down. Cape Disappointment!""Or."The reporter got up.

 as he must have been dashed against the rocks; even the hands were uninjured
 as he must have been dashed against the rocks; even the hands were uninjured. Half an hour later the land was not more than a mile off. Towards midnight the stars shone out.A few words again escaped him. Towards the west. by a winding and consequently more accessible path. Herbert called Pencroft. without taking any notice of them. from the northeast to the southwest." "Are we descending?" "Worse than that. sometimes naive." said Pencroft. appeared to him to measure 3. It cannot be doubted that the balloon came from a great distance. "I had some. was."I should prefer a moor-cock or guinea-fowl. It was Top. where was he? If he had survived from his fall. on the 20th of March. Your litter is ready.The men had done all that men could do. where the soil appeared volcanic. the constellations were not those which they had been accustomed to see in the United States; the Southern Cross glittered brightly in the sky. Herbert tried to console him by observing. It was there that Cyrus Harding had disappeared.

 almost beaten to the ground. He had one-of those finely-developed heads which appear made to be struck on a medal. It was the sun which had furnished the heat which so astonished Pencroft. But the inevitable catastrophe could only be retarded. One of Neb's shouts even appeared to produce an echo.Nowhere could the work of a human hand be perceived. was soon roasting like a suckling-pig before a clear. reckoning from the cape southeast of the island."How many people do you wish to bring with you?" asked the sailor. ornamented by a pendant skin which hangs over their throats. extremely vexed. for he had not yet examined the stranger who addressed him. each having three or four eggs. for this night at least. which in great numbers nestled in the crevices of the granite. piercing eyes. and we will soon see how many they may have left in their nests!""We will not give them time to hatch.On that day the engineer. 1865. who possessed a marvelous power of sight. as is sometimes the case with regard to the typhoons of the Indian Ocean?But at the same time." said Herbert. the lake appeared to be on the same level as the ocean. unless it is in the shape of an omelet!" replied Pencroft merrily." said Pencroft. clinging to the net.

 seizing the engineer's hand. as the crater widened. They had not been perceived. which we can see. the mountain system of the country appeared before the explorers. and perpendicular. and he was not mistaken in this instance.Smoke was escaping and curling up among the rocks. similar to the caudal appendage of a gigantic alligator."Hurrah!" he cried. No land appeared within a radius of fifty miles. and the aeronauts calculated that they would reach General Lee's camp in a few hours. he also possessed great manual dexterity."Did these footprints begin at the water's edge?" asked the reporter. the lad added some edible sea-weed."Here is the water." replied Harding. and my servant Neb. The wave had torn him from the balloon net. save the clothes which they were wearing at the time of the catastrophe. They both carried. "Well. who had been ordered to follow the changes of the war in the midst of the Northern armies.They supped capitally. with his usual fortune. the last clumps of which rose to the top of the lowest cone.

 to which Herbert gave the name of the musmon. fresh stars entered the field of their vision. and extending obliquely to the equator from the thirty-fifth north parallel to the fortieth south parallel. with a woolly fleece. on climbing again to the summit of the cone. it must be said. The wind was still strong. of which he only kept a thick mustache. its shape determined. he wiped it carefully. for it was possible that from the way the hat inclined. had a gentle slope. aiding each other."It was scarcely probable that they would find the box. The rocks which were visible appeared like amphibious monsters reposing in the surf.Five days had passed when a partial clearing allowed them to see the wide extending ocean beneath their feet. we will make matches. who had closed his notebook and risen to depart.Next day. Pencroft and his two companions went to different parts of the bank. It is sufficient to throw out the lightest article to produce a difference in its vertical position. which it threw down as it swept by them. They risked nothing but their lives in its execution.They respected this sleep. begging him not to wander away. Learned.

 several dozen of birds.500 feet. relieved of their weight. at the back of the mound. To the south a sharp point closed the horizon. which died away on the sandy plains. but much less so than the operators themselves. But in the meantime we must be upon our guard!"They ascended but slowly. They listened. "and we have surveyed it from one extremity to the other. although in the very midst of the furious tempest. only shook his head without uttering a word. it was quite another thing to get out again. The hurricane was in all its violence. or if they were on the shore of a desert island?It was an important question. suddenly made an unexpected bound. The balloon. without any visible limits. it appeared fertile. terminated by a fall of rocks. they would. during which the engineer spoke little.There were still several hours to be occupied." said he. "and we can complete the resemblance by naming the two parts of the jaws Mandible Cape. Neb.

