really?" exclaimed Johnson.
"But let me finish," answered the
doctor. "I will tell you. I must first tell you this flattening of the
poles is the cause of the precession of the equinoxes; that is to say, why =
every
year the vernal equinox comes a day sooner than it would if the earth were
perfectly round. This comes from the attraction of the sun operating in a d=
ifferent
way on the heaped-up land of the equator, which then experiences a retrogra=
de
movement. Subsequently it displaces this Pole a little, as I just said. But,
independently of this effect, this flattening ought to have a more curious =
and
more personal effect, which we should perceive if we had mathematical
sensibility."
"What do you mean?" asked Bell.
"I mean that we are heavier here than at
Liverpool."
"Heavier?"
"Yes; ourselves, the dogs, our guns, and
instruments!"
"Is it possible?"
"Certainly, and for two reasons: the first
is, that we are nearer the centre of the globe, which consequently attracts=
us
more strongly, and this force of gravitation is nothing but weight; the sec=
ond
is, the rotary force, which is nothing at the pole, is very marked at the e=
quator,
and objects there have a tendency to fly from the earth: they are less
heavy."
"What!" exclaimed Johnson, seriously;
"have we not the same weight everywhere?"
"No, Johnson; according to Newton's law,
bodies attract one another directly as their masses, and inversely to the
square of their distances. Here I weigh more, because I am nearer the centr=
e of
attraction; and on another planet I should weigh more or less according to =
the
mass of the planet."
"What!" said Bell, "in the
moon--"
"In the moon my weight, which is two hund=
red
pounds at Liverpool, would be only thirty-two pounds."
"And in the sun?"
"O, in the sun I should weigh more than f=
ive
thousand pounds!"
"Heavens!" said Bell; "you'd ne=
ed a
derrick to move your legs."
"Probably," answered the doctor,
laughing at Bell's amazement; "but here the difference is imperceptibl=
e,
and by an equal effort of the muscles Bell would leap as high as on the doc=
ks
at Liverpool."
"Yes, but in the sun?" urged Bell.
"My friend," answered the doctor,
"the upshot of it all is that we are well off where we are, and need n=
ot
want to go elsewhere."
"You said just now," resumed Altamon=
t,
"that perhaps it would be worth while to make a journey to the centre =
of
the world; has such an undertaking ever been thought of?"
"Yes, and this is all I'm going to say ab=
out
the Pole. There is no point in the world which has given rise to more chime=
ras
and hypotheses. The ancients, in their ignorance, placed the garden of the =
Hesperides
there. In the Middle Ages it was supposed that the earth was upheld on axles
placed at the poles, on which it revolved; but when comets were seen moving
freely, that idea had to be given up. Later, there was a French astronomer,
Bailly, who said that the lost people mentioned by Plato, the Atlantides, l=
ived
here. Finally, it has been asserted in our own time that there was an immen=
se
opening at the poles, from which came the Northern Lights, and through which
one could reach the inside of the earth; since in the hollow sphere two pla=
nets,
Pluto and Proserpine, were said to move, and the air was luminous in
consequence of the strong pressure it felt."
"That has been maintained?" asked
Altamont.
"Yes, it has been written about seriously.
Captain Symmes, a countryman of ours, proposed to Sir Humphry Davy, Humbold=
t,
and Arago, to undertake the voyage! But they declined."
"And they did well."
"I think so. Whatever it may be, you see,=
my
friends, that the imagination has busied itself about the Pole, and that so=
oner
or later we must come to the reality."
"At any rate, we shall see for
ourselves," said Johnson, who clung to his idea.
"Then, to-morrow we'll start," said =
the
doctor, smiling at seeing the old sailor but half convinced; "and if t=
here
is any opening to the centre of the earth, we shall go there together."=
;
After=
this
solid conversation every one made himself as comfortable as possible in the
cavern, and soon fell asleep. Every one, that is, except Hatteras. Why did =
not
this strange man sleep?
Was not the object of his life attained? Had he
not accomplished the bold projects which lay so near his heart? Why did not
calmness succeed the agitation in his ardent mind? Would not one suppose th=
at, when
he had accomplished this end, Hatteras would fall into a sort of dejection,=
and
that his over-stretched nerves would seek repose? After succeeding, it would
seem natural that he should be seized with the feeling of sadness, which al=
ways
follows satisfied desires.
