a journey in other worlds-第38部分

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greater　distance　from　the　sun。
　　　
〃The　adaptability　and　economy　of　Nature；〃　said　Cortlandt；　〃have
always　amazed　me。　　In　the　total　blackness　of　the　Kentucky　Mammoth
Cave；　where　eyes　would　be　of　no　use　to　the　fishes；　our　common
mother　has　given　them　none；　while　if　there　is　any　light；　though
not　as　much　as　we　are　accustomed　to；　she　may　be　depended　upon　to
rise　to　the　occasion　by　increasing　the　size　of　the　pupil　and　the
power　of　the　eye。　　In　the　development　of　the　ambulatory　muscles
we　again　see　her　handiwork；　probably　brought　about　through　the
'survival　of　the　fittest。'　　The　fishes　and　those　wholly　immersed
need　no　increase　in　power；　for；　though　they　weigh　more　than　they
would　on　earth；　the　weight　of　the　water　they　displace　is
increased　at　the　same　rate　also；　and　their　buoyancy　remains
unchanged。　　If　the　development　of　life　here　so　closely　follows
its　lines　on　earth；　with　the　exception　of　comparatively　slight
modifications；　which　are　exactly　what；　had　we　stopped　to　think；
we　should　have　expected　to　find；　may　we　not　reasonably　ask
whether　she　will　not　continue　on　these　lines；　and　in　time　produce
beings　like　ourselves；　but　with　more　powerful　muscles　and　eyes
capable　of　seeing　clearly　with　less　light？　　Reasoning　by　analogy；
we　can　come　to　no　other　conclusion；　unless　their　advent　is
anticipated　by　the　arrival　of　ready…made　colonists　from　the　more
advanced　earth；　like　ourselves。　　In　that　case　man；　by　pursuing
the　same　destructive　methods　that　he　has　pursued　in　regard　to
many　other　species；　may　exterminate　the　intervening　links；　and　so
arrest　evolution。〃
　　　
Before　leaving　Deepwaters　Bay　they　secured　a　pail　of　its　water；
which　they　found；　on　examination；　contained　a　far　larger
percentage　of　salt　and　solid　material　than　the　oceans　on　earth；
while　a　thermometer　that　they　immediately　immersed　in　it　soon
registered　eighty…five　degrees　Fahrenheit；　both　of　which
discoveries　confirmed　them　in　what　they　already　knew；　namely；
that　Jupiter　had　advanced　comparatively　little　from　the　condition
in　which　the　water　on　the　surface　is　hot；　in　which　state　the
earth　once　was。
　　　
They　were　soon　beyond　the　estuary　at　which　they　had　stopped　to
study　the　forms　of　life　and　to　make　this　test；　and　kept　on　due
north　for　several　days；　occasionally　rising　above　the　air。　　As
their　familiarity　with　their　surroundings　increased；　they　made
notes　of　several　things。　　The　mountains　covered　far　more
territory　at　their　bases　than　the　terrestrial　mountains；　and　they
were　in　places　very　rugged　and　showed　vast　yawning　chasms。　　They
were　also　wooded　farther　up　their　sides；　and　bore　but　little
snow；　but　so　far　the　travellers　had　not　found　them　much　higher
than　those　on　earth；　the　greatest　altitude　being　the　thirty…two
thousand　feet　south　of　Deepwaters　Bay；　and　one　other　ridge　that
was　forty　thousand；　so　that；　compared　with　the　size　of　the　planet
and　its　continents；　they　seemed　quite　small；　and　the　continents
themselves　were　comparatively　level。　　They　also　noted　that　spray
was　blown　in　vast　sheets；　till　the　ocean　for　miles　was　white　as
milk。　　The　wind　often　attained　tornado　strength；　and　the　whole
surface　of　the　water；　about　what　seemed　to　be　the　storm　centre；
frequently　moved　with　rapidity　in　the　form　of　foam。　　Yet；
notwithstanding　this；　the　waves　were　never　as　large　as　those　to
which　they　were　accustomed　on　earth。　　This　they　accounted　for
very　easily　by　the　fact　that；　while　water　weighed　2。55　times　as
much　as　on　earth；　the　pressure　of　air　was　but　little　more　than
half　as　much　again；　and　consequently　its　effect　on　all　but　the
