Chapter 34 Chapter II Altamon's First Words

Towards eight o'clock in the evening, the snow and mist lifted for a while, and the sky became clear; the stars shone brightly in the colder sky. Hatteras used this variation to obtain the horizon latitude of several stars.He went out without a word, taking his tools.He wanted to determine the location, to know if the ice field had shifted. Half an hour later he came back, lying in a corner of the room, in a state of utter immobility, obviously not sleep. The next day the snow began to fall heavily again; the doctor was thankful he had done some searching the night before, for the ice field was soon covered with a white sheet, and under the three-foot-thick shroud there was no sign of any explosion .

On this day, it was impossible to get outside; luckily, the igloos were still comfortable, or at least for the weary travellers.The small stove had a strong fire, and it would have been better if the wind hadn't filled it with smoke at times; the heat of the stove could also provide hot tea or coffee, which was invaluable at low temperatures. The victims, because one could really call them that, felt a comfort they had not been used to for a long time; All but ignoring the future, which threatens them with imminent death. The American suffered less and came to himself; he opened his eyes, but he could not speak; his lips still had traces of scurvy, and he could not utter a word; but he heard and understood this Condition.He nodded his thanks; he knew he had been rescued after being buried in a snow cave, and the doctor had wisely not told him that his death was postponed for a short period of time, because eventually, after two weeks, three weeks at the most, it was completely There is no food left.

At noon, Hatteras came out of his immobility and walked over to the doctor, Johnson, and Bell. "My friends," he said to them, "we shall together make the final decision as to what we shall do next. First, I will ask Johnson to tell me the circumstances of this mutiny which brought us down. occurring." "What's the use of knowing?" replied the doctor. "There is no doubt about it. Don't think about it." "On the contrary, I want to," Hatteras replied. "But after Johnson said it, I stopped thinking about it." "It happened in this way," answered the bosun. "I did everything in my power to stop this crime..."

"I believe, Johnson, I would also say that the agitators have been plotting for a long time." "I thought so too," said the doctor. "And I," said Johnson; "since you've just set off, Captain, and from the next day Shandon has been against you; Command; I tried to object, but it was useless. From then on, everyone did almost as they pleased; Sandon let himself go; he wanted to show the crew that the days of weariness and hardship were over. Again, no longer in any respect thrifty; they built great fires in their furnaces; they even burned boats. Food was free, and so was wine, and for those who have not drunk for a long time, you may think how they drink too much! This is from From January 7 to January 15."

"So," said Hatteras gravely, "Sandon inspired the crew to riot?" "Yes, Captain." "Stop talking about him. Go on, Johnson." "By the 24th or 25th of January they agreed upon the plan of abandoning ship and fleeing. They resolved to go to the west bank of the Baffin Sea; from there they took skiffs, looking for whaling ships or reaching the Greenland colonies on the east coast. Food was plentiful; The sick, cheered by the hope of returning home, began to make preparations for departure; a sled was built to carry provisions, fuel, and boats; the sled was to be drawn. This continued until the 15th of February Day. I'm always looking forward to seeing you, Captain, but I'm afraid you'll show up. You've got nothing from the crew, they'll kill you instead of keeping you on board. There's a kind of crazy freedom here I stopped them one by one; I spoke to them, I persuaded them, I made them understand how dangerous it is to set out like this, and how cowardly it is to go without you! I got nothing, not even the best Can't stay! The day of departure is set for February 22. Shandon can't wait. They loaded sleds and boats with food and wine as much as they could; they also loaded a lot of timber; the ship's starboard wall Destroyed down to the waterline. Anyway, the last day was a carnival day; they plundered, ransacked, and Penn and two or three sailors set fire to the ship when they were drunk. I resisted them, I fought; Overturned, they beat me; and then these wretched fellows, with Shandon at their head, set off eastward, and disappeared! I was left alone; how could I stop the fire that consumed the ship? The fire was blocked by icebergs; I had no drop of water. The Forward was on fire for two days, and you know the rest."

