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It was indeed he who accompanied the captain of the Jane when he had interred that bottle, containing the letter which I had refused to believe authentic, at the Kerguelens. Yes! for eleven years, the survivors of the English schooner had been cast away there without any hope of succour. Len Guy turned to me and said, “Do you believe now?”
In a few seconds I was out of the inn, and confronted him. “Sir,” said I in a cold hard tone. Captain Len Guy looked at me steadily, and I was struck by the sadness of his eyes, which were as black as ink. Then in a very low voice he asked: “You are a stranger?” “A stranger at the Kerguelens? Yes.” “Of English nationality?” “No. American.” He saluted me, and I returned the curt gesture.
From the day of your arrival at Christmas Harbour, when you came to the Green Cormorant, I said to myself that in a fortnight, if not in a week, you would have enough of it, and would be sorry you had landed in the Kerguelens.” “No, indeed, Mr. Atkins; I never regret anything I have done.” “That’s a good habit, sir.” “Besides, I have gained knowledge by observing curious things here.
Again and again I “dreamed that I was dreaming.” Now this is an observation made by Edgar Poe when one suspects that one is dreaming, the waking comes almost instantly. I woke then, and every time in a very bad humour with Captain Len Guy. The idea of leaving the Kerguelens on the Halbrane had full possession of me, and I grew more and more angry with her disobliging captain.
So then for nearly three months Patterson’s body had lain on the surface of this ice-waif which we had met on our way from the Kerguelens to Tristan d’Acunha! Ah! why had we not saved the mate of the Jane! I had to yield to evidence. Captain Len Guy, who knew Patterson, had recognized him in this frozen corpse!
“Eh! our iceberg will end by raising its anchor,” replied Hurliguerly. “It does not hold to the bottom, like the Falklands or the Kerguelens! So the safest course is to wait, as the boat cannot carry twenty-three, the number of our party.” I dwelt upon the fact that it was not necessary for all twenty-three to embark.
On the 12th of November, the schooner left the Kerguelens, and after a brief stay at Tristan d’Acunha she sailed to reconnoitre the Auroras in 35° 15’ of south latitude, and 37° 38’ of west longitude. But these islands were not to be found, and she did not find them. On the 12th of December the Jane headed towards the Antarctic pole.
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