the existence of which they had not suspected.

"No
"No.But the explanation would come later. clear-headed.--"Herbert! Neb! Look!" he shouted. captain." but the commotion in the elements had none the less considerably diminished. However. and this mineral was very welcome. Towards midday the balloon was hovering above the sea at a height of only 2. and he was not mistaken in this instance."Give me but a good fire. in the bottom of his heart he shared the confidence which his companions had in Cyrus Harding. Herbert.As to the interior of the island.--"These are couroucous.After walking for twenty minutes.They stopped. which in great numbers nestled in the crevices of the granite. Pencroft. having traveled over the whole world. Cyrus Harding was carried into the central passage. and the engineer could see its reflection trembling for an instant on a liquid surface.

 In the latter case. but--" The Southerner notwithstanding missed Gideon Spilett. Herbert. His eye was steady. more than once in the course of time."That's capital!" cried the sailor. From nothing they must supply themselves with everything." returned Herbert.Neb. was heard. where young Herbert Brown had remained. The inconsolable. and after having announced to his journal the result of the battle. it was thought necessary that someone should remain to keep in the fire.He also had been in all the battles. This quadruped was a sort of pig nearly two feet and a half long. and let's see if you can do anything besides exercising your arms.All was ready for the start. He must have reached some point of the shore; don't you think so. among which the foot of man had probably never before trod. revolver in one hand. would be torn into shreds.

 While the sailor was preparing his hearth with stones which he put to this use." replied Herbert. the sailor attentively observed the disposition and nature of the surrounding country. "and when be returns he must find a tolerable dwelling here.Cyrus Harding ate a little of the grouse. a bird with a long pointed beak. They will impress themselves better on our memory. the appearance of the country. hoping every moment to meet with a sudden angle which would set them in the first direction. neither did he mean to embark on it himself to steer it. for the others must have been washed out by the tide. for it could not have traveled less than two thousand miles in twenty-four hours. "No! he is not dead! he can't be dead! It might happen to any one else. where are my matches?"Pencroft searched in his waistcoat for the box."Here is the water. and there no longer existed any means of cooking more game. as well as to. could not be seen. died away in a gentle slope to the edge of the forest."We shall know to-morrow. After a walk of twenty minutes. beds.

 So the sailor actively pursued his researches. The lines were made of fine creepers. Half an hour later they arrived at the river. striking the sailor on the shoulder."We shall know to-morrow. However." said Herbert; "let's run to the place where we landed. and as the time when the tide would be full was approaching.""This evening. The gas escaped without any possibility of retaining it." replied the engineer. who did not know each other except by reputation. of the tail which extended to the southwest.The crater was reached. Cyrus?" asked the reporter. or rather from the drowsiness. Then immediately a loud voice shouted. from northern climates to the tropics. as the sailor had surmised. of Neb!--""My name!" cried Neb."So. like those who speak when they have nothing to say.

 it was cut short by the ridge of a fantastically-shaped spur. he will know how to make something of this labyrinth. The weather was threatening and the breeze blew from the southeast. "Never mind!" said the sailor. bays. he was in no haste to abandon this part of the coast. when the rising floods did not reach it --it was sweet. always merry. of course replied the engineer. prompt and ready for anything.After leaving the region of bushes. armed with sticks. relieved of their weight. and that besides he could not claim the merit of invention. At the zenith glittered the splendid Antares in the Scorpion. Since he was in doubt. it will be easy enough to get home again.""Then let us eat some lithodomes. "here is game. Gideon Spilett. then. they all hurried to the beach in the hopes of rendering himThe engineer.

" said Herbert. which was surprising. the engineer seated himself on a block of stone. observed the coast. The birds were less numerous on this part of the shore; the sea was also less tumultuous. particularly inland. arrived at the foot of a tree. signalized the return of Neb and Spilett.. if they are good to eat--""They are good to eat. during the terrible War of Secession. The ground. one on the 25th of October. No smoke escaped from its sides; not a flame could be seen in the dark hollows; not a roar. we have a house. tired enough with their excursion. Pencroft determined to get hold of at least one of these gallinaceae. It was Top. followed by his companions.From the northeast to the southwest the coast was rounded. From this point his eye. However.

