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ForsomewhilethevoyageoftheAbrahamLincolnwasmarkedbynoincident.
ButonecircumstancearosethatdisplayedNedLand'smarvelousskillsandshowedjusthowmuchconfidencewecouldplaceinhim.
OfftheFalklandIslandsonJune30,thefrigatecameincontactwithafleetofAmericanwhalers,andwelearnedthattheyhadn'tseenthenarwhale.
Butoneofthem,thecaptainoftheMonroe,knewthatNedLandhadshippedaboardtheAbrahamLincolnandaskedhishelpinhuntingabaleenwhalethatwasinsight.
AnxioustoseeNedLandatwork,CommanderFarragutauthorizedhimtomakehiswayaboardtheMonroe.
AndtheCanadianhadsuchgoodluckthatwitharight–and–leftshot,heharpoonednotonewhalebuttwo,strikingthefirststraighttotheheartandcatchingtheotherafterafewminutes'chase!
Assuredly,ifthemonstereverhadtodealwithNedLand'sharpoon,Iwouldn'tbetonthemonster.
ThefrigatesailedalongtheeastcoastofSouthAmericawithprodigiousspeed.
ByJuly3wewereattheentrancetotheStraitofMagellan,abreastofCabodelasVirgenes.
ButCommanderFarragutwasunwillingtoattemptthistortuouspassagewayandmaneuveredinsteadtodoubleCapeHorn.
Thecrewsidedwithhimunanimously.Indeed,werewelikelytoencounterthenarwhaleinsuchacrampedstrait?
Manyofoursailorssworethatthemonstercouldn'tnegotiatethispassagewaysimplybecause"he'stoobigforit!"
Nearthreeo'clockintheafternoononJuly6,fifteenmilessouthofshore,theAbrahamLincolndoubledthatsolitaryisletatthetipoftheSouthAmericancontinent,thatstrayrockDutchseamenhadnamedCapeHornaftertheirhometownofHoorn.
Ourcoursewassetforthenorthwest,andthenextdayourfrigate'spropellerfinallychurnedthewatersofthePacific.
"Openyoureyes!Openyoureyes!"
repeatedthesailorsoftheAbrahamLincoln.Andtheyopenedamazinglywide.
Eyesandspyglasses(abitdazzled,itistrue,bythevistaof$2,000.00)didn'tremainatrestforaninstant.
Dayandnightweobservedthesurfaceoftheocean,andthosewithnyctalopiceyes,whoseabilitytoseeinthedarkincreasedtheirchancesbyfiftypercent,hadanexcellentshotatwinningtheprize.
Asforme,Iwashardlydrawnbythelureofmoneyandyetwasfarfromtheleastattentiveonboard.
Snatchingonlyafewminutesformealsandafewhoursforsleep,comerainorcomeshine,Inolongerlefttheship'sdeck.
Sometimesbendingovertheforecastlerailings,sometimesleaningagainstthesternrail,Ieagerlyscouredthatcotton–coloredwakethatwhitenedtheoceanasfarastheeyecouldsee!
AndhowmanytimesIsharedtheexcitementofgeneralstaffandcrewwhensomeunpredictablewhalelifteditsblackishbackabovethewaves.
Inaninstantthefrigate'sdeckwouldbecomedenselypopulated.
Thecowlsoverthecompanionwayswouldvomitatorrentofsailorsandofficers.
Withpantingchestsandanxiouseyes,weeachwouldobservethecetacean'smovements.
Istared;IstareduntilInearlywentblindfromaworn–outretina,whileConseil,asstoicasever,keptrepeatingtomeinacalmtone:
"Ifmaster'seyeswouldkindlystopbulging,masterwillseefarther!"
Butwhatawasteofenergy!TheAbrahamLincolnwouldchangecourseandraceaftertheanimalsighted,onlytofindanordinarybaleenwhaleoracommonspermwhalethatsoondisappearedamidachorusofcurses!
However,theweatherheldgood.Ourvoyagewasproceedingunderthemostfavorableconditions.
Bythenitwasthebadseasoninthesesouthernmostregions,becauseJulyinthiszonecorrespondstoourJanuaryinEurope;butthesearemainedsmoothandeasilyvisibleoveravastperimeter.
NedLandstillkeptupthemosttenaciousskepticism;beyondhisspellsonwatch,hepretendedthatheneverevenlookedatthesurfaceofthewaves,atleastwhilenowhaleswereinsight.
Andyetthemarvelouspowerofhisvisioncouldhaveperformedyeomanservice.
ButthisstubbornCanadianspenteighthoursoutofeverytwelvereadingorsleepinginhiscabin.
AhundredtimesIchidedhimforhisunconcern.
