A summary of "The Children of Captain Grant" by Jules Verne Automatic translate

The novel takes the reader aboard a Scottish yacht searching for a missing explorer. Published in 1867, the plot revolves around the decipherment of a water-damaged document, which reveals fragmentary coordinates of the shipwreck — the latitude is known, but the longitude is lost. Several film adaptations of the book have been made. The 1936 Soviet film gained immense popularity thanks to Isaak Dunayevsky’s remarkable music. In 1985, a television series directed by Stanislav Govorukhin was released.

The novel opens the author’s celebrated trilogy, united by common characters. It is followed by "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" and "The Mysterious Island." The entire trilogy belongs to the "Extraordinary Journeys" series.

Discovered in the Irish Sea

During a test voyage in the Firth of Clyde, the crew of the steam yacht Duncan catches a massive hammerhead shark. Inside the shark, the sailors find a bottle containing badly damaged papers. The ship’s owner, Edouard Glenarvan, along with Major McNabbs and Captain John Mangles, carefully extract the fragments of text. The messages are written in three languages: English, French, and German. By comparing the surviving words, researchers discover the exact date of the disaster: June 7, 1862. The shipwreck involved the British three-masted vessel Britannia, commanded by Harry Grant. The sailors found themselves at 37 degrees 11 minutes south latitude, and their longitude is completely impossible to determine.

Glenarvan travels to London and asks the British Admiralty to organize a rescue expedition. The officials refuse, citing the time the incident occurred and the unclear location of the ship’s coordinates. The missing captain’s children, Mary and young Robert, arrive at the Scottish castle of Malcolm. Edward’s wife, Lady Helen, sympathizes deeply with the orphans. She asks her husband to set out on his own vessel to search for them. The crew happily supports this noble endeavor. The yacht is thoroughly equipped for the long voyage under the command of young John Mangles.

Before departure, an unexpected circumstance is discovered. A strange passenger appears on board the ship. This is Jacques Paganel, a rather absent-minded French scientist and secretary of the Paris Geographical Society. He had mixed up the ships, intending to sail to India on the steamship "Scotlandia." Upon learning of the Scots’ destination, the geographer is enthusiastically inspired by the idea of rescuing the sailors and willingly remains with his new friends.

Searches in South America

Guided by the original interpretation of the French version of the note, the explorers cross the Atlantic Ocean and arrive at the shores of Patagonia. The Duncan safely passes through the Strait of Magellan and disembarks a detachment of cavalry on the western coast. Glenarvan, Paganel, McNabbs, Robert, and several brave sailors head inland. They strictly adhere to the thirty-seventh parallel. Along the way, they are joined by a tall native guide, the Indian Thalcave, and his faithful horse, Taouka.

The people must endure severe trials. They cross the Andes and experience a powerful earthquake. Little Robert is carried off by a huge condor, but the major’s well-aimed shot saves the boy. Descending into the plains, the travelers are attacked at night by a pack of red wolves, or aguars. Robert escapes on the guide’s horse and leads the predators far away, saving the group.

Soon, the people miraculously escape a severe flood, taking refuge in the branches of a huge ombu tree. That night, the tree is struck by lightning, and the tree below is swarming with bloodthirsty caimans. A sudden waterspout uproots the flaming tree and carries it ashore on the turbulent waves, bringing the travelers to safety on dry land. No trace of the missing crew is ever found on South American soil.

Paganel puts forward a new version of the text’s decipherment. He proves that the fragment of the word "austral" refers to Australia. Returning on board, Glenarvan orders a course for new shores, and the yacht crosses the Indian Ocean. The vessel makes brief stops at the islands of Tristan da Cunha and Amsterdam. There is no news of Harry Grant there either.

Australian Adventures

Upon arriving on the shores of Australia, the expedition visits the farm of Irish colonist Paddy O’Moore. There, they meet a man named Ayrton. He claims to have served as boatswain on the ship that sank. He claims the disaster occurred on the east coast of the continent. Ayrton produces the original contract and offers his services as a guide. Glenarvan leaves the yacht in Melbourne for repairs, and he and his party set off overland across the Australian continent in a heavy ox-drawn cart.

