the interior of
this volcano. Birds of prey hovered here and there in the shadows, or
fled from their nests on the top of the rocks. There were sparrow
hawks, with white breasts, and kestrels, and down the slopes scampered,
with their long legs, several fine fat bustards. I leave anyone to
imagine the covetousness of the Canadian at the sight of this savoury
game, and whether he did not regret having no gun. But he did his best
to replace the lead by stones, and, after several fruitless attempts,
he succeeded in wounding a magnificent bird. To say that he risked his
life twenty times before reaching it is but the truth; but he managed
so well that the creature joined the honey-cakes in his bag. We were
now obliged to descend toward the shore, the crest becoming
impracticable. Above us the crater seemed to gape like the mouth of a
well. From this place the sky could be clearly seen, and clouds,
dissipated by the west wind, leaving behind them, even on the summit of
the mountain, their misty remnants--certain proof that they were only
moderately high, for the volcano did not rise more than eight hundred
feet above the level of the ocean. Half an hour after the Canadian's
last exploit we had regained the inner shore. Here the flora was
represented by large carpets of marine crystal, a little umbelliferous
plant very good to pickle, which also bears the name of pierce-stone
and sea-fennel. Conseil gathered some bundles of it. As to the fauna,
it might be counted by thousands of crustacea of all sorts, lobsters,
crabs, spider-crabs, chameleon shrimps, and a large number of shells,
rockfish, and limpets. Three-quarters of an hour later we had finished
our circuitous walk and were on board. The crew had just finished
loading the sodium, and the Nautilus could have left that instant. But
Captain Nemo gave no order. Did he wish to wait until night, and leave
the submarine passage secretly? Perhaps so. Whatever it might be, the
next day, the Nautilus, having left its port, steered clear of all land
at a few yards beneath the waves of the Atlantic.

CHAPTER XI

THE SARGASSO SEA

That day the Nautilus crossed a singular part of the Atlantic Ocean.
No one can be ignorant of the existence of a current of warm water
known by the name of the Gulf Stream. After leaving the Gulf of
Florida, we went in the direction of Spitzbergen. But before entering
the Gulf of Mexico, about 45 deg. of N. lat., this current div