a journey in other worlds-第21节

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spring；　in　which　the　water　was　at　about　blood…heat；　they　prepared
for　breakfast　by　taking　a　bath；　and　then　found　they　had　brought
nothing　to　eat。
　　　
〃It　was　stupid　of　us　not　to　think　of　it；〃　said　Bearwarden；　〃yet
it　will　be　too　much　out　of　our　way　to　return　to　the　Callisto。〃
　　　
〃We　have　two　rifles　and　a　gun；〃　said　Ayrault；　〃and　have　also
plenty　of　water；　and　wood　for　a　fire。　　All　we　need　is　game。〃
　　　
〃The　old　excuse；　that　it　has　been　already　shot　out；　cannot　hold
here；〃　said　Cortlandt。
　　　
〃Seeing　that　we　have　neither　wings　nor　pneumatic　legs；　and　not
knowing　the　advantage　given　us　by　our　rifles；〃　added　Bearwarden；
〃it　should　not　be　shy　either。　　So　far；〃　he　continued；　〃we　have
seen　nothing　edible；　though　just　now　we　should　not　be　too
particular；　but　near　a　spring　like　this　that　kind　must　exist。〃
　　　
〃The　question　is；〃　said　the　professor；　〃whether　the　game　like
warm　water。　　If　we　can　follow　this　stream　till　it　has　been　on　the
surface　for　some　time；　or　till　it　spreads　out；　we　shall　doubtless
find　a　huntsman's　paradise。〃
　　　
〃A　bright　idea；〃　said　Bearwarden。　　〃Let's　have　our　guns　ready；
and；　as　old　Deepwaters　would　say；　keep　our　weather　eye　open。〃
　　　
The　stream　flowed　off　in　a　southeasterly　direction；　so　that　by
following　it　they　went　towards　the　volcanoes。
　　　
〃It　is　hard　to　realize；〃　said　the　professor；　〃that　those
mountains　must　be　several　hundred　miles　away；　for　the　reason　that
they　are　almost　entirely　above　the　horizon。　　This　apparent
flatness　and　wide　range　of　vision　is　of　course　the　result　of
Jupiter's　vast　size。　　With　sufficiently　keen　sight；　or　aided　by　a
good　glass；　there　is　no　reason　why　one　should　not　see　at　least
five　hundred　miles；　with　but　a　slight　elevation。〃
　　　
〃It　is　surprising；〃　said　Ayrault；　〃that　in　what　is　evidently
Jupiter's　Carboniferous　period　the　atmosphere　should　be　so　clear。　
Our　idea　has　been　that　at　that　time　on　earth　the　air　was　heavy
and　dense。〃
　　　
〃So　it　was；　and　doubtless　is　here；〃　replied　Cortlandt；　〃but　you
must　remember　that　both　those　qualities　would　be　given　it　by
carbonic…acid　gas；　which　is　entirely　invisible　and　transparent。　
No　gas　that　would　be　likely　to　remain　in　the　air　would　interfere
with　sight；　water　vapour　is　the　only　thing　that　could；　and　though
the　crust　of　this　planet；　even　near　the　surface；　is　still　hot；
the　sun　being　so　distant；　the　vapour　would　not　be；　raised　much。　
By　avoiding　low　places　near　hot　springs；　we　shall　doubtless　have
very　nearly　as　clear　an　atmosphere　as　on　earth。　　What　does
surprise　me　is　the　ease　with　which　we　breathe。　　I　can　account　for
it　only　by　supposing　that；　the　Carboniferous　period　being　already
well　advanced；　most　of　the　carbonic　acid　is　already　locked　up　in
the　forests　or　in　Jupiter's　coal…beds。〃
　　　
〃How；　asked　Bearwarden；　〃do　you　account　for　the　'great　red　spot'
that　appeared　here　in　1878；　lasted　several　years；　and　then
gradually　faded？　　It　was　taken　as　unmistakable　evidence　that
Jupiter's　atmosphere　was　filled　with　impenetrable　banks　of　cloud。　
