Chapter 18 Chapter 18 The Long Arctic Night
The long night began with a strong storm.The cold may not be as strong, but the air is extremely humid.Despite all the measures taken, moisture got into the room, and the condenser was filled with pounds of ice every morning when it was emptied.
Outside, the snow swirled past like a tornado. The snow no longer fell vertically, but almost swept across it.Jasper Hobson had to forbid the door to be opened, because when it was opened the snow would invade the room and fill the corridor in one fell swoop.Those who survive the winter can only be imprisoned inside.
The shutters were firmly lowered.During this long night, the lamp was kept on when I did not sleep.
But if darkness enveloped the outdoors, the roar of the storm replaced the silence of the high latitudes.The wind howled constantly between the houses and the cliffs.The house, which was blown by the strong wind, trembled on the pile foundation.If it hadn't been built solidly, it would have been unable to withstand it long ago.Fortunately, heavy snow piled up around the wall, softening the blow of the storm.Mike Knapp was afraid that the chimney's pipes made of brick and ash would not be able to withstand the pressure of the wind.However, the chimneys are standing upright, but the chimney mouths blocked by snow have to be cleaned frequently.
Amidst the roar of the storm, sometimes a great crack was heard, which Mrs Paulina Barnet could not comprehend.This is the rolling echo of thunder brought by the loud noise of the iceberg collapsing on the sea.The iceberg fell and smashed a certain part of the ice thickness, causing another continuous crackling sound.Those who have been tempered in this harsh climate will not feel eerie.Lieutenant Hobson and his companions had already experienced many battles, and Lady Polina Barnett and March were getting used to it.In addition, it is not uncommon for them to experience a hurricane with a speed of 40 per hour that can blow a 24mm cannon during their travels!Here at Bathurst Point, however, the phenomenon was accentuated by the long night and the heavy snow.The wind, if not destroying everything, is burying and obliterating everything, and maybe after twelve hours of blizzard, the houses, doghouses, warehouses and fences will all disappear under a layer of snow of even thickness.
In this closed life, indoor activities are well organized.These good people have a harmonious relationship with each other, and this collective life, although the living space is so small, has not caused inconvenience and complaints.Besides, hadn't they been used to such living conditions at Enterprisesburg and Reliancesburg?Lady Polina Barnet was not surprised, therefore, that they were so tolerant of each other.
On the one hand, work, on the other hand, reading and entertainment, which occupy all the time.The job is to make clothes, mend clothes, maintain weapons, and make shoes. Lieutenant Hobson keeps a diary every day, and writes down all the trivial things in the winter, such as weather, temperature, wind direction, meteors common in the Arctic, etc.; Maintenance, cleaning of the bedroom, daily inspection of the stock of furs, lest moisture spoil them; then there is the care of the fire and the stove, and the constant removal of damp frost from the corners.According to the regulations posted in the hall, everyone has their own job.People in the fortress are never too busy, and never have nothing to do.Meanwhile, Thomas Clerk went back and forth with his instruments, repeating his astronomical calculations; he almost always shut himself up in the house, cursing the snowstorm which prevented him from making his nocturnal observations.As for the three married women, Mrs. Mac Knapp looked after her baby, who was growing very well, and Mrs. Jolliffe, with the help of Mrs. Leigh and under the direction of Corporal Carpy, presided over the catering.
Entertainment takes place collectively for a few hours each day and all day on Sunday.This starts with reading.The bookshelves in the fortress contain only bibles and a few travel books, but that's enough for these people.Usually, read by Lady Paulina Barnett, to the real delight of her audience.When she reads a passage from the Bible in her moving and confident voice, Bible stories have a special charm, as do travel stories.The created characters and legendary heroes come to life at this time, and the experience is unique!So when the delightful woman picked up the book at the appointed time, everyone was happy.She is the soul of this small world, she is good at learning and willing to teach others, she can both put forward opinions and ask for opinions, and she is always ready to help others.In her were the elegance and kindness of a woman, and the perseverance and strength of a woman: in the eyes of these rough soldiers, she had these two advantages, this double value, and they loved her very much and were willing to sacrifice their lives for her.It should be said that Mrs Polina Barnett was at one with the collective life, she never shut herself in a room, she worked together among her peers and by asking questions and inquiring, everyone was involved Come on in the conversation.In Castle Hope, nothing is idle, the hands are constantly working, and the mouth is constantly talking.People doing, talking, and, it should be added, great bodies.As a result, a good mood maintains a good body, and dispels the troubles of long-term confinement.
However, the storm has not abated.For three days, the winter residents have been guarding the house, and the snow and wind have been blowing furiously.Jasper Hobson grew impatient.Renewing the over-carbonated air in the room was the most urgent thing. In this stale room, the lights seemed dim.So an air pump was thought of; but its pipes were frozen and could not be started.The air pump could have been used if the snow hadn't buried the house so deep.Therefore, you have to find a way to act.The lieutenant took the sergeant's advice and decided that on the 23rd of November, a window at the end of the hallway in front of the house would be opened, where the wind was a little less strong.