But no. He was only more excited. It was not,
however, the thought of returning which agitated him so. Did he wish to go
farther? Was there no limit to his ambition, and did he find the world too
small, because he had been around it? However this may have been, he could =
not
sleep. And yet this first night spent at the pole of the world was pleasant=
and
quiet. The island was absolutely uninhabited. There was not a bird in its
fire-impregnated atmosphere, not an animal on the soil of cinders, not a fi=
sh
in its boiling waters. Only afar off the dull murmur of the mountain, from =
the
summit of which arose puffs of hot smoke.
When Bell, Johnson, Altamont, and the doctor
awoke, Hatteras was not to be seen near them. Being anxious, they left the
cave, and saw the captain standing on a rock. His eyes were fixed on the to=
p of
the volcano. He held his instruments in his hands, having evidently been ca=
lculating
the exact height of the mountain. The doctor went up to him and spoke to him
several times before he could rouse him from his revery. At last the captain
seemed to understand him.
"Forward!" said the doctor, who was
examining him attentively,--"forward! let us explore our island; we are
all ready for our last excursion."
"Our last," said Hatteras, with the
intonation of people who are dreaming aloud; "yes, the last, indeed. B=
ut
also," he continued with great animation, "the most wonderful!&qu=
ot;
He spoke in this way, rubbing his hands over h=
is
brow as if to allay its throbbing. At that moment, Altamont, Johnson, and B=
ell
joined him; Hatteras appeared to awaken from his revery.
"My friends," he said with emotion,
"thanks for your courage, thanks for your perseverance, thanks for your
superhuman efforts, which have allowed us to set foot on this land!"
"Captain!" said Johnson, "we ha=
ve
only obeyed; all the honor is due to you alone!"
"No, no!" resumed Hatteras with emot=
ion;
"to you as much as to me! to Altamont as well as to all of us! as to t=
he
doctor himself-- O, let my heart well over in your hands! It can no longer
restrain its joy and gratitude!"
Hatteras clasped the hands of his companions. =
He
walked to and fro, no longer master of himself.
"We have only done our duty as
Englishmen," said Bell.
"Our duty as friends," continued the
doctor.
"Yes," said Hatteras, "but all =
have
not performed this duty. Some have given way! Still, they must be pardoned,
both who were treacherous, and those who were led away to it! Poor men! I
forgive them. You understand me, Doctor?"
"Yes," answered the doctor, who was =
very
uneasy at Hatteras's excitement.
"So," went on the captain, "I d=
on't
want them to lose the money they came so far to seek. No, I shall not alter=
my
plan; they shall be rich,--if they ever see England again!"
Few could have withstood the tenderness with w=
hich
Hatteras spoke these last words.
"But, Captain," said Johnson, with an effort at pleasantry, "one would say you were making your will."<= o:p>
"Perhaps I am," answered Hatteras,
seriously.
"Still you have before you a long and
glorious life," continued the old sailor.
"Who can say?" said Hatteras.
A long silence followed these words. The doctor
did not dare to try to interpret the last remark. But Hatteras soon express=
ed
his meaning, for in a hasty, hardly restrained voice, he went on:--
"My friends, listen to me. We have done a
good deal so far, and yet there is a good deal to do."
His companions gazed at him in astonishment.
"Yes, we are on the land of the Pole, but=
we
are not on the Pole itself!"
"How so?" asked Altamont.
"You don't mean it!" cried the docto=
r,
anxiously.
"Yes!" resumed Hatteras, earnestly,
"I said that an Englishman should set foot on the Pole; I said it, and=
an
Englishman shall do it."
"What!" ejaculated the doctor.
"We are now forty-five seconds from the
unknown point," Hatteras went on, with increasing animation; "whe=
re
it is, I am going!"
"But that is the top of the volcano!"
said the doctor.
"I'm going!"
"It's an inaccessible spot!"
"I'm going!"
"It's a fiery crater!"
"I'm going!"
The firmness with which Hatteras uttered these
words cannot be given. His friends were stupefied; they gazed with horror at
the volcano tipped with flame. Then the doctor began; he urged and besought=
Hatteras
to give up his design; he said everything he could imagine, from entreaty to
well-meant threats; but he obtained no concession from the nervous captain,=
who
was possessed with a sort of madness which may be called polar madness. Only
violent means could stop him, rushing to his ruin. But seeing that thereby =
they
would produce serious results, the doctor wished to keep them for a last
resource. He hoped, too, that some physical impossibility, some unsurmounta=
ble difficulty,
would compel him to give up his plan.
"Since it is so," he said, "we
shall follow you."
"Yes," answered the captain,
"half-way up the mountain! No farther! Haven't you got to carry back to
England the copy of the document which proves our discovery, in case--"=
;
"Still--"
"It is settled," said Hatteras, in a
tone of command; "and since my entreaties as a friend are not enough, I
order it as captain."
