the underground city-地下城(英文版)- 第3部分

For　the　first　time　in　his　life；　perhaps；　in　passing　along　the　Canongate；　he　did　NOT　TURN　TO　LOOK　AT　HOLYROOD；　the　palace　of　the　former　sovereigns　of　Scotland。　　He　did　not　notice　the　sentinels　who　stood　before　its　gateways；　dressed　in　the　uniform　of　their　Highland　regiment；　tartan　kilt；　plaid　and　sporran　plete。　　His　whole　thought　was　to　reach　Callander　where　Harry　Ford　was　supposedly　awaiting　him。

The　better　to　understand　this　narrative；　it　will　be　as　well　to　hear　a　few　words　on　the　origin　of　coal。　　During　the　geological　epoch；　when　the　terrestrial　spheroid　was　still　in　course　of　formation；　a　thick　atmosphere　surrounded　it；　saturated　with　watery　vapors；　and　copiously　impregnated　with　carbonic　acid。　　The　vapors　gradually　condensed　in　diluvial　rains；　which　fell　as　if　they　had　leapt　from　the　necks　of　thousands　of　millions　of　seltzer　water　bottles。　This　liquid；　loaded　with　carbonic　acid；　rushed　in　torrents　over　a　deep　soft　soil；　subject　to　sudden　or　slow　alterations　of

form；　and　maintained　in　its　semi…fluid　state　as　much　by　the　heat　of　the　sun　as　by　the　fires　of　the　interior　mass。　　The　internal　heat　had　not　as　yet　been　collected　in　the　center　of　the　globe。　The　terrestrial　crust；　thin　and　inpletely　hardened；　allowed　it　to　spread　through　its　pores。　　This　caused　a　peculiar　form　of　vegetation；　such　as　is　probably　produced　on　the　surface　of　the　inferior　plas；　Venus　or　Mercury；　which　revolve　nearer　than　our　earth　around　the　radiant　sun　of　our　system。

The　soil　of　the　continents　was　covered　with　immense　forests。　Carbonic　acid；　so　suitable　for　the　development　of　the　vegetable　kingdom；　abounded。　　The　feet　of　these　trees　were　drowned　in　a　sort　of　immense　lagoon；　kept　continually　full　by　currents　of　fresh　and　salt　waters。　　They　eagerly　assimilated　to　themselves　the　carbon　which　they；　little　by　little；　extracted　from　the　atmosphere；　as　yet　unfit　for　the　function　of　life；　and　it　may　be　said　that　they　were　destined　to　store　it；　in　the　form　of　coal；　in　the　very　bowels　of　the　earth。

It　was　the　earthquake　period；　caused　by　internal　convulsions；　which　suddenly　modified　the　unsettled　features　of　the　terrestrial　surface。　　Here；　an　intumescence　which　was　to　bee　a　mountain；　there；　an　abyss　which　was　to　be　filled　with　an　ocean　or　a　sea。　　There；　whole　forests　sunk　through　the　earth's　crust；　below　the　unfixed　strata；　either　until　they　found　a　resting…place；　such　as　the　primitive　bed　of　granitic　rock；　or；　settling　together　in　a　heap；　they　formed　a　solid　mass。

As　the　waters　were　contained　in　no　bed；　and　were　spread　over　every　part　of　the　globe；　they　rushed　where　they　liked；　tearing　from　the　scarcely…formed　rocks　material　with　which　to　pose　schists；　sandstones；　and　limestones。　　This　the　roving　waves　bore　over　the　submerged　and　now　peaty　forests；　and　deposited　above　them　the　elements　of　rocks　which　were　to　superpose　the　coal　strata。　In　course　of　time；　periods　of　which　include　millions　of　years；　these　earths　hardened　in　layers；　and　enclosed　under　a　thick　carapace　of　pudding…stone；　schist；　pact　or　friable　sandstone；　gravel　and　stones；　the　whole　of　the　massive　forests。

And　what　went　on　in　this　gigantic　crucible；　where　all　this　vegetable　matter　had　accumulated；　sunk　to　various　depths？　A　regular　chemical　operation；　a　sort　of　distillation。　All　the　carbon　contained　in　these　vegetables　had　agglomerated；　and　little　by　little　coal　was　forming　under　the　double　influence　of　enormous　pressure　and　the　high　temperature　maintained　by　the　internal　fires；　at　this　time　so　close　to　it。

