20000 льє під водою

           TheCanadiandidnotputhimselfoutenoughtoshrughisshoulders.Attackcetaceawithblowsofaspur!Whohadeverheardofsuchathing?

           "Wait,M.Aronnax,"saidCaptainNemo."Wewillshowyousomethingyouhaveneveryetseen.Wehavenopityfortheseferociouscreatures.Theyarenothingbutmouthandteeth."

           Mouthandteeth!Noonecouldbetterdescribethemacrocephalouscachalot,whichissometimesmorethanseventy-fivefeetlong.Itsenormousheadoccupiesone-thirdofitsentirebody.Betterarmedthanthewhale,whoseupperjawisfurnishedonlywithwhalebone,itissuppliedwithtwenty-fivelargetusks,abouteightincheslong,cylindricalandconicalatthetop,eachweighingtwopounds.Itisintheupperpartofthisenormoushead,ingreatcavitiesdividedbycartilages,thatistobefoundfromsixtoeighthundredpoundsofthatpreciousoilcalledspermaceti.Thecachalotisadisagreeablecreature,moretadpolethanfish,accordingtoFredol’sdescription.Itisbadlyformed,thewholeofitsleftsidebeing(ifwemaysayit),a"failure,"andbeingonlyabletoseewithitsrighteye.Buttheformidabletroopwasnearingus.Theyhadseenthewhalesandwerepreparingtoattackthem.Onecouldjudgebeforehandthatthecachalotswouldbevictorious,notonlybecausetheywerebetterbuiltforattackthantheirinoffensiveadversaries,butalsobecausetheycouldremainlongerunderwaterwithoutcomingtothesurface.Therewasonlyjusttimetogotothehelpofthewhales.TheNautiluswentunderwater.Conseil,NedLand,andItookourplacesbeforethewindowinthesaloon,andCaptainNemojoinedthepilotinhiscagetoworkhisapparatusasanengineofdestruction.SoonIfeltthebeatingsofthescrewquicken,andourspeedincreased.