This terrible sight was the first of many that we were to see while the Nautilus seiled through the common ship routes. On the 27th of December, as I was examining our location on a map, the captain came into the sitting room, and pointed to a spot on the map, saying, Vanikoro.

I was shocked to hear the word. This was the name of an island off the coast of northern Japan where explorers had been lost in the late 1700's. Two ships were lost, traveling through the rock waters near Vanikoro. Their disappearance was known all over the world. The leader of the explorers was a Frenchman. Some time later, the French government sent another ship to the area to discover what had happened.

They arrivered on the island of Vanikoro to find out from the natives of the island what had happened. At the first, the natives refused to speak, fearing the strangers.