CHAPTER VI
THE NEW WORLD
How long I slept I do not know. My sleep was profound, yet disturbedby troubled dreams, in which I lived over again all the eventfulscenes of the past; and these were all intermingled in the wildestconfusion. The cannibals beckoned to us from the peak, and we landedbetween the two volcanoes. There the body of the dead sailor receivedus, and afterward chased us to the boat. Then came snow and volcaniceruptions, and we drifted amid icebergs and molten lava until weentered an iron portal and plunged into darkness. Here there were vastswimming monsters and burning orbs of fire and thunderous cataractsfalling from inconceivable heights, and the sweep of immeasurabletides and the circling of infinite whirlpools; while in my ears thererang the never-ending roar of remorseless waters that came after us,with all their waves and billows rolling upon us. It was a dream inwhich all the material terrors of the past were renewed; but thesewere all as nothing when compared with a certain deep underlyingfeeling that possessed my soul--a sense of loss irretrievable, anexpectation of impending doom, a drear and immitigable despair.
In the midst of this I awoke. It was with a sudden start, and I lookedall around in speechless bewilderment. The first thing of which Iwas conscious was a great blaze of light--light so lately lost, andsupposed to be lost forever, but now filling all the universe--bright,brilliant, glowing bringing hope and joy and gladness, with all thesplendor of deep blue skies and the multitudinous laughter of oceanwaves that danced and sparkled in the sun. I flung up my arms andlaughed aloud. Then I burst into tears, and falling on my knees,I thanked the Almighty Ruler of the skies for this marvellousdeliverance.
Rising from my knees I looked around, and once more amazementoverwhelmed me. I saw a long line of mountains towering up toimmeasurable heights, their summits covered with eternal ice andsnow. There the sun blazed low in the sky, elevated but a few degreesabove the mountain crests, which gleamed in gold and purple under itsfiery rays. The sun seemed enlarged to unusual dimensions, and themountains ran away on every side like the segment of some infinitecircle. At the base of the mountains lay a land all green withvegetation, where cultivated fields were visible, and vineyards andorchards and groves, together with forests of palm and all mannerof trees of every variety of hue, which ran up the sides of themountains till they reached the limits of vegetation and the regionsof snow and ice.
Here in all directions there were unmistakable signs of humanlife--the outlines of populous cities and busy towns and hamlets;roads winding far away along the plain or up the mountain-sides, andmighty works of industry in the shape of massive structures, terracedslopes, long rows of arches, ponderous pyramids, and battlementedwalls.
From the land I turned to the sea. I saw before me an expanse of waterintensely blue--an extent so vast that never before in all my oceanvoyages had anything appeared at all comparable with it. Out at sea,wherever I had been, the water had always limited the view; thehorizon had never seemed far away; ships soon sank below it, and thevisible surface of the earth was thus always contracted; but here, tomy bewilderment, the horizon appeared to be removed to an immeasurabledistance and raised high in the air, while the waters were prolongedendlessly. Starting from where I was, they went away to inconceivabledistances, and the view before me seemed like a watery declivityreaching for a thousand miles, till it approached the horizon far upin the sky. Nor was it any delusion of the senses that caused thisunparalleled spectacle. I was familiar with the phenomena of themirage, and knew well that there was nothing of that kind here; forthe mirage always shows great surfaces of stillness, or a regularvibration--glassy tides and indistinct distances; but here everythingwas sharply defined in the clear atmosphere: the sky overhung a deepblue vault; the waves danced and sparkled in the sun; the watersrolled and foamed on every side; and the fresh breeze, as it blew overthe ocean, brought with it such exhilarating influences that it actedupon me like some reviving cordial.
From the works of nature I turned to those of man. These were visibleeverywhere: on the land, in cities and cultivated fields and mightyconstructions; on the sea, in floating craft, which appeared whereverI turned my eyes--boats like those of fishermen, ships long and low,some like galleys, propelled by a hundred oars, others provided withone huge square-sail, which enabled them to run before the wind.They were unlike any ships which I had ever seen; for neither in theMediterranean nor in Chinese waters were there any craft like these,and they reminded me rather of those ancient galleys which I had seenin pictures.
