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A Voyage Round the World.
IN SEARCH OF THE CASTAWAYS:
A Romantic Narrative of the Loss of Captain Grant
of the Brig Britannia and of the Adventures of
His Children and Friends in His Discovery and Rescue.
[Illustration]
by
JULES VERNE,
Author of "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea," etc., etc.
Illustrated with One Hundred and Seventy Engravings
Philadelphia:
J. B. Lippincott & Co.
1874.
CONTENTS.
I. The Shark
II. The Three Documents
III. The Captain's Children
IV. Lady Glenarvan's Proposal
V. The Departure of the Duncan
VI. An Unexpected Passenger
VII. Jacques Paganel is Undeceived
VIII. The Geographer's Resolution
IX. Through the Strait of Magellan
X. The Course Decided
XI. Traveling in Chili
XII. Eleven Thousand Feet Aloft
XIII. A Sudden Descent
XIV. Providentially Rescued
XV. Thalcave
XVI. News of the Lost Captain
XVII. A Serious Necessity
XVIII. In Search of Water
XIX. The Red Wolves
XX. Strange Signs
XXI. A False Trail
XXII. The Flood
XXIII. A Singular Abode
XXIV. Paganel's Disclosure
XXV. Between Fire and Water
XXVI. The Return on Board
XXVII. A New Destination
XXVIII. Tristan d'Acunha and the Isle of Amsterdam
XXIX. The Storm on the Indian Ocean
XXX. A Hospitable Colonist
XXXI. The Quartermaster of the Britannia
XXXII. Preparations for the Journey
XXXIII. An Accident
XXXIV. Australian Explorers
XXXV. Crime or Calamity?
XXXVI. Fresh Faces
XXXVII. A Warning
XXXVIII. Wealth in the Wilderness
XXXIX. Suspicious Occurrences
XL. A Startling Discovery
XLI. The Plot Unveiled
XLII. Four Days of Anguish
XLIII. Helpless and Hopeless
XLIV. A Rough Captain
XLV. The Wreck of the Macquarie
XLVI. Vain Efforts
XLVII. A Dreaded Country
XLVIII. Introduction to the Cannibals
XLIX. A Momentous Interview
L. The Chief's Funeral
LI. Strangely Liberated
LII. The Sacred Mountain
LIII. A Bold Stratagem
LIV. From Peril to Safety
LV. Why the Duncan went to New Zealand
LVI. Ayrton's Obstinacy
LVII. A Discouraging Confession
LVIII. A Cry in the Night
LIX. Captain Grant's Story
LX. Paganel's Last Entanglement
[Illustration]
IN SEARCH OF THE CASTAWAYS.
CHAPTER I.
THE SHARK.
On the 26th of July, 1864, under a strong gale from the northeast, a
magnificent yacht was steaming at full speed through the waves of the
North Channel. The flag of England fluttered at her yard-arm, while at
the top of the mainmast floated a blue pennon, bearing the initials
E. G., worked in gold and surmounted by a ducal coronet. The yacht
was called the Duncan, and belonged to Lord Glenarvan, one of the
sixteen Scottish peers sitting in the House of Lords, and also a most
distinguished member of the "Royal Thames Yacht Club," so celebrated
throughout the United Kingdom.
Lord Edward Glenarvan was on board with his young wife, Lady Helena,
and one of his cousins, Major MacNabb. The Duncan, newly constructed,
had just been making a trial voyage several miles beyond the Frith of
Clyde, and was now on her return to Glasgow. Already Arran Island was
appearing on the horizon, when the look-out signaled an enormous fish
that was sporting in the wake of the yacht. The captain, John Mangles,
at once informed Lord Glenarvan of the fact, who mounted on deck with
Major MacNabb, and asked the captain what he thought of the animal.
"Indeed, your lordship," replied Captain Mangles, "I think it is a
shark of large proportions."
"A shark in these regions!" exclaimed Glenarvan.
"Without doubt," replied the captain. "This fish belongs to a species
of sharks that are found in all seas and latitudes. It is the
'balance-fish,' and, if I am not greatly mistaken, we shall have an
encounter with one of these fellows. If your lordship consents, and it
pleases Lady Helena to witness such a novel chase, we will soon see
what we have to deal with."
