"You said that we should be free on board." "Entirely." "I ask you, then, what you mean by this liberty?" "Just the liberty to go, to come, to see, to observe even all that passes here save under rare circumstances--the liberty, in short, which we enjoy ourselves, my companions and I." It was evident that we did not understand one another. "Pardon me, sir," I resumed, "but this liberty is only what every prisoner has of pacing his prison. It cannot suffice us." "It must suffice you, however." "What! we must renounce for ever seeing our country, our friends, our relations again?" "Yes, sir. But to renounce that unendurable worldly yoke which men believe to be liberty is not perhaps so painful as you think." "Well," exclaimed Ned Land, "never will I give my word of honour not to try to escape." "I did not ask you for your word of honour, Master Land," answered the commander, coldly. "Sir," I replied, beginning to get angry in spite of my self, "you abuse your situation towards us; it is cruelty." "No, sir, it is clemency. You are my prisoners of war. I keep you, when I could, by a word, plunge you into the depths of the ocean. You attacked me. You came to surprise a secret which no man in the world must penetrate--the secret of my whole existence. And you think that I am going to send you back to that world which must know me no more? Never! In retaining you, it is not you whom I guard--it is myself." These words indicated a resolution taken on the part of the commander, against which no arguments would prevail. "So, sir," I rejoined, "you give us simply the choice between life and death?" "Simply." "My friends," said I, "to a question thus put, there is nothing to answer. But no word of honour binds us to the master of this vessel." "None, sir," answered the Unknown. Then, in a gentler tone, he continued: "Now, permit me to finish what I have to say to you. I know you, M. Aronnax. You and your companions will not, perhaps, have so much to complain of in the chance which has bound you to my fate. You will find amongst the books which are my favourite study the work which you have published on `the depths of the sea.' I have often read it. You have carried out your work as far as terrestrial science permitted you. But you do not know all--you have not seen all. Let me tell you then, Professor, that you will not regret the time passed on board my vessel. You are going to visit the land of marvels." These words of the commander had a great effect upon me. I cannot deny it. My weak point was touched; and I forgot, for a moment, that the contemplation of these sublime subjects was not worth the loss of liberty. Besides, I trusted to the future to decide this grave question. So I contented myself with saying: "By what name ought I to address you?" "Sir," replied the commander, "I am nothing to you but Captain Nemo; and you and your companions are nothing to me but the passengers of the Nautilus." Captain Nemo called. A steward appeared. The captain gave him his orders in that strange language which I did not understand. Then, turning towards the Canadian and Conseil: "A repast awaits you in your cabin," said he. "Be so good as to follow this man. "And now, M. Aronnax, our breakfast is ready. Permit me to lead the way." "I am at your service, Captain." I followed Captain Nemo; and as soon as I had passed through the door, I found myself in a kind of passage lighted by electricity, similar to the waist of a ship. After we had proceeded a dozen yards, a second door opened before me. I then entered a dining-room, decorated and furnished in severe taste. High oaken sideboards, inlaid with ebony, stood at the two extremities of the room, and upon their shelves glittered china, porcelain, and glass of inestimable value. The plate on the table sparkled in the rays which the luminous ceiling shed around, while the light was tempered and softened by exquisite paintings. In the centre of the room was a table richly laid out. Captain Nemo indicated the place I was to occupy. The breakfast consisted of a certain number of dishes, the contents of which were furnished by the sea alone; and I was ignorant of the nature and mode of preparation of some of them. I acknowledged that they were good, but they had a peculiar flavour, which I easily became accustomed to. These different aliments appeared to me to be rich in phosphorus, and I thought they must have a marine origin. Captain Nemo looked at me. I asked him no questions, but he guessed my thoughts, and answered of his own accord the questions which I was burning to address to him. "The greater part of these dishes are unknown to you," he said to me. "However, you may partake of them without fear. They are wholesome and nourishing. For a long time I have renounced the food of the earth, and I am never ill now. My crew, who are healthy, are fed on the same food." "So," said I, "all these eatables are the produce of the sea?" "Yes, Professor, the sea supplies all my wants. Sometimes I cast my nets in tow, and I draw them in ready to break. Sometimes I hunt in the midst of this element, which appears to be inaccessible to man, and quarry the game which dwells in my submarine forests. My flocks, like those of Neptune's old shepherds, graze fearlessly in the immense prairies of the ocean. I have a vast property there, which I cultivate myself, and which is always sown by the hand of the Creator of all things." "I can understand perfectly, sir, that your nets furnish excellent fish for your table; I can understand also that you hunt aquatic game in your submarine forests; but I cannot understand at all how a particle of meat, no matter how small, can figure in your bill of fare." "This, which you believe to be meat, Professor, is nothing else than fillet of turtle. Here are also some dolphins' livers, which you take to be ragout of pork. My cook is a clever fellow, who excels in dressing these various products of the ocean. Taste all these dishes. Here is a preserve of sea-cucumber, which a Malay would declare to be unrivalled in the world; here is a cream, of which the milk has been furnished by the cetacea, and the sugar by the great fucus of the North Sea; and, lastly, permit me to offer you some preserve of anemones, which is equal to that of the most delicious fruits." I tasted, more from curiosity than as a connoisseur, whilst Captain Nemo enchanted me with his extraordinary stories. "You like the sea, Captain?" "Yes; I love it! The sea is everything. It covers seven tenths of the terrestrial globe. Its breath is pure and healthy. It is an immense desert, where man is never lonely, for he feels life stirring on all sides. The sea is only the embodiment of a supernatural and wonderful existence. It is nothing but love and emotion; it is the `Living Infinite,' as one of your poets has said. In fact, Professor, Nature manifests herself in it by her three kingdoms--mineral, vegetable, and