Together with our partner company Athletia Sports GmbH, we develop innovative products tailored to some of the biggest names in the Sports and Entertainment Business industry

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This paper is available on arxiv under CC 4.0 license. Authors: (1) Thomas Pethick, EPFL (LIONS) thomas.pethick@epfl.ch; (2) Wanyun Xie, EPFL (LIONS) wanyun.xie@epfl.ch; (3) Volkan Cevher, EPFL (LIONS) volkan.cevher@epfl.ch. Table of Links Abstract & Introduction Related work Setup Inexact Krasnosel’ski˘ı-Mann iterations Approximating the resolvent Last iterate under cohypomonotonicity Analysis of Lookahea Experiments Conclusion & limitations Acknowledgements & References 10 Acknowledgements This work was supported by Google. This work was supported by Hasler Foundation Program: Hasler Responsible AI (project number 21043). This work was supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) under grant number 200021_205011. This project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement n° 725594 - time-data). References Banach, S. Sur les opérations dans les ensembles abstraits et leur application aux équations intégrales. Fund. math, 3(1):133–181, 1922. Bauschke, H. H. and Combettes, P. L. Convex analysis and monotone operator theory in Hilbert spaces. CMS Books in Mathematics. Springer, 2017. ISBN 978-3-319-48310-8. Bauschke, H. H., Moursi, W. M., and Wang, X. Generalized monotone operators and their averaged resolvents. Mathematical Programming, 189(1):55–74, 2021. Bertsekas, D. P. Incremental proximal methods for large scale convex optimization. Mathematical programming, 129(2):163–195, 2011. Bianchi, P. On the convergence of a stochastic proximal point algorithm. In CAMSAP, 2015. Bravo, M. and Cominetti, R. Stochastic fixed-point iterations for nonexpansive maps: Convergence and error bounds. arXiv preprint arXiv:2208.04193, 2022. Brézis, H. and Lions, P. L. Produits infinis de résolvantes. Israel Journal of Mathematics, 29(4): 329–345, 1978. Cevher, V., Piliouras, G., Sim, R., and Skoulakis, S. Min-max optimization made simple: Approximating the proximal point method via contraction maps, 2023. URL https://arxiv.org/abs/ 2301.03931. Chavdarova, T., Pagliardini, M., Stich, S. U., Fleuret, F., and Jaggi, M. Taming GANs with Lookahead-Minmax. arXiv preprint arXiv:2006.14567, 2020. Combettes, P. L. Quasi-Fejérian analysis of some optimization algorithms. In Studies in Computational Mathematics, volume 8, pp. 115–152. Elsevier, 2001. Combettes, P. L. and Pennanen, T. Proximal methods for cohypomonotone operators. SIAM journal on control and optimization, 43(2):731–742, 2004. Diakonikolas, J., Daskalakis, C., and Jordan, M. I. Efficient methods for structured nonconvexnonconcave min-max optimization. In International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Statistics, pp. 2746–2754. PMLR, 2021. Eckstein, J. and Bertsekas, D. P. On the Douglas—Rachford splitting method and the proximal point algorithm for maximal monotone operators. Mathematical Programming, 55(1):293–318, 1992. Gidel, G., Berard, H., Vignoud, G., Vincent, P., and Lacoste-Julien, S. A variational inequality perspective on generative adversarial networks. arXiv preprint arXiv:1802.10551, 2018. Gorbunov, E., Loizou, N., and Gidel, G. Extragradient method: O (1/k) last-iterate convergence for monotone variational inequalities and connections with cocoercivity. In International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Statistics, pp. 366–402. PMLR, 2022a. Gorbunov, E., Taylor, A., Horváth, S., and Gidel, G. Convergence of proximal point and extragradientbased methods beyond monotonicity: the case of negative comonotonicity. arXiv preprint arXiv:2210.13831, 2022b. Grimmer, B., Lu, H., Worah, P., and Mirrokni, V. The landscape of the proximal point method for nonconvex–nonconcave minimax optimization. Mathematical Programming, pp. 1–35, 2022. Ha, J. and Kim, G. On convergence of Lookahead in smooth games. In International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Statistics, pp. 4659–4684. PMLR, 2022. Heusel, M., Ramsauer, H., Unterthiner, T., Nessler, B., and Hochreiter, S. GANs trained by a two time-scale update rule converge to a local Nash equilibrium. Advances in neural information processing systems, 30, 2017. Hsieh, Y.-P., Mertikopoulos, P., and Cevher, V. The limits of min-max optimization algorithms: Convergence to spurious non-critical sets. In International Conference on Machine Learning, pp. 4337–4348. PMLR, 2021. Iusem, A. N., Pennanen, T., and Svaiter, B. F. Inexact variants of the proximal point algorithm without monotonicity. SIAM Journal on Optimization, 13(4):1080–1097, 2003. Korpelevich, G. Extragradient method for finding saddle points and other problems. Matekon, 13(4): 35–49, 1977. Krizhevsky, A., Hinton, G., et al. Learning multiple layers of features from tiny images. 2009. Lee, S. and Kim, D. Fast extra gradient methods for smooth structured nonconvex-nonconcave minimax problems. Advances in Neural Information Processing Systems, 34:22588–22600, 2021. Luo, Y. and Tran-Dinh, Q. Extragradient-type methods for co-monotone root-finding problems. McMahan, B., Moore, E., Ramage, D., Hampson, S., and y Arcas, B. A. Communication-efficient learning of deep networks from decentralized data. In Artificial intelligence and statistics, pp. 1273–1282. PMLR, 2017. Miyato, T., Kataoka, T., Koyama, M., and Yoshida, Y. Spectral normalization for generative adversarial networks. arXiv preprint arXiv:1802.05957, 2018. Nemirovski, A. Prox-method with rate of convergence o (1/t) for variational inequalities with Lipschitz continuous monotone operators and smooth convex-concave saddle point problems. SIAM Journal on Optimization, 15(1):229–251, 2004. Nichol, A., Achiam, J., and Schulman, J. On first-order meta-learning algorithms. arXiv preprint arXiv:1803.02999, 2018. Obukhov, A., Seitzer, M., Wu, P.-W., Zhydenko, S., Kyl, J., and Lin, E. Y.-J. High-fidelity performance metrics for generative models in PyTorch, 2020. URL https://github.com/toshas/ torch-fidelity. Version: 0.3.0, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.4957738. Opial, Z. Weak convergence of the sequence of successive approximations for nonexpansive mappings. Bulletin of the American Mathematical Society, 73(4):591–597, 1967. Patrascu, A. and Irofti, P. Stochastic proximal splitting algorithm for composite minimization. Optimization Letters, 15(6):2255–2273, 2021. Patrascu, A. and Necoara, I. Nonasymptotic convergence of stochastic proximal point methods for constrained convex optimization. The Journal of Machine Learning Research, 18(1):7204–7245, 2017. Pethick, T., Latafat, P., Patrinos, P., Fercoq, O., and Cevher, V. Escaping limit cycles: Global convergence for constrained nonconvex-nonconcave minimax problems. In International Conference on Learning Representations, 2022. Pethick, T., Fercoq, O., Latafat, P., Patrinos, P., and Cevher, V. Solving stochastic weak Minty variational inequalities without increasing batch size. In The Eleventh International Conference on Learning Representations, 2023. Pushkin, D. and Barba, L. Multilayer Lookahead: a nested version of Lookahead. arXiv preprint arXiv:2110.14254, 2021. Rockafellar, R. T. Monotone operators and the proximal point algorithm. SIAM journal on control and optimization, 14(5):877–898, 1976.

Stable Nonconvex-Nonconcave Training via Linear Interpolation: Acknowledgements & References

On War by Carl Von Clausewitz, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book here . Inundations Book VI: Chapter XX B. Inundations Now we have still to consider inundations. As defensive means and also as phenomena in the natural world they have unquestionably the nearest resemblance to morasses. They are not common certainly; perhaps Holland is the only country in Europe where they constitute a phenomenon which makes them worth notice in connection with our object; but just that country, on account of the remarkable campaigns of 1672 and 1787, as well as on account of its important relation in itself to both France and Germany, obliges us to devote some consideration to this matter. The character of these Dutch inundations differs from ordinary swampy and impassable wet low lands in the following respects: 1. The soil itself is dry and consists either of dry meadows or of cultivated fields. 2. For purposes of irrigation or of drainage, a number of small ditches of greater or loss depth and breadth intersect the country in such a way that they may be seen running in lines in parallel directions. 3. Larger canals, inclosed by dykes and intended for irrigation, drainage, and transit of vessels, run through the country in all possible directions and are of such a size that they can only be passed on bridges. 4. The level of the ground throughout the whole district subject to inundation, lies perceptibly under the level of the sea, therefore, of course, under that of the canals. 5. The consequence of this is, that by means of cutting the dams, closing and opening the sluices, the whole country can be laid under water, so that there are no dry roads except on the tops of the dykes, all others being either entirely under water or, at least, so soaked that they become no longer fit for use. Now, if even the inundation is only three or four feet deep, so that, perhaps, for short distances it might be waded through, still even that is made impossible on account of the smaller ditches mentioned under No. 2, which are not visible. It is only where these ditches have a corresponding direction, so that we can move between two of them without crossing either, that the inundation does not constitute in effect an absolute bar to all communication. It is easy to conceive that this exception to the general obstruction can only be for short distances, and, therefore, can only be used for tactical purposes of an entirely special character. From all this we deduce 1. That the assailant’s means of moving are limited to a more or less small number of practicable lines, which run along very narrow dykes, and usually have a wet ditch on the right and left, consequently form very long defiles. 2. That every defensive preparation upon such a dam may be easily strengthened to such a degree as to become impregnable. 3. But that, because the defensive is so hemmed in, he must confine himself to the most passive resistance as respects each isolated point, and consequently must look for his safety entirely from passive resistance. 4. That in such a country it is not a system of a single defensive line, closing the country like a simple barrier, but that as in every direction the same obstacle to movement exists, and the same security for flanks may be found, new posts may incessantly be formed, and in this manner any portion of the first defensive line, if lost, may be replaced by a new piece. We may say that the number of combinations here, like those on a chessboard, are infinite. 5. But while this general condition of a country is only conceivable along with the supposition of a high degree of cultivation and a dense population, it follows of itself that the number of passages, and therefore the number of posts required or their defence, must be very great in comparison to other strategetic dispositions; from which again we have, as a consequence, that such a defensive line must not be long. The principal line of defence in Holland is from Naarden on the Zuyder Zee (the greater part of the way behind the Vecht), to Gorcum on the Waal, that is properly to the Biesbosch, its extent being about eight miles. For the defence of this line a force of 25,000 to 30,000 was employed in 1672, and again in 1787. If we could reckon with certainty upon an invincible resistance, the results would certainly be very great, at least for the provinces of Holland lying behind that line. In 1672 the line actually withstood very superior forces led by great generals, first Condé, and afterwards Luxembourg, who had under their command 40,000 to 50,000 men, and yet would not assault, preferring to wait for the winter, which did not prove severe enough. On the other hand, the resistance which was made on this first line in 1787 amounted to nothing, and even that which was made by a second line much shorter, between the Zuyder Zee and the lake of Haarlem, although somewhat more effective, was overcome by the Duke of Brunswick in one day, through a very skilful tactical disposition well adapted to the locality, and this although the Prussian force actually engaged in the attack was little, if at all, superior in numbers to the troops guarding the lines. The different result in the two cases is to be attributed to the difference in the supreme command. In the year 1672 the Dutch were surprised by Louis XIV., while everything was on a peace establishment, in which, as is well known, there breathed very little military spirit as far as concerned land forces. For that reason the greater number of the fortresses were deficient in all articles of material and equipment, garrisoned only by weak bodies of hired troops, and defended by governors who were either native-born incapables, or treacherous foreigners. Thus all the Brandenburg fortresses on the Rhine, garrisoned by Dutch, as well as all their own places situated to the east of the line of defence above described, except Groningen, very soon fell into the hands of the French, and for the most part without any real defence. And in the conquest of this great number of places consisted the chief exertions of the French army, 150,000 strong, at that time. But when, after the murder of the brothers De Witt, in August 1672, the Prince of Orange came to the head of affairs, bringing unity to the measures for national defence, there was still time to close the defensive line above-mentioned, and all the measures then adopted harmonised so well with each other that neither Condé nor Luxembourg, who commanded the French armies left in Holland after the departure of the two armies under Turenne and Louis in person, would venture to attempt anything against the separate posts. In the year 1787 all was different. It was not the Republic of seven united provinces, but only the province of Holland which had to resist the invasion. The conquest of all the fortresses, which had been the principal object in 1672, was therefore not the question; the defence was confined at once to the line we have described. But the assailant this time, instead of 150,000 men, had only 25,000, and was no mighty sovereign of a great country adjoining Holland, but the subordinate general of a distant prince, himself by no means independent in many respects. The people in Holland, like those everywhere else at that time, were divided into two parties, but the republican spirit in Holland was decidedly predominant, and had at the same time attained even to a kind of enthusiastic excitement. Under these circumstances the resistance in the year 1787 ought to have ensured at least as great results as that of 1672. But there was one important difference, which is, that in the year 1787 unity of command was entirely wanting. What in 1672 had been left to the wise, skilful, and energetic guidance of the Prince of Orange, was entrusted to a so called Defence Commission in 1787, which although it included in its number men of energy, was not in a position to infuse into its work the requisite unity of measures, and to inspire others with that confidence which was wanted to prevent the whole instrument from proving imperfect and inefficient in use. We have dwelt for a moment on this example, in order to give more distinctness to the conception of this defensive measure, and at the same time to show the difference in the effects produced, according as more or less unity and sequence prevail in the direction of the whole. Although the organisation and method of defence of such a defensive line are tactical subjects, still, in connection with the latter, which is the nearest allied to strategy, we cannot omit to make an observation to which the campaign of 1787 gives occasion. We think, namely, that however passive the defence must naturally be at each point in a line of this kind, still an offensive action from some one point of the line is not impossible, and may not be unproductive of good results if the enemy, as was the case in 1787, is not decidedly very superior. For although such an attack must be executed by means of dykes, and on that account cannot certainly have the advantage of much freedom of movement or of any great impulsive force, nevertheless, it is impossible for the offensive side to occupy all the dykes and roads which he does not require for his own purposes, and therefore the defensive with his better knowledge of the country, and being in possession of the strong points, should be able by some of the unoccupied dykes to effect a real flank attack against the columns of the assailant, or to cut them off from their sources of supply. If now, on the other hand, we reflect for a moment on the constrained position in which the assailant is placed, how much more dependent he is on his communications than in almost any other conceivable case, we may well imagine that every sally on the part of the defensive side which has the remotest possibility of success must at once as a demonstration be most effective. We doubt very much if the prudent and cautious duke of Brunswick would have ventured to approach Amsterdam if the Dutch had only made such a demonstration, from Utrecht for instance. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Carl von Clausewitz (2006). On War. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/1946/pg1946-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org , located at https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html .

