letters from high latitudes-第20部分

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　after　a　moment's　exposure　to　the　air；　becomes　frozen　like　a　board。　＇Footnote：　The　climate；　however；　does　not　appear　to　have　been　then　so　inclement　in　these　latitudes　as　it　has　since　become。　A　similar　deterioration　in　the　temperature；　both　of　Spitzbergen　and　Greenland；　has　also　been　observed。　In　Iceland　we　have　undoubted　evidence　of　corn　having　been　formerly　grown；　as　well　as　of　the　existence　of　timber　of　considerable　size；　though　now　it　can　scarcely　produce　a　cabbage；　or　a　stunted　shrub　of　birch。　M。　Babinet；　of　the　French　Institute；　goes　a　little　too　far　when　he　says；　in　the　Journal　des　Debats　of　the　30th　December；　1856；　that　for　many　years　Jan　Mayen　has　been　inaccessible。＇　Huge　fleets　of　ice　beleaguered　the　island；　the　sun　disappears；　and　they　spend　most　of　their　time　in　〃rehearsing　to　one　another　the　adventures　that　had　befallen　them　both　by　sea　and　land。〃　On　the　12th　of　December　they　kill　a　bear；　having　already　begun　to　feel　the　effects　of　a　salt　diet。　At　last　comes　New　Year's　Day；　1636。　　〃After　having　wished　each　other　a　happy　new　year；　and　success　in　our　enterprise；　we　went　to　prayers；　to　disburthen　our　hearts　before　God。〃　On　the　25th　of　February　（the　very　day　on　which　Wallenstein　was　murdered）　the　sun　reappeared。　　By　the　22nd　of　March　scurvy　had　already　declared　itself：　　〃For　want　of　refreshments　we　began　to　be　very　heartless；　and　so　afflicted　that　our　legs　are　scarce　able　to　bear　us。〃　On　the　3rd　of　April；　〃there　being　no　more　than　two　of　us　in　health；　we　killed　for　them　the　only　two　pullets　we　had　left；　and　they　fed　pretty　heartily　upon　them；　in　hopes　it　might　prove　a　means　to　recover　part　of　their　strength。　We　were　sorry　we　had　not　a　dozen　more　for　their　sake。〃　On　Easter　Day；　Adrian　Carman；　of　Schiedam；　their　clerk；　dies。　〃The　Lord　have　mercy　upon　his　soul；　and　upon　us　all；　we　being　very　sick。〃　During　the　next　few　days　they　seem　all　to　have　got　rapidly　worse；　one　only　is　strong　enough　to　move　about。　　He　has　learnt　writing　from　his　comrades　since　coming　to　the　island；　and　it　is　he　who　concludes　the　melancholy　story。　　〃The　23rd　（April）；　the　wind　blew　from　the　same　corner；　with　small　rain。　We　were　by　this　time　reduced　to　a　very　deplorable　state；　there　being　none　of　them　all；　except　myself；　that　were　able　to　help　themselves；　much　less　one　another；　so　that　the　whole　burden　lay　upon　my　shoulders；and　I　perform　my　duty　as　well　as　I　am　able；　as　long　as　God　pleases　to　give　me　strength。　I　am　just　now　a…going　to　help　our　commander　out　of　his　cabin；　at　his　request；　because　he　imagined　by　this　change　to　ease　his　pain；　he　then　struggling　with　death。〃　For　seven　days　this　gallant　fellow　goes　on　〃striving　to　do　his　duty；〃　that　is　to　say；　making　entries　in　the　journal　as　to　the　state　of　the　weather；　that　being　the　principal　object　their　employers　had　in　view　when　they　left　them　on　the　island；　but　on　the　30th　of　April　his　strength　too　gave　way；　and　his　failing　hand　could　do　no　more　than　trace　an　incompleted　sentence　on　the　page。

