Travel Scholarships by Jules Verne

Author:Jules Verne [Verne, Jules]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780819573629
Publisher: Wesleyan University Press
Published: 2013-02-15T08:00:00+00:00

4 Martinique

Harry Markel had just escaped from danger. But he would have to face additional perils in Martinique, Saint Lucia, and Barbados. Would he be able to survive them all? During the first half of his life as a pirate, an extraordinary luck had accompanied him until that day when he and his companions were arrested on board the Halifax. But then it had returned during their escape from the Queenstown prison and their seizing of the Alert. Since then, his luck had continued and obviously was still with him, since Harry Markel had been able to avoid the meeting with Ned Butlar. As for the description that the sailor had made of Captain Paxton’s appearance, so different from his own, he did not attach any importance to it. The passengers no longer thought about it. He had faith in his lucky stars, and he would press on to the very end of his adventurous and criminal scheme.

In the morning, as was noted, Dominica was some five or six miles behind them. Only the last hills could be seen, and the island would not have been visible at all if the breeze had puffed up a little.

The distance between this island and Martinique is almost equal to that separating Guadeloupe from Dominica. But its mountains are high and, during good weather, they can be seen from about sixty miles away. So it was not impossible that the passengers might make them out before sunset. In that case, the following day, the Alert would be in Fort-de-France, the capital, toward which it was now sailing.

Divided into nine counties and twenty-nine communities, the island includes the two districts of Saint-Pierre and Fort-de-France.1

The sky was magnificent and the sea radiant, completely flooded by the sun’s rays. Not a single cloud veiled the upper atmosphere. One could barely feel the long and regular waves that came from the open sea. The barometer was indicating fair conditions.

Under these circumstances, it was logical to suppose that the Alert would not go any faster than five to six miles an hour. Therefore, Harry

Markel had installed the stunsails on the mainmast and foremast, as well as all the staysails; the three-masted schooner was at full sail.

Tony Renault and Magnus Anders were among the first to climb up the shrouds, to reach the topmast by way of the cross-trees without going through the lubber’s hole, to clamber up to the topgallant yards and push out and secure the yards of the stunsails, while their classmates took care of securing the sheets and trimming the sails.

In truth, with this maneuver done, would these daring boys agree to descend once again to the bridge or wouldn’t they prefer to stay up on the masts?

On the poop deck, sitting in a comfortable wicker deck chair lined with a soft cushion, the mentor seemed proud of his young companions. Not that he was without anxiety at seeing them walking on the yardarms or climbing the rigging, and he did not neglect to shout to them to hold on tight; but in the end, it all delighted him.

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