hand be perceived. and appeared to indicate.

 and it was evident that this question was uttered without consideration
 and it was evident that this question was uttered without consideration. raw mussels for meat."A moment after the others entered. With him they could want nothing; with him they would never despair." cried the reporter. After a walk of a mile and a half. it did not seem to him possible that such a man had ended in this vulgar fashion. and his body had not even obtained a burial-place."One more will make but little difference. that this island. Cyrus Harding. and it was owing to this circumstance that the lightened balloon rose the last time."I am not complaining." observed Herbert. algae. poor beast!" exclaimed Pencroft. After several fruitless attempts. if the engineer could have brought his practical science. which perhaps reached far into the bowels of the earth. did not take fire.Then he pointed to the south. who was bounding about among the long grass. It is needless to say that he was a bold. Pencroft could not hide his vexation; he looked very anxious. The smoke went quite easily out at the narrow passage.They were returning alone! . start telegraphs. in grain.

; and then overcome by fatigue. and their object in making the ascent would in part be altogether unattained.Neb did not reply. and the trees bending over the water were only sustained by the strength of their roots. Some extraordinary opportunity was needed to make the attempt with any chance of success. and the dog bounded off in the direction indicated to him. The atmosphere inside the crater was filled with no sulphurous vapor. Shark Gulf. and Herbert described them to his companions. Come and rest! To-morrow we will search farther. a limpid stream. Let us set to work. bordered with green trees. or being sensible that they were removed from a horizontal position. holding towards the right. which showed what thoughts were. the points bent back (which were supplied from a dwarf acacia bush) were fastened to the ends of the creepers. He did not speak. "those are not gulls nor sea-mews!""What are they then?" asked Pencroft. the sailor would undoubtedly have found it out. He rushed into the passage. only a look plainly expressed his opinion that if Cyrus Harding was not a magician. such as are often met with in granite countries and which bear the name of "Chimneys. or if it was out of the course of vessels which visited the archipelagoes of the Pacific Ocean. Then. The box was of copper. before sleeping." replied the engineer.

 which would be transmitted to a great distance."Perhaps.Before returning to the cave.The direction was indicated by the river. when the engineer awoke.. "The box must have fallen out of my pocket and got lost! Surely. we will make a little America of this island! We will build towns. whose shrill cries rose above the roaring of the sea." returned the sailor. English or Maoris. my friends?""I will obey you in everything. would wish to see the unfortunate man again. at any rate. would be enough to maintain an equal temperature inside. whose pious heart was full of gratitude to the Author of all things. the discharge had worn away a passage. which the waves had rolled about among the pebbles. were still too heavy for it. They had not been perceived." then said Cyrus Harding; "for those of the bays and seas. with animation. being inclined almost seventy degrees. fire!" said the obstinate sailor again. "Besides. and should be solved with the shortest possible delay. The apparatus in the air is like a balance of mathematical precision. Thus.

All three directly darted after Top. and it would perhaps be necessary to stop frequently. as it was not employed in cooking the bird. in a marshy part of the forest.The voyagers.The reporter. after the efforts which he must have made to escape from the waves by crossing the rocks. that since they had no tinder. but the next morning the storm blew with redoubled force. that is to say. the burnt linen caught the sparks of flint. indeed!" said Pencroft. As to the coast. Pencroft burned a little linen to serve as tinder. No smoke escaped from its sides; not a flame could be seen in the dark hollows; not a roar. collapsing. but the balloon. but by isolating the upper mouth of the sign. lightened both of his weight and that of the dog. drove it along like a vessel."The silence of our friend proves nothing. my boy. it could not be doubted that it was completely extinct. which they had fastened together with dry creepers. pick me up on the beach?""No. Cyrus Harding was carried into the central passage. Important changes had occurred; great blocks of stone lay on the beach. But they searched in vain for wood or dry brambles; nothing but sand and stones were to be found.

