The English at the North Pole
Page 30
CHAPTER XXX
THE CAIRN
The frost-rime had lasted about three-quarters of an hour; quite longenough for the bears and foxes to make away with a considerablequantity of provisions which they attacked all the more greedily,arriving, as they did, when the animals were perishing with hungerfrom the long winter. They had torn open the covering of the sledgewith their enormous paws; the cases of pemmican were open, andhalf-empty; the biscuit-bags pillaged, the provisions of tea spiltover the snow, a barrel of spirits of wine broken up, and its preciouscontents run out; the camping materials lying all about. The wildanimals had done their work.
"The devils have done for us!" said Bell.
"What shall we do now?" said Simpson.
"Let us first see how much we've lost," said the doctor; "we can talkafter."
Hatteras said nothing, but began picking up the scattered objects.They picked up all the pemmican and biscuit that was still eatable.The loss of so much spirits of wine was deplorable, as without itit was impossible to get any hot drinks--no tea nor coffee.
The doctor made an inventory of the provisions that were left, andfound that the animals had eaten two hundred pounds of pemmican anda hundred and fifty pounds of biscuit; if the travellers continuedtheir journey they would be obliged to put themselves on half-rations.They deliberated about what was to be done under the circumstances.Should they return to the brig and begin their expedition again? Buthow could they resolve to lose the hundred and fifty miles alreadycleared? and coming back without the fuel, how would they be receivedby the crew? and which of them would begin the excursion again? Itwas evident that the best thing to do was to go on, even at the priceof the worst privations. The doctor, Hatteras, and Bell were for goingon, but Simpson wanted to go back; his health had severely sufferedfrom the fatigues of the journey, and he grew visibly weaker; butat last, seeing he was alone in his opinion, he took his place atthe head of the sledge, and the little caravan continued its route.During the three following days, from the 15th to the 17th of January,the monotonous incidents of the journey took place again. They wenton more slowly; the travellers were soon tired; their legs ached withfatigue, and the dogs drew with difficulty. Their insufficient foodtold upon them. The weather changed with its usual quickness, goingsuddenly from intense cold to damp and penetrating fogs.
On the 18th of January the aspect of the ice-field changed all atonce. A great number of peaks, like pyramids, ending in a sharp pointat a great elevation, showed themselves on the horizon. The soil incertain places was seen through the layer of snow; it seemed to consistof schist and quartz, with some appearance of calcareous rock. Atlast the travellers had reached _terra firma_, and, according to theirestimation, the continent must be New Cornwall. The doctor wasdelighted to tread on solid ground once more; the travellers had onlya hundred more miles to go before reaching Belcher Cape; but thetrouble of walking increased on this rocky soil, full of inequalities,crevices, and precipices; they were obliged to plunge into theinterior of the land and climb the high cliffs on the coast, acrossnarrow gorges, in which the snow was piled up to a height of thirtyor forty feet. The travellers soon had cause to regret the levelsthey had left, on which the sledge rolled so easily. Now they wereobliged to drag it with all their strength. The dogs were worn out,and had to be helped; the men harnessed themselves along with them,and wore themselves out too. They were often obliged to unload theprovisions in order to get over a steep hill, whose frozen surfacegave no hold. Some passages ten feet long took hours to clear. Duringthe first day they only made about five miles on that land, so wellnamed Cornwall. The next day the sledge attained the upper part ofthe cliffs; the travellers were too exhausted to construct theirsnow-house, and were obliged to pass the night under the tent,enveloped in their buffalo-skins, and drying their stockings byplacing them on their chests. The consequences of such a state ofthings may be readily imagined; during the night the thermometer wentdown to 44 degrees below zero, and the mercury froze.
The health of Simpson became alarming; an obstinate cold, violentrheumatism, and intolerable pain forced him to lie down on the sledge,which he could no longer guide. Bell took his place; he was not well,but was obliged not to give in. The doctor also felt the influenceof his terrible winter excursion, but he did not utter a complaint;he marched on in front, leaning on his stick; he lighted the way;he helped in everything. Hatteras, impassive, impenetrable,insensible, in as good health as the first day, with his ironconstitution, followed the sledge in silence. On the 20th of Januarythe weather was so bad that the least effort caused immediateprostration; but the difficulties of the ground became so great thatHatteras and Bell harnessed themselves along with the dogs; the frontof the sledge was broken by an unexpected shock, and they were forcedto stop and mend it. Such delays occurred several times a day. Thetravellers were journeying along a deep ravine up to their waistsin snow, and perspiring, notwithstanding the violent cold. No onespoke. All at once Bell looked at the doctor in alarm, picked up ahandful of snow, and began to rub his companion's face with all hismight.
