“Yes.”
“But that is not very deep.”
“No, but the Arctic is not considered a deep sea, anyway.”
“True. How deep can you go with this boat, Mr. Reade?”
“About one hundred and fifty fathoms. The pressure then becomes too great!”
“Mercy on us! I should think it would be crushed like an eggshell.”
“To the contrary, I cannot drive it deeper. The density of the water is too great, and the boat too buoyant.”
“Then if there were seven miles of water beneath, we would not know it.”
“You would not know the exact depth, but you would become assured that you were far from the bed of the ocean.”
“All this is very wonderful. But nineteen fathoms is quite enough for me.”