a journey in other worlds-第43部分

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own　vine　and　fig…tree。〃
　　　
〃It　seems　to　me；〃　said　Cortlandt；　〃that　no　paradise　or　heaven
described　in　anything　but　the　Bible　compares　with　this。　
According　to　Virgil's　description；　the　joys　on　the　banks　of　his
river　Lethe　must　have　been　most　sad　and　dreary；　the　general
idleness　and　monotony　apparently　being　broken　only　by　wrestling
matches　between　the　children；　while　the　rest　strolled　about　with
laurel　wreaths　or　rested　in　the　shade。　　The　pilot　Palinurus；　who
had　been　drowned　by　falling　overboard　while　asleep；　but　who
before　that　had　presumably　done　his　duty；　did　not　seem　especially
happy；　while　the　harsh；　resentful　disposition　evidently　remained
unsoftened；　for　Dido　became　like　a　cliff　of　Marpesian　marble　when
AEneas　asked　to　be　forgiven；　though　he　had　doubtless　considered
himself　in　duty　bound　to　leave　her；　having　been　twice　commanded
to　do　so　by　Mercury；　the　messenger　of　Jove。　　She；　like　the　rest；
seems　to　have　had　no　occupation；　while　the　consciences　of　few
appear　to　have　been　sufficiently　clear　to　enable　them　to　enjoy
unbroken　rest。〃
　　　
〃The　idleness　in　the　spirit…land　of　all　profane　writers；〃　added
Bearwarden；　〃has　often　surprised　me　too。　　Though　I　have　always
recommended　a　certain　amount　of　recreation　for　my　staffin　fact；
more　than　I　have　generally　had　myselfan　excess　of　it　becomes　a
bore。　　I　think　that　all　real　progress　comes　through　thorough
work。　　Why　should　we　assume　that　progress　ceases　at　death？　　I
believe　in　the　verse　that　says；　'We　learn　here　on　earth　those
things　the　knowledge　of　which　is　perfected　in　heaven。'〃
　　　
〃According　to　that；〃　said　Cortlandt；　〃you　will　some　day　be
setting　the　axis　of　heaven　right；　for　in　order　to　do　work　there
must　be　work　to　be　donea　necessary　corollary　to　which　is　that
heaven　is　still　imperfect。〃
　　　
〃No；〃　said　Bearwarden；　bristling　up　at　the　way　Cortlandt
sometimes　received　his　speeches；　〃it　means　simply　that　its
development；　though　perfect　so　far　as　it　goes；　may　not　be
finished；　and　that　we　may　be　the　means；　as　on　earth；　of　helping
it　along。〃
　　　
〃The　conditions　constituting　heaven；〃　said　Ayrault；　〃may　be　as
fixed　as　the　laws　of　Nature；　though　the　products　of　those
conditions　might；　it　seems　to　me；　still　be　forming　and　subject　to
modification　thereby。　　The　reductio　ad　absurdu　would　of　course
apply　if　we　supposed　the　work　of　creation　absolutely　finished。〃



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　XIII。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　NORTH…POLAR　DISCOVERIES。

