The Mysterious Island Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Captain Grant's Children

Chapter 94: Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (25)
"It's miserable," I said, "this kind of occupation without security and dignity is entirely to meet the needs of a very small number of rich people. Captain, do you know how many pearl oysters a boat can harvest in a day?"

"About 1814 to 20. There is a data record here. In 600, before the British government implemented public collection, private owners allowed their pearl divers to collect [-] million pearl oysters within [-] days. "

"So," I asked, "how about the wages of pearl divers? Is it enough for daily life?"

"It's not enough, Professor, in Panama, pearl divers are paid a dollar a week. They get a penny for a shell with a pearl in it, but most of the shells they get have no pearls in them." .”

"Poor people, their masters are rich, and they don't have enough to eat. Damn world!"

"Professor Aronnax, let's talk about this first," the captain said to me. "You can take your companions to visit the underwater reefs and rock dikes in the Bay of Mannar. If we are lucky, we will Some early pearl hunters went to the sea to fish for pearls, and we can witness how they fish for pearls.”

"Okay, that's it."

"By the way, Professor, are you afraid of sharks?"

"Mackerel?" I was a little surprised by this question.

"Yes, how is it?" Captain Nemo asked again.

"Captain, to be frank, I'm not in the habit of dealing with sharks."

"We're used to it," said Captain Nemo, "and I'm sure you'll get used to it before long. Besides, we'll be armed and maybe kill a mackerel by the way. Hunting. Well, Professor, I'll see you tomorrow, or rather early in the morning."

Captain Nemo's tone was very calm, as if the mackerel was an ornamental fish kept at home.

When he left the living room, I said to myself: "We have to think about it, there is nothing to be afraid of, just like last time we hunted otters in the woods of Crispo Island. We must go, but if we really want to meet at the bottom of the sea When it comes to mackerel, I still can't imagine what we can do."

So, I began to think of the shark's wide mouth with rows of razor-sharp teeth, which can bite a person right down to the waist. Thinking of this, I even felt pain from my waist.Also, when Captain Nemo made this dreaded invitation, his face was full of indifference. It's hard to figure out whether they thought it was the same as catching a fox under a tree that couldn't bite. Is that easy?I made up my mind: "Conseil will definitely not want to go, so I will have an excuse not to obey." As for Ned Land, my instinct tells me that he will gladly go. The more it is a temptation.

I picked up Hill's book and read it, but I couldn't read it. Between the lines, there were huge mouths full of huge teeth.At this moment, Conseil and Ned Land walked in with a smile on their faces. They didn't know that a danger was quietly approaching.Ned Land said to me, "Professor, that Captain Nemo is out of order today, and politely made a suggestion to us."

"Really, but you need to know..."

"Excuse me, sir," Conseil said excitedly before I finished speaking, "Mr. Captain invited us to visit the famous pearl field on Ceylon Island with you. He was very polite when he spoke, just like a A true English gentleman."

"Did he not mention anything else to you?"

"Nothing else," replied the Canadian, "except the visit and the walk itself, nothing else."

"That's right, that's right," I said, "The captain didn't introduce the details to you, such as..."

"Professor, you are a famous biologist, you will go with us, won't you?"

"I... of course, you seem to be very interested in this matter, don't you?"

"Yes, it was something new for me to see the pearling fields in Ceylon with my own eyes."

"Maybe it's dangerous?" I suggested.

"Dangerous?" Ned Land was puzzled. "Would it be dangerous to walk on the pearl oyster reef?"

Captain Nemo certainly didn't mention the shark to my companions. My heart was agitated, as if I had a premonition that their legs and feet had been bitten off by the shark.Do I need to warn them of the risks now?Of course I should, but I don't know how to say it.

"Sir," Conseil's thirst for knowledge resumed, "can you tell us something about pearls?"

"Is it about picking pearls," I asked, "or is it about...?"

"Let's talk about pearl fishing," the Canadian replied. "Before going to the field, some common sense is necessary."

