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

Chapter 10 Captain Grant's Children (10)
At sunrise the next day, the "Duncan" continued its voyage through the gorge of the high mountains in this area.On both sides of the river, there are boundless dense forests.People can also see from the boat that the forest grows lush zelkova, maple, hazel... These trees are intertwined and grow together in a mixed manner.Round, verdant green mountains will suddenly appear in the forest.The fragrance of wild flowers in the forest diffuses on the river.Looking from a distance, you can also see the Blanc Memorial Tower standing tall.Soon, the "Duncan" passed the mouth of St. Nicholas' Bay, which was named "Frenchman's Bay" by Bogenville.Looking far away from the bay, you can also see a large group of seals and whales playing games.The whales here look very large, and the high water column they spray can be seen from four nautical miles away.At last, the "Duncan" rounded Cape Froward, where many sharp remnants of ice were densely arranged.On the other side of the strait, that is, above Tierra del Fuego, there is a 2000-meter-high Samindo Peak standing in the sky.The belt-like clouds separate the clusters of rocks on this mountain, giving people the feeling of "islands in the air" hanging in the sky.On this point of Frois Bay the American continent really came to an end.The Cape Horn that people often say is just a large rock standing in the desolate sea at 56° south latitude.

As soon as the "Duncan" rounded the tip of the island, the strait narrowed here.On one side of the strait is the Brunswick Peninsula, but on the other side is the island of Desolación.This island of Soracion is a very long long island, surrounded by thousands of small islands at both ends.Like a great whale landed on a pebble beach.Scholars are also surprised that the fragmented landform at the end of South America is completely different from the neat and clear tip of Africa, Oceania, and India!The shape of this landform is very similar to the big earth point extending between the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. It may be that there was a natural disaster that smashed the terrain in this area.

After the "Duncan" left this resource-rich land, it then faced the continuous coast, which was bare and looked very desolate.The coast is crescent-shaped by numerous tributaries. The "Duncan" moved forward along this tortuous channel, beating around the bush.During the voyage along this area, the "Duncan" did not make any mistakes, and moved forward boldly, expelling the thick smoke one by one, and mixed it in a sea mist mixed with rocks and rocks.

On this barren coast, some Spanish merchant ships passed by. In front of these merchant ships, the "Duncan" did not slow down.After the "Tamar Point", the direction of the road in the strait bends, and the ship has room to turn here.It turns around the steep coast of the famous Baltic Islands before heading south.Finally, after entering the harbor and sailing for 36 hours, the people on board saw that at the end of Desolación Island, the rocks of Cape Pilar suddenly emerged.In front of the "Duncan" was a sparkling sea.At this moment, Paganel was waving his hands and cheering enthusiastically on the deck, with such an excited expression that he almost fell to the ground.

From 37° south latitude
On the eighth day after the "Duncan" circled Cape Pilar, it continued to sail on the Pacific Ocean with full power and full strength, and thus entered the Gulf of Talcahuano.It was a favorable harbor, twelve miles long and nine miles wide.The sea was cloudless and the weather was clear.The stretching Andes Mountains are the natural barrier of this coast, so the southerly wind is often blowing on the sea.At this time, Sir Glenarvan ordered Captain John Mengel to let the "Duncan" sail close to Jero Island in America and the starry land on the west coast.On the surface of the sea, some floating objects, such as a broken ship plank, a small piece of slightly processed wood, and a broken mast, can provide people on the "Duncan" with some clues about the sinking of the "Britannia" .But, to our disappointment, we found nothing.There is no way, the "Duncan" can only continue to move forward, and finally berthed in the port of Talcahuano.At this time, according to careful calculation, it has been 42 days since the "Duncan" left the Firth of Clyde shrouded in thick fog.

When the "Duncan" was moored on the shore, Sir Glenarvan ordered the boat to be released, and then he took Paganel with him, and together they rowed to the water fence and landed.When we landed, our lovely geographer was eager to take advantage of the opportunity to test the results of years of hard work in Spanish.So whenever he saw an aborigine, he would chirp and open his mouth.But the local aborigines did not understand his language at all.This surprised him so much that he stood there awkwardly, muttering to himself: "Is it because my tone of voice is wrong?" The more he thought about it, the more he doubted himself.

"Come on, let's go to the customs house." Sir Glenarvan pulled him away.

At the customs office, the staff there made gestures and told Sir Glenarvan and his party that the British Consul lived in Concepcion City; if you ride a horse, you can get there in about an hour .Sir Glenarvan then found two fast horses in the local area, and together with Paganel, he arrived in Concepcion City very quickly.The city was very large, and it was originally built by the brave companion of the Pisar brothers, the adventurer Vladivia.

