The Field of Ice : Part II of the Adventures of Captain Hatteras
By Jules Verne
[Redactor's Note: The Field of Ice {Number V004 (Part II)} in the
T&M numerical listing of Verne's works is a translation of Part II
of Voyages et aventures du capitane Hatteras: II: LeDésert de glace
(1866) first published in England in this Routledge (London, 1874)
anonymous translation. Other translations are Osgood (Boston, 1874),
Ward, Lock, and Tyler (1876), Goubaud & Son (London, 1877), and
Hutchinson (London, 1890). This early work was never published by
Scribners or Sampson and Low and never found the wide popularity
obtained by the works published by those houses. Page numbers are
retained in this version to assist in the later collating the
numerous illustrations. A List of Illustrations has been provided.
(NMW)]
LONDON AND NEW YORK
GEORGE ROUTLEDGE AND SONS
1875
[All rights reserved.]
LONDON
Printed by Simmons and Botten
Shoe Lane, E.C.
THE FIELD OF ICE.
CHAPTER I.
THE DOCTOR'S INVENTORY.
It was a bold project of Hatteras to push his way to the North Pole,
and gain for his country the honour and glory of its discovery. But
he had done all that lay in human power now, and, after having
struggled for nine months against currents and tempests, shattering
icebergs and breaking through almost insurmountable barriers, amid
the cold of an unprecedented winter, after having outdistanced all
his predecessors and accomplished half his task, he suddenly saw all
his hopes blasted. The treachery, or rather the despondency, of his
worn-out crew, and the criminal folly of one or two leading spirits
among them had left him and his little band of men in a terrible
situation--helpless in an icy desert, two thousand five hundred
miles away from their native land, and without even a ship to
shelter them.
However, the courage of Hatteras was still undaunted. The three men
which were left him were the
[Illustration: ]
best on board his brig, and while they remained he might venture to
hope.
After the cheerful, manly words of the captain, the Doctor felt the
best thing to be done was to look their prospects fairly in the
face, and know the exact state of things. Accordingly, leaving his
companions, he stole away alone down to the scene of the explosion.
Of the Forward, the brig that had been so carefully built and had
become so dear, not a vestige remained. Shapeless blackened
fragments, twisted bars of iron,
[Illustration: ]
cable ends still smouldering, and here and there in the distance
spiral wreaths of smoke, met his eye on all sides. His cabin and all
his precious treasures were gone, his books, and instruments, and
collections reduced to ashes. As he stood thinking mournfully of his
irreparable loss, he was joined by Johnson, who grasped his offered
hand in speechless sorrow.
"What's to become of us?" asked the Doctor.
"Who can tell!" was the old sailor's reply.
"Anyhow," said Clawbonny, "do not let us despair! Let us be
men!"
"Yes, Mr. Clawbonny, you are right. Now is the time to show our
mettle. We are in a bad plight, and how to get out of it, that is
the question."
"Poor old brig!" exclaimed the Doctor. "I had grown so
attached to her. I loved her as one loves a house where he has spent
a life-time."
"Ay! it's strange what a hold those planks and beams get on a
fellow's heart."
"And the long-boat--is that burnt?" asked the Doctor.
"No, Mr. Clawbonny. Shandon and his gang have carried it off."
"And the pirogue?"
"Shivered into a thousand pieces? Stop. Do you see those bits of
sheet-iron? That is all that remains of it."
"Then we have nothing but the Halkett-boat?"
"Yes, we have that still, thanks to your idea of taking it with
you."
"That isn't much," said the Doctor.
"Oh, those base traitors!" exclaimed Johnson. "Heaven punish
them as they deserve!"
"Johnson," returned the Doctor, gently, "we must not forget
how sorely they have been tried. Only the best remain good in the
evil day; few can stand trouble. Let us pity our fellow-sufferers,
and not curse them."
For the next few minutes both were silent, and then Johnson asked
what had become of the sledge.
"We left it about a mile off," was the reply.
"In charge of Simpson?"
"No, Simpson is dead, poor fellow!"
"Simpson dead!"
"Yes, his strength gave way entirely, and he first sank."
"Poor Simpson! And yet who knows if he isn't rather to be
envied?"
"But, for the dead man we have left behind, we have brought back a
dying one."
"A dying man?"
"Yes, Captain Altamont."
And in a few words he informed Johnson of their discovery.
