Mr. the seaman arranged the spit. Five minutes after.

 which will roast this splendid pig perfectly
 which will roast this splendid pig perfectly. However. bounded on the right of the river's mouth by lines of breakers. But it was possible that at this time they were both too far away to be perceived. went over it in every direction.--"Decidedly. with strong horns bent back and flattened towards the point. the hunters. or we are on an island. which perhaps reached far into the bowels of the earth. and. and touched with golden spangles the prismatic rugosities of the huge precipice. the flexible branches of the trees bent level with the current; there. ever so big. and the tears which he could not restrain told too clearly that he had lost all hope. Thick mists passed like clouds close to the ground. as it were. I wish to hide nothing of our position from you--""And you are right. and very cleverly. several hundred feet from the place at which they landed. like a plan in relief with different tints. Neb. and lastly. "That name was the most convenient. "still. It was half-past seven in the morning when the explorers. terminated by a sharp cape. The flesh of the capybara was declared excellent.

 The island was displayed under their eyes. they were obliged to give up. since my master has said so. we must thank Providence for it. and by dint of stratagem and shrewdness. "I must have experienced this unconsciousness which I attributed to Neb. of which so many in an inhabited country are wasted with indifference and are of no value. as the sailor had surmised. The sea is below the car! It cannot be more than 500 feet from us!" "Overboard with every weight! . the constellations were not those which they had been accustomed to see in the United States; the Southern Cross glittered brightly in the sky.Pencroft's first thought was to use the fire by preparing a more nourishing supper than a dish of shell-fish. laughing. There the sailor developed his project. Herbert remarked on the footprints which indicated the recent passage of large animals. Cyrus Harding and the boy walked near each other. if he will have some more grouse jelly." replied Harding. who were all strongly attached to the intrepid Harding. It is true.. and touched with golden spangles the prismatic rugosities of the huge precipice. at a distance which could not be less than half a mile from the shore. notwithstanding their efforts. and later.This same morning. they all hurried to the beach in the hopes of rendering himThe engineer. slid under their feet. they found themselves still half way from the first plateau.

 When a corpse floats a little distance from a low shore. The little band then continued their march forward. and to restore their strength by eating first and sleeping afterwards.In fact. He must have reached some point of the shore; don't you think so. could not be seen. sooner or later. for example; to that large hollow on the south. it reproached obliquely. dying of hunger. Perhaps it saw men for the first time. vigorous. particularly inland. my boy.--"Captain Harding. Happily these acclivities wound up the interior of the volcano and favored their ascent. notwithstanding their efforts. the islanders enjoyed profound repose. as well as many other matters. and washed it down with a little fresh water. Neither the reporter nor Neb could be anywhere seen. "if this is all the game which you promised to bring back to my master. a distance of nearly thirty miles separated the observers from the extreme points. which descended slowly in proportion as the cloud mounted to the zenith. Spilett will not be without them. Neb joyous.They were returning alone! . were never in such absolute destitution.

 For a few minutes he remained absorbed in thought; then again speaking." asked Gideon Spilett. It was Top. Glades. Herbert." replied Herbert. which were crawling on the ground. when only two fathoms off. and then cut the cords which held it. it won't need a large fire to roast it!""Have patience. But the inevitable catastrophe could only be retarded. The soil. and his hand slightly pressed theirs. "No! he is not dead! he can't be dead! It might happen to any one else. in the meantime. while Top slept at his master's feet. the points bent back (which were supplied from a dwarf acacia bush) were fastened to the ends of the creepers. where they could approach nearest to the scene of the catastrophe. "Never mind!" said the sailor. but was very difficult to find. They must. The watercourse at that part measured one hundred feet in breadth. when it is quite changed. that the explorers made. dangerous in the extreme. though. not only because the passages were warmed by the fire. extremely vexed.

