CHAPTER FOURTEEN

New Methods Introduced

The next day was the 9th of November. I awoke after a long twelve hours of sleep. Conseil came in to greet me, while the Canadian continued to sleep for several hours more. I was hoping to see the captain that day, as I had many more questions about his invention. I quickly dressed and went to the sitting room, but was disappointed not to see him there.

I spent the day examining the various treasures in the sitting room, still amazed at the captain's great collection. That day, the doors were never opened to show the amazing wonders of the ocean.

The next day, the 10th of November, I still had not seen the captain. We were surprised that he still had not come to see us. Was this man ill? Although we never saw the crew of the submarine, we could not complain about our situation. We were fed well, and treated with respect.

Early in the morning on the 11th of November, I felt the wind from the sea coming into the submarine. I then knew we were on the surface. I quickly went to platform, hoping to see the captain. No one was there, however. It was six o'clock in the morning, the sea was calm and the sky was cloudy. I soon returned to my room.

Five days were spent in this manner. Every morning, I went to the platform, hoping to see the captain, but he never appeared. On the 16th of November, however, I received a note from the captain.

16th of November 1867.

To Professor Aronnax,

Captain Nemo invites Professor Aronnax on a hunting expedition, which will take place tomorrow morning in the forests of Crespo Island. He hopes the professor will be able to join him.

Captain Nemo.

"A hunt!" exclaimed Ned. "So, the captain plans to go on land."

"Yes, it seems he will," I said, reading the letter again.

"Well, we must accept this invitation," said the Canadian. "When we are on land, we will know better what to do."

We then went to the map to see our location. We had traveled eighteen hundred miles from our starting point. I then spotted the tiny island of Crespo where we would begin a hunting trip.

That night, I went to bed with a great deal of anxiety.

The next morning, the 17th of November, I realized that the Nautilus was not moving. I dressed quickly and went into the sitting room. Captain Nemo was there waiting for me. I had not seen the captain in eight days, but I did not mention it. My companions and I then followed the captain into the dining room for breakfast.

"I hope that you all eat well this morning, as the island has no hotels or restaurants for meals. We will not eat again until very late in the evening," he told us as we sat down to eat. "I am pleased to see that you do not think I was crazy when I invited you for a hunting trip in the sea. A man can live in the water if he brings along breathable air, carried in a tank on his back. The tank is filled with air under pressure, used to supply him with breathable air through his walk in the sea. We will be using such tanks for our hunting trip. The tanks I have are able to supply us with air for nine or ten hours."

"But how will you light the path at the bottom of the sea?" I asked.

"We will have electric lanterns with us to light our way. Our weapons for hunting will be air guns, which fire balls of air under great pressure. These balls also hold a smaller ball of glass, which holds a metal bullet, which is able to kill any animal, small or large."

"Well, you have explained your methods completely to me. I am ready to follow you," I told the captain.

He then took us to a dressing room.

(end of section)