We still continued to follow the gallery of lava1, a perfect natural pathway, as easy of descent as some of those inclined planes which, in very old German houses, serve the purpose of staircases. This went on until seventeen minutes past twelve, the precise instant at which we rejoined Hans, who, having been somewhat in advance, had suddenly stopped.
I looked wonderingly about me. We were in the centre of four cross paths—somber and narrow tunnels. The question now arose as to which it was wise to take; and this of itself was no small difficulty.
My uncle, who did not wish to appear to have any hesitation3 about the matter before myself or the guide, at once made up his mind. He pointed4 quietly to the eastern tunnel; and, without delay, we entered within its gloomy recesses5.
Besides, had he entertained any feeling of hesitation it might have been prolonged indefinitely, for there was no indication by which to determine on a choice. It was absolutely necessary to trust to chance and good fortune!
The descent of this obscure and narrow gallery was very gradual and winding6. Sometimes we gazed through a succession of arches, its course very like the aisles7 of a Gothic cathedral. The great artistic8 sculptors9 and builders of the Middle Ages might have here completed their studies with advantage. Many most beautiful and suggestive ideas of architectural beauty would have been discovered by them. After passing through this phase of the cavernous way, we suddenly came, about a mile farther on, upon a square system of arch, adopted by the early Romans, projecting from the solid rock, and keeping up the weight of the roof.
Suddenly we would come upon a series of low subterranean10 tunnels which looked like beaver11 holes, or the work of foxes—through whose narrow and winding ways we had literally12 to crawl!
The heat still remained at quite a supportable degree. With an involuntary shudder13, I reflected on what the heat must have been when the volcano of Sneffels was pouring its smoke, flames, and streams of boiling lava—all of which must have come up by the road we were now following. I could imagine the torrents14 of hot seething15 stone darting16 on, bubbling up with accompaniments of smoke, steam, and sulphurous stench!
I did not communicate these rather unpleasant reflections to my uncle. He not only would not have understood them, but would have been intensely disgusted. His only idea was to go ahead. He walked, he slid, he clambered over piles of fragments, he rolled down heaps of broken lava, with an earnestness and conviction it was impossible not to admire.
At six o'clock in the evening, after a very wearisome journey, but one not so fatiguing18 as before, we had made six miles towards the southward, but had not gone more than a mile downwards19.
My uncle, as usual, gave the signal to halt. We ate our meal in thoughtful silence, and then retired20 to sleep.
Our arrangements for the night were very primitive21 and simple. A traveling rug, in which each rolled himself, was all our bedding. We had no necessity to fear cold or any unpleasant visit. Travelers who bury themselves in the wilds and depths of the African desert, who seek profit and pleasure in the forests of the New World, are compelled to take it in turn to watch during the hours of sleep; but in this region of the earth absolute solitude22 and complete security reigned23 supreme24.
After a night's sweet repose26, we awoke fresh and ready for action. There being nothing to detain us, we started on our journey. We continued to burrow27 through the lava tunnel as before. It was impossible to make out through what soil we were making way. The tunnel, moreover, instead of going down into the bowels28 of the earth, became absolutely horizontal.
I even thought, after some examination, that we were actually tending upwards29. About ten o'clock in the day this state of things became so clear that, finding the change very fatiguing, I was obliged to slacken my pace and finally come to a halt.
"Well," said the Professor quickly, "what is the matter?"
"The fact is, I am dreadfully tired," was my earnest reply.
"What," cried my uncle, "tired after a three hours' walk, and by so easy a road?"
"Easy enough, I dare say, but very fatiguing."
"But how can that be, when all we have to do is to go downwards."
"I beg your pardon, sir. For some time I have noticed that we are going upwards."
"Upwards," cried my uncle, shrugging his shoulders, "how can that be?"
"There can be no doubt about it. For the last half hour the slopes have been upward—and if we go on in this way much longer we shall find ourselves back in Iceland."
