Join Host Bree Carlile as she reads the fifth chapter of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.

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Today we'll be continuing 20,000 leagues under the Sea by Jules Verne chapter five at Adventure the voyage of the Abraham Lincoln was for a long time marked by no special incident.

But one circumstance happened which showed the wonderful dexterity of Ned land, improved what confidence we might place in him.

The 30 June the frigate spoke some american whalers, from whom we learned that they knew nothing about the narwhal, but one of them, the captain of the Monroe, knowing that Ned land had shipped on board the Abraham Lincoln, begged for his help in chasing a whale they had in sight.

Commander Farragut, desirous of seeing Ned land at work, gave him permission to go on board the Monroe, and fate served our canadians so well that instead of one whale he harpooned two with a double blow, striking one straight to the heart and catching the other after some minutes, pursued decidedly.

If the monster ever had to do with Ned land's harpoon, I would not bet in its favor.

The frigate skirted the southeast coast of America with great rapidity.

The 3 July we were at the opening of the Straits of Magellan level with Cape Vergis.

But Commander Farragut would not take a torturous passage, but doubled Cape Horn.

The ship's crew agreed with him, and certainly it was possible that they might meet the narwhal in this narrow pass.

Many of the sailors affirmed that the monster could not pass there, that he was too big for that.

The 6 July about 03:00 in the afternoon, the Abraham Lincoln, at 15 miles to the south, doubled the solitary island, this lost rock at the extremity of the american continent, to which some dutch sailors gave the name of their native town.

At Cape Horn the course was taken towards the northwest, and the next day the screw of the frigate was at last beating the waters of the Pacific.

Keep your eyes open, called out the sailors, and they were opened widely, both eyes and glasses a little dazzled, it is true, by the prospect of $2,000 had not an instant's repose.

Day and night they watched the surface of the ocean, and even Nictelopes, whose faculty of seeing in the darkness multiplies their chances a hundredfold, would have had enough to do to gain the prize.

I myself, for whom money had no charms, was not the least attentive on board, giving but few minutes to my meals, but a few hours to sleep, indifferent to either rain or sunshine, I did not leave the poop of the vessel.

Now leaning on the netting of the forecastle, now on the taffrail, I devoured with eagerness the soft foam which whitened the sea as far as the eye could reach.

And how often have I shared the emotion of the majority of the crew when some capricious whale raised its black back above the waves, the poop of the vessel was crowded.

In a moment, the cabins poured forth, a torrent of sailors and officers, each with heaving breast and troubled eye, watching the course of the cetacean.

I looked and looked till I was nearly blind, whilst conceal, always phlegmatic, kept repeating in a calm voice, if, sir, you would not squint so much, you would see better.

But vain excitement.

The Abraham Lincoln checked its speed and made for the animal, signaled a simple will or common cash, a lot which soon disappeared amidst a storm of execration.

But the weather was good.

The voyage was being accomplished under the most favorable auspices.

It was then the bad season in Australia, the July of that zone corresponding to our January in Europe.

But the sea was beautiful and easily scanned round a vast circumference.

The 20 July, the tropic of Capricorn was cut by 105 degrees of longitude, and the 27th of the same month, we crossed the equator on the 110th meridian.

This passed, the frigate, took a more decided westerly direction, and scoured the central waters of the Pacific.

Commander Farragut thought, and with reason, that it was better to remain in deep water and keep clear of continents or islands which the beast itself seemed to shun, perhaps because there was not enough water for him, suggested the greater part of the crew.

The frigate passed at some distance from the marquisaus and the sandwich islands, crossed the tropic of cancer, and made for the China seas.

We were on theatre of the last diversions of the monster, and, to say the truth, we no longer lived on board.

Hearts palpitated fearfully, preparing themselves for future incurable aneurysm.

The entire ship's crew were undergoing a nervous excitement, of which I can give no idea.

They could not eat, they could not sleep 20 times a day.

A misconception or an optical illusion of some sailor seated on the tafrail would cause dreadful perspirations.

And these emotions, 20 times repeated, kept us in a state of excitement so violent that a reaction was unavoidable.

And truly, reaction soon showed itself.

For three months, during which a day seemed an age, AbrahAm Lincoln furrowed all the waters of the northern Pacific, running at whales, making sharp deviations from her course, veering suddenly from one tack to another, stopping suddenly, putting on steam and backing ever and anon at the risk of deranging her machinery.

