I was reflecting thus, when the Captain, cool and calm, always master of himself, approached me. “An accident?” I asked. “No; an incident.” “But an incident that will oblige you perhaps to become an inhabitant of this land from which you flee?” Captain Nemo looked at me curiously, and made a negative gesture, as much as to say that nothing would force him to set foot on terra firma again. Then he said: “Besides, M. Aronnax, the _Nautilus_ is not lost; it will carry you yet into the midst of the marvels of the ocean. Our voyage is only begun, and I do not wish to be deprived so soon of the honour of your company.” “However, Captain Nemo,” I replied, without noticing the ironical turn of his phrase, “the _Nautilus_ ran aground in open sea. Now the tides are not strong in the Pacific; and, if you cannot lighten the _Nautilus_, I do not see how it will be reinflated.” “The tides are not strong in the Pacific: you are right there, Professor; but in Torres Straits one finds still a difference of a yard and a half between the level of high and low seas. To-day is 4th January, and in five days the moon will be full. Now, I shall be very much astonished if that satellite does not raise these masses of water sufficiently, and render me a service that I should be indebted to her for.” Having said this, Captain Nemo, followed by his lieutenant, re-descended to the interior of the _Nautilus_. As to the vessel, it moved not, and was immovable, as if the coralline polypi had already walled it up with their indestructible cement. “Well, sir?” said Ned Land, who came up to me after the departure of the Captain. “Well, friend Ned, we will wait patiently for the tide on the 9th instant; for it appears that the moon will have the goodness to put it off again.” “Really?” “Really.” “And this Captain is not going to cast anchor at all since the tide will suffice?” said Conseil, simply. The Canadian looked at Conseil, then shrugged his shoulders. “Sir, you may believe me when I tell you that this piece of iron will navigate neither on nor under the sea again; it is only fit to be sold for its weight. I think, therefore, that the time has come to part company with Captain Nemo.” “Friend Ned, I do not despair of this stout _Nautilus_, as you do; and in four days we shall know what to hold to on the Pacific tides. Besides, flight might be possible if we were in sight of the English or Provencal coast; but on the Papuan shores, it is another thing; and it will be time enough to come to that extremity if the _Nautilus_ does not recover itself again, which I look upon as a grave event.” “But do they know, at least, how to act circumspectly? There is an island; on that island there are trees; under those trees, terrestrial animals, bearers of cutlets and roast beef, to which I would willingly give a trial.”