the smokey god
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NOTEFROMTHETRANSLATOROFTHISBOOKINTOSPANISH
WhenIfoundthisbeautifulbookontheInternetsometimeago,onlyinEnglish,Isearched
and searched trying to find it translated into Spanish. Not having found it, I got the idea to
translateitmyselftodisseminateitscontent,whichisthepurposethatguidedboththeauthor,
astheprotagonistofthestory(OlafJansen)andalso,I suspect,totheKingof theWorld,who
surely bless the dissemination of this story to as many people as possible, to awaken us to
realities thatare living aroundus, thusgreedandwickednessofmany try tohide,answering
obscureinterests,incompatiblewiththeloveforHumanity.
Ihavenottouchedevenacommaofthebook.Isimplyaddedafootnoteonthefirstpage,
statingthatIhavenotfoundtwooftheoriginaldrawings,aswellasadrawingdonebymyself,
includedinthelastpage,abouthowtointerpretOlafJansen'sdescriptionoverplanetEarthinits
twosurfaces.
L.S.
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THESMOKYGODor
AVoyagetotheInnerWorld
ContentsDedication
PartI. Author'sForeword
PartII. OlafJansen'sStory
PartIII. BeyondTheNorthWind
PartIV. IntheUnderWorld
PartV. AmongtheIcePacks
PartVI. ConclusionPartVII. Author'sAfterword
ILLUSTRATIONS
"Iwasleftalonewiththedead."
"Twenty-eightyearslong,tedious,frightfulyearsofsuffering." 1
"Avessellargerthanourlittlefishingsloopcouldnothavethreadeditsway
amongtheicebergs.""Bywhatmiracleweescapedbeingdashedtodestruction,Idonotknow."
"Itcouldhardlybesaidtoresemblethesunexceptinitscircularshape."
"Theyspoketousinastrangelangugage."
"WewerebroughtbeforetheGreatHighPriest."
"Theremusthavebeenfivehundredofthesethunder-throatedmonsters."
"Myfathershouted:'Breakersahead!'"
"Lessthanahalfmileawaywasawhalingvessel."
"WhereuponIwasputinirons."
"He is theGodwhosits in thecenter,on thenavelof theearth, andhe is the
interpreterofreligiontoallmankind." Platon.
PARTONE:Author'sForeword
I fear the seemingly incredible story which I am about to relate will be
regarded as the result of a distorted intellect superinduced, possibly, by the
glamourof unveiling amarvelous mystery, rather than a truthful record of the
1 These two pictures can't be found in this original book.
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unparalleledexperiencesrelatedbyoneOlaf Jansen,whoseeloquentmadnessso
appealed to my imagination that all thought of an analytical criticismhas been
effectuallydispelled.
MarcoPolowilldoubtlessshiftuneasilyinhisgraveatthestrangestoryIam
called upon to chronicle; a story as strange as a Munchausen tale. It is also
incongruousthatI,adisbeliever,shouldbetheonetoeditthestoryofOlafJansen,
whosenameisnowforthefirsttimegiventotheworld,yetwhomusthereafter
rankasoneofthenotablesofearth.
I freelyconfesshis statementsadmit of norational analysis,buthave todo
with the profound mystery concerning the frozen North that for centuries has
claimedtheattentionofscientistsandlaymenalike.
Howevermuchtheyareatvariancewith thecosmographicalmanuscriptsof
thepast,theseplainstatementsmayberelieduponasarecordofthethingsOlaf
Jansenclaimstohaveseenwithhisowneyes.
AhundredtimesIhaveaskedmyselfwhetheritispossiblethattheworld's
geography is incomplete, and that the startling narrative of Olaf Jansen is
predicated upon demonstrable facts. The reader may be able to answer these
queriestohisownsatisfaction,howeverfarthechroniclerofthisnarrativemaybefrom having reached a conviction. Yet sometimes even I am at a loss to know
whetherIhavebeenledawayfromanabstracttruthbytheignesfatuiofaclever
superstition, or whether heretofore accepted facts are, after all, founded upon
falsity.
Itmay bethatthe truehomeof Apollowas not atDelphi,but in thatolder
earth-centerofwhichPlatospeaks,wherehesays:"Apollo'srealhomeisamong
theHyperboreans,inalandofperpetuallife,wheremythologytellsustwodoves
flyingfromthetwooppositeendsoftheworldmetinthisfairregion,thehomeofApollo.Indeed,accordingtoHecataeus,Leto,themotherofApollo,wasbornonan
islandintheArcticOceanfarbeyondtheNorthWind."
Itisnotmyintentiontoattemptadiscussionofthetheogonyofthedeitiesnor
thecosmogonyoftheworld.Mysimpledutyistoenlightentheworldconcerninga
heretoforeunknownportionoftheuniverse,asitwasseenanddescribedbythe
oldNorseman,OlafJansen.
Interestinnorthernresearchisinternational.Elevennationsareengagedin,
orhavecontributedto,theperilousworkoftryingtosolveEarth'soneremaining
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cosmologicalmystery.
Thereisasaying,ancientasthehills,that"truthisstrangerthanfiction,"and
inamoststartlingmannerhasthisaxiombeenbroughthometomewithinthelast
fortnight.
Itwasjusttwoo'clockinthemorningwhenIwasarousedfromarestfulsleep
by the vigorous ringingofmydoor-bell. The untimely disturberproved to bea
messengerbearinganote,scrawledalmosttothepointofillegibility,fromanold
Norseman by the name of Olaf Jansen. Aftermuch deciphering, Imade out the
writing,which simply said:"Am illuntodeath. Come."The callwas imperative,
andIlostnotimeinmakingreadytocomply.
PerhapsImayaswellexplainherethatOlafJansen,amanwhoquiterecentlycelebratedhisninety-fifthbirthday,has for the last half-dozenyearsbeen living
aloneinanunpretentiousbungalowoutGlendaleway,ashortdistancefromthe
businessdistrictofLosAngeles,California.
Itwaslessthentwoyearsago,whileoutwalkingoneafternoon,thatIwas
attractedbyOlafJansen'shouseandit'shomelikesurroundings,towarditsowner
andoccupant,whomIafterwardcametoknowasabelieverintheancientworship
ofOdinandThor.
Therewasagentlenessinhisface,andakindlyexpressioninthekeenlyalert
gray eyes of this manwho had livedmore than four-score years and ten; and,
withal,asenseoflonelinessthatappealedtomysympathy.Slightlystooped,and
with his hands clasped behind him, he walked back and forth with slow and
measured tread, that day when first we met. I can hardly say what particular
motive impelled me to pause in my walk and engage him in conversation. He
seemedpleasedwhenIcomplimentedhimontheattractivenessofhisbungalow,
andonthewell-tendedvinesandflowersclusteringinprofusionoveritswindows,roofandwidepiazza.
Isoondiscoveredthatmynewacquaintancewasnoordinaryperson,butone
profoundandlearnedtoaremarkabledegree;amanwho,inthelateryearsofhis
longlife,haddugdeeplyintobooksandbecomestronginthepowerofmeditative
silence.
Iencouragedhim to talk, and soongatheredthathehadresidedonlysixorsevenyearsinSouthernCalifornia,buthadpassedthedozenyearspriorinoneof
themiddle Eastern states.Before thathehad been a fishermanoff the coastof
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Norway,intheregionoftheLofodenIslands,fromwhencehehadmadetripsstill
farthernorthtoSpitzbergenandeventoFranzJosefLand.
When I started tomakemy leave, he seemed reluctant to haveme go,and
askedmetocomeagain.AlthoughatthetimeIthoughtnothingofit,I remember
nowthathemadeapeculiarremarkasIextendedmyhandinleave-taking."You
willcomeagain?"heasked."Yes,youwillcomeagainsomeday.Iamsureyouwill;
andIshallshowyoumylibraryandtellyoumanythingsofwhichyouhavenever
dreamed,thingssowonderfulthatitmaybeyouwillnotbelieveme."
IlaughinglyassuredhimthatIwouldnotonlycomeagain,butwouldbeready
tobelievewhateverhemightchoosetotellmeofhistravelsandadventures.
InthedaysthatfollowedIbecamewellacquaintedwithOlafJansen,and,littlebylittle,hetoldmehisstory,somarvelous,thatitsverydaringchallengesreason
andbelief.TheoldNorsemanalwaysexpressedhimselfwithsomuchearnestness
andsinceritythatIbecameenthralledbyhisstrangenarrations.
Thencamethemessengers'scallthatnight,andwithinthehourIwasatOlaf
Jansenbungalow.
Hewasveryimpatientatthelongwait,althoughafterbeingsummonedIhadcomeimmediatelytohisbedside.
"Imusthasten,"heexclaimed,whileyetheheldmyhandingreeting."Ihave
muchtotellyouthatyouknownot,andIwilltrustnoonebutyou.Ifullyrealize,"
hewentonhurriedly,"thatIshallnotsurvivethenight.Thetimehascometojoin
myfathersinthegreatsleep."
Iadjustedthepillowstomakehimmorecomfortable,andassuredhimIwasgladtobeabletoservehiminanywaypossible,forIwasbeginningtorealizethe
seriousnessofhiscondition.
Thelatenessofthehour,thestillnessofthesurroundings,theuncannyfeeling
ofbeingalonewiththedyingman,togetherwithhisweirdstory,allcombinedto
makemyheartbeatfastandloudwithafeelingforwhichIhavenoname.Indeed,
thereweremany times thatnight bytheoldNorseman's couch,and there have
beenmanytimessince,whenasensationratherthanaconvictiontookpossession
ofmyverysoul,andIseemednotonlytobelievein,butactuallysee,thestrange
lands,thestrangepeopleandthestrangeworldofwhichhetold,andtohearthe
mightyorchestralchorusofathousandlustyvoices.
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Forover twohoursheseemedendowedwithalmostsuperhumanstrength,
talkingrapidly,andtoallappearances,rationally.Finallyhegavemeintomyhands
certaindata,drawingsandcrudemaps."These,"saidheinconclusion,"Ileavein
yourhands.IfIcanhaveyourpromisetogivethemtotheworld,Ishalldiehappy,
becauseIdesirebecauseyouarenottellingyourownstory,butmine,andI,thanks
to the gods, Odin and Thor, will be in my grave, and so beyond the reach ofdisbelieverswhowouldpersecute."
Without a thought of the far-reaching results the promise entailed, or
foreseeingthemanysleeplessnightswhichtheobligationhassincebroughtme,I
gavemyhandandwithitapledgetodischargefaithfullyhisdyingwish.
AsthesunroseoverthepeaksoftheSanJacinto,fartotheeastward,thespirit
of Olaf Jansen, the navigator, the explorerandworshiper of Odin and Thor, theman whose experiences and travels, as related, are without a parallel in the
world'shistory,passedaway,andIwasleftalonewiththedead.
And now, after having paid the last sad rites to this strangeman from the
LofodenIslands,andthestillfarther"NorthwardHo!",thecourageousexplorerof
frozen regions, who in his declining years (after he had passed the four-score
mark) had sought an asylum of restful peace in sunfavored California, I will
undertaketomakepublichisstory.
But,firstofall,letmeindulgeinoneortworeflections:
Generation follows generation, and the traditions from the misty past are
handed down fromsire to son, but for some strange reason interest in the ice-
lockedunknowndoesnotabatewiththerecedingyears,eitherinthemindsofthe
ignorantorthetutored.
With each new generation a restless impulse stirs the hearts of men to
capture theveiled citadel of theArctic, the circle ofsilence, the landofglaciers,
coldwastes ofwaters andwindsthatare strangelywarm. Increasing interest is
manifestedinthemountainousicebergs,andmarvelousspeculationsareindulged
in concerning the earth's center of gravity, the cradle of the tides, where the
whales have their nurseries, where the magnetic needle goes mad, where the
Aurora Borealis illumines the night, and where brave and courageous spiritsof
everygenerationdaretoventureandexplore,defyingthedangersofthe"Farthest
North."
Oneoftheablestworksof recentyearsis "ParadiseFound,or theCradleof
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The Human Race at the North Pole," by William F. Warren. In his carefully
prepared volume,Mr.Warren almost stubbedhis toe against the real truth,but
misseditseeminglybyonlyahair'sbreadth,iftheoldNorseman'srevelationbe
true.
Dr. Orville Livingston Leech, scientist, in a recent article, says: "The
possibilitiesoflandinsidetheearthwerefirstbroughttomyattentionwhenIpicked
upageodeontheshoresoftheGreatLakes.Thegeodeisasphericalandapparently
solidstone,butwhenbrokenisfoundtobehollowandcoatedwithcrystals.Theearth
isonlyalargeformofageode,andthelawthatcreatedthegeodeinitshollowform
undoubtedlyfashionedtheearthinthesameway."
Inpresentingthethemeofthisalmostincrediblestory,astoldbyOlafJansen,
and supplementedbymanuscript,maps and crude drawingsentrusted tome, afittingintroductionisfoundinthefollowingquotation:
"In the beginning God createdthe heaven and the earth, and the earthwas
withoutformandvoid."Andalso,"Godcreatedmaninhisownimage."Therefore,
eveninthingsmaterial,manmustbeGod-like,becauseheisinthelikenessofthe
Father.
