Chapter 15 Chapter fifteen

On the second day, before the sea was covered with golden light, Selick came to knock the door of the inn.Master Antifel had not closed his eyes all night, and now he got up; the next moment, Jewell saw Selick. "The boat is ready," Selick said. "We'll go with you," replied Jewell. "Where's the captain of the barge?" cried Antiphere upon hearing the news. "Look! He's sleeping like a dolphin, and I'll shake him hard!" So he came to Dolphin's room; he was fast asleep when a strong hand shook him awake--and he opened his eyes. At this moment, according to the agreement, Jewell went to notify the notary and Najim.They are also ready to go.Najim was somewhat unable to restrain his anxiety; Boo Omar was pale and staggered.

Selick was surprised to see the two Egyptians appearing.It was an expression that could not escape the eyes of the young captain.Why are you surprised, there is a reason for it?How did people of different nationalities meet each other and take a boat together to explore the bay!This had to arouse the suspicion of the police. "Do these two want to come with you too?" he asked Jewell. "Yes," replied Jeulele, rather embarrassed "... a traveling companion... from Suez to Muscat, we took the same boat..." "You know them?" "Of course... because of my uncle's bad temper, they stayed alone together..."

Obviously, his explanation was somewhat hesitant.In fact, there is no need to explain to Selick.He would gladly call them. ... Although this made Selick suspicious, he did not question him; he decided to monitor the two Egyptians as closely as he had done the three Frenchmen. At this time, I saw Master Antipher pulling the captain of the barge, just like a small tugboat pulling a large merchant ship. To put it more vividly, the large merchant ship, Tregoman, was just about to drop anchor, but he was still half asleep, with sleepy eyes. Needless to say, Pierre was extremely reluctant to see the presence of Bo Omar and Najem.He went ahead, Selick beside him, and they followed them to the pier.

On the water at the head of the pier bridge, floating a brig with ropes tied to the front and rear.The big sail is hung on the rope, and you only need to let it go, raise the jib and the rear sail, and you can sail to the sea. This ship is the "Ber Bella" with more than 20 sailors.A 50-ton ship does not need so many people.Pierre observed all this, but did not reveal it.Soon he made a new discovery: half of the 20 people were not like sailors.He didn't know that they were policemen from Sohar, who came to the ship under the command of Selick.If the inheritance was a wealth of hundreds of millions, indeed, on the island, a sensible person would not just give a hundred francs to each sailor.

Like skilled sailors, the passengers jumped onto the "Ber Bella" swiftly.In fact, when Tregman jumped onto the deck, the ship gave a noticeable heel to port.If the notary hadn't been grabbed by Najim and slid him over the side of the boat, the notary's access to the boat might have been a problem.Omar swayed violently with the ship, fell into the back cabin all of a sudden, and groaned in pain. The instruments were carefully guarded, especially the clock, which Gilda wrapped tightly in a handkerchief by the corners. The owner of the ship is an old Arab old man, he is very serious, with a straight face.Following the instructions of Geulele conveyed by Selick, the cable was untied, the sail was raised, and the ship sailed northeast.

With the help of the westerly wind, the sailboat may reach the destination in 24 hours, but nature is against people.When sailing with the wind, there must be clouds drifting by with the wind.You can't blindly go east, you must reach the exact position.To this end, the longitude and latitude are measured twice a day.Once in the morning and another time when the sun passes the meridian.However, in order to take bearings, the disk of the sun must show up, and today, the wayward stars seem to deliberately refuse to appear. Antiphere paced up and down on the deck, restless.It is not so much that he gazes at the sea as he gazes at the sky.What he was looking for was not a small island, but the sun shrouded in morning mist.

The barge captain sat by the bow ornaments, shaking his head in disappointment.The sky was not as expected, and Jewel leaned on his elbow to the right, pouted.Delays...delays...is this trip endless? ... He seems to have seen his dear cousin, thousands of miles away, waiting for a letter from his lover. "What if the sun never shows up?" asked the captain of the barge. "Then it can't be observed." Jewell replied. "Without the sun, according to the moon and stars, can't you calculate?" "Of course, Monsieur Tregoman, but it's a new moon; as for the stars, I'm afraid that the night will be as cloudy as the day! Besides, observation is very complicated, and it is very difficult in this swaying boat." .”

The wind was beginning to cool, and the western sky was thick with clouds, like the mist from a mighty volcano. The captain of the barge was very troubled, and he tightly protected the clock box on his knees; Jewel held the astronomical instrument in his hand, waiting for the opportunity to observe, but the sky was not beautiful, and everything was in vain. At this time, people heard strange screams and harsh scolding erupting in front of the ship.This is Antiphere waving his fist, as if he was threatening the sun. Sometimes the sun sticks out, and only a ray of sunlight passes through the gaps in the clouds.But the gap in the cloud quickly closed again, as if the gods had stitched it up again with a needle.Couldn't grab it, measure its height.Jewell tried several times, but without success.

