Preparing for a Voyage of Discovery

The next morning I awoke feeling perfectly well. I thought a bathe would do me good, and I went to plunge for a few minutes into the waters of this mediterranean sea, for assuredly it better deserved this name than any other sea.

The next morning I woke up feeling perfectly well. I thought a swim would do me good, so I plunged into this mediterranean sea for a few minutes. Surely it deserved that name more than any other sea.

I came back to breakfast with a good appetite. Hans was a good caterer for our little household; he had water and fire at his disposal, so that he was able to vary our bill of fare now and then. For dessert he gave us a few cups of coffee, and never was coffee so delicious.

I came back to breakfast with a good appetite. Hans took good care of the food for our little household. He had water and fire at his disposal, so he could vary our meals now and then. For dessert, he gave us a few cups of coffee. Never had coffee tasted so delicious.

"Now," said my uncle, "now is the time for high tide, and we must not lose the opportunity to study this phenomenon."

"Now," said my uncle, "it is time for high tide. We must not miss the chance to study it."

"What! the tide!" I cried. "Can the influence of the sun and moon be felt down here?"

"What! The tide!" I cried. "Can the sun and moon affect things down here?"

"Why not? Are not all bodies subject throughout their mass to the power of universal attraction? This mass of water cannot escape the general law. And in spite of the heavy atmospheric pressure on the surface, you will see it rise like the Atlantic itself."

"Why not? Doesn't gravity act on every part of every body? This mass of water cannot escape that law. And despite the heavy atmospheric pressure on its surface, you will see the water rise just like the Atlantic itself."

At the same moment we reached the sand on the shore, and the waves were by slow degrees encroaching on the shore.

At the same moment, we reached the sandy shore, and the waves were slowly creeping up it.

"Here is the tide rising," I cried.

"The tide is rising," I cried.

"Yes, Axel; and judging by these ridges of foam, you may observe that the sea will rise about twelve feet."

"Yes, Axel. Judging by these ridges of foam, you can see that the sea will rise about twelve feet."

"This is wonderful," I said.

"This is wonderful," I said.

"No; it is quite natural."

"No, it's quite natural."

"You may say so, uncle; but to me it is most extraordinary, and I can hardly believe my eyes. Who would ever have imagined, under this terrestrial crust, an ocean with ebbing and flowing tides, with winds and storms?"

"You may say so, uncle, but I find it extraordinary. I can hardly believe my eyes. Who would ever have imagined an ocean beneath the Earth's crust, with tides, winds, and storms?"

"Well," replied my uncle, "is there any scientific reason against it?"

"Well," my uncle replied, "is there any scientific reason why it can't happen?"

"No; I see none, as soon as the theory of central heat is given up." "So then, thus far," he answered, "the theory of Sir Humphry Davy is confirmed."

"No, I see none, once the theory of central heat is abandoned." "So, Sir Humphry Davy's theory is confirmed so far," he answered.

"Evidently it is; and now there is no reason why there should not be seas and continents in the interior of the earth."

"Clearly it is. And now there is no reason there can't be seas and continents inside the earth."

"No doubt," said my uncle; "and inhabited too."

"No doubt," said my uncle, "and inhabited too."

"To be sure," said I; "and why should not these waters yield to us fishes of unknown species?"

"Of course," I said. "And why shouldn't we find unknown species of fish in these waters?"

"At any rate," he replied, "we have not seen any yet."

"Anyway," he replied, "we haven't seen any yet."

"Well, let us make some lines, and see if the bait will draw here as it does in sublunary regions."

"Well, let's make some fishing lines and see if the bait attracts fish here as it does on the surface."

"We will try, Axel, for we must penetrate all secrets of these newly discovered regions."

"We will try, Axel, because we must uncover all the secrets of these newly discovered regions."

"But where are we, uncle? for I have not yet asked you that question, and your instruments must be able to furnish the answer."

"But where are we, uncle? I haven't asked you that yet, and your instruments should be able to tell us."

"Horizontally, three hundred and fifty leagues from Iceland."

"Three hundred and fifty leagues horizontally from Iceland."

"So much as that?"

"That much?"

"I am sure of not being a mile out of my reckoning."

"I'm sure my estimate is not off by even a mile."

"And does the compass still show south-east?"

"And does the compass still point southeast?"

"Yes; with a westerly deviation of nineteen degrees forty-five minutes, just as above ground. As for its dip, a curious fact is coming to light, which I have observed carefully: that the needle, instead of dipping towards the pole as in the northern hemisphere, on the contrary, rises from it."

"Yes, with a westward deviation of nineteen degrees and forty-five minutes, just as above ground. As for its dip, I have carefully observed a curious fact. Instead of dipping toward the pole as it does in the northern hemisphere, the needle rises away from it."

"Would you then conclude," I said, "that the magnetic pole is somewhere between the surface of the globe and the point where we are?"

“Do you think, then,” I said, “that the magnetic pole is somewhere between the Earth’s surface and where we are?”

"Exactly so; and it is likely enough that if we were to reach the spot beneath the polar regions, about that seventy-first degree where Sir James Ross has discovered the magnetic pole to be situated, we should see the needle point straight up. Therefore that mysterious centre of attraction is at no great depth."

“Exactly. Sir James Ross discovered that the magnetic pole is in the polar regions, around the seventy-first degree. If we reached the spot beneath it, the needle would likely point straight up. So that mysterious center of attraction is not very deep.”

I remarked: "It is so; and here is a fact which science has scarcely suspected."

I said: "That's true, and here is a fact that science has hardly suspected."

