the works of edgar allan poe-3-第34章

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found　there　three　Americans；　who　were　residing　upon　the　island　to
prepare　sealskins　and　oil。　One　of　these　men　was　named　Jonathan
Lambert；　and　he　called　himself　the　sovereign　of　the　country。　He　had
cleared　and　cultivated　about　sixty　acres　of　land；　and　turned　his
attention　to　raising　the　coffee…plant　and　sugar…cane；　with　which　he
had　been　furnished　by　the　American　Minister　at　Rio　Janeiro。　This
settlement；　however；　was　finally　abandoned；　and　in　1817　the　islands
were　taken　possession　of　by　the　British　Government；　who　sent　a
detachment　for　that　purpose　from　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope。　They　did　not；
however；　retain　them　long；　but；　upon　the　evacuation　of　the　country　as
a　British　possession；　two　or　three　English　families　took　up　their
residence　there　independently　of　the　Government。　On　the　twenty…fifth
of　March；　1824；　the　Berwick；　Captain　Jeffrey；　from　London　to　Van
Diemen's　Land；　arrived　at　the　place；　where　they　found　an　Englishman
of　the　name　of　Glass；　formerly　a　corporal　in　the　British　artillery。
He　claimed　to　be　supreme　governor　of　the　islands；　and　had　under　his
control　twenty…one　men　and　three　women。　He　gave　a　very　favourable
account　of　the　salubrity　of　the　climate　and　of　the　productiveness　of
the　soil。　The　population　occupied　themselves　chiefly　in　collecting
sealskins　and　sea　elephant　oil；　with　which　they　traded　to　the　Cape　of
Good　Hope；　Glass　owning　a　small　schooner。　At　the　period　of　our
arrival　the　governor　was　still　a　resident；　but　his　little　community
had　multiplied；　there　being　fifty…six　persons　upon　Tristan；　besides　a
smaller　settlement　of　seven　on　Nightingale　Island。　We　had　no
difficulty　in　procuring　almost　every　kind　of　refreshment　which　we
required…　sheep；　hogs；　bullocks；　rabbits；　poultry；　goats；　fish　in
great　variety；　and　vegetables　were　abundant。　Having　come　to　anchor
close　in　with　the　large　island；　in　eighteen　fathoms；　we　took　all　we
wanted　on　board　very　conveniently。　Captain　Guy　also　purchased　of
Glass　five　hundred　sealskins　and　some　ivory。　We　remained　here　a　week；
during　which　the　prevailing　winds　were　from　the　northward　and
westward；　and　the　weather　somewhat　hazy。　On　the　fifth　of　November　we
made　sail　to　the　southward　and　westward；　with　the　intention　of　having
a　thorough　search　for　a　group　of　islands　called　the　Auroras；
respecting　whose　existence　a　great　diversity　of　opinion　has　existed。

　　　　These　islands　are　said　to　have　been　discovered　as　early　as　1762；
by　the　commander　of　the　ship　Aurora。　In　1790；　Captain　Manuel　de
Oyarvido；；　in　the　ship　Princess；　belonging　to　the　Royal　Philippine
Company；　sailed；　as　he　asserts；　directly　among　them。　In　1794；　the
Spanish　corvette　Atrevida　went　with　the　determination　of　ascertaining
their　precise　situation；　and；　in　a　paper　published　by　the　Royal
Hydrographical　Society　of　Madrid　in　the　year　1809；　the　following
language　is　used　respecting　this　expedition：　〃The　corvette　Atrevida
practised；　in　their　immediate　vicinity；　from　the　twenty…first　to　the
twenty…seventh　of　January；　all　the　necessary　observations；　and
measured　by　chronometers　the　difference　of　longitude　between　these
islands　and　the　port　of　Soledad　in　the　Manillas。　The　islands　are
three；　they　are　very　nearly　in　the　same　meridian；　the　centre　one　is
rather　low；　and　the　other　two　may　be　seen　at　nine　leagues'　distance。〃
The　observations　made　on　board　the　Atrevida　give　the　following
results　as　the　precise　situation　of　each　island。　The　most　northern　is
in　latitude　52　degrees　37'　24〃　S。；　longitude　47　degrees；　43'　15〃　W。；
the　middle　one　in　latitude　53　degrees　2'　40〃　S。；　longitude　47　degrees
55'　15〃　W。；　and　the　most　southern　in　latitude　53　degrees　15'　22〃　S。；
longitude　47　degrees　57'　15〃　W。

　　　　On　the　twenty…seventh　of　January；　1820；　Captain　James　Weddel；　of
the　British　navy；　sailed　from　Staten　Land　also　in　search　of　the
Auroras。　He　reports　that；　having　made　the　most　diligent　search　and
passed　not　only　immediately　over　the　spots　indicated　by　the　commander
of　the　Atrevida；　but　in　every　direction　throughout　the　vicinity　of
these　spots；　he　could　discover　no　indication　of　land。　These
conflicting　statements　have　induced　other　navigators　to　look　out　for
the　islands；　and；　strange　to　say；　while　some　have　sailed　through
every　inch　of　sea　where　they　are　supposed　to　lie　without　finding
them；　there　have　been　not　a　few　who　declare　positively　that　they　have
seen　them；　and　even　been　close　in　with　their　shores。　It　was　Captain
Guy's　intention　to　make　every　exertion　within　his　power　to　settle　the
question　so　oddly　in　dispute。　｛*3｝

