"Jules Verne. Off on a Comet. WORKS" - читать интересную книгу автора

or three hundred fathoms instead of five fathoms. Five fathoms!
I confess I am puzzled."

For the next thirty-six hours, until the 4th of February, the sea
was examined and explored with the most unflagging perseverance.
Its depth remained invariable, still four, or at most five, fathoms;
and although its bottom was assiduously dredged, it was only to prove
it barren of marine production of any type.

The yacht made its way to lat. 36 degrees, and by reference to the charts
it was tolerably certain that she was cruising over the site of the Sahel,
the ridge that had separated the rich plain of the Mitidja from the sea,
and of which the highest peak, Mount Boujereah, had reached an altitude
of 1,200 feet; but even this peak, which might have been expected to emerge
like an islet above the surface of the sea, was nowhere to be traced.
Nothing was to be done but to put about, and return in disappointment
towards the north.

Thus the _Dobryna_ regained the waters of the Mediterranean without
discovering a trace of the missing province of Algeria.



CHAPTER XI

AN ISLAND TOMB


No longer, then, could there be any doubt as to the annihilation of a
considerable portion of the colony. Not merely had there been a submersion
of the land, but the impression was more and more confirmed that the very
bowels of the earth must have yawned and closed again upon a large territory.
Of the rocky substratum of the province it became more evident than ever
that not a trace remained, and a new soil of unknown formation had certainly
taken the place of the old sandy sea-bottom. As it altogether transcended
the powers of those on board to elucidate the origin of this catastrophe,
it was felt to be incumbent on them at least to ascertain its extent.

After a long and somewhat wavering discussion, it was at length
decided that the schooner should take advantage of the favorable wind
and weather, and proceed at first towards the east, thus following
the outline of what had formerly represented the coast of Africa,
until that coast had been lost in boundless sea.

Not a vestige of it all remained; from Cape Matafuz to Tunis it had
all gone, as though it had never been. The maritime town of Dellis,
built like Algiers, amphitheater-wise, had totally disappeared;
the highest points were quite invisible; not a trace on the horizon
was left of the Jurjura chain, the topmost point of which was known
to have an altitude of more than 7,000 feet.