19. Vanikoro

That terrible sight inaugurated the series of maritime disasters that the Nautilus was
found in his course. Since entering busiest seas, we saw
wrecks often rotting in midwater, and deeper
cannons, shells, anchors, cade-nas and a thousand other iron objects eaten away by rust.
The Nautilus, we lived as isolated, arrived on December 11 to the vicinity
the archipelago of the Po-Motu qualified as hazardous by Bougainville, which is
ex-tends over an area of ​​five hundred leagues from the East-Southeast to the West? Northwest
between 130 30 'and 230 50' south latitude and 30 1250 'and 1510 30' west longitude from
Ducia Island to Lazareff Island. The archipelago covers an area of ​​three hundred
seventy square miles and is for-mado by about sixty groups of islands, including
It highlights Gambier, which France has imposed its protectorate. They are coralligenous islands.
A slow but steady rise, caused by work polyps, the join some
day together. Then this new island will be welded in turn to arch-piélagos neighbors, and
fifth continent will stretch from New Zealand and until Nuelva Caledonia
Marquesas.
The day before Captain Nemo developed this theory, he replied coldly:
? They Are not you need new continents Earth, but new men.
The hazards of browsing had led the Nautilus to the island
Clermont? Tonnerre, one of the most curious of the group, which was discovered in 1822 by the
Captain Bell of La Minerve. I could well study the madreporic system, which owe their
Training islands of this ocean.
Madrepores, which should not be confused with Hearts-les have a coated fabric
a limestone crust, the structural changes have prompted my illustrious master,
Milne? Edwards to classify them into five sections. Secreting this animalcules
polyp live by millions in the back of their cells. Are its limestone deposits which
erected on rocks, reefs, islets and islands. In some luga-res form circular ring
around a small lake in inner-connected to the sea by some gaps. In others,
aligned in such barriers existing reefs off the coast of New
Caledonia and on several islands of the Pomotous. Finally, in other places, such as on the islands
Reunion and Mauritius, rising jagged reefs as high straight walls,
near which they are conside-rable the ocean depths.
As the Nautilus will border to wires away only the base of the island
Clermont? Tonnerre, could admi-rar the gigantic work done by these workers
my-croscópicos. Those walls were especially known work of madrepores
with the names of miliporas, porites, Astreas and meandrinas. These polyps develop
particularly in choppy layers of the sea surface and, consequently, it is for
its top by starting these constructions that, little by little, hun-den
with the remains of secretions that support them. Such, at least, the theory of Darwin,
This explains the formation of atolls, more plausible theory, in my opinion, that gives
by madreporic work based on the summits of mountains or volcanoes
submerged a few feet under the sea surface.
I observed closely those curious walls verti-cal, since the probe indicated more
three hundred meters deep, and our light bulbs res-tore plandores
calcareous mass that brilliant.
Conseil greatly amazed, in answer to your question so-on the growth of these
colossal barriers, the sages say that this growth measured in one-eighth
inch per century.
? Then, to raise these walls was needed ...
? One hundred and ninety two thousand years, my gallant Conseil, which extends singularly day
Biblical. But, moreover, the formation of coal, ie mineralization
swamped by floods, forest demanded much more considerable time. But
I might add that the days of the Bible are not the times and period between two
the sun came out-give, since, according to the Bible, the star-no no data Diur the first day
of creation.
When the Nautilus surfaced I could see around the island development
Clermont? Tonnerre, low and bos-thing. Its rocks were evidently madreporic
Fertili-lysed by rains and storms. One day, some seed taken away by Hurricane
to neighboring lands it fell on the limestone layers mixed with detritus
decomposed fish and marine plants that formed the mulch. A coconut,
was carried by the waves, he came to these new costs. The seed took root. The growing tree
retained water vapor. He born a stream. The vegetation is gradually extended. Some
animals, worms, insects, arrived on the islands trunks uprooted by the wind. The
ned-they saw turtles to lay their eggs. Birds nested in the young trees. Of
Thus, the animal life evolved and attracted by vegetation and fertility, appeared
the man. So these islands, immense works of my-croscópicos animals were formed.
At dusk, Clermont? Tonnerre faded into le-Jania.