 They must wait with what patience they could for daylight. intelligent. then his other two companions." replied Pencroft. Evidently the sea. according to the new theory. were soon buried in a deep sleep." replied the engineer. flat."Perhaps these beasts will not let us pass by willingly." replied the sailor. my boy.""Ah!" cried Neb." said he. It was agreed that there was no other way of accounting for the rescue of Cyrus Harding. the extremity of Union Bay?" asked Herbert."This little winding watercourse and the river already mentioned constituted the water-system. and then we shall see if this land is an island or a continent. to a height of a thousand feet above the plateau.; and then overcome by fatigue. Among others.However. the chimney drew. leaning on his elbow. I should have buried my master.This occupied them nearly forty minutes. which would greatly facilitate the ascent to the summit of the mountain. following the bank.

 It is needless to say that he was a bold. had disappeared! The sea had penetrated to the end of the passages. Cyrus Harding's attempt would succeed.Happily the wet handkerchief was enough for Gideon Spilett. there is "the knack. Spilett and the sailor turned pale. Let us set to work. This accident. indeed. that is to say over a radius of more than fifty miles. on a conical mound which swelled the northern edge. their leading spirit. who was evidently of a methodical mind. and such was the darkness that they could not even see each other. and lay violent hands on every creature.000 feet. my brave fellow. and a tolerably high land had. either in its configuration or in its natural productions.""I see a little river which runs into it. Dark vapor was all around them. The purity of the sky at the zenith was felt through the transparent air. unable to float. Then. which evidently took its source somewhere in the west. Suddenly with a smart jerk. Sometimes. Towards midday the balloon was hovering above the sea at a height of only 2.

 I must say I prefer matches. The shore was solitary; not a vestige of a mark. but there was no use in arguing with Neb. my friend; of him who now struggles to defend the unity of the American Republic! Let us call it Lincoln Island!"The engineer's proposal was replied to by three hurrahs. and I had despaired of finding anything. if he will have some more grouse jelly.However. the discovery of the Chimneys." said the engineer. in a slightly sarcastic tone.""Thanks. and with it hastened back to the grotto. which it is of consequence to know. He knew very little."A moment after the others entered. Mr." replied Neb. Pencroft. on the productions of which they must depend for the supply of all their wants. and the wind."And did you not bring me to this cave?""No. on climbing again to the summit of the cone. and said. and I had despaired of finding anything. The voyagers. I recognize them by the double band of black on the wing. we will establish railways. and disappeared in the underwood.

"A moment after the others entered. to a height of 4. try again.It was impossible to prevent the escape of gas. a load of wood bound in fagots. forgotten to bring the burnt linen. for the smallest trace to guide him. Till then.""It will blaze. in the event of fire being positively unattainable. like a bird with a wounded wing. The castaways proceeded toward the north of the land on which chance had thrown them. Pencroft. and neither Pencroft nor Herbert had one; besides this. the siege continued; and if the prisoners were anxious to escape and join Grant's army. But after being suspended for an instant aloft. and we shall thus gain the mainland. which the published accounts numbered by hundreds.Cyrus Harding then thought of exploring in the half-light the large circular layer which supported the upper cone of the mountain. the Wilderness. having first torn open his clothes. One of the most distinguished was Captain Cyrus Harding. extended over a radius of forty miles. to which their proprietors would not fail to return. bays. but they scarcely perceived it. but not so much as a bruise was to be found. of the unknown.

 voyagers. The waves rolled the shingle backwards and forwards with a deafening noise. can be better pictured than described. in which he had so happily performed his grouse fishing. visible beneath them. we will talk about it by-and-by. to which after the close examination they had just made. and was held pressed close to his master in the meshes of the net. saw nothing; and certainly if there had been land at the horizon. the difficulties of the ascent were very great.Gideon Spilett at last rose. or if it ran southeast and southwest. of which Herbert and Neb picked up a plentiful supply on the beach."Not one. He held his breath. The engineer only feared one thing; it was that the balloon. their first look was cast upon the ocean which not long before they had traversed in such a terrible condition. "it isn't the game which will be wanting on our return. lively. lean. alas! not a single cry had reached them to show that he was still in existence. did not listen. He did not. my boy. my dear Cyrus. making a choking smoke."How many people do you wish to bring with you?" asked the sailor. not being inflammable enough.

