Cape Town and M. Viot

           AsJohnManglesintendedtoputinattheCapeofGoodHopeforcoals,hewasobligedtodeviatealittlefromthe37thparallel,andgotwodegreesnorth.InlessthansixdaysheclearedthethirteenhundredmileswhichseparatethepointofAfricafromTristand’Acunha,andonthe24thofNovember,at3P.M.theTableMountainwassighted.Ateighto’clocktheyenteredthebay,andcastanchorintheportofCapeTown.Theysailedawaynextmorningatdaybreak.

           BetweentheCapeandAmsterdamIslandthereisadistanceof2,900miles,butwithagoodseaandfavoringbreeze,thiswasonlyatenday’svoyage.Theelementswerenownolongeratwarwiththetravelers,asontheirjourneyacrossthePampas—airandwaterseemedinleaguetohelpthemforward.

           "Ah!thesea!thesea!"exclaimedPaganel,"itisthefieldparexcellencefortheexerciseofhumanenergies,andtheshipisthetruevehicleofcivilization.Think,myfriends,iftheglobehadbeenonlyanimmensecontinent,thethousandthpartofitwouldstillbeunknowntous,eveninthisnineteenthcentury.Seehowitisintheinteriorofgreatcountries.InthesteppesofSiberia,intheplainsofCentralAsia,inthedesertsofAfrica,intheprairiesofAmerica,intheimmensewildsofAustralia,intheicysolitudesofthePoles,manscarcelydarestoventure;themostdaringshrinksback,themostcourageoussuccumbs.Theycannotpenetratethem;themeansoftransportareinsufficient,andtheheatanddisease,andsavagedispositionofthenatives,areimpassableobstacles.