Chapter 21 23.Explore the missing area

At 3 o'clock in the morning on December 7, the boiler of the Duncan rumbled, the sailors turned the windlass, the anchor was hoisted up, left the sandy bottom of the small harbor, returned to the anchor frame, the propeller started to turn, and the cruise ship entered the sea again up. At 8 o'clock, the passengers boarded the deck, and the island of Amsterdam had gradually disappeared in the clouds and mist in the sky.This is the last berthing along the 37-degree journey, and there are still 1,620 kilometers away from the coast of Oceania. As long as the westerly wind can maintain for 10 days, and as long as there are no accidents at sea, the Duncan can reach its destination.

When Miss Mary and her younger brother Robert saw the raging waves on the sea, they couldn't help feeling a little bit in their hearts. These waves might have been broken by Grant's ship a few days before the wreck. Maybe it was here that Grant's ship was damaged and the crew disappeared. Father himself battles the storms of the Indian Ocean, only to be dragged by an irresistible force to distant shores.The captain drew the directions of the currents on the chart for the girl to see.One of them, the transverse current of the Indian Ocean, is powerful and flows towards Oceania in a direction from west to east.So perhaps the Britannia was mast broken and rudder out of tune, that is, completely disarmed before the violence of sea and sky, only to run with this current to the shore ahead, only to be smashed to pieces ".

However, there is a problem here.According to the Merchant Shipping Daily, Captain Grant's last message was sent from Callao on May 30, 1862. Why did the Britannia enter the Indian Ocean on June 7 after leaving the coast of Peru for only 8 days?Paganel has a reasonable answer to this question, which is unlikely to be objected to by the best contrary view. It was the night of December 12th, six days since I left Amsterdam.The Glenarvans, the Grants, the major, and the captain were all gossiping in the cabin.As always, the Britannia was the crew's sole concern.During the discussion, the above-mentioned question was raised, and everyone seemed to have poured a basin of ice water on their heads when they mentioned it.

Paganel raised his head immediately when he was caught off guard by such a question.Then, go to the file without saying a word.When he came back, he just shrugged his shoulders, as if one were stumped by a "little innocence". "You shrug, my dear scholar, that there is an error in the non-questionable question, and in that case you must have an answer," said the Sir. "Don't worry," said the geographer, "I'll ask the captain a question first." "Go ahead, Monsieur Paganel," said the captain. "Can a speedboat cross the Pacific Ocean from America to Oceania in one month?"

"Yes, if you sail at a speed of 110 kilometers per day." "Is it the fastest speed?" "No, the Clipper is much faster than that." "Then, all right!" the geographer said again, "there is a big gap between the words June 7th on the document, is it really June 7th?! If the sea water erodes the word before the 7th It was dropped, it turned out to be June 17 or June 27, wouldn't the problem be solved?" "Yes!" replied Lady Helene, "from the 31st of May to the 27th of June..." "The Britannia had plenty of time to cross the Pacific and reach the Indian Ocean!"

All accepted with great satisfaction the learned geographer's explanation. "I figured it out a little more!" said the Sir, "thanks to the assistance of our friend. Now, we have to go to Oceania and look for Captain Grant on the west coast." "Does it have to be on the West Coast?" Mengele asked. "Yes, the captain is right. There is nothing in the papers to indicate that the wrecked ship was on the west coast instead of the east coast. Therefore, our search targets should be located on the east and west ends of the Oceanian coast at the 37th parallel."

"So, isn't there another problem, Sir?" asked Miss Mary. "Oh, no, madam," answered the captain hastily.His words relieved Miss Mary's doubts. "Your Excellency, please note that if the Britannia is anchored on the east coast of Oceania, he should be rescued and helped immediately. Because almost all the people in this area are British and live in British expatriates. Captain Grant can't walk 16 kilometers You can meet your fellow countrymen.” "Yes, Captain Menger," said Paganel, "I agree with you. Captain Grant would not only have found a place in the English colony, but at Eden Town, in Tuff Bay on the east coast, And will find transport back to Europe."

