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Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
Chapter 2. PRO AND CON
When these events took place, I had just returned from a scientific research trip in the unpleasant territory of Nebraska in the United States.
Because of my job as Assistant Professor at the Museum of Natural History in Paris, the French Government had sent me on that expedition.
After six months in Nebraska, I arrived in New York near the end of March, carrying a valuable collection.
My departure for France was set for the first days of May.
Meanwhile, I was busy organizing my mineral, plant, and animal collections when the accident happened to the Scotia.
I knew everything about the subject that everyone was talking about.
How could I not? I had read and re-read all the American and European newspapers without getting any closer to a conclusion.
This mystery confused me, Since I couldn't form an opinion, I jumped from one idea to another.
That there really was something couldn't be doubted, and people who didn't believe were asked to look at the wound on the Scotia.
When I arrived in New York, the question was at its peak.
The idea of a floating island or an unreachable sandbank, supported by people who weren't very qualified to judge, was abandoned.
And really, unless this sandbank had a machine inside it, how could it change its position so quickly?
For the same reason, the idea of a floating wreck of a huge ship was also given up.
There were only two possible answers to the question.
This created two different groups, One group believed in a monster of huge strength.
The other believed in a submarine boat with enormous power.
But this last idea, though it seemed possible, couldn't survive the investigations made in both Europe and America.
It wasn't likely that a private person would have such a machine.
Where, when, and how was it built?
And how could its construction have been kept secret?
Certainly a government might own such a destructive machine.
In these terrible times, human cleverness has increased the power of war weapons.
So it was possible that, without anyone knowing, a country might try to use such a powerful machine.
After the rifles came the torpedoes, after the torpedoes came the submarine rams, then the reaction, At least, I hope so.
But the idea of a war machine fell apart when governments made their statements.
Since public interest was involved and transatlantic travel was affected, their honesty couldn't be doubted.
But how could we believe that the building of this submarine boat had escaped public notice?
For a private person to keep the secret in such circumstances would be very difficult.
For a country whose every move is constantly watched by powerful rivals, it was certainly impossible.
After investigations in England, France, Russia, Prussia, Spain, Italy, and America, even in Turkey, the idea of a submarine warship was finally rejected.
When I arrived in New York, several people honored me by asking my opinion about this strange event.
I had published a book in France called "Mysteries of the Great Submarine Grounds."
This book, which was highly respected in the scientific world, gave me a special reputation in this rather unknown area of Natural History.
People asked for my advice, As long as I could deny that the event was real, I simply said no.
But soon, finding myself with no way out, I had to explain myself clearly.
And even "the Honorable Pierre Aronnax, Professor at the Museum of Paris," was asked by the New York Herald to give a definite opinion.
I did something, I spoke, because I couldn't stay quiet.
I discussed the question in all its forms, politically and scientifically.
And here I give an extract from a carefully written article that I published in the issue of April 30th.
It went like this, beginning the extract of my article published on April 30th.
"After examining each different idea one by one, and rejecting all other suggestions, we must admit the existence of a sea animal of enormous power".
"The great depths of the ocean are completely unknown to us".
Sounding equipment cannot reach those great depths of the ocean.
What happens in those faraway depths, what beings live twelve or fifteen miles below the surface, their nature we can hardly guess.
However, the answer to the problem given to me may change the form of the question.
Either we know all the types of beings that live on our planet, or we don't.
If we don't know them all, Nature still has secrets in fish study for us.
Nothing is more reasonable than to admit the existence of fish or whales of other kinds.
There may even be new species built to live in layers that soundings can't reach.
Some accident, either strange or unpredictable, has brought them at long intervals to the upper level of the ocean.
"If, on the other hand, we do know all living types, we must look for the animal in question among those sea beings already classified".
And in that case, I'd be ready to admit the existence of a giant narwhal.
"The common narwhal, or unicorn of the sea, often reaches a length of sixty feet".
Increase its size five or ten times, give it strength to match its size, lengthen its dangerous weapons.
And you get the animal we need.
It'll match the size the officers of the Shannon described, weapon to pierce Scotia, and power to break the steamer's hull.
"Indeed, the narwhal is armed with a kind of ivory sword, a halberd, as some naturalists say".
Its main tusk is as hard as steel.
Some of these tusks have been found stuck in the bodies of whales, which the unicorn always attacks successfully.
Others have been pulled out, with difficulty, from ship bottoms they had pierced through, like a drill through a barrel.
The Museum of the Faculty of Medicine in Paris has one of these weapons, 2.25 yards long and 15 inches wide at base.
"Very well! Suppose this weapon is six times stronger and the animal ten times more powerful. Launch it at a speed of twenty miles an hour,"
"And you get a shock that could cause the disaster we need."
"Until we have more information, I'll maintain that it's a sea-unicorn of huge size."
"It's armed not with a halberd but with a real spur."
"This spur is like those on armored warships or war rams."
"It would also have their weight and power."
"This is how this puzzling event may be explained, unless there's something beyond everything that anyone has ever guessed, seen, noticed, or experienced, which is just possible."
These last words were cowardly on my part.
But to a point I wanted to protect my dignity as a Professor and not give the Americans too much reason to laugh.
They laugh well when they do laugh.
I kept a way out for myself.
In fact, however, I admitted the existence of the "monster." My article was discussed warmly, which gave it a high reputation.
It gathered a certain number of supporters around it.
The answer it offered gave, at least, full freedom to the imagination.
The human mind enjoys big ideas about supernatural beings.
And the sea is exactly their best vehicle.
It is the only medium where such giants, compared to land animals like elephants or rhinoceroses, can be produced or developed.
The industrial and commercial newspapers treated the question mainly from this point of view.
The Shipping and Mercantile Gazette, the Lloyd's List, the Packet-Boat, and the Maritime and Colonial Review agreed on this point.
They were all papers for insurance companies that threatened to raise their rates.
Public opinion had been expressed, the United States were the first to act.
And in New York they made preparations for an expedition to chase this narwhal.
A fast frigate, the Abraham Lincoln, was put into service as soon as possible.
The shipyards were opened for Commander Farragut, who hurried to arm his frigate.
But, as always happens, as soon as it was decided to chase the monster, the monster didn't appear.
For two months no one heard anything about it.
No ship met it, it seemed as if this unicorn knew about the plans being made around it.
It had been talked about so much, even through the Atlantic cable.
Jokers pretended this thin fly had stopped a telegram on its way and was taking advantage of it.
So when the frigate had been armed for a long campaign and equipped with powerful fishing gear, no one could say which direction to take.
Impatience grew when, on July 2nd, they learned a steamer of the San Francisco line had seen the animal three weeks earlier.
The steamer was on the route from California to Shanghai in the North Pacific Ocean.
The excitement caused by this news was extreme.
The ship was resupplied and filled with coal.
Three hours before the Abraham Lincoln left Brooklyn pier, I received a letter that went like this,
"To M".
ARONNAX, Professor at the Museum of Paris, Fifth Avenue Hotel, New York.
"SIR".
If you join the Abraham Lincoln on this expedition, the United States Government will be pleased to have France represented.
Commander Farragut has a cabin ready for you.
"Very sincerely yours, "J.B.
HOBSON, "Secretary of the Navy."