English
Duringtheperiodinwhichthesedevelopmentswereoccurring,IhadreturnedfromascientificundertakingorganizedtoexploretheNebraskabadlandsintheUnitedStates.
InmycapacityasAssistantProfessorattheParisMuseumofNaturalHistory,IhadbeenattachedtothisexpeditionbytheFrenchgovernment.
AfterspendingsixmonthsinNebraska,IarrivedinNewYorkladenwithvaluablecollectionsneartheendofMarch.
MydepartureforFrancewassetforearlyMay.
Inthemeantime,then,Iwasbusyclassifyingmymineralogical,botanical,andzoologicaltreasureswhenthatincidenttookplacewiththeScotia.
Iwasperfectlyabreastofthisquestion,whichwasthebignewsoftheday,andhowcouldInothavebeen?
IhadreadandrereadeveryAmericanandEuropeannewspaperwithoutbeinganyfartheralong.Thismysterypuzzledme.
Findingitimpossibletoformanyviews,Idriftedfromoneextremetotheother.
Somethingwasoutthere,thatmuchwascertain,andanydoubtingThomaswasinvitedtoplacehisfingerontheScotia'swound.
WhenIarrivedinNewYork,thequestionwasattheboilingpoint.
Thehypothesisofadriftingisletoranelusivereef,putforwardbypeoplenotquiteintheirrightminds,wascompletelyeliminated.
Andindeed,unlessthisreefhadanengineinitsbelly,howcoulditmoveaboutwithsuchprodigiousspeed?
Alsodiscreditedwastheideaofafloatinghullorsomeotherenormouswreckage,andagainbecauseofthisspeedofmovement.
Soonlytwopossiblesolutionstothequestionwereleft,creatingtwoverydistinctgroupsofsupporters:ononeside,thosefavoringamonsterofcolossalstrength;ontheother,thosefavoringan"underwaterboat"oftremendousmotorpower.
Nowthen,althoughthelatterhypothesiswascompletelyadmissible,itcouldn'tstanduptoinquiriesconductedinboththeNewWorldandtheOld.
Thataprivateindividualhadsuchamechanismathisdisposalwaslessthanprobable.
Whereandwhenhadhebuiltit,andhowcouldhehavebuiltitinsecret?
Onlysomegovernmentcouldownsuchanengineofdestruction,andinthesedisaster–filledtimes,whenmentaxtheiringenuitytobuildincreasinglypowerfulaggressiveweapons,itwaspossiblethat,unknowntotherestoftheworld,somenationcouldhavebeentestingsuchafearsomemachine.
TheChassepotrifleledtothetorpedo,andthetorpedohasledtothisunderwaterbatteringram,whichinturnwillleadtotheworldputtingitsfootdown.AtleastIhopeitwill.
Butthishypothesisofawarmachinecollapsedinthefaceofformaldenialsfromthevariousgovernments.
Sincethepublicinterestwasatstakeandtransoceanictravelwassuffering,thesincerityofthesegovernmentscouldnotbedoubted.
Besides,howcouldtheassemblyofthisunderwaterboathaveescapedpublicnotice?
Keepingasecretundersuchcircumstanceswouldbedifficultenoughforanindividual,andcertainlyimpossibleforanationwhoseeverymoveisunderconstantsurveillancebyrivalpowers.
So,afterinquiriesconductedinEngland,France,Russia,Prussia,Spain,Italy,America,andevenTurkey,thehypothesisofanunderwaterMonitorwasultimatelyrejected.
Andsothemonstersurfacedagain,despitetheendlesswitticismsheapedonitbythepopularpress,andthehumanimaginationsoongotcaughtupinthemostridiculousichthyologicalfantasies.
AfterIarrivedinNewYork,severalpeopledidmethehonorofconsultingmeonthephenomenoninquestion.
InFranceIhadpublishedatwo–volumework,inquarto,entitledTheMysteriesoftheGreatOceanDepths.
Wellreceivedinscholarlycircles,thisbookhadestablishedmeasaspecialistinthisprettyobscurefieldofnaturalhistory.Myviewswereindemand.
AslongasIcoulddenytherealityofthebusiness,Iconfinedmyselftoaflat"nocomment."
Butsoon,pinnedtothewall,Ihadtoexplainmyselfstraightout.
Andinthisvein,"thehonorablePierreAronnax,ProfessorattheParisMuseum,"wassummonedbyTheNewYorkHeraldtoformulatehisviewsnomatterwhat.