Two　days　later；　on　the　western　horizon；　they　beheld　the　ocean。　
Many　of　the　streams　whose　sources　they　had　seen　when　they　crossed
the　divide　from　the　lake　basin；　and　whose　courses　they　had
followed；　were　now　rivers　a　mile　wide；　with　the　tide　ebbing　and
rising　within　them　many　hundreds　of　miles　from　their　mouths。　
When　they　reached　the　shore　line　they　found　the　waves　breaking；
as　on　earth；　upon　the　sands；　but　with　this　difference：　they　had
before　noted　the　smallness　of　the　undulations　compared　with　the
strength　of　the　wind；　the　result　of　the　water's　weight。　　These
waves　now　reminded　them　of　the　behaviour　of　mercury；　or　of　melted
lead　when　stirred　on　earth；　by　the　rapidity　with　which　the　crests
dropped。　　Though　the　wind　was　blowing　an　on…shore　gale；　there　was
but　little　combing；　and　when　there　was　any　it　lasted　but　a
second。　　The　one　effort　of　the　crests　and　waves　seemed　to　be　to
remain　at　rest；　or；　if　stirred　in　spite　of　themselves；　to
subside。
　　　
When　over　the　surface　of　the　ocean；　the　voyagers　rose　to　a　height
of　thirty　thousand　metres；　and　after　twenty…　four　hours'
travelling　saw；　at　a　distance　of　about　two　hundred　miles；　what
looked　like　another　continent；　but　which　they　knew　must　be　an
island。　　On　finding　themselves　above　it；　they　rose　still　higher
to　obtain　a　view　of　its　outlines　and　compare　its　shape　with　that
of　the　islands　in　the　photographs　they　had　had　time　to　develop。　
The　length　ran　from　southeast　to　northwest。　　Though　crossed　by
latitude　forty；　and　notwithstanding　Jupiter's　distance　from　the
sun；　the　southern　side　had　a　very　luxuriant　vegetation　that　was
almost　semi…tropical。　　　　　　　This　they　accounted　for　by　its　total
immunity　from　cold；　the　density　of　the　air　at　sea…level；　and　the
warm　moist　breezes　it　received　from　the　tepid　ocean。　　The　climate
was　about　the　same　as　that　of　the　Riviera　or　of　Florida　in
winter；　and　there　was；　of　course；　no　parching　summer。
　　　
〃This　shows　me；〃　said　Bearwarden；　〃that　a　country's　climate
depends　less　on　the　amount　of　heat　it　receives　from　the　sun　than
on　the　amount　it　retains；　proof　of　which　we　have　in　the　tops　of
the　Himalayas　perpetually　covered　with　snow；　and　snow…capped
mountains　on　the　very　equator；　where　they　get　the　most　direct
rays；　and　where　those　rays　have　but　little　air　to　penetrate。　　It
shows　that　the　presence　of　a　substantial　atmosphere　is　as
necessary　a　part　of　the　calculation　in　practice　as　the　sun
itself。　　I　am　inclined　to　think　that；　with　the　constant　effect　of
the　internal　heat　on　its　oceans　and　atmosphere；　Jupiter　could　get
along　with　a　good　deal　less　solar　heat　than　it　receives；　in　proof
of　which　I　expect　to　find　the　poles　themselves　quite　comfortable。　
The　reason　the　internal　heat　is　so　little　taken　into　account　on
earth　is　because；　from　the　thickness　of　the　crust；　it　cannot　make
itself　felt；　for　if　the　earth　were　as　chilled　through　as　ice；　the
people　on　the　surface　would　not　feel　the　difference。〃
　　
A　Jovian　week's　explorations　disclosed　the　fact　that　though　the
island's　general　outlines　were　fairly　regular；　it　had　deep…water
harbours；　great　rivers；　and　land…locked　gulfs　and　bays；　some　of
which　penetrated　many　hundred　miles　into　the　interior。　　It　also
showed　that　the　island's　length　was　about　six　thousand　miles；　and
its　breadth　about　three　thousand；　and　that　it　had　therefore　about
the　superficial　area　of　Asia。　　They　found　no　trace　of　the　great
monsters　that　had　been　so　numerous　on　the　mainland；　though　there
were　plenty　of　smaller　and　gentle…looking　creatures；　among　them
animals　whose　build　was　much　like　that　of　the　prehistoric　horse；
with　undeveloped　toes　on　each　side　of　the　hoof；　which　in　the
modern　terrestrial　horse　have　disappeared；　the　hoof　being　in
reality　but　a　rounded…off　middle　finger。

　　　〃It　is　wonderful；〃　said　Bearwarden；　〃how　comparatively　narrow
a　body　of　water　can　keep　different　species　entirely　separate。　
The　island　of　Sumatra；　for　instance；　is　inhabited　by　marsupials
belonging　to　the　distinct　Australian　type；　in　which　the　female；
as　in　the　kangaroo；　carries　the　slightly　developed　young　in　a
pouch；　while　the　Malay　peninsula；　joined　to　the　mainland；　has　all
the　highly　developed　animals　of　Asia　and　the　connected　land　of
the　Eastern　hemisphere；　the　narrow　Malacca　Strait　being　all　that
has　kept　marsupials　and　mammals　apart；　though　the　separating
power　has　been　increased　by　the　rapid　current　setting　through。　
This　has　decreased　the　chance　of　creatures　carried　to　sea　on
drift…wood　or　uprooted　trees　getting　safely　over　to　such　a　degree
that　apparently　none　have　survived；　for；　had　they　done　so；　we　may
be　certain　that　the　mammals；　with　the　advantage　their　young　have
over　the　marsupials；　would　soon　have　run　them　out；　the　marsupials
being　the　ol