letters from high latitudes-第23章

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　it。　I　never　saw　anything　so　beautiful　as　her　behaviour。　Had　she　been　a　living　creature；　she　could　not　have　dodged；　and　wound；　and　doubled；　with　more　conscious　cunning　and　dexterity；　and　it　was　quite　amusing　to　hear　the　endearing　way　in　which　the　people　spoke　to　her；　each　time　the　nimble　creature　contrived　to　elude　some　more　than　usually　threatening　tongue　of　ice。　　Once　or　twice；　in　spite　of　all　our　exertions；　it　was　impossible　to　save　her　from　a　collision；　all　that　remained　to　be　done；　as　soon　as　it　became　evident　she　could　not　clear　some　particular　floe；　or　go　about　in　time　to　avoid　it；　was　to　haul　the　staysail　sheet　a…weather　in　order　to　deaden　her　way　as　much　as　possible；　andputting　the　helm　downlet　her　go　right　at　it；　so　that　she　should　receive　the　blow　on　her　stem；　and　not　on　the　bluff　of　the　bow；　while　all　hands；　armed　with　spars　and　fenders；　rushed　forward　to　ease　off　the　shock。　　And　here　I　feel　it　just　to　pay　a　tribute　of　admiration　to　the　cook；　who　on　these　occasions　never　failed　to　exhibit　an　immense　amount　of　misdirected　energy；　breakingI　rememberat　the　same　moment；　both　the　cabin　sky…light；　and　an　oar；　in　single　combat　with　a　large　berg　that　was　doing　no　particular　harm　to　us；　but　against　which　he　seemed　suddenly　to　have　conceived　a　violent　spite。　Luckily　a　considerable　quantity　of　snow　overlaid　the　ice；　which；　acting　as　a　buffer；　in　some　measure　mitigated　the　violence　of　the　concussion；　while　the　very　fragility　of　her　build　diminishing　the　momentum；　proved　in　the　end　the　little　schooner's　greatest　security。　Nevertheless；　I　must　confess　that　more　than　once；　while　leaning　forward　in　expectation　of　the　scrunch　I　knew　must　come；　I　have　caught　myself　half　murmuring　to　the　fair　face　that　seemed　to　gaze　so　serenely　at　the　cold　white　mass　we　were　approaching：　〃O　Lady；　is　it　not　now　fit　thou　shouldest　befriend　the　good　ship　of　which　thou　art　the　pride？〃

At　last；　after　having　received　two　or　three　pretty　severe　bumps；though　the　loss　of　a　little　copper　was　the　only　damage　they　entailed；we　made　our　way　back　to　the　northern　end　of　the　island；　where　the　pack　was　looser；　and　we　had　at　all　events　a　little　more　breathing　room。

It　had　become　very　coldso　cold；　indeed；　that　Mr。　Wyse　no　longer　able　to　keep　a　clutch　of　the　rigginghad　a　severe　tumble　from　the　yard　on　which　he　was　standing。　The　wind　was　freshening；　and　the　ice　was　evidently　still　in　motion；　but　although　very　anxious　to　get　back　again　into　open　water；　we　thought　it　would　not　do　to　go　away　without　landing；　even　if　it　were　only　for　an　hour。　So　having　laid　the　schooner　right　under　the　cliff；　and　putting　into　the　gig　our　own　discarded　figure…head；　a　white　ensign；　a　flag…staff；　and　a　tin　biscuit…box；　containing　a　paper　on　which　I　had　hastily　written　the　schooner's　name；　the　date　of　her　arrival；　and　the　names　of　all　those　who　sailed　on　board；we　pulled　ashore。　A　ribbon　of　beach　not　more　than　fifteen　yards　wide；　composed　of　iron…sand；　augite；　and　pyroxene；　running　along　under　the　basaltic　precipiceupwards　of　a　thousand　feet　highwhich　serves　as　a　kind　of　plinth　to　the　mountain；　was　the　only　standing　room　this　part　of　the　coast　afforded。　With　considerable　difficulty；　and　after　a　good　hour's　climb；　we　succeeded　in　dragging　the　figure…head　we　had　brought　ashore　with　us；　up　a　sloping　patch　of　snow；　which　lay　in　a　crevice　of　the　cliff；　and　thence　a　little　higher；　to　a　natural　pedestal　formed　by　a　broken　shaft　of　rock；　whereafter　having　tied　the　tin　box　round　her　neck；　and　duly　planted　the　white　ensign　of　St。　George　beside　her；we　left　the　superseded　damsel；　somewhat　grimly　smiling　across　the　frozen　ocean　at　her　feet；　until　some　Bacchus　of　a　bear　should　come　to　relieve　the　loneliness　of　my　wooden　Ariadne。

