On the 19th of September the brig was at last moored3 in her bay for wintering, two cables’ lengths from the shore, securely anchored on a good bottom. The ice began the next day to form around her hull4; it soon became strong enough to bear a man’s weight, and they could establish a communication with land.
The rigging, as is customary in arctic navigation, remained as it was; the sails were carefully furled on the yards and covered with their casings, and the “crow’s-nest” remained in place, as much to enable them to make distant observations as to attract attention to the ship.
The sun now scarcely rose above the horizon. Since the June solstice, the spirals which it had described descended5 lower and lower; and it would soon disappear altogether.
The crew hastened to make the necessary preparations. Penellan supervised the whole. The ice was soon thick around the ship, and it was to be feared that its pressure might become dangerous; but Penellan waited until, by reason of the going and coming of the floating ice-masses and their adherence6, it had reached a thickness of twenty feet; he then had it cut around the hull, so that it united under the ship, the form of which it assumed; thus enclosed in a mould, the brig had no longer to fear the pressure of the ice, which could make no movement.
The sailors then elevated along the wales, to the height of the nettings, a snow wall five or six feet thick, which soon froze as hard as a rock. This envelope did not allow the interior heat to escape outside. A canvas tent, covered with skins and hermetically closed, was stretched aver7 the whole length of the deck, and formed a sort of walk for the sailors.
They also constructed on the ice a storehouse of snow, in which articles which embarrassed the ship were stowed away. The partitions of the cabins were taken down, so as to form a single vast apartment forward, as well as aft. This single room, besides, was more easy to warm, as the ice and damp found fewer corners in which to take refuge. It was also less difficult to ventilate it, by means of canvas funnels9 which opened without.
Each sailor exerted great energy in these preparations, and about the 25th of September they were completed. André Vasling had not shown himself the least active in this task. He devoted10 himself with especial zeal11 to the young girl’s comfort, and if she, absorbed in thoughts of her poor Louis, did not perceive this, Jean Cornbutte did not fail soon to remark it. He spoke12 of it to Penellan; he recalled several incidents which completely enlightened him regarding his mate’s intentions; André Vasling loved Marie, and reckoned on asking her uncle for her hand, as soon as it was proved beyond doubt that the castaways were irrevocably lost; they would return then to Dunkirk, and André Vasling would be well satisfied to wed8 a rich and pretty girl, who would then be the sole heiress of Jean Cornbutte.
But André, in his impatience13, was often imprudent. He had several times declared that the search for the castaways was useless, when some new trace contradicted him, and enabled Penellan to exult14 over him. The mate, therefore, cordially detested15 the helmsman, who returned his dislike heartily16. Penellan only feared that André might sow seeds of dissension among the crew, and persuaded Jean Cornbutte to answer him evasively on the first occasion.
When the preparations for the winter were completed, the captain took measures to preserve the health of the crew. Every morning the men were ordered to air their berths17, and carefully clean the interior walls, to get rid of the night’s dampness. They received boiling tea or coffee, which are excellent cordials to use against the cold, morning and evening; then they were divided into hunting-parties, who should procure18 as much fresh nourishment19 as possible for every day.
Each one also took healthy exercise every day, so as not to expose himself without motion to the cold; for in a temperature thirty degrees below zero, some part of the body might suddenly become frozen. In such cases friction20 of the snow was used, which alone could heal the affected21 part.
Penellan also strongly advised cold ablutions every morning. It required some courage to plunge22 the hands and face in the snow, which had to be melted within. But Penellan bravely set the example, and Marie was not the last to imitate him.
Jean Cornbutte did not forget to have readings and prayers, for it was needful that the hearts of his comrades should not give way to despair or weariness. Nothing is more dangerous in these desolate23 latitudes24.
The sky, always gloomy, filled the soul with sadness. A thick snow, lashed25 by violent winds, added to the horrors of their situation. The sun would soon altogether disappear. Had the clouds not gathered in masses above their heads, they might have enjoyed the moonlight, which was about to become really their sun during the long polar night; but, with the west winds, the snow did not cease to fall. Every morning it was necessary to clear off the sides of the ship, and to cut a new stairway in the ice to enable them to reach the ice-field. They easily succeeded in doing this with snow-knives; the steps once cut, a little water was thrown over them, and they at once hardened.
Penellan had a hole cut in the ice, not far from the ship. Every day the new crust which formed over its top was broken, and the water which was drawn26 thence, from a certain depth, was less cold than that at the surface.
All these preparations occupied about three weeks. It was then time to go forward with the search. The ship was imprisoned27 for six or seven months, and only the next thaw28 could open a new route across the ice. It was wise, then, to profit by this delay, and extend their explorations northward29.
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1
skilful
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| (=skillful)adj.灵巧的，熟练的 | |
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thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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3
moored
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| adj. 系泊的 动词moor的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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hull
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| n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳 | |
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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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adherence
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| n.信奉，依附，坚持，固着 | |
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7
aver
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| v.极力声明；断言；确证 | |
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8
wed
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| v.娶，嫁，与…结婚 | |
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9
funnels
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| 漏斗( funnel的名词复数 )； （轮船，火车等的）烟囱 | |
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10
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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zeal
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| n.热心，热情，热忱 | |
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12
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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13
impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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14
exult
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| v.狂喜，欢腾；欢欣鼓舞 | |
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15
detested
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| v.憎恶，嫌恶，痛恨( detest的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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16
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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17
berths
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| n.（船、列车等的）卧铺( berth的名词复数 )；（船舶的）停泊位或锚位；差事；船台vt.v.停泊( berth的第三人称单数 )；占铺位 | |
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18
procure
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| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
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nourishment
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| n.食物，营养品；营养情况 | |
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friction
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| n.摩擦，摩擦力 | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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plunge
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| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
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23
desolate
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| adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂 | |
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24
latitudes
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| 纬度 | |
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lashed
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| adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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26
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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27
imprisoned
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| 下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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28
thaw
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| v.（使）融化，（使）变得友善；n.融化，缓和 | |
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29
northward
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| adv.向北；n.北方的地区 | |
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