Latest / Classic Science Fiction Books / 05 - First Lessons in Climbing - Journey to the Center of the Earth - Jules Verne
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- Chapter five, First Lessons in Climbing. At Altona, a suburb of Hamburg, is the chief station of the Keel Railway, which was to take us to the shores of the belt. In twenty minutes from the moment of our departure, we were in Holstein and our carriage entered the station. Our heavy luggage was taken out, weighed, labeled and placed in a huge van. We then took our tickets and exactly at seven o'clock were seated opposite each other in a first class railway carriage. My uncle said nothing, he was too busy examining his papers, among which, of course was the famous parchment and some letters of introduction from the Danish consul, which were to pave the way to an introduction to the Governor of Iceland. My only amusement was looking out of the window, But as we passed through a flat, though fertile con entry, this occupation was slightly monotonous. In three hours we reached Keel and our baggage was at once transferred to the steamer. We had now a day before us, a delay of about ten hours, which fact put my uncle in a towering passion. We had nothing to do but to walk about the pretty town and bay. At length, however, we went on board, and at half past ten were steaming down the Great Belt. It was a dark night, with a strong breeze and a rough sea, nothing being visible but the occasional fires on shore, with here and there a lighthouse. At seven in the morning we left Corsair, a little town on the western side of sea land. Here we took another railway, which in three hours brought us to the capital, Copenhagen, where, scarcely taking time for refreshment, my uncle hurried out to present one of his letters of introduction. It was to the director of the Museum of Antiquities, who, having been informed that we were tourists bound for Iceland, did all he could to assist us. One wretched hope sustained me. Now, perhaps no vessel was bound for such distant parts alas a little Danish schooner, the Valkyria, was to sail on the second of June for Reikavik. The captain M. Bjarne was on board and was rather surprised at the energy and cordiality with which his future passenger shook him by the hand to him a voyage to Iceland. Was merely a matter of course. My uncle, on the other hand, considered the event of sublime importance. The honest sailor took advantage of the professor's enthusiast to double the fare. On Tuesday morning, at seven o'clock beyond board, said Embone, handing us our receipts. Excellent capital glorious, remarked my uncle, as we set down to a late breakfast. Refresh yourself, my boy, and we will take a run through the town. Our meal concluded, we went to the komins Ntor, to the King's magnificent palace, to the beautiful bridge of the canal near the museum, to the immense cenotaph of Torwalsen with its hideous naval groups, to the Castle of Rosenberg, and to all the other lions of the place, none of which my uncle even saw. So absorbed was he in his anticipated triumphs. But one thing struck his fancy, and that was a certain singular steeple situated on the island of Armagh, which is the southeast quarter of the city of Copenhagen. My uncle at once ordered me to turn my steps that way, and accordingly we went on board the steam ferry boat which does duty on the canal, and very soon reached the noted dockyard cave. In the first instance, we crossed some narrow streets where we met numerous groups of galley slaves with party colored trousers gray and yellow, working under the orders and the stitchsk of severe taskmasters, and finally reached the worfrelsares Kirk. This church exhibited nothing remarkable in itself. In fact, the worthy professor had only been attracted to it by one circumstance, which was that its rather elevated steeple started from a circular platform, after which there was an exterior staircase which wound round to the very summit. Let us ascend, said my uncle. But I never could climb church towers, I cried, I'm subject to dissiness in my head. The very reason why you should go up. I want to cure you of a bad habit. But my good sir, I tell you to come. What is the use of wasting so much valuable time? It was impossible to dispute the dictatorial commands of my uncle. I yielded with a groan. On payment of a fee. A verdure gave us the key he, for one, was not partial to the ascent. My uncle at once showed me the way, running up the steps like a schoolboy. I followed as well as I could, though no sooner was I outside the tower than my head began to swim. There was nothing of the eagle about me. The earth was enough for me, and no ambitious desire to soar ever entered my mind. Still, things did not go badly until I had descended hundred and fifty steps and was near the platform. When I began to feel the rush of cold air. I could scarcely stand. When clutching the railings, I looked upwards. The railing was frail enough, but nothing to those which skirted the terrible winding staircase that appeared from where I stood to ascend to the skies. Now, then, Henry, I can't do it, I cried, in accents of despair. Are you, after all a coward? Sir, said my uncle in his pitiless tone, Go up, I say to this. There was no reply possible, and yet the keen air acted violently on my nervous system. Sky earth all seemed to swim round, while the steeple rocked like a ship. My legs gave way like those of a drunken man. I crawled upon my hands and knees. I hauled myself up, slowly, crawling like a snake. Presently I closed my eyes and allowed myself to be dragged upwards. Look around you, said my uncle in a stern voice. Heaven knows what profound abuses you may have to look down. This is excellent practice. Slowly, and shivering all the while with cold, I opened my eyes. What then did I see? My first glance was upwards at the cold, fleecy clouds, which, as by some optical delusion, appeared to stand still, while the steeple, the weather cock, and our two selves were carried swiftly along. Far away. On one side could be seen the grassy plain, while on the other laid the sea, bathed in translucent light. The sun, or sound as we call it, could be discovered beyond the point of Elsie, crowded with white sails, which at that distance looked like the wings of sea gulls, while to the east could be made out the far off coast of Sweden. The whole appeared a magic panorama, but faint and bewildered as I was, there was no remedy for it. Rise and stand up, I must, despite my protestations. My first lesson lasted quite an hour. When nearly two hours later I reached the bosom of mother Earth, I was like a rheumatic old man, bent double with pain. Enough for one day, said my uncle, rubbing his hands. We will begin again to morrow. There was no remedy. My lessons lasted five days, and at the end of that period I ascended blithely enough and found myself able to look down into the depths without even winking, and with some degree of pleasure. End of Chapter five