The next day the thermometer was several degrees lower, and the air was full of clouds of snow, which absorbed all the light of day. The doctor saw himself kept within doors, and he folded his arms; there was nothing to be done, except every hour to clear away the entrance-hall and to repolish the ice-walls which the heat within made damp; but the snow-house was very finely built, and the snow added to its resistance by augmenting5 the thickness of its walls.
Hatteras was always lying on the bed
The stores were equally secure. All the objects taken from the ship had been arranged in order in these "Docks of Merchandise," as the doctor called them. Now, although these stores were at a distance of only sixty feet from the house, it was yet on some days almost impossible to get to them; hence a certain quantity of provisions had always to be kept in the kitchen for daily needs.
They had been wise in unloading the Porpoise6. The ship was exposed to a gentle, but persistent7 pressure, which was gradually crushing it; it was evident that nothing could be done with its fragments; still the doctor kept hoping to be able to build a launch out of them to return to England in, but the time for building it had not yet come.
Altamont was drinking or sleeping
So for the most part the five men remained in complete idleness. Hatteras was pensive8 and always lying on the bed; Altamont was drinking or sleeping, and the doctor took good care not to rouse him from his slumbers9, for he was always afraid of some distressing10 quarrel. These two men seldom spoke11 to one another.
So during meal-time the prudent12 Clawbonny always took care to guide the conversation and to direct it in such a way as not to offend the susceptibilities of either; but he had a great deal to do. He did his best to instruct, distract, and interest his companions; when he was not arranging his notes about the expedition, he read aloud some history, geography, or work on meteorology, which had reference to their condition; he presented things pleasantly and philosophically14, deriving15 wholesome16 instruction from the slightest incidents; his inexhaustible memory never played him false; he applied17 his doctrines18 to the persons who were with him, reminding them of such or such a thing which happened under such or such circumstances; and he filled out his theories by the force of personal arguments.
This worthy19 man may be called the soul of this little world, a soul glowing with frankness and justice. His companions had perfect confidence in him; he even improved Captain Hatteras, who, besides, was very fond of him; he made his words, manners, and custom so agreeable, that the life of these five men within six degrees of the Pole seemed perfectly20 natural; when he was speaking, any one would have imagined he was in his office in Liverpool. And yet this situation was unlike that of castaways on the islands of the Pacific Ocean, those Robinsons whose touching21 history always aroused the envy of their readers. There, the natural richness offers a thousand different resources; a little imagination and effort suffice to secure material happiness; nature aids man; hunting and fishing supply all his wants; the trees grow to aid him, caverns22 shelter him, brooks23 slake24 his thirst, dense25 thickets26 hide him from the sun, and severe cold never comes upon him in the winter; a grain tossed into the earth brings forth27 a bounteous28 return a few months later. There, outside of society, everything is found to make man happy. And then these happy isles29 lie in the path of ships; the castaway can hope to be picked up, and he can wait in patience.
But here on the coast of New America how great is the difference! This comparison would continually occur to the doctor, but he never mentioned it to the others, and he struggled against the enforced idleness.
He yearned30 ardently31 for the spring, in order to resume his excursions; and yet he was anxious about it, for he foresaw difficulties between Hatteras and Altamont. If they pushed on to the Pole, there would necessarily be rivalry32 between the two men. Hence he had to prepare for the worst, and still, as far as he could, to try to pacify33 these rivals; but to reconcile an American and an Englishman, two men hostile to one another from their birth, one endowed with real insular34 prejudice, the other with the adventurous35, irreverent spirit of his country, was no easy task. When the doctor thought of their eager rivalry, which in fact was one of nationalities, he could not help, not shrugging his shoulders, but lamenting36 human weakness. He would often talk to Johnson on this subject; he and the old sailor agreed in the matter; they were uncertain what view to take, and they foresaw complications in the future.
Still, the bad weather continued; they could not leave Fort Providence37 even for an hour. Night and day they had to remain in the snow-house. They all found it tedious, except the doctor, who found diversion for himself.
"Isn't there any way we can amuse ourselves?" said Altamont one evening. "This isn't really living, lying here like sluggish38 reptiles39 all winter."
"It's a pity," said the doctor, "that we are too few to organize any system of distractions40."
"Do you mean it would be easier for us to combat idleness if there were more of us?" asked the American.
"Yes; when whole crews have wintered in boreal regions, they have found out the way to avoid idleness."
"To tell the truth," said Altamont, "I should like to know how they did; they must have been very ingenious to get any fun out of these surroundings. They didn't ask one another riddles41, I suppose?"
"No," answered the doctor, "but they introduced into these lands two great means of amusement, the press and the theatre."
"What! did they have a newspaper?" asked the American.
"Did they act plays?" asked Bell.
"Yes, and with much amusement. While he was wintering at Melville Island, Captain Parry offered his crews these two entertainments, and they enjoyed them very much."
"Well," said Johnson, "I should have liked to be there; it must have been funny enough."
"Funny indeed; Lieutenant42 Beecher was manager of the theatre, and Captain Sabine editor of the 'Winter Chronicle, or Gazette of North Georgia.'"
"Good names," said Altamont.
