Why did the mainland sink

Nautilus sailed out of the Strait of Gibraltar into the Atlantic Ocean, and we could walk on the platform every day again.

We are driving along the coast of Portugal. Further ahead are France and Britain. Ned Land, who never gave up running, thought the time was coming.

"Just tonight." He gave me a notice.

I stood up in horror, and his decision caught me off guard.

"Tonight, we are only a few nautical miles from the Spanish coast, Professor," he continued. "I fully believe that you are a man of your word."

"Don't worry, the night is dim and the sea breeze is blowing gently."

I didn't answer.

Ned Land approached me and said:

"I have informed Conseil. At 9 o'clock tonight, the captain has fallen asleep. Machinists and other people will not find it easily. Conseil and I will open the entrance first. Professor, you stay in the library and listen to our good news. God will help us! "

I was locked in my room all day. I want to be free, but I don't want to give up this submarine research! As for Captain Nemo, what will he think of our escape? I don't know if it will make him anxious or really hurt him. Besides, what will he do if our plan fails or he finds out? Will fate make us meet again before we leave? I want to see him again now, but I'm afraid to see him again. I listened carefully to the room next to him, but there was no sound.

I can't help wondering if this mysterious man is still on board. Since that night, the ship left the Nautilus to complete a mysterious mission, my opinion of him has changed a little. Anyway, Captain Nemo must still have some connection with this land. So, sometimes he can't see for weeks. What did he do? It's 7 o'clock, and there are 120 minutes before Ned Land's appointment. My heart is pounding uncontrollably. What I'm worried about is not that we will die in this risky escape, but that if we are found before leaving the Nautilus, we may be taken to a completely different angry captain. I'm more worried that he will feel sorry for me for leaving without saying goodbye. It's hard for me to calm down.

Finally, I decided to go to the living room. Through the long corridor, I walked into the exhibition hall, where I was so happy and intoxicated. Keep your eyes on these treasures, these rare treasures, like a person who wants to wander forever and pay attention to his hometown.

I walked back and forth in the living room several times. In one corner of the wall is the door leading to the captain's cabin. I was surprised to find that the door was unlocked, but there was no one inside. I pushed the door and went in. As simple as a hermit. I didn't notice some copperplate prints on the wall when they came in, so I looked at them carefully. Those are portraits of some great people in history who have devoted their lives to the happiness of mankind.

What communication can these great men have with Captain Nemo's soul? Will I find some secrets in his heart from these portraits? Will he be the leader of the oppressed people and the grave digger of the slave owners? Will he be an outstanding figure in modern world politics? Is he a hero of this tragic and glorious American Civil War? ……

Suddenly, the clock struck eight times, but the first stroke made me tremble all over, as if a pair of invisible eyes had seen the deepest secret in my heart.

Back to my room, I got dressed, got ready and waited. Only the vibration of the propeller on the ship broke the peace, and I was afraid.

I went to the living room. Ned Land hasn't come yet. I listened to the captain's room again. It is still silent.

I opened the door of the library, and the room was dark and empty. I stood at the door, anxiously waiting for Ned Land's signal.

Suddenly, the vibration of the propeller weakened. And then it stopped completely. After a while, I felt a meal at my feet. I realized that the nautilus had stopped at the bottom of the sea. I was scared. But then the living room door opened. Obviously, Ned Land is not stupid enough to come in and signal. It's the clever Captain Nemo. When he saw me, he said:

"oh! Professor, I want to see you. Do you know the history of Spain? "

Even if a person knows his country like the back of his hand, it is impossible to remember a date under such conditions.

"I know a little, but it is limited." I groaned.

"A learned man always has to learn a lot," said the captain. "Well, sit down. I want to tell you a strange thing in Spanish history. "

The captain sat on the sofa and I sat in the shadow next to him.

"Listen to me, Professor." He said, "This history will interest you in some way, because it will answer an age-old secret in your heart."

"Be my guest, Captain." I answered absently, but I wondered if this was the secret of our escape.

"It starts with 1702, Professor," he added. "At that time, Louis XIV of your was very arrogant and insisted on imposing his grandson, the Duke of Anjou, on the Spaniards to be king. Later, the king was called Philip V, but soon he was in trouble in diplomacy. The Dutch, Austrian and British royal families signed the Hague Alliance, replacing the crown from Philip V's head with the Austrian prince.