"An American!" said Johnson, as the recital was ended.
"Yes, everything goes to prove that. But I wonder what the
Porpoise was, and what brought her in these seas?"
"She rushed on to her ruin like the rest of foolhardy adventurers;
but, tell me, did you find the coal?"
The Doctor shook his head sadly.
"No coal! not a vestige! No, we did not even get as far as the
place mentioned by Sir Edward Belcher."
"Then we have no fuel whatever?" said the old sailor.
"No."
"And no provisions?"
"No."
"And no ship to make our way back to England?"
It required courage indeed to face these gloomy realities, but,
after a moment's silence, Johnson said again--
"Well, at any rate we know exactly how we stand. The first thing
to be done now is to make a hut, for we can't stay long exposed to
this temperature."
"Yes, we'll soon manage that with Bell's help," replied the
Doctor. "Then we must go and find the sledge, and bring back the
American, and have a consultation with Hatteras."
"Poor captain," said Johnson, always forgetting his own
troubles, "how he must feel it!"
Clawbonny and Bell found Hatteras standing motionless, his arms
folded in his usual fashion. He seemed gazing into space, but his
face had recovered its calm, self-possessed expression. His faithful
dog stood beside him, like his master, apparently insensible to the
biting cold, though the temperature was 32 degrees below zero.
Bell lay on the ice in an almost inanimate condition. Johnson had to
take vigorous measures to rouse him, but at last, by dint of shaking
and rubbing him with snow, he succeeded.
"Come, Bell," he cried, "don't give way like this. Exert
yourself, my man; we must have a talk about our situation, and we
need a place to put our heads in. Come and help me, Bell. You
haven't forgotten how to make a snow hut, have you? There is an
iceberg all ready to hand; we've only got to hollow it out.
Let's set to work; we shall find that is the best remedy for us."
Bell tried to shake off his torpor and help his comrade, while Mr.
Clawbonny undertook to go and fetch the sledge and the dogs.
"Will you go with him, captain?" asked Johnson.
"No, my friend," said Hatteras, in a gentle tone, "if the
Doctor will kindly undertake the task. Before the day ends I must
come to some resolution, and I need to be alone to think. Go. Do
meantime whatever you think best. I will deal with the future."
[Illustration: ]
Johnson went back to the Doctor, and said--
"It's very strange, but the captain seems quite to have got over
his anger. I never heard him speak so gently before."
"So much the better," said Clawbonny. "Believe me, Johnson,
that man can save us yet."
And drawing his hood as closely round his head as possible, the
Doctor seized his iron-tipped staff, and set out without further
delay.
Johnson and Bell commenced operations immediately. They had simply
to dig a hole in the heart of a great block of ice; but it was not
easy work, owing to the extreme hardness of the material. However,
this very hardness guaranteed the solidity of the dwelling, and the
further their labours advanced the more they became sheltered.
Hatteras alternately paced up and down, and stood motionless,
evidently shrinking from any approach to the scene of explosion.
In about an hour the Doctor returned, bringing with him Altamont
lying on the sledge, wrapped up in the folds of the tent. The poor
dogs were so exhausted from starvation that they could scarcely draw
it along, and they had begun to gnaw their harness. It was, indeed,
high time for feasts and men to take food and rest.
While the hut was being still further dug out, the Doctor went
foraging about, and had the good fortune to find a little stove,
almost undamaged by the explosion. He soon restored it to working
trim, and, by the time the hut was completed, had filled it with
wood and got it lighted. Before long it was roaring, and diffusing a
genial warmth on all sides. The American was brought in and laid on
blankets, and the four Englishmen seated themselves round the fire
to enjoy their scanty meal of biscuit and hot tea, the last remains
of the provisions on the sledge. Not a word was spoken by Hatteras,
and the others respected his silence.
When the meal was over, the Doctor rose and went out, making a sign
to Johnson to follow.
"Come, Johnson," he said, "we will take an inventory of all we
have left. We must know exactly how we are off, and our treasures
are scattered in all directions; so we had better begin, and pick
them up as fast as possible, for the snow may fall at any moment,
and then it would be quite useless to look for anything."
"Don't let us lose a minute, then," replied Johnson. "Fire
and food--those are our chief wants."
"Very well, you take one side and I'll take the other, and
we'll search from the centre to the circumference."
