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

Chapter 96: Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (27)
Then it sailed six nautical miles from the coast, that is, on the Arabian coast near Hadramawt.This area is full of undulating mountains, and there are still some ancient human remains in the middle.

On February 2, the "Nautilus" sailed into the Gulf of Aden, and then headed northwest, it will enter the Bab Ermante Strait, which has obvious funnel-shaped features, and the small mouth of the funnel is the strait.Here, the surface waters of the Indian Ocean flow into the Red Sea.

On February 2, we surfaced, and we could see the Gulf of Aden in the distance. A narrow isthmus running northeast-southwest connects it to the mainland.I thought the captain would retreat when he got here, but I was wrong. He did not retreat, but went on, which surprised me very much.

On February 2, the "Nautilus" sailed to the Bab Ermante Strait. The name means "Gate of Tears" in Arabic.This strait is only 7 kilometers wide and 52 kilometers long. The "Nautilus" can pass through it in an hour at full power.The Nautilus could not come to the surface and had to sail very carefully through the narrow strait, as too many British and French ships sailed from Suez to Bombay, or to Calcutta, Melbourne or Mauritius, making the sea so congested. Driving underwater.We also cannot appreciate the scenery in the strait, including Pirin Island, which is the largest island in the strait and is used by the British government to provide the defense of the port of Aden.

At noon, we had reached the waters of the Red Sea. According to the Bible, Moses led the Jews out of Egypt and then miraculously crossed the Red Sea. It is hot and rainless all the year round, and there is no big river on both sides of the river. Excessive evaporation caused the sea level of the Red Sea to lose one and a half meters.This inland sea, which is only connected to the Indian Ocean by the Bab Ermante Strait, shows no signs of water shortage. If it were an inland lake, it would have dried up long ago.

I didn't think carefully about Captain Nemo's intentions and why he came here. I completely agree with coming to the Red Sea. This is indeed a piece of water that breeds magic.

The "Nautilus" moved forward at a moderate speed, sometimes surfaced to take a breath, and sometimes dived to the bottom of the sea to avoid passing ships.In this way, it is convenient for me to experience it from the water and the water surface.

On the morning of February 2, the Port of Mocha appeared before us, a port on the east coast of the Red Sea.

After this, the "Nautilus" sailed along the coast of Africa, where the water is very deep.Through the open panels, through the crystal-clear waters, I peered at colorful coral reefs and broad rocks covered in brown kelp and turquoise kelp.The reefs and small islands formed by these volcanic eruptions are connected to the coast of Libya. Under the decoration of seabed plants, they are laid out in a carpet of ups and downs, and the scenery is endless. The "Nautilus" sailed to the coast of Tiehama, where there are layers of flower-like zoophytes under the sea surface, forming colorful patterns under the water surface at a depth of 20 meters. There are more layers, but the color is duller.The sea surface is affected by sunlight and sea water flow, and the colors are more vivid.

Standing by the glass window of the living room, under the illumination of the electric searchlight, I spent a lot of pleasant time admiring the many novel animals and plants on the seabed.Amanitas; slate-coloured bearded ascidians, especially crystal-shaped ones; Epiphytic in the cavities of reef-building corals, the lower part of the shell is surrounded by very short screw threads; at the end there are thousands of common sponges of that kind of hydrozoan, which I have not yet seen.

Sponges, the first class of hydrozoans, are a very useful novelty.Sponges are not a plant in the eyes of ordinary people, and some biologists still believe so.But it is an animal, but one of the lowest, even lower than coral.The animality of the sponge is unquestionable, and I cannot accept the opinion of some ancient people that it is an intermediary between animals and plants.However, there is no consensus in the current scientific community about the organization of sponges.Some biologists say the sponge is a polyp, others, like Mr. Edwards, think of it as a separate, single entity.

There are about [-] subdivisions of the sponge class, most of which grow in seawater, and some species grow in freshwater basins, known as "river water sponges".However, sponges are more likely to breed in the Mediterranean Sea, the Greek Peninsula, the coast of Syria and the Red Sea.

