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

Chapter 50 Captain Grant's Children (50)
At this moment, the brave and strong Sir Glenarvan was crushed by this bad news.The warriors who were not overwhelmed by natural disasters on the Argentine pampas are now overwhelmed by man-made disasters on the Australian mainland.

leave Australia
Now, Jazz and his party realize that finding Captain Grant is really more difficult than going to the blue sky!At this moment, these brave and fearless people are really cornered! The "Duncan" was gone, and even the hope of returning to China finally disappeared, let alone continue to search for Captain Grant!This great feat of kindness by the ardent Scotchman has now come to a crushing end!Although the word "failure" is difficult for them to accept!But the facts are the facts, Sir Glenarvan is desperate, and it is difficult to continue!
Miss Mary Grant was distressed to see all drooping and drooping heads.She knew that the crew members on the "Duncan" had lost their lives in search of their father, and now these kind-hearted people could not be asked to continue this action!Therefore, this understanding and righteous girl no longer mentioned the matter of finding her father; because she also knew that it would be too unsatisfactory to bring up this matter again!At this time, she suppressed the bitterness in her heart, forced a smile to comfort Mrs. Helen, and suggested to everyone to return to Scotland.Seeing that the girl is so kind and strong, Meng Ge respected and admired her even more!He thought, for the sake of the lonely siblings, he still had to make a request to continue searching.But when he was about to speak, Miss Mary Grant stopped him with her eyes.

Now, Miss Grant said firmly: "Now that things have become like this, let everything pass! We need to understand everyone's difficulties, especially the situation of Jazz. So now no matter what, we must return to the motherland. "

"Miss Mary, you are right; sir, this is what you should do," Menger said, taking up the topic, "now that you are back in England, you can report the situation of the 'Duncan' to the British government. But , don’t be discouraged, now that we have reached this stage, we cannot give up lightly; now that I have everything planned, I will stay here until I find Captain Grant before returning to Europe!”

Miss Grant was deeply moved by these unwavering words of John Mengle.She stretched out her hands and shook hands with Meng Geer tightly, all words were in this silent movement.John also had a tacit understanding, knowing the gratitude and love hidden in this girl's heart.

On this day, everyone decided after discussion that the next step is to return to Europe and rush to Melbourne first.In the early morning of the next day, Meng Ge hurriedly went to find out when the boat from Ayden City to Melbourne would depart.

Menger originally thought that there were many steamships between Aydin and the province of Victoria, but he was greatly mistaken.There were three or four merchant ships anchored in Dufford Sound, but none bound for Melbourne, still less for Sydney or Cape Wales.It seems that the Jazz and his party are going to return to Europe, and there are only three places where they can take a boat.Because in these three places, there is an official route to the British mainland opened up by the Peninsula Tanker Company.

What to do now?Waiting to return to Europe by merchant ship, but I don't know when there will be a boat class.There are quite a few ships passing by here, but none of them are anchored in Dufu Bay!
After some thinking and analysis, Sir Glenarvan originally wanted to go to Sydney via the coastal road; but Paganel suddenly proposed an unexpected plan.

The thing is like this, Paganel first went to Dufoe Bay to observe it, and knew that among the three or four ships anchored there, there happened to be one that was going to Auckland on the North Island of New Zealand, so he suggested to everyone, First take this ship to Auckland, and then take a ship bound for Peninsula Tanker Company there, so that it is convenient to return to Europe.

Paganel's suggestion was discussed seriously.Paganel, who has always been fond of talking, changed his normal routine at this time, and only briefly introduced the general situation of the plan, saying that the voyage would only take five or six days at most, and he didn't say anything superfluous up.Think about it carefully, everyone, yes!The distance between Australia and New Zealand is only about a thousand nautical miles.What a coincidence!Auckland is exactly on the 37° line; that is to say, if the Jazz and his party leave the Arogania coast and walk along the 37° line, it happens to be Auckland!

However, Paganel did not specify this.Because he knew that he had misunderstood the meaning of those three letters twice, and this time he didn't want to mislead everyone.However, he has always believed that, as recorded in those three letters, Captain Grant should have landed on a "continent" rather than an island; but New Zealand is just an island!This is what puzzled Paganel.Therefore, he did not explain to everyone that the purpose of going to Auckland to wait for the ship was to find Captain Grant; he just emphasized that there would be a lot of ships going to Europe there.

Menger very much agrees with Paganel's proposition.He also persuaded everyone to support this proposal on the grounds that it was difficult to wait for the return ship in Dufu Bay.After everyone followed this suggestion, Meng Geer led everyone to watch the big ship anchored in the port and heading for Auckland.At the port, Glenarvan, McNabbs, Paganel, and Robert Jr. followed Meng Geer. After getting into a small boat, they arrived at the boat to Oakland in a short time.The ship was about two chains from the shore, and was called the "McGalli," a ketch of 250 tons; it had been on a short voyage, between the ports of Australia and New Zealand.