This task occupied two hours, and all they discovered was a little
salt meat, about 50 lbs. of pemmican, three sacks of biscuits, a
small stock of chocolate, five or six pints of brandy, and about 2
lbs. of coffee, picked up bean by bean off the ice.
Neither blankets, nor hammocks, nor clothing--all had been consumed
in the devouring flame.
This slender store of provisions would hardly last three weeks, and
they had wood enough to supply the stove for about the same time.
[Illustration: The tired-out dogs were harnessed sorely against
their will, and before long returned bringing the few but precious
treasures found among the débris of the brig.--P.9]
Now that the inventory was made, the next business was to fetch the
sledge. The tired-out dogs were harnessed sorely against their will,
and before long returned bringing the few but precious treasures
found among the débris of the brig. These were safely deposited in
the hut, and then Johnson and Clawbonny, half-frozen with their
work, resumed their places beside their companions in misfortune.
CHAPTER II.
FIRST WORDS OF ALTAMONT.
About eight o'clock in the evening, the grey snow clouds cleared
away for a little, and the stars shone out brilliantly in the sky.
Hatteras seized the opportunity and went out silently to take the
altitude of some of the principal constellations. He wished to
ascertain if the ice-field was still drifting.
In half an hour he returned and sat down in a corner of the hut,
where he remained without stirring all night, motionless as if
asleep, but in reality buried in deepest thought.
The next day the snow fell heavily, and the Doctor congratulated
himself on his wise forethought, when he saw the white sheet lying
three feet thick over the scene of the explosion, completely
obliterating all traces of the Forward.
It was impossible to venture outside in such weather, but the stove
drew capitally, and made the hut quite comfortable, or at any rate
it seemed so to the weary, worn out adventurers.
The American was in less pain, and was evidently gradually coming
back to life. He opened his eyes, but could not yet speak, for his
lips were so affected by the scurvy that articulation was
impossible, but he could hear and understand all that was said to
him. On learning what had passed, and the circumstances of his
discovery, he expressed his thanks by gestures, and the Doctor was
too wise to let him know how brief his respite from death would
prove. In three weeks at most every vestige of food would be gone.
About noon Hatteras roused himself, and going up to his friends,
said--
"We must make up our minds what to do, but I must request Johnson
to tell me first all the particulars of the mutiny on the brig, and
how this final act of baseness came about."
"What good will that do?" said the Doctor. "The fact is
certain, and it is no use thinking over it."
"I differ from your opinion," rejoined Hatteras. "Let me hear
the whole affair from Johnson, and then I will banish it from my
thoughts."
"Well," said the boatswain, "this was how it happened. I did
all in my power to prevent, but----"
"I am sure of that, Johnson; and what's more, I have no doubt
the ringleaders had been hatching their plans for some time."
"That's my belief too," said the Doctor.
[Illustration: Johnson's Story. --P.11]
"And so it is mine," resumed Johnson; "for almost immediately
after your departure Shandon, supported by the others, took the
command of the ship.
I could not resist him, and from that moment everybody did pretty
much as they pleased. Shandon made no attempt to restrain them: it
was his policy to make them believe that their privations and toils
were at an end. Economy was entirely disregarded. A blazing fire was
kept up in the stove, and the men were allowed to eat and drink at
discretion; not only tea and coffee was at their disposal, but all
the spirits on board, and on men who had been so long deprived of
ardent liquors, you may guess the result. They went on in this
manner from the 7th to the 15th of January."
"And this was Shandon's doing?" asked Hatteras.
"Yes, captain."
"Never mention his name to me again! Go on, Johnson."
"It was about the 24th or 25th of January, that they resolved to
abandon the ship. Their plan was to reach the west coast of
Baffin's Bay, and from thence to embark in the boat and follow the
track of the whalers, or to get to some of the Greenland settlements
on the eastern side. Provisions were abundant, and the sick men were
so excited by the hope of return that they were almost well. They
began their preparations for departure by making a sledge which they
were to draw themselves, as they had no dogs. This was not ready
till the 15th of February, and I was always hoping for your arrival,
though I half dreaded it too, for you could have done nothing with
the men, and they would have massacred you rather than remain on
board. I tried my influence on each one separately, remonstrating
and reasoning with them, and pointing out the dangers they would
encounter, and also the cowardice of leaving you, but it was a mere
waste of words; not even the best among them would listen to me.