The sea water in this area is very suitable for the growth of those soft and delicate sponges. They reproduce quickly and have a high market value. The price of the best species is as high as 150 francs per piece, such as the golden sponge of Syria and the tough sponge of Brazil. The location where the "Nautilus" is now and the Atlantic Ocean is separated by the Isthmus of Suez, and I can't walk across it. In this way, I can't study these zoophytes in the "resorts" where sponges breed. I can only observe them in the Red Sea up.So, when the "Nautilus" was slowly passing through the water layer with an average of eight to nine meters, I called Conseil to take notes.

In front of our eyes, there are sponges of various shapes, such as foot-shaped, umbrella-shaped, spherical, and finger-shaped.In the eyes of fishermen, these sponges of various shapes become the source of their poetry, which can be seen from the names given to them, such as flower baskets, dates, antelope horns, lion hooves, peacock tails, gloves... all very image and appropriate.In the sponge body, in the fibrous tissue with semi-liquid colloid, there is a continuous stream of water, which brings life into each cell, and is then expelled by contraction. This semi-liquid colloid is in the After the sponge dies, it no longer secretes, and the gelatin rots and emits ammonia gas. At this time, only the keratin fibers of the sponge used in that day are left.The sponge is tea-brown in color and can be used for various purposes depending on its elasticity, penetration or resistance to maceration.

These polyps generally grow and attach to rocks or the shells of molluscs. They have various shapes, some flatten the slightest bumps, some lay out, some stand up or hang down, like coral formations. tumor.I told Conseil that there are two ways to pick sponges, using a salvage machine or by hand, the latter method depends on diving sponge pickers.The artificial method is better, and it is not easy to damage the fibers of the polyps, so that it can retain a high use value.

Next to the sponges, there are also other zoophytes, mainly a jellyfish with a beautiful shape.Around them, there are various molluscs, such as the calamari, which are a specialty of the Red Sea.There are also reptiles. We saw the striped turtle belonging to the genus Turtle. This turtle is edible, and the cook of the "Nautilus" can use it to process a plate of food that is both hygienic and delicious.

There are many fishes here, some of which are remarkable, and the Nautilus' nets caught some of them: the gilled jerus, oval in shape, with a masonry-coloured body, with blue-black spots of varying sizes, This kind of fish is easy to identify, they have double tooth-shaped spines on their bodies; white fin fish with silvery white back and red alcohol fish with small dots on tail; Jindai Tan fish swims in the middle of the water like a wide two-meter-long sleeve The toothless oyster is a cartilaginous fish similar to the mackerel, and has no teeth in its mouth; the hump oyster has a curved spine and is a foot and a half long; the moray eel is a snake fish. A moray eel with a light blue back and a brown chest with a gray border; the light fish is a species of finfish, with narrow golden stripes on its body, bearing the red, blue and white colors of the French flag; the wedge-shaped hardfin fish is about a quarter in length rice; the beautiful garrison with six jet-black bars and scales of blue, yellow, gold, and silver; and there are also the moundfish, the yellow-headed porpoise, the hardfin sika, Sea dams, swordfish, gobies, and hundreds of other species of fish found in the ocean.

On February 2, the "Nautilus" surfaced. This is the widest part of the Red Sea, with Suakin on the west coast and Guangxiangda on the east coast, with a width of about 9 nautical miles.

At noon, after recording the position of the ship on the map, Captain Nemo stepped onto the platform, where I happened to be.I intend to ask him about some future voyage plans, and if he does not disclose, I will not let him go back to the ship.

Captain Nemo came to me, handed me a cigar, and said, "Professor Aronnax, do you like the Red Sea? Have you carefully observed the wonders of this sea? Including the fish, plants, Insects, sponge beds and coral forests, and the ruins of cities that lie silent on the seabed."

"Yes, sir," I replied, "the Nautilus is best suited for this kind of close-up observation and study of the bottom of the sea. It is a very intelligent ship."

"You are quite right, sir, that the Nautilus is clever and bold, and cannot be harmed by violent storms, dangerous reefs, or the cannon of a human gunboat."

"I agree," I went on, "the Red Sea is called the Sea of ​​Storms, and if I remember correctly, it was shunned by sailors in ancient times because of its high winds and rough waves."

"Yes, the Red Sea is indeed a nuisance in the eyes of the world. Greek and Latin historians have criticized it. Sturabin said that the Red Sea is difficult for ships to navigate during the north wind and rainy season. , the Arabian Edrihi used the name of Golzang Bay to describe the Red Sea. He said that many ships sank here, and even the most experienced captain would not dare to choose to sail in the Red Sea at night. He believed that the wind in the Red Sea Moreover, the wind direction is changeable, and the sea area is full of small islands that cause ships to run aground, no matter on the seabed or on the sea surface, there is nowhere to go."

"Clearly," I said quickly, "that's because none of these historians was allowed to sail on the Nautilus."

"Yes," the captain said with a smile. "Regarding this point, modern people are not much smarter than ancient people. The invention of steam power only happened in the middle of the last century, but human civilization is much farther along."

"No one can predict whether there will be a second 'Nautilus' in the next 100 years?"

"I don't think so, technology advances very slowly."

"Captain, have you considered," I replied, "that you have invented a ship at least a century, if not centuries, ahead of our time. It would be a pity that such a great invention and its inventor should disappear. of."

Captain Nemo did not directly answer my concerns.

After a few minutes of silence, I asked Captain Nemo, "You seem to have done special research on the Red Sea. Can you tell me the origin of the name Red Sea?"

"Mr. Aronnax, there are many answers to this question. I prefer the opinion of a fourteenth-century historian. Do you want to hear it?"

"Of course I would."

"This historian believes that the name of the Red Sea comes from the Bible. When Moses led the Jews across the sea, the sea water disappeared without a trace, but when the Egyptian Pharaoh's army chased to the sea, the sea water came uninvited. drowned Pharaoh's army."

"Captain Nemo," I said, shaking my head, "this is the opinion of a writer, and I cannot accept it. I would rather know your personal opinion."

"In my opinion, the name of the Red Sea comes from the Hebrew word 'Edron', and later the ancients called it 'Red Sea' because there is a special color in this water."

"Since entering the Red Sea Basin, all I have seen are clear waters, and there is no special color."

"It's like this at the moment, but I'm sure you'll see when you go deeper into the water. I've been to Door Bay before, and the water there has a blood-red color, like a lake of blood."

"Do you think it was caused by some kind of colored algae in the sea?"

"Yes, that kind of seaweed is called trigonum, and it can produce a vermilion sticky substance. This seaweed is so small that [-] trees can occupy one square centimeter of sea surface. If we drive to Dole Bay, You can witness this amazing plant with your own eyes."

"So, Captain, this is not the first time you have passed through the Red Sea?"

"Not the first time, Professor."

"You just mentioned that the Jews walked through this sea and the Egyptian Pharaoh's army was submerged in the sea. I would like to ask, have you ever seen traces of the legendary history at the bottom of the Red Sea?"

"Not found, Professor, because there is an obvious problem here."

"what is the problem?"

"Where Moses led his people passed, it should now be a complete desert, even the legs of a camel can't get wet. You think, it is impossible for my 'Nautilus' to sail in the desert."

"Where is this place?"

"North of the Isthmus of Suez, there used to be very deep lakes. At that time, the water level of the Red Sea was very high, and these salt water lakes were connected. Now this place cannot be changed from a desert to an ocean. In the past, the Jews passed through here and returned to Palestine. The army was also submerged here, so I think that if you excavate in the sand here, you will find a lot of weapons made in Egypt.”

"This is really a good proof method," I said, "I hope that archaeologists will start digging as soon as possible. If the Suez Canal is dug through, many new cities will rise on this land. For' To the Nautilus, the canal's usefulness is not so obvious."

"Yes, but it is very useful to the whole world." The captain replied, "The ancients have long understood that the establishment of communication between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean is of great benefit to their commercial operations, but they never thought of discovering a route directly connecting the Atlantic Ocean and the Red Sea." Canal, they just used the Nile River to make a transition. According to legend, this canal connecting the Nile River and the Red Sea existed in the Ramses Dynasty. According to historical records, in 615 BC, Nigos II initiated the construction of a canal Project, diverting the Nile River water, crossing the Egyptian plain opposite the Arabian Peninsula. On this canal, it takes four days to sail. The canal is very wide, and two large ships with three rows of oars can run in parallel. Later, in 500 BC, The canal project was completed by Staspa's son, Darius. Darius specially erected a stele to record his achievements. Until the Antonian era, this canal has always been a way of commercial trade. Later, the canal had a rough fate and sometimes silted up. It was open from time to time. By the eighth century AD, the Khalifa al-Mansur of the Arab Empire wanted to prevent grain from being carried along the river to the rebels, and the canal was completely filled."

"Captain, this canal, once completed, will connect the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea, and shorten the voyage from the Spanish port of Cadiz to India by nine thousand kilometers. The ancients did not accomplish this feat, and now Ferdinand de Viscount Lesseb is in charge of the construction, I think it won't be long before Africa will be stripped off by Asia and become a huge island."

"Yes, unfortunately," he sighed, "I can't take you across the Suez Canal. When you reach the Mediterranean Sea the day after tomorrow, you will be able to see the long embankment of Port Said, Egypt."

"Mediterranean? The day after tomorrow?" I called.

"Yes, Professor, are you surprised?"

"I'm wondering, how can we reach the Mediterranean Sea the day after tomorrow?"

"It's easy, why are you wondering?"

"Isn't the 'Nautilus' going around the Cape of Good Hope? It's going around the African continent. You won't be able to reach the Mediterranean Sea the day after tomorrow anyway."

"Dear professor, who told you to go around Africa?" There was a smug smile on the captain's mouth.

"Unless the 'Nautilus' has wheels and we can drive over land, the rest... I can't think of anything else."

"What do you think if you go through the ground, Mr. Professor?"

"You mean going through the ground?"

"There is no doubt," Captain Nemo said calmly, "What people are doing on this earth, nature has already done it underground."

"Is there a passage underneath?"

"There is indeed one, I call it the Arabian Submarine Tunnel, just below the Suez Canal, leading to the Gulf of North Luz."

"Is this underground passage formed by loose sand?"

"The part formed on the sand reaches a certain depth, below 50 metres, with a layer of solid rock."

"Did you discover this underground passage by accident?" I was surprised.

"It's a chance, but it also comes down to reasonable inference, professor. I think reasoning has more to do with chance."

"Captain, I think everything you say is true, but my ears resist it."

"Professor, in this world, there are many people who have ears but can't hear. This mysterious undersea channel exists, and I have sailed through it several times. If not, why did I come to this tyrannical channel?" What about the adventure of going around the Red Sea?"

"May I ask you how you discovered this passage, and I am not presumptuous?"

Said the captain: "There should be no secrets between those of us who will not part."

I didn't pay attention to the inner meaning of his words, just waiting for him to tell the whole secret.He said:
"Professor, I used a simple biological reasoning to prove and discover this submarine channel that only I know about. I have observed that some identical fish live in the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. Such as snake fish, car fish, winch fish, cluster fish, stupid fish and flying fish, etc. After I confirmed this fact, I was thinking about a question: Is there a line between these two independent seas? Hidden passage? If it does exist, because the sea level of the Red Sea is low, the lower ocean current must flow from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean. For this purpose, I did a special experiment. I caught a lot of fish near Suez. The tails of these fish were used as marks, and the fish were returned to the sea. A few months later, on the coast of Syria, I found some fish with copper rings on the tail that I had released before. This proves that the fish came from two seas. I swam through the passage between them, and then I used the 'Nautilus' to search for this passage, and finally found it, and I took a risky boat and sailed across it, Professor, that's the way it is, complicated and simple. It won't be long , you will also go to the Atlantic Ocean through my Arabian submarine tunnel!"

Arabian Submarine Tunnel

(End of this chapter)