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

Chapter 90: Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (21)
The sea water in this area is very clear, and there are rich shellfish, insects and marine plants.According to Captain Nemo's promise, when the tide rises tomorrow, the ship will float up and set sail again. That is to say, today is the last day for the "Nautilus" to stay on the sea in this area.So, taking advantage of nothing to do now, I thought of fishing in these clear waters.I called Conseil, and he gave me a small, light dredge, a net like the one used to fish oysters.

Conseil asked me: "Where are those natives? To be honest, please don't take offense, sir. I don't think they are very vicious!"

"Young man, they are a bunch of cannibals."

"A person can be cannibalistic and honest," Conseil replied, "just as a person can be greedy and honest. There is no contradiction between the two."

"Conseil, I quite agree with your statement. They are honest people who eat the meat of captives. But I don't want to be the food in their mouths, even if I swallow them honestly, I don't want to." The captain of the Nautilus No precautions seem to be taken, and I must keep myself on the alert. Let's go fish now."

We fished enthusiastically for more than two hours. The salvage was filled with donkey ear shells, harp shells, river shells, sea cucumbers, pearl oysters and a dozen small turtles. We also caught a lot of rough fish. The best looking fish ever seen, these will be a delicacy on our table.However, no rare treasures were salvaged.

Just when we regretted that we did not salvage rare treasures, my hand accidentally touched something, it should be said that I touched a naturally deformed thing, such an opportunity is very rare.Conseil put the overshot down, and when he pulled it up, it contained many kinds of ordinary shells.Quickly thrusting my arm into the net, I drew out a shell, and at the same time I uttered the exclamation peculiar to a conchologist, that is to say, the sharpest exclamation that a human throat can produce.

Hearing my cry, Conseil asked anxiously, "Hey! What's the matter, sir? Did you get bitten?"

"No, boy, I'd drop a finger for a worthwhile discovery."

"What did sir find?"

I pointed to my prize and said, "This is the shell."

"It's just an ordinary variegated olive shell, Olivia genus, Arthrobranchus, Gastropoda, Molluscs..."

"Conseil, you are right. But the pattern of this olive shell is different from the ordinary one. The ordinary olive shell rolls from right to left, but this olive shell turns from left to right. "

"How could it be?" Conseil exclaimed in surprise.

"That's right, boy, it's a curly clam!"

"What? A scallop? A scallop!" Conseil repeated excitedly.

"Just take a good look at its spiral pattern."

"Sir, I really believe what you say," Conseil took the precious shell with trembling hands, "I've never been so excited before."

This is indeed something to be excited about!Whether the celestial body and its satellites are revolving or rotating, they all turn from right to left, which is the result observed by biologists.In other words, rotating from right to left is a natural law.Humans often use their right hand instead of their left hand, and there are more opportunities to use their right hand than their left hand. Therefore, human tools and instruments, stairs, locks and keys, and legal bars of clocks and watches are all coordinated to be used from right to left.Nature usually arranges the spiral threads of shellfish according to this rule. Most shellfish patterns are right-turned, and there are very few shellfish patterns that turn left.Occasionally, such shellfish are obtained, and collectors will pay a lot of money to buy them.

Both Conseil and I were immersed in the surprise of getting this treasure by accident, and I secretly rejoiced that our museum could have another treasure.At this time, suddenly a native threw a stone, which hit the treasure in Conseil's hand impartially, and unfortunately it was broken.

I cried out in despair!Angrily, Conseil picked up my gun and aimed it at a native who was standing ten meters away and was throwing stones.It was too late for me to stop him, his gun went off, smashing the amulet hanging on the native's arm to pieces.

"Conseil! Conseil!" I shouted at him.

"Sir, what's the matter? This man has already started to attack us, didn't the sir see it?"

I said to him, "Young man, a shell is not worth a human life!"

Conseil yelled angrily: "This bastard, I'd rather he smashed my shoulder bones than see this shell smashed!"

I knew that Conseil was speaking from his heart, but I didn't agree with him.It suddenly dawned on me that something was wrong, but we found out a little later.I saw more than twenty canoes surrounding the Nautilus.This kind of canoe is made of a hollow tree trunk. In order to facilitate driving, the hull is made into a long and narrow shape.Coupled with two long bamboo poles floating on the water, the boat can swing in a balanced and non-tilted manner.The man driving the canoe is half naked, and the paddle board is used flexibly.Seeing them getting closer and closer, I couldn't help but feel worried.

These Papuans obviously had dealings with Europeans, and they were able to identify European ships.But what would they think of our mastless, chimneyless steel cone lying in the bay?They must not be looking for the best, otherwise they would not be standing so far when they first started.When they saw that this thing was motionless, they gradually became more courageous, and tried to get close to this big guy, wanting to get close to it.However, in the face of this kind of approaching behavior, we must stop it.The sound of our weapons is not very loud, and it can't scare these natives at all. What they fear is the deafening sound of guns and guns.Although the danger is in the lightning and not in the thunder, lightning without thunder is not necessarily frightening.

