Крижаний сфінкс
Chapter XX. “Unmerciful Disaster“
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“Whatwarning?”
“Thatitisnotpermittedtoustoventuresofarintheselatitudes,andIbelievethattheCreatorforbidsHiscreaturestoclimbtothesummitofthepoles.”
“Notwithstandingthatthesummitofonepoleisonlysixtymilesawayfromusnow.”
“Granted,Mr.Jeorling,butthesesixtymilesareequaltothousandswhenwehavenomeansofmakingthem!Andifthelaunchoftheschoonerisnotsuccessful,herearewecondemnedtowinterquarterswhichthepolarbearsthemselveswouldhardlyrelish!”
Irepliedonlybyashakeofmyhead,whichHurliguerlycouldnotfailtounderstand.
“Doyouknow,Mr.Jeorling,ofwhatIthinkoftenest?”
“Whatdoyouthinkof,boatswain?”
“OftheKerguelens,whitherwearecertainlynottravelling.Truly,inabadseasonitwascoldenoughthere!ThereisnotmuchdifferencebetweenthisarchipelagoandtheislandssituatedontheedgeoftheAntarcticSea!ButthereoneisnotfarfromtheCape,andifwewanttowarmourshins,noicebergbarstheway.Whereashereitisthedeviltoweighanchor,andoneneverknowsifoneshallfindaclearcourse.”
“Irepeatit,boatswain.Ifthislastaccidenthadnotoccurred,everythingwouldhavebeenoverbythistime,onewayoranother.Weshouldstillhavehadmorethansixweekstogetoutofthesesouthernseas.
