Таємничий острів

           Hewasbareheaded,hisarmsfoldedacrosshischest,anditwasinthisposturethatinahoarsevoice,speakinglikesomeonewhoobligeshimselftospeak,hegavethefollowingrecital,whichhisauditorsdidnotonceinterrupt:—

           "Onthe20thofDecember,1854,asteam-yacht,belongingtoaScotchnobleman,LordGlenarvan,anchoredoffCapeBernouilli,onthewesterncoastofAustralia,inthethirty-seventhparallel.OnboardthisyachtwereLordGlenarvanandhiswife,amajorintheEnglisharmy,aFrenchgeographer,ayounggirl,andayoungboy.ThesetwolastwerethechildrenofCaptainGrant,whoseship,the‘Britannia,’hadbeenlost,crewandcargo,ayearbefore.The‘Duncan’wascommandedbyCaptainJohnMangles,andmannedbyacrewoffifteenmen.

           "ThisisthereasontheyachtatthistimelayoffthecoastofAustralia.Sixmonthsbefore,abottle,enclosingadocumentwritteninEnglish,German,andFrench,hadbeenfoundintheIrishSea,andpickedupbythe‘Duncan.’Thisdocumentstatedinsubstancethattherestillexistedthreesurvivorsfromthewreckofthe‘Britannia,’thatthesesurvivorswereCaptainGrantandtwoofhismen,andthattheyhadfoundrefugeonsomeland,ofwhichthedocumentgavethelatitude,butofwhichthelongitude,effacedbythesea,wasnolongerlegible.

           "Thislatitudewas37deg11’south;therefore,thelongitudebeingunknown,iftheyfollowedthethirty-seventhparallelovercontinentsandseas,theywouldbecertaintoreachthespotinhabitedbyCaptainGrantandhistwocompanions.