the lost continent-第1部分

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The　Lost　Continent　
by　Edgar　Rice　Burroughs



1


Since　earliest　childhood　I　have　been　strangely　fascinated　by　the　mystery　surrounding　the　history　of　the　last　days　of　twentieth　century　Europe。　　My　interest　is　keenest；　perhaps；　not　so　much　in　relation　to　known　facts　as　to　speculation　upon　the　unknowable　of　the　two　centuries　that　have　rolled　by　since　human　intercourse　between　the　Western　and　Eastern　Hemispheres　ceasedthe　mystery　of　Europe's　state　following　the　termination　of　the　Great　Warprovided；　of　course；　that　the　war　had　been　terminated。

From　out　of　the　meagerness　of　our　censored　histories　we　learned　that　for　fifteen　years　after　the　cessation　of　diplomatic　relations　between　the　United　States　of　North　America　and　the　belligerent　nations　of　the　Old　World；　news　of　more　or　less　doubtful　authenticity　filtered；　from　time　to　time；　into　the　Western　Hemisphere　from　the　Eastern。

Then　came　the　fruition　of　that　historic　propaganda　which　is　best　described　by　its　own　slogan：　〃The　East　for　the　East　the　West　for　the　West；〃　and　all　further　intercourse　was　stopped　by　statute。

Even　prior　to　this；　transoceanic　commerce　had　practically　ceased；　owing　to　the　perils　and　hazards　of　the　mine…strewn　waters　of　both　the　Atlantic　and　Pacific　Oceans。　　Just　when　submarine　activities　ended　we　do　not　know　but　the　last　vessel　of　this　type　sighted　by　a　Pan…American　merchantman　was　the　huge　Q　138；　which　discharged　twenty…nine　torpedoes　at　a　Brazilian　tank　steamer　off　the　Bermudas　in　the　fall　of　1972。　　A　heavy　sea　and　the　excellent　seamanship　of　the　master　of　the　Brazilian　permitted　the　Pan…American　to　escape　and　report　this　last　of　a　long　series　of　outrages　upon　our　commerce。　　God　alone　knows　how　many　hundreds　of　our　ancient　ships　fell　prey　to　the　roving　steel　sharks　of　blood…frenzied　Europe。　　Countless　were　the　vessels　and　men　that　passed　over　our　eastern　and　western　horizons　never　to　return；　but　whether　they　met　their　fates　before　the　belching　tubes　of　submarines　or　among　the　aimlessly　drifting　mine　fields；　no　man　lived　to　tell。

And　then　came　the　great　Pan…American　Federation　which　linked　the　Western　Hemisphere　from　pole　to　pole　under　a　single　flag；　which　joined　the　navies　of　the　New　World　into　the　mightiest　fighting　force　that　ever　sailed　the　seven　seas　the　greatest　argument　for　peace　the　world　had　ever　known。

Since　that　day　peace　had　reigned　from　the　western　shores　of　the　Azores　to　the　western　shores　of　the　Hawaiian　Islands；　nor　has　any　man　of　either　hemisphere　dared　cross　30dW。　or　175dW。　　From　30d　to　175d　is　oursfrom　30d　to　175d　is　peace；　prosperity　and　happiness。

Beyond　was　the　great　unknown。　　Even　the　geographies　of　my　boyhood　showed　nothing　beyond。　　We　were　taught　of　nothing　beyond。　　Speculation　was　discouraged。　　For　two　hundred　years　the　Eastern　Hemisphere　had　been　wiped　from　the　maps　and　histories　of　Pan…America。　　Its　mention　in　fiction；　even；　was　forbidden。

Our　ships　of　peace　patrol　thirty　and　one　hundred　seventy…　five。　　What　ships　from　beyond　they　have　warned　only　the　secret　archives　of　government　show；　but；　a　naval　officer　myself；　I　have　gathered　from　the　traditions　of　the　service　that　it　has　been　fully　two　hundred　years　since　smoke　or　sail　has　been　sighted　east　of　30d　or　west　of　175d。　　The　fate　of　the　relinquished　provinces　which　lay　beyond　the　dead　lines　we　could　only　speculate　upon。　　That　they　were　taken　by　the　military　power；　which　rose　so　suddenly　in　China　after　the　fall　of　the　republic；　and　which　wrested　Manchuria　and　Korea　from　Russia　and　Japan；　and　also　absorbed　the　Philippines；　is　quite　within　the　range　of　possibility。

