EDITEDBY
CHARLESF。HORNE
INTRODUCTION
THESURVIVORSOFTHECHANCELLOR
wasissuedin1875。ShipwrecksoccurinotherofVerne’stales;butthisishisonlystorydevotedwhollytosuchadisaster。Inittheauthorhasgatheredallthetragedy,themystery,andthesufferingpossibletothesea。Allthevari—
ousformsofdisaster,allthepossibilitiesofhorror,thedepthsofshameandagony,areheapedupontheseunhappyvoyagers。Theaccumulationismathematicallycompleteandemotionallyunforgettable。Thetalehaswellbeencalledthe\"imperishableepicofshipwreck。\"
Theideaofthebookissaidtohaveoriginatedinthecele—
bratedFrenchpaintingbyGericault,\"theWreckoftheMedusa,\"nowintheLouvregallery。TheMedusawasaFrenchfrigatewreckedoffthecoastofAfricain1816。
Someofthesurvivors,escapingonaraft,wererescuedbyapassingshipaftermanydaysoftorture。Verne,however,seemsalsotohavedrawnupontheterrifyingexperiencesoftheBritishshipSarahSandsin1857,herstorybeingfreshinthepublicmindatthetimehewrote。TheSarahSandscaughtfireofftheAfricancoastwhileonavoyagetoIndiacarryingBritishtroops。Therewasgunpowderaboardli—
abletoblowupatanymoment。Someofitdidindeedex—
plode,tearingahugeholeinthevessel’sside。Astormaddedtotheterror,andthewatersenteringthebreachcausedbytheexplosion,combatedwiththefire。Aftertendaysofdesperatestruggle,thecharredandsinkingvesselreachedaport。
TheextremelengthoflifewhichVerneallowshispeopleintheirstarving,thirstingconditionisprovenpossiblebymedicalscienceandrecent\"fasting\"’experiments。Thedramaticclimaxofthetalewhereinthecastawaysfindfreshwaterintheoceanisbaseduponafact,oneofthoseoddgeographicalfactsofwhichtheauthormadesuchfrequent,skillfulandinstructiveuse。
\"MichaelStrogoff\"which,throughitsuseasastageplay,hasbecomeoneofthebestknownbooksofalltheworld,wasfirstpublishedin1876。Itsvivid,powerfulstoryhasmadeitafavoritewitheveryred—bloodedreader。
Itstwowell—drawnfemalecharacters,thecourageoushero—
ine,andthestern,endurant,yearningmother,showhowwellVernecoulddepictthetenderersexwhenhesowilled。
Thoughusuallytherapidmovementandadventureofhisstoriesleavewomeninsubordinateparts。
Astothepicturedrawnin\"MichaelStrogoff\"ofRussiaandSiberia,itisatonceinstructiveandsympathetic。
Thehorrorsarenotblinkedat,yetneitherisRussianpatri—
otismignored。TheloyaltyofsomeoftheSiberianexilestotheirmothercountryisasideoflifetherewhichistoooftenignoredbywriterswhodwellonlyonthedarkerview。
TheCzar,inourauthor’shands,becomestheherofiguretotheerectionofwhichFrench\"heroworship\"iseverprone。ThesarcasmsthrownoccasionallyattheBritishnewspapercorrespondentofthestory,showthechangingattitudeofVernetowardEngland,andreflecttheFrenchspiritofhisday。
TheSurvivorsoftheChancellorbyJulesVerneCHAPTERI
THECHANCELLOR
CHARLESTON,September27,1898。——Itishightide,andthreeo’clockintheafternoonwhenweleavetheBatteryquay;theebbcarriesusoffshore,andasCaptainHuntlyhashoistedbothmainandtopsails,thenorth—
erlybreezedrivestheChancellorbrisklyacrossthebay。FortSumtererelongisdoubled,thesweepingbatteriesofthemainlandonourleftaresoonpassed,andbyfouro’clocktherapidcurrentoftheebbingtidehascarriedusthroughtheharbormouth。
Butasyetwehavenotreachedtheopenseawehavestilltothreadourwaythroughthenarrowchannelswhichthesurgehashollowedoutamongstthesand—banks。Thecaptaintakesasouthwestcourse,roundingthelighthouseatthecornerofthefort;thesailsarecloselytrimmed;thelastsandypointissafelycoasted,andatlength,atseveno’clockintheevening,weareoutfreeuponthewideAt—
lantic。
TheChancellorisafinesquare—riggedthree—master,of900tonsburden,andbelongstothewealthyLiverpoolfirmofLairdBrothers。Sheistwoyearsold,issheathedandsecuredwithcopper,herdecksbeingofteak,andthebaseofallhermasts,exceptthemizzen,withalltheirfittings,beingofiron。Sheisregisteredfirstclass,A1,andisnowonherthirdvoyagebetweenCharlestonandLiverpool。AsshewendedherwaythroughthechannelsofCharlestonharbor,itwastheBritishflagthatwasloweredfromhermast—head;butwithoutcolorsatall,nosailorcouldhavehesitatedforamomentintellinghernationality,——forEng—
lishshewas,andnothingbutEnglishfromherwater—lineupwardtothetruckofhermasts。
ImustnowrelatehowithappensthatIhavetakenmypassageonboardtheChancelloronherreturnvoyagetoEngland。
AtpresentthereisnodirectsteamshipservicebetweenSouthCarolinaandGreatBritain,andallwhowishtocrossmustgoeithernorthwardtoNewYorkorsouthwardtoNewOrleans。ItisquitetruethatifIhadchosenastartfromNewYorkImighthavefoundplentyofvesselsbe—
longingtoEnglish,French,orHamburglines,anyofwhichwouldhaveconveyedmebyarapidvoyagetomydestina—
tion;anditisequallytruethatifIhadselectedNewOr—
leansformyembarkationIcouldreadilyhavereachedEuropebyoneofthevesselsoftheNationalSteamNaviga—
tionCompany,whichjointheFrenchtransatlanticlineofColonandAspinwall。Butitwasfatedtobeotherwise。
Oneday,asIwasloiteringabouttheCharlestonquays,myeyelightedonthisvessel。TherewassomethingabouttheChancellorthatpleasedme,andakindofinvoluntaryimpulsetookmeonboard,whereIfoundtheinternalar—
rangementsperfectlycomfortable。Yieldingtotheideathatavoyageinasailingvesselhadcertaincharmsbeyondthetransitinasteamer,andreckoningthatwithwindandwaveinmyfavortherewouldbelittlematerialdifferenceintime;considering,moreover,thatintheselowlatitudestheweatherinearlyautumnisfineandunbroken,Icametomydecision,andproceededforthwithtosecuremypas—
sagebythisroutetoEurope。
HaveIdonerightorwrong?WhetherIshallhaverea—
