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Thiscell,properlyspeaking,wastheNautilus'sarsenalandwardrobe.Hangingfromitswalls,adozendivingoutfitswerewaitingforanybodywhowantedtotakeastroll.
Afterseeingthese,NedLandexhibitedanobviousdistastefortheideaofputtingoneon.
"ButmygallantNed,"Itoldhim,"theforestsofCrespoIslandaresimplyunderwaterforests!"
"Ohgreat!"putinthedisappointedharpooner,watchinghisdreamsoffreshmeatfadeaway."Andyou,ProfessorAronnax,areyougoingtostickyourselfinsidetheseclothes?"
"Ithastobe,Mr.Ned."
"Haveityourway,sir,"theharpoonerreplied,shrugginghisshoulders."Butspeakingformyself,I'llnevergetintothosethingsunlesstheyforceme!"
"Noonewillforceyou,Mr.Land,"CaptainNemosaid.
"AndisConseilgoingtoriskit?"Nedasked.
"Wheremastergoes,Igo,"Conseilreplied.
Atthecaptain'ssummons,twocrewmencametohelpusputontheseheavy,waterproofclothes,madefromseamlessindiarubberandexpresslydesignedtobearconsiderablepressures.
Theywerelikesuitsofarmorthatwerebothyieldingandresistant,youmightsay.
Theseclothesconsistedofjacketandpants.
Thepantsendedinbulkyfootwearadornedwithheavyleadsoles.
Thefabricofthejacketwasreinforcedwithcoppermailthatshieldedthechest,protecteditfromthewater'spressure,andallowedthelungstofunctionfreely;thesleevesendedinsuppleglovesthatdidn'timpedehandmovements.
Theseperfecteddivingsuits,itwaseasytosee,wereafarcryfromsuchmisshapencostumesasthecorkbreastplates,leatherjumpers,seagoingtunics,barrelhelmets,etc.,inventedandacclaimedinthe18thcentury.
ConseilandIweresoondressedinthesedivingsuits,aswereCaptainNemoandoneofhiscompanions—aherculeantypewhomusthavebeenprodigiouslystrong.
Allthatremainedwastoencaseone'sheadinitsmetalsphere.
Butbeforeproceedingwiththisoperation,Iaskedthecaptainforpermissiontoexaminetheriflessetasideforus.
OneoftheNautilus'smenpresentedmewithastreamlinedriflewhosebuttwasboilerplatesteel,hollowinside,andoffairlylargedimensions.
Thisservedasatankforthecompressedair,whichatrigger–operatedvalvecouldreleaseintothemetalchamber.
Inagroovewherethebuttwasheaviest,acartridgeclipheldsometwentyelectricbulletsthat,bymeansofaspring,automaticallytooktheirplacesinthebarreloftherifle.
Assoonasoneshothadbeenfired,anotherwasreadytogooff.
"CaptainNemo,"Isaid,"thisisanideal,easy–to–useweapon.Iaskonlytoputittothetest.Buthowwillwereachthebottomofthesea?"
"Rightnow,professor,theNautilusisagroundintenmetersofwater,andwe'veonlytodepart."
"Buthowwillwesetout?"
"You'llsee."
CaptainNemoinsertedhiscraniumintoitssphericalheadgear.
ConseilandIdidthesame,butnotwithouthearingtheCanadiantossusasarcastic"happyhunting."
Ontop,thesuitendedinacollarofthreadedcopperontowhichthemetalhelmetwasscrewed.
Threeholes,protectedbyheavyglass,allowedustoseeinanydirectionwithsimplyaturnoftheheadinsidethesphere.
Placedonourbacks,theRouquayroldevicewentintooperationassoonasitwasinposition,andformypart,Icouldbreathewithease.
TheRuhmkorfflamphangingfrommybelt,myrifleinhand,Iwasreadytogoforth.
Butinallhonesty,whileimprisonedintheseheavyclothesandnailedtothedeckbymyleadsoles,itwasimpossibleformetotakeasinglestep.
Butthiscircumstancehadbeenforeseen,becauseIfeltmyselfpropelledintoalittleroomadjoiningthewardrobe.
Towedinthesameway,mycompanionswentwithme.
Iheardadoorwithwatertightsealscloseafterus,andweweresurroundedbyprofounddarkness.
Aftersomeminutesasharphissingreachedmyears.
Ifeltadistinctsensationofcoldrisingfrommyfeettomychest.
Apparentlyastopcockinsidetheboatwaslettinginwaterfromoutside,whichoverranusandsoonfilleduptheroom.
ContrivedintheNautilus'sside,aseconddoorthenopened.Wewerelitbyasubduedlight.
Aninstantlaterourfeetweretreadingthebottomofthesea.
Andnow,howcanIconveytheimpressionsleftonmebythisstrollunderthewaters.
