letters from high latitudes-第22章

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　coals　left　on　board。＇

Ten　minutes　more；　and　we　were　the　only　denizens　of　that　misty　sea。　I　confess　I　felt　excessively　sorry　to　have　lost　the　society　of　such　joyous　companions；　they　had　received　us　always　with　such　merry　good　nature；　the　Prince　had　shown　himself　so　gracious　and　considerate；　and　he　was　surrounded　by　a　staff　of　such　clever；　well…informed　persons；　that　it　was　with　the　deepest　regret　I　watched　the　fog　close　round　the　magnificent　corvette；　and　bury　herand　all　whom　she　containedwithin　its　bosom。　Our　own　situation；　too；　was　not　altogether　without　causing　me　a　little　anxiety。　We　had　not　seen　the　sun　for　two　days；　it　was　very　thick；　with　a　heavy　sea；　and　dodging　about　as　we　had　been　among　the　ice；　at　the　heels　of　the　steamer；　our　dead　reckoning　was　not　very　much　to　be　depended　upon。　The　best　plan　I　thought　would　be　to　stretch　away　at　once　clear　of　the　ice；　then　run　up　into　the　latitude　of　Jan　Mayen；　andas　soon　as　we　should　have　reached　the　parallel　of　its　northern　extremitybear　down　on　the　land。　If　there　was　any　access　at　all　to　the　island；　it　was　very　evident　it　would　be　on　its　northern　or　eastern　side；　and　now　that　we　were　alone；　to　keep　on　knocking　up　through　a　hundred　miles　or　so　of　ice　in　a　thick　fog；　in　our　fragile　schooner；　would　have　been　out　of　the　question。

The　ship's　course；　therefore；　having　been　shaped　in　accordance　with　this　view；　I　stole　back　into　bed　and　resumed　my　violated　slumbers。　Towards　mid…day　the　weather　began　to　moderate；　and　by　four　o'clock　we　were　skimming　along　on　a　smooth　sea；　with　all　sails　set。　This　state　of　prosperity　continued　for　the　next　twenty…four　hours；　we　had　made　about　eighty　knots　since　parting　company　with　the　Frenchman；　and　it　was　now　time　to　run　down　West　and　pick　up　the　land。　Luckily　the　sky　was　pretty　clear；　and　as　we　sailed　on　through　open　water　I　really　began　to　think　our　prospects　very　brilliant。　But　about　three　o'clock　on　the　second　day；　specks　of　ice　began　to　flicker　here　and　there　on　the　horizon；　then　larger　bulks　came　floating　by　in　forms　as　picturesque　as　ever（one；　I　particularly　remember；　a　human　hand　thrust　up　out　of　the　water　with　outstretched　forefinger；　as　if　to　warn　us　against　proceeding　farther）；　until　at　last　the　whole　sea　became　clouded　with　hummocks　that　seemed　to　gather　on　our　path　in　magical　multiplicity。

Up　to　this　time　we　had　seen　nothing　of　the　island；　yet　I　knew　we　must　be　within　a　very　few　miles　of　it；　and　now；　to　make　things　quite　pleasant；　there　descended　upon　us　a　thicker　fog　than　I　should　have　thought　the　atmosphere　capable　of　sustaining；　it　seemed　to　hang　in　solid　festoons　from　the　masts　and　spars。　To　say　that　you　could　not　see　your　hand；　ceased　almost　to　be　any　longer　figurative；　even　the　ice　was　hidexcept　those　fragments　immediately　adjacent；　whose　ghastly　brilliancy　the　mist　itself　could　not　quite　extinguish；　as　they　glimmered　round　the　vessel　like　a　circle　of　luminous　phantoms。　The　perfect　stillness　of　the　sea　and　sky　added　very　much　to　the　solemnity　of　the　scene；　almost　every　breath　of　wind　had　fallen；　scarcely　a　ripple　tinkled　against　the　copper　sheathing；　as　the　solitary　little　schooner　glided　along　at　the　rate　of　half　a　knot　or　so　an　hour；　and　the　only　sound　we　heard　was　the　distant　wash　of　waters；　but　whether　on　a　great　shore；　or　along　a　belt　of　solid　ice；　it　was　impossible　to　say。　In　such　weather；　as　the　original　discoverers　of　Jan　Mayen　said　under　similar　circumstances；〃it　was　easier　to　hear　land　than　to　see　it。〃　Thus；　hour　after　hour　passed　by　and　brought　no　change。　　Fitz　and　Sigurdrwho　had　begun　quite　to　disbelieve　in　the　existence　of　the　islandwent　to　bed；　while　I　remained　pacing　up　and　down　the　deck；　anxiously　questioning　each　quarter　of　the　grey　canopy　that　enveloped　us。　At　last；　about　four　in　the　morning；　I　fancied　some　change　was　going　to　take　place；　the　heavy　wreaths　of　vapour　seemed　to　be　imperceptibly　separating；　and　in　a　few　minutes　more　the　solid　roof　of　grey　suddenly　split　asunder；　and　I　beheld　through　the　gapthousands　of　feet　overhead；　as　if　suspended　in　the　crystal　skya　cone　of　illuminated　snow。

