HOW JOHN WHOPPER GOT ALONG AT THE NORTH POLE.
I shall now give the general result of an exploration of the iceberg,
which occupied me for several days. I use the word _day_ in the ordinary
sense, as indicating a period of twenty-four hours; although, during my
stay in the arctic region, the daylight was perpetual. This frozen
island, which was to be for a time my habitation, extended, so far as I
could judge, over an area of about five hundred acres; but there were
certain marks about the surface and cleavages on the sides, which
indicated that it was originally of much greater size. It was also very
evident that it had assumed its form, and been detached from the shore,
at some point on the coast many degrees remote from its present
position, and had then been driven towards the pole by some
extraordinary current into which it had happened to fall. At some former
period, this iceberg must have floated, or been stationary, in a region
where game abounded and birds were plenty; where vessels sailed, and
where vessels were wrecked; and, when it was launched from the shore, it
carried off with it not less than an acre of good, rich loam,--the
effect, probably, of a land-slide in the vicinity. It will, I think, be
seen that it is only upon this general supposition, that we can account
for what I found there. I may here observe, before proceeding further,
that, while on three sides the walls of the berg rose almost
perpendicularly out of the sea, yet on the remaining side there was
quite an easy and gradual slope down to the water; and this may also
serve to explain how some of the things that I found on the island were
thrown or lifted there.
The food that I had brought with me from Canton was soon exhausted; and
the first great want that I experienced was the means of keeping my soul
in my body. In the deep crevices of the ice, I found places where I
could manage in a measure to shelter my body from the cold while I
slept; but what reasonable prospect had I of finding food in this
forlorn spot? I now began to feel the pangs of hunger; but, instead of
yielding to despair, with a stout heart I determined to search the
region thoroughly, and see if a kind Providence had not made some
provision for my wants. After roaming about for a while, my foot struck
upon a little keg, partially embedded in the ice; and, to my joy, I read
the mark on the top, "Bent's Hard Crackers, Milton, Mass." It took me
hardly a minute to kick it open; and there the crackers lay, as sound
and sweet as when they were first packed. I do not know exactly how many
I ate, but I should say not much over fifteen. The keg was then put in a
safe place, where I should be certain to find it by and by. In the
course of the forenoon, I came upon a frozen bear; and I also found, in
the same vicinity, plenty of old barrel-staves, and broken hoops, and
other pieces of wood, great and small, which I laid in a heap upon the
earth. "Now," said I, "we will have a bit of roast meat for dinner, with
a few toasted crackers for dessert." Before two o'clock, I had a bright
fire burning, and a delicate slice of the bear roasting before it.
The next thing to be done was to strip the bear of his skin; but this I
found to be a difficult task. It had been a tough job to cut out with my
jack-knife the frozen slice of meat upon which I had just dined; and it
was impossible to strip off the skin without tearing it in pieces. A
bright thought now occurred to me, and I proceeded to kindle a fire all
around the animal; and when the heat had become strong enough just to
loosen the hide from the carcass, I went to work, and, in an hour or
two, had a nice warm robe to wrap myself in at night. At the same time I
extinguished the fire, as I did not care to cook the entire bear all at
once.
My jar of water gave out the day that I was dropped upon the berg; and
at first I thought that I could quench my thirst by eating small bits of
ice, but I soon found that this only increased the difficulty. I then
remembered to have read in a magazine, that the amount of caloric taken
out of the system in order to melt the ice in one's mouth was so great
as to only increase the feeling of thirst. All anxiety, however, on this
point was soon at an end; for the sun was now hot enough, for an hour
or two at noon, to melt a sufficient quantity of the loose snow in
certain localities to furnish all the water that I needed.
