letters from high latitudes-第20章

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ou　wilt　see　how　much　the　ocean　has　diminished　by　what　thou　hast　drunk。　MEN　WILL　CALL　IT　THE　EBB。

〃'Further；'　said　he；　'most　remarkable　did　it　seem　to　me　that　thou　liftedst　the　cat；　and　in　truth　all　became　terrified　when　they　saw　that　thou　liftedst　one　of　its　feet　from　the　ground。　For　it　was　no　cat；　as　it　seemed　unto　thee；　but　the　great　serpent　that　lies　coiled　round　the　world。　Scarcely　had　he　length　that　his　tail　and　head　might　reach　the　earth；　and　thou　liftedst　him　so　high　up　that　it　was　but　a　little　way　to　heaven。　That　was　a　marvellous　wrestling　that　thou　wrestledst　with　Ella　（old　age）；　for　never　has　there　been　any　one；　nor　shall　there　ever　be；　let　him　approach　what　great　age　he　will；　that　Ella　shall　not　overcome。

〃'Now　we　must　part；　and　it　is　best　for　us　on　both　sides　that　you　do　not　often　come　to　me；　but　if　it　should　so　happen；　I　shall　defend　my　castle　with　such　other　arts　that　you　shall　not　be　able　to　effect　anything　against　me。'

〃When　Thor　heard　this　discourse　he　grasped　his　hammer　and　lifted　it　into　the　air；　but　as　he　was　about　to　strike　he　saw　Utgard　Loke　nowhere。　Then　he　turned　back　to　the　castle　to　destroy　it；　and　he　saw　only　a　beautiful　and　wide　plain；　but　no　castle。〃

So　ends　the　story　of　Thor's　journey　to　Jotunheim。

It　was　now　just　upon　the　stroke　of　midnight。　Ever　since　leaving　England；　as　each　four…and…twenty　hours　we　climbed　up　nearer　to　the　pole；　the　belt　of　dusk　dividing　day　from　day　had　been　growing　narrower　and　narrower；　until　having　nearly　reached　the　Arctic　circle；　this；the　last　night　we　were　to　traverse；had　dwindled　to　a　thread　of　shadow。　Only　another　half…dozen　leagues　more；　and　we　would　stand　on　the　threshold　of　a　four　months'　day！　For　the　few　preceding　hours　clouds　had　completely　covered　the　heavens；　except　where　a　clear　interval　of　sky；　that　lay　along　the　northern　horizon；　promised　a　glowing　stage　for　the　sun's　last　obsequies。　But　like　the　heroes　of　old　he　had　veiled　his　face　to　die；　and　it　was　not　until　he　dropped　down　to　the　sea　that　the　whole　hemisphere　overflowed　with　glory　and　the　gilded　pageant　concerted　for　his　funeral　gathered　in　slow　procession　round　his　grave；　reminding　one　of　those　tardy　honours　paid　to　some　great　prince　of　song；　wholeft　during　life　to　languish　in　a　garretis　buried　by　nobles　in　Westminster　Abbey。　A　few　minutes　more　the　last　fiery　segment　had　disappeared　beneath　the　purple　horizon；　and　all　was　over。

〃The　king　is　deadthe　king　is　deadthe　king　is　dead！　Long　live　the　king！〃　And　up　from　the　sea　that　had　just　entombed　his　sire；　rose　the　young　monarch　of　a　new　day；　while　the　courtier　clouds；　in　their　ruby　robes；　turned　faces　still　aglow　with　the　favours　of　their　dead　lord；　to　borrow　brighter　blazonry　from　the　smile　of　a　new　master。

A　fairer　or　a　stranger　spectacle　than　the　last　Arctic　sunset　cannot　well　be　conceived：　Evening　and　Morninglike　kinsmen　whose　hearts　some　baseless　feud　has　kept　asunder　clasping　hands　across　the　shadow　of　the　vanished　night。

You　must　forgive　me　if　sometimes　I　become　a　little　magniloquent；for　really；　amid　the　grandeur　of　that　fresh　primaeval　world；　it　was　almost　impossible　to　prevent　one's　imagination　from　absorbing　a　dash　of　the　local　colouring。　　We　seemed　to　have　suddenly　waked　up　among　the　colossal　scenery　of　Keats'　Hyperion。　The　pulses　of　young　Titans　beat　within　our　veins。　Time　itself；no　longer　frittered　down　into　paltry　divisions；had　assumed　a　more　majestic　aspect。　We　had　the　appetite　of　giantswas　it　unnatural　we　should　also　adopt　〃the　large　utterance　of　the　early　gods？〃

