×

We use cookies to help make LingQ better. By visiting the site, you agree to our cookie policy.

Start learning this lesson now
image

A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder, Chapter 1. The Finding of the Copper Cylinder

Chapter 1. The Finding of the Copper Cylinder

It occurred as far back as February 15, 1850. It happened on that day that the yacht Falcon lay becalmed upon the ocean between the Canaries and the Madeira Islands. This yacht Falcon was the property of Lord Featherstone, who, being weary of life in England, had taken a few congenial friends for a winter's cruise in these southern latitudes. They had visited the Azores, the Canaries, and the Madeira Islands, and were now on their way to the Mediterranean.

The wind had failed, a deep calm had succeeded, and everywhere, as far as the eye could reach, the water was smooth and glassy. The yacht rose and fell at the impulse of the long ocean undulations, and the creaking of the spars sounded out a lazy accompaniment to the motion of the vessel. All around was a watery horizon, except in the one place only, toward the south, where far in the distance the Peak of Teneriffe rose into the air.

The profound calm, the warm atmosphere, the slow pitching of the yacht, and the dull creaking of the spars all combined to lull into a state of indolent repose the people on board. Forward were the crew; some asleep, others smoking, others playing cards. At the stern were Oxenden, the intimate friend of Featherstone, and Dr. Congreve, who had come in the double capacity of friend and medical attendant. These two, like the crew, were in a state of dull and languid repose. Suspended between the two masts, in an Indian hammock, lay Featherstone, with a cigar in his mouth and a novel in his hand, which he was pretending to read. The fourth member of the party, Melick, was seated near the mainmast, folding some papers in a peculiar way. His occupation at length attracted the roving eyes of Featherstone, who poked forth his head from his hammock, and said in a sleepy voice:

"I say, Melick, you're the most energetic fellah I ever saw. By Jove! you're the only one aboard that's busy. What are you doing?" "Paper boats," said Melick, in a business-like tone. "Paper boats! By Jove!" said Featherstone. "What for?" "I'm going to have a regatta," said Melick. "Anything to kill time, you know." "By Jove!" exclaimed Featherstone again, raising himself higher in his hammock, "that's not a bad idea. A wegatta! By Jove! glowious! glowious! I say, Oxenden, did you hear that?" "What do you mean by a regatta?" asked Oxenden, lazily.

"Oh, I mean a race with these paper boats. We can bet on them, you know." At this Featherstone sat upright, with his legs dangling out of the hammock.

"By Jove!" he exclaimed again. "Betting! So we can. Do you know, Melick, old chap, I think that's a wegular piece of inspiration. A wegatta! and we can bet on the best boat." "But there isn't any wind," said Oxenden. "Well, you know, that's the fun of it," said Melick, who went solemnly on as he spoke, folding his paper boats; "that's the fun of it. For you see if there was a wind we should be going on ourselves, and the regatta couldn't come off; but, as it is, the water is just right. You pick out your boat, and lay your bet on her to race to some given point." "A given point? But how can we find any?" "Oh, easily enough; something or anything--a bubble'll do, or we can pitch out a bit of wood." Upon this Featherstone descended from his perch, and came near to examine the proceedings, while the other two, eager to take advantage of the new excitement, soon joined him. By this time Melick had finished his paper boats. There were four of them, and they were made of different colors, namely, red, green, yellow, and white.

"I'll put these in the water," said Melick, "and then we can lay our bets on them as we choose. But first let us see if there is anything that can be taken as a point of arrival. If there isn't anything, I can pitch out a bit of wood, in any direction which may seem best." Saying this, he went to the side, followed by the others, and all looked out carefully over the water.

"There's a black speck out there," said Oxenden. "So there is," said Featherstone. "That'll do. I wonder what it is?" "Oh, a bit of timber," said Melick. "Probably the spar of some ship." "It don't look like a spar," said the doctor; "it's only a round spot, like the float of some net." "Oh, it's a spar," said Melick. "It's one end of it, the rest is under water." The spot thus chosen was a dark, circular object, about a hundred yards away, and certainly did look very much like the extremity of some spar, the rest of which was under water. Whatever it was, however, it served well enough for their present purpose, and no one took any further interest in it, except as the point toward which the paper boats should run in their eventful race.

Melick now let himself down over the side, and placed the paper boats on the water as carefully as possible. After this the four stood watching the little fleet in silence. The water was perfectly still, and there was no perceptible wind, but there were draughts of air caused by the rise and fall of the yacht, and these affected the tiny boats. Gradually they drew apart, the green one drifting astern, the yellow one remaining under the vessel, while the red and the white were carried out in the direction where they were expected to go, with about a foot of space between them.

"Two to one on the red!" cried Featherstone, betting on the one which had gained the lead.

"Done," said Melick, promptly taking his offer. Oxenden made the same bet, which was taken by Melick and the doctor.

Other bets were now made as to the direction which they would take, as to the distance by which the red would beat the white, as to the time which would be occupied by the race, and as to fifty other things which need not be mentioned. All took part in this; the excitement rose high and the betting went on merrily. At length it was noticed that the white was overhauling the red. The excitement grew intense; the betting changed its form, but was still kept up, until at last the two paper boats seemed blended together in one dim spot which gradually faded out of sight.

It was now necessary to determine the state of the race, so Featherstone ordered out the boat. The four were soon embarked, and the men rowed out toward the point which had been chosen as the end of the race. On coming near they found the paper boats stuck together, saturated with water, and floating limp on the surface. An animated discussion arose about this. Some of the bets were off, but others remained an open question, and each side insisted upon a different view of the case. In the midst of this, Featherstone's attention was drawn to the dark spot already mentioned as the goal of the race.