And not one point of the japanese or american coast was left unexplored.

The warmest partisans of the ENterPrise now became its most ardent detractors.

Reaction mounted from the crew to the captain himself, and certainly, had it not been for resolute determination on the part of Captain Farragut, the frigate would have headed due southward.

This useless search could not last much longer.

The AbrAHAm Lincoln had nothing to approach herself with.

She had done her best to succeed.

Never had an AmericAn ship's crew shown more zeal or patience.

Its failure could not be placed to their charge.

There remained nothing but to return.

This was represented to the commander.

The sailors could not hide their discontent, and the surface suffered.

I will not say there was a mutiny on board, but after a reasonable period of obstinacy, Captain FarraGut, as CoLumbus did, asked for three days'patience.

If in three days the monster did not appear, the man at the helm should give three turns of the wheel, and the Abraham Lincoln would make for the European seas.

This promise was made on 2 November.

It had the effect of rallying the ship's crew.

The ocean was watched with renewed attention.

EAch one wished for a last glance in which to sum up its remembrance.

Glasses were used with feverish activity.

It was a grand defiance given to the giant narWhal, and he could scarcely fail to answer the summons and appear.

Two days passed.

The steam was at half pressure.

A thousand schemes were tried to attract the attention and stimulate the apathy of the animal in case it should be met in those parts.

Large quantities of bacon were trailed in the wake of the ship, to the great satisfaction, I must say, of the sharks.

Small craft radiated in all directions round the Abraham Lincoln as she lay two and did not leave a spot of the sea unexplored.

But the night of the 4 November arrived without the unveiling of the submarine mystery.

The next day, the 5 November, at twelve, the delay would, morally speaking, expire.

After that time, Commander Farragut, faithful to his promise, was to turn the course to the southeast and abandon forever the northern regions of the Pacific.

The frigate was then in 31 degrees 15 minutes north latitude and 136 degrees 42 minutes east longitude.

The coast of Japan still remained less than 200 miles to leeward.

Night was approaching.

They had just struck eight bells.

Large clouds veiled the face of the moon.

Then, in its first quarter, the sea undulated peaceably under the stern of the vessel.

At that moment I was leaning forward on the starboard netting concealed standing near me, was looking straight before him.

The crew, perched in the rat lines examined the horizon, which contracted and darkened by degrees.

Officers with their nightglasses scoured the growing darkness.

Sometimes the ocean sparkled under the rays of the moon, which darted between two clouds.

Then all trays of light was lost in the darkness.

In looking at conceal, I could see he was undergoing a little of the general influence.

At least I thought so.

Perhaps for the first time his nerves vibrated to a sentiment of curiosity.

Come, conceal, said I.

This is the last chance of pocketing the $2,000.

May I be permitted to say, sir, replied conceal, that I never reckoned on getting the prize.

And had the government of the union offered a hundred thousand dollars, it would have been none the poorer.

You're right, conceal.

It is a foolish affair, after all, and one upon which we entered too lightly.

What time lost, what useless emotions.

We should have been back in France six months ago in your little room, sir, replied conceal.

And in your museum, sir.

And I should have already classed all your fossils, sir.

And the Babarosa would have been installed in its caves in the Jardin de plants and have drawn all the curious people of the capital as you say conceal.

I fancy we shall run a fair chance of being laughed at for our pains.

That's tolerably certain, replied conceal quietly.

I think they will make fun of you, sir.

And must I say it?

Go on, my good friend.

Well, sir, you will only get your deserts indeed, when one is the honor of being a savant, as you are, sir, one should not expose oneself, too.

Conceal had not time to finish his compliment.

In the midst of general's silence, a voice had just been heard.

It was the voice of Ned land, shouting, look out there.

The very thing we're looking for on our weatherbeam.

Thank you for joining bite at a time books today while we read a bite of one of your favorite classics.

Again, my name is Brie Carlyle, and I hope you come back tomorrow for the next bite of 20,000 leagues under the sea.

Don't forget to sign up for our newsletter@bytetimebooks.com, and check out the shop.

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Taking chapter by chapter, one bite at a time so many adventures and mountains we can climb take it word forward, line by line, one bite at a time close.