Soon the noisy flocks of birds appeared; bustards and wild geese came from Florida or Arkansas, flying northward2 with inconceivable rapidity and bringing the spring with them. The doctor shot a few, as well as three or four cranes and a single stork3. However, the snow was melting everywhere beneath the sun; the salt-water, which overran the ice-field through the crevasses4 and the seal-holes, hastened the melting; the ice which was mingled5 with salt-water formed a soft slush. Large pools appeared on the land near the bay, and the exposed soil seemed to be a production of the arctic spring.
The doctor then resumed his planting; he had plenty of seed; besides, he was surprised to see a sort of sorrel growing naturally between the dried rocks, and he wondered at the force of nature which demanded so little in order to manifest itself. He sowed some cresses, of which the young sprouts6, three weeks later, were already an inch long.
The heath began to show timidly its little pale, rosy8 flowers. In fact, the flora9 of New America is very defective10; still, this rare vegetation was agreeable to their eyes; it was all the feeble rays of the sun could nourish, a trace of the Providence11 which had not completely forgotten these distant countries. At last it became really warm; June 15th the thermometer stood at 57°; the doctor could hardly believe his eyes; the country changed its appearance; numerous noisy cascades12 fell from the sunny summits of the hills; the ice loosened, and the great question of an open sea would soon be decided13. The air was full of the noise of avalanches14 falling from the hills to the bottom of the ravines, and the cracking of the ice-field produced a deafening15 sound.
A trip was made to Johnson Island; it was merely an unimportant, arid16, barren island; but the old boatswain was no less proud of giving his name to a few desolate17 rocks. He even wanted to carve it on a high peak. During this excursion, Hatteras had carefully explored these lands, even beyond Cape19 Washington; the melting of the snow sensibly changed the country; ravines and hillocks appeared here and there, where the snow indicated nothing but monotonous20 stretches. The house and magazines threatened to melt away, and they had frequently to be repaired; fortunately, a temperature of 57° is rare in these latitudes21, and the mean is hardly above the freezing-point.
By the middle of June the launch was far advanced and getting into shape. While Bell and Johnson were working at it, the others had a few successful hunts. Reindeer22 were shot, although they are hard to approach; but Altamont put in practice a device employed by the Indians of his own country; he crept over the ground with his gun and arms outstretched like the horns of one of these shy animals, and having thus come within easy gunshot, he could not fail.
But the best game, the musk-ox, of which Parry found plenty at Melville Island, appeared not to frequent the shores of Victoria Bay. A distant hunt was determined23 on, as much to get these valuable animals as to reconnoitre the eastern lands. Hatteras did not propose to reach the Pole by this part of the continent, but the doctor was not sorry to get a general idea of the country. Hence they decided to start to the east of Fort Providence. Altamont intended to hunt; Duke naturally was of the party.
Altamont intended to hunt
So, Monday, June 17th, a pleasant day, with the thermometer at 41°, and the air quiet and clear, the three hunters, each carrying a double-barrelled gun, a hatchet24, a snow-knife, and followed by Duke, left Doctor's House at six o'clock in the morning. They were fitted out for a trip of two or three days, with the requisite25 amount of provisions. By eight o'clock Hatteras and his two companions had gone eight miles. Not a living thing had tempted26 a shot, and their hunt threatened to be merely a trip.
This new country exhibited vast plains running out of sight; new streams divided them everywhere, and large, unruffled pools reflected the sun. The layers of melting ice bared the ground to their feet; it belonged to the great division of sedimentary earth, and the result of the action of the water, which is so common on the surface of the globe. Still a few erratic27 blocks were seen of a singular nature, foreign to the soil where they were found, and whose presence it was hard to explain. Schists and different productions of limestone28 were found in abundance, as was also a sort of strange, transparent29, colorless crystal, which has a refraction peculiar30 to Iceland spar.
But, although he was not hunting, the doctor had not time to geologize; he had to walk too quickly, in order to keep up with his friends. Still, he observed the land and talked as much as possible, for had he not there would have been total silence in the little band; neither Altamont nor the captain had any desire to talk to one another.
By ten o'clock the hunters had got a dozen miles to the east; the sea was hidden beneath the horizon; the doctor proposed a halt for breakfast. They swallowed it rapidly, and in half an hour they were off again. The ground was sloping gently; a few patches of snow, preserved either by their position or the slope of the rocks, gave it a woolly appearance, like waves in a high wind. The country was still barren, and looking as if no living being had ever set foot in it.
"We have no luck," said Altamont to the doctor; "to be sure, the country doesn't offer much food to animals, but the game here ought not to be over-particular, and ought to show itself."
