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Infact,wehadtorationourselves.Ourprovisionofwatercouldnotlastmorethanthreedays.
Ifoundthatoutforcertainwhensupper–timecame.
And,tooursorrow,wehadlittlereasontoexpecttofindaspringinthesetransitionbeds.
Thewholeofthenextdaythegalleryopenedbeforeusitsendlessarcades.Wemovedonalmostwithoutaword.Hans'silenceseemedtobeinfectingus.
Theroadwasnownotascending,atleastnotperceptibly.
Sometimes,even,itseemedtohaveaslightfall.
Butthistendency,whichwasverytrifling,couldnotdoanythingtoreassuretheProfessor;fortherewasnochangeinthebeds,andthetransitionalcharacteristicsbecamemoreandmoredecided.
Theelectriclightwasreflectedinsparklingsplendourfromtheschist,limestone,andoldredsandstoneofthewalls.
ItmighthavebeenthoughtthatwewerepassingthroughasectionofWales,ofwhichanancientpeoplegaveitsnametothissystem.
Specimensofmagnificentmarblesclothedthewalls,someofagreyishagatefantasticallyveinedwithwhite,othersofrichcrimsonoryellowdashedwithsplotchesofred;thencamedarkcherry–colouredmarblesrelievedbythelightertintsoflimestone.
Thegreaterpartoftheseboreimpressionsofprimitiveorganisms.
Creationhadevidentlyadvancedsincethedaybefore.
Insteadofrudimentarytrilobites,Inoticedremainsofamoreperfectorderofbeings,amongstothersganoidfishesandsomeofthosesauroidsinwhichpalaeontologistshavediscoveredtheearliestreptileforms.
TheDevonianseaswerepeopledbyanimalsofthesespecies,anddepositedthembythousandsintherocksofthenewerformation.
Itwasevidentthatwewereascendingthatscaleofanimallifeinwhichmanfillsthehighestplace.ButProfessorLiedenbrockseemednottonoticeit.
Hewasawaitingoneoftwoevents,eithertheappearanceofaverticalwellopeningbeforehisfeet,downwhichourdescentmightberesumed,orthatofsomeobstaclewhichshouldeffectuallyturnusbackonourownfootsteps.
Buteveningcameandneitherwishwasgratified.
OnFriday,afteranightduringwhichIfeltpangsofthirst,ourlittletroopagainplungedintothewindingpassagesofthegallery.
Aftertenhours'walkingIobservedasingulardeadeningofthereflectionofourlampsfromthesidewalls.
Themarble,theschist,thelimestone,andthesandstoneweregivingwaytoadarkandlustrelesslining.
Atonemoment,thetunnelbecomingverynarrow,Ileanedagainstthewall.
WhenIremovedmyhanditwasblack.Ilookednearer,andfoundwewereinacoalformation.
"Acoalmine!"Icried.
"Aminewithoutminers,"myunclereplied.
"Whoknows?"Iasked.
"Iknow,"theProfessorpronounceddecidedly,"Iamcertainthatthisgallerydriventhroughbedsofcoalwasneverpiercedbythehandofman.
Butwhetheritbethehandofnatureornotdoesnotmatter.Suppertimeiscome;letussup."
Hanspreparedsomefood.Iscarcelyate,andIswalloweddownthefewdropsofwaterrationedouttome.Oneflaskhalffullwasallwehadlefttoslakethethirstofthreemen.
Aftertheirmealmytwocompanionslaidthemselvesdownupontheirrugs,andfoundinsleepasolacefortheirfatigue.ButIcouldnotsleep,andIcountedeveryhouruntilmorning.
OnSaturday,atsix,westartedafresh.Intwentyminuteswereachedavastopenspace;Ithenknewthatthehandofmanhadnothollowedoutthismine;thevaultswouldhavebeenshoredup,and,asitwas,theyseemedtobeheldupbyamiracleofequilibrium.
Thiscavernwasaboutahundredfeetwideandahundredandfiftyinheight.
Alargemasshadbeenrentasunderbyasubterraneandisturbance.
Yieldingtosomevastpowerfrombelowithadbrokenasunder,leavingthisgreathollowintowhichhumanbeingswerenowpenetratingforthefirsttime.
Thewholehistoryofthecarboniferousperiodwaswrittenuponthesegloomywalls,andageologistmightwitheasetraceallitsdiversephases.
Thebedsofcoalwereseparatedbystrataofsandstoneorcompactclays,andappearedcrushedundertheweightofoverlyingstrata.