Amanbuildsahouseforhimselfandfamily.Theporchesorverandasareallwithout,andaresecondary.Thebuildingisreallyconstructedfortheconveniences
within.
Olaf Jansen makes the startling announcement through me, an humble
instrument,thatinlikemanner,Godcreatedtheearthforthe"within"- thatisto
say, for its lands, seas, rivers, mountains, forests and valleys, and for its other
internalconveniences,whiletheoutsidesurfaceoftheearthismerelytheveranda,
theporch,wherethingsgrowbycomparisonbutsparsely,likethelichenonthe
mountainside,clingingdeterminedlyforbareexistence.
Takeanegg-shell,andfromeachendbreakoutapieceaslargeastheendof
thispencil.Extractitscontents,andthenyouwillhaveaperfectrepresentationof
Olaf Jansen's earth. The distance from the inside surface to the outside surface,
accordingtohim,isaboutthreehundredmiles.Thecenterofgravityisnotinthe
centeroftheearth,butinthecenteroftheshellorcrust;therefore,ifthethickness
of the earth'scrust or shell is threehundredmiles, the center ofgravity isone
hundredandfiftymilesbelowthesurface.
Intheirlog-booksArcticexplorerstellusofthedippingoftheneedleasthe
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vesselsailsinregionsofthefarthestnorthknown.Inreality,theyareatthecurve;
on the edgeof the shell,where gravity isgeometricallyincreased, andwhilethe
electriccurrentseeminglydashesoffintospacetowardthephantomideaofthe
North Pole, yet this same electric current drops again and continues its course
southwardalongtheinsidesurfaceoftheearth'scrust.
Intheappendixtohiswork,CaptainSabinegivesanaccountofexperiments
todeterminetheaccelerationofthependulumindifferentlatitudes.Thisappears
tohaveresultedfromthejointlaborofPearyandSabine.Hesays:"Theaccidental
discoverythatapendulumonbeingremovedfromParistotheneighborhoodof
the equator increased its time of vibration, gave the first step to our present
knowledgethatthepolaraxisoftheglobeislessthantheequatorial;thattheforce
of gravity at the surface of the earth increases progressively from the equator
towardthepoles."
AccordingtoOlafJansen,inthebeginningthisoldworldofourswascreated
solely for the "within" world, where are located the four great rivers -- the
Euphrates, the Pison, the Gihon and the Hiddekel. These same namesof rivers,
when applied to streams on the "outside" surface of the earth, are purely
traditionalfromanantiquitybeyondthememoryofman.
Onthetopofahighmountain,nearthefountain-headofthesefourrivers,Olaf
Jansen,theNorseman,claimstohavediscoveredthelong-lost"GardenofEden,"the veritablenavelof the earth, and to have spent over twoyears studying and
reconnoiteringin thismarvelous"within" land,exuberantwithstupendousplant
lifeandaboundingingiantanimals;alandwherethepeoplelivetobecenturies
old, after theorder ofMethuselahand other Biblicalcharacters; a regionwhere
one-quarterofthe"inner"surfaceiswaterandthree-quartersland;wherethere
are large oceans andmany rivers and lakes;where the cities are superlative in
construction and magnificence; where modes of transportation are as far in
advance of ours as we with our boasted achievements are in advance of the
inhabitantsof"darkestAfrica."
Thedistancedirectlyacrossthespacefrominnersurfacetoinnersurfaceis
about six hundredmiles less than the recognized diameter of the earth. In the
identicalcenterofthisvastvacuumistheseatofelectricity--amammothballof
dullredfire--notstartlinglybrilliant,butsurroundedbyawhite,mild, luminous
cloud,givingoutuniformwarmth,andheldinitsplaceinthecenterofthisinternal
space by the immutable law of gravitation. Thiselectrical cloud isknownto the
people"within"astheabodeof"TheSmokyGod."Theybelieveittobethethroneof"TheMostHigh."
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OlafJansenremindedmeofhow,intheoldcollegedays,wewereallfamiliar
with the laboratory demonstrations of centrifugalmotion, which clearlyproved
that,iftheearthwereasolid,therapidityofitsrevolutionuponitsaxiswouldtear
itintoathousandfragments.
TheoldNorsemanalsomaintainedthatfromthefarthestpointsoflandonthe
islandsofSpitzbergenandFranzJosefLand,flocksofgeesemaybeseenannually
flyingstillfarthernorthward,justasthesailorsandexplorersrecordintheirlog-
books.Noscientisthasyetbeenaudaciousenoughtoattempttoexplain,evento
his own satisfaction, towardwhat lands thesewinged fowls are guided by their
subtleinstinct.However,OlafJansenhasgivenusamostreasonableexplanation.
ThepresenceoftheopenseaintheNorthlandisalsoexplained.OlafJansen
claims that the northern aperture, intake or hole, so to speak, isabout fourteenhundredmilesacross.Inconnectionwiththis,letusreadwhatExplorerNansen
writes,onpage288ofhisbook:"Ihaveneverhadsuchasplendidsail.Ontothe
north, steadilynorth,withagoodwind,as fastassteamandsailcan takeus,an
open sea mile after mile, watch after watch, through these unknown regions,
alwaysclearerandclearerofice,onemightalmostsay:'Howlongwillitlast?'The
eyealwaysturnstothenorthwardasonepacesthebridge.Itisgazingintothe
future.Butthereisalwaysthesamedarkskyaheadwhichmeansopensea."Again,
theNorwoodReview of England, in its issueofMay 10, 1884, says:"We donot
admit that there is ice up to the Pole - once inside the great icebarrier, a newworld breaks upon the explorer, the climate is mild like that of England, and,
afterward,balmyastheGreekIsles."
Someoftherivers"within,"OlafJansenclaims,arelargerthanourMississippi
and Amazon rivers combined, inpoint of volume of water carried; indeed their
greatnessisoccasionedbytheirwidthanddepthratherthantheirlength,anditis
atthemouthsofthesemightyrivers,astheyflownorthwardandsouthwardalong
the insidesurfaceoftheearth, thatmammothicebergs are found, someofthem
fifteenandtwentymileswideandfromfortytoonehundredmilesinlength.
Isitnotstrangethattherehasneverbeenanicebergencounteredeitherin
the Arctic or Antarctic Ocean that is not composed of fresh water? Modern
scientistsclaimthatfreezingeliminatesthesalt,butOlafJansenclaimsdifferently.
AncientHindoo,JapaneseandChinesewritings,aswellashieroglyphicsofthe
extinct races of the North American continent, all speak of the custom of sun-
worshiping,anditispossible,inthestartlinglightofOlafJansen'srevelations,thatthepeopleoftheinnerworld,luredawaybyglimpsesofthesunasitshoneupon
theinnersurfaceoftheearth,eitherfromthenorthernorthesouthernopening,
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became dissatisfied with "The Smoky God," the great pillar or mother cloud of
electricity, and, weary of their continuously mild and pleasant atmosphere,
followedthebrighterlight,andwerefinallyledbeyondtheicebeltandscattered
over the "outer"surface of the earth, throughAsia,Europe, NorthAmericaand,
later,Africa,AustraliaandSouthAmerica. 1
1The following quotation is significant; "It follows that man issuing from a
mother-regionstillundeterminedbutwhichanumberofconsiderationsindicateto
havebeenintheNorth,hasradiatedinseveraldirections;thathismigrationshave
been constantly from North to South." - M. le Marquis G. de Saporta, in Popular
ScienceMontly,October,1883,page753.
Itisanotablefactthat,asweapproachtheEquator,thestatureofthehuman
race grows less. But the Patagonians of South America are probably the onlyaboriginesfromthecenteroftheearthwhocameoutthroughtheapertureusually
designatedastheSouthPole,andtheyarecalledthegiantrace.
OlafJansenaversthat,inthebeginning,theworldwascreatedbytheGreat
ArchitectoftheUniverse,sothatmanmightdwelluponits"inside"surface,which
haseversincebeenthehabitationofthe"chosen."
Theywhoweredrivenoutofthe"GardenofEden"broughttheirtraditionalhistorywiththem.
Thehistoryofthepeopleliving"within"containsanarrativesuggestingthe
story of Noah and the ark with whichwe are familiar. He sailed away, as did
Columbus, from a certain port, to a strange land he had heard of far to the
northward,carryingwithhimallmannerofbeastsofthefieldsandfowlsoftheair,
butwasneverheardofafterward.
On the northern boundaries of Alaska, and still more frequently on the
Siberian coast, are found bone-yards containing tusks of ivory in quantities so
great as to suggest the burying-places of antiquity. FromOlaf Jansen's account,
theyhavecomefromthegreatprolificanimallifethataboundsinthefieldsand
forests and on the banksofnumerous rivers of the InnerWorld. Thematerials
were caught in the ocean currents, or were carried on ice-floes, and have
accumulatedlikedriftwoodontheSiberiancoast.Thishasbeengoingonforages,
andhencethesemysteriousbone-yards.
On thissubjectWilliamF.Warren, inhisbookalreadycited,pages297 and
298,says:"TheArcticrockstellofalostAtlantismorewonderfulthanPlato's.The
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fossilivorybedsofSiberiaexceleverythingofthekindintheworld.Fromthedays
ofPliny,atleast,theyhaveconstantlybeenundergoingexploitation,andstillthey
arethechiefheadquartersofsupply.Theremainsofmammothsaresoabundant
that,asGratacapsays,'thenorthernislandsofSiberiaseembuiltupofcrowded
bones.'Anotherscientificwriter,speakingoftheislandsofNewSiberia,northward
ofthemouthoftheRiverLena,usesthislanguage:'Largequantitiesofivoryaredugoutofthegroundeveryyear. Indeed,someof the islandsarebelievedtobe
nothing but an accumulation of drift-timber and the bodies of mammoths and
otherantediluviananimalsfrozentogether.'Fromthiswemayinferthat,during
theyearsthathaveelapsedsincetheRussianconquestofSiberia,usefultusksfrom
morethantwentythousandmammothshavebeencollected."
ButnowforthestoryofOlafJansen.Igiveitindetail,assetdownbyhimself
in manuscript, and woven into the tale, just as he placed them are certain
quotationsfromrecentworksonArcticexploration,showinghowcarefullytheold
Norseman compared with his own experiences those of other voyagers to the
frozenNorth.ThuswrotethediscipleofOdinandThor:
PARTTWO:
OlafJansen'sStory
MynameisOlafJansen.IamaNorwegian,althoughIwasborninthelittle
seafaringRussiantownofUleaborg,ontheeasterncoastoftheGulfofBothnia,thenorthernarmoftheBalticSea.
MyparentswereonafishingcruiseintheGulfofBothnia,andputintothis
RussiantownofUleaborgatthetimeofmybirth,beingthetwenty-seventhdayof
October,1811.
Myfather,JensJansen,wasbornatRodwigontheScandinaviancoast,near
theLofodenIslands,butaftermarryingmadehishomeatStockholm,becausemy
mother'speopleresidedinthatcity.Whensevenyearsold,IbegangoingwithmyfatheronhisfishingtripsalongtheScandinaviancoast.
EarlyinlifeIdisplayedanaptitudeforbooks,andattheageofnineyearswas
placedinaprivateschoolinStockholm,remainingthereuntilIwasfourteen.After
thisImaderegulartripswithmyfatheronallhisfishingvoyages.
Myfatherwasaman fullysix feetthree inheight,andweighedoverfifteen
stone,atypicalNorsemanofthemostruggedsort,andcapableofmoreendurance
thananyothermanIhaveeverknown.Hepossessedthegentlenessofawomanintenderlittleways,yethisdeterminationandwill-powerwerebeyonddescription.
Hiswilladmittedofnodefeat.
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Iwasinmynineteenthyearwhenwestartedonwhatprovedtobeourlast
tripasfishermen,andwhichresultedinthestrangestorythatshallbegiventothe
world,--butnotuntilIhavefinishedmyearthlypilgrimage.
IdarenotallowthefactsasIknowthemtobepublishedwhileIamliving,forfearoffurtherhumiliation,confinementandsuffering.Firstofall,Iwasputinirons
bythecaptainofthewhalingvesselthatrescuedme,fornootherreasonthanthat
Itoldthetruthaboutthemarvelousdiscoveriesmadebymyfatherandmyself.But
thiswasfarfrombeingtheendofmytortures.
Afterfouryearsandeightmonths'absenceIreachedStockholm,onlytofind
mymotherhaddiedthepreviousyear,andthepropertyleftbymyparentsinthe
possessionofmymother'speople,butitwasatoncemadeovertome.
Allmight have been well, had I erased from my memory the story of our
adventureandofmyfather'sterribledeath.
Finally,onedayI toldthestoryindetailtomyuncle,GustafOsterlind,aman
of considerableproperty, andurgedhimto fitout anexpedition formetomake
anothervoyagetothestrangeland.
