Part II

Chapter 1

Now we begin the second part of this voyage under the seas. The first ended in that moving scene at the coral cemetery, which left a profound impression on my mind.

What was the mystery of that last afternoon when we were locked in prison and put to sleep? Surely, Captain Nemo wasn’t content simply to avoid humanity! His fearsome Nautilus served not only his quest for freedom.

Nothing binded us to Captain Nemo. He believed that escaping from the Nautilus was impossible. We were simply captives, prisoners. Although Ned Land had not given up all hope of recovering his freedom.

That day, January 21, 1868, I climbed onto the platform, lit a cigar, and watched the chief officer at work. It seemed obvious to me that this man didn’t understand French, because I made several remarks in a loud voice; but he remained mute and emotionless.

When the Nautilus was ready to resume its underwater travels, I went below again to the lounge. We enjoyed a highly satisfactory state of health. The diet on board agreed with us perfectly.

On the morning of the 24th, we raised Keeling Island. The Nautilus cruised along a short distance off the shore of this desert island. Soon our course was set to the northwest, toward the tip of the Indian peninsula.

“Civilization!” Ned Land told me that day. “Much better than those Papuan Islands! On this Indian shore, professor, there are roads and railways, English, French, and Hindu villages. Come on now, isn’t it time for our departure from Captain Nemo?”

“No, no, Ned,” I replied in a very firm tone. “The Nautilus is approaching populated areas. It’s going back toward Europe, let it take us there. After we arrive in home waters, we can do as we see fit.”

After leaving Keeling Island, our pace got generally slower. It also got more unpredictable, often taking us to great depths.

On January 25, the ocean being completely deserted, the Nautilus spent the day on the surface, churning the waves with its powerful propeller. I spent three-quarters of the day on the platform. I stared at the sea. Nothing on the horizon.

Chapter 2

On January 28, the Nautilus returned at noon to the surface of the sea. I went looking in the library for a book about Ceylon. Just then Captain Nemo and his chief officer appeared.

“The island of Ceylon,” the Captain said, “is famous for its pearl fisheries. Would you be interested, Professor Aronnax, in visiting one of those fisheries?”

“Certainly, captain.”

“Fine. It’s easily done. I’ll give orders, and we’ll arrive there late tonight.”

The captain said a few words to his chief officer who went out immediately. Soon the Nautilus stayed at a depth of thirty feet.

“Captain,” I asked, “the fishermen are well paid, aren’t they?”

“Hardly, professor. In most places they earn only a penny for each oyster that has a pearl, and they bring up so many that have none!”

“Only one penny to those poor people who make their employers rich! That’s atrocious!”

“By the way, Professor Aronnax, you aren’t afraid of sharks, are you?”

“Sharks?” I exclaimed.

“Yes, sharks. We might hunt a shark or two. It’s a fascinating sport. So, professor, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Having said this in a carefree tone, Captain Nemo left the lounge.

Night fell. I went to bed. I slept pretty poorly. Sharks played a major role in my dreams.

Chapter 3

The next day at four o’clock in the morning, I was awakened by the steward. I got up quickly, dressed, and went into the lounge.

Captain Nemo was waiting for me.

“Professor Aronnax,” he said to me, “are you ready to start?”

“I’m ready.”

“Kindly follow me.”

“What about my companions, captain?”

“They are waiting for us.”

“Aren’t we going to put on our diving suits?” I asked.

“Not yet. We’ll suit up just before we begin our underwater exploring.”

Captain Nemo took me to the central companionway whose steps led to the platform. Ned and Conseil were there. Oars in position, five of the Nautilus’s sailors were waiting for us aboard the skiff. The night was still dark. Layers of clouds cloaked the sky and left only a few stars in view.

Captain Nemo, Conseil, Ned Land, and I found seats in the stern of the skiff. The skiff headed southward. We were silent. What was Captain Nemo thinking?

Near 5:30 the first glimmers of light on the horizon defined the upper lines of the coast. Five miles separated it from us, and its beach merged with the misty waters. Between us and the shore, the sea was deserted. Not a boat, not a diver.

At six o’clock the day broke suddenly, with that speed unique to tropical regions. I could clearly see the shore, which had a few sparse trees here and there.

The skiff advanced toward Mannar Island. Captain Nemo stood up from his thwart and studied the sea. At his signal the anchor was lowered.

“Here we are, Professor Aronnax,” Captain Nemo then said. “You observe this confined bay? A month from now in this very place, the numerous fishing boats of the harvesters will gather. This bay is sheltered from the strongest winds, and the sea is never very turbulent here, highly favorable conditions for diving work. Now let’s put on our underwater suits, and we’ll begin our stroll.”

I didn’t reply, and I began to put on my heavy aquatic clothes, helped by the longboat’s sailors. None of the Nautilus’s men were to go with us on this new excursion. I had one question left to address to Captain Nemo.

“What about our weapons?” I asked him. “Our rifles?”

