Three hours later the last relics1 of the ice-wall had disappeared, proving that the island now remained stationary2, and that all the force of the current was deep down below the waves, not on the surface of the sea.
The bearings were taken at noon with the greatest care and twenty-four hours later it was found that Victoria Island had not advanced one mile.
The only remaining hope was that some vessel3 should sight the poor shipwrecked creatures, either whilst still on the island, or after they had taken to their raft.
The island was now in 54° 33’ latitude4, and 177° 19’ longitude5, several hundred miles from the nearest land, namely, the Aleutian Islands.
Hobson once more called his comrades together, and asked them what they thought it would be best to do.
All agreed that they should remain on the island until it broke up, as it was too large to be affected6 by the state of the sea, and only take to the raft when the dissolution actually commenced. Once on the frail7 vessel, they must wait.
Still wait!
The raft was now finished. Mac-Nab had made one large shed or cabin big enough to hold every one, and to afford some little shelter from the weather. A mast had been prepared, which could be put up if necessary, and the sails intended for the boat had long been ready. The whole structure was strong, although clumsy; and if the wind were favourable8, and the sea not too rough, this rude assortment9 of planks10 and timbers might save the lives of the whole party.
“Nothing,” observed Mrs Barnett,—”nothing is impossible to Him who rules the winds and waves.”
Hobson carefully looked over the stores of provisions. The reserves had been much damaged by the avalanche12, but there were plenty of animals still on the island, and the abundant shrubs13 and mosses14 supplied them with food. A few reindeer15 and hares were slaughtered16 by the hunters, and their flesh salted for future needs.
The health of the colonists17 was on the whole good. They had suffered little in the preceding mild winter, and all the mental trials they had gone through had not affected their physical well-being18. They were, however, looking forward with something of a shrinking horror to the moment when they would have to abandon their island home, or, to speak more correctly, when it abandoned them. It was no wonder that they did not like the thought of floating on the ocean in a rude structure of wood subject to all the caprices of winds and waves. Even in tolerably fine weather seas would be shipped and every one constantly drenched19 with saltwater. Moreover, it must be remembered that the men were none of them sailors, accustomed to navigation, and ready to risk their lives on a few planks, but soldiers, trained for service on land. Their island was fragile, it is true, and rested on a thin crust of ice; but then it was covered with a productive soil, trees and shrubs flourished upon it, its huge bulk rendered it insensible to the motion of the waves, and it might have been supposed to be stationary. They had, in fact, become attached to Victoria Island, on which they had lived nearly two years; every inch of the ground had become familiar to them; they had tilled the soil, and had come safely through so many perils20 in their wandering home, that in leaving it they felt as if they were parting from an old and sorely-tried friend.
Hobson fully11 sympathised with the feelings of his men, and understood their repugnance21 to embarking23 on the raft; but then he also knew that the catastrophe24 could not now be deferred25 much longer, and ominous26 symptoms already gave warning of its rapid approach.
We will now describe this raft. It was thirty feet square, and its deck rose two feet above the water. Its bulwarks27 would therefore keep out the small but not the large waves. In the centre the carpenter had built a regular deck-house, which would hold some twenty people. Round it were large lockers28 for the provisions and water-casks, all firmly fixed29 to the deck with iron bolts. The mast, thirty feet high, was fastened to the deck-house, and strengthened with stays attached to the corners of the raft. This mast was to have a square sail, which would only be useful when the wind was aft. A sort of rudder was fixed to this rough structure, the fittings of which were necessarily incomplete.
Such was the raft constructed by the head carpenter, on which twenty-one persons were to embark22. It was floating peacefully on the little lake, strongly moored30 to the shore.
It was certainly constructed with more care than if it had been put together in haste on a vessel at sea doomed31 to immediate32 destruction. It was stronger and better fitted up; but, after all, it was but a raft.
On the 1st June a new incident occurred. Hope, one of the soldiers, went to fetch some water from the lake for culinary purposes, and when Mrs Joliffe tasted it, she found that it was salt. She called Hope, and said she wanted fresh, not salt water.
The man replied that he had brought it from the lake as usual, and as he and Mrs Joliffe were disputing about it, the Lieutenant33 happened to come in. Hearing Hope’s repeated [asertions] assertions that he had fetched the water from the lake, he turned pale and hurried to the lagoon34.
The waters were quite salt; the bottom of the lake had evidently given way, and the sea had flowed in.
The fact quickly became known, and every one was seized with a terrible dread35.
“No more fresh water!” exclaimed all the poor creatures together.
Lake Barnett had in fact disappeared, as Paulina River had done before.
Lieutenant Hobson hastened to reassure36 his comrades about drinkable water.
“There will be plenty of ice, my friends,” he said. “We can always melt a piece of our island, and,” he added, with a ghastly attempt at a smile, “I don’t suppose we shall drink it all.”
It is, in fact, well known that salt separates from sea-water in freezing and evaporation37. A few blocks of ice were therefore “disinterred,” if we may so express it, and melted for daily use, and to fill the casks on board the raft.
It would not do, however, to neglect this fresh warning given by nature. The invasion of the lake by the sea proved that the base of the island was rapidly melting. At any moment the ground might give way, and Hobson forbade his men to leave the factory, as they might be drifted away before they were aware of it.
The animals seemed more keenly alive than ever to approaching danger; they gathered yet more closely round the firmer part, and after the disappearance38 of the fresh water lake, they came to lick the blocks of ice. They were all uneasy, and some seemed to be seized with madness, especially the wolves, who rushed wildly towards the factory, and dashed away again howling piteously. The furred animals remained huddled39 together round the large well where the principal house had formerly40 stood. There were several hundreds of them, of different species, and the solitary41 bear roamed backwards42 and forwards, showing no more hostility43 to the quadrupeds than to men.