My uncle shook his head with the air of a man who does not want to be convinced. I tried to continue the conversation. He would not answer me, but once more gave the signal for departure. His silence I thought was only caused by concentrated ill-temper.
However this might be, I once more took up my load, and boldly and resolutely30 followed Hans, who was now in advance of my uncle. I did not like to be beaten or even distanced. I was naturally anxious not to lose sight of my companions. The very idea of being left behind, lost in that terrible labyrinth31, made me shiver as with the ague.
Besides, if the ascending32 path was more arduous33 and painful to clamber, I had one source of secret consolation34 and delight. It was to all appearance taking us back to the surface of the earth. That of itself was hopeful. Every step I took confirmed me in my belief, and I began already to build castles in the air in relation to my marriage with my pretty little cousin.
About twelve o'clock there was a great and sudden change in the aspect of the rocky sides of the gallery. I first noticed it from the diminution35 of the rays of light which cast back the reflection of the lamp. From being coated with shining and resplendent lava, it became living rock. The sides were sloping walls, which sometimes became quite vertical36.
We were now in what the geological professors call a state of transition, in the period of Silurian stones, so called because this specimen37 of early formation is very common in England in the counties formerly38 inhabited by the Celtic nation known as Silures.
"I can see clearly now," I cried; "the sediment39 from the waters which once covered the whole earth formed during the second period of its existence these schists and these calcareous rocks. We are turning our backs on the granite40 rocks, and are like people from Hamburg who would go to Lubeck by way of Hanover."
I might just as well have kept my observations to myself. My geological enthusiasm got the better, however, of my cooler judgment41, and Professor Hardwigg heard my observations.
"What is the matter now?" he said, in a tone of great gravity.
"Well," cried I, "do you not see these different layers of calcareous rocks and the first indication of slate42 strata43?"
"Well; what then?"
"We have arrived at that period of the world's existence when the first plants and the first animals made their appearance."
"You think so?"
"Yes, look; examine and judge for yourself."
I induced the Professor with some difficulty to cast the light of his lamp on the sides of the long winding gallery. I expected some exclamation44 to burst from his lips. I was very much mistaken. The worthy45 Professor never spoke46 a word.
It was impossible to say whether he understood me or not. Perhaps it was possible that in his pride—my uncle and a learned professor—he did not like to own that he was wrong in having chosen the eastern tunnel, or was he determined47 at any price to go to the end of it? It was quite evident we had left the region of lava, and that the road by which we were going could not take us back to the great crater48 of Mount Sneffels.
As we went along I could not help ruminating49 on the whole question, and asked myself if I did not lay too great a stress on these sudden and peculiar50 modifications51 of the earth's crust.
After all, I was very likely to be mistaken—and it was within the range of probability and possibility that we were not making our way through the strata of rocks which I believed I recognized piled on the lower layer of granitic52 formation.
"At all events, if I am right," I thought to myself, "I must certainly find some remains53 of primitive plants, and it will be absolutely necessary to give way to such indubitable evidence. Let us have a good search."
I accordingly lost no opportunity of searching, and had not gone more than about a hundred yards, when the evidence I sought for cropped up in the most incontestable manner before my eyes. It was quite natural that I should expect to find these signs, for during the Silurian period the seas contained no fewer than fifteen hundred different animal and vegetable species. My feet, so long accustomed to the hard and arid54 lava soil, suddenly found themselves treading on a kind of soft dust, the remains of plants and shells.
Upon the walls themselves I could clearly make out the outline, as plain as a sun picture, of the fucus and the lycopods. The worthy and excellent Professor Hardwigg could not of course make any mistake about the matter; but I believe he deliberately55 closed his eyes, and continued on his way with a firm and unalterable step.
I began to think that he was carrying his obstinacy56 a great deal too far. I could no longer act with prudence57 or composure. I stooped on a sudden and picked up an almost perfect shell, which had undoubtedly58 belonged to some animal very much resembling some of the present day. Having secured the prize, I followed in the wake of my uncle.
"Do you see this?" I said.
