letters from high latitudes-第28章

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celand　lay　leagues　away　on　our　starboard　quarter；　faintly　swimming　through　the　haze；　up　overhead　blazed　the　white　sun；　and　below　glittered　the　level　sea；　like　a　pale　blue　disc　netted　in　silver　lace。　I　seldom　remember　a　brighter　day；　the　thermometer　was　at　72　degrees；　and　it　really　felt　more　as　if　we　were　crossing　the　line　than　entering　the　frigid　zone。

Animated　by　that　joyous　inspiration　which　induces　them　to　make　a　fete　of　everything；　the　French　officers；　it　appeared；　wished　to　organize　a　kind　of　carnival　to　inaugurate　their　arrival　in　Arctic　waters；　and　by　means　of　a　piece　of　chalk　and　a　huge　black　board　displayed　from　the　hurricane…deck　of　the　〃Reine　Hortense；〃　an　inquiry　was　made　as　to　what　suggestion　I　might　have　to　offer　in　furtherance　of　this　laudable　object。　With　that　poverty　of　invention　and　love　of　spirits　which　characterise　my　nation；　I　am　obliged　to　confess　that；　after　deep　reflection；　I　was　only　able　to　answer；　〃Grog。〃　But　seeing　an　extra　flag　or　two　was　being　run　up　at　each　masthead　of　the　Frenchman；　the　lucky　idea　occurred　to　me　to　dress　the　〃Foam〃　in　all　her　colours。　　The　schooner's　toilette　accomplished；　I　went　on　board　the　〃Reine　Hortense；〃　and　you　cannot　imagine　anything　more　fragile；　graceful；　or　coquettish；　than　her　appearance　from　the　deck　of　the　corvette；as　she　curtsied　and　swayed　herself　on　the　bosom　of　the　almost　imperceptible　swell；　or　flirted　up　the　water　with　her　curving　bows。　She　really　looked　like　a　living　little　lady。

But　from　all　such　complacent　reveries　I　was　soon　awakened　by　the　sound　of　a　deep　voice；　proceeding　apparently　from　the　very　bottom　of　the　sea；　which　hailed　the　ship　in　the　most　authoritative　manner；　and　imperiously　demanded　her　name；　where　she　was　going；　whom　she　carried；　and　whence　she　came：　to　all　which　questions；　a　young　lieutenant；　standing　with　his　hat　off　at　the　gangway；　politely　responded。　　Apparently　satisfied　on　these　points；　our　invisible　interlocutor　then　announced　his　intention　of　coming　on　board。　All　the　officers　of　the　ship　collected　on　the　poop　to　receive　him。

In　a　few　seconds　more；　amid　the　din　of　the　most　unearthly　music；　and　surrounded　by　a　bevy　of　hideous　monsters；　a　white…bearded；　spectacled　personage…clad　in　bear…skin；　with　a　cocked　hat　over　his　left　ear…presented　himself　in　the　gangway；　and　handing　to　the　officers　of　the　watch　an　enormous　board；　on　which　was　written