"So," said Lady Helene, "if we were to go to the west coast of Oceania, the shipwreck wouldn't find the same convenience?" "Yes, ma'am," answered the geographer, "there is no road to Adelaide or Melbourne in that coastal desert. If Grant's ship is wrecked, it will not be rescued, just as it is on the unforgiving beaches of Africa. It's like being shipwrecked." "Well," asked Miss Mary, "how has my father lived for two years?" "My dear lady," replied the geographer, "you always think that after the shipwreck, your father's landing in Oceania was impossible." Isn't that the problem?"

"Yes, Monsieur Paganel." "So, what happened to Captain Grant after he landed? I guess there are three possibilities: either he and his companions went to the British immigration area; or they fell into the hands of the local natives; or they got lost in the desert in Oceania..." Paganel spoke for a long time, then stopped suddenly to see if the people were looking for approval or disapproval of the conjecture. "Go on, sir," Sir encouraged him. "First," he went on, "I deny the first theory. It is impossible for Captain Grant to go to the British immigration area. Otherwise, his safety will not be a problem, and he should have returned to his hometown and reunited with his relatives long ago."

"Poor father!" said the girl to herself, "he has been away from us for two years." "Let Monsieur Paganel go on, sister," said little Robert, "he will tell us at last--" "Ah, my children! I cannot tell you anything definite. All I can say is that your father was taken captive by the natives of Oceania, or..." "Will these natives...?" Mrs. Helen was anxious. "Don't worry, ma'am." He knew what Madam Helen was going to say. "Although these natives are uncivilized and stupid, they are gentle in nature and not as aggressive as their neighbors on the New Zealand islands. If the shipwrecked crew were captured by them, they would never be life-threatening I can assure you of this. All the travelers have affirmed with one voice: the natives of Oceania are most afraid of bloodshed, and on several occasions, the travelers joined forces with them to repel the attacks of groups of exiled prisoners.

They are faithful and reliable, but the prisoners are cruel and inhumane. " "Did you hear Paganel?" said Lady Helene to Miss Mary, "if your father fell into the hands of the natives, we shall find him, and the papers seem to tell us that he fell into the hands of the natives." of." "What if he gets lost in the desert?" the girl continued.Inquiring eyes fixed on the geographer. "Lost, and we'll find him too, won't we, friends?" the geographer answered her confidently. "Undoubtedly," replied Sir, turning the pessimistic trend of the conversation. "I don't believe that humans really lose their way..." "I don't believe it either," the geographer confirmed again. "Is Oceania big, then?" asked little Robert. "Oceania, my child, is about 7.75 million square kilometers, which is equivalent to four-fifths of the size of Europe." "Is it that big?" McNabbs asked rhetorically. "It is indeed that big, Mr. Major, and it is only a yard away. The word "Continent" is written on the document. You should believe that this piece of land is qualified to receive the Continent. title? ! " "It's so big, of course it can be called a continent." "I should add," continued Paganel, "that there are not many examples of travelers lost in vast regions. The only one I know of is Reshad, whose whereabouts are unknown. Some time before my departure, in the The Geographical Society hears that traces of him have been found." "Hasn't the continent of Australia been fully explored?" asked Lady Helene. "Not yet, ma'am. It's not far off! People don't know as much about the interior of this continent as Africa does, but it's not man's fault, but heaven doesn't recognize explorers. From 1606 to 1862, in No less than 50 people engaged in exploration work in the interior of the mainland or along the coast." "Ah, more than fifty," said MacNabbs suspiciously. "Yes, sir, don't you believe me? I am including the crew of the adventure trial and the traveler of the continental expedition." "Isn't 50 too much?" the major retorted. "You talk too much, I don't think enough!" Geographers are always like this, when people sing against him, they look very excited. "Then say it!" "If you don't believe me, I can name fifty of them right away." "Ah! Calm down, geographer, we speak responsibly!" "Major, will you bet your carbine against my telescope?" "What dare I, Paganel, if you like it?!" "Okay! It's a deal! If you lose, you can no longer shoot antelopes and foxes with a carbine. Unless I lend you .However, if you want to borrow it, I will still borrow it." "Paganel, it's still unknown who will win the battle, and you don't have much hope to win against me." "Well, let's begin," said the geographer, raising his voice. "Ladies and gentlemen, I invite you to judge. You, little Robert, will be the counter." The captain, the major, and the captain all cheered and eagerly awaited the result of the debate.At the center of this debate is Oceania, which is exactly where the Duncan is going. At this time, it is very appropriate to talk about its history.Paganel, therefore, is begged to immediately begin to show his memory. "Nimsin, god of memory!" he began to cry, "mother of the goddess of art and art, give me, your faithful and devout worshiper, inspiration! 