a journey in other worlds-第39章

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〃It　would　take　good　navigation　or　an　elaborate　system　of
light…houses；〃　said　Bearwarden；　〃for　a　captain　to　find　the
shortest　course　through　these　groups。〃　　　　　

The　islands　were　covered　with　shade　trees　much　resembling　those
on　earth；　and　the　leaves　on　many　were　turning　yellow　and　red；　for
this　hemisphere's　autumn　had　already　begun。　　　　　

〃The　Jovian　trees；〃　said　Cortlandt；　〃can　never　cease　to　bear；
though　the　change　of　seasons　is　evidently　able　to　turn　their
colour；　perhaps　by　merely　ripening　them。　　When　a　ripe　leaf　falls
off；　its　place　is　doubtless　soon　taken　by　a　bud；　for　germination
and　fructification　go　on　side　by　side。〃　　　　

Before　leaving；　they　decided　to　name　this　Twentieth　Century
Archipelago；　since　so　much　of　the　knowledge　appertaining　to　it
had　been　acquired　in　their　own　day。　　At　latitude　sixty　the
northern　arms　of　the　two　continents　came　within　fifteen　hundred
miles　of　each　other。　　The　eastern　extension　was　split　like　the
tail　of　a　fish；　the　great　bay　formed　thereby　being　filled　with
islands；　which　also　extended　about　half　of　the　distance　across。　
The　western　extremity　shelved　very　gradually；　the　sand…bars
running　out　for　miles　just　below　the　surface　of　the　water。
　　　
After　this　the　travellers　flew　northward　at　great　speed　in　the
upper　regions　of　the　air；　for　they　were　anxious　to　hasten　their
journey。　　They　found　nothing　but　unbroken　sea；　and　not　till　they
reached　latitude　eighty…seven　was　there　a　sign　of　ice。　　They　then
saw　some　small　bergs　and　field　ice；　but　in　no　great　quantities。　
As　their　outside　thermometer；　when　just　above　the　placid
waterfor　there　were　no　waves　hereregistered　twenty…　one
degrees　Fahrenheit；　they　accounted　for　this　scarcity　of　ice　by
the　absence　of　land　on　which　fresh　water　could　freeze；　and　by　the
fact　that　it　was　not　cold　enough　to　congeal　the　very　salt
sea…water。
　　　
Finally　they　reached　another　archipelago　a　few　hundred　miles　in
extent；　the　larger　islands　of　which　were　covered　with　a　sheet　of
ice；　at　the　edges　of　which　small　icebergs　were　being　formed　by
breaking　off　and　slowly　floating。　　Finding　a　small　island　on
which　the　coating　was　thin；　they　grounded　the　Callisto；　and
stepped　out　for　the　first　time　in　several　days。　　The　air　was　so
still　that　a　small　piece　of　paper　released　at　a　height　of　six
feet　sank　slowly　and　went　as　straight　as　the　string　of　a
plumb…line。　　The　sun　was　bisected　by　the　line　of　the　horizon；　and
appeared　to　be　moving　about　them　in　a　circle；　with　only　its　upper
half　visible。　　As　Jupiter's　northern　hemisphere　was　passing
through　its　autumnal　equinox；　they　concluded　they　had　landed
exactly　at　the　pole。

〃Now　to　work　on　our　experiment；〃　said　Cortlandt。　〃I　wonder　how　we
may　best　get　below　the　frozen　surface？〃
　　
〃We　can　explode　a　small　quantity　of　dynamite；〃　replied
Bearwarden；　〃after　which　the　digging　will　be　comparatively　easy。〃
　　　
While　Cortlandt　and　Bearwarden　prepared　the　mine；　Ayrault　brought
out　a　pickaxe；　two　shovels；　and　the　battery　and　wires　with　which
to　ignite　the　explosive。　　They　made　their　preparations　within　one
hundred　feet　of　the　Callisto；　or　much　nearer　than　an　equivalent
amount　of　gunpowder　could　have　been　discharged。
　　　
〃This　recalls　an　old　laboratory　experiment；　or　rather　lecture；〃
said　Cortlandt；　as　they　completed　the　arrangements；　〃for　the
illustration　is　not　as　a　rule　carried　out。　　Explode　two　pounds　of
powder　on　an　iron　safe　in　a　room　with　the　windows　closed；　and　the
windows　will　be　blown　out；　while　the　safe　remains　uninjured。　
Explode　an　equivalent　amount　of　dynamite　on　top　of　the　safe；　and
it　will　be　destroyed；　while　the　glass　panes　are　not　even　cracked。　
This　illustrates　the　difference　in　rapidity　with　which　the
explosions　take　place。　　To　the　intensely　rapid　action　of　dynamite
the　air　affords　as　much　resistance　as　a　solid　substance；　while
the　explosion　of　the　powder　is　so　slow　that　the　air　has　time　to
move　away；　hence　the　destruction　of　the　windows　in　the　first
case；　and　the　safe　in　the　second。〃