Wordsarepowerlesstodescribesuchwonders!
Wheneventhepainter'sbrushcan'tdepicttheeffectsuniquetotheliquidelement,howcanthewriter'spenhopetoreproducethem?
CaptainNemowalkedinfront,andhiscompanionfollowedusafewstepstotherear.
ConseilandIstayednexttoeachother,asifdaydreamingthatthroughourmetalcarapaces,alittlepoliteconversationmightstillbepossible!
AlreadyInolongerfeltthebulkinessofmyclothes,footwear,andairtank,northeweightoftheheavysphereinsidewhichmyheadwasrattlinglikeanalmondinitsshell.
Onceimmersedinwater,alltheseobjectslostapartoftheirweightequaltotheweightoftheliquidtheydisplaced,andthankstothislawofphysicsdiscoveredbyArchimedes,Ididjustfine.
Iwasnolongeraninertmass,andIhad,comparativelyspeaking,greatfreedomofmovement.
Lightinguptheseaflooreventhirtyfeetbeneaththesurfaceoftheocean,thesunastonishedmewithitspower.
Thesolarrayseasilycrossedthisaqueousmassanddisperseditsdarkcolors.
Icouldeasilydistinguishobjects100metersaway.
Fartheron,thebottomwastintedwithfineshadesofultramarine;then,offinthedistance,itturnedblueandfadedinthemidstofahazydarkness.
Truly,thiswatersurroundingmewasjustakindofair,denserthantheatmosphereonlandbutalmostastransparent.
AbovemeIcouldseethecalmsurfaceoftheocean.
Wewerewalkingonsandthatwasfine–grainedandsmooth,notwrinkledlikebeachsand,whichpreservestheimpressionsleftbythewaves.
Thisdazzlingcarpetwasarealmirror,throwingbackthesun'srayswithstartlingintensity.
Theoutcome:animmensevistaofreflectionsthatpenetratedeveryliquidmolecule.
WillanyonebelievemeifIassertthatatthisthirty–footdepth,Icouldseeasifitwasbroaddaylight?
Foraquarterofanhour,Itrodthisblazingsand,whichwasstrewnwithtinycrumbsofseashell.
Loominglikealongreef,theNautilus'shulldisappearedlittlebylittle,butwhennightfellinthemidstofthewaters,theship'sbeaconwouldsurelyfacilitateourreturnonboard,sinceitsrayscarriedwithperfectdistinctness.
Thiseffectisdifficulttounderstandforanyonewhohasneverseenlightbeamssosharplydefinedonshore.
Therethedustthatsaturatestheairgivessuchraystheappearanceofaluminousfog;butabovewateraswellasunderwater,shaftsofelectriclightaretransmittedwithincomparableclarity.
Meanwhilewewenteveronward,andthesevastplainsofsandseemedendless.Myhandspartedliquidcurtainsthatclosedagainbehindme,andmyfootprintsfadedswiftlyunderthewater'spressure.
Soon,scarcelyblurredbytheirdistancefromus,theformsofsomeobjectstookshapebeforemyeyes.
Irecognizedthelowerslopesofsomemagnificentrockscarpetedbythefinestzoophytespecimens,andrightoff,Iwasstruckbyaneffectuniquetothismedium.
Bythenitwasteno'clockinthemorning.
Thesun'srayshitthesurfaceofthewavesatafairlyobliqueangle,decomposingbyrefractionasthoughpassingthroughaprism;andwhenthislightcameincontactwithflowers,rocks,buds,seashells,andpolyps,theedgesoftheseobjectswereshadedwithallsevenhuesofthesolarspectrum.
Thisriotofrainbowtintswasawonder,afeastfortheeyes:agenuinekaleidoscopeofred,green,yellow,orange,violet,indigo,andblue;inshort,thewholepaletteofacolor–happypainter!
IfonlyIhadbeenabletosharewithConseiltheintensesensationsrisinginmybrain,competingwithhiminexclamationsofwonderment!
IfonlyIhadknown,likeCaptainNemoandhiscompanion,howtoexchangethoughtsbymeansofprearrangedsignals!
So,forlackofanythingbetter,Italkedtomyself:Ideclaimedinsidethiscopperboxthattoppedmyhead,spendingmoreaironemptywordsthanwasperhapsadvisable.
Conseil,likeme,hadstoppedbeforethissplendidsight.
Obviously,inthepresenceofthesezoophyteandmolluskspecimens,thefineladwasclassifyinghisheadoff.
