They Found Atlantis lw-1 Read online

  'How about their migrating round the Arctic?' Nicky cut in sceptically.

  Count Axel shook his head. Like the majority of educated Scandinavians he spoke perfect English. 'Many of the plants which are known to have existed independently in both hemispheres, such as the banana palm for example, could never have lived north of the temperate zone.'

  'Anyhow,' Slinger went on, 'the Herr Doktor postulates that this island was the original Garden of Eden as far as the White Races go. Fertile, fine climate, about like this in its southern part and, above all, isolated for thousands of years by its sea barriers on either side—so completely protected from invasion. That enabled its inhabitants gradually to develop in peace and security until they achieved a wonderful civilisation, the remnants of which are the basis of all the other cultures which have come down to us.'

  'That's interesting enough as a theory,' agreed the McKay.

  'The Doctor maintains that he can prove it a hundred times over by similarities between the root language of the Central-American Indians and various Mediterranean peoples; by the fact that they had the same hierarchy of Gods, the same system of astrology, the same methods of agriculture, and the same style of architecture. It seems that the Mexicans once went in for Pyramid building just like the Egyptians.'

  'That is so,' Count Axel's thin mouth twitched at the corners and his rather sad face was lit by a quick smile. 'Some of the pyramids built by the Aztecs in Mexico are very large and exactly similar to the early efforts in the valley of the Nile, although they got no further than the step pyramids which the Egyptians achieved as early as their Fourth Dynasty.'

  'You seem to know quite a lot about it already, Count,' Slinger remarked.

  'The rise of ancient civilisations has always interested me, and many people believe that they all owe their origin to trading colonies which were established by the Atlanteans before their island was submerged in some stupendous upheaval.'

  Slinger shook his bald pate. 'The Herr Doktor was arguing that if that were the case those colonies would have carried on where the Atlanteans left off and reached a similar high plane within a few generations. His theory is that the Atlanteans held no communication with the outside world at all and that in one frightful day and night of earthquakes the whole continent went down. It must have been a catastrophe utterly unparalleled in the history of the world, but out of the several million people who probably inhabited the island it's likely that some who were in boats and so on would have been saved and washed ashore alive here and there in the huge tidal waves. A few reached Egypt and started that maybe: another lot struck northern Palestine and got going in Chaldea; a single man perhaps fetched up on the coast of Mexico and another in Brazil. If the Doctor's right that would explain why the new centres took so long to develop—only a little of the original knowledge would have survived with each man or group you see. Just as today, not one of us could carry a thousandth part of modern scientific knowledge and culture with us if we were suddenly dumped down among a barbarous people.'

  'I've often wondered just how much we could do if half a dozen people like us were washed up on a desert island,' said Sally.

  'It's an interesting speculation,' agreed Slinger, 'but to get 16

  back—the Doctor thinks that some of these folk who reached Cornwall and Brittany were simple fishermen who could do little more than carry their great religion of sun worship to the natives they found, just as any of us would know enough of Christianity to preach it, however ignorant we might be about electricity and machines. He holds that they founded the Druid's cult, whereas others, the batch that got to Egypt for example, had educated people amongst them, which would account for the Egyptians worshipping the sun god Ra, but in a more sophisticated way, and corning on with regard to the amenities of life more than all the rest.'

  Count Axel nodded. 'That theory fits in very well with the story of the Flood. In addition to the account of it in our scriptures, the Celts, the Babylonians and all the tribes of Central American Indians preserved legends of it too. I do not think anyone can doubt that the Deluge was an actual historical occurrence and a catastrophe of such tremendous magnitude would naturally be embodied in the race memories of all the people who knew of it. The Herr Doktor's idea of separate groups surviving is supported too by the fact that all legends of the Flood, although agreeing in their main particulars, differ in their account as to how their central figures were saved. Some, like Noah, had arks, others took refuge in caves on high mountains, others again were washed ashore dinging to great trees, and so on. The most curious thing of all is that Flood legends are very strong among the races of the West Indies and Mediterranean basin, vague if you go further north or south, and practically non-existent if you investigate the folk-lore of the Pacific Islands, China, Australia, Malaya and Japan. That points so very definitely to the calamity having occurred in the North Atlantic about where the Azores are now.'