When　they　had　moved　beyond　the　danger　line；　Bearwarden；　as　the
party's　practising　engineer；　pressed　the　button；　and　the
explosion　did　the　rest。　　They　found　that　the　ground　was　frozen　to
a　depth　of　but　little　more　than　a　foot；　below　which　it　became
perceptibly　warm。　　Plying　their　shovels　vigorously；　they　had　soon
dug　the　hole　so　deep　that　its　edges　were　above　their　heads。　　When
the　floor　was　ten　feet　below　the　surrounding　level　the
thermometer　registered　sixty。
　　　
〃This　is　scarcely　a　fair　test；〃　said　Cortlandt；　〃since　the　heat
rises　and　is　lost　as　fast　as　given　off。　　Let　us　therefore　close
the　opening　and　see　in　what　time　it　will　melt　a　number　of　cubic
feet　of　ice。〃
　　　
Accordingly　they　climbed　out；　threw　in　about　a　cart…load　of　ice；
and　covered　the　opening　with　two　of　the　Callisto's　thick　rugs。　
In　half　an　hour　all　the　ice　had　melted；　and　in　another　half　hour
the　water　was　hot。
　　　
〃No　arctic　expedition　need　freeze　to　death　here；〃　said
Bearwarden；　〃since　all　a　man　would　have　to　do　would　be　to　burrow
a　few　feet　to　be　as　warm　as　toast。〃
　　　
As　the　island　on　which　they　had　landed　was　at　one　side　of　the
archipelago；　but　was　itself　at　the　exact　pole；　it　followed　that
the　centre　of　the　archipelago　was　not　the　part　farthest　north。　
This　in　a　measure　accounted　for　the　slight　thickness　of　ice　and
snow；　for　the　isobaric　lines　would　slope；　and　consequently　what
wind　there　was　would　flow　towards　the　interior　of　the
archipelago；　whose　surface　was　colder　than　the　surrounding　ocean。　
The　moist　air；　however；　coming　almost　entirely　from　the　south；
would　lose　most　of　its　moisture　by　condensation　in　passing　over
the　ice…laden　land；　and　so；　like　the　clouds　over　the　region　east
of　the　Andes；　would　have　but　little　left　to　let　fall　on　this
extreme　northern　part。　　The　blanketing　effect　of　a　great
thickness　of　snow　would　also　cause；　the　lower　strata　of　ice　to
melt；　by　keeping　in　the　heat　constantly　given　off　by　the　warm
planet。

〃I　think　there　can　be　no　question；〃　said　Cortlandt；　〃that；　as　a
result　of　Jupiter's　great　flattening　at　the　poles　and　the　drawing
of　the　crust；　which　moves　faster　in　Jupiter's　rotation　than　any
other　part；　towards　the　equator；　the　crust　must　be　particularly
thin　here；　for；　were　it　as　thin　all　over；　there　would　be　no　space
for　the　coal…beds；　which；　judging　from　the　purity　of　the
atmosphere；　must　be　very　extensive。　　Further；　we　can　recall　that
the　water　in　the　hot　spring　near　which　we　alighted；　which
evidently　came　from　a　far　greater　depth　than　we　have　here；　was
not　as　hot　as　this。　　The　conclusion　is　clear　that　elsewhere　the
internal　heat　is　not　as　near　the　surface　as　here。〃

〃The　more　I　see　of　Jupiter；〃　exclaimed　Bearwarden
enthusiastically；　〃the　more　charmed　I　become。　　It　almost　exactly
supplies　what　I　have　been　conjuring　up　as　my　idea　of　a　perfect
planet。　　Its　compensations　of　high　land　near　the　equator；　and　low
with　effective　internal　heat　at　the　poles；　are　ideal。　The　gradual
slope　of　its　continental　elevations；　on　account　of　their　extent；
will　ease　the　work　of　operating　railways；　and　the　atmosphere's
density　will　be　just　the　thing　for　our　flying　machines；　while
Nature　has　supplied　all　sources　of　power　so　lavishly　that　no
undertaking　will　be　too　great。　　Though　land　as　yet；　to　judge　by
our　photographs；　occupies　only　about　one　eighth　of　the　surface；
we　know；　from　the　experience　of　the　other　planets；　that　this　is
bound　to　increase；　so　that；　if　the　human　race　can　perpetuate
itself　on　Jupiter　long　enough；　it　will　undoubtedly　have　one
fourth　or　a　larger　proportion　for　occupation；　though　the　land
already　upheaved　comprises　fully　forty　times　the　area　of　our
entire　globe；　which；　as　we　know；　is　still　three…fourths　water。〃
　
〃Since　we　have　reached　what　we　might　call　the　end　of　Jupiter；　and
still　have　time；　continued　Ayrault；　〃let　us　proceed　to　Saturn；
where　we　may　find　even　stranger　things　than　here。　　I　hoped　we
could　investigate　the　great　red　spot；　but　am　convinced　we　have
seen　the　beginning　of　one　in　Twentieth　Century　Archipelago；　and
what；　under　favourable　conditions；　will　be　recognized　as　such　on
earth。〃
　　　
It　was　just　six　terrestrial　weeks　since　they　had　set　out；　and
therefore　February　2d　on　earth。