a journey in other worlds-第2节

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Finding　they　were　not　inconvenienced　by　a　pressure　but　little
greater　than　that　of　a　deep　coal…mine；　they　again　opened　the
port；　whereupon　their　barometer　showed　a　further　rise　to
forty…two；　and　then　remained　stationary。　　Finding　also　that　the
chemical　composition　of　the　air　suited　them；　and　that　they　had　no
difficulty　in　breathing；　the　pressure　being　the　same　as　that
sustained　by　a　diver　in　fourteen　feet　of　water；　they　opened　a
door　and　emerged。　　They　knew　fairly　well　what　to　expect；　and　were
not　disturbed　by　their　new　conditions。　　Though　they　had
apparently　gained　a　good　deal　in　weight　as　a　result　of　their
ethereal　journey；　this　did　not　incommode　them；　for　though
Jupiter's　volume　is　thirteen　hundred　times　that　of　the　earth；　on
account　of　its　lesser　specific　gravity；　it　has　but　three　hundred
times　the　massi。　e。；　it　would　weigh　but　three　hundred　times　as
much。　　Further；　although　a　cubic　foot　of　water　or　anything　else
weighs　2。5　as　much　as　on　earth；　objects　near　the　equator；　on
account　of　Jupiter's　rapid　rotation；　weigh　one　fifth　less　than
they　do　at　the　poles；　by　reason　of　the　centrifugal　force。　
Influenced　by　this　fact；　and　also　because　they　were　483；000；000
miles　from　the　sun；　instead　of　92；000；000　as　on　earth；　they　had
steered　for　the　northern　limit　of　Jupiter's　tropics。　　And；　in
addition　to　this；　they　could　easily　apply　the　apergetic　power　in
any　degree　to　themselves　when　beyond　the　limits　of　the　Callisto；
and　so　be　attracted　to　any　extent；　from　twice　the　pull　they
receive　from　gravitation　on　earth　to　almost　nothing。
　　　
Bearwarden　and　Ayrault　shouldered　their　rifles；　while　Dr。
Cortlandt　took　a　repeating　shot…gun　with　No。　4　shot；　and；　having
also　some　hunting…knives　and　a　sextant；　all　three　set　out　in　a
northwesterly　direction。　　The　ground　was　rather　soft；　and　a　warm
vapor　seemed　to　rise　from　it。　　To　the　east　the　sky　was　veiled　by
dense　clouds　of　smoke　from　the　towering　volcanoes；　while　on　their
left　the　forest　seemed　to　extend　without　limit。　　Clumps　of　huge
ferns　were　scattered　about；　and　the　ground　was　covered　with
curious　tracks。
　　　
〃Jupiter　is　evidently　passing　through　a　Carboniferous　or　Devonian
period　such　as　existed　on　earth；　though；　if　consistent　with　its
size；　it　should　be　on　a　vastly　larger　scale；〃　said　the　doctor。　
〃I　never　believed　in　the　theory；〃　he　continued；　〃that　the　larger
the　planet　the　smaller　should　be　its　inhabitants；　and　always
considered　it　a　makeshift；　put　forward　in　the　absence　of　definite
knowledge；　the　idea　being　apparently　that　the　weight　of　very
large　creatures　would　be　too　great　for　their　strength。　　Of　the
fact　that　mastodons　and　creatures　far　larger　than　any　now　living
on　earth　existed　there；　we　have　absolute　proof；　though
gravitation　must　have　been　practically　the　same　then　as　now。〃
　　　
Just　here　they　came　upon　a　number　of　huge　bones；　evidently　the
remains　of　some　saurian；　and　many　times　the　size　of　a　grown
crocodile。　　On　passing　a　growth　of　most　luxuriant　vegetation；
they　saw　a　half…dozen　sacklike　objects；　and　drawing　nearer
noticed　that　the　tops　began　to　swell；　and　at　the　same　time　became
lighter　in　colour。　　Just　as　the　doctor　was　about　to　investigate
one　of　them　with　his　duck…shot；　the　enormously　inflated　tops　of
the　creatures　collapsed　with　a　loud　report；　and　the　entire　group
soared　away。　　When　about　to　alight；　forty　yards　off；　they
distended　membranous　folds　in　the　manner　of　wings；　which　checked
their　descent；　and　on　touching　the　ground　remained　where　they
were　without　rebound。
　　　
〃We　expected　to　find　all　kinds　of　reptiles　and　birds；〃　exclaimed
the　doctor。　　〃But　I　do　not　know　　how　we　should　class　those
creatures。　　They　seem　to　have　pneumatic　feet　and　legs；　for　their
motion　was　certainly　not　produced　like　that　of　frogs。〃
　　　
When　the　party　came　up　with　them　the　heads　again　began　to　swell。
　　　
〃I　will　perforate　the　air…chamber　of　one；〃　said　Col。　Bearwarden；
withdrawing　the　explosive　cartridge　from　the　barrel　of　his　rifle
and　substituting　one　with　a　solid　ball。　　〃This　will　doubtless
disable　one　so　that　we　can　examine　it。〃
　　　
Just　as　they　were　about　to　rise；　he　shot　the　largest　through　the
neck。　　All　but　the　wounded　one；　soared　off；　while　Bearwarden；
Ayrault；　and　Cortlandt　approached　to　examine　it　more　closely。
　　　
〃You　see；〃　said　Cortlandt；　〃this　vertebratefor　that　is　as
definitely　as　we　can　yet　describe　itforces　a　great　pressure　of
air　into　its　head　and　neck；　which；　by　the　action　of　valves；　it
must　allow　to　rush　into　its　very　rudimentary　lower　extremities；
distending　them　with　such　violence　that　the　body　is　shot　upward