This is not an easy task.The window sash inside was opened at once, but the window shield was pressed by a hard block of ice, no matter how hard I tried, it was in vain.The hinges had to be removed, and then picks and shovels were used to break the block of ice, which was at least 10 feet thick.Therefore, a hole had to be dug to lead to the outside.
With great difficulty Jasper Hobson, the sergeant, some soldiers and Mrs Polina Barnett - as the wind was howling and pouring it in - was immediately outside the passage. .
What a splendid view of Bathurst Point and the surrounding plains!It was midday, and there was a dim light on the southern horizon.The cold was less bitter than one might think, with the thermometer reading 15 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 9 degrees Celsius).But the snow and the wind were always blowing, and the lieutenant, his companions, and the female traveler would have been blown down by the wind, had it not been for the thick snow that sunk to their waists and held them against the wind and snow.They couldn't speak, they couldn't open their eyes, they couldn't see in the dancing snowflakes.Within half an hour, they would be buried in the snow.The surroundings were all white, and the fence was covered with snow. The roof and the wall were buried together and blended together. If there were not two puffs of light blue smoke twisting and turning in the air, a stranger would not suspect that there was something here. houses for people to live in.
Under these conditions, the "walk" time is short.But the female traveler still glanced at the desert scene.She caught a glimpse of the snow-covered Arctic horizon, saw the formidable splendor of the Arctic storm, and returned to the house with an indelible impression.
The air in the room has been changed, and the stale air has disappeared under the clean and fresh air.The lieutenant and his companions hurried back to the house, and the windows were closed again, but from this day on, they had to clean the windows every day for ventilation.
The whole week passed like this.Fortunately, deer and dogs are plentiful and there is no need to visit them.These winterers were confined in this way for seven or eight days.For these soldiers and hunters who are accustomed to outdoor activities, the time is too long.So gradually the reading lost some of its charm and the poker game ended up being too monotonous.People go to sleep hoping that when they wake up, the howling of the wind and snow will die down, but they are always disappointed.The snow has been piling up on the windows, the whirlwind is dancing, the icebergs are cracking like thunder, the smoke is pouring back into the house, causing constant coughing, not only will the storm not stop, but it seems that it will not stop for a while!
Finally, on November 28, the aneroid barometer in the hall heralded an impending change in weather conditions.The temperature has risen significantly.At the same time, the thermometer outside suddenly dropped to almost minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 20 degrees Celsius).These signs are unmistakable.Indeed, on November 29, residents of Fort Hope learned from the calm outside that the storm was over.
At this point, everyone wants to get out as soon as possible.The days of being imprisoned are too long.The door was blocked, and people had to go out through the windows, and the last snow had to be cleared first.But this time, it wasn't soft snow to shovel away.The severe cold freezes the snow together so that it must be planed with a pickaxe.
This took half an hour, and soon, except for Mrs. Mike Knapp, who hadn't gotten out of bed, everyone was pacing up and down in the yard.
It was bitterly cold, but the wind had died down completely and it was bearable.However, coming out of the warm house, everyone has to be extra careful to face the temperature difference of about 50 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius).
It was eight o'clock in the morning.From the sky where the Polaris shone, to the distant horizon bright stars blinked and sparkled.It seems that there are millions of stars, but in fact, the number of stars visible to the naked eye on the celestial body does not exceed 5,000.Thomas Blake was amazed.He cheered for the starry sky without a trace of fog and without a cloud.And in the eyes of an astronomer, there is nothing more beautiful than this night sky.
While Thomas Blake was ecstatic there, oblivious to the rest of the world, his companions came up to the wall.The snow was as hard as a rock, but slippery, and some people fell, but not too badly.
Needless to say, the yard was covered with snow.Only the snow on the roof is perfectly level, as the wind blows and blows above it.When all that remains of the fence wall is the tips of the stakes, how do you keep even the bulkiest of rodents out?But what to do?It is impossible to imagine clearing such a large ten-foot-thick sheet of frozen snow.The best you can do is try to clear a ditch in the front of the fence so that the outer wall can protect the fence wall.But winter has just begun, and another snowstorm could fill the ditch in a few hours.
The lieutenant was inspecting the fortifications, which could not protect the main house from attack as long as the sun did not melt away the snow, when Madame Jolliff exclaimed:
"Our dogs! Our deer!"
Indeed, the condition of these animals should be looked after. The "dog house" and the deer pen were built lower, and I am afraid that they have been completely buried by snow, and there may be a lack of air in them.Some ran to the kennel, others to the deer enclosure, but all worries vanished immediately.The two buildings were partly protected by the wall of ice that connected the north corner of the main house to the cliff, where the snow was no more than four feet thick.The ventilation openings in the walls were also left unblocked.People saw that the animals were healthy, and as soon as the door was opened, the dogs barked and ran out with satisfaction.
The cold, however, was beginning to bite, and after an hour's walk one was reminded of the fire burning in the great hall.There is nothing to do outside at this time.The traps buried under ten feet of snow were impossible to inspect.So everyone went back to the house.The windows were closed, everyone was seated at the table, and it was time for dinner.
