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

Chapter 126 The Mysterious Island (11)
"I think it could be named after Mr. Smith, Mr. Sprain and Neb!" said Harbert.

"My name?" cried Neb, showing his shining white teeth.

"Why not?" said the sailor. "It's called Naboo Harbor, and it's very nice! And 'Jardin Point'!"

"I think it's better to use our country's place name! This will make us always remember our motherland!" The reporter said.

"Yes," said Smith, "the principal places, such as the principal bays or oceans, I completely agree with Spline. For example, the wide bay to the east may be called 'United States Bay,' and the bay to the south may be called 'Washington Bay'. As for the mountain we're on now, it's called 'Franklin Peak.' The lake in front of us is called 'Grant Lake.' Friends, it couldn't be better. These names will always remind us of our country and those great Citizens. However, we can name the rivers, headlands, bays, and capes we see from the top of the mountain according to their shapes. This is very vivid, easy to remember, and more practical. The shape of this island is very strange. It shouldn't be hard to come up with some pictorial names. As for the streams we don't know yet, or the coves, it won't be too late to give them names when we find them when we explore the various parts of the forest. What do you think, friends?"

The engineer's opinion was adopted unanimously, without any objection.Now, the entire island is like a map in front of them, and all they need to do is name all the convex and concave corners.Jardin Splane is in charge of the registration, as regards the geographical name of the island, which will also be passed.

First of all, the two bays and the mountain at the foot, as the engineer said just now, are named "United States Bay", "Washington Bay" and "Franklin Peak".

"On the southwest side of the island, there is a peninsula sticking out, which I propose to call the 'Serpentine Peninsula'. At the end of the peninsula, the curved headland, is called the 'Snaketail Headland'. Because it looks like A snake and its tail," said the reporter.

"Pass!" said the engineer.

"So, how about that mouth-like bay on the other side of the island called 'Shark Bay'?" Hubbert said.

"Yes, that's a good name!" said Pencroft. "We may call the two parts of the jaw the mandibular angle, which will be more vivid."

"But there are two capes there!" The reporter reminded the sailor.

"Then name it according to the direction, called the South Mandibular Angle and the North Mandibular Angle!"

"Okay, I've got it all down!" said the reporter.

"The cape at the southeast end is all that remains," said the sailor.

"Is that the end of 'United States Bay'?" asked Hubbert.

"Claw Horn!" cried Neb eagerly, who also wanted to name a place.

It's a good name!This island looks like a strange animal, and there, it looks like the animal's powerful claws.What an apt name Neb had chosen!
Things were going very well, so the sailor was happy.Possibly overstimulated, he continued to use his imagination: the river that provided them with drinking water, that is, the river near which the balloon dropped them, was named "Grateful River" by him to thank God for their blessings. of favor.

The small island they first landed on is called "Safety Island".

As for the granite cliff above the "chimney", standing on it can have a panoramic view of the bay, so this highland is named "Prospect Heights".Finally, the forest covering the entire Serpentine Peninsula was named "Far West Forest".So far, the parts of the island that have been discovered have been named; new discoveries in the future can only be added.In this way, the naming work is over.

Next, the engineer decided to measure the orientation of the island.First, he made rough calculations based on the height and position of the sun, and determined that "United States Bay" and "Looking Hills" were located on the east side of the island.By the next day, the exact times of rising and setting of the sun had to be recorded, and the position between rising and setting was measured, so that the engineer could determine the north of the island.This is due to the position of the sun in the southern hemisphere, at the exact time of its midday, the sun will be in the north rather than the south.This is different from how the sun operates in the northern hemisphere.

In this way, everything is over, and it is time for the settlers to get off "Franklin Peak" and return to "The Chimney".Suddenly Pencroft exclaimed: "My God! We have forgotten an important thing!"

"What's going on?" the reporter said as he closed his notebook and prepared to go down the mountain.

"The island has no name yet! We forgot to name it!" said the sailor.

Hubbert proposed to name the island after the engineer, and the other companions also applauded.However, the engineer said: "We should name it after a great man, my friends, just call him 'Lincoln Island'! He is fighting to defend the unity of the United States of America!"

"Hurrah!" The companions fully agreed.

They talked a lot that night about their country, and about the war that was going on, and they had no doubt that the North would win and the South would shrink.The cause of the North is a just cause, because Lincoln, because Grant, will surely win the final victory.

Today is March 1865, 3.But sixteen days later, on Good Friday, there was a horrific murder in Washington, when Abraham Lincoln was shot dead by a fanatical lunatic.It's just that these immigrants will not know.

Return to "chimney"

The residents of "Lincoln Island" looked around for the last time. They turned around the narrow ridge of the crater, and after about half an hour, they returned to the first platform where they camped last night.

The sailor thought it was time to eat.As for eating, Cyrus Harding and Jardin Splane were reminded to have their watches set.

The reporter's watch was thrown onto the sand out of the way of the shore when it landed, so it's still intact.His watch is definitely a pocket watch made by Seiko. The reporter winds it every day and never forgets it.

