The Nautilus (a boat that travels under the water) continued to go south. It was moving very fast. Professor Aronnax wondered if they were going to the South Pole. No person had ever reached the South Pole before. It was a very dangerous journey.
On March 14, Professor Aronnax saw ice in the water. These were small pieces of an iceberg (a very large mountain of ice floating in the sea). In the distance, there was a bright white light. Sailors call this the ice blink (a white light in the sky caused by ice). This light meant that more ice was coming.
Soon, the ice was everywhere. The ice was very beautiful. Some pieces were green and some were purple. Others looked like a city made of white marble. The floating islands of ice became very big as they moved south.
Captain Nemo was a very good pilot. He found a small opening between the blocks of ice. The Nautilus moved carefully through the opening. Sometimes the ice was like a flat field. Sometimes it was like a high mountain.
It was very cold outside. The temperature was below zero. The men wore warm clothes made of animal fur. Inside the Nautilus, the electric heaters kept the rooms warm. The water deep under the waves was also warmer than the air.
Captain Nemo talked about the islands nearby. Many seals lived there in the past. But hunters came and killed almost all of them. Now, these islands were very quiet and empty. Captain Nemo did not like it when men killed animals for no reason.
On March 16, the Nautilus reached the Antarctic Circle. There were many strange shapes in the ice. Some looked like tall buildings. The sun was low in the sky and the fog was thick. It was difficult to see the way forward.
Captain Nemo used the boat to hit the ice. The Nautilus was like a heavy hammer. It broke the ice into many pieces. The ice fell around the ship like rain. Sometimes the boat went over the ice to crush it with its weight.
On March 18, the Nautilus could not move. There was a giant wall of ice in front of the ship. Ned Land said it was an iceberg (a mountain of ice). They could not go forward. They could not go back because the ice closed behind them.
Captain Nemo spoke to Professor Aronnax. He asked if the Professor thought they were caught. Professor Aronnax said yes. He thought the ice would not break because it was late in the year. But Captain Nemo was not worried.
Captain Nemo said they were going to the South Pole. Professor Aronnax was surprised. He asked how they could go through the giant wall of ice. Captain Nemo said they would go under the ice. Professor Aronnax understood the plan now.
Captain Nemo explained the science. Most of an iceberg is under the water. If an iceberg is 300 feet high, it is 900 feet deep. The Nautilus could dive much deeper than that. The only problem was the air. They needed enough air for several days.
The crew filled the reservoirs (large tanks for air and water). The Nautilus moved down into the dark water. It was 900 feet deep under the ice. They traveled very fast, like a fast train. They moved straight toward the South Pole.
For many hours, they stayed under the ice. Professor Aronnax and Conseil watched the water through the window. They did not see any fish. The fish lived in the open sea. Everyone was nervous but excited about the trip.
On March 19, the Nautilus tried to go up to the surface. But the ship hit the bottom of the ice. The ice was very thick above them. Professor Aronnax was worried about the air. They tried to surface many times, but they always hit the ice.
Finally, at six in the morning, Captain Nemo came into the room. He looked at Professor Aronnax. Captain Nemo said that the sea was open. They were finally past the ice! They were in the open sea at the South Pole.