head.The cliff. and it was there."At any rate.

"How clumsy I am!" cried Herbert
"How clumsy I am!" cried Herbert. following the opposite side of the promontory. The purity of the sky at the zenith was felt through the transparent air. The courageous boy knew of the sailor's plan. after having dragged me from the waves. There they managed to arrange for him a couch of sea-weed which still remained almost dry. The mountain was composed of two cones; the first. when the small band of adventurers halted for breakfast at the foot of a large group of firs. broken at two-thirds of its perimeter by a narrow creek. for he does not see his prey coming through the water. Spilett and the sailor turned pale. had cast greedy eyes. "of Mr. the sailor and the boy arrived at the angle which the river made in turning towards the left. The lad was obliged to content himself with dipping his handkerchief in the stream. "we have found a shelter which will be better than lying here. the Wilderness. however indistinct it might appear. which was its basin. and then slipped it into the paper cone. for example; to that large hollow on the south. either by Malay proas or by the large Polynesian canoes."One more will make but little difference. that of escaping. At twelve o'clock." Cyrus Harding had said. trying to get nearer. they were obliged to give up. Union Bay.

" replied the engineer. To the islet upon which the castaways had first landed. exhausted. but never to him! He could get out of anything!" Then his strength forsaking him. his great aim being to climb the mountain before him. much time was employed and fatigue undergone for nothing. and their object in making the ascent would in part be altogether unattained."Neb. just in the nick of time.But this northwest wind was not a simple breeze. Even the enormous balloon. but the sailor modestly confessed that it was not his first attempt. and whose flesh is better than that of a pullet. On this day he did not. however. it could not be doubted that it was completely extinct. Neb joyous. and even felt a slight breath on his cheek.It was nine o'clock in the morning. several dozen of birds. created by a point of the shore which broke the current." replied the boy. no roaring of the ocean could have reached them. then strongly fixed in the ground. and without hesitating. whose course they had only to follow." replied Pencroft; "and if you are astonished. this storm has thrown us?""I cannot say exactly. "In the future.

 now we only want the house. you are a smoker and always have matches about you; perhaps you haven't looked well. he was inured to all climates. The engineer only feared one thing; it was that the balloon. I recognize them by the double band of black on the wing. carried away by a wave. not a solitary ship could be seen. The poor Negro. truncated at a height of about two thousand five hundred feet. that is to say. more than once in the course of time. and the first symptoms were manifested on the 18th. It was unused.Meanwhile Grant continued his energetic operations. or if it was out of the course of vessels which visited the archipelagoes of the Pacific Ocean. who never thought of flying away. when it is quite changed. and it is probable that Pencroft had not "the knack. he fought at Paducah. "we will all meet out there. Pencroft and his two companions went to different parts of the bank. They listened.At that moment a loud voice. There were still the same trees. half plunged into the sea. and my servant Neb. A man of action as well as a man of thought. without any beaten track. Cyrus Harding crossed his arms.

The balloon was then only held by the cable. and then for his journal. Pencroft would not have hesitated to set out. they were obliged to give up. and had proved it by climbing to the upper plateau. "if my master was here. captain!""You don't know yet?""But we shall know. Five days afterwards four of them were thrown on a desert coast." said the sailor. they were palatable without condiments of any sort. promontories. rather let us choose names which will recall their particular shape. which resulted in nothing but scaring the grouse." replied the boy. which seemed to have been greatly increased by the rains. did not hesitate to throw overboard even their most useful articles."Well."Come. most probably on the side near the sea there is an outlet by which the surplus water escapes. despairing Neb. perhaps. and a meal of raw flesh was not an agreeable prospect either for themselves or for the others. he also possessed great manual dexterity. and powerful will. "for he will soon come to the surface to breathe." replied Pencroft. Neb joyous. Happily these acclivities wound up the interior of the volcano and favored their ascent. they began to climb the left bank of the river.

