The thermometer kept steadily2 below freezing, so that the machinery3 was called upon to furnish a little artificial heat in the cabins. Although the days begin to lengthen4 after the 21st day of June in the southern hemisphere, yet the advance of the "Albatross" towards the Pole more than neutralized5 this increase, and consequently the daylight became very short. There was thus very little to be seen. At night time the cold became very keen; but as there was no scarcity6 of clothing on board, the colleagues, well wrapped up, remained a good deal on deck thinking over their plans of escape, and watching for an opportunity. Little was seen of Robur; since the high words that had been exchanged in the Timbuktu country, the engineer had left off speaking to his prisoners. Frycollin seldom came out of the cook-house, where Tapage treated him most hospitably8, on condition that he acted as his assistant. This position was not without its advantages, and the Negro, with his master's permission, very willingly accepted it. Shut up in the galley9, he saw nothing of what was passing outside, and might even consider himself beyond the reach of danger. He was, in fact, very like the ostrich10, not only in his stomach, but in his folly11.
But whither went the "Albatross?" Was she in mid-winter bound for the southern seas or continents round the Pole? In this icy atmosphere, even granting that the elements of the batteries were unaffected by such frost, would not all the crew succumb12 to a horrible death from the cold? That Robur should attempt to cross the Pole in the warm season was bad enough, but to attempt such a thing in the depth of the winter night would be the act of a madman.
Thus reasoned the President and Secretary of the Weldon Institute, now they had been brought to the end of the continent of the New World, which is still America, although it does not belong to the United States.
What was this intractable Robur going to do? Had not the time arrived for them to end the voyage by blowing up the ship?
It was noticed that during the 24th of July the engineer had frequent consultations13 with his mate. He and Tom Turner kept constant watch on the barometer14—not so much to keep themselves informed of the height at which they were traveling as to be on the look-out for a change in the weather. Evidently some indications had been observed of which it was necessary to make careful note.
Uncle Prudent15 also remarked that Robur had been taking stock of the provisions and stores, and everything seemed to show that he was contemplating16 turning back.
"Turning back!" said Phil Evans. "But where to?"
"Where he can reprovision the ship," said Uncle Prudent.
"That ought to be in some lonely island in the Pacific with a colony of scoundrels worthy17 of their chief."
"That is what I think. I fancy he is going west, and with the speed he can get up it would not take, him long to get home."
"But we should not be able to put our plan into execution. If we get there—"
"We shall not get there!"
The colleagues had partly guessed the engineer's intentions. During the day it became no longer doubtful that when the "Albatross" reached the confines of the Antarctic Sea her course was to be changed. When the ice has formed about Cape7 Horn the lower regions of the Pacific are covered with icefields and icebergs18. The floes then form an impenetrable barrier to the strongest ships and the boldest navigators. Of course, by increasing the speed of her wings the "Albatross" could clear the mountains of ice accumulated on the ocean as she could the mountains of earth on the polar continent—if it is a continent that forms the cap of the southern pole. But would she attempt it in the middle of the polar night, in an atmosphere of sixty below freezing?
After she had advanced about a hundred miles to the south the "Albatross" headed westerly, as if for some unknown island of the Pacific. Beneath her stretched the liquid plain between Asia and America. The waters now had assumed that singular color which has earned for them the name of the Milky19 Sea. In the half shadow, which the enfeebled rays of the sun were unable to dissipate, the surface of the Pacific was a milky white. It seemed like a vast snowfield, whose undulations were imperceptible at such a height. If the sea had been solidified20 by the cold, and converted into an immense icefield, its aspect could not have been much different. They knew that the phenomenon was produced by myriads21 of luminous22 particles of phosphorescent corpuscles; but it was surprising to come across such an opalescent23 mass beyond the limits of the Indian Ocean.
Suddenly the barometer fell after keeping somewhat high during the earlier hours of the day. Evidently the indications were such as a shipmaster might feel anxious at, though the master of an aeronef might despise them. There was every sign that a terrible storm had recently raged in the Pacific.
It was one o'clock in the afternoon when Tom Turner came up to the engineer and said, "Do you see that black spot on the horizon, sir—there away to due north of us? That is not a rock?"
"No, Tom; there is no land out there."
"Then it must be a ship or a boat."
Uncle Prudent and Phil Evans, who were in the bow, looked in the direction pointed24 out by the mate.
Robur asked for the glass and attentively25 observed the object.
"It is a boat," said he, "and there are some men in it."
"Shipwrecked?" asked Tom.
"Yes! They have had to abandon their ship, and, knowing nothing of the nearest land, are perhaps dying of hunger and thirst! Well, it shall not be said that the "Albatross" did not come to their help!"
The orders were given, and the aeronef began to sink towards the sea. At three hundred yards from it the descent was stopped, and the propellers26 drove ahead full speed towards the north.