The Inundations

THE TULIPOMANIA

THE SUBMERGENCE OF THE OLD WORLD

As climate change plays havoc with weather forecasting across the globe, one company's long-term goal is to save thousands of lives by ensuring early and timely warnings of these severe weather events are reaching people across the globe. Rainbow Weather’s Mission Using artificial intelligence, is on a mission to provide meteorological forecasts at this crucial time when severe weather events cause billions of dollars in damages each year, as reported in USA Today. Rainbow Weather The planet was plagued by $42 billion worth of weather disasters in 2022 alone, and the all-time total damage wrought by weather disasters sits at $360 billion, with 39% of that total being insured damages, according to insurance broker Gallagher Re in its annual report. The global Weather Forecasts market was valued at $2.8 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach $4.6 billion by 2029, at a CAGR of 7.3% according to Stats Market Research. The World Meteorological Organization reports that "just 24 hours’ notice prior to an impending weather hazard can cut the ensuing damage by 30 percent, calling early warnings the “low-hanging fruit” of climate change adaptation because of their tenfold return on investment. " That is why investors have ploughed almost $1.5 million of funding into Rainbow Weather to date, to take on more established apps and forecasters who often fall short of accurate forecasts. As reported in Vox.com, Apple’s weather app is ‘pretty much useless’ as it cannot distinguish between ‘light rain’ and ‘rain’, that the percentages it spits out feel ‘bogus’, and to never trust it when it tells you what time the rain will stop. Apple bought the weather forecasting app Dark Sky three years ago, and it seems that the tech giant’s investment is not paying off yet. However, investment in Rainbow Weather is paying off. The first round included private investors as well as Venture Capitalist firms Kolos Ventures, Verras Capital, and Melnichek Investments. Furthermore, the company which trades as Rainbow Meteo Technologies and is based in Poland, has had further financial backing from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. What sets Rainbow Weather apart from Apple and other weather apps is its advanced AI modeling which delivers superior weather predictions based on a wide range of data sources (from satellites and meteorology stations to user reports and shared barometer data), beating the competition in both speed and precision. According to the company's internal analysis, Rainbow Weather has already achieved 3.5 percentage points of rain prediction precision over Apple Weather in the US (where Apple has the best coverage) and 9.5 percentage points over AccuWeather worldwide. Precision was calculated based on the share of rain accurately predicted within a 30-minute forecast window. To put these numbers into perspective, that means for every million weather app users, 35,000 to 95,000 more people will get correctly notified about an upcoming shower if they opt for Rainbow Weather. Words From the CEO Rainbow Weather CEO Alexander Matveenko shares the story of how the company was born: "I was swimming in Sri Lanka when suddenly it began to rain quite heavily. The downpour started to overwhelm me, and I wasn't sure I was going to make it to the shore. This experience made me realize how critical timely weather warnings can be. My co-founder Yuri Melnichek had a story of his own. He almost had his passport destroyed while on a hike when all weather apps failed to predict a sudden rain. After discussing both of these incidents we decided to create a new weather forecast tech based on machine learning algorithms that would be able to better predict highly variable local weather events." Their first product on the market is the mobile app for iOS and Android which provides super-accurate hyperlocal forecasts notifying users about upcoming rain and snowfalls, storms and hurricanes, and their movements on the map. The app is picking up steam with half a million downloads and great reviews from both users and the press. However, the most stellar review comes from Tatsiana Khakhelka, Associate for SME Finance & Development at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development: “The EBRD’s Star Venture program targets promising start-ups to unleash their full potential. The EBRD supports them with world-class business advice and access to finance to strengthen their performance and accelerate their life cycle. Star Venture assigns the start-ups advisory projects tailored to their specific competencies and needs. Across 23 countries, Star Venture has nurtured 550+ early-stage companies, spanning diverse regions from Eastern Europe to the Western Balkans. One of these rising stars is Rainbow Meteo Technologies. After a rigorous selection process, this start-up company was shortlisted as a finalist in the EBRD’s Star Venture program supported by the European Union, and the Bank continues to provide advisory assistance. I am personally inspired by Rainbow’s product and the team’s professionalism and look forward to their future endeavors.” Disclaimer: Parts of this article have previously appeared on other news media platforms Also published here

Rainbow Weather, a Deep AI Driven Tech Startup, Aims to Take on the Tech Giants With Only $1.5m

রেইনবো ওয়েদার, একটি গভীর AI চালিত টেক স্টার্টআপ, মাত্র $1.5 মিলিয়ন দিয়ে টেক জায়ান্টদের সাথে লড়াই করার লক্ষ্য

Rainbow Weather, ein tiefgreifendes KI-gesteuertes Technologie-Startup, will es mit nur 1,5 Millionen US-Dollar mit den Technologiegiganten aufnehmen

Rainbow Weather, una startup tecnológica impulsada por la IA, tiene como objetivo enfrentarse a los gigantes tecnológicos con solo 1,5 millones de dólares

Rainbow Weather, une startup technologique basée sur l'IA profonde, vise à affronter les géants de la technologie avec seulement 1,5 million de dollars

रेनबो वेदर, एक डीप एआई संचालित टेक स्टार्टअप, जिसका लक्ष्य केवल $1.5m के साथ टेक दिग्गजों से मुकाबला करना है

ディープ AI 主導のテクノロジースタートアップ、Rainbow Weather がわずか 150 万ドルでテクノロジー巨人に対抗することを目指す

딥 AI 기반 기술 스타트업 Rainbow Weather, 단 150만 달러로 거대 기술 기업을 상대하는 것을 목표로 함

Rainbow Weather, uma startup de tecnologia baseada em IA profunda, pretende enfrentar os gigantes da tecnologia com apenas US$ 1,5 milhão

Rainbow Weather, технологический стартап, основанный на искусственном интеллекте, стремится бросить вызов технологическим гигантам всего за 1,5 миллиона долларов

Derin Yapay Zeka Odaklı Teknoloji Startup'ı Rainbow Weather, Sadece 1,5 Milyon Dolarla Teknoloji Devleriyle Mücadeleyi Hedefliyor

Rainbow Weather, một công ty khởi nghiệp công nghệ dựa trên AI sâu, đặt mục tiêu cạnh tranh với những gã khổng lồ công nghệ chỉ với 1,5 triệu USD

Rainbow Weather，一家深度人工智能驱动的科技初创公司，目标仅用 150 万美元挑战科技巨头

Imagine you're tasked with implementing a geo-fencing feature for your service. At first glance, dropping in an IP GeoLocation API might seem straightforward, but often, project constraints or requirements complicate the simplest solutions. Let's explore our options. Local GeoIP Database Implementation This method involves embedding a geolocation database directly within your application. It offers fast response times as it resides in-memory and operates independently of external services. However, this approach can be resource-intensive and harder to manage. Let’s see it in more detail. Pros Speed: IP lookups in milliseconds or less.
Reliability: No reliance on third-party services reduces failure chances.
Scalability: No extra costs as usage grows. Cons Resource Intensive: Each app instance consumes significant memory.
More Dependencies: Requires packages for decoding and looking up GeoIP data.
Challenging Updates: Updates require manual intervention or another self-hosted service. Using External GeoIP APIs (Often Paid) Opting for a third-party API to handle geolocation queries reduces your application's resource load and ensures access to the most current data, but it comes with its own challenges: Pros Minimal Resource Use: Outsourcing GeoIP data and logic doesn't burden your app's resources.
Ease of Implementation: Usually involves consuming a standard HTTP/GraphQL or gRPC API endpoint.
Fewer Dependencies: Often only requires an HTTP client.
Updates without hassle: Third-party will handle updates Cons Slower Responses: Calls to third-party services can introduce significant latency.
Increased Unreliability: Greater likelihood of failures due to network issues or third-party downtimes.
Scaling Costs: Costs can escalate as usage increases. Introducing Atlas: Combining the Best of Both Worlds Faced with these challenges, I developed Atlas—a robust solution designed to synergize the benefits of both approaches. Atlas acts as a self-hosting HTTP service that automatically manages and serves the latest MaxMind geolocation databases, providing: Low Latency: Similar to local databases, Atlas offers rapid response times. (often in a few milliseconds) Reliability and Ease of Updates: It autonomously handles database updates, removing the typical maintenance burdens. Cost Efficiency: No additional costs with scale in terms of third-party fees. Dead-Simple API: A very simple API that lets you implement quicker and focus on what matters. Open and Free: Atlas is Open Source and freely available under Apache-2.0 License. By hosting Atlas closer to your application but operating like a remote API, it offers a middle ground that maximizes efficiency without the drawbacks of either method we have discussed. Why Rust? Safe, Performant, and Resource-Efficient Atlas is written in Rust, a language chosen for its unparalleled safety, performance, and resource efficiency. Rust's ownership model ensures memory safety without the need for a garbage collector, which is particularly advantageous during database updates—these operations consume minimal memory, avoiding the typical overhead associated with garbage-collected languages. This design choice not only boosts Atlas's performance but also enhances its reliability, making it an ideal solution for managing GeoIP data efficiently and safely. How to Deploy and Use Atlas? Atlas Docker images are automatically built and pushed to Docker Hub via GitHub Actions, making it easy for anyone to use. For detailed instructions on using these Docker images or building Atlas from source and configuration parameters, please refer to the Atlas README.md. Atlas features a straightforward API, documented with OpenAPI 3.0 Specs. You can access the API documentation from the public internet here: https://atlas-rs.fly.dev/swagger-ui/. Here’s an example of how you can use curl to query the demo instance of Atlas (hosted publicly thanks to Fly.io and the GeoLite2 MaxMind database license) to retrieve country information for an IP address 8.8.8.8: > curl https://atlas-rs.fly.dev/geoip/lookup/country/8.8.8.8 | jq
{
  "results": {
    "8.8.8.8": {
      "country": {
        "iso_code": "US",
        // additional fields...
      },
      // additional results...
    }
  },
  "database_build_epoch": 1715091859
} Please note that this demo instance is intended only for demonstration and documentation purposes. Join the Atlas Community and Contribute As a newly introduced open-source project, Atlas is in the early stages of building its community. I am excited about the potential for Atlas to evolve and thrive with contributions from developers like you. Whether you're interested in refining functionality, adding new features, or simply improving documentation, your contributions are welcome and greatly valued. How You Can Contribute Try Atlas: The best way to start is by using Atlas in your projects. Experiment with it, identify any issues, and suggest improvements based on your real-world usage.


Report Issues: If you encounter any bugs or issues while using Atlas, please report them on the GitHub issues page. This feedback is crucial for continual improvement.


Suggest Features: Have ideas for new features or enhancements? Open a discussion on the GitHub repository or contribute directly by submitting a pull request.


Improve Documentation: As Atlas evolves, so too does the need for clear and comprehensive documentation. Whether it's enhancing the current content or writing tutorials and guides, your knowledge-sharing is invaluable.


