Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Dr. Crawburn

Richard.Shandon was a good sailor; he had long commanded whalers in the polar seas, and was well known throughout Lancaster.Such a letter had reason to astonish him; he was amazed, but he had the calmness of a man of experience. He himself met the requirements: no wife, no children, no parents.He is a free man.Since there was no one to ask, he went straight to the banker, M. M．Macuart and C. As long as there's money there, he said, everything else is fine. He received at the bank the courtesy due to a man with four hundred thousand francs quietly waiting in his cash-box; and having verified this, Sandon had a blank sheet of paper taken, on which he wrote in his bold fountain pen the address indicated. Receipt sent.

On this day he got in touch with the shipbuilders in Birkenhead, and twenty-four hours later the keel of the March was lying on the yard's keel piers. Richard.Shandon is a man in his forties, strong, resolute, and courageous, three qualities that sailors must have, because they represent trust, vitality, and calmness.One could see in him a jealous, difficult disposition, which his sailors feared rather than loved.This reputation did not actually make his crew industrious, and he was known to deftly get out of trouble. Sandon worried that the arcane nature of the move would fundamentally hamper his actions.

And, he thought to himself, it would be best not to reveal anything.There are always annoying people who like to ask this and that. I don't know anything, and I don't know how to answer them.This K. Z．Monsieur is certainly a peculiarly comical character; but, at any rate, he knows me, he trusts me, and that is enough.As for his ship, it must have been well built, and if it couldn't sail the polar seas, I wouldn't be Richard.Shandon.But as long as I and my people know. After thinking about it, Shan Dun began to recruit crew members, and complied with the family and health conditions required by the captain.

He knew a straight, loyal boy, a fine sailor, whose name was James.Wall.This Wall is about thirty years old, and has been to the northern seas more than once.Shandon made him second officer.James.Wall accepted it easily; he just wanted to sail, and he would love to do it.Sandon related the details to him, and to a man named Johnson, whom he made bosun. Take your chances, James.Wall replied, whether it was this or something else.If it is to find the route to the northwest, someone has already arrived first. No way, replied Mr. Johnson, but that was no reason not to go. Besides, if our conjectures are correct, Sandon went on, it should be said that the voyage was carried out under good conditions, and that the March was a good ship with a good engine, and should go a long way.Eighteen crew members, that's all we need.

Eighteen people?Mr. Johnson asked back, the same number as the American Kane's famous trip to the North Pole. It's always a bit strange, Wall went on to say that a person wanted to cross the Bering Strait from the Davis Strait, and the search for Vice Admiral Franklin's fleet had already spent 19 million British francs, and it didn't work!Who wants to waste money on such a thing? First, James, Shandon replied, let's make a simple assumption.Are we really going to the northern or southern oceans?I have no idea.Perhaps to discover something new.Besides, some day a doctor named Crawford will appear, who no doubt knows better, and will be in charge of giving us our orders.We will be clear.

Wait a minute, said Mr. Johnson, for my part, I'll pick strong men, Captain; and as for the thermal principles of animals, as the captain said, I assure you beforehand, and you'll be at ease. This Johnson was a rare man: he was a connoisseur of high-latitude sailing.He had been a corporal on the Phoenix, which had been part of the search for Captain Franklin in 1853. Having sailed the seas, Johnson got to know Liverpool's crew and immediately began a recruiting campaign. Sandon, Wall, and he had done well, and by the beginning of December they were well manned; but not without difficulty, and many were coveted by the high wages, but terrified by the uncertain future of the voyage, and more than one resolutely joined He quit the fleet, then backed out and returned part of his payment, and their friends advised them not to do such a thing.Everyone wanted to know the secret and asked Captain Richard endlessly.He sent them all to Johnson.

What do you want me to tell you, my friend?The latter answered in the same way, I don't know much more than you.In short, you are with educated people, a group of carefree people without fault; this is important, this!So stop thinking too much: do it or don't! Most people do. You know very well, the bosun would add sometimes, that I had a hard time choosing men.The wages are so high, I haven't seen such high wages since I was a seaman, and I can find an interesting captain when I come back.It's quite attractive. The truth is, the sailors replied, it was very tempting!Rich enough until death!