animal. The sea is the vast reservoir of Nature. The globe began with sea, so to speak; and who knows if it will not end with it? In it is supreme tranquillity. The sea does not belong to despots. Upon its surface men can still exercise unjust laws, fight, tear one another to pieces, and be carried away with terrestrial horrors. But at thirty feet below its level, their reign ceases, their influence is quenched, and their power disappears. Ah! sir, live--live in the bosom of the waters! There only is independence! There I recognise no masters! There I am free!" Captain Nemo suddenly became silent in the midst of this enthusiasm, by which he was quite carried away. For a few moments he paced up and down, much agitated. Then he became more calm, regained his accustomed coldness of expression, and turning towards me: "Now, Professor," said he, "if you wish to go over the Nautilus, I am at your service." Captain Nemo rose. I followed him. A double door, contrived at the back of the dining-room, opened, and I entered a room equal in dimensions to that which I had just quitted. It was a library. High pieces of furniture, of black violet ebony inlaid with brass, supported upon their wide shelves a great number of books uniformly bound. They followed the shape of the room, terminating at the lower part in huge divans, covered with brown leather, which were curved, to afford the greatest comfort. Light movable desks, made to slide in and out at will, allowed one to rest one's book while reading. In the centre stood an immense table, covered with pamphlets, amongst which were some newspapers, already of old date. The electric light flooded everything; it was shed from four unpolished globes half sunk in the volutes of the ceiling. I looked with real admiration at this room, so ingeniously fitted up, and I could scarcely believe my eyes. "Captain Nemo," said I to my host, who had just thrown himself on one of the divans, "this is a library which would do honour to more than one of the continental palaces, and I am absolutely astounded when I consider that it can follow you to the bottom of the seas." "Where could one find greater solitude or silence, Professor?" replied Captain Nemo. "Did your study in the Museum afford you such perfect quiet?" "No, sir; and I must confess that it is a very poor one after yours. You must have six or seven thousand volumes here." "Twelve thousand, M. Aronnax. These are the only ties which bind me to the earth. But I had done with the world on the day when my Nautilus plunged for the first time beneath the waters. That day I bought my last volumes, my last pamphlets, my last papers, and from that time I wish to think that men no longer think or write. These books, Professor, are at your service besides, and you can make use of them freely." I thanked Captain Nemo, and went up to the shelves of the library. Works on science, morals, and literature abounded in every language; but I did not see one single work on political economy; that subject appeared to be strictly proscribed. Strange to say, all these books were irregularly arranged, in whatever language they were written; and this medley proved that the Captain of the Nautilus must have read indiscriminately the books which he took up by chance. "Sir," said I to the Captain, "I thank you for having placed this library at my disposal. It contains treasures of science, and I shall profit by them." "This room is not only a library," said Captain Nemo, "it is also a smoking-room." "A smoking-room!" I cried. "Then one may smoke on board?" "Certainly." "Then, sir, I am forced to believe that you have kept up a communication with Havannah." "Not any," answered the Captain. "Accept this cigar, M. Aronnax; and, though it does not come from Havannah, you will be pleased with it, if you are a connoisseur." I took the cigar which was offered me; its shape recalled the London ones, but it seemed to be made of leaves of gold. I lighted it at a little brazier, which was supported upon an elegant bronze stem, and drew the first whiffs with the delight of a lover of smoking who has not smoked for two days. "It is excellent, but it is not tobacco." "No!" answered the Captain, "this tobacco comes neither from Havannah nor from the East. It is a kind of sea-weed, rich in nicotine, with which the sea provides me, but somewhat sparingly." At that moment Captain Nemo opened a door which stood opposite to that by which I had entered the library, and I passed into an immense drawing-room splendidly lighted. It was a vast, four-sided room, thirty feet long, eighteen wide, and fifteen high. A luminous ceiling, decorated with light arabesques, shed a soft clear light over all the marvels accumulated in this museum. For it was in fact a museum, in which an intelligent and prodigal hand had gathered all the treasures of nature and art, with the artistic confusion which distinguishes a painter's studio. Thirty first-rate pictures, uniformly framed, separated by bright drapery, ornamented the walls, which were hung with tapestry of severe design. I saw works of great value, the greater part of which I had admired in the special collections of Europe, and in the exhibitions of paintings. The several schools of the old masters were represented by a Madonna of Raphael, a Virgin of Leonardo da Vinci, a nymph of Corregio, a woman of Titan, an Adoration of Veronese, an Assumption of Murillo, a portrait of Holbein, a monk of Velasquez, a martyr of Ribera, a fair of Rubens, two Flemish landscapes of Teniers, three little "genre" pictures of Gerard Dow, Metsu, and Paul Potter, two specimens of Gericault and Prudhon, and some sea-pieces of Backhuysen and Vernet. Amongst the works of modern painters were pictures with the signatures of Delacroix, Ingres, Decamps, Troyon, Meissonier, Daubigny, etc.; and some admirable statues in marble and bronze, after the finest antique models, stood upon pedestals in the corners of this magnificent museum. Amazement, as the Captain of the Nautilus had predicted, had already begun to take possession of me. "Professor," said this strange man, "you must excuse the unceremonious way in which I receive you, and the disorder of this room." "Sir," I answered, "without seeking to know who you are, I recognise in you an artist." "An amateur, nothing more, sir. Formerly I loved to collect these beautiful works created by the hand of man. I sought them greedily, and ferreted them out indefatigably, and I have been able to bring together some objects of great value. These are my last souvenirs of that world which is dead to me. In my eyes, your modern artists are already old; they have two or three thousand years of existence; I confound them in my own mind. Masters have no age." "And these musicians?" said I, pointing out some works of Weber, Rossini, Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, Meyerbeer, Herold, Wagner, Auber, Gounod, and