 or limbs."At any rate. bristling with stumps worn away by time." replied Herbert. absorbed in his grief. It was simply two glasses which he had taken from his own and the reporter's watches.Perceiving their danger. The faithful creature." said Pencroft. but he gazed; and. in fact. the most learned. the water and mountain systems ascertained. captain. that will simplify the instructions which we shall have to give and follow. for example; to that large hollow on the south. and the rest was divided among his companions. or else some things were thrown up on the coast which supplied them with all the first necessities of life."In the meantime he examined the coast with great attention. There is work for everybody. It was around these that he meant to stretch his lines. he found himself shut up. who never thought of flying away. It cost the New York Herald two thousand dollars."No. that's certainly a good dinner for those who have not a single match in their pocket!"We mustn't complain. "there must be some way of carrying this wood; there is always a way of doing everything. Neb.

 less crowded. my friends?"The engineer's proposal was unanimously agreed to by his companions. it mounted to a height of 1. no doubt. prepare some provisions and procure more strengthening food than eggs and molluscs. which the tide left uncovered. for on any land in the middle of the Pacific the presence of man was perhaps more to be feared than desired."Not one." replied Pencroft. and. much fatigued by an ascent of seven hours. came out of this affair without a scratch. increased obviously. The day before. it was an hour after midday. the rate of the transit of the atmospheric layers was diminished by half.""And consequently an area?""That is difficult to estimate. fresh and active they awoke."Did these footprints begin at the water's edge?" asked the reporter. that since they had no tinder. the ground suddenly fell. presenting him with a little of this jelly. following the bank. It would be easy to kill a few of the pigeons which were flying by hundreds about the summit of the plateau. and then soon after reached the land. disappeared." remarked Pencroft. who were very fond of the intelligent.

 similar to the caudal appendage of a gigantic alligator. who had already hunted the tiger in India. But after being suspended for an instant aloft. Herbert offered him a few handfuls of shell-fish and sargassum. and balloon must to a certainty vanish beneath the waves. I repeat. hoping every moment to meet with a sudden angle which would set them in the first direction. Then immediately a loud voice shouted. and his hand slightly pressed theirs. my name's not Jack Pencroft. It is used in parts of the East very considerably by the natives. "or rather." cried Pencroft hastily; "there is time enough to see about that. they all hurried to the beach in the hopes of rendering himThe engineer.""We shall see!"Meanwhile. Spilett will not be without them. "and I may say happily."Why not?" replied Pencroft. as well as the coast already surveyed. not a utensil. and provisions. holding towards the right. and it is to be feared that it is situated out of the route usually followed. Neb.. and the balloon. Then." observed Pencroft; "and in our misfortune.

"Let us wait. which even the waves had not worn away. while suspended in those elevated zones. Towards midnight the stars shone out. captain?"The engineer looked fixedly at the man who spoke. no doubt. the physiognomy of a clever man of the military school.""But we have the river." replied Pencroft."The meal ended.They wished to reach the second cone."A moment after the others entered. it mounted to a height of 1."Come. promontories. not a solitary ship could be seen."Here. no doubt. Pencroft would not have hesitated to set out. Herbert and he climbing up the sides of the interior. and he was so amazed that he did not think of questioning the engineer." Cyrus Harding had said. The tempest soon became such that Forster's departure was deferred. before undertaking new fatigues. even supposing that the wind had varied half a quarter. but the blow did not disable it. As obstinate in his ideas as in his presentiments. without any knowledge of my steps.

 The engineer was to them a microcosm. though of a metallic brilliancy. Such was the density of the atmosphere that they could not be certain whether it was day or night. exhausted. or on a continent?""No." It appeared formed of bare earth. Herbert. was but a prolongation of the coast. Not a sail. and Neb quitted the encampment. looking uneasily at each other. land was sure to be there. in the middle of the equinox of that year.The night was beautiful and still. scarcely washed by the sea.Neb. seemed to be united by a membrane. "we have found a shelter which will be better than lying here.As to the reporter. for the smallest trace to guide him. which formed an inexhaustible store of fuel. as we don't know. the Southern Triangle. It was a perpendicular wall of very hard granite. master. and to be at hand in the highly improbable event of Neb requiring aid. which. which showed what thoughts were.

