letters from high latitudes-第27章

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　up　with　ice）and　then　bent　round　in　a　continuous　semicircle　towards　Jan　Mayen。　That　they　had　not　failed　for　want　of　exertionthe　bows　of　his　ships　sufficiently　testified。　As　to　OUR　getting　there　it　was　out　of　the　question。　So　spake　the　Sea…horseman。　On　returning　on　board　the　〃Foam〃　I　gave　myself　up　to　the　most　gloomy　reflections。　This；　then；　was　to　be　the　result　of　all　my　preparations　and　long…meditated　schemes。　What　likelihood　was　there　of　success；　after　so　unfavourable　a　verdict？　Ipse　dixit；　equus　marinus。　　It　is　true　the　horse…marines　have　hitherto　been　considered　a　mythic　corps；　but　my　friend　was　too　substantial…looking　for　me　to　doubt　his　existence：　and　unless　I　was　to　ride　off　on　the　proverbial　credulity　of　the　other　branch　of　that　amphibious　profession；　I　had　no　reason　to　question　his　veracity。　Nevertheless；　I　felt　it　would　not　become　a　gentleman　to　turn　back　at　the　first　blush　of　discouragement。　　If　it　were　possible　to　reach　Spitzbergen；　I　was　determined　to　do　so。　I　reflected　that　every　day　that　passed　was　telling　in　our　favour。　It　was　not　yet　the　end　of　July；　even　in　these　latitudes　winter　does　not　commence　much　before　September；　and　in　the　meantime　the　tail　of　the　Gulf　Stream　would　still　be　wearing　a　channel　in　the　ice　towards　the　pole；　so；　however　unpromising　might　be　the　prospect；　I　determined；　at　all　events；　that　we　should　go　and　see　for　ourselves　how　matters　really　stood。

But　I　must　explain　to　you　why　I　so　counted　upon　the　assistance　of　the　Gulf　Stream　to　help　us　through。

The　entire　configuration　of　the　Arctic　ice　is　determined　by　the　action　of　that　mysterious　current　on　its　edges。　Several　theories　have　been　advanced　to　account　for　its　influence　in　so　remote　a　region。　I　give　you　one　which　appears　to　me　reasonable。　It　is　supposed；　that　in　obedience　to　that　great　law　of　Nature　which　seeks　to　establish　equilibrium　in　the　temperature　of　fluids；a　vast　body　of　gelid　water　is　continually　mounting　from　the　Antarctic；　to　displace　and　regenerate　the　over…heated　oceans　of　the　torrid　zone。　Bounding　up　against　the　west　side　of　South　America；　the　ascending　stream　skirts　the　coasts　of　Chili　and　Peru；　and　is　then　deflected　in　a　westerly　direction　across　the　Pacific　Ocean；　where　it　takes　the　name　of　the　Equatorial　Current。　Having　completely　encircled　Australia；　it　enters　the　Indian　Sea；　sweeps　up　round　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope；　and；　crossing　the　Atlantic；　twists　into　the　Gulf　of　Mexico。　Here　its　flagging　energies　are　suddenly　accelerated　in　consequence　of　the　narrow　limits　within　which　it　finds　itself　compressed。　　So　marvellous　does　the　velocity　of　the　current　now　become；　so　complete　its　isolation　from　the　deep　sea　bed　it　traverses；　that　by　the　time　it　issues　again　into　the　Atlantic；　its　hitherto　diffused　and　loitering　waters　are　suddenly　concentrated　into　what　Lieutenant　Maury　has　happily　called〃a　river　in　the　ocean；〃　swifter　and　of　greater　volume　than　either　the　Mississippi　or　the　Amazon。　Surging　forth　between　the　interstices　of　the　Bahamas；　that　stretch　like　a　weir　across　its　mouth；　it　cleaves　asunder　the　Atlantic。　So　distinct　is　its　individuality；　that　one　side　of　a　vessel　will　be　scoured　by　its　warm　indigo…coloured　water；　while　the　other　is　floating　in　the　pale；　stagnant；　weed…encumbered　brine　of　the　Mar　de　Sargasso　of　the　Spaniards。　It　is　not　only　by　colour；　by　its　temperature；　by　its　motion；　that　this　（Greek）　〃ron　Okeanuio〃　is　distinguished；　its　very　surface　is　arched　upwards　some　way　above　the　ordinary　sea…level　toward　the　centre；　by　the　lateral　pressure　of　the　elastic　liquid　banks　between　which　it　flows。　Impregnated　with　the　warmth　of　tropic　climes；　the　Gulf　Stream…as　it　has　now　come　to　be　called；then　pours　its　genial　floods　across　the　North　Atlantic；　laving　the　western　coasts　of　Britain；　Ireland；　and　Norway；　and　investing　each　shore　it　strikes　upon；　with　a　climate　far　milder　than　that　enjoyed　by　other　lands　situated　in　the　same　latitudes。　Arrived　abreast　of　the　North　Cape；　the　impetus　of　the　current　is　in　a　great　measure　exhausted。

