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The north-east part of equinoctial America, Terra Firma, and the banks of the Orinoco, resemble in respect to the numerous races of people who inhabit them, the defiles of the Caucasus, the mountains of Hindookho, at the northern extremity of Asia, beyond the Tungouses, and the Tartare settled at the mouth of the Lena.
Once, when I was just dropping into a little nap, Mrs. F 's caution, "Don't go to sleep, or you will roll off!" roused me to the consciousness of not having a sofa or even terra firma to repose upon.
Still looking into the eye of the sun and smiling dreamily, he thought how he had helped to burn his father in effigy, and his look grew merrier, till at last he broke out into a laugh. Exactly at this moment the light veil of cloud parted from the sun, and he was brought to terra firma by the breaking forth of the sunshine.
I think the "poor white trash" of the South are falling out of their ranks by sickness, desertion, and every available means; but there is a large class of vindictive Southerners who will fight to the last. The weather is now good, and I have the army on terra firma. Supplies, too, came for a long time by daily driblets instead of in bulk; this is now all remedied, and I hope to start on Tuesday.
"Well done, lads!" I exclaimed joyously, for it was a great relief to me to have the schooner afloat again a sailor feels just as much out of his element in a stranded ship as he does when he personally is on terra firma and in the exuberance of my gratification I gave orders to "splice the main brace" preparatory to the troublesome and laborious task of getting the guns and ballast on board once more.
But the credibility of this voyage has been put to a stronger test. About 1508 a suit was instituted against the crown of Spain by Don Diego, son and heir of Columbus, for the government of certain parts of Terra Firma, and for a share in the revenue arising from them, conformably to the capitulations made between the sovereigns and his father.
Then, feeling somewhat chilled by their long immersion, they returned to terra firma, and were soon once more wending their way homeward.
Until his last breath he entertained the idea that he had merely opened a new way to the old resorts of opulent commerce, and had discovered some of the wild regions of the East. He supposed Hispaniola to be the ancient Ophir which had been visited by the ships of Solomon, and that Cuba and Terra Firma were but remote parts of Asia.
I was reflecting thus, when the Captain, cool and calm, always master of himself, approached me. "An accident?" I asked. "No; an incident." "But an incident that will oblige you perhaps to become an inhabitant of this land from which you flee?" Captain Nemo looked at me curiously, and made a negative gesture, as much as to say that nothing would force him to set foot on terra firma again.
To the south of Terra Firma the Viceroyalty of Peru extended itself, bordered on the south by the Province of Chile; while to the east, occupying the remainder of the Continent as far as the Brazilian frontier, and stretching over the fertile plains to the south, was the great Province of Paraguay, which included the territories now contained in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and part of Bolivia.
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