AtfirstIthoughthefavoredmyproject.Heseemedinterested,andinvitedme
togobeforecertainofficialsandexplaintothem,asIhadtohim,thestoryofourtravels anddiscoveries. Imaginemydisappointment andhorrorwhen, upon the
conclusionofmynarrative,certainpapersweresignedbymyuncle,and,without
warning, I found myself arrested and hurried away to dismal and fearful
confinement in a madhouse, where I remained for twenty-eight years - long,
tedious,frightfulyearsofsuffering!
Ineverceasedtoassertmysanity,andtoprotestagainsttheinjusticeofmy
confinement.Finally,ontheseventeenthofOctober,1862,Iwasreleased.Myuncle
wasdead,andthefriendsofmyyouthwerenowstrangers.Indeed,amanoverfiftyyearsold,whoseonlyknownrecordisthatofamadman,hasnofriends.
Iwasatalosstoknowwhattodoforaliving,butinstinctivelyturnedtoward
the harbor where fishing boats in great numbers were anchored, andwithin a
weekIhadshippedwithafishermanbythenameofYanHansen,whowasstarting
onalongfishingcruisetotheLofodenIslands.
Here my earlier years of training proved of the very greatest advantage,
especially in enabling me to makemyself useful. Thiswas but the beginning ofothertrips,andbyfrugaleconomyIwas,inafewyears,abletoownafishing-brig
ofmyown.
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Fortwenty-sevenyearsthereafterIfollowedtheseaasafisherman,fiveyears
workingforothers,andthelasttwenty-twoformyself.
DuringalltheseyearsIwasamostdiligentstudentofbooks,aswellasahard
workeratmybusiness,butI tookgreatcarenottomention toanyonethe storyconcerningthediscoveriesmadebymyfatherandmyself.EvenatthislatedayI
wouldbe fearfulofhavinganyoneseeorknowthethings Iamwriting, andthe
recordsandmapsIhaveinmykeeping.Whenmydaysoneartharefinished,Ishall
leavemapsandrecordsthatwillenlightenand,Ihope,benefitmankind.
The memory of my long confinement with maniacs, and all the horrible
anguishandsufferingsaretoovividtowarrantmytakingfurtherchances.
In1889Isoldoutmyfishingboats,andfoundIhadaccumulatedafortunequitesufficienttokeepmetheremainderofmylife.IthencametoAmerica.
For a dozenyearsmyhomewas in Illinois, nearBatavia, where I gathered
mostof thebooksinmypresent library, though Ibroughtmanychoicevolumes
from Stockholm. Later, I came to LosAngeles,arrivinghereMarch4, 1901.The
dateIwellremember,asitwasPresidentMcKinley'ssecondinaugurationday.I
boughtthishumblehomeanddetermined,hereintheprivacyofmyownabode,
shelteredbymyownvineandfig-tree,andwithmybooksaboutme,tomakemaps
anddrawingsofthenewlandswehaddiscovered,andalsotowritethestoryindetail from the time my father and I left Stockholm until the tragic event that
partedusintheAntarcticOcean.
IwellrememberthatweleftStockholminourfishing-slooponthethirdday
ofApril,1829,andsailedtothesouthward,leavingGothlandIslandtotheleftand
OelandIslandtotheright.AfewdayslaterwesucceededindoublingSandhommar
Point,andmadeourway through thesoundwhichseparatesDenmark fromthe
Scandinaviancoast.InduetimeweputinatthetownofChristiansand,wherewe
restedtwodays,andthenstartedaroundtheScandinaviancoasttothewestward,boundfortheLofodenIslands.
Myfatherwasinhighspirit,becauseoftheexcellentandgratifyingreturnshe
hadreceivedfromourlastcatchbymarketingatStockholm,insteadofsellingat
oneoftheseafaringtownsalongtheScandinaviancoast.Hewasespeciallypleased
with the sale of some ivory tusks that he had foundon thewest coastof Franz
Joseph Land during one of his northern cruises the previous year, and he
expressedthehopethatthistimewemightagainbefortunateenoughtoloadour
littlefishing-sloopwithivory,insteadofcod,herring,mackerelandsalmon.
WeputinatHammerfest,latitudeseventy-onedegreesandfortyminutes,for
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a few days' rest. Here we remained one week, laying in an extra supply of
provisions and several casks of drinking-water, and then sailed toward
Spitzbergen.
Forthefirstfewdayswehadanopenseaand
favoringwind,andthenweencounteredmuch iceand many icebergs. A vessel large than our little
fishing-sloop could not possibly have threaded its
way among the labyrinth of icebergs or squeezed
through the barely open channels. These monster
bergs presented an endless succession of crystal
palaces, of massive cathedrals and fantastic
mountain ranges, grim and sentinel-like,
immovable as some towering cliff of solid rock,
standing silent as sphinx, resisting the restlesswavesofafretfulsea.
After many narrow escapes, we arrived at
Spitsbergen on the 23d of June, and anchored at
WijadeBayforashorttime,wherewewerequite
successfulinourcatches.Wethenliftedanchorand
sailedthroughtheHinlopenStrait,andcoastedalongtheNorth-East-Land.
ItwillberememberedthatAndreestartedonhisfatalballoonvoyagefromthenorthwestcoastofSpitzbergen.
Astrongwindcameupfromthesouthwest,andmyfathersaidthatwehad
better take advantage of it and try to reach Franz Josef Land, where, the year
beforehehad,byaccident,foundtheivorytusksthathadbroughthimsuchagood
priceatStockholm.
Never,beforeorsince,haveIseensomanysea-fowl;theyweresonumerous
thattheyhidtherocksonthecoastlineanddarkenedthesky.
ForseveraldayswesailedalongtherockycoastofFranzJosefLand.Finally,a
favoringwindcameupthatenabledustomaketheWestCoast,and,aftersailing
twenty-fourhours,wecametoabeautifulinlet.
One could hardly believe it was the Northland. The place was green with
growingvegetation, andwhile the areadid not comprisemorethanoneor two
acres,yettheairwaswarmandtranquil.Itseemedtobeatthatpointwherethe
GulfStream'sinfluenceismostkeenlyfelt.
SirJohnBarrow,Bart.,F.R.S.,inhisworkentitled"VoyagesofDiscoveryand
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ResearchWithintheArcticRegions,"saysonpage57:"Mr.Beecheyreferstowhat
hasfrequentlybeenfoundandnoticed--themildnessofthetemperatureonthe
westerncoastofSpitsbergen,therebeinglittleornosensationofcold,thoughthe
thermometermightbeonlyafewdegreesabovethefreezing-point.Thebrilliant
andlivelyeffectofaclearday,whenthesunshinesforthwithapuresky,whose
azurehueissointenseastofindnoparallelevenintheboastedItaliansky."
Ontheeastcoasttherewerenumerousicebergs,yetherewewereinopen
water. Far to the west of us, however, were icepacks, and still farther to the
westwardtheiceappearedlikerangesoflowhills.Infrontofus,anddirectlyto
thenorth,layanopensea.
Captain Kane, on page 299, quoting from Morton's Journal, the 26th of
December, says: "As far as I could see, the open passageswere fifteenmiles or
morewide,withsometimesmashediceseparatingthem.Butitisallsmallice,andIthinkiteitherdrivesouttotheopenspacetothenorthorrotsandsinks,asI
couldseenoneaheadtothenorth."
MyfatherwasanardentbelieverinOdinandThor,andhadfrequentlytold
metheyweregodswhocamefromfarbeyondthe"NorthWind."
Therewasatradition,myfatherexplained,thatstillfarthernorthwardwasa
landmorebeautiful thanany thatmortalman had everknown, and that itwas
inhabitedbythe"Chosen."
We find the following in "DeutscheMythologie," page 778, from the pen of
JakobGrimm;"Then the sons of Borbuilt in themiddle of the universe the city
calledAsgard,wheredwellthegodsandtheirkindred,andfromthatabodework
outsomanywondrousthingsbothontheearthandintheheavensaboveit.There
isinthatcityaplacecalledHlidskjalf,andwhenOdinisseatedthereuponhislofty
throneheseesoverthewholeworldanddiscernsalltheactionsofmen."
Myyouthfulimaginationwasfiredbytheardor,zealandreligiousfervorofmygoodfather,andIexclaimed:"Whynotsailtothisgoodlyland?Theskyisfair,
thewindfavorableandtheseaopen."
EvennowIcanseetheexpressionofpleasurablesurpriseonhiscountenance
asheturnedtowardmeandasked:"Myson,areyouwillingtogowithmeand
explore -- to go far beyond where man has ever ventured?" I answered
affirmatively."Verywell,"hereplied."MaythegodOdinprotectus!"and,quickly
adjustingthesails,heglancedatourcompass,turnedtheprowinduenortherly
directionthroughanopenchannel,andourvoyagehadbegun.Hallwrites,onpage288:"On23rdofJanuarythetwoEsquimaux,accompaniedbytwooftheseamen,
wenttoCapeLupton.Theyreportedaseaofopenwaterextendingasfarastheeye
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couldreach."
Thesunwaslowinthehorizon,asitwasstilltheearlysummer.Indeed,we
hadalmostfourmonthsofdayaheadofusbeforethefrozennightcouldcomeon
again.
Ourlittlefishing-sloopsprangforwardasifeagerasourselvesforadventure.
Withinthirty-sixhourswewereoutofsightofthehighestpointonthecoastlineof
FranzJosefLand.Weseemedtobeinastrongcurrentrunningnorthbynortheast.
Fartotherightandtotheleftofuswereicebergs,butourlittlesloopboredown
onthenarrowsandpassedthroughchannelsandoutintoopenseas-channelsso
narrowinplacesthat, hadour craftbeenother thansmall,wenever couldhave
gottenthrough.
Onthethirddaywecametoanisland.Itsshoreswerewashedbyanopensea.Myfatherdeterminedtolandandexploreforaday.Thisnewlandwasdestituteof
timber, butwefound a largeaccumulationof drift-wood on thenorthern shore.
Someofthetrunksofthetreeswerefortyfeetlongandtwofeetindiameter.
Greelytellsusinvol.1,page100,that:"PrivatesConnellandFrederickfound
alargeconiferoustreeonthebeach,justabovetheextremehigh-watermark.It
was nearly thirty inches in circumference, some thirty feet long, and had
apparently been carried to that point by a current within a couple of years. A
portionofitwascutupforfire-wood,andforthefirsttimeinthatvalley,abright,cheerycamp-firegavecomforttoman."
Afteroneday'sexplorationofthecoastlineofthisisland,weliftedanchorand
turnedourprowtothenorthinanopensea.
Dr.Kanesays,onpage379ofhisworks:"Icannotimaginewhatbecomesof
theice.Astrongcurrentsetsinconstantlytothenorth;but,fromaltitudesofmore
thanfivehundredfeet,Isawonlynarrowstripsofice,withgreatspacesofopen
water,fromtentofifteenmilesinbreadth,betweenthem.Itmust,therefore,eithergotoanopenspaceinthenorth,ordissolve."
I remember that neither my father nor myself had tasted food for almost
thirty hours. Perhaps this was because of the tension of excitement about our
strange voyage in waters farther north, my father said, than anyone had ever
beforebeen.Activementalityhaddulledthedemandsofthephysicalneeds.
Insteadofthecoldbeingintenseaswehadanticipated,itwasreallywarmer
andmorepleasant than ithad beenwhile inHammerfest on the north coast ofNorway,somesixweeksbefore.
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CaptainPeary'ssecondvoyagerelatesanothercircumstancewhichmayserve
toconfirmaconjecturewhichhaslongbeenmaintainedbysome,thatanopensea,
freeofice,existsatornearthePole."OnthesecondofNovember,"saysPeary,"the
windfresheneduptoagalefromnorthbywest,loweredthethermometerbefore
midnight to5 degrees, whereas, a rise of wind atMelville Island was generally
accompaniedbyasimultaneousriseinthethermometeratlowtemperatures.Maynot this," he asks, "be occasioned by thewind blowingover an open sea in the
quarterfromwhichthewindblows?Andtendtoconfirmtheopinionthatator
nearthePoleanopenseaexists?"
Webothfranklyadmittedthatwewereveryhungry,andforthwithIprepared
asubstantialmealfromourwell-storedlarder.Whenwehadpartakenheartilyof
therepast,ItoldmyfatherIbelievedIwouldsleep,asIwasbeginningtofeelquite
drowsy."Verywell,"hereplied,"Iwillkeepthewatch."
IhavenowaytodeterminehowlongIslept;IonlyknowthatIwasrudely
awakenedbyaterriblecommotionofthesloop.Tomysurprise,Ifoundmyfather
sleepingsoundly.Icriedoutlustilytohim,andstartingup,hesprangquicklytohis
feet.Indeed,hadhenotinstantlyclutchedtherail,hewouldcertainlyhavebeen
thrownintotheseethingwaves.
