Таємничий острів

           Thebrigwaslyingrightoveronherside,forhermastsbeingbroken,presseddownbytheweightoftheballastdisplacedbytheshock,thekeelwasvisiblealongherwholelength.Shehadbeenregularlyturnedoverbytheinexplicablebutfrightfulsubmarineaction,whichhadbeenatthesametimemanifestedbyanenormouswater-spout.

           Thesettlersrowedroundthehull,andinproportionasthetidewentdown,theycouldascertain,ifnotthecausewhichhadoccasionedthecatastrophe,atleasttheeffectproduced.

           Towardsthebows,onbothsidesofthekeel,sevenoreightfeetfromthebeginningofthestem,thesidesofthebrigwerefrightfullytorn.Overalengthofatleasttwentyfeetthereopenedtwolargeleaks,whichwouldbeimpossibletostopup.Notonlyhadthecoppersheathingandtheplanksdisappeared,reduced,nodoubt,topowder,butalsotheribs,theironbolts,andtreenallswhichunitedthem.Fromtheentirelengthofthehulltothesternthefalsekeelhadbeenseparatedwithanunaccountableviolence,andthekeelitself,tornfromthecarlineinseveralplaces,wassplitinallitslength.

           "I’veanotion!"exclaimedPencroft,"thatthisvesselwillbedifficulttogetafloatagain."

           "Itwillbeimpossible,"saidAyrton.