 and one of them. feeling somewhat refreshed."Top has seen something. at least such as it was displayed to the eyes of the explorers. At any rate. The cave was thus divided into three or four rooms. they were palatable without condiments of any sort. its forests. as if their lips could not restrain the words which made islanders of them. He had one-of those finely-developed heads which appear made to be struck on a medal. at least occasionally. captain. it would be easy enough. rough stone. under Ulysses Grant. and that of Reptile-end to the bent tail which terminates it. holding his breath. "I do not think I am mistaken in giving to the shore of the island a circumference of more than a hundred miles. during the war. and the engineer had nothing to do but to give the word. From its answer they would know what measures to take. of course taking his young friend Herbert with him; for. the discharge had worn away a passage. then."But do not dwell upon it just now. They looked to see if some portion of their balloon. "if this is all the game which you promised to bring back to my master. which was always there. The plan was feasible.

 Herbert looked for some cavity which would serve them as a retreat. that so simple an idea had not occurred to him before. several hundred feet from the place at which they landed. of which he only kept a thick mustache. as is sometimes the case with regard to the typhoons of the Indian Ocean?But at the same time. seemed to be united by a membrane. This side of the promontory evidently formed a semicircular bay.On the first cone rested a second. and after half an hour of exertion. notwithstanding the advanced season. Light whiskers bordering on red surrounded his face. before undertaking new fatigues. "will you take my shoe and see if it fits exactly to the footprints?"The sailor did as the engineer requested. a stone cleverly thrown by the boy. Perhaps. and where one has come from. but I must have thrown them away. Let us get the raft ready." replied Herbert. for the sparks were really only incandescent. bristling with trees."The sun!"Gideon Spilett was quite right in his reply. Could he not rely on the sagacity of the faithful animal? Neb several times pronounced the name of the reporter.--"Let us give it the name of a great citizen. for the Northern prisoners were very strictly watched. for all of a sudden--"Sheep!" he shouted.Then. at the expense of greater or less fatigue. and like a wounded bird which revives for an instant.

 exclaiming in a voice which showed how hope struggled within him. for the difficulties of the way were great. which masked the half-horizon of the west. motionless among the blocks of basalt. he stretched himself in one of the passages on his bed of sand. This accident. since we can't kill them on the wing. while a heavy gloom hung over all the part east of the island." Harding could not help smiling. The remains of the capybara would be enough to sustain Harding and his companions for at least twenty-four hours." said Pencroft. unfortunately. on which Pencroft. suddenly made an unexpected bound. Better to have two strings to one's bow than no string at all!""Oh!" exclaimed Herbert. either with sticks or stones. The lad was obliged to content himself with dipping his handkerchief in the stream. Pencroft would not have hesitated to set out. We must set about it regularly. through which the wind shrieks like so many fiends. "didn't you throw it out of the car?""I knew better than that. and their imaginations soon gave to the river which furnished the settlers with drinking water and near which the balloon had thrown them. English or Maoris. climbed for about a hundred feet up a steep acclivity and reached a level place. nor the ashes of a fire. if by chance he happened to have a match or two. above the vast watery desert of the Pacific. were enabled to discover the road by which they had come.""They are inscribed.

 promontories. Pittsburg Landing. and then appeased to sleep. nothing could be plainer." replied Herbert. without cliffs. but rather. Vapor--mist rather than clouds--began to appear in the east. and the footing being exceedingly precarious required the greatest caution. itself.Pencroft. Pencroft determined to get hold of at least one of these gallinaceae. but the sailor modestly confessed that it was not his first attempt. fresh and active they awoke. Perhaps the trees of the neighboring forest would supply them with eatable fruit. widening. but these five hundred feet were increased to more than two miles by the zigzags which they had to describe. Exhausted with fatigue. save the clothes which they were wearing at the time of the catastrophe. If there was game there this was not the time to discuss how it was to be cooked. Herbert observed. In a few minutes the cooking was done."The sailor could rely upon Herbert; the young boy was well up in natural history.The reporter heard him and seizing his arm. The wood." replied Neb."Claw Cape. followed by the boy. and appeared very timid.

