Jules Verne ...............................................................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................................2

BOOK I ....................................................................................................................................................3

CHAPTER I. A CHALLENGE...............................................................................................................3

CHAPTER II. CAPTAIN SERVADAC AND HIS ORDERLY .............................................................5

CHAPTER III. INTERRUPTED EFFUSIONS .......................................................................................7

CHAPTER IV. A CONVULSION OF NATURE ...................................................................................9

CHAPTER V. A MYSTERIOUS SEA...................................................................................................9

CHAPTER VI. THE CAPTAIN MAKES AN EXPLORATION.........................................................15

CHAPTER VII. BEN ZOOF WATCHES IN VAIN .............................................................................19

CHAPTER VIII. VENUS IN PERILOUS PROXIMITY ......................................................................23

CHAPTER IX. INQUIRIES UNSATISFIED.......................................................................................27

CHAPTER X. A SEARCH FOR ALGERIA........................................................................................30

CHAPTER XI. AN ISLAND TOMB....................................................................................................33

CHAPTER XII. AT THE MERCY OF THE WINDS..........................................................................36

CHAPTER XIII. A ROYAL SALUTE.................................................................................................39

CHAPTER XIV. SENSITIVE NATIONALITY ...................................................................................44

CHAPTER XV. AN ENIGMA FROM THE SEA................................................................................49

CHAPTER XVI. THE RESIDUUM OF A CONTINENT ....................................................................54

CHAPTER XVII. A SECOND ENIGMA .............................................................................................57

CHAPTER XVIII. AN UNEXPECTED POPULATION.....................................................................62

CHAPTER XIX. GALLIA'S GOVERNOR GENERAL......................................................................67

CHAPTER XX. A LIGHT ON THE HORIZON..................................................................................71

CHAPTER XXI. WINTER QUARTERS ..............................................................................................76

CHAPTER XXII. A FROZEN OCEAN ................................................................................................80

CHAPTER XXIII. A CARRIERPIGEON..........................................................................................83

CHAPTER XXIV. A SLEDGERIDE.................................................................................................86

BOOK II .................................................................................................................................................91

CHAPTER I. THE ASTRONOMER .....................................................................................................91

CHAPTER II. A REVELATION..........................................................................................................95

CHAPTER III. THE PROFESSOR'S EXPERIENCES........................................................................99

CHAPTER IV. A REVISED CALENDAR .........................................................................................105

CHAPTER V. WANTED: A STEELYARD ......................................................................................111

CHAPTER VI. MONEY AT A PREMIUM ........................................................................................115

CHAPTER VII. GALLIA WEIGHED................................................................................................119

CHAPTER VIII. JUPITER SOMEWHAT CLOSE............................................................................123

CHAPTER IX. MARKET PRICES IN GALLIA ................................................................................127

CHAPTER X. FAR INTO SPACE ......................................................................................................131

CHAPTER XI. A FETE DAY .............................................................................................................134

CHAPTER XII. THE BOWELS OF THE COMET ............................................................................138

CHAPTER XIII. DREARY MONTHS...............................................................................................142

CHAPTER XIV. THE PROFESSOR PERPLEXED..........................................................................146

CHAPTER XV. A JOURNEY AND A DISAPPOINTMENT...........................................................152

CHAPTER XVI. A BOLD PROPOSITION.......................................................................................158

CHAPTER XVII. THE VENTURE MADE ........................................................................................163

CHAPTER XVIII. SUSPENSE ...........................................................................................................168

CHAPTER XIX. BACK AGAIN........................................................................................................171

Among so many effective and artistic tales, it is difficult to give a preference to one over all the rest. Yet,

certainly, even amid Verne's remarkable works, his "Off on a Comet" must be given high rank. Perhaps this

story will be remembered when even "Round the World in Eighty Days" and "Michael Strogoff" have been

obliterated by centuries of time. At least, of the many books since written upon the same theme as Verne's, no

In one way "Off on a Comet" shows a marked contrast to Verne's earlier books. Not only does it invade a

region more remote than even the "Trip to the Moon," but the author here abandons his usual scrupulously

scientific attitude. In order that he may escort us through the depths of immeasurable space, show us what

astronomy really knows of conditions there and upon the other planets, Verne asks us to accept a situation

frankly impossible. The earth and a comet are brought twice into collision without mankind in general, or

even our astronomers, becoming conscious of the fact. Moreover several people from widely scattered places

are carried off by the comet and returned uninjured. Yet further, the comet snatches for the convenience of its

travelers, both air and water. Little, useful tracts of earth are picked up and, as it were, turned over and

clapped down right side up again upon the comet's surface. Even ships pass uninjured through this

remarkable somersault. These events all belong frankly to the realm of fairyland.

If the situation were reproduced in actuality, if ever a comet should come into collision with the earth, we can

conceive two scientifically possible results. If the comet were of such attenuation, such almost infinitesimal

mass as some of these celestial wanderers seem to be, we can imagine our earth selfprotective and possibly

unharmed. If, on the other hand, the comet had even a hundredth part of the size and solidity and weight

which Verne confers upon his monster so as to give his travelers a home in that case the collision would be

unspeakably disastrous especially to the unlucky individuals who occupied the exact point of contact.

But once granted the initial and the closing extravagance, the departure and return of his characters, the alpha

and omega of his tale, how closely the author clings to facts between! How closely he follows, and imparts to

his readers, the scientific probabilities of the universe beyond our earth, the actual knowledge so hard won by

our astronomers! Other authors who, since Verne, have told of trips through the planetary and stellar universe

have given free rein to fancy, to dreams of what might be found. Verne has endeavored to impart only what is

In the same year with "Off on a Comet," 1877, was published also the tale variously named and translated as

"The Black Indies," "The Underground City," and "The Child of the Cavern." This story, like "Round the

World in Eighty Days" was first issued in "feuilleton" by the noted Paris newspaper "Le Temps." Its success

did not equal that of its predecessor in this style. Some critics indeed have pointed to this work as marking

the beginning of a decline in the author's power of awaking interest. Many of his best works were, however,

still to follow. And, as regards imagination and the elements of mystery and awe, surely in the "Underground

City" with its cavern world, its secret, undiscoverable, unrelenting foe, the "Harfang," bird of evil omen, and

the "fire maidens" of the ruined castle, surely with all these "imagination" is anything but lacking.

From the realistic side, the work is painstaking and exact as all the author's works. The sketches of mines and

miners, their courage and their dangers, their lives and their hopes, are carefully studied. So also is the

emotional aspect of the deeps under ground, the blackness, the endless wandering passages, the silence, and

"But allow me to point out that my seniority unquestionably gives me a prior right."

"Mere seniority, I assert, in an affair of this kind, cannot possibly entitle you to any prior claim whatever."

"Then, captain, no alternative is left but for me to compel you to yield at the sword's point."

"As you please, count; but neither sword nor pistol can force me to forego my pretensions. Here is my card."

This rapid altercation was thus brought to an end by the formal interchange of the names of the disputants.

On one of the cards was inscribed: Captain Hector Servadac, Staff Officer, Mostaganem.

On the other was the title: Count Wassili Timascheff, On board the Schooner "Dobryna."

It did not take long to arrange that seconds should be appointed, who would meet in Mostaganem at two

o'clock that day; and the captain and the count were on the point of parting from each other, with a salute of

punctilious courtesy, when Timascheff, as if struck by a sudden thought, said abruptly: "Perhaps it would be

"Far better," replied Servadac; "it is undesirable in every way for any names to be mentioned."

"In that case, however," continued the count, "it will be necessary to assign an ostensible pretext of some

kind. Shall we allege a musical dispute? a contention in which I feel bound to defend Wagner, while you are

"I am quite content," answered Servadac, with a smile; and with another low bow they parted.

The scene, as here depicted, took place upon the extremity of a little cape on the Algerian coast, between

Mostaganem and Tenes, about two miles from the mouth of the Shelif. The headland rose more than sixty

feet above the sealevel, and the azure waters of the Mediterranean, as they softly kissed the strand, were

tinged with the reddish hue of the ferriferous rocks that formed its base. It was the 31st of December. The

noontide sun, which usually illuminated the various projections of the coast with a dazzling brightness, was

hidden by a dense mass of cloud, and the fog, which for some unaccountable cause, had hung for the last two

months over nearly every region in the world, causing serious interruption to traffic between continent and

After taking leave of the staffofficer, Count Wassili Timascheff wended his way down to a small creek, and

took his seat in the stern of a light fouroar that had been awaiting his return; this was immediately pushed

off from shore, and was soon alongside a pleasureyacht, that was lying to, not many cable lengths away.

At a sign from Servadac, an orderly, who had been standing at a respectful distance, led forward a

magnificent Arabian horse; the captain vaulted into the saddle, and followed by his attendant, well mounted

as himself, started off towards Mostaganem. It was halfpast twelve when the two riders crossed the bridge

that had been recently erected over the Shelif, and a quarter of an hour later their steeds, flecked with foam,

dashed through the Mascara Gate, which was one of five entrances opened in the embattled wall that

At that date, Mostaganem contained about fifteen thousand inhabitants, three thousand of whom were French.

Besides being one of the principal district towns of the province of Oran, it was also a military station.

Mostaganem rejoiced in a wellsheltered harbor, which enabled her to utilize all the rich products of the

Mina and the Lower Shelif. It was the existence of so good a harbor amidst the exposed cliffs of this coast

that had induced the owner of the Dobryna to winter in these parts, and for two months the Russian standard

had been seen floating from her yard, whilst on her masthead was hoisted the pennant of the French Yacht

Club, with the distinctive letters M. C. W. T., the initials of Count Timascheff.

Having entered the town, Captain Servadac made his way towards Matmore, the military quarter, and was not

long in finding two friends on whom he might relya major of the 2nd Fusileers, and a captain of the 8th

Artillery. The two officers listened gravely enough to Servadac's request that they would act as his seconds in

an affair of honor, but could not resist a smile on hearing that the dispute between him and the count had

originated in a musical discussion. Surely, they suggested, the matter might be easily arranged; a few slight

concessions on either side, and all might be amicably adjusted. But no representations on their part were of

"No concession is possible," he replied, resolutely. "Rossini has been deeply injured, and I cannot suffer the

injury to be unavenged. Wagner is a fool. I shall keep my word. I am quite firm."

"Be it so, then," replied one of the officers; "and after all, you know, a swordcut need not be a very serious

"Certainly not," rejoined Servadac; "and especially in my case, when I have not the slightest intention of

Incredulous as they naturally were as to the assigned cause of the quarrel, Servadac's friends had no

alternative but to accept his explanation, and without farther parley they started for the staff office, where, at

two o'clock precisely, they were to meet the seconds of Count Timascheff. Two hours later they had returned.

All the preliminaries had been arranged; the count, who like many Russians abroad was an aidedecamp of

the Czar, had of course proposed swords as the most appropriate weapons, and the duel was to take place on

the following morning, the first of January, at nine o'clock, upon the cliff at a spot about a mile and a half

from the mouth of the Shelif. With the assurance that they would not fail to keep their appointment with

military punctuality, the two officers cordially wrung their friend's hand and retired to the Zulma Cafe for a

For the last fortnight Servadac had not been occupying his proper lodgings in the military quarters; having

been appointed to make a local levy, he had been living in a gourbi, or native hut, on the Mostaganem coast,

between four and five miles from the Shelif. His orderly was his sole companion, and by any other man than

the captain the enforced exile would have been esteemed little short of a severe penance.

On his way to the gourbi, his mental occupation was a very laborious effort to put together what he was

pleased to call a rondo, upon a model of versification all but obsolete. This rondo, it is unnecessary to

conceal, was to be an ode addressed to a young widow by whom he had been captivated, and whom he was

anxious to marry, and the tenor of his muse was intended to prove that when once a man has found an object

in all respects worthy of his affections, he should love her "in all simplicity." Whether the aphorism were

universally true was not very material to the gallant captain, whose sole ambition at present was to construct a

roundelay of which this should be the prevailing sentiment. He indulged the fancy that he might succeed in

producing a composition which would have a fine effect here in Algeria, where poetry in that form was all

"I know well enough," he said repeatedly to himself, "what I want to say. I want to tell her that I love her

sincerely, and wish to marry her; but, confound it! the words won't rhyme. Plague on it! Does nothing rhyme

with 'simplicity'? Ah! I have it now: 'Lovers should, whoe'er they be, Love in all simplicity.' But what next?

how am I to go on? I say, Ben Zoof," he called aloud to his orderly, who was trotting silently close in his rear,

"No, captain," answered the man promptly: "I have never made any verses, but I have seen them made fast

'Come in! come in! you'll not repent The entrance money you have spent; The wondrous mirror in this place

"Hold your tongue, man," said Servadac peremptorily; "I have made another couplet. 'Lovers should, whoe'er

they be, Love in all simplicity; Lover, loving honestly, Offer I myself to thee.'"

Beyond this, however, the captain's poetical genius was impotent to carry him; his farther efforts were

unavailing, and when at six o'clock he reached the gourbi, the four lines still remained the limit of his

At the time of which I write, there might be seen in the registers of the Minister of War the following entry:

SERVADAC (Hector), born at St. Trelody in the district of Lesparre, department of the Gironde, July 19th,

Service: Two years at school at St. Cyr; two years at L'Ecole d'Application; two years in the 8th Regiment of

Hector Servadac was thirty years of age, an orphan without lineage and almost without means. Thirsting for

glory rather than for gold, slightly scatterbrained, but warmhearted, generous, and brave, he was eminently

For the first year and a half of his existence he had been the fosterchild of the sturdy wife of a vinedresser

of Medoc a lineal descendant of the heroes of ancient prowess; in a word, he was one of those individuals

whom nature seems to have predestined for remarkable things, and around whose cradle have hovered the

In appearance Hector Servadac was quite the type of an officer; he was rather more than five feet six inches

high, slim and graceful, with dark curling hair and mustaches, wellformed hands and feet, and a clear blue

eye. He seemed born to please without being conscious of the power he possessed. It must be owned, and no

one was more ready to confess it than himself, that his literary attainments were by no means of a high order.

"We don't spin tops" is a favorite saying amongst artillery officers, indicating that they do not shirk their duty

by frivolous pursuits; but it must be confessed that Servadac, being naturally idle, was very much given to

"spinning tops." His good abilities, however, and his ready intelligence had carried him successfully through

the curriculum of his early career. He was a good draughtsman, an excellent riderhaving thoroughly

mastered the successor to the famous "Uncle Tom" at the ridingschool of St. Cyr and in the records of his

military service his name had several times been included in the order of the day.

The following episode may suffice, in a certain degree, to illustrate his character. Once, in action, he was

leading a detachment of infantry through an intrenchment. They came to a place where the sidework of the

trench had been so riddled by shell that a portion of it had actually fallen in, leaving an aperture quite

unsheltered from the grapeshot that was pouring in thick and fast. The men hesitated. In an instant Servadac

mounted the sidework, laid himself down in the gap, and thus filling up the breach by his own body,

And through a storm of shot, not one of which touched the prostrate officer, the troop passed in safety.

Since leaving the military college, Servadac, with the exception of his two campaigns in the Soudan and

Japan, had been always stationed in Algeria. He had now a staff appointment at Mostaganem, and had lately

been entrusted with some topographical work on the coast between Tenes and the Shelif. It was a matter of

little consequence to him that the gourbi, in which of necessity he was quartered, was uncomfortable and

illcontrived; he loved the open air, and the independence of his life suited him well. Sometimes he would

wander on foot upon the sandy shore, and sometimes he would enjoy a ride along the summit of the cliff;

altogether being in no hurry at all to bring his task to an end. His occupation, moreover, was not so

engrossing but that he could find leisure for taking a short railway journey once or twice a week; so that he

was ever and again putting in an appearance at the general's receptions at Oran, and at the fetes given by the

It was on one of these occasions that he had first met Madame de L, the lady to whom he was desirous

of dedicating the rondo, the first four lines of which had just seen the light. She was a colonel's widow, young

and handsome, very reserved, not to say haughty in her manner, and either indifferent or impervious to the

admiration which she inspired. Captain Servadac had not yet ventured to declare his attachment; of rivals he

was well aware he had not a few, and amongst these not the least formidable was the Russian Count

Timascheff. And although the young widow was all unconscious of the share she had in the matter, it was

she, and she alone, who was the cause of the challenge just given and accepted by her two ardent admirers.

During his residence in the gourbi, Hector Servadac's sole companion was his orderly, Ben Zoof. Ben Zoof

was devoted, body and soul, to his superior officer. His own personal ambition was so entirely absorbed in

his master's welfare, that it is certain no offer of promotioneven had it been that of aidedecamp to the

GovernorGeneral of Algiers would have induced him to quit that master's service. His name might seem

to imply that he was a native of Algeria; but such was by no means the case. His true name was Laurent; he

was a native of Montmartre in Paris, and how or why he had obtained his patronymic was one of those

anomalies which the most sagacious of etymologists would find it hard to explain.

Born on the hill of Montmartre, between the Solferino tower and the mill of La Galette, Ben Zoof had ever

possessed the most unreserved admiration for his birthplace; and to his eyes the heights and district of

Montmartre represented an epitome of all the wonders of the world. In all his travels, and these had been not

a few, he had never beheld scenery which could compete with that of his native home. No cathedralnot

even Burgos itselfcould vie with the church at Montmartre. Its racecourse could well hold its own against

that at Pentelique; its reservoir would throw the Mediterranean into the shade; its forests had flourished long

before the invasion of the Celts; and its very mill produced no ordinary flour, but provided material for cakes

of worldwide renown. To crown all, Montmartre boasted a mountaina veritable mountain; envious

tongues indeed might pronounce it little more than a hill; but Ben Zoof would have allowed himself to be

hewn in pieces rather than admit that it was anything less than fifteen thousand feet in height.

Ben Zoof's most ambitious desire was to induce the captain to go with him and end his days in his

muchloved home, and so incessantly were Servadac's ears besieged with descriptions of the unparalleled

beauties and advantages of this eighteenth arrondissement of Paris, that he could scarcely hear the name of

Montmartre without a conscious thrill of aversion. Ben Zoof, however, did not despair of ultimately

converting the captain, and meanwhile had resolved never to leave him. When a private in the 8th Cavalry, he

had been on the point of quitting the army at twentyeight years of age, but unexpectedly he had been

appointed orderly to Captain Servadac. Side by side they fought in two campaigns. Servadac had saved Ben

Zoof's life in Japan; Ben Zoof had rendered his master a like service in the Soudan. The bond of union thus

effected could never be severed; and although Ben Zoof's achievements had fairly earned him the right of

retirement, he firmly declined all honors or any pension that might part him from his superior officer. Two

stout arms, an iron constitution, a powerful frame, and an indomitable courage were all loyally devoted to his

master's service, and fairly entitled him to his soidisant designation of "The Rampart of Montmartre."

Unlike his master, he made no pretension to any gift of poetic power, but his inexhaustible memory made

him a living encyclopaedia; and for his stock of anecdotes and trooper's tales he was matchless.

Thoroughly appreciating his servant's good qualities, Captain Servadac endured with imperturbable good

humor those idiosyncrasies, which in a less faithful follower would have been intolerable, and from time to

time he would drop a word of sympathy that served to deepen his subordinate's devotion.

On one occasion, when Ben Zoof had mounted his hobbyhorse, and was indulging in highflown praises

about his beloved eighteenth arrondissement, the captain had remarked gravely, "Do you know, Ben Zoof,

that Montmartre only requires a matter of some thirteen thousand feet to make it as high as Mont Blanc?"

Ben Zoof's eyes glistened with delight; and from that moment Hector Servadac and Montmartre held equal

Composed of mud and loose stones, and covered with a thatch of turf and straw, known to the natives by the

name of "driss," the gourbi, though a grade better than the tents of the nomad Arabs, was yet far inferior to

any habitation built of brick or stone. It adjoined an old stone hostelry, previously occupied by a detachment

of engineers, and which now afforded shelter for Ben Zoof and the two horses. It still contained a

Uncomfortable as was their temporary abode, Servadac and his attendant made no complaints; neither of

them was dainty in the matter either of board or lodging. After dinner, leaving his orderly to stow away the

remains of the repast in what he was pleased to term the "cupboard of his stomach." Captain Servadac turned

out into the open air to smoke his pipe upon the edge of the cliff. The shades of night were drawing on. An

hour previously, veiled in heavy clouds, the sun had sunk below the horizon that bounded the plain beyond

The sky presented a most singular appearance. Towards the north, although the darkness rendered it

impossible to see beyond a quarter of a mile, the upper strata of the atmosphere were suffused with a rosy

glare. No welldefined fringe of light, nor arch of luminous rays, betokened a display of aurora borealis, even

had such a phenomenon been possible in these latitudes; and the most experienced meteorologist would have

been puzzled to explain the cause of this striking illumination on this 31st of December, the last evening of

But Captain Servadac was no meteorologist, and it is to be doubted whether, since leaving school, he had

ever opened his "Course of Cosmography." Besides, he had other thoughts to occupy his mind. The prospects

of the morrow offered serious matter for consideration. The captain was actuated by no personal animosity

against the count; though rivals, the two men regarded each other with sincere respect; they had simply

reached a crisis in which one of them was de trop; which of them, fate must decide.

At eight o'clock, Captain Servadac reentered the gourbi, the single apartment of which contained his bed, a

small writingtable, and some trunks that served instead of cupboards. The orderly performed his culinary

operations in the adjoining building, which he also used as a bedroom, and where, extended on what he

called his "good oak mattress," he would sleep soundly as a dormouse for twelve hours at a stretch. Ben Zoof

had not yet received his orders to retire, and ensconcing himself in a corner of the gourbi, he endeavored to

dozea task which the unusual agitation of his master rendered somewhat difficult. Captain Servadac was

evidently in no hurry to betake himself to rest, but seating himself at his table, with a pair of compasses and a

sheet of tracingpaper, he began to draw, with red and blue crayons, a variety of colored lines, which could

hardly be supposed to have much connection with a topographical survey. In truth, his character of

staffofficer was now entirely absorbed in that of Gascon poet. Whether he imagined that the compasses

would bestow upon his verses the measure of a mathematical accuracy, or whether he fancied that the

particolored lines would lend variety to his rhythm, it is impossible to determine; be that as it may, he was

devoting all his energies to the compilation of his rondo, and supremely difficult he found the task.

"Hang it!" he ejaculated, "whatever induced me to choose this meter? It is as hard to find rhymes as to rally

fugitive in a battle. But, by all the powers! it shan't be said that a French officer cannot cope with a piece of

Perseverance had its reward. Presently two lines, one red, the other blue, appeared upon the paper, and the

captain murmured: "Words, mere words, cannot avail, Telling true heart's tender tale."

"What on earth ails my master?" muttered Ben Zoof; "for the last hour he has been as fidgety as a bird

Servadac suddenly started from his seat, and as he paced the room with all the frenzy of poetic inspiration,

"Well, to be sure, he is at his everlasting verses again!" said Ben Zoof to himself, as he roused himself in his

corner. "Impossible to sleep in such a noise;" and he gave vent to a loud groan.

"Curse the fellow, he has quite interrupted me!" ejaculated the captain. "Ben Zoof!" he called aloud.

"Here, sir!" was the prompt reply; and in an instant the orderly was upon his feet, standing in a military

attitude, one hand to his forehead, the other closely pressed to his trouserseam.

"Stay where you are! don't move an inch!" shouted Servadac; "I have just thought of the end of my rondo."

And in a voice of inspiration, accompanying his words with dramatic gestures, Servadac began to declaim:

"Listen, lady, to my vows O, consent to be my spouse; Constant ever I will be, Constant . . . ."

No closing lines were uttered. All at once, with unutterable violence, the captain and his orderly were dashed,

Whence came it that at that very moment the horizon underwent so strange and sudden a modification, that

the eye of the most practiced mariner could not distinguish between sea and sky?

Whence came it that the billows raged and rose to a height hitherto unregistered in the records of science?

Whence came it that the elements united in one deafening crash; that the earth groaned as though the whole

framework of the globe were ruptured; that the waters roared from their innermost depths; that the air

Whence came it that a radiance, intenser than the effulgence of the Northern Lights, overspread the

Whence came it that the Mediterranean, one instant emptied of its waters, was the next flooded with a

Whence came it that in the space of a few seconds the moon's disc reached a magnitude as though it were but

Whence came it that a new blazing spheroid, hitherto unknown to astronomy, now appeared suddenly in the

firmament, though it were but to lose itself immediately behind masses of accumulated cloud?

What phenomenon was this that had produced a cataclysm so tremendous in effect upon earth, sky, and sea?

Was it possible that a single human being could have survived the convulsion? and if so, could he explain its

Violent as the commotion had been, that portion of the Algerian coast which is bounded on the north by the

Mediterranean, and on the west by the right bank of the Shelif, appeared to have suffered little change. It is

true that indentations were perceptible in the fertile plain, and the surface of the sea was ruffled with an

agitation that was quite unusual; but the rugged outline of the cliff was the same as heretofore, and the aspect

of the entire scene appeared unaltered. The stone hostelry, with the exception of some deep clefts in its walls,

had sustained little injury; but the gourbi, like a house of cards destroyed by an infant's breath, had

completely subsided, and its two inmates lay motionless, buried under the sunken thatch.

It was two hours after the catastrophe that Captain Servadac regained consciousness; he had some trouble to

collect his thoughts, and the first sounds that escaped his lips were the concluding words of the rondo which

His next thought was to wonder what had happened; and in order to find an answer, he pushed aside the

broken thatch, so that his head appeared above the debris. "The gourbi leveled to the ground!" he exclaimed,

He felt all over his body to perceive what injuries he had sustained, but not a sprain nor a scratch could he

"Here, sir!" and with military promptitude a second head protruded from the rubbish.

"Very good, sir," was the philosophical reply, immediately followed by the query, "Any bones broken, sir?"

Both men were soon on their feet, and began to make a vigorous clearance of the ruins, beneath which they

found that their arms, cooking utensils, and other property, had sustained little injury.

"It must be eight o'clock, at least," said Ben Zoof, looking at the sun, which was a considerable height above

"By Jove! I had forgotten all about it!" exclaimed Servadac. Then looking at his watch, he cried, "What are

"Two in the morning, or two in the afternoon?" asked Ben Zoof, again regarding the sun.

Servadac raised his watch to his ear. "It is going," said he; "but, by all the wines of Medoc, I am puzzled.

"Setting, captain! Why, it is rising finely, like a conscript at the sound of the reveille. It is considerably higher

Incredible as it might appear, the fact was undeniable that the sun was rising over the Shelif from that quarter

of the horizon behind which it usually sank for the latter portion of its daily round. They were utterly

bewildered. Some mysterious phenomenon must not only have altered the position of the sun in the sidereal

system, but must even have brought about an important modification of the earth's rotation on her axis.

Captain Servadac consoled himself with the prospect of reading an explanation of the mystery in next week's

newspapers, and turned his attention to what was to him of more immediate importance. "Come, let us be

off," said he to his orderly; "though heaven and earth be topsyturvy, I must be at my post this morning."

"To do Count Timascheff the honor of running him through the body," added Ben Zoof.

If Servadac and his orderly had been less preoccupied, they would have noticed that a variety of other

physical changes besides the apparent alteration in the movement of the sun had been evolved during the

atmospheric disturbances of that New Year's night. As they descended the steep footpath leading from the

cliff towards the Shelif, they were unconscious that their respiration became forced and rapid, like that of a

mountaineer when he has reached an altitude where the air has become less charged with oxygen. They were

also unconscious that their voices were thin and feeble; either they must themselves have become rather deaf,

The weather, which on the previous evening had been very foggy, had entirely changed. The sky had

assumed a singular tint, and was soon covered with lowering clouds that completely hid the sun. There were,

indeed, all the signs of a coming storm, but the vapor, on account of the insufficient condensation, failed to

The sea appeared quite deserted, a most unusual circumstance along this coast, and not a sail nor a trail of

smoke broke the gray monotony of water and sky. The limits of the horizon, too, had become much

circumscribed. On land, as well as on sea, the remote distance had completely disappeared, and it seemed as

At the pace at which they were walking, it was very evident that the captain and his attendant would not take

long to accomplish the three miles that lay between the gourbi and the place of rendezvous. They did not

exchange a word, but each was conscious of an unusual buoyancy, which appeared to lift up their bodies and

give as it were, wings to their feet. If Ben Zoof had expressed his sensations in words, he would have said

that he felt "up to anything," and he had even forgotten to taste so much as a crust of bread, a lapse of

As these thoughts were crossing his mind, a harsh bark was heard to the left of the footpath, and a jackal was

seen emerging from a large grove of lentisks. Regarding the two wayfarers with manifest uneasiness, the

beast took up its position at the foot of a rock, more than thirty feet in height. It belonged to an African

species distinguished by a black spotted skin, and a black line down the front of the legs. At nighttime,

when they scour the country in herds, the creatures are somewhat formidable, but singly they are no more

dangerous than a dog. Though by no means afraid of them, Ben Zoof had a particular aversion to jackals,

perhaps because they had no place among the fauna of his beloved Montmartre. He accordingly began to

make threatening gestures, when, to the unmitigated astonishment of himself and the captain, the animal

"Good Heavens!" cried Ben Zoof, "that leap must have been thirty feet at least."

Meantime the jackal had seated itself upon its haunches, and was staring at the two men with an air of

impudent defiance. This was too much for Ben Zoof's forbearance, and stooping down he caught up a huge

stone, when to his surprise, he found that it was no heavier than a piece of petrified sponge. "Confound the

brute!" he exclaimed, "I might as well throw a piece of bread at him. What accounts for its being as light as

Nothing daunted, however, he hurled the stone into the air. It missed its aim; but the jackal, deeming it on the

whole prudent to decamp, disappeared across the trees and hedges with a series of bounds, which could only

be likened to those that might be made by an indiarubber kangaroo. Ben Zoof was sure that his own powers

of propelling must equal those of a howitzer, for his stone, after a lengthened flight through the air, fell to the

The orderly was now some yards ahead of his master, and had reached a ditch full of water, and about ten feet

wide. With the intention of clearing it, he made a spring, when a loud cry burst from Servadac. "Ben Zoof,

And well might he be alarmed, for Ben Zoof had sprung to a height of forty feet into the air. Fearful of the

consequences that would attend the descent of his servant to terra firma, Servadac bounded forwards, to be on

the other side of the ditch in time to break his fall. But the muscular effort that he made carried him in his

turn to an altitude of thirty feet; in his ascent he passed Ben Zoof, who had already commenced his

downward course; and then, obedient to the laws of gravitation, he descended with increasing rapidity, and

alighted upon the earth without experiencing a shock greater than if he had merely made a bound of four or

Ben Zoof burst into a roar of laughter. "Bravo!" he said, "we should make a good pair of clowns."

But the captain was inclined to take a more serious view of the matter. For a few seconds he stood lost in

thought, then said solemnly, "Ben Zoof, I must be dreaming. Pinch me hard; I must be either asleep or mad."

"It is very certain that something has happened to us," said Ben Zoof. "I have occasionally dreamed that I was

a swallow flying over the Montmartre, but I never experienced anything of this kind before; it must be

Servadac was stupefied; he felt instinctively that he was not dreaming, and yet was powerless to solve the

mystery. He was not, however, the man to puzzle himself for long over any insoluble problem. "Come what

may," he presently exclaimed, "we will make up our minds for the future to be surprised at nothing."

"Right, captain," replied Ben Zoof; "and, first of all, let us settle our little score with Count Timascheff."

Beyond the ditch lay a small piece of meadow land, about an acre in extent. A soft and delicious herbage

carpeted the soil, whilst trees formed a charming framework to the whole. No spot could have been chosen

Servadac cast a hasty glance round. No one was in sight. "We are the first on the field," he said.

"What do you mean?" asked Servadac, looking at his watch, which he had set as nearly as possible by the sun

"Look up there, sir. I am much mistaken if that is not the sun;" and as Ben Zoof spoke, he pointed directly

overhead to where a faint white disc was dimly visible through the haze of clouds.

"Nonsense!" exclaimed Servadac. "How can the sun be in the zenith, in the month of January, in lat. 39

"Can't say, sir. I only know the sun is there; and at the rate he has been traveling, I would lay my cap to a dish

Hector Servadac, mute and motionless, stood with folded arms. Presently he roused himself, and began to

look about again. "What means all this?" he murmured. "Laws of gravity disturbed! Points of the compass

reversed! The length of day reduced one half! Surely this will indefinitely postpone my meeting with the

The orderly, meantime, surveyed his master with the greatest equanimity; no phenomenon, however

extraordinary, would have drawn from him a single exclamation of surprise. "Do you see anyone, Ben Zoof?"

"No one, sir; the count has evidently been and gone." "But supposing that to be the case," persisted the

captain, "my seconds would have waited, and not seeing me, would have come on towards the gourbi. I can

only conclude that they have been unable to get here; and as for Count Timascheff"

Without finishing his sentence. Captain Servadac, thinking it just probable that the count, as on the previous

evening, might come by water, walked to the ridge of rock that overhung the shore, in order to ascertain if the

Dobryna were anywhere in sight. But the sea was deserted, and for the first time the captain noticed that,

although the wind was calm, the waters were unusually agitated, and seethed and foamed as though they were

boiling. It was very certain that the yacht would have found a difficulty in holding her own in such a swell.

Another thing that now struck Servadac was the extraordinary contraction of the horizon. Under ordinary

circumstances, his elevated position would have allowed him a radius of vision at least five and twenty miles

in length; but the terrestrial sphere seemed, in the course of the last few hours, to have become considerably

reduced in volume, and he could now see for a distance of only six miles in every direction.

Meantime, with the agility of a monkey, Ben Zoof had clambered to the top of a eucalyptus, and from his

lofty perch was surveying the country to the south, as well as towards both Tenes and Mostaganem. On

"We will make our way to the river, and get over into Mostaganem," said the captain.

The Shelif was not more than a mile and a half from the meadow, but no time was to be lost if the two men

were to reach the town before nightfall. Though still hidden by heavy clouds, the sun was evidently declining

fast; and what was equally inexplicable, it was not following the oblique curve that in these latitudes and at

this time of year might be expected, but was sinking perpendicularly on to the horizon.

As he went along, Captain Servadac pondered deeply. Perchance some unheardof phenomenon had

modified the rotary motion of the globe; or perhaps the Algerian coast had been transported beyond the

equator into the southern hemisphere. Yet the earth, with the exception of the alteration in its convexity, in

this part of Africa at least, seemed to have undergone no change of any very great importance. As far as the

eye could reach, the shore was, as it had ever been, a succession of cliffs, beach, and arid rocks, tinged with a

red ferruginous hue. To the southif south, in this inverted order of things, it might still be calledthe face

of the country also appeared unaltered, and some leagues away, the peaks of the Merdeyah mountains still

Presently a rift in the clouds gave passage to an oblique ray of light that clearly proved that the sun was

"Well, I am curious to know what they think of all this at Mostaganem," said the captain. "I wonder, too,

what the Minister of War will say when he receives a telegram informing him that his African colony has

become, not morally, but physically disorganized; that the cardinal points are at variance with ordinary rules,

and that the sun in the month of January is shining down vertically upon our heads."

Ben Zoof, whose ideas of discipline were extremely rigid, at once suggested that the colony should be put

under the surveillance of the police, that the cardinal points should be placed under restraint, and that the sun

Meantime, they were both advancing with the utmost speed. The decompression of the atmosphere made the

specific gravity of their bodies extraordinarily light, and they ran like hares and leaped like chamois. Leaving

the devious windings of the footpath, they went as a crow would fly across the country. Hedges, trees, and

streams were cleared at a bound, and under these conditions Ben Zoof felt that he could have overstepped

Montmartre at a single stride. The earth seemed as elastic as the springboard of an acrobat; they scarcely

touched it with their feet, and their only fear was lest the height to which they were propelled would consume

It was not long before their wild career brought them to the right bank of the Shelif. Here they were

compelled to stop, for not only had the bridge completely disappeared, but the river itself no longer existed.

Of the left bank there was not the slightest trace, and the right bank, which on the previous evening had

bounded the yellow stream, as it murmured peacefully along the fertile plain, had now become the shore of a

tumultuous ocean, its azure waters extending westwards far as the eye could reach, and annihilating the tract

of country which had hitherto formed the district of Mostaganem. The shore coincided exactly with what had

been the right bank of the Shelif, and in a slightly curved line ran north and south, whilst the adjacent groves

and meadows all retained their previous positions. But the riverbank had become the shore of an unknown

Eager to throw some light upon the mystery, Servadac hurriedly made his way through the oleander bushes

that overhung the shore, took up some water in the hollow of his hand, and carried it to his lips. "Salt as

brine!" he exclaimed, as soon as he had tasted it. "The sea has undoubtedly swallowed up all the western part

"It will not last long, sir," said Ben Zoof. "It is, probably, only a severe flood."

The captain shook his head. "Worse than that, I fear, Ben Zoof," he replied with emotion. "It is a catastrophe

that may have very serious consequences. What can have become of all my friends and fellowofficers?"

Ben Zoof was silent. Rarely had he seen his master so much agitated; and though himself inclined to receive

these phenomena with philosophic indifference, his notions of military duty caused his countenance to reflect

But there was little time for Servadac to examine the changes which a few hours had wrought. The sun had

already reached the eastern horizon, and just as though it were crossing the ecliptic under the tropics, it sank

like a cannon ball into the sea. Without any warning, day gave place to night, and earth, sea, and sky were

Hector Servadac was not the man to remain long unnerved by any untoward event. It was part of his character

to discover the why and the wherefore of everything that came under his observation, and he would have

faced a cannon ball the more unflinchingly from understanding the dynamic force by which it was propelled.

Such being his temperament, it may well be imagined that he was anxious not to remain long in ignorance of

"We must inquire into this tomorrow," he exclaimed, as darkness fell suddenly upon him. Then, after a

pause, he added: "That is to say, if there is to be a tomorrow; for if I were to be put to the torture, I could not

"Stay where we are for the present; and when daylight appears if it ever does appearwe will explore the

coast to the west and south, and return to the gourbi. If we can find out nothing else, we must at least discover

Nothing loath to avail himself of his master's permission, Ben Zoof crouched down in an angle of the shore,

threw his arms over his eyes, and very soon slept the sleep of the ignorant, which is often sounder than the

sleep of the just. Overwhelmed by the questions that crowded upon his brain, Captain Servadac could only

wander up and down the shore. Again and again he asked himself what the catastrophe could portend. Had

the towns of Algiers, Oran, and Mostaganem escaped the inundation? Could he bring himself to believe that

all the inhabitants, his friends, and comrades had perished; or was it not more probable that the Mediterranean

had merely invaded the region of the mouth of the Shelif? But this supposition did not in the least explain the

other physical disturbances. Another hypothesis that presented itself to his mind was that the African coast

might have been suddenly transported to the equatorial zone. But although this might get over the difficulty

of the altered altitude of the sun and the absence of twilight, yet it would neither account for the sun setting in

"We must wait till tomorrow," he repeated; adding, for he had become distrustful of the future, "that is to

Although not very learned in astronomy, Servadac was acquainted with the position of the principal

constellations. It was therefore a considerable disappointment to him that, in consequence of the heavy

clouds, not a star was visible in the firmament. To have ascertained that the polestar had become displaced

would have been an undeniable proof that the earth was revolving on a new axis; but not a rift appeared in the

It happened that the moon was new on that very day; naturally, therefore, it would have set at the same time

as the sun. What, then, was the captain's bewilderment when, after he had been walking for about an hour and

a half, he noticed on the western horizon a strong glare that penetrated even the masses of the clouds.

"The moon in the west!" he cried aloud; but suddenly bethinking himself, he added: "But no, that cannot be

the moon; unless she had shifted very much nearer the earth, she could never give a light as intense as this."

As he spoke the screen of vapor was illuminated to such a degree that the whole country was as it were

bathed in twilight. "What can this be?" soliloquized the captain. "It cannot be the sun, for the sun set in the

east only an hour and a half ago. Would that those clouds would disclose what enormous luminary lies

behind them! What a fool I was not to have learnt more astronomy! Perhaps, after all, I am racking my brain

But, reason as he might, the mysteries of the heavens still remained impenetrable. For about an hour some

luminous body, its disc evidently of gigantic dimensions, shed its rays upon the upper strata of the clouds;

then, marvelous to relate, instead of obeying the ordinary laws of celestial mechanism, and descending upon

the opposite horizon, it seemed to retreat farther off, grew dimmer, and vanished.

The darkness that returned to the face of the earth was not more profound than the gloom which fell upon the

captain's soul. Everything was incomprehensible. The simplest mechanical rules seemed falsified; the planets

had defied the laws of gravitation; the motions of the celestial spheres were erroneous as those of a watch

with a defective mainspring, and there was reason to fear that the sun would never again shed his radiance

But these last fears were groundless. In three hours' time, without any intervening twilight, the morning sun

made its appearance in the west, and day once more had dawned. On consulting his watch, Servadac found

that night had lasted precisely six hours. Ben Zoof, who was unaccustomed to so brief a period of repose, was

"Come, wake up!" said Servadac, shaking him by the shoulder; "it is time to start."

"Time to start?" exclaimed Ben Zoof, rubbing his eyes. "I feel as if I had only just gone to sleep."

"You have slept all night, at any rate," replied the captain; "it has only been for six hours, but you must make

"And now," continued Servadac, "we will take the shortest way back to the gourbi, and see what our horses

"Very good; you may groom them and saddle them as quickly as you like. I want to know what has become

of the rest of Algeria: if we cannot get round by the south to Mostaganem, we must go eastwards to Tenes."

And forthwith they started. Beginning to feel hungry, they had no hesitation in gathering figs, dates, and

oranges from the plantations that formed a continuous rich and luxuriant orchard along their path. The district

In an hour and a half they reached the gourbi. Everything was just as they had left it, and it was evident that

no one had visited the place during their absence. All was desolate as the shore they had quitted.

The preparations for the expedition were brief and simple. Ben Zoof saddled the horses and filled his pouch

with biscuits and game; water, he felt certain, could be obtained in abundance from the numerous affluents of

the Shelif, which, although they had now become tributaries of the Mediterranean, still meandered through

the plain. Captain Servadac mounted his horse Zephyr, and Ben Zoof simultaneously got astride his mare

Galette, named after the mill of Montmartre. They galloped off in the direction of the Shelif, and were not

long in discovering that the diminution in the pressure of the atmosphere had precisely the same effect upon

their horses as it had had upon themselves. Their muscular strength seemed five times as great as hitherto;

their hoofs scarcely touched the ground, and they seemed transformed from ordinary quadrupeds into

veritable hippogriffs. Happily, Servadac and his orderly were fearless riders; they made no attempt to curb

their steeds, but even urged them to still greater exertions. Twenty minutes sufficed to carry them over the

four or five miles that intervened between the gourbi and the mouth of the Shelif; then, slackening their

speed, they proceeded at a more leisurely pace to the southeast, along what had once been the right bank of

the river, but which, although it still retained its former characteristics, was now the boundary of a sea, which

extending farther than the limits of the horizon, must have swallowed up at least a large portion of the

province of Oran. Captain Servadac knew the country well; he had at one time been engaged upon a

trigonometrical survey of the district, and consequently had an accurate knowledge of its topography. His

idea now was to draw up a report of his investigations: to whom that report should be delivered was a

During the four hours of daylight that still remained, the travelers rode about twentyone miles from the river

mouth. To their vast surprise, they did not meet a single human being. At nightfall they again encamped in a

slight bend of the shore, at a point which on the previous evening had faced the mouth of the Mina, one of the

lefthand affluents of the Shelif, but now absorbed into the newly revealed ocean. Ben Zoof made the

sleeping accommodation as comfortable as the circumstances would allow; the horses were clogged and

turned out to feed upon the rich pasture that clothed the shore, and the night passed without special incident.

At sunrise on the following morning, the 2nd of January, or what, according to the ordinary calendar, would

have been the night of the 1st, the captain and his orderly remounted their horses, and during the sixhours'

day accomplished a distance of fortytwo miles. The right bank of the river still continued to be the margin

of the land, and only in one spot had its integrity been impaired. This was about twelve miles from the Mina,

and on the site of the annex or suburb of Surkelmittoo. Here a large portion of the bank had been swept away,

and the hamlet, with its eight hundred inhabitants, had no doubt been swallowed up by the encroaching

waters. It seemed, therefore, more than probable that a similar fate had overtaken the larger towns beyond the

In the evening the explorers encamped, as previously, in a nook of the shore which here abruptly terminated

their new domain, not far from where they might have expected to find the important village of

Memounturroy; but of this, too, there was now no trace. "I had quite reckoned upon a supper and a bed at

Orleansville tonight," said Servadac, as, full of despondency, he surveyed the waste of water.

"Quite impossible," replied Ben Zoof, "except you had gone by a boat. But cheer up, sir, cheer up; we will

"If, as I hope," rejoined the captain, "we are on a peninsula, we are more likely to get to Tenes; there we shall

"Far more likely to carry the news ourselves," answered Ben Zoof, as he threw himself down for his night's

Six hours later, only waiting for sunrise, Captain Servadac set himself in movement again to renew his

investigations. At this spot the shore, that hitherto had been running in a southeasterly direction, turned

abruptly to the north, being no longer formed by the natural bank of the Shelif, but consisting of an absolutely

new coastline. No land was in sight. Nothing could be seen of Orleansville, which ought to have been about

six miles to the southwest; and Ben Zoof, who had mounted the highest point of view attainable, could

Quitting their encampment and riding on, the bewildered explorers kept close to the new shore. This, since it

had ceased to be formed by the original river bank, had considerably altered its aspect. Frequent landslips

occurred, and in many places deep chasms rifted the ground; great gaps furrowed the fields, and trees, half

uprooted, overhung the water, remarkable by the fantastic distortions of their gnarled trunks, looking as

The sinuosities of the coast line, alternately gully and headland, had the effect of making a devious progress

for the travelers, and at sunset, although they had accomplished more than twenty miles, they had only just

arrived at the foot of the Merdeyah Mountains, which, before the cataclysm, had formed the extremity of the

chain of the Little Atlas. The ridge, however, had been violently ruptured, and now rose perpendicularly from

On the following morning Servadac and Ben Zoof traversed one of the mountain gorges; and next, in order to

make a more thorough acquaintance with the limits and condition of the section of Algerian territory of which

they seemed to be left as the sole occupants, they dismounted, and proceeded on foot to the summit of one of

the highest peaks. From this elevation they ascertained that from the base of the Merdeyah to the

Mediterranean, a distance of about eighteen miles, a new coast line had come into existence; no land was

visible in any direction; no isthmus existed to form a connecting link with the territory of Tenes, which had

entirely disappeared. The result was that Captain Servadac was driven to the irresistible conclusion that the

tract of land which he had been surveying was not, as he had at first imagined, a peninsula; it was actually an

Strictly speaking, this island was quadrilateral, but the sides were so irregular that it was much more nearly a

triangle, the comparison of the sides exhibiting these proportions: The section of the right bank of the Shelif,

seventytwo miles; the southern boundary from the Shelif to the chain of the Little Atlas, twentyone miles;

from the Little Atlas to the Mediterranean, eighteen miles; and sixty miles of the shore of the Mediterranean

"What does it all mean?" exclaimed the captain, every hour growing more and more bewildered.

"The will of Providence, and we must submit," replied Ben Zoof, calm and undisturbed. With this reflection,

the two men silently descended the mountain and remounted their horses. Before evening they had reached

the Mediterranean. On their road they failed to discern a vestige of the little town of Montenotte; like Tenes,

of which not so much as a ruined cottage was visible on the horizon, it seemed to be annihilated.

On the following day, the 6th of January, the two men made a forced march along the coast of the

Mediterranean, which they found less altered than the captain had at first supposed; but four villages had

entirely disappeared, and the headlands, unable to resist the shock of the convulsion, had been detached from

The circuit of the island had been now completed, and the explorers, after a period of sixty hours, found

themselves once more beside the ruins of their gourbi. Five days, or what, according to the established order

of things, would have been two days and a half, had been occupied in tracing the boundaries of their new

domain; and they had ascertained beyond a doubt that they were the sole human inhabitants left upon the

"Well, sir, here you are, Governor General of Algeria!" exclaimed Ben Zoof, as they reached the gourbi.

The captain deigned no reply, but, muttering some expressions of regret for the fruitless trouble he had taken

In a few minutes the governor general and his population were asleep. The gourbi being in ruins, they were

obliged to put up with the best accommodation they could find in the adjacent erection. It must be owned that

the captain's slumbers were by no means sound; he was agitated by the consciousness that he had hitherto

been unable to account for his strange experiences by any reasonable theory. Though far from being

advanced in the knowledge of natural philosophy, he had been instructed, to a certain degree, in its

elementary principles; and, by an effort of memory, he managed to recall some general laws which he had

almost forgotten. He could understand that an altered inclination of the earth's axis with regard to the ecliptic

would introduce a change of position in the cardinal points, and bring about a displacement of the sea; but the

hypothesis entirely failed to account, either for the shortening of the days, or for the diminution in the

pressure of the atmosphere. He felt that his judgment was utterly baffled; his only remaining hope was that

the chain of marvels was not yet complete, and that something farther might throw some light upon the

Ben Zoof's first care on the following morning was to provide a good breakfast. To use his own phrase, he

was as hungry as the whole population of three million Algerians, of whom he was the representative, and he

must have enough to eat. The catastrophe which had overwhelmed the country had left a dozen eggs

uninjured, and upon these, with a good dish of his famous couscous, he hoped that he and his master might

have a sufficiently substantial meal. The stove was ready for use, the copper skillet was as bright as hands

could make it, and the beads of condensed steam upon the surface of a large stone alcaraza gave evidence

that it was supplied with water. Ben Zoof at once lighted a fire, singing all the time, according to his wont, a

Ever on the lookout for fresh phenomena, Captain Servadac watched the preparations with a curious eye. It

struck him that perhaps the air, in its strangely modified condition, would fail to supply sufficient oxygen,

and that. the stove, in consequence, might not fulfill its function. But no; the fire was lighted just as usual,

and fanned into vigor by Ben Zoof applying his mouth in lieu of bellows, and a bright flame started up from

the midst of the twigs and coal. The skillet was duly set upon the stove, and Ben Zoof was prepared to wait

awhile for the water to boil. Taking up the eggs, he was surprised to notice that they hardly weighed more

than they would if they had been mere shells; but he was still more surprised when he saw that before the

Servadac reflected. "It cannot be that the fire is hotter," he said, "the peculiarity must be in the water." And

taking down a centigrade thermometer, which hung upon the wall, he plunged it into the skillet. Instead of

"Take my advice, Ben Zoof," he said; "leave your eggs in the saucepan a good quarter of an hour."

"You will not find them hard, my good fellow. Trust me, we shall be able to dip our sippets into the yolks

The captain was quite right in his conjecture, that this new phenomenon was caused by a diminution in the

pressure of the atmosphere. Water boiling at a temperature of 66 degrees was itself an evidence that the

column of air above the earth's surface had become reduced by onethird of its altitude. The identical

phenomenon would have occurred at the summit of a mountain 35,000 feet high; and had Servadac been in

possession of a barometer, he would have immediately discovered the fact that only now for the first time, as

the result of experiment, revealed itself to hima fact, moreover, which accounted for the compression of

the bloodvessels which both he and Ben Zoof had experienced, as well as for the attenuation of their voices

and their accelerated breathing. "And yet," he argued with himself, "if our encampment has been projected to

Once again Hector Servadac, though capable of tracing consequences, felt himself totally at a loss to

After their prolonged immersion in the boiling water, the eggs were found to be only just sufficiently cooked;

the couscous was very much in the same condition; and Ben Zoof came to the conclusion that in future he

must be careful to commence his culinary operations an hour earlier. He was rejoiced at last to help his

master, who, in spite of his perplexed preoccupation, seemed to have a very fair appetite for breakfast.

