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TheNautilusdidn'tchangedirection.Forthetimebeing,then,wehadtosetasideanyhopeofreturningtoEuropeanseas.
CaptainNemokepthisprowpointingsouth.Wherewashetakingus?Iwasafraidtoguess.
ThatdaytheNautiluscrossedanoddpartoftheAtlanticOcean.
Nooneisunawareoftheexistenceofthatgreatwarm–watercurrentknownbynameastheGulfStream.
AfteremergingfromchannelsoffFlorida,itheadstowardSpitzbergen.
ButbeforeenteringtheGulfofMexiconearlatitude44°north,thiscurrentdividesintotwoarms;itschiefarmmakesfortheshoresofIrelandandNorwaywhilethesecondflexessouthwardattheleveloftheAzores;thenithitsthecoastofAfrica,sweepsinalongoval,andreturnstotheCaribbeanSea.
Nowthen,thissecondarm—moreaccurately,acollar—formsaringofwarmwateraroundasectionofcool,tranquil,motionlessoceancalledtheSargassoSea.
ThisisanactuallakeintheopenAtlantic,andthegreatcurrent'swaterstakeatleastthreeyearstocircleit.
Properlyspeaking,theSargassoSeacoverseverysubmergedpartofAtlantis.
Certainauthorshaveevenheldthatthemanyweedsstrewnoverthisseaweretornloosefromtheprairiesofthatancientcontinent.
Butit'smorelikelythatthesegrasses,algae,andfucusplantswerecarriedofffromthebeachesofEuropeandAmerica,thentakenasfarasthiszonebytheGulfStream.
ThisisoneofthereasonswhyChristopherColumbusassumedtheexistenceofaNewWorld.
WhentheshipsofthatboldinvestigatorarrivedintheSargassoSea,theyhadgreatdifficultynavigatinginthemidstoftheseweeds,which,muchtotheircrews'dismay,slowedthemdowntoahalt;andtheywastedthreelongweekscrossingthissector.
SuchwastheregionourNautiluswasvisitingjustthen:agenuineprairie,atightlywovencarpetofalgae,gulfweed,andbladderwracksodenseandcompactacraft'sstempostcouldn'ttearthroughitwithoutdifficulty.
Accordingly,notwantingtoentanglehispropellerinthisweed–chokedmass,CaptainNemostayedatadepthsomemetersbelowthesurfaceofthewaves.
ThenameSargassocomesfromtheSpanishwordsargazo,meaninggulfweed.
Thisgulfweed,theswimminggulfweedorberrycarrier,isthechiefsubstancemakingupthisimmenseshoal.
Andhere'swhythesewaterplantscollectinthisplacidAtlanticbasin,accordingtotheexpertonthesubject,CommanderMaury,authorofThePhysicalGeographyoftheSea.
Theexplanationhegivesseemstoentailasetofconditionsthateverybodyknows:"Now,"Maurysays,"ifbitsofcorkorchaff,oranyfloatingsubstance,beputintoabasin,andacircularmotionbegiventothewater,allthelightsubstanceswillbefoundcrowdingtogethernearthecenterofthepool,wherethereistheleastmotion.
JustsuchabasinistheAtlanticOceantotheGulfStream,andtheSargassoSeaisthecenterofthewhirl."
IshareMaury'sview,andIwasabletostudythephenomenoninthisexclusivesettingwhereshipsrarelygo.
Aboveus,huddledamongthebrownweeds,therefloatedobjectsoriginatingfromallover:treetrunksrippedfromtheRockyMountainsortheAndesandsentfloatingdowntheAmazonortheMississippi,numerouspiecesofwreckage,remnantsofkeelsorundersides,bulwarksstavedinandsoweigheddownwithseashellsandbarnacles,theycouldn'trisetothesurfaceoftheocean.
AndthepassingyearswillsomedaybearoutMaury'sotherviewthatbycollectinginthiswayoverthecenturies,thesesubstanceswillbeturnedtostonebytheactionofthewatersandwillthenforminexhaustiblecoalfields.
Valuablereservespreparedbyfarseeingnatureforthattimewhenmanwillhaveexhaustedhisminesonthecontinents.