The city used to be prosperous and prosperous, but now it is depressed.This is because it was often plundered and attacked by the aborigines. In 1819, there was a sudden fire that burned countless houses in the city. Even the city walls on the edge were blackened by smoke and fire.The current population of the city is only 8000.Its importance has been taken by the Port of Tarwano.The city is devastated, but it is really listless, and there is no life at all.On the balconies of every household, music played by mandolin instruments, soft singing, floated from the hanging curtains.It seems that Concepcion, an ancient city that used to belong to men, has now become a village where only women and children live.The prosperous commerce and trade in the past no longer exist, and the streets are covered with weeds everywhere.

The curious Paganel kept asking Sir Glenarvan from the sidelines.The lovely scholar wanted to know the reasons for the depression of the city.But Sir Glenarvan had no intention of delving into it, and completely ignored his questions.Without a moment's delay he hastened to the palace of the English consul, Pentock.Consul Pentock received the two guests very politely.When he heard that he had come to rescue Captain Grant, he agreed to take charge of the investigation in this area of ​​the sea.

The consul also told them sincerely that he had never heard of anything happening to the three-masted ship Britannia, either in Chile or near the 37° line off the coast of Alogania.In his contacts with consulates of other countries, he has not heard any news or reports about the ship's death.

Sir Glenarvan had to go back.When he returned to Talcahuano, he was still not discouraged. He spared no money and no fear of hard work. He sent people to investigate and use various channels to inquire about the news.But still nothing.In the end, Sir Glenarvan could only make this judgment: the "Britannia" did not have any traces in this sea area.

When Sir Glenarvan returned to the "Duncan" and told his companions on board that he had found nothing, the Grant siblings were very sad.At this time, the "Duncan" was in the sixth day when she sailed into the port of Talcahuano.Everyone gathered in the cabin at this time, helpless to the news.Mrs. Helen used her affection instead of words to comfort the poor Grant siblings.Because she really didn't know what words to use to comfort her.Only Jacques Paganel took out the three letters again, and studied them carefully and intently, as if he wanted to reveal a little secret inside.He studied it repeatedly in this way for a full hour.Then he heard Sir Glenarvan say:
"My respected Mr. Paganel, you can use your talents to analyze whether our understanding of this letter is wrong? Is it because our understanding of these incomplete words is very illogical."

Paganel still didn't make any answer, and continued to think with the letter.

"I've been wondering whether I've been wrong about the place of the accident!" Sir Glenarvan continued, "but isn't the word 'Patagonia' clearly there? , and you can see it at a glance!"

Paganel remained unmoved.

"By the way, there is also the word indi, which obviously means Indians. This proves that our judgment is correct!" Sir Glenarvan added.

"Yes, absolutely!" echoed Major McNabbs.

"Isn't it obvious now? All the letter tells us is that the shipwrecked crew members knew when they wrote this letter that they were going to be the captives of the Savage Indians."

"Dear sir, please forgive me for interrupting," Paganel finally said, "I think your analysis and judgment are correct. But only the last point is illogical."

"Then, sir, what do you think?" Mrs. Helen asked eagerly.The others also all focused on the geographer.

"Well, I mean, from these three letters, Captain Grant was already a captive of the Indians when he wrote them," Paganel said emphatically, "and, I must add, On this point, the letter has made it so clear that we cannot doubt it."

"My dear sir, will you explain more clearly?" said Miss Grant eagerly.

"My dear Miss Grant, all this is easy to understand. It seems to me that the blank space in the letter should not be read as 'to be captured in'; but as 'has been captured in'. In this way, Isn't the truth revealed?"

"That's absolutely impossible!" Sir Glenarvan retorted loudly.

"Impossible, my dear friend, how is it impossible?" Paganel asked with a smile.

"I think that the drift bottle must have been thrown into the sea when the ship hit a rock. Therefore, the latitude on this letter should refer to the place where the ship crashed."

"Your analysis is untenable!" Mr. Paganel retorted loudly, "I don't understand that these shipwrecked crew members could actually find ways to drop a bottle after being captured by the Indians inland. , to let people outside know where they are being held captive."

"My dear Paganel, all this is easy to explain! If the bottle is to be thrown into the sea, there must be the sea!"

"If there is no sea, can't they be thrown into the river?" Paganel retorted.

At this time, the people present were silent, and they all felt that although what Paganel said was unexpected, everything was reasonable.Seeing the excited light in everyone's eyes, Paganel knew that a new hope had been rekindled.Madam Helen first broke the silence and said:
"That's a brilliant idea," repeated the geographer cheerfully.

"So, sir, do you mean..." Sir Glenarvan continued.

"What I mean is, first determine the entry point of the 37° south latitude line and the American coast, and then follow the direction of the 37° line and continue to search for the depths of the interior. We must pay attention, what we are looking for The time must not deviate by half a degree, until we find the Atlantic coast on the other side. Perhaps, if we follow the direction of the 37° line, we will be able to find the crew of the Britannia."

"Very little hope!" continued the major.

