remost_; and, by
a tremendous effort, I managed to turn a complete summersault,--what the
boys always called a _somerset_,--which, of course, brought me into the
right position. How thankful I felt that I had been taught to practise
gymnastic exercises at the school in Roxbury! In my present attitude I
couldn't see the bright spot any longer: but, before long, I perceived
that it was growing lighter around me; and I was confident that the time
of my release drew near. I had determined exactly what I would do when
I reached the surface of the earth again; and, accordingly, on the
instant that my head came out of the hole, I grasped the edge with all
my might, and, by another terrible effort, swung myself up into the air,
and leaped upon the ground.

It is impossible to describe the strange thrill that passed over me when
I thus found myself standing on what I knew must be the eastern side of
the globe. As soon as I had fairly recovered the use of my reason, I
began to speculate as to the region of the country into which I emerged.
If I had come directly through the centre of the earth, I knew, of
course, just where I ought to be; but this hardly seemed possible,
considering how short a time it had required for my journey. It then
occurred to me that I was really unable to form any accurate idea of
the number of hours that had elapsed since I left the soil of
Massachusetts; for, before I had fallen a hundred feet, a whole age
appeared to have passed. I knew that it was about six o'clock in the
morning when I started; and, on looking at my watch, I found that it had
stopped at 6.45, owing, as I afterwards ascertained, to the influence of
magnetic currents upon the hair-spring.

The country around was in a high state of cultivation, except in the
immediate vicinity of the spot where I stood. This was rough and barren,
and so situated that the small cavity in the earth from which I had just
been released, would be very likely to escape observation. Thinking that
it might be important for me to be able hereafter to identify the
locality, I took a careful observation of its general bearings, and
twisted together a few of the twigs that grew near the hole, but in such
a manner as would not be likely to arrest attention.

Striking off now at random, I soon found myself in a low, marshy region,
covered with a species of grain unlike any thing I had ever seen before,
but which I concluded must be rice; and then the thought came