English
Onthe13thofAugustweawokeearly.Wewerenowtobegintoadoptamodeoftravellingbothmoreexpeditiousandlessfatiguingthanhitherto.
Amastwasmadeoftwopolessplicedtogether,ayardwasmadeofathird,ablanketborrowedfromourcoveringsmadeatolerablesail.
Therewasnowantofcordagefortherigging,andeverythingwaswellandfirmlymade.
Theprovisions,thebaggage,theinstruments,theguns,andagoodquantityoffreshwaterfromtherocksaround,allfoundtheirproperplacesonboard;andatsixtheProfessorgavethesignaltoembark.
Hanshadfitteduparuddertosteerhisvessel.
Hetookthetiller,andunmoored;thesailwasset,andweweresoonafloat.
Atthemomentofleavingtheharbour,myuncle,whowastenaciouslyfondofnaminghisnewdiscoveries,wantedtogiveitaname,andproposedmineamongstothers.
"ButIhaveabettertopropose,"Isaid:"Grauben.LetitbecalledPortGräuben;itwilllookverywelluponthemap."
"PortGräubenletitbethen."
AndsothecherishedremembranceofmyVirlandaisebecameassociatedwithouradventurousexpedition.
Thewindwasfromthenorth–west.Wewentwithitatahighrateofspeed.Thedenseatmosphereactedwithgreatforceandimpelledusswiftlyon.
Inanhourmyunclehadbeenabletoestimateourprogress.Atthisrate,hesaid,weshallmakethirtyleaguesintwenty–fourhours,andweshallsooncomeinsightoftheoppositeshore.
Imadenoanswer,butwentandsatforward.
Thenorthernshorewasalreadybeginningtodipunderthehorizon.
Theeasternandwesternstrandsspreadwideasiftobidusfarewell.
Beforeoureyeslayfarandwideavastsea;shadowsofgreatcloudssweptheavilyoveritssilver–greysurface;theglisteningbluishraysofelectriclight,hereandtherereflectedbythedancingdropsofspray,shotoutlittlesheavesoflightfromthetrackweleftinourrear.
Soonweentirelylostsightofland;noobjectwasleftfortheeyetojudgeby,andbutforthefrothytrackoftheraft,Imighthavethoughtwewerestandingstill.
Abouttwelve,immenseshoalsofseaweedscameinsight.
Iwasawareofthegreatpowersofvegetationthatcharacterisetheseplants,whichgrowatadepthoftwelvethousandfeet,reproducethemselvesunderapressureoffourhundredatmospheres,andsometimesformbarriersstrongenoughtoimpedethecourseofaship.
Butnever,Ithink,weresuchseaweedsasthosewhichwesawfloatinginimmensewavinglinesupontheseaofLiedenbrock.
Ourraftskirtedthewholelengthofthefuci,threeorfourthousandfeetlong,undulatinglikevastserpentsbeyondthereachofsight;Ifoundsomeamusementintracingtheseendlesswaves,alwaysthinkingIshouldcometotheendofthem,andforhoursmypatiencewasvyingwithmysurprise.
Whatnaturalforcecouldhaveproducedsuchplants,andwhatmusthavebeentheappearanceoftheearthinthefirstagesofitsformation,when,undertheactionofheatandmoisture,thevegetablekingdomalonewasdevelopingonitssurface?
Eveningcame,and,asonthepreviousday,Iperceivednochangeintheluminousconditionoftheair.Itwasaconstantcondition,thepermanencyofwhichmightbereliedupon.
AftersupperIlaidmyselfdownatthefootofthemast,andfellasleepinthemidstoffantasticreveries.
Hans,keepingfastbythehelm,lettheraftrunon,which,afterall,needednosteering,thewindblowingdirectlyaft.
SinceourdeparturefromPortGräuben,ProfessorLiedenbrockhadentrustedthelogtomycare;Iwastoregistereveryobservation,makeentriesofinterestingphenomena,thedirectionofthewind,therateofsailing,thewaywemade–inaword,everyparticularofoursingularvoyage.
Ishallthereforereproduceherethesedailynotes,written,sotospeak,asthecourseofeventsdirected,inordertofurnishanexactnarrativeofourpassage.