a number of others, scattered over a large model piano-organ which occupied one of the panels of the drawing-room. "These musicians," replied Captain Nemo, "are the contemporaries of Orpheus; for in the memory of the dead all chronological differences are effaced; and I am dead, Professor; as much dead as those of your friends who are sleeping six feet under the earth!" Captain Nemo was silent, and seemed lost in a profound reverie. I contemplated him with deep interest, analysing in silence the strange expression of his countenance. Leaning on his elbow against an angle of a costly mosaic table, he no longer saw me,--he had forgotten my presence. I did not disturb this reverie, and continued my observation of the curiosities which enriched this drawing-room. Under elegant glass cases, fixed by copper rivets, were classed and labelled the most precious productions of the sea which had ever been presented to the eye of a naturalist. My delight as a professor may be conceived. The division containing the zoophytes presented the most curious specimens of the two groups of polypi and echinodermes. In the first group, the tubipores, were gorgones arranged like a fan, soft sponges of Syria, ises of the Moluccas, pennatules, an admirable virgularia of the Norwegian seas, variegated unbellulairae, alcyonariae, a whole series of madrepores, which my master Milne Edwards has so cleverly classified, amongst which I remarked some wonderful flabellinae oculinae of the Island of Bourbon, the "Neptune's car" of the Antilles, superb varieties of corals--in short, every species of those curious polypi of which entire islands are formed, which will one day become continents. Of the echinodermes, remarkable for their coating of spines, asteri, sea-stars, pantacrinae, comatules, asterophons, echini, holothuri, etc., represented individually a complete collection of this group. A somewhat nervous conchyliologist would certainly have fainted before other more numerous cases, in which were classified the specimens of molluscs. It was a collection of inestimable value, which time fails me to describe minutely. Amongst these specimens I will quote from memory only the elegant royal hammer-fish of the Indian Ocean, whose regular white spots stood out brightly on a red and brown ground, an imperial spondyle, bright-coloured, bristling with spines, a rare specimen in the European museums--(I estimated its value at not less than L1000); a common hammer-fish of the seas of New Holland, which is only procured with difficulty; exotic buccardia of Senegal; fragile white bivalve shells, which a breath might shatter like a soap-bubble; several varieties of the aspirgillum of Java, a kind of calcareous tube, edged with leafy folds, and much debated by amateurs; a whole series of trochi, some a greenish-yellow, found in the American seas, others a reddish-brown, natives of Australian waters; others from the Gulf of Mexico, remarkable for their imbricated shell; stellari found in the Southern Seas; and last, the rarest of all, the magnificent spur of New Zealand; and every description of delicate and fragile shells to which science has given appropriate names. Apart, in separate compartments, were spread out chaplets of pearls of the greatest beauty, which reflected the electric light in little sparks of fire; pink pearls, torn from the pinna-marina of the Red Sea; green pearls of the haliotyde iris; yellow, blue and black pearls, the curious productions of the divers molluscs of every ocean, and certain mussels of the water-courses of the North; lastly, several specimens of inestimable value which had been gathered from the rarest pintadines. Some of these pearls were larger than a pigeon's egg, and were worth as much, and more than that which the traveller Tavernier sold to the Shah of Persia for three millions, and surpassed the one in the possession of the Imaum of Muscat, which I had believed to be unrivalled in the world. Therefore, to estimate the value of this collection was simply impossible. Captain Nemo must have expended millions in the acquirement of these various specimens, and I was thinking what source he could have drawn from, to have been able thus to gratify his fancy for collecting, when I was interrupted by these words: "You are examining my shells, Professor? Unquestionably they must be interesting to a naturalist; but for me they have a far greater charm, for I have collected them all with my own hand, and there is not a sea on the face of the globe which has escaped my researches." "I can understand, Captain, the delight of wandering about in the midst of such riches. You are one of those who have collected their treasures themselves. No museum in Europe possesses such a collection of the produce of the ocean. But if I exhaust all my admiration upon it, I shall have none left for the vessel which carries it. I do not wish to pry into your secrets: but I must confess that this Nautilus, with the motive power which is confined in it, the contrivances which enable it to be worked, the powerful agent which propels it, all excite my curiosity to the highest pitch. I see suspended on the walls of this room instruments of whose use I am ignorant." "You will find these same instruments in my own room, Professor, where I shall have much pleasure in explaining their use to you. But first come and inspect the cabin which is set apart for your own use. You must see how you will be accommodated on board the Nautilus." I followed Captain Nemo who, by one of the doors opening from each panel of the drawing-room, regained the waist. He conducted me towards the bow, and there I found, not a cabin, but an elegant room, with a bed, dressing-table, and several other pieces of excellent furniture. I could only thank my host. "Your room adjoins mine," said he, opening a door, "and mine opens into the drawing-room that we have just quitted." I entered the Captain's room: it had a severe, almost a monkish aspect. A small iron bedstead, a table, some articles for the toilet; the whole lighted by a skylight. No comforts, the strictest necessaries only. Captain Nemo pointed to a seat. "Be so good as to sit down," he said. I seated myself, and he began thus: CHAPTER XI ALL BY ELECTRICITY "Sir," said Captain Nemo, showing me the instruments hanging on the walls of his room, "here are the contrivances required for the navigation of the Nautilus. Here, as in the drawing-room, I have them always under my eyes, and they indicate my position and exact direction in the middle of the ocean. Some are known to you, such as the thermometer, which gives the internal temperature of the Nautilus; the barometer, which indicates the weight of the air and foretells the changes of the weather; the hygrometer, which marks the dryness of the atmosphere; the storm-glass, the contents of which, by decomposing, announce the approach of tempests; the compass, which