In　fact；　you　remember　many　of　the　old　books　said　we　had　probably
never　seen　the　surface。〃
　　　
〃That　has　puzzled　me　very　much；〃　replied　Cortlandt；　〃but　I　never
believed　the　explanation　then　given　was　correct。　　The
Carboniferous　period　is　essentially　one　of　　great　forest　growth；
so　there　would　be　nothing　out　of　the　way　in　supposing　the　spot；
notwithstanding　its　length　of　twenty…seven　thousand　miles　and　its
breadth　of　eight　thousand　miles；　to　have　been　forest。　　It
occurred　in　what　would　correspond　to　the　temperate　region　on
earth。　　Now；　though　the　axis　of　this　planet　is　practically
straight；　the　winds　of　course　change　their　direction；　and　so　the
temperature　does　vary　from　day　to　day。　　What　is　more　probable
than　that；　owing　perhaps　to　a　prolonged　norther　or　cold　spell；　a
long　strip　of　forest　lying　near　the　frost　line　was　brought　a　few
degrees　below　it；　so　that　the　leaves　changed　their　colours　as
they　do　on　earth？　　It　would；　it　seems　to　me；　be　enough　to　give
the　surface　a　distinct　colour；　and　the　fact　that　the　spot's
greatest　length　was　east　and　west；　or　along　the　lines　of
latitude；　so　that　the　whole　of　that　region　might　have　been
exposed　to　the　same　conditions　of　temperature；　strengthens　this
hypothesis。　　The　strongest　objection　is；　that　the　spot　is　said　to
have　moved；　but　the　motionfive　secondswas　so　slight　that　it
might　easily　have　been　an　error　in　observation；　or　the　first　area
affected　by　the　cold　may　have　been　enlarged　on　one　side。　　It
seems　to　me　that　the　stability　the　spot　DID　have　would　make　the
cloud　theory　impossible　on　earth；　and　much　more　so　here；　with　the
far　more　rapid　rotation　and　more　violent　winds。　　It　may　also　have
been　a　cloud　of　smoke　from　a　volcano　in　eruption；　such　as　we　saw
on　our　arrival；　though　it　is　doubtful　whether　in　that　case　it
would　have　remained　nearly　stationary　while　going　through　its
greatest　intensity　and　fading；　which　would　look　as　though　the
turned　leaves　had　fallen　off　and　been　gradually　replaced　by　new
ones；　and；　in　addition　to　this；　the　spot　since　it　was　first
noticed　has　never　entirely　disappeared；　which　might　mean　a
volcanic　region　constantly　emitting　smoke；　or　that　the　surface；
doubtless　from　some　covering　whose　colour　can　change；　is　normally
of　a　different　shade　from　the　surrounding　region。　　In　any　case；
we　have　as　yet　seen　nothing　that　would　indicate　a　permanently
clouded　atmosphere。〃
　　　
Though　they　had　walked　a　considerable　distance；　the　water　was　not
much　cooled；　and　though　the　stream's　descent　was　so　slight　that
on　earth　its　current　would　have　been　very　slow；　here　it　rushed
along　like　a　mountain　torrent；　the　reason；　of　course；　being　that
a　given　amount　of　water　on　Jupiter　would　depress　a　spring　balance
2。55　times　as　much　as　on　the　earth。
　　　
〃It　is　strange；〃　said　Ayrault；　〃that；　notwithstanding　its　great
speed；　the　water　remains　so　hot；　you　would　think　its　motion　would
cool　it。〃
　　　
〃So　it　does；〃　answered　the　professor。　　〃It　of　course　cools
considerably　more　in　a　given　periodas；　for　instance；　one
minutethan　if　it　were　moving　more　slowly；　but　on　account　of　its
