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Chapter 1. The Indian Ocean

           Themorningofthe24th,in12°5’S.lat.,and94°33’long.,weobservedKeelingIsland,acoralformation,plantedwithmagnificentcocos,andwhichhadbeenvisitedbyMr.DarwinandCaptainFitzroy.TheNautilusskirtedtheshoresofthisdesertislandforalittledistance.Itsnetsbroughtupnumerousspecimensofpolypiandcuriousshellsofmollusca.

           SoonKeelingIslanddisappearedfromthehorizon,andourcoursewasdirectedtothenorth-westinthedirectionoftheIndianPeninsula.

           FromKeelingIslandourcoursewasslowerandmorevariable,oftentakingusintogreatdepths.Severaltimestheymadeuseoftheinclinedplanes,whichcertaininternalleversplacedobliquelytothewaterline.Inthatwaywewentabouttwomiles,butwithouteverobtainingthegreatestdepthsoftheIndianSea,whichsoundingsofseventhousandfathomshaveneverreached.Astothetemperatureofthelowerstrata,thethermometerinvariablyindicatedabovezero.Ionlyobservedthatintheupperregionsthewaterwasalwayscolderinthehighlevelsthanatthesurfaceofthesea.

           Onthe25thofJanuarytheoceanwasentirelydeserted;theNautiluspassedthedayonthesurface,beatingthewaveswithitspowerfulscrewandmakingthemreboundtoagreatheight.Whoundersuchcircumstanceswouldnothavetakenitforagiganticcetacean?ThreepartsofthisdayIspentontheplatform.Iwatchedthesea.Nothingonthehorizon,tillaboutfouro’clockasteamerrunningwestonourcounter.Hermastswerevisibleforaninstant,butshecouldnotseetheNautilus,beingtoolowinthewater.IfanciedthissteamboatbelongedtotheP.O.Company,whichrunsfromCeylontoSydney,touchingatKingGeorge’sPointandMelbourne.

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