Neuroomia/Chapter 1
CHAPTER I.
A VOYAGE TO THE SOUTHERN SEAS.
We left Hobart on the 30th November, 1889, in our loved ship, the Penguin, bound for the Southern Seas, with which, by the way, we were well acquainted, having been successfully whaling for several years in those parts; so that each of us had already accumulated a small fortune. On this occasion it was our intention to penetrate farther to the south than we had formerly done, and, if possible, to make fresh discoveries. We felt quite satisfied that land existed to the far south and in the vicinity of the Pole, for on previous voyages we had seen the tops of great volcanoes at various places along the horizon.
The wind for the most part was favourable, and we continued on our voyage for some weeks in a southerly direction.
The great fields of ice were evidently breaking up, for icebergs were floating about everywhere.
We had now to be very careful of our vessel, and proceed with the greatest caution. We sighted volcanoes in the distance, but, owing to the icebergs, were unable to make much headway, being sometimes almost stationary for weeks at a time. Nevertheless, we were in the highest spirits, and the scene was cheerful; the sun remained constantly above the horizon, and marine animals and seabirds were seen in every direction. Myriads of seals seemed tireless in their activity, and the cries of seabirds, great and small, in many instances not unmusical, broke the silence of those otherwise tranquil regions. Albatrosses, penguins, and sea-gulls of endless variety were in the greatest abundance, and animals and birds appeared so intensely happy that it was evident they had not always been accustomed to such congenial surroundings.
Nor was the whole without its effect upon us, for although the summer was already far advanced, we could get no farther to the south, and yet we had no desire to return north without accomplishing anything; so we waited on somewhat undecided, knowing that our best course was to leave early, as we neither wished nor intended to pass a winter in those parts.
Once, indeed, it appeared as if we could reach the land with our vessel; the ice broke up rapidly, channels were numerous, and we were making good progress, when all at once it became intensely cold, and winter set in with a suddenness that astounded us, who were accustomed to the changes of those latitudes.
Our ship, which was now within half a mile of the land, became enclosed on all sides and underneath with compact ice.
The sun made his appearance only at long intervals, and it was plain that the long polar night was approaching. The time he remained above the horizon became less, till before very long we did not see him at all. It was night now, but not dark, like the nights in other parts of the world; indeed, it seemed an everlasting twilight.
We made several trips on the ice to the land, the surface of which we found to be very much broken, mountains and hills being numerous. Some were active volcanoes, others frozen over, but others again were quite free from ice, and covered with a hardy kind of vegetation. We attributed this latter phenomenon to subterranean heat. On climbing several of the hills, we noticed that just above the horizon the sky was always of a red colour, which, however, kept constantly changing. Sometimes it would appear of a bright red, then portions of it would become obscured by dark patches these in turn to give way to a paler red or crimson. Of course we did not know, but we conjectured that beyond where we were standing there was probably more land and more sea.
The winter was long, dreary, and monotonous; still, the prospect of being able to explore the land and neighbouring seas during the next summer kept us in good cheer. We had plenty of provisions, and felt quite satisfied that we could weather the remainder of this desolate season; yet at times we could not help feeling uneasy, for the nearest volcano, which was only about three-quarters of a mile distant from our ship, became continually more and more active, the thundering louder and more frequent, and the flames ascended higher into the heavens. We did not feel at all safe, and began to seriously consider the idea of leaving the ship and forming a camp on the land, at a greater distance away from the cause of our trouble.
We felt confident the ice was becoming thinner, and had already dissolved beneath the vessel. So it was arranged to hold a council of the whole crew, in order to discuss the unpleasant situation. We had not, however, proceeded far with the matter, when we were interrupted by a loud crash, and the Penguin was swung completely round, as if she had been a mere bubble. We all lost our feet, but the first mate fared badly. He happened to be sitting carelessly on the bulwark, chewing tobacco, and ridiculing the idea of even temporarily leaving the vessel, when he was suddenly tossed high into the air, spun round a few times, turned upside down, and then disappeared, but not before he had invoked a few blessing's on the volcano in his usual rhetorical style. Meanwhile the Penguin rose and sank, heaved and travelled, varying the motion occasionally by spinning round. The thundering and crashing increased, and steam issued from the water in several places.
We now began to travel rapidly in one direction towards the south, and it soon became clear that we were in a current of hot water, which carried the Penguin along smoothly and quickly in a south-easterly direction. The current was only a few chains wide, yet we were quite helpless to do anything, and on we must go, the sky in front becoming redder as we advanced. Whither we were going I knew not. However, I noticed with regret that some of the crew were missing. The few that were left became, like myself, hardened and indifferent; still, the rate at which we were travelling had something to do with raising our spirits, and we cheered one another. How long and how far we were borne in this manner I cannot say, for the current was tortuous and the rate of speed unequal. After a time, however, the stream became weaker and the vessel began to move more slowly, with compact ice on either side.
