November 3, 2023 • 25 mins
"20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" is a classic science fiction adventure novel written by the French author Jules Verne. First published in 1870, the novel is set in the 19th century and follows the thrilling journey of Captain Nemo and his remarkable submarine, the Nautilus.The story is narrated by Professor Pierre Aronnax, a renowned marine biologist who, along with his loyal servant Conseil and harpoonist Ned Land, is taken aboard the Nautilus after their ship is attacked and sunk by an enigmatic and reclusive captain known as Captain Nemo. Nemo is a mysterious and enigmatic character who shuns contact with the outside world and chooses to live beneath the sea, exploring its depths in his advanced and technologically advanced submarine.As the protagonists join Nemo on his undersea adventures, they discover a breathtaking and fantastical world beneath the waves. They encounter a wide variety of marine life, explore hidden underwater landscapes, and even witness the lost city of Atlantis. The novel explores themes of exploration, the wonders of the natural world, and the consequences of unchecked technology."20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" is not only an exciting adventure story but also a reflection on the relationship between humanity and nature, as well as the ethical dilemmas posed by scientific and technological progress. Jules Verne's vivid descriptions of the undersea world and the captivating character of Captain Nemo have made this novel a timeless classic in the genre of science fiction and adventure literature. It continues to captivate readers with its sense of wonder and imagination, as well as its exploration of the mysteries of the deep sea.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:02):
This is a LibriVox recording. AllLibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
For more information or to volunteer,please visit LibriVox dot org. Twenty thousand
Leagues under the Seas by Jules Verne, second part, Chapter seventeen, From
Cape Horn to the Amazon. HowI got on to the platform, I'm
(00:26):
unable to say. Perhaps the Canadiantransferred me there. But I could breathe,
I could inhale the life giving seaair. Next to me, my
two companions were getting tipsy on thefresh oxygen particles. Poor souls who have
suffered from long starvation mustn't pounce heedlesslyon the first food given them. We,
(00:48):
on the other hand, didn't haveto practice such moderation. We could
suck the atoms from the air bythe lungful. And it was the breeze,
the breeze itself that poured into us, this luxurious intoxication. Ah Conseil
was putting in what fine oxygen.Let master have no fears about breathing.
(01:14):
There's enough for everyone. As forned Land, he didn't say a word,
but his wide open jaws would havescared off a shark. And what
powerful inhalations The Canadian drew like afurnace going full blast. Our strength returned
promptly, and when I looked around, I saw that we were alone on
(01:37):
the platform. No crewmen, noteven Captain Nemo. Those strange seamen on
the Nautilus were content with the oxygencirculating inside. Not one of them had
come up to enjoy the open air. The first words I pronounced were words
of appreciation and gratitude to my twocompanions and Conseil had kept me alive during
(02:01):
the final hours of our long deaththroes. But no expression of thanks could
repay them fully for such devotion.Good Lord, Professor ned Land, answered
me, don't mention it. Whatdid we do that's so praiseworthy, Not
a thing. It was a questionof simple arithmetic. Your life is worth
(02:23):
more than ours, so we hadto save it. No, ned I
replied, it isn't worth more.Nobody could be better than a kind and
generous man like yourself. All right, all right, the Canadian repeated in
embarrassment. And you, my gallantConseil, you suffered a great deal,
(02:50):
not too much to be candid withMaster. I was lacking a few throatfuls
of air, but I would havegotten by Besides, when I saw Master
fainting, it left me without theslightest desire to breathe. It took my
breath away. In a manner ofConfounded by this lapse into banality, Conseil
(03:10):
left his sentence hanging. My friends, I replied, very moved. We're
bound to each other forever, andI'm deeply indebted to you, which I'll
take advantage of. The Canadian shotback, eh Conseil put in, Yes,
ned Land went on, you canrepay your debt by coming with me
(03:34):
when I leave this infernal Nautilus.By the way, Conseil said, are
we going in a favorable direction?Yes, I replied, because we're going
in the direction of the sun,and here the sun is due north.
Sure, ned Land went on,but it remains to be seen whether we'll
(03:57):
make for the Atlantic or the Pacific, in other words, whether we'll end
up in well traveled or deserted seas. I had no reply to this,
and I feared that Captain Nemo wouldn'ttake us homeward, but rather into that
huge ocean, washing the shores ofboth Asia and America. In this way,
he would complete his underwater tour ofthe world. Going back to those
(04:19):
seas where the Nautilus enjoyed the greatestfreedom. But if we returned to the
Pacific, far from every populated shore, what would happen to ned Land's plans.
