Хребты безумия
I
Asageologist,myobjectinleadingtheMiskatonicUniversityExpeditionwaswhollythatofsecuringdeep-levelspecimensofrockandsoilfromvariouspartsoftheantarcticcontinent,aidedbytheremarkabledrilldevisedbyProfessorFrankH.Pabodieofourengineeringdepartment. Ihadnowishtobeapioneerinanyotherfieldthanthis,butIdidhopethattheuseofthisnewmechanicalapplianceatdifferentpointsalongpreviouslyexploredpathswouldbringtolightmaterialsofasorthithertounreachedbytheordinarymethodsofcollection.
Pabodie’sdrillingapparatus,asthepublicalreadyknowsfromourreports,wasunique andradicalinitslightness,portability,andcapacitytocombinetheordinaryartesiandrillprinciplewiththeprincipleofthesmallcircularrockdrillinsuchawayastocopequicklywithstrataofvaryinghardness. Steelhead,jointedrods,gasolinemotor,collapsiblewoodenderrick,dynamitingparaphernalia,cording,rubbish-removalauger,andsectionalpipingforboresfiveincheswideanduptoonethousandfeetdeepallformed,withneededaccessories,nogreaterloadthanthreeseven-dogsledgescouldcarry. Thiswasmadepossiblebythecleveraluminumalloyofwhichmostofthemetalobjectswerefashioned. FourlargeDornieraeroplanes,designedespeciallyforthetremendousaltitudeflyingnecessaryontheantarcticplateauandwithaddedfuel-warmingandquick-startingdevicesworkedoutbyPabodie,couldtransportourentireexpeditionfromabaseattheedgeofthegreaticebarriertovarioussuitableinlandpoints, andfromthesepointsasufficientquotaofdogswouldserveus.
Weplannedtocoverasgreatanareaasoneantarcticseason-orlonger,ifabsolutelynecessary-wouldpermit,operatingmostlyinthemountainrangesandontheplateausouthofRossSea;