With my bear-meat and Bent's crackers for food, and my bearskin for a
blanket, I might now be considered for the present as above the reach of
absolute want; and still it is not to be supposed that I was in a very
contented and happy frame of mind. I was very thankful for all the
mercies that I had received; and, when I looked back upon all the
wonderful deliverances that I had experienced, I could not help feeling
confident that all would go well with me hereafter.[1]
But the great want that I felt was _a home_, or at least
something,--some hut or hovel, or hole in the ground,--to which I might
retire when my labor was over, where I could eat my frugal meals, and
lie down to slumber at night. I longed for a place in which I could feel
that I was _localized_, around which domestic associations might
gradually entwine themselves, and where I might sing in the twilight the
songs of my childhood.[2]
The fifth day of my sojourn on the iceberg was the great day of
discovery. I determined, that morning, that I would now make a thorough
survey of the whole island. I knew that it would be rough work, and
somewhat dangerous; for, in some places, there were cavities fifty feet
deep, and I should have to climb over some very steep ice, where it was
as smooth as glass. Before starting, I pulled several nails out of the
hoops that lay around, and drove them into the soles of my boots; and I
was fortunate enough to find a good stout stick, into the end of which I
also fastened one of the nails. Filling my pockets with crackers, and
slinging a slice of cooked bear's meat over my shoulder, I started off,
having been careful first to pile up several loose blocks of ice in the
form of a pillar, so that I might be able to find the place again. I
then struck--as it afterwards turned out most fortunately--for that side
of the berg where the surface shelved off gradually to the water. About
eleven o'clock, I found myself standing on quite a lofty peak of ice;
and, looking down, my eyes fell upon a sight that almost took away my
breath. Spread out before me on a level plain, there lay a large black
patch, which looked as though it must be earth; and on the farther side,
just where the berg began to slope towards the sea, I thought that I
saw something that looked like a building! Could it be that the island
was inhabited? Running, sliding, slipping down, as fast as I could go,
in a short time I found that I was not mistaken in supposing that it
was earth: for there lay, stretched out before me, an acre or so of
ground, almost as smooth and level as a garden; and, at the farther
end of the plot, there stood,--not an ordinary house, not a barn, not
an Esquimaux hut, not a country store, not a railroad depot, not a
meeting-house,--but, what do you imagine? I will tell you as soon as I
get there. Rushing like mad across the ground,--oh, how pleasant it was
to feel the soft soil under my cold feet!--I came to what looked like a
dismasted ship, embedded clear up to the gunwale[3] in the ice. There
lay the whole deck of a three-masted vessel, unbroken and undisturbed;
but, as I soon ascertained, there was no hull underneath, for the deck
had evidently been broken off from the lower parts of the ship, and
thrown up the smooth, inclined plane of ice to the spot where I found
it, and then been frozen in there. What a discovery this was! I did not
know how to contain or how to express my delight; and, before beginning
to explore the premises, the very first thing that I did was to rush up
to the bell, that hung near the bows, and ring it with all my might. You
can't tell how strange it sounded, up there in that solitary, silent,
arctic sea, to hear the loud clang of the old bell sounding out over the
waters, as I tugged and tugged away at the rope. It would have done the
hearts of "Hooper & Son, Boston, Mass.,"--whose name I saw printed on
it,--it would have done the whole firm good, to have heard it. After I
had ceased ringing, and slowly tolled the bell for a few minutes, so
that I might make it seem as if I were going to meeting in Roxbury, I
sat down on the capstan to think matters over. Nothing had happened yet
that excited me like this. Jumping through the earth, and then getting
stuck in the centre; being blown through the axis, and lighting on an
iceberg at the north pole, and all that sort of thing,--I looked back
upon rather as a matter of course. But to find myself sitting here on
the deck of a three-master, with the cabins and offices at the stern all
in good order, and the caboose-house in the centre, with the little
funnel sticking out of the top, and a big boat close by it, covered with
canvas, and a huge anchor at the bows, and spare rigging and spare masts
lying all along the sides, and a _real bell_ to ring,--this was a
little too much, even for John Whopper.
