Chapter 58 Chapter 26 Returning to the South

Three hours after the sad adventure of Captain Hatteras came to an end, Crawford, Altamon, and two other sailors were assembled in a cave at the foot of the volcano. There, Crowburny was unanimously asked to give his opinion on what to do next. Friends, he said, we cannot extend our stay on Queen's Island, the sea is clear before us, we have enough reserves, we must hurry back to the Citadel as soon as possible, and spend the winter there until the next summer. That's my opinion, too, said Altamon, with the wind now, and we set sail tomorrow. The whole day was spent in deep depression.The captain's insanity was an ominous omen.As their thoughts turned to their return trip, Johnson, Bell, and Altamon were in utter terror: they were afraid of being abandoned by each other, and they were even more terrified of being separated.The fearless spirit of Hatteras was what they lacked.

But they are strong men.They are ready to fight again, against all odds, against themselves, should weakness take hold of their hearts. Next Saturday, July 13th, the bivouac was loaded on board, and soon everything was ready for departure. But before this precipice from which he had departed, and never to return, the Doctor, at Hatteras' will, presided over the erection of a monument, which happened to be in the same spot where the Captain landed on the island; and the monument consisted of several large stones Formed to form a clear and easily identifiable seaside navigation aid, if the volcanic eruption can be spared.

On the side of a stone Bell chiseled this simple inscription: John.Hatteras 1861 Copies of the certificates are housed in a sealed tin cylinder and are housed together in the stone monument.This great discovery will lie forever in the cliffs of the Bad Ridge. After that, the four men and the captain, a poor soulless body, and his faithful Duck, the sad and mournful dog boarded the ship and embarked on the return journey.Ten o'clock in the morning.The sails propped up with tent canvas have been set up, and the small boat, throwing the wind behind, sailed forward at high speed and sailed away from Queen's Island.In the evening, the doctor rose from his seat and cast a last glance at the flaming Hatteras on the sea level: Farewell!

The crossing is swift, and the sea, often unhindered, affords easy navigation, and indeed it appears that it is much easier to leave the North Pole than to approach it. And Hatteras was in such a state of mind that he couldn't comprehend what was going on around him; he lay flat on his back in the boat, his mouth shut, his eyes dimmed, his hands folded on his chest, and Dak lay at his feet.The doctor talked to him, it didn't help at all, Hatteras couldn't understand. For forty-eight hours the sea was breezy and the sea was calm, and Crowburne and his companions sailed to the northerly wind.

On July 15, they learned that Altamon Harbor was to the south, but since the Arctic Ocean was far from all coasts, they decided that instead of sledding across New America, they would bypass it by sea and take Victoria Bay. The journey would be quick and easy. many.As a result, the traveler's fifteen-day journey by sleigh took them less than eight by boat.After traversing a tortuous terrain dotted with coasts dotted with straits, they finally reached Victoria Harbor on Monday night, July 23rd. The skiff was firmly anchored to the shore, and everyone rushed to God's fortress.But what a terrible scene of destruction!Doctors' houses, warehouses, powder magazines, and fortifications were all corroded and destroyed by the sun's radiation, and food was also destroyed by greedy animals.

What a scene of grief and disappointment! The supplies of the navigators are also coming to an end, and they were expected to replenish their supplies in the Castle of God.Obviously, the idea of ​​spending the winter here has come to naught.Those who are accustomed to quick actions made a decisive decision and immediately drove to Baffin Sea at the fastest speed. We had no choice, the doctor said, Baffin was six hundred nautical miles away, and if our boats had a good supply of fresh water, we could have taken the Dow Jones Strait straight to the Danish possessions. Yes, said Altamon, gather all our supplies and go.

After careful searching, the group found scattered boxes of dried meatloaf here and there, and two barrels of canned meat that had survived the collapse.In short, enough supplies are equipped for six weeks.Another day was devoted to caulking and refitting the boat, and the next day, the 24th of July, they set sail. The continent, at 83 degrees north latitude, appears to be tilting eastward.It is almost certain that Jones Strait stretches inland, as does the Manchester Strait. The skiff sailed unimpeded thereafter; dodging swarms of floating ice with ease.Prepared in advance for a possible delay, the doctor cut the companions' daily living quota in half; fortunately, it did not have much effect on the whole, they did not appear particularly tired, and their bodies were still in good condition.

