Chapter 16 Chapter Sixteen

When the steamer "Mozick" set sail on the morning of July 27, the ship was bustling with people.The ship was about to leave the great port of Charleston, South Carolina.The fifteen-hundred-ton ship was not the only one chartered to that destination.But due to the influx of those who want to go to Greenland, it has been so crowded that it has not even a single empty cabin for a few days.Many other large passenger ships of different nationalities are also sailing northward across the Atlantic Ocean, heading for the Davis Strait, heading for the Baffin Sea on the other side of the Arctic Circle.Since J.B.K. Lovinsey's sensational announcement was made, it's no wonder that the crowds have flocked here.

There is no way the astronomer could be wrong.After he had given Mr. Forsyth and Mr. Hudson such a reprimand, he was not going to invite the same reprimand for himself.He knew that, under such special circumstances, it would be unforgivable and sure to be the target of public criticism. His conclusions should therefore be considered beyond doubt.The place where the bolide should fall is neither in the inaccessible area of ​​​​the North and South Poles, nor in the abyss of the unreachable ocean.No, the bolide will smash the land of Greenland. This vast area had once belonged to Denmark, and the Kingdom of Denmark had graciously granted its independence a few years before the Meteor.This time, it is this place that is blessed by nature and blessed by stars.

It was so vast here that it was impossible to tell whether it was a continent or an island.Of course, this golden ball may fall far away from the coast and hundreds of miles inland, so it will be very difficult to find it.But there is no doubt that we will overcome all difficulties, brave the extreme cold of the North Pole, brave the blizzard, and if we have to, we will always go to the top of the North Pole to pursue the billions of gold. However, fortunately, no one will be forced to make such an arduous struggle. The location of the falling meteor will be pointed out very precisely. Everyone just needs to go to Greenland. The cold honor of Nansen or other navigators in the extreme northern latitudes.

If the reader surveys the hundreds of passengers on the Mozick, among them several women, he will find five passengers who are not strangers.The presence of five of them, or at least four of them, will not surprise the reader. One is Mr. Dean Forsyth, who, accompanied by Omicron, lived a life across the sea away from the Round Tower on Elizabeth Road.The other was Dr Sidney Hudson, who left the Square Tower on Morris Road. As soon as the well-informed transport company prepared a trip to Greenland, the two rivals bought round-trip tickets without hesitation.As a last resort, they would each charter a steamer to Uber Nevik.It was evident that they had no intention of seizing that great city of gold, taking it for themselves, and bringing it back to Weston.However, they have to be on the scene when the meteor falls.

In any case, does anyone know if the Greenland government, which monopolizes Bolide, will give them a share of the billions of gold gifted by God? ... It is needless to say that on the Mozzick both Mr. Forsyth and Hudson took pains to avoid having their cabins abutting each other.During the voyage, as at Weston, there was nothing to do with each other. Old Mitz had dissuaded her master from making the trip, but Mrs. Herr hadn't objected to her husband's going--no more than Mitz, anyway.But the doctor faced repeated requests from his daughter Jenny to go.Besides, he had hurt her so much by his obstinacy, and this aroused so much affection and appeasement in him that he at last consented to take her with him.

This girl insisted on going because she had some intentions.After those few quarrels, the two families fell out completely.After that, Jenny and Frances Gordon parted sadly.She guessed he would go with uncle this time.For two unmarried couples, being close to each other on the boat is still a kind of happiness.In addition, there should always be opportunities for conversation and meeting during the journey. Facts have proved that her inference is not wrong at all.Francis had indeed made up his mind to accompany his uncle.It is certain that, while the Doctor was away, he would not have been willing to go against his strict orders to call on the house in Morris Road.He preferred, then, to travel like Omicron, in order to place himself between two rivals if necessary.Whenever there were signs that would change that sad situation, he would adapt to local conditions.After the bolide falls, it will either become the property of Greenland or disappear in the bottomless Arctic Ocean.By then, perhaps the standoff will have de-escalated on its own.Besides, J. B. K. Lovinsey was only a man after all, and being a man was bound to make mistakes.Isn't Greenland located between two oceans?All it takes, then, is for some atmospheric condition to derail the meteor, and that is enough to keep the coveted object from the race of human greed.

This ending did not please one character, Mr. Eduard de Schneck, Greenland's representative to the International Congress.He is currently among the passengers of the Mozick.His country will easily become the richest country in the world.To store so many billions of gold, the government's safes will be neither big enough nor enough.What a happy country, where there will be no more taxes!Poverty will be eradicated!Due to the intelligence and intelligence of the Scandinavian race, this huge nugget will no doubt be sold with care.Therefore, one can count on the currency markets not to be thrown into chaos by this episode. (if we believe those myths).

