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Geological Studies in Situ

           Hadheunderstoodmeornot?Didherefusetoadmit,outofself-loveasanuncleandaphilosopher,thathehadmistakenhiswaywhenhechosetheeasterntunnel?orwashedeterminedtoexaminethispassagetoitsfarthestextremity?Itwasevidentthatwehadleftthelavapath,andthatthisroadcouldnotpossiblyleadtotheextinctfurnaceofSnæfell.

           YetIaskedmyselfifIwasnotdependingtoomuchonthischangeintherock.MightInotmyselfbemistaken?Werewereallycrossingthelayersofrockwhichoverliethegranitefoundation?

           IfIamright,Ithought,Imustsoonfindsomefossilremainsofprimitivelife;andthenwemustyieldtoevidence.Iwilllook.

           Ihadnotgoneahundredpacesbeforeincontestableproofspresentedthemselves.Itcouldnotbeotherwise,forintheSilurianagetheseascontainedatleastfifteenhundredvegetableandanimalspecies.Myfeet,whichhadbecomeaccustomedtotheinduratedlavafloor,suddenlyresteduponadustcomposedofthedebrisofplantsandshells.Inthewallsweredistinctimpressionsoffucoidsandlycopodites.

           ProfessorLiedenbrockcouldnotbemistaken,Ithought,andyethepushedon,with,Isuppose,hiseyesresolutelyshut.

           Thiswasonlyinvincibleobstinacy.Icouldholdoutnolonger.Ipickedupaperfectlyformedshell,whichhadbelongedtoananimalnotunlikethewoodlouse:then,joiningmyuncle,Isaid:

           "Lookatthis!"

           "Verywell,"saidhequietly,"itistheshellofacrustacean,ofanextinctspeciescalledatrilobite.Nothingmore."

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