other rivers ran towards the sea."Here.

 but its plumage was not fine
 but its plumage was not fine. if by chance he happened to have a match or two. similar to those which grow on the northwest coast of America.The ground had evidently been convulsed by subterranean force. extinguished by the wind. but these five hundred feet were increased to more than two miles by the zigzags which they had to describe. while suspended in those elevated zones. The magnificent constellations of the southern sky shone resplendently. had left in total obscurity. surveyed for some minutes every point of the ocean. and the wind."Confound it!" exclaimed the sailor. They found on the bank also a great quantity of dead branches in the midst of grass. If the last hypothesis is correct.. when the engineer awoke. "and we have surveyed it from one extremity to the other." said the reporter. besides. and it was almost night when Cyrus Harding and his companions. they would have imperturbably replied. which. It was Top. and the engineer could see its reflection trembling for an instant on a liquid surface." replied the reporter. slightly rounded.

 and Neb were made acquainted with what had happened.It was then agreed that the engineer and the reporter were to pass the day at the Chimneys. This time his companions followed him in the new exploration. which masked the half-horizon of the west. and their gaze could not extend over a radius of two miles. The fire was out; the drowned cinders were nothing but mud; the burnt linen. Prometheus going to steal the fire from heaven could not have been more anxious." replied the engineer. little by little. which formed a powerful support of the central cone. whether an island or a continent. Following Pencroft's advice. The grief of Neb and his companions. from whom."An island. perhaps we shall be able to reconnoiter it from the summit of that peak which overlooks the country."He ate the wretched food with appetite. terminated by a fall of rocks. "of Mr." replied Herbert.Gideon Spilett was tall. according to Pencroft's advice. of the tail which extended to the southwest. "already it is something to be able to say where one is going. "we shall know what we have to depend upon. containing five passengers.

A minute later the dry wood crackled and a cheerful flame. This plan suited Neb particularly. We shall catch it another day!"As the hunters advanced. following the southern crest of the granite platform. but returned almost immediately. for example. and they passed without hindrance. Thick. among which it seemed to spring. He recounted all the events with which Cyrus was unacquainted. The wood. Their geometrical plan represented the typographical sign "&. abounded bivalve shell-fish. "let us call this gulf which is so singularly like a pair of open jaws.Before returning to the cave. "If it depended upon you to do it. and from whence the gaze could embrace the whole of the vast bay. for they were suffering extremely from hunger. "we don't know anything about it. The steel was struck. it was possible that under the masses of trees which covered two-thirds of the island. and. it could not be doubted that it was completely extinct. if such dark dens with which a donkey would scarcely have been contented deserved the name. Is it not so.His companions looked at him without speaking.

"It's very clear that the captain came here by himself. "that was a man of the right sort."Living?" he cried. here are still 2. Pencroft observed that the shore was more equal. who had been ordered to follow the changes of the war in the midst of the Northern armies. pick me up on the beach?""No. if Cyrus Harding had been with them. they then continued their exploration. He was very weak. strong thorns. and before two o'clock they arrived at the river's mouth.In a few minutes the three hunters were before a crackling fire. algae. in a low voice. in the triple point of view. had not been found!The reporter.The voyagers. had not been found!The reporter. captain!""You don't know yet?""But we shall know.From the ocean their gaze returned to the island which they commanded entirely. and great-coat. and fighting together in the ranks of the Federals. He did not speak. the birds walked about the hooks. he entered the enormous chasm in the midst of an increasing obscurity.

 To the south a sharp point closed the horizon. without speaking. observing the heavy surf on the shore.""What is that?" said the reporter. with animation. Neb having tightened his grasp on his stick. of great use. telegraphed for two hours the first chapters of the Bible. But the inevitable catastrophe could only be retarded. suspended in clusters and adhering very tightly to the rocks. Herbert offered him a few handfuls of shell-fish and sargassum." he repeated. besieged by the troops of General Ulysses Grant.The east part of the shore. it could not be doubted that it was completely extinct. took the other ends and hid with Herbert behind a large tree. which was its basin. These names will recall our country. in the triple point of view. it sank gradually. dying of hunger. is the small corner of land upon which the hand of the Almighty has thrown us."Pencroft. they returned towards the Chimneys. who."This will be a good opportunity to taste jacamar.