Mr. Schneck was about to become the hero of the ship.Two well-known figures, Mr. Dean Forsyth and Dr. Huddleson, were overshadowed by this illustrious representative of Greenland.They met over a mutual hatred of the representative.It was the nation of this representative who seized their immortal discovery without giving them even a share, not even a cosmetic one. It is estimated that the journey from Charleston to the capital of Greenland is 3,300 nautical miles, or more than 6,000 kilometers.Including the stop in Boston, it will take a total of fifteen days to travel. The "Mozick" was in Boston to load some coal for the ship.As for provisions, it carried enough to last several months, like other ships bound for the same destination.Due to the influx of troublemakers, Ubernivik is overcrowded and may not be able to guarantee their livelihoods.

The "Mozick" first traveled northward and sailed to the east coast of the United States.But on the second day of departure, the ship left North Carolina's extreme northern headland - Cape Hatteras - behind and sailed into the open sea. In July, the sky is mostly clear and cloudless in this part of the Atlantic Ocean.As long as there is a mild wind from the west, the ship will use the coast as a screen and glide on the calm water.It is a pity that sometimes the wind blows from the sea, so the ship will bump up as usual. If Mr. de Schneck had the heart of a billionaire, strong and not disgusting, neither Mr. Dean Forsyth nor Dr. Hudson had the heart.

It was their first voyage, and it was terribly uncomfortable for both of them.Yet they did not have a moment's regret in committing themselves to such an expedition. Seasickness broke them all.Whether those two unmarried couples took advantage of their uncomfortable opportunities is needless to say.They weren't seasick at all, so while father and uncle groaned in agony over the damned jolts, they were reclaiming lost good times.They parted only when they went to take care of two patients.However, every time I set out to do this job, I always tried to find a trick.While Jenny was here comforting Mr. Dean Forsyth, Francis Gordon was cheering Dr. Hudson up to his dangling courage.

