A Journey into the Interior of the Earth

THE PROFESSOR AND HIS FAMILY On the 24th of May, 1863, my uncle, Professor Liedenbrock, rushed into his little house, No. 19 Königstrasse, one of the oldest streets in the oldest ...

A MYSTERY TO BE SOLVED AT ANY PRICE That study of his was a museum, and nothing else. Specimens of everything known in mineralogy lay there in their places in perfect order, and c...

THE RUNIC WRITING EXERCISES THE PROFESSOR "Undoubtedly it is Runic," said the Professor, bending his brows; "but there is a secret in it, and I mean to discover the key." A viole...

THE ENEMY TO BE STARVED INTO SUBMISSION "He is gone!" cried Martha, running out of her kitchen at the noise of the violent slamming of doors. "Yes," I replied, "completely gone."...

FAMINE, THEN VICTORY, FOLLOWED BY DISMAY I had only just time to replace the unfortunate document upon the table. Professor Liedenbrock seemed to be greatly abstracted. The ruli...

EXCITING DISCUSSIONS ABOUT AN UNPARALLELED ENTERPRISE At these words a cold shiver ran through me. Yet I controlled myself; I even resolved to put a good face upon it. Scientific ...

A WOMAN'S COURAGE Thus ended this memorable seance. That conversation threw me into a fever. I came out of my uncle's study as if I had been stunned, and as if there was not air e...

SERIOUS PREPARATIONS FOR VERTICAL DESCENT Altona, which is but a suburb of Hamburg, is the terminus of the Kiel railway, which was to carry us to the Belts. In twenty minutes we w...

ICELAND! BUT WHAT NEXT? The day for our departure arrived. The day before it our kind friend M. Thomsen brought us letters of introduction to Count Trampe, the Governor of Iceland...

INTERESTING CONVERSATIONS WITH ICELANDIC SAVANTS Dinner was ready. Professor Liedenbrock devoured his portion voraciously, for his compulsory fast on board had converted his stoma...

A GUIDE FOUND TO THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH In the evening I took a short walk on the beach and returned at night to my plank-bed, where I slept soundly all night. When I awoke I he...

A BARREN LAND We had started under a sky overcast but calm. There was no fear of heat, none of disastrous rain. It was just the weather for tourists. The pleasure of riding on ho...

HOSPITALITY UNDER THE ARCTIC CIRCLE It ought to have been night-time, but under the 65th parallel there was nothing surprising in the nocturnal polar light. In Iceland during the ...

BUT ARCTICS CAN BE INHOSPITABLE, TOO Stapi is a village consisting of about thirty huts, built of lava, at the south side of the base of the volcano. It extends along the inner ed...

SNÆFELL AT LAST Snæfell is 5,000 feet high. Its double cone forms the limit of a trachytic belt which stands out distinctly in the mountain system of the island. From our starting...

BOLDLY DOWN THE CRATER Supper was rapidly devoured, and the little company housed themselves as best they could. The bed was hard, the shelter not very substantial, and our positi...

VERTICAL DESCENT Now began our real journey. Hitherto our toil had overcome all difficulties, now difficulties would spring up at every step. I had not yet ventured to look down ...

THE WONDERS OF TERRESTRIAL DEPTHS At eight in the morning a ray of daylight came to wake us up. The thousand shining surfaces of lava on the walls received it on its passage, and ...

GEOLOGICAL STUDIES IN SITU Next day, Tuesday, June 30, at 6 a.m., the descent began again. We were still following the gallery of lava, a real natural staircase, and as gently sl...

THE FIRST SIGNS OF DISTRESS In fact, we had to ration ourselves. Our provision of water could not last more than three days. I found that out for certain when supper-time came. An...

COMPASSION FUSES THE PROFESSOR'S HEART Next day we started early. We had to hasten forward. It was a three days' march to the cross roads. I will not speak of the sufferings we e...

start at a given signal, or to stay, if his master so willed it. How I wished at this moment I could have made him understand me. My words, my complaints, my sorrow would have had...

