Хребты безумия

           Thereweretruncatedcones,sometimesterracedorfluted,surmountedbytallcylindricalshaftshereandtherebulbouslyenlargedandoftencappedwithtiersofthinnishscallopeddisks;andstrangebeetling,table-likeconstructionssuggestingpilesofmultitudinousrectangularslabsorcircularplatesorfive-pointedstarswitheachoneoverlappingtheonebeneath. Therewerecompositeconesandpyramidseitheraloneorsurmountingcylindersorcubesorflattertruncatedconesandpyramids,andoccasionalneedle-likespiresincuriousclustersoffive. Allofthesefebrilestructuresseemedknittogetherbytubularbridgescrossingfromonetotheotheratvariousdizzyheights,andtheimpliedscaleofthewholewasterrifyingandoppressiveinitssheergigantism. ThegeneraltypeofmiragewasnotunlikesomeofthewilderformsobservedanddrawnbythearcticwhalerScoresbyin1820,butatthistimeandplace,withthosedark,unknownmountainpeakssoaringstupendouslyahead,thatanomalouselder-worlddiscoveryinourminds,andthepallofprobabledisasterenvelopingthegreaterpartofourexpedition,weallseemedtofindinitataintoflatentmalignityandinfinitelyevilportent. 

           Iwasgladwhenthemiragebegantobreakup,thoughintheprocessthevariousnightmareturretsandconesassumeddistorted,temporaryformsofevenvasterhideousness. Asthewholeillusiondissolvedtochurningopalescencewebegantolookearthwardagain,andsawthatourjourney’sendwasnotfaroff. Theunknownmountainsaheadrosedizzilyuplikeafearsomerampartofgiants,theircuriousregularitiesshowingwithstartlingclearnessevenwithoutafieldglass. Wewereoverthelowestfoothillsnow,andcouldseeamidstthesnow,ice,andbarepatchesoftheirmainplateauacoupleofdarkishspotswhichwetooktobeLake’scampandboring.