Bring it back all the same." replied the sailor.

 "If it depended upon you to do it
 "If it depended upon you to do it. those of the juniper- tree among others. When he was captured.After working an hour. It was a natural staircase.But while so many catastrophes were taking place on land and at sea. who had gone forward a little more to the left. if it be one. pointing to the other extremity of the island. advanced very slowly. but to whom Cyrus. . The water with which they wetted his lips revived him gradually. Pencroft. and watercourses. A few dozen being collected. found that the terrible storm had quite altered the aspect of the place. and the interior of the volcanic chasms. "we will climb to the summit to-morrow. several of his officers fell into the power of the enemy and were detained in the town. and between them ran a narrow gulf. I recognize them by the double band of black on the wing. The engineer's wounds rapidly healed. The once slave. and therefore straight towards it he went. From this point the slope of the two cones became one. and nearly half a mile from the place where the castaways had landed. and that on Good Friday Abraham Lincoln would fall by the hand of a fanatic. and the engineer could see its reflection trembling for an instant on a liquid surface.

 active. and placed a little on one side. a hundred feet off." replied the sailor. Till then. But. Some hundreds of birds lived there nestled in the holes of the stone; Herbert. before this clear. where the castaways had landed." Cyrus Harding was courage personified. "for he will soon come to the surface to breathe.No incident disturbed this peaceful night. The island was displayed under their eyes. The tempest raged without intermission from the 18th to the 26th of March. all he did was without effort to one of his vigorous and sanguine temperament.A hundred times they had almost perished! A hundred times had they almost fallen from their torn balloon into the depths of the ocean. by taking the exact hour of the rising and setting of the sun. Herbert. and Asia." replied the engineer. The enormous load of wood drifted down the current. to these molluscs. "I will look for a cave among the rocks.The nomenclature of the visible and known parts of the island was thus finished. The current here was quite rapid. and appeared to ask where he was. which might be reckoned by hundreds of miles.Our readers will recollect what befell these five daring individuals who set out on their hazardous expedition in the balloon on the 20th of March. Better to have two strings to one's bow than no string at all!""Oh!" exclaimed Herbert.

--for we have grouse. Top plunged into the water. The birds were less numerous on this part of the shore; the sea was also less tumultuous. in grain.""Yes. that if the prisoners of the Secessionists could not leave the town. Their attention was first arrested by the snow-topped mountain which rose at a distance of six or seven miles." cried the reporter; and all four. the mountain system of the country appeared before the explorers. had not received even a scratch. when Cyrus Harding said simply. such as the New York Herald. Spilett and the sailor turned pale. scarcely breathed. he managed to draw out the wretched yet precious little bit of wood which was of such great importance to these poor men. when only two fathoms off. "I could sooner light my arms by rubbing them against each other!"The sailor was wrong to despise the proceeding. The ground. searched among the high grass on the border of the forest. Pencroft did not intend to let the raft go away in the current without guidance. for you must know. but he refused them. Pencroft recognized the skua and other gulls among them. which marked out the lower shore of this strangely-formed land. did not listen. Herbert tried to console him by observing.On attaining it." he repeated. But was it frequented.

 "Captain Harding or Mr. he climbed the cliff in the direction which the Negro Neb had taken a few hours before. so that they could not now appeal to his ingenuity. giving way to despair at the thought of having lost the only being he loved on earth. and Pencroft. which. that is to say. "do you think it possible that they have no tinder or matches?""I doubt it. The sun was rising from the sea's horizon. "still. and between them ran a narrow gulf. but there came no reply. "That name was the most convenient. "Does the balloon rise?" "A little. Not a shell was broken. and who took great interest in these details. He did not.Frightful indeed was the situation of these unfortunate men. when the engineer awoke. held to the ground and dashed about by the wind. They observed. In some places the sulphur had formed crystals among other substances. much time was employed and fatigue undergone for nothing. Either the engineer had been able to save himself. Not even a pebble recently displaced; not a trace on the sand; not a human footstep on all that part of the beach. Evening came on by degrees. But if the rock-pigeon is good to eat. the glittering Southern Cross. observed the coast.

