Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Road Signs Made of Ice Cubes

This peculiar phenomenon of the polar climate lasted three quarters of an hour: the bears and foxes had ample time to plunder; Strong claws were torn, the patty-boxes were opened and caved in, the biscuit-bags were looted, the tea was scattered on the snow, the staves of the casks of alcohol were lifted and the precious liquid poured out. It was all gone, and the camping equipment was everywhere, and it was so badly ruined that it all showed how ferocious these beasts were, how hungry they were, and how greedy they were. What a disaster, said Bell, looking at the bleak scene. Probably incurable, Simpson replied.

Pick up the rest first, the doctor said again, and then we will talk. Without a word, Hatteras had picked up the scattered boxes and bags.They picked up the dried patties and biscuits that were still edible.Losing a portion of alcohol is a nuisance; no alcohol, no hot drinks, no tea, no coffee.The remainder of the food was counted, and the doctor found two hundred pounds of dried meatloaf and one hundred and fifty pounds of biscuits missing; the travelers would have had only half their rations had the journey continued. They started discussing what to do in this situation.Did they return to the ship and start the expedition again?But how can you be willing to give up the 150 nautical miles you have already traveled?What a blow to the spirit of the crew to go back without the vital fuel!Can anyone else be found willing to go on an expedition across the ice and snow?

Clearly, it was better to move on, even in the worst food shortages. The doctor, Hatteras, and Bell agreed to the latter resolution.Simpson was willing to go back; the fatigue of the journey had spoiled his health; he was visibly weak, but seeing that he was alone in this opinion, he again took his place at the front of the sledge, and the little party set foot on South walk. For the next three days, from the fifteenth to the seventeenth of January, the monotony of the journey took place.They moved forward more slowly; the travelers were weary; their legs felt sleepy; the sled dogs trudged on.Insufficient food does not cheer up animals and people.The weather remained highly variable, from bitterly cold to damp and biting fog.

On January 18, the situation at the ice rink suddenly changed.Many pyramid-like hanging rocks grew spiers, increased a lot, and stood tall on the horizon.Here and there a line of snow was exposed; gneiss, shale, and quartzite seemed to grow, and what looked like limestone.The travelers finally set foot on solid land, which is estimated to be the continent called New Cornuai. The doctor could not resist stamping one foot on the solid land; the travelers were not more than a hundred nautical miles from Cape Bilcher; Fatigue is greatly increased on uncertain ground; it is necessary to go deep inland, to climb the high cliffs of the coast, and to cross narrow canyons covered with snow thirty or forty feet high.

Travelers immediately began to miss the almost unobstructed, easy-to-walk ice-fields, which were perfect for sledging.Now, pulling hard had to be done; the dogs were too tired and not enough; they had to pull alongside them, exhausting themselves to give them relief.Many times, the cargo had to be fully unloaded to get over those particularly steep hills, their icy surfaces offering little to hold on to.It would take hours to walk ten feet in this way; on the first day they covered five miles of land in Gornuai, a place well-named because it represents the undulations, steep peaks and grotesques of south-west England. Rocky.

The next day the sledges came to the high point of the cliff; the travelers, too exhausted to build igloos, passed the night in tents, wrapped in buffalo hides, with their wet socks warmed over their chests.It was understood that this overnight method would have unavoidable consequences; the temperature fell below minus forty-two degrees that night, and the mercury froze. Simpson's health deteriorated worryingly; constant colds, severe rheumatism, and unbearable pain left him lying on the sled, which he could no longer drive.Bell took his place; he was sick too, but his pain would not bring him down.The doctor, too, was affected by the expedition through the dreadful winter; but he never uttered a word of complaint;Impassive, indomitable, impassive, immensely strong, and in his usual iron manner, Hatteras followed silently behind the sledge.

On January 20, the temperature was extremely low, and the slightest movement immediately led to complete exhaustion.The road was rough, and Hatteras and Bell were pulling the cart side by side with the dog; an accidental impact shattered the front of the sled, and it had to be repaired.This happens many times a day, delaying travel. The travelers walked in a deep valley, half of their bodies covered in snow, surrounded by biting cold.They don't speak.Suddenly, Bell, who was walking beside the doctor, looked at him in horror. Then, without saying a word, he picked up a handful of snow and rubbed it vigorously on his companion's face.

