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

Chapter 54 Captain Grant's Children (54)
The raft was not ready yet, and it was a quarter past twelve, at high tide.Although he couldn't take advantage of this high tide, Meng Geer wanted to know whether the tide could support the boat, so he observed the boat with great concern, but saw that it still stopped motionless.The hull was only slightly floating, and the bottom of the boat was trembling slightly, but the whole boat still didn't move enough.It appears that the only thing left to do is to take full advantage of the next high tide.

At two o'clock in the afternoon the raft was finally built.After transporting the anchor to the raft, John and Wilson installed a thin iron chain at the stern to facilitate the anchor, and then they got on the raft.At this time, the raft floated up with the tide, about 100 meters away from the ship, the two men hurriedly dropped the anchor on the seabed, and measured the water depth to be about ten meters.

The anchor was thus laid on the bottom of the sea, and the raft returned to the "McGalli".

The next task is to drop the main anchor into the sea.For this purpose the main anchor was brought up on top of the raft, and dropped around the anchor; the water here was about fifteen fathoms deep.

After completing these tasks, the two returned to the "McGalli" along the direction of the thick iron chain.

On the winch, thin iron chains and thick iron chains are tightly wound, and everyone can only wait for the next high tide.It is now six o'clock in the afternoon, and the next high tide should be at midnight at 01:30.

John Mengel praised these temporary sailor companions, and also said a lot of words of encouragement; Mengel also particularly praised Mr. Paganel, saying that if he continued to work hard, he would definitely be a real and honest man in the future. Boatswain.

Mr. Aubine was also busy with repairing the ship for a long time. At this time, he had no time to rest, and he cooked himself, cooking a delicious meal for everyone.The travelers were all starving, so they ate cleanly.After dinner, everyone's fatigue disappeared, and the energy to work came up again.

In order to ensure that there were no mistakes, Meng Geer asked everyone to reduce the weight of the boat, and put some heavy objects at the stern, so that the bow of the boat could be tilted up.Wilson and Muradi also filled a number of empty barrels and rolled them over the stern so that the bows could be raised.

By the time all these tasks were done, it was already 12:30 in the middle of the night.Everyone was so tired that they were falling apart, but they still tried their best to turn the winch.

Menger observed that the current wind direction had changed, so he decided to sail again on the next day; sailors Mulati and Wilson also noticed that the sea wind changed from southwest to northwest, and thus supported the captain's claim.So Mengel told Sir Glenarvan of this decision.

"Your Excellency, you have also seen that everyone is so tired that they are about to fall apart, and they really don't have the energy to float the boat." Menger explained to the Sir, "And if the boat floats, but there are dangerous shoals around here, Now that the moon is dark and the wind is high, it is impossible to tell the direction to sail the boat; it seems that it is better to do it during the day! And now we can see that the wind direction will change tomorrow; then we can rely on the wind. When the northwest When the wind blows, the force of the wind tends to hold the stern, and the tide rises, and pushes the bows forward; and when we hoist the main-mast sails, these sails give great strength to the ship; we sail thus , you can save time and effort!"

Sir Glenarvan, like Paganel, was very anxious to get out of here; but Mengel's explanation was indeed reasonable, and he was more than happy to support his plan.

Nothing happened that night.After that everyone took turns to watch the night, the purpose is to take care of the ship and anchor.

When the sky was bright, the northwest wind was indeed blowing on the sea, and the wind was getting stronger and stronger.What a help!These makeshift sailors were all assembled together on deck.Robert Jr., Wilson, and Muradi climbed up to the mainmast; the Major, Sir, and Paganel stayed on deck, each making his own preparations.

The mainsail racks were all up, and the galleon and mainsail were drawn to the halyards.

Now, it is nine o'clock in the morning, and there are still four hours before the high tide, but no one is free.On the bow, John Mengel was busy with the light sail; Mrs. Helen and Miss Grant did not take any time off, and took the initiative to work, earnestly hanging a spare sail on the jib of the small topsail.After some busy work, the masts and sails were all installed, and the ship was ready to sail on the sea.