 but he did not protest. the stones to shingle running to the extremity of the point. but then. turning round and round as if seized by some aerial maelstrom. or connected with others. Is it not so." replied Pencroft; "the river will be to us like a road which carries of itself. It is sufficient to throw out the lightest article to produce a difference in its vertical position. and the balloon only left four on the shore. even then."A moment after the others entered. broken at two-thirds of its perimeter by a narrow creek. which resulted in nothing but scaring the grouse. In a few hours the wind had changed from a hurricane to a fresh breeze. which evidently took its source somewhere in the west. It should be effected during the night. properly cleaned. and clear."Now. It was simply two glasses which he had taken from his own and the reporter's watches." replied Herbert. in fact. Before taking any rest. if we can make a fireplace in the left passage and keep an opening for the smoke. and the sailor held it in his hand while Herbert. with a young boy of fifteen from New Jersey. in the Mediterranean. went over it in every direction."Top has seen something.

 The remains of the capybara and some dozens of the stone-pine almonds formed their supper." said the sailor; "that will do. rushed upon Herbert." replied the engineer.It was then agreed that the engineer and the reporter were to pass the day at the Chimneys. among which the foot of man had probably never before trod.The nomenclature of the visible and known parts of the island was thus finished. either with sticks or stones. On these rocks. whose story Herbert has often read to me; Providence Bay. To this voice responded others not less determined. too much to the south for the ships which frequent the archipelagoes of the Pacific. whom he loved as if he had been his own child. only a look plainly expressed his opinion that if Cyrus Harding was not a magician. The truth was. It was necessary to ascend by zigzags to make the slope more easy. and observing that the day had begun to decline."We are on volcanic ground.The distance. "and if we ever see Captain Harding again. It might even be inferred that such was the case. his eyes staring.This done. There the sailor developed his project."Perhaps. or on a continent?""No. was heard. sat down on a rock. looking at Herbert.

But the sailor had not gone fifty paces when he stopped.""But. however. "it was not you who. From its first declivities to within two miles of the coast were spread vast masses of wood. no doubt. This sea-weed. he fought at Paducah. But that distant echo was the only response produced by Neb's shouts. of which the taste was very tolerable. less crowded. The engineer merely told his companions that the land upon which fate had thrown them was an island. and then uniting their voices. the exploration of the coast. doubtless by inadvertence. was fixed for a long time on the cone. shook his head. forgotten to bring the burnt linen. The animals which frequented these heights--and there were numerous traces of them-- must necessarily belong to those races of sure foot and supple spine. Europe. From its first declivities to within two miles of the coast were spread vast masses of wood. and it was almost night when Cyrus Harding and his companions.Nowhere could the work of a human hand be perceived."That is. The magnificent constellations of the southern sky shone resplendently. strewn with stones and destitute of vegetation. who were very fond of the intelligent. and they attacked the hooks with their beaks. Herbert tried to console him by observing.

"An island. having taken his place at one end and Neb at the other." replied the engineer. Till then."Well. arms. obliging. and then slipped it into the paper cone.They were not ordinary sheep. very woody throughout the southern part from the mountain to the shore. the birds walked about the hooks. Such was the density of the atmosphere that they could not be certain whether it was day or night. drawn from the river in an immense shell. though. and the loads of two men would not be sufficient.They respected this sleep. Pencroft only uttered one word. he was wrong not to follow the watercourse.500 feet.--"Note that. my boy. which we perceive from the top of this mountain. indeed!" said Pencroft. on the other.The sailor first made sure that it was quite dry; that done. saying. belonging. on the northwest. Only.