250 years ago, my friends, who didn't know There is Oceania! From the 17th century, in 1606, countless navigators and explorers set foot on this land. In this year, the Spanish navigator Queiroz discovered it and named it Australia of the Holy Spirit. Luo Burr, take the navigator's name, and I'll give you the second." "Take note," said Robert. "In the same year, Torres, the second-in-command of Queiroz's fleet, went to the south of those new lands to survey. However, the great discovery is attributed to the Dutchman Hightoge. He landed at 25 degrees south-west latitude and put the land Name it Endra. After him, there will be many navigators, such as Qishen, Erdedol, Nez, Carpenta...etc." Paganel went on and on and on. He took a sip of water, and continued: "That's the end, I will talk about the British now. In 1680, the leader of the rogue who hunted bison in the Americas, ran across the South Pacific in Dambel. He worked for many years with bittersweet, After narrowly escaping death, he ran to the northwest of Australia on the Sine, where he made friends with the aborigines and gave a complete description of their poverty, customs, and wisdom. In 1699, when he returned to Hightower During the reign, it was no longer a pirate, but a captain of the Royal Navy. In the next 70 years, no navigator came here again. Until 1700, Captain Cook appeared on this land. Since then, Australia opened its doors to welcome European immigrants. Captain Cook was a great navigator, and he made three sensational voyages. The astronomical phenomenon passing in front of the sun wheel), and almost died on the bottom of the sea. Once, the ship hit a rock and almost sank. Fortunately, a piece of coral embedded in the leaking gap and blocked the head of the water. His greatest discovery was to find the world's largest The Marginal Sea——the Coral Sea, and passed by here many times. But unfortunately, the last voyage was lost in the Sanvilia Islands." Then, he cited a group of famous navigators, such as Captain Philip, Bass The Colonel, Lieutenant Federing, etc., fully demonstrated his amazing memory. By this time, Paganel was so tired that his mouth was parched and smoke was coming from his throat.He asked Robert how many names. "It's 56!" "Major, I'll let you hear as much as I want, because I haven't mentioned Guberly, Bogenville, Rodzieder, Vikum..." "Enough," said the major, overwhelmed by the sheer number. "I haven't mentioned Peilu and Kuoyi yet," Paganel counted on, like a fast train, "and Bernard, Terriga, Ning Kehan..." "forgive me!" "That's the end of the count," said Sir, interceding on behalf of the major. "It's McNabbs' luck. He started to push too hard, but he's given up now." "Where is his carbine?" asked Paganel, triumphantly. "Of course it's yours," McNabbs replied, "of course I don't want to part with it, but I can't help it. Your memory is so good that you can win even an armory!" "As for the history of Australia," said Mrs. Helen Said, "It is impossible for anyone to remember more clearly and in detail than he does. Even a small place or person, a most minute fact..." "Oh! The tiniest fact!" The major shook his head in disbelief. "You don't agree, Mr. Major," cried the geographer. "I mean lots of little facts about Oceania, maybe you don't know all of them." "It's unreasonable!" said the geographer with a straight chest, expressing great confidence. "Would you give me back my carbine if I brought up a fact you don't know?" asked the major. "Say it!" "Keep your word?" "certainly!" "Good. Do you know why Australia is not part of France?" "This, I think is..." "Or, at least, what reasons the English have given for the matter." "I can't tell, Major," replied the Geographer ruefully. "The reason is very simple. It's just because your not-so-cowardly compatriot, Captain Ball, was terrified when he heard the frogs croaking in Oceania in 1802. He left the anchor and never looked back." "What!" exclaimed Paganel, "that's what people say in England? It's a complete hoax!" "A hoax, I admit," replied McNabbs, "but in Great Britain it is a historical fact." "Boring! Boring!" the patriotic geographer couldn't take it anymore, "do people