The tide is still rising.Looking at it at a glance, I saw that the sea was rough, and the waves surged one after another; Jazz and his party saw it, and laughed happily.The reef that had its head out of the water before, like a water monster, disappeared at this time.Seeing the waves coming one after another, everyone was overjoyed, too excited to speak, and could only look forward to the moment of sailing.Everyone was ready, and as long as Captain Meng Geer gave an order, they immediately started to let the big ship leave the beach.Meng Geer poked his head out of the boat to observe the tide.It is already one o'clock in the noon, and the tide has risen to the highest point, and then the tide will ebb, and the interval between them is only one second.This is truly a rare opportunity that really cannot be missed!Everyone pulled up the big sail and the mainsail quickly, and the sail was quickly full of the wind. Captain Meng Geer shouted:
"Quick! Turn the capstan!"

Sir Glenarvan, Mulady, and Robert Jr. were on one side of the capstan, and Paganel, MacNabbs, and Aubinet were on the other side, pushing the levers hard and turning the capstan vigorously.At this moment, Muradi and Wilson were turning the side lever hard to help everyone.

"Stronger! Harder!" cried Captain Mengele, "harder, everyone!"

The two thick and thin iron chains on the winch were pulled straight, but the anchor was deep in the sea, clinging tightly to the bottom of the sea. This was a critical moment. If there was any delay, the high tide would leave.Everyone knows that success and failure are at this moment!So put all your energy into it!The sea wind was getting stronger and stronger, and the sails were bulging and flying, sticking to the mast, pushing the big ship forward.The hull is also shaking, and it seems to be floating on the sea.With a little more effort, this goal has really been achieved!

"Mary! Helen! Come and help me!" Sir Glenarvan shouted loudly.

The two women heard it, and rushed over to help push the lever together; but the winch clicked, finally clicked again, and couldn't move again!

The "McGalley" can't move!All efforts come to naught!Now the tide is starting to fall again.It can be seen that with the strength of wind and tide, and the efforts of several people, this boat cannot float!
bloodthirsty
It seems that there is no way to achieve the first way, so we can only try the second way.The situation is urgent, there is really no time to waste!Staying in this boat that can't float all the time is simply waiting to die, waiting to see the god of death!Because sooner or later the ship will be broken up by the huge waves at sea!
The most important thing now is to make the raft as soon as possible and use it to reach the coast of New Zealand.

The current situation is nothing to discuss!Jazz and his team did what they said, and immediately set to work.Worked until the evening, and everything was basically ready.Everyone also saw that it was getting dark, and it was getting late, so they could only stop and rest.

At eight o'clock in the evening, after everyone had supper, Mrs. Helen and Miss Grant went to the toilet to rest.Paganel and his friends were also on the deck, walking and chatting.Little Robert didn't want to rest, and stayed with the adults, listening intently to the serious topics they discussed; while listening, he was still thinking that maybe he could do some work for these adults in the future.

Paganel asked John Mengel if he could take a raft along the coast to Oakland?Is it possible not to park in this area on the way?Meng Geer said that the raft was very simple, and it was impossible to support it to Oakland.

"We can't use rafts, but can we use the boats on the 'McGalli'?" Paganel asked again.

"That's okay, but it's only for Xiaoxing to stay overnight." Meng Ge said.

"What do you mean, those bastards deliberately left us alone and went to Oakland alone?"

"Don't mention those bastards, can you?" said John Mengel. "In the dark night, maybe those drunks fell into the sea to feed the fish!"

"They asked for it, and they deserve it!" Paganel said, "but we also think we are unlucky! We should have paid attention at that time, and it would be great if they didn't steal the boat!"

"Paganel, aren't you just an afterthought? Why do we have rafts, so we can go to land!" Sir Glenarvan retorted.

"What I want to say most now is that we'd better not go to land!" Paganel emphasized his tone deliberately.