Inthemidstofthishopelesslytangledfabricofweedsandfucusplants,Inotedsomedelightfulpink–colored,star–shapedalcyoncoral,seaanemonetrailingthelongtressesoftheirtentacles,somegreen,red,andbluejellyfish,andespeciallythosebigrhizostomejellyfishthatCuvierdescribed,whosebluishparasolsaretrimmedwithvioletfestoons.
WespentthewholedayofFebruary22intheSargassoSea,wherefishthatdoteonmarineplantsandcrustaceansfindplentytoeat.Thenextdaytheoceanresumeditsusualappearance.
Fromthismomenton,fornineteendaysfromFebruary23toMarch12,theNautilusstayedinthemiddleoftheAtlantic,hustlingusalongataconstantspeedof100leagueseverytwenty–fourhours.
ItwasobviousthatCaptainNemowantedtocarryouthisunderwaterprogram,andIhadnodoubtthatheintended,afterdoublingCapeHorn,toreturntothePacificSouthSeas.
SoNedLandhadgoodreasontoworry.Inthesewideseasemptyofislands,itwasnolongerfeasibletojumpship.
NordidwehaveanywaytocounterCaptainNemo'swhims.
Wehadnochoicebuttoacquiesce;butifwecouldn'tattainourendthroughforceorcunning,Ilikedtothinkwemightachieveitthroughpersuasion.
Oncethisvoyagewasover,mightnotCaptainNemoconsenttosetusfreeinreturnforourpromisenevertorevealhisexistence?
Ourwordofhonor,whichwesincerelywouldhavekept.
However,thisdelicatequestionwouldhavetobenegotiatedwiththecaptain.
Buthowwouldhereceiveourdemandsforfreedom?
Attheveryoutsetandinnouncertainterms,hadn'thedeclaredthatthesecretofhisliferequiredthatwebepermanentlyimprisonedonboardtheNautilus?
Wouldn'theseemyfour–monthsilenceasatacitacceptanceofthissituation?
Wouldmyreturningtothissubjectarousesuspicionsthatcouldjeopardizeourescapeplans,ifwehadpromisingcircumstancesfortryingagainlateron?
Iweighedalltheseconsiderations,turnedthemoverinmymind,submittedthemtoConseil,buthewasasbaffledasIwas.
Inshort,althoughI'mnoteasilydiscouraged,Irealizedthatmychancesofeverseeingmyfellowmenagainwereshrinkingbytheday,especiallyatatimewhenCaptainNemowasrecklesslyracingtowardthesouthAtlantic!
Duringthosenineteendaysjustmentioned,nouniqueincidentsdistinguishedourvoyage.Isawlittleofthecaptain.Hewasatwork.
InthelibraryIoftenfoundbookshehadleftopen,especiallybooksonnaturalhistory.
Hehadthumbedthroughmyworkonthegreatoceandepths,andthemarginswerecoveredwithhisnotes,whichsometimescontradictedmytheoriesandformulations.
Butthecaptainremainedcontentwiththismethodofrefiningmywork,andherarelydiscusseditwithme.
SometimesIheardmelancholysoundsreverberatingfromtheorgan,whichheplayedveryexpressively,butonlyatnightinthemidstofthemostsecretivedarkness,whiletheNautilusslumberedinthewildernessoftheocean.
Duringthispartofourvoyage,wenavigatedonthesurfaceofthewavesforentiredays.Theseawasnearlydeserted.
Afewsailingships,ladenfortheEastIndies,wereheadingtowardtheCapeofGoodHope.
Onedaywewerechasedbythelongboatsofawhalingvessel,whichundoubtedlyviewedusassomeenormousbaleenwhaleofgreatvalue.
ButCaptainNemodidn'twantthesegallantgentlemenwastingtheirtimeandenergy,soheendedthehuntbydivingbeneaththewaters.
ThisincidentseemedtofascinateNedLandintensely.
I'msuretheCanadianwassorrythatthesefishermencouldn'tharpoonoursheet–ironcetaceanandmortallywoundit.