sontoregretmydeterminationisaproblemtobesolvedinthefuture。However,Iwillbegintorecordtheincidentsofourdailyexperience,dubiousasIfeelwhetherthelinesofmychroniclewilleverfindareader。
CHAPTERII
CREWANDPASSENGERS
SEPTEMBER28。——JohnSilasHuntly,thecaptainoftheChancellor,hasthereputationofbeingamostexperiencednavigatoroftheAtlantic。HeisaScotchmanbybirth,anativeofDundee,andisaboutfiftyyearsofage。Heisofthemiddleheightandslightbuild,andhasasmallhead,whichhehasahabitofholdingalittleoverhisleftshoulder。
Idonotpretendtobemuchofaphysiognomist,butIaminclinedtobelievethatmyfewhours’acquaintancewithourcaptainhasgivenmeconsiderableinsightintohischarac—
ter。ThatheisagoodseamanandthoroughlyunderstandshisdutiesIcouldnotforamomentventuretodeny;butthatheisamanofresolutetemperament,orthathepos—
sessestheamountofcouragethatwouldrenderhim,phy—
sicallyormorally,capableofcopingwithanygreatemer—
gency,IconfessIcannotbelieve。Iobservedacertainheavinessanddejectionabouthiswholecarriage。Hiswaveringglances,thelistlessmotionofhishands,andhisslow,unsteadygait,allseemtometoindicateaweakandsluggishdisposition。Hedoesnotappearasthoughhecouldbeenergeticenoughevertobestubborn;heneverfrowns,setshisteeth,orclencheshisfists。Thereissome—
thingenigmaticalabouthim;however,Ishallstudyhimclosely,anddowhatIcantounderstandthemanwho,ascommanderofavessel,shouldbetothosearoundhim\"secondonlytoGod。\"
UnlessIamgreatlymistakenthereisanothermanonboardwho,ifcircumstancesshouldrequireit,wouldtakethemoreprominentposition——Imeanthemate。Ihavehitherto,however,hadsolittleopportunityofobservinghischaracter,thatImustdefersayingmoreabouthimatpres—
ent。
Besidesthecaptainandthismate,whosenameisRobertCurtis,ourcrewconsistsofWalter,thelieutenant,theboat—
swain,andfourteensailors,allEnglishorScotch,makingeighteenaltogether,anumberquitesufficientforworkingavesselof900tonsburden。Uptothistimemysoleex—
perienceoftheircapabilitiesis,thatunderthecommandofthemate,theybroughtusskillfullyenoughthroughthenarrowchannelsofCharleston;andIhavenoreasontodoubtthattheyarewelluptotheirwork。
Mylistoftheship’sofficialsisincompleteunlessImen—
tionHobartthestewardandJynxstropthenegrocook。
Inadditiontothese,theChancellorcarrieseightpas—
sengers,includingmyself。Hitherto,thebustleofem—
barkation,thearrangementofcabins,andallthevarietyofpreparationsinseparablefromstartingonavoyageforatleasttwentyorfive—and—twentydayshaveprecludedtheformationofanyacquaintanceships;butthemonotonyofthevoyage,thecloseproximityintowhichwemustbethrown,andthenaturalcuriositytoknowsomethingofeachother’saffairs,willdoubtlessleadusinduetimetoanex—
changeofideas。TwodayshaveelapsedandIhavenotevenseenallthepassengers。Probablysea—sicknesshaspreventedsomeofthemfrommakinganappearanceatthecommontable。Onething,however,Idoknow;namely,thattherearetwoladiesoccupyingthesterncabin,thewin—
dowsofwhichareintheaft—boardofthevessel。
Ihaveseentheship’slist,andsubjoinalistofthepas—
sengers。Theyareasfollows:
Mr。andMrs。Kear,Americans,ofBuffalo。
MissHerbey,ayoungEnglishlady,companiontoMrs。
Kear。
M。LetourneurandhissonAndre,Frenchmen,ofHavre。
WilliamFalsten,aManchesterengineer。
JohnRuby,aCardiffmerchant;andmyself,J。R。Kazal—
lon,ofLondon。
CHAPTERIII
BILLOFLADING
SEPTEMBER29。——CaptainHuntly’sbilloflading,thatistosay,thedocumentthatdescribestheChancellor’scargoandtheconditionsoftransport,iscouchedinthefollowingterms:
BronsfieldandCo。,Agents,Charleston:
I,JohnSilasHuntly,ofDundee,Scotland,commanderoftheshipChancellor,ofabout900tonsburden,nowatCharleston,dopurpose,bytheblessingofGod,attheearli—
estconvenientseason,andbythedirectroute,tosailfortheportofLiverpool,whereIshallobtainmydischarge。I
doherebyacknowledgethatIhavereceivedfromyou,Messrs。BronsfieldandCo。,CommissionAgents,Charles—
ton,andhaveplacedthesameunderthegun—deckoftheaforesaidship,seventeenhundredbalesofcotton,oftheestimatedvalueof26,000L。,allingoodcondition,markedandnumberedasinthemargin;whichgoodsIdoundertaketotransporttoLiverpool,andtheretodeliver,freefrominjury(saveonlysuchinjuryasshallhavebeencausedbythechancesofthesea),toMessrs。LairdBrothers,ortotheirorder,ortotheirrepresentatives,whoshallonduedeliveryofthesaidfreightpaymethesumof2,000L。inclu—
sive,accordingtothecharter—party,anddamagesinaddi—
tion,accordingtotheusagesandcustomsofthesea。
Andforthefulfillmentoftheabovecovenant,Ihavepledgedanddopledgemyperson,myproperty,andmyinterestinthevesselaforesaid,withallitsappurtenances。
Inwitnesswhereof,Ihavesignedthreeagreementsallofthesamepurport,ontheconditionthatwhenthetermsofoneareaccomplished,theothertwoshallbeabsolutelynullandvoid。
GivenatCharleston,September13th,1869。
J。S。HUNTLY。
FromtheforegoingdocumentitwillbeunderstoodthattheChancellorisconveying1,700balesofcottontoLiver—
pool;thattheshippersareBronsfield,ofCharleston,andtheconsigneesareLairdBrothersofLiverpool。Theshipwasconstructedwiththeespecialdesignofcarryingcotton,andtheentirehold,withtheexceptionofaverylimitedspacereservedforpassenger’sluggage,iscloselypackedwiththebales。Theladingwasperformedwiththeutmostcare,eachbalebeingpressedintoitsproperplacebytheaidofscrew—jacks,sothatthewholefreightformsonesolidandcompactmass;notaninchofspaceiswasted,andthevesselisthusmadecapableofcarryingherfullcomplementofcargo。
CHAPTERIV
SOMETHINGABOUTMYFELLOWPASSENGERS