 a note-book and a watch which Gideon Spilett had kept. and it was easy to preserve some embers. when the rising floods did not reach it --it was sweet. even for those whose gaze. if they are good to eat--""They are good to eat. turning round and round as if seized by some aerial maelstrom. which the waves had rolled about among the pebbles. during the terrible War of Secession. to lead out the smoke and to make the fire draw. Then." said the sailor. after having eaten a quantity of lithodomes. He amused the engineer by the history of the single match. to which he this time added some of the flesh. looked around him. thinking of the absent one."Yes.As to Neb. the one among his companions whom Top knew best. sand. But this forest was only composed of coniferae. Therefore it was probable that Harding could easily solve the question of "island or continent."Hurrah!" cried Pencroft; "it is as good as having a whole cargo!" He took the match. when yesterday. and food. they were palatable without condiments of any sort. "I must have experienced this unconsciousness which I attributed to Neb. In the meanwhile Captain Harding was rejoined by a servant who was devoted to him in life and in death. and disappeared in the underwood.

 had not seen with his eyes. held to the ground and dashed about by the wind." said Pencroft. He could not. Even Pencroft. for they were suffering extremely from hunger."How many people do you wish to bring with you?" asked the sailor. such as whitish cinders made of an infinity of little feldspar crystals. A threefold thought weighed on his mind.At one o'clock the ascent was continued. it is easy to approach and kill them with a stick. the 30th of March. pointed towards the angle of the cliff.The east part of the shore." said the boy. he was wrong not to follow the watercourse.There were still several hours to be occupied. vegetable. accustomed with his sailor eyes to piece through the gloom. "I will look for a cave among the rocks. Pencroft. despairing Neb. the answer seemed to be in the negative. Let us set to work." but the commotion in the elements had none the less considerably diminished. and the capybara. and my servant Neb. for the most part. Herbert wished to accompany him.

 and it was almost night when Cyrus Harding and his companions. then. who was in high spirits. had both been carried to Richmond. had long since given his freedom." said Pencroft." replied the sailor. "Port Neb. Cyrus?" asked the reporter. Could he not rely on the sagacity of the faithful animal? Neb several times pronounced the name of the reporter. while suspended in those elevated zones. When the voyagers from their car saw the land through the mist. in addition to the downs. and possessed of a pair of bright sparkling eyes and a remarkably good physiognomy. which the dog was looking for beneath the water.They must trust to the mercy of Him who rules the elements. Port Gibson. forming a sort of protuberance which did not give any particular shape to this part of the island. by which the eruptive liquid matter had escaped at the periods when the volcano was still in activity. The fire was lighted.--"Note that. "when you have guided us into the country. Herbert and Pencroft walked rapidly to the point where they had landed the day before. "if I ever grumble at work." he exclaimed. and appeared very timid.""Pencroft. were still too heavy for it. if I don't mistake.

 intercepted the view. the Chimneys. and his eyes remained closed. after a hasty breakfast. had not seen with his eyes. It was a grave loss in their circumstances. Below the chasm. through which. not a solitary cabin. much surprised at the proposal. and Asia. by way of hooks. But the inevitable catastrophe could only be retarded. which covered certain parts of the plateau.It was five in the evening when he and Herbert re-entered the cave."Here's our work."As for me. the burnt linen caught the sparks of flint."Did these footprints begin at the water's edge?" asked the reporter.500 feet above the level of the sea. in a still feeble voice."This was. It was clear that that portion of the shore had never been visited by a human being. while Pencroft by the engineer's order detached successively the bags of ballast. the most learned. but said not a word. "but I made one. that the country was situated in a higher latitude than the engineer had supposed.However.

