Jules Verne

“ Among the long ridges of rocks which guard the Istrian shore, he had no reason to regret the Gulf of Santa Manza or the Straits of Bonifacio. He had become an excellent pilot in those parts where the same language is spoken as in Corsica. From his pilotage of the ships between Pola and Trieste he earned almost as much as from his fishing. And in his house the poor were not forgotten, and Maria did her best in works of charity.
But the fisherman of Santa Manza had never forgotten his vow—a life for a life! He had taken one man's life He would save another's. ”

“ Nine years afterward a son was born to him, who was named Luigi. His birth cost his mother her life.
Andrea Ferrato now lived entirely for his daughter and his son. Maria, then aged eighteen, acted as mother to the little boy of eight. And except the deep and constant grief for the loss of his wife, the fisherman of Rovigno was as happy as he could be in his work and the consciousness of having done his duty. He was respected throughout the district. He was ever ready to help, and his advice was always valuable. He was known to be clever at his trade. ”

“ You can then get down between the rocks to the water's edge. No one will see you. My boat will take you off to the balancello, and we can at once put to sea without attracting attention, for they know I am going out to-night. If the breeze freshens too much I will run down the coast so as to set you ashore beyond the Austrian frontier at the mouths of the Cattaro.”
“And if it does not freshen, what are you going to do?” asked Sandorf.
“We will go out to sea,” answered the fisherman, “and I will land you on the coast of Rimini or at the mouth of the Po.” ”

“ It was at Santa Manza, on that narrow portion of the sea between Corsica and the Italian mainland, and often among the rocks of the straits of Bonifacio, that Andrea Ferrato followed his trade as a fisherman. Twenty years before he had married a young girl of Sartene. Two years afterward they had had a daughter who was christened Maria. The fisherman's calling is a rough one, particularly when to the fishing for fish there is added the fishing for coral, which was to be sought for at the bottom of the most dangerous channels in the strait. ”

“ When they sighted the balancello, if they did sight her, she would be far out at sea, with the fugitives under her deck.
“And what is the distance in a direct line between Rovigno and the nearest point of the Italian coast?” asked Bathory.
“About fifty miles.”
“And how long will it take you to do that?”
“With a favorable wind we ought to cross in twelve hours. But you have no money. You will want some. Take this belt, it has three hundred florins in it, and buckle it around you.”
“My friend—” said Sandorf.
“You can return it later on,” replied the fisherman, “when you are in safety. ”

“ Behind the house was an inclosure of about half an acre, in which a few vegetables grew among the mulberry- and olive-trees and the vines. A hedge separated it from a brook about six feet broad, and beyond was the open country. ”