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Bythenextdaywehadforgottenalloursufferings.
Atfirst,IwaswonderingthatIwasnolongerthirsty,andIwasforaskingforthereason.
Theanswercameinthemurmuringofthestreamatmyfeet.
Webreakfasted,anddrankofthisexcellentchalybeatewater.
Ifeltwonderfullystronger,andquitedecideduponpushingon.
Whyshouldnotsofirmlyconvincedamanasmyuncle,furnishedwithsoindustriousaguideasHans,andaccompaniedbysodeterminedanephewasmyself,goontofinalsuccess?
Suchwerethemagnificentplanswhichstruggledformasterywithinme.
IfithadbeenproposedtometoreturntothesummitofSnaefell,Ishouldhaveindignantlydeclined.
Mostfortunately,allwehadtodowastodescend.
"Letusstart!"Icried,awakeningbymyshoutstheechoesofthevaultedhollowsoftheearth.
OnThursday,at8a.m.,westartedafresh.Thegranitetunnelwindingfromsidetoside,earneduspastunexpectedturns,and
seemedalmosttoformalabyrinth;but,onthewhole,itsdirectionseemedtobesouth–easterly.Myuncleneverceasedtoconsulthiscompass,tokeepaccountofthegroundgoneover.
Thegallerydippeddownaverylittlewayfromthehorizontal,scarcelymorethantwoinchesinafathom,andthestreamrangentlymurmuringatourfeet.
Icomparedittoafriendlygeniusguidingusunderground,andcaressedwithmyhandthesoftnaiad,whosecomfortingvoiceaccompaniedoursteps.
Withmyrevivingspiritsthesemythologicalnotionsseemedtocomeunbidden.
Asformyuncle,hewasbeginningtostormagainstthehorizontalroad.
Helovednothingbetterthanaverticalpath;butthiswayseemedindefinitelyprolonged,andinsteadofslidingalongthehypothenuseaswewerenowdoing,hewouldwillinglyhavedroppeddowntheterrestrialradius.
Buttherewasnohelpforit,andaslongaswewereapproachingthecentreatallwefeltthatwemustnotcomplain.
Fromtimetotime,asteeperpathappeared;ournaiadthenbegantotumblebeforeuswithahoarsermurmur,andwewentdownwithhertoagreaterdepth.
Onthewhole,thatdayandthenextwemadeconsiderablewayhorizontally,verylittlevertically.
OnFridayevening,the10thofJuly,accordingtoourcalculations,wewerethirtyleaguessouth–eastofRejkiavik,andatadepthoftwoleaguesandahalf.
Atourfeettherenowopenedafrightfulabyss.Myuncle,however,wasnottobedaunted,andheclappedhishandsatthesteepnessofthedescent.
"Thiswilltakeusalongway,"hecried,"andwithoutmuchdifficulty;fortheprojectionsintherockformquiteastaircase."
TheropesweresofastenedbyHansastoguardagainstaccident,andthedescentcommenced.Icanhardlycallitperilous,forIwasbeginningtobefamiliarwiththiskindofexercise.
Thiswell,orabyss,wasanarrowcleftinthemassofthegranite,calledbygeologistsa'fault,'andcausedbytheunequalcoolingoftheglobeoftheearth.
IfithadatonetimebeenapassageforeruptivematterthrownoutbySnaefell,Istillcouldnotunderstandwhynotracewasleftofitspassage.
Wekeptgoingdownakindofwindingstaircase,whichseemedalmosttohavebeenmadebythehandofman.
Everyquarterofanhourwewereobligedtohalt,totakealittlenecessaryreposeandrestoretheactionofourlimbs.
Wethensatdownuponafragmentofrock,andwetalkedasweateanddrankfromthestream.
Ofcourse,downthisfaulttheHansbachfellinacascade,andlostsomeofitsvolume;buttherewasenoughandtosparetoslakeourthirst.
Besides,whentheinclinebecamemoregentle,itwouldofcourseresumeitspeaceablecourse.
Atthismomentitremindedmeofmyworthyuncle,inhisfrequentfitsofimpatienceandanger,whilebelowitranwiththecalmnessoftheIcelandichunter.
Onthe6thand7thofJulywekeptfollowingthespiralcurvesofthissingularwell,penetratinginactualdistancenomorethantwoleagues;butbeingcarriedtoadepthoffiveleaguesbelowthelevelofthesea.
Butonthe8th,aboutnoon,thefaulttook,towardsthesouth–east,amuchgentlerslope,oneofaboutforty–fivedegrees.
Thentheroadbecamemonotonouslyeasy.Itcouldnotbeotherwise,fortherewasnolandscapetovarythestagesofourjourney.
OnWednesday,the15th,weweresevenleaguesunderground,andhadtravelledfiftyleaguesawayfromSnaefell.
Althoughweweretired,ourhealthwasperfect,andthemedicinechesthadnotyethadoccasiontobeopened.
Myunclenotedeveryhourtheindicationsofthecompass,thechronometer,theaneroid,andthethermometertheverysamewhichhehaspublishedinhisscientificreportofourjourney.
Itwasthereforenotdifficulttoknowexactlyourwhereabouts.
Whenhetoldmethatwehadgonefiftyleagueshorizontally,Icouldnotrepressanexclamationofastonishment,atthethoughtthatwehadnowlongleftIcelandbehindus.
"Whatisthematter?"hecried.
"IwasreflectingthatifyourcalculationsarecorrectwearenolongerunderIceland."
"Doyouthinkso?"
"Iamnotmistaken,"Isaid,andexaminingthemap,Iadded,"WehavepassedCapePortland,andthosefiftyleaguesbringusunderthewideexpanseofocean."
"Underthesea,"myunclerepeated,rubbinghishandswithdelight.
"Canitbe?"Isaid."Istheoceanspreadaboveourheads?"
"Ofcourse,Axel.Whatcanbemorenatural?AtNewcastlearetherenotcoalminesextendingfarunderthesea?"
ItwasallverywellfortheProfessortocallthissosimple,butIcouldnotfeelquiteeasyatthethoughtthattheboundlessoceanwasrollingovermyhead.
Andyetitreallymatteredverylittlewhetheritwastheplainsandmountainsthatcoveredourheads,ortheAtlanticwaves,aslongaswewerearchedoverbysolidgranite.
And,besides,Iwasgettingusedtothisidea;forthetunnel,nowrunningstraight,nowwindingascapriciouslyinitsinclinesasinitsturnings,butconstantlypreservingitssouth–easterlydirection,andalwaysrunningdeeper,wasgraduallycarryingustoverygreatdepthsindeed.
Fourdayslater,Saturday,the18thofJuly,intheevening,wearrivedatakindofvastgrotto;andheremyunclepaidHanshisweeklywages,anditwassettledthatthenextday,Sunday,shouldbeadayofrest.
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