At one o'clock in the morning the wind came on again with extreme violence. Although the aeronef was going right in its teeth she was still making progress at a rate of from twelve to fifteen miles an hour. But that was the utmost she could do.
Evidently preparations must be made for a cyclone5, a very rare occurrence in these latitudes7. Whether it be called a hurricane, as in the Atlantic, a typhoon, as in Chinese waters a simoom, as in the Sahara, or a tornado8, as on the western coast, such a storm is always a gyratory one, and most dangerous for any ship caught in the current which increases from the circumference9 to the center, and has only one spot of calm, the middle of the vortex.
Robur knew this. He also knew it was best to escape from the cyclone and get beyond its zone of attraction by ascending11 to the higher strata13. Up to then he had always succeeded in doing this, but now he had not an hour, perhaps not a minute, to lose.
In fact the violence of the wind sensibly increased. The crests14 of the waves were swept off as they rose and blown into white dust on the surface of the sea. It was manifest that the cyclone was advancing with fearful velocity15 straight towards the regions of the pole.
"Higher!" said Robur.
An extreme ascensional power was communicated to the aeronef, and she shot up slantingly as if she was traveling on a plane sloping downwards17 from the southwest. Suddenly the barometer fell more than a dozen millimeters and the "Albatross" paused in her ascent18.
What was the cause of the stoppage? Evidently she was pulled back by the air; some formidable current had diminished the resistance to the screws. When a steamer travels upstream more work is got out of her screw than when the water is running between the blades. The recoil19 is then considerable, and may perhaps be as great as the current. It was thus with the "Albatross" at this moment.
But Robur was not the man to give in. His seventy-four screws, working perfectly20 together, were driven at their maximum speed. But the aeronef could not escape; the attraction of the cyclone was irresistible21. During the few moments of calm she began to ascend12, but the heavy pull soon drew her back, and she sunk like a ship as she founders22.
Evidently if the violence of the cyclone went on increasing the "Albatross" would be but as a straw caught in one of those whirlwinds that root up the trees, carry off roofs, and blow down walls.
Robur and Tom could only speak by signs. Uncle Prudent23 and Phil Evans clung to the rail and wondered if the cyclone was not playing their game in destroying the aeronef and with her the inventor—and with the inventor the secret of his invention.
But if the "Albatross" could not get out of the cyclone vertically25 could she not do something else? Could she not gain the center, where it was comparatively calm, and where they would have more control over her? Quite so, but to do this she would have to break through the circular currents which were sweeping26 her round with them. Had she sufficient mechanical power to escape through them?
Suddenly the upper part of the cloud fell in. The vapor27 condensed in torrents28 of rain. It was two o'clock in the morning. The barometer, oscillating over a range of twelve millimeters, had now fallen to 27.91, and from this something should be taken on account of the height of the aeronef above the level of the sea.
Strange to say, the cyclone was out of the zone to which such storms are generally restricted, such zone being bounded by the thirtieth parallel of north latitude6 and the twenty-sixth parallel of south latitude. This may perhaps explain why the eddying29 storm suddenly turned into a straight one. But what a hurricane! The tempest in Connecticut on the 22nd of March, 1882, could only have been compared to it, and the speed of that was more than three hundred miles an hour.
The "Albatross" had thus to fly before the wind or rather she had to be left to be driven by the current, from which she could neither mount nor escape. But in following this unchanging trajectory30 she was bearing due south, towards those polar regions which Robur had endeavored to avoid. And now he was no longer master of her course; she would go where the hurricane took her.
Tom Turner was at the helm, and it required all his skill to keep her straight. In the first hours of the morning—if we can so call the vague tint31 which began to rise over the horizon—the "Albatross" was fifteen degrees below Cape10 Horn; twelve hundred miles more and she would cross the antarctic circle. Where she was, in this month of July, the night lasted nineteen hours and a half. The sun's disk—without warmth, without light—only appeared above the horizon to disappear almost immediately. At the pole the night lengthened32 into one of a hundred and seventy-nine days. Everything showed that the "Albatross" was about to plunge33 into an abyss.
