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A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder, Chapter 2. Adrift in the Antarctic Ocean

Chapter 2. Adrift in the Antarctic Ocean

My name is Adam More. I am the son of Henry More, apothecary, Keswick, Cumberland. I was mate of the ship Trevelyan (Bennet, master), which was chartered by the British Government to convey convicts to Van Dieman's Land. This was in 1843. We made our voyage without any casualty, landed our convicts in Hobart Town, and then set forth on our return home. It was the 17th of December when we left. From the first adverse winds prevailed, and in order to make any progress we were obliged to keep well to the south. At length, on the 6th of January, we sighted Desolation Island. We found it, indeed, a desolate spot. In its vicinity we saw a multitude of smaller islands, perhaps a thousand in number, which made navigation difficult, and forced us to hurry away as fast as possible. But the aspect of this dreary spot was of itself enough to repel us. There were no trees, and the multitude of islands seemed like moss-covered rocks; while the temperature, though in the middle of the antarctic summer, was from 38 to 58° Fahr.

In order to get rid of these dangerous islands we stood south and west, and at length found ourselves in south latitude 65°, longitude 60° east. We were fortunate enough not to find any ice, although we were within fifteen hundred miles of the South Pole, and far within that impenetrable icy barrier which, in 1773, had arrested the progress of Captain Cook. Here the wind failed us, and we lay becalmed and drifting. The sea was open all around us, except to the southeast, where there was a low line along the horizon terminating in a lofty promontory; but though it looked like land we took it for ice. All around us whales and grampuses were gambolling and spouting in vast numbers. The weather was remarkably fine and clear.

For two or three days the calm continued, and we drifted along helplessly, until at length we found ourselves within a few miles of the promontory above mentioned. It looked like land, and seemed to be a rocky island rising from the depths of the sea. It was, however, all covered with ice and snow, and from this there extended eastward as far as the eye could reach an interminable line of ice, but toward the southwest the sea seemed open to navigation. The promontory was very singular in shape, rising up to a peak which was at least a thousand feet in height, and forming a striking object, easily discovered and readily identified by any future explorer. We named it, after our ship, Trevelyan Peak, and then felt anxious to lose sight of it forever. But the calm continued, and at length we drifted in close enough to see immense flocks of seals dotting the ice at the foot of the peak.

Upon this I proposed to Agnew, the second mate, that we should go ashore, shoot some seals, and bring them back. This was partly for the excitement of the hunt, and partly for the honor of landing in a place never before trodden by the foot of man. Captain Bennet made some objections, but he was old and cautious, and we were young and venturesome, so we laughed away his scruples and set forth. We did not take any of the crew, owing to the captain's objections. He said that if we chose to throw away our own lives he could not help it, but that he would positively refuse to allow a single man to go with us. We thought this refusal an excess of caution amounting to positive cowardice, but were unable to change his mind. The distance was not great, the adventure was attractive, and so the captain's gig was lowered, and in this Agnew and I rowed ashore. We took with us a double-barrelled rifle apiece, and also a pistol. Agnew took a glass.

We rowed for about three miles, and reached the edge of the ice, which extended far out from the promontory. Here we landed, and secured the boat by means of a small grappling-iron, which we thrust into the ice. We then walked toward the promontory for about a mile, and here we found a multitude of seals. These animals were so fearless that they made not the slightest movement as we came up, but stared at us in an indifferent way. We killed two or three, and then debated whether to go to the promontory or not. Agnew was eager to go, so as to touch the actual rock; but I was satisfied with what we had done, and was now desirous of returning. In the midst of this I felt a flake of snow on my cheek. I started and looked up. To my great surprise I saw that the sky had changed since I had last noticed it. When we left the ship it was clear and blue, but now it was overspread with dark, leaden-colored clouds, and the snow-flakes that had fallen were ominous of evil. A snow-storm here, in the vicinity of the ice, was too serious a thing to be disregarded. But one course now remained, and that was an immediate return to the ship.

Each of us seized a seal and dragged it after us to the boat. We reached it and flung them in. Just at that moment a gun sounded over the water. It was from the ship--the signal of alarm--the summons from the captain for our return. We saw now that she had been drifting since we left her, and had moved southwest several miles. The row back promised to be far harder than the pull ashore, and, what was worse, the wind was coming up, the sea was rising, and the snow was thickening. Neither of us said a word. We saw that our situation was very serious, and that we had been very foolhardy; but the words were useless now. The only thing to be done was to pull for the ship with all our strength, and that was what we did.

So we pushed off, and rowed as we had never rowed before. Our progress was difficult. The sea grew steadily rougher; the wind increased; the snow thickened; and, worst of all, the day was drawing to a close. We had miscalculated both as to distance and time. Even if it had continued calm we should have had to row back in the dark; but now the sun was setting, and with the darkness we had to encounter the gathering storm and the blinding snow. We rowed in silence. At every stroke our situation grew more serious. The wind was from the south, and therefore favored us to some extent, and also made less of a sea than would have been produced by a wind from any other quarter; but then this south wind brought dangers of its own, which we were soon to feel--new dangers and worse ones. For this south wind drove the ship farther from us, and at the same time broke up the vast fields of ice and impelled the fractured masses northward. But this was a danger which we did not know just then. At that time we were rowing for the ship, and amid the darkness and the blinding snow and the dashing waves we heard from time to time the report of signal-guns fired from the ship to guide us back. These were our only guide, for the darkness and the snow had drawn the ship from our sight, and we had to be guided by our hearing only.

We were rowing for our lives, and we knew it; but every moment our situation grew more desperate. Each new report of the gun seemed to sound farther away. We seemed always to be rowing in the wrong direction. At each report we had to shift the boat's course somewhat, and pull toward the last point from which the gun seemed to sound. With all this the wind was increasing rapidly to a gale, the sea was rising and breaking over the boat, the snow was blinding us with its ever-thickening sleet. The darkness deepened and at length had grown so intense that nothing whatever could be seen--neither sea nor sky, not even the boat itself--yet we dared not stop; we had to row. Our lives depended on our efforts. We had to row, guided by the sound of the ship's gun, which the ever-varying wind incessantly changed, till our minds grew all confused, and we rowed blindly and mechanically.

