letters from high latitudes-第41部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


reach。　　We　had　come　about　eighty　miles　since　leaving　Spitzbergen。　　The　usual　boundary　of　the　Greenland　ice　in　summer　runs；　according　to　Scoresby；　along　the　second　parallel　of　west　longitude。　This　we　had　already　crossed；　so　that　it　was　to　be　presumed　the　barricade　we　saw　before　us　was　a　frontier　of　the　fixed　ice。　In　accordance；　therefore；　with　my　predetermined　plan；　we　now　began　working　to　the　southward；　and　the　result　fully　justified　my　expectations。

The　sea　became　comparatively　clear；　as　far　as　could　be　seen　from　the　deck　of　the　vessel；　although　small　vagrant　patches　of　ice　that　we　came　up　with　occasionallyas　well　as　the　temperature　of　the　air　and　the　seacontinued　to　indicate　the　proximity　of　larger　bodies　on　either　side　of　us。

It　was　a　curious　sensation　with　which　we　had　gradually　learnt　to　contemplate　this　inseparable　companion：　it　had　become　a　part　of　our　daily　existence；　an　element；　a　thing　without　which　the　general　aspect　of　the　universe　would　be　irregular　and　incomplete。　It　was　the　first　thing　we　thought　of　in　the　morning；　the　last　thing　we　spoke　of　at　night。　It　glittered　and　grinned　maliciously　at　us　in　the　sunshine；　it　winked　mysteriously　through　the　stifling　fog；　it　stretched　itself　like　a　prostrate　giant；　with　huge；　portentous　shoulders　and　shadowy　limbs；　right　across　our　course；　or　danced　gleefully　in　broken　groups　in　the　little　schooner's　wake。　　There　was　no　getting　rid　of　it；　or　forgetting　it；　and　if　at　night　we　sometimes　returned　in　dreams　to　the　green　summer　worldto　the　fervent　harvest　fields　of　England；　and　heard　〃the　murmurs　of　innumerous　bees；〃　or　the　song　of　larks　on　thymy　uplandsthump！　bump！　splash！　gra…a…ate！came　the　sudden　reminder　of　our　friend　on　the　starboard　bow；　and　then　sometimes　a　scurry　on　deck；　and　a　general　〃scrimmage〃　of　the　whole　society；　in　endeavours　to　prevent　more　serious　collisions。　Moreover；　I　could　not　say；　with　your　old　French　friend；　that　〃Familiar'ty　breeds　despise。〃　The　more　we　saw　of　it；　the　less　we　liked　it；　its　cold　presence　sent　a　chilly　sense　of　discouragement　to　the　heart；　and　I　had　daily　to　struggle　with　an　ardent　desire　to　throw　a　boot　at　Wilson's　head；　every　time　his　sepulchral　voice　announced　the　〃Ice　ALL　ROUND！〃

It　was　not　until　the　14th　of　August；　five　days　after　quitting　Spitzbergen；　that　we　lost　sight　of　it　altogether。　From　that　moment　the　temperature　of　the　sea　steadily　rose；　and　we　felt　that　we　were　sailing　back　again　into　the　pleasant　summer。

A　sad　event　which　occurred　soon　after；　in　some　measure　marred　our　enjoyment　of　the　change。　Ever　since　she　had　left　Hammerfest；　it　had　become　too　evident　that　a　sea…going　life　did　not　agree　with　the　goat。　Even　the　run　on　shore　at　Spitzbergen　had　not　sufficed　to　repair　her　shattered　constitution；　and　the　bad　weather　we　had　had　ever　since　completed　its　ruin。　It　was　certain　that　the　butcher　was　the　only　doctor　who　could　now　cure　her。　In　spite；　therefore；　of　the　distress　it　occasioned　Maid　Marian；　I　was　compelled　to　issue　orders　for　her　execution。　Sigurdr　was　the　only　person　who　regarded　the　TRAGICAL　event　with　indifference；　nay；　almost　with　delight。　　Ever　since　we　had　commenced　sailing　in　a　southerly　direction；　we　had　been　obliged　to　beat；　but　during　the　last　four…and…twenty　hours　the　wind　kept　dodging　us　every　time　we　tacked；　as　a　nervous　pedestrian　sets　to　you　sometimes　on　a　narrow　trottoir。　This　spell　of　ill…luck　the　Icelander　heathenishly　thought　would　only　be　removed　by　a　sacrifice　to　Rhin；　the　goddess　of　the　sea；　in　which　light　he　trusted　she　would　look　upon　the　goat's　body　when　it　came　to　be　thrown　overboard。

