The Wreck of the South Pole and Other Strange Tales — page 37: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

30 The Wreck of the South Pole. doubted. What you want to know next, is how you were rescued. I will tell you. “Every now and then ships have ventured or been blown by storm to our part of the world, and occasionally some of the mariners have ventured upon the icebergs. To save them we have established outposts along the edge of the icebergs, houses where men, such as you, may find shelter, till we can rescue them.” “But do you keep fires burning continually in them? If not, who lights them? And how is it that I never saw the attendant who looked after my wants?” “T see, Mr. Wilding, that I must enter into my explana- tion more deeply than I had intended at first, hoping to wait a few days and let the information gradually sift into your mind, until you should learn more of us and our manners by observation. “My daughter told you you were in a land where all art and science of the world was treasured. If you are a student your mind will at once revert to Egyptian and Assyrian learning, which is supposed to have been lost. It was lost to the outside world, but treasured up here. Your mind will dwell upon the ages when man, looking up into the deep, clear blue sky, studied God’s work in them. You may think of Joseph, the dreamer. You may think of the stars and their influence upon man.” “T don’t believe they have any,” I replied. “We will let that pass,’ he said with a smile. “This is merely incidental anyway. I do not mean to tell you of a star gazing or a dream explaining people, only to Gomicbook (E(@)