English
WhenIopenedmyeyesagainIfeltmyselfgraspedbythebeltwiththestronghandofourguide.
Withtheotherarmhesupportedmyuncle.
Iwasnotseriouslyhurt,butIwasshakenandbruisedandbatteredallover.
Ifoundmyselflyingontheslopingsideofamountainonlytwoyardsfromagapinggulf,whichwouldhaveswallowedmeuphadIleanedatallthatway.
HanshadsavedmefromdeathwhilstIlayrollingontheedgeofthecrater.
"Wherearewe?"askedmyuncleirascibly,asifhefeltmuchinjuredbybeinglandedupontheearthagain.
Thehuntershookhisheadintokenofcompleteignorance.
"IsitIceland?"Iasked.
"Nej,"repliedHans.
"What!NotIceland?"criedtheProfessor.
"Hansmustbemistaken,"Isaid,raisingmyselfup.
Thiswasourfinalsurpriseafteralltheastonishingeventsofourwonderfuljourney.
Iexpectedtoseeawhiteconecoveredwiththeeternalsnowofagesrisingfromthemidstofthebarrendesertsoftheicynorth,faintlylightedwiththepaleraysofthearcticsun,farawayinthehighestlatitudesknown;butcontrarytoallourexpectations,myuncle,theIcelander,andmyselfweresittinghalf–waydownamountainbakedundertheburningraysofasouthernsun,whichwasblisteringuswiththeheat,andblindinguswiththefiercelightofhisnearlyverticalrays.
Icouldnotbelievemyowneyes;buttheheatedairandthesensationofburningleftmenoroomfordoubt.
Wehadcomeoutofthecraterhalfnaked,andtheradiantorbtowhichwehadbeenstrangersfortwomonthswaslavishinguponusoutofhisblazingsplendoursmoreofhislightandheatthanwewereabletoreceivewithcomfort.
Whenmyeyeshadbecomeaccustomedtothebrightlighttowhichtheyhadbeensolongstrangers,Ibegantousethemtosetmyimaginationright.
AtleastIwouldhaveittobeSpitzbergen,andIwasinnohumourtogiveupthisnotion.
TheProfessorwasthefirsttospeak,andsaid:
"Well,thisisnotmuchlikeIceland."
"ButisitJanMayen?"Iasked.
"Northateither,"heanswered."Thisisnonorthernmountain;herearenogranitepeakscappedwithsnow.Look,Axel,look!"
Aboveourheads,ataheightoffivehundredfeetormore,wesawthecraterofavolcano,through.
which,atintervalsoffifteenminutesorso,thereissuedwithloudexplosionsloftycolumnsoffire,mingledwithpumicestones,ashes,andflowinglava.
Icouldfeeltheheavingofthemountain,whichseemedtobreathelikeahugewhale,andpuffoutfireandwindfromitsvastblowholes.
Beneath,downaprettysteepdeclivity,ranstreamsoflavaforeightorninehundredfeet,givingthemountainaheightofabout1,300or1,400feet.
Butthebaseofthemountainwashiddeninaperfectbowerofrichverdure,amongstwhichIwasabletodistinguishtheolive,thefig,andvines,coveredwiththeirlusciouspurplebunches.
Iwasforcedtoconfessthattherewasnothingarctichere.
Whentheeyepassedbeyondthesegreensurroundingsitrestedonawide,blueexpanseofseaorlake,whichappearedtoenclosethisenchantingisland,withinacompassofonlyafewleagues.
Eastwardlayaprettylittlewhiteseaporttownorvillage,withafewhousesscatteredaroundit,andintheharbourofwhichafewvesselsofpeculiarrigweregentlyswayedbythesoftlyswellingwaves.
Beyondit,groupsofisletsrosefromthesmooth,bluewaters,butinsuchnumbersthattheyseemedtodotthesealikeashoal.