We would soon settle this important point. The Nautilus traveled swiftly. Soon
we had cleared the Antarctic Circle plusthe promontory of Cape Horn. We were
(04:42):
abreast of the tip of South Americaby March thirty one, at seven o'clock
in the evening. By then,all our past sufferings were forgotten. The
memory of that imprisonment under the icefaded from our minds. We had thoughts
only of the future. Captain Nemono longer appeared, neither in the lounge
nor on the platform. The positionsreported each day on the world map were
(05:06):
put there by the Chief Officer,and they enabled me to determine the Nautilus's
exact heading. Now then that evening, it became obvious, much to my
satisfaction, that we were returning northby the Atlantic route. I shared the
results of my observations with the Canadianand conseil. That's good news, the
(05:29):
Canadian replied, But where's the Nautilusgoing. I'm unable to say. Ned,
after the South Pole, does ourcaptain want to tackle the North Pole
then go back to the Pacific bythe notorious Northwest passage. I wouldn't double
dare him, Conseil replied, Ah, well, the Canadian said, we'll
(05:51):
give him the slip long before then. In any event, Conseil added,
he's a superman, that captain Nemo, and we'll never regret having known him,
especially once we've left him NED.Land shot back the next day,
(06:11):
April one, when the Nautilus roseto the surface of the waves a few
minutes before noon, we raised landto the west. It was Tierra del
Fuego, the Land of Fire,a name given it by early navigators after
they saw numerous curls of smoke risingfrom the natives huts. This Land of
Fire forms a huge cluster of islands, over thirty leagues long and eighty leagues
(06:35):
wide, extending between latitudes fifty threedegrees and fifty six degrees south and between
longitude sixty seven degrees fifty minutes andseventy seven degrees fifteen minutes west. Its
coastline looked flat, but high mountainsrose in the distance. I even thought
(06:55):
I glimpsed Mount Sarmiento, whose elevationis two thousand seven meters above sea level,
a pyramid shaped block of shale witha very sharp summit, which,
depending on whether its clear or veiledin vapor, predicts fair weather or fowl.
As ned Land told me, afirst class barometer, my friend,
(07:17):
Yes, sir, a natural barometerthat didn't let me down. When I
navigated the narrows of the Strait ofMagellan, just then its peak appeared before
us, standing out distinctly against thebackground of the skies. This forecast fair
weather, and so it proved.Going back under the waters, the Nautilus
(07:38):
drew near the coast, cruising alongit for only a few miles. Through
the lounge windows, I could seelong creepers and gigantic fucus plants, bulb
bearing seaweed, of which the opensea at the pole had revealed a few
specimens. With their smooth, viscousfilaments, They measured as much as three
(07:58):
hundred meters long, genuine cables,more than an inch thick, and very
tough. They are often used asmooring lines for ships. Another weed,
known by the name velp and boastingfour foot leaves was crammed into the coral
concretions and carpeted the ocean floor.It served as both nest and nourishment for
(08:20):
myriads of crustaceans and mollusks, forcrabs and cuttlefish. Here seals and otters
could indulge in a sumptuous meal,mixing meat from fish with vegetables from the
sea, like the English with theirIrish stews. The nautilus passed over these
lush, luxuriant depths with tremendous speed. Near evening it approached the Falkland Islands,
(08:46):
whose rugged summits I recognized the nextday the sea was of moderate depth,
so not without good reason, Iassumed that these two islands, plus
the many islets surrounding them, usedto be part of the Magellan Coasts.
The Falkland Islands were probably discovered bythe famous navigator John Davis, who gave
them the name Davis Southern Islands.Later, Sir Richard Hawkins called them the
(09:13):
Maidenland after the Blessed Virgin. Subsequently, at the beginning of the eighteenth century,
they were named the Maliouines by fishermenfrom Saint Malo in Brittany. Then
finally dubbed the Falklands by the English, to whom they belonged to day,
in these waterways, our nets broughtup fine samples of algae, in particular
(09:35):
certain fucus plants, whose roots wereladen with the world's best mussels. Geese
and duck alighted by the dozens onthe platforms and soon took their places in
the ship's pantry. As for fish, I specifically observed some bony fish belonging
to the Gobi genus, especially somegudgeon two decimeters long, sprinkled with whitish
(09:58):
and yellow spots. I likewise marveledat the numerous padusas, including the most
beautiful of their breed, the compassjellyfish, unique to the Falkland seas.
Some of these jellyfish were shaped likevery smooth semispheric parasols with russet stripes and
fringes of twelve neat festoons. Otherslooked like upside down baskets from which wide
(10:24):
leaves and long red twigs were gracefullytrailing. They swam with quiverings of their
four leaflike arms, letting the opulenttresses of their tentacles dangle in the drift.
I wanted to preserve a few specimensof these delicate zoophytes, but they
were merely clouds, shadows, illusions, melting and evaporating outside their native element.
