Shot Out of a Volcano at Last!

Yes: our compass was no longer a guide; the needle flew from pole to pole with a kind of frenzied impulse; it ran round the dial, and spun hither and thither as if it were giddy or intoxicated.

Yes, our compass could no longer guide us. The needle darted frantically from pole to pole. It raced around the dial and spun back and forth as if dizzy or drunk.

I knew quite well that according to the best received theories the mineral covering of the globe is never at absolute rest; the changes brought about by the chemical decomposition of its component parts, the agitation caused by great liquid torrents, and the magnetic currents, are continually tending to disturb it—even when living beings upon its surface may fancy that all is quiet below. A phenomenon of this kind would not have greatly alarmed me, or at any rate it would not have given rise to dreadful apprehensions.

I knew quite well that, according to the most widely accepted theories, the earth’s mineral crust is never completely still. Chemical changes in its components, the movement of great torrents of liquid, and magnetic currents are constantly disturbing it. This happens even when living beings on the surface imagine that all is quiet below. Such a phenomenon would not have alarmed me greatly. At any rate, it would not have filled me with dread.

But other facts, other circumstances, of a peculiar nature, came to reveal to me by degrees the true state of the case. There came incessant and continuous explosions. I could only compare them to the loud rattle of a long train of chariots driven at full speed over the stones, or a roar of unintermitting thunder.

But other strange facts and circumstances gradually revealed to me what was really happening. Explosions sounded without a break. I could only compare them to the loud rattle of a long line of chariots racing over stones, or to a continuous roar of thunder.

Then the disordered compass, thrown out of gear by the electric currents, confirmed me in a growing conviction. The mineral crust of the globe threatened to burst up, the granite foundations to come together with a crash, the fissure through which we were helplessly driven would be filled up, the void would be full of crushed fragments of rock, and we poor wretched mortals were to be buried and annihilated in this dreadful consummation.

Then the compass, thrown out of order by the electric currents, confirmed my growing conviction. The earth’s mineral crust threatened to burst open, and its granite foundations threatened to crash together. The fissure through which we were being helplessly driven would close up. The empty space would fill with crushed rock. And we poor, wretched mortals would be buried and destroyed in this dreadful end.

"My uncle," I cried, "we are lost now, utterly lost!"

"Uncle," I cried, "we're lost now, completely lost!"

"What are you in a fright about now?" was the calm rejoinder. "What is the matter with you?"

"What are you afraid of now?" came the calm reply. "What's the matter with you?"

"The matter? Look at those quaking walls! look at those shivering rocks. Don't you feel the burning heat? Don't you see how the water boils and bubbles? Are you blind to the dense vapours and steam growing thicker and denser every minute? See this agitated compass needle. It is an earthquake that is threatening us."

"What's the matter? Look at those shaking walls! Look at those trembling rocks. Don't you feel the burning heat? Don't you see the water boiling and bubbling? Can't you see the thick vapors and steam getting denser every minute? Look at the compass needle shaking. An earthquake is threatening us."

My undaunted uncle calmly shook his head.

My fearless uncle calmly shook his head.

"Do you think," said he, "an earthquake is coming?"

"Do you think," he said, "an earthquake is coming?"

"I do."

"I do."

"Well, I think you are mistaken."

"Well, I think you're wrong."

"What! don't you recognise the symptoms?"

"What! Don't you recognize the symptoms?"

"Of an earthquake? no! I am looking out for something better."

"An earthquake? No! I'm looking for something better."

"What can you mean? Explain?"

"What do you mean? Explain?"

"It is an eruption, Axel."

"It's an eruption, Axel."

"An eruption! Do you mean to affirm that we are running up the shaft of a volcano?"

"An eruption! Do you mean we're rising up through a volcano's shaft?"

"I believe we are," said the indomitable Professor with an air of perfect self-possession; "and it is the best thing that could possibly happen to us under our circumstances."

"I believe we are," said the determined Professor, perfectly calm. "And under the circumstances, it's the best thing that could possibly happen to us."

The best thing! Was my uncle stark mad? What did the man mean? and what was the use of saying facetious things at a time like this?

The best thing! Was my uncle completely mad? What did he mean? And why make jokes at a time like this?

"What!" I shouted. "Are we being taken up in an eruption? Our fate has flung us here among burning lavas, molten rocks, boiling waters, and all kinds of volcanic matter; we are going to be pitched out, expelled, tossed up, vomited, spit out high into the air, along with fragments of rock, showers of ashes and scoria, in the midst of a towering rush of smoke and flames; and it is the best thing that could happen to us!"

"What!" I shouted. "Are we being carried up in an eruption? Fate has thrown us here among burning lava, molten rocks, boiling water, and all kinds of volcanic material. We are going to be hurled out, expelled, tossed up, vomited, and spit high into the air. We will fly out with fragments of rock and showers of ash and volcanic cinders, amid towering smoke and flames. And it's the best thing that could happen to us!"

"Yes," replied the Professor, eyeing me over his spectacles, "I don't see any other way of reaching the surface of the earth."

"Yes," the Professor replied, looking at me over his glasses, "I don't see any other way to reach the earth's surface."

I pass rapidly over the thousand ideas which passed through my mind. My uncle was right, undoubtedly right; and never had he seemed to me more daring and more confirmed in his notions than at this moment when he was calmly contemplating the chances of being shot out of a volcano!

I will quickly pass over the thousand thoughts that raced through my mind. My uncle was right, undoubtedly right. He had never seemed more daring or more certain of his ideas than he did now. He was calmly considering the chance of being shot out of a volcano!

In the meantime up we went; the night passed away in continual ascent; the din and uproar around us became more and more intensified; I was stifled and stunned; I thought my last hour was approaching; and yet imagination is such a strong thing that even in this supreme hour I was occupied with strange and almost childish speculations. But I was the victim, not the master, of my own thoughts.

Meanwhile, we kept rising. We continued to climb throughout the night. The noise and uproar around us grew louder and louder. I was suffocating and stunned. I thought my final hour was near. Yet imagination is so powerful that even at this dire moment, I was absorbed in strange, almost childish thoughts. But I was a victim of my thoughts, not their master.

It was very evident that we were being hurried upward upon the crest of a wave of eruption; beneath our raft were boiling waters, and under these the more sluggish lava was working its way up in a heated mass, together with shoals of fragments of rock which, when they arrived at the crater, would be dispersed in all directions high and low. We were imprisoned in the shaft or chimney of some volcano. There was no room to doubt of that.

It was clear that a wave from an eruption was carrying us swiftly upward on its crest. Beneath our raft, water was boiling. Below the water, slower-moving lava was rising in a hot mass, along with great quantities of rock fragments. When the fragments reached the crater, they would scatter in all directions, high and low. We were trapped in the shaft, or chimney, of a volcano. There was no doubt about that.

But this time, instead of Snæfell, an extinct volcano, we were inside one in full activity. I wondered, therefore, where could this mountain be, and in what part of the world we were to be shot out.

But this time, we were inside an active volcano, not an extinct one like Snæfell. So I wondered where this mountain was and where in the world we would be shot out.

I made no doubt but that it would be in some northern region. Before its disorders set in, the needle had never deviated from that direction. From Cape Saknussemm we had been carried due north for hundreds of leagues. Were we under Iceland again? Were we destined to be thrown up out of Hecla, or by which of the seven other fiery craters in that island? Within a radius of five hundred leagues to the west I remembered under this parallel of latitude only the imperfectly known volcanoes of the north-east coast of America. To the east there was only one in the 80th degree of north latitude, the Esk in Jan Mayen Island, not far from Spitzbergen! Certainly there was no lack of craters, and there were some capacious enough to throw out a whole army! But I wanted to know which of them was to serve us for an exit from the inner world.

I had no doubt that it would be somewhere in the north. Before the compass began to malfunction, its needle had always pointed north. From Cape Saknussemm, we had been carried due north for hundreds of leagues. Were we under Iceland again? Were we destined to be thrown out of Hecla, or through one of the island’s seven other fiery craters? Within five hundred leagues to the west, at this latitude, I could recall only the little-known volcanoes on the northeast coast of America. To the east, there was only one at 80 degrees north latitude: the Esk on Jan Mayen Island, not far from Spitzbergen! There was certainly no shortage of craters, and some were large enough to throw out a whole army! But I wanted to know which one would serve as our exit from the inner world.

