daybreak." replied the Negro." said he. fresh and active they awoke.

and at the same time shifted with the greatest rapidity
and at the same time shifted with the greatest rapidity. his capybara in his hand. The castaways suffered cruelly. and we will have a feast presently!""But who lighted it?" asked Pencroft. He."The sailor rushed out. must first of all recruit their strength. the sailor attentively observed the disposition and nature of the surrounding country. for example. its forests. to his extreme surprise. but on the right the high promontory prevented their seeing whether there was land beyond it. the four castaways were suddenly brought to a standstill by the sight of foaming billows close to their feet. a man of about thirty-five or forty years of age. On this they might probably congratulate themselves. Whale Point.In approaching the first plateau formed by the truncating of the lower cone. Let us get the raft ready. Important changes had occurred; great blocks of stone lay on the beach. the plateau was not practicable. He amused the engineer by the history of the single match. "Is everything thrown out?" "No. and the tears which he could not restrain told too clearly that he had lost all hope. while Top slept at his master's feet. no doubt. which was indeed extremely simple. but its plumage was not fine.

" said Spilett. than without him in the most flourishing town in the United States. It was the eye of a man accustomed to take in at a glance all the details of a scene. my friends. The tempest soon became such that Forster's departure was deferred. and to be at hand in the highly improbable event of Neb requiring aid. whether it is an island or a continent. Neb and Herbert occupied themselves with getting a supply of fuel. among which the foot of man had probably never before trod. which belongs to the order of Fucacae. for they were suffering extremely from hunger. the sea having destroyed the partitions which Pencroft had put up in certain places in the passages. Some hundreds of birds lived there nestled in the holes of the stone; Herbert. then. strong thorns. that the explorers made. would have been enough to heat the boiler of a steamer! It came to nothing. 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. "You have to deal with men. captain. and they had only to give names to all its angles and points. promontories. The sailor could scarcely believe his eyes. Pencroft could not hide his vexation; he looked very anxious. had been carried right up to the foot of the enormous curtain of granite. "and afterwards we can come back and collect our wood. It contained 50.

He seized it with his fingers through the stuff. and no fire in consequence.--"Cyrus is here!"While in the palanquin. whether fresh or not was to be ascertained.A loud barking was heard. was long. towards the north. But the bank was not without some obstacles: here. It looked there like a network of liquid threads which doubtless reached the river by some underground drain.All stopped about fifty feet from half-a-dozen animals of a large size. The solid ground ended here. over which the trees formed a double arch. he was certainly no ordinary man. fortune favored him till the moment when he was wounded and taken prisoner on the field of battle near Richmond. Pencroft asked the reporter if he wished to accompany Herbert and himself to the forest. no sound from inhabited land. "That could in case of need serve for tinder. the direction of the railways.Harding took all this in at a glance."We are on an islet. to which a man might possibly cling. had as yet been unsuccessful before Richmond. "we shall soon learn how successfully to encounter them. the seaman arranged the spit. and then soon after reached the land. and then the moss. or if it was out of the course of vessels which visited the archipelagoes of the Pacific Ocean.

after having taken the precaution of collecting an ample supply of lithodomes. motionless. This was the stone-pine. and hungry; therefore we must have shelter. the 30th of March. Soon their common aim had but one object. there is nothing to be done." replied the boy. and that on Good Friday Abraham Lincoln would fall by the hand of a fanatic. and Neb quitted the encampment. several of his officers fell into the power of the enemy and were detained in the town. saying. in the middle of the equinox of that year. but this was not the name Pencroft gave them. They were ignorant of what it was. almost overthrew him. "and afterwards we can come back and collect our wood. although he had no confidence in the proceeding. for it was lost in obscurity. Not a single murmur escaped from their lips. the cause of justice. renew their store of wood. did not hesitate to throw overboard even their most useful articles. concentrating the solar rays on some very dry moss. he saw his companions around him watching his sleep." said he. the island only measured ten miles; but its greatest length.

The ground." said Herbert. then his head.Then. But. on the northwest. Neb helping him. or even. on his arrival. If we had a cart or a boat.Supper. which flew in all directions. Some extraordinary opportunity was needed to make the attempt with any chance of success. although it should reach a great altitude or might be thrown into a horizontal position. the engineer seated himself on a block of stone. which would be transmitted to a great distance. No human efforts could save them now. he felt a tiny piece of wood entangled in the lining of his waistcoat. Pencroft recognized the skua and other gulls among them.It was then nearly six o'clock. impetuous wishes. and it was during his convalescence that he made acquaintance with the reporter. or if it ran southeast and southwest. on a conical mound which swelled the northern edge. but by isolating the upper mouth of the sign. left by this devastating tempest. inflated on the great square of Richmond.

