JULES VERNE Ultimate Collection: Science Fiction Classics, Action & Adventure Novels, Historical Works (Illustrated) E-Book
Jules Verne.
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- Herausgeber: Booksell-Verlag
- Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
- Sprache: Englisch
Jules Verne's "Ultimate Collection: Science Fiction Classics, Action & Adventure Novels, Historical Works (Illustrated)" is an anthology that encapsulates the author's seminal contributions to the realms of science fiction and adventure literature. This compilation showcases Verne's characteristic blend of scientific rigor and imaginative storytelling, underscoring his visionary approach to the possibilities of technology and exploration during the 19th century. The richly detailed narratives are both meticulously researched and globally expansive, ranging from groundbreaking voyages to the depths of the ocean in "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" to the thrilling escapades of "Around the World in Eighty Days," all rendered more vibrant through masterful illustrations that complement the text and enhance the reading experience. Jules Verne, often regarded as the father of science fiction, was profoundly influenced by the scientific advances of his time, as well as maritime explorations and industrial progress. His background in literature and theater, paired with his passion for geography and science, provided him with the unique lens to craft stories that were not only entertaining but also thought-provoking. The societal currents of the Victorian era, marked by rapid exploration and discovery, fueled his imagination and propelled him to envision worlds where the limits of human potential were constantly challenged. For readers who seek to immerse themselves in a rich tapestry of adventure, innovation, and historical context, Verne's "Ultimate Collection" is an indispensable addition to any literary collection. Engaging and richly illustrated, it offers both seasoned fans and newcomers a comprehensive introduction to the foundational works of one of literature's most influential figures. This collection invites readers to journey alongside heroes through uncharted territories, igniting a sense of wonder and curiosity that continues to resonate today. In this enriched edition, we have carefully created added value for your reading experience: - A comprehensive Introduction outlines these selected works' unifying features, themes, or stylistic evolutions. - The Author Biography highlights personal milestones and literary influences that shape the entire body of writing. - A Historical Context section situates the works in their broader era—social currents, cultural trends, and key events that underpin their creation. - A concise Synopsis (Selection) offers an accessible overview of the included texts, helping readers navigate plotlines and main ideas without revealing critical twists. - A unified Analysis examines recurring motifs and stylistic hallmarks across the collection, tying the stories together while spotlighting the different work's strengths. - Reflection questions inspire deeper contemplation of the author's overarching message, inviting readers to draw connections among different texts and relate them to modern contexts. - Lastly, our hand‐picked Memorable Quotes distill pivotal lines and turning points, serving as touchstones for the collection's central themes.
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Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024
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JULES VERNE Ultimate Collection: Science Fiction Classics, Action & Adventure Novels, Historical Works (Illustrated)
Table of Contents
Introduction
The 'JULES VERNE Ultimate Collection: Science Fiction Classics, Action & Adventure Novels, Historical Works (Illustrated)' serves as a definitive anthology of one of literature's most innovative storytellers. Compiled into a singular volume, this collection encompasses the vast and varied oeuvre of Jules Verne, presenting not only his widely celebrated novels but also lesser-known works that contribute to the richness of his literary legacy. The overarching aim of this collection is to provide readers an opportunity to delve deep into Verne's imagination, showcasing his remarkable ability to blend the fantastic with the plausible in ways that captivated audiences of his time and continue to resonate today.
This comprehensive anthology includes a diverse range of text types, spanning full-length novels, captivating short stories, and insightful non-fiction works. Verne's novels, often distinguished by their engaging narratives and intricate plots, are the collection's centerpiece, but the inclusion of short stories and historical essays enriches the overall experience. Readers will encounter action-packed adventure, thrilling science fiction, as well as explorations of geography and culture through Verne's keen observational lens, ensuring a multifaceted reading experience that caters to a variety of literary preferences.
One of the most significant unifying themes across this collection is the spirit of exploration—both of the physical world and the boundaries of human ingenuity. Verne's works frequently engage with the transformative power of science and technology, reflecting the era's burgeoning fascination with discovery and innovation. From voyages to the depths of the ocean to daring expeditions into the heart of the earth, his stories reflect a belief in the potential of human ambition. Additionally, his storytelling often combines rich, vivid detail with a subtle critique of contemporary society, making his narratives resonate with both authenticity and intrigue.
Stylistically, Verne's prose is characterized by its meticulous attention to detail and an innate curiosity that drives the narrative forward. His keen scientific knowledge infused into imaginative storytelling captivates and educates simultaneously, making even the wildest plots plausible. Verne was among the pioneers of the science fiction genre and his influential ideas on aeronautics, underwater exploration, and space travel continue to inspire countless authors and creators today. The combination of adventure, science, and philosophical reflection ensures that Verne's works remain timeless, relevant, and of enduring interest.
Moreover, Verne's role as a social commentator is evident in many of his narratives, where he explores the moral and ethical implications of progress and technology. His characters often grapple with dilemmas prevalent in society, ranging from imperialism to environmental concerns, rendering his tales not only engaging but also profoundly thought-provoking. Through this lens, Verne's narratives transcend mere entertainment, providing a critical examination of the impacts of human actions on both nature and society, revealing an author deeply engaged in the discourse of his time.
The sheer breadth of Verne's imagination is displayed in the versatility of genres within this collection. Whether navigating the high seas in 'Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea', adventuring through the air in 'Five Weeks in a Balloon', or pondering the complexities of social structures in 'The Begum's Fortune', each work draws on distinct elements that characterize Verne's storytelling prowess. This thematic variety ensures that readers can engage with the collection in multiple ways, whether they are seeking action, adventure, scientific speculation, or philosophical insights.
Additionally, the integration of illustrated elements within this collection enhances the overall experience, providing visual context that enriches the reader's understanding of Verne's world. Illustrations from original editions evoke the thrill of exploration and discovery, making the text more immersive for contemporary audiences. This visual component serves to bridge the historical gap between Verne’s time and our own, allowing readers not only to appreciate the text but also to visualize the spectacular adventures that unfold within its pages.
Verne's influence on the adventure genre cannot be overstated. His pioneering spirit ignited the imagination of readers and writers alike, laying foundational stones for future narratives in literature and film. In this collection, readers will encounter characters who embark on exhilarating quests and face formidable challenges, embodying the very essence of adventure. Through their journeys, Verne explores themes of resilience, friendship, and the fight against adversity, resonating with the timeless human desire for exploration and the pursuit of knowledge.
In engaging with this anthology, readers will find reflections of their own quest for understanding and adventure mirrored in the pages of Verne's works. The compelling narratives span different time periods and cultures, exploring varied landscapes that challenge protagonists and shape their destinies. Thus, the collection captures a universal quest for meaning, belonging, and discovery, echoing the experiences of countless generations both past and present.
