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Ithereforeawokenextdayrelievedfromthepreoccupationofanimmediatestart.
Althoughwewereintheverydeepestofknowndepths,therewassomethingnotunpleasantaboutit.
And,besides,wewerebeginningtogetaccustomedtothistroglodyte[l]life.
Inolongerthoughtofsun,moon,andstars,trees,houses,andtowns,norofanyofthoseterrestrialsuperfluitieswhicharenecessariesofmenwholiveupontheearth'ssurface.
Beingfossils,welookeduponallthosethingsasmerejokes.
Thegrottowasanimmenseapartment.Alongitsgranitefloorranourfaithfulstream.Atthisdistancefromitsspringthewaterwasscarcelytepid,andwedrankofitwithpleasure.
AfterbreakfasttheProfessorgaveafewhourstothearrangementofhisdailynotes.
"First,"saidhe,"Iwillmakeacalculationtoascertainourexactposition.
Ihope,afterourreturn,todrawamapofourjourney,whichwillbeinrealityaverticalsectionoftheglobe,containingthetrackofourexpedition."
"Thatwillbecurious,uncle;butareyourobservationssufficientlyaccuratetoenableyoutodothiscorrectly?"
"Yes;Ihaveeverywhereobservedtheanglesandtheinclines.Iamsurethereisnoerror.Letusseewherewearenow.Takeyourcompass,andnotethedirection."
Ilooked,andrepliedcarefully:
[1]tpwgln,ahole;dnw,tocreepinto.ThenameofanEthiopiantribewholivedincavesandholes.??????,ahole,and???,tocreepinto.
"South–eastbyeast."
"Well,"answeredtheProfessor,afterarapidcalculation,"Iinferthatwehavegoneeighty–fiveleaguessincewestarted.!
"Thereforeweareundermid–Atlantic?"
"Tobesureweare."
"Andperhapsatthisverymomentthereisastormabove,andshipsoverourheadsarebeingrudelytossedbythetempest."
"Quiteprobable."
"Andwhalesarelashingtheroofofourprisonwiththeirtails?"
"Itmaybe,Axel,buttheywon'tshakeushere.Butletusgobacktoourcalculation.Hereweareeighty–fiveleaguessouth–eastofSnaefell,andIreckonthatweareatadepthofsixteenleagues."
"Sixteenleagues?"Icried.
"Nodoubt."
"Why,thisistheverylimitassignedbysciencetothethicknessofthecrustoftheearth."
"Idon'tdenyit."
"Andhere,accordingtothelawofincreasingtemperature,thereoughttobeaheatof2,732°Fahr.!"
"Sothereshould,mylad."
"Andallthissolidgraniteoughttoberunninginfusion."
"Youseethatitisnotso,andthat,assooftenhappens,factscometooverthrowtheories."
"Iamobligedtoagree;but,afterall,itissurprising."
"Whatdoesthethermometersay?"
"Twenty–seven,sixtenths(82°Fahr.)."
"Thereforethesavantsarewrongby2,705°,andtheproportionalincreaseisamistake.ThereforeHumphryDavywasright,andIamnotwronginfollowinghim.Whatdoyousaynow?"
"Nothing."
Intruth,Ihadagooddealtosay.IgavewayinnorespecttoDavy'stheory.
Istillheldtothecentralheat,althoughIdidnotfeelitseffects.
Ipreferredtoadmitintruth,thatthischimneyofanextinctvolcano,linedwithlavas,whicharenon–conductorsofheat,didnotsuffertheheattopassthroughitswalls.
ButwithoutstoppingtolookupnewargumentsIsimplytookupoursituationsuchasitwas.
"Well,admittingallyourcalculationstobequitecorrect,youmustallowmetodrawonerigidresulttherefrom."
"Whatisit.Speakfreely.!
"AtthelatitudeofIceland,wherewenoware,theradiusoftheearth,thedistancefromthecentretothesurfaceisabout1,583leagues;letussayinroundnumbers1,600leagues,or4,800miles.
Outof1,600leagueswehavegonetwelve!"