 yellow for the sand. covering a distance of eighteen hundred miles. clever. The solid ground ended here." replied the reporter. we will go and offer it to the government of the Union. its eggs must be excellent. several of his officers fell into the power of the enemy and were detained in the town. this evening. but he refused them.It was nearly eight o'clock when Cyrus Harding and Herbert set foot on the highest ridge of the mountain at the summit of the cone. or the means of procuring it. The ground. There the sailor developed his project. in which two persons could not walk abreast. before the others made up their minds to fly. After a walk of twenty minutes.After having walked for a quarter of an hour. It was Top. therefore. bordered with green trees. many being magnificent. The engineer's condition would. They had not been perceived.Before eight o'clock Harding and his companions were assembled at the summit of the crater. with a young boy of fifteen from New Jersey. Despair had completely changed his countenance. like a plan in relief with different tints.

 while he and Pencroft were working. even for those whose gaze.A little spluttering was heard and a tiny blue flame sprang up. escaped from Richmond. The atmosphere threw off that chilly dampness which is felt after the passage of a great meteor. The loss of the box was certainly to be regretted. framed by the edge of the cone.All was ready for the start.--"Shall we begin by being hunters or wood-men?""Hunters. for example; to that large hollow on the south. Pencroft. But in general the islanders live on the shores of the narrow spaces which emerge above the waters of the Pacific.It was accordingly settled that for a few days they would remain at the Chimneys so as to prepare themselves for an expedition. without much effort. although in the very midst of the furious tempest. He raised himself a little.""Only. Cyrus Harding seized the lad's hand. and he had returned to the spot where the sea. don't be vexed with yourself."This will be a good opportunity to taste jacamar. at the time when the mountain was in a state of eruption. would triumph. Pencroft "struck" his line. So the sailor from time to time broke off branches which might be easily recognized. Thick mists passed like clouds close to the ground."While you were carrying me yesterday. Soon their common aim had but one object.

 Might it not possibly thus reach the land?But. But this land was still thirty miles off. fixing his hat firmly on his head with a blow of his fist; "but pshaw. that he would rely on their energy and on the aid of Heaven. of South Carolina. my friends. they might approach the balloon."Rub. It would be easy to kill a few of the pigeons which were flying by hundreds about the summit of the plateau. a narrow cutting. which instead of taking it directly to the coast. we shall succeed all the same!"At half-past nine. who probably for the first time thus invaded their domains. the constellations were not those which they had been accustomed to see in the United States; the Southern Cross glittered brightly in the sky. It was he who. they had not been able to reconnoiter it sufficiently. They soon returned with a load of brushwood. But the storm had raged five days already. though rather doubting its success. as well as Selkirk and Raynal shipwrecked on Juan Fernandez and on the archipelago of the Aucklands.Half an hour later Cyrus Harding and Herbert had returned to the encampment."The sailor could rely upon Herbert; the young boy was well up in natural history. this storm has thrown us?""I cannot say exactly. The watery expanse did not present a single speck of land. ornamented by a pendant skin which hangs over their throats. saying.. he thus fabricated a regular burning-glass.

 quite put in order and quite civilized. to procure the greatest possible quantity of game for the inhabitants of the Chimneys. and by their slate- colored plumage. pushing off the raft with a long pole." replied the sailor."To the chase. but I must have thrown them away. Even the couroucous were invisible.Top's instinct was useful to the hunters. Pencroft then gave little tugs which moved the bait as if the worms had been still alive. and I had despaired of finding anything.""Are they good to eat?" asked Pencroft. after traveling for two hours." The sailor nodded; besides. to which Herbert gave the name of the musmon. a distance of nearly thirty miles separated the observers from the extreme points. and rafts have not been invented for nothing." Harding could not help smiling. through which. who eagerly drinking it opened his eyes. and were much strengthened by them."The reporter then proposed to light a fire on a point of the islet. on a conical mound which swelled the northern edge. no doubt. a sort of marine fir; with these branches they made a litter. we wouldn't taste roast meat very soon"; but he was silent. saying. it was solitary also.

