Крижаний сфінкс
Chapter V. Edgar Poe’s Romance
ThusitwasthattheassociationoftheseyouthsgaverisetoPym’sirresistiblevocationtoadventurousvoyaging,andtotheinstinctthatespeciallyattractedhimtowardsthehighzonesoftheAntarcticregion.ThefirstexploitofAugustusBarnardandArthurPymwasanexcursiononboardalittlesloop,theAriel,atwo-deckedboatwhichbelongedtothePyms.Oneeveningthetwoyouths,bothbeingverytipsy,embarkedsecretly,incoldOctoberweather,andboldlysetsailinastrongbreezefromthesouth-west.TheAriel,aidedbytheebbtide,hadalreadylostsightoflandwhenaviolentstormarose.Theimprudentyoungfellowswerestillintoxicated.Noonewasatthehelm,notareefwasinthesail.Themastswerecarriedawaybythefuriousgusts,andthewreckwasdrivenbeforethewind.ThencameagreatshipwhichpassedovertheArielastheArielwouldhavepassedafloatingfeather.
ArthurPymgivesthefullestdetailsoftherescueofhiscompanionandhimselfafterthiscollision,underconditionsofextremedifficulty.Atlength,thankstothesecondofficerofthePenguin,fromNewLondon,whicharrivedonthesceneofthecatastrophe,thecomradeswerepickedwithlifeallbutextinct,andtakenbacktoNantucket.
Thisadventure,towhichIcannotdenyanappearanceveracity,wasaningeniouspreparationforthechaptersthatweretofollow,andindeed,uptothedayonwhichPympenetratesintothepolarcircle,thenarrativemightconceivablyberegardedasauthentic.
