English
Nextday,Tuesday,June30,at6a.m.,thedescentbeganagain.
Wewerestillfollowingthegalleryoflava,arealnaturalstaircase,andasgentlyslopingasthoseinclinedplaneswhichinsomeoldhousesarestillfoundinsteadofflightsofsteps.
Andsowewentonuntil12.17,the,precisemomentwhenweovertookHans,whohadstopped.
"Ah!hereweare,"exclaimedmyuncle,"attheveryendofthechimney."
Ilookedaroundme.Wewerestandingattheintersectionoftworoads,bothdarkandnarrow.Whichwerewetotake?Thiswasadifficulty.
Stillmyunclerefusedtoadmitanappearanceofhesitation,eitherbeforemeortheguide;hepointedouttheEasterntunnel,andweweresoonallthreeinit.
Besidestherewouldhavebeeninterminablehesitationbeforethischoiceofroads;forsincetherewasnoindicationwhatevertoguideourchoice,wewereobligedtotrusttochance.
Theslopeofthisgallerywasscarcelyperceptible,anditssectionsveryunequal.
Sometimeswepassedaseriesofarchessucceedingeachotherlikethemajesticarcadesofagothiccathedral.
Herethearchitectsofthemiddleagesmighthavefoundstudiesforeveryformofthesacredartwhichsprangfromthedevelopmentofthepointedarch.
Amilefartherwehadtoboworheadsundercornicedellipticarchesintheromanesquestyle;andmassivepillarsstandingoutfromthewallbentunderthespringofthevaultthatrestedheavilyuponthem.
Inotherplacesthismagnificencegavewaytonarrowchannelsbetweenlowstructureswhichlookedlikebeaver'shuts,andwehadtocreepalongthroughextremelynarrowpassages.
Theheatwasperfectlybearable.InvoluntarilyIbegantothinkofitsheatwhenthelavathrownoutbySnaefellwasboilingandworkingthroughthisnowsilentroad.
Iimaginedthetorrentsoffirehurledbackateveryangleinthegallery,andtheaccumulationofintenselyheatedvapoursinthemidstofthisconfinedchannel.
Ionlyhope,thoughtI,thatthisso–calledextinctvolcanowon'ttakeafancyinhisoldagetobeginhissportsagain!
IabstainedfromcommunicatingthesefearstoProfessorLiedenbrock.
Hewouldneverhaveunderstoodthematall.Hehadbutoneidea–forward!
Hewalked,heslid,hescrambled,hetumbled,withapersistencywhichonecouldnotbutadmire.
Bysixintheevening,afteranotveryfatiguingwalk,wehadgonetwoleaguessouth,butscarcelyaquarterofamiledown.
Myunclesaiditwastimetogotosleep.Weatewithouttalking,andwenttosleepwithoutreflection.
Ourarrangementsforthenightwereverysimple;arailwayrugeach,intowhichwerolledourselves,wasoursolecovering.
Wehadneithercoldnorintrusivevisitstofear.
TravellerswhopenetrateintothewildsofcentralAfrica,andintothepathlessforestsoftheNewWorld,areobligedtowatchovereachotherbynight.
Butweenjoyedabsolutesafetyandutterseclusion;nosavagesorwildbeastsinfestedthesesilentdepths.
Nextmorning,weawokefreshandingoodspirits.Theroadwasresumed.
Asthedaybefore,wefollowedthepathofthelava.
Itwasimpossibletotellwhatrockswewerepassing:thetunnel,insteadoftendinglower,approachedmoreandmorenearlytoahorizontaldirection,Ievenfanciedaslightrise.
Butabouttenthisupwardtendencybecamesoevident,andthereforesofatiguing,thatIwasobligedtoslackenmypace.
"Well,Axel?"demandedtheProfessorimpatiently.
"Well,Icannotstanditanylonger,"Ireplied.
"What!afterthreehours'walkoversucheasyground."
"Itmaybeeasy,butitistiringallthesame."
"What,whenwehavenothingtodobutkeepgoingdown!"
"Goingup,ifyouplease."
"Goingup!"saidmyuncle,withashrug.
"Nodoubt,forthelasthalf–hourtheinclineshavegonetheotherway,andatthisrateweshallsoonarriveuponthelevelsoilofIceland."
TheProfessornoddedslowlyanduneasilylikeamanthatdeclinestobeconvinced.Itriedtoresumetheconversation.
Heanswerednotaword,andgavethesignalforastart.
Isawthathissilencewasnothingbutill–humour.