"Bah!"hereplied.
"Nothing'soutthere,ProfessorAronnax,andifthereissomeanimal,whatchancewouldwehaveofspottingit?
Can'tyouseewe'rejustwanderingaroundatrandom?
Peoplesaythey'vesightedthisslipperybeastagaininthePacifichighseas—I'mtrulywillingtobelieveit,buttwomonthshavealreadygonebysincethen,andjudgingbyyournarwhale'spersonality,ithatesgrowingmoldyfromhangingouttoolonginthesamewaterways!
It'sblessedwithaterrificgiftforgettingaround.
Now,professor,youknowevenbetterthanIthatnaturedoesn'tviolategoodsense,andshewouldn'tgivesomenaturallyslowanimaltheabilitytomoveswiftlyifithadn'taneedtousethattalent.
Soifthebeastdoesexist,it'salreadylonggone!"
Ihadnoreplytothis.Obviouslywewerejustgropingblindly.Buthowelsecouldwegoaboutit?
Allthesame,ourchanceswereautomaticallyprettylimited.
Yeteveryonestillfeltconfidentofsuccess,andnotasailoronboardwouldhavebetagainstthenarwhaleappearing,andsoon.
OnJuly20wecuttheTropicofCapricornatlongitude105°,andbythe27thofthesamemonth,wehadclearedtheequatoronthe110thmeridian.
Thesebearingsdetermined,thefrigatetookamoredecisivewestwardheadingandtackledtheseasofthecentralPacific.
CommanderFarragutfelt,andwithgoodreason,thatitwasbesttostayindeepwatersandkeephisdistancefromcontinentsorislands,whoseneighborhoodstheanimalalwaysseemedtoavoid—"Nodoubt,"ourbosunsaid,"becausethereisn'tenoughwaterforhim!"
SothefrigatekeptwelloutwhenpassingtheTuamotu,Marquesas,andHawaiianIslands,thencuttheTropicofCanceratlongitude132°andheadedfortheseasofChina.
Wewerefinallyintheareaofthemonster'slatestantics!
Andinallhonesty,shipboardconditionsbecamelife–threatening.
Heartswerepoundinghideously,gearingupforfuturesfullofincurableaneurysms.
Theentirecrewsufferedfromanervousexcitementthatit'sbeyondmetodescribe.Nobodyate,nobodyslept.
Twentytimesadaysomeerrorinperception,ortheopticalillusionsofsomesailorperchedinthecrosstrees,wouldcauseintolerableanguish,andthisemotion,repeatedtwentytimesover,keptusinastateofirritabilitysointensethatareactionwasboundtofollow.
Andthisreactionwasn'tlongincoming.
Forthreemonths,duringwhicheachdayseemedlikeacentury,theAbrahamLincolnplowedallthenortherlyseasofthePacific,racingafterwhalessighted,abruptlyveeringoffcourse,swervingsharplyfromonetacktoanother,stoppingsuddenly,puttingonsteamandreversingenginesinquicksuccession,attheriskofstrippingitsgears,anditdidn'tleaveasinglepointunexploredfromthebeachesofJapantothecoastsofAmerica.
Andwefoundnothing!
Nothingexceptanimmensenessofdesertedwaves!
Nothingremotelyresemblingagiganticnarwhale,oranunderwaterislet,oraderelictshipwreck,orarunawayreef,oranythingtheleastbitunearthly!
Sothereactionsetin.Atfirst,discouragementtookholdofpeople'sminds,openingthedoortodisbelief.
Anewfeelingappearedonboard,madeupofthree–tenthsshameandseven–tenthsfury.
Thecrewcalledthemselves"out–and–outfools"forbeinghoodwinkedbyafairytale,thengrewsteadilymorefurious!
Themountainsofargumentsamassedoverayearcollapsedallatonce,andeachmannowwantedonlytocatchuponhiseatingandsleeping,tomakeupforthetimehehadsostupidlysacrificed.
Withtypicalhumanfickleness,theyjumpedfromoneextremetotheother.
Inevitably,themostenthusiasticsupportersoftheundertakingbecameitsmostenergeticopponents.
Thisreactionmountedupwardfromthebowelsoftheship,fromthequartersofthebunkerhandstothemessroomofthegeneralstaff;andforcertain,ifithadn'tbeenforCommanderFarragut'scharacteristicstubbornness,thefrigatewouldultimatelyhaveputbacktothatcapeinthesouth.
Butthisfutilesearchcouldn'tdragonmuchlonger.
TheAbrahamLincolnhaddoneeverythingitcouldtosucceedandhadnoreasontoblameitself.
