ThenextmorningIawokefeelingperfectlywell. Ithoughtabathewoulddomegood,andIwenttoplungeforafewminutesintothewatersofthismediterraneansea,forassuredlyitbetterdeservedthisnamethananyothersea. Icamebacktobreakfastwithagoodappetite. Hanswasagoodcatererforourlittlehousehold;hehadwaterandfireathisdisposal,sothathewasabletovaryourbilloffarenowandthen. Fordesserthegaveusafewcupsofcoffee,andneverwascoffeesodelicious. "Now,"saidmyuncle,"nowisthetimeforhightide,andwemustnotlosetheopportunitytostudythisphenomenon." "What!thetide!"Icried."Cantheinfluenceofthesunandmoonbefeltdownhere?" "Whynot?Arenotallbodiessubjectthroughouttheirmasstothepowerofuniversalattraction? Thismassofwatercannotescapethegenerallaw. Andinspiteoftheheavyatmosphericpressureonthesurface,youwillseeitriseliketheAtlanticitself." Atthesamemomentwereachedthesandontheshore,andthewaveswerebyslowdegreesencroachingontheshore. "Hereisthetiderising,"Icried. "Yes,Axel;andjudgingbytheseridgesoffoam,youmayobservethattheseawillriseabouttwelvefeet." "Youmaysayso,uncle;buttomeitismostextraordinary,andIcanhardlybelievemyeyes. Whowouldeverhaveimagined,underthisterrestrialcrust,anoceanwithebbingandflowingtides,withwindsandstorms?" "Well,"repliedmyuncle,"isthereanyscientificreasonagainstit?" "No;Iseenone,assoonasthetheoryofcentralheatisgivenup.""Sothen,thusfar,"heanswered,"thetheoryofSirHumphryDavyisconfirmed." "Evidentlyitis;andnowthereisnoreasonwhythereshouldnotbeseasandcontinentsintheinterioroftheearth." "Nodoubt,"saidmyuncle;"andinhabitedtoo." "Tobesure,"saidI;"andwhyshouldnotthesewatersyieldtousfishesofunknownspecies?" "Atanyrate,"hereplied,"wehavenotseenanyyet." "Well,letusmakesomelines,andseeifthebaitwilldrawhereasitdoesinsublunaryregions." "Wewilltry,Axel,forwemustpenetrateallsecretsofthesenewlydiscoveredregions." "Butwherearewe,uncle?forIhavenotyetaskedyouthatquestion,andyourinstrumentsmustbeabletofurnishtheanswer." "Horizontally,threehundredandfiftyleaguesfromIceland." "Iamsureofnotbeingamileoutofmyreckoning." "Anddoesthecompassstillshowsouth–east?" "Yes;withawesterlydeviationofnineteendegreesforty–fiveminutes,justasaboveground. Asforitsdip,acuriousfactiscomingtolight,whichIhaveobservedcarefully:thattheneedle,insteadofdippingtowardsthepoleasinthenorthernhemisphere,onthecontrary,risesfromit." "Wouldyouthenconclude,"Isaid,"thatthemagneticpoleissomewherebetweenthesurfaceoftheglobeandthepointwhereweare?" "Exactlyso;anditislikelyenoughthatifweweretoreachthespotbeneaththepolarregions,aboutthatseventy–firstdegreewhereSirJamesRosshasdiscoveredthemagneticpoletobesituated,weshouldseetheneedlepointstraightup. Thereforethatmysteriouscentreofattractionisatnogreatdepth." Iremarked:"Itisso;andhereisafactwhichsciencehasscarcelysuspected." "Science,mylad,hasbeenbuiltuponmanyerrors;buttheyareerrorswhichitwasgoodtofallinto,fortheyledtothetruth." "Whatdepthhavewenowreached?" "Wearethirty–fiveleaguesbelowthesurface." "So,"Isaid,examiningthemap,"theHighlandsofScotlandareoverourheads,andtheGrampiansareraisingtheirruggedsummitsaboveus." "Yes,"answeredtheProfessorlaughing."Itisratheraheavyweighttobear,butasolidarchspansoverourheads. ThegreatArchitecthasbuiltitofthebestmaterials;andnevercouldmanhavegivenitsowideastretch. Whatarethefinestarchesofbridgesandthearcadesofcathedrals,comparedwiththisfarreachingvault,witharadiusofthreeleagues,beneathwhichawideandtempest–tossedoceanmayflowatitsease?" "Oh,Iamnotafraidthatitwillfalldownuponmyhead.Butnowwhatareyourplans?Areyounotthinkingofreturningtothesurfacenow?" "Return!no,indeed!Wewillcontinueourjourney,everythinghavinggoneonwellsofar." "Buthowarewetogetdownbelowthisliquidsurface?" "Oh,Iamnotgoingtodiveheadforemost. Butifalloceansareproperlyspeakingbutlakes,sincetheyareencompassedbyland,ofcoursethisinternalseawillbesurroundedbyacoastofgranite,andontheoppositeshoresweshallfindfreshpassagesopening." "Howlongdoyousupposethisseatobe?" "Thirtyorfortyleagues;sothatwehavenotimetolose,andweshallsetsailto–morrow." "Setsail,shallwe?ButIshouldliketoseemyboatfirst." "Itwillnotbeaboatatall,butagood,well–maderaft." "Why,"Isaid,"araftwouldbejustashardtomakeasaboat,andIdon'tsee–" "Iknowyoudon'tsee;butyoumighthearifyouwouldlisten.Don'tyouhearthehammeratwork?Hansisalreadybusyatit." "What,hashealreadyfelledthetrees?" "Oh,thetreeswerealreadydown.Come,andyouwillseeforyourself." Afterhalfanhour'swalking,ontheothersideofthepromontorywhichformedthelittlenaturalharbour,IperceivedHansatwork.InafewmorestepsIwasathisside. Tomygreatsurpriseahalf–finishedraftwasalreadylyingonthesand,madeofapeculiarkindofwood,andagreatnumberofplanks,straightandbent,andofframes,werecoveringtheground,enoughalmostforalittlefleet. "Uncle,whatwoodisthis?"Icried. "Itisfir,pine,orbirch,andothernorthernconiferae,mineralisedbytheactionofthesea.Itiscalledsurturbrand,avarietyofbrowncoalorlignite,foundchieflyinIceland." "Butsurely,then,likeotherfossilwood,itmustbeashardasstone,andcannotfloat?" "Sometimesthatmayhappen;someofthesewoodsbecometrueanthracites;butothers,suchasthis,haveonlygonethroughthefirststageoffossiltransformation. Justlook,"addedmyuncle,throwingintotheseaoneofthosepreciouswaifs. Thebitofwood,afterdisappearing,returnedtothesurfaceandoscillatedtoandfrowiththewaves. "Areyouconvinced?"saidmyuncle. "Iamquiteconvinced,althoughitisincredible!" Bynextevening,thankstotheindustryandskillofourguide,theraftwasmade. Itwastenfeetbyfive;theplanksofsurturbrand,bracedstronglytogetherwithcords,presentedanevensurface,andwhenlaunchedthisimprovisedvesselfloatedeasilyuponthewavesoftheLiedenbrockSea. 