Tothewestdistantcoastslinedthedimhorizon,onsomerosebluemountainsofsmooth,undulatingforms;onamoredistantcoastaroseaprodigiousconecrownedonitssummitwithasnowyplumeofwhitecloud.
Tothenorthwardlayspreadavastsheetofwater,sparklinganddancingunderthehot,brightrays,theuniformitybrokenhereandtherebythetopmastofagallantshipappearingabovethehorizon,oraswellingsailmovingslowlybeforethewind.
Thisunforeseenspectaclewasmostcharmingtoeyeslongusedtoundergrounddarkness.
"Wherearewe?Wherearewe?"Iaskedfaintly.
Hansclosedhiseyeswithlazyindifference.Whatdiditmattertohim?Myunclelookedroundwithdumbsurprise.
"Well,whatevermountainthismaybe,"hesaidatlast,"itisveryhothere.
Theexplosionsaregoingonstill,andIdon'tthinkitwouldlookwelltohavecomeoutbyaneruption,andthentogetourheadsbrokenbybitsoffallingrock.Letusgetdown.
Thenweshallknowbetterwhatweareabout.
Besides,Iamstarving,andparchingwiththirst."
DecidedlytheProfessorwasnotgiventocontemplation.
Formypart,Icouldforanotherhourortwohaveforgottenmyhungerandmyfatiguetoenjoythelovelyscenebeforeme;butIhadtofollowmycompanions.
Theslopeofthevolcanowasinmanyplacesofgreatsteepness.
Wesliddownscreesofashes,carefullyavoidingthelavastreamswhichglidedsluggishlybyuslikefieryserpents.
AswewentIchatteredandaskedallsortsofquestionsastoourwhereabouts,forLwastoomuchexcitednottotalkagreatdeal.
"WeareinAsia,"Icried,"onthecoastsofIndia,intheMalayIslands,orinOceania.Wehavepassedthroughhalftheglobe,andcomeoutnearlyattheantipodes."
"Butthecompass?"saidmyuncle.
"Ay,thecompass!"Isaid,greatlypuzzled."Accordingtothecompasswehavegonenorthward."
"Hasitlied?"
"Surelynot.Coulditlie?"
"Unless,indeed,thisistheNorthPole!"
"Oh,no,itisnotthePole;but–"
Well,herewassomethingthatbaffleduscompletely.Icouldnottellwhattosay.
Butnowwewerecomingintothatdelightfulgreenery,andIwassufferinggreatlyfromhungerandthirst.
Happily,aftertwohours'walking,acharmingcountrylayopenbeforeus,coveredwitholivetrees,pomegranatetrees,anddeliciousvines,allofwhichseemedtobelongtoanybodywhopleasedtoclaimthem.
Besides,inourstateofdestitutionandfaminewewerenotlikelytobeparticular.
Oh,theinexpressiblepleasureofpressingthosecool,sweetfruitstoourlips,andeatinggrapesbymouthfulsofftherich,fullbunches!
Notfaroff,inthegrass,underthedeliciousshadeofthetrees,Idiscoveredaspringoffresh,coolwater,inwhichweluxuriouslybathedourfaces,hands,andfeet.
Whilstwewerethusenjoyingthesweetsofreposeachildappearedoutofagroveofolivetrees.
"Ah!"Icried,"hereisaninhabitantofthishappyland!"
Itwasbutapoorboy,miserablyill–clad,asuffererfrompoverty,andouraspectseemedtoalarmhimagreatdeal;infact,onlyhalfclothed,withraggedhairandbeards,wewereasuspicious–lookingparty;andifthepeopleofthecountryknewanythingaboutthieves,wewereverylikelytofrightenthem.
Justasthepoorlittlewretchwasgoingtotaketohisheels,Hanscaughtholdofhim,andbroughthimtous,kickingandstruggling.
Myunclebegantoencouragehimaswellashecould,andsaidtohimingoodGerman:
"WasheisztdiesenBerg,meinKnablein?Sagemirgeschwind!"