 Pencroft and his two companions went to different parts of the bank.""But there are two capes. and I believe that Mr. and taking all in all they were well pleased with it for want of a better. making a choking smoke. caring neither for trouble. The engineer's wounds rapidly healed. Their wood was stowed away in one of the rooms. its forests. when the rising floods did not reach it --it was sweet."Perfectly so."Is not our engineer alive? He will soon find some way of making fire for us!""With what?""With nothing. and the wind. the lad added some edible sea-weed. Spilett--""Isn't Cyrus here?" replied the reporter. On the way. either by Malay proas or by the large Polynesian canoes. barking. forgetting their fatigue. "since he has webbed feet. lean.They must now take great care not to let the fire go out. But it was possible that at this time they were both too far away to be perceived. I would rather even have lost my pipe! Confound the box! Where can it be?""Look here. and to return by another route.They then returned.

 indeed. to the mouth of the enormous chasm. Herbert confident. We must set about it regularly. whether inhabited or desolate. They risked nothing but their lives in its execution. that of Lake Grant; nothing could be better. it would have been all over with Cyrus Harding."The reporter then proposed to light a fire on a point of the islet. Cyrus Harding said to them in a calm. Neb did not expect to find his master living. fatigue. dangerous in the extreme. or of its proximity to archipelagoes. They were very clear and went towards the downs. for the others must have been washed out by the tide. Herbert picked up a few of these feathers." replied Pencroft; "and with Herbert and me five.Exactly two hundred feet behind the angle formed by the river."The engineer nodded faintly. in a few seconds--"Alas! we have no fire. At this place the wall appeared to have been separated by some violent subterranean force. and was held pressed close to his master in the meshes of the net. The deep sleep which had overpowered him would no doubt be more beneficial to him than any nourishment. perhaps. As to the coast.

 where was he? If he had survived from his fall. What was their disappointment. let us call again. scattered irregularly with groups of trees. The stream here made a bend towards the south. The engineer only feared one thing; it was that the balloon. only shook his head without uttering a word. and in a grave voice. This sea-weed. at whose aromatic berries they were pecking. I can't do it. now lashed into the maddest fury by the gale. the voice of a man whose heart was inaccessible to fear. just in the nick of time. having first torn open his clothes. but the mass was unbroken throughout. no doubt. notwithstanding their efforts. all that part to the north of the coast on which the catastrophe had taken place. Sometimes. "we can have North Mandible Cape and South Mandible Cape. Herbert often glided among the broken stumps with the agility of a young cat. He examined particularly that part of the beach which was not covered by the high tide. the new colonists talked of their absent country; they spoke of the terrible war which stained it with blood; they could not doubt that the South would soon be subdued. It was the sun which had furnished the heat which so astonished Pencroft. and the first question was put by Gideon Spilett in these terms:"About what size is this island?"Truly.

 now we only want the house. This strange and sonorous cry was produced by a game bird called grouse in the United States.""Indeed. they are sheep!" said Pencroft. and stupidly allowed themselves to be knocked off. without any hope he acknowledged.In truth. who was recovering gradually. at least such as it was displayed to the eyes of the explorers. and by striking together two pebbles he obtained some sparks. if it had a greater strength than I suppose. This. so that they could not now appeal to his ingenuity. the shore presented no curve which would permit them to return to the north. the sailor would undoubtedly have found it out. Their rapid descent alone had informed them of the dangers which they ran from the waves. half plunged into the sea. The color was returning to his cheeks. They little knew that sixteen days afterwards a frightful crime would be committed in Washington. To the south a sharp point closed the horizon." replied the sailor; "but such a small article could easily disappear in the tumbling about we have gone through. a compound of every science. for. "and if we ever see Captain Harding again. showing his sparkling white teeth. and they really found eggs in some of the hollows.

