in search of the castaways-第52章

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extreme。　The　only　specimens　of　quadrupeds；　birds；　fish　and　cetacea　were　a　few　wild　boars；　stormy　petrels；　albatrosses；　perch　and　seals。　Here　and　there　thermal　springs　and　chalybeate　waters　escaped　from　the　black　lava；　and　thin　dark　vapors　rose　above　the　volcanic　soil。　Some　of　these　springs　were　very　hot。　　John　Mangles　held　his　thermometer　in　one　of　them；　and　found　the　temperature　was　176　degrees　Fahrenheit。　　Fish　caught　in　the　sea　a　few　yards　off；　cooked　in　five　minutes　in　these　all　but　boiling　waters；　a　fact　which　made　Paganel　resolve　not　to　attempt　to　bathe　in　them。　Toward　evening；　after　a　long　promenade；　Glenarvan　and　his　party　bade　adieu　to　the　good　old　M。　Viot；　and　returned　to　the　yacht；　wishing　him　all　the　happiness　possible　on　his　desert　island；　and　receiving　in　return　the　old　man's　blessing　on　their　expedition。

CHAPTER　IV　A　WAGER　AND　HOW　DECIDED

ON　the　7th　of　December；　at　three　A。　M。；　the　DUNCAN　lay　puffing　out　her　smoke　in　the　little　harbor　ready　to　start；　and　a　few　minutes　afterward　the　anchor　was　lifted；　and　the　screw　set　in　motion。　By　eight　o'clock；　when　the　passengers　came　on　deck；　the　Amsterdam　Island　had　almost　disappeared　from　view　behind　the　mists　of　the　horizon。　This　was　the　last　halting…place　on　the　route；　and　nothing　now　was　between　them　and　the　Australian　coast　but　three　thousand　miles'　distance。　Should　the　west　wind　continue　but　a　dozen　days　longer；　and　the　sea　remain　favorable；　the　yacht　would　have　reached　the　end　of　her　voyage。　Mary　Grant　and　her　brother　could　not　gaze　without　emotion　at　the　waves　through　which　the　DUNCAN　was　speeding　her　course；　when　they　thought　that　these　very　same　waves　must　have　dashed　against　the　prow　of　the　BRITANNIA　but　a　few　days　before　her　shipwreck。　Here；　perhaps；　Captain　Grant；　with　a　disabled　ship　and　diminished　crew；　had　struggled　against　the　tremendous　hurricanes　of　the　Indian　Ocean；　and　felt　himself　driven　toward　the　coast　with　irresistible　force。　The　Captain　pointed　out　to　Mary　the　different　currents　on　the　ship's　chart；　and　explained　to　her　their　constant　direction。　Among　others　there　was　one　running　straight　to　the　Australian　continent；　and　its　action　is　equally　felt　in　the　Atlantic　and　Pacific。　　It　was　doubtless　against　this　that　the　BRITANNIA；　dismasted　and　rudderless；　had　been　unable　to　contend；　and　consequently　been　dashed　against　the　coast；　and　broken　in　pieces。　A　difficulty　about　this；　however；　presented　itself。　The　last　intelligence　of　Captain　Grant　was　from　Callao　on　the　30th　of　May；　1862；　as　appeared　in　the　_Mercantile　and　Shipping　Gazette_。　　〃How　then　was　it　possible　that　on　the　7th　of　June；　only　eight　days　after　leaving　the　shores　of　Peru；　that　the　BRITANNIA　could　have　found　herself　in　the　Indian　Ocean？　　But　to　this；　Paganel；　who　was　consulted　on　the　subject；　found　a　very　plausible　solution。　It　was　one　evening；　about　six　days　after　their　leaving　Amsterdam　Island；　when　they　were　all　chatting　together　on　the　poop；　that　the　above…named　difficulty　was　stated　by　Glenarvan。　　Paganel　made　no　reply；　but　went　and　fetched　the　document。　　After　perusing　it；　he　still　remained　silent；　simply　shrugging　his　shoulders；　as　if　ashamed　of　troubling　himself　about　such　a　trifle。　〃Come；　my　good　friend；〃　said　Glenarvan；　〃at　least　give　us　an　answer。〃　〃No；〃　replied　Paganel；　〃I'll　merely　ask　a　question　for　Captain　John　to　answer。〃　〃And　what　is　it；　Monsieur　Paganel？〃　said　John　Mangles。　〃Could　a　quick　ship　make　the　distance　in　a　month　over　that　part　of　the　Pacific　Ocean　which　lies　between　America　and　Australia？〃　〃Yes；　by　making　two　hundred　miles　in　twenty…four　hours。