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Chapter 19. The Gulf Stream

           Tendayspassedthus.Itwasnottillthe1stofMaythattheNautilusresumeditsnortherlycourse,afterhavingsightedtheBahamasatthemouthoftheBahamaCanal.Wewerethenfollowingthecurrentfromthelargestrivertothesea,thathasitsbanks,itsfish,anditspropertemperatures.ImeantheGulfStream.Itisreallyariver,thatflowsfreelytothemiddleoftheAtlantic,andwhosewatersdonotmixwiththeoceanwaters.Itisasaltriver,salterthanthesurroundingsea.Itsmeandepthis1,500fathoms,itsmeanbreadthtenmiles.Incertainplacesthecurrentflowswiththespeedoftwomilesandahalfanhour.Thebodyofitswatersismoreconsiderablethanthatofalltheriversintheglobe.ItwasonthisoceanriverthattheNautilusthensailed.

           Imustaddthat,duringthenight,thephosphorescentwatersoftheGulfStreamrivalledtheelectricpowerofourwatch-light,especiallyinthestormyweatherthatthreatenedussofrequently.May8th,wewerestillcrossingCapeHatteras,attheheightoftheNorthCaroline.ThewidthoftheGulfStreamthereisseventy-fivemiles,anditsdepth210yards.TheNautilusstillwentatrandom;allsupervisionseemedabandoned.Ithoughtthat,underthesecircumstances,escapewouldbepossible.Indeed,theinhabitedshoresofferedanywhereaneasyrefuge.TheseawasincessantlyploughedbythesteamersthatplybetweenNewYorkorBostonandtheGulfofMexico,andoverrundayandnightbythelittleschoonerscoastingabouttheseveralpartsoftheAmericancoast.Wecouldhopetobepickedup.Itwasafavourableopportunity,notwithstandingthethirtymilesthatseparatedtheNautilusfromthecoastsoftheUnion.OneunfortunatecircumstancethwartedtheCanadian’splans.Theweatherwasverybad.

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