But I did not advance this argument. My uncle would have met it with his inevitable Saknussemm, a precedent which possessed no weight with me; for even if the journey of the learned Icelander were really attested, there was one very simple answer, that in the sixteenth century there was neither barometer or aneroid and therefore Saknussemm could not tell how far he had gone.
Pero no hice valer este argumento, pues mi tío me hubiera en seguida sacado a colación a su eterno Saknussemm, precedente sin valor, porque, aun suponiendo que fuese cierto su viaje, siempre podría responderse que, no habiéndose inventado el barómetro ni el manómetro en el siglo XVI, ¿cómo pudo determinar este sabio islandés su llegada al centro del globo?