20000 льє під водою

Chapter 12. Sperm Whales and Baleen Whales

           Theseawascoveredwithmutilatedbodies.Aformidableexplosioncouldnothavedividedandtornthisfleshymasswithmoreviolence.Wewerefloatingamidgiganticbodies,bluishonthebackandwhiteunderneath,coveredwithenormousprotuberances.Someterrifiedcachalotswereflyingtowardsthehorizon.Thewavesweredyedredforseveralmiles,andtheNautilusfloatedinaseaofblood:CaptainNemojoinedus.

           "Well,MasterLand?"saidhe.

           "Well,sir,"repliedtheCanadian,whoseenthusiasmhadsomewhatcalmed;"itisaterriblespectacle,certainly.ButIamnotabutcher.Iamahunter,andIcallthisabutchery."

           "Itisamassacreofmischievouscreatures,"repliedtheCaptain;"andtheNautilusisnotabutcher’sknife."

           "Ilikemyharpoonbetter,"saidtheCanadian.

           "Everyonetohisown,"answeredtheCaptain,lookingfixedlyatNedLand.

           Ifearedhewouldcommitsomeactofviolence,whichwouldendinsadconsequences.ButhisangerwasturnedbythesightofawhalewhichtheNautilushadjustcomeupwith.Thecreaturehadnotquiteescapedfromthecachalot’steeth.Irecognisedthesouthernwhalebyitsflathead,whichisentirelyblack.Anatomically,itisdistinguishedfromthewhitewhaleandtheNorthCapewhalebythesevencervicalvertebrae,andithastwomoreribsthanitscongeners.Theunfortunatecetaceanwaslyingonitsside,riddledwithholesfromthebites,andquitedead.Fromitsmutilatedfinstillhungayoungwhalewhichitcouldnotsavefromthemassacre.

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