Chapter 15 Chapter 15 The Vampire Cast Away in the South

In the evening the weather cleared, and the land between Cape Seppin and Cape Clarence was clearly visible.Point Clarence extends east and then south, joining the west coast through a lowland area.There was no ice at the time of entering Regent's Strait, but, as if the sea wanted to block the forward's northward path, it formed an inaccessible pack of ice beyond Port Leopold. Hatteras was very upset, but he didn't show it, so he had to use firecrackers to blow open the entrance to Port Leopold.He reached the port at noon on Sunday, May 27th, with the ship firmly anchored to the gigantic iceberg, solid, hard, and solid as a rock.

Accompanied by the doctor, Johnson, and his dog Duck, the captain immediately sailed to the iceberg, where he docked.Duck jumped up happily, after all, since he recognized the captain, he has become very kind and gentle, he is full of hatred for some people on board, and his master doesn't like these people just like him. The ice floes in the harbor had been melted away by the easterly wind; the steep tops of the land were dotted with graceful undulations of snow.James.The houses and signal lights built by Ross still remain in some ways, but the food has been taken by foxes and bears, and the tracks they have just left can be seen.Human hands were no strangers to this raid either, as the remains of Eskimo snow houses can be seen on the fringes of the bay.

The six graves of the six sailors of the Enterprise and the Prospector, still recognizable by their relief, command the respect of any harmful race, man or animal. The first time he set foot on this northern land, the doctor had a real feeling.One can hardly appreciate the thrill of seeing the remains of houses, tents, igloos, shops that nature has preserved so well in cold regions. arrive!He said to his companions, this is James.What Ross himself called a refuge camp!If the Franklin expedition had been here, he would have been saved.Here's the engine thrown here, here's the stove on the platform that the crew of the Prince Albert used to keep warm in 1851, everything is as it is, it's almost like Captain Kennedy just yesterday Like leaving this resting port.This was the boat in which he and his men had been lodged for a few days, for this Kennedy, after being separated from his ship, was finally rescued by Lieutenant Bello, who defied the October cold to join him.

One brave and respectable soldier I know.Johnson said. While the Doctor searched with the ardor of an antiques dealer for signs of moorings from previous winters, Hatteras was busy collecting little supplies of provisions and fuel.The items were shipped to the ship the next day.The doctor walked around, not too far from the boat, and found the best place to observe. The temperature rose and the snow began to melt. The doctor saw most of the northern birds, such as seagulls, loons, sea birds, eider ducks, Eiders look like normal ducks, white breast and back, blue belly, blue upper part of head and neck, the rest of the feathers are white with a few touches of green, many of them have been plucked The beautiful down on the belly, which male and female ducks use to cover their nests.The doctor also saw huge seals breathing on the ice, but he couldn't catch one.

While walking, he found a stone in the sea, which was inscribed with the following words: (EI) 1849 It shows that both the Enterprise and the Prospector have come here, and he went all the way to Clarence Point, this is John and James.Where Ross anxiously waited for the iceberg to melt in 1833, the ground was littered with animal bones and skulls, and traces of Eskimo habitation could still be discerned. The doctor wanted to set up a signpost in Port Leopold, a sign indicating the course of the March and the purpose of the expedition.But Hatteras was staunchly opposed, unwilling to leave behind him a trail that a competitor could exploit.Although the doctor was very reasonable, he had to give in to the captain's will.Sandon was not the last to chide this intransigent approach, since, in the event of an accident, neither ship could have come to the aid of the March.

Hatteras didn't want to consider those reasons.Having loaded his cargo on Monday night, he was still thinking of breaking through the pack ice and heading north; but, after these perilous maneuvers, he had to go down Regent's Channel again, and he had no intention of stopping at Port Leopold anyway. , this port is unimpeded now, but it may be blocked tomorrow, because unexpected drifts of ice fields often occur in these sea areas, and navigators must especially beware of this. Although Hatteras did not let people see his outward anxiety, he was very anxious inside.He wanted to go north but had to go south!So where can he go?Is he going to retreat to John.Victoria Harbor in Portia Bay, where Ross wintered in 1833?Would Bello Strait still be clear at this time, and would he be able to go up Peel Strait after rounding North Somerset?Or, like his predecessors, he was stuck here for many winters, having to run out of energy and food?

These fears danced in his mind, but he had to go, and he turned the boat around and headed south. The Prince Regent Sound remained roughly the same width from Port Leopold to Adelaide Sound, and the Admiral, speeding among the icebergs, was luckier than any previous ship.It used to take almost a month for most ships to travel down this strait, even in better seasons; and the fact that none of these ships, except the Fox, had steam engines available, was in undirected and often headwinds at will. The crew were all too happy to leave the northern regions, and they didn't have much interest in their plans to reach the Pole.They were naturally terrified of Hatteras's single-mindedness, and his famous boldness was not at all reassuring.Hatteras took every opportunity to move forward, regardless of the consequences.However, sailing in the northern waters is a good thing to move forward, but you should keep your position unchanged. Once you can't find the position, you will be in danger.