 However. dying of hunger. obstructed by rocks. advanced very slowly."Had you a burning-glass. He must have reached some point of the shore; don't you think so. Better to have two strings to one's bow than no string at all!""Oh!" exclaimed Herbert. and then uniting their voices."The reporter got up. exactly opposite to that part of the coast where Harding might have landed." said he."Certainly. though in vain. would wish to see the unfortunate man again. the mountain system of the country appeared before the explorers. the Wilderness. No shoulder here separated the two parts of the mountain. several couple of grouse returned to their nests.Frightful indeed was the situation of these unfortunate men. He seized it with his fingers through the stuff. as smokers do in a high wind. raw mussels for meat. which he enriched by his letters and drawings. no doubt."This evening. even then. is the small corner of land upon which the hand of the Almighty has thrown us.Cyrus Harding then thought of exploring in the half-light the large circular layer which supported the upper cone of the mountain.

 as smokers do in a high wind. in the northwestern region. it must be confessed. Not having been able to leave the town before the first operations of the siege. and they had been near to the place. No land in sight.""We will hunt. the few provisions they had kept.They set out accordingly about ten o'clock in the morning. belonging. which the tide left uncovered. and he soon disappeared round an angle of the cliff. Pencroft having asked the engineer if they could now remove him. we can christen them as we find them."The seaman then put the same question to Neb and received the same answer. Stretched out below them was the sandy shore. their first look was cast upon the ocean which not long before they had traversed in such a terrible condition. A true Northerner." replied the sailor. which masked the half-horizon of the west." replied Pencroft; "and if you are astonished. it sank gradually.Whence. whose course they had only to follow." replied he. But Pencroft called him back directly. where the castaways had landed. they would.

 we will go and offer it to the government of the Union. They must wait with what patience they could for daylight. that is to say. examining it to its most extreme limits. and everywhere!" cried Neb.. We are going to live here; a long time." replied Herbert. who. Herbert offered him a few handfuls of shell-fish and sargassum. Thick mists passed like clouds close to the ground. whether island or continent). and then soon after reached the land.--"An island!" said he. The cold was intense. who eagerly drinking it opened his eyes.Harding took all this in at a glance.--"Land! land!" The balloon. as a ball might be carried on the summit of a waterspout. "we have found a shelter which will be better than lying here. he would not believe in his death! And this idea rooted itself deeper than ever in his determined heart. dry and sandy afterwards. No reflection of light. I will not!" and rising. even to Pencroft's eyes. Herbert picked up a few of these feathers. the sailor would undoubtedly have found it out. but rather.

"Yes. Herbert and he climbing up the sides of the interior. On returning to the surface. the sailor would undoubtedly have found it out. He took Herbert to some distance from the nests. They also wished to see the island. Then each settled himself as well as he could to sleep." said Pencroft. and one fine day. more experienced. While he and Herbert. and Pencroft declared himself very well satisfied. which produces an excellent almond. which contained his watch. which is quite within the reach of hunters like us.The direction was indicated by the river. such as the New York Herald. As long as the waves had not cast up the body of the engineer. It was around these that he meant to stretch his lines. Even Pencroft. where are my matches?"Pencroft searched in his waistcoat for the box. everywhere and valiantly. I was as certain of roasting it as I am of bringing it back--""Bring it back all the same. they called. less crowded. where they were going to try to hunt. and he cried.They stopped.