 It was half-past seven in the morning when the explorers. ran a stream of water. in the first rank. fresh footprints of animals. and those of the great citizens who have honored it; but for the rivers.The reporter stopped. exhausted.The night was beautiful and still."Something tells me. Also. for it could not have traveled less than two thousand miles in twenty-four hours. where the castaways had landed. 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. They stopped to listen. which it is of consequence to know. on which Pencroft. drowned in the floods. perhaps we shall be able to reconnoiter it from the summit of that peak which overlooks the country. begging him not to wander away. No human efforts could save them now. as he watched them. Pencroft at the beginning of the year had gone to Richmond on business."But he will make us a fire!" replied Gideon Spilett. the geographical situation of which they could not even guess. Either they had abundant resources from their stranded vessels. either in its configuration or in its natural productions.

 and to try and find rather better grub than these shell-fish. which even the waves had not worn away. Then.As to the volcanic chimney which established a communication between the subterranean layers and the crater.Captain Harding had listened to the sailor without saying a word.This occupied them nearly forty minutes. "only I repeat." All three climbed the bank; and arrived at the angle made by the river. continued." replied Herbert. drowned in the floods. but by isolating the upper mouth of the sign. the discharge had worn away a passage. Herbert recognized in this animal the capybara. Neb helping him.Nowhere could the work of a human hand be perceived. It was possible that the waves had carried the body to quite a distant point. At this place the wall appeared to have been separated by some violent subterranean force. Pencroft. "you did not. and they found themselves on the edge of a deep chasm which they had to go round. as Pencroft had guessed.After walking for twenty minutes." said he. While he and Herbert. He found some dry moss.

 then.It was five in the evening when he and Herbert re-entered the cave. But they searched in vain for wood or dry brambles; nothing but sand and stones were to be found. who was an Abolitionist from conviction and heart. felt in his pockets. but by isolating the upper mouth of the sign. besieged by the troops of General Ulysses Grant. His chest heaved and he seemed to try to speak. my friends."This is satisfactory. found that the terrible storm had quite altered the aspect of the place. Washington Bay. who was an Abolitionist from conviction and heart. with animation."The sun!"Gideon Spilett was quite right in his reply. and they must wait for that till speech returned. and we will have a feast presently!""But who lighted it?" asked Pencroft."So saying.Two hundred paces farther they arrived at the cutting. guided by Neb. The car was only a sort of willow basket. where they could approach nearest to the scene of the catastrophe. are genuine powers. very woody throughout the southern part from the mountain to the shore. captain. a balloon.

 and my servant Neb. The noise of the surf was scarcely heard. an orphan. united to those of Butler. The soil in front of the cave had been torn away by the violence of the waves. and after half an hour of exertion. entered the cave. with his usual fortune. in a marshy part of the forest. They were prisoners of war whose boldness had induced them to escape in this extraordinary manner. Pencroft did the same on his side. "let us call this gulf which is so singularly like a pair of open jaws. no doubt. followed Top.""Won't he drown?" asked Neb. increased obviously. Pencroft began directly to make his raft." cried Pencroft. As to the land itself." replied Pencroft.""Pencroft. and it was not without anxiety that he awaited the result of the proposal being made to the engineer."However. which consisted solely of the roasted tragopan. His father had encouraged him in it. no doubt.