The doctor was unwilling to urge him any furth=
er,
and a few moments later the little band, equipped for a hard climb, and
preceded by Duke, set out. The sky was perfectly clear. The thermometer sto=
od
at 52°. The air had all the brilliancy which is so marked at this high lati=
tude.
It was eight o'clock in the morning. Hatteras went ahead with his dog, the
others followed close behind.
"I'm anxious," said Johnson.
"No, no, there's nothing to fear,"
answered the doctor; "we are here."
It was a strange island, in appearance so new =
and
singular! The volcano did not seem old, and geologists would have ascribed a
recent date to its formation.
The rocks were heaped upon one another, and on=
ly
kept in place by almost miraculous balancing. The mountain, in fact, was
composed of nothing but stones that had fallen from above. There was no soi=
l,
no moss, no lichen, no trace of vegetation. The carbonic acid from the crat=
er
had not yet had time to unite with the hydrogen of the water; nor the ammon=
ia
of the clouds, to form under the action of the light, organized matter. This
island had arisen from successive volcanic eruptions, like many other
mountains; what they have hurled forth has built them up. For instance, Etna
has poured forth a volume of lava larger than itself; and the Monte Nuovo, =
near
Naples, was formed by ashes in the short space of forty-eight hours. The he=
ap
of rocks composing Queen's Island had evidently come from the bowels of the=
earth.
Formerly the sea covered it all; it had been formed long since by the
condensation of the vapor on the cooling globe; but in proportion as the
volcanoes of the Old and New World disappeared, they were replaced by new
craters.
In fact, the earth can be compared to a vast
spheroidal boiler. Under the influence of the central fire an immense quant=
ity
of vapor is generated, which is exposed to a pressure of thousands of
atmospheres, and which would blow up the globe, were it not for the
safety-valves opening on the outside.
These safety-valves are the volcanoes; when one
closes, another opens; and at the poles, where, doubtless in consequence of=
the
flattening of the earth's surface, the crust is thinner, it is not strange =
that
a volcano should be suddenly formed by the upheaval of the bottom of the wa=
ves.
The doctor noticed all this as he followed Hatteras; his foot sank into a
volcanic tufa, and the deposits of ashes, volcanic stones, etc., like the
syenite and granite of Iceland. But he attributed a comparatively recent or=
igin
to the island, on account of the fact that no sedimentary soil had yet form=
ed
upon it. Water, too, was lacking. If Queen's Island had existed for several
years, there would have been springs upon it, as there are in the neighborh=
ood
of volcanoes. Now, not only was there no drop of water there, but the vapors
which arose from the stream of lava seemed absolutely anhydrous.
This island, then, was of recent formation; and
since it appeared in one day, it might disappear in another and sink beneath
the ocean.
The ascent grew more difficult the higher they
went; the sides of the mountain became nearly perpendicular, and they had t=
o be
very careful to avoid accident. Often columns of cinders were blown about t=
hem
and threatened to choke them, or torrents of lava barred their path. On some
such places these streams were hard on top, but the molten stream flowed
beneath. Each one had to test it first to escape sinking into the glowing m=
ass.
From time to time the crater vomited forth huge red-hot rocks amid burning
gases; some of these bodies burst in the air like shells, and the fragments
were hurled far off in all directions. The innumerable dangers of this asce=
nt
may be readily perceived, as well as the foolhardiness of the attempt.
Still, Hatteras climbed with wonderful agility,
and while spurning the use of his iron-tipped staff, he ascended the steepe=
st
slopes. He soon reached a circular rock, which formed a sort of plateau abo=
ut
ten feet broad; a glowing stream surrounded it, which was divided at the co=
rner
by a higher rock, and left only a narrow passage through which Hatteras sli=
pped
boldly. There he stopped, and his companions were able to join him. Then he
seemed to estimate the distance yet remaining; horizontally there were only
about six hundred feet of the crater remaining, that is to say, from the
mathematical point of the Pole; but vertically they had fifteen hundred feet
yet to climb. The ascent had already taken three hours; Hatteras did not se=
em
tired; his companions were exhausted.
The top of the volcano seemed inaccessible. The
doctor wished at any risk to keep Hatteras from going higher. At first he t=
ried
gentle means, but the captain's excitement amounted to delirium; on the way=
he
had exhibited all the signs of growing madness, and whoever has known him in
the different scenes of his life cannot be surprised. In proportion as Hatt=
eras
rose above the ocean his excitement increased; he lived no longer with men;=
he
thought he was growing larger with the mountain itself.
