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

Chapter 116 The Mysterious Island (1)
The story takes place during the American Civil War. On a stormy night, five Union prisoners of war and a loyal dog prepare to escape in a hot air balloon on the square in Richmond, the Confederate base camp.They experienced high-altitude adventures and hurricane attacks, and were thrown on a deserted island in the South Pacific.These victims were also brave. Relying on their own wisdom and hard work, they drew a map of the island, judged the orientation of the island, and used scientific methods to manufacture pottery, glass, windmills, telegraphs and other modernized products. Tool of.Despite hardships and tribulations, they lived on the "Lincoln Island" they named for four years, turning a deserted island into their paradise.During these four years, they have experienced many crises, and almost insurmountable obstacles appeared in front of them, but there will always be a mysterious figure to help them tide over the crisis.It turns out that this mysterious figure is Captain Nemo in "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea".What's even more strange is that they found a savage on the island, who has been living here for 12 years. It turns out that this person is the pirate Ayrton who betrayed the captain and did all kinds of bad things in "Captain Grant's Sons and Daughters".In a volcanic eruption, several brave men nearly died.However, at a critical moment, Captain Grant's son Robert came to the rescue. The "Duncan" under his command happened to pass by "Lincoln Island".This novel has twists and turns and thrilling content, and has been loved by readers for more than 100 years after its publication.

The Mysterious Island is the last of Jules Verne's trilogy of science fiction.In this book, the author connects the clues of the previous two plots. The content of the story is based on science, showing the boldness and novelty of fantasy, and depicting the scenery with lifelike, vivid and picturesque brushstrokes, which is fascinating. Interesting to read.The plot of the whole work is thrilling and tortuous, the characters are lifelike, and the ending is unexpected.All of these make this masterpiece have an eternal charm.

The story took place during the American Civil War. Five prisoners of war from the Northern Army were besieged in Richmond, the base camp of the Confederate Army.They were blown down by a storm on a deserted island in the South Pacific, but they were not discouraged, but united and helped each other. With collective wisdom and labor, they overcame many difficulties and built a happy life.They went from being bare-handed to making pottery, glass, wind mills, telegraphs... They saved the criminals who had lived alone on another nearby island for 12 years and lost their minds, that is, the criminals who were exiled in "Captain Grant's Children" Ayrton, who restored him to his humanity, became their faithful companion.During the years spent on the deserted island, these victims have continuously discovered incredible miracles.Whenever they are in crisis, there always seems to be a mysterious person helping them.It turns out that this mysterious figure is Captain Nemo, the protagonist in the book "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea", the inventor of the diving boat "Nautilus", and the fighter against oppression.Although the victims on these deserted islands lacked nothing, they did not give up the hope of returning to their motherland and worked hard for it.At the end of the story, during a volcanic eruption, Captain Grant's son Robert commanded the "Duncan" yacht to rescue them at the last moment.After returning to the United States, these people rebuilt "Lincoln Island" on their own land and revived the spirit of "Lincoln Island".

Several protagonists in the story left a deep impression on people.Their brave, tenacious and fighting spirit has influenced generations of readers for more than 100 years.Cyrus Harding, from Massachusetts, was an engineer of about forty-five and a radical scholar.He is not only quick-witted, but also skillful and strong-muscled.The engineer himself is enthusiastic and optimistic, well-informed, good at adapting to changing circumstances, and can keep a clear head at any time.Boundless confidence and strong perseverance make him the embodiment of bravery.The engineer was thin and bony, and his short hair and a bushy beard were graying, but his head was as straight as if he had been born for a medal.His eyes are piercing and his mouth is dignified.From his appearance, he appeared to be a radical scholar.Jardine Splane, about 45 years old, is a correspondent for the "New York Herald", reporting with the Union Army this time.He was shrewd, strong, vigorous, quick in action, good at using his brain, and had some medical skills. He once saved Harbert's life, and was later called Doctor Spline by Pencroft.Neb is a servant of Cyrus, about 40 years old, he is strong, lively, intelligent, clever, gentle, docile, innocent, diligent, honest, and loyal.Pencroft, a sailor of thirty-five to forty years of age, was of a strong build, dark skin, and daring.He is by nature an excellent sailor with humor, optimism, loyalty, and a sense of justice, and he is proficient in various techniques.And Harbert, still a 30-year-old boy, loves natural history, and few difficult problems about animal and plant species can stump him.This child is talented and intelligent, studious by nature, and is an excellent malleable talent.Cyrus Harding wished to impart to him all that he knew, and he gladly consulted engineers to increase his knowledge.