Shandon was impatient to be off, and fixed the 22nd of February for
starting. The sledge and the boat were packed as closely as possible
with provisions and spirits, and heaps of wood, to obtain which they
had hewed the brig down to her water-line. The last day the men ran
riot. They completely sacked the ship, and in a drunken paroxysm Pen
and two or three others set it on fire. I fought and struggled
against them, but they threw me down and assailed me with blows, and
then the wretches, headed by Shandon, went off towards the east and
were soon out of sight. I found myself alone on the burning ship,
and what could I do? The fire-hole was completely blocked up with
ice. I had not a single drop of water! For two days the Forward
struggled with the flames, and you know the rest."
A long silence followed the gloomy recital, broken at length by
Hatteras, who said--
"Johnson, I thank you; you did all you could to save my ship, but
single-handed you could not resist. Again I thank you, and now let
the subject be dropped. Let us unite efforts for our common
salvation. There are four of us, four companions, four friends, and
all our lives are equally precious. Let each give his opinion on the
best course for us to pursue."
"You ask us then, Hatteras," said the Doctor, "we are all
devoted to you, and our words come from our hearts. But will you not
state you own views first?"
"That would be little use," said Hatteras, sadly; "my opinion
might appear interested; let me hear all yours first."
"Captain," said Johnson, "before pronouncing on such an
important matter, I wish to ask you a question."
"Ask it, then, Johnson."
"You went out yesterday to ascertain our exact position; well, is
the field drifting or stationary?"
"Perfectly stationary. It had not moved since the last reckoning
was made. I find we are just where we were before we left, in 80°
15" lat. and 97° 35" long."
"And what distance are we from the nearest sea to the west?"
"About six hundred miles."
"And that sea is----?"
"Smith's Sound," was the reply.
"The same that we could not get through last April?"
"The same."
"Well, captain, now we know our actual situation, we are in a
better position to determine our course of action."
"Speak your minds, then," said Hatteras, again burying his head
in his hands.
"What do you say, Bell?" asked the Doctor.
"It strikes me the case doesn't need long thinking over," said
the carpenter. "We must get back at once without losing a single
day or even a single hour, either to the south or west, and make our
way to the nearest coast, even if we are two months doing it!"
"We have only food for three weeks," replied Hatteras, without
raising his head.
"Very well," said Johnson, "we must make the journey in three
weeks, since it is our last chance. Even if we can only crawl on our
knees before we get to our destination, we must be there in
twenty-five days."
"This part of the Arctic Continent is unexplored. We may have to
encounter difficulties. Mountains and glaciers may bar our
progress," objected Hatteras.
"I don't see that's any sufficient reason for not attempting
it. We shall have to endure sufferings, no doubt, and perhaps many.
We shall have to limit ourselves to the barest quantities of food,
unless our guns should procure us anything."
"There is only about half a pound of powder left," said Hatteras.
"Come now, Hatteras, I know the full weight of your objections,
and I am not deluding myself with vain hopes. But I think I can read
your motive. Have you any practical suggestion to offer?"
"No," said Hatteras, after a little hesitation.
"You don't doubt our courage," continued the Doctor. "We
would follow you to the last--you know that. But must we not,
meantime, give up all hope of reaching the Pole? Your plans have
been defeated by treachery. Natural difficulties you might have
overcome, but you have been outmatched by perfidy and human
weakness. You have done all that man could do, and you would have
succeeded I am certain; but situated as we are now, are you not
obliged to relinquish your projects for the present, and is not a
return to England even positively necessary before you could
continue them?"
"Well, captain?" asked Johnson after waiting a considerable time
for Hatteras to reply.
Thus interrogated, he raised his head, and said in a constrained
tone--
"You think yourselves quite certain then of reaching the Sound,
exhausted though you are, and almost without food?"
"No," replied the Doctor, "but there is one thing certain, the
Sound won't come to us, we must go to it. We may chance to find
some Esquimaux tribes further south."
"Besides, isn't there the chance of falling in with some ship
that is wintering here?" asked Johnson.
"Even supposing the Sound is blocked up, couldn't we get across
to some Greenland or Danish settlement? At any rate, Hatteras, we
can get nothing by remaining here. The route to England is towards
the south, not the north."
"Yes," said Bell, "Mr. Clawbonny is right. We must start, and
start at once. We have been forgetting our country too long
already."