Come on, Bell!The doctor said struggling. But Bell continued to rub hard. Well, Bell, said the doctor again, he has snow in his mouth, nostrils, and eyes, are you crazy?What's the matter? Well, replied Bell, if you still have a nose, you have to thank me. nose!The doctor asked back, touching his face with his hands. Yes, Mr. Crawburn; you are quite frostbitten; your nose is all white when I look at you; and if I hadn't done my best to save you, you would be without this ornament, which is inconvenient for travelling, but Alive but essential. In the end, the doctor suffered a bit of frostbite on the nose; the circulation was restored just in time, and thanks to Bell's vigorous rubbing, the danger was saved.

Thanks!Bale, the doctor said, and he reciprocated the same for Bale. I think, Mr. Crawburn, the carpenter replied: May God save us from suffering more! Oops!Bell, the doctor said again, you mean Simpson!The poor boy was in agony! Are you worried about him?Hatteras asked excitedly. Yes, Captain, said the doctor. What are you worried about? He will suddenly suffer from scurvy.His legs were swollen, and his gums were chattering; and there the unfortunate man lay, half frozen, under the covers on the sled, the jolts of the road increasing his misery every moment.I sympathize with him, Hatteras, but there is nothing I can do to ease his pain!

Poor Simpson!Bell murmured. Maybe we should stop for a day or two, the doctor said again. stop!Hatteras shouted, Eighteen lives depend on our ability to go back! But the doctor said. Crowburn, Bell, listen to me, says Hatteras again, we don't have enough rations left for twenty days!We can't waste a moment! The doctor and Bell didn't say a word, the sleigh stopped for a while, and then set off again. At night they halted at the foot of an ice mound, in which Bell immediately dug a hole; the travelers took refuge in it; the doctor spent the night tending to Simpson; Offensive, a constant whine from his swollen lips in pain.

ah!Mr Crawford! Be brave, my boy!The doctor said. I can not go back!I know!I can not make it!I would rather die! Hearing these desperate words, the doctor continued to attend to him; and though he himself was exhausted by the day, he used the hours of the night to concoct some sedative for the patient; but the lemon juice was no longer effective, and friction could not prevent The scurvy spread little by little throughout the body. Next day the unfortunate man had to be put on the sledge, though he begged to be left alone, and left him to die in peace; Ice fog chilled the three men to the bone; snow and hail beat in their faces, and they were doing livestock work without adequate food. Like its master, Duck goes back and forth, regardless of fatigue, always vigilant, and finds the best way to go by intuition; everyone trusts its extraordinary intelligence. On the morning of January 23rd it was almost dark, for it was a new moon, and Darke walked ahead; for several hours, no one could see it, and Hatteras was very worried, especially since there were many bears on the ground. tracks; he didn't quite know what to do when suddenly there was a dog barking. Hatteras picked up the speed of the sled, and soon he joined the faithful brute at the bottom of a ravine. Duck stopped, as if petrified, and yelled at a road sign made of ice-snow concrete and a few pieces of limestone. This time, the doctor said as he took off the belt, this is a road sign, and there is absolutely no mistake. What use is this to us?Hatteras replied. Hatteras, if it's a signpost, it'll hold papers useful to us; food might be kept in it, and it's worth seeing. Which European would come here?Hatteras shrugged. But even if they weren't Europeans, the doctor retorted, wouldn't the Eskimos have found a hiding place here, where they kept their catch of the game?It's their habit, at least it seems to me. All right!Behold, Crowburny, replied Hatteras, but I am afraid your efforts are in vain. Crawford and Bell picked up the pickaxe and walked towards the signpost, Duck continued to bark.The limestone was firmly sealed with ice; but a few blows broke them apart. There was clearly something, the doctor said. I believe, Bell replied. They quickly turned on signposts.Immediately a hiding place was discovered; a soaked paper was found in it.The doctor grabbed it and his heart was beating.Hatteras ran over, took the document and read: Altam, Pearl Boise, December 13, 1860, longitude twelve, latitude eight degrees thirty-five minutes The Pearl Boise!The doctor said. The Pearl Boise!Repeated Hatteras, I do not know of a ship by that name that frequents this sea. Evidently, said the doctor again, the voyagers, and perhaps the wrecks, had been here less than two months. Certainly so, Bell replied. what should we do?the doctor asked. Go on, Hatteras replied coldly, I don't know what happened to the Perboise ship, but I know that the Forward is waiting for us to go back.