A Journey in Other Worlds [46]
that, owing perhaps to a prolonged norther or cold spell, a
long strip of forest lying near the frost line was brought a few
degrees below it, so that the leaves changed their colours as
they do on earth? It would, it seems to me, be enough to give
the surface a distinct colour; and the fact that the spot's
greatest length was east and west, or along the lines of
latitude, so that the whole of that region might have been
exposed to the same conditions of temperature, strengthens this
hypothesis. The strongest objection is, that the spot is said to
have moved; but the motion--five seconds--was so slight that it
might easily have been an error in observation, or the first area
affected by the cold may have been enlarged on one side. It
seems to me that the stability the spot DID have would make the
cloud theory impossible on earth, and much more so here, with the
far more rapid rotation and more violent winds. It may also have
been a cloud of smoke from a volcano in eruption, such as we saw
on our arrival, though it is doubtful whether in that case it
would have remained nearly stationary while going through its
greatest intensity and fading, which would look as though the
turned leaves had fallen off and been gradually replaced by new
ones; and, in addition to this, the spot since it was first
noticed has never entirely disappeared, which might mean a
volcanic region constantly emitting smoke, or that the surface,
doubtless from some covering whose colour can change, is normally
of a different shade from the surrounding region. In any case,
we have as yet seen nothing that would indicate a permanently
clouded atmosphere."
Though they had walked a considerable distance, the water was not
much cooled; and though the stream's descent was so slight that
on earth its current would have been very slow, here it rushed
along like a mountain torrent, the reason, of course, being that
a given amount of water on Jupiter would depress a spring balance
2.55 times as much as on the earth.
"It is strange," said Ayrault, "that, notwithstanding its great
speed, the water remains so hot; you would think its motion would
cool it."
"So it does," answered the professor. "It of course cools
considerably more in a given period--as, for instance, one
minute--than if it were moving more slowly, but on account of its
speed it has been exposed to the air but a very short time since
leaving the spring."
Just before them the stream now widened into a narrow lake, which
they could see was straight for some distance.
"The fact is," said Bearwarden, "this water seems in such haste
to reach the ocean that it turns neither to right nor to left,
and does not even seem to wish to widen out."
As the huge ferns and palms grew to the water's edge, they
concluded the best way to traverse the lake would be on a raft.
Accordingly, choosing a large overhanging palm, Bearwarden and
Ayrault fired each an explosive ball into its trunk, about
eighteen inches from the ground. One round was enough to put it
in the water, each explosion removing several cubic feet of wood.
By repeating this process on other trees they soon had enough
large timber for buoyancy, so that they had but to superimpose
lighter cross-logs and bind the whole together with pliable
branches and creepers to form a substantial raft. The doctor
climbed on, after which Bearwarden and Ayrault cast off, having
prepared long poles for navigating. With a little care they kept
their bark from catching on projecting roots, and as the stream
continued to widen till it was about one hundred yards across,
their work became easy. Carried along at a speed of two or three
miles an hour, they now saw that the water and the banks they
passed were literally alive with reptiles and all sorts of
amphibious creatures, while winged lizards sailed from every
overhanging branch into the water as they approached. They
noticed also many birds similar to storks and cranes, about the
size of ostriches, standing on logs
long strip of forest lying near the frost line was brought a few
degrees below it, so that the leaves changed their colours as
they do on earth? It would, it seems to me, be enough to give
the surface a distinct colour; and the fact that the spot's
greatest length was east and west, or along the lines of
latitude, so that the whole of that region might have been
exposed to the same conditions of temperature, strengthens this
hypothesis. The strongest objection is, that the spot is said to
have moved; but the motion--five seconds--was so slight that it
might easily have been an error in observation, or the first area
affected by the cold may have been enlarged on one side. It
seems to me that the stability the spot DID have would make the
cloud theory impossible on earth, and much more so here, with the
far more rapid rotation and more violent winds. It may also have
been a cloud of smoke from a volcano in eruption, such as we saw
on our arrival, though it is doubtful whether in that case it
would have remained nearly stationary while going through its
greatest intensity and fading, which would look as though the
turned leaves had fallen off and been gradually replaced by new
ones; and, in addition to this, the spot since it was first
noticed has never entirely disappeared, which might mean a
volcanic region constantly emitting smoke, or that the surface,
doubtless from some covering whose colour can change, is normally
of a different shade from the surrounding region. In any case,
we have as yet seen nothing that would indicate a permanently
clouded atmosphere."
Though they had walked a considerable distance, the water was not
much cooled; and though the stream's descent was so slight that
on earth its current would have been very slow, here it rushed
along like a mountain torrent, the reason, of course, being that
a given amount of water on Jupiter would depress a spring balance
2.55 times as much as on the earth.
"It is strange," said Ayrault, "that, notwithstanding its great
speed, the water remains so hot; you would think its motion would
cool it."
"So it does," answered the professor. "It of course cools
considerably more in a given period--as, for instance, one
minute--than if it were moving more slowly, but on account of its
speed it has been exposed to the air but a very short time since
leaving the spring."
Just before them the stream now widened into a narrow lake, which
they could see was straight for some distance.
"The fact is," said Bearwarden, "this water seems in such haste
to reach the ocean that it turns neither to right nor to left,
and does not even seem to wish to widen out."
As the huge ferns and palms grew to the water's edge, they
concluded the best way to traverse the lake would be on a raft.
Accordingly, choosing a large overhanging palm, Bearwarden and
Ayrault fired each an explosive ball into its trunk, about
eighteen inches from the ground. One round was enough to put it
in the water, each explosion removing several cubic feet of wood.
By repeating this process on other trees they soon had enough
large timber for buoyancy, so that they had but to superimpose
lighter cross-logs and bind the whole together with pliable
branches and creepers to form a substantial raft. The doctor
climbed on, after which Bearwarden and Ayrault cast off, having
prepared long poles for navigating. With a little care they kept
their bark from catching on projecting roots, and as the stream
continued to widen till it was about one hundred yards across,
their work became easy. Carried along at a speed of two or three
miles an hour, they now saw that the water and the banks they
passed were literally alive with reptiles and all sorts of
amphibious creatures, while winged lizards sailed from every
overhanging branch into the water as they approached. They
noticed also many birds similar to storks and cranes, about the
size of ostriches, standing on logs