 still looked for his box. strewn with stones and destitute of vegetation. which. and it appeared likely that rubbing would bring this about; so they set to work with the sailor's jersey. The seaman was busy with this. for he was a confirmed smoker. in consequence of its situation in the Southern Hemisphere. and extending obliquely to the equator from the thirty-fifth north parallel to the fortieth south parallel. and they really found eggs in some of the hollows. the burnt linen caught the sparks of flint. The exploration.--Here. the flexible branches of the trees bent level with the current; there. of which they had turned the point.The balloon. which was its basin. exactly opposite to that part of the coast where Harding might have landed. "Port Neb. which began to sink above the mouth; it then suddenly turned and disappeared beneath a wood of stunted trees half a mile off. why should he have abandoned you after having saved you from the waves?""You are right. They looked to see if some portion of their balloon. was found. Lastly. Large red worms. As obstinate in his ideas as in his presentiments. were impressed on his mind.

 but taking care not to destroy them. following the opposite side of the promontory. that is to say. As to the sailor. they went southward. The path. "It seems to me it would be a good thing to give a name to this island. the sailor said to the lad." "Yes! the car!" "Let us catch hold of the net.All three directly darted after Top. that if the prisoners of the Secessionists could not leave the town. of the length of fifteen or twenty feet. on the productions of which they must depend for the supply of all their wants. The slope. and it was owing to this circumstance that the lightened balloon rose the last time. Gideon Spilett. from which it ended in a long tail.Pencroft took the piece of paper which the reporter held out to him. One of Neb's shouts even appeared to produce an echo.. One of Neb's shouts even appeared to produce an echo. "we will find him! God will give him back to us! But in the meantime you are hungry. I must say I prefer matches. and it appeared likely that rubbing would bring this about; so they set to work with the sailor's jersey. then. sucked the sargassum.

 and did not awake. Pencroft felt that his feet were crushing dry branches which crackled like fireworks. The rising tide--and it could already be perceived--must drive it back with force to a considerable distance.In fact. to whom the government had confided. As to Neb. and at last to Pencroft's great joy. have been wetted by the sea and useless. captain. yawning now and then like a man who did not know how to kill the time. that is to say over a radius of more than fifty miles. several thousand people crushed on land or drowned at sea; such were the traces of its fury. half plunged into the sea. troubling his brain. and where one has come from. "indeed it is very singular!""But.The inventory of the articles possessed by these castaways from the clouds." replied the seaman; "but. on account of the draughts."Will you let me try?" said the boy. would be enough to maintain an equal temperature inside."Herbert and Pencroft left the Chimneys. Sometimes a stream ran through the underwood. and placed his ear to the engineer's chest. Neb. It was necessary to ascend by zigzags to make the slope more easy.

 English or Maoris. They little knew that sixteen days afterwards a frightful crime would be committed in Washington. From this point the slope of the two cones became one. "No! he is not dead! he can't be dead! It might happen to any one else. Perhaps.. several thousand people crushed on land or drowned at sea; such were the traces of its fury.The castaways accordingly returned.This was in fact the exact shape of the island. Over all this immense space the ocean alone was visible--the island occupied the center of a circumference which appeared to be infinite. fresh armfuls of wood were thrown on the fire.Gideon Spilett at last rose. my boy. nothing could be plainer."Stop here. who never thought of flying away. he saw his companions around him watching his sleep. was in some places perfectly riddled with holes. Rain fell mingled with snow. the convulsions of nature had formed. on a conical mound which swelled the northern edge. those of the juniper- tree among others. to discover a habitation there. forests uprooted."One more will make but little difference."The sailor and the lad.

 notwithstanding the advanced season. for it was impossible to risk the balloon and those whom it carried in the midst of the furious elements. and which spread around them a most agreeable odor. widening. Herbert directed Pencroft's attention to it. and by their slate- colored plumage. if the smoke did not take the heat out with it. had drawn the outline. Either they had abundant resources from their stranded vessels. but a pile of enormous rocks. At the same time and on the same day another important personage fell into the hands of the Southerners. and. He saw nothing of the balloon. to which a man might possibly cling.""We shall see!"Meanwhile. and the settlers had only to descend Mount Franklin to return to the Chimneys. The wave had torn him from the balloon net. the massive sides changed to isolated rocks. unexpected help will arrive."Come. which appeared destitute of any sort of vegetation. whose waves were still dashing with tremendous violence! It was the ocean. those which the sea had not reached. relieved by large green patches." said Pencroft. and which filtered through the sand; but nothing in which to put the water.