(10:48):
When the last tips of the FalklandIslands had disappeared below the horizon,
the Nautilus submerged to a depth ofbetween twenty and twenty five meters and went
along the South American coast. CaptainNemo didn't put in an appearance. We
didn't leave these Patagonian waterways until Aprilthree, sometimes cruising under the ocean,
(11:09):
sometimes on its surface. The Nautiluspassed the wide estuary formed by the mouth
of the Rio de la Plata,and on April four we lay abreast of
Uruguay, albeit fifty miles out.Keeping to its northerly heading, it followed
the long windings of South America.By then we had fared sixteen thousand leagues
(11:31):
since coming on board in the seasof Japan. Near eleven o'clock in the
morning, we cut the Tropic ofCapricorn on the thirty seventh meridian, passing
well out from Cape Frio, muchto ned Land's displeasure. Captain Nemo had
no liking for the neighborhood of Brazil'spopulous shores. Because he shot by with
(11:52):
dizzying speed, not even the swiftestfish or birds could keep up with us,
and the natural curiosity in these seascompletely eluded our observation. This speed
was maintained for several days, andon the evening of April nine, we
raised South America's easternmost tip, Capesou Roch. But then the Nautilus veered
(12:13):
away again and went looking for thelowest depths of an underwater valley gouged between
this cape and Sierra Leone on thecoast of Africa, abreast of the West
Indies. This valley forks into twoarms, and to the north it ends
in an enormous depression nine thousand metersdeep. From this locality to the Lesser
(12:33):
Antilles, the ocean's geologic profile featuresa steeply cut cliff six kilometers high,
and abreast of the Cape Verde Islands, there's another wall just as imposing.
Together, these two barricades confine thewhole submerged continent of Atlantis. The floor
of this immense valley is made picturesqueby mountains that furnish these underwater depths with
(12:58):
scenic views. This description is basedmostly on certain hand drawn charts kept in
the Nautilus's library, charts obviously renderedby Captain Nemo himself from his own personal
observations. For two days we visitedthese deep and deserted waters by means of
our slanting fins. The Nautilus woulddo long diagonal dives that took us to
(13:20):
every level. But on April eleven, it rose suddenly and the shore reappeared
at the mouth of the Amazon River, a huge estuary whose outflow is so
considerable it desalts the sea over anarea of several leagues. We cut the
equator twenty miles to the west layGuiana, French territory, where we could
(13:43):
easily have taken refuge. But thewind was blowing a strong gust, and
the furious billows would not allow usto face them in a mere skiff.
No doubt ned Land understood this,because he said nothing to me. For
my part, I made no allusionto his escape, because I didn't want
to push him into an attempt thatwas certain to misfire. I was readily
(14:05):
compensated for this delay by fascinating research. During those two days of April eleven
to twelve. The nautilus didn't leavethe surface of the sea, and its
trawl brought up a simply miraculous catchof zoophytes, fish, and reptiles.
Some zoophytes were dredged up by thechain of our troll. Most were lovely
(14:28):
sea anemone belonging to the family Actinidia, including, among other species, the
Vitalus protexta native to this part ofthe ocean, a small cylindrical trunk adorned
with vertical lines, mottled with redspots, and crowned by a wondrous blossoming
of tentacles. As for mollusks,they consisted of exhibits. I had already
(14:50):
observed turrets, snails, olive shellsof the tent olive species with neatly intersecting
lines and russet spots standing out sharplyagainst a flesh colored background, fanciful spider
conks that looked like petrified scorpions,transparent glass snails, argonauts, some highly
(15:11):
edible cuttlefish, and certain species ofsquid that the naturalists of antiquity classified with
the flying fish, which are usedchiefly as bait for catching cod. As
for the fish in these waterways,I noted various species that I hadn't yet
had the opportunity to study. Amongcartilaginous fish, some brook lamp ray,
(15:33):
a type of eel fifteen inches long, head, greenish fins, violet back,
bluish gray belly, a silvery brownstrewn with bright spots. Iris of
the eye encircled in gold. Unusualanimals that the Amazon's current must have swept
out to sea because their natural habitatis fresh water. Sting rays, the
(15:56):
snout pointed, the tail long,slender, and armed with an extensive jagged
sting. Small one meter sharks withgray and whitish hides, their teeth arranged
in several backward curving rows. Fishcommonly known by the name carpet shark.
(16:17):
Batfish, a sort of reddish Isaucelestriangle half a meter long whose pectoral fins
are attached by fleshy extensions that makethese fish look like bats, although an
appendage made of horn located near thenostrils earns them the nickname of sea unicorns.
Lastly, a couple species of triggerfish, the cucoyo, whose stippled flanks
(16:41):
glitter with a sparkling gold color,and the bright purple leather jacket whose hues
glisten like a pigeon's throat. I'llfinish up this catalog a little dry,
but quite accurate, with a seriesof bony fish. I observed eels belonging
to the genus apter rhnotus, whosesnow white snout is very blunt, but
(17:03):
body painted a handsome black and armedwith a very long, slender, fleshy
whip. Long Sardines from the genusOdontugnathus like three decimeter pike shining with a
bright silver glow. Guaranian mackerel furnishedwith two anal fins, black tinted rudderfish
that you catch by using torches,fish measuring two meters and boasting white,
(17:26):
firm, plump meat that when fresh, tastes like eel, when dried like
smoked salmon. Semi red rass sportingscales only at the bases of their dorsal
and anal fins, grunts on whichgold and silver mingle. Their luster with
that of Rubian topaz yellow tailed gilthead, whose flesh is extremely dainty and
(17:51):
whose phosphorescent properties give them away inthe midst of the waters. Forgies tinted
orange with slender tongues, croakers withgold caudal fins, black surgeon fish,
four eyed fish from Suriname, etcetera. This e et cetera won't keep
me from mentioning one more fish thatConceal with good reason will long remember.