It was the sudden cold and how quickly the thick igloos froze over in the conversation.It was a pity that, so to speak, it endangered the safety of the fort.
"But, Mr. Hobson," asked Mrs. Paulina Barnett, "can we hope that there will be some fine days when the ice will thaw and turn into water?"
"No, ma'am," replied the Lieutenant, "thawing is unlikely at this time of year! I would have expected the cold to increase, and it is annoying that we have not been able to remove the snow before it freezes."
"Why! Do you think the temperature will drop a lot?"
"Undoubtedly, ma'am," replied the lieutenant, "what is minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 20 degrees Celsius) at such a high latitude?"
"What if we reach the Pole?" asked Paulina Barnett.
"Madam, the Pole may not be the coldest place on earth, since most navigators agree that it is navigable there. It even seems to be that, due to certain geographical and hydrological circumstances, the place with the coldest mean temperature is at 95 degrees of longitude and 78 degrees of latitude, That is on the coast of North George. The average year-round temperature there is only minus 2 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 29 degrees Celsius). Therefore, this place is called the "Pole of Cold."
"But, Mr. Hobson," replied Lady Polina Barnett, "we are eight degrees in latitude from this dreadful place."
"Therefore," replied Jasper Hobson, "I don't think our trials at Bathurst Point will be as severe as those at North George! If I speak to you of the Pole of Cold, It’s to tell you, when it comes to cooling, don’t confuse it with the poles themselves. Also, be aware that severe cold will occur in other parts of the planet as well, but it won’t last as long.”
"Where are the places, Mr. Hobson?" asked Lady Paulina Barnett. "I assure you that it is this question of cold that is of particular interest to me at this moment."
"As far as I can remember," replied Lieutenant Hobson, "explorers of the North Pole have observed temperatures falling to minus sixty-one degrees at Melville Island, and below zero at Port Felix. 65 degrees."
"Aren't this Melville Island and this Port Felix at a higher latitude than Cape Bathurst?"
"Possibly, ma'am, but within certain limits latitude means nothing. It takes only the interaction of various atmospheric phenomena to cause severe cold. In 1845, if my memory serves, Sergeant Long, the year you Isn't it in Reliancesburg?"
"I'm here, Lieutenant," Sergeant Long replied.
"So, that year, didn't we have an unusually cold January?"
"Indeed it is," replied the sergeant. "I distinctly recall that the thermometer read minus 70 degrees (minus 50.7 degrees Celsius)."
"What!" cried Lady Polina Barnett. "Seventy below zero, at Lilanesburg, on Lake Eskrough?"
"Yes, ma'am," replied the lieutenant, "and the latitude is only sixty-five degrees, about the same latitude as Christiania or St. Petersburg!"
"Then, Mr. Hobson, be ready for anything!"
"Yes, ma'am, when one winters in the Arctic one does have to be prepared for everything!"
During the two days of November 29th and 30th, the severe cold did not abate.The fire must be well lit, or the dampness must freeze in all corners of the room.However, the fuel is sufficient and needn't be saved.Despite the cold outside, the average temperature inside remains at 52 degrees (10 degrees Celsius).
Despite the cooling, Thomas Blake was attracted by such a clear night sky and wanted to observe the stars.He hoped to observe the duality of certain bright stars that twinkle in the sky.But he had to give up the observation.His instrument "burned" his hand. "Scorching" is the only word that can express the feeling when the body touches metal in the extreme cold.Also, actually, this phenomenon is the same.Whether the flesh is badly scalded or badly frozen, the feeling is the same.The pedant did feel his fingers stuck to the telescope.Therefore, he had to stop observing.
However, God let him see the indescribably beautiful meteor landscape of this period without regret: first the magic moon, and then the northern lights.
A phantom or halo is a white ring with a reddish edge that appears in the sky around the moon, caused by the refraction of sunlight on small prismatic crystal ice flakes floating in the atmosphere, about 45 degrees in diameter.The moon shone brightly in this white ring, which was like the milky translucent arc of a rainbow.
Fifteen hours later, the magnificent Northern Lights drew an arc of more than 100 degrees and hung on the northern horizon.The arc's highest point is right on the magnetic meridian, and as a curious phenomenon sometimes observed at lower latitudes, the meteors shine in a variety of colors, the brightest of which are red.In some parts of the sky, the constellations seem to be drowned in blood red.Fiery red rays of light radiated from the meteor cores formed by the heavy fog that piled up on the sky, and some of the light went straight into the sky, making the moon submerged in these radio waves lose its light.These rays of light trembled slightly, as if the light molecules were being shaken by air currents.No words will be able to describe the majesty of this "glory" that shines brightly over the north pole of the earth.After this incomparable spectacle lasted for half an hour, it neither shrunk nor concentrated, and the brilliance remained, but the beautiful shooting star suddenly went out, as if an invisible hand had turned off the power at once.
For Thomas Blake, it's time.Five more minutes, and astronomers will freeze on the spot!
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