On February 28, the Nautilus went to the surface of the sea at noon. Land was about eight miles away. Aronnax saw a line of high mountains. He knew the land was the island of Ceylon. Ceylon is a very beautiful island near India.
Captain Nemo and his officer appeared on the platform. Captain Nemo looked at a map. Then Captain Nemo turned to Aronnax. "This is Ceylon," Captain Nemo said. "It is famous for its pearl fishery (a place where people catch oysters to find jewels). Do you want to visit it, M. Aronnax?"
Aronnax said yes. Captain Nemo said it was easy to visit. The fishers were not there yet, but the Nautilus could go there at night. Captain Nemo gave an order to his officer. The Nautilus went under the water again.
"M. Aronnax, are you afraid of sharks?" Captain Nemo asked. Aronnax was very surprised. He did not know what to say. Aronnax admitted that he did not know sharks very well. He was a little afraid.
Captain Nemo laughed quietly. "We are used to sharks," Captain Nemo said. "You will be used to them soon, too. We will have weapons. We can even hunt some sharks tomorrow morning." Captain Nemo then left the room.
Aronnax felt very nervous. He had cold sweat on his face. Hunting land animals like lions or tigers was one thing. But hunting sharks under the water was very different. Aronnax knew that many people died because of sharks. He did not want to die.
Ned Land and Conseil entered the room. They looked very happy. "Captain Nemo made us a great offer!" Ned Land said. Ned Land and Conseil knew about the trip to the Ceylon fisheries. They wanted to go with Aronnax.
Conseil asked Aronnax about pearls. Aronnax explained it to his friends. "A pearl (a small, round, white jewel found inside a sea animal) is very beautiful," Aronnax said. "Women wear them as jewels. To a scientist, a pearl is a special substance."
"Where do pearls come from?" Ned Land asked. Aronnax said they come from an oyster (a sea animal with a hard, two-part shell). Inside the shell, there is a shiny material. Sometimes a grain of sand gets inside the oyster. Then the oyster covers the sand with the shiny material. This becomes a pearl.
"Are there many pearls in one oyster?" Conseil asked. Aronnax said that sometimes there are many. He joked and said one oyster had a hundred and fifty sharks. "Sharks!" Ned Land cried. Aronnax corrected himself quickly. He meant to say a hundred and fifty pearls.
Aronnax explained how people catch pearls. Fishers put the oysters on mats in the air. The oysters die and open. Then the fishers wash the shells and find the pearls. Some pearls are round and some are oval. The round ones are more expensive.
"Is this work dangerous?" Conseil asked. Aronnax said it was safe if people were careful. Then Aronnax asked Ned Land a question. "Ned Land, are you afraid of sharks?" Aronnax asked.
Ned Land laughed. "I am a harpooner (a person who hunts large sea animals with a spear)," Ned Land said. "It is my job to hunt them." Aronnax told Ned Land that they must go into the water with the sharks. They would not be on a boat.
Ned Land stopped laughing for a second. He knew sharks were dangerous. Then Aronnax asked Conseil the same question. Conseil was very loyal. Conseil said that if Aronnax went to see the sharks, he would go too.