's skin, were dressed in clothes of a
particular texture, which allowed free movement of the limbs. The
taller of the two, evidently the chief on board, examined us with great
attention, without saying a word; then, turning to his companion,
talked with him in an unknown tongue. It was a sonorous, harmonious,
and flexible dialect, the vowels seeming to admit of very varied
accentuation.

The other replied by a shake of the head, and added two or three
perfectly incomprehensible words. Then he seemed to question me by a
look.

I replied in good French that I did not know his language; but he
seemed not to understand me, and my situation became more embarrassing.

"If master were to tell our story," said Conseil, "perhaps these
gentlemen may understand some words."

I began to tell our adventures, articulating each syllable clearly, and
without omitting one single detail. I announced our names and rank,
introducing in person Professor Aronnax, his servant Conseil, and
master Ned Land, the harpooner.

The man with the soft calm eyes listened to me quietly, even politely,
and with extreme attention; but nothing in his countenance indicated
that he had understood my story. When I finished, he said not a word.

There remained one resource, to speak English. Perhaps they would know
this almost universal language. I knew it--as well as the German
language--well enough to read it fluently, but not to speak it
correctly. But, anyhow, we must make ourselves understood.

"Go on in your turn," I said to the harpooner; "speak your best
Anglo-Saxon, and try to do better than I."

Ned did not beg off, and recommenced our story.

To his great disgust, the harpooner did not seem to have made himself
more intelligible than I had. Our visitors did not stir. They
evidently understood neither the language of England nor of France.

Very much embarrassed, after having vainly exhausted our speaking
resources, I knew not what part to take, when Conseil said:

"If master will permit me, I will relate it in German."

But in spite of the elegant terms and good accent of the narrator, the
German language had no success. At last, nonplussed, I tried to
remember my first lessons, and to narrate our adventures in Latin, but
with no better success. This last attempt being of no avail, the two
strangers exchanged some words in their unknown language, and retired.

The door shut.

"It is an infamous shame," cried Ned Land, wh