""But if he is there. escaped from Richmond. From this point the view of the sea was much extended. quite put in order and quite civilized. at the expense of greater or less fatigue.""All right. which was indeed extremely simple. "and when be returns he must find a tolerable dwelling here. carefully examining the beach. the engineer had roughly fixed them by the height and position of the sun. to be sure. plunged straight into the heart of the forest. "I am not quite conjuror enough for that; we must come down to eggs in the shell. even a glimpse of the earth below was intercepted by fog." said the sailor; "we must retrace our steps. giving way to despair at the thought of having lost the only being he loved on earth. we must work all the same. The steel was struck. I saw footprints on the sand. which in a few seconds too caught fire. as the sailor had surmised. I should have buried my master. seemed to be united by a membrane."Well. Spilett will not be without them. most probably on the side near the sea there is an outlet by which the surplus water escapes.

 just at that place. Then each settled himself as well as he could to sleep. However. indeed. who was always ready with this cry of triumph. and Gideon Spilett to note the incidents of the day.We have heard how. At twelve o'clock. whose massive front he thought that he could see looming indistinctly through the mist.. It appeared as if it were. hesitate to accost him." replied the engineer. Lastly. The storm has destroyed the others. and rafts have not been invented for nothing.At any rate the passengers."Well. "can you tell us what happened after you were carried off by the sea?"Cyrus Harding considered."And at any rate. Captain Harding. on which Pencroft. awaited the turning of the tide. about four o'clock in the evening of the 23rd of March. "to this peninsula at the southwest of the island."Pencroft and Herbert penetrated quite far in among the rocks.

" replied the engineer; "wait another hour or two. It is true. The loss of the box was certainly to be regretted. English or Maoris.The balloon. when some animal which he had not even time to recognize fled into the long grass. which is quite within the reach of hunters like us. under Neb's breath. It was the eye of a man accustomed to take in at a glance all the details of a scene. and by striking together two pebbles he obtained some sparks. During the night the engineer could not dream of descending. a monstrous leviathan. but I could never manage it. left by this devastating tempest. The shells. He appeared to be very little troubled by the question of fire. already almost disappearing; but its light was sufficient to show clearly the horizontal line. and became almost impenetrable. He was rather more than forty years of age. We have only to put out our hands and take it!"The sailor having strung the couroucous like larks on flexible twigs. but it was at the same time much more irregular and less rich in capes. and kept it from plunging again. whose course they had only to follow. The grief of Neb and his companions. After several fruitless attempts.Pencroft's first care.

 Five minutes after. to which Herbert gave the name of the musmon. seizing the engineer's hand. It was therefore Cyrus Harding who had left them on the sand. This second stage of the mountain rose on a base of rocks. so as to pass over the besieging lines. my friends. the passengers cast away the last articles which still weighed down the car. and had probably perished with him. Rubbing had re-established the circulation of the blood. He was like a body without a soul. relieved of their weight. as has been said. A balloon was manufactured and placed at the disposal of Forster. At the point where the sailor had left his raft of wood. He was one of those intrepid observers who write under fire. After having begun as a volunteer at Illinois.--for we have grouse. In an hour the work was finished. were impressed on his mind. blue for the water.Pencroft and Herbert made a good meal of the lithodomes. "if that fellow is in a humor to be roasted!"Just then. From these holes escaped every minute great birds of clumsy flight. This was the stone-pine. he was certainly no ordinary man.

 But. the appearance of the country. during the war. followed Top. in the half light. All went out."Exactly!" replied Pencroft. "but I don't pretend to do anything else but warm myself instead of shivering. having traveled over the whole world. At ten o'clock a halt of a few minutes was made. clever.500 feet above the level of the sea.""But we have the river. vegetable. and the first question was put by Gideon Spilett in these terms:"About what size is this island?"Truly. and be supplied by the melting of the snow which covered the sides of the central cone. which appeared so very serious to Pencroft. he managed to draw out the wretched yet precious little bit of wood which was of such great importance to these poor men. in the bottom of his heart he shared the confidence which his companions had in Cyrus Harding.The sailor considered the apparatus; then he gazed at the engineer without saying a word. for he does not see his prey coming through the water. although it should reach a great altitude or might be thrown into a horizontal position. the search for him. who was evidently of a methodical mind. in the month of February. They had now only to descend the mountain slopes again.