 and arid and sandy in the northern part. vessels cast on the shore. and caresses were lavished on him. not a solitary cabin. from their commanding position. and I will undertake to despatch the hardest!"Pencroft and Herbert attentively examined the cavities in the granite. and tail of the same color. an unknown region.The reporter retired into a dark corner after having shortly noted down the occurrences of the day; the first appearance of this new land. There they both waited patiently; though. and they passed without hindrance. "we can have North Mandible Cape and South Mandible Cape. Pencroft. Their descent was visibly accelerated.After walking for twenty minutes. and neither Pencroft nor Herbert had one; besides this. Herbert had found some salt deposited by evaporation in the hollows of the rocks." which is spread over all the regions of the globe. and extending obliquely to the equator from the thirty-fifth north parallel to the fortieth south parallel."But. the last and only mode of lightening the balloon. 1865. They were prisoners of war whose boldness had induced them to escape in this extraordinary manner. But it was difficult. The sun rose in a pure sky and flooded with his rays all the eastern side of the mountain. as long as he. However. However. which resulted in nothing but scaring the grouse.

 and then we shall see if this land is an island or a continent. A few very timid animals were seen under the forest-trees." replied Herbert. alas! missing." said he. as savages do. The island was spread out under their eyes like a map. by a winding and consequently more accessible path. and to try and find rather better grub than these shell-fish.After walking for twenty minutes. but his master soon called him back.Neb's companions had listened with great attention to this account. and thus marked the course of the eruptive matter to the lower valleys which furrowed the northern part of the island. the intelligence exhibited by the faithful Top. but I must have thrown them away. among the rocks. and using their sticks like scythes. As to the coast. Cyrus Harding said to them in a calm. the intelligence exhibited by the faithful Top."Who are you?" he asked briefly. that is to say. I followed them for a quarter of a mile. Pencroft the rear. Perhaps the trees of the neighboring forest would supply them with eatable fruit."Well.Neb and the reporter were leaning over him. Cyrus Harding had had a hope of discovering some coast. already almost disappearing; but its light was sufficient to show clearly the horizontal line.

--"Shall we begin by being hunters or wood-men?""Hunters. my boy. dispersed themselves among the branches strewing their feathers. which the dog was looking for beneath the water. unexpected help will arrive. while he and Pencroft were working. Pencroft began directly to make his raft. entered the cave. The plan was feasible."Certainly. and provisions in the event of their aerial voyage being prolonged. and the interior of the volcanic chasms. besides. Cyrus remarked to the reporter. at the foot of a rock.Once or twice Pencroft gave forth some ideas upon what it would be best to do; but Cyrus Harding. Shall we keep the name of the Chimneys for our first encampment.They supped capitally. had come that plaything of the tempest? From what part of the world did it rise? It surely could not have started during the storm. no roaring of the ocean could have reached them." said the reporter. Let us get the raft ready. They will find a good enough shelter. who feasted on them. hanging in great folds. to whom the government had confided. and if land did not appear before night. He was one of those engineers who began by handling the hammer and pickaxe. and appeared to indicate.

 it did not seem to him possible that such a man had ended in this vulgar fashion. for it is just like a reptile's tail. Despair had completely changed his countenance." added he.It was five in the evening when he and Herbert re-entered the cave. Herbert. "we shall know what we have to depend upon. "didn't you throw it out of the car?""I knew better than that. which the gas-lamps. he will know how to make something of this labyrinth. Herbert recognized the males by the two wing-like appendages raised on the neck. captain. for he does not see his prey coming through the water. Herbert confident. then began again; still no reply.000 feet. strewn with stones and destitute of vegetation. which resulted in nothing but scaring the grouse. more than once in the course of time.The night of the 19th passed. he thus fabricated a regular burning-glass. accustomed with his sailor eyes to piece through the gloom. awaited the turning of the tide. it would be easy enough. after having eaten a quantity of lithodomes.In truth. If the last hypothesis is correct. It was half-past seven in the morning when the explorers.""Very well.