  Slinger stood up. 'I see you know more of this than I do Count, so I'll leave you to entertain the party while I find Doctor Tisch. He must have gotten through his mail by now.'

  'Let's cut out the cackle and come to the gold,' Nicky suggested as Slinger left them.

  'By all means.' Count Axel smiled lazily beneath half lowered lids. 'The case for the actual existence of Atlantis before the Deluge rests principally, for its historic foundation, on certain passages in Plato's Critias and Timosus. According to these a scholarly Greek named Solon visited Egypt about 450 b.c. and a learned Priest of Sais gave him an account of the marvellous island. Atlantis, according to the ancient tradition was preserved in the memory of the Egyptians as the place where early mankind dwelt for many ages in peace and happiness. It was the cradle of all civilisation and, when submerged some nine thousand years before Solon's time, inhabited by a powerful, wealthy, and cultured people.

  'The capital of Atlantis was a mighty city beneath a great mountain in the northern part of the island. It was ringed by three broad canals, and three defensive zones each of which had high walls strengthened with plates of brass and copper. In the city itself stood the vast temple of Poseidon which was roofed and walled in pure red gold and contained life-size images fashioned from the same precious

  metal so that-'

  He broke off suddenly as Slinger and the German came out on to the terrace. The latter had lost his cheerful look. He now appeared a fat, hunched, dejected figure while Slinger exclaimed:

  'The Doctor's had a rotten break. He feared it from a radio message he received a week ago but now it's been confirmed by mail. Klemo Farquason has crashed on Wall Street, so the whole show's off.'

  'Seven years I prepare,' bleated the little Doctor, 'then for three more years I search for a rich financier who will back my great exploration. Everyone says I am a mad hatter but at last I convinced Mr. Farquason that I am not. Another year while we manufacture the super-bathysphere and have the ship outfitted. He is to meet me here—then I get a radiogram that there may be delay—now this.'

  A general murmur of sympathy went round and Slinger remarked: 'I'm afraid it's not going to be easy for you to find another man with sufficient cash to finance a thing like this where the results are so problematical.' 'But the loss to science,' moaned the Doctor. 'Never mind the science,' said Nicky, 'how about the gold? Though I don't see how you'd ever find it. Even if it's get-at-able, and not buried under five hundred feet of mud, it might be anywhere between Lisbon and Miami. There must be ten thousand square miles of ocean where that continent was before it sank. You might go diving for a life time and not hit the spot where that city was.'

  'No—that is not so,' protested the Doctor angrily. 'Eleven years ago, when I was an archaeologist on the Euphrates, 1 dug up a scroll at Eridu which gave me the great secret. The bearing of the stars which fixed the position of the city. The stars in ten thousand years do not vary more than a fraction. I will get within a mile of the temple at the first dive, then I dredge and within a week I will come to it.'

  Ni
cky stared at him. 'That makes all the difference,' he said slowly, then he looked sharply at Camilla. 'How about it? People have staked worse bets than this. Why don't you cut in on it?'

  Camilla straightened and they all watched her in silence for a moment, then: 'It would be rather fun,' she said slowly.

  'If the expedition succeeds it will make history,' remarked the Count, 'and you, Madam, as the leader of it, will remain famous long after you are dead.'

  It was a subtle piece of flattery and tickled Camilla's vanity. 'Chartering the yacht wouldn't harm the trust any,' she said thoughtfully, 'but I'd have to cut various engagements. How long is it going to take, Doctor?'

  'The work of excavation may go on for years, but I will find the city in a fortnight—less Gniidige Herzogin.'

  'That means I'll have to cancel my visit to Scotland,' Camilla hesitated, looking round at the ring of intent faces.

  'Oh let's—do let's, please 1' Sally exclaimed.

  'All right,' Camilla smiled and exclaimed suddenly: 'Will you all come as my guests on this party to discover the lost continent?'