In this work, several protagonists struggle with nature on a deserted island, innovate in technology, and engage in many creative labors from scratch.The whole work is full of optimism, believing that the infinite creativity of human beings and the great power of science will enable human beings to build an ideal society.The whole book embodies the spirit that the author wants to convey.First, the spirit of the northerners of the United States at that time.Among them, there are engineers, sailors, and servants. Although they have different occupations and personalities, they all have a spirit of loving life and being adventurous.It is this kind of spirit that gives them the courage to live on the desert island and the determination and confidence to overcome all difficulties; it is also this kind of spirit that inspires these people to use their hands to change this land and make "Lincoln Island" turned into a paradise.The second is the knowledge of the protagonist, to be precise, the author Verne.This book still inherits the characteristics of "fan-style novels"-illusory, but not too divorced from reality; wisdom, but not boring.Gunpowder, guns, batteries and sailboats, Verne used concise and clear language to describe their characteristics and even production methods.After reading this novel, I believe you can learn about oceans, physics, chemistry, biology and other multi-disciplinary knowledge.Because of this, "Mysterious Island" is not only a famous novel, but also an encyclopedia. The book perfectly integrates knowledge into the plot. It is a good science enlightenment reading for teenagers.

balloon adventure
Today is March 1865, 3, and it is four o'clock in the afternoon.Over the vast Pacific Ocean, a conversation suddenly appeared.

"Are we going up?"

"No! On the contrary! We're descending!"

"Mr. Cyrus, I think it's worse! We're falling!"

"God! Throw the weight out!"

"It's all thrown away!"

"Is the balloon going up?"

"no!"

"I seem to hear something! It's the sound of waves!"

"Below is the sea!"

"The sea is less than five hundred feet away!"

"Throw away all the heavy stuff! Throw it all away! From now on, we're left to our fate!"

The last sentence, the sound pierced the sky, and has been echoing in the air.

No one must have forgotten the terrible storm that occurred at the vernal equinox.The storm was blowing from the northeast and the barometer had dropped to 710mm.Beginning on March 3, the hurricane roared non-stop and lasted for 18 days.It is conceivable that the impact and scope of this disaster is large, covering America, Europe and Asia. The hurricane crosses the equator obliquely, from 26° north latitude to 35° south latitude, and the affected area reaches 40 nautical miles.Wherever the hurricane went, the buildings of the city were destroyed, the trees of the forest were uprooted, and the banks of the river were washed away by the flood.Thousands of people perished in the catastrophic storm, crushed on land and engulfed at sea.The situation after the storm was simply horrible.Compared with the two storms that hit Havana on October 1810, 10, and Guadeloupe on July 25, 1825, this disaster is probably even higher.

While the catastrophe rages on land and sea, a thrilling adventure is unfolding in the skies.A hot air balloon was passing through the air at a speed of [-] knots per hour, like a ball rolled up by a tornado, it was swept to the top of the wind, and then sucked into the wind column, circling in the wind.At the same time, the hot air balloon continues to rotate, as if controlled by the airflow, involuntarily.

The five passengers could be vaguely seen in the hanging basket of the hot air balloon. They were surrounded by dense fog mixed with water vapor, and they could not be seen clearly at all.The hanging basket was swinging back and forth in the hurricane, and it was already close to the surface of the sea.

This hot air balloon in the hurricane is like a toy of the storm, let it be manipulated.But where did it come from?According to the situation, it should not have taken off during the storm. After all, the storm had already appeared on the 18th and lasted for five days.From this it can be concluded that the hot-air balloon must have come from a very distant place, and that it has to cover a distance of two hundred nautical miles every day.

However, these passengers could not estimate their distance at all, because they had almost no reference basis.Although they were in the storm, they didn't feel the ferocity of the storm.What's going on here?They are constantly rotating and moving, but they are not aware of this change.They were above the clouds, and their eyes could not penetrate the thick fog below the hanging basket at all, so they couldn't see anything, and they were surrounded by thick fog.Their hanging baskets were in the clouds, but the opaque clouds made it impossible for them to distinguish day from night.They were in the sky, in the vast darkness, they couldn't see any light, they couldn't hear any human voices, and they couldn't even hear the roar of the sea.They didn't realize the danger until the balloon fell rapidly, and the rough sea was just below the hanging basket.

They jettisoned almost all of their heavy loads, including weapons, ammunition, and provisions, so that the balloon returned to a height of about [-] feet.At this time, the passengers were slightly relieved, and they realized that the danger at high altitude was no longer so terrible compared to the sea under the basket.Therefore, without hesitation, they threw away all the heavy things, even the most useful things, and threw them all away without reservation.The passengers had hoped for nothing but the balloon's gas to keep them afloat.

At last the long night passed, and if these few passengers were not strong enough, their panic state of mind would have killed them.The sky is getting brighter, and the hurricane is also showing a tendency to weaken.Beginning on March 3, signs of the storm subsiding appeared.At dawn, those bubbly clouds rose high in the sky.After several hours, the tornado's windpipe gradually expanded and eventually snapped off.A hurricane, transformed into a "gale", which means that the movement of the atmosphere slows down by half.This "gale wind" is called "three-reef wind" by sailors, but the impact of this wind force on the living environment is already very small.

At about eleven o'clock in the afternoon, the atmosphere became clear and humid, and the sky seemed to have been washed.This is often the case after atmospheric phenomena, and such changes can be not only seen but also smelled.The hurricane seems to have disappeared. This disappearance is not like being transferred elsewhere, but dying on its own.Judging from this, the tornado disappeared, and the energy was transformed into the electric layer, just like a typhoon in the Indian Ocean.