"That's a queer-looking thing," said he, suddenly. "Pull up, lads, a little; let's see what it is. It doesn't look to me like a spar." The others, always on the lookout for some new object of interest, were attracted by these words, and looked closely at the thing in question. The men pulled. The boat drew nearer.

"It's some sort of floating vessel," said Oxenden. "It's not a spar," said Melick, who was at the bow. And as he said this he reached out and grasped at it. He failed to get it, and did no more than touch it. It moved easily and sank, but soon came up again. A second time he grasped at it, and with both hands. This time he caught it, and then lifted it out of the water into the boat. These proceedings had been watched with the deepest interest; and now, as this curious floating thing made its appearance among them, they all crowded around it in eager excitement.

"It looks like a can of preserved meat," said the doctor. "It certainly is a can," said Melick, "for it's made of metal; but as to preserved meat, I have my doubts." The article in question was made of metal and was cylindrical in shape. It was soldered tight and evidently contained something. It was about eighteen inches long and eight wide. The nature of the metal was not easily perceptible, for it was coated with slime, and covered over about half its surface with barnacles and sea-weed. It was not heavy, and would have floated higher out of the water had it not been for these encumbrances.

"It's some kind of preserved meat," said the doctor. "Perhaps something good--game, I dare say--yes, Yorkshire game-pie. They pot all sorts of things now." "If it's game," said Oxenden, "it'll be rather high by this time. Man alive! look at those weeds and shells. It must have been floating for ages." "It's my belief," said Featherstone, "that it's part of the provisions laid in by Noah for his long voyage in the ark. So come, let's open it, and see what sort of diet the antediluvians had." "It may be liquor," said Oxenden. Melick shook his head.

"No," said he; "there's something inside, but whatever it is, it isn't liquor. It's odd, too. The thing is of foreign make, evidently. I never saw anything like it before. It may be Chinese." "By Jove!" cried Featherstone, "this is getting exciting. Let's go back to the yacht and open it." The men rowed back to the yacht.

"It's meat of some sort," continued the doctor. "I'm certain of that. It has come in good time. We can have it for dinner." "You may have my share, then," said Oxenden. "I hereby give and bequeath to you all my right, title, and interest in and to anything in the shape of meat that may be inside." "Meat cans," said Melick, "are never so large as that." "Oh, I don't know about that," said the doctor, "they make up pretty large packages of pemmican for the arctic expeditions." "But they never pack up pemmican in copper cylinders," said Melick, who had been using his knife to scrape off the crust from the vessel. "Copper!" exclaimed Oxenden. "Is it copper?" "Look for yourselves," said Melick, quietly. They all looked, and could see, where the knife had cut into the vessel, that it was as he said. It was copper.

"It's foreign work," said Melick. "In England we make tin cans for everything. It may be something that's drifted out from Mogadore or some port in Morocco." "In that case," said Oxenden, "it may contain the mangled remains of one of the wives of some Moorish pasha." By this time they had reached the yacht and hurried aboard. All were eager to satisfy their curiosity. Search was made for a cold-chisel, but to no purpose. Then Featherstone produced a knife which was used to open sardine boxes, but after a faithful trial this proved useless. At length Melick, who had gone off in search of something more effective, made his appearance armed with an axe. With this he attacked the copper cylinder, and by means of a few dexterous blows succeeded in cutting it open. Then he looked in.

"What do you see?" asked Featherstone.

"Something," said Melick, "but I can't quite make it out." "If you can't make it out, then shake it out," said Oxenden. Upon this Melick took the cylinder, turned it upside down, shook it smartly, and then lifted it and pounded it against the deck. This served to loosen the contents, which seemed tightly packed, but came gradually down until at length they could be seen and drawn forth. Melick drew them forth, and the contents of the mysterious copper cylinder resolved themselves into two packages.

The sight of these packages only served to intensify their curiosity. If it had been some species of food it would at once have revealed itself, but these packages suggested something more important. What could they be? Were there treasures inside--jewels, or golden ornaments from some Moorish seraglio, or strange coin from far Cathay?

One of the packages was very much larger than the other. It was enclosed in wrappers made of some coarse kind of felt, bound tight with strong cords. The other was much smaller, and, was folded in the same material without being bound. This Melick seized and began to open.

"Wait a minute," said Featherstone. "Let's make a bet on it. Five guineas that it's some sort of jewels!" "Done," said Oxenden. Melick opened the package, and it was seen that Featherstone had lost. There were no jewels, but one or two sheets of something that looked like paper. It was not paper, however, but some vegetable product which was used for the same purpose. The surface was smooth, but the color was dingy, and the lines of the vegetable fibres were plainly discernible. These sheets were covered with writing.

"Halloa!" cried Melick. "Why, this is English!" At this the others crowded around to look on, and Featherstone in his excitement forgot that he had lost his bet. There were three sheets, all covered with writing--one in English, another in French, and a third in German. It was the same message, written in these three different languages. But at that moment they scarcely noticed this. All that they saw was the message itself, with its mysterious meaning.

It was as follows:

"To the finder of this: "Sir,-- I am an Englishman, and have been carried by a series of incredible events to a land from which escape is as impossible as from the grave. I have written this and committed it to the sea, in the hope that the ocean currents may bear it within the reach of civilized man. Oh, unknown friend! whoever you are. I entreat you to let this message be made known in some way to my father, Henry More, Keswick, Cumberland, England, so that he may learn the fate of his son. The MS. accompanying this contains an account of my adventures, which I should like to have forwarded to him. Do this for the sake of that mercy which you may one day wish to have shown to yourself.

