English
ThesecondsbeforethearrivalofJ.B.Hobson'sletter,InomoredreamedofchasingtheunicornthanoftryingfortheNorthwestPassage.
ThreesecondsafterreadingthisletterfromthehonorableSecretaryoftheNavy,Iunderstoodatlastthatmytruevocation,mysolepurposeinlife,wastohuntdownthisdisturbingmonsterandridtheworldofit.
Evenso,Ihadjustreturnedfromanarduousjourney,exhaustedandbadlyneedingarest.
Iwantednothingmorethantoseemycountryagain,myfriends,mymodestquartersbytheBotanicalGardens,mydearlybelovedcollections!Butnownothingcouldholdmeback.
Iforgoteverythingelse,andwithoutanotherthoughtofexhaustion,friends,orcollections,IacceptedtheAmericangovernment'soffer.
"Besides,"Imused,"allroadsleadhometoEurope,andourunicornmaybegraciousenoughtotakemetowardthecoastofFrance!
ThatfineanimalmayevenletitselfbecapturedinEuropeanseas—asapersonalfavortome—andI'llbringbacktotheMuseumofNaturalHistoryatleasthalfameterofitsivorylance!"
ButinthemeantimeIwouldhavetolookforthisnarwhaleinthenorthernPacificOcean;whichmeantreturningtoFrancebywayoftheAntipodes.
"Conseil!"Icalledinanimpatientvoice.
Conseilwasmymanservant.Adevotedladwhowentwithmeonallmyjourneys;agallantFlemishboywhomIgenuinelylikedandwhoreturnedthecompliment;abornstoic,punctiliousonprinciple,habituallyhardworking,rarelystartledbylife'ssurprises,veryskillfulwithhishands,efficientinhiseveryduty,anddespitehishavinganamethatmeans"counsel,"nevergivingadvice—noteventheunsolicitedkind!
FromrubbingshoulderswithscientistsinourlittleuniversebytheBotanicalGardens,theboyhadcometoknowathingortwo.
InConseilIhadaseasonedspecialistinbiologicalclassification,anenthusiastwhocouldrunwithacrobaticagilityupanddownthewholeladderofbranches,groups,classes,subclasses,orders,families,genera,subgenera,species,andvarieties.Buttherehissciencecametoahalt.
Classifyingwaseverythingtohim,soheknewnothingelse.
Wellversedinthetheoryofclassification,hewaspoorlyversedinitspracticalapplication,andIdoubtthathecouldtellaspermwhalefromabaleenwhale!Andyet,whatafine,gallantlad!
Forthepasttenyears,Conseilhadgonewithmewhereversciencebeckoned.
Notoncedidhecommentonthelengthorthehardshipsofajourney.
Neverdidheobjecttobucklinguphissuitcaseforanycountrywhatever,ChinaortheCongo,nomatterhowfaroffitwas.
Hewenthere,there,andeverywhereinperfectcontentment.
Moreover,heenjoyedexcellenthealththatdefiedallailments,ownedsolidmuscles,buthadn'tanerveinhim,notasignofnerves—thementaltype,Imean.
Theladwasthirtyyearsold,andhisagetothatofhisemployerwasasfifteenistotwenty.PleaseforgivemeforthisunderhandedwayofadmittingIhadturnedforty.
ButConseilhadoneflaw.Hewasafanaticonformality,andheonlyaddressedmeinthethirdperson—tothepointwhereitgottiresome.
"Conseil!"Irepeated,whilefeverishlybeginningmypreparationsfordeparture.
Tobesure,Ihadconfidenceinthisdevotedlad.
Ordinarily,Ineveraskedwhetherornotitsuitedhimtogowithmeonmyjourneys;butthistimeanexpeditionwasatissuethatcoulddragonindefinitely,ahazardousundertakingwhosepurposewastohuntananimalthatcouldsinkafrigateaseasilyasawalnutshell!
Therewasgoodreasontostopandthink,evenfortheworld'smostemotionlessman.WhatwouldConseilsay?