SEPTEMBER30toOctober6。——TheChancellorisarapidsailer,andmorethanamatchformanyavesselofthesamedimensions。Shescudsalongmerrilyinthefreshen—
ingbreeze,leavinginherwake,farastheeyecanreach,alongwhitelineoffoamaswelldefinedasadelicatestripoflacestretcheduponanazureground。
TheAtlanticisnotvisitedbymanygales,andIhaveeveryreasontobelievethattherollingandpitchingofthevesselnolongerincommodeanyofthepassengers,whoareallmoreorlessaccustomedtothesea。Avacantseatatourtableisnowveryrare;wearebeginningtoknowsome—
thingabouteachother,andourdailylife,inconsequence,isbecomingsomewhatlessmonotonous。
M。Letourneur,ourFrenchfellow—passenger,oftenhasachatwithme。Heisafinetallman,aboutfiftyyearsofage,withwhitehairandagrizzlybeard。Tosaythetruth,helooksolderthanhereallyis:hisdroopinghead,hisde—
jectedmanner,andhiseye,everandagainsuffusedwithtears,indicatethatheishauntedbysomedeepandabidingsorrow。Heneverlaughs;herarelyevensmiles,andthenonlyonhisson;hiscountenanceordinarilybearingalookofbitternesstemperedbyaffection,whilehisgeneralex—
pressionisoneofcaressingtenderness。Itexcitesaninvol—
untarycommiserationtolearnthatM。Letourneuriscon—
suminghimselfbyexaggeratedreproachesonaccountoftheinfirmityofanafflictedson。
AndreLetourneurisabouttwentyyearsofage,withagentle,interestingcountenance,but,totheirrepressiblegriefofhisfather,isahopelesscripple。Hisleftlegismiserablydeformed,andheisquiteunabletowalkwithouttheassistanceofastick。Itisobviousthatthefather’slifeisboundupwiththatofhisson;hisdevotionisunceas—
ing;everythought,everyglanceisforAndre;heseemstoanticipatehismosttriflingwish,watcheshisslightestmove—
ment,andhisarmiseverreadytosupportorotherwiseassistthechildwhosesufferingshemorethanshares。
M。Letourneurseemstohavetakenapeculiarfancytomyself,andconstantlytalksaboutAndre。Thismorning,inthecourseofconversation,Isaid:
\"Youhaveagoodson,M。Letourneur。Ihavejustbeentalkingtohim。Heisamostintelligentyoungman。\"
\"Yes,Mr。Kazallon,\"repliedM。Letourneur,brighten—
ingupintoasmile,\"hisafflictedframecontainsanoblemind。Heislikehismother,whodiedathisbirth。\"
\"Heisfullofreverenceandloveforyou,sir,\"Ire—
marked。
\"Dearboy!\"mutteredthefatherhalftohimself。\"Ah,Mr。Kazallon,\"hecontinued,\"youdonotknowwhatitistoafathertohaveasonacripple,beyondhopeofcure。\"
\"M。Letourneur,\"Ianswered,\"youtakemorethanyourshareoftheafflictionwhichhasfallenuponyouandyourson。ThatM。Andreisentitledtotheverygreatestcom—
miserationnoonecandeny;butyoushouldremember,thatafterallaphysicalinfirmityisnotsohardtobearasmentalgrief。Now,Ihavewatchedyoursonprettyclosely,andunlessIammuchmistakenthereisnothingthattroubleshimsomuchasthesightofyourownsorrow。\"
\"ButIneverlethimseeit,\"hebrokeinhastily。\"Mysolethoughtishowtodiverthim。Ihavediscoveredthat,inspiteofhisphysicalweakness,hedelightsintraveling;
soforthelastfewyearswehavebeenconstantlyonthemove。WefirstwentalloverEurope,andarenowre—
turningfromvisitingtheprincipalplacesintheUnitedStates。Ineverallowedmysontogotocollege,butin—
structedhimentirelymyself,andthesetravels,Ihope,willservetocompletehiseducation。Heisveryintelligent,andhasalivelyimagination,andIamsometimestemptedtohopethatincontemplatingthewondersofnatureheforgetshisowninfirmity。\"
\"Yes,sir,ofcoursehedoes,\"Iassented。
\"But,\"continuedM。Letourneur,takingmyhand,\"al—
though,perhaps,HEmayforget,Icanneverforget。Ah,sir,doyousupposethatAndrecaneverforgivehisparentsforbringinghimintotheworldacripple?\"
Theremorseoftheunhappyfatherwasverydistressing,andIwasabouttosayafewkindwordsofsympathywhenAndrehimselfmadehisappearance。M。Letourneurhas—
tenedtowardhimandassistedhimupthefewsteepstepsthatledtothepoop。
AssoonasAndrewascomfortablyseatedononeofthebenches,andhisfatherhadtakenhisplacebyhisside,I
joinedthem,andwefellintoconversationuponordinarytopics,discussingthevariouspointsoftheChancellor,theprobablelengthofthepassage,andthedifferentdetailsofourlifeonboard。IfindthatM。Letourneur’sestimateofCaptainHuntly’scharacterverymuchcoincideswithmyown,andthat,likeme,heisimpressedwiththeman’sun—
decidedmannerandsluggishappearance。Likeme,too,hehasformedaveryfavorableopinionofRobertCurtis,themate,amanofaboutthirtyyearsofage,ofgreatmuscularpower,withaframeandawillthatseemeverreadyforaction。
Whilewewerestilltalkingofhim,Curtishimselfcameondeck,andasIwatchedhismovementsIcouldnothelpbeingstruckwithhisphysicaldevelopment;hiserectandeasycarriage,hisfearlessglanceandslightlycontractedbrowallbetokenamanofenergy,thoroughlyendowedwiththecalmnessandcouragethatareindispensabletothetruesailor。Heseemsakind—heartedfellow,too,andisal—
waysreadytoassistandamuseyoungLetourneur,whoevi—
dentlyenjoyshiscompany。Afterhehadscannedtheweatherandexaminedthetrimofthesails,hejoinedourpartyandproceededtogiveussomeinformationaboutthoseofourfellow—passengerswithwhomatpresentwehavemadebutslightacquaintance。
Mr。Kear,theAmerican,whoisaccompaniedbyhiswife,hasmadealargefortuneinthepetroleumspringsintheUnitedStates。Heisamanofaboutfifty,amostuninter—
estingcompanion,beingoverwhelmedwithasenseofhisownwealthandimportance,andconsequentlysupremelyindifferenttoallaroundhim。Hishandsarealwaysinhispockets,andthechinkofmoneyseemstofollowhimwhereverhegoes。Vainandconceited,afoolaswellasanegotist,hestrutsaboutlikeapeacockshowingitsplumage,andtoborrowthewordsofthephysiognomistGratiolet,\"ilseflaire,ilsesavoure,ilsegoute。\"Whyheshouldhavetakenhispassageonboardameremerchantvesselinsteadofenjoyingtheluxuriesofatransatlanticsteamer,Iamaltogetheratalosstoexplain。