"Well, captain?" said Ben Zoof presently, such being his ordinary way of opening conversation.

"Well, Ben Zoof?" was the captain's invariable response to his servant's formula.

"We can only for the present wait patiently where we are. We are encamped upon an island, and therefore we

"Oh, I think we must indulge the hope that this catastrophe has not extended far. We must trust that it has

limited its mischief to some small portion of the Algerian coast, and that our friends are all alive and well. No

doubt the governor general will be anxious to investigate the full extent of the damage, and will send a vessel

from Algiers to explore. It is not likely that we shall be forgotten. What, then, you have to do, Ben Zoof, is to

keep a sharp lookout, and to be ready, in case a vessel should appear, to make signals at once."

"Then we must build a boat, and go in search of those who do not come in search of us."

Ben Zoof said no more. For several succeeding days he scanned the horizon unintermittently with his

telescope. His watching was in vain. No ship appeared upon the desert sea. "By the name of a Kabyle!" he

Although the days and nights had become reduced from twentyfour hours to twelve, Captain Servadac

would not accept the new condition of things, but resolved to adhere to the computations of the old calendar.

Notwithstanding, therefore, that the sun had risen and set twelve times since the commencement of the new

year, he persisted in calling the following day the 6th of January. His watch enabled him to keep an accurate

In the course of his life, Ben Zoof had read a few books. After pondering one day, he said: "It seems to me,

captain, that you have turned into Robinson Crusoe, and that I am your man Friday. I hope I have not become

"No," replied the captain. "Your complexion isn't the fairest in the world, but you are not black yet."

"Well, I had much sooner be a white Friday than a black one," rejoined Ben Zoof.

Still no ship appeared; and Captain Servadac, after the example of all previous Crusoes, began to consider it

advisable to investigate the resources of his domain. The new territory of which he had become the monarch

he named Gourbi Island. It had a superficial area of about nine hundred square miles. Bullocks, cows, goats,

and sheep existed in considerable numbers; and as there seemed already to be an abundance of game, it was

hardly likely that a future supply would fail them. The condition of the cereals was such as to promise a fine

ingathering of wheat, maize, and rice; so that for the governor and his population, with their two horses, not

only was there ample provision, but even if other human inhabitants besides themselves should yet be

discovered, there was not the remotest prospect of any of them perishing by starvation.

From the 6th to the 13th of January the rain came down in torrents; and, what was quite an unusual

occurrence at this season of the year, several heavy storms broke over the island. In spite, however, of the

continual downfall, the heavens still remained veiled in cloud. Servadac, moreover, did not fail to observe

that for the season the temperature was unusually high; and, as a matter still more surprising, that it kept

steadily increasing, as though the earth were gradually and continuously approximating to the sun. In

proportion to the rise of temperature, the light also assumed greater intensity; and if it had not been for the

screen of vapor interposed between the sky and the island, the irradiation which would have illumined all

But neither sun, moon, nor star ever appeared; and Servadac's irritation and annoyance at being unable to

identify any one point of the firmament may be more readily imagined than described. On one occasion Ben

Zoof endeavored to mitigate his master's impatience by exhorting him to assume the resignation, even if he

did not feel the indifference, which he himself experienced; but his advice was received with so angry a

rebuff that he retired in all haste, abashed, to r�sum� his watchman's duty, which he performed with

exemplary perseverance. Day and night, with the shortest possible intervals of rest, despite wind, rain, and

storm, he mounted guard upon the cliff but all in vain. Not a speck appeared upon the desolate horizon. To

say the truth, no vessel could have stood against the weather. The hurricane raged with tremendous fury, and

the waves rose to a height that seemed to defy calculation. Never, even in the second era of creation, when,

under the influence of internal heat, the waters rose in vapor to descend in deluge back upon the world, could

But by the night of the 13th the tempest appeared to have spent its fury; the wind dropped; the rain ceased as

if by a spell; and Servadac, who for the last six days had confined himself to the shelter of his roof, hastened

to join Ben Zoof at his post upon the cliff. Now, he thought, there might be a chance of solving his

perplexity; perhaps now the huge disc, of which he had had an imperfect glimpse on the night of the 31st of

December, might again reveal itself; at any rate, he hoped for an opportunity of observing the constellations

The night was magnificent. Not a cloud dimmed the luster of the stars, which spangled the heavens in

surpassing brilliancy, and several nebulae which hitherto no astronomer had been able to discern without the

By a natural impulse, Servadac's first thought was to observe the position of the polestar. It was in sight, but

so near to the horizon as to suggest the utter impossibility of its being any longer the central pivot of the

sidereal system; it occupied a position through which it was out of the question that the axis of the earth

indefinitely prolonged could ever pass. In his impression he was more thoroughly confirmed when, an hour

later, he noticed that the star had approached still nearer the horizon, as though it had belonged to one of the

The polestar being manifestly thus displaced, it remained to be discovered whether any other of the celestial

bodies had become a fixed center around which the constellations made their apparent daily revolutions. To

the solution of this problem Servadac applied himself with the most thoughtful diligence. After patient

observation, he satisfied himself that the required conditions were answered by a certain star that was

stationary not far from the horizon. This was Vega, in the constellation Lyra, a star which, according to the

precession of the equinoxes, will take the place of our polestar 12,000 years hence. The most daring

imagination could not suppose that a period of 12,000 years had been crowded into the space of a fortnight;

and therefore the captain came, as to an easier conclusion, to the opinion that the earth's axis had been

suddenly and immensely shifted; and from the fact that the axis, if produced, would pass through a point so

little removed above the horizon, he deduced the inference that the Mediterranean must have been transported

Lost in bewildering maze of thought, he gazed long and intently upon the heavens. His eyes wandered from

where the tail of the Great Bear, now a zodiacal constellation, was scarcely visible above the waters, to where

the stars of the southern hemisphere were just breaking on his view. A cry from Ben Zoof recalled him to

"The moon!" shouted the orderly, as though overjoyed at once again beholding what the poet has called:

and he pointed to a disc that was rising at a spot precisely opposite the place where they would have expected

But Captain Servadac could not altogether enter into his servant's enthusiasm. If this were actually the moon,

her distance from the earth must have been increased by some millions of miles. He was rather disposed to

suspect that it was not the earth's satellite at all, but some planet with its apparent magnitude greatly enlarged

by its approximation to the earth. Taking up the powerful fieldglass which he was accustomed to use in his

surveying operations, he proceeded to investigate more carefully the luminous orb. But he failed to trace any

of the lineaments, supposed to resemble a human face, that mark the lunar surface; he failed to decipher any

indications of hill and plain; nor could he make out the aureole of light which emanates from what

"Because there is a small satellite in attendance." And the captain drew his servant's attention to a bright

speck, apparently about the size of one of Jupiter's satellites seen through a moderate telescope, that was

Here, then, was a fresh mystery. The orbit of this planet was assuredly interior to the orbit of the earth,

because it accompanied the sun in its apparent motion; yet it was neither Mercury nor Venus, because neither

The captain stamped and stamped again with mingled vexation, agitation, and bewilderment. "Confound it!"

he cried, "if this is neither Venus nor Mercury, it must be the moon; but if it is the moon, whence, in the name

The light of the returning sun soon extinguished the glory of the stars, and rendered it necessary for the

captain to postpone his observations. He had sought in vain for further trace of the huge disc that had so

excited his wonder on the 1st, and it seemed most probable that, in its irregular orbit, it had been carried

The weather was still superb. The wind, after veering to the west, had sunk to a perfect calm. Pursuing its

inverted course, the sun rose and set with undeviating regularity; and the days and nights were still divided

into periods of precisely six hours each a sure proof that the sun remained close to the new equator which

Meanwhile the temperature was steadily increasing. The captain kept his thermometer close at hand where he

could repeatedly consult it, and on the 15th he found that it registered 50 degrees centigrade in the shade.

No attempt had been made to rebuild the gourbi, but the captain and Ben Zoof managed to make up quarters

sufficiently comfortable in the principal apartment of the adjoining structure, where the stone walls, that at

first afforded a refuge from the torrents of rain, now formed an equally acceptable shelter from the burning

sun. The heat was becoming insufferable, surpassing the heat of Senegal and other equatorial regions; not a

cloud ever tempered the intensity of the solar rays; and unless some modification ensued, it seemed inevitable

that all vegetation should become scorched and burnt off from the face of the island.

In spite, however, of the profuse perspirations from which he suffered, Ben Zoof, constant to his principles,

expressed no surprise at the unwonted heat. No remonstrances from his master could induce him to abandon

his watch from the cliff. To withstand the vertical beams of that noontide sun would seem to require a skin of

brass and a brain of adamant; but yet, hour after hour, he would remain conscientiously scanning the surface

of the Mediterranean, which, calm and deserted, lay outstretched before him. On one occasion, Servadac, in

reference to his orderly's indomitable perseverance, happened to remark that he thought he must have been

born in the heart of equatorial Africa; to which Ben Zoof replied, with the utmost dignity, that he was born at

Montmartre, which was all the same. The worthy fellow was unwilling to own that, even in the matter of

This unprecedented temperature very soon began to take effect upon the products of the soil. The sap rose

rapidly in the trees, so that in the course of a few days buds, leaves, flowers, and fruit had come to full

maturity. It was the same with the cereals; wheat and maize sprouted and ripened as if by magic, and for a

while a rank and luxuriant pasturage clothed the meadows. Summer and autumn seemed blended into one. If

Captain Servadac had been more deeply versed in astronomy, he would perhaps have been able to bring to

bear his knowledge that if the axis of the earth, as everything seemed to indicate, now formed a right angle

with the plane of the ecliptic, her various seasons, like those of the planet Jupiter, would become limited to

certain zones, in which they would remain invariable. But even if he had understood the rationale of the

change, the convulsion that had brought it about would have been as much a mystery as ever.

The precocity of vegetation caused some embarrassment. The time for the corn and fruit harvest had fallen

simultaneously with that of the haymaking; and as the extreme heat precluded any prolonged exertions, it was

evident "the population" of the island would find it difficult to provide the necessary amount of labor. Not

that the prospect gave them much concern: the provisions of the gourbi were still far from exhausted, and

now that the roughness of the weather had so happily subsided, they had every encouragement to hope that a

ship of some sort would soon appear. Not only was that part of the Mediterranean systematically frequented

by the government steamers that watched the coast, but vessels of all nations were constantly cruising off the

In spite, however, of all their sanguine speculations, no ship appeared. Ben Zoof admitted the necessity of

extemporizing a kind of parasol for himself, otherwise he must literally have been roasted to death upon the

Meanwhile, Servadac was doing his utmostit must be acknowledged, with indifferent successto recall

the lessons of his schooldays. He would plunge into the wildest speculations in his endeavors to unravel the

difficulties of the new situation, and struggled into a kind of conviction that if there had been a change of

manner in the earth's rotation on her axis, there would be a corresponding change in her revolution round the

sun, which would involve the consequence of the length of the year being either diminished or increased.

Independently of the increased and increasing heat, there was another very conclusive demonstration that the

earth had thus suddenly approximated towards the sun. The diameter of the solar disc was now exactly twice

what it ordinarily looks to the naked eye; in fact, it was precisely such as it would appear to an observer on

the surface of the planet Venus. The most obvious inference would therefore be that the earth's distance from

the sun had been diminished from 91,000,000 to 66,000,000 miles. If the just equilibrium of the earth had

thus been destroyed, and should this diminution of distance still continue, would there not be reason to fear

that the terrestrial world would be carried onwards to actual contact with the sun, which must result in its

The continuance of the splendid weather afforded Servadac every facility for observing the heavens. Night

after night, constellations in their beauty lay stretched before his eyes an alphabet which, to his

mortification, not to say his rage, he was unable to decipher. In the apparent dimensions of the fixed stars, in

their distance, in their relative position with regard to each other, he could observe no change. Although it is

established that our sun is approaching the constellation of Hercules at the rate of more than 126,000,000

miles a year, and although Arcturus is traveling through space at the rate of fiftyfour miles a secondthree

times faster than the earth goes round the sun,yet such is the remoteness of those stars that no appreciable

Far otherwise was it with the planets. The orbits of Venus and Mercury are within the orbit of the earth,

Venus rotating at an average distance of 66,130,000 miles from the sun, and Mercury at that of 35,393,000.

After pondering long, and as profoundly as he could, upon these figures, Captain Servadac came to the

conclusion that, as the earth was now receiving about double the amount of light and heat that it had been

receiving before the catastrophe, it was receiving about the same as the planet Venus; he was driven,

therefore, to the estimate of the measure in which the earth must have approximated to the sun, a deduction in

which he was confirmed when the opportunity came for him to observe Venus herself in the splendid

That magnificent planet whichas Phosphorus or Lucifer, Hesperus or Vesper, the evening star, the morning

star, or the shepherd's starhas never failed to attract the rapturous admiration of the most indifferent

observers, here revealed herself with unprecedented glory, exhibiting all the phases of a lustrous moon in

miniature. Various indentations in the outline of its crescent showed that the solar beams were refracted into

regions of its surface where the sun had already set, and proved, beyond a doubt, that the planet had an

atmosphere of her own; and certain luminous points projecting from the crescent as plainly marked the

existence of mountains. As the result of Servadac's computations, he formed the opinion that Venus could

"And a very safe distance, too," said Ben Zoof, when his master told him the conclusion at which he had

"All very well for two armies, but for a couple of planets not quite so safe, perhaps, as you may imagine. It is

my impression that it is more than likely we may run foul of Venus," said the captain.

Servadac did his best to explain that as the two planets were of about equal volume, and were traveling with

great velocity in opposite directions, any collision between them must be attended with the most disastrous

consequences to one or both of them. But Ben Zoof failed to see that, even at the worst, the catastrophe could

The captain became exasperated. "You idiot!" he angrily exclaimed; "cannot you understand that the planets

are traveling a thousand times faster than the fastest express, and that if they meet, either one or the other

The captain had touched a tender chord. For a moment Ben Zoof stood with clenched teeth and contracted

muscles; then, in a voice of real concern, he inquired whether anything could be done to avert the calamity.

"Nothing whatever; so you may go about your own business," was the captain's brusque rejoinder.

During the ensuing days the distance between the two planets continued to decrease, and it became more and

more obvious that the earth, on her new orbit, was about to cross the orbit of Venus. Throughout this time the

earth had been making a perceptible approach towards Mercury, and that planetwhich is rarely visible to

the naked eye, and then only at what are termed the periods of its greatest eastern and western

elongationsnow appeared in all its splendor. It amply justified the epithet of "sparkling" which the ancients

were accustomed to confer upon it, and could scarcely fail to awaken a new interest. The periodic recurrence

of its phases; its reflection of the sun's rays, shedding upon it a light and a heat seven times greater than that

received by the earth; its glacial and its torrid zones, which, on account of the great inclination of the axis, are

scarcely separable; its equatorial bands; its mountains eleven miles high;were all subjects of observation

But no danger was to be apprehended from Mercury; with Venus only did collision appear imminent. By the

l8th of January the distance between that planet and the earth had become reduced to between two and three

millions of miles, and the intensity of its light cast heavy shadows from all terrestrial objects. It might be

observed to turn upon its own axis in twentythree hours twentyone minutesan evidence, from the

unaltered duration of its days, that the planet had not shared in the disturbance. On its disc the clouds formed

from its atmospheric vapor were plainly perceptible, as also were the seven spots, which, according to

Bianchini, are a chain of seas. It was now visible in broad daylight. Buonaparte, when under the Directory,

once had his attention called to Venus at noon, and immediately hailed it joyfully, recognizing it as his own

peculiar star in the ascendant. Captain Servadac, it may well be imagined, did not experience the same

On the 20th, the distance between the two bodies had again sensibly diminished. The captain had ceased to be

surprised that no vessel had been sent to rescue himself and his companion from their strange imprisonment;

the governor general and the minister of war were doubtless far differently occupied, and their interests far

otherwise engrossed. What sensational articles, he thought, must now be teeming to the newspapers! What

crowds must be flocking to the churches! The end of the world approaching! the great climax close at hand!

Two days more, and the earth, shivered into a myriad atoms, would be lost in boundless space!

These dire forebodings, however, were not destined to be realized. Gradually the distance between the two

planets began to increase; the planes of their orbits did not coincide, and accordingly the dreaded catastrophe

did not ensue. By the 25th, Venus was sufficiently remote to preclude any further fear of collision. Ben Zoof

Their proximity to Venus had been close enough to demonstrate that beyond a doubt that planet has no moon

or satellite such as Cassini, Short, Montaigne of Limoges, Montbarron, and some other astronomers have

imagined to exist. "Had there been such a satellite," said Servadac, "we might have captured it in passing. But

what can be the meaning," he added seriously, "of all this displacement of the heavenly bodies?"

"What is that great building at Paris, captain, with a top like a cap?" asked Ben Zoof.

"Yes, the Observatory. Are there not people living in the Observatory who could explain all this?"

"Let us be philosophers, and wait patiently until we can hear their explanation."

Servadac smiled. "Do you know what it is to be a philosopher, Ben Zoof?" he asked.

"I am a soldier, sir," was the servant's prompt rejoinder, "and I have learnt to know that 'what can't be cured

The captain made no reply, but for a time, at least, he desisted from puzzling himself over matters which he

felt he was utterly incompetent to explain. But an event soon afterwards occurred which awakened his

About nine o'clock on the morning of the 27th, Ben Zoof walked deliberately into his master's apartment,

and, in reply to a question as to what he wanted, announced with the utmost composure that a ship was in

"A ship!" exclaimed Servadac, starting to his feet. "A ship! Ben Zoof, you donkey! you speak as

Fast as his legs could carry him, Servadac had made his way to the top of the cliff. It was quite true that a

vessel was in sight, hardly more than six miles from the shore; but owing to the increase in the earth's

convexity, and the consequent limitation of the range of vision, the rigging of the topmasts alone was visible

above the water. This was enough, however, to indicate that the ship was a schooner an impression that

"The Dobryna!" repeated the captain, positively. "She is under sail; but she is Count Timascheff's yacht."

He was right. If the count were on board, a strange fatality was bringing him to the presence of his rival. But

no longer now could Servadac regard him in the light of an adversary; circumstances had changed, and all

animosity was absorbed in the eagerness with which he hailed the prospect of obtaining some information

about the recent startling and inexplicable events. During the twentyseven days that she had been absent, the

Dobryna, he conjectured, would have explored the Mediterranean, would very probably have visited Spain,

France, or Italy, and accordingly would convey to Gourbi Island some intelligence from one or other of those

countries. He reckoned, therefore, not only upon ascertaining the extent of the late catastrophe, but upon

learning its cause. Count Timascheff was, no doubt, magnanimously coming to the rescue of himself and his

The wind being adverse, the Dobryna did not make very rapid progress; but as the weather, in spite of a few

clouds, remained calm, and the sea was quite smooth, she was enabled to hold a steady course. It seemed

unaccountable that she should not use her engine, as whoever was on board, would be naturally impatient to

reconnoiter the new island, which must just have come within their view. The probability that suggested itself

Servadac took it for granted that the Dobryna was endeavoring to put in. It occurred to him, however, that the

count, on discovering an island where he had expected to find the mainland of Africa, would not unlikely be

at a loss for a place of anchorage. The yacht was evidently making her way in the direction of the former

mouth of the Shelif, and the captain was struck with the idea that he would do well to investigate whether

there was any suitable mooring towards which he might signal her. Zephyr and Galette were soon saddled,

and in twenty minutes had carried their riders to the western extremity of the island, where they both

They were not long in ascertaining that on the farther side of the point there was a small wellsheltered creek

of sufficient depth to accommodate a vessel of moderate tonnage. A narrow channel formed a passage

through the ridge of rocks that protected it from the open sea, and which, even in the roughest weather, would

Whilst examining the rocky shore, the captain observed, to his great surprise, long and welldefined rows of

seaweed, which undoubtedly betokened that there had been a very considerable ebb and flow of the

watersa thing unknown in the Mediterranean, where there is scarcely any perceptible tide. What, however,

seemed most remarkable, was the manifest evidence that ever since the highest flood (which was caused, in

all probability, by the proximity of the body of which the huge disc had been so conspicuous on the night of

the 31st of December) the phenomenon had been gradually lessening, and in fact was now reduced to the

Without doing more than note the circumstance, Servadac turned his entire attention to the Dobryna, which,

now little more than a mile from shore, could not fail to see and understand his signals. Slightly changing her

course, she first struck her mainsail, and, in order to facilitate the movements of her helmsman, soon carried

nothing but her two topsails, brigantine and jib. After rounding the peak, she steered direct for the channel to

which Servadac by his gestures was pointing her, and was not long in entering the creek. As soon as the

anchor, imbedded in the sandy bottom, had made good its hold, a boat was lowered. In a few minutes more

Count Timascheff had landed on the island. Captain Servadac hastened towards him.

"First of all, count," he exclaimed impetuously, "before we speak one other word, tell me what has

The count, whose imperturbable composure presented a singular contrast to the French officer's enthusiastic

vivacity, made a stiff bow, and in his Russian accent replied: "First of all, permit me to express my surprise at

seeing you here. I left you on a continent, and here I have the honor of finding you on an island."

"I am quite aware of it. Captain Servadac, and I now beg to offer you my sincere apologies for failing to keep

"Never mind, now," interposed the captain; "we will talk of that byandby. First, tell me what has

"Do you mean to say you know nothing of the cause, and can tell me nothing of the extent, of the catastrophe

"But surely, Count Timascheff, you can inform me whether upon the northern shore of the Mediterranean"

"Are you certain that this is the Mediterranean?" asked the count significantly, and added, "I have discovered

The captain stared in silent bewilderment. For some moments he seemed perfectly stupefied; then, recovering

himself, he began to overwhelm the count with a torrent of questions. Had he noticed, ever since the 1st of

January, that the sun had risen in the west? Had he noticed that the days had been only six hours long, and

that the weight of the atmosphere was so much diminished? Had he observed that the moon had quite

disappeared, and that the earth had been in imminent hazard of running foul of the planet Venus? Was he

aware, in short, that the entire motions of the terrestrial sphere had undergone a complete modification? To

all these inquiries, the count responded in the affirmative. He was acquainted with everything that had

transpired; but, to Servadac's increasing astonishment, he could throw no light upon the cause of any of the

"On the night of the 31st of December," he said, "I was proceeding by sea to our appointed place of meeting,

when my yacht was suddenly caught on the crest of an enormous wave, and carried to a height which it is

beyond my power to estimate. Some mysterious force seemed to have brought about a convulsion of the

elements. Our engine was damaged, nay disabled, and we drifted entirely at the mercy of the terrible

hurricane that raged during the succeeding days. That the Dobryna escaped at all is little less than a miracle,

and I can only attribute her safety to the fact that she occupied the center of the vast cyclone, and

"Then let us put out to sea at once and ascertain the extent of the disaster," cried the captain, eagerly. "You

"My yacht is at your service, sir, even should you require to make a tour round the world."

"A tour round the Mediterranean will suffice for the present, I think," said the captain, smiling.

"I am not sure," said he, "but what the tour of the Mediterranean will prove to be the tour of the world."

After the silence was broken, they consulted as to what course was best to pursue; and the plan they proposed

was, in the first place, to discover how much of the African coast still remained, and to carry on the tidings of

their own experiences to Algiers; or, in the event of the southern shore having actually disappeared, they

would make their way northwards and put themselves in communication with the population on the river

Before starting, it was indispensable that the engine of the Dobryna should be repaired: to sail under canvas

only would in contrary winds and rough seas be both tedious and difficult. The stock of coal on board was

adequate for two months' consumption; but as it would at the expiration of that time be exhausted, it was

obviously the part of prudence to employ it in reaching a port where fuel could be replenished.

The damage sustained by the engine proved to be not very serious; and in three days after her arrival the

Servadac employed the interval in making the count acquainted with all he knew about his small domain.

They made an entire circuit of the island, and both agreed that it must be beyond the limits of that

circumscribed territory that they must seek an explanation of what had so strangely. transpired.

It was on the last day of January that the repairs of the schooner were completed. A slight diminution in the

excessively high temperature which had prevailed for the last few weeks, was the only apparent change in the

general order of things; but whether this was to be attributed to any alteration in the earth's orbit was a

question which would still require several days to decide. The weather remained fine, and although a few

clouds had accumulated, and might have caused a trifling fall of the barometer, they were not sufficiently

Doubts now arose, and some discussion followed, whether or not it was desirable for Ben Zoof to accompany

his master. There were various reasons why he should be left behind, not the least important being that the

schooner had no accommodation for horses, and the orderly would have found it hard to part with Zephyr,

and much more with his own favorite Galette; besides, it was advisable that there should be some one left to

receive any strangers that might possibly arrive, as well as to keep an eye upon the herds of cattle which, in

the dubious prospect before them, might prove to be the sole resource of the survivors of the catastrophe.

Altogether, taking into consideration that the brave fellow would incur no personal risk by remaining upon

the island, the captain was induced with much reluctance to forego the attendance of his servant, hoping very

shortly to return and to restore him to his country, when he had ascertained the reason of the mysteries in

On the 31st, then, Ben Zoof was "invested with governor's powers," and took an affecting leave of his master,

begging him, if chance should carry him near Montmartre, to ascertain whether the beloved "mountain" had

Farewells over, the Dobryna was carefully steered through the creek, and was soon upon the open sea.

The Dobryna, a strong craft of 200 tons burden, had been built in the famous shipbuilding yards in the Isle of

Wight. Her sea going qualities were excellent, and would have amply sufficed for a circumnavigation of the

globe. Count Timascheff was himself no sailor, but had the greatest confidence in leaving the command of

his yacht in the hands of Lieutenant Procope, a man of about thirty years of age, and an excellent seaman.

Born on the count's estates, the son of a serf who had been emancipated long before the famous edict of the

Emperor Alexander, Procope was sincerely attached, by a tie of gratitude as well as of duty and affection, to

his patron's service. After an apprenticeship on a merchant ship he had entered the imperial navy, and had

already reached the rank of lieutenant when the count appointed him to the charge of his own private yacht,

in which he was accustomed to spend by far the greater part of his time, throughout the winter generally

cruising in the Mediterranean, whilst in the summer he visited more northern waters.

The ship could not have been in better hands. The lieutenant was well informed in many matters outside the

pale of his profession, and his attainments were alike creditable to himself and to the liberal friend who had

given him his education. He had an excellent crew, consisting of Tiglew the engineer, four sailors named

Niegoch, Tolstoy, Etkef, and Panofka, and Mochel the cook. These men, without exception, were all sons of

the count's tenants, and so tenaciously, even out at sea, did they cling to their old traditions, that it mattered

little to them what physical disorganization ensued, so long as they felt they were sharing the experiences of

their lord and master. The late astounding events, however, had rendered Procope manifestly uneasy, and not

the less so from his consciousness that the count secretly partook of his own anxiety.

Steam up and canvas spread, the schooner started eastwards. With a favorable wind she would certainly have

made eleven knots an hour had not the high waves somewhat impeded her progress. Although only a

moderate breeze was blowing, the sea was rough, a circumstance to be accounted for only by the diminution

in the force of the earth's attraction rendering the liquid particles so buoyant, that by the mere effect of

oscillation they were carried to a height that was quite unprecedented. M. Arago has fixed twentyfive or

twentysix feet as the maximum elevation ever attained by the highest waves, and his astonishment would

have been very great to see them rising fifty or even sixty feet. Nor did these waves in the usual way partially

unfurl themselves and rebound against the sides of the vessel; they might rather be described as long

undulations carrying the schooner (its weight diminished from the same cause as that of the water) alternately

to such heights and depths, that if Captain Servadac had been subject to seasickness he must have found

himself in sorry plight. As the pitching, however, was the result of a long uniform swell, the yacht did not

labor much harder than she would against the ordinary short strong waves of the Mediterranean; the main

inconvenience that was experienced was the diminution in her proper rate of speed.

For a few miles she followed the line hitherto presumably occupied by the coast of Algeria; but no land

appeared to the south. The changed positions of the planets rendered them of no avail for purposes of nautical

observation, nor could Lieutenant Procope calculate his latitude and longitude by the altitude of the sun, as

his reckonings would be useless when applied to charts that had been constructed for the old order of things;

but nevertheless, by means of the log, which gave him the rate of progress, and by the compass which

indicated the direction in which they were sailing, he was able to form an estimate of his position that was

Happily the recent phenomena had no effect upon the compass; the magnetic needle, which in these regions

had pointed about 22 degrees from the north pole, had never deviated in the leasta proof that, although east

and west had apparently changed places, north and south continued to retain their normal position as cardinal

points. The log and the compass, therefore, were able to be called upon to do the work of the sextant, which

On the first morning of the cruise Lieutenant Procope, who, like most Russians, spoke French fluently, was

explaining these peculiarities to Captain Servadac; the count was present, and the conversation perpetually

recurred, as naturally it would, to the phenomena which remained so inexplicable to them all.

"It is very evident," said the lieutenant, "that ever since the 1st of January the earth has been moving in a new

"No doubt about that," said Servadac; "and I suppose that, having crossed the orbit of Venus, we have a good

"There is no fear of that, sir. The earth has undoubtedly entered upon a new orbit, but she is not incurring any

"I can, sir. I can give you a proof which I think you will own is conclusive. If, as you suppose, the earth is

being drawn on so as to be precipitated against the sun, the great center of attraction of our system, it could

only be because the centrifugal and centripetal forces that cause the planets to rotate in their several orbits

had been entirely suspended: in that case, indeed, the earth would rush onwards towards the sun, and in

"And what demonstration do you offer," asked Servadac eagerly, "that it will not happen?"

"Simply this, captain: that since the earth entered her new orbit half the sixtyfour days has already elapsed,

and yet it is only just recently that she has crossed the orbit of Venus, hardly onethird of the distance to be

The lieutenant paused to allow time for reflection, and added: "Moreover, I have every reason to believe that

we are not so near the sun as we have been. The temperature has been gradually diminishing; the heat upon

Gourbi Island is not greater now than we might ordinarily expect to find in Algeria. At the same time, we

have the problem still unsolved that the Mediterranean has evidently been transported to the equatorial zone."

Both the count and the captain expressed themselves reassured by his representations, and observed that they

must now do all in their power to discover what had become of the vast continent of Africa, of which, they

Twentyfour hours after leaving the island, the Dobryna had passed over the sites where Tenes, Cherchil,

Koleah, and SidiFeruch once had been, but of these towns not one appeared within range of the telescope.

Ocean reigned supreme. Lieutenant Procope was absolutely certain that he had not mistaken his direction; the

compass showed that the wind had never shifted from the west, and this, with the rate of speed as estimated

by the log, combined to assure him that at this date, the 2d of February, the schooner was in lat. 36 degrees 49

min N. and long. 3 degrees 25 min E., the very spot which ought to have been occupied by the Algerian

capital. But Algiers, like all the other coasttowns, had apparently been absorbed into the bowels of the earth.

Captain Servadac, with clenched teeth and knitted brow, stood sternly, almost fiercely, regarding the

boundless waste of water. His pulse beat fast as he recalled the friends and comrades with whom he had spent

the last few years in that vanished city. All the images of his past life floated upon his memory; his thoughts

sped away to his native France, only to return again to wonder whether the depths of ocean would reveal any

"Is it not impossible," he murmured aloud, "that any city should disappear so completely? Would not the

loftiest eminences of the city at least be visible? Surely some portion of the Casbah must still rise above the

waves? The imperial fort, too, was built upon an elevation of 750 feet; it is incredible that it should be so

totally submerged. Unless some vestiges of these are found, I shall begin to suspect that the whole of Africa

Another circumstance was most remarkable. Not a material object of any kind was to be noticed floating on

the surface of the water; not one branch of a tree had been seen drifting by, nor one spar belonging to one of

the numerous vessels that a month previously had been moored in the magnificent bay which stretched

twelve miles across from Cape Matafuz to Point Pexade. Perhaps the depths might disclose what the surface

failed to reveal, and Count Timascheff, anxious that Servadac should have every facility afforded him for

solving his doubts, called for the soundingline. Forthwith, the lead was greased and lowered. To the surprise

of all, and especially of Lieutenant Procope, the line indicated a bottom at a nearly uniform depth of from

four to five fathoms; and although the sounding was persevered with continuously for more than two hours

over a considerable area, the differences of level were insignificant, not corresponding in any degree to what

would be expected over the site of a city that had been terraced like the seats of an amphitheater. Astounding

as it seemed, what alternative was left but to suppose that the Algerian capital had been completely leveled by

The seabottom was composed of neither rock, mud, sand, nor shells; the soundinglead brought up nothing

but a kind of metallic dust, which glittered with a strange iridescence, and the nature of which it was

impossible to determine, as it was totally unlike what had ever been known to be raised from the bed of the

"You must see, lieutenant, I should think, that we are not so near the coast of Algeria as you imagined."

The lieutenant shook his head. After pondering awhile, he said: "If we were farther away I should expect to

find a depth of two or three hundred fathoms instead of five fathoms. Five fathoms! I confess I am puzzled."

For the next thirtysix hours, until the 4th of February, the sea was examined and explored with the most

unflagging perseverance. Its depth remained invariable, still four, or at most five, fathoms; and although its

bottom was assiduously dredged, it was only to prove it barren of marine production of any type.

The yacht made its way to lat. 36 degrees, and by reference to the charts it was tolerably certain that she was

cruising over the site of the Sahel, the ridge that had separated the rich plain of the Mitidja from the sea, and

of which the highest peak, Mount Boujereah, had reached an altitude of 1,200 feet; but even this peak, which

might have been expected to emerge like an islet above the surface of the sea, was nowhere to be traced.

Nothing was to be done but to put about, and return in disappointment towards the north.

Thus the Dobryna regained the waters of the Mediterranean without discovering a trace of the missing

No longer, then, could there be any doubt as to the annihilation of a considerable portion of the colony. Not

merely had there been a submersion of the land, but the impression was more and more confirmed that the

very bowels of the earth must have yawned and closed again upon a large territory. Of the rocky substratum

of the province it became more evident than ever that not a trace remained, and a new soil of unknown

formation had certainly taken the place of the old sandy seabottom. As it altogether transcended the powers

of those on board to elucidate the origin of this catastrophe, it was felt to be incumbent on them at least to

After a long and somewhat wavering discussion, it was at length decided that the schooner should take

advantage of the favorable wind and weather, and proceed at first towards the east, thus following the outline

of what had formerly represented the coast of Africa, until that coast had been lost in boundless sea.

Not a vestige of it all remained; from Cape Matafuz to Tunis it had all gone, as though it had never been. The

maritime town of Dellis, built like Algiers, amphitheaterwise, had totally disappeared; the highest points

were quite invisible; not a trace on the horizon was left of the Jurjura chain, the topmost point of which was

Unsparing of her fuel, the Dobryna made her way at full steam towards Cape Blanc. Neither Cape Negro nor

Cape Serrat was to be seen. The town of Bizerta, once charming in its oriental beauty, had vanished utterly;

its marabouts, or templetombs, shaded by magnificent palms that fringed the gulf, which by reason of its

narrow mouth had the semblance of a lake, all had disappeared, giving place to a vast waste of sea, the

transparent waves of which, as still demonstrated by the soundingline, had ever the same uniform and arid

In the course of the day the schooner rounded the point where, five weeks previously, Cape Blanc had been

so conspicuous an object, and she was now stemming the waters of what once had been the Bay of Tunis. But

bay there was none, and the town from which it had derived its name, with the Arsenal, the Goletta, and the

two peaks of BouKournein, had all vanished from the view. Cape Bon, too, the most northern promontory

of Africa and the point of the continent nearest to the island of Sicily, had been included in the general

Before the occurrence of the recent prodigy, the bottom of the Mediterranean just at this point had formed a

sudden ridge across the Straits of Libya. The sides of the ridge had shelved to so great an extent that, while

the depth of water on the summit had been little more than eleven fathoms, that on either hand of the

elevation was little short of a hundred fathoms. A formation such as this plainly indicated that at some remote

epoch Cape Bon had been connected with Cape Furina, the extremity of Sicily, in the same manner as Ceuta

Lieutenant Procope was too well acquainted with the Mediterranean to be unaware of this peculiarity, and

would not lose the opportunity of ascertaining whether the submarine ridge still existed, or whether the

Both Timascheff and Servadac were much interested in watching the operations. At a sign from the

lieutenant, a sailor who was stationed at the foot of the foreshrouds dropped the soundinglead into the

water, and in reply to Procope's inquiries, reported"Five fathoms and a flat bottom."

The next aim was to determine the amount of depression on either side of the ridge, and for this purpose the

Dobryna was shifted for a distance of half a mile both to the right and left, and the soundings taken at each

station. "Five fathoms and a flat bottom," was the unvaried announcement after each operation. Not only,

therefore, was it evident that the submerged chain between Cape Bon and Cape Furina no longer existed, but

it was equally clear that the convulsion had caused a general leveling of the seabottom, and that the soil,

degenerated, as it has been said, into a metallic dust of unrecognized composition, bore no trace of the

sponges, seaanemones, starfish, seanettles, hydrophytes, and shells with which the submarine rocks of the

The Dobryna now put about and resumed her explorations in a southerly direction. It remained, however, as

remarkable as ever how completely throughout the voyage the sea continued to be deserted; all expectations

of hailing a vessel bearing news from Europe were entirely falsified, so that more and more each member of

the crew began to be conscious of his isolation, and to believe that the schooner, like a second Noah's ark,

On the 9th of February the Dobryna passed over the site of the city of Dido, the ancient Byrsaa Carthage,

however, which was now more completely destroyed than ever Punic Carthage had been destroyed by Scipio

In the evening, as the sun was sinking below the eastern horizon, Captain Servadac was lounging moodily

against the taffrail. From the heaven above, where stars kept peeping fitfully from behind the moving clouds,

his eye wandered mechanically to the waters below, where the long waves were rising and falling with the

All at once, his attention was arrested by a luminous speck straight ahead on the southern horizon. At first,

imagining that he was the victim of some spectral illusion, he observed it with silent attention; but when, after

some minutes, he became convinced that what he saw was actually a distant light, he appealed to one of the

sailors, by whom his impression was fully corroborated. The intelligence was immediately imparted to Count

"I should be more inclined to think it is a light on board some ship," replied the count.

"No, captain," interposed Lieutenant Procope; "we shall know nothing until tomorrow."

"No, sir; I should much rather lay to and wait till daylight. If we are really near land, I should be afraid to

The count expressed his approval of the lieutenant's caution, and thereupon all sail was shortened so as to

keep the Dobryna from making any considerable progress all through the hours of night. Few as those hours

were, they seemed to those on board as if their end would never come. Fearful lest the faint glimmer should

at any moment cease to be visible, Hector Servadac did not quit his post upon the deck; but the light

continued unchanged. It shone with about the same degree of luster as a star of the second magnitude, and

from the fact of its remaining stationary, Procope became more and more convinced that it was on land and

At sunrise every telescope was pointed with keenest interest towards the center of attraction. The light, of

course, had ceased to be visible, but in the direction where it had been seen, and at a distance of about ten

miles, there was the distinct outline of a solitary island of very small extent; rather, as the count observed, it

had the appearance of being the projecting summit of a mountain all but submerged. Whatever it was, it was

agreed that its true character must be ascertained, not only to gratify their own curiosity, but for the benefit of

all future navigators. The schooner accordingly was steered directly towards it, and in less than an hour had

The little island proved to be nothing more than an arid rock rising abruptly about forty feet above the water.

It had no outlying reefs, a circumstance that seemed to suggest the probability that in the recent convulsion it

Without removing his eye from his telescope, Servadac exclaimed: "There is a habitation on the place; I can

see an erection of some kind quite distinctly. Who can tell whether we shall not come across a human being?"

Lieutenant Procope looked doubtful. The island had all the appearance of being deserted, nor did a

cannonshot fired from the schooner have the effect of bringing any resident to the shore. Nevertheless, it

was undeniable that there was a stone building situated on the top of the rock, and that this building had much

The boat was lowered and manned by the four sailors; Servadac, Timascheff and Procope were quickly

rowed ashore, and lost no time in commencing their ascent of the steep acclivity. Upon reaching the summit,

they found their progress arrested by a kind of wall, or rampart of singular construction, its materials

consisting mainly of vases, fragments of columns, carved basreliefs, statues, and portions of broken stelae,

all piled promiscuously together without any pretense to artistic arrangement. They made their way into the

enclosure, and finding an open door, they passed through and soon came to a second door, also open, which

admitted them to the interior of the mosque, consisting of a single chamber, the walls of which were

ornamented in the Arabian style by sculptures of indifferent execution. In the center was a tomb of the very

simplest kind, and above the tomb was suspended a large silver lamp with a capacious reservoir of oil, in

which floated a long lighted wick, the flame of which was evidently the light that had attracted Servadac's

"Must there not have been a custodian of the shrine?" they mutually asked; but if such there had ever been, he

must, they concluded, either have fled or have perished on that eventful night. Not a soul was there in charge,

and the sole living occupants were a flock of wild cormorants which, startled at the entrance of the intruders,

An old French prayerbook was lying on the corner of the tomb; the volume was open, and the page exposed

to view was that which contained the office for the celebration of the 25th of August. A sudden revelation

dashed across Servadac's mind. The solemn isolation of the island tomb, the open breviary, the ritual of the

ancient anniversary, all combined to apprise him of the sanctity of the spot upon which he stood.

"The tomb of St. Louis!" he exclaimed, and his companions involuntarily followed his example, and made a

It was, in truth, the very spot on which tradition asserts that the canonized monarch came to die, a spot to

which for six centuries and more his countrymen had paid the homage of a pious regard. The lamp that had

been kindled at the memorial shrine of a saint was now in all probability the only beacon that threw a light

across the waters of the Mediterranean, and even this ere long must itself expire.

There was nothing more to explore. The three together quitted the mosque, and descended the rock to the

shore, whence their boat reconveyed them to the schooner, which was soon again on her southward voyage;

and it was not long before the tomb of St. Louis, the only spot that had survived the mysterious shock, was

As the affrighted cormorants had winged their flight towards the south, there sprang up a sanguine hope on

board the schooner that land might be discovered in that direction. Thither, accordingly, it was determined to

proceed, and in a few hours after quitting the island of the tomb, the Dobryna was traversing the shallow

waters that now covered the peninsula of Dakhul, which had separated the Bay of Tunis from the Gulf of

Hammamet. For two days she continued an undeviating course, and after a futile search for the coast of

Here, on the 11th of February, there suddenly arose the cry of "Land!" and in the extreme horizon, right

ahead, where land had never been before, it was true enough that a shore was distinctly to be seen. What

could it be? It could not be the coast of Tripoli; for not only would that lowlying shore be quite invisible at

such a distance, but it was certain, moreover, that it lay two degrees at least still further south. It was soon

observed that this newly discovered land was of very irregular elevation, that it extended due east and west

across the horizon, thus dividing the gulf into two separate sections and completely concealing the island of

Jerba, which must lie behind. Its position was duly traced on the Dobryna's chart.

"How strange," exclaimed Hector Servadac, "that after sailing all this time over sea where we expected to

"Strange, indeed," replied Lieutenant Procope; "and what appears to me almost as remarkable is that we have

never once caught sight either of one of the Maltese tartans or one of the Levantine xebecs that traffic so

"Eastwards or westwards," asked the count"which shall be our course? All farther progress to the south is

"Westwards, by all means," replied Servadac quickly. "I am longing to know whether anything of Algeria is

left beyond the Shelif; besides, as we pass Gourbi Island we might take Ben Zoof on board, and then make

away for Gibraltar, where we should be sure to learn something, at least, of European news."

With his usual air of stately courtesy, Count Timascheff begged the captain to consider the yacht at his own

Lieutenant Procope, however, hesitated, and after revolving matters for a few moments in his mind, pointed

out that as the wind was blowing directly from the west, and seemed likely to increase, if they went to the

west in the teeth of the weather, the schooner would be reduced to the use of her engine only, and would have

much difficulty in making any headway; on the other hand, by taking an eastward course, not only would

they have the advantage of the wind, but, under steam and canvas, might hope in a few days to be off the

coast of Egypt, and from Alexandria or some other port they would have the same opportunity of getting

Intensely anxious as he was to revisit the province of Oran, and eager, too, to satisfy himself of the welfare of

his faithful Ben Zoof, Servadac could not but own the reasonableness of the lieutenant's objections, and

yielded to the proposal that the eastward course should be adopted. The wind gave signs only too threatening

of the breeze rising to a gale; but, fortunately, the waves did not culminate in breakers, but rather in a long

During the last fortnight the high temperature had been gradually diminishing, until it now reached an

average of 20 degrees Cent. (or 68 degrees Fahr.), and sometimes descended as low as 15 degrees. That this

diminution was to be attributed to the change in the earth's orbit was a question that admitted of little doubt.

After approaching so near to the sun as to cross the orbit of Venus, the earth must now have receded so far

from the sun that its normal distance of ninetyone millions of miles was greatly increased, and the

probability was great that it was approximating to the orbit of Mars, that planet which in its physical

constitution most nearly resembles our own. Nor was this supposition suggested merely by the lowering of

the temperature; it was strongly corroborated by the reduction of the apparent diameter of the sun's disc to the

precise dimensions which it would assume to an observer actually stationed on the surface of Mars. The

necessary inference that seemed to follow from these phenomena was that the earth had been projected into a

Very slight, however, in comparison was the regard which these astronomical wonders attracted on board the

Dobryna. All interest there was too much absorbed in terrestrial matters, and in ascertaining what changes

had taken place in the configuration of the earth itself, to permit much attention to be paid to its erratic

The schooner kept bravely on her way, but well out to sea, at a distance of two miles from land. There was

good need of this precaution, for so precipitous was the shore that a vessel driven upon it must inevitably

have gone to pieces; it did not offer a single harbor of refuge, but, smooth and perpendicular as the walls of a

fortress, it rose to a height of two hundred, and occasionally of three hundred feet. The waves dashed

violently against its base. Upon the general substratum rested a massive conglomerate, the crystallizations of

But what struck the explorers more than anything was the appearance of singular newness that pervaded the

whole of the region. It all seemed so recent in its formation that the atmosphere had had no opportunity of

producing its wonted effect in softening the hardness of its lines, in rounding the sharpness of its angles, or in

modifying the color of its surface; its outline was clearly marked against the sky, and its substance, smooth

and polished as though fresh from a founder's mold, glittered with the metallic brilliancy that is characteristic

of pyrites. It seemed impossible to come to any other conclusion but that the land before them, continent or

island, had been upheaved by subterranean forces above the surface of the sea, and that it was mainly

composed of the same metallic element as had characterized the dust so frequently uplifted from the bottom.

The extreme nakedness of the entire tract was likewise very extraordinary. Elsewhere, in various quarters of

the globe, there may be sterile rocks, but there are none so adamant as to be altogether unfurrowed by the

filaments engendered in the moist residuum of the condensed vapor; elsewhere there may be barren steeps,

but none so rigid as not to afford some hold to vegetation, however low and elementary may be its type; but

here all was bare, and blank, and desolatenot a symptom of vitality was visible.

Such being the condition of the adjacent land, it could hardly be a matter of surprise that all the seabirds, the

albatross, the gull, the seamew, sought continual refuge on the schooner; day and night they perched

fearlessly upon the yards, the report of a gun failing to dislodge them, and when food of any sort was thrown

upon the deck, they would dart down and fight with eager voracity for the prize. Their extreme avidity was

recognized as a proof that any land where they could obtain a sustenance must be far remote.

Onwards thus for several days the Dobryna followed the contour of the inhospitable coast, of which the

features would occasionally change, sometimes for two or three miles assuming the form of a simple arris,

sharply defined as though cut by a chisel, when suddenly the prismatic lamellae soaring in rugged confusion

would again recur; but all along there was the same absence of beach or tract of sand to mark its base, neither

were there any of those shoals of rock that are ordinarily found in shallow water. At rare intervals there were

some narrow fissures, but not a creek available for a ship to enter to replenish its supply of water; and the

wide roadsteads were unprotected and exposed to wellnigh every point of the compass.

But after sailing two hundred and forty miles, the progress of the Dobryna was suddenly arrested. Lieutenant

Procope, who had sedulously inserted the outline of the newly revealed shore upon the maps, announced that

it had ceased to run east and west, and had taken a turn due north, thus forming a barrier to their continuing

their previous direction. It was, of course, impossible to conjecture how far this barrier extended; it coincided

pretty nearly with the fourteenth meridian of east longitude; and if it reached, as probably it did, beyond

Sicily to Italy, it was certain that the vast basin of the Mediterranean, which had washed the shores alike of

Europe, Asia, and Africa, must have been reduced to about half its original area.

It was resolved to proceed upon the same plan as heretofore, following the boundary of the land at a safe

distance. Accordingly, the head of the Dobryna was pointed north, making straight, as it was presumed, for

the south of Europe. A hundred miles, or somewhat over, in that direction, and it was to be anticipated she

would come in sight of Malta, if only that ancient island, the heritage in succession of Phoenicians,

Carthaginians, Sicilians, Romans, Vandals, Greeks, Arabians, and the knights of Rhodes, should still be

But Malta, too, was gone; and when, upon the 14th, the soundingline was dropped upon its site, it was only

"Assuredly not," assented the lieutenant; adding, "and I confess I am almost in despair whether we shall ever

ascertain its limits. To what quarter of Europe, if Europe still exists, do you propose that I should now direct

"To Sicily, Italy, France!" ejaculated Servadac, eagerly,"anywhere where we can learn the truth of what

Hector Servadac was silent; his own secret presentiment so thoroughly coincided with the doubts expressed

The coast, without deviation, still tended towards the north. No alternative, therefore, remained than to take a

westerly course and to attempt to reach the northern shores of the Mediterranean. On the l6th the Dobryna

essayed to start upon her altered way, but it seemed as if the elements had conspired to obstruct her progress.

A furious tempest arose; the wind beat dead in the direction of the coast, and the danger incurred by a vessel

Lieutenant Procope was extremely uneasy. He took in all sail, struck his topmasts, and resolved to rely

entirely on his engine. But the peril seemed only to increase. Enormous waves caught the schooner and

carried her up to their crests, whence again she was plunged deep into the abysses that they left. The screw

failed to keep its hold upon the water, but continually revolved with useless speed in the vacant air; and thus,

although the steam was forced on to the extremest limit consistent with safety, the vessel held her way with

Still, not a single resort for refuge did the inaccessible shore present. Again and again the lieutenant asked

himself what would become of him and his comrades, even if they should survive the peril of shipwreck, and

gain a footing upon the cliff. What resources could they expect to find upon that scene of desolation? What

hope could they entertain that any portion of the old continent still existed beyond that dreary barrier?

It was a trying time, but throughout it all the crew behaved with the greatest courage and composure;

confident in the skill of their commander, and in the stability of their ship, they performed their duties with

But neither skill, nor courage, nor obedience could avail; all was in vain. Despite the strain put upon her

engine, the schooner, bare of canvas (for not even the smallest staysail could have withstood the violence of

the storm), was drifting with terrific speed towards the menacing precipices, which were only a. few short

miles to leeward. Fully alive to the hopelessness of their situation, the crew were all on deck.