Ned Land and Conseil sat down side by side, and the Canadian was the first to ask: "Sir, what is a pearl?"

"You are honest, Ned," I replied. "In the eyes of poets, pearls are the tears of the daughter of the sea; to mysterious Orientals, they are a drop of frozen dew; The oblong transparent enamel ornaments they wear on their fingers, necks, and ears; chemists think they are a colloidal mixture of phosphate and calcium carbonate; for us biological workers, it is nothing more than A sickly secretion of some kind of bivalves."

"Molluscs," Conseil added without losing the opportunity, "annacephala, crustaceans."

"As for pearl oysters," I added, "they are the best shellfish for congealing fine pearls, followed by opalescent pearl oysters and small oysters. The pearls are usually stuck in the inner shell of the oyster, or embedded in the shell. In the folds of molluscs. What is immobile in the shell, movable in the flesh. Pearls are always produced from a careful solid matter, perhaps a pebble, or a grain of sand. With it as the core, the shell Humans constantly secrete transparent substances, which accumulate in thin layers over a period of several years, and finally form pearls."

"Can many pearls be found in one pearl oyster?" Conseil asked.

"Yes, there are some small molluscs, which are simply productive pearl baskets."

"Some say there's a maximum of . . . of course I'm a little skeptical about that in one shell. There's a maximum of about 150 mackerel."

"Professor, why are there 150 sharks?" Ned Land was puzzled.

"Did I say mackerel?" My mind was a little confused. "I mean 150 pearls. Where did the mackerel come from?"

"Yes, sir," Conseil said earnestly, "how did you get the pearl out?"

"There are several methods. If a pearl is stuck to the shell, pearl divers will use pliers to remove it. If all pearls are to be removed, the most common method is to spread the pearl oysters on straw mats by the seashore. , and soon the pearl oysters were sunburned to death. After ten days, the flesh tissue inside would rot. At this time, workers would soak them in seawater pools, open the shells, and wash them. By scraping, frying and The sieves are sieved until the tiniest pearls are taken out. It is a complicated process."

"Does the price of pearls depend on their size?" Conseil asked.

"Size is one thing," I said, "but also shape, purity, and color and brilliance. The best pearls are called virgin or model pearls, and they are generally individual, usually white. , opaque. But some are transparent like albumen, with spherical and pear-shaped shapes. Most of the spherical ones are used to make bracelets and necklaces, and pear-shaped ones are more suitable for earrings. The best pearls are sold by the piece. The inferior ones Pearls, such as those glued to shells and of irregular shape, are sold by weight. The lowest class of pearls, known as smalls, are sold by the heap."

"Professor, tell me," Conseil asked, "is pearl picking a dangerous job?"

"No," I said, eager to explain the matter, "if you take the correct precautions beforehand, you will be in no danger."

Ned Land was very disapproving: "This kind of work couldn't be safer. At most, you can't hold your breath and drink a few mouthfuls of seawater."

I changed my tone and imitated Captain Nemo's nonchalant way of asking: "Ned, to be honest, are you afraid of sharks?"

"Are you afraid of sharks?" The Canadian got excited, "I am the most professional spearfisher, and catching them is my specialty, so it is right for sharks to be afraid of me!"

"Ned, I don't mean you stand on the deck and catch them with a fork or a hook," I said, "I can do that kind of work too. It's just pulling them on the deck, chopping off the tails, and cutting them open with a knife." Their bellies, throwing their bits and pieces into the sea doesn't scare me."

"Then you mean, encountered..."

"Correct!"

"In seawater?"

"That's right, if you were swimming in the sea and a shark rushed towards you, what would you do?"

"Then I must have a harpoon in my hand. Professor, you know, a shark is a flawed animal. If it attacks you, it has to turn its stomach and body upside down before it can bite..."

Ned Land did not continue, his words had already made me break out in a cold sweat.

"Conseil, what do you think? If you come across a mackerel."

"Professor, I think I have to tell the truth."

"This is the best!" I secretly rejoiced.