(18:17):
One of our nets had hauled upa type of very flat ray that weighed
some twenty kilograms. With its tailcut off, it would have formed a
perfect disc. It was white underneathand reddish on top, with big round
spots of deep blue encircled in black. Its hide quite smooth, and ending
in a double lobed fin laid outon the platform. It kept struggling with
(18:41):
convulsive movements, trying to turn over, making such efforts that its final lunge
was about to flip it into thesea. But Conceal, being very possessive
of his fish, rushed at it, and before I could stop him,
he seized it with both hands.Instantly there he was thrown on his back,
(19:03):
legs in the air, his bodyhalf paralyzed, and yelling, oh,
sir, sir, will you helpme? For once in his life.
The poor lad didn't address me inthe third person like Canadian, and
I sat him up. We massagedhis contracted arms, and when he regained
(19:26):
his five senses, that eternal classifiermumbled in a broken voice, Ugh glass
of cartilaginous fish, order Contractergia withfixed gills, suborder Cilicia, family regiforma
genus electric ray. Yes, myfriend, I answered, it was an
(19:51):
electric ray that put you in thisdeplorable state. Oh, master, can
trust me on this concealed shot back. I'll be revenged on that animal.
How I'll eat it, which hedid that same evening, but strictly as
retaliation, because frankly it tasted likeleather. Poor Conseil had assaulted an electric
(20:17):
ray of the most dangerous species,the kumana. Living in a conducting medium
such as water, this bizarre animalcan electrocute other fish from several meters away,
so great is the power of itselectric organ, an organ whose two
chief surfaces measure at least twenty sevensquare feet. During the course of the
(20:40):
next day, April twelve, theNautilus drew near the coast of Dutch Guiana,
by the mouth of the Maroni River. There, several groups of sea
cows were living in family units.These were manatees, which belonged to the
order Cyhenia, like the Dugong andStellar's sea cow. Harm less and unaggressive,
These fine animals were six to sevenmeters long and must have weighed at
(21:04):
least four thousand kilograms each. Itold ned Land and Conseil that far seeing
nature had given these mammals a majorrole to play innescence. Manatees, like
seals, are designed to graze theunderwater prairies, destroying the clusters of weeds
that obstruct the mouths of tropical rivers. And do you know, I added,
(21:27):
what happened? Since man has almostcompletely wiped out these beneficial races.
Rotting weeds have poisoned the air,and this poisoned air causes the yellow fever
that devastates these wonderful countries. Thistoxic vegetation has increased beneath the seas of
the torret zone, so the diseasespreads unchecked from the mouth of the Rio
(21:51):
de la Plata to Florida. Andif Professor Tuzenel is correct, this plague
is nothing compared to the scourge thatwill strike our descendants. The seas are
depopulated of whales and seals, bythen crowded with jellyfish, squid and other
devilfish. The oceans will have becomehuge centers of infection because their waves will
(22:12):
no longer possess these huge stomachs thatGod has entrusted with scouring the surface of
the sea. Meanwhile, without scorningthese theories, the Nautilus's crew captured half
a dozen manatees. In essence,it was an issue of stalking the larder
with excellent red meat, even betterthan beef or veal. Their hunting was
(22:33):
not a fascinating sport. The manateeslet themselves be struck down without offering any
resistance. Several thousand kilos of meatwere hauled below to be dried and stored
the same day. An odd fishingpractice further increased the Nautilus's stores. So
full of game were these seas,our trow brought up in its meshes a
(22:56):
number of fish whose heads were toppedby little over slabs with fleshy edges.
These were suckerfish from the third familyof the Sebrachian Malacoptergia. These flat disks
on their heads consist of cross wiseplates of movable cartilage between which the animals
can create a vacuum, enabling themto stick to objects like suction cups.
(23:21):
The remoras I had observed in theMediterranean were related to this species, but
the creature at issue here was anechineusus osteocara, unique to this sea.
Right after catching them, our seamendropped them in buckets of water its fishing
finish. The nautilus drew nearer tothe coast. In this locality, a
number of sea turtles were sleeping onthe surface of the waves. It would
(23:45):
have been difficult to capture these valuablereptiles because they wake up at the slightest
sound, and their solid carapaces areharpoon proof, but our suckerfish would effect
their capture with extraordinary certainty and pressIn truth, this animal is a living
fish shook, promising wealth and happinessto the greenest fishermen in the business.
(24:07):
The nautilus's men attached to each fish'stail a ring that was big enough not
to hamper its movements, and tothis ring a long rope whose other end
was moored on board. Thrown intothe sea, the suckerfish immediately began to
play their roles, going and fasteningthemselves on to the breastplates of the turtles.
(24:29):
Their tenacity was so great they wouldrip apart rather than let go.
They were hauled in, still stickingto the turtles that came aboard with them.
