letters from high latitudes-第39节

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　of　deepest　azure；　and　enlightened　by　the　rays　of　a　blazing　sun；　and　the　effect　aided　by　a　feeling　of　danger；　seated　as　we　were　on　the　pinnacle　of　a　rock　almost　surrounded　by　tremendous　precipices；all　united　to　constitute　a　picture　singularly　sublime。

〃Our　descent　we　found　really　a　very　hazardous；　and　in　some　instances　a　painful　undertaking。　Every　movement　was　a　work　of　deliberation。　Having　by　much　care；　and　with　some　anxiety；　made　good　our　descent　to　the　top　of　the　secondary　hills；　we　took　our　way　down　one　of　the　steepest　banks；　and　slid　forward　with　great　facility　in　a　sitting　posture。　Towards　the　foot　of　the　hill；　an　expanse　of　snow　stretched　across　the　line　of　descent。　This　being　loose　and　soft；　we　entered　upon　it　without　fear；　but　on　reaching　the　middle　of　it；　we　came　to　a　surface　of　solid　ice；　perhaps　a　hundred　yards　across；　over　which　we　launched　with　astonishing　velocity；　but　happily　escaped　without　injury。　The　men　whom　we　left　below；　viewed　this　latter　movement　with　astonishment　and　fear。〃

So　universally　does　this　strange　land　bristle　with　peaks　and　needles　of　stone；　that　the　views　we　ourselves　obtained　though　perhaps　from　a　lower　elevation；　and　certainly　without　the　riskscarcely　yielded　either　in　extent　or　picturesque　grandeur　to　the　scene　described　by　Dr。　Scoresby。

Having　pretty　well　overrun　the　country　to　the　northward；　without　coming　on　any　more　satisfactory　signs　of　deer　than　their　hoof…prints　in　the　moss；　we　returned　on　board。　The　next　daybut　I　need　not　weary　you　with　a　journal　of　our　daily　proceedings；　for；　however　interesting　each　moment　of　our　stay　in　Spitzbergen　was　to　ourselvesas　much　perhaps　from　a　vague　expectation　of　what　we　might　see；　as　from　anything　we　actually　did　seea　minute　account　of　every　walk　we　took；　and　every　bone　we　picked　up；　or　every　human　skeleton　we　came　upon；　would　probably　only　make　you　wonder　why　on　earth　we　should　have　wished　to　come　so　far　to　see　so　little。　Suffice　it　to　say　that　we　explored　the　neighbourhood　in　the　three　directions　left　open　to　us　by　the　mountains；　that　we　climbed　the　two　most　accessible　of　the　adjacent　hills；　wandered　along　the　margin　of　the　glaciers；　rowed　across　to　the　opposite　side　of　the　bay；　descended　a　certain　distance　along　the　sea…coast；　and　in　fact　exhausted　all　the　lions　of　the　vicinity。