The number of birds, which had hitherto been considerable, now decreased. During the last few days all those capable of long-sustained flight — such as swans, &c, migrated towards the Aleutian Islands in the south, where they would find a sure refuge. This significant and ominous fact was noticed by Mrs Barnett and Madge, who were walking together on the beach.
“There is plenty of food for these birds on the island,” observed Mrs Barnett, “and yet they leave it — they have a good reason, no doubt.”
“Yes,” replied Madge; “their instinct of self-preservation makes them take flight, and they give us a warning by which we ought to profit. The animals also appear more uneasy than usual.”
Hobson now decided44 to take the greater part of the provisions and all the camping apparatus45 on board the raft, and when that was done, to embark with the whole party.
The sea was, however, very rough, and the waters of the former lake — now a kind of Mediterranean46 in miniature — were greatly agitated47. The waves, confined in the narrow space, dashed mountains high, and broke violently upon the steep banks. The raft tossed up and down, and shipped sea after sea. The embarkation48 of provisions, &c., had to be put off.
Every one wished to pass one more quiet night on land, and Hobson yielded against his better judgment49, determined50, if it were calmer the next day, to proceed with the embarkation.
The night was more peaceful than had been expected; the wind went down, and the sea became calmer; it had but been swept by one of those sudden and brief hurricanes peculiar51 to these latitudes52.
At eight o’clock in the evening the tumult53 ceased, and a slight surface agitation54 of the waters of lake and sea alone remained.
It was some slight comfort that the island would not now be broken up suddenly, as it must have done had the storm continued. Its dissolution was, of course, still close at hand, but would not, it was hoped, be sudden and abrupt55.
The storm was succeeded by a slight fog, which seemed likely to thicken during the night. It came from the north, and owing to the changed position of the island, would probably cover the greater part of it.
Before going to bed, Hobson went down and examined the moorings of the raft, which were fastened to some strong birch-trees. To make security doubly sure, he tightened56 them, and the worst that could now happen would be, that the raft would drift out on to the lagoon, which was not large enough to be lost upon it.
收听单词发音 |
1
relics
|
|
| [pl.］n.遗物，遗迹，遗产；遗体，尸骸 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
stationary
|
|
| adj.固定的，静止不动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
vessel
|
|
| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
latitude
|
|
| n.纬度，行动或言论的自由(范围)，(pl.)地区 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
longitude
|
|
| n.经线，经度 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
affected
|
|
| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
frail
|
|
| adj.身体虚弱的；易损坏的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
favourable
|
|
| adj.赞成的，称赞的，有利的，良好的，顺利的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
assortment
|
|
| n.分类，各色俱备之物，聚集 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
planks
|
|
| （厚）木板( plank的名词复数 )； 政纲条目，政策要点 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
fully
|
|
| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
avalanche
|
|
| n.雪崩，大量涌来 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
shrubs
|
|
| 灌木( shrub的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
mosses
|
|
| n. 藓类, 苔藓植物 名词moss的复数形式 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
reindeer
|
|
| n.驯鹿 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
slaughtered
|
|
| v.屠杀，杀戮，屠宰( slaughter的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
colonists
|
|
| n.殖民地开拓者，移民，殖民地居民( colonist的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
well-being
|
|
| n.安康，安乐，幸福 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
drenched
|
|
| adj.湿透的；充满的v.使湿透( drench的过去式和过去分词 )；在某人（某物）上大量使用（某液体） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
perils
|
|
| 极大危险( peril的名词复数 )； 危险的事（或环境） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
repugnance
|
|
| n.嫌恶 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
embark
|
|
| vi.乘船，着手，从事，上飞机 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
embarking
|
|
| 乘船( embark的现在分词 )； 装载； 从事 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
catastrophe
|
|
| n.大灾难，大祸 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
deferred
|
|
| adj.延期的，缓召的v.拖延，延缓，推迟( defer的过去式和过去分词 )；服从某人的意愿，遵从 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
ominous
|
|
| adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
bulwarks
|
|
| n.堡垒( bulwark的名词复数 )；保障；支柱；舷墙 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
lockers
|
|
| n.寄物柜( locker的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
fixed
|
|
| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
moored
|
|
| adj. 系泊的 动词moor的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
doomed
|
|
| 命定的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
immediate
|
|
| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
lieutenant
|
|
| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
lagoon
|
|
| n.泻湖，咸水湖 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
dread
|
|
| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
reassure
|
|
| v.使放心，使消除疑虑 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
evaporation
|
|
| n.蒸发，消失 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
disappearance
|
|
| n.消失，消散，失踪 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
huddled
|
|
| 挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
formerly
|
|
| adv.从前，以前 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
solitary
|
|
| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
backwards
|
|
| adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
hostility
|
|
| n.敌对，敌意；抵制［pl.］交战，战争 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
decided
|
|
| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
apparatus
|
|
| n.装置，器械；器具，设备 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
Mediterranean
|
|
| adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
agitated
|
|
| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
embarkation
|
|
| n. 乘船, 搭机, 开船 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
judgment
|
|
| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
determined
|
|
| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
peculiar
|
|
| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
latitudes
|
|
| 纬度 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
53
tumult
|
|
| n.喧哗；激动，混乱；吵闹 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
54
agitation
|
|
| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
55
abrupt
|
|
| adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
56
tightened
|
|
| 收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |