A Journey to the Interior of the Earth

s stomach into a vast unfathomable gulf. There was nothing remarkable in the meal itself; but the hospitality of our host,

atin for my benefit. It turned upon scientific questions as befits philosophers; but Professor Liedenbrock was exces

en wanted to know what success

thing but a few tattered books

s, many of them valuable and scarce, works in the old Scandinavian lang

our eight thousand v

principle is, that books, instead of growing mouldy behind an iron grating, should be worn out under the eyes of many readers. Therefore, these volumes are passed from o

said my uncle rather

reading runs in Icelandic blood. In 1816 we founded a prosperous literary society; learned strangers think themselves honoured in becoming members of it. It publishes books wh

ndred learned societies, accepted with a gr

l me what books you hoped to find in our librar

irect question went to the root of the matter. But

if amongst your ancient books you posses

sor. "You mean that learned sixteenth century s

st

of Icelandic liter

's th

rious man

ite

rage was equal

t you know

ing his hero thus described. He feaste

ied, "where a

, we have

ot in I

r in Iceland nor

is

for heresy, and in 1573 his books were b

uncle, to the great scandal of

!" he

mm, put into the Index Expurgatorius, and compelled to hide the discoveries made

asked M. Fridri

ret which-" my

document in your poss

only suppos

he subject when he had noticed the embarrassment of his friend. "I hope you w

"but I am rather late; or have

ientific mission of MM. Gaimard and Robert on the French corvette La Recherche, [1] and lately the observations of scientific

ng to look very modest, and trying to hide

to study, which are as yet but imperfectly known! Then, without

as coolly as he was a

lcanoes, and the crater of which

t ext

e than five h

o keep himself from jumping up in the air, "that is where I mean to begin

ed the excellent

at seeing my uncle trying to keep down the excitement and satisfaction which were brimming over in every limb and eve

to learn the fate of the lost expedition of M. de Blos

words decide me. We

we may pursue our st

ments will not allow me to absent myself, or I would ha

r the world, M. Fridrikssen. Still, I thank you with all my heart: the company of suc

innocence of his Icelandic soul, was blin

of your beginning w

gather a harvest of in

ou expect to get to th

the bay. That's th

but it is i

hy

possess a single b

t mean to

following the shore. It will b

d now I shall have t

one to o

intelli

. He is an eider-down hunter, and ver

an I se

ow, if y

not t

n't be here ti

n," added my un

this dinner my uncle had just elicited important facts, amongst others, the history of Saknussemm, the reason of the mysterious