At four o’clock the next morning, Captain Nemo’s steward woke me up. I quickly got dressed and went to the main saloon.
Captain Nemo was already waiting for me.
“Mr. Aronnax, are you ready to leave?” he asked.
“I am ready, Captain.”
“Then follow me.”
“And what about my companions?”
“They have already been informed and are waiting.”
“Are we not going to wear our diving suits?” I asked.
“Not yet. I have not brought the Nautilus close to the shore. We are still some distance from the Manaar Pearl Bank. However, the boat is ready, and it will take us directly to the place where we will begin our dive. That will save us a long journey. We will put on the diving equipment when we start our underwater exploration.”
Captain Nemo led me to the central staircase that went up to the platform.
Ned and Conseil were already there. They looked excited about the “pleasure trip” that was about to begin.
Five sailors from the Nautilus stood beside the boat, their oars ready. The boat was tied tightly against the submarine’s side.
The night was still dark. Thick clouds covered the sky, leaving only a few stars visible.
I looked toward the land but could see nothing except a dark line stretching across three quarters of the horizon, from southwest to northwest.
During the night, the Nautilus had traveled back along the western coast of Ceylon. We were now west of the bay formed by the mainland and Manaar Island.
Beneath those dark waters lay the famous pearl oyster fields, a vast underwater treasure ground more than twenty miles long.
Captain Nemo, Ned Land, Conseil, and I sat at the back of the boat.
The sailor in charge took the rudder. His four companions placed their hands on the oars.
The rope was released, and the boat slowly moved away from the Nautilus.
We headed south.
The sailors rowed calmly, not rushing. I noticed that their strong strokes followed the traditional naval rhythm, with about ten seconds between each stroke.
As the boat moved forward by its own momentum, drops of water fell from the oars and sparkled like pieces of melted metal against the dark waves.
Small waves gently rocked the boat, and some sea plants floating nearby swayed in the water.
Nobody spoke.
What was Captain Nemo thinking about?
Perhaps he was thinking about the land ahead of us, land that he considered dangerously close.
Ned Land, however, would have thought it was still too far away.
As for Conseil, he was simply enjoying his curiosity being satisfied.
Around half past five, the first light of dawn appeared.
The coastline became clearer. It was mostly flat in the east but rose slightly toward the south.
The land was still about five miles away, but the mist above the sea made it difficult to see clearly.
At six o’clock, daylight suddenly arrived.
In tropical regions, sunrise comes quickly. There is almost no gradual dawn or twilight.
The sun’s rays broke through the clouds gathered on the eastern horizon, and the bright sun rose rapidly.
I could now clearly see the land, with a few scattered trees appearing along the shore.
The boat approached Manaar Island and moved around its southern side.
Captain Nemo stood up and carefully watched the sea.
At his signal, the anchor was dropped.
The chain barely moved because the water here was only about one yard deep.
This was one of the highest points of the pearl oyster bank.
“Here we are, Mr. Aronnax,” said Captain Nemo.
“Look at this protected bay. In one month, many fishing boats belonging to pearl merchants will gather here. These are the waters where their divers will search for pearls so boldly.”
“Fortunately, this bay is perfectly suited for pearl fishing. It is protected from strong winds, and the sea is usually calm. These conditions make it ideal for divers.”
“Now we will put on our diving suits and begin our journey.”
I said nothing.
While watching the suspicious-looking waves, I allowed the sailors to help me put on the heavy diving suit.
Captain Nemo and my companions did the same.
No sailors from the Nautilus would join us on this expedition.
Soon, we were covered from head to toe in thick rubber suits.
Air tanks were attached to our backs with straps.
As for the Ruhmkorff electric lamps, they were unnecessary.
Before putting on my metal helmet, I asked Captain Nemo about them.
“They would only be a burden,” he replied.
“We are not going very deep, and sunlight will be enough to light our way.”
“Besides, carrying electric lights here would be dangerous. Their brightness might attract some of the dangerous creatures living near this coast.”
When Captain Nemo said this, I looked toward Conseil and Ned Land.
But my two companions had already placed their metal helmets over their heads. They could neither hear nor answer me.
One final question remained.
“What about weapons?” I asked. “Should we bring our guns?”
“Guns? Why would we need them?”
“Do mountain hunters attack bears with guns alone? Is a sharp blade not sometimes more reliable than a bullet?”
“Here is a strong knife. Put it in your belt, and we are ready to go.”
I looked at my companions.
They were equipped exactly like me.
But Ned Land had something extra—a huge harpoon that he had brought into the boat before leaving the Nautilus.
Following Captain Nemo’s example, I put on my heavy copper helmet.
Immediately, our air supplies began working.
A moment later, we were lowered into the sea one after another.
We landed in about two yards of water on a smooth sandy bottom.
Captain Nemo raised his hand.