"All over with us, sir!" said Procope to the count. "I have done everything that man could do; but our case is

desperate. Nothing short of a miracle can save us now. Within an hour we must go to pieces upon yonder

"Let us, then, commend ourselves to the providence of Him to Whom nothing is impossible," replied the

count, in a calm, clear voice that could be distinctly heard by all; and as he spoke, he reverently uncovered,

The destruction of the vessel seeming thus inevitable, Lieutenant Procope took the best measures he could to

insure a few days' supply of food for any who might escape ashore. He ordered several cases of provisions

and kegs of water to be brought on deck, and saw that they were securely lashed to some empty barrels, to

Less and less grew the distance from the shore, but no creek, no inlet, could be discerned in the towering wall

of cliff, which seemed about to topple over and involve them in annihilation. Except a change of wind or, as

Procope observed, a supernatural rifting of the rock, nothing could bring deliverance now. But the wind did

not veer, and in a few minutes more the schooner was hardly three cables' distance from the fatal land. All

were aware that their last moment had arrived. Servadac and the count grasped each other's hands for a long

farewell; and, tossed by the tremendous waves, the schooner was on the very point of being hurled upon the

cliff, when a ringing shout was heard. "Quick, boys, quick! Hoist the jib, and right the tiller!"

Sudden and startling as the unexpected orders were, they were executed as if by magic.

The lieutenant, who had shouted from the bow, rushed astern and took the helm, and before anyone had time

to speculate upon the object of his maneuvers, he shouted again, "Look out! sharp! watch the sheets!"

An involuntary cry broke forth from all on board. But it was no cry of terror. Right ahead was a narrow

opening in the solid rock; it was hardly forty feet wide. Whether it was a passage or no, it mattered little; it

was at least a refuge; and, driven by wind and wave, the Dobryna, under the dexterous guidance of the

"Then I take your bishop, major," said Colonel Murphy, as he made a move that he had taken since the

"I was afraid you would," replied Major Oliphant, looking intently at the chessboard.

Such was the way in which a long silence was broken on the morning of the 17th of February by the old

Another day elapsed before another move was made. It was a protracted game; it had, in fact, already lasted

some monthsthe players being so deliberate, and so fearful of taking a step without the most mature

Both of them, moreover, were rigid disciples of the renowned Philidor, who pronounces that to play the

pawns well is "the soul of chess"; and, accordingly, not one pawn had been sacrificed without a most

The men who were thus beguiling their leisure were two officers in the British armyColonel Heneage

Finch Murphy and Major Sir John Temple Oliphant. Remarkably similar in personal appearance, they were

hardly less so in personal character. Both of them were about forty years of age; both of them were tall and

fair, with bushy whiskers and mustaches; both of them were phlegmatic in temperament, and both much

addicted to the wearing of their uniforms. They were proud of their nationality, and exhibited a manifest

dislike, verging upon contempt, of everything foreign. Probably they would have felt no surprise if they had

been told that AngloSaxons were fashioned out of some specific clay, the properties of which surpassed the

investigation of chemical analysis. Without any intentional disparagement they might, in a certain way, be

compared to two scarecrows which, though perfectly harmless in themselves, inspire some measure of

respect, and are excellently adapted to protect the territory intrusted to their guardianship.

Englishlike, the two officers had made themselves thoroughly at home in the station abroad in which it had

been their lot to be quartered. The faculty of colonization seems to be indigenous to the native character; once

let an Englishman plant his national standard on the surface of the moon, and it would not be long before a

The officers had a servant, named Kirke, and a company of ten soldiers of the line. This party of thirteen men

were apparently the sole survivors of an overwhelming catastrophe, which on the 1st of January had

transformed an enormous rock, garrisoned with wellnigh two thousand troops, into an insignificant island

far out to sea. But although the transformation had been so marvelous, it cannot be said that either Colonel

Accordingly, they came to the mutual resolution that they would "stick to their post."

To say the truth, it would have been a difficult matter for the gallant officers to do otherwise; they had but

one small boat; therefore, it was well that they made a virtue of necessity, and resigned themselves to patient

They had no fear of starvation. Their island was mined with subterranean stores, more than ample for thirteen

mennay, for thirteen Englishmen for the next five years at least. Preserved meat, ale, brandyall were

in abundance; consequently, as the men expressed it, they were in this respect "all right."

Of course, the physical changes that had taken place had attracted the notice both of officers and men. But the

reversed position of east and west, the diminution of the force of gravity, the altered rotation of the earth, and

her projection upon a new orbit, were all things that gave them little concern and no uneasiness; and when the

colonel and the major had replaced the pieces on the board which had been disturbed by the convulsion, any

surprise they might have felt at the chessmen losing some portion of their weight was quite forgotten in the

One phenomenon, however, did not fail to make its due impression upon the men; this was the diminution in

the length of day and night. Three days after the catastrophe, Corporal Pim, on behalf of himself and his

comrades, solicited a formal interview with the officers. The request having been granted, Pim, with the nine

soldiers, all punctiliously wearing the regimental tunic of scarlet and trousers of invisible green, presented

themselves at the door of the colonel's room, where he and his brotherofficer were continuing their game.

Raising his hand respectfully to his cap, which he wore poised jauntily over his right ear, and scarcely held on

After a lingering survey of the chessboard, the colonel slowly lifted his eyes, and said with official dignity,

"First of all, sir," replied the corporal, "we want to speak to you about our pay, and then we wish to have a

"Just this, sir; as the days are only half as long as they were, we should like to know whether our pay is to be

The colonel was taken somewhat aback, and did not reply immediately, though by some significant nods

towards the major, he indicated that he thought the question very reasonable. After a few moments' reflection,

he replied, "It must, I think, be allowed that your pay was calculated from sunrise to sunrise; there was no

specification of what the interval should be. Your pay will continue as before. England can afford it."

A buzz of approval burst involuntarily from all the men, but military discipline and the respect due to their

officers kept them in check from any boisterous demonstration of their satisfaction.

"We want to know whether, as the days are only six hours long, we are to have but two meals instead of

The officers looked at each other, and by their glances agreed that the corporal was a man of sound common

"Eccentricities of nature," said the major, "cannot interfere with military regulations. It is true that there will

be but an interval of an hour and a half between them, but the rule stands good four meals a day. England

is too rich to grudge her soldiers any of her soldiers' due. Yes; four meals a day."

"Hurrah!" shouted the soldiers, unable this time to keep their delight within the bounds of military decorum;

and, turning to the rightabout, they marched away, leaving the officers to renew the allabsorbing game.

However confident everyone upon the island might profess to be that succor would be sent them from their

native land for Britain never abandons any of her sonsit could not be disguised that that succor was

somewhat tardy in making its appearance. Many and various were the conjectures to account for the delay.

Perhaps England was engrossed with domestic matters, or perhaps she was absorbed in diplomatic

difficulties; or perchance, more likely than all, Northern Europe had received no tidings of the convulsion

that had shattered the south. The whole party throve remarkably well upon the liberal provisions of the

commissariat department, and if the officers failed to show the same tendency to embonpoint which was fast

becoming characteristic of the men, it was only because they deemed it due to their rank to curtail any

On the whole, time passed indifferently well. An Englishman rarely suffers from ennui, and then only in his

own country, when required to conform to what he calls "the humbug of society"; and the two officers, with

their similar tastes, ideas, and dispositions, got on together admirably. It is not to be questioned that they were

deeply affected by a sense of regret for their lost comrades, and astounded beyond measure at finding

themselves the sole survivors of a garrison of 1,895 men, but with true British pluck and selfcontrol, they

had done nothing more than draw up a report that 1,882 names were missing from the musterroll.

The island itself, the sole surviving fragment of an enormous pile of rock that had reared itself some 1,600

feet above the sea, was not, strictly speaking, the only land that was visible; for about twelve miles to the

south there was another island, apparently the very counterpart of what was now occupied by the

Englishmen. It was only natural that this should awaken some interest even in the most imperturbable minds,

and there was no doubt that the two officers, during one of the rare intervals when they were not absorbed in

their game, had decided that it would be desirable at least to ascertain whether the island was deserted, or

whether it might not be occupied by some others, like themselves, survivors from the general catastrophe.

Certain it is that one morning, when the weather was bright and calm, they had embarked alone in the little

boat, and been absent for seven or eight hours. Not even to Corporal Pim did they communicate the object of

their excursion, nor say one syllable as to its result, and it could only be inferred from their manner that they

were quite satisfied with what they had seen; and very shortly afterwards Major Oliphant was observed to

draw up a lengthy document, which was no sooner finished than it was formally signed and sealed with the

seal of the 33rd Regiment. It was directed: To the First Lord of the Admiralty, London, and kept in readiness

for transmission by the first ship that should hail in sight. But time elapsed, and here was the l8th of February

without an opportunity having been afforded for any communication with the British Government.

At breakfast that morning, the colonel observed to the major that he was under the most decided impression

that the l8th of February was a royal anniversary; and he went on to say that, although he had received no

definite instructions on the subject, he did not think that the peculiar circumstances under which they found

The major quite concurred; and it was mutually agreed that the occasion must be honored by a bumper of

port, and by a royal salute. Corporal Pim must be sent for. The corporal soon made his appearance, smacking

his lips, having, by a ready intuition, found a pretext for a double morning ration of spirits.

"The l8th of February, you know, Pim," said the colonel; "we must have a salute of twentyone guns."

"And take care that your fellows don't get their arms and legs blown off," added the officer.

Of all the bombs, howitzers, and various species of artillery with which the fortress had been crowded, one

solitary piece remained. This was a cumbrous muzzleloader of 9inch caliber, and, in default of the smaller

ordnance generally employed for the purpose, had to be brought into requisition for the royal salute.

A sufficient number of charges having been provided, the corporal brought his men to the reduct, whence the

gun's mouth projected over a sloping embrasure. The two officers, in cocked hats and full staff uniform,

attended to take charge of the proceedings. The gun was maneuvered in strict accordance with the rules of

Not unmindful of the warning he had received, the corporal was most careful between each discharge to see

that every vestige of fire was extinguished, so as to prevent an untimely explosion while the men were

reloading; and accidents, such as so frequently mar public rejoicings, were all happily avoided.

Much to the chagrin of both Colonel Murphy and Major Oliphant, the effect of the salute fell altogether short

of their anticipations. The weight of the atmosphere was so reduced that there was comparatively little

resistance to the explosive force of the gases, liberated at the cannon's mouth, and there was consequently

none of the reverberation, like rolling thunder, that ordinarily follows the discharge of heavy artillery.

Twenty times had the gun been fired, and it was on the point of being loaded for the last time, when the

colonel laid his hand upon the arm of the man who had the ramrod. "Stop!" he said; "we will have a ball this

In quick time an artillerywagon was on the spot, and the men lifted out a fullsized shot, weighing 200 lbs.,

which, under ordinary circumstances, the cannon would carry about four miles. It was proposed, by means of

telescopes, to note the place where the ball first touched the water, and thus to obtain an approximation

Having been duly charged with powder and ball, the gun was raised to an angle of something under 45

degrees, so as to allow proper development to the curve that the projectile would make, and, at a signal from

"Heavens!" "By all that's good!" exclaimed both officers in one breath, as, standing openmouthed, they

hardly knew whether they were to believe the evidence of their own senses. "Is it possible?"

The diminution of the force of attraction at the earth's surface was so considerable that the ball had sped

Awhile, they gazed at the sea and at each other in mute amazement. But in the midst of their perplexity, what

sound was that which startled them? Was it mere fancy? Was it the reverberation of the cannon still booming

in their ears? Or was it not truly the report of another and a distant gun in answer to their own? Attentively

and eagerly they listened. Twice, thrice did the sound repeat itself. It was quite distinct. There could be no

"I told you so," cried the colonel, triumphantly. "I knew our country would not forsake us; it is an English

In half an hour two masts were visible above the horizon. "See! Was I not right? Our country was sure to

"It is to be hoped," muttered the corporal, "that our ball has done her no damage."

Before long the hull was full in sight. A long trail of smoke betokened her to be a steamer; and very soon, by

the aid of the glass, it could be ascertained that she was a schooneryacht, and making straight for the island.

A flag at her masthead fluttered in the breeze, and towards this the two officers, with the keenest attention,

Simultaneously the two telescopes were lowered. The colonel and the major stared at each other in blank

And true it was that the flag that floated at the head of yonder mast was the blue cross of Russia.

When the schooner had approached the island, the Englishmen were able to make out the name "Dobryna"

painted on the aftboard. A sinuous irregularity of the coast had formed a kind of cove, which, though hardly

spacious enough for a few fishingsmacks, would afford the yacht a temporary anchorage, so long as the

wind did not blow violently from either west or south. Into this cove the Dobryna was duly signaled, and as

soon as she was safely moored, she lowered her fouroar, and Count Timascheff and Captain Servadac made

Colonel Heneage Finch Murphy and Major Sir John Temple Oliphant stood, grave and prim, formally

awaiting the arrival of their visitors. Captain Servadac, with the uncontrolled vivacity natural to a Frenchman,

"A joyful sight, gentlemen!" he exclaimed. "It will give us unbounded pleasure to shake hands again with

some of our fellowcreatures. You, no doubt, have escaped the same disaster as ourselves."

But the English officers, neither by word nor gesture, made the slightest acknowledgment of this familiar

"What news can you give us of France, England, or Russia?" continued Servadac, perfectly unconscious of

the stolid rigidity with which his advances were received. "We are anxious to hear anything you can tell us.

"To whom have we the honor of speaking?" at last interposed Colonel Murphy, in the coldest and most

"Ah! how stupid! I forgot," said Servadac, with the slightest possible shrug of the shoulders; "we have not

Then, with a wave of his hand towards his companion, who meanwhile had exhibited a reserve hardly less

"I have the pleasure of introducing Captain Servadac," said the count in his turn.

More bows were interchanged and the ceremony brought to its due conclusion. It need hardly be said that the

conversation had been carried on in French, a language which is generally known both by Russians and

Englishmen a circumstance that is probably in some measure to be accounted for by the refusal of

The formal preliminaries of etiquette being thus complete, there was no longer any obstacle to a freer

intercourse. The colonel, signing to his guests to follow, led the way to the apartment occupied jointly by

himself and the major, which, although only a kind of casemate hollowed in the rock, nevertheless wore a

general air of comfort. Major Oliphant accompanied them, and all four having taken their seats, the

Irritated and disgusted at all the cold formalities, Hector Servadac resolved to leave all the talking to the

count; and he, quite aware that the Englishmen would adhere to the fiction that they could be supposed to

know nothing that had transpired previous to the introduction felt himself obliged to recapitulate matters from

"You must be aware, gentlemen," began the count, "that a most singular catastrophe occurred on the 1st of

January last. Its cause, its limits we have utterly failed to discover, but from the appearance of the island on

which we find you here, you have evidently experienced its devastating consequences."

"Captain Servadac, who accompanies me," continued the count, "has been most severely tried by the disaster.

"A French colony, I believe," interposed Major Oliphant, half shutting his eyes with an expression of

Servadac was on the point of making some cutting retort, but Count Timascheff, without allowing the

"It was near the mouth of the Shelif that a portion of Africa, on that eventful night, was transformed into an

island which alone survived; the rest of the vast continent disappeared as completely as if it had never been."

"I was out at sea, cruising in my yacht; hard by; and I look upon it as a miracle, and nothing less, that I and

The count resumed: "It was about a month after the great disruption that I was sailingmy engine having

sustained some damage in the shock along the Algerian coast, and had the pleasure of meeting with my

previous acquaintance, Captain Servadac, who was resident upon the island with his orderly, Ben Zoof."

"Zoof! Ben Zoof!" ejaculated Servadac, who could scarcely shout loud enough to relieve his pentup

Ignoring this ebullition of the captain's spleen, the count went on to say: "Captain Servadac was naturally

most anxious to get what news he could. Accordingly, he left his servant on the island in charge of his horses,

and came on board the Dobryna with me. We were quite at a loss to know where we should steer, but decided

to direct our course to what previously had been the east, in order that we might, if possible, discover the

The colonel curled his lip, insinuating only too plainly that to him it was by no means surprising that a French

colony should be wanting in the element of stability. Servadac observed the supercilious look, and half rose

to his feet, but, smothering his resentment, took his seat again without speaking.

"The devastation, gentlemen," said the count, who persistently refused to recognize the Frenchman's

irritation, "everywhere was terrible and complete. Not only was Algeria lost, but there was no trace of Tunis,

except one solitary rock, which was crowned by an ancient tomb of one of the kings of France"

Proof against all interruption, Count Timascheff, as if he had not heard it, went on without pausing. He

related how the schooner had pushed her way onwards to the south, and had reached the Gulf of Cabes; and

how she had ascertained for certain that the Sahara Sea had no longer an existence.

The smile of disdain again crossed the colonel's face; he could not conceal his opinion that such a destiny for

"Our next discovery," continued the count, "was that a new coast had been upheaved right along in front of

the coast of Tripoli, the geological formation of which was altogether strange, and which extended to the

"And Malta," cried Servadac, unable to control himself any longer; "Maltatown, forts, soldiers, governor,

For a moment a cloud rested upon the colonel's brow, only to give place to an expression of decided

The captain's rising wrath did not prevent the colonel from replying coolly, "Because Malta belongs to

"I can't help that," answered Servadac, sharply; "it has gone just as utterly as if it had belonged to China."

Colonel Murphy turned deliberately away from Servadac, and appealed to the count: "Do you not think you

"No, colonel, I am quite certain of my reckonings; and not only can I testify that Malta has disappeared, but I

can affirm that a large section of the Mediterranean has been closed in by a new continent. After the most

anxious investigation, we could discover only one narrow opening in all the coast, and it is by following that

little channel that we have made our way hither. England, I fear, has suffered grievously by the late

catastrophe. Not only has Malta been entirely lost, but of the Ionian Islands that were under England's

"Ay, you may depend upon it," said Servadac, breaking in upon the conversation petulantly, "your grand

resident lord high commissioner has not much to congratulate himself about in the condition of Corfu."

The silence of bewilderment was broken at length by Count Timascheff making inquiry whether nothing had

"Confound it!" cried the impatient Servadac. "What matters whether it be Spanish or Italian? Tell us, have

"Hitherto, none whatever," replied the colonel; adding with a stately emphasis, "but we shall be sure to have

"Whether England is still in existence or not, I suppose," said Servadac, in a tone of irony.

"England in existence?" the colonel cried. "England! Ten times more probable that France"

"France!" shouted Servadac in a passion. "France is not an island that can be submerged; France is an integral

A scene appeared inevitable, and Count Timascheff's efforts to conciliate the excited parties were of small

"You are at home here," said Servadac, with as much calmness as he could command; "it will be advisable, I

think, for this discussion to be carried on in the open air." And hurriedly he left the room. Followed

immediately by the others, he led the way to a level piece of ground, which he considered he might fairly

"Now, gentlemen," he began haughtily, "permit me to represent that, in spite of any loss France may have

sustained in the fate of Algeria, France is ready to answer any provocation that affects her honor. Here I am

"Neutral ground?" objected Colonel Murphy; "I beg your pardon. This, Captain Servadac, is English territory.

Do you not see the English flag?" and, as he spoke, he pointed with national pride to the British standard

"Pshaw!" cried Servadac, with a contemptuous sneer; "that flag, you know, has been hoisted but a few short

Recovering his composure in a degree, he continued: "Can you suppose that I am not aware that this island on

which we find you is what remains of the Ionian representative republic, over which you English exercise the

Although Count Timascheff secretly sympathized with Servadac, he had carefully refrained from taking part

in the dispute; but he was on the point of interfering, when the colonel, in a greatly subdued tone, begged to

"I begin to apprehend," he said, "that you must be laboring under some strange mistake. There is no room

for questioning that the territory here is England'sEngland's by right of conquest; ceded to England by the

Treaty of Utrecht. Three times, indeedin 1727, 1779, and 1792 France and Spain have disputed our title,

but always to no purpose. You are, I assure you, at the present moment, as much on English soil as if you

It was now the turn of the captain and the count to look surprised. "Are we not, then, in Corfu?" they asked.

Gibraltar! The word fell like a thunderclap upon their ears. Gibraltar! the western extremity of the

Mediterranean! Why, had they not been sailing persistently to the east? Could they be wrong in imagining

Count Timascheff was about to proceed with a more rigorous investigation, when the attention of all was

arrested by a loud outcry. Turning round, they saw that the crew of the Dobryna was in hot dispute with the

English soldiers. A general altercation had arisen from a disagreement between the sailor Panofka and

Corporal Pim. It had transpired that the cannonball fired in experiment from the island had not only

damaged one of the spars of the schooner, but had broken Panofka's pipe, and, moreover, had just grazed his

nose, which, for a Russian's, was unusually long. The discussion over this mishap led to mutual

Servadac was just in the mood to take Panofka's part, which drew from Major Oliphant the remark that

England could not be held responsible for any accidental injury done by her cannon, and if the Russian's long

This was too much for Count Timascheff, and having poured out a torrent of angry invective against the

The geographical mystery haunted the minds of both the count and the captain, and they felt they could never

rest till they had ascertained what had become of their respective countries. They were glad to be on board

again, that they might r�sum� their voyage of investigation, and in two hours were out of sight of the sole

Lieutenant Procope had been left on board in charge of the Dobryna, and on resuming the voyage it was a

task of some difficulty to make him understand the fact that had just come to light. Some hours were spent in

There were certain things of which they were perfectly certain. They could be under no misapprehension as

to the distance they had positively sailed from Gourbi Island towards the east before their further progress

was arrested by the unknown shore; as nearly as possible that was fifteen degrees; the length of the narrow

strait by which they had made their way across that land to regain the open sea was about three miles and a

half; thence onward to the island, which they had been assured, on evidence that they could not disbelieve, to

be upon the site of Gibraltar, was four degrees; while from Gibraltar to Gourbi Island was seven degrees or

but little more. What was it altogether? Was it not less than thirty degrees? In that latitude, the degree of

longitude represents eight and forty miles. What, then, did it all amount to? Indubitably, to less than 1,400

miles. So brief a voyage would bring the Dobryna once again to her startingpoint, or, in other words, would

enable her to complete the circumnavigation of the globe. How changed the condition of things! Previously,

to sail from Malta to Gibraltar by an eastward course would have involved the passage of the Suez Canal, the

Red Sea, the Indian Ocean, the Pacific, the Atlantic; but what had happened now? Why, Gibraltar had been

reached as if it had been just at Corfu, and some three hundred and thirty degrees of the earth's circuit had

After allowing for a certain margin of miscalculation, the main fact remained undeniable; and the necessary

inference that Lieutenant Procope drew from the round of the earth being completed in 1 ,400 miles, was that

the earth's diameter had been reduced by about fifteen sixteenths of its length.

"If that be so," observed the count, "it accounts for some of the strange phenomena we witness. If our world

has become so insignificant a spheroid, not only has its gravity diminished, but its rotary speed has been

accelerated; and this affords an adequate explanation of our days and nights being thus curtailed. But how

He paused and pondered, and then looked at Procope as though awaiting from him some further elucidation

of the difficulty. The lieutenant hesitated. When, in a few moments, he began to speak, Servadac smiled

"My conjecture is," said Procope, "that a fragment of considerable magnitude has been detached from the

earth; that it has carried with it an envelope of the earth's atmosphere, and that it is now traveling through the

solar system in an orbit that does not correspond at all with the proper orbit of the earth."

The hypothesis was plausible; but what a multitude of bewildering speculations it entailed! If, in truth, a

certain mass had been broken off from the terrestrial sphere, whither would it wend its way? What would be

the measure of the eccentricity of its path? What would be its period round the sun? Might it not, like a

comet, be carried away into the vast infinity of space? or, on the other hand, might it not be attracted to the

great central source of light and heat, and be absorbed in it? Did its orbit correspond with the orbit of the

ecliptic? and was there no chance of its ever uniting again with the globe, from which it had been torn off by

A thoughtful silence fell upon them all, which Servadac was the first to break. "Lieutenant," he said, "your

explanation is ingenious, and accounts for many appearances; but it seems to me that in one point it fails."

"I think not," Servadac answered. "In one point, at least, it appears to me to break down completely."

"Stop a moment," said the captain. "Let us see that we understand each other right. Unless I mistake you,

your hypothesis is that a fragment of the earth, comprising the Mediterranean and its shores from Gibraltar to

Malta, has been developed into a new asteroid, which is started on an independent orbit in the solar regions.

"Well, then," continued Servadac, "it seems to me to be at fault in this respect: it fails, and fails completely,

to account for the geological character of the land that we have found now encompassing this sea. Why, if the

new land is a fragment of the oldwhy does it not retain its old formation? What has become of the granite

and the calcareous deposits? How is it that these should all be changed into a mineral concrete with which we

No doubt, it was a serious objection; for, however likely it might be that a mass of the earth on being

detached would be eccentric in its movements, there was no probable reason to be alleged why the material of

its substance should undergo so complete a change. There was nothing to account for the fertile shores, rich

The lieutenant felt the difficulty, and owned himself unprepared to give at once an adequate solution;

nevertheless, he declined to renounce his theory. He asserted that the arguments in favor of it carried

conviction to his mind, and that he entertained no doubt but that, in the course of time, all apparently

antagonistic circumstances would be explained so as to become consistent with the view he took. He was

careful, however, to make it understood that with respect to the original cause of the disruption he had no

theory to offer; and although he knew what expansion might be the result of subterranean forces, he did not

venture to say that he considered it sufficient to produce so tremendous an effect. The origin of the

"Ah! well," said Servadac, "I don't know that it matters much where our new little planet comes from, or what

There was, however, not much room for this sanguine expectation, for if a new asteroid had thus been

brought into existence, it must be a sphere of extremely limited dimensions, and there could be little chance

that it embraced more than the merest fraction of either France or Russia. As to England, the total cessation of

all telegraphic communication between her shores and Gibraltar was a virtual proof that England was beyond

And what was the true measurement of the new little world? At Gourbi Island the days and nights were of

equal length, and this seemed to indicate that it was situated on the equator; hence the distance by which the

two poles stood apart would be half what had been reckoned would be the distance completed by the

Dobryna in her circuit. That distance had been already estimated to be something under 1,400 miles, so that

the Arctic Pole of their recently fashioned world must be about 350 miles to the north, and the Antarctic

about 350 miles to the south of the island. Compare these calculations with the map, and it is at once apparent

that the northernmost limit barely touched the coast of Provence, while the southernmost reached to about lat.

20 degrees N., and fell in the heart of the desert. The practical test of these conclusions would be made by

future investigation, but meanwhile the fact appeared very much to strengthen the presumption that, if

Lieutenant Procope had not arrived at the whole truth, he had made a considerable advance towards it.

The weather, ever since the storm that had driven the Dobryna into the creek, had been magnificent. The

wind continued favorable, and now under both steam and canvas, she made a rapid progress towards the

north, a direction in which she was free to go in consequence of the total disappearance of the Spanish coast,

from Gibraltar right away to Alicante. Malaga, Almeria, Cape Gata, Carthagena. Cape Palos all were

gone. The sea was rolling over the southern extent of the peninsula, so that the yacht advanced to the latitude

of Seville before it sighted any land at all, and then, not shores such as the shores of Andalusia, but a bluff

and precipitous cliff, in its geological features resembling exactly the stern and barren rock that she had

coasted beyond the site of Malta. Here the sea made a decided indentation on the coast; it ran up in an

acuteangled triangle till its apex coincided with the very spot upon which Madrid had stood. But as hitherto

the sea had encroached upon the land, the land in its turn now encroached upon the sea; for a frowning

headland stood out far into the basin of the Mediterranean, and formed a promontory stretching out beyond

the proper places of the Balearic Isles. Curiosity was all alive. There was the intensest interest awakened to

determine whether no vestige could be traced of Majorca, Minorca, or any of the group, and it was during a

deviation from the direct course for the purpose of a more thorough scrutiny, that one of the sailors raised a

Here, then, at length was a communication from the outer world. Surely now they would find a document

which would throw some light upon all the mysteries that had happened? Had not the day now dawned that

It was the morning of the 21st of February. The count, the captain, the lieutenant, everybody hurried to the

forecastle; the schooner was dexterously put about, and all was eager impatience until the supposed bottle

It was not, however, a bottle; it proved to be a round leather telescopecase, about a foot long, and the first

thing to do before investigating its contents was to make a careful examination of its exterior. The lid was

fastened on by wax, and so securely that it would take a long immersion before any water could penetrate;

there was no maker's name to be deciphered; but impressed very plainly with a seal on the wax were the two

When the scrutiny of the outside was finished, the wax was removed and the cover opened, and the lieutenant

drew out a slip of ruled paper, evidently torn from a common notebook. The paper had an inscription

written in four lines, which were remarkable for the profusion of notes of admiration and interrogation with

"Gallia??? Ab sole, au 15 fev. 59,000,000 1. ! Chemin parcouru de janv. a fev. 82,000,000 1. !! Va bene! All

There was a general sigh of disappointment. They turned the paper over and over, and handed it from one to

"Something mysterious here!" said Servadac. "But yet," he continued, after a pause, "one thing is tolerably

"Yes; I presume there is no reason to doubt the accuracy of the date," assented the count.

To this strange conglomeration of French, English, Italian, and Latin, there was no signature attached; nor

was there anything to give a clue as to the locality in which it had been committed to the waves. A

telescopecase would probably be the property of some one on board a ship; and the figures obviously

To these general observations Captain Servadac objected that he thought it unlikely that any one on board a

ship would use a telescopecase for this purpose, but would be sure to use a bottle as being more secure; and,

accordingly, he should rather be inclined to believe that the message had been set afloat by some savant left

"But, however interesting it might be," observed the count, "to know the author of the lines, to us it is of far

And taking up the paper again, he said, "Perhaps we might analyze it word by word, and from its detached

"What can be the meaning of all that cluster of interrogations after Gallia?" asked Servadac.

Lieutenant Procope, who had hitherto not spoken, now broke his silence by saying, "I beg, gentlemen, to

submit my opinion that this document goes very far to confirm my hypothesis that a fragment of the earth has

Captain Servadac hesitated, and then replied, "Even if it does, I do not see how it accounts in the least for the

"But will you allow me for one minute to take my supposition for granted?" said Procope. "If a new little

planet has been formed, as I imagine, by disintegration from the old, I should conjecture that Gallia is the

name assigned to it by the writer of this paper. The very notes of interrogation are significant that he was in

"Not much doubt about that," said Servadac; "it is all in French, except a few scattered words of English,

Latin, and Italian, inserted to attract attention. He could not tell into whose hands the message would fall

"Well, then," said Count Timascheff, "we seem to have found a name for the new world we occupy."

"But what I was going especially to observe," continued the lieutenant, "is that the distance, 59,000,000

leagues, represents precisely the distance we ourselves were from the sun on the 15th. It was on that day we

"And the next line," said the lieutenant, after reading it aloud, "apparently registers the distance traversed by

Gallia, the new little planet, in her own orbit. Her speed, of course, we know by Kepler's laws, would vary

according to her distance from the sun, and if she were as I conjecture from the temperature at that

dateon the 15th of January at her perihelion, she would be traveling twice as fast as the earth, which moves

"You think, then," said Servadac, with a smile, "you have determined the perihelion of our orbit; but how

about the aphelion? Can you form a judgment as to what distance we are likely to be carried?"

"I confess," said the lieutenant, "that just at present I am not able to clear away the uncertainty of the future;

but I feel confident that by careful observation at various points we shall arrive at conclusions which not only

will determine our path, but perhaps may clear up the mystery about our geological structure."

"Allow me to ask," said Count Timascheff, "whether such a new asteroid would not be subject to ordinary

mechanical laws, and whether, once started, it would not have an orbit that must be immutable?"

"Decidedly it would, so long as it was undisturbed by the attraction of some considerable body; but we must

recollect that, compared to the great planets, Gallia must be almost infinitesimally small, and so might be

"Altogether, then," said Servadac, "we seem to have settled it to our entire satisfaction that we must be the

population of a young little world called Gallia. Perhaps some day we may have the honor of being registered

"No chance of that," quickly rejoined Lieutenant Procope. "Those minor planets all are known to rotate in a

narrow zone between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter; in their perihelia they cannot approximate the sun as we

"Our lack of instruments," said the count, "is much to be deplored; it baffles our investigations in every way."

And Lieutenant Procope renewed his assurances that he entertained good hopes that every perplexity would

"I suppose," remarked the count, " that we cannot attribute much importance to the last line: 'Va bene! All

The captain answered, "At least, it shows that whoever wrote it had no murmuring or complaint to make, but

Almost unconsciously, the voyagers in the Dobryna fell into the habit of using Gallia as the name of the new

world in which they became aware they must be making an extraordinary excursion through the realms of

space. Nothing, however, was allowed to divert them from their ostensible object of making a survey of the

coast of the Mediterranean, and accordingly they persevered in following that singular boundary which had

Having rounded the great promontory that had barred her farther progress to the north, the schooner skirted

its upper edge. A few more leagues and they ought to be abreast of the shores of France. Yes, of France.

But who shall describe the feelings of Hector Servadac when, instead of the charming outline of his native

land, he beheld nothing but a solid boundary of savage rock? Who shall paint the look of consternation with

which he gazed upon the stony rampartrising perpendicularly for a thousand feet that had replaced the

shores of the smiling south? Who shall reveal the burning anxiety with which he throbbed to see beyond that

But there seemed no hope. Onwards and onwards the yacht made her way, and still no sign of France. It

might have been supposed that Servadac's previous experiences would have prepared him for the discovery

that the catastrophe which had overwhelmed other sites had brought destruction to his own country as well.

But he had failed to realize how it might extend to France; and when now he was obliged with his own eyes

to witness the waves of ocean rolling over what once had been the lovely shores of Provence, he was

"Am I to believe that Gourbi Island, that little shred of Algeria, constitutes all that is left of our glorious

France? No, no; it cannot be. Not yet have we reached the pole of our new world. There isthere must

besomething more behind that frowning rock. Oh, that for a moment we could scale its towering height

and look beyond! By Heaven, I adjure you, let us disembark, and mount the summit and explore! France lies

Disembarkation, however, was an utter impossibility. There was no semblance of a creek in which the

Dobryna could find an anchorage. There was no outlying ridge on which a footing could be gained. The

precipice was perpendicular as a wall, its topmost height crowned with the same conglomerate of crystallized

With her steam at high pressure, the yacht made rapid progress towards the east. The weather remained

perfectly fine, the temperature became gradually cooler, so that there was little prospect of vapors

accumulating in the atmosphere; and nothing more than a few cirri, almost transparent, veiled here and there

the clear azure of the sky. Throughout the day the pale rays of the sun, apparently lessened in its magnitude,

cast only faint and somewhat uncertain shadows; but at night the stars shone with surpassing brilliancy. Of

the planets, some, it was observed, seemed to be fading away in remote distance. This was the case with

Mars, Venus, and that unknown orb which was moving in the orbit of the minor planets; but Jupiter, on the

other hand, had assumed splendid proportions; Saturn was superb in its luster, and Uranus, which hitherto

had been imperceptible without a telescope was pointed out by Lieutenant Procope, plainly visible to the

naked eye. The inference was irresistible that Gallia was receding from the sun, and traveling far away across

On the 24th of February, after following the sinuous course of what before the date of the convulsion had

been the coast line of the department of Var, and after a fruitless search for Hyeres, the peninsula of St.

Tropez, the Lerius Islands, and the gulfs of Cannes and Jouar, the Dobryna arrived upon the site of the Cape

Here, quite unexpectedly, the explorers made the discovery that the massive wall of cliff had been rent from

the top to the bottom by a narrow rift, like the dry bed of a mountain torrent, and at the base of the opening,

level with the sea, was a little strand upon which there was just space enough for their boat to be hauled up.

"Joy! joy!" shouted Servadac, half beside himself with ecstasy; "we can land at last!"

Count Timascheff and the lieutenant were scarcely less impatient than the captain, and little needed his urgent

It was halfpast seven in the morning, when they set their foot upon this untried land. The bit of strand was

only a few square yards in area, quite a narrow strip. Upon it might have been recognized some fragments of

that agglutination of yellow limestone which is characteristic of the coast of Provence. But the whole party

was far too eager to wait and examine these remnants of the ancient shore; they hurried on to scale the

The narrow ravine was not only perfectly dry, but manifestly had never been the bed of any mountain torrent.

The rocks that rested at the bottom just as those which formed its sideswere of the same lamellous

formation as the entire coast, and had not hitherto been subject to the disaggregation which the lapse of time

never fails to work. A skilled geologist would probably have been able to assign them their proper scientific

classification, but neither Servadac, Timascheff, nor the lieutenant could pretend to any acquaintance with

Although, however, the bottom of the chasm had never as yet been the channel of a stream, indications were

not wanting that at some future time it would be the natural outlet of accumulated waters; for already, in

many places, thin layers of snow were glittering upon the surface of the fractured rocks, and the higher the

elevation that was gained, the more these layers were found to increase in area and in depth.

"Here is a trace of fresh water, the first that Gallia has exhibited," said the count to his companions, as they

"And probably," replied the lieutenant, "as we ascend we shall find not only snow but ice. We must suppose

this Gallia of ours to be a sphere, and if it is so, we must now be very close to her Arctic regions; it is true

that her axis is not so much inclined as to prolong day and night as at the poles of the earth, but the rays of the

sun must reach us here only very obliquely, and the cold, in all likelihood, will be intense."

"I do not say that, captain," answered the lieutenant; "for, however far our little world may be removed from

the sun, I do not see why its temperature should fall below what prevails in those outlying regions beyond our

system where sky and air are not." "And what temperature may that be?" inquired the captain with a shudder.

"Fourier estimates that even in those vast unfathomable tracts, the temperature never descends lower than 60

"Sixty! Sixty degrees below zero!" cried the count. "Why, there's not a Russian could endure it!"

"I beg your pardon, count. It is placed on record that the English have survived it, or something quite

approximate, upon their Arctic expeditions. When Captain Parry was on Melville Island, he knew the

As the explorers advanced, they seemed glad to pause from time to time, that they might recover their breath;

for the air, becoming more and more rarefied, made respiration somewhat difficult and the ascent fatiguing.

Before they had reached an altitude of 600 feet they noticed a sensible diminution of the temperature; but

neither cold nor fatigue deterred them, and they were resolved to persevere. Fortunately, the deep striae or

furrows in the surface of the rocks that made the bottom of the ravine in some degree facilitated their

progress, but it was not until they had been toiling up for two hours more that they succeeded in reaching the

Eagerly and anxiously did they look around. To the south there was nothing but the sea they had traversed; to

Servadac could not suppress a cry of dismay. Where was his beloved France? Had he gained this arduous

height only to behold the rocks carpeted with ice and snow, and reaching interminably to the faroff horizon?

The whole region appeared to consist of nothing but the same strange, uniform mineral conglomerate,

crystallized into regular hexagonal prisms. But whatever was its geological character, it was only too evident

that it had entirely replaced the former soil, so that not a vestige of the old continent of Europe could be

discerned. The lovely scenery of Provence, with the grace of its rich and undulating landscape; its gardens of

citrons and oranges rising tier upon tier from the deep red soilall, all had vanished. Of the vegetable

kingdom, there was not a single representative; the most meager of Arctic plants, the most insignificant of

lichens, could obtain no hold upon that stony waste. Nor did the animal world assert the feeblest sway. The

Captain Servadac's deep dejection was in strange contrast to his general hilarity. Silent and tearful, he stood

upon an icebound rock, straining his eyes across the boundless vista of the mysterious territory. "It cannot

be!" he exclaimed. "We must somehow have mistaken our bearings. True, we have encountered this barrier;

but France is there beyond! Yes, France is there! Come, count, come! By all that's pitiful, I entreat you, come

He pushed onwards along the rugged surface of the rock, but had not proceeded far before he came to a

sudden pause. His foot had come in contact with something hard beneath the snow, and, stooping down, he

picked up a little block of stony substance, which the first glance revealed to be of a geological character

altogether alien to the universal rocks around. It proved to be a fragment of discolored marble, on which

several letters were inscribed, of which the only part at all decipherable was the syllable "Vil."

"VilVilla!" he cried out, in his excitement dropping the marble, which was broken into atoms by the fall.

What else could this fragment be but the sole surviving remnant of some sumptuous mansion that once had

stood on this unrivaled site? Was it not the residue of some edifice that had crowned the luxuriant headland of

Antibes, overlooking Nice, and commanding the gorgeous panorama that embraced the Maritime Alps and

reached beyond Monaco and Mentone to the Italian height of Bordighera? And did it not give in its sad and

too convincing testimony that Antibes itself had been involved in the great destruction? Servadac gazed upon

Count Timascheff laid his hand kindly on the captain's shoulder, and said, "My friend, do you not remember

"Orbe fracto, spes illoesa," continued the count"Though the world be shattered, hope is unimpaired."

Servadac smiled faintly, and replied that he felt rather compelled to take up the despairing cry of Dante, "All

"Nay, not so," answered the count; "for the present at least, let our maxim be Nil desperandum!"

Upon reembarking, the bewildered explorers began to discuss the question whether it would not now be

desirable to make their way back to Gourbi Island, which was apparently the only spot in their new world

from which they could hope to derive their future sustenance. Captain Servadac tried to console himself with

the reflection that Gourbi Island was, after all, a fragment of a French colony, and as such almost like a bit of

his dear France; and the plan of returning thither was on the point of being adopted, when Lieutenant Procope

remarked that they ought to remember that they had not hitherto made an entire circuit of the new shores of

"We have," he said, "neither investigated the northern shore from the site of Cape Antibes to the strait that

brought us to Gibraltar, nor have we followed the southern shore that stretches from the strait to the Gulf of

Cabes. It is the old coast, and not the new, that we have been tracing; as yet, we cannot say positively that

there is no outlet to the south; as yet, we cannot assert that no oasis of the African desert has escaped the

catastrophe. Perhaps, even here in the north, we may find that Italy and Sicily and the larger islands of the

"I entirely concur with you," said Count Timascheff. "I quite think we ought to make our survey of the

Servadac, although he acknowledged the justness of these observations, could not help pleading that the

explorations might be deferred until after a visit had been paid to Gourbi Island.

"Depend upon it, captain, you are mistaken," replied the lieutenant;" the right thing to do is to use the

"I mean," said Procope, "that the farther this Gallia of ours recedes from the sun, the lower the temperature

will fall. It is likely enough, I think, that before long the sea will be frozen over, and navigation will be

impossible. Already you have learned something of the difficulties of traversing a field of ice, and I am sure,

therefore, you will acquiesce in my wish to continue our explorations while the water is still open."

"No doubt you are right, lieutenant," said the count. "We will continue our search while we can for some

remaining fragment of Europe. Who shall tell whether we may not meet with some more survivors from the

catastrophe, to whom it might be in our power to afford assistance, before we go into our winter quarters?"

Generous and altogether unselfish as this sentiment really was, it was obviously to the general interest that

they should become acquainted, and if possible establish friendly relations, with any human inhabitant who

might be sharing their own strange destiny in being rolled away upon a new planet into the infinitude of

space. All difference of race, all distinction of nationality, must be merged into the one thought that, few as

they were, they were the sole surviving representatives of a world which it seemed exceedingly improbable

that they would ever see again; and common sense dictated that they were bound to direct all their energies to

insure that their asteroid should at least have a united and sympathizing population.

It was on the 25th of February that the yacht left the little creek in which she had taken refuge, and setting off

at full steam eastwards, she continued her way along the northern shore. A brisk breeze tended to increase the

keenness of the temperature, the thermometer being, on an average, about two degrees below zero. Salt water

freezes only at a lower temperature than fresh; the course of the Dobryna was therefore unimpeded by ice, but

it could not be concealed that there was the greatest necessity to maintain the utmost possible speed.

The nights continued lovely; the chilled condition of the atmosphere prevented the formation of clouds; the

constellations gleamed forth with unsullied luster; and, much as Lieutenant Procope, from nautical

considerations, might regret the absence of the moon, he could not do otherwise than own that the

magnificent nights of Gallia were such as must awaken the enthusiasm of an astronomer. And, as if to

compensate for the loss of the moonlight, the heavens were illuminated by a superb shower of falling stars,

far exceeding, both in number and in brilliancy, the phenomena which are commonly distinguished as the

August and November meteors; in fact, Gallia was passing through that meteoric ring which is known to lie

exterior to the earth's orbit, but almost concentric with it. The rocky coast, its metallic surface reflecting the

glow of the dazzling luminaries, appeared literally stippled with light, whilst the sea, as though spattered with

burning hailstones, shone with a phosphorescence that was perfectly splendid. So great, however, was the

speed at which Gallia was receding from the sun, that this meteoric storm lasted scarcely more than four and

Next day the direct progress of the Dobryna was arrested by a long projection of land, which obliged her to

turn southwards, until she reached what formerly would have been the southern extremity of Corsica. Of this,

however, there was now no trace; the Strait of Bonifacio had been replaced by a vast expanse of water,

which had at first all the appearance of being utterly desert; but on the following morning the explorers

unexpectedly sighted a little island, which, unless it should prove, as was only too likely, to be of recent

origin they concluded, from its situation, must be a portion of the northernmost territory of Sardinia.

The Dobryna approached the land as nearly as was prudent, the boat was lowered, and in a few minutes the

count and Servadac had landed upon the islet, which was a mere plot of meadow land, not much more than

two acres in extent, dotted here and there with a few myrtlebushes and lentisks, interspersed with some

ancient olives. Having ascertained, as they imagined, that the spot was devoid of living creature, they were on

the point of returning to their boat, when their attention was arrested by a faint bleating, and immediately

afterwards a solitary shegoat came bounding towards the shore. The creature had dark, almost black hair,

and small curved horns, and was a specimen of that domestic breed which, with considerable justice, has

gained for itself the title of "the poor man's cow." So far from being alarmed at the presence of strangers, the

goat ran nimbly towards them, and then, by its movements and plaintive cries, seemed to be enticing them to

"Come," said Servadac; "let us see where it will lead us; it is more than probable it is not alone."

The count agreed; and the animal, as if comprehending what was said, trotted on gently for about a hundred

paces, and stopped in front of a kind of cave or burrow that was half concealed by a grove of lentisks. Here a

little girl, seven or eight years of age, with rich brown hair and lustrous dark eyes, beautiful as one of

Murillo's angels, was peeping shyly through the branches. Apparently discovering nothing in the aspect of the

strangers to excite her apprehensions, the child suddenly gained confidence, darted forwards with

outstretched hands, and in a voice, soft and melodious as the language which she spoke, said in Italian:

"Hurt you, my child?" answered Servadac. "No, indeed; we will be your friends; we will take care of you."

"At Madalena, I think," said the little girl; "at least, I know I was there when that dreadful shock came and

The count knew that Madalena was close to Caprera, to the north of Sardinia, which had entirely disappeared

in the disaster. By dint of a series of questions, he gained from the child a very intelligent account of her

experiences. She told him that she had no parents, and had been employed in taking care of a flock of goats

belonging to one of the landowners, when one day, all of a sudden, everything around her, except this little

piece of land, had been swallowed up, and that she and Marzy, her pet goat, had been left quite alone. She

went on to say that at first she had been very frightened; but when she found that the earth did not shake any

more, she had thanked the great God, and had soon made herself very happy living with Marzy. She had

enough food, she said, and had been waiting for a boat to fetch her, and now a boat had come and she was

quite ready to go away; only they must let her goat go with her: they would both like so much to get back to

"Here, at least, is one nice little inhabitant of Gallia," said Captain Servadac, as he caressed the child and

Half an hour later, both Nina and Marzy were safely quartered on board the yacht. It is needless to say that

they received the heartiest of welcomes. The Russian sailors, ever superstitious, seemed almost to regard the

coming of the child as the appearance of an angel; and, incredible as it may seem, more than one of them

wondered whether she had wings, and amongst themselves they commonly referred to her as "the little

Soon out of sight of Madalena, the Dobryna for some hours held a southeasterly course along the shore,

which here was fifty leagues in advance of the former coastline of Italy, demonstrating that a new continent

must have been formed, substituted as it were for the old peninsula, of which not a vestige could be

identified. At a latitude corresponding with the latitude of Rome, the sea took the form of a deep gulf,

extending back far beyond the site of the Eternal City; the coast making a wide sweep round to the former

position of Calabria, and jutting far beyond the outline of "the boot," which Italy resembles. But the beacon

of Messina was not to be discerned; no trace, indeed, survived of any portion of Sicily; the very peak of Etna,

11,000 feet as it had reared itself above the level of the sea, had vanished utterly.

Another sixty leagues to the south, and the Dobryna sighted the entrance of the strait which had afforded her

so providential a refuge from the tempest, and had conducted her to the fragmentary relic of Gibraltar. Hence

to the Gulf of Cabes had been already explored, and as it was universally allowed that it was unnecessary to

renew the search in that direction, the lieutenant started off in a transverse course, towards a point hitherto

uninvestigated. That point was reached on the 3rd of March, and thence the coast was continuously followed,

as it led through what had been Tunis, across the province of Constantine, away to the oasis of Ziban; where,

taking a sharp turn, it first reached a latitude of 32 degrees, and then returned again, thus forming a sort of

irregular gulf, enclosed by the same unvarying border of mineral concrete. This colossal boundary then

stretched away for nearly 150 leagues over the Sahara desert, and, extending to the south of Gourbi Island,

occupied what, if Morocco had still existed, would have been its natural frontier.

Adapting her course to these deviations of the coastline, the Dobryna was steering northwards, and had barely

reached the limit of the bay, when the attention of all on board was arrested by the phenomenon of a volcano,

at least 3,000 feet high, its crater crowned with smoke, which occasionally was streaked by tongues of flame.

"And why not, captain?" rejoined the lieutenant. "If our asteroid has carried with it a portion of the old earth's

"Ah, well!" said the captain, shrugging his shoulders, "I dare say there is caloric enough in our little world to

Count Timascheff interrupted the silence that followed this conversation by saying, "And now, gentlemen, as

our course has brought us on our way once more towards Gibraltar, what do you say to our renewing our

acquaintance with the Englishmen? They will be interested in the result of our voyage."

"For my part," said Servadac, "I have no desire that way. They know where to find Gourbi Island; they can

betake themselves thither just when they please. They have plenty of provisions. If the water freezes, 120

leagues is no very great distance. The reception they gave us was not so cordial that we need put ourselves

"What you say is too true," replied the count. "I hope we shall show them better manners when they

"Ay," said Servadac, "we must remember that we are all one people now; no longer Russian, French, or

"I am sadly afraid, however," continued the count, "that an Englishman will be an Englishman ever."

And thus all further thought of making their way again to the little garrison of Gibraltar was abandoned.

But even if their spirit of courtesy had disposed them to renew their acquaintance with the British officers,

there were two circumstances that just then would have rendered such a proposal very unadvisable. In the

first place, Lieutenant Procope was convinced that it could not be much longer now before the sea would be

entirely frozen; and, besides this, the consumption of their coal, through the speed they had maintained, had

been so great that there was only too much reason to fear that fuel would fail them. Anyhow, the strictest

economy was necessary, and it was accordingly resolved that the voyage should not be much prolonged.

Beyond the volcanic peak, moreover, the waters seemed to expand into a boundless ocean, and it might be a

thing full of risk to be frozen up while the yacht was so inadequately provisioned. Taking all these things into

account, it was agreed that further investigations should be deferred to a more favorable season, and that,

This decision was especially welcome to Hector Servadac, who, throughout the whole of the last five weeks,

had been agitated by much anxious thought on account of the faithful servant he had left behind.

The transit from the volcano to the island was not long, and was marked by only one noticeable incident. This

was the finding of a second mysterious document, in character precisely similar to what they had found

before. The writer of it was evidently engaged upon a calculation, probably continued from day to day, as to

the motions of the planet Gallia upon its orbit, and committing the results of his reckonings to the waves as

Instead of being enclosed in a telescopecase, it was this time secured in a preservedmeat tin, hermetically

sealed, and stamped with the same initials on the wax that fastened it. The greatest care was used in opening

"Gallia Ab sole, au 1 mars, dist. 78,000,000 1.! Chemin parcouru de fev. a mars: 59,000,000 1.! Va bene! All

"Another enigma!" exclaimed Servadac; "and still no intelligible signature, and no address. No clearing up of

"I have no doubt, in my own mind," said the count, "that it is one of a series. It seems to me probable that

"I wonder where the harebrained savant that writes them can be living?" observed Servadac.

