The World of Ice Vol.I By R. M. Ballantyne The World of Ice Chapter One. Some of the dramatis personae IntroducedRetrospective GlancesCauses of Future EffectsOur Hero’s Early Life at SeaA PirateA Terrible Fight and its ConsequencesBuzzby’s Helm Lashed AmidshipsA Whaling Cruise Begun. Nobody ever caught John Buzzby asleep by any chance whatever. No weasel was ever half so sensitive on that point as he was. Wherever he happened to be (and in the course of his adventurous life he had been to nearly all parts of the known world) he was the first awake in the morning and the last asleep at night; he always answered promptly to the first call, and was never known by any man living to have been seen with his eyes shut, except when he winked, and that operation he performed less frequently than other men. John Buzzby was an old salta regular true-blue jack tar of the old school, who had been born and bred at sea; had visited foreign parts innumerable; had weathered more storms than he could count, and had witnessed more strange sights than he could remember. He was tough, and sturdy, and grizzled, and broad, and square, and massivea first-rate specimen of a John Bull, and, according to himself, “always kept his weather-eye open.” This remark of his was apt to create confusion in the minds of his hearers, for John meant the expression to be understood figuratively, while, in point of fact, he almost always kept one of his literal eyes open and the other partially closed, but as he reversed the order of arrangement frequently, he might have been said to
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TheWorldofIceVol.I
ByR.M.Ballantyne
TheWorldofIce
ChapterOne.Some of the dramatis personae IntroducedRetrospective GlancesCauses ofFuture EffectsOur Hero’s Early Life at SeaA PirateA Terrible Fight and itsConsequencesBuzzby’sHelmLashedAmidshipsAWhalingCruiseBegun.NobodyevercaughtJohnBuzzbyasleepbyanychancewhatever.Noweaselwaseverhalfsosensitiveonthatpointashewas.Whereverhehappenedtobe(andinthecourseofhisadventurouslifehehadbeentonearlyallpartsoftheknownworld) hewas the first awake in themorning and the last asleep atnight;healwaysansweredpromptlytothefirstcall,andwasneverknownbyanymanlivingtohavebeenseenwithhiseyesshut,exceptwhenhewinked,andthatoperationheperformedlessfrequentlythanothermen.JohnBuzzbywasanoldsaltaregulartrue-bluejacktaroftheoldschool,whohad been born and bred at sea; had visited foreign parts innumerable; hadweatheredmorestormsthanhecouldcount,andhadwitnessedmorestrangesights thanhecould remember.Hewas tough, and sturdy, andgrizzled, andbroad, and square, and massivea first-rate specimen of a John Bull, and,accordingtohimself,“alwayskepthisweather-eyeopen.”Thisremarkofhiswas apt to create confusion in theminds of his hearers, for Johnmeant theexpression to be understood figuratively, while, in point of fact, he almostalwayskeptoneofhisliteraleyesopenandtheotherpartiallyclosed,butashe reversed theorderofarrangement frequently,hemighthavebeen said to
keephislee-eyeasmuchopenastheweatherone.Thispeculiaritygavetohiscountenance an expression of earnest thoughtfulness mingled with humour.Buzzby was fond of being thought old, and he lookedmuch older than hereallywas.Menguessedhisageat fifty-five,but theywere tenyearsout intheirreckoning,forJohnhadnumberedonlyforty-fivesummers,andwasastoughandmuscularaseverhehadbeenalthoughnotquitesoelastic.JohnBuzzby stoodon thepierof the seaport townofGraytonwatching theactive operations of the crew of a whaling ship whichwas on the point ofstarting for the icebound seas of the frozen regions, and making sundryremarkstoastout,fair-hairedboyoffifteen,whostoodbyhissidegazingattheshipwithanexpressionofdeepsadness.“She’s a trim-built craft and a good sea-boat, I’ll be bound, Master Fred,”observedthesailor,“butshe’stoosmallbyhalf,accordin’tomynotions,andIhaveseenafewwhalersinmyday.Thembow-timbers,too,arescarcethickenoughforgoin’bumpagintheiceo’DavisStraits.Howsome’iver,I’veseenworsecraftdrivin’agoodtradeinthePolarSeas.”“She’s a first-rate craft in all respects, and youhave too high an opinionofyourownjudgment,”repliedtheyouthindignantly.“Doyousupposethatmyfather,whoisanoldermanthanyourself,andasgoodasailor,wouldbuyaship,andfitherout,andgoofftothewhale-fisheryinherifhedidnotthinkheragoodone?”“Ah!MasterFred,you’reachipof theoldblockneckornothingcarryonallsailtillyoutearthemastsoutofher!Reefthet’gallantsailsofyourtemper,boy, and don’t run foul of an oldmanwho has been all but awet-nurse toyetaught ye to walk, and swim, and pull an oar, and build ships, and hashauledyeouto’ theseawhenyefell infromthe timeyecouldbarelystumpalongontwolegs,lookin’likeasifyewasmorenorhalfseasover.”“Well, Buzzby,” replied the boy, laughing, “if you’ve been all that tome, Ithinkyouhavebeenawet-nursetoo!Butwhydoyourundownmyfather’sship?DoyouthinkI’mgoingtostandthat?No,notevenfromyou,oldboy.”“Hallo!youngster,” shoutedavoice from thedeckof thevessel inquestion,“runupandtellyourfatherwe’reallready,andifhedon’tmakehastehe’lllosethetide,sohewill,andthat’llmakeushavetostartonaFriday,itwill,an’that’llnotdoformenohow,itwon’t;somakesailandlooksharpaboutit,dowon’tyou?”“Whatatonguehe’sgot,”remarkedBuzzby.“BeforeI’dgotoseawithafirstmatewho jawed like that I’d be a landsman.Don’t ever you git to talk toomuch,MasterFred,woteveryedo.Mymaximisandithasservedmethrough
life,uncommon,‘Keepyourweather-eyeopenandyourtonguehoused’xceptwhenyou’vegotoccasiontouseit.’Ifthatfellow’dusehiseyesmoreandhistonguelesshe’dseeyourfathercomin’downtheroadthere,rightbeforethewind;withhisoldsisterintow.”“How Iwishhewouldhave letmegowithhim!”mutteredFred tohimselfsorrowfully.“Nochancenow,I’ma-feared,” remarkedhiscompanion.“Thegov’nor’sasstiffasanor’wester.Nothin’intheworldcanturnhimoncehe’smadeuphismindbutaregularsou’easter.Now,ifyouhadbeenmyson,andyondertightcraftmyship,Iwouldhavesaid,come,atonce.Butyourfatherknowsbest,lad,andyou’reawisesontoobeyorderscheerfully,withoutquestion.That’sanothero’mymaxims:‘Obeyordersan’axnoquestions.’”Frederick Ellice, senior, who now approached, whispering words ofconsolation into the ear of his weeping sister, might, perhaps, have justnumberedfiftyyears.Hewasafine,big,bold,heartyEnglishman,withabaldhead,grizzledlocks,aloudbutnotharshvoice,aratherquicktemper,andakind,earnest,enthusiasticheart.LikeBuzzby,hehadspentnearlyallhislifeatsea,andhadbecomesothoroughlyaccustomedtowalkingonanunstablefoundation that he felt quite uncomfortable on solid ground, and neverremainedmorethanafewmonthsatatimeonshore.Hewasamanofgoodeducation and gentlemanly manners, and had worked his way up in themerchantservicestepbystepuntilheobtainedthecommandofaWestIndiatrader.Afewyearsprevioustotheperiodinwhichourtaleopens,aneventoccurredwhichalteredthecourseofCaptainEllice’slife,andforalongperiodplungedhim into the deepest affliction. This was the loss of his wife at sea, underpeculiarlydistressingcircumstances.At the age of thirtyCaptainEllice hadmarried a pretty blue-eyedgirl,whoresolutelyrefusedtobecomeasailor’sbrideunlesssheshouldbepermittedtoaccompanyherhusband to sea.Thiswaswithoutmuchdifficulty agreed to,and forthwith Alice Bremner became Mrs Ellice, and went to sea. It wasduringherthirdvoyagetotheWestIndiesthatourhero,Fred,wasborn,anditwasduring thisandsucceedingvoyages thatBuzzbybecame“allbutawet-nurse”tohim.Mrs Ellice was a loving, gentle, seriously-minded woman. She devotedherself,heartandsoul, to the trainingofherboy,andspentmanyapleasanthourinthatlittleunsteadycabin,inendeavouringtoinstilintohisinfantmindtheblessedtruthsofChristianity,andinmakingthenameofJesusfamiliarto
his ear. As Fred grew older his mother encouraged him to hold occasionalintercoursewiththesailors,forherhusband’sexampletaughtherthevalueofabold,manlyspirit,andsheknewthatitwasimpossibleforhertoinstilthatintohim,butshewascarefultoguardhimfromtheevilthathemightchancetolearnfromthemen,bycommittinghimtothetendercareofBuzzby.Todothe men justice, however, this was almost unnecessary, for they felt that amother’swatchfuleyewasonthechild,andnounguardedwordfellfromtheirlipswhilehewasrompingabouttheforecastle.WhenitwastimeforFredtogotoschool,MrsEllicegaveupherrovinglifeandsettledinhernativetownofGrayton,wheresheresidedwithherwidowedsister,AmeliaBright,andhernieceIsobel.HereFredreceivedtherudimentsofanexcellenteducationataprivateacademy.Attheageoftwelve,however,MasterFredbecame restive, and, duringoneof his father’s periodical visitshome,beggedtobetakentosea.CaptainElliceagreed;MrsElliceinsistedonaccompanying them, and in a fewweeks theywere once again on their oldhome, the ocean, andFredwas enjoying his native air in companywith hisfriendBuzzby,whostucktotheoldshiplikeoneofherownstouttimbers.But thiswasdestined tobeadisastrousvoyage.Oneevening,aftercrossingthe line, they descried a suspicious-looking schooner to windward, bearingdownuponthemunderacloudofcanvas.“What do you think of her, Buzzby?” enquired Captain Ellice, handing hisglasstotheseaman.Buzzby gazed in silence and with compressed lips for some time; then hereturnedtheglass,atthesametimemutteringtheword:“Pirate.”“I thoughtso,”said thecaptain inadeep,unsteadyvoice.“There isbutonecourse for us, Buzzby,” he continued, glancing towards his wife, who, allunconscious of their danger, sat near the taffrail employedwith her needle;“thesefellowsshownomercy,because theyexpectnoneeitherfromGodorman.Wemustfighttothelast.Go,preparethemenandgetoutthearms.I’lltellmywife.”Buzzbywent forward,but thecaptain’sheart failedhim,andhe took twoorthreerapid,hesitatingturnsonthequarter-deckerehecouldmakeuphismindtospeak.“Alice,”hesaidatlengthabruptly,“yondervesselisapirate.”MrsEllice lookedup in surprise, andher facegrewpaleashereyemet thetroubledgazeofherhusband.
“Areyouquitesure,Frederick?”“Yes, quite.WouldGod that Iwere left alone tobutnay, do not be alarmed;perhapsIamwrong;itmaybeaaclipper-builttradingvessel.Ifnot,Alice,wemustmakesomeshowof fighting,and try to frighten them.Meanwhileyoumustgobelow.”Thecaptainspokeencouraginglyasheledhiswifetothecabin,buthiscandidcountenancespoketootruthfully,andshefeltthathislookofanxiousconcernbadeherfeartheworst.Pressingherferventlytohisheart,CaptainEllicesprangondeck.Bythistimethenewshadspreadthroughtheship,andthecrew,consistingofupwardsofthirtymen,wereconversingearnestlyinknotsoffourorfivewhiletheysharpenedandbuckledoncutlasses,orloadedpistolsandcarbines.“Sendthemenaft,MrThompson,”saidthecaptain,ashepacedthedecktoand fro, casting his eyes occasionally on the schooner, which was rapidlynearingthevessel.“Takeanotherpullatthesemain-topsail-halyards,andsendthe stewarddownbelow formy sword andpistols.Let themen look sharp;we’venotimetolose,andhotworkisbeforeus.”“Iwillgoforyoursword,Father,”criedFred,whohadjustcomeondeck.“Boy,boy,youmustgobelow;youcanbeofnousehere.”“But,Father,youknowthatI’mnotafraid.”“Iknow that,boy; Iknow itwell;butyou’re tooyoung to fight;you’renotstrong enough; besides, youmust comfort and cheer yourmother, shemaywantyou.”“I amold enough and strong enough to load and fire a pistol,Father; and Iheardoneofthemensaywewouldneedallthehandsonboard,andmoreifwehadthem;besides,itwasmymotherwhotoldmewhatwasgoingon,andsentmeondecktohelpyoutofight.”Amomentarygleamofpridelitupthecountenanceofthecaptainashesaidhastily: “Youmay stay, then,” and turned towards themen,who now stoodassembledonthequarterdeck.Addressing the crew in his own blunt, vigorous style, he said: “Lads, yonrascallyschoonerisapirate,asyouallknowwellenough.IneednotaskyouifyouarereadytofightIseebyyourlooksyouare.Butthat’snotenoughyoumustmakeupyourmindstofightwell.Youknowthatpiratesgivenoquarter.
Iseethedecksareswarmingwithmen.Ifyoudon’tgoatthemlikebull-dogsyou’llwalktheplankbeforesunset,everymanofyou.Now,goforward,anddouble-shotyourmusketsandpistols,andstickasmanyofthelatterintoyourbeltsastheywillhold.MrThompson,letthegunnerdouble-shotthefourbigguns,andloadthelittlecarronadewithmusketballstothemuzzle.Iftheydotrytoboardusthey’llgetawarmreception.”“Theregoesashot,sir,”saidBuzzby,pointingtowardsthepiraticalschooner,fromthesideofwhichawhitecloudburstandaroundshotricochettedoverthesea,passingcloseaheadoftheship.“Ay,that’sarequestforustolay-to,”saidthecaptainbitterly,“butwewon’t.Keepherawayapoint.”“Ay, ay, sir,” sung out theman at thewheel.A second and third shotwerefired, but passed unheeded, and the captain, fully expecting that the nextwouldbefiredintothem,orderedthemenbelow.“Wecan’taffordtoloseaman,MrThompson;sendthemalldown.”“Please,sir,mayIremain?”saidBuzzby,touchinghishat.“Obey orders,” answered the captain sternly. The sailor went belowwith asulkyfling.For nearly an hour the two vessels cut through the water before a steadybreeze,duringwhich time the fast-sailingschoonergraduallyoverhauled theheavy West-Indiaman, until she approached within speaking distance. StillCaptainEllicepaidnoattentiontoher,butstoodwithcompressedlipsbesidetheman at thewheel, gazing alternately at the sails of his vessel and at thewindwardhorizon,wherehefanciedhesawindicationsthat ledhimtohopethebreezewouldfailerelong.As the schooner drew nearer, a man leaped on the hammock-nettings, and,putting a trumpet to hismouth, sang out lustily: “Ship ahoy,where are youfromandwhat’syourcargo?”CaptainEllicemadenoreply,butorderedfourofhismenondecktopointoneofthestern-chasers.Againthevoicecameharshlyacrossthewaves,asifinpassion:“Heaveto,orI’llsinkyou.”Atthesamemomenttheblackflagwasrunuptothepeak,andashotpassedbetweenthemainandfore-mast.“Standbytopointthisgun,”saidthecaptaininasubduedvoice.
“Ay,ay,sir!”“Fetchared-hotiron;luff,luffalittlealittlemoresteady,so.”Atthelastwordtherewasapuffandaroar,andanironmessengerflewtowardstheschooner.Thegunhadbeenfiredmoreasareplyofdefiancetothepiratethanwiththehope of doing him any damage, but the shot had beenwell aimedit cut theschooner’s main-sail-yard in two and brought it rattling down on deck.Instantlythepirateyawedanddeliveredabroadside,butintheconfusionondeck thegunswerebadlyaimed,andnone tookeffect.The time lost in thismanoeuvre,addedtothecrippledconditionoftheschooner,enabledtheWest-Indiamantogainconsiderablyonherantagonist,butthepiratekeptupawell-directedfirewithhisbow-chasers,andmanyoftheshotsstruckthehullandcuttheriggingseriously.Asthesundescendedtowardsthehorizonthewindfellgradually,andceasedatlengthaltogether,sothatbothvesselslayrollingontheswellwiththeirsailsflappingidlyagainstthemasts.“They’reagittin’out theboats, sir,” remarkedJohnBuzzby,who,unable torestrain himself any longer, had crept upon deck at the risk of anotherreprimand;“and,ifmyeyesbe’ntdeceivingme,there’sasailonthehorizontowind’ardleastways,thedirectionwhichwoswind’ardaforeitfellcalm.”“She’sbringingabreezealongwithher,”remarkedthecaptain,“butIfeartheboats will come up before it reaches us. There are three in the water andmannedalready.Theretheycome.Now,then,callupallhands.”Ina fewseconds thecrewof theWest-Indiamanwereat theirstationsreadyforaction,andCaptainEllice,withFredathiselbow,stoodbesideoneofthestern-chasers.Meanwhile,theboatsofthepiratefiveinnumberpulledawayindifferent directions, evidently with the intention of attacking the ship atdifferentpoints.Theywerefullofmenarmedtotheteeth.Whiletheyrowedtowards the ship the schooner resumed its fire, and one ball cut away thespankerboomandslightlywoundedtwoofthemenwithsplinters.Thegunsoftheshipwerenowbroughttobearontheboats,butwithouteffect,althoughtheshotplungedintothewaterallroundthem.Astheydrewnearerabriskfireofmusketry was opened on them, and the occasional falling of an oar andconfusiononboardshowedthattheshotstold.Thepiratesrepliedvigorously,butwithouteffect,asthemenoftheshipwereshelteredbythebulwarks.“Pass theword to load and reserve fire,” said the captain, “and handme amusket,Fred.LoadagainasfastasIfire.”Sosaying,thecaptaintookaimandfired at the steersman of the largest boat, which pulled towards the stern.“Another,Fred”At thismoment awithering volleywas poured upon the boat, and a savage
yell of agony followed,while the rowerswho remained unhurtpaused for aninstantasifparalysed.Nextinstanttheyrecovered,andanotherstrokewouldhave brought them almost alongside, when Captain Ellice pointed the littlecarronadeand fired.Therewasa terrific crash, thegun recoiledviolently totheother sideof thedeck, and thepirateboat sank, leaving the sea coveredwith dead and wounded men. A number, however, who seemed to bearcharmedlives,seizedtheircutlasseswiththeirteethandswamboldlyfortheship. This incident, unfortunately, attracted toomuch of the attention of thecrew,and,eretheycouldpreventit,anotherboatreachedthebowoftheship,thecrewofwhichsprangupthesidelikecats,formedontheforecastle,andpouredavolleyuponthemen.“Followme,lads,”shoutedthecaptain,ashesprangforwardlikeatiger.Thefirst man he reached fell by a ball from his pistol; in another moment theopposingpartiesmetinahand-to-handconflict.MeanwhileFred,havingbeendeeply impressed with the effect of the shot from the little carronade,succeededinraisingandreloadingit.Hehadscarcelyaccomplishedthiswhenoneof theboats reached the larboardquarter,and twoof themenspranguptheside.Fredobserved them,andfelled thefirstwithahandspikebeforehereachedthedeck,butthepiratewhoinstantlyfollowedwouldhavekilledhimhadhenotbeenobservedbythesecondmate,whohadpreventedseveralofthemenfromjoininginthemêléeontheforecastleinordertomeetsuchanemergencyas this.Rushing to therescuewithhisparty,hedrove thepiratesbackintotheboat,whichwasimmediatelypulledtowardsthebow,wheretheother two boats were now grappling and discharging their crews on theforecastle. Although the men of the West-Indiaman fought with desperatecourage, they could not stand before the increasing numbers of pirateswhonowcrowded the forepart of the ship in a densemass.Gradually theywerebeatenback,andatlengthwerebroughttobayonthequarter-deck.“Help,Father!”criedFred,pushingthroughthestrugglingcrowd,“here’sthecarronadereadyloaded.”“Ha!boy,welldone!”criedthecaptain,seizingthegun,and,withthehelpofBuzzby,whoneverlefthisside,draggingitforward.“Cleartheway,lads!”Inamomentthelittlecannonwaspointedtothecentreofthemassofmenandfired.Oneawfulshriekofagonyroseabovethedinofthefight,asawidegapwascutthroughthecrowd;butthisonlyseemedtorenderthesurvivorsmorefurious.With a savage yell they charged the quarter-deck, but were hurledbackagainandagainbythecaptain,andafewchosenmenwhostoodaroundhim.Atlengthoneofthepirates,whohadbeenallalongconspicuousforhisstrength and daring, stepped deliberately up, and, pointing a pistol at thecaptain’sbreast,fired.CaptainEllicefell,andatthesamemomentaballlaid
thepirate low;anotherchargewasmade;Fred rushed forward toprotecthisfather,butwas throwndownand troddenunder foot in the rush,and in twominutesmoretheshipwasinpossessionofthepirates.Being filled with rage at the opposition they had met with, these villainsproceeded,astheysaid,tomakeshortworkofthecrew,whileseveralofthemsprang into the cabin, where they discovered Mrs Ellice almost dead withterror.Draggingherviolentlyondeck,theywereabouttocastherintothesea,whenBuzzby,whostoodwithhishandsbound,suddenlybursthisbondsandsprangtowardsher.Ablowfromthebuttofapistol,however,stretchedhiminsensibleonthedeck.“Whereismyhusband?myboy?”screamedMrsEllicewildly.“They’vegonebeforeyou,or they’llsoonfollow,”saidasavagefiercely,ashe raised her in his powerful arms and hurled her overboard.A loud shriekwasfollowedbyaheavyplunge.Atthesamemomenttwoofthemenraisedthecaptain,intendingtothrowhimoverboardalso,whenaloudboomarrestedtheirattention,andacannon-shotploughedup theseaclose in frontof theirbows.Whilethefightwasraging,noonehadobservedthefactthatthebreezehadfreshened, and a largeman-of-war,withAmerican colours at her peak,wasnowwithingunshotoftheship.Nosoonerdidthepiratesmakethisdiscoverythantheyrushedtotheirboats,withtheintentionofpullingtotheirschooner,butthosewhohadbeenleftincharge,seeingtheapproachoftheman-of-war,and feeling that therewas no chance of escape for their comrades, or, as ismorethanprobable,beingutterlyindifferentaboutthem,crowdedallsailandslippedaway,anditwasnowhull-downonthehorizontoleeward.Themenintheboatsrowedafterherwiththeenergyofdespair,buttheAmericansgavechase,andweneedscarcelyaddthat,inaveryshorttime,allwerecaptured.Whentheman-of-warrejoinedtheWest-Indiaman,thenighthadsetinandastiffbreezehadarisen,sothatthelongandlaborioussearchthatwasmadeforthe body of poorMrs Ellice proved utterly fruitless. Captain Ellice, whosewoundwasverysevere,wasstruckdownasifbyathunderbolt,andforalongtime his lifewas despaired of. During his illness Fred nursed himwith theutmosttenderness,and,inseekingtocomforthisfather,foundsomerelieftohisownstrickenheart.Months passed away. Captain Ellice was conveyed to the residence of hissister in Grayton, and, under her care, and the nursing of his little niece,Isobel, he recovered his wonted health and strength. To the eyes of menCaptain Ellice and his son were themselves again, but those who judge of
men’sheartsbytheiroutwardappearanceandexpressions,inninecasesoutoftenjudgeverywideofthemarkindeed.Bothhadundergoneagreatchange.The brilliancy and glitter of this world had been completely and rudelydispelled,andbothhadbeenledtoenquirewhethertherewasnotsomethingbetter to livefor thanmerepresentadvantageandhappiness;something thatwould stand by them in those hours of sickness and sorrow which mustinevitably,soonerorlater,comeuponallmen.ButCaptainEllice could not be induced to resume the command of his oldshiporvoyageagaintotheWestIndies.Hedeterminedtochangethesceneofhis future labours and sail to the frozen seas, where the aspect of everyobjecteventheoceanitselfwouldbeveryunlikelytorecallthecircumstancesofhisloss.Some timeafter his recovery,CaptainEllicepurchased abrig and fittedherout as a whaler, determined to try his fortune in the northern seas. Fredpleadedhardtobetakenout,buthisfatherfeltthathehadmoreneedtogotoschoolthantosea;soherefused,andFred,aftersighingverydeeplyonceortwice, gave in with a good grace. Buzzby, too, who stuck to his oldcommanderlikealeech,wasequallyanxioustogo,butBuzzby,inasuddenand unaccountable fit of tenderness, had, just twomonths before,married awife, who might be appropriately described as “fat, fair, and forty,” andBuzzby’swifeabsolutelyforbadehimtogo.Alas!Buzzbywasnolongerhisownmaster.At the ageof forty-fivehebecameashehimself expressed itanabjectslave,andhewouldassoonhavetriedtosteerinaslipperbathrightintheteethofanequinoctialhurricaneashaveopposedthewillofhiswife.Heusedtosighgrufflywhenspokentoonthissubject,andcomparehimselftoaDutchgalliotthatmademorelee-waythanhead-way,evenwithawindonthequarter.“Once,”hewouldremark,“Iwasclipper-builtandcouldsailrightinthewind’seye,buteversinceItuckthiscraftintowI’vegonetoleewardlikeatub.Infact,Ifindthere’sonlyonewayofgoingaheadwithmyPoll,andthatisrightbeforethewind!Iusedtoyawaboutagooddealatfirst,butshetuckthatouto’meinadayortwo.IfIputthehelmonlysomuchasonestroketostarboard,sheguv’atugatthetow-ropethatbroughtthewinddeadaftagain;soI’vegi’nitup,andlashedthetillerrightamidships.”SoBuzzbydidnotaccompanyhisoldcommander;hedidnotevensomuchassuggestthepossibilityofit,butheshookhisheadwithgreatsolemnityashestoodwithFred,andMrsBright,andIsobel,attheendofthepier,gazingatthebrig,withoneeyeverymuchscrewedup,andawistfulexpressionintheother, while the graceful craft spread out her canvas and bent over to thebreeze.
ChapterTwo.