During the day an observation, had it been possible, would have given 66° 40' south latitude. The aeronef was within fourteen hundred miles of the pole.
Irresistibly34 was she drawn35 towards this inaccessible36 corner of the globe, her speed eating up, so to speak, her weight, although she weighed less than before, owing to the flattening37 of the earth at the pole. It seemed as though she could have dispensed38 altogether with her suspensory screws. And soon the fury of the storm reached such a height that Robur thought it best to reduce the speed of her helices as much as possible, so as to avoid disaster. And only enough speed was given to keep the aeronef under control of the rudder.
Amid these dangers the engineer retained his imperturbable39 coolness, and the crew obeyed him as if their leader's mind had entered into them. Uncle Prudent and Phil Evans had not for a moment left the deck; they could remain without being disturbed. The air made but slight resistance. The aeronef was like an aerostat, which drifts with the fluid masses in which it is plunged40.
Is the domain41 of the southern pole a continent or an archipelago? Or is it a palaeocrystic sea, whose ice melts not even during the long summer? We know not. But what we do know is that the southern pole is colder than the northern one—a phenomenon due to the position of the earth in its orbit during winter in the antarctic regions.
During this day there was nothing to show that the storm was abating42. It was by the seventy-fifth meridian43 to the west that the "Albatross" crossed into the circumpolar region. By what meridian would she come out—if she ever came out?
As she descended44 more to the south the length of the day diminished. Before long she would be plunged in that continuous night which is illuminated45 only by the rays of the moon or the pale streamers of the aurora46. But the moon was then new, and the companions of Robur might see nothing of the regions whose secret has hitherto defied human curiosity, There was not much inconvenience on board from the cold, for the temperature was not nearly so low as was expected.
It seemed as though the hurricane was a sort of Gulf47 Stream, carrying a certain amount of heat along with it.
Great was the regret that the whole region was in such profound obscurity. Even if the moon had been in full glory but few observations could have been made. At this season of the year an immense curtain of snow, an icy carapace48, covers up the polar surface. There was none of that ice "blink" to be seen, that whitish tint of which the reflection is absent from dark horizons. Under such circumstances, how could they distinguish the shape of the ground, the extent of the seas, the position of the islands? How could they recognize the hydrographic network of the country or the orographic configuration49, and distinguish the hills and mountains from the icebergs50 and floes?
A little after midnight an aurora illuminated the darkness. With its silver fringes and spangles radiating over space, it seemed like a huge fan open over half the sky. Its farthest electric effluences were lost in the Southern Cross, whose four bright stars were gleaming overhead. The phenomenon was one of incomparable magnificence, and the light showed the face of the country as a confused mass of white.
It need not be said that they had approached so near to the pole that the compass was constantly affected51, and gave no precise indication of the course pursued. Its inclination52 was such that at one time Robur felt certain they were passing over the magnetic pole discovered by Sir James Ross. And an hour later, in calculating the angle the needle made with the vertical24, he exclaimed: "the South Pole is beneath us!"
A white cap appeared, but nothing could be seen of what it bid under its ice.
A few minutes afterwards the aurora died away, and the point where all the world's meridians53 cross is still to be discovered.
If Uncle Prudent and Phil Evans wished to bury in the most mysterious solitudes54 the aeronef and all she bore, the moment was propitious55. If they did not do so it was doubtless because the explosive they required was still denied to them.
The hurricane still raged and swept along with such rapidity that had a mountain been met with the aeronef would have been dashed to pieces like a ship on a lee shore. Not only had the power gone to steer56 her horizontally, but the control of her elevation57 had also vanished.
