“These are the normal navigational instruments,” I replied, “and I’m familiar with their uses. But no doubt these others are unique. That one—isn’t it a pressure gauge[25]?”

“It is indeed a pressure gauge. It’s placed in contact with the water, and it gives me the depth at which my submersible is sitting.”

“And these?”

“They’re thermometric sounding lines[26] that report water temperatures in the different strata.”

“And these other instruments, whose functions I can’t even guess?”

“Here, professor, I need to give you some background information,” Captain Nemo said. He fell silent for some moments, then he said:

“There’s a powerful, obedient, swift, and effortless force which reigns supreme aboard my vessel. It does everything. It lights me, it warms me, it’s the soul of my mechanical equipment. This force is electricity.”

“Electricity!” I exclaimed in some surprise.

“Yes, sir.”

“But, captain, you have a tremendous speed of movement! How do you replace this marvelous force, since you no longer stay in contact with the shore?”

“At the bottom of the sea there exist much zinc, iron, silver, and gold, and I use the sea itself for the source of my electricity.”

“The sea itself?”

“Yes, professor. You’re familiar with the composition of salt water. In 1,000 grams one finds 96.5% water and about 2.66% sodium chloride[27], and so on. It’s this sodium that I extract from salt water and with which I compose my electric cells.”

“Sodium?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Captain, I fully understand the excellence of sodium. The sea contains it. Fine. But it still has to be extracted. And how do you accomplish this?”

“I don’t extract it with batteries; I utilize the heat of coal from the earth. I owe everything to the ocean; it generates electricity, and electricity gives the Nautilus heat, light, motion, and, in a word, life itself.”

“But not the air you breathe?”

“Oh, I could produce the air needed on board, but it would be pointless, since I can rise to the surface of the sea whenever I like.”

“Captain,” I replied, “all mankind will surely find the true dynamic power of electricity one day!”

“I’m not so certain they’ll find it,” Captain Nemo replied icily, standing up. “And if you follow me, we’ll inspect the Nautilus’s stern.”

I followed Captain Nemo down gangways, and I arrived amidships. There I found an iron ladder, clamped to the wall, led to the shaft’s upper end. I asked the captain what this ladder was for.

“It goes to the skiff,” he replied.

“What! You have a skiff?” I replied in some astonishment.

“Surely. An excellent longboat, light and unsinkable, which is used for excursions and fishing trips. The skiff is attached to the topside of the Nautilus’s hull. This ladder leads to a manhole cut into the hull and corresponding to a comparable hole cut into the side of the skiff. I insert myself through this double opening into the longboat.”

“But how do you return to the ship?”

“I don’t, Professor Aronnax; the Nautilus returns to me.”

“At your command?”

“At my command. An electric wire connects me to the ship. Come into the lounge. It’s actually our work room, and there you’ll learn the full story about the Nautilus

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Примечания

the Governor Higginson – «Говернор Хигинсон» (название судна)

Baker – Бейкер

in Pacific seas – в водах Тихого океана

the Christopher Columbus – «Христофор Колумб» (название судна)

nautical league – морское лье (1 лье = 5556 м)

the Helvetia – «Гельвеция» (название судна)

Aristotle and Pliny – Аристотель и Плиний

the Moravia – «Моравиа» (название судна)

the Scotia – «Шотландия» (название судна)

Pierre Aronnax – Пьер Аронакс

the Abraham Lincoln – «Авраам Линкольн» (название судна)