It was clear, though, that the balloon was descending, slowly but steadily.Moreover, it is still slowly leaking, and the airbag has changed from a circular shape to an oval shape.Near noon, the balloon was only about [-] meters above the sea.This is thanks to the capacity of the balloon, otherwise it would not have stayed in the air for such a long time, let alone reached a very high altitude, and could move horizontally.At this point, the passengers threw away the last things they felt made the balloon look heavy, including gadgets in their pockets.Another person climbed on the round frame connecting the balloon and the suspension basket, trying to fix the suspension basket.However, even if these passengers made any efforts, it would be useless. The hydrogen shortage made it difficult for the balloon to maintain high altitude.

It's over!

Under the hanging basket is the vast sea, with no trace of land or islands, and no place to land.These few passengers looked down at the sea from a high position, and their eyes could reach forty nautical miles.The water on the endless Pacific Ocean is choppy, and it can be seen that the state of the hurricane has just been fought. Unfortunately, the sea was defeated by the hurricane.In the eyes of these passengers, the sea at this time is like a cavalry, wielding knives and guns, and the tumbling white waves are like a huge white net covering the sea.However, there was no piece of land, let alone a boat.

The passengers in the hanging basket tried their best to prevent the balloon from falling, otherwise the balloon would be swallowed by the huge waves soon.It can be seen how urgent the situation is now!They tried their best, but in the end they couldn't stop the balloon's descent.Not only that, the balloon moved rapidly along the direction of the wind, from northeast to southwest.

At this moment, the situation is extremely dire.Unfortunately for these passengers, it was obvious that they had lost control of the balloon, and all attempts were in vain. The balloon's air bag was getting more and more deflated, and the hydrogen leaked out very badly.The speed of descent became faster and faster, and at about one o'clock in the afternoon, the height of the hanging basket was less than six hundred feet above the sea.

The hydrogen gas was leaking from a crack, and it seemed impossible to stop it.Passengers in the basket dropped everything, which kept them aloft for hours.However, if there was no sign of land before dark, the passengers would be buried in the sea with the basket and balloon.This disaster is probably hard to avoid.

These passengers made a last-ditch effort and did everything they could possibly do.It can be seen that they are all people with iron willpower, and they are all strong people who can face death directly.They didn't have any complaints, only a final struggle, and they decided to continue to stop the balloon from falling.The hanging baskets they ride in are baskets made of wicker. This material does not float in the water, so once the hanging baskets they ride fall into the sea, it is impossible to float on the sea.

It was almost two o'clock in the afternoon, and the distance between the hanging basket and the sea surface had shortened by another two hundred feet, and now it was only about four hundred feet.

At this time, a thick man's voice was heard. In this case, the voice sounded very majestic, even the voice that responded, showing the perseverance and tenacity of the passengers.

"Is everything thrown away?"

"There are still ten thousand gold francs left!"

Then, a money bag was thrown into the sea.

"Did the balloon go up?"

"It's gone up a bit, but it's going to go down soon."

"What else is there to throw away?"

"Gone!"

"Hanging basket! The hanging basket can be thrown away!"

"We grab the net and throw the basket!"

The ropes of the basket were cut, and they fell into the sea, which did the trick, and the balloon, relieved of its load, rose another two thousand feet.The five passengers climbed into the round frame above the hanging basket, grabbed the net rope with their hands, shrunk their bodies in the net, and looked down.

We all know the static sensitivity of the balloon. Just throwing even the lightest object can cause vertical movement.In this case, the weight of the hanging basket is relatively heavy. After removing it, the balloon will move greatly and with great intensity.However, the balloon only stayed in the sky for a short time, and then started a new round of falling.Hydrogen is still leaking from the cracks, and the passengers have made their last efforts, but in the current situation, I am afraid that no human being can do anything.They could only implore God's favor.

It was four o'clock in the afternoon, and the balloon was only five hundred feet above the sea.

Suddenly, the dog that had been with them barked.

"Top must have seen something!" said one of them.

Then, someone shouted again:

"Look! Land! It's land!"

Between dawn and the present, the wind carried the balloon in a southwesterly direction, covering a distance of several hundred nautical miles.Sure enough, in this direction, a fairly high land appeared.

Hope is in sight, but problems also follow.This piece of land is thirty nautical miles away from the leeward side, and it will take an hour to reach it without deviating from the direction.One hour!For the current situation, it is very long, and no one can guarantee that the hydrogen will not leak out in an hour.

In any case, a piece of land has indeed appeared before the passengers, and no matter how dire the situation, they will go there.In fact, the passengers didn't know whether it was a whole piece of land or a small island.They didn't know where it was at all, and the hurricane made them no longer know where they were.Whether the land is inhabited by humans or not, whether they are hospitable or not, passengers must be there now!

However, the balloon could no longer fly.It had already rubbed against the surface of the sea, and the rolling of the huge waves added to the burden on the balloon.At this time, the balloon is like a seabird with injured wings, unable to fly.

(End of this chapter)