DepartureofthePoleStarfortheFrozenSeasSagereflectionsofMrsBright,and sagacious remarks of BuzzbyAnxieties, fears, surmises, andresolutionsIsobelAsearchproposedDepartureoftheDolphinfortheFarNorth.Digressionsarebadatthebest,andwefeelsomeregretthatweshouldhavebeen compelled to begin our book with one; but they are necessary evils,sometimes,sowemustaskour reader’s forgiveness,andbeghim,orher, torememberthatwearestillatthecommencementofourstory,standingattheendofthepier,andwatchingthedepartureofthePoleStarwhale-ship,whichisnowascarcelydistinguishablespeckonthehorizon.As it disappeared Buzzby gave a grunt, Fred and Isobel uttered a sigh inunison,andMrsBrightresumedthefitofweepingwhichforsometimeshehadunconsciouslysuspended.“Ifearweshallneverseehimagain,”sobbedMrsBright,asshetookIsobelbythehandandsaunteredslowlyhome,accompaniedbyFredandBuzzby,thelatter of whom seemed to regard himself in the light of a shaggyNewfoundland ormastiff, who had been left to protect the family. “We arealways hearing ofwhale-ships being lost, and, somehowor other,we neverhearofthecrewsbeingsaved,asonereadsofwhenshipsarewreckedintheusualwayonthesea-shore.”Isobel squeezed her mother’s hand, and looked up in her face with anexpression that said plainly: “Don’t cry so,Mamma, I’m sure hewill comeback,”butshecouldnotfindwordstoexpressherself,sosheglancedtowardsthemastiffforhelp.Buzzby felt that it devolved upon him to afford consolation under thecircumstances,butMrsBright’smindwasofthatpeculiarstampwhichrepelsadvances in thewayofconsolationunconsciously,andBuzzbywaspuzzled.He screwed up first the right eye and then the left, and smote his thighrepeatedly;andassuredly, ifcontortinghisvisagecouldhavecomfortedMrsBright,shewouldhavereturnedhomeahappywoman,forhemadefacesatherviolentlyforfullfiveminutes;butitdidhernogood,perhapsbecauseshedidn’tseehim,hereyesbeingsuffusedwithtears.“Ah!yes,” resumedMrsBright,withanotherburst,“Iknowtheywillnevercomeback,andyoursilenceshowsthatyouthinksotoo;andtothinkoftheirtakingtwoyears’provisionswiththemincaseofaccidents!doesn’tthatprovethat therearegoing tobeaccidents?anddidn’t Ihearoneof the sailors saythat shewasa crack ship, anumberone? Idon’tknowwhathemeantbyanumberone;butifshe’sacrackedshipIknowshewillnevercomeback;and
although I told my dear brother of it, and advised him not to go, he onlylaughedatme,whichwasveryunkind,I’msure”HereMrsBright’sfeelingsovercameheragain.“Why,Aunt,” said Fred, scarce able to restrain a laugh, despite the sadnessthatlayathisheart,“whenthesailorsaiditwasacrackship,hemeantthatitwasagoodone,afirst-rateone.”“Thenwhydidhenotsaywhathemeant?Butyouaretalkingnonsense,boy;doyouthinkthatIwillbelieveamanmeanstosayathingisgoodwhenhecallsitcracked?andI’msurenobodywouldsayacrackedtea-potwasasgoodasawholeone;buttellme,Buzzby,doyouthinktheyeverwillcomeback?”“Why,ma’am,incoorseIdo,”repliedBuzzbyvehemently;“forwhy?iftheydon’t, they’re the first that ever went out o’ this port in my day as didn’t.They’veagoodshipand lotso’grub,and it’s like tobeagoodseason;andCaptainEllicehas,forthemostpart,goodluck;andthey’vestartedwithafairwind,andkep’clearofaFriday,andwhatmorecouldyewish?IonlywishasIwasaboardalongwiththem,that’sall.”Buzzbydeliveredhimselfofthisorationwiththelefteyeshutandscrewedup,and the rightoneopen.Havingconcluded,heshutandscrewedup the righteye,andopenedthelefthereversedtheengine,sotospeak,asifhewishedtobackoutfromthesceneofhistriumphandleavethecourseclearforotherstospeak.ButhiswordswerethrownawayonMrsBright,whowasemphaticallya weak-minded woman, and never exercised her reason at all, except in aspasmodic, galvanic sort ofway,when she sought to defend or to advocatesomeunreasonableconclusionofsomesort,atwhichherownweakmindhadarrivedsomehow.Sosheshookherhead,andsobbedgood-byetoBuzzby,assheascendedtheslopingavenuethatledtoherprettycottageonthegreenhillthatoverlookedtheharbourandtheseabeyond.AsforJohnBuzzby,havingbeenabsentfromhomefullhalfanhourbeyondhis usual dinner-hour, he felt that, for a man who had lashed his helmamidships,hewasyawingalarminglyoutofhiscourse, sohe spreadall thecanvashecouldcarry,andsteered,rightbeforethewind,towardsthevillage,where, in a little, whitewashed, low-roofed, one-doored and two-little-windowedcottage,hisspouse(anddinner)awaitedhim.Tomakealongstoryshort,threeyearspassedaway,butthePoleStardidnotreturn, and no news of her could be got from the various whale-ships thatvisitedtheportofGrayton.TowardstheendofthesecondyearBuzzbybeganto shake his head despondingly; and as the third drew to a close, theexpression of gloom never left his honest, weather-beaten face.Mrs Bright
too, whose anxiety at first was only half genuine, now became seriouslyalarmed, and the fate of the missing brig began to be the talk of theneighbourhood.MeanwhileFredElliceandIsobelgrewandimprovedinmindandbody,butanxietyastohisfather’sfaterenderedtheformerquiteunabletopursuehisstudies,andhedeterminedatlasttoprocureapassageinawhale-ship,andgooutinsearchofthebrig.It happened that the principal merchant and ship-owner in the town, MrSingletonbyname,wasan intimate friendandold school-fellowofCaptainEllice,soFredwentboldlytohimandproposedthatavesselshouldbefittedout immediately, and sent off to search for his father’s brig. Mr Singletonsmiledattherequest,andpointedouttheutterimpossibilityofhisagreeingtoit;butherevivedFred’ssinkinghopesbysayingthathewasabouttosendoutawhalertothenorthernseasatanyrate,andthathewouldgiveorderstothecaptaintodevoteaportionofhistimetothesearch,and,moreover,agreedtoletFredgoasapassengerincompanywithhisownsonTom.NowTomSingletonhadbeenFred’sbosomfriendandcompanionduringhisfirst year at school, but during the last two years he had been sent to theEdinburghUniversitytoprosecutehismedicalstudies,andthetwofriendshadonlymet at rare intervals. Itwaswith unbounded delight, therefore, that hefoundhisoldcompanion,nowayouthoftwenty,wastogooutassurgeonofthe ship, and he could scarce contain himself as he ran down to Buzzby’scottagetotellhimthegoodnews,andaskhimtojoin.OfcourseBuzzbywasreadytogo,and,whatwasoffargreaterimportanceinthematter,hiswifethrewnoobstacleintheway.Onthecontrary,sheundidthelashingsof thehelmwithherownhand,andtoldherwonderingpartner,with a good-humoured (but firm) smile, to steer where he chose, and shewould content herself with the society of the two young Buzzbys (bothminiaturefacsimilesoftheirfather),tillhecameback.Onceagainawhale-shippreparedtosailfromtheportofGrayton,andonceagainMrsBright and Isobel stood on the pier to see her depart. Isobelwasabout thirteen now, and as pretty a girl, according to Buzzby, as you couldmeetwithinanypartofBritain.Hereyeswereblue,andherhairnut-brown,andhercharmsoffaceandfigurewereenhancedimmeasurablybyanairofmodestyandearnestnessthatwentstraighthometoyourheart,andcausedyoutoadoreheratonce.Buzzbydoatedonherasifshewerehisonlychild,andfelt a secret pride in being in some undefinable way her protector. Buzzbyphilosophisedabouther,too,afterastrangefashion.“Yousee,”hewouldsaytoFred,“it’snot thatherfigure-headiscutaltogetherafteraparfectpattern;bynomeans,forI’veseenpictur’sandstatuesthatwosbetter;butshecarriesherheadalittledown,d’yesee,MasterFred,andthere’swhereitis;that’sthe
way I gauges the worth o’ young women, jist accordin’ as they carry theirchins up or down. If their brows come well for’ard, and they seems to belookin’at thegroundtheywalkon, Iknowstheirbrains is firmstuff,and ingoodworkin’order;butwhenIseesthemcarryin’theirnoseshighouto’thewater,asiftheywosafeardo’catchin’sighto’theirownfeet,andtheirchinselewatedsothata littleboystandin’infronto’ themcouldn’tseetheirfacesnohow,Imakeprettysurethatt’otherendisfilledwithasorto’mushthat’sfitonlytothinko’dressanddancing.”OnthepresentoccasionIsobel’seyeswereredandswollen,andbynomeansimprovedbyweeping.MrsBright,too,althoughthreeyearshaddonelittletoalter her character, seemed to be less demonstrative andmuchmore sincerethanusualinhergriefatpartingfromFred.Ina fewminutesallwas ready.YoungSingletonandBuzzbyhavinghastilybut earnestly badeMrs Bright and her daughter farewell, leaped on board.Fredlingeredforamoment.“Once more, dear Aunt,” said he, “farewell!With God’s blessing we shallcomebacksoon.Write tome,darling Isobel,won’tyou? toUppernavik,onthecoastofGreenland.IfnoneofourshipsareboundinthatdirectionwritebywayofDenmark.OldMrSingletonwilltellyouhowtoaddressyourletter,andseethatitbealongone.”“Now,then,youngster,jumpaboard,”shoutedthecaptain;“looksharp!”“Ay,ay,”returnedFred,andinanothermomenthewasonthequarter-deck,bythesideofhisfriendTom.Theship,loosedfromhermoorings,spreadhercanvas,andplungedforwardonheradventurousvoyage.Butthistimeshedoesnotgrowsmallerassheadvancesbeforethefresheningbreeze,foryouandI,reader,haveembarkedinher,andthelandnowfadesinthe distance, until it sinks from view on the distant horizon, while nothingmeetsourgazebutthevaultofthebrightblueskyaboveandtheplainofthedarkblueseabelow.
ChapterThree.The voyageThe Dolphin and her CrewIce AheadPolar ScenesMastheadObservationsTheFirstWhaleGreatExcitement.Andnowwehavefairlygotintobluewaterthesailor’sdelight,thelandsman’sdread
“Thesea!thesea!theopensea;Theblue,thefresh,theeverfree.”“It’smyopinion,”remarkedBuzzbytoSingletononeday,astheystoodattheweathergangway,watchingthefoamthatspreadfromthevessel’sbowasshebreastedthewavesoftheAtlanticgallantly,“It’smyopinionthatourskipperismade o’ the right stuff.He’s entered quite into the spirit of the thing, and Ihear’dhimsaytothefirstmateyesterdayhe’dmadeuphismindtorunrightupintoBaffin’sBayandmakeenquiriesforCaptainEllicefirst,beforegoin’tohisusualwhalin’-ground.Nowthat’swotIcalldoin’therightthing;for,yesee, he runs no small risk o’ gettin’ beset in the ice and losing the fishin’seasonaltogetherbysodoin’.”“He’s a fine fellow,” saidSingleton; “I likehimbetter everyday, and I feelconvincedhewilldohisutmost todiscover thewhereaboutsofourmissingfriend;butIfearmuchthatourchancesaresmall,foralthoughweknowthespotwhichCaptainElliceintendedtovisit,wecannottelltowhatpartofthefrozenoceaniceandcurrentsmayhavecarriedhim.”“True,” replied Buzzby, giving to his left eye and cheek just that peculiaramountofscrewwhichindicatedintensesagacityandpenetration;“butI’veanotionthat,iftheyaretobefound,CaptainGuyisthemantofind’em.”“Ihopeitmayturnoutasyousay.Haveyoueverbeenintheseseasbefore,Buzzby?”“No,sirnever;butI’vegotahalf-brotherwothasbinintheGreenlandwhale-fishery,andI’vebininthesouth-sealinemyself.”“What line was that, Buzzby?” enquired David Summers, a sturdy boy ofaboutfifteen,whoactedasassistantsteward,andwas,infact,anauticalmaid-of-all-work. “Was it a log-line, or a bow-line, or a cod-line, or a bit of theequator?eh!”Theoldsaltdeignednoreplytothispassingsally,butcontinuedhisconversewithSingleton.“IcouldgiveyemanyalongyarnabouttheSouthSeas,”saidBuzzby,gazingabstractedlydownintothedeep.“Onetime,whenIwasaboutfiftymiletothesou’westo’CapeHorn,I”“Dinner’s ready, sir,” said a thin, tall, active man, stepping smartly up toSingleton,andtouchinghiscap.
“We must talk over that some other time, Buzzby. The captain lovespunctuality.” So saying, the young surgeon sprang down the companionladder,leavingtheoldsalttosmokehispipeinsolitude.Andherewemaypauseafewsecondstodescribeourshipandhercrew.TheDolphinwas a tight, new, barque-rigged vessel of about three hundredtonsburden,builtexpresslyforthenorthernwhale-fishery,andcarriedacrewof forty-fivemen. Ships that have to battlewith the ice require to bemuchmorepowerfullybuiltthanthosethatsailinunencumberedseas.TheDolphinunited strengthwith capacity and buoyancy. The under part of her hull andsides were strengthened with double timbers, and fortified externally withplatesofiron;while,internally,stanchionsandcross-beamsweresoarrangedastocausepressureonanyparttobesupportedbythewholestructure;andonherbows,whereshocks fromthe icemightbeexpected tobemost frequentandsevere,extraplanking,ofimmensestrengthandthickness,wassecured.Inotherrespects thevesselwasfittedupmuchin thesamemannerasordinarymerchantmen.Theonlyotherpeculiarityaboutherworthyofnoticewas thecrow’s-nest,asortofbarrel-shapedstructurefastenedtothefore-masthead,inwhich,whenatthewhaling-ground,amanisstationedtolookoutforwhales.ThechiefmenintheshipwereCaptainGuy,avigorous,practicalAmerican;MrBolton, the firstmate,anearnest, stout,burly,off-handEnglishman;andMrSaunders, the secondmate, a sedate, broad-shouldered, raw-bonedScot,whose opinion of himself was unbounded, whose power of argument wasextraordinary, not to say exasperating, and who stood six feet three in hisstockings.Mivins,thesteward,was,aswehavealreadyremarked,atall,thin,activeyoungman,ofabrisk, livelydisposition,andwassomewhatofabuttamongthemen,butbeinginapositionofpowerandtrusthewasrespected.Theyoungsurgeon,TomSingleton,whomwehaveyetscarcelyintroducedtothe reader, was a tall, slim, but firmly-knit, youth, with a kind, gentledisposition. He was always open, straightforward, and polite. He neverindulgedinbroadhumour,thoughheenjoyeditmuch,seldomventuredonawitticism,wasrathershyinthecompanyofhiscompanions,andspokelittle;but for aquiet, pleasant tête-à-tête therewasnot aman in the ship equal toTomSingleton.HiscountenancewasSpanish-lookingandhandsome,hishairblack,short,andcurling,andhisbuddingmoustachewassoftanddarkastheeyebrowofanAndalusianbelle.Itwouldbeunpardonable, inthiscatalogue, toomit thecook,DavidMizzle.Hewasround,andfat,andoily,asoneofhisown“duff”puddings.Tolookathimyoucouldnothelpsuspectingthathepurloinedandateatleasthalfofthesalt pork he cooked, and his sly, dimpling laugh, in which every featureparticipated,fromthepointofhisbroadchintothetopofhisbaldhead,rather
tended to favour this supposition.Mizzlewasprematurelybaldbeingquite ayoungman,andwhenquestionedonthesubjectheusuallyattributedittothefactofhishavingbeensolongemployedaboutthecooking-coppersthat theexcessiveheattowhichhewasexposedhadstewedallthehairoffhishead!Thecrewwasmadeupofstout,activemenintheprimeoflife,nearlyallofwhomhadbeenmoreorlessaccustomedtothewhale-fishing,andsomeoftheharpoonersweregiants inmusculardevelopmentandbreadthof shoulder, ifnotinheight.Chief among these harpooners was Amos Parr, a short, thick-set, powerfulmanofaboutthirty-five,whohadbeenatseasincehewasalittleboy,andhadserved in the fisheriesofboth thenorthernand southern seas.Nooneknewwhatcountryhadthehonourofproducinghimindeed,hewasignorantofthatpointhimself;for,althoughhehadvividrecollectionsofhischildhoodhavingbeen spent among green hills, and trees, and streamlets, hewas sent to seawithastrangecaptainbeforehewasoldenoughtocareaboutthenameofhisnative land.Afterwardshe ranawayfromhisship,andso lostallchanceofeverdiscoveringwhohewas;but,ashesometimesremarked,hedidn’tmuchcarewhohewas,solongashewashimself;soitdidn’tmatter.Fromaslightpeculiarityinhisaccent,andotherqualities, itwassurmisedthathemustbean Irishmana supposition which he rather encouraged, being partial to thesons, and particularly partial to the daughters, of the Emerald Isle, one ofwhich lasthehadmarried justsixmonthsbeforesettingouton thiswhalingexpedition.SuchwastheDolphinandhercrew,andmerrilytheybowledalongoverthebroad Atlantic with favouring winds, and without meeting with anythingworthyofnoteuntiltheynearedthecoastofGreenland.One finemorning, just as the party in the cabin had finished breakfast, andweredallyingwiththelastfewmorselsoftherepast,asmenwhohavemoreleisure than theydesirearewont todo, therewasasuddenshockfelt,andaslighttremorpassedthroughtheshipasifsomethinghadstruckher.“Ha!”exclaimedCaptainGuy,finishinghiscupofchocolate,“theregoesthefirstbump.”“Iceahead,sir!”saidthefirstmate,lookingdowntheskylight.“Istheremuch?”askedthecaptain,risingandtakingdownasmalltelescopefromthehookonwhichitusuallyhung.“Notmuch,sironlyastream;butthereisaniceblinkrightaheadallalongthehorizon.”
“How’sherhead,MrBolton?”“Nor’-westandbynorth,sir.”Beforethisbriefconversationcametoaclose,FredElliceandTomSingletonsprangupthecompanion,andstoodonthedeckgazingaheadwithfeelingsofthedeepest interest.Bothyouthswerewell read in thehistoryof polar seasand regions; they were well acquainted, by name at least, with floes, andbergs, and hummocks of ice, but neither of them had seen such in reality.Theseobjectswereassociatedintheiryoungmindswithallthatwasromanticand wild, hyperborean and polar, brilliant and sparkling, and light andwhiteemphaticallywhite.Tobeholdiceactuallyfloatingonthesaltseawasanincidentofnoteintheirexistence;andcertainlytheimpressionsoftheirfirstday in the ice remained sharp, vivid and prominent, long after scenes of amuchmorestrikingnaturehadfadedfromthetabletsoftheirmemories.At first the prospect thatmet their ardent gazewas not calculated to exciteexcessiveadmiration.Therewereonlyafewmassesoflowicefloatingaboutinvariousdirections.Thewindwassteady,butlight,andseemedasifitwouldspeedilyfallaltogether.Gradually theblinkonthehorizon(as thelighthazealways distinguishable above ice, or snow-covered land, is called) resolveditself into a longwhite lineof ice,which seemed togrow larger as the shipneared it, and in about two hoursmore theywere fairly in themidst of thepack, which was fortunately loose enough to admit of the vessel beingnavigatedthroughthechannelsofopenwater.Soonafter,thesunbrokeoutincloudless splendour, and thewind fell entirely, leaving the ocean in a deadcalm.“Let’sgotothefore-top,Tom,”saidFred,seizinghisfriendbythearm,andhasteningtotheshrouds.Inafewsecondstheywereseatedaloneonthelittleplatformatthetopofthefore-mast, just where it is connected with the fore-top-mast, and from thiselevatedpositiontheygazedinsilentdelightuponthefairy-likescene.Thosewhohaveneverstoodatthemast-headofashipatseainadeadcalmcannotcomprehendthefeelingofintensesolitudethatfillsthemindinsuchaposition.Thereisnothinganalogoustoitonland.Tostandonthesummitofatowerand lookdownon thebusymultitudebelowisnot thesame,for therethesoundsarequitedifferentintone,andsignsoflifearevisiblealloverthedistant country, while cries from afar reach the ear, as well as those frombelow.Butfromthemast-headyouhearonly thefewsubduedsoundsunderyourfeetallbeyondissilence;youbeholdonlythesmalloval-shapedplatformthat isyourworldbeyond lies thecalm,desolateocean.Ondeckyoucannot
realisethisfeeling,fortheresailsandyardstoweraboveyou,andmasts,andboats,andcordageinterceptyourview;butfromaboveyoutakeintheintenseminutenessofyourhomeatasingleglanceyoustandaside,asitwere,and,insomemeasure,comprehendtheinsignificanceofthethingtowhichyouhavecommittedyourlife.The scenewitnessed by our friends at themast-head of theDolphin on thisoccasionwassurpassinglybeautiful.Farastheeyecouldstretch,theseawascoveredwithislandsandfieldsoficeofeveryconceivableshape.Somerosein littlepeaksandpinnacles, some floated in the formofarchesanddomes,somewerebrokenandruggedliketheruinsofoldborderstrongholds,whileotherswereflatandlevellikefieldsofwhitemarble;andsocalmwasitthattheoceaninwhichtheyfloatedseemedlikeagroundworkofpolishedsteel,inwhich thesunshonewithdazzlingbrilliancy.The topsof the icy isletswerepurewhite,and thesidesof thehigheronesofadelicatebluecolour,whichgavetothesceneatransparentlightnessthatrendereditpre-eminentlyfairy-like.“ItfarsurpassesanythingIeverconceived,”ejaculatedSingletonafteralongsilence.“Nowonderthatauthorsspeakofscenesbeingindescribable.Doesitnotseemlikeadream,Fred?”“Tom,”saidFredearnestly,“I’vebeentryingtofancymyselfinanotherworld,andIhavealmostsucceeded.WhenIlooklongandintenselyattheice,Igetalmosttobelievethatthesearestreets,andpalaces,andcathedrals.Ineverfeltsostrongadesire tohavewings that Imight fly fromone island toanother,and go floating in and out and round about those blue caves and sparklingpinnacles.”“It’sacuriousfancy,Fred,butnotunnatural.”“Tom,”saidFred,afteranotherlongsilence,“hasnotthethoughtoccurredtoyouthatGodmadeitall?”“Some such thought did cross my mind, Fred, for a moment, but it soonpassedaway.IsitnotverystrangethattheideaoftheCreatorissoseldomandsoslightlyconnectedwithhisworksinourminds?”Again there was a long silence. Both youths had a desire to continue theconversation, and yet each felt an unaccountable reluctance to renew it.Neitherof themdistinctlyunderstoodthat thenaturalheart isenmityagainstGod,and that,untilhe isconvertedby theHolySpirit,manneither loves tothinkofhisMakernortospeakofhim.Whiletheysat thusmusing,abreezedimmedthesurfaceof thesea,andthe
Dolphin,which had hitherto lainmotionless in one of the numerous canals,beganslowlytoadvancebetweentheislandsofice.Thebreezefreshened,andrendered it impossible to avoid an occasional collision with the floatingmasses; but the good ship was well armed for the fight, and, although shequivered under the blows, and once or twice recoiled, she pushed her waythrough the pack gallantly. In the course of an hour or two theywere oncemoreincomparativelyclearwater.Suddenlytherecameacryfromthecrow’s-nest:“Theresheblows!”Instantly everyman in the ship sprang to his feet as if he had received anelectricshock.“Whereaway?”shoutedthecaptain.“Onthelee-bow,sir,”repliedthelook-out.Fromastateofcomparativequietandreposetheshipwasnowthrownintoaconditionoftheutmostanimationand,apparently,unmeaningconfusion.Thesightofawhaleactedonthespiritsofthemenlikewild-fire.“Theresheblows!”sangoutthemanatthemast-headagain.“Arewekeepingrightforher!”askedthecaptain.“Keepherawayabit;steady!”repliedthelook-out.“Steadyitis!”answeredthemanatthewheel.“Callallhandsandgettheboatsout,MrBolton,”saidthecaptain.“All hands ahoy!” shouted themate in a tempestuous voice,while themenrushedtotheirrespectivestations.“Boat-steerers,getyourboatsready.”“Ay,ay,sir!”“Theregoflukes!”criedthelook-outasthewhaledivedandtosseditsflukes,thatisitstail,intheair,notmorethanamileonthelee-bow;“she’sheadingrightfortheship.”“Downwiththehelm!”roaredthecaptain.“MrBolton,braceupthemizzentop-sail!Hoistandswingtheboats!Loweraway!”In another moment three boats struck the water, and their respective crewstumbled tumultuously into them. Fred and Singleton sprang into the stern-sheetsofthecaptain’sboat,justasitpushedoff,andinlessthanfiveminutesthethreeboatswereboundingovertheseainthedirectionof thewhalelike
race-horses.Everymandidhisbest,andthetoughoarsbentlikehoopsaseachboat’screwstrovetooutstriptheothers.