"What the deuce, Bell?" said the doctor, struggling.
But Bell went on rubbing.
"Are you mad? You've filled my eyes, nose, and mouth with snow. Whatis it?"
"Why," answered Bell, "if you've got a nose left, you owe it to me."
"A nose?" said the doctor, putting his hand to his face.
"Yes, Mr. Clawbonny, you were quite frostbitten; your nose was quitewhite when I looked at you, and without my bit of rubbing you wouldbe minus nose."
"Thanks, Bell," said the doctor; "I'll do the same for you in caseof need."
"I hope you will, Mr. Clawbonny, and I only wish we had nothing worseto look forward to!"
"You mean Simpson! Poor fellow, he is suffering dreadfully!"
"Do you fear for him?" asked Hatteras quickly.
"Yes, captain," answered the doctor.
"What do you fear?"
"A violent attack of scurvy. His legs swell already, and his gumsare attacked; the poor fellow is lying under his blankets on the sledge,and every shock increases his pain. I pity him, but I can't do anythingfor him!"
"Poor Simpson!" said Bell.
"Perhaps we had better stop a day or two," said the doctor.
"Stop!" cried Hatteras, "when the lives of eighteen men depend uponour return! You know we have only enough provisions left for twentydays."
Neither the doctor nor Bell could answer that, and the sledge wenton its way. In the evening they stopped at the foot of an ice-hill,out of which Bell soon cut a cavern; the travellers took refuge init, and the doctor passed the night in nursing Simpson; he was a preyto the scurvy, and constant groans issued from his terrified lips.
"Ah, Mr. Clawbonny, I shall never get over it. I wish I was deadalready."
"Take courage, my poor fellow!" answered the doctor, with pity inhis tone, and he answered Simpson's complaints by incessant attention.Though half-dead with fatigue, he employed a part of the night inmaking the sick man a soothing draught, and rubbed him with lime-juice.Unfortunately it had little effect, and did not prevent the terriblemalady spreading. The next day they were obliged to lift the poorfellow on to the sledge, although he begged and prayed them to leavehim to die in peace, and begin their painful march again.
The freezing mists wet the three men to the skin; the snow and sleetbeat in their faces; they did the work of beasts of burden, and hadnot even sufficient food. Dick ran hither and thither, discoveringby instinct the best route to follow. During the morning of the 23rdof January, when it was nearly dark, for the new moon had not yetmade her appearance, Dick ran on first; he was lost to sight forseveral hours. Hatteras became anxious, as there were many bear-markson the ground; he was considering what had better be done, when aloud barking was heard in front. The little procession moved onquicker, and soon came upon the faithful animal in the depth of aravine. Dick was set as if he had been petrified in front of a sortof cairn, made of limestone, and covered with a cemen
t of ice.
"This time," said the doctor, disengaging himself from the traces,"it's really a cairn; we can't be mistaken."
"What does it matter to us?" said Hatteras.
"Why, if it is a cairn, it may inclose something that would be usefulto us--some provisions perhaps."
"As if Europeans had ever been here!" said Hatteras, shrugging hisshoulders.
"But if not Europeans, it may be that the Esquimaux have hidden someproduct of their hunting here. They are accustomed to doing it, Ithink."
"Well, look if you like, Clawbonny, but I don't think it is worthyour while."
Clawbonny and Bell, armed with their pickaxes made for the cairn.Dick kept on barking furiously. The cairn was soon demolished, andthe doctor took out a damp paper. Hatteras took the document and read:
"Altam..., _Porpoise_, Dec... 13th, 1860,12.. degrees long... 8.. degrees 35 minutes lat..."
"The _Porpoise_!" said the doctor.
"I don't know any ship of that name frequenting these seas," saidHatteras.
"It is evident," continued the doctor, "that some sailors, or perhapssome shipwrecked fellows, have passed here within the last twomonths."
"That's certain," said Bell.
"What shall we do?" asked the doctor.
"Continue our route," said Hatteras coldly. "I don't know anythingabout the _Porpoise_, but I do know that the _Forward_ is waitingfor our return."