letters from high latitudes-第21章

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erwards　washed　down　by　a　cauldron　full　of　grog；　served　out　in　bumpers　to　the　several　actors　in　this　unwonted　ceremonial。　As　the　Prince　had　been　good　enough　to　invite　us　to　dinner；　instead　of　returning　to　the　schooner　I　spent　the　intermediate　hour　in　pacing　the　quarter…deck　with　Baron　de　la　Ronciere；the　naval　commander　entrusted　with　the　charge　of　the　expedition。　Like　all　the　smartest　officers　in　the　French　navy；　he　speaks　English　beautifully；　and　I　shall　ever　remember　with　gratitude　the　cordiality　with　which　he　welcomed　me　on　board　his　ship；　and　the　thoughtful　consideration　of　his　arrangements　for　the　little　schooner　which　he　had　taken　in　tow。　At　five　o'clock　dinner　was　announced；　and　I　question　if　so　sumptuous　a　banquet　has　ever　been　served　up　before　in　that　outlandish　part　of　the　world；　embellished　as　it　was　by　selections　from　the　best　operas　played　by　the　corps　d'orchestre　which　had　accompanied　the　Prince　from　Paris。　During　the　pauses　of　the　music　the　conversation　naturally　turned　on　the　strange　lands　we　were　about　to　visit；　and　the　best　mode　of　spifflicating　the　white　bears　who　were　probably　already　shaking　in　their　snow　shoes：　but　alas！　while　we　were　in　the　very　act　of　exulting　in　our　supremacy　over　these　new　domains；　the　stiffened　finger　of　the　Ice　king　was　tracing　in　frozen　characters　a　〃Mene；　mene；　tekel　upharsin〃　on　the　plate　glass　of　the　cabin　windows。　During　the　last　half…hour　the　thermometer　had　been　gradually　falling；　until　it　was　nearly　down　to　32　degrees；　a　dense　penetrating　fog　enveloped　both　the　vessels（the　〃Saxon〃　had　long　since　dropped　out　of　sight）；　flakes　of　snow　began　floating　slowly　down；　and　a　gelid　breeze　from　the　north…west　told　too　plainly　that　we　had　reached　the　frontiers　of　the　solid　ice；　though　we　were　still　a　good　hundred　miles　distant　from　the　American　shore。　　Although　at　any　other　time　the　terrible　climate　we　had　dived　into　would　have　been　very　depressing；　under　present　circumstances　I　think　the　change　rather　tended　to　raise　our　spirits；　perhaps　because　the　idea　of　fog　and　ice　in　the　month　of　June　seemed　so　completely　to　uncockneyfy　us。　At　all　events　there　was　no　doubt　now　we　had　got　into　les　mers　glaciales；　as　our　French　friends　called　them；　and；　whatever　else　might　be　in　store　for　us；　there　was　sure　henceforth　to　be　no　lack　of　novelty　and　excitement。

By　this　time　it　was　already　well　on　in　the　evening；　so　having　agreed　with　Monsieur　de　la　Ronciere　on　a　code　of　signals　in　case　of　fogs；　and　that　a　jack　hoisted　at　the　mizen　of　the　〃Reine　Hortense；〃　or　at　the　fore　of　the　schooner；　should　be　an　intimation　of　a　desire　of　one　or　other　to　cast　off；　we　got　into　the　boat　and　were　dropped　down　alongside　our　own　ship。　Ever　since　leaving　Iceland　the　steamer　had　been　heading　east…north…east　by　compass；　but　during　the　whole　of　the　ensuing　night　she　shaped　a　south…east　course；　the　thick　mist　rendering　it　unwise　to　stand　on　any　longer　in　the　direction　of　the　banquise；　as　they　call　the　outer　edge　of　the　belt　that　hems　in　Eastern　Greenland。　About　three　A。M。　　it　cleared　up　a　little。　By　breakfast　time　the　sun　re…appeared；　and　we　could　see　five　or　six　miles　ahead　of　the　vessel。　It　was　shortly　after　this；　that　as　I　was　standing　in　the　main　rigging　peering　out　over　the　smooth　blue　surface　of　the　sea；　a　white　twinkling　point　of　light　suddenly　caught　my　eye　about　a　couple　of　miles　off　on　the　port　bow；　which　a　telescope　soon　resolved　into　a　solitary　isle　of　ice；　dancing　and　dipping　in　the　sunlight。　As　you　may　suppose；　the　news　brought　everybody　upon　deck；　and　when　almost　immediately　afterwards　a　string　of　other　pieces；　glittering　like　a　diamond　necklace；　hove　in　sight；　the　excitement　was　extreme。

