Chapter 2. The Pros and Cons

           Attheperiodwhentheseeventstookplace, IhadjustreturnedfromascientificresearchinthedisagreeableterritoryofNebraska,intheUnitedStates. InvirtueofmyofficeasAssistantProfessorintheMuseumofNaturalHistoryinParis,theFrenchGovernmenthadattachedmetothatexpedition. AftersixmonthsinNebraska,IarrivedinNewYorktowardstheendofMarch,ladenwithapreciouscollection. MydepartureforFrancewasfixedforthefirstdaysinMay. MeanwhileIwasoccupyingmyselfinclassifyingmymineralogical,botanical,andzoologicalriches, whentheaccidenthappenedtotheScotia. 

           Iwasperfectlyupinthesubjectwhichwasthequestionoftheday. HowcouldIbeotherwise? IhadreadandrereadalltheAmericanandEuropeanpaperswithoutbeinganyneareraconclusion. Thismysterypuzzledme. Undertheimpossibilityofforminganopinion,Ijumpedfromoneextremetotheother. Thattherereallywassomethingcouldnotbedoubted, andtheincredulouswereinvitedtoputtheirfingeronthewoundoftheScotia. 

           OnmyarrivalatNewYorkthequestionwasatitsheight. Thetheoryofthefloatingisland,andtheunapproachablesandbank,supportedbymindslittlecompetenttoformajudgment,wasabandoned. And,indeed,unlessthisshoalhadamachineinitsstomach,howcoulditchangeitspositionwithsuchastonishingrapidity? 

           Fromthesamecause,theideaofafloatinghullofanenormouswreckwasgivenup. 

           Thereremained,then,onlytwopossiblesolutionsofthequestion, whichcreatedtwodistinctparties: ononeside,thosewhowereforamonsterofcolossalstrength; ontheother,thosewhowereforasubmarinevesselofenormousmotivepower.