He looked upon it as his own, and considered he had the same right
over it 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 hardier pioneer would come,
hatchet in hand, to cut down the dark copses?
This forest was composed of large tree-plants; and the moment we
penetrated under its vast arcades, I was struck by the singular
position of their branches--a position I had not yet observed.
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 a filament, not a ribbon,
however thin they might be, but kept as straight as a rod of iron.
The fuci and llianas grew in rigid perpendicular lines, due to the density
of the element which had produced them. Motionless yet, when bent
to one side by the hand, they directly resumed their former position.
Truly it was the region of perpendicularity!
I soon accustomed myself to this fantastic position,
as well as to the comparative darkness which surrounded us.
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