A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder James De Mille
A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder James De Mille
A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder James De Mille
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
53<br />
have been written at least three years ago, and the writer could not<br />
have known anyth<strong>in</strong>g about Ross's discoveries. Above all, he could not<br />
have thought of those two volcanoes unless he had seen them."<br />
"But these volcanoes mentioned by More are not the Erebus and Terror,<br />
are they?" said Lord Featherstone.<br />
"Of course not; they are on the other side of the world."<br />
"The whole story," said Melick, "may have been written by one of<br />
Ross's men and thrown overboard. If I'd been on that expedition I<br />
should probably have written it to beguile the time."<br />
"Oh yes," said the doctor; "and you would also have manufactured the<br />
papyrus and the copper cyl<strong>in</strong>der on board to beguile the time."<br />
"I dare say the writer picked up that papyrus and the copper cyl<strong>in</strong>der<br />
<strong>in</strong> Ch<strong>in</strong>a or Japan, and made use of it <strong>in</strong> this way."<br />
"Where do you make out the position of More's volcanoes?" asked<br />
Featherstone.<br />
"It is difficult to make it out accurately," said the doctor. "More<br />
gives no data. In fact he had none to give. He couldn't take any<br />
observations."<br />
"The fact is," said Melick, "it's not a sailor's yarn at all. No<br />
sailor would ever express himself <strong>in</strong> that way. That's what struck me<br />
from the first. It has the r<strong>in</strong>g of a confounded sensation-monger all<br />
through."<br />
The doctor elevated his eyebrows, but took no notice of this.<br />
"You see," he cont<strong>in</strong>ued, address<strong>in</strong>g himself to the others, "<strong>De</strong>solation<br />
Island is <strong>in</strong> 50 degrees south latitude and 70 degrees east longitude.<br />
As I make out, More's course led him over about ten degrees of<br />
longitude <strong>in</strong> a southwest course. That course depended altogether upon<br />
the ocean currents. Now there is a great antarctic drift-current,<br />
which flows round the Cape of Good Hope and divides there, one half<br />
flow<strong>in</strong>g past the east coast of Africa and the other sett<strong>in</strong>g across<br />
the Indian Ocean. Then it unites with a current which flows round the