What happened when the terrible shock took place, when the raft was cast upon the rocky shore, it would be impossible for me now to say. I felt myself precipitated3 violently into the boiling waves, and if I escaped from a certain and cruel death, it was wholly owing to the determination of the faithful Hans, who, clutching me by the arm, saved me from the yawning abyss.
The courageous5 Icelander then carried me in his powerful arms, far out of the reach of the waves, and laid me down upon a burning expanse of sand, where I found myself some time afterwards in the company of my uncle, the Professor.
Then he quietly returned towards the fatal rocks, against which the furious waves were beating, in order to save any stray waifs from the wreck. This man was always practical and thoughtful. I could not utter a word; I was quite overcome with emotion; my whole body was broken and bruised6 with fatigue7; it took hours before I was anything like myself.
Meanwhile, there fell a fearful deluge8 of rain, drenching9 us to the skin. Its very violence, however, proclaimed the approaching end of the storm. Some overhanging rocks afforded us a slight protection from the torrents10.
Under this shelter, Hans prepared some food, which, however, I was unable to touch; and, exhausted11 by the three weary days and nights of watching, we fell into a deep and painful sleep. My dreams were fearful, but at last exhausted nature asserted her supremacy12, and I slumbered13.
Next day when I awoke the change was magical. The weather was magnificent. Air and sea, as if by mutual14 consent, had regained15 their serenity16. Every trace of the storm, even the faintest, had disappeared. I was saluted17 on my awakening18 by the first joyous19 tones I had heard from the Professor for many a day. His gaiety, indeed, was something terrible.
"Well, my lad," he cried, rubbing his hands together, "have you slept soundly?"
Might it not have been supposed that we were in the old house on the Konigstrasse; that I had just come down quietly to my breakfast; and that my marriage with Gretchen was to take place that very day? My uncle's coolness was exasperating20.
Alas21, considering how the tempest had driven us in an easterly direction, we had passed under the whole of Germany, under the city of Hamburg where I had been so happy, under the very street which contained all I loved and cared for in the world.
It was a positive fact that I was only separated from her by a distance of forty leagues. But these forty leagues were of hard, impenetrable granite22!
All these dreary23 and miserable24 reflections passed through my mind, before I attempted to answer my uncle's question.
"Why, what is the matter?" he cried. "Cannot you say whether you have slept well or not?"
"I have slept very well," was my reply, "but every bone in my body aches. I suppose that will lead to nothing."
"Nothing at all, my boy. It is only the result of the fatigue of the last few days—that is all."
"You appear—if I may be allowed to say so—to be very jolly this morning," I said.
"Delighted, my dear boy, delighted. Was never happier in my life. We have at last reached the wished-for port."
"The end of our expedition?" cried I, in a tone of considerable surprise.
"No; but to the confines of that sea which I began to fear would never end, but go round the whole world. We will now tranquilly25 resume our journey by land, and once again endeavor to dive into the centre of the earth."
"My dear uncle," I began, in a hesitating kind of way, "allow me to ask you one question."
"One will suffice. How about getting back?" I asked.
"How about getting back? What a question to ask. We have not as yet reached the end of our journey."
"I know that. All I want to know is how you propose we shall manage the return voyage?"
"In the most simple manner in the world," said the imperturbable27 Professor. "Once we reach the exact centre of this sphere, either we shall find a new road by which to ascend28 to the surface, or we shall simply turn round and go back by the way we came. I have every reason to believe that while we are traveling forward, it will not close behind us."
"Then one of the first matters to see to will be to repair the raft," was my rather melancholy29 response.
"Of course. We must attend to that above all things," continued the Professor.
"Then comes the all-important question of provisions," I urged. "Have we anything like enough left to enable us to accomplish such great, such amazing, designs as you contemplate30 carrying out?"
"I have seen into the matter, and my answer is in the affirmative. Hans is a very clever fellow, and I have reason to believe that he has saved the greater part of the cargo31. But the best way to satisfy your scruples32 is to come and judge for yourself."
Saying which, he led the way out of the kind of open grotto33 in which we had taken shelter. I had almost begun to hope that which I should rather have feared, and this was the impossibility of such a shipwreck34 leaving even the slightest signs of what it had carried as freight. I was, however, thoroughly35 mistaken.
As soon as I reached the shores of this inland sea, I found Hans standing36 gravely in the midst of a large number of things laid out in complete order. My uncle wrung37 his hands with deep and silent gratitude38. His heart was too full for speech.
This man, whose superhuman devotion to his employers I not only never saw surpassed, nor even equaled, had been hard at work all the time we slept, and at the risk of his life had succeeded in saving the most precious articles of our cargo.
Of course, under the circumstances, we necessarily experienced several severe losses. Our weapons had wholly vanished. But experience had taught us to do without them. The provision of powder had, however, remained intact, after having narrowly escaped blowing us all to atoms in the storm.
"Well," said the Professor, who was now ready to make the best of everything, "as we have no guns, all we have to do is to give up all idea of hunting."
"Yes, my dear sir, we can do without them, but what about all our instruments?"