During　the　whole　period　of　our　stay　in　Spitzbergen；　we　had　enjoyed　unclouded　sunshine。　The　nights　were　even　brighter　than　the　days；　and　afforded　Fitz　an　opportunity　of　taking　some　photographic　views　by　the　light　of　a　MIDNIGHT　sun。　The　cold　was　never　very　intense；　though　the　thermometer　remained　below　freezing；　but　about　four　o'clock　every　evening；　the　salt…water　bay　in　which　the　schooner　lay　was　veneered　over　with　a　pellicle　of　ice　one…eighth　of　an　inch　in　thickness；　and　so　elastic；　that　even　when　the　sea　beneath　was　considerably　agitated；　its　surface　remained　unbroken；　the　smooth；　round　waves　taking　the　appearance　of　billows　of　oil。　If　such　is　the　effect　produced　by　the　slightest　modification　of　the　sun's　power；　in　the　month　of　August；you　can　imagine　what　must　be　the　result　of　his　total　disappearance　beneath　the　horizon。　The　winter　is；　in　fact；　unendurable。　Even　in　the　height　of　summer；　the　moisture　inherent　in　the　atmosphere　is　often　frozen　into　innumerable　particles；　so　minute　as　to　assume　the　appearance　of　an　impalpable　mist。　Occasionally　persons　have　wintered　on　the　island；　but　unless　the　greatest　precautions　have　been　taken　for　their　preservation；　the　consequences　have　been　almost　invariably　fatal。　About　the　same　period　as　when　the　party　of　Dutch　sailors　were　left　at　Jan　Mayen；　a　similar　experiment　was　tried　in　Spitzbergen。　At　the　former　place　it　was　scurvy；　rather　than　cold；　which　destroyed　the　poor　wretches　left　there　to　fight　it　out　with　winter；　at　Spitzbergen；　as　well　as　could　be　gathered　from　their　journal；　it　appeared　that　they　had　perished　from　the　intolerable　severity　of　the　climate；and　the　contorted　attitudes　in　which　their　bodies　were　found　lying；　too　plainly　indicated　the　amount　of　agony　they　had　suffered。　No　description　can　give　an　adequate　idea　of　the　intense　rigour　of　the　six　months'　winter　in　this　part　of　the　world。　Stones　crack　with　the　noise　of　thunder；　in　a　crowded　hut　the　breath　of　its　occupants　will　fall　in　flakes　of　snow；　wine　and　spirits　turn　to　ice；　the　snow　burns　like　caustic；　if　iron　touches　the　flesh；　it　brings　the　skin　away　with　it；　the　soles　of　your　stockings　may　be　burnt　off　your　feet；　before　you　feel　the　slightest　warmth　from　the　fire；　linen　taken　out　of　boiling　water；　instantly　stiffens　to　the　consistency　of　a　wooden　board；　and　heated　stones　will　not　prevent　the　sheets　of　the　bed　from　freezing。　If　these　are　the　effects　of　the　climate　within　an　air…tight；　fire…warmed；　crowded　hutwhat　must　they　be　among　the　dark；　storm…lashed　mountain…peaks　outside？

It　was　now　time　to　think　of　going　south　again；　we　had　spent　many　more　days　on　the　voyage　to　Spitzbergen　than　I　had　expected；　and　I　was　continually　haunted　by　the　dread　of　your　becoming　anxious　at　not　hearing　from　us。　It　was　a　great　disappointment　to　be　obliged　to　return　without　having　got　any　deer；　but　your　peace　of　mind　was　of　more　consequence　to　me　than　a　ship…load　of　horns；　and　accordingly　we　decided　on　not　remaining　more　than　another　day　in　our　present　berth　leaving　it　still　an　open　question　whether　we　should　not　run　up　to　Magdalena　Bay；　if　the　weather　proved　very　inviting；　the　last　thing　before　quitting　for　ever　the　Spitzbergen　shores。

