During some lulls of the wind and sea, I fancied I heard several times vague sounds, a sort of fugitive harmony produced by words of command. Now, it was the "monster" who, justly or unjustly, was accused of their disappearance, and, thanks to it, communication between the different continents became more and more dangerous!!! Sometimes I tried to pierce the intense darkness that was only dispelled by the phosphorescence caused by our movements. It rallied round it a certain number of partisans;