really say that now?!" "That's true, and I have to tell you the truth. My dear Doctor of Geography," replied Sir, to the general laughter, "but how come you don't know anything about this historical fact?" "I don't know that. But I protest! The British usually call the French people who love frogs. How can you eat frogs and be afraid of them? Nonsense!" "Truths are truths, facts are facts ’” McNabbs replied with a modest smile. And so it was, the snatched carbine remained in the hands of its master, Major McNabbs. On the third day of the bet, the captain made his calculations at noon, and reported that the Duncan was at longitude 130° 37' east.The passengers looked at the chart and felt very satisfied knowing that they were very close to Bainuyijiao.Between Cape Penuil and Cape Dantelgas, the coast of Oceania is like a bow, and the 37th parallel is like a bowstring.Had the Duncan headed for the equator, she would have reached Cape Chatham in no time. But at the moment, it is sailing eastward in the Indian Ocean, which is blocked from wind and waves by the Australian mainland. It is estimated that Cape Benoy will appear on the horizon in four days.Until then, it was all supported by West Wind.However, in recent days, the wind has tended to weaken and is now gradually falling. On December 13th, the wind died down, and the sail was clinging to the mast. Had it not been for her powerful steam turbines, the Duncan would have been stranded in this endless ocean. This lack of wind could continue indefinitely.In the evening the jazz spoke to the captain about the matter.Seeing that the ship's coal was running out, the young captain seemed disturbed by the weakening of the wind.He stretched all the sails on the ship, even the small sails and auxiliary sails, hoping to use even the slightest wind.But there was not even a wind to "fill a hat," as sailors say. "Anyway, let's not complain to God," said the sergeant. "No wind is better than a headwind!" "Your Excellency is right," replied Captain John, "but this sudden calm is a sign that the sky is about to change, so I am anxious. We are sailing on the edge of the monsoon region, which lasts from October to the following year. April is a northeasterly wind, and if it blows even a little, my voyage will be greatly delayed." "Then what can I do?! If this really happens, I have no choice but to endure it, and at most it will only delay for a few days." "Naturally, if the headwind doesn't bring a storm." "Are you afraid the sky is about to change?" said Sir, watching the sky, which was cloudless. "Yes, I'm afraid the weather is about to change," replied the captain. "I can only tell your lordship this. I don't want Lady Helene and Miss Mary to hear it and make them panic." "You're thoughtful, but what's there to be afraid of?" "I'm afraid a storm is really coming. Don't trust appearances in the sky, because appearances are often unreliable. For two days, the barometer has been worryingly low, and now it is only 0.73 meters. This alarm must be ignored. I have tasted storms in the southern Indian Ocean. The condensation of vapors from the Antarctic icebergs produces an extremely violent attraction, from which the polar and equatorial winds clash, producing cyclones, hurricanes, and storms of all kinds. ’” “Menger,” said the sergeant, “the Duncan is a strong ship, and the captain is a capable seaman; let the storm come, and we shall have a way of dealing with it!” The captain's apprehension and fear are instinctive among the crew.He is what the British call a "weather master".The constant dipping of the weather gauge made him take every precaution on board. He expected a violent storm to come.There were no signs in the sky at present, but the infallible weather watch would not deceive him.Generally, airflow in the sky flows from high latitudes to low latitudes, and the closer the distance between the two places, the greater the horizontal gradient force and the faster the wind speed. The captain stayed on deck all night.Towards eleven o'clock, patches of cloud appeared in the southern sky.Menger brought up all the sailors and lowered the small sails except for the mainsail, schooner, jib and tacksail.In the middle of the night, the wind was strong and strong, moving at a speed of 20 meters per second.The rattling of the mast, the snapping of the rigging, and the moaning of the ship's cabin, all these made the passengers who had never known the storm know what was going on.Geographers, Sirs, Majors, and Roberts all went on deck, some out of curiosity, some ready to contribute.When they went to bed, the sky was cloudless and starry, but now it was cloudy and windy. "Is it a hurricane?" Jazz asked Mengele loudly. "Not yet, it's coming." At this time, the captain ordered the lower constriction of the jib