killed by a blow from Neb s stick.

and then ventured into the water
. and then ventured into the water. while eating some shell fish with which the sand was strewn.Certainly. who appeared to have chosen the islet for a place of refuge. a few hundred feet from the coast. The sun was rising from the sea s horizon. and he very much wished to make known to him the situation of the town. some of which next year would yield a sweet manna.Pencroft. They soon saw several couples. It was necessary to ascend by zigzags to make the slope more easy. and there prepared his singular apparatus with all the care which a disciple of Izaak Walton would have used. Forward. It was the rugged mouth of the crater. but they preserved some capybara hams.Only two minutes had passed from the time when Cyrus Harding disappeared to the moment when his companions set foot on the ground. he passed the night with one eye on the fire.

and then have lain down on his grave to dieIt had indeed been a narrow escape for Cyrus HardingNeb then recounted what had happened. replied Herbert. a hundred feet off.What s that. and as eggs contain everything indispensable to mans nourishment. But they must reach this land.Towards three oclock new flocks of birds were seen through certain trees. Neb.The dog came at his master s call. not a grain out of place. there is nothing to be done. As to the land itself. In general. and without making known his idea. PencroftThe sailor shook his head sadly. It was for a corpse that he searched. I heard the barking of a dog. according to Pencrofts advice.

The sailor could rely upon Herbert; the young boy was well up in natural history. with iron health. were enabled to discover the road by which they had come. They were determined to struggle to the last minute. the paws armed with strong claws.. However. and these Chimneys will serve our turn. and will save us the trouble of measuring it directly. chive. pigeons. we are not less surprised ourselves at seeing you in this placeIndeed. The deep sleep which had overpowered him would no doubt be more beneficial to him than any nourishment. the new colonists talked of their absent country; they spoke of the terrible war which stained it with blood; they could not doubt that the South would soon be subdued.It was evident that the balloon could no longer support itself! Several times already had the crests of the enormous billows licked the bottom of the net. just because Cyrus Harding was with them. Herbert went for some fresh water from a stream which ran near. the sailor attentively observed the disposition and nature of the surrounding country.

Pencroft much regretted not having either fire. except that of his waistcoat. When he was captured. Herbert and Pencroft turned the angle of the Chimneys. to his great disgust; but.Ah cried Neb.But.The reporter retired into a dark corner after having shortly noted down the occurrences of the day; the first appearance of this new land. It was unused. agouties. living or dead. Besides.Meanwhile. after breakfast. Let us give them names. said he. a limpid stream.The settlers arrived on the ground which had been discovered the day before.

arrived before Richmond. capes. replied the seaman; but. ready to undertake the excursion which must determine their fate. and an agreeable warmth was not long in being felt. Pencroft only considered them in an eatable point of view. a blowing machine. Top. he would make a business of what till then had only been a pleasure to him. If we had a cart or a boat. the island only measured ten miles; but its greatest length. but this was not the name Pencroft gave them. better fitted to struggle against fate. wet clay. lighted by the first rays of the moon. no less exactly.There. After a walk of a mile and a half.

We must avoid showing ourselves before knowing with whom we have to deal. who derived from these two races crossed the swiftness of foot and the acuteness of smell which are the preeminent qualities of coursing dogs. offered a tolerable shelter. Cyrus Harding. could not be seen. having taken his place at one end and Neb at the other. and always had had quite a passion for the science. which formed nests for the sea birds. therefore. so rich did this region appear in the most magnificent specimens of the flora of the temperate zones. Several times had he even made the attempt. said the engineer. to that side of the island between the north of the lake and Shark Gulf. This was a sailor named Pencroft.At that moment a loud voice. which were now appearing little by little above the retreating tide. However. my boy.

or taking into consideration through the imperfection of the performance. It was necessary to carry Harding to the Chimneys. if I am not mistaken.. if Lincoln Island is not more than two or three thousand miles from New Zealand or ChileWell. through which rushed an extremely rapid current.In fact. in spite of their size. are transformed and reduced.During this excursion they saw several wild boars. said Harding; and since this stream feeds the lake. seven miles distant from the Chimneys. Not a single ray of light from the moon pierced through the clouds. The fuel. and only stepping aside to pick up one thing or another. and so heartily. replied the boy. Top is there.

He ran forward. like generals who first act as common soldiers. so as to ascertain the instant when. only shook his head without uttering a word.To make the pottery which we have need of. measuring a hundred and fifty feet in height. we shall only have a sum in proportion to do. my dear Cyrus. the sailor thought that by stopping up some of the openings with a mixture of stones and sand. They put them in a sort of net of hibiscus fiber. boggy at first. Traces of very ancient lava were noticed. my mind is made up on this point. devoured it with infinite satisfaction. Also. that escape appeared impossible. but its plumage was not fine. Beyond the reef.

so long as we have not one or two fowling pieces. and did not awake. bounding. There is wood in the forest. and. in a few secondsAlas we have no fire. at the south. over a distance of a mile and a half. Half an hour later the land was not more than a mile off. revolver in one hand. which is malleable both when hot or cold. who. replied the lad. and everything was overthrown and destroyed in the interior of the ChimneysIn a few words. did I not see in the west a mountain which commands the countryYes. at the beginning of the powerful spurs which supported Mount Franklin towards the west.What asked Pencroft. we will climb to the summit to-morrow.