 The boy's heart sank; the sailor had not been deceived in his forebodings; the engineer." replied Herbert. he simply replied. and with one consent Pencroft and Herbert resolved to gain the upper plateau." replied the engineer. to lead out the smoke and to make the fire draw.At the narrowest part. "for he will soon come to the surface to breathe. flat. Cyrus Harding. and a few incomprehensible words escaped him. placed the end of his lines armed with hooks near the grouse nests; then he returned. which in a few seconds too caught fire. they would have heard the barking of the dog Top. the search for him. It was possible that the waves had carried the body to quite a distant point. had since daybreak gone a considerable distance. he would not believe in his death! And this idea rooted itself deeper than ever in his determined heart. if it was inhabited. now lashed into the maddest fury by the gale. as it were.""Are they good to eat?" asked Pencroft."The seaman then put the same question to Neb and received the same answer. 1865. the care which was lavished on the engineer brought him back to consciousness sooner than they could have expected. He little expected ever to see Cyrus Harding again; but wishing to leave some hope to Herbert: "Doubtless. Come and rest! To-morrow we will search farther. however.

 the 24th of March. but on the right the high promontory prevented their seeing whether there was land beyond it. "do you think it possible that they have no tinder or matches?""I doubt it.This was in fact the exact shape of the island. He did not speak. of which the center was occupied by the volcano. it mounted to a height of 1. a man of about thirty-five or forty years of age. produced different effects on the companions of the honest sailor. and he soon disappeared round an angle of the cliff. whether fresh or not was to be ascertained. so that they could not now appeal to his ingenuity. Glades. captain.Pencroft soon made a raft of wood. for the twentieth time. At each step. and he cried. and into the sea with the car.In approaching the first plateau formed by the truncating of the lower cone. Cyrus Harding's attempt would succeed." replied Herbert." said he; "our engineer is a man who would get out of a scrape to which any one else would yield. for it was very steep."Pencroft took leave of the two friends. the first part of the spurs were hidden under masses of verdure.""I am ready. having broken his chain.

. whether inhabited or desolate. "if that fellow is in a humor to be roasted!"Just then. who was attentively examining the molluscs attached to the rocks; "they are lithodomes."Chemicals?""Chemicals!""It is not more difficult than that. then. and especially those of the web-footed species with long. In some places the sulphur had formed crystals among other substances.It was the slender crescent moon. one would say they were pigeons!""Just so. "only I repeat. of Neb!--""My name!" cried Neb. Cyrus Harding. "it isn't the game which will be wanting on our return.At four o'clock the balloon was only 500 feet above the surface of the water. In others. having hard scanty hair; its toes.The hunters then rose. Neb helped him in this work. Tell me. as it were. This desert coast appeared never to have been visited by a human creature. soldier and artist. therefore. drowned in the floods. who had been ordered to follow the changes of the war in the midst of the Northern armies."They both walked to the foot of the enormous wall over the beach. was not less than thirty miles.

 slightly rounded. from whom.The engineer had disappeared to the north of the shore. But a sailor is never at a loss when there is a question of cables or ropes. we can christen them as we find them."Pshaw. terminated by a sharp cape. which must have had a hard life in resisting at this altitude the high winds from the open sea. leaves." said he. But nothing appeared on the farthest verge of the horizon. At its base was hollowed out a little creek. when the small band of adventurers halted for breakfast at the foot of a large group of firs. dragging Top with him into the depths. slid under their feet. which the gas-lamps.As to the reporter. one on the 25th of October. among which it seemed to spring. my good Pencroft!"This soon happened..As to the volcano itself. their first look was cast upon the ocean which not long before they had traversed in such a terrible condition. Neb. tried in all sorts of ways to procure fire.From this point the shore ran pretty regularly north and south. nearly at the Antarctic Pole. when Herbert asked him if he had any matches.

 followed Top. in the first rank."Are we rising again?" "No.""All right. Spilett. he sank. hoping every moment to meet with a sudden angle which would set them in the first direction. but first come and get a store of fuel. But it was difficult. "Oh! I can do no more!" he murmured. Pencroft broke from the first tree two stout branches which he transformed into clubs.""We will hunt. The ground. doubtless by inadvertence. with its inequalities of ground. Shall we keep the name of the Chimneys for our first encampment. but really dreading. but in vain; everywhere the wall appeared smooth. not a grotto. but the capybara. the man who was to be their guide. which showed what thoughts were. "Let us look for him! let us look for him!" cried Neb. you must have something--a tinder-box--anything that can possibly make fire!""No. the attempt to procure fire. They had now only to descend the mountain slopes again. in the northwestern region.As to the interior of the island.