"Hatteras," said the doctor, "t=
his
is far enough! we can't go any farther!"
"Stay where you are, then," answered=
the
captain in a strange voice; "I shall go higher!"
"No! that's useless! you are at the Pole
here!"
"No, no, higher!"
"My friend, it's I who am speaking to you,
Dr. Clawbonny! Don't you know me?"
"Higher! higher!" repeated the madma=
n.
"Well, no, we sha'n't let--"
The doctor had not finished the sentence before
Hatteras, by a violent effort, sprang over the stream of lava and was out of
their reach. They uttered a cry, thinking Hatteras was lost in the fiery ab=
yss;
but he had reached the other side, followed by Duke, who was unwilling to a=
bandon
him.
He disappeared behind a puff of smoke, and his
voice was heard growing fainter and fainter in the distance.
"To the north!" he was shouting,
"to the top of Mount Hatteras! Do you remember Mount Hatteras?"
They could not think of getting up to him; the=
re
were twenty chances to one against their being able to cross the stream he =
had
leaped over with the skill and luck of madmen. Nor could they get around it=
. Altamont
in vain tried to pass; he was nearly lost in trying to cross the stream of
lava; his companions were obliged to hold him by force.
"Hatteras, Hatteras!" shouted the
doctor.
But the captain did not answer; Duke's barking
alone was heard upon the mountain.
Still, Hatteras could be seen at intervals thr=
ough
the column of smoke and the showers of cinders. Sometimes his arm or head w=
ould
emerge from the whirlwind. Then he would disappear and be seen again higher=
up
in the rocks. His height diminished with the fantastic swiftness of objects
rising in the air. Half an hour later he seemed but a fraction of his usual
size.
The air was filled with the dull noises of the
volcano; the mountain was roaring like a boiler, its sides were quivering.
Hatteras kept on, and Duke followed. From time to time some enormous rock w=
ould
give way beneath them and go crashing down to the sea. But Hatteras did not=
look
back. He had made use of his staff as a pole on which to fasten the English
flag. His companions observed every one of his movements. His dimensions be=
came
gradually smaller, and Duke seemed no larger than a rat. One moment the wind
seemed to drive down upon them a great wave of flame. The doctor uttered a =
cry
of anguish, but Hatteras reappeared, standing and brandishing the flag.
This sight lasted for more than an hour,--an h=
our
of struggle with the trembling rocks, with the beds of ashes into which this
madman would sink up to the waist. Now he would be climbing on his knees and
making use of every inequality in the mountain, and now he would hang by hi=
s hands
at some sharp corner, swinging in the wind like a dry leaf.
At last he reached the top, the yawning mouth =
of
the crater. The doctor then hoped that the wretched man, having attained his
object, would perhaps return and have only those dangers before him.
He gave a last shout.
"Hatteras, Hatteras!"
The doctor's cry moved the American's heart so
that he cried out,--
"I will save him!"
Then with one leap crossing the fiery torrent =
at
the risk of falling in, he disappeared among the rocks. Clawbonny did not h=
ave
time to stop him. Still, Hatteras, having reached the top, was climbing on =
top of
a rock which overhung the abyss. The stones were raining about him. Duke was
still following him. The poor beast seemed already dizzy at the sight benea=
th
him. Hatteras was whirling about his head the flag, which was lighted with =
the
brilliant reflection, and the red bunting could be seen above the crater. W=
ith
one hand Hatteras was holding it; with the other he was pointing to the zen=
ith,
the celestial pole. Still he seemed to hesitate. He was seeking the
mathematical point where all the meridians meet, and on which in his sublime
obstinacy he wanted to set his foot.
Suddenly the rock gave way beneath him. He
disappeared. A terrible cry from his companions rose even to the summit of =
the
mountain. A second--a century--passed! Clawbonny considered his friend lost=
and
buried forever in the depths of the volcano. But Altamont was there, and Du=
ke
too. The man and the dog had seized him just when he was disappearing in the
abyss. Hatteras was saved, saved in spite of himself, and half an hour later
the captain of the Forward lay unconscious in the arms of his despa=
iring
friends.
When he came to himself, the doctor gave him a
questioning glance in mute agony. But his vague look, like that of a blind =
man,
made no reply.
"Heavens!" said Johnson, "he is
blind!"
"No," answered Clawbonny,--"no!=
My
poor friends, we have saved Hatteras's body! His mind is at the top of the
volcano! He has lost his reason!"
