Chapter 9 Chapter 9 The "Halle Brenale" is ready for departure

Draw a rectangle with a length of 65 miles from east to west and a width of 40 miles from north to south; place two large islands and a hundred small islands here from longitude 60° 10' to 64° 36' west and latitude 51° to 52° 45' These are what are geographically known as the Falkland Islands or the Malvinas Islands.300 nautical miles away from the Strait of Magellan, it is the outpost of the two oceans, the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. In 1592, John Davis discovered the archipelago; in 1593, the pirate Hawkins came to the island; in 1689, Strong named it.All three are British.

Almost a century later, the French, who had settled in Canada and were expelled from the country, tried to establish a provision settlement on this archipelago for passing ships in the Pacific.Most of the passing ships were pirate ships from St. Malo, so they named the islands the Malvinas, so the archipelago has two names: Malvinas and Falkland.Bougainville, a compatriot of the above-mentioned French, laid the foundation stone of the colony in 1763, bringing with him twenty-seven people, five of whom were women.Ten months later, the number of immigrants here has reached 150. This rapid development will inevitably arouse the coveted eyes of Britain.The British Naval Command dispatched the "Tamar" and "Dolphin", commanded by Byron.In 1766, after the British expedition to the Strait of Magellan, they sailed towards the Falkland Islands.If you find the island of Port Egmont in the west, let it go, and continue to sail to the Antarctic Ocean.

The French emigration probably didn't work out either.Moreover, Spain maintained their rights under some former papal franchise.The government of Louis XV decided to recognize the rights of the Spaniards, but demanded financial compensation.In 1767 Bougainville came and handed over the Falkland Islands to representatives of the King of Spain. All these exchanges, "changing hands", must also bring about the inevitable result of the colonial enterprise: this is the Spaniards being driven out by the British.Beginning in 1833, these extraordinary raiders became masters of the Falkland Islands.

When our brig docked at Port Egmont on October 16th, the archipelago had been part of British territory in the South Atlantic for six years. Two large islands, depending on their relative positions, one is called East Falkland or Soledad and the other is West Falkland.Port Egmont is located in the north of West Falkland Island. After the "Halbrena" anchored deep in the harbor, Captain Lan Guy gave the crew twelve hours' leave.Start working immediately the next day.A careful inspection of the hull and rigging begins with an absolute must for trekking across polar seas. Captain Lan Guy went ashore at once to confer with the Governor of the Islands on the prompt provision of the brig.The Governor of the Islands is appointed by the Queen of England.Captain Lan Guy was willing to pay whatever he wanted.For such a arduous expedition, trying to save places that should not be saved may lead to the failure of the expedition.Furthermore, I would like to inform him that I stand ready to support him with my money, and that I intend to take a share to finance the expedition.

I'm really hooked now.The incredible accident, the curious interconnection of this series of events, completely fascinated me.I seemed to be the protagonist of "Arnhem Land", and I seemed to think, "If a person feels wonderful when he is isolated from the world, reclusive, and shuts himself out, then traveling to the Antarctic Ocean is a good idea." He couldn't be more appropriate."I've come to this point myself by rereading Edgar Allan Poe's bizarre writings! ...Besides, the rescue of the unfortunate is a matter of great importance.I am very happy if I can personally contribute to their salvation...

Captain Lan Guy disembarked that day.Jem West never left the ship, as was his custom.All the crew members were resting, but the first officer didn't have a minute to spare. He inspected the cargo hold and kept busy until late at night. I intend to go ashore again the next day.At any rate, during the stay, I had plenty of time to survey the surrounding area of ​​Port Egmont, and to conduct mineralogical and geological studies of the island. For chat king Heligeri, this is of course a perfect opportunity to reopen the conversation with me.He certainly did not ignore this opportunity. "My sincerest and warmest congratulations, Mr. Geolin," he said, coming up to me.