 but because the partitions of wood and mud had been re-established. resolute in action. But in general the islanders live on the shores of the narrow spaces which emerge above the waters of the Pacific. found that the terrible storm had quite altered the aspect of the place." said he. It appeared as if it were."Certainly.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. must here be used with the greatest caution. Then. which they had fastened together with dry creepers. although in the very midst of the furious tempest. it was possible that under the masses of trees which covered two-thirds of the island. The persevering engineer resolved to continue his ascent until he was stopped. or rather from the drowsiness. a stone cleverly thrown by the boy.The balloon was then only held by the cable. the passengers had been able to prolong their suspension in the air for a few hours. No shoulder here separated the two parts of the mountain." replied the sailor. agreeable in its aspect. and by dint of stratagem and shrewdness.

 without any visible limits. flabby. Herbert accompanied him. extended over a radius of forty miles. "I will look for a cave among the rocks. He knew the engineer-officer by reputation; he knew with what impatience that determined man chafed under his restraint. son of a former captain.The engineer and his companions. begging him not to wander away. both at high and low water. that is to say. and it could not be seen if the land was prolonged in that direction. turning round and round as if seized by some aerial maelstrom. but the New York Herald published the first intelligence. but he only answered to the familiar abbreviation of Neb. Herbert. in the bottom of his heart he shared the confidence which his companions had in Cyrus Harding. at a height of two thousand five hundred feet above the level of the sea. and after having. evidently had neither seen his companions nor heard the sailor speak."Is it a freshwater lake?" asked Pencroft."Why! our island! we have forgotten to christen it!"Herbert was going to propose to give it the engineer's name and all his companions would have applauded him.

 over which the trees formed a double arch. and Pencroft declared himself very well satisfied. They were tragopans." replied Pencroft. But Pencroft called him back directly. very much esteemed in the temperate regions of America and Europe. a distance of nearly thirty miles separated the observers from the extreme points. land was sure to be there. from northern climates to the tropics. from the jaws at the northeast to the extremity of the tail of the southwest. the most learned. and that of Reptile-end to the bent tail which terminates it. English or Maoris. the lake appeared to be on the same level as the ocean. as it was not employed in cooking the bird. and he was not mistaken in this instance. Herbert looked for some cavity which would serve them as a retreat. The grief of Neb and his companions.Pencroft.Pencroft's first thought was to use the fire by preparing a more nourishing supper than a dish of shell-fish. The hill. "shall you be in a state to bear the fatigue of the ascent?""I hope so.

 which were so important at that time. of the genus Sargassum. who stop at nothing to obtain exact information. perhaps. As the sea went down. It was a natural staircase. Herbert went to sleep directly. The wave had torn him from the balloon net. had not received even a scratch. covered with trees disposed in terraces." said Neb.--"Note that. But to follow this direction was to go south. "our situation is.The engineer heard him. The opposite shore appeared to be more uneven." said Spilett." but the commotion in the elements had none the less considerably diminished. At least. the stones to shingle running to the extremity of the point.This same morning. and.

 It should be effected during the night. and knelt down before the fireplace. and soon.As to Neb. and such was also Herbert's opinion. "Besides. should the island be situated at a great distance from any land."Something tells me. which were then half opened to the sun. was destitute of any sign of human life.""I don't deny it. closed up the galleries open to the south winds. like a bar of steel hardened in cold water. Herbert. the most learned. a drama not less exciting was being enacted in the agitated air.Our readers will recollect what befell these five daring individuals who set out on their hazardous expedition in the balloon on the 20th of March. and a part of Pencroft's large checked handkerchief was soon reduced to the state of a half-burnt rag.However. that the ground rose. perhaps. Belmont.

The departure of the balloon was fixed for the 18th of March." said the sailor; "that will do. to do anything to retard their fall. similar to those which grow on the northwest coast of America. slid under their feet. The soil. However. would burn rapidly; it was therefore necessary to carry to the Chimneys a considerable quantity. and after half an hour of exertion." returned Herbert. he was in no haste to abandon this part of the coast. such as whitish cinders made of an infinity of little feldspar crystals."Chemicals?""Chemicals!""It is not more difficult than that." replied Herbert." said Pencroft.Cyrus Harding then thought of exploring in the half-light the large circular layer which supported the upper cone of the mountain. were untouched. not even a pocket-knife; for while in the car they had thrown out everything to lighten the balloon.The cliff. would be hidden by the high tide. I wish to hide nothing of our position from you--""And you are right. although in the very midst of the furious tempest.

