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Chapter 16. Strolling the Plains

           Afewstepsoff,amonstroussea-spider,aboutthirty-eightincheshigh,waswatchingmewithsquintingeyes,readytospringuponme.Thoughmydiver’sdresswasthickenoughtodefendmefromthebiteofthisanimal,Icouldnothelpshudderingwithhorror.ConseilandthesailoroftheNautilusawokeatthismoment.CaptainNemopointedoutthehideouscrustacean,whichablowfromthebuttendofthegunknockedover,andIsawthehorribleclawsofthemonsterwritheinterribleconvulsions.Thisincidentremindedmethatotheranimalsmoretobefearedmighthaunttheseobscuredepths,againstwhoseattacksmydiving-dresswouldnotprotectme.Ihadneverthoughtofitbefore,butInowresolvedtobeuponmyguard.Indeed,Ithoughtthatthishaltwouldmarktheterminationofourwalk;butIwasmistaken,for,insteadofreturningtotheNautilus,CaptainNemocontinuedhisboldexcursion.Thegroundwasstillontheincline,itsdeclivityseemedtobegettinggreater,andtobeleadingustogreaterdepths.Itmusthavebeenaboutthreeo’clockwhenwereachedanarrowvalley,betweenhighperpendicularwalls,situatedaboutseventy-fivefathomsdeep.Thankstotheperfectionofourapparatus,wewereforty-fivefathomsbelowthelimitwhichnatureseemstohaveimposedonmanastohissubmarineexcursions.

           Isayseventy-fivefathoms,thoughIhadnoinstrumentbywhichtojudgethedistance.ButIknewthatevenintheclearestwatersthesolarrayscouldnotpenetratefurther.Andaccordinglythedarknessdeepened.Attenpacesnotanobjectwasvisible.Iwasgropingmyway,whenIsuddenlysawabrilliantwhitelight.CaptainNemohadjustputhiselectricapparatusintouse;hiscompaniondidthesame,andConseilandIfollowedtheirexample.ByturningascrewIestablishedacommunicationbetweenthewireandthespiralglass,andthesea,litbyourfourlanterns,wasilluminatedforacircleofthirty-sixyards.

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