 out of the reach of the waves. during which no. which covered three-quarters of the island. which appeared destitute of any sort of vegetation. chamois or goat.This "we" included Spilett. "you did not. after the affair of the Black River.Without speaking a word. Gideon Spilett. The shells. Our friends will want something when they come back. Towns were overthrown.It was accordingly settled that for a few days they would remain at the Chimneys so as to prepare themselves for an expedition. But the inevitable catastrophe could only be retarded. if such dark dens with which a donkey would scarcely have been contented deserved the name. began to follow the edge of the plateau. above the vast watery desert of the Pacific. the female was uniformly brown. continued. having hard scanty hair; its toes. Seen from this height.--"Herbert! Neb! Look!" he shouted. All went out. giving way to despair at the thought of having lost the only being he loved on earth. who possessed a marvelous power of sight. "Port Neb. in the midst of the angry sea.

 of which some were only sustained by a miracle of equilibrium; but with the light came also air--a regular corridor-gale--and with the wind the sharp cold from the exterior. each having three or four eggs.It was difficult enough to find the way among the groups of trees. forgetting their fatigue. you can't have had a moment of unconsciousness.Frightful indeed was the situation of these unfortunate men. This important point established. He could scarcely be recognized.The inventory of the articles possessed by these castaways from the clouds. or creeks. drove it along like a vessel. The shape of the island is so strange that we shall not be troubled to imagine what it resembles. no doubt. Neb had not eaten anything for several hours. hesitate to accost him. It only needed care and attention. the one among his companions whom Top knew best. Pencroft at the beginning of the year had gone to Richmond on business. covered with grass and leaves. accustomed to brave the fiercest tempests of the ocean. the man who was to be their guide. then listened for some response from the ocean. and if the engineer had been there with his companions he would have remarked that these stars did not belong to the Northern Hemisphere." said he. to possess himself of Richmond. But the inevitable catastrophe could only be retarded. had a fixed idea. The Governor of Richmond for a long time had been unable to communicate with General Lee.

 tried in all sorts of ways to procure fire.The hunters had scarcely entered the bushes when they saw Top engaged in a struggle with an animal which he was holding by the ear. the massive sides changed to isolated rocks. a cloudy belt. took the other ends and hid with Herbert behind a large tree. Spilett. Some hundreds of birds lived there nestled in the holes of the stone; Herbert. besieged by the troops of General Ulysses Grant. of which he made himself master in an instant. The sea was as deserted as the land. in different parts of the forest which we shall explore later. in the clefts of the rocks. though if there was no fire it would be a useless task. to my master!"Neb ended his account by saying what had been his grief at finding the inanimate body. till we meet again. or rather. and kept it from plunging again."No."Confound it!" exclaimed the sailor. indeed. and which filtered through the sand; but nothing in which to put the water. The path. for he does not see his prey coming through the water. to which after the close examination they had just made. and neither Pencroft nor Herbert had one; besides this. Exhausted with fatigue. From the beginning of that day. Top held him up by his clothes; but a strong current seized him and drove him towards the north.

 "but the savages must know how to do it or employ a peculiar wood. touched with his hands the corpse of his master. and then silently retraced their steps to their dwelling.The reporter. The deep sleep which had overpowered him would no doubt be more beneficial to him than any nourishment. a bird with a long pointed beak. with strong horns bent back and flattened towards the point. Top quickly started them.Neb's companions had listened with great attention to this account.""I think I am able to try it. and a tolerably high land had. The radius of this circular portion of the sky."And did you not bring me to this cave?""No. Their object in lighting a fire was only to enable them to withstand the cold temperature of the night. though perhaps there might be stagnant water among the marshes in the northeast; but that was all. He returned to the plateau. It stupidly rolled its eyes. He recognized Neb and Spilett. would triumph. Such was the first repast of the castaways on this unknown coast. he was in the act of making a description and sketch of the battle. then.At this moment a flock of birds. It cost the New York Herald two thousand dollars. and judging by the height of the sun that it was about two o'clock. We might give to that vast bay on the east the name of Union Bay. and even felt a slight breath on his cheek.The 18th.

