View-Master World presents scenes from the View-Master packet 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (B 370).
Packet cover
Booklet cover
From the 16-page booklet:
To: M. Arronax, Professor in the Museum of Paris
Fifth Avenue Hotel, New York
Sir: The United States government invites you to join the Abraham Lincoln in an expedition against the unknown creature that has endangered ocean shipping.
J.B. HOBSON, Secretary of Marine.
“Conseil,” I called and my devoted Flemish servant appeared. “Prepare to leave in two hours.”
“Very well, sir,” he answered, and began to pack.
“My boy,” I continued, “we have talked about the strange events at sea this past year. You remember the steamer Governor Higginson first encountered this mystery. What appeared to be an uncharted sandbank off the east coast of Australia suddenly shot up two columns of water 150 feet high, then vanished. The same phenomenon was seen three days later 700 leagues away, indicating an unbelievable rate of speed. It has since been sighted periodically, but has not yet been identified. The papers have been full of stories about great whales and squids whose tentacles were large enough to encircle a 500-ton ship. Some even claimed that it might be a machine!”
“Your newspaper story settled that,” boasted Conseil.
“Well, not altogether,” I protested modestly. “When the Cunard steamer Scotia was pierced—through an inch of steel—I merely stated that I thought it might be a gigantic narwhal, or sea unicorn.”
“Conseil,” I went on, “the United States’ fastest frigate, the Abraham Lincoln, is sailing to rid the seas of this unicorn and we are joining the ship’s company.”
“As you think proper, sir,” Conseil replied coolly.
Not fifteen minutes after Commander Farragut welcomed us aboard ship and showed us to our cabin aft, we upped anchor and headed for the North Pacific, where the unicorn had last been sighted.
The ship was well armed for this expedition. Harpoons, guns for shooting barbed arrows, cannon for explosive shot, and the latest in breech-loading guns with a range of ten miles! In addition, she had on board the prince of harpooners, the Canadian Ned Land, who thoroughly disagreed with my theory of the sea unicorn.
“I’ve followed hundreds of whales and harpooned my share of narwhals, but however well armed they were, not one could have even scratched the skin of an iron-plated ship,” he insisted. “No such animal exists!”
“But if it does not exist, my obstinate harpooner,” I pointed out, “how do you explain what happened to the Scotia?”
Scene 01
Prof. Arronax, Conseil and Ned Land approached the monster
From the 16-page booklet:
We were soon to know, for some 200 miles east of Japan, Ned Land called from the high rigging, “Look out there, on the weather beam. The sea monster!”
Everyone crowded to the rail to peer through the gathering dusk at an oval of light shining in the black waters. As we approached silently, Commander Farragut ordered, “Ned, post yourself under the bowsprit. We’ll try for a harpoon cast.”
Closer and closer we came to the sleeping monster, but we could see no better as night closed in. As we were almost on it, Ned Land cast the harpoon at the dark shape with all his might. It hit with a dull ring. Then everything happened at once. Two great columns of water shot into the air and the frigate gave a fearful lurch, throwing me out into the darkness. I hit the water and sank. A strong hand seized me and then drew me to the surface. It was Conseil.
Gasping, I cried, “Were you also thrown overboard?”
“No,” he replied, “but being in my master’s service, I followed him.”
As we swam in the darkness crying out for help, we heard an answer. A moment later Ned Land was alongside in a small boat he had found when he had been toppled from his post. Of our ship, there was no sign.
After a long night, the sun rose on the ocean, empty except for—there! Not a hundred yards off—the sea monster!
“My harpoon,” cried Ned. “It is still in the beast. Perhaps I killed it.”
We scrambled onto its hard flanks, and the truth hit us all at once. “It’s a man-made thing!” I shouted in amazement. “A tremendous submarine with motive power of a magnitude undreamed of by mortal man!”
Scene 03
“You are my prisoners,” Captain Nemo proclaimed.
From the 16-page booklet:
Guided through narrow passageways to the waist of the ship, we were rudely thrust into a spacious salon.
A tall, dark man with deep burning eyes addressed us, “I am Captain Nemo. You are my prisoners of war.”
“But, sir,” I protested, “we are not at war.”
“Did not your frigate attack me? However, my war with the continents of the world is many years old. Little do I care who rules on land—I rule the sea. Because you have stumbled upon the secret of my existence, I am forced to hold you prisoners for life!”
Scene 06
With horror we watched Capt. Nemo’s revenge
From the 16-page booklet:
Under Captain Nemo’s direct command, the Nautilus dove to 200 feet, then rose directly under the warship, driving at full speed. A tremendous shock threw us all to the floor, as the submarine’s forged steel spur pierced the warship’s iron plates as if they were paper.
Minutes later, Captain Nemo summoned us to the salon. Horror stricken, we watched a great ship sink stern first into its ocean grave. Captain Nemo spoke, “We have pulled one claw of the oppressor, but too late, too late!”
Scene 07
We saw a strange funeral under the sea
From the 16-page booklet:
The next two days we drove at full speed west. We saw no one until, at last, Captain Nemo invited us for an underwater stroll. This time some of the crew came along, four of them carrying a long box. It was not until we reached an ocean clearing and saw the coral carved into rough crosses that I understood. In the box was the crewman who had died, and this was an unbelievably fantastic undersea funeral service!
1 comment:
Where are the rest of the scenes?
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