海底兩萬里 第244期 第19章 萬尼科羅群島(5)

The Nautilus had cleared 8,100 miles. We logged 9,720 miles when we passed between the Tonga Islands, where crews from the Argo, Port-au-Prince, and Duke of Portland had perished, and the island group of Samoa, scene of the slaying of Captain de Langle, friend of that long-lost navigator, the Count de La Perouse. Then we raised the Fiji Islands, where savages slaughtered sailors from the Union, as well as Captain Bureau, commander of the Darling Josephine out of Nantes, France.

諾第留斯號已經(jīng)走了八千一百海里的海程了。當(dāng)它穿過東加塔布群島和航海家群島之間的時候，測程器的記錄已經(jīng)到了九千七百二十海里;湯加塔布群島是從前阿爾戈號、太子港號和博蘭公爵號的船員喪生的地方，航海家群島是拉?白魯斯的朋友、郎格爾船長被殺的所在。不久我又望見了維蒂群島，島上的土人曾經(jīng)屠殺過和合號的水手和指揮可愛的約瑟芬號的南特人布羅船長。

Extending over an expanse of 100 leagues north to south, and over 90 leagues east to west, this island group lies between latitude 2 degrees and 6 degrees south, and between longitude 174 degrees and 179 degrees west. It consists of a number of islands, islets, and reefs, among which we noted the islands of Viti Levu, Vanua Levu, and Kadavu.

這群島所占的面積，從北至南為一百里，從東至西為九十里，位于南緯6度至2度，西經(jīng)174度至179度之間。這群島是由很多小島如維蒂島、萬奴島和甘杜朋等島組成的。

It was the Dutch navigator Tasman who discovered this group in 1643, the same year the Italian physicist Torricelli invented the barometer and King Louis XIV ascended the French throne. I'll let the reader decide which of these deeds was more beneficial to humanity. Coming later, Captain Cook in 1774, Rear Admiral d'Entrecasteaux in 1793, and finally Captain Dumont d'Urville in 1827, untangled the whole chaotic geography of this island group. The Nautilus drew near Wailea Bay, an unlucky place for England's Captain Dillon, who was the first to shed light on the longstanding mystery surrounding the disappearance of ships under the Count de La Perouse.

這群小島是塔斯曼在1643年發(fā)現(xiàn)的，那一年也就是托利色利發(fā)明風(fēng)雨表和路易十四即位的一年。人們可以想一想，這三件事究竟那一件對人類最有益處、”隨后，庫克在1714年，當(dāng)土爾加斯朵在1793年，杜蒙?居維爾在1827年都曾來過，群島的地理形勢是經(jīng)杜蒙?居維爾勘察后，才弄清楚的。諾第留斯號駛近了魏利阿灣，那位狄勇船長在這里遇到過驚人冒險的事件，狄勇船長就是第一個把拉白魯斯沉船的秘密弄明白的人。