Of course, this alliance was resisted by Spain, but it lacked warriors and sailors, so the navy sent 23 warships to escort a fleet full of gold and silver to support Spain, under the command of Admiral Chaudu Renault.

The fleet was about to sail to the port of Cadiz, but the general found a British fleet in this area and decided to drive the fleet to a French port first. "

However, the Spaniards in the fleet objected to this and they were determined to sail the ship to the Spanish port. Instead of going to Cadiz, they went to Vigo Bay in northwest Spain. There will be no enemy warships there, and Xia Du Renault adopted this suggestion. But Victoria is an open port that is easy to defend but difficult to attack. Therefore, it is necessary to unload the gold and silver on the ship before the enemy navy blocks it. Unexpectedly, under the privilege granted by Philip V, businessmen in the port of Cadiz were not allowed to unload in Vigo Port, and asked to drive the ships full of gold and silver directly to the port of Cadiz after the enemy fleet left.

Unfortunately, when they planned to act, the British fleet had blocked Vigo Bay. General Chateau Reno led his troops to fight to the death with the enemy. He couldn't bear to let a lot of wealth fall into the hands of the enemy and set fire to these ships at the last minute. "

Captain Nemo stopped talking. To tell the truth, I didn't find any secrets that interested me from this history.

"Well, professor," replied the captain, "at present, we are in Vigo Bay, and you will soon discover the secret."

I followed him to the front of the living room window, trying to stabilize my mood and looking out carefully.

The lights lit up half a mile around the nautilus. In the dark wreckage, some crew members were wearing diving suits, cleaning rotten barrels and boxes, and gold and silver treasures were scattered on the ground. The crew picked up these precious trophies, returned to the Nautilus and unloaded them, and then resumed this tireless work of collecting gold and silver.

"You know what, Professor?" He smiled and asked me, "There is such a great wealth hidden in the ocean."

"All I know," I replied, "is that there are two million tons of silver in the sea."

"Yes, but to refine silver, the cost is much greater than the profit. It's different here. I just need to pick up what others have lost. Not just Vigo Bay. I also know thousands of such shipwrecks. Now, do you understand why I am a billionaire? "

"I see, captain, but with all due respect, there are countless poor people in the world. Just give them this wealth, but now it will never be good for them! "

I didn't want to express these feelings at first, because I knew it might offend Captain Nemo.

"No good?" He's a little impulsive. "You think, professor, I had such a hard time collecting these treasures to satisfy myself? How do you know I won't use it in the right place? Do you think I have forgotten the poor people who are oppressed and enslaved in the world? There are still so many poor people who need help and so many oppressed nations who need liberation. Do you know that?/You know what? Do you know that?/You know what? ……"

He suddenly stopped talking and seemed to regret saying so much. I didn't guess wrong. No matter what motive he came to the bottom of the sea to seek absolute freedom, he was at least a "person"! I can also guess what's the use of the twenty-two thousand gold he gave away!

Only Ned Land was most disappointed because his plan was broken by this gold and silver salvage operation, but he still didn't give up.

Now, Nautilus is heading south-southwest with its back to Europe. The weather is cloudy and uncertain. The sea is so rough that it is impossible to escape. On this day, you can imagine that Ned Land is 120% crazy.

However, I feel that the heavy stone in my heart has been removed and I can continue my research with peace of mind.

In the evening, Captain Nemo suddenly came in to see me. I was surprised, because it was already 1 1 point.

"Professor, would you like to do a sea roaming at night?"

"I'd love to."

"First of all, I want to remind you that it takes a long time to walk and climb mountains. The road is difficult to walk and will be very tired. "

"This will enhance my interest, captain. I am not afraid of being tired. "

Into the dressing room, no one else. The captain didn't ask me to inform Ned Land or Conseil to come with me.

Soon, we were walking on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean at a depth of 300 meters.

It's midnight. It was dark all around and the captain pointed to the distance. I saw a dim red light, like a big light source, about 2 nautical miles away from Nautilus.

We walked side by side and went straight to the light. The flat bottom of the sea is slowly rising. I can hear a noise overhead. It is raining heavily at sea. It's ridiculous that I'm afraid of being caught in the rain! Are you afraid of getting wet in the water? But the diving suit makes me feel not wet at all.

The reddish light is getting brighter and brighter, and the sea in front of me is flushed. The light source is actually underwater. Is this another kind of lightning? My surprise peaked.