"Why, bosun? . . . " "Because I heard that you're going to follow us all the way to the end of the Antarctic Ocean, isn't it? "Oh! . . . I don't think it's that far, is it? It's definitely not beyond the 84th parallel south latitude . . . " "That's not certain!" replied the bosun, "do you know how many reef riggings there are on the Halbrena's mizzensail, or how many ladder stays are on the shrouds? Altogether, the Halle Brenane will cross more degrees of latitude than that!  …” "Let's see!" "Aren't you afraid, Mr. Georyn? . . . "

"I'm not afraid at all." "We are by no means inferior to you, please believe me!" Heligley said decisively, "Hey! Hey! You see, our captain, although he doesn't like to talk, has his strengths! The problem is how to subdue him At first, he refused to take you to Tristan da Cunha by boat, but later he agreed to you. Now, he agrees that you will go all the way to the South Pole..." "Not to the South Pole, Bosun!" "Well! Someday we will go to the South Pole! . . . " "So far, this has not been done. Besides, it does not seem to me very meaningful. I have no ambitions to conquer the South Pole! .

"To Zalar Island, all right, it's settled!" Heligley argued, "However, you have to admit, our captain is really easy to talk to you..." "Yes! That is why I am especially grateful to him, bosun,—and to you," I hastened to add, "to the influence which I owe to this voyage across the sea..." "And the upcoming voyage." "I'm sure of it, bosun." Perhaps Heligly--he was a decent man at heart, as I saw clearly from what happened afterwards--detected some sarcasm in my answer.However, he did not show the slightest determination to continue to play his role of protector to me.I could only benefit from his talk, as he knew the Falklands as well as he knew the South Atlantic islands that he had traveled to and from over the years.

So when the small boat that took me ashore docked the next day, I had already made enough preparations in advance and had a lot of information.The dense green grass on the shore is like a mattress placed there to cushion the impact of the boat. At that time, the Falkland Islands were not as exploited as they would later be.Discover Port Stanley in Soledad, that's for later.French geographer Eliezer Lecreus considered Stanley an "ideal" port.The harbor is well shaded on all sides and can even accommodate the naval fleet of the British Empire.Port Egmont was the port that the Hallebrena found on the north coast of West Falkland, or Falkland Main Island.