"ADAM MORE." "By Jove!" cried Featherstone, as he read the above, "this is really getting to be something tremendous." "This other package must be the manuscript," said Oxenden, "and it'll tell all about it." "Such a manuscript'll be better than meat," said the doctor, sententiously. Melick said nothing, but, opening his knife, he cut the cords and unfolded the wrapper. He saw a great collection of leaves, just like those of the letter, of some vegetable substance, smooth as paper, and covered with writing.

"It looks like Egyptian papyrus," said the doctor. "That was the common paper of antiquity." "Never mind the Egyptian papyrus," said Featherstone, in feverish curiosity. "Let's have the contents of the manuscript. You, Melick, read; you're the most energetic of the lot, and when you're tired the rest of us will take turns." "Read? Why, it'll take a month to read all this," said Melick. "All the better," said Featherstone; "this calm will probably last a month, and we shall have nothing to interest us." Melick made no further objection. He was as excited as the rest, and so he began the reading of the manuscript.

Chapter 1. The Finding of the Copper Cylinder Chapter 1. The Finding of the Copper Cylinder Capítulo 1. A descoberta do cilindro de cobre Глава 1. Находка медного цилиндра Розділ 1. Відкриття мідного циліндра 第一章 銅圓筒的發現

It occurred as far back as February 15, 1850. Cela remonte au 15 février 1850. Het gebeurde al op 15 februari 1850. Это произошло еще 15 февраля 1850 года. It happened on that day that the yacht Falcon lay becalmed upon the ocean between the Canaries and the Madeira Islands. Так случилось, что в тот день яхта Falcon стояла на мели в океане между Канарскими и Мадейрскими островами. 那天，獵鷹號遊艇平靜地停泊在加那利群島和馬德拉群島之間的海面上。 This yacht Falcon was the property of Lord Featherstone, who, being weary of life in England, had taken a few congenial friends for a winter’s cruise in these southern latitudes. Яхта Falcon принадлежала лорду Фезерстоуну, который, устав от жизни в Англии, взял с собой несколько друзей-приятелей для зимнего круиза в эти южные широты. They had visited the Azores, the Canaries, and the Madeira Islands, and were now on their way to the Mediterranean. Они посетили Азорские, Канарские и Мадейрские острова и теперь направлялись в Средиземное море.

The wind had failed, a deep calm had succeeded, and everywhere, as far as the eye could reach, the water was smooth and glassy. Ветра не было, наступил глубокий штиль, и везде, насколько хватало глаз, вода была гладкой и прозрачной. The yacht rose and fell at the impulse of the long ocean undulations, and the creaking of the spars sounded out a lazy accompaniment to the motion of the vessel. Le yacht montait et descendait sous l'impulsion des longues ondulations océaniques, et le grincement des espars résonnait comme un accompagnement paresseux du mouvement du navire. Яхта поднималась и опускалась под напором длинных океанских волн, и скрип лонжеронов звучал ленивым аккомпанементом к движению судна. All around was a watery horizon, except in the one place only, toward the south, where far in the distance the Peak of Teneriffe rose into the air. Вокруг был водяной горизонт, за исключением только одного места, направленного на юг, где вдали в воздух поднималась вершина Тенерифе.

The profound calm, the warm atmosphere, the slow pitching of the yacht, and the dull creaking of the spars all combined to lull into a state of indolent repose the people on board. Le calme profond, l'atmosphère chaleureuse, le tangage lent du yacht et le grincement sourd des espars se sont combinés pour endormir dans un état de repos indolent les gens à bord. Глубокий покой, теплая атмосфера, медленное качание яхты и тусклое скрипучее трение парусов все вместе помогали усыпить людей на борту в состояние ленивого покоя. Forward were the crew; some asleep, others smoking, others playing cards. Впереди был экипаж; кто-то спал, кто-то курил, кто-то играл в карты. At the stern were Oxenden, the intimate friend of Featherstone, and Dr. Congreve, who had come in the double capacity of friend and medical attendant. A la poupe se trouvaient Oxenden, l'ami intime de Featherstone, et le docteur Congreve, qui était venu en double qualité d'ami et de médecin. Aan de achtersteven waren Oxenden, de intieme vriend van Featherstone, en Dr. Congreve, die in de dubbele hoedanigheid van vriend en medisch verzorger was gekomen. На корме находились Оксенден, близкий друг Физерстоуна, и доктор Конгрив, который пришел в двойном качестве друга и медицинского сопровождающего. These two, like the crew, were in a state of dull and languid repose. Эти двое, как и команда, находились в состоянии угнетенного и вялого покоя. Suspended between the two masts, in an Indian hammock, lay Featherstone, with a cigar in his mouth and a novel in his hand, which he was pretending to read. Между двумя мачтами, в индийском гамаке, лежал Фезерстоун с сигарой во рту и романом в руках, который он притворялся читающим. The fourth member of the party, Melick, was seated near the mainmast, folding some papers in a peculiar way. Le quatrième membre du groupe, Melick, était assis près du grand mât, pliant des papiers d'une manière particulière. Het vierde lid van het gezelschap, Melick, zat bij de grote mast en vouwde op een eigenaardige manier wat papieren op. Четвертый член партии, Мелик, сидел возле грот-мачты и складывал какие-то бумаги особым образом. His occupation at length attracted the roving eyes of Featherstone, who poked forth his head from his hammock, and said in a sleepy voice: Son occupation attira enfin les yeux vagabonds de Featherstone, qui sortit la tête de son hamac et dit d'une voix endormie : В конце концов его занятие привлекло блуждающие глаза Фезерстоуна, который высунул голову из своего гамака и сонным голосом произнес:

"I say, Melick, you’re the most energetic fellah I ever saw. "Ik zeg, Melick, je bent de meest energieke kerel die ik ooit heb gezien. "Я говорю, Мелик, ты самый энергичный феллах, которого я когда-либо видел. By Jove! Боже мой! you’re the only one aboard that’s busy. Ты единственный на борту, кто занят. What are you doing?" "Paper boats," said Melick, in a business-like tone. "Paper boats! By Jove!" said Featherstone. "What for?" "I’m going to have a regatta," said Melick. "Я собираюсь устроить регату, - сказал Мелик. "Anything to kill time, you know." "By Jove!" exclaimed Featherstone again, raising himself higher in his hammock, "that’s not a bad idea. воскликнул Фезерстоун, снова приподнимаясь в своем гамаке, - это неплохая идея. A wegatta! Een wegat! Вегатта! By Jove! glowious! gloeiend! светящийся! glowious! I say, Oxenden, did you hear that?" Оксенден, ты слышал это?" "What do you mean by a regatta?" asked Oxenden, lazily.