Thewifeisaninsignificant,insipidwoman,ofaboutfortyyearsofage。Sheneverreads,nevertalks,andI
believeIamnotwronginsaying,neverthinks。Sheseemstolookwithoutseeing,andlistenwithouthearing,andhersoleoccupationconsistsingivingherorderstohercom—
panion,MissHerbey,ayoungEnglishgirlofabouttwenty。
MissHerbeyisextremelypretty。Hercomplexionisfairandhereyesdeepblue,whileherpleasingcountenanceisaltogetherfreefromthatinsignificanceoffeaturewhichisnotunfrequentlyallegedtobecharacteristicofEnglishbeauty。Hermouthwouldbecharmingifsheeversmiled,but,exposedassheistotheridiculouswhimsandfanciesofacapriciousmistress,herlipsrarelyrelaxfromtheirordinarygraveexpression。Yet,humiliatingasherposi—
tionmustbe,sheneveruttersawordofopencomplaint,butquietlyandgracefullyperformsherduties,acceptingwithoutamurmurthepaltrysalarywhichthebumptiouspetroleum—merchantcondescendstoallowher。
TheManchesterengineer,WilliamFalsten,lookslikeathoroughEnglishman。HehasthemanagementofsomeextensivehydraulicworksinSouthCarolina,andisnowonhiswaytoEuropetoobtainsomeimprovedapparatus,andmoreespeciallytovisittheminesworkedbycentrifugalforce,belongingtothefirmofMessrs。Cail。Heisforty—
fiveyearsofage,withallhisinterestssoentirelyabsorbedbyhismachinerythatheseemstohaveneitherathoughtnoracarebeyondhismechanicalcalculations。Oncelethimengageyouinconversation,andthereisnochanceofescape;youhavenohelpforitbuttolistenaspatientlyasyoucanuntilhehascompletedtheexplanationofhisdesigns。
Thelastofourfellow—passengers,Mr。Ruby,isthetypeofavulgartradesman。Withoutanyoriginalityormagnanimityinhiscomposition,hehasspenttwentyyearsofhislifeinmerebuyingandselling,andashehasgener—
allycontrivedtodobusinessataprofit,hehasrealizedaconsiderablefortune。Whatheisgoingtodowiththemoney,hedoesnotseemabletosay:hisideasdonotgobeyondretailtrade,hismindhavingbeensolongclosedtoallotherimpressionsthatitappearsincapableofthoughtorreflectiononanysubjectbesides。Pascalsays,\"L’hommeestvisiblementfaitpourpenser。C’esttoutesadigniteettoutsonmerite;\"buttoMr。Rubythephraseseemsaltogetherinapplicable。
CHAPTERV
ANUNUSUALROUTE
OCTOBER7。——ThisisthetenthdaysinceweleftCharles—
ton,andIshouldthinkourprogresshasbeenveryrapid。
RobertCurtis,themate,withwhomIcontinuetohavemanyafriendlychat,informedmethatwecouldnotbefarofftheBermudas;theship’sbearings,hesaid,werelat。
32deg。20’N。andlong。64deg。50’W。sothathehadeveryreasontobelievethatweshouldsightSt。George’sIslandbeforenight。
\"TheBermudas!\"Iexclaimed。\"ButhowisitweareofftheBermudas?Ishouldhavethoughtthatavesselsail—
ingfromCharlestontoLiverpool,wouldhavekeptnorth—
ward,andhavefollowedthetrackoftheGulfStream。\"
\"Yes,indeed,sir,\"repliedCurtis,\"thatistheusualcourse;butyouseethatthistimethecaptainhasn’tchosentotakeit。\"
\"Butwhynot?\"Ipersisted。
\"That’snotformetosay,sir;heordereduseastward,andeastwardwego。\"
\"Haven’tyoucalledhisattentiontoit?\"Iinquired。
Curtisacknowledgedthathehadalreadypointedoutwhatanunusualroutetheyweretaking,butthatthecap—
tainhadsaidthathewasquiteawarewhathewasabout。
Thematemadenofurtherremark;buttheknitofhisbrow,ashepassedhishandmechanicallyacrosshisforehead,mademefancythathewasinclinedtospeakoutmorestrongly。
\"Allverywell,Curtis,\"Isaid,\"butIdon’tknowwhattothinkabouttryingnewroutes。Hereweareatthe7thofOctober,andifwearetoreachEuropebeforethebadweathersetsin,Ishouldsupposethereisnotadaytobelost。\"
\"Right,sir,quiteright;thereisnotadaytobelost。\"
Struckbyhismanner,Iventuredtoadd,\"Doyoumind,Curtis,givingmeyourhonestopinionofCaptainHuntly?\"
Hehesitatedamoment,andthenrepliedshortly,\"Heismycaptain,sir。\"
Thisevasiveanswerofcourseputanendtoanyfurtherinterrogationonmypart。
Curtiswasnotmistaken。Ataboutthreeo’clockthelook—outmansungoutthattherewaslandtowindward,anddescriedwhatseemedasifitmightbealineofsmokeinthenortheasthorizon。Atsix,IwentondeckwithM。
Letourneurandhisson,andwecouldthendistinctlymakeoutthelowgroupoftheBermudas,encircledbytheirformidablechainofbreakers。
\"There,\"saidAndreLetourneurtome,aswestoodgaz—
ingatthedistantland,\"thereliestheenchantedarchipel—
ago,sungbyyourpoetMoore。TheexileWaller,too,aslongagoas1643,wroteanenthusiasticpanegyricontheislands,andIhavebeentoldthatatonetimeEnglishladieswouldwearnootherbonnetsthansuchasweremadeoftheleavesoftheBermudapalm。\"
\"Yes,\"Ireplied,\"theBermudaswerealltherageintheseventeenthcentury,althoughlatterlytheyhavefallenintocomparativeoblivion。\"
\"Butletmetellyou,M。Andre,\"interposedCurtis,whohadasusualjoinedourparty,\"thatalthoughpoetsmayrave,andbeasenthusiasticastheylikeabouttheseislands,sailorswilltelladifferenttale。Thehiddenreefsthatlieinasemicircleabouttwoorthreeleaguesfromshoremaketheattempttolandaverydangerouspieceofbusiness。
Andanotherthing,Iknow。Letthenativesboastastheywillabouttheirsplendidclimate,theyarevisitedbythemostfrightfulhurricanes。Theygetthefag—endofthestormsthatrageovertheAntilles;andthefag—endofastormislikethetailofawhale;it’sjustthestrongestbitofit。Idon’tthinkyou’llfindasailorlisteningmuchtoyourpoets——yourMoores,andyourWallers。\"
\"Nodoubtyouareright,Mr。Curtis,\"saidAndre,smil—