"Mad?" cried Johnson and Altamont in
deep distress.
"Mad!" answered the doctor.
And he wept bitterly.
Three=
hours
after this sad conclusion to the adventures of Captain Hatteras, Clawbonny,
Altamont, and the two sailors were assembled in the cavern at the foot of t=
he
volcano. Then Clawbonny was asked to give his opinion on what was to be don=
e.
"My friends," he said, "we cann=
ot
prolong our stay at Queen's Island; the sea is open before us; our provisio=
ns
are sufficient; we must set out and reach Fort Providence as soon as possib=
le,
and we can go into winter-quarters till next summer."
"That is my opinion," said Altamont;
"the wind is fair, and to-morrow we shall set sail."
The day passed in great gloom. The captain's
madness was a sad foreboding, and when Johnson, Bell, and Altamont thought =
of
their return, they were afraid of their loneliness and remoteness. They fel=
t the
need of Hatteras's bold soul. Still, like energetic men they made ready for=
a
new struggle with the elements, and with themselves, in case they should fe=
el
themselves growing faint-hearted.
The next day, Saturday, July 13th, the camping
materials were put on the boat, and soon everything was ready for their
departure. But before leaving this rock forever, the doctor, following
Hatteras's intentions, put up a cairn at the place where the captain reached
the island; this cairn was built of large rocks laid on one another, so as =
to
form a perfectly visible landmark, if it were not destroyed by the eruption=
.
On one of the lateral stones Bell carved with a
chisel this simple inscription:--
JOHN HATTERAS 1861.
A copy of the document was placed inside of the
cairn in an hermetically sealed tin cylinder, and the proof of this great d=
iscovery
was left here on these lonely rocks.
Then the four men and the captain,--a poor body
without a mind,--and his faithful Duke, sad and melancholy, got into the bo=
at
for the return voyage. It was ten o'clock in the morning. A new sail was se=
t up
with the canvas of the tent. The launch, sailing before the wind, left Quee=
n's
Island, and that evening the doctor, standing on his bench, waved a last
farewell to Mount Hatteras, which was lighting up the horizon.
Their voyage was very quick; the sea, which was
always open, was easy sailing, and it seemed really easier to go away from =
the
Pole than to approach it. But Hatteras was in no state to understand what w=
as
going on about him; he lay at full length in the launch, his mouth closed, =
his
expression dull, and his arms folded. Duke lay at his feet. It was in vain =
that
the doctor questioned him. Hatteras did not hear him.
For forty-eight hours the breeze was fair and =
the
sea smooth. Clawbonny and his companions rejoiced in the north-wind. July 1=
5th,
they made Altamont Harbor in the south; but since the Polar Ocean was open =
all
along the coast, instead of crossing New America by sledge, they resolved to
sail around it, and reach Victoria Bay by sea. This voyage was quicker and
easier. In fact, the space which had taken them a fortnight on sledges took
them hardly a week by sail; and after following the rugged outline of the
coast, which was fringed with numerous fiords, and determining its shape, t=
hey
reached Victoria Bay, Monday evening, July 23d.
The launch was firmly anchored to the shore, a=
nd
each one ran to Fort Providence. The Doctor's House, the stores, the magazi=
ne,
the fortifications, all had melted in the sun, and the supplies had been de=
voured
by hungry beasts.
It was a sad sight.
They were nearly at the end of their supplies,=
and
they had intended to renew them at Fort Providence. The impossibility of
passing the winter there was evident. Like people accustomed to decide rapi=
dly,
they determined to reach Baffin's Bay as soon as possible.
"We have nothing else to do," said t=
he
doctor; "Baffin's Bay is not six hundred miles from here; we might sai=
l as
far as our launch would carry us, reach Jones's Sound, and from there the
Danish settlements."
"Yes," answered Altamont; "let =
us
collect all the provisions we can, and leave."
By strict search they found a few chests of
pemmican here and there, and two barrels of preserved meat, which had escap=
ed
destruction. In short, they had a supply for six weeks, and powder enough. =
This
was promptly collected. The day was devoted to calking the launch, repairing
it, and the next day, July 24th, they put out to sea again.
The continent towards latitude 83° inclined
towards the east. It was possible that it joined the countries known under =
the
name of Grinnell Land, Ellesmere, and North Lincoln, which form the coast-l=
ine
of Baffin's Bay. They could then hold it for certain that Jones's Sound ope=
ned
in the inner seas, like Lancaster Sound. The launch then sailed without much
difficulty, easily avoiding the floating ice. The doctor, by way of precaut=
ion
against possible delay, put them all on half-rations; but this did not trou=
ble
them much, and their health was unimpaired.
