Chapter 20. In Latitude 47° 24’ and Longitude 17° 28’

           Inconsequenceofthestorm,wehadbeenthrowneastwardoncemore.AllhopeofescapeontheshoresofNewYorkorSt.Lawrencehadfadedaway;andpoorNed,indespair,hadisolatedhimselflikeCaptainNemo.ConseilandI,however,neverlefteachother.IsaidthattheNautilushadgoneasidetotheeast.Ishouldhavesaid(tobemoreexact)thenorth-east.Forsomedays,itwanderedfirstonthesurface,andthenbeneathit,amidthosefogssodreadedbysailors.Whataccidentsareduetothesethickfogs!Whatshocksuponthesereefswhenthewinddrownsthebreakingofthewaves!Whatcollisionsbetweenvessels,inspiteoftheirwarninglights,whistles,andalarmbells!Andthebottomsoftheseseaslooklikeafieldofbattle,wherestillliealltheconqueredoftheocean;someoldandalreadyencrusted,othersfreshandreflectingfromtheirironbandsandcopperplatesthebrilliancyofourlantern.

           Onthe15thofMaywewereattheextremesouthoftheBankofNewfoundland.Thisbankconsistsofalluvia,orlargeheapsoforganicmatter,broughteitherfromtheEquatorbytheGulfStream,orfromtheNorthPolebythecounter-currentofcoldwaterwhichskirtstheAmericancoast.Therealsoareheapedupthoseerraticblockswhicharecarriedalongbythebrokenice;andcloseby,avastcharnel-houseofmolluscs,whichperishherebymillions.ThedepthoftheseaisnotgreatatNewfoundland—notmorethansomehundredsoffathoms;buttowardsthesouthisadepressionof1,500fathoms.TheretheGulfStreamwidens.Itlosessomeofitsspeedandsomeofitstemperature,butitbecomesasea.