TOTAL FAILURE OF WATER This time the descent commenced by the new gallery. Hans walked first as was his custom. We had not gone a hundred yards when the Professor, moving his lan...

WATER DISCOVERED For a whole hour I was trying to work out in my delirious brain the reasons which might have influenced this seemingly tranquil huntsman. The absurdest notions ra...

WELL SAID, OLD MOLE! CANST THOU WORK I' THE GROUND SO FAST? By the next day we had forgotten all our sufferings. At first, I was wondering that I was no longer thirsty, and I was ...

DE PROFUNDIS I therefore awoke next day relieved from the preoccupation of an immediate start. Although we were in the very deepest of known depths, there was something not unplea...

THE WORST PERIL OF ALL It must be confessed that hitherto things had not gone on so badly, and that I had small reason to complain. If our difficulties became no worse, we might h...

LOST IN THE BOWELS OF THE EARTH To describe my despair would be impossible. No words could tell it. I was buried alive, with the prospect before me of dying of hunger and thirst. ...

THE RESCUE IN THE WHISPERING GALLERY When I returned to partial life my face was wet with tears. How long that state of insensibility had lasted I cannot say. I had no means now o...

THALATTA! THALATTA! When I came to myself, I was stretched in half darkness, covered with thick coats and blankets. My uncle was watching over me, to discover the least sign of li...

A NEW MARE INTERNUM At first I could hardly see anything. My eyes, unaccustomed to the light, quickly closed. When I was able to reopen them, I stood more stupefied even than surp...

PREPARATIONS FOR A VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY The next morning I awoke feeling perfectly well. I thought a bathe would do me good, and I went to plunge for a few minutes into the waters ...

WONDERS OF THE DEEP On the 13th of August we awoke early. We were now to begin to adopt a mode of travelling both more expeditious and less fatiguing than hitherto. A mast was ma...

A BATTLE OF MONSTERS _Saturday, August 15_.--The sea unbroken all round. No land in sight. The horizon seems extremely distant. My head is still stupefied with the vivid reality ...

THE GREAT GEYSER _Wednesday, August 19_.--Fortunately the wind blows violently, and has enabled us to flee from the scene of the late terrible struggle. Hans keeps at his post at ...

AN ELECTRIC STORM _Friday, August 21_.--On the morrow the magnificent geyser has disappeared. The wind has risen, and has rapidly carried us away from Axel Island. The roarings be...

CALM PHILOSOPHIC DISCUSSIONS Here I end what I may call my log, happily saved from the wreck, and I resume my narrative as before. What happened when the raft was dashed upon the...

THE LIEDENBROCK MUSEUM OF GEOLOGY How shall I describe the strange series of passions which in succession shook the breast of Professor Liedenbrock? First stupefaction, then incre...

THE PROFESSOR IN HIS CHAIR AGAIN To understand this apostrophe of my uncle's, made to absent French savants, it will be necessary to allude to an event of high importance in a pal...

FOREST SCENERY ILLUMINATED BY ELECTRICITY For another half hour we trod upon a pavement of bones. We pushed on, impelled by our burning curiosity. What other marvels did this cave...

PREPARATIONS FOR BLASTING A PASSAGE TO THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH Since the start upon this marvellous pilgrimage I had been through so many astonishments that I might well be excuse...

THE GREAT EXPLOSION AND THE RUSH DOWN BELOW The next day, Thursday, August 27, is a well-remembered date in our subterranean journey. It never returns to my memory without sending...

HEADLONG SPEED UPWARD THROUGH THE HORRORS OF DARKNESS It might have been, as I guessed, about ten at night. The first of my senses which came into play after this last bout was th...

SHOT OUT OF A VOLCANO AT LAST! Yes: our compass was no longer a guide; the needle flew from pole to pole with a kind of frenzied impulse; it ran round the dial, and spun hither an...

SUNNY LANDS IN THE BLUE MEDITERRANEAN When I opened my eyes again I felt myself grasped by the belt with the strong hand of our guide. With the other arm he supported my uncle. I ...

ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL Such is the conclusion of a history which I cannot expect everybody to believe, for some people will believe nothing against the testimony of their own e...