After the lecture, there was a long silence in the igloo; the somber scene of the ship on fire, the loss of such a precious ship, had an even greater psychological impact on the victims; they felt faced with an impossibility; The most important thing is to go back to England.They don't have to look at each other for fear of finding an expression of utter despair on each other's faces.All they could hear was the American's rapid breathing. Finally, Hatteras spoke. "Johnson," he said, "I thank you for doing all you could to save my ship: but, alone, you cannot resist. I thank you again, and don't speak of this disaster any more. Focus our efforts on all On the salvation of people. We are four partners here, four friends, and we are sincere. Everyone should talk about their own ideas about what to do."

"Ask us, Hatteras," answered the doctor; "we are all faithful, and our words come from the heart. First, what do you think?" "I'm alone, how could I be," said Hatteras mournfully.My thoughts seem selfish, I want to know yours first. "Captain," said Johnson, "before we comment on this grave situation, I have an important question for you to ask." "Go ahead, Johnson." "You booked our place yesterday; so is the rink still shifting, or staying where it is?" "It didn't move," replied Hatteras, "and I found, as before we set out, that the latitude was 80°15' and the longitude 97°35'."

"So," said Johnson, "how far are we from the nearest ocean to the west?" "About six hundred miles," Hatteras answered. "This ocean, is this...?" "Smith Strait." "The strait we failed to cross last April?" "That's the one." "Okay, Captain, our situation is now clear, and we can make a well-informed decision." "Go ahead," said Hatteras, putting his head in his hands. He was able to listen to his companions without looking at them. "Look, Bell," said the doctor, "what do you think is the best thing to do?"

"It's not necessary for a long time," replied the carpenter. "We should go back without wasting a day, an hour, or go south or west to the nearest coast... It will take us two months to sail!" "We only have food for three weeks," Hatteras replied without looking up. "Well," Johnson continued, "then the voyage will take three weeks, since it is our only chance of rescue; shall we crawl on the ground as we approach the shore, and shall depart and arrive within twenty-five days." "This part of the northern land is unfamiliar," answered Hatteras, "and we shall encounter obstacles, icebergs, and ice packs which will block our way entirely."

"I don't see," continued the doctor, "one good reason for not sailing; we suffer, and suffer a great deal, that is obvious; we ought to save as much food as we can, and hunt at least once in a while..." "Only half a pound of powder left," answered Hatteras. "Well, Hatteras," said the doctor again, "I know all the meaning of your objection. I'm not hoping in vain. But I believe I understand what you're thinking. Do you have a workable plan?" "No," said the captain, after a moment's hesitation. "You shouldn't doubt our courage," said the doctor again; "we've been with you to the end, you know, but shouldn't you give up any hope of reaching the end at this point? The rebellion has shattered your plans, You can fight against the difficulties of nature and overcome them, but not against the treachery and cowardice of man; you have done everything humanly possible, and you would have succeeded, I am sure; but in the present situation Your Majesty, shouldn't you put away your plan, and even try to return to England in order to be able to carry it out again in the future?"