As　the　〃Reine　Hortense〃　could　not　carry　coals　sufficient　for　the　entire　voyage　we　had　set　out　upon；　it　had　been　arranged　that　the　steamer　〃Saxon〃　should　accompany　her　as　a　tender；　and　the　Onunder　Fiord；　on　the　north…west　coast　of　the　island；　had　been　appointed　as　the　place　of　rendezvous。　Suddenly　wheeling　round　therefore　to　the　right　we　quitted　the　open　sea；　and　dived　down　a　long　grey　lane　of　water　that　ran　on　as　far　as　the　eye　could　reach　between　two　lofty　ranges　of　porphyry　and　amygdaloid。　The　conformation　of　these　mountains　was　most　curious：　it　looked　as　if　the　whole　district　was　the　effect　of　some　prodigious　crystallization；　so　geometrical　was　the　outline　of　each　particular　hill；　sometimes　rising　cube…like；　or　pentagonal；　but　more　generally　built　up　into　a　perfect　pyramid；　with　stairs　mounting　in　equal　gradations　to　the　summit。　Here　and　there　the　cone　of　the　pyramid　would　be　shaven　off；　leaving　it　flat…topped　like　a　Babylonian　altar　or　Mexican　teocalli；　and　as　the　sun's　level　rays；shooting　across　above　our　heads　in　golden　rafters　from　ridge　to　ridge；smote　brighter　on　some　loftier　peak　behind；　you　might　almost　fancy　you　beheld　the　blaze　of　sacrificial　fires。　The　peculiar　symmetrical　appearance　of　these　rocks　arises　from　the　fact　of　their　being　built　up　in　layers　of　trap；　alternating　with　Neptunian　beds；　the　disintegrating　action　of　snow　and　frost　on　the　more　exposed　strata　having　gradually　carved　their　sides　into　flights　of　terraces。

It　is　in　these　Neptunian　beds　that　the　famous　surturbrand　is　found；　a　species　of　bituminous　timber；　black　and　shining　like　pitch　coal；　but　whether　belonging　to　the　common　carboniferous　system；　or　formed　from　ancient　drift…wood；　is　still　a　point　of　dispute　among　the　learned。　In　this　neighbourhood　considerable　quantities　both　of　zerlite　and　chabasite　are　also　found；　but；　generally　speaking；　Iceland　is　less　rich　in　minerals　than　one　would　suppose；　opal；　calcedony；　amethyst；　malachite；　obsidian；　agate；　and　feldspar；　being　the　principal。　Of　sulphur　the　supply　is　inexhaustible。

After　steaming　down　for　several　hours　between　these　terraced　hills；　we　at　last　reached　the　extremity　of　the　fiord；　where　we　found　the　〃Saxon〃　looking　like　a　black　sea…dragon　coiled　up　at　the　bottom　of　his　den。　Up　fluttered　a　signal　to　the　mast…head　of　the　corvette；　and　blowing　off　her　steam；　she　wore　round　upon　her　heel；　to　watch　the　effects　of　her　summons。　As　if　roused　by　the　challenge　of　an　intruder；　the　sleepy　monster　seemed　suddenly　to　bestir　itself；　and　then　pouring　out　volumes　of　sulphureous　breath；　set　out　with　many　an　angry　snort　in　pursuit　of　the　rash　troubler　of　its　solitude。　At　least；　such　I　am　sure　might　have　been　the　notion　of　the　poor　peasant　inhabitants　of　two　or　three　cottages　I　saw　scattered　here　and　there　along　the　loch；　as；　startled　from　their　sleep；　they　listened　to　the　stertorous　breathing　of　the　long　snake…like　ships；　and　watched　them　glide　past　with　magic　motion　along　the　glassy　surface　of　the　water。　Of　course　the　novelty　and　excitement　of　all　we　had　been　witnessing　had　put　sleep　and　bedtime　quite　out　of　our　thoughts：　but　it　was　already　six　o'clock　in　the　morning；　it　would　require　a　considerable　time　to　get　out　of　the　fiord；　and　in　a　few　hours　after　we　should　be　within　the　Arctic　circle；　so　that　if　we　were　to　have　any　sleep　at　allnow　was　the　time。　Acting　on　these　considerations；　we　all　three　turned　in；　and　for　the　next　half…dozen　hours　I　lay　dreaming　of　a　great　funeral　among　barren　mountains；　where　white　bears　in　peers'　robes　were　the　pall…bearers；　and　a　sea…dragon　chief…mourner。　When　we　came　on　deck　again；　the　northern　extremity　of　Iceland　lay　leagues　away　on　our　starboard　quarter；　faintly　swimming　through　the　haze；　up　overhead　blazed　the　white　sun；　and　below　glittered　the　level　sea；　like　a　pale　blue　disc　netted　in　silver　lace。　I　seldom　remember　a　brighter　day；　the　thermometer　was　at　72　degrees；　and　it　really　felt　more　as　if　we　were　crossing　the　line　than　entering　the　frigid　zone。

