menu_book Chapter 27

recording by read write lib twenty thousand leagues under the sea by jules verne translated by f p walter a pearl worth ten million night fell i went to bed i slept pretty poorly man-eaters played a major role in my dreams and i found it more or less appropriate that the french word for shark requien has its linguistic roots in the word requiem the next day at four o'clock in the morning i was awakened by the steward whom captain nemo had placed expressly at my service i got up quickly dressed and went into the lounge captain nemo was waiting for me professor aronax he said to me are you ready to start i'm ready kindly follow me what about my companions captain they've been alerted and are waiting for us aren't we going to put on our diving suits i asked not yet i haven't let the nautilus pull too near the coast and we're fairly well out from manar oyster bank but i have the skiff ready and it will take us to the exact spot where we'll disembark which will save us a pretty long trek it's carrying our diving equipment and we'll suit up just before we begin our water exploring captain nemo took me to the central companionway whose steps led to the platform

ned and conce were there enraptured with our pleasure trip getting under way oars in position five of the nautilus sailors were waiting for us aboard the skip which was moored alongside the night was still dark layers of clouds cloaked the sky and left only a few stars in view my eyes flew to the side where the land lay but i only saw the blurred line covering three-quarters of the horizon from southwest to northwest going up ceylon's west coast during the night the nautilus lay west of the bay or rather the gulf formed by the mainland and manar island under these dark waters there stretched a bank of shell-fish an inexhaustible field of pearls more than twenty miles long captain nemo conce ned land and i found seats in the stern of the skiff the long-boat's cock swain took the tiller his four companions leaned into their oars and the moorings were cast off and we pulled clear

the skiff headed southward the oarsmen took their time i watched their strokes vigorously catch the water and they always waited ten seconds before rowing again following the practice used in most navies while the long-boat coasted drops of liquid flicked from the oars and hit the dark troughs of the waves pitter pattering like splashes of molten lead coming from well out the mild swell made the skiff roll gently and a few cresting billows lapped at its bow we were silent what was captain nemo thinking perhaps that this approaching the shore was too close for comfort contrary to the canadian's view in which it still seemed too far away as for conce he had come along out of simple curiosity near five thirty the first glimmers of the light on the horizon defined the upper lines of the coast with greater distinctness

fairly flat to the east it swelled a little towards the south five miles still separated it from us its beach merged with the misty waters between us and the shore the sea was deserted not a boat not a diver profound solitude reigned over this gathering place of pearl fishermen as captain nemo had commented we are arriving in these waterways a month too soon at six o'clock the day broke suddenly with that speed unique to tropical regions which experienced no real dawn or dusk the sun's rays pierced the cloud curtain gathered on the easterly horizon and the radiant orb rose swiftly i could clearly see the shore which featured a few sparse trees here and there the skiff advanced towards menar island which curved to the south captain nemo stood up from his thwart and studied the sea at his signal the anchor was lowered but its chain barely ran because the bottom lay no more than a metre down and this locality was one of the shallowest spots near the bank of the shellfish

instantly the skiff wheeled around under the ebb tide's outbound thrust we're here professor aranax captain nemo said you observe this confined bay a month from now in this very place the numerous fishing boats of the harvesters will gather and these are the waters their divers will ransack so daringly this bay is felicitously laid out for their type of fishing it's sheltered from the strongest winds and the sea is never very turbulent here highly favourable conditions for diving work now let's put on our under-water suits and we'll begin our stroll i didn't reply and while staring at these suspicious waves i began to put on my heavy aquatic clothes helped by the long-boat sailors captain nemo and my two companions were suited up as well none of the nautilus men were to go with us on this new excursion soon we were imprisoned to our necks in india-rubber clothing and straps fastened the air devices to our backs as for the rumkrov device it didn't seem to be in the picture

before inserting my head into its copper capsule i commented on this to the captain our lighting equipment would be useless to us the captain answered me we won't be going very deep and the sun's rays will be sufficient to light our way besides it's unwise to carry electric lanterns under these waves their brightness might unexpectedly attract certain dangerous occupants of these waterways as captain nemo pronounced these words i turned to kantse and ned land but my two friends had already encased their craniums in their metal headgear and they could neither hear nor reply i had one question left to address captain nemo what about our weapons i asked him our rifles rifles what for don't your mountaineers 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 i stared at my companions they were armed in the same fashion and ned land was also brandishing an enormous harpoon that he'd stowed in the skiff before leaving the nautilus then following the captain's example

