This is Love started five years ago on Valentine's Day. Valentine also happens to be my middle name.

So this year we decided to make Valentine's. A set of five postcards was some of our favorite episode art from the show.

The very talented Julian Alexander designed them and we think they're great.

You can get yours today at this is lovepodcast.com slash shop. That's this is lovepodcast.com slash shop and Happy Valentine's Day.

Chapter 13. The Black River

The portion of the terrestrial globe which is covered by water is estimated at upwards of 80 millions of acres.

This fluid mass comprises two billions, 250 millions of cubic miles, forming a spherical body of a diameter of 60 leagues,

the weight of which would be three quintillions of tons.

To comprehend the meaning of these figures, it is necessary to observe that a quintillion is to a billion as a billion is to unity.

In other words, there is many billions in a quintillion as there are units in a billion.

This mass of fluid is equal to about the quantity of water which would be discharged by all the rivers of the earth in 40,000 years.

During the geological epics, the ocean originally prevailed everywhere. Then by degrees, the tops of the mountains began to appear, the islands emerged, then disappeared in partial delusias.

The reappeared, became settled, formed continents, till it lengthed, the earth, became geographically arranged, as we see in the present day.

The solid had rested from the liquid, 37,657 square miles, equal to 12,960,000, of acres.

The shape of continents allows us to divide the waters into five great portions, the Arctic or frozen ocean, the Antarctic or frozen ocean, the Indian, the Atlantic, and the Pacific oceans.

The Pacific Ocean extends from north to south between the two polar circles and from east to west between Asia and America, over an extent of 145 degrees of longitude.

It is the quietest of seas. Its currents are broad and slow. It has medium tides and abundant rain.

Such was the ocean that my fate destined me first to travel over under these strange conditions.

Sir, said Captain Nemo, we will if you please take our bearings and fix the starting point of this voyage. It is a quarter to twelve. I will go up again to the surface.

The captain pressed an electric clock three times. The pumps began to drive the water from the tanks. The needle of the monometer marked by different pressure, the ascent of the nautilus, then it stopped.

We have arrived, said the captain. I went to the central staircase which opened onto the platform, clambered up the iron steps, and found myself on the upper part of the nautilus. The platform was only three feet out of water, the front and back of the nautilus was of that spindle shape, which caused it justly to be compared to a cigar.

I noticed that its iron plates, slightly overlaying each other, resembled the shell which closed the bodies of our large terrestrial reptiles.

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