So we labored for hours at the oars, and the storm continually increased, and the sea continually rose, while the snow fell thicker and the darkness grew intenser. The reports of the gun now grew fainter; what was worse, they were heard at longer intervals, and this showed us that Captain Bennet was losing heart; that he was giving us up; that he despaired of finding us, and was now firing only an occasional gun out of a mournful sense of duty. This thought reduced us to despair. It seemed as if all our efforts had only served to take us farther away from the ship, and deprived us of all motive for rowing any harder than was barely necessary to keep the boat steady. After a time Agnew dropped his oar and began to bail out the boat--a work which was needed; for, in spite of our care, she had shipped many seas, and was one third full of water. He worked away at this while I managed the boat, and then we took turns at bailing. In this way we passed the dreary night.

Morning came at last. The wind was not so violent, but the snow was so thick that we could only see for a little distance around us. The ship was nowhere visible, nor were there any signs of her. The last gun had been fired during the night. All that we could see was the outline of a gaunt iceberg--an ominous spectacle. Not knowing what else to do we rowed on as before, keeping in what seemed our best course, though this was mere conjecture, and we knew all the time that we might be going wrong. There was no compass in the boat, nor could we tell the sun's position through the thick snow. We rowed with the wind, thinking that it was blowing toward the north, and would carry us in that direction. We still hoped to come within sound of the ship's gun, and kept straining our ears incessantly to hear the wished-for report. But no such sound ever came again, and we heard nothing except the plash of the waves and the crash of breaking ice. Thus all that day we rowed along, resting at intervals when exhausted, and then resuming our labors, until at length night came; and again to the snow and ice and waves was added the horror of great darkness. We passed that night in deep misery. We had eaten nothing since we left the ship, but though exhausted by long fasting and severe labor, the despair of our hearts took away all desire for food. We were worn out with hard work, yet the cold was too great to allow us to take rest, and we were compelled to row so as to keep ourselves from perishing. But fatigue and drowsiness overcame us, and we often sank into sleep even while rowing; and then after a brief slumber we would awake with benumbed limbs to wrestle again with the oars. In this way we passed that night.

Another morning came, and we found to our great joy that the snow had ceased. We looked eagerly around to see if there were any signs of the ship. Nothing could be seen of her. Far away on one side rose a peak, which looked like the place where we had landed. Judging from the wind, which we still supposed to be southerly, the peak lay toward the northeast; in which case we had been carried steadily, in spite of all our efforts, toward the south. About a mile on one side of us the ice began, and extended far away; while on the other side, at the distance of some ten miles, there was another line of ice. We seemed to have been carried in a southwesterly direction along a broad strait that ran into the vast ice-fields. This discovery showed how utterly useless our labors had been; for in spite of all, even with the wind in our favor, we had been drawn steadily in an opposite direction. It was evident that there was some current here, stronger than all our strength, which had brought us to this place.

We now determined to land on the ice, and try to cook a portion of our seals. On approaching it we noticed that there was a current which tended to draw us past the ice in what I supposed to be a southwesterly direction. This confirmed my worst fears. But now the labor of landing and building a fire on the ice served to interest us for a time and divert our thoughts. We brushed away the snow, and then broke up a box which was in the boat, and also the stern seats. This we used very sparingly, reserving the rest for another occasion. Then we cut portions from one of the seals, and laid them in thin strips on the flames. The cooking was but slight, for the meat was merely singed; but we were ravenous, and the contact of the fire was enough to give it an attractive flavor. With this food we were greatly refreshed; and as for drink, we had all around us an endless extent of ice and snow. Then, taking our precious fragments of cooked meat, we returned to the boat and put off. We could scarcely tell what to do next, and while debating on this point we fell asleep. We slept far into the night, then awoke benumbed with cold; then took to the oars till we were weary; then fell asleep again, to be again awakened by the cold and again to pull at the oars. So the night passed, and another day came.

The snow still held off, but the sky was overcast with dark, leaden-colored clouds, and looked threatening. Ice was all around us as before; and the open water had diminished now from ten miles to five miles of width. The ice on one side was low, but on the opposite side it arose to the height of one hundred feet. We saw here, as we watched the shore, that the current which had already borne us thus far was now stronger than ever, and was carrying us along at a rate which made all efforts of ours against it utterly useless. And now a debate arose between us as to the direction of this current. Agnew suddenly declared his belief that it was running north, while I was firm in the conviction that it ran south.

"There's no use rowing any more," said Agnew. "If it runs south we can't resist it. It's too strong. But I always like to look on the bright side, and so I believe it runs north. In that case there is no use rowing, for it will carry us along fast enough." Then I proposed that we should go ashore on the ice. To this Agnew objected, but afterward consented, at my earnest request. So we tried to get ashore, but this time found it impossible; for the ice consisted of a vast sheet of floating lumps, which looked like the ruin of bergs that had been broken up in some storm. After this I had nothing to say, nor was there anything left for us but to drift wherever the current might carry us.

So we drifted for some days, Agnew all the time maintaining that we were going north, while I was sure that we were going south. The sky remained as cloudy as ever, the wind varied incessantly, and there was nothing by which we could conjecture the points of the compass. We lived on our seal, and for drink we chewed ice and snow. One thing was certain--the climate was no colder. Agnew laid great stress on this.

"You see," said he, "we must be going north. If we were going south we should be frozen stiff by this time." "Yes; but if we were going north," said I, "we ought to find it growing warmer." "No," said he, "not with all this ice around us. It's the ice that keeps the temperature in this cold state." Argument could do no good, and so we each remained true to our belief--his leading him to hope, and mine dragging me down to despair. At length we finished the last fragment of the seal that we had cooked, and, finding ourselves near some firm ice, we went ashore and cooked all that was left, using the remainder of our wood for fuel, and all that we dared to remove from the boat. Re-embarking with this, we drifted on as before.