ing,\"butpoetsarelikeproverbs;youcanalwaysfindonetocontradictanother。AlthoughWallerandMoorehavechosentosingthepraisesoftheBermudas,ithasbeensup—
posedthatShakspearewasdepictingthemintheterriblescenesthatarefoundin’TheTempest。’\"
Imaymentionthattherewasnotanotherofourfellow—
passengerswhotookthetroubletocomeondeckandgiveaglanceatthisstrangeclusterofislands。MissHerbey,itistrue,wasmakinganattempttojoinus,butshehadbarelyreachedthepoop,whenMrs。Kear’slanguidvoicewasheardrecallingherforsometriflingservicetoherside。
CHAPTERVI
THESARGASSOSEA
OCTOBER8toOctober13。——Thewindisblowinghardfromthenortheast,andtheChancellor,underlow—reefedtop—sailandfore—sail,andlaboringagainstaheavysea,hasbeenobligedtobebroughtahull。Thejoistsandgirdersallcreakagainuntilone’steetharesetonedge。Iamtheonlypassengernotremainingbelow;butIpreferbeingondecknotwithstandingthedrivingrain,fineasdust,whichpenetratestotheveryskin。Wehavebeendrivenalonginthisfashionforthebestpartoftwodays;the\"stiffishbreeze\"hasgraduallyfreshenedinto\"agale\";thetop—
gallantshavebeenlowered,and,asIwrite,thewindisblowingwithavelocityoffiftyorsixtymilesanhour。Al—
thoughtheChancellorhasmanygoodpoints,herdriftisconsiderable,andwehavebeencarriedfartothesouth;wecanonlyguessatourpreciseposition,asthecloudyat—
mosphereentirelyprecludesusfromtakingthesun’salti—
tude。
Allalong,throughoutthisperiod,myfellow—passengersaretotallyignorantoftheextraordinarycoursethatwearetaking。Englandliestothenortheast,yetwearesailingdirectlysoutheast,andRobertCurtisownsthatheisquitebe—
wildered;hecannotcomprehendwhythecaptain,eversincethisnortheasterlygalehasbeenblowing,shouldpersistinallowingtheshiptodrivetothesouth,insteadoftackingtothenorthwestuntilshegetsintobetterquarters。
IwasalonewithRobertCurtisto—dayuponthepoop,andcouldnothelpsayingtohim,\"Curtis,isyourcaptainmad?\"
\"Perhaps,sir,ImightbeallowedtoaskwhatYOUthinkuponthatmatter,\"washiscautiousreply。
\"Well,tosaythetruth,\"Ianswered。\"Icanhardlytell;
butIconfessthereiseverynowandthenawanderinginhiseye,andanoddlookonhisfacethatIdonotlike。
Haveyoueversailedwithhimbefore?\"
\"No;thisisourfirstvoyagetogether。AgainlastnightIspoketohimabouttherouteweweretaking,butheonlysaidheknewallaboutit,andthatitwasallright。\"
\"WhatdoLieutenantWalterandyourboatswainthinkofitall?\"Iinquired。
\"Think;why,theythinkjustthesameasIdo,\"repliedthemate;\"butifthecaptainchoosestotaketheshiptoChinaweshouldobeyhisorders。\"
\"Butsurely,\"Iexclaimed,\"theremustbesomelimittoyourobedience!Supposethemanisactuallymad,whatthen?\"
\"Ifheshouldbemadenough,Mr。Kazallon,tobringthevesselintoanyrealdanger,Ishallknowwhattodo。\"
WiththisassuranceIamforcedtobecontent。Matters,however,havetakenadifferentturntowhatIbargainedforwhenItookmypassageonboardtheChancellor。Theweatherhasbecomeworseandworse。AsIhavealreadysaid,theshipunderherlargelow—reefedtop—sailandforestay—sailhasbeenbroughtahull,thatistosay,shecopesdirectlywiththewind,bypresentingherbroadbowstothesea;andsowegoonstilldrift,drift,continuallytothesouth。
Howsoutherlyourcoursehasbeenisveryapparent;foruponthenightofthe11thwefairlyentereduponthatpor—
tionoftheAtlanticwhichisknownastheSargassoSea。
Anextensivetractofwateristhis,inclosedbythewarmcurrentoftheGulfStream,andthicklycoveredwiththewrack,calledbytheSpaniards\"sargasso,\"theabundanceofwhichsoseriouslyimpededtheprogressofColumbus’svesselonhisfirstvoyage。
EachmorningatdaybreaktheAtlantichaspresentedanaspectsoremarkable,thatatmysolicitation,M。Letourneurandhissonhaveventuredupondecktowitnesstheunusualspectacle。Thesquallygustsmakethemetalshroudsvibratelikeharp—strings;andunlesswewereonourguardtokeepourclotheswrappedtightlytous,theywouldhavebeentornoffourbacksinshreds。Thescenepresentedtooureyesisoneofstrangestinterest。Thesea,carpetedthicklywithmassesofprolificfucus,isavastunbrokenplainofvegetation,throughwhichthevesselmakesherwayasaplow。Longstripsofseaweedcaughtupbythewindbecomeentangledintherigging,andhangbetweenthemastsinfestoonsofverdure;whileothers,varyingfromtwotothreehundredfeetinlength,twinethemselvesuptotheverymast—head,fromwhencetheyfloatlikestreamingpennants。Formanyhoursnow,theChancellorhasbeencontendingwiththisformidableaccumulationofalgae;hermastsarecircledwithhydrophytes;herriggingiswreathedeverywherewithcreepers,fantasticastheuntrammeledten—
drilsofavine,andassheworksherarduouscourse,therearetimeswhenIcanonlycomparehertoananimatedgroveofverduremakingitsmysteriouswayoversomeillimitableprairie。
CHAPTERVII
VOICESINTHENIGHT
OCTOBER14。——Atlastwearefreefromtheseaofvegeta—
tion,theboisterousgalehasmoderatedintoasteadybreeze,thesunisshiningbrightly,theweatheriswarmandgenial,andthus,tworeefsinhertop—sails,brisklyandmerrilysailstheChancellor。
Underconditionssofavorable,wehavebeenabletotaketheship’sbearings:ourlatitude,wefind,is21deg。33’N。,ourlongitude,50deg。17’W。
IncomprehensiblealtogetheristheconductofCaptainHuntly。Hereweare,alreadymorethantendegreessouthofthepointfromwhichwestarted,andyetstillweareper—
sistentlyfollowingasoutheasterlycourse!Icannotbringmyselftotheconclusionthatthemanismad。Ihavehadvariousconversationswithhim:hehasalwaysspokenrationallyandsensibly。Heshowsnotokensofinsanity。
Perhapshiscaseisoneofthoseinwhichinsanityispartial,andwherethemaniaisofacharacterwhichextendsonlytothemattersconnectedwithhisprofession。Yetitisun—
accountable。
