English
DuringthenightofDecember27–28,theNautilusleftthewaterwaysofVanikorobehindwithextraordinaryspeed.
Itsheadingwassouthwesterly,andinthreedaysithadclearedthe750leaguesthatseparatedLaPérouse'sislandsfromthesoutheasterntipofPapua.
OnJanuary1,1868,brightandearly,Conseiljoinedmeontheplatform.
"Willmaster,"thegallantladsaidtome,"allowmetowishhimahappynewyear?"
"Goodheavens,Conseil,it'sjustlikeoldtimesinmyofficeattheBotanicalGardensinParis!
IacceptyourkindwishesandIthankyouforthem.
Only,I'dliketoknowwhatyoumeanbya'happyyear'underthecircumstancesinwhichwe'replaced.
Isitayearthatwillbringourimprisonmenttoanend,orayearthatwillseethisstrangevoyagecontinue?"
"Yegods,"Conseilreplied,"Ihardlyknowwhattotellmaster.
We'recertainlyseeingsomeunusualthings,andfortwomonthswe'vehadnotimeforboredom.
Thelatestwonderisalwaysthemostastonishing,andifthisprogressionkeepsup,Ican'timaginewhatitsclimaxwillbe.
Inmyopinion,we'llneveragainhavesuchanopportunity."
"Never,Conseil."
"Besides,Mr.NemoreallylivesuptohisLatinname,sincehecouldn'tbelessinthewayifhedidn'texist."
"Trueenough,Conseil."
"Therefore,withallduerespecttomaster,Ithinka'happyyear'wouldbeayearthatletsusseeeverything—"
"Everything,Conseil?Noyearcouldbethatlong.ButwhatdoesNedLandthinkaboutallthis?"
"NedLand'sthoughtsareexactlytheoppositeofmine,"Conseilreplied.
"Hehasapracticalmindandademandingstomach.
He'stiredofstaringatfishandeatingthemdayinanddayout.
Thisshortageofwine,bread,andmeatisn'tsuitableforanupstandingAnglo–Saxon,amanaccustomedtobeefsteakandunfazedbyregulardosesofbrandyorgin!"
"Formypart,Conseil,thatdoesn'tbothermeintheleast,andI'veadjustedverynicelytothedietonboard."
"SohaveI,"Conseilreplied."Accordingly,IthinkasmuchaboutstayingasMr.Landaboutmakinghisescape.
Thus,ifthisnewyearisn'tahappyoneforme,itwillbeforhim,andviceversa.
Nomatterwhathappens,oneofuswillbepleased.
So,inconclusion,Iwishmastertohavewhateverhisheartdesires."
"Thankyou,Conseil.OnlyImustaskyoutopostponethequestionofnewyear'sgifts,andtemporarilyacceptaheartyhandshakeintheirplace.That'sallIhaveonme."
"Masterhasneverbeenmoregenerous,"Conseilreplied.
Andwiththat,thegallantladwentaway.
ByJanuary2wehadfared11,340miles,hence5,250leagues,fromourstartingpointintheseasofJapan.
BeforetheNautilus'sspurtherestretchedthedangerouswaterwaysoftheCoralSea,offthenortheastcoastofAustralia.
OurboatcruisedalongafewmilesawayfromthatdauntingshoalwhereCaptainCook'sshipswellnighmiscarriedonJune10,1770.
ThecraftthatCookwasaboardchargedintosomecoralrock,andifhisvesseldidn'tgodown,itwasthankstothecircumstancethatapieceofcoralbrokeoffinthecollisionandpluggedtheveryholeithadmadeinthehull.
Iwouldhavebeendeeplyinterestedinvisitingthislong,360–leaguereef,againstwhichtheever–surgingseabrokewiththefearsomeintensityofthunderclaps.
ButjustthentheNautilus'sslantingfinstookustogreatdepths,andIcouldseenothingofthosehighcoralwalls.
Ihadtorestcontentwiththevariousspecimensoffishbroughtupbyournets.
AmongothersInotedsomelong–finnedalbacore,aspeciesinthegenusScomber,asbigastuna,bluishontheflanks,andstreakedwithcrosswisestripesthatdisappearwhentheanimaldies.
Thesefishfollowedusinschoolsandsuppliedourtablewithverydaintyflesh.
Wealsocaughtalargenumberofyellow–greengilthead,halfadecimeterlongandtastinglikedorado,plussomeflyinggurnards,authenticunderwaterswallowsthat,ondarknights,alternatelystreakairandwaterwiththeirphosphorescentglimmers.