The captain of the "McGalley" - to be precise, the "owner", his name is Will Halle; he looks very ugly, with a fleshy face, a fat and red face, a snub nose, a one-eyed dragon, and a full mouth Oily smoke and dirt all over the body make people want to vomit after watching it.He was on board now, scolding his five sailors, waving his fat hands as he spoke.With that airy appearance, one can tell at a glance that he is an uneducated and low-educated person, which makes people hate and laugh.But everyone can see that although this captain is abominable, there is really no other ship to take, so he can only make up for it and choose this ship.

Seeing these strangers coming up, the captain couldn't help shouting:
"Hey! What are you trying to do? Why do you come here?"

"We're looking for people," Menger said.

"Who are you looking for?"

"Find the owner of this ship!"

"It's me, just say what you have to say!"

"What cargo is your ship carrying?"

"Pretend to be anything! Why do you ask this?"

"When will you decide to sail?"

"What's going on at noon tomorrow?"

"We're going aboard your ship!"

"Are you passengers? Here, you must be used to the meals on the ship!"

"We bring our own dry food!"

"What happen to you guys?"

"No way!"

"How many of you are there?"

"A total of nine people, including two ladies."

"There are not enough cabins on board."

"Our litter box on deck will do too."

"But, this..."

"Just one sentence, say yes or no!!" Meng Geer didn't want to continue to entangle with the bad attitude, and asked directly.

"Well, this..." Captain Will Halle hesitated for a long time, and then took a few steps on the deck; the leather boots with iron palms tapped on the deck, and suddenly stood on John's feet again. In front of Menger.

"How much are you willing to pay?" He finally spoke.

"How much do you offer?" Meng Geer asked calmly.

"Fifty pounds!"

Sir Glenarvan on the side nodded slightly.

"Okay! That's it! Fifty pounds, then fifty pounds!" John Mengel agreed.

"But, that's just the boat fare!" The captain, Will Halle, added another sentence.

"Okay, okay!"

"There is no meal money here!"

"can!"

"Now, everything is settled! How?" Will Halle said, spreading his hands.

"Huh? What does that mean?"

"Pay the deposit first!"

"Oh, here is 25 pounds, you take it, and pay half of it first!" Meng Geer said while handing the money to the other party.

The greedy ship owner immediately grabbed the money tightly and stuffed it into his pocket without even saying "thank you".

"The boat will leave tomorrow, you must arrive before noon, our boat will not wait for anyone, and we will sail at that time!" The captain said in a stiff tone.

"Okay! Be there before noon!"

In this way, the five travelers left the "McGalli".The captain, Will Halle, with his patent leather cap and tousled red hair, couldn't even do a polite farewell!It seems that there is really no education at all!
"What a real fool!" muttered John in a low voice.

"A real sea wolf!" Paganel added.

"No matter how I look at it, I think he is a real bear!" The major corrected.

"I think this person must have been in the human flesh business." Meng Ge said suspiciously.

"Never mind what he looks like!" Sir Glenarvan concluded. "Anyway, as long as he is the captain of the 'McGalley' and the ship is sailing towards Oakland, that will be enough! Who in the world will see him again!?"

That's how the plan was arranged.Mrs. Helene and Miss Grant were very excited when they heard the news; although the ship's environment and condition were bad, neither lady cared much.After hearing the news, Obine was busy purchasing the dry food needed along the way.When the "Duncan" disappeared, Mr. Aubinette had been fearing for his wife's life.His wife was staying on the "Duncan". If she really fell into the hands of those gangsters, she would be dead!Thinking of this, he often cried secretly.Although he was troubled a lot, it didn't affect his responsibility to fulfill his duties.Within a few hours, Mr. Aubinette had all the rations ready.

Meanwhile, the major was busy with his bank errands.He converted Sir Glenarvan's promissory notes with the Union Bank of Melbourne into sterling cash.After that, I went to the store to buy some guns and ammunition.Here Paganel bought a map of New Zealand compiled by Johnston Press in Edinburgh, which exquisitely depicts the whole of New Zealand.

The wounded Moradi is doing well now; if he has stayed at sea for a few more days, he will recover more quickly if he is recuperated by the sea breeze.

Wilson, on the other hand, obeyed Sir's instructions and was busy cleaning the cabin on the "McGalley" and arranging the berths for his companions.After Wilson's careful tidying and cleaning, these dirty cabins immediately looked brand new.When Will Halle came here, he just shrugged his shoulders and didn't say a word.Because in his opinion, as long as there are a few more passengers on the ship, he can make more money, and nothing else matters.For a profit-seeking businessman like him, the most important thing is the leather on board, and the passengers are secondary.From the perspective of his business, this view is not surprising.Fortunately, he has been running boats and doing business in these dangerous seas full of coral reefs. Over the years, he has accumulated skilled sailing skills and is still very familiar with the sea conditions in this area.

Now that everything was ready, Sir Glenarvan decided to spend the rest of the day at his leisure exploring the shores of the 37° line.He did this for two purposes: first, to determine whether the "Britannia" he was looking for had an accident here, because he would never come here again; second, if the "Britannia" he was looking for did not Something happened in this area, at least Sir's "Duncan" may have fallen into the hands of bandits here; if the crew on board had fought fiercely with bandits, there would have been a trace.Even if the crew were killed, or even thrown into the sea, the sea would wash the bodies to the beach.