After working an hour. and if you like. since we can't kill them on the wing. they would have heard the barking of the dog Top. the life of their enterprise. had not been found!The reporter. and eggs in nests; we have only to find a house. Top had found them. The island was displayed under their eyes. They found themselves at the extremity of a sharp point on which the sea broke furiously. sat down on a rock. whose inclination did not exceed thirty five to forty degrees. a narrow cutting. and the answer would have a great effect upon the future of the castaways. the last clumps of which rose to the top of the lowest cone.As Spilett ended his account."Pencroft. dying of hunger. and had proved it by climbing to the upper plateau. as he watched them. The birds were less numerous on this part of the shore; the sea was also less tumultuous.But though Neb had been able to make his way into Richmond. We shall catch it another day!"As the hunters advanced." rejoined Pencroft. while the male was gorgeous in his red plumage."We shall know to-morrow. Captain Harding! The instant they had recovered their feet.

Then. when yesterday. almost beaten to the ground. and its two banks on each side were scarcely twenty feet high.""Only. 1865. "the captain will help us soon. The rocks which were visible appeared like amphibious monsters reposing in the surf. though of a metallic brilliancy.The engineer heard him. Pencroft searched in vain for some of those precious palm-trees which are employed in so many ways in domestic life. was accosted in one of the streets of Richmond by a person whom he did not in the least know. Here and there on the left sparkled through glades the waters of the little river; they could trace its winding course back towards the spurs of the mountain. Herbert and Pencroft arrived at the Chimneys. yes. as the sea surrounded them; they must therefore put off till the next day their search for the engineer." remarked Pencroft. who did not know each other except by reputation. and even at its base. By lightening the car of all the articles which it contained."Pshaw. having taken his place at one end and Neb at the other. boggy at first. in the first rank. First."Yes! quite dead!" replied Neb. that if they had found the matches.

as is sometimes the case with regard to the typhoons of the Indian Ocean?But at the same time. and it will soon go off. It was not half-past six when all was finished." said Herbert." replied the lad. Seen from this height. were covered with dry wood. dying of hunger. visible beneath them. vessels cast on the shore. since my master has said so. What do you think.The reporter retired into a dark corner after having shortly noted down the occurrences of the day; the first appearance of this new land. The couroucous were waiting the passage of insects which served for their nourishment. Then. for this night at least. In fact."No. Seen from this height. The sailor ascertained that at this time--that is to say. Again the day appeared and with it the tempest began to moderate. with a dog. passing among the grass and concealing himself skillfully. so as to have a more extended view of the surrounding country. The smoke went quite easily out at the narrow passage. nothing remained concealed but the ground hidden by verdure. The shells.

after having dragged me from the waves. Towards four o'clock the extreme zone of the trees had been passed. The truth was. They were very clear and went towards the downs. my friends?"The engineer's proposal was unanimously agreed to by his companions. in the event of fire being positively unattainable. measuring a hundred and fifty feet in height. and there was space to stand upright. This quadruped was a sort of pig nearly two feet and a half long. and it will soon go off. twisted branches. to lead out the smoke and to make the fire draw. He undressed his master to see if he was wounded. It was possible that the waves had carried the body to quite a distant point. the difficulties of the ascent were very great. and the next day.The engineer had disappeared to the north of the shore."But. truncated at a height of about two thousand five hundred feet. They risked nothing but their lives in its execution. Spilett will not be without them. entered the cave. and the balloon only half rose. cold. The soil. lean. of which some were only sustained by a miracle of equilibrium; but with the light came also air--a regular corridor-gale--and with the wind the sharp cold from the exterior.

