Amore powerful light shone through the upper crater,shedding a vague glimmer over these volcanic depressions for ever buried in the bosom of this extinguished mountain.But our upward march was soon stopped at a height of about two hundred and fifty feet by impassable obstacles.There was a complete vaulted arch overhanging us,and our ascent was changed to a circular walk.
At the last change vegetable life began to struggle with the mineral.
Some shrubs,and even some trees,grew from the fractures of the walls.
Irecognised some euphorbias,with the caustic sugar coming from them;heliotropes,quite incapable of justifying their name,sadly drooped their clusters of flowers,both their colour and perfume half gone.Here and there some chrysanthemums grew timidly at the foot of an aloe with long,sickly-looking leaves.
But between the streams of lava,Isaw some little violets still slightly perfumed,and Iadmit that Ismelt them with delight.
Perfume is the soul of the flower,and sea-flowers have no soul.
We had arrived at the foot of some sturdy dragon-trees,which had pushed aside the rocks with their strong roots,when Ned Land exclaimed:
"Ah!sir,a hive!a hive!"
"Ahive!"Ireplied,with a gesture of incredulity.
"Yes,a hive,"repeated the Canadian,"and bees humming round it."Iapproached,and was bound to believe my own eyes.There at a hole bored in one of the dragon-trees were some thousands of these ingenious insects,so common in all the Canaries,and whose produce is so much esteemed.
Naturally enough,the Canadian wished to gather the honey,and Icould not well oppose his wish.Aquantity of dry leaves,mixed with sulphur,he lit with a spark from his flint,and he began to smoke out the bees.
The humming ceased by degrees,and the hive eventually yielded several pounds of the sweetest honey,with which Ned Land filled his haversack.
"When Ihave mixed this honey with the paste of the bread-fruit,"said he,"Ishall be able to offer you a succulent cake."{`bread-fruit'has been substituted for `artocarpus'in this ed.}
"'Pon my word,"said Conseil,"it will be gingerbread.""Never mind the gingerbread,"said I;"let us continue our interesting walk."At every turn of the path we were following,the lake appeared in all its length and breadth.The lantern lit up the whole of its peaceable surface,which knew neither ripple nor wave.
The Nautilus remained perfectly immovable.On the platform,and on the mountain,the ship's crew were working like black shadows clearly carved against the luminous atmosphere.
We were now going round the highest crest of the first layers of rock which upheld the roof.Ithen saw that bees were not the only representatives of the animal kingdom in the interior of this volcano.
Birds of prey hovered here and there in the shadows,or fled from their nests on the top of the rocks.There were sparrow hawks,with white breasts,and kestrels,and down the slopes scampered,with their long legs,several fine fat bustards.Ileave anyone to imagine the covetousness of the Canadian at the sight of this savoury game,and whether he did not regret having no gun.
But he did his best to replace the lead by stones,and,after several fruitless attempts,he succeeded in wounding a magnificent bird.
To say that he risked his life twenty times before reaching it is but the truth;but he managed so well that the creature joined the honey-cakes in his bag.We were now obliged to descend toward the shore,the crest becoming impracticable.
Above us the crater seemed to gape like the mouth of a well.
From this place the sky could be clearly seen,and clouds,dissipated by the west wind,leaving behind them,even on the summit of the mountain,their misty remnants--certain proof that they were only moderately high,for the volcano did not rise more than eight hundred feet above the level of the ocean.Half an hour after the Canadian's last exploit we had regained the inner shore.
Here the flora was represented by large carpets of marine crystal,a little umbelliferous plant very good to pickle,which also bears the name of pierce-stone and sea-fennel.Conseil gathered some bundles of it.
As to the fauna,it might be counted by thousands of crustacea of all sorts,lobsters,crabs,spider-crabs,chameleon shrimps,and a large number of shells,rockfish,and limpets.Three-quarters of an hour later we had finished our circuitous walk and were on board.
The crew had just finished loading the sodium,and the Nautilus could have left that instant.But Captain Nemo gave no order.
Did he wish to wait until night,and leave the submarine passage secretly?
Perhaps so.Whatever it might be,the next day,the Nautilus,having left its port,steered clear of all land at a few yards beneath the waves of the Atlantic.