guides my course; the sextant, which shows the latitude by the altitude of the sun; chronometers, by which I calculate the longitude; and glasses for day and night, which I use to examine the points of the horizon, when the Nautilus rises to the surface of the waves." "These are the usual nautical instruments," I replied, "and I know the use of them. But these others, no doubt, answer to the particular requirements of the Nautilus. This dial with movable needle is a manometer, is it not?" "It is actually a manometer. But by communication with the water, whose external pressure it indicates, it gives our depth at the same time." "And these other instruments, the use of which I cannot guess?" "Here, Professor, I ought to give you some explanations. Will you be kind enough to listen to me?" He was silent for a few moments, then he said: "There is a powerful agent, obedient, rapid, easy, which conforms to every use, and reigns supreme on board my vessel. Everything is done by means of it. It lights, warms it, and is the soul of my mechanical apparatus. This agent is electricity." "Electricity?" I cried in surprise. "Yes, sir." "Nevertheless, Captain, you possess an extreme rapidity of movement, which does not agree well with the power of electricity. Until now, its dynamic force has remained under restraint, and has only been able to produce a small amount of power." "Professor," said Captain Nemo, "my electricity is not everybody's. You know what sea-water is composed of. In a thousand grammes are found 96 1/2 per cent. of water, and about 2 2/3 per cent. of chloride of sodium; then, in a smaller quantity, chlorides of magnesium and of potassium, bromide of magnesium, sulphate of magnesia, sulphate and carbonate of lime. You see, then, that chloride of sodium forms a large part of it. So it is this sodium that I extract from the sea-water, and of which I compose my ingredients. I owe all to the ocean; it produces electricity, and electricity gives heat, light, motion, and, in a word, life to the Nautilus." "But not the air you breathe?" "Oh! I could manufacture the air necessary for my consumption, but it is useless, because I go up to the surface of the water when I please. However, if electricity does not furnish me with air to breathe, it works at least the powerful pumps that are stored in spacious reservoirs, and which enable me to prolong at need, and as long as I will, my stay in the depths of the sea. It gives a uniform and unintermittent light, which the sun does not. Now look at this clock; it is electrical, and goes with a regularity that defies the best chronometers. I have divided it into twenty-four hours, like the Italian clocks, because for me there is neither night nor day, sun nor moon, but only that factitious light that I take with me to the bottom of the sea. Look! just now, it is ten o'clock in the morning." "Exactly." "Another application of electricity. This dial hanging in front of us indicates the speed of the Nautilus. An electric thread puts it in communication with the screw, and the needle indicates the real speed. Look! now we are spinning along with a uniform speed of fifteen miles an hour." "It is marvelous! And I see, Captain, you were right to make use of this agent that takes the place of wind, water, and steam." "We have not finished, M. Aronnax," said Captain Nemo, rising. "If you will allow me, we will examine the stern of the Nautilus." Really, I knew already the anterior part of this submarine boat, of which this is the exact division, starting from the ship's head: the dining-room, five yards long, separated from the library by a water-tight partition; the library, five yards long; the large drawing-room, ten yards long, separated from the Captain's room by a second water-tight partition; the said room, five yards in length; mine, two and a half yards; and, lastly a reservoir of air, seven and a half yards, that extended to the bows. Total length thirty five yards, or one hundred and five feet. The partitions had doors that were shut hermetically by means of india-rubber instruments, and they ensured the safety of the Nautilus in case of a leak. I followed Captain Nemo through the waist, and arrived at the centre of the boat. There was a sort of well that opened between two partitions. An iron ladder, fastened with an iron hook to the partition, led to the upper end. I asked the Captain what the ladder was used for. "It leads to the small boat," he said. "What! have you a boat?" I exclaimed, in surprise. "Of course; an excellent vessel, light and insubmersible, that serves either as a fishing or as a pleasure boat." "But then, when you wish to embark, you are obliged to come to the surface of the water?" "Not at all. This boat is attached to the upper part of the hull of the Nautilus, and occupies a cavity made for it. It is decked, quite water-tight, and held together by solid bolts. This ladder leads to a man-hole made in the hull of the Nautilus, that corresponds with a similar hole made in the side of the boat. By this double opening I get into the small vessel. They shut the one belonging to the Nautilus; I shut the other by means of screw pressure. I undo the bolts, and the little boat goes up to the surface of the sea with prodigious rapidity. I then open the panel of the bridge, carefully shut till then; I mast it, hoist my sail, take my oars, and I'm off." "But how do you get back on board?" "I do not come back, M. Aronnax; the Nautilus comes to me." "By your orders?" "By my orders. An electric thread connects us. I telegraph to it, and that is enough." "Really," I said, astonished at these marvels, "nothing can be more simple." After having passed by the cage of the staircase that led to the platform, I saw a cabin six feet long, in which Conseil and Ned Land, enchanted with their repast, were devouring it with avidity. Then a door opened into a kitchen nine feet long, situated between the large store-rooms. There electricity, better than gas itself, did all the cooking. The streams under the furnaces gave out to the sponges of platina a heat which was regularly kept up and distributed. They also heated a distilling apparatus, which, by evaporation, furnished excellent drinkable water. Near this kitchen was a bathroom comfortably furnished, with hot and cold water taps. Next to the kitchen was the berth-room of the vessel, sixteen feet long. But the door was shut, and I could not see the management of it, which might have given me an idea of the number of men employed on board the Nautilus. At the bottom was a fourth partition that separated this office from the engine-room. A door opened, and I found myself in the compartment where Captain Nemo--certainly an engineer of a very high order--had arranged his locomotive machinery. This engine-room, clearly lighted, did not measure less than sixty-five feet in length. It was divided into two parts; the first