"Don't let us despair," said the doctor; "the summer has hardly begun; and if Parry met so many animals at Melville Island, we may be as lucky here."
"Still, we are farther north," said Hatteras.
"Certainly, but that is unimportant; it is the pole of cold we ought to consider; that is to say, that icy wilderness31 in the middle of which we wintered with the Forward; now the farther north we go, the farther we are from the coldest part of the globe; we ought to find, beyond, what Parry, Ross, and others found on the other side."
"Well," said Altamont, with a regretful sigh, "so far we've been travellers rather than hunters."
"Be patient," answered the doctor; "the country is changing gradually, and I should be astonished if we don't find game enough in the ravines where vegetation has had a chance to sprout7."
"It must be said," continued Altamont, "that we are going through an uninhabited and uninhabitable country."
"O, uninhabitable is a strong word!" answered the doctor; "I can't believe any land uninhabitable; man, by many sacrifices, and for generations using all the resources of science, might finally fertilize32 such a country."
"Do you think so?" asked Altamont.
"Without doubt! If you were to go to the celebrated33 countries of the world, to Thebes, Nineveh, or Babylon, in the fertile valleys of our ancestors, it would seem impossible that men should ever have lived there; the air itself has grown bad since the disappearance34 of human beings. It is the general law of nature which makes those countries in which we do not live unhealthy and sterile35, like those out of which life has died. In fact, man himself makes his own country by his presence, his habits, his industry, and, I might add, by his breath; he gradually modifies the exhalations of the soil and the atmospheric36 conditions, and he makes the air he breathes wholesome37. So there are uninhabited lands, I grant, but none uninhabitable."
Talking in this way, the hunters, who had become naturalists38, pushed on and reached a sort of valley, fully18 exposed, at the bottom of which a river, nearly free of ice, was flowing; its southern exposure had brought forth39 a certain amount of vegetation. The earth showed a strong desire to grow fertile; with a few inches of rich soil it would have produced a good deal. The doctor called their attention to these indications.
"See," he said, "a few hardy40 colonists41 might settle in this ravine. With industry and perseverance42 they could do a great deal; not as much as is seen in the temperate43 zones, but a respectable show. If I am not mistaken, there are some four-footed animals! They know the good spots."
"They are Arctic hares," shouted Altamont, cocking his gun.
"Wait a moment," cried the doctor,—"wait a moment, you hasty fellow. They don't think of running away! See, they'll come to us!"
And, in fact, three or four young hares, springing about in the heath and young moss44, ran boldly towards the three men; they were so cunning that even Altamont was softened45.
"Why shoot these little animals which come to be petted? We need not kill them."
"You are right, Doctor," answered Hatteras; "we'll let them live."
"And these ptarmigan, too, which are flying towards us!" cried Altamont; "and these long-legged water-fowl!"
A whole flock of birds passed over the hunters, not suspecting the peril47 from which the doctor's presence saved them. Even Duke was compelled to admire them.
They were a curious and touching48 sight, flying about without fear, resting on Clawbonny's shoulders, lying at his feet, offering themselves to his caresses49, seeming to do their best to welcome their new guests; they called one another joyously50, flying from the most distant points; the doctor seemed to be a real bird-charmer. The hunters continued their march up the moist banks of the brook51, followed by the familiar band, and turning from the valley they perceived a troop of eight or ten reindeer browsing52 on a few lichens53 half buried beneath the snow; they were graceful54, quiet animals, with their branching antlers, which the female carried as well as the male; their wool-like fur was already losing its winter whiteness in favor of the summer brown and gray; they seemed no more timid than the hares and birds of the country. Such were the relations of the first men to the first animals in the early ages of the world.The hunters reached the middle of the band without any one flying; this time the doctor found it hard to restrain the instincts of Altamont, who could not calmly look on this game without a thirst for blood rising in his brain. Hatteras looked mildly at these gentle beasts, who rubbed their noses against the doctor's clothes; he was the friend of all the animals.
"But," said Altamont, "didn't we come here to shoot?"
"To shoot musk-ox," answered Clawbonny, "and nothing else! We should have no need of this game; we have food enough, so let us enjoy the sight of man walking thus among these animals, without alarming them."
"That proves they have never seen one before," said Hatteras.
"Evidently," answered the doctor; "and so we can be sure that these animals are not of American origin."
"And why so?" said Altamont.
"If they were born on the continent of North America, they would know what to think of men, and they would have fled at the sight of us. No; they probably came from the north, from those unknown lands where our kind has never set foot, and they have crossed the continents near the Pole. So, Altamont, you can't claim them as your fellow-countrymen."
"O," answered Altamont, "a hunter does not scrutinize55 so closely, and the game belongs to the land where it was shot!"