If during these two months of voyage I had been blindfolded so that I was not aware of the direction in which the brig was going, then in the first few hours of this mooring, if someone asked me: Are you In the Falkland Islands or in Norway? ... I may really not be able to answer for a while! Certainly, facing the coast cut into deep coves, standing in front of the steep hills that look like cut walls, and facing the cliffs piled up with layers of gray and black rocks, hesitation should be allowed.Even this oceanic climate, with little difference in temperature between hot and cold, is no different between the two countries.In addition to the frequent rainfall in the skies of Scandinavia, the sky of the Strait of Magellan also sheds it down in abundance.Even the dense fog in spring and autumn and the strong wind that uproots the vegetables in the vegetable garden are very similar. After a few walks, however, I have to admit: the tropics and the Nordic seas are still far apart. What did I see during the first few days of exploring around Port Egmont?Only weak vegetation traces, no trees anywhere.Sparse shrubs grow here and there, and in the mountains of Norway are marvelous fir forests.Shrubs of the pillow-shaped Umbelliferae primrose, a calamus, thin as a rush, six or seven feet long, exuding a fragrant gum; valerian; usnea; fescue; creeping gorse ; Stipa; Calpeaceae; Mosses; Violets;The peaty surface sinks when you step on it, and bounces up when you walk on it.The ground is covered with colorful carpets of moss, sphagnum and lichen. ……No!The spellbinding realm that echoes saga echoes everywhere is not here!The poetic and picturesque country where Odin, Az, and Valgiri gallop is not here! The Falkland Strait separates the two main islands.On the deep water surface of the strait, strange aquatic plants are arranged in rows, supported by strings of small air bubbles on the water surface.This plant is purely of the Falkland flora. It should also be seen that in the bays of the archipelago, whales have become rare day by day, but other large marine mammals often appear-fur seals, hyenas shaped like goats, twenty-five feet in length, and about twenty feet in body; Groups of elephant seals, sea wolves or sea lions are as big as fur seals.The sounds of these amphibians, especially the females and their young, are unimaginable.You would even think it was herds of cows neighing on the beach.There is no difficulty, nor danger, in catching, or at least killing, these animals.While huddled beneath the beach sand, fishermen can kill with a single blow with a club. This is what makes the Falkland Islands unique, so different from Scandinavia, not to mention the countless bird species.As soon as I approached, the birds flew away, there were great bustards, herons, grebes, and black-headed swans.In particular, the number of penguins in groups is the largest, with an average of hundreds of thousands being hunted and killed every year. One day, the braying of donkeys echoed in the air, deafening.I asked an old seaman at Port Egmont: "Are there donkeys around here?" "Sir," he answered me, "what you heard was not a donkey braying at all, but a penguin..." Yeah?Even if the donkey heard the clumsy cry of the bird, it would probably be fooled by it! On the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth of October Jem West called for a very careful examination of the hull.It has been ascertained that the hull has not suffered any damage.The bow appeared to be quite strong enough to break up the newly formed ice blocks when approaching the large polar ice floes.Several reinforcing repairs were made to the stern post to ensure that the rudder would function and not loosen from impact.The brig had heeled to port or starboard, and the few cracks had been carefully filled with hemp and smoothed with putty.Like most ships designed to navigate the colder oceans, the Halle Brena did not have a thin copper clad bottom—the sharp ridges of the Antarctic ice sheet could easily damage the cladding if it was brushed against. It is advisable not to wrap the shell.Some of the dowels connecting the shell plating to the ship's ribs were replaced.Led by our caulker, Hardy, the gavels sang in unison with a loud sound that seemed to be auspicious. On the afternoon of the twentieth, accompanied by the old seaman mentioned above, I advanced my walk on the western side of the bay a step further.The old seaman was a good man, and he was very tempted by the bait of a piastre and a glass of gin.This West Falkland island is larger than the neighboring island of Soledad.Deep in the southernmost tip of the Byron Strait, there is another port.Unfortunately, it was too far away for me to go. I cannot even make a rough estimate of the population of the archipelago.Maybe there were only two or three hundred people at that time.Most of them are British, but there are also a few Indians, Portuguese, Spaniards, Gaucho people in the Argentine Pampas, and Fuego people in Tierra del Fuego. There are thousands of sheep scattered on the island.More than half a million sheep provide $400,000 worth of wool annually.Cattle are also raised on the island, which seem to be larger in size, while other quadrupeds, such as horses, pigs, rabbits, etc., have shrunk in size.All kinds of animals are in wild state.The Foxhound, a breed endemic to the Falkland region, is unique in its ability to evoke memories of carnivory in you. The group of islands is known, not without reason, as "grazing lands."what!The endless pastures are connected with the clumps of pasture generously bestowed by nature, how delicious the taste is, and how lush the growth is!In Australia, where the conditions are equally superior in this respect, the breeds of cattle and