Chapter 38 Thirty-eight first plan failed

It turned out that Harley and his sailors took advantage of the darkness to put down the only small boat left on board and escape.There is no doubt about it. The bastards are gone, and that's all right, Sir Munger reassured, it will save us a lot of trouble. I think so too, Glenarvan said, and there are so many brave friends on board, from now on, Meng Geer will be the temporary captain of the Macquarie, and we will be your temporary sailors and obey your command. This remark made the traveling companions laugh.The major, Paganel, Wilson, Robert, Murady, and even O'Bill applauded Glenarvan's words and ran to the deck to line up to listen to John.Menger directs.

What do you think should be done?Glenarvan asked. The young captain glanced at the sea, then at the incomplete masts, thought for a while, and then said: Sir, we have two ways to get out of danger: one way is to get the boat out and go out to sea; the other is to make a raft and row ashore, which is not difficult to make a raft. If you can get the boat out, it's better to get it out, Glenarvan replied, that's the best way, isn't it? Yes, Your Excellency, since we land nearby and we don’t have land transportation, what should we do? Paganel added: in New Zealand one must be very careful to avoid landing on the deserted coast.

Especially since our boat was thrown too far by the current, John added, obviously we've been driven south by that confused Harley.I'll check again at noon, and if I'm not mistaken and we're really shot down below Oakland, I'll try to get the Megali up the coast. How was the damage to the boat?Lady Helene asked. I think, ma'am, it won't do too much damage.We put a makeshift mast in the bow, in place of the foremast.In this way, although it is slower, it can also reach the destination. Let's check the damaged part of the ship.McNabbs said pragmatically. Glenarvan, John, and Moura worked for three hours to remove the hides in the hold and throw some of them overboard to lighten the hull.When inspecting the bottom of the ship, it was found that there were two seams open on the left side of the waistboard.Fortunately, the Mercalli was tilted to the right, with its opening facing the sky, and did not flow into the sea.Wilson hastily tucked in some twine, and nailed in a piece of copper to complete the seam.

The water in the bilge is very shallow, and the pump can be easily drained, which can save some weight. When inspecting the hull, Menger found that it had not suffered much damage from the grounding.Maybe the sub keel is partially embedded in the sand, but there is a way to get it out. After checking the interior, Wilson swam down to the bottom of the boat to ascertain where the boat rested on the high beach. It turned out that the bow of the ship was facing the northwest direction, and it touched a steep sandy beach beside a muddy beach.The lower part of the mouth and nearly two-thirds of the keel were deeply embedded in the sand.The rest of it was still floating in the water, which was five feet deep.The rudder is not embedded and can move freely.This is a great benefit as the rudder is available when needed.

Now all that was left to do was to figure out how to get the boat out.The tide in the Pacific Ocean was not too high, but even so, Menger still wanted to use the high tide to wash the Macquarie up.But it takes a long time to make a temporary mast on the bow, and there are certain difficulties.When the tide was high at noon that day, it was too late to get everything ready.At that time, we could only observe the effect of the water force on the bow of the boat. When the next high tide came, everyone would work together to float the boat. Now, everyone gets ready.Meng Geer first ordered the remaining sails on the mast to be lowered and rolled up.After some hard work, the mainsail, jibsail and topsail were finally lowered successively.Little Robert climbed the mast with the agility of a cat, and the boldness of a midshipman, and was a great help in this succession of difficult tasks.

The next thing to do is to break down.Astern of the boat, towards the keel, drop an anchor or two to keep the bow up at high tide.It would be great if the boat was there.The small boat can carry a simple anchor and drop it to a pre-determined location, and that's it.But now that the canoe was gone, we had to build a raft out of fore-mast material and empty wine barrels as a means of transporting anchor.As soon as the anchor is dropped, as long as it can hold the bottom, there is hope for the Mercalli to float. And so the raft-building work began.Everyone participates in labor.The fore-mast, still lashed, was hacked with axes, and the remnant mast fell down.The foremast breaks off at the butt joint so the discs come off easily.Meng Geer used a mast plate as a raft, and an empty bucket was used to support it to increase buoyancy. A scull was installed on the raft for maneuvering.

