Captain Grant's Children

Chapter 30 Amsterdam Island (2)
"In fact, the reason is very simple. Your compatriot - Captain Bodan. After arriving in Australia in 1802, he heard a lot of croaking frogs, so he lifted the anchor in fear and never looked back."

"What, how can you Brits make fun of people with such things?" "Teasing people? I admit, but it's true." "Boring, boring!" The geographer showed rich, rich patriotism , love for the motherland. "My dear Monsieur Paganel, how come you don't even know such a small fact?" Glenarvan also joked about Paganel.Everyone present at this time laughed. "I really don't know anything about it. But I want to protest. The British say that we French are 'frog eaters,' so why should we be afraid of frogs if we eat them?"

"That's the reason, but the facts are the facts." The major said with a smile.

Thus, the carbine remained in the hands of Major McNabbs.At noon on the third day after that conversation, Captain Mengel took the Duncan's bearing.At 3 degrees 133 minutes east longitude, the distance from Cape Benoy is less than 37 degrees.According to a conservative estimate, in 5 days, Cape Benoy will appear on the horizon.

In the evening Sir Glenarvan and Captain Mungle sat together to talk about the stillness.As the coal bunkers were nearly empty, the captain was anxious about the lack of wind.He hoisted all the sails on the ship, but it still didn't work at all.

Sir Glenarvan said: "There is no need to complain, no wind is better than a headwind."

"You are right, sir. The sudden calm of the weather indicates that the weather will change. Besides, we are now in the trade wind belt on the Indian Ocean. This trade wind blows from northeast to southwest from October to April every year. .As long as there is a slight wind, our voyage will be delayed. I am very disturbed by this. I hope there will be no storm. I can only tell you these words, and I have not told Mrs. Helen and Miss Grant, lest they will worry and panic."

"Meng Geer, you are very thoughtful. Is there anything to be afraid of when encountering a storm?"

"This is a warning. I am most afraid of storms in the South China Sea, because I have tasted them. This kind of storm is caused by the intersection of polar wind and equatorial wind. No matter which ship encounters it, it will be unlucky." Although the captain Precautions had already been taken on board, but concerns remained.

In the middle of the night, the wind picked up, with a force of 12 meters per second.The mast was rattling by the wind, and the rigging was snapping.It all gave passengers a taste of what the storm meant.

The cruise ship tilted suddenly, and Wilson, who was holding the steering wheel, was knocked down by the rudder.The Duncan lost control just in time.

The captain then issued orders to Austin and the bosun to prepare for the arrival and attack of the hurricane.At this time, the barometer has dropped to 26 meters inches, which indicates that the storm is approaching.Menger was on the roof of the cabin, watching the sky.

About one o'clock in the morning, Mrs. Helen and Miss Grant felt very jolted in the room, and ventured out onto the deck to see what was going on.Captain Mengel saw Mrs. Helen and Miss Grant coming, and hurried forward to ask them to go back to the cabin.Because the wind and waves were too loud and mixed with various voices, Mrs. Helen could hardly hear the captain's words. "Is there any danger?" Madam Helen hurriedly asked when the wind and waves calmed down a bit. "No, ma'am. But please don't stay on deck. And you, Miss Mary."

Mrs. Helen and Miss Grant could not disobey the captain's order, so they had to go back to the cabin.

At this time, the sailors rushed to their posts, some were setting the sails, some were tightening the sails, and they were all busy.

Glenarvan, the major, Paganel, and Robert all exclaimed as they watched the Duncan wrestling in the storm.Each of them held fast to the horizontal boards on the bulkhead, silently watching Haiyan fighting against the violent wind and waves.

Suddenly, there was a violent noise from the ship, which even drowned out the sound of the storm.It was the steam that spurted out of the bonnet of the boiler.

"What's the matter?" Captain Meng Geer rushed to the podium. "The rudder is down," Austin replied.

"The rudder was knocked off?"

"Save the machine, save the machine!" The mechanic called again. "What's going on?" the captain asked, scrambling to the machine room. "The propeller is bent, or it's stuck, or it won't turn anyway," the mechanic replied. "What? Stuck? Can't you get it out?"

"Apparently not," replied the mechanic.Captain Menger hurried forward, briefly reported the situation to Sir Glenarvan, and advised Sir to take the other three passengers back to the cabin as soon as possible.

