a journey in other worlds-第28节

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later；　to　see　the　sunlight　reflected　from　the　projectile's
polished　roof。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　X。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHANGING　LANDSCAPES。

On　reaching　the　Callisto；　Ayrault　worked　the　lock　he　had　had
placed　on　the　lower　door；　which；　to　avoid　carrying　a　key；　was
opened　by　a　combination。　　The　car's　interior　was　exactly　as　they
had　left　it；　and　they　were　glad　to　be　in　it　again。
　　　
〃Now；〃　said　Bearwarden；　〃we　can　have　a　sound　and
undisturbed　sleep；　which　is　what　I　want　more　than
anything　else。　　No　prowlers　can　trouble　us　here；　and　we
shall　not　need　the　protection…wires。〃
　　　
They　then　opened　a　window　in　each　sidefor　the　large　glass
plates；　admitting　the　sun　when　closed；　made　the　Callisto　rather
warmand　placed　a　stout　wire　netting　within　them　to　keep　out
birds　and　bats；　and　then；　though　it　was　but　little　past　noon；　got
into　their　comfortable　beds　and　slept　nine　hours　at　a　stretch。　
Their　strong　metal　house　was　securely　at　rest；　receiving　the
sunlight　and　shedding　the　rain　and　dew　as　it　might　have　done　on
earth。　　No　winds　or　storms；　lightnings　or　floods；　could　trouble
it；　while　the　multiformed　monsters　of　antiquity　and　mythology
restored　in　life；　with　which　the　terrestrials　had　been　thrown
into　such　close　contact；　roamed　about　its　polished　walls。　　Not
even　the　fiercest　could　affect　them；　and　they　would　but　see
themselves　reflected　in　any　vain　assaults。　　The　domed　symmetrical
cylinder　stood　there　as　a　monument　to　human　ingenuity　and　skill；
and　the　travellers'　last　thought　as　they　fell　asleep　was；　〃Man　is
really　lord　of　creation。〃
　　　
The　following　day　at　about　noon　they　awoke；　and　had　a　bath　in　the
warm　pool。　　They　saw　the　armoured　mass　of　the　great　ant　evidently
undisturbed；　while　the　bodies　of　its　victims　were　already　shining
skeletons；　and　raised　a　small　cairn　of　stones　in　memory　of　the
struggle　they　had　had　there。
　　　
〃We　should　name　this　place　Kentucky；〃　said　Bearwarden；　〃for　it　is
indeed　a　dark　and　bloody　ground；〃　and；　seeing　the　aptness　of　the
appellation；　they　entered　it　so　on　their　charts。　　While　Ayrault
got　the　batteries　in　shape　for　resuming　work。　　Bearwarden
prepared　a　substantial　breakfast。　　This　consisted　of　oatmeal　and
cream　kept　hermetically　sealed　in　glass；　a　dish　of　roast　grouse；
coffee；　pilot　bread；　a　bottle　of　Sauterne；　and　another　of　Rhine
wine。
　　　
〃This　is　the　last　meal　we　shall　take　hereabouts；〃　said　their
cook；　as　they　plied　their　knives　and　forks　beneath　the　trees；　〃so
here　is　a　toast　to　our　adventures；　and　to　all　the　game　we　have
killed。〃　　They　drained　their　glasses　in　drinking　this；　after
which　Bearwarden　regaled　them　with　the　latest　concert…hall　song
which　he　had　at　his　tongue's　end。
　　　
About　an　hour　before　dark　they　re…entered　their　projectile；　and；
as　a　mark　of　respect　to　their　little　ship；　named　the　great　branch
of　the　continent　on　which　they　had　alighted　Callisto　Point。　　They
then　got　under　way。　　The　batteries　had　to　develop　almost　their
maximum　power　to　overcome　Jupiter's　attraction；　but　they　were
equal　to　the　task；　and　the　Callisto　was　soon　in　the　air。　
Directing　their　apergy　to　the　mountains　towards　the　interior　of
the　continent；　and　applying　repulsion　to　any　ridge　or　hill　over
which　they　passed；　thereby　easing　the　work　of　the　batteries
engaged　in　supporting　the　Callisto；　they　were　soon　sweeping　along
at　seventy…five　to　one　hundred　miles　an　hour。　　By　keeping　the
projectile　just　strongly　enough　charged　to　neutralize
gravitation；　they　remained　for　the　most　part　within　two　hundred
feet　of　the　ground；　seldom　rising　to　an　altitude　of　more　than　a
mile；　and　were　therefore　able　to　keep　the　windows　at　the　sides
open　and　so　obtain　an　unobstructed　view。　　If；　however；　at　any
time　they　felt　oppressed　by　Jupiter's　high　barometric　pressure；
and　preferred　the　terrestrial　conditions；　they　had　but　to　rise
till　the　barometer　fell　to　thirty。　　Then；　if　an　object　of
interest　recalled　them　to　sea…level；　they　could　keep　the
Callisto's　inside　pressure　at　what　they　found　on　the　Jovian
mountains；　by　screwing　up　the　windows。　　On　account　of　the
distance　of　sixty…four　thousand　miles　from　Jupiter's　equator　to
the　pole；　they　calculated　that　going　at　the　speed　of　a　hundred
miles　an　hour；　night　and　day；　it　would　take　them　twenty…five
terrestrial　days　to　reach　the　pole　even　from　latitude　two　degrees
at　which　they　started。　　But　they　knew　that；　if　pressed　for　time；
they　could　rise　above　the　limits　of　the　atmosphere；　and　move　with
planetary　speed；　while；　if　they　wished　a　still　easier　method　of
pursuing　their　observation；　they　had　but　to　remain　poised　between
the　sun　and　Jupiter；　beyond　the　latter's　upper　air；　and
photograph　or　map　it　as　it　revolved　before　them。
　　　
By　sunset　they　had　gone　a　hundred　miles。　　Wishing　to　push　along；
they　closed　the　windows；　rose　higher　to　avoid　any　mountain…tops
that　might　be　invisible　in　the　moonlight；　and　increased　their
speed。　　The　air　made　a　gentle　humming　sound　as　they　shot　through
it；　and　towards　morning　they　saw　several　bright　points　of　light
in　which　they　recognized；　by　the　aid　of　their　glasses；　sheets　of
flame　and　torrents　of　molten　glowing　lava；　bursting　at　intervals
or　pouring　steadily　from　several　volcanoes。　　From　this　they
concluded　they　were　again　near　an　ocean；　since　volcanoes　need　the
presence　of　a　large　body　of　water　to　provide　steam　for　their
eruptions。
　　　
With　the　rising　sun　they　found　the　scene　of　the　day　before
entirely　changed。　　They　were　over　the　shore　of　a　vast　ocean　that
extended　to　the　left　as　far　as　they　could　see；　for　the　range　of
vision　often　exceeded　the　power　of　sight。　　The　coast…line　ran
almost　due　north　and　south；　while　the　volcanoes　that　dotted　it；
and　that　had　been　luminous　during　the　night；　now　revealed　their
nature　only　by　lines　of　smoke　and　vapours。　　They　were　struck　by
the　boldness　and　abruptness　of　the　scenery。　　The　mountains　and
cliffs　had　been　but　little　cut　down　by　water　and　frost　action；
and　seemed　in　the　full　vigour　of　their　youth；　which　was　what　the
travellers　had　a　right　to　expect　on　a　globe　that　was　still
cooling　and　shrinking；　and　consequently　throwing　up　ridges　in　the
shape　of　mountains　far　more　rapidly　than　a　planet　as　matured　and
quiescent　as　the　earth。　　The　absence　of　lakes　also　showed　them
that　there　had　been　no　Glacial　period；　in　the　latitudes　they　were
crossing；　for　a　very　long　time。
　　　
〃We　can　account　for　the　absence　of　ice…action　and　scratches；〃
said　Cortlandt；　〃in　one　of　two　ways。　　Either　the　proximity　of　the
internal　heat　to　the　surface　prevents　water　from　freezing　in　all
latitudes；　or　Jupiter's　axis　has　always　been　very　nearly
perpendicular　to　its　orbit；　and　consequently　the　thermometer　has
never　been　much　below　thirty…two　degrees　Fahrenheit；　for；　at　the
considerable　distance　we　are　now　from　the　sun；　it　is　easy　to
conceive　that；　with　the　axis　much　inclined；　there　might　be　cold
weather；　during　the　Northern　hemisphere's　winter；　that　would　last
for　about　six　of　our　years；　even　as　near　the　equator　as　this。　
The　substantiation　of　an　ice…cap　at　the　pole　will　disprove　the
first　hypothesis；　for　what　we　took　for　ice　before　alighting　may
have　been　but　banks　of　cloud；　since；　having　been　in　the　plane　of
the　planet's　equator　at　the　time；　we　had　naturally　but　a　very
oblique　view　of　the　poles；　while　the　absence　of　glacial　scratches
shows；　I　take　it；　that　though　the　axis　may　have　been　a　good　deal
more　inclined　than　at　present；　it　has　not；　at　all　events　since
Jupiter's　Palaeozoic　period；　been　as　much　so　as　that　of　Uranus　or
Venus。　　The　land　on　Jupiter；　corresponding　to　the　Laurentian
Hills　on　earth；　must　even　here　have　appeared　at　so　remote　a
period　that　the　first　surface　it　showed　must　long　since　have　been
worn　away；　and　therefore　any　impressions　it　received　have　also
been　erased。