A fierce snow-stormwas raging. Thewindwas directly astern, drivingour
sloopataterrificspeed,andwasthreateningeverymomenttocapsizeus.There
was no time to lose, the sails had to be lowered immediately. Our boat waswrithing inconvulsions.A fewicebergsweknew
were on either side of us, but fortunately the
channelwasopendirectlytothenorth.Butwould
it remain so? In front of us, girding the horizon
fromlefttoright,wasavaporishfogormist,black
asEgyptian night at thewater's edge, andwhite
like a steam-cloud toward the top, which was
finally lost to view as it blended with the great
whiteflakesoffallingsnow.Whetheritcoveredatreacherous iceberg, or some other hidden
obstacleagainstwhichourlittlesloopwoulddash
andsendustoawaterygrave,orwasmerelythe
phenomenonofanArcticfog,therewasnowayto
determine.
On the page 284 of his works, Hall writes:
"FromthetopofProvidenceBerg,adarkfogwas
seen to the north, indicating water. At 10 a.m.three of the men (Kruger, Nindemann and Hobby) went to Cape Lupton to
ascertain if possible the extent of theopenwater. On theirreturntheyreported
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severalopenspacesandmuchyoungice--notmorethanadayold,sothinthatit
waseasilybrokenbythrowingpiecesoficeuponit."
Bywhatmiracleweescapedbeingdashedtoutterdestruction,Idonotknow.
Irememberourlittlecraftcreakedandgroaned,asifitsjointswerebreaking.It
rocked and staggered to and fro as if clutched by some fierce undertow ofwhirlpoolormaelstrom.
Fortunatelyourcompasshadbeenfastenedwithlongscrewstoacross-beam.
Mostofourprovisions,however,weretumbledoutandsweptawayfromthedeck
of the cuddy, andhadwe not taken the precaution at the very beginning to tie
ourselves firmly to themastsof the sloop,weshould have been swept into the
lashingsea.
Abovethedeafeningtumultoftheragingwaves,Iheardmyfather'svoice."Becourageous,myson,"heshouted,"Odinisthegodofthewaters,thecompanionof
thebrave,andheiswithus.Fearnot."
Tomeitseemedtherewasnopossibilityofourescapingahorribledeath.The
littlesloopwasshippingwater,thesnowwasfallingsofastastobeblinding,and
thewavesweretumblingoverourcountersinrecklesswhite-sprayedfury.There
wasnotellingwhatinstantweshouldbedashedagainstsomedriftingicepack.The
tremendousswellswouldheaveusupto theverypeaksofmountainouswaves,
then plunge us down into the depths of the sea's trough as if our fishing-sloopwereafragileshell.Giganticwhite-cappedwaves,likeveritablewalls,fencedusin,
foreandaft.
Thisterriblenerve-rackingordeal,withitsnamelesshorrorsofsuspenseand
agonyoffearindescribable,continuedformorethanthreehours,andallthetime
wewerebeingdrivenforwardatfiercespeed.Thensuddenly,asifgrowingweary
of its frantic exertions, thewind began to lessen its fury and by degrees to die
down.
Atlastwewereinprefectcalm.Thefogmisthadalsodisappeared,andbefore
uslayanicelesschannelperhapstenorfifteenmileswidewithafewicebergsfar
awaytoourright,andanintermittentarchipelagoofsmalleronestotheleft.
I watched my father closely, determined to remain silent until he spoke.
Presently heuntied the rope from his waist and,without saying aword, began
working thepumps,which fortunatelywere not damaged,relieving thesloopof
thewaterithadshippedinthemadnessofthestorm.
He put up the sloop's sails as calmly as if casting a fishing-net, and then
remarkedthatwewerereadyforafavoringwindwhenitcame.Hiscourageand
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persistenceweretrulyremarkable.
On investigationwe found less thanone-third ofour provisions remaining,
while to our utter dismay,wediscovered thatour water-caskshad been swept
overboardduringtheviolentplungingsofourboat.
Twoofourwater-caskswereinthemainhold,bothwereempty.Wehadafair
supplyoffood,butnofreshwater.Irealizedatoncetheawfulnessofourposition.
Presently Iwas seizedwitha consuming thirst. "It isindeedbad," remarkedmy
father."However,letusdryourbedraggledclothing,forwearesoakedtotheskin.
TrusttothegodOdin,myson.Donotgiveuphope."
The sunwas beatingdown slantingly,as if wewere ina southern latitude,
insteadofinthefarNorthland.Itwasswingingaround,itsorbitevervisibleand
rising higher and higher each day, frequently mist-covered, yet always peeringthrough the lacework of clouds like some fretful eye of fate, guarding the
mysteriousNorthlandandjealouslywatchingthepranksofman.Fartoourright
theraysdeckingtheprismsoficebergsweregorgeous.Theirreflectionsemitted
flashesofgarnet, of diamond, of sapphire. Apyrotechnicpanoramaof countless
colorsandshapes,whilebelowcouldbeseenthegreen-tintedsea,andabove,the
purplesky.
PARTTHREE:
BeyondTheNorthWind
Itriedtoforgetmythirstbybusyingmyselfwithbringingupsomefoodand
anemptyvesselfromthehold.Reachingovertheside-rail,I filledthevesselwith
waterforthepurposeoflavingmyhandsandface.Tomyastonishment,whenthe
water came in contactwith my lips, I could taste no salt. Iwas startled by the
discovery."Father!"Ifairlygasped,"thewater,thewater;itisfresh!""What,Olaf?"
exclaimedmyfather,glancinghastilyaround."Surelyyouaremistaken.Thereisno
land.Youaregoingmad.""Buttasteit!"Icried.
Andthuswemadethediscoverythatthewaterwasindeedfresh,absolutely
so,withouttheleastbrinytasteoreventhesuspicionofasaltyflavor.
Weforthwithfilledourtworemainingwater-casks,andmyfatherdeclaredit
wasaheavenlydispensationofmercyfromthegodsOdinandThor.
We were almost beside ourselves with joy, but hunger bade us end ourenforcedfast.Nowthatwehadfoundfreshwaterintheopensea,whatmightwe
not expect in this strange latitude where ship had never before sailed and the
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splashofanoarhadneverbeenheard?1111Invol.I,page196,Nansenwrites:"Itisapeculiarphenomenon,-
thisdeadwater.Wehadatpresentabetteropportunityofstudyingitthanwedesired.Itoccurswhereasurfacelayeroffreshwater
restsuponthesaltwaterofthesea,andthisfreshwateriscarriedalongwiththeshipglidingontheheavierseabeneathitasifona
fixedfoundation.Thedifferencebetweentwostratawasinthiscasesogreatthatwhilewehaddrinkingwateronthesurface,the
waterwegotfromthebottomcockoftheengine-roomwasfartoosalttobeusedfortheboiler."
Wehad scarcely appeasedour hunger when a breeze began filling the idlesails, and, glancing at the compass, we found the northern point pressing hard
againsttheglass.
Inresponsetomysurprise,myfathersaid:"Ihaveheardofthisbefore;itis
whattheycallthedippingoftheneedle."
Weloosenedthecompassandturneditatrightangleswiththesurfaceofthe
sea before its point would free itself from the glass and point according tounmolestedattraction.Itshifteduneasily,andseemedasunsteadyasadrunken
man,butfinallypointedacourse.
Beforethiswethoughtthewindwascarryingusnorthbynorthwest,but,with
the needle free,we discovered, if it could be relied upon, that we were sailing
slightlynorthbynortheast.Ourcourse,however,wasevertendingnorthward. 12
12InvolumeII,pages18and19,Nansenwritesabouttheinclinationoftheneedle.SpeakingofJohnson,hisaide:"Oneday--it
was November 24th-- hecame into suppera little after six o'clock, quite alarmed,and said:'Therehas justbeen a singularinclinationoftheneedleintwentyfourdegrees.Andremarkablyenough,itsnorthernextremitypointedtotheeast.'"
WeagainfindinPeary'sfirstvoyage-page67,-thefollowing:"Ithadbeenobservedthatfromthemomenttheyhadentered
LancasterSound,themotionofthecompassneedlewasverysluggish,andboththisanditsdeviationincreasedastheyprogressedto
thewestward,andcontinuedtodosoindescendingthisinlet.Havingreachedlatitude73degrees,theywitnessedforthefirsttime
thecuriousphenomenonofthedirectivepoweroftheneedlebecomingsoweakastobecompletelyovercomebytheattractionofthe
ship,sothattheneedlemightnowbesaidtopointtothenorthpoleoftheship."
Theseawasserenelysmooth,withhardlyachoppywave,andthewindbrisk
and exhilarating. The sun's rays, while striking us aslant, furnished tranquilwarmth.Andthustimeworeondayafterday,andwefoundfromtherecordinour
log-book,wehadbeensailingelevendayssincethestormintheopensea.
Bystrictesteconomy,ourfoodwasholdingoutfairlywell,butbeginningto
runlow.Inthemeantime,oneofourcasksofwaterhadbeenexhausted,andmy
fathersaid:"Wewillfillitagain."But,toourdismay,wefoundthewaterwasnow
as salt as in the region of the Lofoden Islands off the coast of Norway. This
necessitatedourbeingextremelycarefuloftheremainingcask.
Ifoundmyselfwantingtosleepmuchofthetime;whetheritwastheeffectof
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theexciting experienceofsailinginunknownwaters,ortherelaxationfrom the
awfulexcitementincidenttoouradventureinastormatsea,orduetowantof
food,Icouldnotsay.
Ifrequentlylaydownonthebunkerofourlittlesloop,andlookedfarupinto
bluedomeofthesky;and,notwithstandingthesunwasshiningfarawayinthe
east,Ialwayssawasinglestaroverhead.Forseveraldays,whenIlookedforthis
star,itwasalwaystheredirectlyaboveus.
Itwasnow,accordingtoourreckoning,about
thefirstofAugust.Thesunwashighintheheavens,
andwassobrightthatIcouldnolongerseetheone
lone star that attracted my attention a few days
earlier.
Onedayaboutthistime,myfatherstartledme
bycallingmyattentiontoanovelsightfarinfront
of us, almost at the horizon. "It is a mock sun,"
exclaimed my father. "I have read of them; it is
called a reflection or mirage. It will soon pass
away."
Butthisdull-red,falsesun,aswesupposedittobe,didnotpassawayforseveralhours;andwhile
we were unconscious of its emitting any rays of
light, still there was no time thereafter when we
couldnotsweepthehorizoninfrontandlocatetheilluminationoftheso-called
falsesun,duringaperiodofatleasttwelvehoursoutofeverytwenty-four.
Cloudsandmistswouldattimesalmost,butneverentirely,hideitslocation.
Graduallyitseemedtoclimbhigherinthehorizonoftheuncertainpurplyskyas
weadvanced. It could hardly besaid to resemble the sun, except in its circularshape, andwhen not obscured by clouds or the oceanmists, it had a hazy-red,
bronzed appearance,whichwouldchange to awhitelikea luminous cloud,asif
reflectingsomegreaterlightbeyond.
Wefinallyagreedinourdiscussionofthissmokyfurnace-coloredsun,that,
whateverthecauseofthephenomenon,itwasnotareflectionofoursun,buta
planetofsomesort--areality.
Nansen, on page 394, says: "Today another noteworthy thing happened,whichwasthataboutmiddaywesawthesun,ortobemorecorrect,animageof
thesun,foritwasonlyamirage.Apeculiarimpressionwasproducedbythesight
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ofthatglowingfirelitjustabovetheoutermostedgeoftheice.Accordingtothe
enthusiasticdescriptionsgivenbymanyArctictravelersofthefirstappearanceof
this god of life after the long winter night, the impression ought to be one of
jubilantexcitement;butitwasnotsoinmycase.Wehadnotexpectedtoseeitfor
somedaysyet,sothatmyfeelingwasratheroneofpain,ofdisappointment,that
wemusthavedriftedfarthersouththanwethought.SoitwaswithpleasureIsoondiscoveredthatitcouldnotbethesunitself.Themiragewasatfirstaflattened-
out,glowingredstreakoffireonthehorizon;laterthereweretwostreaks,theone
abovetheother,witha dark space between; and from themain top I could see
four, or even five, such horizontal lines directly over one another, all of equal
length, as if one couldonly imaginea square,dull-red sun,withhorizontal dark
streaksacrossit."
Onedaysoonafterthis,Ifeltexceedinglydrowsy,andfellintoasoundsleep.
But it seemed that I was almost immediately aroused by my father's vigorousshakingofmebytheshoulderandsaying:"Olaf,awaken;thereislandinsight!"
Isprangtomyfeet,andoh!joyunspeakable!There,farinthedistance,yet
directlyinourpath,werelandsjuttingboldlyintothesea.Theshore-linestretched
farawaytotherightofus,asfarastheeyecouldsee,andallalongthesandybeach
werewavesbreaking intochoppyfoam,receding,thengoingforwardagain,ever
chanting in monotonous thunder tones the song of the deep. The banks were
coveredwithtreesandvegetation.Icannotexpressmyfeelingofexultationatthis
discovery.Myfatherstoodmotionless,withhishandonthetiller,lookingstraightahead,pouringouthisheartinthankfulprayerandthanksgivingtothegodsOdin
andThor.
Inthemeantime,anetwhichwefoundinthestowagehadbeencast,andwe
caughtafewfishthatmateriallyaddedtoourdwindlingstockofprovisions.