"Oh, I mean a race with these paper boats. "О, я имею в виду гонки на бумажных корабликах. We can bet on them, you know." Мы можем делать на них ставки, знаете ли". At this Featherstone sat upright, with his legs dangling out of the hammock. À ce moment, Featherstone s'assit debout, les jambes pendantes hors du hamac. При этом Фезерстоун сел прямо, свесив ноги из гамака.

"By Jove!" he exclaimed again. "Betting! "Ставка! So we can. Так что мы можем. Do you know, Melick, old chap, I think that’s a wegular piece of inspiration. Weet je, Melick, ouwe kerel, ik denk dat dat een veelvoorkomend stuk inspiratie is. Знаешь, Мелик, старина, по-моему, это отличная порция вдохновения. A wegatta! and we can bet on the best boat." "But there isn’t any wind," said Oxenden. "Well, you know, that’s the fun of it," said Melick, who went solemnly on as he spoke, folding his paper boats; "that’s the fun of it. "Ну, знаешь, в этом-то все и дело, - сказал Мелик, торжественно продолжая складывать свои бумажные кораблики, - в этом-то все и дело". For you see if there was a wind we should be going on ourselves, and the regatta couldn’t come off; but, as it is, the water is just right. Car, voyez-vous, s'il y avait du vent, nous irions de notre côté, et la régate ne pourrait pas se dérouler ; mais, en l'état, l'eau est juste. Ведь если бы был ветер, мы бы шли сами, и регата не состоялась бы, а так - вода в самый раз. You pick out your boat, and lay your bet on her to race to some given point." Vous choisissez votre bateau et vous misez sur lui pour qu'il coure jusqu'à un point donné." Вы выбираете лодку и делаете ставку на то, что она доплывет до определенной точки". "A given point? "Een gegeven punt? "Точка? But how can we find any?" Но как нам их найти?" "Oh, easily enough; something or anything--a bubble’ll do, or we can pitch out a bit of wood." « Oh, assez facilement ; quelque chose ou n'importe quoi--une bulle fera l'affaire, ou nous pouvons lancer un peu de bois. » "O, gemakkelijk genoeg; iets of iets - een luchtbel is voldoende, of we kunnen een beetje hout werpen." "О, довольно легко; что-нибудь или что-нибудь - пузырь подойдет, или мы можем наколоть немного дров". Upon this Featherstone descended from his perch, and came near to examine the proceedings, while the other two, eager to take advantage of the new excitement, soon joined him. Sur ce, Featherstone descendit de son perchoir et s'approcha pour examiner la procédure, tandis que les deux autres, désireux de profiter de la nouvelle excitation, le rejoignirent bientôt. В этот момент Фезерстоун спустился со своего насеста и подошел поближе, чтобы понаблюдать за происходящим, а двое других, желая воспользоваться новым волнением, вскоре присоединились к нему. By this time Melick had finished his paper boats. There were four of them, and they were made of different colors, namely, red, green, yellow, and white. Их было четыре, и они были сделаны из разных цветов: красного, зеленого, желтого и белого.

"I’ll put these in the water," said Melick, "and then we can lay our bets on them as we choose. "Я опущу их в воду, - сказал Мелик, - и тогда мы сможем делать на них ставки по своему усмотрению". But first let us see if there is anything that can be taken as a point of arrival. Mais voyons d'abord s'il y a quelque chose qui peut être pris comme point d'arrivée. Но сначала давайте посмотрим, есть ли что-то, что можно принять за точку прибытия. If there isn’t anything, I can pitch out a bit of wood, in any direction which may seem best." Если ничего нет, я могу наколоть немного дров в любом направлении, которое покажется наилучшим". Saying this, he went to the side, followed by the others, and all looked out carefully over the water. Сказав это, он отошел в сторону, за ним последовали остальные, и все внимательно оглядели воду.

"There’s a black speck out there," said Oxenden. "Il y a un point noir là-bas", a déclaré Oxenden. "Там есть черное пятно", - сказал Оксенден. "So there is," said Featherstone. "Так и есть, - сказал Фезерстоун. "That’ll do. "Этого хватит. I wonder what it is?" Интересно, что это?" "Oh, a bit of timber," said Melick. "О, немного древесины", - сказал Мелик. "Probably the spar of some ship." "Probablement l'espar d'un navire." 'Waarschijnlijk de rondhouten van een of ander schip.' "It don’t look like a spar," said the doctor; "it’s only a round spot, like the float of some net." « Cela ne ressemble pas à un espar, » a dit le docteur ; « ce n'est qu'une tache ronde, comme le flotteur d'un filet. 'Het ziet er niet uit als een spar,' zei de dokter; "het is maar een ronde plek, zoals de dobber van een net." "Это не похоже на лонжерон, - сказал доктор, - это просто круглое пятно, похожее на поплавок сети". "Oh, it’s a spar," said Melick. "О, это спар, - сказал Мелик. "It’s one end of it, the rest is under water." "Это один конец, остальное под водой". The spot thus chosen was a dark, circular object, about a hundred yards away, and certainly did look very much like the extremity of some spar, the rest of which was under water. Выбранное место представляло собой темный круглый объект на расстоянии около ста ярдов и, конечно, очень походило на оконечность какого-то шпата, остальная часть которого находилась под водой. Whatever it was, however, it served well enough for their present purpose, and no one took any further interest in it, except as the point toward which the paper boats should run in their eventful race. Но чем бы оно ни было, оно достаточно хорошо подходило для их нынешней цели, и никто больше не интересовался им, разве что как точкой, к которой должны были устремиться бумажные кораблики в их богатой событиями гонке.