“Rifles! What for? Don’t some men attack bears dagger in hand? And isn’t steel surer than lead? Here’s a sturdy blade. Slip it under your belt and let’s be off.”

An instant later, the longboat’s sailors helped us overboard one after the other, and we set foot on level sand in a meter and a half of water. Captain Nemo gave us a hand signal. We followed him down a gentle slope and disappeared under the waves.

There the fears in my brain left me. I became surprisingly calm again. After ten minutes of walking, we were in five meters of water, and the terrain had become almost flat.

Near seven o’clock we came to the bank of shellfish, where pearl oysters reproduce by the millions. Captain Nemo pointed to this prodigious heap of shellfish, and I saw that these mines were genuinely inexhaustible.

But we couldn’t stop. We had to follow the captain. A huge cave opened up in our path, hollowed from a picturesque pile of rocks.

Captain Nemo went in. We followed him. My eyes soon grew accustomed to the gloom. Why had our incomprehensible guide taken us into the depths of this underwater crypt?

There Captain Nemo stopped, and his hand indicated an object that I hadn’t yet noticed.

It was an oyster of extraordinary dimensions, a titanic giant clam, a basin more than two meters wide. I approached this phenomenal mollusk. I estimated the weight of this giant clam at 300 kilograms.

The mollusk’s two valves were partly open. The captain approached and stuck his dagger vertically between the shells; then with his hands he raised the fringed tunic.

There I saw a loose pearl as big as a coconut. Its globular shape, perfect clarity, and wonderful orient made it a jewel of incalculable value. I stretched out my hand to take it, weigh it, fondle it! But the captain stopped me, removed his dagger in one swift motion, and let the two valves snap shut.

I then understood Captain Nemo’s intent. By leaving the pearl buried beneath the giant clam’s mantle, he allowed it to grow imperceptibly. With each passing year the mollusk’s secretions added new concentric layers. The captain alone was familiar with the cave where this wonderful fruit of nature was “ripening”. I estimated that it was worth at least 10,000,000 francs.

Our visit to this opulent giant clam came to an end. Captain Nemo left the cave, and we climbed back up the bank of shellfish in the midst of these clear waters.

Ten minutes later, Captain Nemo stopped suddenly. I looked carefully. Five meters away a shadow appeared and dropped to the seafloor. The idea of sharks crossed my mind. But I was mistaken.

It was a man, a living man, a black Indian fisherman. He would dive and go back up in quick succession. Arriving on the seafloor at a depth of about five meters, he fell to his knees and stuffed his sack with shellfish gathered at random. Then he went back up, emptied his sack, and started all over again, the whole process lasting only thirty seconds.

This diver didn’t see us. He went up and down several times. And how many of these oysters for which he risked his life would have no pearl in them!

I observed him with great care. I saw him make a frightened gesture, stand, and gather himself to spring back to the surface of the waves.

I understood his fear. A gigantic shadow appeared above the poor diver. It was a shark of huge size, moving in diagonally, jaws wide open!

I was speechless with horror, unable to make a single movement.

The voracious animal shot toward the Indian, who jumped aside and avoided the shark’s bite but not the thrashing of its tail, because that tail struck him across the chest.

This scene lasted barely a few seconds. The shark returned, rolled over on its back, and was getting ready to cut the Indian in half, when Captain Nemo suddenly stood up. Then he strode right toward the monster, dagger in hand, ready to fight it.

When the shark rushed at him, the captain leaped aside with prodigious quickness, avoided a collision, and sank his dagger into its belly. A dreadful battle began. Blood was pouring into the waves from the shark’s wounds. The sea was dyed red, and I could see nothing.

The captain was fighting the monster. I wanted to run to the captain’s rescue. But I was transfixed with horror, unable to move.

I stared, wild-eyed. I saw the fight enter a new phase. The captain fell to the seafloor. Then the shark’s jaws opened astoundingly wide. Ned Land, quick as thought, rushed forward with his harpoon and driven its dreadful point into the shark’s underside.

Ned Land hadn’t missed his target. This was the monster’s death rattle. The captain stood up, went right to the Indian, took the fellow in his arms, and rose to the surface of the sea.

The three of us followed him, and a few moments later we reached the fisherman’s longboat.

Captain Nemo’s first concern was to revive this unfortunate man. Fortunately, after vigorous massaging by Conseil and the captain, I saw the nearly drowned man regain consciousness little by little. He opened his eyes. Captain Nemo pulled a bag of pearls from a pocket in his diving suit and placed it in the fisherman’s hands. This magnificent gift was accepted with trembling hands.

At the captain’s signal we returned to the bank of shellfish, and we walked for half an hour until we encountered the anchor connecting the seafloor with the Nautilus’s skiff.

Captain Nemo’s first words were spoken to the Canadian.

“Thank you, Mr. Land,” he told him.

“Don’t mention it, captain,” Ned Land replied. “I owed it to you.”

A smile glided across the captain’s lips, and that was all.

“To the Nautilus,” he said.

By 8:30 we were back on board.