Besides, they were able to shoot occasionally;
they killed ducks, geese, and other game, which gave them fresh and wholeso=
me
food. As for their drink, they had a full supply from the floating ice, whi=
ch they
met on the way, for they took care not to go far from the coast, the launch
being too small for the open sea.
At this period of the year the thermometer was
already, for the greater part of time, beneath the freezing-point; after a
certain amount of rainy weather snow began to fall, with other signs of the=
end
of summer; the sun sank nearer the horizon, and more and more of its disk s=
ank
beneath it every day. July 30th they saw it disappear for the first time, t=
hat
is to say, they had a few minutes of night.
Still, the launch sailed well, sometimes making
from sixty to seventy-five miles a day; they did not stop a moment; they kn=
ew
what fatigues to endure, what obstacles to surmount; the way by land was be=
fore
them, if they had to take it, and these confined seas must soon be closed;
indeed, the young ice was already forming here and there. Winter suddenly
succeeds summer in these latitudes; there are no intermediate seasons; no
spring, no autumn. So they had to hurry. July 31st, the sky being clear at
sunset, the first stars were seen in the constellations overhead. From this=
day
on there was perpetual mist, which interfered very much with their sailing.=
The
doctor, when he saw all the signs of winter's approach, became very uneasy;=
he
knew the difficulties Sir John Ross had found in getting to Baffin's Bay, a=
fter
leaving his ship; and indeed, having once tried to pass the ice, he was obl=
iged
to return to his ship, and go into winter-quarters for the fourth year; but=
he
had at least a shelter against the weather, food, and fuel. If such a
misfortune were to befall the survivors of the Forward , if they had to stop or put bac=
k,
they were lost; the doctor did not express his uneasiness to his companions;
but he urged them to get as far eastward as possible.
Finally, August 15th, after thirty days of rat=
her
good sailing, after struggling for forty-eight hours against the ice, which=
was
accumulating, after having imperilled their little launch a hundred times, =
they
saw themselves absolutely stopped, unable to go farther; the sea was all
frozen, and the thermometer marked on an average +15°. Moreover, in all the
north and east it was easy to detect the nearness of land, by the presence =
of
pebbles; frozen fresh water was found more frequently. Altamont made an
observation with great exactness, and found they were in latitude 77° 15', =
and
longitude 85° 2'.
"So, then," said the doctor, "t=
his
is our exact position; we have reached North Lincoln, exactly at Cape Eden;=
we
are entering Jones's Sound; if we had been a little luckier, we should have
found the sea open to Baffin's Bay. But we need not complain. If my poor
Hatteras had at first found so open a sea, he would have soon reached the P=
ole,
his companions would not have deserted him, and he would not have lost his
reason under his terrible sufferings!"
"Then," said Altamont, "we have
only one course to follow; to abandon the launch, and get to the east coast=
of
Lincoln by sledge."
"Abandon the launch and take the sledge?
Well," answered the doctor; "but instead of crossing Lincoln, I
propose going through Jones's Sound on the ice, and reaching North Devon.&q=
uot;
"And why?" asked Altamont.
"Because we should get nearer to Lancaster
Sound, and have more chance of meeting whalers."
"You are right, Doctor, but I am afraid t=
he
ice is not yet hard enough."
"We can try," said Clawbonny.
The launch was unloaded; Bell and Johnson put =
the
sledge together; all its parts were in good condition. The next day the dogs
were harnessed in, and they went along the coast to reach the ice-field.
Then they began again the journey which has be=
en
so often described; it was tiresome and slow; Altamont was right in doubting
the strength of the ice; they could not go through Jones's Sound, and they =
had
to follow the coast of Lincoln.
August 21st they turned to one side and reached
the entrance of Glacier Sound; then they ventured upon the ice-field, and t=
he
next day they reached Cobourg Island, which they crossed in less than two d=
ays amid
snow-squalls. They could advance more easily on the ice-fields, and at last,
August 24th, they set foot on North Devon.
"Now," said the doctor, "we have
only to cross this, and reach Cape Warender, at the entrance of Lancaster
Sound."
But the weather became very cold and unpleasan=
t;
the snow-squalls became as violent as in winter; they all found themselves
nearly exhausted. Their provisions were giving out, and each man had but a =
third
of a ration, in order to allow to the dogs enough food in proportion to the=
ir
work.
The nature of the ground added much to the fat=
igue
of the journey; North Devon was far from level; they had to cross the Traut=
er Mountains
by almost impassable ravines, struggling against all the fury of the elemen=
ts.
