There was light enough to distinguish surrounding objects.
"Well, Axel, what do you say to it?" cried my uncle, rubbing his hands. "Did you ever spend a quieter night in our little house at Königsberg? No noise of cart wheels, no cries of basket women, no boatmen shouting!"
"No doubt it is very quiet at the bottom of this well, but there is something alarming in the quietness itself."
"Now come!" my uncle cried; "if you are frightened already, what will you be by and by? We have not gone a single inch yet into the bowels3 of the earth."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that we have only reached the level of the island, long vertical4 tube, which terminates at the mouth of the crater5, has its lower end only at the level of the sea."
"Are you sure of that?"
In fact, the mercury, which had risen in the instrument as fast as we descended8, had stopped at twenty-nine inches.
"You see," said the Professor, "we have now only the pressure of our atmosphere, and I shall be glad when the aneroid takes the place of the barometer."
And in truth this instrument would become useless as soon as the weight of the atmosphere should exceed the pressure ascertained9 at the level of the sea.
"But," I said, "is there not reason to fear that this ever-increasing pressure will become at last very painful to bear?"
"No; we shall descend7 at a slow rate, and our lungs will become inured11 to a denser12 atmosphere. Aeronauts find the want of air as they rise to high elevations13, but we shall perhaps have too much: of the two, this is what I should prefer. Don't let us lose a moment. Where is the bundle we sent down before us?"
I then remembered that we had searched for it in vain the evening before. My uncle questioned Hans, who, after having examined attentively14 with the eye of a huntsman, replied:
"Der huppe!"
"Up there."
And so it was. The bundle had been caught by a projection15 a hundred feet above us. Immediately the Icelander climbed up like a cat, and in a few minutes the package was in our possession.
"Now," said my uncle, "let us breakfast; but we must lay in a good stock, for we don't know how long we may have to go on."
The biscuit and extract of meat were washed down with a draught16 of water mingled17 with a little gin.
Breakfast over, my uncle drew from his pocket a small notebook, intended for scientific observations. He consulted his instruments, and recorded:
"Monday, July 1.
"Chronometer18, 8.17 a.m.; barometer, 297 in.; thermometer, 6° (43°
F.). Direction, E.S.E."
"Now, Axel," cried the Professor with enthusiasm, "now we are really going into the interior of the earth. At this precise moment the journey commences."
So saying, my uncle took in one hand Ruhmkorff's apparatus20, which was hanging from his neck; and with the other he formed an electric communication with the coil in the lantern, and a sufficiently21 bright light dispersed22 the darkness of the passage.
Hans carried the other apparatus, which was also put into action. This ingenious application of electricity would enable us to go on for a long time by creating an artificial light even in the midst of the most inflammable gases.
"Now, march!" cried my uncle.
Each shouldered his package. Hans drove before him the load of cords and clothes; and, myself walking last, we entered the gallery.
At the moment of becoming engulfed23 in this dark gallery, I raised my head, and saw for the last time through the length of that vast tube the sky of Iceland, which I was never to behold24 again.
The lava, in the last eruption25 of 1229, had forced a passage through this tunnel. It still lined the walls with a thick and glistening26 coat. The electric light was here intensified27 a hundredfold by reflection.
The only difficulty in proceeding28 lay in not sliding too fast down an incline of about forty-five degrees; happily certain asperities29 and a few blisterings here and there formed steps, and we descended, letting our baggage slip before us from the end of a long rope.
But that which formed steps under our feet became stalactites overhead. The lava, which was porous30 in many places, had formed a surface covered with small rounded blisters31; crystals of opaque32 quartz33, set with limpid34 tears of glass, and hanging like clustered chandeliers from the vaulted35 roof, seemed as it were to kindle36 and form a sudden illumination as we passed on our way. It seemed as if the genii of the depths were lighting37 up their palace to receive their terrestrial guests.
"It is magnificent!" I cried spontaneously. "My uncle, what a sight! Don't you admire those blending hues38 of lava, passing from reddish brown to bright yellow by imperceptible shades? And these crystals are just like globes of light."
"Ali, you think so, do you, Axel, my boy? Well, you will see greater splendours than these, I hope. Now let us march: march!"
He had better have said slide, for we did nothing but drop down the steep inclines. It was the facifs descensus Averni of Virgil. The compass, which I consulted frequently, gave our direction as south-east with inflexible39 steadiness. This lava stream deviated40 neither to the right nor to the left.
Yet there was no sensible increase of temperature. This justified41 Davy's theory, and more than once I consulted the thermometer with surprise. Two hours after our departure it only marked 10° (50° Fahr.), an increase of only 4°. This gave reason for believing that our descent was more horizontal than vertical. As for the exact depth reached, it was very easy to ascertain10 that; the Professor measured accurately42 the angles of deviation43 and inclination44 on the road, but he kept the results to himself.
About eight in the evening he signalled to stop. Hans sat down at once. The lamps were hung upon a projection in the lava; we were in a sort of cavern45 where there was plenty of air. Certain puffs46 of air reached us. What atmospheric47 disturbance48 was the cause of them? I could not answer that question at the moment. Hunger and fatigue49 made me incapable50 of reasoning. A descent of seven hours consecutively51 is not made without considerable expenditure52 of strength. I was exhausted53. The order to 'halt' therefore gave me pleasure. Hans laid our provisions upon a block of lava, and we ate with a good appetite. But one thing troubled me, our supply of water was half consumed. My uncle reckoned upon a fresh supply from subterranean54 sources, but hitherto we had met with none. I could not help drawing his attention to this circumstance.
