The Mysterious Island Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Captain Grant's Children

Chapter 1 Captain Grant's Children (1)
"Captain Grant's Children" is the representative work of "Father of Science Fiction" - the famous French writer Jules Verne.Together with "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" and "The Mysterious Island", it is called the "Trilogy of Jules Verne's Science Fiction". The "Trilogy" tells the story of three sea adventures, and the characters are interspersed with each other.

"Captain Grant's Children" is the first of "Jersey Verne's science fiction trilogy".The novel is divided into three parts based on the description of the Scottish aristocrat Sir Glenarvan forming an expedition team to find the missing Scottish navigator Captain Grant.The story happened in 1864.Sir Glenarvan is the owner of the cruise ship "Duncan". He obtained a document from the drifts in the sea, from which he learned that Captain Grant, a Scottish navigator who was lost at sea two years ago, was still alive, so he He resolutely formed an expedition team and drove his cruise ship "Duncan" to search and rescue.

Sir Glenarvan and his team first thought that the accident of Captain Grant was in South America. After exploring across the South American continent, they found that the place of death should be the coast of Australia; when they arrived in Australia by boat, they met Captain Grant's original boatswain, Ayrton who later became a gangster; after being deceived by Ayrton to cross the Australian inland, he went to New Zealand for an expedition by mistake, and after being captured by the Maori, he escaped successfully and returned to " Duncan" and met Ayrton who framed them for capture.After discussing with Ayrton, Sir Glenarvan decided to let the gangster survive on an isolated island in the Pacific Ocean. Unexpectedly, on this island, he happened to meet Captain Grant who had been through disasters and searched hard, and finally rescued him successfully. Captain Grant, back in Scotland, completes the expedition successfully.

"Captain Grant's Children" written by the famous French writer Jules Verne is a story full of humanity and warmth, but also a fascinating adventure novel with ups and downs and exotic flavors.In leisure time, make a cup of strong tea, sit on the wicker chair on the balcony and read this novel, readers will get a unique spiritual enjoyment.In the novel, the first and most touching thing is people's kind and selfless feats.The beginning of the story is that Sir Glenarvan and his wife got the news from the belly of the shark that the Scottish navigator Captain Grant, who had been missing for two years, was killed; Relatives, they resolutely gave up the safe and comfortable life, risked their lives and unknown accidents, formed an expedition team, and made a global exploration adventure along the 37° south latitude line.

In the expedition activities of Sir Glenarvan and his party, the brilliance of human kindness and bravery is vividly displayed.In the process of searching for Captain Grant, Sir Glenarvan and his party encountered many difficulties, such as catastrophic earthquakes, floods, droughts, deserts, forests, volcanoes, storms and other natural disasters, as well as man-eating animals. , pirates who do evil, and Maori who eat people; but in the face of these difficulties, they displayed the spirit of solidarity and mutual assistance, used the power of knowledge and wisdom, and relied on the persistent belief in victory to overcome one difficulty after another; in the face of setbacks , They experienced confusion, pain, and disappointment, but they never gave up; finally, they successfully achieved their goal, rescued Captain Grant and the two sailors who were killed, and returned home victorious.

Jules Verne is an outstanding writer. He uses vivid language to describe one character after another to the readers.Sir Glenarvan, who is honest, kind, courageous, and chivalrous in a narrow sense, Mrs. Helen, who is kind and gentle, Robert Jr., who is brave and firm, Major McNabbs, who is calm and calm, and a careless geographer. Mr. Paganel... These explorers with distinctive personalities are full of confidence and hope for the future during the search process; because they believe that their expeditions are kind and just, this belief makes them feel good about each other. There is love, loyalty and genuine emotion in the room, and victory is not a problem.Thinking through the volume, our life is actually the same as the adventures of Jazz and his party. The road to life in the future is often mysterious, but only by facing all kinds of difficulties with a heart full of friendship and strength can we achieve victory in life peak.