DuringthisperiodthefishConseilandIobserveddifferedlittlefromthosewehadalreadystudiedinotherlatitudes.
Chiefamongthemwerespecimensofthatdreadfulcartilaginousgenusthat'sdividedintothreesubgeneranumberingatleastthirty–twospecies:stripedsharksfivemeterslong,theheadsquatandwiderthanthebody,thecaudalfincurved,thebackwithsevenbig,black,parallellinesrunninglengthwise;thenperlonsharks,ashgray,piercedwithsevengillopenings,furnishedwithasingledorsalfinplacedalmostexactlyinthemiddleofthebody.
Somebigdogfishalsopassedby,avoraciousspeciesofsharkifthereeverwasone.
Withsomejustice,fishermen'syarnsaren'ttobetrusted,buthere'swhatafewofthemrelate.
Insidethecorpseofoneoftheseanimalstherewerefoundabuffaloheadandawholecalf;inanother,twotunaandasailorinuniform;inyetanother,asoldierwithhissaber;inanother,finally,ahorsewithitsrider.
Incandor,noneofthesesoundslikedivinelyinspiredtruth.
ButthefactremainsthatnotasingledogfishletitselfgetcaughtintheNautilus'snets,soIcan'tvouchfortheirvoracity.
Schoolsofelegant,playfuldolphinswamalongsideforentiredays.
Theywentingroupsoffiveorsix,huntinginpackslikewolvesoverthecountryside;moreover,they'rejustasvoraciousasdogfish,ifIcanbelieveacertainCopenhagenprofessorwhosaysthatfromonedolphin'sstomach,heremovedthirteenporpoisesandfifteenseals.
True,itwasakillerwhale,belongingtothebiggestknownspecies,whoselengthsometimesexceedstwenty–fourfeet.
ThefamilyDelphinianumberstengenera,andthedolphinsIsawwereakintothegenusDelphinorhynchus,remarkableforanextremelynarrowmuzzlefourtimesaslongasthecranium.
Measuringthreemeters,theirbodieswereblackontop,underneathapinkishwhitestrewnwithsmall,veryscatteredspots.
FromtheseseasI'llalsomentionsomeunusualspecimensofcroakers,fishfromtheorderAcanthopterygia,familyScienidea.
Someauthors—moreartisticthanscientific—claimthatthesefisharemelodioussingers,thattheirvoicesinunisonputonconcertsunmatchedbyhumanchoristers.
Idon'tsaynay,buttomyregretthesecroakersdidn'tserenadeusaswepassed.
Finally,toconclude,Conseilclassifiedalargenumberofflyingfish.
Nothingcouldhavemadeamoreunusualsightthanthemarveloustimingwithwhichdolphinshuntthesefish.
Whatevertherangeofitsflight,howeverevasiveitstrajectory(evenupandovertheNautilus),thehaplessflyingfishalwaysfoundadolphintowelcomeitwithopenmouth.
Thesewereeitherflyinggurnardsorkitelikesearobins,whoselipsglowedinthedark,atnightscrawlingfierystreaksintheairbeforeplungingintothemurkywaterslikesomanyshootingstars.
OurnavigatingcontinuedundertheseconditionsuntilMarch13.ThatdaytheNautiluswasputtoworkinsomedepth–soundingexperimentsthatfascinatedmedeeply.
Bythenwehadfarednearly13,000leaguesfromourstartingpointinthePacifichighseas.
Ourpositionfixplacedusinlatitude45°37'southandlongitude37°53'west.
ThesewerethesamewaterwayswhereCaptainDenham,aboardtheHerald,payedout14,000metersofsoundinglinewithoutfindingbottom.
ItwasheretoothatLieutenantParker,aboardtheAmericanfrigateCongress,wasunabletoreachtheunderwatersoilat15,149meters.
CaptainNemodecidedtotakehisNautilusdowntothelowestdepthsinordertodouble–checkthesedifferentsoundings.
Igotreadytorecordtheresultsofthisexperiment.
Thepanelsintheloungeopened,andmaneuversbeganforreachingthosestratasoprodigiouslyfarremoved.
Itwasapparentlyconsideredoutofthequestiontodivebyfillingtheballasttanks.
