Chapter 36 Chapter 36 Where are we going?

The so-called "my nautical diary" ends here. Although the raft was wrecked this time, my nautical diary is still preserved fortunately.I now resume my original narrative. What happened when we hit the rocks, I don't know.I only felt that I had fallen into the sea, and the reason why I did not die, my body was not smashed on the sharp rocks, was thanks to the strong arm of Hans who rescued me from the abyss. The brave Icelanders took me out on the hot, sandy beach, where I lay down beside my uncle, who ran back to see what he could salvage from the wrecked raft.I couldn't speak, and the extreme tension and exhaustion paralyzed my whole body, and it took me a long time to recover.

The rain continued; but it also heralded the end of the storm.We took refuge under the rocks, and Hans had prepared some food, which I was not allowed to touch; three days and three nights without closing my eyes exhausted me, and we all fell asleep exhausted. The next day was sunny.The sky and the sea calmed down as if in tacit understanding.All traces of the storm were gone; I was awakened by my uncle's joyful voice: "Hey, my child, did you sleep well?" It seemed to me that we were at home: I came down quietly to breakfast, and my wedding to poor Graubin was to take place that day.

well!Why didn't the storm blow our ship to the east, and take us to Germany, to dear Hamburg, to the street where my dearest man lives?If so, then we are only one hundred and twenty miles apart.But this is a 120-mile-thick granite wall from the ground to the ground. To cross it, in fact, it takes more than 30 miles to walk! (three thousand?) Before I answered my uncle's words, this series of painful thoughts passed quickly in my mind. "Ah! Won't you tell me if you've slept well?" said the uncle again. "Very well," I replied, "I'm still a little out of sorts, but that's all right."

"It doesn't matter at all, just a little tired." "But you seem to be enjoying yourself today, Uncle!" "Rejoice, my boy, rejoice! We have arrived!" "Our expedition is over?" "No, it's just that this seemingly endless sea is over. Now we can descend again and head towards the center of the earth." "Uncle, can I ask a question?" "Yes, Aksai." "Okay, how about our journey back?" "Go back, we haven't reached our destination yet, you're already thinking about going back!" "I just want to know how we get back."

"That's easy. When we reach the center of the earth, we'll either find a new way back to the surface, or we'll go back the boring way we came. I have no reason to suppose that way will be closed behind us." "Then we must repair the raft." "certainly." "But do we have enough food?" "Yes, of course. Hannes is a capable fellow, and I'm sure he's got most of our cargo out. Let's go and see." We left the cave, and I cannot tell whether I was hoping or apprehensive: I always felt that it was impossible that any little of what was on board would survive our dreadful landing.However I was wrong.When I got to the shore, I saw Hans standing among the many things he had put into order.Uncle rubbed his hand gratefully, for this faithful man, who had been at work while we were all asleep, had risked his life to save the most precious thing.

We were not without serious losses, such as our guns - but we could still do something about it.Ammunition was not lost. "Well," said the professor, "it's true that we can't go hunting any more." "And what about the instrument?" "Here's the most useful fluid pressure gauge we can use to measure depth and know when we've reached the center of the earth! Otherwise we'd go over the top and come out on the exact opposite!" ferocious. "But what about the compass?" I asked. "It's perfectly fine, right on this rock, as are the hour-watch and the thermometer. Hannes is a marvelous man!"

The instruments were indeed all there, and many implements were lying on the sand, ladders, ropes, picks, and so on. However, there is still a food problem that needs to be clarified. "Where's the food?" I said. "Let's see," replied the uncle. The crates of provisions lay in rows on the shore, and were in good condition; there was enough biscuits, bacon, dried fish, and gin to last us for four months. "Four months!" cried the professor. "We shall get there and come back as long as we can, and when the journey is over I shall treat my companions to a good meal in Johannaim!"

I should know my uncle by now, but for some reason he still amazes me. "Now we'll drink the rainwater from the bogs, so we don't have to worry about thirst. As for the boat, I'll have Hans fix it up as best I can! Though I guess we won't need it any more! "He said. "What's going on here?" I asked in surprise. "That's my idea, boy! I'm sure we won't go back the way we came." I looked at the professor suspiciously: I wondered if he was crazy.But there was nothing in the way he spoke that seemed insane. "Go to breakfast!" he said again.After he gave his guide, I followed him to a raised promontory.It was one of the grand meals I ever had, consisting of dried meat, biscuits, and tea.Hunger, the fresh air, the calm after the turmoil all whet my appetite.

At breakfast my uncle and I discussed where we were. "It seems difficult to calculate." I said. "Yes, to calculate exactly—impossible, in fact," he answered, "I have lost track of speed and direction of the raft during these three days of storm; but we can get a rough estimate. " "Well, last observation was on the island with the fountain—" "Island of Aksai, my child. Do not refuse the honor of naming after you the first island discovered from the interior of the Earth." "Very well. When we were in Aksai Island, we had already crossed 810 miles in this sea, and we had left Iceland for more than 1,800 miles."

"Well--we shall count from there, and we shall not have traveled less than two hundred and forty miles in every twenty-four hours during a four-day storm." "I agree. That's nine hundred to a thousand miles." "Yes, it's about eighteen hundred miles from one side of the Leedenbroek Sea to the other! In terms of size, this sea is comparable to the Mediterranean Sea, do you know, Axel?" "Yes, all the more so if we just crossed this sea!" "It's very likely." "Another strange thing is that if our calculations are correct, we now have the Mediterranean Sea directly above us. We are now about 2,700 miles from Reykjavik."

"It is quite a distance, my boy; and whether we are now in the Mediterranean, or still under Turkey, under the Atlantic, we can only conjecture on the assumption that our direction has not changed." "The wind certainly hasn't changed; so I believe the coast is to the south-east of Grauban." "Well, just look at the compass and we'll be sure right off the bat." The professor approached the rock where Hannes had placed the instrument.He was jovial and happy, rubbing his hands, and acting like a young lad!I followed him, wondering how accurate my estimate was. The uncle went to the side of the rock, took out the compass, put it flat, and then watched the pointer, it wobbled a few times, and then it was in place due to the influence of magnetism.He stared at it for a while, wiped his eyes, and looked again.At last he turned around and said to me in bewilderment. "What's going on?" I asked.He told me to go and see for myself.I couldn't help screaming; because we expected the sea to be on the opposite side, but the compass pointed to the land all the time! I shake the compass, but it's no use.The wind must have changed without us noticing it, and we were back on the shore we had just left.