The writing of the novel is also very beautiful.Readers can feel the ups and downs of the plot, and experience the exotic customs of the southern hemisphere on the 37° south latitude line.Such as traveling in the vast ocean, earthquakes shaking mountains and ground, monstrous floods, meandering grasslands, lush forests...these ingeniously conceived plots and spectacular scenery make the novel very exciting and fascinating.Moreover, the book introduces a wealth of geographical knowledge, animal and plant knowledge, and historical knowledge, from which readers can broaden their horizons and increase their knowledge.Jules Verne, as the originator of science fiction, not only expresses the dream of human beings to fly freely in his novels, but also has scientific basis in his stories; It has a wide range of readers all over the world and has become a world famous book.

Now, let's board the "Duncan" in the novel, follow the steps of the explorers in the book, and go along the 37° south latitude line to experience the beautiful scenery of the southern hemisphere and feel the unique exotic style!
Hammerhead Shark

On July 1864, 7, the North Channel was the North Channel, the strait between Ireland and Scotland.On the sea, the northeast wind howled.A luxury cruise ship is sailing at full speed.At the stern of the ship, there is a flying British flag, fluttering in the sea breeze.On the mainmast of the ship, there is still a small blue flag flying high, with two letters embroidered in gold thread on it-"The two letters EGEG are the owner Edward Glenarvan (Glenvan of E's war) The abbreviation of .”, especially bright and eye-catching under the sunlight.Above these two letters, there is a Duke's coat of arms.The cruise ship is called "Duncan".The owner of the ship was Sir Edward Glenarvan, one of the twelve Scottish elders of the House of Lords.Moreover, this Sir Edward is also the most famous member of the famous Royal Thames River Cruises Association of the British Isles.

On board the "Duncan", besides Sir Glenarvan, was his young wife Helen, and one of his cousins, Major MacNabbs.

The cruise ship "Duncan" has just been built, and this is its first maiden voyage.When exercising in the Firth of Clyde, a place west of Scotland.A few nautical miles away, the ship turned and headed back to Glasgow, within the Firth of Clyde.But on the way back, when approaching the sea of ​​Arran Island, a sailor standing on the watchtower suddenly reported that he found a big fish closely following in the waves of the stern.The captain, John Mengel, immediately called for someone to report the situation to the captain, Sir Glenarvan.After the owner of the ship knew about it, he went to the stern of the ship with his cousin, Major McNabbs, and asked the captain what kind of fish it was.

"My honor, to tell the truth," replied John Mengel, "I have observed it for a long time, and I think it should be a huge shark."

"Really? This is the first time I've heard of sharks in this water!" Sir Glenarvan exclaimed.

"Yes, there must be!" The captain said with certainty, "The scientific name of this shark is 'Libra fish'. It can live in seas of any temperature. If my observations are correct, this is 'Libra fish'. The method of catching this shark is very unique, if your Excellency approves and Madam is also interested, we can show this unique skill. Your Excellency and Madam can also witness the appearance of this shark with their own eyes."

"McNabbs, what do you think?" Sir Glenarvan asked his cousin, the Major, "it might as well give it a try!"

"As long as you agree, I also support it." The major replied calmly.

"This is a good opportunity." Captain John Mengel said again, "This kind of terrible shark is elusive, elusive, and numerous, and it is difficult to hunt it down. Now we just have this golden opportunity. Not only can we kill this bad thing , and you can enjoy the spectacle, why not give it a try?"

"Very well, go ahead!" said Sir Glenarvan.Then he sent someone to tell his wife to come and watch.Mrs. Helen was also very curious, so she came to the stern with great interest, hoping to open her eyes and witness this spectacle.