"Soyousay."
"Andthesetwelveatacostof85leaguesdiagonally?"
"Exactlyso."
"Intwentydays?"
"Yes."
"Now,sixteenleaguesarethehundredthpartoftheearth'sradius.Atthisrateweshallbetwothousanddays,ornearlyfiveyearsandahalf,ingettingtothecentre."
Noanswerwasvouchsafedtothisrationalconclusion.
"Withoutreckoning,too,thatifaverticaldepthofsixteenleaguescanbeattainedonlybyadiagonaldescentofeighty–four,itfollowsthatwemustgoeightthousandmilesinasouth–easterlydirection;sothatweshallemergefromsomepointintheearth'scircumferenceinsteadofgettingtothecentre!"
"Confusiontoallyourfigures,andallyourhypothesesbesides,"shoutedmyuncleinasuddenrage."Whatisthebasisofthemall?
Howdoyouknowthatthispassagedoesnotrunstraighttoourdestination?Besides,thereisaprecedent.Whatonemanhasdone,anothermaydo."
"Ihopeso;but,still,Imaybepermitted–"
"Youshallhavemyleavetoholdyourtongue,Axel,butnottotalkinthatirrationalway."
IcouldseetheawfulProfessorburstingthroughmyuncle'sskin,andItooktimelywarning.
"Nowlookatyouraneroid.Whatdoesthatsay?"
"Itsaysweareunderconsiderablepressure."
"Verygood;soyouseethatbygoinggraduallydown,andgettingaccustomedtothedensityoftheatmosphere,wedon'tsufferatall."
"Nothing,exceptalittlepainintheears."
"That'snothing,andyoumaygetridofeventhatbyquickbreathingwheneveryoufeelthepain."
"Exactlyso,"Isaid,determinednottosayawordthatmightcrossmyuncle'sprejudices.
"Thereisevenpositivepleasureinlivinginthisdenseatmosphere.
Haveyouobservedhowintensesoundisdownhere?"
"Nodoubtitis.Adeafmanwouldsoonlearntohearperfectly."
"Butwon'tthisdensityaugment?"
"Yes;accordingtoaratherobscurelaw.
Itiswellknownthattheweightofbodiesdiminishesasfastaswedescend.
Youknowthatitisatthesurfaceoftheglobethatweightismostsensiblyfelt,andthatatthecentrethereisnoweightatall."
"Iamawareofthat;but,tellme,willnotairatlastacquirethedensityofwater?"
"Ofcourse,underapressureofsevenhundredandtenatmospheres."
"Andhow,lowerdownstill?"
"Lowerdownthedensitywillstillincrease."
"Buthowshallwegodownthen."
"Why,wemustfillourpocketswithstones."
"Well,indeed,myworthyuncle,youareneveratalossforananswer."
Idaredventurenofartherintotheregionofprobabilities,forImightpresentlyhavestumbleduponanimpossibility,whichwouldhavebroughttheProfessoronthescenewhenhewasnotwanted.
Still,itwasevidentthattheair,underapressurewhichmightreachthatofthousandsofatmospheres,wouldatlastreachthesolidstate,andthen,evenifourbodiescouldresistthestrain,weshouldbestopped,andnoreasoningswouldbeabletogetusonanyfarther.
ButIdidnotadvancethisargument.MyunclewouldhavemetitwithhisinevitableSaknussemm,aprecedentwhichpossessednoweightwithme;forevenifthejourneyofthelearnedIcelanderwerereallyattested,therewasoneverysimpleanswer,thatinthesixteenthcenturytherewasneitherbarometeroraneroidandthereforeSaknussemmcouldnottellhowfarhehadgone.
ButIkeptthisobjectiontomyself,andwaitedthecourseofevents.
Therestofthedaywaspassedincalculationsandinconversations.
IremainedasteadfastadherentoftheopinionsofProfessorLiedenbrock,andIenviedthestolidindifferenceofHans,who,withoutgoingintocausesandeffects,wentonwithhiseyesshutwhereverhisdestinyguidedhim.
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