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Bythenextmorning,November18,Iwasfullyrecoveredfrommyexhaustionofthedaybefore,andIclimbedontotheplatformjustastheNautilus'schiefofficerwaspronouncinghisdailyphrase.
Itthenoccurredtomethatthesewordseitherreferredtothestateofthesea,orthattheymeant:"There'snothinginsight."
Andintruth,theoceanwasdeserted.Notasailonthehorizon.
ThetipsofCrespoIslandhaddisappearedduringthenight.
Thesea,absorbingeverycoloroftheprismexceptitsbluerays,reflectedthelatterineverydirectionandsportedawonderfulindigotint.
Theundulatingwavesregularlytookontheappearanceofwateredsilkwithwidestripes.
IwasmarvelingatthismagnificentoceanviewwhenCaptainNemoappeared.
Hedidn'tseemtonoticemypresenceandbeganaseriesofastronomicalobservations.
Then,hisoperationsfinished,hewentandleanedhiselbowsonthebeaconhousing,hiseyesstrayingoverthesurfaceoftheocean.
MeanwhilesometwentyoftheNautilus'ssailors—allenergetic,well–builtfellows—climbedontotheplatform.
Theyhadcometopullupthenetsleftinourwakeduringthenight.
Theseseamenobviouslybelongedtodifferentnationalities,althoughindicationsofEuropeanphysicaltraitscouldbeseeninthemall.
IfI'mnotmistaken,IrecognizedsomeIrishmen,someFrenchmen,afewSlavs,andanativeofeitherGreeceorCrete.
Evenso,thesemenwerefrugalofspeechandusedamongthemselvesonlythatbizarredialectwhoseoriginIcouldn'tevenguess.
SoIhadtogiveupanynotionsofquestioningthem.
Thenetswerehauledonboard.TheywereabreedoftrawlresemblingthoseusedofftheNormandycoast,hugepouchesheldhalfopenbyafloatingpoleandachainlacedthroughthelowermeshes.
Trailinginthiswayfromtheseironglovemakers,theresultingreceptaclesscouredtheoceanfloorandcollectedeverymarineexhibitintheirpath.
Thatdaytheygatheredupsomeunusualspecimensfromthesefish–filledwaterways:anglerfishwhosecomicalmovementsqualifythemfortheepithet"clowns,"blackCommersonanglersequippedwiththeirantennas,undulatingtriggerfishencircledbylittleredbands,bloatedpufferswhosevenomisextremelyinsidious,someolive–huedlampreys,snipefishcoveredwithsilverscales,cutlassfishwhoseelectrocutingpowerequalsthatoftheelectriceelandtheelectricray,scalyfeatherbackswithbrowncrosswisebands,greenishcodfish,severalvarietiesofgoby,etc.;finally,somefishoflargerproportions:aone–meterjackwithaprominenthead,severalfinebonitofromthegenusScomberdeckedoutinthecolorsblueandsilver,andthreemagnificenttunawhosehighspeedscouldn'tsavethemfromourtrawl.
Iestimatethatthiscastofthenetbroughtinmorethan1,000poundsoffish.Itwasafinecatchbutnotsurprising.
Inessence,thesenetsstayedinourwakeforseveralhours,incarceratinganentireaquaticworldinprisonsmadeofthread.
Sowewereneverlackinginprovisionsofthehighestquality,whichtheNautilus'sspeedandtheallureofitselectriclightcouldcontinuallyreplenish.
Thesevariousexhibitsfromtheseawereimmediatelylowereddownthehatchinthedirectionofthestoragelockers,sometobeeatenfresh,otherstobepreserved.
Afteritsfishingwasfinishedanditsairsupplyrenewed,IthoughttheNautiluswouldresumeitsunderwaterexcursion,andIwasgettingreadytoreturntomystateroom,whenCaptainNemoturnedtomeandsaidwithoutfurtherpreamble:
"Lookatthisocean,professor!Doesn'tithavetheactualgiftoflife?
Doesn'titexperiencebothangerandaffection?
Lasteveningitwenttosleepjustaswedid,andthereitis,wakingupafterapeacefulnight!"
Nohellosorgoodmorningsforthisgent!Youwouldhavethoughtthiseccentricindividualwassimplycontinuingaconversationwe'dalreadystarted!
"See!"hewenton.
"It'swakingupunderthesun'scaresses!
It'sgoingtoreliveitsdailyexistence!
Whatafascinatingfieldofstudyliesinwatchingtheplayofitsorganism.
