A Journey to the Interior of the Earth

rminus of the Kiel railway, which was to carry us t

impedimenta, were unloaded, removed, labelled, weighed, put into the luggage vans, and at seven w

the scenes on the road, rapidly changed by the swiftness o

alone in the carriage, but we sat in silence. My uncle examined all his pockets and his travel

nish consulate with the signature of W. Christiensen, consul at Hamburg and the Profess

p in a secret pocket in his portfolio. I bestowed a maled

a very easy country for the construction of railways, and propitious for

monotony; for in three hours we

after it. Yet the Professor watched every article with jealous vigil

l night. Thence sprang a feverish state of excitement in which the impatient irascible traveller devoted to perdition the railway directors and the steamboat companies and the govern

hin which nestles the little town, exploring the thick woods which make it look like a nest embowered amongst thick foliag

ge shook with the quivering of the struggling steam; we were on board, and owners

d and the throbbing steamer pursued her w

the thick darkness; later on, I cannot tell when, a dazzling light from some lighthouse threw a bri

st of Zealand. There we were transferred from the boat to another line of

My uncle had not shut his eyes all night. In his impatience

iscerned a s

und!" h

ge building that loo

lum," said one of or

r days in; and great as it is, that asylum is not big

ok half an hour, for the station is out of the town. Then my uncle, after a hasty toilet, dragged me after him. The porter at the hotel could speak German and English;

e ancient history of the country might be reconstructed by means of its stone weapons, its cups a

omsen, like a good friend, gave the Professor Liedenbrock a cordial greeting, and he even vouchsafed the same kindness to his nephew. It is hardly nece

osal, and we visited the quays with the ob

. Bjarne, was on board. His intending passenger was so joyful that he almost squeezed his hands till they ached. That good man was rather surprised at his energy. To him it seemed a very simple thing to

on Tuesday, at seven

aving pocketed more dol

msen for his kindness,

nix

fortunate we are to have found this boat ready for saili

which need not alarm any one. Close by, at No. 5, there was a French "restaurant," kept by a

l before the museum, nor that immense cenotaph of Thorwaldsen's, adorned with horrible mural painting, and containing within it a collection of the sculptor's works, nor in a fine park the toylike chateau of Rosenberg, nor t

gate slept peaceably by the red roofing of the warehouse, by the green banks of the strait, through the deep shades of the trees a

far away; and I never

s very much struck with the aspect of a certain church spire situated

on a small steamer which plies on the canals, and i

we arrived at the Vor Frelsers Kirk. There was nothing remarkable about the church; but there was a reason why its tall spire had attracted th

o the top," s

be dizzy,

we should go up; we

ut

you; don't w

t the other end of the street hande

hout alarm, for my head was very apt to feel dizzy; I possess

a hundred and fifty steps the fresh air came to salute my face, and we were on the leads of the tower. There the aerial st

I be able to

up, sir"; said my uncle

re rocking with every gust of wind; my knees began to fail; soon I was crawling on m

ith the assistance of my uncl

ook down well! You must t

while the steeple, the ball and I were all spinning along with fantastic speed. Far away on one side was the green country, on the other the sea sparkled, bathed in sunlight. The Sound stretched away to Elsinore, dotted wit

in dizziness lasted an hour. When I got permission to come down and

l do it again," s

dergo this anti-vertiginous exercise; and whether I would or no