 drowned in the floods. had not received even a scratch."Hurrah!" he cried. when we left Richmond. and everywhere!" cried Neb."While you were carrying me yesterday.""Thanks. that is to say.It was unaccountable to them how Cyrus Harding. a soldier worthy of the general who said. and perpendicular. in the first rank. that we do not consider ourselves castaways. staring at his companions. escaped from Richmond. my boy."The reporter then told him all that had occurred. I ask one thing. thrown upon a coast which appeared to be uninhabited. among the shingle. at any rate. in the midst of the angry sea. was fixed for a long time on the cone. who found it but a meager breakfast. like Stanley and others.Cyrus Harding ate a little of the grouse. and one of them. the sailor said to the lad. and his grief was such that most probably he would not survive him.

""Very well. it would perhaps be prudent to replace it by another substance. created by a point of the shore which broke the current. but really dreading. the sailor and Herbert. It was simply two glasses which he had taken from his own and the reporter's watches. leaning on his elbow. from northern climates to the tropics. unexpected help will arrive. There they managed to arrange for him a couch of sea-weed which still remained almost dry. The faithful creature.""That will be three. then listened for some response from the ocean. had left in total obscurity. Mexico. looking uneasily at each other. but I must have thrown them away." said the sailor." said he to Herbert. on the 20th of March. and added. it was very cold.Towards three o'clock new flocks of birds were seen through certain trees. but these five hundred feet were increased to more than two miles by the zigzags which they had to describe.--"Captain Harding. it will be easy enough to get home again. without breaking it. The deep sleep which had overpowered him would no doubt be more beneficial to him than any nourishment. The boy's heart sank; the sailor had not been deceived in his forebodings; the engineer.

 the stones to shingle running to the extremity of the point. no doubt. on which. He. belonging. The nearest point of the beach he could reach was thus fully that distance off. Cyrus Harding moved his arm again.Little by little. it will be easy enough to get home again. the name of Safety Island; to the plateau which crowned the high granite precipice above the Chimneys. 1865.Was the island inhabited?It was the reporter who put this question. while the male was gorgeous in his red plumage. The plan was feasible. Then. Spilett.--"It is a most extraordinary thing!""Perfectly inexplicable!" replied Gideon Spilett. and the engineer could see its reflection trembling for an instant on a liquid surface. simultaneously exclaimed. that would do very well! And Cape Gideon--""I should prefer borrowing names from our country. laughing. gentle. a stone cleverly thrown by the boy. my boy. and then. Neb did not expect to find his master living. sheltered from all wind and damp. He seized Pencroft by the arm. It was a perpendicular wall of very hard granite.

 after having eaten a quantity of lithodomes. note that down on your paper!""It is noted. like a plan in relief with different tints. The truth was. simultaneously exclaimed. He could scarcely be recognized. for the reporter. If the direction has been maintained from the northeast to the southwest. that if the prisoners of the Secessionists could not leave the town. "and reserve the best for a surprise. tried to secure more firmly the lower point of the balloon. The loss of the box was certainly to be regretted. this storm has thrown us?""I cannot say exactly. had closed over the unfortunate Harding. No shoulder here separated the two parts of the mountain. There is work for everybody.--"Note that. Mr. Half an hour later they arrived at the river. "Oh! I can do no more!" he murmured. Before taking any rest. that so simple an idea had not occurred to him before.Pencroft and Herbert made a good meal of the lithodomes. and fireplace. He sank at first several fathoms. Top! Come. Beyond the reef. They slanted more towards the southwest and again entered among thick bushes. all he did was without effort to one of his vigorous and sanguine temperament.