What was I to find in the cabins, and the offices, and the pantries, and
the caboose-house? The caboose-house reminded me that I was getting
hungry, and that it was near dinner-time. I had expected to make my meal
of dry crackers and cold bear-meat; but it occurred to me, that, on such
an occasion as the present, a luxurious repast would be more
appropriate, as well as more agreeable, and that very possibly I might
find in the caboose-house the materials for gratifying my appetite. I
did not as yet feel quite prepared to visit the cabins at the stern, for
I knew that I must become very much excited at what would be found
there, and a good dinner would serve to strengthen my nerves, and set me
up. I went, therefore, at once to the caboose, and slid back the door,
which required considerable effort; and, sure enough, there was every
thing at hand that I expected, and a great deal more. The accident which
lifted the deck from the hull of the ship must have happened about the
middle of the forenoon; for there was the fire all ready to be lighted
in the cooking-stove,--shavings, kindlings, and coal in place; and there
lay the cooking utensils quite convenient. This was not all; the
materials for the dinner had been brought up,--a great deal more than I
could consume in a week. Immediately I took a match from my
pocket,--there was a box of matches hanging on the wall, but I did not
feel sure that they would be in working order,--and lighted the fire.
The next thing that I did was to go and select a lump of clean, clear
ice, to be melted in the kettle, that I might be ready to wash up my
dishes properly after dinner. I tell you that I gave a big shout when I
saw the smoke curling out of the funnel. I now proceeded, very
deliberately, to select from the cans and bottles and jars, that were
piled up in the corner, the various items of which I would make my
dinner. The first thing that I settled upon was a dish of "_Parker's
ox-tail soup_," which I remembered to have eaten some time ago at the
house of a benevolent gentleman in Washington Street, when he gave the
newsboys a lunch. My second course should consist of a potted
partridge, with tomato sauce, desiccated turnips (I didn't know what
_desiccated_ meant, but I took it for granted that it was all right),
and one or two of Lewis's pickles. I would then close with part of a jar
of preserved peaches. I did not need to do much cooking in getting up
this dinner; but I had hot soup, hot tomatoes, and warm turnips, which
got a little smoked, and didn't taste very good,--perhaps, however, that
was because it was desiccated. I enjoyed the dinner tremendously; and
after it was over, and my dishes were all washed and put away, my eye
lighted upon a box, half full of cigars, on the shelf. My first thought
was, "Now I will have a cigar, as the gentlemen do that you see at the
steps of the Tremont House in the afternoon, and that will make it seem
more like home." But, upon second thought, it occurred to me that this
would probably make me so sick for the remainder of the day, that I
should be unable to do any thing, and that I couldn't spare the time. So
I decided not to smoke until I had leisure enough to be ill for a while.
And now, with a throbbing heart, I turned my steps towards the
cabin-door, and entered the gangway. There were two or three doors on
the sides of the narrow passage, which I did not care to open at
present; and so I passed on to the central door that led into the main
room. I had feared that I might be startled by the sight of dead bodies
or skeletons here; but there was nothing repulsive to be seen, nothing
that looked like disorder or confusion. There stood the centre-table,
with a few books and pamphlets lying on it, and two or three chairs
drawn around, and a large lamp suspended above. There was the grate,
containing a few half-consumed embers; there was the compass, swinging
between the stern-windows. A nice Brussels carpet was under my feet; and
there were three doors on either side of the cabin, opening into the
staterooms. The vessel appeared to have been a first-class merchantman,
fitted to carry half a dozen passengers; and how such a vessel as this
ever found its way into these northern seas was a mystery. I just
glanced for a moment into these rooms, and saw there trunks and valises,
and all the usual articles of the toilet, mirrors, beds, and bedding,
and all other things expected in a respectable apartment. Then I visited
the captain's room and the mate's; the pantry, store-room, etc.; and all
the supplies and utensils seemed to be abundant and of the best quality.
I tried to find the log-book, but that was missing; and from this I
inferred that the captain had made his escape in safety, taking it with
him. This thought gave me pleasure.