"Why is that? Isn't it just a [-]-mile journey? You know, we have traveled through the Pampas prairie and the Australian outback, and we haven't suffered much! Compared with those , what are these twenty miles worth?"

"I'm really not talking about twenty miles!" Paganel said anxiously, "It's really not a long way! I just said that I'm in New Zealand now! I'm not a coward. At that time, I suggested The plan to go to South America and wear Australia, but this time it's really different!"

"No matter what, staying on this boat resting on the reef is not an option! Staying here is waiting to die!" John Mengel said.

"What is there to fear in New Zealand?" Sir Glenarvan asked hastily.

"The natives here are terrifying!" Paganel said stubbornly.

"Ah! Natives? As long as we try to avoid them, won't we?" said Sir Glenarvan. "Besides, we ten Europeans who are all armed, are we afraid of those bastards?"

"Aren't those bastards?" Paganel corrected, shaking his head vigorously, "Those are terrifying tribes. These natives have always resisted the British rule. Kill and eat everyone!"

"Isn't this a demon that likes to eat people?" Little Robert was very nervous when he heard this, and shouted loudly, "Mrs. Helen! Sister Mary!"

"Don't be frightened, my boy!" said Sir Glenarvan immediately, with relief. "Don't believe him, he's joking, and talking about it to frighten people."

"Are you kidding? Scaring?" Paganel said hastily, "Now that little Robert has become an adult, why should I have nothing to scare him! What I said is the truth! You know, New Zealanders are not benevolent Bodhisattvas! Last year, that is, 1864! An Englishman named Wagner was brutally tortured to death by the aborigines of New Zealand! This place is only a few miles away from Auckland-Opokidi, and it is still in It happened in broad daylight!"

"Paganel, that's all you need!" interrupted the major. "These are the tales of travellers. These people like to make up frightening nonsense just to frighten people!"

"These travellers' stories are naturally a bit watery!" Paganel retorted, "However, there are some explorers who have been serious and cautious in their stories and never lie! Such as Pastor Kendall, Madsen, Captain Dillon, and Cuy , Laplace, etc. According to their descriptions, whenever the tribal chiefs of the Maori in New Zealand died, they had to kill living people as sacrifices. This is because in the eyes of the Maori, only killing the living Only by offering sacrifices can the anger of the dead be appeased; otherwise, the dead will become ghosts and seize the living to vent their anger! In addition, the Maori believe that killing the living is also a servant sent to serve the chief in the underworld for the dead. However, in These people were often eaten alive by the Maori after they were killed as offerings. It can be seen that the Maori actually came to devour human flesh under the guise of offering sacrifices! This is due to their personality and hobbies.”

Paganel's tone of voice was so serious, so measured, so well-reasoned, very convincing.Then he went on to say:

"To be honest, the custom of cannibalism also existed in the ancestors of the most civilized nations. And this phenomenon is not isolated, it is widespread, and the most obvious manifestation is the ancestors of the Scots."

"Is that so?" asked the major in a tone of surprise.

"Absolutely true, Major!" said Paganel. "If you don't believe me, read St. Jerome's article on the Atticaulis of Scotland! In Elizabethan England, this phenomenon was Yes, not to mention ancient times. In Shakespeare's famous play "The Merchant of Venice", there is a plot about a gangster named Thorne Bean who was sentenced to death for cannibalism! Why did this man eat human flesh? ? Not because of religious beliefs, but hunger forced him to do it."

"Is it really driven by hunger?" John Mengel asked quickly.

"Yes, it was indeed caused by hunger." Paganel said emphatically, "At that time, there was nothing to eat, and no animal could be seen. That's why the Scots eat human flesh. There are few resources in that remote area. In areas where no birds or animals come, people can only eat human flesh to fill their stomachs. At the same time, just like civilized countries have special hunting seasons, these cannibal peoples also eat human flesh according to seasons; In the hunting season, these tribes fought a fierce battle, and the defeated tribes naturally became the delicacies on the table of the victorious tribes.