Of course, they will hunt from time to time, they catch ducks, geese, puffins, and thus supplement themselves with fresh and healthy nutrients.As for the store of fresh water, they had no trouble dealing with the supply of it, replenishing it with fresh ice during the voyage, for they had been careful not to go too far from the shore, and besides, the boat could not stand the rough sea. In this season, the temperature has often remained below freezing point. After a period of rainy season, the sky began to snow and become dark, the sun gradually approached the horizon, and the sun's disc was sunken inward day by day.On July 30, the circumnavigators lost sight of sunlight for the first time, that is to say, they spent a few minutes at night.

But the skiff sailed smoothly, sometimes sixty to sixty-five nautical miles in twenty-four hours; they drove without a break; Obstacles await to be overcome, these re-narrowing seas cannot wait without delay, and around them new ice masses have formed.In high latitudes, summer follows winter; there are no spring and autumn seasons in between, and there is a lack of transitional seasons.So hurry up. On July 31st, the setting sun reflected the pure sky, and people observed the stars for the first time in the sky.Since that day, dense fog has filled the sky and navigation has been severely hampered.

The doctor became anxious as he saw the winter features growing; he understood that John.What trials Mr. Ross passed to cross the Baffin Sea after he gave up his ship!It was he, the brave sailor, who made his first attempt across the ice.Having failed, he had to return to the ship for a fourth winter; but at least, fortunately, he had enough food and fuel to back him up during the bad season. If the same disaster befell the survivors of the March, how would they be at a loss if they had to stop and go back; the doctor did not reveal his inner worries to his companions at all, he just urged them to do the best they could. Head east quickly.

