8 A Few Days on Land

CHAPTER 8 A Few Days on Land y the next morning I had slept off my Btiredness from the day before. I spoke with Captain Nemo about the wonders of the waters we had visited. It was so exciting to see the types of fish and sea life that lived at different depths in the water. Each creature had what it needed to stay alive in its sea home. I also asked the scientist about the world's oceans and how deep the different areas were. He knew many from

memory. He said the area where we were now, in this part of the Pacific, was about four thousand yards deep. "If you took all the oceans in the world and averaged their depths to make a flat sea bottom, the depth would be about one and three-quarter leagues, or roughly five miles." The captain's words added to the research I was doing and answered some questions of my own that I really had been wondering about. I saw very little of Captain Nemo over the next month. I guess we were both busy with our studies and the duties of everyday life. December came upon us quickly. I had been studying the islands as we met them. To the average person, they were just chunks of land surrounded by water on all sides. To me, they were great reefs or deposits made from volcanoes or nearby mountains. I watched the walls closely as we passed them each day, using the electric light we had to show them brightly. I learned as much as I

could when chances came. Weeks passed. We came upon sunken ships, schools of fish more colorful than I ever imagined, and rough waters that rocked the Nautilus. One day a sudden shock hit our vessel. The Nautilus had just touched a rock, but it was enough to make it stuck. I could have seen this as a problem, but instead I saw it as a chance. Ned agreed with me. "That is an island. On that island there are trees. Under those trees are animals. We can make them into roast beef and cutlets." "Will the captain let us visit this land?" Conseil asked. I was curious, too, about what Captain Nemo would say. I asked him and he gave in easily. At eight o'clock, armed with guns and axes, my two friends and I got off the Nautilus. Being on land again felt wonderful! I took in the surroundings like I took in breaths of air. The greatness of the trees struck me first. The

generous plants gave us nuts, which in turn gave us milk to drink and nuts to eat. Our walks through the forest brought many wonders. We found pigeons to eat, but these just made us wish for more. The wild hogs and bouncing rabbit kangaroos we found filled our stomachs with what we had been dreaming of—real meat. The fish on board the Nautilus was delicious, but we all longed for that taste of meat, which was like no other. We enjoyed our time off the ship, relaxing and studying this world around us. If it hadn't been for the natives following us, it would have been a perfect trip. Captain Nemo told us that even when all the natives of Papua were together on shore, we would have nothing to fear. By the next morning, though, there were at least five or six hundred of the people around. They were strong-looking people. Their simple clothing was well suited to the climate. Some of the women had herbs and vegetables around their waists. Almost all of

them had bows, arrows, and shields on their shoulders. I talked to Captain Nemo about them. I told him the fears I had. "We need to open our hatches tomorrow to renew the air of the Nautilus. They will surely jump out of their canoes and climb aboard." "Well, then, let them come in," the captain answered. "Tomorrow at twenty minutes to three P.M., the tide will push us off this rock and we will once again be on our way." I slept soundly. I woke at six the next morning. The hatches had not yet been opened. We still had air in storage but we were running dangerously low. At twenty-five minutes to three, Captain Nemo appeared in the saloon. "We are going to start," he said. "I have given the orders to open the hatches." "And the Papuans? Won't they leap over the hatches you have opened" I asked. "Come and you will see."

Ned and Conseil were watching the ship's crew around the hatches. Cries of fear and rage were heard from outside. Horrible faces met us when we looked outside. The natives were turning back, yelling as loudly as they when they had come. Only this time, it was because they were in pain. The natives had not touched a rail when they tried to come on board. They had touched a metal cable or wire, one that Captain Nemo had charged with electricity. Whoever touched it felt a powerful shock. The shock was not strong enough to kill anyone, but id did scare them. It was enough to make them turn back and allow us to leave. With the natives gone and the Nautilus free once again, the ship swept through the waters slowly. We were off for more adventure.