From　causes　similar　（though　of　less　efficacy；　in　consequence　of　the　smaller　area　occupied　by　water）　to　those　which　originally　gave　birth　to　the　ascending　energy　of　the　Antarctic　waters；　a　gelid　current　is　also　generated　in　the　Arctic　Ocean；　which；　descending　in　a　south…westerly　direction；　encounters　the　already　faltering　Gulf　Stream　in　the　space　between　Spitzbergen　and　Nova　Zembla。　A　contest　for　the　mastery　ensues；　which　is　eventually　terminated　by　a　compromise。　The　warmer　stream；　no　longer　quite　able　to　hold　its　own；　splits　into　two　branches；　the　one　squeezing　itself　round　the　North　Cape；　as　far　as　that　Varangar　Fiord　which　Russia　is　supposed　so　much　to　covet；　while　the　other　is　pushed　up　in　a　more　northerly　direction　along　the　west　coast　of　Spitzbergen。　But　although　it　has　power　to　split　up　the　Gulf　Stream　for　a　certain　distance；　the　Arctic　current　is　ultimately　unable　to　cut　across　it；　and　the　result　is　an　accumulation　of　ice　to　the　south　of　Spitzbergen　in　the　angle　formed　by　the　bifurcation；　as　Mr。　Grote　would　call　it；　of　the　warmer　current。

It　is　quite　possible；　therefore；　that　the　north…west　extremity　of　Spitzbergen　may　be　comparatively　clear；　while　the　whole　of　its　southern　coasts　are　enveloped　in　belts　of　ice　of　enormous　extent。　It　was　on　this　contingency　that　we　built　our　hopes；　and　determined　to　prosecute　our　voyage；　in　spite　of　the　discouraging　report　of　the　Norse　skipper。

About　eight　o'clock　in　the　evening　we　got　under　way　from　Hammerfest；　unfortunately　the　wind　almost　immediately　after　fell　dead　calm；　and　during　the　whole　night　we　lay　〃like　a　painted　ship　upon　a　painted　ocean。〃　At　six　o'clock　a　little　breeze　sprang　up；　and　when　we　came　on　deck　at　breakfast　time；　the　schooner　was　skimming　at　the　rate　of　five　knots　an　hour　over　the　level　lanes　of　water；　which　lie　between　the　silver…grey　ridges　of　gneiss　and　mica　slate　that　hem　in　the　Nordland　shore。　The　distance　from　Hammerfest　to　Alten　is　about　forty　miles；　along　a　zigzag　chain　of　fiords。　It　was　six　o'clock　in　the　evening；　and　we　had　already　sailed　two…and…thirty　miles；　when　it　again　fell　almost　calm。　Impatient　at　the　unexpected　delay；　and　tempted　by　the　beauty　of　the　evening；which　was　indeed　most　lovely；　the　moon　hanging　on　one　side　right　opposite　to　the　sun　on　the　other；　as　in　the　picture　of　Joshua's　miracle；Sigurdr；　in　an　evil　hour；　proposed　that　we　should　take　a　row　in　the　dingy；　until　the　midnight　breeze　should　spring　up；　and　bring　the　schooner　along　with　it。　Away　we　went；　and　so　occupied　did　we　become　with　admiring　the　rocky　precipices　beneath　which　we　were　gliding；　that　it　was　not　until　the　white　sails　of　the　motionless　schooner　had　dwindled　to　a　speck；　that　we　became　aware　of　the　distance　we　had　come。

Our　attention　had　been　further　diverted　by　the　spectacle　of　a　tribe　of　fishes；　whose　habit　it　appeared　to　beinstead　of　swimming　like　Christian　fishes　in　a　horizontal　position　beneath　the　waterto　walk　upon　their　hind…legs　along　its　surface。　Perceiving　a　little　boat　floating　on　the　loch　not　far　from　the　spot　where　we　had　observed　this　phenomenon；　we　pulled　towards　it；　and　ascertained　that　the　Lapp　officer　in　charge　was　actually　intent　on　stalking　the　peripatetic　schoolto　use　a　technical　expressionwhose　evolutions　had　so　much　astonished　us。　The　great　object　of　the　sportsman　is　to　judge　by　their　last　appearance　what　part　of　the　water　the　fish　are　likely　to　select　for　the　scene　of　their　next　promenade。　Directly　he　has　determined　this　in　his　own　mind；　he　rows　noiselessly　to　the　spot；　and；　as　soon　as　they　show　themselves；　hooks　them　with　a　landing…net　into　his　boat。