"The paper appeared every Monday morning, from November 1, 1819, to March 20, 1820. It contained an account of everything that happened, the hunts, accidents, incidents, and of the weather; there were stories written for it; to be sure, it lacked the humor of Sterne, and the delightful43 articles of the 'Daily Telegraph'; but they got amusement from it; its readers were not over-critical, and I fancy no journalists ever enjoyed their occupation more."
"Well," said Altamont, "I should like to hear some extracts from this paper, my dear Doctor; its articles must all have been frozen solid."
"No, no," answered the doctor; "at any rate, what would have seemed simple enough to the Liverpool Philosophical13 Society, or the London Literary Institution, was perfectly satisfactory to the crews beneath the snow. Do you want a sample?"
"What! Do you remember—"
"No, but you had 'Parry's Voyages' on board the Porpoise, and I can read you his own account."
"Do!" shouted the doctor's companions.
"There's nothing easier."
The doctor got the book from the shelves, and soon found the passage.
The doctor got the book from the shelves
"See here," he said, "here are some extracts from the newspaper. It is a letter addressed to the editor:—
"'It is with genuine satisfaction that your plan for the establishment of a newspaper has been received. I am convinced that under your charge it will furnish us with a great deal of amusement, and will serve to lighten materially the gloom of our hundred days of darkness.
"'The interest which I, for my part, take in it has caused me to examine the effect of your announcement upon the members of our society, and I can assure you, to use the consecrated44 phrase of the London press, that it has produced a profound impression upon the public.
"'The day after the appearance of your prospectus45, there was on board an unusual and unprecedented46 demand for ink. The green cloth of our tables was suddenly covered with a deluge47 of quill-pens, to the great injury of one of our servants, who, in trying to remove them, got one under his nail.
"'Our tables are groaning49 beneath the unaccustomed weight of inkstands, which had not seen the light for two months; and it is even whispered that the depths of the hold have been often opened to secure many reams of paper, which did not expect to issue so soon from their place of repose50.
"'I shall not forget to say to you that I have some suspicions that an effort will be made to slip into your box some articles, which, lacking complete originality51, and not being wholly unpublished, may not suit your plan. I can affirm that no later than last evening an author was seen bending over his desk, holding in one hand an open volume of the "Spectator," while with the other he was thawing52 his ink by the flame of the lamp. It is useless to recommend you to keep a lookout53 against such devices; we must not see reappearing in the "Winter Chronicle" what our ancestors used to read at breakfast more than a century ago.'"
"Well, well," said Altamont, when the doctor had finished reading, "there is really good humor in that, and the writer must have been a bright fellow."
"Bright is the word," answered the doctor. "Stop a moment, here is an amusing advertisement:—
"'Wanted. A middle-aged54, respectable woman to help dress the ladies of the troupe55 of the "Theatre Royal of North Georgia." Suitable salary given, tea and beer free. Address the Committee of the theatre.—N. B. A widow preferred.'"
"They were not disgusted, at any rate," said Johnson.
"And did they get the widow?" asked Bell.
"Probably," answered the doctor, "for here is an answer addressed to the committee:—
"'Gentlemen: I am a widow, twenty-six years old, and I can produce warm testimonials as to my morals and talents. But before taking charge of the dresses of the actresses of your theatre, I am anxious to know if they intend to keep their trousers on, and whether I can have the aid of some strong sailors to lace their corsets properly. This being arranged, gentlemen, you may count upon your servant.
"'A. B.
"'P. S. Can you not substitute brandy for beer?'"
"Bravo!" shouted Altamont. "I suppose they had ladies'-maids to lace you by the capstan. Well, they were jolly fellows!"
"Like all who do what they set out to do," remarked Hatteras.
Hatteras uttered these words, and then he relapsed into his usual silence. The doctor, unwilling56 to dwell on that subject, hastened to resume his reading.
"See here," he said, "here is a picture of arctic sufferings; it may be varied57 infinitely58; but a few of the observations are wise enough; for instance:—
"'To go out in the morning to take the air, and on setting foot off the ship, to take a cold bath in the cook's trough.
"'To go on a hunting-party, get near a fine reindeer59, take aim, try to fire, and miss the shot on account of a damp cap.
"'To start out with a piece of fresh bread in the pocket, and when one gets hungry to find it frozen hard enough to break one's teeth.
"'To leave the table suddenly on hearing a wolf is in sight of the ship, and to come back and find one's dinner eaten by the cat.
"You see, my friends," said the doctor, "we should not find it hard to imagine other polar troubles; but from the moment it becomes necessary to endure these miseries61, it would be a pleasure to narrate62 them."
"Upon my word," said Altamont, "that's an amusing paper, and it's a pity we can't subscribe63 to it."
"Suppose we should start one," suggested Johnson.
"We five!" answered Clawbonny; "we should all be editors, and there would be no readers."
"Nor audience either, if we should act a play," said Altamont.
"Tell us, Doctor," said Johnson, "something about Captain Parry's theatre; did they act new plays there?"
"Of course; at first they made use of two volumes which were put on board of the Hector, and they had plays every fortnight; but soon they had acted all; then they resorted to original authors, and Parry himself wrote a suitable play for the Christmas holidays; it was very successful, and was called 'The Northwest Passage, or the End of the Voyage.'"
