English
HowshallIdescribethestrangeseriesofpassionswhichinsuccessionshookthebreastofProfessorLiedenbrock?
Firststupefaction,thenincredulity,lastlyadownrightburstofrage.
NeverhadIseenthemansoputoutofcountenanceandsodisturbed.
Thefatiguesofourpassageacross,thedangersmet,hadalltobebegunoveragain.
Wehadgonebackwardsinsteadofforwards!
Butmyunclerapidlyrecoveredhimself.
"Aha!willfateplaytricksuponme?Willtheelementslayplotsagainstme?
Shallfire,air,andwatermakeacombinedattackagainstme?
Well,theyshallknowwhatadeterminedmancando.Iwillnotyield.
Iwillnotstirasinglefootbackwards,anditwillbeseenwhethermanornatureistohavetheupperhand!"
Erectupontherock,angryandthreatening,OttoLiedenbrockwasarathergrotesquefierceparodyuponthefierceAchillesdefyingthelightning.
ButIthoughtitmydutytointerposeandattempttolaysomerestraintuponthisunmeasuredfanaticism.
"Justlistentome,"Isaidfirmly."Ambitionmusthavealimitsomewhere;wecannotperformimpossibilities;wearenotatallfitforanotherseavoyage;whowoulddreamofundertakingavoyageoffivehundredleaguesuponaheapofrottenplanks,withablanketinragsforasail,astickforamast,andfiercewindsinourteeth?
Wecannotsteer;weshallbebuffetedbythetempests,andweshouldbefoolsandmadmentoattempttocrossasecondtime."
Iwasabletodevelopthisseriesofunanswerablereasonsfortenminuteswithoutinterruption;notthattheProfessorwaspayinganyrespectfulattentiontohisnephew'sarguments,butbecausehewasdeaftoallmyeloquence.
"Totheraft!"heshouted.
Suchwashisonlyreply.Itwasnouseformetoentreat,supplicate,getangry,ordoanythingelseinthewayofopposition;itwouldonlyhavebeenopposingawillharderthanthegraniterock.
Hanswasfinishingtherepairsoftheraft.
Onewouldhavethoughtthatthisstrangebeingwasguessingatmyuncle'sintentions.
Withafewmorepiecesofsurturbrandhehadrefittedourvessel.
Asailalreadyhungfromthenewmast,andthewindwasplayinginitswavingfolds.
TheProfessorsaidafewwordstotheguide,andimmediatelyheputeverythingonboardandarrangedeverynecessaryforourdeparture.Theairwasclear–andthenorth–westwindblewsteadily.
WhatcouldIdo?CouldIstandagainstthetwo?Itwasimpossible?IfHanshadbuttakenmyside!Butno,itwasnottobe.
TheIcelanderseemedtohaverenouncedallwillofhisownandmadeavowtoforgetanddenyhimself.
Icouldgetnothingoutofaservantsofeudalised,asitwere,tohismaster.Myonlycoursewastoproceed.
IwasthereforegoingwithasmuchresignationasIcouldfindtoresumemyaccustomedplaceontheraft,whenmyunclelaidhishanduponmyshoulder.
"Weshallnotsailuntilto–morrow,"hesaid.
Imadeamovementintendedtoexpressresignation.
"Imustneglectnothing,"hesaid;"andsincemyfatehasdrivenmeonthispartofthecoast,IwillnotleaveituntilIhaveexaminedit."
Tounderstandwhatfollowed,itmustbeborneinmindthat,throughcircumstanceshereaftertobeexplained,wewerenotreallywheretheProfessorsupposedwewere.
Infactwewerenotuponthenorthshoreofthesea.
"Nowletusstartuponfreshdiscoveries,"Isaid.
AndleavingHanstohisworkwestartedofftogether.
Thespacebetweenthewaterandthefootofthecliffswasconsiderable.
Ittookhalfanhourtobringustothewallofrock.
Wetrampledunderourfeetnumberlessshellsofalltheformsandsizeswhichexistedintheearliestagesoftheworld.
Ialsosawimmensecarapacesmorethanfifteenfeetindiameter.
Theyhadbeenthecoveringsofthosegiganticglyptodonsorarmadilloesofthepleioceneperiod,ofwhichthemoderntortoiseisbutaminiaturerepresentative.
[1]Thesoilwasbesidesthisscatteredwithstonyfragments,bouldersroundedbywateraction,andridgedupinsuccessivelines.
Iwasthereforeledtotheconclusionthatatonetimetheseamusthavecoveredthegroundonwhichweweretreading.