Attheageoftheworldwhichprecededthesecondaryperiod,theearthwasclothedwithimmensevegetableforms,theproductofthedoubleinfluenceoftropicalheatandconstantmoisture;avapouryatmospheresurroundedtheearth,stillveilingthedirectraysofthesun.
Thencearisestheconclusionthatthehightemperaturethenexistingwasduetosomeothersourcethantheheatofthesun.
Perhapseventheorbofdaymaynothavebeenreadyyettoplaythesplendidparthenowacts.
Therewereno'climates'asyet,andatorridheat,equalfrompoletoequator,wasspreadoverthewholesurfaceoftheglobe.Whencethisheat?Wasitfromtheinterioroftheearth?
NotwithstandingthetheoriesofProfessorLiedenbrock,aviolentheatdidatthattimebroodwithinthebodyofthespheroid.
Itsactionwasfelttotheverylastcoatsoftheterrestrialcrust;theplants,unacquaintedwiththebeneficentinfluencesofthesun,yieldedneitherflowersnorscent.
Buttheirrootsdrewvigorouslifefromtheburningsoiloftheearlydaysofthisplanet.
Therewerebutfewtrees.Herbaceousplantsaloneexisted.
Thereweretallgrasses,ferns,lycopods,besidessigillaria,asterophyllites,nowscarceplants,butthenthespeciesmightbecountedbythousands.
Thecoalmeasuresowetheirorigintothisperiodofprofusevegetation.
Theyetelasticandyieldingcrustoftheearthobeyedthefluidforcesbeneath.
Thenceinnumerablefissuresanddepressions.
Theplants,sunkunderneaththewaters,formedbydegreesintovastaccumulatedmasses.
Thencamethechemicalactionofnature;inthedepthsoftheseasthevegetableaccumulationsfirstbecamepeat;then,acteduponbygeneratedgasesandtheheatoffermentation,theyunderwentaprocessofcompletemineralization.
Thuswereformedthoseimmensecoalfields,whichnevertheless,arenotinexhaustible,andwhichthreecenturiesatthepresentacceleratedrateofconsumptionwillexhaustunlesstheindustrialworldwilldevisearemedy.
ThesereflectionscameintomymindwhilstIwascontemplatingthemineralwealthstoredupinthisportionoftheglobe.
Thesenodoubt,Ithought,willneverbediscovered;theworkingofsuchdeepmineswouldinvolvetoolargeanoutlay,andwherewouldbetheuseaslongascoalisyetspreadfarandwidenearthesurface?
Suchasmyeyesbeholdthesevirginstores,suchtheywillbewhenthisworldcomestoanend.
Butstillwemarchedon,andIalonewasforgettingthelengthofthewaybylosingmyselfinthemidstofgeologicalcontemplations.
Thetemperatureremainedwhatithadbeenduringourpassagethroughthelavaandschists.
Onlymysenseofsmellwasforciblyaffectedbyanodourofprotocarburetofhydrogen.
Iimmediatelyrecognisedinthisgallerythepresenceofaconsiderablequantityofthedangerousgascalledbyminersfiredamp,theexplosionofwhichhasoftenoccasionedsuchdreadfulcatastrophes.
Happily,ourlightwasfromRuhmkorff'singeniousapparatus.
Ifunfortunatelywehadexploredthisgallerywithtorches,aterribleexplosionwouldhaveputanendtotravellingandtravellersatonestroke.
Thisexcursionthroughthecoalminelastedtillnight.
Myunclescarcelycouldrestrainhisimpatienceatthehorizontalroad.
Thedarkness,alwaysdeeptwentyyardsbeforeus,preventedusfromestimatingthelengthofthegallery;andIwasbeginningtothinkitmustbeendless,whensuddenlyatsixo'clockawallveryunexpectedlystoodbeforeus.
Rightorleft,toporbottom,therewasnoroadfarther;wewereattheendofablindalley."Verywell,it'sallright!"
criedmyuncle,"now,atanyrate,weshallknowwhatweareabout.
WearenotinSaknussemm'sroad,andallwehavetodoistogoback.
Letustakeanight'srest,andinthreedaysweshallgettotheforkintheroad."
"Yes,"saidI,"ifwehaveanystrengthleft.""Whynot?"
"Becauseto–morrowweshallhavenowater.""Norcourageeither?"askedmyuncleseverely.Idaredmakenoanswer.
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