Chapter 9. The Tantrums of Ned Land

           HowlongwesleptIdonotknow;butoursleepmusthavelastedlong,foritresteduscompletelyfromourfatigues.Iwokefirst.Mycompanionshadnotmoved,andwerestillstretchedintheircorner.

           Hardlyrousedfrommysomewhathardcouch,Ifeltmybrainfreed,mymindclear.Ithenbegananattentiveexaminationofourcell.Nothingwaschangedinside.Theprisonwasstillaprison—theprisoners,prisoners.However,thesteward,duringoursleep,hadclearedthetable.Ibreathedwithdifficulty.Theheavyairseemedtooppressmylungs.Althoughthecellwaslarge,wehadevidentlyconsumedagreatpartoftheoxygenthatitcontained.Indeed,eachmanconsumes,inonehour,theoxygencontainedinmorethan176pintsofair,andthisair,charged(asthen)withanearlyequalquantityofcarbonicacid,becomesunbreathable.

           Itbecamenecessarytorenewtheatmosphereofourprison,andnodoubtthewholeinthesubmarineboat.Thatgaverisetoaquestioninmymind.Howwouldthecommanderofthisfloatingdwelling-placeproceed?Wouldheobtainairbychemicalmeans,ingettingbyheattheoxygencontainedinchlorateofpotash,andinabsorbingcarbonicacidbycausticpotash?Or—amoreconvenient,economical,andconsequentlymoreprobablealternative—wouldhebesatisfiedtoriseandtakebreathatthesurfaceofthewater,likeawhale,andsorenewfortwenty-fourhourstheatmosphericprovision?

           Infact,Iwasalreadyobligedtoincreasemyrespirationstoekeoutofthiscellthelittleoxygenitcontained,whensuddenlyIwasrefreshedbyacurrentofpureair,andperfumedwithsalineemanations.Itwasaninvigoratingseabreeze,chargedwithiodine.