But Sir Glenarvan insisted on staying on deck. "No, sir! It is all right for me and the crew to stay here. Get in quickly, or the waves will sweep you overboard."

"We might be able to help."

"Go in, go in! Sir, you must go in. Now I have the final say. Go back to the ship, listen to me, go back quickly." Captain Mengel's sternness is enough to show that the situation is very serious at this moment.

He led the three companions back to the cabin of the two female passengers.Mrs. Helen and Miss Grant, who were in the cabin, had been waiting anxiously for a long time, and they really wanted to know what the result would be now.

"John is a tough fellow," said Glenarvan, as soon as he entered the room.Outside, Captain Mengel managed to get the ship out of danger.Since the propeller could no longer rotate, he used a small amount of sails and the wind to keep the ship sailing smoothly so as not to deviate too far from the original course.While the captain lashes himself to the shrouds, and keeps watch over the stormy sea, his crew gathers around him, at his command.

At 8 o'clock in the morning, the wind picked up even more.With a wind speed of 36 meters per second, it is simply a hurricane.

Captain Meng Geer looked calm on the surface, but he was extremely worried about the cruise ship and the people on board.

The Duncan was heeling terribly in the wind, and the deck pillars were creaked by the wind and waves. Sometimes the auxiliary spars on the mainmast hit the waves, and sometimes slipped to the bottom of the waves, but fortunately they climbed up again.

The boat was rolling and pitching badly, and it would be dangerous to go on like this.Captain Mengel decided to pull up another spinnaker.

Immediately, the Duncan was driven by the small sail, and she was seen rushing left and right in the waves, and the huge waves swept over her deck, and she paddled one after another like a whale.Captain John Mungle stuck to his post and ate nothing.Although he appeared very calm on the surface, he was extremely anxious inside. He was extremely worried about the people on the cruise ship and the cruise ship.He kept his eyes fixed on the looming mist in the north.

At that moment, the Duncan was thrown off course by the hurricane and headed for the coast of Australia.If it hit the rocks, the Duncan would be smashed to pieces immediately.Although it is less than 12 nautical miles away from the coast of Australia at this time, it is quite dangerous to dock in this situation. Docking means shipwreck and death.

Captain Mengel found Sir Glenarvan, explained to him the present dangerous situation, and said that if the situation was absolutely necessary, he would risk letting the Duncan land.There might be a chance of survival.

"You play by ear, John," said Glenarvan. "Then what should I do with Mrs. Helen and Miss Grant?"

"In the end, I will tell them. If the ship really can't stay at sea, you can tell me in advance."

"I will, ser."

At 11 o'clock in the morning, the storm died down a little, and the fog gradually began to die down.Captain Mengel saw land six miles to leeward.The boat was speeding toward the low land.At this moment, a row of huge waves hit the ship.

"There is a dark beach!" The captain immediately realized and said to Austin.

"I think so too," Austin replied. "Our lives are in God's hands now. If there hadn't been a gap in the dark bank, or God wouldn't have let the bow of the boat face the gap, we'd be all over."

The Duncan, propelled by the jib, headed straight for the coast with astonishing speed.When he was two nautical miles away from the dark beach, John saw that the water behind the dark beach was relatively calm. If the Duncan could sail into that water area, it would be safe.John had all the passengers on deck at this time, he didn't want them to stay in the cabin while the ship sank. "John, I am responsible for saving my wife. If we can't save it, we will die together. You are responsible for saving Miss Grant." Glenarvan whispered into Menger's ear. "That's all we have to do, Your Excellency." But his eyes were already filled with tears.The boat was getting closer to the black beach, only a few anchor chains away; the tide was high now, and there was enough water to carry the boat across the dark beach.But due to the sending and receiving of sea waves, the rear portion of the bottom of the ship must be bumped into the dark beach.How can we calm the waves?
"Oil! Brothers, pour oil! Quickly pour oil!" At this critical moment, the strength of the crew doubled.They hoisted the big wooden barrels containing seal oil to the bow of the ship, broke the lids of the barrels, and hung them over the starboard and starboard sides.The oil layer floats in the sea and can temporarily calm the sea.This is the last way I can think of.

"Get ready! Fall!"

The oil barrels were poured down together, and the oil rushed out, suppressing the roaring waves at once.In the blink of an eye, the Duncan crossed the dark bank and entered the calm waters.What a godsend!

(End of this chapter)