Calico Classics Illustrated: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Pierre Aronnax Professor of the Paris Museum Fifth Avenue Hotel New York Dear Sir If you would like to join the expedition of the Abraham Lincoln the government of the United States would take great pleasure in having you represent France on this mission Cordially yours J B Hobson Secretary of the Navy Though I had given no thought to chasing the narwhal I decided at once that I must go I called my servant and assistant Conseil and told him we had two hours to prepare and reach the ship He agreed with complete calm only asking what to do with my many collections The hotel will keep them for us I assured him Whatever suits Monsieur he said 8
We arrived at the Abraham Lincoln as it was preparing to leave Commander Farragut welcomed me in person and I was quickly taken to my cabin which I found pleasant We then left port as crowds cheered from the wharves lining the East River 9
2 At Full Speed Commander Farragut had sworn to get rid of the giant narwhal and no other course was acceptable He promised 2,000 to the fi rst man to spot the whale This guaranteed the enthusiasm of virtually every man aboard The ship was outfi tted with hand-thrown harpoons blunderbusses that shot out barbed arrows and swivel guns with exploding shells On the forecastle stood a cannon With all this weaponry onboard the ship had something even better the best harpooner in the world Ned Land had skill courage and coolness No whale was likely to escape him Land was a tall powerfully built Canadian He could be hot tempered but he took a 10
special liking to me as he enjoyed conversing in French He also did not believe in the giant narwhal I’ve hunted hundreds of whales he said But none could crack the steel plates of a steamer not with tails nor tusks But we know narwhals have pierced the sides of ships I argued Wooden ships the Canadian said But if the whale doesn’t exist I said How do you explain what happened to the Scotia Land had no answer but still doubted the giant narwhal’s existence I believed he would soon fi nd reason to change his mind For months the Abraham Lincoln cruised down the Atlantic coast of South America and on to the Pacifi c We found nothing but water Finally the crew’s enthusiasm waned No one spoke of mutiny of course Still Commander Farragut felt the crew’s mood 11
