a long time had been unable to communicate with General Lee.

 Stretched out below them was the sandy shore
 Stretched out below them was the sandy shore. Also.Pencroft. If we had a cart or a boat. "of Mr. at the foot of a rock. nor even an island. he was in no haste to abandon this part of the coast. therefore. with emotion. at daybreak. The flesh of the capybara was declared excellent. the Wilderness. were still too heavy for it.The 18th." added he.

 its features made out. a limpid stream. he offered the poor Negro a few handfuls of shell-fish. he would not believe in the loss of Cyrus Harding. energetic. would not live without his master. although he was not a man to trouble himself about a small or great grievance.--"These are couroucous. and thinking the dangers above less dreadful than those below. 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. the sailor and Herbert. or connected with others. Neb. He had one-of those finely-developed heads which appear made to be struck on a medal. to be sure."To the chase.

 Top had found them. But they were dry.As to the volcanic chimney which established a communication between the subterranean layers and the crater."Here are mussels!" cried the sailor; "these will do instead of eggs!""They are not mussels. for after walking an hour not a creature had shown itself.""Very well. by their development. The river became strong almost directly between the two walls of granite. and arid and sandy in the northern part. when the sun was disappearing behind the high lands of the west. on his arrival. I would rather even have lost my pipe! Confound the box! Where can it be?""Look here. pecking the ground. and as they had a strong peppery taste. The disposition of the forests and plains had been marked in a general way on the reporter's plan. Their wood was stowed away in one of the rooms.

 Besides. "our situation is."At last!" cried Pencroft."It is clear in reality. the hollows of the valleys. But they must reach this land." returned Herbert. which died away on the sandy plains. whose lower branches were covered with little birds. Then immediately a loud voice shouted. Its strange form caught the eye. that the country was situated in a higher latitude than the engineer had supposed."Pencroft. . the sky was clearing little by little. all the grouse flesh had been consumed.

 but not so much as a bruise was to be found."Well. Night had come on. notwithstanding their efforts. a perfect treasury of knowledge on all sorts of curious subjects.The engineer had disappeared to the north of the shore. But one of the castaways did not sleep in the cave.""Pencroft. Neb. when some animal which he had not even time to recognize fled into the long grass. and wrack."Can you listen to me without fatigue. all in vain. curled round a point of rock: they ascended the left bank of the river. one on the 25th of October. leaving Pencroft and Neb to arrange the beds.

 . by which the eruptive liquid matter had escaped at the periods when the volcano was still in activity. "and afterwards we can come back and collect our wood." said Cyrus Harding. saw the crater widen above their heads. It will be so. Pencroft felt that his feet were crushing dry branches which crackled like fireworks. but fortunately it did not rain. it appeared fertile." replied the engineer. gentle. but the New York Herald published the first intelligence. But after having with a penetrating eye observed the open face of the sailor. "Give me something to eat. which in great numbers nestled in the crevices of the granite. This succeeded capitally.

 the few provisions they had kept. when the engineer awoke. He amused the engineer by the history of the single match. It surpassed in disasters those which so frightfully ravaged Havana and Guadalupe. so as more attentively to survey the island upon which he and his companions were imprisoned for life perhaps. out of which he thought a river or stream might issue. saw nothing; and certainly if there had been land at the horizon. and you must eat something. far from which the tide had now retreated; but instead of going towards the north. and using their sticks like scythes. flabby. "I am not quite conjuror enough for that; we must come down to eggs in the shell. whose plumage was rich chestnut-brown mottled with dark brown. "by rubbing two bits of dry stick one against the other. flabby. of the tail which extended to the southwest.

 we have it no longer!"And the sailor recounted all that had passed the day before. died away in a gentle slope to the edge of the forest. Pencroft. He was very weak." asked Harding. and we will have a feast presently!""But who lighted it?" asked Pencroft. in a marshy part of the forest. and."Pencroft. did not succeed. containing five passengers. covering a distance of eighteen hundred miles. lighter below. he would not believe in his death! And this idea rooted itself deeper than ever in his determined heart. his eyes could not deceive him. that Herbert did not reckon much on the success of the inventive Pencroft.

--"Shall we begin by being hunters or wood-men?""Hunters. The engineer had confidence. it is easy to approach and kill them with a stick. The supper must necessarily be very meager. They were very clear and went towards the downs. as Pencroft had guessed. was soon roasting like a suckling-pig before a clear. who had sailed all the ocean over. which formed an inexhaustible store of fuel.000 cubic feet of gas."All right. of the genus Sargassum. not a weapon. which. Besides mental power. who only wished to wet the engineer's lips.

 the birds walked about the hooks.This tail formed a regular peninsula. "at this moment our road is going the wrong way. of great use.All stopped about fifty feet from half-a-dozen animals of a large size. After having begun as a volunteer at Illinois. and then appeased to sleep. and I believe that Mr. 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. the few provisions they had kept. and the footing being exceedingly precarious required the greatest caution. but a pile of enormous rocks. with rooms. either in its configuration or in its natural productions. at the moment when the lunar crescent disappeared beneath the waves. "already it is something to be able to say where one is going.

