"that I remember. If I am not mistaken, a
depth of 8,000 yards has been found in the North Atlantic, and 2,500
yards in the Mediterranean. The most remarkable soundings have been
made in the South Atlantic, near the thirty-fifth parallel, and they
gave 12,000 yards, 14,000 yards, and 15,000 yards. To sum up all, it
is reckoned that if the bottom of the sea were levelled, its mean depth
would be about one and three-quarter leagues."

"Well, Professor," replied the Captain, "we shall show you better than
that I hope. As to the mean depth of this part of the Pacific, I tell
you it is only 4,000 yards."

Having said this, Captain Nemo went towards the panel, and disappeared
down the ladder. I followed him, and went into the large drawing-room.
The screw was immediately put in motion, and the log gave twenty miles
an hour.

During the days and weeks that passed, Captain Nemo was very sparing of
his visits. I seldom saw him. The lieutenant pricked the ship's
course regularly on the chart, so I could always tell exactly the route
of the Nautilus.

Nearly every day, for some time, the panels of the drawing-room were
opened, and we were never tired of penetrating the mysteries of the
submarine world.

The general direction of the Nautilus was south-east, and it kept
between 100 and 150 yards of depth. One day, however, I do not know
why, being drawn diagonally by means of the inclined planes, it touched
the bed of the sea. The thermometer indicated a temperature of 4.25
(cent.): a temperature that at this depth seemed common to all
latitudes.

At three o'clock in the morning of the 26th of November the Nautilus
crossed the tropic of Cancer at 172 deg. long. On 27th instant it
sighted the Sandwich Islands, where Cook died, February 14, 1779. We
had then gone 4,860 leagues from our starting-point. In the morning,
when I went on the platform, I saw two miles to windward, Hawaii, the
largest of the seven islands that form the group. I saw clearly the
cultivated ranges, and the several mountain-chains that run parallel
with the side, and the volcanoes that overtop Mouna-Rea, which rise
5,000 yards above the level of the sea. Besides other things the nets
brought up, were several flabellariae and graceful polypi, that are
peculiar to that part of the ocean. The direction of the Nautilus was
still to the south-east. It crossed the equator December 1, in 142 deg.
long.; and on the 4th of the same month, after cross