Summary : Vingt Mille Lieues Sous Les Mers — Part 2

As the Nautilus sails into the Indian Ocean, Professor Aronnax reflects on Captain Nemo's hidden world and the mystery surrounding his defiant isolation from humanity. While Conseil maintains that the captain is merely an unappreciated genius, Aronnax suspects darker motives and retaliation, yet he remains intensely eager to explore the unprecedented wonders of the deep sea. Ned Land, however, watches closely for any opportunity to escape toward civilization. During the voyage, the vessel glides smoothly through transparent tropical waters rich with diverse marine life. Aronnax observes a multitude of fascinating creatures, including various sea turtles, colourful ostracisms, and bizarre sea-toads attracted by the electric light of the submarine. They pass Keeling Island, noted by naturalists like Charles Darwin, and later cross the equator into the northern hemisphere. The journey offers eerie sights as well, such as floating corpses drifting from Indian rivers and a brilliant expanse of a milk sea illuminated by millions of luminous infusoria. Approaching the coast of Ceylon, Captain Nemo invites Aronnax and his companions to visit the famous pearl fisheries of the Gulf of Manaar. Although the official fishing season has not yet begun, Nemo proposes an underwater excursion to observe the pearl banks firsthand, casually asking the professor if he is afraid of sharks. The Pearl of Ten Millions Professor Aronnax discusses the nature of pearls with Ned Land and Conseil while aboard the Nautilus, explaining how pearls are formed as nacreous secretions in bivalves and detailing the rigorous harvesting and grading processes. The following morning, Captain Nemo leads Aronnax, Ned Land, and Conseil out in a small boat to the pearl banks of the Gulf of Manaar near Ceylon. Equipped with diving suits, they descend to the seabed to explore the rich marine life and the vast, inexhaustible fields of pearl oysters. During their underwater excursion, Captain Nemo guides them into a dark, picturesque grotto where an enormous giant clam is anchored to the granite floor. Inside the shell of this massive bivalve, Nemo reveals a magnificent, flawless pearl the size of a coconut, which he has been cultivating secretly over the years and which Aronnax estimates to be worth ten million francs. After leaving the grotto, they observe a native Indian diver harvesting oysters from the seabed using only a heavy stone and a small basket. Suddenly, a massive shark attacks the defenseless Indian diver, knocking him to the ocean floor with a blow from its tail. As the ferocious beast rolls onto its back to snap the man in half, Captain Nemo leaps forward with a dagger in his hand to confront the monster directly. The Red Sea Journey After returning safely to the Nautilus, Captain Nemo rewards the grateful Indian diver with a pouch of pearls before resuming their voyage northward. The vessel soon glides through the Maldivian and Lacedive archipelagos, eventually entering the desolate waters of the Arabian Sea. As they push further north, Captain Nemo guides the submarine into the Red Sea, a narrow and historic gulf renowned for its excessive evaporation, coral gardens, and sponge formations. Professor Aronnax spends his hours admiring the diverse marine life through the observation windows and discussing the ancient history of the region with the enigmatic commander. During a conversation on the deck, Captain Nemo startles Aronnax by revealing that they will soon enter the Mediterranean Sea. When the professor expresses disbelief at the prospect of bypassing the closed Isthmus of Suez so quickly without rounding the Cape of Good Hope, Nemo explains his discovery of a natural subterranean passage beneath the land. This hidden underwater route, which he calls the Arabian Tunnel, connects the Red Sea to the Mediterranean and was discovered through the author's own observations of migrating fish and marked specimens. The Dugong Hunt Ned Land excitedly spots a giant dugong floating near the surface of the Red Sea and begs Captain Nemo for permission to hunt it. Nemo grants the request, and the Canadian joins Conseil and Professor Aronnax in a small boat launched from the Nautilus. After a thrilling and dangerous chase during which the enraged animal charges and damages their boat, Ned Land successfully kills the creature with his harpoon. The massive five-thousand-kilogram dugong is hoisted aboard the Nautilus, and its tender, veal-like meat is served to the passengers the following evening. As