We　had　killed　nothing　as　yet；　except　a　few　eider　ducks；　and　one　or　two　ice…birdsthe　most　graceful　winged　creatures　I　have　ever　seen；　with　immensely　long　pinions；　and　plumage　of　spotless　white。　Although　enormous　seals　from　time　to　time　used　to　lift　their　wise；　grave　faces　above　the　water；　with　the　dignity　of　sea…gods；　none　of　us　had　any　very　great　inclination　to　slay　such　rational　human…looking　creatures；　andwith　the　exception　of　these　and　a　white　fish；　a　species　of　whaleno　other　living　thing　had　been　visible。　On　the　very　morning；　however；　of　the　day　settled　for　our　departure；　Fitz　came　down　from　a　solitary　expedition　up　a　hill　with　the　news　of　his　having　seen　some　ptarmigan。　Having　taken　a　rifle　with　him　instead　of　a　gun；　he　had　not　been　able　to　shoot　more　than　one；　which　he　had　brought　back　in　triumph　as　proof　of　the　authenticity　of　his　report；　but　the　extreme　juvenility　of　his　victim　hardly　permitted　us　to　identify　the　species；　the　hole　made　by　the　bullet　being　about　the　same　size　as　the　bird。　Nevertheless；　the　slightest　prospect　of　obtaining　a　supply　of　fresh　meat　was　enough　to　reconcile　us　to　any　amount　of　exertion；　therefore；　on　the　strength　of　the　pinch　of　feathers　which　Fitz　kept　gravely　assuring　us　was　the　game　he　had　bagged；　we　seized　our　gunsI　took　a　rifle　in　case　of　a　possible　bearand　set　our　faces　toward　the　hill。　　After　a　good　hour's　pull　we　reached　the　shoulder　which　Fitz　had　indicated　as　the　scene　of　his　exploit；　but　a　patch　of　snow　was　the　only　thing　visible。　Suddenly　I　saw　Sigurdr；　who　was　remarkably　sharp…sighted；　run　rapidly　in　the　direction　of　the　snow；　and　bringing　his　gun　up　to　his　shoulder；　point　itas　well　as　I　could　distinguishat　his　own　toes。　When　the　smoke　of　the　shot　had　cleared　away；　I　fully　expected　to　see　the　Icelander　prostrate；　but　he　was　already　reloading　with　the　greatest　expedition。　Determined　to　prevent　the　repetition　of　so　dreadful　an　attempt　at　self…destruction；　I　rushed　to　the　spot。　Guess　then　my　relief　when　the　bloody　body　of　a　ptarmigandriven　by　so　point　blank　a　discharge　a　couple　of　feet　into　the　snowwas　triumphantly　dragged　forth　by　instalments　from　the　sepulchre　which　it　had　received　contemporaneously　with　its　death　wound；　and　thus　happily　accounted　for　Sigurdr's　extraordinary　proceeding。　At　the　same　moment　I　perceived　two　or　three　dozen　other　birds；　brothers　and　sisters　of　the　defunct；　calmly　strutting　about　under　our　very　noses。　By　this　time　Sigurdr　had　reloaded；　Fitz　had　also　come　up；　and　a　regular　massacre　began。　Retiring　to　a　distancefor　it　was　the　case　of　Mahomet　and　the　mountain　reversedthe　two　sportsmen　opened　fire　upon　the　innocent　community；　and　in　a　few　seconds　sixteen　corpses　strewed　the　ground。

Scarcely　had　they　finished　off　the　last　survivor　of　this　Niobean　family；　when　we　were　startled　by　the　distant　report　of　a　volley　of　musketry；　fired　in　the　direction　of　the　schooner。　I　could　not　conceive　what　had　happened。　Had　a　mutiny　taken　place？　Was　Mr。　Wyse　re…enacting；　with　a　less　docile　ship's　company；　the　pistol　scene　on　board　the　Glasgow　steamer？　Again　resounded　the　rattle　of　the　firing。　　At　all　events；　there　was　no　time　to　be　lost　in　getting　back；　so；　tying　up　the　birds　in　three　bundles；　we　flung　ourselves　down　into　the　gully　by　which　we　had　ascended；　and　leaping　on　from　stone　to　stone；　to　the　infinite　danger　of　our　limbs　and　necks；　rolled　rather　than　ran　down　the　hill。　On　rounding　the　lower　wall　of　the　curve　which　hitherto　had　hid　what　was　passing　from　our　eyes；　the　first　I　observed　was　Wilson　breasting　up　the　hill；　evidently　in　a　state　of　the　greatest　agitation。　As　soon　as　he　thought　himself　within　earshot；　he　stopped　dead　short；　and；　making　a　speaking…trumpet　with　his　hands；　shrieked；　rather　than　shouted；　〃If　you　please；　my　Lord！〃（as　I　have　already　said；　Wilson　never　forgot　les　convenances）