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Chapter 13. The Ice Bank

           icebergsormountains,ice-fieldsorsmoothplains,seemingtohavenolimits,drift-iceorfloatingice-packs,plainsbrokenup,calledpalchswhentheyarecircular,andstreamswhentheyaremadeupoflongstrips.Thetemperaturewasverylow;thethermometerexposedtotheairmarkedorbelowzero,butwewerewarmlycladwithfur,attheexpenseofthesea-bearandseal.TheinterioroftheNautilus,warmedregularlybyitselectricapparatus,defiedthemostintensecold.Besides,itwouldonlyhavebeennecessarytogosomeyardsbeneaththewavestofindamorebearabletemperature.Twomonthsearlierweshouldhavehadperpetualdaylightintheselatitudes;butalreadywehadhadthreeorfourhoursofnight,andbyandbytherewouldbesixmonthsofdarknessinthesecircumpolarregions.Onthe15thofMarchwewereinthelatitudeofNewShetlandandSouthOrkney.TheCaptaintoldmethatformerlynumeroustribesofsealsinhabitedthem;butthatEnglishandAmericanwhalers,intheirragefordestruction,massacredbotholdandyoung;thus,wheretherewasoncelifeandanimation,theyhadleftsilenceanddeath.

           Abouteighto’clockonthemorningofthe16thofMarchtheNautilus,followingthefifty-fifthmeridian,cuttheAntarcticpolarcircle.Icesurroundedusonallsides,andclosedthehorizon.ButCaptainNemowentfromoneopeningtoanother,stillgoinghigher.Icannotexpressmyastonishmentatthebeautiesofthesenewregions.Theicetookmostsurprisingforms.Herethegroupingformedanorientaltown,withinnumerablemosquesandminarets;thereafallencitythrowntotheearth,asitwere,bysomeconvulsionofnature.Thewholeaspectwasconstantlychangedbytheobliqueraysofthesun,orlostinthegreyishfogamidsthurricanesofsnow.Detonationsandfallswereheardonallsides,greatoverthrowsoficebergs,whichalteredthewholelandscapelikeadiorama.

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