ChapterFour.TheChase and theBattleTheChances andDangers ofWhalingWarBuzzbydivesforhisLifeandsavesitSodoestheWhaleandlosesitAnAnxiousNightwhichterminateshappily,thoughwithaHeavyLoss.The chase was not a long one, for, while the boats were rowing swiftlytowards thewhale, thewhalewas, allunconsciously, swimming towards theboats.“Givewaynow,lads,giveway,”saidthecaptaininasuppressedvoice;“bendyourbacks,boys,anddon’tletthematebeatus.”The three boats flew over the sea, as themen strained theirmuscles to theutmost, and for some time they kept almost in line, being pretty equallymatched;butgraduallythecaptainshotahead,anditbecameevidentthathisharpooner,AmosParr,wastohavethehonourofharpooningthefirstwhale.Amos pulled the bow oar, and behind himwas the tubwith the line coiledaway and the harpoon bent on to it. Being an experienced whaleman, heevincednosignofexcitement,saveinthebrilliancyofhisdarkeyeandaveryslightflushonhisbronzedface.Theyhadnownearedthewhale,andceasedrowingforamomentlesttheyshouldmissitwhendown.“There she goes!” cried Fred in a tone of intense excitement, as he caughtsightofthewhalenotmorethanfiftyyardsaheadoftheboat.“Now,boys,”saidthecaptaininahoarsewhisper,“springhard,laybackhard,Isaystandup!”AtthelastwordAmosParrsprangtohisfeetandseizedtheharpoon;theboatranrighton to thewhale’sback,and inan instantParrsent two irons to thehitchesintothefish.“Sternall!”Themenbackedtheiroarswithalltheirmight,inordertoavoidtheflukesofthewoundedmonsterofthedeep,asitplungeddownheadlonginto the sea, taking the line out perpendicularly like lightning. This was amomentofgreatdanger.The frictionof the line as it passed the loggerheadwassogreatthatParrhadtokeepconstantlypouringwateronittopreventitscatchingfire.Ahitchinthelineatthattime,asitflewoutofthetub,oranyaccidentalentanglement,wouldhavedragged theboatandcrewrightdown.Manysuchfatalaccidentsoccurtowhalers,andmanyapoorfellowhashada
foot or an arm torn off, or been dragged overboard and drowned, inconsequenceof getting entangled.Oneof themen stood readywith a smallhatchettocutthelineinamoment,ifnecessary,forwhalessometimesrunoutallthatisinaboatatthefirstplunge,andshouldnoneoftheotherboatsbeathand to lend a second line to attach to the one nearly expended, there isnothing for it but to cut. On the present occasion, however, none of theseaccidentsbefelthemenofthecaptain’sboat.Thelineranallclear,andlongbeforeitwasexhaustedthewhaleceasedtodescend,andtheslackwashauledrapidlyin.Meanwhile theotherboatspulledup to the sceneof action, andprepared tostriketheinstantthefishshouldrisetothesurface.Itappearedsuddenly,nottwentyyardsfromthemate’sboat,whereBuzzby,whowasharpooner,stoodinthebowreadytogiveittheiron.“Spring, lads, spring!” shouted themate, as thewhale spouted into theair athick streamofwater.Theboat dashedup, andBuzzbyplantedhis harpoonvigorously.Instantlythebroadflukesofthetailweretossedintotheair,and,forasinglesecond,spread likeacanopyoverBuzzby’shead.Therewasnoescape.Thequickeyeofthewhalemansawataglancethattheefforttobackoutwashopeless.Hebenthishead,andthenextmomentwasdeepdowninthewaves.Justashedisappearedtheflukesdescendedonthespotwhichhehadleftandcutthebowoftheboatcompletelyaway,sendingthesternhighinto the airwith a violence that tossedmen, andoars, and shatteredplanks,andcordage,flyingoverthemonster’sbackintotheseethingcaldronoffoamaroundhim.Itwasapparentlyasceneofthemostcompleteandinstantaneousdestruction,yet, strange tosay,notamanwas lost.Afewsecondsafter, thewhitefoamoftheseawasdottedwithblackheads,asthemenroseonebyonetothesurface,andstruckoutforfloatingoarsandpiecesofthewreckedboat.“They’relost!”criedFredElliceinavoiceofhorror.“Not a bit of it, youngster; they’re safe enough, I’ll warrant,” replied thecaptain, as his own boat flew past the spot, towed by thewhale. “Pay out,AmosParr;givehimline,orhe’lltearthebowsoutofus.”“Ay,ay,sir!”sangoutAmos,ashesatcoollypouringwaterontheloggerhead,roundwhich a coil of the ropewaswhizzing like lightning; “all right! Themate’smenareallsafe,sir;Icountedthemasweshotpast,andIseedBuzzbycomeuplastofall,blowin’likeagrampus;andsmallwonder,considerin’thedivehetook.”“Takeanotherturnofthecoil,Amos,andholdon,”saidthecaptain.Theharpooneerobeyed,andawaytheywentafterthewhalelikearocket,with
a tremendousstrainon the lineandabankofwhitefoamgurglingup to theedgeofthegunwalethateverymomentthreatenedtofilltheboatandsinkher.Such a catastrophe is not of unfrequent occurrence, when whalemen, thustowedbyawhale,aretemptedtoholdontoolong;andmanyinstanceshavehappenedofboatsandtheircrewsbeinginthiswaydraggedunderwaterandlost.Fortunatelythewhaledashedhorizontallythroughthewater,sothat theboatwasable toholdonandfollow,and inashort timethecreaturepausedandroseforair.Againthemenbenttotheiroars,andtheropewashauledinuntiltheycamequiteclosetothefish.Thistimeaharpoonwasthrownandadeeplance-thrustgivenwhichpenetratedtothevitalpartsofitshugecarcass,aswasevidencedbythebloodwhichitspouted,andtheconvulsivelashingofitstremendoustail.While the captain’s crew were thus engaged, Saunders, the second mate,observingfromtheshiptheaccidenttothefirstmate’sboat,sentoffapartyofmen to the rescue, thus setting free the third boat, which was steered by astrapping fellownamedPeterGrim, to followup the chase.PeterGrimwasthe ship’s carpenter, and he took after his name. He was, as the sailorsexpressedit,a“grimcustomer”,beingburntbythesuntoadeeprichbrowncolour, besides being covered nearly up to the eyeswith a thick coal-blackbeard andmoustache, which completely concealed every part of his visageexcepthisprominentnoseanddark, fiery-lookingeyes.Hewasan immenseman, the largest in the ship, probably, ifwe except the Scotch secondmateSaunders, towhomhewasabout equal in all respectsexcept argument.Likemostbigmen,hewaspeaceableandgood-humoured.“Look alive now, lads,” said Grim, as the men pulled towards the whale;“we’llgetachanceyet,weshall,ifyougivewayliketigers.Splityoursides,boysdothat’s it.Ah!thereshegoesrightdown.Pullawaynow,andbereadywhensherises.”Ashespokethewhalesuddenlysounded,thatis,wentperpendicularlydown,as ithaddonewhen first struck, andcontinued todescenduntilmostof thelineinthecaptain’sboatwasrunout.“Hoist an oar,” cried Amos Parr, as he saw the coil diminishing. Grimobserved the signal of distress, and encouraged hismen to use their utmostexertions. “Another oar!another!” shouted Parr, as the whale continued itsheadlong descent. “Stand by to cut the line,” said Captain Guy withcompressedlips.“No!holdon,holdon!”At thismoment,havingdrawndownmore thana thousandfathomsof rope,the whale slackened its speed, and Parr, taking another coil round theloggerhead,heldonuntil theboatwasalmostdraggedunderwater.Thenthe
line became loose, and the slack was hauled in rapidly.Meanwhile Grim’sboathadreachedthespotandthemennowlayontheiroarsatsomedistanceahead,readytopulltheinstantthewhaleshouldshowitself.Upitcame,nottwenty yards ahead. One short, energetic pull, and the second boat sent aharpoondeep into it,whileGrim sprang to the bowand thrust a lancewithdeadlyforcedeepinto thecarcass.Themonstersentupastreamofmingledblood, oil, and water, and whirled its huge tail so violently that the soundcouldbeheardamileoff.Before itdivedagain, thecaptain’sboatcameup,andsucceededinmakingfastanotherharpoon,whileseveraladditionallance-thrustswere givenwith effect, and it seemed as if the battlewere about toterminate,when suddenly thewhale struck the seawith a clap like thunder,anddartedawayoncemore likearocket towindward, tearing the twoboatsafteritasiftheyhadbeenegg-shells.Meanwhile a change had come over the scene. The sun had set, red andlowering, behind a bank of dark clouds, and therewas every appearance ofstormyweather;butasyetitwasnearlycalm,andtheshipwasunabletobeatupagainstthelightbreezeinthewakeofthetwoboats,whichweresoonfarawayonthehorizon.Thenafuriousgustaroseandpassedaway;adarkcloudcovered the sky as night fell, and soonboats andwhalewere utterly lost toview.“Waesme,”criedthebigScotchmate,asheranupanddownthequarter-deckwringinghishands,“whatistobedonenoo?”SaundersspokeamongrelkindoflanguageamixtureofScotchandEnglish,inwhich,although theScotchwordsweresparselyscattered, theScotchaccentwasverystrong.“How’sherhead?”“Nor’-nor’-west,sir.”“Keepherthere,then.Maybe,ifthewindholdsstiddy,wemayoverhaulthembeforeit’squitedark.”Although Saunders was really in a state of the utmost consternation at thisunexpected termination to thewhale-hunt,andexpressed theagitationofhisfeelingsprettyfreely,hewastoothoroughaseamantoneglectanythingthatwasnecessarytobedoneunderthecircumstances.Hetooktheexactbearingsof thepointatwhich theboatshaddisappeared,andduring thenight,whichturnedoutgustyandthreatening,keptmakingshorttacks,whilelanternswerehungatthemast-heads,andahugetorch,orratherasmallbonfire,oftarredmaterialswas slungat theendof a spar and thrustoutover the sternof theship.Butformanyhourstherewasnosignoftheboats,andthecrewofthe
Dolphinbegantoentertainthemostgloomyforebodingsregardingthem.Atlength,towardsmorning,asmallspeckoflightwasnoticedontheweather-beam.Itflickeredforamoment,andthendisappeared.“Didyeseeyon?”saidSaunderstoMivinsinanagitatedwhisper,layinghishuge hand on the shoulder of that worthy. “Down your helm,” (to thesteersman).“Ay,ay,sir!”“Stiddy!”“Steadyitis,sir!”Mivins’face,whichforsomehourshadwornanexpressionofdeepanxiety,relaxedintoablandsmile,andhesmotehisthighpowerfullyasheexclaimed:“That’sthem,sir,andnomistake!What’syouropinion,MrSaunders!”Thesecondmatepeeredearnestlyinthedirectioninwhichthelighthadbeenseen,andMivins,turninginthesamedirection,screweduphisvisageintoaknot of earnest attention so complicated and intense that it seemed as if nohumanpowercouldevermoreunravelit.“Thereitgoesagain!”criedSaunders,asthelightflasheddistinctlyoverthesea.“Down helm; back fore-top-sails!” he shouted, springing forward; “lowerawaytheboatthere!”Inafewsecondstheshipwashoveto,andaboat,withalanternfixedtoanoar,wasplungingovertheswellinthedirectionofthelight.Soonerthanwasexpected theycameupwith it,andahurrah in thedistance told thatallwasright.“Here we are, thank God,” cried Captain Guy, “safe and sound! We don’trequireassistance,MrSaunders;pullfortheship.”Ashortpullsufficedtobringthethreeboatsalongside,andinafewsecondsmorethecrewwerecongratulatingtheircomradeswiththatmingledfeelingofdeepheartinessandadispositiontojestwhichischaracteristicofmenwhoareusedtodanger,andthinklightlyofitafteritisover.“We’velostourfish,however,”remarkedCaptainGuy,ashepassedthecrewonhiswaytothecabin;“butwemusthopeforbetterlucknexttime.”“Well,well,”saidoneofthemen,wringingthewateroutofhiswetclothesas
hewalkedforward,“wegotagoodlaughatPeterGrim,ifwegotnothin’elsebyourtrip.”“Howwasthat,Jack?”“Why,yesee,jistbeforethewhalegavein,itsentupaspouto’bloodandoilasthickasthemain-mast,and,asluckwouldhaveit,downitcameslapontheheadofGrim,drenchin’ him fromhead to foot, andmakin’ himas red as alobster.”“’Owdidyoulosethefish,sir?”enquiredMivins,asourherospranguptheside,followedbySingleton.“Losthimasmenlosemoneyinrailwayspeculationsnowadays.Wesankhim,andthatwasthelastofit.AfterhehadtowedusIdon’tknowhowfar-outofsightoftheshipatanyrate,hesuddenlystopped,andwepulledupandgavehimsometremendousdigswiththelances,untilhespoutedjetsofblood,andwemadesureofhim,when,allatonce,downhewentheadforemost likeacannon-ball,andtookallthelineoutofbothboats,sowehadtocut,andhenevercameupagain.At least ifhediditbecamesodarkthatweneversawhim. Then we pulled to where we thought the ship was, and, after rowingnearlyallnight,caughtsightofyourlights;andhereweare,dead-tired,wettotheskin,andminusabouttwomilesofwhale-lineandthreeharpoons.”
ChapterFive.Miscellaneous ReflectionsThe Coast of GreenlandUppernavikNews of thePoleStarMidnightDayScientificFactsandFairy-likeScenesTomSingleton’sopinionofPoorOldWomenInDangerofaSqueezeEscape.In pursuance of his original intention, CaptainGuy now proceeded throughDavis’StraitsintoBaffin’sBay,attheheadofwhichheintendedtosearchforthe vessel of his friendCaptain Ellice, and afterwards prosecute thewhale-fishery.OffthecoastofGreenlandmanywhalerswereseenactivelyengagedinwarfarewith thegiantsof thePolarSeas, and to severalof theseCaptainGuyspoke,inthefainthopeofgleaningsomeinformationastothefateorthePoleStar,butwithoutsuccess.ItwasnowapparenttothecrewoftheDolphinthattheywereengagedasmuchonasearchingasawhalingexpedition;andthe fact that the commander of the lost vesselwas the father of “youngMrFred”, as they styled our hero, induced them to take a deep interest in thesuccessoftheirundertaking.This interest was further increased by the graphic account that honest JohnBuzzby gave of the death of poor Mrs Ellice, and the enthusiastic way in
whichhespokeofhisoldcaptain.Fred,too,had,byhisfrank,affablemannerandsomewhat recklessdisposition renderedhimselfageneral favouritewiththe men, and had particularly recommended himself toMivins the steward(whowaspossessedofanintenselyromanticspirit),bystatingonceortwiceveryemphatically thathe (Fred)meant to landon thecoastofBaffin’sBay,shouldthecaptainfailtofindhisfather,andcontinuethesearchonfootandalone.Therewasnodoubtwhatever that poorFredwas in earnest, andhadmadeuphismindtodieinthesearchratherthannotfindhim.Helittleknewtheterriblenatureofthecountryinwhichforatimehislotwastobecast,andthe hopelessness of such an undertaking as he meditated. With boyishinconsideratenesshethoughtnotofhowhisobjectwastobeaccomplished;hecarednotwhatimpossibilitieslayintheway,butwithmanlydeterminationhemadeuphismindtoquittheshipandsearchforhisfatherthroughthelengthandbreadthoftheland.Letnotthereadersmileatwhathemayperhapsstylea childish piece of enthusiasm. Many a youth, at his age, has dreamed ofattemptingasgreatifnotgreaterimpossibilities.Allhonour,wesay,totheboywho dreams impossibilities, and greater honour to him who, like Fred,resolves toattempt them!JamesWattstaredatanironteakettle tillhiseyeswere dim, and meditated the monstrous impossibility of making that kettleworklikeahorse;andmenmight(perhapsdid)smileatJamesWattthen;butdomensmileatJamesWattnownowthatthousandsofironkettlesaredashinglikedreadfulcometsover the lengthandbreadthof the land,not tomentionthesea,withlongtailsofmen,andwomen,andchildrenbehindthem?“That’s ’ow it is, sir,”Mivins used to say, when spoken to by Fred on thesubject,“I’veneverbinincoldcountriesmyself,sir,butI’vebinin’ot,andIknows thatwithastoutpairo’ legs,andawill towork,amancanwork’iswayhanywhere.Ofcoursethere’snotmuchofapop’lationinthemparts,I’veheer’d;butthere’sHeskimos,andwhereonemancanlivesocananother,andwhatonemancando so can anotherthat’s binmyhexperience, and I’mnotashamedtohownit,I’mnot,thoughIdosayitasshouldn’t,andIhonouryou,sir,foryourfilleraldetarminationtofindyourfather,sir,and”“Steward!”shoutedthecaptaindownthecabinskylight.“Yes,sir!”“Bringmethechart.”“Yes,sir!”andMivinsdisappearedlikeaJack-in-the-boxfromthecabinjustasTomSingletonenteredit.“Hereweare,Fred,”hesaid,seizingatelescopethathungoverthecabindoor,“withinsightoftheDanishsettlementofUppernavik;comeondeckandsee
it.”Fredneedednosecondbidding.Itwasherethat thecaptainhadhintedtherewould,probably,besomeinformationobtainedregardingthePoleStar,anditwaswith feelingsofnocommon interest the two friendsexamined the low-roofedhousesofthisout-of-the-waysettlement.Inanhourafterwardsthecaptainandfirstmatewithouryoungfriendslandedamid the clamorousgreetingsof the entirepopulation, andproceeded to theresidence of the governor, who received them with great kindness andhospitality; but theonly information they couldobtainwas that, a year ago,CaptainEllicehadbeendriventhereinhisbrigbystressofweather,and,afterrefittingandtakinginasupplyofprovisions,hadsetsailforEngland.Here theDolphin laid in a supply of dried fish, and procured several dogs,besidesanEsquimauxinterpreterandhunter,namedMeetuck.Leaving this little settlement, they stoodoutoncemore to sea, and threadedtheirwayamongtheice,withwhichtheywerenowwellacquaintedinallitsforms, from the mighty berg, or mountain of ice, to the wide field. Theypassed in succession one or two Esquimaux settlements, the last of which,Votlik, is themostnortherlypoint of colonisation.Beyond this allwas terraincognita. Here enquiry was again made through the medium of theEsquimauxinterpreterwhohadbeentakenonboardatUppernavik,andtheylearned that the brig in question had been last seen beset in the pack, anddrivingtothenorthward.Whetherornotshehadeverreturnedtheycouldnottell.Aconsultationwasnowheld,anditwasresolvedtoproceednorthasfarastheicewouldpermit towardsSmith’sSound,andexamine thecoastcarefully inthatdirection.For severalweeks past there had been gradually coming over the aspect ofnature a change to which we have not yet referred, and which filled FredEllice and his friend, the young surgeon, with surprise and admiration; thiswasthelong-continueddaylight,whichnowlastedthewholenightround,andincreased in intensity every day as they advanced north. They had, indeed,oftenheardandreadofitbefore,buttheirmindshadutterlyfailedtoformacorrectconceptionof theexquisitecalmnessandbeautyof themidnight-dayofthenorth.Everyone knows that in consequence of the axis of the earth not beingperpendiculartotheplaneofitsorbitroundthesun,thepolesarealternatelydirectedmoreorlesstowardsthatgreatluminaryduringonepartoftheyear,andawayfromitduringanotherpart.So that, farnorth, thedaysduring the
oneseasongrowlongerandlongeruntilatlastthereisonelongdayofmanyweeks’ duration, in which the sun does not set at all; and during the otherseason there is one long night, in which the sun is never seen. It wasapproaching the height of the summer seasonwhen theDolphin entered theArcticregions,and,althoughthesundescendedbelowthehorizonforashorttimeeachnight,therewasscarcelyanydiminutionofthelightatall,and,asfarasone’ssensationswereconcerned,therewasbutonelongcontinuousday,whichgrewbrighterandbrighteratmidnight,astheyadvanced.“Howthoroughlysplendidthisis,”remarkedTomSingletontoFredonenight,astheysatintheirfavouriteout-look,themain-top,gazingdownontheglassysea,whichwascoveredwithsnowyicebergsandfloes,andbathedintheraysofthesun,“andhowwonderfultothinkthatthesunwillonlysetforanhourorso,andthengetupassplendidasever!”Theeveningwasstillasdeath.Notasoundbrokeupontheearsavethegentlecriesofafewsea-birdsthatdippedeverandanonintothesea,asiftokissitgentlywhileasleep,andthencircledslowlyintothebrightskyagain.Thesailsof the ship, too, flapped very gently, and a spar creaked plaintively as thevesselroseandfellonthegentleundulationsthatseemedtobethebreathingof the ocean; but such sounds did not disturb the universal stillness of thehour;neitherdidthegambolsofyondergroupofsealsandwalrusthatwereatplayroundsomefantasticblocksofice;nordidthesoftmurmuroftheswellthatbrokeinsurfatthefootofyondericeberg,whosebluesideswereseamedwith a thousand water-courses, and whose jagged pinnacles rose up likeneedlesofsteelintotheclearatmosphere.Thereweremanybergsinsight,ofvariousshapesandsizes,atsomedistancefromtheship,whichcausedmuchanxietytothecaptain,althoughtheywereonlyasourceofadmirationtoouryoungfriendsinthemain-top.“Tom,”saidFred,breakingalongsilence,“itmayseemastrangeideatoyou,but,doyouknow,Icannothelpfancyingthatheavenmustbesomethinglikethis.”“I’m not sure that that’s such a strange idea, Fred, for it has two of thecharacteristicsofheaveninitpeaceandrest.”“True;thatdidn’tstrikeme.Doyouknow,Iwishthatitwerealwayscalmlikethis,andthatwehadnowindatall.”Tomsmiled.“Yourvoyagewouldbealongoneifthatweretohappen.IdaresaytheEsquimauxwouldjoinwithyouinthewish,however,fortheirkayaksandoomiaksarebetteradaptedforacalmthanastormysea.”
“Tom,” said Fred, breaking another long silence, “you’re very tiresome andstupidtonight;whydon’tyoutalktome?”“Becausethisdelightfuldreamyeveninginclinesmetothinkandbesilent.”“Ah,Tom!that’syourchieffault.Youarealwaysinclinedtothinktoomuchandtotalktoolittle.NowI,onthecontrary,amalways”“Inclinedtotalktoomuchandthinktoolittle;eh,Fred?”“Bah!don’ttrytobefunny,man;youhaven’titinyou.DidyoueverseesuchamiserablesetofcreaturesastheoldEsquimauxwomenareatUppernavik?”“Why,whatputthemintoyourhead?”enquiredTom,laughing.“Yonder iceberg; look at it! There’s the nose and chin exactly of theextraordinaryhagyougaveyoursilkpocket-handkerchieftoatparting.Now,Ineversawsuchamiserableoldwomanasthatbefore;didyou?”TomSingleton’swholedemeanourchanged,andhisdarkeyesbrightenedasthestronglymarkedbrowsfrownedoverthem,whilehereplied:“Yes,Fred,Ihaveseenoldwomenmoremiserablethanthat.Ihaveseenwomensooldthattheirtotteringlimbscouldscarcelysupport them,goingaboutinthebitterestNovemberwinds,withclothingtooscanttocovertheirwrinkledbodies,andsoraggedandfilthythatyouwouldhaveshrunkfromtouchingitIhaveseensuch groping about among heaps of filth that the very dogs looked at andturnedawayasifindisgust.”Fredwasinclinedtolaughathisfriend’ssuddenchangeofmanner,buttherewas something in the young surgeon’s characterperhaps its deepearnestnessthat rendered it impossible, at least for his friends, to be jocularwhenhewasdisposedtobeserious.Fredbecamegraveashespoke.“Where have you seen such poorwretches, Tom?” he askedwith a look ofinterest.“Inthecities, thecivilisedcitiesofourownChristianland.Ifyouhaveeverwalkedabout the streetsof someof thesecitiesbefore the restof theworldwas astir, at grey dawn, you must have seen them shivering along andscratching among the refuse cast out by the tenants of the neighbouringhouses.Oh,Fred,Fred,inmyprofessionalcareer,shortthoughithasbeen,Ihaveseenmuchofthesepooroldwomen,andmanyothers,whomtheworldnever sees on the streets at all, experiencing a slow, lingering death bystarvation,andfatigue,andcold.Itisthefoulestblotonourcountrythatthereisnosufficientprovisionfortheagedpoor.”
“Ihave seen thoseoldwomen too,” repliedFred, “but I never thoughtveryseriouslyaboutthembefore.”“That’s itthat’s just it; people don’t think, otherwise this dreadful state ofthingswouldnot continue. Just listennow, for amoment, towhat I have tosay.But don’t imagine that I’m standing up for the poor in general. I don’tfeelperhaps I’m wrong,” continued Tom thoughtfully,“perhaps I’m wrongIhopenotbutit’safactIdon’tfeelmuchfortheyoungandthesturdypoor,andImake it a rulenever togivea farthing toyoungbeggars,noteven to littlechildren,forIknowfullwell that theyaresentout tobegbyidle,good-for-nothingparents. I standuponly for theagedpoor,because,be theygoodorwicked, theycannothelpthemselves.Ifamanfelldowninthestreet,struckwithsomedirediseasethatshrunkhismuscles,unstrunghisnerves,madehishearttremble,andhisskinshrivelup,wouldyoulookuponhimandthenpasshimbywithoutthinking?”“No!” criedFred in an emphatic tone; “Iwould not! Iwould stop and helphim.”“Then, let me ask you,” resumed Tom earnestly, “is there any differencebetweentheweaknessofmuscleandthefaintnessofheartwhichisproducedby disease and that which is produced by old age, except that the latter isincurable?Havenotthesewomenfeelingslikeotherwomen?Thinkyouthattherearenotamongstthemthosewhohave‘knownbettertimes?’Theythinkof sons and daughters dead and gone, perhaps, just as other old women inbettercircumstancesdo;buttheymustnotindulgesuchdepressingthoughts,theymust reserve all the energy, the stamina, they have, to drag round thecitybarefoot, itmaybe, and in the coldtobeg for food, and scratchupwhattheycanfindamongthecinder-heaps.Theygroanoverpastcomfortsandpasttimes,perhaps,and thinkof thedayswhentheir limbswerestrongandtheircheeksweresmoothfor theywerenotalways‘hags’,andremember thatoncetheyhad friendswho loved themandcared for them,although theyareold,unknown,anddesolatenow.”Tompausedandpressedhishanduponhisflushedforehead.“Youmay think it strange,” he continued, “that I speak to you in this wayaboutpooroldwomen,butIfeeldeeplyfortheirforlorncondition.Theyoungcan help themselves, more or less, and they have strength to stand theirsorrows,withhope,blessedhope,tokeepthemup;butpooroldmenandoldwomencannothelpthemselvesandcannotstandtheirsorrows,and,asfarasthislifeisconcerned,theyhavenohope;excepttodiesoonandeasy,and,ifpossible,insummer-time,whenthewindisnotsoverycoldandbitter.”
“But how can this be put right, Tom?” asked Fred in a tone of deepcommiseration.“Ourbeingsorryforit,andanxiousaboutit(andyou’vemademesorry,Iassureyou)candoverylittlegood,youknow.”“Idon’tknow,Fred,”repliedTom,sinkingintohisusualquiettone.“Ifeverycity and town in Great Britain would start a society whose first resolutionshouldbethattheywouldnotleaveonepooroldmanorwomanunprovidedfor,thatwoulddoit.OriftheGovernmentwouldtakeitinhandhonestly,thatwoulddoit.”“Callallhands,MrBolton,”cried thecaptain inasharpvoice.“Getout theice-poles,andlowerawaytheboats.”“Hallo!what’swrong!”saidFred,startingup.“Gettingtoonearthebergs,Isuspect,”remarkedTom.“Isay,Fred,beforewegoondeck,willyoupromisetodowhatIaskyou?”“Wellyes,Iwill.”“Willyoupromise,then,allthroughyourlife,especiallyifyouevercometoberichorinfluential,tothinkofandforoldmenandwomenwhoarepoor?”“Iwill,”answeredFred,“butIdon’tknowthatI’lleverberich,orinfluential,orabletohelpthemmuch.”“Of course youdon’t.Butwhen a thought about them strikes you,will youalwaysthinkitout,and,ifpossible,actitout,asGodshallenableyou?”“Yes,Tom,IpromisetodothataswellasIcan.”“That’sright,thankyou,myboy!”saidtheyoungsurgeon,astheydescendedtheshroudsandleapedondeck.Here they found the captainwalking up and down rapidly,with an anxiousexpressionofface.Aftertakingaturnortwohestoppedshort,andgazedoutastern.“Setthestun’sails,MrBolton.Thebreezewillbeupinalittle,Ithink.Letthemenpullwithawill.”The order was given, and soon the ship was under a cloud of canvas,advancing slowly as theboats towedherbetween two large icebergs,whichhadbeengraduallydrawingneartoeachotherthewholeafternoon.“Is there any danger, Buzzby?” enquired Fred, as the sturdy sailor stoodlookingatthelargerberg,withanice-poleinhishands.