"Is this your advice, Johnson?" asked Hatteras again.
"Yes, captain."
"And yours, Doctor?"
"Yes, Hatteras."
Hatteras remained silent, but his face, in spite of himself,
betrayed his inward agitation. The issue of his whole life hung on
the decision he had to make, for he felt that to return to England
was to lose all! He could not venture on a fourth expedition.
The Doctor finding he did not reply, added--
"I ought also to have said, that there is not a moment to lose.
The sledge must be loaded with the provisions at once, and as much
wood as possible. I must confess six hundred miles is a long
journey, but we can, or rather we must make twenty miles a day,
which will bring us to the coast about the 26th of March."
"But cannot we wait a few days yet?" said Hatteras.
"What are you hoping for?" asked Johnson.
"I don't know. Who can tell the future? It is necessary, too,
that you should get your strength a little recruited. You might sink
down on the road with fatigue, without even a snow hut to shelter
you."
"But think of the terrible death that awaits us here," replied
the carpenter.
"My friends," said Hatteras, in almost supplicating tones;
"you are despairing too soon. I should propose that we should seek
our deliverance towards the north, but you would refuse to follow
me, and yet why should there not be Esquimaux tribes round about the
Pole as well as towards the south? The open sea, of the existence of
which we are certified, must wash the shores of continents. Nature
is logical in all her doings. Consequently vegetation must be found
there when the earth is no longer ice-bound. Is there not a promised
land awaiting us in the north from which you would flee?"
Hatteras became animated as he spoke, and Doctor Clawbonny's
excitable nature was so wrought upon that his decision began to
waver. He was on the point of yielding, when Johnson, with his wiser
head and calmer temperament, recalled him to reason and duty by
calling out--
"Come, Bell, let us be off to the sledge."
"All right," said Bell, and the two had risen to leave the hut,
when Hatteras exclaimed--
"Oh, Johnson! You! you! Well, go! I shall stay, I shall stay!"
"Captain!" said Johnson, stopping in spite of himself.
"I shall stay, I tell you. Go! Leave me like the rest! Come, Duk,
you and I will stay together."
The faithful dog barked as if he understood, and settled himself
down beside his master. Johnson looked at the Doctor, who seemed at
a loss to know what to do, but came to the conclusion at last that
the best way, meantime, was to calm Hatteras, even at the sacrifice
of a day. He was just about to try the force of his eloquence in
this direction, when he felt a light touch on his arm, and turning
round saw Altamont who had crawled out of bed and managed to get on
his knees. He was trying to speak, but his swollen lips could
scarcely make a sound. Hatteras went towards him, and watched his
efforts to articulate so attentively that in a few minutes he made
out a word that sounded like Porpoise, and stooping over him he
asked--
"Is it the Porpoise?"
Altamont made a sign in the affirmative, and Hatteras went on with
his queries, now that he had found a clue.
"In these seas?"
The affirmative gesture was repeated.
"Is she in the north?"
"Yes."
"Do you know her position?"
"Yes."
"Exactly?"
"Yes."
For a minute or so, nothing more was said, and the onlookers waited
with palpitating hearts.
Then Hatteras spoke again and said--
"Listen to me. We must know the exact position of your vessel. I
will count the degrees aloud, and you; will stop me when I come to
the right one."
The American assented by a motion of the head, and Hatteras began--
"We'll take the longitude first. 105°, No? 106°, 107°? It is
to the west, I suppose?"
"Yes," replied Altamont.
"Let us go on, then: 109°, 110°, 112°, 114°, 116°, 118°,
120°."
"Yes," interrupted the sick man.
[Illustration: ]
"120° of longitude, and how many minutes? I will count."
Hatteras began at number one, and when he got to fifteen, Altamont
made a sign to stop.
"Very good," said Hatteras; "now for the latitude. Are you
listening? 80°, 81°, 82°, 83°."
Again the sign to stop was made.
"Now for the minutes: 5', 10', 15', 20', 25', 30',
35'."
Altamont stopped him once more, and smiled feebly.
"You say, then, that the Porpoise is in longitude 120° 15', and
latitude 83° 35'?"
"Yes," sighed the American, and fell back motionless in the
Doctor's arms, completely overpowered by the effort he had made.
"Friends!" exclaimed Hatteras; "you see I was right. Our
salvation lies indeed in the north, always in the north. We shall be
saved!"