At this time, the canoe was getting closer to the "Nautilus", and the arrows shot by the natives fell on the ship like raindrops.

Conseil said: "Damn it! There's hail! It must be poisonous hail!"

"Captain Nemo should be notified immediately," I said as I entered the hatch.

I went to the living room, and there was no one there.I tried knocking on the captain's door.

Someone inside replied: "Please come in." I walked in and saw that the captain was burying himself in the calculation, and there were many X unknowns and other algebraic symbols on it.

"I didn't bother you, did I?" I said politely.

"Mr. Aronnax," the captain replied, "I think you must have some urgent and important business to come to see me."

"Yes, Captain, something very urgent and important has happened. We are surrounded by many canoes of the natives. In a few minutes, the natives who attack us will number several hundred."

Captain Nemo said calmly, "Are they coming in their canoes?"

"Yes, sir captain."

"Very well, sir, just close the panel."

"Okay, I just came to tell you..."

"It couldn't be easier," said Captain Nemo.

Then he pressed a button to communicate the order to the watch crew.

After a while he said to me: "Sir, the order has been carried out, the boat is put back in place, and the panels are put in place. I think these walls of steel, which even the shells of the 'Lincoln' can't hurt, Are you still afraid of the attacks of those natives?"

"Mr. Captain, I am not afraid now, but there is still a danger."

"Oh? What is the danger?"

"Tomorrow when the 'Nautilus' needs to change the air, we have to open the panels again..."

"Yes, sir, for our ship breathes like a cetacean."

"So, what if the Papuans occupy the platform at this time? I really don't know how you plan to prevent them from coming in."

"Sir, do you think they will be able to board the submarine?"

"I thought so."

"Then let them come up, sir. I see no reason not to let them come up. Besides, these Papuans are a poor lot, and I hate to see any of these unfortunate The visit to Rolle Island cost my life!"

After listening to him, I wanted to take my leave, but Captain Nemo left me and asked me to sit beside him.Then, he asked with great interest how we went on land to hunt. He seemed completely ignorant of the need for Canadians to eat meat.Then, he changed the subject again and started rambling all over the place. Although he still didn't express his feelings easily, he was much more cordial than before.

In the middle of the conversation, we talked about the current state of the Nautilus.The place where the submarine ran aground was exactly where Dumont Cuvier's ship had nearly sunk, prompting him to say the following:

"Dumont Cuvier is your French Captain Cook, an unfortunate scholar! He is also a great French navigator and one of the wisest of all navigators! He has bravely challenged the Antarctic ice floes, The coral reefs in Oceania and the cannibals in the Pacific Ocean experienced so many hardships and obstacles, but they died pitifully in the train carriage in the end. What a pity! If this clever scholar could still think at the last moment of his life If so, you can imagine what his last thought was!"

As we spoke, Captain Nemo became agitated, and under the infection of his emotions, I was also a little agitated.

Then we picked up the map again and reviewed the deeds of the French navigator: his voyages around the world, his two expeditions to the South Pole, the discovery of the two places of Amily and Louis Feili, and his exploration of Oceania. Hydrographic surveys carried out on major islands.

Captain Nemo said to me: "What your Juvier did on the sea, I also did it under the ocean. Compared with it, I did it more easily and more perfectly. His' The Armillary Sphere and the Zealot are always battered by wind and waves, but my Nautilus is safe in the sea, like a quiet office!"

"But, captain," said I, "there are similarities between Dumont Cuvier's two three-masted ships and your Nautilus."

"Sir, tell me, which point is similar?"

"Even the Nautilus ran aground just like them!"

Captain Nemo answered me coldly: "Sir, the 'Nautilus' did not run aground, it just rested on the seabed for a few days. The 'Armular Sphere' and the 'Zero Woman' almost sank, but my 'Nautilus' "There is no danger at all. If I want the Nautilus to get off the reef and return to sea, it will not take so much painstaking work as Juvier's. At the time I appointed, which is tomorrow, the tide rises, and my submarine You can continue to walk through the sea.

I said: "Captain, I have no doubts that the Nautilus is back at sea..."

"Tomorrow, at two forty in the afternoon," Captain Nemo interrupted me, rising, "the Nautilus will be afloat and leave Torres Strait without any damage."

Captain Nemo said this resolutely, and then he gave a slight bow, which meant that I could leave, so I returned to my room.

Conseil had been waiting in my room, eager to know the outcome of my conversation with the captain.

I said to him, "Boy, when I thought that the Papuan natives would threaten the safety of the Nautilus, he answered me in a mocking tone. So, you only need to know one thing, and that is: Get a good night's sleep and trust him with confidence."

"Sir, is there anything I can do?"

"There's nothing you need to do, boy. Where's Ned Land?"

Conseil replied, "Sir, Ned is making kangaroo patties!"

Conseil left, and I was left lying on the bed alone, but I couldn't fall asleep.Throughout the night, the natives kept screaming harshly and stomping on the platform with their feet, but the crew on board still ignored their actions and took no measures.

At six o'clock in the morning, I got up.The panels had not been opened, and the interior of the ship had not been ventilated, but there was spare air in the storehouses, which could in time inject several cubic meters of oxygen into the Nautilus.