"Very likely he may have met with the fate of AEsop's abstracted astronomer, who found himself at the

This was a question which the count was incapable of settling; and they could only speculate afresh as to

whether the author of the riddles was dwelling upon some solitary island, or, like themselves, was navigating

the waters of the new Mediterranean. But they could detect nothing to guide them to a definite decision.

After thoughtfully regarding the document for some time. Lieutenant Procope proceeded to observe that he

believed the paper might be considered as genuine, and accordingly, taking its statements as reliable, he

deduced two important conclusions: first, that whereas, in the month of January, the distance traveled by the

planet (hypothetically called Gallia) had been recorded as 82,000,000 leagues, the distance traveled in

February was only 59, 000,000 leaguesa difference of 23,000,000 leagues in one month; secondly, that

the distance of the planet from the sun, which on the 15th of February had been 59,000,000 leagues, was on

the 1st of March 78,000,000 leagues an increase of 19,000,000 leagues in a fortnight. Thus, in proportion

as Gallia receded from the sun, so did the rate of speed diminish by which she traveled along her orbit; facts

to be observed in perfect conformity with the known laws of celestial mechanism.

"My inference," replied the lieutenant, "is a confirmation of my surmise that we are following an orbit

decidedly elliptical, although we have not yet the material to determine its eccentricity."

"As the writer adheres to the appellation of Gallia, do you not think," asked the count, "that we might call

"There can be no reason to the contrary, count," replied the lieutenant; "and as such I will insert it upon my

"Our friend," said Servadac, "seems to be more and more gratified with the condition of things; not only has

he adopted our motto, 'Nil desperandum!' but see how enthusiastically he has wound up with his 'Enchante!'"

The Dobryna was now back again at the island. Her cruise had lasted from the 31st of January to the 5th of

March, a period of thirtyfive days (for it was leap year), corresponding to seventy days as accomplished by

Many a time during his absence Hector Servadac had wondered how his present vicissitudes would end, and

he had felt some misgivings as to whether he should ever again set foot upon the island, and see his faithful

orderly, so that it was not without emotion that he had approached the coast of the sole remaining fragment of

Algerian soil. But his apprehensions were groundless; Gourbi Island was just as he had left it, with nothing

unusual in its aspect, except that a very peculiar cloud was hovering over it, at an altitude of little more than a

hundred feet. As the yacht approached the shore, this cloud appeared to rise and fall as if acted upon by some

invisible agency, and the captain, after watching it carefully, perceived that it was not an accumulation of

vapors at all, but a dense mass of birds packed as closely together as a swarm of herrings, and uttering

deafening and discordant cries, amidst which from time to time the noise of the report of a gun could be

The Dobryna signalized her arrival by firing her cannon, and dropped anchor in the little port of the Shelif.

Almost within a minute Ben Zoof was seen running, gun in hand, towards the shore; he cleared the last ridge

of rocks at a single bound, and then suddenly halted. For a few seconds he stood motionless, his eyes fixed,

as if obeying the instructions of a drill sergeant, on a point some fifteen yards distant, his whole attitude

indicating submission and respect; but the sight of the captain, who was landing, was too much for his

equanimity, and darting forward, he seized his master's hand and covered it with kisses. Instead, however, of

uttering any expressions of welcome or rejoicing at the captain's return, Ben Zoof broke out into the most

"They are thieves! downright, desperate thieves! those infernal birds! That's what's the matter. It is a good

thing you have come. Here have I for a whole month been spending my powder and shot upon them, and the

more I kill them, the worse they get; and yet, if I were to leave them alone, we should not have a grain of corn

It was soon evident that the orderly had only too much cause for alarm. The crops had ripened rapidly during

the excessive heat of January, when the orbit of Gallia was being traversed at its perihelion, and were now

exposed to the depredations of many thousands of birds; and although a goodly number of stacks attested the

industry of Ben Zoof during the time of the Dobryna's voyage, it was only too apparent that the portion of the

harvest that remained ungathered was liable to the most imminent risk of being utterly devoured. It was,

perhaps, only natural that this clustered mass of birds, as representing the whole of the feathered tribe upon

the surface of Gallia, should resort to Gourbi Island, of which the meadows seemed to be the only spot from

which they could get sustenance at all; but as this sustenance would be obtained at the expense, and probably

to the serious detriment, of the human population, it was absolutely necessary that every possible resistance

Once satisfied that Servadac and his friends would cooperate with him in the raid upon "the thieves," Ben

Zoof became calm and content, and began to make various inquiries. "And what has become," he said, "of all

"As far as I can tell you," answered the captain, "they are all in Africa still; only Africa isn't by any means

"And France? Montmartre?" continued Ben Zoof eagerly. Here was the cry of the poor fellow's heart.

As briefly as he could, Servadac endeavored to explain the true condition of things; he tried to communicate

the fact that Paris, France, Europe, nay, the whole world was more than eighty millions of leagues away from

Gourbi Island; as gently and cautiously as he could he expressed his fear that they might never see Europe,

"No, no, sir!" protested Ben Zoof emphatically; "that is all nonsense. It is altogether out of the question to

suppose that we are not to see Montmartre again." And the orderly shook his head resolutely, with the air of a

"Very good, my brave fellow," replied Servadac, "hope on, hope while you may. The message has come to us

over the sea, 'Never despair'; but one thing, nevertheless, is certain; we must forthwith commence

Captain Servadac now led the way to the gourbi, which, by his servant's exertions, had been entirely rebuilt;

and here he did the honors of his modest establishment to his two guests, the count and the lieutenant, and

gave a welcome, too, to little Nina, who had accompanied them on shore, and between whom and Ben Zoof

The adjacent building continued in good preservation, and Captain Servadac's satisfaction was very great in

finding the two horses, Zephyr and Galette, comfortably housed there and in good condition.

After the enjoyment of some refreshment, the party proceeded to a general consultation as to what steps must

be taken for their future welfare. The most pressing matter that came before them was the consideration of the

means to be adopted to enable the inhabitants of Gallia to survive the terrible cold, which, in their ignorance

of the true eccentricity of their orbit, might, for aught they knew, last for an almost indefinite period. Fuel

was far from abundant; of coal there was none; trees and shrubs were few in number, and to cut them down in

prospect of the cold seemed a very questionable policy; but there was no doubt some expedient must be

The victualing of the little colony offered no immediate difficulty. Water was abundant, and the cisterns

could hardly fail to be replenished by the numerous streams that meandered along the plains; moreover, the

Gallian Sea would ere long be frozen over, and the melted ice (water in its congealed state being divested of

every particle of salt) would afford a supply of drink that could not be exhausted. The crops that were now

ready for the harvest, and the flocks and herds scattered over the island, would form an ample reserve. There

was little doubt that throughout the winter the soil would remain unproductive, and no fresh fodder for

domestic animals could then be obtained; it would therefore be necessary, if the exact duration of Gallia's

year should ever be calculated, to proportion the number of animals to be reserved to the real length of the

The next thing requisite was to arrive at a true estimate of the number of the population. Without including

the thirteen Englishmen at Gibraltar, about whom he was not particularly disposed to give himself much

concern at present, Servadac put down the names of the eight Russians, the two Frenchman, and the little

Italian girl, eleven in all, as the entire list of the inhabitants of Gourbi Island.

"Oh, pardon me," interposed Ben Zoof, "you are mistaking the state of the case altogether. You will be

surprised to learn that the total of people on the island is double that. It is twentytwo."

"Twentytwo!" exclaimed the captain; "twentytwo people on this island? What do you mean?"

"The opportunity has not occurred," answered Ben Zoof, "for me to tell you before, but I have had company."

"You could not suppose," replied the orderly, "that my own unassisted hands could have accomplished all

"Well, then," said Ben Zoof, "if you will be good enough to come with me for about a mile, I shall be able to

"No, not with men," said Ben Zoof; "but it does not answer to throw a chance away for giving battle to those

Leaving little Nina and her goat in the gourbi, Servadac, Count Timascheff, and the lieutenant, greatly

mystified, took up their guns and followed the orderly. All along their way they made unsparing slaughter of

the birds that hovered over and around them. Nearly every species of the feathered tribe seemed to have its

representative in that living cloud. There were wild ducks in thousands; snipe, larks, rooks, and swallows; a

countless variety of seabirdswidgeons, gulls, and seamews; beside a quantity of gamequails,

partridges, and W.s. The sportsmen did their best; every shot told; and the depredators fell by dozens

Instead of following the northern shore of the island, Ben Zoof cut obliquely across the plain. Making their

progress with the unwonted rapidity which was attributable to their specific lightness, Servadac and his

companions soon found themselves near a grove of sycamores and eucalyptus massed in picturesque

"Ah! the vagabonds! the rascals! the thieves!" suddenly exclaimed Ben Zoof, stamping his foot with rage.

"No, I don't mean the birds: I mean those lazy beggars that are shirking their work. Look here; look there!"

And as Ben Zoof spoke, he pointed to some scythes, and sickles, and other implements of husbandry that had

"Hush, hush! listen!" was all Ben Zoof's reply; and he raised his finger as if in warning.

Listening attentively, Servadac and his associates could distinctly recognize a human voice, accompanied by

"No mistake about that, sir," replied Ben Zoof; "a Spaniard would rattle his castanets at the cannon's mouth."

"But what is the meaning of it all?" asked the captain, more puzzled than before.

And then a voice, at once gruff and harsh, was heard vociferating, "My money! my money! when will you

Meanwhile the song continued: "Tu sandunga y cigarro, Y una cana de Jerez, Mi jamelgo y un trabuco, Que

Servadac's knowledge of Gascon enabled him partially to comprehend the rollicking tenor of the Spanish

patriotic air, but his attention was again arrested by the voice of the old man growling savagely, "Pay me you

The party was on the point of entering the thicket, when a singular spectacle made them pause. A group of

Spaniards had just begun dancing their national fandango, and the extraordinary lightness which had become

the physical property of every object in the new planet made the dancers bound to a height of thirty feet or

more into the air, considerably above the tops of the trees. What followed was irresistibly comic. Four sturdy

majos had dragged along with them an old man incapable of resistance, and compelled him, nolens volens, to

join in the dance; and as they all kept appearing and disappearing above the bank of foliage, their grotesque

attitudes, combined with the pitiable countenance of their helpless victim, could not do otherwise than recall

most forcibly the story of Sancho Panza tossed in a blanket by the merry drapers of Segovia.

Servadac, the count, Procope, and Ben Zoof now proceeded to make their way through the thicket until they

came to a little glade, where two men were stretched idly on the grass, one of them playing the guitar, and the

other a pair of castanets; both were exploding with laughter, as they urged the performers to greater and yet

greater exertions in the dance. At the sight of strangers they paused in their music, and simultaneously the

Breathless and half exhausted as was the Jew, he rushed with an effort towards Servadac, and exclaimed in

French, marked by a strong Teutonic accent, "Oh, my lord governor, help me, help! These rascals defraud me

of my rights; they rob me; but, in the name of the God of Israel, I ask you to see justice done!"

The captain glanced inquiringly towards Ben Zoof, and the orderly, by a significant nod, made his master

understand that he was to play the part that was implied by the title. He took the cue, and promptly ordered

the Jew to hold his tongue at once. The man bowed his head in servile submission, and folded his hands upon

Servadac surveyed him leisurely. He was a man of about fifty, but from his appearance might well have been

taken for at least ten years older. Small and skinny, with eyes bright and cunning, a hooked nose, a short

yellow beard, unkempt hair, huge feet, and long bony hands, he presented all the typical characteristics of the

German Jew, the heartless, wily usurer, the hardened miser and skinflint. As iron is attracted by the magnet,

so was this Shylock attracted by the sight of gold, nor would he have hesitated to draw the lifeblood of his

His name was Isaac Hakkabut, and he was a native of Cologne. Nearly the whole of his time, however, he

informed Captain Servadac, had been spent upon the sea, his real business being that of a merchant trading at

all the ports of the Mediterranean. A tartan, a small vessel of two hundred tons burden, conveyed his entire

stock of merchandise, and, to say the truth, was a sort of floating emporium, conveying nearly every possible

article of commerce, from a lucifer match to the radiant fabrics of Frankfort and Epinal. Without wife or

children, and having no settled home, Isaac Hakkabut lived almost entirely on board the Hansa, as he had

named his tartan; and engaging a mate, with a crew of three men, as being adequate to work so light a craft,

he cruised along the coasts of Algeria, Tunis, Egypt, Turkey, and Greece, visiting, moreover, most of the

harbors of the Levant. Careful to be always well supplied with the products in most general demandcoffee,

sugar, rice, tobacco, cotton stuffs, and gunpowderand being at all times ready to barter, and prepared to

On the eventful night of the 1st of January the Hansa had been at Ceuta, the point on the coast of Morocco

exactly opposite Gibraltar. The mate and three sailors had all gone on shore, and, in common with many of

their fellowcreatures, had entirely disappeared; but the most projecting rock of Ceuta had been undisturbed

by the general catastrophe, and half a score of Spaniards, who had happened to be upon it, had escaped with

their lives. They were all Andalusian majos, agricultural laborers, and naturally as careless and apathetic as

men of their class usually are, but they could not help being very considerably embarrassed when they

discovered that they were left in solitude upon a detached and isolated rock. They took what mutual counsel

they could, but became only more and more perplexed. One of them was named Negrete, and he, as having

traveled somewhat more than the rest, was tacitly recognized as a sort of leader; but although he was by far

the most enlightened of them all, he was quite incapable of forming the least conception of the nature of what

had occurred. The one thing upon which they could not fail to be conscious was that they had no prospect of

obtaining provisions, and consequently their first business was to devise a scheme for getting away from their

present abode. The Hansa was lying off shore. The Spaniards would not have had the slightest hesitation in

summarily taking possession of her, but their utter ignorance of seamanship made them reluctantly come to

And now came a singular part of the story. Negrete and his companions had meanwhile received a visit from

two English officers from Gibraltar. What passed between them the Jew did not know; he only knew that,

immediately after the conclusion of the interview, Negrete came to him and ordered him to set sail at once for

the nearest point of Morocco. The Jew, afraid to disobey, but with his eye ever upon the main chance,

stipulated that at the end of their voyage the Spaniards should pay for their passage terms to which, as they

would to any other, they did not demur, knowing that they had not the slightest intention of giving him a

The Hansa had weighed anchor on the 3rd of February. The wind blew from the west, and consequently the

working of the tartan was easy enough. The unpracticed sailors had only to hoist their sails and, though they

were quite unconscious of the fact, the breeze carried them to the only spot upon the little world they

Thus it fell out that one morning Ben Zoof, from his lookout on Gourbi Island, saw a ship, not the Dobryna,

appear upon the horizon, and make quietly down towards what had formerly been the right bank of the Shelif.

Such was Ben Zoof's version of what had occurred, as he had gathered it from the newcomers. He wound up

his recital by remarking that the cargo of the Hansa would be of immense service to them; he expected,

indeed, that Isaac Hakkabut would be difficult to manage, but considered there could be no harm in

appropriating the goods for the common welfare, since there could be no opportunity now for selling them.

Ben Zoof added, "And as to the difficulties between the Jew and his passengers, I told him that the governor

general was absent on a tour of inspection, and that he would see everything equitably settled."

Smiling at his orderly's tactics, Servadac turned to Hakkabut, and told him that he would take care that his

claims should be duly investigated and all proper demands should be paid. The man appeared satisfied, and,

When the Jew had retired, Count Timascheff asked, "But how in the world can you ever make those fellows

"Not likely," replied the count; "when did you ever know Spaniards like them to have lots of money?"

"English money!" echoed Servadac; and his mind again reverted to the excursion made by the colonel and the

major from Gibraltar, about which they had been so reticent. "We must inquire more about this," he said.

Then, addressing Count Timascheff, he added, "Altogether, I think the countries of Europe are fairly

"True, captain," answered the count; "we have only a fragment of a world, but it contains natives of France,

Russia, Italy, Spain, and England. Even Germany may be said to have a representative in the person of this

"And even in him," said Servadac, "perhaps we shall not find so indifferent a representative as we at present

The Spaniards who had arrived on board the Hansa consisted of nine men and a lad of twelve years of age,

named Pablo. They all received Captain Servadac, whom Ben Zoof introduced as the governor general, with

due respect, and returned quickly to their separate tasks. The captain and his friends, followed at some

distance by the eager Jew, soon left the glade and directed their steps towards the coast where the Hansa was

As they went they discussed their situation. As far as they had ascertained, except Gourbi Island, the sole

surviving fragments of the Old World were four small islands: the bit of Gibraltar occupied by the

Englishmen; Ceuta, which had just been left by the Spaniards; Madalena, where they had picked up the little

Italian girl; and the site of the tomb of Saint Louis on the coast of Tunis. Around these there was stretched out

the full extent of the Gallian Sea, which apparently comprised about onehalf of the Mediterranean, the

whole being encompassed by a barrier like a framework of precipitous cliffs, of an origin and a substance

Of all these spots only two were known to be inhabited: Gibraltar, where the thirteen Englishmen were amply

provisioned for some years to come, and their own Gourbi Island. Here there was a population of

twentytwo, who would all have to subsist upon the natural products of the soil. It was indeed not to be

forgotten that, perchance, upon some remote and undiscovered isle there might be the solitary writer of the

mysterious papers which they had found, and if so, that would raise the census of their new asteroid to an

Even upon the supposition that at some future date the whole population should be compelled to unite and

find a residence upon Gourbi Island, there did not appear any reason to question but that eight hundred acres

of rich soil, under good management, would yield them all an ample sustenance. The only critical matter was

how long the cold season would last; every hope depended upon the land again becoming productive; at

present, it seemed impossible to determine, even if Gallia's orbit were really elliptic, when she would reach

her aphelion, and it was consequently necessary that the Gallians for the time being should reckon on nothing

These resources were, first, the provisions of the Dobryna, consisting of preserved meat, sugar, wine, brandy,

and other stores sufficient for about two months; secondly, the valuable cargo of the Hansa, which, sooner or

later, the owner, whether he would or not, must be compelled to surrender for the common benefit; and lastly,

the produce of the island, animal and vegetable, which with proper economy might be made to last for a

In the course of the conversation, Count Timascheff took an opportunity of saying that, as Captain Servadac

had already been presented to the Spaniards as governor of the island, he thought it advisable that he should

"Every body of men," he observed, "must have a head, and you, as a Frenchman, should, I think, take the

command of this fragment of a French colony. My men, I can answer for it, are quite prepared to recognize

"Most unhesitatingly," replied Servadac, "I accept the post with all its responsibilities. We understand each

other so well that I feel sure we shall try and work together for the common good; and even if it be our fate

never again to behold our fellow creatures, I have no misgivings but that we shall be able to cope with

As he spoke, he held out his hand. The count took it, at the same time making a slight bow. It was the first

time since their meeting that the two men had shaken hands; on the other hand, not a single word about their

The silence of a few moments was broken by Servadac saying, "Do you not think we ought to explain our

"No, no, your Excellency," burst in Ben Zoof, emphatically; "the fellows are chickenhearted enough

already; only tell them what has happened, and in sheer despondency they will not do another stroke of

"Besides," said Lieutenant Procope, who took very much the same view as the orderly, "they are so miserably

"Understand or misunderstand," replied Servadac, "I do not think it matters. They would not care. They are

all fatalists. Only give them a guitar and their castanets, and they will soon forget all care and anxiety. For my

own part, I must adhere to my belief that it will be advisable to tell them everything. Have you any opinion to

I have followed the plan of explaining all I could to my men on board the Dobryna, and no inconvenience has

"Well, then, so let it be," said the captain; adding, "It is not likely that these Spaniards are so ignorant as not

to have noticed the change in the length of the days; neither can they be unaware of the physical changes that

have transpired. They shall certainly be told that we are being carried away into unknown regions of space,

"Ha! ha!" laughed Ben Zoof, aloud; "it will be fine sport to watch the old Jew's face, when he is made to

comprehend that he is flying away millions and millions of leagues from all his debtors."

Isaac Hakkabut was about fifty yards behind, and was consequently unable to overhear the conversation. He

went shambling along, half whimpering and not unfrequently invoking the God of Israel; but every now and

then a cunning light gleamed from his eyes, and his lips became compressed with a grim significance.

None of the recent phenomena had escaped his notice, and more than once he had attempted to entice Ben

Zoof into conversation upon the subject; but the orderly made no secret of his antipathy to him, and generally

replied to his advances either by satire or by banter. He told him that he had everything to gain under the new

system of nights and days, for, instead of living the Jew's ordinary life of a century, he would reach to the age

of two centuries; and he congratulated him upon the circumstance of things having become so light, because

it would prevent him feeling the burden of his years. At another time he would declare that, to an old usurer

like him, it could not matter in the least what had become of the moon, as he could not possibly have

advanced any money upon her. And when Isaac, undaunted by his jeers, persevered in besetting him with

questions, he tried to silence him by saying, "Only wait till the governor general comes; he is a shrewd

"To be sure he will! He would confiscate it all rather than that you should be robbed of it."

With this Job's comfort the Jew had been obliged to content himself as best he could, and to await the

When Servadac and his companions reached the shore, they found that the Hansa had anchored in an exposed

bay, protected but barely by a few projecting rocks, and in such a position that a gale rising from the west

would inevitably drive her on to the land, where she must be dashed in pieces. It would be the height of folly

to leave her in her present moorings; without loss of time she must be brought round to the mouth of the

The consciousness that his tartan was the subject of discussion made the Jew give way to such vehement

ejaculations of anxiety, that Servadac turned round and peremptorily ordered him to desist from his clamor.

Leaving the old man under the surveillance of the count and Ben Zoof, the captain and the lieutenant stepped

A very short inspection sufficed to make them aware that both the tartan and her cargo were in a perfect state

of preservation. In the hold were sugarloaves by hundreds, chests of tea, bags of coffee, hogsheads of

tobacco, pipes of wine, casks of brandy, barrels of dried herrings, bales of cotton, clothing of every kind,

shoes of all sizes, caps of various shape, tools, household utensils, china and earthenware, reams of paper,

bottles of ink, boxes of lucifer matches, blocks of salt, bags of pepper and spices, a stock of huge Dutch

cheeses, and a collection of almanacs and miscellaneous literature. At a rough guess the value could not be

much under pounds 5,000 sterling. A new cargo had been taken in only a few days before the catastrophe,

and it had been Isaac Hakkabut's intention to cruise from Ceuta to Tripoli, calling wherever he had reason to

"Yes, indeed," said the lieutenant; "but what if the owner refuses to part with it?"

"No fear; no fear," replied the captain. "As soon as ever the old rascal finds that there are no more Arabs or

Algerians for him to fleece, he will be ready enough to transact a little business with us. We will pay him by

"But why should he want any payment?" inquired the lieutenant. "Under the circumstances, he must know

"No, no," quickly rejoined Servadac; "we will not do that. Just because the fellow is a German we shall not

be justified in treating him in German fashion. We will transact our business in a business way. Only let him

once realize that he is on a new globe, with no prospect of getting back to the old one, and he will be ready

"Perhaps you are right," replied the lieutenant; "I hope you are. But anyhow, it will not do to leave the tartan

here; not only would she be in danger in the event of a storm, but it is very questionable whether she could

"Quite true, Procope; and accordingly I give you the commission to see that your crew bring her round to the

Upon returning to the shore, it was arranged that the whole of the little colony should forthwith assemble at

the gourbi. The Spaniards were summoned and Isaac, although he could only with reluctance take his wistful

An hour later and the entire population of twentytwo had met in the chamber adjoining the gourbi. Young

Pablo made his first acquaintance with little Nina, and the child seemed highly delighted to find a companion

so nearly of her own age. Leaving the children to entertain each other, Captain Servadac began his address.

Before entering upon further explanation, he said that he counted upon the cordial cooperation of them all

Negrete interrupted him by declaring that no promises or pledges could be given until he and his countrymen

"To Spain!" echoed Isaac Hakkabut, with a hideous yell. "Do they expect to go back to Spain till they have

paid their debts? Your Excellency, they owe me twenty reals apiece for their passage here; they owe me two

"Silence, Mordecai, you fool!" shouted Ben Zoof, who was accustomed to call the Jew by any Hebrew name

Servadac was disposed to appease the old man's anxiety by promising to see that justice was ultimately done;

but, in a fever of frantic excitement, he went on to implore that he might have the loan of a few sailors to

"I will pay you honestly; I will pay you well," he cried; but his ingrained propensity for making a good

Ben Zoof was about again to interpose some angry exclamation; but Servadac checked him, and continued in

Spanish: "Listen to me, my friends. Something very strange has happened. A most wonderful event has cut us

off from Spain, from France, from Italy, from every country of Europe. In fact, we have left the Old World

entirely. Of the whole earth, nothing remains except this island on which you are now taking refuge. The old

globe is far, far away. Our present abode is but an insignificant fragment that is left. I dare not tell you that

Negrete begged him to tell them all again. He repeated all that he had said, and by introducing some

illustrations from familiar things, he succeeded to a certain extent in conveying some faint idea of the

convulsion that had happened. The event was precisely what he had foretold. The communication was

Hakkabut did not say a word. He had listened with manifest attention, his lips twitching now and then as if

suppressing a smile. Servadac turned to him, and asked whether he was still disposed to put out to sea and

The Jew gave a broad grin, which, however, he was careful to conceal from the Spaniards. "Your Excellency

jests," he said in French; and turning to Count Timascheff, he added in Russian: "The governor has made up a

The count turned his back in disgust, while the Jew sidled up to little Nina and muttered in Italian. "A lot of

"Confound the knave!" exclaimed Ben Zoof; "he gabbles every tongue under the sun!"

"Yes," said Servadac; "but whether he speaks French, Russian, Spanish, German, or Italian, he is neither

On the following day, without giving himself any further concern about the Jew's incredulity, the captain

gave orders for the Hansa to be shifted round to the harbor of the Shelif. Hakkabut raised no objection, not

only because he was aware that the move insured the immediate safety of his tartan, but because he was

secretly entertaining the hope that he might entice away two or three of the Dobryna's crew and make his

Operations now commenced for preparing proper winter quarters. Spaniards and Russians alike joined

heartily in the work, the diminution of atmospheric pressure and of the force of attraction contributing such

The first business was to accommodate the building adjacent to the gourbi to the wants of the little colony.

Here for the present the Spaniards were lodged, the Russians retaining their berths upon the yacht, while the

Jew was permitted to pass his nights upon the Hansa. This arrangement, however, could be only temporary.

The time could not be far distant when ships' sides and ordinary walls would fail to give an adequate

protection from the severity of the cold that must be expected; the stock of fuel was too limited to keep up a

permanent supply of heat in their present quarters, and consequently they must be driven to seek some other

The plan that seemed to commend itself most to their consideration was, that they should dig out for

themselves some subterraneous pits similar to "silos," such as are used as receptacles for grain. They

presumed that when the surface of Gallia should be covered by a thick layer of ice, which is a bad conductor

of heat, a sufficient amount of warmth for animal vitality might still be retained in excavations of this kind.

After a long consultation they failed to devise any better expedient, and were forced to resign themselves to

In one respect they congratulated themselves that they should be better off than many of the whalers in the

polar seas, for as it is impossible to get below the surface of a frozen ocean, these adventurers have to seek

refuge in huts of wood and snow erected on their ships, which at best can give but slight protection from

extreme cold; but here, with a solid subsoil, the Gallians might hope to dig down a hundred feet or so and

secure for themselves a shelter that would enable them to brave the hardest severity of climate.

The order, then, was at once given. The work was commenced. A stock of shovels, mattocks, and pickaxes

was brought from the gourbi, and with Ben Zoof as overseer, both Spanish majos and Russian sailors set to

It was not long, however, before a discovery, more unexpected than agreeable, suddenly arrested their labors.

The spot chosen for the excavation was a little to the right of the gourbi, on a slight elevation of the soil. For

the first day everything went on prosperously enough; but at a depth of eight feet below the surface, the

navvies came in contact with a hard surface, upon which all their tools failed to make the slightest

impression. Servadac and the count were at once apprised of the fact, and had little difficulty in recognizing

the substance that had revealed itself as the very same which composed the shores as well as the subsoil of

the Gallian sea. It evidently formed the universal substructure of the new asteroid. Means for hollowing it

failed them utterly. Harder and more resisting than granite, it could not be blasted by ordinary powder;

The disappointment was very great. Unless some means of protection were speedily devised, death seemed to

be staring them in the face. Were the figures in the mysterious documents correct? If so, Gallia must now be a

hundred millions of leagues from the sun, nearly three times the distance of the earth at the remotest section

of her orbit. The intensity of the solar light and heat, too, was very seriously diminishing, although Gourbi

Island (being on the equator of an orb which had its axes always perpendicular to the plane in which it

revolved) enjoyed a position that gave it a permanent summer. But no advantage of this kind could

compensate for the remoteness of the sun. The temperature fell steadily; already, to the discomfiture of the

little Italian girl, nurtured in sunshine, ice was beginning to form in the crevices of the rocks, and manifestly

Some shelter must be found before the temperature should fall to 60 degrees below zero. Otherwise death

was inevitable. Hitherto, for the last few days, the thermometer had been registering an average of about 6

degrees below zero, and it had become matter of experience that the stove, although replenished with all the

wood that was available, was altogether inadequate to effect any sensible mitigation of the severity of the

cold. Nor could any amount of fuel be enough. It was certain that ere long the very mercury and spirit in the

thermometers would be congealed. Some other resort must assuredly be soon found, or they must perish. That

The idea of betaking themselves to the Dobryna and Hansa could not for a moment be seriously entertained;

not only did the structure of the vessels make them utterly insufficient to give substantial shelter, but they

were totally unfitted to be trusted as to their stability when exposed to the enormous pressure of the

Neither Servadac, nor the count, nor Lieutenant Procope were men to be easily disheartened, but it could not

be concealed that they felt themselves in circumstances by which they were equally harassed and perplexed.

The sole expedient that their united counsel could suggest was to obtain a refuge below ground, and that was

denied them by the strange and impenetrable substratum of the soil; yet hour by hour the sun's disc was

lessening in its dimensions, and although at midday some faint radiance and glow were to be distinguished,

Mounted upon Zephyr and Galette, the captain and the count scoured the island in search of some available

retreat. Scarcely a yard of ground was left unexplored, the horses clearing every obstacle as if they were, like

Pegasus, furnished with wings. But all in vain. Soundings were made again and again, but invariably with the

same result; the rock, hard as adamant, never failed to reveal itself within a few feet of the surface of the

The excavation of any silo being thus manifestly hopeless, there seemed nothing to be done except to try and

render the buildings alongside the gourbi impervious to frost. To contribute to the supply of fuel, orders were

given to collect every scrap of wood, dry or green, that the island produced; and this involved the necessity of

felling the numerous trees that were scattered over the plain. But toil as they might at the accumulation of

firewood, Captain Servadac and his companions could not resist the conviction that the consumption of a

Studious if possible to conceal his real misgivings, and anxious that the rest of the party should be affected as

little as might be by his own uneasiness, Servadac would wander alone about the island, racking his brain for

an idea that would point the way out of the serious difficulty. But still all in vain.

One day he suddenly came upon Ben Zoof, and asked him whether he had no plan to propose. The orderly

shook his head, but after a few moments' pondering, said: "Ah! master, if only we were at Montmartre, we

"Idiot!" replied the captain, angrily, "if we were at Montmartre, you don't suppose that we should need to live

But the means of preservation which human ingenuity had failed to secure were at hand from the felicitous

provision of Nature herself. It was on the 10th of March that the captain and Lieutenant Procope started off

once more to investigate the northwest corner of the island; on their way their conversation naturally was

engrossed by the subject of the dire necessities which only too manifestly were awaiting them. A discussion

more than usually animated arose between them, for the two men were not altogether of the same mind as to

the measures that ought to be adopted in order to open the fairest chance of avoiding a fatal climax to their

exposure; the captain persisted that an entirely new abode must be sought, while the lieutenant was equally

bent upon devising a method of some sort by which their present quarters might be rendered sufficiently

warm. All at once, in the very heat of his argument, Procope paused; he passed his hand across his eyes, as if

to dispel a mist, and stood, with a fixed gaze centered on a point towards the south. "What is that?" he said,

with a kind of hesitation. "No, I am not mistaken," he added; "it is a light on the horizon."

"Look there!" answered the lieutenant, and he kept pointing steadily in its direction, until Servadac also

It increased in clearness in the gathering shades of evening. "Can it be a ship?" asked the captain.

"If so, it must be in flames; otherwise we should not be able to see it so far off," replied Procope.

"It does not move," said Servadac; "and unless I am greatly deceived, I can hear a kind of reverberation in the

For some seconds the two men stood straining eyes and ears in rapt attention. Suddenly an idea struck

Servadac's mind. "The volcano!" he cried; "may it not be the volcano that we saw, whilst we were on board

"Heaven be praised!" ejaculated the captain, and he went on in the tones of a keen excitement: "Nature has

provided us with our winter quarters; the stream of burning lava that is flowing there is the gift of a

bounteous Providence; it will provide us all the warmth we need. No time to lose! Tomorrow, my dear

Procope, tomorrow we will explore it all; no doubt the life, the heat we want is reserved for us in the heart

Whilst the captain was indulging in his expressions of enthusiasm, Procope was endeavoring to collect his

thoughts. Distinctly he remembered the long promontory which had barred the Dobryna's progress while

coasting the southern confines of the sea, and which had obliged her to ascend northwards as far as the

former latitude of Oran; he remembered also that at the extremity of the promontory there was a rocky

headland crowned with smoke; and now he was convinced that he was right in identifying the position, and in

When Servadac gave him a chance of speaking, he said, "The more I consider it, captain, the more I am

satisfied that your conjecture is correct. Beyond a doubt, what we see is the volcano, and tomorrow we will

On returning to the gourbi, they communicated their discovery to Count Timascheff only, deeming any

further publication of it to be premature. The count at once placed his yacht at their disposal, and expressed

"The yacht, I think," said Procope, "had better remain where she is; the weather is beautifully calm, and the

steamlaunch will answer our purpose better; at any rate, it will convey us much closer to shore than the

The count replied that the lieutenant was by all means to use his own discretion, and they all retired for the

Like many other modern pleasureyachts, the Dobryna, in addition to her fouroar, was fitted with a

fastgoing little steamlaunch, its screw being propelled, on the Oriolle system, by means of a boiler, small

but very effective. Early next morning, this handy little craft was sufficiently freighted with coal (of which

there was still about ten tons on board the Dobryna), and manned by nobody except the captain, the count,

and the lieutenant, left the harbor of the Shelif, much to the bewilderment of Ben Zoof, who had not yet been

admitted into the secret. The orderly, however, consoled himself with the reflection that he had been

temporarily invested with the full powers of governor general, an office of which he was not a little proud.

The eighteen miles between the island and the headland were made in something less than three hours. The

volcanic eruption was manifestly very considerable, the entire summit of the promontory being enveloped in

flames. To produce so large a combustion either the oxygen of Gallia's atmosphere had been brought into

contact with the explosive gases contained beneath her soil, or perhaps, still more probable, the volcano, like

It took more than half an hour to settle on a suitable landingplace. At length, a small semicircular creek

was discovered among the rocks, which appeared advantageous, because, if circumstances should so require,

The launch securely moored, the passengers landed on the side of the promontory opposite to that on which a

torrent of burning lava was descending to the sea. With much satisfaction they experienced, as they

approached the mountain, a sensible difference in the temperature, and their spirits could not do otherwise

than rise at the prospect of having their hopes confirmed, that a deliverance from the threatened calamity had

so opportunely been found. On they went, up the steep acclivity, scrambling over its rugged projections,

scaling the irregularities of its gigantic strata, bounding from point to point with the agility of chamois, but

never alighting on anything except on the accumulation of the same hexagonal prisms with which they had

Their exertions were happily rewarded. Behind a huge pyramidal rock they found a hole in the

mountainside, like the mouth of a great tunnel. Climbing up to this orifice, which was more than sixty feet

above the level of the sea, they ascertained that it opened into a long dark gallery. They entered and groped

their way cautiously along the sides. A continuous rumbling, that increased as they advanced, made them

aware that they must be approaching the central funnel of the volcano; their only fear was lest some

"Come on!" he cried cheerily, his voice ringing through the darkness, "come on! Our fire is lighted! no stint

Inspired by his confidence, the count and the lieutenant advanced bravely along the unseen and winding path.

The temperature was now at least fifteen degrees above zero, and the walls of the gallery were beginning to

feel quite warm to the touch, an indication, not to be overlooked, that the substance of which the rock was

Onwards they made their way, until at last a sharp turn brought them into a sudden flood of light. The tunnel

had opened into a vast cavern, and the gloom was exchanged for an illumination that was perfectly dazzling.

One glance was sufficient to satisfy the explorers that the grateful light and heat of this huge excavation were

to be attributed to a torrent of lava that was rolling downwards to the sea, completely subtending the aperture

of the cave. Not inaptly might the scene be compared to the celebrated Grotto of the Winds at the rear of the

central fall of Niagara, only with the exception that here, instead of a curtain of rushing water, it was a curtain

"Heaven be praised!" cried Servadac, with glad emotion; "here is all that we hoped for, and more besides!"

The habitation that had now revealed itself, well lighted and thoroughly warm, was indeed marvelous. Not

only would it afford ample accommodation for Hector Servadac and "his subjects," as Ben Zoof delighted to

call them, but it would provide shelter for the two horses, and for a considerable number of domestic animals.

This enormous cavern was neither more or less than the common junction of nearly twenty tunnels (similar to

that which had been traversed by the explorers), forming ramifications in the solid rock, and the pores, as it

were, by which the internal heat exuded from the heart of the mountain. Here, as long as the volcano retained

its activity, every living creature on the new asteroid might brave the most rigorous of climates; and as Count

Timascheff justly remarked, since it was the only burning mountain they had sighted, it was most probably

the sole outlet for Gallia's subterranean fires, and consequently the eruption might continue unchanged for

But not a day, not an hour, was to be lost now. The steamlaunch returned to Gourbi Island, and preparations

were forthwith taken in hand for conveying man and beast, corn and fodder, across to the volcanic headland.

Loud and hearty were the acclamations of the little colony, especially of the Spaniards, and great was the

relief of Nina, when Servadac announced to them the discovery of their future domicile; and with

requickened energies they labored hard at packing, anxious to reach their genial winter quarters without

For three successive days the Dobryna, laden to her very gunwale, made a transit to and fro. Ben Zoof was

left upon the island to superintend the stowage of the freight, whilst Servadac found abundant occupation in

overlooking its disposal within the recesses of the mountain. First of all, the large store of corn and fodder,

the produce of the recent harvest, was landed and deposited in one of the vaults; then, on the 15th, about fifty

head of live cattle bullocks, cows, sheep, and pigswere conveyed to their rocky stalls. These were saved

for the sake of preserving the several breeds, the bulk of the island cattle being slaughtered, as the extreme

severity of the climate insured all meat remaining fresh for almost an indefinite period. The winter which

they were expecting would probably be of unprecedented length; it was quite likely that it would exceed the

six months' duration by which many arctic explorers have been tried; but the population of Gallia had no

anxiety in the matter of provisionstheir stock was far more than adequate; while as for drink, as long as

they were satisfied with pure water, a frozen sea would afford them an inexhaustible reservoir.

The need for haste in forwarding their preparations became more and more manifest; the sea threatened to be

unnavigable very soon, as ice was already forming which the noonday sun was unable to melt. And if haste

were necessary, so also were care, ingenuity, and forethought. It was indispensable that the space at their

command should be properly utilized, and yet that the several portions of the store should all be readily

On further investigation an unexpected number of galleries was discovered, so that, in fact, the interior of the

mountain was like a vast beehive perforated with innumerable cells; and in compliment to the little Italian it

was unanimously voted by the colony that their new home should be called "Nina's Hive."

The first care of Captain Servadac was to ascertain how he could make the best possible use of the heat which

nature had provided for them so opportunely and with so lavish a hand. By opening fresh vents in the solid

rock (which by the action of the heat was here capable of fissure) the stream of burning lava was diverted into

several new channels, where it could be available for daily use; and thus Mochel, the Dobryna's cook, was

furnished with an admirable kitchen, provided with a permanent stove, where he was duly installed with all

"What a saving of expense it would be," exclaimed Ben Zoof, "if every household could be furnished with its

The large cavern at the general junction of the galleries was fitted up as a drawingroom, and arranged with

all the best furniture both of the gourbi and of the cabin of the Dobryna. Hither was also brought the

schooner's library, containing a good variety of French and Russian books; lamps were suspended over the

different tables; and the walls of the apartment were tapestried with the sails and adorned with the flags

belonging to the yacht. The curtain of fire extending over the opening of the cavern provided it, as already

The torrent of lava fell into a small rockbound basin that had no apparent communication with the sea, and

was evidently the aperture of a deep abyss, of which the waters, heated by the descent of the eruptive matter,

would no doubt retain their liquid condition long after the Gallian Sea had become a sheet of ice.

A small excavation to the left of the common hall was allotted for the special use of Servadac and the count;

another on the right was appropriated to the lieutenant and Ben Zoof; whilst a third recess, immediately at the

back, made a convenient little chamber for Nina. The Spaniards and the Russian sailors took up their

sleepingquarters in the adjacent galleries, and found the temperature quite comfortable.

Such were the internal arrangements of Nina's Hive, the refuge where the little colony were full of hope that

they would be able to brave the rigors of the stern wintertime that lay before them a wintertime during

which Gallia might possibly be projected even to the orbit of Jupiter, where the temperature would not

The only discontented spirit was Isaac Hakkabut. Throughout all the preparations which roused even the

Spaniards to activity, the Jew, still incredulous and deaf to every representation of the true state of things,

insisted upon remaining in the creek at Gourbi Island; nothing could induce him to leave his tartan, where,

like a miser, he would keep guard over his precious cargo, ever grumbling and growling, but with his

weathereye open in the hope of catching sight of some passing sail. It must be owned that the whole party

were far from sorry to be relieved of his presence; his uncomely figure and repulsive countenance was a

perpetual bugbear. He had given out in plain terms that he did not intend to part with any of his property,

except for current money, and Servadac, equally resolute, had strictly forbidden any purchases to be made,

Hakkabut persistently refused to credit the real situation; he could not absolutely deny that some portions of

the terrestrial globe had undergone a certain degree of modification, but nothing could bring him to believe

that he was not, sooner or later, to r�sum� his old line of business in the Mediterranean. With his wonted

distrust of all with whom he came in contact, he regarded every argument that was urged upon him only as

evidence of a plot that had been devised to deprive him of his goods. Repudiating, as he did utterly, the

hypothesis that a fragment had become detached from the earth, he scanned the horizon for hours together

with an old telescope, the case of which had been patched up till it looked like a rusty stovepipe, hoping to

descry the passing trader with which he might effect some bartering upon advantageous terms.

At first he professed to regard the proposed removal into winterquarters as an attempt to impose upon his

credulity; but the frequent voyages made by the Dobryna to the south, and the repeated consignments of corn

and cattle, soon served to make him aware that Captain Servadac and his companions were really

The movement set him thinking. What, he began to ask himself what if all that was told him was true?

What if this sea was no longer the Mediterranean? What if he should never again behold his German

fatherland? What if his marts for business were gone for ever? A vague idea of ruin began to take possession

of his mind: he must yield to necessity; he must do the best he could. As the result of his cogitations, he

occasionally left his tartan and made a visit to the shore. At length he endeavored to mingle with the busy

group, who were hurrying on their preparations; but his advances were only met by jeers and scorn, and,

ridiculed by all the rest, he was fain to turn his attention to Ben Zoof, to whom he offered a few pinches of

"No, old Zebulon," said Ben Zoof, steadily refusing the gift, "it is against orders to take anything from you.

Keep your cargo to yourself; eat and drink it all if you can; we are not to touch it."

Finding the subordinates incorruptible, Isaac determined to go to the fountainhead. He addressed himself to

Servadac, and begged him to tell him the whole truth, piteously adding that surely it was unworthy of a

"Tell you the truth, man!" cried Servadac. "Confound it, I have told you the truth twenty times. Once for all, I

tell you now, you have left yourself barely time enough to make your escape to yonder mountain."

"God and Mahomet have mercy on me!" muttered the Jew, whose creed frequently assumed a very

"I will tell you what," continued the captain"you shall have a few men to work the Hansa across, if you

"How often am I to tell you that Algiers is no longer in existence? Only say yes or noare you coming with

"But, mind you," continued the captain, not heeding the interruption, "if you do not choose voluntarily to

come with us, I shall have the Hansa, by my orders, removed to a place of safety. I am not going to let your

"You are going the right way to ruin yourself, and it would serve you right to leave you to your own devices.

And, turning contemptuously on his heel, Servadac left the old man vociferating bitterly, and with uplifted

By the 20th all preliminary arrangements were complete, and everything ready for a final departure from the

island. The thermometer stood on an average at 8 degrees below zero, and the water in the cistern was

completely frozen. It was determined, therefore, for the colony to embark on the following day, and take up

A final consultation was held about the Hansa. Lieutenant Procope pronounced his decided conviction that it

would be impossible for the tartan to resist the pressure of the ice in the harbor of the Shelif, and that there

would be far more safety in the proximity of the volcano. It was agreed on all hands that the vessel must be

shifted; and accordingly orders were given, four Russian sailors were sent on board, and only a few minutes

elapsed after the Dobryna had weighed anchor, before the great lateen sail of the tartan was unfurled, and the

"shopship," as Ben Zoof delighted to call it, was also on her way to the southward.

Long and loud were the lamentations of the Jew. He kept exclaiming that he had given no orders, that he was

being moved against his will, that he had asked for no assistance, and needed none; but it required no very

keen discrimination to observe that all along there was a lurking gleam of satisfaction in his little gray eyes,

and when, a few hours later, he found himself securely anchored, and his property in a place of safety, he

"God of Israel!" he said in an undertone, "they have made no charge; the idiots have piloted me here for

For nothing! His whole nature exulted in the consciousness that he was enjoying a service that had been

Destitute of human inhabitants, Gourbi Island was now left to the tenancy of such birds and beasts as had

escaped the recent promiscuous slaughter. Birds, indeed, that had migrated in search of warmer shores, had

returned, proving that this fragment of the French colony was the only shred of land that could yield them any

sustenance; but their life must necessarily be short. It was utterly impossible that they could survive the cold

The colony took possession of their new abode with but few formalities. Everyone, however, approved of all

the internal arrangements of Nina's Hive, and were profuse in their expressions of satisfaction at finding

themselves located in such comfortable quarters. The only malcontent was Hakkabut; he had no share in the

general enthusiasm, refused even to enter or inspect any of the galleries, and insisted on remaining on board

"He is afraid," said Ben Zoof, "that he will have to pay for his lodgings. But wait a bit; we shall see how he

stands the cold out there; the frost, no doubt, will drive the old fox out of his hole."

Towards evening the pots were set boiling, and a bountiful supper, to which all were invited, was spread in

the central hall. The stores of the Dobryna contained some excellent wine, some of which was broached to do

honor to the occasion. The health of the governor general was drunk, as well as the toast "Success to his

council," to which Ben Zoof was called upon to return thanks. The entertainment passed off merrily. The

Spaniards were in the best of spirits; one of them played the guitar, another the castanets, and the rest joined

in a ringing chorus. Ben Zoof contributed the famous Zouave refrain, well known throughout the French

"Misti goth dar dar tire lyre! Flic! floc! flac! lirette, lira! Far la rira, Tour tala rire, Tour la Ribaud, Ricandeau,

Sans repos, repit, repit, repos, ris pot, ripette! Si vous attrapez mon refrain, Fameux vous etes."

The concert was succeeded by a ball, unquestionably the first that had ever taken place in Gallia. The Russian

sailors exhibited some of their national dances, which gained considerable applause, even although they

followed upon the marvelous fandangos of the Spaniards. Ben Zoof, in his turn, danced a pas seul (often

performed in the Elysee Montmartre) with an elegance and vigor that earned many compliments from

It was nine o'clock before the festivities came to an end, and by that time the company, heated by the high

temperature of the hall, and by their own exertions, felt the want of a little fresh air. Accordingly the greater

portion of the party, escorted by Ben Zoof, made their way into one of the adjacent galleries that led to the

shore. Servadac, with the count and lieutenant, did not follow immediately; but shortly afterwards they

proceeded to join them, when on their way they were startled by loud cries from those in advance.

Their first impression was that they were cries of distress, and they were greatly relieved to find that they

were shouts of delight, which the dryness and purity of the atmosphere caused to reecho like a volley of

Reaching the mouth of the gallery, they found the entire group pointing with eager interest to the sky.

"Oh, your Excellency," ejaculated the orderly, "look there! look there! The moon! the moon's come back!"

And, sure enough, what was apparently the moon was rising above the mists of evening.

The moon! She had disappeared for weeks; was she now returning? Had she been faithless to the earth? and

"Impossible!" said Lieutenant Procope; "the earth is millions and millions of leagues away, and it is not

"Why not?" remonstrated Servadac. "It would not be more strange than the other phenomena which we have

lately witnessed. Why should not the moon have fallen within the limits of Gallia's attraction, and become her

"Upon that supposition," put in the count, "I should think that it would be altogether unlikely that three

"Quite incredible!" continued Procope. "And there is another thing which totally disproves the captain's

hypothesis; the magnitude of Gallia is far too insignificant for her power of attraction to carry off the moon."

"But," persisted Servadac, "why should not the same convulsion that tore us away from the earth have torn

away the moon as well? After wandering about as she would for a while in the solar regions, I do not see why

"Because, I tell you, the mass of Gallia is so inferior to that of the moon, that Gallia would become the

"I am afraid," said the lieutenant, interrupting him, "that I cannot assume anything of the sort even for a

"I confess you seem to have the best of the argument, and if Gallia had become a satellite of the moon, it

would not have taken three months to catch sight of her. I suppose you are right."

While this discussion had been going on, the satellite, or whatever it might be, had been rising steadily above

the horizon, and had reached a position favorable for observation. Telescopes were brought, and it was very

soon ascertained, beyond a question, that the new luminary was not the wellknown Phoebe of terrestrial

nights; it had no feature in common with the moon. Although it was apparently much nearer to Gallia than

the moon to the earth, its superficies was hardly onetenth as large, and so feebly did it reflect the light of the

remote sun, that it scarcely emitted radiance enough to extinguish the dim luster of stars of the eighth

magnitude. Like the sun, it had risen in the west, and was now at its full. To mistake its identity with the

moon was absolutely impossible; not even Servadac could discover a trace of the seas, chasms, craters, and

mountains which have been so minutely delineated in lunar charts, and it could not be denied that any

transient hope that had been excited as to their once again being about to enjoy the peaceful smiles of "the

Count Timascheff finally suggested, though somewhat doubtfully, the question of the probability that Gallia,

in her course across the zone of the minor planets, had carried off one of them; but whether it was one of the

169 asteroids already included in the astronomical catalogues, or one previously unknown, he did not

presume to determine. The idea to a certain extent was plausible, inasmuch as it has been ascertained that

several of the telescopic planets are of such small dimensions that a good walker might make a circuit of

them in four and twenty hours; consequently Gallia, being of superior volume, might be supposed capable of

The first night in Nina's Hive passed without special incident; and next morning a regular scheme of life was

definitely laid down. "My lord governor," as Ben Zoof until he was peremptorily forbidden delighted to call

Servadac, had a wholesome dread of idleness and its consequences, and insisted upon each member of the

party undertaking some special duty to fulfill. There was plenty to do. The domestic animals required a great

deal of attention; a supply of food had to be secured and preserved; fishing had to be carried on while the

condition of the sea would allow it; and in several places the galleries had to be further excavated to render

them more available for use. Occupation, then, need never be wanting, and the daily round of labor could go

A perfect concord ruled the little colony. The Russians and Spaniards amalgamated well, and both did their

best to pick up various scraps of French, which was considered the official language of the place. Servadac

himself undertook the tuition of Pablo and Nina, Ben Zoof being their companion in playhours, when he

entertained them with enchanting stories in the best Parisian French, about "a lovely city at the foot of a

The end of March came, but the cold was not intense to such a degree as to confine any of the party to the

interior of their resort; several excursions were made along the shore, and for a radius of three or four miles

the adjacent district was carefully explored. Investigation, however, always ended in the same result; turn

their course in whatever direction they would, they found that the country retained everywhere its desert

character, rocky, barren, and without a trace of vegetation. Here and there a slight layer of snow, or a thin

coating of ice arising from atmospheric condensation indicated the existence of superficial moisture, but it

would require a period indefinitely long, exceeding human reckoning, before that moisture could collect into

a stream and roll downwards over the stony strata to the sea. It seemed at present out of their power to

determine whether the land upon which they were so happily settled was an island or a continent, and till the

cold was abated they feared to undertake any lengthened expedition to ascertain the actual extent of the

By ascending one day to the summit of the volcano, Captain Servadac and the count succeeded in getting a

general idea of the aspect of the country. The mountain itself was an enormous block rising symmetrically to

a height of nearly 3,000 feet above the level of the sea, in the form of a truncated cone, of which the topmost

section was crowned by a wreath of smoke issuing continuously from the mouth of a narrow crater.

