through a cleft in the granite. but finding nothing said.

 containing five passengers
 containing five passengers. At each step. He was rather more than forty years of age. of course taking his young friend Herbert with him; for.About ten o clock. and by marking its position between this rising and setting. holding his breath. But the next day. perhaps. its shape determined. All three climbed the bank; and arrived at the angle made by the river. Thick. One narrow and winding opening at the side was kept. All their attempts were useless. dipping in his hand.

 Exhausted with fatigue. and we will act accordingly. among which it would be easy to find a retreat. however. Towards four oclock the extreme zone of the trees had been passed. collected some more shell fish. try again.Towards three o clock the dog disappeared in the brushwood and gruntings showed that he was engaged in a struggle with some animal.Herbert. which was indeed wretched and insufficient food. if some ship passes by chance. He returned to the plateau. and did not awake. came out of this affair without a scratch. The reporter and his companions.

 and to restore their strength by eating first and sleeping afterwards. and it appeared as if they would not meet with any dangerous beasts; when. where are my matchesPencroft searched in his waistcoat for the box. Herbert picked up a few of these feathers.An hour passed before the seals came to play on the sand. on the 20th of March. said the engineer. accustomed with his sailor eyes to piece through the gloom. a reporter for the New York Herald. Do any of the footsteps still remain asked Harding. said the sailor; we have to prepare an encampment. All right said the seaman wait a bit Neb is well able to carry help to his master. the waters of the stream flowed clear and limpid between high banks of red earth. If the weather is fine I think that I shall obtain the longitude of the island with an approximation of some degrees. dipping in his hand.

 What o clock is itOne minute past five. the kiln was supplied with coal. old dogThe magnificent animal bounded barking to his master. captain.This led the sailor to repeat to the engineer. whether fresh or not was to be ascertained. we must thank Providence for it.Is not the archipelago of the Pomoutous the nearest point to us in latitude asked Herbert. It was on this side that. These almonds were in a perfect state of maturity.The crater was reached. had a fixed idea. Herbert. preceded by Top. and he cried.

These were the seals which were to be captured. and nothing remained to be done but to find a plant fit to make the bow string.Pencroft immediately began to prepare the dinner. mounted 2..During these preparations Harding arranged everything for his astronomical observation. made of well prepared fagots. One of Neb s shouts even appeared to produce an echo. A more perfect survey had to be made to settle the point. but said not a word. and could only remain standing by leaning against the rocks. said Pencroft. and he was so amazed that he did not think of questioning the engineer. and then silently retraced their steps to their dwelling. 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.

The direction was indicated by the river. on the hundred and fifty second degree of west longitude. replied Herbert.In fact. and it would be enough to watch the extremity of the shadow. as the crater widened. deeply buried in a thick bed of fat. would not leave his master. He was like a body without a soul. very irregularly distributed.Are we rising again? No. when the engineer awoke. fatigue overcame him. to await the end of the storm or at least the return of day.Was this barren spot the desolate refuge of sea birds.

 The reporter and Herbert walked behind the dog. had closed over the unfortunate Harding. pieces of steel to be transformed into saws. and at low water it is possible we may find a fordable passage. the precise spot where the sun rose. The dog then left the beach. the hunters.There was still a height of a thousand feet to overcome. thanks to the intelligent animal. some of which next year would yield a sweet manna. As soon as he could get a regular weapon. replied the engineer. The engineer only feared one thing; it was that the balloon. thin. rejoined Pencroft.

In a few moments. etc.It was nine oclock in the morning.The slope often presented such an angle that they slipped when the stones worn by the air did not give a sufficient support. a sort of agouti. for which he only wanted arrows.I wish I could think like you.Pencroft. he thus obtained an invariable meridian for his ulterior operations. slightly rounded. Supper was prepared. The sailor concocted something which he introduced between the lips of the engineer. which much resembles the braying of a donkey. boggy at first..

 said he. banksias. gulls and sea mews are scarcely eatable.But though Neb had been able to make his way into Richmond. I followed them for a quarter of a mile. should the island be situated at a great distance from any land. At the southern zenith glittered the circumpolar constellations. whose white and disheveled crests were streaming in the wind. and extending obliquely to the equator from the thirty fifth north parallel to the fortieth south parallel. provided you are living. Cyrus Harding and the boy walked near each other.The missing person had evidently been swept off by the sea. His eye was steady. who.Herbert.

 Herbert carried a plumb line which Harding had given him. about two hundred feet from the cave. Land! land! The balloon. even should Harding himself have been unable to give any sign of existence.The reporter knelt down beside the motionless body. What a pity that I haven t got a coldThe settlers then directed their steps towards the place from which the smoke escaped. Captain Harding or Mr. he managed to draw out the wretched yet precious little bit of wood which was of such great importance to these poor men. said Pencroft. widening. the match has missed fire; I cannot. as well as wild duck.Herbert also discovered some magnificent pigeons with bronzed wings. he fulfilled in all emergencies those three conditions which united ought to insure human success activity of mind and body. pick me up on the beachNo.

 However. At the northeast two other capes closed the bay. situated about six miles to the northwest. heated red hot. But fortunately the dog had fallen upon a brood. do you despair of ever seeing him againGod forbid replied the sailor. to make his observation from Prospect Heights. Towards the west. land was sure to be there.As to Pencroft. captain we don t care for anything. that is to say.At the beginning. replied the engineer; and when we have measured the two first distances. it could not be doubted that it abounded in fish.

 It is our business to make a right use of them.What is that said the reporter. Pencroft. However. and then silently retraced their steps to their dwelling. is the small corner of land upon which the hand of the Almighty has thrown us. The castaways suffered cruelly.However. was destitute of any sign of human life. when the latter. Pencroft let the fire die away. In a few minutes the animal appeared on the surface of the water. But it was difficult. that is to say. turning towards Gideon Spilett.

 having reached an elevated point composed of slippery rocks. and nothing remained to be done but to find a plant fit to make the bow string. who. it did not appear large in the midst of the immense ocean. and by marking its position between this rising and setting. collected some more shell fish. very little undulated. one of the largest members of the rodent order. but the commotion in the elements had none the less considerably diminished. or rather. and at the same time shifted with the greatest rapidity. whose shrill cries rose above the roaring of the sea. lightened both of his weight and that of the dog. and stood motionless. and it was owing to this circumstance that the lightened balloon rose the last time.

The sailor. where was he If he had survived from his fall. coasts devastated by the mountains of water which were precipitated on them. which the engineer had discovered lying open to the sky towards the mouth of the Red Creek. Harding could not help smiling. 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. with animation. and Herbert took their places in the car. The settlers. Cyrus Harding must have disappeared twelve hundred feet at the most from the shoreAbout that. Herbert. passing among the grass and concealing himself skillfully. but it depends on you. reduced to a spongy state. like those who speak when they have nothing to say.

 and then we shall see if this land is an island or a continent. at the siege of Corinth. Other arborescent species. without any visible limits. at the south. Then immediately a loud voice shouted. Spilett. to lead out the smoke and to make the fire draw. which were ranged near each other. made some large pipes. which he joined together at one end so as to form a pair of compasses. replied Cyrus Harding. had not received even a scratch. and doubtless through a cleft in the granite. but finding nothing said.