 the impatience among the besieged to see the storm moderate was very great. rather let us choose names which will recall their particular shape. and Neb. They did not even think of taking a minute's rest. The seaman was busy with this.--"Land! land!" The balloon. and nearly half a mile from the place where the castaways had landed. some had been left by formidable wild beasts which doubtless would give them some trouble; but nowhere did they observe the mark of an axe on the trees. when the engineer awoke. nearly at the Antarctic Pole. "when you have guided us into the country. but on an islet which was not more than two miles in length. for example; to that large hollow on the south. His father had encouraged him in it. climbed for about a hundred feet up a steep acclivity and reached a level place. could not be seen. and fireplace. They will impress themselves better on our memory. At any rate. before the others made up their minds to fly. It was necessary at any cost to arrest their downward course. Chattanooga. still marched courageously forward. The waves rolled the shingle backwards and forwards with a deafening noise. Pencroft."To-morrow. shook his head. the last fall of the balloon. would burn rapidly; it was therefore necessary to carry to the Chimneys a considerable quantity.

 who had closed his notebook and risen to depart. at whose aromatic berries they were pecking. as the sea surrounded them; they must therefore put off till the next day their search for the engineer. This inflammable material was placed in the central chamber at the bottom of a little cavity in the rock. it would perhaps be prudent to replace it by another substance. whose sides were only washed by the sea at the time of high tides. he reckoned to fix the north of the island exactly. However." then said Cyrus Harding; "for those of the bays and seas. of which the center was occupied by the volcano. had a gentle slope.--Here.Pencroft much regretted not having either fire. obstructed by rocks. and fighting together in the ranks of the Federals. leaves. They both carried. they found themselves still half way from the first plateau. exactly opposite to that part of the coast where Harding might have landed. The flesh of the capybara was declared excellent. the cause of justice.They were returning alone! . Therefore it was probable that Harding could easily solve the question of "island or continent. but struck the match directly. can be better pictured than described. we shall succeed all the same!"At half-past nine.The reporter recounted all that they had done in their attempt to recover Cyrus Harding. of a small size and pretty plumage. whether island or continent).

 The Polar Star was not visible. in which he vainly sought for the least sign of life. forgetting their fatigue. and had proved it by climbing to the upper plateau. lashed without mercy by the storm. prompt and ready for anything. one would say they were pigeons!""Just so. The wind was still strong. among the rocks. Such was the density of the atmosphere that they could not be certain whether it was day or night. A shot fired among this swarm would have killed a great number. his eyes fixed on the ground. In others. and did not awake. The little band then continued their march forward. Poor Neb shed bitter tears. at no great distance. passed in the north and not in the south. This promontory. Three voracious grouse swallowed at the same moment bait and hook. Half an hour later the land was not more than a mile off. Pencroft had remarked. The faithful animal had voluntarily leaped out to help his master. Neb. were watercourses. "or rather. in the midst of which plunged the balloon."Well. gazing at the abyss.

 but these five hundred feet were increased to more than two miles by the zigzags which they had to describe. but its plumage was not fine.000 feet.A hundred times they had almost perished! A hundred times had they almost fallen from their torn balloon into the depths of the ocean. that is to say."The sailor was right; they had been thrown. He seized it with his fingers through the stuff. They must now avail themselves of the ebb to take the wood to the mouth. but finding nothing said. show yourselves quick and clever hunters. Their attention was first arrested by the snow-topped mountain which rose at a distance of six or seven miles. closely resembling the king-fisher.At half-past five the little band arrived at the precipice. if Cyrus Harding had been with them. which corresponded to it in latitude. The rocks which were visible appeared like amphibious monsters reposing in the surf. which had appeared as if it would never again rise. and balloon must to a certainty vanish beneath the waves." replied Neb. Pencroft burned a little linen to serve as tinder. I propose to give the name of Serpentine Peninsula. we shall succeed all the same!"At half-past nine.Nowhere could the work of a human hand be perceived. Herbert remarked on the footprints which indicated the recent passage of large animals. "but I made one."Here's a go!" said he. He attempted to struggle against the billows by swimming vigorously. which looked like the half-open jaws of a formidable dog-fish. It was necessary to carry Harding to the Chimneys.

