Part One.: Chapter 22: "Aegri Somnia"

by Jules Verne

　　The following day 10th January, the Nautilus continued hercourse between two seas, but with such remarkable speed that Icould not estimate it at less than thirty-five miles an hour.The rapidity of her screw was such that I could neither follownor count its revolutions. When I reflected that this marvellouselectric agent, after having afforded motion, heat, and lightto the Nautilus, still protected her from outward attack,and transformed her into an ark of safety which no profanehand might touch without being thunderstricken, my admirationwas unbounded, and from the structure it extended to the engineerwho had called it into existence.

　　Our course was directed to the west, and on the 11th of January we doubledCape Wessel, situation in 135@ long. and 10@ S. lat., which formsthe east point of the Gulf of Carpentaria. The reefs were still numerous,but more equalised, and marked on the chart with extreme precision.The Nautilus easily avoided the breakers of Money to port and the Victoriareefs to starboard, placed at 130@ long. and on the 10th parallel,which we strictly followed.

　　On the 13th of January, Captain Nemo arrived in the Sea of Timor,and recognised the island of that name in 122@ long.

　　From this point the direction of the Nautilus inclined towardsthe south-west. Her head was set for the Indian Ocean.Where would the fancy of Captain Nemo carry us next?Would he return to the coast of Asia or would he approachagain the shores of Europe? Improbable conjectures both,to a man who fled from inhabited continents. Then wouldhe descend to the south? Was he going to double the Capeof Good Hope, then Cape Horn, and finally go as far as theAntarctic pole? Would he come back at last to the Pacific,where his Nautilus could sail free and independently?Time would show.

　　After having skirted the sands of Cartier, of Hibernia, Seringapatam,and Scott, last efforts of the solid against the liquid element,on the 14th of January we lost sight of land altogether.The speed of the Nautilus was considerably abated, and withirregular course she sometimes swam in the bosom of the waters,sometimes floated on their surface.

　　During this period of the voyage, Captain Nemo made some interestingexperiments on the varied temperature of the sea, in different beds.Under ordinary conditions these observations are made by means ofrather complicated instruments, and with somewhat doubtful results,by means of thermometrical sounding-leads, the glasses often breakingunder the pressure of the water, or an apparatus grounded onthe variations of the resistance of metals to the electric currents.Results so obtained could not be correctly calculated. On the contrary,Captain Nemo went himself to test the temperature in the depths of the sea,and his thermometer, placed in communication with the different sheetsof water, gave him the required degree immediately and accurately.

　　It was thus that, either by overloading her reservoirs or by descendingobliquely by means of her inclined planes, the Nautilus successively attainedthe depth of three, four, five, seven, nine, and ten thousand yards,and the definite result of this experience was that the sea preservedan average temperature of four degrees and a half at a depth of fivethousand fathoms under all latitudes.

　　On the 16th of January, the Nautilus seemed becalmedonly a few yards beneath the surface of the waves.Her electric apparatus remained inactive and her motionlessscrew left her to drift at the mercy of the currents.I supposed that the crew was occupied with interior repairs,rendered necessary by the violence of the mechanical movementsof the machine.

　　My companions and I then witnessed a curious spectacle.The hatches of the saloon were open, and, as the beacon lightof the Nautilus was not in action, a dim obscurity reignedin the midst of the waters. I observed the state of the sea,under these conditions, and the largest fish appeared to meno more than scarcely defined shadows, when the Nautilusfound herself suddenly transported into full light.I thought at first that the beacon had been lighted,and was casting its electric radiance into the liquid mass.I was mistaken, and after a rapid survey perceived my error.

　　The Nautilus floated in the midst of a phosphorescent bed which,in this obscurity, became quite dazzling. It was producedby myriads of luminous animalculae, whose brilliancy wasincreased as they glided over the metallic hull of the vessel.I was surprised by lightning in the midst of these luminous sheets,as though they bad been rivulets of lead melted in an ardentfurnace or metallic masses brought to a white heat, so that,by force of contrast, certain portions of light appeared to casta shade in the midst of the general ignition, from which allshade seemed banished. No; this was not the calm irradiationof our ordinary lightning. There was unusual life and vigour:this was truly living light!

　　In reality, it was an infinite agglomeration of coloured infusoria,of veritable globules of jelly, provided with a threadlike tentacle,and of which as many as twenty-five thousand have been counted in lessthan two cubic half-inches of water.

　　During several hours the Nautilus floated in these brilliant waves,and our admiration increased as we watched the marine monstersdisporting themselves like salamanders. I saw there in the midstof this fire that burns not the swift and elegant porpoise(the indefatigable clown of the ocean), and some swordfishten feet long, those prophetic heralds of the hurricane whoseformidable sword would now and then strike the glass of the saloon.Then appeared the smaller fish, the balista, the leaping mackerel,wolf-thorn-tails, and a hundred others which striped the luminousatmosphere as they swam. This dazzling spectacle was enchanting!Perhaps some atmospheric condition increased the intensity ofthis phenomenon. Perhaps some storm agitated the surface of the waves.But at this depth of some yards, the Nautilus was unmoved by its furyand reposed peacefully in still water.

　　So we progressed, incessantly charmed by some new marvel.The days passed rapidly away, and I took no account of them.Ned, according to habit, tried to vary the diet on board.Like snails, we were fixed to our shells, and I declare it is easyto lead a snail's life.

　　Thus this life seemed easy and natural, and we thought no longerof the life we led on land; but something happened to recall usto the strangeness of our situation.

