Her decks were now thronged8 with hopeful Klondikers of all ages and descriptions, the majority men, though there were a few brave women who preferred roughing it with their husbands to staying behind in physical comfort, but alone. On the bow temporary stalls had been built for a score of horses intended for use in the coast towns or on the trails.
As the wharf9 receded10 David caught a glimpse of a girlish figure and a face framed in wavy11 light hair, among the crowd. Flora12 saw him at the same moment and waved her handkerchief. How pretty and winsome13 she looked! David vowed14 then and there to bring her that bear-skin at all hazards. At last, when he could[19] see her no longer, he turned toward the stateroom on the upper deck abaft15 the pilot-house, where his father was stowing away the brown canvas bags which contained their clothing and such small articles as they would need on the trail.
We must pass rapidly over the events of the voyage, filled though it was with experiences quite new to the Bradfords. At Victoria, the pleasant little capital of British Columbia, situated16 on the southern point of Vancouver Island, where the steamer remained half a day, Mr. Bradford procured17 two mining licenses18 which gave himself and David the right to locate claims in Canadian territory, cut timber, and take game and fish. These licenses cost ten dollars apiece, and no claim could be legally staked without one. Poor Roly, not having reached the required age of eighteen, could take neither license19 nor claim. This business completed, they wandered through the city, David securing a picture of the magnificent Parliament building then just finished.
Two days later, after passing up the sheltered Gulf20 of Georgia and crossing the broad, blue expanse of Queen Charlotte's Sound, the steamer entered a narrow waterway between islands on the west and the mainland of British Columbia on the east. Here the scenery was of the most bold and rugged21 description, reminding the travellers of the Hudson where it breaks through the Catskills. On either side rose immense mountain masses,[20] covered below to the water's edge with a virgin22 forest of spruce, cedar23, and hemlock24, while from the bleak25, treeless summits the snow could sometimes be seen blowing into the air like smoke.
"What a pity," exclaimed Mr. Bradford to David and Roly, as they stood upon the deck gazing about them in admiration26, "that the grandeur27 and beauty of this coast are so little known! We've been travelling for hours through this paradise without seeing a hotel, or a cottage, or even a log-cabin, and yet I believe it will not be long before tourists will throng7 to this region. Now there," said he, pointing to a level plateau on the top of a forest-covered ridge28 which rose a hundred feet above the water,—"there is an ideal site for a hotel. It commands a view of the strait both north and south, and of the mountains in every direction. No doubt there is a lake in that hollow beyond it, and the waterfall yonder is its outlet29. I should like to spend a summer right here."
That evening they emerged into Dixon's Entrance, where the open Pacific tossed them about for several hours until they came again into the lee of islands. Morning found them at Saxman, a village of the extreme southern end of Alaska, where the "Farallon" stopped to take on a passenger.
At Ketchikan, a few miles beyond, there was a good wharf and a considerable settlement, and here the Bradfords[21] saw for the first time a raven30, which the boys mistook for a crow. Here, too, they first beheld31 an Indian totem-pole,—a great tree-trunk carved into grotesque32 shapes of beast and bird, and strange caricatures of the human countenance33, all of which doubtless had a significance relating to the tribe, family, and achievements of the deceased chieftain whose memory it perpetuated34.
David, with the enthusiasm of an amateur, attempted to photograph this strange column, but as the day was dark and a damp snow was falling, he failed to obtain first-rate results.
At ten in the evening the lights of Wrangel, or Fort Wrangel, as it is often called, being a United States military post, came into view. Late as it was, the Bradfords decided35 to go ashore36, for this was one of the larger Alaskan towns. The wharf was unlighted save by the steamer's lamps, but they picked their way without much difficulty. Most of the townspeople seemed to have retired37, and only the saloons and dance halls showed signs of life. From these places the travellers heard the strains of a fiddle38, or the worn, hard voice of some poor girl doomed39 to sing to a throng of rough men amid the glare of lights and the fumes40 of beer and bad tobacco.
There were many evidences that the gold excitement had brought a large if transient population to Wrangel. New frame buildings were in process of erection all along what appeared to be the main street, which was, however,[22] utterly41 impassable for any kind of wheeled vehicle, being a deep ditch far below the level of the board walk which skirted it. In this hollow what little light there was revealed logs, lumber42, boats, and mud, and it was evident that at high tide the water filled it. The buildings were raised on piles to the level of the future highway.
The Bradfords followed the walk with the utmost caution, for some of the boards were missing and others were broken, and in the darkness an ankle might be sprained43 or a leg fractured by one false step. The boys took turns in going ahead, the leader warning those behind of holes and pitfalls44.
After proceeding45 thus gingerly for nearly half a mile and passing several elaborate totem-poles, they found themselves well out of the business portion of the town and in the midst of a collection of tents interspersed46 with cheap frame structures. Here and there on tents and houses they could dimly distinguish flaming advertisements of museums and various catch-penny shows, but none of them were open at that hour. The board walk seemed to lead no farther, so the three carefully and slowly retraced47 their steps to the steamer, where a lively scene presented itself.