The timeless nature of Verne's narratives is evident in their ability to engage with contemporary issues, demonstrating the author’s foresight beyond the technological advancements of his era. He presciently addressed themes of environmental sustainability, human ingenuity, and the consequences of ambition, making the stories relatable for modern audiences facing similar dilemmas. This timeless quality invites readers to reflect on how far we have come and the possibilities that lie ahead, fostering a sense of connection through shared human experiences.
While some of his themes resonate with the aspirations of humanity, Verne's narratives also carry elements of caution. Many of his protagonists confront the unintended consequences of technological advancements, presenting a nuanced exploration of progress. Through his characters' journeys, readers are encouraged to ponder the ethical considerations of scientific discovery and humanity's responsibility towards the planet, making Verne's works as relevant today as they were over a century ago.
Ultimately, the 'JULES VERNE Ultimate Collection' presents a unique opportunity for readers to explore not only thrilling adventures but also the complex tapestry of ideas woven throughout Verne's work. The collection stands as a celebration of creativity, innovation, and human spirit, showcasing how stories can transcend time and geographical borders. Each novel, short story, and essay serves as a testament to Verne's unparalleled ability to inspire awe, provoke thought, and ignite a passion for exploration within the minds of readers.
The collection is an invitation to traverse the vast landscapes of Verne's imagination, encouraging readers to immerse themselves in adventures that stretch from the sea to the skies and deep into the earth. Each journey taken through these pages allows an exploration of not just exhilarating plots but also profound philosophical questions, weaving together the realms of science and the human condition. Readers will find that the thrill of adventure is only matched by the depth of inquiry perpetuated within Verne's narratives.
In experiencing this collection, readers can anticipate uncovering the imaginative intricacies that define Verne's storytelling. The juxtaposition of the rational and the fantastical captures the essence of a world where both adventure and intellect converge. Here, gleaming ships sail the seas while characters question the bounds of possibility, creating a rich tapestry that is as intellectually stimulating as it is enjoyable.
Engaging with Verne's tales fosters an appreciation for narrative complexity and provides insight into the cultural and social landscapes of the 19th century. Verne's astute observations illuminate not just the scientific milieu of his time but also the vernacular of human interaction, allowing for a deeper understanding of historical context. The intricate plots and characters invite readers to examine the implications of innovation in ways that spark curiosity and stimulate conversation about the interconnections between literature and history.
As an introduction to this cherished collection, we extend an invitation for readers to traverse the varied terrain of Jules Verne's work. Whether drawn by the allure of adventure or the quest for knowledge, you will find something that resonates within these narratives. The rich palette of genres, themes, and styles offers something for everyone, while the allure of illustration serves to further immerse you in the wondrous worlds Verne created.
In conclusion, the 'JULES VERNE Ultimate Collection' is not merely a collection of works; it is a vessel carrying forward the spirit of exploration that Verne epitomized. Dive into these pages and allow the magic of his storytelling to transport you to realms where imagination knows no bounds. May each turn of the page ignite a sense of adventure in your heart, and may Verne's timeless queries continue to resonate long after your journey concludes.
Author Biography
Introduction
Jules Verne (1828–1905) was a French novelist whose imaginative yet carefully researched adventure tales helped define modern science fiction and popularize scientific ideas for a mass audience. Publishing most of his works with the influential editor Pierre-Jules Hetzel, Verne launched the Voyages extraordinaires, a long-running series that included Journey to the Center of the Earth, From the Earth to the Moon, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas, and Around the World in Eighty Days. His narratives fused geography, technology, and suspense into an accessible form of scientific romance. Celebrated across Europe and beyond, Verne became one of the world’s most translated authors and a foundational figure in global popular culture.
Education and Literary Influences
Verne grew up in Nantes and was educated in France, eventually undertaking legal studies in Paris in the late 1840s. While preparing for a law career, he immersed himself in theater, music, and letters, writing short plays and libretti and frequenting literary circles. The practical discipline of legal training coexisted with a burgeoning interest in scientific lectures, travel accounts, and historical works. Exposure to the bustling intellectual life of Paris—its stages, salons, libraries, and periodicals—shaped his craft and gave him contacts in publishing. Early efforts in drama taught him pacing and structure, skills he later redirected into tightly plotted novels that combined spectacle with didactic intent.
Verne’s reading drew on Enlightenment and Romantic precursors as well as contemporary science. He admired and echoed the narrative drive of Defoe and Cooper, the satirical and speculative verve of Swift, and the gothic-strange of Edgar Allan Poe, whose tales he knew and discussed in print. He also studied scientific syntheses and travelogues by figures such as Alexander von Humboldt, absorbing methods of clear exposition and empirical detail. Encounters with the era’s technological enthusiasts, notably the aeronaut and photographer Nadar, fed his imagination about flight and engineering. These influences converged in a style that prized verisimilitude, geographic precision, and an educational mission alongside adventure.
Literary Career
Verne’s decisive professional turn came through his partnership with Pierre-Jules Hetzel in the early 1860s. Hetzel’s magazine for education and recreation provided a platform for serial publication, and together they developed the Voyages extraordinaires. Verne’s early novels—Five Weeks in a Balloon, Journey to the Center of the Earth, From the Earth to the Moon, and The Adventures of Captain Hatteras—set the template: meticulous research, brisk plotting, maps and diagrams in illustrated editions, and an emphasis on explaining contemporary science. The editorial collaboration refined his didactic tone, balancing instruction with entertainment and anchoring extraordinary exploits in plausible mechanisms, instruments, and geographic settings.
International fame arrived with works that broadened his range and audience. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas introduced Captain Nemo and the submarine Nautilus, fusing marine biology, engineering, and moral ambiguity. Around the World in Eighty Days showcased globalization and modern transport as a stage for suspense, while The Mysterious Island reunited themes of survival, invention, and community. Michael Strogoff offered a vigorous historical-adventure mode. These books sold widely, were translated quickly, and inspired stage adaptations that cemented Verne’s name beyond the strictly scientific romance. Readers responded to his optimism about knowledge as well as the sheer variety of settings and challenges.
As the series expanded, Verne explored darker and more ambivalent visions of progress. The Begum’s Fortune contrasted utopian planning with militaristic dystopia; Robur the Conqueror imagined aerial supremacy and the will to dominate the skies; and later novels probed the costs of technological prowess. His style remained rooted in lucid exposition, traveler’s curiosity, and episodic structure, yet the moral shading grew more complex. He continued to mine polar exploration, deserts, oceans, and subterranean spaces, often weaving in recent inventions, debates in engineering, and fresh cartographic knowledge. The result was a panoramic literary atlas of the nineteenth century’s scientific imagination.
