Captain Grant's Children

Chapter 31 An Amazing Voice
The Duncan, which had spent hours in the peril of the stormy sea, now had a natural harbor safe from the wind.Surrounded by mountains, it blocks the strong winds at sea.The ship was anchored there firmly, and an anchor was dropped on each side of the ship.

Glenarvan firmly held the captain's hand, shook it and said, "Thank you, John."

Now that the ship has stopped, what we urgently need to find out is where the ship is and how far it is from Cape Bainui!

Captain Mengel said while calculating: "The Duncan only deviates from the original route by two degrees, and is located at the corner of disaster at 136 degrees 12' east longitude and 35 degrees 7' south latitude. Port Adlai, the capital of South Australia Province, is located here."

After experiencing the dangers at sea, the Duncan was seriously injured, and whether it can be repaired is also an urgent problem to be solved.Captain Mengel wanted to know what was damaged, so he sent divers down to inspect the ship's rear bottom.

Upon inspection by divers, they reported that one propeller blade was twisted against the dragon's tailbone and therefore could not turn.

The boat was so badly damaged that it required special tools to fix it, but Adelaide couldn't possibly have such tools.Therefore, Glenarvan and Captain John made a decision: the Duncan sailed along the Australian coast with the power of the sails, and searched for the Britannia along the way.Then stop at Benoy Point before continuing south to Melbourne.There, the boat is easily repaired.Then continue sailing along the east coast until the end.

Two hours later, the ship sailed into Explorer Sound, and Cape Disaster disappeared from view.In the evening, the Duncan rounded Cape Boxia and sailed along the coast of Kangaroo Island.

The next day, the Duncan put down the boat, and people went ashore to check.At this time the ship was on the 36th parallel south, and Glenarvan did not want to leave a blank spot.However, there were no clues.

However, they are still full of confidence and cautious, lest they miss a place.Therefore, at night they anchored the boat, and by day they went ashore to search.

On December 12, they finally reached Cape Benoy, at the end of Larbed Bay.

Here, we did not find any traces of the sunken ship, but this does not prove that the captain of the Britannia has not been here, let alone the ship has been wrecked for more than two years.It is conceivable that if the ship was wrecked here, then Captain Grant and his two companions must have been taken inland by the local aborigines.

But this imagination is inconsistent with Paganel's original speculation.However, the hypothesis that the captain was captured can be denied.

However, it is written in the document: "Captured by local barbaric natives." In this way, it seems unreasonable to simply search along the 37° parallel without going to other places.

The matter was discussed over and over for a long time, and at last it was concluded that if there were no clues of the Britannia at Cape Benoy, the search would be over.Sir Glenarvan had to return to Europe.However, he finally did his duty.The Grant siblings were disappointed.Because they have been thinking that whether their father can be saved depends on this action.

"There is hope! There will be hope! There will always be hope!" Mrs. Helen comforted Miss Grant and little Robert.Cape Benoy dipped a good two miles into the sea, topped by slow waves, so the boat entered a natural harbor made of coral reefs.There the passengers disembarked without incident.

Robert was the first to reach the top.Climb to the top of the rock, and what you see in front of you is a plain.There are some shrubs scattered on it.

This coast seems to be uninhabited, but some buildings can be seen in the distance. Judging from the structure and appearance of the buildings, the people living there are not barbarians.

"Look, a wind mill!" "It is a wind mill, indeed. It looks good, and it is very useful," said Paganel, looking through his large glass. "Then let's go to the wind mill and have a look!" Then we came to a newly cultivated manor surrounded by hedges.Cows and horses are grazing on the pasture, surrounded by soybean flower trees, what a poetic picture it looks!At this time, the four big dogs barked wildly.A man about 4 years old with a kind face came out of the house upon hearing the sound.You can tell from his appearance that he is a typical Irishman.Before Glenarvan and the others could react, and before they had time to introduce themselves, they heard the welcome speech: "Dear foreign guests, welcome to Paddy O'Moore's home."

"Are you Irish?" asked Glenarvan, taking the man's hand. "Before, I was Irish. Now, I am Australian. Come in, gentlemen, no matter where you come from, this is your own home."

The host was so hospitable and enthusiastic, and everyone had no choice but to accept it bluntly.

Soon it was time for lunch, and the meal was ready, with a pot of steaming soup in the middle; roast beef and leg of lamb on both sides; olives, grapes, oranges, and various snacks on a large plate around it.

The host warmly entertained the guests. The table was strong and spacious, and the dishes were rich and delicious. It would be impolite not to sit on it at this time.Passionately Paddy O'Moore pointed to the guests and said, "I've been waiting for you for a long time!" "Waiting for a long time?"

Jazz replied, and was very surprised, a little confused about what his master meant. "We have to wait for all the guests who come to my place as guests." After that, the host and guest stood in silence, and the host prayed before the meal.

During the banquet, everyone ate happily and talked freely.The Scots and the Irish become family when they shake hands.Omor tells his own history.And the guests also listened with relish.Soon the host finished his history and waited for the guests to introduce themselves.

Since Glenarvan was eager to know the news and clues of the Britannia, he asked the question straight to the point.

It is the answer of the Irish that does not satisfy everyone.He said he had never heard the name of the ship.And in the past two years, no ship has ever been wrecked on the coast of Cape Benoy.He was sure the crew of the wrecked ship hadn't made it to the West Ocean.

"But, sir, what does it matter to you?" asked the Irishman, somewhat puzzled.

Thus, Glenarvan told the story of his search for Captain Grant.He also said that the master's answer made him completely disappointed, and that the crew members who died may never be found.Mary and Robert's eyes filled with tears again.So much effort for so long, but nothing in the end.

At this moment, everyone was in a state of despair, when someone suddenly heard someone say: "Sir, please thank God! If Captain Grant is still alive, he must be on the Australian mainland."

(End of this chapter)