Chapter XXI. Amid the Mists

           Sothiswasthesumofallourefforts,trialsanddisappointments!NottospeakofthedestructionoftheHalbrane,theexpeditionhadalreadycostninelives.Fromthirty-twomenwhohadembarkedontheschooner,ournumberwasreducedtotwenty-three:howlowwasthatfigureyettofall?

           Betweenthesouthpoleandantarcticcirclelaytwentydegrees,andthosewouldhavetobeclearedinamonthorsixweeksatthemost;ifnot,theicebergbarrierwouldbere-formedandclosed-up.Asforwinteringinthatpartoftheantarcticcircle,notamanofuscouldhavesurvivedit.

           Besides,wehadlostallhopeofrescuingthesurvivorsoftheJane,andthesoledesireofthecrewwastoescapeasquicklyaspossiblefromtheawfulsolitudesofthesouth.Ourdrift,whichhadbeensouth,downtothepole,wasnownorth,and,ifthatdirectionshouldcontinue,perhapswemightbefavouredwithsuchgoodfortuneaswouldmakeupforalltheevilthathadbefallenus!Inanycasetherewasnothingforitbut,infamiliarphrase,“toletourselvesgo.”

           Themistdidnotliftduringthe2nd,3rd,and4thofFebruary,anditwouldhavebeendifficulttomakeouttherateofprogressofouricebergsinceithadpassedthepole.CaptainLenGuy,however,andWest,consideredthemselvessafeinreckoningitattwohundredandfiftymiles.

           Thecurrentdidnotseemtohavediminishedinspeedorchangeditscourse.Itwasnowbeyondadoubtthatweweremovingbetweenthetwohalvesofacontinent,oneontheeast,theotheronthewest,whichformedthevastantarcticregion.