Symzonia: Voyage of Discovery

"I do recollect that, sir; but at the same time I know, Capt. Seaborn, that you have no right to hazard all our lives, by running into dangers, greater than were ever encountered by human beings, to gratify your mad passion for discovery, instead of pursuing the interest of all concerned, by endeavouring to find seals in the usual manner. How will you justify yourself to the world, to our families, or to your own conscience, if we should, after effecting a passage through this 'icy hoop' you speak of, find it closed against our return, and be thus forever lost to our wives, our children, and society? We must in such a case all perish, and our blood would be upon your head." A plague upon your lean carcass, thought I, how am I to answer so many impertinent questions. I could not tell him of my belief of open poles, affording a practicable passage to the internal world, and of my confident expectations of finding comfortable winter quarters inside; for he would take that as evidence of my being insane, and by means of it persuade the crew to dispossess me of my command, and confine me to my cabin for the remainder of the voyage. After knitting my brows a short time, I replied, "Mr. Slim, you are a sufficiently capable officer, and can get through with your duty well enough when you choose to do it, but you don't know every thing; your mind is too dense to admit the rays of intelligence. I would have you to know, Sir, that I command this ship, and am not to be thwarted or dictated to by any man. I have noticed your rebellious spirit; now mark me, Sir, so sure as I have any more of your opposition to my will, or bear any more of your murmuring; the moment I detect you in uttering one discouraging word in the hearing of any of my officers or men,--I will confine you, and carry you home in irons, to take your trial for conspiring to make a revolt in the ship, which is death by the law; remember that, and go to your duty, Sir."