Text prepared by: F. P. Walter,
5981 McKinney Dr. NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico
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A complete, unabridged translation of Vingt milles lieues sous les mers by Jules Verne, based on the original French texts published in Paris by J. Hetzel et Cie. over the period 1869-71.
The paintings of Illinois watercolorist Milo Winter (1888-1956) first appeared in a 1922 juvenile edition published by Rand McNally & Company.
Verne’s title: The French title of this novel is Vingt mille lieues sous les mers. This is accurately translated as Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the SEAS, rather than the SEA, as with many English editions. Verne’s novel features a tour of the major oceans, and the term Leagues in its title is used as a measure not of depth but distance. FPW.
Cable length | In Verne’s context, 600 feet |
Centigrade | 0° centigrade = freezing water |
37° centigrade = human body temperature | |
100° centigrade = boiling water | |
Fathom | 6 feet |
Gram | Roughly 1/28 of an ounce |
…Milligram | Roughly 1/28,000 of an ounce |
…Kilogram (kilo) | Roughly 2.2 pounds |
Hectare | Roughly 2.5 acres |
Knot | 1.15 miles per hour |
League | In Verne’s context, 2.16 miles |
Liter | Roughly 1 quart |
Meter | Roughly 1 yard, 3 inches |
…Millimeter | Roughly 1/25 of an inch |
…Centimeter | Roughly 2/5 of an inch |
…Decimeter | Roughly 4 inches |
…Kilometer | Roughly 6/10 of a mile |
…Myriameter | Roughly 6.2 miles |
Ton, Metric | Roughly 2,200 pounds |