As for Cyrus Harding's watch, it had stopped.This is likely what happened during the time he was walking into the dunes.So Cyrus Harding wound his watch, and estimated the time from the height of the sun.It was about nine o'clock in the morning, and then the engineer set the watch to nine o'clock.The reporter also wanted to move the hands according to this time, but Cyrus Harding stopped him:

"Come on, Spline, just a second. Your watch is Richmond time, isn't it?"

"Yes, Cyrus."

"Yes, your watch is calibrated to the Meridian of Richmond, and isn't the Meridian of Richmond about the same as that of Washington?"

"Yes, probably about the same."

"Then let your watch keep that time. You only need to wind it on time. Don't adjust the hands. It will help us."

"What's the use?" asked the sailor involuntarily.

Then everyone began to eat, all with good appetites, and almost all the food and nuts in the store were eaten up.As for Top, the food he got was just right, barely satisfying his hunger.This time, however, the sailor was not worried.Because he knew that there would definitely be something to gain on the way back.Top will also find some kind of prey under dense undergrowth.Then the sailor considered inviting Cyrus Harding to make powder, and a shot-gun or two.Now he didn't think it was impossible, and there would be no difficulty.

To leave the platform, Cyrus Harding suggested that they all go back and take a different road from the previous one, so that he could view "Grant Lake".The scenery there looks good, the lake is surrounded by trees.So they walked down a ridge branched by a mountain ridge, and it is estimated that the stream that supplies water to "Grant Lake" should originate between these ridge branches.They walked and talked.When talking about places, these immigrants began to use proper nouns, which was much more convenient, and they communicated more smoothly and conveniently.Harbert and Pencroft, the one youthful and the other rather boyish, were both very excited.Said the sailor as he walked, "Harbert, look how nice this is! We shall not get lost any more, we shall follow the road to 'Grant Lake', or we may pass through the 'Far West Forest' and the 'Grateful River'." All the way, in short, you will reach Prospect Heights, and you will definitely come to "United States Bay."

The immigrants agreed that even if everyone did not follow closely, they should not stay too far away. After all, there might be some kind of large and dangerous animal living in this dense forest!Therefore, everyone should be vigilant and cautious.The sailor, Harbert, and Neb went ahead.Top led the way before them, turning every corner, searching everywhere.The reporter and the engineer walked behind, and the two walked hand in hand. The reporter was ready to record what happened, while the engineer was mostly silent.Sometimes he would stray from the path in order to pick up something, now this, now that; now a mineral, now a vegetable.He picked it up and put it in his pocket without hesitation.

"What is he picking up?" the sailor said to himself, "I've been looking for a long time, but I can't see anything worth bending down to pick up!"

After an hour or so, at about ten o'clock in the morning, a group of them walked down the last few slopes of "Franklin Peak".At this time the ground is still covered with shrubs and some rare tree species.They walked across a dark yellow field.Obviously, this piece of land has been roasted to form a plain, about one nautical mile long.It ends at the edge of the forest.Basalt rocks cover the entire plain.These rocks are very large, and according to Bischoff experiments, the cooling of such rocks takes 5000 million years.Because of these basalts, some places are extremely rough.However, there is no trace of lava here, which should have poured down from the northern slope.

Engineers expect the creek to be easily accessible.As far as he could see, the stream ran under the trees to the edge of the plain.Suddenly, Hubbert hurried back, and Neb and the sailor took cover behind a rock.

"What's the matter, lad!" the reporter asked.

"There was a plume of smoke, we saw a plume of smoke rising from among the rocks, not a hundred paces from us," answered Hubbert.

"Is there someone here?" the reporter shouted.

"Don't show yourself until you're sure who it is," said Cyrus Harding. "I'm afraid it's a native. If there are natives on this island, I don't want to see them! Where's Top?"

"It's ahead."

"Did it call?
"no!"

"This is a bit strange. Let's find a way to call it back first."

After a while, the engineer, reporter, and Hubert arrived under the rock and joined their two companions.Together they hid behind basalt piles.From here, a plume of smoke can clearly be seen rising in the air.The smoke is dark yellow, and this characteristic is obvious.

The master gave a soft whistle, and Top came back.Then the engineer signaled to his companions to wait, and went alone among the rocks.

The immigrants waited quietly, anxiously waiting for the engineer's survey results.Suddenly Cyrus Harding called them, and several of them ran at once.They meet with the engineer and everyone is amazed why there is a bad smell in the air.

The smell was easily identifiable, enough for engineers to identify what the puff of smoke was.The idea that had initially unnerved the engineers was gone, and of course it was obvious why.

"The fire, or rather the smoke, is of nature. There is only a spring of sulphur, which is very good for laryngitis!" said the engineer.

"Well! What luck! I don't have a cold!" said the sailor.

The settlers made their way to the smoking area, where they saw an alkaline sulfur spring flowing between the rocks.The amount of water seems to be abundant, because it has absorbed oxygen from the air, and the water releases a strong smell of sulfuric acid.

