large/8765/captain_hatteras_2_1401_librivox_64kb_mp3/captainhatteras2_24_verne_64kb_43
large/8765/captain_hatteras_2_1401_librivox_64kb_mp3/captainhatteras2_24_verne_64kb
English
8765
A river of boiling lava surrounded it, except in one part, where it forked away to a higher rock, leaving a narrow passage, through which Hatteras fearlessly passed. Here he stopped, and his companions managed to rejoin him. He seemed to be measuring with his eye the distance he had yet to get over. A RIVER OF BOILING LAVA SURROUNDED IT EXCEPT IN ONE PART WHERE IT FORKED AWAY TO A HIGHER ROCK LEAVING A NARROW PASSAGE THROUGH WHICH HATTERAS FEARLESSLY PASSED HERE HE STOPPED AND HIS COMPANIONS MANAGED TO REJOIN HIM HE SEEMED TO BE MEASURING WITH HIS EYE THE DISTANCE HE HAD YET TO GET OVER
ermal springs would have flowed from its bosom. As they got higher, the ascent became more and more difficult, for the flanks of the mountain were almost perpendicular, and it required the utmost care to keep them from falling. Clouds of scoriæ and ashes would whirl round them repeatedly, threatening them with asphyxia, or torrents of lava would bar their passage. In parts where these torrents ran horizontally, the outside had become hardened; while underneath was the boiling lava, and every step the travellers took had first to be tested with the iron-tipped staff to avoid being suddenly plunged into the scalding liquid. At intervals large fragments of red-hot rock were thrown up from the crater, and burst in the air like bomb-shells, scattering the debris to enormous distances in all directions. Hatteras, however, climbed up the steepest ascents with surprising agility, disdaining the help of his staff. He arrived before long at a circular rock, a sort of plateau about ten feet wide. ED FOR CENTURIES THE THERMAL SPRINGS WOULD HAVE FLOWED FROM ITS BOSOM AS THEY GOT HIGHER THE ASCENT BECAME MORE AND MORE DIFFICULT FOR THE FLANKS OF THE MOUNTAIN WERE ALMOST PERPENDICULAR AND IT REQUIRED THE UTMOST CARE TO KEEP THEM FROM FALLING CLOUDS OF SCORI AND ASHES WOULD WHIRL ROUND THEM REPEATEDLY THREATENING THEM WITH ASPHYXIA OR TORRENTS OF LAVA WOULD BAR THEIR PASSAGE IN PARTS WHERE THESE TORRENTS RAN HORIZONTALLY THE OUTSIDE HAD BECOME HARDENED WHILE UNDERNEATH WAS THE BOILING LAVA AND EVERY STEP THE TRAVELERS TOOK HAD FIRST TO BE TESTED WITH THE IRON TIPPED STAFF TO AVOID BEING SUDDENLY PLUNGED INTO THE SCALDING LIQUID AT INTERVALS LARGE FRAGMENTS OF RED HOT ROCK WERE THROWN UP FROM THE CRATER AND BURST IN THE AIR LIKE BOMB SHELLS SCATTERING THE DEBRIS OF ENORMOUS DISTANCES IN ALL DIRECTIONS HATTERAS HOWEVER CLIMBED UP THE STEEPEST ASCENTS WITH SURPRISING AGILITY DISDAINING THE HELP OF HIS STAFF HE ARRIVED BEFORE LONG AT A CIRCULAR ROCK A SORT OF PLATEAU ABOUT TEN FEET WIDE
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