Itwasalibrary.Tall,black–rosewoodbookcases,inlaidwithcopperwork,heldontheirwideshelvesalargenumberofuniformlyboundbooks.
Thesefurnishingsfollowedthecontoursoftheroom,theirlowerpartsleadingtohugecouchesupholsteredinmaroonleatherandcurvedformaximumcomfort.
Light,movablereadingstands,whichcouldbepushedawayorpullednearasdesired,allowedbookstobepositionedonthemforeasystudy.
Electriclightfloodedthiswholeharmonioustotality,fallingfromfourfrostedhalfglobessetinthescrollworkoftheceiling.
"CaptainNemo,"Itoldmyhost,whohadjuststretchedoutonacouch,"thisisalibrarythatwoulddocredittomorethanonecontinentalpalace,andItrulymarveltothinkitcangowithyouintothedeepestseas."
"Wherecouldonefindgreatersilenceorsolitude,professor?"CaptainNemoreplied."Didyourstudyatthemuseumaffordyousuchaperfectretreat?"
ThatdayIpurchasedmylastvolumes,mylastpamphlets,mylastnewspapers,andeversinceI'vechosentobelievethathumanitynolongerthinksorwrites.
Writtenineverylanguage,booksonscience,ethics,andliteraturewerethereinabundance,butIdidn'tseeasingleworkoneconomics—theyseemedtobestrictlybannedonboard.
Oneodddetail:allthesebookswereshelvedindiscriminatelywithoutregardtothelanguageinwhichtheywerewritten,andthisjumbleprovedthattheNautilus'scaptaincouldreadfluentlywhatevervolumeshechancedtopickup.
AmongthesebooksInotedmasterpiecesbythegreatsofancientandmoderntimes,inotherwords,allofhumanity'sfinestachievementsinhistory,poetry,fiction,andscience,fromHomertoVictorHugo,fromXenophontoMichelet,fromRabelaistoMadameGeorgeSand.
Butscience,inparticular,representedthemajorinvestmentofthislibrary:booksonmechanics,ballistics,hydrography,meteorology,geography,geology,etc.,heldaplacetherenolessimportantthanworksonnaturalhistory,andIrealizedthattheymadeupthecaptain'schiefreading.
ThereIsawthecompleteworksofHumboldt,thecompleteArago,aswellasworksbyFoucault,HenriSainte–ClaireDeville,Chasles,Milne–Edwards,Quatrefages,JohnTyndall,Faraday,Berthelot,FatherSecchi,Petermann,CommanderMaury,LouisAgassiz,etc.,plusthetransactionsofFrance'sAcademyofSciences,bulletinsfromthevariousgeographicalsocieties,etc.,andinaprimelocation,thosetwovolumesonthegreatoceandepthsthathadperhapsearnedmethiscomparativelycharitablewelcomefromCaptainNemo.
AmongtheworksofJosephBertrand,hisbookentitledTheFoundersofAstronomyevengavemeadefinitedate;andsinceIknewithadappearedinthecourseof1865,IconcludedthatthefittingoutoftheNautilushadn'ttakenplacebeforethen.
Moreover,Ihopedsomebooksevenmorerecentwouldpermitmetopinpointthedateprecisely;butIhadplentyoftimetolookforthem,andIdidn'twanttoputoffanylongerourstrollthroughthewondersoftheNautilus.
"Sir,"Itoldthecaptain,"thankyouforplacingthislibraryatmydisposal.Therearescientifictreasureshere,andI'lltakeadvantageofthem."
"Nonewhatever,"thecaptainreplied."Trythiscigar,ProfessorAronnax,andeventhoughitdoesn'tcomefromHavana,itwillsatisfyyouifyou'reaconnoisseur."
Ilititatasmallbraziersupportedbyanelegantbronzestand,andIinhaledmyfirstwhiffswiththerelishofasmokerwhohasn'thadapuffindays.
It'sakindofnicotine–richseaweedthattheoceansuppliesme,albeitsparingly.DoyoustillmissyourCubans,sir?"
"Thensmokethesecigarswheneveryoulike,withoutdebatingtheirorigin.Theybearnogovernmentsealofapproval,butIimaginethey'renonetheworseforit."
JustthenCaptainNemoopenedadoorfacingtheonebywhichIhadenteredthelibrary,andIpassedintoanimmense,splendidlylitlounge.
