Хребты безумия
I
Noneofourexploringpartyhadeverbeeninthepolarregionsbefore,henceweallreliedgreatlyonourshipcaptains-J.B.Douglas,commandingthebrigArkham,andservingascommanderoftheseaparty,andGeorgThorflnnssen,commandingthebarqueMiskatonic-bothveteranwhalersinantarcticwaters.
Aswelefttheinhabitedworldbehind,thesunsanklowerandlowerinthenorth,andstayedlongerandlongerabovethehorizoneachday. Atabout62°SouthLatitudewesightedourfirsticebergs-tablelikeobjectswithverticalsides-andjustbeforereachingtheantarcticcircle,whichwecrossedonOctober20thwithappropriatelyquaintceremonies,wewereconsiderablytroubledwithfieldice. Thefallingtemperaturebotheredmeconsiderablyafterourlongvoyagethroughthetropics,butItriedtobraceupfortheworserigorstocome. Onmanyoccasionsthecuriousatmosphericeffectsenchantedmevastly;theseincludingastrikinglyvividmirage-thefirstIhadeverseen-inwhichdistantbergsbecamethebattlementsofunimaginablecosmiccastles.
Pushingthroughtheice,whichwasfortunatelyneitherextensivenorthicklypacked,weregainedopenwateratSouthLatitude67°,EastLongitude175°. OnthemorningofOctober26thastronglandblinkappearedonthesouth,andbeforenoonweallfeltathrillofexcitementatbeholdingavast,lofty,andsnow-cladmountainchainwhichopenedoutandcoveredthewholevistaahead. Atlastwehadencounteredanoutpostofthegreatunknowncontinentanditscrypticworldoffrozendeath. ThesepeakswereobviouslytheAdmiraltyRangediscoveredbyRoss,anditwouldnowbeourtasktoroundCapeAdareandsaildowntheeastcoastofVictoriaLandtoourcontemplatedbaseontheshoreofMcMurdoSound,atthefootofthevolcanoErebusinSouthLatitude77°9’.