Three incandescent48 lights backed by a powerful reflector had been rigged on board to illumine the forward deck and hold, from which freight was being discharged[23] upon the wharf. Captain Roberts informed them that one hundred tons of freight were to be left at Wrangel, and a number of the horses and dogs.
"Ah!" said Roly, "I'm glad some of the horses are to go ashore here. They haven't had a chance to lie down since we left Seattle."
"No," said David; "and I saw two this morning so tired that they went to sleep standing49 up. Their eyes were shut, and their heads kept drooping50, drooping, and then popping up again like Mr. Dobson's when he goes to sleep in church."
Roly laughed. "I only hope," said he, "the poor brutes51 will have no worse time on the trail."
Just as dawn was breaking over the town, the "Farallon" took advantage of high tide to pass through Wrangel Narrows,—a tortuous52 channel between low, wooded shores, where the scenery, though of a subdued53 character, was exceedingly beautiful. A bark and a barkentine were aground in this dangerous passage, though buoys54 and lighthouses were plentiful55; but the steamer emerged safely in due time into broader waters, and the day passed without special incident until evening, when they had passed the latitude56 of Sitka, the Alaskan capital, on Baranoff Island to the west.
Not long after supper Mr. Bradford and David were reading in the stateroom and Roly was sitting on the iron grating, through which a pleasant warmth arose[24] from the engine-room, when they all heard a bumping sound and felt the steamer tremble. A second later there came another bump. Instantly bells rang and the engine stopped, while Roly jumped from the grating, and running to the bridge peered forward into the darkness. He could see nothing in that direction, nor could Mr. Bradford and David, who were quickly beside him; but the next moment a huge block of ice and several smaller fragments grazed along the steamer's side, and were dimly illuminated57 by her lights. Then they understood what had happened.
"She's hit one o' them small icebergs58 out o' Glacier59 Bay," they heard a man say on the deck below them. "There's many of 'em hereabouts, I'm told, but they ain't big enough to do damage."
"Not if she hits 'em square," said another voice.
Captain Roberts, however, thought it best to be cautious, especially as he had just broken the bell-wire and could only communicate with the engine-room by speaking-tube. He sent a man to the bow of the vessel to watch for ice, and ordered half-speed ahead.
In a few hours they had reached Juneau. It was so late that the Bradfords did not leave the ship, but they could see by the lights that Juneau was larger than Wrangel, and contained not a few wooden buildings of very respectable size and appearance. It was a mystery how the town could grow any more, however, except[25] straight up in the air like New York, for it was surrounded by water on two sides, and on the others by huge barriers of rock two thousand feet high. Across the strait a few straggling lights disclosed the location of Douglass City and the famous Treadwell gold mines.
The following day was mild, but the scenery became more Arctic. The steamer passed up the long inlet known as the Lynn Canal, on either side of which rose bold peaks crowned with brilliant snow. Glaciers60 flowed through the valleys between them,—great frozen rivers which no summer sun could melt. Of these, one of the largest and most graceful was the Davidson glacier on the western side of the strait. Ducks were seen here in countless61 numbers. Porpoises62 rolled and played about the vessel, and Roly caught sight of a seal which bobbed above the water at intervals63.
As they were now nearing the end of the voyage, Mr. Bradford and the boys wrote letters to send back by the purser. Early in the afternoon the course was changed slightly to the west, and the steamer entered Pyramid Harbor, a beautiful circular sheet of water, flanked on the south by high mountains. Near its eastern side rose a pointed64 mound65 of pyramidal shape, to which the harbor owed its name.
On the southwest shore, under the shadow of the mountains, lay the little settlement, prominent in which was an extensive salmon66 cannery. In front of the cannery[26] two wharves67 projected toward the bay,—one high above the beach, designed for use at high tide; the other a slender affair, longer and lower.
"There must be very high tides here," said Mr. Bradford, observing the wharves.
"Yes," answered a tall, brown-whiskered man who stood near. "Twenty foot, if I ain't mistaken. Reminds me o' the Bay o' Fundy, only there they gen'rally build only one wharf an' give it two stories."
The boys recognized in the speaker the man whom they had heard discoursing68 of icebergs on the previous evening.
"The cannery doesn't seem to be running," observed Mr. Bradford.
"No," replied the other; "I b'lieve they only run it in summer. There ain't no salmon this time o' year."
Mr. Bradford told David to see that everything was ready for landing, and to bring the clothing bags out upon the deck. The steamer had blown her whistle as she entered the harbor, and two men could be seen walking down toward the end of the lower wharf. Mr. Bradford turned his field-glass upon them. Suddenly he uttered an exclamation69 of surprise and handed the glass to Roly.
"Do you know either of those men?" he asked.