Finally, on August 15th, after 30 days of relatively rapid sailing, after 48 hours of fighting to clear the ice along the way, and after the fragile boat ran through hundreds of dangers, the navigators had to He stopped, and now he couldn't sail forward. At this time, the sea was surrounded by ice blocks, and the average temperature was only minus nine degrees Celsius. Apparently, throughout the north and east, the coast is still recognizable of flat and rounded small stones, which are eroded by waves and where freshwater ice is more readily available. Altamont recorded with the utmost care the exact position of the place, which was seventy-seven degrees forty-five minutes in latitude and eighty-five degrees and two minutes in longitude. The doctor said: This is exactly where we are, we have reached Lincoln-Sedangna, Cape Eden to be exact, we are entering Jones Strait, and with luck we shall be able to reach the Baffin Sea.But don't complain.How sooner would my poor Hatteras have reached the North Pole if he had encountered such an easy sea sooner.That way, his entourage will not turn his back on him, and his reason will not be broken by extreme anxiety! Then, said Altamon, we have but one move to go, abandon the boat, change the sled, and run to the east bank of Lincoln. Ditch the dinghy for the sledge, fine, said the doctor, but instead of crossing the east coast of Lincoln, I suggest crossing the Jones Strait on the iceberg and returning to Demons-Sedancia. Why?Altamon asked. Because the closer we get to the Manchester Channel, the better our chances of meeting the whaling crew. You have a point, doctor, but I fear that the ice is not well connected and we will have difficulty finding our way through. Let's try it out, Croubney said. The boat was dismantled quickly.Bell and Johnson reassembled the sled, all parts intact; the next day, the dogs were harnessed, and the party walked along the coast on the ice field. as described many times.The tedious and slow journey began again, and Altamon was wise to beware of the ice situation. In fact, it was impossible to cross Jones Strait, and he had to take the Lincoln coast. On August 21st, the World Expedition reached the entrance of Grice Strait in a detour; there, they ventured to slide on the ice field, and the next day, they came to Goble Island. . After that, they could walk on the ice field more conveniently, and finally, on the 24th of August, they set their feet on the land of Demont-Sedangina. Now, says the doctor, we have only this land left to cross, and then through the Manchester Channel to Cape Warland. But the weather turned harsh and cold, with overwhelming snow and winter's whirlwinds exhausting the explorers.Supplies are running out, and now, each person should reduce their food ration by one-third and allocate a part to the hard-working animals. The terrain adds a lot of fatigue to the journey, and the ground is extremely rugged. Explorers must first pass through the insurmountable throat area before they can cross the Tort Peak and fight tenaciously with the harsh nature.In the meantime, the sleds, men and dogs remained almost forever, and more than once despair took hold of the tried and worn-out squad of arctic expeditions.These poor souls are unaware that they are mentally and physically exhausted; who can bear eighteen months of continuous fatigue and a succession of alternate stimuli of hope and despair?Of course, it needs to be clear that there is a difference between starting an expedition and returning.Exploration is accompanied by intensive training, with a clear belief in conquest, confidence.And the return journey lacks these.These unfortunate beings stiffen, and move, so to speak, by habit, driven by an animal instinct independent of their will. Until August 30th they finally walked out of the confusing mountain peak. They didn’t want to describe the topography of this area, but all the men who came out were haggard and exhausted, and they were almost fainted from the cold.Even the doctor, who had always encouraged his companions, felt that he could no longer support him. He himself was extremely weak. Tort Peak has gradually turned into a plain due to the most primitive upward frictional movement of the mountains. The explorers were now absolutely obliged to rest for a few days, they had no strength to move forward; the two sled dogs had given up and died. Everyone rested on an ice block, and no one had the courage to set up a tent in such a cold climate of minus nineteen degrees. Supplies became scarcer, and in spite of the utmost prudence they could not last more than eight days; game became scarce, and they fled to escape the bitter and hateful winter.Starvation, then, was a serious threat to this depleted group of victims. With great sacrifice and true ecstasy, Artamon resolved, with the last of his strength, to hunt some food for his companions. He held a shotgun, called Duck, and entered the northern plains together; the doctor, Johnson, and Bell saw him go away, all of them seemed indifferent.An hour passed, and they didn't hear a single shot. Later, they saw him come back without firing a single shot. The Americans ran back like frightened people. What happened to you?the doctor asked him. there!In the snow!said Altamon in a tone of terror, pointing to a point on the horizon ahead. What? A whole team! living? the dead froze even Americans dare not speak out their thoughts, but their expressions show unspeakable fear. Inspired by this event, the doctor, Johnson, and Bell tried their best to get up, and shuffled along his footprints towards the part of the plain indicated by Altamon's finger. Soon, they came to a closed place, in a deep ravine, and showed what a tragic scene before them! The already stiff corpse, half buried in the heavy snow, the other half exposed outside the snow, an arm here, a stumped leg there, farther away, so many convulsed and wrinkled hands, from the preserved facial expressions, Carve out the pain of complete despair after being threatened! The doctor approached and backed away, his face pale and distorted, while Duck barked in a terrible whine. Terrible!Terrible!he shouted. how?a team member asked. Don't you recognize them?said the doctor in a changed tone. Do you mean? Look! This ravine is almost a documentary.It truly records the last tragic and desperate battle of these people fighting against the climate, against despair, and against hunger.From the terrified faces, it is not difficult to see how the disaster has devoured them. Perhaps, there are one or two still jumping bodies mixed with the corpses. From among them, the doctor recognized Shandon, Gary, the tragic The crew of the March; for lack of willpower these unfortunates do not escape; it is probable that their boats were destroyed by landslides, or caught in whirlpools, and they failed to take advantage of the convenience of the sea, as we may Suppose, they lost their way in a strange continent.Of course, it is impossible for people who walk together under the impulse of betrayal to generate a strong cohesion internally to accomplish something together.The prestige of a rebel leader is doubtful for long.There is no doubt that Shandon soon lost control of the situation. In any case, this team obviously experienced thousands of hardships and despairs, and finally, a terrible disaster destroyed them, but their tragic secret will be buried with them in the Arctic ice and snow forever. escape!escape!The doctor yelled. He led his companions out of this place of hell.Fear made them suddenly powerful.They set foot on the return journey again.