Several more days passed. At last one night I was roused by Agnew. He pointed far away to the distant horizon, where I saw a deep red glow as of fire. We were both filled with wonder at the sight, and were utterly unable to account for it. We knew that it could not be caused by the sun or the moon, for it was midnight, and the cause lay on the earth and not in the skies. It was a deep, lurid glow, extending along the horizon, and seemed to be caused by some vast conflagration.

Chapter 2. Adrift in the Antarctic Ocean Глава 2. Дрейф в Антарктическом океане

My name is Adam More. I am the son of Henry More, apothecary, Keswick, Cumberland. Я сын Генри Мора, аптекаря из Кесвика, Камберленд. I was mate of the ship Trevelyan (Bennet, master), which was chartered by the British Government to convey convicts to Van Dieman’s Land. J'étais second du navire Trevelyan (Bennet, capitaine), qui a été affrété par le gouvernement britannique pour transporter les condamnés à Van Dieman's Land. Я был матросом на корабле "Тревельян" (хозяин - Беннет), который был зафрахтован британским правительством для доставки каторжников на Землю Ван Димана. This was in 1843. We made our voyage without any casualty, landed our convicts in Hobart Town, and then set forth on our return home. Nous avons fait notre voyage sans aucune victime, avons débarqué nos forçats à Hobart Town, puis sommes partis pour notre retour à la maison. Мы совершили путешествие без потерь, высадили наших каторжников в Хобарт-Тауне, а затем отправились в обратный путь. It was the 17th of December when we left. From the first adverse winds prevailed, and in order to make any progress we were obliged to keep well to the south. Dès les premiers vents contraires ont prévalu, et pour avancer, nous avons été obligés de nous tenir bien au sud. С самого начала преобладали неблагоприятные ветры, и, чтобы хоть как-то продвинуться вперед, мы были вынуждены держаться южнее. At length, on the 6th of January, we sighted Desolation Island. Enfin, le 6 janvier, nous aperçûmes l'île de la Désolation. Наконец, 6 января, мы увидели остров Десолейшн. We found it, indeed, a desolate spot. Мы обнаружили, что это действительно безлюдное место. In its vicinity we saw a multitude of smaller islands, perhaps a thousand in number, which made navigation difficult, and forced us to hurry away as fast as possible. Поблизости от него мы увидели множество мелких островов, возможно, тысячу, что затрудняло навигацию и заставляло нас спешить как можно дальше. But the aspect of this dreary spot was of itself enough to repel us. Но вид этого унылого места сам по себе был достаточным, чтобы оттолкнуть нас. There were no trees, and the multitude of islands seemed like moss-covered rocks; while the temperature, though in the middle of the antarctic summer, was from 38 to 58° Fahr. Здесь не было ни одного дерева, а множество островов казались скалами, покрытыми мхом; температура, хотя и была в середине антарктического лета, составляла от 38 до 58° по Фар.

In order to get rid of these dangerous islands we stood south and west, and at length found ourselves in south latitude 65°, longitude 60° east. Чтобы избавиться от этих опасных островов, мы шли на юг и запад и в конце концов оказались в южной широте 65°, восточной долготе 60°. We were fortunate enough not to find any ice, although we were within fifteen hundred miles of the South Pole, and far within that impenetrable icy barrier which, in 1773, had arrested the progress of Captain Cook. Nous eûmes la chance de ne trouver aucune glace, bien que nous fussions à moins de quinze cents milles du pôle Sud et loin de cette impénétrable barrière de glace qui, en 1773, avait arrêté la marche du capitaine Cook. Нам повезло, что мы не встретили ни одного льда, хотя находились в пятнадцати сотнях миль от Южного полюса и далеко внутри того непроницаемого ледяного барьера, который в 1773 году задержал продвижение капитана Кука. Here the wind failed us, and we lay becalmed and drifting. Ici, le vent nous a fait défaut, et nous nous sommes étendus calmes et à la dérive. Здесь нас подвел ветер, и мы легли в дрейф. The sea was open all around us, except to the southeast, where there was a low line along the horizon terminating in a lofty promontory; but though it looked like land we took it for ice. Вокруг нас было открытое море, за исключением юго-востока, где вдоль горизонта тянулась низкая линия, заканчивающаяся возвышенным мысом, но, хотя он и выглядел как суша, мы приняли его за лед. All around us whales and grampuses were gambolling and spouting in vast numbers. Tout autour de nous, baleines et grampus gambadent et jaillissent en grand nombre. Overal om ons heen waren walvissen en grampuses in groten getale aan het spelen en spuugden. Вокруг нас в огромных количествах плескались и плескались киты и грампусы. The weather was remarkably fine and clear.

For two or three days the calm continued, and we drifted along helplessly, until at length we found ourselves within a few miles of the promontory above mentioned. Pendant deux ou trois jours, le calme continua, et nous dérivâmes impuissants, jusqu'à ce que nous nous trouvions enfin à quelques milles du promontoire mentionné ci-dessus. Два или три дня продолжался штиль, и мы беспомощно дрейфовали, пока, наконец, не оказались в нескольких милях от вышеупомянутого мыса. It looked like land, and seemed to be a rocky island rising from the depths of the sea. Он был похож на сушу и казался скалистым островом, поднимавшимся из морских глубин. It was, however, all covered with ice and snow, and from this there extended eastward as far as the eye could reach an interminable line of ice, but toward the southwest the sea seemed open to navigation. Однако он был весь покрыт льдом и снегом, и от него на восток, насколько хватало глаз, тянулась бесконечная линия льда, а к юго-западу море казалось открытым для навигации. The promontory was very singular in shape, rising up to a peak which was at least a thousand feet in height, and forming a striking object, easily discovered and readily identified by any future explorer. Le promontoire était de forme très singulière, s'élevant jusqu'à un sommet d'au moins mille pieds de hauteur, et formant un objet saisissant, facilement découvert et facilement identifié par tout futur explorateur. Мыс был очень необычной формы, возвышался на пике высотой не менее тысячи футов и представлял собой поразительный объект, легко обнаруживаемый и легко опознаваемый любым будущим исследователем. We named it, after our ship, Trevelyan Peak, and then felt anxious to lose sight of it forever. Мы назвали его в честь нашего корабля "Пик Тревельяна", после чего нам захотелось навсегда потерять его из виду. But the calm continued, and at length we drifted in close enough to see immense flocks of seals dotting the ice at the foot of the peak. Mais le calme continua et nous nous approchâmes enfin suffisamment pour voir d'immenses troupeaux de phoques parsemer la glace au pied du pic. Но штиль продолжался, и в конце концов мы подошли достаточно близко, чтобы увидеть огромные стаи тюленей, усеявших лед у подножия пика.