The compass, which we had fastened back in its place, in fear of another
storm, was still pointing due north, and moving on its pivot, just as it had in
Stockholm.Thedippingoftheneedlehadceased.Whatcouldthismean?Then,too,ourmanydaysofsailinghadcertainlycarriedusfarpasttheNorthPole.Andyet
the needle continued to point north. We were sorely perplexed, for surely our
directionwasnowsouth.
Peary's firstvoyage, pages69and70, says: "On reaching SirByamMartin's
Island,thenearesttoMelvilleIsland,thelatitudeoftheplaceofobservationwas
75 degrees-09'-23'', and the longitude 103 degrees-44'-37''; the dip of the
magnetic needle of 88degrees-25'-58'' west in the longitude of 91degrees-48',
wherethelastobservationsontheshorehadbeenmade,to165degrees-50'-09'',east,attheirpresentstation,sothatwehad,"saysPeary,"insailingoverthespace
included between this two meridians, crossed immediately northward of the
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magneticpole,andhadundoubtedlypassedoveroneofthosespotsupontheglobe
wheretheneedlewouldhavebeenfoundtovary180degrees,orinotherwords,
wheretheNorthPolewouldhavepointedtothesouth."
Wesailedforthreedaysalongtheshoreline,thencametothemouthofafjord
orriverofimmensesize.Itseemedmorelikeagreatbay,andintothisweturnedourfishing-craft,thedirectionbeingslightlynortheastofsouth.Bytheassistance
ofafretfulwindthatcametoouraidabouttwelvehoursoutofeverytwenty-four,
wecontinuedtomakeourwayinland,intowhatafterwardprovedtobeamighty
river,andwhichwelearnedwascalledbytheinhabitantsHiddekel.
We continued our journey for ten days thereafter, and found we had
fortunately attained a distance inland where ocean tides no longer affected the
water,whichhadbecomefresh.
Thediscoverycamenonetosoon,forourremainingcaskofwaterwaswell-
nighexhausted.Welost notimein replenishingour casks, and continuedto sail
fartheruptheriverwhenthewindwasfavorable.
Alongthebanksgreatforestsmilesinextentcouldbeseenstretchingawayon
theshore-line.Thetreeswereofenormoussize.Welandedafteranchoringneara
sandybeach,andwadedashore,andwererewardedbyfindingaquantityofnuts
thatwereverypalatableandsatisfyingtohunger,andawelcomechangefromthe
monotonyofourstockofprovisions.
ItwasaboutthefirstofSeptember,overfivemonths,wecalculated,sinceour
leave-takingfromStockholm.Suddenlywewerefrightenedalmostoutofourwits
by hearing in the far distance the singing of people. Very soon thereafter we
discoveredahuge shipglidingdown the river directly towardus. Those aboard
weresinginginonemightychorusthat,echoingfrombanktobank,soundedlikea
thousand voices, filling the whole universe with quivering melody. The
accompanimentwasplayedonstringedinstrumentsnotunlikeourharps.
It was a larger ship than any we had ever seen, and was differently
constructed.
AsiaticMythology,--page240,"ParadiseFound"--fromtranslationbySayce,
inabookcalled"RecordsofthePast",weweretoldofa"dwelling"which"thegods
createdfor"thefirsthumanbeings,--adwellinginwhichthey"becomegreat"and
"increased in numbers," and the location ofwhich isdescribed inwords exactly
correspondingtothoseofIranian,Indian,Chinese,EddaicandAztecanliterature;
namely,"inthecenteroftheearth."--Warren.
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At thisparticulartimeour sloopwasbecalmed, andnot far fromtheshore.
Thebankoftheriver,coveredwithmammothtrees,roseupseveralhundredfeet
in beautiful fashion.Weseemed to beon the edgeof someprimeval forest that
doubtlessstretchedfarinland.
The immense craft paused, and almostimmediately a boat was lowered and sixmen of
gigantic stature rowed to our little fishing-sloop.
Theyspoketousinastrangelanguage.Weknew
from their manner, however, that theywere not
unfriendly. They talked a great deal among
themselves, and one of them laughed
immoderately, as though in finding us a queer
discoveryhadbeenmade.Oneofthemspiedour
compass, and it seemed to interest them morethananyotherpartofoursloop.
Finally, the leader motioned as if to ask
whetherwewerewillingtoleaveourcrafttogoon
board their ship. "Whatsay you,myson?"asked
myfather."Theycannotdoanymorethankillus."
"Theyseemtobekindlydisposed,"Ireplied,"althoughwhatterriblegiants!
Theymustbetheselectsixofthekingdom'scrackregiment.Justlookattheirgreatsize."
"Wemayaswellgowillinglyasbetakenbyforce,"saidmyfather,smiling,
"fortheyarecertainlyableto captureus."Thereuponhemadeknown,by signs,
thatwewerereadytoaccompanythem.
Withinafewminuteswewereonboardtheship,andhalfanhourlaterour
littlefishing-crafthadbeenliftedbodilyoutofthewaterbyastrangesortofhook
andtackle,andsetonboardasacuriosity.
There were several hundred people on board this, to us, mammoth ship,
which we discoveredwas called "The Naz,"meaning, aswe afterward learned,
"Pleasure,"ortogiveamoreproperinterpretation,"PleasureExcursion"ship.
If my father and I were curiously observed by the ship's occupants, this
strangeraceofgiantsofferedusanequalamountofwonderment.
There was not a single man aboard who would not have measured fullytwelvefeetinheight.Theyallworefullbeards,notparticularlylong,butseemingly
short-cropped. They had mild and beautiful faces, exceedingly fair, with ruddy
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complexions.Thehairandbeardofsomewereblack,otherssandy,andstillothers
yellow.Thecaptain,aswedesignatedthedignitaryincommandofthegreatvessel,
wasfullyaheadtallerthananyofhiscompanions.Thewomenaveragedfromten
toelevenfeetinheight.Theirfeatureswereespeciallyregularandrefined,while
theircomplexionwasofamostdelicatetintheightenedbyahealthfulglow.16
16"Accordingtoallprocurabledata,thatspotattheeraofman'sappearance
uponthestagewasinthenowlost'Miocenecontinent,'whichthensurroundedthe
ArcticPole.Thatinthattrue,originalEdensomeoftheearlygenerationsofmen
attained to a stature and longevity unequaled in any countries known to
postdiluvian history is by no means scientifically incredible." - Wm. F. Warren,
"ParadiseFound,"p.284.
Bothmenandwomenseemedtopossessthatparticularcaseofmannerwhich
wedeemasignofgoodbreeding,and,notwithstandingtheirhugestatures,therewas nothing about them suggesting awkwardness. As I was a lad in only my
nineteenthyear,IwasdoubtlesslookeduponasatrueTomThumb.Myfather'ssix
feetthreedidnotliftthetopofhisheadabovethewaistlineofthesepeople.
Eachoneseemedtoviewiththeothersinextendingcourtesiesandshowing
kindnesstous,butalllaughedheartily,Iremember,whentheyhadtoimprovise
chairsformyfatherandmyselftositattable.Theywererichlyattiredinacostume
peculiartothemselves,andveryattractive.Themenwereclothedinhandsomely
embroidered tunics of silk and satin and belted at the waist. They wore knee-breechesandstockingsofafinetexture,whiletheirfeetwereencasedinsandals
adornedwith gold buckles.We early discovered that gold was one of themost
commonmetalsknown,andthatitwasusedextensivelyindecoration.
Strange as it may seem, neithermy father normyself felt the least bit of
solicitudeforoursafety."Wehavecomeintoourown,"myfathersaidtome."This
isthefulfillmentofthetraditiontoldmebymyfatherandmyfather'sfather,and
stillbackformanygenerationsofourrace.Thisis,absurdly,thelandbeyondthe
NorthWind."
We seemed to make such an impression on the party that we were given
specially into the charge of one of themen, Jules Galdea, and his wife, for the
purpose of being educated in their language; andwe, on ourpart,were just as
eagertolearnastheyweretoinstruct.
At the captain's command, the vesselwas swungcleverly about, and began
retracing its course up the river. The machinery, while noiseless, was very
powerful.
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Thebanksand trees oneither side seemed torushby.The ship's speed, at
times,surpassedthatofanyrailroadtrainonwhichIhaveeverridden,evenhere
inAmerica.Itwaswonderful.
Inthemeantimewehadlostsightofthesun'srays,butwefoundaradiance
"within" emanating from the dull-red sun which had already attracted ourattention, nowgivingout awhitelight seemingly from acloud-bank far away in
frontofus. Itdispensedagreaterlight,Ishouldsay,thantwofullmoonson the
clearestnight.
Intwelvehoursthiscloudofwhitenesswouldpassoutofsightasifeclipsed,
andthetwelvehoursfollowingcorrespondedwithournight.Weearlylearnedthat
these strange people were worshipers of this great cloud of night. It was "The
SmokyGod"ofthe"InnerWorld."
TheshipwasequippedwithamodeofilluminationwhichInowpresumewas
electricity,butneithermyfathernormyselfweresufficientlyskilledinmechanics
tounderstandwhencecamethepowertooperatetheship,ortomaintainthesoft
beautifullightsthatansweredthesamepurposeofourpresentmethodsoflighting
thestreetsofourcities,ourhousesandplacesofbusiness.
Itmustberemembered,thetimeofwhichIwritewastheautumnof1829,
andweof the "outside" surfaceof the earthknewnothing then, so to speak, of
electricity.
The electrically surcharged condition of the air was a constant vitalizer. I
neverfeltbetterinmylifethanduringthetwoyearsmyfatherandIsojournedon
theinsideoftheearth.
Toresumemynarrativeofevents:Theshiponwhichweweresailingcameto
astoptwodaysafterwehadbeentakenonboard.Myfathersaidasnearlyashe
could judge, we were directly under Stockholm or London. The city we had
reachedwascalled"Jehu,"signifyingaseaporttown.Thehouseswerelargeandbeautifully constructed,andquiteuniforminappearance,yetwithoutsameness.
The principal occupation of the people appeared tobe agriculture; the hillsides
were coveredwith vineyards,while the valleyswere devoted to the growingof
grain.
Ineversawsuchadisplayofgold.Itwaseverywhere.Thedoor-casingswere
inlaidand the tableswereveneeredwithsheetings of gold.Domesof thepublic
buildingswereofgold.Itwasusedmostgenerouslyinthefinishingsofthegreat
templesofmusic.
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Vegetation grew in lavish exuberance, and fruit of all kinds possessed the
mostdelicateflavor.Clustersofgrapesfourandfivefeetinlength,eachgrapeas
large asanorange,and apples larger thanaman'shead typified the wonderful
growthofallthingsonthe"inside"oftheearth.
ThegreatredwoodtreesofCaliforniawouldbeconsideredmereunderbrushcomparedwiththegiantforesttreesextendingformilesandmilesinalldirections.
Inmanydirectionsalongthefoothillsofthemountainsvastherdsofcattlewere
seenduringthelastdayofourtravelontheriver.
Weheardmuchofacitycalled"Eden,"butwerekeptat"Jehu"foranentire
year.Bytheendof thattimewehadlearnedtospeakfairlywellthelanguageof
thisstrangeraceofpeople.Ourinstructors,JulesGaldeaandhiswife,exhibiteda
patiencethatwastrulycommendable.
OnedayanenvoyfromtheRulerat"Eden"cametoseeus,andfortwowhole
daysmyfatherandmyselfwereputthroughaseriesofsurprisingquestions.They
wishedtoknowfromwhencewecame,whatsortofpeopledwelt"without,"what
Godweworshiped,ourreligiousbeliefs,themodeoflivinginourstrangeland,and
athousandotherthings.
Thecompasswhichwehadbroughtwithusattractedespecialattention.My
father and I commented between ourselves on the fact that the compass still
pointednorth,althoughwenowknewthatwehadsailedoverthecurveoredgeoftheearth'saperture,andwerefaralongsouthwardonthe"inside"surfaceofthe
earth'scrust,which,accordingtomyfather'sestimateandmyown,isaboutthree
hundredmiles in thickness from the"inside" to the"outside" surface. Relatively
speaking,itisnothickerthananegg-shell,sothatthereisalmostasmuchsurface
onthe"inside"asonthe"outside"oftheearth.
Thegreatluminouscloudorballofdull-redfire--fiery-redinthemornings
and evenings, and during the day giving off a beautifulwhite light, "The Smoky
God," -- is seemingly suspended in the center of the great vacuum "within" theearth, and held to its place by the immutable law of gravitation, or a repellant
atmosphericforce,asthecasemaybe.Irefertotheknownpowerthatdrawsor
repelswithequalforceinalldirections.
Thebaseof thiselectricalcloudor central luminary, theseatof thegods, is
darkandnon-transparent,saveforinnumerablesmallopenings,seeminglyinthe
bottom of thegreat supportor altar of theDeity,uponwhich "TheSmokyGod"
rests;and,thelightsshiningthroughthesemanyopeningstwinkleatnightinall
theirsplendor,andseemtobestars,asnaturalasthestarswesawshiningwheninour home at Stockholm, excepting that they appear larger. "The Smoky God,"
therefore,witheachdailyrevolutionoftheearth,appearstocomeupintheeast
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and go down in thewest the same as does our sun on the external surface. In
reality, the people "within" believe that "TheSmokyGod" is the throneof their
Jehovah,andisstationary.Theeffectofnightanddayis,therefore,producedby
earth'sdailyrotation.
