THE PUZZLE EXPLAINED.
"That is an important point," replied Captain Mangles; "the shipwreck took place in the southern hemisphere."
"That is indefinite," said the major.
"I will continue," resumed Glenarvan. "The word abor is the trace of the verb aborder (to land). These unfortunates have landed somewhere. But where? Contin! Is it on a continent? Cruel!"
"'Cruel!'" cried Mangles; "that explains the German word graus, grausam, cruel!"
"Go on, go on!" cried Glenarvan, whose interest was greatly excited as the meaning of these incomplete words was elucidated. "Indi! Is it India, then, where these sailors have been cast? What is the meaning of the word ongit? Ha, longitude! And here is the latitude, 37° 11'. In short, we have a definite indication."
"But the longitude is wanting," said MacNabb.
"We cannot have everything, my dear major," replied Glenarvan; "and an exact degree of latitude is something. This French document is decidedly the most complete of the three. Each of them was evidently a literal translation of the others, for they all convey the same information. We must, therefore, unite and translate them into one language, and seek their most probable meaning, the one that is most logical and explicit."
"Shall we make this translation in French, English, or German?" asked the major.
"In English," answered Glenarvan, "since that is our own language."