Крижаний сфінкс
Chapter XX. “Unmerciful Disaster“
Theresponsibilityforthegeneralsafetyismine,andIwillnotyieldanyofittoanyone.Iammasterhere,asonboard—”
“Onboard—whenthereisnolongeraship,”mutteredthesealing-master.
“Youaremistaken,Hearne,thevesselisthere,andwewillputitbackintothesea.Besides,ifwehadonlyaboat,Iamthecaptainofit.Lethimbewarewhoforgetsthis!”
Thatday,CaptainLenGuy,havingtakentheheightofthesunbythesextantandfixedthehourbythechronometer(bothoftheseinstrumentshadescapeddestructioninthecollision),obtainedthefollowingpositionofhisship:—
Southlatitude:88°55’.
Westlongitude:39°12’.
TheHalbranewasonlyat1°5’—about65miles—fromthesouthpole.
“Allhandstowork,”wasthecaptain’sorderthatafternoon,andeveryoneobeyeditwithawill.Therewasnotamomenttolose,asthequestionoftimewasmoreimportantthananyother.Sofarasprovisionswereconcerned,therewasenoughintheschoonerforeighteenmonthsonfullrations,sowewerenotthreatenedwithhunger,norwiththirsteither,notwithstandingthatowingtothewater-caskshavingbeenburstinthecollision,theircontentshadescapedthroughtheirstaves.Luckily,thebarrelsofgin,whisky,beer,andwine,beingplacedintheleastexposedpartofthehold,werenearlyallintact.Underthisheadwehadexperiencednoloss,andtheicebergwouldsupplyuswithgooddrinking-water.