and　forward。　　You　may　have　noticed　the　tightly　inflated　portion
underneath　as　they　left　the　ground。〃
　　　
While　speaking　he　had　moved　rather　near；　when　suddenly　a
partially　concealed　mouth　opened；　showing　the　unmistakable　tongue
and　fangs　of　a　serpent。　　It　emitted　a　hissing　sound；　and　the
small　eyes　gleamed　maliciously。
　　　
〃Do　you　believe　it　is　a　poisonous　species？〃　asked　Ayrault。
　　　
〃I　suspect　it　is；〃　replied　the　doctor；　〃for；　though　it　is
doubtless　able　to　leap　with　great　accuracy　upon　its　prey；　we　saw
it　took　some　time　to　recharge　the　upper　air…chamber；　so　that；
were　it　not　armed　with　poison　glands；　it　would　fall　an　easy
victim　to　its　more　powerful　and　swifter　contemporaries；　and　would
soon　become　extinct。〃
　　　
〃As　it　will　be　unable　to　spring　for　some　time；〃　said　Bearwarden；
〃we　might　as　well　save　it　the　disappointment　of　trying；〃　and；
snapping　the　used　shell　from　his　rifle；　he　fired　an　explosive
ball　into　the　reptile；　whereupon　about　half　the　body　disappeared；
while　a　sickening　odour　arose。　　Although　the　sun　was　still　far
above　the　horizon；　the　rapidity　with　which　it　was　descending
showed　that　the　short　night　of　less　than　five　hours　would　soon　be
upon　them；　and　though　short　it　might　be　very　dark；　for　they　were
in　the　tropics；　and　the　sun；　going　down　perpendicularly；　must
also　pass　completely　around　the　globe；　instead　of；　as　in　northern
latitudes　on　earth　in　summer；　approaching　the　horizon　obliquely；
and　not　going　far　below　it。　　A　slight　and　diffused　sound　here
seemed　to　rise　from　the　ground　all　about　them；　for　which　they
could　not　account。　　Presently　it　became　louder；　and　as　the　sun
touched　the　horizon；　it　poured　forth　in　prolonged　strains。　　The
large　trumpet…shaped　lilies；　reeds；　and　heliotropes　seemed　fairly
to　throb　as　they　raised　their　anthem　to　the　sky　and　the　setting
sun；　while　the　air　grew　dark　with　clouds　of　birds　that　gradually
alighted　on　the　ground；　until；　as　the　chorus　grew　fainter　and
gradually　ceased；　they　flew　back　to　their　nests。　　The　three
companions　had　stood　astonished　while　this　act　was　played。　　The
doctor　then　spoke：
　　　
〃This　is　the　most　marvellous　　development　of　Nature　I　have　seen；
for　its　wonderful　divergence　from；　and　yet　analogy　to；　what　takes
place　on　earth。　　You　know　our　flowers　offer　honey；　as　it　were；　as
bait　to　insects；　that　in　eating　or　collecting　it　they　may　catch
the　pollen　on　their　legs　and　so　carry　it　to　other　flowers；
perhaps　of　the　opposite　sex。　　Here　flowers　evidently　appeal　to
the　sense　of　hearing　instead　of　taste；　and　make　use　of　birds；　of
which　there　are　enormous　numbers；　instead　of　winged　insects；　of
which　I　have　seen　none；　one　being　perhaps　the　natural　result　of
the　other。　　The　flowers　have　become　singers　by　long　practice；　or
else；　those　that　were　most　musical　having　had　the　best　chance　to
reproduce；　we　have　a　neat　illustration　of　the　'survival　of　the
fittest。'　　The　sound　is　doubtless　produced　by　a　shrinking　of　the
fibres　as　the　sun　withdraws　its　heat；　in　which　case　we　may　expect
another　song　at　sunrise；　when　the　same　result　will　be　effected　by
their　expanding。〃
　　　
Searching　for　a　camping…place　in　which　to　pass　the　coming　hours；
they　saw　lights　flitting　about　like　will…o'…the…wisps；　but
brighter　and　intermittent。
　　　
〃They　seem　to　be　as　bright　as　sixteen…candle…power　lamps；　but　the
light　is　yellower；　and　appears　to　emanate　from　a　comparatively
large　surface；　certainly　nine　or　ten　inches　square；〃　said　the
doctor。
　　　
They　soon　gave　up　the　chase；　however；　for　the　lights　were
continually　moving　and　frequently　went　out。　　While　groping　in　the
growing　darkness；　they　came　upon　a　brown　object　about　the　size　of
a　small　dog　and　close　to　the　ground。　　It　flew　off　with　a　humming
insect　sound；　and　as　it　did　so　it　showed　the　brilliant
phosphorescent　glow　they　had　observed。
　　　
〃That　is　a　good…sized　fire…fly；〃　said　Bearwarden。　　〃Evidently　the
insects　here　are　on　the　same　scale　as　everything　else。　　They　are
like　the　fire…flies　in　Cuba；　which　the　Cubans　are　said　to　put
into　a　glass　box　and　get　light　enough　from　to　read　by。　　Here　they
would　need　only　one；　if　it　could　be　induced　to　give　its　light
continuously。〃
　　　
Having　found　an　open　space　on　high　ground；　they　sat　down；　and
Bearwarden　struck　his　repeater；　which；　for　convenience；　had　been
arranged　for　Jupiter　time；　dividing　the　day　into　ten　hours；
beginning　at　noon；　midnight　being　therefore　five　o'clock。
　　　
〃Twenty　minutes　past　four；〃　said　he；　〃which　would　correspond　to
about　a　quarter　to　eleven　on　earth。　　As　the　sun　rises　at
half…past　seven；　it　will　be　dark　about　three　hours；　for　the　time
between　dawn　and　daylight　will；　of　course；　b