letters from high latitudes-第3章

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　then　by　sudden　lulls；　which　used　to　leave　us　for　a　couple　of　hours　at　a　time　tumbling　about　on　the　top　of　the　great　Atlantic　rollersor　Spanish　waves；　as　they　are　calleduntil　I　thought　the　ship　would　roll　the　masts　out　of　her。　Why　they　should　be　called　Spanish　waves；　no　one　seems　to　know；　but　I　had　always　heard　the　seas　were　heavier　here　than　in　any　other　part　of　the　world；　and　certainly　they　did　not　belie　their　character。　　The　little　ship　behaved　beautifully；　and　many　a　vessel　twice　her　size　would　have　been　less　comfortable。　Indeed；　few　people　can　have　any　notion　of　the　cosiness　of　a　yacht's　cabin　under　such　circumstances。　After　having　remained　for　several　hours　on　deck；　in　the　presence　of　the　tempest；　peering　through　the　darkness　at　those　black　liquid　walls　of　water；　mounting　above　you　in　ceaseless　agitation；　or　tumbling　over　in　cataracts　of　gleaming　foam；the　wind　roaring　through　the　rigging；timbers　creaking　as　if　the　ship　would　break　its　heart；the　spray　and　rain　beating　in　your　face；everything　around　in　tumult；suddenly　to　descend　into　the　quiet　of　a　snug；　well…lighted　little　cabin；　with　the　firelight　dancing　on　the　white　rosebud　chintz；　the　well…furnished　book…shelves；　and　all　the　innumerable　nick…nacks　that　decorate　its　walls；little　Edith's　portrait　looking　so　serene；everything　about　you　as　bright　and　fresh　as　a　lady's　boudoir　in　May　Fair；the　certainty　of　being　a　good　three　hundred　miles　from　any　troublesome　shore；all　combine　to　inspire　a　feeling　of　comfort　and　security　difficult　to　describe。

These　pleasures；　indeed；　for　the　first　days　of　our　voyage；　the　Icelander　had　pretty　much　to　himself。　I　was　laid　up　with　a　severe　bout　of　illness　I　had　long　felt　coming　on；　and　Fitz　was　sea…sick。　I　must　say；　however；　I　never　saw　any　one　behave　with　more　pluck　and　resolution；　and　when　we　return；　the　first　thing　you　do　must　be　to　thank　him　for　his　kindness　to　me　on　that　occasion。　Though　himself　almost　prostrate；　he　looked　after　me　as　indefatigably　as　if　he　had　already　found　his　sea　legs；　and；　sitting　down　on　the　cabin　floor；　with　a　basin　on　one　side　of　him；　and　a　pestle　and　mortar　on　the　other；　used　to　manufacture　my　pills；　between　the　paroxysms　of　his　malady；　with　a　decorous　pertinacity　that　could　not　be　too　much　admired。

Strangely　enough；　too；　his　state　of　unhappiness　lasted　a　few　days　longer　than　the　eight…and…forty　hours　which　are　generally　sufficient　to　set　people　on　their　feet　again。　I　tried　to　console　him　by　representing　what　an　occasion　it　was　for　observing　the　phenomena　of　sea…sickness　from　a　scientific　point　of　view；　and　I　must　say　he　set　to　work　most　conscientiously　to　discover　some　remedy。　Brandy；　prussic　acid；　opium；　champagne；　ginger；　mutton…　chops；　and　tumblers　of　salt…water；　were　successively　exhibited；　but；　I　regret　to　say；　after　a　few　minutes；　each　in　turn　re…exhibited　itself　with　monotonous　punctuality。　Indeed；　at　one　time　we　thought　he　would　never　get　over　it；　and　the　following　conversation；　which　I　overheard　one　morning　between　him　and　my　servant；　did　not　brighten　his　hopes　of　recovery。

This　person's　name　is　Wilson；　and　of　all　men　I　ever　met　he　is　the　most　desponding。　Whatever　is　to　be　done；　he　is　sure　to　see　a　lion　in　the　path。　Life　in　his　eyes　is　a　perpetual　filling　of　leaky　buckets；　and　a　rolling　of　stones　up　hill。　He　is　amazed　when　the　bucket　holds　water；　or　the　stone　perches　on　the　summit。　He　professes　but　a　limited　belief　in　his　star；and　success　with　him　is　almost　a　disappointment。　　His　countenance　corresponds　with　the　prevailing　character　of　his　thoughts；　always　hopelessly　chapfallen；　his　voice　is　as　of　the　tomb。　He　brushes　my　clothes；　lays　the　cloth；　opens　the　champagne；　with　the　air　of　one　advancing　to　his　execution。　　I　have　never　seen　him　smile　but　once；　when　he　came　to　report　to　me　that　a　sea　had　nearly　swept　his　colleague；　the　steward；　overboard。　The　son　of　a　gardener　at　Chiswick；　he　first　took　to　horticulture；　then　emigrated　as　a　settler　to　the　Cape；　where　he　acquired　his　present　complexion；　which　is　of　a　grass…green；　and　finally　served　as　a　steward　on　board　an　Australian　steam…packet。