　　　〃LE　PERE　ARCTIQUE；〃

by　way　of　visiting　card；　proceeded　to　walk　aft；　and　take　the　sun's　altitude　with　what；　as　far　as　I　could　make　out；　seemed　to　be　a　plumber's　wooden　triangle。　This　preliminary　operation　having　been　completed；　there　then　began　a　regular　riot　all　over　the　ship。　The　yards　were　suddenly　manned　with　red　devils；　black　monkeys；　and　every　kind　of　grotesque　monster；　while　the　whole　ship's　company；　officers　and　men　promiscuously　mingled；　danced　the　cancan　upon　deck。　In　order　that　the　warmth　of　the　day　should　not　make　us　forget　that　we　had　arrived　in　his　dominions；　the　Arctic　father　had　stationed　certain　of　his　familiars　in　the　tops；　who　at　stated　intervals　flung　down　showers　of　hard　peas；　as　typical　of　hail；　while　the　powdering　of　each　other's　faces　with　handfuls　of　flour　could　not　fail　to　remind　everybody　on　board　that　we　had　reached　the　latitude　of　snow。　　At　the　commencement　of　this　noisy　festival　I　found　myself　standing　on　the　hurricane　deck；　next　to；　one　of　the　grave　savants　attached　to　the　expedition；　who　seemed　to　contem…plate　the　antics　that　were　being　played　at　his　feet　with　that　sad　smile　of　indulgence　with　which　Wisdom　sometimes　deigns　to　commiserate　the　gaiety　of　Folly。　Suddenly　he　disappeared　from　beside　me；　and　the　next　that　I　saw　or　heard　of　himhe　was　hard　at　work　pirouetting　on　the　deck　below　with　a　red…tailed　demon；　and　exhibiting　in　his　steps　a　〃verve〃　and　a　graceful　audacity　which　at　Paris　would　have　certainly　obtained　for　him　the　honours　of　expulsion　at　the　hands　of　the　municipal　authorities。　The　entertainment　of　the　day　concluded　with　a　discourse　delivered　out　of　a　wind…sail　by　the　chaplain　attached　to　the　person　of　the　Pere　Arctique；　which　was　afterwards　washed　down　by　a　cauldron　full　of　grog；　served　out　in　bumpers　to　the　several　actors　in　this　unwonted　ceremonial。　As　the　Prince　had　been　good　enough　to　invite　us　to　dinner；　instead　of　returning　to　the　schooner　I　spent　the　intermediate　hour　in　pacing　the　quarter…deck　with　Baron　de　la　Ronciere；the　naval　commander　entrusted　with　the　charge　of　the　expedition。　Like　all　the　smartest　officers　in　the　French　navy；　he　speaks　English　beautifully；　and　I　shall　ever　remember　with　gratitude　the　cordiality　with　which　he　welcomed　me　on　board　his　ship；　and　the　thoughtful　consideration　of　his　arrangements　for　the　little　schooner　which　he　had　taken　in　tow。　At　five　o'clock　dinner　was　announced；　and　I　question　if　so　sumptuous　a　banquet　has　ever　been　served　up　before　in　that　outlandish　part　of　the　world；　embellished　as　it　was　by　selections　from　the　best　operas　played　by　the　corps　d'orchestre　which　had　accompanied　the　Prince　from　Paris。　During　the　pauses　of　the　music　the　conversation　naturally　turned　on　the　strange　lands　we　were　about　to　visit；　and　the　best　mode　of　spifflicating　the　white　bears　who　were　probably　already　shaking　in　their　snow　shoes：　but　alas！　while　we　were　in　the　very　act　of　exulting　in　our　supremacy　over　these　new　domains；　the　stiffened　finger　of　the　Ice　king　was　tracing　in　frozen　characters　a　〃Mene；　mene；　tekel　upharsin〃　on　the　plate　glass　of　the　cabin　windows。　During　the　last　half…hour　the　thermometer　had　been　gradually　falling；　until　it　was　nearly　down　to　32　degrees；　a　dense　penetrating　fog　enveloped　both　the　vessels（the　〃Saxon〃　had　long　since　dropped　out　of　sight）；　flakes　of　snow　began　floating　slowly　down；　and　a　gelid　breeze　from　the　north…west　told　too　plainly　that　we　had　reached　the　frontiers　of　the　solid　ice；　though　we　were　still　a　good　hundred　miles　distant　from　the　American　shore。　　Although　at　any　other　time　the　terrible　climate　we　had　dived　into　would　have　been　very　depressing；　under　present　circumstances　I　think　the　change　rather　tended　to　raise　our　spirits；　perhaps　because　the　idea　of　fog　and　ice　in　the　month　of　June　seemed　so　completely　to　uncockneyfy　us。　At　all　events　there　was　no　doubt　now　we　had　got　into　les　mers　glaciales；　as　our　French　friends　called　them；　and；　whatever　else　might　be　in　store　for　us；　there　was　sure　henceforth　to　be　no　lack　of　novelty　and　excitement。

By　this　time　it　was　already　well　on　in　the　evening；　so　having　agreed　with　Monsieur　de　la　Ronciere　on　a　code　of　signals　in　case　of　fogs；　and　that　a　jack　hoisted　at　the　mizen　of　the　〃Reine　Hortense；〃　or　at　the　fore　of　the　schooner；　should　be　an　intimation　of　a　desire　of　one　or　other　to　cast　off；　we　got　into　the　boat　and　were　dropped　down　alongside　our　own　ship。　Ever　since　leaving　Iceland　the　steamer　had　been　heading　east…north…east　by　compass；　but　during　the　whole　of　the　ensuing　night　she　shaped　a　south…east　course；　the　thick　mist　rendering　it　unwise　to　stand　on　any　longer　in　the　direction　of　the　banquise；　as　they　call　the　outer　edge　of　the　belt　that　hems　in　Eastern　Greenland。　About　three　A。M。　　it　cleared　up　a　little。　By　breakfast　time　the　sun　re…appeared；　and　we　could　see　five　or　six　miles　ahead　of　the　vessel。　It　was　shortly　after　this；　that　as　I　was　standing　in　the　main　rigging　peering　out　over　the　smooth　blue　surface　of　the　sea；　a　white　twinkling　point　of　light　suddenly　caught　my　eye　about　a　couple　of　miles　off　on　the　port　bow；　which　a　telescope　soon　resolved　into　a　solitary　isle　of　ice；　dancing　and　dipping　in　the　sunlight。　As　you　may　suppose；　the　news　brought　everybody　upon　deck；　and　when　almost　immediately　afterwards　a　string　of　other　pieces；　glittering　like　a　diamond　necklace；　hove　in　sight；　the　excitement　was　extreme。

Here　at　all　events　was　honest　blue　saltwater　frozen　solid；　and　when；　as　we　proceeded；　the　scattered　fragments　thickened；　and　passed　like　silver　argosies　on　either　hand；　until　at　last　we　found　oumelves　enveloped　in　an　innumerable　fleet　of　bergs；it　seemed　as　if　we　could　never　be　weary　of　admiring　a　sight　so　strange　and　beautiful。　It　was　rather　in　form　and　colour　than　in　size　that　these　ice　islets　were　remarkable；　anything　approaching　to　a　real　iceberg　we　neither　saw；　nor　are　we　likely　to　see。　In　fact；　the　lofty　ice