"Are you surprised at this want of springs?" he said.
"More than that, I am anxious about it; we have only water enough for five days."
"Don't be uneasy, Axel, we shall find more than we want."
"When?"
"When we have left this bed of lava behind us. How could springs break through such walls as these?"
"But perhaps this passage runs to a very great depth. It seems to me that we have made no great progress vertically55."
"Why do you suppose that?"
"Because if we had gone deep into the crust of earth, we should have encountered greater heat."
"According to your system," said my uncle. "But what does the thermometer say?"
"Hardly fifteen degrees (59° Fahr), nine degrees only since our departure."
"Well, what is your conclusion?"
"This is my conclusion. According to exact observations, the increase of temperature in the interior of the globe advances at the rate of one degree (1 4/5° Fahr.) for every hundred feet. But certain local conditions may modify this rate. Thus at Yakoutsk in Siberia the increase of a degree is ascertained to be reached every 36 feet. This difference depends upon the heat-conducting power of the rocks. Moreover, in the neighbourhood of an extinct volcano, through gneiss, it has been observed that the increase of a degree is only attained56 at every 125 feet. Let us therefore assume this last hypothesis as the most suitable to our situation, and calculate."
"Well, do calculate, my boy."
"Nothing is easier," said I, putting down figures in my note book. "Nine times a hundred and twenty-five feet gives a depth of eleven hundred and twenty-five feet."
"Very accurate indeed."
"Well?"
"By my observation we are at 10,000 feet below the level of the sea."
"Is that possible?"
"Yes, or figures are of no use."
The Professor's calculations were quite correct. We had already attained a depth of six thousand feet beyond that hitherto reached by the foot of man, such as the mines of Kitz Bahl in Tyrol, and those of Wuttembourg in Bohemia.
The temperature, which ought to have been 81° (178° Fahr.) was scarcely 15° (59° Fahr.). Here was cause for reflection.
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1
lava
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| n.熔岩，火山岩 | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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3
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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4
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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crater
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| n.火山口，弹坑 | |
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barometer
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| n.气压表，睛雨表，反应指标 | |
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7
descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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8
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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9
ascertained
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| v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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10
ascertain
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| vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清 | |
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11
inured
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| adj.坚强的，习惯的 | |
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12
denser
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| adj. 不易看透的, 密集的, 浓厚的, 愚钝的 | |
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13
elevations
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| （水平或数量）提高( elevation的名词复数 )； 高地； 海拔； 提升 | |
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14
attentively
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| adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神 | |
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15
projection
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| n.发射，计划，突出部分 | |
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16
draught
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| n.拉，牵引，拖；一网（饮，吸，阵)；顿服药量，通风；v.起草，设计 | |
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17
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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18
chronometer
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| n.精密的计时器 | |
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19
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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apparatus
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| n.装置，器械；器具，设备 | |
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sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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22
dispersed
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| adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的 | |
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23
engulfed
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| v.吞没，包住( engulf的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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eruption
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| n.火山爆发；（战争等）爆发；（疾病等）发作 | |
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26
glistening
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| adj.闪耀的，反光的v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的现在分词 ) | |
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27
intensified
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| v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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28
proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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29
asperities
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| n.粗暴( asperity的名词复数 )；（表面的）粗糙；（环境的）艰苦；严寒的天气 | |
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porous
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| adj.可渗透的，多孔的 | |
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31
blisters
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| n.水疱( blister的名词复数 )；水肿；气泡 | |
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32
opaque
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| adj.不透光的；不反光的，不传导的；晦涩的 | |
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33
quartz
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| n.石英 | |
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34
limpid
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| adj.清澈的，透明的 | |
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35
vaulted
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| adj.拱状的 | |
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36
kindle
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| v.点燃，着火 | |
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37
lighting
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| n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光 | |
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38
hues
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| 色彩( hue的名词复数 )； 色调； 信仰； 观点 | |
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39
inflexible
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| adj.不可改变的，不受影响的，不屈服的 | |
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40
deviated
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| v.偏离，越轨( deviate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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41
justified
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| a.正当的，有理的 | |
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42
accurately
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| adv.准确地，精确地 | |
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43
deviation
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| n.背离，偏离；偏差，偏向；离题 | |
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44
inclination
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| n.倾斜；点头；弯腰；斜坡；倾度；倾向；爱好 | |
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45
cavern
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| n.洞穴，大山洞 | |
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46
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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47
atmospheric
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| adj.大气的，空气的；大气层的；大气所引起的 | |
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48
disturbance
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| n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调 | |
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49
fatigue
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| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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50
incapable
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| adj.无能力的，不能做某事的 | |
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51
consecutively
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| adv.连续地 | |
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52
expenditure
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| n.(时间、劳力、金钱等)支出；使用，消耗 | |
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53
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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54
subterranean
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| adj.地下的，地表下的 | |
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55
vertically
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| adv.垂直地 | |
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56
attained
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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