Saturday,August15.–Theseaunbrokenallround.Nolandinsight.Thehorizonseemsextremelydistant. Myheadisstillstupefiedwiththevividrealityofmydream. Myunclehashadnodreams,butheisoutoftemper.Heexaminesthehorizonallroundwithhisglass,andfoldshisarmswiththeairofaninjuredman. IremarkthatProfessorLiedenbrockhasatendencytorelapseintoanimpatientmood,andImakeanoteofitinmylog. Allmydangerandsufferingswereneededtostrikeasparkofhuman. feelingoutofhim;butnowthatIamwellhisnaturehasresumeditssway. Andyet,whatcausewasthereforanger? Isnotthevoyageprosperingasfavourablyaspossibleunderthecircumstances? Isnottheraftspinningalongwithmarvellousspeed? "–Youseemanxious,myuncle,"Isaid,seeinghimcontinuallywithhisglasstohiseye. "Onemightbe,withlessreasonthannow." "Whatdoesthatsignify?Iamnotcomplainingthattherateisslow,butthattheseaissowide." IthenrememberedthattheProfessor,beforestarting,hadestimatedthelengthofthisundergroundseaatthirtyleagues. Nowwehadmadethreetimesthedistance,yetstillthesoutherncoastwasnotinsight. "Wearenotdescendingasweoughttobe,"theProfessordeclares."Wearelosingtime,andthefactis,Ihavenotcomeallthiswaytotakealittlesailuponapondonaraft." Hecalledthisseaapond,andourlongvoyage,takingalittlesail! "But,"Iremarked,"sincewehavefollowedtheroadthatSaknussemmhasshownus–" "Thatisjustthequestion.Havewefollowedthatroad?DidSaknussemmmeetthissheetofwater?Didhecrossit?Hasnotthestreamthatwefollowedledusaltogetherastray?" "Atanyratewecannotfeelsorrytohavecomesofar.Thisprospectismagnificent,and–" "ButIdon'tcareforprospects.Icamewithanobject,andImeantoattainit.Thereforedon'ttalktomeaboutviewsandprospects." Itakethisasmyanswer,andIleavetheProfessortobitehislipswithimpatience.AtsixintheeveningHansasksforhiswages,andhisthreerixdollarsarecountedouttohim. Sunday,August16.–Nothingnew.Weatherunchanged.Thewindfreshens. Onawaking,myfirstthoughtwastoobservetheintensityofthelight. Iwaspossessedwithanapprehensionlesttheelectriclightshouldgrowdim,orfailaltogether.Butthereseemednoreasontofear. Theshadowoftheraftwasclearlyoutlineduponthesurfaceofthewaves. Trulythisseaisofinfinitewidth.ItmustbeaswideastheMediterraneanortheAtlantic–andwhynot? Myuncletooksoundingsseveraltimes.Hetiedtheheaviestofourpickaxestoalongropewhichheletdowntwohundredfathoms.Nobottomyet;andwehadsomedifficultyinhaulingupourplummet. Butwhenthepickwasshippedagain,Hanspointedoutonitssurfacedeepprintsasifithadbeenviolentlycompressedbetweentwohardbodies. Icouldnotunderstandhim,andturnedtomyunclewhowasentirelyabsorbedinhiscalculations. Ihadrathernotdisturbhimwhileheisquiet.IreturntotheIcelander. Hebyasnappingmotionofhisjawsconveyshisideastome. "Teeth!"Icried,consideringtheironbarwithmoreattention. Yes,indeed,thosearethemarksofteethimprinteduponthemetal! Thejawswhichtheyarmmustbepossessedofamazingstrength. Istheresomemonsterbeneathusbelongingtotheextinctraces,morevoraciousthantheshark,morefearfulinvastnessthanthewhale? Icouldnottakemyeyesoffthisindentedironbar. Surelywillmylastnight'sdreamberealised? Thesethoughtsagitatedmeallday,andmyimaginationscarcelycalmeddownafterseveralhours'sleep. Monday,August17.