Таємничий острів

           "Ah!ifweonlyhadaproperboatandagoodharpoon,Iwouldsay‘Afterthebeast,’forhewouldbewellworththetroubleofcatching!"

           "Well,Pencroft,"observedHarding,"Ishouldmuchliketowatchyouhandlingaharpoon.Itwouldbeveryinteresting."

           "Iamastonished,"saidthereporter,"toseeawhaleinthiscomparativelyhighlatitude."

           "Whyso,Mr.Spilett?"repliedHerbert."WeareexactlyinthatpartofthePacificwhichEnglishandAmericanwhalemencallthewhalefield,anditishere,betweenNewZealandandSouthAmerica,thatthewhalesoftheSouthernHemispherearemetwithinthegreatestnumbers."

           AndPencroftreturnedtohiswork,notwithoututteringasighofregret,foreverysailorisabornfisherman,andifthepleasureoffishingisinexactproportiontothesizeoftheanimal,onecanjudgehowawhalerfeelsinsightofawhale.Andifthishadonlybeenforpleasure!Buttheycouldnothelpfeelinghowvaluablesuchaprizewouldhavebeentothecolony,fortheoil,fat,andboneswouldhavebeenputtomanyuses.

           Nowithappenedthatthiswhaleappearedtohavenowishtoleavethewatersoftheisland.Therefore,whetherfromthewindowsofGraniteHouse,orfromProspectHeights,HerbertandGideonSpilett,whentheywerenothunting,orNeb,unlesspresidingoverhisfires,neverleftthetelescope,butwatchedalltheanimal’smovements.