"Well, said the Professor, with the most imperturbable59 tranquillity60, "it is the shell of a crustaceous animal of the extinct order of the trilobites; nothing more, I assure you."
"But," cried I, much troubled at his coolness, "do you draw no conclusion from it?"
"Well, if I may ask, what conclusion do you draw from it yourself?"
"Well, I thought—"
"I know, my boy, what you would say, and you are right, perfectly61 and incontestably right. We have finally abandoned the crust of lava and the road by which the lava ascended62. It is quite possible that I may have been mistaken, but I shall be unable to discover my error until I get to the end of this gallery."
"You are quite right as far as that is concerned," I replied, "and I should highly approve of your decision, if we had not to fear the greatest of all dangers."
"And what is that?"
"Want of water."
And on he went.
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1
lava
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| n.熔岩，火山岩 | |
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shaft
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| n.(工具的)柄，杆状物 | |
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hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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recesses
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| n.壁凹( recess的名词复数 )；（工作或业务活动的）中止或暂停期间；学校的课间休息；某物内部的凹形空间v.把某物放在墙壁的凹处( recess的第三人称单数 )；将（墙）做成凹形，在（墙）上做壁龛；休息，休会，休庭 | |
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winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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aisles
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| n. (席位间的)通道, 侧廊 | |
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artistic
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| adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的 | |
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sculptors
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| 雕刻家，雕塑家( sculptor的名词复数 )； [天]玉夫座 | |
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subterranean
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| adj.地下的，地表下的 | |
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beaver
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| n.海狸，河狸 | |
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literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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13
shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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torrents
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| n.倾注；奔流( torrent的名词复数 )；急流；爆发；连续不断 | |
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seething
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| 沸腾的，火热的 | |
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darting
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的现在分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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mused
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| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
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fatiguing
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| a.使人劳累的 | |
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downwards
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| adj./adv.向下的（地），下行的（地） | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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primitive
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| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
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solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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reigned
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| vi.当政，统治（reign的过去式形式） | |
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supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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savages
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| 未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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repose
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| v.(使)休息；n.安息 | |
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burrow
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| vt.挖掘(洞穴)；钻进；vi.挖洞；翻寻；n.地洞 | |
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bowels
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| n.肠，内脏，内部；肠( bowel的名词复数 )；内部，最深处 | |
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29
upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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resolutely
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| adj.坚决地，果断地 | |
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labyrinth
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| n.迷宫；难解的事物；迷路 | |
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ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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arduous
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| adj.艰苦的，费力的，陡峭的 | |
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consolation
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| n.安慰，慰问 | |
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diminution
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| n.减少；变小 | |
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vertical
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| adj.垂直的，顶点的，纵向的；n.垂直物，垂直的位置 | |
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specimen
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| n.样本，标本 | |
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formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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sediment
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| n.沉淀，沉渣，沉积(物) | |
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40
granite
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| adj.花岗岩，花岗石 | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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42
slate
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| n.板岩，石板，石片，石板色，候选人名单；adj.暗蓝灰色的，含板岩的；vt.用石板覆盖，痛打，提名，预订 | |
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strata
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| n.地层（复数）；社会阶层 | |
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exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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46
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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47
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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crater
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| n.火山口，弹坑 | |
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49
ruminating
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| v.沉思( ruminate的现在分词 )；反复考虑；反刍；倒嚼 | |
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50
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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51
modifications
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| n.缓和( modification的名词复数 )；限制；更改；改变 | |
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52
granitic
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| 花岗石的，由花岗岩形成的 | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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arid
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| adj.干旱的；(土地)贫瘠的 | |
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deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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obstinacy
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| n.顽固；（病痛等）难治 | |
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prudence
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| n.谨慎，精明，节俭 | |
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undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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imperturbable
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| adj.镇静的 | |
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tranquillity
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| n. 平静, 安静 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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rations
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| 定量( ration的名词复数 )； 配给量； 正常量； 合理的量 | |
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