Melick now let himself down over the side, and placed the paper boats on the water as carefully as possible. Melick se laissa alors tomber sur le côté et plaça les bateaux en papier sur l'eau aussi soigneusement que possible. Теперь Мелик спустился на борт и как можно аккуратнее поставил бумажные кораблики на воду. After this the four stood watching the little fleet in silence. После этого все четверо молча стояли и смотрели на маленький флот. The water was perfectly still, and there was no perceptible wind, but there were draughts of air caused by the rise and fall of the yacht, and these affected the tiny boats. Вода была совершенно неподвижна, и не было ощутимого ветра, но при подъеме и спуске яхты возникали сквозняки, которые воздействовали на крошечные лодки. Gradually they drew apart, the green one drifting astern, the yellow one remaining under the vessel, while the red and the white were carried out in the direction where they were expected to go, with about a foot of space between them. Постепенно они отдалились друг от друга: зеленый дрейфовал за кормой, желтый оставался под судном, а красный и белый неслись в том направлении, куда им предстояло идти, и между ними оставалось около фута пространства.

"Two to one on the red!" cried Featherstone, betting on the one which had gained the lead. воскликнул Фезерстоун, делая ставку на того, кто вырвался вперед.

"Done," said Melick, promptly taking his offer. "Договорились", - сказал Мелик, быстро приняв его предложение. Oxenden made the same bet, which was taken by Melick and the doctor. Оксенден сделал ту же ставку, которую приняли Мелик и доктор.

Other bets were now made as to the direction which they would take, as to the distance by which the red would beat the white, as to the time which would be occupied by the race, and as to fifty other things which need not be mentioned. D'autres paris étaient maintenant faits quant à la direction qu'ils prendraient, quant à la distance par laquelle le rouge battrait le blanc, quant au temps qui serait occupé par la course, et quant à cinquante autres choses qui n'ont pas besoin d'être mentionnées. . Теперь были сделаны другие ставки: на направление, которое они выберут, на расстояние, на котором красные обойдут белых, на время, которое займет гонка, и на пятьдесят других вещей, которые не стоит упоминать. All took part in this; the excitement rose high and the betting went on merrily. Все принимали в этом участие; азарт нарастал, и ставки шли весело. At length it was noticed that the white was overhauling the red. Enfin, on s'aperçut que le blanc était en train de réviser le rouge. Eindelijk werd opgemerkt dat het wit het rood aan het reviseren was. В конце концов было замечено, что белые побеждают красных. The excitement grew intense; the betting changed its form, but was still kept up, until at last the two paper boats seemed blended together in one dim spot which gradually faded out of sight. L'excitation devint intense ; le pari changea de forme, mais se maintint toujours, jusqu'à ce qu'enfin les deux bateaux en papier semblaient se confondre en un seul point obscur qui s'estompa peu à peu hors de vue. Волнение нарастало, пари меняло форму, но не прекращалось, пока наконец два бумажных кораблика не слились в одно тусклое пятно, которое постепенно исчезало из виду.

It was now necessary to determine the state of the race, so Featherstone ordered out the boat. Il fallait maintenant déterminer l'état de la course, alors Featherstone a commandé le bateau. Het was nu nodig om de staat van de race te bepalen, dus Featherstone bestelde de boot. Теперь необходимо было определить состояние гонки, поэтому Фезерстоун приказал спустить лодку. The four were soon embarked, and the men rowed out toward the point which had been chosen as the end of the race. Les quatre furent bientôt embarqués, et les hommes ramèrent vers le point qui avait été choisi pour la fin de la course. Вскоре все четверо были усажены в лодку, и мужчины поплыли к точке, которая была выбрана в качестве финиша гонки. On coming near they found the paper boats stuck together, saturated with water, and floating limp on the surface. En s'approchant, ils trouvèrent les bateaux en papier collés les uns aux autres, saturés d'eau et flottant mollement à la surface. Подойдя поближе, они обнаружили, что бумажные кораблики слиплись, напитались водой и плавают на поверхности. An animated discussion arose about this. По этому поводу разгорелась оживленная дискуссия. Some of the bets were off, but others remained an open question, and each side insisted upon a different view of the case. Certains des paris étaient ouverts, mais d'autres restaient une question ouverte, et chaque partie a insisté sur une vision différente de l'affaire. Некоторые ставки были сделаны, но другие оставались открытым вопросом, и каждая сторона настаивала на своем взгляде на дело. In the midst of this, Featherstone’s attention was drawn to the dark spot already mentioned as the goal of the race. В этот момент внимание Фезерстоуна привлекло темное пятно, которое уже упоминалось как цель гонки.

"That’s a queer-looking thing," said he, suddenly. "Странная штука, - вдруг сказал он. "Pull up, lads, a little; let’s see what it is. « Arrêtez, les gars, un peu ; voyons ce que c'est. "Подтянитесь, ребята, немного; давайте посмотрим, что это такое. It doesn’t look to me like a spar." По-моему, это не похоже на спар". The others, always on the lookout for some new object of interest, were attracted by these words, and looked closely at the thing in question. Остальные, всегда находящиеся в поисках нового интересного объекта, были привлечены этими словами и внимательно присмотрелись к предмету, о котором шла речь. The men pulled. Мужчины потянулись. The boat drew nearer.

