VIII

           Naturally,DanforthandIstudiedwithespecialinterestandapeculiarlypersonalsenseofaweeverythingpertainingtotheimmediatedistrictinwhichwewere. Ofthislocalmaterialtherewasnaturallyavastabundance;andonthetangledgroundlevelofthecitywewereluckyenoughtofindahouseofverylatedatewhosewalls,thoughsomewhatdamagedbyaneighboringrift,containedsculpturesofdecadentworkmanshipcarryingthestoryoftheregionmuchbeyondtheperiodofthePliocenemapwhencewederivedourlastgeneralglimpseoftheprehumanworld. Thiswasthelastplaceweexaminedindetail,sincewhatwefoundtheregaveusafreshimmediateobjective. 

           Certainly,wewereinoneofthestrangest,weirdest,andmostterribleofallthecornersofearth’sglobe. Ofallexistinglands,itwasinfinitelythemostancient. TheconvictiongrewuponusthatthishideousuplandmustindeedbethefablednightmareplateauofLengwhicheventhemadauthoroftheNecronomiconwasreluctanttodiscuss. Thegreatmountainchainwastremendouslylong—startingasalowrangeatLuitpoldLandontheeastcoastofWeddellSeaandvirtuallycrossingtheentirecontinent. ThatreallyhighpartstretchedinamightyarcfromaboutLatitude82°,E.Longitude60°toLatitude70°,E.Longitude115°,withitsconcavesidetowardourcampanditsseawardendintheregionofthatlong,ice-lockedcoastwhosehillswereglimpsedbyWilkesandMawsonattheantarcticcircle. 

           Yetevenmoremonstrousexaggerationsofnatureseemeddisturbinglycloseathand. IhavesaidthatthesepeaksarehigherthantheHimalayas,butthesculpturesforbidmetosaythattheyareearth’shighest.