English
HereIendwhatImaycallmylog,happilysavedfromthewreck,andIresumemynarrativeasbefore.
WhathappenedwhentheraftwasdashedupontherocksismorethanIcantell.
Ifeltmyselfhurledintothewaves;andifIescapedfromdeath,andifmybodywasnottornoverthesharpedgesoftherocks,itwasbecausethepowerfularmofHanscametomyrescue.
ThebraveIcelandercarriedmeoutofthereachofthewaves,overaburningsandwhereIfoundmyselfbythesideofmyuncle.
Thenhereturnedtotherocks,againstwhichthefuriouswaveswerebeating,tosavewhathecould.Iwasunabletospeak.
Iwasshatteredwithfatigueandexcitement;Iwantedawholehourtorecoverevenalittle.
Butadelugeofrainwasstillfalling,thoughwiththatviolencewhichgenerallydenotesthenearcessationofastorm.
Afewoverhangingrocksaffordedussomeshelterfromthestorm.
Hanspreparedsomefood,whichIcouldnottouch;andeachofus,exhaustedwiththreesleeplessnights,fellintoabrokenandpainfulsleep.
Thenextdaytheweatherwassplendid.Theskyandtheseahadsunkintosuddenrepose.
Everytraceoftheawfulstormhaddisappeared.
TheexhilaratingvoiceoftheProfessorfelluponmyearsasIawoke;hewasominouslycheerful.
"Well,myboy,"hecried,"haveyousleptwell?"
WouldnotanyonehavethoughtthatwewerestillinourcheerfullittlehouseontheKönigstrasseandthatIwasonlyjustcomingdowntobreakfast,andthatIwastobemarriedtoGräubenthatday?
Alas!ifthetempesthadbutsenttheraftalittlemoreeast,weshouldhavepassedunderGermany,undermybelovedtownofHamburg,undertheverystreetwheredweltallthatIlovedmostintheworld.
Thenonlyfortyleagueswouldhaveseparatedus!
Buttheywerefortyleaguesperpendicularofsolidgranitewall,andinrealitywewereathousandleaguesasunder!
AllthesepainfulreflectionsrapidlycrossedmymindbeforeIcouldanswermyuncle'squestion.
"Well,now,"herepeated,"won'tyoutellmehowyouhaveslept?"
"Oh,verywell,"Isaid."Iamonlyalittleknockedup,butIshallsoonbebetter."
"Oh,"saysmyuncle,"that'snothingtosignify.Youareonlyalittlebittired."
"Butyou,uncle,youseeminverygoodspiritsthismorning."
"Delighted,myboy,delighted.Wehavegotthere."
"Toourjourney'send?"
"No;butwehavegottotheendofthatendlesssea.Nowweshallgobyland,andreallybegintogodown!down!down!"
"But,mydearuncle,doletmeaskyouonequestion."
"Ofcourse,Axel."
"Howaboutreturning?"
"Returning?Why,youaretalkingaboutthereturnbeforethearrival."
"No,Ionlywanttoknowhowthatistobemanaged."
"Inthesimplestwaypossible.Whenwehavereachedthecentreoftheglobe,eitherweshallfindsomenewwaytogetback,orweshallcomebacklikedecentfolksthewaywecame.
Ifeelpleasedatthethoughtthatitissurenottobeshutagainstus."
"Butthenweshallhavetorefittheraft."
"Ofcourse."
"Then,astoprovisions,haveweenoughtolast?"
"Yes;tobesurewehave.Hansisacleverfellow,andIamsurehemusthavesavedalargepartofourcargo.Butstillletusgoandmakesure."
Weleftthisgrottowhichlayopentoeverywind.
AtthesametimeIcherishedatremblinghopewhichwasafearaswell.
Itseemedtomeimpossiblethattheterriblewreckoftheraftshouldnothavedestroyedeverythingonboard.
OnmyarrivalontheshoreIfoundHanssurroundedbyanassemblageofarticlesallarrangedingoodorder.
Myuncleshookhandswithhimwithalivelygratitude.
Thisman,withalmostsuperhumandevotion,hadbeenatworkallthewhilethatwewereasleep,andhadsavedthemostpreciousofthearticlesattheriskofhislife.
Notthatwehadsufferednolosses.Forinstance,ourfirearms;butwemightdowithoutthem.Ourstockofpowderhadremaineduninjuredafterhavingriskedblowingupduringthestorm.
"Well,"criedtheProfessor,"aswehavenogunswecannothunt,that'sall."
"Yes,buthowabouttheinstruments?"
"Hereistheaneroid,themostusefulofall,andforwhichIwouldhavegivenalltheothers.
BymeansofitIcancalculatethedepthandknowwhenwehavereachedthecentre;withoutitwemightverylikelygobeyond,andcomeoutattheantipodes!"
Suchhighspiritsasthesewererathertoostrong.
"Butwhereisthecompass?Iasked.
"Hereitis,uponthisrock,inperfectcondition,aswellasthethermometersandthechronometer.Thehunterisasplendidfellow."
