Таинственный остров / The Mysterious Island. Уровень 2

At 1 o’clock, the ascent[21] began again. The easiest route slanted upwards towards the southwest, through the thick copse. The climbers reached a terrace, its soil was volcanic. From hence, their course was a zigzag towards the east. Neb and Herbert led the way.

They saw large animals, with thick horns and woolly fleece. As the ascension continued, the traces of lava were more frequent. As they neared the first plateau, the ascent became very difficult. By 4 o’clock they passed the last belt of trees. It was a pleasant, mild day. The sky was bright and clear.

There were only 500 feet between the explorers and the plateau where they wanted to encamp for the night. It was almost night when the party arrived at the top of the first cone.

Now they must pitch their camp, and think of supper and sleep. The sailor built up a fireplace with huge stones. Neb and Herbert brought a load of thistles. The night was beautiful and not very dark. Cyrus decided to go further and Herbert accompanied him. Sometimes the plateau was wide and easy, sometimes very encumbered with rubbish. There were yet 1,000 feet to climb.

It was nearly 8 o’clock when they reached the summit of the cone. They hardly saw around them. Was the land an island or a continent? At one point of the horizon suddenly appeared a vague light. The line of the horizon was now cloudless, and as the moon touched it. The engineer seized the boy’s hand.

– An island! – said he.

Chapter XI

Then they walked back to the camp. The country is an island, and tomorrow they will consider what to do.

The next day, March 30, after breakfast, they started out for the summit of the volcano. All desired to see the isle. It was about 7 o’clock in the morning when they left the camp.

It was a superb day, and the southern side of the mountain was sunny. The crater was a huge shaft gradually opening to a height of 1,000 feet above the plateau. They saw on the way traces of ancient lava. At 8 o’clock, they were standing at the summit of the crater.

– The sea! the sea everywhere! – was their exclamation.

Yes, water around them on every side. Around the island stretched an ocean. They were silent and motionless. Spilett asked:

– How large is this island?

– Small enough in the midst of the infinite ocean.

– My friends, – said Smith, – I think, the coast of the island is more than 100 miles around.

If Smith was right, the island was about the size of Malta[22]. The eastern coast was a curve, it was embracing a large bay. On the northeast, two other capes shut in the bay. Between them lay a narrow gulf. From northeast to northwest the coast was round and flat. Then came a hump, whose centre was occupied by the volcanic mountain. From this point the coast ran directly north and south. For two-thirds[23] of its length it was bordered by a narrow creek; then it finished in a long cue. The narrowest part of the island, between the Chimneys and the creek, on the west, was ten miles wide.

The southern part, from the shore to the mountain, was covered with woods. The northern part was arid and sandy. Between the volcano and the eastern coast there was a lake.

– So, it is a fresh water lake? – asked Pencroff.

– Yes, of course, – said the engineer.

– I see a little river there, – said Herbert. He pointed to a narrow brook.

The volcano did not occupy the centre of the island. It rose in the northwest.

They remained at the summit of the mountain for an hour. It was the island, but was the island inhabited? They did not perceive the handiwork of man; no settlement on the beach, no fisherman’s hut. No smoke.

The exploration of the island was finished. They drew a map of it, and calculated its size. They wanted now to examine the animal, vegetable, and mineral resources of the country. But before the departure, Cyrus Smith addressed his companions.

– Look, my friends, upon this little corner of the earth. Here, perhaps, we may long dwell.

– Mr. Smith, – said the sailor, – we will make a little America here. We will build cities, railroads, telegraphs. We will be not castaways, but colonists!

– One minute, my friends, – said the engineer; – let’s name the island, the capes, promontories, and water-courses.

– Yes, – said Smith, – for instance, let us call the great bay to the east Union Bay[24], the southern indentation Washington Bay[25], the mountain on which we are standing Mount Franklin[26], the lake beneath our feet Lake Grant[27].

Spilett put down the names over the proper places, and the geographical nomenclature of the island was complete.

– Now, – said the reporter, – I propose to give the name of Serpentine Peninsula[28], and to call the twisted curve at the termination of it Reptile End[29]. It is just like a snake’s tail.

– And the other extremity of the island, – said Herbert, – the gulf is like a pair of jaws, let us call it Shark Gulf[30].

– Good, – said Pencroff, – and we may

call the two capes North Mandible[31] and South Mandible[32]. Now we must name the southwestern extremity of the island.

– Claw Cape[33], – suggested Neb.

The river with fresh water they called the Mercy[34]. The islet on which they first arrived, was Safety Island[35]; the plateau at the top of the high granite wall above the Chimneys, Prospect Plateau[36]. And, finally, the woods which covered Serpentine Peninsula, the Forests of the Far West[37].

The colonists were going to descend the mountain, when Pencroff cried:

– We forgot to name our island!

Cyrus Smith said quietly:

– Let us call it Lincoln Island[38]!