Spread the Word: If you find Atlas useful, consider sharing it within your networks. Blog about your experiences, talk about Atlas at meetups, or share it on social media. Commitment to Open Source I am relatively new to Rust but bring many years of experience from other technology stacks. This project presents a great opportunity for more experienced Rust developers to contribute, ensuring that Atlas adheres to Rust's best practices and conventions since I know that it is not as good as it can be right now. I am committed to maintaining Atlas as a community-driven project and believe in open, collaborative development. I am eager to see how the community will shape Atlas's path forward and encourage you to join me in this journey, helping to build a tool that serves the needs of developers globally. In the end, I would like to give a special thanks to oschwald for creating the rust maxminddb crate which made Atlas possible. Future Directions As we continue to develop and improve Atlas, my vision is to create a robust, user-friendly minimal service. As of today, Atlas only supports MaxMind databases, but it would be beneficial to have an extensible implementation so more and more formats can be supported. Another aspect I would like to pay attention to is adding more endpoint types such as gRPC so that users can choose the best endpoint based on their requirements and needs. Thank you for taking the time to learn about Atlas. I am excited to see where we can take this project with your support and collaboration! Imagine you're tasked with implementing a geo-fencing feature for your service. At first glance, dropping in an IP GeoLocation API might seem straightforward, but often, project constraints or requirements complicate the simplest solutions. Let's explore our options. Local GeoIP Database Implementation Local GeoIP Database Implementation This method involves embedding a geolocation database directly within your application. It offers fast response times as it resides in-memory and operates independently of external services. However, this approach can be resource-intensive and harder to manage. Let’s see it in more detail. Pros Speed: IP lookups in milliseconds or less. Reliability: No reliance on third-party services reduces failure chances. Scalability: No extra costs as usage grows. Speed : IP lookups in milliseconds or less. Speed Reliability : No reliance on third-party services reduces failure chances. Reliability Scalability : No extra costs as usage grows. Scalability Cons Resource Intensive: Each app instance consumes significant memory. More Dependencies: Requires packages for decoding and looking up GeoIP data. Challenging Updates: Updates require manual intervention or another self-hosted service. Resource Intensive : Each app instance consumes significant memory. Resource Intensive More Dependencies : Requires packages for decoding and looking up GeoIP data. More Dependencies Challenging Updates : Updates require manual intervention or another self-hosted service. Challenging Updates Using External GeoIP APIs (Often Paid) Using External GeoIP APIs (Often Paid) Opting for a third-party API to handle geolocation queries reduces your application's resource load and ensures access to the most current data, but it comes with its own challenges: Pros Minimal Resource Use: Outsourcing GeoIP data and logic doesn't burden your app's resources. Ease of Implementation: Usually involves consuming a standard HTTP/GraphQL or gRPC API endpoint. Fewer Dependencies: Often only requires an HTTP client. Updates without hassle: Third-party will handle updates Minimal Resource Use : Outsourcing GeoIP data and logic doesn't burden your app's resources. Minimal Resource Use Ease of Implementation : Usually involves consuming a standard HTTP/GraphQL or gRPC API endpoint. Ease of Implementation Fewer Dependencies : Often only requires an HTTP client. Fewer Dependencies Updates without hassle : Third-party will handle updates Updates without hassle Cons Slower Responses: Calls to third-party services can introduce significant latency. Increased Unreliability: Greater likelihood of failures due to network issues or third-party downtimes. Scaling Costs: Costs can escalate as usage increases. Slower Responses : Calls to third-party services can introduce significant latency. Slower Responses Increased Unreliability : Greater likelihood of failures due to network issues or third-party downtimes. Increased Unreliability Scaling Costs : Costs can escalate as usage increases. Scaling Costs Introducing Atlas : Combining the Best of Both Worlds Introducing Atlas Faced with these challenges, I developed Atlas —a robust solution designed to synergize the benefits of both approaches. Atlas acts as a self-hosting HTTP service that automatically manages and serves the latest MaxMind geolocation databases, providing: Atlas Low Latency: Similar to local databases, Atlas offers rapid response times. (often in a few milliseconds) Low Latency : Similar to local databases, Atlas offers rapid response times. (often in a few milliseconds) Low Latency Reliability and Ease of Updates: It autonomously handles database updates, removing the typical maintenance burdens. Reliability and Ease of Updates : It autonomously handles database updates, removing the typical maintenance burdens. Reliability and Ease of Updates Cost Efficiency: No additional costs with scale in terms of third-party fees. Cost Efficiency : No additional costs with scale in terms of third-party fees. Cost Efficiency Dead-Simple API: A very simple API that lets you implement quicker and focus on what matters. Dead-Simple API : A very simple API that lets you implement quicker and focus on what matters. Dead-Simple API Open and Free: Atlas is Open Source and freely available under Apache-2.0 License. Open and Free: Atlas is Open Source and freely available under Apache-2.0 License. Open and Free : Atlas is Open Source and freely available under Apache-2.0 License. Open and Free By hosting Atlas closer to your application but operating like a remote API, it offers a middle ground that maximizes efficiency without the drawbacks of either method we have discussed. Why Rust? Safe, Performant, and Resource-Efficient Why Rust? Atlas is written in Rust, a language chosen for its unparalleled safety, performance, and resource efficiency. Rust's ownership model ensures memory safety without the need for a garbage collector, which is particularly advantageous during database updates—these operations consume minimal memory, avoiding the typical overhead associated with garbage-collected languages. This design choice not only boosts Atlas's performance but also enhances its reliability, making it an ideal solution for managing GeoIP data efficiently and safely. How to Deploy and Use Atlas? Atlas Docker images are automatically built and pushed to Docker Hub via GitHub Actions, making it easy for anyone to use. For detailed instructions on using these Docker images or building Atlas from source and configuration parameters, please refer to the Atlas README.md . Atlas README.md Atlas features a straightforward API, documented with OpenAPI 3.0 Specs. You can access the API documentation from the public internet here: https://atlas-rs.fly.dev/swagger-ui/ . https://atlas-rs.fly.dev/swagger-ui/ Here’s an example of how you can use curl to query the demo instance of Atlas (hosted publicly thanks to Fly.io and the GeoLite2 MaxMind database license) to retrieve country information for an IP address 8.8.8.8 : Fly.io 8.8.8.8 > curl https://atlas-rs.fly.dev/geoip/lookup/country/8.8.8.8 | jq
{
  "results": {
    "8.8.8.8": {
      "country": {
        "iso_code": "US",
        // additional fields...
      },
      // additional results...
    }
  },
  "database_build_epoch": 1715091859
} > curl https://atlas-rs.fly.dev/geoip/lookup/country/8.8.8.8 | jq
{
  "results": {
    "8.8.8.8": {
      "country": {
        "iso_code": "US",
        // additional fields...
      },
      // additional results...
    }
  },
  "database_build_epoch": 1715091859
} Please note that this demo instance is intended only for demonstration and documentation purposes. Please note that this demo instance is intended only for demonstration and documentation purposes. Join the Atlas Community and Contribute Join the Atlas Community and Contribute As a newly introduced open-source project, Atlas is in the early stages of building its community. I am excited about the potential for Atlas to evolve and thrive with contributions from developers like you. Whether you're interested in refining functionality, adding new features, or simply improving documentation, your contributions are welcome and greatly valued. How You Can Contribute Try Atlas: The best way to start is by using Atlas in your projects. Experiment with it, identify any issues, and suggest improvements based on your real-world usage. Report Issues: If you encounter any bugs or issues while using Atlas, please report them on the GitHub issues page. This feedback is crucial for continual improvement. Suggest Features: Have ideas for new features or enhancements? Open a discussion on the GitHub repository or contribute directly by submitting a pull request. Improve Documentation: As Atlas evolves, so too does the need for clear and comprehensive documentation. Whether it's enhancing the current content or writing tutorials and guides, your knowledge-sharing is invaluable. Spread the Word: If you find Atlas useful, consider sharing it within your networks. Blog about your experiences, talk about Atlas at meetups, or share it on social media. Try Atlas: The best way to start is by using Atlas in your projects. Experiment with it, identify any issues, and suggest improvements based on your real-world usage. Try Atlas : The best way to start is by using Atlas in your projects. Experiment with it, identify any issues, and suggest improvements based on your real-world usage. Try Atlas Report Issues: If you encounter any bugs or issues while using Atlas, please report them on the GitHub issues page. This feedback is crucial for continual improvement. Report Issues : If you encounter any bugs or issues while using Atlas, please report them on the GitHub issues page. This feedback is crucial for continual improvement. Report Issues Suggest Features: Have ideas for new features or enhancements? Open a discussion on the GitHub repository or contribute directly by submitting a pull request. Suggest Features : Have ideas for new features or enhancements? Open a discussion on the GitHub repository or contribute directly by submitting a pull request. Suggest Features Improve Documentation: As Atlas evolves, so too does the need for clear and comprehensive documentation. Whether it's enhancing the current content or writing tutorials and guides, your knowledge-sharing is invaluable. Improve Documentation : As Atlas evolves, so too does the need for clear and comprehensive documentation. Whether it's enhancing the current content or writing tutorials and guides, your knowledge-sharing is invaluable. Improve Documentation Spread the Word: If you find Atlas useful, consider sharing it within your networks. Blog about your experiences, talk about Atlas at meetups, or share it on social media. Spread the Word : If you find Atlas useful, consider sharing it within your networks. Blog about your experiences, talk about Atlas at meetups, or share it on social media. Spread the Word Commitment to Open Source I am relatively new to Rust but bring many years of experience from other technology stacks. This project presents a great opportunity for more experienced Rust developers to contribute, ensuring that Atlas adheres to Rust's best practices and conventions since I know that it is not as good as it can be right now. I am committed to maintaining Atlas as a community-driven project and believe in open, collaborative development. I am eager to see how the community will shape Atlas's path forward and encourage you to join me in this journey, helping to build a tool that serves the needs of developers globally. In the end, I would like to give a special thanks to oschwald for creating the rust maxminddb crate which made Atlas possible. special thanks to oschwald oschwald maxminddb Future Directions As we continue to develop and improve Atlas, my vision is to create a robust, user-friendly minimal service. As of today, Atlas only supports MaxMind databases, but it would be beneficial to have an extensible implementation so more and more formats can be supported. Another aspect I would like to pay attention to is adding more endpoint types such as gRPC so that users can choose the best endpoint based on their requirements and needs. Thank you for taking the time to learn about Atlas. I am excited to see where we can take this project with your support and collaboration!

IP Geo-Location: Local Database vs. Remote API—Finding the Middle Ground With Atlas

