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polished by the action of the subterraneous fires, shone resplendent by the
light of our electric lantern. The mica dust from the shore, rising under our
feet, flew like a cloud of sparks. The bottom now rose sensibly, and we soon
arrived at long circuitous slopes, or inclined planes, which took us higher by
degrees; but we were obliged to walk carefully among these conglomerates,
bound by no cement, the feet slipping on the glassy crystal, felspar, and
quartz.
The volcanic nature of this enormous excavation was confirmed on all sides,
and I pointed it out to my companions.
"Picture to yourselves," said I, "what this crater must have been when filled
with boiling lava, and when the level of the incandescent liquid rose to the
orifice of the mountain, as though melted on the top of a hot plate."
"I can picture it perfectly," said Conseil. "But, sir, will you tell me why
the Great Architect has suspended operations, and how it is that the furnace
is replaced by the quiet waters of the lake?"
"Most probably, Conseil, because some convulsion beneath the ocean produced
that very opening which has served as a passage for the Nautilus. Then the
waters of the Atlantic rushed into the interior of the mountain.
There must have been a terrible struggle between the two elements, a struggle
which ended in the victory of
Neptune. But many ages have run out since then, and the submerged volcano is
now a peaceable grotto."
"Very well," replied Ned Land; "I accept the explanation, sir; but, in our own
interests, I regret that the opening of which you speak was not made above the
level of the sea."
"But, friend Ned," said Conseil, "if the passage had not been under the sea,
the Nautilus could not have gone through it."
We continued ascending. The steps became more and more perpendicular and
narrow. Deep excavations, which we were obliged to cross, cut them here and
there; sloping masses had to be turned. We slid upon our knees and crawled
along. But Conseil's dexterity and the Canadian's strength surmounted all
obstacles. At a height of about 31 feet the nature of the ground changed
without becoming more practicable. To the conglomerate and trachyte succeeded
black basalt, the first dispread in layers full of bubbles, the latter forming
regular prisms, placed like a colonnade supporting the spring of the immense
vault, an admirable specimen of natural architecture. Between the blocks of
basalt wound long streams of lava, long since grown cold, encrusted with
bituminous rays; and in some places there were spread large carpets of
sulphur. A more powerful light shone through the upper crater, shedding a
vague glimmer over these volcanic depressions for ever buried in the bosom of
this extinguished mountain. But our upward march was soon stopped at a height
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of about two hundred and fifty feet by impassable obstacles. There was a
complete vaulted arch overhanging us, and our ascent was changed to a circular
walk. At the last change vegetable life began to struggle with the mineral.
Some shrubs, and even some trees, grew from the fractures of the walls. I
recognised some euphorbias, with the caustic sugar coming from them;
heliotropes, quite incapable of justifying their name, sadly drooped their
clusters of flowers, both their colour and perfume half gone. Here and there
some chrysanthemums grew timidly at the foot of an aloe with long,
sicklylooking leaves. But between the streams of lava, I saw some little
violets still slightly perfumed, and I admit that I smelt them with delight.
Perfume is the soul of the flower, and seaflowers have no soul.
We had arrived at the foot of some sturdy dragontrees, which had pushed aside
the rocks with their strong roots, when Ned Land exclaimed:
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea
125
"Ah! sir, a hive! a hive!"
"A hive!" I replied, with a gesture of incredulity.
"Yes, a hive," repeated the Canadian, "and bees humming round it."
I approached, and was bound to believe my own eyes. There at a hole bored in
one of the dragontrees were some thousands of these ingenious insects, so
common in all the Canaries, and whose produce is so much esteemed. Naturally
enough, the Canadian wished to gather the honey, and I could not well oppose
his wish.
A quantity of dry leaves, mixed with sulphur, he lit with a spark from his
flint, and he began to smoke out the bees. The humming ceased by degrees, and
the hive eventually yielded several pounds of the sweetest honey, with which
Ned Land filled his haversack.
"When I have mixed this honey with the paste of the breadfruit," said he, "I
shall be able to offer you a succulent cake."
{`breadfruit' has been substituted for `artocarpus' in this ed.}
"'Pon my word," said Conseil, "it will be gingerbread."
"Never mind the gingerbread," said I; "let us continue our interesting walk."
At every turn of the path we were following, the lake appeared in all its
length and breadth. The lantern lit up the whole of its peaceable surface,
which knew neither ripple nor wave. The Nautilus remained perfectly immovable.
On the platform, and on the mountain, the ship's crew were working like black
shadows clearly carved against the luminous atmosphere. We were now going
round the highest crest of the first layers of rock which upheld the roof. I
then saw that bees were not the only representatives of the animal kingdom in
the interior of this volcano. Birds of prey hovered here and there in the
shadows, or fled from their nests on the top of the rocks. There were sparrow
hawks, with white breasts, and kestrels, and down the slopes scampered, with
their long legs, several fine fat bustards. I leave anyone to imagine the
covetousness of the
Canadian at the sight of this savoury game, and whether he did not regret
having no gun. But he did his best to replace the lead by stones, and, after
several fruitless attempts, he succeeded in wounding a magnificent bird. To
say that he risked his life twenty times before reaching it is but the truth;
but he managed so well that the creature joined the honeycakes in his bag. We
were now obliged to descend toward the shore, the crest becoming
impracticable. Above us the crater seemed to gape like the mouth of a well.
From this place the sky could be clearly seen, and clouds, dissipated by the
west wind, leaving behind them, even on the summit of the mountain, their
misty remnantscertain proof that they were only moderately high, for the
volcano did not rise more than eight hundred feet above the level of the
ocean. Half an hour after the Canadian's last exploit we had regained the
inner shore. Here the flora was represented by large carpets of marine
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crystal, a little umbelliferous plant very good to pickle, which also bears
the name of piercestone and seafennel.
Conseil gathered some bundles of it. As to the fauna, it might be counted by
thousands of crustacea of all sorts, lobsters, crabs, spidercrabs, chameleon
shrimps, and a large number of shells, rockfish, and limpets.
Threequarters of an hour later we had finished our circuitous walk and were on
board. The crew had just finished loading the sodium, and the Nautilus could
have left that instant. But Captain Nemo gave no order.
Did he wish to wait until night, and leave the submarine passage secretly?
Perhaps so. Whatever it might be, the next day, the Nautilus, having left its
port, steered clear of all land at a few yards beneath the waves of the
Atlantic.
CHAPTER XI. THE SARGASSO SEA
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Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea
126
That day the Nautilus crossed a singular part of the Atlantic Ocean. No one
can be ignorant of the existence of a current of warm water known by the name
of the Gulf Stream. After leaving the Gulf of Florida, we went in the
direction of Spitzbergen. But before entering the Gulf of Mexico, about 45@ of
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