Journey to the Center of the Earth

MY UNCLE MAKES A GREAT DISCOVERY Looking back to all that has occurred to me since that eventful day, I am scarcely able to believe in the reality of my adventures. They were trul...

THE MYSTERIOUS PARCHMENT [Illustration: Runic Glyphs] "I Declare," cried my uncle, striking the table fiercely with his fist, "I declare to you it is Runic--and contains some won...

AN ASTOUNDING DISCOVERY "What is the matter?" cried the cook, entering the room; "when will master have his dinner?" "Never." "And, his supper?" "I don't know. He says he will ...

WE START ON THE JOURNEY "You see, the whole island is composed of volcanoes," said the Professor, "and remark carefully that they all bear the name of Yocul. The word is Icelandic...

First Lessons in Climbing At Altona, a suburb of Hamburg, is the Chief Station of the Kiel railway, which was to take us to the shores of the Belt. In twenty minutes from the mome...

Our Voyage to Iceland The hour of departure came at last. The night before, the worthy Mr. Thompson brought us the most cordial letters of introduction for Baron Trampe, Governor ...

Conversation and Discovery When I returned, dinner was ready. This meal was devoured by my worthy relative with avidity and voracity. His shipboard diet had turned his interior in...

THE EIDER-DOWN HUNTER--OFF AT LAST That evening I took a brief walk on the shore near Reykjavik, after which I returned to an early sleep on my bed of coarse planks, where I slept...

OUR START--WE MEET WITH ADVENTURES BY THE WAY The weather was overcast but settled, when we commenced our adventurous and perilous journey. We had neither to fear fatiguing heat n...

TRAVELING IN ICELAND It ought, one would have thought, to have been night, even in the sixty-fifth parallel of latitude; but still the nocturnal illumination did not surprise me. ...

WE REACH MOUNT SNEFFELS--THE "REYKIR" Stapi is a town consisting of thirty huts, built on a large plain of lava, exposed to the rays of the sun, reflected from the volcano. It str...

THE ASCENT OF MOUNT SNEFFELS The huge volcano which was the first stage of our daring experiment is above five thousand feet high. Sneffels is the termination of a long range of v...

THE SHADOW OF SCARTARIS Our supper was eaten with ease and rapidity, after which everybody did the best he could for himself within the hollow of the crater. The bed was hard, the...

THE REAL JOURNEY COMMENCES Our real journey had now commenced. Hitherto our courage and determination had overcome all difficulties. We were fatigued at times; and that was all. N...

WE CONTINUE OUR DESCENT At eight o'clock the next morning, a faint kind of dawn of day awoke us. The thousand and one prisms of the lava collected the light as it passed and broug...

THE EASTERN TUNNEL The next day was Tuesday, the 30th of June--and at six o'clock in the morning we resumed our journey. We still continued to follow the gallery of lava, a perfe...

DEEPER AND DEEPER--THE COAL MINE In truth, we were compelled to put ourselves upon rations. Our supply would certainly last not more than three days. I found this out about supper...

THE WRONG ROAD! Next day, our departure took place at a very early hour. There was no time for the least delay. According to my account, we had five days' hard work to get back to...

THE WESTERN GALLERY--A NEW ROUTE Our descent was now resumed by means of the second gallery. Hans took up his post in front as usual. We had not gone more than a hundred yards whe...

WATER, WHERE IS IT? A BITTER DISAPPOINTMENT During a long, long, weary hour, there crossed my wildly delirious brain all sorts of reasons as to what could have aroused our quiet a...

UNDER THE OCEAN By the next day we had nearly forgotten our past sufferings. The first sensation I experienced was surprise at not being thirsty, and I actually asked myself the r...

SUNDAY BELOW GROUND I Awoke on Sunday morning without any sense of hurry and bustle attendant on an immediate departure. Though the day to be devoted to repose and reflection was ...

ALONE It must in all truth be confessed, things as yet had gone on well, and I should have acted in bad taste to have complained. If the true medium of our difficulties did not in...

LOST! No words in any human language can depict my utter despair. I was literally buried alive; with no other expectation before me but to die in all the slow horrible torture of ...

THE WHISPERING GALLERY When at last I came back to a sense of life and being, my face was wet, but wet, as I soon knew, with tears. How long this state of insensibility lasted, it...

A RAPID RECOVERY When I returned to the consciousness of existence, I found myself surrounded by a kind of semiobscurity, lying on some thick and soft coverlets. My uncle was watc...

THE CENTRAL SEA At first I saw absolutely nothing. My eyes, wholly unused to the effulgence of light, could not bear the sudden brightness; and I was compelled to close them. When...

LAUNCHING THE RAFT On the morning of the next day, to my great surprise, I awoke completely restored. I thought a bath would be delightful after my long illness and sufferings. So...

ON THE WATERS--A RAFT VOYAGE On the thirteenth of August we were up betimes. There was no time to be lost. We now had to inaugurate a new kind of locomotion, which would have the ...

TERRIFIC SAURIAN COMBAT Saturday, August 15th. The sea still retains its uniform monotony. The same leaden hue, the same eternal glare from above. No indication of land being in s...

lizard, and the turtle. I distinctly saw them every moment. I pointed them out to the Icelander. But he only shook his head. "Tva," he said. "What--two only does he say. Surely h...

THE SEA MONSTER Wednesday, August 19th. Fortunately the wind, which for the present blows with some violence, has allowed us to escape from the scene of the unparalleled and extra...

THE BATTLE OF THE ELEMENTS Friday, August 21st. This morning the magnificent geyser had wholly disappeared. The wind had freshened up, and we were fast leaving the neighborhood of...

OUR ROUTE REVERSED Here ends what I call "My Journal" of our voyage on board the raft, which journal was happily saved from the wreck. I proceed with my narrative as I did before ...

A VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY It would be altogether impossible for me to give any idea of the utter astonishment which overcame the Professor on making this extraordinary discovery. Amaz...

DISCOVERY UPON DISCOVERY In order fully to understand the exclamation made by my uncle, and his allusions to these illustrious and learned men, it will be necessary to enter into ...

WHAT IS IT? For a long and weary hour we tramped over this great bed of bones. We advanced regardless of everything, drawn on by ardent curiosity. What other marvels did this grea...

THE MYSTERIOUS DAGGER During this time, we had left the bright and transparent forest far behind us. We were mute with astonishment, overcome by a kind of feeling which was next d...

NO OUTLET--BLASTING THE ROCK Ever since the commencement of our marvelous journey, I had experienced many surprises, had suffered from many illusions. I thought that I was case-ha...

THE EXPLOSION AND ITS RESULTS The next day, which was the twenty-seventh of August, was a date celebrated in our wondrous subterranean journey. I never think of it even now, but I...

THE APE GIGANS It is difficult for me to determine what was the real time, but I should suppose, by after calculation, that it must have been ten at night. I lay in a stupor, a h...

HUNGER Hunger, prolonged, is temporary madness! The brain is at work without its required food, and the most fantastic notions fill the mind. Hitherto I had never known what hunge...

THE VOLCANIC SHAFT Man's constitution is so peculiar that his health is purely a negative matter. No sooner is the rage of hunger appeased than it becomes difficult to comprehend ...

DAYLIGHT AT LAST When I opened my eyes I felt the hand of the guide clutching me firmly by the belt. With his other hand he supported my uncle. I was not grievously wounded, but b...

THE JOURNEY ENDED This is the final conclusion of a narrative which will be probably disbelieved even by people who are astonished at nothing. I am, however, armed at all points a...