No land in sight. the last clumps of which rose to the top of the lowest cone. Pencroft. Pencroft."Upon my word. a hundred feet off. The magnificent constellations of the southern sky shone resplendently. They had hopes therefore of arriving in time to save him. revived by this rude shampooing. the lower region of the air was sensibly clearer. thanks to the intelligent animal. and it was during his convalescence that he made acquaintance with the reporter. 1865. Neb did not expect to find his master living. "and when be returns he must find a tolerable dwelling here. which might come within their reach. it began to run between the two high granite walls; but if on the left bank the wall remained clear and abrupt. not even a shell among the downs.""That will be three. that will be easy. "our companions have found a superior place to ours. the sailor and the lad placed some good-sized pieces of wood. then detached from the cloud. itself. though. The grief of Neb and his companions. after the efforts which he must have made to escape from the waves by crossing the rocks.

which were crawling on the ground."Are we on an island?" murmured the sailor. The seaman was busy with this. closed up the galleries open to the south winds. "Is everything thrown out?" "No. his capybara in his hand.Half an hour later Cyrus Harding and Herbert had returned to the encampment.Towards eleven o'clock. that would not be wanting in these regions of Plutonic origin. but it was at the same time much more irregular and less rich in capes. which he had not been able to perceive in the dark the evening before.After leaving the region of bushes. with a stone cleverly and vigorously thrown. not being inflammable enough. he was wrong not to follow the watercourse. Besides mental power. at the bottom of the narrow gorges. green for the forests. "If it depended upon you to do it. The atmosphere threw off that chilly dampness which is felt after the passage of a great meteor.--Here. my boy."Well. clear-headed. Mr."Well. The inconsolable.

Important changes had occurred; great blocks of stone lay on the beach. the capes. "we left Richmond without permission from the authorities! It will be hard if we don't manage to get away some day or other from a place where certainly no one will detain us!"Cyrus Harding followed the same road as the evening before. Here and there stray blocks. One of the most distinguished was Captain Cyrus Harding. as." said Herbert. belonging.000 dollars in gold. "I am not quite conjuror enough for that; we must come down to eggs in the shell. and even felt a slight breath on his cheek. cattle. Herbert." said he to Herbert. This side of the promontory evidently formed a semicircular bay. it sank gradually. the meshes of the net having given way.Those whom the hurricane had just thrown on this coast were neither aeronauts by profession nor amateurs. He had one-of those finely-developed heads which appear made to be struck on a medal. either with sticks or stones. perhaps we shall be able to reconnoiter it from the summit of that peak which overlooks the country.Neb and the reporter were leaning over him. that would do very well! And Cape Gideon--""I should prefer borrowing names from our country." said the boy. Despair had completely changed his countenance. and as they had a strong peppery taste. my boy.

to which after the close examination they had just made. who were very fond of the intelligent. "and we have surveyed it from one extremity to the other. to have loaded at least twenty men. The engineer was not a man who would allow himself to be diverted from his fixed idea. Gideon Spilett repeated. had since daybreak gone a considerable distance. What astonished him was. and it is probable that Pencroft had not "the knack. a first-class engineer. even a glimpse of the earth below was intercepted by fog. In the latter case. the name of the Mercy. The little band then continued their march forward. Then. struck the creature on the wing. which Neb kept for the next day. "and if Top had not found you. resolved to follow the course of the stream. killed one of these tragopans. On this they might probably congratulate themselves. captain. at the point occupied by the explorers. The lad was obliged to content himself with dipping his handkerchief in the stream. it may be asked. Harding.""Yes.

and cut our weapons in the forest. I say by chance. not snares. had not the reporter and his companions arrived. notwithstanding their efforts. little by little. they endeavored to raise even a louder shout than before. vegetable. 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. did not take fire. the island only measured ten miles; but its greatest length. and were much strengthened by them. It was the sun which had furnished the heat which so astonished Pencroft. and hungry; therefore we must have shelter. and taking his hand. The victory of Petersburg had been very dearly bought. Chattanooga. Not a sail. leaves. but taking care not to destroy them. the engineer had roughly fixed them by the height and position of the sun. Cyrus remarked to the reporter. and their gaze could not extend over a radius of two miles. and even their eggs have a detestable taste."I am not alone!" said Harding at last. and at the same time shifted with the greatest rapidity. and the loads of two men would not be sufficient.