i let myself be crowned with my heavy copper spear and our air tanks immediately went into action an instant later the long-boat sailors helped us overboard one after the other and we set foot on the level sand in a metre and a half of water captain nemo gave us his hand signal we followed him down a gentle slope and disappeared under the waves there the obsessive fears in my brain left me i became surprisingly calm again the ease with which i could move increased my confidence and the many strange sights captivated my imagination the sun was already sending sufficient light under these waves the tiniest objects remained visible after ten minutes of walking we were in five metres of water and the terrain had become almost flat like a convoy of snipe over a marsh there rose underfoot schools of unusual fish from the genus monopterus whose members have no fin but their tail i recognize the havanese eel a genuine eight to centimeter serpent with a bluish-gray belly which without the gold lines over its flanks could easily be confused with the conger eel

from the butterfish genus whose oval bodies are very flat i observe several adorned in bright colors but sporting a dorsal fin like a sickle edible fish that when dried and marinated make an excellent dish known by the name carrawayed then some sea poachers fish belonging to the genus asphytophorides whose bodies are covered with scaly armor divided into eight lengthwise sections meanwhile as the sun got progressively higher it let up the watery mass more and more the sea floor changed little by little its fine grained sand was followed by a genuine causeway of smooth crags covered by carpet of mollusks and zoophytes among other specimens in these two branches i noted some window-pane oysters with thin valves of unequal size the type of ostracod unique to the red sea and indian ocean then orange hued lucina with circular shells all shaped auger shells some of the persian murex snails that subide the nautilus with such wonderful dyes

spiky periwinkles fifteen centimeters long that rose under the waves like hands ready to grab you turbaned snails with shells made of horn and bristling all over with spikes lamp-shells edible duck clams that feed the hindu market-place subtly luminous jelly-fish of the species peligia panopraia and finally some wonderful oculina flabelliforma magnificent sea-fans that fashion one of the most luxuriant tree-forms in the ocean in the midst of this moving vegetation under arbors of water-plants there raced legions of clumsy articulates in particular some fanged frog-crabs whose carapaces forms slightly rounded triangle robber crabs exclusive to these waterways and a horrible parthenope crabs whose appearance was repulsive to the eye one animal no less hideous which i encountered several times was the enormous crab that mr darwin had observed to which nature had given the instinct and requisite strength to eat cocoanuts it scrambles up trees on the beach and sends the cocoanuts tumbling they fracture in their fall and are opened by its powerful pincers

here under these clear waves this crab raced around with matchless agility while green turtles from the species frequenting the malabar coast move sluggishly among the crumbling rocks near seven o'clock we finally surveyed the bank of shell-fish where pearl oysters reproduce by the millions these valuable mollusks stick to the rocks where they are strongly attached with a mass of brown filaments that forbids their moving about in this respect oysters oysters in this respect oysters are inferior to even mollusks to whom nature has not denied all talent for locomotion the shellfish melligrina that womb for pearls whose valves are nearly equal in size has the shape of a round shell with thick walls and very rough exterior some of the shells were furrowed with flaky greenish bands that radiated down from the top these were the young oysters the others had rugged black surfaces measured up to fifteen centimeters in width and were ten or more years old captain nemo pointed to this prodigious heap of shell-fish and i saw these mines were genuinely inexhaustible

since nature's creative powers are greater than man's destructive instincts true to those instincts ned land greedily stuffed the finest of these mollusks into a net he'd carried at his side but we couldn't stop we had to follow the captain who led down trails seemingly known only to him the sea-floor rose noticeably and when i lifted my arms sometimes they would pass above the surface of the sea then the level of the oyster bank would lower unpredictably often we went around tall pointed rocks rising like pyramids in their dark crevices hung crustaceans aiming their long legs like heavy artillery watched us with unblinking eyes while underfoot there crevices hung crustaceans aiming their long-winded eyes while underfoot there crep millipedes blood-worms acrea worms and annelid worms whose antennae and tubular tentacles were incredibly long just then a huge cave opened up in our path hollowed out of管轢 cello hollowed from a picturesque pile of rocks whose smooth heights were completely hung with under-water flora at first this cave looked pitch black to me