We followed him down a gentle slope until we disappeared completely beneath the waves.
Above our feet swam groups of strange fish belonging to the genus Monoptera.
They had no fins except their tails.
Among them, I recognized the Javanese fish, a creature almost like a real sea snake.
It was about two and a half feet long, with a pale underside. Without the golden stripes along its body, it could easily have been mistaken for a conger eel.
I also saw Stromateus fish, with flat oval bodies and brilliant colors. Their dorsal fins curved like sickles.
They were excellent eating fish and, when dried and preserved, were known as Karawade.
There were also Tranquebars, whose bodies were protected by a shell-like armor made of eight long plates.
The rising sun gradually brightened the underwater world.
The sandy ground slowly changed.
Fine sand gave way to a natural stone pathway covered with countless mollusks and coral-like creatures.
Among them, I noticed many unusual species:
Thin-shelled Placenae.
Orange Lucinae with rounded shells.
Large rockfish nearly three and a half feet long, rising beneath the waves like hands reaching upward.
Slightly glowing Panopyres.
And finally, magnificent Oculines spreading out like giant underwater fans.
They formed one of the richest underwater gardens I had ever seen.
Among these living plants and beneath the thick forests of underwater vegetation crawled countless strange creatures.
I saw Ranina crabs with triangular shells and frightening Parthenopes moving slowly across the ground.
At around seven o’clock, we finally reached the pearl oyster beds.
Millions of pearl oysters covered the seabed.
Captain Nemo pointed toward this enormous underwater treasure.
I immediately understood why he called it an endless mine.
Nature’s ability to create was far greater than mankind’s ability to destroy.
Ned Land, following his natural instincts, quickly began filling a small net he carried with some of the finest oysters.
But we could not stop.
Captain Nemo continued forward, following paths known only to him.
The seabed gradually became higher.
Sometimes, when I raised my arm, it broke above the water’s surface.
Then the ground would suddenly sink again.
We often passed around tall rocks shaped like pyramids.
Inside their dark cracks, huge crustaceans stood on powerful claws like ancient war machines, watching us with motionless eyes.
Beneath our feet crawled many kinds of worms and sea creatures.
Then suddenly, a huge cave appeared before us.
It had been carved naturally from a beautiful pile of rocks and covered with thick underwater plants.
At first, it seemed completely dark.
The sunlight faded little by little until only a weak underwater glow remained.
Captain Nemo entered the cave.
We followed him.
After a short time, my eyes adjusted to the darkness.
I could see enormous stone arches rising from natural pillars.
They looked like the heavy columns of an ancient Roman building.
Why had Captain Nemo brought us into this underwater chamber?
I soon discovered the reason.
After walking down a steep slope, our feet reached the bottom of a circular pit.
Captain Nemo stopped.
Then he pointed toward something I had not noticed before.
It was a gigantic oyster.
It was a giant tridacne.
Its shell was like a huge cup that could hold an entire lake of holy water.
The shell was more than two and a half yards wide—larger than the decorative basin inside the Nautilus.
I approached this incredible creature.
It was attached by its threads to a granite rock and rested alone in the calm waters of the cave.
I estimated its weight at nearly 600 pounds.
Such an oyster could contain about 30 pounds of meat.
A person would need the appetite of a giant to eat several of them.
Captain Nemo clearly knew this creature existed.
He seemed especially interested in checking its condition.
The shell was slightly open.
He carefully placed his dagger between the two halves to stop them from closing.
Then he lifted the creature’s soft outer covering.
Inside, between the folded layers, I saw a pearl.
It was enormous.
It was as large as a coconut.
Its perfect round shape, crystal-like clarity, and brilliant shine made it a priceless jewel.
Unable to control my curiosity, I reached out my hand to touch and examine it.
But Captain Nemo stopped me.
He shook his head and quickly removed his dagger.
The two shells immediately snapped shut.
Then I understood his purpose.
By leaving the pearl inside the oyster, Captain Nemo was allowing it to continue growing.
Every year, the creature would add new layers around it.
I estimated that the pearl was already worth at least ten million francs.
After about ten minutes, Captain Nemo suddenly stopped.
I thought he had decided to return.
But no.
He motioned for us to hide beside him in a deep crack between the rocks.
Then he pointed toward the open water.
I looked carefully.
About five yards away, a shadow appeared and moved downward.
My first thought was that it was a shark.
But I was wrong.
It was not a sea monster.
It was a man.
A living man.
An Indian fisherman.
A poor diver who had probably come here secretly to collect oysters before the official pearl season began.
Above him, I could see the bottom of his small canoe.
He repeatedly dived down and returned to the surface.
His only equipment was a heavy stone tied to his feet, shaped like a cone, and a rope connecting him to his boat.
The stone helped him sink faster.
That was all.
When he reached the seabed, about five yards below the surface, he knelt down and filled his bag with oysters.
