Затерянный мир
Question!
Youdisputeit."(Cheers.)"ThenIputyoutothetest.Willyouaccreditoneormoreofyourownnumbertogooutasyourrepresentativesandtestmystatementinyourname?"
Mr.Summerlee,theveteranProfessorofComparativeAnatomy,roseamongtheaudience,atall,thin,bitterman,withthewitheredaspectofatheologian.Hewished,hesaid,toaskProfessorChallengerwhethertheresultstowhichhehadalludedinhisremarkshadbeenobtainedduringajourneytotheheadwatersoftheAmazonmadebyhimtwoyearsbefore.
ProfessorChallengeransweredthattheyhad.
Mr.SummerleedesiredtoknowhowitwasthatProfessorChallengerclaimedtohavemadediscoveriesinthoseregionswhichhadbeenoverlookedbyWallace,Bates,andotherpreviousexplorersofestablishedscientificrepute.
ProfessorChallengeransweredthatMr.SummerleeappearedtobeconfusingtheAmazonwiththeThames;thatitwasinrealityasomewhatlargerriver;thatMr.SummerleemightbeinterestedtoknowthatwiththeOrinoco,whichcommunicatedwithit,somefiftythousandmilesofcountrywereopenedup,andthatinsovastaspaceitwasnotimpossibleforonepersontofindwhatanotherhadmissed.
Mr.Summerleedeclared,withanacidsmile,thathefullyappreciatedthedifferencebetweentheThamesandtheAmazon,whichlayinthefactthatanyassertionabouttheformercouldbetested,whileaboutthelatteritcouldnot.HewouldbeobligedifProfessorChallengerwouldgivethelatitudeandthelongitudeofthecountryinwhichprehistoricanimalsweretobefound.
