Basalt is a brownish rock of igneous2 origin. It assumes regular forms, the arrangement of which is often very surprising. Here nature had done her work geometrically, with square and compass and plummet3. Everywhere else her art consists alone in throwing down huge masses together in disorder4. You see cones5 imperfectly formed, irregular pyramids, with a fantastic disarrangement of lines; but here, as if to exhibit an example of regularity6, though in advance of the very earliest architects, she has created a severely7 simple order of architecture, never surpassed either by the splendours of Babylon or the wonders of Greece.
I had heard of the Giant's Causeway in Ireland, and Fingal's Cave in Staffa, one of the Hebrides; but I had never yet seen a basaltic formation.
The wall that confined the fiord, like all the coast of the peninsula, was composed of a series of vertical9 columns thirty feet high. These straight shafts10, of fair proportions, supported an architrave of horizontal slabs11, the overhanging portion of which formed a semi-arch over the sea. At intervals12, under this natural shelter, there spread out vaulted13 entrances in beautiful curves, into which the waves came dashing with foam14 and spray. A few shafts of basalt, torn from their hold by the fury of tempests, lay along the soil like remains15 of an ancient temple, in ruins for ever fresh, and over which centuries passed without leaving a trace of age upon them.
This was our last stage upon the earth. Hans had exhibited great intelligence, and it gave me some little comfort to think then that he was not going to leave us.
On arriving at the door of the rector's house, which was not different from the others, I saw a man shoeing a horse, hammer in hand, and with a leathern apron16 on.
"Sællvertu," said the hunter.
"God dag," said the blacksmith in good Danish.
"Kyrkoherde," said Hans, turning round to my uncle.
"The rector," repeated the Professor. "It seems, Axel, that this good man is the rector."
Our guide in the meanwhile was making the 'kyrkoherde' aware of the position of things; when the latter, suspending his labours for a moment, uttered a sound no doubt understood between horses and farriers, and immediately a tall and ugly hag appeared from the hut. She must have been six feet at the least. I was in great alarm lest she should treat me to the Icelandic kiss; but there was no occasion to fear, nor did she do the honours at all too gracefully17.
The visitors' room seemed to me the worst in the whole cabin. It was close, dirty, and evil smelling. But we had to be content. The rector did not to go in for antique hospitality. Very far from it. Before the day was over I saw that we had to do with a blacksmith, a fisherman, a hunter, a joiner, but not at all with a minister of the Gospel. To be sure, it was a week-day; perhaps on a Sunday he made amends18.
I don't mean to say anything against these poor priests, who after all are very wretched. They receive from the Danish Government a ridiculously small pittance19, and they get from the parish the fourth part of the tithe20, which does not come to sixty marks a year (about £4). Hence the necessity to work for their livelihood21; but after fishing, hunting, and shoeing horses for any length of time, one soon gets into the ways and manners of fishermen, hunters, and farriers, and other rather rude and uncultivated people; and that evening I found out that temperance was not among the virtues22 that distinguished23 my host.
My uncle soon discovered what sort of a man he had to do with; instead of a good and learned man he found a rude and coarse peasant. He therefore resolved to commence the grand expedition at once, and to leave this inhospitable parsonage. He cared nothing about fatigue24, and resolved to spend some days upon the mountain.
The preparations for our departure were therefore made the very day after our arrival at Stapi. Hans hired the services of three Icelanders to do the duty of the horses in the transport of the burdens; but as soon as we had arrived at the crater25 these natives were to turn back and leave us to our own devices. This was to be clearly understood.
My uncle now took the opportunity to explain to Hans that it was his intention to explore the interior of the volcano to its farthest limits.
Hans merely nodded. There or elsewhere, down in the bowels26 of the earth, or anywhere on the surface, all was alike to him. For my own part the incidents of the journey had hitherto kept me amused, and made me forgetful of coming evils; but now my fears again were beginning to get the better of me. But what could I do? The place to resist the Professor would have been Hamburg, not the foot of Snæfell.
