THE TRIUMPH OF LIFE 



boat, so our torch glows above a subterranean 

 stream whose surface has never jet reflected the 

 sun. The night birds do not penetrate to here. 

 Here appears to be the actual kingdom of death. 



The testing hand touches the cold wall of 

 stone above the black water. A fine white dust 

 adheres to it. The whole rock is baked out of 

 such dust. The "natural rock" upon which the 

 coral pyramid builds itself is composed of this 

 dust. It is chalk dust. The walls of this cave 

 are of chalk stone. Every sinking island in the 

 ocean is composed of chalk stone. White writing 

 chalk. I think of a beautiful picture up there 

 in the sun. Imagine, steep snow white walls to 

 which the sea clings at the bottom, while above 

 an emerald green crown of birch forest lies near 

 the rim. I think of the first view of the English 

 coasts at Dover. There are such white cliffs, 

 cut perpendicularly to the breaking sea and 

 crowned with green meadows. 



In these depths I use once more the appara- 

 tus used in the deep sea investigation. I care- 

 fully illuminate and magnify a little of the 

 white dust clinging to my hand. As in the sam- 

 ple of the deep sea slime which showed us the 

 beautiful radiolaria, so here in the magnified 

 chalk grains there are marvelous art forms. 

 With them the story of the white chalk is sud- 

 denly unfolded to us. 



Here are delicate forms, some resembling ar- 



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