PART TWO

CHAPTER ONE

The Indian Ocean

We now come to the second part of our journey under the sea. I realized that Captain Nemo was preparing for his death. There, none of the ocean's monsters could disturb the last sleep of the Nautilus crew. "Nor any man," the captain had said; even in his death, he refused to join human society!

Conseil believed that Captain Nemo had simply become tired of the human world, unable to deal with the simple minds of human society. I, however, believe there was more to the character and story of Captain Nemo.

From the 21st to the 23rd of January, the Nautilus sailed nearly two hundred and fifty leagues in twenty-four hours, or twenty-two miles an hour. We often watched through the windows in the sitting room as fish followed the electric light of the submarine.

On the 27th of January, we spent the day on the surface of the water. In the late afternoon, we began swimming in a sea of milk-like liquid. Conseil could not believe what he saw.

"It is called a milk sea," I explained, "and is made up of a great number of tiny colorless worms, the width of a hair. These animals connect together for several leagues."

"Several leagues!" exclaimed Conseil.

Several hours later, we were again in the clear waters of the ocean, having passed through the milk sea.

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