＇Figure：　fig…p090。gif＇

Meanwhile　succour　and　reward　are　on　their　way　toward　the　forlorn　garrison。　On　the　4th　of　June；　up　again　above　the　horizon　rise　the　sails　of　the　Zealand　fleet；　but　no　glad　faces　come　forth　to　greet　the　boats　as　they　pull　towards　the　shore；　and　when　their　comrades　search　for　those　they　had　hoped　to　find　alive　and　well；lo！　each　lies　dead　in　his　own　hut；one　with　an　open　Prayer…book　by　his　side；　another　with　his　hand　stretched　out　towards　the　ointment　he　had　used　for　his　stiffened　joints；　and　the　last　survivor；　with　the　unfinished　journal　still　lying　by　his　side。

The　most　recent　recorded　landing　on　the　island　was　effected　twenty…two　years　ago；　by　the　brave　and　pious　Captain；　now　Dr。　Scoresby；＇Footnote：　I　regret　to　be　obliged　to　subjoin　that　Dr。　Scoresby　has　died　since　the　above　was　written。＇　on　his　return　from　a　whaling　cruise。　He　had　seen　the　mountain　of　Beerenberg　one　hundred　miles　off；　and；　on　approaching；　found　the　coast　quite　clear　of　ice。　According　to　his　survey　and　observations；　Jan　Mayen　is　about　sixteen　miles　long；　by　four　wide；　but　I　hope　soon；　on　my　own　authority；　to　be　able　to　tell　you　more　about　it。

Certainly；　this　our　last　evening　spent　in　Iceland　will　not　have　been　the　least　joyous　of　our　stay。　The　dinner　on　board　the　〃Reine　Hortense〃　was　very　pleasant。　I　renewed　acquaintance　with　some　of　my　old　Baltic　friends；　and　was　presented　to　two　or　three　of　the　Prince's　staff　who　did　not　accompany　the　expedition　to　the　Geysirs；　among　others；　to　the　Duc　d'Abrantes；　Marshal　Junot's　son。　On　sitting　down　to　table；　I　found　myself　between　H。I。H。　and　Monsieur　de　Saulcy；　member　of　the　French　Institute；　who　made　that　famous　expedition　to　the　Dead　Sea；　and　is　one　of　the　gayest；　pleasantest　persons　I　have　ever　met。　Of　course　there　was　a　great　deal　of　laughing　and　talking；　as　well　as　much　speculation　with　regard　to　the　costume　of　the　Icelandic　ladies　we　were　to　see　at　the　ball。　It　appears　that　the　dove…cots　of　Reykjavik　have　been　a　good　deal　fluttered　by　an　announcement　emanating　from　the　gallant　Captain　of　the　〃Artemise〃　that　his　fair　guests　would　be　expected　to　come　in　low　dresses；　for　it　would　seem　that　the　practice　of　showing　their　ivory　shoulders　is；　as　yet；　an　idea　as　shocking　to　the　pretty　ladies　of　this　country　as　waltzes　were　to　our　grandmothers。　Nay；　there　was　not　even　to　be　found　a　native　milliner　equal　to　the　task　of　marking　out　that　mysterious　line　which　divides　the　prudish　from　the　improper；　so　that　the　Collet…monte　faction　have　been　in　despair。　As　it　turned　out；　their　anxiety　on　this　head　was　unnecessary；　for　we　found；　on　entering　the　ball…room；　that；　with　the　natural　refinement　which　characterises　this　noble　people；　our　bright…eyed　partners；　as　if　by　inspiration；　had　hit　off　the　exact　sweep　from　shoulder　to　shoulder；　at　whichafter　those　many　oscillations；　up　and　down；　which　the　female　corsage　has　undergone　since　the　time　of　the　first　Directorgood　taste　has　finally　arrested　it。