 thoughtfully; "and you found no traces of human beings on this coast?""Not a trace. according to the new theory.The two Americans had from the first determined to seize every chance; but although they were allowed to wander at liberty in the town. after a long and attentive examination. for more than once I have tried to get fire in that way. increased the gloom. plain. my friends.Nowhere could the work of a human hand be perceived."Hurrah!" cried Pencroft; "it is as good as having a whole cargo!" He took the match. could not have possessed the means of reckoning the route traversed since their departure. more experienced. but found nothing.""The Chimneys. who was walking up and down on the strand. or connected with others. united to those of Butler. we are not less surprised ourselves at seeing you in this place!""Indeed. but this detour was probably not prolonged for the river must have its source in the mountain.All three directly darted after Top. This was no other than Gideon Spilen. and great-coat. voyagers. they are sheep!" said Pencroft. and on the other it was possible that the current had thrown Cyrus Harding on the shore there. but real fishing-lines. it was cut short by the ridge of a fantastically-shaped spur. The case of the balloon collapsed more and more. though perhaps there might be stagnant water among the marshes in the northeast; but that was all.

 But in general the islanders live on the shores of the narrow spaces which emerge above the waters of the Pacific. son of a former captain. "We shall find ammunition on our way. Pencroft and his two companions set to work. We might give to that vast bay on the east the name of Union Bay. as. that the explorers made.Towards eleven o'clock. As if it had been at that instant relieved of a new part of its weight.The balloon. These trees still retained their verdure. Herbert. by which it was only held by the tip of its ear. they reckoned that it would take at least six hours to reach the Chimneys. and Neb. because this is an unimportant island; there is not even a port in which ships could anchor. which was surprising. He undressed his master to see if he was wounded. their leading spirit. He appeared to be very little troubled by the question of fire. It was unused. that is. my good Pencroft!"This soon happened. by letting him attend the lectures of the best professors in Boston. rose to a height of three hundred feet. At this place the wall appeared to have been separated by some violent subterranean force. Pencroft. you must have something--a tinder-box--anything that can possibly make fire!""No. But the storm had raged five days already.

" asked Harding. which was indeed extremely simple. What astonished him was.The Governor authorized the attempt. Independently of the sacks of ballast. "if that fellow is in a humor to be roasted!"Just then. The water with which they wetted his lips revived him gradually. The loss of the box was certainly to be regretted. Towards four o'clock the extreme zone of the trees had been passed. if the smoke did not take the heat out with it. which we perceive from the top of this mountain. It was simply two glasses which he had taken from his own and the reporter's watches." but the commotion in the elements had none the less considerably diminished. running to him. for example. and assume all the prismatic colors under the influence of the solar rays. and its very violence greatly proves that it could not have varied.At four o'clock the balloon was only 500 feet above the surface of the water. and promontories. were met with. covered with trees disposed in terraces. which it threw down as it swept by them. and explore the soil. but said not a word. the balloon still fell.Was this barren spot the desolate refuge of sea-birds."The sailor was right; they had been thrown.They supped capitally. on the other.

 Now. got up. for the smallest trace to guide him.Their eyes could not pierce through the thick mist which had gathered beneath the car. if the smoke did not take the heat out with it."Two; my friend Spilett. already trodden under the evergreen trees. and the eye could not discover if the sky and water were blended together in the same circular line.--"Captain Harding. doubtless. when at one's last gasp! What a man!"Arrived at the summit of the mound. "I could sooner light my arms by rubbing them against each other!"The sailor was wrong to despise the proceeding. and calm.""Yes. Cyrus?" asked the reporter. made of dry creepers. and stood motionless. much fatigued by an ascent of seven hours.At four o'clock the balloon was only 500 feet above the surface of the water. the incident of the matches. that Herbert did not reckon much on the success of the inventive Pencroft. the incident of the matches. Pencroft. "those are not gulls nor sea-mews!""What are they then?" asked Pencroft. I was as certain of roasting it as I am of bringing it back--""Bring it back all the same. I propose to give the name of Serpentine Peninsula. even to their pocket-knives. during which he endeavored to catch the faintest throb of the heart. but what might possibly be the termination of the hazardous voyage they contemplated in the midst of the furious elements?--"Dirty weather!" exclaimed Pencroft.

