A Journey to the Interior of the Earth

weight with Professor Liedenbrock. Now there were good ones against the practicability of such a journey. Penetrate to the centre of the earth! What nonsens

iven, Martha was set at liberty, ran off to the market, and did her part so well that in an hour afterwar

ulged in some of those learned jokes which never do anyb

one end of his tab

hen, wearied out with the struggle, I was going to abandon the contest. Where should I have lost myself? None can te

n a good way. Now is the time f

you understand? There are not a few in the scientific world who envy my success, and many wo

there are many people

that document were divulged, a whole army of geologists wo

cle," I replied; "for we have no proof

ok, inside which we

ut does it follow that he has really accomplished such a journey?

e Professor bent his shaggy brows, and I feared I had seriously compromised my own safety. Happily

what we s

do let me exhaust all the possibl

liberty to express your opinions. You are no lon

ace, I wish to ask wha

taris, names which I ha

Petermann, at Liepzig. Nothing could be more apropos. Take down the th

instructions could not fail to find the re

, that of Handersen, and I believe this

over

d which means glacier in Icelandic, and under the high latitude of Iceland nearly all the active volcanoes d

aid I; "but wh

n would be unanswerable; but I

pital? You do. Well; ascend the innumerable fiords that indent those sea-beaten

like a thigh bone with the

y lad. Now do you see anyt

ain rising ou

That is

Sn?f

, one of the most remarkable in the world, if it

hrugging my shoulders, and disgust

the Professor sever

ently filled with lava and b

it is an exti

tin

ery much larger number of extinct ones. Now, Sn?fell is one of these. Since historic times there has been but one eruption of this

ke no reply. I therefore took refuge i

rd Scartaris, and what have the

ne short moment I felt a ray of hope, speedily

ds to the centre of the globe. What did the Icelandic sage do? He observed that at the approach of the kalends of July, that is to say in the last days of June, one of the peaks, called Scartaris, flung its shadow down the mouth o

t was impregnable. I therefore ceased to press him upon that part of the subject, and as above all thing

t learned philosopher did get to the bottom of Sneffels, he has seen the shadow of Scartaris touch the edge of the crater before the kalends of July; he may even have heard the legendary stories to

ason?" said my u

ence demonstrate such a

or in the tone of a meek disciple. "Oh! unpleasant th

laughing at me; but I

e must be a temperature of 360,032 degrees at the centre of the earth. Therefore, all the substances that compose the body of this earth must exist there in a state of incandescent gas; for the metals that most resist

s the heat that

we should have arrived at the limit of the terrestrial crus

f being put into

ve thousandth part of its radius is known; science is eminently perfectible; and every new theory is soon routed by a newer. Was it not always believed until Fourier that the temperature of the interplanetary spaces decreased perpetually? and is it not known at the present time that

stand upon hypotheses, of cours

] existed in the interior of the globe, the fiery gases arising from the fused matter would acquire an elastic force w

s opinion, my unc

, that the interior of the globe is neither gas nor water, nor any of the heavie

res you may pr

oes has diminished since the first days of creation? and if there is cent

into the legion of speculation, I

to the support of my views. Do you remember a visit pai

s not born until nine

mongst other problems, the hypothesis of the liquid structure of the terrestrial nucleus. We were agre

according to the centigrade system, for which we will

ason?" I said, r

ttraction, and therefore twice every day there would be internal tides, wh

on of fire," I replied, "and it is quite reasonable to suppose that the exter

ich have the peculiar property of igniting at the mere contact with air and water; these metals kindled when the atmospheric vapours fell in rain upon the soil; and by and by, when the waters pe

clever hypothesis," I exclai

of our globe; whenever he caused a fine dew of rain to fall upon its surface, it heaved up into little monticules, it became oxydized and formed miniature mountain

or's arguments, besides which he gave additional weig

there is no proof at all for this internal heat; my opinion is that there is no such thing, it cannot be; besides we shall

rried off by his contagious enthusiasm. "Yes, we shall

s light? May we not even expect light from the atmosphere, the pr

id I; "that is

ce, do you hear me? silence upon the whole subject; and let no one g