In this way we caught several loggerheadsreptiles a meter wide and weighing two
hundred kilos. They're extremely valuable becauseof their carapaces, which are covered with
big slabs of horn, thin browntransparent with white and yellow markings. Besides,
(24:56):
they were excellent from an edible viewpoint, with an exquis is it flavor
comparable to the green turtle. Thisfishing ended our stay in the waterways of
the Amazon, and that evening theNautilus took to the high seas once more.
End of Chapter seventeen, recorded byEric Denison, May thirtieth, Gardner, Massachusetts,
This is a LibriVox recording. AllLibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
For more information or to volunteer,please visit LibriVox dot org. Twenty thousand
Leagues under the Seas by Jules Verne, second part, Chapter seventeen, From
Cape Horn to the Amazon. HowI got on to the platform, I'm
(00:26):
unable to say. Perhaps the Canadiantransferred me there. But I could breathe,
I could inhale the life giving seaair. Next to me, my
two companions were getting tipsy on thefresh oxygen particles. Poor souls who have
suffered from long starvation mustn't pounce heedlesslyon the first food given them. We,
(00:48):
on the other hand, didn't haveto practice such moderation. We could
suck the atoms from the air bythe lungful. And it was the breeze,
the breeze itself that poured into us, this luxurious intoxication. Ah Conseil
was putting in what fine oxygen.Let master have no fears about breathing.
(01:14):
There's enough for everyone. As forned Land, he didn't say a word,
but his wide open jaws would havescared off a shark. And what
powerful inhalations The Canadian drew like afurnace going full blast. Our strength returned
promptly, and when I looked around, I saw that we were alone on
(01:37):
the platform. No crewmen, noteven Captain Nemo. Those strange seamen on
the Nautilus were content with the oxygencirculating inside. Not one of them had
come up to enjoy the open air. The first words I pronounced were words
of appreciation and gratitude to my twocompanions and Conseil had kept me alive during
(02:01):
the final hours of our long deaththroes. But no expression of thanks could
repay them fully for such devotion.Good Lord, Professor ned Land, answered
me, don't mention it. Whatdid we do that's so praiseworthy, Not
a thing. It was a questionof simple arithmetic. Your life is worth
(02:23):
more than ours, so we hadto save it. No, ned I
replied, it isn't worth more.Nobody could be better than a kind and
generous man like yourself. All right, all right, the Canadian repeated in
embarrassment. And you, my gallantConseil, you suffered a great deal,
(02:50):
not too much to be candid withMaster. I was lacking a few throatfuls
of air, but I would havegotten by Besides, when I saw Master
fainting, it left me without theslightest desire to breathe. It took my
breath away. In a manner ofConfounded by this lapse into banality, Conseil
(03:10):
left his sentence hanging. My friends, I replied, very moved. We're
bound to each other forever, andI'm deeply indebted to you, which I'll
take advantage of. The Canadian shotback, eh Conseil put in, Yes,
ned Land went on, you canrepay your debt by coming with me
(03:34):
when I leave this infernal Nautilus.By the way, Conseil said, are
we going in a favorable direction?Yes, I replied, because we're going
in the direction of the sun,and here the sun is due north.
Sure, ned Land went on,but it remains to be seen whether we'll
(03:57):
make for the Atlantic or the Pacific, in other words, whether we'll end
up in well traveled or deserted seas. I had no reply to this,
and I feared that Captain Nemo wouldn'ttake us homeward, but rather into that
huge ocean, washing the shores ofboth Asia and America. In this way,
he would complete his underwater tour ofthe world. Going back to those
(04:19):
seas where the Nautilus enjoyed the greatestfreedom. But if we returned to the
Pacific, far from every populated shore, what would happen to ned Land's plans.
We would soon settle this important point. The Nautilus traveled swiftly. Soon
we had cleared the Antarctic Circle plusthe promontory of Cape Horn. We were
(04:42):
abreast of the tip of South Americaby March thirty one, at seven o'clock
in the evening. By then,all our past sufferings were forgotten. The
memory of that imprisonment under the icefaded from our minds. We had thoughts
only of the future. Captain Nemono longer appeared, neither in the lounge
nor on the platform. The positionsreported each day on the world map were
(05:06):
put there by the Chief Officer,and they enabled me to determine the Nautilus's
exact heading. Now then that evening, it became obvious, much to my
satisfaction, that we were returning northby the Atlantic route. I shared the
results of my observations with the Canadianand conseil. That's good news, the
(05:29):
Canadian replied, But where's the Nautilusgoing. I'm unable to say. Ned,
after the South Pole, does ourcaptain want to tackle the North Pole
then go back to the Pacific bythe notorious Northwest passage. I wouldn't double
dare him, Conseil replied, Ah, well, the Canadian said, we'll
(05:51):
give him the slip long before then. In any event, Conseil added,
he's a superman, that captain Nemo, and we'll never regret having known him,
especially once we've left him NED.Land shot back the next day,
(06:11):
April one, when the Nautilus roseto the surface of the waves a few
minutes before noon, we raised landto the west. It was Tierra del
Fuego, the Land of Fire,a name given it by early navigators after
they saw numerous curls of smoke risingfrom the natives huts. This Land of
Fire forms a huge cluster of islands, over thirty leagues long and eighty leagues
(06:35):
wide, extending between latitudes fifty threedegrees and fifty six degrees south and between
longitude sixty seven degrees fifty minutes andseventy seven degrees fifteen minutes west. Its
coastline looked flat, but high mountainsrose in the distance. I even thought
(06:55):
I glimpsed Mount Sarmiento, whose elevationis two thousand seven meters above sea level,
a pyramid shaped block of shale witha very sharp summit, which,
depending on whether its clear or veiledin vapor, predicts fair weather or fowl.