"Here is the manometer, the most useful of all, and which I gladly accept in lieu of the rest. With it alone I can calculate the depth as we proceed; by its means alone I shall be able to decide when we have reached the centre of the earth. Ha, ha! but for this little instrument we might make a mistake, and run the risk of coming out at the antipodes!"
"But the compass," I cried, "without that what can we do?"
"Here it is, safe and sound!" he cried, with real joy, "ah, ah, and here we have the chronometer40 and the thermometers. Hans the hunter is indeed an invaluable41 man!"
It was impossible to deny this fact. As far as the nautical42 and other instruments were concerned, nothing was wanting. Then on further examination, I found ladders, cords, pickaxes, crowbars, and shovels43, all scattered44 about on the shore.
There was, however, finally the most important question of all, and that was, provisions.
"But what are we to do for food?" I asked.
"Let us see to the commissariat department", replied my uncle gravely.
The boxes which contained our supply of food for the voyage were placed in a row along the strand45, and were in a capital state of preservation46; the sea had in every case respected their contents, and to sum up in one sentence, taking into consideration, biscuits, salt meat, Schiedam and dried fish, we could still calculate on having about four months' supply, if used with prudence47 and caution.
"Four months," cried the sanguine48 Professor in high glee. "Then we shall have plenty of time both to go and to come, and with what remains49 I undertake to give a grand dinner to my colleagues of the Johanneum."
I sighed. I should by this time have become used to the temperament50 of my uncle, and yet this man astonished me more and more every day. He was the greatest human enigma51 I ever had known.
"Now," he, "before we do anything else, we must lay in a stock of fresh water. The rain has fallen in abundance, and filled the hollows of the granite. There is a rich supply of water, and we have no fear of suffering from thirst, which in our circumstances is of the last importance. As for the raft, I shall recommend Hans to repair it to the best of his abilities; though I have every reason to believe we shall not require it again."
"How is that?" I cried, more amazed than ever at my uncle's style of reasoning.
"I have an idea, my dear boy; it is none other than this simple fact; we shall not come out by the same opening as that by which we entered."
I began to look at my uncle with vague suspicion. An idea had more than once taken possession of me; and this was, that he was going mad. And yet, little did I think how true and prophetic his words were doomed52 to be.
"And now," he said, "having seen to all these matters of detail, to breakfast."
I followed him to a sort of projecting cape4, after he had given his last instructions to our guide. In this original position, with dried meat, biscuit, and a delicious cup of tea, we made a satisfactory meal—I may say one of the most welcome and pleasant I ever remember. Exhaustion53, the keen atmosphere, the state of calm after so much agitation54, all contributed to give me an excellent appetite. Indeed, it contributed very much to producing a pleasant and cheerful state of mind.
While breakfast was in hand, and between the sips55 of warm tea, I asked my uncle if he had any idea of how we now stood in relation to the world above.
"For my part," I added, "I think it will be rather difficult to determine."
"Well, if we were compelled to fix the exact spot," said my uncle, "it might be difficult, since during the three days of that awful tempest I could keep no account either of the quickness of our pace, or of the direction in which the raft was going. Still, we will endeavor to approximate to the truth. We shall not, I believe, be so very far out."
"Harry's Island, my boy! Harry's Island. Do not decline the honor of having named it; given your name to an island discovered by us, the first human beings who trod it since the creation of the world!"
"Let it be so, then. At Harry's Island we had already gone over two hundred and seventy leagues of sea, and we were, I believe, about six hundred leagues, more or less, from Iceland."
"Good. I am glad to see that you remember so well. Let us start from that point, and let us count four days of storm, during which our rate of traveling must have been very great. I should say that our velocity57 must have been about eighty leagues to the twenty-four hours."
I agreed that I thought this a fair calculation. There were then three hundred leagues to be added to the grand total.
"Yes, and the Central Sea must extend at least six hundred leagues from side to side. Do you know, my boy, Harry, that we have discovered an inland lake larger than the Mediterranean58?"
"Certainly, and we only know of its extent in one way. It may be hundreds of miles in length."
"Very likely."
"Then," said I, after calculating for some for some minutes, "if your previsions are right, we are at this moment exactly under the Mediterranean itself."
"Do you think so?"
"Yes, I am almost certain of it. Are we not nine hundred leagues distant from Reykjavik?"
"That is perfectly59 true, and a famous bit of road we have traveled, my boy. But why we should be under the Mediterranean more than under Turkey or the Atlantic Ocean can only be known when we are sure of not having deviated60 from our course; and of this we know nothing."
"I do not think we were driven very far from our course; the wind appears to me to have been always about the same. My opinion is that this shore must be situated61 to the southeast of Port Gretchen."
"Good—I hope so. It will, however, be easy to decide the matter by taking the bearings from our departure by means of the compass. Come along, and we will consult that invaluable invention."
The Professor now walked eagerly in the direction of the rock where the indefatigable62 Hans had placed the instruments in safety. My uncle was gay and lighthearted; he rubbed his hands, and assumed all sorts of attitudes. He was to all appearance once more a young man. Since I had known him, never had he been so amiable63 and pleasant. I followed him, rather curious to know whether I had made any mistake in my estimation of our position.