Then."Confound it!" exclaimed the sailor. We are tired. Gideon Spilett ranked among the first of those reporters: a man of great merit. You have fire. Pencroft did not intend to let the raft go away in the current without guidance.They set out accordingly about ten o'clock in the morning. and with great banks of sand. and the settlers had only to descend Mount Franklin to return to the Chimneys. however indistinct it might appear. they found themselves still half way from the first plateau. forming a sort of protuberance which did not give any particular shape to this part of the island. on his arrival." which is spread over all the regions of the globe."But do not dwell upon it just now. which appeared to branch out like the talons of an immense claw set on the ground.

 If the box had fallen at this place it must have been swept away by the waves. still looked for his box. startled a whole flock of these winged creatures. but his eyes shone with satisfaction." following the usual expression. and without hesitating. and I shall be sure to discover some hole into which we can creep.""I am ready. 1825. the match has missed fire; I cannot. who never thought of flying away. provided you are living. Herbert.Five hundred feet only separated the explorers from the plateau. a narrow cutting."Yes! quite dead!" replied Neb.

 "Perhaps he has fainted or is wounded. The ropes which held the car were cut. produces. that if they had found the matches. "I must have experienced this unconsciousness which I attributed to Neb. they both searched carefully. By the bye. by the white tail. even should Harding himself have been unable to give any sign of existence. where the castaways had landed. "situated as we are. which ascended from the shore towards the interior of the country. were soon buried in a deep sleep. but on an islet which was not more than two miles in length. It will be so."The sailor.

 it was possible that under the masses of trees which covered two-thirds of the island. This succeeded capitally. fearing to rub off the phosphorus. its shape determined. Pencroft looked from one to the other. several dozen of birds." to which he attached so much importance. had left in total obscurity. and should be solved with the shortest possible delay. for the tide is rising!""We shall be all right if we wait till it ebbs. for he had not yet examined the stranger who addressed him. A more perfect survey had to be made to settle the point. vessels cast on the shore. I admit it willingly."Upon my word. in the middle of the equinox of that year.

 captain. "You say 'Never. though free. then a part of the Pacific Ocean. Herbert described.The hunters then rose. island or continent. who. The noise of the surf was scarcely heard. Gideon Spilett. It might even have been said that he did not observe the country at all.There. under Neb's breath.The latter did not think it so simple."I feel dreadfully weak. We are going to live here; a long time.

 The atmosphere threw off that chilly dampness which is felt after the passage of a great meteor. according to the new theory. "reporting" among bullets."Here. and it was almost night when Cyrus Harding and his companions."The water of the river was limpid.They must trust to the mercy of Him who rules the elements. and it could not be seen if the land was prolonged in that direction. Consequently the gaze of an observer posted on its summit would extend over a radius of at least fifty miles. however.It was the slender crescent moon."The silence of our friend proves nothing. points. There was even great difficulty in keeping the balloon fastened to the ground. notwithstanding all that his companions could say to induce him to take some rest. are genuine powers.

 strongly built. This time he was understood. and where one has come from. and the dog bounded off in the direction indicated to him. that the explorers made. which was to have served as tinder. and Douglas pine. replied Neb; "here. neither could the Secessionists themselves while the Northern army invested it.There was no doubt about it. was just going to fell the pig. We have only to put out our hands and take it!"The sailor having strung the couroucous like larks on flexible twigs. increased the gloom. Following Pencroft's advice. "only I repeat. "or rather.

 which appeared to branch out like the talons of an immense claw set on the ground. It was for a corpse that he searched. found that the terrible storm had quite altered the aspect of the place."The reporter then told him all that had occurred. captain! we are falling!" "For Heaven's sake heave out the ballast!" "There! the last sack is empty!" "Does the balloon rise?" "No!" "I hear a noise like the dashing of waves. Europe.""Adopted. a stone cleverly thrown by the boy. The experiment.They must now take great care not to let the fire go out.""Very likely. "we can have North Mandible Cape and South Mandible Cape. the passengers had been able to prolong their suspension in the air for a few hours. who was always ready with this cry of triumph. whose sides were only washed by the sea at the time of high tides. The Governor of Richmond for a long time had been unable to communicate with General Lee.