NeverhadthecrewofanAmericannavalcraftshownmorepatienceandzeal;theyweren'tresponsibleforthisfailure;therewasnothingtodobutgohome.
Arequesttothiseffectwaspresentedtothecommander.Thecommanderstoodhisground.
Hissailorscouldn'thidetheirdiscontent,andtheirworksufferedbecauseofit.
I'munwillingtosaythattherewasmutinyonboard,butafterareasonableperiodofintransigence,CommanderFarragut,likeChristopherColumbusbeforehim,askedforagraceperiodofjustthreedaysmore.
Afterthisthree–daydelay,ifthemonsterhadn'tappeared,ourhelmsmanwouldgivethreeturnsofthewheel,andtheAbrahamLincolnwouldchartacoursetowardEuropeanseas.
ThispromisewasgivenonNovember2.Ithadtheimmediateeffectofrevivingthecrew'sfailingspirits.
Theoceanwasobservedwithrenewedcare.
Eachmanwantedonelastlookwithwhichtosumuphisexperience.
Spyglassesfunctionedwithfeverishenergy.
Asupremechallengehadbeenissuedtothegiantnarwhale,andthelatterhadnoacceptableexcuseforignoringthisSummonstoAppear!
Twodayspassed.TheAbrahamLincolnstayedathalfsteam.
Ontheoffchancethattheanimalmightbefoundinthesewaterways,athousandmethodswereusedtosparkitsinterestorrouseitfromitsapathy.
Enormoussidesofbaconweretrailedinourwake,tothegreatsatisfaction,Imustsay,ofassortedsharks.
WhiletheAbrahamLincolnheavedto,itslongboatsradiatedineverydirectionarounditanddidn'tleaveasinglepointoftheseaunexplored.
ButtheeveningofNovember4arrivedwiththisunderwatermysterystillunsolved.
Atnoonthenextday,November5,theagreed–upondelayexpired.
Afterapositionfix,truetohispromise,CommanderFarragutwouldhavetosethiscourseforthesoutheastandleavethenortherlyregionsofthePacificdecisivelybehind.
Bythenthefrigatelayinlatitude31°15'northandlongitude136°42'east.
TheshoresofJapanwerelessthan200milestoourleeward.Nightwascomingon.Eighto'clockhadjuststruck.
Hugecloudscoveredthemoon'sdisk,theninitsfirstquarter.
Theseaundulatedplacidlybeneaththefrigate'sstempost.
JustthenIwasinthebow,leaningoverthestarboardrail.
Conseil,stationedbesideme,staredstraightahead.
Roostingintheshrouds,thecrewexaminedthehorizon,whichshrankanddarkenedlittlebylittle.
Officerswereprobingtheincreasinggloomwiththeirnightglasses.
Sometimesthemurkyoceansparkledbeneathmoonbeamsthatdartedbetweenthefringesoftwoclouds.
Thenalltracesoflightvanishedintothedarkness.
ObservingConseil,Idiscoveredthat,justbarely,thegallantladhadfallenunderthegeneralinfluence.AtleastsoIthought.
Perhapshisnervesweretwitchingwithcuriosityforthefirsttimeinhistory.
"Comeon,Conseil!"Itoldhim."Here'syourlastchancetopocketthat$2,000.00!"
"Ifmasterwillpermitmysayingso,"Conseilreplied,"Ineverexpectedtowinthatprize,andtheUniongovernmentcouldhavepromised$100,000.00andbeennonethepoorer."
"You'reright,Conseil,itturnedouttobeafoolishbusinessafterall,andwejumpedintoittoohastily.
Whatawasteoftime,whatafutileexpenseofemotion!
SixmonthsagowecouldhavebeenbackinFrance—"
"Inmaster'slittleapartment,"Conseilanswered."Inmaster'smuseum!
AndbynowIwouldhaveclassifiedmaster'sfossils.
Andmaster'sbabirusawouldbeensconcedinitscageatthezoointheBotanicalGardens,anditwouldhaveattractedeverycuriosityseekerintown!"
"Quiteso,Conseil,andwhat'smore,Iimaginethatpeoplewillsoonbepokingfunatus!"
"Tobesure,"Conseilrepliedserenely,"Idothinkthey'llhavefunatmaster'sexpense.Andmustitbesaid...?"
"Itmustbesaid,Conseil."
"Wellthen,itwillservemasterright!"
"Howtrue!"
"Whenonehasthehonorofbeinganexpertasmasteris,onemustn'tlayhimselfopento—"
Conseildidn'thavetimetocompletethecompliment.Inthemidstofthegeneralsilence,avoicebecameaudible.ItwasNedLand'svoice,anditshouted:
"Ahoy!There'sthethinginquestion,abreastofustoleeward!"
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