Chapter 32

CHAPTER XXXII.

WONDERS OF THE DEEP

On the 13th of August we awoke early. We were now to begin to adopt amode of travelling both more expeditious and less fatiguing thanhitherto.

A mast was made of two poles spliced together, a yard was made of athird, a blanket borrowed from our coverings made a tolerable sail.There was no want of cordage for the rigging, and everything was welland firmly made.

The provisions, the baggage, the instruments, the guns, and a goodquantity of fresh water from the rocks around, all found their properplaces on board; and at six the Professor gave the signal to embark.Hans had fitted up a rudder to steer his vessel. He took the tiller,and unmoored; the sail was set, and we were soon afloat. At themoment of leaving the harbour, my uncle, who was tenaciously fond ofnaming his new discoveries, wanted to give it a name, and proposedmine amongst others.

"But I have a better to propose," I said: "Grauben. Let it be calledPort Gräuben; it will look very well upon the map."

"Port Gräuben let it be then."

And so the cherished remembrance of my Virlandaise became associatedwith our adventurous expedition.

The wind was from the north-west. We went with it at a high rate ofspeed. The dense atmosphere acted with great force and impelled usswiftly on.

In an hour my uncle had been able to estimate our progress. At thisrate, he said, we shall make thirty leagues in twenty-four hours, andwe shall soon come in sight of the opposite shore.

I made no answer, but went and sat forward. The northern shore wasalready beginning to dip under the horizon. The eastern and westernstrands spread wide as if to bid us farewell. Before our eyes lay farand wide a vast sea; shadows of great clouds swept heavily over itssilver-grey surface; the glistening bluish rays of electric light,here and there reflected by the dancing drops of spray, shot outlittle sheaves of light from the track we left in our rear. Soon weentirely lost sight of land; no object was left for the eye to judgeby, and but for the frothy track of the raft, I might have thought wewere standing still.

About twelve, immense shoals of seaweeds came in sight. I was awareof the great powers of vegetation that characterise these plants,which grow at a depth of twelve thousand feet, reproduce themselvesunder a pressure of four hundred atmospheres, and sometimes formbarriers strong enough to impede the course of a ship. But never, Ithink, were such seaweeds as those which we saw floating in immensewaving lines upon the sea of Liedenbrock.

Our raft skirted the whole length of the fuci, three or four thousandfeet long, undulating like vast serpents beyond the reach of sight; Ifound some amusement in tracing these endless waves, always thinkingI should come to the end of them, and for hours my patience was vyingwith my surprise.

What natural force