A Journey in Other Worlds [70]
so that we see a wise dispensation of Providence in
placing the large planets, which also rotate so rapidly, at a
great distance from the sun, which is the father of all winds,
rotation alone, however rapid, being unable to produce them."
They found this lake was about six times the size of Lake
Superior, and that several large and small streams ran into its
upper end. These had their sources in smaller lakes that were at
slightly higher elevations. Though the air was cool, the sun
shone brightly, while the ground was covered with flowers
resembling those of the northern climes on earth, of all shapes
and lines. Twice a day these sent up their song, and trees were
covered with buds, and the birds twittered gaily. The streams
murmured and bubbled, and all things reminded the travellers of
early morning in spring.
"If anything could reconcile me," said Bearwarden, "to exchange
my active utilitarian life for a rustic poetical existence, it
would be this place, for it is far more beautiful than anything I
have seen on earth. It needs but a Maud Muller and a few cows to
complete the picture, since Nature gives us a vision of eternal
peace and repose."
Somehow the mention of Maud Muller, and the delicate and refined
flowers, whose perfume he inhaled, brought up thoughts that were
never far below the surface in Ayrault's mind. "The place is
heavenly enough," said he, "to make one wish to live and remain
here forever, but to me it would be Hamlet with Hamlet left out."
"Ah! poor chap," said Cortlandt, "you are in love, but you are
not to be pitied, for though the thrusts at the heart are sharp,
they may be the sweetest that mortals know."
The following morning they reluctantly left the picturesque
shores of Lake Serenity, with their beautiful tints and foliage,
and resumed the journey, to explore a number of islands in the
ocean in the west, which were recorded on their negatives.
Ascending to rarefied air, they saw great chains of mountains,
which they imagined ran parallel to the coast, rising to
considerable altitudes in the east. The tops of all glistened
with a mantle of snow in the sunlight, while between the ridges
they saw darker and evidently fertile valleys. They passed,
moving northwest, over large and small lakes, all evidently part
of the same great system, and continued to sweep along for
several days with a beautiful panorama, as varying as a
kaleidoscope, spread beneath their eyes. They observed that the
character of the country gradually changed. The symmetrically
rounded mountains and hills began to show angles, while great
slabs of rock were split from the faces. The sides also became
less vertical, and there was an accumulation of detrital
fragments about their bases. These heaps of fractured stone had
in some cases begun to disintegrate and form soil, on which there
was a scant growth of vegetation; but the sides and summits,
whose jaggedness increased with their height, were absolutely
bare.
"Here," said Cortlandt, "we have unmistakable evidence of frost
and ice action. The next interesting question is, How recently
has denudation occurred? The absence of plant life at the
exposed places," he continued, as if lecturing to a class, "can
be accounted for here, as nearer the equator, by the violence of
the wind; but I greatly doubt whether water will now freeze in
this latitude at any season of the year, for, even should the
Northern hemisphere's very insignificant winter coincide with the
planet's aphelion, the necessary drop from the present
temperature would be too great to be at all probable. If, then,
it is granted that ice does not form here now, notwithstanding
the fact that it has done so, the most plausible conclusion is
that the inclination of Jupiter's axis is automatically changing,
as we know the earth's has often done. There being nothing
incompatible in this view with the evidence at hand, we can
safely assume it correct for the time being at least. When
farther south, you remember,
placing the large planets, which also rotate so rapidly, at a
great distance from the sun, which is the father of all winds,
rotation alone, however rapid, being unable to produce them."
They found this lake was about six times the size of Lake
Superior, and that several large and small streams ran into its
upper end. These had their sources in smaller lakes that were at
slightly higher elevations. Though the air was cool, the sun
shone brightly, while the ground was covered with flowers
resembling those of the northern climes on earth, of all shapes
and lines. Twice a day these sent up their song, and trees were
covered with buds, and the birds twittered gaily. The streams
murmured and bubbled, and all things reminded the travellers of
early morning in spring.
"If anything could reconcile me," said Bearwarden, "to exchange
my active utilitarian life for a rustic poetical existence, it
would be this place, for it is far more beautiful than anything I
have seen on earth. It needs but a Maud Muller and a few cows to
complete the picture, since Nature gives us a vision of eternal
peace and repose."
Somehow the mention of Maud Muller, and the delicate and refined
flowers, whose perfume he inhaled, brought up thoughts that were
never far below the surface in Ayrault's mind. "The place is
heavenly enough," said he, "to make one wish to live and remain
here forever, but to me it would be Hamlet with Hamlet left out."
"Ah! poor chap," said Cortlandt, "you are in love, but you are
not to be pitied, for though the thrusts at the heart are sharp,
they may be the sweetest that mortals know."
The following morning they reluctantly left the picturesque
shores of Lake Serenity, with their beautiful tints and foliage,
and resumed the journey, to explore a number of islands in the
ocean in the west, which were recorded on their negatives.
Ascending to rarefied air, they saw great chains of mountains,
which they imagined ran parallel to the coast, rising to
considerable altitudes in the east. The tops of all glistened
with a mantle of snow in the sunlight, while between the ridges
they saw darker and evidently fertile valleys. They passed,
moving northwest, over large and small lakes, all evidently part
of the same great system, and continued to sweep along for
several days with a beautiful panorama, as varying as a
kaleidoscope, spread beneath their eyes. They observed that the
character of the country gradually changed. The symmetrically
rounded mountains and hills began to show angles, while great
slabs of rock were split from the faces. The sides also became
less vertical, and there was an accumulation of detrital
fragments about their bases. These heaps of fractured stone had
in some cases begun to disintegrate and form soil, on which there
was a scant growth of vegetation; but the sides and summits,
whose jaggedness increased with their height, were absolutely
bare.
"Here," said Cortlandt, "we have unmistakable evidence of frost
and ice action. The next interesting question is, How recently
has denudation occurred? The absence of plant life at the
exposed places," he continued, as if lecturing to a class, "can
be accounted for here, as nearer the equator, by the violence of
the wind; but I greatly doubt whether water will now freeze in
this latitude at any season of the year, for, even should the
Northern hemisphere's very insignificant winter coincide with the
planet's aphelion, the necessary drop from the present
temperature would be too great to be at all probable. If, then,
it is granted that ice does not form here now, notwithstanding
the fact that it has done so, the most plausible conclusion is
that the inclination of Jupiter's axis is automatically changing,
as we know the earth's has often done. There being nothing
incompatible in this view with the evidence at hand, we can
safely assume it correct for the time being at least. When
farther south, you remember,