As ned Land told me, afirst class barometer, my friend,
(07:17):
Yes, sir, a natural barometerthat didn't let me down. When I
navigated the narrows of the Strait ofMagellan, just then its peak appeared before
us, standing out distinctly against thebackground of the skies. This forecast fair
weather, and so it proved.Going back under the waters, the Nautilus
(07:38):
drew near the coast, cruising alongit for only a few miles. Through
the lounge windows, I could seelong creepers and gigantic fucus plants, bulb
bearing seaweed, of which the opensea at the pole had revealed a few
specimens. With their smooth, viscousfilaments, They measured as much as three
(07:58):
hundred meters long, genuine cables,more than an inch thick, and very
tough. They are often used asmooring lines for ships. Another weed,
known by the name velp and boastingfour foot leaves was crammed into the coral
concretions and carpeted the ocean floor.It served as both nest and nourishment for
(08:20):
myriads of crustaceans and mollusks, forcrabs and cuttlefish. Here seals and otters
could indulge in a sumptuous meal,mixing meat from fish with vegetables from the
sea, like the English with theirIrish stews. The nautilus passed over these
lush, luxuriant depths with tremendous speed. Near evening it approached the Falkland Islands,
(08:46):
whose rugged summits I recognized the nextday the sea was of moderate depth,
so not without good reason, Iassumed that these two islands, plus
the many islets surrounding them, usedto be part of the Magellan Coasts.
The Falkland Islands were probably discovered bythe famous navigator John Davis, who gave
them the name Davis Southern Islands.Later, Sir Richard Hawkins called them the
(09:13):
Maidenland after the Blessed Virgin. Subsequently, at the beginning of the eighteenth century,
they were named the Maliouines by fishermenfrom Saint Malo in Brittany. Then
finally dubbed the Falklands by the English, to whom they belonged to day,
in these waterways, our nets broughtup fine samples of algae, in particular
(09:35):
certain fucus plants, whose roots wereladen with the world's best mussels. Geese
and duck alighted by the dozens onthe platforms and soon took their places in
the ship's pantry. As for fish, I specifically observed some bony fish belonging
to the Gobi genus, especially somegudgeon two decimeters long, sprinkled with whitish
(09:58):
and yellow spots. I likewise marveledat the numerous padusas, including the most
beautiful of their breed, the compassjellyfish, unique to the Falkland seas.
Some of these jellyfish were shaped likevery smooth semispheric parasols with russet stripes and
fringes of twelve neat festoons. Otherslooked like upside down baskets from which wide
(10:24):
leaves and long red twigs were gracefullytrailing. They swam with quiverings of their
four leaflike arms, letting the opulenttresses of their tentacles dangle in the drift.
I wanted to preserve a few specimensof these delicate zoophytes, but they
were merely clouds, shadows, illusions, melting and evaporating outside their native element.
(10:48):
When the last tips of the FalklandIslands had disappeared below the horizon,
the Nautilus submerged to a depth ofbetween twenty and twenty five meters and went
along the South American coast. CaptainNemo didn't put in an appearance. We
didn't leave these Patagonian waterways until Aprilthree, sometimes cruising under the ocean,
(11:09):
sometimes on its surface. The Nautiluspassed the wide estuary formed by the mouth
of the Rio de la Plata,and on April four we lay abreast of
Uruguay, albeit fifty miles out.Keeping to its northerly heading, it followed
the long windings of South America.By then we had fared sixteen thousand leagues
(11:31):
since coming on board in the seasof Japan. Near eleven o'clock in the
morning, we cut the Tropic ofCapricorn on the thirty seventh meridian, passing
well out from Cape Frio, muchto ned Land's displeasure. Captain Nemo had
no liking for the neighborhood of Brazil'spopulous shores. Because he shot by with
(11:52):
dizzying speed, not even the swiftestfish or birds could keep up with us,
and the natural curiosity in these seascompletely eluded our observation. This speed
was maintained for several days, andon the evening of April nine, we
raised South America's easternmost tip, Capesou Roch. But then the Nautilus veered
(12:13):
away again and went looking for thelowest depths of an underwater valley gouged between
this cape and Sierra Leone on thecoast of Africa, abreast of the West
Indies. This valley forks into twoarms, and to the north it ends
in an enormous depression nine thousand metersdeep. From this locality to the Lesser
(12:33):
Antilles, the ocean's geologic profile featuresa steeply cut cliff six kilometers high,
and abreast of the Cape Verde Islands, there's another wall just as imposing.