"Even if there is only a little hope, we must not give up!" Paganel retorted loudly, "If my judgment is correct, this drifting bottle did flow into the sea from a certain river. Then we will definitely find the captives. The clues of the sailors. My friends, if you take a closer look at the map of this area, you will believe that my judgment is justified."

Paganel said as he spread a map of Argentina and Chile on the table.

"Look, everybody," said Paganel, "on the map we can make a trip across the continent of South America. We can first cross this long and narrow Chile, then cross the high rocks in the Andes, and finally go Go to the pampas. In this area, there are many great rivers and rivers. Look, here is the famous Rio Negro, here is the Colorado River, and here are many tributaries of these two rivers. They are all located at latitude 37 south °, it is very likely that the drifting bottle will pass through here and reach the ocean. These places may be in an aboriginal tribe, or an Indian house, or an unknown river bank, or a certain col. Colli, the friends we are looking for are in there. These friends are hoping that God will send messengers to rescue them. Can we do something that disappoints them? Friends, tell me again, do you agree to follow my map? How about climbing the straight line drawn above and climbing over this area? Even if my judgment is ultimately wrong, I don’t think I can give up! Therefore, we must search carefully along the 37° direction with all our strength, and we must not miss a single point.”

Paganel's remarks were impassioned and loud, and everyone was very moved by listening to them, and they all stood up and shook his hand in agreement.

"Yes, sir, my father is there, absolutely!" Little Robert shouted loudly, staring at the map with greedy eyes.

"My dear child, your father is there, and we will try our best to help you find it." Sir Glenarvan said, "I am fully convinced that the judgment of the respected Mr. Paganel is completely correct, and there is no doubt about it." .Now, the job we need is to follow the route he drew without hesitation. Captain Grant may have fallen into a large tribe of natives, or into a small tribe of natives. If in a small In the tribe, we can rescue them immediately; in the big tribe, things may be more troublesome, but there is no need to be afraid. Let's go to find out the situation inside first, and go to the east coast if we don't have enough manpower, and return to the boat. Buenos Aires recruits some people to help, and then Major McNabbs organizes training, so that it can completely deal with all the indigenous people in Argentina!"

"Your proposal is very good, my dear lord, then we will do as you said." Captain John Mengel said, "In addition, I would like to add that this trip across America can actually ensure safety. of."

"Not only is it very safe, but it also does not tire!" continued M. Paganel. "You know, there are many people in this world who are not fully equipped or motivated by our benevolent cause, but they They can successfully cross the South American continent! In 1872, a man named Vilamo went straight from Carmen to the High and Low Rocks; and in 1806, a Chilean, that is, from Concepcion Don Louis, the famous judge, set off in the Andu Valley. He first crossed the Andes Mountains, and after forty days of continuous walking, he came to Buenos Aires; The Colonel and my esteemed colleague Dr. Musi have already traveled all over this area. The purpose of their travel is scientific research, and we are under the will of God to do the glorious cause of saving others. Shouldn't we act boldly? "

"Dear sir," said Miss Mary Grant, deeply moved, with a trembling voice, "your chivalrous heart, and your courageous spirit in spite of all dangers, we do not know how to repay you!"

"My dear lady, you say 'difficult'!" cried Paganel. "There is no such thing as 'difficult'! Dangerous!"

"I didn't say it anyway, sir!" said Robert Grant firmly.At this time, his eyes were shining with a firm light, and he clenched his fists, looking determined.

"Huh!" Paganel also said firmly, "Where is there any danger? In fact, we are just going on a trip! And the distance is not long, only 350 miles! Now we are walking in a straight line. The latitude is actually the same as that of Spain, Sicily, and Greece in the northern hemisphere. Therefore, the climate and environment will not be very different. Our trip will only take a month at most, so it is only equivalent to a walk! "

"My dear Mr. Paganel," Madam Helen said, "I want to ask you, do you think there is any hope of survival for the crew members we are going to rescue if they fall into the hands of the Indians?"

"Dear madam, do you need to say? In fact, the Indians are not a cannibalistic people at all! I can say with certainty, absolutely not! I remembered that when I was in the Geographical Society, I once met a Frenchman named Ji Mr. Gnar was taken captive by the Indians living in the prairie for three full years. During these three years, he suffered all kinds of hardships, but he could bear it all, and finally returned to the motherland successfully! He himself said The Indians in South America love him very much, just like a valuable livestock. This is because they know the value of Europe, so they protect Europeans as useful animals!"

"Well, since that's the case, we shouldn't hesitate for a moment now!" said Sir Glenarvan. "What we have to do now, we should set off immediately. But how should we go?"

"If we want to go, we must naturally choose a convenient and easy way," Paganel said, "We will start from the mountain road with low mountains, and then reach the small hills at the eastern foot of the Andes Mountains, and from there we can finally reach the prairie. It can be seen from the map that there are no rugged mountain roads on this route. We walk there, just like visiting a big garden.”

"Let's take a closer look at the map!" Major McNabbs replied.

(End of this chapter)