Then he returned upward, emptied the bag, pulled up the stone, and started again.
The entire process took only thirty seconds.
The diver never noticed us.
The rocks hid us completely.
How could this poor fisherman ever imagine that other human beings were watching him from beneath the sea?
Again and again he descended.
Each time he collected no more than ten oysters because he had to pull them away from the rocks where they were firmly attached.
And how many of those oysters contained no pearl at all?
I watched him carefully.
His movements were steady.
For half an hour, nothing seemed dangerous.
I was beginning to admire this difficult work when suddenly the fisherman froze.
He was still on the seabed.
Then he made a frightened movement and rushed upward.
I immediately understood why.
A gigantic shadow appeared above him.
A huge shark was approaching.
Its eyes seemed to burn.
Its mouth was wide open.
I was frozen with horror.
The shark rushed toward the Indian.
The fisherman tried to avoid its body, but the shark’s powerful tail struck him.
The poor man was thrown onto the seabed.
Everything happened in seconds.
The shark turned around and prepared to attack again.
It rolled onto its back, ready to tear the fisherman apart.
Then Captain Nemo suddenly moved.
With his dagger in hand, he swam directly toward the monster.
At the exact moment the shark was about to bite the helpless diver, it noticed its new enemy.
It turned and charged straight at Captain Nemo.
I will never forget Captain Nemo’s position.
He stood calmly, waiting.
When the shark attacked, he moved aside with incredible speed and drove his dagger deep into its side.
But the fight was not over.
A terrible battle began.
The shark seemed to roar underwater.
Blood poured from its wound and turned the surrounding water red.
Through the cloud of blood, I could barely see Captain Nemo.
Then suddenly, like lightning, I saw him holding onto one of the shark’s fins.
He fought the enormous creature at close range, striking again and again, but unable to deliver the final blow.
The shark’s violent movements shook the water so strongly that I nearly lost my balance.
I wanted to help Captain Nemo.
But fear held me completely still.
I watched the terrible struggle.
The Captain was thrown onto the seabed by the shark’s huge body.
The monster opened its jaws wide.
It seemed certain that Captain Nemo would be killed.
Then Ned Land rushed forward.
With his harpoon in hand, he struck the shark with all his strength.
The weapon hit perfectly.
The sea filled with blood.
The shark struggled violently.
Its final movements were so powerful that even Conseil was knocked down.
But Ned Land had saved Captain Nemo.
The Captain immediately stood up.
Without a wound, he rushed toward the Indian diver.
He cut the rope holding the man to his stone weight, lifted him into his arms, and kicked upward toward the surface.
We followed him moments later.
By a miracle, we reached the fisherman’s boat safely.
Captain Nemo’s first concern was saving the Indian’s life.
I feared it was too late.
Fortunately, the fisherman had not been underwater for long.
With Captain Nemo and Conseil rubbing his body vigorously, the man slowly regained consciousness.
He opened his eyes.
Imagine his shock.
Four huge copper helmets were looking down at him.
And then Captain Nemo took a small bag of pearls from his suit and placed it in the fisherman’s hand.
The poor Cingalese man accepted the gift with trembling hands.
His eyes showed complete confusion.
He had no idea that the mysterious beings who saved his life had also given him a fortune.
At Captain Nemo’s signal, we returned to the pearl bank.
Following the same path, we reached the Nautilus boat’s anchor after about half an hour.
Once back on board, the sailors helped us remove our heavy diving equipment.
Captain Nemo’s first words were to Ned Land.
“Thank you, Master Land,” he said.
“It was revenge, Captain,” Ned replied.
“I owed you that.”
A strange, painful smile appeared on Captain Nemo’s face.
He said nothing more.
“To the Nautilus,” he ordered.
The boat quickly crossed the waves.
A few minutes later, we passed the dead body of the shark floating on the surface.
From the black markings on its fins, I recognized it as a melanopteron shark, one of the most dangerous sharks of the Indian Ocean.
It was more than twenty-five feet long.
Its enormous mouth occupied almost one-third of its body.
It was an adult, as shown by the six rows of triangular teeth in its upper jaw.
As I watched the lifeless creature, more than a dozen sharks suddenly appeared around us.
Ignoring our presence, they attacked the dead shark and fought over its remains.
At half past eight, we returned to the Nautilus.
I spent a long time thinking about everything that had happened during our journey to the Manaar Bank.
I reached two conclusions.
First, Captain Nemo possessed unbelievable courage.
Second, despite everything he said, he still cared deeply about human beings—the very people he had abandoned by choosing to live beneath the sea.
This strange man had not completely destroyed the feelings inside his heart.
When I told him my thoughts, he answered in a voice filled with emotion:
“That Indian, sir, belongs to an oppressed nation.”
“And I am still one of them.”
“I will remain one of them until my last breath.”