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IntheeveningItookashortwalkonthebeachandreturnedatnighttomyplank–bed,whereIsleptsoundlyallnight.
WhenIawokeIheardmyuncletalkingatagreatrateinthenextroom.Iimmediatelydressedandjoinedhim.
HewasconversingintheDanishlanguagewithatallman,ofrobustbuild.
Thisfinefellowmusthavebeenpossessedofgreatstrength.
Hiseyes,setinalargeandingenuousface,seemedtomeveryintelligent;theywereofadreamysea–blue.
Longhair,whichwouldhavebeencalledredeveninEngland,fellinlongmeshesuponhisbroadshoulders.
Themovementsofthisnativewerelitheandsupple;buthemadelittleuseofhisarmsinspeaking,likeamanwhoknewnothingorcarednothingaboutthelanguageofgestures.
Hiswholeappearancebespokeperfectcalmnessandself–possession,notindolencebuttranquillity.
Itwasfeltatoncethathewouldbebeholdentonobody,thatheworkedforhisownconvenience,andthatnothinginthisworldcouldastonishordisturbhisphilosophiccalmness.
IcaughttheshadesofthisIcelander'scharacterbythewayinwhichhelistenedtotheimpassionedflowofwordswhichfellfromtheProfessor.
Hestoodwitharmscrossed,perfectlyunmovedbymyuncle'sincessantgesticulations.
Anegativewasexpressedbyaslowmovementoftheheadfromlefttoright,anaffirmativebyaslightbend,soslightthathislonghairscarcelymoved.
Hecarriedeconomyofmotioneventoparsimony.
CertainlyIshouldneverhavedreamtinlookingatthismanthathewasahunter;hedidnotlooklikelytofrightenhisgame,nordidheseemasifhewouldevengetnearit.
ButthemysterywasexplainedwhenM.Fridriksseninformedmethatthistranquilpersonagewasonlyahunteroftheeiderduck,whoseunderplumageconstitutesthechiefwealthoftheisland.
Thisisthecelebratedeiderdown,anditrequiresnogreatrapidityofmovementtogetit.
Earlyinsummerthefemale,averyprettybird,goestobuildhernestamongtherocksofthefiordswithwhichthecoastisfringed.
Afterbuildingthenestshefeathersitwithdownpluckedfromherownbreast.
Immediatelythehunter,orratherthetrader,comesandrobsthenest,andthefemalerecommencesherwork.
Thisgoesonaslongasshehasanydownleft.
Whenshehasstrippedherselfbarethemaletakeshisturntopluckhimself.
Butasthecoarseandhardplumageofthemalehasnocommercialvalue,thehunterdoesnottakethetroubletorobthenestofthis;thefemalethereforelayshereggsinthespoilsofhermate,theyoungarehatched,andnextyeartheharvestbeginsagain.
Now,astheeiderduckdoesnotselectsteepcliffsforhernest,butratherthesmoothterracedrockswhichslopetothesea,theIcelandichuntermightexercisehiscallingwithoutanyinconvenientexertion.
Hewasafarmerwhowasnotobligedeithertosoworreaphisharvest,butmerelytogatheritin.
Thisgrave,phlegmatic,andsilentindividualwascalledHansBjelke;andhecamerecommendedbyM.Fridrikssen.Hewasourfutureguide.Hismannerswereasingularcontrastwithmyuncle's.
Nevertheless,theysooncametounderstandeachother.
Neitherlookedattheamountofthepayment:theonewasreadytoacceptwhateverwasoffered;theotherwasreadytogivewhateverwasdemanded.
Neverwasbargainmorereadilyconcluded.
Theresultofthetreatywas,thatHansengagedonhisparttoconductustothevillageofStapi,onthesouthshoreoftheSnaefellpeninsula,attheveryfootofthevolcano.
Bylandthiswouldbeabouttwenty–twomiles,tobedone,saidmyuncle,intwodays.
ButwhenhelearntthattheDanishmilewas24,000feetlong,hewasobligedtomodifyhiscalculationsandallowsevenoreightdaysforthemarch.
Fourhorsesweretobeplacedatourdisposal–twotocarryhimandme,twoforthebaggage.
