in search of the castaways-第49章

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t；　a　man　must　be　a　fool。〃　〃Stop；　Paganel；　don't　excite　yourself；　I　don't　mean　to　say　that　we　should　prolong　our　search　in　America。〃　〃What　is　it；　then；　that　you　want？〃　asked　Glenarvan。　〃A　confession；　nothing　more。　　A　confession　that　Australia　now　as　evidently　appears　to　be　the　theater　of　the　shipwreck　of　the　BRITANNIA　as　America　did　before。〃　〃We　confess　it　willingly；〃　replied　Paganel。　〃Very　well；　then；　since　that　is　the　case；　my　advice　is　not　to　let　your　imagination　rely　on　successive　and　contradictory　evidence。　Who　knows　whether　after　Australia　some　other　country　may　not　appear　with　equal　certainty　to　be　the　place；　and　we　may　have　to　recommence　our　search？〃　Glenarvan　and　Paganel　looked　at　each　other　silently；　struck　by　the　justice　of　these　remarks。　〃I　should　like　you；　therefore；〃　continued　the　Major；　〃before　we　actually　start　for　Australia；　to　make　one　more　examination　of　the　documents。　Here　they　are；　and　here　are　the　charts。　　Let　us　take　up　each　point　in　succession　through　which　the　37th　parallel　passes；　and　see　if　we　come　across　any　other　country　which　would　agree　with　the　precise　indications　of　the　document。〃　〃Nothing　can　be　more　easily　and　quickly　done；〃　replied　Paganel；　〃for　countries　are　not　very　numerous　in　this　latitude；　happily。〃　〃Well；　look；〃　said　the　Major；　displaying　an　English　planisphere　on　the　plan　of　Mercator's　Chart；　and　presenting　the　appearance　of　a　terrestrial　globe。　He　placed　it　before　Lady　Helena；　and　then　they　all　stood　round；　so　as　to　be　able　to　follow　the　argument　of　Paganel。　〃As　I　have　said　already；〃　resumed　the　learned　geographer；　〃after　having　crossed　South　America；　the　37th　degree　of　latitude　cuts　the　islands　of　Tristan　d'Acunha。　Now　I　maintain　that　none　of　the　words　of　the　document　could　relate　to　these　islands。〃　The　documents　were　examined　with　the　most　minute　care；　and　the　conclusion　unanimously　reached　was　that　these　islands　were　entirely　out　of　the　question。　〃Let　us　go　on　then；〃　resumed　Paganel。　　〃After　leaving　the　Atlantic；　we　pass　two　degrees　below　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope；　and　into　the　Indian　Ocean。　　Only　one　group　of　islands　is　found　on　this　route；　the　Amsterdam　Isles。　　Now；　then；　we　must　examine　these　as　we　did　the　Tristan　d'Acunha　group。〃　After　a　close　survey；　the　Amsterdam　Isles　were　rejected　in　their　turn。　Not　a　single　word；　or　part　of　a　word；　French；　English　or　German；　could　apply　to　this　group　in　the　Indian　Ocean。　〃Now　we　come　to　Australia；〃　continued　Paganel。　〃The　37th　parallel　touches　this　continent　at　Cape　Bernouilli；　and　leaves　it　at　Twofold　Bay。　　You　will　agree　with　me　that；　without　straining　the　text；　the　English　word　STRA　and　the　French　one　AUSTRAL　may　relate　to　Australia。　　The　thing　is　too　plain　to　need　proof。〃　The　conclusion　of　Paganel　met　with　unanimous　approval；　every　probability　was　in　his　favor。　〃And　where　is　the　next　point？〃　asked　McNabbs。　〃That　is　easily　answered。　　After　leaving　Twofold　Bay；　we　cross　an　arm　of　the　sea　which　extends　to　New　Zealand。　　Here　I　must　call　your　attention　to　the　fact　that　the　French　word　CONTIN　means　a　continent；　irrefragably。　Captain　Grant　could　not；　then；　have　found　refuge　in　New　Zealand；　which　is　only　an　island。　　However　that　may　be　though；　examine　and　compare；　and　go　over　and　over　each　word；　and　see　if；　by　any　possibility；　they　can　be　made　to　fit　this　new　country。〃　〃In　no　way　whatever；〃　replied　John　Mangles；　after　a　minute　investigation　of　the　documents　and　the　planisphere。　〃No；〃　chimed　in　all　the　rest；　and　even　the　Major　himself；　〃it　cannot　apply　to　New　Zealand。〃　〃Now；〃　went　on　Paganel；　〃in　all　this　immense　space　between　this　large　island　and　the　American　coast；　there　is　only　one　solitary　barren　little　island　crossed　by　the　37th　parallel。〃　〃And　what　is　its　name；〃　asked　the　Major。　〃Here　it　is；　marked　in　the　map。　　It　is　Maria　Theresaa　name　of　which　there　is　not　a　single　trace　in　either　of　the　three　documents。〃　〃Not　the　slightest；〃　said　Glenarvan。　〃I　leave　you；　then；　my　friends；　to　decide　whether　all　these　probabilities；　not　to　say　certainties；　are　not　in　favor　of　the　Australian　continent。〃　〃Evidently；〃　replied　the　captain　and　all　the　others。　〃Well；　then；　John；〃　said　Glenarvan；　〃the　next　question　is；　have　you　provisions　and　coal　enough？〃　〃Yes；　your　honor；　I　took　in　an　ample　store　at　Talcahuano；　and；　besides；　we　can　easily　replenish　our　stock　of　coal　at　Cape　Town。〃　〃Well；　then；　give　orders。〃　〃Let　me　make　one　more　observation；〃　interrupted　McNabbs。　〃Go　on　then。〃　〃Whatever　likelihood　of　success　Australia　may　offer　us；　wouldn't　it　be　advisable　to　stop　a　day　or　two　at　the　Tristan　d'Acunha　Isles　and　the　Amsterdam？　　They　lie　in　our　route；　and　would　not　take　us　the　least　out　of　the　way。　　Then　we　should　be　able　to　ascertain　if　the　BRITANNIA　had　left　any　traces　of　her　shipwreck　there？〃　〃Incredulous　Major！〃　exclaimed　Paganel；　〃he　still　sticks　to　his　idea。〃　〃I　stick　to　this　any　way；　that　I　don't　want　to　have　to　retrace　our　steps；　supposing　that　Australia　should　disappoint　our　sanguine　hopes。〃　〃It　seems　to　me　a　good　precaution；〃　replied　Glenarvan。　〃And　I'm　not　the　one　to　dissuade　you　from　it；〃　returned　Paganel；　〃quite　the　contrary。〃　〃Steer　straight　for　Tristan　d'Acunha。〃　〃Immediately；　your　Honor；〃　replied　the　captain；　going　on　deck；　while　Robert　and　Mary　Grant　overwhelmed　Lord　Glenarvan　with　their　grateful　thanks。　Shortly　after；　the　DUNCAN　had　left　the　American　coast；　and　was　running　eastward；　her　sharp　keel　rapidly　cutting　her　way　through　the　waves　of　the　Atlantic　Ocean。