IhavesincediscoveredthatthelanguageofthepeopleoftheInnerWorldismuchliketheSanskrit.
Afterwehadgivenanaccountofourselvestotheemissariesfromthecentral
seatofgovernmentoftheinnercontinent,andmyfatherhad,inhiscrudeway,
drawnmaps, at their request, of the "outside" surfaceof the earth, showing the
divisionsoflandandwater,andgivingthenameofeachofthecontinents,large
islands and the oceans, we were taken overland to the city of "Eden," in a
conveyancedifferent fromanythingwehave inEuropeorAmerica.Thisvehicle
was doubtless someelectrical contrivance. It was noiseless, and ran on a singleironrail inperfectbalance. The tripwasmadeataveryhighrateof speed.We
werecarrieduphillsanddowndales,acrossvalleysandagainalongthesidesof
steep mountains,without any apparent attempt having beenmade to level the
earthaswedoforrailroadtracks.Thecarseatswerehugeyetcomfortableaffairs,
andveryhighabovethefloorofthecar.Onthetopofeachcarwerehighgearedfly
wheels lying on their sides, which were so automatically adjusted that, as the
speed of the car increased, the high speed of these fly wheels geometrically
increased.JulesGaldeaexplainedtousthattheserevolvingfan-likewheelsontop
ofthecarsdestroyedatmosphericpressure,orwhatisgenerallyunderstoodbythetermgravitation,and
withthisforcethusdestroyedorrenderednugatory
thecarisassafefromfallingtoonesideortoother
fromthesinglerailtrackasifitwereinavacuum;
theflywheelsintheirrapidrevolutionsdestroying
effectuallytheso-calledpowerofgravitation,orthe
force of atmospheric pressure or whatever potent
influence it may be that causes all unsupported
thingstofalldownwardtotheearth'ssurfaceortothenearestpointofresistance.
The surprise of my father and myself was
indescribablewhen,amidtheregalmagnificenceof
aspacioushall,wewerefinallybroughtbeforethe
Great High Priest, ruler over all the land. He was
richlyrobed,andmuchtallerthanthoseabouthim,
and could not have been less than fourteen or
fifteen feet in height. The immense room in which we were received seemedfinishedinsolidslabsofgoldthicklystuddedwithjewelsofamazingbrilliancy.
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Thecityof"Eden"islocatedinwhatseemstobeabeautifulvalley,yet,infact,
itisontheloftiestmountainplateauoftheInnerContinent,severalthousandfeet
higherthananyportionofthesurroundingcountry.ItisthemostbeautifulplaceI
have ever beheld inall my travels. In this elevated garden allmanner of fruits,
vines,shrubs,trees,andflowersgrowinriotousprofusion.
Inthisgardenfourrivershavetheirsourceinamightyartesianfountain.They
divideandflowinfourdirections.Thisplaceiscalledbyinhabitantsthe"navelof
the earth," or the beginning, "the cradle of the human race." The names of the
riversaretheEuphrates,thePison,theGihon,andtheHiddekel.
"AndtheLordGodplantedagarden,andoutofthegroundmadetheLordGod
togroweverytreethatispleasanttothesightandgoodforfood."-TheBookof
Genesis.
Theunexpectedawaitedusinthispalaceofbeauty,inthefindingofourlittle
fishing-craft.IthadbeenbroughtbeforetheHighPriestinperfectshape,justasit
hadbeentakenfromthewatersthatdaywhenitwasloadedonboardtheshipby
thepeoplewhodiscoveredusontherivermorethanayearbefore.
Weweregivenanaudienceofovertwohourswiththisgreatdignitary,who
seemed kindlydisposed andconsiderate. He showedhimself eagerly interested,
asking usnumerousquestions, and invariably regarding things aboutwhich his
emissarieshadfailedtoinquire.
Attheconclusionoftheinterviewheinquiredourpleasure,askinguswhether
wewished to remain in his countryor if we preferred to return to the "outer"
world, providing it were possible to make a successful return trip, across the
frozenbeltbarriersthatencircleboththenorthernandsouthernopeningsofthe
earth.
Myfatherreplied:"Itwouldpleasemeandmysontovisityourcountryand
seeyourpeople,yourcollegesandpalacesofmusicandart,yourgreatfields,yourwonderfulforestsoftimber;andafterwehavehadthispleasurableprivilege,we
shouldliketotrytoreturntoourhomeonthe'outside'surfaceoftheearth.This
sonismyonlychild,andmygoodwifewillbewearyawaitingourreturn."
"Ifearyoucanneverreturn,"repliedtheChiefHighPriest,"becausetheway
isamosthazardousone.However,youshallvisitthedifferentcountrieswithJules
Galdea asyourescort, and beaccorded everycourtesy and kindness.Whenever
youarereadytoattemptareturnvoyage,Iassureyouthatyourboatwhichishere
onexhibitionshallbeputinthewatersoftheriverHiddekelatitsmouth,andwewillbidyouJehovah-speed."
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Thus terminated our only interview with the High Priest or Ruler of the
continent.
PARTFOUR:
InTheUnderWorld
Welearnedthatthemalesdonotmarrybeforetheyarefromseventy-fiveto
onehundredyearsold,andthattheageatwhichwomenenterwedlockisonlya
little less, and thatbothmen andwomen frequently live to befromsix toeight
hundredyearsold,andinsomeinstancesmucholder.
Josephus says: "God prolonged the life of the patriarchs that preceded the
deluge, both on account of their virtues and to give them the opportunity of
perfecting thesciences of geometry andastronomy,which they haddiscovered;
whichtheycouldnothavedoneiftheyhadnotlived600years,becauseitisonlyafterthelapseof600yearsthatthegreatyearisaccomplished."--Flammarion,
AstronomicalMyths,Parisp.26
During the following year we visited many villages and towns, prominent
amongthembeingthecitiesofNigi,Delfi,Hectea,andmyfatherwascalledupon
nolessthanahalf-dozentimestogooverthemapswhichhadbeenmadefromthe
rough sketcheshehadoriginallygivenof thedivisionsof landandwater on the
"outside"surfaceoftheearth.
Irememberhearingmyfatherremarkthatthegiantraceofpeopleintheland
of "The Smoky God" had almost as accurate an idea of the geography of the
"outside"surfaceoftheearthashadtheaveragecollegeprofessorinStockholm.
Inourtravelswecametoaforestofgigantictrees,nearthecityofDelfi.Had
theBiblesaid therewere trees towering over threehundred feet in height,and
morethanthirtyfeetindiameter,growingintheGardenofEden,theIngersolls,
theTomPainesandVoltaireswoulddoubtlesshavepronouncedthestatementa
myth.YetthisisthedescriptionofCaliforniasequoiagigantea;buttheseCaliforniagiantspaleintoinsignificancewhencomparedwiththeforestGoliathsfoundinthe
"within" continent, where abound mighty trees from eight hundred to one
thousandfeetinheight,andfromonehundredtoonehundredandtwentyfeetin
diameter;countlessinnumbersandformingforestsextendinghundredsofmiles
backfromthesea.
Thepeopleare exceedinglymusical, and learned to a remarkable degree in
their arts and sciences, especially geometry and astronomy. Their cities are
equippedwithvastpalacesofmusic,wherenotinfrequentlyasmanyastwenty-fivethousandlustyvoicesofthisgiantraceswellforthinmightychorusesofthe
mostsublimesymphonies.Thechildrenarenotsupposedtoattendinstitutionsof
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learning before they are twenty years old. Then their school life begins and
continuesforthirtyyears,tenofwhichareuniformlydevotedbybothsexestothe
studyofmusic.
Their principal vocations are architecture, agriculture, horticulture, the
raising of vast herds of cattle, and the buildingof conveyances peculiar to thatcountry,fortravelonlandandwater.BysomedevicewhichIcannotexplain,they
holdcommunionwithoneanotherbetweenthemostdistantpartsoftheircountry,
onaircurrents.
All buildings are erectedwith special regard to strength, durability, beauty
andsymmetry,andwithastyleofarchitecturevastlymoreattractivetotheeye
thananyIhaveeverobservedelsewhere.
Aboutthree-fourthsofthe"inner"surfaceoftheearthislandandaboutone-fourthwater. There are numerousrivers of tremendous size, some flowing ina
northerlydirectionandotherssoutherly.Someoftheseriversarethirtymilesin
width,anditisoutofthesevastwaterways,attheextremenorthernandsouthern
partsofthe"inside"surfaceoftheearth,inregionswherelowtemperaturesare
experienced,thatfreshwatericebergsareformed.Theyarethenpushedouttosea
likehugetonguesofice,bytheabnormalfreshetsofturbulentwatersthat,twice
everyyear,sweepeverythingbeforethem.
Wesawinnumerablespecimensofbird-lifenolargerthanthoseencounteredintheforestsofEuropeorAmerica.Itiswellknownthatduringthelastfewyears
whole species of birds have quit the earth. Awriter in a recent article on this
subjectsays:
"Almosteveryyearseesthefinalextinctionofoneormorebirdspecies.Outof
fourteen varieties of birds found a century since on a single island - theWest
IndianislandofSt.Thomas-eighthavenowtobenumberedamongthemissing."
Is it not possible that thesedisappearing bird species quit their habitationwithout,andfindanasyluminthe"withinworld"?
Whetherinlandamongthemountains,oralongtheseashore,wefoundbird
lifeprolific.When they spread their great wings some of the birds appeared to
measurethirtyfeetfromtiptotip.Theyareofgreatvarietyandmanycolors.We
werepermittedtoclimbupontheedgeofarockandexamineanestofeggs.There
were five in the nest, each of whichwas at least two feet in length and fifteen
inchesindiameter.
AfterwehadbeeninthecityofHecteaaboutaweek,ProfessorGaldeatookus
toaninlet,wherewesawthousandsoftortoisesalongthesandyshore.Ihesitate
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tostatethesizeofthesegreatcreatures.Theywerefromtwenty-fivetothirtyfeet
inlength,fromfifteentotwentyfeetinwidthandfullysevenfeetinheight.When
oneofthemprojecteditsheadithadtheappearanceofsomehideousseamonster.
Thestrangeconditions "within" are favorable
not only for vast meadows of luxuriant grasses,forestsofgiant trees, and allmanner of vegetable
life,butwonderfulanimallifeaswell.
One day we saw a great herd of elephants.
There must have been five hundred of these
thunder-throated monsters, with their restlessly
waving trunks. They were tearing huge boughs
from the trees and trampling smaller growth into
dustlikesomuchhazel-brush.Theywouldaverageover100feetinlengthandfrom75to85inheight.
Itseemed,asIgazeduponthiswonderfulherd
of giant elephants, that I was again living in the
public library at Stockholm, where I had spent
much time studying the wonders of the Miocene
age.Iwasfilledwithmuteastonishment,andmyfatherwasspeechlesswithawe.
Heheldmyarmwithaprotectinggrip,asiffearfulharmwouldovertakeus.We
weretwoatomsinthisgreatforest,and,fortunately,unobservedbythisvastherdof elephants as they drifted on and away, following a leader as does a herd of
sheep. They browsed from growing herbage which they encountered as they
traveled,andnowandagainshookthefirmamentwiththeirdeepbellowing.20
20"Moreover,therewereagreatnumberofelephantsintheisland:andthere
wasprovisionforanimalsofeverykind.Alsowhateverfragrantthingstherearein
the earth,whetherroots or herbage, orwoods, or distilling drops of flowers or
fruits,grewandthrivedinthatland."-TheCratyluoofPlato.
Thereisahazymistthatgoesupfromthelandeachevening,anditinvariably
rainsonceeverytwenty-fourhours.Thisgreatmoistureandinvigoratingelectrical
lightandwarmthaccountperhaps for the luxuriantvegetation,while thehighly
chargedelectricalairandtheevennessofclimaticconditionsmayhavemuchtodo
withgiantgrowthandlongevityofallanimallife.
Inplacesthelevelvalleysstretchedawayformanymilesineverydirection.
"The Smoky God", in its clear white light, looked calmly down. There was an
intoxicationintheelectricallysurchargedairthatfannedthecheekassoftlyasavanishingwhisper.Naturechantedalullabyinthefaintmurmurofwindswhose
breathwassweetwiththefragranceofbudandblossom.
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After having spent considerablymore thana year in visitingseveral of the
manycitiesofthe"within"worldandagreatdealofinterveningcountry,andmore
than two years had passed from the time we had been picked up by the great
excursionshipontheriver,wedecidedtocastourfortunesoncemoreuponthe
sea,andendeavortoregainthe"outside"surfaceoftheearth.
We made known our wishes, and they were reluctantly but promptly
followed.Ourhostsgavemyfather,athisrequest,variousmapsshowingtheentire
"inside"surfaceoftheearth,itscities,oceans,seas,rivers,gulfsandbays.Theyalso
generouslyofferedtogiveusallthebagsofgoldnuggets--someofthemaslarge
as a goose's egg -- thatwewerewilling to attempt to takewith us in our little
fishing-boat.