Hams,aswashiscustom,wouldgoonfoot.
Heknewallthatpartofthecoastperfectly,andpromisedtotakeustheshortestway.
HisengagementwasnottoterminatewithourarrivalatStapi;hewastocontinueinmyuncle'sserviceforthewholeperiodofhisscientificresearches,fortheremunerationofthreerixdalesaweek(abouttwelveshillings),butitwasanexpressarticleofthecovenantthathiswagesshouldbecountedouttohimeverySaturdayatsixo'clockintheevening,which,accordingtohim,wasoneindispensablepartoftheengagement.
Thestartwasfixedforthe16thofJune.Myunclewantedtopaythehunteraportioninadvance,butherefusedwithoneword:
"Efter,"saidhe.
"After,"saidtheProfessorformyedification.
Thetreatyconcluded,Hanssilentlywithdrew.
"Afamousfellow,"criedmyuncle;"buthelittlethinksofthemarvellousparthehastoplayinthefuture."
"Soheistogowithusasfaras––"
"Asfarasthecentreoftheearth,Axel."
Forty–eighthourswereleftbeforeourdeparture;tomygreatregretIhadtoemploytheminpreparations;forallouringenuitywasrequiredtopackeveryarticletothebestadvantage;instrumentshere,armsthere,toolsinthispackage,provisionsinthat:foursetsofpackagesinall.
Theinstrumentswere:
1.AnEigel'scentigradethermometer,graduatedupto150degrees(302degreesFahr.)
,whichseemedtometoomuchortoolittle.
Toomuchiftheinternalheatwastorisesohigh,forinthiscaseweshouldbebaked,notenoughtomeasurethetemperatureofspringsoranymatterinastateoffusion.
2.Ananeroidbarometer,toindicateextremepressuresoftheatmosphere.
Anordinarybarometerwouldnothaveansweredthepurpose,asthepressurewouldincreaseduringourdescenttoapointwhichthemercurialbarometer[1]wouldnotregister.
3.Achronometer,madebyBoissonnas,jun.,ofGeneva,accuratelysettothemeridianofHamburg.
4.Twocompasses,viz.,acommoncompassandadippingneedle.
5.Anightglass.
6.TwoofRuhmkorff'sapparatus,which,bymeansofanelectriccurrent,suppliedasafeandhandyportablelight[2]
ThearmsconsistedoftwoofPurdy'sriflesandtwobraceofpistols.Butwhatdidwewantarmsfor?
Wehadneithersavagesnorwildbeaststofear,Isupposed.
Butmyuncleseemedtobelieveinhisarsenalasinhisinstruments,andmoreespeciallyinaconsiderablequantityofguncotton,whichisunaffectedbymoisture,andtheexplosiveforceofwhichexceedsthatofgunpowder.
[1]InM.Verne'sbooka'manometer'istheinstrumentused,ofwhichverylittleisknown.
Inacompletelistofphilosophicalinstrumentsthetranslatorcannotfindthename.
Asheisassuredbyafirst–rateinstrumentmaker,Chadburn,ofLiverpool,thatananeroidcanbeconstructedtomeasureanydepth,hehasthoughtitbesttofurnishtheadventurousprofessorwiththismorefamiliarinstrument.
The'manometer'isgenerallyknownasapressuregauge.–TRANS.
[2]Ruhmkorff'sapparatusconsistsofaBunsenpileworkedwithbichromateofpotash,whichmakesnosmell;aninductioncoilcarriestheelectricitygeneratedbythepileintocommunicationwithalanternofpeculiarconstruction;inthislanternthereisaspiralglasstubefromwhichtheairhasbeenexcluded,andinwhichremainsonlyaresiduumofcarbonicacidgasorofnitrogen.
Whentheapparatusisputinactionthisgasbecomesluminous,producingawhitesteadylight.
Thepileandcoilareplacedinaleathernbagwhichthetravellercarriesoverhisshoulders;thelanternoutsideofthebagthrowssufficientlightintodeepdarkness;itenablesonetoventurewithoutfearofexplosionsintothemidstofthemostinflammablegases,andisnotextinguishedeveninthedeepestwaters.