The Arabs knew nothing about the use of astronomical instruments.The sailors on the ship didn't know much about what the young captain wanted to do. Even if Selick himself had received more education, he didn't understand the significance of Geulele's observation of the sun at all.But one thing, everyone understands, the passengers are extremely unhappy.The Saint-Malo man walked up and down, cursing, reprimanding, furious, as if the devil had possessed him, was he really a madman?No, he's not crazy; however, he could be.That's what worries his nephew and his friends. When Tregoman and Jewell invited Antifil to lunch?He refused.He ate only a piece of bread, and then went to lie down under the mast, and forbade anyone to speak to him.

In the afternoon, the wind was accompanied by dark clouds.As the sailors say: the tumbling sea is "a bad omen".This is a sign that the wind is about to rise, and it is true-it is a storm blowing from the southwest.Sometimes the terrible hot wind brought from the desert will suddenly change, and after sweeping across the Arabian coast, the air current meets the waves of the Indian Ocean and crashes against each other. The "Berbella" pitched terribly.The sailboat is very short, and the side of the boat is close to the water surface, so it cannot resist the attack of the rough waves.Only escape to the northeast.What Geuelle observed, Antiphail may have discovered too.As long as a little attention is paid, you will find that the owner is steering the sailboat with care and skill;However, this is just that some of them are used to such violent wind and rain; others are lying on the deck, extremely unaccustomed to the pitching of the ship.It was evident that these men had never sailed at sea.Jewell thought: Not good!Are they being stalked... Celik may be... It must be a bad thing for the heir to the estate!