The sledge, men, and dogs had to rest, and more than once despair seized the
little band, hardened as it was to the fatigues of a polar journey. But,
without their noticing it, these poor men were nearly worn out, physically =
and
morally; they could not support such incessant fatigue for eighteen months =
with
impunity, nor such a succession of hopes and despairs. Besides, it should be
borne in mind that they went forward with enthusiasm and conviction, which =
they
lacked when returning. So they with difficulty dragged on; they walked almo=
st
from habit, with the animal energy left almost independent of their will.
It was not until August 30th that they at last
left the chaos of mountains, of which one can form no idea from the mountai=
ns
of lower zones, but they left it half dead. The doctor could no longer chee=
r up
his companions, and he felt himself breaking down. The Trauter Mountains en=
ded
in a sort of rugged plain, heaped up at the time of the formation of the
mountains. There they were compelled to take a few days of rest; the men co=
uld
not set one foot before another; two of the dogs had died of exhaustion. Th=
ey
sheltered themselves behind a piece of ice, at a temperature of -2°; no one
dared put up the tent. Their food had become very scanty, and, in spite of
their extreme economy with their rations, they had a supply for but a week
more; game became rarer, having left for a milder climate. Starvation threa=
tened
these exhausted men.
Altamont, who all along had shown great devoti=
on
and unselfishness, took advantage of the strength he had left, and resolved=
to
procure by hunting some food for his companions. He took his gun, called Du=
ke, and
strode off for the plains to the north; the doctor, Johnson, and Bell saw h=
im
go away without much interest. For an hour they did not once hear his gun, =
and
they saw him returning without firing a single shot; but he was running as =
if
in great alarm.
"What is the matter?" asked the doct=
or.
"There! under the snow!" answered
Altamont in great alarm, indicating a point in the horizon.
"What?"
"A whole band of men--"
"Alive?"
"Dead,--frozen,--and even--"
The American durst not finish his sentence, but
his face expressed clearly his horror. The doctor, Johnson, Bell, aroused by
this incident, were able to rise, and drag themselves along in Altamont's f=
ootprints
to the part of the plain to which he had pointed. They soon reached a narrow
space, at the bottom of a deep ravine, and there a terrible sight met their
eyes.
Bodies were lying half buried beneath the snow;
here an arm, there a leg, or clinched hands, and faces still preserving an
expression of despair.
The doctor drew near; then he stepped back, pa=
le
and agitated, while Duke barked mournfully.
"Horror!" he said.
"Well?" asked the boatswain.
"Didn't you recognize them?" said the
doctor in a strange voice.
"What do you mean?"
"Look!"
This ravine had been the scene of the last
struggle between the men and the climate, despair, and hunger, for from some
horrible signs it was easy to see that they had been obliged to eat human
flesh. Among them the doctor had recognized Shandon, Pen, and the wretched =
crew
of the Forward ; their strength an=
d food
had failed them; their launch had probably been crushed by an avalanche, or
carried into some ravine, and they could not take to the open sea; probably
they were lost among these unknown continents. Besides, men who had left in=
mutiny
could not long be united with the closeness which is necessary for the
accomplishment of great things. A ringleader of a revolt has never more tha=
n a
doubtful authority in his hands. And, without doubt, Shandon was promptly
deposed.
However that may have been, the crew had evide=
ntly
undergone a thousand tortures, a thousand despairs, to end with this terrib=
le catastrophe;
but the secret of their sufferings is forever buried beneath the arctic sno=
ws.
"Let us flee!" cried the doctor.
And he dragged his companions far from the sce=
ne
of the disaster. Horror lent them momentary strength. They set out again.
Why l=
inger
over the perpetual sufferings of the survivors? They themselves could never
recall to their memory a clear vision of what had happened in the week after
their horrible discovery of the remains of the crew. However, September 9th=
, by
a miracle of energy, they reached Cape Horsburgh, at the end of North Devon=
.
They were dying of hunger; they had not eaten =
for
forty-eight hours, and their last meal had been the flesh of their last
Esquimaux dog. Bell could go no farther, and old Johnson felt ready to die.
They were on the shore of Baffin's Bay, on the way to Europe. Three miles f=
rom land
the waves were breaking on the edges of the ice-field. They had to await the
uncertain passage of a whaler, and how many days yet?
But Heaven took pity on them, for the next day
Altamont clearly saw a sail. The anguish which follows such an appearance o=
f a
sail, the tortures of disappointment, are well known. The ship seemed to ap=
proach
and then to recede. Terrible are the alternations of hope and despair, and =
too
often at the moment the castaways consider themselves saved the sail sinks =
beneath
the horizon.
