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Thus around the Nautilus, above and below, was an impenetrable wall of ice. We were prisoners to the iceberg. I watched the Captain. His countenance had resumed its habitual imperturbability.
“Gentlemen,” he said calmly, “there are two ways of dying in the circumstances in which we are placed.” (This puzzling person had the air of a mathematical professor lecturing to his pupils.) “The first is to be crushed; the second is to die of suffocation. I do not speak of the possibility of dying of hunger, for the supply of provisions in the Nautilus will certainly last longer than we shall. Let us, then, calculate our chances.”
“As to suffocation, Captain,” I replied, “that is not to be feared, because our reservoirs are full.”
“Just so; but they will only yield two days’ supply of air. Now, for thirty-six hours we have been hidden under the water, and already the heavy atmosphere of the Nautilus requires renewal. In forty-eight hours our reserve will be exhausted.”
“Well, Captain, can we be delivered before forty-eight hours?”
“We will attempt it, at least, by piercing the wall that surrounds us.”
“On which side?”
“Sound will tell us. I am going to run the Nautilus aground on the lower bank, and my men will attack the iceberg on the side that is least thick.”
Captain Nemo went out. Soon I discovered by a hissing noise that the water was entering the reservoirs. The Nautilus sank slowly, and rested on the ice at a depth of 350 yards, the depth at which the lower bank was immersed.
“My friends,” I said, “our situation is serious, but I rely on your courage and energy.”
“Sir,” replied the Canadian, “I am ready to do anything for the general safety.”
“Good! Ned,” and I held out my hand to the Canadian.
“I will add,” he continued, “that, being as handy with the pickaxe as with the harpoon, if I can be useful to the Captain, he can command my services.”
“He will not refuse your help. Come, Ned!”
I led him to the room where the crew of the Nautilus were
putting on their cork-jackets. I told the Captain of Ned’s
proposal, which he accepted. The Canadian put on his sea-costume,
and was ready as soon as his companions. When Ned was dressed, I
re-entered the drawing-room, where the panes of glass were open,
and, posted near Conseil, I examined the ambient beds that
supported the Nautilus. Some instants after, we saw a dozen of the
crew set foot on the bank of ice, and among them Ned Land, easily
known by his stature. Captain Nemo was with them. Before proceeding
to dig the walls, he took the soundings, to be sure of working in
the right direction. Long sounding lines were sunk in the side
walls, but after fifteen yards they were again stopped by the thick
wall. It was useless to attack it on the ceiling-like surface,
since the iceberg itself measured more than 400 yards in height.
Captain Nemo then sounded the lower surface. There ten yards of
wall separated us from (...)
(......)
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