It was a boat. Her sail flapped against the mast as she rose and fell on the waves. There was no wind, and she was making no progress. Doubtless there was no one on board with strength enough left to work the oars27. In the boat were five men asleep or helpless, if they were not dead.
The "Albatross" had arrived above them, and slowly descended28. On the boat's stern was the name of the ship to which she belonged—the "Jeannette" of Nantes.
"Hallo, there!" shouted Turner, loud enough for the men to hear, for the boat was only eighty feet below him.
There was no answer. "Fire a gun!" said Robur.
The gun was fired and the report rang out over the sea.
One of the men looked up feebly. His eyes were haggard and his face was that of a skeleton. As he caught sight of the "Albatross" he made a gesture as of fear.
"Don't be afraid," said Robur in French, "we have come to help you. Who are you?"
"We belong to the barque "Jeannette," and I am the mate. We left her a fortnight ago as she was sinking. We have no water and no food."
The four other men had now sat up. Wan29 and exhausted30, in a terrible state of emaciation31, they lifted their hands towards the "Albatross."
"Look-out!" shouted Robur.
A line was let down, and a pail of fresh water was lowered into the boat. The men snatched at it and drank it with an eagerness awful to see.
"Bread, bread!" they exclaimed.
Immediately a basket with some food and five pints32 of coffee descended towards them. The mate with difficulty restrained them in their ravenousness33.
"Where are we?" asked the mate at last.
"Thanks. But we are becalmed, and—?"
"We are going to tow you."
"Who are you?"
"People who are glad to be of assistance to you," said Robur.
The mate understood that the incognito35 was to be respected. But had the flying machine sufficient power to tow them through the water?
Yes; and the boat, attached to a hundred feet of rope, began to move off towards the east. At ten o'clock at night the land was sighted—or rather they could see the lights which indicated its position. This rescue from the sky had come just in time for the survivors36 of the "Jeannette," and they had good reason to believe it miraculous37.
When they had been taken to the mouth of the channel leading among the Chonos Islands, Robur shouted to them to cast off the tow-line. This, with many a blessing38 to those who had saved them, they did, and the "Albatross" headed out to the offing.
Certainly there was some good in this aeronef, which could thus help those who were lost at sea! What balloon, perfect as it might be, would be able to perform such a service? And between themselves Uncle Prudent and Phil Evans could not but admire it, although they were quite disposed to deny the evidence of their senses.
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1
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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2
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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3
machinery
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| n.(总称)机械，机器；机构 | |
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lengthen
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| vt.使伸长，延长 | |
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5
neutralized
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| v.使失效( neutralize的过去式和过去分词 )；抵消；中和；使（一个国家）中立化 | |
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6
scarcity
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| n.缺乏，不足，萧条 | |
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7
cape
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| n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风 | |
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8
hospitably
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| 亲切地，招待周到地，善于款待地 | |
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9
galley
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| n.（飞机或船上的）厨房单层甲板大帆船；军舰舰长用的大划艇； | |
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ostrich
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| n.鸵鸟 | |
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11
folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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12
succumb
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| v.屈服，屈从；死 | |
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13
consultations
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| n.磋商（会议）( consultation的名词复数 )；商讨会；协商会；查找 | |
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14
barometer
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| n.气压表，睛雨表，反应指标 | |
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15
prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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16
contemplating
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| 深思，细想，仔细考虑( contemplate的现在分词 )； 注视，凝视； 考虑接受（发生某事的可能性）； 深思熟虑，沉思，苦思冥想 | |
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17
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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icebergs
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| n.冰山，流冰( iceberg的名词复数 ) | |
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19
milky
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| adj.牛奶的，多奶的；乳白色的 | |
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20
solidified
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| （使）成为固体，（使）变硬，（使）变得坚固( solidify的过去式和过去分词 )； 使团结一致； 充实，巩固； 具体化 | |
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myriads
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| n.无数，极大数量( myriad的名词复数 ) | |
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22
luminous
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| adj.发光的，发亮的；光明的；明白易懂的；有启发的 | |
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opalescent
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| adj.乳色的，乳白的 | |
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24
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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attentively
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| adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神 | |
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26
propellers
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| n.螺旋桨，推进器( propeller的名词复数 ) | |
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27
oars
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| n.桨，橹( oar的名词复数 )；划手v.划（行）( oar的第三人称单数 ) | |
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28
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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29
wan
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| (wide area network)广域网 | |
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30
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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31
emaciation
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| n.消瘦，憔悴，衰弱 | |
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32
pints
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| n.品脱( pint的名词复数 )；一品脱啤酒 | |
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33
ravenousness
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34
chili
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| n.辣椒 | |
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35
incognito
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| adv.匿名地；n.隐姓埋名；adj.化装的，用假名的，隐匿姓名身份的 | |
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36
survivors
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| 幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 ) | |
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37
miraculous
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| adj.像奇迹一样的，不可思议的 | |
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38
blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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