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Chapter 1. The Indian Ocean

           Theywere"cestraciophilippi"sharks,withbrownbacksandwhitishbellies,armedwithelevenrowsofteetheyedsharkstheirthroatbeingmarkedwithalargeblackspotsurroundedwithwhitelikeaneye.TherewerealsosomeIsabellasharks,withroundedsnoutsmarkedwithdarkspots.Thesepowerfulcreaturesoftenhurledthemselvesatthewindowsofthesaloonwithsuchviolenceastomakeusfeelveryinsecure.AtsuchtimesNedLandwasnolongermasterofhimself.Hewantedtogotothesurfaceandharpoonthemonsters,particularlycertainsmooth-houndsharks,whosemouthisstuddedwithteethlikeamosaic;andlargetiger-sharksnearlysixyardslong,thelastnamedofwhichseemedtoexcitehimmoreparticularly.ButtheNautilus,acceleratingherspeed,easilyleftthemostrapidofthembehind.

           The27thofJanuary,attheentranceofthevastBayofBengal,wemetrepeatedlyaforbiddingspectacle,deadbodiesfloatingonthesurfaceofthewater.TheywerethedeadoftheIndianvillages,carriedbytheGangestothelevelofthesea,andwhichthevultures,theonlyundertakersofthecountry,hadnotbeenabletodevour.Butthesharksdidnotfailtohelpthemattheirfuneralwork.

           Aboutseveno’clockintheevening,theNautilus,half-immersed,wassailinginaseaofmilk.Atfirstsighttheoceanseemedlactified.Wasittheeffectofthelunarrays?No;forthemoon,scarcelytwodaysold,wasstilllyinghiddenunderthehorizonintheraysofthesun.Thewholesky,thoughlitbythesiderealrays,seemedblackbycontrastwiththewhitenessofthewaters.

           Conseilcouldnotbelievehiseyes,andquestionedmeastothecauseofthisstrangephenomenon.HappilyIwasabletoanswerhim.

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