Upon this I proposed to Agnew, the second mate, that we should go ashore, shoot some seals, and bring them back. После этого я предложил Агнью, второму помощнику, сходить на берег, подстрелить несколько тюленей и вернуть их обратно. This was partly for the excitement of the hunt, and partly for the honor of landing in a place never before trodden by the foot of man. Отчасти ради азарта охоты, а отчасти ради чести высадиться в месте, где еще не ступала нога человека. Captain Bennet made some objections, but he was old and cautious, and we were young and venturesome, so we laughed away his scruples and set forth. Le capitaine Bennet a fait quelques objections, mais il était vieux et prudent, et nous étions jeunes et aventureux, alors nous nous sommes moqués de ses scrupules et nous nous sommes mis en route. Kapitein Bennet maakte enkele bezwaren, maar hij was oud en voorzichtig, en we waren jong en ondernemend, dus lachten we zijn scrupules weg en vertrokken. Капитан Беннет высказал несколько возражений, но он был стар и осторожен, а мы - молоды и смелы, поэтому мы посмеялись над его угрызениями совести и отправились в путь. We did not take any of the crew, owing to the captain’s objections. Мы не взяли никого из команды из-за возражений капитана. He said that if we chose to throw away our own lives he could not help it, but that he would positively refuse to allow a single man to go with us. Il a dit que si nous choisissions de jeter nos propres vies, il ne pourrait pas s'en empêcher, mais qu'il refuserait catégoriquement de permettre à un seul homme de nous accompagner. Он сказал, что если мы решили выбросить свои жизни на ветер, то он ничего не может с этим поделать, но что он категорически отказывается позволить хоть одному человеку пойти с нами. We thought this refusal an excess of caution amounting to positive cowardice, but were unable to change his mind. Nous avons pensé que ce refus était un excès de prudence équivalant à une lâcheté positive, mais nous n'avons pas pu changer d'avis. Мы сочли этот отказ излишней осторожностью, равносильной трусости, но не смогли переубедить его. The distance was not great, the adventure was attractive, and so the captain’s gig was lowered, and in this Agnew and I rowed ashore. La distance n'était pas grande, l'aventure était attrayante, et donc le cabriolet du capitaine a été abaissé, et dans ce Agnew et moi avons ramé à terre. Расстояние было небольшим, а приключение - привлекательным, поэтому капитанская шлюпка была спущена на воду, и на ней мы с Агнью поплыли к берегу. We took with us a double-barrelled rifle apiece, and also a pistol. Мы взяли с собой по двуствольной винтовке на каждого и по пистолету. Agnew took a glass. Агню взял стакан.

We rowed for about three miles, and reached the edge of the ice, which extended far out from the promontory. Nous ramâmes environ trois milles et atteignîmes le bord de la glace, qui s'étendait loin du promontoire. Мы проплыли на веслах около трех миль и достигли края льда, который простирался далеко от мыса. Here we landed, and secured the boat by means of a small grappling-iron, which we thrust into the ice. Ici, nous avons débarqué et nous avons amarré le bateau au moyen d'un petit grappin que nous avons enfoncé dans la glace. Здесь мы высадились и закрепили лодку с помощью небольшого грейфера, который воткнули в лед. We then walked toward the promontory for about a mile, and here we found a multitude of seals. Затем мы прошли к мысу около мили, и здесь мы обнаружили множество тюленей. These animals were so fearless that they made not the slightest movement as we came up, but stared at us in an indifferent way. Эти животные были настолько бесстрашны, что не сделали ни малейшего движения, когда мы подошли, а лишь безучастно смотрели на нас. We killed two or three, and then debated whether to go to the promontory or not. Мы убили двух или трех, а потом обсуждали, стоит ли идти к мысу или нет. Agnew was eager to go, so as to touch the actual rock; but I was satisfied with what we had done, and was now desirous of returning. Агню очень хотелось пойти, чтобы прикоснуться к настоящей скале, но я был доволен тем, что мы сделали, и теперь хотел вернуться. In the midst of this I felt a flake of snow on my cheek. Au milieu de cela, j'ai senti un flocon de neige sur ma joue. I started and looked up. Я начал и посмотрел вверх. To my great surprise I saw that the sky had changed since I had last noticed it. К своему огромному удивлению, я увидел, что небо изменилось с тех пор, как я в последний раз его заметил. When we left the ship it was clear and blue, but now it was overspread with dark, leaden-colored clouds, and the snow-flakes that had fallen were ominous of evil. Lorsque nous avons quitté le navire, il était clair et bleu, mais maintenant il était recouvert de nuages sombres et plombés, et les flocons de neige qui étaient tombés étaient de mauvais augure. Когда мы отплывали от корабля, погода была ясной и голубой, но теперь ее заволокли темные, свинцового цвета тучи, а выпавшие снежинки предвещали недоброе. A snow-storm here, in the vicinity of the ice, was too serious a thing to be disregarded. Снежная буря здесь, вблизи льда, была слишком серьезным событием, чтобы ею пренебрегать. But one course now remained, and that was an immediate return to the ship. Но оставался один путь - немедленное возвращение на корабль.