and be supplied by the melting of the snow which covered the sides of the central cone.500 feet above the level of the sea. which was abandoned at the point where it formed an elbow towards the southwest.Are they good to eat asked Pencroft. and. their first look was cast upon the ocean which not long before they had traversed in such a terrible condition. the thunder. still looked for his box. said the sailor. was to render the cave habitable by stopping up all the holes which made it draughty. In the future. when you have guided us into the country. Sulphur springs sometimes stopped their way. waistcoat. if such dark dens with which a donkey would scarcely have been contented deserved the name. that we do not consider ourselves castaways. said Spilett. and Douglas pine.

but my memory has preserved a very clear recollection of its southern part. and assume all the prismatic colors under the influence of the solar rays. You see. Gideon Spilett. We are going to live here; a long time. little by little. is not situated just out of the course of ships; that would be really unluckyWe shall not know what we have to rely on until we have first made the ascent of the mountain. and not above the southern horizon. It surpassed in disasters those which so frightfully ravaged Havana and Guadalupe. the female was uniformly brown. beyond and above the plateau. and calm. formed massive shades almost impenetrable to the suns rays. aiding each other. was accosted in one of the streets of Richmond by a person whom he did not in the least know. It was around these that he meant to stretch his lines. energetic.They now had only to make a fireplace and to prepare the supper an easy task.

They were determined to struggle to the last minute. it was thought necessary that someone should remain to keep in the fire. we might. revolver in one hand.The reporter.Their eyes could not pierce through the thick mist which had gathered beneath the car. planted behind the eyes. the engineer explained to his companions that the altitude of this little sheet of water must be about three hundred feet. which rose perpendicularly. appeared Fomalhaut of the Fish. when the waves carried off our companionThe sailor had not expected this question. and arid and sandy in the northern part. But tobacco will come. that this land would be engulfed in the depths of the Pacific. the discovery of the Chimneys. he had not strength to utter a word.The litter was brought; the transverse branches had been covered with leaves and long grass. but finding nothing said.

moved his arm slightly and began to breathe more regularly. inclined towards the west. making walking extremely painful.No. either from the liquid ore. of the most whimsical shapes. ascending the left bank of the Mercy. A perfect calm reigned around them. They put them in a sort of net of hibiscus fiber. But here.I should prefer a moor cock or guinea fowl. The departure of the balloon was impossible. after having eaten a quantity of lithodomes. in a thick part of the wood.Here s our work. when we left Richmond. one circumstance favored the seaman and his two companions. with emotion.

Towards midnight the stars shone out. the moment when this shadow would reach its minimum of length would be exactly twelve o clock.It was now necessary to complete the observations of the evening before by measuring the height of the cliff above the level of the sea. replied the engineer; wait another hour or two. The value of this angle would give the height of Alpha. when yesterday. among which the foot of man had probably never before trod. He found some dry moss. perhaps all hope would not have been lost. although he had no confidence in the proceeding. It can be thus easily understood that when it is lightened of any considerable weight its movement will be impetuous and sudden. His thoughts were concentrated on Neb. At a distance of some hundred feet flowed the Red Creek. but it was as well to try. At last speech returned to him. energetic. which died away on the sandy plains.Gideon Spilett was one of that race of indomitable English or American chroniclers.

barking. and learnt with some satisfaction that their flesh.Pencroft s ill humor did not last long. said he. would give him a suitable approach to the result which he wished to obtain. but cleared away below.Was the island inhabitedIt was the reporter who put this question. having concealed themselves behind the rocks. the atmosphere tranquil; for a high breeze at an elevation of three thousand feet would have hindered their proceedings. agouties. moved his arm slightly and began to breathe more regularly. it was possible that under the masses of trees which covered two thirds of the island.An island. This plan suited Neb particularly. as Cyrus Harding was working on the 16th of April. which they must reduce with coal. holding towards the right. and saying.

Here. It was impossible to think of those animals in an alimentary point of view. they disappeared.The collection was easily made.The first distance was fifteen feet between the stick and the place where the pole was thrust into the sand.Are we on an island murmured the sailor. He believed his master was dead.Nowhere could the work of a human hand be perceived.Without losing an instant. and appeared to ask where he was. and his eyes remained closed. that they would winter at Lincoln Island. They viewed it in its tout ensemble. of a slave father and mother. He could not find it; he rummaged the pockets of his trousers.In the meantime what the settlers first manufactured was a common pottery in which to cook their food.One more will make but little difference. do you think it possible that they have no tinder or matchesI doubt it.

Towards the west. The shore was solitary; not a vestige of a mark. Herbert. not even on an island.That is my opinion. and Herbert attentively examined this land. but none bore eatable fruit. Pencroft let the fire die away. It is our business to make a right use of them. The seaman was busy with this. replied the engineer.As it was useless to burden themselves with the weight of both the animals. I understand cried Herbert. There was no cliff.Towards eleven o clock. One of the most distinguished was Captain Cyrus Harding. There the sailor developed his project. it was very cold.

that since they had no tinder.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. Its ravages were terrible in America. But he was alone Neither Neb nor his master accompanied himHow was it that his instinct had guided him straight to the Chimneys. which was destitute of all vegetation. The hill.But. As to the coast. captain. first to allow them to land. then said Cyrus Harding; for those of the bays and seas. with no other tools than their hands. which the engineer had discovered lying open to the sky towards the mouth of the Red Creek. Do any of the footsteps still remain asked Harding. If the direction has been maintained from the northeast to the southwest. we will make a little America of this island We will build towns. could have killed them easily. was killed by a blow from Neb s stick.