AFLOAT ON THE INTERIOR OCEAN.
As the _Polar King_ sped southward over the interior sea the wonders
of the strange world we had discovered began to dawn upon us. The
colossal vault rose more and more above us and the sun threw his mild
and vertical rays directly upon ship and sea, producing a most
delightful climate. The ocean had a temperature of 75 degrees Fahr.
and the air 85 degrees. We were absolutely sailing upside down to an
inhabitant of the outer sphere, yet we seemed to ourselves to be
sailing naturally erect on the sea with the sun above us.
Our first experience in the internal sphere was that of a sudden
storm. The sun grew dark and appeared like a disc of sombre gold. The
ocean was lashed by a furious hurricane into incredible mountains of
water. Every crest of the waves seemed a mass of yellow flame. The
internal heavens were rent open with gulfs of sulphur-colored fire,
while the thunder reverberated with terrible concussions. The ship
would spin upon the water as though every wave were a whirlpool. A
golden-yellow phosphorescence covered the ocean. The water boiled in
maddening eddies of lemon-colored seas, while from the hurricane decks
streamed cataracts of saffron fire. The lightning, like streaks of
molten gold, hurled its burning darts into the sea. Everything bore
the glow of amber-colored fire. The sailors congratulated themselves
on the shelter provided by the deck overhead. The motion of the ship
exceeded all former experiences, for it leaped and plunged in a
terrific manner. It was a question whether we would survive the storm
or not, so violent was the shaking up both ship and men received.
Fortunately, the loss of weight in everything, which was the cause of
the rapid motion, permitted no more damage than would be caused by a
lesser storm on heavier objects.
The professor stated that he believed the tempest was occasioned by a
polar tidal wave of air rushing into the interior sphere, to supply
the exhaustion caused by outgoing warm currents, owing perhaps to a
periodical overheating of the air by the internal sun. When a certain
volume of the air was expelled, so that it could no longer resist
external pressure, then the external air rushed down the polar gulf,
creating by meeting warm outward-flowing currents cyclones such as we
were then experiencing.
By degrees the storm abated, the sea grew calm, the heavens above us
became clearer, and the sun assumed the rose-color he first presented
to our gaze, standing right in the zenith.
The only damage done to the crew was a few broken limbs and some
severe bruises. The ship had lost several spars, and one of her boats
was blown out of its lashings on deck and was lost.
It was a week since we had left the outer world, and what a change had
occurred in that short space of time! The excitement had been so
intense that not a man of us had slept during that period, and as for
meals, we had forgotten about them altogether.
A general order was given the cooks to prepare a banquet to duly
inaugurate our discovery of the new world. Both officers and men,
including myself, sat down at the same table, where we satisfied the
cravings of a week's hunger.
I expressed my heartfelt pleasure in the safety of the crew and ship
so far in making so tremendous a discovery. I relied on the courage
and loyalty of the crew for still further explorations in the strange
and mysterious planet we had discovered. I declared that those who
shared the dangers of the expedition would also share in whatever
reward fortune might bestow upon us.
It is needless to say such sentiments were enthusiastically applauded.
I praised my able coadjutor, Captain Wallace, without whose skilful
seamanship not a soul of us could ever have reached that secret world.
"It was he," said I, "who has guided us without a chart through five
hundred miles of polar cavern to the realms of Pluto, to Plutusia, the
interior world. On him again we must depend for a safe exit when our
explorations are ended."
Flathootly attempted to make a speech, but, like the rest of the
company, fell asleep, and in less than half an hour afterward not a
soul remained awake, excepting Professor Starbottle and myself.
We both struggled against sleep long enough to take a survey of the
internal sphere. The _Polar King_ floated on the wide bosom of the sea
underneath the perpendicular sun that lit all Plutusia with its beams.
With our telescopes we discovered oceans, continents, mountain ranges,
lakes, cities, railroads, ships, and buildings of all kinds spread
like an immense map on the concave vault of the earth overhead. It was
a sight that alone amply repaid us for the discovery of so sublime a
sphere.
We thought what a cry of joy would electrify both planets when through
our instrumentality they first knew of each other's existence. We
alone possessed the tremendous secret! Then, what possibilities of
commerce! What keen and glorious revelations of art! What unfolding of
the secrets of nature each world would find in the other! What
inventions rival nations would discover in either world, and here for
the outer world what possible mountains of gold, what quarries of
jewels! What means of empire and joy and love! But such thoughts were
too vast for wearied souls. We were stunned by such conceptions, and,
yielding to nature, sank into a dreamless sleep.