On the Economy of Machinery and Manufactures by Charles Babbage is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . On Over Manufacturing here Chapter 24. On Over Manufacturing One of the natural and almost inevitable consequences of competition is the production of a supply much larger than the demand requires. This result usually arises periodically; and it is equally important, both to the masters and to the workmen, to prevent its occurrence, or to foresee its arrival. In situations where a great number of very small capitalists exist—where each master works himself and is assisted by his own family, or by a few journeymen—and where a variety of different articles is produced, a curious system of compensation has arisen which in some measure diminishes the extent to which fluctuations of wages would otherwise reach. This is accomplished by a species of middlemen or factors, persons possessing some capital, who, whenever the price of any of the articles in which they deal is greatly reduced, purchase it on their own account, in the hopes of selling at a profit when the market is better. These persons, in ordinary times, act as salesmen or agents, and make up assortments of goods at the market price, for the use of the home or foreign dealer. They possess large warehouses in which to make up their orders, or keep in store articles purchased during periods of depression; thus acting as a kind of flywheel in equalizing the market price. The effect of over-manufacturing upon great establishments is different. When an over supply has reduced prices, one of two events usually occurs: the first is a diminished payment for labour; the other is a diminution of the number of hours during which the labourers work, together with a diminished rate of wages. In the former case production continues to go on at its ordinary rate: in the latter, the production itself being checked, the supply again adjusts itself to the demand as soon as the stock on hand is worked off, and prices then regain their former level. The latter course appears, in the first instance, to be the best both for masters and men; but there seems to be a difficulty in accomplishing this, except where the trade is in few hands. In fact, it is almost necessary, for its success, that there should be a combination amongst the masters or amongst the men; or, what is always far preferable to either, a mutual agreement for their joint interests. Combination amongst the men is difficult, and is always attended with the evils which arise from the ill-will excited against any persons who, in the perfectly justifiable exercise of their judgement, are disposed not to act with the majority. The combination of the masters, on the other hand, is unavailing, unless the whole body of them agree, for if any one master can procure more labour for his money than the rest, he will be able to undersell them. If we look only at the interests of the consumer, the case is different. When too large a supply has produced a great reduction of price, it opens the consumption of the article to a new class, and increases the consumption of those who previously employed it: it is therefore against the interest of both these parties that a return to the former price should occur. It is also certain, that by the diminution of profit which the manufacturer suffers from the diminished price, his ingenuity will be additionally stimulated; that he will apply himself to discover other and cheaper sources for the supply of his raw material; that he will endeavour to contrive improved machinery which shall manufacture it at a cheaper rate; or try to introduce new arrangements into his factory, which shall render the economy of it more perfect. In the event of his success, by any of these courses or by their joint effects, a real and substantial good will be produced. A larger portion of the public will receive advantage from the use of the article, and they will procure it at a lower price; and the manufacturer, though his profit on each operation is reduced, will yet, by the more frequent returns on the larger produce of his factory, find his real gain at the end of the year, nearly the same as it was before; whilst the wages of the workman will return to their level, and both the manufacturer and the workman will find the demand less fluctuating, from its being dependent on a larger number of customers. It would be highly interesting, if we could trace, even approximately, through the history of any great manufacture, the effects of gluts in producing improvements in machinery, or in methods of working; and if we could shew what addition to the annual quantity of goods previously manufactured, was produced by each alteration. It would probably be found, that the increased quantity manufactured by the same capital, when worked with the new improvement, would produce nearly the same rate of profit as other modes of investment. Perhaps the manufacture of iron(1*) would furnish the best illustration of this subject; because, by having the actual price of pig and bar iron at the same place and at the same time, the effect of a change in the value of currency, as well as several other sources of irregularity, would be removed. At the present moment, whilst the manufacturers of iron are complaining of the ruinously low price of their produce, a new mode of smelting iron is coming into use, which, if it realizes the statement of the patentees, promises to reduce greatly the cost of production. The improvement consists in heating the air previously to employing it for blowing the furnace. One of the results is, that coal may be used instead of coke; and this, in its turn, diminishes the quantity of limestone which is required for the fusion of the iron stone. The following statement by the proprietors of the patent is extracted from Brewster's Journal, 1832, p. 349: Comparative view of the quantity of materials required at the Clyde iron works to smelt a ton of foundry pig-iron, and of the quantity of foundry pig-iron smelted from each furnace weekly Fuel in tons of 20 cwt each cwt 112 lbs; Iron-stone; Lime-stone
Cwt; Weekly produce in pig-iron Tons With air not heated and coke; 7;3 1/4; 15; 45 2. With air heated and coke; 4 3/4; 3 1/4; 10; 60 3. With air heated and coals not coked; 2 1/4; 3 1/4; 7 1/2; 65 Notes. 1. To the coals stated in the second and third lines, must be added 5 cwt of small coals, required to heat the air. The expense of the apparatus for applying the heated air will be from L200 to L300 per furnace. No coals are now coked at the Clyde iron works; at all the three furnaces the iron is smelted with coals. The three furnaces are blown by a double-powered steam-engine, with a steam cylinder 40 inches in diameter, and a blowing cylinder 80 inches in diameter, which compresses the air so as to carry 2 1/2 lbs per square inch. There are two tuyeres to each furnace. The muzzles of the blowpipes are 3 inches in diameter. The air heated to upwards of 600 degrees of Fahrenheit. It will melt lead at the distance of three inches from the orifice through which it issues from the pipe. The increased effect produced by thus heating the air is by no means an obvious result; and an analysis of its action will lead to some curious views respecting the future application of machinery for blowing furnaces. Every cubic foot of atmospheric air, driven into a furnace, consists of two gases.(2*) about one-fifth being oxygen, and four-fifths azote. According to the present state of chemical knowledge, the oxygen alone is effective in producing heat; and the operation of blowing a furnace may be thus analysed. The air is forced into the furnace in a condensed state, and, immediately expanding, abstracts heat from the surrounding bodies. Being itself of moderate temperature, it would, even without expansion, still require heat to raise it to the temperature of the hot substances to which it is to be applied. On coming into contact with the ignited substances in the furnace, the oxygen unites with them, parting at the same moment with a large portion of its latent heat, and forming compounds which have less specific heat than their separate constituents. Some of these pass up the chimney in a gaseous state, whilst others remain in the form of melted slags, floating on the surface of the iron, which is fused by the heat thus set at liberty. The effects of the azote are precisely similar to the first and second of those above described; it seems to form no combinations, and contributes nothing, in any stage, to augment the heat. The plan, therefore, of heating the air before driving it into the furnace saves, obviously, the whole of that heat which the fuel must have supplied in raising it from the temperature of the external air up to that of 600 degrees Fahrenheit; thus rendering the fire more intense, and the glassy slags more fusible, and perhaps also more effectually decomposing the iron ore. The same quantity of fuel, applied at once to the furnace, would only prolong the duration of its heat, not augment its intensity. The circumstance of so large a portion of the air(3*) driven into furnaces being not merely useless, but acting really as a cooling, instead of a heating, cause, added to so great a waste of mechanical power in condensing it, amounting, in fact, to four-fifths of the whole, clearly shews the defects of the present method, and the want of some better mode of exciting combustion on a large scale. The following suggestions are thrown out as likely to lead to valuable results, even though they should prove ineffectual for their professed object. The great difficulty appears to be to separate the oxygen, which aids combustion, from the azote which impedes it. If either of those gases becomes liquid at a lower pressure than the other, and if those pressures are within the limits of our present powers of compression, the object might be accomplished. Let us assume, for example, that oxygen becomes liquid under a pressure of 200 atmospheres, whilst azote requires a pressure of 250. Then if atmospheric air be condensed to the two hundredth part of its bulk, the oxygen will be found in a liquid state at the bottom of the vessel in which the condensation is effected, and the upper part of the vessel will contain only azote in the state of gas. The oxygen, now liquefied, may be drawn off for the supply of the furnace; but as it ought when used, to have a very moderate degree of condensation, its expansive force may be previously employed in working a small engine. The compressed azote also in the upper part of the vessel, though useless for combustion, may be employed as a source of power, and, by its expansion, work another engine. By these means the mechanical force exerted in the original compression would all be restored, except that small part retained for forcing the pure oxygen into the furnace, and the much larger part lost in the friction of the apparatus. The principal difficulty to be apprehended in these operations is that of packing a working piston so as to bear the pressure of 200 or 300 atmospheres: but this does not seem insurmountable. It is possible also that the chemical combination of the two gases which constitute common air may be effected by such pressures: if this should be the case, it might offer a new mode of manufacturing nitrous or nitric acids. The result of such experiments might take another direction: if the condensation were performed over liquids, it is possible that they might enter into new chemical combinations. Thus, if air were highly condensed in a vessel containing water, the latter might unite with an additional dose of oxygen, (4*) which might afterwards be easily disengaged for the use of the furnace. A further cause of the uncertainty of the results of such an experiment arises from the possibility that azote may really contribute to the fusion of the mixed mass in the furnace, though its mode of operating is at present unknown. An examination of the nature of the gases issuing from the chimneys of iron-foundries, might perhaps assist in clearing up this point; and, in fact, if such enquiries were also instituted upon the various products of all furnaces, we might expect the elucidation of many points in the economy of the metallurgic art. It is very possible also, that the action of oxygen in a liquid state might be exceedingly corrosive, and that the containing vessels must be lined with platinum or some other substance of very difficult oxydation; and most probably new and unexpected compounds would be formed at such pressures. In some experiments made by Count Rumford in 1797, on the force of fired gunpowder, he noticed a solid compound, which always appeared in the gunbarrel when the ignited powder had no means of escaping; and, in those cases, the gas which escaped on removing the restraining pressure was usually inconsiderable. If the liquefied gases are used, the form of the iron furnace must probably be changed, and perhaps it may be necessary to direct the flame from the ignited fuel upon the ore to be fused, instead of mixing that ore with the fuel itself: by a proper regulation of the blast, an oxygenating or a deoxygenating flame might be procured; and from the intensity of the flame, combined with its chemical agency, we might expect the most refractory ore to be smelted, and that ultimately the metals at present almost infusible, such as platinum, titanium, and others, might be brought into common use, and thus effect a revolution in the arts. Supposing, on the occurrence of a glut, that new and cheaper modes of producing are not discovered, and that the production continues to exceed the demand, then it is apparent that too much capital is employed in the trade; and after a time, the diminished rate of profit will drive some of the manufacturers to other occupations. What particular individuals will leave it must depend on a variety of circumstances. Superior industry and attention will enable some factories to make a profit rather beyond the rest; superior capital in others will enable them, without these advantages, to support competition longer, even at a loss, with the hope of driving the smaller capitalists out of the market, and then reimbursing themselves by an advanced price. It is, however, better for all parties, that this contest should not last long; and it is important, that no artificial restraint should interfere to prevent it. An instance of such restriction, and of its injurious effect, occurs at the port of Newcastle, where a particular Act of Parliament requires that every ship shall be loaded in its turn. The Committee of the House of Commons, in their Report on the Coal Trade, state that, 'Under the regulations contained in this Act, if more ships enter into the trade than can be profitablv employed in it, the loss produced by detention in port, and waiting for a cargo. which must consequently take place, instead of falling, as it naturally would, upon particular ships, and forcing them from the trade, is now divided evenly amongst them; and the loss thus created is shared by the whole number.' Report, p. 6. It is not pretended, in this short view, to trace out all the effects or remedies of over-manufacturing; the subject is difficult, and, unlike some of the questions already treated, requires a combined view of the relative influence of many concurring causes. NOTES: The average price per ton of pig iron, bar iron, and coal, together with the price paid for labour at the works, for a long series of years, would be very valuable, and I shall feel much indebted to anyone who will favour me with it for any, even short, period. The accurate proportions are, by measure, oxygen 21, azote 79. A similar reasoning may be applied to lamps. An Argand burner, whether used for consuming oil or gas, admits almost an unlimited quantity of air. It would deserve enquiry, whether a smaller quantity might not produce greater light; and, possibly, a different supply furnish more heat with the same expenditure of fuel. Deutoxide of hydrogen, the oxygenated water of Thenard. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Charles Babbage (2003). On the Economy of Machinery and Manufactures. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/4238/pg4238.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

On Over Manufacturing

The Mail Order Merchant

As warfare evolves from sticks and stones to nuclear armaments and beyond, digital tools like scamming and social media offer novel and significant impacts on the battlefield. New digital tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) developed by Ukraine in response to Russia’s February 2022 incursion mark the beginning of social media warfare, characterized not just by cyber confrontations but how the digital translates into action on the battlefield. The use of digital platforms will only grow and further expose how these technologies can both aid and compromise military efforts in modern warfare. Russia’s experience with Ukrainian-leveraged digital assets serves as a cautionary tale for both individuals and militaries about the perils and possibilities inherent in our connected world. As (IW) gains prominence in modern military strategy, the role of digital tools like social media and cyber-enabled scamming cannot be overstated. Social media platforms serve as an ideal ecosystem for executing a wide range of IW activities, from disinformation campaigns aimed at sowing division among enemy lines to civil-military operations that gauge public sentiment and build community relations. In the digital world, the battlefront’s traditional geographic confinement disappears, and the environment is persistently dynamic. irregular warfare Digital tools are particularly potent for small-scale, non-state actors who might not have the resources for traditional warfare but can nevertheless exert a significant impact through well-coordinated online campaigns, such as Ukrainian activists who use scamming techniques to convince to firebomb their own military offices. In the age of IW, the power dynamics on the battlefield are no longer solely determined by physical might; the impact of influence and information will continue to grow and allow for certain aspects of warfare to be crowdsourced, with ordinary civilians taking on a more prominent role in the era of irregular warfare. Russians The challenges faced by Ukraine on the battlefield have provided invaluable lessons for military strategists regarding and the . “Once the war is over, we will definitely write a textbook,” Vice-Admiral Oleksiy Neizhpapa, the head of Ukraine’s navy, “And we’ll send it to all the NATO military academies.” Ukraine is already applying many recently learned lessons with new digitally-enabled TTPs. The West, including and beyond NATO, can learn much from Ukraine’s social media application of irregular warfare in their ongoing war with Russia. conventional warfare future of war proclaimed Romance and espionage: how online dating apps betrayed Russian soldiers Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian soldiers have revealed information from their to AI-generated of Ukrainian women. Some soldiers inadvertently disclosed their tactical locations through images while seeking companionship. One woman ingeniously two Tinder accounts, setting a different location near the border for each account and, referencing the difference between locations of shared matches, “triangulate(d) the exact locations of her matches.” As a result, she reported over seventy such profiles and their locations to Ukrainian authorities. Tinder dating app profiles fake profiles employed devised a ruse using fake profiles of appealing women across multiple social media platforms, such as Telegram, to ensnare Russian soldiers stationed near Melitopol. According to the , the Russian soldiers were persuaded to share photos of themselves on duty. Upon receiving these images, the hackers pinpointed their origin to a secluded Russian military base near Melitopol in southern Ukraine. This intelligence was subsequently relayed to the Ukrainian military, leading to an assault on the base days later. Ukrainian hackers Financial Times On Russian Navy Day in July 2023, Ukrainian hackers targeted Russian sailors by sending them a video with good “wishes” via apps. According to the Ukrainian military’s Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR), these videos depicted Ukrainian drones and missiles attacking Russian warships, including the . In addition to any potential psychological impact of the footage, the message contained malware that provided the hackers with access to the sailors’ phone data, subsequently transferring confidential information to Ukrainian servers. Most sailors unwittingly expressed gratitude before opening the deceptive video. messaging Moskva cruiser Activists use scamming techniques to target Russia's military infrastructure and offices. Russian officials attribute a series of at their recruitment centers to “phone scammers” who specifically target the elderly to attack Russian army recruitment offices. According to Russian intelligence services, scammers target vulnerable citizens “who found themselves in difficult circumstances and are easy to influence.” By convincing them to take out a loan or share their bank details, they are subsequently convinced to attack a recruitment office in an attempt to recover their losses. For example, in Russian-occupied Crimea, scammers duped a schoolteacher into throwing a flammable object at a recruitment office. Similarly, in St. Petersburg, a 66-year-old woman was lured into taking out a loan with the false promise that her debt would be cleared if she attacked a with a Molotov cocktail. Digital scammers do not only target the elderly. Teenagers in Russia, who claim they are not aware of who their financier may be, were recruited via to ignite railway junction boxes in exchange for money. fire-bombings recruitment office social media The rising significance of open-source intelligence (OSINT) In August 2022, the Wagner group faced an attack in Popasna, Ukraine. A local pro-Russian journalist inadvertently the Wagner base’s location through images shared on Telegram. One such image, now removed, disclosed the base’s exact address. Armed with this information, Ukrainian forces demolished the site. A Ukrainian official hinted that the strike’s precision was possibly aided by the shared Telegram images. This incident epitomizes how social media-derived open-source intelligence (OSINT, information procured from public sources) is strategically leveraged in the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war. revealed When location-based apps lead to physical attacks In March 2017, a Royal Navy member’s run inside His Majesty’s Naval Base, Clyde (HMNB Clyde), a high-security base housing the UK’s nuclear deterrent, was tracked via the , leading to concerns about revealing sensitive military locations. has shown that data from fitness apps might inadvertently reveal the locations of hidden military bases by mapping consistent exercise patterns and patrol paths within or around such bases. These apps, which often connect to devices such as Fitbits and Garmin watches, allow users to log their exercise routes. A feature designed for friendly competition might unintentionally expose the precise activities and identities of staff within high-security military zones. Strava app Research In July 2023, data from the app turned deadly. A Le Monde from July 11, 2023, suggests that Strava may have inadvertently played a role in the assassination of Captain Stanislav Rzhitsky. The Russian officer was ambushed and on July 10, 2023, in a park in Krasnodar, Russia. Rzhitsky formerly led a submarine that was implicated in a 2022 strike on the Ukrainian city of that resulted in 27 civilian deaths. report killed Vinnytsia Rzhitsky’s leadership role in this act made him a target for Ukrainian intelligence. disclosed that Rzhitsky was a regular Strava user, often sharing his routes. The consistency in his routes led to speculation that his killers might have used the app to predict his movements on the day of his assassination. Strava’s user agreement highlights that unless data-sharing settings are restricted, user activity can be accessed by anyone online, including details like distance, runtime, and maps of routes. Le Monde , a Ukrainian government app originally designed to facilitate access to public services, was repurposed for wartime efforts. It enables Ukrainians to both report the presence of Russian soldiers in their vicinity and manage tasks like uploading tax returns, renewing passports or providing students with bus fare discounts. Among its features is the “e-Enemy” function, which lets Ukrainian citizens about Russian troop movements, providing invaluable data to the Ukrainian military for strategizing their defense and countermeasures. Diia relay information The evolving face of modern warfare Carl von Clausewitz’s posits that, while the fundamental nature of war remains constant in the human experience, its execution or character is . He viewed war as a complex social activity, and in the 21st century, our interconnectedness expands our connectivity to war as individuals through the digital realm. The increasing democratization of warfare, facilitated by technology, is shifting the focus towards the role of ordinary civilians, like the women who set up virtual “ ” using dating apps to get Russian soldiers to reveal their location. As digital tools continue to enter the fray, regular citizens will assume an even more important role in today’s warfare. On War ever-changing honey traps This metamorphosis of warfare, propelled by the digital age, underscores the urgent need for a comprehensive reevaluation of how we in the West approach conflict in the 21st century and ensure we apply lessons from the Russo-Ukrainian war. The battlefield is no longer confined to physical terrain; it now includes the vast, interconnected realm of the internet, where each click or post could be as consequential as any traditional military maneuver. Therefore, it is vital for the Western alliances and NATO to adapt and develop new strategies that respond to this evolving threat landscape – the next compromised service member could be a NATO soldier who accidentally leaks vital information on social media to our adversaries. In an all-out war, it could be our own populations that are targeted by scammers to attack military offices. We must learn lessons early on from the digital irregular warfare we are seeing in the Russo-Ukrainian war and begin strategizing new approaches to protect ourselves. We must develop an understanding of how to leverage these tools more effectively in the future. Also published . here

