At this place the breadth of the sheet of water measured nearly 350 feet, and beyond the dazzling centre could be seen an enormous basaltic wall, blocking up any issue on that side. The cavern widened here considerably, the sea forming a little lake. But the roof, the side walls, the end cliff, all the prisms, all the peaks, were flooded with the electric fluid, so that the brilliancy belonged to them, and as if the light issued from them. In the centre of the lake a long cigar-shaped object floated on the surface of the water, silent, motionless. The brilliancy which issued from it escaped from its sides as from two kilns heated to a white heat. This apparatus, similar in shape to an enormous whale, was about 250 feet long, and rose about ten or twelve above the water. The boat slowly approached it. Cyrus Harding stood up in the bows. He gazed, a prey to violent excitement. Then, all at once, seizing the reporter's arm-- "It is he! It can only be he!" he cried, "he!--" Then, falling back on the seat, he murmured a name which Gideon Spilett alone could hear. The reporter evidently knew this name, for it had a wonderful effect upon him, and he answered in a hoarse voice-- "He! an outlawed man!" "He!" said Harding. At the engineer's command the boat approached this singular floating apparatus. The boat touched the left side, from which escaped a ray of light through a thick glass. Harding and his companions mounted on the platform. An open hatchway was there. All darted down the opening. At the bottom of the ladder was a deck, lighted by electricity. At the end of this deck was a door, which Harding opened. A richly-ornamented room, quickly traversed by the colonists, was joined to a library, over which a luminous ceiling shed a flood of light. At the end of the library a large door, also shut, was opened by the engineer. An immense saloon--a sort of museum, in which were heaped up, with all the treasures of the mineral world, works of art, marvels of industry-- appeared before the eyes of the colonists, who almost thought themselves suddenly transported into a land of enchantment. Stretched on a rich sofa they saw a man, who did not appear to notice their presence. Then Harding raised his voice, and to the extreme surprise of his companions, he uttered these words-- "Captain Nemo, you asked for us! We are here." CHAPTER SIXTEEN. CAPTAIN NEMO--HIS FIRST WORDS--THE HISTORY OF THE RECLUSE--HIS ADVENTURES--HIS SENTIMENTS--HIS COMRADES--SUBMARINE LIFE--ALONE--THE LAST REFUGE OF THE NAUTILUS IN LINCOLN ISLAND--THE MYSTERIOUS GENIUS OF THE ISLAND. At these words the reclining figure rose, and the electric light fell upon his countenance; a magnificent head, the forehead high, the glance commanding, beard white, hair abundant and falling over the shoulders.