Under the old condition of terrestrial things, the ascent of this steep acclivity would have been attended with

much fatigue, but as the effect of the altered condition of the law of gravity, the travelers performed perpetual

prodigies in the way of agility, and in little over an hour reached the edge of the crater, without more sense of

exertion than if they had traversed a couple of miles on level ground. Gallia had its drawbacks, but it had

Telescopes in hand, the explorers from the summit scanned the surrounding view. Their anticipations had

already realized what they saw. Just as they expected, on the north, east, and west lay the Gallian Sea, smooth

and motionless as a sheet of glass, the cold having, as it were, congealed the atmosphere so that there was not

a breath of wind. Towards the south there seemed no limit to the land, and the volcano formed the apex of a

triangle, of which the base was beyond the reach of vision. Viewed even from this height, whence distance

would do much to soften the general asperity, the surface nevertheless seemed to be bristling with its myriads

of hexagonal lamellae, and to present difficulties which, to an ordinary pedestrian, would be insurmountable.

"Oh for some wings, or else a balloon!" cried Servadac, as he gazed around him; and then, looking down to

the rock upon which they were standing, he added, "We seem to have been transplanted to a soil strange

"And do you observe, captain," asked the count, "how the convexity of our little world curtails our view? See,

Servadac replied that he had noticed the same circumstance from the top of the cliffs of Gourbi Island.

"Yes," said the count; "it becomes more and more obvious that ours is a very tiny world, and that Gourbi

Island is the sole productive spot upon its surface. We have had a short summer, and who knows whether we

"But we must not mind, count," said Servadac, smiling. "We have agreed, you know, that, come what may,

"Ay, true, my friend," rejoined the count; "we must be philosophers and something more; we must be grateful

to the good Protector who has hitherto befriended us, and we must trust His mercy to the end."

For a few moments they both stood in silence, and contemplated land and sea; then, having given a last

glance over the dreary panorama, they prepared to wend their way down the mountain. Before, however, they

commenced their descent, they resolved to make a closer examination of the crater. They were particularly

struck by what seemed to them almost the mysterious calmness with which the eruption was effected. There

was none of the wild disorder and deafening tumult that usually accompany the discharge of volcanic matter,

but the heated lava, rising with a uniform gentleness, quietly overran the limits of the crater, like the flow of

water from the bosom of a peaceful lake. Instead of a boiler exposed to the action of an angry fire, the crater

rather resembled a brimming basin, of which the contents were noiselessly escaping. Nor were there any

igneous stones or redhot cinders mingled with the smoke that crowned the summit; a circumstance that quite

accorded with the absence of the pumicestones, obsidians, and other minerals of volcanic origin with which

Captain Servadac was of opinion that this peculiarity augured favorably for the continuance of the eruption.

Extreme violence in physical, as well as in moral nature, is never of long duration. The most terrible storms,

like the most violent fits of passion, are not lasting; but here the calm flow of the liquid fire appeared to be

supplied from a source that was inexhaustible, in the same way as the waters of Niagara, gliding on steadily

Before the evening of this day closed in, a most important change was effected in the condition of the Gallian

Sea by the intervention of human agency. Notwithstanding the increasing cold, the sea, unruffled as it was by

a breath of wind, still retained its liquid state. It is an established fact that water, under this condition of

absolute stillness, will remain uncongealed at a temperature several degrees below zero, whilst experiment, at

the same time, shows that a very slight shock will often be sufficient to convert it into solid ice. It had

occurred to Servadac that if some communication could be opened with Gourbi Island, there would be a fine

scope for hunting expeditions. Having this ultimate object in view, he assembled his little colony upon a

projecting rock at the extremity of the promontory, and having called Nina and Pablo out to him in front, he

"I think I could," replied the child, "but I am sure that Pablo would throw it a great deal further than I can."

"Look out, Pablo; you shall see what a nice little fairy Nina is! Throw, Nina, throw, as hard as you can."

Nina balanced the piece of ice two or three times in her hand, and threw it forward with all her strength.

A sudden thrill seemed to vibrate across the motionless waters to the distant horizon, and the Gallian Sea had

When, three hours after sunset, on the 23d of March, the Gallian moon rose upon the western horizon, it was

observed that she had entered upon her last quarter. She had taken only four days to pass from syzygy to

quadrature, and it was consequently evident that she would be visible for little more than a week at a time,

and that her lunation would be accomplished within sixteen days. The lunar months, like the solar days, had

been diminished by onehalf. Three days later the moon was in conjunction with the sun, and was

consequently lost to view; Ben Zoof, as the first observer of the satellite, was extremely interested in its

On the 26th, under an atmosphere perfectly clear and dry, the thermometer fell to 12 degrees F. below zero.

Of the present distance of Gallia from the sun, and the number of leagues she had traversed since the receipt

of the last mysterious document, there were no means of judging; the extent of diminution in the apparent

disc of the sun did not afford sufficient basis even for an approximate calculation; and Captain Servadac was

perpetually regretting that they could receive no further tidings from the anonymous correspondent, whom he

The solidity of the ice was perfect; the utter stillness of the air at the time when the final congelation of the

waters had taken place had resulted in the formation of a surface that for smoothness would rival a

skatingrink; without a crack or flaw it extended far beyond the range of vision.

The contrast to the ordinary aspect of polar seas was very remarkable. There, the icefields are an

agglomeration of hummocks and icebergs, massed in wild confusion, often towering higher than the masts of

the largest whalers, and from the instability of their foundations liable to an instantaneous loss of equilibrium;

a breath of wind, a slight modification of the temperature, not unfrequently serving to bring about a series of

changes outrivaling the most elaborate transformation scenes of a pantomime. Here, on the contrary, the vast

white plain was level as the desert of Sahara or the Russian steppes; the waters of the Gallian Sea were

imprisoned beneath the solid sheet, which became continually stouter in the increasing cold.

Accustomed to the uneven crystallizations of their own frozen seas, the Russians could not be otherwise than

delighted with the polished surface that afforded them such excellent opportunity for enjoying their favorite

pastime of skating. A supply of skates, found hidden away amongst the Dobryna's stores, was speedily

brought into use. The Russians undertook the instruction of the Spaniards, and at the end of a few days,

during which the temperature was only endurable through the absence of wind, there was not a Gallian who

could not skate tolerably well, while many of them could describe figures involving the most complicated

curves. Nina and Pablo earned loud applause by their rapid proficiency; Captain Servadac, an adept in

athletics, almost outvied his instructor, the count; and Ben Zoof, who had upon some rare occasions skated

upon the Lake of Montmartre (in his eyes, of course, a sea), performed prodigies in the art.

This exercise was not only healthful in itself, but it was acknowledged that, in case of necessity, it might

become a very useful means of locomotion. As Captain Servadac remarked, it was almost a substitute for

railways, and as if to illustrate this proposition, Lieutenant Procope, perhaps the greatest expert in the party,

accomplished the twenty miles to Gourbi Island and back in considerably less than four hours.

The temperature, meanwhile, continued to decrease, and the average reading of the thermometer was about

16 degrees F. below zero; the light also diminished in proportion, and all objects appeared to be enveloped in

a halfdefined shadow, as though the sun were undergoing a perpetual eclipse. It was not surprising that the

effect of this continuously overhanging gloom should be to induce a frequent depression of spirits amongst

the majority of the little population, exiles as they were from their mother earth, and not unlikely, as it

seemed, to be swept far away into the regions of another planetary sphere. Probably Count Timascheff,

Captain Servadac, and Lieutenant Procope were the only members of the community who could bring any

scientific judgment to bear upon the uncertainty that was before them, but a general sense of the strangeness

of their situation could not fail at times to weigh heavily upon the minds of all. Under these circumstances it

was very necessary to counteract the tendency to despond by continual diversion; and the recreation of

skating thus opportunely provided, seemed just the thing to arouse the flagging spirits, and to restore a

With dogged obstinacy, Isaac Hakkabut refused to take any share either in the labors or the amusements of

the colony. In spite of the cold, he had not been seen since the day of his arrival from Gourbi Island. Captain

Servadac had strictly forbidden any communication with him; and the smoke that rose from the cabin

chimney of the Hansa was the sole indication of the proprietor being still on board. There was nothing to

prevent him, if he chose, from partaking gratuitously of the volcanic light and heat which were being enjoyed

by all besides; but rather than abandon his close and personal oversight of his precious cargo, he preferred to

Both the schooner and the tartan had been carefully moored in the way that seemed to promise best for

withstanding the rigor of the winter. After seeing the vessels made secure in the frozen creek. Lieutenant

Procope, following the example of many Arctic explorers, had the precaution to have the ice beveled away

from the keels, so that there should be no risk of the ships' sides being crushed by the increasing pressure; he

hoped that they would follow any rise in the level of the icefield, and when the thaw should come, that they

On his last visit to Gourbi Island, the lieutenant had ascertained that north, east, and west, far as the eye could

reach, the Gallian Sea had become one uniform sheet of ice. One spot alone refused to freeze; this was the

pool immediately below the central cavern, the receptacle for the stream of burning lava. It was entirely

enclosed by rocks, and if ever a few icicles were formed there by the action of the cold, they were very soon

melted by the fiery shower. Hissing and spluttering as the hot lava came in contact with it, the water was in a

continual state of ebullition, and the fish that abounded in its depths defied the angler's craft; they were, as

At the beginning of April the weather changed. The sky became overcast, but there was no rise in the

temperature. Unlike the polar winters of the earth, which ordinarily are affected by atmospheric influence,

and liable to slight intermissions of their severity at various shiftings of the wind, Gallia's winter was caused

by her immense distance from the source of all light and heat, and the cold was consequently destined to go

on steadily increasing until it reached the limit ascertained by Fourier to be the normal temperature of the

With the overclouding of the heavens there arose a violent tempest; but although the wind raged with an

almost inconceivable fury, it was unaccompanied by either snow or rain. Its effect upon the burning curtain

that covered the aperture of the central hall was very remarkable. So far from there being any likelihood of

the fire being extinguished by the vehemence of the current of air, the hurricane seemed rather to act as a

ventilator, which fanned the flame into greater activity, and the utmost care was necessary to avoid being

burnt by the fragments of lava that were drifted into the interior of the grotto. More than once the curtain

itself was rifted entirely asunder, but only to close up again immediately after allowing a momentary draught

of cold air to penetrate the hall in a way that was refreshing and rather advantageous than otherwise.

On the 4th of April, after an absence of about four days, the new satellite, to Ben Zoof's great satisfaction,

made its reappearance in a crescent form, a circumstance that seemed to justify the anticipation that

The crust of ice and snow was far too stout for the beaks of the strongest birds to penetrate, and accordingly

large swarms had left the island, and, following the human population, had taken refuge on the volcanic

promontory; not that there the barren shore had anything in the way of nourishment to offer them, but their

instinct impelled them to haunt now the very habitations which formerly they would have shunned. Scraps of

food were thrown to them from the galleries; these were speedily devoured, but were altogether inadequate in

quantity to meet the demand. At length, emboldened by hunger, several hundred birds ventured through the

tunnel, and took up their quarters actually in Nina's Hive. Congregating in the large hall, the halffamished

creatures did not hesitate to snatch bread, meat, or food of any description from the hands of the residents as

they sat at table, and soon became such an intolerable nuisance that it formed one of the daily diversions to

hunt them down; but although they were vigorously attacked by stones and sticks, and even occasionally by

By a systematic course of warfare the bulk of the birds were all expelled, with the exception of about a

hundred, which began to build in the crevices of the rocks. These were left in quiet possession of their

quarters, as not only was it deemed advisable to perpetuate the various breeds, but it was found that these

birds acted as a kind of police, never failing either to chase away or to kill any others of their species who

infringed upon what they appeared to regard as their own special privilege in intruding within the limits of

On the 15th loud cries were suddenly heard issuing from the mouth of the principal gallery.

Pablo in a moment recognized the voice as Nina's. Outrunning even Ben Zoof he hurried to the assistance of

his little playmate, and discovered that she was being attacked by half a dozen great seagulls, and only after

receiving some severe blows from their beaks could he succeed by means of a stout cudgel in driving them

"A carrierpigeon! And by all the saints of Montmartre, there is a little bag attached to its neck!"

"Another message, no doubt," cried the captain, "from our unknown friend. Let us hope that this time he has

All crowded round, eager to hear the news. In the struggle with the gulls the bag had been partially torn open,

The rest of the document had been so damaged by the beaks of the gulls that it was illegible. Servadac was

wild with vexation. He felt more and more convinced that the writer was a Frenchman, and that the last line

indicated that he was in distress from scarcity of food. The very thought of a fellowcountryman in peril of

starvation drove him wellnigh to distraction, and it was in vain that search was made everywhere near the

scene of conflict in hopes of finding the missing scrap that might bear a signature or address.

Suddenly little Nina, who had again taken possession of the pigeon, and was hugging it to her breast, said:

And as she spoke she pointed to the left wing of the bird. The wing bore the faint impress of a

Formentera was at once recognized by Servadac and the count as the name of one of the smallest of the

Balearic Islands. It was more than probable that the unknown writer had thence sent out the mysterious

documents, and from the message just come to hand by the carrierpigeon, it appeared all but certain that at

the beginning of April, a fortnight back, he had still been there. In one important particular the present

communication differed from those that had preceded it: it was written entirely in French, and exhibited none

of the ecstatic exclamations in other languages that had been remarkable in the two former papers. The

concluding line, with its intimation of failing provisions, amounted almost to an appeal for help. Captain

Servadac briefly drew attention to these points, and concluded by saying, "My friends, we must, without

"For my part," said the count, "I am quite ready to accompany you; it is not unlikely that he is not alone in his

Lieutenant Procope expressed much surprise. "We must have passed close to Formentera," he said, "when we

explored the site of the Balearic Isles; this fragment must be very small; it must be smaller than the remaining

splinter of Gibraltar or Ceuta; otherwise, surely it would never have escaped our observation."

"However small it may be," replied Servadac, "we must find it. How far off do you suppose it is?"

"It must be a hundred and twenty leagues away," said the lieutenant, thoughtfully; "and I do not quite

"Why, on skates of course; no difficulty in that, I should imagine," answered Servadac, and he appealed to

"Your enterprise is generous," he said, "and I should be most unwilling to throw any unnecessary obstacle in

the way of its execution; but, pardon me, if I submit to you a few considerations which to my mind are very

important. First of all, the thermometer is already down to 22 degrees below zero, and the keen wind from the

south is making the temperature absolutely unendurable; in the second place, supposing you travel at the rate

of twenty leagues a day, you would be exposed for at least six consecutive days; and thirdly, your expedition

will be of small avail unless you convey provisions not only for yourselves, but for those whom you hope to

"We can carry our own provisions on our backs in knapsacks," interposed Servadac, quickly, unwilling to

"Granted that you can," answered the lieutenant, quietly; "but where, on this level icefield, will you find

shelter in your periods of rest? You must perish with cold; you will not have the chance of digging out

"As to rest," said Servadac, "we shall take none; we shall keep on our way continuously; by traveling day and

night without intermission, we shall not be more than three days in reaching Formentera."

"Believe me," persisted the lieutenant, calmly, "your enthusiasm is carrying you too far; the feat you propose

is impossible; but even conceding the possibility of your success in reaching your destination, what service

do you imagine that you, halfstarved and halffrozen yourself, could render to those who are already

The obvious and dispassionate reasoning of the lieutenant could not fail to impress the minds of those who

listened to him; the impracticability of the journey became more and more apparent; unprotected on that drear

expanse, any traveler must assuredly succumb to the snowdrifts that were continually being whirled across

it. But Hector Servadac, animated by the generous desire of rescuing a suffering fellowcreature, could

scarcely be brought within the bounds of common sense. Against his better judgment he was still bent upon

the expedition, and Ben Zoof declared himself ready to accompany his master in the event of Count

Timascheff hesitating to encounter the peril which the undertaking involved. But the count entirely

repudiated all idea of shrinking from what, quite as much as the captain, he regarded as a sacred duty, and

turning to Lieutenant Procope, told him that unless some better plan could be devised, he was prepared to

start off at once and make the attempt to skate across to Formentera. The lieutenant, who was lost in thought,

"I dare say that a sledge of some sort could be contrived," said the count; "but then we should have no dogs

"Never mind," said Servadac, "let us get our sledge and put them to the test. Something must be done!"

"I think," said Lieutenant Procope, breaking his thoughtful silence, "that I can tell you of a sledge already

provided for your hand, and I can suggest a motive power surer and swifter than horses."

"I mean the Dobryna's yawl," answered the lieutenant; "and I have no doubt that the wind would carry her

The idea seemed admirable. Lieutenant Procope was well aware to what marvelous perfection the Americans

had brought their sailsledges, and had heard how in the vast prairies of the United States they had been

known to outvie the speed of an express train, occasionally attaining a rate of more than a hundred miles an

hour. The wind was still blowing hard from the south, and assuming that the yawl could be propelled with a

velocity of about fifteen or at least twelve leagues an hour, he reckoned that it was quite possible to reach

Formentera within twelve hours, that is to say, in a single day between the intervals of sunrise and sunrise.

The yawl was about twelve feet long, and capable of holding five or six people. The addition of a couple of

iron runners would be all that was requisite to convert it into an excellent sledge, which, if a sail were hoisted,

might be deemed certain to make a rapid progress over the smooth surface of the ice. For the protection of the

passengers it was proposed to erect a kind of wooden roof lined with strong cloth; beneath this could be

packed a supply of provisions, some warm furs, some cordials, and a portable stove to be heated by spirits of

For the outward journey the wind was as favorable as could be desired; but it was to be apprehended that,

unless the direction of the wind should change, the return would be a matter of some difficulty; a system of

tacking might be carried out to a certain degree, but it was not likely that the yawl would answer her helm in

any way corresponding to what would occur in the open sea. Captain Servadac, however, would not listen to

any representation of probable difficulties; the future, he said, must provide for itself.

The engineer and several of the sailors set vigorously to work, and before the close of the day the yawl was

furnished with a pair of stout iron runners, curved upwards in front, and fitted with a metal scull designed to

assist in maintaining the directness of her course; the roof was put on, and beneath it were stored the

A strong desire was expressed by Lieutenant Procope that he should be allowed to accompany Captain

Servadac instead of Count Timascheff. It was unadvisable for all three of them to go, as, in case of there

being several persons to be rescued, the space at their command would be quite inadequate. The lieutenant

urged that he was the most experienced seaman, and as such was best qualified to take command of the

sledge and the management of the sails; and as it was not to be expected that Servadac would resign his

intention of going in person to relieve his fellowcountryman, Procope submitted his own wishes to the

count. The count was himself very anxious to have his share in the philanthropic enterprise, and demurred

considerably to the proposal; he yielded, however, after a time, to Servadac's representations that in the event

of the expedition proving disastrous, the little colony would need his services alike as governor and protector,

and overcoming his reluctance to be left out of the perilous adventure, was prevailed upon to remain behind

At sunrise on the following morning, the l6th of April, Captain Servadac and the lieutenant took their places

in the yawl. The thermometer was more than 20 degrees below zero, and it was with deep emotion that their

companions beheld them thus embarking upon the vast white plain. Ben Zoof's heart was too full for words;

Count Timascheff could not forbear pressing his two brave friends to his bosom; the Spaniards and the

Russian sailors crowded round for a farewell shake of the hand, and little Nina, her great eyes flooded with

tears, held up her face for a parting kiss. The sad scene was not permitted to be long. The sail was quickly

hoisted, and the sledge, just as if it had expanded a huge white wing, was in a little while carried far away

Light and unimpeded, the yawl scudded on with incredible speed. Two sails, a brigantine and a jib, were

arranged to catch the wind to the greatest advantage, and the travelers estimated that their progress would be

little under the rate of twelve leagues an hour. The motion of their novel vehicle was singularly gentle, the

oscillation being less than that of an ordinary railwaycarriage, while the diminished force of gravity

contributed to the swiftness. Except that the clouds of icedust raised by the metal runners were an evidence

that they had not actually left the level surface of the ice, the captain and lieutenant might again and again

Lieutenant Procope, with his head all muffled up for fear of frostbite, took an occasional peep through an

aperture that had been intentionally left in the roof, and by the help of a compass, maintained a proper and

straight course for Formentera. Nothing could be more dejected than the aspect of that frozen sea; not a single

living creature relieved the solitude; both the travelers, Procope from a scientific point of view, Servadac

from an aesthetic, were alike impressed by the solemnity of the scene, and where the lengthened shadow of

the sail cast upon the ice by the oblique rays of the setting sun had disappeared, and day had given place to

night, the two men, drawn together as by an involuntary impulse, mutually held each other's hands in silence.

There had been a new moon on the previous evening; but, in the absence of moonlight, the constellations

shone with remarkable brilliancy. The new polestar close upon the horizon was resplendent, and even had

Lieutenant Procope been destitute of a compass, he would have had no difficulty in holding his course by the

guidance of that alone. However great was the distance that separated Gallia from the sun, it was after all

manifestly insignificant in comparison with the remoteness of the nearest of the fixed stars.

Observing that Servadac was completely absorbed in his own thoughts, Lieutenant Procope had leisure to

contemplate some of the present perplexing problems, and to ponder over the true astronomical position. The

last of the three mysterious documents had represented that Gallia, in conformity with Kepler's second law,

had traveled along her orbit during the month of March twenty millions of leagues less than she had done in

the previous month; yet, in the same time, her distance from the sun had nevertheless been increased by

thirtytwo millions of leagues. She was now, therefore, in the center of the zone of telescopic planets that

revolve between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, and had captured for herself a satellite which, according to

the document, was Nerina, one of the asteroids most recently identified. If thus, then, it was within the power

of the unknown writer to estimate with such apparent certainty Gallia's exact position, was it not likely that

his mathematical calculations would enable him to arrive at some definite conclusion as to the date at which

she would begin again to approach the sun? Nay, was it not to be expected that he had already estimated, with

sufficient approximation to truth, what was to be the true length of the Gallian year?

So intently had they each separately been following their own train of thought, that daylight reappeared

almost before the travelers were aware of it. On consulting their instruments, they found that they must have

traveled close upon a hundred leagues since they started, and they resolved to slacken their speed. The sails

were accordingly taken in a little, and in spite of the intensity of the cold, the explorers ventured out of their

shelter, in order that they might reconnoiter the plain, which was apparently as boundless as ever. It was

completely desert; not so much as a single point of rock relieved the bare uniformity of its surface.

"Are we not considerably to the west of Formentera?" asked Servadac, after examining the chart.

"Most likely," replied Procope. "I have taken the same course as I should have done at sea, and I have kept

some distance to windward of the island; we can bear straight down upon it whenever we like."

The yawl was at once put with her head to the northeast and Captain Servadac, in defiance of the icy blast,

"Look! look!" he exclaimed, pointing to a faint outline that broke the monotony of the circle that divided the

"I see what you mean," said he; "it is a pylone that has been used for some geodesic survey."

The next moment the sail was filled, and the yawl was bearing down upon the object with inconceivable

swiftness, both Captain Servadac and the lieutenant too excited to utter a word. Mile after mile the distance

rapidly grew less, and as they drew nearer the pylone they could see that it was erected on a low mass of

rocks that was the sole interruption to the dull level of the field of ice. No wreath of smoke rose above the

little island; it was manifestly impossible, they conceived, that any human being could there have survived

the cold; the sad presentiment forced itself upon their minds that it was a mere cairn to which they had been

Ten minutes later, and they were so near the rock that the lieutenant took in his sail, convinced that the

impetus already attained would be sufficient to carry him to the land. Servadac's heart bounded as he caught

sight of a fragment of blue canvas fluttering in the wind from the top of the pylone: it was all that now

remained of the French national standard. At the foot of the pylone stood a miserable shed, its shutters tightly

closed. No other habitation was to be seen; the entire island was less than a quarter of a mile in

circumference; and the conclusion was irresistible that it was the sole surviving remnant of Formentera, once

To leap on shore, to clamber over the slippery stones, and to reach the cabin was but the work of a few

moments. The wormeaten door was bolted on the inside. Servadac began to knock with all his might. No

The two men put their shoulders to the door, which soon yielded to their vigorous efforts, and they found

themselves inside the shed, and in almost total darkness. By opening a shutter they admitted what daylight

they could. At first sight the wretched place seemed to be deserted; the little grate contained the ashes of a

fire long since extinguished; all looked black and desolate. Another instant's investigation, however, revealed

"No; he is alive!" he said, and drawing a small flask from his pocket he poured a few drops of brandy

There was a faint sigh, followed by a feeble voice, which uttered the one word, "Gallia?"

"My comet, my comet!" said the voice, so low as to be almost inaudible, and the unfortunate man relapsed

"Where have I seen this man?" thought Servadac to himself; "his face is strangely familiar to me."

But it was no time for deliberation. Not a moment was to be lost in getting the unconscious astronomer away

from his desolate quarters. He was soon conveyed to the yawl; his books, his scanty wardrobe, his papers, his

instruments, and the blackboard which had served for his calculations, were quickly collected; the wind, by a

fortuitous Providence, had shifted into a favorable quarter; they set their sail with all speed, and ere long were

Thirtysix hours later, the brave travelers were greeted by the acclamations of their fellowcolonists, who

had been most anxiously awaiting their reappearance, and the still senseless savant, who had neither opened

his eyes nor spoken a word throughout the journey, was safely deposited in the warmth and security of the

By the return of the expedition, conveying its contribution from Formentera, the known population of Gallia

On learning the details of his friends' discoveries, Count Timascheff did not hesitate in believing that the

exhausted individual who was lying before him was the author alike of the two unsigned documents picked

up at sea, and of the third statement so recently brought to hand by the carrierpigeon. Manifestly, he had

arrived at some knowledge of Gallia's movements: he had estimated her distance from the sun; he had

calculated the diminution of her tangential speed; but there was nothing to show that he had arrived at the

conclusions which were of the most paramount interest to them all. Had he ascertained the true character of

her orbit? had he established any data from which it would be possible to reckon what time must elapse

The only intelligible words which the astronomer had uttered had been, "My comet!"

To what could the exclamation refer? Was it to be conjectured that a fragment of the earth had been chipped

off by the collision of a comet? and if so, was it implied that the name of the comet itself was Gallia, and

were they mistaken in supposing that such was the name given by the savant to the little world that had been

so suddenly launched into space? Again and again they discussed. these questions; but no satisfactory answer

could be found. The only man who was able to throw any light upon the subject was lying amongst them in

Apart from motives of humanity, motives of selfinterest made it a matter of the deepest concern to restore

animation to that senseless form. Ben Zoof, after making the encouraging remark that savants have as many

lives as a cat, proceeded, with Negrete's assistance, to give the body such a vigorous rubbing as would have

threatened serious injury to any ordinary mortal, whilst they administered cordials and restoratives from the

Dobryna's medical stores powerful enough, one might think, to rouse the very dead.

Meanwhile the captain was racking his brain in his exertions to recall what were the circumstances of his

previous acquaintance with the Frenchman upon whose features he was gazing; he only grew more and more

convinced that he had once been familiar with them. Perhaps it was not altogether surprising that he had

almost forgotten him; he had never seen him since the days of his youth, that time of life which, with a

certain show of justice, has been termed the age of ingratitude; for, in point of fact, the astronomer was none

other than Professor Palmyrin Rosette, Servadac's old sciencemaster at the Lycee Charlemagne.

After completing his year of elementary studies, Hector Servadac had entered the school at Saint Cyr, and

from that time he and his former tutor had never met, so that naturally they would wellnigh pass from each

other's recollection. One thing, however, on the other hand, might conduce to a mutual and permanent

impression on their memories; during the year at the Lycee, young Servadac, never of a very studious turn of

mind, had contrived, as the ringleader of a set of like caliber as himself, to lead the poor professor a life of

perpetual torment. On the discovery of each delinquency he would fume and rage in a manner that was a

Two years after Servadac left the Lycee, Professor Rosette had thrown up all educational employment in

order that he might devote himself entirely to the study of astronomy. He endeavored to obtain a post at the

Observatory, but his ungenial character was so well known in scientific circles that he failed in his

application; however, having some small private means, he determined on his own account to carry on his

researches without any official salary. He had really considerable genius for the science that he had adopted;

besides discovering three of the latest of the telescopic planets, he had worked out the elements of the three

hundred and twentyfifth comet in the catalogue; but his chief delight was to criticize the publications of

other astronomers, and he was never better pleased than when he detected a flaw in their reckonings.

When Ben Zoof and Negrete had extricated their patient from the envelope of furs in which he had been

wrapped by Servadac and the lieutenant, they found themselves face to face with a shrivelled little man, about

five feet two inches high, with a round bald head, smooth and shiny as an ostrich's egg, no beard unless the

unshorn growth of a week could be so described, and a long hooked nose that supported a huge pair of

spectacles such as with many nearsighted people seems to have become a part of their individuality. His

nervous system was remarkably developed, and his body might not inaptly be compared to one of the

Rhumkorff's bobbins of which the thread, several hundred yards in length, is permeated throughout by

electric fluid. But whatever he was, his life, if possible, must be preserved. When he had been partially

divested of his clothing, his heart was found to be still beating, though very feebly. Asserting that while there

was life there was hope, Ben Zoof recommenced his friction with more vigor than ever.

When the rubbing had been continued without a moment's intermission for the best part of half an hour, the

astronomer heaved a faint sigh, which ere long was followed by another and another. He half opened his

eyes, closed them again, then opened them completely, but without exhibiting any consciousness whatever of

his situation. A few words seemed to escape his lips, but they were quite unintelligible. Presently he raised

his right hand to his forehead as though instinctively feeling for something that was missing; then, all of a

sudden, his features became contracted, his face flushed with apparent irritation, and he exclaimed fretfully,

In order to facilitate his operations, Ben Zoof had removed the spectacles in spite of the tenacity with which

they seemed to adhere to the temples of his patient; but he now rapidly brought them back and readjusted

them as best he could to what seemed to be their natural position on the aquiline nose. The professor heaved a

Before long the astronomer roused himself a little more, and glanced inquiringly about him, but soon relapsed

into his comatose condition. When next he opened his eyes, Captain Servadac happened to be bending down

closely over him, examining his features with curious scrutiny. The old man darted an angry look at him

through the spectacles, and said sharply, "Servadac, five hundred lines tomorrow!"

It was an echo of days of old. The words were few, but they were enough to recall the identity which

"Is it possible?" he exclaimed. "Here is my old tutor, Mr. Rosette, in very flesh and blood."

The old man had again fallen back into a torpid slumber. Ben Zoof continued, "His sleep is getting more

composed. Let him alone; he will come round yet. Haven't I heard of men more dried up than he is, being

Ben Zoof did not answer a word. He went on preparing a warm bed, into which he managed to remove his

Too impatient to await the awakening of the astronomer and to hear what representations he had to make,

Servadac, the count, and the lieutenant, constituting themselves what might be designated "the Academy of

Sciences" of the colony, spent the whole of the remainder of the day in starting and discussing the wildest

conjectures about their situation. The hypothesis, to which they had now accustomed themselves for so long,

that a new asteroid had been formed by a fracture of the earth's surface, seemed to fall to the ground when

they found that Professor Palmyrin Rosette had associated the name of Gallia, not with their present home,

but with what he called "my comet"; and that theory being abandoned, they were driven to make the most

Alluding to Rosette, Servadac took care to inform his companions that, although the professor was always

eccentric, and at times very irascible, yet he was really exceedingly goodhearted; his bark was worse than

his bite; and if suffered to take their course without observation, his outbreaks of illtemper seldom lasted

"We will certainly do our best to get on with him," said the count. "He is no doubt the author of the papers,

"Beyond a question the documents have originated with him," assented the lieutenant. "Gallia was the word

written at the top of every one of them, and Gallia was the first word uttered by him in our hearing."

The astronomer slept on. Meanwhile, the three together had no hesitation in examining his papers, and

scrutinizing the figures on his extemporized blackboard. The handwriting corresponded with that of the

papers already received; the blackboard was covered with algebraical symbols traced in chalk, which they

were careful not to obliterate; and the papers, which consisted for the most part of detached scraps, presented

a perfect wilderness of geometrical figures, conic sections of every variety being repeated in countless

Lieutenant Procope pointed out that these curves evidently had reference to the orbits of comets, which are

variously parabolic, hyperbolic, or elliptic. If either of the first two, the comet, after once appearing within

the range of terrestrial vision, would vanish forever in the outlying regions of space; if the last, it would be

From the prima facie appearance of his papers, then, it seemed probable that the astronomer, during his

sojourn at Formentera, had been devoting himself to the study of cometary orbits; and as calculations of this

kind are ordinarily based upon the assumption that the orbit is a parabola, it was not unlikely that he had been

"I wonder whether these calculations were made before or after the 1st of January; it makes all the

Servadac paced restlessly up and down. "I would give a month of my life," he cried, impetuously, "for every

"You might be making a bad bargain," said Procope, smiling. "Perhaps after all the comet has had nothing to

"Nonsense!" exclaimed the captain; "I know better than that, and so do you. Is it not as clear as daylight that

the earth and this comet have been in collision, and the result has been that our little world has been split off

Count Timascheff and the lieutenant looked at each other in silence. "I do not deny your theory," said

Procope after a while. "If it be correct, I suppose we must conclude that the enormous disc we observed on

the night of the catastrophe was the comet itself; and the velocity with which it was traveling must have been

"Plausible enough," answered Count Timascheff; "and it is to this comet that our scientific friend here has

It still remained a puzzle to them all why the astronomer should apparently be interested in the comet so

"There is no accounting for the freaks of philosophers, you know," said Servadac; "and have I not told you

that this philosopher in particular is one of the most eccentric beings in creation?"

"Besides," added the lieutenant, "it is exceedingly likely that his observations had been going on for some

Thus, the general conclusion arrived at by the Gallian Academy of Science was this: That on the night of the

31st of December, a comet, crossing the ecliptic, had come into collision with the earth, and that the violence

of the shock had separated a huge fragment from the globe, which fragment from that date had been

traversing the remote interplanetary regions. Palmyrin Rosette would doubtless confirm their solution of the

To the general population of the colony the arrival of the stranger was a matter of small interest. The

Spaniards were naturally too indolent to be affected in any way by an incident that concerned themselves so

remotely; while the Russians felt themselves simply reliant on their master, and as long as they were with

him were careless as to where or how they spent their days. Everything went on with them in an accustomed

routine; and they lay down night after night, and awoke to their avocations morning after morning, just as if

All night long Ben Zoof would not leave the professor's bedside. He had constituted himself sick nurse, and

considered his reputation at stake if he failed to set his patient on his feet again. He watched every movement,

listened to every breath, and never failed to administer the strongest cordials upon the slightest pretext. Even

in his sleep Rosette's irritable nature revealed itself. Ever and again, sometimes in a tone of uneasiness, and

sometimes with the expression of positive anger, the name of Gallia escaped his lips, as though he were

dreaming that his claim to the discovery of the comet was being contested or denied; but although his

attendant was on the alert to gather all he could, he was able to catch nothing in the incoherent sentences that

served to throw any real light upon the problem that they were all eager to solve.

When the sun reappeared on the western horizon the professor was still sound asleep; and Ben Zoof, who was

especially anxious that the repose which promised to be so beneficial should not be disturbed, felt

considerable annoyance at hearing a loud knocking, evidently of some blunt heavy instrument against a door

that had been placed at the entrance of the gallery, more for the purpose of retaining internal warmth than for

"Confound it!" said Ben Zoof. "I must put a stop to this;" and he made his way towards the door.

"Oh, it is you, old Ashtaroth, is it? What do you want? Can't you get anybody to buy your stuffs?"

"No; but do, pleasedo, please, let me in," supplicated the Jew. "I want to speak to his Excellency, the

And with this inhospitable rejoinder the orderly was about to return to his place at the side of his patient,

when Servadac, who had been roused by the sound of voices, called out, "What's the matter, Ben Zoof?"

"Oh, nothing, sir; only that hound of a Hakkabut says he wants to speak to you."

However reluctantly, Ben Zoof obeyed. The door was unfastened, and Isaac Hakkabut, enveloped in an old

overcoat, shuffled into the gallery. In a few moments Servadac approached, and the Jew began to overwhelm

him with the most obsequious epithets. Without vouchsafing any reply, the captain beckoned to the old man

to follow him, and leading the way to the central hall, stopped, and turning so as to look him steadily in the

"From my little tartan yonder, I saw the yawl go out from the rock here on a journey, and I saw it come back,

"Why, that perhaps the stranger had come from the northern shores of the Mediterranean, and that I might ask

Servadac shrugged his shoulders in contempt and turned away. Here was a man who had been resident three

months in Gallia, a living witness of all the abnormal phenomena that had occurred, and yet refusing to

believe that his hope of making good bargains with European traders was at an end. Surely nothing, thought

the captain, will convince the old rascal now; and he moved off in disgust. The orderly, however, who had

listened with much amusement, was by no means disinclined for the conversation to be continued. "Are you

"Isn't it so? Am I not right? Didn't a stranger arrive here last night?" inquired the Jew.

"Fine quarters for trade! Hardly twenty leagues from Spain! He must have brought news from Europe!"

The Jew sidled close up to Ben Zoof, and laying his hand on his arm, said in a low and insinuating tone, "I

am poor, you know; but I would give you a few reals if you would let me talk to this stranger."

But as if he thought he was making too liberal an offer, he added, "Only it must be at once."

The captain had overheard the tenor of the conversation, and interposed sternly, "Hakkabut! if you make the

least attempt to disturb our visitor, I shall have you turned outside that door immediately."

"I will tell you what," said Servadac after a brief interval; "I will give you leave to hear what this stranger has

to tell as soon as he is able to tell us anything; at present we have not heard a word from his lips."

"And I hope it will be to your liking, old Ezekiel!" added Ben Zoof in a voice of irony.

They had none of them long to wait, for within a few minutes Rosette's peevish voice was heard calling,

The professor did not open his eyes, and appeared to be slumbering on, but very shortly afterwards called out

again, "Joseph! Confound the fellow! where is he?" It was evident that he was half dreaming about a former

Rosette unclosed his eyes and fixed them full upon the orderly's face. "Are you Joseph?" he asked.

Ben Zoof left to go into the kitchen, and Servadac approached the professor in order to assist him in rising to

"Ah, yes, yes; you are Servadac," replied Rosette. "It is twelve years or more since I saw you; I hope you

"Well, that's as it should be; that's right," said the astronomer with fussy importance. "But let me have my

coffee," he added impatiently; "I cannot collect my thoughts without my coffee."

Fortunately, Ben Zoof appeared with a great cup, hot and strong. After draining it with much apparent relish,

the professor got out of bed, walked into the common hall, round which he glanced with a preoccupied air,

and proceeded to seat himself in an armchair, the most comfortable which the cabin of the Dobryna had

supplied. Then, in a voice full of satisfaction, and that involuntarily recalled the exclamations of delight that

had wound up the two first of the mysterious documents that had been received, he burst out, "Well,

There was no time for anyone to make a reply before Isaac Hakkabut had darted forward.

"Who is that?" asked the startled professor; and he frowned, and made a gesture of repugnance.

Regardless of the efforts that were made to silence him, the Jew continued, "By the God of Abraham, I

"Europe?" shouted the professor, springing from his seat as if he were electrified; "what does the man want

"I want to get there!" screeched the Jew; and in spite of every exertion to get him away, he clung most

tenaciously to the professor's chair, and again and again implored for news of Europe.

Rosette made no immediate reply. After a moment or two's reflection, he turned to Servadac and asked him

"Then today," said the astronomer, speaking with the greatest deliberation"today we are just three

"You seem here," continued the professor, "to be very ignorant of the state of things."

"How far we are ignorant," rejoined Servadac, "I cannot tell. But I will tell you all that we do know, and all

that we have surmised." And as briefly as he could, he related all that had happened since the memorable

night of the thirtyfirst of December; how they had experienced the shock; how the Dobryna had made her

voyage; how they had discovered nothing except the fragments of the old continent at Tunis, Sardinia,

Gibraltar, and now at Formentera; how at intervals the three anonymous documents had been received; and,

finally, how the settlement at Gourbi Island had been abandoned for their present quarters at Nina's Hive.

The astronomer had hardly patience to hear him to the end. "And what do you say is your surmise as to your

"Our supposition," the captain replied, "is this. We imagine that we are on a considerable fragment of the

terrestrial globe that has been detached by collision with a planet to which you appear to have given the name

"You are correct to a certain degree," continued the professor. "It is quite true that at 47' 35.6" after two

o'clock on the morning of the first of January there was a collision; my comet grazed the earth; and the bits of

"Yes, my comet!" repeated the professor, and from time to time he knitted his brows, and looked around him

with a defiant air, as though he could not get rid of the impression that someone was laying an unwarranted

claim to its proprietorship, or that the individuals before him were intruders upon his own proper domain.

But for a considerable while, Servadac, the count, and the lieutenant remained silent and sunk in thought.

Here then, at last, was the unriddling of the enigma they had been so long endeavoring to solve; both the

hypotheses they had formed in succession had now to give way before the announcement of the real truth.

The first supposition, that the rotatory axis of the earth had been subject to some accidental modification, and

the conjecture that replaced it, namely, that a certain portion of the terrestrial sphere had been splintered off

and carried into space, had both now to yield to the representation that the earth had been grazed by an

unknown comet, which had caught up some scattered fragments from its surface, and was bearing them far

away into sidereal regions. Unfolded lay the past and the present before them; but this only served to awaken

a keener interest about the future. Could the professor throw any light upon that? they longed to inquire, but

Meanwhile Rosette assumed a pompous professional air, and appeared to be waiting for the entire party to be

ceremoniously introduced to him. Nothing unwilling to humor the vanity of the eccentric little man, Servadac

"Allow me to present to you my excellent friend, the Count Timascheff," he said.

"You are very welcome," said Rosette, bowing to the count with a smile of condescension.

"Although I am not precisely a voluntary resident on your comet, Mr. Professor, I beg to acknowledge your

Servadac could not quite conceal his amusement at the count's irony, but continued, "This is Lieutenant

"Yes, entirely round it," answered Servadac, and without allowing time for reply, proceeded, "And this is my

"Aidedecamp to his Excellency the Governor of Gallia," interposed Ben Zoof himself, anxious to maintain

The rest of the population of the Hive were all presented in succession: the Russian sailors, the Spaniards,

young Pablo, and little Nina, on whom the professor, evidently no lover of children, glared fiercely through

his formidable spectacles. Isaac Hakkabut, after his introduction, begged to be allowed to ask one question.

"Get back!" rejoined Rosette, sharply; "who talks of getting back? We have hardly started yet."

Seeing that the professor was inclined to get angry, Captain Servadac adroitly gave a new turn to the

conversation by asking him whether he would gratify them by relating his own recent experiences. The

astronomer seemed pleased with the proposal, and at once commenced a verbose and somewhat

circumlocutory address, of which the following summary presents the main features.

The French Government, being desirous of verifying the measurement already made of the arc of the

meridian of Paris, appointed a scientific commission for that purpose. From that commission the name of

Palmyrin Rosette was omitted, apparently for no other reason than his personal unpopularity. Furious at the

slight, the professor resolved to set to work independently on his own account, and declaring that there were

inaccuracies in the previous geodesic operations, he determined to reexamine the results of the last

triangulation which had united Formentera to the Spanish coast by a triangle, one of the sides of which

measured over a hundred miles, the very operation which had already been so successfully accomplished by

Accordingly, leaving Paris for the Balearic Isles, he placed his observatory on the highest point of

Formentera, and accompanied as he was only by his servant, Joseph, led the life of a recluse. He secured the

services of a former assistant, and dispatched him to a high peak on the coast of Spain, where he had to

superintend a reverberator, which, with the aid of a glass, could be seen from Formentera. A few books and

instruments, and two months' victuals, was all the baggage he took with him, except an excellent

astronomical telescope, which was, indeed, almost part and parcel of himself, and with which he assiduously

scanned the heavens, in the sanguine anticipation of making some discovery which would immortalize his

The task he had undertaken demanded the utmost patience. Night after night, in order to fix the apex of his

triangle, he had to linger on the watch for the assistant's signallight, but he did not forget that his

predecessors, Arago and Biot, had had to wait sixtyone days for a similar purpose. What retarded the work

was the dense fog which, it has been already mentioned, at that time enveloped not only that part of Europe,

Never failing to turn to the best advantage the few intervals when the mist lifted a little, the astronomer would

at the same time cast an inquiring glance at the firmament, as he was greatly interested in the revision of the

To the naked eye this constellation consists of only six stars, but through a telescope ten inches in diameter,

as many as six thousand are visible. Rosette, however, did not possess a reflector of this magnitude, and was

obliged to content himself with the good but comparatively small instrument he had.

On one of these occasions, whilst carefully gauging the recesses of Gemini, he espied a bright speck which

was unregistered in the chart, and which at first he took for a small star that had escaped being entered in the

catalogue. But the observation of a few separate nights soon made it manifest that the star was rapidly

changing its position with regard to the adjacent stars, and the astronomer's heart began to leap at the thought

that the renown of the discovery of a new planet would be associated with his name.

Redoubling his attention, he soon satisfied himself that what he saw was not a planet; the rapidity of its

displacement rather forced him to the conjecture that it must be a comet, and this opinion was soon

strengthened by the appearance of a coma, and subsequently confirmed, as the body approached the sun, by

A comet! The discovery was fatal to all further progress in the triangulation. However conscientiously the

assistant on the Spanish coast might look to the kindling of the beacon, Rosette had no glances to spare for

that direction; he had no eyes except for the one object of his notice, no thoughts apart from that one quarter

Now, in order to calculate the elements of a comet, it is always deemed the safest mode of procedure to

assume the orbit to be a parabola. Ordinarily, comets are conspicuous at their perihelia, as being their shortest

distances from the sun, which is the focus of their orbit, and inasmuch as a parabola is but an ellipse with its

axis indefinitely produced, for some short portion of its pathway the orbit may be indifferently considered

either one or the other; but in this particular case the professor was right in adopting the supposition of its

Just as in a circle, it is necessary to know three points to determine the circumference; so in ascertaining the

elements of a comet, three different positions must be observed before what astronomers call its "ephemeris"

But Professor Rosette did not content himself with three positions; taking advantage of every rift in the fog he

made ten, twenty, thirty observations both in right ascension and in declination, and succeeded in working

out with the most minute accuracy the five elements of the comet which was evidently advancing with

l. The inclination of the plane of the cometary orbit to the plane of the ecliptic, an angle which is generally

2. The position of the ascending node, or the point where the comet crossed the terrestrial orbit.

These two elements being obtained, the position in space of the comet's orbit was determined.

3. The direction of the axis major of the orbit, which was found by calculating the longitude of the comet's

4. The perihelion distance from the sun, which settled the precise form of the parabola.

5. The motion of the comet, as being retrograde, or, unlike the planets, from east to west.

Rosette thus found himself able to calculate the date at which the comet would reach its perihelion, and,

overjoyed at his discovery, without thinking of calling it Palmyra or Rosette, after his own name, he resolved

His next business was to draw up a formal report. Not only did he at once recognize that a collision with the

earth was possible, but he soon foresaw that it was inevitable, and that it must happen on the night of the 31st

of December; moreover, as the bodies were moving in opposite directions, the shock could hardly fail to be

To say that he was elated at the prospect was far below the truth; his delight amounted almost to delirium.

Anyone else would have hurried from the solitude of Formentera in sheer fright; but, without communicating

a word of his startling discovery, he remained resolutely at his post. From occasional newspapers which he

had received, he had learnt that fogs, dense as ever, continued to envelop both hemispheres, so that he was

assured that the existence of the comet was utterly unknown elsewhere; and the ignorance of the world as to

the peril that threatened it averted the panic that would have followed the publication of the facts, and left the

philosopher of Formentera in sole possession of the great secret. He clung to his post with the greater

persistency, because his calculations had led him to the conclusion that the comet would strike the earth

somewhere to the south of Algeria, and as it had a solid nucleus, he felt sure that, as he expressed it, the effect

The shock came, and with it the results already recorded. Palmyrin Rosette was suddenly separated from his

servant Joseph, and when, after a long period of unconsciousness, he came to himself, he found that he was

the solitary occupant of the only fragment that survived of the Balearic Archipelago.

Such was the substance of the narrative which the professor gave with sundry repetitions and digressions;

while he was giving it, he frequently paused and frowned as if irritated in a way that seemed by no means

"But now, gentlemen," added the professor, "I must tell you something more. Important changes have

resulted from the collision; the cardinal points have been displaced; gravity has been diminished: not that I

ever supposed for a minute, as you did, that I was still upon the earth. No! the earth, attended by her moon,

continued to rotate along her proper orbit. But we, gentlemen, have nothing to complain of; our destiny might

have been far worse; we might all have been crushed to death, or the comet might have remained in adhesion

to the earth; and in neither of these cases should we have had the satisfaction of making this marvelous

excursion through untraversed solar regions. No, gentlemen, I repeat it, we have nothing to regret."

And as the professor spoke, he seemed to kindle with the emotion of such supreme contentment that no one

had the heart to gainsay his assertion. Ben Zoof alone ventured an unlucky remark to the effect that if the

comet had happened to strike against Montmartre, instead of a bit of Africa, it would have met with some

"Pshaw!" said Rosette, disdainfully. "A molehill like Montmartre would have been ground to powder in a

"Molehill!" exclaimed Ben Zoof, stung to the quick. "I can tell you it would have caught up your bit of a

The professor looked angry, and Servadac having imposed silence upon his orderly, explained the worthy

soldier's sensitiveness on all that concerned Montmartre. Always obedient to his master, Ben Zoof held his

tongue; but he felt that he could never forgive the slight that had been cast upon his beloved home.

It was now allimportant to learn whether the astronomer had been able to continue his observations, and

whether he had learned sufficient of Gallia's path through space to make him competent to determine, at least

approximately, the period of its revolution round the sun. With as much tact and caution as he could,

Lieutenant Procope endeavored to intimate the general desire for some information on this point.

"Before the shock, sir," answered the professor, "I had conclusively demonstrated the path of the comet; but,

in consequence of the modifications which that shock has entailed upon my comet's orbit, I have been

"Although the orbit of the earth was unaltered," continued the professor, "the result of the collision was the

"And may I ask," said Procope, deferentially, "whether you have got the elements of the fresh orbit?"