Cyber-Enabled Scamming Techniques and Social Media’s Growing Role in Warfare

A Floating City and The Blockade Runners by Jules Verne, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . Getting under sail here “GETTING UNDER SAIL.” The “Dolphin” was rapidly equipped, her rigging was ready, and there was nothing to do but fit her up. She carried three schooner-masts, an almost useless luxury; in fact, the “Dolphin” did not rely on the wind to escape the Federalists, but rather on her powerful engines. Towards the end of December a trial of the steamer was made in the gulf of the Clyde. Which was the most satisfied, builder or captain, it is impossible to say. The new steamer shot along wonderfully, and the patent log showed a speed of seventeen miles an hour, a speed which as yet no English, French, or American boat had ever obtained. The “Dolphin” would certainly have gained by several lengths in a sailing match with the fastest opponent. The loading was begun on the 25th of December, the steamer having ranged along the steamboat-quay a little below Glasgow Bridge, the last which stretches across the Clyde before its mouth. Here the wharfs were heaped with a heavy cargo of clothes, ammunition, and provisions, which were rapidly carried to the hold of the “Dolphin.” The nature of this cargo betrayed the mysterious destination of the ship, and the house of Playfair could no longer keep it secret; besides, the “Dolphin” must not be long before she started. No American cruiser had been signalled in English waters; and, then, when the question of getting the crew came, how was it possible to keep silent any longer? They could not embark them even, without informing the men whither they were bound, for, after all, it was a matter of life and death, and when one risks one’s life, at least it is satisfactory to know how and wherefore. However, this prospect hindered no one; the pay was good, and every one had a share in the speculation, so that a great number of the finest sailors soon presented themselves. James Playfair was only embarrassed which to choose, but he chose well, and in twenty-four hours his muster-roll bore the names of thirty sailors, who would have done honour to her Majesty’s yacht. The departure was settled for the 3rd of January; on the 31st of December the “Dolphin” was ready, her hold full of ammunition and provisions, and nothing was keeping her now. The skipper went on board on the 2nd of January, and was giving a last look round his ship with a Captain’s eye, when a man presented himself at the fore part of the “Dolphin,” and asked to speak with the Captain. One of the sailors led him on to the poop. He was a strong, hearty-looking fellow, with broad shoulders and ruddy face, the simple expression of which ill concealed a depth of wit and mirth. He did not seem to be accustomed to a seafaring life and looked about him with the air of a man little used to being on board a ship; however, he assumed the manner of a Jack-tar, looking up at the rigging of the “Dolphin,” and waddling in true sailor fashion. When he had reached the Captain, he looked fixedly at him and said, “Captain James Playfair?” “The same,” replied the skipper. “What do you want with me?” “To join your ship.” “There is no room; the crew is already complete.” “Oh, one man, more or less, will not be in the way; quite the contrary.” “You think so?” said James Playfair, giving a sidelong glance at his questioner. “I am sure of it,” replied the sailor. “But who are you?” asked the Captain. “A rough sailor, with two strong arms, which, I can tell you, are not to be despised on board a ship, and which I now have the honour of putting at your service.” “But there are other ships besides the ‘Dolphin,’ and other captains besides James Playfair. Why do you come here?” “Because it is on board the ‘Dolphin’ that I wish to serve, and under the orders of Captain James Playfair.” “I do not want you.” “There is always need of a strong man, and if to prove my strength you will try me with three or four of the strongest fellows of your crew, I am ready.” “That will do,” replied James Playfair. “And what is your name?” “Crockston, at your service.” The Captain made a few steps backwards in order to get a better view of the giant, who presented himself in this odd fashion. The height, the build, and the look of the sailor did not deny his pretensions to strength. “Where have you sailed?” asked Playfair of him. “A little everywhere.” “And do you know where the ‘Dolphin’ is bound for?” “Yes; and that is what tempts me.” “Ah, well! I have no mind to let a fellow of your stamp escape me. Go and find the first mate, and get him to enrol you.” Having said this the Captain expected to see the man turn on his heel and run to the bows, but he was mistaken. Crockston did not stir. “Well! did you hear me?” asked the Captain. “Yes, but it is not all,” replied the sailor, “I have something else to ask you.” “Ah! You are wasting my time,” replied James sharply; “I have not a moment to lose in talking.” “I shall not keep you long,” replied Crockston, “two words more and that is all; I was going to tell you that I have a nephew.” “He has a fine uncle, then,” interrupted James Playfair. “Hah! Hah!” laughed Crockston. “Have you finished?” asked the Captain, very impatiently. “Well, this is what I have to say, when one takes the uncle, the nephew comes into the bargain.” “Ah! indeed!” “Yes, that is the custom, the one does not go without the other.” “And what is this nephew of yours?” “A lad of fifteen whom I am going to train to the sea; he is willing to learn, and will make a fine sailor some day.” “How now, Master Crockston,” cried James Playfair; “do you think the ‘Dolphin’ is a training-school for cabin-boys?” “Don’t let us speak ill of cabin-boys; there was one of them who became Admiral Nelson, and another Admiral Franklin.” “Upon my honour, friend,” replied James Playfair, “you have a way of speaking which I like; bring your nephew, but if I don’t find the uncle the hearty fellow he pretends to be, he will have some business with me. Go, and be back in an hour.” Crockston did not want to be told twice; he bowed awkwardly to the Captain of the “Dolphin,” and went on to the quay. An hour afterwards he came on board with his nephew, a boy of fourteen or fifteen, rather delicate and weakly-looking, with a timid and astonished air, which showed that he did not possess his uncle’s self-possession and vigorous corporeal qualities. Crockston was even obliged to encourage him by such words as these:— “Come,” said he, “don’t be frightened, they are not going to eat us, besides there is yet time to return.” “No, no,” replied the young man, “and may God protect us!” The same day the sailor Crockston and his nephew were inscribed in the muster-roll of the “Dolphin.” The next morning, at five o’clock, the fires of the steamer were well fed, the deck trembled under the vibrations of the boiler, and the steam rushed hissing through the escape-pipes. The hour of departure had arrived. A considerable crowd in spite of the early hour flocked on the quays and on Glasgow Bridge, they had come to salute the bold steamer for the last time. Vincent Playfair was there to say good-bye to Captain James, but he conducted himself on this occasion like a Roman of the good old times. His was a heroic countenance, and the two loud kisses with which he gratified his nephew were the indication of a strong mind. “Go, James,” said he to the young Captain, “go quickly, and come back quicker still; above all, don’t abuse your position. Sell at a good price, make a good bargain, and you will have your uncle’s esteem.” On this recommendation, borrowed from the manual of the perfect merchant, the uncle and nephew separated, and all the visitors left the boat. At this moment Crockston and John Stiggs stood together on the forecastle, while the former remarked to his nephew, “This is well, this is well; before two o’clock we shall be at sea, and I have a good opinion of a voyage which begins like this.” For reply the novice pressed Crockston’s hand. James Playfair then gave the orders for departure. “Have we pressure on?” he asked of his mate. “Yes, Captain,” replied Mr. Mathew. “Well, then, weigh anchor.” This was immediately done, and the screws began to move. The “Dolphin” trembled, passed between the ships in the port, and soon disappeared from the sight of the people, who shouted their last hurrahs. The descent of the Clyde was easily accomplished, one might almost say that this river had been made by the hand of man, and even by the hand of a master. For sixty years, thanks to the dredges and constant dragging it has gained fifteen feet in depth, and its breadth has been tripled between the quays and the town. Soon the forests of masts and chimneys were lost in the smoke and fog; the noise of the foundry hammers, and the hatchets of the timber-yards grew fainter in the distance. After the village of Patrick had been passed the factories gave way to country houses and villas. The “Dolphin,” slackening her speed, sailed between the dykes which carry the river above the shores, and often through very narrow channel, which, however, is only a small inconvenience for a navigable river, for, after all, depth is of more importance than width. The steamer, guided by one of those excellent pilots from the Irish sea, passed without hesitation between floating buoys, stone columns, and , surmounted with lighthouses, which mark the entrance to the channel. Beyond the town of Renfrew, at the foot of Kilpatrick hills, the Clyde grew wider. Then came Bouling Bay, at the end of which opens the mouth of the canal which joins Edinburgh to Glasgow. Lastly, at the height of four hundred feet from the ground, was seen the outline of Dumbarton Castle, almost indiscernible through the mists, and soon the harbour-boats of Glasgow were rocked on the waves which the “Dolphin” caused. Some miles farther on Greenock, the birthplace of James Watt, was passed: the “Dolphin” now found herself at the mouth of the Clyde, and at the entrance of the gulf by which it empties its waters into the Northern Ocean. Here the first undulations of the sea were felt, and the steamer ranged along the picturesque coast of the Isle of Arran. At last the promontory of Cantyre, which runs out into the channel, was doubled; the Isle of Rattelin was hailed, the pilot returned by a shore-boat to his cutter, which was cruising in the open sea; the “Dolphin” returning to her Captain’s authority, took a less frequented route round the north of Ireland, and soon, having lost sight of the last European land, found herself in the open ocean. biggings About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Jules Verne (2022). A Floating City and The Blockade Runners. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved October 2022 https://www.gutenberg.org/files/67829/67829-h/67829-h.htm This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

Getting under sail.