Cyrus Harding dipped his hand in the spring water, and found the water to be creamy.He dipped a little and tasted it, feeling a little sweet.The temperature of the water, the engineer estimated, was about 95 degrees Fahrenheit, which is about 35 degrees Celsius.Hubbert asked the engineer on what basis to estimate the temperature.The engineer replied, "That's simple, boy, when I put my hand in the water, I didn't feel cold or hot, so I reckon it's about the same body temperature as a human body, which is about 95 degrees Fahrenheit."

At present, the sulfur spring has no practical use for these immigrants, so they walked towards the edge of the dense forest, which is only a few hundred steps away.

There, as expected, the clear running water of the creek flows between the high steep slopes.The red color of this steep slope is enough to indicate the presence of iron oxide.Seeing this color, this creek also has a name, called "Red River".

This creek, with a wide surface and deep and clear water, was formed by the water from the mountain.This stream is half river, half torrent.Half of it flows quietly on the sandy ground, and the other half flows straight down the top of the rock, heading straight to "Grant Lake".The length of the river is about a nautical mile and a half, and its width varies from thirty to forty feet.Its water quality is fresh water, so it is estimated that the water of "Grant Lake" is also fresh water.This is a better situation, and it would be even better to find a better shelter by the lake than The Chimney.

The lower reaches of the creek, perhaps a few hundred feet, were covered by trees on either side of the creek.Most of these trees belong to species that grow in temperate regions such as Australia and Tasmania in the United States, and are not among the coniferous trees previously seen on the island, which are located a few nautical miles from Prospect Heights. place.

During this season of the year, which is early April.The southern hemisphere is equivalent to October in the northern hemisphere, which is early autumn. There are still many leaves on the trees, and these are mainly iron trees and eucalyptus.In the spring of the following year these trees will provide a honeydew exactly like that of the East.In the clearing in the forest, there are Australian fir trees standing tall.The ground is covered with tall fine grasses, which are called "meadows" in Holland.Coconut trees, which are abundant in the Pacific Islands, do not appear here, probably because the island's latitude is too low.

"What a pity! Such a useful tree, with such great fruit!" said Hubbert.

Among the eucalyptus and iron trees, various birds flocked.The leaves of the trees are relatively sparse, and these birds can fly freely. These birds are constantly flying around and making deafening noises.Among them are black, white and gray cockatoos, brightly colored budgerigars, "king parrots" with green feathers and red crowns, and blue lorikeets.

Suddenly, there was a strange sound in the bushes, completely incongruous with the birdsong.Then the settlers heard birds chirping, quadrupeds roaring, and what seemed to be the lips of natives.Neb and Harbert had long since thrown away their prudence, and rushed towards the bushes.Fortunately, there were no scary beasts or dangerous natives there, only seven or eight birds chirping mischievously there.It turned out that these were a few pheasants.The immigrants waved their sticks a few times, and these pheasants fell to the ground, ending their imitation game and becoming a delicious game in the immigrants' dinner.

Hubbert also recognized a kind of pigeon, and they were beautiful looking, with bronze wings, a crown of flowers, and green plumage.It's just that this kind of pigeon is hard to catch, and those crows and magpies are equally hard to catch. They have already flown away in groups.If there is a shotgun, maybe a single shot can kill a group of people, but right now the immigrants only have stones and sticks in their hands. It is impossible to complete such primitive tools, and the functions of such tools are too limited.

A group of four-legged beasts passed by, making these tools even more crude.The quadrupeds hopped, leaping thirty feet in a single hop, and fled through the undergrowth with such speed and height that the settlers thought they were squirrels jumping from tree to tree. It's just that they're real behemoths.

"Kangaroo!" cried Hubbert.

"Can I eat it?" asked the sailor.

"If you eat it stewed, the taste is comparable to the best game!..."

Before Jardine Splane could finish his sentence, the sailor was already running after the kangaroo.Neb and Hubbert followed closely behind.Cyrus Harding called them back, but in vain, and so did the three hunters.The kangaroos bounced like a ball, and after five minutes of chasing them, the three of them were out of breath, and the group of kangaroos disappeared in the undergrowth.Not even Top could do anything about it.

At this time, engineers and reporters also caught up with them. "You see, Mr. Cyrus, that we need guns so badly! Is it possible to make guns?" asked Pencroft.

"It might be possible. But let's make some bows first, and I have no doubt that you'll be as dexterous with an Australian."

"A bow and arrow!" Pencroft curled his lips. "They are just children's toys!"

"Don't be so pretentious, my friend," said Jardine Splain. "Bows and arrows have bloodied the world for centuries. Gunpowder is only invented, and war is as old as man. What a pity!" "

"Well, yes, that's right, Mr. Splain," replied the sailor, "I don't always use my head. I beg your pardon."

At this time, Hubbert was indulging in his favorite natural history knowledge, and brought the topic back to the kangaroo, he said:
"The kangaroo is one of the most difficult animals to catch, especially this huge gray hairy animal. However, if I'm not mistaken, the red and black kangaroos, rock kangaroos and tree kangaroos are easier to catch. Kangaroos There are more than a dozen types!"

"But Harbert, there is only one kind of kangaroo for me, and that is the kangaroo roasted in a spit! Unfortunately, we don't have any tonight," added the sailor.His tone seemed to be teaching people.

(End of this chapter)