I was lost in wonder as to where I was, and what land this could be towhich I had been brought. I had not plunged into the interior of theearth, but I had been carried under the mountains, and had emergedagain into the glad light of the sun. Could it be possible, I thought,that Agnew's hope had been realized, and that I had been carried intothe warm regions of the South Pacific Ocean? Yet in the South Pacificthere could be no place like this--no immeasurable expanse of waters,no horizon raised mountain high. It seemed like a vast basin-shapedworld, for all around me the surface appeared to rise, and I was inwhat looked like a depression; yet I knew that the basin and thedepression were an illusion, and that this appearance was due tothe immense extent of level surface with the environment of loftymountains. I had crossed the antarctic circle; I had been borne onwardfor an immense distance. Over all the known surface of the earth noone had ever seen anything like this; there were but two placeswhere such an immeasurable plain was possible, and those were atthe flattened poles. Where I was I now knew well. I had reached theantarctic pole. Here the earth was flat--an immense level with noroundness to lessen the reach of the horizon but an almost evensurface that gave an unimpeded view for hundreds of miles.
The subterranean channel had rushed through the mountains and hadcarried me here. Here came all the waters of the Northern oceanpouring into this vast polar sea, perhaps to issue forth from it bysome similar passage. Here, then, was the South Pole--a world byitself: and how different from that terrible, that iron land on theother side of the mountains!--not a world of ice and frost, but oneof beauty and light, with a climate that was almost tropical in itswarmth, and lands that were covered with the rank luxuriance of ateeming vegetable life. I had passed from that outer world to thisinner one, and the passage was from death unto life, from agony anddespair to sunlight and splendor and joy. Above all, in all around methat which most impressed me now was the rich and superabundant life,and a warmth of air which made me think of India. It was an amazingand an unaccountable thing, and I could only attribute it to theflattening of the poles, which brought the surface nearer to thesupposed central fires of the earth, and therefore created a heatas great as that of the equatorial regions. Here I found a tropicalclimate--a land warmed not by the sun, but from the earth itself. Oranother cause might be found in the warm ocean currents. Whatever thetrue one might be, I was utterly unable to form a conjecture.
But I had no time for such speculations as these. After the firstemotions of wonder and admiration had somewhat subsided, I began toexperience other sensations. I began to remember that I had eatennothing for a length of time that I had no means of calculating, andto look around to see if there was any way of satisfying my hunger.The question arose now, What was to be done? After my recent terribleexperience I naturally shrank from again committing myself to thetender mercies of strange tribes; yet further thought and examinationshowed me that the people of this strange land must be very differentfrom those frightful savages on the other side of the mountains.Everywhere I beheld the manifest signs of cultivation andcivilization. Still, I knew that even civilized people would notnecessarily be any kinder than savages, and that I might be seizedand flung into hopeless imprisonment or slavery.
So I hesitated, yet what could I do? My hunger was beginning to beinsupportable. I had reached a place where I had to choose betweenstarvation on the one hand, or a venture among these people on theother. To go back was impossible. Who could breast those waters in thetremendous subterranean channel, or force his w
ay back through suchappalling dangers? Or, if that were possible, who could ever hope tobreast those mighty currents beyond, or work his way amid everlastingice and immeasurable seas? No; return was impossible. I had beenflung into this world of wonders, and here would be my home for theremainder of my days; though I could not now imagine whether thosedays would be passed in peace or in bitter slavery and sorrow. Yet thedecision must be made and the risk must be run. It must be so. I mustland here, venture among these people, and trust in that Providencewhich had hitherto sustained me.
Having thus resolved at all hazards to try my fate, I rowed in towardthe shore. Thus far I had seen galleys passing and small boats, butthey had taken no notice of me, for the reason that they were too faraway to perceive anything about me that differed from any other boat;but now, as I rowed, I noticed a galley coming down toward me. Sheseemed to be going in toward the shore at the very point at which Iwas aiming, and her course and mine must soon meet if I continued torow. After some hesitation I concluded to make signals to her, so asto attract attention; for, now that I had resolved to venture amongthe people here, I was anxious to end my suspense as soon as possible.So I continued rowing, and gradually drew nearer. The galley waspropelled by oars, of which there were fifty on either side. The stemwas raised, and covered in like a cabin. At length I ceased rowing,and sat watching her. I soon saw that I was noticed, but this didnot occur till the galley was close by me--so close, indeed, that Ithought they would pass without perceiving me. I raised my hands,waved them, and gave a cry. The galley at once stopped, a boat waslowered, and some men descended and rowed toward me.
