Крижаний сфінкс
Chapter XXV. “We Were the First“
Andthenapossibilityflashedintomymind,anhypothesiswhichexplainedtheseastonishingphenomena.
“Ah!”Iexclaimed,“aloadstone!thatisit!Amagnetwithprodigiouspowerofattraction!”
Iwasunderstood,andinaninstantthefinalcatastrophe,towhichHearneandhiscompanionswerevictims,wasexplainedwithterribleclearness.
TheAntarcticSphinxwassimplyacolossalmagnet.UndertheinfluenceofthatmagnettheironbandsoftheHalbrane’sboathadbeentornoutandprojectedasthoughbytheactionofacatapult.ThiswastheoccultforcethathadirresistiblyattractedeverythingmadeofironontheParacuta.AndtheboatitselfwouldhavesharedthefateoftheHalbrane’sboathadasinglebitofthatmetalbeenemployedinitsconstruction.Wasit,then,theproximityofthemagneticpolethatproducedsucheffects?
Atfirstweentertainedthisidea,butonreflectionwerejectedit.
Attheplacewherethemagneticmeridianscross,theonlyphenomenonproducedistheverticalpositionofthemagneticneedleintwosimilarpointsoftheterrestrialglobe.Thisphenomenon,alreadyprovedbyobservationsmadeonthespot,mustbeidenticalintheAntarcticregions.
Thus,then,theredidexistamagnetofprodigiousintensityinthezoneofattractionwhichwehadentered.Underoureyesoneofthosesurprisingeffectswhichhadhithertobeenclassedamongfableswasactuallyproduced.
Thefollowingappearedtometobethetrueexplanation.
