Потерянный континент: история Атлантиды
1. My Recall
Coppingerdinedalso,butIhavereasontobelievehedidnotsleepmuch.AtanyrateIfoundhimstillporingoverthefindnextmorning,andlookingveryheavy-eyed,butbrimmingwithenthusiasm.
“Doyouknow,”hesaid,“thatyou’veblundereduponthemostvaluablehistoricalmanuscriptthatthemodernworldhaseveryetseen?Ofcourse,withyourclumsywayofgettingitout,you’vedoneaninfinityofdamage.Forinstance,thosetopsheetsyoushelledawayandspoiled,containedprobablyanabsolutelyuniqueaccountoftheancientcivilisationofYucatan.”
“Where’sthat,anyway?”
“InthemiddleoftheGulfofMexico.It’sallruinsto-day,butonceitwasaveryprosperouscolonyoftheAtlanteans.”
“Neverheardofthem.Ohyes,Ihavethough.TheywerethepeopleHerodotuswroteabout,didn’the?ButIthoughttheyweremythical.”
“Theywereveryreal,andsowasAtlantis,thecontinentwheretheylived,whichlayjustnorthoftheCanarieshere.”
“What’sthatcrocodilesortofthingwithwingsdrawninthemargin?”
“Somesortofbeastthatlivedinthosebygonedays.Thepagesarefullofthem.That’sacave-tiger.Andthat’ssomesortofcolossalbat.Thankgoodnesshehadthesensetoillustratefully,themanwhowrotethis,orweshouldneverhavebeenabletoreconstructthetale,oratanyratewecouldnothaveunderstoodhalfofit.Wholespecieshavediedoutsincethiswaswritten,justasawholecontinenthasbeensweptawayandthreecivilisationsquenched.