They were men of strange appearance--very small in stature and slenderin frame. Their hair was black and straight, their features were quiteregular, and their general expression was one of great gentleness. Iwas surprised to notice that they kept their eyes almost closed, asthough they were weak and troubled by the glare of the sun. With theirhalf-closed eyes they blinked at me, and then one who appeared to betheir chief spoke to me. I understood not a word; and then I answeredhim in English, which, of course, was equally unintelligible to him.I then made signs, pointing to the mountains and endeavoring to makeknown to him that I had come from beyond them--that I had sufferedshipwreck, that I had drifted here, and that I needed assistance. Ofall this it was quite evident that they understood nothing except thefact that I needed help. The moment that they comprehended this theytook me in tow and rowed back to the galley.
I found the galley to be about one hundred and fifty feet in length.For about two thirds of this length forward it was open and filledwith seats, where there were about a hundred rowers, who all lookedlike those that I had first seen, all being of small stature,slender frames, and, moreover, all being apparently distressed bythe sunlight. There was in all of them the same mild and gentleexpression. In complexion and general outline of features they werenot unlike Arabs, but they were entirely destitute of that hardnessand austerity which the latter have. They all had beards, which weredressed in a peculiar way in plaits. Their costume varied. The rowerswore a coarse tunic, with a girdle of rope. The officers wore tunicsof fine cloth and very elegant mantles, richly embroidered, and withborders of down. They all wore broad-brimmed hats, and the one whoseemed to be chief had on his some golden ornaments.
Here once more I tried to explain to them who I was. They looked atme, examining me all over, inspecting my gun, pistol, coat, trousers,boots, and hat, and talking all the time among themselves. They didnot touch me, but merely showed the natural curiosity which is felt atthe sight of a foreigner who has appeared unexpectedly. There was ascrupulous delicacy and a careful and even ceremonious politeness intheir attitude toward me which was at once amazing and delightful. Allfear and anxiety had now left me; in the gentle manners and amiablefaces of these people I saw enough to assure me of kind treatment;and in my deep joy and gratitude for this even my hunger was for atime forgotten.
At length the chief motioned to me to follow him. He led the way tothe cabin, where, opening the door, he entered, and I followed, afterwhich the others came in also and then the door was shut. At first Icould see nothing. There were no windows whatever, and only one or twoslight crevices through which the light came. After a time my eyesgrew more accustomed to the darkness, and I could see that the cabinwas a spacious compartment, adorned with rich hangings of some unknownmaterial. There was a large table and seats. Taking me by the hand,the chief led me to this, where I seated myself, while the othersremained standing. Then some of them went away, and soon returned withfood and drink. The food was of different kinds--some tasting likegoose, others like turkey, others like partridge. It was all the fleshof fowls, though, judging from the slices before me, they must havebeen of great size. I wondered much at the behavior of the officersof the ship, who all, and the chief himself more than all, stood andwaited upon me; but it was a new world, and I supposed that this mustbe the fashion; so I made no objections, but accepted the situationand ate with a thankful heart.
As the first keenness of my appetite was satisfied I had more leisureto make observations. I noticed that the eyes of my new friends nolonger blinked; they were wide open; and, so far as I could makethem out, their faces were much improved. Weakness of eyes seemedcommon among these people, and therefore the officers had their cabindarkened, while the unfortunate rowers had to labor in the blazingsun. Such was my conclusion, and the fact reminded me of the miserablefellahin of Egypt, who have ophthalmia from the blazing sun andburning sand.
After the repast they brought me water in a basin, and all stoodaround me. One held the basin, another a towel, another a flask,another took a sponge and proceeded to wash my face and hands.This was all strange to me, yet there was nothing left for me butsubmission. Then the chief, who had stood looking on with a smile onhis face took off his rich furred mantle and handed it to me. I washalf inclined to refuse it, but was afraid of giving offence, so Iaccepted it, and he himself fastened it around my shoulders. Theothers seemed actually to envy the chief, as though he had gained someuncommon good-fortune. Then they offered me various drinks, of whichI tasted several kinds. Some were sweet waters of different flavors,others tasted like mild wine, one was a fermented drink, light, sweet,and very agreeable to the palate. I now wished to show my generousentertainers that I was grateful; so I raised my cup, bowed to allof them, particularly the chief, and drank their health. They allwatched this ceremony with very sober faces, and I could not quitemake out whether they took my meaning or not. They certainly did notlook pleased, and it seemed to me as though they felt hurt at anyexpression of gratitude, so I concluded for the future to abstainfrom all such demonstrations.