Friday,August14.–Windsteady,N.W.
Theraftmakesrapidwayinadirectline.Coastthirtyleaguestoleeward.Nothinginsightbeforeus.Intensityoflightthesame.
Weatherfine;thatistosay,thatthecloudsareflyinghigh,arelight,andbathedinawhiteatmosphereresemblingsilverinastateoffusion.Therm.89°Fahr.
AtnoonHanspreparedahookattheendofaline.
Hebaiteditwithasmallpieceofmeatandflungitintothesea.Fortwohoursnothingwascaught.
Arethesewaters,then,bareofinhabitants?No,there'sapullattheline.
Hansdrawsitinandbringsoutastrugglingfish.
"Asturgeon,"Icried;"asmallsturgeon."
TheProfessoreyesthecreatureattentively,andhisopiniondiffersfrommine.
Theheadofthisfishwasflat,butroundedinfront,andtheanteriorpartofitsbodywasplatedwithbony,angularscales;ithadnoteeth,itspectoralfinswerelarge,andoftailtherewasnone.
Theanimalbelongedtothesameorderasthesturgeon,butdifferedfromthatfishinmanyessentialparticulars.
Afterashortexaminationmyunclepronouncedhisopinion.
"Thisfishbelongstoanextinctfamily,ofwhichonlyfossiltracesarefoundinthedevonianformations."
"What!"Icried."Havewetakenaliveaninhabitantoftheseasofprimitiveages?"
"Yes;andyouwillobservethatthesefossilfisheshavenoidentitywithanylivingspecies.Tohaveinone'spossessionalivingspecimenisahappyeventforanaturalist."
"Buttowhatfamilydoesitbelong?"
"Itisoftheorderofganoids,ofthefamilyofthecephalaspidae;andaspeciesofpterichthys.
Butthisonedisplaysapeculiarityconfinedtoallfishesthatinhabitsubterraneanwaters.
Itisblind,andnotonlyblind,butactuallyhasnoeyesatall."
Ilooked:nothingcouldbemorecertain.
Butsupposingitmightbeasolitarycase,webaitedafresh,andthrewoutourline.
Surelythisoceaniswellpeopledwithfish,forinanothercoupleofhourswetookalargequantityofpterichthydes,aswellasofothersbelongingtotheextinctfamilyofthedipterides,butofwhichmyunclecouldnottellthespecies;nonehadorgansofsight.
Thisunhoped–forcatchrecruitedourstockofprovisions.
Thusitisevidentthatthisseacontainsnonebutspeciesknowntousintheirfossilstate,inwhichfishesaswellasreptilesarethelessperfectlyandcompletelyorganisedthefartherbacktheirdateofcreation.
Perhapswemayyetmeetwithsomeofthosesaurianswhichsciencehasreconstructedoutofabitofboneorcartilage.
Itookupthetelescopeandscannedthewholehorizon,andfounditeverywhereadesertsea.
Wearefarawayremovedfromtheshores.
Igazeupwardintheair.WhyshouldnotsomeofthestrangebirdsrestoredbytheimmortalCuvieragainflaptheir'sail–broadvans'inthisdenseandheavyatmosphere?
Therearesufficientfishfortheirsupport.
Isurveythewholespacethatstretchesoverhead;itisasdesertastheshorewas.
Stillmyimaginationcarriedmeawayamongstthewonderfulspeculationsofpalaeontology.ThoughawakeIfellintoadream.
IthoughtIcouldseefloatingonthesurfaceofthewatersenormouschelonia,preadamitetortoises,resemblingfloatingislands.
Overthedimlylightedstrandtheretrodthehugemammalsofthefirstagesoftheworld,theleptotherium(slenderbeast),foundinthecavernsofBrazil;themerycotherium(ruminatingbeast),foundinthe'drift'oficecladSiberia.
Fartheron,thepachydermatouslophiodon(crestedtoothed),agigantictapir,hidesbehindtherockstodisputeitspreywiththeanoplotherium(unarmedbeast),astrangecreature,whichseemedacompoundofhorse,rhinoceros,camel,andhippopotamus.
