Gunnison news-champion., 1916-11-24

TIE run
why. captainE'
Because then the orb Of day de
-crit,es such len-theued cures that IL
Is difficult to MEASURE exactly It's height
above the horizon. and grave errors
may be made with Instruments
What WIN you d. them
Il shall only use my chronometer-
replied Captain Memo IF tomorrow.
the 2lsi VI March. the disk Of the sun.
allowing for refraciion. Is exactly Gu;
by the northern horizon II will show
that | am at the south pole"
lust So said l. But this state
ment Is no, marhematically correct be-
cause equinox does not necessarily be
gin NJ noon"
Very likely. sir. But the error will
not be n hundred yards. and we do not
/ want more. TIL tomorrow. then!"
Captain Memo returned on board
I Conseil and ! remained to survey the
shore. observing and studying until )
O'Clock Then ! went to bed. not. how
ever. without invoking. Ike the Indian.
the favor OF the radiant orb The next
day. the 2ist Of March. at In the
morning. ! mounted the platform
found Captain Memo there
.-The weather Is tightening . little
said be. Il have some hope. After
breakfast We will go on shore and
choose . post for observation"
That point settled ! sought Ned
Land. ! wanted to take him with me.
But the obstinate Canadian refused.
and saw that his taciturnity and his
bad bumor grew day by day. After all.
was not sorry for bis obstinacy IN
der the circumstances Indeed. there
were too many seals on shore. and
we ought not to lay such temptations
In this unreEecting nsherman's way
Breakfast over. we went on shore
The Nautilus bad gone some miles far
ther up In the night II was a whole
league from the coast. above which
reared a sharp peak about 600 yards
high. The boat took with me Captain
Memo. two men OF the crew and the
Instruments. which consisted OF chro
nomeier. a telescope and n barometer
while crossing I saw numerous whales
belonging to three kinds peculiar TO the
southern seas-the whale. or the Eng
lish right whale" which has no dorsal
in; the -humpback." or baiaenopteron.
with reeved chest and large whitish
fns. which. In spite Of Its name. do not
form wings. and the dnback. Of q yel
iowish brown. the iveliest Of all the
cctacea. This powerful creature Is
heard u long way OF when he throws
to a great height columns OF air and
vapor which look like whiriwlnds Of
smoke These different mammals
were disporting themselves In troops Ia
the quiet waters. aud could see that
this basin Of the antarctic pole served
us n place OF refuge TO the cetacea too
closely tracked by the hunters. also
noticed long whitisb lines Of salpae.
kind OF gregarious mollusk. aud large
medusae floating between the reeds
AT o we landed. The sky WAS bright
ening the clouds were Tying To the
south. and the fog seemed Ia lie Ieav-
ing the cold surface OF the waters,
Captain Memo went toward the peak
which he doubtless meant To be his oh
servatory II was u painful ascent
over the sharp lava and the pumi,e
stones In an atmosphere often impreg
mated with q sulphurous smell frum
the smoking cracks. For II man unac
customed TO walk on land the captain
climbed the steep slopes with an agil
ity | never saw equaled and which
hunter would have envied. We were
two hours getting to the summit OF
this peak which was half porphyry
and half basal, From thcnce we look
ed upon vast sea. which. toward the
north, distinctly traced its boundary
line upon the sky AT our feet lay
fields of dazzling whitencss. over our
heads pale azure free from fog To
the north the disk Of the sun seemed
ike ball of fire. already horned by
the cutting of the horizon From the
bosom of tile wafer rose shcaves OF
liquid Jets by hundreds. In the dis
lance lay the Nautilus. like u ,etatean
asleep ON tho water: behind us. to
the south and east. an immense coun-
try and n chaotic heap Of rocks and
Ice. the limits Of which were not visi
BILE. On arriving at the summit Cap
tain Memo carefully took the mean
height of the barometer Tor he would
have to consider that In taking his oh
servations. At quarter to IL the sun
then seen only by refraction. looked
like a golden disk shedding its L,st
rays upon this deserted continent and
sens which never man had yet piowed
Captain Memo. furnished with len
ficular glass. which. by means OF a
mirror. corrected the refraction. watch
ed the orb sinking below the horizon
by degrees. following heightened sii
agonal. I held the chronometer My
heart beat fast II the disappearance
OF the half disk Of the sun coinrided
! with 12 o'clock on the chronometer we
Y were Mt the pole itself.
Twelve" ! exclaimed.
'The south poier' replied Captain
Memo in grave voice. handing me the
| glass. which showed the orb cut In ex-