sheep will never be slightly better than here in the banquets for the guests! So, in terms of resupplying the ships, people probably liked coming to the Falklands.The group of islands must have been of real importance to ships going to the Strait of Magellan, or to fishing near the poles. After the completion of the hull work, the first mate, with the assistance of the sail master Martin Huot, took care of the mast and sail rigging.For this kind of work, Martin Huot is an expert. "Mr. Georin," said Captain Lan Guy to me that day—October 21st—"you see, there must be no ambiguity in order to ensure the success of the expedition. Everything that should be foreseen has been taken into account. .If the 'Halbrena' ship crashes, it only shows that people should not violate the will of God!" "Once again, I give you my hope, sir," I replied, "that your brig and crew are entirely trustworthy." "You're quite right, Mr. Georin, and we're in good condition to move forward through the pack ice. What effect the steam will have one day, I don't know. But I doubt very much that a steamer loaded with cumbersome and Fragile wheels, when sailing to the South Pole, can be worth a sailing ship ... and must be fueled frequently ... No! In a well-steered sailing ship, using the wind, three-fifths of the circle The wind can be harnessed; the sails of a brig can be set at an angle of about five squares. It seems to me wiser to rely on such a sailing vessel..." "I agree with you, Captain. From a nautical point of view, there is no better ship! ... However, if the expedition is prolonged, it may be provided ..." "We have two years' worth of provisions, Mr. Georin, and they are of good quality. Port Egmont has managed to furnish me with everything we need..." "With your permission, I have one more question." "what is the problem?" "Does the crew of the 'Halle Brena' need to be larger?...Even if there are enough manpower for the operation now, in the future in the Antarctic waters, there will always be situations of attack or self-defense?...Don't forget, According to Arthur Pym's own account, there are thousands of native inhabitants of Zalal Island!... What if your brother William Gay and his companions are still imprisoned there?... " "Mr. Georin, I'm counting on the gun protection on the Hallebrena to be stronger than the Jenny's. To be honest, I also know that the current crew size for an expedition of this type is Not enough. So I also considered recruiting additional sailors..." "Is it difficult?..." "It's difficult, it's not difficult, because the governor promised to help me with the recruitment." "Captain, I think that if you want the recruits to serve you loyally, you must pay a high commission..." "Double the commission, Mr. Georin. Double the commission for the crew." "You know, Captain, I'm ready... I even want to share the cost of this expedition... Please treat me as your shareholder!..." "Let's talk about this slowly, Mr. Georin, I am very grateful to you. The most important thing is that our weapons and equipment will be replenished in a short time. After a week, we must be ready to go." The news that the brig was heading for the seas of Antarctica had already caused a sensation in the ports of the Falkland Islands, Port Egmont, and Soledad.At that time, a large number of local sailors were idle, waiting for the whaling ships to help when they passed by.Generally speaking, the pay is quite generous.If it was just an expedition to the Polar Circle and fishing in the waters between Sandwich Land and New George Island, Captain Lan Gaye would definitely have a hard time choosing.But now it was time to advance beyond the great polar ice packs, into farther places than any navigator hitherto had gone.Although the purpose is to rescue people in distress, it will make people think twice, and most people will be afraid.Only the old crew of the "Halle Brena" are fearless of the dangers of this kind of voyage, willing to follow their boss, and follow him as far as the boss wants to go. The crew of the "Halle Brenane" will indeed at least triple.Including the captain, mate, bosun, cook, and myself, we are now only thirteen.And thirty-two to thirty-four people, this number is absolutely not many.Don't forget that there were thirty-eight people on board the "Jenny"! It is true that the attempt to triple the present size of the crew would have given rise to certain apprehensions.Are the sailors of the Falkland Islands, who are supposed to work for the whaling ships at anchor, guaranteed to be qualified?If there were quite a number of people on board, four or five new arrivals would not cause much harm.This was not the case with our brig. Now that the Islands authorities were assisting, and Captain Lan Guy had chosen them himself, he hoped that they would not cause him to regret in the future. The Governor took this matter with heartfelt interest and genuine enthusiasm. In addition, the promised commission was very high, and there was an endless stream of applicants. The trip is scheduled for October 27th.By the night before, the crew figures were full. I don't think it is necessary to introduce the names and advantages of each person who has just boarded the ship.You will understand slowly.Everyone can be judged by watching them do things.There are good ones and bad ones. The truth is that there was simply no way to find someone better—or, in other words, not so bad—as one wished. As a side note, among the recruits there were six of them originally from England, and one of them, a guy named Hearne, was from Glasgow. Five were of American origin, eight were of unknown nationality--several were of Dutch descent, and several were half-Spanish, half-Fuegean.The youngest is nineteen years old and the oldest is