It was a high-spirited and joyous party that the Dipsey now carried; not
one of them doubted that they had emerged from under the ice into
the polar sea. To the northeast they could see its waves shining and
glistening all the way to the horizon, and they believed that beyond
the cape in front of them these waters shone and glistened to the very
north. They breathed the polar air, which, as they became used to it,
was exhilarating and enlivening, and they basked in the sunshine, which,
although it did not warm their bodies very much, cheered and brightened
their souls. But what made them happier than anything else was the
thought that they would soon start direct for the pole, on top of the
water, and with nothing in the way.
When Captain Jim Hubbell took command of the Dipsey the state of affairs
on that vessel underwent a great change. He was sharp, exact, and
severe; he appreciated the dignity of his position, and he wished to let
everybody see that he did so. The men on board who had previously been
workmen now became sailors--at least in the eyes of Captain Hubbell.
He did not know much about the work that they had been in the habit of
doing, but he intended to teach them the duties of sailors just as soon
as he could find any such duties for them to perform. He walked about
the deck with an important air, and looked for something about which he
might give orders. There were no masts or spars or shrouds or sheets,
but there were tarpaulins on the deck, and these were soon arranged in
seamanlike fashion. A compass was rigged up on deck, and Captain Hubbell
put himself into communication with the electric steersman.
It was morning when the Dipsey emerged from the sea, although day and
night were equally bright at that season, and at twelve o'clock Captain
Hubbell took an observation, assisted by Sammy. The result was as
follows: longitude, 69 30'; latitude, 88 42'.
“It strikes me,” said Captain James Hubbell, “that that latitude goes
over anything ever set down by any skipper, ancient or modern.”
“I should say so,” answered Sammy. “But that record won't be anything
compared to what we are goin' to set down.”
Work went on very rapidly, in order to get the Dipsey into regular
nautical condition, and although it was out of his line, Captain Hubbell
made it a point to direct as much of it as he could. The electric gills
were packed as close to the side of the vessel as possible, and the
various contrivances for heating and ventilation when sailing in the
open air were put into working order. At four o'clock in the afternoon
our party started to round the icy promontory ahead of them, encouraged
by a most hearty and soul-inspiring message from the hills of New
Jersey.
“It's all very fine,” said Sarah Block to her husband, “for everybody on
board to be talkin' about what a splendid thing it is to be sailin' on
the surface of the sea, in the bright and beautiful air, but I must
say that I like a ship to keep quiet when I am on board of her. I had a
pretty bad time when I was comin' up on the Go Lightly, but she was big
and didn't wabble like this little thing. We went along beautifully when
we were under the water, with the floor just as level as if we were at
home, in a house, and now I am not feelin' anything like as well as I
have been. For my part, I think it would be a great deal better to sink
down again and go the rest of the way under the water. I am sure we
found it very comfortable, and a great deal warmer.”
Sammy laughed.
“Oh, that would not do at all,” he said. “You can't expect the people on
board this vessel to be willin' to scoop along under the water when they
have got a chance of sailin' like Christians in the open air. It's the
sudden change that troubles you, Sarah; you'll soon get over it.”
But Sarah was not satisfied. The Dipsey rolled a good deal, and the good
woman was frequently obliged to stop and steady herself when crossing
the little cabin.
“I feel,” said she, “as if I had had a Christmas dinner yesterday and
somebody else had made the pies.”
The dissatisfied condition of Mrs. Block had a cheering influence upon
Captain Hubbell when he heard of it.
“By George!” said he, “this seems like good old times. When I was
young and there was women on board, they all got a little sea-sick; but
nowadays, with these ball-and-socket ships, you never hear of that sort
of thing. A sea-sick woman is the most natural thing I have struck yet
on this cruise.”
Mrs. Block's uneasiness, however, did not last very long. A few electric
capsules of half an alterative volt each soon relieved her; but her
mind was still out of order; she was not satisfied. She had accustomed
herself to submerged conditions, and ordinary voyaging was very
different.
“It wouldn't surprise me,” she said, “if we should find that there
wasn't any pole; that's about the way these things generally turn out.”
In a few hours the Dipsey had rounded the cape, keeping well off shore.
In front was a clear sweep of unobstructed water. With their telescopes
they could see nothing on the horizon which indicated the presence
of land. If the sea should stretch out before them, as they hoped and
expected, a sail of about seventy miles ought to bring them to the pole.
The Dipsey did not go at full speed; there was no hurry, and as he was
in absolutely unknown waters, Captain Hubbell wished to take no risks of
sunken reefs or barely submerged islands. Soundings were frequent, and
they found that the polar sea--at least that part over which they were
sailing was a comparatively shallow body of water.
