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SincethestartuponthismarvellouspilgrimageIhadbeenthroughsomanyastonishmentsthatImightwellbeexcusedforthinkingmyselfwellhardenedagainstanyfurthersurprise.
Yetatthesightofthesetwoletters,engravedonthisspotthreehundredyearsago,Istoodaghastindumbamazement.
Notonlyweretheinitialsofthelearnedalchemistvisibleuponthelivingrock,buttherelaytheironpointwithwhichthelettershadbeenengraved.
Icouldnolongerdoubtoftheexistenceofthatwonderfultravellerandofthefactofhisunparalleledjourney,withoutthemostglaringincredulity.
Whilstthesereflectionswereoccupyingme,ProfessorLiedenbrockhadlaunchedintoasomewhatrhapsodicaleulogium,ofwhichArneSaknussemmwas,ofcourse,thehero.
"Thoumarvellousgenius!"hecried,"thouhastnotforgottenoneindicationwhichmightservetolayopentomortalstheroadthroughtheterrestrialcrust;andthyfellow–creaturesmayevennow,afterthelapseofthreecenturies,againtracethyfootstepsthroughthesedeepanddarksomeways.
Youreservedthecontemplationofthesewondersforothereyesbesidesyourown.
Yourname,gravenfromstagetostage,leadstheboldfollowerofyourfootstepstotheverycentreofourplanet'score,andthereagainweshallfindyourownnamewrittenwithyourownhand.
Itoowillinscribemynameuponthisdarkgranitepage.
Butforeverhenceforthletthiscapethatadvancesintotheseadiscoveredbyyourselfbeknownbyyourownillustriousname–CapeSaknussemm."
Suchweretheglowingwordsofpanegyricwhichfelluponmyattentiveear,andIcouldnotresistthesentimentofenthusiasmwithwhichItoowasinfected.Thefireofzealkindledafreshinme.Iforgoteverything.
Idismissedfrommymindthepastperilsofthejourney,thefuturedangerofourreturn.
ThatwhichanotherhaddoneIsupposedwemightalsodo,andnothingthatwasnotsuperhumanappearedimpossibletome.
"Forward!forward!"Icried.
IwasalreadydartingdownthegloomytunnelwhentheProfessorstoppedme;he,themanofimpulse,counselledpatienceandcoolness.
"LetusfirstreturntoHans,"hesaid,"andbringtherafttothisspot."
Iobeyed,notwithoutdissatisfaction,andpassedoutrapidlyamongtherocksontheshore.
Isaid:"Uncle,doyouknowitseemstomethatcircumstanceshavewonderfullybefriendedushitherto?"
"Youthinkso,Axel?"
"Nodoubt;eventhetempesthasputusontherightway.Blessingsonthatstorm!
Ithasbroughtusbacktothiscoastfromwhichfineweatherwouldhavecarriedusfaraway.
Supposewehadtouchedwithourprow(theprowofarudder!)
thesouthernshoreoftheLiedenbrocksea,whatwouldhavebecomeofus?
WeshouldneverhaveseenthenameofSaknussemm,andweshouldatthismomentbeimprisonedonarockbound,impassablecoast."
"Yes,Axel,itisprovidentialthatwhilstsupposingweweresteeringsouthweshouldhavejustgotbacknorthatCapeSaknussemm.
Imustsaythatthisisastonishing,andthatIfeelIhavenowaytoexplainit."
"Whatdoesthatsignify,uncle?Ourbusinessisnottoexplainfacts,buttousethem!"
"Certainly;but–"
"Well,uncle,wearegoingtoresumethenorthernroute,andtopassunderthenorthcountriesofEurope–underSweden,Russia,Siberia:whoknowswhere?
–insteadofburrowingunderthedesertsofAfrica,orperhapsthewavesoftheAtlantic;andthatisallIwanttoknow."
"Yes,Axel,youareright.Itisallforthebest,sincewehaveleftthatweary,horizontalsea,whichledusnowhere.Nowweshallgodown,down,down!
Doyouknowthatitisnowonly1,500leagues.tothecentreoftheglobe?"
"Isthatall?"Icried."Why,that'snothing.Letusstart:march!"
Allthiscrazytalkwasgoingonstillwhenwemetthehunter.
Everythingwasmadereadyforourinstantdeparture.Everybitofcordagewasputonboard.
Wetookourplaces,andwithoursailset,HanssteeredusalongthecoasttoCapeSaknussemm.
Thewindwasunfavourabletoaspeciesoflaunchnotcalculatedforshallowwater.
Inmanyplaceswewereobligedtopushourselvesalongwithiron–pointedsticks.
Oftenthesunkenrocksjustbeneaththesurfaceobligedustodeviatefromourstraightcourse.
Atlast,afterthreehours'sailing,aboutsixintheeveningwereachedaplacesuitableforourlanding.