No danger now of my suffering for want of the comforts or luxuries of
life; I could dress elegantly, sleep magnificently, and fare
sumptuously. I selected the captain's room for my private apartment; and
having no luggage to transport, it required but little time for me to
take possession.
The sun had now sunk as near the horizon as it ever did in that region
during the month of July, and what we called evening at home drew near.
I prepared my cup of tea in the cabin, and spread my supper on the
centre-table; then went out to take a little stroll on the deck. I
closed the door of the caboose-house, and, for the sake of appearances,
fastened it; then went up to the bell, and struck the hour, just to
gratify a sentimental feeling that I had. Then I retired to the cabin
for the night; and in order to make it seem snug and cosey, I dropped
the curtains over the windows, and lighted the hanging lamp. Kindling a
fire in the grate, I sat down at the table and tried to read. But
situated as I was, I found it impossible to fix my mind upon the book;
and so I threw myself down upon the lounge to think over what had
happened, and speculate as to the probabilities of the future. It may
seem strange to some persons; but, with all my comforts about me, I felt
more homesick than I did when I was lying on the ice in my bearskin, or
when I was poking about in the bowels of the earth, trying to see how I
could get out. There was nothing to occupy my body; and that, I suppose,
was one reason why my mind worked as it did. At about ten o'clock, I
went to bed, and, after tossing about uneasily for an hour or two,
managed to fall asleep.
When I awoke in the morning, it took me some time to remember where I
was. I thought, at first, that I was at home, and could hear the birds
singing by the window; and I believe that I called out "Bob!" once or
twice before I was fairly roused. But soon the real state of the case
came back to me; and, going into the staterooms, I hunted round until I
found a suit of good clean clothes that would fit me, and dressed myself
for the day. The clothes that I had worn were now so dirty and torn that
I was very glad to get rid of them. After breakfasting heartily,--and an
excellent cup of hot coffee I had that morning,--I began to think what I
should do with myself during the day. I had no longer to go tramping
about in search of food; and so I thought that I would take a little
stroll over my farm,--as I called the acre of loam that lay by the side
of my abode,--and see how the crops were looking. I must confess that
the vegetation was not much advanced; and yet I could see, here and
there, little green shoots springing out of the earth, indicating that
the summer sun was beginning to have its effect upon the soil. It then
occurred to me how pleasant it would be to look out upon a greensward in
that icy spot; and remembering to have seen in the store-room a canvas
bag marked "grass-seed," and a rake standing there, I went for them, and
passed the forenoon in agricultural pursuits. In a few hours, I had
quite a patch of ground nicely raked over, and sown for grass. In less
than a fortnight, it had sprouted beautifully, and I began to be quite
proud of my arctic lawn.
All the time, however, I was wondering how I should find my way back to
the abodes of man, and how soon I might expect to start for home. I had
presumed, that, as the season advanced, I should begin to drift
southward; and I hoped, that, before the winter closed in again, I might
reach those parts of the sea which are frequented by vessels, and so
find rescue. But whether I was moving or not, it was impossible as yet
to tell, as there was no fixed object in sight by which a movement could
be measured. I felt very certain that the iceberg was not grounded,
because there would be, occasionally, a quivering of the whole mass,
which showed that it was floating on the water. It was also growing
warmer and warmer every day, which was a favorable symptom. If I had
known how to use the sextant or quadrant, I could have settled the
matter at once.
Before long, I was satisfied, from the change in the appearance of the
ocean and of the sun, that I was indeed moving rapidly away from the
north pole; and the fact that I was afloat was settled conclusively by a
very alarming circumstance. I had observed for a day or two, that the
hanging-lamp did not appear to be entirely perpendicular; and, in
walking the deck, I had the sensation that I was not treading on a
perfectly level surface. Searching the mate's room, I found a
spirit-level, and laid it on the floor. There was no doubt of the fact:
the berg was undoubtedly tilting on one side. I then remembered, that,
not unfrequently, these mountains of ice rolled over, and made a
complete somerset. This was now, sooner or later, going to happen. What
could I do? I found that the ice, on the side that was beginning to
incline towards the sea, was much higher than elsewhere, and that this
superior weight was gradually destroying the equilibrium of the berg. I
also observed, that, between this elevation and the more level region,
there was a narrow, deep fissure, extending almost entirely across the
line of the lofty projection of ice.