to be furled.The sailors climbed up the ladder, and with great difficulty reeled up the underboss of the jib, tied it with rigging, and tied it to the lowered sail stand.Menger wanted to keep as much sail as possible in order to balance the cruise ship and ease the degree of side-to-side roll. This preparation was done, and the captain ordered Austin and the boatswain to prepare for the coming hurricane.The ropes of the bridle and the hawsers of the plank-mast were doubled, the tackles of the guns were fastened, the shrouds and backstays were taut, and the holes were shut tight.Like a general beside the cannon, Menger never left the windshield side of the ship's deck. He watched the sky full of wind and clouds from the top of the cabin, as if he wanted to drill out the secret of the weather. At this time, the barometer was already as low as 36 centimeters, which was rare in the past. At the same time, the color of the storm mirror also indicated the coming of the storm. It was one o'clock in the morning, and Lady Helene and Miss Mary felt so jolted in the room that they ventured out onto the deck.At this time, the wind speed reached 28 meters per second, beating the cable extremely violently, as if beating the strings of a musical instrument, making a rapid vibrating sound; the pulleys also collided with each other; There was a sharp noise; the canvas was bouncing back and forth; Mengele caught a glimpse of the two female passengers, walked up to them quickly, and asked them to go back to the cabin.There have been several waves hitting the ship, and the deck may be washed away at any time.The roar of the wind and waves was so loud that Lady Helen could hardly hear the captain's words. "Is there any danger?" she asked, taking advantage of the calm of the waves. "There is no danger, ma'am, please go back immediately!" Mrs. Helen and Miss Mary couldn't resist this pleading order, and they all went back to the cabin.At this time, a big wave rolled under the stern mast, shaking the cabin glass around them.At the same time, the wind became stronger.The masts were bent under the pressure of the sails, and the cruise ship seemed to jump over the waves. "Fill up the mainsail!" cried Mengele, "lower the jib and touch the sail!" The sailors went back to their posts.The halyards were loose, the furlings were twisted tight, and the jigsaws were pulled down with the cables, louder than the sound of the wind.Then the smoke from the Duncan's chimney belched thick smoke, and the fenders of the steam gun slapped the waves lightly and hard, sometimes sticking out of the water. Grenadain, the Major, Paganel, and Robert watched the Duncan struggling with the waves, admiring and horrified, and they clung to the rails so tightly that they could not exchange a word with each other.They watched a large group of seabirds soaring in the strong wind. This kind of storm bird flew more vigorously when the wind and waves got bigger, which made people's hearts jump. Suddenly heard a deafening "chi chi" sound, higher than the sound of the storm.The steam spurted violently, and the siren of the alarm screamed strangely.The cruise ship swayed suddenly and tilted terribly. Wilson was holding on to the rudder when he was knocked down by the rudder.The Duncan ran across the wave and lost control. "What's wrong?" Mengele yelled, running to the podium. "The boat fell asleep!" Austin was always so humorous. "Is the rudder knocked out?" "Save the machine! Save the machine!" cried the mechanic's voice. Mengele ran to the machine room again, running and rolling down the ladder.A cloud of steam filled the machine room: the pistons were motionless in the cylinders; the linkage could not move the cross shaft.At this time, the mechanic saw that the connecting rod had lost its function, and was afraid that the cylinder would explode, so he simply closed the valve to let the steam escape from the exhaust pipe. "What happened?" Mengele asked. "The steam turbine is bent or stuck," replied the mechanic, "and it won't turn." "Why, can't you get it out if it's embedded?" "impossible." Now is not the time to rush to repair this accidental loss, the steam engine stopped running, the steam escaped from the valve, and it no longer worked.The captain, therefore, had no choice but to use the sails, and get some help from that which became his dangerous enemy, the wind. He ran to the deck again and briefly reported the situation to Jazz.Then, Sir please take the other three back to the cabin.Glenarvan insisted on refusing. "No, sir," said Mengele firmly, "I must be here alone with the crew. Get in! The ship may sometimes be buried in the waves, but the waves are ruthless and will sweep you in." "But, we can also help..." "Go in! Go in! Go in, sir! In a way, I'm in charge of the ship! Go back