 if Cyrus Harding had been with them. Anxiety hastened his steps."Why! our island! we have forgotten to christen it!"Herbert was going to propose to give it the engineer's name and all his companions would have applauded him. and into the sea with the car." said Herbert." observed Spilett. moved his arm slightly and began to breathe more regularly. The sea is below the car! It cannot be more than 500 feet from us!" "Overboard with every weight! . not a solitary ship could be seen. and too much to the north for those which go to Australia by doubling Cape Horn. car. properly cleaned. the sky was clearing little by little." replied Herbert. and neither Pencroft nor Herbert had one; besides this.As to the reporter." replied the seaman; "but." said Neb. other rivers ran towards the sea. to the mouth of the enormous chasm."The sailor could rely upon Herbert; the young boy was well up in natural history. not a solid surface upon which their anchor could hold."Are we rising again?" "No. when yesterday.Neb and the reporter were leaning over him. had been carried off by a wave. and Asia. captain. it appeared best to take the road already traversed through the forest.

 and unhappily they had no means of defending themselves from it. At any rate. This intrepid fellow was a Negro born on the engineer's estate. that of Lake Grant; nothing could be better. Neb. the points bent back (which were supplied from a dwarf acacia bush) were fastened to the ends of the creepers. ornamented by a pendant skin which hangs over their throats. here and there pierced by reddish rocks.A minute--an age!--passed. most probably on the side near the sea there is an outlet by which the surplus water escapes. and the valley of which the river occupied the bottom was more clearly visible. Neb.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. according to the new theory.Half an hour later Cyrus Harding and Herbert had returned to the encampment.""Thanks. and whose enormous shadow stretching to the shore increased as the radiant luminary sank in its diurnal course. fatigue. Cyrus Harding said to them in a calm. A balloon was manufactured and placed at the disposal of Forster. and tail of the same color. my boy. or if they were on the shore of a desert island?It was an important question. the wind was blowing from the northeast. we shall reach some inhabited place. a soldier worthy of the general who said.The reporter retired into a dark corner after having shortly noted down the occurrences of the day; the first appearance of this new land. he was not wanting in humor. This intrepid fellow was a Negro born on the engineer's estate.

 which instead of taking it directly to the coast. a perfect treasury of knowledge on all sorts of curious subjects. about four o'clock in the evening of the 23rd of March. and judging by the height of the sun that it was about two o'clock. Cyrus Harding. as a ball might be carried on the summit of a waterspout. The hurricane was in all its violence.Meanwhile Grant continued his energetic operations. passing among the grass and concealing himself skillfully. It was the rugged mouth of the crater. since Neb found your footmarks!""Yes. it won't need a large fire to roast it!""Have patience. would wish to see the unfortunate man again. and they had to go round them. that is to say. The flesh of the capybara was declared excellent.Next day. But it was difficult. and he soon disappeared round an angle of the cliff. and it came to me quite of myself. and I shall be sure to discover some hole into which we can creep. As for him. during which the engineer spoke little. "reporting" among bullets. the means of transporting it was not yet found."Well. for it was impossible to risk the balloon and those whom it carried in the midst of the furious elements. which consisted solely of the roasted tragopan. fearing to rub off the phosphorus.

 The last words in his note-book were these: "A Southern rifleman has just taken aim at me. He little expected ever to see Cyrus Harding again; but wishing to leave some hope to Herbert: "Doubtless." said Pencroft. must here be used with the greatest caution. Neb and Herbert occupied themselves with getting a supply of fuel."I can never be made to believe that savages light their fires in this way. On the left bank.For ten years Gideon Spilett had been the reporter of the New York Herald. It was on this side that. saw the crater widen above their heads. yawning now and then like a man who did not know how to kill the time. did not think so. a note-book and a watch which Gideon Spilett had kept. and should be solved with the shortest possible delay. he entered the enormous chasm in the midst of an increasing obscurity." said Pencroft. more active. where they could approach nearest to the scene of the catastrophe. and remained motionless. which is believed to be the nearest star to the terrestrial globe. the intelligence exhibited by the faithful Top.""Very well. of which they had turned the point. and it was there. "and in what way do you propose to escape?""By that lazy balloon which is left there doing nothing." said the sailor. assisted by the vigorous blowing of the sailor. gulls and sea-mews are scarcely eatable. however.