The road ahead is becoming clearer and clearer. The focus of the light is on an 800-foot-high mountain top. All I see is the reflection of polycrystal in the water layer. Really, the light source is still on the other side of the peak.

In the morning 1, we arrived at the foot of the mountain. In front of us is a forest petrified by seawater, like a standing submarine coal mine. The road is full of seaweed and black horn vegetables, and almost all crustaceans crawl in it. When we climb rocks, they will collapse behind us and rumble. There are hollowed-out caves on both sides of the mountain road. It's so dark that I can't see anything. I wonder from time to time if the local people will suddenly jump out and stop in front of me.

I bravely followed the captain, but fortunately I came on crutches. Walking on this narrow mountain road near the abyss, any wrong step is dangerous. I took a step forward carefully and firmly, but my eyes still couldn't help admiring the rough underwater mountain scenery.

I tried my best to reach the top of the mountain at the same time as the captain.

There is a volcano in the distance. At the top of the mountain 50 feet away, among the rocks and volcanic slag, you can see a huge crater spewing lava flow, which spreads in the water like a waterfall, like a huge torch, illuminating the whole valley plain that stretches for a long time. In fact, under my eyes, it is an abandoned and collapsed city. The roof collapsed, the temple was destroyed, the arch was damaged, and the stone pillars fell. I can also recognize that this is a solid Dosga building, and a huge abandoned canal project is in the distance. There is a long collapsed wall in the distance, and there is no one over the spacious road. This is the ancient underwater city of Pompeii that Captain Nemo gave me!

What the hell is this place?

Captain Nemo took a lead stone and wrote the name of Atlantic City on a basalt.

I suddenly realized! Atlantic City, an ancient city that has been disputed by the world for thousands of years, actually exists.

It is the God of Luck who gave me this bizarre journey of fate, and I am stepping into the mythical continent! My hand has touched the ancient geological age site 6.5438 million years ago, and I am walking in the place where our distant ancestors once lived. My boots trampled heavily on the bones of animals during the flood, and those forests have long since become fossils.

I can't help walking down this cliff, seeing enough of this continent that once connected Africa and America, and visiting this great prehistoric city. I really want to stay here for a while and keep all this in mind.

Captain Nemo is now leaning against a big stone covered with moss, as if it had been petrified by the ship. Is he also thinking about those ancient humans? Or are you asking them the true meaning of human destiny?

I stood on this exciting mountain peak and stared at the plains under the fire. Sometimes the heat of flint is amazing, and the boiling of the geocentric melting pot vibrates the whole mountain. The loud roar echoed in the clear sea. Suddenly, the moon came out, and the pale moonlight shone through the sea on this sunken continent. We are going back.

I didn't get up until the next day 1 1. The fatigue of last night is still on me. The ship is still heading south.

Through the glass of the living room, you can also see the partially sunken continent.

I told Conseil about the history of the Atlantic and the suffering of those brave people. But I found that he was not paying attention to the lecture. It turned out that he had been attracted by the fish outside the window. As long as there are fish passing by, Conseil will be intoxicated with the classification of them and forget everything in the world.

On this day, the Nautilus surfaced in a round lake surrounded by mountains. The mountains on all sides are five or six hundred meters, which makes the whole lake look like an inverted funnel. There is a round hole at the top, from which a faint light shines.

"Where are we?" I asked the captain.

"The passage of an extinct volcano." The ship replied, "Because of the earthquake, seawater invaded and put out the volcano. Professor, while you are still dreaming, Nautilus has entered this volcanic lake from the underwater 10 meter natural waterway. For the nautilus, this is a safe, confidential and simple port! "

"Yes, captain, no one can enter the lake except you, but it's useless. Nautilus doesn't need a port. "

"You're right, professor, but it needs electricity, electricity needs electricity, electricity needs sodium, and sodium comes from coal. There are countless forests submerged by geological times, and now it has become a huge coal mine, which is my inexhaustible energy. "

"oh! Can you show me how coal is mined under the sea? "

"It's too late this time, professor, because I'm in a hurry to travel to the bottom of the sea. Because this time it is only loaded with the original stored sodium. "

But the reservation time is one day. With the permission of the captain, I made a trip around the lake with two companions. Climbing up the big rock ejected by the volcano and walking through the winding stone path really seems to be close to land again. Ned Land kept banging on the thickness of the surrounding rocks, as if to escape through the mountains.

Before nightfall, we returned to the ship, and the Nautilus re-entered the Atlantic Ocean through that secret underground waterway.