"It’s some sort of floating vessel," said Oxenden. "Это что-то вроде плавучего судна, - сказал Оксенден. "It’s not a spar," said Melick, who was at the bow. "Ce n'est pas un espar", a déclaré Melick, qui était à l'avant. "Это не лонжерон, - сказал Мелик, стоявший на носу. And as he said this he reached out and grasped at it. Et pendant qu'il disait cela, il tendit la main et l'attrapa. И, сказав это, он протянул руку и ухватился за нее. He failed to get it, and did no more than touch it. Il n'a pas réussi à l'obtenir et n'a fait que le toucher. Он не смог достать его и лишь прикоснулся к нему. It moved easily and sank, but soon came up again. Она легко двигалась и тонула, но вскоре снова всплывала. A second time he grasped at it, and with both hands. Во второй раз он ухватился за него, причем обеими руками. This time he caught it, and then lifted it out of the water into the boat. На этот раз он поймал его и поднял из воды в лодку. These proceedings had been watched with the deepest interest; and now, as this curious floating thing made its appearance among them, they all crowded around it in eager excitement. За этими процессами они наблюдали с глубочайшим интересом, и теперь, когда диковинная плавучая штуковина появилась среди них, все столпились вокруг нее в нетерпеливом возбуждении.

"It looks like a can of preserved meat," said the doctor. "Cela ressemble à une boîte de conserve de viande", a déclaré le médecin. "Похоже на банку с консервированным мясом", - сказал доктор. "It certainly is a can," said Melick, "for it’s made of metal; but as to preserved meat, I have my doubts." "Это, конечно, банка, - сказал Мелик, - потому что она сделана из металла; но что касается консервированного мяса, то я сомневаюсь". The article in question was made of metal and was cylindrical in shape. Предмет, о котором идет речь, был сделан из металла и имел цилиндрическую форму. It was soldered tight and evidently contained something. Il était soudé et contenait manifestement quelque chose. Het was stevig gesoldeerd en bevatte blijkbaar iets. Она была плотно припаяна и, очевидно, что-то содержала. It was about eighteen inches long and eight wide. Его длина составляла около восемнадцати дюймов, а ширина - восемь. The nature of the metal was not easily perceptible, for it was coated with slime, and covered over about half its surface with barnacles and sea-weed. La nature du métal n'était pas facilement perceptible, car il était enduit de vase et couvert sur environ la moitié de sa surface de balanes et d'algues. Природу металла было нелегко определить, так как он был покрыт слизью и примерно на половине своей поверхности покрыт ракушками и водорослями. It was not heavy, and would have floated higher out of the water had it not been for these encumbrances. Il n'était pas lourd et aurait flotté plus haut hors de l'eau sans ces encombrements. Он не был тяжелым и, если бы не эти обременения, выплыл бы из воды еще выше.

"It’s some kind of preserved meat," said the doctor. "Perhaps something good--game, I dare say--yes, Yorkshire game-pie. « Peut-être quelque chose de bon, du jeu, j'ose le dire, oui, la tarte au gibier du Yorkshire. "Возможно, что-то хорошее - игра, осмелюсь сказать, да, йоркширская игра-пирожок. They pot all sorts of things now." Ils potent toutes sortes de choses maintenant." Теперь они работают в горшках". "If it’s game," said Oxenden, "it’ll be rather high by this time. "Si c'est le jeu", a déclaré Oxenden, "ce sera plutôt élevé à ce moment-là. "Если это дичь, - сказал Оксенден, - то к этому времени она будет уже довольно высоко. Man alive! Человек жив! look at those weeds and shells. regardez ces mauvaises herbes et ces coquillages. Посмотрите на эти сорняки и ракушки. It must have been floating for ages." Должно быть, он плавает уже целую вечность". "It’s my belief," said Featherstone, "that it’s part of the provisions laid in by Noah for his long voyage in the ark. "C'est ma conviction", a déclaré Featherstone, "que cela fait partie des dispositions prévues par Noé pour son long voyage dans l'arche. "Я считаю, - сказал Фезерстоун, - что это часть провизии, заложенной Ноем для долгого путешествия на ковчеге. So come, let’s open it, and see what sort of diet the antediluvians had." Alors viens, ouvrons-le, et voyons quel genre de régime avaient les antédiluviens. » Dus kom, laten we het openen en kijken wat voor soort dieet de antediluvians hadden." Так что давайте откроем его и посмотрим, какой рацион был у допотопных людей". "It may be liquor," said Oxenden. "Возможно, это ликер, - сказал Оксенден. Melick shook his head. Мелик покачал головой.

"No," said he; "there’s something inside, but whatever it is, it isn’t liquor. "Нет, - сказал он, - внутри что-то есть, но что бы это ни было, это не ликер. It’s odd, too. Это тоже странно. The thing is of foreign make, evidently. Вещь, очевидно, иностранного производства. I never saw anything like it before. It may be Chinese." "By Jove!" cried Featherstone, "this is getting exciting. воскликнул Фезерстоун, - это становится захватывающим. Let’s go back to the yacht and open it." The men rowed back to the yacht. Мужчины гребли обратно к яхте.