"A capital title," answered Altamont; "but I confess, if I had to write on that subject, I should be puzzled about the end."
"You are right," said Bell; "who can say how it will end?"
"True," answered the doctor; "but why bother about the end, since the beginning is so favorable? Let us trust in Providence, my friends; let us act our part well, and since the end depends on the Author of all things, let us have confidence in him; he will know what to do with us."
"Let us sleep on it," answered Johnson; "it is late, and since bedtime has come, let us turn in."
"You are in a great hurry, my old friend," said the doctor.
"Naturally enough, Doctor, I am so comfortable in bed! And then my dreams are pleasant. I dream of warm countries; or that, to tell the truth, half of my life is spent at the equator and half at the Pole!"
"The deuce," said Altamont, "you have a happy temperament64."
"True," answered the boatswain.
"Well, it would be cruel to detain Johnson any longer. His tropical sun is waiting for him. Let us go to bed."
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1
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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relentlessness
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imprisoned
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| 下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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moles
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| 防波堤( mole的名词复数 )； 鼹鼠； 痣； 间谍 | |
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5
augmenting
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| 使扩张 | |
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porpoise
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| n.鼠海豚 | |
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7
persistent
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| adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的 | |
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8
pensive
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| a.沉思的,哀思的,忧沉的 | |
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9
slumbers
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| 睡眠，安眠( slumber的名词复数 ) | |
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distressing
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| a.使人痛苦的 | |
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11
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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12
prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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13
philosophical
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| adj.哲学家的，哲学上的，达观的 | |
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14
philosophically
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| adv.哲学上；富有哲理性地；贤明地；冷静地 | |
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15
deriving
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| v.得到( derive的现在分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
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16
wholesome
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| adj.适合；卫生的；有益健康的；显示身心健康的 | |
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17
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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18
doctrines
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| n.教条( doctrine的名词复数 )；教义；学说；（政府政策的）正式声明 | |
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19
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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21
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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22
caverns
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| 大山洞，大洞穴( cavern的名词复数 ) | |
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23
brooks
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| n.小溪( brook的名词复数 ) | |
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24
slake
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| v.解渴，使平息 | |
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dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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thickets
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| n.灌木丛( thicket的名词复数 )；丛状物 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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bounteous
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| adj.丰富的 | |
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isles
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| 岛( isle的名词复数 ) | |
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yearned
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| 渴望，切盼，向往( yearn的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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31
ardently
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| adv.热心地，热烈地 | |
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32
rivalry
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| n.竞争，竞赛，对抗 | |
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33
pacify
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| vt.使(某人)平静(或息怒)；抚慰 | |
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34
insular
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| adj.岛屿的，心胸狭窄的 | |
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adventurous
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| adj.爱冒险的；惊心动魄的，惊险的，刺激的 | |
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lamenting
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| adj.悲伤的，悲哀的v.（为…）哀悼，痛哭，悲伤( lament的现在分词 ) | |
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37
providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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38
sluggish
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| adj.懒惰的，迟钝的，无精打采的 | |
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39
reptiles
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| n.爬行动物，爬虫( reptile的名词复数 ) | |
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40
distractions
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| n.使人分心的事[人]( distraction的名词复数 )；娱乐，消遣；心烦意乱；精神错乱 | |
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41
riddles
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| n.谜（语）( riddle的名词复数 )；猜不透的难题，难解之谜 | |
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42
lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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43
delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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44
consecrated
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| adj.神圣的，被视为神圣的v.把…奉为神圣，给…祝圣( consecrate的过去式和过去分词 )；奉献 | |
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45
prospectus
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| n.计划书；说明书；慕股书 | |
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46
unprecedented
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| adj.无前例的，新奇的 | |
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47
deluge
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| n./vt.洪水，暴雨，使泛滥 | |
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48
sergeant
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| n.警官，中士 | |
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49
groaning
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| adj. 呜咽的, 呻吟的 动词groan的现在分词形式 | |
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50
repose
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| v.(使)休息；n.安息 | |
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51
originality
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| n.创造力，独创性；新颖 | |
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52
thawing
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| n.熔化，融化v.（气候）解冻( thaw的现在分词 )；（态度、感情等）缓和；（冰、雪及冷冻食物）溶化；软化 | |
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53
lookout
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| n.注意，前途，瞭望台 | |
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54
middle-aged
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| adj.中年的 | |
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55
troupe
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| n.剧团，戏班；杂技团；马戏团 | |
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56
unwilling
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| adj.不情愿的 | |
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57
varied
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| adj.多样的，多变化的 | |
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58
infinitely
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| adv.无限地，无穷地 | |
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59
reindeer
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| n.驯鹿 | |
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60
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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61
miseries
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| n.痛苦( misery的名词复数 )；痛苦的事；穷困；常发牢骚的人 | |
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62
narrate
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| v.讲，叙述 | |
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63
subscribe
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| vi.(to)订阅，订购；同意；vt.捐助，赞助 | |
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64
temperament
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| n.气质，性格，性情 | |
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