the vessel continues its northward journey toward Suez, the waters grow less salty, and the submarine passes close to the historical sites of Mount Sinai and the port of Tor. Eager to cross into the Mediterranean, Aronnax follows Captain Nemo into the pilot cabin at night. Nemo personally steers the Nautilus into the Arabian Tunnel, a hidden subterranean passage beneath the Isthmus of Suez that he discovered through years of scientific deduction. Propelled by a powerful natural torrent, the submarine speeds through the dark rock passage and enters the Mediterranean Sea in less than twenty minutes. The following morning, Ned Land expresses his delight at reaching European waters and immediately begins plotting an escape plan with Aronnax and Conseil. Although the professor acknowledges that the Canadian is right in principle, he remains skeptical that an opportunity will arise or that Captain Nemo will ever let them leave with his secrets. Meanwhile, the Nautilus maintains a cautious course through the Greek Archipelago, staying mostly submerged or far from the coast. During this voyage, Aronnax observes various ancient fish species through the salon windows and witnesses a mysterious encounter with a professional Greek diver named Nicholas. Underwater Volcanoes and Rapid Transit The Nautilus navigates near Santorini, offering Professor Aronnax a mesmerizing and terrifying view of an active underwater volcanic eruption. Surrounded by boiling water, sulfurous vapors, and scarlet flames, the submarine quickly retreats from the intense heat to safer waters. Leaving the Greek archipelago behind, the vessel accelerates to an impressive speed, crossing the entire Mediterranean Sea in just forty-eight hours and passing through the Strait of Gibraltar into the vast Atlantic Ocean. During this high-speed crossing, Captain Nemo remains out of sight, preventing Ned Land from carrying out any escape plans. Aronnax and Conseil spend their time observing the diverse marine life through the salon windows, noting various fish, zoophytes, and the tragic debris of sunken shipwrecks scattered across the sea floor. Once they enter the Atlantic, rough seas greet them as they travel along the coast of Spain, providing a stark reminder of the open ocean's power. As they survey the situation, Ned Land informs Aronnax that he has finalized an escape plan for that very night. Relying on the darkness, strong offshore winds, and a concealed set of tools, the Canadian intends to detach the small boat and flee toward the nearby Spanish coast while Captain Nemo is isolated. Reminding the professor of his promise, Ned Land urges him to be ready in the library at nine o'clock. The Captain Secret Portraits and Atlantis Locked in his cabin, Professor Aronnax reflects on Captain Nemo and his mysterious ties to the land before discovering several portraits of historic freedom fighters and revolutionaries hanging on the wall. At eight o'clock, Ned Land prepares for their escape as the Nautilus halts on the ocean floor, but Captain Nemo suddenly interrupts Aronnax to recount the history of the sunken Spanish galleons in the Bay of Vigo. Bringing the professor into the illuminated salon, Nemo reveals the immense underwater treasure troves he harvests to fund his mission of aiding oppressed peoples and relieving suffering across the globe. The following day, after poor weather thwarts any immediate plans for escape, Captain Nemo invites Aronnax on a perilous midnight excursion across the ocean floor. Wearing diving gear and traversing the dark, deep Atlantic using only a distant red glow for guidance, the two men climb a rugged underwater mountain. Amidst petrified forests and giant crustaceans, they scale the slopes until they reach the summit of a submarine volcano, looking down upon the glowing ruins of a lost continent and a fiery crater illuminating the abyssal plain. Continuing their midnight exploration of the ocean floor, Professor Aronnax walks alongside Captain Nemo among the petrified forests and ancient ruins of a vast, submerged continent linking Africa and America. Crushing the fossilised skeletal remains of prehistoric animals beneath his heavy metal boots, the professor marvels at the historical magnitude of the sunken land and desperately wishes for more time to explore its vast, mysterious expanse and forgotten cities. Gazing across the illuminated landscape from the volcanic heights, he bears witness to the incredible drowned world before the excursion draws to its conclusion.

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