"Well, calm yourself, my Nimrod! As for me, I would rather never fire a gun in my life than alarm this timid population. See, even Duke fraternizes with the charming beasts! Come, we'll be kind when we can! Kindness is a force!"
"Well, well," answered Altamont, who sympathized but slightly with this sensitiveness; "but I should be amused to see you armed with this kindness alone among a flock of bears or wolves!"
With the reindeer
"O, I don't pretend to charm wild beasts!" answered the doctor; "I have little faith in the enchantment56 of Orpheus; besides, bears and wolves wouldn't come up to us like the hares, partridges, and reindeer."
"Why not," answered Altamont, "if they have never seen men?"
"Because they are naturally ferocious57, and ferocity, like maliciousness58, begets59 suspicion; a remark which is true of man as well as of animals. A wicked man is distrustful, and fear is commonly found in those who are able to inspire it."
This little lesson in natural philosophy ended the conversation.
The whole day was passed in this Northern Arcadia, as the doctor named the valley, with the consent of his companions; and that evening, after a supper which had not cost the life of a single inhabitant of the country, the three hunters went to sleep in a cleft60 of a rock which was admirably adapted for a shelter.
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1
apparition
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| n.幽灵，神奇的现象 | |
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northward
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| adv.向北；n.北方的地区 | |
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stork
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| n.鹳 | |
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crevasses
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| n.破口，崩溃处，裂缝( crevasse的名词复数 ) | |
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mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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6
sprouts
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| n.新芽，嫩枝( sprout的名词复数 )v.发芽( sprout的第三人称单数 )；抽芽；出现；（使）涌现出 | |
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sprout
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| n.芽，萌芽；vt.使发芽，摘去芽；vi.长芽，抽条 | |
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rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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flora
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| n.(某一地区的)植物群 | |
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defective
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| adj.有毛病的，有问题的，有瑕疵的 | |
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providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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12
cascades
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| 倾泻( cascade的名词复数 )； 小瀑布（尤指一连串瀑布中的一支）； 瀑布状物； 倾泻（或涌出）的东西 | |
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13
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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avalanches
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| n.雪崩( avalanche的名词复数 ) | |
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deafening
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| adj. 振耳欲聋的, 极喧闹的 动词deafen的现在分词形式 | |
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arid
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| adj.干旱的；(土地)贫瘠的 | |
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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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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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cape
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| n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风 | |
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monotonous
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| adj.单调的，一成不变的，使人厌倦的 | |
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latitudes
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| 纬度 | |
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reindeer
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| n.驯鹿 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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hatchet
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| n.短柄小斧；v.扼杀 | |
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requisite
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| adj.需要的，必不可少的；n.必需品 | |
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tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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27
erratic
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| adj.古怪的，反复无常的，不稳定的 | |
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limestone
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| n.石灰石 | |
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transparent
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| adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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fertilize
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| v.使受精，施肥于，使肥沃 | |
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celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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disappearance
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| n.消失，消散，失踪 | |
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sterile
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| adj.不毛的，不孕的，无菌的，枯燥的，贫瘠的 | |
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atmospheric
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| adj.大气的，空气的；大气层的；大气所引起的 | |
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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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naturalists
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| n.博物学家( naturalist的名词复数 )；（文学艺术的）自然主义者 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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40
hardy
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| adj.勇敢的，果断的，吃苦的；耐寒的 | |
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colonists
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| n.殖民地开拓者，移民，殖民地居民( colonist的名词复数 ) | |
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42
perseverance
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| n.坚持不懈，不屈不挠 | |
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temperate
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| adj.温和的，温带的，自我克制的，不过分的 | |
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44
moss
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| n.苔，藓，地衣 | |
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45
softened
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| （使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰 | |
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46
caressed
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| 爱抚或抚摸…( caress的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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47
peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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48
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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49
caresses
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| 爱抚，抚摸( caress的名词复数 ) | |
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50
joyously
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| ad.快乐地, 高兴地 | |
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51
brook
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| n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让 | |
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52
browsing
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| v.吃草( browse的现在分词 )；随意翻阅；（在商店里）随便看看；（在计算机上）浏览信息 | |
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53
lichens
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| n.地衣( lichen的名词复数 ) | |
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54
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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55
scrutinize
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| n.详细检查，细读 | |
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56
enchantment
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| n.迷惑，妖术，魅力 | |
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57
ferocious
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| adj.凶猛的，残暴的，极度的，十分强烈的 | |
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58
maliciousness
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| [法] 恶意 | |
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59
begets
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| v.为…之生父( beget的第三人称单数 )；产生，引起 | |
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cleft
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| n.裂缝；adj.裂开的 | |
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