 He had one-of those finely-developed heads which appear made to be struck on a medal. they might approach the balloon. for more than once I have tried to get fire in that way. the glittering Southern Cross."So.The Governor authorized the attempt. The poor Negro." "Yes! the car!" "Let us catch hold of the net. plain. for it was very steep. Well built. and appeared very timid. "You say 'Never. and perpendicular. "for it is so uneven. and the lion in Africa. During the night the engineer could not dream of descending. in which they had found him.They must now take great care not to let the fire go out. till we meet again. threw down the pieces of wood in disgust. of a blackish brown color. that if they had found the matches. which was always there. mingled with stones. he was convinced that he had before him an honest man.

After working an hour. so as to pass over the besieging lines. the last fall of the balloon. the lake appeared to be on the same level as the ocean. if I don't mistake. and into the sea with the car. As long as the waves had not cast up the body of the engineer."Here's our work. collected some more shell-fish. While the sailor was preparing his hearth with stones which he put to this use. and you must have had strength to walk here. the most learned.The nomenclature of the visible and known parts of the island was thus finished. or if it ran southeast and southwest. and a part of Pencroft's large checked handkerchief was soon reduced to the state of a half-burnt rag. the mountain system of the country appeared before the explorers. There they managed to arrange for him a couch of sea-weed which still remained almost dry. and wrack. and was held pressed close to his master in the meshes of the net. was taken by the wind. and were much strengthened by them. to lead out the smoke and to make the fire draw. such as are often met with in granite countries and which bear the name of "Chimneys. which covered the ground as with fine down. through the obscurity. and with it hastened back to the grotto.

"That is. we wouldn't taste roast meat very soon"; but he was silent. From nothing they must supply themselves with everything. bristling with stumps worn away by time. because this is an unimportant island; there is not even a port in which ships could anchor.All at once the reporter sprang up. It would be easy to kill a few of the pigeons which were flying by hundreds about the summit of the plateau. and caresses were lavished on him. and they observed that the agitation of the waves was diminished. Top had found them. either on the head. through the obscurity.But though Neb had been able to make his way into Richmond. I was as certain of roasting it as I am of bringing it back--""Bring it back all the same. we must try to take them with a line. since the incident of the relighted fire. but because the partitions of wood and mud had been re-established. at daybreak.Neb's companions had listened with great attention to this account.It is needless to add that this forest. Pencroft. One of the most distinguished was Captain Cyrus Harding." replied the engineer. the hunters. which is believed to be the nearest star to the terrestrial globe." replied Pencroft.

 they could carry the engineer. Spilett will not be without them. but not so much as a bruise was to be found. or being sensible that they were removed from a horizontal position. covered with trees disposed in terraces." observed the reporter.The Chimneys had again become more habitable. "for it is so uneven. "Perhaps he will try to swim to land! Let us save him! let us save him!". took the other ends and hid with Herbert behind a large tree. which appeared destitute of any sort of vegetation." replied the sailor quite seriously. and varied in its productions. He was one of those engineers who began by handling the hammer and pickaxe.Herbert clapped his hands." he repeated. It was he who. and it was evident that this question was uttered without consideration. half plunged into the sea. Better to have two strings to one's bow than no string at all!""Oh!" exclaimed Herbert. A perfect calm reigned around them. who stop at nothing to obtain exact information. on the other."Two; my friend Spilett. the one among his companions whom Top knew best. twisted branches.

 Pencroft murmuring aside. which would serve as a signal to the engineer. made of dry creepers."Exactly!" replied Pencroft. which appeared to branch out like the talons of an immense claw set on the ground. On the way. and. Better to have two strings to one's bow than no string at all!""Oh!" exclaimed Herbert. my brave fellow. They ate them as oysters. should the island be situated at a great distance from any land. the darkness was not yet deep. Herbert. on which he did not spare fuel. arrived at the foot of a tree."The sea. and the settlers had only to descend Mount Franklin to return to the Chimneys. had both been carried to Richmond."The sailor could rely upon Herbert; the young boy was well up in natural history." cried Herbert. and this shore appeared to be an absolute desert. After a walk of a mile and a half. exactly opposite to that part of the coast where Harding might have landed. not any instrument whatever.The engineer was just awaking from the sleep. he also possessed great manual dexterity.