The work of building the raft was only half done, and the sun was almost at its mid-heaven.Mengel let Greenarvan lead the raft-building work, and went to calculate the geographical position himself. Mengel found a Greenwich Observatory yearbook and a sextant in Halle's room.We know that the true horizon, that is, the line where the water and the sky meet, can be measured through the telescope on the sextant.Unexpectedly, there is a piece of land extending into the ocean in the north, which just blocks the true horizon, making it impossible to measure at all. That being the case, it must be replaced by an artificial horizon.Usually, a large flat plate is used, filled with mercury, but there is no mercury, and liquid asphalt can also be used, and the measurement is done on this flat plate.Menger already knew the longitude of the west coast of New Zealand, and now he wanted to measure the latitude, so he started the work of measuring the latitude.

First, use a sextant to measure the height of the sun from the horizon on the meridian, and the result is sixty-eight degrees and thirty minutes.From this we can know that the distance between the sun and the center of heaven is twenty one and thirty minutes.Because the sum of two numbers is ninety degrees.Check the Greenwich Almanac again, and find that the desired latitude is thirty-eight degrees.Therefore, the bearing of the Mercalli was determined to be 171 degrees 13' east longitude and 38 degrees south latitude. Menger looked at the map and found that the Macquarie was blown to the south, one latitude off course.One latitude must be sailed north to reach the capital of New Zealand.

Therefore, Greenarvan said, twenty-five nautical miles to go, at most, was nothing. A voyage of twenty-five nautical miles is nothing at sea.But it takes a long time on land, and it is very difficult.Paganel replied. John.Menger went on to say: So, we must try our best to get the Macquarie out. After the bearing was determined, it was a quarter past twelve. Everyone stood on the deck, anxiously observing the movement of the Mercalli, how they hoped that it would float by itself!But there were a few rattling sounds under the boat, which was the sound of trembling at the bottom of the boat, but the hull didn't move at all.

At two o'clock in the afternoon the raft was built, the anchor was lowered on board, and Mengle and Wilson boarded the raft and dropped anchor after fastening a thin chain to the stern.The ebbing tide carried them just astern of the boat, and dropped the trace a hundred meters from the boat, in ten fathoms of water.The anchor stays tight on the bottom of the sea.Then they took the main anchor and cast it in fifteen feet of water. It's six o'clock in the afternoon.Thick and fine chains were on the capstans, and everyone was waiting for the next high tide, five hours later, at one o'clock in the middle of the night.