Each of us seized a seal and dragged it after us to the boat. Каждый из нас схватил по тюленю и потащил его за собой к лодке. We reached it and flung them in. Мы добрались до него и бросили их внутрь. Just at that moment a gun sounded over the water. Как раз в этот момент над водой раздался выстрел. It was from the ship--the signal of alarm--the summons from the captain for our return. Это было с корабля - сигнал тревоги, призыв капитана вернуться. We saw now that she had been drifting since we left her, and had moved southwest several miles. Теперь мы увидели, что с тех пор, как мы ее оставили, она дрейфовала и продвинулась на юго-запад на несколько миль. The row back promised to be far harder than the pull ashore, and, what was worse, the wind was coming up, the sea was rising, and the snow was thickening. La rame promettait d'être beaucoup plus dure que la traction à terre, et, pire encore, le vent se levait, la mer montait et la neige s'épaississait. Обратный путь обещал быть гораздо более трудным, чем вытаскивание на берег, и, что еще хуже, поднимался ветер, море вздымалось, а снег становился все гуще. Neither of us said a word. We saw that our situation was very serious, and that we had been very foolhardy; but the words were useless now. Мы видели, что наше положение очень серьезно и что мы поступили очень безрассудно; но слова были бесполезны. The only thing to be done was to pull for the ship with all our strength, and that was what we did. La seule chose à faire était de tirer vers le navire de toutes nos forces, et c'est ce que nous avons fait. Единственное, что можно было сделать, - это изо всех сил тянуться за кораблем, что мы и сделали.

So we pushed off, and rowed as we had never rowed before. Alors nous nous sommes lancés et avons ramé comme nous n'avions jamais ramé auparavant. Мы оттолкнулись и стали грести так, как не гребли никогда прежде. Our progress was difficult. Наше продвижение было трудным. The sea grew steadily rougher; the wind increased; the snow thickened; and, worst of all, the day was drawing to a close. La mer devenait de plus en plus agitée ; le vent s'accrut ; la neige s'épaissit ; et, pire que tout, la journée touchait à sa fin. Море становилось все более бурным, ветер усиливался, снег шел все гуще, и, что самое неприятное, день подходил к концу. We had miscalculated both as to distance and time. Мы просчитались и с расстоянием, и со временем. Even if it had continued calm we should have had to row back in the dark; but now the sun was setting, and with the darkness we had to encounter the gathering storm and the blinding snow. Même s'il était resté calme, nous aurions dû ramer dans le noir ; mais maintenant le soleil se couchait, et avec l'obscurité nous devions rencontrer l'orage qui s'amoncelait et la neige aveuglante. Даже если бы все было спокойно, нам пришлось бы грести назад в темноте; но теперь солнце садилось, и с наступлением темноты нам пришлось столкнуться с набирающим силу штормом и слепящим снегом. We rowed in silence. At every stroke our situation grew more serious. С каждым ударом наше положение становилось все серьезнее. The wind was from the south, and therefore favored us to some extent, and also made less of a sea than would have been produced by a wind from any other quarter; but then this south wind brought dangers of its own, which we were soon to feel--new dangers and worse ones. Le vent venait du sud, et par conséquent nous favorisait dans une certaine mesure, et faisait aussi moins de mer qu'il n'aurait été produit par un vent de n'importe quel autre quartier ; mais alors ce vent du sud a apporté des dangers de ses propres, que nous allions bientôt sentir, dangers nouveaux et pires. Ветер был южный, и поэтому в какой-то степени благоприятствовал нам, а также создавал меньшее волнение в море, чем при ветре из любой другой четверти; но этот южный ветер принес свои опасности, которые мы вскоре почувствовали - новые опасности и еще худшие. For this south wind drove the ship farther from us, and at the same time broke up the vast fields of ice and impelled the fractured masses northward. Car ce vent du sud éloignait le navire de nous, et en même temps brisait les vastes champs de glace et poussait les masses fracturées vers le nord. Этот южный ветер гнал корабль все дальше от нас, одновременно разрывая огромные ледяные поля и устремляя раздробленные массы на север. But this was a danger which we did not know just then. Mais c'était un danger que nous ne connaissions pas à ce moment-là. Но это была опасность, о которой мы тогда еще не знали. At that time we were rowing for the ship, and amid the darkness and the blinding snow and the dashing waves we heard from time to time the report of signal-guns fired from the ship to guide us back. À ce moment-là, nous ramions vers le navire, et au milieu de l'obscurité, de la neige aveuglante et des vagues déferlantes, nous entendions de temps en temps le bruit des canons de signalisation tirés du navire pour nous guider vers le retour. В это время мы гребли к кораблю, и среди темноты, слепящего снега и плещущихся волн время от времени слышали сигнальные выстрелы с корабля, чтобы направить нас назад. These were our only guide, for the darkness and the snow had drawn the ship from our sight, and we had to be guided by our hearing only. Они были нашим единственным ориентиром, так как темнота и снег скрыли корабль из виду, и нам приходилось ориентироваться только на слух.

We were rowing for our lives, and we knew it; but every moment our situation grew more desperate. Мы гребли за свою жизнь, и мы знали это, но с каждым мгновением наше положение становилось все более отчаянным. Each new report of the gun seemed to sound farther away. Каждый новый выстрел звучал все дальше и дальше. We seemed always to be rowing in the wrong direction. Казалось, мы все время гребли не в том направлении. At each report we had to shift the boat’s course somewhat, and pull toward the last point from which the gun seemed to sound. A chaque rapport, nous devions modifier quelque peu la route du bateau et tirer vers le dernier point d'où le canon semblait sonner. При каждом сообщении нам приходилось несколько менять курс лодки и тянуться к последней точке, откуда, как казалось, доносились звуки выстрела. With all this the wind was increasing rapidly to a gale, the sea was rising and breaking over the boat, the snow was blinding us with its ever-thickening sleet. Avec tout cela, le vent augmentait rapidement en coup de vent, la mer montait et se brisait sur le bateau, la neige nous aveuglait avec son grésil toujours plus épais. При всем этом ветер быстро усиливался до штормового, море вздымалось и разбивалось о борт судна, снег ослеплял нас все более густым снегом. The darkness deepened and at length had grown so intense that nothing whatever could be seen--neither sea nor sky, not even the boat itself--yet we dared not stop; we had to row. Темнота становилась все глубже и глубже и в конце концов стала такой сильной, что ничего не было видно - ни моря, ни неба, ни даже самой лодки, - но мы не смели остановиться, мы должны были грести. Our lives depended on our efforts. От наших усилий зависели наши жизни. We had to row, guided by the sound of the ship’s gun, which the ever-varying wind incessantly changed, till our minds grew all confused, and we rowed blindly and mechanically. Нам пришлось грести, ориентируясь на звуки корабельной пушки, которые постоянно менял ветер, пока наши мысли не запутались, и мы гребли вслепую и механически.