Thinking of this, Sir Glenarvan and the loyal John Mengel decided to visit; the owner of the Victoria Hotel prepared horses for them, and the two set off on horseback, heading north to the village around Dufoe Bay. highway.

When the two went to the coast, they saw the sea water beating the reef one after another and washing up on the beach; the sound of the roaring sea water seemed to be telling the past.Seeing this scene, the two thought of their former companions, and were bitten by the pain, so uncomfortable that they couldn't speak.Suppressing their grief, they silently and carefully observed every place on the coast.However, after searching and searching, they couldn't find any clues.

What happened to Captain Grant's "Britannia"?This is a puzzling mystery.

In addition, the Jazz's "Duncan" did not leave any clues.

The two of them searched tirelessly again, and almost walked all over this desolate beach.In the end, they saw only a few piles of ashes, which seemed to be left recently, under a clump of 'Miyar' trees.After a while, they saw a light yellow sweater under a big tree; the sweater was torn, and the number of the prisoner in Perth Prison could be vaguely seen printed on it.This strongly proves that these gangsters have all been here.

"You see, John!" said Sir Glenarvan. "These rascals must have been here! Oh! Only pity our friends on the 'Duncan' . . . "

"Oh, yes!" said John, also full of grief. "Those innocent and unfortunate brothers, before they landed..."

"These scoundrels!" said Sir Glenarvan, clenching his fists and clenching his teeth with hatred. "If God arranges for them to fall into my hands one day, I will avenge my brothers..."

Ser Glenarvan, who was extremely sad, looked stern and stared at the sea.Perhaps he still hoped that the "Duncan" could be seen in this vast and boundless sea.Not long after, the two of them rode back to Eden City with heavy thoughts.

On his return to town that evening, Sir Glenarvan reported to the police what had happened to Ben Joyce's gang.When the police officer Banks in the police station heard that the bandit leader Ben Joyce had left the land, he immediately showed a look of relief, as if the stone that weighed on his heart had finally fallen, and a relaxed smile appeared on his face; He breathed a sigh of relief.Afterwards, the police officer took notes and sent the information Sir said to the superior units in Melbourne and Sydney by telegram.

Sir Glenarvan could only shake his head helplessly, and returned to the Grand Hotel in Victoria.On this night, everyone is depressed and thinking about some terrible things.Thinking back to when I was in Bainuyijiao, how much hope I had for the success of the visit!But now, in the end, the bamboo basket is still empty. How can this situation not be frustrating?

At this moment, Paganel was always fidgeting like he was sitting on pins and needles; he seemed to have a lot on his mind, but he was too suppressed to express it.In fact, when he was on the banks of the Snowy River, Meng Geer noticed that he had this situation, and felt that he had something on his mind, and wanted to say it, but he was always unwilling to say it.For this reason, Menger has explored Paganel's tone more than once, but the scholar always avoids answering and evasively.

That night, Meng Geer couldn't hold back any longer, so he called Paganel to his room, and pressed him to ask why he was so preoccupied and looked restless?

"My friend, dear John, why am I so preoccupied?" Paganel was still evasive. "Look, am I not the same as before?"

"My dear Monsieur Paganel, stop pretending now! I think you are restless, and you must have something to say, but you dare not say it!" John Mengel pressed hard.

"Is there anything I don't want to say! It's just that I can't control myself a little bit, and I have mixed feelings!"

"Why can't I control myself? I have mixed feelings!"

"Oh, haha! It's just joy and sorrow!"

"Happy and sad?"

"Yes; actually going to New Zealand, I am both happy and worried."

"Why is this? Did you discover something again? Did you find any new clues?"

"Oh! No! No! Dear friend John! Once we arrive in New Zealand, we can't go back! Alas! We people should be like this. As long as there is a breath, we should not give up in everything! We must persevere to the end! There is a saying called 'breath Don't stop and never die', that's the truth!"

island history

On January 1, the next day.In this way, the Jazz and his party boarded the "McGalley" and stayed in the small cabin on the ship.The owner of the ship, Captain Will Halle, didn't know what a gentleman is, let alone said a polite word, and let the two ladies live in their own cabins.In fact, his cabin is like a bear's den, it can only fit a bear like him, if he doesn't let it be the best!

At 12:30 noon, when the tide was low, the "McGalli" seized the opportunity, weighed anchor and set sail.With a slight southwest wind blowing on the sea, the sailors slowly raised the sails.Wilson was kind enough to help, but Will Halle told him to go away and mind his own business!
John Mengel knew that Halley was insinuating him, but really angry at himself.At the beginning, Menger could not help laughing when he saw the clumsy movements of the five sailors.Since the owner of the ship did not want help from others, Meng Geer was naturally happy to relax.But, more or less, he was a little worried, afraid that these fools would capsize the boat, and everyone would suffer as well.Therefore, Meng Geer made up his mind, if there is a dangerous situation during the voyage, whether you like it or not, the bear captain, you still have to personally intervene.

(End of this chapter)