to the cabin, I want you to do." Mengele said firmly and decisively that the situation must be very serious. Sir knew that he should lead by example and obey first.So he left the deck with his three companions.They came to the two ladies, the two female passengers who were anxiously awaiting the outcome of their struggle with the wind and the sea. "Mengele is a brave and strong man!" said the Sir as he entered the square hall. "Yes!" echoed the geographer, "he reminds me of the anchorman in the great Shakespeare's The Tempest, who shouts to the king in his galley: Go away! Be quiet." !Go back to the cabin! If you can't calm these storms, don't talk! Get out of my way, I tell you!" At this time, Mengele didn't waste a second, he tried his best to find a way to free the ship from the dangerous situation.He decided to sail with light sails so that the ship would not be blown off course.Therefore, some sails have to be hoisted on the ship and drawn obliquely so that it is exposed to the wind on its side.The foresails were stretched out, the sails lowered, and a jib was hoisted on the secondary mast, with the tiller pointing to the leeward side. That pleasure boat already had very good driving performance, and it was blown by the strong wind as fast as a fast horse, and let the wind blow and the waves beat.Can the sail be supported with such a small reduction?The sails were of the finest Dundee sail-cloth; but the wind was so violent that nothing good could stand it! The advantage of leaning in with the wind force with the smallest sail is that the strongest part of the hull faces the waves and maintains the original course.However, such driving is not without danger, for the boat may fall into a wide and deep groove between two waves and cannot get up.However, Menger had no choice at this time, so he had to use the method of sailing with a small sail, as long as the mast and sail were not knocked down by the wind.The crew was before him, ready to go wherever he needed them.The captain tied himself with ropes to the shrouds, and watched the furious sea. The night was spent like this.It was hoped that the storm would die down by daylight.But hopes were dashed.Towards eight o'clock in the morning, the wind was stronger than ever and became a hurricane. Mengele said nothing, but he was worried about the safety of the ship and everyone on board.The Duncan was heeling so badly that the stanchions of the deck creaked and sometimes the waves hit the outspouts of the mainmast.For a while, the whole crew thought the ship could not get up!When the sail was blown out of the frame, like a great white gull about to fly away, some sailors were already with axes to cut the shrouds of the big mast. The boat floated again, but it couldn't keep up with the waves, and it had no direction. It was very bumpy, and the mast was almost broken.It is impossible to go on like this, the hull can no longer bear it, and as long as the side plates fall apart and the seams crack, waves will rush in. The captain now has only one way: to pull up a triangular sail and let the wind blow.I don't know how many times this small sail was pulled, and it took several hours to pull it together.It was not until 3 o'clock in the afternoon that the jib sail was pulled on the auxiliary pole of the mainmast, and it was at the mercy of the wind. Thus, the Duncan was towed under the action of a small canvas, and it began to fly at an incalculable speed.And that was it, heading northeast where the storm had driven it.It must maintain maximum speed, because only by speed can you gain safety.Sometimes, it would jump over the waves, cut the waves with its sharp tip, and get in like a whale. The waves swept across the deck, from bow to stern.At times it was going as fast as the waves, and the rudder had lost its effect, and it lurched left and right, almost turning the boat over.Sometimes, driven by a hurricane, the waves were faster than they were, so that the waves jumped higher than the top of the ship, and swept the deck from bow to stern with unstoppable fury. I spent a day and a night on December 15th in such a dangerous situation. Sometimes I counted it as a little hope, and then I was disappointed.The captain didn't leave his post for a while, and didn't eat anything. Although he kept calm on the surface, he was panicked in his heart, and his eyes were always fixed on the hazy fog in the north. Is not it, all dangers are possible.The Duncan was shot off course and headed for the coast of Oceania at an uncontrollable speed.It was natural for the captain to feel that a disaster was threatening him.He was always afraid of hitting the rocks and crashing, and he would be smashed to pieces.He estimated that the distance from the coast of Oceania before the wind should not be less than 