“Danger! ay, that there is, lad!more nor’s agreeable, d’ye see.Herewe arewithoutabreatho’windtogetuson,rightbetweentwobergsascouldcrackus like a walnut. We can’t get to starboard of ’em for the current, nor tolarboardof’emforthepack,asyesee,sowemustgobetweenthem,neckornothing.”Thedangerwasindeedimminent.Thetwobergswerewithinahundredyardsof each other, and the smaller of the two, beingmore easilymoved by thecurrent, probably,was setting down on the larger at a rate that bade fair todecide the fateof theDolphin ina fewminutes.Themen rowed lustily,buttheir utmost exertions could move the ship but slowly. Aid was coming,however,directfromthehandofHimwhoisarefugeinthetimeofdanger.Abreezewascreepingoverthecalmsearightastern,anditwastomeetthisthatthe studding sails had been set a-low and aloft, so that the wide-spreadingcanvas,projecting far to the rightand left,had, toan inexperiencedeye, theappearance of being out of all proportion to the little hull by which it wassupported.Withbreathlessanxietythoseonboardstoodwatchingthetwobergsandtheapproachingbreeze.Atlastitcame.Afewcat’s-pawsruffledthesurfaceofthesea,distendingthesailsforamoment,thenleavingthemflatandlooseasbefore.This,however,wassufficient;another suchpuffand theshipwasalmostoutofdanger,butbeforeitcame,theprojectingsummitofthesmallerbergwasoverhangingthedeck.At thiscriticalmoment thewindbegan toblowsteadily, andsoon theDolphinwasintheopenwaterbeyond.Fiveminutesaftershehadpassed,themovingmountainsstruckwithanoise louder than thunder; thesummitsandlargeportionsofthesidesfell,withasuccessionofcrashesliketheroaringofartillery, just above the spotwhere the ship had lain not quarter of an hourbefore,andthevessel,forsometimeafter,rockedviolentlytoandfrointhesurgesthattheplungeofthefallingmassesraised.
ChapterSix.TheGaleAnchoredtoaBergwhichprovestobeaTreacherousoneDangersofthe “Pack”Beset in the IceMivins shows an Enquiring MindWalrusGalefreshensChains and CablesHolding on for LifeAn Unexpected DiscoveryA“Nip”anditsTerribleConsequencesYokedtoanIceberg.Thenarrowescaperelatedinthelastchapterwasbutthepreludetoanightoftroubles. Fortunately, as we have before mentioned, night did not now adddarknesstotheirdifficulties.Soonafterpassingthebergs,astiffbreezesprang
upoffshore,betweenwhichandtheDolphin therewasa thickbeltof looseice,orsludge,whileoutside,thepackwasinmotion,andpresentedaterriblescene of crashing and grinding masses under the influence of the breeze,whichsoonfreshenedtoagale.“Keepherawaytwopoints,”saidCaptainGuytothemanatthewheel;“we’llmakefasttoyonderberg,MrBolton;ifthisgalecarriesusintothepack,weshallbeswept faroutofourcourse, if, indeed,weescapebeingnippedandsenttothebottom.”BeingnippedisoneofthenumberlessdangerstowhichArcticnavigatorsareexposed.Shouldavesselgetbetweentwomovingfieldsorfloesofice,thereisachance,especiallyinstormyweather,oftheicebeingforcedtogetherandsqueezinginthesidesoftheship;thisiscallednipping.“Ah!”remarkedBuzzby,ashestoodwithfoldedarmsbythecapstan,“manyandmanyagoodshiphasbeensenttothebottombythatsame.I’vesee’dabrig,withmyowntwoeyes,squeezedtogethera’mostflatbytwobigfloesofice,andafterdoin’ittheyjistseparatedaginan’lethergoplumpdowntothebottom.Beforeshewasnipped, thecrewsavedthemselvesby jumpin’on totheice,andtheywospickedupbyourshipthatwosincompany.”“There’s no dependin’ on the ice, by nomeans,” remarkedAmos Parr, “forI’ve see’d the self-same sort of thing that ye mention happen to a smallschoonerinDavisStraits,only,insteado’crushin’itflat,theicelifteditrighthighanddryouto’thewater,andthenletitdownagain,withoutmoreado,assoundasiver.”“Getoutthewarpsandice-anchors,there,”criedthecaptain.Inamoment themenwere in theboats, andbusyheavingandplanting ice-anchors, but it was not until several hours had been spent in this tediousprocess that they succeeded in making fast to the berg. They had barelyaccomplishedthiswhentheberggaveindicationsofbreakingup,sotheycastoffagainingreathaste,and,notlongafterwards,amassofice,manytonsinweight,fellfromtheedgeofthebergclosetowheretheyhadbeenmoored.Thecaptainnowbeatupforthelandinthehopeoffindinganchoring-ground.Atfirsttheicepresentedanimpenetrablebarrier,butatlengthaleadofopenwaterwasfound,throughwhichtheypassedtowithinafewhundredyardsoftheshore,which,atthisspot,showedafrontofhighprecipitouscliffs.“Standbytoletgotheanchor,”shoutedthecaptain.“Ay,ay,sir!”
“Downyourhelm!Letgo!”Downwenttheanchortothemusicoftherattlingchain-cable,asoundwhichhadnotbeenheardsincethegoodshiplefttheshoresofOldEngland.“If wewere only a few yards farther in, sir,” remarked the firstmate, “weshouldbebetter.I’mafraidofthestreamoficecomingroundyonderpoint.”“So am I,” replied the captain; “but we can scarcely manage it, I fear, onaccountoftheshoreice.Getoutaboat,MrSaunders,andtrytofixananchor.Wemaywarpinafewyards.”The anchorwas fixed, and themen strained at the capstanwith awill, but,notwithstanding their utmost efforts, they could not penetrate the shore ice.Meanwhile thewind increased, and snow began to fall in large flakes. Thetide,too,asitreceded,broughtastreamoficeroundthepointaheadofthem,whichborerightdownontheirbows.Atfirsttheconcussionswereslight,andthe bow of the ship turned the floes aside, but heavier masses soon camedown,andatlastonefixeditselfonthecable,andcausedtheanchortodragwithaharsh,gratingsound.Fred Ellice, who stood beside the second mate, near the companion hatch,lookedenquiringlyathim.“Ah! that’s bad,” said Saunders, shaking his head slowly, “I dinna like thatsound.Ifwe’recarriedoutintothepackthere,dearknowswherewe’llturnupinthelongrun.”“Perhapswe’llturnbottomup,sir,”suggestedthefatcook,ashepassed,atthemoment with a tray of meat. Mizzle could not resist a jokeno matter howunsuitablethetimeordreadfultheconsequences.“Hold your tongue, sir,” exclaimed Saunders indignantly. “Attend to yourbusiness,andspeakonlywhenyou’respokento.”With some difficulty the mass of ice that had got foul of the cable wasdisengaged,butinafewmomentsanotherandalargermassfixeduponit,andthreatenedtocarryitaway.Inthisextremitythecaptainorderedtheanchortobehoveup,butthiswasnoteasilyaccomplished,andwhenatlastitwashoveuptothebow,bothflukeswerefoundtohavebeenbrokenoff,andtheshankwaspolishedbrightwithrubbingontherocks.Icenowcamerollingdowningreatquantitiesandwithirresistibleforce,andat last the shipwaswhirled into themuch-dreadedpack,where shebecamefirmlyembedded,anddriftedalongwith itbeforethegale intotheunknown
regionsofthenorthallthatnight.Toaddtotheirdistressanddangerathickfogoverspreadthesea,sothattheycouldnottellwhithertheicewascarryingthem,andtowarpoutofitwasimpossible.Therewasnothingforit,therefore,buttodrivebeforethegaleandtakeadvantageofthefirstopeningintheicethatshouldaffordthemachanceofescape.Towardseveningofthefollowingdaythegaleabated,andthesunshoneoutbrightandclear,butthepackremainedcloseasever,driftingsteadilytowardsthenorth.“We’re far beyond the most northerly sea that has ever yet been reached,”remarked Captain Guy to Fred and Singleton, as he leaned on the weatherbulwarks, and gazed wistfully over the fields of ice in which they wereembedded.“Ibegyourpardonfordiffering,CaptainGuy,butI thinkthatCaptainParrywas farther north than thiswhen he attempted to reach the pole,” remarkedSaunders,withtheairofamanwhowaspreparedtodefendhispositiontothelast.“Verypossibly,MrSaunders,but I thinkweareat least farthernorth in thisdirectionthananyonehasyetbeen;atleastImakeitoutsobythechart.”“I’m no sure o’ that,” rejoined the second mate positively; “charts are notalways to be depended on, and I’ve heard that whalers have been uphereaboutsbeforenow.”“Perhaps you are right, Mr Saunders,” replied the captain, smiling;“neverthelessIshalltakeobservationsandnamethevariousheadlandsuntilIfindthatothershavebeenherebeforeme.Mivins,handmetheglass;itseemstomethere’sawater-skytothenorthward.”“Whatisawater-sky,Captain?”enquiredFred.“It is apeculiar,darkappearanceof the skyon thehorizon,which indicatesopenwaterjustthereverseofthatbrightappearancewhichyouhaveoftenseeninthedistance,andwhichwecalltheice-blink.”“We’llhaveopenwatersoon,”remarkedthesecondmateauthoritatively.“Mr Saunders,” said Mivins, who, having just finished clearing away andwashing up the débris and dishes of one meal, was enjoying in completeidleness the ten minutes of leisure that intervened between that andpreparationsforthenext,“MrSaunders,sir,canyouhinformme,sir,’owitisthattheseadon’tfreezeat’omethesameasitdoeshout’ere?”
Thecountenanceof the secondmatebrightened, forhepridedhimselfnotalittleonhisvastandvariedstoresofknowledge,andnothingpleasedhimsomuchastobequestioned,particularlyonknottysubjects.“Hem!yes,Mivins,Icantell’eethat.Yemustknowthatbeforefreshwatercanfreezeonthesurfacethewholevolumeofitmustbecooleddownto40degrees,andsaltwatermustbecooleddownto45degrees.Noo,frostrequirestobevery longcontinuedandverysharp indeedbefore itcancool thedeepseafromthetoptothebottom,anduntilitissocooleditcannafreeze.”“Oh!” remarked Mivins, who only half understood the meaning of theexplanation,“’owveryhodd.Butcanyoutellme,MrSaunders,’owitisthatthem’erehicebergsismade?Them’swotIdon’tcomprehendno’ow.”“Ay,”repliedSaunders,“therehasbeenmanyawiserheadthanyourspuzzledforalongtimeabooticebergs.Butifye’lluseyereyesyou’llseehowtheyareformed.Doyouseethehighcliffsyonderawaytothenor’-east?Well, therearegreatmasseso’icethathavebeenformedagainstthembythemeltingandfreezingofthesnowsofmanyyears.Whenthesebecometooheavytosticktothecliffs,theytumbleintotheseaandfloatawayasicebergs.Butthebiggestbergscomefromthefootofglaciers.Weknowwhatglaciersare,Mivins!”“No,sir,Idon’t.”The secondmate sighed. “They are immense accumulations of ice,Mivins,thathavebeenformedbythefreezingsandmeltingsofthesnowsofhundredsof years. They cover themountains of Norway and Switzerland, andmanyotherplacesinthisworld,formilesandmilesinextent,andsometimestheyflowdownandfillupwholevalleys.IoncesawoneinNorwaythatfilledupavalleyeightmileslong,twomilesbroad,andsevenoreighthundredfeetdeep,andthatwasonlyaweebitofit,forIwastoldbymenwhohadtravelledoveritthatitcoveredthemountainsoftheinterior,andmadethemalevelfieldofice, with a surface like rough, hard snow, for more than twenty miles inextent.”“Youdon’tsayso,sir!”saidMivinsinsurprise.“Anddon’ttheynevermelt?”“No, never. What they lose in summer they more than gain in winter.Moreover, they are always inmotion, but theymove so slow that youmaylook at them ever so closely and so long, you’ll not be able to observe themotionjust like the hour hand of a watch,but we know it by observing thechanges from year to year. There are immense glaciers here in the Arcticregions,andthelumpswhichtheyareconstantlysheddingoffintotheseaaretheicebergsthatoneseesandhearssomuchabout.”
Mivins seemeddeeply impressedwith this explanation, andwould probablyhavecontinuedtheconversationmuchlongerhadhenotbeeninterruptedbythe voice of his mischievous satellite, Davie Summers, who touched hisforelockandsaid:“Please,MrMivins,shallIlaythetable-cloth,orwoulditbebettertoslumpdinnerwithteathisafternoon?”Mivinsstarted.“Ha!caughtmenapping!Downbelow,youyoungdog!”Theboydived instantly, followed first by adish-clout, rolled tightlyup andwell aimed, and afterwards by his active-limbed superior. Both reached theregion of smells, cruets, and crockery at the same moment, and each setenergeticallytoworkattheirnever-endingduties.Soonafterthistheicesuddenlyloosened,andthecrewsucceeded,afterafewhours’ hard labour, in warping theDolphin oncemore out of the pack; butscarcely had this been accomplished when another storm, which had beengraduallygathering,burstuponthem,andcompelledthemoncemoretoseektheshelteroftheland.Numerouswalrus rolled about in the bays here, and they approachedmuchnearer to thevessel thantheyhadyetdone,affordingthoseonboardagoodview of their huge, uncouth visages, as they shook their shaggy fronts andploughed up the waves with their tusks. These enormous creatures are theelephants of the Arctic Ocean. Their aspect is particularly grim and fierce,and,beingnearlyequaltoelephantsinbulk,theyarenotlessterriblethantheyappear. In form they somewhat resemble seals, havingbarrel-shapedbodies,withround,orrathersquare,bluntheadsandshaggybristlingmoustache,andtwolongivorytuskswhichcurvedownwardsinsteadofupwards,servingthepurpose frequentlyofhooks,bymeansofwhichand their fore-flippers theycanpullthemselvesupontherocksandicebergs.Indeedtheyaresometimesfoundataconsiderableheightupthesidesofsteepcliffs,baskinginthesun.Fredwasanxioustoprocuretheskullofoneofthesemonstrousanimals,butthethreateningappearanceoftheweatherrenderedanyattempttosecureoneat that time impossible.A dark sinister scowl overhung the blink under thecloud-bank to the southward, and the dovkies which had enlivened theirprogress hitherto forsook the channel, as if they distrusted the weather.CaptainGuymadeeverypossiblepreparation tomeet the coming storm,bywarpingdownundertheshelterofaledgeofrock,towhichhemadefastwithtwogoodhawsers,whileeverythingwasmadesnugonboard.“Wearegoingtocatchit,Ifear,”saidFred,glancingattheblackcloudsthathurried across the sky to the northward,while hewalked the deckwith hisfriend,TomSingleton.
“Isuspectso,”repliedTom,“anditdoesnotraisemyspiritstoseeSaundersshakinghishugevisagesoportentously.Doyouknow,Ihaveagreatbeliefinthatfellow.Heseemstoknoweverythingandtohavegonethrougheverysortofexperience,andInoticethatmostofhisprognosticationscometopass.”“Sotheydo,Tom,”saidFred,“butIwishhewouldputabetterfaceonthingstilltheydocometopass.Hislooksareenoughtofrightenone.”“Ithinkweshallrequireanotherlineout,MrSaunders,”remarkedthecaptain,asthegalefreshened,andthetwohawsersweredrawnstraightandrigidlikebarsofiron:“sendashoreandmakeawhale-linefastimmediately.”Thesecondmateobeyedwithagruntthatseemedtoinsinuatethathewouldhavehadoneoutlongago.Inafewminutesitwasfast,andnotamomenttoosoon,forimmediatelyafteritblewaperfecthurricane.Heavierandheavieritcame,and the icebegan todriftmorewildly thanever.Thecaptainhad justgiven orders tomake fast another line,when the sharp, twanging snap of acordwasheard.Thesix-inchhawserhadparted,and theywereswingingbythetwoothers,withthegaleroaringlikealionthroughthesparsandrigging.Halfaminutemoreand“twang,twang!”cameanotherreport,andthewhale-linewasgone.Onlyoneropenowheldthemtotheland,andpreventedthembeingsweptintotheturmoilofice,andwind,andwater,fromwhichtherockyledgeprotectedthem.Thehawserwasagoodoneanewten-inchrope.Itsunglike thedeep tonesof anorgan, loudabove the rattleof the riggingand theshrouds,butthatwasitsdeath-song.Itgavewaywiththenoiseofacannon,andin thesmokethat followedits recoil, theyweredraggedoutby thewildiceanddrivenhitherandhitheratitsmercy.Withsomedifficultytheshipwaswarpedintoaplaceofcomparativesecurityintherushingdrift,butitwassoonthrownlooseagain,andseverelysqueezedbytherollingmasses.Thenanattemptwasmadetosetthesailsandbeatupfor the land,but the rudderwasalmostunmanageableowing to the ice, andnothing could bemade of it, so theywere compelled to go right before thewindunderclose-reefedtop-sails,inordertokeepsomecommandoftheship.All hands were on deck watching in silence the ice ahead of them, whichpresentedamostformidableaspect.Awaytothenorththestraitcouldbeseengrowingnarrower,withheavyice-tables grinding up and clogging it from cliff to cliff on either side. Aboutseven in the evening they were close upon the piling masses, to enter intowhichseemedcertaindestruction.“Stand by to let go the anchor,” cried the captain, in the desperate hope ofbeingabletowindtheship.
“What’sthataheadofus?”exclaimedthefirstmatesuddenly.“Shiponthestarboardbow,rightinshore!”roaredthelook-out.The attention of the crew was for a moment called from their own criticalsituation towards thestrangevesselwhichnowcame intoview,havingbeenpreviouslyconcealedfromthembyalargegroundedberg.“Canyoumakeherout,MrBolton?”“Yes,sir,Ithinkshe’salargebrig,butsheseemsmuchchafed,andthere’snonameleftonthestern,ifevertherewasone.”Ashespoke,thedrivingsnowandfogcleareduppartially,andthebrigwasseen not three hundred yards from them, drifting slowly into the loose ice.Therewas evidently no one on board, and although one or two of the sailswereloose,theyhunginshredsfromtheyards.Scarcelyhadthisbeennotedwhen theDolphinstruckagainsta largemassof ice,andquiveredunder theviolenceoftheshock.“Letgo!”shoutedthecaptain.Downwenttheheaviestanchortheyhad,andfortwominutesthechainflewoutatthehawse-hole.“Holdon!”Thechainwaschecked,butthestrainwasawful.Amassofice,hundredsoftons weight, was tearing down towards the bow. There was no hope ofresistingit.Timewasnotevenaffordedtoattachabuoyorlogtothecable,soitwasletslip,andthustheDolphin’sbestbowerwaslostforever.Buttherewasnotimetothinkoforregretthis,fortheshipwasnowdrivingdownwiththegale,scrapingagainstaleeoficewhichwasseldomlessthanthirty feet thick.Almostat the samemoment thestrangevesselwaswhirledclosetothem,notmorethanfiftyyardsdistant,betweentwodrivingmassesofthickice.“Whatifitshouldbemyfather’sbrig?”whisperedFredEllice,ashegraspedSingleton’sarm,andturnedtohimafaceofashypaleness.“Nofearofthat,lad,”saidBuzzby,whostoodnearthelarboardgangwayandhadoverheardtheremark.“I’dknowyourfather’sbrigamongathousand”Ashespoke,thetwomassesoficeclosed,andthebrigwasnippedbetweenthem. For a few seconds she seemed to tremble like a living creature, and
everytimbercreaked.Thenshewasturnedslowlyononeside,untilthecrewof theDolphin could see down into her hold,where the beamswere givingway and cracking up asmatchesmight be crushed in the grasp of a stronghand.Thenthelarboardbowwasobservedtoyieldasifitweremadeofsoftclay, the starboard bow was pressed out, and the ice was forced into theforecastle.Scarcelythreeminuteshadpassedsincethenipcommenced;inoneminute more the brig went down, and the ice was rolling wildly, as if intriumph,overthespotwhereshehaddisappeared.Thefateofthisvessel,whichmightsosoonbetheirown,threwamomentarygloomover thecrewof theDolphin,but theirposition left themno timeforthought.Oneupturnedmassroseabovethegunwale,smashedinthebulwarks,anddepositedhalfatonoficeondeck.Scarcelyhadthisdangerpassedwhenanewenemyappeared insightahead.Directly in theirway, justbeyond thelineoffloe-iceagainstwhichtheywerealternatelythumpingandgrinding,laya group of bergs. There was no possibility of avoiding them, and the onlyquestionwaswhethertheyweretobedashedtopiecesontheirhardbluesidesor,perchance,insomeprovidentialnooktofindarefugefromthestorm.“There’sanopenleadbetweenthemandthefloe-ice,”exclaimedBoltoninahopefultoneofvoice,seizinganice-poleandleapingonthegunwale.“Lookalive,men,withyourpoles,”criedthecaptain,“andshovewithawill.”The“Ay,ay,sir!”of themenwasutteredwithaheartinessthatshowedhowpowerfullythisgleamofhopeactedontheirspirits;butanewdampwascastoverthemwhen,ongainingtheopenpassage,theydiscoveredthatthebergswerenotat rest,butwerebearingdownon the floe-icewithslowbutawfulmomentum,andthreatenedtocrushtheshipbetweenthetwo.Justthenalowbergcamedrivingupfromthesouthward,dashingthesprayoveritssides,andwithitsfore-headploughingupthesmallericeasifinscorn.Ahappythoughtflashedacrossthecaptain’smind.“Downthequarterboat,”hecried.Inaninstantitstruckthewater,andfourmenwereonthethwarts.“Castanice-anchoronthatberg.”Peter Grim obeyed the order, and, with a swing that Hercules would haveenvied,planted it securely. Inanothermoment theshipwasfollowing in thewake of this novel tug! It was a moment of great danger, for the bergsencroachedontheirnarrowcanalastheyadvanced,obligingthemtobracetheyards to clear the impending ice-walls, and they shaved the large berg socloselythattheport-quarterboatwouldhavebeencrushedif ithadnotbeentakenfromthedavits.Fiveminutesofsuchtravellingbroughtthemabreastofagroundedberg,towhichtheyresolvedtomakefast;theorderwasgivento
castofftherope;awaywenttheirwhitetugonhisracetothefarnorth,andtheship swung round in safety under the lee of the berg, where the crewacknowledged with gratitude their merciful deliverance from imminentdanger.