A Floating City and The Blockade Runners by Jules Verne, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . The “Dolphin.” here THE “DOLPHIN.” The Clyde was the first river whose waters were lashed into foam by a steam-boat. It was in 1812, when the steamer called the “Comet” ran between Glasgow and Greenock, at the speed of six miles an hour. Since that time more than a million of steamers or packet-boats have plied this Scotch river, and the inhabitants of Glasgow must be as familiar as any people with the wonders of steam navigation. However, on the 3rd of December, 1862, an immense crowd, composed of ship-owners, merchants, manufacturers, workmen, sailors, women, and children, thronged the muddy streets of Glasgow, all going in the direction of Kelvin Dock, the large ship-building premises belonging to Messrs. Tod and Mac Gregor. This last name especially proves that the descendants of the famous Highlanders have become manufacturers, and that they have made workmen of all the vassals of the old clan chieftains. Kelvin Dock is situated a few minutes’ walk from the town, on the right bank of the Clyde. Soon the immense timber-yards were thronged with spectators; not a part of the quay, not a wall of the wharf, not a factory roof, showed an unoccupied place; the river itself was covered with craft of all descriptions, and the heights of Govan, on the left bank, swarmed with spectators. There was, however, nothing extraordinary in the event about to take place; it was nothing but the launching of a ship, and this was an every-day affair with the people of Glasgow. Had the “Dolphin,” then—for that was the name of the ship built by Messrs. Tod and Mac Gregor—some special peculiarity? To tell the truth it had none. It was a large ship, about 1500 tons, in which everything combined to obtain superior speed. Her engines, of 500 horse-power, were from the workshops of Lancefield Forge; they worked two screws, one on either side the stern-post, completely independent of each other. As for the depth of water the “Dolphin” would draw, it must be very inconsiderable; connoisseurs were not deceived, and they concluded rightly that this ship was destined for shallow straits. But all these particulars could not in any way justify the eagerness of the people: taken altogether the “Dolphin” was nothing more or less than an ordinary ship. Would her launching present some mechanical difficulty to be overcome? Not any more than usual. The Clyde had received many a ship of heavier tonnage, and the launching of the “Dolphin” would take place in the usual manner. In fact, when the water was calm, the moment the ebb-tide set in, the workmen began to operate. Their mallets kept perfect time falling on the wedges meant to raise the ship’s keel: soon a shudder ran through the whole of her massive structure; although she had only been slightly raised, one could see that she shook, and then gradually began to glide down the well-greased wedges, and in a few moments she plunged into the Clyde. Her stern struck the muddy bed of the river, then she raised herself on the top of a gigantic wave, and, carried forward by her start, would have been dashed against the quay of the Govan timber-yards, if her anchors had not restrained her. The launch had been perfectly successful, the “Dolphin” swayed quietly on the waters of the Clyde, all the spectators clapped their hands when she took possession of her natural element, and loud hurrahs arose from either bank. But wherefore these cries and this applause? Undoubtedly the most eager of the spectators would have been at a loss to explain the reason of his enthusiasm. What was the cause, then, of the lively interest excited by this ship? Simply the mystery which shrouded her destination; it was not known to what kind of commerce she was to be appropriated, and in questioning different groups the diversity of opinion on this important subject was indeed astonishing. However, the best informed, at least those who pretended to be so, agreed in saying that the steamer was going to take part in the terrible war which was then ravaging the United States of America, but more than this they did not know, and whether the “Dolphin” was a privateer, a transport ship, or an addition to the Federal marine, was what no one could tell. “Hurrah!” cried one, affirming that the “Dolphin” had been built for the Southern States. “Hip! hip! hip!” cried another, swearing that never had a faster boat crossed to the American coasts. Thus its destination was unknown, and in order to obtain any reliable information one must be an intimate friend, or, at any rate, an acquaintance of Vincent Playfair and Co., of Glasgow. A rich, powerful, intelligent house of business was that of Vincent Playfair and Co., in a social sense, an old and honourable family, descended from those tobacco lords who built the finest quarters of the town. These clever merchants, by an act of the Union, had founded the first Glasgow warehouse for dealing in tobacco from Virginia and Maryland. Immense fortunes were realized; mills and foundries sprang up in all parts, and in a few years the prosperity of the city attained its height. The house of Playfair remained faithful to the enterprising spirit of its ancestors, it entered into the most daring schemes, and maintained the honour of English commerce. The principal, Vincent Playfair, a man of fifty, with a temperament essentially practical and decided, although somewhat daring, was a genuine shipowner. Nothing affected him beyond commercial questions, not even the political side of the transactions, otherwise he was a perfectly loyal and honest man. However, he could not lay claim to the idea of building and fitting up the “Dolphin;” she belonged to his nephew, James Playfair, a fine young man of thirty, the boldest skipper of the British merchant marine. It was one day at the Tontine coffee-room under the arcades of the Town-hall, that James Playfair, after having impatiently scanned the American journal, disclosed to his uncle an adventurous scheme. “Uncle Vincent,” said he, coming to the point at once, “there are two millions of pounds to be gained in less than a month.” “And what to risk?” asked Uncle Vincent. “A ship and a cargo.” “Nothing else?” “Nothing, except the crew and the captain, and that does not reckon for much.” “Let us see,” said Uncle Vincent. “It is all seen,” replied James Playfair. “You have read the , the , the , the , the ?” Tribune New York Herald Times Richmond Inquirer American Review “Scores of times, nephew.” “You believe, like me, that the war of the United States will last a long time still?” “A very long time.” “You know how much this struggle will affect the interests of England, and especially those of Glasgow?” “And more especially still the house of Playfair and Co.,” replied Uncle Vincent. “Theirs especially,” added the young Captain. “I worry myself about it every day, James, and I cannot think without terror of the commercial disasters which this war may produce; not but that the house of Playfair is firmly established, nephew; at the same time it has correspondents which may fail. Ah! those Americans, slave-holders or abolitionists, I have no faith in them!” If Vincent Playfair was wrong in thus speaking with respect to the great principles of humanity, always and everywhere superior to personal interests, he was, nevertheless, right in a commercial point of view. The most important material was failing at Glasgow, the cotton famine became every day more threatening, thousands of workmen were reduced to live upon public charity. Glasgow possessed 25,000 looms, by which 625,000 yards of cotton were spun daily; that is to say, fifty millions of pounds yearly. From these numbers it may be guessed what disturbances were caused in the commercial part of the town, when the raw material failed altogether. Failures were hourly taking place, the manufactories were closed, and the workmen were dying of starvation. It was the sight of this great misery which had put the idea of his bold enterprise into James Playfair’s head. “I will go for cotton, and will get it, cost what it may.” But as he also was a merchant as well as his uncle Vincent, he resolved to carry out his plan by way of exchange, and to make his proposition under the guise of a commercial enterprise. “Uncle Vincent,” said he, “this is my idea.” “Well, James?” “It is simply this; we will have a ship built of superior sailing qualities and great bulk.” “That is quite possible.” “We will load her with ammunition of war, provisions, and clothes.” “Just so.” “I will take the command of this steamer, I will defy all the ships of the Federal marine for speed, and I will run the blockade of one of the southern ports.” “You must make a good bargain for your cargo with the Confederates, who will be in need of it,” said his uncle. “And I shall return laden with cotton.” “Which they will give you for nothing.” “As you say, uncle. Will it answer?” “It will; but shall you be able to get there?” “I shall, if I have a good ship.” “One can be made on purpose. But the crew?” “Oh, I will find them. I do not want many men; enough to work with, that is all. It is not a question of fighting with the Federals, but distancing them.” “They shall be distanced,” said uncle Vincent, in a peremptory tone; “but now, tell me, James, to what port of the American coast do you think of going?” “Up to now, uncle, ships have run the blockade of New Orleans, Wilmington, and Savannah, but I think of going straight to Charleston; no English boat has yet been able to penetrate into the harbour, except the ‘Bermuda.’ I will do like her, and if my ship draws but very little water, I shall be able to go where the Federalists will not be able to follow.” “The fact is,” said Uncle Vincent, “Charleston is overwhelmed with cotton; they are even burning it to get rid of it.” “Yes,” replied James; “besides, the town is almost invested, Beauregard is running short of provisions, and he will pay me a golden price for my cargo!” “Well, nephew! and when will you start?” “In six months; I must have the long winter nights to aid me.” “It shall be as you wish, nephew.” “It is settled, then, uncle?” “Settled!” “Shall it be kept quiet?” “Yes; better so.” And this is how it was that five months later the steamer “Dolphin” was launched from the Kelvin Dock timber-yards, and no one knew her real destination. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Jules Verne (2022). A Floating City and The Blockade Runners. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved October 2022 https://www.gutenberg.org/files/67829/67829-h/67829-h.htm This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

The “Dolphin.”

A Floating City and The Blockade Runners by Jules Verne, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . Chapter V here CHAPTER V. The work of weighing anchors was resumed; with the help of the anchor-boat the chains were eased, and the anchors at last left their tenacious depths. A quarter past one sounded from the Birkenhead clock-towers, the moment of departure could not be deferred, if it was intended to make use of the tide. The captain and pilot went on the foot-bridge; one lieutenant placed himself near the screw-signal apparatus, another near that of the paddle-wheel, in case of the failure of the steam-engine; four other steersmen watched at the stern, ready to put in action the great wheels placed on the gratings of the hatchings. The “Great Eastern,” making head against the current, was now only waiting to descend the river with the ebb-tide. The order for departure was given, the paddles slowly struck the water, the screw bubbled at the stern, and the enormous vessel began to move. The greater part of the passengers on the poop were gazing at the double landscape of Liverpool and Birkenhead, studded with manufactory chimneys. The Mersey, covered with ships, some lying at anchor, others ascending and descending the river, offered only a winding passage for our steam-ship. But under the hand of a pilot, sensible to the least inclinations of her rudder, she glided through the narrow passages, like a whale-boat beneath the oar of a vigorous steersman. At one time I thought that we were going to run foul of a brig, which was drifting across the stream, her bows nearly grazing the hull of the “Great Eastern,” but a collision was avoided, and when from the height of the upper deck I looked at this ship, which was not of less than seven or eight hundred tons burden, she seemed to me no larger than the tiny boats which children play with on the lakes of Regent’s Park or the Serpentine. It was not long before the “Great Eastern” was opposite the Liverpool landing-stages, but the four cannons which were to have saluted the town, were silent out of respect to the dead, for the tender was disembarking them at this moment; however, loud hurrahs replaced the reports which are the last expressions of national politeness. Immediately there was a vigorous clapping of hands and waving of handkerchiefs, with all the enthusiasm with which the English hail the departure of every vessel, be it only a simple yacht sailing round a bay. But with what shouts they were answered! what echoes they called forth from the quays! There were thousands of spectators on both the Liverpool and Birkenhead sides, and boats laden with sight-seers swarmed on the Mersey. The sailors manning the yards of the “Lord Clyde,” lying at anchor opposite the docks, saluted the giant with their hearty cheers. But even the noise of the cheering could not drown the frightful discord of several bands playing at the same time. Flags were incessantly hoisted in honour of the “Great Eastern,” but soon the cries grew faint in the distance. Our steam-ship ranged near the “Tripoli,” a Cunard emigrant-boat, which in spite of her 2000 tons burden looked like a mere barge; then the houses grew fewer and more scattered on both shores, the landscape was no longer blackened with smoke; and brick walls, with the exception of some long regular buildings intended for workmen’s houses, gave way to the open country, with pretty villas dotted here and there. Our last salutation reached us from the platform of the lighthouse and the walls of the bastion. At three o’clock the “Great Eastern” had crossed the bar of the Mersey, and shaped her course down St. George’s Channel. There was a strong sou’wester blowing, and a heavy swell on the sea, but the steam-ship did not feel it. Towards four o’clock the Captain gave orders to heave to; the tender put on full steam to rejoin us, as she was bringing back the doctor. When the boat came alongside a rope-ladder was thrown out, by which he ascended, not without some difficulty. Our more agile pilot slid down by the same way into his boat, which was awaiting him, each rower provided with a cork jacket. Some minutes after he went on board a charming little schooner waiting to catch the breeze. Our course was immediately continued; under the pressure of the paddles and the screw, the speed of the “Great Eastern” greatly increased; in spite of the wind ahead, she neither rolled nor pitched. Soon the shades of night stretched across the sea, and Holyhead Point was lost in the darkness. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Jules Verne (2022). A Floating City and The Blockade Runners. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved October 2022 https://www.gutenberg.org/files/67829/67829-h/67829-h.htm This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

The work of weighing anchors was resumed;