("Whatisthismountaincalled,mylittlefriend?")
Thechildmadenoanswer.
"Verywell,"saidmyuncle."IinferthatwearenotinGermany."
HeputthesamequestioninEnglish.
Wegotnoforwarder.Iwasagooddealpuzzled.
"Isthechilddumb?"criedtheProfessor,who,proudofhisknowledgeofmanylanguages,nowtriedFrench:"Commentappellet–oncettemontagne,monenfant?"
Silencestill.
"NowletustryItalian,"saidmyuncle;andhesaid:
"dovenoisiamo?"
"Yes,wherearewe?"Iimpatientlyrepeated.
Buttherewasnoanswerstill.
"Willyouspeakwhenyouaretold?"exclaimedmyuncle,shakingtheurchinbytheears."Comesinomaquestaisola?"
"STROMBOLI,"repliedthelittleherdboy,slippingoutofHans'hands,andscuddingintotheplainacrosstheolivetrees.
Wewerehardlythinkingofthat.Stromboli!
Whataneffectthisunexpectednameproduceduponmymind!
WewereinthemidstoftheMediterraneanSea,onanislandoftheÆolianarchipelago,intheancientStrongyle,whereÆoluskeptthewindsandthestormschainedup,tobeletlooseathiswill.
AndthosedistantbluemountainsintheeastwerethemountainsofCalabria.
AndthatthreateningvolcanofarawayinthesouthwasthefierceEtna.
"Stromboli,Stromboli!"Irepeated.
Myunclekepttimetomyexclamationswithhandsandfeet,aswellaswithwords.Weseemedtobechantinginchorus!
Whatajourneywehadaccomplished!Howmarvellous!
Havingenteredbyonevolcano,wehadissuedoutofanothermorethantwothousandmilesfromSnaefellandfromthatbarren,far–awayIceland!
Thestrangechancesofourexpeditionhadcarriedusintotheheartofthefairestregionintheworld.
Wehadexchangedthebleakregionsofperpetualsnowandofimpenetrablebarriersoficeforthoseofbrightnessand'therichhuesofallgloriousthings.'
WehadleftoverourheadsthemurkyskyandcoldfogsofthefrigidzonetorevelundertheazureskyofItaly!
Afterourdeliciousrepastoffruitsandcold,clearwaterwesetoffagaintoreachtheportofStromboli.
Itwouldnothavebeenwisetotellhowwecamethere.
ThesuperstitiousItalianswouldhavesetusdownforfire–devilsvomitedoutofhell;sowepresentedourselvesinthehumbleguiseofshipwreckedmariners.
Itwasnotsoglorious,butitwassafer.
OnmywayIcouldhearmyunclemurmuring:"Butthecompass!thatcompass!Itpointedduenorth.Howarewetoexplainthatfact?"
"Myopinionis,"Ireplieddisdainfully,"thatitisbestnottoexplainit.Thatistheeasiestwaytoshelvethedifficulty."
"Indeed,sir!TheoccupantofaprofessorialchairattheJohannaeumunabletoexplainthereasonofacosmicalphenomenon!Why,itwouldbesimplydisgraceful!"
Andashespoke,myuncle,halfundressed,inrags,aperfectscarecrow,withhisleathernbeltaroundhim,settlinghisspectaclesuponhisnoseandlookinglearnedandimposing,washimselfagain,theterribleGermanprofessorofmineralogy.
Onehourafterwehadleftthegroveofolives,wearrivedatthelittleportofSanVicenzo,whereHansclaimedhisthirteenweek'swages,whichwascountedouttohimwithaheartyshakingofhandsallround.
Atthatmoment,ifhedidnotshareournaturalemotion,atleasthiscountenanceexpandedinamannerveryunusualwithhim,andwhilewiththeendsofhisfingershelightlypressedourhands,Ibelievehesmiled.
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