It　was　the　commander　of　a　Chinese　man…of…war　who　received　a　copy　of　the　edict　of　1972　from　the　hand　of　my　illustrious　ancestor；　Admiral　Turck；　on　one　hundred　seventy…five；　two　hundred　and　six　years　ago；　and　from　the　yellowed　pages　of　the　admiral's　diary　I　learned　that　the　fate　of　the　Philippines　was　even　then　presaged　by　these　Chinese　naval　officers。

Yes；　for　over　two　hundred　years　no　man　crossed　30d　to　175d　and　lived　to　tell　his　storynot　until　chance　drew　me　across　and　back　again；　and　public　opinion；　revolting　at　last　against　the　drastic　regulations　of　our　long…dead　forbears；　demanded　that　my　story　be　given　to　the　world；　and　that　the　narrow　interdict　which　commanded　peace；　prosperity；　and　happiness　to　halt　at　30d　and　175d　be　removed　forever。

I　am　glad　that　it　was　given　to　me　to　be　an　instrument　in　the　hands　of　Providence　for　the　uplifting　of　benighted　Europe；　and　the　amelioration　of　the　suffering；　degradation；　and　abysmal　ignorance　in　which　I　found　her。

I　shall　not　live　to　see　the　complete　regeneration　of　the　savage　hordes　of　the　Eastern　Hemispherethat　is　a　work　which　will　require　many　generations；　perhaps　ages；　so　complete　has　been　their　reversion　to　savagery；　but　I　know　that　the　work　has　been　started；　and　I　am　proud　of　the　share　in　it　which　my　generous　countrymen　have　placed　in　my　hands。

The　government　already　possesses　a　complete　official　report　of　my　adventures　beyond　thirty。　　In　the　narrative　I　purpose　telling　my　story　in　a　less　formal；　and　I　hope；　a　more　entertaining；　style；　though；　being　only　a　naval　officer　and　without　claim　to　the　slightest　literary　ability；　I　shall　most　certainly　fall　far　short　of　the　possibilities　which　are　inherent　in　my　subject。　　That　I　have　passed　through　the　most　wondrous　adventures　that　have　befallen　a　civilized　man　during　the　past　two　centuries　encourages　me　in　the　belief　that；　however　ill　the　telling；　the　facts　themselves　will　command　your　interest　to　the　final　page。

Beyond　thirty！　　Romance；　adventure；　strange　peoples；　fearsome　beastsall　the　excitement　and　scurry　of　the　lives　of　the　twentieth　century　ancients　that　have　been　denied　us　in　these　dull　days　of　peace　and　prosaic　prosperityall；　all　lay　beyond　thirty；　the　invisible　barrier　between　the　stupid；　commercial　present　and　the　carefree；　barbarous　past。

What　boy　has　not　sighed　for　the　good　old　days　of　wars；　revolutions；　and　riots；　how　I　used　to　pore　over　the　chronicles　of　those　old　days；　those　dear　old　days；　when　workmen　went　armed　to　their　labors；　when　they　fell　upon　one　another　with　gun　and　bomb　and　dagger；　and　the　streets　ran　red　with　blood！　　Ah；　but　those　were　the　times　when　life　was　worth　the　living；　when　a　man　who　went　out　by　night　knew　not　at　which　dark　corner　a　〃footpad〃　might　leap　upon　and　slay　him；　when　wild　beasts　roamed　the　forest　and　the　jungles；　and　there　were　savage　men；　and　countries　yet　unexplored。

Now；　in　all　the　Western　Hemisphere　dwells　no　man　who　may　not　find　a　school　house　within　walking　distance　of　his　home；　or　at　least　within　flying　distance。

The　wildest　beast　that　roams　our　waste　places　lairs　in　the　frozen　north　or　the　frozen　south　within　a　government　reserve；　where　the　curious　may　view　him　and　feed　him　bread　crusts　from　the　hand　with　perfect　impunity。