" I know this, sir, that at 47 minutes 35.6 seconds after two o'clock on the morning of the 1st of January last,

Gallia, in passing its ascending node, came in contact with the earth; that on the 10th of January it crossed the

orbit of Venus; that it reached its perihelion on the 15th; that it recrossed the orbit of Venus; that on the 1st

of February it passed its descending node; on the 13th crossed the orbit of Mars; entered the zone of the

telescopic planets on the 10th of March, and, attracting Nerina, carried it off as a satellite."

"We are already acquainted with wellnigh all these extraordinary facts; many of them, moreover, we have

learned from documents which we have picked up, and which, although unsigned, we cannot entertain a

Professor Rosette drew himself up proudly and said: "Of course, they originated with me. I sent them off by

"From no one but yourself, certainly," rejoined the count, with grave politeness.

Hitherto the conversation had thrown no light upon the future movements of Gallia, and Rosette was

disposed apparently to evade, or at least to postpone, the subject. When, therefore, Lieutenant Procope was

about to press his inquiries in a more categorical form, Servadac, thinking it advisable not prematurely to

press the little savant too far, interrupted him by asking the professor how he accounted for the earth having

"I account for it in this way," answered Rosette: "the earth was traveling at the rate of 28,000 leagues an hour,

and Gallia at the rate of 57,000 leagues an hour, therefore the result was the same as though a train rushing

along at a speed of about 86,000 leagues an hour had suddenly encountered some obstacle. The nucleus of the

comet, being excessively hard, has done exactly what a ball would do fired with that velocity close to a pane

"Right! of course I am right!" replied the snappish professor. Soon, however, recovering his equanimity, he

continued: "It is fortunate that the earth was only touched obliquely; if the comet had impinged

perpendicularly, it must have plowed its way deep below the surface, and the disasters it might have caused

are beyond reckoning. Perhaps," he added, with a smile, "even Montmartre might not have survived the

Fortunately for the sake of peace, Isaac Hakkabut, who at length was beginning to realize something of the

true condition of things, came forward at this moment, and in a voice trembling with eagerness, implored the

The Jew was about to speak again, when Captain Servadac interposed: "Allow me to say that, in somewhat

more scientific terms, I was about to ask you the same question. Did I not understand you to say that, as the

consequence of the collision, the character of the comet's orbit has been changed?"

"Is it then an hyperbola? and are we to be carried on far and away into remote distance, and never, never to

Servadac involuntarily raised a ringing shout of joy that echoed again along the gallery.

"Yes," continued the professor, "Gallia is a periodic comet, and allowing for the perturbations to which it is

liable from the attraction of Mars and Jupiter and Saturn, it will return to the earth again in two years

"You mean that in two years after the first shock, Gallia will meet the earth at the same point as they met

"Because we are doing exceedingly well as we are." The professor stamped his foot upon the ground, by way

of emphasis, and added, "If I had my will, Gallia should never return to the earth again!"

All previous hypotheses, then, were now forgotten in the presence of the one great fact that Gallia was a

comet and gravitating through remote solar regions. Captain Servadac became aware that the huge disc that

had been looming through the clouds after the shock was the form of the retreating earth, to the proximity of

As to the fulfillment of the professor's prediction of an ultimate return to the terrestrial sphere, that was a

point on which it must be owned that the captain, after the first flush of his excitement was over, was not

The next day or two were spent in providing for the accommodation of the new comer. Fortunately his

desires were very moderate; he seemed to live among the stars, and as long as he was well provided with

coffee, he cared little for luxuries, and paid little or no regard to the ingenuity with which all the internal

arrangements of Nina's Hive had been devised. Anxious to show all proper respect to his former tutor,

Servadac proposed to leave the most comfortable apartment of the place at his disposal; but the professor

resolutely declined to occupy it, saying that what he required was a small chamber, no matter how small,

provided that it was elevated and secluded, which he could use as an observatory and where he might

prosecute his studies without disturbance. A general search was instituted, and before long they were lucky

enough to find, about a hundred feet above the central grotto, a small recess or reduct hollowed, as it were, in

the mountain side, which would exactly answer their purpose. It contained room enough for a bed, a table, an

armchair, a chest of drawers, and, what was of still more consequence, for the indispensable telescope. One

small stream of lava, an offshoot of the great torrent, sufficed to warm the apartment enough.

In these retired quarters the astronomer took up his abode. It was on all hands acknowledged to be advisable

to let him go on entirely in his own way. His meals were taken to him at stated intervals; he slept but little;

carried on his calculations by day, his observations by night, and very rarely made his appearance amongst

The cold now became very intense, the thermometer registering 30 degrees F. below zero. The mercury,

however, never exhibited any of those fluctuations that are ever and again to be observed in variable climates,

but continued slowly and steadily to fall, and in all probability would continue to do so until it reached the

This steady sinking of the mercury was accompanied by a complete stillness of the atmosphere; the very air

seemed to be congealed; no particle of it stirred; from zenith to horizon there was never a cloud; neither were

there any of the damp mists or dry fogs which so often extend over the polar regions of the earth; the sky was

always clear; the sun shone by day and the stars by night without causing any perceptible difference in the

These peculiar conditions rendered the cold endurable even in the open air. The cause of so many of the

diseases that prove fatal to Arctic explorers resides in the cutting winds, unwholesome fogs, or terrible snow

drifts, which, by drying up, relaxing, or otherwise affecting the lungs, make them incapable of fulfilling their

proper functions. But during periods of calm weather, when the air has been absolutely still, many polar

navigators, wellclothed and properly fed, have been known to withstand a temperature when the

thermometer has fallen to 60 degrees below zero. It was the experience of Parry upon Melville Island, of

Kane beyond latitude 81 degrees north, and of Hall and the crew of the Polaris, that, however intense the

Notwithstanding, then, the extreme lowness of the temperature, the little population found that they were able

to move about in the open air with perfect immunity. The governor general made it his special care to see that

his people were all well fed and warmly clad. Food was both wholesome and abundant, and besides the furs

brought from the Dobryna's stores, fresh skins could very easily be procured and made up into wearing

apparel. A daily course of outdoor exercise was enforced upon everyone; not even Pablo and Nina were

exempted from the general rule; the two children, muffled up in furs, looking like little Esquimeaux, skated

along together, Pablo ever at his companion's side, ready to give her a helping hand whenever she was weary

After his interview with the newly arrived astronomer, Isaac Hakkabut slunk back again to his tartan. A

change had come over his ideas; he could no longer resist the conviction that he was indeed millions and

millions of miles away from the earth, where he had carried on so varied and remunerative a traffic. It might

be imagined that this realization of his true position would have led him to a better mind, and that, in some

degree at least, he would have been induced to regard the few fellowcreatures with whom his lot had been

so strangely cast, otherwise than as mere instruments to be turned to his own personal and pecuniary

advantage; but nothe desire of gain was too thoroughly ingrained into his hard nature ever to be eradicated,

and secure in his knowledge that he was under the protection of a French officer, who, except under the most

urgent necessity, would not permit him to be molested in retaining his property, he determined to wait for

some emergency to arise which should enable him to use his present situation for his own profit.

On the one hand, the Jew took it into account that although the chances of returning to the earth might be

remote, yet from what he had heard from the professor he could not believe that they were improbable; on the

other, he knew that a considerable sum of money, in English and Russian coinage, was in the possession of

various members of the little colony, and this, although valueless now, would be worth as much as ever if the

proper condition of things should be restored; accordingly, he set his heart on getting all the monetary wealth

of Gallia into his possession, and to do this he must sell his goods. But he would not sell them yet; there

might come a time when for many articles the supply would not be equal to the demand; that would be the

time for him; by waiting he reckoned he should be able to transact some lucrative business.

Such in his solitude were old Isaac's cogitations, whilst the universal population of Nina's Hive were

As already stated in the message brought by the carrier pigeon, the distance traveled by Gallia in April was

39,000,000 leagues, and at the end of the month she was 110,000,000 leagues from the sun. A diagram

representing the elliptical orbit of the planet, accompanied by an ephemeris made out in minute detail, had

been drawn out by the professor. The curve was divided into twentyfour sections of unequal length,

representing respectively the distance described in the twentyfour months of the Gallian year, the twelve

former divisions, according to Kepler's law, gradually diminishing in length as they approached the point

It was on the 12th of May that Rosette exhibited this result of his labors to Servadac, the count, and the

lieutenant, who visited his apartment and naturally examined the drawing with the keenest interest. Gallia's

path, extending beyond the orbit of Jupiter, lay clearly defined before their eyes, the progress along the orbit

and the solar distances being inserted for each month separately. Nothing could look plainer, and if the

professor's calculations were correct (a point upon which they dared not, if they would, express the

semblance of a doubt), Gallia would accomplish her revolution in precisely two years, and would meet the

earth, which would in the same period of time have completed two annual revolutions, in the very same spot

as before. What would be the consequences of a second collision they scarcely ventured to think.

Without lifting his eye from the diagram, which he was still carefully scrutinizing, Servadac said, "I see that

during the month of May, Gallia will only travel 30,400,000 leagues, and that this will leave her about

"Then we have already passed the zone of the telescopic planets, have we not?" asked the count.

"Can you not use your eyes?" said the professor, testily. "If you will look you will see the zone marked

Without noticing the interruption, Servadac continued his own remarks, "The comet then, I see, is to reach its

aphelion on the 15th of January, exactly a twelvemonth after passing its perihelion."

"What are you laughing at?" demanded the professor, turning round upon him angrily.

"Nothing, sir; only it amuses me to see how you want to revise the terrestrial calendar."

"Well, then, listen to me," resumed the professor, stiffly. "I presume you are taking it for granted that the

Gallian year by which I mean the time in which Gallia makes one revolution round the sunis equal in

"If I wish it!" exclaimed Rosette. "Nothing of the sort! Of course a year must have twelve months!"

"I suppose sixty or sixtytwo, as the case may be. The days now are only half as long as they used to be,"

"Servadac, don't be thoughtless!" cried Rosette, with all the petulant impatience of the old pedagogue. "If the

days are only half as long as they were, sixty of them cannot make up a twelfth part of Gallia's year cannot

"Do you not see, then," continued the astronomer, "that if a Gallian month is twice as long as a terrestrial

month, and a Gallian day is only half as long as a terrestrial day, there must be a hundred and twenty days in

"No doubt you are right, professor," said Count Timascheff; "but do you not think that the use of a new

"Not at all! not at all! I do not intend to use any other," was the professor's bluff reply.

After pondering for a few moments, the captain spoke again. "According, then, to this new calendar, it isn't

"Yes," said the professor, "today is the 26th of March. It is the 266th day of the Gallian year. It corresponds

with the 133d day of the terrestrial year. You are quite correct, it is the 26th of March."

"And a month, a terrestrial month, thirty old days, sixty new days hence, it will be the 86th of March."

The old professor had an undefined consciousness that his former pupil was laughing at him; and as it was

growing late, he made an excuse that he had no more leisure. The visitors accordingly quitted the

It must be owned that the revised calendar was left to the professor's sole use, and the colony was fairly

puzzled whenever he referred to such unheardof dates as the 47th of April or the 118th of May.

[illustration omitted] [page intentionally blank] and by the professor's tables Gallia during the month would

have advanced 27,500,000 leagues farther along its orbit, and would have attained a distance of 155,000,000

leagues from the sun. The thermometer continued to fall; the atmosphere remained clear as heretofore. The

population performed their daily avocations with systematic routine; and almost the only thing that broke the

monotony of existence was an occasional visit from the blustering, nervous, little professor, when some

sudden fancy induced him to throw aside his astronomical studies for a time, and pay a visit to the common

hall. His arrival there was generally hailed as the precursor of a little season of excitement. Somehow or other

the conversation would eventually work its way round to the topic of a future collision between the comet

and the earth; and in the same degree as this was a matter of sanguine anticipation to Captain Servadac and

his friends, it was a matter of aversion to the astronomical enthusiast, who had no desire to quit his present

quarters in a sphere which, being of his own discovery, he could hardly have cared for more if it had been of

his own creation. The interview would often terminate in a scene of considerable animation.

On the 27th of June (old calendar) the professor burst like a cannonball into the central hall, where they

were all assembled, and without a word of salutation or of preface, accosted the lieutenant in the way in

which in earlier days he had been accustomed to speak to an idle schoolboy, "Now, lieutenant! no evasions!

The lieutenant drew himself up stiffly. "Evasions! shufflings! I am not accustomed, sir" he began in a tone

evidencing no little resentment; but catching a hint from the count he subdued his voice, and simply said,

"And may I ask," continued the professor, quite unaware of his previous discourtesy, "whether, when you

"As approximately as I could," replied the lieutenant; "I did what I could by log and compass. I was unable to

"Ah!" said the professor, more than half speaking to himself, "a circumference of 1,400 miles would give a

diameter of about 450 miles. That would be approximately about onesixteenth of the diameter of the earth."

Raising his voice, he continued, "Gentlemen, in order to complete my account of my comet Gallia, I require

"Since we know the diameter," remarked the lieutenant, "there can be no difficulty in finding its surface and

"And did I say there was any difficulty?" asked the professor, fiercely. "I have been able to reckon that ever

"Cockadoodledoo!" cried Ben Zoof, delighted at any opportunity of paying off his old grudge.

The professor looked at him, but did not vouchsafe a word. Addressing the captain, he said, "Now, Servadac,

With more submission than when he was a schoolboy, the captain sat down and endeavored to recall the

"Circumference, 1,400; diameter, 450; area of surface, 630,000," read the captain.

"True," replied Rosette, "630,000 square miles; just 292 times less than that of the earth."

The astronomer bit his lip, snorted, and cast at him a withering look, but did not take any further notice.

"Now, Captain Servadac," said the professor, "take your pen again, and find me the volume of Gallia."

"Quick, quick!" cried the professor, impatiently; "surely you have not forgotten how to find the volume of a

"Breathing time, indeed! A mathematician should not want breathing time! Come, multiply the surface by the

Captain Servadac applied himself to his task while the bystanders waited, with some difficulty suppressing

their inclination to laugh. There was a short silence, at the end of which Servadac announced that the volume

The professor scowled at him, and was manifestly annoyed at having the insignificant dimensions of his

comet pointed out in so disparaging a manner. Lieutenant Procope further remarked that from the earth he

supposed it to be about as conspicuous as a star of the seventh magnitude, and would require a good telescope

"Ha, ha!" laughed the orderly, aloud; "charming little comet! so pretty; and so modest!"

"You rascal!" roared the professor, and clenched his hand in passion, as if about to strike him. Ben Zoof

laughed the more, and was on the point of repeating his satirical comments, when a stern order from the

captain made him hold his tongue. The truth was that the professor was just as sensitive about his comet as

the orderly was about Montmartre, and if the contention between the two had been allowed to go on

When Professor Rosette's equanimity had been restored, he said, "Thus, then, gentlemen, the diameter, the

surface, the volume of my comet are settled; but there is more to be done. I shall not be satisfied until, by

actual measurement, I have determined its mass, its density, and the force of gravity at its surface."

"Laborious or not, it has to be accomplished. I am resolved to find out what my comet weighs."

"Would it not be of some assistance, if we knew of what substance it is composed?" asked the lieutenant.

"That is of no moment at all," replied the professor; "the problem is independent of it."

"You must understand, however," said Rosette, "that there are various preliminary calculations to be made;

"No hurry at all," observed the captain, who was not in the least impatient to continue his mathematical

"Then, gentlemen," said the astronomer, "with your leave we will for this purpose make an appointment a

Without noticing the general smile which the novel date provoked, the astronomer left the hall, and retired to

Under the still diminishing influence of the sun's attraction, but without let or hindrance, Gallia continued its

interplanetary course, accompanied by Nerina, its captured satellite, which performed its fortnightly

Meanwhile, the question beyond all others important was ever recurring to the minds of Servadac and his two

companions: were the astronomer's calculations correct, and was there a sound foundation for his prediction

that the comet would again touch the earth? But whatever might be their doubts or anxieties, they were fain to

keep all their misgivings to themselves; the professor was of a temper far too crossgrained for them to

The rest of the community by no means shared in their uneasiness. Negrete and his fellowcountrymen

yielded to their destiny with philosophical indifference. Happier and better provided for than they had ever

been in their lives, it did not give them a passing thought, far less cause any serious concern, whether they

were still circling round the sun, or whether they were being carried right away within the limits of another

system. Utterly careless of the future, the majos, lighthearted as ever, carolled out their favorite songs, just

Happiest of all were Pablo and Nina. Racing through the galleries of the Hive, clambering over the rocks

upon the shore, one day skating far away across the frozen ocean, the next fishing in the lake that was kept

liquid by the heat of the lavatorrent, the two children led a life of perpetual enjoyment. Nor was their

recreation allowed to interfere with their studies. Captain Servadac, who in common with the count really

liked them both, conceived that the responsibilities of a parent in some degree had devolved upon him, and

took great care in superintending their daily lessons, which he succeeded in making hardly less pleasant than

Indulged and loved by all, it was little wonder that young Pablo had no longing for the scorching plains of

Andalusia, or that little Nina had lost all wish to return with her pet goat to the barren rocks of Sardinia. They

"No more have I," said the boy, "I used to run along by the side of the diligences when I was in Spain."

"I used to look after goats at Madalena," said Nina; "but it is much nicer hereI am so happy here. I have

you for a brother, and everybody is so kind. I am afraid they will spoil us, Pablo," she added, smiling.

"Oh, no, Nina; you are too good to be spoiled, and when I am with you, you make me good too," said Pablo,

July had now arrived. During the month Gallia's advance along its orbit would be reduced to 22,000,000

leagues, the distance from the sun at the end being 172,000,000 leagues, about four and a half times as great

as the average distance of the earth from the sun. It was traveling now at about the same speed as the earth,

which traverses the ecliptic at a rate of 21,000,000 leagues a month, or 28,800 leagues an hour.

In due time the 62d April, according to the revised Gallian calendar, dawned; and in punctual fulfillment of

the professor's appointment, a note was delivered to Servadac to say that he was ready, and hoped that day to

commence operations for calculating the mass and density of his comet, as well as the force of gravity at its

A point of far greater interest to Captain Servadac and his friends would have been to ascertain the nature of

the substance of which the comet was composed, but they felt pledged to render the professor any aid they

could in the researches upon which he had set his heart. Without delay, therefore, they assembled in the

central hall, where they were soon joined by Rosette, who seemed to be in fairly good temper.

"Gentlemen," he began, "I propose today to endeavor to complete our observations of the elements of my

comet. Three matters of investigation are before us. First, the measure of gravity at its surface; this attractive

force we know, by the increase of our own muscular force, must of course be considerably less than that at

the surface of the earth. Secondly, its mass, that is, the quality of its matter. And thirdly, its density or

quantity of matter in a unit of its volume. We will proceed, gentlemen, if you please, to weigh Gallia."

Ben Zoof, who had just entered the hall, caught the professor's last sentence, and without saying a word, went

out again and was absent for some minutes. When he returned, he said, "If you want to weigh this comet of

yours, I suppose you want a pair of scales; but I have been to look, and I cannot find a pair anywhere. And

A frown came over the professor's countenance. Servadac saw it, and gave his orderly a sign that he should

"I require, gentlemen," resumed Rosette, "first of all to know by how much the weight of a kilogramme here

differs from its weight upon the earth; the attraction, as we have said, being less, the weight will

"Then an ordinary pair of scales, being under the influence of attraction, I suppose, would not answer your

"And the very kilogramme weight you used would have become lighter," put in the count, deferentially.

"Pray, gentlemen, do not interrupt me," said the professor, authoritatively, as if ex cathedra." I need no

The professor resumed. "Upon a steelyard, or springbalance, dependent upon mere tension or flexibility, the

attraction will have no influence. If I suspend a weight equivalent to the weight of a kilogramme, the index

will register the proper weight on the surface of Gallia. Thus I shall arrive at the difference I want: the

difference between the earth's attraction and the comet's. Will you, therefore, have the goodness to provide

The audience looked at one another, and then at Ben Zoof, who was thoroughly acquainted with all their

"I believe old Hakkabut has a steelyard on board his tartan," said Ben Zoof, presently.

"Then why didn't you say so before, you idiot?" roared the excitable little man.

Anxious to pacify him, Servadac assured him that every exertion should be made to procure the instrument,

"No, stop a moment," he said, as Ben Zoof was moving away on his, errand; "perhaps I had better go with

you myself; the old Jew may make a difficulty about lending us any of his property."

"Why should we not all go?" asked the count; "we should see what kind of a life the misanthrope leads on

The proposal met with general approbation. Before they started, Professor Rosette requested that one of the

men might be ordered to cut him a cubic decimeter out of the solid substance of Gallia. "My engineer is the

man for that," said the count; "he will do it well for you if you will give him the precise measurement."

"What! you don't mean," exclaimed the professor, again going off into a passion, "that you haven't a proper

Ben Zoof was sent off to ransack the stores for the article in question, but no measure was forthcoming.

"Then let us lose no time in trying," answered the professor, as he hustled with hasty strides into the gallery.

The rest of the party followed, and were soon in the open air upon the rocks that overhung the shore. They

descended to the level of the frozen water and made their way towards the little creek where the Dobryna and

The temperature was low beyond previous experience; but well muffled up in fur, they all endured it without

much actual suffering. Their breath issued in vapor, which was at once congealed into little crystals upon

their whiskers, beards, eyebrows, and eyelashes, until their faces, covered with countless snowwhite

prickles, were truly ludicrous. The little professor, most comical of all, resembled nothing so much as the cub

It was eight o'clock in the morning. The sun was rapidly approaching the zenith; but its disc, from the

extreme remoteness, was proportionately dwarfed; its beams being all but destitute of their proper warmth

and radiance. The volcano to its very summit and the surrounding rocks were still covered with the unsullied

mantle of snow that had fallen while the atmosphere was still to some extent charged with vapor; but on the

north side the snow had given place to the cascade of fiery lava, which, making its way down the sloping

rocks as far as the vaulted opening of the central cavern, fell thence perpendicularly into the sea. Above the

cavern, 130 feet up the mountain, was a dark hole, above which the stream of lava made a bifurcation in its

course. From this hole projected the case of an astronomer's telescope; it was the opening of Palmyrin

Sea and land seemed blended into one dreary whiteness, to which the pale blue sky offered scarcely any

contrast. The shore was indented with the marks of many footsteps left by the colonists either on their way to

collect ice for drinking purposes, or as the result of their skating expeditions; the edges of the skates had cut

out a labyrinth of curves complicated as the figures traced by aquatic insects upon the surface of a pool.

Across the quarter of a mile of level ground that lay between the mountain and the creek, a series of

footprints, frozen hard into the snow, marked the course taken by Isaac Hakkabut on his last return from

On approaching the creek, Lieutenant Procope drew his companions' attention to the elevation of the

Dobryna's and Hansa's waterline, both vessels being now some fifteen feet above the level of the sea.

"It makes me very uneasy," rejoined the lieutenant; "in shallow places like this, as the crust of ice thickens, it

"But who can say what that limit will be? Remember that we have not yet reached our maximum of cold,"

"Indeed, I hope not!" exclaimed the professor; "where would be the use of our traveling 200,000,000 leagues

from the sun, if we are only to experience the same temperature as we should find at the poles of the earth?"

"Fortunately for us, however, professor," said the lieutenant, with a smile, "the temperature of the remotest

"And as long as there is no wind," added Servadac, "we may pass comfortably through the winter, without a

Lieutenant Procope proceeded to impart to the count his anxiety about the situation of his yacht. He pointed

out that by the constant superposition of new deposits of ice, the vessel would be elevated to a great height,

and consequently in the event of a thaw, it must be exposed to a calamity similar to those which in polar seas

There was no time now for concerting measures offhand to prevent the disaster, for the other members of the

party had already reached the spot where the Hansa lay bound in her icy trammels. A flight of steps, recently

hewn by Hakkabut himself, gave access for the present to the gangway, but it was evident that some different

contrivance would have to be resorted to when the tartan should be elevated perhaps to a hundred feet.

A thin curl of blue smoke issued from the copper funnel that projected above the mass of snow which had

accumulated upon the deck of the Hansa. The owner was sparing of his fuel, and it was only the

nonconducting layer of ice enveloping the tartan that rendered the internal temperature endurable.

"Hi! old Nebuchadnezzar, where are you?" shouted Ben Zoof, at the full strength of his lungs.

At the sound of his voice, the cabin door opened, and the Jew's head and shoulders protruded onto the deck.

"Who's there? I have nothing here for anyone. Go away!" Such was the inhospitable greeting with which

"Hakkabut! do you take us for thieves?" asked Servadac, in tones of stern displeasure.

"Oh, your Excellency, my lord, I did not know that it "was you," whined the Jew, but without emerging any

"Now, old Hakkabut, come out of your shell! Come and show the governor proper respect, when he gives

you the honor of his company," cried Ben Zoof, who by this time had clambered onto the deck.

After considerable hesitation, but still keeping his hold upon the cabindoor, the Jew made up his mind to

"I want a word with you," said Servadac, "but I do not want to stand talking out here in the cold."

Followed by the rest of the party, he proceeded to mount the steps. The Jew trembled from head to foot. "But

I cannot let you into my cabin. I am a poor man; I have nothing to give you," he moaned piteously.

"Here he is!" laughed Ben Zoof, contemptuously; "he is beginning his chapter of lamentations over again.

But standing out here will never do. Out of the way, old Hakkabut, I say! out of the way!" and, without more

Servadac, however, declined to enter until he had taken the pains to explain to the owner of the tartan that he

had no intention of laying violent hands upon his property, and that if the time should ever come that his

cargo was in requisition for the common use, he should receive a proper price for his goods, the same as he

"Europe, indeed!" muttered the Jew maliciously between his teeth. "European prices will not do for me. I

So large a portion of the vessel had been appropriated to the cargo that the space reserved for the cabin was of

most meager dimensions. In one corner of the compartment stood a small iron stove, in which smoldered a

bare handful of coals; in another was a trestleboard which served as a bed; two or three stools and a rickety

deal table, together with a few cooking utensils, completed a stock of furniture which was worthy of its

On entering the cabin, Ben Zoof's first proceeding was to throw on the fire a liberal supply of coals, utterly

regardless of the groans of poor Isaac, who would almost as soon have parted with his own bones as submit

to such reckless expenditure of his fuel. The perishing temperature of the cabin, however, was sufficient

justification for the orderly's conduct, and by a little skillful manipulation he soon succeeded in getting up a

The visitors having taken what seats they could, Hakkabut closed the door, and, like a prisoner awaiting his

Imagining that at least half his property was to be confiscated, the Jew began to break out into his usual

formula about being a poor man and having nothing to spare; but Servadac, without heeding his

So far from showing any symptom of relief, the old miser exclaimed, with a stare of astonishment, as if he

Old Isaac stammered and stuttered, but at last confessed that perhaps there might be one amongst the stores.

The Jew stammered again, and began to object. "It is a very delicate instrument, your Excellency. The cold,

you know, the cold may do injury to the spring; and perhaps you are going to use it to weigh something very

"Why, old Ephraim, do you suppose we are going to weigh a mountain with it?" said Ben Zoof.

"Better than that!" cried out the professor, triumphantly; "we are going to weigh Gallia with it; my comet."

"Merciful Heaven!" shrieked Isaac, feigning consternation at the bare suggestion.

Servadac knew well enough that the Jew was holding out only for a good bargain, and assured him that the

steelyard was required for no other purpose than to weigh a kilogramme, which (considering how much

lighter everything had become) could not possibly put the slightest strain upon the instrument.

"Well, then," said Servadac, "if you do not like to lend us your steelyard, do you object to sell it to us?"

Isaac fairly shrieked aloud. "God of Israel!" he ejaculated, "sell my steelyard? Would you deprive me of one

of the most indispensable of my means of livelihood? How should I weigh my merchandise without my

The orderly wondered how his master could refrain from strangling the old miser upon the spot; but

Servadac, rather amused than otherwise, determined to try another form of persuasion. "Come, Hakkabut, I

see that you are not disposed either to lend or to sell your steelyard. What do you say to letting us hire it?"

The Jew's eyes twinkled with a satisfaction that he was unable to conceal. "But what security would you

"What is it worth? If it is worth twenty francs, I will leave a deposit of a hundred. Will that satisfy you?"

He shook his head doubtfully. "It is very little; indeed, it is too little, your Excellency. Consider, it is the only

steelyard in all this new world of ours; it is worth more, much more. If I take your deposit it must be in

goldall gold. But how much do you agree to give me for the hire the hire, one day?"

"Oh, it is dirt cheap; but never mind, for one day, you shall have it. Deposit in gold money a hundred francs,

and twenty francs for the hire." The old man folded his hands in meek resignation.

"The fellow knows how to make a good bargain," said Servadac, as Isaac, after casting a distrustful look

Hardly a minute elapsed before the Jew was back again, carrying his precious steelyard with ostentatious

care. It was of an ordinary kind. A spring balance, fitted with a hook, held the article to be weighed; a pointer,

revolving on a disc, indicated the weight of the article. Professor Rosette was manifestly right in asserting

that such a machine would register results quite independently of any change in the force of attraction. On the

earth it would have registered a kilogramme as a kilogramme; here it recorded a different value altogether, as

Gold coinage to the worth of one hundred and twenty francs was handed over to the Jew, who clutched at the

money with unmistakable eagerness. The steelyard was committed to the keeping of Ben Zoof, and the

All at once it occurred to the professor that the steelyard would be absolutely useless to him, unless he had

the means for ascertaining the precise measurement of the unit of the soil of Gallia which he proposed to

weigh. "Something more you must lend me," he said, addressing the Jew. "I must have a measure, and I must

"I have neither of them," answered Isaac. "I have neither. I am sorry; I am very sorry." And this time the old

Jew spoke the truth. He would have been really glad to do another stroke or two of business upon terms as

Palmyrin Rosette scratched his head in perplexity, glaring round upon his companions as if they were

personally responsible for his annoyance. He muttered something about finding a way out of his difficulty,

and hastily mounted the cabinladder. The rest followed, but they had hardly reached the deck when the

chink of money was heard in the room below. Hakkabut was locking away the gold in one of the drawers.

Back again, down the ladder, scrambled the little professor, and before the Jew was aware of his presence he

had seized him by the tail of his slouchy overcoat. "Some of your money! I must have money!" he said.

"Money!" gasped Hakkabut; "I have no money." He was pale with fright, and hardly knew what he was

"Falsehood!" roared Rosette. "Do you think I cannot see?" And peering down into the drawer which the Jew

was vainly trying to close, he cried, "Heaps of money! French money! Fivefranc pieces! the very thing I

The captain and his friends, who had returned to the cabin looked on with mingled amusement and

It was manifestly time for Servadac to interfere. "My dear professor," he said, smiling, "allow me to settle

"Ah! your Excellency," moaned the agitated Jew, "protect me! I am but a poor man"

"None of that, Hakkabut. Hold your tongue." And, turning to Rosette, the captain said, "If, sir, I understand

"I must have more than that," the professor continued. "I want ten twofranc pieces, and twenty halffrancs."

"Let me see," said Servadac, "how much is that in all? Two hundred and thirty francs, is it not?"

"Count, may I ask you," continued Servadac, "to be security to the Jew for this loan to the professor?"

Count Timascheff, expressing his regret that his purse contained only paper money, begged to place it at

"Now, Hakkabut, stop these miserable lamentations of yours, once for all. Hand us over two hundred and

In a moment Ben Zoof's hand was clasped tightly over his mouth. "Stop that howling, Belshazzar!"

"Let him alone, Ben Zoof. He will soon come to his senses," said Servadac, quietly.

When the old Jew had again recovered himself, the captain addressed him. "Now, tell us, what interest do you

Nothing could overcome the Jew's anxiety to make another good bargain. He began: "Money is scarce, very

"No more of this!" shouted Servadac. "What interest, I say, what interest do you ask?"

Faltering and undecided still, the Jew went on. "Very scarce, you know. Ten francs a day, I think, would not

The count had no patience to allow him to finish what he was about to say. He flung down notes to the value

of several rubles. With a greediness that could not be concealed, Hakkabut grasped them all. Paper, indeed,

they were; but the cunning Israelite knew that they would in any case be security far beyond the value of his

cash. He was making some eighteen hundred per cent. interest, and accordingly chuckled within himself at

The professor pocketed his French coins with a satisfaction far more demonstrative. "Gentlemen," he said,

"with these franc pieces I obtain the means of determining accurately both a meter and a kilogramme."

A quarter of an hour later, the visitors to the Hansa had reassembled in the common hall of Nina's Hive.

"Now, gentlemen, we can proceed," said the professor. "May I request that this table may be cleared?"

Ben Zoof removed the various articles that were lying on the table, and the coins which had just been

borrowed from the Jew were placed upon it in three piles, according to their value.

The professor commenced. "Since none of you gentlemen, at the time of the shock, took the precaution to

save either a meter measure or a kilogramme weight from the earth, and since both these articles are

necessary for the calculation on which we are engaged, I have been obliged to devise means of my own to

This exordium delivered, he paused and seemed to watch its effect upon his audience, who, however, were

too well acquainted with the professor's temper to make any attempt to exonerate themselves from the rebuke

"I have taken pains," he continued, "to satisfy myself that these coins are in proper condition for my purpose.

I find them unworn and unchipped; indeed, they are almost new. They have been hoarded instead of

circulated; accordingly, they are fit to be utilized for my purpose of obtaining the precise length of a

Ben Zoof looked on in perplexity, regarding the lecturer with much the same curiosity as he would have

watched the performances of a traveling mountebank at a fair in Montmartre; but Servadac and his two

friends had already divined the professor's meaning. They knew that French coinage is all decimal, the franc

being the standard of which the other coins, whether gold, silver, or copper, are multiples or measures; they

knew, too, that the caliber or diameter of each piece of money is rigorously determined by law, and that the

diameters of the silver coins representing five francs, two francs, and fifty centimes measure thirtyseven,

twentyseven, and eighteen millimeters respectively; and they accordingly guessed that Professor Rosette

had conceived the plan of placing such a number of these coins in juxtaposition that the length of their united

diameters should measure exactly the thousand millimeters that make up the terrestrial meter.

The measurement thus obtained was by means of a pair of compasses divided accurately into ten equal

portions, or decimeters, each of course 3.93 inches long. A lath was then cut of this exact length and given to

the engineer of the Dobryna, who was directed to cut out of the solid rock the cubic decimeter required by the

The next business was to obtain the precise weight of a kilogramme. This was by no means a difficult matter.

Not only the diameters, but also the weights, of the French coins are rigidly determined by law, and as the

silver fivefranc pieces always weigh exactly twentyfive grammes, the united weight of forty of these coins

"Oh!" cried Ben Zoof; "to be able to do all this I see you must be rich as well as learned."

With a goodnatured laugh at the orderly's remark, the meeting adjourned for a few hours. By the appointed

time the engineer had finished his task, and with all due care had prepared a cubic decimeter of the material

"Now, gentlemen," said Professor Rosette, "we are in a position to complete our calculation; we can now

"Before I proceed," he resumed, "I must recall to your minds Newton's general law, 'that the attraction of two

bodies is directly proportional to the product of their masses, and inversely proportional to the square of their

"Well, then," continued the professor, "keep it in mind for a few minutes now. Look here! In this bag are

forty fivefranc pieces altogether they weigh exactly a kilogramme; by which I mean that if we were on

the earth, and I were to hang the bag on the hook of the steelyard, the indicator on the dial would register one

As he spoke the professor designedly kept his eyes fixed upon Ben Zoof. He was avowedly following the

example of Arago, who was accustomed always in lecturing to watch the countenance of the least intelligent

of his audience, and when he felt that he had made his meaning clear to him, he concluded that he must have

succeeded with all the rest. In this case, however, it was technical ignorance, rather than any lack of

intelligence, that justified the selection of the orderly for this special attention.

Satisfied with his scrutiny of Ben Zoof's face, the professor went on. "And now, gentlemen, we have to see

He suspended the money bag to the hook; the needle oscillated, and stopped. "Read it off!" he said.

"There, gentlemen, one hundred and thirtythree grammes! Less than oneseventh of a kilogramme! You

see, consequently, that the force of gravity here on Gallia is not oneseventh of what it is upon the earth!"

"Interesting!" cried Servadac, "most interesting! But let us go on and compute the mass."

"Certainly," said the lieutenant; "for, as we already know the volume, we can determine the mass as soon as

The professor took up the cube of rock. "You know what this is," he went on to say. "You know, gentlemen,

that this block is a cube hewn from the substance of which everywhere, all throughout your voyage of

circumnavigation, you found Gallia to be composed a substance to which your geological attainments did

"Our curiosity will be gratified," said Servadac, "if you will enlighten our ignorance."

"A substance it is which no doubt constitutes the sole material of the comet, extending from its surface to its

innermost depths. The probability is that it would be so; your experience confirms that probability: you have

found no trace of any other substance. Of this rock here is a solid decimeter; let us get at its weight, and we

shall have the key which will unlock the problem of the whole weight of Gallia. We have demonstrated that

the force of attraction here is only oneseventh of what it is upon the earth, and shall consequently have to

multiply the apparent weight of our cube by seven, in order to ascertain its proper weight. Do you understand

This was addressed to Ben Zoof, who was staring hard at him. "No!" said Ben Zoof.

"I thought not; it is of no use waiting for your puzzlebrains to make it out. I must talk to those who can

The professor took the cube, and, on attaching it to the hook of the steelyard, found that its apparent weight

"Here it is, gentlemen; one kilogramme, four hundred and thirty grammes. Multiply that by seven; the

product is, as nearly as possible, ten kilogrammes. What, therefore, is our conclusion? Why, that the density

of Gallia is just about double the density of the earth, which we know is only five kilogrammes to a cubic

decimeter. Had it not been for this greater density, the attraction of Gallia would only have been

The professor could not refrain from exhibiting his gratification that, however inferior in volume, in density,

Nothing further now remained than to apply the investigations thus finished to the determining of the mass or

"Let me see," said the captain; "what is the force of gravity upon the various planets?"

"You can't mean, Servadac, that you have forgotten that? But you always were a disappointing pupil."

The captain could not help himself: he was forced to confess that his memory had failed him.

"Well, then," said the professor, "I must remind you. Taking the attraction on the earth as 1, that on Mercury

is 1.15, on Venus it is .92, on Mars .5, and on Jupiter 2.45; on the moon the attraction is .16, whilst on the

"Therefore, if a man upon the surface of the sun were to fall down, he would have considerable difficulty in

getting up again. A cannon ball, too, would only fly a few yards," said Lieutenant Procope.

"Not so jolly, Ben Zoof, as you fancy," said his master; "the cowards would be too heavy to run away."

Ben Zoof ventured the remark that, as the smallness of Gallia secured to its inhabitants such an increase of

strength and agility, he was almost sorry that it had not been a little smaller still.

"Though it could not anyhow have been very much smaller," he added, looking slyly at the professor.

"Idiot!" exclaimed Rosette. "Your head is too light already; a puff of wind would blow it away."

"I must take care of my head, then, and hold it on," replied the irrepressible orderly.

Unable to get the last word, the professor was about to retire, when Servadac detained him.

"Permit me to ask you one more question," he said. "Can you tell me what is the nature of the soil of Gallia?"

"Yes, I can answer that. And in this matter I do not think your impertinent orderly will venture to put

Montmartre into the comparison. This soil is of a substance not unknown upon the earth." And speaking very

slowly, the professor said: "It contains 70 per cent. of tellurium, and 30 per cent. of gold."

"And the sum of the specific gravities of these two substances is 10, precisely the number that represents

"Yes; a realization of what the illustrious Maupertuis has already deemed probable," replied the astronomer.

"If Gallia, then, should ever become attached to the earth, might it not bring about an important revolution in

"No doubt about it!" said Rosette, with manifest satisfaction. "It would supply the world with about 246,000

The last observation, however, was entirely lost upon the professor, who had left the hall with an air almost

"And what, I wonder, is the use of all these big figures?" said Ben Zoof to his master, when next day they

"That's just the charm of them, my good fellow," was the captain's cool reply, "that they are of no use

Except as to the time the comet would take to revolve round the sun, it must be confessed that all the

professor's calculations had comparatively little interest for anyone but himself, and he was consequently left

The following day was the 1st of August, or, according to Rosette, the 63rd of April. In the course of this

month Gallia would travel 16,500,000 leagues, attaining at the end a distance of 197,000,000 leagues from

the sun. This would leave 81,000,000 leagues more to be traversed before reaching the aphelion of the 15th of

But meanwhile, a marvelous world, never before so close within the range of human vision, was revealing

itself. No wonder that Palmyrin Rosette cared so little to quit his observatory; for throughout those calm,

clear Gallian nights, when the book of the firmament lay open before him, he could revel in a spectacle which

The glorious orb that was becoming so conspicuous an object was none other than the planet Jupiter, the

largest of all the bodies existing within the influence of solar attraction. During the seven months that had

elapsed since its collision with the earth, the comet had been continuously approaching the planet, until the

distance between them was scarcely more than 61,000,000 leagues, and this would go on diminishing until

Under these circumstances, was it perfectly certain that no danger could accrue? Was not Gallia, when its

pathway led it into such close proximity to this enormous planet, running a risk of being attracted within its

influence? Might not that influence be altogether disastrous? The professor, it is true, in his estimate of the

duration of his comet's revolution, had represented that he had made all proper allowances for any

perturbations that would be caused either by Jupiter, by Saturn, or by Mars; but what if there were any errors

in his calculations? what if there should be any elements of disturbance on which he had not reckoned?

Speculations of this kind became more and more frequent, and Lieutenant Procope pointed out that the

danger incurred might be of a fourfold character: first, that the comet, being irresistibly attracted, might be

drawn on to the very surface of the planet, and there annihilated; secondly, that as the result of being brought

under that attraction, it might be transformed into a satellite, or even a subsatellite, of that mighty world;

thirdly, that it might be diverted into a new orbit, which would never be coincident with the ecliptic; or,

lastly, its course might be so retarded that it would only reach the ecliptic too late to permit any junction with

the earth. The occurrence of any one of these contingencies would be fatal to their hopes of reunion with the

To Rosette, who, without family ties which he had never found leisure or inclination to contract, had no

shadow of desire to return to the earth, it would be only the first of these probabilities that could give him any

concern. Total annihilation might not accord with his views, but he would be quite content for Gallia to miss

its mark with regard to the earth, indifferent whether it revolved as a new satellite around Jupiter, or whether

it wended its course through the untraversed regions of the milky way. The rest of the community, however,

by no means sympathized with the professor's sentiments, and the following month was a period of

On the 1st of September the distance between Gallia and Jupiter was precisely the same as the mean distance

between the earth and the sun; on the 16th, the distance was further reduced to 26,000,000 leagues. The

planet began to assume enormous dimensions, and it almost seemed as if the comet had already been

deflected from its elliptical orbit, and was rushing on in a straight line towards the overwhelming luminary.

The more they contemplated the character of this gigantic planet, the more they became impressed with the

likelihood of a serious perturbation in their own course. The diameter of Jupiter is 85,390 miles, nearly

eleven times as great as that of the earth; his volume is 1,387 times, and his mass 300 times greater; and

although the mean density is only about a quarter of that of the earth, and only a third of that of water

(whence it has been supposed that the superficies of Jupiter is liquid), yet his other proportions were large

enough to warrant the apprehension that important disturbances might result from his proximity.

"I forget my astronomy, lieutenant," said Servadac. "Tell me all you can about this formidable neighbor."

The lieutenant having refreshed his memory by reference to Flammarion's Recits de l'Infini, of which he had

a Russian translation, and some other books, proceeded to recapitulate that Jupiter accomplishes his

revolution round the sun in 4,332 days 14 hours and 2 minutes; that he travels at the rate of 467 miles a

minute along an orbit measuring 2,976 millions of miles; and that his rotation on his axis occupies only 9

"Considerably," answered the lieutenant, who went on to describe how the displacement of a point at the

equator of Jupiter was twentyseven times as rapid as on the earth, causing the polar compression to be about

2,378 miles; how the axis, being nearly perpendicular, caused the days and nights to be nearly of the same

length, and the seasons to be invariable; and how the amount of light and heat received by the planet is only a

twentyfifth part of that received by the earth, the average distance from the sun being 475,693,000 miles.

"And how about these satellites? Sometimes, I suppose, Jupiter has the benefit of four moons all shining at

Of the satellites, Lieutenant Procope went on to say that one is rather smaller than our own moon; that

another moves round its primary at an interval about equal to the moon's distance from ourselves; but that

they all revolve in considerably less time: the first takes only l day 18 hours 27 minutes; the second takes 3

days 13 hours 14 minutes; the third, 7 days 3 hours 42 minutes; whilst the largest of all takes but 16 days 16

hours 32 minutes. The most remote revolves round the planet at a distance of 1,192,820 miles.

"They have been enlisted into the service of science," said Procope. "It is by their movements that the

velocity of light has been calculated; and they have been made available for the determination of terrestrial

"Yes," answered Procope. "I often think Jupiter is like a prodigious clock with four hands."

Such was the style of the conversation that was day by day reiterated during the whole month of suspense.

Whatever topic might be started, it seemed soon to settle down upon the huge orb that was looming upon

"The more remote that these planets are from the sun," said Procope, "the more venerable and advanced in

formation are they found to be. Neptune, situated 2,746,271,000 miles from the sun, issued from the solar

nebulosity, thousands of millions of centuries back. Uranus, revolving 1,753,851,000 miles from the center of

the planetary system, is of an age amounting to many hundred millions of centuries. Jupiter, the colossal

planet, gravitating at a distance of 475,693,000 miles, may be reckoned as 70,000,000 centuries old. Mars has

existed for 1,000,000,000 years at a distance of 139,212,000 miles. The earth, 91,430,000 miles from the sun,

quitted his burning bosom 100,000,000 years ago. Venus, revolving now 66,131,000 miles away, may be

assigned the age of 50,000,000 years at least; and Mercury, nearest of all, and youngest of all, has been

revolving at a distance of 35,393,000 miles for the space of 10,000,000 years the same time as the moon

Servadac listened attentively. He was at a loss what to say; and the only reply he made to the recital of this

novel theory was to the effect that, if it were true, he would prefer being captured by Mercury than by Jupiter,

for Mercury, being so much the younger, would probably prove the less imperative and selfwilled master.

It was on the 1st of September that the comet had crossed the orbit of Jupiter, and on the 1st of October the

two bodies were calculated to be at their minimum separation. No direct shock, however, could be

apprehended; the demonstration was sufficiently complete that the orbit of Gallia did not coincide with that

of the planet, the orbit of Jupiter being inclined at an angle of 1 degrees 19 mins to the orbit of the earth, with

As the month of September verged towards its close, Jupiter began to wear an aspect that must have excited

the admiration of the most ignorant or the most indifferent observer. Its salient points were illumined with

novel and radiant tints, and the solar rays, reflected from its disc, glowed with a mingled softness and

Who could wonder that Rosette, enthusiast as he was, should be irremovable from his observatory? Who

could expect otherwise than that, with the prospect before him of viewing the giant among planets, ten times

nearer than any mortal eye had ever done, he should have begrudged every moment that distracted his

From its increased remoteness the diameter of the sun's disc was diminished to 5 degrees 46 mins.

And what an increased interest began to be associated with the satellites! They were visible to the naked eye!

Although it is acknowledged that they are not ordinarily visible on earth without the aid of a somewhat

powerful telescope, it has been asserted that a favored few, endued with extraordinary powers of vision, have

been able to identify them with an unassisted eye; but here, at least, in Nina's Hive were many rivals, for

everyone could so far distinguish them one from the other as to describe them by their colors. The first was of

a dull white shade; the second was blue; the third was white and brilliant; the fourth was orange, at times

approaching to a red. It was further observed that Jupiter itself was almost void of scintillation.

Rosette, in his absorbing interest for the glowing glories of the planet, seemed to be beguiled into

comparative forgetfulness of the charms of his comet; but no astronomical enthusiasm of the professor could

quite allay the general apprehension that some serious collision might be impending.

Time passed on. There was nothing to justify apprehension. The question was continually being asked, "What

"Our friend the professor," said Servadac, "is not likely to tell us very much; but we may feel pretty certain of

one thing: he wouldn't keep us long in the dark, if he thought we were not going back to the earth again. The

greatest satisfaction he could have would be to inform us that we had parted from the earth for ever."

"I trust from my very soul," said the count, "that his prognostications are correct."

"The more I see of him, and the more I listen to him," replied Servadac, "the more I become convinced that

his calculations are based on a solid foundation, and will prove correct to the minutest particular."

Ben Zoof here interrupted the conversation. "I have something on my mind," he said.

"That telescope!" said the orderly; "it strikes me that that telescope which the old professor keeps pointed up

"Laugh, captain, if you like; but I feel disposed to break the old telescope into atoms."

"Ben Zoof," said Servadac, his laughter exchanged for a look of stern displeasure, "touch that telescope, and

The interval between the comet and Jupiter was, by the 1st of October, reduced to 43,000,000 miles. The

belts all parallel to Jupiter's equator were very distinct in their markings. Those immediately north and south

of the equator were of a dusky hue; those toward the poles were alternately dark and light; the intervening

spaces of the planet's superficies, between edge and edge, being intensely bright. The belts themselves were

occasionally broken by spots, which the records of astronomy describe as varying both in form and in extent.

The physiology of belts and spots alike was beyond the astronomer's power to ascertain; and even if he

should be destined once again to take his place in an astronomical congress on the earth, he would be just as

incapable as ever of determining whether or no they owed their existence to the external accumulation of

vapor, or to some internal agency. It would not be Professor Rosette's lot to enlighten his brother savants to

any great degree as to the mysteries that are associated with this, which must ever rank as one of the most

As the comet approached the critical point of its career it cannot be denied that there was an unacknowledged

consciousness of alarm. Mutually reserved, though ever courteous, the count and the captain were secretly

drawn together by the prospect of a common danger; and as their return to the earth appeared to them to

become more and more dubious, they abandoned their views of narrow isolation, and tried to embrace the

But no philosophy could be proof against the common instincts of their humanity; their hearts, their hopes,

were set upon their natural home; no speculation, no science, no experience, could induce them to give up

their fond and sanguine anticipation that once again they were to come in contact with the earth.

"Only let us escape Jupiter," said Lieutenant Procope, repeatedly, "and we are free from anxiety."

"No!" said Procope; "the orbit of Saturn is remote, and does not come athwart our path. Jupiter is our sole

hindrance. Of Jupiter we must say, as William Tell said, 'Once through the ominous pass and all is well.'"

The 15th of October came, the date of the nearest approximation of the comet to the planet. They were only

31,000,000 miles apart. What would now transpire? Would Gallia be diverted from its proper way? or would

Early next morning the captain ventured to take the count and the lieutenant up to the observatory. The

That was enough. It was enough, without a word, to indicate the course which events had taken. The comet

The astronomer, correct in his prognostications, ought to have been the most proud and contented of

philosophers; his pride and contentment were both overshadowed by the certainty that the career of his comet

was destined to be so transient, and that it must inevitably once again come into collision with the earth.

"All right!" said Servadac, convinced by the professor's ill humor that the danger was past; "no doubt we are

in for a two years' excursion, but fifteen months more will take us back to the earth!"

"And we shall see Montmartre again!" exclaimed Ben Zoof, in excited tones that betrayed his delight in the

To use a nautical expression, they had safely "rounded the point," and they had to be congratulated on their

successful navigation; for if, under the influence of Jupiter's attraction, the comet had been retarded for a

single hour, in that hour the earth would have already traveled 2,300,000 miles from the point where contact

would ensue, and many centuries would elapse before such a coincidence would possibly again occur.