"What do you think, MacNabb?" said Lord Glenarvan to the major; "are
you of a mind to try the adventure?"
"I am of whatever opinion pleases you," answered the major, calmly.
"Besides," continued Captain Mangles, "we cannot too soon exterminate
these terrible monsters. Let us improve the opportunity, and, if your
lordship pleases, it shall be an exciting scene as well as a good
action."
"Very well, captain," said Lord Glenarvan. He then summoned Lady
Helena, who joined him on deck, tempted by the exciting sport.
The sea was magnificent. You could easily follow along its surface the
rapid motions of the fish, as it plunged and rose again with surprising
agility. Captain Mangles gave his orders, and the sailors threw over
the starboard ratling a stout rope, to which was fastened a hook baited
with a thick piece of pork.
[Sidenote: THE LAST MOUTHFUL.]
The shark, although still at a distance of fifty yards, scented the
bait offered to his voracity. He rapidly approached the yacht. You
could see his fins, gray at their extremity and black at their base,
beat the waves with violence, while his "caudal appendage" kept him
in a rigorously straight line. As he advanced, his great glaring eyes
seemed inflamed with eagerness, and his yawning jaws, when he turned,
disclosed a quadruple row of teeth. His head was large, and shaped like
a double-headed hammer. Captain Mangles was right. It was a very large
specimen of the most rapacious family of sharks,--the "balance fish" of
the English and the "jew-fish" of the Provençals.
[Illustration]
All on board of the Duncan followed the movements of the shark with
lively attention. The animal was soon within reach of the hook; he
turned upon his back, in order to seize it better, and the enormous
bait disappeared down his vast gullet. At the same time he hooked
himself, giving the line a violent shake, whereupon the sailors
hoisted the huge creature by means of a pulley at the end of the
yard-arm.
The shark struggled violently at feeling himself drawn from his natural
element, but his struggles were of no avail. A rope with a slip-noose
confined his tail and paralyzed his movements. A few moments afterward
he was hauled over the ratlings, and precipitated upon the deck of the
yacht. One of the sailors at once approached him, not without caution,
and with a vigorous blow of the hatchet cut off the formidable tail of
the animal.
The chase was ended, and there was nothing more to fear from the
monster. The vengeance of the sailors was satisfied, but not their
curiosity. Indeed, it is customary on board of every vessel to
carefully examine the stomachs of sharks. The men, knowing the
inordinate voracity of the creature, wait with some anxiety, and their
expectation is not always in vain.
Lady Glenarvan, not wishing to witness this strange "exploration,"
retired to the cabin. The shark was still panting. He was ten feet
long, and weighed more than six hundred pounds. These dimensions are
nothing extraordinary; for if the balance-fish is not classed among the
giants of this species, at least he belongs to the most formidable of
their family.
The enormous fish was soon cut open by a blow of the hatchet, without
further ceremony. The hook had penetrated to the stomach, which was
absolutely empty. Evidently the animal had fasted a long time, and
the disappointed seamen were about to cast the remains into the sea,
when the attention of the mate was attracted by a bulky object firmly
imbedded in the viscera.
"Ha! what is this?" he exclaimed.
"That," replied one of the sailors, "is a piece of rock that the
creature has taken in for ballast."
"Good!" said another; "it is probably a bullet that this fellow has
received in the stomach, and could not digest."
[Illustration: "Good," said Glenarvan; "wash the dirty thing, and bring
it into the cabin."]
"Be still, all of you!" cried Tom Austin, the mate; "do you not see
that the animal was a great drunkard? and to lose nothing, has drank
not only the wine, but the bottle too!"
"What!" exclaimed Lord Glenarvan, "is it a bottle that this shark has
in his stomach?"
"A real bottle!" replied the mate, "but you can easily see that it does
not come from the wine-cellar."
"Well, Tom," said Glenarvan, "draw it out carefully. Bottles found in
the sea frequently contain precious documents."
"Do you think so?" said Major MacNabb.
"I do; at least, that it may happen so."
"Oh! I do not contradict you," replied the major. "Perhaps there may be
a secret in this."
"We shall see," said Glenarvan. "Well, Tom?"
"Here it is," said the mate, displaying the shapeless object that he
had just drawn with difficulty from the interior of the shark.
