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Chapter 17. An Underwater Forest

           ThegeneraldirectionoftheNautiluswassouth-east,anditkeptbetween100and150yardsofdepth.Oneday,however,Idonotknowwhy,beingdrawndiagonallybymeansoftheinclinedplanes,ittouchedthebedofthesea.Thethermometerindicatedatemperatureof4.25(cent.):atemperaturethatatthisdepthseemedcommontoalllatitudes.

           Atthreeo’clockinthemorningofthe26thofNovembertheNautiluscrossedthetropicofCancerat172°long.On27thinstantitsightedtheSandwichIslands,whereCookdied,February14,1779.Wehadthengone4,860leaguesfromourstarting-point.Inthemorning,whenIwentontheplatform,Isawtwomilestowindward,Hawaii,thelargestofthesevenislandsthatformthegroup.Isawclearlythecultivatedranges,andtheseveralmountain-chainsthatrunparallelwiththeside,andthevolcanoesthatovertopMouna-Rea,whichrise5,000yardsabovethelevelofthesea.Besidesotherthingsthenetsbroughtup,wereseveralflabellariaeandgracefulpolypi,thatarepeculiartothatpartoftheocean.ThedirectionoftheNautiluswasstilltothesouth-east.ItcrossedtheequatorDecember1,in142°long.;andonthe4thofthesamemonth,aftercrossingrapidlyandwithoutanythinginparticularoccurring,wesightedtheMarquesasgroup.Isaw,threemilesoff,Martin’speakinNouka-Hiva,thelargestofthegroupthatbelongstoFrance.Ionlysawthewoodymountainsagainstthehorizon,becauseCaptainNemodidnotwishtobringtheshiptothewind.Therethenetsbroughtupbeautifulspecimensoffish:somewithazurefinsandtailslikegold,thefleshofwhichisunrivalled;somenearlydestituteofscales,butofexquisiteflavour;others,withbonyjaws,andyellow-tingedgills,asgoodasbonitos;allfishthatwouldbeofusetous.AfterleavingthesecharmingislandsprotectedbytheFrenchflag,fromthe4thtothe11thofDecembertheNautilussailedoverabout2,000miles.

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