Amongmollusksandzoophytes,Ifoundinourtrawl'smeshesvariousspeciesofalcyonariancoral,seaurchins,hammershells,spurred–starshells,wentletrapsnails,hornshells,glasssnails.
Thelocalflorawasrepresentedbyfinefloatingalgae:seatangle,andkelpfromthegenusMacrocystis,saturatedwiththemucilagetheirporesperspire,fromwhichIselectedawonderfulNemastomageliniaroidea,classifyingitwiththenaturalcuriositiesinthemuseum.
OnJanuary4,twodaysaftercrossingtheCoralSea,weraisedthecoastofPapua.
OnthisoccasionCaptainNemotoldmethatheintendedtoreachtheIndianOceanviatheTorresStrait.Thiswastheextentofhisremarks.
Nedsawwithpleasurethatthiscoursewouldbringus,onceagain,closertoEuropeanseas.
TheTorresStraitisregardedasnolessdangerousforitsbristlingreefsthanforthesavageinhabitantsofitscoasts.ItseparatesQueenslandfromthehugeislandofPapua,alsocalledNewGuinea.
Papuais400leagueslongby130leagueswide,withasurfaceareaof40,000geographicleagues.
It'slocatedbetweenlatitude0°19'and10°2'south,andbetweenlongitude128°23'and146°15'.
Atnoon,whilethechiefofficerwastakingthesun'saltitude,IspottedthesummitsoftheArfakMountains,risinginterracesandendinginsharppeaks.
Discoveredin1511bythePortugueseFranciscoSerrano,theseshoresweresuccessivelyvisitedbyDonJorgedeMenesesin1526,byJuandeGrijalvain1527,bytheSpanishgeneralAlvarodeSaavedrain1528,byInigoOrtizin1545,bytheDutchmanSchoutenin1616,byNicolasSruickin1753,byTasman,Dampier,Fumel,Carteret,Edwards,Bougainville,Cook,McClure,andThomasForrest,byRearAdmirald'Entrecasteauxin1792,byLouis–IsidoreDuperreyin1823,andbyCaptainDumontd'Urvillein1827.
"It'stheheartlandoftheblackswhooccupyallMalaysia,"Mr.deRienzihassaid;andIhadn'tthefoggiestinklingthatsailors'luckwasabouttobringmefacetofacewiththesedauntingAndamanaborigines.
SotheNautilushovebeforetheentrancetotheworld'smostdangerousstrait,apassagewaythateventheboldestnavigatorshesitatedtoclear:thestraitthatLuisVaezdeTorresfacedonreturningfromtheSouthSeasinMelanesia,thestraitinwhichsloopsofwarunderCaptainDumontd'Urvilleranagroundin1840andnearlymiscarriedwithallhands.
AndeventheNautilus,risingsuperiortoeverydangerinthesea,wasabouttobecomeintimatewithitscoralreefs.
TheTorresStraitisaboutthirty–fourleagueswide,butit'sobstructedbyanincalculablenumberofislands,islets,breakers,androcksthatmakeitnearlyimpossibletonavigate.
Consequently,CaptainNemotookeverydesiredprecautionincrossingit.
Floatingflushwiththewater,theNautilusmovedaheadatamoderatepace.
Likeacetacean'stail,itspropellerchurnedthewavesslowly.
Takingadvantageofthissituation,mytwocompanionsandIfoundseatsontheever–desertedplatform.
Infrontofusstoodthepilothouse,andunlessI'mextremelymistaken,CaptainNemomusthavebeeninside,steeringhisNautilushimself.
UndermyeyesIhadtheexcellentchartsoftheTorresStraitthathadbeensurveyedanddrawnupbythehydrographicengineerVincendonDumoulinandSublieutenant(nowAdmiral)Coupvent–Desbois,whowerepartofDumontd'Urville'sgeneralstaffduringhisfinalvoyagetocircumnavigatetheglobe.
These,alongwiththeeffortsofCaptainKing,arethebestchartsforuntanglingthesnarlofthisnarrowpassageway,andIconsultedthemwithscrupulouscare.
AroundtheNautilustheseawasboilingfuriously.
Astreamofwaves,bearingfromsoutheasttonorthwestataspeedoftwoandahalfmilesperhour,brokeoverheadsofcoralemerginghereandthere.
"That'soneroughsea!"NedLandtoldme.
"Abominableindeed,"Ireplied,"andhardlysuitableforacraftliketheNautilus."
"Thatdamnedcaptain,"theCanadianwenton,"mustreallybesureofhiscourse,becauseiftheseclumpsofcoralsomuchasbrushus,they'llripourhullintoathousandpieces!"
Thesituationwasindeeddangerous,butasifbymagic,theNautilusseemedtogliderightdownthemiddleoftheserampagingreefs.