Animated　by　that　joyous　inspiration　which　induces　them　to　make　a　fete　of　everything；　the　French　officers；　it　appeared；　wished　to　organize　a　kind　of　carnival　to　inaugurate　their　arrival　in　Arctic　waters；　and　by　means　of　a　piece　of　chalk　and　a　huge　black　board　displayed　from　the　hurricane…deck　of　the　〃Reine　Hortense；〃　an　inquiry　was　made　as　to　what　suggestion　I　might　have　to　offer　in　furtherance　of　this　laudable　object。　With　that　poverty　of　invention　and　love　of　spirits　which　characterise　my　nation；　I　am　obliged　to　confess　that；　after　deep　reflection；　I　was　only　able　to　answer；　〃Grog。〃　But　seeing　an　extra　flag　or　two　was　being　run　up　at　each　masthead　of　the　Frenchman；　the　lucky　idea　occurred　to　me　to　dress　the　〃Foam〃　in　all　her　colours。　　The　schooner's　toilette　accomplished；　I　went　on　board　the　〃Reine　Hortense；〃　and　you　cannot　imagine　anything　more　fragile；　graceful；　or　coquettish；　than　her　appearance　from　the　deck　of　the　corvette；as　she　curtsied　and　swayed　herself　on　the　bosom　of　the　almost　imperceptible　swell；　or　flirted　up　the　water　with　her　curving　bows。　She　really　looked　like　a　living　little　lady。

But　from　all　such　complacent　reveries　I　was　soon　awakened　by　the　sound　of　a　deep　voice；　proceeding　apparently　from　the　very　bottom　of　the　sea；　which　hailed　the　ship　in　the　most　authoritative　manner；　and　imperiously　demanded　her　name；　where　she　was　going；　whom　she　carried；　and　whence　she　came：　to　all　which　questions；　a　young　lieutenant；　standing　with　his　hat　off　at　the　gangway；　politely　responded。　　Apparently　satisfied　on　these　points；　our　invisible　interlocutor　then　announced　his　intention　of　coming　on　board。　All　the　officers　of　the　ship　collected　on　the　poop　to　receive　him。

In　a　few　seconds　more；　amid　the　din　of　the　most　unearthly　music；　and　surrounded　by　a　bevy　of　hideous　monsters；　a　white…bearded；　spectacled　personage…clad　in　bear…skin；　with　a　cocked　hat　over　his　left　ear…presented　himself　in　the　gangway；　and　handing　to　the　officers　of　the　watch　an　enormous　board；　on　which　was　written

　　　〃LE　PERE　ARCTIQUE；〃

by　way　of　visiting　card；　proceeded　to　walk　aft；　and　take　the　sun's　altitude　with　what；　as　far　as　I　could　make　out；　seemed　to　be　a　plumber's　wooden　triangle。　This　preliminary　operation　having　been　completed；　there　then　began　a　regular　riot　all　over　the　ship。　The　yards　were　suddenly　manned　with　red　devils；　black　monkeys；　and　every　kind　of　grotesque　monster；　while　the　whole　ship's　company；　officers　and　men　promiscuously　mingled；　danced　the　cancan　upon　deck。　In　order　that　the　warmth　of　the　day　should　not　make　us　forget　that　we　had　arrived　in　his　dominions；　the　Arctic　father　had　stationed　certain　of　his　familiars　in　the　tops；　who　at　stated　intervals　flung　down　showers　of　hard　peas；　as　typical　of　hail；　while　the　powdering　of　each　other's　faces　with　handfuls　of　flour　could　not　fail　to　remind　everybody　on　board　that　we　had　reached　the　latitude　of　snow。　　At　the　commencement　of　this　noisy　festival　I　found　myself　standing　on　the　hurricane　deck；　next　to；　one　of　the　grave　savants　attached　to　the　expedition；　who　seemed　to　contem…plate　the　antics　that　were　being　played　at　his　feet　with　that　sad　smile　of　indulgence　with　which　Wisdom　sometimes　deigns　to　commiserate　the　gaiety　of　Folly。　Suddenly　he　disappeared　from　beside　me；　and　the　next　that　I　saw　or　heard　of　himhe　was　hard　at　work　pirouetting　on　the　deck　below　with　a　red…tailed　demon；　and　exhibiting　in　his　steps　a　〃verve〃　and　a　graceful　audacity　which　at　Paris　would　have　certainly　obtained　for　him　the　honours　of　expulsion　at　the　hands　of　the　municipal　authorities。　The　entertainment　of　the　day　concluded　with　a　discourse　delivered　out　of　a　wind…sail　by　the　chaplain　attached　to　the　person　of　the　Pere　Arctique；　which　was　afterwards　washed　down　by　a　cauldron　full　of　grog；　served　out　in　bumpers　to　the　several　actors　in　this