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Chapter 19. Vanikoro

           Ihadwishedtovisitthereef,360leagueslong,againstwhichthesea,alwaysrough,brokewithgreatviolence,withanoiselikethunder.ButjustthentheinclinedplanesdrewtheNautilusdowntoagreatdepth,andIcouldseenothingofthehighcoralwalls.Ihadtocontentmyselfwiththedifferentspecimensoffishbroughtupbythenets.Iremarked,amongothers,somegermons,aspeciesofmackerelaslargeasatunny,withbluishsides,andstripedwithtransversebands,thatdisappearwiththeanimal’slife.Thesefishfollowedusinshoals,andfurnisheduswithverydelicatefood.Wetookalsoalargenumberofgiltheads,aboutoneandahalfincheslong,tastinglikedorys;andflyingfire-fishlikesubmarineswallows,which,indarknights,lightalternatelytheairandwaterwiththeirphosphorescentlight.

           Twodaysaftercrossingthecoralsea,4thJanuary,wesightedthePapuancoasts.Onthisoccasion,CaptainNemoinformedmethathisintentionwastogetintotheIndianOceanbytheStraitofTorres.Hiscommunicationendedthere.

           TheTorresStraitsarenearlythirty-fourleagueswide;buttheyareobstructedbyaninnumerablequantityofislands,islets,breakers,androcks,thatmakeitsnavigationalmostimpracticable;sothatCaptainNemotookallneedfulprecautionstocrossthem.TheNautilus,floatingbetwixtwindandwater,wentatamoderatepace.Herscrew,likeacetacean’stail,beatthewavesslowly.

           Profitingbythis,Iandmytwocompanionswentupontothedesertedplatform.Beforeuswasthesteersman’scage,andIexpectedthatCaptainNemowastheredirectingthecourseoftheNautilus.

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