A great thought now flashed upon me. I remembered to have seen on the
deck, the day after my arrival, two or three casks, labelled "Dangerous!
Handle very carefully!! Nitro-glycerine!!!" These casks I at once
removed to a safe distance, marking with an upright stick the place
where they were deposited. Nitro-glycerine!--I said to myself. It was
that that blew up the "The European" at Panama. I remember it because I
sold three hundred and nine papers by crying "Great Explosion." A
newsboy knows something. And nitro-glycerine will go off if you hit it
hard enough.
In the captain's room, there were several large, metallic flasks, made
very broad and flat, as I suppose for the purpose of better stowage in
his room. What they had formerly contained, I could only judge by the
smell; but they were empty now. This, then, was the experiment that I
would try,--filling these flasks with nitro-glycerine, I would lower
them into a crevice in the ice. Then, if I could, I must make a block
of ice fall on them.
In two or three hours, my preparations were concluded. The flasks were
just large enough to fit snugly in the chasm. Above them, the precipice
hung over a little. Half-hidden by the bulwarks of the ship, I fired
three bullets from the captain's gun into the projecting mass. Nothing
fell. I loaded her again,--fired again, and a great block of ice keeled
over and slid down. As fast did I leap down stairs into the cabin, as if
I should be safe there. As I landed, I felt the great iceberg tremble;
then came a sharp, quick, terrible crash, as if forty thunders had
broken all together right over my head, and the great hill of ice sank
grandly and slowly into the ocean below. For a minute or two, I could
hear the roar of the waters as they opened to receive the huge mass, and
the berg rocked as if in a great storm; then all was still again. I
rushed back to my cabin, laid the spirit-level on the floor, and the
little bubble stopped right in the middle of the tube. The danger was
over.
Another week passed; and there was no longer any room to doubt that I
_was_ moving, and in the right direction. At the pole, there was never a
breath of wind; but now it blew quite strong. The compass began to show
signs of vitality; and, at midnight, I could see some of the brightest
of the stars. The sun dropped nearer and nearer the horizon every
evening, and it was growing uncomfortably warm at mid-day. As I was now
getting some information from the sun as to the points of the compass,
I set up a vane on the deck, in order to find out, from day to day, the
direction of the wind. This put another idea into my head. Couldn't I do
something to help the old berg along? Why couldn't the spare masts and
sails, that lay along the sides of the deck, be put to some use? The
foremast of the ship was broken off about fifteen feet from the level of
the deck, and I went to work to splice on a jury-mast. It was slow and
pretty hard work. I had to arrange the blocks and tackles in the most
scientific manner, in order to lift the heavy timber to its place; and
it required a great deal of strength to bring the ropes around the fore
and jury-mast, so as to bind them securely together. I then managed to
rig a yard to the mast, and, in the course of another day, had quite a
respectable sail set. The day after, I got up a jib, and then crowned
the whole by hoisting the American flag to the top of the mast. I did
not keep this flying all the time, but reserved it for great occasions.
Here then, was a novel sight,--a great iceberg _under sail_, and
protected by the stars and stripes. Whether it helped us along or not, I
am unable to say: but it was a satisfaction for me to feel that I had
done what I could; and it gave me pleasure to go off a little distance,
and look at the extraordinary spectacle. I could not help laughing to
think what the old salts would say, when I got down amongst the whalers
and explorers, at the sight of _an iceberg under sail_!
