Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea

rkey, and India. I distinguished clearly enough its buildings, the vessels anchored at the quays, and those whose draught of water obliged them to anchor in the roads. The sun, rather lo

shadows of night, and the Nautilus found

ard. The Nautilus returned to its submarine navigation; but at noon, when her

on the platform. The coast on the eastern side l

ng of one thing and another, when Ned Land, stretc

anything t

d; "but I have not

oard beam, about the height of the lantern!

ention; "I see something like a long

re than a mile from us. It looked like a great sandba

animal. His hand seemed ready to harpoon it. One would have thought he was a

platform. He saw the dugong, understood the C

st now, Master Land, woul

so,

, to your trade of a fisherman and to add this ceta

uld no

you c

" said Ned Land,

, "I advise you for your own

ck?" I asked, in spite of the Ca

ts assailants and overturns their boat. But for Master Land th

ilar to those employed in catching whales. The pinnace was lifted from the bridge, pulled from its socket, and let down into

coming, Capta

t I wish you

wers, drew rapidly towards the dugong, whic

t of the boat. The harpoon used for striking the whale is generally attached to a very long cord which runs out rapidly as the wounded creature draws it after him. But he

es the manatee; its oblong body terminated in a lengthened tail, and its lateral fins in perfect fingers. Its difference from t

sions; it was more than seven yards long. It did not move, and seemed to

ested on the rowlocks. I half rose. Ned Land, his body thrown

g disappeared. The harpoon, although thrown with

the Canadian furious

unded-look at the blood; but your

my harpoon!"

e for the floating barrel. The harpoon reg

e to breathe. Its wound had not weakened i

ached within some few yards, and the Canadian was ready to strike, but th

nfortunate creature the most energetic expletives in the English tongue.

fficult to capture, when the animal, possessed with the perverse idea of vengeance o

did not escap

ut!" he

s outlandish tongue, doubtless war

riskly with its large nostrils (not pierced at the extremity, but in the u

quite overturned. While Ned Land, clinging to the bows, belaboured the gigantic animal with blows from his harpoon, the creature's teeth were buried in the gunwale, and it lifted the whole thing out

h him. But the barrel soon returned to the surface, and shortly after the body of the animal, t

rength to hoist the dugong on to

e Sterna nilotica, peculiar to Egypt; its beak is black, head grey and pointed, the eye surrounded by white spots, the back, wings, and tail of a greyish colour, the be

ape of Ras-Mohammed. This cape forms the extremity of Arabia Pe

z. I distinctly saw a high mountain, towering between the two gulfs of Ras-Mohamm

red, an observation already made by Captain Nemo. Then night fell in the midst of a heavy silence, sometimes broken by the cries of the pelican and other night-birds, an

ation we must have been very near Suez. Through the panel of the saloon I saw the bottom of the rocks

unted the platform. Most impatient to pass through Captain Nemo's tunne

light, half discoloured by the f

hthouse!" said

and saw th

continued. "It will not be long befor

nce cannot

ct our course. And now, if you will go down, M. Aronnax, the Nautilus is going under the

tform. It was a cabin measuring six feet square, very much like that occupied by the pilot on the steamboats of the Mississippi or Hudson. In the midst worked a wheel, placed vertically, and caught to

a strong man, with his hands resting on the spokes of the wheel. Outside, the sea appeared vividly lit

Nemo, "let us try

the Captain could communicate simultaneously to his Nautilus the direction and t

g by at this moment, the immovable base of a massive sandy c

its two concentric circles in the cabin. At a simple gesture

ubstructures of coral, zoophytes, seaweed, and fucus, agitating the

as heard round its sides. It was the waters of the Red Sea, which the incline of the tunnel precipitated violently towards the Mediterranean. The Nautilus went wi

liant rays, straight lines, furrows of fire, traced by the grea

en, Captain Nemo quitted the

editer

ilus, carried along by the torrent, h