So we labored for hours at the oars, and the storm continually increased, and the sea continually rose, while the snow fell thicker and the darkness grew intenser. Мы часами работали на веслах, а буря все усиливалась, море все вздымалось, снег падал все гуще, а тьма становилась все гуще. The reports of the gun now grew fainter; what was worse, they were heard at longer intervals, and this showed us that Captain Bennet was losing heart; that he was giving us up; that he despaired of finding us, and was now firing only an occasional gun out of a mournful sense of duty. Les bruits du canon s'affaiblissaient maintenant ; pis, on les entendait à des intervalles plus longs, et cela nous montra que le capitaine Bennet perdait courage ; qu'il nous abandonnait ; qu'il désespérait de nous trouver, et qu'il ne tirait plus qu'à l'occasion par un triste sens du devoir. Доклады пушки становились все слабее; что еще хуже, они раздавались с большими интервалами, и это свидетельствовало о том, что капитан Беннет падает духом; что он сдается; что он отчаялся найти нас и теперь стреляет лишь изредка из скорбного чувства долга. This thought reduced us to despair. Эта мысль повергла нас в отчаяние. It seemed as if all our efforts had only served to take us farther away from the ship, and deprived us of all motive for rowing any harder than was barely necessary to keep the boat steady. Il semblait que tous nos efforts n'avaient servi qu'à nous éloigner du bateau et nous privaient de tout motif pour ramer plus fort qu'il n'était à peine nécessaire pour maintenir le bateau stable. Казалось, что все наши усилия только отдаляли нас от корабля и лишали всякого повода грести сильнее, чем это было необходимо для поддержания лодки в устойчивом положении. After a time Agnew dropped his oar and began to bail out the boat--a work which was needed; for, in spite of our care, she had shipped many seas, and was one third full of water. Au bout d'un moment, Agnew laissa tomber sa rame et commença à renflouer le bateau, un travail qui était nécessaire ; car, malgré nos soins, elle avait emporté beaucoup de mers et était pleine d'eau au tiers. Через некоторое время Агнью уронил весло и начал спасать лодку - работа, которая была необходима; ибо, несмотря на нашу заботу, она преодолела много морей и была на треть заполнена водой. He worked away at this while I managed the boat, and then we took turns at bailing. Il a travaillé là-dessus pendant que je gérais le bateau, puis nous nous sommes relayés pour renflouer. Он занимался этим, пока я управлял лодкой, а потом мы по очереди спускали залог. In this way we passed the dreary night. Так мы и провели эту тоскливую ночь.

Morning came at last. Наконец наступило утро. The wind was not so violent, but the snow was so thick that we could only see for a little distance around us. Ветер был не таким сильным, но снег был настолько плотным, что мы могли видеть лишь на небольшое расстояние вокруг себя. The ship was nowhere visible, nor were there any signs of her. Корабля нигде не было видно, как и его следов. The last gun had been fired during the night. Ночью был произведен последний выстрел. All that we could see was the outline of a gaunt iceberg--an ominous spectacle. Все, что мы могли видеть, - это очертания громадного айсберга - зловещее зрелище. Not knowing what else to do we rowed on as before, keeping in what seemed our best course, though this was mere conjecture, and we knew all the time that we might be going wrong. Ne sachant pas quoi faire d'autre, nous avons ramé comme avant, gardant ce qui semblait être notre meilleur cap, même si ce n'était qu'une simple conjecture, et nous savions tout le temps que nous risquions de nous tromper. Не зная, что еще предпринять, мы продолжали грести, как и прежде, держась наилучшего курса, хотя это были лишь предположения, и мы все время знали, что можем ошибиться. There was no compass in the boat, nor could we tell the sun’s position through the thick snow. В лодке не было компаса, и мы не могли определить положение солнца сквозь толщу снега. We rowed with the wind, thinking that it was blowing toward the north, and would carry us in that direction. Мы гребли по ветру, думая, что он дует на север и понесет нас в этом направлении. We still hoped to come within sound of the ship’s gun, and kept straining our ears incessantly to hear the wished-for report. Мы все еще надеялись попасть под выстрел корабельного орудия и постоянно напрягали слух, чтобы услышать желанный сигнал. But no such sound ever came again, and we heard nothing except the plash of the waves and the crash of breaking ice. Thus all that day we rowed along, resting at intervals when exhausted, and then resuming our labors, until at length night came; and again to the snow and ice and waves was added the horror of great darkness. Так мы гребли весь тот день, отдыхая в перерывах, когда выбивались из сил, а затем снова принимались за работу, пока не наступила ночь, и к снегу, льду и волнам снова добавился ужас кромешной тьмы. We passed that night in deep misery. Мы провели эту ночь в глубоких страданиях. We had eaten nothing since we left the ship, but though exhausted by long fasting and severe labor, the despair of our hearts took away all desire for food. Nous n'avions rien mangé depuis que nous avions quitté le navire, mais bien qu'épuisés par un long jeûne et un travail acharné, le désespoir de nos cœurs a emporté tout désir de nourriture. Мы ничего не ели с тех пор, как покинули корабль, но, хотя мы были измучены долгим постом и тяжелым трудом, отчаяние наших сердец отбило всякое желание есть. We were worn out with hard work, yet the cold was too great to allow us to take rest, and we were compelled to row so as to keep ourselves from perishing. Мы изнемогали от тяжелой работы, но холод был слишком сильным, чтобы позволить нам отдохнуть, и мы были вынуждены грести, чтобы не погибнуть. But fatigue and drowsiness overcame us, and we often sank into sleep even while rowing; and then after a brief slumber we would awake with benumbed limbs to wrestle again with the oars. Но усталость и сонливость одолевали нас, и мы часто погружались в сон даже во время гребли, а затем после короткой дремоты просыпались с затекшими конечностями, чтобы снова бороться с веслами. In this way we passed that night.