M.Ruhmkorffisalearnedandmostingeniousmanofscience;hisgreatdiscoveryishisinductioncoil,whichproducesapowerfulstreamofelectricity.
Heobtainedin1864thequinquennialprizeof50,000francreservedbytheFrenchgovernmentforthemostingeniousapplicationofelectricity.
Thetoolscomprisedtwopickaxes,twospades,asilkropeladder,threeiron–tippedsticks,ahatchet,ahammer,adozenwedgesandironspikes,andalongknottedrope.
Nowthiswasalargeload,fortheladderwas300feetlong.
Andtherewereprovisionstoo:thiswasnotalargeparcel,butitwascomfortingtoknowthatofessenceofbeefandbiscuitsthereweresixmonths'consumption.
Spiritsweretheonlyliquid,andofwaterwetooknone;butwehadflasks,andmyuncledependedonspringsfromwhichtofillthem.
WhateverobjectionsIhazardedastotheirquality,temperature,andevenabsence,remainedineffectual.
Tocompletetheexactinventoryofallourtravellingaccompaniments,Imustnotforgetapocketmedicinechest,containingbluntscissors,splintsforbrokenlimbs,apieceoftapeofunbleachedlinen,bandagesandcompresses,lint,alancetforbleeding,alldreadfularticlestotakewithone.
Thentherewasarowofphialscontainingdextrine,alcoholicether,liquidacetateoflead,vinegar,andammoniadrugswhichaffordedmenocomfort.
Finally,allthearticlesneedfultosupplyRuhmkorff'sapparatus.
Myuncledidnotforget–asupplyoftobacco,coarsegrainedpowder,andamadou,noraleathernbeltinwhichhecarriedasufficientquantityofgold,silver,andpapermoney.
Sixpairsofbootsandshoes,madewaterproofwithacompositionofindiarubberandnaphtha,werepackedamongstthetools.
"Clothed,shod,andequippedlikethis,"saidmyuncle,"thereisnotellinghowfarwemaygo."
The14thwaswhollyspentinarrangingallourdifferentarticles.
IntheeveningwedinedwithBaronTramps;themayorofRejkiavik,andDr.Hyaltalin,thefirstmedicalmanoftheplace,beingoftheparty.M.Fridrikssenwasnotthere.
IlearnedafterwardsthatheandtheGovernordisagreeduponsomequestionofadministration,anddidnotspeaktoeachother.
Ithereforeknewnotasinglewordofallthatwassaidatthissemi–officialdinner;butIcouldnothelpnoticingthatmyuncletalkedthewholetime.
Onthe15thourpreparationswereallmade.
OurhostgavetheProfessorverygreatpleasurebypresentinghimwithamapofIcelandfarmorecompletethanthatofHendersen.
ItwasthemapofM.OlafNikolasOlsen,intheproportionof1to480,000oftheactualsizeoftheisland,andpublishedbytheIcelandicLiterarySociety.
Itwasapreciousdocumentforamineralogist.
OurlasteveningwasspentinintimateconversationwithM.Fridrikssen,withwhomIfelttheliveliestsympathy;then,afterthetalk,succeeded,forme,atanyrate,adisturbedandrestlessnight.
AtfiveinthemorningIwasawokebytheneighingandpawingoffourhorsesundermywindow.
Idressedhastilyandcamedownintothestreet.
Hanswasfinishingourpacking,almostasitwerewithoutmovingalimb;andyethedidhisworkcleverly.
Myunclemademorenoisethanexecution,andtheguideseemedtopayverylittleattentiontohisenergeticdirections.
Atsixo'clockourpreparationswereover.M.Fridrikssenshookhandswithus.
Myunclethankedhimheartilyforhisextremekindness.
IconstructedafewfineLatinsentencestoexpressmycordialfarewell.
ThenwebestrodeoursteedsandwithhislastadieuM.FridrikssentreatedmetoalineofVirgileminentlyapplicabletosuchuncertainwanderersaswewerelikelytobe:
"Etquacumqueviamdedentfortunasequamur."
"Thereverfortuneclearsaway,
Thitherourreadyfootstepsstray."
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