During the nights of the 13th and 14th of March,the Nautilus returned to its southerly course.Ifancied that,when on a level with Cape Horn,he would turn the helm westward,in order to beat the Pacific seas,and so complete the tour of the world.He did nothing of the kind,but continued on his way to the southern regions.Where was he going to?
To the pole?It was madness!Ibegan to think that the Captain's temerity justified Ned Land's fears.For some time past the Canadian had not spoken to me of his projects of flight;he was less communicative,almost silent.Icould see that this lengthened imprisonment was weighing upon him,and Ifelt that rage was burning within him.
When he met the Captain,his eyes lit up with suppressed anger;and Ifeared that his natural violence would lead him into some extreme.
That day,the 14th of March,Conseil and he came to me in my room.
Iinquired the cause of their visit.
"Asimple question to ask you,sir,"replied the Canadian.
"Speak,Ned."
"How many men are there on board the Nautilus,do you think?""Icannot tell,my friend."
"Ishould say that its working does not require a large crew.""Certainly,under existing conditions,ten men,at the most,ought to be enough.""Well,why should there be any more?"
"Why?"Ireplied,looking fixedly at Ned Land,whose meaning was easy to guess."Because,"Iadded,"if my surmises are correct,and if Ihave well understood the Captain's existence,the Nautilus is not only a vessel:
it is also a place of refuge for those who,like its commander,have broken every tie upon earth.""Perhaps so,"said Conseil;"but,in any case,the Nautilus can only contain a certain number of men.Could not you,sir,estimate their maximum?""How,Conseil?"
"By calculation;given the size of the vessel,which you know,sir,and consequently the quantity of air it contains,knowing also how much each man expends at a breath,and comparing these results with the fact that the Nautilus is obliged to go to the surface every twenty-four hours."Conseil had not finished the sentence before Isaw what he was driving at.
"Iunderstand,"said I;"but that calculation,though simple enough,can give but a very uncertain result.""Never mind,"said Ned Land urgently.
"Here it is,then,"said I."In one hour each man consumes the oxygen contained in twenty gallons of air;and in twenty-four,that contained in 480gallons.We must,therefore find how many times 480gallons of air the Nautilus contains.""Just so,"said Conseil.
"Or,"Icontinued,"the size of the Nautilus being 1,500tons;and one ton holding 200gallons,it contains 300,000gallons of air,which,divided by 480,gives a quotient of 625.
Which means to say,strictly speaking,that the air contained in the Nautilus would suffice for 625men for twenty-four hours.""Six hundred and twenty-five!"repeated Ned.
"But remember that all of us,passengers,sailors,and officers included,would not form a tenth part of that number.""Still too many for three men,"murmured Conseil.
The Canadian shook his head,passed his hand across his forehead,and left the room without answering.
"Will you allow me to make one observation,sir?"said Conseil.
"Poor Ned is longing for everything that he can not have.His past life is always present to him;everything that we are forbidden he regrets.
His head is full of old recollections.And we must understand him.
What has he to do here?Nothing;he is not learned like you,sir;and has not the same taste for the beauties of the sea that we have.
He would risk everything to be able to go once more into a tavern in his own country."Certainly the monotony on board must seem intolerable to the Canadian,accustomed as he was to a life of liberty and activity.
Events were rare which could rouse him to any show of spirit;but that day an event did happen which recalled the bright days of the harpooner.
About eleven in the morning,being on the surface of the ocean,the Nautilus fell in with a troop of whales--an encounter which did not astonish me,knowing that these creatures,hunted to death,had taken refuge in high latitudes.
We were seated on the platform,with a quiet sea.The month of October in those latitudes gave us some lovely autumnal days.It was the Canadian--he could not be mistaken--who signalled a whale on the eastern horizon.
Looking attentively,one might see its black back rise and fall with the waves five miles from the Nautilus.
"Ah!"exclaimed Ned Land,"if Iwas on board a whaler,now such a meeting would give me pleasure.It is one of large size.
See with what strength its blow-holes throw up columns of air an steam!
Confound it,why am Ibound to these steel plates?""What,Ned,"said I,"you have not forgotten your old ideas of fishing?""Can a whale-fisher ever forget his old trade,sir?Can he ever tire of the emotions caused by such a chase?""You have never fished in these seas,Ned?""Never,sir;in the northern only,and as much in Behring as in Davis Straits.""Then the southern whale is still unknown to you.It is the Greenland whale you have hunted up to this time,and that would not risk passing through the warm waters of the equator.Whales are localised,according to their kinds,in certain seas which they never leave.
And if one of these creatures went from Behring to Davis Straits,it must be simply because there is a passage from one sea to the other,either on the American or the Asiatic side.""In that case,as Ihave never fished in these seas,Ido not know the kind of whale frequenting them!""Ihave told you,Ned."
"Agreater reason for making their acquaintance,"said Conseil.
"Look!look!"exclaimed the Canadian,"they approach:
they aggravate me;they know that Icannot get at them!"Ned stamped his feet.His hand trembled,as he grasped an imaginary harpoon.
"Are these cetaceans as large as those of the northern seas?"asked he.
"Very nearly,Ned."
"Because Ihave seen large whales,sir,whales measuring a hundred feet.