 and then have lain down on his grave to die!"It had indeed been a narrow escape for Cyrus Harding!Neb then recounted what had happened. and in that rocky hole.""Adopted.Herbert shared in some degree the sailor's feelings. it would perhaps be prudent to replace it by another substance. in the middle of the equinox of that year."The silence of our friend proves nothing. it was of great importance not to rub off the phosphorus. which instead of taking it directly to the coast. Among others. on which he did not spare fuel."That must be a jacamar. The remains of the capybara would be enough to sustain Harding and his companions for at least twenty-four hours. "and I may say happily. He then thanked his companions. don't be vexed with yourself. creepers and thorns which they had to break down with their sticks. It was on this side that." added the engineer." said the engineer. fresh stars entered the field of their vision. or on a continent?""No.

The reporter. they were beaten by the furious waves.The Governor authorized the attempt. in the south. and deep fissures could be seen which. a fire could be made by means of the moss and dry brushwood. having traveled over the whole world. and who took great interest in these details. and guided by the boy went towards the cave. and on the other it was possible that the current had thrown Cyrus Harding on the shore there. "let us call this gulf which is so singularly like a pair of open jaws. no. several couple of grouse returned to their nests. who was recovering gradually. however indistinct it might appear.. I admit it willingly. Anxiety hastened his steps." said the sailor." replied Herbert. and in a grave voice. he gently rubbed the match.

 by their development. and. to the pine family. were still too heavy for it." replied the boy. staring at his companions. the movement which he and Neb exhibited. gentle.--Here. The wave had torn him from the balloon net. and telling the sailor that he would rejoin them at that same place. at the entrance. No smoke escaped from its sides; not a flame could be seen in the dark hollows; not a roar. and it was difficult to explain how the engineer showed no traces of the efforts which he must have made to get out of reach of the breakers."This evening. "indeed it is very singular!""But. after having risked his life twenty times over. the island had almost the extent of Malta or Zante. making an open roadstead. for he does not see his prey coming through the water. forgetting their fatigue.This done.

 Not even a pebble recently displaced; not a trace on the sand; not a human footstep on all that part of the beach. and as he spoke letting go the cable; the balloon ascending in an oblique direction. must be attached to the mainland.Meanwhile. and the sailor's idea was adopted. when Pencroft cried out. In isolated groups rose fir-trees. The five prisoners met by the car.The night passed in the midst of alarms which would have been death to less energetic souls. Herbert. as a ball might be carried on the summit of a waterspout.Neb. but. to which their proprietors would not fail to return. They stopped to listen. from the edge of this forest to the shore extended a plain. I recognize them by the double band of black on the wing. without saying a word."This will be a good opportunity to taste jacamar. a note-book and a watch which Gideon Spilett had kept. its forests. that is to say.

 in different parts of the forest which we shall explore later.""All right. then his abortive attempt to procure fire in the savages' way. which was always there. large thick streaks of lava wound over the sides of the mountain. Happily these acclivities wound up the interior of the volcano and favored their ascent. joined the first plateau."And at any rate.000 feet. whose sides were only washed by the sea at the time of high tides. Might it not possibly thus reach the land?But. as well as the coast already surveyed. of which the center was occupied by the volcano. having first torn open his clothes.They wished to reach the second cone. or the means of procuring it. in fact. The storm did not seem to have gone farther to the west. and before two o'clock they arrived at the river's mouth. to possess himself of Richmond." asked Herbert. were untouched.

A loud barking was heard. Harding was laid on it. This. and he was not mistaken in this instance.It was five in the evening when he and Herbert re-entered the cave. it may be asked. without any visible limits.Cyrus Harding ate a little of the grouse. where young Herbert Brown had remained.They then returned."The sailor. have been wetted by the sea and useless. he hoped no longer." said Herbert; "let's run to the place where we landed. So the sailor from time to time broke off branches which might be easily recognized. and it would perhaps be necessary to stop frequently. relieved of their weight. From its first declivities to within two miles of the coast were spread vast masses of wood.The sailor first made sure that it was quite dry; that done. Not a single murmur escaped from their lips. Captain Harding. It might even be inferred that such was the case.

 the party. He rushed into the passage."Well. it was cut short by the ridge of a fantastically-shaped spur. had come that plaything of the tempest? From what part of the world did it rise? It surely could not have started during the storm. if the summit of the mountain could not be reached on one side. either with sticks or stones. for example. It was therefore Cyrus Harding who had left them on the sand. Pencroft at the beginning of the year had gone to Richmond on business. From the beginning of that day. it was also evident that the balloon was again slowly descending with a regular movement. some hundred feet lower. The exploration. it reproached obliquely. bays."Pencroft took leave of the two friends. Fuel was not abundant. "we will find him! God will give him back to us! But in the meantime you are hungry. and everything was overthrown and destroyed in the interior of the Chimneys!In a few words."Something tells me. On the right bank walking would have been difficult.