Towards morning the ascending movement became accelerated. If the heat increased, instead of diminishing, as we approached nearer to the surface of the globe, this effect was due to local causes alone, and those volcanic. The manner of our locomotion left no doubt in my mind. An enormous force, a force of hundreds of atmospheres, generated by the extreme pressure of confined vapours, was driving us irresistibly forward. But to what numberless dangers it exposed us!

Toward morning, we began rising faster. If the heat increased instead of decreasing as we neared the earth’s surface, that was due solely to local volcanic causes. The way we were moving left me in no doubt. The extreme pressure of trapped vapors generated an enormous force, hundreds of atmospheres strong, that drove us forward relentlessly. But how many dangers it exposed us to!

Soon lurid lights began to penetrate the vertical gallery which widened as we went up. Right and left I could see deep channels, like huge tunnels, out of which escaped dense volumes of smoke; tongues of fire lapped the walls, which crackled and sputtered under the intense heat.

Soon, a fiery glow began to enter the vertical passage, which widened as we climbed. On either side, I could see deep channels like huge tunnels, pouring out thick clouds of smoke. Tongues of fire licked the walls, which crackled and sputtered in the intense heat.

"See, see, my uncle!" I cried.

"Look, look, Uncle!" I cried.

"Well, those are only sulphureous flames and vapours, which one must expect to see in an eruption. They are quite natural."

"Well, those are only sulfurous flames and vapors, which you would expect to see during an eruption. They are quite natural."

"But suppose they should wrap us round."

"But what if they wrap themselves around us?"

"But they won't wrap us round."

"But they won't wrap around us."

"But we shall be stifled."

"But we'll suffocate."

"We shall not be stifled at all. The gallery is widening, and if it becomes necessary, we shall abandon the raft, and creep into a crevice."

“We won't suffocate at all. The passage is getting wider, and if necessary, we'll leave the raft and crawl into a crevice.”

"But the water—the rising water?"

"But the water, the rising water?"

"There is no more water, Axel; only a lava paste, which is bearing us up on its surface to the top of the crater."

"There is no more water, Axel. There is only a paste of lava, carrying us on its surface to the top of the crater."

The liquid column had indeed disappeared, to give place to dense and still boiling eruptive matter of all kinds. The temperature was becoming unbearable. A thermometer exposed to this atmosphere would have marked 150°. The perspiration streamed from my body. But for the rapidity of our ascent we should have been suffocated.

The column of liquid had indeed disappeared, replaced by dense, still boiling volcanic material of all kinds. The heat was becoming unbearable. A thermometer in the air would have read 150°. Sweat streamed from my body. If we had not been rising so quickly, we would have suffocated.

But the Professor gave up his idea of abandoning the raft, and it was well he did. However roughly joined together, those planks afforded us a firmer support than we could have found anywhere else.

But the Professor gave up the idea of leaving the raft, and it was good that he did. Although the planks were roughly joined, they gave us firmer support than we could have found anywhere else.

About eight in the morning a new incident occurred. The upward movement ceased. The raft lay motionless.

Around eight in the morning, something else happened. The upward movement stopped. The raft lay still.

"What is this?" I asked, shaken by this sudden stoppage as if by a shock.

"What is this?" I asked, shaken by the sudden stop as if it were a shock.

"It is a halt," replied my uncle.

"It's a stop," my uncle replied.

"Is the eruption checked?" I asked.

"Has the eruption stopped?" I asked.

"I hope not."

"I hope not."

I rose, and tried to look around me. Perhaps the raft itself, stopped in its course by a projection, was staying the volcanic torrent. If this were the case we should have to release it as soon as possible.

I stood up and tried to look around. Perhaps the raft had caught on a projection and was blocking the volcanic torrent. If so, we would have to free the raft as soon as possible.

But it was not so. The blast of ashes, scorix, and rubbish had ceased to rise.

But that was not the case. The blast of ashes, scorix, and debris had stopped rising.

"Has the eruption stopped?" I cried.

"Has the eruption stopped?" I cried.

"Ah!" said my uncle between his clenched teeth, "you are afraid. But don't alarm yourself—this lull cannot last long. It has lasted now five minutes, and in a short time we shall resume our journey to the mouth of the crater."