CHAPTER　II　TRISTAN　D'ACUNHA　AND　THE　ISLE　OF　AMSTERDAM

IF　the　yacht　had　followed　the　line　of　the　equator；　the　196　degrees　which　separate　Australia　from　America；　or；　more　correctly；　Cape　Bernouilli　from　Cape　Corrientes；　would　have　been　equal　to　11；760　geographical　miles；　but　along　the　37th　parallel　these　same　degrees；　owing　to　the　form　of　the　earth；　only　represent　9；480　miles。　From　the　American　coast　to　Tristan　d'Acunha　is　reckoned　2；100　miles　a　distance　which　John　Mangles　hoped　to　clear　in　ten　days；　if　east　winds　did　not　retard　the　motion　of　the　yacht。　But　he　was　not　long　uneasy　on　that　score；　for　toward　evening　the　breeze　sensibly　lulled　and　then　changed　altogether；　giving　the　DUNCAN　a　fair　field　on　a　calm　sea　for　displaying　her　incomparable　qualities　as　a　sailor。　The　passengers　had　fallen　back　into　their　ordinary　ship　life；　and　it　hardly　seemed　as　if　they　really　could　have　been　absent　a　whole　month。　Instead　of　the　Pacific；　the　Atlantic　stretched　itself　out　before　them；　and　there　was　scarcely　a　shade　of　difference　in　the　waves　of　the　two　oceans。　　The　elements；　after　having　handled　them　so　roughly；　seemed　now　disposed　to　favor　them　to　the　utmost。　The　sea　was　tranquil；　and　the　wind　kept　in　the　right　quarter；　so　that　the　yacht　could　spread　all　her　canvas；　and　lend　its　aid；　if　needed　to　the　indefatigable　steam　stored　up　in　the　boiler。　Under　such　conditions；　the　voyage　was　safely　and　rapidly　accomplished。　Their　confidence　increased　as　they　found　themselves　nearer　the　Australian　coast。　　They　began　to　talk　of　Captain　Grant　as　if　the　yacht　were　going　to　take　him　on　board　at　a　given　port。　His　cabin　was　got　ready；　and　berths　for　the　men。　　This　cabin　was　next　to　the　famous　_number　six_；　which　Paganel　had　taken　possession　of　instead　of　the　one　he　had　booked　on　the　SCOTIA。　　It　had　been　till　now　occupi