I worked in my room until noon, and Captain Nemo did not appear.No one on board was doing any preparations for sailing.

I waited a little longer, then went into the living room.The clock showed 02:30, and in 10 minutes the tide was at its highest point.If Captain Nemo's words are true, then the "Nautilus" will soon leave the reef.Otherwise, this submarine doesn't know that it will stay here until the Year of the Monkey.

At this moment, I felt a premonition of some shaking in the hull.I heard the screech of the sub's bottom shell against the uneven limestone of the coral reef.

At 35:[-], Captain Nemo appeared in the living room.

"We're leaving," he said.

"Ah!" I shouted.

"I have ordered the panels to be opened."

"But what about the Papuans?"

"Those Papuans?" Captain Nemo shrugged slightly as an answer.

"Won't they storm the Nautilus?"

"How do I get in?"

"Enter through the open panel."

Captain Nemo replied quietly: "Mr. Aronnax, even if the panel is open, no one can just walk in through the panel."

My eyes were fixed on the captain.

"Don't you understand?" he asked me.

"Yes, I don't understand at all."

"Okay, you can come and see with me."

I walked towards the iron ladder in the middle.Ned Land and Conseil were already standing there, watching with bewildered faces as the crew opened the panels, while at the same time they could hear shouts from outside, which were deafening.

The panels swung open, revealing two dozen hideous faces.However, what is unexpected is that as soon as the first native put his hand on the railing of the iron ladder, he was immediately bounced back by a mysterious and invisible force, and he jumped to escape while making a terrifying cry up.More than a dozen of his companions rushed forward one after another, but as soon as their hands touched the handrail, they encountered the same bad luck and fled one after another.

Conseil watched this scene and danced with joy.Ned Land, who was reckless by nature, was so excited that he rushed up the stairs in a few strides.But when he grasped the handrail with both hands, he met the same fate as the natives.

He shouted: "There is a ghost! There is a ghost! I was struck by lightning!"

This sentence made me suddenly enlightened.That was not an ordinary railing, but an electrified metal cable.Anyone who touches it will be shocked by the current.Had Captain Nemo connected all the electricity in his ship to this conductor, the shock it would have produced could have been fatal!It can also be understood that a power grid has been laid between the enemy and us, and it is impossible to pass through this power grid without being damaged!
At this time, the frightened Papuans had already begun to retreat.We laughed and comforted the hapless Canadian, who cursed like he was possessed by a demon.

Just at exactly [-]:[-] as appointed by the captain, the last wave of the sea shook the "Nautilus", its wheels began to beat the sea heavily and slowly, and it finally broke away from the coral bed.Then, the speed gradually increased, and the "Nautilus" left the dangerous waterways of the Torres Strait behind safe and sound, and galloped away to the sea.

forced sleep
The next day, January 1, the Nautilus was submerged again, its wheels moving so fast that I could not see that it was running.According to my estimates, the speed of the submarine can reach at least 10 knots, which is really fast.

This magical electricity not only brought power, heat, and light to the "Nautilus", but also turned it into a sacrosanct ship, preventing it from being attacked by the outside world.I think, if anyone wants to attack it, he will definitely not be able to escape the bad luck of being electrocuted.When I think of this, my admiration arises spontaneously, from things to people, and this admiration immediately transfers to the engineer who made the submarine.

Our submarine has been heading west. On January 1 we crossed Cape Wessel at 11°E and 135°S, which is the eastern tip of the Gulf of Carpentaria.There are many and scattered reefs in the sea, but they are clearly marked on the map. The Nautilus sailed around Maui Reef on the port side and Victoria Reef on the starboard side with ease, both at 10°E and 130°S, along which our ship has been sailing.

On January 1, we arrived at the Diwen Sea. At the position of 13° east longitude, Captain Nemo saw the Diwen Island with the same name as this sea area.The island has a total area of ​​122 square miles and is ruled by Indian maharajas.These princes claimed to be descended from crocodiles, that is to say, of the oldest blood that man can possibly name.Therefore, their ancestors multiplied in the island's rivers and became objects of special respect.These animals are protected, pampered and flattered by the islanders, who provide them with food, and even young girls as their food.If an outsider dared to violate these sacred lizards, he would be out of luck.However, the "Nautilus" wanted nothing to do with these ugly animals.

Diwen Island only appeared at noon, that is, when the mate recorded the position.Similarly, I only saw the small island of Luodi, which belongs to this group of islands. The beauty of women on this small island has long been judged in the Malayan market.

From here, the "Nautilus" left this latitude and headed south-west.Where is Captain Nemo taking us?Was he going back to the shores of Asia?Or should we move closer to the coast of Europe?He was a man escaping a densely populated continent, but that too was impossible from the direction of the voyage.So is he going south?Could it be that he is going straight to the South Pole through the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Horn?Or should we return to the Pacific Ocean? The "Nautilus" sailed in the Pacific Ocean with convenience and freedom.Where is he going?You will know in a few days.

(End of this chapter)