Chapter 23. “Aegri Somnia”

           Thefollowingday10thJanuary,theNautiluscontinuedhercoursebetweentwoseas,butwithsuchremarkablespeedthatIcouldnotestimateitatlessthanthirty-fivemilesanhour.TherapidityofherscrewwassuchthatIcouldneitherfollownorcountitsrevolutions.WhenIreflectedthatthismarvellouselectricagent,afterhavingaffordedmotion,heat,andlighttotheNautilus,stillprotectedherfromoutwardattack,andtransformedherintoanarkofsafetywhichnoprofanehandmighttouchwithoutbeingthunderstricken,myadmirationwasunbounded,andfromthestructureitextendedtotheengineerwhohadcalleditintoexistence.

           Ourcoursewasdirectedtothewest,andonthe11thofJanuarywedoubledCapeWessel,situationin135°long.and10°S.lat.,whichformstheeastpointoftheGulfofCarpentaria.Thereefswerestillnumerous,butmoreequalised,andmarkedonthechartwithextremeprecision.TheNautiluseasilyavoidedthebreakersofMoneytoportandtheVictoriareefstostarboard,placedat130°long.andonthe10thparallel,whichwestrictlyfollowed.

           Onthe13thofJanuary,CaptainNemoarrivedintheSeaofTimor,andrecognisedtheislandofthatnamein122°long.

           FromthispointthedirectionoftheNautilusinclinedtowardsthesouth-west.HerheadwassetfortheIndianOcean.WherewouldthefancyofCaptainNemocarryusnext?WouldhereturntothecoastofAsiaorwouldheapproachagaintheshoresofEurope?Improbableconjecturesboth,toamanwhofledfrominhabitedcontinents.Thenwouldhedescendtothesouth?WashegoingtodoubletheCapeofGoodHope,thenCapeHorn,andfinallygoasfarastheAntarcticpole?

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