Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-14
WORLD FAMOUS STORIES
A SUBMARINE FOREST.
BY JULES VERNE.

romancer. famous for, his novels of
occurs under the sea-.
We had at last arrived on the bor-
ders of this forest, doubtless one of
the finest of Capt. NemoS immense
domains. He looked upon 1t as his
own and considered he had the same
right over 1t that the first men had
in the first days of the world. And
indeed. who would have disputed with
him the possession of this submarine
property? What other harder pioneer
would come, Ratchet in hand. to cut
down the dark underbrush?
This forest was composed Of large
tree-plants, and the moment we pen
etrated under its vast arcades was
struck by the singular position OF their
branches-a position I had not yet
observed in my botanical experience.
Not an herb which carpeted the
ground. not a branch which clothed
the trees, was either broken or bent,
nor did they extend horizontally; all
stretched up to the surface of the
ocean. Not filament. not ribbon,
however thin they might be, but kept
as straight as rod of iron. The fuel
and llianas grew In rigid perpendicular
lines, due to the density of the ele-
ment which had produced them. Mo-
tionleSS, yet when bent to one side by
the hand they directly resumed their
former position. Truly 1t was the re-
gion of perpendicularity
soon accustomed myself to this fan
tastic position, as well as to the COM
parative darkness which surrounded us.
The soil of the forest seemed covered
with sharp blocks. difficult to avoid.
The submarine fora struck me as be-
ing very perfect and richer even than
1t would have been in the Arctic or
Tropical zones. where these produc-
tons are not so plentiful. But for some
minutes I involuntarily COMPOUNDED the
genera taking the zoophytes for hydro
phites, animals for plants: and who
would not have been mistaken? The
fauna and the flora are too closely al
lied in this submarine world.
These plants are seh-propagated. and
the principle of their existence is in
the water, which upholds and nouriShes
them The greater number. instead OF
leaves, shoot forth blades OF capricious
shapes, comprised within a scale OF
colors - pink, carmine. green, olive.
fawn and brown. saw there (but not
dried up. as our specimens on board
the Nautilus, our submarine ship, are)
pavonari spread like a fan. as II to
catch the breeze: scarlet cerami. whose
laminaries extended their edible shoots
OF fern-shaped nereocysti. which grew
to a height Of Is feet: clusters or ace
tabuli whose stems increase in size
upward and numbers Of other marine
plants. all devoid OF howers'
Curious anomaly, fantastic element.
is water" said an ingenious naturalist,
lin which the animal kingdom bios
SONS and the vegetable does noti"
In about an hour Capt. Memo gave
the signal to halt, I. for my part, was
not sorry, and we stretched ourselves
under an arbor OF alariae, the long.
thin blades OF which stood upright like
arrows. This short rest seemed deli
cious to me: there was nothing want
ing but the charm of conversation,
which, Of course. our heavy diving APP
paratus prevented.
After four hours OF this walking I
was surprised not to md myself dread
fully hungry How to account for this
state of the stomach I could not tell.
But instead I felt an tnsurmountahle
desire 10 sleep. which happens 10 all
divers And my eyes soon closed be-
hind the thick glasses. and fell into a
heavy slumber, which the movement
alone had prevented before. Capt. Memo
and his robust companion. stretched in
the clear crystal. set us the example.
How long I remained buried in this
drowsineSs cannot Judge. but when I
woke the sun seemed sinking toward
the horizon. Capt. Memo had already
risen and was beginning to stretch
my limbs. when an unexpected appari-
ton brought me briskly to my feet
A few steps off monstrous sea
spider. about SO inches high, was
watching me with squirting eyes. ready