20000 лье под водой

           TheScotiahadnotstruck,butshehadbeenstruck,andseeminglybysomethingrathersharpandpenetratingthanblunt. Theshockhadbeensoslight thatnoonehadbeenalarmed, haditnotbeenfortheshoutsofthecarpenter’swatch,whorushedontothebridge,exclaiming, "Wearesinking!wearesinking!" Atfirstthepassengersweremuchfrightened, butCaptainAndersonhastenedtoreassurethem. Thedangercouldnotbeimminent. TheScotia,dividedintosevencompartmentsbystrongpartitions, couldbravewithimpunityanyleak. CaptainAndersonwentdownimmediatelyintothehold. Hefoundthattheseawaspouringintothefifthcompartment; andtherapidityoftheinfluxprovedthattheforceofthewaterwasconsiderable. Fortunatelythiscompartmentdidnotholdtheboilers,orthefireswouldhavebeenimmediatelyextinguished. CaptainAndersonorderedtheenginestobestoppedatonce, andoneofthemenwentdowntoascertaintheextentoftheinjury. Someminutesafterwardstheydiscovered theexistenceofalargehole,twoyardsindiameter,intheship’sbottom. Suchaleakcouldnotbestopped; andtheScotia,herpaddleshalfsubmerged,wasobligedtocontinuehercourse. ShewasthenthreehundredmilesfromCapeClear, and,afterthreedays’delay,whichcausedgreatuneasinessinLiverpool,sheenteredthebasinofthecompany. 

           TheengineersvisitedtheScotia,whichwasputindrydock. Theycouldscarcelybelieveitpossible; attwoyardsandahalfbelowwater-markwasaregularrent,intheformofanisoscelestriangle. Thebrokenplaceintheironplateswassoperfectlydefinedthatitcouldnothavebeenmoreneatlydonebyapunch. Itwasclear,then,thattheinstrumentproducingtheperforationwasnotofacommonstamp and,afterhavingbeendrivenwithprodigiousstrength,andpiercinganironplate13/8inchesthick, hadwithdrawnitselfbyabackwardmotion.