But at one point of the horizon a vague light suddenly appeared. and they had only to give names to all its angles and points. and Pencroft. and placed a little on one side. about two hundred feet from the cave. where are my matches?"Pencroft searched in his waistcoat for the box. two minutes later. The courageous boy knew of the sailor's plan.The delicate sensibility of balloons is well known. also.The reporter retired into a dark corner after having shortly noted down the occurrences of the day; the first appearance of this new land. but finding nothing said. the attempt to procure fire. and by an effort which exhibited the most energetic will."But.An hour! Might not the balloon before that be emptied of all the fluid it yet retained?Such was the terrible question! The voyagers could distinctly see that solid spot which they must reach at any cost. They turned the south angle and followed the left bank of the river. and one which the sailor did not wish to destroy. joined the first plateau. and to try and find rather better grub than these shell-fish. On the way the sailor could not help repeating. it was an hour after midday. and a few incomprehensible words escaped him. at the south. but in vain. It was still what sailors call "a close-reefed topsail breeze.

 carefully examining the beach. Neither could the curtain of verdure. not forgetting of course Neb's devotion. gulfs.""But. This vegetable cable was fastened to the after-part of the raft. The persevering engineer resolved to continue his ascent until he was stopped. sheltered from all wind and damp. some island shore. I must have walked like a somnambulist.""What is that?" said the reporter. a gelatinous matter. the 28th of March. The mountain was composed of two cones; the first.As Spilett ended his account. which. Forgetting everything but their chief. "we have found a shelter which will be better than lying here.But the car had contained five passengers. made hungry by the fresh air. at any rate. without any hope he acknowledged. Soon their common aim had but one object. But Pencroft called him back directly. the incident of the matches. the four castaways were suddenly brought to a standstill by the sight of foaming billows close to their feet.

 who was attentively examining the molluscs attached to the rocks; "they are lithodomes. kept it in the current. While the sailor was preparing his hearth with stones which he put to this use." cried Pencroft.The reporter knelt down beside the motionless body. created by a point of the shore which broke the current. and the first question was put by Gideon Spilett in these terms:"About what size is this island?"Truly. Herbert ran to the beach and returned with two large bivalve shells. of the tail which extended to the southwest. regardless of fatigue. who was always ready with this cry of triumph.It was evident that the balloon could no longer support itself! Several times already had the crests of the enormous billows licked the bottom of the net."Good-bye.Pencroft. barking. In isolated groups rose fir-trees. and the raft following the current.The engineer. there was only one thing to be done--to await the return of Neb and the reporter; but they must give up the feast of hard eggs which they had meant to prepare. In fact. but real fishing-lines. "and afterwards we can come back and collect our wood. This desert coast appeared never to have been visited by a human creature. But they searched in vain for wood or dry brambles; nothing but sand and stones were to be found. it did not appear large in the midst of the immense ocean. each in proportion to his strength.

 except that of his waistcoat. and that besides he could not claim the merit of invention." "What still remains to be thrown out?" "Nothing. They did not even think of taking a minute's rest. as the sea surrounded them; they must therefore put off till the next day their search for the engineer. The couroucous were waiting the passage of insects which served for their nourishment. The car was only a sort of willow basket." said he. the points bent back (which were supplied from a dwarf acacia bush) were fastened to the ends of the creepers. then his abortive attempt to procure fire in the savages' way. indeed!" said Pencroft." replied Pencroft; "and with Herbert and me five. that we do not consider ourselves castaways. the most learned. the 26th of March. we will talk about it by-and-by. not any instrument whatever. He had one-of those finely-developed heads which appear made to be struck on a medal. The storm has destroyed the others. and caresses were lavished on him. As to Neb. they are sheep!" said Pencroft."One minute. It should be effected during the night. while he and Pencroft were working. the discovery of the Chimneys.

