letters from high latitudes-第32章

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s　were　driving　down　upon　us　from　the　very　direction　in　which　we　were　trying　to　push　out；　yet　it　had　become　a　matter　of　doubt　which　course　it　would　be　best　to　steer。　To　remain　stationary　was　out　of　the　question；　the　pace　at　which　the　fields　drift　is　sometimes　very　rapid；　＇Footnote：　Dr。　Scoresby　states　that　the　invariable　tendency　of　fields　of　ice　is　to　drift　south…westward；　and　that　the　strange　effects　produced　by　their　occasional　rapid　motions；　is　one　of　the　most　striking　objects　the　Polar　Seas　present；　and　certainly　the　most　terrific。　They　frequently　acquire　a　rotary　motion；　whereby　their　circumference　attains　a　velocity　of　several　miles　an　hour；　and　it　is　scarcely　possible　to　conceive　the　consequences　produced　by　a　body；　exceeding　ten　thousand　million　tons　in　weight；　coming　in　contact　with　another　under　such　circumstances。　The　strongest　ship　is　but　an　insignificant　impediment　between　two　fields　in　motion。　Numbers　of　whale　vessels　have　thus　been　destroyed；　some　have　been　thrown　upon　the　ice；　some　have　had　their　hulls　completely　torn　open；　or　divided　in　two；　and　others　have　been　overrun　by　the　ice；　and　buried　beneath　its　heaped　fragments。＇　and　the　first　nip　would　settle　the　poor　little　schooner's　business　for　ever。　At　the　same　time；　it　was　quite　possible　that　any　progress　we　succeeded　in　making；　instead　of　tending　towards　her　liberation；　might　perhaps　be　only　getting　her　deeper　into　the　scrape。　One　thing　was　very　certain；Northing　or　Southing　might　be　an　even　chance；　but　whatever　EASTING　we　could　make　must　be　to　the　good；　so　I　determined　to　choose　whichever　vein　seemed　to　have　most　Easterly　direction　in　it。　Two　or　three　openings　of　this　sort　from　time　to　time　presented　themselves；　but　in　every　case；　after　following　them　a　certain　distance；　they　proved　to　be　but　CUL…DE…SACS；　and　we　had　to　return　discomfited。　My　great　hope　was　in　a　change　of　wind。　It　was　already　blowing　very　fresh　from　the　northward　and　eastward；　and　if　it　would　but　shift　a　few　points；　in　all　probability　the　ice　would　loosen　as　rapidly　as　it　had　collected。　In　the　meantime；　the　only　thing　to　do　was　to　keep　a　sharp　look…out；　sail　the　vessel　carefully；　and　take　advantage　of　every　chance　of　getting　to　the　eastward。

It　now　grew　colder　than　ever；the　distant　land　was　almost　hid　with　fog；tattered　dingy　clouds　came　crowding　over　the　heavens；while　Wilson　moved　uneasily　about　the　deck；　with　the　air　of　Cassandra　at　the　conflagration　of　Troy。　It　was　Sunday；　the　14th　of　July；　and　I　had　a　momentary　fancy　that　I　could　hear　the　sweet　church　bells　in　England　pealing　across　the　cold　white　flats　which　surrounded　us。　At　last；　about　five　o'clock　P。M。；　the　wind　shifted　a　point　or　two；　then　flew　round　into　the　south…east。　Not　long　after；　just　as　I　had　expected；　the　ice　evidently　began　to　loosen；a　promising　opening　was　reported　from　the　mast…head　a　mile　or　so　away　on　the　port…bow；　and　by　nine　o'clock　we　were　spanking　along；　at　the　rate　of　eight　knots　an　hour；　under　a　double…reefed　mainsail　and　staysaildown　a　continually　widening　channel；　between　two　wave…lashed　ridges　of　drift　ice。　Before　midnight；　we　had　regained　the　open　sea；　and　were　standing　away

　　　　　　〃to　Norroway；　　　　To　Norroway；　over　the　faem。〃

In　the　forenoon　I　had　been　too　busy　to　have　our　usual　Sunday　church；　but　as　soon　as　we　were　pretty　clear　of　the　ice　I　managed　to　have　a　short　service　in　the　cabin。

Of　our　run　to　Hammerfest　I　have　nothing　particular　to　say。　The　distance　is　eight　hundred　miles；　and　we　did　it　in　eight　days。　On　the　whole；　the　weather　was　pretty　fair；　though　cold；　and　often　foggy。　One　day　indeed　was　perfectly　lovely；the　one　before　we　made　the　coast　of　Lapland；　without　a　cloud　to　be　seen　for　the　space　of　twenty…four　hours；　giving　me　an　opportunity　of　watching　the　sun　performing　his　complete　circle　overhead；　and　taking　a　meridian　altitude　at　midnight。　We　were　then　in　70　degrees　25'　North　latitude；　i。e。；　almost　as　far　north　as　the　North　Cape；　yet　the　thermometer　had　been　up　to　80　degrees　during　the　afternoon。