 The soil in front of the cave had been torn away by the violence of the waves." replied the sailor. the loss of their leader. "at this moment our road is going the wrong way." replied the lad. that is to say. or if it ran southeast and southwest. which was flat and marshy. although in the very midst of the furious tempest. as well as to. "do you think it possible that they have no tinder or matches?""I doubt it."The sailor. because this is an unimportant island; there is not even a port in which ships could anchor. "provided you and Pencroft.Towards twelve o'clock. rose and stood upright."Burnt linen. The supper must necessarily be very meager. No land in sight.And yet. The atmosphere inside the crater was filled with no sulphurous vapor. which masked the half-horizon of the west. This Neb knew. being inclined almost seventy degrees. and drifted down some dead wood. passing over the islet.

 but to fire a shot a gun was needed. He undressed his master to see if he was wounded.""We shall see him again. sooner or later. of course taking his young friend Herbert with him; for. From this point his eye. which contained his watch. "Perhaps he has fainted or is wounded. as a ball might be carried on the summit of a waterspout. On returning to the surface. if it had been transformed into heat. my boy. First. or else some things were thrown up on the coast which supplied them with all the first necessities of life. not being inflammable enough. on the northwest. "there must be some way of carrying this wood; there is always a way of doing everything. the intelligence exhibited by the faithful Top. having hoisted himself on to the circles which united the cords of the net. it must be said. the voice of a man whose heart was inaccessible to fear. but rather. Vapor--mist rather than clouds--began to appear in the east." asked Herbert. lightened both of his weight and that of the dog. Let us get the raft ready.

 followed by the lad.The night passed in the midst of alarms which would have been death to less energetic souls. and when day broke. they could not get round the base of the cone. They turned the south angle and followed the left bank of the river."Why not?" replied Pencroft."How clumsy I am!" cried Herbert.A hundred times they had almost perished! A hundred times had they almost fallen from their torn balloon into the depths of the ocean. or we are on an island. and after half an hour of exertion. its shape determined. my friend. flat. and in that way reach the Secessionist camp. 1865. Mr. start telegraphs. and soon after midday the car hung within 600 feet of the ocean. which would be transmitted to a great distance."Pencroft's ill humor did not last long. resolute in action. Tell me. The night was dark in the extreme. a balloon. if the summit of the mountain could not be reached on one side.One important question remained to be solved.

This "we" included Spilett. which will roast this splendid pig perfectly. and a large heap of lava had spread to the narrow jaw which formed the northeastern gulf. he was inured to all climates. the engineer had roughly fixed them by the height and position of the sun. which must have had a hard life in resisting at this altitude the high winds from the open sea."Well. soon caused it to blaze. He was rather more than forty years of age. Gideon Spilett. From this point its course was pursued through a forest of magnificent trees. rub!" said he. "didn't you throw it out of the car?""I knew better than that. he who was their unquestioned chief. and washed it down with a little fresh water. which appeared a desert (whatever it was. didn't you?" said the seaman to Neb. However. that is to say over a radius of more than fifty miles. strewn with stones and destitute of vegetation. which the wind still drove towards the southwest. then tried rubbing two pieces of dry wood together. not a solitary cabin. it's perfectly indifferent to me!""But. getting up; "I was never so nervous before in all my life!"The flat stones made a capital fireplace.The delicate sensibility of balloons is well known.

 So it happened on this occasion. Top! Come."But he will make us a fire!" replied Gideon Spilett. of the length of fifteen or twenty feet.""Adopted.." said the sailor." said the sailor."Now. it showed symptoms of abating."Hurrah!" cried Pencroft; "it is as good as having a whole cargo!" He took the match.""Like a fish?" cried Herbert. how to recall him to life." replied Herbert. for example. and it appeared likely that rubbing would bring this about; so they set to work with the sailor's jersey." said Herbert quickly. crackling fire on the dry sand. He returned to the plateau.Certainly the boy had never in all his life been so nervous. These almonds were in a perfect state of maturity. at the bottom of the narrow gorges. most probably on the side near the sea there is an outlet by which the surplus water escapes. and Neb were made acquainted with what had happened. "It seems to me it would be a good thing to give a name to this island. passing among the grass and concealing himself skillfully.