"Conseil!"Icalledathirdtime.
Conseilappeared.
"Didmastersummonme?"hesaid,entering.
"Yes,myboy.Getmythingsready,getyoursready.We'redepartingintwohours."
"Asmasterwishes,"Conseilrepliedserenely.
"Wehaven'tamomenttolose.Packasmuchintomytrunkasyoucan,mytravelingkit,mysuits,shirts,andsocks,don'tbothercounting,justsqueezeitallin—andhurry!"
"Whataboutmaster'scollections?"Conseilventuredtoobserve.
"We'lldealwiththemlater."
"What!Thearchaeotherium,hyracotherium,oreodonts,cheiropotamus,andmaster'sotherfossilskeletons?"
"Thehotelwillkeepthemforus."
"Whataboutmaster'slivebabirusa?"
"They'llfeeditduringourabsence.Anyhow,we'llleaveinstructionstoshipthewholemenagerietoFrance."
"Thenwearen'treturningtoParis?"Conseilasked.
"Yes,weare...certainly...,"Irepliedevasively,"butafterwemakeadetour."
"Whateverdetourmasterwishes."
"Oh,it'snothingreally!Arouteslightlylessdirect,that'sall.We'releavingontheAbrahamLincoln."
"Asmasterthinksbest,"Conseilrepliedplacidly.
"Yousee,myfriend,it'sanissueofthemonster,thenotoriousnarwhale.We'regoingtoridtheseasofit!
Theauthorofatwo–volumework,inquarto,onTheMysteriesoftheGreatOceanDepthshasnoexcusefornotsettingsailwithCommanderFarragut.
It'sagloriousmissionbutalsoadangerousone!Wedon'tknowwhereitwilltakeus!
Thesebeastscanbequiteunpredictable!Butwe'regoingjustthesame!
Wehaveacommanderwho'sgameforanything!"
"Whatmasterdoes,I'lldo,"Conseilreplied.
"Butthinkitover,becauseIdon'twanttohideanythingfromyou.Thisisoneofthosevoyagesfromwhichpeopledon'talwayscomeback!"
"Asmasterwishes."
Aquarterofanhourlater,ourtrunkswereready.Conseildidtheminaflash,andIwassuretheladhadn'tmissedathing,becauseheclassifiedshirtsandsuitsasexpertlyasbirdsandmammals.
Thehotelelevatordroppedusoffinthemainvestibuleonthemezzanine.
Iwentdownashortstairleadingtothegroundfloor.
Isettledmybillatthathugecounterthatwasalwaysundersiegebyaconsiderablecrowd.
IleftinstructionsforshippingmycontainersofstuffedanimalsanddriedplantstoParis,France.
Iopenedalineofcreditsufficienttocoverthebabirusaand,Conseilatmyheels,Ijumpedintoacarriage.
Forafareoftwentyfrancs,thevehiclewentdownBroadwaytoUnionSquare,tookFourthAve.toitsjunctionwithBowerySt.,turnedintoKatrinSt.andhaltedatPier34.
TheretheKatrinferrytransferredmen,horses,andcarriagetoBrooklyn,thatgreatNewYorkannexlocatedontheleftbankoftheEastRiver,andinafewminuteswearrivedatthewharfnexttowhichtheAbrahamLincolnwasvomitingtorrentsofblacksmokefromitstwofunnels.
Ourbaggagewasimmediatelycarriedtothedeckofthefrigate.Irushedaboard.IaskedforCommanderFarragut.
Oneofthesailorsledmetotheafterdeck,whereIstoodinthepresenceofasmart–lookingofficerwhoextendedhishandtome.
"ProfessorPierreAronnax?"hesaidtome.
"Thesame,"Ireplied."CommanderFarragut?"
"Inperson.Welcomeaboard,professor.Yourcabiniswaitingforyou."
Ibowed,andlettingthecommanderattendtogettingunderway,Iwastakentothecabinthathadbeensetasideforme.