"Good," said Glenarvan; "wash the dirty thing, and bring it into the
cabin."
Tom obeyed; and the bottle found under such singular circumstances was
placed on the cabin-table, around which Lord Glenarvan, Major MacNabb,
and Captain John Mangles took their seats, together with Lady Helena;
for a woman, they say, is always a little inquisitive.
Everything causes excitement at sea. For a moment there was silence.
Each gazed wonderingly at this strange waif. Did it contain the secret
of a disaster, or only an insignificant message confided to the mercy
of the waves by some idle navigator?
[Sidenote: "OLD IN BOTTLE."]
However, they must know what it was, and Glenarvan, without waiting
longer, proceeded to examine the bottle. He took, moreover, all
necessary precautions. You would have thought a coroner was pointing
out the particulars of a suspicious quest. And Glenarvan was right,
for the most insignificant mark in appearance may often lead to an
important discovery.
Before examining it internally, the bottle was inspected externally.
It had a slender neck, the mouth of which was protected by an
iron wire considerably rusted. Its sides were very thick, and
capable of supporting a pressure of several atmospheres, betraying
evidently previous connection with champagne. With these bottles the
wine-dressers of Aï and Epernay block carriage-wheels without their
showing the slightest fracture. This one could, therefore, easily bear
the hardships of a long voyage.
[Illustration]
"A bottle of the Maison Cliquot," said the major quietly; and, as if he
ought to know, his affirmation was accepted without contradiction.
"My dear major," said Lady Helena, "it matters little what this bottle
is, provided we know whence it comes."
"We shall know, my dear," said Lord Edward, "and already we can affirm
that it has come from a distance. See the petrified particles that
cover it, these substances mineralized, so to speak, under the action
of the sea-water. This waif had already taken a long voyage in the
ocean, before being engulfed in the stomach of a shark."
"I cannot but be of your opinion," replied the major; "this fragile
vase, protected by its strong envelope, must have made a long journey."
"But whence does it come?" inquired Lady Glenarvan.
"Wait, my dear Helena, wait. We must be patient with bottles. If I am
not greatly mistaken, this one will itself answer all our questions."
And so saying, Glenarvan began to scrape off the hard particles that
protected the neck. Soon the cork appeared, but very much damaged with
the salt water.
"This is a pity," said Glenarvan; "for if there is any paper in it, it
will be in a bad condition."
"That's what I fear," replied the major.
"I will add," continued Glenarvan, "that this badly-corked bottle would
soon have sunk; and it is fortunate that this shark swallowed it, and
brought it on board of the Duncan."
"Certainly," interposed Captain Mangles; "it would have been better,
however, had it been caught in the open sea on a well-known latitude
and longitude. We could then, by studying the atmospheric and marine
currents, have discovered the course traversed; but with a guide like
one of these sharks, that travel against wind and tide, we cannot know
whence it comes."
"We shall soon see," answered Glenarvan. At the same time he drew out
the cork with the greatest care, and a strong saline odor permeated the
cabin.
"Well?" said Lady Helena, with a truly feminine impatience.
"Yes," said Glenarvan; "I am not mistaken! Here are papers!"
"Documents! documents!" cried Lady Helena.
"Only," replied Glenarvan, "they appear to be damaged by the water.
It is impossible to remove them, for they adhere to the sides of the
bottle."
"Let us break it," said MacNabb.
"I would rather keep it whole," replied Glenarvan.
[Illustration: The fragments soon strewed the table, and several pieces
of paper were perceived adhering to each other. Glenarvan drew them out
carefully.]
"I should, too," said the major.
"Very true," added Lady Helena; "but the contents are more valuable
than that which contains them, and it is better to sacrifice one than
the other."
"Let your lordship only break off the neck," said the captain, "and
that will enable you to draw them out without injury."
"Yes, yes, my dear Edward!" cried Lady Glenarvan.
It was difficult to proceed in any other way, and, at all hazards,
Glenarvan determined to break the neck of the precious bottle. It was
necessary to use a hammer, for the stony covering had acquired the
hardness of granite. The fragments soon strewed the table, and several
pieces of paper were perceived adhering to each other. Glenarvan drew
them out carefully, separating and examining them closely, while Lady
Helena, the major, and the captain crowded around him.
[Illustration]