The Nautilus noticeably changed course. Having spent the Tropic of Capricorn
the meridian one hundred thirty five, headed for the West? Northwest remon-Tando
throughout the tropics. Although the summer sun lavished generously its rays, not
we ab-solute affected in the heat, because thirty or forty meters below water
temperature did not rise above ten to twelve degrees.
On December 15 we left the arch This splendid sea of ​​the Company and the
graceful Tahiti, queen of co-Pacifi, whose peaks in the morning I saw some miles
sotaven-to. Its waters supplied to the table some excellent fish on board, as
mackerel, bonito, albacore and va-riety of sea serpent called munerofis.
The Nautilus had then traveled eight thousand one hundred mi-Llas. A nine thousand seven hundred and twenty
miles traveled rose dis-tance when it passed between the archipelago
Ton-ga? Taboo, that killed the crew of the Argo, Port? Au? Prince and
Duke or Portland, and the Archipelago of the Navigators, in which he was killed captain
Langle, friend of La Perouse. He went to the Viti Archipelago, where the
Wild killed the sailors and the captain Bureu Union, Nantes, commander
Ai-mable Josephine.
This archipelago, which extends over an area of ​​one hundred leagues from north to south, and
about ninety miles from east to west, it is located between 60 and 20 south latitude and 1740 and
1790 West longitude. It consists of a number of islands, islets and reefs,
among which are the islands of Viti? Levu, Vanua? Levu and Kandubon.
It was Tassman who discovered this group in 1643, the year my-mo that Torricelli invented
Barometer and in which Louis XIV ascended the throne. Consider which of these events was more
useful to mankind. Then came Cook, in 1714, D'Entrecasteaux in 1793 and Dumont
d'Urville in 1827, who first cleared the geographical chaos of this archipelago.
The Nautilus esce-nario the terrible adventures then approached Wailea Bay,
Captain Dillon, who was the first to solve the mystery of the wreck of La Perouse.
This bay, repeatedly dredged, provided us with excellent oysters, of which
made an in-moderate consumption, tras'haberlas open our own table if-guiendo
Seneca's advice. Those molluscs-cyan belongs to the species known as
of "oyster Lamello-sa", common in Corsica. Wailea bank should be considerable,
and indeed, if it were not for the many causes of destruction, these agglomerations
They would eventually fill the bays, as they have up to two million eggs in a
single individual.
If Ned Land did not repent of his gluttony at that time it is because the oyster is
the only food that causes no indigestion. No less than six require
dozen of these headless mollusks to supply three hundred fifteen grams of
nitrogenous substances necessary to the daily diet of man.
On December 25, the Nautilus sailed in the middle of ar-chipiélago of New
Hebrides discovered by Quiros in 1606; Bougainville explored in 1768, and
baptized with its current name by Cook in 1773. This group is mainly com-sets
nine large islands and forms a band of one hundred and twenty miles North? West to
South? Su-deste, between 150 and 20 south latitude and lon 1640 and 1680-gitud. Spent
quite near the island of Auru that, at the time of the observations noon, saw
a wooded area dominated by a peak of great height.
That day was Christmas, and I thought Ned la-mentaba not strongly
held on Christmas, verda-dera family party of Protestants are fans
observers.
It had been eight days have not seen Captain Nemo when, 27 am, entered the
great room, with the air of a man who has just left one five minutes ago. EN-taba
I trying to recognize the world map the route Segui-da by Nautilus. The captain
He walked, scored with his finger on the map and said one word:
? Vanikoro.
It was a magic word. It was the name islet where the ships were lost
La Perouse. I sat up and asked:
? It takes the Nautilus to Vanikoro?
Yes, professor.
? And I can visit these famous islands where it was destro-Zaron the Boussole and Astrolabe?
? If it pleases, professor.
? When will we be in Vanikoro?
? We are now, Professor.
I followed Captain Nemo climbed onto the platform, and from there my eyes eagerly toured
the horizon.
Northeast emerged two volcanic islands of unequal size, surrounded by a coral
Coral forty miles in circumference. We were at the island of Vanikoro
pro-piously said, which Dumont d'Urville imposed nom-ber island of La Recherche,
and just before the small port of Vanu, located 160 4 'south latitude and 1640 32'
East longitude. The land seemed covered with greenery, from the beach to the peaks
the interior, dominated by Mount Kapogo and at an altitude of four hundred seventy-six
fathoms.