On　descending　to　the　water's　edge；　we　walked　some　little　distance　along　the　beach　without　observing　anything　very　remarkable；　unless　it　were　the　network　of　vertical　and　horizontal　dikes　of　basalt　which　shot　in　every　direction　through　the　scoriae　and　conglomerate　of　which　the　cliff　seemed　to　be　composed。　Innumerable　sea…birds　sat　in　the　crevices　and　ledges　of　the　uneven　surface；　or　flew　about　us　with　such　confiding　curiosity；　that　by　reaching　out　my　hand　I　could　touch　their　wings　as　they　poised　themselves　in　the　air　alongside。　There　was　one　old　sober…sides　with　whom　I　passed　a　good　ten　minutes　tete…a…tete；　trying　who　could　stare　the　other　out　of　countenance。

It　was　now　high　time　to　be　off。　As　soon　then　as　we　had　collected　some　geological　specimens；　and　duly　christened　the　little　cove；　at　the　bottom　of　which　we　had　landed；　〃Clandeboye　Creek；〃we　walked　back　to　the　gig。　Butso　rapidly　was　the　ice　drifting　down　upon　the　island；we　found　it　had　already　become　doubtful　whether　we　should　not　have　to　carry　the　boat　over　the　patch　whichduring　the　couple　of　hours　we　had　spent　on　shorehad　almost　cut　her　off　from　access　to　the　water。　If　this　was　the　case　with　the　gig；　it　was　very　evident　the　quicker　we　got　the　schooner　out　to　sea　again　the　better。　So　immediately　we　returned　on　board；　having　first　fired　a　gun　in　token　of　adieu　to　the　desolate　land　we　should　never　again　set　foot　on；　the　ship　was　put　about；　and　our　task　of　working　out　towards　the　open　water　recommenced。　As　this　operation　was　likely　to　require　some　time；　directly　breakfast　was　over；　（it　was　now　about　eleven　o'clock　A。M。；）　and　after　a　vain　attempt　had　been　made　to　take　a　photograph　of　the　mountain；　which　the　mist　was　again　beginning　to　envelope；　I　turned　in　to　take　a　nap；　which　I　rather　needed；fully　expecting　that　by　the　time　I　awoke　we　should　be　beginning　to　get　pretty　clear　of　the　pack。　On　coming　on　deck；　however；　four　hours　later；　although　we　had　reached　away　a　considerable　distance　from　the　land；　and　had　even　passed　the　spot；　where；　the　day　before；　the　sea　was　almost　free；the　floes　seemed　closer　than　ever；　and；　what　was　worse；　from　the　mast…head　not　a　vestige　of　open　water　was　to　be　discovered。　On　every　side；　as　far　as　the　eye　could　reach；　there　stretched　over　the　sea　one　cold　white　canopy　of　ice。

The　prospect　of　being　beset；　in　so　slightly　built　a　craft；　wasto　say　the　leastunpleasant；　it　looked　very　much　as　if　fresh　packs　were　driving　down　upon　us　from　the　very　direction　in　which　we　were　trying　to　push　out；　yet　it　had　become　a　matter　of　doubt　which　course　it　would　be　best　to　steer。　To　remain　stationary　was　out　of　the　question；　the　pace　at　which　the　fields　drift　is　sometimes　very　rapid；　＇Footnote：　Dr。　Scoresby　states　that　the　invariable　tendency　of　fields　of　ice　is　to　drift　south…westward；　and　that　the　strange　effects　produced　by　their　occasional　rapid　motions；　is　one　of　the　most　striking　objects　the　Polar　Seas　present；　and　certainly　the　most　terrific。　They　frequently　acquire　a　rotary　motion；　whereby　their　circumference　attains　a　velocity　of　several　miles　an　hour；　and　it　is　scarcely　possible　to　conceive　the　consequences　produced　by　a　body；　exceeding　ten　thousand　million　tons　in　weight；　coming　in　contact　with　another　under　such　circumstances。　The　strongest　ship　is　but　an　insignificant　impediment　between　two　fields　in　motion。　Numbers　of　whale　vessels　have　thus　been　destroyed；　some　have　been　thrown　upon　the　ice；　some　have　had　their　hulls　completely　torn　open；　or　divided　in　two；　and　others　have　been　overrun　by　the　ice；　and　buried　beneath　its　heaped　fragments。＇　and　the　first　nip　would　settle　the　poor　little　schooner's　business　for　ever。　At　the　same　time；　it　was　quite　possible　that　any　progress　we　succeeded　in　making；　instead　of　tending　towards　her　liberation；　might　perhaps　be　only　getting　her　deeper　into　the　scrape。　One　thing　was　very　certain；Northing　or　Southing　might　be　an　even　chance；　but　whatever　EASTING　we　could　make　must　be　to　the　good；　so　I　determined　to　choose　whichever　vein　seemed　to　have　most　Easterly　direction　in　it。　Two　or　three　openings　of　this　sort　from　time　to　time　presented　themselves；　but　in　every　case；　after　following　them　a　certain　distance；　they　proved　to　be　but　CUL…DE…SACS；　and　we　had　to　return　discomfited。　My　great　hope　was　in　a　change　of　wind。　It　was　already　blowing　very　fresh　from　the　northward　and　eastward；　and　if　it　would　but　shift　a　few　points；　in　all　probability　the　ice　would　loosen　as　rapidly　as　it　had　collected。　In　the　meantime；　the　only　thing　to　do　was　to　keep　a　sharp　look…out；　sail　the　vessel　carefully；　and　take　advantage　of　every　chance　of　getting　to　the　eastward。