Together, these two barricades confine thewhole submerged continent of Atlantis. The floor
of this immense valley is made picturesqueby mountains that furnish these underwater depths with
(12:58):
scenic views. This description is basedmostly on certain hand drawn charts kept in
the Nautilus's library, charts obviously renderedby Captain Nemo himself from his own personal
observations. For two days we visitedthese deep and deserted waters by means of
our slanting fins. The Nautilus woulddo long diagonal dives that took us to
(13:20):
every level. But on April eleven, it rose suddenly and the shore reappeared
at the mouth of the Amazon River, a huge estuary whose outflow is so
considerable it desalts the sea over anarea of several leagues. We cut the
equator twenty miles to the west layGuiana, French territory, where we could
(13:43):
easily have taken refuge. But thewind was blowing a strong gust, and
the furious billows would not allow usto face them in a mere skiff.
No doubt ned Land understood this,because he said nothing to me. For
my part, I made no allusionto his escape, because I didn't want
to push him into an attempt thatwas certain to misfire. I was readily
(14:05):
compensated for this delay by fascinating research. During those two days of April eleven
to twelve. The nautilus didn't leavethe surface of the sea, and its
trawl brought up a simply miraculous catchof zoophytes, fish, and reptiles.
Some zoophytes were dredged up by thechain of our troll. Most were lovely
(14:28):
sea anemone belonging to the family Actinidia, including, among other species, the
Vitalus protexta native to this part ofthe ocean, a small cylindrical trunk adorned
with vertical lines, mottled with redspots, and crowned by a wondrous blossoming
of tentacles. As for mollusks,they consisted of exhibits. I had already
(14:50):
observed turrets, snails, olive shellsof the tent olive species with neatly intersecting
lines and russet spots standing out sharplyagainst a flesh colored background, fanciful spider
conks that looked like petrified scorpions,transparent glass snails, argonauts, some highly
(15:11):
edible cuttlefish, and certain species ofsquid that the naturalists of antiquity classified with
the flying fish, which are usedchiefly as bait for catching cod. As
for the fish in these waterways,I noted various species that I hadn't yet
had the opportunity to study. Amongcartilaginous fish, some brook lamp ray,
(15:33):
a type of eel fifteen inches long, head, greenish fins, violet back,
bluish gray belly, a silvery brownstrewn with bright spots. Iris of
the eye encircled in gold. Unusualanimals that the Amazon's current must have swept
out to sea because their natural habitatis fresh water. Sting rays, the
(15:56):
snout pointed, the tail long,slender, and armed with an extensive jagged
sting. Small one meter sharks withgray and whitish hides, their teeth arranged
in several backward curving rows. Fishcommonly known by the name carpet shark.
(16:17):
Batfish, a sort of reddish Isaucelestriangle half a meter long whose pectoral fins
are attached by fleshy extensions that makethese fish look like bats, although an
appendage made of horn located near thenostrils earns them the nickname of sea unicorns.
Lastly, a couple species of triggerfish, the cucoyo, whose stippled flanks
(16:41):
glitter with a sparkling gold color,and the bright purple leather jacket whose hues
glisten like a pigeon's throat. I'llfinish up this catalog a little dry,
but quite accurate, with a seriesof bony fish. I observed eels belonging
to the genus apter rhnotus, whosesnow white snout is very blunt, but
(17:03):
body painted a handsome black and armedwith a very long, slender, fleshy
whip. Long Sardines from the genusOdontugnathus like three decimeter pike shining with a
bright silver glow. Guaranian mackerel furnishedwith two anal fins, black tinted rudderfish
that you catch by using torches,fish measuring two meters and boasting white,
(17:26):
firm, plump meat that when fresh, tastes like eel, when dried like
smoked salmon. Semi red rass sportingscales only at the bases of their dorsal
and anal fins, grunts on whichgold and silver mingle. Their luster with
that of Rubian topaz yellow tailed gilthead, whose flesh is extremely dainty and
(17:51):
whose phosphorescent properties give them away inthe midst of the waters. Forgies tinted
orange with slender tongues, croakers withgold caudal fins, black surgeon fish,
four eyed fish from Suriname, etcetera. This e et cetera won't keep
me from mentioning one more fish thatConceal with good reason will long remember.
(18:17):
One of our nets had hauled upa type of very flat ray that weighed
some twenty kilograms. With its tailcut off, it would have formed a
perfect disc. It was white underneathand reddish on top, with big round
spots of deep blue encircled in black. Its hide quite smooth, and ending
in a double lobed fin laid outon the platform. It kept struggling with
(18:41):
convulsive movements, trying to turn over, making such efforts that its final lunge
was about to flip it into thesea. But Conceal, being very possessive
of his fish, rushed at it, and before I could stop him,
he seized it with both hands.Instantly there he was thrown on his back,
(19:03):
legs in the air, his bodyhalf paralyzed, and yelling, oh,
sir, sir, will you helpme? For once in his life.