A Floating City and The Blockade Runners by Jules Verne, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . Chapter I. here CHAPTER I. On the 18th of March, 1867, I arrived at Liverpool, intending to take a berth simply as an amateur traveller on board the “Great Eastern,” which in a few days was to sail for New York. I had sometimes thought of paying a visit to North America, and was now tempted to cross the Atlantic on board this gigantic boat. First of all the “Great Eastern,” then the country celebrated by Cooper. This steam-ship is indeed a masterpiece of naval construction; more than a vessel, it is a floating city, part of the country, detached from English soil, which after having crossed the sea, unites itself to the American Continent. I pictured to myself this enormous bulk borne on the waves, her defiant struggle with the wind, her boldness before the powerless sea, her indifference to the billows, her stability in the midst of that element which tosses “Warriors” and “Solferinos” like ship’s boats. But my imagination carried me no farther; all these things I did indeed see during the passage, and many others which do not exclusively belong to the maritime domain. If the “Great Eastern” is not merely a nautical engine, but rather a microcosm, and carries a small world with it, an observer will not be astonished to meet here, as on a larger theatre, all the instincts, follies, and passions of human nature. On leaving the station, I went to the Adelphi Hotel. The “Great Eastern” was announced to sail on the 20th of March, and as I wished to witness the last preparations, I asked permission of Captain Anderson, the commander, to take my place on board immediately, which permission he very obligingly granted. The next day I went down towards the basins which form a double line of docks on the banks of the Mersey. The gate-keepers allowed me to go on to Prince’s Landing-Stage, a kind of movable raft which rises and falls with the tide, and is a landing place for the numerous boats which run between Liverpool, and the opposite town of Birkenhead on the left bank of the Mersey. The Mersey, like the Thames, is only an insignificant stream, unworthy the name of river, although it falls into the sea. It is an immense depression of the land filled with water, in fact nothing more than a hole, the depth of which allows it to receive ships of the heaviest tonnage, such as the “Great Eastern,” to which almost every other port in the world is closed. Thanks to this natural condition, the streams of the Thames and the Mersey have seen two immense commercial cities, London and Liverpool, built almost at their mouths, and from a similar cause has Glasgow arisen on the Clyde. At Prince’s Landing-Stage, a small tug in the service of the “Great Eastern” was getting up steam. I went on board and found it already crowded with workmen and mechanics. As the clock in Victoria Tower struck seven, the tender left her moorings and quickly ascended the Mersey with the rising tide. Scarcely had we started, when I saw on the quay a tall young man, with that aristocratic look which so distinguishes the English officer. I thought I recognized in him a friend whom I had not seen for several years, a captain in the Indian army; but I must have been mistaken, for Captain Mac Elwin could not have left Bombay, as I ought to have known, besides Mac Elwin was a gay, careless fellow, and a jovial companion, but this person, if he resembled him in feature, seemed melancholy, and as though burdened with a secret grief. Be it as it may, I had not time to observe him more closely, for the tender was moving rapidly away, and the impression founded on this resemblance soon vanished from my mind. The “Great Eastern” was anchored about three miles up the river, at a depth equal to the height of the tallest houses in Liverpool. She was not to be seen from Prince’s Stage, but I caught a glimpse of her imposing bulk from the first bend in the river. One would have taken her for a small island, hardly discernible in the mist. She appeared with her bows towards us, having swung round with the tide; but soon the tender altered her course, and the whole length of the steam-ship was presented to our view; she seemed what in fact she was—enormous! Three or four colliers alongside were pouring their cargoes of coal into her port-holes. Beside the “Great Eastern,” these three-mast ships looked like barges; their chimneys did not even reach the first line of light-ports in her hull; the yards of their gallant-sails did not come up to her bulwarks. The giant could have hoisted these ships on its davits like shore-boats. Meanwhile the tender approached the “Great Eastern,” whose chains were violently strained by the pressure of the tide, and ranged up to the foot of an immense winding staircase, on the larboard side. In this position the deck of the tender was only on a level with the load water-line of the steam-ship, to which line she would be depressed when in full cargo, and which still emerged two yards. The workmen were now hurriedly disembarking and clambering up the numerous steps which terminated at the fore-part of the ship. I, with head upturned, and my body thrown back, surveyed the wheels of the “Great Eastern,” like a tourist looking up at a high edifice. Seen from the side, these wheels looked narrow and contracted, although their paddles were four yards broad, but in front they had a monumental aspect. Their elegant fittings, the arrangements of the whole plan, the stays crossing each other to support the division of the triple centre rim, the radius of red spokes, the machinery half lost in the shadow of the wide paddle-boards, all this impressed the mind, and awakened an idea of some gigantic and mysterious power. With what force must these wooden paddles strike the waves which are now gently breaking over them! what a boiling of water when this powerful engine strikes it blow after blow! what a thundering noise engulfed in this paddle-box cavern! when the “Great Eastern” goes at full speed, under the pressure of wheels measuring fifty-three feet in diameter and 166 in circumference, weighing ninety tons, and making eleven revolutions a minute. The tender had disembarked her crew; I stepped on to the fluted iron steps, and in a few minutes had crossed the fore-part of the “Great Eastern.” About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Jules Verne (2022). A Floating City and The Blockade Runners. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved October 2022 https://www.gutenberg.org/files/67829/67829-h/67829-h.htm This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

On the 18th of March, 1867, I arrived at Liverpool

The Underground City; Or, The Black Indies by Jules Verne, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . LOCH LOMOND AND LOCH KATRINE here CHAPTER XV. LOCH LOMOND AND LOCH KATRINE Harry bore Nell carefully down the steeps of Arthur’s Seat, and, accompanied by James Starr and Jack Ryan, they reached Lambert’s Hotel. There a good breakfast restored their strength, and they began to make further plans for an excursion to the Highland lakes. Nell was now refreshed, and able to look boldly forth into the sunshine, while her lungs with ease inhaled the free and healthful air. Her eyes learned gladly to know the harmonious varieties of color as they rested on the green trees, the azure skies, and all the endless shades of lovely flowers and plants. The railway train, which they entered at the Waverley Station, conveyed Nell and her friends to Glasgow. There, from the new bridge across the Clyde, they watched the curious sea-like movement of the river. After a night’s rest at Comrie’s Royal Hotel, they betook themselves to the terminus of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway, from whence a train would rapidly carry them, by way of Dumbarton and Balloch, to the southern extremity of Loch Lomond. “Now for the land of Rob Roy and Fergus MacIvor!—the scenery immortalized by the poetical descriptions of Walter Scott,” exclaimed James Starr. “You don’t know this country, Jack?” “Only by its songs, Mr. Starr,” replied Jack; “and judging by those, it must be grand.” “So it is, so it is!” cried the engineer, “and our dear Nell shall see it to the best advantage.” A steamboat, the by name, awaited tourists about to make the excursion to the lakes. Nell and her companions went on board. The day had begun in brilliant sunshine, free from the British fogs which so often veil the skies. Sinclair The passengers were determined to lose none of the beauties of nature to be displayed during the thirty miles’ voyage. Nell, seated between James Starr and Harry, drank in with every faculty the magnificent poetry with which lovely Scottish scenery is fraught. Numerous small isles and islets soon appeared, as though thickly sown on the bosom of the lake. The steamed her way among them, while between them glimpses could be had of quiet valleys, or wild rocky gorges on the mainland. Sinclair “Nell,” said James Starr, “every island here has its legend, perhaps its song, as well as the mountains which overshadow the lake. One may, without much exaggeration, say that the history of this country is written in gigantic characters of mountains and islands.” Nell listened, but these fighting stories made her sad. Why all that bloodshed on plains which to her seemed enormous, and where surely there must have been room for everybody? The shores of the lake form a little harbor at Luss. Nell could for a moment catch sight of the old tower of its ancient castle. Then, the turning northward, the tourists gazed upon Ben Lomond, towering nearly 3,000 feet above the level of the lake. Sinclair “Oh, what a noble mountain!” cried Nell; “what a view there must be from the top!” “Yes, Nell,” answered James Starr; “see how haughtily its peak rises from amidst the thicket of oaks, birches, and heather, which clothe the lower portion of the mountain! From thence one may see two-thirds of old Caledonia. This eastern side of the lake was the special abode of the clan McGregor. At no great distance, the struggles of the Jacobites and Hanoverians repeatedly dyed with blood these lonely glens. Over these scenes shines the pale moon, called in old ballads ‘Macfarlane’s lantern.’ Among these rocks still echo the immortal names of Rob Roy and McGregor Campbell.” As the advanced along the base of the mountain, the country became more and more abrupt in character. Trees were only scattered here and there; among them were the willows, slender wands of which were formerly used for hanging persons of low degree. Sinclair “To economize hemp,” remarked James Starr. The lake narrowed very much as it stretched northwards. The steamer passed a few more islets, Inveruglas, Eilad-whow, where stand some ruins of a stronghold of the clan MacFarlane. At length the head of the loch was reached, and the stopped at Inversnaid. Sinclair Leaving Loch Arklet on the left, a steep ascent led to the Inn of Stronachlacar, on the banks of Loch Katrine. There, at the end of a light pier, floated a small steamboat, named, as a matter of course, the . The travelers immediately went on board; it was about to start. Loch Katrine is only ten miles in length; its width never exceeds two miles. The hills nearest it are full of a character peculiar to themselves. Rob Roy “Here we are on this famous lake,” said James Starr. “It has been compared to an eel on account of its length and windings: and justly so. They say that it never freezes. I know nothing about that, but what we want to think of is, that here are the scenes of the adventures in the . I believe, if friend Jack looked about him carefully, he might see, still gliding over the surface of the water, the shade of the slender form of sweet Ellen Douglas.” Lady of the Lake “To be sure, Mr. Starr,” replied Jack; “why should I not? I may just as well see that pretty girl on the waters of Loch Katrine, as those ugly ghosts on Loch Malcolm in the coal pit.” It was by this time three o’clock in the afternoon. The less hilly shores of Loch Katrine westward extended like a picture framed between Ben An and Ben Venue. At the distance of half a mile was the entrance to the narrow bay, where was the landing-place for our tourists, who meant to return to Stirling by Callander. Nell appeared completely worn out by the continued excitement of the day. A faint ejaculation was all she was able to utter in token of admiration as new objects of wonder or beauty met her gaze. She required some hours of rest, were it but to impress lastingly the recollection of all she had seen. Her hand rested in Harry’s, and, looking earnestly at her, he said, “Nell, dear Nell, we shall soon be home again in the gloomy region of the coal mine. Shall you not pine for what you have seen during these few hours spent in the glorious light of day?” “No, Harry,” replied the girl; “I shall like to think about it, but I am glad to go back with you to our dear old home.” “Nell!” said Harry, vainly attempting to steady his voice, “are you willing to be bound to me by the most sacred tie? Could you marry me, Nell?” “Yes, Harry, I could, if you are sure that I am able to make you happy,” answered the maiden, raising her innocent eyes to his. Scarcely had she pronounced these words when an unaccountable phenomenon took place. The , still half a mile from land, experienced a violent shock. She suddenly grounded. No efforts of the engine could move her. Rob Roy The cause of this accident was simply that Loch Katrine was all at once emptied, as though an enormous fissure had opened in its bed. In a few seconds it had the appearance of a sea beach at low water. Nearly the whole of its contents had vanished into the bosom of the earth. “My friends!” exclaimed James Starr, as the cause of this marvel became suddenly clear to him, “God help New Aberfoyle!” About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Jules Verne (1998). The Underground City; Or, The Black Indies. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved October 2022 https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/1353/pg1353-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

LOCH LOMOND AND LOCH KATRINE

The Underground City; Or, The Black Indies by Jules Verne, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . COAL TOWN here CHAPTER X. COAL TOWN Three years after the events which have just been related, the guide-books recommended as a “great attraction,” to the numerous tourists who roam over the county of Stirling, a visit of a few hours to the mines of New Aberfoyle. No mine in any country, either in the Old or New World, could present a more curious aspect. To begin with, the visitor was transported without danger or fatigue to a level with the workings, at fifteen hundred feet below the surface of the ground. Seven miles to the southwest of Callander opened a slanting tunnel, adorned with a castellated entrance, turrets and battlements. This lofty tunnel gently sloped straight to the stupendous crypt, hollowed out so strangely in the bowels of the earth. A double line of railway, the wagons being moved by hydraulic power, plied from hour to hour to and from the village thus buried in the subsoil of the county, and which bore the rather ambitious title of Coal Town. Arrived in Coal Town, the visitor found himself in a place where electricity played a principal part as an agent of heat and light. Although the ventilation shafts were numerous, they were not sufficient to admit much daylight into New Aberfoyle, yet it had abundance of light. This was shed from numbers of electric discs; some suspended from the vaulted roofs, others hanging on the natural pillars—all, whether suns or stars in size, were fed by continuous currents produced from electro-magnetic machines. When the hour of rest arrived, an artificial night was easily produced all over the mine by disconnecting the wires. Below the dome lay a lake of an extent to be compared to the Dead Sea of the Mammoth caves—a deep lake whose transparent waters swarmed with eyeless fish, and to which the engineer gave the name of Loch Malcolm. There, in this immense natural excavation, Simon Ford built his new cottage, which he would not have exchanged for the finest house in Prince’s Street, Edinburgh. This dwelling was situated on the shores of the loch, and its five windows looked out on the dark waters, which extended further than the eye could see. Two months later a second habitation was erected in the neighborhood of Simon Ford’s cottage: this was for James Starr. The engineer had given himself body and soul to New Aberfoyle, and nothing but the most imperative necessity ever caused him to leave the pit. There, then, he lived in the midst of his mining world. On the discovery of the new field, all the old colliers had hastened to leave the plow and harrow, and resume the pick and mattock. Attracted by the certainty that work would never fail, allured by the high wages which the prosperity of the mine enabled the company to offer for labor, they deserted the open air for an underground life, and took up their abode in the mines. The miners’ houses, built of brick, soon grew up in a picturesque fashion; some on the banks of Loch Malcolm, others under the arches which seemed made to resist the weight that pressed upon them, like the piers of a bridge. So was founded Coal Town, situated under the eastern point of Loch Katrine, to the north of the county of Stirling. It was a regular settlement on the banks of Loch Malcolm. A chapel, dedicated to St. Giles, overlooked it from the top of a huge rock, whose foot was laved by the waters of the subterranean sea. When this underground town was lighted up by the bright rays thrown from the discs, hung from the pillars and arches, its aspect was so strange, so fantastic, that it justified the praise of the guide-books, and visitors flocked to see it. It is needless to say that the inhabitants of Coal Town were proud of their place. They rarely left their laboring village—in that imitating Simon Ford, who never wished to go out again. The old overman maintained that it always rained “up there,” and, considering the climate of the United Kingdom, it must be acknowledged that he was not far wrong. All the families in New Aberfoyle prospered well, having in three years obtained a certain competency which they could never have hoped to attain on the surface of the county. Dozens of babies, who were born at the time when the works were resumed, had never yet breathed the outer air. This made Jack Ryan remark, “It’s eighteen months since they were weaned, and they have not yet seen daylight!” It may be mentioned here, that one of the first to run at the engineer’s call was Jack Ryan. The merry fellow had thought it his duty to return to his old trade. But though Melrose farm had lost singer and piper it must not be thought that Jack Ryan sung no more. On the contrary, the sonorous echoes of New Aberfoyle exerted their strong lungs to answer him. Jack Ryan took up his abode in Simon Ford’s new cottage. They offered him a room, which he accepted without ceremony, in his frank and hearty way. Old Madge loved him for his fine character and good nature. She in some degree shared his ideas on the subject of the fantastic beings who were supposed to haunt the mine, and the two, when alone, told each other stories wild enough to make one shudder—stories well worthy of enriching the hyperborean mythology. Jack thus became the life of the cottage. He was, besides being a jovial companion, a good workman. Six months after the works had begun, he was made head of a gang of hewers. “That was a good work done, Mr. Ford,” said he, a few days after his appointment. “You discovered a new field, and though you narrowly escaped paying for the discovery with your life—well, it was not too dearly bought.” “No, Jack, it was a good bargain we made that time!” answered the old overman. “But neither Mr. Starr nor I have forgotten that to you we owe our lives.” “Not at all,” returned Jack. “You owe them to your son Harry, when he had the good sense to accept my invitation to Irvine.” “And not to go, isn’t that it?” interrupted Harry, grasping his comrade’s hand. “No, Jack, it is to you, scarcely healed of your wounds—to you, who did not delay a day, no, nor an hour, that we owe our being found still alive in the mine!” “Rubbish, no!” broke in the obstinate fellow. “I won’t have that said, when it’s no such thing. I hurried to find out what had become of you, Harry, that’s all. But to give everyone his due, I will add that without that unapproachable goblin—” “Ah, there we are!” cried Ford. “A goblin!” “A goblin, a brownie, a fairy’s child,” repeated Jack Ryan, “a cousin of the Fire-Maidens, an Urisk, whatever you like! It’s not the less certain that without it we should never have found our way into the gallery, from which you could not get out.” “No doubt, Jack,” answered Harry. “It remains to be seen whether this being was as supernatural as you choose to believe.” “Supernatural!” exclaimed Ryan. “But it was as supernatural as a Will-o’-the-Wisp, who may be seen skipping along with his lantern in his hand; you may try to catch him, but he escapes like a fairy, and vanishes like a shadow! Don’t be uneasy, Harry, we shall see it again some day or other!” “Well, Jack,” said Simon Ford, “Will-o’-the-Wisp or not, we shall try to find it, and you must help us.” “You’ll get into a scrap if you don’t take care, Mr. Ford!” responded Jack Ryan. “We’ll see about that, Jack!” We may easily imagine how soon this domain of New Aberfoyle became familiar to all the members of the Ford family, but more particularly to Harry. He learnt to know all its most secret ins and outs. He could even say what point of the surface corresponded with what point of the mine. He knew that above this seam lay the Firth of Clyde, that there extended Loch Lomond and Loch Katrine. Those columns supported a spur of the Grampian mountains. This vault served as a basement to Dumbarton. Above this large pond passed the Balloch railway. Here ended the Scottish coast. There began the sea, the tumult of which could be distinctly heard during the equinoctial gales. Harry would have been a first-rate guide to these natural catacombs, and all that Alpine guides do on their snowy peaks in daylight he could have done in the dark mine by the wonderful power of instinct. He loved New Aberfoyle. Many times, with his lamp stuck in his hat, did he penetrate its furthest depths. He explored its ponds in a skillfully-managed canoe. He even went shooting, for numerous birds had been introduced into the crypt—pintails, snipes, ducks, who fed on the fish which swarmed in the deep waters. Harry’s eyes seemed made for the dark, just as a sailor’s are made for distances. But all this while Harry felt irresistibly animated by the hope of finding the mysterious being whose intervention, strictly speaking, had saved himself and his friends. Would he succeed? He certainly would, if presentiments were to be trusted; but certainly not, if he judged by the success which had as yet attended his researches. The attacks directed against the family of the old overman, before the discovery of New Aberfoyle, had not been renewed. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Jules Verne (1998). The Underground City; Or, The Black Indies. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved October 2022 https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/1353/pg1353-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