ChapterSeven.New characters introducedAn Old Game under NovelCircumstancesRemarkable Appearances in the SkyO’Riley meets with aMishap.Dumps was a remarkably grave and sly character, and Poker was a waganincorrigiblewagin every sense of the term.Moreover, although they had anoccasionalfight,DumpsandPokerwereexcellentfriends,andgreatfavouriteswiththecrew.Wehavenotyetintroducedtheseindividualstoourreader;butastheywillacta conspicuous part in the history of theDolphin’s adventurous career in theArcticregions,wethinkitrightnowtopresentthem.WhileatUppernavik,CaptainGuyhadpurchaseda teamofsixgood, toughEsquimaux dogs, being desirous of taking them to England, and therepresenting them to several of his friends who were anxious to possessspecimens of those animals. Two of these dogs stood out conspicuous fromtheirfellows,notonlyinregardtopersonalappearance,butalsoinreferencetopeculiaritiesofcharacter.Onewaspurewhite,witha livelyexpressionofcountenance,a largeshaggybody, twoerect, sharp-pointedears,anda shortprojectionthatoncehadbeenatail.Owingtosomecauseunknown,however,histailhadbeencutorbittenoff,andnothingsavethestumpremained.Butthisstumpdidasmuchdutyasifithadbeenfiftytailsinone.Itwasneveratrest for amoment, and itsownerevidentlybelieved thatwagging itwas thetrueandonlywaytotouchtheheartofman;thereforethedogwaggedit,sotospeak,doggedly.Inconsequenceofthisanimal’sthievingpropensities,whichled him to be constantly poking into every hole and corner of the ship insearchofsomething tosteal,hewasnamedPoker.Pokerhad three jet-blackspotsinhiswhitevisageonewasthepointofhisnose,theothertwowerehiseyes.Poker’s bosom friend, Dumps, was so named because he had the sulkiestexpression of countenance that ever fell to the lot of a dog. Hopelesslyincurable melancholy seemed to have taken possession of his mind, for heneverbyanychancesmiledanddogsdosmile,youknow,justasevidentlyashuman beings do, although not exactly with their mouths. Dumps neverromped either, being old, but he sat and allowed his friend Poker to romp
roundhimwithasortofsulkysatisfaction,as ifheexperienced thegreatestenjoymenthisnaturewascapableof inwitnessing theanticsofhisyouthfulcompanionfor Poker was young. The prevailing colour of Dumps’s shaggyhidewasadirtybrown,withblackspots,twoofwhichhadfixedthemselvesratherawkwardlyroundhiseyes,likeapairofspectacles.Dumps,also,wasathief, and, indeed, sowere all his brethren.Dumps and Pokerwere both ofthem larger and stronger, and in everyway better, than their comrades; andtheyafterwardswerethesturdy,steady,unflinchingleadersoftheteamduringmanyatoilsomejourneyoverthefrozensea.Onemagnificent afternoon, a few days after the escape of theDolphin justrelated,DumpsandPokerlaysidebysideinthelee-scuppers,calmlysleepingofftheeffectsofasurfeitproducedbytheeatingofalargepieceofpork,forwhich the cook had searched in vain for three-quarters of an hour, and ofwhichheatlastfoundthebarebonestickingintheholeofthelarboardpump.“Bad luck to them dogs!” exclaimedDavidMizzle, stroking his chin as hesurveyedthebone.“IfIcouldonlyfindout,now,whichofyeitwas,I’dhaveyeslaughteredrightoff,andcookedforthemess,Iwould.”“ItwasDumpsasdidit,I’llbetyouamonth’spay,”saidPeterGrim,ashesatontheendofthewindlassrefillinghispipe,whichhehadjustsmokedout.“Notabitof it,” remarkedAmosParr,whowassquattedon thedeckbusilyengaged inconstructinga ropemat,while severalof themen sat roundhimengagedinmendingsails,orstitchingcanvasslippers,etcetera.“Notabitofit,Grim;Dumpsistoohonestbyhalftodosichathing.’TwasPokerasdidit,I can see by the roll of his eye below the skin. The blackguard’s onlyshammin’sleep.”Onhearinghisnamementioned,Pokergentlyopenedhisrighteye,butdidnotmove.Dumps,onthecontrary,layasifheheardnotthebaseaspersiononhischaracter.“What’llyebetitwasDumpsasdidit?”criedDavieSummers,whopassedatthemomentwithadishofsomesortofedibletowardsthegalleyorcooking-houseondeck.“I’ll bet you over the ’ead, I will, if you don’t mind your business,” saidMivins.“You’dbetternot,”retortedDaviewithagrin.“It’sasmuchasyoursituation’sworthtolayafingeronme.”“That’s it, youngster, give it ’im,” cried several of the men, while the boy
confronted his superior, taking good care, however, to keep the fore-mastbetweenthem.“Whatdoyoumean,youyoungrascal?”criedMivinswithafrown.“Mean!”saidDavie,“why,ImeanthatifyoutouchmeI’llresignoffice;andifIdothat,you’llhavetogoout,foreveryoneknowsyoucan’tgetonwithoutme.”“Isay,Mivins,”criedTomGreen,thecarpenter’smate,“ifyouwereaskedtosay: ‘Hold on hard to this handspike here, my hearties,’ how would ye goaboutit?”“He’d’ityouapretty’ardcrackhoverthe’eadwithit,’ewould,”remarkedoneof themen, throwingaballofyarnatDavie,whostood listening to theconversationwithabroadgrin.InsteppingbacktoavoidtheblowtheladtrodonDumps’spaw,andinstantlytherecamefromthethroatofthatexcellentdogaroarofanguishthatcausedPokertoleap,asthecookexpressedit,nearlyoutofhisownskin.Dogsarebynatureextremelysympatheticandremarkably inquisitive;andnosoonerwasDumps’syellheard than itwasvigorously responded tobyeverydog in theship, as thewhole pack rushed each fromhis respective sleeping-place, andlookedroundinamazement.“Hallo!what’swrongtherefor’ard?”enquiredSaunders,whohadbeenpacingthe quarter-deck with slow giant strides, arguing mentally with himself indefaultofabetteradversary.“OnlytrodonDumps’spaw,sir,”saidMivinsashehurriedaft;“themenaresky-larking.”“Sky-larking,areyou?”saidSaunders,goingforward;“weel,lads,you’vehadaloto’hardworkoflate,yemaygoandtakearunontheice.”Instantlythemen,likeboyssetfreefromschool,sprangup,tumbledovertheside,andwerescamperingovertheicelikemadmen.“Pitchovertheball!thefootball!”theycried.Inasecondtheballwastossedovertheship’sside,andavigorousgamewasbegun.For twodayspast theDolphinhadbeensailingwithdifficulty through largefields of ice, sometimes driving against narrow necks and tongues thatinterrupted her passage from one lead, or canal, to another; at other timesboring with difficulty through compact masses of sludge, or, occasionally,whenunabletoadvancefarther,makingfasttoalargebergorfield.Theywere
compelled to proceed north, however, in consequence of the pack havingbecomefixedtowardsthesouth,andthusrenderingretreatimpossibleinthatdirectionuntil the ice shouldbeagain set inmotion.CaptainGuy,however,saw,bythesteadyadvanceofthelargerbergs,thatthecurrentoftheoceaninthatplaceflowedsouthward,andtrustedthatinashorttimetheicewhichhadbeen forced into the strait by the gales, would be released, and open up apassage.Meanwhilehepushedalongthecoast,examiningeverybayandinletinthehopeofdiscoveringsometraceofthePoleStarorhercrew.Onthedayaboutwhichwearewriting,theshipwasbesetbylargefields,thesnow-whitesurfacesofwhichextendednorthandsouthtothehorizon,whileon theeast thecliffs rose indark, frowningprecipices fromthemidstof theglaciersthatencumberthemalltheyearround.ItwasalovelyArcticday.Thesunshonewithuncloudedsplendour,andthebright air, which trembled with that liquidity of appearance that oneoccasionallyseesinveryhotweatherunderpeculiarcircumstances,wasvocalwiththewildmusicofthousandsofgulls,andauks,andothersea-birds,whichclusteredontheneighbouringcliffs,andflewoverheadinclouds.Allround,the pure surfaces of the ice-fields were broken by the shadows which thehummocksandbergscastover them,andby thepoolsof clearwaterwhichshonelikecrystalsintheirhollows,whilethebeautifulberylblueofthelargerbergsgaveadelicatecolouringtothedazzlingscene.Wordscannotdescribethe intense glitter that characterised everything. Every point seemed adiamond; every edge sent forth a gleam of light, and many of the massesreflected the rich prismatic colours of the rainbow. It seemed as if the sunhimselfhadbeenmultipliedinordertoaddtotheexcessivebrilliancy,forhewas surrounded by parhelia, or sun-dogs as the men called them. Thispeculiarityinthesun’sappearancewasverystriking.Thegreatorbofdaywasabout ten degrees above the horizon, and a horizontal line of white passedcompletely through it extending to a considerable distance on either hand,whilearounditweretwodistincthalos,orcirclesoflight.Ontheinnerhalowere situated themock-suns,whichwere four innumberone above andonebelowthesun,andoneoneachsideofhim.Notabreathofwindstirredthelittleflagthatdroopedfromthemizzen-peak,andtheclamorousceaselesscriesofsea-birds,addedtothemerryshoutsandlaughterofthemen,astheyfollowedtherestlessfootball,renderedthewholeasceneoflife,asitwasemphaticallyoneofbeauty.“Ain’t it glorious?” panted Davie Summers vehemently, as he stoppedexhaustedinaheadlongracebesideoneofhiscomrades,while theballwaskickedhopelesslybeyondhis reachbyacomparatively freshmemberof theparty.
“Ah!then,itbatestheowldcountryintirely,itdoes,”repliedO’Riley,wipingtheperspirationfromhisforehead.ItisneedlesstosaythatO’RileywasanIrishman.Wehavenotmentionedhimuntil now, because up to this time he had not done anything to distinguishhimselfbeyondhismessmates;butonthisparticulardayO’Riley’sstarwasintheascendant,andFortuneseemedtohavesingledhimoutasanobjectofherspecial attention. Hewas a shortman, and a broadman, and a particularlyruggedmansotospeak.Hewasallanglesandcorners.Hishairstuckabouthishead in violently rigid and entangled tufts, rendering it amatter of wonderhowanythingintheshapeofahatcouldstickon.Hisbrowwasacountlessmass of ever-varying wrinkles, which gave to his sly visage an aspect ofhumorous anxiety thatwas highly divertingand all themore divertingwhenyoucametoknowthatthemanhadnotasparkofanxietyinhiscomposition,though he often said he had. His dress, like that of most Jack-tars, wasnaturallyrugged,andhecontrivedtomakeitmoresothanusual.“An’it’shot,too,itis,”hecontinued,applyinghiskerchiefagaintohispate.“If itwarn’tfortheicewestandon,we’dbemelteddown,Idobelave, likebitso’whaleblubber.”“Wot a jolly game football is, ain’t it?” said Davie, seating himself on ahummock,andstillpantinghard.“Ay,boy,that’sjistwhatitis.TheonlyobjictionIhaveaginitisthatitmakesyea’mostkicktheleftlegclaneoffyerbody.”“Why don’t you kick with your right leg, then, stupid, like other people?”enquiredSummers.“Whydon’tI,isit?Troth,then,Idon’tknowforsartin.Mefatherlosthisleftleg at the great battle o’ the Nile, and I’ve sometimes thought that hadsomethin’todowidit;butthenmemotherwaslameo’therightlegintirely,andwintaboutwidacrutch,soIcan’tmakeouthowitwas,d’yesee?”“Lookout,Pat,”exclaimedSummers,startingup,“herecomestheball.”As he spoke, the football came skimming over the ice towards the spot onwhich they stood, with about thirty of the men running at full speed andshoutinglikemaniacsafterit.“That’syour sort,myhearties!another like that and it’shome!Pitch into it,Mivins.You’retheboyforme.Now,then,Grim,triphimup!Hallo,Buzzby,you bluff-bowedDutchman, luff! luff! or I’ll stave in your ribs!Mind your
eye, Mizzle, there’s Green, he’ll be into your larboard quarter in no time.Hurrah!Mivins,upintheairwithit.Kick,boy,kicklikeaspankerboominahurricane!”Suchwereafewoftheexpressionsthatshoweredlikehailroundthemenastheyrushedhitherandthitheraftertheball.Andherewemayremarkthatthecrew of theDolphin played football in a somewhat different style from theway inwhich that noble game is playedbyboys inEngland.Sides, indeed,werechosen,andboundariesweremarkedout,butverylittleifanyattentionwaspaidtosuchsecondarymatters!Tokicktheball,andkeeponkickingitinfront of his companions, was the ambition of eachman; and so long as hecouldgetakickatitthatcausedittoflyfromthegroundlikeacannon-shot,littleregardwashadbyanyonetothedirectioninwhichitwaspropelled.But,ofcourse,inthisefforttogetakick,themensoonbecamescatteredoverthefield,andeverandanontheballwouldfallbetweentwomen,whorushedatitsimultaneouslyfromoppositedirections.Theinevitableresultwasacollision,bywhichbothmenweresuddenlyandviolentlyarrested in theircareer.Butgenerally the shock resulted in one of the men being sent staggeringbackwards,andtheothergettingthekick.Whenthetwowereprettyequallymatched,bothwereusually,astheyexpressedit,“broughtupallstanding”,inwhichcaseashortscuffleensued,aseachendeavouredtotripuptheheelsofhis adversary. To prevent undue violence in such struggles, a rule was laiddown that handswere not to be used on any account. Theymight use theirfeet,legs,shoulders,andelbows,butnottheirhands.Insuchroughplaythemenweremoreequallymatchedthanmighthavebeenexpected,forthewantofweightamongthesmallermenwasoftenmorethancounterbalanced by their activity; and frequently a sturdy little fellowlaunchedhimselfsovigorouslyagainstaheavytarastosendhimrollingheadover heels on the ice. This was not always the case, however, and fewventuredtocomeintocollisionwithPeterGrim,whoseactivitywasonaparwith his immense size. Buzzby contented himself with galloping on theoutskirtsof the fight, andputting inakickwhen fortunesent theball inhisway.Inthisspeciesofwarfarehewassupportedbythefatcook,whoseoilycarcass could neither stand the shocks nor keep up with the pace of hismessmates.Mizzlewasaparticularlyenergeticmaninhisway,however,andfrequentlykickedwithsuchgood-will thathemissedtheballaltogether,andthe tremendous swing of his leg lifted him from the ice, and laid himsprawlingonhisback.“Lookoutahead!”shoutedGreen,thecarpenter’smate;“there’sasailbearingdownonyourlarboardbow.”Mivins, who had the ball before him at themoment, saw his own satellite,
Davie,comingdowntowardshimwithviciousintentions.Hequietlypushedtheballbeforehimforafewyards,thenkickeditfarovertheboy’shead,andfollowed it up like an antelope.Mivins depended for success on his almostsuperhuman activity.His tall, slight frame couldnot stand the shocksof hiscomrades,butnoonecouldequalorcomenear tohiminspeed,andhewasquiteanadeptatdodgingacharge,andallowinghisopponenttorushfarpastthe ball by the force of his ownmomentum. Such a charge did PeterGrimmakeathimatthismoment.“Starboardhard!”yelledDavieSummers,asheobservedhismaster’sdanger.“Starboard it is!” repliedMivins, and, leaping aside to avoid the shock, heallowedGrimtopass.Grimknewhisman,however,andhadheldhimselfinhand,sothatinamomenthepulledupandwasfollowingcloseonhisheels.“It’s an illwind thatblowsnogood,” criedoneof the crew, towardswhosefoottheballrolled,ashequietlykickeditintothecentreofthemassofmen.GrimandMivins turnedback,andfora time lookedonat thegeneralmakethat ensued. It seemedas though theballmust inevitablybecrushedamongthemastheystruggledandkickedhitherandthitherforfiveminutes,intheirvain efforts to get a kick; and during those few exciting moments manytremendouskicks,aimedattheball,tookeffectuponshins,andmanyshoutsofgleeterminatedinyellsofanguish.“It can’t last much longer!” screamed the cook, his face streaming withperspiration, and beamingwith glee, as he danced round the outside of thecircle.“Thereitgoes!”As he spoke, the ball flew out of the circle, like a shell from a mortar.Unfortunately itwent directly overMizzle’s head.Before he couldwink hewentdownbeforethem,andtherushingmassofmenpassedoverhimlikeamountaintorrentoverabladeofgrass.MeanwhileMivinsranaheadoftheothers,andgavetheballakickthatnearlyburstitanddownitcameexactlybetweenO’RileyandGrim,whochancedtobefaraheadoftheothers.Grimdashedatit.“Och!yebigvillain,”mutteredthe Irishman to himself, as he put down his head and rushed against thecarpenterlikeabattering-ram.Big though he was, Grim staggered back from the impetuous shock, andO’Riley,followinguphisadvantage,kickedtheballinasidedirection,awayfrom everyone except Buzzby, who happened to have been steering ratherwildly over the field of ice. Buzzby, on being brought thus unexpectedlywithinreachoftheball,braceduphisenergiesforakick,butseeingO’Rileycoming down towards him like a runaway locomotive, he pulled up, saying
quietlytohimself:“Yemaytakeitallyerownway,lad;I’mtoooldabirdtogofortomakemycarcassabufferforamad-caplikeyoutorunagin.”JackMivins, however,was troubledbyno suchqualms.Hehappened to beaboutthesamedistancefromtheballasO’Riley,andranlikeadeertoreachitfirst. A pool of water lay in his path, however, and the necessity of goingrounditenabledtheIrishmantogainonhimalittle,sothatitbecameevidentthatbothwouldcomeupatthesamemomentandacollisionbeinevitable.“Holdyerwind,Paddy,”shoutedthemen,whopausedforamomenttowatchthe result of the race. “Mind your timbers, Mivins! Back your top-sails,O’Riley;mindhowheyaws!”Thentherewasamomentarysilenceofbreathlessexpectation.Thetwomenseemedabout tomeetwithashockthatwouldannihilateboth,whenMivinsbounded to one side like an india-rubber ball. O’Riley shot past him like arocket,andthenextinstantwenthead-foremostintothepoolofwater.Thisunexpectedterminationtotheaffairconvertedtheintendedhuzzahofthemen into ayell ofmingled laughter and consternation as theyhastened in abody to the spot; but before they reached it O’Riley’s head and shouldersreappeared,andwhentheycameup,hewasstandingonthemarginofthepoolblowinglikeawalrus.“Oh, then, but it is cowld!” he exclaimed, wringing the water from hisgarments.“Och,where’stheball?givemeakickorI’llfreeze,soIwill.”Ashe spoke, thedrenched Irishman seized theball fromMivins’hands andgaveitakickthatsentithighintotheair.Hewastoowetandheavytofollowitup,however,soheambledofftowardstheshipasvigorouslyashisclotheswouldallowhim,followedbythewholecrew.
ChapterEight.Fredandthedoctorgoonanexcursion,inwhich,amongotherstrangethings,theymeetwithredsnowandawhitebear,andFredmakeshisfirstessayasasportsman.ButwherewereFredElliceandTomSingletonall this time? thereaderwillprobablyask.Longbefore thegameat footballwas suggested, theyhadobtained leaveofabsence from the captain, and, loadedwithgame-bags, a botanical box, andgeologicalhammer,andamusket,wereoffalongthecoastonasemi-scientificcruise. Young Singleton carried the botanical box and hammer, being an
enthusiastic geologist and botanist, while Fred carried the game-bag andmusket.“Yousee,Tom,”hesaid,astheystumbledalongoverthelooseicetowardstheice-beltthatlinedthecliffs,“yousee,I’magreatdabatornithology,especiallywhenI’vegotagunonmyshoulder.WhenIhaven’tagun,strangetosay,Idon’tfeelhalfsoenthusiasticaboutbirds!”“That’saverypeculiarstyleofregardingthescience.Don’tyouthinkitwouldbe worth while communicating your views on the subject to one of thescientificbodieswhenwegethomeagain?Theymightelectyouamember,Fred.”“Well, perhaps I shall,” replied Fred gravely; “but I say, to be serious, I’mreallygoingtoscrewupmyenergiesasmuchaspossible,andmakecoloureddrawings of all the birds I can get hold of in theArctic regions. At least Iwouldliketotry.”Fredfinishedhisremarkwithasigh,forjustthentheobjectforwhichhehadgoneouttothoseregionsoccurredtohim,andalthoughthenaturalbuoyancyandhopefulnessofhisfeelingsenabledhimgenerallytothrowoffanxietyinregardtohisfather’sfate,andjoininthelaugh,andjest,andgameasheartilyasanyoneonboard,thereweretimeswhenhisheartfailedhim,andhealmostdespairedofever seeinghis fatheragain; and these feelingsofdespondencyhadbeenmorefrequentsincethedayonwhichhewitnessedthesuddenandutterdestructionofthestrangebrig.“Don’t let your spirits down, Fred,” said Tom, whose hopeful and earnestdisposition often reanimated his friend’s drooping spirits. “Itwill only unfityou for doing any good service; besides, I think we have no cause yet todespair.Weknowthatyourfathercameupthisinlet,orstrait,orwhateveritis, and that he had a good stock of provisions with him, according to theaccountwe got atUppernavik, and it is notmore than a year since hewasthere.Manyandmanyawhaleranddiscoveryshiphaswinteredmorethanayearintheseregions.Andthen,considertheimmenseamountofanimallifeall around us. They might have laid up provisions for many months longbeforewintersetin.”“Iknowallthat,”repliedFred,withashakeofhishead;“butthinkofyonbrigthatwesawgodowninabouttenminutes.”“Well,soIdothinkofit.Nodoubtthebrigwaslostverysuddenly,buttherewasampletime,hadtherebeenanyoneonboard,tohaveleapedupontheice,andtheymighthavegottolandbyjumpingfromonepiecetoanother.Suchthingshavehappenedbefore, frequently.Tosay truth,ateverypointof land
we turn, I feel a sort of expectation, amounting almost to certainty, thatweshall findyour father andhisparty travelling southwardon theirway to theDanishsettlements.”“Perhapsyouareright.Godgrantthatitmaybeso!”As he spoke they reached the fixed ice which ran along the foot of theprecipices for some distance, like a road of hardwhitemarble.Many largerocks lay scatteredover it, someof themseveral tons inweight, andoneortwobalancedinaveryremarkablewayontheedgeofthecliffs.“There’s a curious-looking gull I should like to shoot,” exclaimed Fred,pointingtoabirdthathoveredoverhishead,andthrowingforwardthemuzzleofhisgun.“Fireaway,then,”saidhisfriend,steppingbackapace.Fred, being unaccustomed to the use of firearms, took a wavering aim andfired.“Whatabother!I’vemissedit!”“Tryagain,”remarkedTomwithaquietsmile,asthewholecliffvomitedforthaninnumerablehostofbirds,whosecrieswereperfectlydeafening.“It’smyopinion,”saidFredwithacomicalgrin,“that ifIshutmyeyesandpoint upwards I can’t help hitting something; but I particularly want yonfellow, because he’s beautifully marked. Ah! I see him sitting on a rockyonder,soheregoesoncemore.”Frednowproceededtowardsthecovetedbirdinthefashionthatisknownbythenameofstalkingthatis,creepingascloseuptoyourgameaspossible,soastogetagoodshot;anditsaidmuchforhispatienceandhisfuturesuccessthecarefulmanner inwhich,on thisoccasion,hewoundhimself in andoutamongtherocksandblocksoficeontheshoreinthehopeofobtainingthatsea-gull.Atlasthesucceededingettingtowithinaboutfifteenyardsofit,andthen, resting his musket on a lump of ice, and taking an aim so long andsteadily that his companion began to fancy hemust have gone to sleep, hefired,andblewthegulltoatoms!Therewasscarcelysomuchasashredofittobefound.Fred bore his disappointment and discomfiture manfully. He formed aresolution then and there to become a good shot, and although he did notsucceed exactly in becoming so that day, he nevertheless managed to putseveralfinespecimensofgullsandanaukintohisbag.Thelastbirdamused
him much, being a creature with a dumpy little body and a beak ofpreposterouslylargesizeandcomicalaspect.Therewerealsoagreatnumberofeiderducksflyingaboutbuttheyfailedtoprocureaspecimen.Singletonwasequallysuccessfulinhisscientificresearches.Hefoundseveralbeautifullygreenmosses,onespeciesofwhichwasstuddedwithpale-yellowflowers,and,inoneplace,whereastreamtrickleddownthesteepsidesofthecliffs,hediscoveredaflower-growthwhichwasrich invarietyofcolouring.Amidseveralkindsoftuftedgrasseswereseengrowingasmallpurpleflowerandthewhitestarofthechickweed.Thesightofallthisrichnessofvegetationgrowing in a little spot close beside the snow, and amid such cold Arcticscenery,wouldhavedelightedamuchlessenthusiasticspiritthanthatofouryoung surgeon.Hewentquite into raptureswith it and stuffedhisbotanicalboxwithmossesandrocksuntilitcouldholdnomore,andbecameaburdenthatcosthimafewsighsbeforehegotbacktotheship.The rockswere found to consist chiefly of red sandstone.Therewas also agooddealofgreenstoneandgneiss,andsomeofthespiresofthesethatshotuptoaconsiderableheightwereparticularlystrikingandpicturesqueobjects.Butthegreatsightoftheday’sexcursionwasthatwhichunexpectedlygreetedtheir eyes on rounding a cape towards which they had been walking forseveral hours. On passing this point they stopped with an exclamation ofamazement. Before them lay a scene such as the Arctic regions alone canproduce.Infront layavastreachof thestrait,whichat thisplaceopenedupabruptlyandstretchedawaynorthwardladenwithfloes,andfields,andhummocks,andbergsofeveryshadeandsize,tothehorizon,wheretheappearanceoftheskyindicated open water. Ponds of various sizes, and sheets of water whosedimensionsentitledthemtobestyledlakes,spangledthewhitesurfaceofthefloes,andaroundtheseweresportinginnumerableflocksofwildfowl,manyofwhich,beingpurewhite,glancedlikesnow-flakesinthesunshine.Farofftothewesttheicecamedownwithheavyuniformitytothewater’sedge.Ontherighttherewasanarrayofcliffswhosefrowninggrandeurfilledthemwithawe.Theyvariedfromtwelve tofifteenhundredfeet inheight,andsomeoftheprecipicesdescendedsheerdownsevenoreighthundredfeetintothesea,overwhichtheycastadarkshadow.Justat thefeetofouryoungdiscoverers, forsuchwemaytrulycall them,adeep bay or valley trended away to the right, a large portion ofwhichwasfilledwiththespurofaglacier,whosesurfacewascoveredwithpinksnow!One can imaginewithwhat feelings the two youths gazed on this beautifulsight. It seemed as if that valley, instead of forming a portion of the sterile
regionbeyondtheArcticCircle,wereoneofthesunniestregionsofthesouth,forawarmglowrestedonthebosomofthesnow,asifthesunweresheddingupon it his rosiest hues.A little farther to thenorth the red snowceased,oronlyoccurredhereandthereinpatches,andbeyonditthereappearedanothergorge in the cliffs withinwhich rose a tall column of rock, so straight andcylindrical that it seemed to be a production of art. Thewhole of the backcountrywasonegreat rollingdistanceofglacier,and,whereveracreviceorgorge in the riven cliffs afforded an opportunity, this ocean of land-ice sentdownspursintothesea,theextremitiesofwhichwereconstantlysheddingoffhugebergsintothewater.“Whatascene!”exclaimedTomSingleton,whenhefoundwords toexpresshisadmiration.“Ididnot think thatourworldcontainedsograndasight. Itsurpassesmywildestdreamsoffairy-land.”“Fairy-land!”ejaculatedFred,withaslightlookofcontempt;“doyouknow,since I came to thispartof theworld I’vecome to theconclusion that fairytalesareall stuff,andvery inferiorstuff too!Why, this reality isa thousandmilliontimesgranderthananythingthatwaseverinvented.Butwhatsurprisesmemostistheredsnow.Whatcanbethecauseofit?”“Idon’tknow,”repliedSingleton;“ithaslongbeenamatterofdisputeamonglearnedmen;butwemustexamineitforourselves,socomealong.”Theremarkablecolourofthesnowreferredto,althoughamatterofdisputeattheperiodoftheDolphin’svisittotheArcticSeas,isgenerallyadmittednowto be the result of a curious and extremelyminute vegetable growth,whichspreadsnotonlyoveritssurface,butpenetratesintoitsometimestoadepthofseveral feet. The earlier navigators who discovered it, and first told theastonished world that the substance which they had been accustomed toassociatewiththeideaofthepurestandmostradiantwhitenesshadbeenseenbythemlyingredupontheground,attributedthephenomenontoinnumerablemultitudes of minute creatures belonging to the order Radiata, but thediscoveryofredsnowamongthecentralAlpsofEurope,andinthePyrenees,andon themountainsofNorway,wheremarineanimalculescouldnotexist,effectually overturned this idea. The colouring matter has now beenascertained to result fromplants belonging to the order calledAlgae,whichhave a remarkable degree of vitality, and possess the power, to an amazingextent,ofgrowingandspreadingwithrapidityevenoversuchanungenialsoilastheArcticsnow.While Singleton was examining the red snow, and vainly endeavouring toascertainthenatureoftheminutespecksofmatterbywhichitwascoloured,Fredcontinuedtogazewithalookofincreasingearnestnesstowardsthetall
column,aroundwhichabankoffogwasspreading,andpartiallyconcealingitfromview.Atlengthheattractedtheattentionofhiscompaniontowardsit.“I say, I’m half inclined to believe that yon is no work of nature, but amonumentsetuptoattracttheattentionofships.Don’tyouthinkso?”Singleton regarded the object in question for some time. “I don’t think so,Fred;itislargerthanyousuppose,forthefog-bankdeceivesus;butletusgoandseeitcannotbefaroff.”Astheydrewneartothetallrock,Fred’shopesbegantofade,andsoonwereutterlyquenchedbythefogclearingawayandshowingthat thecolumnwasindeed of nature’s own constructing. Itwas a single, solitary shaft of greenlimestone,whichstoodonthebrinkofadeepravine,andwasmarkedbytheslatylimestonethatonceencasedit.Thelengthofthecolumnwasapparentlyaboutfivehundredfeet,andthepedestalofsandstoneonwhichitstoodwasitselfupwardsoftwohundredfeethigh.Thismagnificent column seemed the flag-staff of a gigantic crystal fortress,which was suddenly revealing by the clearing away of the fog-bank to thenorth.Itwasthefaceofthegreatglacieroftheinterior,whichherepresentedanunbrokenperpendicularfrontasweepofsolidglassywall,whichrosethreehundredfeetabovethewater-level,withanunknowndepthbelowit.Thesunglitteredonthecrags,andpeaks,andbattlementsofthisicefortressasifthemysteriousinhabitantsofthefarnorthhadlituptheirfires,andplantedtheirartillerytoresistfurtherinvasion.Theeffectuponthemindsof the twoyouths,whowereprobablythefirst togazeuponthosewondrousvisionsof theicyregions,wastremendous.Foralongtimeneitherofthemcouldutteraword,anditwouldbeidletoattempttotranscribe the language in which, at length, their excited feelings sought toescape. It was not until their backs had been for some time turned on thescene, and the cape near the valley of red snow had completely shut it outfrom view, that they could condescend to converse again in their ordinarytonesonordinarysubjects.Astheyhastenedbackovertheice-beltatthefootofthecliffs,aloudboomrangoutinthedistance,androlledinsolemnechoesalongtheshore.“Theregoesagun,”exclaimedTomSingleton,hastilypullingouthiswatch.“Hallo!doyouknowwhattimeitis?”“Prettylate,Isuppose;itwasafternoon,Iknow,whenwestarted,andwemusthavebeenoutagoodwhilenow.Whattimeisit?”