Thus　there　was　one　kingdom　substituted　for　another　in　this　slow　but　irresistible　reaction。　　The　vegetable　was　transformed　into　a　mineral。　　Plants　which　had　lived　the　vegeta…tive　life　in　all　the　vigor　of　first　creation　became　petrified。　Some　of　the　substances　enclosed　in　this　vast　herbal　left　their　impression　on　the　other　more　rapidly　mineralized　products；　which　pressed　them　as　an　hydraulic　press　of　incalculable　power　would　have　done。

Thus　also　shells；　zoophytes；　star…fish；　polypi；　spirifores；　even　fish　and　lizards　brought　by　the　water；　left　on　the　yet　soft　coal　their　exact　likeness；　〃admirably　taken　off。〃

Pressure　seems　to　have　played　a　considerable　part　in　the　formation　of　carboniferous　strata。　　In　fact；　it　is　to　its　degree　of　power　that　are　due　the　different　sorts　of　coal；　of　which　industry　makes　use。　Thus　in　the　lowest　layers　of　the　coal　ground　appears　the　anthracite；　which；　being　almost　destitute　of　volatile　matter；　contains　the　greatest　quantity　of　carbon。　　In　the　higher　beds　are　found；　on　the　contrary；　lignite　and　fossil　wood；　substances　in　which　the　quantity　of　carbon　is　infinitely　less。　　Between　these　two　beds；　according　to　the　degree　of　pressure　to　which　they　have　been　subjected；　are　found　veins　of　graphite　and　rich　or　poor　coal。　　It　may　be　asserted　that　it　is　for　want　of　sufficient　pressure　that　beds　of　peaty　bog　have　not　been　pletely　changed　into　coal。　　So　then；　the　origin　of　coal　mines；　in　whatever　part　of　the　globe　they　have　been　discovered；　is　this：　the　absorption　through　the　terrestrial　crust　of　the　great　forests　of　the　geological　period；　then；　the　mineralization　of　the　vegetables　obtained　in　the　course　of　time；　under　the　influence　of　pressure　and　heat；　and　under　the　action　of　carbonic　acid。

Now；　at　the　time　when　the　events　related　in　this　story　took　place；　some　of　the　most　important　mines　of　the　Scottish　coal　beds　had　been　exhausted　by　too　rapid　working。　　In　the　region　which　extends　between　Edinburgh　and　Glasgow；　for　a　distance　of　ten　or　twelve　miles；　lay　the　Aberfoyle　colliery；　of　which　the　engineer；　James　Starr；　had　so　long

directed　the　works。　　For　ten　years　these　mines　had　been　abandoned。　No　new　seams　had　been　discovered；　although　the　soundings　had　been　carried　to　a　depth　of　fifteen　hundred　or　even　of　two　thousand　feet；　and　when　James　Starr　had　retired；　it　was　with　the　full　conviction　that　even　the　smallest　vein　had　been　pletely　exhausted。

Under　these　circumstances；　it　was　plain　that　the　discovery　of　a　new　seam　of　coal　would　be　an　important　event。　Could　Simon　Ford's　munication　relate　to　a　fact　of　this　nature？　This　question　James　Starr　could　not　cease　asking　himself。　Was　he　called　to　make　conquest　of　another　corner　of　these　rich　treasure　fields？　　Fain　would　he　hope　it　was　so。

The　second　letter　had　for　an　instant　checked　his　speculations　on　this　subject；　but　now　he　thought　of　that　letter　no　longer。　　Besides；　the　son　of　the　old　overman　was　there；　waiting　at　the　appointed　rendezvous。　The　anonymous　letter　was　therefore　worth　nothing。

The　moment　the　engineer　set　foot　on　the　platform　at　the　end　of　his　journey；　the　young　man　advanced　towards　him。


〃Are　you　Harry　Ford？〃　asked　the　engineer　quickly。

〃Yes；　Mr。　Starr。〃

〃I　should　not　have　known　you；　my　lad。　　Of　course　in　ten　years　you　have　bee　a　man！〃

〃I　knew　you　directly；　sir；〃　replied　the　young　miner；　cap　in　hand。　〃You　have　not　changed。　　You　look　just　as　you　did　when　you　bade　us　good…by　in　the　Dochart　pit。　　I　haven't　forgotten　that　day。〃

〃Put　on　your　cap；　Harry；〃　said　the　engineer。　　〃It's　pouring；　and　politeness　needn't　make　you　catch　cold。〃

〃Shall　we　take　shelter　anywhere；　Mr。　Starr？〃　asked　young　Ford。

〃No；　Harry。　　The　weather　is　settled。　　It　will　rain　all　day；　and　I　am　in　a　hurry