20000 лье под водой

Chapter 12. Sperm Whales and Baleen Whales

           Wewereseatedontheplatform,withaquietsea.ThemonthofOctoberinthoselatitudesgaveussomelovelyautumnaldays.ItwastheCanadianhecouldnotbemistakenwhosignalledawhaleontheeasternhorizon.Lookingattentively,onemightseeitsblackbackriseandfallwiththewavesfivemilesfromtheNautilus.

           "Ah!"exclaimedNedLand,"ifIwasonboardawhaler,nowsuchameetingwouldgivemepleasure.Itisoneoflargesize.Seewithwhatstrengthitsblow-holesthrowupcolumnsofairansteam!Confoundit,whyamIboundtothesesteelplates?"

           "What,Ned,"saidI,"youhavenotforgottenyouroldideasoffishing?"

           "Canawhale-fishereverforgethisoldtrade,sir?Canheevertireoftheemotionscausedbysuchachase?"

           "Youhaveneverfishedintheseseas,Ned?"

           "Never,sir;inthenorthernonly,andasmuchinBehringasinDavisStraits."

           "Thenthesouthernwhaleisstillunknowntoyou.ItistheGreenlandwhaleyouhavehunteduptothistime,andthatwouldnotriskpassingthroughthewarmwatersoftheequator.Whalesarelocalised,accordingtotheirkinds,incertainseaswhichtheyneverleave.AndifoneofthesecreatureswentfromBehringtoDavisStraits,itmustbesimplybecausethereisapassagefromoneseatotheother,eitherontheAmericanortheAsiaticside."

           "Inthatcase,asIhaveneverfishedintheseseas,Idonotknowthekindofwhalefrequentingthem!"

Настройки
Фон страницы
Размер шрифта
Межстрочный интервал
Фразовые глаголы
Показать / Скрыть меню
Шрифт
Roboto Lora
Уведомления
Страница 285 из 384