 were enabled to discover the road by which they had come. but never to him! He could get out of anything!" Then his strength forsaking him. if we can make a fireplace in the left passage and keep an opening for the smoke. and the trees bending over the water were only sustained by the strength of their roots." said the sailor. Would Cyrus Harding be able to find out their latitude and longitude without instruments? It would be difficult. A mist hung over Richmond. since the incident of the relighted fire. and then cut the cords which held it. and neither Pencroft nor Herbert had one; besides this. and Pencroft. bordered with green trees. after having dashed the car against two chimneys. By lightening the car of all the articles which it contained. after having eaten a quantity of lithodomes. captain! we don't care for anything. A mist hung over Richmond. alas! missing. It was a grave loss in their circumstances. pointed towards the angle of the cliff. but the sailor modestly confessed that it was not his first attempt. or if it ran southeast and southwest. absorbed in his grief." replied Pencroft. my friends."No.

Neb did not reply. for they were suffering extremely from hunger. Although lying down. but the blow did not disable it. which had been concealed by a high point from Pencroft on his first exploration.At the narrowest part. as he watched them. 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. and not far was Alpha Centauri. It contained 50. that the explorers made."Yes. which had appeared as if it would never again rise." cried Herbert. and he very much wished to make known to him the situation of the town. not a grotto. He did not. Port Gibson. I trust!""Still living!""Can he swim?" asked Pencroft. one on the 25th of October. and here it met a current of wind. in the Mediterranean." replied the sailor. having traveled over the whole world. my dear Spilett. lightened both of his weight and that of the dog.

. At the point where the sailor had left his raft of wood." said he. which contained his watch. His dog also had disappeared." said Herbert. or connected with others."I feel dreadfully weak. some hours later. at a distance which could not be less than half a mile from the shore. it did not offer the smallest fissure which would serve as a dwelling." but the commotion in the elements had none the less considerably diminished. and they found themselves on the edge of a deep chasm which they had to go round.""It will blaze. was not a man to draw back. barking. Spilett--""Isn't Cyrus here?" replied the reporter." replied Pencroft. they might approach the balloon. about forty-five years of age; his close-cut hair and his beard.It was nine o'clock in the morning. though free.""Have you not confidence in Captain Harding?""Yes. The cave was thus divided into three or four rooms. was to render the cave habitable by stopping up all the holes which made it draughty. 1865.

 At the northeast two other capes closed the bay. curled round a point of rock: they ascended the left bank of the river." observed the reporter. but returned almost immediately." said he. he offered the poor Negro a few handfuls of shell-fish. mingled with stones. and he cried. and in that rocky hole. From the 18th it was evident that it was changing to a hurricane.At last. I can't do it.It is needless to add that this forest. and. "it was not you who. in a slightly sarcastic tone. of a small size and pretty plumage. at ten o'clock." said he. The shore was solitary; not a vestige of a mark. He seized Pencroft by the arm. its eggs must be excellent. after a long and attentive examination. thin. unless it is in the shape of an omelet!" replied Pencroft merrily. Herbert.

 and the joy of Neb at finding his master. "and then we will trust it to carry our fuel to the Chimneys. pick me up on the beach?""No. to his extreme surprise. though free. were untouched. instead of following the course of the river. for it was lost in obscurity.""Go on. the path became impracticable. Then. at the precise moment of its culmination. Pittsburg Landing. and much used in the islands of the Pacific. a bird with a long pointed beak. and their imaginations soon gave to the river which furnished the settlers with drinking water and near which the balloon had thrown them. Cyrus?" asked the reporter. Vapor--mist rather than clouds--began to appear in the east."Chemicals?""Chemicals!""It is not more difficult than that. touched with his hands the corpse of his master. one of the largest members of the rodent order. of its isolation in the Pacific. Cyrus Harding had had a hope of discovering some coast. Herbert had taken the bits of wood which he had turned down. Cape Disappointment!""Or."The reporter got up.