COAL TOWN

THE FIRE-MAIDENS

Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea by Jules Verne, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . A SHIFTING REEF here CHAPTER I: A SHIFTING REEF The year 1866 was signalised by a remarkable incident, a mysterious and puzzling phenomenon, which doubtless no one has yet forgotten. Not to mention rumours which agitated the maritime population and excited the public mind, even in the interior of continents, seafaring men were particularly excited. Merchants, common sailors, captains of vessels, skippers, both of Europe and America, naval officers of all countries, and the Governments of several states on the two continents, were deeply interested in the matter. For some time past, vessels had been met by “an enormous thing,” a long object, spindle-shaped, occasionally phosphorescent, and infinitely larger and more rapid in its movements than a whale. The facts relating to this apparition (entered in various log-books) agreed in most respects as to the shape of the object or creature in question, the untiring rapidity of its movements, its surprising power of locomotion, and the peculiar life with which it seemed endowed. If it was a cetacean, it surpassed in size all those hitherto classified in science. Taking into consideration the mean of observations made at divers times,—rejecting the timid estimate of those who assigned to this object a length of two hundred feet, equally with the exaggerated opinions which set it down as a mile in width and three in length,—we might fairly conclude that this mysterious being surpassed greatly all dimensions admitted by the ichthyologists of the day, if it existed at all. And that it exist was an undeniable fact; and, with that tendency which disposes the human mind in favour of the marvellous, we can understand the excitement produced in the entire world by this supernatural apparition. As to classing it in the list of fables, the idea was out of the question. did On the 20th of July, 1866, the steamer , of the Calcutta and Burnach Steam Navigation Company, had met this moving mass five miles off the east coast of Australia. Captain Baker thought at first that he was in the presence of an unknown sandbank; he even prepared to determine its exact position, when two columns of water, projected by the inexplicable object, shot with a hissing noise a hundred and fifty feet up into the air. Now, unless the sandbank had been submitted to the intermittent eruption of a geyser, the had to do neither more nor less than with an aquatic mammal, unknown till then, which threw up from its blow-holes columns of water mixed with air and vapour. Governor Higginson Governor Higginson Similar facts were observed on the 23rd of July in the same year, in the Pacific Ocean, by the , of the West India and Pacific Steam Navigation Company. But this extraordinary cetaceous creature could transport itself from one place to another with surprising velocity; as, in an interval of three days, the and the had observed it at two different points of the chart, separated by a distance of more than seven hundred nautical leagues. Columbus Governor Higginson Columbus Fifteen days later, two thousand miles farther off, the , of the Compagnie-Nationale, and the , of the Royal Mail Steamship Company, sailing to windward in that portion of the Atlantic lying between the United States and Europe, respectively signalled the monster to each other in 42° 15′ N. lat. and 60° 35′ W. long. In these simultaneous observations they thought themselves justified in estimating the minimum length of the mammal at more than three hundred and fifty feet, as the and were of smaller dimensions than it, though they measured three hundred feet over all. Helvetia Shannon Shannon Helvetia Now the largest whales, those which frequent those parts of the sea round the Aleutian, Kulammak, and Umgullich islands, have never exceeded the length of sixty yards, if they attain that. These reports arriving one after the other, with fresh observations made on board the transatlantic ship , a collision which occurred between the of the Inman line and the monster, a directed by the officers of the French frigate , a very accurate survey made by the staff of Commodore Fitz-James on board the , greatly influenced public opinion. Light-thinking people jested upon the phenomenon, but grave practical countries, such as England, America, and Germany, treated the matter more seriously. Pereire Etna procès verbal Normandie Lord Clyde In every place of great resort the monster was the fashion. They sang of it in the cafés, ridiculed it in the papers, and represented it on the stage. All kinds of stories were circulated regarding it. There appeared in the papers caricatures of every gigantic and imaginary creature, from the white whale, the terrible “Moby Dick” of hyperborean regions, to the immense kraken whose tentacles could entangle a ship of five hundred tons, and hurry it into the abyss of the ocean. The legends of ancient times were even resuscitated, and the opinions of Aristotle and Pliny revived, who admitted the existence of these monsters, as well as the Norwegian tales of Bishop Pontoppidan, the accounts of Paul Heggede, and, last of all, the reports of Mr. Harrington (whose good faith no one could suspect), who affirmed that, being on board the , in 1857, he had seen this enormous serpent, which had never until that time frequented any other seas but those of the ancient “ .” Castillan Constitutionnel Then burst forth the interminable controversy between the credulous and the incredulous in the societies of savants and the scientific journals. “The question of the monster” inflamed all minds. Editors of scientific journals, quarrelling with believers in the supernatural, spilled seas of ink during this memorable campaign, some even drawing blood; for, from the sea-serpent they came to direct personalities. For six months war was waged with various fortune in the leading articles of the Geographical Institution of Brazil, the Royal Academy of Science of Berlin, the British Association, the Smithsonian Institution of Washington, in the discussions of the “Indian Archipelago,” of the Cosmos of the Abbé Moigno, in the Mittheilungen of Petermann, in the scientific chronicles of the great journals of France and other countries. The cheaper journals replied keenly and with inexhaustible zest. These satirical writers parodied a remark of Linnæus, quoted by the adversaries of the monster, maintaining “that nature did not make fools,” and adjured their contemporaries not to give the lie to nature, by admitting the existence of krakens, sea-serpents, “Moby Dicks,” and other lucubrations of delirious sailors. At length an article in a well-known satirical journal by a favourite contributor, the chief of the staff, settled the monster, like Hippolytus, giving it the death-blow amidst an universal burst of laughter. Wit had conquered science. During the first months of the year 1867 the question seemed buried, never to revive, when new facts were brought before the public. It was then no longer a scientific problem to be solved, but a real danger seriously to be avoided. The question took quite another shape. The monster became a small island, a rock, a reef, but a reef of indefinite and shifting proportions. On the 5th of March, 1867, the , of the Montreal Ocean Company, finding herself during the night in 27° 30′ lat. and 72° 15′ long., struck on her starboard quarter a rock, marked in no chart for that part of the sea. Under the combined efforts of the wind and its four hundred horse-power, it was going at the rate of thirteen knots. Had it not been for the superior strength of the hull of the , she would have been broken by the shock and gone down with the 237 passengers she was bringing home from Canada. Moravian Moravian The accident happened about five o’clock in the morning, as the day was breaking. The officers of the quarter-deck hurried to the after-part of the vessel. They examined the sea with the most scrupulous attention. They saw nothing but a strong eddy about three cables’ length distant, as if the surface had been violently agitated. The bearings of the place were taken exactly, and the continued its route without apparent damage. Had it struck on a submerged rock, or on an enormous wreck? they could not tell; but on examination of the ship’s bottom when undergoing repairs, it was found that part of her keel was broken. Moravian This fact, so grave in itself, might perhaps have been forgotten like many others if, three weeks after, it had not been re-enacted under similar circumstances. But, thanks to the nationality of the victim of the shock, thanks to the reputation of the company to which the vessel belonged, the circumstance became extensively circulated. The 13th of April, 1867, the sea being beautiful, the breeze favourable, the , of the Cunard Company’s line, found herself in 15° 12′ long. and 45° 37′ lat. She was going at the speed of thirteen knots and a half. Scotia At seventeen minutes past four in the afternoon, whilst the passengers were assembled at lunch in the great saloon, a slight shock was felt on the hull of the , on her quarter, a little aft of the port-paddle. Scotia The had not struck, but she had been struck, and seemingly by something rather sharp and penetrating than blunt. The shock had been so slight that no one had been alarmed, had it not been for the shouts of the carpenter’s watch, who rushed on to the bridge, exclaiming, “We are sinking! we are sinking!” At first the passengers were much frightened, but Captain Anderson hastened to reassure them. The danger could not be imminent. The , divided into seven compartments by strong partitions, could brave with impunity any leak. Captain Anderson went down immediately into the hold. He found that the sea was pouring into the fifth compartment; and the rapidity of the influx proved that the force of the water was considerable. Fortunately this compartment did not hold the boilers, or the fires would have been immediately extinguished. Captain Anderson ordered the engines to be stopped at once, and one of the men went down to ascertain the extent of the injury. Some minutes afterwards they discovered the existence of a large hole, of two yards in diameter, in the ship’s bottom. Such a leak could not be stopped; and the , her paddles half submerged, was obliged to continue her course. She was then three hundred miles from Cape Clear, and after three days’ delay, which caused great uneasiness in Liverpool, she entered the basin of the company. Scotia Scotia Scotia The engineers visited the , which was put in dry dock. They could scarcely believe it possible; at two yards and a half below water-mark was a regular rent, in the form of an isosceles triangle. The broken place in the iron plates was so perfectly defined that it could not have been more neatly done by a punch. It was clear, then, that the instrument producing the perforation was not of a common stamp; and after having been driven with prodigious strength, and piercing an iron plate 1-3/8 inches thick, had withdrawn itself by a retrograde motion truly inexplicable. Scotia Such was the last fact, which resulted in exciting once more the torrent of public opinion. From this moment all unlucky casualties which could not be otherwise accounted for were put down to the monster. Upon this imaginary creature rested the responsibility of all these shipwrecks, which unfortunately were considerable; for of three thousand ships whose loss was annually recorded at Lloyd’s, the number of sailing and steam ships supposed to be totally lost, from the absence of all news, amounted to not less than two hundred! Now, it was the “monster” who, justly or unjustly, was accused of their disappearance, and, thanks to it, communication between the different continents became more and more dangerous. The public demanded peremptorily that the seas should at any price be relieved from this formidable cetacean. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Jules Verne (1994). Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved October 2022 https://www.gutenberg.org/files/164/164-h/164-h.htm This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

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