"
"One takes a look through a hole in the bulkhead and sees a row of heads
with sad, patient eyes come swinging up together from the starboard side,
whilst those on the port swing back; then up come the port heads, while
the starboard recede. It seems a terrible ordeal for these poor beasts to
stand this day after day for weeks together, and indeed though they
continue to feed well the strain quickly drags down their weight and
condition; but nevertheless the trial cannot be gauged from human
standards."[43]
The seas through which we had to pass to reach the pack-ice must be the
most stormy in the world. Dante tells us that those who have committed
carnal sin are tossed about ceaselessly by the most furious winds in the
second circle of Hell. The corresponding hell on earth is found in the
southern oceans, which encircle the world without break, tempest-tossed
by the gales which follow one another round and round the world from West
to East. You will find albatross there--great Wanderers, and Sooties,
and Mollymawks--sailing as lightly before these furious winds as ever do
Paolo and Francesca. Round the world they go. I doubt whether they land
more than once a year, and then they come to the islands of these seas to
breed.
There are many other beautiful sea-birds, but most beautiful of all are
the Snowy petrels, which approach nearer to the fairies than anything
else on earth.
Pages:
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165