Three seconds before I received J. B. Hobson’s letter, I had never dreamed of chasing the unicorn-like creature any more than I had dreamed of crossing the North Sea.
But three seconds after reading the letter from the respected Secretary of the Navy, everything changed.
I suddenly felt that this was my true mission—the purpose my life had been waiting for. I had to hunt down this mysterious monster and remove it from the seas.
Yet only a short time before, I had returned from a tiring scientific expedition. All I wanted was rest. I longed to see my homeland again, meet my friends, return to my small home near the Jardin des Plantes, and admire my precious collections.
But nothing could stop me now.
I forgot my exhaustion. I forgot my friends. I forgot my collections.
Without hesitation, I accepted the American Government’s invitation.
“Besides,” I thought, “every road eventually leads back to Europe. I do not need to rush straight toward France. Perhaps this wonderful creature will appear in European waters, and I will be able to bring at least half a meter of its enormous ivory weapon back to the Museum of Natural History.”
“But first, I must search for this narwhal in the North Pacific Ocean, even though that means traveling in the opposite direction from France.”
“Conseil!” I called impatiently.
Conseil was my servant, a loyal young man from Flanders who had followed me on all my journeys.
I was very fond of him, and he felt the same toward me.
He was naturally calm, always organized, and devoted to his duties. The surprises of life rarely disturbed him. His hands were quick, and he could handle almost any task. Despite his name, however, he never gave advice—even when someone asked for it.
For ten years, Conseil had followed wherever science took me.
He had never complained about long journeys or difficult conditions. Whether the destination was China, Congo, or some distant unknown land, he would calmly pack his bags and prepare to leave.
He had excellent health, strong muscles, and seemed almost impossible to make sick. His character was equally reliable.
Conseil was thirty years old, while I was forty. Our ages were in the same proportion as fifteen to twenty.
I hope I may be forgiven for mentioning my own age.
However, Conseil did have one small weakness.
He was extremely formal.
He always spoke to me in the third person, which could sometimes become rather annoying.
“Conseil!” I called again, while my hands were already feverishly preparing for departure.
Of course, I knew I could depend on this loyal companion.
Usually, I never asked whether he wanted to follow me on my travels. He simply came.
But this time was different.
This expedition might last a long time. It might also be extremely dangerous. We were going after a creature powerful enough to sink a frigate as easily as a child could crush a toy boat.
Even the calmest person in the world would have needed to think carefully about such a journey.
What would Conseil say?
“Conseil!” I called for the third time.
At last, he appeared.
“Did you call for me, sir?” he asked as he entered.
“Yes, my boy. Prepare everything for both of us. We leave in two hours.”
“As you wish, sir,” Conseil replied calmly.
“Do not waste a moment. Put all our travel equipment, coats, shirts, and stockings into my trunk. Pack as much as possible, and hurry.”
“And your collections, sir?” Conseil asked.
“We will deal with them later.”
“The archiotherium, the hyracotherium, the oreodons, the cheropotamus, and the other specimens?”
“They will remain safely at the hotel.”
“And your living Babiroussa, sir?”
“They will take care of it while we are away. I will also arrange for our entire collection of animals to be sent back to France.”
“So we are not returning to Paris immediately?” Conseil asked.
“Oh, we certainly are,” I answered vaguely. “We are only taking a little detour.”
“Will this detour please you, sir?”
“Oh, it will be nothing serious. Just a slightly longer route.”
“We are sailing on the Abraham Lincoln.”
“As you decide, sir,” Conseil replied calmly.
“You understand, my friend, this is about the famous monster—the narwhal. We are going to remove it from the seas. The author of a two-volume scientific work called The Mysteries of the Great Submarine Grounds cannot refuse the chance to join Commander Farragut.”
“It is a magnificent mission, but also a dangerous one. We do not know where this creature may lead us. Animals like this are unpredictable.”
“But we are going anyway. Fortunately, we have a captain who knows exactly what he is doing.”
I arranged care for my Babiroussa, then jumped into a carriage with Conseil.
Our luggage was quickly carried onto the deck of the frigate.
I hurried aboard and asked for Commander Farragut.
A sailor led me to the rear deck, where I met a strong-looking officer who immediately reached out his hand.
“Monsieur Pierre Aronnax?” he asked.
“Yes, that is me,” I replied. “Are you Commander Farragut?”
“You are welcome, Professor. Your cabin is ready.”
I bowed and followed him to the cabin prepared for me.
The Abraham Lincoln had been carefully chosen and equipped for this mission.
She was a fast frigate powered by high-pressure engines capable of producing seven atmospheres of pressure.
With this power, she could reach an average speed of nearly eighteen knots per hour—a remarkable speed.
But even that was not enough to guarantee success against such a gigantic sea creature.
The inside of the frigate was just as impressive as its performance.
My cabin was comfortable and located at the rear of the ship, opening toward the gunroom.
“We will be quite comfortable here,” I said to Conseil.
“As comfortable, sir, as a hermit crab living inside a seashell,” Conseil replied.
I left him to arrange our luggage and returned to the rear deck to watch the final preparations.
At that moment, Commander Farragut was ordering the last ropes holding the Abraham Lincoln to the Brooklyn pier to be released.
In fifteen minutes, perhaps even less, the frigate would have sailed without me.
I would have missed this incredible, almost unbelievable expedition—a story that many people might later doubt.
But Commander Farragut had no intention of wasting even a single hour.
He wanted to search the waters where the creature had been seen as quickly as possible.
He called for the chief engineer.
“Is the steam pressure ready?” he asked.
“Yes, sir,” the engineer answered.
“Move forward!” Commander Farragut ordered.
The Brooklyn pier and the entire area of New York along the East River were filled with crowds.
Five hundred thousand voices erupted into three great cheers.
Thousands of handkerchiefs waved above the crowd as people said farewell to the Abraham Lincoln.
The frigate sailed toward the Hudson River, passing the long peninsula that formed New York City.
Then she followed the coast of New Jersey, where beautiful houses lined the riverbanks.
As she passed the forts, they fired powerful salutes.
The Abraham Lincoln answered by raising the American flag three times.
Thirty-nine bright stars shone from the flag at the top of the mast.
The frigate slowed as she entered the narrow channel marked by buoys near Sandy Hook.
She passed along the long sandy shore, where thousands more spectators gave one final cheer.
Small boats continued to follow the frigate until they reached the lighthouse marking the entrance to New York Harbor.
At six bells, the pilot left the ship and returned to his waiting schooner.
The fires were increased.
The propeller began turning faster.
The frigate moved along the low yellow coast of Long Island.
At eight bells, the lights of Fire Island disappeared behind us.
The Abraham Lincoln finally raced at full speed into the dark waters of the Atlantic Ocean.