After having passed the outer belt of rocks by a narrow passage, the Nautilus
He found across the breakers where the water depth was limited to a
thirty or forty fathoms. Under the green shade of the man-glares, I saw some savages
Sister demonstrating a live prey. In the long blackish body progressed awash
Did they not see them a formidable cetacean that had to be wary?
At that moment, Captain Nemo asked me what it was that I knew about
shipwreck of La Perouse.
? What everybody knows, captain? I answered.
? And could you tell me what everyone knows? ? He asked in a tone somewhat
ironic.
? With pleasure.
And I told him that the last works of Dumont d'Urville had made known, and that
It is very briefly summarized below. La Perouse and his deputy, Captain
Lan-gle, were sent by Louis XIV in 1785, on a voyage of circumnavigation on board
Boussole and the Astro-labe corvettes which never reappear.
In 1791, the French government, concerned about the fate of the two corvettes armed two
ships, Recherche and hope-ce, which left Brest on September 28 under the command
Bruni d'Entrecasteaux. Two months later, it was revealed by the statement of one Bowen,
Albemarle captain, who had seen the remains of shipwrecks in the coast
New Georgia. But D'Entrecasteaux ignoring such communi-cation, rather uncertain, for
Moreover, he headed toward the Admiralty Islands, designated a report of Captain
Hunter like scene of the wreck of La Perouse.
In vain were their searches. The Esperance and the Recherche passed before Vanikoro even
without stopping. It was a miserable trip, as he killed D'Entrecasteaux, two of
his officers, and several seamen from his crew.
It would be an old Pacific sailor, Captain Dillon, who first found traces
Undisputed the náufra-gos. The May 15, 1824, moving with his ship, the
Saint? Patrick, near the island of Tikopia, one of the New Hebri-Das, an Indian who is
had approached canoe sold the silver handle of a sword in which
engravings with burin appeared characters. The Indian said that six years earlier,
during a stay in Vanikoro, had vis-to two Europeans belonging to the
crews of boats that had run aground long years of arre-CIEDs
island.
Dillon guessed that it was the boats Pérous-be, whose disappearance had
shocked the world. He wanted to go to Vanikoro, where, according to the indigenous, had
numer-ous wreck, but winds and currents prevented him. Dillon
he returned to Calcutta, where he got in-teresar in his discovery to the Asiatic Society and
to the East India Company, placed at their disposal a na-seen, to which he gave the name
Recherche, with which he sailed on January 23, 1827, accompanied by a
French agent.
The new Recherche, having played in different parts of the Pacific, dropped anchor before
Vanikoro on July 7, 1827, in the same harbor of Vana where he was the Nautilus
in that moment.
There might collect many wreck, messes utensi-iron anchors, slings
pulleys, cannons, a shell of eighteen astronomical instruments remains a tro-zo
the crown and a bronze bell with the ins-scription: "Bazin made me 'brand
casting Arsenal Brest to 1785. Doubt was no longer possible.
Dillon was completing his research at the lu-gar the wreck until the month of
October. Then he sailed from Vanikoro, headed toward New Zealand and arrived in Calcutta 7
April 1828. He then traveled to France, where he was-do I welcomed with great sympathy by
Carlos X.
But meanwhile, ignorant Dumont d'Urville Dillon's findings, had left
to look elsewhere for the scene of the wreck. And indeed, he had known for a
bafienero that some medals and a Cross of San Luis has-Llaban hands of
WILD Louisiade and New Caledonia.
Dumont d'Urville was done, then to the sea, man-do the Astrolabe, and two months
after leaving Dillon-ra Vanikoro anchored to Hobart Town. It was there that
He heard Dillon's findings and where also learned that a certain James Hobbs, second
the Union of Calcutta, had landed on an island, situated 80 18 'South latitude and
1560 30'de east longitude, and seen the Indians use the same rods
iron and red fabrics.
Rather perplexed and doubting whether to give credit to these, rela-cough reported by newspapers
unreliable, Dumont d'Urvifie was decided, however, to follow the steps of
Dillon.