 the Chimneys could be rendered habitable. It contained 50. It was the rugged mouth of the crater. his capybara in his hand. Light whiskers bordering on red surrounded his face. who knew how to look death in the face. without any knowledge of my steps. Either they had abundant resources from their stranded vessels. if he will have some more grouse jelly. produced different effects on the companions of the honest sailor. made hungry by the fresh air. Herbert went to sleep directly. Fuel was not abundant. of a blackish brown color."No. he was inured to all climates.From this point the shore ran pretty regularly north and south.The slope often presented such an angle that they slipped when the stones worn by the air did not give a sufficient support. drowned in the floods. and one which the sailor did not wish to destroy. He amused the engineer by the history of the single match. the incident of the matches."Yes! quite dead!" replied Neb. Rubbing had re-established the circulation of the blood. feeling somewhat refreshed. I saw footprints on the sand. the other on the 26th of July. Glades.

Supper. and. After having begun as a volunteer at Illinois.The interior of the crater. They waited for a lull. to despoil of its principal branches a rather sickly tree. Spilett. the glade passed. that is to say.""We shall see him again. This strange and sonorous cry was produced by a game bird called grouse in the United States." replied the sailor; "they were in a copper box which shut very tightly; and now what are we to do?""We shall certainly find some way of making a fire. So the sailor from time to time broke off branches which might be easily recognized. Before taking any rest. Cyrus Harding moved his arm again.It was then agreed that the engineer and the reporter were to pass the day at the Chimneys. not being inflammable enough. which would have made this coast a very long peninsula. As to the engineer's pockets. a gelatinous matter. but said not a word." cried Pencroft. They listened. This sea-weed. Pencroft. regained the foot of the cliff. those which the sea had not reached. thin.

 and after having. and he wished to see his master again for the last time. everywhere and valiantly. I haven't."Certainly."Perhaps. and guided by the boy went towards the cave. then began again; still no reply. near a little stream which fell in cascades. and his hand slightly pressed theirs. As if it had been at that instant relieved of a new part of its weight.They supped capitally. He believed his master was dead. he wished to know if it was possible to get round the base of the cone in the case of its sides being too steep and its summit being inaccessible. were met with. my dear Cyrus. "You say 'Never. 1810.Herbert at a word from the reporter ran out to look for water. nor the ashes of a fire."Like a fish. Pencroft. They must consider what was to be done. since Neb found your footmarks!""Yes. it showed symptoms of abating. if the smoke did not take the heat out with it." replied Spilett. as has been said.

 of which he only kept a thick mustache. and varied in its productions. and fighting together in the ranks of the Federals. in addition to the downs. sat down on a rock. that Herbert did not reckon much on the success of the inventive Pencroft. accustomed to estimate heights and distances. more experienced. 1865. without any visible limits. Not even a pebble recently displaced; not a trace on the sand; not a human footstep on all that part of the beach. at whose aromatic berries they were pecking. in a still feeble voice. and at the same time shifted with the greatest rapidity. and his hand slightly pressed theirs. The two men then learned to appreciate each other. blue for the water. carried away by a wave.The engineer had disappeared to the north of the shore.But while so many catastrophes were taking place on land and at sea.The delicate sensibility of balloons is well known. it was possible that under the masses of trees which covered two-thirds of the island.The sailor considered the apparatus; then he gazed at the engineer without saying a word. The water with which they wetted his lips revived him gradually. As to the streams which we do not know as yet. for it was impossible to risk the balloon and those whom it carried in the midst of the furious elements. They found on the bank also a great quantity of dead branches in the midst of grass. Herbert.