Therewasnodenyingit.Wehadallourinstruments.Asfortoolsandappliances,theretheyalllayontheground–ladders,ropes,picks,spades,etc.
Stilltherewasthequestionofprovisionstobesettled,andIasked–"Howareweoffforprovisions?"
Theboxescontainingthesewereinalineupontheshore,inaperfectstateofpreservation;forthemostparttheseahadsparedthem,andwhatwithbiscuits,saltmeat,spirits,andsaltfish,wemightreckononfourmonths'supply.
"Fourmonths!"criedtheProfessor."Wehavetimetogoandtoreturn;andwithwhatisleftIwillgiveagranddinnertomyfriendsattheJohannaeum."
Ioughtbythistimetohavebeenquiteaccustomedtomyuncle'sways;yettherewasalwayssomethingfreshabouthimtoastonishme.
"Now,"saidhe,"wewillreplenishoursupplyofwaterwiththerainwhichthestormhasleftinallthesegranitebasins;thereforeweshallhavenoreasontofearanythingfromthirst.
Asfortheraft,IwillrecommendHanstodohisbesttorepairit,althoughIdon'texpectitwillbeofanyfurtherusetous."
"Howso?"Icried.
"Anideaofmyown,mylad.Idon'tthinkweshallcomeoutbythewaythatwewentin."
IstaredattheProfessorwithagooddealofmistrust.Iasked,washenottouchedinthebrain?Andyettherewasmethodinhismadness.
"Andnowletusgotobreakfast,"saidhe.
Ifollowedhimtoaheadland,afterhehadgivenhisinstructionstothehunter.
Therepreservedmeat,biscuit,andteamadeusanexcellentmeal,oneofthebestIeverremember.
Hunger,thefreshair,thecalmquietweather,afterthecommotionswehadgonethrough,allcontributedtogivemeagoodappetite.
WhilstbreakfastingItooktheopportunitytoputtomyunclethequestionwherewewerenow.
"Thatseemstome,"Isaid,"ratherdifficulttomakeout."
"Yes,itisdifficult,"hesaid,"tocalculateexactly;perhapsevenimpossible,sinceduringthesethreestormydaysIhavebeenunabletokeepanyaccountoftherateordirectionoftheraft;butstillwemaygetanapproximation."
"Thelastobservation,"Iremarked,"wasmadeontheisland,whenthegeyserwas–"
"YoumeanAxelIsland.Don'tdeclinethehonourofhavinggivenyournametothefirstislandeverdiscoveredinthecentralpartsoftheglobe."
"Well,"saidI,"letitbeAxelIsland.Thenwehadclearedtwohundredandseventyleaguesofsea,andweweresixhundredleaguesfromIceland."
"Verywell,"answeredmyuncle;"letusstartfromthatpointandcountfourdays'storm,duringwhichourratecannothavebeenlessthaneightyleaguesinthetwenty–fourhours."
"Thatisright;andthiswouldmakethreehundredleaguesmore."
"Yes,andtheLiedenbrockseawouldbesixhundredleaguesfromshoretoshore.Surely,Axel,itmayvieinsizewiththeMediterraneanitself."
"Especially,"Ireplied,"ifithappensthatwehaveonlycrosseditinitsnarrowestpart.
Anditisacuriouscircumstance,"Iadded,"thatifmycomputationsareright,andweareninehundredleaguesfromRejkiavik,wehavenowtheMediterraneanaboveourhead."
"Thatisagoodlongway,myfriend.ButwhetherweareunderTurkeyortheAtlanticdependsverymuchuponthequestioninwhatdirectionwehavebeenmoving.Perhapswehavedeviated."
"No,Ithinknot.Ourcoursehasbeenthesameallalong,andIbelievethisshoreissouth–eastofPortGrauben."
"Well,"repliedmyuncle,"wemayeasilyascertainthisbyconsultingthecompass.Letusgoandseewhatitsays."
TheProfessormovedtowardstherockuponwhichHanshadlaiddowntheinstruments.
Hewasgayandfullofspirits;herubbedhishands,hestudiedhisattitudes.
Ifollowedhim,curioustoknowifIwasrightinmyestimate.
Assoonaswehadarrivedattherockmyuncletookthecompass,laidithorizontally,andquestionedtheneedle,which,afterafewoscillations,presentlyassumedafixedposition.
Myunclelooked,andlooked,andlookedagain.
Herubbedhiseyes,andthenturnedtomethunderstruckwithsomeunexpecteddiscovery.
"Whatisthematter?"Iasked.
Hemotionedtometolook.Anexclamationofastonishmentburstfromme.
Thenorthpoleoftheneedlewasturnedtowhatwesupposedtobethesouth.
Itpointedtotheshoreinsteadoftotheopensea!
Ishookthebox,examineditagain,itwasinperfectcondition.
InwhateverpositionIplacedtheboxtheneedlepertinaciouslyreturnedtothisunexpectedquarter.
Thereforethereseemednoreasontodoubtthatduringthestormtherehadbeenasuddenchangeofwindunperceivedbyus,whichhadbroughtourraftbacktotheshorewhichwethoughtwehadleftsolongadistancebehindus.
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