Whether　the　change　which　followed　upon　the　consignment　of　her　remains　to　the　deep　really　resulted　from　such　an　influence；　I　am　not　prepared　to　say。　The　weather　immediately　thereafter　certainly　DID　change。　First　the　wind　dropped　altogether；　but　though　the　calm　lasted　several　hours；　the　sea　strangely　enough　appeared　to　become　all　the　rougher；　tossing　and　tumbling　restlessly　UP　AND　DOWN（not　over　and　over　as　in　a　gale）like　a　sick　man　on　a　fever　bed；　the　impulse　to　the　waves　seeming　to　proceed　from　all　four　quarters　of　the　world　at　once。　Then；　like　jurymen　with　a　verdict　of　death　upon　their　lips；　the　heavy；　ominous　clouds　slowly　passed　into　the　north…west。

A　dead　stillness　followeda　breathless　pauseuntil；　at　some　mysterious　signal；　the　solemn　voice　of　the　storm　hurtled　over　the　deep。　Luckily　we　were　quite　ready　for　it；　the　gale　came　from　the　right　quarter；　and　the　fiercer　it　blew　the　better。　For　the　next　three　days　and　three　nights　it　was　a　scurry　over　the　sea　such　as　I　never　had　before；　nine　or　ten　knots　an　hour　was　the　very　least　we　ever　went；　and　240　miles　was　the　average　distance　we　made　every　four…and…twenty　hours。

Anything　grander　and　more　exciting　than　the　sight　of　the　sea　under　these　circumstances　you　cannot　imagine。　The　vessel　herself　remains　very　steady；　when　you　are　below　you　scarcely　know　you　are　not　in　port。　But　on　raising　your　head　above　the　companion　the　first　sight　which　meets　your　eye　is　an　upright　wall　of　black　water；　towering；　you　hardly　know　how　many　feet；　into　the　air　over　the　stern。　Like　a　lion　walking　on　its　hind　legs；　it　comes　straight　at　you；　roaring　and　shaking　its　white　mane　with　fury…it　overtakes　the　vesselthe　upright　shiny　face　curves　inwardsthe　white　mane　seems　to　hang　above　your　very　head；　but　ere　it　topples　over；　the　nimble　little　ship　has　already　slipped　from　underneath。　　You　hear　the　disappointed　jaws　of　the　sea…monster　snap　angrily　together；the　schooner　disdainfully　kicks　up　her　heeland　raging　and　bubbling　up　on　either　side　the　quarter；　the　unpausing　wave　sweeps　on；　and　you　see　its　round　back　far　ahead；　gradually　swelling　upwards；　as　it　gathers　strength　and　volume　for　a　new　effort。

We　had　now　got　considerably　to　the　southward　of　North　Cape。　We　had　already　seen　several　ships；　and　you　would　hardly　imagine　with　what　childish　delight　my　people　hailed　these　symptoms　of　having　again　reached　more　〃Christian　latitudes；〃　as　they　called　them。