“Justtwoo’clockinthemorning!”“What!doyoumeantosayitwasyesterdaywhenwestarted,andthatwe’vebeenwalkingallnight,andgotintoto-morrowmorningwithoutknowingit?”“Evenso,Fred.Wehaveovershotourtime,andthecaptainissignallingustomakehaste.Hesaidthathewouldnotfireunlessthereseemedsomeprospectof the icemoving, sowe had better run, unless wewish to be left behind;comealong.”They had not proceeded more than half a mile when a Polar bear walkedleisurelyoutfrombehindalumpofice,whereithadbeenregalingitselfonadead seal, and sauntered slowly out towards the icebergs seaward, not ahundredyardsinadvanceofthem.“Hallo! look there!whatamonster!”shoutedFred,ashecockedhismusketandsprangforward.“What’llyoudo,Tom,you’venogun?”“Nevermind,I’lldowhatIcanwiththehammer.Onlymakesureyoudon’tmiss.Don’tfiretillyouarequiteclosetohim.”Theywere running after the bear at top speedwhile they thus conversed inhastyandbrokensentences,whensuddenlytheycametoayawningcrackintheice,aboutthirtyfeetwide,andamilelongoneitherhand,withtherisingtideboilingatthebottomofit.Bruin’spursuerscametoanabrupthalt.“Now,isn’tthatdisgusting!”Probably itwas, and the expression of chagrin onFred’s countenance as hesaid so evidently showed that he meant it, but there is no doubt that thisinterruption to their huntwas extremely fortunate; for to attack a polar bearwithamusketchargedonlywithsmallshot,andageologicalhammer,wouldhave been about as safe and successful an operation as trying to stop alocomotivewith one’s hand.Neither of them had yet had experience of theenormousstrengthofthiswhitemonarchofthefrozenregionsandhistenacityoflife,althoughbothwererecklessenoughtorushathimwithanyarmstheychancedtohave.“Givehimalongshotquick!”criedSingleton.Fred fired instantly, and the bear stopped, and looked round, asmuch as tosay:“Didyouspeak,gentlemen?”Then,notreceivingareply,hewalkedawaywithdignifiedindifference,anddisappearedamongtheice-hummocks.Anhourafterwardsthetwowandererswereseatedatacomfortablebreakfast
inthecabinoftheDolphin,relatingtheiradventurestothecaptainandmates,and, although unwittingly, to Mivins, who generally managed so to placehimself,while engaged in themysterious operations of his little pantry, thatmostofthecabin-talkreachedhisear,andtravelledthencethroughhismouthtotheforecastle.Thecaptainwasfullyawareofthisfact,buthewinkedatit,for therewasnothingbut friendly feelingonboard the ship, andno secrets.When,however,mattersofseriousimporthadtobediscussed,thecabindoorwasclosed,andMivinsturnedtoexpendhimselfonDavieSummers,who,inthe capacity of a listener, was absolutely necessary to the comfortableexistenceoftheworthysteward.Having exhausted their appetites and their information, Fred andTomweretoldthat,duringtheirabsence,abearandtwosealshadbeenshotbyMeetuck,theEsquimauxinterpreter,whomtheyhadtakenonboardatUppernavik;andtheywere further informed that the icewas inmotion to thewestward, andthat there was every probability of their being released by the falling tide.Having duly and silently weighed these facts for a few minutes, theysimultaneously,andasifbyacommonimpulse,yawnedandretiredtobed.
ChapterNine.
TheDolphingetsbesetintheIcePreparationsforWinteringintheIceCaptainGuy’sCodeofLaws.AnaccidentnowbefelltheDolphinwhicheffectuallydecidedthefateoftheshipandhercrew,at leastforthatwinter.Thiswashergettingagroundneartheravineof thegiant flagstaffbeforementioned,andbeingfinallybesetbyice from which all efforts on the part of the men to extricate her provedabortive,andinwhichshewasultimatelyfrozeninhardandfast.Thefirstsightthecrewobtainedoftheredsnowfilledthemwithunboundedamazement, and a few of the more superstitious amongst them with aweapproaching to fear. But soon their attentionwas attracted from this by thewonderfulcolumn.“Och,then!mayIniver!”exclaimedO’Riley,themomenthecaughtsightofit,“ifthereben’tthenorthpoleatlonglastsureenough!”The laugh that greeted this remarkwas almost immediately checked, partlyfromthefeelingsofsolemnityinspiredbythemagnificentviewwhichopenedup to them, and partly from a suspicion on the part of the more ignorantamongthementhattheremightbesometruthinO’Riley’sstatementafterall.Buttheirattentionandenergieswerespeedilycalledtothedangerousposition
of the ship, which unexpectedly took the ground in a bay where the waterproved to be unusually shallow, andbefore they couldwarpher off, the iceclosedroundherincompact,immovablemasses.AtfirstCaptainGuywasnotseriouslyalarmedby thisuntowardevent,althoughhe felt a littlechagrin inconsequenceof thedetention, for the summerwas rapidly advancing, and itbehoved him to return to Baffin’s Bay, and prosecute the whale-fishing asenergeticallyaspossible;butwhendayafterdaypassed,andtheiceroundtheship still remained immovable, he became alarmed, and sought by everymeansinhispowertoextricatehimself.Hispositionwas rendered all themore aggravatingby the fact that, aweekafterhewasbeset,themainbodyoftheiceinthestraitopenedupanddriftedto the southward, leaving a comparatively clear sea throughwhichhe couldhave pushed hiswaywithoutmuch difficulty in any direction, but the solidmasses inwhich they lay embeddedwere fast to the ground for about fiftyyardsbeyondthevessel,seaward,anduntiltheseshouldbefloatedawaytherewasnochanceofescape.“Getupsomepowderandcanisters,MrBolton,”heexclaimed,onemorningafter breakfast; “I’ll try what can be done by blasting the ice. The highestspringtidewilloccurto-morrow,andiftheshipdon’tmovethenweshall”Hedid not finish the sentence, but turned on his heel, andwalked forward,wherehefoundBuzzbyandsomeofthemenpreparingtheice-saws.“Ay,ay,”mutteredthemate,ashewentbelowtogivethenecessarydirections,“you don’t need to conclude your speech, Captain. If we don’t get out to-morrow,we’relockedupforonewinteratleastifnotmore.”“Ay,andye’llnogetootto-morrow,”remarkedSaunderswithashakeofhishead as he looked up from the log-book inwhich hewasmaking an entry.“We’rehardandfast,sowe’lljusthavetomakethebesto’t.”Saunderswasrightas theeffortsof thenextdayproved.The ice layaroundthevesselinsolidmasses,aswehavesaid,andwitheachofthelastthreetidesthesemasses had been slightlymoved. Saws and ice chisels, therefore, hadbeeninconstantoperation,andthemenworkedwiththeutmostenergy,nightandday,takingitbyturns,andhavingdoubleallowanceofhotcoffeeservedouttothem.WemaymentionherethattheDolphincarriednospirits,exceptwhat was needed for medicinal purposes, and for fuel to several smallcooking-lamps that had been recently invented. It had now been proved bymanyvoyagersofexperiencethatincoldcountries,aswellashot,menworkharder,andenduretheextremityofhardshipbetter,withoutstrongdrinkthanwith it, and theDolphin’s crewwere engaged on the distinct understanding
that coffee, and tea, and chocolatewere to be substituted for rum, and thatspiritswerenevertobegiventoanyoneonboard,exceptincasesofextremenecessity.But, to returnalthough the men worked as only those can who toil forliberationfromlongimprisonment,noimpressionworthmentioningcouldbemadeontheice.Atlengththeattempttorenditbymeansofgunpowderwasmade.A jar containing about thirty pounds of powder was sunk in a hole in animmense block of icewhich lay close against the stern of the ship.Mivins,beinglightoffoot,wassettofirethetrain.Hedidso,andranransofastthathemissedhisfooting in leapingoverachasm,andhadwell-nighfallen intothewaterbelow.Therewasawhizandaloudreport,andtheenormousmassof iceheavedupwards in thecentre,andfellback inhugefragments.Sofartheresultwassatisfactory,andthemenwereimmediatelyset tosinkseveralcharges in various directions around the vessel, to be in readiness for thehighesttide,whichwassoonexpected.Warpsandhawserswerealsogotoutandfixedtotheseawardmasses,readytoheaveonthematamoment’snotice;theshipwaslightenedasmuchaspossible,byliftingherstoresupontheice,andthewholecrewcaptain,mates,andallworkedandheavedlikehorses,untiltheperspirationstreamedfromtheirfaces,whileMizzlekeptsupplyingthemwithaconstantdelugeofhotcoffee.Fredandtheyoungsurgeon,too,workedliketherest,withtheircoatsoff,handkerchiefsboundroundtheirheads,andshirt-sleevestuckeduptotheirshoulders.Atlastthetideroseinchbyinch,andslowly,asifitgrudgedtogivethemevenachanceofescape.Mivins grew impatient and unbelieving under it. “I don’t think it’ll riseanotherhinch,”heremarkedtoO’Riley,whostoodnearhim.“Niver fear,boy.Thecaptingknowsa sightbetter thanyoudo,andhe saysit’llriseafutyit.”“Doeshe?”askedGrim,whowasalsobeginningtodespond.“Ovcoorsehedoes.Surehe towldme in a confidentialway, just beforehewinttoturninlastnightifitwasn’tyisturdayforenoon,forit’smeselfasniverknowsanhouro’thedaysincethesunbecamedissipated,andtucktosittin’upallnightinthisfashion.”“Shutupyertatietrapandopenyerweathereye,”mutteredBuzzby,whohadchargeofthegang,“there’llbetimeenoughtospeakafterwe’reoff.”
Gradually,asthetiderose,theiceandtheshipmoved,anditbecameevidentthat the latterwasalmost afloat though the former seemed tobeonlypartlyraisedfromtheground.Themenwereattheirseveralpostsreadyforinstantaction,andgazinginanxiousexpectationatthecaptain,whostood,watchinhand,readytogivetheword.“Now,then,fire!”hesaidinalowvoice.In a moment the ice round the ship was rent and upheaved, as if someleviathanofthedeepwererisingfrombeneathitandthevesselswungslowlyround.Aloudcheerburstfromthemen.“Now,lads,heavewithawill!”roaredthecaptain.Round went the capstan, the windlass clanked, and the ship forged slowlyaheadasthewarpsandhawsersbecamerigid.Atthatmomentaheavyblockof ice,whichhadbeenoverbalancedby themotionof thevessel, fellwithacrash on the rudder, splitting off a large portion of it, and drawing the ironboltsthathelditcompletelyoutofthestern-post.“Nevermind;heaveawayforyourlives!”criedthecaptain.“Jumponboardallofyou!”Thefewmenwhohaduntilnowremainedonthe icescrambleduptheside.Therewasasheetoficerightaheadwhichtheshipcouldnotclear,butwhichshewaspushingout tosea inadvanceofher.Suddenlythis tookthegroundandremainedmotionless.“Outtherewithice-chisels.Sinkaholelikelightning.Prepareacanister,MrBolton;quick!”shoutedthecaptainindesperation,ashesprangoverthesideandassistedtocut intotheunwieldyobstruction.Thechargewassoonfixedandfired,butitonlysplittheblockintwo,andleftitmotionlessasbefore.Afew minutes after, the ship again grounded; the ice settled round her; thespringtidewaslost,andtheywerenotdelivered.Those who know the bitterness of repeated disappointment, and of hopedeferred,mayjudgeofthefeelingswithwhichthecrewoftheDolphinnowregardedtheirposition.Little,indeed,wassaid,butthegravelooksofmostofthe men, and the absence of the usual laugh, and jest, and disposition toskylark,whichonalmostallotheroccasionscharacterised them,showed tooplainly how heavily the prospect of awinter in theArctic regionsweighedupontheirspirits.Theycontinuedtheirexertionstofreetheship,however,forseveraldaysafterthehightide,anddidnotfinallygiveinuntilallreasonablehopeofmovingherwasutterlyannihilated.Before this,however,a reactionbegan to takeplace; theprospectsof thecomingwinterwerediscussed,and
some of the more sanguine looked even beyond the winter, and began toconsiderhowtheywouldcontrivetogettheshipoutofherpositionintodeepwateragain.FredEllice,too,thoughtofhisfather,andthisabruptchecktothesearch,andhisspiritssankagainashishopesdecayed.ButpoorFred,liketheothers,atlastdiscoveredthatitwasofnousetorepine,andthatitwasbesttofacehissorrowsanddifficulties“likeaman!”Amongsomanymentherewereallshadesofcharacter,andthefactthattheyweredoomedtoayear’simprisonmentinthefrozenregionswasreceivedinvery different ways. Some looked grave and thought of it seriously; otherslaughedandtreatedit lightly;afewgrumbledandspokeprofanely,butmostofthembecamequicklyreconciled,andinaweekortwonearlyallforgotthepast and the future in the duties, and cares, and amusements of the present.CaptainGuy and his officers, however, and a few of themore sedatemen,among whom were Buzzby and Peter Grim, looked forward with muchanxiety,knowingfullwellthedangersandtrialsthatlaybeforethem.It is true the ship was provisioned for more than a year, but most of theprovisions were salt, and Tom Singleton could have told them, had theyrequiredtobetold,thatwithoutfreshprovisionstheystoodapoorchanceofescaping thatdiredisease, scurvy,beforewhichhave fallen somanygallanttarswhomnothingintheshapeofdangersordifficultiescouldsubdue.Therewere, indeed,myriadsofwild fowl flyingabout the ship,onwhich themenfeastedandgrewfateveryday;and themusketsofMeetuck,and thosewhoaccompaniedhim,seldomfailedtosupplytheshipwithanabundanceofthefleshofseals,walrus,andpolarbears,portionsofallofwhichcreatureswereconsideredverygoodindeedbythemen,andparticularlybythedogs,whichgrewsofatthattheybegantoacquireaverydisreputablewaddleintheirgaitas they walked the deck for exercise, which they seldom did, by the way,being passionately fond of sleep!But birds and, perchance, beastsmight beexpected to take themselvesoffwhen thewinterarrived,and leave thecrewwithoutfreshfood.Then,althoughtheDolphinwassuppliedwitheverynecessaryforawhalingexpedition, and with many luxuries besides, she was ill-provided with thesupplies that men deem absolutely indispensable for a winter in the Arcticregions,where thecold is sobitterly intense that, after aprolonged sojourn,men’sminds become almost entirely engrossed by two clamant demands ofnaturefood and heat. They had only a small quantity of coal on board, andnothingexceptafewextrasparsthatcouldbeusedasasubstitute,whilethebleakshoresaffordedneithershrubnortreeofanykind.Meanwhiletheyhadasufficiency of everything they required for at least two or three months to
come,andfortherestasGrimsaid,theyhad“stoutheartsandstrongarms.”Assoonasitbecameapparentthattheyweretowinterinthebay,whichthecaptainnamedtheBayofMercy,allfurtherattempttoextricatetheshipwasabandoned, and every preparation for spending the winter was begun andcarried out vigorously. It was now that Captain Guy’s qualities as a leaderbegantobedisplayed.Heknew,fromlongexperienceandobservation,thatinordertokeepupthemoraleofanybodyofmenitwasabsolutelynecessarytomaintain the strictest discipline. Indeed this rule is so universal in itsapplication that many men find it advantageous to impose strict rules onthemselves in the regulation of their time and affairs, in order to keep theirownspiritsundercommand.Oneofthecaptain’sfirstresolves,therefore,wastocall themen togetherandaddress themon this subject, andhe seized theoccasionof thefirstSabbathmorning theyspent in theBayofMercy,whenthecrewwereassembledonthequarterdeck,tospeaktothem.Itwas an exceedingly bright day.CaptainGuy stoodup, and, in an earnest,firmtone,said:“Mylads,Iconsideritmydutytosayafewplainwordstoyouinreferencetoour present situation and prospects. I feel that the responsibility of havingbroughtyouhererestsverymuchuponmyself,andIdeemitmysolemnduty,inmorethantheordinarysense,todoallIcantogetyououtoftheiceagain.YouknowaswellasIdothatthisisimpossibleatthepresenttime,andthatwearecompelledtospendawinterhere.Someofyouknowwhatthatmeans,but themost of you know it only by hearsay, and that’smuch the same asknowingnothingabout itatall.Before thewinter isdoneyourenergiesandendurancewillprobablybetaxedtotheuttermost.Ithinkitrighttobecandidwithyou.Thelifebeforeyouwillnotbechild’s-play,butIassureyouthatitmaybemingledwithmuchthatwillbepleasantandheartyifyouchoosetosetaboutitintherightway.Well,then,tobeshortaboutit.Thereisnochancewhateverofourgetting through thewinter in this shipcomfortably,or evensafely, unless the strictest discipline is maintained aboard. I know, for I’vebeeninsimilarcircumstancesbefore,thatwhencoldandhunger,and,itmaybe,sickness,pressuponusshoulditpleasetheAlmightytosendtheseonusingreatseverityyouwillfeeldutytobeirksome,andyou’llthinkituseless,andperhapsbetemptedtomutiny.NowIaskyousolemnly,whileyourmindsareclearfromallprejudices,eachindividuallytosignawrittencodeoflaws,andawrittenpromise thatyouwillobey thesame,andhelpme toenforce themevenwith thepunishmentofdeath, ifneedbe.Now, lads,willyouagree tothat?”“Agreed,agreed!”criedthemenatonce,andinatoneofpromptdecisionthatconvinced their leader he had their entire confidenceamatter of the highest
importanceinthecriticalcircumstancesinwhichtheywereplaced.“Well,then,I’llreadtherules;theyarefew,butsufficientlycomprehensive.“First. Prayers shall be read every morning before breakfast, unlesscircumstancesrenderitimpossibletodoso.”Thecaptainlaiddownthepaper,andlookedearnestlyatthemen.“Mylads,IhaveneverfeltsostronglyasInowdotheabsoluteneedwehaveoftheblessingandguidanceoftheAlmighty,andIampersuadedthatitisourdutyaswellasourinteresttobegin,notonlytheSabbath,buteverydaywithprayer.“Second. The ordinary duties of the ship shall be carried on, the watchesregularly set and relieved, regular hours observed, and the details of dutyattendedtointheusualway,aswheninharbour.“Third. The officers shall takewatch andwatch about as heretofore, exceptwhen required to do otherwise; the log-books, and meteorologicalobservations,etcetera,shallbecarriedonasusual.“Fourth.The captain shall have supreme and absolute command aswhen atsea,buthe,onhispart,promisesthat,shouldanypeculiarcircumstancearise,inwhichthesafetyofthecreworshipshallbeimplicated,hewill,ifthemenaresodisposed,callacouncilofthewholecrew,inwhichcasethedecisionofthemajorityshallbecomelaw,but theminority in thateventshallhave it intheir option to separate from the majority and carry along with them theirshareofthegeneralprovisions.“Fifth.Disobediencetoordersshallbepunishableaccordingtothedecisionofacouncil,tobeappointedspeciallyforthepurposeofframingacriminalcode,hereaftertobesubmittedfortheapprovalofthecrew.”Therulesabovelaiddownweresignedbyeverymanintheship.Severalofthem could not write, but these affixed a cross (x) at the foot of the page,against which their names were written by the captain in presence ofwitnesses,whichansweredthesamepurpose.Andfromthattime,untileventsoccurredwhichrenderedallsuchrulesunnecessary,theworkoftheshipwentonpleasantlyandwell.
ChapterTen.Beginning of winterMeetuck effects a remarkable change in the men’sappearanceMossing,andworking,andplansforawintercampaign.
In August the first frost came and formed “young ice” on the sea, but thislastedonlyforabriefhourortwo,andwasbrokenupbythetideandmelted.Bythe10thofSeptembertheyoungicecementedthefloesoflastyear’sicetogether, and soon rendered the ice round the ship immovable. Hummocksclusteredroundseveral rockyislets in theneighbourhood,andtherisingandfallingof the tidecovered thesidesof therockswithbrightcrystals.All thefeathered tribes took their departure for less rigorous climes, with theexceptionofasmallwhitebirdaboutthesizeofasparrow,calledthesnow-bird,whichisthelasttoleavetheicynorth.Thenatremendousstormarose,and the seabecamechokedupwith icebergs and floeswhich the frost soonlockedtogetherintoasolidmass.Towardsthecloseofthestormsnowfellingreatabundance,andwhenthemarinersventuredagaintoputtheirheadsuptheopenedhatchways, thedeckswereknee-deep, thedrift towindwardwasalmostlevelwiththebulwarks,everyyardwasedgedwithwhite,everyropeandcordhadalightsideandadark,everypointandtruckhadawhitebuttononit,andeveryhole,corner,crack,andcrevicewaschokedup.The land and the seawere also clothedwith this spotlessgarment,which isindeed a strikingly appropriate emblem of purity, and the only dark objectsvisible in the landscapewere those precipiceswhichwere too steep for thesnowtolieon,thetoweringformofthegiantflag-staff,andtheleadencloudsthat rolled angrily across the sky. But these leaden clouds soon rolled off,leavingabluewintryskyandabrightsunbehind.Thestormblewitselfoutearly in themorning,andatbreakfast-timeonthatday,whenthesunwasjuststrugglingwiththelastoftheclouds,CaptainGuyremarked to his friends, who were seated round the cabin table: “Well,gentlemen,wemustbeginhardworkto-day.”“Hardwork,Captain!”exclaimedFredEllice,pausingforasecondortwointhehardworkofchewingapieceofhardsaltjunk;“why,whatdoyoucalltheworkwe’vebeenengagedinforthelastfewweeks?”“Play,mylad; thatwasonlyplayjust tobringourhandsin,beforesettingtoworkinearnest!Whatdoyouthinkofthehealthofthemen,Doctor?”“Neverwasbetter,but I fear thehospitalwillsoonfill ifyoucarryoutyourthreatinregardtowork.”“Nofear,”remarkedthesecondmate;“themoreworkthebetterhealthismyexperience.Busymenhavenotimetogitseek.”“No doubt of it sir,” said the first mate, bolting a large mouthful of pork.“Nothingsogoodfor’emaswork.”
“Therearetwoagainstyou,Doctor,”saidthecaptain.“Thenit’stwototwo,”criedFred,ashefinishedbreakfast,“forIquiteagreewithTom,andwiththatexcellentproverbwhichsays:‘AllworkandnoplaymakesJackadullboy.’”Thecaptainshookhisheadashesaid:“OfallthenuisancesIevermetwithina ship a semi-passenger is the worst. I think, Fred, I must get you boundapprentice,andgiveyouregularworktodo,yougood-for-nothing.”Weneedscarcelysaythatthecaptainjested,forFredwaspossessedofaspiritthat cannot rest, so to speak, unless at work. He was able to do almostanything after a fashion, andwas never idle for amoment. Evenwhen hishandschancedtobeunemployedhisbrowswereknitted,busilyplanningwhattodonext.“Well now, gentlemen,” resumed the captain, “let us consider the order ofbusiness. The first thing thatmust be done now is to unstow the hold, anddeposititscontentsonthesmallislandasternofus,whichweshallcallStoreIsland,forbrevity’ssake.Getatentpitchedthere,MrBolton,andbankitupwith snow. You can leave Grim to superintend the unloading. Then, MrSaunders,doyougoandsetagangofmentocutacanalthroughtheyoungice from the ship to the island. Fortunately the floes there arewide enoughapart to letourquarter-boats floatbetween them.Theunshippingwon’t takelong.TellBuzzbytotakeadozenmenwithhimandcollectmoss;we’llneedalargequantityforfuel,andifanotherstormlikethiscomes,it’llbehardworktogetdownto it.SendMeetuck tomewhenyougoondeck; Ishall talk tohimastoourprospectsoffindingdeerhereabouts,andarrangeahunt.Doctor,youmay either join the hunting party or post up the observations, etcetera,whichhaveaccumulatedoflate.”“Thank you, Captain,” said Singleton, “I’ll accept the latter duty, the morewillingly that I wish to have a careful examination of my botanicalspecimens.”“AndwhatamItodo,Captain?”enquiredFred.“Whatyouplease,lad.”“Then I’ll go and take care ofMeetuck; he’s apt to get intomischiefwhenleft”At thismoment a tremendous shout of laughter, long-continued, came fromthedeck,andasoundasofnumbersofmendancingoverheadwasheard.