Menger was very happy, and praised the sailor a few words, and said to Paganel that if he did a good job, he would be promoted to bosun in the future. At this time, Obir prepared the meal at the right time, and the whole crew replenished their energy and recovered their spirits for the future work. After the meal, Meng Geer made the final inspection, because it was really difficult to get a stranded ship. It's not easy, don't be careless.If something goes wrong, all previous efforts will be wasted. In order to reduce the weight of the ship, Meng Geer asked people to throw most of the cargo into the sea.The remaining leather bales, heavy slacks, spare jibs, and several tons of pig iron were all moved aft to hold the stern down and help the bow out of the bunker.At the same time, a number of casks were rolled to the rear of the ship and filled with water to increase the buoyancy of the front. After finishing these things, it was already midnight, and all the crew members were exhausted.Menger observed the sky and found that the strong wind was weakening, and then observed the color and arrangement of the clouds, and he found that the wind tended to turn from southwest to northwest.Meng Geer reported this situation to the Sir, and suggested that the work of starting the ship should be postponed until the next day. Meng Geer said: My reasons are: first of all, we are tired, and we cannot do without strength; in addition, even if the boat floats, it is difficult to walk through the reef in the dark; besides, tomorrow, if the northwest wind blows, the sky will be dark. Can help us.We stretch all kinds of sails on the mast, and against the wind, the sail power will help to hold the boat. Menger's reasons were so unquestionable that even the Sir and the Geographer, two of the most impatient men on board, were compelled to agree to the suggestion.Had a good night.Everyone took turns on duty, especially to watch the anchor. As expected.At dawn, a northwest wind blew, and it got bigger and bigger.The whole crew assembled and prepared to sail.And taking advantage of the fact that the high tide has not yet arrived, a light mast was installed on the bow to replace the foremast, so that once the boat floated up, it could sail away from the dangerous shoal. After all the sails, big and small, were hoisted, the tide began to rise.Long small waves rolled up one after another, and the reef gradually disappeared, like many sea monsters returning to their old nests under the sea.The time to try the hard work was approaching, and a frenzied impatience filled everyone's minds, all were overwrought, and no one spoke, all waiting for orders.Meng Geer focused on observing the tide, and he glanced worriedly at the two thick iron chains stretched out and stretched tightly.At one o'clock, the tide rose to its highest height, just at the moment when the tide was already rising.At this time, you have to act quickly, before it is too late.The big sails and mainsails were pulled up together, caught the wind, and bulged on the mast. Turn the winch!cried Menger. The winch was equipped with a lever for turning, and everyone turned the lever desperately.The two iron chains are pulled straight by the powerful rotation of the winch.The anchor was tight on the bottom of the sea, without slipping a bit, and it took a lot of time to succeed. The wind blew harder, and the bellows of the sail swelled, pressed against the mast, and pushed the ship out.People felt the hull vibrate several times, as if it was about to float. At this point, perhaps another hand could pull the boat out of the sand. Helen!Mary!Jazz cried out, come help! The two female guests also ran over to help the traveling companions work hard together. The catch on the winch wheel clicked again at last. But after that the capstan would not turn again, the brig remained, and all efforts were in vain.The tide had already begun to drop. Obviously, even with the combination of wind and tide, with this group of people, the boat still couldn't float. Since the first method of losing face has failed, the second method should be implemented immediately.It was obvious that the Mercalli was not afloat, and the only option at present was to lose the ship.It would be too short-sighted and foolish to wait for the unknowable rescue ship to arrive at the accident site.Because by then, perhaps the Macquarie would have been smashed to pieces.As long as there is a storm or the waves are a little bit bigger, the boat will be hit straight on the beach, and it will break when it swings, and it will fall apart when it breaks.From this point of view, it was inevitable that the ship would break, so Meng Geer decided to land before the ship broke. Menger suggested building a raft, or in sailor's term, a pontoon, one strong enough to carry passengers and enough provisions to the coast of New Zealand. There is no room for discussion on this matter, and it must be implemented immediately.In the evening, the raft-building work was almost completed, but it was dark and had to be stopped. After dinner, Mrs. Helen and Miss Mary went back to the cabin to rest, and the geographer and other friends walked up and down on the deck, talking about some serious problems.Little Robert did not leave either. The brave boy listened intently, ready to serve and contribute to everyone in the danger ahead. The geographer asked Menger if he could land nearby and walk along the coast to Oakland.Meng Geer replied that with such a backward means of transportation, it is very difficult and almost impossible to reach Auckland. Can't use the raft, will the small canoes on the brig be successful?Paganel asked again. It can be successful, but it must be sailed in daylight. In this case, those nasty guys left us on purpose and went to Oakland alone. Forget about them!Nine times out of 10, those guys who get drunk and break their promises will fall into the sea to feed the fish. deserve it!What