Symzonia: Voyage of Discovery

by Captain Adam Seaborn

A fatiguing march of 15 miles brought us to the hill, which we found to be the highest part of a ridge of moderate elevation running from the coast in a S. S. W. direction into the interior. We were amply compensated for our trouble in wading through the grass, as this eminence afforded an extensive view of the country in every direction. The S. E. side of this ridge broke off very abruptly, in some places perpendicularly; and at its foot was a large and beautiful river, full a mile in width, flowing from the S. S. W. Beyond it was a prairie country, gently waving and rising into sloping hills in the distant horizon. Far up the river I could descry with my glass a few trees, towards which I felt a strong inclination to proceed; but being excessively fatigued, thought best to devote a few hours to refreshment. After a comfortable meal, and a sound nap of four hours, I descended the precipice to ascertain whether the river was an arm of the sea, or a fresh water stream. It proved to be pure potable water, and the existence of a continent near the south pole, was thus fully established.

I had not been long on the bank of this river, before I found cause to doubt the prudence of venturing thus far by land into an unknown country, in the appearance of fresh tracks of some huge land animal, which were larger than the bottom of a water bucket. Whether they were those of a white polar bear as big as an elephant, of a mammoth, or of some other enormous nondescript animal, I could not guess. I re-ascended the hill with all practicable expedition, collected my men, and hastened towards the ship as fast as possible.

We reached the ship after six hours constant marching, all completely tired out, our horses and mules being too feeble to travel, from long confinement on ship-board.

The discoveries I had already made were so far from satisfying my ambition, that my desire to push on and explore the internal world was more intense than ever. I was now convinced of the correctness of Capt. Symmes’s theory, and of the practicability of sailing into the globe at the south pole, and of returning home by way of the north pole, if no land intervened to obstruct the passage. My first thought was to enter the river I had seen, and ascend to its source, which must necessarily be in the internal world; for if the poles were open, there was not room enough for a sufficient body of land to the south of 84 degrees, to maintain so mighty a river. But I abandoned this idea, on reflecting that by confining myself to this river, I should at best enter the internal world but a few hundred miles, while by entering on the open ocean, I should be able to visit every accessible part of it.

My first business was to make such arrangements as would satisfy my crew, and to ascertain the condition of the country in the immediate vicinity. I therefore landed a sealing party of thirty men, under Mr. Boneto, assisted by Mr. Slim, on one of the islands, and proceeded with the Explorer to the mouth of the great river. We found the access to the river easy and safe; the chain of islands off the mouth of it broke the swell of the sea. Having ascertained its mouth to be in 83° 47′ south latitude, by observation, I proceeded up with two boats ahead, taking care to move only with the flood tide, and to anchor in deep water.

The banks for the first 30 miles were fringed with tussoc. Above that some trees appeared; and at the distance of 40 miles, the banks were skirted with a strip of dense forest, of moderately sized trees. We proceeded 10 miles further up, when the country appeared to be chiefly covered with large trees, wide apart, with no undergrowth between them, excepting on some low spots near the river, with here and there a spot of open prairie.

Having anchored the Explorer in a safe situation, I landed with a boat’s crew at one of the open spaces, to examine the productions of the land, and see if I could discover any indications of inhabitants, I found the timber to be mostly different from that which I was acquainted with, excepting a species of fir resembling our spruce. I was much pleased to see wood of this description, and immediately ordered the launch on shore, with the axes and all our disposable force. We were busily engaged for three days in filling the Explorer with wood for fuel, and, after stowing her quite full, piled as much on deck as I thought she would bear, including timber for constructing winter quarters for the sealing party.

All fears of the consequences of wintering in this region were now done away. Where trees could live, I could live. I determined to erect a secure establishment for my sealing party, and pursue my discoveries as far as practicable. While the wood-cutting was going on, I did not venture far from the river—I had not forgotten the big tracks. I was always on shore with the party, to be ready for events, taking the people all on board with me when I wanted a four hours’ nap.

I employed myself in searching for curiosities, collecting geological, mineralogical, and ornithological specimens, sea fowl and land birds being very numerous in this country, and in gathering plants to enrich my hortus siccus, for the benefit of the learned when I should return home. My researches were rewarded by the discovery of some enormous bones, possibly of a whale, which being, according to very high authority, no fish, might at some former period have got on shore in this high latitude, after the fashion of the other visitants from the internal world. As they were very large, I called them mammoth bones of course, had them all carefully taken on board, and packed in boxes, as an invaluable acquisition to the scientific world.

On the third day a cry of terror called my attention. I saw the men all running for the boats, and thought it best to follow their example. We had all got into the boats, and shoved off into deep water, before I could ascertain the cause of the alarm, when the appearance of an enormous animal on the ground we had left answered my inquiries. The huge beast walked to the edge of the water at a moderate pace, and stopped to survey us new comers with great composure. I ordered Jack Whiffle, who was an excellent marksman, to give him a shot from a three-pounder, mounted in the bow of the launch, and at the same time gave him a volley of musketry. Whether the shot took effect or not, could not be discovered. He returned to the woods without haste or fright, and thus deprived me of the pleasure of securing his skin and skeleton, for the examination of the learned, and the benefit of Scudder’s Museum.