Ледяной сфинкс
Chapter XIII. Along the Front of the Icebergs
”
“Yes,open—atleast,fortendegreesbehindtheicebergs.Letusthenonlygetthroughthatobstacle,andourgreatestdifficultywillhavebeenconquered.YouwererightinsayingthattheexistenceofthatopenseahasbeenformallyrecognizedbyWeddell.”
“AndbyArthurPym,captain.”
“AndbyArthurPym.”
Fromthe15thofDecemberthedifficultiesofnavigationincreasedwiththenumberofthedriftingmasses.Thewind,however,continuedtobeuniformlyfavourable,showingnotendencytoveertothesouth.Thebreezefreshenednowandthen,andwehadtotakeinsail.Whenthisoccurredwesawtheseafoamingalongthesidesoftheicepacks,coveringthemwithsprayliketherocksonthecoastofafloatingisland,butwithouthinderingtheironwardmarch.
Ourcrewcouldnotfailtobeimpressedbythesightoftheschoonermakingherwaythroughthesemovingmasses;thenewmenamongthem,atleast,fortheoldhandshadseensuchmanoeuvresbefore.Buttheysoonbecameaccustomedtoit,andtookitallforgranted.
Itwasnecessarytoorganizethelook-outaheadwiththegreatestcare.Westhadacaskfixedattheheadoftheforemast—whatiscalledacrow’s-nest—andfromthenceanunremittingwatchwaskept.
The16thwasadayofexcessivefatiguetothemen.Thepacksanddriftsweresoclosethatonlyverynarrowandwindingpassage-waybetweenthemwastobefound,sothattheworkingoftheshipwasmorethancommonlylaborious.