The Vanguard drove forward at full power, and the black smoke from it spiraled up the iceberg's bright summit.The weather is constantly changing, quickly changing from cold and dry to snow and fog.The ship had a shallow draft and sailed close to the west coast, and Hatteras didn't want to miss the opportunity to enter Bello Strait, because the only southern outlets from Portia Bay were the less precise Straits of Wrath and the Straits of Hekla.The bay would be a dead end, or useless, without the Bello Strait. At night the Vampire had seen Irwyn Bay, recognizable by the high vertical rocks.Tuesday morning saw Betty's Sound, where the Prince Albert dropped anchor on September 10, 1851, after a long winter.The doctor wore spectacles and watched the shore with interest.This is the place where the many voyages that outlined the geography of North Sounster were concentrated.The weather was clear enough to make out the deep valleys that surround the bay.

Probably only Doctor and Boatswain Johnson were interested in these desolate areas.Hatteras was always hunched over his map, speaking very little, and the further south the ship went the more silent he became, and he often went up to the poop, where he stood with his arms folded and his eyes on the sky, for hours on end. Looking at the horizon.If he gave an order, it was simple and abrupt.Shandon maintained a cold silence, and he began to restrain himself gradually. He only had a necessary relationship with Hatteras for work, James.Wall remained faithful to Sandon, adjusting his behavior to his.The rest of the crew waited for something to happen so they could take advantage of it for themselves.There is no more unity of thought on board, no unity of thought necessary for doing great things.Hatteras is well aware of this.

During the day two whalers were seen speeding southward, and a white bear was seen, which was saluted with several shots, but with no apparent effect.The captain, knowing that every inch of his life was precious at such a time, would not allow the pursuit of the beast. Passing the end of the Regent's Strait on Wednesday morning, there was a deep curving land immediately following the headland on the west coast.The Doctor looked at the map and recognized Somerset House Headland, or Cape Wrath. By the way, he told his usual interlocutors, this is where the first British ship sent into these waters was wrecked in 1815, when Barry was on her third polar voyage, and the Fury was on the second Wrecked at anchor the following winter, the crew had to abandon it and return to England on the spare ship, the Hecla.

Clearly there was an advantage in having a second boat, replied Johnson, a prudence that should not be overlooked by polar voyagers, but Captain Hatteras was not the man to accommodate such a companion! Do you think he is imprudent, Johnson?the doctor asked. I?I can't feel anything, Mr. Crawburn, now, look at these posts on the bank, they're still holding up a battered half-decomposed tent. Yes, Johnson, that's where Barry unloaded all his cargo, and if I recall correctly, he built the roof out of hand-modified second-spread sails popular on the Wrath. Much has changed since 1825. But not much has changed, Johnson.In 1829, John.Ross found his crew safe and sound in such flimsy housing.When Prince Albert sent an expedition there in 1851, the house was still there, and Captain Kennedy had it repaired, which had happened nine years earlier.It would be interesting for us to pay a visit, but Hatteras wouldn't want to stop! He is undoubtedly right, Mr. Crawford, if time is money in England, time is the savior here, even if it is delayed by a day, or even an hour, the whole voyage will be in vain.Or let him do as he wants. On Thursday, June 1st, the bay called Cresswell was cut diagonally by the March; from Cape Wrath, the coast rose to a cliff three hundred feet high to the north, and declined to the south; A few of the snow-capped peaks came into view as sharply defined slabs, while the rest appeared oddly shaped, pointed pyramids in the mist. The weather became milder this day, but the visibility became lower; the land was invisible; the temperature rose to 0 ℃; a few grouse flew around, and flocks of wild geese flew north; the crew took off Some clothes, the effects of summer can be felt in the polar regions. In the evening the March rounded Cape Garry at a depth of twelve feet, a quarter of a nautical mile offshore, and then she docked as far as Brantford Sound.At this latitude there should be Bello Strait, John.Sir Ross did not doubt this when he sailed in 1828; his map still showed a continuous coast, and he marked it with as much care as possible to point out the slightest unusualness; In the era of navigation, the entrance of the strait was blocked by icebergs, and it could not be distinguished from the land anyway. The strait was in fact discovered by Captain Kennedy during an expedition in April, 1852; it was named after Lieutenant Bello, a legitimate tribute, he said, to our voyages. A French officer who made significant contributions.