The journey proves difficult. The horses and draft oxen die one after another from a mysterious disease. McNabbs begins to suspect the guide of foul play. Soon, the major overhears Ayrton’s nighttime conversation with unknown individuals. The terrible truth is revealed. The boatswain is the leader of a gang of escaped convicts named Ben Joyce. He deliberately led the travelers into the swamps of the Snow River by planting the poisonous herb gastrolobium on the animals. The convict intended to seize Glenarvan’s magnificent vessel for pirate raids on the open ocean.

A bandit wounds the sailor Mulready and disappears into the forest. Glenarvan writes an order to the captain’s mate, Tom Austin, demanding that he immediately bring the ship to the east coast. Paganel undertakes to write the address and, in his usual absent-mindedness, writes New Zealand instead of Australia. The wounded sailor carries the message, but is attacked by bandits en route. The letter falls into the hands of Ben Joyce.

Dangerous Maori Lands

The crew reaches Tufold Bay on the coast with great difficulty. They don’t find their yacht there and assume it has been captured by pirates. Desperate, they charter an old merchant ship, the brig Makari, and set sail for New Zealand. An incompetent, drunken skipper runs the brig aground near the shore. The passengers are forced to make their way to land on a makeshift raft made from masts.

Soon they are captured by a band of bloodthirsty Maori natives. The savage chief, Kai-Kumu, demands a ransom. The savages are renowned for their unparalleled cruelty and cannibalism. During an argument, Glenarvan kills one of the native chiefs, Kara-Tete, with a revolver, defending his wife, Helen, from his advances. The captives are locked in a hut, facing certain execution. By avoiding the guards’ attention, young Robert manages to dig a tunnel and lead his friends out.

The fugitives hide on the summit of Mount Maunganamu, a burial site for noble natives. A strict religious taboo has been imposed on the site, and the savages dare not ascend it. Paganel, who had escaped earlier and was waiting for his friends at the grave, devise a cunning plan. Exploiting the natural properties of the volcanic soil, the travelers trigger an artificial eruption. The superstitious savages flee in panic from the wrath of the gods, and the party safely escapes the dangerous mountain.

Rescue in the Pacific Ocean

After many days of grueling travel through the wild forests, the travelers reach the ocean coast. They are pursued by a superior force of Maori. The fugitives board an abandoned boat and attempt to escape. The savages overtake them in their canoes. A ship appears in the distance. Glenarvan, horrified, recognizes his own "Duncan." He is certain that there are armed convicts on board.

The yacht’s cannon opens fire, but the shells fall on the savages’ boats. The natives retreat hastily. The friends climb onto the deck and see their loyal crew. It turns out that Paganel’s foolish mistake saved the ship. Ordered to sail for New Zealand, the mate did just that. Ayrton attempted to mutiny but was locked in his cabin. The pirates were left on the Australian coast with nothing.

A confrontation with the traitor takes place on board. Glenarvan promises to spare his life and land him on a desert island in exchange for a truthful story. Ayrton confesses that he was put ashore by Harry Grant for attempting a mutiny. He knows nothing of the captain’s fate. The expedition reaches a dead end again.

Suddenly, a new idea dawns on Paganel. He declares that the French word "abor" does not mean landing, but rather the name of Tabor Island. This islet, known on English maps as Maria Theresa, lies at 37 degrees latitude. The yacht heads there. In the silence of the night, Robert and Mary hear their father’s voice calling for help. In the morning, the explorers do indeed find Harry Grant and two sailors on the small patch of land. The traitor Ayrton is left there to atone for his guilt, provided with everything he needs.

The rescued Scotsmen board. Captain Grant heartily thanks his rescuers. The Duncan safely returns to Scotland, completing its glorious circumnavigation. Upon their return, John Mangles marries Mary Grant, and the geographer Paganel marries the major’s cousin. Robert, meanwhile, resolves to become a brave sailor, continuing the work of his illustrious father.