Postbox of the Sea, continued

Mountains to right of you, mountains to left of you; penguins everywhere, and stormy petrels. A fearful place! Mille saints mille singes! What a battering you get there! continued Captain Gertrais.

In other words, it is a devilish coast. Such jagged rocks and reefs ! And then you come to Port Famine, which is the worst of all, with the heaviest breakers you've seen in all your life. And there you see these two words written in red: POST OFFICE .

On a rock a hundred feet high is a tall post with a barrel hanging from it. The barrel is the post box of the sea. Every vessel that passes sends a boat to the barrel with their mail. Ships coming from the Atlantic post their letters for Europe, and ships coming from the Pacific post their letters for America. The barrel is made fast to the post with a chain. It has a good hinged lid, but no lock or padlock. And it rains! And it snows! And it hails! And what a dirty sea.....


So, you get the picture. Victor Hugo's postbox of the sea was certainly a dangerous letterbox. But Captain Clubin had further reason to believe it dangerous, for earlier that morning he had committed a crime, and planned to commit another the following day......

The Postbox of the Sea

It is 1820 or thereabouts. In the downstairs room of an inn in St Malo, Captain Gertrais, an old ocean-going captain, is talking with Captain Clubin of the steamship Durande. Captain Gertrais is telling Captain Clubin about the postbox of the sea.

What do you mean by the postbox of the sea?

You don't know what that is, Captain Clubin?

No.

When you pass the Strait of Magellan ....

Well?

Snow everywhere, always rough weather, vile winds, a foul sea.

What then?

When you have rounded Cape Monmouth ....

Then?

Then you round Cape Valentine.

And then?

Then you round Cape Isidore.

And then?

Then you round Cape Anna.

Alright, but what is the postbox of the sea you talk about?

I'm coming to that.

I have quoted Victor Hugo at length, because he is an excellent writer. He does not hesitate to use over half a page to illustrate the old ocean-going captain's way of building up a story. From here, the old ocean-going captain goes on to explain about the postbox of the sea.....

(I'm coming to that).