CHAPTER FIFTEEN.
DISCOURSES OF DEEP THINGS.
The islet, or rock, for it was little more, which the explorers hadreached, was low and extremely barren. Nevertheless it had on it alarge colony of sea-fowl, which received the strangers with their wontedclamour of indignation--if not of welcome.
As it was near noon at the time, the Captain and Leo went with theirsextants to the highest part of the island to ascertain its position;the Eskimos set about making an encampment, unloading the boats,etcetera, and Alf, with hammer and botanical box, set off on a shortramble along the coast, accompanied by Benjy and Butterface.
Sometimes these three kept together and chatted, at other times theyseparated a little, each attracted by some object of interest, orfollowing the lead, it might have been, of wayward fancy. But theynever lost sight of each other, and, after a couple of hours, converged,as if by tacit consent, until they met and sat down to rest on a ledgeof rock.
"Well, I _do_ like this sort o' thing," remarked Benjy, as he wiped hisheated brow. "There is something to me so pleasant and peaceful about alow rocky shore with the sun blazing overhead and the great seastretching out flat and white in a dead calm with just ripple enough tolet you know it is all alive and hearty--only resting, like agood-humoured and sleepy giant."
"Why, Ben, I declare you are becoming poetical," said Alf with a smile;"your conceptions correspond with those of Buzzby, who writes:--
"`Great Ocean, slumb'ring in majestic calm, Lies like a mighty--a mighty--'
"I--I fear I've forgotten. Let me see:--
"`Great Ocean, slumb'ring in majestic calm, Lies like a mighty--'"
"Giant in a dwalm," suggested Benjy.
"We'll change the subject," said Alf, opening his botanical box andtaking out several specimens of plants and rocks. "See, here are somebits of rock of a kind that are quite new to me."
"What's de use ob dem?" inquired Butterface with a look of earnestsimplicity.
"The use?" said Benjy, taking on himself to reply; "why, you flat-nosedgrampus, don't you know that these bits of rock are made for the expresspurpose of being carried home, identified, classified, labelled, stuckup in a museum, and stared at by wondering ignoramuses, who care nothingwhatever about them, and know less. Geologists are constantly goingabout the world with their little hammers keeping up the supply."
"Yes, Butterface," said Alf, "Benjy is partly correct; such specimenswill be treated as he describes, and be stared at in blank stupidity byhundreds of fellows like himself, but they will also be examined andunderstood by geologists, who from their profound knowledge of the planswhich our Creator seems to have had in arranging the materials of theearth, are able to point out many interesting and useful facts which arenot visible to the naked and unscientific eye, such, for instance, asthe localities where coal and other precious things may be found."
"Kin dey tell whar' gold is to be found, massa Alf?"
"O yes, they can tell that."
"Den it's dis yer chile as wishes," said Butterface with a sigh, "dat hewas a jollygist."
"Oh! Butterface, you're a jolly goose at all events," said Benjy;"wouldn't it be fun to go and discover a gold mine, and dig up as muchas would keep us in happy idleness all the rest of our lives? But Isay, Alf, have you nothing better than geological specimens in yourbox--no grubological specimens, eh?"
Alf replied by producing from his box a paper parcel which containedsome of the required specimens in the shape of biscuit and pemmican.
"Capital! Well, you are a good fellow, Alf. Let us make a table-clothof the paper--now, you undisciplined black, don't glare so at thevictuals, else you'll grow too hungry for a moderate supply."
When the trio were in the full swing of vigorous feeding, the negropaused, with his mouth full, to ask Alf what would be the use of theNorth Pole when it was discovered.
"Make matches or firewood of it," said Benjy just as he was about tostop up his impudent mouth with a lump of pemmican.
"Truly, of what use the Pole itself may be--supposing it to exist in theform of a thing," said Alf, "I cannot tell, but it has already been ofgreat use in creating expeditions to the Polar regions. You know wellenough, Butterface, for you've been round the Capes of Good Hope andHorn often enough, what a long long voyage it is to the eastern seas, onthe other side of the world, and what a saving of time and expense itwould be if we could find a shorter route to those regions, from whichso many of our necessaries and luxuries come. Now, if we could onlydiscover an open sea in the Arctic regions which would allow our shipsto sail in a straight line from England across the North Pole toBehring's Straits, the voyage to the East would be reduced to only about5000 miles, and we should be able to reach Japan in three or four weeks.Just think what an advantage that would be to commerce!"
"Tea at twopence a pound an' sugar to match--not to mention molasses andbaccy, you ignorant nigger!" said Benjy;--"pass the biscuits."
"An' now, massa Alf," said Butterface with an eager look, "we'sdiskivered dis open sea--eh!"
"Well, it seems as if we had."
"But what good will it do us," argued Benjy, becoming more earnest inthe discussion, "if it's all surrounded by a ring of ice such as we havepassed over on sledges."
"If," repeated Alf, "in that `if' lies the whole question. No doubtEnterprise has fought heroically for centuries to overleap this supposedring of ice, and science has stood expectant on the edge, lookingeagerly for the day when human perseverance shall reveal the secrets ofthe Far North. It is true, also, that _we_ at last appear to havepenetrated into the great unknown, but who shall say that the so-calledice-ring has been fully examined? Our explorations have been hithertoconfined to one or two parts of it. We may yet find an ever-openentrance to this open Polar sea, and our ships may yet be seen sailingregularly to and fro over the North Pole."
