letters from high latitudes-第3部分

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　two　crews　had　already　failed　them　at　the　last　moment　of　starting；　when　my　friend　of　the　chain　volunteered　to　take　the　command。　At　the　outset　of　his　voyage　everything　went　well；　a　fair　wind　（her　machinery　was　stowed　away；　and　she　sailed　under　canvas）　carried　the　little　craft　in　an　incredibly　short　time　a　thousand　miles　to　the　southward　of　the　Cape；　when　one　day；　as　she　was　running　before　the　gale；　the　man　at　the　wheelstartled　at　a　sea　which　he　thought　was　going　to　poop　herlet　go　the　helm；　the　vessel　broached　to；　and　tons　of　water　tumbled　in　on　the　top　of　the　deck。　As　soon　as　the　confusion　of　the　moment　had　subsided；　it　became　evident　that　the　shock　had　broken　some　of　the　iron　plates；　and　that　the　ship　was　in　a　fair　way　of　foundering。　So　frightened　were　the　crew；　that；　after　consultation　with　each　other；　they　determined　to　take　to　the　boats；　and　all　hands　came　aft；　to　know　whether　there　was　anything　the　skipper　would　wish　to　carry　off　with　him。　　Comprehending　the　madness　of　attempting　to　reach　land　in　open　boats　at　the　distance　of　a　thousand　miles　from　any　shore；　Wyse　pretended　to　go　into　the　cabin　to　get　his　compass；　chronometer；　etc。；　but　returning　immediately　with　a　revolver　in　each　hand；　swore　he　would　shoot　the　first　man　who　attempted　to　touch　the　boats。　This　timely　exhibition　of　spirit　saved　their　lives：　soon　after　the　weather　moderated；　by　undergirding　the　ship　with　chains；　St。　Paul　fashion；　the　leaks　were　partially　stopped；　the　steamer　reached　her　destination；　and　was　sold　for　7；000　pounds　a　few　days　after　her　arrival。　　In　token　of　their　gratitude　for　the　good　service　he　had　done　them；　the　Company　presented　Mr。　Wyse　on　his　return　with　a　gold　watch；　and　the　chain　he　wears　so　gloriously　outside　the　silk　tartan　waistcoat。

And　now；　good…bye。　I　hear　the　click…click　of　the　chain　as　they　heave　the　anchor；　I　am　rather　tired　and　exhausted　with　all　the　worry　of　the　last　two　months；　and　shall　be　heartily　glad　to　get　to　sea；　where　fresh　air　will　set　me　up　again；　I　hope；　in　a　few　days。　My　next　letter　will　be　from　Iceland；　and；　please　God；　before　I　see　English　land　again；　I　hope　to　have　many　a　story　to　tell　you　of　the　islands　that　are　washed　by　the　chill　waters　of　the　Arctic　Sea。


LETTER　V。

THE　NORTH　ATLANTICSPANISH　WAVESOUR　CABIN　IN　A　GALE　SEA…SICKNESS　FROM　A　SCIENTIFIC　POINT　OF　VIEWWILSONA　PASSENGER　COMMITS　SUICIDEFIRST　SIGHT　OF　ICELANDFLOKI　OF　THE　RAVENSTHE　NORSE　MAYFLOWERFAXA　FIORDWE　LAND　IN　THULE

Reykjavik；　Iceland；　June　21；　1856。

We　have　landed　in　Thule！　When；　in　parting；　you　moaned　so　at　the　thought　of　not　being　able　to　hear　of　our　safe　arrival；　I　knew　there　would　be　an　opportunity　of　writing　to　you　almost　immediately　after　reaching　Iceland；　but　I　said　nothing　about　it　at　the　time；　lest　something　should　delay　this　letter；　and　you　be　left　to　imagine　all　kinds　of　doleful　reasons　for　its　non…appearance。　We　anchored　in　Reykjavik　harbour　this　afternoon　（Saturday）。　H。M。S。　〃Coquette〃　sails　for　England　on　Monday；　so　that　within　a　week　you　will　get　this。

For　the　last　ten　days　we　have　been　leading　the　life　of　the　〃Flying　Dutchman。〃　Never　do　I　remember　to　have　had　such　a　dusting：　foul　winds；　gales；　and　calmsor　rather　breathing　spaces；　which　the　gale　took　occasionally　to　muster　up　fresh　energies　for　a　blowwith　a　heavy　head　sea；　that　prevented　our　sailing　even　when　we　got　aslant。　On　the　afternoon　of　the　day　we　quitted　Stornaway；　I　got　a　notion　how　it　was　going　to　be；　the　sun　went　angrily　down　behind　a　bank　of　solid　grey　cloud；　and　by　the　time　we　were　up　with　the　Butt　of　Lewis；　the　whole　sky　was　in　tatters；　and　the　mercury　nowhere；　with　a　heavy　swell　from　the　north…west。

As；　two　years　before；　I　had　spent　a　week　in　trying　to　beat　through　the　Roost　of　Sumburgh　under　double…reefed　trysails；　I　was　at　home　in　the　weather；　and　guessing　we　were　in　for　it；　sent　down　the　topmasts；　stowed　the　boats　on　board；　handed　the　foresail；　rove　the　ridge…ropes；　and　reefed　all　down。　By　midnight　it　blew　a　gale；　which　continued　without　intermission　until　the　day　we　sighted　Iceland；　sometimes　increasing　to　a　hurricane；　but　broken　now　and　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　Daw