IcangetnothingoutofCurtis;helistenscoldlywhen—
everIalludetothesubject,andonlyrepeatswhathehassaidbefore,thatnothingshortofanovertactofmadnessonthepartofthecaptaincouldinducehimtosupersedethecaptain’sauthority,andthattheimminentperiloftheshipcouldalonejustifyhimintakingsodecidedameasure。
LasteveningIwenttomycabinabouteighto’clock,andafteranhour’sreadingbythelightofmycabin—lamp,I
retiredtomyberthandwassoonasleep。SomehourslaterIwasarousedbyanunaccustomednoiseondeck。Therewereheavyfootstepshurryingtoandfro,andthevoicesofthemenwereloudandeager,asifthecrewwereagitatedbysomestrangedisturbance。Myfirstimpressionwas,thatsometackinghadbeenorderedwhichrendereditneedfultofathomtheyards;butthevesselcontinuingtolietostar—
boardconvincedmethatthiswasnottheoriginofthecom—
motion。Iwascurioustoknowthetruth,andmadeallhasteIcouldtogoondeck;butbeforeIwasready,thenoisehadceased。IheardCaptainHuntlyreturntohiscabin,andaccordinglyIretiredagaintomyownberth。
Whatevermayhavebeenthemeaningofthemaneuver,I
cannottell;itdidnotseemtoresultinanyimprovementintheship’space;stillitmustbeownedtherewasnotmuchwindtospeedusalong。
Atsixo’clockthismorningImountedthepoopandmadeaskeenascrutinyasIcouldofeverythingonboard。
Everythingappearedasusual。TheChancellorwasrun—
ningonthelarboardtack,andcarriedlow—sails,top—sails,andgallant—sails。Wellbracedshewas;andunderafresh,butnotuneasybreeze,wasmakingnolessthanelevenknotsanhour。
ShortlyafterwardM。LetourneurandAndrecameondeck。Theyoungmanenjoyedtheearlymorningair,ladenwithitsbrinyfragrance,andIassistedhimtomountthepoop。Inanswertomyinquiryastowhethertheyhadbeendisturbedbyanybustleinthenight,Andrerepliedthathedidnotwakeatall,andhadheardnothing。
\"Iamglad,myboy,\"saidthefather,\"thatyouhavesleptsosoundly。IheardthenoiseofwhichMr。Kazallonspeaks。Itmusthavebeenaboutthreeo’clockthismorning,anditseemedtomeasthoughtheywereshouting。I
thoughtIheardthemsay;’Here,quick,looktothehatches!’butasnobodywascalledup,Ipresumedthatnothingseriouswasthematter。\"
AshespokeIcastmyeyeatthepanel—slides,whichforeandaftofthemain—mastopenintothehold。Theyseemedtobeallcloseasusual,butInowobservedforthefirsttimethattheywerecoveredwithheavytarpauling。Wonderinginmyownmindwhatcouldbethereasonfortheseex—
traprecautionsIdidnotsayanythingtoM。Letourneur,butdeterminedtowaituntilthemateshouldcomeonwatch,whenhewoulddoubtlessgiveme,Ithought,anexplanationofthemystery。
Thesunrosegloriously,witheverypromiseofafinedryday。Thewaningmoonwasyetabovethewesternhorizon,forasitstillwantsthreedaystoherlastquartershedoesnotsetuntil10:57A。M。Onconsultingmyal—
manac,Ifindthattherewillbeanewmoononthe24th,andthatonthatday,littleasitmayaffectushereinmid—
ocean,thephenomenonofthehighsygyziantideswilltakeplaceontheshoresofeverycontinentandisland。
AtthebreakfasthourM。LetourneurandAndrewentbelowforacupoftea,andIremainedonthepoopalone。
AsIexpected,Curtisappeared,thathemightrelieveLieu—
tenantWalterofthewatch。Iadvancedtomeethim,butbe—
foreheevenwishedmegoodmorning,Isawhimcastaquickandsearchingglanceuponthedeck,andthen,withaslightlycontractedbrow,proceedtoexaminethestateoftheweatherandthetrimofthesails。
\"WhereisCaptainHuntly?\"hesaidtoWalter。
\"Ihaveseennothingofhim,\"answeredthelieutenant;
\"isthereanythingfreshup?\"
\"Nothingwhatever,\"wasthecurtreply。
Theythenconversedforafewmomentsinanundertone,andIcouldseethatWalterbyhisgesturegaveanegativeanswertosomequestionwhichthematehadaskedhim。
\"Sendmetheboatswain,Walter,\"saidCurtisaloudasthelieutenantmovedaway。
Theboatswainimmediatelyappeared,andanothercon—
versationwascarriedoninwhispers。ThemanrepeatedlyshookhisheadasherepliedtoCurtis’sinquiries,andthen,inobediencetoorders,calledthemenwhowereonwatch,andmadethemplentifullywaterthetarpaulingthatcoveredthegreathatchway。
CurioustofathomthemysteryIwentuptoCurtisandbegantotalkwithhimuponordinarytopics,hopingthathewouldhimselfintroducethesubjectthatwasuppermostinmymind;finding,however,thathedidnotalludetoit,I
askedhimpointblank:
\"Whatwasthematterinthenight,Curtis?\"
Helookedatmesteadily,butmadenoreply。
\"Whatwasit?\"Irepeated。\"M。Letourneurandmy—
selfwerebothofusdisturbedbyaveryunusualcommotionoverhead。\"
\"Oh,amerenothing,\"hesaidatlength;\"themanatthehelmhadmadeafalsemove,andwehadtopipehandstobracetheshipabit;butitwassoonallputtorights。Itwasnothing,nothingatall。\"
Isaidnomore;butIcannotresisttheimpressionthatRobertCurtishasnotactedwithmeinhisusualstraight—
forwardmanner。
CHAPTERVIII
FIREONBOARD
OCTOBER15toOctober18。——Thewindisstillinthenortheast。ThereisnochangeintheChancellor’scourse,andtoanunprejudicedeyeallwouldappeartobegoingonasusual。ButIhaveanuneasyconsciousnessthatsome—
thingisnotquiteright。Whyshouldthehatchwaysbesohermeticallyclosedasthoughamutinouscrewwasim—
prisonedbetweendecks?Icannothelpthinkingtoothatthereissomethinginthesailorssoconstantlystandingingroupsandbreakingofftheirtalksosuddenlywheneverweapproach;andseveraltimesIhavecaughttheword\"hatches\"whicharrestedM。Letourneur’sattentiononthenightofthedisturbance。
Onthe15th,whileIwaswalkingontheforecastle,Iover—
heardoneofthesailors,amannamedOwen,saytohismates:
\"NowIjustgiveyouallwarningthatIamnotgoingtowaituntilthelastminute。Everyoneforhimself,sayI。\"
\"Why,whatdoyoumeantodo?\"askedJynxstrop,thecook。
\"Pshaw!\"saidOwen,\"doyousupposethatlongboatswereonlymadeforporpoises?\"
