Крижаний сфінкс
Chapter XIII. Along the Front of the Icebergs
Onthemorningofthe17ththemaninthecrow’s-nestatlastsignalledtheicebergs.
Fiveorsixmilestothesouthalongdentatedcrestupreareditself,plainlystandingoutagainstthefairlyclearsky,andallalongitdriftedthousandsofice-packs.Thismotionlessbarrierstretchedbeforeusfromthenorth-westtothesouth-east,andbymerelysailingalongittheschoonerwouldstillgainsomedegreessouthwards.
WhentheHalbranewaswithinthreemilesoftheicebergs,shelay-tointhemiddleofawidebasinwhichallowedhercompletefreedomofmovement.
Aboatwaslowered,andCaptainLenGuygotintoit,withtheboatswain,foursailorsattheoars,andoneatthehelm.Theboatwaspulledinthedirectionoftheenormousrampart,vainsearchwasmadeforachannelthroughwhichtheschoonercouldhaveslipped,andafterthreehoursofthisfatiguingreconnoitring,themenreturnedtotheship.Thencameasquallofrainandsnowwhichcausedthetemperaturetofalltothirty-sixdegrees(2°22’C.abovezero),andshutouttheviewoftheice-rampartfromus.
Duringthenexttwenty-fourhourstheschoonerlaywithinfourmilesoftheicebergs.Tobringhernearerwouldhavebeentogetamongwindingchannelsfromwhichitmightnothavebeenpossibletoextricateher.NotthatCaptainLenGuydidnotlongtodothis,inhisfearofpassingsomeopeningunperceived.
