The earth has a lot of water. It covers many millions of acres. A long time ago, the whole earth was under water. Then the mountains came up. Islands appeared and disappeared. Finally, the land and the oceans were like they are today.
There are five main oceans. These are the Arctic, the Antarctic, the Indian, the Atlantic, and the Pacific. The Pacific Ocean is very big. It is between Asia and America. It is a very quiet ocean. It has slow currents (parts of the ocean where the water moves in one direction).
Captain Nemo wanted to find the boat's location. He decided to go to the surface at noon. He pressed an electric button three times. The pumps pushed the water out of the tanks. The manometer (a tool that shows the water pressure) showed that the boat was rising.
Professor Aronnax went to the middle of the boat. He climbed the iron steps to the platform. He stood on the top of the Nautilus. The boat was only three feet above the water. The front and the back of the boat were pointed.
The boat had iron plates on the outside. These plates looked like the skin of a large snake or a lizard. Professor Aronnax understood why people thought the boat was a sea monster. The iron plates looked very natural.
There was a small boat attached to the top of the Nautilus. There were also two small glass boxes. One box was for the driver. The other box held a very bright light. This light showed the way in the dark.
The sea was very beautiful. The sky was clear and blue. The ocean was very calm. There were no islands or clouds. It looked like a big, blue desert. Captain Nemo held a sextant (a tool to find a boat's position using the sun).
Captain Nemo looked at the sun. He did not move at all. He was as still as a statue. At exactly twelve o'clock, he finished his work. Professor Aronnax looked at the sea one last time. Then he went back down into the saloon.
Captain Nemo told Professor Aronnax the boat's location. The boat was twenty-five fathoms deep. The Captain showed Professor Aronnax some large maps. Then Captain Nemo bowed and left the room.
Professor Aronnax was alone. He looked at a large planisphere (a map of the whole world) on the table. He put his finger on the boat’s location. He saw that the boat was in a special part of the ocean.
The ocean has big rivers just like the land. These rivers are special currents. They have their own temperature and color. The most famous one is the Gulf Stream. But the Nautilus was in a different current near Japan.
People call this current the Kuro-Shio. It also means the Black River. This current starts near India and is very warm. It travels past the coast of Asia. The water is a very dark blue color. The Nautilus followed this current into the Pacific Ocean.
Ned Land and Conseil came into the saloon. They were very surprised. They looked at all the wonderful things in the room. Ned Land asked if they were in a museum. Professor Aronnax told them they were under the sea.
Ned Land wanted to know how many men were on the boat. Professor Aronnax did not have an answer. He told Ned Land to be patient. He wanted to enjoy the wonders of the boat. But Ned Land was angry because he could not see the ocean.
Suddenly, the room became dark. The lights on the ceiling went out. The men heard a sliding noise. Large panels on the sides of the boat moved. Two big windows appeared in the walls.
Now the men could see the water. The electric light from the boat was very bright. Two thick glass plates separated the men from the sea. The glass was very strong because it had copper around it.
The water was very clear. The men could see for a mile around the boat. It was a wonderful sight. The electric light made the water look like a bright liquid. The saloon was dark, so the view outside was perfect.
It was like looking into a giant aquarium (a glass tank for fish). Ned Land forgot his anger. He stood by the window and watched. Professor Aronnax understood why Captain Nemo lived under the water. The Captain had a world of wonders.
Many fish swam near the Nautilus. They were many different colors. Some were green and some were white with violet spots. There were blue and silver mackerel. There were even sea serpents six feet long.
The fish were not afraid. They came to the boat because they liked the bright light. Ned Land knew the names of the fish. Conseil put the fish into different groups. The men were very excited and happy.
After two hours, the iron panels closed. The windows disappeared and the lights came back on. Professor Aronnax looked at the tools on the wall. The boat was twenty-five fathoms deep. It was moving at fifteen miles an hour.
Ned Land and Conseil went to their cabin. Professor Aronnax went to his room for dinner. He ate turtle soup and some delicious fish. The food was very good. He spent the evening reading and writing.
Finally, Professor Aronnax went to bed. He slept very well. While he slept, the Nautilus moved fast through the Black River.