so much, you
would hear," said my uncle, waxing a little impatient.

"I should hear?"

"Yes--certain knocks with the hammer, which Hans is now employing to
make the raft. He has been at work for many hours."

"Making a raft?"

"Yes."

"But where has he found trees suitable for such a construction?"

"He found the trees all ready to his hand. Come, and you shall see our
excellent guide at work."

More and more amazed at what I heard and saw, I followed my uncle like
one in a dream.

After a walk of about a quarter of an hour, I saw Hans at work on the
other side of the promontory which formed our natural port. A few
minutes more and I was beside him. To my great surprise, on the sandy
shore lay a half-finished raft. It was made from beams of a very
peculiar wood, and a great number of limbs, joints, boughs, and pieces
lay about, sufficient to have constructed a fleet of ships and boats.

I turned to my uncle, silent with astonishment and awe.

"Where did all this wood come from?" I cried; "what wood is it?"

"Well, there is pinewood, fir, and the palms of the northern regions,
mineralized by the action of the sea," he replied, sententiously.

"Can it be possible?"

"Yes," said the learned Professor, "what you see is called fossil wood."

"But then," cried I, after reflecting for a moment, "like the lignites,
it must be as hard and as heavy as iron, and therefore will certainly
not float."

"Sometimes that is the case. Many of these woods have become true
anthracites, but others again, like those you see before you, have only
undergone one phase of fossil transformation. But there is no proof like
demonstration," added my uncle, picking one or two of these precious
waifs and casting them into the sea.

The piece of wood, after having disappeared for a moment, came to the
surface, and floated about with the oscillation produced by wind and
tide.

"Are you convinced?" said my uncle, with a self-satisfied smile.

"I am convinced," I cried, "that what I see is incredible."

The fact was that my journey into the interior of the earth was rapidly
changing all preconceived notions, and day by day preparing me for the
marvelous.

I should not have been surprised to have seen a fleet of native canoes
afloat upon that silent sea.

The very next evening, thanks to the industry and ability of Hans, the
raft was finished. It was about ten feet long and five feet wide. The
beams bound together with stout ro