20000 льє під водою

           Thehurricaneblewnearlyfortyleaguesanhour.Itisundertheseconditionsthatitoverturnshouses,breaksirongates,displacestwenty-fourpounders.However,theNautilus,inthemidstofthetempest,confirmedthewordsofacleverengineer,"Thereisnowell-constructedhullthatcannotdefythesea."Thiswasnotaresistingrock;itwasasteelspindle,obedientandmovable,withoutriggingormasts,thatbraveditsfurywithimpunity.However,Iwatchedtheseragingwavesattentively.Theymeasuredfifteenfeetinheight,and150to175yardslong,andtheirspeedofpropagationwasthirtyfeetpersecond.Theirbulkandpowerincreasedwiththedepthofthewater.Suchwavesasthese,attheHebrides,havedisplacedamassweighing8,400lb.Theyaretheywhich,inthetempestofDecember23rd,1864,afterdestroyingthetownofYeddo,inJapan,brokethesamedayontheshoresofAmerica.Theintensityofthetempestincreasedwiththenight.Thebarometer,asin1860atReunionduringacyclone,fellseven-tenthsatthecloseofday.Isawalargevesselpassthehorizonstrugglingpainfully.Shewastryingtolietounderhalfsteam,tokeepupabovethewaves.ItwasprobablyoneofthesteamersofthelinefromNewYorktoLiverpool,orHavre.Itsoondisappearedinthegloom.Atteno’clockintheeveningtheskywasonfire.Theatmospherewasstreakedwithvividlightning.Icouldnotbearthebrightnessofit;whilethecaptain,lookingatit,seemedtoenvythespiritofthetempest.Aterriblenoisefilledtheair,acomplexnoise,madeupofthehowlsofthecrushedwaves,theroaringofthewind,andtheclapsofthunder.Thewindveeredsuddenlytoallpointsofthehorizon;andthecyclone,risingintheeast,returnedafterpassingbythenorth,west,andsouth,intheinversecoursepursuedbythecircularstormofthesouthernhemisphere.Ah,thatGulfStream!ItdeservesitsnameoftheKingofTempests.