Critical reception oscillated between enthusiasm for his inventiveness and a tendency to relegate him to children’s literature. Nevertheless, contemporaries recognized the originality of combining scientific pedagogy with narrative drive, and his readership cut across age and class. Over the twentieth century, scholars reassessed the sophistication of his structures, intertextual play, and geopolitical subtexts. He is frequently paired with H. G. Wells as a progenitor of science fiction, though their methods and emphases differed. Verne’s impact also reached early cinema and illustrated media, which found in his scenes a ready-made spectacle. His stories became fixtures of education, libraries, and popular entertainment.
Beliefs and Advocacy
Verne’s core convictions centered on the value of knowledge, the excitement of discovery, and the civic utility of scientific literacy. He believed that fiction could teach without sermonizing by embedding facts in gripping situations. His meticulous documentation—consulting manuals, journals, and atlases—served a democratic ideal: to make specialized knowledge accessible. The very venue of much of his work, a magazine devoted to education and recreation, reflected this mission. He trusted empirical inquiry while accepting that science advanced through trial and error. These commitments produced heroes who measure, classify, and improvise, and plots that treat experimentation as both method and metaphor.
Verne’s public life reflected a practical engagement with civic improvement. Settled in Amiens, he served on the municipal council for many years from the late 1880s into the early 1900s. In that role he supported cultural and educational initiatives and took an interest in urban development. The position gave him a vantage on social needs—transport, communication, public amenities—that echoed concerns in his fiction. Rather than theorizing politics in treatises, he worked within local institutions, exemplifying the republican ideal of informed citizenship. His measured, reformist temperament complemented the instructive ethos of his novels and their respect for incremental, collective progress.
While often associated with technological optimism, Verne’s work also questions hubris and domination. Characters such as Captain Nemo embody both genius and isolation, and plots like The Begum’s Fortune or The Master of the World scrutinize militarism, authoritarian fantasies, and the unintended consequences of invention. Verne did not propose a single doctrine; he staged debates through journeys, shipboard councils, and stranded colonies, inviting readers to weigh competing imperatives—curiosity, power, ethics, and survival. His advocacy thus lay less in slogans than in a sustained pedagogy: cultivating informed skepticism, admiration for ingenuity, and awareness that progress requires moral as well as technical judgment.
Final Years & Legacy
In his later years Verne lived primarily in Amiens, where he continued to write despite health challenges. He was wounded in the mid-1880s, which affected his mobility, and later dealt with eyesight problems and diabetes. The tone of some late novels grew somber, with intensified focus on obsession and control. He died in 1905 in Amiens. Obituaries across Europe and beyond praised his imagination, geographic sweep, and uncanny anticipation of future technologies. Several novels prepared near the end of his life appeared after his death, with editorial involvement from his son, ensuring that the Voyages extraordinaires continued to reach readers.
Verne’s legacy is unusually broad. He stands among the most translated authors, his books remaining perennially in print and central to youth and general education in many countries. Scientists, engineers, and explorers have long cited him as an early spark for their vocations. Film, theater, comics, and digital media repeatedly adapt his scenarios, from submarines and balloons to planetary voyages. The late-twentieth-century publication of Paris in the Twentieth Century, written decades earlier, renewed debate about his foresight and range. Today, Verne occupies a secure place in world literature as a pioneer of scientifically informed storytelling and a cartographer of modern wonder.
Historical Context
Jules Verne’s literary career unfolded against the backdrop of 19th-century Europe’s industrial transformation—when railways crisscrossed the continent, steamships plied the oceans and public fascination with scientific discovery and distant lands gave rise to a new kind of adventure tale. His narratives combined the spirit of exploration with reflections on the technological and social shifts of his age, weaving scientific curiosity into their plots without losing sight of human drama.
His first published stories appeared in the early 1850s—among them a tense Latvian drama (1851), a cautionary fable about a clockmaker’s pride (1854) and a polar odyssey (1855). Written in the wake of the Revolution of 1848 and the birth of France’s Second Republic, these tales tapped into a widespread appetite for progress and innovation, offering readers thrilling possibilities grounded in plausible invention.
With the debut of his extraordinary-voyages series in 1863, he sent bold men aloft in a balloon, then plunged them into subterranean realms the following year. These early novels drew on recent advances in meteorology, geology and navigational science, marrying technical detail to high adventure and inviting readers to imagine how human ingenuity might conquer uncharted spaces.
In the late 1860s and early 1870s, expeditions of rescue and circumnavigation carried his heroes from South America to the African interior, reflecting European interests in far-flung regions. Though these voyages sometimes mirror contemporary imperial attitudes, they more often dwell on resourcefulness in the face of unknown hazards than on explicit critique of colonial policy.
Mid-century tensions between rival powers also fueled his flights of fancy. A pair of novels published in the mid-1860s envisioned a giant cannon in Florida aimed at the Moon and, a few years later, chronicled the attempt to reach lunar soil—anticipating key ideas of rocketry and spaceflight long before they became reality.
As the second industrial revolution gathered pace—bringing breakthroughs in electricity, chemicals and marine engineering—he introduced a remarkable undersea craft powered by electric accumulators and staged castaway dramas on volcanic isles. These stories draw upon the era’s experimental laboratories and early submarine designs to create vivid, mechanically plausible settings.
Courage and resolve emerge as recurrent virtues in his polar explorations and youthful maritime adventures. Whether tracking a doomed Arctic pole-seeker or following a teenage captain across the Atlantic, his protagonists embody the era’s belief in determination and self-reliance, qualities prized amid social mobility and technological upheaval.
A lifelong fascination with terrain and wildlife animates his fur-trapper saga and his voyage along the great South American river. Lush topographical descriptions and detailed encounters with flora and fauna underscore a genuine wonder at nature’s variety, even if environmental advocacy as we know it lay still in the future.
Questions of wealth, science and justice surface when rival heirs and eccentric inventors embark on quests for fortune or revenge. By portraying characters from different social strata—engineers, aristocrats, settlers—he explored moral choices stirred by rapid economic change, suggesting that technology carries social as well as technical risks.
In his later tales of mighty inventors and their secret weapons, Verne probed the ethics of invention itself, dramatizing how scientific mastery can slip into menace if wielded without restraint. These narratives strike a cautious note about power, anticipating debates over the social responsibilities of innovators.
Echoes of Franco-Prussian tensions appear in stories of urgent couriers racing through hostile territory, where loyalty and courage under fire reflect a nation’s struggle to recover from defeat. Such themes of duty resonated with readers still reeling from continental conflict.