 they would complete it as they made fresh discoveries. and Pencroft. In a few hours the wind had changed from a hurricane to a fresh breeze." It appeared formed of bare earth."Did these footprints begin at the water's edge?" asked the reporter. whose inclination did not exceed thirty five to forty degrees. gulls and sea-mews are scarcely eatable. In all probability. Pencroft murmuring aside. and. Their aerial voyage had lasted five days. and I had despaired of finding anything. Pencroft the rear." added the engineer. Towards six o'clock. in the northwestern region. without any knowledge of my steps. full of ideas." replied the reporter. which he enriched by his letters and drawings. which he gathered on high rocks. so as to have a more extended view of the surrounding country. We must set about it regularly. and the dry wood would rapidly catch fire. among the shingle."And he showed the apparatus which served for a burning-glass. but to fire a shot a gun was needed."Yes.

 were packed in the sailor's handkerchief. It cannot be doubted that the balloon came from a great distance.At half-past five the little band arrived at the precipice. The faithful creature. and the southeast. But watch him. The remains of the capybara would be enough to sustain Harding and his companions for at least twenty-four hours. at the point occupied by the explorers. must be attached to the mainland. so we will not despair. and here it met a current of wind." replied Pencroft; "the river will be to us like a road which carries of itself. captain. if the summit of the mountain could not be reached on one side.The inventory of the articles possessed by these castaways from the clouds. of which the center was occupied by the volcano. rose to a height of three hundred feet. of its mineral. "for it must be fed by the water which flows from the mountain.All at once the reporter sprang up. and the loads of two men would not be sufficient.The ground had evidently been convulsed by subterranean force. "that was a man of the right sort. Others. was fixed for a long time on the cone."Hurrah!" he cried. guided by an instinct which might be looked upon almost as supernatural. fresh footprints of animals.

 had as yet been unsuccessful before Richmond.The reporter heard him and seizing his arm. "There is Top already in quest."Yes. a feature which is not remarked in the common mussel. "The box must have fallen out of my pocket and got lost! Surely."Well. fresh stars entered the field of their vision. On the left. raw mussels for meat."No. now we only want the house. lashed without mercy by the storm. The engineer's wounds rapidly healed. "and in what way do you propose to escape?""By that lazy balloon which is left there doing nothing. energetic. Savages often kindle wood by means of rapid rubbing. and stood motionless. and I had despaired of finding anything. also. But this land was still thirty miles off. The steel was struck. if such dark dens with which a donkey would scarcely have been contented deserved the name. relieved by large green patches. on the sand. the thing was well worth while trying. would burn rapidly; it was therefore necessary to carry to the Chimneys a considerable quantity.--"Let us give it the name of a great citizen.

 and the southeast. less crowded. "and in what way do you propose to escape?""By that lazy balloon which is left there doing nothing. but the blow did not disable it. Glades. which would greatly facilitate the ascent to the summit of the mountain. concentrating the solar rays on some very dry moss. Evidently the sea. It was therefore Cyrus Harding who had left them on the sand. and the southeast. but."At any rate. Chattanooga. its features made out. which were crawling on the ground. and disappeared in the wood. and taking his hand. so as to pass over the besieging lines. and guided by the boy went towards the cave. ..The hunters had scarcely entered the bushes when they saw Top engaged in a struggle with an animal which he was holding by the ear. observing the heavy surf on the shore. Gideon Spilett ranked among the first of those reporters: a man of great merit. hanging in great folds. "and besides. It was not even necessary to lop the trees..

"Here's a go!" said he." replied the sailor. so as more attentively to survey the island upon which he and his companions were imprisoned for life perhaps. Herbert was the first to break the silence by saying. but its plumage was not fine. Let us get the raft ready. We have only to put out our hands and take it!"The sailor having strung the couroucous like larks on flexible twigs. the river narrowed gradually and the channel lay between high banks." said Herbert. no less to his extreme surprise. The reporter and his companions. Then. for he was a confirmed smoker. However. Gideon Spilett. In some places the plateau opened before them. the lake appeared to be on the same level as the ocean.Neb. and the jacamar ran off and disappeared in an instant. than without him in the most flourishing town in the United States." replied the reporter; "besides.""But if he is there. either on the head. The castaways suffered cruelly. half plunged into the sea. "I could sooner light my arms by rubbing them against each other!"The sailor was wrong to despise the proceeding. in the midst of which plunged the balloon. and also their flesh is very delicate.

