letters from high latitudes-第37部分

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for　this　seasonevidently　doomed　to　disappointment。　　We　were　already　almost　in　the　latitude　of　Amsterdam　Islandwhich　is　actually　its　north…west　pointand　the　coast　seemed　more　encumbered　than　ever。　No　whaler　had　ever　succeeded　in　getting　more　than　about　120　miles　further　north　than　we　ourselves　had　already　come；　and　to　entangle　ourselves　any　further　in　the　iceunless　it　were　with　the　certainty　of　reaching　landwould　be　sheer　folly。　The　only　thing　to　be　done　was　to　turn　back。　Accordingly；　to　this　course　I　determined　at　last　to　resign　myself；　if；　after　standing　on　for　twelve　hours　longer；　nothing　should　turn　up　to　improve　the　present　aspect　of　affairs。　It　was　now　eleven　o'clock；　P。　M。　Fitz　and　Sigurdr　went　to　bed；　while　I　remained　on　deck　to　see　what　the　night　might　bring　forth。　It　blew　great　guns；　and　the　cold　was　perfectly　intolerable；　billow　upon　billow　of　black　fog　came　sweeping　down　between　the　sea　and　sky；　as　if　it　were　going　to　swallow　up　the　whole　universe；　while　the　midnight　sunnow　completely　blotted　outnow　faintly　struggling　through　the　ragged　breaches　of　the　mistthrew　down　from　time　to　time　an　unearthly　red…brown　glare　on　the　waste　of　roaring　waters。

For　the　whole　of　that　night　did　we　continue　beating　up　along　the　edge　of　the　ice；　in　the　teeth　of　a　whole　gale　of　wind；　at　last；　about　nine　o'clock　in　the　morning；but　two　short　hours　before　the　moment　at　which　it　had　been　agreed　we　should　bear　up；　and　abandon　the　attempt；we　came　up　with　a　long　low　point　of　ice；　that　had　stretched　further　to　the　Westward　than　any　we　had　yet　doubled；　and　there；　beyond；　lay　an　open　sea！open　not　only　to　the　Northward　and　Westward；　but　also　to　the　Eastward！　You　can　imagine　my　excitement。〃　Turn　the　hands　up；　Mr。　Wyse！〃　〃'Bout　ship！〃　〃Down　with　the　helm！〃　〃Helm　a…lee！〃　Up　comes　the　schooner's　head　to　the　wind；　the　sails　flapping　with　the　noise　of　thunderblocks　rattling　against　the　deck；　as　if　they　wanted　to　knock　their　brains　outropes　dancing　about　in　galvanised　coils；　like　mad　serpentsand　everything　to　an　inexperienced　eye　in　inextricable　confusion；　till　gradually　she　pays　off　on　the　other　tackthe　sails　stiffen　into　deal…boardsthe　staysail　sheet　is　let　goand　heeling　over　on　the　opposite　side。　Again　she　darts　forward　over　the　sea　like　an　arrow　from　the　bow。　〃Stand　by　to　make　sail！〃　〃Out　all　reefs！〃　I　could　have　carried　sail　to　sink　a　man…of…war！and　away　the　little　ship　went；　playing　leapfrog　over　the　heavy　seas；　and　staggering　under　her　canvas；　as　if　giddy　with　the　same　joyful　excitement　which　made　my　own　heart　thump　so　loudly。

