ning to stretch my limbs when an
unexpected sight brought me briskly to my feet.

A few steps off, a monster sea-spider, about forty inches high, was
watching me with squinting eyes, ready to spring on me. Though my
diver's dress was thick enough to defend me from the bite of this
animal, I could not help shuddering with horror. Conseil and the sailor
of the _Nautilus_ awoke at this moment. Captain Nemo pointed out the
hideous creature, which a blow from the butt end of a gun knocked over;
I saw the claws of the monster writhe in horrible convulsions. This
incident reminded me that other animals more to be feared might haunt
these obscure depths, against whose attacks my diving-clothes would not
protect me.

Indeed, I thought that this halt would mark the end of our walk; but I
was mistaken, for instead of returning to the _Nautilus_, we continued
our bold excursion. The ground was still on the incline; its declivity
seemed to be getting greater and to be leading us to lower depths. It
must have been about three o'clock when we reached a narrow valley
between high walls; thanks to the perfection of our apparatus, we were
far below the depth to which divers ever penetrate.

At our great depth the darkness thickened; ten paces away not an object
was visible. I was groping my way when I suddenly saw a brilliant white
light flash out ahead; Captain Nemo had turned on his electric torch.
The rest of us soon followed his example, and the sea, lit by our four
lanterns, was illuminated for a circle of forty yards.

Captain Nemo still plunged onward into the dark reaches of the forest,
whose trees were getting scarcer at every step. At last, after about
four hours, this marvelous excursion came to an end. A wall of superb
rocks rose before us, a heap of gigantic blocks, an enormous granite
shore. It was the prop of the island of Crespo. It was the earth!

The return now began. Captain Nemo resumed his place at the head of his
little band and directed the course without hesitation. I thought we
were not following the road we had come, on our return to the
_Nautilus_. The new way was very steep and consequently very painful; we
approached the surface of the sea rapidly, but this ascent was not so
sudden as to cause a too rapid relief from the pressure of the water,
which would have been dangerous. Very soon light reappeared and grew,
and as the sun was low on the horizon, the refraction edged all objects
with a [v]spectral ri