contained the materials for producing electricity, and the second the machinery that connected it with the screw. I examined it with great interest, in order to understand the machinery of the Nautilus. "You see," said the Captain, "I use Bunsen's contrivances, not Ruhmkorff's. Those would not have been powerful enough. Bunsen's are fewer in number, but strong and large, which experience proves to be the best. The electricity produced passes forward, where it works, by electro-magnets of great size, on a system of levers and cog-wheels that transmit the movement to the axle of the screw. This one, the diameter of which is nineteen feet, and the thread twenty-three feet, performs about 120 revolutions in a second." "And you get then?" "A speed of fifty miles an hour." "I have seen the Nautilus manoeuvre before the Abraham Lincoln, and I have my own ideas as to its speed. But this is not enough. We must see where we go. We must be able to direct it to the right, to the left, above, below. How do you get to the great depths, where you find an increasing resistance, which is rated by hundreds of atmospheres? How do you return to the surface of the ocean? And how do you maintain yourselves in the requisite medium? Am I asking too much?" "Not at all, Professor," replied the Captain, with some hesitation; "since you may never leave this submarine boat. Come into the saloon, it is our usual study, and there you will learn all you want to know about the Nautilus." CHAPTER XII SOME FIGURES A moment after we were seated on a divan in the saloon smoking. The Captain showed me a sketch that gave the plan, section, and elevation of the Nautilus. Then he began his description in these words: "Here, M. Aronnax, are the several dimensions of the boat you are in. It is an elongated cylinder with conical ends. It is very like a cigar in shape, a shape already adopted in London in several constructions of the same sort. The length of this cylinder, from stem to stern, is exactly 232 feet, and its maximum breadth is twenty-six feet. It is not built quite like your long-voyage steamers, but its lines are sufficiently long, and its curves prolonged enough, to allow the water to slide off easily, and oppose no obstacle to its passage. These two dimensions enable you to obtain by a simple calculation the surface and cubic contents of the Nautilus. Its area measures 6,032 feet; and its contents about 1,500 cubic yards; that is to say, when completely immersed it displaces 50,000 feet of water, or weighs 1,500 tons. "When I made the plans for this submarine vessel, I meant that nine-tenths should be submerged: consequently it ought only to displace nine-tenths of its bulk, that is to say, only to weigh that number of tons. I ought not, therefore, to have exceeded that weight, constructing it on the aforesaid dimensions. "The Nautilus is composed of two hulls, one inside, the other outside, joined by T-shaped irons, which render it very strong. Indeed, owing to this cellular arrangement it resists like a block, as if it were solid. Its sides cannot yield; it coheres spontaneously, and not by the closeness of its rivets; and its perfect union of the materials enables it to defy the roughest seas. "These two hulls are composed of steel plates, whose density is from .7 to .8 that of water. The first is not less than two inches and a half thick and weighs 394 tons. The second envelope, the keel, twenty inches high and ten thick, weighs only sixty-two tons. The engine, the ballast, the several accessories and apparatus appendages, the partitions and bulkheads, weigh 961.62 tons. Do you follow all this?" "I do." "Then, when the Nautilus is afloat under these circumstances, one-tenth is out of the water. Now, if I have made reservoirs of a size equal to this tenth, or capable of holding 150 tons, and if I fill them with water, the boat, weighing then 1,507 tons, will be completely immersed. That would happen, Professor. These reservoirs are in the lower part of the Nautilus. I turn on taps and they fill, and the vessel sinks that had just been level with the surface." "Well, Captain, but now we come to the real difficulty. I can understand your rising to the surface; but, diving below the surface, does not your submarine contrivance encounter a pressure, and consequently undergo an upward thrust of one atmosphere for every thirty feet of water, just about fifteen pounds per square inch?" "Just so, sir." "Then, unless you quite fill the Nautilus, I do not see how you can draw it down to those depths." "Professor, you must not confound statics with dynamics or you will be exposed to grave errors. There is very little labour spent in attaining the lower regions of the ocean, for all bodies have a tendency to sink. When I wanted to find out the necessary increase of weight required to sink the Nautilus, I had only to calculate the reduction of volume that sea-water acquires according to the depth." "That is evident." "Now, if water is not absolutely incompressible, it is at least capable of very slight compression. Indeed, after the most recent calculations this reduction is only .000436 of an atmosphere for each thirty feet of depth. If we want to sink 3,000 feet, I should keep account of the reduction of bulk under a pressure equal to that of a column of water of a thousand feet. The calculation is easily verified. Now, I have supplementary reservoirs capable of holding a hundred tons. Therefore I can sink to a considerable depth. When I wish to rise to the level of the sea, I only let off the water, and empty all the reservoirs if I want the Nautilus to emerge from the tenth part of her total capacity." I had nothing to object to these reasonings. "I admit your calculations, Captain," I replied; "I should be wrong to dispute them since daily experience confirms them; but I foresee a real difficulty in the way." "What, sir?" "When you are about 1,000 feet deep, the walls of the Nautilus bear a pressure of 100 atmospheres. If, then, just now you were to empty the supplementary reservoirs, to lighten the vessel, and to go up to the surface, the pumps must overcome the pressure of 100 atmospheres, which is 1,500 lbs. per square inch. From that a power----" "That electricity alone can give," said the Captain, hastily. "I repeat, sir, that the dynamic power of my engines is almost infinite. The pumps of the Nautilus have an enormous power, as you must have observed when their jets of water burst like a torrent upon the Abraham Lincoln. Besides, I use subsidiary reservoirs only to attain a mean depth of 750 to 1,000 fathoms, and that with a view of managing my machines. Also, when I have a mind to visit the depths of the ocean five or six mlles below the surface, I make use of slower but not less infallible means." "What are they, Captain?" "That involves my telling you how the Nautilus is worked." "I am impatient to learn." "To steer this boat to