Thinking　to　draw　consolation　from　his　professional　experiences；　I　heard　Fitz's　voice；　now　very　weak；　say　in　a　tone　of　coaxing　cheerfulness；

〃Well；　Wilson；　I　suppose　this　kind　of　thing　does　not　last　long？〃

The　Voice；　as　of　the　tomb。　〃I　don't　know；　Sir。〃

Fitz。〃But　you　must　have　often　seen　passengers　sick。〃

The　Voice。〃Often；　Sir；　very　sick。〃

Fitz。〃Well；　and　on　an　average；　how　soon　did　they　recover？〃

The　Voice。〃Some　of　them　didn't　recover；　Sir。〃

Fitz。〃Well；　but　those　that　did？〃

The　Voice。〃I　know'd　a　clergyman　and　his　wife　as　were；　ill　all　the　voyage；　five　months；　Sir。〃

Fitz。（Quite　silent。）

The　Voice；　now　become　sepulchral。〃They　sometimes　dies；　Sir。〃

Fitz。〃Ugh！〃

Before　the　end　of　the　voyage；　however；　this　Job's　comforter　himself　fell　ill；　and　the　Doctor　amply　revenged　himself　by　prescribing　for　him。

Shortly　after　this；　a　very　melancholy　occurrence　took　place。　I　had　observed　for　some　days　past；　as　we　proceeded　north；　and　the　nights　became　shorter；　that　the　cock　we　shipped　at　Stornaway　had　become　quite　bewildered　on　the　subject　of　that　meteorological　phenomenon　called　the　Dawn　of　Day。　In　fact；　I　doubt　whether　he　ever　slept　for　more　than　five　minutes　at　a　stretch；　without　waking　up　in　a　state　of　nervous　agitation；　lest　it　should　be　cock…crow。　At　last；　when　night　ceased　altogether；　his　constitution　could　no　longer　stand　the　shock。　He　crowed　once　or　twice　sarcastically；　then　went　melancholy　mad：　finally；　taking　a　calenture；　he　cackled　lowly　（probably　of　green　fields）；　and　leaping　overboard；　drowned　himself。　The　mysterious　manner　in　which　every　day　a　fresh　member　of　his　harem　used　to　disappear；　may　also　have　preyed　upon　his　spirits。

At　last；　on　the　morning　of　the　eighth　day；　we　began　to　look　out　for　land。　The　weather　had　greatly　improved　during　the　night；　and；　for　the　first　time　since　leaving　the　Hebrides；　the　sun　had　got　the　better　of　the　clouds；　and　driven　them　in　confusion　before　his　face。　The　sea；　losing　its　dead　leaden　colour；　had　become　quite　crisp　and　burnished；　darkling　into　a　deep　sapphire　blue　against　the　horizon；　beyond　which；　at　about　nine　o'clock；　there　suddenly　shot　up　towards　the　zenith；　a　pale；　gold　aureole；　such　as　precedes　the　appearance　of　the　good　fairy　at　a　pantomime　farce；　then；　gradually　lifting　its　huge　back　above　the　water；　rose　a　silver　pyramid　of　snow；　which　I　knew　must　be　the　cone　of　an　ice　mountain；　miles　away　in　the　interior　of　the　island。　　From　the　moment　we　got　hold　of　the　land；　our　cruise；　as　you　may　suppose；　doubled　in　interest。　Unfortunately；　however；　the　fair　morning　did　not　keep　its　promise；　about　one　o'clock；　the　glittering　mountain　vanished　in　mist；　the　sky　again　became　like　an　inverted　pewter　cup；　and　we　had　to　return　for　two　more　days　to　our　old　practice　of　threshing　to　windward。　So　provoked　was　I　at　this　relapse　of　the　weather；　that；　perceiving　a　whale　blowing　convenient；　I　could　not　help　suggesting　to　Sigurdr；　son　of　Jonas；　that　it　was　an　occasion　for　observing　the　traditions　of　his　family；　but　he　excused　himself　on　the　plea　of　their　having　become　obsolete。