forty-four.Most people have sailed at sea, either on merchant ships or in hunting whaling, sealing, and other amphibians in Antarctic waters, and are no strangers to the profession of seaman.Others were hired solely to augment the ship's security staff. A total of nineteen people were recruited, and the employment period was the entire process of the expedition. The length of time could not be determined in advance, but they would not be taken far beyond Zalar Island.The commission was high, and no sailor had ever been paid more than half the wages here when they went to sea. Counting the captain and first mate, and excluding me, the total number of men on the "Halbrena" was thirty-one.Plus the thirty-second, to whom special attention is best given. The day before departure, at the corner of the harbor, a man approached Captain Lan Guy.The man must have been a seaman, as could be seen from his dress, manner of walking, and language he spoke. He said in a thick, inarticulate voice: "Captain... I have a request to talk to you..." "What's up?……" "Please understand me, do you still have vacant seats on the ship?..." "Is there a quota for sailors?..." "Yes, sailor quota." "Yes, and no," Captain Lan Guy countered. "Why do you say 'yes'?..." the man asked. "If the self-recommended person is suitable for me, I will." "do you want me?……" "Are you a sailor?" "I sailed twenty-five years." "where?……" "Southern Ocean." "Is it far?……" "Yes... please understand... it's far away." "How old are you?……" "Forty-four years old..." "Do you live in Port Egmont now? . . . " "By next Christmas, it will be three full years." "Did you intend to work on a passing whaler? . . . " "No." "Then what are you doing here?..." "Nothing... I'm not going to sail anymore..." "Then why are you on board again?" "Have a thought. Word spreads that your brig is going on an expedition... I think... yes, I'd love to be a member. With your consent, of course, that speaks for itself." "Here in Egmont, do people know you? . . . " "Know... I have never been told I was wrong when I came here." "Well," replied Captain Lan Guy, "I understand the situation..." "Understand, Captain. If you agree, I will The luggage can be boarded tonight." "What's your name?..." "Hunter." "You are……" "American." This man named Hunter was short in stature, and his face was discolored by the wind and the sun, which was almost the same color as the red brick.His skin was yellowish, like that of an Indian.Big shoulders, big brains, and very bowed legs.You can tell by looking at his limbs that he has extraordinary strength.Especially the two hands at the end of the arms are extremely generous! ...with gray hair, like fur facing outwards. What gave his appearance a peculiar character--which did not endear him--was the unusually piercing gaze of the two small eyes; Only one ear, with long, fine enamel teeth, had never suffered from the septicemia so common among sailors in high latitudes. Hunter has lived in the Falkland Islands for three years.He first lived in the harbor of Frenchman's Cove on the Isle of Soledad, and now lives in Port Egmont.He was a man of few words, lived alone, and lived off a pension.What exactly the pension is, no one knows.He doesn't depend on anyone to take care of him, and catches some fish by himself.This occupation seemed to be sufficient to support him, either as food from the fish he caught, or as a small trade in it. Except for his conduct since his residence at Port Egmont, Captain Lan Guy's knowledge of Hunter was too incomplete.This man never fights with others, he is not addicted to alcohol, and he has never been seen drinking more than one sip.Several times he displayed Hercules-like strength.As for his past, people don't know.But certainly that is the experience of seafarers.He told Captain Lan Guy more about that than he talked with anyone else.In addition, he has always been tight-lipped about the family he belongs to, and the exact place of his birth.As long as the sailor is helpful, people don't care much about it. In short, there was nothing, from what was known, to warrant refusal of Hunter's request.To be honest, it would be great if the other recruits had no more faults than him.So Hunter got an affirmative answer.That night, he was settled on board. Everything is ready to go. The Hallebrena had two years' provisions in stock, half-cured meat, various vegetables, copious amounts of vinaigrette, celery, and horseradish, all prepared to prevent or defeat septicemia.The cargo hold contains barrels of schnapps, whiskey, beer, gin, and wine for daily consumption.There was also a good deal of flour and biscuits, both bought at the port store. Incidentally, as regards ammunition, dynamite, pellets, bullets, and stone shells were supplied by order of the governor.Captain Lan Guy even got hold nets from a ship that had recently run aground on rocks off the bay. In the early morning of October 27th, the archipelago authorities arrived, and the preparations for sailing were quickly completed.People exchange their last wishes and final farewells.Then the anchor was brought up from the bottom, and the brig glided out of the harbor. With the northwest breeze blowing on the sea, the "Halle Brena" entered the channel with high and low sails.Once on the surface, I sailed eastward in order to round Cape Tamar-Hart.Tamar-Cape Hart lies at the end of the strait that separates the two islands.In the afternoon the ship had rounded Soledad, leaving Cape Tamar-Hart behind to port.As night fell, Dolphin Point and Pembroke Point were lost behind the mist of the distant sky. The expedition begins.Humanitarian sensibilities drive these brave men to the macabre regions of Antarctica.What awaits them is success or failure, only God knows!