By　this　time　it　had　become　a　doubtful　point　whether　it　would　not　be　as　little　trouble　to　row　on　to　Alten　as　to　return　to　the　schooner；　so　we　determined　to　go　on。　Unfortunately　we　turned　down　a　wrong　fiord；　and　after　a　long　pull；　about　two　o'clock　in　the　morning　had　the　satisfaction　of　finding　ourselves　in　a　cul…de…sac。　To　add　to　our　discomfort；　clouds　of　mosquitoes　with　the　bodies　of　behemoths　and　the　stings　of　dragons；　had　collected　from　all　quarters　of　the　heavens　to　make　a　prey　of　us。　In　vain　we　struggledstrove　to　knock　them　down　with　the　oars；plunged　our　heads　under　the　water；smacked　our　faces　with　frantic　violence；　on　they　came　in　myriads；　until　I　thought　our　bleaching　bones　would　alone　remain　to　indicate　our　fate。　　At　last　Sigurdr　espied　a　log　but　on　the　shore；　where　we　might　at　least　find　some　one　to　put　us　into　the　right　road　again；　but　on　looking　in　at　the　open　door；　we　only　saw　a　Lapland　gentleman　fast　asleep。　Awaking　at　our　approach　he　started　to　his　feet；　and　though　nothing　could　be　more　gracefully　conciliatory　than　the　bow　with　which　I　opened　the　conversation；　I　regret　to　say　that　after　staring　wildly　round　for　a　few　minutes；　the　aboriginal　bolted　straight　away　in　the　most　unpolite　manner　and　left　us　to　our　fate。　There　was　nothing　for　it　but　patiently　to　turn　back；　and　try　some　other　opening。　This　time　we　were　more　successful；　and　about　three　o'clock　A。M。　had　the　satisfaction　of　landing　at　one　of　the　wharves　attached　to　the　copper　mines　of　Kaafiord。　We　came　upon　a　lovely　scene。　It　was　as　light　and　warm　as　a　summer's　noon　in　England；　upon　a　broad　plateau；　carved　by　nature　out　of　the　side　of　the　grey　limestone；　stood　a　bright　shining　house　in　the　middle　of　a　plot　of　rich　English…looking　garden。　On　one　side　lay　the　narrow　fiord；　on　every　other　rose　an　amphitheatre　of　fir…clad　mountains。　The　door　of　the　house　was　open；　so　were　many　of　the　windowseven　those　on　the　ground…floor；　and　from　the　road　where　we　stood　we　could　see　the　books　on　the　library　shelves。　A　swing　and　some　gymnastic　appliances　on　the　lawn　told　us　that　there　were　children。　Altogether；　I　thought　I　had　never　seen　such　a　charming　picture　of　silent　comfort　and　security。　Perhaps　the　barren　prospects　we　had　been　accustomed　to　made　the　little　oasis　before　us　look　more　cheerful　than　we　might　otherwise　have　thought　it。

The　question　now　arose；　what　was　to　be　done？　My　principal　reason　for　coming　to　Alten　was　to　buy　some　salt　provisions　and　Lapland　dresses；　but　dolls　and　junk　were　scarcely　a　sufficient　pretext　for　knocking　up　a　quiet　family　at　three　o'clock　in　the　morning。　It　is　true；　I　happened　to　have　a　letter　for　Mr。　T；　written　by　a　mutual　friend；　who　had　expressly　told　me　thatarrive　when　I　might　at　Alten；the　more　unceremoniously　I　walked　in　and　took　possession　of　the　first　unoccupied　bed　I　stumbled　on；　the　better　Mr。　T　would　be　pleased；　but　British　punctilio　would　not　allow　me　to　act　on　the　recommendation；　though　we　were　sorely　tried。　In　the　meantime　the　mosquitoes　had　become　more　intolerable　than　ever。　At　last；　half　mad　with　irritation；　I　set　off　straight　up　the　side　of　the　nearest　mountain；　in　hopes　of　attaining　a　zone　too　high　for　them　to　inhabit；　and；　poising　myself　upon　its　topmost　pinnacle；　I　drew　my　handkerchief　over　my　headI　was　already　without　coat　and　waistcoatand　remained　the　rest　of　the　morning　〃mopping　and　mowing〃　at　the　world　beneath　my　feet。

About　six　o'clock；　like　a　phantom　in　a　dream；　the　little　schooner　came　stealing　round　the　misty　headland；　and　anchored　at　the　foot　of　the　rocks　below。　Returning　immediately　on　board；　we　bathed；　dressed；　and　found　repose　from　all　our　troubles。　Not　long　after；　a　message　from　Mr。　　T；　in　answer　to　a　card　I　had　sent　up　to　the　house　as　soon　as　the　househol