20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Part 1 Chapter 20

Torres Strait

• On January 1, Conseil wishes Aronnax a happy birthday. The new year gets them acting all philosophical; see, they're not exactly sure what a "Happy New Year" would be, really. For Ned, it'd be escape. For Aronnax—and Conseil, since he wants whatever his master wants—it'd be more exploration.
• Aronnax keeps himself busy studying, as usual, and a couple of days later, the Nautilus enters the dangerous Torres Strait (between Australia and New Guinea).
• As luck would have it, the Nautilus gets stuck on a reef.
• Ned gets even more pessimistic. He doesn't think Nemo will be able to get the sub off the rocks, but Nemo assures everyone that they'll be up and running soon.
• Seeing as they're already stuck on land, Ned and Conseil convince Aronnax to ask Nemo to let them go ashore.
• Surprisingly, Nemo is cool with it. So, the three intrepid adventurers head off to the island in the dinghy, carrying axes and guns.
• Ned has only one thing on his mind: meat.
• Soon enough, they make it to the beach.