Polypsandechinodermsaboundedontheseafloor:variousisiscoral,cornulariancorallivinginisolation,tuftsofvirginalgenusOculinaformerlyknownbythename"whitecoral,"pricklyfunguscoralintheshapeofmushrooms,seaanemoneholdingonbytheirmusculardisks,providingaliteralflowerbedadornedbyjellyfishfromthegenusPorpitawearingcollarsofazuretentacles,andstarfishthatspangledthesand,includingveinlikefeatherstarsfromthegenusAsterophytonthatwerelikefinelaceembroideredbythehandsofwaternymphs,theirfestoonsswayingtothefaintundulationscausedbyourwalking.
Itfilledmewithrealchagrintocrushunderfootthegleamingmollusksamplesthatlitteredtheseafloorbythethousands:concentriccombshells,hammershells,coquina(seashellsthatactuallyhoparound),top–shellsnails,redhelmetshells,angel–wingconchs,seahares,andsomanyotherexhibitsfromthisinexhaustibleocean.
Butwehadtokeepwalking,andwewentforwardwhileoverheadtherescuddedschoolsofPortuguesemen–of–warthatlettheirultramarinetentaclesdriftintheirwakes,medusaswhosemilkywhiteordaintypinkparasolswerefestoonedwithazuretasselsandshadedusfromthesun'srays,plusjellyfishofthespeciesPelagiapanopyrathat,inthedark,wouldhavestrewnourpathwithphosphorescentglimmers!
AllthesewondersIglimpsedinthespaceofaquarterofamile,barelypausing,followingCaptainNemowhosegestureskeptbeckoningmeonward.
Soonthenatureoftheseafloorchanged.
TheplainsofsandwerefollowedbyabedofthatviscousslimeAmericanscall"ooze,"whichiscomposedexclusivelyofseashellsrichinlimestoneorsilica.
Thenwecrossedaprairieofalgae,open–seaplantsthatthewatershadn'tyettornloose,whosevegetationgrewinwildprofusion.
Softtothefoot,thesedenselytexturedlawnswouldhaverivaledthemostluxuriantcarpetswovenbythehandofman.
Butwhilethisgreenerywassprawlingunderoursteps,itdidn'tneglectusoverhead.
Thesurfaceofthewaterwascrisscrossedbyafloatingarborofmarineplantsbelongingtothatsuperabundantalgaefamilythatnumbersmorethan2,000knownspecies.
Isawlongribbonsoffucusdriftingaboveme,someglobular,otherstubular:Laurencia,Cladostephuswiththeslenderestfoliage,Rhodymeniapalmataresemblingthefanshapesofcactus.
Iobservedthatgreen–coloredplantskeptclosertothesurfaceofthesea,whileredsoccupiedamediumdepth,whichleftblacksandbrownsinchargeofdesigninggardensandflowerbedsintheocean'slowerstrata.
Thesealgaeareagenuineprodigyofcreation,oneofthewondersofworldflora.
Thisfamilyproducesboththebiggestandsmallestvegetablesintheworld.
Because,justas40,000near–invisiblebudshavebeencountedinonefive–square–millimeterspace,soalsohavefucusplantsbeengatheredthatwereover500meterslong!
WehadbeengonefromtheNautilusforaboutanhourandahalf.Itwasalmostnoon.
Ispottedthisfactintheperpendicularityofthesun'srays,whichwerenolongerrefracted.
Themagicofthesesolarcolorsdisappearedlittlebylittle,withemeraldandsapphireshadesvanishingfromoursurroundingsaltogether.
Wewalkedwithsteadystepsthatrangontheseafloorwithastonishingintensity.
Thetiniestsoundsweretransmittedwithaspeedtowhichtheearisunaccustomedonshore.
Infact,waterisabetterconductorofsoundthanair,andunderthewavesnoisescarryfourtimesasfast.
Justthentheseafloorbegantoslopesharplydownward.Thelighttookonauniformhue.
Wereachedadepthof100meters,bywhichpointwewereundergoingapressureoftenatmospheres.
ButmydivingclotheswerebuiltalongsuchlinesthatIneversufferedfromthispressure.
Ifeltonlyacertaintightnessinthejointsofmyfingers,andeventhisdiscomfortsoondisappeared.
Asfortheexhaustionboundtoaccompanyatwo–hourstrollinsuchunfamiliartrappings—itwasnil.
Helpedbythewater,mymovementswereexecutedwithstartlingease.
Arrivingatthis300–footdepth,Istilldetectedthesun'srays,butjustbarely.
Theirintensebrilliancehadbeenfollowedbyareddishtwilight,amidpointbetweendayandnight.
Butwecouldseewellenoughtofindourway,anditstillwasn'tnecessarytoactivatetheRuhmkorffdevice.
JustthenCaptainNemostopped.HewaiteduntilIjoinedhim,thenhepointedafingeratsomedarkmassesoutlinedintheshadowsashortdistanceaway.
"It'stheforestofCrespoIsland,"Ithought;andIwasnotmistaken.
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