Chapter 37 Thirty Seven Unlucky Macquarie

The tiring voyage never ends.It had been six days since the Mercalli sailed on February 2, and the coast of Oakland was still out of sight.The wind is smooth, it has always been from the southwest, but the current is against the sea, so it is a good thing that the boat does not go backwards.The waves were very rough, the frame of the ship creaked and creaked, and the upper part seemed unbearable. It fell into the wave trough and could only barely get up.Backstays, shrouds, and guys were not taut, so that the mast was still alive, and shook violently with every swing of the ship. Fortunately Harley was a slow man, and he didn't ask the ship to go fast, and he didn't pull the sails too tight, otherwise the whole ship's mast would inevitably fall.Meng Geer hoped that this bad ship would be able to cope with the destination in this way, and nothing would go wrong.

It rained constantly, and Lady Helen and Mary had to stay in the cabin, but they didn't complain at all.There was not enough air in the cabin, and it shook so badly that it was unbearable to stay in it all the time, so they sometimes ran to the deck in the rain, until the wind and rain were so strong that they could no longer stay on the deck. Go back to the narrow cabin again.To tell the truth, this small square-like toilet cabin is okay for loading goods, but it is very reluctant to accommodate people, and it is even more unsuitable for female guests. As soon as the female guests returned to the cabin, everyone tried to amuse them.Paganel wanted to tell stories to entertain everyone, but it didn't work out.Everyone was discouraged about the journey home.The poorest of all was Sir Glenarvan.No matter the rain or the waves, you have to stay on the deck.As soon as the wind stopped, he picked up the binoculars and searched the horizon tenaciously, as if he was asking a question to the silent sea.He was always restless, with a painful and restless look on his face.Everything feels powerless!

Regardless of the wind and rain, Meng Ge followed him every step of the way.On this day, Glenarvan looked at the horizon more earnestly than usual, especially when the sea fog accidentally opened a gap.John approached him and asked: Sir, are you looking for land? Glenarvan shook his head. I think you should be in a hurry to get off the brig too, the young captain said again, according to the rules, we should have seen the Oakland signal light thirty-six hours ago. Greenarvan didn't answer.He kept watching and watching, and for more than a minute he kept his glass on the windward horizon.

The land is not there, John.Menger said, Your Excellency, please look to the starboard side. Why starboard, John?Glenarvan replied, I am not looking for land! So what are you looking for, sir? Find my cruise ship!Look for my Duncan!Glenarvan replied angrily, it must be there, in that area of ​​the sea against the waves of the sea, doing the criminal work of pirates!It's out there, I tell you, John, on that boat, between Australia and New Zealand!I guess we'll have to run into it! May God keep us from it, sir! why, john? Your Excellency has forgotten where we are now!What shall we do if the Duncan comes after us?I can't even escape!

escape, john? Of course run, ser!But we can't escape, we will definitely be captured and put at the mercy of those gangsters, you know Peng.Jues is capable of all kinds of bad things!We don't care if we die!We must defend ourselves to the last drop of blood!But what if we die?Think of Lady Glenarvan, sir, and Miss Mary! Poor woman!Glenarvan said to himself, John, my heart is broken, and sometimes I feel disappointment creeping into my heart.It seemed to me that some new misfortune awaited us, as if heaven were against us!I am very scared! do you sir? Not for myself, I'm afraid for the people I love, and for the people you love.

Be assured, sir, said the young captain, fear not now, I am in charge of the Macquarie, and you watch the Duncan only to avoid her! Menger was right.As soon as the Duncan encountered it, it was the Macquarie's misfortune; and in this area, where pirates can sail freely on the narrow sea, such an encounter is very likely.However, at least, on this day, the cruise ship did not appear, and John on the sixth night departed from Tuff Bay that night.What Mengel feared did not happen. However, the weather became terrible that night.The sky suddenly darkened, and it looked terrible.Harley and the seaman were suddenly sober from their stupor.He walked out of the cabin, rubbed his unopened sleepy eyes, and shook his fat and big head.Then take two deep breaths of fresh air, as if drinking a cup of tranquilizer, and then look at the mast.The wind intensified, and at the same time turned it, from west to east, and blew the boat straight up the coast of New Zealand.