One thought, above all others, harassed27 and alarmed me; it was one calculated to shake firmer nerves than mine.
Now, thought I, here we are, about to climb Snæfell. Very good. We will explore the crater. Very good, too, others have done as much without dying for it. But that is not all. If there is a way to penetrate28 into the very bowels of the island, if that ill-advised Saknussemm has told a true tale, we shall lose our way amidst the deep subterranean29 passages of this volcano. Now, there is no proof that Snæfell is extinct. Who can assure us that an eruption30 is not brewing31 at this very moment? Does it follow that because the monster has slept since 1229 he must therefore never awake again? And if he wakes up presently, where shall we be?
It was worth while debating this question, and I did debate it. I could not sleep for dreaming about eruptions32. Now, the part of ejected scoriae and ashes seemed to my mind a very rough one to act.
So, at last, when I could hold out no longer, I resolved to lay the case before my uncle, as prudently33 and as cautiously as possible, just under the form of an almost impossible hypothesis.
I went to him. I communicated my fears to him, and drew back a step to give him room for the explosion which I knew must follow. But I was mistaken.
"I was thinking of that," he replied with great simplicity34.
What could those words mean?—Was he actually going to listen to reason? Was he contemplating35 the abandonment of his plans? This was too good to be true.
After a few moments' silence, during which I dared not question him, he resumed:
"I was thinking of that. Ever since we arrived at Stapi I have been occupied with the important question you have just opened, for we must not be guilty of imprudence."
"No, indeed!" I replied with forcible emphasis.
"For six hundred years Snæfell has been dumb; but he may speak again. Now, eruptions are always preceded by certain well-known phenomena36. I have therefore examined the natives, I have studied external appearances, and I can assure you, Axel, that there will be no eruption."
At this positive affirmation I stood amazed and speechless.
"You don't doubt my word?" said my uncle. "Well, follow me."
I obeyed like an automaton37. Coming out from the priest's house, the Professor took a straight road, which, through an opening in the basaltic wall, led away from the sea. We were soon in the open country, if one may give that name to a vast extent of mounds38 of volcanic39 products. This tract40 seemed crushed under a rain of enormous ejected rocks of trap, basalt, granite41, and all kinds of igneous rocks.
Here and there I could see puffs42 and jets of steam curling up into the air, called in Icelandic 'reykir,' issuing from thermal43 springs, and indicating by their motion the volcanic energy underneath44. This seemed to justify45 my fears: But I fell from the height of my new-born hopes when my uncle said:
"You see all these volumes of steam, Axel; well, they demonstrate that we have nothing to fear from the fury of a volcanic eruption."
"Am I to believe that?" I cried.
"Understand this clearly," added the Professor. "At the approach of an eruption these jets would redouble their activity, but disappear altogether during the period of the eruption. For the elastic46 fluids, being no longer under pressure, go off by way of the crater instead of escaping by their usual passages through the fissures47 in the soil. Therefore, if these vapours remain in their usual condition, if they display no augmentation of force, and if you add to this the observation that the wind and rain are not ceasing and being replaced by a still and heavy atmosphere, then you may affirm that no eruption is preparing."
"But—"
'No more; that is sufficient. When science has uttered her voice, let babblers hold their peace.'
I returned to the parsonage, very crestfallen48. My uncle had beaten me with the weapons of science. Still I had one hope left, and this was, that when we had reached the bottom of the crater it would be impossible, for want of a passage, to go deeper, in spite of all the Saknussemm's in Iceland.
I spent that whole night in one constant nightmare; in the heart of a volcano, and from the deepest depths of the earth I saw myself tossed up amongst the interplanetary spaces under the form of an eruptive rock.
The next day, June 23, Hans was awaiting us with his companions carrying provisions, tools, and instruments; two iron pointed49 sticks, two rifles, and two shot belts were for my uncle and myself. Hans, as a cautious man, had added to our luggage a leathern bottle full of water, which, with that in our flasks50, would ensure us a supply of water for eight days.