Aluminousceiling,decoratedwithdelicatearabesques,distributedasoft,cleardaylightoverallthewondersgatheredinthismuseum.
Foramuseumittrulywas,inwhichcleverhandshadsparednoexpensetoamasseverynaturalandartistictreasure,displayingthemwiththehelter–skelterpicturesquenessthatdistinguishesapainter'sstudio.
Somethirtypicturesbythemasters,uniformlyframedandseparatedbygleamingpanopliesofarms,adornedwallsonwhichwerestretchedtapestriesofausteredesign.
ThereIsawcanvasesofthehighestvalue,thelikesofwhichIhadmarveledatinprivateEuropeancollectionsandartexhibitions.
ThevariousschoolsoftheoldmasterswererepresentedbyaRaphaelMadonna,aVirginbyLeonardodaVinci,anymphbyCorreggio,awomanbyTitian,anadorationoftheMagibyVeronese,anassumptionoftheVirginbyMurillo,aHolbeinportrait,amonkbyVelazquez,amartyrbyRibera,avillagefairbyRubens,twoFlemishlandscapesbyTeniers,threelittlegenrepaintingsbyGerardDow,Metsu,andPaulPotter,twocanvasesbyGericaultandPrud'hon,plusseascapesbyBackhuysenandVernet.
AmongtheworksofmodernartwerepicturessignedbyDelacroix,Ingres,Decamps,Troyon,Meissonier,Daubigny,etc.,andsomewonderfulminiaturestatuesinmarbleorbronze,modeledafterantiquity'sfinestoriginals,stoodontheirpedestalsinthecornersofthismagnificentmuseum.
AstheNautilus'scommanderhadpredicted,mymindwasalreadystartingtofallintothatpromisedstateofstunnedamazement.
"Professor,"thisstrangemanthensaid,"youmustexcusetheinformalitywithwhichIreceiveyou,andthedisorderreigninginthislounge."
"Whataboutthesecomposers?"Isaid,pointingtosheetmusicbyWeber,Rossini,Mozart,Beethoven,Haydn,Meyerbeer,Hérold,Wagner,Auber,Gounod,VictorMassé,andanumberofothersscatteredoverafullsizepiano–organ,whichoccupiedoneofthewallpanelsinthislounge.
"Thesecomposers,"CaptainNemoansweredme,"arethecontemporariesofOrpheus,becauseintheannalsofthedead,allchronologicaldifferencesfade;andI'mdead,professor,quiteasdeadasthosefriendsofyourssleepingsixfeetunder!"
Theyconsistedchieflyofplants,shells,andotherexhibitsfromtheoceanthatmusthavebeenCaptainNemo'sownpersonalfinds.
Thedelicatelyfestoonedrimofthisshell,suppliedbythebiggestmolluskintheclassAcephala,measuredaboutsixmetersincircumference;soitwasevenbiggerthanthosefinegiantclamsgiventoKingFrançoisIbytheRepublicofVenice,andwhichtheChurchofSaint–SulpiceinParishasmadeintotwogiganticholy–waterfonts.
Aroundthisbasin,insideelegantglasscasesfastenedwithcopperbands,therewereclassifiedandlabeledthemostvaluablemarineexhibitseverputbeforetheeyesofanaturalist.
Inthefirstgroup:organ–pipecoral,gorgoniancoralarrangedintofanshapes,softspongesfromSyria,isiscoralfromtheMoluccaIslands,sea–pencoral,wonderfulcoralofthegenusVirgulariafromthewatersofNorway,variouscoralofthegenusUmbellularia,alcyonariancoral,thenawholeseriesofthosemadreporesthatmymentorProfessorMilne–EdwardshassoshrewdlyclassifiedintodivisionsandamongwhichInotedthewonderfulgenusFlabellinaaswellasthegenusOculinafromRéunionIsland,plusaNeptune'schariotfromtheCaribbeanSea—everysuperbvarietyofcoral,andinshort,everyspeciesoftheseunusualpolypariesthatcongregatetoformentireislandsthatwillonedayturnintocontinents.
Amongtheechinoderms,notableforbeingcoveredwithspines:starfish,featherstars,sealilies,free–swimmingcrinoids,brittlestars,seaurchins,seacucumbers,etc.,representedacompletecollectionoftheindividualsinthisgroup.
Anexcitableconchologistwouldsurelyhavefainteddeadawaybeforeother,morenumerousglasscasesinwhichwereclassifiedspecimensfromthemolluskbranch.