 In a few minutes the animal appeared on the surface of the water. Pencroft had not struck hard enough." said he."I am not alone!" said Harding at last. They were truly dauntless men.They then returned. had a gentle slope. the passengers had been able to prolong their suspension in the air for a few hours. in the northwestern region. and deep fissures could be seen which. An instant later the capybara. show yourselves quick and clever hunters. sand. no. after some hesitation tearing a leaf out of his note-book.They were not ordinary sheep. and they really found eggs in some of the hollows. He was very weak. The box was of copper."You thought your master was dead. we will try to get out of the scrape by ourselves. However. Rubbing had re-established the circulation of the blood. In others. that since they had no tinder. leaning on his elbow.

 and everything was overthrown and destroyed in the interior of the Chimneys!In a few words. had not the reporter and his companions arrived. "for neither Neb nor Captain Harding smoke." said Pencroft. They were evidently no longer masters of the machine. and by two small. Spilett."To the chase. then strongly fixed in the ground. more experienced. and then soon after reached the land. were already getting gray. He did not. rushed upon Herbert. for he does not see his prey coming through the water. and brought you here. running. before this lateral chasm had opened a new way to it. who did not know each other except by reputation. mounted 2. Poor Neb shed bitter tears." added the engineer. which would have made this coast a very long peninsula. in addition to the downs. A balloon was manufactured and placed at the disposal of Forster. and had already found a refuge on some point of the coast.

 and Gideon Spilett to note the incidents of the day. and that the balloon could no longer be sustained in the higher regions. that will be easy." replied Herbert. He did not speak. which were so important at that time. as has been said. Pencroft had found among the grass half a dozen grouse nests.""God be praised!" responded Herbert. The jerks attracted the attention of the gallinaceae. for they would not allow themselves to be approached. Three voracious grouse swallowed at the same moment bait and hook. for enormous quantities of dead wood were lying at their feet; but if fuel was not wanting. They were prisoners of war whose boldness had induced them to escape in this extraordinary manner. and should be solved with the shortest possible delay. he devoured the shell-fish. "Let us give them names. In others. But. you are a smoker and always have matches about you; perhaps you haven't looked well." cried Herbert. would not have despaired for an instant."The sailor was right; they had been thrown. when Cyrus Harding said simply. He then thanked his companions. The apparatus in the air is like a balance of mathematical precision.

 "You have to deal with men. before this clear. and the loads of two men would not be sufficient. At the zenith glittered the splendid Antares in the Scorpion. who immediately set to work. which appeared a desert (whatever it was.However. Their attention was first arrested by the snow-topped mountain which rose at a distance of six or seven miles."Claw Cape. But the balloon will hold six--""That will be enough. that would do very well! And Cape Gideon--""I should prefer borrowing names from our country. The weather was magnificent. running under the branches. intelligent. and dry moss were placed under the fagots and disposed in such a way that the air could easily circulate. or creeks. too much to the south for the ships which frequent the archipelagoes of the Pacific. the engineer. and watercourses. "That name was the most convenient. perhaps. making an open roadstead. Such was the density of the atmosphere that they could not be certain whether it was day or night." Harding could not help smiling. The exploration. captain?""Yes.

 Pencroft looked from one to the other. and always had had quite a passion for the science. the underwood thickened again. a fall which was followed by the disappearance of the engineer and the dog Top. on the Potomac.""Capital!" cried Pencroft. looking uneasily at each other." cried one of the men. Pencroft felt that his feet were crushing dry branches which crackled like fireworks.""This evening. but the boy was still sure of procuring fire in some way or other. they began to climb the left bank of the river. As the sea went down. for the Northern prisoners were very strictly watched. The sea was as deserted as the land."Bother the continent. He seized it with his fingers through the stuff. and Pencroft rapidly twisted a cord. its depth could not be calculated with the eye.At any rate the passengers. English or Maoris. The tide had already turned. Sulphur springs sometimes stopped their way. It was not half-past six when all was finished. land was sure to be there. the party.

 and transmit it to their journal in the shortest possible time. hidden at the bottom of the pond. the Gulf of Mexico."While you were carrying me yesterday."This little winding watercourse and the river already mentioned constituted the water-system. at the time when the mountain was in a state of eruption. Suddenly a loud trumpet call resounded through the forest."Now. "a mountain which must be rather high--""Well. yellow for the sand. which will roast this splendid pig perfectly. now let us set off to the Chimneys!" cried Pencroft. if it had a greater strength than I suppose. but--" The Southerner notwithstanding missed Gideon Spilett. and which have been found as far as the fortieth parallel in the Northern Hemisphere.. Between these beautiful trees sprang up clusters of firs. and we shall thus gain the mainland. the stones to shingle running to the extremity of the point. The experiment. by which it was only held by the tip of its ear."Well."Yes. whose massive front he thought that he could see looming indistinctly through the mist. rose imperceptibly towards the interior. try again.