inside the sun's rays seemed to diminish by degrees their hazy transparency was nothing more than a drowned light captain nemo went in we followed him my eyes grew accustomed to this comparative gloom i'd distinguish the unpredictably contoured springlings of a vault supported by natural pillars firmly based on a granite foundation like the weighty columns of tuscan architecture why had our incomprehensible guide taken us into the depths of this under-water crypt i would soon find out after going down a fairly steep slope our feet trod the floor of a sort of circular pit there captain nemo stopped and his hand indicated an object i had not yet noticed it was an oyster of extraordinary dimensions a titanic giant clam a holy-water font that could have held the whole lake a basin more than two metres wide hence even bigger than the one adorning the nautilus's lounge

i approached this phenomenal mollusk its mass of filaments attached it to a table of granite and there it grew by itself in the midst of the cave's calm waters i estimated the weight of this giant clam at three hundred kilograms hence such an oyster held fifteen kilos of meat and you'd need the stomach of king gargantua to eat a couple dozen captain nemo was obviously familiar with this bivalve's existence this wasn't the first time he'd paid a visit to it and i thought his sole reason for leading us to this locality was to show us a natural curiosity i was mistaken captain nemo had an explicit personal interest in checking on the current condition of this giant clam the mollusk's two valves were partly open the captain approached it and stuck his dagger vertically between the shells to discourage any ideas of closing up then with his hands he raised the fringed membrane filled tunic that made up the animal's mantle there between the leaf-like folds i saw a loose pearl as big as a cocoanut its globular shape perfect clarity and a wonderful orient

made it a jewel of incalculable value carried away by curiosity i stretched out my hand to take it weigh it fondle it but the captain stopped me signalled no 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 had allowed it to grow imperceptibly with each passing year the mollusk secretions added new concentric layers the captain alone was familiar with the cave where this wonderful fruit of nature was ripening he alone reared it so to speak in order to transfer it one day to his dearly beloved museum perhaps following the examples of oyster farms in china and india he had even predetermined the creation of this pearl by sticking under the mollusk's fold some piece of glass or metal that was gradually covered with mother-o'-pearl in any case comparing this pearl to others i already knew about and to those shimmering in the captain's collection

i estimated that it was worth at least ten million francs it was a superb natural curiosity rather than a luxurious piece of jewelry because i don't know any female ear that could handle it our visit to this opulent giant clam came to an end captain nemo left the cave and we climbed back up the bank of shell-fish in the midst of these clear waters not yet disturbed by divers at work we walked by ourselves genuine loiterers stopping or straying as our fancy dictated for my part i was no longer worried about those dangers my imagination had so ridiculously exaggerated the shallows drew noticeably closer to the surface of the sea and soon walking in only a meter of water my head passed well above the level of the ocean conse rejoined me and gluing his huge copper capsule to mine his eyes gave me a friendly greeting but this lofty plateau measured only a few fathoms and soon we re-entered our element i think i've now earned the right to dub it that ten minutes later captain nemo stopped suddenly

i thought he'd called a halt so we could turn and start back no with a gesture he ordered us to crouch beside him at the foot of a wide crevice his hand motioned towards a spot with a liquid mass and i looked carefully five meters away a shadow appeared and dropped to the sea floor the alarming idea of sharks crossed my mind but i was mistaken and once again we didn't have to deal with the monsters of the deep it was a man a living man a black indian fisherman a poor devil who no doubt had come together what he could before harvest time i saw the bottom of his dinghy moored a few feet above his head he would dive and go back up in quick succession cut in the shape of a sugar-loaf which he gripped between his feet while a rope connected to his boat served to lower him more quickly to the ocean floor this was the extent of his equipment arriving on the sea floor at a depth of five meters he fell to his knees and stuffed his sack with shell-fish gathered at random

then he went back emptied his sack pulled up his stone and started all over again the whole process lasting only thirty seconds this diver didn't see us a shadow cast by our crag hid us from his view and besides how could this poor indian ever have guessed that human beings creatures like himself were near him under the waves eavesdropping on his movements not missing a single detail of his fishing so he went up and down several times he gathered only about ten shell-fish per dive because he had to tear them from the banks where each clung with its tough mass of filaments and how many of these oysters for which he risked his life would have no pearl in them i observed him with great care his movements were systematically executed and for half an hour no danger seemed to threaten him so i had gotten used to the sight of his fascinating fishing when all at once just as the indian was kneeling on the sea floor i saw him make a frightened gesture stand gather himself and 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 eyes ablaze jaws wide open i was speechless with horror unable to make a single movement with one vigorous stroke of its fin the voracious animal shot towards 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 and stretched him out on the sea floor this scene lasted barely a few seconds the shark returned rolled over on its back and was ready to cut the indian in half when captain nemo who was stationed beside me suddenly stood up then he strode right toward the monster dagger in hand ready to fight it at close quarters just as it was about to snap up the poor fisherman the man-eater saw its new adversary repositioned itself on its belly and headed swiftly toward him