Shortly　afterwards　the　fog　came　on　again；　and　next　morning　it　was　blowing　very　hard　from　the　eastward。　This　was　the　more　disagreeable；　as　it　is　always　very　difficult；　under　the　most　favourable　circumstances；　to　find　one's　way　into　any　harbour　along　this　coast；　fenced　off；　as　it　is；　from　the　ocean　by　a　complicated　outwork　of　lofty　islands；　which；　in　their　turn；　are　hemmed　in　by　nests　of　sunken　rock；　sown　as　thick　as　peas；　for　miles　to　seaward。　There　are　no　pilots　until　you　are　within　the　islands；　and　no　longer　want　them；no　lighthouses　or　beacons　of　any　sort；　and　all　that　you　have　to　go　by　is　the　shape　of　the　hill…tops；　but　as；　on　the　clearest　day；　the　outlines　of　the　mountains　have　about　as　much　variety　as　the　teeth　of　a　saw；　and　as　on　a　cloudy　day；　which　happens　about　seven　times　a　week；　you　see　nothing　but　the　line　of　their　dark　roots；the　unfortunate　mariner；　who　goes　poking　about　for　the　narrow　passage　which　is　to　lead　him　between　the　islands；at　the　BACK　of　one　of　which　a　pilot　is　waiting　for　him；will；　in　all　probability；　have　already　placed　his　vessel　in　a　position　to　render　that　functionary's　further　attendance　a　work　of　supererogation。　At　least；　I　know　it　was　as　much　surprise　as　pleasure　that　I　experienced；　when；　after　having　with　many　misgivings　ventured　to　slip　through　an　opening　in　the　monotonous　barricade　of　mountains；　we　found　it　was　the　right　channel　to　our　port。　If　the　king　of　all　the　Goths　would　only　stick　up　a　lighthouse　here　and　there　along　the　edge　of　his　Arctic　seaboard；　he　would　save　many　an　honest　fellow　a　heart…ache。

＇Figure：　fig…p130。gif＇

I　must　now　finish　this　long　letter。

Hammerfest　is　scarcely　worthy　of　my　wasting　paper　on　it。　When　I　tell　you　that　it　is　the　most　northerly　town　in　Europe；　I　think　I　have　mentioned　its　only　remarkable　characteristic。　　It　stands　on　the　edge　of　an　enormous　sheet　of　water；　completely　landlocked　by　three　islands；　and　consists　of　a　congregation　of　wooden　houses；　plastered　up　against　a　steep　mountain；　some　of　which　being　built　on　piles；　give　the　notion　of　the　place　having　slipped　down　off　the　hill　half…way　into　the　sea。　Its　population　is　so　and　so；its　chief　exports　this　and　that；　for　all　which；　see　Mr。　Murray's　〃Handbook；〃　where　you　will　find　all　such　matters　much　more　clearly　and　correctly　set　down　than　I　am　likely　to　state　them。　At　all　events；　it　produces　milk；　creamNOT　buttersalad；　and　bad　potatoes；　which　is　what　we　are　most　interested　in　at　present。　To　think　that　you　should　be　all　revelling　this　very　moment　in　green…peas　and　cauliflowers！　I　hope　you　don't　forget　your　grace　before　dinner。　　I　will　write　to　you　again　before　setting　sail　for　Spitzbergen。


LETTER　IX。

EXTRACT　FROM　THE　〃MONITEUR〃　OF　THE　31ST　JULY。

I　have　received　a　copy　of　the　〃Moniteur〃　of　the　31st　July；　containing　so　graphic　an　account　of　the　voyage　of　the　〃Reine　Hortense〃　towards　Jan　Mayen；　and　of　the　catastrophe　to　her　tender　the　〃Saxon；〃in　consequence　of　which　the　corvette　was　compelled　to　abandon　her　voyage　to　the　Northward；that　I　must　forward　it　to　you。

　　　（Translation。）

　　　〃Voyage　of　Discovery　along　the　Banquise；　north　of　Iceland；　　　　　　　by　'LA　REINE　HORTENSE。'

〃It　fell　to　the　lot　of　an　officer　of　the　French　navy；　M。　Jules　de　Blosseville；　to　attempt　to　explore　those　distant　parts；　and　to　shed　an　interest　over　them；　both　by　his　discoveries　and　by　his　tragical　and　premature　end。

In　the　spring　of　1833；　on　the　breaking　up　of　a　frost；　'La　Lilloise；'　under　the　command　of　that　brave　officer；　succeeded　in　passing　through　the　Banquise；　nearly　up　to　latitude　69　degrees；　and　in　surveying　about　thirty　leagues　of　coast　to　the　south　of　that　latitude。　After　having　returned　to　her　anchorage　off　the　coast　of　Iceland；　he　sailed　again　in　July　for　a　second　attempt。　From　that　time　nothing　has　been　heard　of　'La　Lillouse。'

The　following　year　the　'Bordelaise'　was　sent　to　look　for　the　'Lilloise；'　but　found　the　whole　north　of　Iceland　blocked　up　by　ice…fields；　and　returned；　having　been　stopped　in　the　latitude　of　the　North　Cape。

As　a　voyage　to　the　Danish　colonies　on　the　western　coast　of　Greenland　formed　part　of　the　scheme　of　our　arctic　navigation；　we　were　aware　at　our　departure　from　Paris；　that　it　was　our　business　to　make　ourselves　well　acquainted　with　the　southern　part　of　th