Крижаний сфінкс
Chapter XXV. “We Were the First“
Thedesolateaspectofthelandremainedthesame,whilethestraitwasalreadyvisitedbyfloatingdrifts,packsofonetotwohundredfeetinlength,someoblong,otherscircular,andalsobyicebergswhichourboatpassedeasily.Weweremadeanxious,however,bythefactthatthesemasseswereproceedingtowardstheicebergbarrier,forwouldtheynotclosethepassages,whichoughttobestillopenatthistime?
IshallmentionherethatinproportionasDirkPeterswascarriedfartherandfartherfromtheplaceswhereinnotraceofhispoorPymhadbeenfound,hewasmoresilentthanever,andnolongerevenansweredmewhenIaddressedhim.
Itmustnotbeforgottenthatsinceouriceberghadpassedbeyondthesouthpole,wewereinthezoneofeasternlongitudescountedfromthezeroofGreenwichtothehundredandeightiethdegree.AllhopemustthereforebeabandonedofoureithertouchingattheFalklands,orfindingwhaling-shipsinthewatersoftheSandwichIslands,theSouthOrkneys,orSouthGeorgia.
Ourvoyageproceededunderunalteredconditionsfortendays.Ourlittlecraftwasperfectlysea-worthy.ThetwocaptainsandWestfullyappreciateditssoundness,although,asIhavepreviouslysaid,notascrapofironhadaplaceinitsconstruction.Ithadnotoncebeennecessarytorepairitsseams,sostaunchwerethey.Tobesure,theseawassmooth,itslong,rollingwaveswerehardlyruffledontheirsurface.
Onthe10thofMarch,withthesamelongitudetheobservationgave7°13’forlatitude.