Itdidn'tfollowtheexactcourseoftheZealousandthenewAstrolabe,whichhadprovedsoill–fatedforCaptainDumontd'Urville.
Itwentmoretothenorth,huggedtheMurrayIslands,andreturnedtothesouthwestnearCumberlandPassage.
Ithoughtitwasabouttochargewholeheartedlyintothisopening,butitwentuptothenorthwest,throughalargenumberoflittle–knownislandsandislets,andsteeredtowardToundIslandandtheBadChannel.
IwasalreadywonderingifCaptainNemo,rashtothepointofsheerinsanity,wantedhisshiptotacklethenarrowswhereDumontd'Urville'stwosloopsofwarhadgoneaground,whenhechangeddirectionasecondtimeandcutstraighttothewest,headingtowardGueboroaIsland.
Bythenitwasthreeo'clockintheafternoon.
Thecurrentwasslackingoff,itwasalmostfulltide.
TheNautilusdrewnearthisisland,whichIcanseetothisdaywithitsremarkablefringeofscrewpines.
Wehuggeditfromlessthantwomilesout.
Asuddenjoltthrewmedown.TheNautilushadjuststruckareef,anditremainedmotionless,listingslightlytoport.
WhenIstoodup,IsawCaptainNemoandhischiefofficerontheplatform.Theywereexaminingtheship'scircumstances,exchangingafewwordsintheirincomprehensibledialect.
Hereiswhatthosecircumstancesentailed.
TwomilestostarboardlayGueboroaIsland,itscoastlinecurvingnorthtowestlikeanimmensearm.
Tothesouthandeast,headsofcoralwerealreadyondisplay,leftuncoveredbytheebbingwaters.
Wehadrunagroundatfulltideandinoneofthoseseaswhosetidesaremoderate,aninconvenientstateofaffairsforfloatingtheNautilusoff.
However,theshiphadn'tsufferedinanyway,sosolidlyjoinedwasitshull.
Butalthoughitcouldneithersinknorsplitopen,itwasinseriousdangerofbeingpermanentlyattachedtothesereefs,andthatwouldhavebeenthefinishofCaptainNemo'ssubmersible.
Iwasmullingthisoverwhenthecaptainapproached,coolandcalm,foreverincontrolofhimself,lookingneitheralarmednorannoyed.
"Anaccident?"Isaidtohim.
"No,anincident,"heansweredme.
"Butanincident,"Ireplied,"thatmayobligeyoutobecomearesidentagainoftheseshoresyouavoid!"
CaptainNemogavemeanoddlookandgesturedno.Whichtoldmeprettyclearlythatnothingwouldeverforcehimtosetfootonalandmassagain.Thenhesaid:
"No,ProfessorAronnax,theNautilusisn'tconsignedtoperdition.
Itwillstillcarryyouthroughthemidstoftheocean'swonders.
Ourvoyageisjustbeginning,andI'venodesiretodeprivemyselfsosoonofthepleasureofyourcompany."
"Evenso,CaptainNemo,"Iwenton,ignoringhisironicturnofphrase,"theNautilushasrunagroundatamomentwhentheseaisfull.
Nowthen,thetidesaren'tstronginthePacific,andifyoucan'tunballasttheNautilus,whichseemsimpossibletome,Idon'tseehowitwillfloatoff."
"You'reright,professor,thePacifictidesaren'tstrong,"CaptainNemoreplied.
"ButintheTorresStrait,onestillfindsameter–and–a–halfdifferenceinlevelbetweenhighandlowseas.
TodayisJanuary4,andinfivedaysthemoonwillbefull.
Nowthen,I'llbequiteastonishedifthatgood–naturedsatellitedoesn'tsufficientlyraisethesemassesofwateranddomeafavorforwhichI'llbeforevergrateful."
Thissaid,CaptainNemowentbelowagaintotheNautilus'sinterior,followedbyhischiefofficer.
Asforourcraft,itnolongerstirred,stayingasmotionlessasifthesecoralpolypshadalreadywalleditinwiththeirindestructiblecement.
"Well,sir?"NedLandsaidtome,comingupafterthecaptain'sdeparture.
"Well,Nedmyfriend,we'llserenelywaitforthetideonthe9th,becauseitseemsthemoonwillhavethegoodnaturetofloatusaway!"
"Assimpleasthat?"
"Assimpleasthat."
"Soourcaptainisn'tgoingtodrophisanchors,puthisenginesonthechains,anddoanythingtohaulusoff?"
"Sincethetidewillbesufficient,"Conseilrepliedsimply.