Here　at　all　events　was　honest　blue　saltwater　frozen　solid；　and　when；　as　we　proceeded；　the　scattered　fragments　thickened；　and　passed　like　silver　argosies　on　either　hand；　until　at　last　we　found　oumelves　enveloped　in　an　innumerable　fleet　of　bergs；it　seemed　as　if　we　could　never　be　weary　of　admiring　a　sight　so　strange　and　beautiful。　It　was　rather　in　form　and　colour　than　in　size　that　these　ice　islets　were　remarkable；　anything　approaching　to　a　real　iceberg　we　neither　saw；　nor　are　we　likely　to　see。　In　fact；　the　lofty　ice　mountains　that　wander　like　vagrant　islands　along　the　coast　of　America；　seldom　or　never　come　to　the　eastward　or　northward　of　Cape　Farewell。　They　consist　of　land　ice；　and　are　all　generated　among　bays　and　straits　within　Baffin's　Bay；　and　first　enter　the　Atlantic　a　good　deal　to　the　southward　of　Iceland；　whereas　the　Polar　ice；　among　which　we　have　been　knocking　about；　is　field　ice；　andexcept　when　packed　one　ledge　above　the　other；　by　great　pressureis　comparatively　flat。　I　do　not　think　I　saw　any　pieces　that　were　piled　up　higher　than　thirty　or　thirty…five　feet　above　the　sea…level；　although　at　a　little　distance　through　the　mist　they　may　have　loomed　much　loftier。

In　quaintness　of　form；　and　in　brilliancy　of　colours；　these　wonderful　masses　surpassed　everything　I　had　imagined；　and　we　found　endless　amusement　in　watching　their　fantastic　procession。

At　one　time　it　was　a　knight　on　horseback；　clad　in　sapphire　mail；　a　white　plume　above　his　casque。　Or　a　cathedral　window　with　shafts　of　chrysophras；　new　powdered　by　a　snow…storm。　Or　a　smooth　sheer　cliff　of　lapis　lazuli；　or　a　Banyan　tree；　with　roots　descending　from　its　branches；　and　a　foliage　as　delicate　as　the　efflorescence　of　molten　metal；　or　a　fairy　dragon；　that　breasted　the　water　in　scales　of　emerald；　or　anything　else　that　your　fancy　chose　to　conjure　up。　After　a　little　time；　the　mist　again　descended　on　the　scene；　and　dulled　each　glittering　form　to　a　shapeless　mass　of　white；　while　in　spite　of　all　our　endeavours　to　keep　upon　our　northerly　course；　we　were　constantly　compelled　to　turn　and　wind　about　in　every　directionsometimes　standing　on　for　several　hours　at　a　stretch　to　the　southward　and　eastward。　　These　perpetual　embarrassments　became　at　length　very　wearying；　and　in　order　to　relieve　the　tedium　of　our　progress　I　requested　the　Doctor　to　remove　one　of　my　teeth。　This　he　did　with　the　greatest　abilitya　wrench　to　starboard；another　to　port；　and　up　it　flew　through　the　cabin　sky…light。

During　the　whole　of　that　afternoon　and　the　following　night　we　made　but　little　Northing　at　all；　and　the　next　day　the　ice　seemed　more　pertinaciously　in　our　way　than　ever；　neither　could　we　relieve　the　monotony　of　the　hours　by　conversing　with　each　other　on　the　black　boards；　as　the　mist　was　too　thick　for　us　too　distinguish　from　on　board　one　ship　anything　that　was　passing　on　the　deck　of　the　other。　　Notwithstanding　the　great　care　and　skill　with　which　the　steamer　threaded　her　way　among　the　loose　floes；　it　was　impossible　sometimes　to　prevent　fragments　of　ice　striking　us　with　considerable　violence　on　the　bows；　and　as　we　lay　in　bed　at　night；　I　confess　that　until　we　got　accustomed　to　the　noise；　it　was　by　no　means　a　pleasant　thing　to　hear　the　pieces　angrily　scraping　along　the　ship's　sideswithin　two　inches　of　our　ears。　On　the　evening　of　the　fourth　day　it　came　on　to　blow　pretty　hard；　and　at　midnight　it　had　freshened　to　half　a　gale；　but　by　dint　of　standing　well　away　to　the　eastward　we　had　succeeded　in　reaching　comparatively　open　water；　and　I　had　gone　to　bed　in　great　hopes　that　at　all　events　the　breeze　would　brush　off　the　fog；　and　enable　us　to　see　our　way　a　little　more　clearly　the　next　morning。

At　five　o'clock　A。M。　the　officer　of　the　watch　jumped　down　into　my　cabin；　and　awoke　me　with　the　news〃That　the　Frenchman　was　a…saying　summat　on　his　black　board！〃　Feeling　by　the　motion　that　a　very　heavy　sea　must　have　been　knocked　up　during　the　night；　I　began　to　be　afraid　that　something　must　have　gone　wrong　with　the　towing…gear；　or　that　a　hawser　might　have　become　entangled　in　the　corvette's　screwwhich　was　the　catastrophe　of　which　I　had　always　been　most　apprehensive；　so　slipping　on　a　pair　of　fur　boots；　which　I　carefully　kept　by　the　bedside　in　case　of　an　emergency；　and　throwing　a　cloak　over

