The next morning,the 19th of February,Isaw the Canadian enter my room.
Iexpected this visit.He looked very disappointed.
"Well,sir?"said he.
"Well,Ned,fortune was against us yesterday.""Yes;that Captain must needs stop exactly at the hour we intended leaving his vessel.""Yes,Ned,he had business at his bankers.""His bankers!"
"Or rather his banking-house;by that Imean the ocean,where his riches are safer than in the chests of the State."Ithen related to the Canadian the incidents of the preceding night,hoping to bring him back to the idea of not abandoning the Captain;but my recital had no other result than an energetically expressed regret from Ned that he had not been able to take a walk on the battlefield of Vigo on his own account.
"However,"said he,"all is not ended.It is only a blow of the harpoon lost.Another time we must succeed;and to-night,if necessary--"
"In what direction is the Nautilus going?"Iasked.
"Ido not know,"replied Ned.
"Well,at noon we shall see the point."
The Canadian returned to Conseil.As soon as Iwas dressed,Iwent into the saloon.The compass was not reassuring.
The course of the Nautilus was S.S.W.We were turning our backs on Europe.
Iwaited with some impatience till the ship's place was pricked on the chart.At about half-past eleven the reservoirs were emptied,and our vessel rose to the surface of the ocean.
Irushed towards the platform.Ned Land had preceded me.
No more land in sight.Nothing but an immense sea.
Some sails on the horizon,doubtless those going to San Roque in search of favourable winds for doubling the Cape of Good Hope.
The weather was cloudy.Agale of wind was preparing.
Ned raved,and tried to pierce the cloudy horizon.
He still hoped that behind all that fog stretched the land he so longed for.
At noon the sun showed itself for an instant.The second profited by this brightness to take its height.Then,the sea becoming more billowy,we descended,and the panel closed.
An hour after,upon consulting the chart,Isaw the position of the Nautilus was marked at 16@17'long.,and 33@22'
lat.,at 150leagues from the nearest coast.There was no means of flight,and Ileave you to imagine the rage of the Canadian when Iinformed him of our situation.
For myself,Iwas not particularly sorry.Ifelt lightened of the load which had oppressed me,and was able to return with some degree of calmness to my accustomed work.
That night,about eleven o'clock,Ireceived a most unexpected visit from Captain Nemo.He asked me very graciously if Ifelt fatigued from my watch of the preceding night.
Ianswered in the negative.
"Then,M.Aronnax,Ipropose a curious excursion.""Propose,Captain?"
"You have hitherto only visited the submarine depths by daylight,under the brightness of the sun.Would it suit you to see them in the darkness of the night?""Most willingly."
"Iwarn you,the way will be tiring.We shall have far to walk,and must climb a mountain.The roads are not well kept.""What you say,Captain,only heightens my curiosity;Iam ready to follow you."
"Come then,sir,we will put on our diving-dresses."Arrived at the robing-room,Isaw that neither of my companions nor any of the ship's crew were to follow us on this excursion.
Captain Nemo had not even proposed my taking with me either Ned or Conseil.
In a few moments we had put on our diving-dresses;they placed on our backs the reservoirs,abundantly filled with air,but no electric lamps were prepared.Icalled the Captain's attention to the fact.
"They will be useless,"he replied.
Ithought Ihad not heard aright,but Icould not repeat my observation,for the Captain's head had already disappeared in its metal case.
Ifinished harnessing myself.Ifelt them put an iron-pointed stick into my hand,and some minutes later,after going through the usual form,we set foot on the bottom of the Atlantic at a depth of 150fathoms.
Midnight was near.The waters were profoundly dark,but Captain Nemo pointed out in the distance a reddish spot,a sort of large light shining brilliantly about two miles from the Nautilus.What this fire might be,what could feed it,why and how it lit up the liquid mass,Icould not say.
In any case,it did light our way,vaguely,it is true,but Isoon accustomed myself to the peculiar darkness,and Iunderstood,under such circumstances,the uselessness of the Ruhmkorff apparatus.
As we advanced,Iheard a kind of pattering above my head.
The noise redoubling,sometimes producing a continual shower,Isoon understood the cause.It was rain falling violently,and crisping the surface of the waves.Instinctively the thought flashed across my mind that Ishould be wet through!
By the water!in the midst of the water!Icould not help laughing at the odd idea.But,indeed,in the thick diving-dress,the liquid element is no longer felt,and one only seems to be in an atmosphere somewhat denser than the terrestrial atmosphere.
Nothing more.
After half an hour's walk the soil became stony.
Medusae,microscopic crustacea,and pennatules lit it slightly with their phosphorescent gleam.Icaught a glimpse of pieces of stone covered with millions of zoophytes and masses of sea weed.
My feet often slipped upon this sticky carpet of sea weed,and without my iron-tipped stick Ishould have fallen more than once.
In turning round,Icould still see the whitish lantern of the Nautilus beginning to pale in the distance.
But the rosy light which guided us increased and lit up the horizon.
The presence of this fire under water puzzled me in the highest degree.
Was Igoing towards a natural phenomenon as yet unknown to the savants of the earth?Or even (for this thought crossed my brain)had the hand of man aught to do with this conflagration?Had he fanned this flame?
Was Ito meet in these depths companions and friends of Captain Nemo whom he was going to visit,and who,like him,led this strange existence?