starboard or port, to turn, in a word, following a horizontal plan, I use an ordinary rudder fixed on the back of the stern-post, and with one wheel and some tackle to steer by. But I can also make the Nautilus rise and sink, and sink and rise, by a vertical movement by means of two inclined planes fastened to its sides, opposite the centre of flotation, planes that move in every direction, and that are worked by powerful levers from the interior. If the planes are kept parallel with the boat, it moves horizontally. If slanted, the Nautilus, according to this inclination, and under the influence of the screw, either sinks diagonally or rises diagonally as it suits me. And even if I wish to rise more quickly to the surface, I ship the screw, and the pressure of the water causes the Nautilus to rise vertically like a balloon filled with hydrogen." "Bravo, Captain! But how can the steersman follow the route in the middle of the waters?" "The steersman is placed in a glazed box, that is raised about the hull of the Nautilus, and furnished with lenses." "Are these lenses capable of resisting such pressure?" "Perfectly. Glass, which breaks at a blow, is, nevertheless, capable of offering considerable resistance. During some experiments of fishing by electric light in 1864 in the Northern Seas, we saw plates less than a third of an inch thick resist a pressure of sixteen atmospheres. Now, the glass that I use is not less than thirty times thicker." "Granted. But, after all, in order to see, the light must exceed the darkness, and in the midst of the darkness in the water, how can you see?" "Behind the steersman's cage is placed a powerful electric reflector, the rays from which light up the sea for half a mile in front." "Ah! bravo, bravo, Captain! Now I can account for this phosphorescence in the supposed narwhal that puzzled us so. I now ask you if the boarding of the Nautilus and of the Scotia, that has made such a noise, has been the result of a chance rencontre?" "Quite accidental, sir. I was sailing only one fathom below the surface of the water when the shock came. It had no bad result." "None, sir. But now, about your rencontre with the Abraham Lincoln?" "Professor, I am sorry for one of the best vessels in the American navy; but they attacked me, and I was bound to defend myself. I contented myself, however, with putting the frigate hors de combat; she will not have any difficulty in getting repaired at the next port." "Ah, Commander! your Nautilus is certainly a marvellous boat." "Yes, Professor; and I love it as if it were part of myself. If danger threatens one of your vessels on the ocean, the first impression is the feeling of an abyss above and below. On the Nautilus men's hearts never fail them. No defects to be afraid of, for the double shell is as firm as iron; no rigging to attend to; no sails for the wind to carry away; no boilers to burst; no fire to fear, for the vessel is made of iron, not of wood; no coal to run short, for electricity is the only mechanical agent; no collision to fear, for it alone swims in deep water; no tempest to brave, for when it dives below the water it reaches absolute tranquillity. There, sir! that is the perfection of vessels! And if it is true that the engineer has more confidence in the vessel than the builder, and the builder than the captain himself, you understand the trust I repose in my Nautilus; for I am at once captain, builder, and engineer." "But how could you construct this wonderful Nautilus in secret?" "Each separate portion, M. Aronnax, was brought from different parts of the globe." "But these parts had to be put together and arranged?" "Professor, I had set up my workshops upon a desert island in the ocean. There my workmen, that is to say, the brave men that I instructed and educated, and myself have put together our Nautilus. Then, when the work was finished, fire destroyed all trace of our proceedings on this island, that I could have jumped over if I had liked." "Then the cost of this vessel is great?" "M. Aronnax, an iron vessel costs L145 per ton. Now the Nautilus weighed 1,500. It came therefore to L67,500, and L80,000 more for fitting it up, and about L200,000, with the works of art and the collections it contains." "One last question, Captain Nemo." "Ask it, Professor." "You are rich?" "Immensely rich, sir; and I could, without missing it, pay the national debt of France." I stared at the singular person who spoke thus. Was he playing upon my credulity? The future would decide that. CHAPTER XIII THE BLACK RIVER The portion of the terrestrial globe which is covered by water is estimated at upwards of eighty millions of acres. This fluid mass comprises two billions two hundred and fifty millions of cubic miles, forming a spherical body of a diameter of sixty leagues, the weight of which would be three quintillions of tons. To comprehend the meaning of these figures, it is necessary to observe that a quintillion is to a billion as a billion is to unity; in other words, there are as many billions in a quintillion as there are units in a billion. This mass of fluid is equal to about the quantity of water which would be discharged by all the rivers of the earth in forty thousand years. During the geological epochs the ocean originally prevailed everywhere. Then by degrees, in the silurian period, the tops of the mountains began to appear, the islands emerged, then disappeared in partial deluges, reappeared, became settled, formed continents, till at length the earth became geographically arranged, as we see in the present day. The solid had wrested from the liquid thirty-seven million six hundred and fifty-seven square miles, equal to twelve billions nine hundred and sixty millions of acres. The shape of continents allows us to divide the waters into five great portions: the Arctic or Frozen Ocean, the Antarctic, or Frozen Ocean, the Indian, the Atlantic, and the Pacific Oceans. The Pacific Ocean extends from north to south between the two Polar Circles, and from east to west between Asia and America, over an extent of 145 degrees of longitude. It is the quietest of seas; its currents are broad and slow, it has medium tides, and abundant rain. Such was the ocean that my fate destined me first to travel over under these strange conditions. "Sir," said Captain Nemo, "we will, if you please, take our bearings and fix the starting-point of this voyage. It is a quarter to twelve; I will go up again to the surface." The Captain pressed an electric clock three times. The pumps began to drive the water from the tanks; the needle of the manometer marked by a different pressure the ascent of the Nautilus, then it stopped. "We have arrived," said the Captain. I went to the central staircase which opened on to the platform, clambered up the iron steps, and found myself on the upper part of the Nautilus. The platform was only three feet out of water. The