I have nothing more to tell of my adventures in the arctic seas. About
the middle of September, I had reached the more frequented parts of the
ocean, and every day was on the lookout for some friendly barque, to
liberate me from my dreary solitude. For months I had not heard the
sound of a human voice, and I began to long for the society of my
fellow-men. Every morning I posted myself, with a spy-glass, on the
highest peak of the berg, searching the horizon for a sail. My situation
on the deck was becoming every hour more and more precarious. The
melting of the ice underneath had already caused the stern to incline
very decidedly towards the inclined plane that led down to the ocean;
and I felt that the slightest jar might, at any time, precipitate the
whole concern, myself included, into the sea. I suppose, indeed, that
nothing but the counteracting influence of the sails, which filled in
the opposite direction, had prevented this catastrophe.
At last, after many a long and weary watch, I descried, in the far-off
distance, a sail; but the vessel moved off towards the horizon, and was
soon lost to sight. It was a bitter disappointment; and still I thought
that wherever _one_ ship was sailing, others would be likely to come in
sight before long. I kept the flag flying now all the time, and hardly
ventured to sleep at all, lest some vessel might pass by unnoticed. On
the twenty-fifth of September, as I woke from a short and broken
slumber, I descried, not more than two miles off, a ship, heading
directly for the berg. As soon as she was near enough for the signal to
be observed, I lowered and hoisted my flag five or six times in quick
succession; and, to my joy, I saw the signal answered. It was all right
now: the only question to be solved was, as to the manner in which I
would get on board the vessel. I anticipated that they would not venture
to bring the ship alongside of the berg, but would probably put out a
long-boat for my rescue. As soon as that came within hailing distance, I
would establish communication with the crew; and, between us all, I did
not doubt but some way would be found for me to escape. In a short
time, as I had foreseen, the ship lay to; and the boat came off, and was
rowed to the foot of the inclined plane. I never saw a more astonished
set of men in my life. They were staring at me and my extraordinary
craft, as if their eyes would start from the sockets; and the coxswain
rose and shouted,--
"Ahoy, up there! who are you?"
"John Whopper," I replied, "eldest son of the Widow Whopper, now
residing in Roxbury, Mass., U. S. of America."
"Gracious me!" cried one of the men, "I know Widow Whopper."
"I hope you left her well?"
"Much as usual," the sailor replied.
I was very glad to hear it.
"Where are you from?" shouted the coxswain again; "and where did you
get your rigging?"
"I will tell you when I get aboard."
"Come aboard, then."
"I don't exactly see how to manage it."
"Come down the plane, and we will catch you."
It was too steep and slippery for me to do that; but, on the instant,
another bright thought arose. "Pull off a hundred feet or so," I cried,
"and I will be along."
As soon as I saw that they had rowed to a safe distance, I went to the
mast, and suddenly let the sail go. In an instant, I felt the deck
quiver; and it began to move, very slowly at first, and then with a
tremendous rush, right down the inclined plane. I grasped a rope with
all my might, and steadied myself for the shock that must come when my
craft plunged into the sea. But there was no shock at all; gently as a
ship slides on her cradle, when launched into the water, the old deck
glided off upon the waves, and in five minutes I found myself safely on
board the long-boat. No sooner, however, had I left the strange craft,
than it began to sink slowly into the depths; and the last thing that I
saw was the American flag floating on the bosom of the deep.
What was said to me when I reached the ship, and what I said, I have not
time to relate; only I didn't tell every thing.
The vessel proved to be a whaler, bound for New Bedford; where I
arrived in good condition, and took the cars for Roxbury, via the Boston
and Providence Road, _passing through Canton_.
I found all well at home, and very much relieved by my arrival.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] It will probably occur to the reader, that some one of Johnny's
adult friends has touched up the style a little along here. J. W. says
that this is true.
[2] John informs the editor that he never wrote a word of the last
lines, and that he thinks it about time for him to take the bellows
again.
[3] Pronounced _gunnell_: "The uppermost bend which finishes the upper
works of the hull, and from which the upper guns, if the vessel carry
any, are pointed."
THE END.
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