I　had　always　intended；　ever　since　my　conversation　with　Mr。　T。　about　the　Malstrom；　to　have　called　in　at　Loffoden　Islands　on　our　way　south；　and　ascertain　for　myself　the　real　truth　about　this　famous　vortex。　To　have　blotted　such　a　bugbear　out　of　the　map　of　Europe；　if　its　existence　really　was　a　myth；　would　at　all　events　have　rendered　our　cruise　not　altogether　fruitless。　But；　since　leaving　Spitzbergen；　we　had　never　once　seen　the　sun；　and　to　attempt　to　make　so　dangerous　a　coast　in　a　gale　of　wind　and　a　thick　mist；　with　no　more　certain　knowledge　of　the　ship's　position　than　our　dead　reckoning　afforded；　was　out　of　the　question；　so　about　one　o'clock　in　the　morning；　the　weather　giving　no　signs　of　improvement；　the　course　I　had　shaped　in　the　direction　of　the　island　was　altered；　and　we　stood　away　again　to　the　southward。　　This　manoeuvre　was　not　unobserved　by　Wilson；　but　he　mistook　its　meaning。　Having；　I　suppose；　overheard　us　talking　at　dinner　about　the　Malstrom；　he　now　concluded　the　supreme　hour　had　arrived。　He　did　not　exactly　comprehend　the　terms　we　used；　but　had　gathered　that　the　spot　was　one　fraught　with　danger。　Concluding　from　the　change　made　in　the　vessel's　course　that　we　were　proceeding　towards　the　dreadful　locality；　he　gave　himself　up　to　despair；　and　lay　tossing　in　his　hammock　in　sleepless　anxiety。　At　last　the　load　of　his　forebodings　was　greater　than　he　could　bear；　he　gets　up；　steals　into　the　Doctor's　cabin；　wakes　him　up；　and　standing　over　himas　the　messenger　of　ill　tidings　once　stood　over　Priamwhispers；　〃SIR！〃　〃What　is　it？〃　says　Fitz；　thinking；　perhaps；　some　one　was　ill。　〃Do　you　know　where　we　are　going？〃　〃Why；　to　Throndhjem；〃　answered　Fitz。　〃We　were　going　to　Throndhjem；〃　rejoins　Wilson；　〃but　we　ain't　nowthe　vessel's　course　was　altered　two　hours　ago。　Oh；　Sir！　we　are　going　to　Whirlpool…to　WHIRL…RL…POOO…L！　Sir！〃　in　a　quaver　of　consternation；and　so　glides　back　to　bed　like　a　phantom；　leaving　the　Doctor　utterly　unable　to　divine　the　occasion　of　his　visit。

The　whole　of　the　next　day　the　gale　continued。　We　had　now　sailed　back　into　night；　it　became　therefore　a　question　how　far　it　would　be　advisable　to　carry　on　during　the　ensuing　hours　of　darkness；　considering　how　uncertain　we　were　as　to　our　real　position。　As　I　think　I　have　already　described　to　you；　the　west　coast　of　Norway　is　very　dangerous；　a　continuous　sheet　of　sunken　rocks　lies　out　along　its　entire　edge　for　eight　or　ten　miles　to　sea。　There　are　no　lighthouses　to　warn　the　mariner　off；　and　if　we　were　wrong　in　our　reckoning；　as　we　might　very　well　be；　it　was　possible　we　might　stumble　on　the　land　sooner　than　we　expected。　I　knew　the　proper　course　would　be　to　lie　to　quietly　until　we　could　take　an　observation；　but　time　was　so　valuable；　and　I　was　so　fearful　you　would　be　getting　anxious。　The　night　was　pretty　clear。　High　mountains；　such　as　we　were　expecting　to　make；　would　be　seen；　even　at　night；　several　miles　off。　　According　to　our　log　we　were　still　150　miles　off　the　land；　and；　however　inaccurate　our　calculation　might　be；　the　error　could　not　be　of　such　magnitude　as　that　amounted　to。　To　throw　away　so　fair　a　wind　seemed　such　a　pity；　especially　as　it　might　be　days　before　the　sun　appeared；　we　had　already　been　at　sea　about　a　fortnight　without　a　sight　of　him；　and　his　appearance　at　all　during　the　summer　is　not　an　act　DE　RIGUEUR