Chapter 3 — CHAPTER III<br>I FORM MY RESOLUTION
Three seconds before the arrival of J. B. Hobson’s letter, I no more thought of
pursuing the unicorn than of attempting the passage of the North Sea. Three
seconds after reading the letter of the honourable Secretary of Marine, I felt
that my true vocation, the sole end of my life, was to chase this disturbing
monster, and purge it from the world.
But I had just returned from a fatiguing journey, weary and longing for repose.
I aspired to nothing more than again seeing my country, my friends, my little
lodging by the Jardin des Plantes, my dear and precious collections. But
nothing could keep me back! I forgot all—fatigue, friends and collections—and
accepted without hesitation the offer of the American Government.
“Besides,” thought I, “all roads lead back to Europe (for my particular
benefit), and I will not hurry me towards the coast of France. This worthy
animal may allow itself to be caught in the seas of Europe (for my particular
benefit), and I will not bring back less than half a yard of his ivory halberd
to the Museum of Natural History.” But in the meanwhile I must seek this
narwhal in the North Pacific Ocean, which, to return to France, was taking the
road to the antipodes.
“Conseil,” I called in an impatient voice.
Conseil was my servant, a true, devoted Flemish boy, who had accompanied me in
all my travels. I liked him, and he returned the liking well. He was phlegmatic
by nature, regular from principle, zealous from habit, evincing little
disturbance at the different surprises of life, very quick with his hands, and
apt at any service required of him; and, despite his name, never giving
advice—even when asked for it.
Conseil had followed me for the last ten years wherever science led. Never once
did he complain of the length or fatigue of a journey, never make an objection
to pack his portmanteau for whatever country it might be, or however far away,
whether China or Congo. Besides all this, he had good health, which defied all
sickness, and solid muscles, but no nerves; good morals are understood. This
boy was thirty years old, and his age to that of his master as fifteen to
twenty. May I be excused for saying that I was forty years old?
But Conseil had one fault: he was ceremonious to a degree, and would never
speak to me but in the third person, which was sometimes provoking.
“Conseil,” said I again, beginning with feverish hands to make preparations for
my departure.
Certainly I was sure of this devoted boy. As a rule, I never asked him if it
were convenient for him or not to follow me in my travels; but this time the
expedition in question might be prolonged, and the enterprise might be
hazardous in pursuit of an animal capable of sinking a frigate as easily as a
nutshell. Here there was matter for reflection even to the most impassive man
in the world. What would Conseil say?
“Conseil,” I called a third time.
Conseil appeared.
“Did you call, sir?” said he, entering.
“Yes, my boy; make preparations for me and yourself too. We leave in two
hours.”
“As you please, sir,” replied Conseil, quietly.
“Not an instant to lose;—lock in my trunk all travelling utensils, coats,
shirts, and stockings—without counting, as many as you can, and make haste.”
“And your collections, sir?” observed Conseil.
“We will think of them by and by.”
“What! the archiotherium, the hyracotherium, the oreodons, the cheropotamus,
and the other skins?”
“They will keep them at the hotel.”
“And your live Babiroussa, sir?”
“They will feed it during our absence; besides, I will give orders to forward
our menagerie to France.”
“We are not returning to Paris, then?” said Conseil.
“Oh! certainly,” I answered, evasively, “by making a curve.”
“Will the curve please you, sir?”
“Oh! it will be nothing; not quite so direct a road, that is all. We take our
passage in the Abraham Lincoln.”
Abraham Lincoln
“As you think proper, sir,” coolly replied Conseil.
“You see, my friend, it has to do with the monster—the famous narwhal. We are
going to purge it from the seas. The author of a work in quarto in two volumes,
on the ‘Mysteries of the Great Submarine Grounds’ cannot forbear embarking with
Commander Farragut. A glorious mission, but a dangerous one! We cannot tell
where we may go; these animals can be very capricious. But we will go whether
or no; we have got a captain who is pretty wide-awake.”
I opened a credit account for Babiroussa, and, Conseil following, I jumped into
a cab. Our luggage was transported to the deck of the frigate immediately. I
hastened on board and asked for Commander Farragut. One of the sailors
conducted me to the poop, where I found myself in the presence of a
good-looking officer, who held out his hand to me.
“Monsieur Pierre Aronnax?” said he.
“Himself,” replied I; “Commander Farragut?”
“You are welcome, Professor; your cabin is ready for you.”
I bowed, and desired to be conducted to the cabin destined for me.
The Abraham Lincoln had been well chosen and equipped for her new
destination. She was a frigate of great speed, fitted with high-pressure
engines which admitted a pressure of seven atmospheres. Under this the
Abraham Lincoln attained the mean speed of nearly eighteen knots and a
third an hour—a considerable speed, but, nevertheless, insufficient to grapple
with this gigantic cetacean.
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
The interior arrangements of the frigate corresponded to its nautical
qualities. I was well satisfied with my cabin, which was in the after part,
opening upon the gunroom.
“We shall be well off here,” said I to Conseil.
“As well, by your honour’s leave, as a hermit-crab in the shell of a whelk,”
said Conseil.
I left Conseil to stow our trunks conveniently away, and remounted the poop in
order to survey the preparations for departure.
At that moment Commander Farragut was ordering the last moorings to be cast
loose which held the Abraham Lincoln to the pier of Brooklyn. So in a
quarter of an hour, perhaps less, the frigate would have sailed without me. I
should have missed this extraordinary, supernatural, and incredible expedition,
the recital of which may well meet with some scepticism.
Abraham Lincoln
But Commander Farragut would not lose a day nor an hour in scouring the seas in
which the animal had been sighted. He sent for the engineer.
“Is the steam full on?” asked he.
“Yes, sir,” replied the engineer.
“Go ahead,” cried Commander Farragut.
The quay of Brooklyn, and all that part of New York bordering on the East
River, was crowded with spectators. Three cheers burst successively from five
hundred thousand throats; thousands of handkerchiefs were waved above the heads
of the compact mass, saluting the Abraham Lincoln, until she reached the
waters of the Hudson, at the point of that elongated peninsula which forms the
town of New York. Then the frigate, following the coast of New Jersey along the
right bank of the beautiful river, covered with villas, passed between the
forts, which saluted her with their heaviest guns. The Abraham Lincoln
answered by hoisting the American colours three times, whose thirty-nine stars
shone resplendent from the mizzen-peak; then modifying its speed to take the
narrow channel marked by buoys placed in the inner bay formed by Sandy Hook
Point, it coasted the long sandy beach, where some thousands of spectators gave
it one final cheer. The escort of boats and tenders still followed the frigate,
and did not leave her until they came abreast of the lightship, whose two
lights marked the entrance of New York Channel.
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Six bells struck, the pilot got into his boat, and rejoined the little schooner
which was waiting under our lee, the fires were made up, the screw beat the
waves more rapidly, the frigate skirted the low yellow coast of Long Island;
and at eight bells, after having lost sight in the north-west of the lights of
Fire Island, she ran at full steam on to the dark waters of the Atlantic.