10 kilometers. However, in this case, landing on the shore is a disaster and a shipwreck.Running in the boundless sea is a thousand times better than hitting the rocks, because although the waves are fast, there is always a way to defend yourself, at least you can obey them; Mengele found Sir and had a special talk with him.He made no pretense, explaining the present situation; he was a sailor who was not afraid of sacrifice, and would face the reality with great composure; finally, he said that it might be necessary to let the Duncan crash towards the shore. "You may do as you see fit in order to save the ship," said the sergeant. "What about Lady Helen? What about Miss Grant?" continued the captain. "I'll tell them at the last minute. Let me know when there's really no hope for the ship." "Of course I will inform you then, sir!" Sir returned to the ladies.The female passenger also felt that the danger was coming, but she didn't know the extent of the danger.They also showed a lot of courage, at least not below their male counterparts.At this time, the geographer gave an untimely lecture on the theory of atmospheric circulation, and little Robert listened with his ears straight.He told Robert Jr. many interesting comparisons between the West African Cyclone, the Shoforn, and the Typhoon Straight.As for McNabbs, he sighed with a fatalistic view, waiting for the end of the world to come. Towards eleven o'clock the storm seemed to soften a little, and the wet mist parted.In the rapid clarity, the captain saw a low-lying land three kilometers to leeward.The boat was running towards the land, and the turbid waves in front of it washed the sky, which was surprisingly high.Mengele immediately understood that the wave jumped so high when it encountered a solid resistance. "There's a reef," he said to Austin. "I think so, too," replied the mate. "Our lives are in God's hands," added the captain, "and if there is a gap in the reef for the Duncan to sail through, and if God can't line the ship with that gap, we're lost." "The tide is high at this moment, perhaps we can cross, Captain." "Look how high that wave jumps, Austin, and what boat can get over it? Just pray to God to help us, man!" Meanwhile the Duncan, with its little jibs driven by the wind, was racing with frightening speed.After a while, it was only 2 kilometers away from the dark beach, and the water vapor covered the captain's eyes.But Mengele could still see a calm surface beyond the foamy water.It would be more complete if the Duncan could get there.But how can you get in?The captain invited all the passengers to the deck, and he didn't want to lock them up in the cabin when the ship sank.The jazz and his traveling companions looked at the monstrous waves.Miss Mary turned pale with fright. "Mengele," said Sir softly, "I tried to save my wife, and if I couldn't save her, I died together; you are in charge of Miss Mary." "That's all, sir," replied the captain, taking Sir's hand to his tearful eyes. The Duncan came closer to the beach.The tide was high at that time, and it was possible to carry the boat across the dark beach when there was enough water at the bottom of the boat.However, the waves are too big, and if the boat is thrown up and down again, the rear of the hull will inevitably hit the rocks.Can't make the waves lower and the water smoother?In short, it is enough to calm down the turmoil. Mengele finally thought of a way. "Oil!" he cried. "Oil, friends! Oil!" The meaning of this sentence was immediately understood by the crew.This is the tactic that leads to success: a raging wave will subside if it is covered with a layer of oil, which floats on the water, lubricating the waves and reducing their turmoil.This method works quickly, but the effectiveness wears off quickly.After a ship passed by on the artificially calm sea, the violent waves surged more violently than before, and might pose a fatal threat to the following ships. Many large barrels containing seal oil rolled to the bow, and the crew seemed to increase their strength a hundred times at the moment of escaping from death. They hacked the barrels with axes and hung them over the railings on the starboard and starboard sides. "Ready!" cried Mengele, waiting for the right moment. In only 20 seconds, the boat reached the gap where the roaring water waves blocked the boat from entering.Now is the time. "Do it!" At the command of the captain, the oil drums were dumped together, and the oil gushed out of the wooden barrels.All of a sudden, the piece of oil pushed down the white-capped sea.The Duncan flicked past the flattened water, and in the blink of an eye, she sailed into the calm waters.At this time, the ocean surface behind the ship broke free from the shackles of the oil layer and rolled more violently.