Yet with every moment the manners of these people grew morebewildering. It was strange, indeed, for me to find myself so suddenlythe centre of interest and of generous intentions. For a moment thethought occurred to me that they regarded me as some wonderful beingwith superior powers, and were trying to propitiate me by theseservices; yet I soon saw that these services were not at all actsof propitiation; they looked rather like those loving and profuseattentions which a family showers down upon some dear one long absentand at last returned, and with this my wonder grew greater than ever.
The galley had long since resumed her progress. I heard the steadybeat of the oars as they all moved in time, and at length the motionceased. The chief then signed to me and went out. I followed, and therest came after. And now as I emerged from the gloom of the cabin, Ifound myself once more in the glorious light of day, and saw that wehad reached the land. The galley was hauled up alongside a stone quay,and on the shore there were buildings and walls and trees and people.The chief went ashore at once and I accompanied him. We walked forsome distance along a road with stone walls on either side, frombehind which there arose trees that from a distance had looked likepalms. I now found them to be giant ferns, arching overhead with theirbroad fanlike leaves and branches in dense masses, making the roadwayquite dark in the shadow. Astonished as I was at the sight of thesetr
ees, I soon forgot them in a still more astonishing sight, for aftergoing onward about a hundred paces I stopped, and found myself in awide space where four cross-roads met. Here there were three birds ofgigantic stature. They had vast bodies, short legs, short necks, andseemed as large as an ordinary-sized ox. Their wings were short, andevidently could not be used for flight; their beaks were like that ofa sea-gull; each one had a man on his back, and was harnessed to acar. The chief motioned to me to enter one of these cars. I did so. Hefollowed, and thereupon the driver started the bird, which set forthwith long, rapid strides, at a pace fast as that of a trotting horse.So astonished was I that for some time I did not notice anything else;but at length, when my first feeling had subsided, I began to regardother objects. All the way the dense fern foliage arched overhead,throwing down deep shadows. They grew on either side in dense rows,but between their stalks I could see the country beyond, which layall bright in the sunlight.
Here were broad fields, all green with verdure; farther away aroseclumps of tree-ferns; at every step of the way new vistas opened; amidthe verdure and the foliage were the roofs of structures that lookedlike pavilions, and more massive edifices with pyramidal roofs. Ourroad constantly ascended, and at length we came to a crossing. Thiswas a wide terrace at the slope of the mountain; on the lower side wasa row of massive stone edifices with pyramidal roofs, while on theupper there were portals which seemed to open into excavated caverns.Here, too, on either side arose the giant ferns, overarching anddarkening the terrace with their deep shadow. From this point I lookedback, and through the trunks of the tree-ferns I could see fieldsand pavilions and the pyramidal roofs of massive edifices, andbroad, verdant slopes, while in the distance there were peeps of theboundless sea. We continued on our way without stopping, and passedseveral successive terraces like the first, with the same caverns onthe upper side and massive edifices on the lower, until at last theascent ended at the fifth terrace, and here we turned to the left.Now the view became more varied. The tree-ferns arose on either side,arching overhead; on my right were the portals that opened intocaverns, on my left solid and massive houses, built of great blocks ofstone, with pyramidal roofs. As far as I could judge, I was in a citybuilt on the slope of a mountain, with its streets formed thus ofsuccessive terraces and their connecting cross-ways, one half itshabitations consisting of caverns, while the other half were pavilionsand massive stone structures. Few people, however, were to be seen.Occasionally I saw one or two groping along with their eyes halfshut, seeking the darkest shadows; and it seemed to me that thisextraordinary race of men had some natural and universal peculiarityof eyesight which made them shun the sunlight, and seek the darknessof caves and of dense, overshadowing foliage.
At length we came to a place where the terrace ran back till it formeda semicircle against the mountain slope, when several vast portalsappeared. Here there was a large space, where the tree-ferns grew inlong lines crossing each other, and making a denser shade than usual.On the lower side were several stone edifices of immense size; andin the middle of the place there arose a singular structure, shapedlike a half pyramid, with three sides sloping, and the fourthperpendicular, flat on the top, which was approached by a flight ofsteps. We now went on until we reached the central portal of the rangeof caverns, and here we stopped. The chief got out and beckoned to me.I followed. He then led the way into the cavern, while I, full ofwonder, walked behind him.