i can see captain nemo's bearing to this day bracing himself he waited for the fearsome man-eater with a wonderful composure and when the latter rushed at him the captain leaped aside with prodigious quickness avoided a collision and sank his dagger into its belly but that wasn't the end of the story a dreadful battle was joined battle was joined the shark bellowed so to speak blood was pouring into the waves from its wounds the sea was dyed red and through its opaque liquid i could see nothing else nothing else until the moment when through the rift of clouds i saw the daring captain clinging to one of the animal's fins fighting the monster at close quarters belaboring his enemy's belly with the stabs of the dagger yet unable to deliver the deciding thrust in the other world a direct hit to the heart in its struggles the man-eater churned the watery mass so furiously its eddies threatened to knock me over i wanted to run to the captain's rescue but i was transfixed with horror unable to move

i stared wild-eyed i stared wild-eyed i saw the fight enter a new phase the captain fell to the sea floor toppled by the enormous mass weighing him down then the shark's jaws opened astoundingly wide like a pair of industrial shears and that would have been the finish of captain nemo had not ned land quick as thought rushed forward with his harpoon and driven its dreadful point into the shark's under side the waves were saturated with masses of blood the waters shook with its movements of the man-eater which thrashed about with indescribable fury ned land hadn't missed his target this was the monster's death-rattle pierced to the heart it was struggling with dreadful spasms whose aftershocks knocked conce off his feet meanwhile ned land pulled the captain clear uninjured the latter stood up went right to the indian quickly cut the rope binding the man to his stone and took the fellow in his arms and with a vigorous kick of the heel rose to the surface of the sea

the three of us followed him and a few moments later miraculously safe we reached the fisherman's long-boat captain nemo's first concern was to revive this unfortunate man i wasn't sure he would succeed i hope so since the poor devil hadn't been under very long but that stroke from the shark's tail could have been his death-blow fortunately after vigorously massaging by conce and the captain i saw the nearly drowned man regain consciousness little by little he opened his eyes how startled he must have felt how frightened even at seeing four huge copper craniums leaning over him and above all what must he have thought when captain nemo pulled a bag of pearls from his pocket of his diving suit and placed them in the fisherman's hands this magnificent benefaction from the man of the waters to the poor indian from ceylon was accepted by the latter with trembling hands his bewildered eyes indicated that he didn't know to what superhuman creatures he owed both his life and his fortune

at the captain's signal we returned to the bank of the shell-fish and retracing our steps we walked for half an hour until we encountered the anchor connecting the sea-floor with the nautilus's skiff back on board the sailors helped divest us of our heavy copper carapaces captain nemo's first words were spoken to the canadian thank you mr land he told him tit for tat captain ned land replied i owed it to you the ghost of a smile glided across the captain's lips and that was all to the nautilus he said the long boat flew over the waves a few minutes later we encountered the shark's corpse again floating from the black markings on the tips of its fins i recognized the dreadful squallus melanopterus from the seas of the east indies a variety of the species of the sharks proper it was more than twenty-five feet long its enormous mouth occupied a third of its body it was an adult

as could be seen from the six rows of teeth forming an isosceles triangle in its upper jaw kantse looked at it with purely scientific fascination and i'm sure he placed it not without good reason in the class of the cartilogenous fish order chondropteragia with thick skills family silacea genus squallus and while i was contemplating this inert mass suddenly a dozen of these voracious monoptera appeared around our long boat but paying no attention to us they pounced on the corpse and quarrelled over every scrap of it by eight-thirty we were back aboard the nautilus there i fell to thinking about the incidents that marked our excursion over the mannar oyster bank two impressions inevitably stood out one concerned captain nemo's matchless bravery the other the devotion to a human being a representative of that race from which he had fled beneath the seas

in spite of everything this strange man hadn't yet succeeded in completely stifling his heart when i shared these impressions with him he answered me in a tone touched with emotion that indian professor lives in the land of the oppressed and i am to this day and will be until my last breath a native of that same land chapter twenty seven recording by read