Крижаний сфінкс
Chapter XXIII. Found at Last
Duringthefollowingfourdays,wecompletedthestorageofthewholeofourbelongings,andmadesomeexcursionsintotheinteriorofthecountry,finding“allbarren,”andnotatracethatanylandinghadeverbeenmadethere.
Oneday,CaptainLenGuyproposedthatweshouldgiveageographicalnametotheregionwhithertheiceberghadcarriedus.ItwasnamedHalbraneLand,inmemoryofourschooner,andwecalledthestraitthatseparatedthetwopartsofthepolarcontinenttheJaneSound.
Thenwetooktoshootingthepenguinswhichswarmedupontherocks,andtocapturingsomeoftheamphibiousanimalswhichfrequentedthebeach.Webegantofeelthewantoffreshmeat,andEndicott’scookingrenderedsealandwalrusfleshquitepalatable.Besides,thefatofthesecreatureswouldserve,atneed,towarmthecavernandfeedthecooking-stove.Ourmostformidableenemywouldbethecold,andwemustfightitbyeverymeanswithinourpower.ItremainedtobeseenwhethertheamphibiawouldnotforsakeHalbraneLandattheapproachofwinter,andseekalessrigorousclimateinlowerlatitudes.Fortunatelytherewerehundredsofotheranimalstosecureourlittlecompanyfromhunger,andevenfromthirst,atneed.Thebeachwasthehomeofnumbersofgalapagos—akindofturtlesocalledfromanarchipelagointheequinoctialsea,wherealsotheyabound,andmentionedbyArthurPymassupplyingfoodtotheislanders,ItwillberememberedthatPymandPetersfoundthreeofthesegalapagosinthenativeboatwhichcarriedthemawayfromTsalalIsland.