In　another　hour　the　sun　came　out；　the　fog　cleared　away；　and　about　noonup　again；　above　the　horizon；　grow　the　pale　lilac　peaks；　warming　into　a　rosier　tint　as　we　approach。　　Ice　still　stretches　toward　the　land　on　the　starboard　side；　but　we　don't　care　for　it　nowthe　schooner's　head　is　pointing　E。　and　by　S。　At　one　o'clock　we　sight　Amsterdam　Island；　about　thirty　miles　on　the　port　bow；　then　came　the　〃seven　ice…hills〃as　seven　enormous　glaciers　are　calledthat　roll　into　the　sea　between　lofty　ridges　of　gneiss　and　mica　slate；　a　little　to　the　northward　of　Prince　Charles's　Foreland。　Clearer　and　more　defined　grows　the　outline　of　the　mountains；　some　coming　forward　while　others　recede；　their　rosy　tints　appear　less　even；　fading　here　and　there　into　pale　yellows　and　greys；　veins　of　shadow　score　the　steep　sides　of　the　hills；　the　articulations　of　the　rocks　become　visible；　and　now；　at　last；　we　glide　under　the　limestone　peaks　of　Mitre　Cape；　past　the　marble　arches　of　King's　Bay　on　the　one　side；　and　the　pinnacle　of　the　Vogel　Hook　on　the　other；　into　the　quiet　channel　that　separates　the　Foreland　from　the　main。

＇Figure：　fig…p170。gif＇

It　was　at　one　o'clock　in　the　morning　of　the　6th　of　August；　1856；　that　after　having　been　eleven　days　at　sea；　we　came　to　an　anchor　in　the　silent　haven　of　English　Bay；　Spitzbergen。

And　now；　how　shall　I　give　you　an　idea　of　the　wonderful　panorama　in　the　midst　of　which　we　found　ourselves？　I　think；　perhaps；　its　most　striking　feature　was　the　stillness；　and　deadness；　and　impassibility　of　this　new　world：　ice；　and　rock；　and　water　surrounded　us；　not　a　sound　of　any　kind　interrupted　the　silence；　the　sea　did　not　break　upon　the　shore；　no　bird　or　any　living　thing　was　visible；　the　midnight　sun；　by　this　time　muffled　in　a　transparent　mist；　shed　an　awful；　mysterious　lustre　on　glacier　and　mountain；　no　atom　of　vegetation　gave　token　of　the　earth's　vitality：　an　universal　numbness　and　dumbness　seemed　to　pervade　the　solitude。　　I　suppose　in　scarcely　any　other　part　of　the　world　is　this　appearance　of　deadness　so　strikingly　exhibited。　On　the　stillest　summer　day　in　England；　there　is　always　perceptible　an　under…tone　of　life　thrilling　through　the　atmosphere；　and　though　no　breeze　should　stir　a　single　leaf；　yetin　default　of　motionthere　is　always　a　sense　of　growth；　but　here　not　so　much　as　a　blade　of　grass　was　to　be　seen　on　the　sides　of　the　bald　excoriated　hills。　Primeval　rocks　and　eternal　ice　constitute　the　landscape。

The　anchorage　where　we　had　brought　up　is　the　best　to　be　found；　with　the　exception　perhaps　of　Magdalena　Bay；　along　the　whole　west　coast　of　Spitzbergen；　indeed　it　is　almost　the　only　one　where　you　are　not　liable　to　have　the　ice　set　in　upon　you　at　a　moment's　notice。　Ice　Sound；　Bell　Sound；　Horn　Soundthe　other　harbours　along　the　west　coastare　all　liable　to　be　beset　by　drift…ice　during　the　course　of　a　single　night；　even　though　no　vestige　of　it　may　have　been　in　sight　four…and…twenty　hours　before；　and　many　a　good　ship　has　been　inextricably　imprisoned　in　the　very　harbour　to　which　she　had　fled　for　refuge。　This　bay　is　completely　landlocked；　being　protected　on　its　open　side　by　Prince　Charles's　Foreland；　a　long　island　lying　parallel　with　the　mainland。　　Down　towards　either　horn　run　two　ranges　of　schistose　rocks；　about　1；500　feet　high；　their　sides　almost　precipitous；　and　the　topmost　ridge　as　sharp　as　a　knife；　and　jagged　as　a　saw；　the　intervening　space　is　entirely　filled　up　by　an　enormous　glacier；　which；descending　with　one　continuous　incline　from　the　head　of　a　valley　on　the　right；　and　sweeping　like　a　torrent　round　the　roots　of　an　isolated　clump　of　hills　in　the　centrerolls　at　last　into　the　sea。　The　length　of　the　glacial　river　from　the　spot　where　it　apparently　first　originated；　could　not　have　been　less　than　thirty；　or　thirty…five　miles；　or　its　greatest　breadth　less　than　nine　or　ten；　but　so　completely　did　it　fill　up　the　higher　end　of　the　valley；　that　it　was　as　much　as　you　could　do　to　distinguish　the　further　mountains　peeping　up　above　its　surface。　The　height　of　the　precipice　where　it　fell　into　the　sea；　I　should　judge　to　have　been　about　120　feet。