The bad weather annoyed Savuk too.If the storm lasts for a few more days and observations cannot be made, how can the location of the island be determined? ——He didn't think there was any need to be on the deck, so let's hide in the cabin!Omar wobbled there like a barrel with its hoops loose. Jewell and the captain of the barge, having been rebuffed by Maester Antiffel, went down, leaving him alone under the mast, under a sheet of tarpaulin.The two of them lay on the sailor's stool. "Our expedition does not seem to be going well," grumbled Gilda. "That's how I see it too," replied Jewell. "I hope tomorrow is a good day, you can observe..." "I hope so, Mr. Tregoman." His main concern wasn't the weather, but he didn't say so.The sun will show up, since it's over Oman... As long as the island exists, it will be found... But, these suspicious people on the "Ber Bella" ship are involved... At night, it was dark and foggy, which would pose a serious danger to small boats.The danger is not that the boat is too light. A light boat can float on the waves and avoid the waves.What is dangerous is the sudden change of the wind attack.If the owner hadn't been skilled and agile at the helm, the ship would have been blown over more than a dozen times. After midnight, it rained and the wind eased, maybe tomorrow the weather will change? ... When day came, the sky was still shrouded in thick fog.After last night's torrential showers, it's now cloudy and drizzling.The cloud cover was low, and the water vapor had not yet formed into large raindrops, as if sprayed down with a sprayer. When Jewele stepped onto the deck, he couldn't help showing disgust.It seems that observation is no longer possible.Where is the ship now after diverting course in the night?Even the ship owner who is very familiar with the Gulf of Oman can't answer.Driven by the westerly wind, the "Ber Bella" went too far east.However, this cannot be confirmed, because any observation is impossible. Pierre came out from under the sheet and went to the bow.When the skyline came into his view again, listen to his shouts and watch his angry movements!Instead of speaking to his nephew, he stood motionless beside the anchored left boat gang. His uncle had been silent since yesterday, and Juelle did not want to break the silence.He had to contend with a variety of questions from Selick, to which he could only answer vaguely. The interpreter approached him and said: "Look, sir, the weather is bad!" "It's not good..." "You can't observe the sun with instruments—" "I can't." "then what should we do?" "Wait." "We only have enough food for three days. If God continues to be against us, the boat will have to return to Sohar, sir..." "That's the only way to go!" "So, are you giving up on the expedition plan?" "Maybe...at least until the season when the weather is good." "Wait in Sohar or Muscat, it doesn't matter!" The young sailor spoke with reservations, and Selick didn't get what he expected. The captain of the barge went on deck almost at the same time as Savuk, seeing the fog covering the skyline less than 0.5 nautical miles away from the "Ber Bella", one pouted dejectedly, and the other was angry. "It's not going well, is it?" Tregoman said, shaking the young captain's hand. "Terrible!" replied Jewell. "Where is our friend?" "There... at the bow." "I hope he doesn't fall overboard!" whispered the captain of the barge.He was always afraid that the St. Malo people would be overwhelmed for a while, and they would go to a dead end. At last the morning passed.The sextant was still in the box, like a necklace in a jewelry box, useless.Not a ray of sunlight penetrated the diffuse fog.Tregman carried the clock purely out of a sense of duty; until noon it could not be used to determine longitude by the time difference between its passage through Paris and the position of the boat. The afternoon didn't go well either.Although they watched the course carefully, they could not tell exactly where the boat was. The owner reminded Selick of this as well.The owner of the ship told him that if the weather was still bad the next day, he would sail westward so as to get closer to the land, but he didn't know where the land was? . . . the coast of Sohar, Muscat, or further north, probably at the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz, and perhaps further south, along the coast of the Indian Ocean or Cape Hadd? Selick told Jeweler what the captain wanted. "Okay!" said the young captain. That's all he answered. Until it got dark, nothing unexpected happened. The sun had already set behind the mist, and there was no light left.The rain is light, it can be called drizzle, like a little bit of mercury stirred up by surfing.Perhaps this was a good omen, the weather was going to improve, and the wind died down. The captain of the barge moistened his finger and put it in the air. It seemed that there was a fresh wind blowing from the east. "Ah! If it's on the 'Lovely Amelie,'" he said to himself, "there . . . I'll know what to do!" However, it is a pity that the "Amelie" has long been sold as firewood, and besides, this brig is not sailing on the charming Rance River at this moment. Like Gilda, Jewele sighed in the same way. At the same time, he felt that the moment the sun disappeared on the horizon, it seemed like a curious person was peeping through the gaps in the clouds.No doubt Pierre was discovering this ray of sunshine.His eyes suddenly brightened, and he gave an angry stare, returning the flash of the day and stars. As night fell, dinner began, and there was only enough food left for 24 hours, and everyone was very frugal; unless they knew that the "Ber Bella" was not far from land, they had to return tomorrow. The night was calm, with the wind-raised surf falling quickly, as is often the case in Long Bay.The east wind gradually bulged the starboard sail of the ship.Since the position was unclear, Selick conveyed Jewele's suggestion, and the owner began to drop anchor and wait for the dawn. At about 3:00 in the morning, the fog cleared completely, leaving only the last stars twinkling high in the sky.It seems that there is hope for an observation. At dawn, the disk of the sun arched above the horizon, shining brightly.Due to the influence of refraction, the ring of light gradually increased. Against the background of the diffuse mist, the sun shone brightly, and the brilliant sunlight fell on the water of the bay. Gilda Tregoman took off her paint hat and saluted the rising sun in a polite salute.Not even the Zoroastrians had ever welcomed the sun's presence as devoutly as he had. You can imagine how confused people are at this time.With what anxiety the passengers, sailors, and all were waiting for the moment of observation, and though land had not yet been seen, the Arabs were convinced that the Europeans would find out where the "Ber Bella" was.They were eager to know whether the ship was in the Gulf of Oman at the moment, or had been cast over the other side of Cape Hard. The weather was fine, cloudless, and the sun was high in the sky, so there was nothing to worry about.According to Geulele, the time had finally come to measure the height of the meridian.Near noon, the young captain began preparations. Maester Antifel came to him, biting his lips, his eyes were bright, and he said nothing.The captain of the barge stood on the right, shaking his head and flushing.Savuk followed closely behind, Selick was at the side of the boat, and everyone watched the upcoming observation with concern.Jewele straightened his chest, spread his legs apart, picked up the sextant with his left hand, and started aiming at the skyline. The brig rippling with the waves, heaving gently. Be sure to get the bearing right, and Jewele said: "It's done." Then, looking at the numbers on the scale, he went into the cabin to calculate. After more than 20 minutes, he returned to the deck and announced the observation results. The brig was now at latitude 25° 2' north, three minutes south of the latitude of the island. As a supplementary measure, it is also necessary to measure the hour angle. Really!Never before had time passed so slowly for Antifel, Jewell, the captain of the barge, and Savuk, and the longed-for moment seemed never to come! That moment has finally come. The "Berbella" was on the correct channel again, and according to Joule's instructions, the course of the brig turned slightly to the south. At 2:30, the young captain made another series of observations, and the barge captain recorded the time on the clock.The result of the calculation is 54 degrees 58 minutes east longitude. At the same moment a cry was heard, and an Arab pointed to a raised brown thing two nautical miles to the west. "My island!" exclaimed Maester Antiphere. It could only be the island, for there was no other land in sight. Look, the St. Malo man walks up and down, gesticulates, fidgety, really bewildered.Gilda had to go and wrap her strong arms around him. The brig immediately sailed towards the spotted target.The light east wind bulged the sails, and half an hour later, the boat arrived at the island.Juel judged based on the channel passed by after observation, and confirmed that the location of the island was completely in line with the orientation pointed out by Governor Camille: that is, the latitude passed to his son by Thomas Antifel—24 degrees 59 minutes north latitude, which was assigned by Bert. The longitude that Omar brought to Saint-Malo - 54° 57' E, east of the Paris meridian. Looking into the distance, people still see the vast sea of ​​the Gulf of Oman.