Chapter 45 - Page 2

shallbelieve, in the central heat. But I admit that certain circumstancesnot yet sufficiently understood may tend to modify in places theaction of natural phenomena.

While these questions were being debated with great animation, myuncle met with a real sorrow. Our faithful Hans, in spite of ourentreaties, had left Hamburg; the man to whom we owed all our successand our lives too would not suffer us to reward him as we could havewished. He was seized with the mal de pays, a complaint for which wehave not even a name in English.

"_Farval,_" said he one day; and with that simple word he left us andsailed for Rejkiavik, which he reached in safety.

We were strongly attached to our brave eider-down hunter; though faraway in the remotest north, he will never be forgotten by those whoselives he protected, and certainly I shall not fail to endeavour tosee him once more before I die.

To conclude, I have to add that this 'Journey into the Interior ofthe Earth' created a wonderful sensation in the world. It wastranslated into all civilised languages. The leading newspapersextracted the most interesting passages, which were commented upon,picked to pieces, discussed, attacked, and defended with equalenthusiasm and determination, both by believers and sceptics. Rareprivilege! my uncle enjoyed during his lifetime the glory he haddeservedly won; and he may even boast the distinguished honour of anoffer from Mr. Barnum, to exhibit him on most advantageous terms inall the principal cities in the United States!

But there was one 'dead fly' amidst all this glory and honour; onefact, one incident, of the journey remained a mystery. Now to a maneminent for his learning, an unexplained phenomenon is an unbearablehardship. Well! it was yet reserved for my uncle to be completelyhappy.

One day, while arranging a collection of minerals in his cabinet, Inoticed in a corner this unhappy compass, which we had long lostsight of; I opened it, and began to watch it.

It had been in that corner for six months, little mindful of thetrouble it was giving.

Suddenly, to my intense astonishment, I noticed a strange fact, and Iuttered a cry of surprise.

"What is the matter?" my uncle asked.

"That compass!"

"Well?"

"See, its poles are reversed!"

"Reversed?"

"Yes, they point the wrong way."

My uncle looked, he compared, and the house shook with his triumphantleap of exultation.

A light broke in upon his spirit and mine.

"See there," he cried, as soon as he was able to speak. "After ourarrival at Cape Saknussemm the north pole of the needle of thisconfounded compass began to point south instead of north."

"Evidently!"

"Here, then, is the explanation of our mistake. But what phenomenoncould have caused this reversal of the poles?"

"The reason is evident, uncle."

"Tell