TheCanadianstaredatConseil,thenheshruggedhisshoulders.Theseamaninhimwastalkingnow.
"Sir,"heanswered,"youcantrustmewhenIsaythishunkofironwillnevernavigateagain,ontheseasorunderthem.
It'sonlyfittobesoldforitsweight.
SoIthinkit'stimewegaveCaptainNemotheslip."
"Nedmyfriend,"Ireplied,"unlikeyou,Ihaven'tgivenuponourvaliantNautilus,andinfourdayswe'llknowwherewestandonthesePacifictides.
Besides,anescapeattemptmightbetimelyifwewereinsightofthecoastsofEnglandorProvence,butinthewaterwaysofPapuait'sanotherstory.
Andwe'llalwayshavethatasalastresortiftheNautilusdoesn'trightitself,whichI'dregardasarealcalamity."
"Butcouldn'tweatleastgetthelayoftheland?"Nedwenton."Here'sanisland.Onthisislandtherearetrees.
Underthosetreeslandanimalsloadedwithcutletsandroastbeef,whichI'dbehappytosinkmyteethinto."
"InthisinstanceourfriendNedisright,"Conseilsaid,"andIsidewithhisviews.
Couldn'tmasterpersuadehisfriendCaptainNemotosendthethreeofusashore,ifonlysoourfeetdon'tlosetheknackoftreadingonthesolidpartsofourplanet?"
"Icanaskhim,"Ireplied,"buthe'llrefuse."
"Letmastertaketherisk,"Conseilsaid,"andwe'llknowwherewestandonthecaptain'saffability."
Muchtomysurprise,CaptainNemogavemethepermissionIaskedfor,andhedidsowithgraceandalacrity,notevenexactingmypromisetoreturnonboard.
ButfleeingacrosstheNewGuineaterritorieswouldbeextremelydangerous,andIwouldn'thaveadvisedNedLandtotryit.
BettertobeprisonersaboardtheNautilusthantofallintothehandsofPapuannatives.
Theskiffwasputatourdisposalforthenextmorning.
IhardlyneededtoaskwhetherCaptainNemowouldbecomingalong.
Ilikewiseassumedthatnocrewmenwouldbeassignedtous,thatNedLandwouldbeinsolechargeofpilotingthelongboat.
Besides,theshorelaynomorethantwomilesoff,anditwouldbechild'splayfortheCanadiantoguidethatnimbleskiffthroughthoserowsofreefssoill–fatedforbigships.
Thenextday,January5,afteritsdeckpanelingwasopened,theskiffwaswrenchedfromitssocketandlaunchedtoseafromthetopoftheplatform.
Twomenweresufficientforthisoperation.
Theoarswereinsidethelongboatandwehadonlytotakeourseats.
Ateighto'clock,armedwithriflesandaxes,wepulledclearoftheNautilus.Theseawasfairlycalm.Amildbreezeblewfromshore.
Inplacebytheoars,ConseilandIrowedvigorously,andNedsteeredusintothenarrowlanesbetweenthebreakers.
Theskiffhandledeasilyandspedswiftly.
NedLandcouldn'tconcealhisglee.Hewasaprisonerescapingfromprisonandneverdreaminghewouldneedtoreenterit.
"Meat!"hekeptrepeating."Nowwe'lleatredmeat!Actualgame!Arealmesscall,bythunder!
I'mnotsayingfisharen'tgoodforyou,butwemustn'toverdo'em,andasliceoffreshvenisongrilledoverlivecoalswillbeanicechangefromourstandardfare."
"Youglutton,"Conseilreplied,"you'remakingmymouthwater!"
"Itremainstobeseen,"Isaid,"whethertheseforestsdocontaingame,andifthetypesofgamearen'tofsuchsizethattheycanhuntthehunter."
"Fine,ProfessorAronnax!"repliedtheCanadian,whoseteethseemedtobeashonedastheedgeofanax."Butifthere'snootherquadrupedonthisisland,I'lleattiger—tigersirloin."
"OurfriendNedgrowsdisturbing,"Conseilreplied.
"Whateveritis,"NedLandwenton,"anyanimalhavingfourfeetwithoutfeathers,ortwofeetwithfeathers,willbegreetedbymyveryownone–gunsalute."
"Ohgood!"Ireplied."TherecklessMr.Landisatitagain!"
"Don'tworry,ProfessorAronnax,justkeeprowing!"theCanadianreplied."Ionlyneedtwenty–fiveminutestoserveyouoneofmyownspecialcreations."
By8:30theNautilus'sskiffhadjustrungentlyagroundonasandystrand,aftersuccessfullyclearingtheringofcoralthatsurroundsGueboroaIsland.
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