"If the professor goes to fight the mackerel," Conseil said with a righteous face, "as an assistant, I can't think of any reason not to go forward and fight side by side with you."

priceless pearl
I didn't sleep well that night. In my dream, the mackerel sang a one-man show.If you associate the "transcendence" in Hinduism with the mackerel, and then examine this evil spirit, it seems not so scary.

At four o'clock the next morning, Captain Nemo specially sent someone to wake me up. I wasn't sleepy at first, so I got up immediately, dressed and went to the living room.

Captain Nemo was waiting for me in the living room.

"Mr. Aronnax," he asked, "how are you getting ready?"

"Everything is fine, both mentally and physically."

"Okay, please come with me."

"Mr. Captain, where are my two companions?"

"I have notified them and they are waiting for us."

I asked again: "Don't you need to wear a diving suit?"

"No, I will keep the 'Nautilus' farther from the coast. We are currently near the rocky rocks of the Mannar Reef. However, I have asked the crew to prepare a small boat, and we can take it to the pearl field. surface so we don’t have to walk long distances. There are wetsuits in the dinghy that we can put on if we go down to the bottom.”

Captain Nemo's arrangements were very thoughtful. When we walked to the central staircase and were about to go up to the platform, Ned Land and Conseil were already waiting there. They were very excited about the upcoming exploration of the seabed.Five crew members with wooden oars are always ready to go beside the "Nautilus"'s boat.

At this time, the sky was still dark, and the clouds in the sky were a bit thick, and the stars occasionally flashed through the gaps in the clouds.My heart was a little heavy in the tranquility, and my eyes were only focused on looking towards the land. In the night, I vaguely saw a curved land line stretching out, occupying about three-quarters of the southwest to northwest skyline.Shark is commonly known as mackerel in French. According to etymological analysis, some people think that it is transformed from the Latin word "exceed".Although the two words are similar in form, they have very different meanings.But a smart human brain never lacks associations. Once bitten by a "mackerel", his life will be lost, and he can only rely on "extreme" to do something for him.Although this statement is absurd, from a linguistic point of view, it is also a comparative learning method.

The "Nautilus" split the night sea, went up to the west coast of Ceylon Island, and stopped not far from the sea mouth. To be precise, we have reached the west side of the bay formed by the land of Mannar Island.Beneath this surface are twenty miles of veins of reef suitable for the growth of pearl oysters, an inexhaustible cornucopia.Captain Nemo, Conseil, Ned Land, and I sat in the stern of the boat, the captain of the boat at the helm, and his four companions at the oars, pulling the boat away from the ship.

The boat was heading south, and we were not in a hurry to dive into the water, waiting for the boat to reach the designated location.I noticed the uniform movement of the four oarsmen, the way the oars are rowed on a naval battleship.

Every time the oarsmen swung vigorously, the boat leaped forward with vigor, and the water droplets sprayed and fell on the dark water.Waves of small waves hit the hull, and the boat bumped slightly while splashing a little spray on us.

Everyone on board was silent. What was Captain Nemo thinking?Is it the piece of land that is getting closer and closer to us?That's what he didn't like.The Canadians didn't think so, and Ned Land was eager to set his foot on solid ground.As for Conseil, I am sure he was not thinking of anything, and that this excursion was a great memory for him.

At about 05:30, against the backdrop of the dawn, the outline of the coast clearly appeared in front of everyone.On the east side of the island, the coastline has little undulations and is very flat, and then southward, it rises a little bit.At this time we were still five miles away from the coast by water, and for a while the coast was mixed with the surrounding water vapor, and we were the only small boat rocking on the vast sea.There is still one month before the season of pearl fishing, and there is no boat or pearl fisher around, only solitude.

At six o'clock it was light, and in the tropics the alternation of day and night is very marked, with very little transition between morning and evening.A red sun is rising as the sun breaks powerfully through the clouds in the east.