Thepartyinthecabinseizedtheircapsandsprangupthecompanion,wheretheybeheldascenethataccountedforthelaughter,andinducedthemtojoininit.Atfirstsightitseemedasifthirtypolarbearshadboardedthevessel,andwereexecutingadanceof triumphbeforeproceeding tomakeamealof thecrew;butoncloserinspectionitbecameapparentthatthemenhadundergonea strange transformation, and were capering with delight at the ridiculousappearance theypresented.Theywere clad fromhead to foot inEsquimauxcostume,andnowboreasstronga resemblance topolarbearsasmancouldattainto.Meetuckwasthepatternandthechiefinstrumentineffectingthischange.AtUppernavikCaptainGuyhadbeeninducedtopurchasealargenumberoffox-skins, deer-skins, seal-skins, and other furs as a speculation, and had themtightlypackedandstowedawayinthehold,littleimaginingthepurposetheywereultimatelydestined toserve.Meetuckhadcomeonboard inamongrelsortofworn-outseal-skindress,buttheinstantthecoldweathersetinhedrewfromabundle,whichhehadbroughtwithhim,adressmadeofthefursoftheArcticfox,someoftheskinsbeingwhiteandtheothersblue.Itconsistedofaloosecoatsomewhatintheformofashirt,withalargehoodtoit,andashortelongationbehindlike thecommencementofa tail.Thebootsweremadeofwhitebear-skinwhich,attheendofthefoot,weremadetoterminatewiththeclawsoftheanimal,andtheyweresolongthattheycameupthethighunderthecoat,or“jumper”asthemencalledit,andthusservedinsteadoftrousers.Healsoworefurmittens,withabagforthefingers,andaseparatelittlebagfor the thumb. The hair on these garments was long and soft, and wornoutside,sothatwhenamanenvelopedhimselfinthem,andputupthehood,whichwell-nighconcealedtheface,hebecameverymuchlikeabear,orsomesuchcreature,standingonitshind-legs.Meetuckwasashort,fat,burlylittlefellowbynature,butwhenheputonhiswinterdresshebecamesucharound,soft,squat,hairy,andcomical-lookingcreature thatnoonecould lookathimwithout laughing;and the shoutwithwhichhewas receivedondeck the first timehemadehisappearance inhisnewcostumewasloudandprolonged.ButMeetuckwasasgood-humouredanEsquimauxaseverspearedawalrusor lancedapolarbear.He joined in thelaugh,andcutacaperortwotoshowthatheenteredintothespiritofthejoke.Whentheshipwassetfast,andthethermometerfellprettylow,themenfoundthattheirordinarydreadnoughtsandpea-jackets,etcetera,werenotasufficientprotectionagainst thecold,and itoccurred to thecaptain thathis fursmightnowbeturnedtogoodaccount.Sailorsareproverbiallygoodneedle-menofarough kind.Meetuck showed them how to set about their work; each manmadehis owngarments, and in less than aweek theywere completed. It is
truethebootsperplexedthemalittle,andtheless ingeniousamongthemenmade very rare and curious-looking foot-gear for themselves, but theysucceededafterafashion,andatlastthewholecrewappearedondeckintheirnew habiliments, as we have alreadymentioned, capering among the snowlike bears, to their own entire satisfaction and to the intense delight ofMeetuck,whonowcametoregardthewhitemenasbrotherssotrueisitthat“thetailormakestheman!”“’Ow ’orribly ’eavy it is, hain’t it?”gaspedMivins, afterdancing round themain-hatchtillhewasnearlyexhausted.“Heavy?” cried Buzzby, whose appearance was such that you would havehesitatedtosaywhetherhisbreadthorlengthwasgreater,“heavy,d’yesay?Itmustbeyoursperritswot’sheavy,then,forIfeelaslightasafeathermyself.”“Omorther! thenmay I niver sleep on a bedmade o’ sich feathers!” criedO’Riley,caperinguptoGreen, thecarpenter’smate,andthrowingamassofsnowinhisface.Thefrostrendereditimpossibletoformthesnowintoballs,butthemenmadeupforthisbythrowingitabouteachother’seyesandearsinhandfuls.“Whatd’yemeanbyinsultin’mymate?takethat!”saidPeterGrim,givingtheIrishmanatwirlthattumbledhimonthedeck.“Oh,badmanners toye,”splutteredO’Riley,asheroseandranaway,“whydon’tyehitamano’yerownsize.”“’Deed, then, it must be because there’s not one o’ my own size to hit,”remarkedthecarpenterwithabroadgrin.This was true. Grim’s colossal proportions were increased so much by hishairydressthatheseemedtospreadoutintothedimensionsoftwolargemenrolledintoone.ButO’Rileywasnottobeoverturnedwithimpunity.Skulkingroundbehindthecrew,whowerelaughingatGrim’sjoke,hecameuponthegiantintherear,andseizingtheshorttailofhisjumper,pulledhimviolentlydownonthedeck.“Ah!thengiveithim,boys,”criedO’Riley,pushingthecarpenterflatdown,and obliterating his black beard and his whole visage in a mass of snow.SeveralofthewilderspiritsamongthemenleapedontheprostrateGrim,andnearlysmotheredhimbeforehecouldgatherhimselfup fora struggle; thenthey fled in all directions, while their victim regained his feet and rushedwildly after them. At last he caught O’Riley, and grasping him by the twoshouldersgavehimaheavethatwasintendedand“calc’lated,”asAmosParrafterwards remarked, “to pitch him over the foretop-sail-yard!” But an
Irishman is not easily overcome.O’Riley suddenly straightenedhimself andheld his arms up over his head, and the violent heave, which, according toParr,wastohavesenthimtosuchanuncomfortableelevation,onlypulledthejumpercompletelyoffhisbody,andlefthimfreetolaughinthefaceofhisbigfriend,andrunaway.Atthispointthecaptaindeemeditprudenttointerfere.“Come, come, my lads,” he cried, “enough o’ this! That’s not themorningwork, is it? I’m glad to find that your new dresses,” he added with asignificantsmile,“makeyoufondofroughworkinthesnow;there’splentyofitbeforeus.Comedownbelowwithme,Meetuck;Iwishtotalkwithyou.”Asthecaptaindescendedtothecabinthemengaveafinalcheer,andintenminutestheywereworkinglaboriouslyattheirvariousduties.Buzzbyandhispartywere the first readyandoff tocutmoss.TheydrewasledgeafterthemtowardstheRed-snowValley,whichwasnotmorethantwomiles distant from the ship. This “mossing”, as it was termed, was by nomeansapleasantduty.Beforethewinterbecameseverethemosscouldbecutout from the beds of the snow streamswith comparative ease, but now themixedturfofwillows,heaths,grasses,andmosswasfrozensolid,andhadtobe quarried with crowbars and carried to the ship like so much stone.However, it was prosecuted vigorously, and a sufficient quantity was soonprocuredtopackonthedecksoftheship,andarounditssides,soastokeepout the cold. At the same time the operation of discharging the stores wascarriedonbriskly,andFred, incompanywithMeetuck,O’Riley,andJosephWest,startedwiththedog-sledgeonahuntingexpedition.InordertoenablethereaderbettertounderstandtheconditionoftheDolphinandhercrew,wewilldetail theseveralarrangements thatweremadeat thistimeandduringthesucceedingfortnight.Asameasureofprecaution,theship,bymeans of blasting, sawing, and warping, was with great labour got intodeeper water, where one night’s frost set her fast with a sheet of ice threeinchesthickroundher;inafewweeksthisicebecameseveralfeetthick,andthesnowdriftedupherhullsomuchthatitseemedasifshewererestingontheland,andhadtakenfinalleaveofhernativeelement.Stronghawserswerethen secured to Store Island in order to guard against the possibility of herbeingcarriedawaybyanysuddendisruptionoftheice.Thedispositionofthemasts, yards, and sailswere next determined on; the top-gallantmastswerestruck,theloweryardsgotdowntothehousings.Thetop-sailyards,gaff,andjib-boom,however,were left in theirplaces.The top-sails andcourseswerekeptbenttotheyards,thesheetsbeingunrove,andtheclewstuckedin.Therestofthebindingsailswerestowedondecktopreventtheirthawingduring
winter;andthesparesparswerelashedovertheship’ssides,toleaveaclearspacefortakingexerciseinbadweather.The stores, inorder to relieve the strainon the ship,were removed toStoreIsland,andsnuglyhousedunderthetenterectedthere,andthenathickbankof snowwas heaped up round it.After thiswas accomplished, all the boatswerehauledupbesidethetentandcoveredwithsnow,exceptthetwoquarterboats,whichwerelefthangingatthedavitsallwinter.Whenthethermometerfellbelowzeroitwasfoundthatthevapoursbelow,andthebreathofthemen,condensedonthebeamsofthelowerdeckandinthecabinnearthehatchway.Itwas therefore resolved to convert some sheet-iron,which they fortunatelypossessed,intopipes,which,beingconductedfromthecooking-stovethroughthe length of the ship, served in some degree to raise the temperature andventilatethecabins.Aregulardailyallowanceofcoalwasservedout,andfoursteadymenappointed toattend to thefire in regularwatches, for thedoublepurpose of seeing that none of the fuel should be wasted, and of guardingagainstfire.Theyhadlikewisechargeofthefire-pumpsandbuckets,andtwotanksofwater,allofwhichwerekeptinthehatchwayinconstantreadinessincaseofaccidents.Inadditionto this,afire-brigadewasformed,withJosephWest,asteady,quiet,activeyoungseaman,asitscaptain,andtheirstationsintheeventoffirewerefixedbeforehand;alsoaholewaskeptconstantlyopenintheicealongsidetoensureatalltimesasufficientsupplyofwater.Strictregulationsastocleanliness,andthedailyairingofthehammocks,werelaid down, and adhered to throughout the winter. A regular allowance ofprovisionswasappointedtoeachman,sothattheyshouldnotruntheriskofstarvingbeforethereturnofthewildfowlinspring.Butthoseprovisionswereallsalt,andthecaptaintrustedmuchtotheirhuntingexpeditionsforasupplyoffreshfood,withoutwhichtherewouldbelittlehopeoftheircontinuinginacondition of good health. Coffee was served out at breakfast, and cocoa atsupper, besides being occasionally supplied at other times tomenwho hadbeen engaged in exhausting work in extremely cold weather. Afterwards,whenthedarkseasonset in,andthecrewwereconfinedbythe intensecoldmorethanformerlywithintheship,variousschemesweresetafootforpassingthe timeprofitablyandagreeably.Amongothersaschoolwasstartedby thecaptainforinstructingsuchofthecrewaschosetoattendinreading,writing,and arithmetic, and in this hyperborean academy Fred Ellice acted as thewriting-master, and Tom Singleton as the accountant. The men were muchamusedatfirstattheideaof“goin’toschool”,andsomeofthemlookedrathershyatit,butO’Riley,aftersomeconsideration,cameboldlyforwardandsaid:“Well,boys,badlucktomeifIdon’tthinkI’llbeascholardaftherall.Myoldgran’motherusedtotellme,whinIrefusedtogototheschoolthatwaskipbeanowldmanas tuckhisfeesout inmurphiesandphotteen,saysshe: ‘Ahye
spalpeen,ye’llniverbecliverernorthepig,yewont.’‘Ah,then,Ihopenot,’saysI,‘forsureshe’sfarthecliverestinthehouse,an’yewouldn’thavemetobe cliverer thanmeowngran’mother,would ye?’ says I. So I niverwint toschool,andmorebetoken,Ican’tsignmename,andif itwasonlytolearnhowtodothat,I’llgoandjine;indeedIwill.”SoO’Rileyjoined,andbeforelongeverymanintheshipwasgladtojoin,inordertohavesomethingtodo.The doctor also, twice a week, gave readings from Shakespeare, a copy ofwhichhehadfortunatelybroughtwithhim.Healsoreadextractsfromthefewother books they happened to have on board, and after a time, findingunexpectedlythathehadatalentthatway,hebegantodrawuponhismemoryand his imagination, and told long stories (which were facetiously calledlectures) to the men, who listened to them with great delight. Then Fredstarted an illustrated newspaper once a week, which was named the ArcticSun, and which was in great favour during the whole course of its briefexistence. It is true, onlyone copywas issued eachmorningof publication,because,besidessupplyingthegreaterproportionofthematerialhimself,andexecuting the illustrations in a style thatwouldhavemadeMrLeechof thepresentdayenvious,hehadtotranscribethevariouscontributionshereceivedfromthemenandothersinaneat,legiblehand.ButthisonecopywasperusedandreperusedasnosinglecopyofanypaperextantnotexceptingTheTimesorPunchhaseveryetbeenperused;andwhenitwasreturnedtotheeditortobe carefully placed in the archives of the Dolphin, it was emphatically theworse forwear. Besides all this, a theatrewas set agoingofwhichwe shallhavemoretosayhereafter.Inthusminutelyrecountingthevariousexpedientswhichthesebanishedmenfell upon to pass the longdark hours of anArcticwinter,wemay, perhaps,give the reader the impression that a great deal of thought and time werebestoweduponamusement,asifthatwerethechiefendandobjectoftheirlifeinthoseregions.Butwemustremindhimthatthoughmanymorepagesmightbefilledinrecountingalltheparticulars,butasmallportionoftheirtimewas,afterall,takenupinthisway;anditwouldhavebeenwellforthemhadtheybeen able to find more to amuse them than they did, for the depressinginfluence of the long-continued darkness, and the want of a sufficiency ofregularemploymentforsomanymonths,addedtotherigorousnatureoftheclimateinwhichtheydwelt,well-nighbroketheirspiritsatlast.Inordertosecurewarmthduringwinter,thedeckoftheshipwaspaddedwithmossaboutafootdeep,and,downbelow,thewallswerelinedwiththesamematerial.Thefloorswerecarefullyplasteredwithcommonpaste,andcoveredwith oakum a couple of inches deep, over which a carpet of canvas wasspread.Everyopeninginthedeckwasfasteneddownandcovereddeeplyover
withmoss,withtheexceptionofonehatch,whichwastheironlyentrance,andthis was kept constantly closed, except when it was desirable to ventilate.Curtainswerehungupinfrontofittopreventdraughts.Acanvasawningwasalsospreadoverthedecksfromstemtostern,sothatitwasconfidentlyhopedtheDolphinwouldproveasnugtenementevenintheseverestcold.Ashasbeensaidbefore,thesnow-driftalmostburiedthehulloftheship;and,as snow is a goodnon-conductor of heat, this further helped to keepup thetemperaturewithin.Astaircaseof snowwasbuiltup to thebulwarkson thelarboard quarter, and on the starboard side an inclined plane of snow wasslopeddowntotheicetofacilitatethelaunchingofthesledgeswhentheyhadtobepulledondeck.Such were the chief arrangements and preparations that were made by ouradventurersforspendingthewinter;butalthoughwehavedescribedthematthispoint inour story,manyof themwerenot completeduntil amuch laterperiod.
ChapterEleven.AHuntingExpedition, in theCourse ofwhich theHuntersmeetwithmanyInteresting, Dangerous, Peculiar, and Remarkable Experiences, and makeAcquaintancewithSeals,Walrus,Deer,andRabbits.We must now return to Fred Ellice and his companions, Meetuck theEsquimaux,O’Riley,andJosephWest,whomweleftwhiletheywereonthepointofstartingonahuntingexpedition.They took the direction of the ice hummocks out to the sea, and, seatedcomfortablyonalargesledge,weredraggedbytheteamofdogsovertheiceattherateoftenmilesanhour.“Well!didIiverexpecttorideinacarriageandsix?”exclaimedO’Rileyinastate of great glee as the dogs dashed forward at full speed,whileMeetuckflourishedhisawfulwhip,makingitcracklikeapistol-shoteverandanon.The sledge on which they travelled was of the very curious and simpleconstructionpeculiartotheEsquimaux,andwasbuiltbyPeterGrimunderthedirectionofMeetuck. Itconsistedof tworunnersofabout tenfeet in length,six inches high, two inches broad, and three feet apart. Theyweremade oftough hickory, slightly curved in front, and were attached to each other bycrossbars.Atthestemofthevehicletherewasalowbackcomposedoftwouprightsandasinglebaracross.Thewholemachinewasfastenedtogetherbymeansof toughlashingsofrawseal-hide,sothat, toallappearance, itwasa
ricketyaffair,readytofalltopieces.Inreality,however,itwasverystrong.Nometal nails of any kind could have held in the keen frost; theywould havesnapped likeglassat the first jolt;but theseal-skin fasteningsyielded to therudeshocksandtwistingstowhichthesledgewassubjected,andseldomgaveway,or,iftheydid,wereeasilyandspeedilyrenewedwithouttheaidofanyotherimplementthanaknife.Butthewhipwasthemostremarkablepartof theequipage.Thehandlewasonlysixteeninchesinlength,but thelashwastwentyfeet long,madeof thetoughest seal-skin, and as thick as aman’swrist near the handle,whence ittaperedofftoafinepoint.ThelabourofusingsuchaformidableweaponissogreatthatEsquimauxusually,whenpracticable, travelincouples,onesledgebehindtheother.Thedogsofthelastsledgefollowmechanicallyandrequireno whip, and the riders change about so as to relieve each other. Whentravelling,thewhiptrailsbehind,andcanbebroughtwithatremendouscrackthat makes the hair fly from the wretch that is struckand Esquimaux aresplendidshots,sotospeak.Theycanhitanypartofadogwithcertainty,butusuallyrestsatisfiedwithsimplycrackingthewhip,asoundthatproducesanansweringyellofterrorwhetherthelashtakeseffectornot.Our hunters were clothed in their Esquimaux garments, and cut the oddestimaginable figures.Theyhadasoft, rotund,cuddled-upappearance thatwaspowerfully suggestive of comfort. The sled carried one day’s provisions, acouple ofwalrus harpoons,with a sufficient quantity of rope, fourmuskets,withtherequisiteammunition,anEsquimauxcooking-lamp,twostoutspears,two tarpaulins to spreadon the snow, and fourblanket sleeping-bags.Theselastweresixfeetlong,andjustwideenoughforamantocrawlintoatnight,feetfirst.“What a jolly style of travelling, isn’t it?” cried Fred, as the dogs sprangwildlyforward,tearingthesledgebehindthem,DumpsandPokerleading,andlookingaslivelyascrickets.“Wellnow,isn’tittruethatwitsjump?that’sjistwhatIwassayin’tomeself,”remarkedO’Riley,grinningfromear toearashepulled thefurhoodfartheroverhishead,crossedhisarmsmorefirmlyonhisbreast,andtriedtodoublehimselfupashesattherelikeanovergrownrat.“Iwouldn’texchangeitwiththeLordMayoro’Londonandhiscoachan’sixsoIwouldn’t.Arrah!haveacare,Meetuck,yebaste,orye’llhaveuskilt.”Thislastexclamationwascausedbytherecklessdriverdashingoverapieceofroughice thatnearlycapsizedthesledge.Meetuckdidnotanswer,buthelookedoverhisshoulderwithaquietsmileonhisoilycountenance.
“Ah, then, yemay laugh!” saidO’Riley, with amenacing look, “but av yebreakaboneo’mebodyI’ll”Downwentthedogsintoacrackintheiceashespoke,overwentthesledge,andhurledthemalloutupontheice.“Musha!butye’vedoneit!”“Hallo,West, are youhurt?” criedFred anxiously, as heobserved the sailorfallheavilyontheice.“Ohno,sir;allright,thankyou!”repliedtheman,risingalertlyandlimpingtothesledge.“Onlyknockedtheskinoffmyshin,sir.”Westwasaquiet,serious,politeman,anAmericanbybirth,whowasmuchlikedbythecrewinconsequenceofaunionofpolitenessandmodestywithadispositiontoworkfarbeyondhisstrength.Hewasnotveryrobust,however,and in powers of physical endurance scarcely fitted to engage in an Arcticexpedition.“An’don’tyethinkit’sworthmakin’enquiriesaboutme?”criedO’Riley,whohadbeentossedintoacreviceinahummock,wherehelayjammedandutterlyunabletomove.Fred and the Esquimaux laughed heartily, while O’Riley extricated himselffrom his awkward position. Fortunately no damage was done, and in fiveminutestheywereflyingoverthefrozenseaasmadlyaseverinthedirectionof thepointat theoppositesideofRed-snowValley,whereacloudoffrost-smokeindicatedopenwater.“Now,lookyou,MrMeetuck,avyedothatagainye’llbetterdon’t,letmetellye. Sure the back o’ me’s track entirely,” said O’Riley, as he rearrangedhimselfwithalookofcomfortthatbeliedhiswords.“Och,thereyegoagain,”hecried, as the sled suddenly fell about six inches, fromahigher level to alower, where the floe had cracked, causing the teeth of the whole party tocometogetherwithasnap.“Amandursen’tspakeforfearo’bitin’histongueoff.”“Nofee,”saidMeetuck,lookingoverhisshoulderwithabroadersmirk.“Nofee,yelumpofpork!it’sadoublefeeI’llhavetopaythedacteranyegoonlikethat.”NofeewasMeetuck’sbestattemptatthewordsnofear.HehadpickedupalittleEnglishduringhisbriefsojournwiththesailors,andalreadyunderstoodmuchofwhatwassaidtohim,butwordswereasyetfew,andhismannerof
pronouncingthempeculiar.“Holo!look!look!”criedtheEsquimaux,leapingsuddenlyoffthesledgeandcheckingthedogs.“Eh!what!where?”ejaculatedFred,seizinghismusket.“IthinkIseesomething,sir,”criedWest,shadinghiseyeswithhishand,andgazingearnestlyinthedirectionindicatedbyMeetuck.“So do I, be the mortial!” said O’Riley in a hoarse whisper. “I see themountainsandthesky,Ido,asplainasthenoseonmeface!”“Hush!stopyournonsense,man,”saidFred.“Iseeadeer,I’mcertainofit.”MeetucknoddedviolentlytoindicatethatFredwasright.“Well,what’s tobedone? luckilywearewell to leeward, and ithasneithersightednorscentedus.”Meetuck replied by gestures andwords to the effect thatWest andO’Rileyshould remain with the dogs, and keep them quiet, under the shelter of ahummock,whileheandFredshouldgoafterthereindeer.Accordingly,awaytheywentmaking apretty longdétour inorder togain the shore, and comeupon it under the shelter of the grounded floes, behind which they mightapproachwithout being seen. In hurrying along the coast they observed thefootprints of amusk ox, and also of several Arctic hares and foxes, whichdelighted themmuch, for hitherto theyhad seennoneof those animals, andwerebeginningtobefearfullesttheyshouldnotvisitthatpartofthecoastatall. Of course Fred knew not what sort of animals had made the tracks inquestion, but he was an adept at guessing, and the satisfied looks of hiscompaniongavehimreasontobelievethathewascorrectinhissurmises.Inhalfanhourtheycamewithinrange,andFred,afterdebatingwithhimselffor some time as to the propriety of taking the first shot, triumphed overhimself, and, stepping back a pace,motioned to theEsquimaux to fire.ButMeetuckwasaninnategentleman,andmodestlydeclined,soFredadvanced,tookagoodaim,andfired.The deer bounded away, but stumbled as it went, showing that it waswounded.“Ha! ha! Meetuck,” exclaimed Fred, as he recharged in tremendousexcitement (taking twice as long to load in consequence), “I’ve improved alittleyouseeinmyshoot,o’botherthisramrod!tut!tut!there,that’sit.”
BangwentMeetuck’smusketatthatmoment,andthedeertumbledoveruponthesnow.“Welldone,oldfellow!”criedFred,springingforward.Atthesameinstantawhiteharedartedacrosshispath,atwhichhefired,withoutevenputtingtheguntohisshoulder,andknockeditover,tohisownintenseamazement.Thethreeshotswerethesignalforthementocomeupwiththesledge,whichtheydidatfullgallop,O’Rileydriving,andflourishingthelongwhipaboutinawaythatsoonentangledithopelesslywiththedogs’traces.“Ah,then,ye’vedoneitthistime,yehave,sureenough!Musha!whatapurtycrature it is.Now, isn’t it,West? Stop, then,won’t ye (to the restive dogs),ye’vebrokemyheartentirely,andthewhip’stiedupintoiversomanyknots.Arrah,Meetuck! yemaydrive yer coach yerself forme, youmay; I’ve hadmorenorenoughofit.”In a fewminutes the deer and the harewere lashed to the sledgewhich theIrishman assertedwas a great improvement, inasmuch as the carcass of theformermadeanexcellentseatand theywereoffagainat fullgallopover thefloes. They travelledwithout further interruption ormishap until they drewneartotheopenwater,whensuddenlytheycameuponadeepfissureorcrackintheice,aboutfourfeetwide,withwaterinthebottom.Heretheycametoadeadstop.“Arrah!what’stobedonenow?”enquiredO’Riley.“IndeedIdon’tknow,”repliedFred,lookingtowardMeetuckforadvice.“Hup, cut-up ice, mush, hurroo!” said that fat individual. Fortunately hefollowedhisadvicewithapracticalillustrationofitsmeaning.Seizinganaxehe ran to the nearest hummock, and, chopping it down, rolled the heaviestpieceshecouldmoveintothechasm.Theothersfollowedhisexample,and,inthe course of an hour, the place was bridged across, and the sledge passedover.Butthedogsrequiredagooddealofcoaxingtogetthemtotrusttothisrudebridge,whichtheirsagacitytaughtthemwasnottobedependedonliketheworksofnature.Aquarterofanhour’sdrivebroughtthemtoaplacewheretherewasanothercrackoflittlemorethantwofeetacross.Meetuckstretchedhisneckandtooka steady look at this as they approached it at full gallop. Being apparentlysatisfiedwithhisscrutiny,heresumedhislookofself-satisfiedplacidity.“Lookout,Meetuck,pullup!”criedFred insomealarm;but theEsquimauxpaidnoattention.