Perhapstheywouldn'tsufficientlyincreasetheNautilus'sspecificgravity.
Moreover,inordertocomebackup,itwouldbenecessarytoexpeltheexcesswater,andourpumpsmightnothavebeenstrongenoughtoovercometheoutsidepressure.
CaptainNemodecidedtomakefortheoceanfloorbysubmergingonanappropriatelygradualdiagonalwiththehelpofhissidefins,whichweresetata45°angletotheNautilus'swaterline.
Thenthepropellerwasbroughttoitsmaximumspeed,anditsfourbladeschurnedthewaveswithindescribableviolence.
UnderthispowerfulthrusttheNautilus'shullquiveredlikearesonatingchord,andtheshipsanksteadilyunderthewaters.
Stationedinthelounge,thecaptainandIwatchedtheneedleswervingswiftlyoverthepressuregauge.
Soonwehadgonebelowthelivablezonewheremostfishreside.
Someoftheseanimalscanthriveonlyatthesurfaceofseasorrivers,butaminoritycandwellatfairlygreatdepths.
AmongthelatterIobservedaspeciesofdogfishcalledthecowsharkthat'sequippedwithsixrespiratoryslits,thetelescopefishwithitsenormouseyes,thearmoredgurnardwithgraythoracicfinsplusblackpectoralfinsandabreastplateprotectedbypaleredslabsofbone,thenfinallythegrenadier,livingatadepthof1,200meters,bythatpointtoleratingapressureof120atmospheres.
IaskedCaptainNemoifhehadobservedanyfishatmoreconsiderabledepths.
"Fish?Rarely!"heansweredme."Butgiventhecurrentstateofmarinescience,whoarewetopresume,whatdowereallyknowofthesedepths?"
"Justthis,Captain.Ingoingtowardtheocean'slowerstrata,weknowthatvegetablelifedisappearsmorequicklythananimallife.
Weknowthatmovingcreaturescanstillbeencounteredwherewaterplantsnolongergrow.
Weknowthatoystersandpilgrimscallopslivein2,000metersofwater,andthatAdmiralMcClintock,England'sheroofthepolarseas,pulledinaliveseastarfromadepthof2,500meters.
WeknowthatthecrewoftheRoyalNavy'sBulldogfishedupastarfishfrom2,620fathoms,hencefromadepthofmorethanoneverticalleague.
Wouldyoustillsay,CaptainNemo,thatwereallyknownothing?"
"No,Professor,"thecaptainreplied,"Iwouldn'tbesodiscourteous.YetI'llaskyoutoexplainhowthesecreaturescanliveatsuchdepths?"
"Iexplainitontwogrounds,"Ireplied.
"Inthefirstplace,becauseverticalcurrents,whicharecausedbydifferencesinthewater'ssalinityanddensity,canproduceenoughmotiontosustaintherudimentarylifestylesofsealiliesandstarfish."
"True,"thecaptainputin.
"Inthesecondplace,becauseoxygenisthebasisoflife,andweknowthattheamountofoxygendissolvedinsaltwaterincreasesratherthandecreaseswithdepth,thatthepressureintheselowerstratahelpstoconcentratetheiroxygencontent."
"Oho!Weknowthat,dowe?"
CaptainNemorepliedinatoneofmildsurprise.
"Well,Professor,wehavegoodreasontoknowitbecauseit'sthetruth.
Imightadd,infact,thattheairbladdersoffishcontainmorenitrogenthanoxygenwhentheseanimalsarecaughtatthesurfaceofthewater,andconversely,moreoxygenthannitrogenwhenthey'repulledupfromthelowerdepths.Whichbearsoutyourformulation.Butlet'scontinueourobservations."
Myeyesflewbacktothepressuregauge.
Theinstrumentindicatedadepthof6,000meters.
Oursubmergencehadbeengoingonforanhour.
TheNautilussliddownwardonitsslantingfins,stillsinking.
Thesedesertedwaterswerewonderfullyclear,withatransparencyimpossibletoconvey.
Anhourlaterwewereat13,000meters—aboutthreeandaquarterverticalleagues—andtheoceanfloorwasnowhereinsight.