use they made to us in the canoes they rowed away! What's the use of mentioning these old millet and rotten sesame seeds!Sir said, we shall be going ashore soon on a raft. What we want to avoid is the nearest landing.Paganel objected. Why, is it hard work to walk thirty kilometers? Where are the words, sir!I do not doubt our courage, nor the perseverance of the two ladies.Thirty kilometers is a piece of cake in other places, but it is different in New Zealand.You must not think that I am timid!We traveled across the Americas, across the continent of Australia, both my first suggestions.However, here, I have to reiterate that everything is easy to handle, but don't log in nearby. What's so scary about New Zealand?Sir asked. The most terrible thing is the natives!The geographer replied. Are natives that scary?We are fully armed and can defend ourselves, so what is the attack of a few bad guys? The geographer shook his head and said that New Zealand formed a terrible tribe to resist the British rule; they fought against the invaders, they often defeated the invaders, and then killed the enemies and ate them ! It turns out that the natives here cannibalize people!Little Robert cried out. Then the child was heard saying the names of two people to himself: Sister!Lady Helen!I am really scared! Don't be afraid, my dear boy, said the sergeant, trying to reassure the boy, Paganel, my friend, perhaps you have gone too far. Not too much, sir!Robert has appeared to be a man, and we should not hide from him, but tell the truth. Do you think all New Zealanders are compassionate?The geographer said sternly that last year, a British man, Wackner, was killed in a horrible way. The place was at the base of Opoo, only a few kilometers away from Auckland. It can be said that it happened right under the nose of the British government. Come on!McNabbs said that these narratives are often unreliable. Travelers often like to describe the places they have visited as thrilling, and they would like to say that they escaped from the belly of the natives! I also know that some words are a bit too much.However, there are many reliable people who have said it, such as Reverend Kendall, Madison, Captain Dillon, Cuwe, Laplace, etc. We cannot but believe their words.When the Maori chief died, they killed people to sacrifice to heaven.They believe that using human sacrifices can calm the anger of the dead; otherwise, the anger of the dead will be vented on the head of the living.At the same time, they also think that killing the dead is sending servants to the dead!However, they often eat the servants who have been killed. From this point of view, they actually have less superstition and more delicious food. The geographer is right that cannibalism has become a custom in New Zealand, Fiji or the Torres Strait.Of course, there is a bit of superstition in this appalling custom, but the reason why people cannibalize is because of the lack of prey and the insufficiency of their stomachs. Uncivilized people have to eat people to satisfy their hunger.Later, the priests made this abnormal custom a canon and gave it a sacred meaning.Cannibalism has changed from satisfying hunger to etiquette. This is the evolution of the custom of cannibalism. Moreover, in the eyes of the Maori, cannibalism is completely natural.In addition, the natives of New Zealand also believed that if an enemy died, eating it would inherit his soul, strength and courage.And these things are mainly stored in the brain, so at a banquet, the human brain is the main dish, the first-class dish. Geographers also have reason to believe that the cannibalism of the natives of New Zealand is mainly due to hunger, not only among the savages of Oceania, but also in Europe. He added: The custom of cannibalism has existed among the ancestors of the most civilized nations, and it has not been confined to a few peculiar individuals, especially among the ancestors of the Scots. Really, Monsieur Paganel?said the major. It is true, Major.You read St.Read Jerome's article on the Atticaulis of Scotland, and you will know what kind of people your ancestors were!And you don’t need to go to ancient times to find it, just in the time of Queen Elizabeth, when Shakespeare created Sherlock [Note: The protagonist in the play "The Merchant of Venice". ], there was not a Scottish bandit named Sonny.Bin's?Sentenced to death for cannibalism.What thought drove him to eat human flesh?Is it religion?No, it's hunger. Really hungry?Menger asked. Yes!Paganel replied that since there were few birds and beasts in this inhospitable place, they had no other animals to eat but human flesh.There is even a season of cannibalism here, as there is a season of hunting in civilized countries.In the season of cannibalism, just come to hunt once, win a battle once, and the defeated tribe will become the winner's dish. In your opinion, Sir Paganel, the habit of cannibalism will not be completely abolished until the pastures of New Zealand are filled with cattle, sheep, pigs, and so on. Of course, sir! How do they eat people?McNabbs asked, should it be eaten raw or cooked? What are you asking, Mr. Major?Little Robert asked again in a little panic. Why not ask?Boy, if I was really eaten, I would rather be cooked and eaten by them! Why! In order not to be eaten alive by them! You think well, Major, the geographer has spoken again, and boiled you in a pot, won't you suffer the same? Alas, it's death anyway, so I don't have to choose between skinning and boiling alive. I tell you the truth, Major, said Paganel, that the natives of New Zealand eat human flesh, which must be boiled or roasted.They are connoisseurs and understand cooking techniques.Personally, though, the thought of being eaten makes me uncomfortable.How wronged to put my life into the stomach of a savage! You have talked about this a bit too much, Menger said, and it boils down to one sentence: it cannot fall into their hands.