"Why," said Roly, after he had scrutinized70 them a moment, "the second one looks like—no, it can't be. I declare, though, it does look like him! Yes, it is Uncle Will! But what a big beard he has!"
Pyramid Harbor, Pyramid Mountain in the Distance
[27]
David, hearing these exclamations71, came running out of the stateroom, and joyfully72 verified the identification. There could be no doubt that Uncle Will was there, but what had brought him was more than they could conjecture73.
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收听单词发音
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1
embarked
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| 乘船( embark的过去式和过去分词 )； 装载； 从事 | |
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genial
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| adj.亲切的，和蔼的，愉快的，脾气好的 | |
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graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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stanch
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| v.止住（血等）；adj.坚固的；坚定的 | |
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eminently
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| adv.突出地；显著地；不寻常地 | |
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throng
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| n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集 | |
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thronged
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| v.成群，挤满( throng的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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wharf
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| n.码头，停泊处 | |
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receded
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| v.逐渐远离( recede的过去式和过去分词 )；向后倾斜；自原处后退或避开别人的注视；尤指问题 | |
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wavy
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| adj.有波浪的，多浪的，波浪状的，波动的，不稳定的 | |
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flora
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| n.(某一地区的)植物群 | |
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winsome
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| n.迷人的，漂亮的 | |
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14
vowed
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| 起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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15
abaft
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| prep.在…之后；adv.在船尾，向船尾 | |
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situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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17
procured
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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18
licenses
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| n.执照( license的名词复数 )v.批准，许可，颁发执照( license的第三人称单数 ) | |
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19
license
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| n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许 | |
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gulf
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| n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂 | |
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21
rugged
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| adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的 | |
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virgin
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| n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的 | |
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cedar
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| n.雪松，香柏(木) | |
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hemlock
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| n.毒胡萝卜，铁杉 | |
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25
bleak
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| adj.(天气)阴冷的；凄凉的；暗淡的 | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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grandeur
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| n.伟大，崇高，宏伟，庄严，豪华 | |
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ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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outlet
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| n.出口/路；销路；批发商店；通风口；发泄 | |
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raven
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| n.渡鸟，乌鸦；adj.乌亮的 | |
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31
beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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grotesque
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| adj.怪诞的，丑陋的；n.怪诞的图案，怪人（物） | |
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countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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perpetuated
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| vt.使永存（perpetuate的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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36
ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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38
fiddle
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| n.小提琴；vi.拉提琴；不停拨弄，乱动 | |
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39
doomed
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| 命定的 | |
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40
fumes
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| n.(强烈而刺激的)气味，气体 | |
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41
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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42
lumber
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| n.木材，木料；v.以破旧东西堆满；伐木；笨重移动 | |
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43
sprained
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| v.&n. 扭伤 | |
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44
pitfalls
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| （捕猎野兽用的）陷阱( pitfall的名词复数 )； 意想不到的困难，易犯的错误 | |
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45
proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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46
interspersed
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| adj.[医]散开的；点缀的v.intersperse的过去式和过去分词 | |
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47
retraced
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| v.折回( retrace的过去式和过去分词 )；回忆；回顾；追溯 | |
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48
incandescent
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| adj.遇热发光的， 白炽的，感情强烈的 | |
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49
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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50
drooping
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| adj. 下垂的，无力的 动词droop的现在分词 | |
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51
brutes
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| 兽( brute的名词复数 )； 畜生； 残酷无情的人； 兽性 | |
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52
tortuous
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| adj.弯弯曲曲的，蜿蜒的 | |
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53
subdued
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| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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54
buoys
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| n.浮标( buoy的名词复数 )；航标；救生圈；救生衣v.使浮起( buoy的第三人称单数 )；支持；为…设浮标；振奋…的精神 | |
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55
plentiful
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| adj.富裕的，丰富的 | |
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56
latitude
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| n.纬度，行动或言论的自由(范围)，(pl.)地区 | |
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57
illuminated
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| adj.被照明的；受启迪的 | |
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58
icebergs
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| n.冰山，流冰( iceberg的名词复数 ) | |
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59
glacier
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| n.冰川，冰河 | |
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60
glaciers
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| 冰河，冰川( glacier的名词复数 ) | |
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61
countless
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| adj.无数的，多得不计其数的 | |
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62
porpoises
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| n.鼠海豚( porpoise的名词复数 ) | |
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63
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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64
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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65
mound
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| n.土墩，堤，小山；v.筑堤，用土堆防卫 | |
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66
salmon
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| n.鲑，大马哈鱼，橙红色的 | |
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67
wharves
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| n.码头，停泊处( wharf的名词复数 ) | |
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68
discoursing
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| 演说（discourse的现在分词形式） | |
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69
exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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70
scrutinized
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| v.仔细检查，详审( scrutinize的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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71
exclamations
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| n.呼喊( exclamation的名词复数 )；感叹；感叹语；感叹词 | |
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72
joyfully
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| adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地 | |
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conjecture
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| n./v.推测，猜测 | |
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