＇Figure：　fig…p121。gif＇

You　can　imagine　my　delight。　It　was　really　that　of　an　anchorite　catching　a　glimpse　of　the　seventh　heaven。　There　at　last　was　the　long…sought…for　mountain　actually　tumbling　down　upon　our　heads。　Columbus　could　not　have　been　more　pleased　when；　after　nights　of　watching；　he　saw　the　first　fires　of　a　new　hemisphere　dance　upon　the　water；　nor；　indeed；　scarcely　less　disappointed　at　their　sudden　disappearance　than　I　was；　when；　after　having　gone　below　to　wake　Sigurdr；　and　tell　him　we　had　seen　bona　fide　terra…firma；　I　found；　on　returning　upon　deck；　that　the　roof　of　mist　had　closed　again；　and　shut　out　all　trace　of　the　transient　vision。　However；　I　had　got　a　clutch　of　the　island；　and　no　slight　matter　should　make　me　let　go　my　hold。　In　the　meantime　there　was　nothing　for　it　but　to　wait　patiently　until　the　curtain　lifted；　and　no　child　ever　stared　more　eagerly　at　a　green　drop…scene　in　expectation　of　〃the　realm　of　dazzling　splendour〃　promised　in　the　bill；　than　I　did　at　the　motionless　grey　folds　that　hung　round　us。　At　last　the　hour　of　liberation　came：　a　purer　light　seemed　gradually　to　penetrate　the　atmosphere；　brown　turned　to　grey；　and　grey　to　white；　and　white　to　transparent　blue；　until　the　lost　horizon　entirely　reappeared；　except　where　in　one　direction　an　impenetrable　veil　of　haze　still　hung　suspended　from　the　zenith　to　the　sea。　Behind　that　veil　I　knew　must　lie　Jan　Mayen。

A　few　minutes　more；　and　slowly；　silently；　in　a　manner　you　could　take　no　count　of；　its　dusky　hem　first　deepened　to　a　violet　tinge；　then　gradually　lifting；　displayed　a　long　line　of　coastin　reality　but　the　roots　of　Beerenbergdyed　of　the　darkest　purple；　while；　obedient　to　a　common　impulse；　the　clouds　that　wrapped　its　summit　gently　disengaged　themselves；　and　left　the　mountain　standing　in　all　the　magnificence　of　his　6；870　feet；　girdled　by　a　single　zone　of　pearly　vapour；　from　underneath　whose　floating　folds　seven　enormous　glaciers　rolled　down　into　the　sea！　Nature　seemed　to　have　turned　scene…shifter；　so　artfully　were　the　phases　of　this　glorious　spectacle　successively　developed。

Althoughby　reason　of　our　having　hit　upon　its　side　instead　of　its　narrow　endthe　outline　of　Mount　Beerenberg　appeared　to　us　more　like　a　sugar…loaf　than　a　spirebroader　at　the　base　and　rounder　at　the　top　than　I　had　imagined；　in　size；　colour；　and　effect；　it　far　surpassed　anything　I　had　anticipated。　The　glaciers　were　quite　an　unexpected　element　of　beauty。　Imagine　a　mighty　river　of　as　great　a　volume　as　the　Thamesstarted　down　the　side　of　a　mountain；　bursting　over　every　impediment；whirled　into　a　thousand　eddies；tumbling　and　raging　on　from　ledge　to　ledge　in　quivering　cataracts　of　foam；then　suddenly　struck　rigid　by　a　power　so　instantaneous　in　its　action；　that　even　the　froth　and　fleeting　wreaths　of　spray　have　stiffened　into　the　immutability　of　sculpture。　Unless　you　had　seen　it；　it　would　be　almost　impossible　to　conceive　the　strangeness　of　the　contrast　between　the　actual　tranquillity　of　these　silent　crystal　rivers　and　the　violent　descending　energy　impressed　upon　their　exterior。　You　must　remember；　too；　all　this　is　upon　a　scale　of　such　prodigious　magnitude；　that　when　we　succeeded　subsequently　in　approaching　the　spotwhere　with　a　leap　like　that　of　Niagara　one　of　these　glaciers　plunges　down　into　the　seathe　eye；　no　longer　able　to　take　in　its　fluvial　character；　was　content　to　rest　in　simple　astonishment　at　what　then　appeared　a　lucent　precipice　of　grey…green　ice；　rising　to　the　height　of　several　hundred　feet　above　the　masts　of　the　vessel。

