Загублений світ
Our Eyes have seen Great Wonders
Memory,atleast,willneverfailme,forsolongasthebreathoflifeisinme,everyhourandeveryactionofthatperiodwillstandoutashardandclearasdothefirststrangehappeningsofourchildhood.Nonewimpressionscouldeffacethosewhicharesodeeplycut.WhenthetimecomesIwilldescribethatwondrousmoonlitnightuponthegreatlakewhenayoungichthyosaurus—astrangecreature,halfseal,halffish,tolookat,withbone-coveredeyesoneachsideofhissnout,andathirdeyefixeduponthetopofhishead—wasentangledinanIndiannet,andnearlyupsetourcanoebeforewetoweditashore;thesamenightthatagreenwater-snakeshotoutfromtherushesandcarriedoffinitscoilsthesteersmanofChallenger’scanoe.Iwilltell,too,ofthegreatnocturnalwhitething—tothisdaywedonotknowwhetheritwasbeastorreptile—whichlivedinavileswamptotheeastofthelake,andflittedaboutwithafaintphosphorescentglimmerinthedarkness.TheIndiansweresoterrifiedatitthattheywouldnotgoneartheplace,and,thoughwetwicemadeexpeditionsandsawiteachtime,wecouldnotmakeourwaythroughthedeepmarshinwhichitlived.Icanonlysaythatitseemedtobelargerthanacowandhadthestrangestmuskyodor.IwilltellalsoofthehugebirdwhichchasedChallengertotheshelteroftherocksoneday—agreatrunningbird,fartallerthananostrich,withavulture-likeneckandcruelheadwhichmadeitawalkingdeath.