When the wind and waves were slightly calmer, Jenny and he helped the two unfortunate astronomers out of their respective cabins and took them to the light deck to breathe fresh air.They let the patients each sit on a wicker chair, not far from each other, and gradually shortened the distance carefully. "How are you?" said Jenny, pulling the blanket over Mr. Forsyth's lap. "I am so miserable!" sighed the sick man, not even knowing who was talking to him. Francis, on the other hand, leaned the doctor on the well-placed cushion, and repeated in a friendly tone: "Dr. Hudson, how are you?" It's like coming out. The two adversaries sat there for hours, only dimly aware of their immediate neighbourhood.To animate them, M. de Schneck had to walk past them.The gentleman was solid and steady, like a top-top sailor who can handle the wind and waves.His head was held high, like a figure intoxicated in a dream of gold. For him, his eyes were full of things made of gold.As Mr. de Schneck passed, a dying gleam passed over the eyes of Mr. Forsyth and Mr. Huddleson.They stuttered and uttered a few harsh curses like talking to themselves: "Bolide robbers!" muttered Forsyth. "Meteor thief!" muttered Mr. Hudson. De Schneck didn't care; he didn't even notice the two of them on board.He walked about proudly, with an air of assurance, as if his country was about to become so rich in gold that it would be more than enough to pay the common debt of the whole world a hundredfold. However, the steamer has generally had a smooth ride.Conceivably, other ships from the ports on the east coast were also heading north, heading towards Davis Strait, and there were two others who were not at all seasick.Some ships, with the same destination, were crossing the Atlantic at this time. The "Mozick" sailed across the waters of New York without stopping, but headed northwest and continued toward Boston.On the morning of July 30, it was moored in front of the capital of Massachusetts.It only takes one day to fill the cabin, because the place where the ship refuels is not in Greenland. If the sea crossing this time is not bad, it is that most of the passengers had a test because of seasickness just now, and five or six of them felt enough and did not want to travel long distances, so they boarded in Boston shore.Of course, it was neither Mr. Dean Forsyth nor Dr. Hudson.It doesn't matter if they are jolted to death, at least the jolts can send them to the shooting star, their dream target. Those few passengers with less endurance went ashore, and several cabins were vacated on the "Mozick".These classes have no shortage of enthusiasts.They swooped in and boarded a ship in Boston. A handsome gentleman could be seen among them, one of the first enthusiasts to come to see the empty pod.The gentleman was none other than Mr. Seth Stanford, married and divorced husband of Mrs. Arcadia Walker.You all know the whole story of his marriage and divorce before Judge Prose. It has been more than two months since they separated.Afterwards, Mr. Seth Stanford returned to Boston.He has always loved traveling. J. B. K. Lovinsay's account forced him to abandon his trip to Japan.He has visited several big cities in Canada, Quebec, Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa.Was he trying to get over his ex-wife?This seems unlikely.The couple hit it off at first, then fell apart, and finally fell out.Their marriage was unique, and their divorce was equally unique.Divorced and parted ways.All these have been seen above.They will no doubt never see each other, or perhaps they will. Mr. Seth Stanford had just arrived in Toronto, Dominion's present capital, when he learned of J. B. K. Lovinsey's sensational chronicle.Even if the meteor fell thousands of leagues away in the remotest parts of Asia or Africa, he would find a way to get there.This was not because he was deeply interested in meteor phenomena.But to go and see a spectacle where few spectators are present, to see a spectacle which millions cannot see, is something that will move the heart of an adventurous gentleman, and a particularly restless soul.Moreover, he has plenty of money, and he can make all kinds of whimsical travels. But right now is not going to the corresponding points at the two ends of the earth's diameter.The theater of this astronomical fantasy drama is located on Canada's doorstep. Mr. Seth Stanford, therefore, took the first train for Quebec, and the next for Boston through the Dominion and the plains of New England. Forty-eight hours after the gentleman embarked in Boston, the "Mozick" entered the waters of Portsmouth, and then Portland, always looking at the mainland and within the reach of the signal station. place.Maybe the signal can send news about the bolide.It is now visible to the naked eye when the sky is cloudless. The signal station was silent.The signal station in Halifax is not much more.By this time the steamer was on the flanks of the great New Scottish harbour. How many travelers should be sorry that there is no way out of the Bay of Fundy, between New Scotland and New Brunswick, either east or north!Otherwise, they would have sailed safely all the way to the Cape of Brittany without having to suffer through the storm.The number of patients is simply too numerous to count.Despite the tender care of Jenny and Frances, Mr. Forsyth and Dr. Hudson were the best of their patients. The captain of the "Mozick" couldn't help feeling sorry for the passengers when he saw such a downturn.He sailed into the Gulf of St. Laurent, with the coast of the New World as a screen, passed through the Strait of Belle Ile, and then entered the vast sea.Then he crossed the strait to find the west coast of Greenland.After that, the sailing was much calmer. On the morning of August 7th the signal indicated that Cape Comfort was in sight.The land end of Greenland is slightly to the east, at Cape Fairway.The rolling waves of the North Atlantic crashed on this cape.These waves roared and raged, and the brave fishermen of the New World and Icelandic coasts had learned too much of them. Fortunately the ship was not going up the coast of Greenland.This stretch of the coast is almost undockable.It had no harbor to anchor in, and the waves emptied and crashed on the shore.In contrast, in Davis Strait, there are many safe havens.Shelter is easy to find, either at the end of the fjord or behind the islands.The voyage was safe and sound, except when the south wind was blowing head on. The ship continued to cross the sea, but the passengers no longer needed to complain. This part of the coast of Greenland, from Cape Fairway to the island of Disgow, is largely composed of primitive cliffs.They stand tall and block the sea wind.Even in severe winter, the coastline is not clogged with ice brought by the arctic current. In such a natural environment, the propeller of the "Mozick" turned like flying, breaking the waves on the sea surface of Gilbert Harbor.She came to Goldhope and anchored for a few hours, where the cook could get a good deal of fresh fish.Don't the folks in Greenland get their main food from the sea?Then, the "Mozick" sailed through the outer ports of the ports of Holsteinsburg and Christianshope.These small towns are all deeply imprisoned in the high rock walls, and the second town is hidden at the end of Disko Bay, so that no one can guess their existence.They are all very good retreats for the majority of fishermen.These fishermen have come here across the Davis Strait in pursuit of whales, narwhals, walruses, and seals, often as far as the ultimate frontier of the Baffin Sea. The steamer had been at Disko Island since the early hours of August 9th.This island is the most important of all the islands in this area.The islands here are like scattered rosary beads, scattered one by one along the coast of Greenland.The island of Disgo, lined with basalt cliffs, has its capital, Goldhorn, built on the south coast of the island.This station is not composed of stone houses, but wooden houses.The huts have nearly square beam walls thickly coated with asphalt to keep air out.This dark town is dotted with red tiles and red windows everywhere, and the red inside is very conspicuous.Francis Gordon and Seth Stanford, as travelers not fascinated by meteors, made a strong, vivid impression of the town.What would life be like here on a cold day?You will assure them that life here is not unlike that of a family in Stockholm or Copenhagen, and it will completely surprise them.Certain houses, though poorly furnished, lose nothing of their comfort.There was a living room, a dining room, and even a library in the house, for the "high society" (if you can call it that) of Danish origin was not a country of vulgarity and literacy.The authorities have a representative here, representing the government at Ubernivik. The "Mozick" sailed past Disko Island, and then came to anchor in the port of Uber Nevik at about 6:00 p.m. on August 10.

---

Notes: