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

Chapter 98: Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (29)
I have to admit, whenever Canadians bring this up, it makes me cringe.

I don't want to hinder my companions from gaining freedom, but I have no intention of leaving Captain Nemo. It is on this ship that he built that has created many miracles. I am tirelessly exploring and researching the seabed every day. Accumulated materials for the completion of this book about treasures under the sea.Where else can I explore the secrets of one ocean after another so closely?There would be none, so I had no intention of leaving the Nautilus until the expedition was complete.

"My friend," I said, "be sure to answer my question frankly. Do you feel bored and bored on this ship? Do you regret being on this ship?"

The Canadian did not answer immediately, but folded his arms and said:
"Frankly speaking, I don't regret taking this underwater trip, and I'm happy to be on this boat with you. But when is this going to end, does it have to be done?"

"Yes, Ned, this must be done."

"Where and when will it end?"

"Where, I'm not sure, and when, I can't say. There must be a day when travel will end, when the great ocean can no longer give us new things to learn. Believe me, this world Above all, where there is a beginning, there must be an end.”

"I agree with the professor," said Conseil, "that Captain Nemo, after having swum all the oceans of the earth, may well allow the three of us to fly away freely."

"Fly away?" cried the Canadian, "you mean fly?"

"It's not that exaggerated, Ned," I replied. "We are not afraid of Captain Nemo, but Conseil's statement is also wrong. You think, we have so many secrets about this ship. Its owner Even agreeing to restore our freedom will not allow us to reveal our secrets to the world."

"Well, what do you want us to do?" Ned Land asked.

"Hopefully we might and should be able to take advantage of an opportunity like now, say six months from now."

"My professor," said the Canadian, "can you predict where we will be in six months' time?"

"Maybe here, maybe in the China Sea, you know, the speed of this ship is fast, it travels over the ocean as fast as swallows across the sky and trains across the continent. Who's sure, it won't come near France, What about England or the coasts of North America? Then as now, there is a chance of escape."

"My dear Mr. Aronnax," said the Canadian, "I cannot accept what you just said. You always talk about the future, such as when and where we are in the future. What I want to say Now, now that we've reached the Mediterranean, I'm going to take advantage of the opportunity that's in front of me."

I admit that I have been unable to convince Ned Land. His theory has driven me to nowhere. I really can't find any reason to refute him. I feel that I have lost for no reason.

"Sir," Ned Land was still pressuring, "we might as well make an assumption, if Captain Nemo gave you your freedom today, would you leave?
"I don't know," I replied.

"Suppose," continued the Canadian, "that he gave you your freedom today and would not give it again, would you go away?"

Facing this tricky question, I remained silent.

"Conseil, my friend, what do you think of this?" Ned Land turned to the next target.

"Ned," said Conseil sincerely, "I have nothing to say, and Conseil does not care about that. He will be with his master, with his companion Ned. Conseil is celibate." , no family, no parents, no children waiting for him in his hometown. When he does things for the professor, he will think with the professor and work together. It is a pity that he cannot participate in the voting. Now only two people are left to participate. It's the professor, and Ned Land on the other side, and Conseil will only listen to your decisions."

Hearing Conseil's strange remarks, I felt both relieved and amused.

The Canadians were also pleased to see that Conseil had taken a neutral position, not in favor of me.He went on to say: "Professor, since Conseil has chosen to withdraw, it is up to the two of us to discuss this issue. Do you have any opinions on what I just said?"

Things have come to this, there must always be a conclusion, I don't want to dodge blindly:

"Ned, you objected to my point of view just now, and I admit that you are right. My hope for the future is untenable. We cannot place our hopes of freedom on Captain Nemo's generosity. Even ordinary people know how to be cautious and will not allow us to disembark. Conversely, if we are more cautious, can we take a chance to escape from the Nautilus?"

"That's right, Professor, that's very good of you!"

"However, I want to remind you," I continued, "we can only have one chance to try, and we must be very sure. If the first escape fails, Captain Nemo will never give us a second chance." Chance."

"I quite agree with you," said Ned Land, "but your advice just now applies to all escape plans. The plan after two years is the same as the plan within two days. Therefore, we The thing to do is: When the opportunity comes, don’t let it slip away.”

"Ned, your analysis makes sense. Please tell me, what exactly do you mean by opportunity?"

"I mean the Nautilus lying on the water in the dark of night, and near some European coast."

"Are you going to swim to shore?"

"If it's close to the coast, we can swim. If it's far from the coast and the boat happens to be at the bottom, we have to stay."

"Stay? Then?"

"I'll try to get the dinghy. We just have to go inside the dinghy, unscrew the screws, and we'll come to the surface. The pilot is in the bow, and he can't see us fleeing."

"Well, Ned, it's up to you to make plans and choose the right time. Don't forget, we can't afford to fail."

"No, Professor."

"Ned, do you know what I think of your plan?"

"I'm all ears, Professor."

"I would say, I hope it's better not to come to this plan now."

"why?"

"Because the shrewd captain cannot fail to detect it. He knows that we have not abandoned the idea of ​​​​recovering freedom. He must be more careful, especially now."

"The professor's analysis makes sense," Conseil said.

"I don't believe in evil, just wait and see." Ned Land showed a nonchalant expression.

"As for this matter," I added, "Ned, let's talk about it here, and don't bring it up lightly in the future, unless you inform us on the day you are ready, and we will go with you."

This secret conversation was over, and the days that followed went as I had expected.

Under the command of Captain Nemo, the "Nautilus" sailed underwater for the next few days, and even if it surfaced, it was still far away from the coast.It may be that the sea with many ships has raised Captain Nemo's vigilance, or he wants to avoid these ships from different countries. I can't guess. The only thing that is certain is that the Canadians are enveloped in disappointment. a few days.

Between the Greek Islands and Asia Minor, it is difficult to find a depth of 2000 meters.I can only know Garbatos Island in the Spora Islands from the poems of the ancient Roman poet Virgil. Regarding this place, I clearly remember that Captain Nemo pointed his finger at a point on the map and read it to me casually. A sentence came out: "Above Garbatos lives the sea god Goriules Proteus who can be prophesied by the sea king Neduni..."

At that time, I was discussing the geographical features of this area with the captain. The panel was closed, and I suddenly felt that the living room was very hot. Could it be that the speed of the ship caused the heat from the generator to dissipate too much?
"Mr. Captain, can you slow down a little? It's too hot in here."

"No way, the heat comes from the outside, but we can speed up to leave this place where heat energy is generated."

"Is this heat coming from the sea outside?"

"Yes, our boat is sailing in boiling water."

"how could be?"

"See for yourself."

The panels were opened, and through the panes all the water around the Nautilus could be seen to be white.

The sea was boiling like boiling water, and traces of sulfur-like gases rose in the water, causing strings of bubbles.I put my hand on a piece of glass and felt it was very hot, so I quickly retracted my hand.

"Where are we now?" I asked.

"Professor," said the captain, "we are near the island of Sandosciu, that is, in the channel between the small islands of Nea and the small islands of Baleia. I want to show you the strange sight of an underwater volcanic eruption. "

"I thought," I said, "that the geological activity that made the new islands had stopped long ago."

"In a volcanic sea, nothing is static," replied Captain Nemo. "The earth is always suffering from the eruption of magma from below. According to the records of Gatheodore and Pliny, in AD 19, Here a new island called Goddess Tiena appeared in the place of the newly formed islets, and soon this island sank into the sea. It surfaced again in AD 69, and then sank once more. From Since then, the ups and downs of the island have stopped. However, on February 1866, 2, a new island named George Island emerged near the small island of Niah under the volcanic gas. .On the 3th of the same month, it merged with the island of Niah. Seven days later, on the 6th of February, the small island of Afrosa appeared. When this happened, I happened to be in the sea in this area and was able to observe the formation of the island at close range. All stages. Avrosa islet is circular, about three hundred feet in diameter, thirty feet high, and its composition is black quartzite volcanic rock, mixed with fragments of feldspar. Later on August 2 On the 13st, another smaller island was born, named Lieka Island, which was also near Niah Island. Afterwards, these three small islands merged together to form a large island.”

"Which channel is our ship on?" I asked.

"Look," Captain Nemo took out a map of the Greek islands, "look, I've included all these new islands."

"Will this channel be blocked by islands?"

"It is possible that after 1866, eight volcanic islands emerged in the sea opposite the port of San Nicola on the island of Balaia. I estimate that in the near future, the islands of Niah and Balea will be connected. Together."

I went to the glass window, and the "Nautilus" stayed in the water and did not move forward.The air around me felt unbearably hot.At the beginning, the sea water was still white, but due to the iron salts on the seabed, a chemical reaction occurred, which dyed the sea water red.Although the living room is very airtight, strong sulfur gas still penetrated in.Not far ahead, I saw the crimson flames erupting from the magma, which was so dazzling that it covered up the light of the searchlights.

I was sweating all over my body, I was a little out of breath, and felt like I was being boiled in boiling water.In fact, the sea is a boiling cauldron, and we are unfortunately in it.

"We have to get out of this boiling water quickly." I suggested to the captain.

"Yes, it would be too imprudent to stay here even though the 'Nautilus' is protected by a metal hull." Captain Nemo replied calmly.

According to the captain's order, the ship turned around and sailed away from this melting pot, and it would inevitably be dangerous to stay here any longer.God bless, 15 minutes later, I can breathe the fresh air on the sea again.While feeling the coolness of the sea breeze, I was thinking, if Canadians choose to flee here, we may really be buried in this "sea of ​​fire".

The next day, February 2, we left the sea between Rhodes and Alexandria, at a depth of 16 metres. The "Nautilus" sailed quickly on the surface of Sherico, and after rounding Cape Madabang, it quickly left the Greek islands behind.

48 hours in the Mediterranean
It can be said that the Mediterranean Sea is the bluest and most ornamental ocean. The Hebrews called it "the sea", and the Romans called it "our sea".Around this sea area, there are many orange trees, aloes, cacti, sea pine trees, and the air is filled with the fragrance of guava flowers.Going deeper, you can see the mountains surrounded by lush greenery, and the air is pure and fresh.The ground seems to be a resort on earth, but there is a raging fire burning and tormenting underground.Since ancient times, this sea has been the battlefield where the god of the sea and the king of Hades have fought for hegemony. There has never been a lack of fierce fights and battles here. Michelle said: "In the Mediterranean Sea, its shores, and its waters all prove the strength and force of the earth. Best place for…”

Although the Mediterranean Sea is so beautiful, I can only take a rough look.The area of ​​this sea area is about 200 million square kilometers. Captain Nemo is the person who knows this place best, but I can't learn anything from him. He suddenly hid in the cabin mysteriously and never came out once.So far, we have traveled 2 kilometers under the Mediterranean Sea in only two days. In the early morning of February 16th, we were still on the sea in Greece. By the time the sun rose on the 18th, we had already passed the Strait of Gibraltar.

It is obvious that Captain Nemo does not like the Mediterranean, and the people he is avoiding are living on the land on both sides.Even if the sea breeze and waves here will not bring him too much regret, it will also bring a lot of unbearable memories.The sense of freedom and freedom that the sea had always given him was gone. When the "Nautilus" sailed in this sea bordering Europe and Africa, it was also unable to raise its spirits.

The speed of the "Nautilus" is 25 knots per hour, or 46 kilometers per hour.Ned Land was very annoyed that he had to temporarily abandon his escape plan. At this speed of 12 to 13 meters per second, it was impossible for him to use the small boat against the laws of motion.Leaving the "Nautilus" at such a speed is equivalent to jumping off a speeding train, which is undoubtedly a joke with life.In addition, according to Captain Nemo's order, the "Nautilus" ship can only float up at night to change the fresh air, while the captain stays in the cabin and uses the compass and rangefinder to guide the navigation.

In the "Nautilus" that was advancing at high speed, I looked out at the sea through the window glass, just like a passenger on a fast train, the scenery I saw flashed by in front of my eyes, and I could only see the distant The scenery, the things in front of me are all flashing by like lightning, at most you can see the outline.Fortunately, Conseil and I were able to observe some Mediterranean fishes, whose strong flippers allowed them to stay for a while in the current near our hull.We waited with interest for these passers-by, and the detailed notes I had made earlier helped me to correct the fish outline of the Mediterranean.

The boat's searchlights illuminated the surrounding water, and some meter-long hagfish, which are found in almost all oceans of different climates, swam gracefully around.The jellyfish are five feet wide, with a white belly and a spotted back, and when viewed from a distance they appear to float along the current like a wide scarf.Some crucian fish swim very fast, and I wonder if they deserve the title "eagle" given to them by the Greeks, or the very strange names given to them by modern fishermen, such as "mouse" "toad" and "bat" .Surrounding the boat were clusters of sharks, twelve feet long, absolutely daunting to divers.The sharks chased through the water, seemingly competing for speed.The plum foxes were eight feet long, and they had a very keen sense of smell, and now and then they swam out of some corner of the water like pale blue shadows.The flatfish is a genus of bream, some can grow to more than a meter, and the body color is silvery white and sky blue, and is wrapped with stripes.Their dark-toned fins are particularly prominent, and their eyes are embedded in golden eyebrows, which look charming. In ancient times, they were specially used to sacrifice to Venus, the god of love.The finfish are equally beautiful, nine to ten meters in length, they are excellent swimmers, they are amazingly fast in the water, their powerful tails often hit the glass in the living room, and they have small maroon spots on their light blue backs, which are very beautiful. They are a bit like sharks, but they are not as strong as sharks.They are encountered in oceans all over the world, and in spring they swim upstream into major rivers.

The Mediterranean is a paradise for fish, and as the Nautilus rose close to the surface, I saw a fin whale.It belongs to the third genus No.60 of the bony fish group, with a blue-black back, silver armor on the belly, and golden shimmering lines on the back.These fish often swim behind boats, hiding in the shade of the boat in the hot sun of tropical seas.So it was with the fin whales I saw, swarming about the Nautilus, as they had accompanied La Bilus in former times.For a long time they raced our boats.These fish are born to be good swimmers, their heads are small, their spindle-shaped bodies are smooth, and some are more than three meters long.They have powerful pectoral fins and a forked tail.Their actions in the water look like triangles, so the ancients said they knew something about geometry.

Later, in Conseil's notebook, I also found descriptions of several of these Mediterranean fishes.Fist-shaped electric eels, with a pale white body, disappear before your eyes like an impalpable gas when they swim away; moray eels, three to four meters long, look like land-based eels in appearance. Snakes, with beautiful tints of blue, blue, and yellow; sea fins, three feet long, whose livers are a delicacy; striped fish, which swim like long, thin seaweeds; lyres, sailors. Call it the flute fish, and there are two triangular and multi-toothed thin plates on its mouth, which are shaped like old Homer's musical instruments; the swallow flute fish swims fast, like a petrel skimming the water, so it got this name; Thick, red head, dorsal fins covered with silky lines; sunflower fish, with black, gray, chestnut, blue, yellow, cyan spots on the body, it can wonderfully "jingle" like a bell The sound of the butterfly fish; the gorgeous butterfly fish, commonly known as the "pheasant" in the sea, has a diamond-shaped body, light yellow fins, and small maroon spots; the last is the beautiful sea flying gills, which is the "peaceless bird" in the sea .

(End of this chapter)