Icomplied.SinceIcouldnolongerholdmytongue,Iletitwag.
Idiscussedthequestioninitseveryaspect,bothpoliticalandscientific,andthisisanexcerptfromthewell–paddedarticleIpublishedintheissueofApril30.
"Therefore,"Iwrote,"afterexaminingthesedifferenthypothesesonebyone,weareforced,everyothersuppositionhavingbeenrefuted,toaccepttheexistenceofanextremelypowerfulmarineanimal.
"Thedeepestpartsoftheoceanaretotallyunknowntous.
Nosoundingshavebeenabletoreachthem.Whatgoesoninthosedistantdepths?
Whatcreaturesinhabit,orcouldinhabit,thoseregionstwelveorfifteenmilesbeneaththesurfaceofthewater?
Whatistheconstitutionoftheseanimals?It'salmostbeyondconjecture.
"However,thesolutiontothisproblemsubmittedtomecantaketheformofachoicebetweentwoalternatives.
"Eitherweknoweveryvarietyofcreaturepopulatingourplanet,orwedonot.
"Ifwedonotknoweveryoneofthem,ifnaturestillkeepsichthyologicalsecretsfromus,nothingismoreadmissiblethantoaccepttheexistenceoffishorcetaceansofnewspeciesorevennewgenera,animalswithabasically'cast–iron'constitutionthatinhabitstratabeyondthereachofoursoundings,andwhichsomedevelopmentorother,anurgeorawhimifyouprefer,canbringtotheupperleveloftheoceanforlongintervals.
"If,ontheotherhand,wedoknoweverylivingspecies,wemustlookfortheanimalinquestionamongthosemarinecreaturesalreadycataloged,andinthiseventIwouldbeinclinedtoaccepttheexistenceofagiantnarwhale.
"Thecommonnarwhale,orseaunicorn,oftenreachesalengthofsixtyfeet.
Increaseitsdimensionsfivefoldoreventenfold,thengivethiscetaceanastrengthinproportiontoitssizewhileenlargingitsoffensiveweapons,andyouhavetheanimalwe'relookingfor.
ItwouldhavetheproportionsdeterminedbytheofficersoftheShannon,theinstrumentneededtoperforatetheScotia,andthepowertopierceasteamer'shull.
"Inessence,thenarwhaleisarmedwithasortofivorysword,orlance,ascertainnaturalistshaveexpressedit.
It'saking–sizedtoothashardassteel.
Someoftheseteethhavebeenfoundburiedinthebodiesofbaleenwhales,whichthenarwhaleattackswithinvariablesuccess.
Othershavebeenwrenched,notwithoutdifficulty,fromtheundersidesofvesselsthatnarwhaleshavepiercedcleanthrough,asagimletpiercesawinebarrel.
ThemuseumattheFacultyofMedicineinParisownsoneofthesetuskswithalengthof2.25metersandawidthatitsbaseofforty–eightcentimeters!
"Allrightthen!Imaginethisweapontobetentimesstrongerandtheanimaltentimesmorepowerful,launchitataspeedoftwentymilesperhour,multiplyitsmasstimesitsvelocity,andyougetjustthecollisionweneedtocausethespecifiedcatastrophe.
"So,untilinformationbecomesmoreabundant,Iplumpforaseaunicornofcolossaldimensions,nolongerarmedwithamerelancebutwithanactualspur,likeironcladfrigatesorthosewarshipscalled'rams,'whosemassandmotorpoweritwouldpossesssimultaneously.
"Thisinexplicablephenomenonisthusexplainedaway—unlessit'ssomethingelseentirely,which,despiteeverythingthathasbeensighted,studied,exploredandexperienced,isstillpossible!"
Theselastwordswerecowardlyofme;butasfarasIcould,IwantedtoprotectmyprofessorialdignityandnotlaymyselfopentolaughterfromtheAmericans,whowhentheydolaugh,laughraucously.Ihadleftmyselfaloophole.
Yetdeepdown,Ihadacceptedtheexistenceof"themonster."
Myarticlewashotlydebated,causingafineolduproar.Itralliedanumberofsupporters.
Moreover,thesolutionitproposedallowedforfreeplayoftheimagination.
Thehumanmindenjoysimpressivevisionsofunearthlycreatures.