Another morning came, and we found to our great joy that the snow had ceased. We looked eagerly around to see if there were any signs of the ship. Nothing could be seen of her. Ее ничего не было видно. Far away on one side rose a peak, which looked like the place where we had landed. Вдали с одной стороны возвышался пик, похожий на то место, где мы приземлились. Judging from the wind, which we still supposed to be southerly, the peak lay toward the northeast; in which case we had been carried steadily, in spite of all our efforts, toward the south. Судя по ветру, который, как мы предполагали, все еще был южным, вершина лежала на северо-востоке; В этом случае, несмотря на все наши усилия, нас неуклонно тащили на юг. About a mile on one side of us the ice began, and extended far away; while on the other side, at the distance of some ten miles, there was another line of ice. Примерно в миле по одну сторону от нас начинался лед, который простирался далеко, а по другую сторону, на расстоянии около десяти миль, была другая линия льда. We seemed to have been carried in a southwesterly direction along a broad strait that ran into the vast ice-fields. Nous semblions avoir été transportés dans une direction sud-ouest le long d'un large détroit qui s'enfonçait dans les vastes champs de glace. Казалось, нас несло в юго-западном направлении вдоль широкого пролива, вдающегося в обширные ледяные поля. This discovery showed how utterly useless our labors had been; for in spite of all, even with the wind in our favor, we had been drawn steadily in an opposite direction. Это открытие показало, насколько бесполезными были наши усилия, ведь, несмотря ни на что, даже при попутном ветре нас неуклонно тянуло в противоположном направлении. It was evident that there was some current here, stronger than all our strength, which had brought us to this place. Было очевидно, что здесь существует какое-то течение, сильнее всех наших сил, которое привело нас в это место.

We now determined to land on the ice, and try to cook a portion of our seals. Теперь мы решили высадиться на лед и попытаться приготовить часть тюленей. On approaching it we noticed that there was a current which tended to draw us past the ice in what I supposed to be a southwesterly direction. En nous approchant, nous avons remarqué qu'il y avait un courant qui avait tendance à nous entraîner au-delà de la glace dans ce que je supposais être une direction sud-ouest. Подойдя к нему, мы заметили, что существует течение, которое стремится протащить нас мимо льда в юго-западном направлении, как я полагаю. This confirmed my worst fears. Это подтвердило мои худшие опасения. But now the labor of landing and building a fire on the ice served to interest us for a time and divert our thoughts. Но теперь труд по высадке и разведению костра на льду на некоторое время заинтересовал нас и отвлек от размышлений. We brushed away the snow, and then broke up a box which was in the boat, and also the stern seats. Nous avons balayé la neige, puis brisé une boîte qui se trouvait dans le bateau, ainsi que les sièges arrière. Мы счистили снег, а затем разломали ящик, который находился в лодке, а также кормовые сиденья. This we used very sparingly, reserving the rest for another occasion. Nous l'avons utilisé avec parcimonie, réservant le reste pour une autre occasion. Мы использовали его очень экономно, оставив для другого случая. Then we cut portions from one of the seals, and laid them in thin strips on the flames. Затем мы отрезали куски от одной из печатей и положили их тонкими полосками на пламя. The cooking was but slight, for the meat was merely singed; but we were ravenous, and the contact of the fire was enough to give it an attractive flavor. La cuisson était légère, car la viande était simplement roussie ; mais nous étions affamés, et le contact du feu suffisait à lui donner une saveur attrayante. Приготовление было незначительным, так как мясо просто подгорело, но мы были очень голодны, а прикосновения огня было достаточно, чтобы придать ему привлекательный аромат. With this food we were greatly refreshed; and as for drink, we had all around us an endless extent of ice and snow. Эта пища нас очень освежила, а что касается питья, то вокруг нас было бесконечное количество льда и снега. Then, taking our precious fragments of cooked meat, we returned to the boat and put off. Puis, prenant nos précieux fragments de viande cuite, nous retournâmes au bateau et partîmes. Затем, забрав драгоценные кусочки вареного мяса, мы вернулись на лодку и отчалили. We could scarcely tell what to do next, and while debating on this point we fell asleep. Мы не могли понять, что делать дальше, и, обсуждая этот вопрос, уснули. We slept far into the night, then awoke benumbed with cold; then took to the oars till we were weary; then fell asleep again, to be again awakened by the cold and again to pull at the oars. Nous avons dormi tard dans la nuit, puis nous nous sommes réveillés engourdis par le froid ; puis nous avons pris les rames jusqu'à ce que nous soyons fatigués; puis s'endormit de nouveau, pour être de nouveau réveillé par le froid et de nouveau pour tirer sur les rames. So the night passed, and another day came.

The snow still held off, but the sky was overcast with dark, leaden-colored clouds, and looked threatening. La neige tenait toujours, mais le ciel était couvert de nuages sombres et plombés et semblait menaçant. Снегопад еще продолжался, но небо было затянуто темными, свинцового цвета тучами и выглядело угрожающе. Ice was all around us as before; and the open water had diminished now from ten miles to five miles of width. Вокруг нас, как и прежде, лед, а открытая вода уменьшилась с десяти до пяти миль в ширину. The ice on one side was low, but on the opposite side it arose to the height of one hundred feet. С одной стороны лед был низким, а с противоположной стороны он поднимался на высоту ста футов. We saw here, as we watched the shore, that the current which had already borne us thus far was now stronger than ever, and was carrying us along at a rate which made all efforts of ours against it utterly useless. Nous vîmes ici, tandis que nous surveillions le rivage, que le courant qui nous avait déjà portés jusque-là était maintenant plus fort que jamais, et nous emportait à une vitesse qui rendait tous nos efforts contre lui totalement inutiles. Наблюдая за берегом, мы увидели, что течение, которое уже несло нас так далеко, теперь было сильнее, чем когда-либо, и несло нас со скоростью, которая делала все наши усилия против него совершенно бесполезными. And now a debate arose between us as to the direction of this current. И вот между нами разгорелся спор о направлении этого течения. Agnew suddenly declared his belief that it was running north, while I was firm in the conviction that it ran south. Агню вдруг заявил, что считает, что она идет на север, в то время как я был твердо убежден, что она идет на юг.

