The Mysterious Island — Chapter 25 in French
By Jules Verne
Le lendemain, — 30 octobre, — tout était prêt pour l’exploration projetée, que les derniers événements rendaient si urgente. The next day, the 30th of October, all was ready for the proposed exploring expedition, which recent events had rendered so necessary. En effet, les choses avaient tourné ainsi, que les colons de l’île Lincoln pouvaient s’imaginer n’en être plus à demander des secours, mais bien à pouvoir en porter. In fact, things had so come about that the settlers in Lincoln Island no longer needed help for themselves, but were even able to carry it to others.
Il fut donc convenu que l’on remonterait la Mercy, aussi loin que le courant de la rivière serait praticable. It was therefore agreed that they should ascend the Mercy as far as the river was navigable. Une grande partie de la route se ferait ainsi sans fatigues, et les explorateurs pourraient transporter leurs provisions et leurs armes jusqu’à un point avancé dans l’ouest de l’île. A great part of the distance would thus be traversed without fatigue, and the explorers could transport their provisions and arms to an advanced point in the west of the island.
Il avait fallu, en effet, songer non-seulement aux objets que l’on emportait, mais aussi à ceux que le hasard permettrait peut-être de ramener à Granite-house. It was necessary to think not only of the things which they should take with them, but also of those which they might have by chance to bring back to Granite House. S’il y avait eu un naufrage sur la côte, comme tout le faisait présumer, les épaves ne manqueraient pas et seraient de bonne prise. If there had been a wreck on the coast, as was supposed, there would be many things cast up, which would be lawfully their prizes. Dans cette prévision, le chariot eût, sans doute, mieux convenu que la fragile pirogue ; mais ce chariot, lourd et grossier, il fallait le traîner, ce qui en rendait l’emploi moins facile, et ce qui amena Pencroff à exprimer le regret que la caisse n’eût pas contenu, en même temps que « sa demi-livre de tabac », une paire de ces vigoureux chevaux du New-Jersey, qui eussent été fort utiles à la colonie ! In the event of this, the cart would have been of more use than the light canoe, but it was heavy and clumsy to drag, and therefore more difficult to use; this led Pencroft to express his regret that the chest had not contained, besides "his halfpound of tobacco," a pair of strong New Jersey horses, which would have been very useful to the colony!
Les provisions, déjà embarquées par Nab, se composaient de conserves de viande et de quelques gallons de bière et de liqueur fermentée, c’est-à-dire de quoi se sustenter pendant trois jours, — laps de temps le plus long que Cyrus Smith assignât à l’exploration. The provisions, which Neb had already packed up, consisted of a store of meat and of several gallons of beer, that is to say enough to sustain them for three days, the time which Harding assigned for the expedition. D’ailleurs, on comptait, au besoin, se réapprovisionner en route, et Nab n’eut garde d’oublier le petit fourneau portatif. They hoped besides to supply themselves on the road, and Neb took care not to forget the portable stove.