Page:Works of Jules Verne - Parke - Vol 2.djvu/245

Rh than one among the crowds that thronged the quays sought to catch a glimpse of this dog-captain, half-believing him supernatural.

Besides, for many months past the Forward had been attracting public attention. The peculiarities about her build, the mystery hanging over her, the incognito preserved by the captain, the strange way in which Shandon had received his appointment, the special care taken in selecting the crew, and the unknown destination all combined to invest her with a singular charm of romance.

The Forward had been constructed at Birkenhead by Messrs. Scott & Co., one of the most famous shipbuilders in England. The firm had received from Richard Shandon a minute plan, detailing every particular as to tonnage and dimensions, and also a sketch drawn with the greatest care, and evidently the production of a practiced seaman. As considerable sums were forthcoming, the work was commenced at once, and proceeded with as rapidly as possible.

The brig was characterized by the utmost solidity. She was evidently intended to resist enormous pressure, for the frame was not only made of teak-wood—a sort of oak which grows in India, and is remarkable for its extreme hardness—but was firmly bound together by strong iron bars. It was indeed a matter of surprise among the seafaring population that frequented the building yard, why the entire hull was not sheet iron like most steamers, and many inquiries were put to the shipwrights, but all the answer received was that they were obeying orders.

By slow degrees the brig began to take shape on the stocks, and connoisseurs were struck by the elegance and strength of her proportions. As the crew of the Nautilus had remarked, the stem made a right angle with the keel. It had no breakhead, but a sharp edge of cast steel made in the foundries of R. Hawthorn, at Newcastle. This metal prow glittering in the sun, gave a peculiar look to the ship, though there was nothing absolutely warlike about it. However, there was a cannon of 16 lbs. caliber mounted on the forecastle, on a pivot, to allow of its being easily pointed in all directions; and yet, in spite of both stem and cannon, the vessel was not the least like a ship intended for battle.