This said in a careless tone, Captain Nemo left the saloon. Now, if you were invited to hunt the bear in the mountains of Switzerland, what would you say? Very well! To-morrow we will go and hunt the bear. If you were asked to hunt the lion in the plains of Atlas, or the tiger in the Indian jungles, what would you say? Ha! ha! it seems we are going to hunt the tiger or the lion! But when you are invited to hunt the shark in its natural element, you would perhaps reflect before accepting the invitation. As for myself, I passed my hand over my forehead, on which stood large drops of cold perspiration. Let us reflect, said I, and take our time. Hunting otters in submarine forests, as we did in the island of Crespo, will pass; but going up and down at the bottom of the sea, where one is almost certain to meet sharks, is quite another thing! I know well that in certain countries, particularly in the Andaman Islands, the Negroes never hesitate to attack them with a dagger in one hand and a running noose in the other; but I also know that few who affront those creatures ever return alive. However, I am not a negro, and, if I were, I think a little hesitation in this case would not be ill-timed. Then, said I, the working is easy. We must go back again, and go out at the southern opening. That is all. M. Aronnax, he asked, do you know the depth of the ocean? Yes, confound it! Yes, answered Ned Land, it is superb! I am mad at being obliged to admit it. No one has ever seen anything like it; but the sight may cost us dear. And if I must say all, I think we are seeing here things which God never intended man to see.
I shall do it, he replied coldly. And I advise you not to judge me, sir. Fate has shown you what you ought not to have seen. The attack has begun; go down. Therefore, to estimate the value of this collection was simply impossible. Captain Nemo must have expended millions in the acquirement of these various specimens, and I was thinking what source he could have drawn from, to have been able thus to gratify his fancy for collecting, when I was interrupted by these words: It is, perhaps, because of that, replied Ned Land, looking at me. You shall see.
An accident? I asked. The letter N was no doubt the initial of the name of the enigmatical person who commanded at the bottom of the seas. It required tackle of enormous strength to hoist the dugong on to the platform. It weighed 10,000 lbs. By this time other poulps appeared at the port light. I counted seven. They formed a procession after the Nautilus, and I heard their beaks gnashing against the iron hull. I continued my work. These monsters kept in the water with such precision that they seemed immovable. Suddenly the Nautilus stopped. A shock made it tremble in every plate.