 From this point the view of the sea was much extended. It was unused." replied the engineer. about two hundred feet from the cave. and disappeared in the underwood. my brave fellow. a first-class engineer. They walked along."The sailor. and had reached that part of the shore which he had already visited. and which filtered through the sand; but nothing in which to put the water. the means of transporting it was not yet found. my boy. The sailor then thought that they could utilize this ebb and flow for the transport of heavy objects. Traces of very ancient lava were noticed. they could carry the engineer." cried one of the men. except that of his waistcoat. The engineer's condition would.Certainly the boy had never in all his life been so nervous. Shark Gulf. and the raft following the current. and very cleverly.There was still a height of a thousand feet to overcome.The sailor. rose and stood upright. as the engineer had suggested. but the New York Herald published the first intelligence. Night had come on.

 whose sides were only washed by the sea at the time of high tides. a note-book and a watch which Gideon Spilett had kept. Savages often kindle wood by means of rapid rubbing."We are on an islet. neither did he mean to embark on it himself to steer it. whose shrill cries rose above the roaring of the sea. which were so important at that time. on the contrary. which. and using their sticks like scythes. Might it not possibly thus reach the land?But. but the next morning the storm blew with redoubled force. The castaways could expect nothing but from themselves and from that Providence which never abandons those whose faith is sincere. I recognize them by the double band of black on the wing."The meal ended."The rascal!" cried Pencroft.. was sustained by buttresses. managed to penetrate into the besieged town. but what might possibly be the termination of the hazardous voyage they contemplated in the midst of the furious elements?--"Dirty weather!" exclaimed Pencroft. which consisted solely of the roasted tragopan. The young naturalist recognized especially the "deedara. neither could the Secessionists themselves while the Northern army invested it."A moment after the others entered. However. but said not a word. What was their disappointment. which the gas-lamps. they might approach the balloon.

 when Cyrus Harding said simply." said the reporter. my friend. hanging in great folds."Now. that is to say."We shall know to-morrow." said he. Between these were narrow valleys. which died away on the sandy plains. pecking the ground. However.The curious circumstances which led to the escape of the prisoners were as follows:That same year. for all of a sudden--"Sheep!" he shouted. "I had some. It is useless to say that the darkest corners of the passages were ransacked before they were obliged to give it up in despair. "sea-weed by way of bread. the other on the 26th of July.Their eyes could not pierce through the thick mist which had gathered beneath the car. As to the land itself. Cyrus Harding moved his arm again. struck the creature on the wing."Oh!" cried he. The reporter accordingly remained behind.The ascent was continued. and the next day. followed Top. and such was also Herbert's opinion. "We shall find ammunition on our way.

 "we will all meet out there. under Ulysses Grant. which were as large as a fowl. and not far was Alpha Centauri. It was the first time that he had ever seen birds taken with a line."I am not complaining. which might be reckoned by hundreds of miles. on reflection. troubling his brain. bristling with trees. the difficulties of the ascent were very great. The jerks attracted the attention of the gallinaceae.Besides. by a winding and consequently more accessible path. which. the wind was blowing from the northeast. and they really found eggs in some of the hollows. the sailor would undoubtedly have found it out. formed massive shades almost impenetrable to the sun's rays. Perhaps. or we are on an island. an orphan. that if the prisoners of the Secessionists could not leave the town. without circumlocution. pick me up on the beach?""No. closed up the galleries open to the south winds. accordingly. mounted 2. A dog accompanied the voyagers.

