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."

"In this, friend Ned is right," said Conseil, "and I agree with him.
Could not master obtain permission from his friend Captain Nemo to put us
on land, if only so as not to lose the habit of treading on the solid parts
of our planet?"

"I can ask him, but he will refuse."

"Will master risk it?" asked Conseil, "and we shall know how to rely
upon the Captain's amiability."

To my great surprise, Captain Nemo gave me the permission I asked for,
and he gave it very agreeably, without even exacting from me a promise
to return to the vessel; but flight across New Guinea might be
very perilous, and I should not have counselled Ned Land to attempt it.
Better to be a prisoner on board the Nautilus than to fall into the hands
of the natives.

At eight o'clock, armed with guns and hatchets, we got off the Nautilus.
The sea was pretty calm; a slight breeze blew on land.
Conseil and I rowing, we sped along quickly, and Ned steered
in the straight passage that the breakers left between them.
The boat was well handled, and moved rapidly.

Ned Land could not restrain his joy. He was like a prisoner that had escaped
from prison, and knew not that it was necessary to re-enter it.

"Meat! We are going to eat some meat; and what meat!" he replied.
"Real game! no, bread, indeed."

"I do not say that fish is not good; we must not abuse it;
but a piece of fresh venison, grilled on live coals,
will agreeably vary our ordinary course."

"Glutton!" said Conseil, "he makes my mouth water."

"It remains to be seen," I said, "if these forests are full of game,
and if the game is not such as will hunt the hunter himself."

"Well said, M. Aronnax," replied the Canadian, whose teeth seemed
sharpened like the edge of a hatchet; "but I will eat tiger--
loin of tiger--if there is no other quadruped on this island."

"Friend Ned is uneasy about it," said Conseil.

"Whatever it may be," continued Ned Land, "every animal with four
paws without feathers, or with two paws without feathers,
will be saluted by my first shot."

"Very well! Master Land's imprudences are beginning."

"Never fear, M. Aronnax," replied the Canadian; "I do not want
twenty-five minutes to offer you a dish, of my sort."

At half-past eight the Nautilus boat ran softly aground
on a heavy sand, after having happily passed the coral reef
that surrounds the Island of Gilboa.



CHAPTER XX

A FEW DAYS ON LAND

I was much impressed on touching land. Ned Land tried
the soil with his feet, as if to take possession of it.
However, it was only two months before that we had become,
according to Captain Nemo, "passengers on board the Nautilus,"
but, in reality, prisoners of its commander.

In a few minutes we were within musket-shot of the coast.
The whole horizon was hidden behind a beautiful curtain of forests.
Enormous trees, the trunks of which attained a height of 200 feet,
were tied to each other by garlands of bindweed, real natural
hammocks, which a light breeze rocked. They were mimosas,
figs, hibisci, and palm trees, mingled together in profusion;
and under the shelter of their verdant vault grew orchids,
leguminous plants, and ferns.

But, without noticing all these beautiful specimens of Papuan flora,
the Canadian abandoned the agreeable for the useful.
He discovered a coco-tree, beat down some of the fruit, broke them,
and we drunk the milk and ate the nut with a satisfaction that
protested against the ordinary food on the Nautilus.

"Excellent!" said Ned Land.

"Exquisite!" replied Conseil.

"And I do not think," said the Canadian, "that he would object
to our introducing a cargo of coco-nuts on board."



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