"There’s no use rowing any more," said Agnew. "Грести больше нет смысла, - сказал Агню. "If it runs south we can’t resist it. "Если он побежит на юг, мы не сможем ему противостоять. It’s too strong. But I always like to look on the bright side, and so I believe it runs north. Но я всегда люблю смотреть на светлую сторону, и поэтому верю, что она идет на север. In that case there is no use rowing, for it will carry us along fast enough." Dans ce cas, il ne sert à rien de ramer, car cela nous entraînera assez vite. » В таком случае нет смысла грести, ведь он и так быстро нас довезет". Then I proposed that we should go ashore on the ice. Тогда я предложил сойти на берег по льду. To this Agnew objected, but afterward consented, at my earnest request. A cela, Agnew s'y est opposé, mais a ensuite consenti, à ma demande sérieuse. Агню возражал против этого, но потом согласился, по моей убедительной просьбе. So we tried to get ashore, but this time found it impossible; for the ice consisted of a vast sheet of floating lumps, which looked like the ruin of bergs that had been broken up in some storm. Nous avons donc essayé de débarquer, mais cette fois-ci, cela n'a pas été possible ; car la glace consistait en une vaste nappe de masses flottantes, qui ressemblaient à des ruines de bancs brisés par quelque tempête. Мы попытались выбраться на берег, но на этот раз это оказалось невозможным, так как лед представлял собой огромную толщу плавающих глыб, похожих на обломки бергов, расколотых каким-то штормом. After this I had nothing to say, nor was there anything left for us but to drift wherever the current might carry us. После этого мне нечего было сказать, и нам ничего не оставалось, как плыть по течению, куда бы нас ни занесло.

So we drifted for some days, Agnew all the time maintaining that we were going north, while I was sure that we were going south. Так мы дрейфовали несколько дней, причем Агню все время утверждал, что мы идем на север, а я был уверен, что мы идем на юг. The sky remained as cloudy as ever, the wind varied incessantly, and there was nothing by which we could conjecture the points of the compass. Le ciel restait toujours aussi nuageux, le vent variait sans cesse, et il n'y avait rien qui nous permette de deviner les points cardinaux. Небо оставалось таким же пасмурным, как и прежде, ветер постоянно менялся, и не было ничего, по чему мы могли бы определить точки компаса. We lived on our seal, and for drink we chewed ice and snow. Мы жили на тюленях, а для питья грызли лед и снег. One thing was certain--the climate was no colder. Одно можно сказать точно - климат не стал холоднее. Agnew laid great stress on this. Agnew a beaucoup insisté là-dessus. Агню придавал этому большое значение.

"You see," said he, "we must be going north. "Видите ли, - сказал он, - мы должны идти на север. If we were going south we should be frozen stiff by this time." Si nous allions vers le sud, nous serions gelés à ce moment-là." Если бы мы шли на юг, то к этому времени уже должны были бы замерзнуть". "Yes; but if we were going north," said I, "we ought to find it growing warmer." "Да, но если бы мы ехали на север, - сказал я, - нам должно было бы стать теплее". "No," said he, "not with all this ice around us. "Нет, - сказал он, - не с таким количеством льда вокруг нас. It’s the ice that keeps the temperature in this cold state." Именно лед поддерживает температуру в этом холодном состоянии". Argument could do no good, and so we each remained true to our belief--his leading him to hope, and mine dragging me down to despair. L'argumentation ne pouvait rien faire de bon, et ainsi nous restâmes chacun fidèles à notre croyance : la sienne le poussait à espérer, et la mienne m'entraînait au désespoir. Argumenten konden geen goed doen, en dus bleven we allemaal trouw aan onze overtuiging - hij leidde hem naar hoop, en de mijne sleepte me tot wanhoop. Аргументы не помогли, и каждый из нас остался верен своей вере: его - в надежду, а меня - в отчаяние. At length we finished the last fragment of the seal that we had cooked, and, finding ourselves near some firm ice, we went ashore and cooked all that was left, using the remainder of our wood for fuel, and all that we dared to remove from the boat. Enfin nous terminâmes le dernier fragment de phoque que nous avions cuit, et, nous trouvant près d'une glace ferme, nous descendîmes à terre et cuisinâmes tout ce qui restait, utilisant le reste de notre bois comme combustible, et tout ce que nous osions enlever. du bateau. Наконец мы доели последний кусок приготовленного тюленя и, оказавшись возле крепкого льда, выбрались на берег и приготовили все, что осталось, используя для топлива остатки дров и все, что осмелились снять с лодки. Re-embarking with this, we drifted on as before. Снова высадившись на берег, мы дрейфовали, как и прежде.

Several more days passed. Прошло еще несколько дней. At last one night I was roused by Agnew. Наконец однажды ночью меня разбудил Агню. He pointed far away to the distant horizon, where I saw a deep red glow as of fire. Il a pointé au loin vers l'horizon lointain, où j'ai vu une lueur rouge foncé comme du feu. Он указал вдаль, на далекий горизонт, где я увидел глубокое красное свечение, как от огня. We were both filled with wonder at the sight, and were utterly unable to account for it. Nous étions tous les deux émerveillés par cette vue et nous étions totalement incapables de l'expliquer. Мы оба были поражены этим зрелищем и не могли объяснить его. We knew that it could not be caused by the sun or the moon, for it was midnight, and the cause lay on the earth and not in the skies. Nous savions que cela ne pouvait pas être causé par le soleil ou la lune, car il était minuit, et la cause se trouvait sur la terre et non dans les cieux. Мы знали, что это не может быть вызвано солнцем или луной, ведь была полночь, и причина лежала на земле, а не в небесах. It was a deep, lurid glow, extending along the horizon, and seemed to be caused by some vast conflagration. C'était une lueur profonde et sinistre, s'étendant le long de l'horizon, et semblait être causée par une vaste conflagration. Это было глубокое, яркое сияние, простиравшееся вдоль горизонта, и казалось, что оно вызвано каким-то огромным пожаром.