StillIhadcourageouslyshoulderedmyburdenagain,andwasrapidlyfollowingHans,whommyunclepreceded.Iwasanxiousnottobeleftbehind.
Mygreatestcarewasnottolosesightofmycompanions.
Ishudderedatthethoughtofbeinglostinthemazesofthisvastsubterraneanlabyrinth.
Besides,iftheascendingroaddidbecomesteeper,Iwascomfortedwiththethoughtthatitwasbringingusnearertothesurface.Therewashopeinthis.
Everystepconfirmedmeinit,andIwasrejoicingatthethoughtofmeetingmylittleGräubenagain.
Bymiddaytherewasachangeintheappearanceofthiswallofthegallery.
Inoticeditbyadiminutionoftheamountoflightreflectedfromthesides;solidrockwasappearingintheplaceofthelavacoating.
Themasswascomposedofinclinedandsometimesverticalstrata.
Wewerepassingthroughrocksofthetransitionorsilurian[l]system.
"Itisevident,"Icried,"themarinedepositsformedinthesecondperiod,theseshales,limestones,andsandstones.
Weareturningawayfromtheprimarygranite.
WearejustasifwewerepeopleofHamburggoingtoLubeckbywayofHanover!"
Ihadbetterhavekeptmyobservationstomyself.Butmygeologicalinstinctwasstrongerthanmyprudence,anduncleLiedenbrockheardmyexclamation.
"What'sthatyouaresaying?"heasked.
"See,"Isaid,pointingtothevariedseriesofsandstonesandlimestones,andthefirstindicationofslate.
"Well?"
"Weareattheperiodwhenthefirstplantsandanimalsappeared."
"Doyouthinkso?"
"Lookclose,andexamine."
IobligedtheProfessortomovehislampoverthewallsofthegallery.Iexpectedsomesignsofastonishment;buthespokenotaword,andwenton.
Hadheunderstoodmeornot?Didherefusetoadmit,outofself–loveasanuncleandaphilosopher,thathehadmistakenhiswaywhenhechosetheeasterntunnel?
orwashedeterminedtoexaminethispassagetoitsfarthestextremity?
Itwasevidentthatwehadleftthelavapath,andthatthisroadcouldnotpossiblyleadtotheextinctfurnaceofSnaefell.
YetIaskedmyselfifIwasnotdependingtoomuchonthischangeintherock.MightInotmyselfbemistaken?Werewereallycrossingthelayersofrockwhichoverliethegranitefoundation?
[1]ThenamegivenbySirRoderickMurchisontoavastseriesoffossiliferousstrata,whichliesbetweenthenon–fossiliferousslatyschistsbelowandtheoldredsandstoneabove.
ThesystemiswelldevelopedintheregionofShropshire,etc.,onceinhabitedbytheSiluresunderCaractacus,orCaradoc.(Tr.)
IfIamright,Ithought,Imustsoonfindsomefossilremainsofprimitivelife;andthenwemustyieldtoevidence.Iwilllook.
Ihadnotgoneahundredpacesbeforeincontestableproofspresentedthemselves.
Itcouldnotbeotherwise,forintheSilurianagetheseascontainedatleastfifteenhundredvegetableandanimalspecies.
Myfeet,whichhadbecomeaccustomedtotheinduratedlavafloor,suddenlyresteduponadustcomposedofthedebrisofplantsandshells.
Inthewallsweredistinctimpressionsoffucoidsandlycopodites.
ProfessorLiedenbrockcouldnotbemistaken,Ithought,andyethepushedon,with,Isuppose,hiseyesresolutelyshut.
Thiswasonlyinvincibleobstinacy.Icouldholdoutnolonger.Ipickedupaperfectlyformedshell,whichhadbelongedtoananimalnotunlikethewoodlouse:then,joiningmyuncle,Isaid:
"Lookatthis!"
"Verywell,"saidhequietly,"itistheshellofacrustacean,ofanextinctspeciescalledatrilobite.Nothingmore."
"Butdon'tyouconclude––?"
"Justwhatyouconcludeyourself.Yes;Ido,perfectly.Wehaveleftthegraniteandthelava.ItispossiblethatImaybemistaken.
ButIcannotbesureofthatuntilIhavereachedtheveryendofthisgallery."
"Youarerightindoingthis,myuncle,andIshouldquiteapproveofyourdetermination,iftherewerenotadangerthreateningusnearerandnearer."
"Whatdanger?"
"Thewantofwater."
"Well,Axel,wewillputourselvesuponrations."
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