The　mountain　we　had　seen　in　the　morning　was　the　south…east　extremity　of　the　island；　the　very　landfall　made　by　one　of　its　first　discoverers。　＇Footnote：　There　is　in　Strabo　an　account　of　a　voyage　made　by　a　citizen　of　the　Greek　colony　of　Marseilles；　in　the　time　of　Alexander　the　Great；　through　the　Pillars　of　Hercules；　along　the　coasts　of　France　and　Spain；　up　the　English　Channel；　and　so　across　the　North　Sea；　past　an　island　he　calls　Thule；　his　further　progress；　he　asserted；　was　hindered　by　a　barrier　of　a　peculiar　nature；neither　earth；　air；　nor　sky；　but　a　compound　of　all　three；　forming　a　thick　viscid　substance　which　it　was　impossible　to　penetrate。　Now；　whether　this　same　Thule　was　one　of　the　Shetland　Islands；　and　the　impassable　substance　merely　a　fog；or　Iceland；　and　the　barricade　beyond；　a　wall　of　ice；　it　is　impossible　to　say。　Probably　Pythias　did　not　get　beyond　the　Shetlands。＇　This　gentleman　not　having　a　compass；　（he　lived　about　A。D。　864；）　nor　knowing　exactly　where　the　land　lay；　took　on　board　with　him；　at　starting；　three　consecrated　ravensas　an　M。P。　would　take　three　well…trained　pointers　to　his　moor。　Having　sailed　a　certain　distance；　he　let　loose　one；　which　flew　back：　by　this　he　judged　he　had　not　got　half…way。　Proceeding　onwards；　he　loosed　the　second；　which；　after　circling　in　the　air　for　some　minutes　in　apparent　uncertainty；　also　made　off　home；　as　though　it　still　remained　a　nice　point　which　were　the　shorter　course　toward　terra　firma。　But　the　third；　on　obtaining　his　liberty　a　few　days　later；　flew　forward；　and　by　following　the　direction　in　which　he　had　disappeared；　Rabna　Floki；　or　Floki　of　the　Ravens；　as　he　came　to　be　called；　triumphantly　made　the　land。

The　real　colonists　did　not　arrive　till　some　years　later；　for　I　do　not　much　believe　a　story　they　tell　of　Christian　relics；　supposed　to　have　been　left　by　Irish　fishermen；　found　on　the　Westmann　islands。　A　Scandinavian　king；　named　Harold　Haarfager　（a　contemporary　of　our　own　King　Alfred's）；　having　murdered；　burnt；　and　otherwise　exterminated　all　his　brother　kings　who　at　that　time　grew　as　thick　as　blackberries　in　Norway；　first　consolidated　their　dominions　into　one　realm；　as　Edgar　did　the　Heptarchy；　and　then　proceeded　to　invade　the　Udal　rights　of　the　landholders。　Some　of　them；　animated　with　that　love　of　liberty　innate　in　the　race　of　the　noble　Northmen；　rather　than　submit　to　his　oppressions；　determined　to　look　for　a　new　home　amid　the　desolate　regions　of　the　icy　sea。　Freighting　a　dragon…shaped　galleythe　〃Mayflower〃　of　the　periodwith　their　wives　and　children；　and　all　the　household　monuments　that　were　dear　to　them；　they　saw　the　blue　peaks　of　their　dear　Norway　hills　sink　down　into　the　sea　behind；　and　manfully　set　their　faces　towards　the　west；　wheresome　vague　report　had　whispereda　new　land　might　be　found。　Arrived　in　sight　of　Iceland；　the　leader　of　the　expedition　threw　the　sacred　pillars　belonging　to　his　former　dwelling　into　the　water；　in　order　that　the　gods　might　determine　the　site　of　his　new　home：　carried　by　the　tide；　no　one　could　say　in　what　direction；　they　were　at　last　discovered；　at　the　end　of　three　years；　in　a　sheltered　bay　on　the　west　side　of　the　island；　and　Ingolf　＇Footnote：　It　was　in　consequence　of　a　domestic　feud　that　Ingolf　himself　was　forced　to　emigrate。＇　came　and　abode　there；　and　the　place　became　in　the　course　of　years　Reykjavik；　the　capital　of　the　country。

Sigurdr　having　scouted　the　idea　of　acting　Iphigenia；　there　was　nothing　for　it　but　steadily　to　beat　over　the　remaining　hundred　and　fifty　miles；　which　still　separated　us　from　Cape　Reikianess。　After　going　for　two　days　hard　at　it；　and　sighting　the　Westmann　islands；　we　ran　plump　into　a　fog；　and　lay　to。　In　a　few　hours；　however；　it　cleared　up　into　a　lovely　sunny　day；　with　a　warm　summer　breeze　just　rippling　up　the　water。　　Before　us　lay　the　long　wished…for　Cape；　with　the　Meal…sack；a　queer　stump　of　basalt；　that　flops　up　out　of　the　sea；　fifteen　miles　south…west　of　Cape　Reikianess；　its　flat　top　white　with　guano；　like　the　mouth　of　a　bag　of　flour；five　miles　on　our　port　bow；　and　seldom　have　I　remembered　a　pleasanter　four…and…twenty　hours　than　those　spent　stealing　up　along　the　gnarled　and　crumpled　lava　flat　that　forms　the