At this time, the wind on the sea surface also stopped, and the sea water was clear and calm.Captain John Mengel gave the order to tell the sailors to prepare to catch the shark.People on the boat could clearly see that the big shark suddenly jumped out of the water in the sea, and suddenly dived into the sea again;This movement is not only vigorous, but also powerful and ferocious.The sailors kept an eye on the shark, and following the captain's orders, they threw thick ropes into the sea on the starboard side of the boat.At the end of the rope that fell into the water, there was a large hook, and on this hook was a fat piece of bacon.Although the shark was fifty yards away, he still smelled the tantalizing aroma of bacon.Then it swam over at the speed of an arrow, and it was near the cruise ship in the blink of an eye. Its bright gray and black fins were violently beating the sea water; Rushing over to the bacon. Fascinated by the shark, the passengers and sailors on board the Duncan watched its every move.In its two bursting eyes, there was a greedy desire; in order to eat the bacon, the shark turned over and opened its mouth wide open, revealing four rows of bright white teeth.Its head was enormous, like a double-headed hammer on a long handle.Sure enough, Captain John Menger was right, it was considered the most greedy shark.The British call it "Libra fish", and in the Provence region of France, it is the place name of the Mediterranean region in southern France.But the people in this country call this fish "Jewish fish".

The big shark that rushed to the hook suddenly rolled over, straightened up, and swallowed the hook in one gulp, and the bacon fell directly into its mouth.As a result, the thick rope on the boat was straightened, and the shark was hooked like this.At this time, the sailors on the ship quickly turned the windlass on the sail frame, and the huge shark was hoisted straight up.When the shark found himself out of the sea, he struggled bravely and kept jumping.When the sailors saw this, they immediately took out a thick rope, and tied it in a slipknot, and put it on the shark's tail, so that he could not move; and soon the shark was hoisted up, and flung on the deck.Then a sailor tiptoed to the side with an axe, chopped down in one breath, and chopped off the shark's tail with one blow.

This huge and terrifying shark lost its prestige and ended its life.For those on board, the hunt was finally over.There was nothing to fear in the dead shark, and the sailors' hatred for sharks subsided.However, some sailors became curious, thinking about the previous practice of disemboweling sharks immediately after catching them, and searching for them in their stomachs.Because they know that sharks eat everything, and sometimes they can find some unexpected things from their stomachs, and maybe there will be surprises.So I decided to dissect the shark.

Mrs. Glenarvan felt that doing these things was disgusting, and she didn't want to watch it, so she went back to her cabin alone.The shark on the deck was still panting slightly. The sailors measured it. It weighed about 600 pounds and was about ten feet long. Actually, it was not very huge among sharks.But this kind of "Libra fish" is the most ferocious among sharks.

The skilled sailors dissected the shark open and dissected it.They found that only the swallowed fishhook was found in the stomach, and nothing else could be seen.It seems that this fierce big fish has not eaten for a long time.Seeing this, everyone felt very disappointed and was about to throw the fish body into the sea.However, the sharp-eyed bosun found that there seemed to be something rough hidden in the belly.

"Hey, everybody, what's that?" cried the bosun.

"It's just a rock!" said one sailor. "A shark swallows a rock to balance itself."

"Nonsense!" another sailor interjected, "It must have been a chain bomb, which just hit the idiot's stomach, and his stomach couldn't digest it, so that's it..."

"What nonsense are you all talking about!" retorted First Mate Tom Austin, "don't you look carefully, this idiot is a drunkard, and even swallowed the bottle after drinking. "

Sir Glenarvan exclaimed in surprise: "What are you talking about, there is a wine bottle in the shark's stomach?"

"Yes, it's a real bottle," replied the mate, "but I looked carefully, and it's obvious that this bottle wasn't taken from the wine cellar."

"Well, yes, Austen," said Sir Glenarvan, "now, take the bottle out carefully. I reckon it's a drift bottle, and it usually contains important letters."

"You really believe it!" interposed Major McNabbs.

"I think there is a possibility."

"Well, I won't argue with you, but maybe you have a point," said the major. "Maybe there really is some secret in the bottle?"

"We'll find out soon." Sir Glenarvan hurriedly asked again, "Austin, how are you doing now?"

After a lot of effort, the first officer took out the vague object from the shark's stomach, lifted it up and said, "Well, let's see!"

