20000 льє під водою

           OnthisdayforseveralhoursIusedmypickaxevigorously.Theworkkeptmeup.Besides,toworkwastoquittheNautilus,andbreathedirectlythepureairdrawnfromthereservoirs,andsuppliedbyourapparatus,andtoquittheimpoverishedandvitiatedatmosphere.Towardseveningthetrenchwasdugoneyarddeeper.WhenIreturnedonboard,Iwasnearlysuffocatedbythecarbonicacidwithwhichtheairwasfilled—ah!ifwehadonlythechemicalmeanstodriveawaythisdeleteriousgas.Wehadplentyofoxygen;allthiswatercontainedaconsiderablequantity,andbydissolvingitwithourpowerfulpiles,itwouldrestorethevivifyingfluid.Ihadthoughtwelloverit;butofwhatgoodwasthat,sincethecarbonicacidproducedbyourrespirationhadinvadedeverypartofthevessel?Toabsorbit,itwasnecessarytofillsomejarswithcausticpotash,andtoshakethemincessantly.Nowthissubstancewaswantingonboard,andnothingcouldreplaceit.Onthatevening,CaptainNemooughttoopenthetapsofhisreservoirs,andletsomepureairintotheinterioroftheNautilus;withoutthisprecautionwecouldnotgetridofthesenseofsuffocation.Thenextday,March26th,Iresumedmyminer’sworkinbeginningthefifthyard.Thesidewallsandthelowersurfaceoftheicebergthickenedvisibly.ItwasevidentthattheywouldmeetbeforetheNautiluswasabletodisengageitself.Despairseizedmeforaninstant;mypickaxenearlyfellfrommyhands.WhatwasthegoodofdiggingifImustbesuffocated,crushedbythewaterthatwasturningintostone?—apunishmentthattheferocityofthesavagesevenwouldnothaveinvented!JustthenCaptainNemopassednearme.Itouchedhishandandshowedhimthewallsofourprison.ThewalltoporthadadvancedtoatleastfouryardsfromthehulloftheNautilus.TheCaptainunderstoodme,andsignedmetofollowhim.Wewentonboard.Itookoffmycork-jacketandaccompaniedhimintothedrawing-room.