Itownsapulseandarteries,ithasspasms,andIsidewiththescholarlyCommanderMaury,whodiscoveredthatithasacirculationasrealasthecirculationofbloodinanimals."
I'msurethatCaptainNemoexpectednorepliesfromme,anditseemedpointlesstopitchinwith"Ahyes,""Exactly,"or"Howrightyouare!"
Rather,hewassimplytalkingtohimself,withlongpausesbetweensentences.Hewasmeditatingoutloud.
"Yes,"hesaid,"theoceanownsagenuinecirculation,andtostartitgoing,theCreatorofAllThingshasonlytoincreaseitsheat,salt,andmicroscopicanimallife.
Inessence,heatcreatesthedifferentdensitiesthatleadtocurrentsandcountercurrents.
Evaporation,whichisnilintheHighArcticregionsandveryactiveinequatorialzones,bringsaboutaconstantinterchangeoftropicalandpolarwaters.
What'smore,I'vedetectedthosefallingandrisingcurrentsthatmakeuptheocean'struebreathing.
I'veseenamoleculeofsaltwaterheatupatthesurface,sinkintothedepths,reachmaximumdensityat–2°centigrade,thencooloff,growlighter,andriseagain.
Atthepolesyou'llseetheconsequencesofthisphenomenon,andthroughthislawoffarseeingnature,you'llunderstandwhywatercanfreezeonlyatthesurface!"
Asthecaptainwasfinishinghissentence,Isaidtomyself:"Thepole!Isthisbrazenindividualclaiminghe'lltakeuseventothatlocation?"
Meanwhilethecaptainfellsilentandstaredattheelementhehadstudiedsothoroughlyandunceasingly.Then,goingon:
"Salts,"hesaid,"filltheseainconsiderablequantities,professor,andifyouremovedallitsdissolvedsalinecontent,you'dcreateamassmeasuring4,500,000cubicleagues,whichifitwerespreadallovertheglobe,wouldformalayermorethantenmetershigh.
Anddon'tthinkthatthepresenceofthesesaltsisduemerelytosomewhimofnature.No.
Theymakeoceanwaterlessopentoevaporationandpreventwindsfromcarryingoffexcessiveamountsofsteam,which,whencondensing,wouldsubmergethetemperatezones.
Saltsplayaleadingrole,theroleofstabilizerforthegeneralecologyoftheglobe!"
CaptainNemostopped,straightenedup,tookafewstepsalongtheplatform,andreturnedtome:
"Asforthosebillionsoftinyanimals,"hewenton,"thoseinfusoriathatlivebythemillionsinonedropletofwater,800,000ofwhichareneededtoweighonemilligram,theirroleisnolessimportant.
Theyabsorbthemarinesalts,theyassimilatethesolidelementsinthewater,andsincetheycreatecoralandmadrepores,they'rethetruebuildersoflimestonecontinents!
Andso,afterthey'vefinisheddeprivingourwaterdropofitsmineralnutrients,thedropletgetslighter,risestothesurface,thereabsorbsmoresaltsleftbehindthroughevaporation,getsheavier,sinksagain,andbringsthosetinyanimalsnewelementstoabsorb.
Theoutcome:adoublecurrent,risingandfalling,constantmovement,constantlife!
Moreintensethanonland,moreabundant,moreinfinite,suchlifebloomsineverypartofthisocean,anelementfataltoman,theysay,butvitaltomyriadsofanimals—andtome!"
WhenCaptainNemospokeinthisway,hewastransfigured,andhefilledmewithextraordinaryexcitement.
"There,"headded,"outthereliestrueexistence!
AndIcanimaginethefoundingofnauticaltowns,clustersofunderwaterhouseholdsthat,liketheNautilus,wouldreturntothesurfaceoftheseatobreatheeachmorning,freetownsifevertherewere,independentcities!
Thenagain,whoknowswhethersometyrant..."
CaptainNemofinishedhissentencewithavehementgesture.Then,addressingmedirectly,asiftodriveawayanuglythought:
"ProfessorAronnax,"heaskedme,"doyouknowthedepthoftheoceanfloor?"
"Atleast,Captain,Iknowwhatthemajorsoundingstellus."
"Couldyouquotethemtome,soIcandouble–checkthemastheneedarises?"
"Here,"Ireplied,"areafewofthemthatstickinmymemory.
IfI'mnotmistaken,anaveragedepthof8,200meterswasfoundinthenorthAtlantic,and2,500metersintheMediterranean.
