Крижаний сфінкс
Chapter XVII. And Pym
Thestill,transparentwater,asPeterssteeredusskilfullybetweentheprojectingedgesofthelittlereefs,allowedustosee,notabedofsandstrewnwithshells,butheapswhichwereovergrownbylandvegetation,tuftsplantsnotbelongingtothemarineflorathatfloatedthesurfaceofthesea.Presentlywelandedononeofthelargerisletswhichrosetoaboutthirtyfeetabovethesea.
“Dothetidesrisesometimestothatheight?”Iinquiredofthecaptain.
“Never,”hereplied,“andperhapsweshalldiscoversomeremainsofthevegetablekingdom,ofhabitations,orofanencampment.”
“Thebestthingwecando,”saidtheboatswain,“istofollowDirkPeters,whohasalreadydistancedus.Thehalf-breed’slynxeyeswillseewhatwecan’t.”
Petershadindeedscaledtheeminenceinamoment,andwepresentlyjoinedhimonthetop.
Theisletwasstrewnwithremains(probablyofthosedomesticanimalsmentionedinArthurPym’sjournal),butthesebonesdifferedfromthebonesonTsalalIslandbythefactthattheheapsdatedfromafewmonthsonly.Thisthenagreedwiththerecentperiodatwhichweplacedtheearthquake.Besides,plantsandtuftsofflowersweregrowinghereandthere.
“Andthesearethisyear’s,”Icried,“nosouthernwinterhaspassedoverthem.”
Thesefactshavingbeenascertained,nodoubtcouldremainrespectingthedateofthecataclysmafterthedepartureofPatterson.ThedestructionofthepopulationofTsalalwhoseboneslayaboutthevillagewasnotattributabletothatcatastrophe