"In this way, according to your words, the only way to change the human habit of cannibalism is when the animal husbandry such as pigs, cattle and sheep flourishes?" Sir Glenarvan asked.

"My dear sir, it is so."

"How do these people eat human flesh? Do they eat it raw, or do they cook it?" the major asked in detail.

"Ouch! Mr. McNabbs, what are you doing so carefully?" Little Robert said very dissatisfied.

"Dear child, you must ask clearly!" The major said pretending to be serious, "If I am really caught by these people, I would still cook it and give it to them, because it would allow me to live for a longer period of time; It was too painful to be stripped alive and swallowed alive!"

"Major, according to what you mean, cooking alive is actually very painful!" Paganel also refuted the major seriously.

"If this is the case, they are going to die anyway, so let them do whatever they want!" said the major.

"To tell you the truth!" Paganel added, "the aborigines in New Zealand usually eat it boiled or roasted. They are very good at cooking human flesh, and they are very skilled in cooking human flesh. However, To be honest, for me, I really don't want to be eaten by these people. Just thinking about being eaten by these uncivilized primitive people is really disgusting!"

"After all, what you mean is obvious, we just don't want to fall into the hands of these indigenous people!" John Mengel concluded as if he was summing up.

raft floating on the sea
What Paganel said was true.Aboriginal people in New Zealand are notoriously bloody and should never land here.However, the "McGalli" could not last long in this howling and rough sea; if it did not go ashore, what way was there to get out of danger?John Mengel felt that at this moment, the only hope of rescue was to go ashore.

Jazz and his party knew that their current location was not on the waterway, but a point above Oakland, where ships frequently traveled, and a point below New Plymouth, and it was located on the most desolate coast of Ekanamawi.In this desolate sea area, there are many hidden reefs, high winds and rough waves, and a place where cruel indigenous people are rampant. There is no time to hide. Who would want to come here to seek their own death?Therefore, if you want to wait for someone to rescue you here, it is simply a daydream!
"Since we have decided to land, when can we start?" asked Sir Glenarvan.

"At ten o'clock tomorrow morning," said John Mengel, "when the tide comes up, it will be ready to take us ashore."

At eight o'clock in the morning on the second day, February 2th, people finally made the raft.Since the mast disc is too small, the raft can only be made by lashing the mast.When the main-mast was felled, it was cut in three.Cut each section as the backbone of the raft, and then install the foremast and support mast, the raft will be solid, and the voyage of nine nautical miles is no problem.For the sake of safety, these travelers also added six empty barrels to the raft, and tied hatch lattice frames to the bottom of the raft, which can reduce the water on the raft.At the same time, water baffles were also nailed around the raft to prevent sea waves from rushing onto the raft.

Afterwards, Meng Geer identified the wind direction at sea, and ordered people to remove the small topsail frames and use these frames as temporary masts for rafts.Then the mast was fastened firmly with a rigging, and the sail was pulled to the upper end of the pole.Finally, people also placed a wide rudder handle that can control the direction at the stern of the raft.From the outside, the raft was well built and soundly built; it was left to the wind and waves to test its handiness.

At nine o'clock, the Jazz and his party set off collectively, and first loaded some food on the raft.These foods were packed into wooden boxes and sealed, including canned meat, rough biscuits, salted fish, coarse grains, etc.; later, some guns and ammunition were also packed in wooden boxes.

After these tasks are done, a urinal anchor is also prepared on the raft; because people estimate that there may be a high tide in the sea, and the raft cannot be brought to the shore; if this happens, the anchor must be anchored underwater to wait for another high tide arrival.

At ten o'clock the tide began to rise; the sea breeze blew softly from the northwest; the waves beat gently against the raft.

"Is everything ready?" John Mengel called.

"Captain, everything is ready!" Wilson said.

"Everyone get on the raft!" Meng Geer issued a command order.

(End of this chapter)