Music Welcome to snoozecast, the podcast designed to help you fall asleep. Find us at snoozecast.com And if you enjoy our show, please share us with a friend. This episode is brought to you by Coral Islands. Tonight we'll read the next part to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, a classic science fiction and venture novel by French writer Jules Verne. In the last episode, our narrator, Aeronax and his companions watched the underwater world float by, including some shipwrecks. Nemo appears after a long absence until Aeronax, their headed for the island of Vanicorro. The sight of two famous shipwrecks back at the end of the 18th century and early in the 19th century.

We will pick up Ragnino and Aaron X, who are discussing this.

Let's get cozy.

Close your eyes. Let's get closer.

Close your eyes.

Relax your body into the softness of your bed.

Now, take a few deep breaths. Captain Nemo asked me what I knew about the wreck of La Pérouse. Only what everyone knows, Captain. I replied and could you tell me what everyone knows about it? He inquired, ironically, easily. I related to him all that the last works of Dumont de'Raville had made known, works from which the following is a brief account. La Pérouse were sent by Louis XVI and XVII and XVII on a voyage of circumnavigation. They embarked in the slups of war, the compass, and the astrolabe, neither of which were has to the fate of these two sluups, manned two large cargo boats, the search in the hope which left breast the 28th of September under the command of Bruni Dantricosto. Two months after they learned from Bowen, commander of the Alpomoral that the debris of shipwrecked vessels had been seen on the coasts of New Georgia. But Don Tracostel, ignoring this communication, rather uncertain, besides directed his course towards the Admiralty islands, mentioned in a report of Captain Hunters as being the place where La Peruz was wrecked. They sought in vain. The hope and the search fast before Vanicoro without stopping there. And in fact, this voyage was most disastrous, Don Trichasto, his life, and those of two of his lieutenants, besides several of his crew. Captain Dylan, a shrewd old Pacific sailor, was the first to find unmistakable traces of the racks. On the 15th of May, 1824, his vessel, the St. Patrick, passed close to Ticopia. One of the new Hebrides, there Alaskaar came alongside in a canoe, sold him the handle of a sword, and silver that bore the print of characters engraved on the hilt. The last car pretended that six years before, during a stay at Vanacoro, he had seen two Europeans that belonged to some vessels that had run aground on the reefs some years ago. Dylan guessed that he meant to lock his ruse whose disappearance had troubled the whole world. He tried to get on to Vanicoro, where, according to the last car, he would find numerous debris of of the rack, but winds and tides prevented him.

Dylan returned to Calcutta. There he interested the Asiatic Society in the Indian Company and his discovery, a vessel to which he was given the name of the search, was put at his disposal, and he set out 23rd of January, 1827, accompanied by a French agent. The search, after touching at several points in the Pacific, cast anchor before Vannacoro, 7th of July, 1827, in that same harbor of Vanna, where the Nautilus was at this time. There it collected numerous relics of the rack, iron utensils, purrs, pulley straps, swivel guns, and a teen-pound shot, fragments of astronomical instruments, a piece of crown work, a bronze clock, bearing this inscription, made by Brezon, the mark of the foundry of the arsenal at Breast about 1785. There could be no further doubt. Dylan, having made all inquiries, stayed in the unlucky place to October, then equated Vannecorro and directed his course toward New Zealand, dropped anchor into Calcutta 7th of April 1828, and returned to France, where he was warmly welcomed by Charles X. But at the same time, without knowing Dylan's movements, Dumont de Rville had already set out to find the scene of the wreck, and they had learned from a whaler that some metals and a cross of St. Louis had been found in the hands of some islanders of Louisiana and New Caledonia. Dumont Derville, commander of the Astrolabe, had then sailed. And two months after Dylan had left Vannecoro, he put into Al-Bahar town. There he learned the results of Dylan's inquiries, and found that a certain James Hobbes, second lieutenant of the Union of Calcutta, after landing on an island situated on eight degrees, 18 minutes south latitude, and 156 degrees 30 minutes east longitude, I had seen some iron bars and red fabrics used by the natives of these parts. Dumont, Derville, much perplexed and not knowing how to credit the reports of low-class journals decided to follow Dylan's track. On the 10th of February, 1828, the Astrolabe appeared off to Copia and took as guide and interpreter a deserter found on the island. Made his way to Vanacoro, cited it on the the 12th of February, lay among the reefs until the 14th, and not until the 20th to decast anchor within the barrier in the harbor of Vanal. On the 23rd, several officers went round the island and brought back some unimportant trifles.