It was nine in the morning. The priest and his tall Megæra were awaiting us at the door. We supposed they were standing51 there to bid us a kind farewell. But the farewell was put in the unexpected form of a heavy bill, in which everything was charged, even to the very air we breathed in the pastoral house, infected as it was. This worthy52 couple were fleecing us just as a Swiss innkeeper might have done, and estimated their imperfect hospitality at the highest price.
My uncle paid without a remark: a man who is starting for the centre of the earth need not be particular about a few rix dollars.
This point being settled, Hans gave the signal, and we soon left
Stapi behind us.
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1
lava
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| n.熔岩，火山岩 | |
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igneous
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| adj.火的，火绒的 | |
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plummet
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| vi.(价格、水平等)骤然下跌；n.铅坠；重压物 | |
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disorder
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| n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调 | |
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cones
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| n.（人眼）圆锥细胞；圆锥体( cone的名词复数 )；球果；圆锥形东西；（盛冰淇淋的）锥形蛋卷筒 | |
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regularity
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| n.规律性，规则性；匀称，整齐 | |
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severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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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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10
shafts
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| n.轴( shaft的名词复数 )；（箭、高尔夫球棒等的）杆；通风井；一阵（疼痛、害怕等） | |
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slabs
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| n.厚板，平板，厚片( slab的名词复数 )；厚胶片 | |
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12
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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13
vaulted
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| adj.拱状的 | |
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14
foam
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| v./n.泡沫，起泡沫 | |
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15
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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apron
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| n.围裙；工作裙 | |
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gracefully
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| ad.大大方方地；优美地 | |
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18
amends
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| n. 赔偿 | |
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19
pittance
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| n.微薄的薪水，少量 | |
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20
tithe
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| n.十分之一税；v.课什一税，缴什一税 | |
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livelihood
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| n.生计，谋生之道 | |
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virtues
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| 美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处 | |
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distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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fatigue
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| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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crater
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| n.火山口，弹坑 | |
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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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27
harassed
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| adj. 疲倦的，厌烦的 动词harass的过去式和过去分词 | |
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28
penetrate
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| v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解 | |
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subterranean
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| adj.地下的，地表下的 | |
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30
eruption
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| n.火山爆发；（战争等）爆发；（疾病等）发作 | |
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31
brewing
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| n. 酿造, 一次酿造的量 动词brew的现在分词形式 | |
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32
eruptions
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| n.喷发，爆发( eruption的名词复数 ) | |
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33
prudently
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| adv. 谨慎地，慎重地 | |
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34
simplicity
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| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
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35
contemplating
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| 深思，细想，仔细考虑( contemplate的现在分词 )； 注视，凝视； 考虑接受（发生某事的可能性）； 深思熟虑，沉思，苦思冥想 | |
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phenomena
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| n.现象 | |
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37
automaton
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| n.自动机器，机器人 | |
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38
mounds
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| 土堆，土丘( mound的名词复数 )； 一大堆 | |
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39
volcanic
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| adj.火山的；象火山的；由火山引起的 | |
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tract
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| n.传单，小册子，大片(土地或森林) | |
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granite
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| adj.花岗岩，花岗石 | |
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42
puffs
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| n.吸( puff的名词复数 )；（烟斗或香烟的）一吸；一缕（烟、蒸汽等）；（呼吸或风的）呼v.使喷出( puff的第三人称单数 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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43
thermal
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| adj.热的，由热造成的；保暖的 | |
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underneath
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| adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面 | |
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justify
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| vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护 | |
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46
elastic
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| n.橡皮圈，松紧带；adj.有弹性的；灵活的 | |
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47
fissures
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| n.狭长裂缝或裂隙( fissure的名词复数 )；裂伤；分歧；分裂v.裂开( fissure的第三人称单数 ) | |
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48
crestfallen
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| adj. 挫败的，失望的，沮丧的 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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50
flasks
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| n.瓶，长颈瓶， 烧瓶( flask的名词复数 ) | |
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51
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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52
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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