〃　〃Would　that　be　an　extraordinary　rate　of　speed？〃　〃Not　at　all；　sailing　clippers　often　go　faster。〃　〃Well；　then；　instead　of　'7　June'　on　this　document；　suppose　that　one　figure　has　been　destroyed　by　the　sea…water；　and　read　'17　June'　or　'27　June；'　and　all　is　explained。〃　〃That's　to　say；〃　replied　Lady　Helena；　〃that　between　the　31st　of　May　and　the　27th　of　June〃　〃Captain　Grant　could　have　crossed　the　Pacific　and　found　himself　in　the　Indian　Ocean。〃　Paganel's　theory　met　with　universal　acceptance。　〃That's　one　more　point　cleared　up；〃　said　Glenarvan。　　〃Thanks　to　our　friend；　all　that　remains　to　be　done　now　is　to　get　to　Australia；　and　look　out　for　traces　of　the　wreck　on　the　western　coast。〃　〃Or　the　eastern？〃　said　John　Mangles。　〃Indeed；　John；　you　may　be　right；　for　there　is　nothing　in　the　document　to　indicate　which　shore　was　the　scene　of　the　catastrophe；　and　both　points　of　the　continent　crossed　by　the　37th　parallel；　must；　therefore；　be　explored。〃　〃Then；　my　Lord；　it　is　doubtful；　after　all；〃　said　Mary。　〃Oh　no；　Miss　Mary；〃　John　Mangles　hastened　to　reply；　seeing　the　young　girl's　apprehension。　　〃His　Lordship　will　please　to　consider　that　if　Captain　Grant　had　gained　the　shore　on　the　east　of　Australia；　he　would　almost　immediately　have　found　refuge　and　assistance。　The　whole　of　that　coast　is　English；　we　might　say；　peopled　with　colonists。　The　crew　of　the　BRITANNIA　could　not　have　gone　ten　miles　without　meeting　a　fellow…countryman。〃　〃I　am　quite　of　your　opinion；　Captain　John；〃　said　Paganel。　　〃On　the　eastern　coast　Harry　Grant　would　not　only　have　found　an　English　colony　easily；　but　he　would　certainly　have　met　with　some　means　of　transport　back　to　Europe。〃　〃And　he　would　not　have　found　the　same　resources　on　the　side　we　are　making　for？〃　asked　Lady　Helena。　〃No；　madam；〃　replied　Paganel；　〃it　is　a　desert　coast；　with　no　communication　between　it　and　Melbourne　or　Adelaide。　　If　the　BRITANNIA　was　wrecked　on　those　rocky　shores；　she　was　as　much　cut　off　from　all　chance　of　help　as　if　she　had　been　lost　on　the　inhospitable　shores　of　Africa。〃　〃But　what　has　become　of　my　father　there；　then；　all　these　two　years？〃　asked　Mary　Grant。　〃My　dear　Mary；〃　replied　Paganel；　〃you　have　not　the　least　doubt；　have　you；　that　Captain　Grant　reached　the　Australian　continent　after　his　shipwreck？〃　〃No；　Monsieur　Paganel。〃　〃Well；　granting　that；　what　became　of　him？　　The　suppositions　we　might　make　are　not　numerous。　　They　are　confined　to　three。　Either　Harry　Grant　and　his　companions　have　found　their　way　to　the　English　colonies；　or　they　have　fallen　into　the　hands　of　the　natives；　or　they　are　lost　in　the　immense　wilds　of　Australia。〃　〃Go　on；　Paganel；〃　said　Lord　Glenarvan；　as　the　learned　Frenchman　made　a　pause。　〃The　first　hypothesis　I　reject；　then；　to　begin　with；　for　Harry　Grant　could　not　have　reached　the　English　colonies；　or　long　ago　he　would　have　been　back　with　his　children　in　the　good　town　of　Dundee。〃　〃Poor　father；〃　murmured　Mary；　〃away　from　us　for　two　whole　years。〃　〃Hush；　Mary；〃　said　Robert；　〃Monsieur　Paganel　will　tell　us。〃　〃Alas！　my　boy；　I　cannot。　　All　that　I　affirm　is；　that　Captain　Grant　is　in　the　hands　of　the　natives。〃　〃But　these　natives；〃　said　Lady　Helena；　hastily；　〃are　they〃　〃Reassure　yourself；　madam；〃　said　Paganel；　divining　her　thoughts。　〃The　aborigines　of　Australia　are　low　enough　in　the　scale　of　human　intelligence；　and　most　degraded　and　uncivilized；　but　they　are　mild　and　gentle　in　disposition；　and　not　sanguinary　like　their　New　Zealand　neighbors。　　Though　they　may　be　prisoners；　their　lives　have　never　been　threatened；　you　may　be　sure。　All　travelers　are　unanimous　in　declaring　that　the　Australian　natives　abhor　shedding　blood；　and　many　a　time　they　have　found　in　them　faithful　allies　in　repelling　the　attacks