Chapter 44 - Page 2

distinguish the olive, the fig,and vines, covered with their luscious purple bunches.

I was forced to confess that there was nothing arctic here.

When the eye passed beyond these green surroundings it rested on awide, blue expanse of sea or lake, which appeared to enclose thisenchanting island, within a compass of only a few leagues. Eastwardlay a pretty little white seaport town or village, with a few housesscattered around it, and in the harbour of which a few vessels ofpeculiar rig were gently swayed by the softly swelling waves. Beyondit, groups of islets rose from the smooth, blue waters, but in suchnumbers that they seemed to dot the sea like a shoal. To the westdistant coasts lined the dim horizon, on some rose blue mountains ofsmooth, undulating forms; on a more distant coast arose a prodigiouscone crowned on its summit with a snowy plume of white cloud. To thenorthward lay spread a vast sheet of water, sparkling and dancingunder the hot, bright rays, the uniformity broken here and there bythe topmast of a gallant ship appearing above the horizon, or aswelling sail moving slowly before the wind.

This unforeseen spectacle was most charming to eyes long used tounderground darkness.

"Where are we? Where are we?" I asked faintly.

Hans closed his eyes with lazy indifference. What did it matter tohim? My uncle looked round with dumb surprise.

"Well, whatever mountain this may be," he said at last, "it is veryhot here. The explosions are going on still, and I don't think itwould look well to have come out by an eruption, and then to get ourheads broken by bits of falling rock. Let us get down. Then we shallknow better what we are about. Besides, I am starving, and parchingwith thirst."

Decidedly the Professor was not given to contemplation. For my part,I could for another hour or two have forgotten my hunger and myfatigue to enjoy the lovely scene before me; but I had to follow mycompanions.

The slope of the volcano was in many places of great steepness. Weslid down screes of ashes, carefully avoiding the lava streams whichglided sluggishly by us like fiery serpents. As we went I chatteredand asked all sorts of questions as to our whereabouts, for L was toomuch excited not to talk a great deal.

"We are in Asia," I cried, "on the coasts of India, in the MalayIslands, or in Oceania. We have passed through half the globe, andcome out nearly at the antipodes."

"But the compass?" said my uncle.

"Ay, the compass!" I said, greatly puzzled. "According to the compasswe have gone northward."

"Has it lied?"

"Surely not. Could it lie?"

"Unless, indeed, this is the North Pole!"

"Oh, no, it is not the Pole; but -"

Well, here was something that baffled us completely. I could not tellwhat to say.

But now we were coming into that delightful greenery, and I wassuffering greatly