And it was not unlikely that mountains did exist in these antarctic lands. Any instant a shock might happen which would destroy the "Albatross." Such a catastrophe58 became more probable as the wind shifted more to the east after they passed the prime meridian. Two luminous59 points then showed themselves ahead of the "Albatross." There were the two volcanos of the Ross Mountains—Erebus and Terror. Was the "Albatross" to be shriveled up in their flames like a gigantic butterfly?
An hour of intense excitement followed. One of the volcanoes, Erebus, seemed to be rushing at the aeronef, which could not move from the bed of the hurricane. The cloud of flame grew as they neared it. A network of fire barred their road. A brilliant light shone round over all. The figures on board stood out in the bright light as if come from another world. Motionless, without a sound or a gesture, they waited for the terrible moment when the furnace would wrap them in its fires.
But the storm that bore the "Albatross" saved them from such a fearful fate. The flames of Erebus were blown down by the hurricane as it passed, and the "Albatross" flew over unhurt. She swept through a hail of ejected material, which was fortunately kept at bay by the centrifugal action of the suspensory screws. And she harmlessly passed over the crater60 while it was in full eruption61.
An hour afterwards the horizon hid from their view the two colossal62 torches which light the confines of the world during the long polar night.
At two o'clock in the morning Balleny Island was sighted on the coast of Discovery Land, though it could not be recognized owing to its being bound to the mainland by a cement of ice.
And the "Albatross" emerged from the polar circle on the hundred and seventy-fifth meridian. The hurricane had carried her over the icebergs and icefloes, against which she was in danger of being dashed a hundred times or more. She was not in the hands of the helmsman, but in the hand of God—and God is a good pilot.
The aeronef sped along to the north, and at the sixtieth parallel the storm showed signs of dying away. Its violence sensibly diminished. The "Albatross" began to come under control again. And, what was a great comfort, had again entered the lighted regions of the globe; and the day reappeared about eight o'clock in the morning.
Robur had been carried by the storm into the Pacific over the polar region, accomplishing four thousand three hundred and fifty miles in nineteen hours, or about three miles a minute, a speed almost double that which the "Albatross" was equal to with her propellers63 under ordinary circumstances. But he did not know where he then was owing to the disturbance64 of the needle in the neighborhood of the magnetic pole, and he would have to wait till the sun shone out under convenient conditions for observation. Unfortunately, heavy clouds covered the sky all that day and the sun did not appear.
This was a disappointment more keenly felt as both propelling screws had sustained damage during the tempest. Robur, much disconcerted at this accident, could only advance at a moderate speed during this day, and when he passed over the antipodes of Paris was only going about eighteen miles an hour. It was necessary not to aggravate65 the damage to the screws, for if the propellers were rendered useless the situation of the aeronef above the vast seas of the Pacific would be a very awkward one. And the engineer began to consider if he could not effect his repairs on the spot, so as to make sure of continuing his voyage.
In the morning of the 27th of July, about seven o'clock, land was sighted to the north. It was soon seen to be an island. But which island was it of the thousands that dot the Pacific? However, Robur decided66 to stop at it without landing. He thought, that he could repair damages during the day and start in the evening.
The wind had died away completely and this was a favorable circumstance for the maneuver67 he desired to execute. At least, if she did not remain stationary68 the "Albatross" would be carried he knew not where.
A cable one hundred and fifty feet long with an anchor at the end was dropped overboard. When the aeronef reached the shore of the island the anchor dragged up the first few rocks and then got firmly fixed69 between two large blocks. The cable then stretched to full length under the influence of the suspensory screws, and the "Albatross" remained motionless, riding like a ship in a roadstead.
It was the first time she had been fastened to the earth since she left Philadelphia.
