Chapter XVII
THE SHIPWRECKED CREW
Next day was the 24th of July; and the 24th of July in the southernhemisphere corresponds to the 24th of January in the northern. Thefifty-sixth degree of latitude had been left behind. The similarparallel in northern Europe runs through Edinburgh.
The thermometer kept steadily below freezing, so that the machinerywas called upon to furnish a little artificial heat in the cabins.Although the days begin to lengthen after the 21st day of June in thesouthern hemisphere, yet the advance of the "Albatross" towards thePole more than neutralized this increase, and consequently thedaylight became very short. There was thus very little to be seen. Atnight time the cold became very keen; but as there was no scarcity ofclothing on board, the colleagues, well wrapped up, remained a gooddeal on deck thinking over their plans of escape, and watching for anopportunity. Little was seen of Robur; since the high words that hadbeen exchanged in the Timbuktu country, the engineer had left offspeaking to his prisoners. Frycollin seldom came out of thecook-house, where Tapage treated him most hospitably, on conditionthat he acted as his assistant. This position was not without itsadvantages, and the Negro, with his master's permission, verywillingly accepted it. Shut up in the galley, he saw nothing of whatwas passing outside, and might even consider himself beyond the reachof danger. He was, in fact, very like the ostrich, not only in hisstomach, but in his folly.
But whither went the "Albatross?" Was she in mid-winter bound for thesouthern seas or continents round the Pole? In this icy atmosphere,even granting that the elements of the batteries were unaffected bysuch frost, would not all the crew succumb to a horrible death fromthe cold? That Robur should attempt to cross the Pole in the warmseason was bad enough, but to attempt such a thing in the depth ofthe winter night would be the act of a madman.
Thus reasoned the President and Secretary of the Weldon Institute,now they had been brought to the end of the continent of the NewWorld, which is still America, although it does not belong to theUnited States.
What was this intractable Robur going to do? Had not the time arrivedfor them to end the voyage by blowing up the ship?
It was noticed that during the 24th of July the engineer had frequentconsultations with his mate. He and Tom Turner kept constant watch onthe barometer--not so much to keep themselves informed of the heightat which they were traveling as to be on the look-out for a change inthe weather. Evidently some indications had been observed of which itwas necessary to make careful note.
Uncle Prudent also remarked that Robur had been taking stock of theprovisions and stores, and everything seemed to show that he wascontemplating turning back.
"Turning back!" said Phil Evans. "But where to?"
"Where he can reprovision the ship," said Uncle Prudent.
"That ought to be in some lonely island in the Pacific with a colonyof scoundrels worthy of their chief."
"That is what I think. I fancy he is going west, and with the speedhe can get up it would not take, him long to get home."
"But we should not be able to put our plan into execution. If we getthere--"
"We shall not get there!"
The colleagues had partly guessed the engineer's intentions. Duringthe day it became no longer doubtful that when the "Albatross"reached the confines of the Antarctic Sea her course was to bechanged. When the ice has formed about Cape Horn the lower regions ofthe Pacific are covered with icefields and icebergs. The floes thenform an impenetrable barrier to the strongest ships and the boldestnavigators. Of course, by increasing the speed of her wings the"Albatross" could clear the mountains of ice accumulated on the oceanas she could the mountains of earth on the polar continent--if it isa continent that forms the cap of the southern pole. But would sheattempt it in the middle of the polar night, in an atmosphere ofsixty below freezing?
After she had advanced about a hundred miles to the south the"Albatross" headed westerly, as if for some unknown island of thePacific. Beneath her stretched the liquid plain between Asia andAmerica. The waters now had assumed that singular color which hasearned for them the name of the Milky Sea. In the half shadow, whichthe enfeebled rays of the sun were unable to dissipate, the surfaceof the Pacific was a milky white. It seemed like a vast snowfield,whose undulations were imperceptible at such a height. If the sea hadbeen solidified by the cold, and converted into an immense icefield,its aspect could not have been much different. They knew that thephenomenon was produced by myriads of luminous particles ofphosphorescent corpuscles; but it was surprising to come across suchan opalescent mass beyond the limits of the Indian Ocean.
Suddenly the barometer fell after keeping somewhat high during theearlier hours of the day. Evidently the indications were such as ashipmaster might feel anxious at, though the master of an aeronefmight despise them. There was every sign that a terrible storm hadrecently raged in the Pacific.
It was one o'clock in the afternoon when Tom Turner came up to theengineer and said, "Do you see that black spot on the horizon, sir--thereaway to due north of us? That is not a rock?"
"No, Tom; there is no land out there."
"Then it must be a ship or a boat."
Uncle Prudent and Phil Evans, who were in the bow, looked in thedirection pointed out by the mate.
Robur asked for the glass and attentively observed the object.
"It is a boat," said he, "and there are some men in it."
"Shipwrecked?" asked Tom.
"Yes! They have had to abandon their ship, and, knowing nothing ofthe nearest land, are perhaps dying of hunger and thirst! Well, itshall not be said that the "Albatross" did not come to their help!"
The orders were given, and the aeronef began to sink towards the sea.At three hundred yards from it the descent was stopped, and thepropellers drove ahead full speed towards the north.
It was a boat. Her sail flapped against the mast as she rose and fellon the waves. There was no wind, and she was making no progress.Doubtless there was no one on board with strength enough left to workthe oars. In the boat were five men asleep or helpless, if they werenot dead.
The "Albatross" had arrived above them, and slowly descended. On theboat's stern was the name of the ship to which she belonged--the"Jeannette" of Nantes.
"Hallo, there!" shouted Turner, loud enough for the men to hear, forthe boat was only eighty feet below him.
There was no answer. "Fire a gun!" said Robur.
The gun was fired and the report rang out over the sea.
One of the men looked up feebly. His eyes were haggard and his facewas that of a skeleton. As he caught sight of the "Albatross" he madea gesture as of fear.
"Don't be afraid," said Robur in French, "we have come to help you.Who are you?"
"We belong to the barque "Jeannette," and I am the mate. We left hera fortnight ago as she was sinking. We have no water and no food."
The four other men had now sat up. Wan and exhausted, in a terriblestate of emaciation, they lifted their hands towards the "Albatross."
"Look-out!" shouted Robur.
A line was let down, and a pail of fresh water was lowered into theboat. The men snatched at it and drank it with an eagerness awful tosee.
"Bread, bread!" they exclaimed.
Immediately a basket with some food and five pints of coffeedescended towards them. The mate with difficulty restrained them intheir ravenousness.
"Where are we?" asked the mate at last.
"Fifty miles from the Chili coast and the Chonos Archipelago,"answered Robur.
"Thanks. But we are becalmed, and--?"
"We are going to tow you."
"Who are you?"
"People who are glad to be of assistance to you," said Robur.
The mate understood that the incognito was to be respected. But hadthe flying machine sufficient power to tow them through the water?
Yes; and the boat, attached to a hundred feet of rope, began to moveoff towards the east. At ten o'clock at night the land wassighted--or rather they could see
the lights which indicated its position.This rescue from the sky had come just in time for the survivors ofthe "Jeannette," and they had good reason to believe it miraculous.
When they had been taken to the mouth of the channel leading amongthe Chonos Islands, Robur shouted to them to cast off the tow-line.This, with many a blessing to those who had saved them, they did, andthe "Albatross" headed out to the offing.
Certainly there was some good in this aeronef, which could thus helpthose who were lost at sea! What balloon, perfect as it might be,would be able to perform such a service? And between themselves UnclePrudent and Phil Evans could not but admire it, although they werequite disposed to deny the evidence of their senses.