Onthelooseandscatteredrocks,nowoutofthereachofthehighesttides,thewaveshadleftmanifesttracesoftheirpowertoweartheirwayinthehardeststone.
Thismightuptoacertainpointexplaintheexistenceofanoceanfortyleaguesbeneaththesurfaceoftheglobe.
Butinmyopinionthisliquidmasswouldbelostbydegreesfartherandfartherwithintheinterioroftheearth,anditcertainlyhaditsorigininthewatersoftheoceanoverhead,whichhadmadetheirwayhitherthroughsomefissure.
Yetitmustbebelievedthatthatfissureisnowclosed,andthatallthiscavernorimmensereservoirwasfilledinaveryshorttime.
Perhapseventhiswater,subjectedtothefierceactionofcentralheat,hadpartlybeenresolvedintovapour.
Thiswouldexplaintheexistenceofthosecloudssuspendedoverourheadsandthedevelopmentofthatelectricitywhichraisedsuchtempestswithinthebowelsoftheearth.
Thistheoryofthephenomenawehadwitnessedseemedsatisfactorytome;forhowevergreatandstupendousthephenomenaofnature,fixedphysicallawswillormayalwaysexplainthem.
Wewerethereforewalkinguponsedimentarysoil,thedepositsofthewatersofformerages.
TheProfessorwascarefullyexaminingeverylittlefissureintherocks.
Whereverhesawaholehealwayswantedtoknowthedepthofit.Tohimthiswasimportant.
WehadtraversedtheshoresoftheLiedenbrockseaforamilewhenweobservedasuddenchangeintheappearanceofthesoil.
Itseemedupset,contorted,andconvulsedbyaviolentupheavalofthelowerstrata.
Inmanyplacesdepressionsorelevationsgavewitnesstosometremendouspowereffectingthedislocationofstrata.
[1]Theglyptodonandarmadilloaremammalian;thetortoiseisachelonian,areptile,distinctclassesoftheanimalkingdom;thereforethelattercannotbearepresentativeoftheformer.(Trans.)
Wemovedwithdifficultyacrossthesegranitefissuresandchasmsmingledwithsilex,crystalsofquartz,andalluvialdeposits,whenafield,nay,morethanafield,avastplain,ofbleachedboneslayspreadbeforeus.
Itseemedlikeanimmensecemetery,wheretheremainsoftwentyagesmingledtheirdusttogether.
Hugemoundsofbonyfragmentsrosestageafterstageinthedistance.
Theyundulatedawaytothelimitsofthehorizon,andmeltedinthedistanceinafainthaze.
Therewithinthreesquaremileswereaccumulatedthematerialsforacompletehistoryoftheanimallifeofages,ahistoryscarcelyoutlinedinthetoorecentstrataoftheinhabitedworld.
Butanimpatientcuriosityimpelledoursteps;cracklingandrattling,ourfeetweretramplingontheremainsofprehistoricanimalsandinterestingfossils,thepossessionofwhichisamatterofrivalryandcontentionbetweenthemuseumsofgreatcities.
AthousandCuvierscouldneverhavereconstructedtheorganicremainsdepositedinthismagnificentandunparalleledcollection.
Istoodamazed.Myunclehadupliftedhislongarmstothevaultwhichwasoursky;hismouthgapingwide,hiseyesflashingbehindhisshiningspectacles,hisheadbalancingwithanup–and–downmotion,hiswholeattitudedenotedunlimitedastonishment.
Herehestoodfacinganimmensecollectionofscatteredleptotheria,mericotheria,lophiodia,anoplotheria,megatheria,mastodons,protopithecae,pterodactyles,andallsortsofextinctmonstershereassembledtogetherforhisspecialsatisfaction.
FancyanenthusiasticbibliomaniacsuddenlybroughtintothemidstofthefamousAlexandrianlibraryburntbyOmarandrestoredbyamiraclefromitsashes!
justsuchacrazedenthusiastwasmyuncle,ProfessorLiedenbrock.
Butmorewastocome,when,witharushthroughcloudsofbonedust,helaidhishanduponabareskull,andcriedwithavoicetremblingwithexcitement:
"Axel!Axel!ahumanhead!"
"Ahumanskull?"Icried,nolessastonished.
"Yes,nephew.Aha!M.Milne–Edwards!Ah!M.deQuatrefages,howIwishyouwerestandinghereatthesideofOttoLiedenbrock!"
Share this article to
FINISH