er than that ornamenting the saloon of the Nautilus. I approached
this extraordinary mollusc. It adhered by its filaments to a table of
granite, and there, isolated, it developed itself in the calm waters of
the grotto. I estimated the weight of this tridacne at 600 lb. Such
an oyster would contain 30 lb. of meat; and one must have the stomach
of a Gargantua to demolish some dozens of them.

Captain Nemo was evidently acquainted with the existence of this
bivalve, and seemed to have a particular motive in verifying the actual
state of this tridacne. The shells were a little open; the Captain
came near and put his dagger between to prevent them from closing; then
with his hand he raised the membrane with its fringed edges, which
formed a cloak for the creature. There, between the folded plaits, I
saw a loose pearl, whose size equalled that of a coco-nut. Its globular
shape, perfect clearness, and admirable lustre made it altogether a
jewel of inestimable value. Carried away by my curiosity, I stretched
out my hand to seize it, weigh it, and touch it; but the Captain
stopped me, made a sign of refusal, and quickly withdrew his dagger,
and the two shells closed suddenly. I then understood Captain Nemo's
intention. In leaving this pearl hidden in the mantle of the tridacne
he was allowing it to grow slowly. Each year the secretions of the
mollusc would add new concentric circles. I estimated its value at
L500,000 at least.

After ten minutes Captain Nemo stopped suddenly. I thought he had
halted previously to returning. No; by a gesture he bade us crouch
beside him in a deep fracture of the rock, his hand pointed to one part
of the liquid mass, which I watched attentively.

About five yards from me a shadow appeared, and sank to the ground.
The disquieting idea of sharks shot through my mind, but I was
mistaken; and once again it was not a monster of the ocean that we had
anything to do with.

It was a man, a living man, an Indian, a fisherman, a poor devil who, I
suppose, had come to glean before the harvest. I could see the bottom
of his canoe anchored some feet above his head. He dived and went up
successively. A stone held between his feet, cut in the shape of a
sugar loaf, whilst a rope fastened him to his boat, helped him to
descend more rapidly. This was all his apparatus. Reaching the
bottom, about five yards deep, he went on his knees and filled his bag
with oysters picked up at random. Then