"It’s meat of some sort," continued the doctor. "I’m certain of that. "Я в этом уверен. It has come in good time. Он появился очень вовремя. We can have it for dinner." Мы можем съесть его на ужин". "You may have my share, then," said Oxenden. "Тогда вы можете взять мою долю, - сказал Оксенден. "I hereby give and bequeath to you all my right, title, and interest in and to anything in the shape of meat that may be inside." "Je vous donne et vous lègue tous mes droits, titres et intérêts sur et pour tout ce qui peut être à l'intérieur sous forme de viande." "Настоящим я передаю и завещаю тебе все свои права, титулы и интересы в отношении всего, что может находиться внутри в виде мяса". "Meat cans," said Melick, "are never so large as that." "Банки с мясом, - сказал Мелик, - никогда не бывают такими большими". "Oh, I don’t know about that," said the doctor, "they make up pretty large packages of pemmican for the arctic expeditions." 'O, daar weet ik niets van,' zei de dokter, 'ze maken behoorlijk grote pakjes pemmican voor de poolexpedities.' "О, я не знаю, - сказал доктор, - они делают довольно большие упаковки пеммикана для арктических экспедиций". "But they never pack up pemmican in copper cylinders," said Melick, who had been using his knife to scrape off the crust from the vessel. "Mais ils n'emballent jamais le pemmican dans des cylindres de cuivre", a déclaré Melick, qui avait utilisé son couteau pour gratter la croûte du récipient. "Но они никогда не упаковывают пеммикан в медные цилиндры", - сказал Мелик, который с помощью ножа соскабливал корку с сосуда. "Copper!" "Медь!" exclaimed Oxenden. "Is it copper?" "Look for yourselves," said Melick, quietly. "Посмотрите сами, - тихо сказал Мелик. They all looked, and could see, where the knife had cut into the vessel, that it was as he said. Все посмотрели и увидели, что там, где нож прорезал сосуд, все было так, как он сказал. It was copper.

"It’s foreign work," said Melick. "In England we make tin cans for everything. "В Англии мы делаем жестяные банки для всего. It may be something that’s drifted out from Mogadore or some port in Morocco." Het kan iets zijn dat is weggedreven uit Mogadore of een haven in Marokko." Возможно, это что-то из Могадора или какого-то порта в Марокко". "In that case," said Oxenden, "it may contain the mangled remains of one of the wives of some Moorish pasha." 'In dat geval,' zei Oxenden, 'kan het de verminkte resten bevatten van een van de vrouwen van een Moorse pasja.' "В таком случае, - сказал Оксенден, - в нем могут находиться изуродованные останки одной из жен мавританского паши". By this time they had reached the yacht and hurried aboard. К этому времени они добрались до яхты и поспешили подняться на борт. All were eager to satisfy their curiosity. Search was made for a cold-chisel, but to no purpose. Une recherche a été faite pour un ciseau à froid, mais en vain. Then Featherstone produced a knife which was used to open sardine boxes, but after a faithful trial this proved useless. Ensuite, Featherstone a produit un couteau qui a été utilisé pour ouvrir les boîtes de sardines, mais après un essai fidèle, cela s'est avéré inutile. Затем Фезерстоун достал нож, который использовался для вскрытия коробок с сардинами, но после верного испытания он оказался бесполезным. At length Melick, who had gone off in search of something more effective, made his appearance armed with an axe. Enfin Melick, parti à la recherche de quelque chose de plus efficace, parut armé d'une hache. Наконец Мелик, ушедший в поисках чего-нибудь более действенного, появился, вооруженный топором. With this he attacked the copper cylinder, and by means of a few dexterous blows succeeded in cutting it open. С его помощью он атаковал медный цилиндр и несколькими ловкими ударами сумел вскрыть его. Then he looked in.

"What do you see?" asked Featherstone.

"Something," said Melick, "but I can’t quite make it out." « Quelque chose », a déclaré Melick, « mais je ne peux pas tout à fait le comprendre. » "Что-то есть, - сказал Мелик, - но я не могу разобрать". "If you can’t make it out, then shake it out," said Oxenden. "Si vous ne pouvez pas le comprendre, alors secouez-le", a déclaré Oxenden. "Если вы не можете разобраться, то встряхнитесь", - сказал Оксенден. Upon this Melick took the cylinder, turned it upside down, shook it smartly, and then lifted it and pounded it against the deck. Sur ce, Melick prit le cylindre, le retourna, le secoua vivement, puis le souleva et le martela contre le pont. После этого Мелик взял цилиндр, перевернул его вверх дном, хорошенько потряс, а затем поднял и ударил им о палубу. This served to loosen the contents, which seemed tightly packed, but came gradually down until at length they could be seen and drawn forth. Cela a servi à desserrer le contenu, qui semblait étroitement emballé, mais est descendu progressivement jusqu'à ce qu'on puisse enfin les voir et les extraire. Это позволило разрыхлить содержимое, которое казалось плотно упакованным, но постепенно опускалось вниз, пока, наконец, не стало видно, как его достают. Melick drew them forth, and the contents of the mysterious copper cylinder resolved themselves into two packages. Melick les fit sortir, et le contenu du mystérieux cylindre de cuivre se résolva en deux paquets. Мелик вытащил их, и содержимое таинственного медного цилиндра превратилось в два пакета.

The sight of these packages only served to intensify their curiosity. Вид этих пакетов только усилил их любопытство. If it had been some species of food it would at once have revealed itself, but these packages suggested something more important. Если бы это была какая-то еда, она бы сразу же обнаружилась, но эти упаковки говорили о чем-то более важном. What could they be? Что это может быть? Were there treasures inside--jewels, or golden ornaments from some Moorish seraglio, or strange coin from far Cathay? Были ли внутри сокровища - драгоценные камни, золотые украшения из мавританского сераля или диковинные монеты из далекого Катая?

One of the packages was very much larger than the other. Один из пакетов был намного больше другого. It was enclosed in wrappers made of some coarse kind of felt, bound tight with strong cords. Il était enfermé dans des emballages faits d'une sorte de feutre grossier, étroitement liés par de solides cordes. Он был заключен в обертки из грубого войлока, перевязанные крепкими шнурами. The other was much smaller, and, was folded in the same material without being bound. Другой был гораздо меньше и сложен из того же материала без переплета. This Melick seized and began to open. Мелик схватил его и начал открывать.