  Only the McKay's voice rose above quick murmurs of acceptance that greeted her invitation. 'If you're including me I hope you don't expect me to go under water in that bathysphere?'

  'No, we'll let you play with a sextant on the bridge, but it would be nice to have the British Navy with us!'

  'Well, what could be fairer than that,' he laughed. 'I'd love to come.'

  "Ach! Himmel!' the Doctor cried. 'You mean this? You will finance my exploration with your money?'

  'Certainly I will,' Camilla assured him a little pompously.

  An ecstatic smile spread over the German's face as he grabbed her hand in his pudgy fingers and kissed it.

  Half an hour later the party had broken up. Only Rene P. Slinger and the Doctor remained on the terrace. The latter no longer smiled. His pink face showed doubt and distress.

  'I haf agreed to do this only to save my exploration,' he said heavily.

  'Sure,' nodded Slinger cheerfully, 'but haven't things panned out just as 1 said. The moment I heard Farquason had fallen down on you a month back I knew that if you brought your outfit here Camilla would jump right into it. Once we get her up to the Azores in that ship of yours and the big boy comes on board you'll see things happen. Then you can go hunting your lost Atlantis until it rises out of the water again to hit you in the pants.'

  The Doctor ignored the gibe and nodded gloomily. 'But there must be no bloodshed mind—no bloodshed—you haf promised me that.'

  Signs, Sounds, and a Worried Little Man

  That night, the lovely Camilla, Duchess of Solento-Ragina —nee Hart, expended some infinitesimal portion of her millions by giving a party to those friends and retainers who were to accompany her on Doktor Herman Tisch's mystery ship.

  The retainers, her cousin Sally and her man of business Rene P. Slinger, were in excellent spirits. Sally because she felt that however mad the quest might appear it should prove amusing and Slinger, because he had succeeded in his secret design of getting Camilla to undertake the expedition for his own dubious purposes.

  The McKay punished the champagne and blessed his luck that he had chanced to be present when Camilla offered the invitation to her intimates. As a Naval Captain, just retired, he was already finding it a difficult business to live in comfort on his pension and his inclusion in the party meant a few weeks' free keep in pleasant company.

  Camilla's three would-be second husbands—the Roumanian, Prince Vladimir Renescu, the film-star crooner Nicky Costello, and the Swede, Count Axel Fersan—were equally cheerful at the prospect of this voyage, which meant that the heiress to the Hart millions would be safe for some time from the pursuit of other suitors who might arrive upon the scene at any moment; moreover each was visualising in advance the delightful opportunities which mignt occur to get slender, blue-eyed, Camilla alone upon a moonlit afterdeck, persuade her to accept him, and thus finally rout his rivals before Doktor Tisch's ship returned to port. The little German doctor alone remained morose and uneasy, tortured by his secret thoughts.

  When dinner was over the whole party migrated to the little Casino which lies half way down the hill between Reids Palace Hotel and Funchal. It was early yet and only about fifty people were scattered about the low cool rooms. The young Roumanian carried Camilla off to dance and Nicky secured Sally solely because he knew that by dancing with her he would be able to keep an eye on Camilla without actually giving his rival the pleasure of seeing him lounge sulkily in the doorway of the dance room. The others passed through the far door and sitting down at a table on the terrace, ordered drinks.

  The night was fine, the air soft and scented by the semi-tropical moon flowers which open their great white bells only after the sun had set. A sheer cliff dropped from the terrace to the bay, now shrouded in darkness, but out on its gently heaving waters the lights of the shipping, riding at anchor for a few hours after having dropped their passengers and mails for Madeira, twinkled cheerfully. To the left they could catch a glimpse of the lights on the foreshore down in Funchal town, and to the right those of Reids Palace Hotel glimmered from its eminence on the headland of the bay.

  When they had finished their first drink Slinger suggested a stroll to Doktor Tisch leaving the McKay and Count Axel on their own. The sailor immediately broached the topic which was foremost in all their minds and asked:

  'Well, Count! What do you think of this Atlantic trip we are to take together?'