We were now apparently approaching strange regions, for the scene in front was one not to be forgotten. The sky problem was solved. A great chain of active volcanoes stretched east and west as far as the eye could reach, belching bolts of fire, flames, and clouds of ashes high up into the air, while streams of molten lava poured down their sides. The mountains, sea, and sky had a peculiar lurid glare, and we could see a long distance. The noise at first was deafening, but we got accustomed to it. The flames from a thousand peaks ascended to an enormous height, swaying to and fro with the frequent gusts of wind, and at the same time raining showers of cinders, stones, and ashes into the water at the foot of the range. The current carried us across a cinder-covered channel of open water, which stretched along the base of the mountains into a long, narrow, winding inlet that appeared to run towards the interior. In some places the stream was rapid, and we were hurled and tossed on at a great rate of speed. The farther we travelled inland, we noticed that the volcanoes became fewer, and this gave us some degree of consolation; but, on the other hand, we began to wonder where this stream might lead to, when we saw a sight in front, which, hardened as we were, filled us with terror.
A small circular lake, surrounded by high hills, with a great whirlpool in the centre, was only a little distance ahead. Pieces of wood and other things carried down by the current were being swiftly hurled round and round the lake—all, however, making their way to the vortex, and disappearing for ever. What was to be done? A few minutes more, and we should be in the lake. In a moment I hitched a large iron hook to the end of a rope, and threw it ashore among the brambles and rocks. Fortunately it caught, and we were safe. Then, going on land, we made the rope fast; still the Penguin was in the current, whereas, if we could only manage to get her to the opposite side, she would be beyond its influence. This, however, we managed after some delay, by means of ropes and hooks; then, finding a broader channel of still water leading away from the current, we steered the vessel into it. The wind at times was favourable, and we got a considerable distance away from the volcanoes. The inlet now, however, began to turn in a northerly direction, so we commenced to search for a suitable place to leave the ship, with a view to explore the country on foot. Having found a broad, lagoon-like sheet of water nearly enclosed by the land, we made the Penguin secure, and began to make arrangements for a trip into the interior. It was agreed that one of the crew and myself should go inland to examine the territory, while the remaining three were to stay with the vessel and await our return.
From what we had already seen, we felt sure the climate would become more temperate as we advanced, and in this we were not disappointed.
My mate was Septimus Robinson, the most daring and hardy of all the crew. He was about thirty years of age, tall, muscular, well built, and what is known as a silent man; indeed, I felt that with him I should be able to overcome all difficulties.
The sun was always shining, water was plentiful, and having armed ourselves with guns and ammunition, and taking as much provisions as we could conveniently carry, we set out on our journey. Concerning provisions, however, we did not from the first feel the slightest apprehension, for birds of a kind I had never seen before were plentiful, and so tame that we could easily pick them off the trees with the hand. They had in all probability never seen a human being before.
The country was very rugged and broken, so we travelled along the passes, whenever we could find them; but frequently we had to clamber over the mountain ranges the best way we could. We crossed range after range, running nearly parallel to one another, and gradually going higher and higher, the chain presenting its steep acclivities to us. From this we knew that the slope on the opposite side would probably be more gradual, if we could only manage to get there. We could not measure time by day and night, for it was always day. So we walked till we became exhausted, then ate, slept, ate again, and went on. We found the appearance of the country changed as we proceeded: vegetation was becoming more dense and varied, the trees taller, and small animals more numerous. The undergrowth and vines now began to give us trouble, and on one occasion it took us a considerable time to reach the top of a lofty range.
On arriving there, we had the mortification to see immediately in front a still higher and steeper one, with a long, dark, longitudinal valley, through which a torrent roared intervening. Turning my head somewhat impatiently from the scene to the plump face of Septimus, I was surprised to notice the concerned look there; however, it was only for a moment, and I soon dispelled the idea, if indeed I ever entertained it, of Septimus Robinson being afraid. We decided to rest here for a time, and commenced to prepare our meal, Septimus in the meantime remarking, in a casual manner, that our supply of tea and sugar was getting low. The meal being over, we lit our pipes and had a smoke, then slept, as was our custom, on our backs in the shade of a tree, with the hat drawn over the eyes, and legs crossed. How long I slept I cannot say; probably longer than usual, for I was very tired. But judge my astonishment, on waking, to find Septimus missing. I looked carefully about, in the hope that he might be still in the neighbourhood, and even shouted out to him. However, it soon became evident that Septimus Adolphus Robinson had "sneaked" and had also "sneaked" the tea and sugar and whatever remained of the provisions we had taken from the ship.