20000 льє під водою

Chapter 18. Four Thousand Leagues Under the Pacific

           WhileIwaslookingonthisdesolatescene,CaptainNemosaid,inasadvoice:

           "CommanderLaPerousesetout7thDecember,1785,withhisvesselsLaBoussoleandtheAstrolabe.HefirstcastanchoratBotanyBay,visitedtheFriendlyIsles,NewCaledonia,thendirectedhiscoursetowardsSantaCruz,andputintoNamouka,oneoftheHapaigroup.ThenhisvesselsstruckontheunknownreefsofVanikoro.TheBoussole,whichwentfirst,ranagroundonthesoutherlycoast.TheAstrolabewenttoitshelp,andranagroundtoo.Thefirstvesselwasdestroyedalmostimmediately.Thesecond,strandedunderthewind,resistedsomedays.Thenativesmadethecastawayswelcome.Theyinstalledthemselvesintheisland,andconstructedasmallerboatwiththedebrisofthetwolargeones.SomesailorsstayedwillinglyatVanikoro;theothers,weakandill,setoutwithLaPerouse.TheydirectedtheircoursetowardstheSolomonIslands,andthereperished,witheverything,onthewesterlycoastofthechiefislandofthegroup,betweenCapesDeceptionandSatisfaction."

           "Howdoyouknowthat?"

           "Bythis,thatIfoundonthespotwherewasthelastwreck."

           CaptainNemoshowedmeatin-platebox,stampedwiththeFrencharms,andcorrodedbythesaltwater.Heopenedit,andIsawabundleofpapers,yellowbutstillreadable.

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