front and back of the Nautilus was of that spindle-shape which caused it justly to be compared to a cigar. I noticed that its iron plates, slightly overlaying each other, resembled the shell which clothes the bodies of our large terrestrial reptiles. It explained to me how natural it was, in spite of all glasses, that this boat should have been taken for a marine animal. Toward the middle of the platform the longboat, half buried in the hull of the vessel, formed a slight excrescence. Fore and aft rose two cages of medium height with inclined sides, and partly closed by thick lenticular glasses; one destined for the steersman who directed the Nautilus, the other containing a brilliant lantern to give light on the road. The sea was beautiful, the sky pure. Scarcely could the long vehicle feel the broad undulations of the ocean. A light breeze from the east rippled the surface of the waters. The horizon, free from fog, made observation easy. Nothing was in sight. Not a quicksand, not an island. A vast desert. Captain Nemo, by the help of his sextant, took the altitude of the sun, which ought also to give the latitude. He waited for some moments till its disc touched the horizon. Whilst taking observations not a muscle moved, the instrument could not have been more motionless in a hand of marble. "Twelve o'clock, sir," said he. "When you like----" I cast a last look upon the sea, slightly yellowed by the Japanese coast, and descended to the saloon. "And now, sir, I leave you to your studies," added the Captain; "our course is E.N.E., our depth is twenty-six fathoms. Here are maps on a large scale by which you may follow it. The saloon is at your disposal, and, with your permission, I will retire." Captain Nemo bowed, and I remained alone, lost in thoughts all bearing on the commander of the Nautilus. For a whole hour was I deep in these reflections, seeking to pierce this mystery so interesting to me. Then my eyes fell upon the vast planisphere spread upon the table, and I placed my finger on the very spot where the given latitude and longitude crossed. The sea has its large rivers like the continents. They are special currents known by their temperature and their colour. The most remarkable of these is known by the name of the Gulf Stream. Science has decided on the globe the direction of five principal currents: one in the North Atlantic, a second in the South, a third in the North Pacific, a fourth in the South, and a fifth in the Southern Indian Ocean. It is even probable that a sixth current existed at one time or another in the Northern Indian Ocean, when the Caspian and Aral Seas formed but one vast sheet of water. At this point indicated on the planisphere one of these currents was rolling, the Kuro-Scivo of the Japanese, the Black River, which, leaving the Gulf of Bengal, where it is warmed by the perpendicular rays of a tropical sun, crosses the Straits of Malacca along the coast of Asia, turns into the North Pacific to the Aleutian Islands, carrying with it trunks of camphor-trees and other indigenous productions, and edging the waves of the ocean with the pure indigo of its warm water. It was this current that the Nautilus was to follow. I followed it with my eye; saw it lose itself in the vastness of the Pacific, and felt myself drawn with it, when Ned Land and Conseil appeared at the door of the saloon. My two brave companions remained petrified at the sight of the wonders spread before them. "Where are we, where are we?" exclaimed the Canadian. "In the museum at Quebec?" "My friends," I answered, making a sign for them to enter, "you are not in Canada, but on board the Nautilus, fifty yards below the level of the sea." "But, M. Aronnax," said Ned Land, "can you tell me how many men there are on board? Ten, twenty, fifty, a hundred?" "I cannot answer you, Mr. Land; it is better to abandon for a time all idea of seizing the Nautilus or escaping from it. This ship is a masterpiece of modern industry, and I should be sorry not to have seen it. Many people would accept the situation forced upon us, if only to move amongst such wonders. So be quiet and let us try and see what passes around us." "See!" exclaimed the harpooner, "but we can see nothing in this iron prison! We are walking--we are sailing--blindly." Ned Land had scarcely pronounced these words when all was suddenly darkness. The luminous ceiling was gone, and so rapidly that my eyes received a painful impression. We remained mute, not stirring, and not knowing what surprise awaited us, whether agreeable or disagreeable. A sliding noise was heard: one would have said that panels were working at the sides of the Nautilus. "It is the end of the end!" said Ned Land. Suddenly light broke at each side of the saloon, through two oblong openings. The liquid mass appeared vividly lit up by the electric gleam. Two crystal plates separated us from the sea. At first I trembled at the thought that this frail partition might break, but strong bands of copper bound them, giving an almost infinite power of resistance. The sea was distinctly visible for a mile all round the Nautilus. What a spectacle! What pen can describe it? Who could paint the effects of the light through those transparent sheets of water, and the softness of the successive gradations from the lower to the superior strata of the ocean? We know the transparency of the sea and that its clearness is far beyond that of rock-water. The mineral and organic substances which it holds in suspension heightens its transparency. In certain parts of the ocean at the Antilles, under seventy-five fathoms of water, can be seen with surprising clearness a bed of sand. The penetrating power of the solar rays does not seem to cease for a depth of one hundred and fifty fathoms. But in this middle fluid travelled over by the Nautilus, the electric brightness was produced even in the bosom of the waves. It was no longer luminous water, but liquid light. On each side a window opened into this unexplored abyss. The obscurity of the saloon showed to advantage the brightness outside, and we looked out as if this pure crystal had been the glass of an immense aquarium. "You wished to see, friend Ned; well, you see now." 1 " . " 2 3 " . " 4 5 " , , ? " 6 7 " , , , 8 - - , , 9 , . " 10 11 . 12 13 " , , " , " 14 . . " 15 16 " , . " 17 18 " ! , , 19 ? " 20 21 " , . 22 . " 23 24 " , " , " 25 . " 26 27 " , , " 28 , . 29 30 " , " , , " 31 ; . " 32 33 " , , . . , 34 , , . 35 . 36 - - . 37 ? 38 ! , - - . " 39 40 , 41 . 42 43 " , , " , " 44 ? " 45 46 " . " 47 48 " , " , " , 49 . . " 50 51 " , , " . 52 53 , , : 54 55 " , . , . 56 . , , 57 . 58 59 . ' . 60 . 61 - - . , 62 , . 63 . " 64 65 . 66 . ; , , 67 68 . , 69 . : 70 71 " ? " 72 73 " , " , " ; 74 75 . " 76 77 . . 78 . , 79 : 80 81 " , " . " 82 . 83 84 " , . , . 85 . " 86 87 " , . " 88 89 ; , 90 , 91 . , 92 . 93 94 - , . 95 , , 96 , , , 97 . 98 , 99 . 100 101 . 102 . 