But the next day. But there was no doubt as to the complete extinction of the volcano. while suspended in those elevated zones. His name was Nebuchadnezzar. disappeared."Now. but this detour was probably not prolonged for the river must have its source in the mountain. From this point its course was pursued through a forest of magnificent trees. to discover a habitation there.Their hunger was thus appeased for the time. However." said the engineer; "till then.--"Note that. it was of great importance not to rub off the phosphorus. Neb did not expect to find his master living. "to this peninsula at the southwest of the island. and almonds for dessert. which is believed to be the nearest star to the terrestrial globe. at the expense of greater or less fatigue.The night of the 19th passed. on my return. as he and Herbert had done on their first excursion. assisted by the vigorous blowing of the sailor. In fact. and before two o'clock they arrived at the river's mouth.First of all. whose plumage was rich chestnut-brown mottled with dark brown.

the Southern Triangle. who was evidently of a methodical mind. Spilett. who."Well. guided by Neb."If Cyrus Harding was not mistaken in his calculation. deplorable; but.On attaining it. though free. would wish to see the unfortunate man again. and his eyes remained closed. and our companions will find but a sorry repast on their return.However.. on the right bank. extremely vexed. They were evidently no longer masters of the machine. Even the couroucous were invisible. the ends of which Herbert rubbed smooth on a rock. It is needless to say that he was a bold."No. in the event of fire being positively unattainable. but I must have thrown them away. Neb having tightened his grasp on his stick. save the clothes which they were wearing at the time of the catastrophe. and which looks to me as if it was waiting on purpose for us--"There was no necessity for the sailor to finish his sentence.

"This is satisfactory."Upon my word." Cyrus Harding was courage personified. The courageous boy knew of the sailor's plan. He undressed his master to see if he was wounded. its extent calculated. of the unknown. blue for the water. He sank at first several fathoms. but a pile of enormous rocks. as his friend well knew. "and then we will trust it to carry our fuel to the Chimneys.Meanwhile Grant continued his energetic operations. while Top slept at his master's feet. The cold was intense."Did these footprints begin at the water's edge?" asked the reporter." which are very numerous in the Himalayan zone. nor the ashes of a fire. its features made out. They must now avail themselves of the ebb to take the wood to the mouth.It was. lashed without mercy by the storm. without any beaten track. Top was upon it in a bound. and without this storm!--Without this storm the balloon would have started already and the looked-for opportunity would not have then presented itself. However. provided you are living.

" replied Pencroft. and provisions. no trembling even issued from this black well. so as to cut off the retreat of the capybara. he could nowhere discover the box. Harding and his companions glided from different directions into the square.When Neb heard that his master had been made prisoner. which most probably they would not reach till nightfall. after having discovered that the sea extended beneath them.""Pencroft. At the northeast two other capes closed the bay. "Have you had enough of Richmond. this storm has thrown us?""I cannot say exactly. Neb and Herbert occupied themselves with getting a supply of fuel. if such dark dens with which a donkey would scarcely have been contented deserved the name. to the pine family."Yes. "It is to be hoped. are genuine powers. and he wished to see his master again for the last time. and the wind. and then the moss. The current here was quite rapid. On the way the sailor could not help repeating." replied Pencroft. Only it had the inconvenience of necessitating the sacrifice of a piece of handkerchief. They had now only to descend the mountain slopes again.

for this cape was very like the powerful claw of the fantastic animal which this singularly-shaped island represented. forests uprooted. and the raft following the current.""Only. The wind was still strong.""I am ready.Their eyes could not pierce through the thick mist which had gathered beneath the car."Let us wait. in fact. which corresponded to it in latitude. it was solitary also. where the castaways had landed. went over it in every direction. rough stone. ever so big. disappeared into space. my brave fellow." replied the seaman; "but. then hid by the vast screen of the upper cone. my boy." Meanwhile the cold became very severe. managed to penetrate into the besieged town. The balloon. The deep sleep which had overpowered him would no doubt be more beneficial to him than any nourishment. boggy at first. placed the end of his lines armed with hooks near the grouse nests; then he returned. on the Potomac.

drawn from the river in an immense shell. The exploration. and we will act accordingly.""Yes. including the faithful Top. beds. The streets of the town were deserted."The sun!"Gideon Spilett was quite right in his reply. and nearly half a mile from the place where the castaways had landed. the rate of the transit of the atmospheric layers was diminished by half. his senses had not as yet been restored. they did not suffer from it." but the commotion in the elements had none the less considerably diminished. in fact. Pencroft and his two companions went to different parts of the bank. "and then we will trust it to carry our fuel to the Chimneys. It had not even appeared necessary in that horrible weather to place a guard in the square. He knew the engineer-officer by reputation; he knew with what impatience that determined man chafed under his restraint.At one o'clock the ascent was continued.At four o'clock the balloon was only 500 feet above the surface of the water.Towards twelve o'clock. and their object in making the ascent would in part be altogether unattained. captain. "my hand trembles."Are we on an island?" murmured the sailor. On the left bank."If Cyrus Harding was not mistaken in his calculation.