The islanders, adopting a system of denials and evasions, refused to take them to the unlucky place. This ambiguous conduct led them to believe that they had ill treated the castaways, and Indeed, they seemed to fear that Dumont-ont der Ville had come to avenge La Pérouse and his unfortunate crew. However, on the 26th, appeased by some presence and understanding that they had no reprisals to fear, they led Mezia and Jokaryant to the scene of the wreck. There, in three or four fathoms of water, between the reefs lay anchors, cannons, pigs of lead in iron, embedded in limy, concretions. A large boat and the whaler, belonging to the astrolabe, were sent to this place, and did not without some difficulty, their crews hauled up an anchor weighing 1,800 pounds, a brass gun, some pigs of iron, and two copper swivel guns. Monterville questioning the, questioning the natives, learned that Lape Rousse, after losing both his vessels on the reefs of the island, had constructed a smaller boat, only to be lost a second time. Where no one knew. with the French government, fearing that Dumont-Turfield was not acquainted with Dylan's movements, had sent the Slope of War. Bayonets commanded by La Gora de Tromelo to Vanacoro, which had been stationed on the West coast of America. The bayana has cast her anchor before Vanicoro, some months after the departure of the Astrolabe, but found no new document. But stated that the islanders had respected the monument to La Péruz, that is the substance of what I told Captain Nemo.

So... to La Peruz, that is the substance of what I told Captain Nemo. So, he said, no one knows now where the third vessel perished that was constructed by the castaways on the island of Vanacoro. No one knows. Nimo said nothing, but signed to me to follow him into the large saloon. The Nautilus sank several yards below the waves and the panels were opened. I hastened to the aperture and under the crustaceans of Coral covered with fungi, Coral,phoniala, matter pores, sea anatomy through myriads of charming fish, green fish, damsel fish, sweepers, snappers, rainbow fish, clown fish, and squirrelfish. I recognized a certain debris that the drags had not been able to tear up. Iron, stirrups, anchors, cannons, bullets, capstaned fittings, the stem of a ship, all objects clearly proving the rack of some vessel,

and now carpeted with living flowers. While I was looking on this desolate scene, Captain Nemo sat in a sad voice. Commander, Law Peruz, set out 7th December, 1785, with his vessels the compass and the Astrolabe. He first cast anchor and botany bay, visited the friendly Isles, New Caledonia, then directed discourse towards Santa Cruz and put into Namukha, one of the hap-eye group, that his vessels struck on the unknown reefs of Vanacoro. The Muso, which went first, ran aground on the southerly coast, the Astral-Leab went to its help and Vannegrond too. The first vessel was destroyed almost immediately. The second stranded under the wind resisted some days. The islanders made the castaways welcome. They installed themselves in the island and constructed a smaller boat with the debris of the two large ones. Some sailors stayed willingly at Vanacoro. The others, weak and ill, set out with law-per-rues. They directed their course towards the Solomon Islands, and there perished

with everything on the western coast of the chief island of the group. Between Cape Deception and Cape Satisfaction. How do you know that?

I asked by this that I found on the spot, where was the last wreck. Captain Nemo showed me a tin plate box, stamped with the French arms, and corroded by the saltwater. He opened it, and I saw a bundle of papers, yellow, but still readable.

They were the instructions of the naval minister to commander-loppyruz annotated in the margin and Louis XVI's handwriting. Ah, said Captain Nemo, at last.

A choral tomb makes a quiet grave, and I trust that I and my comrades will find no other. Chapter 19 Torre Straits During the night of the 27th or 28th December December, the novelist left the shores of Anacora with great speed. Her course was southwesternly, and in three days she had gone over the 750 leagues that separated it from La Pérus's group in the southeast point, Papua. Early on the 1st of January, 1863, Conce joined me on the platform. Monsieur, will you permit me to wish you a happy new year? What? Conce? Exactly as if I was in Paris? Well, I accept your good wishes, and thank you for them. Only I will ask you what you mean by a happy new year under our circumstances. Do you mean the year that will bring us to the end of our imprisonment, or the year that sees us continue this strange voyage. Really, I do not have the answer. We are sure to see curious things, and for the last two months we have not had time for dullness. The last marvel is always the most astonishing, and if we continue this progression, I do not know how it will end.

It is my opinion that we shall never again see the like. I think then with no offense that a happy new year would be one in which we could see everything. On 2nd of January, we had made 11,340 miles, or 5,250 French leagues since our starting point in the Japan seas. Before the ships head stretched, the dangerous shores of the Coral Sea on the northeast coast of Australia. Our boat lay along some miles from the redoubtable bank on which Cook's vessel was lost. 10 June 1770 The boat in which Cook was struck on a rock, and if it did not sink, it was owing to a piece of coral that was broken by the shock and fixed itself in the broken keel. I had wished to visit the reef, 360 leagues long, against which the sea always rough broke with great violence with a noise like thunder. But just then the inclined planes drew the nautilus down to a great depth, and I could see nothing of the high coral walls. I had to content myself with the different specimens of fish brought up by the nets. I

remarked, among others, some Germans, a species of macrole as large as a tonne, with bluish and striped with transverse bands that disappear with the animal's life.