Thecolossalmastodon(nipple–toothed)twistsanduntwistshistrunk,andbraysandpoundswithhishugetusksthefragmentsofrockthatcovertheshore;whilstthemegatherium(hugebeast),buttresseduponhisenormoushinderpaws,grubsinthesoil,awakingthesonorousechoesofthegraniterockswithhistremendousroarings.
Higherup,theprotopitheca–thefirstmonkeythatappearedontheglobe–isclimbingupthesteepascents.
Higheryet,thepterodactyle(wing–fingered)dartsinirregularzigzagstoandfrointheheavyair.
Intheuppermostregionsoftheairimmensebirds,morepowerfulthanthecassowary,andlargerthantheostrich,spreadtheirvastbreadthofwingsandstrikewiththeirheadsthegranitevaultthatboundsthesky.
Allthisfossilworldrisestolifeagaininmyvividimagination.
Ireturntothescripturalperiodsoragesoftheworld,conventionallycalled'days,'longbeforetheappearanceofman,whentheunfinishedworldwasasyetunfittedforhissupport.
Thenmydreambackedevenfartherstillintotheagesbeforethecreationoflivingbeings.
Themammalsdisappear,thenthebirdsvanish,thenthereptilesofthesecondaryperiod,andfinallythefish,thecrustaceans,molluscs,andarticulatedbeings.
Thenthezoophytesofthetransitionperiodalsoreturntonothing.
Iamtheonlylivingthingintheworld:alllifeisconcentratedinmybeatingheartalone.
Therearenomoreseasons;climatesarenomore;theheatoftheglobecontinuallyincreasesandneutralisesthatofthesun.Vegetationbecomesaccelerated.
Iglidelikeashadeamongstarborescentferns,treadingwithunsteadyfeetthecolouredmarlsandtheparticolouredclays;Ileanforsupportagainstthetrunksofimmenseconifers;Ilieintheshadeofsphenophylla(wedge–leaved),asterophylla(star–leaved),andlycopods,ahundredfeethigh.
Agesseemnomorethandays!Iampassed,againstmywill,inretrogradeorder,throughthelongseriesofterrestrialchanges.
Plantsdisappear;graniterockssoften;intenseheatconvertssolidbodiesintothickfluids;thewatersagaincoverthefaceoftheearth;theyboil,theyriseinwhirlingeddiesofsteam;whiteandghastlymistswraproundtheshiftingformsoftheearth,whichbyimperceptibledegreesdissolvesintoagaseousmass,glowingfieryredandwhite,aslargeandasshiningasthesun.
AndImyselfamfloatingwithwildcapriceinthemidstofthisnebulousmassoffourteenhundredthousandtimesthevolumeoftheearthintowhichitwillonedaybecondensed,andcarriedforwardamongsttheplanetarybodies.
Mybodyisnolongerfirmandterrestrial;itisresolvedintoitsconstituentatoms,subtilised,volatilised.
Sublimedintoimponderablevapour,Imingleandamlostintheendlessfoodsofthosevastglobularvolumesofvaporousmists,whichrollupontheirflamingorbitsthroughinfinitespace.
Butisitnotadream?Whitherisitcarryingme?
Myfeverishhandhasvainlyattemptedtodescribeuponpaperitsstrangeandwonderfuldetails.
Ihaveforgotteneverythingthatsurroundsme.
TheProfessor,theguide,theraft–areallgoneoutofmyken.Anillusionhaslaidholduponme.
"Whatisthematter?"myunclebreaksin.
Mystaringeyesarefixedvacantlyuponhim.
"Takecare,Axel,oryouwillfalloverboard."
AtthatmomentIfeltthesinewyhandofHansseizingmevigorously.Butforhim,carriedawaybymydream,Ishouldhavethrownmyselfintothesea.
"Ishemad?"criedtheProfessor.
"Whatisitallabout?"atlastIcried,returningtomyself.
"Doyoufeelill?"myuncleasked.
"No;butIhavehadastrangehallucination;itisovernow.Isallgoingonright?"
"Yes,itisafairwindandafinesea;wearesailingrapidlyalong,andifIamnotoutinmyreckoning,weshallsoonland."
AtthesewordsIroseandgazedrounduponthehorizon,stilleverywhereboundedbycloudsalone.
Share this article to
FINISH