–Iamtryingtorecallthepeculiarinstinctsofthemonstersofthepreadamiteworld,who,comingnextinsuccessionafterthemolluscs,thecrustaceansandlefishes,precededtheanimalsofmammalianraceupontheearth.Theworldthenbelongedtoreptiles. Thosemonstersheldthemasteryintheseasofthesecondaryperiod. Theypossessedaperfectorganisation,giganticproportions,prodigiousstrength. Thesauriansofourday,thealligatorsandthecrocodiles,arebutfeeblereproductionsoftheirforefathersofprimitiveages. IshudderasIrecallthesemonsterstomyremembrance. Nohumaneyehaseverbeheldthemliving. Theyburdenedthisearthathousandagesbeforemanappeared,buttheirfossilremains,foundintheargillaceouslimestonecalledbytheEnglishthelias,haveenabledtheircolossalstructuretobeperfectlybuiltupagainandanatomicallyascertained. IsawattheHamburgmuseumtheskeletonofoneofthesecreaturesthirtyfeetinlength. AmIthenfated–I,adenizenofearth–tobeplacedfacetofacewiththeserepresentativesoflongextinctfamilies?No;surelyitcannotbe! Yetthedeepmarksofconicalteethupontheironpickarecertainlythoseofthecrocodile. Myeyesarefearfullybentuponthesea. Idreadtoseeoneofthesemonstersdartingforthfromitssubmarinecaverns. IsupposeProfessorLiedenbrockwasofmyopiniontoo,andevensharedmyfears,forafterhavingexaminedthepick,hiseyestraversedtheoceanfromsidetoside. Whataverybadnotionthatwasofhis,Ithoughttomyself,totakesoundingsjusthere! Hehasdisturbedsomemonstrousbeastinitsremoteden,andifwearenotattackedonourvoyage– Ilookatourgunsandseethattheyareallright.Myunclenoticesit,andlooksonapprovingly. Alreadywidelydisturbedregionsonthesurfaceofthewaterindicatesomecommotionbelow.Thedangerisapproaching.Wemustbeonthelookout. Tuesday,August18.–Eveningcame,orratherthetimecamewhensleepweighsdownthewearyeyelids,forthereisnonighthere,andtheceaselesslightweariestheeyeswithitspersistencyjustasifweweresailingunderanarcticsun.Hanswasatthehelm.DuringhiswatchIslept. Twohoursafterwardsaterribleshockawokeme.Theraftwasheaveduponawaterymountainandpitcheddownagain,atadistanceoftwentyfathoms. "Whatisthematter?"shoutedmyuncle."Havewestruckland?" Hanspointedwithhisfingeratadarkmasssixhundredyardsaway,risingandfallingalternatelywithheavyplunges.Ilookedandcried: "Itisanenormousporpoise." "Yes,"repliedmyuncle,"andthereisasealizardofvastsize." "Andfartheronamonstrouscrocodile.Lookatitsvastjawsanditsrowsofteeth!Itisdivingdown!" "There'sawhale,awhale!"criedtheProfessor."Icanseeitsgreatfins.Seehowheisthrowingoutairandwaterthroughhisblowers." Andinfacttwoliquidcolumnswererisingtoaconsiderableheightabovethesea. Westoodamazed,thunderstruck,atthepresenceofsuchaherdofmarinemonsters. Theywereofsupernaturaldimensions;thesmallestofthemwouldhavecrunchedourraft,crewandall,atonesnapofitshugejaws. Hanswantstotacktogetawayfromthisdangerousneighbourhood;butheseesontheotherhandenemiesnotlessterrible;atortoisefortyfeetlong,andaserpentofthirty,liftingitsfearfulheadandgleamingeyesabovetheflood. Flightwasoutofthequestionnow.Thereptilesrose;theywheeledaroundourlittleraftwitharapiditygreaterthanthatofexpresstrains. Theydescribedaroundusgraduallynarrowingcircles.Itookupmyrifle. Butwhatcouldaballdoagainstthescalyarmourwithwhichtheseenormousbeastswereclad? Westooddumbwithfear.Theyapproachusclose:ononesidethecrocodile,ontheothertheserpent. Theremainderoftheseamonstershavedisappeared.Ipreparetofire.Hansstopsmebyagesture. Thetwomonsterspasswithinahundredandfiftyyardsoftheraft,andhurlthemselvestheoneupontheother,withafurywhichpreventsthemfromseeingus. Atthreehundredyardsfromusthebattlewasfought. Wecoulddistinctlyobservethetwomonstersengagedindeadlyconflict. Butitnowseemstomeasiftheotheranimalsweretakingpartinthefray–theporpoise,thewhale,thelizard,thetortoise. EverymomentIseemtoseeoneorotherofthem.IpointthemtotheIcelander.Heshakeshisheadnegatively. "Whattwo?Doeshemeanthatthereareonlytwoanimals?" "Heisright,"saidmyuncle,whoseglasshasneverlefthiseye. "Surelyyoumustbemistaken,"Icried. "No:thefirstofthosemonstershasaporpoise'ssnout,alizard'shead,acrocodile'steeth;andhenceourmistake. Itistheichthyosaurus(thefishlizard),themostterribleoftheancientmonstersofthedeep." "Theotherisaplesiosaurus(almostlizard),aserpent,armouredwiththecarapaceandthepaddlesofaturtle;heisthedreadfulenemyoftheother." Hanshadspokentruly.Twomonstersonlywerecreatingallthiscommotion;andbeforemyeyesaretworeptilesoftheprimitiveworld. Icandistinguishtheeyeoftheichthyosaurusglowinglikeared–hotcoal,andaslargeasaman'shead. Naturehasendoweditwithanopticalapparatusofextremepower,andcapableofresistingthepressureofthegreatvolumeofwaterinthedepthsitinhabits. Ithasbeenappropriatelycalledthesaurianwhale,forithasboththeswiftnessandtherapidmovementsofthismonsterofourownday. Thisoneisnotlessthanahundredfeetlong,andIcanjudgeofitssizewhenitsweepsoverthewaterstheverticalcoilsofitstail. Itsjawisenormous,andaccordingtonaturalistsitisarmedwithnolessthanonehundredandeighty–twoteeth. Theplesiosaurus,aserpentwithacylindricalbodyandashorttail,hasfourflappersorpaddlestoactlikeoars. Itsbodyisentirelycoveredwithathickarmourofscales,anditsneck,asflexibleasaswan's,risesthirtyfeetabovethewaves. Thosehugecreaturesattackedeachotherwiththegreatestanimosity. Theyheavedaroundthemliquidmountains,whichrolledeventoourraftandrockeditperilously.Twentytimeswewerenearcapsizing.Hissingsofprodigiousforceareheard. Thetwobeastsarefastlockedtogether;Icannotdistinguishtheonefromtheother. Theprobablerageoftheconquerorinspiresuswithintensefear. Onehour,twohours,passaway.Thestrugglecontinueswithunabatedferocity. Thecombatantsalternatelyapproachandrecedefromourraft.Weremainmotionless,readytofire. Suddenlytheichthyosaurusandtheplesiosaurusdisappearbelow,leavingawhirlpooleddyinginthewater. Severalminutespassbywhilethefightgoesonunderwater. Allatonceanenormousheadisdartedup,theheadoftheplesiosaurus.Themonsteriswoundedtodeath.Inolongerseehisscalyarmour. Onlyhislongneckshootsup,dropsagain,coilsanduncoils,droops,lashesthewaterslikeagiganticwhip,andwritheslikeawormthatyoutreadon. Thewaterissplashedforalongwayaround.Thesprayalmostblindsus. Butsoonthereptile'sagonydrawstoanend;itsmovementsbecomefainter,itscontortionsceasetobesoviolent,andthelongserpentineformliesalifelesslogonthelabouringdeep. Asfortheichthyosaurus–hashereturnedtohissubmarinecavern?orwillhereappearonthesurfaceofthesea? 