I'm not kidding you at all, Johnson went on, the journey will be long, hard, and dangerous; this is formally stated in our notices; Doing everything anyone can do may not be enough!So, if you don't think you have the boldness and temperament to stand any test, if you don't have a devil in you, if you don't think you have a million possibilities to stay in it, in a word, if you insist on throwing your bones in one place Not the other, here's the place, go away and give your place to someone braver. But at least, Mr Johnson, continued the cornered sailor, at least, you know the captain, don't you?

The captain is Richard.Shandon, my friend, until another comes along. However, it should be said that this is exactly what he thought as a commander, and he could easily have such thoughts. At the last moment, he received clear instructions about the purpose of this voyage. Position.He was even willing to spread the opinion, or talk to his men, or oversee the progress of the shipbuilding, the rudiments of which were already piled up in Birkenhead's workshop like the ribs of an overturned whale. Sandon and Johnson strictly followed the rules concerning the health of the crew: those men had a reassuring face, they had the heat to heat the engines of the Forward; freely.It was a group of confident, resolute, resolute, strong-bodied people; all of them were not of the same vigor, and Sandon even hesitated to select a few of them, such as Sailor Gripper and Garry, And Whale Gunner Simpson seemed a little skinny to him, but after all, they were strong and generous, so he took them in.

All the crew belonged to the same Protestant denomination, and during the long voyage prayers were communal; and the reading of the Bible often brought together people of different tempers.Encourage them in times of discouragement and most importantly not create division.Sandon knew firsthand the benefits of these practices for unity and the effect it had on the morals of the crew; ships wintering in polar seas often resort to such practices. After the crew had been selected, Sandon and his two men busied themselves with the preparation of the food, which they strictly followed the captain's instructions, which were clear, specific, and detailed, and the least insignificant item was regulated both in quality and quantity.Thanks to those money orders on hand in the person in charge, each item was paid for in cash with an eight per cent rebate, which Richard carefully deposited with K. Z．on the money.