The doctor and his companions went through all
these emotions; they had reached the western limit of the ice-field, and yet
they saw the ship disappear, taking no note of their presence. They shouted,
but in vain.
Then the doctor had a last inspiration of that
busy mind which had served him in such good stead.
A floe had drifted against the ice-field.
"That floe!" he said, pointing to it=
.
They did not catch his meaning.
"Let us get on it!" he cried.
They saw his plan at once.
"Ah, Clawbonny, Dr. Clawbonny!" cried
Johnson, kissing the doctor's hands.
Bell, with Altamont's aid, ran to the sledge; =
he
brought one of the uprights, stood it up on the floe for a mast, making it =
fast
with ropes; the tent was torn up for a sail. The wind was fair; the poor ca=
staways
put out to sea on this frail raft.
Two hours later, after unheard-of efforts, the
last men of the Forward were taken aboard the Danish whaler Hans Christian , which was sailing to Da=
vis
Strait. The captain received kindly these spectres who had lost their sembl=
ance
to human beings; when he saw their sufferings he understood their history; =
he
gave them every attention, and managed to save their lives. Ten days later,
Clawbonny, Johnson, Bell, Altamont, and Captain Hatteras landed at Korsoeur=
, in
Zeeland, in Denmark; a steamboat carried them to Kiel; thence, via =
span>Altona
and Hamburg, they reached London the 13th of the same month, hardly recover=
ed
from their long sufferings.
The first thought of the doctor was to ask
permission of the Royal Geographical Society of London to lay a communicati=
on
before it; he was admitted to the meeting of July 15th. The astonishment of=
the
learned assembly, and its enthusiastic cheers after reading Hatteras's docu=
ment,
may be imagined.
This journey, the only one of its kind, went o=
ver
all the discoveries that had been made in the regions about the Pole; it
brought together the expeditions of Parry, Ross, Franklin, MacClure; it
completed the chart between the one hundredth and one hundred and fifteenth=
meridians;
and, finally, it ended with the point of the globe hitherto inaccessible, w=
ith
the Pole itself.
Never had news so unexpected burst upon astoni=
shed
England.
The English take great interest in geographical
facts; they are proud of them, lord and cockney, from the merchant prince to
the workman in the docks.
The news of this great discovery was telegraph=
ed
over the United Kingdom with great rapidity; the papers printed the name of
Hatteras at the head of their columns as that of a martyr, and England glow=
ed with
pride.
The doctor and his companions were feasted
everywhere; they were formally presented to her Majesty by the Lord High
Chancellor.
The government confirmed the name of Queen's
Island for the rock at the North Pole, of Mount Hatteras for the mountain
itself, and of Altamont Harbor for the port in New America.
Altamont did not part from those whose misery =
and
glory he had shared, and who were now his friends. He followed the doctor,
Johnson, and Bell to Liverpool, where they were warmly received, after they=
had
been thought to be long dead, and buried in the eternal ice.
But Dr. Clawbonny always gave the glory to the=
man
who most deserved it. In his account of the journey entitled "The Engl=
ish
at the North Pole," published the next year by the Royal Geographical
Society, he made John Hatteras equal to the greatest explorers, the rival of
those bold men who sacrifice everything to science.
But the sad victim of a lofty passion lived
peacefully at the asylum of Starr Cottage near Liverpool, where the doctor =
had
placed him. His madness was of a gentle kind, but he never spoke, he unders=
tood
nothing, his power of speech seemed to have gone with his reason. A single
feeling seemed to unite him to the outer world, his love for Duke, who was =
not
separated from him.
This disease, this "polar madness,"
pursued its course quietly, presenting no particular symptom, when Dr.
Clawbonny, who often visited his poor patient, was struck by his singular
manner.
For some time Captain Hatteras, followed by his
faithful dog, that used to gaze at him sadly, would walk for hours every da=
y;
but he always walked in one way, in the direction of a certain path. When h=
e had
reached the end, he would return, walking backwards. If any one stopped him=
, he
would point his finger at a portion of the sky. If any one tried to make him
turn round, he grew angry, and Duke would show his anger and bark furiously=
.
The doctor observed carefully this odd mania; =
he
understood the motive of this strange obstinacy; he guessed the reason of t=
his
walk always in the same direction, and, so to speak, under the influence of=
a magnetic
force.
Captain John Hatteras was always walking towar=
ds
the north.
FINIS=
.