20000 льє під водою

           Theretenyardsofwallseparatedusfromthewater,sogreatwasthethicknessoftheice-field.Itwasnecessary,therefore,tocutfromitapieceequalinextenttothewaterlineoftheNautilus.Therewereabout6,000cubicyardstodetach,soastodigaholebywhichwecoulddescendtotheice-field.Theworkhadbegunimmediatelyandcarriedonwithindefatigableenergy.InsteadofdiggingroundtheNautiluswhichwouldhaveinvolvedgreaterdifficulty,CaptainNemohadanimmensetrenchmadeateightyardsfromtheport-quarter.Thenthemensettoworksimultaneouslywiththeirscrewsonseveralpointsofitscircumference.Presentlythepickaxeattackedthiscompactmattervigorously,andlargeblocksweredetachedfromthemass.Byacuriouseffectofspecificgravity,theseblocks,lighterthanwater,fled,sotospeak,tothevaultofthetunnel,thatincreasedinthicknessatthetopinproportionasitdiminishedatthebase.Butthatmatteredlittle,solongasthelowerpartgrewthinner.Aftertwohours’hardwork,NedLandcameinexhausted.Heandhiscomradeswerereplacedbynewworkers,whomConseilandIjoined.ThesecondlieutenantoftheNautilussuperintendedus.Thewaterseemedsingularlycold,butIsoongotwarmhandlingthepickaxe.Mymovementswerefreeenough,althoughtheyweremadeunderapressureofthirtyatmospheres.WhenIre-entered,afterworkingtwohours,totakesomefoodandrest,IfoundaperceptibledifferencebetweenthepurefluidwithwhichtheRouquayrolenginesuppliedmeandtheatmosphereoftheNautilus,alreadychargedwithcarbonicacid.Theairhadnotbeenrenewedforforty-eighthours,anditsvivifyingqualitieswereconsiderablyenfeebled.However,afteralapseoftwelvehours,wehadonlyraisedablockoficeoneyardthick,onthemarkedsurface,whichwasabout600cubicyards!Reckoningthatittooktwelvehourstoaccomplishthismuchitwouldtakefivenightsandfourdaystobringthisenterprisetoasatisfactoryconclusion.