20000 лье под водой

Chapter 16. Strolling the Plains

           Hefired;Iheardaslighthissing,andacreaturefellstunnedatsomedistancefromus.Itwasamagnificentsea-otter,anenhydrus,theonlyexclusivelymarinequadruped.Thisotterwasfivefeetlong,andmusthavebeenveryvaluable.Itsskin,chestnut-brownaboveandsilveryunderneath,wouldhavemadeoneofthosebeautifulfurssosoughtafterintheRussianandChinesemarkets:thefinenessandthelustreofitscoatwouldcertainlyfetchL80.Iadmiredthiscuriousmammal,withitsroundedheadornamentedwithshortears,itsroundeyes,andwhitewhiskerslikethoseofacat,withwebbedfeetandnails,andtuftedtail.Thispreciousanimal,huntedandtrackedbyfishermen,hasnowbecomeveryrare,andtakenrefugechieflyinthenorthernpartsofthePacific,orprobablyitsracewouldsoonbecomeextinct.

           CaptainNemo’scompaniontookthebeast,threwitoverhisshoulder,andwecontinuedourjourney.Foronehouraplainofsandlaystretchedbeforeus.Sometimesitrosetowithintwoyardsandsomeinchesofthesurfaceofthewater.Ithensawourimageclearlyreflected,drawninversely,andaboveusappearedanidenticalgroupreflectingourmovementsandouractions;inaword,likeusineverypoint,exceptthattheywalkedwiththeirheadsdownwardandtheirfeetintheair.

           AnothereffectInoticed,whichwasthepassageofthickcloudswhichformedandvanishedrapidly;butonreflectionIunderstoodthattheseseemingcloudswereduetothevaryingthicknessofthereedsatthebottom,andIcouldevenseethefleecyfoamwhichtheirbrokentopsmultipliedonthewater,andtheshadowsoflargebirdspassingaboveourheads,whoserapidflightIcoulddiscernonthesurfaceofthesea.

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