As soon as we had reached the rock, my uncle took the compass, placed it horizontally before him, and looked keenly at the needle.
As he had at first shaken it to give it vivacity64, it oscillated considerably65, and then slowly assumed its right position under the influence of the magnetic power.
The Professor bent66 his eyes curiously67 over the wondrous68 instrument. A violent start immediately showed the extent of his emotion.
He closed his eyes, rubbed them, and took another and a keener survey.
"What is the matter?" said I, beginning to be alarmed.
I examined it eagerly according to his mute directions, and a loud cry of surprise escaped my lips. The needle of the compass pointed due north—in the direction we expected was the south!
It pointed to the shore instead of to the high seas.
I shook the compass; I examined it with a curious and anxious eye. It was in a state of perfection. No blemish72 in any way explained the phenomenon. Whatever position we forced the needle into, it returned invariably to the same unexpected point.
There could be no doubt about it, unwelcome as was the fact, that during the tempest, there had been a sudden slant74 of wind, of which we had been unable to take any account, and thus the raft had carried us back to the shores we had left, apparently75 forever, so many days before!
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1
wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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narrative
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| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
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precipitated
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| v.（突如其来地）使发生( precipitate的过去式和过去分词 )；促成；猛然摔下；使沉淀 | |
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cape
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| n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风 | |
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courageous
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| adj.勇敢的，有胆量的 | |
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bruised
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| [医]青肿的，瘀紫的 | |
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fatigue
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| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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deluge
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| n./vt.洪水，暴雨，使泛滥 | |
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drenching
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| n.湿透v.使湿透( drench的现在分词 )；在某人（某物）上大量使用（某液体） | |
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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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exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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supremacy
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| n.至上；至高权力 | |
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slumbered
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| 微睡，睡眠（slumber的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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mutual
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| adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的 | |
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regained
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| 复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
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serenity
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| n.宁静，沉着，晴朗 | |
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saluted
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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awakening
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| n.觉醒，醒悟 adj.觉醒中的；唤醒的 | |
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joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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exasperating
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| adj. 激怒的 动词exasperate的现在分词形式 | |
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alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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granite
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| adj.花岗岩，花岗石 | |
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dreary
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| adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的 | |
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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tranquilly
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| adv. 宁静地 | |
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harry
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| vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼 | |
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imperturbable
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| adj.镇静的 | |
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ascend
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| vi.渐渐上升，升高；vt.攀登，登上 | |
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melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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contemplate
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| vt.盘算，计议；周密考虑；注视，凝视 | |
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cargo
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| n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物 | |
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scruples
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| n.良心上的不安( scruple的名词复数 )；顾虑，顾忌v.感到于心不安，有顾忌( scruple的第三人称单数 ) | |
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grotto
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| n.洞穴 | |
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shipwreck
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| n.船舶失事，海难 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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wrung
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| 绞( wring的过去式和过去分词 )； 握紧（尤指别人的手）； 把（湿衣服）拧干； 绞掉（水） | |
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gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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unnatural
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| adj.不自然的；反常的 | |
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chronometer
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| n.精密的计时器 | |
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invaluable
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| adj.无价的，非常宝贵的，极为贵重的 | |
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nautical
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| adj.海上的，航海的，船员的 | |
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shovels
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| n.铲子( shovel的名词复数 )；锹；推土机、挖土机等的)铲；铲形部份v.铲子( shovel的第三人称单数 )；锹；推土机、挖土机等的)铲；铲形部份 | |
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44
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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45
strand
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| vt.使（船）搁浅，使（某人）困于（某地） | |
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preservation
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| n.保护，维护，保存，保留，保持 | |
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prudence
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| n.谨慎，精明，节俭 | |
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48
sanguine
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| adj.充满希望的，乐观的，血红色的 | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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temperament
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| n.气质，性格，性情 | |
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51
enigma
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| n.谜，谜一样的人或事 | |
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52
doomed
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| 命定的 | |
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exhaustion
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| n.耗尽枯竭，疲惫，筋疲力尽，竭尽，详尽无遗的论述 | |
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54
agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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55
sips
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| n.小口喝，一小口的量( sip的名词复数 )v.小口喝，呷，抿( sip的第三人称单数 ) | |
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56
recollect
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| v.回忆，想起，记起，忆起，记得 | |
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velocity
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| n.速度，速率 | |
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Mediterranean
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| adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的 | |
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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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60
deviated
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| v.偏离，越轨( deviate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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61
situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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indefatigable
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| adj.不知疲倦的，不屈不挠的 | |
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amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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64
vivacity
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| n.快活，活泼，精神充沛 | |
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considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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wondrous
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| adj.令人惊奇的，奇妙的；adv.惊人地；异乎寻常地；令人惊叹地 | |
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69
depicted
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| 描绘，描画( depict的过去式和过去分词 )； 描述 | |
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70
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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71
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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72
blemish
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| v.损害；玷污；瑕疵，缺点 | |
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conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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74
slant
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| v.倾斜，倾向性地编写或报道；n.斜面，倾向 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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