The boat continued on to Mannar Island, the southern tip of the island gradually enlarged in our view, and I could clearly see the land and the sparse trees above it.Captain Nemo stood up, looked out over the sea, nodded slightly, and the anchor chain was thrown into the water.The boat stopped, and the depth of the sea here was only about one meter. Under the water was the highest peak of the rock vein where pearl oysters gathered.At this time, the tide was low, and the bow of the ship was pushed to the sea side.Captain Nemo said: "Mr. Aronnax, we have arrived. Now you can still enjoy this narrow bay. Wait another month, this place will gather countless pearl merchants' pearling ships. Here The terrain of the bay is excellent, it avoids the strong monsoon, and there are few rough waves on the sea surface, which is very suitable for pearl fishing. Now let's put on the diving suit and start the underwater tour."

I didn't answer, my eyes stared blankly at the suspicious and unknown sea, and I let the sailors of the small boat help me put on the heavy diving suit.Captain Nemo and my two companions put on their gear, and the rest of the Nautilus' crew remained in the skiff to wait for us.

Our bodies were wrapped tightly in rubber wetsuits up to our necks, with air boxes strapped to our backs.We didn't have Randolph lights this time, so I asked the captain about the lights before putting on the copper cap.

"The place where we dive is not deep enough to be able to reach the light, and the Randolph lamp is not very effective." The captain replied, "Also, the underwater here is not suitable for using electric lights, and the lights will attract some sea creatures. Dangerous animal."

While Captain Nemo was saying these words, I turned to look at Conseil and Ned Land, who had put on their brass caps, heard nothing, and could not speak.I have another question:
"Are there any weapons, like guns?"

"A gun? Is it useful underwater? It's not as reliable as a steel knife. Here's a dagger. Put it on your belt. Let's go now."

I glanced anxiously at my companions again. They also had daggers in their hands. In addition, Ned Land was holding a harpoon. It seemed that he had come prepared.

I didn't hesitate anymore, and joined the captain in putting on the heavy brass hat, while at the same time, the air box began to turn and supply air.

The crew on the small boat helped us into the water one by one. The water was indeed not deep, less than one and a half meters, and our feet had already firmly stepped on the flat sand.Captain Nemo took the lead and made a sign to us, and we followed him along a gentle slope, gradually going deeper.

When I started to walk, the fear of sharks that had been entangled with me disappeared instead, and my heart became very ethereal, and my attention was completely focused on the strange scene under my feet and around me.

The sun shines directly from the surface of the water to the bottom of the sea, and we can see the tiniest objects.After 10 minutes of walking, we came to a depth of five meters. Fortunately, the bottom of the water was still flat.

Along the way, we saw a large group of novel fish of the genus Monofin. They swam to the left and to the right.I also found Javan eels, which are the same as real snakes in appearance. They are about eight decimeters long and have a pale belly. If you don’t look carefully, you can easily compare them with moray eels without golden lines on both sides of their bodies. confused.The body of the fish of the genus Sclerofin is like a compressed egg. Among them, the swallowfish is brightly colored and has a sickle-like dorsal fin. This is an edible fish, which can be dried and soaked in salt water to make very delicious dishes.

As the sun gradually rises, the bottom of the water is illuminated more brightly.The road under his feet has also changed. At the end of the fine sand is a raised rocky road. The road is covered with dead molluscs and plants, and it looks like a carpet when stepped on.On the rocky pavement, there are thin-shelled, inconsistently sized placental oysters, an oyster endemic to the Red Sea and Indian Ocean.In addition, there are the round orange full moon shells, the cone shells and the Persian vermilion shells, from which the beautiful color of the "Nautilus" comes from.The multi-horned rock shell is fifteen centimeters long, standing upright under the water, like a hand reaching out from the bottom of the sea, trying to catch us passers-by.Horned snails are covered with sharp spines, and duck shells are a common seafood in the Indian aquatic market; finally I saw the widely admired scalloped oyster, which looks like a beautiful fan and is the easiest in this area. One of the dendrimer species that breeds.

(End of this chapter)