On the 1st of November Gallia and Jupiter were 40,000,000 miles apart. It was little more than ten weeks to

the 15th of January, when the comet would begin to reapproach the sun. Though light and heat were now

reduced to a twentyfifth part of their terrestrial intensity, so that a perpetual twilight seemed to have settled

over Gallia, yet the population felt cheered even by the little that was left, and buoyed up by the hope that

they should ultimately regain their proper position with regard to the great luminary, of which the

Of the anxiety endured during the last two months Isaac Hakkabut had known nothing. Since the day he had

done his lucky stroke of business he had never left the tartan; and after Ben Zoof, on the following day, had

returned the steelyard and the borrowed cash, receiving back the paper roubles deposited, all communication

between the Jew and Nina's Hive had ceased. In the course of the few minutes' conversation which Ben Zoof

had held with him, he had mentioned that he knew that the whole soil of Gallia was made of gold; but the old

man, guessing that the orderly was only laughing at him as usual, paid no attention to the remark, and only

meditated upon the means he could devise to get every bit of the money in the new world into his own

possession. No one grieved over the life of solitude which Hakkabut persisted in leading. Ben Zoof giggled

heartily, as he repeatedly observed "it was astonishing how they reconciled themselves to his absence."

The time came, however, when various circumstances prompted him to think he must renew his intercourse

with the inhabitants of the Hive. Some of his goods were beginning to spoil, and he felt the necessity of

turning them into money, if he would not be a loser; he hoped, moreover, that the scarcity of his commodities

It happened, just about this same time, that Ben Zoof had been calling his master's attention to the fact that

some of their most necessary provisions would soon be running short, and that their stock of coffee, sugar,

and tobacco would want replenishing. Servadac's mind, of course, turned to the cargo on board the Hansa,

and he resolved, according to his promise, to apply to the Jew and become a purchaser. Mutual interest and

Often and often had Isaac gloated in his solitude over the prospect of first selling a portion of his merchandise

for all the gold and silver in the colony. His recent usurious transaction had whetted his appetite. He would

next part with some more of his cargo for all the paper money they could give him; but still he should have

goods left, and they would want these. Yes, they should have these, too, for promissory notes. Notes would

hold good when they got back again to the earth; bills from his Excellency the governor would be good bills;

anyhow there would be the sheriff. By the God of Israel! he would get good prices, and he would get fine

Although he did not know it, he was proposing to follow the practice of the Gauls of old, who advanced

money on bills for payment in a future life. Hakkabut's "future life," however, was not many months in

Still Hakkabut hesitated to make the first advance, and it was accordingly with much satisfaction that he

"Hakkabut," said the captain, plunging without further preface into business, "we want some coffee, some

tobacco, and other things. I have come today to order them, to settle the price, and tomorrow Ben Zoof

"None of that miserable howling! Business! I am come to buy your goods. I shall pay for them."

"Ah yes, your Excellency," whispered the Jew, his voice trembling like a street beggar. "Don't impose on me.

"Cease your wretched whining!" cried Servadac. "I have told you once, I shall pay for all I buy."

"Yes, ready money. What makes you ask?" said the captain, curious to hear what the Jew would say.

"Well, you seeyou see, your Excellency," stammered out the Jew, "to give credit to one wouldn't do,

unless I gave credit to another. You are solventI mean honorable, and his lordship the count is honorable;

"Well?" said Servadac, waiting, but inclined to kick the old rascal out of his sight.

"Pay you? Why, we shall pay you in gold and silver and copper, while our money lasts, and when that is gone

"Oh, no paper, no paper!" groaned out the Jew, relapsing into his accustomed whine.

"Well then," said the captain, not wanting to lose his temper, "you shall have it your own way; we have

plenty of gold for the present. We will leave the bank notes for by and by." The Jew's countenance

brightened, and Servadac, repeating that he should come again the next day, was about to quit the vessel.

"One moment, your Excellency," said Hakkabut, sidling up with a hypocritical smile; "I suppose I am to fix

"You will, of course, charge ordinary pricesproper market prices; European prices, I mean."

"Merciful heavens!" shrieked the old man, "you rob me of my rights; you defraud me of my privilege. The

monopoly of the market belongs to me. It is the custom; it is my right; it is my privilege to fix my own

Servadac made him understand that he had no intention of swerving from his decision.

"Merciful heavens!" again howled the Jew, "it is sheer ruin. The time of monopoly is the time for profit; it is

"The very thing, Hakkabut, that I am anxious to prevent. Just stop now, and think a minute. You seem to

forget my rights; you are forgetting that, if I please, I can confiscate all your cargo for the common use. You

ought to think yourself lucky in getting any price at all. Be contented with European prices; you will get no

more. I am not going to waste my breath on you. I will come again tomorrow;" and, without allowing

All the rest of the day the Jew was muttering bitter curses against the thieves of Gentiles in general, and the

governor of Gallia in particular, who were robbing him of his just profits, by binding him down to a

maximum price for his goods, just as if it were a time of revolution in the state. But he would be even with

them yet; he would have it all out of them: he would make European prices pay, after all. He had a planhe

True to his word, the captain next morning arrived at the tartan. He was accompanied by Ben Zoof and two

Russian sailors. "Goodmorning, old Eleazar; we have come to do our little bit of friendly business with you,

"Today we want coffee, and we want sugar, and we want tobacco. We must have ten kilogrammes of each.

Take care they are all good; all first rate. I am commissariat officer, and I am responsible."

"So I am, on state occasions; but today, I tell you. I am superintendent of the commissariat department.

Hakkabut hereupon descended into the hold of the tartan, and soon returned, carrying ten packets of tobacco,

each weighing one kilogramme, and securely fastened by strips of paper, labeled with the French government

"Ten kilogrammes of tobacco at twelve francs a kilogramme: a hundred and twenty francs," said the Jew.

Hakkabut pointed out that the weight was duly registered on every packet, and that the packets had never

been unfastened. The captain, however, had his own special object in view, and would not be diverted. The

"You see, Hakkabut, I was right. I was perfectly justified in having your goods put to the test," said Servadac,

"You will, of course, make up the deficiency," the captain continued, not noticing the interruption.

"Come, come, old Caiaphas, do you hear? You are to make up the deficiency," exclaimed Ben Zoof.

The unfortunate Israelite tried hard to speak, but his agitation prevented him. He understood well enough the

cause of the phenomenon, but he was overpowered by the conviction that the "cursed Gentiles" wanted to

cheat him. He deeply regretted that he had not a pair of common scales on board.

"Come, I say, old Jedediah, you are a long while making up what's short," said Ben Zoof, while the Jew was

As soon as he recovered his power of articulation, Isaac began to pour out a medley of lamentations and

petitions for mercy. The captain was inexorable. "Very sorry, you know, Hakkabut. It is not my fault that the

packet is short weight; but I cannot pay for a kilogramme except I have a kilogramme."

And, moaning and groaning, the miserable man was driven to make up the full weight as registered by his

own steelyard. He had to repeat the process with the sugar and coffee: for every kilogramme he had to weigh

"I say, old Mordecai, wouldn't you rather give your goods away, than sell them at this rate? I would."

Meanwhile seventy kilogrammes of each of the articles required were weighed, and the Jew for each seventy

All along Captain Servadac had been acting only in jest. Aware that old Isaac was an utter hypocrite, he had

no compunction in turning a business transaction with him into an occasion for a bit of fun. But the joke at an

A month passed away. Gallia continued its course, bearing its little population onwards, so far removed from

the ordinary influence of human passions that it might almost be said that its sole ostensible vice was

After all, they were but making a voyagea strange, yet a transient, excursion through solar regions hitherto

untraversed; but if the professor's calculations were correctand why should they be doubted?their little

vessel was destined, after a two years' absence, once more to return "to port." The landing, indeed, might be a

matter of difficulty; but with the good prospect before them of once again standing on terrestrial shores, they

had nothing to do at present except to make themselves as comfortable as they could in their present quarters.

Thus confident in their anticipations, neither the captain, the count, nor the lieutenant felt under any serious

obligation to make any extensive provisions for the future; they saw no necessity for expending the strength

of the people, during the short summer that would intervene upon the long severity of winter, in the

cultivation or the preservation of their agricultural resources. Nevertheless, they often found themselves

talking over the measures they would have been driven to adopt, if they had found themselves permanently

Even after the turningpoint in their career, they knew that at least nine months would have to elapse before

the sea would be open to navigation; but at the very first arrival of summer they would be bound to arrange

for the Dobryna and the Hansa to retransport themselves and all their animals to the shores of Gourbi Island,

where they would have to commence their agricultural labors to secure the crops that must form their winter

store. During four months or thereabouts, they would lead the lives of farmers and of sportsmen; but no

sooner would their haymaking and their corn harvest have been accomplished, than they would be compelled

again, like a swarm of bees, to retire to their semitroglodyte existence in the cells of Nina's Hive.

Now and then the captain and his friends found themselves speculating whether, in the event of their having

to spend another winter upon Gallia, some means could not be devised by which the dreariness of a second

residence in the recesses of the volcano might be escaped. Would not another exploring expedition possibly

result in the discovery of a vein of coal or other combustible matter, which could be turned to account in

warming some erection which they might hope to put up? A prolonged existence in their underground

quarters was felt to be monotonous and depressing, and although it might be all very well for a man like

Professor Rosette, absorbed in astronomical studies, it was ill suited to the temperaments of any of

One contingency there was, almost too terrible to be taken into account. Was it not to be expected that the

time might come when the internal fires of Gallia would lose their activity, and the stream of lava would

consequently cease to flow? Why should Gallia be exempt from the destiny that seemed to await every other

heavenly body? Why should it not roll onwards, like the moon, a dark cold mass in space?

In the event of such a cessation of the volcanic eruption, whilst the comet was still at so great a distance from

the sun, they would indeed be at a loss to find a substitute for what alone had served to render life endurable

at a temperature of 60 degrees below zero. Happily, however, there was at present no symptom of the

subsidence of the lava's stream; the volcano continued its regular and unchanging discharge, and Servadac,

ever sanguine, declared that it was useless to give themselves any anxiety upon the matter.

On the l5th of December, Gallia was 276,000,000 leagues from the sun, and, as it was approximately to the

extremity of its axis major, would travel only some 11,000,000 or 12,000,000 leagues during the month.

Another world was now becoming a conspicuous object in the heavens, and Palmyrin Rosette, after rejoicing

in an approach nearer to Jupiter than any other mortal man had ever attained, was now to be privileged to

enjoy a similar opportunity of contemplating the planet Saturn. Not that the circumstances were altogether so

favorable. Scarcely 31,000,000 miles had separated Gallia from Jupiter; the minimum distance of Saturn

would not be less than 415,000,000 miles; but even this distance, although too great to affect the comet's

progress more than had been duly reckoned on, was considerably shorter than what had ever separated Saturn

To get any information about the planet from Rosette appeared quite impossible. Although equally by night

and by day he never seemed to quit his telescope, he did not evince the slightest inclination to impart the

result of his observations. It was only from the few astronomical works that happened to be included in the

Dobryna's library that any details could be gathered, but these were sufficient to give a large amount of

Ben Zoof, when he was made aware that the earth would be invisible to the naked eye from the surface of

Saturn, declared that he then, for his part, did not care to learn any more about such a planet; to him it was

indispensable that the earth should remain in sight, and it was his great consolation that hitherto his native

At this date Saturn was revolving at a distance of 420,000,000 miles from Gallia, and consequently

874,440,000 miles from the sun, receiving only a hundredth part of the light and heat which that luminary

bestows upon the earth. On consulting their books of reference, the colonists found that Saturn completes his

revolution round the sun in a period of 29 years and 167 days, traveling at the rate of more than 21,000 miles

an hour along an orbit measuring 5,490 millions of miles in length. His circumference is about 220,000 miles;

his superficies, 144,000 millions of square miles; his volume, 143,846 millions of cubic miles. Saturn is 735

times larger than the earth, consequently he is smaller than Jupiter; in mass he is only 90 times greater than

the earth, which gives him a density less than that of water. He revolves on his axis in 10 hours 29 minutes,

causing his own year to consist of 86,630 days; and his seasons, on account of the great inclination of his axis

Although the light received from the sun is comparatively feeble, the nights upon Saturn must be splendid.

Eight satellites Mimas, Enceladus, Tethys, Dione, Rhea, Titan, Hyperion, and Japetus accompany the

planet; Mimas, the nearest to its primary, rotating on its axis in 221/2 hours, and revolving at a distance of

only 120,800 miles, whilst Japetus, the most remote, occupies 79 days in its rotation, and revolves at a

Another most important contribution to the magnificence of the nights upon Saturn is the triple ring with

which, as a brilliant setting, the planet is encompassed. To an observer at the equator, this ring, which has

been estimated by Sir William Herschel as scarcely 100 miles in thickness, must have the appearance of a

narrow band of light passing through the zenith 12,000 miles above his head. As the observer, however,

increases his latitude either north or south, the band will gradually widen out into three detached and

concentric rings, of which the innermost, dark though transparent, is 9,625 miles in breadth; the intermediate

one, which is brighter than the planet itself, being 17,605 miles broad; and the outer, of a dusky hue, being

Such, they read, is the general outline of this strange appendage, which revolves in its own plane in 10 hours

32 minutes. Of what matter it is composed, and how it resists disintegration, is still an unsettled question; but

it might almost seem that the Designer of the universe, in permitting its existence, had been willing to impart

to His intelligent creatures the manner in which celestial bodies are evolved, and that this remarkable

ringsystem is a remnant of the nebula from which Saturn was himself developed, and which, from some

unknown cause, has become solidified. If at any time it should disperse, it would either fall into fragments

upon the surface of Saturn, or the fragments, mutually coalescing, would form additional satellites to circle

To any observer stationed on the planet, between the extremes of lat. 45 degrees on either side of the equator,

these wonderful rings would present various strange phenomena. Sometimes they would appear as an

illuminated arch, with the shadow of Saturn passing over it like the hourhand over a dial; at other times they

would be like a semiaureole of light. Very often, too, for periods of several years, daily eclipses of the sun

Truly, with the constant rising and setting of the satellites, some with bright discs at their full, others like

silver crescents, in quadrature, as well as by the encircling rings, the aspect of the heavens from the surface of

Unable, indeed, the Gallians were to realize all the marvels of this strange world. After all, they were

practically a thousand times further off than the great astronomers have been able to approach by means of

their giant telescopes. But they did not complain; their little comet, they knew, was far safer where it was; far

better out of the reach of an attraction which, by affecting their path, might have annihilated their best hopes.

The distances of several of the brightest of the fixed stars have been estimated. Amongst others, Vega in the

constellation Lyra is 100 millions of millions of miles away; Sirius in Canis Major, 123 millions of millions;

the Polestar, 282 millions of millions; and Capella, 340 millions of millions of miles, a figure represented by

The hard numerical statement of these enormous figures, however, fails altogether in any adequate way to

convey a due impression of the magnitude of these distances. Astronomers, in their ingenuity, have

endeavored to use some other basis, and have found "the velocity of light" to be convenient for their purpose.

"Suppose," they say, "an observer endowed with an infinite length of vision: suppose him stationed on the

surface of Capella; looking thence towards the earth, he would be a spectator of events that had happened

seventy years previously; transport him to a star ten times distant, and he will be reviewing the terrestrial

sphere of 720 years back; carry him away further still, to a star so remote that it requires something less than

nineteen centuries for light to reach it, and he would be a witness of the birth and death of Christ; convey him

further again, and he shall be looking upon the dread desolation of the Deluge; take him away further yet (for

space is infinite), and he shall be a spectator of the Creation of the spheres. History is thus stereotyped in

Who can altogether be astonished that Palmyrin Rosette, with his burning thirst for astronomical research,

should have been conscious of a longing for yet wider travel through the sidereal universe? With his comet

now under the influence of one star, now of another, what various systems might he not have explored! what

undreamedof marvels might not have revealed themselves before his gaze! The stars, fixed and immovable

in name, are all of them in motion, and Gallia might have followed them in their untracked way.

But Gallia had a narrow destiny. She was not to be allowed to wander away into the range of attraction of

another center; nor to mingle with the star clusters, some of which have been entirely, others partially

resolved; nor was she to lose herself amongst the 5,000 nebulae which have resisted hitherto the grasp of the

most powerful reflectors. No; Gallia was neither to pass beyond the limits of the solar system, nor to travel

out of sight of the terrestrial sphere. Her orbit was circumscribed to little over 1,500 millions of miles; and, in

The temperature continued to decrease; the mercurial thermometer, which freezes at 42 degrees below zero,

was no longer of service, and the spirit thermometer of the Dobryna had been brought into use. This now

In the creek, where the two vessels had been moored for the winter, the elevation of the ice, in anticipation of

which Lieutenant Procope had taken the precautionary measure of beveling, was going on slowly but

irresistibly, and the tartan was upheaved fifty feet above the level of the Gallian Sea, while the schooner, as

So irresistible was this gradual process of elevation, so utterly defying all human power to arrest, that the

lieutenant began to feel very anxious as to the safety of his yacht. With the exception of the engine and the

masts, everything had been cleared out and conveyed to shore, but in the event of a thaw it appeared that

nothing short of a miracle could prevent the hull from being dashed to pieces, and then all means of leaving

the promontory would be gone. The Hansa, of course, would share a similar fate; in fact, it had already heeled

over to such an extent as to render it quite dangerous for its obstinate owner, who, at the peril of his life,

resolved that he would stay where he could watch over his allprecious cargo, though continually invoking

There was, however, a stronger will than Isaac Hakkabut's. Although no one of all the community cared at all

for the safety of the Jew, they cared very much for the security of his cargo, and when Servadac found that

nothing would induce the old man to abandon his present quarters voluntarily, he very soon adopted measures

of coercion that were far more effectual than any representations of personal danger.

"Stop where you like, Hakkabut," said the captain to him; "but understand that I consider it my duty to make

sure that your cargo is taken care of. I am going to have it carried across to land, at once."

Neither groans, nor tears, nor protestations on the part of the Jew, were of the slightest avail. Forthwith, on

Both Spaniards and Russians were all occupied for several days in the work of unloading the tartan. Well

muffled up as they were in furs, they were able to endure the cold with impunity, making it their special care

to avoid actual contact with any article made of metal, which, in the low state of the temperature, would

inevitably have taken all the skin off their hands, as much as if it had been redhot. The task, however, was

brought to an end without accident of any kind; and when the stores of the Hansa were safely deposited in the

galleries of the Hive, Lieutenant Procope avowed that he really felt that his mind had been unburdened from a

Captain Servadac gave old Isaac full permission to take up his residence amongst the rest of the community,

promised him the entire control over his own property, and altogether showed him so much consideration

that, but for his unbounded respect for his master, Ben Zoof would have liked to reprimand him for his

Although Hakkabut clamored most vehemently about his goods being carried off "against his will," in his

heart he was more than satisfied to see his property transferred to a place of safety, and delighted, moreover,

to know that the transport had been effected without a farthing of expense to himself. As soon, then, as he

found the tartan empty, he was only too glad to accept the offer that had been made him, and very soon made

his way over to the quarters in the gallery where his merchandise had been stored. Here he lived day and

night. He supplied himself with what little food he required from his own stock of provisions, a small

spiritlamp sufficing to perform all the operations of his meager cookery. Consequently all intercourse

between himself and the rest of the inhabitants was entirely confined to business transactions, when occasion

required that some purchase should be made from his stock of commodities. Meanwhile, all the silver and

gold of the colony was gradually finding its way to a doublelocked drawer, of which the Jew most carefully

The 1st of January was drawing near, the anniversary of the shock which had resulted in the severance of

thirtysix human beings from the society of their fellowmen. Hitherto, not one of them was missing. The

unvarying calmness of the climate, notwithstanding the cold, had tended to maintain them in good health, and

there seemed no reason to doubt that, when Gallia returned to the earth, the total of its little population would

The 1st of January, it is true, was not properly "New Year's Day" in Gallia, but Captain Servadac,

"I do not think," he said to Count Timascheff and Lieutenant Procope, "that we ought to allow our people to

lose their interest in the world to which we are all hoping to return; and how can we cement the bond that

ought to unite us, better than by celebrating, in common with our fellowcreatures upon earth, a day that

awakens afresh the kindliest sentiments of all? Besides," he added, smiling, "I expect that Gallia, although

invisible just at present to the naked eye, is being closely watched by the telescopes of our terrestrial friends,

and I have no doubt that the newspapers and scientific journals of both hemispheres are full of accounts

"True," asserted the count. "I can quite imagine that we are occasioning no small excitement in all the chief

"Ay, more than that," said the lieutenant; "our Gallia is certain to be far more than a mere object of scientific

interest or curiosity. Why should we doubt that the elements of a comet which has once come into collision

with the earth have by this time been accurately calculated? What our friend the professor has done here, has

been done likewise on the earth, where, beyond a question, all manner of expedients are being discussed as to

The lieutenant's conjectures were so reasonable that they commanded assent. Gallia could scarcely be

otherwise than an object of terror to the inhabitants of the earth, who could by no means be certain that a

second collision would be comparatively so harmless as the first. Even to the Gallians themselves, much as

they looked forward to the event, the prospect was not unmixed with alarm, and they would rejoice in the

invention of any device by which it was likely the impetus of the shock might be deadened.

Christmas arrived, and was marked by appropriate religious observance by everyone in the community, with

the exception of the Jew, who made a point of secluding himself more obstinately than ever in the gloomy

To Ben Zoof the last week of the year was full of bustle. The arrangements for the New Year fete were

entrusted to him, and he was anxious, in spite of the resources of Gallia being so limited, to make the

It was a matter of debate that night whether the professor should be invited to join the party; it was scarcely

likely that he would care to come, but, on the whole, it was felt to be advisable to ask him. At first Captain

Servadac thought of going in person with the invitation; but, remembering Rosette's dislike to visitors, he

altered his mind, and sent young Pablo up to the observatory with a formal note, requesting the pleasure of

Pablo was soon back, bringing no answer except that the professor had told him that "today was the l25th of

Consequently, Servadac and the count took it for granted that Palmyrin Rosette declined their invitation.

An hour after sunrise on New Year's Day, Frenchmen, Russians, Spaniards, and little Nina, as the

representative of Italy, sat down to a feast such as never before had been seen in Gallia. Ben Zoof and the

Russian cook had quite surpassed themselves. The wines, part of the Dobryna's stores, were of excellent

quality. Those of the vintages of France and Spain were drunk in toasting their respective countries, and even

Russia was honored in a similar way by means of a few bottles of kummel. The company was more than

contentedit was as jovial as Ben Zoof could desire; and the ringing cheers that followed the great toast of

the day"A happy return to our Mother Earth," must fairly have startled the professor in the silence of his

The dejeuner over, there still remained three hours of daylight. The sun was approaching the zenith, but so

dim and enfeebled were his rays that they were very unlike what had produced the wines of Bordeaux and

Burgundy which they had just been enjoying, and it was necessary for all, before starting upon an excursion

that would last over nightfall, to envelop themselves in the thickest of clothing.

Full of spirits, the party left the Hive, and chattering and singing as they went, made their way down to the

frozen shore, where they fastened on their skates. Once upon the ice, everyone followed his own fancy, and

some singly, some in groups, scattered themselves in all directions. Captain Servadac, the count, and the

lieutenant were generally seen together. Negrete and the Spaniards, now masters of their novel exercise,

wandered fleetly and gracefully hither and thither, occasionally being out of sight completely. The Russian

sailors, following a northern custom, skated in file, maintaining their rank by means of a long pole passed

under their right arms, and in this way they described a trackway of singular regularity. The two children,

blithe as birds, flitted about, now singly, now arminarm, now joining the captain's party, now making a

short peregrination by themselves, but always full of life and spirit. As for Ben Zoof, he was here, there, and

everywhere, his imperturbable good temper ensuring him a smile of welcome whenever he appeared.

Thus coursing rapidly over the icy plain, the whole party had soon exceeded the line that made the horizon

from the shore. First, the rocks of the coast were lost to view; then the white crests of the cliffs were no

longer to be seen; and at last, the summit of the volcano, with its corona of vapor, was entirely out of sight.

Occasionally the skaters were obliged to stop to recover their breath, but, fearful of frostbite, they almost

instantly resumed their exercise, and proceeded nearly as far as Gourbi Island before they thought about

But night was coming on, and the sun was already sinking in the east with the rapidity to which the residents

on Gallia were by this time well accustomed. The sunset upon this contracted horizon was very remarkable.

There was not a cloud nor a vapor to catch the tints of the declining beams; the surface of the ice did not, as a

liquid sea would, reflect the last green ray of light; but the radiant orb, enlarged by the effect of refraction, its

circumference sharply defined against the sky, sank abruptly, as though a trap had been opened in the ice for

Before the daylight ended. Captain Servadac had cautioned the party to collect themselves betimes into one

group. "Unless you are sure of your whereabouts before dark," he said, "you will not find it after. We have

The night would be dark; their moon was in conjunction, and would not be seen; the stars would only give

Immediately after sunset the torches were lighted, and the long series of flames, fanned by the rapid motion

of their bearers, had much the appearance of an enormous fiery banner. An hour later, and the volcano

appeared like a dim shadow on the horizon, the light from the crater shedding a lurid glare upon the

surrounding gloom. In time the glow of the burning lava, reflected in the icy mirror, fell upon the troop of

skaters, and cast their lengthened shadows grotesquely on the surface of the frozen sea.

Later still, half an hour or more afterwards, the torches were all but dying out. The shore was close at hand.

All at once, Ben Zoof uttered a startled cry, and pointed with bewildered excitement towards the mountain.

Involuntarily, one and all, they plowed their heels into the ice and came to a halt. Exclamations of surprise

and horror burst from every lip. The volcano was extinguished! The stream of burning lava had suddenly

Speechless with amazement, they stood still for some moments. There was not one of them that did not

realize, more or less, how critical was their position. The sole source of the heat that had enabled them to

brave the rigor of the cold had failed them! death, in the cruellest of all shapes, seemed staring them in the

At the word of command they advanced to the shore; clambered with no little difficulty up the slippery rocks;

The fiery cataract no longer spread its glowing covering over the mouth of the grotto. Lieutenant Procope

leaned through the aperture. The pool, hitherto kept fluid by its proximity to the lava, was already encrusted

The whole night was spent in speculating, with gloomy forebodings, upon the chances of the future. The

temperature of the hall, now entirely exposed to the outer air, was rapidly falling, and would quickly become

unendurable. Far too intense was the cold to allow anyone to remain at the opening, and the moisture on the

walls soon resolved itself into icicles. But the mountain was like the body of a dying man, that retains awhile

a certain amount of heat at the heart after the extremities have become cold and dead. In the more interior

galleries there was still a certain degree of warmth, and hither Servadac and his companions were glad

Here they found the professor, who, startled by the sudden cold, had been fain to make a precipitate retreat

from his observatory. Now would have been the opportunity to demand of the enthusiast whether he would

like to prolong his residence indefinitely upon his little comet. It is very likely that he would have declared

himself ready to put up with any amount of discomfort to be able to gratify his love of investigation; but all

were far too disheartened and distressed to care to banter him upon the subject on which he was so sensitive.

Next morning, Servadac thus addressed his people. "My friends, except from cold, we have nothing to fear.

Our provisions are amplemore than enough for the remaining period of our sojourn in this lone world of

ours; our preserved meat is already cooked; we shall be able to dispense with all fuel for cooking purposes.

All that we require is warmth warmth for ourselves; let us secure that, and all may be well. Now, I do not

entertain a doubt but that the warmth we require is resident in the bowels of this mountain on which we are

living; to the depth of those bowels we must penetrate; there we shall obtain the warmth which is

His tone, quite as much as his words, restored confidence to many of his people, who were already yielding

to a feeling of despair. The count and the lieutenant fervently, but silently, grasped his hand.

"Nina," said the captain, "you will not be afraid to go down to the lower depths of the mountain, will you?"

"Oh yes, of course, Pablo will go. You are not afraid to go, are you, Pablo?" he said, addressing the boy.

And certain it was that no time must be lost in penetrating below the heart of the volcano; already the most

protected of the many ramifications of Nina's Hive were being pervaded by a cold that was insufferable. It

was an acknowledged impossibility to get access to the crater by the exterior declivities of the

mountainside; they were far too steep and too slippery to afford a foothold. It must of necessity be entered

Lieutenant Procope accordingly undertook the task of exploring all the galleries, and was soon able to report

that he had discovered one which he had every reason to believe abutted upon the central funnel. His reason

for coming to this conclusion was that the caloric emitted by the rising vapors of the hot lava seemed to be

oozing, as it were, out of the tellurium, which had been demonstrated already to be a conductor of heat. Only

succeed in piercing through this rock for seven or eight yards, and the lieutenant did not doubt that his way

would be opened into the old lavacourse, by following which he hoped descent would be easy.

Under the lieutenant's direction the Russian sailors were immediately set to work. Their former experience

had convinced them that spades and pickaxes were of no avail, and their sole resource was to proceed by

blasting with gunpowder. However skillfully the operation might be carried on, it must necessarily occupy

several days, and during that time the sufferings from cold must be very severe.

"If we fail in our object, and cannot get to the depths of the mountain, our little colony is doomed," said

"That speech is not like yourself," answered Servadac, smiling. "What has become of the faith which has

The count shook his head, as if in despair, and said, sadly, "The Hand that has hitherto been outstretched to

"But only to test our powers of endurance," rejoined the captain, earnestly. "Courage, my friend, courage!

Something tells me that this cessation of the eruption is only partial; the internal fire is not all extinct. All is

Lieutenant Procope quite concurred with the captain. Many causes, he knew, besides the interruption of the

influence of the oxygen upon the mineral substances in Gallia's interior, might account for the stoppage of the

lavaflow in this one particular spot, and he considered it more than probable that a fresh outlet had been

opened in some other part of the surface, and that the eruptive matter had been diverted into the new channel.

But at present his business was to prosecute his labors so that a retreat might be immediately effected from

Restless and agitated, Professor Rosette, if he took any interest in these discussions, certainly took no share in

them. He had brought his telescope down from the observatory into the common hall, and there at frequent

intervals, by night and by day, he would endeavor to continue his observations; but the intense cold

perpetually compelled him to desist, or he would literally have been frozen to death. No sooner, however, did

he find himself obliged to retreat from his study of the heavens, than he would begin overwhelming

everybody about him with bitter complaints, pouring out his regrets that he had ever quitted his quarters at

On the 4th of January, by persevering industry, the process of boring was completed, and the lieutenant could

hear that fragments of the blasted rock, as the sailors cleared them away with their spades, were rolling into

the funnel of the crater. He noticed, too, that they did not fall perpendicularly, but seemed to slide along, from

which he inferred that the sides of the crater were sloping; he had therefore reason to hope that a descent

Larger and larger grew the orifice; at length it would admit a man's body, and Ben Zoof, carrying a torch,

pushed himself through it, followed by the lieutenant and Servadac. Procope's conjecture proved correct. On

entering the crater, they found that the sides slanted at the angle of about 4 degrees ; moreover, the eruption

had evidently been of recent origin, dating probably only from the shock which had invested Gallia with a

proportion of the atmosphere of the earth, and beneath the coating of ashes with which they were covered,

there were various irregularities in the rock, not yet worn away by the action of the lava, and these afforded a

In about half an hour, proceeding in a southerly direction, they had descended nearly five hundred feet. From

time to time they came upon large excavations that at first sight had all the appearance of galleries, but by

waving his torch, Ben Zoof could always see their extreme limits, and it was evident that the lower strata of

the mountain did not present the same system of ramification that rendered the Hive above so commodious a

It was not a time to be fastidious; they must be satisfied with such accommodation as they could get,

provided it was warm. Captain Servadac was only too glad to find that his hopes about the temperature were

to a certain extent realized. The lower they went, the greater was the diminution in the cold, a diminution that

was far more rapid than that which is experienced in making the descent of terrestrial mines. In this case it

was a volcano, not a colliery, that was the object of exploration, and thankful enough they were to find that it

had not become extinct. Although the lava, from some unknown cause, had ceased to rise in the crater, yet

plainly it existed somewhere in an incandescent state, and was still transmitting considerable heat to inferior

Lieutenant Procope had brought in his hand a mercurial thermometer, and Servadac carried an aneroid

barometer, by means of which he could estimate the depth of their descent below the level of the Gallian Sea.

When they were six hundred feet below the orifice the mercury registered a temperature of 6 degrees below

"Six degrees!" said Servadac; "that will not suit us. At this low temperature we could not survive the winter.

There was, however, nothing to fear on the score of ventilation. The great current of air that rushed into the

The descent was continued for about another three hundred feet, which brought the explorers to a total depth

of nine hundred feet from their old quarters. Here the thermometer registered 12 degrees above zero a

temperature which, if only it were permanent, was all they wanted. There was no advantage in proceeding

any further along the lavacourse; they could already hear the dull rumblings that indicated that they were at

"Quite near enough for me!" exclaimed Ben Zoof. "Those who are chilly are welcome to go as much lower as

After throwing the gleams of torchlight in all directions, the explorers seated themselves on a jutting rock,

and began to debate whether it was practicable for the colony to make an abode in these lower depths of the

mountain. The prospect, it must be owned, was not inviting. The crater, it is true, widened out into a cavern

sufficiently large, but here its accommodation ended. Above and below were a few ledges in the rock that

would serve as receptacles for provisions; but, with the exception of a small recess that must be reserved for

Nina, it was clear that henceforth they must all renounce the idea of having separate apartments. The single

cave must be their diningroom, drawingroom, and dormitory, all in one. From living the life of rabbits in a

warren, they were reduced to the existence of moles, with the difference that they could not, like them, forget

The cavern, however, was quite capable of being lighted by means of lamps and lanterns. Among the stores

were several barrels of oil and a considerable quantity of spirits of wine, which might be burned when

required for cooking purposes. Moreover, it would be unnecessary for them to confine themselves entirely to

the seclusion of their gloomy residence; well wrapped up, there would be nothing to prevent them making

occasional excursions both to the Hive and to the seashore. A supply of fresh water would be constantly

required; ice for this purpose must be perpetually carried in from the coast, and it would be necessary to

arrange that everyone in turn should perform this office, as it would be no sinecure to clamber up the sides of

But the emergency was great, and it was accordingly soon decided that the little colony should forthwith take

up its quarters in the cave. After all, they said, they should hardly be much worse off than thousands who

annually winter in Arctic regions. On board the whalingvessels, and in the establishments of the Hudson's

Bay Company, such luxuries as separate cabins or sleepingchambers are never thought of; one large

apartment, well heated and ventilated, with as few corners as possible, is considered far more healthy; and on

board ship the entire hold, and in forts a single floor, is appropriated to this purpose. The recollection of this

fact served to reconcile them, in a great degree, to the change to which they felt it requisite to submit.

Having remounted the ascent, they made the result of their exploration known to the mass of the community,

who received the tidings with a sense of relief, and cordially accepted the scheme of the migration.

The first step was to clear the cavern of its accumulation of ashes, and then the labor of removal commenced

in earnest. Never was a task undertaken with greater zest. The fear of being to a certainty frozen to death if

they remained where they were, was a stimulus that made everyone put forth all his energies. Beds, furniture,

cooking utensils first the stores of the Dobryna, then the cargo of the tartan all were carried down with

the greatest alacrity, and the diminished weight combined with the downhill route to make the labor proceed

Although Professor Rosette yielded to the pressure of circumstances, and allowed himself to be conducted to

the lower regions, nothing would induce him to allow his telescope to be carried underground; and as it was

undeniable that it would certainly be of no service deep down in the bowels of the mountain, it was allowed

As for Isaac Hakkabut, his outcry was beyond description lamentable. Never, in the whole universe, had a

merchant met with such reverses; never had such a pitiable series of losses befallen an unfortunate man.

Regardless of the ridicule which his abject wretchedness excited, he howled on still, and kept up an unending

wail; but meanwhile he kept a keen eye upon every article of his property, and amidst universal laughter

insisted on having every item registered in an inventory as it was transferred to its appointed place of safety.

Servadac considerately allowed the whole of the cargo to be deposited in a hollow apart by itself, over which

By the 10th the removal was accomplished. Rescued, at all events, from the exposure to a perilous

temperature of 60 degrees below zero, the community was installed in its new home. The large cave was

lighted by the Dobryna's lamps, while several lanterns, suspended at intervals along the acclivity that led to

their deserted quarters above, gave a weird picturesqueness to the scene, that might vie with any of the

"Va bene!" replied the child. "We are only living in the cellars instead of upon the ground floor."

Although they were as careful as they could to conceal their misgivings from the rest, Servadac and his two

friends could not regard their present situation without distrust. When alone, they would frequently ask each

other what would become of them all, if the volcanic heat should really be subsiding, or if some unexpected

perturbation should retard the course of the comet, and compel them to an indefinitely prolonged residence in

their grim abode. It was scarcely likely that the comet could supply the fuel of which ere long they would be

in urgent need. Who could expect to find coal in the bowels of Gallia,coal, which is the residuum of

ancient forests mineralized by the lapse of ages? Would not the lavacinders exhumed from the extinct

"Keep up your spirits, my friends," said Servadac; "we have plenty of time before us at present. Let us hope

that as fresh difficulties arise, fresh ways of escape will open. Never despair!"

"True," said the count; "it is an old saying that 'Necessity is the mother of invention.' Besides, I should think

The lieutenant declared that he entertained the same hope. As the reason of his opinion he alleged that the

combustion of the eruptive matter was most probably of quite recent origin, because the comet before its

collision with the earth had possessed no atmosphere, and that consequently no oxygen could have penetrated

"Most likely you are right," replied the count; "and so far from dreading a failure of the internal heat, I am not

"The calamity of the eruption breaking out suddenly again, and taking us by surprise."

"The outbreak may happen again," said the lieutenant, calmly; "but it will be our fault, our own lack of

Henceforth, then, with a velocity ever increasing, Gallia would reapproach the sun.

Except the thirteen Englishmen who had been left at Gibraltar, every living creature had taken refuge in the

"Far better than with ourselves," was the sentiment that would have been universally accepted in Nina's Hive.

And there was every reason to conjecture that so it was. The party at Gibraltar, they all agreed, would not,

like themselves, have been compelled to have recourse to a stream of lava for their supply of heat; they, no

doubt, had had abundance of fuel as well as food; and in their solid casemate, with its substantial walls, they

would find ample shelter from the rigor of the cold. The time would have been passed at least in comfort, and

perhaps in contentment; and Colonel Murphy and Major Oliphant would have had leisure more than

sufficient for solving the most abstruse problems of the chessboard. All of them, too, would be happy in the

confidence that when the time should come, England would have full meed of praise to award to the gallant

It did, indeed, more than once occur to the minds both of Servadac and his friends that, if their condition

should become one of extreme emergency, they might, as a last resource, betake themselves to Gibraltar, and

there seek a refuge; but their former reception had not been of the kindest, and they were little disposed to

renew an acquaintanceship that was marked by so little cordiality. Not in the least that they would expect to

meet with any inhospitable rebuff. Far from that; they knew well enough that Englishmen, whatever their

faults, would be the last to abandon their fellowcreatures in the hour of distress. Nevertheless, except the

necessity became far more urgent than it had hitherto proved, they resolved to endeavor to remain in their

present quarters. Up till this time no casualties had diminished their original number, but to undertake so long

a journey across that unsheltered expanse of ice could scarcely fail to result in the loss of some of their party.

However great was the desire to find a retreat for every living thing in the deep hollow of the crater, it was

found necessary to slaughter almost all the domestic animals before the removal of the community from

Nina's Hive. To have stabled them all in the cavern below would have been quite impossible, whilst to have

left them in the upper galleries would only have been to abandon them to a cruel death; and since meat could

be preserved for an indefinite time in the original storeplaces, now colder than ever, the expedient of killing

Naturally the captain and Ben Zoof were most anxious that their favorite horses should be saved, and

accordingly, by dint of the greatest care, all difficulties in the way were overcome, and Zephyr and Galette

were conducted down the crater, where they were installed in a large hole and provided with forage, which

Birds, subsisting only on scraps thrown out to them did not cease to follow the population in its migration,

and so numerous did they become that multitudes of them had repeatedly to be destroyed.

The general rearrangement of the new residence was no easy business, and occupied so much time that the

end of January arrived before they could be said to be fairly settled. And then began a life of dreary

monotony. Then seemed to creep over everyone a kind of moral torpor as well as physical lassitude, which

Servadac, the count, and the lieutenant did their best not only to combat in themselves, but to counteract in

the general community. They provided a variety of intellectual pursuits; they instituted debates in which

everybody was encouraged to take part; they read aloud, and explained extracts from the elementary manuals

of science, or from the books of adventurous travel which their library supplied; and Russians and Spaniards,

day after day, might be seen gathered round the large table, giving their best attention to instruction which

Selfish and morose, Hakkabut could never be induced to be present at these social gatherings. He was far too

much occupied in his own appropriated corner, either in conning his accounts, or in counting his money.

Altogether, with what he had before, he now possessed the round sum of 150,000 francs, half of which was in

sterling gold; but nothing could give him any satisfaction while he knew that the days were passing, and that

he was denied the opportunity of putting out his capital in advantageous investments, or securing a proper

Neither did Palmyrin Rosette find leisure to take any share in the mutual intercourse. His occupation was far

too absorbing for him to suffer it to be interrupted, and to him, living as he did perpetually in a world of

figures, the winter days seemed neither long nor wearisome. Having ascertained every possible particular

about his comet, he was now devoting himself with equal ardor to the analysis of all the properties of the

satellite Nerina, to which he appeared to assert the same claim of proprietorship.

In order to investigate Nerina it was indispensable that he should make several actual observations at various

points of the orbit; and for this purpose he repeatedly made his way up to the grotto above, where, in spite of

the extreme severity of the cold, he would persevere in the use of his telescope till he was all but paralyzed.

But what he felt more than anything was the want of some retired apartment, where he could pursue his

It was about the beginning of February, when the professor brought his complaint to Captain Servadac, and

begged him to assign him a chamber, no matter how small, in which he should be free to carry on his task in

silence and without molestation. So readily did Servadac promise to do everything in his power to provide

him with the accommodation for which he asked, that the professor was put into such a manifest good temper

that the captain ventured to speak upon the matter that was ever uppermost in his mind.

"I do not mean," he began timidly, "to cast the least imputation of inaccuracy upon any of your calculations,

but would you allow me, my dear professor, to suggest that you should revise your estimate of the duration of

Gallia's period of revolution. It is so important, you know, so all important; the difference of one half minute,

"I am sure Lieutenant Procope would be only too happy to render you any assistance in the revision."

"Sir," said the professor, bridling up, "I want no assistant; my calculations want no revision. I never make an

error. I have made my reckoning as far as Gallia is concerned. I am now making a like estimate of the

Conscious how impolitic it would be to press this matter further, the captain casually remarked that he should

have supposed that all the elements of Nerina had been calculated long since by astronomers on the earth. It

was about as unlucky a speech as he could possibly have made. The professor glared at him fiercely.

"Astounding, sir!" he exclaimed. "Yes! Nerina was a planet then; everything that appertained to the planet

was determined; but Nerina is a moon now. And do you not think, sir, that we have a right to know as much

about our moon as those terrestrials" and he curled his lip as he spoke with a contemptuous

"Well then, never mind," replied the professor, quickly appeased; "only will you have the goodness to get me

But in spite of this condescension on the part of the man of science, some hours had to elapse before any

place of retreat could be discovered likely to suit his requirements; but at length a little nook was found in the

side of the cavern just large enough to hold an armchair and a table, and in this the astronomer was soon

Buried thus, nearly 900 feet below ground, the Gallians ought to have had unbounded mental energy to

furnish an. adequate reaction to the depressing monotony of their existence; but many days would often

elapse without any one of them ascending to the surface of the soil, and had it not been for the necessity of

obtaining fresh water, it seemed almost probable that there would never have been an effort made to leave the

A few excursions, it is true, were made in the downward direction. The three leaders, with Ben Zoof, made

their way to the lower depths of the crater, not with the design of making any further examination as to the

nature of the rockfor although it might be true enough that it contained thirty per cent. of gold, it was as

valueless to them as granitebut with the intention of ascertaining whether the subterranean fire still

retained its activity. Satisfied upon this point, they came to the conclusion that the eruption which had so

February, March, April, May, passed wearily by; but day succeeded to day with such gloomy sameness that it

was little wonder that no notice was taken of the lapse of time. The people seemed rather to vegetate than to

live, and their want of vigor became at times almost alarming. The readings around the long table ceased to

be attractive, and the debates, sustained by few, became utterly wanting in animation. The Spaniards could

hardly be roused to quit their beds, and seemed to have scarcely energy enough to eat. The Russians,

constitutionally of more enduring temperament, did not give way to the same extent, but the long and drear

confinement was beginning to tell upon them all. Servadac, the count, and the lieutenant all knew well

enough that it was the want of air and exercise that was the cause of much of this mental depression; but what

could they do? The most serious remonstrances on their part were entirely in vain. In fact, they themselves

occasionally fell a prey to the same lassitude both of body and mind. Long fits of drowsiness, combined with

an utter aversion to food, would come over them. It almost seemed as if their entire nature had become

degenerate, and that, like tortoises, they could sleep and fast till the return of summer.

Strange to say, little Nina bore her hardships more bravely than any of them. Flitting about, coaxing one to

eat, another to drink, rousing Pablo as often as he seemed yielding to the common languor, the child became

the life of the party. Her merry prattle enlivened the gloom of the grim cavern like the sweet notes of a bird;

her gay Italian songs broke the monotony of the depressing silence; and almost unconscious as the

halfdormant population of Gallia were of her influence, they still would have missed her bright presence

sorely. The months still glided on; how, it seemed impossible for the inhabitants of the living tomb to say.

At the beginning of June the general torpor appeared slightly to relax its hold upon its victims. This partial

revival was probably due to the somewhat increased influence of the sun, still far, far away. During the first

half of the Gallian year, Lieutenant Procope had taken careful note of Rosette's monthly announcements of

the comet's progress, and he was able now, without reference to the professor, to calculate the rate of advance

on its way back towards the sun. He found that Gallia had recrossed the orbit of Jupiter, but was still at the

enormous distance of 197,000,000 leagues from the sun, and he reckoned that in about four months it would

Gradually, but uninterruptedly, life and spirits continued to revive, and by the end of the month Servadac and

his little colony had regained most of their ordinary physical and mental energies. Ben Zoof, in particular,

roused himself with redoubled vigor, like a giant refreshed from his slumbers. The visits, consequently, to the

One day an excursion was made to the shore. It was still bitterly cold, but the atmosphere had lost nothing of

its former stillness, and not a cloud was visible from horizon to zenith. The old footmarks were all as distinct

as on the day in which they had been imprinted, and the only portion of the shore where any change was

apparent was in the little creek. Here the elevation of the ice had gone on increasing, until the schooner and

the tartan had been uplifted to a height of 150 feet, not only rendering them quite inaccessible, but exposing

Isaac Hakkabut, immovable from the personal oversight of his property in the cavern, had not accompanied

the party, and consequently was in blissful ignorance of the fate that threatened his vessel. "A good thing the

old fellow wasn't there to see," observed Ben Zoof; "he would have screamed like a peacock. What a

misfortune it is," he added, speaking to himself, "to have a peacock's voice, without its plumage!"

During the months of July and August, Gallia advanced 164,000,000 leagues along her orbit. At night the

cold was still intense, but in the daytime the sun, here full upon the equator, caused an appreciable difference

of 20 degrees in the temperature. Like birds, the population spent whole days exposed to its grateful warmth,

This springtime, if such it may be called, had a most enlivening influence upon all. Hope and courage

revived as day by day the sun's disc expanded in the heavens, and every evening the earth assumed a greater

magnitude amongst the fixed stars. It was distant yet, but the goal was cheeringly in view.

"I can't believe that yonder little speck of light contains my mountain of Montmartre," said Ben Zoof, one

"I hope so," said the orderly, without moving his eye from the distant sphere. After meditating a while, he

spoke again. "I suppose Professor Rosette couldn't make his comet go straight back, could he?"

"No," continued the captain; "it is not for man to disturb the order of the universe. That belongs to a Higher

Another month passed away, and it was now September, but it was still impossible to leave the warmth of the

subterranean retreat for the more airy and commodious quarters of the Hive, where "the bees" would certainly

have been frozen to death in their cells. It was altogether quite as much a matter of congratulation as of regret

that the volcano showed no symptoms of resuming its activity; for although a return of the eruption might

have rendered their former resort again habitable, any sudden outbreak would have been disastrous to them

where they were, the crater being the sole outlet by which the burning lava could escape.

"A wretched time we have had for the last seven months," said the orderly one day to his master; "but what a

"Yes, indeed," replied Servadac; "she is a charming little creature. I hardly know how we should have got on

"Not much fear, Ben Zoof, but that she will be well taken care of. Perhaps you and I had better adopt her."

"Ay, yes," assented the orderly. "You can be her father, and I can be her mother."

By the beginning of October, the temperature had so far moderated that it could scarcely be said to be

intolerable. The comet's distance was scarcely three times as great from the sun as the earth from the sun, so

that the thermometer rarely sunk beyond 35 degrees below zero. The whole party began to make almost daily

visits to the Hive, and frequently proceeded to the shore, where they resumed their skating exercise, rejoicing

in their recovered freedom like prisoners liberated from a dungeon. Whilst the rest were enjoying their

recreation, Servadac and the count would hold long conversations with Lieutenant Procope about their

present position and future prospects, discussing all manner of speculations as to the results of the anticipated

collision with the earth, and wondering whether any measures could be devised for mitigating the violence of

a shock which might be terrible in its consequences, even if it did not entail a total annihilation of themselves.

There was no visitor to the Hive more regular than Rosette. He had already directed his telescope to be

moved back to his former observatory, where, as much as the cold would permit him, he persisted in making

The result of these studies no one ventured to inquire; but it became generally noticed that something was

very seriously disturbing the professor's equanimity. Not only would he be seen toiling more frequently up

the arduous way that lay between his nook below and his telescope above, but he would be heard muttering in

One day, as he was hurrying down to his study, he met Ben Zoof, who, secretly entertaining a feeling of

delight at the professor's manifest discomfiture, made some casual remark about things not being very

straight. The way in which his advance was received the good orderly never divulged, but henceforward he

maintained the firm conviction that there was something very much amiss up in the sky.

To Servadac and his friends this continual disquietude and illhumor on the part of the professor occasioned

no little anxiety. From what, they asked, could his dissatisfaction arise? They could only conjecture that he

had discovered some flaw in his reckonings; and if this were so, might there not be reason to apprehend that

their anticipations of coming into contact with the earth, at the settled time, might all be falsified?

Day followed day, and still there was no cessation of the professor's discomposure. He was the most

miserable of mortals. If really his calculations and his observations were at variance, this, in a man of his

irritable temperament, would account for his perpetual perturbation. But he entered into no explanation; he

only climbed up to his telescope, looking haggard and distressed, and when compelled by the frost to retire,

he would make his way back to his study more furious than ever. At times he was heard giving vent to his

vexation. "Confound it! what does it mean? what is she doing? All behind! Is Newton a fool? Is the law of

universal gravitation the law of universal nonsense?" And the little man would seize his head in both his

Enough was overheard to confirm the suspicion that there was some irreconcilable discrepancy between the

results of his computation and what he had actually observed; and yet, if he had been called upon to say, he

would have sooner insisted that there was derangement in the laws of celestial mechanism, than have owned

there was the least probability of error in any of his own calculations. Assuredly, if the poor professor had

But this state of things was before long to come to an end. On the 12th, Ben Zoof, who was hanging about

outside the great hall of the cavern, heard the professor inside utter a loud cry. Hurrying in to ascertain the

cause, he found Rosette in a state of perfect frenzy, in which ecstasy and rage seemed to be struggling for the

"What, in the name of peace, do you mean?" bawled Ben Zoof, in openmouthed amazement.