Nowthen,theseaispreciselytheirbestmedium,theonlysettingsuitableforthebreedingandgrowingofsuchgiants—nexttowhichsuchlandanimalsaselephantsorrhinocerosesaremeredwarves.
Theliquidmassessupportthelargestknownspeciesofmammalsandperhapsconcealmollusksofincomparablesizeorcrustaceanstoofrightfultocontemplate,suchas100–meterlobstersorcrabsweighing200metrictons!Whynot?
Formerly,inprehistoricdays,landanimals(quadrupeds,apes,reptiles,birds)werebuiltonagiganticscale.
OurCreatorcastthemusingacolossalmoldthattimehasgraduallymadesmaller.
Withitsuntolddepths,couldn'ttheseakeepalivesuchhugespecimensoflifefromanotherage,thisseathatneverchangeswhilethelandmassesundergoalmostcontinuousalteration?
Couldn'ttheheartoftheoceanhidethelast–remainingvarietiesofthesetitanicspecies,forwhomyearsarecenturiesandcenturiesmillennia?
ButImustn'tletthesefantasiesrunawaywithme!
Enoughofthesefairytalesthattimehaschangedformeintoharshrealities.
Irepeat:opinionhadcrystallizedastothenatureofthisphenomenon,andthepublicacceptedwithoutargumenttheexistenceofaprodigiouscreaturethathadnothingincommonwiththefabledseaserpent.
Yetifsomesawitpurelyasascientificproblemtobesolved,morepracticalpeople,especiallyinAmericaandEngland,weredeterminedtopurgetheoceanofthisdauntingmonster,toinsurethesafetyoftransoceanictravel.
Theindustrialandcommercialnewspapersdealtwiththequestionchieflyfromthisviewpoint.
TheShipping&MercantileGazette,theLloyd'sList,France'sPacketboatandMaritime&ColonialReview,alltheragsdevotedtoinsurancecompanies—whothreatenedtoraisetheirpremiumrates—wereunanimousonthispoint.
Publicopinionbeingpronounced,theStatesoftheUnionwerethefirstinthefield.
InNewYorkpreparationswereunderwayforanexpeditiondesignedtochasethisnarwhale.
Ahigh–speedfrigate,theAbrahamLincoln,wasfittedoutforputtingtoseaassoonaspossible.
ThenavalarsenalswereunlockedforCommanderFarragut,whopressedenergeticallyforwardwiththearmingofhisfrigate.
But,asitalwayshappens,justwhenadecisionhadbeenmadetochasethemonster,themonsterputinnofurtherappearances.
Fortwomonthsnobodyheardawordaboutit.Notasingleshipencounteredit.
Apparentlytheunicornhadgottenwisetotheseplotsbeingwovenaroundit.
Peoplewereconstantlybabblingaboutthecreature,evenviatheAtlanticCable!
Accordingly,thewagsclaimedthatthisslipperyrascalhadwaylaidsomepassingtelegramandwasmakingthemostofit.
Sothefrigatewasequippedforafar–offvoyageandarmedwithfearsomefishinggear,butnobodyknewwheretosteerit.
Andimpatiencegrewuntil,onJune2,wordcamethattheTampico,asteamerontheSanFranciscolinesailingfromCaliforniatoShanghai,hadsightedtheanimalagain,threeweeksbeforeinthenortherlyseasofthePacific.
Thisnewscausedintenseexcitement.Notevena24–hourbreatherwasgrantedtoCommanderFarragut.Hisprovisionswereloadedonboard.Hiscoalbunkerswereoverflowing.
Notacrewmanwasmissingfromhispost.
Tocastoff,heneededonlytofireandstokehisfurnaces!
Halfaday'sdelaywouldhavebeenunforgivable!
ButCommanderFarragutwantednothingmorethantogoforth.
IreceivedaletterthreehoursbeforetheAbrahamLincolnleftitsBrooklynpier;*theletterreadasfollows:
PierreAronnax
ProfessorattheParisMuseum
FifthAvenueHotel
NewYork
Sir:
IfyouwouldliketojointheexpeditionontheAbrahamLincoln,thegovernmentoftheUnionwillbepleasedtoregardyouasFrance'srepresentativeinthisundertaking.
CommanderFarraguthasacabinatyourdisposal.
Verycordiallyyours,
J.B.HOBSON,
SecretaryoftheNavy.
*Author'sNote:Apierisatypeofwharfexpresslysetasideforanindividualvessel.
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