Captain Halle summoned some sailors with yelling and cursing, and told them to lower the topsail quickly and hoist the night sail.Meng Geer agreed with this method and did not speak.He would not speak to the vulgar seaman.However, for safety reasons, neither he nor Jazz left the deck.Two hours later, the wind picked up.Halle had the jib sail lowered.Because the Macquarie has two tiers of sails like the American ships.It is not difficult for five people to do this job.With two layers of sails, the jib can be reduced to a minimum area by simply lowering the upper layer of sails. The wind and waves continued to increase, and the bottom of the Megali shook violently, as if hitting a rock.The heavy hull was not easy to climb up the waves, so when the waves hit, a lot of sea water rushed to the deck, and the small boat hanging on the port side pole was washed away long ago.

Menger became uneasy.The waves are not too big. If you change to another boat, you can still float with the waves, so don't worry about it.And the wreck is likely to keep sinking.Because every time it descends, seawater is splashed on the deck, and because the drains are too late to discharge, the seawater is likely to fill the cabin.Just in case Menger suggested hacking the bulwarks with an ax to allow the water to flow out easily.But Halle refused to do so. In addition, there is a greater danger waiting for them.It was almost half past eleven, and Meng Geer and Wilson were standing on the leeward side of the deck when they heard an unusual sound.They are instinctively alert.Menger said to the sailor:

Huilan! Yes, it was the waves hitting the rocks and hitting them back! At most four hundred meters away? Up to four hundred meters!It is land! Meng Geer leaned out of the boat, observed the dark waves, and shouted: "Wilson!"Measure the water! Halle stayed on the bow, unaware of the danger he was in.Wilson grabbed the water hammer and ran to the foremast spar.He dropped the lead weight, and the rope slipped through his fingers, but after only three runs, the lead weight stopped. Only three fathoms!Wilson reported. Harley!We walked into the reef.Menger said to the captain. Halle shrugged and ran to the helm and turned the tiller against the leeward side.At this time, it was extremely dangerous, and I saw Wilson throw away the water hammer, and pulled the foremast's trimming line vigorously, so that the sail turned to one side with the wind.The owner of the ship was pushed aside violently, and he didn't know why he was pushed!

Do your best to let the wind blow!Relax!Relax the rigging!While Meng Geer shouted, he was busy turning the bow of the ship to avoid the reef. Half a minute later, a false alarm passed.The boat passed along the crevices of the reef. Although it was dark, one could see a turbulent white line four feet away from the boat.Eight meters. 】Far. Only then did Harley feel that a catastrophe was imminent and panicked.He spoke the wrong words and gave contradictory orders, which fully demonstrated that the pig-like drunk had lost his composure.He always thought that there were still 20 to 30 kilometers of land, and everything was safe and sound; but unexpectedly, a dangerous shoal near the land suddenly appeared in front of him, and the original current had knocked him out of his usual route. Hateful and pitiful empiricism Those who were terrified panicked.