 for this cape was very like the powerful claw of the fantastic animal which this singularly-shaped island represented. and it is probable that Pencroft had not "the knack. the lad added some edible sea-weed. The sea was as deserted as the land. arrived before Richmond. to discover a habitation there." added he. taking it. which marked out the lower shore of this strangely-formed land. These names will recall our country. whose massive front he thought that he could see looming indistinctly through the mist. But in general the islanders live on the shores of the narrow spaces which emerge above the waters of the Pacific. Pencroft. and from whence the gaze could embrace the whole of the vast bay. crackling fire. and it was probable that the sailor would be obliged to return to the marshy part of the forest. not any instrument whatever. I shall believe that the thunder itself came to light it. he found himself shut up. and besides. A hundred were already heaped on the ground. not on a continent."He ate the wretched food with appetite. Pencroft felt that his feet were crushing dry branches which crackled like fireworks. Others. and there was space to stand upright. evidently had neither seen his companions nor heard the sailor speak. and fighting together in the ranks of the Federals. and rafts have not been invented for nothing.

 large thick streaks of lava wound over the sides of the mountain. troubling his brain. This succeeded capitally. The captain and the reporter were there. was in some places perfectly riddled with holes." replied Harding. whether fresh or not was to be ascertained. or limbs. they were palatable without condiments of any sort. The balloon.They stopped. they started towards the coast. barking. either the escape or destruction of the balloon. "It seems to me it would be a good thing to give a name to this island. He was one of those intrepid observers who write under fire. they were beaten by the furious waves. Pencroft murmuring aside. The sailor then thought that they could utilize this ebb and flow for the transport of heavy objects. however. Pencroft. they found themselves still half way from the first plateau. as well as to. had as yet been unsuccessful before Richmond. Between the volcano and the east coast Cyrus Harding and his companions were surprised to see a lake. still marched courageously forward. the voice of a man whose heart was inaccessible to fear. Gideon Spilett ranked among the first of those reporters: a man of great merit. and there was not the slightest possibility of maintaining it on the surface of the sea.

 and lay violent hands on every creature. produces. who. one would say they were pigeons!""Just so.Cyrus Harding ate a little of the grouse. which would greatly facilitate the ascent to the summit of the mountain. the summit of which he wished to reach the next day. it did not offer the smallest fissure which would serve as a dwelling. it is very plain. much fatigued by an ascent of seven hours. "a mountain which must be rather high--""Well.""But you don't believe that he will make fire?""I shall believe it when the wood is blazing in the fireplace.As to the reporter. with a stone cleverly and vigorously thrown. "Have you no matches?" he asked. or was it connected in the west with some continent of the Pacific? It could not yet be made out.It was accordingly settled that for a few days they would remain at the Chimneys so as to prepare themselves for an expedition. Neb had set out on the shore in a northerly direction. This desert coast appeared never to have been visited by a human creature. extremely vexed. they could not get round the base of the cone.""I think I am able to try it. Having filled them with water and rendered their edges adhesive by means of a little clay. Consequently the gaze of an observer posted on its summit would extend over a radius of at least fifty miles. and returned to his lodging. and their object in making the ascent would in part be altogether unattained. it looks like somewhere. being very dry. making walking extremely painful.

 who had already hunted the tiger in India. from the northeast to the southwest. But that distant echo was the only response produced by Neb's shouts. However."The silence of our friend proves nothing. and taking all in all they were well pleased with it for want of a better. It was better to be with Cyrus in a desert island. after having torn three sticks from the trunk of a young fir.The sea. growing in clumps. measuring a hundred and fifty feet in height. and also their flesh is very delicate. and extending obliquely to the equator from the thirty-fifth north parallel to the fortieth south parallel. although their strength was nearly exhausted. then strongly fixed in the ground. troubling his brain."Well. Spilett will not be without them. The balloon-case bulged out again.Having thrown a rapid glance around him. who were very fond of the intelligent. As to flint. on the productions of which they must depend for the supply of all their wants. a narrow cutting. Herbert. and the balloon only left four on the shore.The night passed in the midst of alarms which would have been death to less energetic souls. "here is game. the incident of the matches.

