Jules Verne 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea

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to understand me, and my situation became more embarrassing.
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea
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24
"If master were to tell our story," said Conseil, "perhaps these gentlemen may
understand some words."
I began to tell our adventures, articulating each syllable clearly, and
without omitting one single detail. I
announced our names and rank, introducing in person Professor Aronnax, his
servant Conseil, and master
Ned Land, the harpooner.
The man with the soft calm eyes listened to me quietly, even politely, and
with extreme attention; but nothing in his countenance indicated that he had
understood my story. When I finished, he said not a word.
There remained one resource, to speak English. Perhaps they would know this
almost universal language. I
knew itas well as the German languagewell enough to read it fluently, but not
to speak it correctly. But, anyhow, we must make ourselves understood.
"Go on in your turn," I said to the harpooner; "speak your best AngloSaxon,
and try to do better than I."
Ned did not beg off, and recommenced our story.
To his great disgust, the harpooner did not seem to have made himself more
intelligible than I had. Our visitors did not stir. They evidently understood
neither the language of England nor of France.
Very much embarrassed, after having vainly exhausted our speaking resources, I
knew not what part to take, when Conseil said:
"If master will permit me, I will relate it in German."
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But in spite of the elegant terms and good accent of the narrator, the German
language had no success. At last, nonplussed, I tried to remember my first
lessons, and to narrate our adventures in Latin, but with no better success.
This last attempt being of no avail, the two strangers exchanged some words in
their unknown language, and retired.
The door shut.
"It is an infamous shame," cried Ned Land, who broke out for the twentieth
time. "We speak to those rogues in French, English, German, and Latin, and not
one of them has the politeness to answer!"
"Calm yourself," I said to the impetuous Ned; "anger will do no good."
"But do you see, Professor," replied our irascible companion, "that we shall
absolutely die of hunger in this iron cage?"
"Bah!" said Conseil, philosophically; "we can hold out some time yet."
"My friends," I said, "we must not despair. We have been worse off than this.
Do me the favour to wait a little before forming an opinion upon the commander
and crew of this boat."
"My opinion is formed," replied Ned Land, sharply. "They are rascals."
"Good! and from what country?"
"From the land of rogues!"
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea
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"My brave Ned, that country is not clearly indicated on the map of the world;
but I admit that the nationality of the two strangers is hard to determine.
Neither English, French, nor German, that is quite certain.
However, I am inclined to think that the commander and his companion were born
in low latitudes. There is southern blood in them. But I cannot decide by
their appearance whether they are Spaniards, Turks, Arabians, or Indians. As
to their language, it is quite incomprehensible."
"There is the disadvantage of not knowing all languages," said Conseil, "or
the disadvantage of not having one universal language."
As he said these words, the door opened. A steward entered. He brought us
clothes, coats and trousers, made of a stuff I did not know. I hastened to
dress myself, and my companions followed my example. During that time, the
stewarddumb, perhaps deafhad arranged the table, and laid three plates.
"This is something like!" said Conseil.
"Bah!" said the angry harpooner, "what do you suppose they eat here? Tortoise
liver, filleted shark, and beef steaks from seadogs."
"We shall see," said Conseil.
The dishes, of bell metal, were placed on the table, and we took our places.
Undoubtedly we had to do with civilised people, and, had it not been for the
electric light which flooded us, I could have fancied I was in the diningroom
of the Adelphi Hotel at Liverpool, or at the Grand Hotel in Paris. I must say,
however, that there was neither bread nor wine. The water was fresh and clear,
but it was water and did not suit Ned Land's taste.
Amongst the dishes which were brought to us, I recognised several fish
delicately dressed; but of some, although excellent, I could give no opinion,
neither could I tell to what kingdom they belonged, whether animal or
vegetable. As to the dinnerservice, it was elegant, and in perfect taste. Each
utensilspoon, fork, knife, platehad a letter engraved on it, with a motto
above it, of which this is an exact facsimile:
MOBILIS IN MOBILI N
The letter N was no doubt the initial of the name of the enigmatical person
who commanded at the bottom of the seas.
Ned and Conseil did not reflect much. They devoured the food, and I did
likewise. I was, besides, reassured as to our fate; and it seemed evident that
our hosts would not let us die of want.
However, everything has an end, everything passes away, even the hunger of
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people who have not eaten for fifteen hours. Our appetites satisfied, we felt
overcome with sleep.
"Faith! I shall sleep well," said Conseil.
"So shall I," replied Ned Land.
My two companions stretched themselves on the cabin carpet, and were soon
sound asleep. For my own part, too many thoughts crowded my brain, too many
insoluble questions pressed upon me, too many fancies kept my eyes half open.
Where were we? What strange power carried us on? I feltor rather fancied I
felt the machine sinking down to the lowest beds of the sea. Dreadful
nightmares beset me; I saw in these mysterious asylums a world of unknown
animals, amongst which this submarine boat seemed to be of the same kind,
living, moving, and formidable as they. Then my brain grew calmer, my
imagination wandered into vague unconsciousness, and I soon fell into a deep
sleep.
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea
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26
CHAPTER IX. NED LAND'S TEMPERS
How long we slept I do not know; but our sleep must have lasted long, for it
rested us completely from our fatigues. I woke first. My companions had not
moved, and were still stretched in their corner.
Hardly roused from my somewhat hard couch, I felt my brain freed, my mind
clear. I then began an attentive examination of our cell. Nothing was changed
inside. The prison was still a prison the prisoners, prisoners.
However, the steward, during our sleep, had cleared the table. I breathed with
difficulty. The heavy air seemed to oppress my lungs. Although the cell was
large, we had evidently consumed a great part of the oxygen that it contained.
Indeed, each man consumes, in one hour, the oxygen contained in more than 176
pints of air, and this air, charged (as then) with a nearly equal quantity of
carbonic acid, becomes unbreathable.
It became necessary to renew the atmosphere of our prison, and no doubt the
whole in the submarine boat.
That gave rise to a question in my mind. How would the commander of this
floating dwellingplace proceed?
Would he obtain air by chemical means, in getting by heat the oxygen contained
in chlorate of potash, and in absorbing carbonic acid by caustic potash? Ora
more convenient, economical, and consequently more probable alternative would
he be satisfied to rise and take breath at the surface of the water, like a
whale, and so renew for twentyfour hours the atmospheric provision?
In fact, I was already obliged to increase my respirations to eke out of this
cell the little oxygen it contained, when suddenly I was refreshed by a
current of pure air, and perfumed with saline emanations. It was an
invigorating sea breeze, charged with iodine. I opened my mouth wide, and my
lungs saturated themselves with fresh particles. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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