However,at14,000metersIsawblackishpeaksrisinginthemidstofthewaters.
ButthesesummitscouldhavebelongedtomountainsashighorevenhigherthantheHimalayasorMt.Blanc,andtheextentofthesedepthsremainedincalculable.
Despitethepowerfulpressuresitwasundergoing,theNautilussankstilldeeper.
Icouldfeelitssheet–ironplatestremblingdowntotheirrivetedjoins;metalbarsarched;bulkheadsgroaned;theloungewindowsseemedtobewarpinginwardunderthewater'spressure.
Andthiswholesturdymechanismwouldsurelyhavegivenway,if,asitscaptainhadsaid,itweren'tcapableofresistinglikeasolidblock.
Whilegrazingtheserockyslopeslostunderthewaters,Istillspottedsomeseashells,tubeworms,livelyannelidwormsfromthegenusSpirorbis,andcertainstarfishspecimens.
Butsoontheselastrepresentativesofanimallifevanished,andthreeverticalleaguesdown,theNautiluspassedbelowthelimitsofunderwaterexistencejustasanairballoonrisesabovethebreathablezonesinthesky.
Wereachedadepthof16,000meters—fourverticalleagues—andbythentheNautilus'splatingwastoleratingapressureof1,600atmospheres,inotherwords,1,600kilogramspereachsquarecentimeteronitssurface!
"Whatanexperience!"Iexclaimed.
"Travelingthesedeepregionswherenomanhaseverventuredbefore!Look,captain!
Lookatthesemagnificentrocks,theseuninhabitedcaves,theselastglobalhauntswherelifeisnolongerpossible!
Whatunheard–ofscenery,andwhyarewereducedtopreservingitonlyasamemory?"
"Wouldyoulike,"CaptainNemoaskedme,"tobringbackmorethanjustamemory?"
"Whatdoyoumean?"
"Imeanthatnothingcouldbeeasierthantakingaphotographofthisunderwaterregion!"
BeforeIhadtimetoexpressthesurprisethisnewpropositioncausedme,acamerawascarriedintotheloungeatCaptainNemo'srequest.
Theliquidsetting,electricallylit,unfoldedwithperfectclaritythroughthewide–openpanels.
Noshadows,noblurs,thankstoourartificiallight.
Notevensunshinecouldhavebeenbetterforourpurposes.
Withthethrustofitspropellercurbedbytheslantofitsfins,theNautilusstoodstill.
Thecamerawasaimedatthesceneryontheoceanfloor,andinafewsecondswehadaperfectnegative.
Iattachaprintofthepositive.Inityoucanviewtheseprimordialrocksthathaveneverseenthelightofday,thisnethergranitethatformsthepowerfulfoundationofourglobe,thedeepcavescutintothestonymass,theoutlinesofincomparabledistinctnesswhosefaredgesstandoutinblackasiffromthebrushofcertainFlemishpainters.
Inthedistanceisamountainoushorizon,awondrouslyundulatinglinethatmakesupthebackgroundofthislandscape.
Thegeneraleffectofthesesmoothrocksisindescribable:black,polished,withoutmossorotherblemish,carvedintostrangeshapes,sittingfirmlyonacarpetofsandthatsparkledbeneathourstreamsofelectriclight.
Meanwhile,hisphotographicoperationsover,CaptainNemotoldme:
"Let'sgobackup,professor.Wemustn'tpushourluckandexposetheNautilustoolongtothesepressures."
"Let'sgobackup!"Ireplied.
"Holdontight."
BeforeIhadtimetorealizewhythecaptainmadethisrecommendation,Iwashurledtothecarpet.
Itsfinssetvertically,itspropellerthrowningearatthecaptain'ssignal,theNautilusrosewithlightningspeed,shootingupwardlikeanairballoonintothesky.
Vibratingresonantly,itknifedthroughthewaterymass.Notasingledetailwasvisible.
Infourminutesithadclearedthefourverticalleaguesseparatingitfromthesurfaceoftheocean,andafteremerginglikeaflyingfish,itfellbackintothesea,makingthewavesleaptoprodigiousheights.
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