ThemostremarkablesoundingsweretakeninthesouthAtlanticnearthe35thparallel,andtheygave12,000meters,14,091meters,and15,149meters.
Allinall,it'sestimatedthatiftheseabottomweremadelevel,itsaveragedepthwouldbeaboutsevenkilometers."
"Well,professor,"CaptainNemoreplied,"we'llshowyoubetterthanthat,Ihope.AsfortheaveragedepthofthispartofthePacific,I'llinformyouthatit'samere4,000meters."
Thissaid,CaptainNemoheadedtothehatchanddisappeareddowntheladder.
Ifollowedhimandwentbacktothemainlounge.
Thepropellerwasinstantlysetinmotion,andtheloggaveourspeedastwentymilesperhour.
Overtheensuingdaysandweeks,CaptainNemowasveryfrugalwithhisvisits.Isawhimonlyatrareintervals.
HischiefofficerregularlyfixedthepositionsIfoundreportedonthechart,andinsuchawaythatIcouldexactlyplottheNautilus'scourse.
ConseilandLandspentthelonghourswithme.
Conseilhadtoldhisfriendaboutthewondersofourunderseastroll,andtheCanadianwassorryhehadn'tgonealong.
ButIhopedanopportunitywouldariseforavisittotheforestsofOceania.
Almosteverydaythepanelsintheloungewereopenforsomehours,andoureyesnevertiredofprobingthemysteriesoftheunderwaterworld.
TheNautilus'sgeneralheadingwassoutheast,anditstayedatadepthbetween100and150meters.
However,fromLord–knows–whatwhim,onedayitdidadiagonaldivebymeansofitsslantingfins,reachingstratalocated2,000metersunderwater.
Thethermometerindicatedatemperatureof4.25°centigrade,whichatthisdepthseemedtobeatemperaturecommontoalllatitudes.
OnNovember26,atthreeo'clockinthemorning,theNautilusclearedtheTropicofCanceratlongitude172°.
Onthe27thitpassedinsightoftheHawaiianIslands,wherethefamousCaptainCookmethisdeathonFebruary14,1779.
Bythenwehadfared4,860leaguesfromourstartingpoint.
WhenIarrivedontheplatformthatmorning,IsawtheIslandofHawaiitwomilestoleeward,thelargestofthesevenislandsmakingupthisgroup.
Icouldclearlydistinguishthetilledsoilonitsoutskirts,thevariousmountainchainsrunningparallelwithitscoastline,anditsvolcanoes,crownedbyMaunaKea,whoseelevationis5,000metersabovesealevel.
Amongotherspecimensfromthesewaterways,ournetsbroughtupsomepeacock–tailedflabellariancoral,polypsflattenedintostylishshapesanduniquetothispartoftheocean.
TheNautiluskepttoitssoutheasterlyheading.
OnDecember1itcuttheequatoratlongitude142°,andonthe4thofthesamemonth,afteraquickcrossingmarkedbynoincident,weraisedtheMarquesasIslands.
Threemilesoff,inlatitude8°57'southandlongitude139°32'west,IspottedMartinPointonNukuHiva,chiefmemberofthisislandgroupthatbelongstoFrance.
Icouldmakeoutonlyitswoodedmountainsonthehorizon,becauseCaptainNemohatedtohugshore.
Thereournetsbroughtupsomefinefishsamples:dolphinfishwithazurefins,goldtails,andfleshthat'sunrivaledintheentireworld,wrassefromthegenusHologymnosusthatwerenearlydenudedofscalesbutexquisiteinflavor,knifejawswithbonybeaks,yellowishalbacorethatwereastastyasbonito,allfishworthclassifyingintheship'spantry.
AfterleavingthesedelightfulislandstotheprotectionoftheFrenchflag,theNautiluscoveredabout2,000milesfromDecember4tothe11th.
Itsnavigatingwasmarkedbyanencounterwithanimmenseschoolofsquid,unusualmollusksthatarenearneighborsofthecuttlefish.
Frenchfishermengivethemthename"cuckoldfish,"andtheybelongtotheclassCephalopoda,familyDibranchiata,consistingofthemselvestogetherwithcuttlefishandargonauts.
Thenaturalistsofantiquitymadeaspecialstudyofthem,andtheseanimalsfurnishedmanyribaldfiguresofspeechforsoapboxoratorsintheGreekmarketplace,aswellasexcellentdishesforthetablesofrichcitizens,ifwe'retobelieveAthenæus,aGreekphysicianpredatingGalen.