By serializing many of his works in widely read periodicals, he brought scientifically informed adventure into middle-class drawing rooms across Europe and beyond, helping to democratize reading at a time when literacy rates were climbing and leisure culture was expanding.
A hallmark of his style was the careful integration of contemporary knowledge—geology, chemistry, astronomy—into narrative form. Readers not only followed daring exploits but also absorbed the scientific thinking of their day, fostering wider interest in emerging disciplines.
Though he traveled relatively little himself, his tales repeatedly stage encounters among characters of varied nationalities, underscoring the possibilities of cooperation even amid cultural difference. In so doing, he anticipated dialogues on global exchange that would grow in importance as the century wore on.
Ultimately, his fiction remains compelling because it balances rigorous attention to scientific detail with timeless questions of human courage, responsibility and curiosity. By melding credible technology with imaginative voyages, he captured the hopes and anxieties of an age defined by rapid change—and in doing so left a legacy that still inspires readers and writers today.
Synopsis (Selection)
Five Weeks in a Balloon
This adventure follows the journey of Dr. Samuel Fergusson and his companions as they attempt to traverse Africa in a hot air balloon to explore the continent's geography and cultures.
A Journey to the Centre of the Earth
Professor Lidenbrock leads an expedition beneath the Earth's surface, discovering a prehistoric world filled with wonders and dangers.
From the Earth to the Moon
In this novel, an ambitious American inventor sets out to build a giant cannon to launch a spacecraft to the moon, exploring themes of innovation and the spirit of exploration.
Around the Moon
A direct continuation of 'From the Earth to the Moon,' this tale recounts the astronauts' adventures in space as they journey toward the lunar surface.
The Adventures of Captain Hatteras
Captain Hatteras embarks on a perilous Arctic expedition, driven by his obsession to discover the North Pole and confront the harsh realities of extreme environments.
In Search of the Castaways or, The Children of Captain Grant
A quest across the Southern Hemisphere unfolds as Lord Glenarvan leads a group to find the missing Captain Grant, guided by clues hidden in a bottle.
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
This seminal science fiction tale follows Professor Aronnax's underwater adventures aboard the submarine Nautilus as he encounters unique underwater life and conflicts with Captain Nemo.
A Floating City
The story depicts the whimsical and adventurous journey of a floating city, exploring various characters' interactions and experiences in this extraordinary setting.
The Adventures of Three Englishmen and Three Russians in South Africa
A group of adventurers from different backgrounds and nationalities navigate the challenges of the African wilderness, revealing the strength of human ingenuity.
The Fur Country
Set during the fur trade, this narrative follows explorers in the North American wilderness who confront both nature and human rivalry amidst the quest for valuable resources.
Around the World in Eighty Days
Phileas Fogg's bet to circumnavigate the globe in just eighty days leads to a series of thrilling adventures and cultural encounters across various countries.
The Mysterious Island
Survivors of a balloon crash find themselves stranded on an uncharted island, where they must use their ingenuity to survive and uncover the island's secrets.
The Survivors of the Chancellor: Diary of J. R. Kazallon, Passenger
A harrowing tale unfolds through the diary of a passenger aboard a doomed ship, exploring themes of survival and human endurance in the face of disaster.
Michael Strogoff: The Courier of the Czar
Set during the Russian-Turkish War, this novel follows Michael Strogoff, a brave courier, as he attempts to deliver crucial messages while navigating numerous dangers.
Hector Servadac or, Off on a Comet
Following an unexpected encounter with a comet, Hector Servadac and a group of people find themselves on a journey through space, exploring themes of adventure and exploration.
The Underground City or, The Child of the Cavern
In an underground community, a child named Elys is faced with the challenges of life beneath the earth while discovering the resilience and spirit of her people.
Dick Sand, A Captain at Fifteen
A young boy, Dick Sand, unexpectedly takes charge of a whaling ship, leading a crew amidst adventure and peril in the African seas.
The Begum's Fortune
This satirical novel follows the fortune of an Indian princess and her encounters with Western greed, highlighting cultural contrasts and human folly.
Tribulations of a Chinaman in China
A humorous tale unfolds as a Chinese man navigates the complexities of life, love, and cultural expectations in a rapidly changing society.
The Steam House
A tale of adventure set in colonial India, where a mechanical steam house becomes both a symbol of progress and a means of escape for its travelers.
Eight Hundred Leagues on the Amazon
This adventure follows a group navigating the Amazon River, facing various challenges as they venture through the lush yet perilous wilderness.
Godfrey Morgan or, The Robinson Crusoe School
A whimsical story of a young boy who is shipwrecked on a deserted island, where he learns about survival and self-sufficiency.
The Green Ray
A romantic adventure revolves around the pursuit of a rare optical phenomenon, highlighting themes of love, fate, and the quest for the extraordinary.
Mathias Sandorf
A tale of vengeance and intrigue as the titular character seeks retribution for past injustices while traversing Europe amidst political turmoil.
The Star of the South or, The Vanished Diamond
The story of an adventurous quest for a precious diamond, presenting a blend of mystery, greed, and human desire.
Ticket No. “9672” or, The Lottery Ticket
A short tale exploring themes of luck and fortune, centered on the ramifications of winning the lottery.
Robur the Conqueror or, The Clipper of the Clouds
An inventive tale featuring Robur, an eccentric aviation pioneer who challenges the limits of human flight with his flying machine.
The Master of the World
A suspenseful adventure involving an enigmatic inventor who has the means to control dangerous machines, raising questions about power and ethics.
The Waif of 'Cynthia'
The story follows the fate of a young waif who finds herself caught in a series of dramatic events while seeking her place in society.
North Against South or, Texar’s Revenge
A gripping tale of revenge and civil conflict set in the backdrop of the American South, exploring the tensions of a divided nation.
The Flight to France or, The Memoirs of a Dragoon
A memoir reflecting on a soldier's journey during the tumultuous times of war, offering insights into human resilience and patriotism.
Kéraban the Inflexible
An entertaining adventure about an obstinate man who refuses to pay a toll on waterways, leading him and his companions on an unexpected journey.
Adrift in Pacific or, Two Years' Vacation
A group of boys, after being shipwrecked on a deserted island, must fend for themselves, learn survival skills, and navigate the challenges of independence.
The Purchase of the North Pole or, Topsy Turvy
A satirical commentary on imperialistic aspirations as characters attempt to buy the North Pole, embodying ambition and absurdity.
Cæsar Cascabel
A light-hearted story about a circus family embarking on an adventurous journey through America, reflecting themes of freedom and creativity.
Mistress Branican
The tale of a woman's determined search for her missing husband, highlighting themes of loyalty, love, and adventure.