"Yes, Captain!" Johnson said to Hatteras, who did not answer for a long time. Finally, the captain raised his head and said in an unnatural tone: "Have you any chance of reaching the shore of the Channel, when you are so weary that you have little to eat?" "No," said the doctor, "the coast certainly won't come to us; it should. Perhaps we'll find tribes of Eskimos a little farther south, and we can easily get in touch with them." "And," Johnson added, "wouldn't we encounter ships forced to overwinter in this strait?" "If necessary," replied the doctor, "since the strait is blocked, shall we not pass through it to the west coast of Greenland, and from there to the Danish colonies, either by the Prudeau dominion, or by Cape York? In short, Hatteras, you won't find all this on the ice! The road to England is there, in the south, not here, not in the north!" "Yes," said Bell, "Mr. Crowburne has a point and should go, without delay. By now we have forgotten our country and what we hold dear!" "It's your opinion, Johnson!" repeated Hatteras. "Yes, Captain." "Your opinion, doctor?" "Yes, Hatteras." Still Hatteras said nothing; his face involuntarily showed all the fury of inner struggle.His whole life was bound up with the decision he was about to make; if he went back, his valiant plans would be in vain; a fourth such adventure could not be expected. The doctor, seeing that the captain was silent, went on: "I would add, Hatteras, that we should not waste a moment; we should put all our food on the sledge, and take as much wood as we can. Six hundred miles is a very long journey under these conditions. Long, I suppose, but not insurmountable; we could, or better, travel 20 nautical miles a day, and reach the coast in a month, that is, around March 25th..." "But," said Hatteras, "can't we wait a few more days?" "What do you expect?" Johnson replied. "How do I know? Who can predict the future? Wait a few more days! You have barely regained your strength! If you can't walk two stops, you will fall to the ground from exhaustion, and there is no snow house to cover you!" "But here, a terrible death awaits us!" Bell cried. "My friends," said Hatteras in an almost pleading tone, "you are not yet in despair! I advise you to seek the road of salvation north. But you will not follow me! Is there no The Eskimo tribes of Smith Strait? The unobstructed sea must have existed and should have flooded the continents. Creation is logical in all respects. It should be believed, then, that there must be a kingdom of plants where the cold has lost its power. In the North Isn't the land of hope waiting for us, and you are fleeing without looking back?" Hatteras speaks passionately; his over-excited temperament paints a blissful scene of a region whose existence is uncertain. "Another day," he repeated, "another hour!" Dr. Crowburny, with his adventurous disposition and fervent imagination, slowly agitated; he was on the verge of being persuaded, but Johnson, more sensible and calm, reminded him of reason and responsibility. "Let's go, Bell," he said, "and hitch the sled!" "Let's go!" Bell replied. The two sailors walked towards the opening of the igloo. "Oh! Johnson! You! You!" cried Hatteras. "Okay, let's go, I'll stay! I'll stay!" "Captain!" Johnson said, stopping involuntarily. "I'm staying, I'm telling you! Come on! Leave me like everyone else! Come on... Come, Duck, we two stay!" The brave dog came to his owner barking, and Johnson looked at the doctor.The latter did not know what to do; the best course of action was to calm down Hatteras and wait another day, as he thought.The doctor was about to give in when he felt someone touch his arm. He turned around.The American just got out of the quilt, he crawled on the ground, he finally got to his knees, and a staccato sound came from his sickly lips. The doctor was amazed, almost frightened, and looked at him in silence.Hatteras stepped up to the American and watched him carefully.He tried to capture what the unfortunate man was unable to say.Finally, after five minutes of hard work, he finally uttered a word: "Pere Boise". "Perboise!" cried the captain. The American made an affirmative gesture. "In this sea?" Hatteras asked, his heart beating fast. The patient made the same gesture. "in the north?" "Yes!" said the unfortunate man. "Do you know where it is?" "yes!" "Is it true?" "Yes!" repeated Altamon. He paused for a moment.People who saw this unexpected scene were very excited. "Listen," said Hatteras at last to the patient, "we ought to know about this ship! I'm going to say the numbers aloud, and you'll stop me with your gestures." The American nodded in agreement. "Look," said Hatteras, "I mean longitude—105°? Isn't it—106°, 107°, 108°?—just to the west?" "Yes," said the American. "Go on.—109°? 110°? 112°? 114°? 116°? 118°? 119°? 120°?" "Yes," Altamon replied. "Longitude 120°?" said Hatteras, "—how many minutes? I'll count..." Hatteras from the beginning.On the count of 15, Altamon gestured him to stop. "Good!" said Hatteras. "—Look at the latitude again. Did you hear me?—80°? 81°? 82°? 83°?" The American made a gesture to stop him. "Good!—how many points? 5'? 10'? 12'? 15'? 20'? 25'? 30'? 35'?" Altamon gestured again and smiled faintly. "So," said Hatteras gravely, "the Perleboise is at a longitude of 120°15' and a latitude of 83°35'?" "Yes!" said the American for the last time, and he fell motionless in the doctor's arms. The effort exhausted him. "My friends," cried Hatteras, "you see very well that salvation is in the North, always in the North! We shall be saved!" But Hatteras had just finished his cheerful words when a terrible thought suddenly occurred to him.His face changed, and he felt a jealous snake biting his heart. Another man, an American, went 3° further on the way to the poles!Why?What is the purpose?