ItwasduringthenightofDecember9–10thattheNautilusencounteredthisarmyofdistinctlynocturnalmollusks.Theynumberedinthemillions.
Theyweremigratingfromthetemperatezonestowardzonesstillwarmer,followingtheitinerariesofherringandsardines.
Westaredatthemthroughourthickglasswindows:theyswambackwardwithtremendousspeed,movingbymeansoftheirlocomotivetubes,chasingfishandmollusks,eatingthelittleones,eatenbythebigones,andtossinginindescribableconfusionthetenfeetthatnaturehasrootedintheirheadslikeahairpieceofpneumaticsnakes.
Despiteitsspeed,theNautilusnavigatedforseveralhoursinthemidstofthisschoolofanimals,anditsnetsbroughtupanincalculablenumber,amongwhichIrecognizedallninespeciesthatProfessorOrbignyhasclassifiedasnativetothePacificOcean.
Duringthiscrossing,theseacontinuallylavisheduswiththemostmarveloussights.Itsvarietywasinfinite.
Itchangeditssettinganddecorforthemerepleasureofoureyes,andwewerecalleduponnotsimplytocontemplatetheworksofourCreatorinthemidstoftheliquidelement,butalsotoprobetheocean'smostdauntingmysteries.
DuringthedayofDecember11,Iwasbusyreadinginthemainlounge.
NedLandandConseilwereobservingtheluminouswatersthroughthegapingpanels.TheNautiluswasmotionless.
Itsballasttanksfull,itwassittingatadepthof1,000metersinacomparativelyunpopulatedregionoftheoceanwhereonlylargerfishputinoccasionalappearances.
JustthenIwasstudyingadelightfulbookbyJeanMacé,TheServantsoftheStomach,andsavoringitsingeniousteachings,whenConseilinterruptedmyreading.
"Wouldmasterkindlycomehereforaninstant?"hesaidtomeinanoddvoice.
"Whatisit,Conseil?"
"It'ssomethingthatmastershouldsee."
Istoodup,went,leanedonmyelbowsbeforethewindow,andIsawit.
Inthebroadelectricdaylight,anenormousblackmass,quitemotionless,hungsuspendedinthemidstofthewaters.
Iobserveditcarefully,tryingtofindoutthenatureofthisgiganticcetacean.Thenasuddenthoughtcrossedmymind.
"Aship!"Iexclaimed.
"Yes,"theCanadianreplied,"adisabledcraftthat'ssinkingstraightdown!"
NedLandwasnotmistaken.Wewereinthepresenceofashipwhoseseveredshroudsstillhungfromtheirclasps.
Itshulllookedingoodcondition,anditmusthavegoneunderonlyafewhoursbefore.
Thestumpsofthreemasts,choppedofftwofeetabovethedeck,indicatedafloodingshipthathadbeenforcedtosacrificeitsmasting.
Butithadheeledsideways,fillingcompletely,anditwaslistingtoportevenyet.
Asorrysight,thiscarcasslostunderthewaves,butsorrierstillwasthesightonitsdeck,where,lashedwithropestopreventtheirbeingwashedoverboard,somehumancorpsesstilllay!
Icountedfourofthem—fourmen,onestillstandingatthehelm—thenawoman,halfwayoutofaskylightontheafterdeck,holdingachildinherarms.Thiswomanwasyoung.
UnderthebrilliantlightingoftheNautilus'srays,Icouldmakeoutherfeatures,whichthewaterhadn'tyetdecomposed.
Withasupremeeffort,shehadliftedherchildaboveherhead,andthepoorlittlecreature'sarmswerestilltwinedarounditsmother'sneck!
Theposturesofthefourseamenseemedghastlytome,twistedfromconvulsivemovements,asifmakingalastefforttobreakloosefromtheropesthatboundthemtotheirship.
Andthehelmsman,standingalone,calmer,hisfacesmoothandserious,hisgrizzledhairplasteredtohisbrow,hishandsclutchingthewheel,seemedevenyettobeguidinghiswreckedthree–masterthroughtheoceandepths!
Whatascene!Westooddumbstruck,heartspounding,beforethisshipwreckcaughtintheact,asifithadbeenphotographedinitsfinalmoments,sotospeak!
AndalreadyIcouldseeenormoussharksmovingin,eyesablaze,drawnbythelureofhumanflesh!
Meanwhile,turning,theNautilusmadeacirclearoundthesinkingship,andforaninstantIcouldreadtheboardonitsstern:
TheFlorida
Sunderland,England
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