Ледяной сфинкс
Chapter VII. Tristan D’Acunha
Nextday,onourapproach,wecoulddistinguishavastheaped-uplavafield.Atthisdistancethesurfaceofthewaterwasstripedwithgiganticseaweeds,vegetableropes,varyinginlengthfromsixhundredtotwelvehundredfeet,andasthickasawinebarrel.
HereIshouldmentionthatforthreedayssubsequenttothefindingofthefragmentofice,CaptainLenGuycameondeckforstrictlynauticalpurposesonly,andIhadnoopportunitiesofseeinghimexceptatmeals,whenhemaintainedsilence,thatnotevenJamesWestcouldhaveenticedhimtobreak.Imadenoattempttodothis,beingconvincedthatthehourwouldcomewhenLenGuywouldagainspeaktomeofhisbrother,andoftheeffortswhichheintendedtomaketosavehimandhiscompanions.Now,Irepeat,theseasonbeingconsidered,thathourhadnotcome,whentheschoonercastanchoronthe6thofSeptemberatAnsiedling,inFalmouthBay,preciselyintheplaceindicatedinArthurPym’snarrativeasthemooringsoftheJane.
AttheperiodofthearrivaloftheJane,anex-corporaloftheEnglishartillery,namedGlass,reignedoveralittlecolonyoftwenty-sixindividuals,whotradedwiththeCape,andwhoseonlyvesselwasasmallschooner.AtourarrivalthisGlasshadmorethanfiftysubjects,andwas,asArthurPymremarked,quiteindependentoftheBritishGovernment.Relationswiththeex-corporalwereestablishedonthearrivaloftheHalbrane,andheprovedveryfriendlyandobliging.