The Castle of the Carpathians
A suspenseful story of supernatural elements and local legends as a young man investigates a mysterious castle in the Carpathian mountains.
Claudius Bombarnac or, The Adventures of a Special Correspondent
The whimsical exploits of a journalist in search of stories, weaving humor and intrigue throughout his adventures.
Captain Antifer
A romantic and comedic journey involving treasure, adventure, and the eccentricities of the titular character and his band of rogues.
Facing the Flag
A political and social critique set against the backdrop of rebellion, highlighting the consequences of conflict and the quest for freedom.
An Antarctic Mystery
A thrilling tale of discovery as a group sets out to uncover the fate of a missing expedition in the frigid landscapes of Antarctica.
Early Short Stories
A collection showcasing Verne's exploration of early themes of adventure and innovation, including balloon voyages and fantastical tales.
Later Short Stories
A collection that reflects Verne's evolved storytelling, focusing on the interplay of science and fantasy in intriguing scenarios.
The Exploration of the World
A non-fiction work that chronicles significant explorations and expeditions, offering insights into the adventurers and their endeavors.
The Great Navigators of the 18th Century
Examines the lives and contributions of renowned navigators, shedding light on their achievements in uncharted territories.
The Great Explorers of 19th Century
A tribute to explorers of the 19th century, recognizing their roles in expanding human knowledge and understanding of distant lands.
A Chinese Banquet
A humorous narrative that satirizes cultural encounters through a banquet setting, exploring themes of food, hospitality, and social relations.
JULES VERNE Ultimate Collection: Science Fiction Classics, Action & Adventure Novels, Historical Works (Illustrated)
Novels
Five Weeks in a Balloon (1863)
CHAPTER FIRST.
[The End of a much-applauded Speech.—The Presentation of Dr. Samuel Ferguson.—Excelsior.—Full-length Portrait of the Doctor.—A Fatalist convinced.—A Dinner at the Travellers’ Club.—Several Toasts for the Occasion.]
There was a large audience assembled on the 14th of January, 1862, at the session of the Royal Geographical Society, No. 3 Waterloo Place, London. The president, Sir Francis M–-, made an important communication to his colleagues, in an address that was frequently interrupted by applause.
This rare specimen of eloquence terminated with the following sonorous phrases bubbling over with patriotism:
“England has always marched at the head of nations” (for, the reader will observe, the nations always march at the head of each other), “by the intrepidity of her explorers in the line of geographical discovery.” (General assent). “Dr. Samuel Ferguson, one of her most glorious sons, will not reflect discredit on his origin.” (“No, indeed!” from all parts of the hall.)
“This attempt, should it succeed” (“It will succeed!”), “will complete and link together the notions, as yet disjointed, which the world entertains of African cartology” (vehement applause); “and, should it fail, it will, at least, remain on record as one of the most daring conceptions of human genius!” (Tremendous cheering.)
“Huzza! huzza!” shouted the immense audience, completely electrified by these inspiring words.
“Huzza for the intrepid Ferguson!” cried one of the most excitable of the enthusiastic crowd.
The wildest cheering resounded on all sides; the name of Ferguson was in every mouth, and we may safely believe that it lost nothing in passing through English throats. Indeed, the hall fairly shook with it.
And there were present, also, those fearless travellers and explorers whose energetic temperaments had borne them through every quarter of the globe, many of them grown old and worn out in the service of science. All had, in some degree, physically or morally, undergone the sorest trials. They had escaped shipwreck; conflagration; Indian tomahawks and war-clubs; the fagot and the stake; nay, even the cannibal maws of the South Sea Islanders. But still their hearts beat high during Sir Francis M–-‘s address, which certainly was the finest oratorical success that the Royal Geographical Society of London had yet achieved.
But, in England, enthusiasm does not stop short with mere words. It strikes off money faster than the dies of the Royal Mint itself. So a subscription to encourage Dr. Ferguson was voted there and then, and it at once attained the handsome amount of two thousand five hundred pounds. The sum was made commensurate with the importance of the enterprise.
A member of the Society then inquired of the president whether Dr. Ferguson was not to be officially introduced.
“The doctor is at the disposition of the meeting,” replied Sir Francis.
“Let him come in, then! Bring him in!” shouted the audience. “We’d like to see a man of such extraordinary daring, face to face!”
“Perhaps this incredible proposition of his is only intended to mystify us,” growled an apoplectic old admiral.
“Suppose that there should turn out to be no such person as Dr. Ferguson?” exclaimed another voice, with a malicious twang.
“Why, then, we’d have to invent one!” replied a facetious member of this grave Society.
“Ask Dr. Ferguson to come in,” was the quiet remark of Sir Francis M–-.
And come in the doctor did, and stood there, quite unmoved by the thunders of applause that greeted his appearance.
He was a man of about forty years of age, of medium height and physique. His sanguine temperament was disclosed in the deep color of his cheeks. His countenance was coldly expressive, with regular features, and a large nose—one of those noses that resemble the prow of a ship, and stamp the faces of men predestined to accomplish great discoveries. His eyes, which were gentle and intelligent, rather than bold, lent a peculiar charm to his physiognomy. His arms were long, and his feet were planted with that solidity which indicates a great pedestrian.
A calm gravity seemed to surround the doctor’s entire person, and no one would dream that he could become the agent of any mystification, however harmless.
Hence, the applause that greeted him at the outset continued until he, with a friendly gesture, claimed silence on his own behalf. He stepped toward the seat that had been prepared for him on his presentation, and then, standing erect and motionless, he, with a determined glance, pointed his right forefinger upward, and pronounced aloud the single word—
“Excelsior!”
Never had one of Bright’s or Cobden’s sudden onslaughts, never had one of Palmerston’s abrupt demands for funds to plate the rocks of the English coast with iron, made such a sensation. Sir Francis M–-‘s address was completely overshadowed. The doctor had shown himself moderate, sublime, and self-contained, in one; he had uttered the word of the situation—
“Excelsior!”
The gouty old admiral who had been finding fault, was completely won over by the singular man before him, and immediately moved the insertion of Dr. Ferguson’s speech in “The Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society of London.”
Who, then, was this person, and what was the enterprise that he proposed?
Ferguson’s father, a brave and worthy captain in the English Navy, had associated his son with him, from the young man’s earliest years, in the perils and adventures of his profession. The fine little fellow, who seemed to have never known the meaning of fear, early revealed a keen and active mind, an investigating intelligence, and a remarkable turn for scientific study; moreover, he disclosed uncommon address in extricating himself from difficulty; he was never perplexed, not even in handling his fork for the first time—an exercise in which children generally have so little success.