Ijumpedashore,followedbymyuncleandtheIcelander.
Thisshortpassagehadnotservedtocoolmyardour.
Onthecontrary,Ievenproposedtoburn'ourship,'topreventthepossibilityofreturn;butmyunclewouldnotconsenttothat.Ithoughthimsingularlylukewarm.
"Atleast,"Isaid,"don'tletusloseaminute."
"Yes,yes,lad,"hereplied;"butfirstletusexaminethisnewgallery,toseeifweshallrequireourladders."
MyuncleputhisRuhmkorff'sapparatusinaction;theraftmooredtotheshorewasleftalone;themouthofthetunnelwasnottwentyyardsfromus;andourparty,withmyselfatthehead,madeforitwithoutamoment'sdelay.
Theaperture,whichwasalmostround,wasaboutfivefeetindiameter;thedarkpassagewascutoutintheliverockandlinedwithacoatoftheeruptivematterwhichformerlyissuedfromit;theinteriorwaslevelwiththegroundoutside,sothatwewereabletoenterwithoutdifficulty.
Wewerefollowingahorizontalplane,when,onlysixpacesin,ourprogresswasinterruptedbyanenormousblockjustacrossourway.
"Accursedrock!"Icriedinapassion,findingmyselfsuddenlyconfrontedbyanimpassableobstacle.
Rightandleftwesearchedinvainforaway,upanddown,sidetoside;therewasnogettinganyfarther.
Ifeltfearfullydisappointed,andIwouldnotadmitthattheobstaclewasfinal.
Istopped,Ilookedunderneaththeblock:noopening.Above:granitestill.
Hanspassedhislampovereveryportionofthebarrierinvain.Wemustgiveupallhopeofpassingit.
Isatdownindespair.Myunclestrodefromsidetosideinthenarrowpassage.
"ButhowwasitwithSaknussemm?"Icried.
"Yes,"saidmyuncle,"washestoppedbythisstonebarrier?"
"No,no,"Irepliedwithanimation."Thisfragmentofrockhasbeenshakendownbysomeshockorconvulsion,orbyoneofthosemagneticstormswhichagitatetheseregions,andhasblockedupthepassagewhichlayopentohim.
ManyyearshaveelapsedsincethereturnofSaknussemmtothesurfaceandthefallofthishugefragment.
Isitnotevidentthatthisgallerywasoncethewayopentothecourseofthelava,andthatatthattimetheremusthavebeenafreepassage?
Seeherearerecentfissuresgroovingandchannellingthegraniteroof.
Thisroofitselfisformedoffragmentsofrockcarrieddown,ofenormousstones,asifbysomegiant'shand;butatonetimetheexpulsiveforcewasgreaterthanusual,andthisblock,likethefallingkeystoneofaruinedarch,hasslippeddowntothegroundandblockeduptheway.
Itisonlyanaccidentalobstruction,notmetbySaknussemm,andifwedon'tdestroyitweshallbeunworthytoreachthecentreoftheearth."
Suchwasmysentence!ThesouloftheProfessorhadpassedintome.
Thegeniusofdiscoverypossessedmewholly.
Iforgotthepast,Iscornedthefuture.
IgavenotathoughttothethingsofthesurfaceofthisglobeintowhichIhaddived;itscitiesanditssunnyplains,HamburgandtheKönigstrasse,evenpoorGräuben,whomusthavegivenusupforlost,allwereforthetimedismissedfromthepagesofmymemory.
"Well,"criedmyuncle,"letusmakeawaywithourpickaxes."
"Toohardforthepickaxe."
"Well,then,thespade."
"Thatwouldtakeustoolong."
"What,then?"
"Whygunpowder,tobesure!Letusminetheobstacleandblowitup."
"Oh,yes,itisonlyabitofrocktoblast!"
"Hans,towork!"criedmyuncle.
TheIcelanderreturnedtotheraftandsooncamebackwithanironbarwhichhemadeuseoftoboreaholeforthecharge.Thiswasnoeasywork.
Aholewastobemadelargeenoughtoholdfiftypoundsofguncotton,whoseexpansiveforceisfourtimesthatofgunpowder.
Iwasterriblyexcited.WhilstHanswasatworkIwasactivelyhelpingmyuncletoprepareaslowmatchofwettedpowderencasedinlinen.
"Thiswilldoit,"Isaid.
"Itwill,"repliedmyuncle.
Bymidnightourminingpreparationswereover;thechargewasrammedintothehole,andtheslowmatchuncoiledalongthegalleryshoweditsendoutsidetheopening.
Asparkwouldnowdevelopthewholeofourpreparationsintoactivity.
"To–morrow,"saidtheProfessor.
Ihadtoberesignedandtowaitsixlonghours.
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