But the joyous, exulting words had hardly escaped his lips before a
sudden thought made his countenance change. The serpent of jealousy
had stung him, for this stranger was an American, and he had reached
three degrees nearer the Pole than the ill-fated Forward.
CHAPTER III.
A SEVENTEEN DAYS' MARCH.
These first words of Altamont had completely changed the whole
aspect of affairs, but his communication was still incomplete, and,
after giving him a little time to rest, the Doctor undertook the
task of conversing again with him, putting his questions in such a
form that a movement of the head or eyes would be a sufficient
answer.
He soon ascertained that the Porpoise was a three-mast American
ship, from New York, wrecked on the ice, with provisions and
combustibles in abundance still on board, and that, though she had
been thrown on her side, she had not gone to pieces, and there was
every chance of saving her cargo.
Altamont and his crew had left her two months previously, taking the
long boat with them on a sledge. They intended to get to Smith's
Sound, and reach some whaler that would take them back to America;
but one after another succumbed to fatigue and illness, till at last
Altamont and two men were all that remained out of thirty; and truly
he had survived by a providential miracle, while his two companions
already lay beside him in the sleep of death.
Hatteras wished to know why the Porpoise had come so far north, and
learned in reply that she had been irresistibly driven there by the
ice. But his anxious fears were not satisfied with this explanation,
and he asked further what was the purpose of his voyage. Altamont
said he wanted to make the north-west passage, and this appeared to
content the jealous Englishman, for he made no more reference to the
subject. "Well," said the Doctor, "it strikes me that, instead
of trying to get to Baffin's Bay, our best plan would be to go in
search of the Porpoise, for here lies a ship a full third of the
distance nearer, and, more than that, stocked with everything
necessary for winter quarters."
"I see no other course open to us," replied Bell.
"And the sooner we go the better," added Johnson, "for the
time we allow ourselves must depend on our provisions."
"You are right, Johnson," returned the Doctor. "If we start
to-morrow, we must reach the Porpoise by the 15th of March, unless
we mean to die of starvation. What do you say, Hatteras?"
"Let us make preparations immediately, but perhaps the route may
be longer than we suppose."
"How can that be, captain? The man seems quite sure of the
position of his ship," said the Doctor.
"But suppose the ice-field should have drifted like ours?"
Here Altamont, who was listening attentively, made a sign that he
wished to speak, and, after much difficulty, he succeeded in telling
the Doctor that the Porpoise had struck on rocks near the coast, and
that it was impossible for her to move.
This was re-assuring information, though it cut off all hope of
returning to Europe, unless Bell could construct a smaller ship out
of the wreck.
[Illustration: ]
No time was lost in getting ready to start. The sledge was the
principal thing, as it needed thorough repair. There was plenty of
wood, and, profiting by the experience they had recently had of this
mode of transit, several improvements were made by Bell.
Inside, a sort of couch was laid for the American, and covered over
with the tent. The small stock of provisions did not add much to the
weight, but, to make up the deficiency, as much wood was piled up on
it as it could hold.
The Doctor did the packing, and made an exact calculation of how
long their stores would last. He found that, by allowing
three-quarter rations to each man and full rations to the dogs, they
might hold out for three weeks.
Towards seven in the evening, they felt so worn out that they were
obliged to give up work for the night; but, before lying down to
sleep, they heaped up the wood in the stove, and made a roaring
fire, determined to allow themselves this parting luxury. As they
gathered round it, basking in the unaccustomed heat, and enjoying
their hot coffee and biscuits and pemmican, they became quite
cheerful, and forgot all their sufferings.
About seven in the morning they set to work again and by three in
the afternoon everything was ready.
It was almost dark, for, though the sun had reappeared above the
horizon since the 31st of January, his light was feeble and of short
duration. Happily the moon would rise about half-past six, and her
soft beams would give sufficient light to show the road.
The parting moment came. Altamont was overjoyed at the idea of
starting, though the jolting would necessarily increase his
sufferings, for the Doctor would find on board the medicines he
required for his cure.
They lifted him on to the sledge, and laid him as comfortably as
possible, and then harnessed the dogs, including Duk. One final look
towards the icy bed where the Forward had been, and the little party
set out for the Porpoise. Bell was scout, as before; the Doctor and
Johnson took each a side of the sledge, and lent a helping hand when
necessary; while Hatteras walked behind to keep all in the right
track.