Somethingatthatmomentoccurredtointerruptthecon—
versation,andIheardnomore。Itoccurredtomewhethertherewasnotsomeconspiracyamongthecrew,ofwhichprobablyCurtishadalreadydetectedthesymptoms。Iamquiteawarethatsomesailorsaremostrebelliouslydisposed,andrequiredtoberuledwitharodofiron。
Yesterdayandto—dayIhaveobservedCurtisremonstrat—
ingsomewhatvehementlywithCaptainHuntly,butthereisnoobviousresultarisingfromtheirinterviews;thecap—
tainapparentlybeingbentuponsomepurpose,ofwhichitisonlytoomanifestthatthematedecidedlydisapproves。
CaptainHuntlyisundoubtedlylaboringunderstrongnervousexcitement;andM。Letourneurhasmorethanonceremarkedhowsilenthehasbecomeatmeal—times;foral—
thoughCurtiscontinuallyendeavorstostartsomesubjectofgeneralinterest,yetneitherMr。Falsten,Mr。Kear,norMr。Rubyarethementotakeitup,andconsequentlytheconversationflagshopelessly,andsoondrops。Thepas—
sengerstooarenow,withgoodcause,beginningtomurmuratthelengthofthevoyage,andMr。Kear,whoconsidersthattheveryelementsoughttoyieldtohisconvenience,letsthecaptainknowbyhisconsequentialandhaughtymannerthatheholdshimresponsibleforthedelay。
Duringthecourseofyesterdaythemategaverepeatedordersforthedecktobewateredagainandagain,andal—
thoughasageneralrulethisisabusinesswhichisdone,onceforall,intheearlymorning,thecrewdidnotutterawordofcomplaintattheadditionalworkthusimposeduponthem。
Thetarpaulinsonthehatcheshavethusbeenkeptcon—
tinuallywet,sothattheircloseandheavytextureisrenderedquiteimpervioustotheair。TheChancellor’spumpsaffordacopioussupplyofwater,sothatIshouldnotsupposethateventhedaintiestandmostluxuriouscraftbelongingtoanaristocraticyachtclubwaseversubjecttoamorethoroughscouring。Itriedtoreconcilemyselftothebeliefthatitwasthehightemperatureofthetropicalregionsuponwhichweareentering,thatrenderedsuchextrasousingsaneces—
sity,andrecalledtomyrecollectionhow,duringthenightofthe13th,Ihadfoundtheatmospherebelowdecksostifling,thatinspiteoftheheavyswellIwasobligedtoopentheportholeofmycabin,onthestarboardside,togetabreathofair。
ThismorningatdaybreakIwentondeck。Thesunhadscarcelyrisen,andtheairwasfreshandcool,instrangecon—
trasttotheheatwhichbelowthepoophadbeenquiteop—
pressive。Thesailorsasusualwerewashingthedeck。A
greatsheetofwater,suppliedcontinuouslybythepumps,wasrollingintinywavelets,andescapingnowtostarboard,nowtolarboardthroughthescupper—holes。Afterwatch—
ingthemenforawhileastheyranaboutbare—footed,I
couldnotresistthedesiretojointhem,sotakingoffmyshoesandstockings,Iproceededtodabbleintheflowingwater。
Greatwasmyamazementtofindthedeckperfectlyhottomyfeet!Curtisheardmyexclamationofsurprise,andbe—
foreIcouldputmythoughtsintowords,said:
\"Yes!thereisfireonboard!\"
CHAPTERIX
CURTISEXPLAINSTHESITUATION
OCTOBER19。——Everything,then,isclear。Theuneas—
inessofthecrew,theirfrequentconferences,Owen’smys—
teriouswords,theconstantscouringsofthedeckandtheoppressiveheatofthecabinswhichhadbeennoticedevenbymyfellow—passengers,allareexplained。
Afterhisgravecommunication,Curtisremainedsilent。
Ishiveredwithathrillofhorror;acalamitythemostter—
riblethatcanbefallavoyagerstaredmeintheface,anditwassomesecondsbeforeIcouldrecoversufficientcom—
posuretoinquirewhenthefirewasfirstdiscovered。
\"Sixdaysago,\"repliedthemate。
\"Sixdaysago!\"Iexclaimed;\"why,then,itwasthatnight。\"
\"Yes,\"hesaid,interruptingme;\"itwasthenightyouheardthedisturbanceupondeck。Themenonwatchno—
ticedaslightsmokeissuingfromthelargehatchwayandimmediatelycalledCaptainHuntlyandmyself。Wefoundbeyondalldoubt,thatthecargowasonfire,andwhatwasworse,thattherewasnopossibilityofgettingattheseatofthecombustion。Whatcouldwedo?Why,wetooktheonlyprecautionthatwaspracticableunderthecircumstances,andresolvedmostcarefullytoexcludeeverybreathofairfrompenetratingintothehold。ForsometimeIhopedthatwehadbeensuccessful。Ithoughtthatthefirewasstifled;
butduringthelastthreedaysthereiseveryreasontomakeusknowthatithasbeengainingstrength。Dowhatwewill,thedeckgetshotterandhotter,andunlessitwerekeptconstantlywet,itwouldbeunbearabletothefeet。ButI
amglad,Mr。Kazallon,\"headded;\"thatyouhavemadethediscovery。Itisbetterthatyoushouldknowit。\"I
listenedinsilence。Iwasnowfullyarousedtothegravityofthesituationandthoroughlycomprehendedhowwewereintheveryfaceofacalamitywhichitseemedthatnohumanpowercouldavert。
\"Doyouknowwhathascausedthefire?\"Ipresentlyinquired。
\"Itprobablyarose,\"heanswered,\"fromthesponta—
neouscombustionofthecotton。Thecaseisrare,butitisfarfromunknown。Unlessthecottonisperfectlydrywhenitisshipped,itsconfinementinadamporill—ventilatedholdwillsometimescauseittoignite;andIhavenodoubtitisthisthathasbroughtaboutourmisfortune。\"
\"Butafterall,\"Isaid,\"thecausemattersverylittle。
Istherenoremedy?Istherenothingtobedone?\"
\"Nothing,Mr。Kazallon,\"hesaid。\"AsItoldyoube—
fore,wehaveadoptedtheonlypossiblemeasurewithinourpowertocheckthefire。AtonetimeIthoughtofknock—
ingaholeintheship’stimbersjustonherwater—line,andlettinginjustasmuchwaterasthepumpscouldafterwardgetridofagain;butwefoundthecombustionwasrightinthemiddleofthecargoandthatweshouldbeobligedtofloodtheentireholdbeforewecouldgetattherightplace。
Thatschemeconsequentlywasnogood。Duringthenight,Ihadthedeckboredinvariousplacesandwaterpoureddownthroughtheholes;butthatagainseemedofnouse。
