CHAPTER TWELVE

Explanations

A moment after we were settled into the sitting room, the captain showed me a drawing of the Nautilus, and began explaining his creation in great detail.

"Professor Aronnax, you see here that the submarine is shaped like a cigar, with a length of 232 feet, and a maximum width of 26 feet. There are two iron coverings, one inside the other. At each end of the submarine are breathable air storage rooms. If I wish for the Nautilus to sink, I simply fill the rooms with enough seawater for it to sink. Do you understand my explanation?"

"I do, I can understand how the submarine is able to sink, but I still do not know how you are able to go to such depths in the ocean under such great pressure."

"If I wish to go to great depths in the ocean, I must sink at a low speed, so the passengers are able to get used to the pressure changes. And when I wish to return to the surface, I simply use electricity to empty the storage space that has been filled with water, therefore allowing the Nautilus to rise again. My submarine has a great amount of power, with the use of electricity, which gives life to the submarine. If I wish to travel five or six miles below the surface, I must move at quite a low speed. We are able to see our path through the glass box, where members of my crew control the direction. This glass is nearly ten inches thick, able to resist the great pressure deep under the surface of the oceans. The Nautilus' path is lit by a powerful electric light, allowing the Nautilus to see nearly half a mile ahead."

"Excellent, Captain, but now I must ask you about the accident with the Canadian ship, the Scotia. Had you intended to damage the ship?"

"No, that was, indeed, an accident, sir. I was sailing only one fathom below the surface of the water, when the two crashed"

"Well, now what about the accident with the Abraham Lincoln?"

"Professor, that ship was attacking me, therefore I was forced to defend myself."

"Ah, Captain! Your Nautilus is certainly incredible."

"Yes, Professor. I love it as if it were part of myself. Here, below the ocean's surface, there are no other ships to crash into; no fire to fear, as the submarine is made entirely of iron; and the electricity supplies all our needs. In the depths of the ocean, there is only calm. I can understand this creation perfectly, as I am not only the captain, but also the builder and engineer."

"But how were you able to build this Nautilus in secret?"

"Each part, Professor Aronnax, has come from a different part of the earth. The bottom came from southern France, the iron coverings came from London, the storage spaces came from Sweden, and the measurement instruments came from New York. I had the parts taken to a deserted island where my crew and I met to build the great submarine. When we finished our work, we destroyed everything else we had brought to the island, so no one would know we had been there."

"So the cost of this submarine was quite expensive?"

"Professor Aronnax, the cost of this submarine was nearly 147,500 English pounds, and about 200,000 pounds for the collection of paintings you have seen."

"You are rich, then?"

"Quite rich, sir. I could easily pay off France's debt, but still have a fortune."

(end of section)