Крижаний сфінкс

           Theyfoundthemselvesatthebottomofasortofdarkabyssincludingseveralplanes,butwithoutissue,hollowedoutfromthehillside,andofgreatextent.Thetwomencouldnotliveinthemidstofthesesuccessiveabysses,andafterseveralattemptstheyletthemselvesslideononeoftheslopesofthehill.Instantly,sixsavagesrusheduponthem;but,thankstotheirpistols,andtheextraordinarystrengthofthehalf-breed,fouroftheassailantswerekilled.Thefifthwasdraggedawaybythefugitives,whoreachedaboatwhichhadbeenpulleduponthebeachandwasladenwiththreehugeturtles.Ascoreofnativespursuedandvainlytriedtostopthem;theformerweredrivenoff,andtheboatwaslaunchedsuccessfullyandsteeredforthesouth.

           ArthurPymwasthennavigatingbeyondtheeighty-fourthdegreeofsouthlatitude.ItwasthebeginningofMarch,thatistosay,theantarcticwinterwasapproaching.Fiveorsixislands,whichitwasprudenttoavoid,werevisibletowardsthewest.ArthurPym’sopinionwasthatthetemperaturewouldbecomemoremildbydegreesastheyapproachedthepole.Theytiedtogethertwowhiteshirtswhichtheyhadbeenwearing,andhoistedthemtododutyasasail.Atsightoftheseshirtsthenative,whoansweredtothenameofNu-Nu,wasterrified.Foreightdaysthisstrangevoyagecontinued,favouredbyamildwindfromthenorth,inpermanentdaylight,onaseawithoutafragmentofice,indeed,owingtothehighandeventemperatureofthewater,noicehadbeenseensincetheparallelofBennetIsland.