Wednesday,August19.–Fortunatelythewindblowsviolently,andhasenabledustofleefromthesceneofthelateterriblestruggle.Hanskeepsathispostatthehelm. Myuncle,whomtheabsorbingincidentsofthecombathaddrawnawayfromhiscontemplations,beganagaintolookimpatientlyaroundhim. Thevoyageresumesitsuniformtenor,whichIdon'tcaretobreakwitharepetitionofsucheventsasyesterday's. Thursday,Aug.20.–WindN.N.E.,unsteadyandfitful.Temperaturehigh.Ratethreeandahalfleaguesanhour. Aboutnoonadistantnoiseisheard.Inotethefactwithoutbeingabletoexplainit.Itisacontinuousroar. "Inthedistance,"saystheProfessor,"thereisarockorislet,againstwhichtheseaisbreaking." Hansclimbsupthemast,butseesnobreakers.Theocean'issmoothandunbrokentoitsfarthestlimit. Threehourspassaway.Theroaringsseemtoproceedfromaverydistantwaterfall. Iremarkuponthistomyuncle,whorepliesdoubtfully:"Yes,IamconvincedthatIamright." Arewe,then,speedingforwardtosomecataractwhichwillcastusdownanabyss? ThismethodofgettingonmaypleasetheProfessor,becauseitisvertical;butformypartIpreferthemoreordinarymodesofhorizontalprogression. Atanyrate,someleaguestothewindwardtheremustbesomenoisyphenomenon,fornowtheroaringsareheardwithincreasingloudness.Dotheyproceedfromtheskyortheocean? Ilookuptotheatmosphericvapours,andtrytofathomtheirdepths.Theskyiscalmandmotionless. Thecloudshavereachedtheutmostlimitoftheloftyvault,andthereliestillbathedinthebrightglareoftheelectriclight. Itisnottherethatwemustseekforthecauseofthisphenomenon. ThenIexaminethehorizon,whichisunbrokenandclearofallmist.Thereisnochangeinitsaspect. Butifthisnoisearisesfromafall,acataract,ifallthisoceanflowsawayheadlongintoalowerbasinyet,ifthatdeafeningroarisproducedbyamassoffallingwater,thecurrentmustneedsaccelerate,anditsincreasingspeedwillgivemethemeasureoftheperilthatthreatensus.Iconsultthecurrent:thereisnone. Ithrowanemptybottleintothesea:itliesstill. AboutfourHansrises,laysholdofthemast,climbstoitstop. Thencehiseyesweepsalargeareaofsea,anditisfixeduponapoint. Hiscountenanceexhibitsnosurprise,buthiseyeisimmovablysteady. "Heseessomething,"saysmyuncle. Hanscomesdown,thenstretcheshisarmtothesouth,saying: "Downthere?"repeatedmyuncle. Then,seizinghisglass,hegazesattentivelyforaminute,whichseemstomeanage. "Yes,yes!"hecried."Iseeavastinvertedconerisingfromthesurface." "Thenletussteerfartherwestward,forweknowsomethingofthedangerofcomingacrossmonstersofthatsort." "Letusgostraighton,"repliedmyuncle. IappealedtoHans.Hemaintainedhiscourseinflexibly. Yet,ifatourpresentdistancefromtheanimal,adistanceoftwelveleaguesattheleast,thecolumnofwaterdriventhroughitsblowersmaybedistinctlyseen,itmustneedsbeofvastsize. Thecommonestprudencewouldcounselimmediateflight;butwedidnotcomesofartobeprudent. Imprudently,therefore,wepursueourway. Thenearerweapproach,thehighermountsthejetofwater. Whatmonstercanpossiblyfillitselfwithsuchaquantityofwater,andspurtitupsocontinuously? Ateightintheeveningwearenottwoleaguesdistantfromit. Itsbody–dusky,enormous,hillocky–liesspreaduponthesealikeanislet.Isitillusionorfear? Itslengthseemstomeacoupleofthousandyards. Whatcanbethiscetacean,whichneitherCuviernorBlumenbachknewanythingabout? Itliesmotionless,asifasleep;theseaseemsunabletomoveitintheleast;itisthewavesthatundulateuponitssides. Thecolumnofwaterthrownuptoaheightoffivehundredfeetfallsinrainwithadeafeninguproar. Andherearewescuddinglikelunaticsbeforethewind,togetneartoamonsterthatahundredwhalesadaywouldnotsatisfy! Terrorseizesuponme.Irefusetogofurther.Iwillcutthehalliardsifnecessary!IaminopenmutinyagainsttheProfessor,whovouchsafesnoanswer. SuddenlyHansrises,andpointingwithhisfingeratthemenacingobject,hesays: "That'snotanisland!"Icriedsceptically. "It'snothingelse,"shoutedtheProfessor,withaloudlaugh. "Nodoubtitisageyser,likethoseinIceland." AtfirstIprotestagainstbeingsowidelymistakenastohavetakenanislandforamarinemonster. Buttheevidenceisagainstme,andIhavetoconfessmyerror. Itisnothingworsethananaturalphenomenon. Asweapproachnearerthedimensionsoftheliquidcolumnbecomemagnificent. Theisletresembles,withamostdeceivinglikeness,anenormouscetacean,whoseheaddominatesthewavesataheightoftwentyyards. Thegeyser,awordmeaning'fury,'risesmajesticallyfromitsextremity. Deepandheavyexplosionsareheardfromtimetotime,whentheenormousjet,possessedwithmorefuriousviolence,shakesitsplumycrest,andspringswithaboundtillitreachestheloweststratumoftheclouds.Itstandsalone. Nosteamvents,nohotspringssurroundit,andallthevolcanicpoweroftheregionisconcentratedhere. Sparksofelectricfireminglewiththedazzlingsheafoflightedfluid,everydropofwhichrefractstheprismaticcolours. "Letusland,"saidtheProfessor. "Butwemustcarefullyavoidthiswaterspout,whichwouldsinkourraftinamoment." Hans,steeringwithhisusualskill,broughtustotheotherextremityoftheislet. Ileapedupontherock;myunclelightlyfollowed,whileourhunterremainedathispost,likeamantoowiseevertobeastonished. Wewalkedupongranitemingledwithsiliceoustufa. Thesoilshiversandshakesunderourfeet,likethesidesofanoverheatedboilerfilledwithsteamstrugglingtogetloose. Wecomeinsightofasmallcentralbasin,outofwhichthegeysersprings. Iplungearegisterthermometerintotheboilingwater. Itmarksanintenseheatof325°,whichisfarabovetheboilingpoint;thereforethiswaterissuesfromanardentfurnace,whichisnotatallinharmonywithProfessorLiedenbrock'stheories.Icannothelpmakingtheremark. "Well,"hereplied,"howdoesthatmakeagainstmydoctrine?" "Oh,nothingatall,"Isaid,seeingthatIwasgoinginoppositiontoimmovableobstinacy. StillIamconstrainedtoconfessthathithertowehavebeenwonderfullyfavoured,andthatforsomereasonunknowntomyselfwehaveaccomplishedourjourneyundersingularlyfavourableconditionsoftemperature. Butitseemsmanifesttomethatsomedayweshallreacharegionwherethecentralheatattainsitshighestlimits,andgoesbeyondapointthatcanberegisteredbyourthermometers. "Thatiswhatweshallsee."SosaystheProfessor,who,havingnamedthisvolcanicisletafterhisnephew,givesthesignaltoembarkagain. ForsomeminutesIamstillcontemplatingthegeyser. Inoticethatitthrowsupitscolumnofwaterwithvariableforce:sometimessendingittoagreatheight,thenagaintoalower,whichIattributetothevariablepressureofthesteamaccumulatedinitsreservoir. Atlastweleavetheisland,roundingawaypastthelowrocksonitssouthernshore.Hanshastakenadvantageofthehalttorefithisrudder. ButbeforegoinganyfartherImakeafewobservations,tocalculatethedistancewehavegoneover,andnotetheminmyjournal. WehavecrossedtwohundredandseventyleaguesofseasinceleavingPortGräuben;andwearesixhundredandtwentyleaguesfromIceland,underEngland.[1] [1]ThisdistancecarriesthetravellersasfarasunderthePyreneesiftheleaguemeasuresthreemiles.(Trans.) 