His fancy kindled early at the recitals he read of daring enterprise and maritime adventure, and he followed with enthusiasm the discoveries that signalized the first part of the nineteenth century. He mused over the glory of the Mungo Parks, the Bruces, the Caillies, the Levaillants, and to some extent, I verily believe, of Selkirk (Robinson Crusoe), whom he considered in no wise inferior to the rest. How many a well-employed hour he passed with that hero on his isle of Juan Fernandez! Often he criticised the ideas of the shipwrecked sailor, and sometimes discussed his plans and projects. He would have done differently, in such and such a case, or quite as well at least—of that he felt assured. But of one thing he was satisfied, that he never should have left that pleasant island, where he was as happy as a king without subjects— no, not if the inducement held out had been promotion to the first lordship in the admiralty!
It may readily be conjectured whether these tendencies were developed during a youth of adventure, spent in every nook and corner of the Globe. Moreover, his father, who was a man of thorough instruction, omitted no opportunity to consolidate this keen intelligence by serious studies in hydrography, physics, and mechanics, along with a slight tincture of botany, medicine, and astronomy.
Upon the death of the estimable captain, Samuel Ferguson, then twenty-two years of age, had already made his voyage around the world. He had enlisted in the Bengalese Corps of Engineers, and distinguished himself in several affairs; but this soldier’s life had not exactly suited him; caring but little for command, he had not been fond of obeying. He, therefore, sent in his resignation, and half botanizing, half playing the hunter, he made his way toward the north of the Indian Peninsula, and crossed it from Calcutta to Surat—a mere amateur trip for him.
From Surat we see him going over to Australia, and in 1845 participating in Captain Sturt’s expedition, which had been sent out to explore the new Caspian Sea, supposed to exist in the centre of New Holland.
Samuel Ferguson returned to England about 1850, and, more than ever possessed by the demon of discovery, he spent the intervening time, until 1853, in accompanying Captain McClure on the expedition that went around the American Continent from Behring’s Straits to Cape Farewell.
Notwithstanding fatigues of every description, and in all climates, Ferguson’s constitution continued marvellously sound. He felt at ease in the midst of the most complete privations; in fine, he was the very type of the thoroughly accomplished explorer whose stomach expands or contracts at will; whose limbs grow longer or shorter according to the resting-place that each stage of a journey may bring; who can fall asleep at any hour of the day or awake at any hour of the night.
Nothing, then, was less surprising, after that, than to find our traveller, in the period from 1855 to 1857, visiting the whole region west of the Thibet, in company with the brothers Schlagintweit, and bringing back some curious ethnographic observations from that expedition.
During these different journeys, Ferguson had been the most active and interesting correspondent of the Daily Telegraph, the penny newspaper whose circulation amounts to 140,000 copies, and yet scarcely suffices for its many legions of readers. Thus, the doctor had become well known to the public, although he could not claim membership in either of the Royal Geographical Societies of London, Paris, Berlin, Vienna, or St. Petersburg, or yet with the Travellers’ Club, or even the Royal Polytechnic Institute, where his friend the statistician Cockburn ruled in state.
The latter savant had, one day, gone so far as to propose to him the following problem: Given the number of miles travelled by the doctor in making the circuit of the Globe, how many more had his head described than his feet, by reason of the different lengths of the radii?—or, the number of miles traversed by the doctor’s head and feet respectively being given, required the exact height of that gentleman?
This was done with the idea of complimenting him, but the doctor had held himself aloof from all the learned bodies—belonging, as he did, to the church militant and not to the church polemical. He found his time better employed in seeking than in discussing, in discovering rather than discoursing.
There is a story told of an Englishman who came one day to Geneva, intending to visit the lake. He was placed in one of those odd vehicles in which the passengers sit side by side, as they do in an omnibus. Well, it so happened that the Englishman got a seat that left him with his back turned toward the lake. The vehicle completed its circular trip without his thinking to turn around once, and he went back to London delighted with the Lake of Geneva.
Doctor Ferguson, however, had turned around to look about him on his journeyings, and turned to such good purpose that he had seen a great deal. In doing so, he had simply obeyed the laws of his nature, and we have good reason to believe that he was, to some extent, a fatalist, but of an orthodox school of fatalism withal, that led him to rely upon himself and even upon Providence. He claimed that he was impelled, rather than drawn by his own volition, to journey as he did, and that he traversed the world like the locomotive, which does not direct itself, but is guided and directed by the track it runs on.
“I do not follow my route;” he often said, “it is my route that follows me.”
The reader will not be surprised, then, at the calmness with which the doctor received the applause that welcomed him in the Royal Society. He was above all such trifles, having no pride, and less vanity. He looked upon the proposition addressed to him by Sir Francis M–- as the simplest thing in the world, and scarcely noticed the immense effect that it produced.
When the session closed, the doctor was escorted to the rooms of the Travellers’ Club, in Pall Mall. A superb entertainment had been prepared there in his honor. The dimensions of the dishes served were made to correspond with the importance of the personage entertained, and the boiled sturgeon that figured at this magnificent repast was not an inch shorter than Dr. Ferguson himself.
Numerous toasts were offered and quaffed, in the wines of France, to the celebrated travellers who had made their names illustrious by their explorations of African territory. The guests drank to their health or to their memory, in alphabetical order, a good old English way of doing the thing. Among those remembered thus, were: Abbadie, Adams, Adamson, Anderson, Arnaud, Baikie, Baldwin, Barth, Batouda, Beke, Beltram, Du Berba, Bimbachi, Bolognesi, Bolwik, Belzoni, Bonnemain, Brisson, Browne, Bruce, Brun-Rollet, Burchell, Burckhardt, Burton, Cailland, Caillie, Campbell, Chapman, Clapperton, Clot-Bey, Colomieu, Courval, Cumming, Cuny, Debono, Decken, Denham, Desavanchers, Dicksen, Dickson, Dochard, Du Chaillu, Duncan, Durand, Duroule, Duveyrier, D’Escayrac, De Lauture, Erhardt, Ferret, Fresnel, Galinier, Galton, Geoffroy, Golberry, Hahn, Halm, Harnier, Hecquart, Heuglin, Hornemann, Houghton, Imbert, Kauffmann, Knoblecher, Krapf, Kummer, Lafargue, Laing, Lafaille, Lambert, Lamiral, Lampriere, John Lander, Richard Lander, Lefebvre, Lejean, Levaillant, Livingstone, MacCarthy, Maggiar, Maizan, Malzac, Moffat, Mollien, Monteiro, Morrison, Mungo Park, Neimans, Overweg, Panet, Partarrieau, Pascal, Pearse, Peddie, Penney, Petherick, Poncet, Prax, Raffenel, Rabh, Rebmann, Richardson, Riley, Ritchey, Rochet d’Hericourt, Rongawi, Roscher, Ruppel, Saugnier, Speke, Steidner, Thibaud, Thompson, Thornton, Toole, Tousny, Trotter, Tuckey, Tyrwhitt, Vaudey, Veyssiere, Vincent, Vinco, Vogel, Wahlberg, Warrington, Washington, Werne, Wild, and last, but not least, Dr. Ferguson, who, by his incredible attempt, was to link together the achievements of all these explorers, and complete the series of African discovery.