As　soon　as　we　had　got　a　little　over　our　first　feelings　of　astonishment　at　the　panorama　thus　suddenly　revealed　to　us　by　the　lifting　of　the　fog；　I　began　to　consider　what　would　be　the　best　way　of　getting　to　the　anchorage　on　the　westor　Greenland　side　of　the　island。　We　were　still　seven　or　eight　miles　from　the　shore；　and　the　northern　extremity　of　the　island；　round　which　we　should　have　to　pass；　lay　about　five　leagues　off；　bearing　West　by　North；　while　between　us　and　the　land　stretched　a　continuous　breadth　of　floating　ice。　　The　hummocks；　however；　seemed　to　be　pretty　loose　with　openings　here　and　there；　so　that　with　careful　sailing　I　thought　we　might　pass　through；　and　perhaps　on　the　farther　side　of　the　island　come　into　a　freer　sea。　Alas！　after　having　with　some　difficulty　wound　along　until　we　were　almost　abreast　of　the　cape；　we　were　stopped　dead　short　by　a　solid　rampart　of　fixed　ice；　which　in　one　direction　leant　upon　the　land；　and　in　the　other　ran　away　as　far　as　the　eye　could　reach　into　the　dusky　North。　Thus　hopelessly　cut　off　from　all　access　to　the　western　and　better　anchorage；　it　only　remained　to　put　about；　andrunning　down　along　the　landattempt　to　reach　a　kind　of　open　roadstead　on　the　eastern　side；　a　little　to　the　south　of　the　volcano　described　by　Dr。　Scoresby　but　in　this　endeavour　also　we　were　doomed　to　be　disappointed；　for　after　sailing　some　considerable　distance　through　a　field　of　ice；　which　kept　getting　more　closely　packed　as　we　pushed　further　into　it；　we　came　upon　another　barrier　equally　impenetrable；　that　stretched　away　from　the　island　toward　the　Southward　and　Eastward。　Under　these　circumstances；　the　only　thing　to　be　done　was　to　get　back　to　where　the　ice　was　looser；　and　attempt　a　landing　wherever　a　favourable　opening　presented　itself。　But　even　to　extricate　ourselves　from　our　present　position；　was　now　no　longer　of　such　easy　performance。　Within　the　last　hour　the　wind　had　shifted　into　the　North…West；　that　is　to　say；　it　was　now　blowing　right　down　the　path　along　which　we　had　picked　our　way；　in　order　to　return；　therefore；　it　would　be　necessary　to　work　the　ship　to　windward　through　a　sea　as　thickly　crammed　with　ice　as　a　lady's　boudoir　is　with　furniture。　Moreover；　it　had　become　evident；　from　the　obvious　closing　of　the　open　spaces；　that　some　considerable　pressure　was　acting　upon　the　outside　of　the　field；　but　whether　originating　in　a　current　or　the　change　of　wind；　or　another　field　being　driven　down　upon　it；　I　could　not　tell：　Be　that　as　it　might；　out　we　must　get；unless　we　wanted　to　be　cracked　like　a　walnut…shell　between　the　drifting　ice　and　trio　solid　belt　to　leeward；　so　sending　a　steady　hand　to　the　helm；for　these　unusual　phenomena　had　begun　to　make　some　of　my　people　lose　their　heads　a　little；　no　one　on　board　having　ever　seen　a　bit　of　ice　before；I　stationed　myself　in　the　bows；　while　Mr。　　Wyse　conned　the　vessel　from　the　square　yard。　Then　there　began　one　of　the　prettiest　and　most　exciting　pieces　of　nautical　manoeuvring　that　can　be　imagined。　Every　single　soul　on　board　was　summoned　upon　deck；　to　all；　their　several　stations　and　duties　were　assignedalways　excepting　the　cook；　who　was　merely　directed　to　make　himself　generally　useful。　As　soon　as　everybody　was　ready；　down　went　the　helm；about　came　the　ship；and　the　critical　part　of　the　business　commenced。　Of　course；　in　order　to　wind　and　twist　the　schooner　in　and　out　among　the　devious　channels　left　between　the　hummocks；　it　was　necessary　she　should　have　considerable　way　on　her；　at　the　same　time　so　narrow　were　some　of　the　passages；　and　so　sharp　their　turnings；　that　unless　she　had　been　the　most　handy　vessel　in　the　world；　she　would　have　had　a　very　narrow　squeak　for　it。　I　never　saw　anything　so　beautiful　as　her　behaviour。　Had　she　been　a　living　creature；　she　could　n