Crossword-Solution: HATCHES 7 letters, 8 clues 🏆 scrabble score: 15

Aronnax,” replied the Captain; “but I think you have serious reasons for wishing to see me?” “Very grave ones; the natives are surrounding us in their canoes, and in a few minutes we shall certainly be attacked by many hundreds of savages.” “Ah!” said Captain Nemo quietly, “they are come with their canoes?” “Yes, sir.” “Well, sir, we must close the hatches.” “Exactly, and I came to say to you——” “Nothing can be more simple,” said Captain Nemo.

From the time we first got on board we had heard moans, cries, and rumblings coming from below, and as soon as the captain and crew were removed, the hatches had been taken off, when there arose a hot blast as from a charnel house, sickening and overpowering.

The sailors say 'twill be rough to-night, As they fasten the hatches down, The south is black, and the bar is white, And the drifting smoke is brown.

The only place for the men’s hammocks on board being in the hold, they were unavoidably much crowded: and if the weather had required the hatches to be fastened down, so great a number of men could not possibly have been accommodated.

One of our white hands had gone down the afterhold to fetch up a spare coil of rope, when one of the hatches which he had removed came crashing down on the top of him.