speed　it　has　been　exposed　to　the　air　but　a　very　short　time　since
leaving　the　spring。〃
　　　
Just　before　them　the　stream　now　widened　into　a　narrow　lake；　which
they　could　see　was　straight　for　some　distance。
　　　
〃The　fact　is；〃　said　Bearwarden；　〃this　water　seems　in　such　haste
to　reach　the　ocean　that　it　turns　neither　to　right　nor　to　left；
and　does　not　even　seem　to　wish　to　widen　out。〃
　　　
As　the　huge　ferns　and　palms　grew　to　the　water's　edge；　they
concluded　the　best　way　to　traverse　the　lake　would　be　on　a　raft。　
Accordingly；　choosing　a　large　overhanging　palm；　Bearwarden　and
Ayrault　fired　each　an　explosive　ball　into　its　trunk；　about
eighteen　inches　from　the　ground。　　One　round　was　enough　to　put　it
in　the　water；　each　explosion　removing　several　cubic　feet　of　wood。　
By　repeating　this　process　on　other　trees　they　soon　had　enough
large　timber　for　buoyancy；　so　that　they　had　but　to　superimpose
lighter　cross…logs　and　bind　the　whole　together　with　pliable
branches　and　creepers　to　form　a　substantial　raft。　　The　doctor
climbed　on；　after　which　Bearwarden　and　Ayrault　cast　off；　having
prepared　long　poles　for　navigating。　　With　a　little　care　they　kept
their　bark　from　catching　on　projecting　roots；　and　as　the　stream
continued　to　widen　till　it　was　about　one　hundred　yards　across；
their　work　became　easy。　　Carried　along　at　a　speed　of　two　or　three
miles　an　hour；　they　now　saw　that　the　water　and　the　banks　they
passed　were　literally　alive　with　reptiles　and　all　sorts　of
amphibious　creatures；　while　winged　lizards　sailed　from　every
overhanging　branch　into　the　water　as　they　approached。　　They
noticed　also　many　birds　similar　to　storks　and　cranes；　about　the
size　of　ostriches；　standing　on　logs　in　the　water；　whose　bills
were　provided　with　teeth。
　　　
〃We　might　almost　think　we　were　on　earth；〃　said　Ayrault；　〃from　the
looks　of　those　storks　standing　on　one　leg；　with　the　other　drawn
up；　were　it　not　for　their　size。〃
　　　
〃How　do　you　suppose　they　defend　themselves；〃　asked　Bearwarden；
〃from　the　snakes　with　which　the　water　is　filled？〃
　　　
〃I　suspect　they　can　give　a　pretty　good　account　of　themselves；〃
replied　Cortlandt；　〃with　those　teeth。　　Besides；　with　only　one　leg
exposed；　there　is　but　a　very　small　object　for　a　snake　to　strike
at。　　For　their　number　and　size；　I　should　say　their　struggle　for
existence　was　comparatively　mild。　　Doubtless　non…poisonous；　or；
for　that　matter；　poisonous　snakes；　form　a　great　part　of　their
diet。〃
　　　
On　passing　the　bend　in　the　lake　they　noticed　that　the　banks　were
slightly　higher；　while　palms；　pine…trees；　and　rubber　plants
succeeded　the　ferns。　　In　the　distance　they　now　heard　a　tremendous
crashing；　which　grew　louder　as　the　seconds　passed。　　It　finally
sounded　like　an　earthquake。　　Involuntarily　they　held　their　breath
and　grasped　their　weapons。　　Finally；　at　some　distance　in　the
woods　they　saw　a　dark　mass　moving　rapidly　and　approaching　the
river　obliquely。　　Palms　and　pine…trees　went　down　before　it　like
straws；　while　its　head　was　continually　among　the　upper　branches。　
As　the　monster　neared　the　lake；　the　water　at　the　edges　quivered；
showing　how　its　weight　shook　the　banks　at　each　stride；