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

           Ilookedtotheportside,andsawnothingbutanimmensityofquietwaters.Buttostarboard,onthebottomappearedalargeprotuberance,whichatonceattractedmyattention.Onewouldhavethoughtitaruinburiedunderacoatingofwhiteshells,muchresemblingacoveringofsnow.Uponexaminingthemassattentively,Icouldrecognisetheever-thickeningformofavesselbareofitsmasts,whichmusthavesunk.Itcertainlybelongedtopasttimes.Thiswreck,tobethusencrustedwiththelimeofthewater,mustalreadybeabletocountmanyyearspassedatthebottomoftheocean.

           Whatwasthisvessel?WhydidtheNautilusvisititstomb?Couldithavebeenaughtbutashipwreckwhichhaddrawnitunderthewater?Iknewnotwhattothink,whennearmeinaslowvoiceIheardCaptainNemosay:

           "AtonetimethisshipwascalledtheMarseillais.Itcarriedseventy-fourguns,andwaslaunchedin1762.In1778,the13thofAugust,commandedbyLaPoype-Vertrieux,itfoughtboldlyagainstthePreston.In1779,onthe4thofJuly,itwasatthetakingofGrenada,withthesquadronofAdmiralEstaing.In1781,onthe5thofSeptember,ittookpartinthebattleofComtedeGrasse,inChesapeakeBay.In1794,theFrenchRepublicchangeditsname.Onthe16thofApril,inthesameyear,itjoinedthesquadronofVillaretJoyeuse,atBrest,beingentrustedwiththeescortofacargoofcorncomingfromAmerica,underthecommandofAdmiralVanStebel.Onthe11thand12thPrairalofthesecondyear,thissquadronfellinwithanEnglishvessel.Sir,to-dayisthe13thPrairal,thefirstofJune,1868.Itisnowseventy-fouryearsago,dayfordayonthisveryspot,inlatitude47°24’,longitude17°28’,thatthisvessel,afterfightingheroically,losingitsthreemasts,withthewaterinitshold,andthethirdofitscrewdisabled,preferredsinkingwithits356sailorstosurrendering;and,nailingitscolourstothepoop,disappearedunderthewavestothecryof‘LonglivetheRepublic!’"

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