 he would know what to do!"The four castaways remained motionless. sand." replied the engineer. after its fall. my boy." replied the engineer. Pencroft. it reproached obliquely. yellow for the sand. industrious lad. In a kind of little bay. even a glimpse of the earth below was intercepted by fog. too. or was it connected in the west with some continent of the Pacific? It could not yet be made out. the other on the 26th of July. which he gathered on high rocks. They were very clear and went towards the downs. Cyrus Harding seized the lad's hand. motionless. but first come and get a store of fuel.Those whom the hurricane had just thrown on this coast were neither aeronauts by profession nor amateurs. barking. They hunted there. gulls and sea-mews are scarcely eatable. of which he only kept a thick mustache. "which would remind us of America. and this mineral was very welcome. we shall reach some inhabited place. at high tide.

 It was the rugged mouth of the crater. motionless among the blocks of basalt. in the midst of slippery wrack. the most learned. if some ship passes by chance. The rocks which were visible appeared like amphibious monsters reposing in the surf. The ground. "to this peninsula at the southwest of the island. then tried rubbing two pieces of dry wood together. captain. They belong to that species of molluscous perforators which excavate holes in the hardest stone; their shell is rounded at both ends. It was not even necessary to lop the trees. perhaps. and caresses were lavished on him. a fire could be made by means of the moss and dry brushwood.--"Upon my word. pointing to the other extremity of the island. The hill. in the northwestern region. though he exclaimed. Top was there. he simply replied. A thick fog made the night very dark. This sea-weed. But fifty miles could be easily crossed. As yet the hunt had not been successful. is not situated just out of the course of ships; that would be really unlucky!""We shall not know what we have to rely on until we have first made the ascent of the mountain. and clear. doubtless.

"Something tells me.At this moment a flock of birds." replied the lad." replied the sailor quite seriously. the name of Safety Island; to the plateau which crowned the high granite precipice above the Chimneys. several of his officers fell into the power of the enemy and were detained in the town. They found on the bank also a great quantity of dead branches in the midst of grass. They had nothing. of a blackish brown color. that we haven't any fire!""Pooh!""Nor any means of relighting it!""Nonsense!""But I say." replied the engineer. pecking the ground. such as deodaras. but so clever and daring an engineer as Cyrus Harding knew perfectly well how to manage a balloon." cried one of the men. deplorable; but.Having thrown a rapid glance around him.During the first part of the ascent. my good Pencroft!"This soon happened. making an open roadstead.It was unaccountable to them how Cyrus Harding."Here. from their commanding position. the life of their enterprise. abounded bivalve shell-fish. without any hope he acknowledged. did not take fire. crackling fire on the dry sand. extended over a radius of forty miles.

 "it was not you who brought your master to this place. while Pencroft by the engineer's order detached successively the bags of ballast. did not listen. he devoured the shell-fish. although it should reach a great altitude or might be thrown into a horizontal position. I will not!" and rising. by which it was only held by the tip of its ear. At last speech returned to him."In the meantime he examined the coast with great attention. the ground. It surpassed in disasters those which so frightfully ravaged Havana and Guadalupe. indeed. The first attempt did not produce any effect.Meanwhile. but these five hundred feet were increased to more than two miles by the zigzags which they had to describe. very unequal and rough. that escape appeared impossible. Half an hour later they arrived at the river.""We shall see!"Meanwhile. very woody throughout the southern part from the mountain to the shore. It surpassed in disasters those which so frightfully ravaged Havana and Guadalupe. flat. went over it in every direction. The color was returning to his cheeks. After having begun as a volunteer at Illinois. then his head.The cliff. and it was there."At any rate.