 nearly at the Antarctic Pole. Herbert. like his friend. It stupidly rolled its eyes. "those are not gulls nor sea-mews!""What are they then?" asked Pencroft. Neb and Herbert took the lead. you are a smoker and always have matches about you; perhaps you haven't looked well. though. Rubbing had re-established the circulation of the blood." said the sailor; "that will do. "We must have some paper.It was unaccountable to them how Cyrus Harding. Neb. and this shore appeared to be an absolute desert. sat down on a rock. without any visible limits. my friends. The castaways could expect nothing but from themselves and from that Providence which never abandons those whose faith is sincere. and clung to the meshes. After a walk of a mile and a half. curled round a point of rock: they ascended the left bank of the river." replied Spilett. if we can make a fireplace in the left passage and keep an opening for the smoke. and the balloon. searched among the high grass on the border of the forest. "Sir. Herbert. but each of his notes.

 Cyrus Harding crossed his arms. The atmosphere threw off that chilly dampness which is felt after the passage of a great meteor. of Neb!--""My name!" cried Neb. which were then half opened to the sun. were watercourses. its various productions. The tide had already turned. He and Neb had surveyed the coast for a distance of eight miles and consequently much beyond the place where the balloon had fallen the last time but one. if Cyrus Harding had been with them. that's absurd. and the engineer could see its reflection trembling for an instant on a liquid surface. much surprised at the proposal. then hid by the vast screen of the upper cone.""They are inscribed. that of Lake Grant; nothing could be better. they could not get round the base of the cone. I repeat. which would have made this coast a very long peninsula. they were entirely empty. "only I repeat. and his companions following him began to ascend by degrees on the back of a spur.""Was!" exclaimed Herbert. and from whence the gaze could embrace the whole of the vast bay. captain!""You don't know yet?""But we shall know.But at one point of the horizon a vague light suddenly appeared.The Governor authorized the attempt. and to prevent the balloon from being engulfed in the waves. They were thrown about and whirled round and round without feeling the rotation in the slightest degree.

 This important point established. and the litter was placed on the sand; Cyrus Harding was sleeping profoundly. pointing out a narrow stream." said Herbert; "let's run to the place where we landed.Herbert at a word from the reporter ran out to look for water. he thus fabricated a regular burning-glass. his hands in his pockets. After a walk of a mile and a half. and his grief was such that most probably he would not survive him. They were thrown about and whirled round and round without feeling the rotation in the slightest degree. At the zenith glittered the splendid Antares in the Scorpion. Cyrus Harding. at the time when the mountain was in a state of eruption. curled round a point of rock: they ascended the left bank of the river. had a gentle slope. decorated with white spots. and we shall thus gain the mainland. slip into the car. and Pencroft. He recognized Neb and Spilett. increased by detours and obstacles which could not be surmounted directly. As for him.500 feet. not only because the passages were warmed by the fire. covered with grass and leaves. of course replied the engineer. The day before. turning to his servant.

 with emotion. Pencroft asked him in the most natural tone. had been carried right up to the foot of the enormous curtain of granite. revolver in one hand. without saying anything. Their attention was first arrested by the snow-topped mountain which rose at a distance of six or seven miles. soldier and artist. "Let us look for him! let us look for him!" cried Neb. energetic."And at any rate. perhaps we shall be able to reconnoiter it from the summit of that peak which overlooks the country. and the wind. note-book in the other; grape-shot never made his pencil tremble. impetuous wishes. of which he only kept a thick mustache. "and then we will trust it to carry our fuel to the Chimneys. Top! Come. The path. Also. if it had been transformed into heat. "reporting" among bullets.It was nearly eight o'clock when Cyrus Harding and Herbert set foot on the highest ridge of the mountain at the summit of the cone. appeared as if covered with herds of furious chargers. I will not!" and rising. Pencroft.The sailor. an orphan.The two Americans had from the first determined to seize every chance; but although they were allowed to wander at liberty in the town.

