Chapter 17. An Underwater Forest

           Thenextmorning,the18thofNovember,Ihadquiterecoveredfrommyfatiguesofthedaybefore,andIwentupontotheplatform,justasthesecondlieutenantwasutteringhisdailyphrase.

           IwasadmiringthemagnificentaspectoftheoceanwhenCaptainNemoappeared.Hedidnotseemtobeawareofmypresence,andbeganaseriesofastronomicalobservations.Then,whenhehadfinished,hewentandleantonthecageofthewatch-light,andgazedabstractedlyontheocean.Inthemeantime,anumberofthesailorsoftheNautilus,allstrongandhealthymen,hadcomeupontotheplatform.Theycametodrawupthenetsthathadbeenlaidallnight.Thesesailorswereevidentlyofdifferentnations,althoughtheEuropeantypewasvisibleinallofthem.IrecognisedsomeunmistakableIrishmen,Frenchmen,someSclaves,andaGreek,oraCandiote.Theywerecivil,andonlyusedthatoddlanguageamongthemselves,theoriginofwhichIcouldnotguess,neithercouldIquestionthem.

           Thenetswerehauledin.Theywerealargekindof"chaluts,"likethoseontheNormandycoasts,greatpocketsthatthewavesandachainfixedinthesmallermesheskeptopen.Thesepockets,drawnbyironpoles,sweptthroughthewater,andgatheredineverythingintheirway.Thatdaytheybroughtupcuriousspecimensfromthoseproductivecoasts.

           Ireckonedthatthehaulhadbroughtinmorethanninehundredweightoffish.Itwasafinehaul,butnottobewonderedat.Indeed,thenetsareletdownforseveralhours,andencloseintheirmeshesaninfinitevariety.Wehadnolackofexcellentfood,andtherapidityoftheNautilusandtheattractionoftheelectriclightcouldalwaysrenewoursupply.