In fact, he didn't know that at this time Menger took emergency measures to drive the boat away from the dangerous shoal.The difficulty is that we don't know the direction, maybe the boat is in the reef circle.The wind was blowing eastward, and the ship was pitching and rolling, and every time the bow or stern dropped, there was a possibility of hitting the rocks. Sure enough, as expected.After a while, there are more and more reefs below.Now it was necessary to make another sharp turn and head against the wind to get back to the surface without reefs.A ship as unbalanced as this, with its sails so narrowly shrunk, might not be able to turn sharply.However, you must try it. The rudder is fully turned to the leeward side!Mengle yelled at Wilson. The Mercalli began to approach another reef.After a while, I saw the waves hit the rocks under the water and foam flew up.This moment is extremely thrilling.A sheet of scale light suddenly penetrated the waves, until the foam on the waves glowed white.The sea roared like the living old rock spirits described in ancient Greek mythology.Wilson and Mullah leaned on the steering wheel, their whole bodies pressed against it.The tiller has been turned all the way and cannot be turned any further. At this extremely thrilling moment, suddenly, there was a bang.The Macquarie hit the rocks, and the staystays snapped, and the foremast became unstable.With only this little damage, can the ship turn around? Impossible, because of a sudden high wave, the boat was picked up and sent to the reef, and then it was lowered suddenly, and the Mercalli fell heavily on the reef. It hit twice like this, and the Mercalli turned to the right. Tilted to thirty degrees, unable to move. The cabin glass was shattered.The passengers all ran to the deck.But with the waves washing over the deck, there are dangers too.Menger knew that the boat was sunk deep in the sand.So ask them to go back to the poo again. Tell the truth, what happened to the boat?Sir asked Munger. It will not sink if it sinks, and it is unknown whether the waves will break up the boat.Fortunately, we still have time to figure out a way. Can't we put the boat into the sea? It was too dark, the waves were big, and I didn't know where to land.Let's talk about it at dawn. Meanwhile, Harley was running around the deck like a madman.His subordinates, after a moment of panic, began to anesthetize themselves with alcohol.Menger expected trouble when they were drunk.It's not up to the captain to stop them, and the poor wretch is scratching his head, trying to figure out whether he can get the insurance company to pay for his lost cargo! Meng Geer didn't bother him either.He ordered his traveling companions to be armed and ready to repel the harassment of this gang of bad things.The sailors were so drunk that they called their fathers and mothers. Which of you bastards dares to run into the toilet, said the major very calmly, I'll kill him like a dog. Those sailors saw the situation clearly, knew it was not easy to mess with, and ran away in a hurry. So far, Meng Geer no longer worried about the drunks making trouble, but just anxiously waited for the dawn. The wind died down, the sea gradually calmed down, and the boat did not move at all.Meng Geer planned to explore the land as soon as the sun came out, if there was any convenient place to land.The only means of transport left on board was a small canoe hanging on the starboard side.But the boat is very small, only four people can sit at a time, and it has to go back and forth three or four times. Meng Geer leaned on the canopy, trying to find something through the black night shadow.He thought in his heart, if this place is a little farther from the coast, can that thin little boat withstand the test of going back and forth? Meng Geer was thinking like this outside, hoping that Dongfang would show his belly soon.At this time, the female guests trusted his words and fell asleep on the bunks.The other traveling companions could not hear the yelling of the drunk, so they also took a nap to recover their spirits.The boat was very quiet, as if the boat had fallen asleep on the beach. Around four o'clock in the morning, the east finally brightened.Menger went on deck and waited.The earth is gradually turning white, a cloud appears in the sky, and the morning curtain slowly rises on the stage of this vast nature.There was also a luminous point shining like a beacon on a mountain peak that was blocking the view so that the rising sun could not yet be seen.The land was there, less than fifteen kilometers away. I see land!Menger cried out. The traveling companions were awakened by the cry, and all rushed to the deck, looking at the coast that appeared in the sky.Regardless of whether the residents on the shore are kind or vicious, after all, that is where they escaped. Where did Harley go?Sir asked. No idea, ser, he and his sailors are gone.Menger replied. Go find them, don't leave them on board.Greenarvan had always been kind. Everyone searched the sailor room, the middle cabin, and the lower cabin, but there was no sign of them. Maybe fell into the sea.Paganel said. Totally possible!Meng Geer replied, feeling very worried. After he finished speaking, he walked towards the stern. Look for a boat.Mengel said. Wilson and Mulla followed him eagerly, ready to put the boat into the sea.Who knows, the boat has long since disappeared.