Chapter 50 Chapter Eighteen Final Preparations

The next day, the weather changed and became cold again, snow, rain and snowballs continued for several days. Bell had finished his skiff, which was perfectly fit for what it was to be; decked, high-sides, with foresail and jib, to sail the seas in bad weather; Pull without unduly burdening the dog. In short, changes of considerable importance to winterers were brewing in the poles.The ice in the bay began to loosen, and the highest ice was eroded by constant impacts, and it only took a severe storm to carry them off the shore and form floating icebergs.But Hatteras didn't want to wait for the ice rink to break, so he set out on a long journey.Since the journey was by land, it did not matter whether the sea was clear or not, and he decided to set off on June 25; between now and then, all preparations would be complete.Johnson and Bell had the sled repaired, the frame strengthened, and the pads replaced.Travelers plan to take advantage of the few weeks of good weather that nature has blessed the far north with.Difficulties encountered are less brutal and obstacles are easier to overcome.

A few days before departure, on June 20, several waterways appeared through the ice, and they experimented with the skiff, sailing as far as Cape Washington.The sea hadn't completely thawed, and it was still a process, but its surface was no longer solid, and hiking across broken ice was impossible. This half-day voyage made them realize the good sailing performance of the boat. When the voyagers came back, they saw a strange thing. A huge bear was hunting seals. Fortunately, the bear was busy and did not see the boat, otherwise it would have to chase it; it was lurking in the crevices of the ice sheet, and the seals obviously Dive in from there.The bear waits with the patience of a hunter, or rather a fisherman, for the reappearance of the seal, for it is indeed fishing.It peeped quietly, it was motionless, showing no signs of life.

But, suddenly, the surface of the hole came alive, and the amphibian came up for air; the bear, lying full length on the ice, enclosed the crack with its two paws. After a while the seal appeared, with its head out of the water; but it had no time to dive any further, and the bear's claws, stretched and compressed like springs, clamped the animal with an irresistible force, and lifted it from its favorite dragged out of the living environment. It was a quick fight, with the seal struggling for a few seconds but suffocating on the chest of its massive opponent; to another ice floe, and finally onto solid land, and disappeared with its prey.

Have a nice trip!Johnson yelled at it that the bear was using its paws too much. The skiff returned quickly to the cove Bell had carved out in the ice. Four days remained until the date of departure chosen by Hatteras and his companions. Hatteras hastened his final preparations; he was anxious to leave New America, a land he did not own or name, and he felt out of his own. On the 22nd of June they began to load the camping tools, tents and provisions onto the sleds.The travelers brought with them two hundred pounds of meat, three cases of canned vegetables and meat, fifty pounds of brine and marinara, three hundred and eighty pounds of flour, bales of watercress and horseradish, which the doctor provided by the plantation; plus two hundred pounds of powder, implements, arms, and small parcels, and the weight of boats, canoes, and sledges, and a total of fifteen hundred pounds was to be drawn, which was quite heavy for four dogs; What is more, contrary to the custom of the Eskimos, who do not allow the dogs to work for more than four consecutive days, but these dogs have no replacements, and have to pull the sleds every day; but the travelers decide to help them pull together when necessary, They plan to travel less every day; from Victoria Bay to the Pole, it is only three hundred and fifty-five nautical miles at most, twelve nautical miles a day, and it will take a month to get there; Not tired, people are not tired.

The people were in good health, and generally in good health; the winter, though brutal, ended mildly; and each took his doctor's advice and was free from the diseases of this harsh climate.On the whole they were thinner, to the venerable Croubney's displeasure; but the arduous conditions of existence have made man's body and soul, and these tempered men are now able to meet the rigors of fatigue and cold, won't fall down. In the end, they will make their way to the destination of their travels, the inaccessible poles, and they will come back.The sympathy that now united the five members of the expedition helped them succeed in their valiant journey, and not one of them doubted that they would not succeed.

In anticipation of this journey, the doctor had his companions prepared long ago, and subjected them to the most rigorous training. My friends, he said to them, I do not ask you to imitate the British runners and lose eighteen pounds in two days' training and twenty-five pounds in five days' training, but to do it in the best possible way. To complete a long trip under the same conditions, what else needs to be done.But the first principle of training is to lose the fat of the runner as the jockey, and this can be done with laxatives, by sweating, or by strenuous exercise; gentlemen know that they can lose a lot of weight with drugs, and they achieve the exact command. In the same way, a person who becomes out of breath after running one nautical mile before training can easily run twenty-five nautical miles after training.It is said that a man named Townsend ran a hundred nautical miles in twelve hours without stopping.

Very good result, Johnson replied: "Although we are not too fat, we need to be thinner No use, Johnson, but, without exaggeration, it cannot be denied that the good effect of exercise, it strengthens the bones, the elasticity of the muscles, the sharpness of the hearing, and the clarity of sight; therefore, do not forget this. Finally, whether trained or not, the travelers were ready on June 23, a Sunday devoted to complete rest. The hour of departure drew near, and the inhabitants of the citadel of God watched it approaching with a certain excitement.It was with a heavy heart to leave the igloo, which had fulfilled its function so perfectly, and Victoria Bay, the familiar beach where the last days of wintering had been spent.Will they still find the buildings when they return?Won't the sun melt their flimsy walls?

All in all, good days are over!The Doctor related these touching memories to his companions at supper, not forgetting to thank Heaven for the obvious protection. Finally, it was time to sleep.Everyone went to bed early in order to get up early tomorrow morning.Thus passed the last night in God's fortress.