inging together like an ancient chorus.

Ah--what a journey--what a marvelous and extraordinary journey! Here we
had entered the earth by one volcano, and we had come out by another.
And this other was situated more than twelve hundred leagues from
Sneffels from that drear country of Iceland cast away on the confines of
the earth. The wondrous changes of this expedition had transported us to
the most harmonious and beautiful of earthly lands. We had abandoned the
region of eternal snows for that of infinite verdure, and had left over
our heads the gray fog of the icy regions to come back to the azure sky
of Sicily!

After a delicious repast of fruits and fresh water, we again continued
our journey in order to reach the port of Stromboli. To say how we had
reached the island would scarcely have been prudent. The superstitious
character of the Italians would have been at work, and we should have
been called demons vomited from the infernal regions. It was therefore
necessary to pass for humble and unfortunate shipwrecked travelers. It
was certainly less striking and romantic, but it was decidedly safer.

As we advanced, I could hear my worthy uncle muttering to himself:

"But the compass. The compass most certainly marked north. This is a
fact I cannot explain in any way."

"Well, the fact is," said I, with an air of disdain, "we must not
explain anything. It will be much more easy."

"I should like to see a professor of the Johanneum Institution who is
unable to explain a cosmic phenomenon--it would indeed be strange."

And speaking thus, my uncle, half-naked, his leathern purse round his
loins, and his spectacles upon his nose, became once more the terrible
Professor of Mineralogy.

An hour after leaving the wood of olives, we reached the fort of San
Vicenza, where Hans demanded the price of his thirteenth week of
service. My uncle paid him, with very many warm shakes of the hand.

At that moment, if he did not indeed quite share our natural emotion, he
allowed his feelings so far to give way as to indulge in an
extraordinary expression for him.

With the tips of two fingers he gently pressed our hands and smiled.

CHAPTER 44

THE JOURNEY ENDED

This is the final conclusion of a narrative which will be probably
disbelieved even by people who are astonished at nothing. I am, however,
armed at all points against human incredulity.

We were kindly received by the Strombolite fishermen, who treated u