　　On the 18th of January, the Nautilus was in 105@ long.and 15@ S. lat. The weather was threatening, the sea roughand rolling. There was a strong east wind. The barometer,which had been going down for some days, foreboded a coming storm.I went up on to the platform just as the second lieutenantwas taking the measure of the horary angles, and waited,according to habit till the daily phrase was said. But on this dayit was exchanged for another phrase not less incomprehensible.Almost directly, I saw Captain Nemo appear with a glass, lookingtowards the horizon.

　　For some minutes he was immovable, without taking his eye offthe point of observation. Then he lowered his glass and exchangeda few words with his lieutenant. The latter seemed to bea victim to some emotion that he tried in vain to repress.Captain Nemo, having more command over himself, was cool.He seemed, too, to be making some objections to which the lieutenantreplied by formal assurances. At least I concluded so by thedifference of their tones and gestures. For myself, I had lookedcarefully in the direction indicated without seeing anything.The sky and water were lost in the clear line of the horizon.

　　However, Captain Nemo walked from one end of the platformto the other, without looking at me, perhaps without seeing me.His step was firm, but less regular than usual.He stopped sometimes, crossed his arms, and observed the sea.What could he be looking for on that immense expanse?

　　The Nautilus was then some hundreds of miles from the nearest coast.

　　The lieutenant had taken up the glass and examined the horizon steadfastly,going and coming, stamping his foot and showing more nervous agitation thanhis superior officer. Besides, this mystery must necessarily be solved,and before long; for, upon an order from Captain Nemo, the engine,increasing its propelling power, made the screw turn more rapidly.

　　Just then the lieutenant drew the Captain's attention again.The latter stopped walking and directed his glass towardsthe place indicated. He looked long. I felt very much puzzled,and descended to the drawing-room, and took out an excellenttelescope that I generally used. Then, leaning on the cageof the watch-light that jutted out from the front of the platform,set myself to look over all the line of the sky and sea.

　　But my eye was no sooner applied to the glass than it was quicklysnatched out of my hands.

　　I turned round. Captain Nemo was before me, but I did not know him.His face was transfigured. His eyes flashed sullenly; his teeth were set;his stiff body, clenched fists, and head shrunk between his shoulders,betrayed the violent agitation that pervaded his whole frame.He did not move. My glass, fallen from his hands, had rolled at his feet.

　　Had I unwittingly provoked this fit of anger? Did this incomprehensibleperson imagine that I had discovered some forbidden secret?No; I was not the object of this hatred, for he was not looking at me;his eye was steadily fixed upon the impenetrable point of the horizon.At last Captain Nemo recovered himself. His agitation subsided.He addressed some words in a foreign language to his lieutenant,then turned to me. "M. Aronnax," he said, in rather an imperious tone,"I require you to keep one of the conditions that bind you to me."

　　"What is it, Captain?"

　　"You must be confined, with your companions, until I think fitto release you."

　　"You are the master," I replied, looking steadily at him."But may I ask you one question?"

　　"None, sir."

　　There was no resisting this imperious command, it would have been useless.I went down to the cabin occupied by Ned Land and Conseil, and told themthe Captain's determination. You may judge how this communication wasreceived by the Canadian.

　　But there was not time for altercation. Four of the crew waitedat the door, and conducted us to that cell where we had passedour first night on board the Nautilus.

　　Ned Land would have remonstrated, but the door was shut upon him.

　　"Will master tell me what this means?" asked Conseil.

　　I told my companions what had passed. They were as much astonished as I,and equally at a loss how to account for it.

　　Meanwhile, I was absorbed in my own reflections, and could thinkof nothing but the strange fear depicted in the Captain's countenance.I was utterly at a loss to account for it, when my cogitations weredisturbed by these words from Ned Land:

　　"Hallo! breakfast is ready."

　　And indeed the table was laid. Evidently Captain Nemo had given this orderat the same time that he had hastened the speed of the Nautilus.

　　"Will master permit me to make a recommendation?" asked Conseil.

　　"Yes, my boy."

　　"Well, it is that master breakfasts. It is prudent, for we do not knowwhat may happen."

　　"You are right, Conseil."

　　"Unfortunately," said Ned Land, "they have only given us the ship's fare."

　　"Friend Ned," asked Conseil, "what would you have said if the breakfasthad been entirely forgotten?"

　　This argument cut short the harpooner's recriminations.

　　We sat down to table. The meal was eaten in silence.

　　Just then the luminous globe that lighted the cell went out, and left usin total darkness. Ned Land was soon asleep, and what astonished me wasthat Conseil went off into a heavy slumber. I was thinking what could havecaused his irresistible drowsiness, when I felt my brain becoming stupefied.In spite of my efforts to keep my eyes open, they would close.A painful suspicion seized me. Evidently soporific substances had beenmixed with the food we had just taken. Imprisonment was not enoughto conceal Captain Nemo's projects from us, sleep was more necessary.I then heard the panels shut. The undulations of the sea, which causeda slight rolling motion, ceased. Had the Nautilus quitted the surfaceof the ocean? Had it gone back to the motionless bed of water?I tried to resist sleep. It was impossible. My breathing grew weak.I felt a mortal cold freeze my stiffened and half-paralysed limbs.My eye lids, like leaden caps, fell over my eyes. I could not raise them;a morbid sleep, full of hallucinations, bereft me of my being.Then the visions disappeared, and left me in complete insensibility.