Suez

Suez, the Egyptian port city at the head of the Red Sea, marks a pivotal turning point in the Nautilus's voyage. It is here that Captain Nemo reveals the existence of his most astonishing secret: the Arabian Tunnel, an underwater passage that connects the Red Sea to the Mediterranean beneath the Isthmus of Suez. This discovery not only demonstrates the captain's unparalleled knowledge of the ocean's hidden geography but also allows the Nautilus to bypass the long and dangerous route around Africa, dramatically accelerating the journey toward European waters.

The Gateway to the Arabian Tunnel

As the Nautilus approached Suez in early February 1868, Captain Nemo engaged Professor Aronnax in a conversation about the history of the Red Sea and the long-standing dream of connecting it to the Mediterranean. The captain recounted the ancient efforts of Egyptian kings such as Sesostris and Necho II, who had attempted to dig a canal linking the Nile to the Red Sea, a project that was later abandoned and filled in. He spoke with admiration of Ferdinand de Lesseps, the French engineer then completing the Suez Canal, calling him a man who "brings a nation more honor than the greatest commanders." Yet Nemo revealed that nature had already accomplished what man was only then achieving on the surface: a natural underground passageway that he had discovered and named the Arabian Tunnel. The tunnel starts below Suez and leads to the Bay of Pelusium on the Mediterranean coast, a distance that the Nautilus could traverse in less than twenty minutes.

The Discovery and Navigation of the Tunnel

Captain Nemo explained to the astonished professor that he had discovered the tunnel through logical deduction rather than mere luck. Noting that identical species of fish existed in both the Red Sea and the Mediterranean, he hypothesized an underground connection between the two bodies of water. To test this, he caught fish near Suez, fitted them with copper rings around their tails, and released them. Months later, off the coast of Syria, he recaptured several of the marked specimens, proving the existence of a subterranean channel. The tunnel itself lies at a depth of about fifty meters, where a firm foundation of rock replaces the quicksand of the isthmus above. On the night of February 11, 1868, Captain Nemo personally took the helm of the Nautilus as it approached the entrance to the tunnel near the floating signal light of Suez. The ship sank beneath the waves, and the captain guided it through the dark, narrow gallery, where the water of the Red Sea rushed toward the Mediterranean with the force of a torrent. The Nautilus was swept along like an arrow, its electric beacon illuminating the rocky walls as it passed. In less than twenty minutes, the ship emerged into the Mediterranean, having cleared the Isthmus of Suez without ever touching dry land.

Significance in the Narrative

The passage through the Arabian Tunnel is a defining moment in the voyage, showcasing Captain Nemo's genius and the Nautilus's extraordinary capabilities. It transforms the ship from a mere underwater vessel into a master of the seas, capable of moving between oceans with a speed and secrecy that no surface ship could match. For Professor Aronnax and his companions, the tunnel represents both wonder and frustration: it brings them closer to European shores, raising hopes of escape, yet it also deepens their captivity by demonstrating the captain's absolute control over their journey. The tunnel also serves as a narrative shortcut, allowing Verne to move the story from the exotic waters of the Red Sea to the familiar seas of Europe without the lengthy detour around Africa, accelerating the plot toward its climactic encounters in the Atlantic and the final, harrowing events off the coast of Norway.