The February 10, 1828, Dumont d'Urville was presented in Tikopia, where he took to guide and
interpreter a deserter is-lished on the island, and from there went to Vanikoro, whose coasts
He sighted on 12 February. It was bordering their arreci-fes to 14, and only 20 could
anchor the other side of the barrier in the harbor of Vana. On the 23rd, several of his officers
They drove around the island and returned with some scraps of-home is important. The
indigenous, subject to a negative and evasive, they refused to lead them to the place of
nau-suffrage. Suspicious behavior that led them to believe that the natives had mistreated
the shipwrecked and who feared that Dumont d'Urville had come to avenge La
Pé-Rousse and his unfortunate companions. However, a few days later, on 26,
stimulated by some gifts and realizing that they need not fear any
dam-lia, they led to lieutenant Dumont, Jasquinot, the lu-gar shipwreck.
There, three or four fathoms of water and between reefs and Vanu Pacú lay A4, Cora,
guns and pieces of cast iron and lead, in the decal-encrusted areas concretions.
The Astrolabe instead sent his boat and his whaling. Not without great job, their crews
They managed to remove an anchor weighing eight hundred pounds, eight cannon
foundry, a piece of lead and two small cannons copper.
Subjected to interrogation Dumont d'Urville indigenous revealed that La Perouse,
after the loss of their two boats on the reefs of the island, he had built one more
small, would be lost in turn. Where? It was not known.
The captain of the Astrolabe made under a mangrove erect a CE-notaflo to the memory of the famous
navigator and his companions-genres. It was a simple quadrangular pyramid one seated so-bre
coral base, which excluded any metal objects that might excite lust
indigenous.
Dumont d'Urville wanted to leave immediately, but ha-gency his men and himself
They undermined by fevers that had contracted in those unhealthy coasts, could not rig
until 17 March.
Meanwhile, the French government fearful that Du-mont d'Urville had not been
aware of the findings of Dillon, he had sent to the Bayonnaise Vanikoro corvette, the
Tromelin Legoarant command from the Western-dental coast of America where he was.
Legoarant dropped anchor before Vanikoro a few months after the departure of Astrola-be. Not
He found no new documents, but could buy bar that the savages had respected the
Mausoleum EP-Rousse.
Such, in essence, the story that I explained to Captain Nemo.
? So it is still not known where he was to finish the third na-saw built by the
shipwrecked on the island of Vanikoro, is not it?
? Indeed.
For answer, Captain Nemo told me that if-Guiera the great hall.
The Nautilus submerged a few meters below the waves. Panels were run
metal to give visibility to the crystals.
I rushed to them, and under the coral concretions, coated fungias of sifoneas,
of alcyonarians and decay-Phileas and through myriad beautiful of fish, turn-the,
of glifisidontos of ponféridos of diácopodos and ho-locentros, I recognized some remains
that the dredgers had failed to boot; such as iron clamps, anchors,
guns, howitzers, a piece winch a roda, objec-tos all from the
shipwrecks and upholstered now live flowers.
I considered these desolate remains so, Captain Nemo told me with a
deep voice:
? The Commander La Perouse left the December 7, 1785 with his ships Boussole and
Astrolabe. It first anchored in Botany Bay, then he visited the archipelago of Friendship,
New Caledonia, headed for Santa Cruz and arrived at Namuka, one of the islands
Hapai archipelago. It later reached Vanikoro unknown reefs. The Boussole,
that went before, touched on the southern coast. The Astrolabe, who came to her aid, grounded
too. The first was destroyed almost immediately. The second, stranded
so-tavento, resisted some days. The Indians got a bue-na host the castaways.
They settled on the island and built a smaller boat with the remains of the two
large. Some sailors were voluntary-mind Vanikoro. The others,
weak and sick, par-tieron with La Perouse to the Solomon Islands, to perish
there on the west coast of the main island of archipiéla-go, including corporals and Deception
Satisfaction.
? How do you know? ? I asked.
? I found this place in the last wreck.
Captain Nemo showed me a tin box sealed with the arms of France and all
rusty by sea water corrosion. He opened it and saw a roll of yellowed papers, but
still legible.
They were the instructions of the Minister of the Navy to co-principal La Perouse, with
marginal notes made personally by Louis XVI.
? A beautiful death for a sailor? Said Captain Nemo? and a quiet grave
coral. Heaven grant that I and my colleagues do not have another!