Втрачений континент: історія Атлантиди
1. My Recall
Itwasaten-miletramptothefondaatSantaBrigida,wherewehadsetdownourtraps;andasCoppingerwantedtotakealotmorephotographsandmeasurementsbeforeweleftthisparticulargroupofcaves,itwaslikelyweshouldbeprettysharpsetbeforewegotournextmeal,andournexttasteofthePATRON’Ssplendidoldcountrywine.Myfaith!IfonlytheyknewdownintheEnglishhotelsinLasPalmaswhatmagnificentwinesonecouldget—withdiplomacy—upinsomeofthemountainvillages,theoldvintagewouldbecomeathingofthepastinaweek.
Nowtotellthetruth,thetwomummieshehadgatheredalreadyquitesatisfiedmysmallambition.Thegoatskinsinwhichtheyweresewnupwereasbrittleaspaper,andthepooroldthingsthemselvesgaveoutdustlikeapuffballwhenevertheyweretouched.ButyouknowwhatCoppingeris.Hethoughthe’dcomeupontracesofanoldGuancheuniversity,orsacredcollege,orsomethingofthatkind,liketheonethereisontheothersideoftheisland,andhewouldn’tbesatisfiedtillhe’dransackedeverycaveinthewholefaceofthecliff.He’dplentyofstuffleftfortheflashlightthing,andtwenty-eightmorefilmsinhiskodak,andsaidwemightaswellgetthroughwiththejobthenasmakeareturnjourneyallonpurpose.Sohetookthecrowbar,andIshoulderedtherope,andawaywewentuptotheridgeofthecliff,wherewehadgotsuchabakingfromthesunthedaybefore.
Ofcoursethesecaveswerenoteasytocomeat,orelsetheywouldhavebeenraidedyearsbefore.
