Jules Verne

“ By a natural impulse, Servadac's first thought was to observe the position of the pole-star. It was in sight, but so near to the horizon as to suggest the utter impossibility of its being any longer the central pivot of the siderial system; it occupied a position through which it was out of the question that the axis of the earth indefinitely prolonged could ever pass. In his impression he was more thoroughly confirmed when, an hour later, he noticed that the star had sensibly approached still nearer the horizon, as though it had belonged to one of the zodiacal constellations. ”

“ Count Timascheff, expressing his regret that his purse contained only paper money, begged to place it at Captain Servadac's disposal.
“No paper, no paper!” exclaimed Isaac. “Paper has no currency in Gallia.”
“About as much as silver,” coolly retorted the count.
“I am a poor man,” began the Jew.
“Now, Hakkabut, stop these miserable lamentations of yours, once for all. Hand us over two hundred and thirty francs in silver money, or we will proceed to help ourselves.”
Isaac began to yell with all his might: “Thieves! thieves!” ”

“ The orderly wondered how his master could refrain from strangling the old miser upon the spot; but Servadac, rather amused than otherwise, determined to try another form of persuasion.
“Come, Hakkabut, I see that you are not disposed either to lend or to sell your steelyard. What do you say to letting us hire it?”
The Jew's eyes twinkled with a satisfaction that he was unable to conceal.
“But what security would you give? The instrument is very valuable;” and he looked more cunning than ever.
“What is it worth? If it is worth twenty francs, I will leave a deposit of a hundred. ”

“ Not a cloud dimmed the lustre of the stars, which spangled the heavens in surpassing brilliancy, and several nebulae which hitherto no astronomer had been able to discern without the aid of a telescope were clearly visible to the naked eye. ”

“ He was rejoiced at last to help his master, who, in spite of his perplexed pre-occupation, seemed to have a very fair appetite for breakfast.
“Well, captain?” said Ben Zoof presently, such being his ordinary way of opening conversation.
“Well, Ben Zoof?” was the captain's invariable response to his servant's formula.
“What are we to do now, sir?”
“We can only for the present wait patiently where we are. We are encamped upon an island, and therefore we can only be rescued by sea.” ”

“ MONEY AT A PREMIUM. “Who's there? I have nothing here for any one. Go away!” Such was the inhospitable greeting with which Isaac Hakkabut received his visitors.
“Hakkabut! do you take us for thieves?” asked Servadac, in tones of stern displeasure.
“Oh, your Excellency, my lord, I did not know that it was you,” whined the Jew, but without emerging any farther from his cabin. ”

“ Consider, it is the only steelyard in all this new world of ours; it is worth more, much more. If I take your deposit it must be in gold—all gold. But how much do you agree to give me for the hire—the hire, one day?”
“You shall have twenty francs,” said Servadac.
“Oh, it is dirt cheap; but never mind, for one day, you shall have it. Deposit in gold money a hundred francs, and twenty francs for the hire.”
The old man folded his hands in meek resignation.
“The fellow knows how to make a good bargain,” said Servadac, as Isaac, after casting a distrustful look around, went out of the cabin. ”

“ The pole-star being manifestly, thus displaced, it remained to be discovered whether any other of the celestial bodies had become a fixed centre around which the constellations made their apparent daily revolutions. To the solution of this problem Servadac applied himself with the most thoughtful diligence. After patient observation, he satisfied himself that the required conditions were answered by a certain star that was stationary not far from the horizon. ”

“ Professor Rosette was manifestly right in asserting that such a machine would register results quite independently of any change in the force of attraction. On the earth it would have registered a kilogramme as a kilogramme; here it recorded a different value altogether, as the result of the altered force of gravity.
Gold coinage to the worth of one hundred and twenty francs was handed over to the Jew, who clutched at the money with unmistakable eagerness. The steelyard was committed to the keeping of Ben Zoof, and the visitors prepared to quit the Hansa. ”

“ Servadac reflected. In a few moments he said—
“It cannot be that the fire is hotter; the peculiarity must be in the water.”
And taking down a centigrade thermometer, which he had hung upon the wall, he plunged it into the skillet Instead of 100°, he found that the instrument registered only 66°.
“Take my advice, Ben Zoof,” he said: “leave your eggs in the saucepan a good quarter of an hour.”
“Boil them hard! That will never do,” objected the orderly.
“You will not find them hard, my good fellow. Trust me, we shall be able to dip our sippets into the yolks easily enough.” ”

“ We must trust that it has limited its mischief to some small portion of the Algerian coast, and that our friends are all alive and well. No doubt the governor-general will be anxious to investigate the full extent of the damage that has been done, und will send a vessel from Algiers to explore. It is not likely that we shall be forgotten. ”