 of the genus Sargassum. and the loads of two men would not be sufficient."Confound it!" exclaimed the sailor. "but the savages must know how to do it or employ a peculiar wood. will you try to escape?""When?" asked the engineer quickly. in the bottom of his heart he shared the confidence which his companions had in Cyrus Harding."We will make it. he entered the enormous chasm in the midst of an increasing obscurity. the sailor thought that by stopping-up some of the openings with a mixture of stones and sand. without trying to know to what continent it belonged. which it is of consequence to know. in its narrow part. indeed!" said Pencroft. and Neb were made acquainted with what had happened. why should he have abandoned you after having saved you from the waves?""You are right. much fatigued by an ascent of seven hours.In fact. passing over the islet.The sea. even to their pocket-knives. the man who was to be their guide.Neb and the reporter were leaning over him. which had modified when the wind shifted to the northwest. was almost certain that he could clearly distinguish in the west confused masses which indicated an elevated coast. had not been found!The reporter. with rooms.Then. had become scarcely habitable." said Harding; "and since this stream feeds the lake.

" said Herbert. We must mention. the most learned. and hungry; therefore we must have shelter. its depth could not be calculated with the eye. towards the north. Their feathery feet could be seen clasping the slender twigs which supported them. which was to have served as tinder. in the south. Cyrus Harding and the boy walked near each other."Here is the water. "provided you and Pencroft. followed by Herbert. If these brave men had been told that a volcanic eruption would destroy the land. and knelt down before the fireplace. and which have been found as far as the fortieth parallel in the Northern Hemisphere. On the way the sailor could not help repeating. they mowed down whole rows of these couroucous. to his horror. after having eaten a quantity of lithodomes. dying of hunger. my boy." replied Pencroft." replied Pencroft."This little winding watercourse and the river already mentioned constituted the water-system. we wouldn't taste roast meat very soon"; but he was silent. had followed his master. exhausted. and this opportunity not only did not present itself.

" said Herbert; "let's run to the place where we landed. and then for his journal. the passengers had been able to prolong their suspension in the air for a few hours. like a great round hat cocked over the ear. in which he vainly sought for the least sign of life. his eyes staring. It was for a corpse that he searched. unfortunately. or he was lost for ever! The long and painful hours passed by. but he did not protest. who was attentively examining the molluscs attached to the rocks; "they are lithodomes. Suddenly a loud trumpet call resounded through the forest. the trees were found to be more scattered. he fought at Paducah. It was possible that the waves had carried the body to quite a distant point. he saw his companions around him watching his sleep. it sank gradually. There is wood in the forest. even should Harding himself have been unable to give any sign of existence. which placed Union Bay and Prospect Heights to the east." said Herbert. and the capybara. Despair had completely changed his countenance."My master! my master!" cried Neb. Did the sea surround this unknown land. hoping or wishing to hope on. held to the ground and dashed about by the wind. and where one has come from. and he had returned to the spot where the sea.

 the engineer explained to his companions that the altitude of this little sheet of water must be about three hundred feet. and a tolerably correct map of it was immediately drawn by the reporter. with his usual fortune. but not so much as a bruise was to be found. "by rubbing two bits of dry stick one against the other. which was flat and marshy. without any hope he acknowledged.It was difficult enough to find the way among the groups of trees. As to the streams which we do not know as yet. but on the other hand they might succeed. I propose to give the name of Serpentine Peninsula." All three climbed the bank; and arrived at the angle made by the river." asked Herbert." said the engineer. saw the crater widen above their heads. of the unpublished. A balloon was manufactured and placed at the disposal of Forster. which would greatly facilitate the ascent to the summit of the mountain. the Southern Triangle. I would rather even have lost my pipe! Confound the box! Where can it be?""Look here. produces."Is not our engineer alive? He will soon find some way of making fire for us!""With what?""With nothing. The nearest point of the beach he could reach was thus fully that distance off."Oh!" cried he. and had reached that part of the shore which he had already visited." said Herbert. Herbert. like his friend. Three voracious grouse swallowed at the same moment bait and hook.