InduetimewereturnedtoJehu,atwhichplacewespentonemonthinfixingupandoverhaulingourlittlefishingsloop.Afterallwasinreadiness,thesameship
"Naz"thatoriginallydiscoveredus,tookusonboardandsailedtothemouthofthe
riverHiddekel.
Afterourgiantbrothershadlaunchedourlittlecraftforus,theyweremost
cordiallyregretfulatparting,andevincedmuchsolicitudeforoursafety.Myfather
sworebytheGodsOdinandThorthathewouldsurelyreturnagainwithinayear
ortwoandpaythemanothervisit.Andthuswebadethemadieu.Wemadeready
andhoistedoursail,buttherewaslittlebreeze.Wewerebecalmedwithinanhourafterourgiantfriendshadleftusandstartedontheirreturntrip.
Thewindswere constantly blowing south, that is, theywere blowing from
northernopeningoftheearthtowardthatwhichweknewtobesouth,butwhich,
accordingtoourcompass'spointingfinger,wasdirectlynorth.
Forthreedayswetriedtosail,andtobeatagainstthewind,buttonoavail.
Whereuponmyfathersaid:"Myson,toreturnbythesamerouteaswecameinis
impossibleatthistimeofyear.Iwonderwhywedidnotthinkofthisbefore.Wehavebeenherealmosttwoandahalfyears;therefore,thisistheseasonwhenthe
sun isbeginning to shinein atthe southern openingof theearth. The longcold
nightisonintheSpitzbergencountry."
"Whatshallwedo?"Iinquired.
"There is only one thingwe can do," my father replied, "and that is to go
south."Accordingly,heturnedthecraftabout,gaveitfullreef,andstartedbythe
compassnorthbut,infact,directlysouth.Thewindwasstrong,andweseemedtohave struck a current thatwas runningwith remarkable swiftness in the same
direction.
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In justfortydayswearrivedatDelfi, acitywehadvisitedincompanywith
ourguidesJulesGaldeaandhiswife,nearthemouthoftheGihonriver.Herewe
stoppedfortwodays,andweremosthospitablyentertainedbythesamepeople
whohadwelcomedusonourformervisit.Welaidinsomeadditionalprovisions
andagainsetsail,followingtheneedleduenorth.
Onouroutwardtripwecamethroughanarrowchannelwhichappearedtobe
aseparatingbodyofwaterbetweentwoconsiderablebodiesofland.Therewasa
beautiful beach toour right, andwedecided to reconnoiter. Castinganchor, we
waded ashore to rest up for a day before continuing the outward hazardous
undertaking.Webuiltafireandthrewonsomesticksofdrydriftwood.Whilemy
fatherwaswalkingalongtheshore,Ipreparedatemptingrepastfromsupplieswe
hadprovided.
Therewasamild,luminouslightwhichmyfathersaidresultedfromthesun
shininginfromthesouthapertureoftheearth.Thatnightwesleptsoundly,and
awakened thenextmorningas refreshed as if we hadbeen in ourownbeds at
Stockholm.
After breakfastwe started out on an inland tour of discovery, but had not
gonefarwhenwesightedsomebirdswhichwerecognizedatonceasbelongingto
the penguin family. They are flightless birds, but excellent swimmers and
tremendousinsize,withwhitebreast,shortwings,blackhead,andlongpeakedbills. They stand fully nine feethigh.They looked atuswith little surprise, and
presently waddled, rather thanwalked, toward the water, and swamaway ina
northerlydirection.
"ThenightsareneversodarkatthePolesasinotherregions, for themoon
andstarsseemtopossesstwiceasmuchlightandeffulgence.Inaddition,thereisa
continuouslight,thevariedshadesandplayofwhichareamongstthestrangest
phenomenaofnature."-Rambrosson'sAstronomy.
Theeventsthatoccurredduringthefollowinghundredormoredaysbeggar
description.Wewereonanopenandicelesssea.Themonthwereckonedtobe
NovemberorDecember,andweknewtheso-calledSouthPolewasturnedtoward
thesun.Therefore,whenpassingoutandawayfromtheinternalelectricallightof
"TheSmokyGod"anditsgenialwarmth,wewouldbemetbythelightandwarmth
of the sun, shining in through the south opening of the earth. We were not
mistaken.
"The fact that gives the phenomenon of the polar aurora its greatestimportanceis that theearthbecomesself-luminous;that,besidesthe lightwhich
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asaplanetisreceivedfromthecentralbody,itshowsacapabilityofsustaininga
luminousprocesspropertoitself."-Humboldt.
Thereweretimeswhenourlittlecraft,drivenbywindthatwascontinuous
andpersistent,shotthroughthewaterslikeanarrow.Indeed,hadweencountered
ahiddenrockorobstacle,ourlittlevesselwouldgavebeencrushedintokindling-wood.
Atlastwewereconsciousthattheatmospherewasgrowingdecidedlycolder,
and,afewdayslater,icebergsweresightedfartotheleft.Myfatherargued,and
correctly, that the winds which filled our sails came from the warm climate
"within."The timeof the yearwas certainlymostauspicious forustomakeour
dash for the "outside"world and attempt to scud
our fishing sloop through open channels of the
frozenzonewhichsurroundsthepolarregions.
We were soon amid the ice-packs, and how
our little craft got through the narrow channels
and escaped being crushed I know not. The
compass behaved in the same drunken and
unreliable fashion in passing over the southern
curveoredgeoftheearth'sshellasithaddoneon
our inbound trip at the northern entrance. It
gyrated,dippedandseemedlikeathingpossessed.
CaptainSabine,onpage105in"Voyagesinthe
Arctic Regions," says: "The geographical
determinationofthedirectionandintensityofthe
magnetic forces at different points of the earth's
surfacehasbeenregardedasanobjectworthyofespecialresearch.Toexaminein
different parts of the globe, the declination, inclination and intensity of the
magnetic force, andtheirperiodicalandsecular variations, andmutualrelations
and dependencies could be duly investigated only in fixed magneticalobservatories."
OnedayasIwaslazilylookingoverthesloop'ssideintotheclearwaters,my
fathershouted:"Breakersahead!"Lookingup,Isawthroughaliftingmistawhite
objectthattoweredseveralhundredfeethigh,completelyshuttingoffouradvance.
Weloweredsailimmediately,andnonetoosoon.Inamomentwefoundourselves
wedgedbetweentwomonstrousicebergs.Eachwascrowdingandgrindingagainst
its fellow mountain of ice. They were like two gods of war contending for
supremacy. We were greatly alarmed. Indeed, we were between the lines of abattle royal; the sonorous thunder of the grinding ice was like the continued
volleysofartillery. Blocksof ice larger thanahousewere frequently liftedupa
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hundredfeetbythemightyforceoflateralpressure;theywouldshudderandrock
toandfrofora fewseconds,thencomecrashingdownwithadeafeningroar,and
disappearinthefoamingwaters.Thus,formorethantwohours,thecontestofthe
icygiantscontinued.
Itseemedasiftheendhadcome.Theicepressurewasterrific,andwhilewewerenotcaughtinthedangerouspartofthejam,andweresafeforthetimebeing,
yettheheavingandrendingoftonsoficeasitfellsplashinghereandthereintothe
waterydepthsfilleduswithshakingfear.
Finally,toourgreatjoy,thegrindingoftheiceceased,andwithinafewhours
thegreatmassslowlydivided,and,asifanactofProvidencehadbeenperformed,
rightbeforeuslayanopenchannel.Shouldweventurewithourlittlecraftintothis
opening?Ifthepressurecameonagain,ourlittlesloopaswellasourselveswould
be crushed into nothingness. We decided to take the chance, and, accordingly,hoisted our sail to a favouring breeze, and soon started out like a race-horse,
runningthegauntletofthisunknownnarrowchannelofopenwater.
PARTFIVE:
AmongTheIcePacks
Forthenextforty-fivedaysourtimewasemployedindodgingicebergsand
huntingchannels;indeed,hadwenotbeenfavoredwithastrongsouthwindanda
smallboat,Idoubtifthisstorycouldhaveeverbeengiventotheworld.
Atlast,therecameamorningwhenmyfathersaid:"Myson,Ithinkweareto
seehome.Wearealmostthroughtheice.See!theopenwaterliesbeforeus."
However,therewereafewicebergsthathadfloatedfarnorthwardintothe
openwaterstillaheadofusoneitherside,stretchingawayformanymiles.Directly
infrontofus,andbythecompass,whichhadnowrighteditself,duenorth,there
wasanopensea.
"WhatawonderfulstorywehavetotellthepeopleofStockholm,"continued
myfather,whilealookofpardonableelationlighteduphishonestface."Andthink
ofthegoldnuggetsstowedawayinthehold!"
I spoke kindwords of praise tomy father, not alone for this fortitude and
endurance,butalsoforhiscourageousdaringasadiscoverer,andforhavingmade
the voyage thatnowpromised a successful end. Iwas grateful, too, thathehad
gatheredthewealthofgoldwewerecarryinghome.
Whilecongratulatingourselvesonthegoodlysupplyofprovisionsandwater
we still had on hand, andon thedangerswe had escaped, wewere startled by
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hearingamostterrificexplosion,causedbythetearingapartofhugemountainof
ice.Itwasadeafeningroarlikethefiringofthousandcannon.Weweresailingat
thetimewithgreatspeed,andhappenedtobenearamonstrousicebergwhichto
allappearanceswasasimmovableasarockboundisland.Itseemed,however,that
the iceberg had split and was breaking apart, whereupon the balance of the
monsteralongwhichweweresailingwasdestroyed,anditbegandippingfromus.My fatherquicklyanticipated thedangerbeforeI realizeditsawfulpossibilities.
Theicebergextendeddownintothewatermanyhundredsoffeet,and,asittipped
over,theportioncomingupoutofthewatercaughtourfishing-craftlikealeveron
afulcrum,andthrewitintotheairasifithadbeenafoot-ball.
Ourboatfellbackontheiceberg,thatbythistimehadchangedthesidenext
tousforthetop.Myfatherwasstillintheboat,havingbecomeentangledinthe
rigging,whileIwasthrownsometwentyfeetaway.
Iquicklyscrambledtomyfeetandshoutedtomyfather,whoanswered:"All
iswell."Justthenarealizationdawneduponme.Horroruponhorror!Theblood
frozeinmyveins.Theicebergwasstillinmotion,anditsgreatweightandforcein
toppling over would cause it to submerge temporarily. I fully realized what a
suckingmaelstormitwouldproduceamidtheworldsofwateroneveryside.They
wouldrushintothedepressioninalltheirfury,likewhite-fangedwolveseagerfor
humanprey.
Inthissuprememomentofmentalanguish,Irememberglancingatourboat,whichwaslyingonitsside,andwonderingifitcouldpossiblyrightitself,andifmy
father could escape.Was this theendofour strugglesandadventures?Was this
death?Allthesequestionsflashedthroughmymindinthefractionofasecond,and
amomentlaterIwasengagedinalifeanddeathstruggle.Theponderousmonolith
oficesankbelowthesurface,andthefrigidwatersgurgledaroundmeinfrenzied
anger.Iwasinasaucer,withthewaterspouringinoneveryside.Amomentmore
andIlostconsciousness.
WhenIpartiallyrecoveredmysenses,androusedfromtheswoonofahalf-drownedman,Ifoundmyselfwet,stiff,andalmostfrozen,lyingontheiceberg.But
therewasnosignofmyfatherorofourlittlefishingsloop.Themonsterberghad
recovereditself,and,withitsnewbalance,lifteditsheadperhapsfiftyfeetabove
thewaves.Thetopofthisislandoficewasaplateauperhapshalfanacreinextent.
Ilovedmyfatherwell,andwasgrief-strickenattheawfulnessofhisdeath.I
railedatfate,thatI,too,hadnotbeenpermittedtosleepwithhiminthedepthsof
theocean.Finally,Iclimbedtomyfeetandlookedaboutme.Thepurple-domed
sky above, the shoreless green ocean beneath, and only an occasional icebergdiscernible!Myheartsankinhopelessdespair.Icautiouslypickedmywayacross
thebergtowardtheotherside,hopingthatourfishingcrafthadrighteditself.
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DaredI thinkitpossiblethatmay fatherstill lived?Itwasbutarayofhope
thatflamedupinmyheart.Buttheanticipationwarmedmybloodinmyveinsand
starteditrushinglikesomerarestimulantthrougheveryfiberofmybody.
I crept close to the precipitous side of the iceberg, and peered far down,hoping,stillhoping.ThenImadeacircleoftheberg,scanningeveryfootofthe
way,andthusIkeptgoingaroundandaround.Onepartofmybrainwascertainly
becomingmaniacal,whiletheotherpart,Ibelieve,anddotothisday,wasperfectly
rational.