"Ah!" my uncle said through clenched teeth. "You're afraid. But don't worry. This pause can't last long. It's lasted five minutes already, and soon we'll continue our journey to the mouth of the crater."

As he spoke, the Professor continued to consult his chronometer, and he was again right in his prognostications. The raft was soon hurried and driven forward with a rapid but irregular movement, which lasted about ten minutes, and then stopped again.

As he spoke, the Professor kept checking his chronometer, and his predictions proved right again. Soon the raft was driven forward rapidly but unevenly. The movement lasted about ten minutes, then stopped again.

"Very good," said my uncle; "in ten minutes more we shall be off again, for our present business lies with an intermittent volcano. It gives us time now and then to take breath."

"Very good," said my uncle. "We'll be off again in ten minutes. We're dealing with an intermittent volcano, so it gives us time to catch our breath now and then."

This was perfectly true. When the ten minutes were over we started off again with renewed and increased speed. We were obliged to lay fast hold of the planks of the raft, not to be thrown off. Then again the paroxysm was over.

This was perfectly true. After ten minutes, we set off again, faster than before. We had to hold tightly to the raft’s planks to keep from being thrown off. Then the violent burst passed again.

I have since reflected upon this singular phenomenon without being able to explain it. At any rate it was clear that we were not in the main shaft of the volcano, but in a lateral gallery where there were felt recurrent tunes of reaction.

I have since thought about this strange phenomenon, but I cannot explain it. In any case, we were clearly not in the volcano's main shaft. We were in a side passage where recurring tunes of reaction could be felt.

How often this operation was repeated I cannot say. All I know is, that at each fresh impulse we were hurled forward with a greatly increased force, and we seemed as if we were mere projectiles. During the short halts we were stifled with the heat; whilst we were being projected forward the hot air almost stopped my breath. I thought for a moment how delightful it would be to find myself carried suddenly into the arctic regions, with a cold 30° below the freezing point. My overheated brain conjured up visions of white plains of cool snow, where I might roll and allay my feverish heat. Little by little my brain, weakened by so many constantly repeated shocks, seemed to be giving way altogether. But for the strong arm of Hans I should more than once have had my head broken against the granite roof of our burning dungeon.

I cannot say how often this happened. All I know is that each fresh thrust hurled us forward with much greater force. We seemed like mere projectiles. During the short stops, the heat stifled us. As we were hurled forward, the hot air almost took my breath away. For a moment, I imagined how delightful it would be to find myself suddenly carried into the arctic regions, where the temperature was 30° below freezing. My overheated brain conjured up visions of white plains of cool snow, where I could roll and ease my feverish heat. Little by little, my brain, weakened by so many repeated shocks, seemed to be giving way altogether. If not for Hans’s strong arm, I would have smashed my head against the granite roof of our burning dungeon more than once.

I have therefore no exact recollection of what took place during the following hours. I have a confused impression left of continuous explosions, loud detonations, a general shaking of the rocks all around us, and of a spinning movement with which our raft was once whirled helplessly round. It rocked upon the lava torrent, amidst a dense fall of ashes. Snorting flames darted their fiery tongues at us. There were wild, fierce puffs of stormy wind from below, resembling the blasts of vast iron furnaces blowing all at one time; and I caught a glimpse of the figure of Hans lighted up by the fire; and all the feeling I had left was just what I imagine must be the feeling of an unhappy criminal doomed to be blown away alive from the mouth of a cannon, just before the trigger is pulled, and the flying limbs and rags of flesh and skin fill the quivering air and spatter the blood-stained ground.

I therefore have no clear memory of what happened during the next few hours. I have a confused impression of constant explosions, loud blasts, and rocks shaking all around us. At one point, our raft spun helplessly around. It rocked on the stream of lava amid a dense fall of ash. Roaring flames shot their fiery tongues at us. Wild, fierce gusts rose from below, like blasts from vast iron furnaces all blowing at once. I caught a glimpse of Hans, lit by the fire. The only feeling I had left was what I imagine a condemned criminal must feel. He is about to be blown alive from the mouth of a cannon. The trigger is about to be pulled. Then limbs and shreds of flesh and skin fly through the trembling air and spatter the bloodstained ground.