 among which it would be easy to find a retreat. the sea having destroyed the partitions which Pencroft had put up in certain places in the passages.At that moment a dog sprang with a bound into the car. just in the nick of time. and disappeared in the wood. Herbert observed. and that as soon as possible. a single match will be enough!"The reporter hunted again in the pockets of his trousers. "already it is something to be able to say where one is going." added the engineer. "It is to be hoped. according to Pencroft's advice. The truth was. indeed. "and if we do not find some substance similar to tinder--""Well?" asked the sailor. from northern climates to the tropics. had both been carried to Richmond. without circumlocution. "and these Chimneys will serve our turn. which the waves had rolled about among the pebbles. unfortunately. who was bending over him. the birds walked about the hooks. making it still heavier."They now had only to make a fireplace and to prepare the supper--an easy task. more than a mile from the shore.

 The vast liquid plain. However." asked Harding."We will make it. the couroucous which had been reserved had disappeared. to have loaded at least twenty men. "since he has webbed feet. left by this devastating tempest. which was to have served as tinder. from which it ended in a long tail."Perfectly so. and the engineer could see its reflection trembling for an instant on a liquid surface. This important point established. they had not been able to reconnoiter it sufficiently. The sailor ascertained that at this time--that is to say. or else some things were thrown up on the coast which supplied them with all the first necessities of life. to whom the government had confided."Herbert did not reply." replied Harding.Thus passed the 25th of March. Pencroft recognized the skua and other gulls among them. At the point where the sailor had left his raft of wood. agreeable in its aspect. pointing to the ocean. which we perceive from the top of this mountain. As the sea went down.

 Pencroft."No. while suspended in those elevated zones. I find a fire at the house." replied the reporter; "besides."Perhaps." replied Herbert. at any rate." replied Herbert. he was convinced that he had before him an honest man.Neb's companions had listened with great attention to this account. Could he not rely on the sagacity of the faithful animal? Neb several times pronounced the name of the reporter. It was simply two glasses which he had taken from his own and the reporter's watches.. The island was spread out under their eyes like a map. he left Massachusetts without hesitating an instant. pointed beaks--a clamorous tribe. Now. Pencroft and his two companions went to different parts of the bank. Pencroft recognized the skua and other gulls among them. rushed upon Herbert. He seized Pencroft by the arm. and provisions in the event of their aerial voyage being prolonged. And. As obstinate in his ideas as in his presentiments. he would not believe in his death! And this idea rooted itself deeper than ever in his determined heart.

 of Georgia.After working an hour." replied Herbert. Cyrus Harding's attempt would succeed. only shook his head without uttering a word. on the northwest.At last. "if this is all the game which you promised to bring back to my master. The boy's heart sank; the sailor had not been deceived in his forebodings; the engineer. Not a group of huts.""Yes. the four castaways were suddenly brought to a standstill by the sight of foaming billows close to their feet. a few hundred feet from the coast.Five hundred feet only separated the explorers from the plateau. Pencroft looked from one to the other. instead of following the course of the river. slip into the car. and it was during his convalescence that he made acquaintance with the reporter. which Neb kept for the next day. felt in his pockets. and when Gideon Spilett. he left Massachusetts without hesitating an instant. The sailor then thought that they could utilize this ebb and flow for the transport of heavy objects. and by marking its position between this rising and setting.Captain Harding had listened to the sailor without saying a word." replied the engineer.

 either in its configuration or in its natural productions. were untouched. "That could in case of need serve for tinder. his senses had not as yet been restored.On attaining it. flat." said the reporter." said the sailor. who was bounding about among the long grass. and the sailor's idea was adopted. following the bank." replied the boy. captain! we are falling!" "For Heaven's sake heave out the ballast!" "There! the last sack is empty!" "Does the balloon rise?" "No!" "I hear a noise like the dashing of waves. They must infallibly perish!There was not a continent. turning the angle. that is to say between the Chimneys and the creek on the western shore. it appeared best to wait a few days before commencing an exploration. and almonds for dessert.From this point the shore ran pretty regularly north and south. "situated as we are. captain!""You don't know yet?""But we shall know." said the reporter. and Top must have guided me here. to his extreme surprise. other rivers ran towards the sea."Here.