They got on pretty quickly, for the weather was good, and the ice
smooth and hard, allowing the sledge to glide easily along, yet the
temperature was so low that men and dogs were soon panting, and had
often to stop and take breath. About seven the moon shone out, and
irradiated the whole horizon. Far as the eye could see, there was
nothing visible but a wide-stretching level plain of ice, without a
solitary hummock or patch to relieve the uniformity.
[Illustration: ]
As the Doctor remarked to his companion, it looked like some vast,
monotonous desert.
"Ay! Mr. Clawbonny, it is a desert, but we shan't die of thirst
in it at any rate."
"That's a comfort, certainly, but I'll tell you one thing: it
proves, Johnson, we must be a great distance from any coast. The
nearer the coast, the more numerous the icebergs in general, and you
see there is not one in sight."
"The horizon is rather misty, though."
"So it is, but ever since we started, we have been on this same
interminable ice-field."
"Do you know, Mr. Clawbonny, that smooth as this ice is, we are
going over most dangerous ground? Fathomless abysses lie beneath our
feet."
"That's true enough, but they won't engulph us. This white
sheet over them is pretty tough, I can tell you. It is always
getting thicker too; for in these latitudes, it snows nine days out
of ten even in April and May; ay, and in June as well. The ice here,
in some parts, cannot be less than between thirty and forty feet
thick."
"That sounds reassuring, at all events." said Johnson.
"Yes, we're not like the skaters on the Serpentine--always in
danger of falling through. This ice is strong enough to bear the
weight of the Custom House in Liverpool, or the Houses of Parliament
in Westminster."
"Can they reckon pretty nearly what ice will bear, Mr.
Clawbonny?" asked the old sailor, always eager for information.
"What can't be reckoned now-a-days? Yes, ice two inches thick
will bear a man; three and a half inches, a man on horse-back; five
inches, an eight pounder; eight inches, field artillery; and ten
inches, a whole army."
"It is difficult to conceive of such a power of resistance, but
you were speaking of the incessant snow just now, and I cannot help
wondering where it comes from, for the water all round is frozen,
and what makes the clouds?"
"That's a natural enough question, but my notion is that nearly
all the snow or rain that we get here comes from the temperate
zones. I fancy each of those snowflakes was originally a drop of
water in some river, caught up by evaporation into the air, and
wafted over here in the shape of clouds; so that it is not
impossible that when we quench our thirst with the melted snow, we
are actually drinking from the very rivers of our own native land."
Just at this moment the conversation was interrupted by Hatteras,
who called out that they were getting out of the straight line. The
increasing mist made it difficult to keep together, and at last,
about eight o'clock, they determined to come to a halt, as they
had gone fifteen miles. The tent was put up and the stove lighted,
and after their usual supper they lay down and slept comfortably
till morning.
The calm atmosphere was highly favourable, for though the cold
became intense, and the mercury was always frozen in the
thermometer, they found no difficulty in continuing their route,
confirming the truth of Parry's assertion that any man suitably
clad may walk abroad with impunity in the lowest temperature,
provided there is no wind; while, on the other hand, the least
breeze would make the skin smart acutely, and bring on violent
headache, which would soon end in death.
On the 5th of March a peculiar phenomenon occurred. The sky was
perfectly clear and glittering with stars, when suddenly snow began
to fall thick and fast, though there was not a cloud in the heavens
and through the white flakes the constellations could be seen
shining. This curious display lasted two hours, and ceased before
the Doctor could arrive at any satisfactory conclusion as to its
cause.
The moon had ended her last quarter, and complete darkness prevailed
now for seventeen hours out of the twenty-four. The travellers had
to fasten themselves together with a long rope to avoid getting
separated, and it was all but impossible to pursue the right course.
Moreover, the brave fellows, in spite of their iron will, began to
show signs of fatigue. Halts became more frequent, and yet every
hour was precious, for the provisions were rapidly coming to an end.
Hatteras hardly knew what to think as day after day went on without
apparent result, and he asked himself sometimes whether the Porpoise
had any actual existence except in Altamont's fevered brain, and
more than once the idea even came into his head that perhaps
national hatred might have induced the American to drag them along
with himself to certain death.
He told the Doctor his suppositions, who rejected them absolutely,
and laid them down to the score of the unhappy rivalry that had
arisen already between the two captains.