Thereisonlyonethingthatcanbedone;wemustpersevereinexcludingmostcarefullyeverybreathofouterair,sothatperhapstheconflagration,deprivedofoxygen,maysmoulderitselfout。Thatisouronlyhope。\"
\"But,yousaythefireisincreasing?\"
\"Yes;andthatshowsthatinspiteofallourcarethereissomeaperturewhichwehavenotbeenabletodiscover,bywhich,somehoworother,airgetsintothehold。\"
\"Haveyoueverheardofavesselsurvivingsuchcir—
cumstances?\"Iasked。
\"Yes,Mr。Kazallon,\"saidCurtis;\"itisnotatallanunusualthingforshipsladenwithcottontoarriveatLiver—
poolorHavrewithaportionoftheircargoconsumed;andI
havemyselfknownmorethanonecaptainrunintoportwithhisdeckscorchinghisveryfeet,andwho,tosavehisvesselandtheremainderofhisfreighthasbeencompelledtoun—
loadwiththeutmostexpedition。But,insuchcases,ofcoursethefirehasbeenmoreorlessundercontrolthrough—
outthevoyage;withus,itisincreasingdaybyday,andI
tellyouIamconvincedthereisanaperturesomewherewhichhasescapedournotice。\"
\"Butwoulditnotbeadvisableforustoretraceourcourse,andmakeforthenearestland?\"
\"Perhapsitwould,\"heanswered。\"WalterandI,andtheboatswain,aregoingtotalkthematteroverseriouslywiththecaptainto—day。But,betweenourselves,Ihavetakentheresponsibilityuponmyself;Ihavealreadychangedthetacktothesouthwest;wearenowstraightbe—
forethewind,andconsequentlywearesailingtowardthecoast。\"
\"Ineedhardlyask,\"Iadded;\"whetheranyoftheotherpassengersareatallawareoftheimminentdangerinwhichweareplaced。\"
\"Noneofthem,\"hesaid;\"notintheleast;andIhopeyouwillnotenlightenthem。Wedon’twantterrifiedwomenandcowardlymentoaddtoourembarrassment;thecrewareunderorderstokeepastrictsilenceonthesubject。
Silenceisindispensable。\"
Ipromisedtokeepthematteraprofoundsecret,asI
fullyenteredintoCurtis’sviewsastotheabsolutenecessityforconcealment。
CHAPTERX
PICRATEOFPOTASHONBOARD
OCTOBER20and21。——TheChancellorisnowcrowdedwithallthecanvasshecancarry,andattimeshertopmaststhreatentosnapwiththepressure。ButCurtisiseveronthealert;heneverleaveshispostbesidethemanatthehelm,andwithoutcompromisingthesafetyofthevessel,hecontrives,bytackingtothebreeze,tourgeheronatherutmostspeed。
Alldaylongonthe20ththepassengerswereassembledonthepoop。Evidentlytheyfoundtheheatofthecabinspainfullyoppressive,andmostofthemlaystretcheduponbenchesandquietlyenjoyedthegentlerollingofthevessel。
Theincreasingheatofthedeckdidnotrevealitselftotheirwell—shodfeet,andtheconstantscouringoftheboardsdidnotexciteanysuspicionintheirtorpidminds。M。
Letourneur,itistrue,didexpresshissurprisethatthecrewofanordinarymerchantvesselshouldbedistinguishedbysuchextraordinarycleanliness;butasIrepliedtohiminaverycasualtone,hepassednofurtherremark。IcouldnothelpregrettingthatIhadgivenCurtismypledgeofsilence,andlongedintenselytocommunicatethemelancholysecrettotheenergeticFrenchman;forattimeswhenIre—
flectupontheeight—and—twentyvictimswhomayprobably,onlytoosoon,beapreytotherelentlessflames,myheartseemsreadytoburst。
Theimportantconsultationbetweencaptain,mate,lieuten—
antandboatswainhastakenplace。Curtishasconfidedtheresulttome。HesaysthatHuntly,thecaptain,iscom—
pletelydemoralized;hehaslostallpowerandenergy;andpracticallyleavesthecommandoftheshiptohim。Itisnowcertainthefireisbeyondcontrol,andthatsoonerorlateritwillburstoutinfullviolence。Thetemperatureofthecrew’squartershasalreadybecomealmostunbearable。
Onesolitaryhoperemains;itisthatwemayreachtheshorebeforethefinalcatastropheoccurs。TheLesserAntillesarethenearestland;andalthoughtheyaresomefiveorsixhundredmilesaway,ifthewindremainsnortheastthereisyetachanceofreachingthemintime。
Carryingroyalsandstudding—sails,theChancellorduringthelastfour—and—twentyhourshasheldasteadycourse。M。
Letourneuristheonlyoneofallthepassengerswhohasre—
markedthechangeoftack;Curtis,however,hassetallspeculationonhispartatrestbytellinghimthathewantedtogetaheadofthewind,andthathewastackingtothewesttocatchafavorablecurrent。
To—day,the21st,allhasgoneonasusual;andasfarastheobservationofthepassengershasreached,theordinaryroutinehasbeenundisturbed。Curtisindulgesthehopeevenyetthatbyexcludingtheairthefiremaybestifledbe—
foreitignitesthegeneralcargo;hehashermeticallyclosedeveryaccessibleaperture,andhaseventakentheprecautionofpluggingtheorificesofthepumps,undertheimpressionthattheirsuction—tubes,runningastheydotothebottomofthehold,maypossiblybechannelsforconveyingsomemoleculesofair。Altogether,heconsidersitagoodsignthatthecombustionhasnotbetrayeditselfbysomeexternalissueofsmoke。
Thedaywouldhavepassedwithoutanyincidentworthrecording,ifIhadnotchancedtooverhearafragmentofaconversationwhichdemonstratedthatoursituation,hithertoprecariousenough,hadnowbecomemostappalling。
AsIwassittingonthepoop,twoofmyfellow—passengers,Falsten,theengineer,andRuby,themerchant,whomIhadobservedtobeoftenincompany,wereengagedinconversa—
tionalmostclosetome。Whattheysaidwasevidentlynotintendedformyhearing,butmyattentionwasdirectedto—
wardthembysomeveryemphaticgesturesofdissatisfactiononthepartofFalsten,andIcouldnotforbearlisteningtowhatfollowed。
\"Preposterous!shameful!\"exclaimedFalsten;\"nothingcouldbemoreimprudent。\"
\"Pooh!pooh!\"repliedRuby,\"it’sallright;itisnotthefirsttimeIhavedoneit。\"
\"Butdon’tyouknowthatanyshockatanytimemightcauseanexplosion?\"
\"Oh,it’sallproperlysecured,\"saidRuby,\"tightenough;
Ihavenofearsonthatscore,Mr。Falsten。\"
\"Butwhy,\"askedFalsten,\"didyounotinformthecap—