Jules Verne's Captain Hatteras - Part 2: Ice Desert

Chapter 6 - The American Ship

The day of 24 March was a day of celebration, Palm Sunday, when the roads of villages and European cities are sprinkled with flowers and leaves; then, the bells ring and the atmosphere charges up by penetrating scents.

But here, in this desert land, such sadness! Such silence! A prickly and harsh breeze, no dry leaf, no string of grass!

And still, this Sunday was a day of great happiness for travelers, since they were close to find resources, in the absence of which they could be condemned to certain death!

They quickened the pace; the dogs pulled with more energy, Duk barked with satisfaction and the group soon arrived at the American ship.

"Porpoise" was entirely covered in snow; it didn't have either a mast, a spar or hawser; its entire rigging was destroyed in the moment of the shipwreck. The ship was collected in a completely invisible rock bed at first sight. "Porpoise", layed on a part by the violent shock, with a broken hull, seemed uninhabited. The captain, the doctor and Johnson observed this thing after they entered inside the ship with difficulty. They had to remove about fifteen feet of snow to manage to reach the big hatch; but, to their great satisfaction, saw that the animals, whose numerous footprints could be seen on the entire ice field, didn't manage to reach the precious supply storage.

Johnson: If we have here the fuel and food provided, this hull doesn't seem too comfortable to me.

Hatteras: Well, we have to build a snow house and establish ourselves how we can on this continent.

Clawbonny: Without a doubt, but let's not rush and let's make things properly. When necessary, we can provisionally accommodate on the ship; at this time, we'll build a solid house, so we can be protected from the frost and animals. I'll be the architect and you'll see what I'm capable of!

Johnson: I'm not doubting your talent, Mr Clawbonny; let's establish ourselves here how we can and we'll make inventory of the ship's remains; unfortunately, I don't see a boat and these remains are too poor to make a boat out of them.

Clawbonny: Who knows? With time, thinking well, we'll make things like how it is; now it's not the problem of navigation but the problem of crafting a sedentary shelter; thus, I propose we don't plan, but to make every thing at its own time.

Hatteras: Very wise; let's start with the most important thing.

The three comrades left the ship, returning to the sleigh and sharing their ideas with Bell and the American. Bell declared himself ready to work; the American nodded after understanding that nothing could be done for his ship; however, how this discussion was superfluous then, they started on the initial project, as in to inhabit the ship "Porpoise" for a while and to build a vast shelter onshore.

At 4 PM, the five travelers were installed, good and bad, on the lower deck; with the aid of the masts' remains, Bell built a near-horizontal floor of which he placed the frozen blankets for sleeping, returning to their normal state by the stove's heat. Altamont, supported by the doctor, goes to his reserved corner. Walking on his ship, he let out a sigh of satisfaction that didn't seem auspicious to the crew chief.

He thought: "He feels at home and it seems he invited us!"

The rest of the day was dedicated to rest. Time threatened to change under the influence of the western wind; the thermometer sitting outside showed 26 degrees Fahrenheit (-32 degrees Celsius).

In a word, "Porpoise" was beyond the pole of the cold and at a less-glacial latitude, though much closer to the north.

That day they finished the bear meat, with a few biscuits from the ship's storage and a few cups of tea; then fatigue took them over and each fell into a deep sleep.