very　surface　of　the　heavy　liquid　was　comparatively　slight。
　　　
〃Gravity　is　a　useful　factor　here；〃　observed　Cortlandt；　as　they
made　a　note　of　this；　〃for；　in　addition　to　giving　immunity　from
waves；　it　is　most　effective　in　checking　the　elevation　of　high
mountains　or　table…lands　in　the　high　latitudes；　which　we　shall
doubtless　find　sufficiently　cool；　or　even　cold；　while　in　tropical
regions；　which　might　otherwise　be　too　hot；　it　interferes　with
them　least；　on　account　of　being　partly　neutralized　by　the　rapid
rotation　with　which　all　four　of　the　major　planets　are　blessed。〃
　　　
At　sunrise　the　following　morning　they　saw　they　were　approaching
another　great　arm　of　the　sea。　　It　was　over　a　thousand　miles　wide
at　its　mouth；　and；　had　not　the　photographs　showed　the　contrary；
they　would　have　thought　the　Callisto　had　reached　the　northern　end
of　the　continent。　　It　extended　into　the　land　fifteen　thousand
miles；　and；　on　account　of　the　shape　of　its　mouth；　they　called　it
Funnel　Bay。　　Rising　to　a　height；　they　flew　across；　and　came　to　a
great　table…land　peninsula；　with　a　chain　of　mountains　on　either
side。　　The　southern　range　was　something　over；　and　the　northern
something　less　than；　five　thousand　feet　in　height；　while　the
table…land　between　sloped　almost　imperceptibly　towards　the
middle；　in　which；　as　they　expected；　they　found　a　river　compared
to　which　the　Mississippi　or　the　Amazon　would　be　but　a　brook。　　In
honour　of　the　President　of　the　Terrestrial　Axis　Straightening
Company；　they　called　this　great　projection；　which　averaged　about
four　thousand　miles　across　by　twelve　thousand　miles　long；
Bearwarden　Peninsula。　　They　already　noticed　a　change　in　climate；
the　ferns　and　palms　became　fewer；　and　were　succeeded　by　pines；
while　the　air　was　also　a　good　deal　cooler；　which　was　easily
accounted　for　by　their　altitudethough　even　at　that　height　it
was　considerably　denser　than　at　sea…　level　on　earthand　by　the
fact　that　they　were　already　near　latitude　thirty。
　　　
The　exposed　points　on　the　plateau；　as　also　the　summits　of　the
first　mountains　they　had　seen　before　alighting；　were　devoid　of
vegetation；　scarcely　so　much　as　a　blade　of　grass　being　visible。　
Since　they　could　not　account　for　this　by　cold；　they　concluded
that　the　most　probable　explanation　lay　in　the　tremendous
hurricanes　that；　produced　by　the　planet's　rapid　rotation；
frequently　swept　along　its　surface；　like　the　earth's　trade…winds；
but　with　far　more　violence。　　　　On　reaching　the　northern　coast　of
the　peninsula　they　increased　their　elevation　and　changed　their
course　to　northeast；　not　caring　to　remain　long　over　the　great
body　of　water；　which　they　named　Cortlandt　Bay。　　The　thousands　of
miles　of　foam　fast　flew　beneath　them；　the　first　thing　attracting
their　attention　being　a　change　in　the　ocean's　colour。　　In　the
eastern　shore　of　Cortlandt　Bay　they　soon　observed　the　mouth　of　a
river；　ten　miles　across；　from　which　this　tinted　water　issued　in　a
flood。　　On　account　of　its　colour；　which　reminded　them　of　a　stream
they　knew　so　well；　they　christened　it　the　Harlem。
　　　
Believing　that　an　expedition　up　its　valley　might　reveal　something
of　interest；　they　began　the　ascent；　remaining　at　an　elevation　of
a　few　hundred　feet。　　For　about　three　hundred　miles　they　followed
this　river；　which　had　but　few　bends；　while　its　sides　became　more
and　more　precipitous；　till　it　flowed　through　a　canon　four　and　a
half　miles　across。　　Though　they　knew　from　the　wide　discoloration
of　Cortlandt　Bay　that　the　volume　of　water　discharged　was
tremendous；　the　stream　seldom　moved　at　a　rate　of　more　than　five
miles　an　hour；　and　for　a　time　was　free　from　rocks　and　rapids；
from　which　the