The next year, in 1867, the strange thing attacks two ships. People become scared that the strange thing will attack other ships, so the United States government sends an expedition to look for the thing and find out what it is. The expedition group includes a French professor named Pierre Arronax. He thinks the strange thing might be a giant narwhal. Arronax's servant Conseil goes with him. A Canadian harpooner named Ned Land is also in the group.