103 104 , 105 ; 106 . 107 , , 108 . , 109 . 110 111 . , 112 , 113 . 114 115 " , " . 116 " , . 117 . , 118 . , , 119 . " 120 121 " , " , " ? " 122 123 " , , . 124 , . 125 , , 126 . , 127 ' , 128 . , 129 , 130 . " 131 132 " , , 133 ; 134 ; 135 , , . " 136 137 " , , , 138 . ' , 139 . , 140 . . 141 - , 142 ; , 143 , 144 ; , , , 145 . " 146 147 , , 148 . 149 150 " , ? " 151 152 " ; ! . 153 . . 154 , , 155 . 156 . ; 157 , ' . , , 158 - - , , 159 . . 160 , ; ? 161 . . 162 , , 163 , . 164 , , , 165 . ! , - - 166 ! ! ! 167 ! " 168 169 , 170 . 171 , . , 172 , : 173 174 " , , " , " , 175 . " 176 177 . . , 178 - , , 179 . 180 181 . , 182 , 183 . , 184 , 185 , , . 186 , , 187 ' . , 188 , , 189 . ; 190 . 191 , , 192 . 193 194 " , " , 195 , " 196 , 197 . " 198 199 " , ? " 200 . " 201 ? " 202 203 " , ; . 204 . " 205 206 " , . . 207 . 208 . 209 , , , 210 . , 211 , , 212 . " 213 214 , . 215 , , ; 216 ; 217 . , 218 , ; 219 220 . 221 222 " , " , " 223 . , 224 . " 225 226 " , " , " 227 - . " 228 229 " - ! " . " ? " 230 231 " . " 232 233 " , , 234 . " 235 236 " , " . " , . ; , 237 , , 238 . " 239 240 ; 241 , . 242 , , 243 244 . 245 246 " , . " 247 248 " ! " , " 249 . - , , 250 , . " 251 252 253 , 254 - . 255 256 , - , , , 257 . , , 258 259 . , 260 , 261 ' . 262 263 - , , 264 , , 265 . , 266 , 267 . 268 , , , 269 , , , 270 , , , 271 , , " " 272 , , , 273 , - . 274 275 , , , , , , . ; 276 , 277 , . 278 , , 279 . 280 281 " , " , " 282 , . " 283 284 " , " , " , 285 . " 286 287 " , , . 288 . , 289 , 290 . 291 . , 292 ; ; 293 . . " 294 295 " ? " , , 296 , , , , , , , , 297 , , 298 - - . 299 300 " , " , " 301 ; 302 ; , ; 303 ! " 304 305 , . 306 , 307 . 308 , , - - 309 . 310 311 , 312 - . 313 314 , , 315 316 . 317 . 318 319 320 . 321 , , , 322 , , , 323 , , , 324 , 325 , 326 , " ' " , 327 - - , 328 , 329 . , 330 , , - , , , , , 331 , . , 332 . 333 334 335 , 336 . , 337 . 338 - , 339 , 340 , - , , 341 - - ( ) ; 342 - , 343 ; ; 344 , - ; 345 , , 346 , ; 347 , - , , 348 - , ; 349 , ; 350 ; , , 351 ; 352 . 353 354 , , 355 , 356 ; , - ; 357 ; , , 358 , 359 - ; , 360 . 361 ' , 362 , 363 , 364 , 365 . 366 367 , 368 . 369 , 370 , 371 , : 372 373 " , ? 374 ; , 375 , 376 . " 377 378 " , , 379 . 380 . 381 . 382 , . 383 : , 384 , 385 , , 386 . 387 . " 388 389 " , , 390 . 391 . 392 . " 393 394 , 395 - , . 396 , , , , 397 , - , . 398 399 . 400 401 " , " , , " 402 - . " 403 404 ' : , 405 . , , ; 406 . , 407 . 408 409 . 410 411 " , " . , 412 : 413 414 415 416 417 418 419 420 " , " , 421 , " 422 . , - , 423 , 424 . , 425 , ; 426 , 427 ; , 428 ; - , , , 429 ; , ; 430 , ; 431 , ; 432 , , 433 . " 434 435 " , " , " 436 . , , 437 . 438 , ? " 439 440 " . , 441 , 442 . " 443 444 " , ? " 445 446 " , , . 447 ? " 448 449 , : 450 451 " , , , , 452 , . 453 . , , 454 . . " 455 456 " ? " . 457 458 " , . " 459 460 " , , , 461 . , 462 , 463 . " 464 465 " , " , " ' . 466 - . 467 / . , / . 468 ; , , 469 , , , 470 . , , 471 . 472 - , . 473 ; , , , 474 , , , . " 475 476 " ? " 477 478 " ! , 479 , . 480 , , 481 482 , , 483 , . 484 , . ; 485 , 486 . - , 487 , , 488 , 489 . ! , ' . " 490 491 " . " 492 493 " . 494 . 495 , . 496 ! 497 . " 498 499 " ! , , 500 , , . " 501 502 " , . , " , . " 503 , . " 504 505 , , 506 , ' : 507 - , , 508 - ; , ; 509 - , , ' 510 - ; , ; 511 , ; , , 512 , . , 513 . 514 - , 515 . 516 517 , 518 . . 519 , , 520 . . 521 522 " , " . 523 524 " ! ? " , . 525 526 " ; , , 527 . " 528 529 " , , 530 ? " 531 532 " . 533 , . , 534 - , . 535 - , 536 . 537 . 538 ; . 539 , 540 . , 541 ; , , , ' . " 542 543 " ? " 544 545 " , . ; . " 546 547 " ? " 548 549 " . . , 550 . " 551 552 " , " , , " 553 . " 554 555 556 , , , 557 , . 558 , 559 - . , , 560 . 561 . 562 , , , 563 . 564 , . 565 566 - , 567 . , , 568 569 . 570 571 572 - . , 573 - - - - 574 . - , , 575 - . 576 ; 577 , 578 . , 579 . 580 581 " , " , " ' , 582 ' . . ' 583 , , 584 . , , 585 - , - 586 . , 587 , - , 588 . " 589 590 " ? " 591 592 " . " 593 594 " , 595 . . 596 . , 597 , , . , 598 , ? 599 ? 600 ? ? " 601 602 " , , " , ; 603 " . , 604 , 605 . " 606 607 608 609 610 611 612 613 . 614 , , 615 . : 616 617 " , . , . 618 . 619 , 620 . , , 621 , - . 622 - , 623 , , 624 , . 625 626 . , ; 627 , ; , 628 , , , . 629 630 " , 631 - : 632 - , , 633 . , , , 634 . 635 636 " , , , 637 - , . , 638 , 639 . ; , 640 ; 641 . 642 643 " , . 644 . . 645 . , , 646 , - . , 647 , , 648 , . . ? " 649 650 " . " 651 652 " , , - 653 . , 654 , , 655 , , , , . 656 , . 657 . , 658 . " 659 660 " , , . 661 ; , , 662 , 663 664 , ? " 665 666 " , . " 667 668 " , , 669 . " 670 671 " , 672 . 673 , 674 . 675 , 676 - . " 677 678 " . " 679 680 " , , 681 . , 682 . 683 . , , 684 685 . . , 686 . 687 . 688 , , 689 . " 690 691 . 692 693 " , , " ; " 694 ; 695 . " 696 697 " , ? " 698 699 " , , 700 . , , 701 , , 702 , , 703 , . . - - - - " 704 705 " , " , . " 706 , , . 707 , 708 709 . , 710 , , 711 . , 712 , 713 . " 714 715 " , ? " 716 717 " . " 718 719 " . " 720 721 " , , , 722 , 723 - , . 724 , , 725 , 726 , , 727 . 728 , . 729 , , , 730 , 731 . , 732 , 733 . " 734 735 " , ! 736 ? " 737 738 " , 739 , . " 740 741 " ? " 742 743 " . , , , , 744 . 745 , 746 747 . , 748 . " 749 750 " . , , , 751 , , 752 ? " 753 754 " ' , 755 . " 756 757 " ! , , ! 758 . 759 , , 760 ? " 761 762 " , . 763 . . " 764 765 " , . , ? " 766 767 " , 768 ; , . 769 , , ; 770 . " 771 772 " , ! . " 773 774 " , ; . 775 , 776 . ' 777 . , 778 ; ; 779 ; ; , 780 , ; , 781 ; , 782 ; , 783 . , ! 784 ! 785 , , 786 ; 787 , , . " 788 789 " ? " 790 791 " , . , 792 . " 793 794 " ? " 795 796 " , 797 . , , 798 , . 799 , , 800 , 801 . " 802 803 " ? " 804 805 " . , . 806 , . , , , 807 , , , 808 . " 809 810 " , . " 811 812 " , . " 813 814 " ? " 815 816 " , ; , , 817 . " 818 819 . 820 ? . 821 822 823 824 825 826 827 828 829 . 830 , 831 , 832 . 833 , 834 ; , 835 . 836 837 . 838 839 . 840 , , 841 , , 842 , , , , 843 , . 844 - 845 - , 846 . 847 848 849 : , , , 850 , , . 851 852 853 , , 854 . ; 855 , , . 856 857 . 858 859 " , " , " , , 860 - . ; 861 . " 862 863 . 864 ; 865 , . 866 867 " , " . 868 869 , 870 , 871 . 872 873 . 874 - 875 . , 876 , 877 . , 878 , 879 . 880 881 , 882 , . 883 , 884 ; 885 , 886 . 887 888 , . 889 . 890 . , , 891 . . , 892 . . 893 894 , , , 895 . 896 . 897 , 898 . 899 900 " ' , , " . " - - - - " 901 902 , 903 , . 904 905 " , , , " ; " 906 . . . , - . 907 . 908 , , , . " 909 , , 910 . 911 912 , 913 . 914 , 915 . 916 917 . 918 . 919 . 920 : 921 , , 922 , , 923 . 924 , 925 . 926 927 928 , - , , , 929 , 930 , 931 , , 932 - , 933 . 934 . 935 ; , 936 , 937 . 938 939 940 . 941 942 " , ? " . " 943 ? " 944 945 " , " , , " 946 , , 947 . " 948 949 " , . , " , " 950 ? , , , ? " 951 952 " , . ; 953 . 954 , 955 . , 956 . 957 . " 958 959 " ! " , " 960 ! - - - - . " 961 962 963 . , 964 . 965 966 , , 967 , . : 968 . 969 970 " ! " . 971 972 , 973 . 974 . . 975 , 976 , 977 . 978 979 . 980 ! ? 981 , 982 983 ? 984 985 986 - . 987 . 988 , - , 989 . 990 991 . 992 , 993 . , . 994 995 . 996 , 997 . 998 999 " , ; , . " 1000