On　the　left　a　still　more　extraordinary　sight　presented　itself。　A　kind　of　baby　glacier　actually　hung　suspended　half　way　on　the　hill　side；　like　a　tear　in　the　act　of　rolling　down　the　furrowed　cheek　of　the　mountain。

I　have　tried　to　convey　to　you　a　notion　of　the　falling　impetus　impressed　on　the　surface　of　the　Jan　Mayen　ice　rivers；　but　in　this　case　so　unaccountable　did　it　seem　that　the　over…hanging　mass　of　ice　should　not　continue　to　thunder　down　upon　its　course；　that　one's　natural　impulse　was　to　shrink　from　crossing　the　path　along　which　a　breatha　soundmight　precipitate　the　suspended　avalanche　into　the　valley。　Though；　perhaps；　pretty　exact　in　outline　and　general　effect；　the　sketch　I　have　made　of　this　wonderful　scene；　will　never　convey　to　you　a　correct　notion　of　the　enormous　scale　of　the　distances；　and　size　of　its　various　features。　　These　glaciers　are　the　principal　characteristic　of　the　scenery　in　Spitzbergen；　the　bottom　of　every　valley　in　every　part　of　the　island；　is　occupied　and　generally　completely　filled　by　them；　enabling　one　in　some　measure　to　realize　the　look　of　England　during　her　glacial　period；　when　Snowdon　was　still　being　slowly　lifted　towards　the　clouds；　and　every　valley　in　Wales　was　brimful　of　ice。　But　the　glaciers　in　English　Bay　are　by　no　means　the　largest　in　the　island。　We　ourselves　got　a　viewthough　a　very　distant　oneof　ice　rivers　which　must　have　been　more　extensive；　and　Dr。　　Scoresby　mentions　several　which　actually　measured　forty　or　fifty　miles　in　length；　and　nine　or　ten　in　breadth；　while　the　precipice　formed　by　their　fall　into　the　sea；　was　sometimes　upwards　of　400　or　500　feet　high。　Nothing　is　more　dangerous　than　to　approach　these　cliffs　of　ice。　Every　now　and　then　huge　masses　detach　themselves　from　the　face　of　the　crystal　steep；　and　topple　over　into　the　water；　and　woe　be　to　the　unfortunate　ship　which　might　happen　to　be　passing　below。　　Scoresby　himself　actually　witnessed　a　mass　of　ice；　the　size　of　a　cathedral；　thunder　down　into　the　sea　from　a　height　of　400　feet；　frequently　during　our　stay　at　Spitzbergen　we　ourselves　observed　specimens　of　these　ice　avalanches；　and　scarcely　an　hour　passed　without　the　solemn　silence　of　the　bay　being　disturbed　by　the　thunderous　boom　resulting　from　similar　catastrophes　occurring　in　adjacent　valleys。

As　soon　as　we　had　thoroughly　taken　in　the　strange　features　of　the　scene　around　us；　we　all　turned　in　for　a　night's　rest。　I　was　dog　tired；　as　much　with　anxiety　as　want　of　sleep；　for　in　continuing　to　push　on　to　the　northward　in　spite　of　the　ice；　I　naturally　could　not　help　feeling　that　if　any　accident　occurred；　the　responsibility　would　rest　with　me；　and　although　I　do　not　believe　that　we　we