Chapter XII

The colonists of Lincoln Island walked around the verge of the crater. Half an hour afterwards they were again upon the lower plateau. Pencroff thought it was breakfast time.

As they were leaving the plateau, Smith wished to explore Lake Grant. About 10 o’clock the little company descended the last declivities of Mount Franklin. A few bushes and trees were scattered over the ground. They were walking on a yellowish soil. Suddenly they saw Herbert, he was running back.

– What’s the matter, my boy? – said Spilett.

– Smoke, – answered Herbert. – We saw smoke, a hundred steps in front.

– Men in this region! – cried the reporter.

– Where is Top? – answered Smith.

– Top is on ahead.

– And did it bark?

– No.

– That is strange.

They saw, indeed, some smoke.

– You see, – said Smith, – It is nothing but a sulphur spring[39], it is good for our sore throats.

The colonists walked towards the smoke. They beheld a spring of sulphate of soda, which flowed among the rocks. Smith dipped his hand into the spring and found it oily.

The colonists walked towards the thick border of the forest. There they saw a brook with bright waters between high, reddish banks. Its color showed the presence of oxide of iron. They named the water course Red Creek[40]. It was a large mountain brook, deep and clear. Its water was fresh.

They saw some mountain pheasants. Some crows and magpies flew about. The colonists had nothing but stones and sticks. Suddenly some kangaroos leaped away through the underbrush.

– Can you eat them? – said Pencroff.

– They make a delicious stew, – said the reporter.

The sailor with Neb and Herbert rushed after the kangaroos. Soon they came back.

– You see, Mr. Smith, – said Pencroff, – we need guns. Will it be possible to make them?

– Perhaps, – replied the engineer; – but first we will make bows and arrows.

Top rushed hither and thither. About 3 o’clock Top disappeared into the bushes, from which came grunts and growls. Neb rushed in. Top was greedily devouring an animal. It was an agouti[41], an American hare with long ears.

– Hurrah! – cried Pencroff, – the roast is here; now we can go back to the house.

The lake appeared before them. They were now on its left bank, and a picturesque region opened to their view. The smooth sheet of water, about seven miles in circumference and 250 acres in extent. It lay among the trees. To the north the curve of the lake was concave. The waters of the lake were fresh and limpid, somewhat dark, and were evidently full of fish.

– How beautiful this lake is! – said Spilett. – We can live on its banks.

– We will live there! – answered Smith.

The colonists went down. After a two miles’ walk they came upon the thick turf of the plateau, and saw before them the infinite ocean. It was now half past 4. The party reached the Chimneys by the left bank of the Mercy. Then the fire was lighted, and Neb and Pencroff broiled the agouti. Smith drew from his pocket some minerals, and said quietly,

– My friends, this is iron ore, this a pyrite, this is clay, this is limestone, this is charcoal.

Chapter XIII

First, it was necessary to make an oven.

– Why oven? – asked Pencroff.

– To make the pottery, – replied Smith.

– And how will we make an oven?

– With bricks.

– And how will we make the bricks?

– With the clay.

– I need a knife! – cried the sailor, – I can make a bow and arrows.

– A knife. Something that will cut, – said the engineer. – Come here, Top, – he called.

The dog bounded to his master, and Smith took off its collar. He broke it into halves, and said:

– Here are two knives, Pencroff.

Top’s collar was made from steel. They will sharpen it!

The engineer decided to return to the western bank of the lake, where he saw the clay. They crossed Prospect Plateau, and after a walk, they arrived at a glade. On the way, Herbert discovered a tree from which the South American Indians make bows. The ground was composed of that clay which is used for bricks and tiles. The labor was not difficult. It was only necessary to clean the clay of sand, mould the bricks, and then bake them before a wood fire.

During the two days they hunted in the neighborhood, very successfully. Pencroff had dozens of arrows with very sharp points. Top brought a porcupine, it had perfect quills[42]. The men fastened those quills to the ends of the arrows. Soon they got enough food.

By the 9th of April the engineer had about enough bricks. They, therefore, began at once the construction of an oven. Five days later, the oven was supplied with coal. The colonists moulded pots and mugs, plates and jars, tubs and vessels. Their form was rude and defective, but they finally had real kitchen utensils.

The work lasted until the 15th of April. The colonists became potters. This evening the colonists were seating in the central chamber. Neb prepared some agouti soup. Before going to sleep, the party went to the beach. It was 8 o’clock, and the night was magnificent. The moon was shining above the constellations. For some moments the engineer gazed at it attentively. Then he said:

– Tomorrow will be one of the four days in the year when the mean and real time are the same. Tomorrow the sun will pass the meridian. If, therefore, the weather is clear, I think I will be able to tell the longitude of the island.

The next day the engineer began his astronomical observation. He chose a smooth dry place upon the sand. Smith knelt down upon the sand and began to mark the decrease in the length of the shadow. His companions watched the operation with interest.

The shadow diminished little by little. When it began to lengthen Smith exclaimed:

– We are at least 1,200 miles from Tahiti[43] and from the Low Archipelago, fully 1,800 miles from New Zealand[44], and more than 4,500 miles from the coast of America.