"Well done!" said Sir Glenarvan, "have it washed and brought up in the poop."

Austin did as he was told, washed the thing, and carried it up the quad to be placed on the table.Sir Glenarvan, Major MacNabbs, and Captain John Mungle sat together around the table.At this time, women's curiosity was the strongest, and Mrs. Helen, who had nothing to do before, immediately surrounded her.

Life at sea is relatively monotonous, so small things like sesame and mung beans are regarded as great things.Everyone held their breath, stood quietly, and watched carefully with their eyes wide open. What is in this thing?Is it a distress letter from a shipwrecked ship?Or a voyager who writes random letters of no importance when he is lonely?
After a moment's silence, Sir Glenarvan examined the bottle himself, trying to find out for himself.His expression was not only serious and careful, but also focused on checking, much like a British prosecutor looking for important clues in a case.In fact, Sir Glenarvan was so serious, not out of mystification, but because he had his own reasons.Because things that seem to be unimportant on the surface actually hide many secret and important clues, so this approach is correct.

I saw Sir Glenarvan carefully observe the appearance of the bottle first, and saw that it was a narrow-necked bottle with thick glass at the mouth of the bottle and some rusty wires wrapped around it.The bottle wall is also very thick, which can withstand the heavy pressure of the atmosphere.Obviously, this is the Champagne province in northeastern France, where champagne is abundant.Produced, Ay is located in the Champagne region.or Epernay, a region within the Champagne department.Some famous wine merchants like to knock the chair upholstery with this wine. When the chair upholstery is broken, the bottle is intact.It can be imagined that this bottle has been drifting on the sea for a long time, and I don’t know how many times it has been bumped back and forth, but there is no sign of breaking. You can see how strong this bottle is!
"It should be a bottle produced by Krieger Distillery!" The major blurted out as soon as he saw it.Everyone knows that the major is an expert in this field, so no one will question this judgment.

"But, dear Major," continued Lady Helene, "we only know where it came from, but not where it came from, so it doesn't matter what factory it's made in!"

"Don't worry, the truth will come to light soon, dear Helen!" Sir Edward said, "We can judge with certainty that this bottle has come from far away. Look carefully, there is a layer of solidified substance on the surface of this bottle, And it is almost the same as ore. This is caused by being soaked in sea water for a long time and being corroded. So we are sure that it has been floating in the sea for a long time before it was swallowed by sharks."

"I quite agree with your analysis," the major went on, "and the fact that a thick layer of impurities has formed on the outside of the bottle proves that it has been drifting for a long time."

"Then where did it come from?" Mrs. Glenarvan asked eagerly, her curiosity increased.

"Don't worry, dear Helen. Be patient first, because you need to be very patient to study this bottle. As long as my judgment is correct, this bottle will soon solve the mystery for us."

As Sir Glenarvan spoke, he slowly scraped away the hardened substance that had stuck to the top of the bottle.Not long after, the cork of the bottle was exposed, but the long-term erosion of sea water has changed the cork beyond recognition.

"What a pity," sighed Sir Glenarvan. "If there were letters in the bottle, they would be illegible and illegible."

"Yes, there is a possibility," the major agreed.

"However, I am of the opinion," went on Sir Glenarvan, "that if the bottle is not properly corked, it will sink to the bottom of the sea at once when it is dropped into the sea. Fortunately, the shark passed by just in time to remove it. It was swallowed and it was brought to our boat like that."

"This judgment is absolutely correct," Captain John Mengel echoed. "When it is floating at sea, if we can salvage it, we can judge the longitude and latitude of the place where the bottle is drifting from the direction of the air current and sea current." , so that we can know its drifting route at sea. But all this is too unsatisfactory, but we take it out of the shark's belly, and these situations have no way of knowing."

"Let's take a look and talk about it in detail!" Sir Glenarvan said.So, he carefully pulled out the cork, and a strong fishy smell immediately wafted out, permeating the entire poop.

(End of this chapter)