“Omorther,we’regonenow,for iver,”exclaimedO’Riley,shuttinghiseyesandclenchinghisteethashelaidfastholdofthesidesofthesledge.The feet of the dogs went faster and faster until they pattered on the hardsurface of the snow like rain. Round came the longwhip, as O’Riley said,“like the shot of a young cannon,” and the nextmoment theywere across,skimmingovertheiceontheothersidelikethewind.Ithappenedthattherehadbeenabreakintheiceatthispointonthepreviousnight,and the floeshadbeencementedbyasheetof iceonlyan inch thick.Uponthis,totheconsternationevenofMeetuckhimself,theynowpassed,andin amoment, ere theywere aware, theywere passing over a smooth, blacksurface that undulated beneath them like thewaves of the sea and crackledfearfully.Therewasnothingforitbuttogoon.Amoment’shaltwouldhaveallowed the sledge to break through and leave them struggling in thewater.Therewas no time for remark.Eachman held his breath.Meetuck sent theheavylashwithatremendouscrackoverthebacksofthewholeteam,butjustas theynearedthesolidfloe, the leftrunnerbrokethrough.Inamoment themenflungthemselveshorizontallyupontheirbreasts,andscrambledoverthesmoothsurfaceuntiltheygainedthewhiteice,whilethesledgeandthedogsnearest to it were sinking. One vigorous pull, however, by dogs and mentogether,dragged the sledgeupon the solid floe, evenbefore the things in ithadgotwet.“Safe!” criedFred, as hehauledon the sledge rope todrag it farther out ofdanger.“Soweare,”repliedO’Riley,breathingveryhard,“andit’smeselfthoughttohavehadawetskinat thisminute.Come,West, lindahandtofixthedogs,willye?”A fewminutes sufficed to put all to rights and enable them to start afresh.Beingnowintheneighbourhoodofdangerousice,theyadvancedwithalittlemorecaution;thepossibilityofsealsbeingintheneighbourhoodalsorenderedthemmorecircumspect.Itwaswellthattheywereonthealert,forabandofsealsweresoonafterdescriedinapoolofopenwaternotfarahead,andoneofthemwaslyingontheice.Therewerenohummocks,however, in theneighbourhoodtoenable themtoapproachunseen;buttheEsquimauxwaspreparedforsuchacontingency.Hehadbroughtasmallsledge,ofabouttwofeetinlengthbyafootandahalfinbreadth, which he now unfastened from the large sledge, and proceededquietlytoarrangeit,tothesurpriseofhiscompanions,whohadnottheleast
ideawhathewasabouttodo,andwatchedhisproceedingswithmuchinterest.“Is it tosailonthe iceye’regoin’,boy?”enquiredO’Riley,at last,whenhesawMeetuckfixacoupleofpoles,aboutfourfeetlong,intoaholeinthelittlesledge,liketwomasts,anduponthesespreadapieceofcanvasupwardsofayardsquare,withasmallholeinthecentreofit.ButMeetuckanswerednot.Hefastenedthecanvas“sail”toacross-yardaboveandbelow.Then,placingaharpoon and coil of rope on the sledge, and taking up hismusket, hemadesigns to the party to keep under the cover of a hummock, and, pushing thesledgebeforehim,advancedtowardsthesealsinastoopingposture,soastobecompletelyhidbehindthebitofcanvas.“Ohthehaythen,Iseeitnow!”exclaimedO’Riley,hisfacepuckeringupwithfun.“Ah,butit’saclivertrick,nodoubtofit!”“What a capital dodge!” said Fred, crouching behind the hummock, andwatchingthemovementsoftheEsquimauxwithdeepinterest.“West,handmethelittletelescope;you’llfinditinthepack.”“Hereitis,sir,”saidtheman,pullingoutaglassofaboutsixincheslong,andhandingittoFred.“Howmanyisthere,an’yeplaze?”“Six,Ithink;yesone,two,three,Ican’tmakethemoutquite,butIthinktherearesix,besidestheoneontheice.Hist!thereheseeshim.Ah!Meetuck,he’stooquickforyou.”Ashespoke,thesealontheicebegantoshowsymptomsofalarm.Meetuckhadapproached towithin shot,buthedidnot fire; thewaryEsquimauxhadcaughtsightofanotherobjectwhichalumpoficehadhithertoconcealedfromview.Thiswasnolessacreaturethanawalrus,whochancedat that timetocome up to take a gulp of fresh air, and lave his shaggy front in the brine,beforegoingdownagaintothedepthsofhisoceanhome.Meetuck,therefore,allowedthesealtoglidequietlyintothesea,andadvancedtowardsthisnewobjectofattack.Atlengthhetookasteadyaimthroughtheholeinthecanvasscreen, and fired. Instantly the seal dived, and at the same time the waterroundthewalruswaslashedintofoam,andtingedwithred.Itwasevidentlybadly wounded, for had it been only slightly hurt it would probably havedived.Meetuck immediately seizedhis harpoon, and rushed towards the strugglingmonster, while Fred grasped a gun, and O’Riley a harpoon, and ran to hisassistance.Westremainedtokeepbackthedogs.AsMeetuckgainedtheedge
oftheicethewalrusrecoveredpartiallyandtried,withsavagefury, toreachhis assailant,whoplanted theharpoondeep in itsbreast, andheldon to theropewhiletheanimaldived.“Whereaboutsishe?”criedO’Riley,ashecamepantingtothesceneofaction.Ashespoke,thewalrusascendedalmostunderhisnose,withaloudbellow,andtheIrishmanstartedbackinterrorashesurveyedatclosequarters,forthefirst time, the colossal and horrible countenance of this elephant of thenorthernsea.O’Rileywasnocoward,butthesuddennessoftheapparitionwastoomuch for him, and we need not wonder that in his haste he darted theharpoonfarovertheanimal’sheadintotheseabeyond.Neitherneedwefeelsurprised that when Fred took aim at its forehead, the sight of its broadmuzzle,fringedwithbristlingmoustacheanddefendedbyhugetusks,causedhimtomissitaltogether.ButO’Rileyrecovered,hauledhisharpoonback,andsucceeded in planting it deep under the creature’s left flipper, and Fred,reloading, lodged a ball in its headwhich finished it.With great labour thefourmen,aidedbythedogs,drewitoutupontheice.Thiswasagreatprize,forwalrusfleshisnotmuchinferiortobeef,andwouldbeanacceptableadditionoffreshmeatfortheuseoftheDolphin’screw,andtherewas no chance of it spoiling, for the frostwas now severe enough tofreezeeveryanimalsolidalmostimmediatelyafteritwaskilled.The body of thiswalruswas not less than eighteen feet long and eleven incircumference. Itwasmore like an elephant in bulk and rotundity than anyothercreature. Itpartookverymuchof the formofa seal,having two largepaw-likeflippers,withwhich,whenstrugglingforlife,ithadmorethanoncenearly succeeded in getting upon the ice. Its upper face had a square, bluffaspect,anditsbroadmuzzleandcheekswerecompletelycoveredbyacoarse,quill-likebeardofbristles,whichgavetoitapeculiarlyferociousappearance.Thenotionthatthewalrusresemblesmanisverymuchoverrated.Thesquare,bluff shape of the head already referred to, destroys the resemblance tohumanitywhendistant,anditscolossalsizedoesthesamewhennear.Someofthesealsdeservethisdistinctionmore,theirdroopingshouldersandovalfacesbeingstrikinglyliketothoseofmanwhenatadistance.ThewhiteivorytusksofthiscreaturewerecarefullymeasuredbyFred,andfoundtobethirtyincheslong.Theresemblanceofthewalrustoourdomesticland-animalshasobtainedforit,amongsailors,thenamesofthesea-horseandsea-cow,andtherecordsofitsferocitywhenattackedarenumerous.Itshideisnearlyaninchthick,andisputtomanyusefulpurposesbytheEsquimaux,wholivetoagreatextentonthefleshofthiscreature.Theycutuphishideintolonglinestoattachtothe
harpoonswithwhichtheycatchhimself,thesaidharpoonsbeingpointedwithhis own tusks. This tough hide is not the only garment thewalruswears toprotecthimfromthecold.Healsowearsunder-flannelsofthickfatandatop-coatofclosehair,sothathecantakeasiestaonanicebergwithouttheleastinconvenience.Talkingofsiestas,bytheway,thewalrusissometimes“caughtnapping”.Occasionally,whentheweather is intenselycold, theholethroughwhichhecrawlsupontheicegetsfrozenoversosolidlythat,onwaking,hefindsitbeyondevenhisenormouspowertobreakit.Inthisextremitythereisnoalternativebuttogotosleepagain,anddie!whichhedoesascomfortablyas he can. The polar bears, however, are quick to smell him out, andassemblingroundhiscarcassforafeast,theydisposeofhim,bodyandbones,withoutceremony.Asitwasimpossibletodragthisunwieldyanimaltotheshipthatnight,forthedayshadnowshortenedveryconsiderably, thehuntershauled it towards theland, and, having reached the secure ice, prepared to encamp for the nightundertheleeofasmalliceberg.
ChapterTwelve.A Dangerous Sleep interruptedA Night in a Snow-Hut, and an UnpleasantVisitorSnowedup.“Now then,” cried Fred, as they drew up on a level portion of the ice-floe,wherethesnowonitssurfacewassohardthattherunnersofthesledgescarcemadeanimpressiononit,“letustowork,lads,andgetthetarpaulinsspread;weshallhavetosleepto-nightunderstar-spangledbed-curtains.”“Troth,”saidO’Riley,gazingroundtowardstheland,wherethedistantcliffsloomed black and heavy in the fading light, and out upon the floes andhummocks,where the frost smoke frompoolsofopenwateron thehorizoncircledroundthepinnaclesoftheicebergs,“troth,it’sacowldplaceintirelytogotowan’sbedin,butthatfat-facedExqueemawseemstobesettin’aboutitquitecoolly;soheregoes!”“It would be difficult to set about it otherwise than coolly with thethermometer thirty-five below zero,” remarked Fred, beating his handstogether, and stampinghis feet,while thebreath issued fromhismouth likedensecloudsofsteam,andfringedtheedgesofhishoodandthebreastofhisjumperwithhoar-frost.“It’squitepurty,itis,”remarkedO’Riley,inreferencetothiswreathofhoar-frost,whichcoveredtheupperpartsofeachofthem;“it’sjistliketheerminethatkingsandqueenswear,soI’mtowld,andit’schaperalongway.”
“Idon’tknowthat,”saidJosephWest.“Ithascostusa roughvoyageandawinterintheArcticregions,ifitdoesn’tcostusmoreyet,toputthaterminefringeonour jumpers.Icanmakenothingof thisknot; trywhatyoucandowithit,messmate,willyou?”“Sorrawano’me’lltryit,”criedO’Riley,suddenlyleapingupandswingingboth arms violently against his shoulders; “I’ve got two hands, I have, butniverafingeronthemleastwiseIfeelnone,thoughitissomesmalldegraeo’comforttoseethem.”“My toes aremuch in the same condition,” saidWest, stamping vigorouslyuntilhebroughtbackthecirculation.“Dance,then,widme,”criedtheIrishman,suitinghisactiontotheword.“I’veamortialfearo’bein’bitwidthefrostforit’snojoke,letmetellyou.Didn’tIseeawholeship’screwwancethatwoswreckedintheGulfo’SaintLawrenceaboutthebeginnin’o’winter,andbeforetheygottoaparto’thecoastwherethere was a house belongin’ to the fur-traders, iveryman-jack o’ themwasfrost-bitmoreor less, theywor.Wan lost a thumb, andanother the jintof afingerortwo,andmosto’themhadtwoorthreetoesoff,an’therewoswanpoorfellowwholostthefronthalfo’wanfut,an’theheelo’theother,an’twoincheso’thebonewasstickin’out.Sure,it’struthI’mtellin’ye,forIseeditwidmeowntwoeyes,Idid.”The earnest tones in which the last words were spoken convinced hiscomradesthatO’Rileywastellingthetruth,so,havingadecidedobjectiontobeplacedinsimilarcircumstances,theydancedandbeateachotheruntiltheywerequiteinaglow.“Why,whatareyouatthere,Meetuck?”exclaimedFred,pausing.“Igloe,make,”repliedtheEsquimaux.“Igwhat?”enquiredO’Riley.“Oh, I see!” shouted Fred, “he’s going tomake a snow-hut,igloes they callthemhere.Capital!Ineverthoughtofthat!Comealong;let’shelphim!”Meetuckwasindeedabouttoerectoneofthosecuriousdwellingsofsnowinwhich,forthegreaterpartoftheyear,hisprimitivecountrymendwell.Hehadno taste for star-spangled bed-curtains, when solid walls, whiter than thepurestdimity,weretobehadfornothing.Hisfirstoperationintheerectionofthishutwastomarkoutacircleofaboutsevenfeetdiameter.Fromtheinside
ofthiscirclethesnowwascutbymeansofalongknifeintheformofslabsnearlyafootthick,andfromtwotothreefeetlong,havingaslightconvexityontheoutside.Theseslabswerethensocutandarrangedthat,whentheywerepiled upon each other round themargin of the circle, they formed a dome-shaped structure like a bee-hive, which was six feet high inside, andremarkably solid. The slabs were cemented together with loose snow, andeveryaccidentalchinkorcrevicefilledupwiththesamematerial.Thenativessometimes insert ablockof clear ice in the roof for awindow,but thiswasdispensedwithonthepresentoccasionfirstly,becausetherewasnolighttoletin;and,secondly,becauseiftherehadbeen,theydidn’twantit.Thebuildingofthehutoccupiedonlyanhour,forthehunterswerecoldandhungry,and in theircase theoldproverbmighthavebeenparaphrased:“Nowork,nosupper.”Ahole,justlargeenoughtopermitamantocreepthroughon his hands and knees, formed the door of this bee-hive. Attached to thishole,andcementedtoit,wasalowtunnelofaboutfourfeetinlength.Whenfinished, both ends of the tunnel were closed up with slabs of hard snow,whichservedthepurposeofdoubledoors,andeffectuallykeptoutthecold.Whilethistunnelwasapproachingcompletion,Fredretiredtoashortdistance,andsatdowntorestafewminutesonablockofice.Agreatchangehadcomeoverthesceneduringthetimetheywereatworkonthesnow-hut.Thenighthadsettleddown,andnowthewholeskywaslitupwith the vivid and beautiful coruscations of the Aurora Borealisthatmagnificent meteor of the north which, in some measure, makes up to theinhabitantsfor theabsenceof thesun.Itspreadover thewholeextentof thesky in the form of an irregular arch, and was intensely brilliant. But thebrilliancyvaried,asthegreenetherealfirewavedmysteriouslytoandfro,orshotuplongstreamerstowardthezenith.Thesestreamers,or“merrydancers”as they are sometimes termed,were at times peculiarly bright. Their colourwasmostfrequentlyyellowishwhite,sometimesgreenish,andonceortwiceofalilactinge.Thestrengthofthelightwassomethinggreaterthanthatofthemooninherquarter,andthestarsweredimmedwhentheAurorapassedoverthemasiftheyhadbeencoveredwithadelicategauzeveil.But thatwhichstruckourheroasbeingmostremarkablewas themagnitudeanddazzlingbrightnessofthehostofstarsthatcoveredtheblackfirmament.It seemedas if theyweremagnified inglory,and twinkledsomuch that thesky seemed, as it were, to tremble with light. A feeling of deep solemnityfilledFred’sheartashegazedupwards;andashethoughtupontheCreatorofthesemysteriousworldsandremembered thatHecame to this littleplanetofours toworkout themiracleofour redemption, thewords thathehadoftenread in theBible: “Lord,what isman that thou artmindful of him?” came
forciblytohisremembrance,andhefelttheappropriatenessofthatsentimentwhich thesweetsingerofIsraelhasexpressed in thewords:“Praiseyehim,sunandmoon;praisehim,allyestarsoflight.”Therewasadeep,solemnstillnessallaroundastillnesswidelydifferentfromthatpeacefulcomposurewhichcharacterisesacalmdayinaninhabitedland.It was the death-like stillness of that most peculiar and dreary desolationwhichresults fromthe totalabsenceofanimalexistence.Thesilencewassooppressive that itwaswith a feeling of relief he listened to the low, distantvoicesofthemenastheypausedeverandanonintheirbusytasktonoteandremarkontheprogressoftheirwork.IntheintensecoldofanArcticnightthesound of voices can be heard at a much greater distance than usual, andalthoughthemenwerefaroff,andhummocksoficeintervenedbetweenthemand Fred, their tones broke distinctly, though gently, on his ear. Yet thesesoundsdidnot interrupt theunusual stillness.They served rather to impresshimmoreforciblywiththevastnessofthattremendoussolitudeinthemidstofwhichhestood.Graduallyhisthoughtsturnedhomeward,andhethoughtofthedearoneswhocircled roundhisownfireside,and,perchance, talkedofhim;of thevariouscompanions he had left behind, and the scenes of life and beautywhere heusedtowander;butsuchmemoriesledhimirresistiblytothefarnorthagain,for in all home-scenes the figure of his father started up, and he was backagaininaninstant,searchingtoilsomelyamongthefloesandicebergsofthePolar Seas. It was the invariable ending of poor Fred’s meditations, and,howeversuccessfulhemightbe inentering, fora time, into thespiritof funthat characterisedmost of the doings of his shipmates, and in following thebentofhisownjoyousnature,inthehoursofsolitude,andinthedarknight,whennoonesawhim,hismindever reverted to theoneengrossingsubject,liketheoscillatingneedletothepole.As he continued to gaze up, long and earnestly, into the starry sky, histhoughtsbegantowanderoverthepastandthepresentatrandom,andacoldshudderwarnedhim that itwas time to return to thehut;but thewanderingthoughtsandfanciesseemedtochainhimtothespot,sothathecouldnottearhimselfaway.Thenadreamyfeelingofrestandcomfortbegantostealoverhissenses,andhethoughthowpleasantitwouldbetoliedownandslumber;butheknewthatwouldbedangerous,sohedeterminednottodoit.Suddenly he felt himself touched, and heard a voice whispering in his ear.Thenitsoundedloud.“Hallo,sir!MrEllice!Wakeup,sir,d’yehearme?”andhefelthimselfshakensoviolentlythathisteethrattledtogether.Openinghiseyesreluctantly,hefoundthathewasstretchedatfulllengthonthesnow,andJosephWestwasshakinghimbytheshoulderasifhemeanttodislocatehis
arm.“Hallo,West! is that you? Let me alone, man, I want to sleep.” Fred sankdown again instantlythat deadly sleep, produced by cold, and from whichthosewhoindulgeinitneverawaken,wasuponhim.“Sleep!”criedWest frantically,“you’lldie,sir, ifyoudon’t rouseup.Hallo!Meetuck!O’Riley!helphere!”“Itellyou,”murmuredFredfaintly,“Iwanttosleeponlyamomentortwoah!Isee;isthehutfinished?Well,well,go,leaveme.I’llfollowina”Hisvoicediedawayagain,justasMeetuckandO’Rileycamerunningup.Theinstanttheformersawhowmattersstood,heraisedFredinhispowerfularms,sethimonhisfeet,andshookhimwithsuchvigourthatitseemedasifeveryboneinhisbodymustbeforcedoutofjoint.“What mane ye by that, ye blubber-bag?” cried the Irishman wrathfully,doublinghismittenedfistsandadvancinginathreateningmannertowardstheEsquimaux;but,seeingthatthesavagepaidnottheleastattentiontohim,andkept on shaking Fred violently with a good-humoured smile on hiscountenance,hewiselydesistedfrominterfering.In a fewminutes Fredwas able to stand and look about himwith a stupidexpression,andimmediatelytheEsquimauxdragged,andpushed,andshookhimalongtowardsthesnow-hut,intowhichhewasfinallythrust,thoughwithsometrouble,inconsequenceofthelownessofthetunnel.Here,bymeansofrubbing and chafing, with a little more buffeting, he was restored to somedegree of heat; on seeing which Meetuck uttered a quiet grunt, andimmediatelysetaboutpreparingsupper.“I do believe I’ve been asleep,” said Fred, rising and stretching himselfvigorouslyasthebrightflameofatinlampshotforthandshedayellowlustreonthewhitewalls.“Aslapeisit!bemeconsciencean’yehavejust.Ohthen,mayIneverindulgeinthesamesorto’slumber!”“Whyso?”askedFredinsomesurprise.“You fell asleepon the ice, sir,” answeredWest,while hebusiedhimself inspreadingthetarpaulinandblanket-bagsonthefloorofthehut,“andyouwereverynearfrozentodeath.”“Frozen,musha!I’mnottooshurethathe’smeltedyit!”saidO’Riley,takinghimbythearmandlookingathimdubiously.
Fred laughed. “Oh yes; I’mmelted now!But let’s have supper, else I shallfaintforhunger.DidIsleepmanyhours?”“You slept only fiveminutes,” saidWest, in some surprise at the question.“Youwereonlygoneabouttenminutesaltogether.”Thiswas indeed the case.The intensedesire for sleepwhich isproduced inArctic countries when the frost seizes hold of the frame soon confuses thefacultiesofthosewhocomeunderitsinfluence.AslongasFredhadcontinuedtowalkandwork,hefeltquitewarm,buttheinstanthesatdownonthelumpoficetorest,thefrostactedonhim.Beingmuchexhausted,too,bylabourandlongfasting,hewasmoresusceptible thanhewouldotherwisehavebeen totheinfluenceofcold,sothatitchilledhimatonce,andproducedthatdeadlylethargyfromwhich,butforthetimelyaidofhiscompanions,hewouldneverhaverecovered.The arrangements for supping and spending the nightmade rapid progress,and under the influence of fire and animal heatfor the dogs were taken inbeside themthe igloebecame comfortablywarm;yet the snow-walls didnotmelt,orbecomemoist,theintensecoldwithoutbeingsufficienttocounteractandprotect themfrom theheatwithin.The fair roof,however, soonbecameverydingy,andtheodourofmeltedfatratherpowerful.ButArctictravellersareproofagainstsuchtrifles.Thetarpaulinwasspreadoverthefloor,andatinlamp,intowhichseveralfatportions of thewalruswere put,was suspended from a stick thrust into thewall.Roundthislampthehunterscircled,eachseatedonhisblanket-bag,andeachattendedtothedutywhichdevolveduponhim.Meetuckheldatinkettleovertheflametillthesnowwithwhichitwasfilledmeltedandbecamecoldwater,andthengraduallyheateduntilitboiled;andallthewhileheemployedhimselfinmasticatingalumpofrawwalrusflesh,muchtotheamusementofFred,andtothedisgust,realorpretended,ofO’Riley.ButtheIrishman,andFredtoo,andeverymanonboardtheDolphin,cameatlasttorelishrawmeat,and to long for it. The Esquimaux prefer it raw in these parts of theworld(although some travellers assert that in more southern latitudes they prefercooked meat), and with good reason, for it is much more nourishing thancooked flesh; and learned, scientific men, who have wintered in the Arcticregions,havedistinctlystatedthatinthosecoldcountriestheyfoundrawmeatto be better for them than cookedmeat, and they assure us that they at lastcame to prefer it! We would not have our readers to begin forthwith todispensewith the art of cookery, and cast Soyer to the dogs; butwewouldhavethemhenceforthrefusetoacceptthatcommonopinion,andvulgarerror,that Esquimaux eat their food raw because they are savages. They do it
becausenatureteachesthemthat,underthecircumstances,itisbest.ThedutythatdevolveduponO’Rileywastoroastsmallsteaksofthewalrus,inwhichoperationhewasassistedbyWest,whileFredundertooktogetoutthe biscuit-bag and pewter plates, and to infuse the coffee when the watershould boil. It was a strange feast in a strange place, but it proved to be adelightfulone;forhungerrequiresnottobetempted,andisnotfastidious.“Oh, but it’s good, isn’t it?” remarked O’Riley, smacking his lips, as heswallowed a savourymorsel of the walrus and tossed the remnanta sinewybittoDumps,whosatgazingsulkilyat theflameofthelamp,havinggorgedhimselflongbeforethebipedsbegansupper.“Arrah!yewon’ttakeit,won’tye?Here,Poker!”Poker sprang forward,wagging the stumpofhis tail, and turnedhishead tooneside,asiftosay:“Well,what’sup?Anyfungoing?”“Here,takethat,oldboy;Dumpsissulky.”Poker took it at once, and a single snap caused it to vanish. He, too, hadfinishedsupper,andevidentlyatethemorseltopleasetheIrishman.“Handmethecoffee,Meetuck,”saidFred.“Thebiscuitliesbesideyou,don’tgiveinsosoon,man.”“Thankyou,sir,Ihaveaboutdone.”“Meetuck,yehaythen,tryabito’theroast;donow,avitwasonlytoplaazeme.”Meetuckshookhisheadquietly,and,cuttingafifteenthlumpoffthemassofrawwalrusthatlaybesidehim,proceededleisurelytodevourit.“Thedogsisnothin’tohim,”mutteredO’Riley.“Isn’titacuriousthing,now,to think that we’re all at sea a eatin’, and drinkin’, and slaapin’or goin’ toslaapejistasifweworontheland,andthegreatoceanawaydownbelowusthere,widwhales,andseals,andwalrusses,andmermaids,forwhatIknow,aswimmin’aboutjistunderwharewesit,andmaybelookin’throughtheiceatusthisveryminute.Isn’titquare?”“It is odd,” saidFred, laughing, “and not a very pleasant idea.However, asthere is at least twelve feet of solid ice between us and the company youmention,wedon’tneedtocaremuch.”“Ovcoorsenot,”repliedO’Riley,noddinghisheadapprovinglyashelighted
hispipe;“that’smymindintirely,inallcaseso’danger,whenyedon’tneedtobeafeared,yeneedn’tmuchcare.It’sagoodcharttosteerby,thatsame.”This last remarkseemed toaffordsomuchfoodfor thought to thecompanythatnothingfurtherwassaidbyanyoneuntilFredroseandproposedtoturnin.Westhadalreadycrawledintohisblanket-bag,andwasstretchedoutlikeamummyon the floor, and the soundofMeetuck’s jaws still continuedashewinkedsleepilyoverthewalrusmeat,whenascrapingwasheardoutsidethehut.“Sure, it’s the foxes; I’ll go and look,”whisperedO’Riley, laying down hispipeandcreepingtothemouthofthetunnel.Hecameback,however,fasterthanhewent,withalookofconsternation,forthefirstobjectthatconfrontedhimonlookingoutwastheenormousheadofaPolarbear.Toglanceroundfortheirfirearmswasthefirstimpulse,butthesehadunfortunatelybeenleftonthesledgeoutside.Whatwastobedone?Theyhadnothingbuttheirclasp-knivesintheigloe.InthisextremityMeetuckcutalargeholeinthebackofthehutintendingtocreepoutandprocureoneofthemuskets, but the instant the openingwasmade the bear’s head filled it up.WithasavageyellO’Rileyseizedthelampanddashedtheflamingfatinthecreature’sface.Itwasarecklessdeed,foritleftthemallinthedark,butthebear seemed to think himself insulted, for he instantly retreated, and whenMeetuckemergedandlaidholdofagunhehaddisappeared.They found, on issuing into the open air, that a stiff breeze was blowing,which,fromthethreateningappearanceofthesky,promisedtobecomeagale;butastherewasnoapprehensiontobeentertainedinregardtothestabilityofthefloe,theyreturnedtothehut,takingcaretocarryintheirarmsalongwiththem.Havingpatchedup thehole,closed thedoors, rekindled the lamp,andcrept into their respective bags, theywent to sleep, for, howevermuch theymightdreadthereturnofBruin,slumberwasanecessityofnaturethatwouldnotbedenied.Meanwhile the gale freshened into a hurricane, and was accompanied withheavy snow, andwhen they attempted tomove nextmorning they found itimpossibletofaceitforasinglemoment.Therewasnoalternative,therefore,buttoawaittheterminationofthegale,whichlastedtwodays,andkeptthemcloseprisonersallthetime.Itwasverywearisome,doubtless,buttheyhadtosubmit, and sought toconsole themselvesandpass the timeaspleasantlyaspossiblebysleeping,andeating,anddrinkingcoffee.
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