But Cyrus Smith did not remember any island in the Pacific which occupied the position of Lincoln Island.

Chapter XIV

One day the engineer proposed to explore the eastern and western shores of the lake. The landscape was charming. Smith and his companions moved over this unexplored neighborhood. Bows and arrows and sticks were their sole weapons.

They soon reached the mouth of Red Creek. On this side the bank, clumps of trees, here and there, made a picturesque landscape. The whole extent of the lake was visible. The colonists were following the southern bank of the lake, when Top suddenly stopped. It raised one foot, and looked into the water. Then it barked furiously.

At first neither Smith nor his companions paid any attention to the dog’s actions. But Top’s barking became incessant.

– What is it, Top? – asked the engineer.

The dog bounded towards his master and rushed back to the bank. Then, suddenly, it threw himself into the lake.

– Come back, Top! – cried the engineer.

– What’s going on under there? – asked the sailor. He was examining the surface of the lake.

– Top smelt some animal, – answered Herbert.

– It must be an alligator, – said the reporter.

– I don’t think so, – answered Smith. – Alligators do not live in this latitude.

Smith called the dog again. Suddenly an enormous head emerged from the water.

Herbert recognized it, the comical face, with huge eyes and long silky moustaches. It was a dugong[45]. The huge monster caught the dog. The dog disappeared under the water.

A struggle was going on under the water, and what a struggle! That struggle was becoming more terrible with each moment. The poor dog will die! But suddenly, through the midst of a circle of foam, Top appeared. Some unknown force shot the dog upward, ten feet in the air. Then Top fell again into the tumultuous waters, from which it escaped to the shore. The dog was miraculously saved.

Cyrus Smith and his companions were amazed. But the struggle under water continued. Some more formidable animal attacked the dugong. This did not last long. The water grew red with blood. The body of the dugong floated on at the southern angle of the lake.

The colonists ran to the animal. It was dead. Its body was enormous, between 15 and 16 feet long and weighed between 3,000 and 4,000 pounds. On its neck, yawned a wound, some sharp instrument made it. What killed the dugong? Nobody knew the answer.

Chapter XV

Cyrus Smith stood upon the border of the lake, thinking about the incident. He wanted to solve the mystery of that combat.

– Well, Cyrus, – said the reporter, – The wound on this beast is strange enough, and I can’t understand how Top was thrown out of the water. There was a strong arm, and that same arm killed the dugong.

– It’s very strange, indeed, – answered the engineer. – There is something here which I cannot understand. And we can’t explain how I myself was saved. Therefore, I am sure there is a mystery which we will discover some day.

Neb and Pencroff were extracting the fat from the dugong and preserving the flesh for food. Now the colonists have a lot of food!

The next day, near the lake they saw a passage. The opening was twenty feet wide, but only two feet high.

– What are we waiting for, Mr. Smith? – cried the sailor. He wanted to begin the exploration.

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Примечания

1

Mr. Smith – мистер Смит

2

the Pacific – Тихий океан

3

ninety miles an hour – 90 миль в час

4

in a few hours – через несколько часов

5

Is everything thrown out? – Всё ли выброшено?

6

Top – Топ ( кличкасобаки )

7

the Southerners – южане

8

Cyrus Smith – Сайрес Смит

9

Gideon Spilett – Гидеон Спилет

10

Richmond – Ричмонд

11

Pencroff – Пенкроф

12

Herbert Brown – Герберт Браун

13

found themselves – оказались

14

lithodomes – литодомы

15

devour – жадно есть

16

keep up the fire – поддерживать огонь

17

cudgel – дубина

18

couroucous – куруку ( птицаизпородыворон )

19

The barking of a dog! – Лай собаки!

20

stretcher – носилки

21

ascent – подъем

22

Malta – Мальта

23

two-thirds – две трети

24

Union Bay – бухта Соединения

25

Washington Bay – бухта Вашингтона

26

Mount Franklin – гора Франклина

27

Lake Grant – озеро Гранта

28

Serpentine Peninsula – полуостров Извилистый

29

Reptile End – Змеиный мыс

30

Shark Gulf – залив Акулы

31

North Mandible – Северная Челюсть

32

South Mandible – Южная Челюсть

33

Claw Cape – мыс Коготь

34

the Mercy – река Благодарения

35

Safety Island – остров Спасения

36

Prospect Plateau – плато Кругозора

37

Forests of the Far West – леса Дальнего Запада

38

Lincoln Island – остров Линкольна

39

sulphur spring – сернистый источник

40

Red Creek – Красный ручей

41

agouti – агути ( млекопитающие отряда грызунов, обитающие преимущественно в тропических лесах и саваннах )

42

quill – зд. иголка дикобраза

43

Tahiti – Таити

44

New Zealand – Новая Зеландия

45

dugong – дюгонь ( род водных травоядных млекопитающих отряда сирен )