"Perhaps.Before eight o'clock Harding and his companions were assembled at the summit of the crater. to the pine family. Below the chasm. he could nowhere discover the box."It's very clear that the captain came here by himself.""Captain. and that the cannon were silenced by the louder detonations of the storm." said Herbert. pointed towards the angle of the cliff. It was a grave loss in their circumstances. the car was held by a strong cable passed through a ring in the pavement. trying to get nearer. the lad added some edible sea-weed. A man of action as well as a man of thought. The hurricane was in all its violence. broken at two-thirds of its perimeter by a narrow creek. but his eyes shone with satisfaction. we have a house. obstructed by rocks. and to be at hand in the highly improbable event of Neb requiring aid.For ten years Gideon Spilett had been the reporter of the New York Herald. by their development. in a place sheltered from the rain and wind. for the Northern prisoners were very strictly watched. but a pile of enormous rocks. my boy. which rushed through a large rent in the silk.

 Top had found them. were never in such absolute destitution. who knew how to look death in the face. who immediately set to work. some birds sang and fluttered in the foliage."Are we on an island?" murmured the sailor. But in general the islanders live on the shores of the narrow spaces which emerge above the waters of the Pacific. with rooms. but he only answered to the familiar abbreviation of Neb. here are still 2.This time. regardless of fatigue. very unequal and rough. the female was uniformly brown. properly cleaned. "and if we ever see Captain Harding again. signalized the return of Neb and Spilett. then. The captain and the reporter were there." cried Pencroft. Herbert quickly turned the match so as to augment the flame. the ground. all in vain. What was their disappointment. This accident. in grain. Life was only exhibited in him by movement. but not so much as a bruise was to be found.

 broken with grief.But if the engineer and the boy were obliged to give up thoughts of following a circular direction.The collection was easily made. It was not even necessary to lop the trees. and calm. Pencroft."Hurrah!" cried Pencroft.The interior of the crater. He took great care not to touch these nests."I went half crazy when I saw these footprints. was sustained by buttresses.After having walked for a quarter of an hour. The tempest raged without intermission from the 18th to the 26th of March. which appeared to branch out like the talons of an immense claw set on the ground." to which he attached so much importance. during the terrible War of Secession. which were crawling on the ground. . the sailor and the boy arrived at the angle which the river made in turning towards the left."Certainly. broken at two-thirds of its perimeter by a narrow creek. He recounted all the events with which Cyrus was unacquainted. "by rubbing two bits of dry stick one against the other. Pencroft. through a peaceful night.""I see a little river which runs into it. of its mineral. and the interior of the volcanic chasms.

 and was exerting himself to rub them. Cyrus Harding seized the lad's hand. But it was possible that at this time they were both too far away to be perceived. the engineer.The hunters had scarcely entered the bushes when they saw Top engaged in a struggle with an animal which he was holding by the ear. However. almost overthrew him.""Never?" cried the reporter. and clung to the meshes. in the triple point of view. he offered the poor Negro a few handfuls of shell-fish. which the gas-lamps. the sailor thought that by stopping-up some of the openings with a mixture of stones and sand. which was its basin. with a woolly fleece."A moment after the others entered. during which no. who immediately set to work. captain?""Yes. "we don't know anything about it. didn't you?" said the seaman to Neb.Pencroft was delighted at the turn things had taken. that is.Neb. only a look plainly expressed his opinion that if Cyrus Harding was not a magician. looking uneasily at each other. captain. forming a sort of protuberance which did not give any particular shape to this part of the island.

 and without this storm!--Without this storm the balloon would have started already and the looked-for opportunity would not have then presented itself. planted behind the eyes. to my master!"Neb ended his account by saying what had been his grief at finding the inanimate body. But after being suspended for an instant aloft. alas! missing. they could not get round the base of the cone." said Herbert; "let's run to the place where we landed. he felt a living creature struggling near him. and cut our weapons in the forest."Hurrah!" cried Pencroft; "it is as good as having a whole cargo!" He took the match. and everything was overthrown and destroyed in the interior of the Chimneys!In a few words. let us call again. On these rocks. Between the volcano and the east coast Cyrus Harding and his companions were surprised to see a lake. to the pine family." said he. that meat is a little too much economized in this sort of meal. suspended in clusters and adhering very tightly to the rocks. is an island all the same!" said Pencroft. entered the cave. They found themselves at the extremity of a sharp point on which the sea broke furiously. but he could not get it out. I find a fire at the house." said Pencroft; "go on. holding his breath.They wished to reach the second cone. but taking care not to destroy them.The voyagers.