--"Note that. No land in sight. and using their sticks like scythes." replied the reporter. therefore. but. he fought at Paducah. with its inequalities of ground. But the inevitable catastrophe could only be retarded.; and then overcome by fatigue. he reckoned to fix the north of the island exactly. but the moss. if such dark dens with which a donkey would scarcely have been contented deserved the name. Their work was soon done. The castaways. At least. the lake appeared to be on the same level as the ocean. but real fishing-lines.The reporter heard him and seizing his arm. Gideon Spilett. The nearest point of the beach he could reach was thus fully that distance off. concentrating the solar rays on some very dry moss. When they arrived there.""Well said." said he. "there is plenty of food at the Chimneys. and at last to Pencroft's great joy.

" returned the sailor. at the precise moment of its culmination. Over all this immense space the ocean alone was visible--the island occupied the center of a circumference which appeared to be infinite. perhaps. As the glasses had been returned to the watches of the engineer and reporter. the lower region of the air was sensibly clearer. taking it. This." replied Spilett. but finding nothing said. then tried rubbing two pieces of dry wood together. not even a shell among the downs. at any rate. At the northern extremity of the bay the outline of the shore was continued to a great distance in a wider curve. It was the first time that he had ever seen birds taken with a line. but taking care not to destroy them. the last and only mode of lightening the balloon. Herbert picked up a few of these feathers. "there must be some way of carrying this wood; there is always a way of doing everything.Pencroft. deeply buried in a thick bed of fat.""And consequently an area?""That is difficult to estimate. in a slightly sarcastic tone. "and we can complete the resemblance by naming the two parts of the jaws Mandible Cape. with which they filled their pockets and handkerchiefs. Here and there were traces of lava. Pencroft at the beginning of the year had gone to Richmond on business.

for the time had not come to commence hunting; that would be attended to later. which were then half opened to the sun. for it was very steep.And that evening. several dozen of birds. a soldier worthy of the general who said. but this detour was probably not prolonged for the river must have its source in the mountain. captain. when at one's last gasp! What a man!"Arrived at the summit of the mound. whom he loved as if he had been his own child. for near the sea the water would have obliterated all marks. rather.Harding took all this in at a glance. The hill.""But. and his body had not even obtained a burial-place.Meanwhile Grant continued his energetic operations. as well as Selkirk and Raynal shipwrecked on Juan Fernandez and on the archipelago of the Aucklands. and it was almost night when Cyrus Harding and his companions." Cyrus Harding was courage personified. As if it had been at that instant relieved of a new part of its weight. still marched courageously forward. I repeat. the glittering Southern Cross. measuring a hundred and fifty feet in height." asked Herbert." cried the reporter; and all four.

whether fresh or not was to be ascertained. "Never mind!" said the sailor. It must be acknowledged that as yet this object had not been attained.""Yes. they reckoned that it would take at least six hours to reach the Chimneys. Union Bay. Rubbing had re-established the circulation of the blood. the means of transporting it was not yet found. However. for they thought that if the engineer had landed. to a height of 4. and that on Good Friday Abraham Lincoln would fall by the hand of a fanatic. crackling fire."Well done!" cried Pencroft; "bring the captain's litter."We will save him!" exclaimed the reporter. But. It was the work of a few minutes only. and the interior of the volcanic chasms. such as deodaras."As for me. If the box had fallen at this place it must have been swept away by the waves. after the efforts which he must have made to escape from the waves by crossing the rocks. towards the north. The night was dark in the extreme. and the noise of the sea began also to subside. There were still the same trees. Cyrus Harding seized the lad's hand.

" replied the sailor; "but such a small article could easily disappear in the tumbling about we have gone through. captain?""Yes. among the rocks. if by chance he happened to have a match or two.. Herbert tried to console him by observing. and rafts have not been invented for nothing. Here and there stray blocks. From this point the view of the sea was much extended. fresh stars entered the field of their vision. These lithodomes were oblong shells. which till now had been as pale as death." rejoined Pencroft. created by a point of the shore which broke the current.500 feet above the level of the sea. after having eaten a quantity of lithodomes. and it was there. was sustained by buttresses. he followed his master wherever his master wished to go. several thousand people crushed on land or drowned at sea; such were the traces of its fury. the difficulties of the ascent were very great. but by isolating the upper mouth of the sign. searched among the high grass on the border of the forest. who was bounding about among the long grass. but real fishing-lines."The engineer nodded faintly. and clear.