"Wait a minute," said Featherstone. "Let’s make a bet on it. "Давайте заключим пари на это. Five guineas that it’s some sort of jewels!" "Done," said Oxenden. Melick opened the package, and it was seen that Featherstone had lost. Мелик открыл пакет, и стало видно, что Фезерстоун потерял. There were no jewels, but one or two sheets of something that looked like paper. Драгоценностей там не было, зато были один или два листа чего-то, похожего на бумагу. It was not paper, however, but some vegetable product which was used for the same purpose. Однако это была не бумага, а какой-то растительный продукт, который использовался для той же цели. The surface was smooth, but the color was dingy, and the lines of the vegetable fibres were plainly discernible. La surface était lisse, mais la couleur était terne et les lignes des fibres végétales étaient clairement discernables. Поверхность была гладкой, но цвет был тусклым, и на ней отчетливо проступали линии растительных волокон. These sheets were covered with writing. Эти листы были испещрены надписями.

"Halloa!" "Аллоа!" cried Melick. "Why, this is English!" "Это же английский!" At this the others crowded around to look on, and Featherstone in his excitement forgot that he had lost his bet. При этом остальные столпились вокруг, чтобы посмотреть, и Фезерстоун в азарте забыл, что проиграл свою ставку. There were three sheets, all covered with writing--one in English, another in French, and a third in German. В нем было три листа, испещренных письменами: одно на английском, другое на французском, третье на немецком. It was the same message, written in these three different languages. Это было одно и то же послание, написанное на трех разных языках. But at that moment they scarcely noticed this. Но в тот момент они едва ли обратили на это внимание. All that they saw was the message itself, with its mysterious meaning. Все, что они видели, - это само послание с его таинственным смыслом.

It was as follows: Решение было принято следующим образом:

"To the finder of this: « Au découvreur de ceci : "Нашедшему это: "Sir,-- I am an Englishman, and have been carried by a series of incredible events to a land from which escape is as impossible as from the grave. Я англичанин, и череда невероятных событий привела меня в страну, из которой выбраться так же невозможно, как из могилы. I have written this and committed it to the sea, in the hope that the ocean currents may bear it within the reach of civilized man. J'ai écrit ceci et je l'ai confié à la mer, dans l'espoir que les courants océaniques puissent le porter à la portée de l'homme civilisé. Я написал эту книгу и отдал ее морю в надежде, что океанские течения донесут ее до цивилизованного человека. Oh, unknown friend! whoever you are. I entreat you to let this message be made known in some way to my father, Henry More, Keswick, Cumberland, England, so that he may learn the fate of his son. Убедительно прошу вас каким-либо образом передать это послание моему отцу, Генри Мору, Кесвик, Камберленд, Англия, чтобы он мог узнать о судьбе своего сына. The MS. МС. accompanying this contains an account of my adventures, which I should like to have forwarded to him. l'accompagnant contient un récit de mes aventures, que j'aurais voulu lui faire parvenir. Сопровождая это, он содержит рассказ о моих приключениях, который я хотел бы ему переслать. Do this for the sake of that mercy which you may one day wish to have shown to yourself. Faites cela pour l'amour de cette miséricorde que vous souhaiterez peut-être un jour avoir envers vous-même. Делайте это ради той милости, которую вы, возможно, однажды захотите проявить к себе.

"ADAM MORE." "АДАМ МОРЕ". "By Jove!" "Door jove!" cried Featherstone, as he read the above, "this is really getting to be something tremendous." s'écria Featherstone, alors qu'il lisait ce qui précède, "cela devient vraiment quelque chose d'énorme." Фезерстоун, прочитав все вышесказанное, воскликнул: "Это действительно становится чем-то грандиозным". "This other package must be the manuscript," said Oxenden, "and it’ll tell all about it." "В другом пакете, должно быть, рукопись, - сказал Оксенден, - и в ней все будет рассказано". "Such a manuscript’ll be better than meat," said the doctor, sententiously. 'Zo'n manuscript zal beter zijn dan vlees,' zei de dokter volmondig. "Такая рукопись будет лучше, чем мясо", - сентиментально заметил доктор. Melick said nothing, but, opening his knife, he cut the cords and unfolded the wrapper. Мелик ничего не сказал, но, открыв нож, перерезал шнуры и развернул обертку. He saw a great collection of leaves, just like those of the letter, of some vegetable substance, smooth as paper, and covered with writing. Он увидел большую коллекцию листьев, похожих на листья письма, из какого-то растительного вещества, гладких, как бумага, и покрытых письменами.

"It looks like Egyptian papyrus," said the doctor. "That was the common paper of antiquity." "Это была обычная бумага древности". "Never mind the Egyptian papyrus," said Featherstone, in feverish curiosity. "Не обращайте внимания на египетские папирусы, - с лихорадочным любопытством сказал Фезерстоун. "Let’s have the contents of the manuscript. « Ayons le contenu du manuscrit. "Давайте ознакомимся с содержанием рукописи. You, Melick, read; you’re the most energetic of the lot, and when you’re tired the rest of us will take turns." "Read? Why, it’ll take a month to read all this," said Melick. "All the better," said Featherstone; "this calm will probably last a month, and we shall have nothing to interest us." "Тем лучше, - сказал Фезерстоун, - это затишье продлится, наверное, месяц, и нам нечем будет заинтересоваться". Melick made no further objection. Мелик больше не возражал. He was as excited as the rest, and so he began the reading of the manuscript. Он был взволнован не меньше остальных и приступил к чтению рукописи.