　　　　We　kept　on　our　course；　between　the　south　and　west；　with　variable
weather；　until　the　twentieth　of　the　month；　when　we　found　ourselves　on
the　debated　ground；　being　in　latitude　53　degrees　15'　S。；　longitude　47
degrees　58'　W。…　that　is　to　say；　very　nearly　upon　the　spot　indicated
as　the　situation　of　the　most　southern　of　the　group。　Not　perceiving
any　sip　of　land；　we　continued　to　the　westward　of　the　parallel　of
fifty…three　degrees　south；　as　far　as　the　meridian　of　fifty　degrees
west。　We　then　stood　to　the　north　as　far　as　the　parallel　of　fifty…two
degrees　south；　when　we　turned　to　the　eastward；　and　kept　our　parallel
by　double　altitudes；　morning　and　evening；　and　meridian　altitudes　of
the　planets　and　moon。　Having　thus　gone　eastwardly　to　the　meridian　of
the　western　coast　of　Georgia；　we　kept　that　meridian　until　we　were　in
the　latitude　from　which　we　set　out。　We　then　took　diagonal　courses
throughout　the　entire　extent　of　sea　circumscribed；　keeping　a　lookout
constantly　at　the　masthead；　and　repeating　our　examination　with　the
greatest　care　for　a　period　of　three　weeks；　during　which　the　weather
was　remarkably　pleasant　and　fair；　with　no　haze　whatsoever。　Of　course
we　were　thoroughly　satisfied　that；　whatever　islands　might　have
existed　in　this　vicinity　at　any　former　period；　no　vestige　of　them
remained　at　the　present　day。　Since　my　return　home　I　find　that　the
same　ground　was　traced　over；　with　equal　care；　in　1822；　by　Captain
Johnson；　of　the　American　schooner　Henry；　and　by　Captain　Morrell　in
the　American　schooner　Wasp…　in　both　cases　with　the　same　result　as　in
our　own。

~~~　End　of　Text　of　Chapter　15　~~~

CHAPTER　16



　　　　It　had　been　Captain　Guy's　original　intention；　after　satisfying
himself　about　the　Auroras；　to　proceed　through　the　Strait　of　Magellan；
and　up　along　the　western　coast　of　Patagonia；　but　information　received
at　Tristan　d'Acunha　induced　him　to　steer　to　the　southward；　in　the
hope　of　falling　in　with　some　small　islands　said　to　lie　about　the
parallel　of　60　degrees　S。；　longitude　41　degrees　20'　W。　In　the　event
of　his　not　discovering　these　lands；　he　designed；　should　the　season
prove　favourable；　to　push　on　toward　the　pole。　Accordingly；　on　the
twelfth　of　December；　we　made　sail　in　that　direction。　On　the
eighteenth　we　found　ourselves　about　the　station　indicated　by　Glass；
and　cruised　for　three　days　in　that　neighborhood　without　finding　any
traces　of　the　islands　he　had　mentioned。　On　the　twenty…first；　the
weather　being　unusually　pleasant；　we　again　made　sail　to　the
southward；　with　the　resolution　of　penetrating　in　that　course　as　far
as　possible。　Before　entering　upon　this　portion　of　my　narrative；　it
may　be　as　well；　for　the　information　of　those　readers　who　have　paid
little　attention　to　the　progress　of　discovery　in　these　regions；　to
give　some　brief　account　of　the　very　few　attempts　at　reaching　the
southern　pole　which　have　hitherto　been　made。

　　　　　That　of　Captain　Cook　was　the　first　of　which　we　have　any　distinct
account。　In　1772　he　sailed　to　the　south　in　the　Resolution；
accompanied　by　Lieutenant　Furneaux　in　the　Adventure。　In　December　he
found　himself　as　far　as　the　fifty…eighth　parallel　of　south　latitude；
and　in　longitude　26　degrees　57'　E。　Here　he　met　with　narrow　fields　of
ice；　about　eight　or　ten　inches　thick；　and　running　northwest　and
southeast。　This　ice　was　in　large　cakes；　and　usually　it　was　packed　so
closely　that　the　vessel　had　great　difficulty　in　forcing　a　passage。　At
this　period　Captain　Cook　supposed；　from　the　vast　number　of　birds　to
be　seen；　and　from　other　indications；　that　he　was　in　the　near　vicinity
of　land。　He　kept　on　to　the　southward；　the　weather　being　exceedingly
cold；　until　he　reached　the　sixty…fourth　parallel；　in　longitude　38
degree