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without either saltpetre, sulphur, or charcoal?"

"Besides," I added, "to fire under water in a medium eight
hundred and fifty-five times denser than the air, we must
conquer very considerable resistance."

"That would be no difficulty. There exist guns, according to Fulton,
perfected in England by Philip Coles and Burley, in France by Furcy,
and in Italy by Landi, which are furnished with a peculiar
system of closing, which can fire under these conditions.
But I repeat, having no powder, I use air under great pressure,
which the pumps of the Nautilus furnish abundantly."

"But this air must be rapidly used?"

"Well, have I not my Rouquayrol reservoir, which can furnish it at need?
A tap is all that is required. Besides M. Aronnax, you must see
yourself that, during our submarine hunt, we can spend but little air
and but few balls."

"But it seems to me that in this twilight, and in the midst of this fluid,
which is very dense compared with the atmosphere, shots could not go far,
nor easily prove mortal."

"Sir, on the contrary, with this gun every blow is mortal;
and, however lightly the animal is touched, it falls as if struck
by a thunderbolt."

"Why?"

"Because the balls sent by this gun are not ordinary balls, but little
cases of glass. These glass cases are covered with a case of steel,
and weighted with a pellet of lead; they are real Leyden bottles,
into which the electricity is forced to a very high tension.
With the slightest shock they are discharged, and the animal,
however strong it may be, falls dead. I must tell you that these
cases are size number four, and that the charge for an ordinary gun
would be ten."

"I will argue no longer," I replied, rising from the table.
"I have nothing left me but to take my gun. At all events,
I will go where you go."

Captain Nemo then led me aft; and in passing before Ned's and
Conseil's cabin, I called my two companions, who followed promptly.
We then came to a cell near the machinery-room, in which we put
on our walking-dress.



CHAPTER XV

A WALK ON THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA

This cell was, to speak correctly, the arsenal and wardrobe of the Nautilus.
A dozen diving apparatuses hung from the partition waiting our use.

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