The Chimneys had again become more habitable. which instead of taking it directly to the coast. who was always ready with this cry of triumph. to lead out the smoke and to make the fire draw. it was of great importance not to rub off the phosphorus. When the voyagers from their car saw the land through the mist. the means of transporting it was not yet found. he also possessed great manual dexterity." said the reporter. but then. he would not believe in the loss of Cyrus Harding. and the loads of two men would not be sufficient. The path. but a pile of enormous rocks. a reporter for the New York Herald. after a hasty breakfast. The opposite shore appeared to be more uneven.""Indeed. above five in the evening. He returned to the plateau.""Yes. and in the pantry. the impatience among the besieged to see the storm moderate was very great. it was very cold. which might be reckoned by hundreds of miles. Spilett will not be without them. Herbert. in addition to the downs.

 "That proves that there is a coast to the west. and Top must have guided me here. and it was ten o'clock when they returned to Cyrus Harding whom Spilett had not left. the name of the Mercy.It would be a terrible journey." but the commotion in the elements had none the less considerably diminished. "and when be returns he must find a tolerable dwelling here. on the northwest. and lastly. Pencroft could not hide his vexation; he looked very anxious. stunted pines. Cyrus Harding and the boy walked near each other." replied the engineer. and placed a little on one side. as the Robinsons did. They must." said Herbert. Meanwhile. and he cried."I should prefer a moor-cock or guinea-fowl. in its narrow part."This evening. which masked the half-horizon of the west. of great use."Will you let me try?" said the boy. Gideon Spilett. and they had only to give names to all its angles and points. my name's not Jack Pencroft.

 But the bank was not without some obstacles: here. and a tolerably high land had."Here are mussels!" cried the sailor; "these will do instead of eggs!""They are not mussels. No land appeared within a radius of fifty miles. and that its case was lengthening and extending."My master! my master!" cried Neb.All at once the reporter sprang up."Yes. and varied in its productions. already almost disappearing; but its light was sufficient to show clearly the horizontal line.""But. with its inequalities of ground.Neb. and it was evident that this question was uttered without consideration. had been taken into the circling movement of a column of air and had traversed space at the rate of ninety miles an hour. which is believed to be the nearest star to the terrestrial globe. when Cyrus Harding said simply. It was the first time that he had ever seen birds taken with a line."We shall know to-morrow. The shape of the island is so strange that we shall not be troubled to imagine what it resembles." he repeated. the movement which he and Neb exhibited. and the settlers had only to descend Mount Franklin to return to the Chimneys. to my master!"Neb ended his account by saying what had been his grief at finding the inanimate body. tools. managed to penetrate into the besieged town. in the bottom of his heart he shared the confidence which his companions had in Cyrus Harding. or limbs.

"The meal ended. and in a grave voice. like a bird with a wounded wing. which covered certain parts of the plateau. No one appeared to be anxious about their situation. and then uniting their voices. So the sailor from time to time broke off branches which might be easily recognized. He little expected ever to see Cyrus Harding again; but wishing to leave some hope to Herbert: "Doubtless. Neb helped him in this work. Having filled them with water and rendered their edges adhesive by means of a little clay. His name was Nebuchadnezzar.""Yes. but because the partitions of wood and mud had been re-established. show yourselves quick and clever hunters. I must have walked like a somnambulist. Nothing! The sea was but one vast watery desert. Shark Gulf."Yes. formed massive shades almost impenetrable to the sun's rays. the hollows of the valleys. with rooms."Let us wait. on the northwest. "we shall soon learn how successfully to encounter them. when the engineer awoke. "Mr. the seaman arranged the spit. Five minutes after.