　　　　　　〃Le　simple　appareil　　　　D'une　beaute　qu'on　vient　d'arracher　au　sommeil；〃

I　caught　hold　of　a　telescope；　and　tumbled　up　on　deck。　Anything　more　bitter　and　disagreeable　than　the　icy　blast；　which　caught　me　round　the　waist　as　I　emerged　from　the　companion　I　never　remember。　With　both　hands　occupied　in　levelling　the　telescope；　I　could　not　keep　the　wind　from　blowing　the　loose　wrap　quite　off　my　shoulders；　and　except　for　the　name　of　the　thing；　I　might　just　as　well　have　been　standing　in　my　shirt。　Indeed；　I　was　so　irresistibly　struck　with　my　own　resemblance　to　a　coloured　print　I　remember　in　youthful　days；representing　that　celebrated　character　〃Puss　in　Boots；〃　with　a　purple　robe　of　honour　streaming　far　behind　him　on　the　wind；　to　express　the　velocity　of　his　magical　progressthat　I　laughed　aloud　while　I　shivered　in　the　blast。　What　with　the　spray　and　mist；　moreover；　it　was　a　good　ten　minutes　before　I　could　make　out　the　writing；　and　when　at　last　I　did　spell　out　the　letters；　their　meaning　was　not　very　inspiriting：　〃Nous　retournons　a　Reykjavik！〃　So　evidently　they　had　given　it　up　as　a　bad　job；　and　had　come　to　the　conclusion　that　the　island　was　inaccessible。　　Yet　it　seemed　very　hard　to　have　to　turn　back；　after　coming　so　far！　We　had　already　made　upwards　of　three　hundred　miles　since　leaving　Iceland：　it　could　not　be　much　above　one　hundred　and　twenty　or　one　hundred　and　thirty　more　to　Jan　Mayen；　and　although　things　looked　unpromising；　there　still　seemed　such　a　chance　of　success；　that　I　could　not　find　it　in　my　heart　to　give　in；　so；　having　run　up　a　jack　at　the　foreall　writing　on　our　board　was　out　of　the　question；　we　were　so　deluged　with　sprayI　jumped　down　to　wake　Fitzgerald　and　Sigurdr；　and　tell　them　we　were　going　to　cast　off；　in　case　they　had　any　letters　to　send　home。　In　the　meantime；　I　scribbled　a　line　of　thanks　and　good　wishes　to　M。　de　la　Ronciere；　and　another　to　you；　and　guyed　it　with　our　mails　on　board　the　corvettein　a　milk　can。

In　the　meantime　all　was　bustle　on　board　our　decks；　and　I　think　every　one　was　heartily　pleased　at　the　thoughts　of　getting　the　little　schooner　again　under　canvas。　A　couple　of　reefs　were　hauled　down　in　the　mainsail　and　staysail；　and　everything　got　ready　for　making　sail。

〃Is　all　clear　for'ard　for　slipping；　Mr。　Wyse？〃

〃Ay；　ay；　Sir；　all　clear！〃

〃Let　go　the　tow…ropes！〃

〃All　gone；　Sir！〃

And　down　went　the　heavy　hawsers　into　the　sea；　up　fluttered　the　staysail；thenpoising　for　a　moment　on　the　waves　with　the　startled　hesitation　of　a　bird　suddenly　set　free；the　little　creature　spread　her　wings；　thrice　dipped　her　ensign　in　token　of　adieureceiving　in　return　a　hearty　cheer　from　the　French　crewand　glided　like　a　phantom　into　the　North；　while　the　〃Reine　Hortense〃　puffed　back　to　Iceland。　　＇Footnote：　It　subsequently　appeared　that　the　〃Saxon；〃　on　the　second　day　after　leaving　Onunder　Fiord；　had　unfortunately　knocked　a　hole　in　her　bottom　against　the　ice；　and　was　obliged　to　run　ashore　in　a　sinking　state。　In　consequence　of　never　having　been　rejoined　by　her　tender；　the　〃Reine　Hortense〃　found　herself　short　of　coals；　and　as　the　encumbered　state　of　the　sea　rendered　it　already　very　unlikely　that　any　access　would　be　found　open　to　the　island；　M。　de　la　Ronciere　very　properly　judged　it　advisable　to　turn　back。　He　re…entered　the　Reykjavik　harbour　without　so　much　as　a　shovelful　of　coals　left　on　board。＇

Ten　minutes　more；　and　we　were　the　only　denizens　of　that　misty　sea。　I　confe