CHAPTER SECOND.
[The Article in the Daily Telegraph.—War between the Scientific Journals.— Mr. Petermann backs his Friend Dr. Ferguson.—Reply of the Savant Koner. —Bets made.—Sundry Propositions offered to the Doctor.]
On the next day, in its number of January 15th, the Daily Telegraph published an article couched in the following terms:
“Africa is, at length, about to surrender the secret of her vast solitudes; a modern OEdipus is to give us the key to that enigma which the learned men of sixty centuries have not been able to decipher. In other days, to seek the sources of the Nile—fontes Nili quoerere—was regarded as a mad endeavor, a chimera that could not be realized.
“Dr. Barth, in following out to Soudan the track traced by Denham and Clapperton; Dr. Livingstone, in multiplying his fearless explorations from the Cape of Good Hope to the basin of the Zambesi; Captains Burton and Speke, in the discovery of the great interior lakes, have opened three highways to modern civilization. THEIR POINT OF INTERSECTION, which no traveller has yet been able to reach, is the very heart of Africa, and it is thither that all efforts should now be directed.
“The labors of these hardy pioneers of science are now about to be knit together by the daring project of Dr. Samuel Ferguson, whose fine explorations our readers have frequently had the opportunity of appreciating.
“This intrepid discoverer proposes to traverse all Africa from east to west IN A BALLOON. If we are well informed, the point of departure for this surprising journey is to be the island of Zanzibar, upon the eastern coast. As for the point of arrival, it is reserved for Providence alone to designate.
“The proposal for this scientific undertaking was officially made, yesterday, at the rooms of the Royal Geographical Society, and the sum of twenty-five hundred pounds was voted to defray the expenses of the enterprise.
“We shall keep our readers informed as to the progress of this enterprise, which has no precedent in the annals of exploration.”
As may be supposed, the foregoing article had an enormous echo among scientific people. At first, it stirred up a storm of incredulity; Dr. Ferguson passed for a purely chimerical personage of the Barnum stamp, who, after having gone through the United States, proposed to “do” the British Isles.
A humorous reply appeared in the February number of the Bulletins de la Societe Geographique of Geneva, which very wittily showed up the Royal Society of London and their phenomenal sturgeon.
But Herr Petermann, in his Mittheilungen, published at Gotha, reduced the Geneva journal to the most absolute silence. Herr Petermann knew Dr. Ferguson personally, and guaranteed the intrepidity of his dauntless friend.
Besides, all manner of doubt was quickly put out of the question: preparations for the trip were set on foot at London; the factories of Lyons received a heavy order for the silk required for the body of the balloon; and, finally, the British Government placed the transport-ship Resolute, Captain Bennett, at the disposal of the expedition.
At once, upon word of all this, a thousand encouragements were offered, and felicitations came pouring in from all quarters. The details of the undertaking were published in full in the bulletins of the Geographical Society of Paris; a remarkable article appeared in the Nouvelles Annales des Voyages, de la Geographie, de l’Histoire, et de l’Archaeologie de M. V. A. Malte-Brun (“New Annals of Travels, Geography, History, and Archaeology, by M. V. A. Malte-Brun”); and a searching essay in the Zeitschrift fur Allgemeine Erdkunde, by Dr. W. Koner, triumphantly demonstrated the feasibility of the journey, its chances of success, the nature of the obstacles existing, the immense advantages of the aerial mode of locomotion, and found fault with nothing but the selected point of departure, which it contended should be Massowah, a small port in Abyssinia, whence James Bruce, in 1768, started upon his explorations in search of the sources of the Nile. Apart from that, it mentioned, in terms of unreserved admiration, the energetic character of Dr. Ferguson, and the heart, thrice panoplied in bronze, that could conceive and undertake such an enterprise.
The North American Review could not, without some displeasure, contemplate so much glory monopolized by England. It therefore rather ridiculed the doctor’s scheme, and urged him, by all means, to push his explorations as far as America, while he was about it.
In a word, without going over all the journals in the world, there was not a scientific publication, from the Journal of Evangelical Missions to the Revue Algerienne et Coloniale, from the Annales de la Propagation de la Foi to the Church Missionary Intelligencer, that had not something to say about the affair in all its phases.
Many large bets were made at London and throughout England generally, first, as to the real or supposititious existence of Dr. Ferguson; secondly, as to the trip itself, which, some contended, would not be undertaken at all, and which was really contemplated, according to others; thirdly, upon the success or failure of the enterprise; and fourthly, upon the probabilities of Dr. Ferguson’s return. The betting-books were covered with entries of immense sums, as though the Epsom races were at stake.
Thus, believers and unbelievers, the learned and the ignorant, alike had their eyes fixed on the doctor, and he became the lion of the day, without knowing that he carried such a mane. On his part, he willingly gave the most accurate information touching his project. He was very easily approached, being naturally the most affable man in the world. More than one bold adventurer presented himself, offering to share the dangers as well as the glory of the undertaking; but he refused them all, without giving his reasons for rejecting them.
Numerous inventors of mechanism applicable to the guidance of balloons came to propose their systems, but he would accept none; and, when he was asked whether he had discovered something of his own for that purpose, he constantly refused to give any explanation, and merely busied himself more actively than ever with the preparations for his journey.
CHAPTER THIRD.
[The Doctor’s Friend.—The Origin of their Friendship.—Dick Kennedy at London.—An unexpected but not very consoling Proposal.—A Proverb by no means cheering.—A few Names from the African Martyrology.—The Advantages of a Balloon.—Dr. Ferguson’s Secret.]
Dr. Ferguson had a friend—not another self, indeed, an alter ego, for friendship could not exist between two beings exactly alike.
But, if they possessed different qualities, aptitudes, and temperaments, Dick Kennedy and Samuel Ferguson lived with one and the same heart, and that gave them no great trouble. In fact, quite the reverse.