Iwasconsciousofhavingmadethecircuitadozentimes,andwhileonepart
ofmyintelligenceknew, inall reason, therewasnotavestigeofhope, yet some
strangefascinatingaberrationbewitchedandcompelledmestilltobeguilemyself
withexpectation.Theotherpartofmybrain seemed to tellmethatwhile therewas no possibility of my father being alive, yet, if I quit making the circuitous
pilgrimage,ifIpausedforasinglemoment,itwouldbeacknowledgmentofdefeat,
and,shouldIdothis,IfeltthatIshouldgomad.Thus,hourafterhourIwalked
aroundandaround,afraidtostopandrest,yetphysicallypowerlesstocontinue
muchlonger.Oh!horrorofhorrors!tobecastawayinthiswideexpanseofwaters
without food or drink, and only a treacherous iceberg for an abiding place.My
heart sank within me, and all semblance of hope
wasfadingintoblackdespair.
ThenthehandoftheDelivererwasextended,
and the death-like stillness of a solitude rapidly
becomingunbearablewassuddenlybrokenbythe
firing of a signal-gun. I looked up in startled
amazement,when,Isaw,lessthanahalf-mileaway,
awhaling-vesselbearingdowntowardmewithher
sailfullset.
Evidentlymycontinuedactivityoniceberghadattractedtheirattention.Ondrawingnear,theyput
out a boat, and, descending cautiously to the
water'sedge,Iwasrescued,andalittlelaterlifted
onboardthewhaling-ship.
IfounditwasScotchwhaler,"TheArlington."
She had cleared from Dundee in September, and started immediately for the
Antarctic, in search of whales. The captain, Angus MacPherson, seemed kindly
disposed,butinmattersofdiscipline,asIsoonlearned,possessedofanironwill.WhenIattemptedtotellhimthatIhadcomefromthe"inside"oftheearth,the
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captainandmatelookedateachother,shooktheirheads,andinsistedonmybeing
putinabunkunderstrictsurveillanceoftheship'sphysician.
Iwasveryweakforwantoffood,andhadnotsleptformanyhours.However,
after a few days' rest, I got uponemorningand dressedmyself withoutasking
permissionofthephysicianoranyoneelse,andtoldthemthatIwasassaneasanyone.
Thecaptainsentformeandagainquestioned
meconcerningwhereIhadcomefrom,andhowI
came to be alone on an iceberg in the far off
AntarcticOcean.IrepliedthatIhadjustcomefrom
the"inside"oftheearth,andproceededtotellhim
howmyfatherandmyselfhadgoneinbywayof
Spitzbergen, and come out by way of the SouthPole country, whereupon I was put in irons. I
afterward heard the captain tell the mate that I
was as crazy as a March hare, and that I must
remaininconfinementuntilIwasrationalenough
togiveatruthfulaccountofmyself.
Finally after much pleading and many
promises, I was released from irons. I then and
there decided to invent some story that wouldsatisfythecaptain,andneveragainrefertomytrip
tothelandof"TheSmokyGod,"atleastuntilIwassafeamongfriends.
WithinafortnightIwaspermittedtogoaboutandtakemyplaceasoneofthe
seamen.Alittlelaterthecaptainaskedmeforanexplanation.Itoldhimthatmy
experiencehadbeensohorriblethatIwasfearfulofmymemory,andbeggedhim
topermitmeto leavethequestionunanswereduntil sometimeinthe future. "I
think you are recovering considerably," he said, "but you arenot sane yet by a
gooddeal.""Permitmetodosuchworkasyoumayassign,"Ireplied,"andifitdoes not compensate you sufficiently, I will pay you immediately after I reach
Stockholm-tothelastpenny."Thusthematterrested.
OnfinallyreachingStockholm,asIhavealreadyrelated,Ifoundthatmygood
motherhadgonetoherrewardmorethanayearbefore.Ihavealsotoldhow,later,
thetreacheryofarelativelandedmeinamadhouse,whereIremainedfortwenty-
eightyears--seeminglyunendingyears--and,stilllater,aftermyrelease,howI
returnedtothelifeofafisherman,followingitsedulouslyfortwenty-sevenyears,
thenhowIcametoAmerica,andfinallytoLosAngeles,California.Butallthiscanbe of little interest to the reader. Indeed, it seems to me the climax of my
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wonderful travels andstrangeadventureswasreachedwhen theScotchsailing-
vesseltookmefromanicebergontheAntarcticOcean.
PARTSIX:
Conclusion
In concluding this history of my adventures, I wish to state that I firmly
believescienceisyetinitsinfancyconcerningthecosmologyoftheearth.Thereis
somuchthatisunaccountedforbytheworld'sacceptedknowledgeofto-day,and
willeverremainsountilthelandof"TheSmokyGod"isknownandrecognizedby
ourgeographers.
Itisthelandfromwhencecamethegreatlogsofcedarthathavebeenfound
by explorers inopenwaters far overthenorthernedgeoftheearth'scrust,and
alsothebodiesofmammothswhosebonesarefoundinvastbedsontheSiberiancoast.
Northernexplorershavedonemuch.SirJohnFranklin,DeHavenGrinnell,Sir
JohnMurray,Kane,Melville,Hall,Nansen,Schwatka,Greely,Peary,Ross,Gerlache,
Bernacchi,Andree,Amsden,Amundsonandothershaveallbeenstrivingtostorm
thefrozencitadelofmystery.
I firmly believe that Andree and two brave companions, Strindberg and
Fraenckell,who sailed away intheballoon"Oreon" fromthenorthwestcoast ofSpitsbergen on thatSunday afternoon of July 11, 1897,are now in the "within"
world, and doubtless are being entertained as my father and myself were
entertainedbythekind-heartedgiantraceinhabitingtheinnerAtlanticContinent.
Having, in my humble way, devoted years to these problems, I am well
acquainted with the accepted definitions of gravity, as well as the cause of the
magneticneedle'sattraction,andIampreparedtosaythatitismyfirmbeliefthat
the magnetic needle is influenced solely by electric currents which completely
envelop the earth likea garment, and that these electric currents inanendlesscircuitpassoutofthesouthernendoftheearth'scylindricalopening,diffusingand
spreadingthemselvesoverallthe"outside"surface,andrushingmadlyonintheir
coursetoward theNorthPole.Andwhilethese currentsseeminglydashoff into
spaceattheearth'scurveoredge,yettheydropagaintothe"inside"surfaceand
continue their way southward along the inside of the earth's crust, toward the
openingoftheso-calledSouthPole.
"Mr.Lemstromconcludedthatanelectricdischargewhichcouldonlybeseen
bymeansof the spectroscopewas takingplace onthe surface of the ground allaroundhim,andthatfromadistanceitwouldappearasa faintdisplayofAurora,
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thephenomenaofpaleandflaminglightwhichissometimesseenonthetopofthe
SpitzbergenMountains."--TheArcticManual,page739.
As to gravity,no one knowswhat it is, because it has notbeendetermined
whetheritisatmosphericpressurethatcausestheappletofall,orwhether,150
milesbelowthesurfaceoftheearth,supposedlyone-halfwaythroughtheearth'scrust, there exists some powerful loadstone attraction that draws it. Therefore,
whether the apple, when it leaves the limb of the tree, is drawn or impelled
downward to the nearest point of resistance, is unknown to the students of
physics.
SirJamesRossclaimedtohavediscoveredthemagneticpoleataboutseventy-
four degrees latitude. This is wrong - themagnetic pole is exactly one-half the
distancethroughtheearth'scrust.Thus,iftheearth'scrustisthreehundredmiles
in thickness,which is thedistance I estimate it tobe, then themagneticpole isundoubtedlyonehundredandfiftymilesbelowthesurfaceoftheearth,itmatters
notwherethetestismade.Andatthisparticularpointonehundredandfiftymiles
belowthesurface,gravityceases,becomesneutralized;andwhenwepassbeyond
that point on toward the "inside" surface of the earth, a reverse attraction
geometrically increases in power,until theother one hundredand fiftymiles of
distanceistraversed,whichwouldbringusoutonthe"inside"oftheearth.
Thus, ifa holewereboreddownthroughtheearth'scrust atLondon,Paris,
New York,Chicago, or LosAngeles, a distanceof threehundredmiles, itwouldconnectthetwosurfaces.Whiletheinertiaandmomentumofaweightdroppedin
fromthe"outside"surfacewouldcarryitfarpastthemagneticcenter,yet,before
reaching the "inside" surface of the earth itwouldgradually diminish in speed,
afterpassingthehalf-way point, finally pause and immediately fall back toward
the "outside" surface, and continue thus to oscillate, like the swinging of a
pendulum with the power removed, until it would finally rest at the magnetic
center, or at that particular point exactly one-half the distance between the
"outside"surfaceandthe"inside"surfaceoftheearth.
The gyration of the earth in its daily act of whirling around in its spiral
rotation -- at a rate greater than one thousand miles every hour, or about
seventeenmilespersecond--makesofitavastelectro-generatingbody,ahuge
machine,amightyprototypeofthepuny-man-madedynamo,which,atbest,isbut
afeebleimitationofnature'soriginal.
ThevalleysofthisinnerAtlantisContinent,borderingtheupperwatersofthe
farthest north are in season covered with the most magnificent and luxuriant
flowers.Nothundredsandthousands,butmillions,ofacres,fromwhichthepollenor blossomsare carried far away in almostevery direction bythe earth's spiral
gyrations and the agitation of the wind resulting therefrom, and it is these
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blossomsorpollenfromthevastfloralmeadows"within"thatproducethecolored
snowsoftheArcticregionsthathavesomystifiedthenorthernexplorers.
Kane,vol.I,page44,says:"Wepassedthe'crimsoncliffs'ofSirJohnRossin
theforenoonofAugust5th.Thepatchesofredsnowfromwhichtheyderivetheir
namecouldbeseenclearlyatthedistanceoftenmilesfromthecoast."
LaChambre,inanaccountofAndree'sballoonexpedition,onpage144,says:
"OntheisleofAmsterdamthesnowistintedwithredforaconsiderabledistance,
andthesavantsarecollectingittoexamineitmicroscopically.Itpresents,infact,
certainpeculiarities;itisthoughtthatitcontainsverysmallplants.Scoreby,the
famouswhaler,hadalreadyremarkedthis."
Beyondquestion,thisnewland"within"isthehome,thecradle,ofthehuman
race, and viewed from the standpoint of the discoveries made by us, must ofnecessity have a most important bearing on all physical, paleontological,
archaeological,philological,andmythologicaltheoriesofantiquity.
Thesameideaofgoingbacktothelandofmystery--totheverybeginning--
to the origin of man -- is found in Egyptian traditions of the earlier terrestrial
regions of the gods, heroes andmen, from the historical fragments of Manetho,
fullyverifiedbythehistoricalrecordstakenfromthemorerecentexcavationsof
PompeiiaswellastraditionsoftheNorthAmericanIndians.
Itisnowonehourpastmidnight-thenewyearof1908ishere,andthisisthe
thirddaythereof,andhavingatlastfinishedtherecordofmystrangetravelsand
adventuresIwishgiventotheworld,Iamready,andevenlonging,forthepeaceful
restwhichIamsurewillfollowlife'strialsandvicissitudes.Iamoldinyears,and
ripe both with adventures and sorrows, yet rich with the few friends I have
cementedtomeinmystrugglestoleadajustanduprightlife.Likeastorythatis
well-nightold,mylifeisebbingaway.ThepresentimentisstrongwithinmethatI
shallnotlivetoseetherisingofanothersun.ThusdoIconcludemymessage.
OlafJansen.
PARTSEVEN:
Author'sAfterword
I foundmuch difficulty in deciphering and editing the manuscripts of Olaf
Jansen. However, I have taken the liberty of reconstructing only a very few
expressions, and in doing this have in no way changed the spirit or meaning.
Otherwise,theoriginaltexthasneitherbeenaddedtonortakenfrom.
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Itisimpossibleformetoexpressmyopinionastothevalueorreliabilityof
thewonderfulstatementsmadebyOlafJansen.Thedescriptionheregivenofthe
strange lands and people visited by him, location of cities, the names and
directionsofrivers,andotherinformationhereincombined,conformineveryway
to the rough drawings given into my custody by this ancientNorseman,which
drawingstogetherwiththemanuscriptitismyintentionatsomelaterdatetogivetotheSmithsonianInstitution,topreserveforthebenefitofthoseinterestedinthe
mysteriesofthe"FarthestNorth"-thefrozencircleofsilence.Itiscertainthere
are many things in Vedic literature, in "Josephus," the "Odyssey," the "Iliad,"
Terrien de Lacouperie's "Early History of Chinese Civilization," Flammarion's
"Astronomical Myths," Lenormant's "Beginnings of the History," Hesiod's
"Theogony,"SirJohndeMaundeville'swritings,andSayce's"RecordsofthePast,"
that,tosaytheleast,arestrangelyinharmonywiththeseeminglyincredibletext
foundintheyellowmanuscriptoftheoldNorseman,OlafJansen,andnowforthe
firsttimegiventotheworld.
THEEND
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INNERWORLD'SDRAWINGACCORDINGOLAFJANSEN'SDESCRIPTION
(bythetranslatorofthisbookintospanish)
top related