The poor lad didn't address me inthe third person like Canadian, and
I sat him up. We massagedhis contracted arms, and when he regained
(19:26):
his five senses, that eternal classifiermumbled in a broken voice, Ugh glass
of cartilaginous fish, order Contractergia withfixed gills, suborder Cilicia, family regiforma
genus electric ray. Yes, myfriend, I answered, it was an
(19:51):
electric ray that put you in thisdeplorable state. Oh, master, can
trust me on this concealed shot back. I'll be revenged on that animal.
How I'll eat it, which hedid that same evening, but strictly as
retaliation, because frankly it tasted likeleather. Poor Conseil had assaulted an electric
(20:17):
ray of the most dangerous species,the kumana. Living in a conducting medium
such as water, this bizarre animalcan electrocute other fish from several meters away,
so great is the power of itselectric organ, an organ whose two
chief surfaces measure at least twenty sevensquare feet. During the course of the
(20:40):
next day, April twelve, theNautilus drew near the coast of Dutch Guiana,
by the mouth of the Maroni River. There, several groups of sea
cows were living in family units.These were manatees, which belonged to the
order Cyhenia, like the Dugong andStellar's sea cow. Harm less and unaggressive,
These fine animals were six to sevenmeters long and must have weighed at
(21:04):
least four thousand kilograms each. Itold ned Land and Conseil that far seeing
nature had given these mammals a majorrole to play innescence. Manatees, like
seals, are designed to graze theunderwater prairies, destroying the clusters of weeds
that obstruct the mouths of tropical rivers. And do you know, I added,
(21:27):
what happened? Since man has almostcompletely wiped out these beneficial races.
Rotting weeds have poisoned the air,and this poisoned air causes the yellow fever
that devastates these wonderful countries. Thistoxic vegetation has increased beneath the seas of
the torret zone, so the diseasespreads unchecked from the mouth of the Rio
(21:51):
de la Plata to Florida. Andif Professor Tuzenel is correct, this plague
is nothing compared to the scourge thatwill strike our descendants. The seas are
depopulated of whales and seals, bythen crowded with jellyfish, squid and other
devilfish. The oceans will have becomehuge centers of infection because their waves will
(22:12):
no longer possess these huge stomachs thatGod has entrusted with scouring the surface of
the sea. Meanwhile, without scorningthese theories, the Nautilus's crew captured half
a dozen manatees. In essence,it was an issue of stalking the larder
with excellent red meat, even betterthan beef or veal. Their hunting was
(22:33):
not a fascinating sport. The manateeslet themselves be struck down without offering any
resistance. Several thousand kilos of meatwere hauled below to be dried and stored
the same day. An odd fishingpractice further increased the Nautilus's stores. So
full of game were these seas,our trow brought up in its meshes a
(22:56):
number of fish whose heads were toppedby little over slabs with fleshy edges.
These were suckerfish from the third familyof the Sebrachian Malacoptergia. These flat disks
on their heads consist of cross wiseplates of movable cartilage between which the animals
can create a vacuum, enabling themto stick to objects like suction cups.
(23:21):
The remoras I had observed in theMediterranean were related to this species, but
the creature at issue here was anechineusus osteocara, unique to this sea.
Right after catching them, our seamendropped them in buckets of water its fishing
finish. The nautilus drew nearer tothe coast. In this locality, a
number of sea turtles were sleeping onthe surface of the waves. It would
(23:45):
have been difficult to capture these valuablereptiles because they wake up at the slightest
sound, and their solid carapaces areharpoon proof, but our suckerfish would effect
their capture with extraordinary certainty and pressIn truth, this animal is a living
fish shook, promising wealth and happinessto the greenest fishermen in the business.
(24:07):
The nautilus's men attached to each fish'stail a ring that was big enough not
to hamper its movements, and tothis ring a long rope whose other end
was moored on board. Thrown intothe sea, the suckerfish immediately began to
play their roles, going and fasteningthemselves on to the breastplates of the turtles.
(24:29):
Their tenacity was so great they wouldrip apart rather than let go.
They were hauled in, still stickingto the turtles that came aboard with them.
In this way we caught several loggerheadsreptiles a meter wide and weighing two
hundred kilos. They're extremely valuable becauseof their carapaces, which are covered with
big slabs of horn, thin browntransparent with white and yellow markings. Besides,
(24:56):
they were excellent from an edible viewpoint, with an exquis is it flavor
comparable to the green turtle. Thisfishing ended our stay in the waterways of
the Amazon, and that evening theNautilus took to the high seas once more.
End of Chapter seventeen, recorded byEric Denison, May thirtieth, Gardner, Massachusetts,
Popular Podcasts
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Charlie is America's hardest working grassroots activist who has your inside scoop on the biggest news of the day and what's really going on behind the headlines. The founder of Turning Point USA and one of social media's most engaged personalities, Charlie is on the front lines of America’s culture war, mobilizing hundreds of thousands of students on over 3,500 college and high school campuses across the country, bringing you your daily dose of clarity in a sea of chaos all from his signature no-holds-barred, unapologetically conservative, freedom-loving point of view. You can also watch Charlie Kirk on Salem News Channel