But　beyond　thirty！　　And　I　have　gone　there；　and　come　back；　and　now　you　may　go　there；　for　no　longer　is　it　high　treason；　punishable　by　disgrace　or　death；　to　cross　30d　or　175d。

My　name　is　Jefferson　Turck。　　I　am　a　lieutenant　in　the　navy　in　the　great　Pan…American　navy；　the　only　navy　which　now　exists　in　all　the　world。

I　was　born　in　Arizona；　in　the　United　States　of　North　America；　in　the　year　of　our　Lord　2116。　　Therefore；　I　am　twenty…one　years　old。

In　early　boyhood　I　tired　of　the　teeming　cities　and　overcrowded　rural　districts　of　Arizona。　　Every　generation　of　Turcks　for　over　two　centuries　has　been　represented　in　the　navy。　　The　navy　called　to　me；　as　did　the　free；　wide；　unpeopled　spaces　of　the　mighty　oceans。　　And　so　I　joined　the　navy；　coming　up　from　the　ranks；　as　we　all　must；　learning　our　craft　as　we　advance。　　My　promotion　was　rapid；　for　my　family　seems　to　inherit　naval　lore。　　We　are　born　officers；　and　I　reserve　to　myself　no　special　credit　for　an　early　advancement　in　the　service。

At　twenty　I　found　myself　a　lieutenant　in　command　of　the　aero…submarine　Coldwater；　of　the　SS…96　class。　　The　Coldwater　was　one　of　the　first　of　the　air　and　underwater　craft　which　have　been　so　greatly　improved　since　its　launching；　and　was　possessed　of　innumerable　weaknesses　which；　fortunately；　have　been　eliminated　in　more　recent　vessels　of　similar　type。

Even　when　I　took　command；　she　was　fit　only　for　the　junk　pile；　but　the　world…old　parsimony　of　government　retained　her　in　active　service；　and　sent　two　hundred　men　to　sea　in　her；　with　myself；　a　mere　boy；　in　command　of　her；　to　patrol　thirty　from　Iceland　to　the　Azores。

Much　of　my　service　had　been　spent　aboard　the　great　merchantmen…of…war。　　These　are　the　utility　naval　vessels　that　have　transformed　the　navies　of　old；　which　burdened　the　peoples　with　taxes　for　their　support；　into　the　present　day　fleets　of　self…supporting　ships　that　find　ample　time　for　target　practice　and　gun　drill　while　they　bear　freight　and　the　mails　from　the　continents　to　the　far…scattered　island　of　Pan…America。

This　change　in　service　was　most　welcome　to　me；　especially　as　it　brought　with　it　coveted　responsibilities　of　sole　command；　and　I　was　prone　to　overlook　the　deficiencies　of　the　Coldwater　in　the　natural　pride　I　felt　in　my　first　ship。

The　Coldwater　was　fully　equipped　for　two　months'　patrolling　the　ordinary　length　of　assignment　to　this　serviceand　a　month　had　already　passed；　its　monotony　entirely　unrelieved　by　sight　of　another　craft；　when　the　first　of　our　misfortunes　befell。

We　had　been　riding　out　a　storm　at　an　altitude　of　about　three　thousand　feet。　　All　night　we　had　hovered　above　the　tossing　billows　of　the　moonlight　clouds。　　The　detonation　of　the　thunder　and　the　glare　of　lightning　through　an　occasional　rift　in　the　vaporous　wall　proclaimed　the　continued　fury　of　the　tempest　upon　the　surface　of　the　sea；　but　we；　far　above　it　all；　rode　in　comparative　ease　upon　the　upper　gale。　　With　the　coming　of　dawn　the　clouds　beneath　us　became　a　glorious　sea　of　gold　and　silver；　soft　and　beautiful；　but　they　could　not　deceive　us　as　to　the　blackness　and　the　terrors　of　the　storm…lashed　ocean　which　they　hid。

I　was　at　breakfast　when　my　chief　engineer　entered　and　saluted。　　His　face　was　grave；　and　I　thought　he　was　even　a　trifle　paler　than　usual。

〃Well？〃　I　asked。

He　drew　the　back　of　his　forefinger　nervously　across　his　brow　in　a　gesture　that　was　habitual　with　him　in　moments　of　mental　stress。

〃The　gravitation…screen　generators；　sir；〃　he　said。