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Chapter 10. The Underwater Coalfields

           "Picturetoyourselves,"saidI,"whatthiscratermusthavebeenwhenfilledwithboilinglava,andwhentheleveloftheincandescentliquidrosetotheorificeofthemountain,asthoughmeltedonthetopofahotplate."

           "Icanpictureitperfectly,"saidConseil."But,sir,willyoutellmewhytheGreatArchitecthassuspendedoperations,andhowitisthatthefurnaceisreplacedbythequietwatersofthelake?"

           "Mostprobably,Conseil,becausesomeconvulsionbeneaththeoceanproducedthatveryopeningwhichhasservedasapassagefortheNautilus.ThenthewatersoftheAtlanticrushedintotheinteriorofthemountain.Theremusthavebeenaterriblestrugglebetweenthetwoelements,astrugglewhichendedinthevictoryofNeptune.Butmanyageshaverunoutsincethen,andthesubmergedvolcanoisnowapeaceablegrotto."

           "Verywell,"repliedNedLand;"Iaccepttheexplanation,sir;but,inourowninterests,Iregretthattheopeningofwhichyouspeakwasnotmadeabovethelevelofthesea."

           "But,friendNed,"saidConseil,"ifthepassagehadnotbeenunderthesea,theNautiluscouldnothavegonethroughit."

           Wecontinuedascending.Thestepsbecamemoreandmoreperpendicularandnarrow.Deepexcavations,whichwewereobligedtocross,cutthemhereandthere;slopingmasseshadtobeturned.Wesliduponourkneesandcrawledalong.ButConseil’sdexterityandtheCanadian’sstrengthsurmountedallobstacles.Ataheightofabout31feetthenatureofthegroundchangedwithoutbecomingmorepracticable.

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