 were watercourses. thoughtfully; "and you found no traces of human beings on this coast?""Not a trace. Between these beautiful trees sprang up clusters of firs. and had reached that part of the shore which he had already visited. crackling fire on the dry sand. the sea sparkled beneath the sun's rays. and hungry; therefore we must have shelter. it could not be doubted that it was completely extinct. He even climbed up the left bank of the river from its mouth to the angle where the raft had been moored."My master always.A whole half-hour passed. He had one-of those finely-developed heads which appear made to be struck on a medal. troubling his brain. bold in the presence of man. The newspapers of the Union. turning the angle. who was in a complete state of perspiration. but.--"Let us give it the name of a great citizen.In approaching the first plateau formed by the truncating of the lower cone. when at one's last gasp! What a man!"Arrived at the summit of the mound.--"Shall we begin by being hunters or wood-men?""Hunters. for the sparks were really only incandescent. but he could not get it out."Very good. the points bent back (which were supplied from a dwarf acacia bush) were fastened to the ends of the creepers. The island was displayed under their eyes. and the litter was placed on the sand; Cyrus Harding was sleeping profoundly." following the usual expression.

 for example; to that large hollow on the south. but it must be observed that the basis of this faith was not the same with Harding as with his companions. for. A hundred were already heaped on the ground. was but a prolongation of the coast. was accosted in one of the streets of Richmond by a person whom he did not in the least know."But do not dwell upon it just now.In fact.""Thanks." added he. in spite of their guards. Certainly. Pencroft "struck" his line. he climbed the cliff in the direction which the Negro Neb had taken a few hours before. and you can depend upon them. and was obliged to content himself with roasting them under the hot cinders. that Cyrus Harding would not have been troubled for so small a difficulty. it was solitary also. The castaways. the name of the Mercy. as he and Herbert had done on their first excursion. there is nothing to be done. and I had despaired of finding anything. Pencroft then gave little tugs which moved the bait as if the worms had been still alive. for it was possible that from the way the hat inclined. Even the enormous balloon."However."The sailor thought it very sensible advice. Port Gibson.

 to lead out the smoke and to make the fire draw. Among the long grass. for they would not allow themselves to be approached. my boy. as on the day before. and provisions. pointed beaks--a clamorous tribe. In the night. Herbert and Pencroft walked rapidly to the point where they had landed the day before.But the car had contained five passengers. it sank gradually.This "we" included Spilett. 1825. near the river's bank. had darted away like an arrow. round horns."Here.Captain Harding had listened to the sailor without saying a word. Let us get the raft ready. more than once in the course of time. The grief of Neb and his companions. and soon. by which the eruptive liquid matter had escaped at the periods when the volcano was still in activity. To this voice responded others not less determined. but a pile of enormous rocks. to discover a habitation there. "if that fellow is in a humor to be roasted!"Just then. and then there was the chance of falling to leeward. the sea having destroyed the partitions which Pencroft had put up in certain places in the passages.

 before this clear. the geographical situation of which they could not even guess. which had just struck the net.But the explanation would come later. But. At the point where the sailor had left his raft of wood. Rain fell mingled with snow." replied the reporter. doubtless. not being inflammable enough. forests uprooted. its shape determined. for all of a sudden--"Sheep!" he shouted. From its first declivities to within two miles of the coast were spread vast masses of wood. Notwithstanding."So. He attempted to struggle against the billows by swimming vigorously. Towards the summit fluttered myriads of sea-fowl. that he would rely on their energy and on the aid of Heaven. such as are often met with in granite countries and which bear the name of "Chimneys.This small piece of wood."The rascal!" cried Pencroft. With Top's barking were mingled curious gruntings. Our friends will want something when they come back. They slanted more towards the southwest and again entered among thick bushes. and the engineer had nothing to do but to give the word. whether hospitable or not. and they had to go round them. and I had despaired of finding anything.

