Крижаний сфінкс
Chapter V. Edgar Poe’s Romance
Itisanislandofaleagueincircumference,towhichthenameofBennetIsletwasgiven,inhonourofthecaptain’spartnerintheownershipoftheJane.
Naturally,inproportionastheschoonersailedsouthwardsthevariationofthecompassbecameless,whilethetemperaturebecamemilder,withaskyalwaysclearandauniformnortherlybreeze.NeedlesstoaddthatinthatlatitudeandinthemonthofJanuarytherewasnodarkness.
TheJanepursuedheradventurouscourse,until,onthe18thofJanuary,landwassightedinlatitude83°20’andlongitude43°5’.
Thisprovedtobeanislandbelongingtoanumerousgroupscatteredaboutinawesterlydirection.
Theschoonerapproachedandanchoredofftheshore.Armswereplacedintheboats,andArthurPymgotintooneofthelatterwithDirkPeters.Themenrowedshorewards,butwerestoppedbyfourcanoescarryingarmedmen,“newmen”thenarrativecallsthem.Thesemenshowednohostileintentions,butcriedoutcontinuously“anamoo”and“lamalama.”Whenthecanoeswerealongsidetheschooner,thechief,Too-Wit,waspermittedtogoonboardwithtwentyofhiscompanions.Therewasprofoundastonishmentontheirpartthen,fortheytooktheshipforalivingcreature,andlavishedcaressesontherigging,themasts,andthebulwarks.Steeredbetweenthereefsbythesenatives,shecrossedabaywithabottomofblacksand,andcastanchorwithinamileofthebeach.ThenWilliamGuy,leavingthehostagesonboard,steppedashoreamidtherocks.