"Just so," said Benjy, "a North Pole steam line once a month to Japanand back--first class accommodation for second class fares. Walrus andwhite bear parties dropped on the way at the Pole Star Hotel, an easytrip from the Pole itself, which may be made in Eskimo cabs in summerand reindeer sleighs in winter. Return tickets available for sixmonths--touching at China, India, Nova Zembla, Kamtschatka, and Iceland.Splendid view of Hecla and the great Mer de Glace of Greenland--fogspermitting.--Don't eat so much, Butterface, else bu'stin' will surely beyour doom."
"Your picture is perhaps a little overdrawn, Ben," rejoined Alf with asmile.
"So would the ancients have said," retorted Benjy, "if you hadprophesied that in the nineteenth century our steamers would passthrough the Straits of Hercules, up the Mediterranean, and over the landto India; or that our cousins' steam cars would go rattling across thegreat prairies of America, through the vast forests, over and under theRocky Mountains from the States to California, in seven days; or thatthe telephone or electric light should ever come into being."
"Well, you see, Butterface," said Alf, "there is a great deal to be saidin favour of Arctic exploration, even at the present day, and despiteall the rebuffs that we have received. Sir Edward Sabine, one of thegreatest Arctic authorities, says of the route from the Atlantic to thePacific, that it is the greatest geographical achievement which can beattempted, and that it will be the crowning enterprise of those Arcticresearches in which England has hitherto had the pre-eminence. Why,Butterface," continued Alf, warming with his subject, while theenthusiastic negro listened as it were with every feature of hisexpressive face, and even the volatile Benjy became attentive, "why,there is no telling what might be the advantages that would arise fromsystematic exploration of these unknown regions, which cover a space ofnot less than two million, five hundred thousand square miles. It wouldadvance the science of hydrography, and help to solve some of thedifficult problems connected with Equatorial and Polar currents. Itwould enable us, it is said, by a series of pendulum observations at ornear the Pole, to render essential service to the science of geology, toform a mathematical theory of the physical condit
ion of the earth, andto ascertain its exact conformation. It would probably throw light onthe wonderful phenomena of magnetism and atmospheric electricity and themysterious Aurora Borealis--to say nothing of the flora of these regionsand the animal life on the land and in the sea."
"Why, Alf," exclaimed Benjy in surprise, "I had no idea you were sodeeply learned on these subjects."
"Deeply learned!" echoed Alf with a laugh, "why, I have only asmattering of them. Just knowledge enough to enable me in some smalldegree to appreciate the vast amount of knowledge which I have yet toacquire. Why do you look perplexed, Butterface?"
"'Cause, massa, you's too deep for me altogidder. My brain no big'nough to hold it all."
"And your skull's too thick to let it through to the little blob ofbrain that you do possess," said Benjy with a kindly-contemptuous lookat his sable friend. "Oh! flatnose, you're a terrible thick-head."
"You's right dere, massa," replied the negro, with a gratified smile atwhat he deemed a compliment. "You should ha' seed me dat time when Iwas leetle boy down in Ole Virginny, whar dey riz me, when my gran'modershe foun' me stickin' my fist in de molasses-jar an' lickin' it off.She swarmed at me an' fetch me one kick, she did, an' sent me slap trooa pannel ob de loft door, an' tumbled me down de back stair, whar Ifelled over de edge an' landed on de top ob a tar barrel w'ich my headrun into. I got on my legs, I did, wiv difficulty, an' runned awaynever a bit de worse--not even a headache--only it was tree months aforeI got dat tar rightly out o' my wool. Yes, my head's t'ick _'nough_."
While Butterface was speaking, Leo and the Captain were seenapproaching, and the three rose to meet them. There was a gravesolemnity in the Captain's look which alarmed them.
"Nothing wrong I hope, uncle?" said Alf.
"Wrong! no, lad, there's nothing wrong. On the contrary, everything isright. Why, where do you think we have got to?"
"A hundred and fifty miles from the Pole," said Alf.
"Less, less," said Leo, with an excited look.
"We are not more," said the Captain slowly, as he took off his hat andwiped his brow, "not more than a hundred and forty miles from it."
"Then we could be there in three days or sooner, with a good breeze,"cried Benjy, whose enthusiasm was aroused.
"Ay, Ben, if there was nothing in the way; but it's quite clear fromwhat Chingatok says, that we are drawing near to his native land, whichcannot be more than fifty miles distant, if so much. You remember hehas told us his home is one of a group of islands, some of which arelarge and some small; some mountainous and others flat and swampy,affording food and shelter to myriads of wild-fowl; so, you see, afterwe get there our progress northward through such a country, withoutroads or vehicles, won't be at the rate of ten miles an hour by anymeans."
"Besides," added Leo, "it would not be polite to Chingatok's countrymenif we were to leave them immediately after arriving. Perhaps they wouldnot let us go, so I fear that we shan't gain the end of our journey yeta while, but that does not matter much, for we're sure to make it out atlast."
"What makes the matter more uncertain," resumed the Captain, as theysauntered back to camp, "is the fact that this northern archipelago ispeopled by different tribes of Eskimos, some of whom are of a warlikespirit and frequently give the others trouble. However, Chingatok sayswe shall have no difficulty in reaching this Nothing--as he will insiston styling the Pole, ever since I explained to him that it was not areal but an imaginary point."
"I wonder how Anders ever got him to understand what an imaginary pointis," said Benjy.
"That has puzzled me too," returned the Captain, "but he did get itscrewed into him somehow, and the result is--Nothing!"
"Out of nothing nothing comes," remarked Leo, as the giant suddenlyappeared from behind a rock, "but assuredly _nothing_ can beat Chingatokin size or magnificence, which is more than anything else can."
The Eskimo had been searching for the absentees to announce that dinnerwas ready, and that Toolooha was impatient to begin; they all thereforequickened their pace, and soon after came within scent of the savourymess which had been prepared for them by the giant's squat but amiablemother.