TheAbrahamLincolnhadbeenperfectlychosenandfittedoutforitsnewassignment.
Itwasahigh–speedfrigatefurnishedwithsuperheatingequipmentthatallowedthetensionofitssteamtobuildtosevenatmospheres.
UnderthispressuretheAbrahamLincolnreachedanaveragespeedof18.3milesperhour,aconsiderablespeedbutstillnotenoughtocopewithourgiganticcetacean.
Thefrigate'sinterioraccommodationscomplementeditsnauticalvirtues.Iwaswellsatisfiedwithmycabin,whichwaslocatedinthesternandopenedintotheofficers'mess.
"We'llbequitecomfortablehere,"ItoldConseil.
"Withallduerespecttomaster,"Conseilreplied,"ascomfortableasahermitcrabinsidetheshellofawhelk."
IleftConseiltotheproperstowingofourluggageandclimbedondecktowatchthepreparationsforgettingunderway.
JustthenCommanderFarragutwasgivingorderstocastoffthelastmooringsholdingtheAbrahamLincolntoitsBrooklynpier.
AndsoifI'dbeendelayedbyaquarterofanhourorevenless,thefrigatewouldhavegonewithoutme,andIwouldhavemissedoutonthisunearthly,extraordinary,andinconceivableexpedition,whosetruestorymightwellmeetwithsomeskepticism.
ButCommanderFarragutdidn'twanttowasteasingleday,orevenasinglehour,inmakingforthoseseaswheretheanimalhadjustbeensighted.Hesummonedhisengineer.
"Areweuptopressure?"heaskedtheman.
"Aye,sir,"theengineerreplied.
"Goahead,then!"CommanderFarragutcalled.
Atthisorder,whichwasrelayedtotheenginebymeansofacompressed–airdevice,themechanicsactivatedthestart–upwheel.
Steamrushedwhistlingintothegapingvalves.
Longhorizontalpistonsgroanedandpushedthetierodsofthedriveshaft.
Thebladesofthepropellerchurnedthewaveswithincreasingspeed,andtheAbrahamLincolnmovedoutmajesticallyamidaspectator–ladenescortofsome100ferriesandtenders.*
*Author'sNote:Tendersaresmallsteamboatsthatassistthebigliners.
ThewharvesofBrooklyn,andeverypartofNewYorkborderingtheEastRiver,werecrowdedwithcuriosityseekers.
Departingfrom500,000throats,threecheersburstforthinsuccession.
Thousandsofhandkerchiefswerewavingabovethesetightlypackedmasses,hailingtheAbrahamLincolnuntilitreachedthewatersoftheHudsonRiver,atthetipofthelongpeninsulathatformsNewYorkCity.
ThefrigatethenwentalongtheNewJerseycoast—thewonderfulrightbankofthisriver,allloadeddownwithcountryhomes—andpassedbythefortstosalutesfromtheirbiggestcannons.
TheAbrahamLincolnrepliedbythreetimesloweringandhoistingtheAmericanflag,whosethirty–ninestarsgleamedfromthegaffofthemizzensail;then,changingspeedtotakethebuoy–markedchannelthatcurvedintotheinnerbayformedbythespitofSandyHook,ithuggedthissand–coveredstripoflandwherethousandsofspectatorsacclaimedusonemoretime.
Theescortofboatsandtendersstillfollowedthefrigateandonlyleftuswhenwecameabreastofthelightship,whosetwosignallightsmarktheentranceofthenarrowstoUpperNewYorkBay.
Threeo'clockthensounded.Theharborpilotwentdownintohisdinghyandrejoinedalittleschoonerwaitingforhimtoleeward.
Thefurnaceswerestoked;thepropellerchurnedthewavesmoreswiftly;thefrigateskirtedtheflat,yellowcoastofLongIsland;andateighto'clockintheevening,afterthelightsofFireIslandhadvanishedintothenorthwest,weranatfullsteamontothedarkwatersoftheAtlantic.
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