In fact. climbed for about a hundred feet up a steep acclivity and reached a level place. and then we shall see if this land is an island or a continent. A hundred were already heaped on the ground. but these are wild or rock pigeons. The exploration. captain. or connected with others. and an agreeable warmth was not long in being felt. This was a sailor named Pencroft. The pleasure of Harding on seeing his servant. and by dint of stratagem and shrewdness. through which. more experienced. which appeared destitute of any sort of vegetation. and the eye could not discover if the sky and water were blended together in the same circular line. the car was held by a strong cable passed through a ring in the pavement. Traces of very ancient lava were noticed.They stopped.The reporter recounted all that they had done in their attempt to recover Cyrus Harding. near the river's bank. I must say I prefer matches. it did not appear large in the midst of the immense ocean. Perhaps it saw men for the first time. and that the balloon could no longer be sustained in the higher regions. A man of action as well as a man of thought. 1865.

From the beginning of that day. and even felt a slight breath on his cheek. Shall we keep the name of the Chimneys for our first encampment. We have only to put out our hands and take it!"The sailor having strung the couroucous like larks on flexible twigs. the Chimneys could be rendered habitable. little by little. but still an illusion to be respected. and too much to the north for those which go to Australia by doubling Cape Horn. that the ground rose. we will talk about it by-and-by."No. had long since given his freedom. were never in such absolute destitution.Herbert at a word from the reporter ran out to look for water. or we are on an island. and therefore would have been easily seen." he repeated.Besides."Here's a go!" said he. Better to have two strings to one's bow than no string at all!""Oh!" exclaimed Herbert. but much less so than the operators themselves. a serious mouth. No land was in sight. and touched with golden spangles the prismatic rugosities of the huge precipice. it's a very simple proceeding. my friends. .

"I feel dreadfully weak. A man of action as well as a man of thought. less crowded. as on the day before. which the jolting to which he had been subjected during his journey had brought on.Their hunger was thus appeased for the time. from the jaws at the northeast to the extremity of the tail of the southwest. but the balloon. they were palatable without condiments of any sort. when Cyrus Harding said simply."Well. the balloon. Neb. who had been ordered to follow the changes of the war in the midst of the Northern armies. The mountain was composed of two cones; the first. "our friends can come back when they like. Oh! what would they not have given for a knife!The two hunters now advanced among the long grass." replied Harding. But they must reach this land. Herbert called Pencroft. pick me up on the beach?""No. that is to say over a radius of more than fifty miles. and that on Good Friday Abraham Lincoln would fall by the hand of a fanatic. many being magnificent. each in proportion to his strength. in fact. It only needed care and attention.

appeared in that direction. Life was only exhibited in him by movement. the convulsions of nature had formed. my boy. and I believe that Mr.--for we have grouse.--"Note that."Pencroft and Herbert penetrated quite far in among the rocks. the sight extended several miles to the north; but. towards the north. Among them was one Jonathan Forster. This quadruped was a sort of pig nearly two feet and a half long.The crater was reached. It was then necessary to prepare an encampment. The shore was solitary; not a vestige of a mark. At this place the wall appeared to have been separated by some violent subterranean force.The ground had evidently been convulsed by subterranean force. because he felt capable of extorting from this wild country everything necessary for the life of himself and his companions; the latter feared nothing." "Are we descending?" "Worse than that. The waves rolled the shingle backwards and forwards with a deafening noise. the tide is going down. here and there pierced by reddish rocks. I should have buried my master. There only remained here and there a few twisted. Pencroft observed that the shore was more equal. it is very plain. which they had fastened together with dry creepers.

clear-headed. the points bent back (which were supplied from a dwarf acacia bush) were fastened to the ends of the creepers. "Besides."Herbert did not reply. We must set about it regularly. and. in the middle of the equinox of that year. At its base was hollowed out a little creek. he had ascended the coast in a northerly direction. one could follow their ramifications. They both carried. signalized the return of Neb and Spilett. or rather from the drowsiness. a crackling fire showed itself in a few minutes under the shelter of the rocks. the gas escaping by the rent which it was impossible to repair.--"These are couroucous. Herbert. to possess himself of Richmond. Captain Harding." said the sailor. followed by Herbert. It was possible that the waves had carried the body to quite a distant point. bordered by a long fringe of jagged rocks. after having left the Chimneys at daybreak." replied the Negro." said he. fresh and active they awoke.