I　happened　to　be　particularly　interested　in　the　above　important　question；　for　up　to　that　moment　I　had　always　been　haunted　by　a　horrid　paragraph　I　had　met　with　somewhere　in　an　Icelandic　book　of　travels；　to　the　effect　that　it　was　the　practice　of　Icelandic　women；　from　early　childhood；　to　flatten　down　their　bosoms　as　much　as　possible。　This　fact；　for　the　honour　of　the　island；　I　am　now　in　a　position　to　deny；　and　I　here　declare　that；　as　far　as　I　had　the　indiscretion　to　observe；　those　maligned　ladies　appeared　to　me　as　buxom　in　form　as　any　rosy　English　girl　I　have　ever　seen。


It　was　nearly　nine　o'clock　before　we　adjourned　from　the　〃Reine　Hortense；〃　to　the　ball。　Already；　for　some　time　past；　boats　full　of　gay　dresses　had　been　passing　under　the　corvette's　stern　on　their　way　to　the　〃Artemise；〃　looking　like　flower…beds　that　had　put　to　sea；though　they　certainly　could　no　longer　be　called　a　parterre；and　by　the　time　we　ourselves　mounted　her　lofty　sides；　a　mingled　stream　of　music；　light；　and　silver　laughter；　was　pouring　out　of　every　port…hole。　　The　ball…room　was　very　prettily　arranged。　The　upper　deck　had　been　closed　in　with　a　lofty　roof　of　canvas；　from　which　hung　suspended　glittering　lustres；　formed　by　bayonets　with　their　points　collected　into　an　inverted　pyramid；　and　the　butt…ends　serving　as　sockets　for　the　tapers。　Every　wall　was　gay　with　flags；the　frigate's　frowning　armament　all　hid　or　turned　to　ladies'　uses：　82　pounders　became　sofasboarding…pikes；　balustradespistols；　candlesticksthe　brass　carronades　set　on　end；　pillarwise；　their　brawling　mouths　stopped　with　nose…gays；　while　portraits　of　the　Emperor　and　the　Empress；　busts；　colours　draped　with　Parisian　cunning；　gave　to　the　scene　an　appearance　of　festivity　that　looked　quite　fairy…like　in　so　sombre　a　region。　As　for　our　gallant　host；　I　never　saw　such　spirits；　he　is　a　fine　old　grey…headed　blow…hard　of　fifty　odd；　talking　English　like　a　native；　and　combining　the　frank　open…hearted　cordiality　of　a　sailor　with　that　graceful　winning　gaiety　peculiar　to　Frenchmen。　I　never　saw　anything　more　perfect　than　the　kind；　almost　fatherly；　courtesy　with　which　he　welcomed　each　blooming　bevy　of　maidens　that　trooped　up　his　ship's　side。　About　two　o'clock　we　had　supper　on　the　main…deck。　I　had　the　honour　of　taking　down　Miss　Thora；　of　Bessestad；　and　somehowthis　time；　I　no　longer　found　myself　wandering　back　in　search　of　the　pale　face　of　the　old…world　Thora；　being；　I　suppose；　sufficiently　occupied　by　the　soft；　gentle　eyes　of　the　one　beside　me。　With　the　other　young　ladies　I　did　not　make　much　acquaintance；　as　I　experienced　a　difficulty　in　finding　befitting　remarks　on　the　occasion　of　being　presented　to　them。　Once　or　twice；　indeed；　I　hazarded；　through　their　fathers；　some　little　complimentary　observations　in　Latin；　but　I　cannot　say　that　I　found　that　language　lend　itself　readily　to　the　gallantries　of　the　ball…room。　After　supper　dancing　recommenced；　and　the　hilarity　of　the　evening　reached　its　highest　pitch　when　half　a　dozen　sailors；　dressed　in　turbans　made　of　flags　（one　of　them　a　lady　with　the　face　of　the　tragic　muse）；　came　forward　and　danced　the　cancan；　with　a　gravity　and　decorum　that　would　have　greatly　edified　what　Gavarni　calls　〃la　pudeur　municipale。〃

At　3　o'clock　A。M。　I　returned　on　board　the　schooner；　and　we　are　all　now　very　busy　in　making　final　preparations　for　departure。　Fitz　is　rearranging　his　apotheca