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1
barometer
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| n.气压表，睛雨表，反应指标 | |
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gusts
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| 一阵强风( gust的名词复数 )； （怒、笑等的）爆发； （感情的）迸发； 发作 | |
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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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4
disquieting
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| adj.令人不安的，令人不平静的v.使不安，使忧虑，使烦恼( disquiet的现在分词 ) | |
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5
cyclone
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| n.旋风，龙卷风 | |
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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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latitudes
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| 纬度 | |
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tornado
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| n.飓风，龙卷风 | |
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circumference
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| n.圆周，周长，圆周线 | |
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10
cape
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| n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风 | |
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ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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ascend
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| vi.渐渐上升，升高；vt.攀登，登上 | |
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strata
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| n.地层（复数）；社会阶层 | |
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crests
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| v.到达山顶（或浪峰）( crest的第三人称单数 )；到达洪峰，达到顶点 | |
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15
velocity
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| n.速度，速率 | |
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16
tumor
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| n.（肿）瘤，肿块(英)tumour | |
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downwards
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| adj./adv.向下的（地），下行的（地） | |
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ascent
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| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
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19
recoil
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| vi.退却，退缩，畏缩 | |
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20
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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irresistible
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| adj.非常诱人的，无法拒绝的，无法抗拒的 | |
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founders
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| n.创始人( founder的名词复数 ) | |
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prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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vertical
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| adj.垂直的，顶点的，纵向的；n.垂直物，垂直的位置 | |
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vertically
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| adv.垂直地 | |
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sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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vapor
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| n.蒸汽，雾气 | |
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torrents
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| n.倾注；奔流( torrent的名词复数 )；急流；爆发；连续不断 | |
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eddying
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| 涡流，涡流的形成 | |
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trajectory
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| n.弹道，轨道 | |
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tint
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| n.淡色，浅色；染发剂；vt.着以淡淡的颜色 | |
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lengthened
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| （时间或空间）延长，伸长( lengthen的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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plunge
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| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
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irresistibly
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| adv.无法抵抗地，不能自持地；极为诱惑人地 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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inaccessible
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| adj.达不到的，难接近的 | |
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flattening
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| n. 修平 动词flatten的现在分词 | |
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dispensed
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| v.分配( dispense的过去式和过去分词 )；施与；配（药） | |
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imperturbable
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| adj.镇静的 | |
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plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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41
domain
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| n.(活动等)领域，范围；领地，势力范围 | |
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42
abating
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| 减少( abate的现在分词 )； 减去； 降价； 撤消（诉讼） | |
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43
meridian
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| adj.子午线的；全盛期的 | |
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44
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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45
illuminated
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| adj.被照明的；受启迪的 | |
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46
aurora
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| n.极光 | |
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47
gulf
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| n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂 | |
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48
carapace
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| n.（蟹或龟的）甲壳 | |
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49
configuration
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| n.结构，布局，形态，(计算机)配置 | |
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50
icebergs
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| n.冰山，流冰( iceberg的名词复数 ) | |
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51
affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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52
inclination
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| n.倾斜；点头；弯腰；斜坡；倾度；倾向；爱好 | |
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53
meridians
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| n.子午圈( meridian的名词复数 )；子午线；顶点；（权力，成就等的）全盛时期 | |
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54
solitudes
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| n.独居( solitude的名词复数 )；孤独；荒僻的地方；人迹罕至的地方 | |
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55
propitious
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| adj.吉利的；顺利的 | |
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56
steer
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| vt.驾驶，为…操舵；引导；vi.驾驶 | |
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57
elevation
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| n.高度；海拔；高地；上升；提高 | |
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58
catastrophe
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| n.大灾难，大祸 | |
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59
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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60
crater
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| n.火山口，弹坑 | |
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61
eruption
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| n.火山爆发；（战争等）爆发；（疾病等）发作 | |
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colossal
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| adj.异常的，庞大的 | |
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propellers
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| n.螺旋桨，推进器( propeller的名词复数 ) | |
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64
disturbance
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| n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调 | |
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aggravate
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| vt.加重(剧)，使恶化；激怒，使恼火 | |
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66
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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67
maneuver
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| n.策略[pl.]演习；v.(巧妙)控制；用策略 | |
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stationary
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| adj.固定的，静止不动的 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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