[Illustration: ]
On the 14th of March, after sixteen days' march the little party
found themselves only yet in the 82° latitude. Their strength was
exhausted, and they had a hundred miles more to go. To increase
their sufferings, rations had to be still further reduced. Each man
must be content with a fourth part to allow the dogs their full
quantity.
Unfortunately they could not rely at all on their guns, for only
seven charges of powder were left, and six balls. They had fired at
several hares and foxes on the road already, but unsuccessfully.
However, on the 15th, the Doctor was fortunate enough to surprise a
seal basking on the ice, and, after several shots, the animal was
captured and killed.
Johnson soon had it skinned and cut in pieces, but it was so lean
that it was worthless as food, unless its captors would drink the
oil like the Esquimaux.
The Doctor was bold enough to make the attempt, but failed in spite
of himself.
Next day several icebergs and hummocks were noticed on the horizon.
Was this a sign that land was near, or was it some ice-field that
had broken up? It was difficult to know what to surmise.
On arriving at the first of these hummocks, the travellers set to
work to make a cave in it where they could rest more comfortably
than in the tent, and after three hours' persevering toil, were
able to light their stove and lie down beside it to stretch their
weary limbs.
CHAPTER IV.
THE LAST CHARGE OF POWDER
Johnson was obliged to take the dogs inside the hut, for they would
have been soon frozen outside in such dry weather. Had it been
snowing they would have been safe enough, for the snow served as a
covering, and kept in the natural heat of the animals.
The old sailor, who made a first-rate dog-driver, tried his beasts
with the oily flesh of the seal; and found, to his joyful surprise,
that they ate it greedily. The Doctor said he was not astonished at
this, as in North America the horses were chiefly fed on fish; and
he thought that what would satisfy an herbivorous horse might surely
content an omnivorous dog.
The whole party were soon buried in deep sleep, for they were fairly
overcome with fatigue. Johnson awoke his companions early next
morning, and the march was resumed in haste. Their lives depended
now on their speed, for provisions would only hold out three days
longer.
The sky was magnificent; the atmosphere extremely clear, and the
temperature very low. The sun rose in the form of a long ellipse,
owing to refraction, which made his horizontal diameter appear twice
the length of his vertical.
[Illustration: ]
The Doctor, gun in hand, wandered away from the others, braving the
solitude and the cold in the hope of discovering game. He had only
sufficient powder left to load three times, and he had just three
balls. That was little enough should he encounter a bear, for it
often takes ten or twelve shots to have any effect on these enormous
animals.
But the brave Doctor would have been satisfied with humbler game. A
few hares or foxes would be a welcome addition to their scanty food;
but all that day, if even he chanced to see one, either he was too
far away, or he was deceived by refraction, and took a wrong aim. He
came back to his companions at night with crestfallen looks, having
wasted one ball and one charge of powder.
Next day the route appeared more difficult, and the weary men could
hardly drag themselves along. The dogs had devoured even the
entrails of the seal, and began to gnaw their traces.
A few foxes passed in the distance, and the Doctor lost another ball
in attempting to shoot them.
They were forced to come to a halt early in the evening, though the
road was illumined by a splendid Aurora Borealis; for they could not
put one foot before the other.
Their last meal, on the Sunday evening, was a very sad one--if no
providential help came, their doom was sealed.
Johnson set a few traps before going to sleep, though he had no
baits to put inside them. He was very disappointed to find them all
empty in the morning, and was returning gloomily to the hut, when he
perceived a bear of huge dimensions. The old sailor took it into his
head that Heaven had sent this beast specially for him to kill; and
without waking his comrades, he seized the Doctor's gun, and was
soon in pursuit of his prey. On reaching the right distance, he took
aim; but, just as his finger touched the trigger, he felt his arm
tremble. His thick gloves hampered him, and, flinging them hastily
off, he took up the gun with a firmer grasp. But what a cry of agony
escaped him! The skin of his fingers stuck to the gun as if it had
been
red-hot, and he was forced to let it drop. The sudden fall made it
go off, and the last ball was discharged in the air.
The Doctor ran out at the noise of the report, and understood all at
a glance. He saw the animal walking quietly off, and poor Johnson
forgetting his sufferings in his despair.
[Illustration: ]
"I am a regular milksop!" he exclaimed, "a cry-baby, that
can't stand the least pain! And at my age, too!"
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