〃Comparing　this　land　with　the　photographs　we　took　from　space；　I
should　say　it　is　the　eastern　of　the　two　crescent…shaped
continents　we　found　apparently　facing　each　other。　　Their　present
form　I　take　to　be　only　the　skeleton　outline　of　what　they　will　be
at　the　next　period　of　Jupiter's　development。　　They　will；　I
predict；　become　more　like　half　moons　than　crescents；　though　the
profile　may　be　much　indented　by　gulfs　and　bays；　their　superficial
area　being　greatly　increased；　and　the　intervening　ocean
correspondingly　narrowed。　　We　know　that　North　America　had　a　very
different　shape　during　the　Cretaceous　or　even　the　Middle　Tertiary
period　from　what　it　has　now；　and　that　the　Gulf　of　Mexico　extended
up　the　valley　of　the　Mississippi　as　far　as　the　Ohio；　by　the
presence　of　a　great　coral　reef　in　the　Ohio　River　near　Cincinnati。　
We　know　also　that　Florida　and　the　Southeastern　Atlantic　States
are　a　very　recent　addition　to　the　continent；　while　the　pampas　of
the　Argentine　Republic　have；　in　a　geological　sense；　but　just　been
upheaved　from　the　sea；　by　the　fact　that　the　rivers　are　all　on　the
surface；　not　having　had　time　to　cut　down　their　channels　below　the
surrounding　country。　　By　similar　reasoning；　we　know　that　the
canon　of　the　Colorado　is　a　very　old　region；　though　the
precipitateness　of　its　banks　is　due　to　the　absence　of　rain；　for　a
local　water…supply　would　cut　back　the　banks；　having　most　effect
where　they　were　steepest；　since　at　those