It　now　grew　colder　than　ever；the　distant　land　was　almost　hid　with　fog；tattered　dingy　clouds　came　crowding　over　the　heavens；while　Wilson　moved　uneasily　about　the　deck；　with　the　air　of　Cassandra　at　the　conflagration　of　Troy。　It　was　Sunday；　the　14th　of　July；　and　I　had　a　momentary　fancy　that　I　could　hear　the　sweet　church　bells　in　England　pealing　across　the　cold　white　flats　which　surrounded　us。　At　last；　about　five　o'clock　P。M。；　the　wind　shifted　a　point　or　two；　then　flew　round　into　the　south…east。　Not　long　after；　just　as　I　had　expected；　the　ice　evidently　began　to　loosen；a　promising　opening　was　reported　from　the　mast…head　a　mile　or　so　away　on　the　port…bow；　and　by　nine　o'clock　we　were　spanking　along；　at　the　rate　of　eight　knots　an　hour；　under　a　double…reefed　mainsail　and　staysaildown　a　continually　widening　channel；　between　two　wave…lashed　ridges　of　drift　ice。　Before　midnight；　we　had　regained　the　open　sea；　and　were　standing　away

　　　　　　〃to　Norroway；　　　　To　Norroway；　over　the　faem。〃

In　the　forenoon　I　had　been　too　busy　to　have　our　usual　Sunday　church；　but　as　soon　as　we　were　pretty　clear　of　the　ice　I　managed　to　have　a　short　service　in　the　cabin。

Of　our　run　to　Hammerfest　I　have　nothing　particular　to　say。　The　distance　is　eight　hundred　miles；　and　we　did　it　in　eight　days。　On　the　whole；　the　weather　was　pretty　fair；　though　cold；　and　often　foggy。　One　day　indeed　was　perfectly　lovely；the　one　before　we　made　the　coast　of　Lapland；　without　a　cloud　to　be　seen　for　the　space　of　twenty…four　hours；　giving　me　an　opportunity　of　watching　the　sun　performing　his　complete　circle　overhead；　and　taking　a　meridian　altitude　at　midnight。　We　were　then　in　70　degrees　25'　North　latitude；　i。e。；　almost　as　far　north　as　the　North　Cape；　yet　the　thermometer　had　been　up　to　80　degrees　during　the　afternoon。

Shortly　afterwards　the　fog　came　on　again；　and　next　morning　it　was　blowing　very　hard　from　the　eastward。　This　was　the　more　disagreeable；　as　it　is　always　very　difficult；　under　the　most　favourable　circumstances；　to　find　one's　way　into　any　harbour　along　this　coast；　fenced　off；　as　it　is；　from　the　ocean　by　a　complicated　outwork　of　lofty　islands；　which；　in　their　turn；　are　hemmed　in　by　nests　of　sunken　rock；　sown　as　thick　as　peas；　for　miles　to　seaward。　There　are　no　pilots　until　you　are　within　the　islands；　and　no　longer　want　them；no　lighthouses　or　beacons　of　any　sort；　and　all　that　you　have　to　go　by　is　the　shape　of　the　hill…tops；　but　as；　on　the　clearest　day；　the　outlines　of　the　mountains　have　about　as　much　variety　as　the　teeth　of　a　saw；　and　as　on　a　cloudy　day；　which　happens　about　seven　times　a　week；　you　see　nothing　but　the　line　of　their　dark　roots；the　unfortunate　mariner；　who　goes　poking　about　for　the　narrow　passage　which　is　to　lead　him　between　the　islands；at　the　BACK　of　one　of　which　a　pilot　is　waiting　for　him；will；　in　all　probability；　have　already　placed　his　vessel　in　a　position　to　render　that　functionary's　further　attendance　a　work　of　supererogation。　At　least；　I　know　it　was　as　much　surprise　as　pleasur