Page:Twenty Thousand Verne Frith 1876.pdf/254

 times produced magical effects, and caught the angles and projections of these natural arcades, until they appeared tipped with fire. Amidst the branching corallines I noticed other polypes no less curious—melites, articulated iris; some tufts of corallines—some red, some green; true algæ, crusted in their calcareous salts, which naturalists, after much discussion, have definitively ranged in the vegetable kingdom. But in the words of a deep thinker, “perhaps the real point to get at is where the life obscurely rises from the stony sleep, without being yet detached from this rude starting-point.”

After about two hours’ walking, we attained a depth of about three hundred yards; that is to say, the extreme limit at which coral begins to form. But here was no thicket nor modest bush, but an immense forest of coral, enormous petrified trees. We passed freely underneath the high branches which were lost in the shade of the waves, while at our feet the tubipores, meandrines, fungi, &c., formed a flowing carpet, sprinkled with sparkling gems.

It was an indescribable sight. Oh, that we could have exchanged confidences. Why were we imprisoned in this head-piece of metal and glass? Why could we not speak to each other? Why could we not live like the fish, or even like the amphibious animals, which for hours can roam at will in the domains of the land or water?

Meantime Captain Nemo had stopped. We all followed his example, and turning round, I perceived that the men had formed themselves in a semicircle round their chief. And looking more closely, I perceived that four of them carried something on their shoulders.