  'That it is one of the most interesting upon which any party of people can ever have embarked and I considered myself highly fortunate that chance should have made me a member of it,' replied the Swede affably.

  The McKay's thin lips twitched as he suppressed a disbelieving smile. 'You don't really think though that we shall succeed in dragging up the gold from this temple a mile deep in the ocean?'

  'Ah, that I do not say, but if we can secure even one small stone from the ocean bed, which bears an inscription, we shall have proved the one-time existence of the lost continent and all histories of the world will have to be rewritten. Think of the romantic thrill in actually being present at such an epoch making discovery.'

  'Come now.' The McKay shook his head and gave a low chuckle. 'I thought all you told us of the Flood legends today extremely interesting—but then you are an admirable raconteur and, although your stories served their purpose, you can hardly expect a hardened old sinner like myself to believe them.'

  'Why should you think that I was not in earnest?'

  'Isn't that rather obvious. Forgive me if I seem rude and of course your private affairs are none of my business but it must be an expensive pastime pursuing Camilla round Europe from one luxury hotel to another in the hope of making her your Countess. Surely this is a heaven sent opportunity to be certain of her company for several weeks to come at her sole charge. I would not put it to you so bluntly if I were not devilish hard up myself and willing to confess that the prospect of the trip at the expense of this lady, who can so well afford it, tempted me to accept her invitation.'

  Count Axel's eyes narrowed a fraction but his smile was lazy, tolerant, good natured. '1 see,' he murmured after a moment.

  'You thought that I was distorting facts in order to persuade her to undertake this voyage and, perhaps, considering it offered excellent opportunities to divert her attention from my empty headed rivals to myself by frequent displays of my erudition. 1 might resent that suggestion most strongly—from some people—but, as it happens, 1 like you sufficiently to let it pass. Actually it is true that this venture comes as a boon in the present state of my finances, yet I assure you that I distorted nothing, and meant every single word I said this afternoon.'

  'Then you honestly believe that this fabled continent did exist?'

  'I do indeed and if you like I will endeavour to prove it to you.'

  'Right. Go ahead, the r.ight is still young, but let's repeat the drinks before we settle down to it—hi,
waiter!'

  The man paused at the table and took their order, to which Count Axel added: 'Bring me a few sheets of scribbling paper, will you.' Then he turned back to the McKay.

  'Am I right in supposing that you have no knowledge of 23

  ancient languages—Sanscrit, Hebrew, Maya, Phoenician

  and so on I mean?'

  'Perfectly.' The McKay's lined face broke into a quick smile. 'Even my Latin is pretty rusty now.'

  'Then my dear Captain 1 must ask you to accept my word for the truth of all that I am about to say. I wili give you nothing which is not accepted by all serious students of archaic languages.'

  'Certainly, Count.'

  'Good. The study of words and their origins has been one of my hobbies for many years and although of course I could not carry on a conversation in these long dead languages which hold the roots of modern speech, 1 know quite a considerable amount about them. Did you know that from all the thousands of tongues in which men convey their thoughts to one another only two original phonetic alphabets had been produced?'

  'I don't know the first thing about it,' the McKay admitted, 'but never mind that.'

  'Well, it is so. All writing originated in the picture drawings left by primitive people who were on the march from one territory to another so that the other portion of their tribe, which was following, perhaps days later, might learn from their markings on stones and trees the direction they had taken and the good or ill fortune that they had met with in their migration.

  'A crude drawing of a sun meant a day, of the moon—a. month, rippling lines—water, crossed spears—a battle with another tribe, the horns of a buck—plentiful game, and so on. In time these signs became simplified or conventionalised so much as often to bear no further resemblance to their original. The Chinese script is an excellent if exaggerated example of the latter case. Each of the thousands of characters which are utterly meaningless to us, or even to all the highly educated among themselves today, originally represented a picture of something—a peach—a cart—a tree bent in the breeze—or a state of emotion shown by the posture of a human figure. Egyptian hieroglyphics were the same although less obscured, because in quite early times the Egyptians decided to retain them as they stood for all sacred writings while bringing in an easier abbreviated set of forms, called the demotic, for everyday use. The great