These fish followed us in sholes. with transverse bands that disappear with the animal's life.

These fish followed us in sholes and furnished us with very delicate food. We took also a large number of guilt heads about one and a half inches long, tasting like dories and flying pyrepets like subarine swallows, which in dark nights light alternately the air and water with their phosphorescent light. Among the mollusks and zoofights I found in the meshes of the net several species of algae and Aryans. I can eye hammers, spurs, dials, serites, and high alie. The flora was represented by beautiful floating seaweeds, laminarii, and macrosistees, impregnated with the musulage that transudes through their pores and among which I gathered an admirable Niemistoma gelini RO is that was clasped among the natural curiosities of the museum. few days after crossing the Coral Sea, the 4th of January.

We sighted the Papuan coasts. On this occasion, Captain Nemo informed me that his intention was to get into the Indian Ocean by the strait of Torres, his communication ended there. The Torre's straits are nearly 34 leagues wide, but they are obstructed by an innumerable quantity of islands, breakers, and rocks that makes its navigation almost impracticable, so that Captain Nemo took all needful precautions to cross them. The notalless, floating betwixt wind and water, went at a moderate pace. Her screw, like a cetaceans tail, beat the wave slowly. by this eye and my two companions went up onto the deserted platform before us was the Steermann's cage, and I expected that Captain Nemo was there directing the course of the non-lust. I had before me the excellent charts of theits of Torres, and I consulted them attentively. Round and oddless, the sea dashed furiously. The course of the waves that went from southeast to northwest at the rate of two and a half miles broke on the coral that showed itself here and there. This is a bad sea, remarked Nedland. To testable indeed, and one that does not suit a boat like the Nautilus, the captain must be very sure of his route, for I see their pieces of coral that would do for its keel if only touch them slightly. Indeed, the situation was dangerous, but the novelists seemed to slide like magic of these rocks. It did not follow the roots of the astral ape and the zeal exactly, for they proved fatal to the Mont Derville. It bore more northwards, coasted the islands of Murray, and came back to the southwest towards Cumberland of Passage. I thought it was going to pass it by when, going back to Northwest, it went through a large quantity of islands toward the island's sound and canal Mavis. I wondered if Captain Nemo, foolishly imprudent, would steer his vessel into that pass, or do want derville, two corvettes touched, when, swirving again and cutting straight through to the west, he steered for the island of Gilboa. It was then three in the afternoon, the tide began to recede, being quite full. The Nautilus approached the island that I still saw with its remarkable border of screwpines. He stood off it at about two miles distant, suddenly a shock overthrew me. The notautilus just touched a rock and stayed immovable, laying lightly to port side. When I rose, I perceived Captain Nemo and his lieutenant on the platform. They were examining the situation of the vessel, and exchanging words in their incomprehensible dialect. She was situated thus, two miles on the Starboard side, appeared Gilboa, stretching from north to west like an immense arm. Towards the south and east, some coral showed itself left by the ab. We had run aground, and in one of those seas, where the tides are middling, a sorry matter for the floating of the

notalus. However, the vessel had not suffered, for her keel was solidly joined. But if she could neither glide off nor move, she ran the risk of being forever fastened to these rocks, and then Captain Nemo's submarine vessel would be done for. I was reflecting thus when the Captain, cool and calm, always master of himself approached me. An accident, I asked. No, an incident. But an incident that will oblige you perhaps to become an inhabitant of this land from which you flee. Captain Nemo looked at me curiously and made a negative gesture as much as to say that nothing would force him to set foot on Terra firma again. Then he said, besides Mr. Aeronax, the notalless is not lost. It will carry you yet into the midst of the marvels of the ocean. Our voyage is only begun, and I do not wish to be deprived so soon of the honor of your company. However, Captain Nemo, I replied, without noticing the ironical turn of his phrase, the Nautilus ran aground in open sea.

Now the tides are not strong in the Pacific, and if you cannot light in the Nautilus, I do not see how it will be reinflated. The tides are not strong in the Pacific. You are right there, Professor, But in Torrey's straights, one finds still a difference of a yard and a half between the level of high and low seas. Today's the 4th of January, and in five days the moon will be full. Now I shall be very much astonished if that satellite does not raise these masses of water sufficiently and render me a service that I should be indebted to her for. Having said this, Captain Nemo followed by his lieutenant, read the send it to the interior of the Nondles, as to the vessel it moved not and was immovable as if the Coraline Polypai had already walled it up with their indestructible cement. Well, sir, said Nuttland, who came up to me after the departure of the captain, well, friend Ned, we will wait patiently for the tide on the 9th instant, for it appears that the moon and we'll have the goodness to put it off again.

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