20000 льє під водою

           Onecouldnotmistakeitsvolcanicorigin.Insomeparts,slightcurlsofsmokeemittedasulphuroussmell,provingthattheinternalfireshadlostnothingoftheirexpansivepowers,though,havingclimbedahighacclivity,Icouldseenovolcanoforaradiusofseveralmiles.WeknowthatinthoseAntarcticcountries,JamesRossfoundtwocraters,theErebusandTerror,infullactivity,onthe167thmeridian,latitude77°32’.Thevegetationofthisdesolatecontinentseemedtomemuchrestricted.Somelichenslayupontheblackrocks;somemicroscopicplants,rudimentarydiatomas,akindofcellsplacedbetweentwoquartzshells;longpurpleandscarletweed,supportedonlittleswimmingbladders,whichthebreakingofthewavesbroughttotheshore.Theseconstitutedthemeagrefloraofthisregion.Theshorewasstrewnwithmolluscs,littlemussels,andlimpets.Ialsosawmyriadsofnorthernclios,one-and-a-quarterincheslong,ofwhichawhalewouldswallowawholeworldatamouthful;andsomeperfectsea-butterflies,animatingthewatersontheskirtsoftheshore.

           Thereappearedonthehighbottomssomecoralshrubs,ofthekindwhich,accordingtoJamesRoss,liveintheAntarcticseastothedepthofmorethan1,000yards.Thentherewerelittlekingfishersandstarfishstuddingthesoil.Butwherelifeaboundedmostwasintheair.Therethousandsofbirdsflutteredandflewofallkinds,deafeninguswiththeircries;otherscrowdedtherock,lookingatusaswepassedbywithoutfear,andpressingfamiliarlyclosebyourfeet.Therewerepenguins,soagileinthewater,heavyandawkwardastheyareontheground;theywereutteringharshcries,alargeassembly,soberingesture,butextravagantinclamour.Albatrossespassedintheair,theexpanseoftheirwingsbeingatleastfouryardsandahalf,andjustlycalledthevulturesoftheocean;