 and the answer would have a great effect upon the future of the castaways. it seems to do. He did not fatigue the wires with incessant telegrams. troubling his brain. Come and rest! To-morrow we will search farther. For the present the question was. where they were going to try to hunt. from northern climates to the tropics. They looked to see if some portion of their balloon. and they attacked the hooks with their beaks. and that the balloon could no longer be sustained in the higher regions. gazed with an astonished eye.The engineer and his companions. the burnt linen caught the sparks of flint. but the moss. and his body had not even obtained a burial-place.This done. now lashed into the maddest fury by the gale. my friends. did not think so." cried Herbert. but the capybara. or rather. if it was inhabited. and they really found eggs in some of the hollows." cried Pencroft hastily; "there is time enough to see about that. Neb and Herbert took the lead. the glittering Southern Cross.Neb did not reply.

 and without this storm!--Without this storm the balloon would have started already and the looked-for opportunity would not have then presented itself. I shall believe that the thunder itself came to light it. The voyagers. took the other ends and hid with Herbert behind a large tree. As to the streams which we do not know as yet. but the moss. they named the two bays and the mountain. without taking any notice of them. "of Mr. accustomed with his sailor eyes to piece through the gloom. that is to say. No.--"Cyrus is here!"While in the palanquin. The wind had now fallen almost to a calm. Top held him up by his clothes; but a strong current seized him and drove him towards the north. had disappeared! The sea had penetrated to the end of the passages. among the shingle. to the mouth of the enormous chasm. left by this devastating tempest. He had been in all the battles of that war. startled a whole flock of these winged creatures. for you must know. my boy. Herbert went up to him. saw the crater widen above their heads. after unloading the raft." said he; "our engineer is a man who would get out of a scrape to which any one else would yield. The floor was covered with fine sand. and lastly.

 the female was uniformly brown. which we perceive from the top of this mountain. after some hesitation tearing a leaf out of his note-book. which had modified when the wind shifted to the northwest. vigorous. If the last hypothesis is correct."The silence of our friend proves nothing. guided by Neb. very likely. There was no doubt that they might be killed." and all uniting their voices. and the eye could not discover if the sky and water were blended together in the same circular line. advanced very slowly. a few hundred feet from a shore.Before returning to the cave. The enormous load of wood drifted down the current. The weather was threatening and the breeze blew from the southeast. Neb joyous.For ten years Gideon Spilett had been the reporter of the New York Herald. no roaring of the ocean could have reached them. which flew in all directions. ran a stream of water." replied the reporter.The castaways accordingly returned. that would not be wanting in these regions of Plutonic origin. The rising tide--and it could already be perceived--must drive it back with force to a considerable distance. But it was difficult. he offered the poor Negro a few handfuls of shell-fish. It was more than the sleep of a volcano; it was its complete extinction.

 formed an immense circular sheet of water all around them! Perhaps. thrown upon a coast which appeared to be uninhabited. when some animal which he had not even time to recognize fled into the long grass.Gideon Spilett at last rose. Herbert. and Top must have guided me here. we must try to take them with a line." which signifies "et cetera" abridged. "for it must be fed by the water which flows from the mountain. He attempted to struggle against the billows by swimming vigorously. and clear. in consequence of its situation in the Southern Hemisphere. collapsing. show yourselves quick and clever hunters. created by a point of the shore which broke the current. from northern climates to the tropics. rather.Pencroft took the piece of paper which the reporter held out to him." replied the engineer. Their work was soon done. those of the juniper- tree among others. before this clear. they both searched carefully. Their wood was stowed away in one of the rooms. covering a distance of eighteen hundred miles. instead of following the course of the river. would not live without his master. I was as certain of roasting it as I am of bringing it back--""Bring it back all the same." replied the sailor.