AmongtheseexhibitsI'llmention,justfortherecord:anelegantroyalhammershellfromtheIndianOcean,whoseevenlyspacedwhitespotsstoodoutsharplyagainstabaseofredandbrown;animperialspinyoyster,brightlycolored,bristlingwiththorns,aspecimenraretoEuropeanmuseums,whosevalueIestimatedat₣20,000;acommonhammershellfromtheseasnearQueensland,veryhardtocomeby;exoticcocklesfromSenegal,fragilewhitebivalveshellsthatasinglebreathcouldpoplikeasoapbubble;severalvarietiesofwatering–potshellfromJava,asortoflimestonetubefringedwithleafyfoldsandmuchfoughtoverbycollectors;awholeseriesoftop–shellsnails—greenishyellowonesfishedupfromAmericanseas,otherscoloredreddishbrownthatpatronizethewatersoffQueensland,theformercomingfromtheGulfofMexicoandnotablefortheiroverlappingshells,thelattersomesun–carriershellsfoundinthesouthernmostseas,finallyandrarestofall,themagnificentspurred–starshellfromNewZealand;thensomewonderfulpeppery–furrowshells;severalvaluablespeciesofcytheraclamsandvenusclams;thetrelliswentletrapsnailfromTranquebaronIndia'seasternshore;amarbledturbansnailgleamingwithmother–of–pearl;greenparrotshellsfromtheseasofChina;thevirtuallyunknownconesnailfromthegenusCoenodullus;everyvarietyofcowryusedasmoneyinIndiaandAfrica;a"glory–of–the–seas,"themostvaluableshellintheEastIndies;finally,commonperiwinkles,delphinulasnails,turretsnails,violetsnails,Europeancowries,volutesnails,oliveshells,mitershells,helmetshells,murexsnails,whelks,harpshells,spikyperiwinkles,tritonsnails,hornshells,spindleshells,conchshells,spiderconchs,limpets,glasssnails,seabutterflies—everykindofdelicate,fragileseashellthatsciencehasbaptizedwithitsmostdelightfulnames.
Asideandinspecialcompartments,stringsofsupremelybeautifulpearlswerespreadout,theelectriclightfleckingthemwithlittlefierysparks:pinkpearlspulledfromsaltwaterfanshellsintheRedSea;greenpearlsfromtherainbowabalone;yellow,blue,andblackpearls,theunusualhandiworkofvariousmollusksfromeveryoceanandofcertainmusselsfromriversupnorth;inshort,severalspecimensofincalculableworththathadbeenoozedbytherarestofshellfish.
Someofthesepearlswerebiggerthanapigeonegg;theymorethanequaledtheonethattheexplorerTaverniersoldtheShahofPersiafor₣3,000,000,andtheysurpassedthatotherpearlownedbytheImamofMuscat,whichIhadbelievedtobeunrivaledintheentireworld.
CaptainNemomusthavespentmillionsinacquiringthesedifferentspecimens,andIwaswonderingwhatfinancialresourceshetappedtosatisfyhiscollector'sfancies,whenthesewordsinterruptedme:
"You'reexaminingmyshells,professor?They'reindeedabletofascinateanaturalist;butformetheyhaveanaddedcharm,sinceI'vecollectedeveryoneofthemwithmyowntwohands,andnotaseaontheglobehasescapedmyinvestigations."
ButIconfessthatmycuriosityisarousedtothelimitbythisNautilus,themotorpoweritcontains,theequipmentenablingittooperate,theultrapowerfulforcethatbringsittolife.
"ProfessorAronnax,"CaptainNemoansweredme,"I'vesaidyou'dbefreeaboardmyvessel,sonopartoftheNautilusisoff–limitstoyou.
"Idon'tknowhowtothankyou,sir,butIwon'tabuseyourgoodnature.Iwouldonlyaskyouabouttheusesintendedfortheseinstrumentsofphysicalmeasure—"
"Professor,thesesameinstrumentsarefoundinmystateroom,whereI'llhavethepleasureofexplainingtheirfunctionstoyou.
IfollowedCaptainNemo,who,viaoneofthedoorscutintothelounge'scantedcorners,ledmebackdowntheship'sgangways.
Hetookmetothebow,andthereIfoundnotjustacabinbutanelegantstateroomwithabed,awashstand,andvariousotherfurnishings.
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