"Science, my lad, has been built upon many errors; but they are errors which it was good to fall into, for they led to the truth."

"Science, my boy, has been built on many mistakes. But it was good to make those mistakes, because they led to the truth."

"What depth have we now reached?"

"How deep are we now?"

"We are thirty-five leagues below the surface."

"We are thirty-five leagues below the surface."

"So," I said, examining the map, "the Highlands of Scotland are over our heads, and the Grampians are raising their rugged summits above us."

"So," I said, looking at the map, "the Scottish Highlands are above us, and the Grampians rise in rugged peaks overhead."

"Yes," answered the Professor laughing. "It is rather a heavy weight to bear, but a solid arch spans over our heads. The great Architect has built it of the best materials; and never could man have given it so wide a stretch. What are the finest arches of bridges and the arcades of cathedrals, compared with this far reaching vault, with a radius of three leagues, beneath which a wide and tempest-tossed ocean may flow at its ease?"

"Yes," the Professor answered, laughing. "It is a heavy weight to bear, but a solid arch spans the space over our heads. The great Architect built it with the best materials. No human could ever have built an arch so wide. How can the finest bridge arches and cathedral arcades compare with this vast vault? Its radius is three leagues, and a wide, storm-tossed ocean can flow freely beneath it."

"Oh, I am not afraid that it will fall down upon my head. But now what are your plans? Are you not thinking of returning to the surface now?"

“Oh, I’m not afraid it will fall on my head. But what are your plans now? Aren’t you thinking of returning to the surface?”

"Return! no, indeed! We will continue our journey, everything having gone on well so far."

"Go back? No, certainly not! We will continue our journey, since everything has gone well so far."

"But how are we to get down below this liquid surface?"

"But how do we get below the surface of this liquid?"

"Oh, I am not going to dive head foremost. But if all oceans are properly speaking but lakes, since they are encompassed by land, of course this internal sea will be surrounded by a coast of granite, and on the opposite shores we shall find fresh passages opening."

"Oh, I’m not going to dive in headfirst. But if all oceans are really just lakes because land surrounds them, then this underground sea must have a granite shore. And on the opposite shore, we’ll find new passages opening up."

"How long do you suppose this sea to be?"

"How long do you think this sea is?"

"Thirty or forty leagues; so that we have no time to lose, and we shall set sail to-morrow."

"Thirty or forty leagues. So we have no time to lose, and we will set sail tomorrow."

I looked about for a ship.

I looked around for a ship.

"Set sail, shall we? But I should like to see my boat first."

"Set sail, shall we? But I'd like to see my boat first."

"It will not be a boat at all, but a good, well-made raft."

"It won't be a boat at all, but a good, well-made raft."

"Why," I said, "a raft would be just as hard to make as a boat, and I don't see—"

"But," I said, "a raft would be just as hard to make as a boat, and I don't see..."

"I know you don't see; but you might hear if you would listen. Don't you hear the hammer at work? Hans is already busy at it."

"I know you can't see, but you could hear if you listened. Don't you hear the hammer? Hans is already working on it."

"What, has he already felled the trees?"

"What, has he already cut down the trees?"

"Oh, the trees were already down. Come, and you will see for yourself."

"Oh, the trees were already down. Come and see for yourself."

After half an hour's walking, on the other side of the promontory which formed the little natural harbour, I perceived Hans at work. In a few more steps I was at his side. To my great surprise a half-finished raft was already lying on the sand, made of a peculiar kind of wood, and a great number of planks, straight and bent, and of frames, were covering the ground, enough almost for a little fleet.

After walking for half an hour, I spotted Hans at work beyond the headland that formed the little natural harbor. A few steps later, I was beside him. To my great surprise, a half-finished raft made of an unusual kind of wood already lay on the sand. Many straight and curved planks and frames covered the ground, almost enough for a small fleet.

"Uncle, what wood is this?" I cried.

"Uncle, what kind of wood is this?" I cried.

"It is fir, pine, or birch, and other northern coniferae, mineralised by the action of the sea. It is called surturbrand, a variety of brown coal or lignite, found chiefly in Iceland."

“It is fir, pine, birch, or other northern conifers mineralized by the sea. It is called surturbrand, a type of brown coal or lignite found mainly in Iceland.”

"But surely, then, like other fossil wood, it must be as hard as stone, and cannot float?"

“But surely, like other fossil wood, it must be as hard as stone and unable to float?”

"Sometimes that may happen; some of these woods become true anthracites; but others, such as this, have only gone through the first stage of fossil transformation. Just look," added my uncle, throwing into the sea one of those precious waifs.

"Sometimes that may happen. Some of these pieces of wood become true anthracite. But others, like this one, have only reached the first stage of fossilization. Just look," my uncle added, throwing one of those precious pieces into the sea.

The bit of wood, after disappearing, returned to the surface and oscillated to and fro with the waves.

The piece of wood disappeared, then returned to the surface and moved back and forth with the waves.

"Are you convinced?" said my uncle.

"Are you convinced?" my uncle said.

"I am quite convinced, although it is incredible!"

"I'm completely convinced, even though it's unbelievable!"

By next evening, thanks to the industry and skill of our guide, the raft was made. It was ten feet by five; the planks of surturbrand, braced strongly together with cords, presented an even surface, and when launched this improvised vessel floated easily upon the waves of the Liedenbrock Sea.

By the next evening, our guide's hard work and skill had completed the raft. It was ten feet long and five feet wide. The surturbrand planks were firmly bound together with cords, forming a level surface. When launched, the makeshift vessel floated easily on the waves of the Liedenbrock Sea.