Captain Nemo and I returned to the gallery, where we settled ourselves on one of the couches. He showed me a set of drawings of the Nautilus.
"As you can see, Professor Aronnax," said the captain, "my ship is shaped like a cigar, measuring 232 feet in length and 26 feet at its widest point. It has two steel hulls joined together, which make it as strong as if it were made of solid metal."
"How does it sink under the water?" I asked, studying the plans.
"The submarine has reservoirs that can be filled with seawater when we need to descend," he explained. "But we don't have to take on a huge amount of water because everything has a natural tendency to sink in water."
"Then how do you make the submarine rise to the surface?"
"All we have to do is pump out the extra water," said the captain. "The pumps, which run on electricity, are very powerful. But I'm sure you observed that when jets of water burst over the Abraham Lincoln."
I remembered that quite well.
"The submarine also has rudders on either side that help to guide it up or down," the captain went on.
"But how can the pilot see where he's going?" I asked.
"He sits in a glass pilot house on top of the vessel. Behind him is a powerful electric light that shows him the way."
"Aha!" I said. "That explains the glow of the 'narwhal' that puzzled us so. Well, Captain, your Nautilus is certainly a marvelous vessel."
"It is indeed, Professor, and I love it as if it were a part of myself. I am the engineer, builder, and captain of this wonderful boat."
"But how did you manage to build it in secret?" I asked.
"Each part came from a different place," said Captain Nemo. "The keel was made in France, the propeller in Scotland, the engine in Prussia, and the instruments in New York. I gave a different name to every supplier, so that no one could trace the orders back to me."
"Yes, but someone had to put the various parts together," I said, still mystified.
"I set up my workshop on a desert island. There my crew, whom I had trained, put the Nautilus together under my direction. When we finished, we burned all traces of our work."
I couldn't begin to imagine how much this vessel was worth, especially considering the value of the treasures onboard.
"One last question, Captain Nemo," I said. "Are you rich?"
"Immensely rich, Professor. I could pay the national debt of France and never miss the money."
I stared at him. Was he pulling my leg? Time would tell.
"Now," said Captain Nemo, "it's almost noon. Time for us to figure out our location and determine our starting point for this voyage. We need to go back up to the surface."
The captain pressed a button three times. The pumps began to drive the water from the tanks; the needle on one of his instruments showed that we were rising to the surface. The needle stopped moving.
"We've arrived," said the captain, who then led the way to a platform on top of the submarine.
The platform was only three feet above the water. Toward the middle of the platform I saw the slight bump that indicated where the small boat was stored. I also observed the two glass enclosures that the captain had described, one for the pilot and the other for the electric light that guided him.
The sea was beautiful and the sky was clear. A light breeze rippled the surface of the water. There was nothing in sight. Captain Nemo used his sextant to measure the altitude of the sun, thus determining our latitude.
"It's noon," said the captain. "Professor, whenever you're ready . . ." He indicated the hatch that led to the submarine's interior.
I took one last look at the sea and climbed down the ladder. I felt the vessel beginning to descend. In the gallery Captain Nemo used another instrument to calculate our longitude and determine our exact position on the sea.
"Our voyage under the seas began at noon today, November 8," he said. "We are headed northeast at a depth of 156 feet. Here are some maps upon which you can follow our course." He bowed to me. "And now I'll leave you to your studies."
I spent the next hour thinking about Captain Nemo and his amazing submarine. Then I noticed a large map on the table, and I put my finger on the spot where our voyage had begun. I realized that we were following the Black River, a powerful ocean current like the Gulf Stream. I was still staring at the map when Ned and Conseil appeared at the door of the gallery. They were standing still, frozen at the sight of the wonders spread before them.
"Where are we?" cried Ned. "In a museum in Quebec?"
"No, it must be a museum in Paris," insisted Conseil.
I motioned for them to enter. "My friends, you are in neither Canada nor France but onboard the Nautilus, 156 feet below sea level."
"Professor Aronnax," said Ned, "can you tell me how many men are onboard with us? Ten, twenty, fifty, a hundred?"
"I don't know," I replied. "I think you should give up any idea of seizing the Nautilus or escaping from it right now. This ship is a masterpiece of modern industry, and I'm glad I have the chance to see it. So be quiet for a while and let's see what happens."
"See!" exclaimed Ned. "But we can see nothing in this underwater prison! We're sailing blindly!"
Ned had barely said these words when all the lights went out. The three of us didn't dare to speak; we didn't know what would happen next. We heard something that sounded like panels sliding.
"It's the end!" cried Ned.
Suddenly light appeared at either end of the gallery, thanks to two large windows. The sea was clearly visible for a mile around the Nautilus. What a spectacle!
"Well, you wished to see, Ned," I said. "Now you can see."
"Amazing! Truly amazing!" muttered the harpooner, forgetting his bad mood.
Conseil was equally captivated by the view through the windows. As Ned named the fish, Conseil put them into their scientific classifications. I won't mention all the varieties that passed before my dazzled eyes for two hours, but they represented a superb collection of specimens that I had only read about. These fish, more numerous than the birds of the air, were undoubtedly attracted by the brilliance of the submarine's electric light.
Suddenly there was light in the gallery, the panels closed, and the enchanting vision disappeared. I expected Captain Nemo to join us, but he didn't appear. Ned and Conseil returned to their cabin, and I returned to mine, where I found that my dinner was ready.
I passed the evening reading, writing, and thinking. That night I slept deeply while the Nautilus glided rapidly through the current of the Black River.