Dick Kennedy was a Scotchman, in the full acceptation of the word—open, resolute, and headstrong. He lived in the town of Leith, which is near Edinburgh, and, in truth, is a mere suburb of Auld Reekie. Sometimes he was a fisherman, but he was always and everywhere a determined hunter, and that was nothing remarkable for a son of Caledonia, who had known some little climbing among the Highland mountains. He was cited as a wonderful shot with the rifle, since not only could he split a bullet on a knife-blade, but he could divide it into two such equal parts that, upon weighing them, scarcely any difference would be perceptible.
Kennedy’s countenance strikingly recalled that of Herbert Glendinning, as Sir Walter Scott has depicted it in “The Monastery”; his stature was above six feet; full of grace and easy movement, he yet seemed gifted with herculean strength; a face embrowned by the sun; eyes keen and black; a natural air of daring courage; in fine, something sound, solid, and reliable in his entire person, spoke, at first glance, in favor of the bonny Scot.
The acquaintanceship of these two friends had been formed in India, when they belonged to the same regiment. While Dick would be out in pursuit of the tiger and the elephant, Samuel would be in search of plants and insects. Each could call himself expert in his own province, and more than one rare botanical specimen, that to science was as great a victory won as the conquest of a pair of ivory tusks, became the doctor’s booty.
These two young men, moreover, never had occasion to save each other’s lives, or to render any reciprocal service. Hence, an unalterable friendship. Destiny sometimes bore them apart, but sympathy always united them again.
Since their return to England they had been frequently separated by the doctor’s distant expeditions; but, on his return, the latter never failed to go, not to ASK for hospitality, but to bestow some weeks of his presence at the home of his crony Dick.
The Scot talked of the past; the doctor busily prepared for the future. The one looked back, the other forward. Hence, a restless spirit personified in Ferguson; perfect calmness typified in Kennedy—such was the contrast.
After his journey to the Thibet, the doctor had remained nearly two years without hinting at new explorations; and Dick, supposing that his friend’s instinct for travel and thirst for adventure had at length died out, was perfectly enchanted. They would have ended badly, some day or other, he thought to himself; no matter what experience one has with men, one does not travel always with impunity among cannibals and wild beasts. So, Kennedy besought the doctor to tie up his bark for life, having done enough for science, and too much for the gratitude of men.
The doctor contented himself with making no reply to this. He remained absorbed in his own reflections, giving himself up to secret calculations, passing his nights among heaps of figures, and making experiments with the strangest-looking machinery, inexplicable to everybody but himself. It could readily be guessed, though, that some great thought was fermenting in his brain.
“What can he have been planning?” wondered Kennedy, when, in the month of January, his friend quitted him to return to London.
He found out one morning when he looked into the Daily Telegraph.
“Merciful Heaven!” he exclaimed, “the lunatic! the madman! Cross Africa in a balloon! Nothing but that was wanted to cap the climax! That’s what he’s been bothering his wits about these two years past!”
Now, reader, substitute for all these exclamation points, as many ringing thumps with a brawny fist upon the table, and you have some idea of the manual exercise that Dick went through while he thus spoke.
When his confidential maid-of-all-work, the aged Elspeth, tried to insinuate that the whole thing might be a hoax—
“Not a bit of it!” said he. “Don’t I know my man? Isn’t it just like him? Travel through the air! There, now, he’s jealous of the eagles, next! No! I warrant you, he’ll not do it! I’ll find a way to stop him! He! why if they’d let him alone, he’d start some day for the moon!”
On that very evening Kennedy, half alarmed, and half exasperated, took the train for London, where he arrived next morning.
Three-quarters of an hour later a cab deposited him at the door of the doctor’s modest dwelling, in Soho Square, Greek Street. Forthwith he bounded up the steps and announced his arrival with five good, hearty, sounding raps at the door.
Ferguson opened, in person.
“Dick! you here?” he exclaimed, but with no great expression of surprise, after all.
“Dick himself!” was the response.
“What, my dear boy, you at London, and this the mid-season of the winter shooting?”
“Yes! here I am, at London!”
“And what have you come to town for?”
“To prevent the greatest piece of folly that ever was conceived.”
“Folly!” said the doctor.
“Is what this paper says, the truth?” rejoined Kennedy, holding out the copy of the Daily Telegraph, mentioned above.
“Ah! that’s what you mean, is it? These newspapers are great tattlers! But, sit down, my dear Dick.”
“No, I won’t sit down!—Then, you really intend to attempt this journey?”
“Most certainly! all my preparations are getting along finely, and I—”
“Where are your traps? Let me have a chance at them! I’ll make them fly! I’ll put your preparations in fine order.” And so saying, the gallant Scot gave way to a genuine explosion of wrath.
“Come, be calm, my dear Dick!” resumed the doctor. “You’re angry at me because I did not acquaint you with my new project.”
“He calls this his new project!”
“I have been very busy,” the doctor went on, without heeding the interruption; “I have had so much to look after! But rest assured that I should not have started without writing to you.”
“Oh, indeed! I’m highly honored.”
“Because it is my intention to take you with me.”
Upon this, the Scotchman gave a leap that a wild goat would not have been ashamed of among his native crags.
“Ah! really, then, you want them to send us both to Bedlam!”
“I have counted positively upon you, my dear Dick, and I have picked you out from all the rest.”
Kennedy stood speechless with amazement.
“After listening to me for ten minutes,” said the doctor, “you will thank me!”
“Are you speaking seriously?”
“Very seriously.”
“And suppose that I refuse to go with you?”
“But you won’t refuse.”
“But, suppose that I were to refuse?”
“Well, I’d go alone.”
“Let us sit down,” said Kennedy, “and talk without excitement. The moment you give up jesting about it, we can discuss the thing.”
“Let us discuss it, then, at breakfast, if you have no objections, my dear Dick.”
The two friends took their seats opposite to each other, at a little table with a plate of toast and a huge tea-urn before them.
“My dear Samuel,” said the sportsman, “your project is insane! it is impossible! it has no resemblance to anything reasonable or practicable!”
“That’s for us to find out when we shall have tried it!”
“But trying it is exactly what you ought not to attempt.”
“Why so, if you please?”
“Well, the risks, the difficulty of the thing.”
“As for difficulties,” replied Ferguson, in a serious tone, “they were made to be overcome; as for risks and dangers, who can flatter himself that he is to escape them? Every thing in life involves danger; it may even be dangerous to sit down at one’s own table, or to put one’s hat on one’s own head. Moreover, we must look upon what is to occur as having already occurred, and see nothing but the present in the future, for the future is but the present a little farther on.”
“There it is!” exclaimed Kennedy, with a shrug. “As great a fatalist as ever!”
“Yes! but in the good sense of the word. Let us not trouble ourselves, then, about what fate has in store for us, and let us not forget our good old English proverb: ‘The man who was born to be hung will never be drowned!’”