Before they left Sardis, preparations had been made for an appropriate
and permanent designation of the exact position of the northern end
of the earth's axis. If this should be discovered to be on solid land,
there was a great iron standard, or column, on board, in detached parts,
with all appliances for setting it up firmly in the rocks or earth or
ice; but if the end of the said axis should be found to be covered by
water of not too great depth, a buoy had been provided which should be
anchored upon the polar point.
This buoy was a large hollow, aluminium globe, from which a tall steel
flag-post projected upward to a considerable height, bearing a light
weather-vane, which, when the buoy should be in its intended position,
would always point southward, no matter which way the wind might blow.
This great buoy contained various appropriate articles, which had
been hermetically sealed up in it before it left Sardis, where it was
manufactured. All the documents, books, coins, and other articles which
are usually placed in the corner-stones of important buildings were put
in this, together with the names of the persons who had gone on this
perilous expedition and those who had been its projectors and promoters.
More than this, there was an appropriate inscription deeply cut into the
metal on the upper part of the buoy, with a space left for the date of
the discovery, should it ever take place.
But the mere ceremony of anchoring a buoy at the exact position of the
pole was not enough to satisfy the conscientious ambition of Mr. Gibbs.
He had come upon this perilous voyage with the earnest intention of
doing his duty in all respects, while endeavoring to make the great
discovery of the age; and if that discovery should be made, he
believed that his country should share in the glory and in the material
advantage, whatever that might be, of the achievement. Consequently it
was his opinion that if the pole should be discovered, the discoverers
should take possession of it in the name of their country. Every one
on board--except Sarah Block, who had something to say about the
old proverb concerning the counting of chickens before they are
hatched--thought this a good idea, and when the plan was submitted to
Mr. Clewe and Mrs. Raleigh, they heartily approved.
Preparations were now made to take possession of the pole if they should
reach it on the water. On the after-part of the deck a ring about three
feet in diameter was marked, and it was arranged that when they had
ascertained, by the most accurate observations and calculations, the
exact position of the pole, they would so guide their vessel that this
ring should be as nearly as possible directly over it. Then one of the
party should step inside of the ring and take possession of the pole.
After this the buoy would be anchored, and their intended scientific
observations and explorations would proceed.
It was supposed both on the Dipsey and at Sardis that Mr. Gibbs would
assume the honor of this act of taking possession, but that gentleman
declined to do so. He considered that he would no more discover the
pole, if they should reach it, than would his companions; and he also
believed that, from a broad point of view, Mr. Roland Clewe was the real
discoverer. Consequently he considered that the direct representative
of the interests of Mr. Clewe should take possession, and it was decided
that Samuel Block should add the north pole to the territory of his
native land.
When this had been settled, a very great change came over the mind of
Sarah Block. That her husband should be the man to do this great thing
filled her with pride and alert enthusiasm.
“Sammy,” she exclaimed, “when you are doin' that, you will be
the greatest man in this world, and you will stand at the top of
everything.”
“Suppose there should be a feller standin' on the south pole,” said
Sammy, “wouldn't he have the same right to say that he was on top of
everything?”
“No,” said Sarah, sharply. “The way I look at it, the north pole is
above and the south pole is below; but there ain't any other feller down
there, so we needn't talk about it. And now, Sammy, if you are goin' to
take possession of the pole, you ought to put on your best clothes. For
one thing, you should wear a pair of those new red flannel socks
that you haven't had on yet; it will be a good way to christen 'em.
Everything on you ought to be perfectly fresh and clean, and just as
nice as you've got. This will be the first time that anybody ever took
possession of a pole, and you ought to look your very best. I would ask
you to shave, because you would look better that way, but I suppose if
you took off your beard you would take cold in your jaws. And I want you
to stand up straight, and talk as long about it as you can. You are too
much given to cuttin' off ceremonies mighty short, as I remember was the
case when you were statin' your 'pinions about our weddin'; but I had
my way then, and I want to have it now. You are goin' to be a big man,
Sammy, and your name will go all over the world, so you must screw
yourself up to as much eminence as you think you can stand.”
Sammy laughed. “Well, I will do what I can,” said he; “that is,
providin' our chickens are hatched.”
“Oh, they'll come out all right,” said Sarah. “I haven't the least doubt
of it, now that you are to be the chief figure in the hatchin'.”
Shortly after the ordinary hour for rising, an order was issued by
Captain Hubbell, and enforced by Samuel Block, that no one should be
allowed to come on deck who had not eaten breakfast. There were those
on board that vessel who would have stayed on deck during all the hours
which should have been devoted to sleeping, had it not been so cold.
There would probably be nothing to see when they reached the pole, but
they wanted to be on hand, that they might see for themselves that there
was nothing to see.