Page:Twenty Thousand Verne Frith 1876.pdf/27

 But, meantime, it was necessary to search for this narwhal in the North Pacific Ocean; so to reach France, I should probably have to go by way of the antipodes!

“Conseil!” I cried peremptorily.

Conseil was my servant, a devoted fellow, who accompanied me in all my wanderings—a brave Fleming, whom I like very much, and who serves me well; phlegmatic by nature, regular on principle, zealous from habit, taking life very easy, very handy and apt in all things, and, his name notwithstanding, never giving advice, even when he was not asked for it.

In consequence of associating with savants in our little world in the Jardin des Plantes, Conseil had picked up some information. I possessed in him a specialist well up in the classification of natural history, who could run, so to speak, like an acrobat up the ladder of branches, groups, classes, sub-classes, orders, families, genus, sub-genus, species, and varieties. But there his scientific attainments stopped. To class was his ultima thule, but he knew nothing beyond that. Completely versed in the theory of classification, but little in the practice, I do not believe he could distinguish a cachalot from a whale. Nevertheless, he was a brave and worthy fellow.

For the last ten years Conseil had followed me whithersoever science had drawn me. He never commented upon either the duration or the fatigue of a journey. He had no objection to start for any country, China or Congo it was all the same to him. He would go to one or the other and ask no questions. Moreover, he enjoyed excellent health, which set all illness at defiance; solid muscles, no nerves—not even the appearance of nerves—I mean moral nerves, of course. He