"Eureka! I say," repeated Rosette; "and if you don't understand me, you may go to the devil!"

Without availing himself of this polite invitation, Ben Zoof betook himself to his master. "Something has

happened to the professor," he said; "he is rushing about like a madman, screeching and yelling 'Eureka!'"

"Eureka?" exclaimed Servadac. "That means he has made a discovery;" and, full of anxiety, he hurried off to

But, however great was his desire to ascertain what this discovery implied, his curiosity was not yet destined

to be gratified. The professor kept muttering in incoherent phrases: "Rascal! he shall pay for it yet. I will be

even with him! Cheat! Thrown me out!" But he did not vouchsafe any reply to Servadac's inquiries, and

From that day Rosette, for some reason at present incomprehensible, quite altered his behavior to Isaac

Hakkabut, a man for whom he had always hitherto evinced the greatest repugnance and contempt. All at once

he began to show a remarkable interest in the Jew and his affairs, paying several visits to the dark little

storehouse, making inquiries as to the state of business and expressing some solicitude about the state of the

The wily Jew was taken somewhat by surprise, but came to an immediate conclusion that the professor was

contemplating borrowing some money; he was consequently very cautious in all his replies.

It was not Hakkabut's habit ever to advance a loan except at an extravagant rate of interest, or without

demanding far more than an adequate security. Count Timascheff, a Russian nobleman, was evidently rich; to

him perhaps, for a proper consideration, a loan might be made: Captain Servadac was a Gascon, and Gascons

are proverbially poor; it would never do to lend any money to him; but here was a professor, a mere man of

science, with circumscribed means; did he expect to borrow? Certainly Isaac would as soon think of flying, as

of lending money to him. Such were the thoughts that made him receive all Rosette's approaches with a

It was not long, however, before Hakkabut was to be called upon to apply his money to a purpose for which

he had not reckoned. In his eagerness to effect sales, he had parted with all the alimentary articles in his cargo

without having the precautionary prudence to reserve enough for his own consumption. Amongst other things

that failed him was his stock of coffee, and as coffee was a beverage without which he deemed it impossible

He pondered the matter over for a long time, and ultimately persuaded himself that, after all, the stores were

the common property of all, and that he had as much right to a share as anyone else. Accordingly, he made

his way to Ben Zoof, and, in the most amiable tone he could assume, begged as a favor that he would let him

"That's just the very point, old Samuel; if you were anybody else, I should know very well what to do. I must

"Perhaps you will find his justice rather too much for you." And with this consoling remark, the orderly went

Rosette meanwhile had been listening to the conversation, and secretly rejoicing that an opportunity for

which he had been watching had arrived. "What's the matter, Master Isaac? Have you parted with all your

"Ah! yes, indeed," groaned Hakkabut, "and now I require some for my own use. In my little black hole I

"Certainly," the professor assented. "Coffee is nutritious; it warms the blood. How much do you want?"

"And who will weigh it for you?" asked Rosette, scarcely able to conceal the eagerness that prompted the

"Why, they will weigh it with my steelyard, of course. There is no other balance here." And as the Jew spoke,

"Good, Master Isaac; all the better for you! You will get your seven pounds instead of one!"

"Yes; well, seven, or thereaboutsthereabouts," stammered the Jew with considerable hesitation.

Rosette scanned his countenance narrowly, and was about to probe him with further questions, when Ben

"But, by the holy city, why does he make me pay for what anybody else could have for nothing?"

"As I told you before, you are not anybody else; so, come along. You can afford to buy what you want. We

"Now, none of that! Yes or no? If you are going to buy, say so at once; if not, I shall shut up shop."

Hakkabut knew well enough that the orderly was not a man to be trifled with, and said, in a tremulous voice,

The professor, who had been looking on with much interest, betrayed manifest symptoms of satisfaction.

"How much do you want? What will you charge for it?" asked Isaac, mournfully, putting his hand into his

"Oh, we will deal gently with you. We will not make any profit. You shall have it for the same price that we

"Come now, what is the use of your hesitating? Your gold will have no value when you go back to the

Hakkabut drew out a small piece of gold from his pocket, took it close under the lamp, rolled it over in his

hand, and pressed it to his lips. "Shall you weigh me the coffee with my steelyard?" he asked, in a quavering

"There is nothing else to weigh it with; you know that well enough, old Shechem," said Ben Zoof. The

steelyard was then produced; a tray was suspended to the hook, and upon this coffee was thrown until the

needle registered the weight of one pound. Of course, it took seven pounds of coffee to do this.

"Are you sure?" inquired Hakkabut, peering down close to the dial. "Are you quite sure that the needle

"Because I think, perhapsI am not quite sureperhaps the steelyard is not quite correct."

The words were not uttered before the professor, fierce as a tiger, had rushed at the Jew, had seized him by

"Rascal! consummate rascal! thief! villain!" the professor reiterated, and continued to shake the Jew

Ben Zoof looked on and laughed, making no attempt to interfere; he had no sympathy with either of the two.

The sound of the scuffling, however, drew the attention of Servadac, who, followed by his companions,

hastened to the scene. The combatants were soon parted. "What is the meaning of all this?" demanded the

As soon as the professor had recovered his breath, exhausted by his exertions, he said, "The old reprobate, the

But heedless of any interruption, the professor continued, "False weights! That confounded steelyard! It gave

a false result! The mass was wrong! The observations contradicted the calculations; they were wrong! She

"I did not say Gallia," replied Rosette, stamping his foot impetuously; "I said Nerina."

"Oh, Nerina," answered Servadac. "But what of Gallia?" he inquired, still nervously.

"Gallia, of course, is on her way to the earth. I told you so. But that Jew is a rascal!"

It was as the professor had said. From the day that Isaac Hakkabut had entered upon his mercantile career, his

dealings had all been carried on by a system of false weight. That deceitful steelyard had been the mainspring

of his fortune. But when it had become his lot to be the purchaser instead of the vendor, his spirit had groaned

within him at being compelled to reap the fruits of his own dishonesty. No one who had studied his character

could be much surprised at the confession that was extorted from him, that for every supposed kilogramme

that he had ever sold the true weight was only 750 grammes, or just five and twenty per cent. less than it

The professor, however, had ascertained all that he wanted to know. By estimating his comet at a third as

much again as its proper weight, he had found that his calculations were always at variance with the observed

situation of the satellite, which was immediately influenced by the mass of its primary.

But now, besides enjoying the satisfaction of having punished old Hakkabut, Rosette was able to

recommence his calculations with reference to the elements of Nerina upon a correct basis, a task to which he

It will be easily imagined that Isaac Hakkabut, thus caught in his own trap, was jeered most unmercifully by

those whom he had attempted to make his dupes. Ben Zoof, in particular, was never wearied of telling him

how on his return to the world he would be prosecuted for using false weights, and would certainly become

acquainted with the inside of a prison. Thus badgered, he secluded himself more than ever in his dismal hole,

never venturing, except when absolutely obliged, to face the other members of the community.

On the 7th of October the comet reentered the zone of the telescopic planets, one of which had been

captured as a satellite, and the origin of the whole of which is most probably correctly attributed to the

disintegration of some large planet that formerly revolved between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. By the

beginning of the following month half of this zone had been traversed, and only two months remained before

the collision with the earth was to be expected. The temperature was now rarely below 12 degrees below

zero, but that was far too cold to permit the slightest symptoms of a thaw. The surface of the sea remained as

frozen as ever, and the two vessels, high up on their icy pedestals, remained unaltered in their critical

It was about this time that the question began to be mooted whether it would not be right to reopen some

communication with the Englishmen at Gibraltar. Not that any doubt was entertained as to their having been

able successfully to cope with the rigors of the winter; but Captain Servadac, in a way that did honor to his

generosity, represented that, however uncourteous might have been their former behavior, it was at least due

to them that they should be informed of the true condition of things, which they had had no opportunity of

learning; and, moreover, that they should be invited to cooperate with the population of Nina's Hive, in the

event of any measures being suggested by which the shock of the approaching collision could be mitigated.

The count and the lieutenant both heartily concurred in Servadac's sentiments of humanity and prudence, and

all agreed that if the intercourse were to be opened at all, no time could be so suitable as the present, while

the surface of the sea presented a smooth and solid footing. After a thaw should set in, neither the yacht nor

the tartan could be reckoned on for service, and it would be inexpedient to make use of the steam launch, for

which only a few tons of coal had been reserved, just sufficient to convey them to Gourbi Island when the

occasion should arise; whilst as to the yawl, which, transformed into a sledge, had performed so successful a

trip to Formentera, the absence of wind would make that quite unavailable. It was true that with the return of

summer temperature, there would be certain to be a derangement in the atmosphere of Gallia, which would

result in wind, but for the present the air was altogether too still for the yawl to have any prospects of making

The only question remaining was as to the possibility of going on foot. The distance was somewhere about

240 miles. Captain Servadac declared himself quite equal to the undertaking. To skate sixty or seventy miles

a day would be nothing, he said, to a practical skater like himself. The whole journey there and back might be

performed in eight days. Provided with a compass, a sufficient supply of cold meat, and a spirit lamp, by

which he might boil his coffee, he was perfectly sure he should, without the least difficulty, accomplish an

Equally urgent were both the count and the lieutenant to be allowed to accompany him; nay, they even

offered to go instead; but Servadac, expressing himself as most grateful for their consideration, declined their

offer, and avowed his resolution of taking no other companion than his own orderly.

Highly delighted at his master's decision, Ben Zoof expressed his satisfaction at the prospect of "stretching

his legs a bit," declaring that nothing could induce him to permit the captain to go alone. There was no delay.

Although it is not to be questioned that a genuine desire of doing an act of kindness to his fellowcreatures

was a leading motive of Servadac's proposed visit to Gibraltar, it must be owned that another idea, confided

to nobody, least of all to Count Timascheff, had been conceived in the brain of the worthy Gascon. Ben Zoof

had an inkling that his master was "up to some other little game," when, just before starting, he asked him

privately whether there was a French tricolor among the stores. "I believe so," said the orderly.

Ben Zoof found the flag, and folded it up as he was directed. Before proceeding to explain this somewhat

enigmatical conduct of Servadac, it is necessary to refer to a certain physiological fact, coincident but

unconnected with celestial phenomena, originating entirely in the frailty of human nature. The nearer that

Gallia approached the earth, the more a sort of reserve began to spring up between the captain and Count

Timascheff. Though they could not be said to be conscious of it, the remembrance of their former rivalry, so

completely buried in oblivion for the last year and ten months, was insensibly recovering its hold upon their

minds, and the question was all but coming to the surface as to what would happen if, on their return to earth,

the handsome Madame de L should still be free. From companions in peril, would they not again be

avowed rivals? Conceal it as they would, a coolness was undeniably stealing over an intimacy which, though

it could never be called affectionate, had been uniformly friendly and courteous.

Under these circumstances, it was not surprising that Hector Servadac should not have confided to the count a

project which, wild as it was, could scarcely have failed to widen the unacknowledged breach that was

The project was the annexation of Ceuta to the French dominion. The Englishmen, rightly enough, had

continued to occupy the fragment of Gibraltar, and their claim was indisputable. But the island of Ceuta,

which before the shock had commanded the opposite side of the strait, and had been occupied by Spaniards,

had since been abandoned, and was therefore free to the first occupant who should lay claim to it. To plant

the tricolor upon it, in the name of France, was now the cherished wish of Servadac's heart.

"Who knows," he said to himself, "whether Ceuta, on its return to earth, may not occupy a grand and

commanding situation? What a proud thing it would be to have secured its possession to France!"

Next morning, as soon as they had taken their brief farewell of their friends, and were fairly out of sight of

the shore, Servadac imparted his design to Ben Zoof, who entered into the project with the greatest zest, and

expressed himself delighted, not only at the prospect of adding to the dominions of his beloved country, but

Both travelers were warmly clad, the orderly's knapsack containing all the necessary provisions. The journey

was accomplished without special incident; halts were made at regular intervals, for the purpose of taking

food and rest. The temperature by night as well as by day was quite endurable, and on the fourth afternoon

after starting, thanks to the straight course which their compass enabled them to maintain, the adventurers

As soon as Ben Zoof caught sight of the rock on the western horizon, he was all excitement. Just as if he were

in a regiment going into action, he talked wildly about "columns" and "squares" and "charges." The captain,

although less demonstrative, was hardly less eager to reach the rock. They both pushed forward with all

possible speed till they were within a mile and a half of the shore, when Ben Zoof, who had a very keen

vision, stopped suddenly, and said that he was sure he could see something moving on the top of the island.

"Never mind, let us hasten on," said Servadac. A few minutes carried them over another mile, when Ben Zoof

"It looks to me like a man on a rock, waving his arms in the air," said the orderly.

"Plague on it!" muttered Servadac; "I hope we are not too late." Again they went on; but soon Ben Zoof

"It is a semaphore, sir; I see it quite distinctly." And he was not mistaken; it had been a telegraph in motion

"Yes, Ben Zoof; if that's a telegraphand there is no doubt of it somebody has been before us and erected

He was keenly disappointed. Looking towards the north, he could distinguish Gibraltar faintly visible in the

extreme distance, and upon the summit of the rock both Ben Zoof and himself fancied they could make out

"Yes, it is only too clear; they have already occupied it, and established their communications," said

"We must pocket our chagrin, and put as good a face on the matter as we can," replied the captain.

"But perhaps there are only four or five Englishmen to protect the place," said Ben Zoof, as if meditating an

"No, no, Ben Zoof," answered Servadac; "we must do nothing rash. We have had our warning, and, unless

our representations can induce them to yield their position, we must resign our hope."

Thus discomfited, they had reached the foot of the rock, when all at once, like a "Jackinthebox," a

By this time four other men had made their appearance from the upper part of the rock.

"What do you want?" asked one of them, whom Servadac remembered to have seen before at Gibraltar.

"I will acquaint him with your arrival," answered the Englishman, and disappeared.

In a few minutes the commanding officer, attired in full uniform, was seen descending to the shore. It was

Servadac could no longer entertain a doubt that the Englishmen had forestalled him in the occupation of

Ceuta. Provisions and fuel had evidently been conveyed thither in the boat from Gibraltar before the sea had

frozen, and a solid casemate, hollowed in the rock, had afforded Major Oliphant and his contingent ample

protection from the rigor of the winter. The ascending smoke that rose above the rock was sufficient evidence

that good fires were still kept up; the soldiers appeared to have thriven well on what, no doubt, had been a

generous diet, and the major himself, although he would scarcely have been willing to allow it, was slightly

Being only about twelve miles distant from Gibraltar, the little garrison at Ceuta had felt itself by no means

isolated in its position; but by frequent excursions across the frozen strait, and by the constant use of the

telegraph, had kept up their communication with their fellowcountrymen on the other island. Colonel

Murphy and the major had not even been forced to forego the pleasures of the chessboard. The game that had

been interrupted by Captain Servadac's former visit was not yet concluded; but, like the two American clubs

that played their celebrated game in 1846 between Washington and Baltimore, the two gallant officers made

"Yes, sir, Major Oliphant, officer in command of the garrison at Ceuta," was the Englishman's reply. "And to

"Allow me to express my surprise," resumed the captain, "at seeing you installed as commanding officer

upon what I have always understood to be Spanish soil. May I demand your claim to your position?"

"But do you not think that the party of Spaniards now resident with me may at some future time assert a prior

"Because these very Spaniards have, by formal contract, made over Ceuta, in its integrity, to the British

"And as the price of that important cession," continued Major Oliphant, "they have received a fair equivalent

"Ah!" cried Ben Zoof, "that accounts for that fellow Negrete and his people having such a lot of money."

Servadac was silent. It had become clear to his mind what had been the object of that secret visit to Ceuta

which he had heard of as being made by the two English officers. The arguments that he had intended to use

had completely fallen through; all that he had now to do was carefully to prevent any suspicion of his

"May I be allowed to ask, Captain Servadac, to what I am indebted for the honor of this visit?" asked Major

"I have come, Major Oliphant, in the hope of doing you and your companions a service," replied Servadac,

"Ah, indeed!" replied the major, as though he felt himself quite independent of all services from exterior

"I thought, major, that it was not unlikely you were in ignorance of the fact that both Ceuta and Gibraltar

The major smiled incredulously; but Servadac, nothing daunted, went on to detail the results of the collision

between the comet and the earth, adding that, as there was the almost immediate prospect of another

concussion, it had occurred to him that it might be advisable for the whole population of Gallia to unite in

"In fact, Major Oliphant," he said in conclusion, "I am here to inquire whether you and your friends would be

"I am obliged to you, Captain Servadac," answered the major stiffly; "but we have not the slightest intention

of abandoning our post. We have received no government orders to that effect; indeed, we have received no

orders at all. Our own dispatch to the First Lord of the Admiralty still awaits the mail."

"But allow me to repeat," insisted Servadac, "that we are no longer on the earth, although we expect to come

"I have no doubt," the major answered, "that England will make every effort to reclaim us."

Servadac felt perplexed. It was quite evident that Major Oliphant had not been convinced of the truth of one

"Then I am to understand that you are determined to retain your two garrisons here and at Gibraltar?" asked

"But supposing there is no longer any Mediterranean?" retorted the captain, growing impatient.

"Oh, England will always take care of that," was Major Oliphant's cool reply. "But excuse me," he added

presently; "I see that Colonel Murphy has just telegraphed his next move. Allow me to wish you

And without further parley, followed by his soldiers, he retired into the casemate, leaving Captain Servadac

"A fine piece of business we have made of this!" said Ben Zoof, when he found himself alone with his

"Yes, the sooner the better, with our tails between our legs," rejoined the orderly, who this time felt no

inclination to start off to the march of the Algerian zephyrs. And so the French tricolor returned as it had set

On the eighth evening after starting, the travelers again set foot on the volcanic promontory just in time to

Palmyrin Rosette was in a furious rage. He had completed all his calculations about Nerina, but that

perfidious satellite had totally disappeared. The astronomer was frantic at the loss of his moon. Captured

probably by some larger body, it was revolving in its proper zone of the minor planets.

On his return Servadac communicated to the count the result of his expedition, and, though perfectly silent on

the subject of his personal project, did not conceal the fact that the Spaniards, without the smallest right, had

Having refused to quit their post, the Englishmen had virtually excluded themselves from any further

consideration; they had had their warning, and must now take the consequences of their own incredulity.

Although it had proved that not a single creature either at Gourbi Island, Gibraltar, Ceuta, Madalena, or

Formentera had received any injury whatever at the time of the first concussion, there was nothing in the least

to make it certain that a like immunity from harm would attend the second. The previous escape was

doubtless owing to some slight, though unaccountable, modification in the rate of motion; but whether the

inhabitants of the earth had fared so fortunately, was a question that had still to be determined.

The day following Servadac's return, he and the count and Lieutenant Procope met by agreement in the cave,

formally to discuss what would be the most advisable method of proceeding under their present prospects.

Ben Zoof was, as a matter of course, allowed to be present, and Professor Rosette had been asked to attend;

but he declined on the plea of taking no interest in the matter. Indeed, the disappearance of his moon had

utterly disconcerted him, and the probability that he should soon lose his comet also, plunged him into an

Although the barrier of cool reserve was secretly increasing between the captain and the count, they

scrupulously concealed any outward token of their inner feelings, and without any personal bias applied their

best energies to the discussion of the question which was of such mutual, nay, of such universal interest.

Servadac was the first to speak. "In fiftyone days, if Professor Rosette has made no error in his calculations,

there is to be a recurrence of collision between this comet and the earth. The inquiry that we have now to

make is whether we are prepared for the coming shock. I ask myself, and I ask you, whether it is in our

power, by any means, to avert the evil consequences that are only too likely to follow?"

Count Timascheff, in a voice that seemed to thrill with solemnity, said: "In such events we are at the disposal

"But with the most profound reverence for the will of Providence," replied the captain, "I beg to submit that it

is our duty to devise whatever means we can to escape the threatening mischief. Heaven helps them that help

"And what means have you to suggest, may I ask?" said the count, with a faint accent of satire.

Servadac was forced to acknowledge that nothing tangible had hitherto presented itself to his mind.

"I don't want to intrude," observed Ben Zoof, "but I don't understand why such learned gentlemen as you

"You are mistaken, Ben Zoof, about our learning," said the captain; "even Professor Rosette, with all his

learning, has not a shadow of power to prevent the comet and the earth from knocking against each other."

"One great use of learning," said Count Timascheff. with a smile, "is to make us know our own ignorance."

While this conversation had been going on, Lieutenant Procope had been sitting in thoughtful silence.

Looking up, he now said, "Incident to this expected shock, there may be a variety of dangers. If, gentlemen,

you will allow me, I will enumerate them; and we shall, perhaps, by taking them seriatim, be in a better

position to judge whether we can successfully grapple with them, or in any way mitigate their consequences."

There was a general attitude of attention. It was surprising how calmly they proceeded to discuss the

"First of all," resumed the lieutenant, "we will specify the different ways in which the shock may happen."

"And the prime fact to be remembered," interposed Servadac, "is that the combined velocity of the two bodies

"Just so," assented Procope. "Now, the two bodies may impinge either directly or obliquely. If the impact is

sufficiently oblique, Gallia may do precisely what she did before: she may graze the earth; she may, or she

may not, carry off a portion of the earth's atmosphere and substance, and so she may float away again into

space; but her orbit would undoubtedly be deranged, and if we survive the shock, we shall have small chance

"Professor Rosette, I suppose," Ben Zoof remarked, "would pretty soon find out all about that."

"But we will leave this hypothesis," said the lieutenant; "our own experience has sufficiently shown us its

advantages and its disadvantages. We will proceed to consider the infinitely more serious alternative of direct

impact; of a shock that would hurl the comet straight on to the earth, to which it would become attached."

The captain held up his finger to his orderly, making him understand that he should hold his tongue.

"It is, I presume, to be taken for granted," continued Lieutenant Procope, "that the mass of the earth is

comparatively so large that, in the event of a direct collision, her own motion would not be sensibly retarded,

"Well, then," the lieutenant went on, "what part of this comet of ours will be the part to come into collision

with the earth? It may be the equator, where we are; it may be at the exactly opposite point, at our antipodes;

or it may be at either pole. In any case, it seems hard to foresee whence there is to come the faintest chance of

"I will tell you why it seems so. If the side of the comet on which we are resident impinges on the earth, it

stands to reason that we must be crushed to atoms by the violence of the concussion."

"Regular mincemeat!" said Ben Zoof, whom no admonitions could quite reduce to silence.

"And if," said the lieutenant, after a moment's pause, and the slightest possible frown at the

interruption"and if the collision should occur at our antipodes, the sudden check to the velocity of the

comet would be quite equivalent to a shock in situ; and, another thing, we should run the risk of being

suffocated, for all our comet's atmosphere would be assimilated with the terrestrial atmosphere, and we,

supposing we were not dashed to atoms, should be left as it were upon the summit of an enormous mountain

(for such to all intents and purposes Gallia would be), 450 miles above the level of the surface of the globe,

"But would not our chances of escape be considerably better," asked Count Timascheff, "in the event of

"Taking the combined velocity into account," answered the lieutenant, "I confess that I fear the violence of

A general silence ensued, which was broken by the lieutenant himself. "Even if none of these contingencies

occur in the way we have contemplated, I am driven to the suspicion that we shall be burnt alive."

"Yes. If the deductions of modern science be true, the speed of the comet, when suddenly checked, will be

transmuted into heat, and that heat will be so intense that the temperature of the comet will be raised to some

No one having anything definite to allege in reply to Lieutenant Procope's forebodings, they all relapsed into

silence. Presently Ben Zoof asked whether it was not possible for the comet to fall into the middle of the

Procope shook his head. "Even so, we should only be adding the fate of drowning to the list of our other

"Then, as I understand," said Captain Servadac, "in whatever way or in whatever place the concussion occurs,

we must be either crushed, suffocated, roasted, or drowned. Is that your conclusion, lieutenant?"

All eyes in a moment were riveted upon him, as, with his head resting on his hands, he was manifestly

cogitating a new idea. "Yes, I think it could be accomplished," he repeated. "The project may appear

extravagant, but I do not know why it should be impossible. Ben Zoof has hit the right nail on the head; we

The lieutenant did not at once reply. He continued pondering for a time, and at last said, slowly and

"A balloon!" he exclaimed. "Out of the question! Balloons are exploded things. You hardly find them in

"Listen to me," replied Procope. "Perhaps I can convince you that my idea is not so chimerical as you

imagine." And, knitting his brow, he proceeded to establish the feasibility of his plan. "If we can ascertain the

precise moment when the shock is to happen, and can succeed in launching ourselves a sufficient time

beforehand into Gallia's atmosphere, I believe it will transpire that this atmosphere will amalgamate with that

of the earth, and that a balloon whirled along by the combined velocity would glide into the mingled

atmosphere and remain suspended in midair until the shock of the collision is overpast."

Count Timascheff reflected for a minute, and said, "I think, lieutenant, I understand your project. The scheme

seems tenable; and I shall be ready to cooperate with you, to the best of my power, in putting it into

"Only, remember," continued Procope, "there are many chances to one against our success. One instant's

obstruction and stoppage in our passage, and our balloon is burnt to ashes. Still, reluctant as I am to

acknowledge it, I confess that I feel our sole hope of safety rests in our getting free from this comet."

"If the chances were ten thousand to one against us," said Servadac, "I think the attempt ought to be made."

"Hot air will be all that we shall require," the lieutenant answered; "we are only contemplating about an

"Ah, a fireballoon! A montgolfier!" cried Servadac. "But what are you going to do for a casing?"

"I have thought of that. We must cut it out of the sails of the Dobryna; they are both light and strong,"

rejoined the lieutenant. Count Timascheff complimented the lieutenant upon his ingenuity, and Ben Zoof

Truly daring was the plan of which Lieutenant Procope had thus become the originator; but the very existence

of them all was at stake, and the design must be executed resolutely. For the success of the enterprise it was

absolutely necessary to know, almost to a minute, the precise time at which the collision would occur, and

Captain Servadac undertook the task, by gentle means or by stern, of extracting the secret from the professor.

To Lieutenant Procope himself was entrusted the superintendence of the construction of the montgolfier, and

the work was begun at once. It was to be large enough to carry the whole of the twentythree residents in the

volcano, and, in order to provide the means of floating aloft long enough to give time for selecting a proper

place for descent, the lieutenant was anxious to make it carry enough hay or straw to maintain combustion for

The sails of the Dobryna, which had all been carefully stowed away in the Hive, were of a texture unusually

close, and quite capable of being made airtight by means of a varnish, the ingredients of which were

rummaged out of the promiscuous stores of the tartan. The lieutenant himself traced out the pattern and cut

out the strips, and all hands were employed in seaming them together. It was hardly the work for little fingers,

but Nina persisted in accomplishing her own share of it. The Russians were quite at home at occupation of

this sort, and having initiated the Spaniards into its mysteries, the task of joining together the casing was soon

complete. Isaac Hakkabut and the professor were the only two members of the community who took no part

A month passed away, but Servadac found no opportunity of getting at the information he had pledged

himself to gain. On the sole occasion when he had ventured to broach the subject with the astronomer, he had

received for answer that as there was no hurry to get back to the earth, there need be no concern about any

Indeed, as time passed on, the professor seemed to become more and more inaccessible. A pleasant

temperature enabled him to live entirely in his observatory, from which intruders were rigidly shut out. But

Servadac bided his time. He grew more and more impressed with the importance of finding out the exact

moment at which the impact would take place, but was content to wait for a promising opportunity to put any

Meanwhile, the earth's disc was daily increasing in magnitude; the comet traveled 50,000,000 leagues during

the month, at the close of which it was not more than 78,000,000 leagues from the sun.

A thaw had now fairly set in. The breaking up of the frozen ocean was a magnificent spectacle, and "the great

voice of the sea," as the whalers graphically describe it, was heard in all its solemnity. Little streams of water

began to trickle down the declivities of the mountain and along the shelving shore, only to be transformed, as

the melting of the snow continued, into torrents or cascades. Light vapors gathered on the horizon, and clouds

were formed and carried rapidly along by breezes to which the Gallian atmosphere had long been

unaccustomed. All these were doubtless but the prelude to atmospheric disturbances of a more startling

character; but as indications of returning spring, they were greeted with a welcome which no apprehensions

A double disaster was the inevitable consequence of the thaw. Both the schooner and the tartan were entirely

destroyed. The basement of the icy pedestal on which the ships had been upheaved was gradually

undermined, like the icebergs of the Arctic Ocean, by warm currents of water, and on the night of the 12th the

huge block collapsed en masse, so that on the following morning nothing remained of the Dobryna and the

Although certainly expected, the catastrophe could not fail to cause a sense of general depression. Wellnigh

one of their last ties to Mother Earth had been broken; the ships were gone, and they had only a balloon to

To describe Isaac Hakkabut's rage at the destruction of the tartan would be impossible. His oaths were simply

dreadful; his imprecations on the accursed race were full of wrath. He swore that Servadac and his people

were responsible for his loss; he vowed that they should be sued and made to pay him damages; he asserted

that he had been brought from Gourbi Island only to be plundered; in fact, he became so intolerably abusive,

that Servadac threatened to put him into irons unless he conducted himself properly; whereupon the Jew,

finding that the captain was in earnest, and would not hesitate to carry the threat into effect, was fain to hold

By the 14th the balloon was finished, and, carefully sewn and well varnished as it had been, it was really a

very substantial structure. It was covered with a network that had been made from the light rigging of the

yacht, and the car, composed of wickerwork that had formed partitions in the hold of the Hansa, was quite

commodious enough to hold the twentythree passengers it was intended to convey. No thought had been

bestowed upon comfort or convenience, as the ascent was to last for so short a time, merely long enough for

The necessity was becoming more and more urgent to get at the true hour of the approaching contact, but the

professor seemed to grow more obstinate than ever in his resolution to keep his secret.

On the 15th the comet crossed the orbit of Mars, at the safe distance of 56,000,000 leagues; but during that

night the community thought that their last hour had taken them unawares. The volcano rocked and trernbled

with the convulsions of internal disturbance, and Servadac and his companions, convinced that the mountain

The first object that caught their attention as they emerged upon the open rocks was the unfortunate

professor, who was scrambling down the mountainside, piteously displaying a fragment of his shattered

A new marvel arrested every eye. A fresh satellite, in the gloom of night, was shining conspicuously before

By the expansive action of the inner heat, Gallia, like Gambart's comet, had been severed in twain; an

What would be the consequences of this sudden and complete disruption, Servadac and his people hardly

The first change that came under their observation was the rapidity of the sun's appearances and

disappearances, forcing them to the conviction that although the comet still rotated on its axis from east to

west, yet the period of its rotation had been diminished by about onehalf. Only six hours instead of twelve

elapsed between sunrise and sunrise; three hours after rising in the west the sun was sinking again in the east.

"We are coming to something!" exclaimed Servadac. "We have got a year of something like 2,880 days."

"I shouldn't think it would be an easy matter to find saints enough for such a calendar as that!" said Ben Zoof.

Servadac laughed, and remarked that they should have the professor talking about the 238th of June, and the

It soon became evident that the detached portion was not revolving round the comet, but was gradually

retreating into space. Whether it had carried with it any portion of atmosphere, whether it possessed any other

condition for supporting life, and whether it was likely ever again to approach to the earth, were all questions

that there were no means of determining. For themselves the allimportant problem waswhat effect would

the rending asunder of the comet have upon its rate of progress? and as they were already conscious of a

further increase of muscular power, and a fresh diminution of specific gravity, Servadac and his associates

could not but wonder whether the alteration in the mass of the comet would not result in its missing the

Although he professed himself incompetent to pronounce a decided opinion, Lieutenant Procope manifestly

inclined to the belief that no alteration would ensue in the rate of Gallia's velocity; but Rosette, no doubt,

could answer the question directly, and the time had now arrived in which he must be compelled to divulge

But the professor was in the worst of tempers. Generally taciturn and morose, he was more than usually

uncivil whenever any one ventured to speak to him. The loss of his telescope had doubtless a great deal to do

with his illhumor; but the captain drew the most favorable conclusions from Rosette's continued irritation.

Had the comet been in any way projected from its course, so as to be likely to fail in coming into contact with

the earth, the professor would have been quite unable to conceal his satisfaction. But they required to know

more than the general truth, and felt that they had no time to lose in getting at the exact details.

On the 18th, Rosette was overheard in furious altercation with Ben Zoof. The orderly had been taunting the

astronomer with the mutilation of his little comet. A fine thing, he said, to split in two like a child's toy. It had

cracked like a dry nut; and mightn't one as well live upon an exploding bomb?with much more to the same

effect. The professor, by way of retaliation, had commenced sneering at the "prodigious" mountain of

Montmartre, and the dispute was beginning to look serious when Servadac entered.

Thinking he could turn the wrangling to some good account, so as to arrive at the information he was so

anxiously seeking, the captain pretended to espouse the views of his orderly; he consequently brought upon

Rosette's language became more and more violent, till Servadac, feigning to be provoked beyond endurance,

"I deny it," said Servadac. "Gallia has lost its chance of getting back to the earth. Gallia has nothing to do

with you. Gallia is mine; and you must submit to the government which I please to ordain."

"And who told you that Gallia is not going back to the earth?" asked the professor, with a look of withering

"Why, isn't her mass diminished? Isn't she split in half? Isn't her velocity all altered?" demanded the captain.

"Everybody is very clever. And you always were a very clever scholar too. We remember that of old, don't

"Hold your tongue, sir!" bellowed the captain again, as if his anger was uncontrollable.

"What has mass to do with the orbit? Of how many comets do you know the mass, and yet you know their

Ben Zoof, really thinking that his master was angry, made a threatening movement towards the professor.

"Touch me if you dare!" screamed Rosette, drawing himself up to the fullest height his diminutive figure

"Not too far off for us to come across her orbit at 42 minutes and 35.6 seconds past two o'clock on the

"Thanks, my dear professormany thanks. You have given me all the information I required;" and, with a

low bow and a gracious smile, the captain withdrew. The orderly made an equally polite bow, and followed

Thirteen days, thentwentysix of the original Gallian days, fiftytwo of the presentwas all the time for

preparation that now remained. Every preliminary arrangement was hurried on with the greatest earnestness.

There was a general eagerness to be quit of Gallia. Indifferent to the dangers that must necessarily attend a

balloon ascent under such unparalleled circumstances, and heedless of Lieutenant Procope's warning that the

slightest check in their progress would result in instantaneous combustion, they all seemed to conclude that it

must be the simplest thing possible to glide from one atmosphere to another, so that they were quite sanguine

as to the successful issue of their enterprise. Captain Servadac made a point of showing himself quite

enthusiastic in his anticipations, and to Ben Zoof the going up in a balloon was the supreme height of his

ambition. The count and the lieutenant, of colder and less demonstrative temperament, alike seemed to realize

the possible perils of the undertaking, but even they were determined to put a bold face upon every difficulty.

The sea had now become navigable, and three voyages were made to Gourbi Island in the steam launch,

The first voyage had been made by Servadac with several of the sailors. They found the gourbi and the

adjacent building quite uninjured by the severity of the winter; numbers of little rivulets intersected the

pastureland; new plants were springing up under the influence of the equatorial sun, and the luxuriant

foliage was tenanted by the birds which had flown back from the volcano. Summer had almost abruptly

succeeded to winter, and the days, though only three hours long, were intensely hot.

Another of the voyages to the island had been to collect the dry grass and straw which was necessary for

inflating the balloon. Had the balloon been less cumbersome it would have been conveyed to the island,

whence the start would have been effected; but as it was, it was more convenient to bring the combustible

The last of the coal having been consumed, the fragments of the shipwrecked vessels had to be used day by

day for fuel. Hakkabut began making a great hubbub when he found that they were burning some of the spars

of the Hansa; but he was effectually silenced by Ben Zoof, who told him that if he made any more fuss, he

should be compelled to pay 50,000 francs for a balloonticket, or else he should be left behind.

By Christmas Day everything was in readiness for immediate departure. The festival was observed with a

solemnity still more marked than the anniversary of the preceding year. Every one looked forward to

spending New Year's Day in another sphere altogether, and Ben Zoof had already promised Pablo and Nina

It may seem strange, but the nearer the critical moment approached, the less Hector Servadac and Count

Timascheff had to say to each other on the subject. Their mutual reserve became more apparent; the

experiences of the last two years were fading from their minds like a dream; and the fair image that had been

The captain's thoughts began to turn to his unfinished rondo; in his leisure moments, rhymes suitable and

unsuitable, possible and impossible, were perpetually jingling in his imagination. He labored under the

conviction that he had a work of genius to complete. A poet he had left the earth, and a poet he must return.

Count Timascheff's desire to return to the world was quite equaled by Lieutenant Procope's. The Russian

sailors' only thought was to follow their master, wherever he went. The Spaniards, though they would have

been unconcerned to know that they were to remain upon Gallia, were nevertheless looking forward with

some degree of pleasure to revisiting the plains of Andalusia; and Nina and Pablo were only too delighted at

the prospect of accompanying their kind protectors on any fresh excursion whatever.

The only malcontent was Palmyrin Rosette. Day and night he persevered in his astronomical pursuits,

declared his intention of never abandoning his comet, and swore positively that nothing should induce him to

The misfortune that had befallen his telescope was a neverending theme of complaint; and just now, when

Gallia was entering the narrow zone of shootingstars, and new discoveries might have been within his reach,

his loss made him more inconsolable than ever. In sheer desperation, he endeavored to increase the intensity

of his vision by applying to his eyes some belladonna which he found in the Dobryna's medicine chest; with

heroic fortitude he endured the tortures of the experiment, and gazed up into the sky until he was nearly blind.

No one was quite exempt from the feverish excitement which prevailed during the last days of December.

Lieutenant Procope superintended his final arrangements. The two low masts of the schooner had been

erected firmly on the shore, and formed supports for the rnontgolfier, which had been duly covered with the

netting, and was ready at any moment to be inflated. The car was close at hand. Some inflated skins had been

attached to its sides, so that the balloon might float for a time, in the event of its descending in the sea at a

short distance from the shore. If unfortunately, it should come down in midocean, nothing but the happy

chance of some passing vessel could save them all from the certain fate of being drowned.

The 31st came. Twentyfour hours hence and the balloon, with its large living freight, would be high in the

air. The atmosphere was less buoyant than that of the earth, but no difficulty in ascending was to be

Gallia was now within 96,000,000 miles of the sun, consequently not much more than 4,000,000 miles from

the earth; and this interval was being diminished at the rate of nearly 208,000 miles an hour, the speed of the

earth being about 70,000 miles, that of the comet being little less than 138,000 miles an hour.

It was determined to make the start at two o'clock, threequarters of an hour, or, to speak correctly 42

minutes 35.6 seconds, before the time predicted by the professor as the instant of collision. The modified

An hour previously the balloon was inflated with perfect success, and the car was securely attached to the

Isaac Hakkabut was the first to take his place in the car. But scarcely had he done so, when Servadac noticed

that his waist was encompassed by an enormous girdle that bulged out to a very extraordinary extent. "What's

"It's only my little bit of money, your Excellency; my modest little fortune a mere bagatelle," said the Jew.

"Sixtysix pounds!" repeated Servadac. "We can hardly carry ourselves; we can't have any dead weight here.

"Now, old Nicodemus, listen to me," interposed Ben Zoof; "you just get rid of that pouch of yours, or we will

The avaricious old man was found to value his life above his money; he made a lamentable outcry about it,

Very different was the case with Palmyrin Rosette. He avowed over and over again his intention of never

quitting the nucleus of his comet. Why should he trust himself to a balloon, that would blaze up like a piece

of paper? Why should he leave the comet? Why should he not go once again upon its surface into the faroff

His volubility was brought to a sudden check by Servadac's bidding two of the sailors, without more ado, to

To the great regret of their owners, the two horses and Nina's pet goat were obliged to be left behind. The

only creature for which there was found a place was the carrierpigeon that had brought the professor's

message to the Hive. Servadac thought it might probably be of service in carrying some communication to

When every one, except the captain and his orderly, had taken their places, Servadac said, "Get in, Ben

A moment's hesitation and the orderly clambered over the side of the car. Servadac followed. The cords were

When the balloon had reached an elevation of about 2,500 yards, Lieutenant Procope determined to maintain

it at that level. A wirework stove, suspended below the casing, and filled with lighted hay, served to keep

Beneath their feet was extended the basin of the Gallian Sea. An inconsiderable speck to the north marked the

site of Gourbi Island. Ceuta and Gibraltar, which might have been expected in the west, had utterly

disappeared. On the south rose the volcano, the extremity of the promontory that jutted out from the continent

that formed the framework of the sea; whilst in every direction the strange soil, with its commixture of

Apparently rising with them in their ascent, the horizon was welldefined. The sky above them was perfectly

clear; but away in the northwest, in opposition to the sun, floated a new sphere, so small that it could not be

an asteroid, but like a dim meteor. It was the fragment that the internal convulsion had rent from the surface

of the comet, and which was now many thousands of leagues away, pursuing the new orbit into which it had

been projected. During the hours of daylight it was far from distinct, but after nightfall it would assume a

The object, however, of supreme interest was the great expanse of the terrestrial disc, which was rapidly

drawing down obliquely towards them. It totally eclipsed an enormous portion of the firmament above, and

approaching with an everincreasing velocity, was now within half its average distance from the moon. So

close was it, that the two poles could not be embraced in one focus. Irregular patches of greater or less

brilliancy alternated on its surface, the brighter betokening the continents, the more somber indicating the

oceans that absorbed the solar rays. Above, there were broad white bands, darkened on the side averted from

the sun, exhibiting a slow but unintermittent movement; these were the vapors that pervaded the terrestrial

But as the aeronauts were being hurried on at a speed of 70 miles a second, this vague aspect of the earth

soon developed itself into definite outlines. Mountains and plains were no longer confused, the distinction

between sea and shore was more plainly identified, and instead of being, as it were, depicted on a map, the

Twentyseven minutes past two, and Gallia is only 72,000 miles from the terrestrial sphere; quicker and

quicker is the velocity; ten minutes later, and they are only 36,000 miles apart!

"Europe! Russia! France!" shout Procope, the count, and Servadac, almost in a breath.

And they are not mistaken. The eastern hemisphere lies before them in the full blaze of light, and there is no

The surprise only kindled their emotion to yet keener intensity, and it would be hard to describe the

excitement with which they gazed at the panorama that was before them. The crisis of peril was close at hand,

but imagination overleaped all consideration of danger; and everything was absorbed in the one idea that they

were again within reach of that circle of humanity from which they had supposed themselves severed forever.

And, truly, if they could have paused to study it, that panorama of the states of Europe which was

outstretched before their eyes, was conspicuous for the fantastic resemblances with which Nature on the one

hand, and international relations on the other, have associated them. There was England, marching like some

stately dame towards the east, trailing her ample skirts and coroneted with the cluster of her little islets;

Sweden and Norway, with their bristling spine of mountains, seemed like a splendid lion eager to spring

down from the bosom of the icebound north; Russia, a gigantic polar bear, stood with its head towards Asia,

its left paw resting upon Turkey, its right upon Mount Caucasus; Austria resembled a huge cat curled up and

sleeping a watchful sleep; Spain, with Portugal as a pennant, like an unfurled banner, floated from the

extremity of the continent; Turkey, like an insolent cock, appeared to clutch the shores of Asia with the one

claw, and the land of Greece with the other; Italy, as it were a foot and leg encased in a tightfitting boot, was

juggling deftly with the islands of Sicily, Sardinia, and Corsica; Prussia, a formidable hatchet imbedded in

the heart of Germany, its edge just grazing the frontiers of France; whilst France itself suggested a vigorous

All at once Ben Zoof breaks the silence: "Montmartre! I see Montmartre!" And, smile at the absurdity as

others might, nothing could induce the worthy orderly to surrender his belief that he could actually make out

The only individual whose soul seemed unstirred by the approaching earth was Palmyrin Rosette. Leaning

over the side of the car, he kept his eyes fixed upon the abandoned comet, now floating about a mile and a

half below him, bright in the general irradiation which was flooding the surrounding space.

Chronometer in hand, Lieutenant Procope stood marking the minutes and seconds as they fled; and the

stillness which had once again fallen upon them all was only broken by his order to replenish the stove, that

the montgolfier might retain its necessary level. Servadac and the count continued to gaze upon the earth with

an eagerness that almost amounted to awe. The balloon was slightly in the rear of Gallia, a circumstance that

augured somewhat favorably, because it might be presumed that if the comet preceded the balloon in its

contact with the earth, there would be a break in the suddenness of transfer from one atmosphere to the other.

The next question of anxiety was, where would the balloon alight? If upon terra firma, would it be in a place

where adequate resources for safety would be at hand? If upon the ocean, would any passing vessel be within

hail to rescue them from their critical position? Truly, as the count observed to his comrades, none but a

"Fortytwo minutes past!" said the lieutenant, and his voice seemed to thrill through the silence of

The calculated time of impact was 2 hours 47 minutes 35.6 seconds. Five minutes more and collision must

But was it so? Just at this moment, Lieutenant Procope observed that the comet deviated sensibly in an

The deviation, however, was not great; it did not justify any anticipation that Gallia would merely graze the

earth, as it had done before; it left it certain that the two bodies would inevitably impinge.

Another thought occurred. Was it not only too likely that, in the fusion of the two atmospheres, the balloon

itself, in which they were being conveyed, would be rent into ribbons, and every one of its passengers hurled

into destruction, so that not a Gallian should survive to tell the tale of their strange peregrinations?

Moments were precious; but Hector Servadac resolved that he would adopt a device to secure that at least

Tearing a leaf from his notebook, he wrote down the name of the comet, the list of the fragments of the

earth it had carried off, the names of his companions, and the date of the comet's aphelion; and having

subscribed it with his signature, turned to Nina and told her he must have the carrierpigeon which was

The child's eyes filled with tears; she did not say a word, but imprinting a kiss upon its soft plumage, she

surrendered it at once, and the message was hurriedly fastened to its neck. The bird wheeled round and round

in a few circles that widened in their diameter, and quickly sunk to an altitude in the comet's atmosphere

Some minutes more were thus consumed and the interval of distance was reduced to less than 8,000 miles.

The velocity became inconceivably great, but the increased rate of motion was in no way perceptible; there

was nothing to disturb the equilibrium of the car in which they were making their aerial adventure.

he glowing expanse of the earth's disc seemed like a vast funnel, yawning to receive the comet and its

There was half a minute yet. A thrill ran through every vein. A vibration quivered through the atmosphere.

The montgolfier, elongated to its utmost stretch, was manifestly being sucked into a vortex. Every passenger

in the quivering car involuntarily clung spasmodically to its sides, and as the two atmospheres amalgamated,

clouds accumulated in heavy masses, involving all around in dense obscurity, while flashes of lurid flame

In a mystery every one found himself upon the earth again. They could not explain it, but here they were once

more upon terrestrial soil; in a swoon they had left the earth, and in a similar swoon they had come back!

Of the balloon not a vestige remained, and contrary to previous computation, the comet had merely grazed

"Yes, Ben Zoof, in Algeria; and not far from Mostaganem." Such were the first words which, after their

They had resided so long in the province that they could not for a moment be mistaken as to their

whereabouts, and although they were incapable of clearing up the mysteries that shrouded the miracle, yet

they were convinced at the first glance that they had been returned to the earth at the very identical spot

In fact, they were scarcely more than a mile from Mostaganem, and in the course of an hour, when they had

all recovered from the bewilderment occasioned by the shock, they started off in a body and made their way

to the town. It was a matter of extreme surprise to find no symptom of the least excitement anywhere as they

went along. The population was perfectly calm; every one was pursuing his ordinary avocation; the cattle

were browsing quietly upon the pastures that were moist with the dew of an ordinary January morning. It was

about eight o'clock; the sun was rising in the east; nothing could be noticed to indicate that any abnormal

incident had either transpired or been expected by the inhabitants. As to a collision with a comet, there was

not the faintest trace of any such phenomenon crossing men's minds, and awakening, as it surely would, a

"No, indeed," answered Ben Zoof, with a sigh; he was manifestly disappointed that his return to Mostaganem

They reached the Mascara gate. The first persons that Servadac recognized were the two friends that he had

invited to be his seconds in the duel two years ago, the colonel of the 2nd Fusiliers and the captain of the 8th

Artillery. In return to his somewhat hesitating salutation, the colonel greeted him heartily, "Ah! Servadac, old

"Where on earth have you been to all this time? In the name of peace, what have you been doing with

"You would never believe me, colonel," answered Servadac, "if I were to tell you; so on that point I had

"No, my friend, excuse me," replied Servadac; "but shake hands with me in earnest, that I may be sure I am

not dreaming." Hector Servadac had made up his mind, and no amount of persuasion could induce him to

Anxious to turn the subject, Servadac took the earliest opportunity of asking, "And what about Madame de

"Madame de L!" exclaimed the colonel, taking the words out of his mouth; "the lady is married long

ago; you did not suppose that she was going to wait for you. 'Out of sight, out of mind,' you know."

"True," replied Servadac; and turning to the count he said, "Do you hear that? We shall not have to fight our

"Most happy to be excused," rejoined the count. The rivals took each other by the hand, and were united

"An immense relief," said Servadac to himself, "that I have no occasion to finish that confounded rondo!"

It was agreed between the captain and the count that it would be desirable in every way to maintain the most

rigid silence upon the subject of the inexplicable phenomena which had come within their experience. It was

to them both a subject of the greatest perplexity to find that the shores of the Mediterranean had undergone no

change, but they coincided in the opinion that it was prudent to keep their bewilderment entirely to

The Dobryna's crew, with the count and the lieutenant, started for Russia, and the Spaniards, provided, by the

count's liberality, with a competency that ensured them from want, were despatched to their native shores.

For Isaac Hakkabut alone there was no feeling of regret. Doubly ruined by the loss of his tartan, and by the

abandonment of his fortune, he disappeared entirely from the scene. It is needless to say that no one troubled

himself to institute a search after him, and, as Ben Zoof sententiously remarked, "Perhaps old Jehoram is

making money in America by exhibiting himself as the latest arrival from a comet!"

But however great was the reserve which Captain Servadac might make on his part, nothing could induce

Professor Rosette to conceal his experiences. In spite of the denial which astronomer after astronomer gave to

the appearance of such a comet as Gallia at all, and of its being refused admission to the catalogue, he

published a voluminous treatise, not only detailing his own adventures, but setting forth, with the most

elaborate precision, all the elements which settled its period and its orbit. Discussions arose in scientific

circles; an overwhelming majority decided against the representations of the professor; an unimportant

minority declared themselves in his favor, and a pamphlet obtained some degree of notice, ridiculing the

whole debate under the title of "The History of an Hypothesis." In reply to this impertinent criticism of his

labors, Rosette issued a rejoinder full with the most vehement expressions of indignation, and reiterating his

asseveration that a fragment of Gibraltar was still traversing the regions of space, carrying thirteen

Englishmen upon its surface, and concluding by saying that it was the great disappointment of his life that he

Pablo and little Nina were adopted, the one by Servadac, the other by the count, and under the supervision of

their guardians, were well educated and cared for. Some years later, Colonel, no longer Captain, Servadac,

his hair slightly streaked with grey, had the pleasure of seeing the handsome young Spaniard united in

marriage to the Italian, now grown into a charming girl, upon whom the count bestowed an ample dowry; the

young people's happiness in no way marred by the fact that they had not been destined, as once seemed

The career of the comet was ever a mystery which neither Servadac nor his orderly could eliminate from the

regions of doubt. Anyhow, they were firmer and more confiding friends than ever.

One day, in the environs of Montmartre, where they were secure from eavesdroppers, Ben Zoof incidentally

referred to the experiences in the depths of Nina's Hive; but stopped short and said, "However, those things