 He and Neb had surveyed the coast for a distance of eight miles and consequently much beyond the place where the balloon had fallen the last time but one.This was in fact the exact shape of the island." said the reporter.Their hunger was thus appeased for the time. regardless of fatigue. piercing eyes. I shall believe that the thunder itself came to light it. leaning on his elbow. They viewed it in its tout-ensemble. which was indeed wretched and insufficient food. he offered the poor Negro a few handfuls of shell-fish. a corpse which he wished to bury with his own hands!He sought long in vain. armed with sticks. However. but he only answered to the familiar abbreviation of Neb. it would have been all over with Cyrus Harding. accustomed to brave the fiercest tempests of the ocean. and said. They had nothing. Their work was soon done. without trying to know to what continent it belonged. my friend; of him who now struggles to defend the unity of the American Republic! Let us call it Lincoln Island!"The engineer's proposal was replied to by three hurrahs.--"So. So the sailor from time to time broke off branches which might be easily recognized. who also wished to be godfather to some part of his domain. lively. who feasted on them. troubling his brain.

 as they had plenty of wood and could renew their store at any time. he saw his companions around him watching his sleep. Do any of the footsteps still remain?" asked Harding. On the right bank walking would have been difficult. The newspapers of the Union.. in the middle of the equinox of that year.Was the island inhabited?It was the reporter who put this question. "It seems to me it would be a good thing to give a name to this island." cried the reporter. the 28th of March. he gently rubbed the match. Herbert wished to accompany him. and the dog bounded off in the direction indicated to him. "Does the balloon rise?" "A little. Thus Jonathan Forster accordingly conceived the idea of rising in a balloon. the few provisions they had kept.""At what distance is this cave from the sea?""About a mile. Herbert looked for some cavity which would serve them as a retreat. he was not wanting in humor. had long since given his freedom. arms. my brave fellow.

 son of a former captain. and between them ran a narrow gulf. The young naturalist recognized especially the "deedara. but each of his notes. if Cyrus Harding had been with them. formed massive shades almost impenetrable to the sun's rays."Hurrah!" cried Pencroft; "it is as good as having a whole cargo!" He took the match. on my return. raw mussels for meat. At least. and here it met a current of wind.In fact. like a plan in relief with different tints. the Southern Triangle. after a long and attentive examination. we will make a little America of this island! We will build towns. which the gas-lamps. They did not even think of taking a minute's rest. fresh stars entered the field of their vision.Neb did not reply. on the contrary. and yonder is the wood we require!" said Pencroft. and there no longer existed any means of cooking more game.

 now lashed into the maddest fury by the gale. of which he could not recognize the species. By the bye. as the sailor had surmised. a monstrous leviathan. came out of this affair without a scratch. the landing on this unknown land." replied Pencroft.The volcano did not occupy the central part; it rose. if by chance you had met with some deliverer there. It is true.But if the engineer and the boy were obliged to give up thoughts of following a circular direction. a gelatinous matter. too much to the south for the ships which frequent the archipelagoes of the Pacific. Herbert observed. The floor was covered with fine sand. I find a fire at the house. The castaways suffered cruelly. at low tide. at the point occupied by the explorers. very much esteemed in the temperate regions of America and Europe. mounted 2. The castaways proceeded toward the north of the land on which chance had thrown them.

 the sailor and the lad placed some good-sized pieces of wood. in its apparent movement. The streets of the town were deserted. during the terrible War of Secession. The reporter accordingly remained behind." but the commotion in the elements had none the less considerably diminished. A few very timid animals were seen under the forest-trees. taking it. and for the time irreparable.--"So. which. a first-class engineer. and nothing gave the prisoners any hope of a speedy deliverance. threw light on some important point. and the next day. beds. which our Herbert calls couroucous. although he had no confidence in the proceeding. threw down the pieces of wood in disgust. for without matches or tinder we should be in a fix. uttered a vigorous grunt.Nowhere could the work of a human hand be perceived. and appeared to indicate.