lley with
steeply sloping sides.

In these lower levels we often came upon the shadowy shapes of dead
ships, wrecked and sunk Heaven only knows how many years ago; and
passing them we would speak in hushed whispers like children seeing
monuments in churches.

Here too, in the deeper, darker waters, monstrous fishes, feeding
quietly in caves and hollows would suddenly spring up, alarmed at our
approach, and flash away into the gloom with the speed of an arrow.
While other bolder ones, all sorts of unearthly shapes and colors, would
come right up and peer in at us through the shell.

"I suppose they think we are a sort of sanaquarium," said Bumpo--"I'd
hate to be a fish."

It was a thrilling and ever-changing show. The Doctor wrote or sketched
incessantly. Before long we had filled all the blank note-books we had
left. Then we searched our pockets for any odd scraps of paper on which
to jot down still more observations. We even went through the used books
a second time, writing in between the lines, scribbling all over the
covers, back and front.

Our greatest difficulty was getting enough light to see by. In the lower
waters it was very dim. On the third day we passed a band of fire-eels,
a sort of large, marine glow-worm; and the Doctor asked the snail to get
them to come with us for a way. This they did, swimming alongside; and
their light was very helpful, though not brilliant.

How our giant shellfish found his way across that vast and gloomy world
was a great puzzle to us. John Dolittle asked him by what means he
navigated--how he knew he was on the right road to Puddleby River. And
what the snail said in reply got the Doctor so excited, that having no
paper left, he tore out the lining of his precious hat and covered it
with notes.

By night of course it was impossible to see anything; and during the
hours of darkness the snail used to swim instead of crawl. When he did
so he could travel at a terrific speed, just by waggling that long tail
of his. This was the reason why we completed the trip in so short a time
five and a half days.

The air of our chamber, not having a change in the whole voyage, got
very close and stuffy; and for the first two days we all had headaches.
But after that we got used to it and didn't mind it in the least.

Early in the afternoon of the sixth day, we noticed we were climbing
a long gentle slope. As we went upward it grew lighter. Finally we saw
that the snail had crawled