CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Vanikoro

This terrible sight was the first of many that we were to see while the Nautilus sailed through the common ship routes. On the 27th of December, as I was examining our location on a map, the captain came into the sitting room, and pointed to a spot on the map, saying, "Vanikoro."

I was shocked to hear the word. This was the name of an island off the coast of northern Japan where explorers had been lost in the late 1700's. Two ships were lost, traveling through the rocky waters near Vanikoro. Their disappearance was known all over the world. The leader of the explorers was a Frenchman. Some time later, the French government sent another ship to the area to discover what had happened. They arrived on the island of Vanikoro to find out from the natives of the island what had happened. At first, the natives refused to speak, fearing the strangers. The explorers soon befriended the natives, however, and discovered that the first explorer had reached the island of Vanikoro after his ship had sunk, after which he built another small boat before again disappearing on the sea.

"So, no one knows what had happened to that mysterious boat he built on the island?" asked the captain with a smile.

"No one knows."

Captain Nemo said nothing, but walked to the sitting room where the iron doors were opened.

"I found the spot where that boat was lost," the captain told me with a smile.

(end of section)