Thenextday,Thursday,August27,isawell–remembereddateinoursubterraneanjourney. Itneverreturnstomymemorywithoutsendingthroughmeashudderofhorrorandapalpitationoftheheart. Fromthathourwehadnofurtheroccasionfortheexerciseofreason,orjudgment,orskill,orcontrivance. Wewerehenceforthtobehurledalong,theplaythingsofthefierceelementsofthedeep. Atsixwewereafoot.Themomentdrewneartoclearawaybyblastingthroughtheopposingmassofgranite. Ibeggedforthehonouroflightingthefuse. Thisdutydone,Iwastojoinmycompanionsontheraft,whichhadnotyetbeenunloaded;weshouldthenpushoffasfaraswecouldandavoidthedangersarisingfromtheexplosion,theeffectsofwhichwerenotlikelytobeconfinedtotherockitself. Thefusewascalculatedtoburntenminutesbeforesettingfiretothemine.Ithereforehadsufficienttimetogetawaytotheraft. Ipreparedtofulfilmytaskwithsomeanxiety. Afterahastymeal,myuncleandthehunterembarkedwhilstIremainedonshore. Iwassuppliedwithalightedlanterntosetfiretothefuse. "Nowgo,"saidmyuncle,"andreturnimmediatelytous.""Don'tbeuneasy,"Ireplied."Iwillnotplaybytheway." Iimmediatelyproceededtothemouthofthetunnel.Iopenedmylantern.Ilaidholdoftheendofthematch. TheProfessorstood,chronometerinhand."Ready?"hecried. Iinstantlyplungedtheendofthefuseintothelantern.Itsplutteredandflamed,andIranatthetopofmyspeedtotheraft. "Comeonboardquickly,andletuspushoff." Hans,withavigorousthrust,sentusfromtheshore.Theraftshottwentyfathomsouttosea. Itwasamomentofintenseexcitement.TheProfessorwaswatchingthehandofthechronometer. "Fiveminutesmore!"hesaid."Four!Three!" "Two!One!Down,graniterocks;downwithyou." Whattookplaceatthatmoment?IbelieveIdidnothearthedullroaroftheexplosion. Buttherockssuddenlyassumedanewarrangement:theyrentasunderlikeacurtain. Isawabottomlesspitopenontheshore. Thesea,lashedintosuddenfury,roseupinanenormousbillow,ontheridgeofwhichtheunhappyraftwasupliftedbodilyintheairwithallitscrewandcargo. Weallthreefelldownflat.Inlessthanasecondwewereindeep,unfathomabledarkness. ThenIfeltasifnotonlymyselfbuttheraftalsohadnosupportbeneath. Ithoughtitwassinking;butitwasnotso. Iwantedtospeaktomyuncle,buttheroaringofthewavespreventedhimfromhearingeventhesoundofmyvoice. Inspiteofdarkness,noise,astonishment,andterror,Ithenunderstoodwhathadtakenplace. Ontheothersideoftheblown–uprockwasanabyss. Theexplosionhadcausedakindofearthquakeinthisfissuredandabysmalregion;agreatgulfhadopened;andthesea,nowchangedintoatorrent,washurryingusalongintoit. Anhourpassedaway–twohours,perhaps–Icannottell. Weclutchedeachotherfast,tosaveourselvesfrombeingthrownofftheraft. Wefeltviolentshockswheneverwewereborneheavilyagainstthecraggyprojections. Yettheseshockswerenotveryfrequent,fromwhichIconcludedthatthegullywaswidening. ItwasnodoubtthesameroadthatSaknussemmhadtaken;butinsteadofwalkingpeaceablydownit,ashehaddone,wewerecarryingawholeseaalongwithus. Theseideas,itwillbeunderstood,presentedthemselvestomymindinavagueandundeterminedform. Ihaddifficultyinassociatinganyideastogetherduringthisheadlongrace,whichseemedlikeaverticaldescent. Tojudgebytheairwhichwaswhistlingpastmeandmadeawhizzinginmyears,weweremovingfasterthanthefastestexpresstrains. Tolightatorchunderthese'conditionswouldhavebeenimpossible;andourlastelectricapparatushadbeenshatteredbytheforceoftheexplosion. Iwasthereforemuchsurprisedtoseeaclearlightshiningnearme. ItlightedupthecalmandunmovedcountenanceofHans. Theskilfulhuntsmanhadsucceededinlightingthelantern;andalthoughitflickeredsomuchastothreatentogoout,itthrewafitfullightacrosstheawfuldarkness. Iwasrightinmysupposition.Itwasawidegallery. Thedimlightcouldnotshowusbothitswallsatonce. ThefallofthewaterswhichwerecarryingusawayexceededthatoftheswiftestrapidsinAmericanrivers. Itssurfaceseemedcomposedofasheafofarrowshurledwithinconceivableforce;Icannotconveymyimpressionsbyabettercomparison. Theraft,occasionallyseizedbyaneddy,spunroundasitstillflewalong. WhenitapproachedthewallsofthegalleryIthrewonthemthelightofthelantern,andIcouldjudgesomewhatofthevelocityofourspeedbynoticinghowthejaggedprojectionsoftherocksspunintoendlessribbonsandbands,sothatweseemedconfinedwithinanetworkofshiftinglines. Isupposedwewererunningattherateofthirtyleaguesanhour. MyuncleandIgazedoneachotherwithhaggardeyes,clingingtothestumpofthemast,whichhadsnappedasunderatthefirstshockofourgreatcatastrophe. Wekeptourbackstothewind,nottobestifledbytherapidityofamovementwhichnohumanpowercouldcheck. Hourspassedaway.Nochangeinoursituation;butadiscoverycametocomplicatemattersandmakethemworse. Inseekingtoputourcargointosomewhatbetterorder,Ifoundthatthegreaterpartofthearticlesembarkedhaddisappearedatthemomentoftheexplosion,whentheseabrokeinuponuswithsuchviolence. Iwantedtoknowexactlywhatwehadsaved,andwiththelanterninmyhandIbeganmyexamination. Ofourinstrumentsnoneweresavedbutthecompassandthechronometer;ourstockofropesandladderswasreducedtothebitofcordrolledroundthestumpofthemast! Notaspade,notapickaxe,notahammerwasleftus;and,irreparabledisaster!wehadonlyoneday'sprovisionsleft. Isearchedeverynookandcorner,everycrackandcrannyintheraft.Therewasnothing.Ourprovisionswerereducedtoonebitofsaltmeatandafewbiscuits. Istaredatourfailingsuppliesstupidly. Irefusedtotakeinthegravityofourloss. Andyetwhatwastheuseoftroublingmyself. Ifwehadhadprovisionsenoughformonths,howcouldwegetoutoftheabyssintowhichwewerebeinghurledbyanirresistibletorrent? Whyshouldwefearthehorrorsoffamine,whendeathwasswoopingdownuponusinamultitudeofotherforms? Wouldtherebetimelefttodieofstarvation? YetbyaninexplicableplayoftheimaginationIforgotmypresentdangers,tocontemplatethethreateningfuture. Wasthereanychanceofescapingfromthefuryofthisimpetuoustorrent,andofreturningtothesurfaceoftheglobe? Icouldnotformtheslightestconjecturehoworwhen. Butonechanceinathousand,ortenthousand,isstillachance;whilstdeathfromstarvationwouldleaveusnotthesmallesthopeintheworld. Thethoughtcameintomymindtodeclarethewholetruthtomyuncle,toshowhimthedreadfulstraitstowhichwewerereduced,andtocalculatehowlongwemightyetexpecttolive. ButIhadthecouragetopreservesilence. Iwishedtoleavehimcoolandself–possessed. Atthatmomentthelightfromourlanternbegantosinkbylittleandlittle,andthenwentoutentirely.Thewickhadburntitselfout. Blacknightreignedagain;andtherewasnohopeleftofbeingabletodissipatethepalpabledarkness. Wehadyetatorchleft,butwecouldnothavekeptitalight. Then,likeachild,Iclosedmyeyesfirmly,nottoseethedarkness. Afteraconsiderablelapseoftimeourspeedredoubled. Icouldperceiveitbythesharpnessofthecurrentsthatblewpastmyface.Thedescentbecamesteeper. Ibelievewewerenolongersliding,butfallingdown. Ihadanimpressionthatweweredroppingvertically. Myuncle'shand,andthevigorousarmofHans,heldmefast. Suddenly,afteraspaceoftimethatIcouldnotmeasure,Ifeltashock. Therafthadnotstruckagainstanyhardresistance,buthadsuddenlybeencheckedinitsfall. Awaterspout,animmenseliquidcolumn,wasbeatinguponthesurfaceofthewaters.Iwassuffocating!Iwasdrowning! Butthissuddenfloodwasnotoflongduration. InafewsecondsIfoundmyselfintheairagain,whichIinhaledwithalltheforceofmylungs. MyuncleandHanswerestillholdingmefastbythearms;andtheraftwasstillcarryingus. 