Crew, food, cargo, everything was ready in January 1860.Advance has already begun to take shape.Sandon went to Birkenhead every day. On the morning of the 23rd of January he was in the habit of coming aboard a large steamer, with rudders at each end to keep from turning, which was constantly going up and down the banks of the Mersey; Sailors at sea had to use a compass to get their bearings, even though the voyage only took about ten minutes. But no matter how thick the fog was, it did not prevent Sandon from seeing a small man, rather stout, with a handsome, lively face, and kind eyes, coming towards him, and taking his hands, passionately, sharply, with a sort of The informality of a pure Southerner shakes up what the French would surely say. But if the man was not a Southerner, he got away with it; his speech and manner were sharp; his thoughts had to be made public at all costs, or the engine might blow up.His eyes were small, like those of men of great brilliance, and his mouth was large and varied, and these were the valves of self-confidence that helped him to pour out his irrepressible ego; and he said, so much said, So brisk, it must be admitted, that Sandon hadn't caught any of it. However, the first mate on board the Forward soon discovered that he had never seen this little man before, and a thought popped into his mind; when the other began to pant, Sandon quickly blurted out: Are you Dr. Crawford? It's him, Commander!I have been looking for you for almost a quarter of an hour, asking people everywhere for you!You see I can't wait, right?Five more minutes and I'm going to be dizzy!Are you Commander Richard?Are you really there?You are not a mythical figure at all?Your hand, your hand!Let me hold my hand tighter!Yes, this is Richard.Shandon's hand!Since there is a Commander Richard, there is a March under his command, and if he commands the March, he will set sail; if he sets sail, he will take Dr. Crawford on board. Oh, yes, doctor, I'm Richard, and there's a ship called the Forward, and it's about to leave! That makes sense, replied the doctor, first with a long breath, that makes sense.You can also see how happy I am, I really got my wish!I have been waiting for such an opportunity for a long time, and I am eager to make a trip like this.Since we are with you, Commander Please allow Sandon to say. With you, Crowburne, who didn't hear what he said, went on to say that we must have gone so far that we will not take a step back. But Sandon went on. For you are proven, Captain, and I understand your service.Ah, you are a marvelous sailor! if you wish No, I would not allow your boldness, your bravery, your wit to be doubted for a single moment, not even if you doubted it!The captain who chose you as first mate has good taste, let me tell you so! But that's not what I'm talking about.Shandon said impatiently. So what do you want to say?Don't make me sad anymore. You just won't let me talk, hell, tell me, doctor, how did you manage to join the expedition on the Vampire? It was by a letter, and here is a venerable letter, from a righteous captain, very terse, but it is enough! As he spoke, the doctor sent a letter to Sandon, which read as follows: Inverness, January 22, 1860 Dr Crowburny Liverpool If Dr. Crawford is willing to take part in the expedition on the Advance, he can ask Commander Richard.Sandon reported for duty, and the latter had been instructed. Captain of the March K． Z． The letter was received this morning, and I ran at once to prepare to board the Forward. But at least, went on Sandon, doctor, do you know the purpose of this voyage? Not a clue, but what does that matter, as long as I can go anywhere!People say I'm a learned man; they're wrong, Commander: I don't know anything, and I'd be wrong if I said I'd published a few books and sold well; people kindly bought them!I don't know anything, I tell you, or I'm an ignorant man.Now that I have been given the opportunity to perfect, or rather to reconstruct, my knowledge of medicine, surgery, history, geography, botany, mineralogy, conchology, geodesy, chemistry, physics, mechanical hydraulics, knowledge; then, I accept it, and I assure you that I have not had anyone win it for me. Then, Sandon went on disappointedly, don't you know where the Forward is going? Of course I know, Commander, it wants to go to places where it can learn, discover, benefit from, and compare with, go to places with different customs, different regions, and places where different people gather. Exercising its research; in a word, it's going where I haven't been. But more specifically?cried Shandon. More specifically, the doctor retorted, I heard it was going to the northern seas.Ah, yes, to the north! At least, asked Sandon, do you know the captain? I don't know it at all!But this is an honest man, trust me! The commander and the doctor disembarked at Birkenhead, the former telling the latter what had happened.This sense of mystery fired the doctor's imagination.He was ecstatic to see the boat.From that day on, he was inseparable from Shandon, and he would come aboard the Forward every morning. After all, he was responsible for the loading of medicines on board. Because this is a doctor, even a pretty good one, this Crowburne, but he doesn't follow the rules very much.He became a doctor at twenty-five, like all men, and at forty he was a veritable scholar; he had a great reputation in the town, and was a respected member of the Liverpool Literary and Philosophical Society. .He had a small fortune, so that he could prescribe a few prescriptions, almost at no cost; he was well liked as a man of extraordinary kindness deserved, and he had no malice towards anyone, including himself; If there is one thing to say about him, it is that he is lively and talkative, but he is generous and honest with everyone. When word spread around town that he had traveled on the March, his friends did everything they could to keep him, which made him all the more determined.Now that the doctor has insisted on doing something, what kind of talent is needed to persuade him to quit! From this date rumors, speculation, and apprehensions grew; this did not prevent the March 5 from being launched on February 5, 1860.After two months, it was ready to sail. On February 15th, as announced by the captain in his letter, a Dane dog was sent according to Richard.Sandon's address was transported by rail from Edinburgh to Liverpool.The animal looked grumpy, evasive, even a little scary, with a strange gaze, and the name of the March was engraved on its brass collar.The commander placed it on board the same day, and wrote a receipt to Livorno with the designated initials. Therefore, except for the captain, the crew of the Advance ship is all complete, and the members are as follows: one. K． Z． , the captain; two.Richard.Sandon, Commander; 3.James.Wall, second officer; four.Dr. Crawford; 5.Johnson, boatswain; six.Simpson, Whale Gunner; VII.Bell, carpenter; 8.Brenton, First Mechanic; 9.Provo, second mechanic; X.Strong (black), chef; 11.Foucault, the pilot; XII.Walson, the Weapon Maker; XIII.Bourton, sailor; XIV.Gary, sailor; fifteen.Clifton, Sailor; XVI.Gripper, sailor; XVII.Payne, sailor; XVIII.Warren, the fireman.