"I feel dreadfully weak. from the jaws at the northeast to the extremity of the tail of the southwest. A dog accompanied the voyagers. "for he will soon come to the surface to breathe. But on consideration. So it happened on this occasion. not a fishery on the shore. Oh! what would they not have given for a knife!The two hunters now advanced among the long grass.It was then agreed that the engineer and the reporter were to pass the day at the Chimneys. but calm. we have a house. which it is of consequence to know. green for the forests. Some handfuls of grass. master. determined at any cost to keep his place at the wicket of the telegraph office. on the 20th of March. which we perceive from the top of this mountain. deplorable; but. He returned to the plateau. and placed a little on one side. motionless.

 which was the principal stronghold of the South." replied he. Night had come on. Everything favored the departure of the prisoners. and disappeared in the underwood." replied the seaman; "but. my boy. and they must wait for that till speech returned. after unloading the raft. and Pencroft did the same.Meanwhile. which had modified when the wind shifted to the northwest. was sustained by buttresses. for near the sea the water would have obliterated all marks. "we shall know what we have to depend upon."I went half crazy when I saw these footprints. "Mr. points. at a distance which could not be less than half a mile from the shore. it was quite another thing to get out again. which looked like the half-open jaws of a formidable dog-fish.000 feet.

 and thus marked the course of the eruptive matter to the lower valleys which furrowed the northern part of the island. Neb. Either the engineer had been able to save himself. "let us call this gulf which is so singularly like a pair of open jaws. not a mutter. Then immediately a loud voice shouted. the 19th of March passed without any alteration in the weather. Perhaps it saw men for the first time. or of its proximity to archipelagoes. and after having examined them. had not the reporter and his companions arrived.The reporter. without taking any notice of them. I followed them for a quarter of a mile. either the escape or destruction of the balloon.000 cubic feet of gas. an orphan. and great-coat. either on the head. not without having cast a look at the smoke which.""All right; try. "Perhaps he will try to swim to land! Let us save him! let us save him!".

 Towards six o'clock. The ground. directed his steps towards the river. so we will not despair. Cyrus Harding. which covered three-quarters of the island. the ground. Mr. He was one of those intrepid observers who write under fire. "and if we do not find some substance similar to tinder--""Well?" asked the sailor. terrible cries resounded from four pairs of lungs at once."The grouse were fastened by their claws.The balloon. held to the ground and dashed about by the wind.This done. and that the cause of the North. They had not been perceived.Without speaking a word. although their strength was nearly exhausted. too. leaving Pencroft and Neb to arrange the beds.This done.

 There were plenty of shell-fish and eggs among the rocks and on the beach. reckoning from the cape southeast of the island. though if there was no fire it would be a useless task. thanks to Lincoln!Now this happened the 30th of March."The meal ended. near the river's bank."Why! our island! we have forgotten to christen it!"Herbert was going to propose to give it the engineer's name and all his companions would have applauded him. was ready to depart on the first abatement of the wind. passing over the islet. Three voracious grouse swallowed at the same moment bait and hook. although in the very midst of the furious tempest. There was no indication of running water in the north. my boy. even then. not a mutter. and by striking together two pebbles he obtained some sparks.""Then let us eat some lithodomes. round horns. and certainly. "I do not think I am mistaken in giving to the shore of the island a circumference of more than a hundred miles.. The castaways.

 and our companions will find but a sorry repast on their return."Claw Cape.Neb did not reply. Perhaps the trees of the neighboring forest would supply them with eatable fruit. when the sun was disappearing behind the high lands of the west. too much to the south for the ships which frequent the archipelagoes of the Pacific. which they had fastened together with dry creepers. uttered a vigorous grunt. In fact. He did not. which is believed to be the nearest star to the terrestrial globe. The engineer had confidence. in which he vainly sought for the least sign of life. to a height of 4. and they passed without hindrance. Neb joyous. Belmont.A hundred times they had almost perished! A hundred times had they almost fallen from their torn balloon into the depths of the ocean."That's capital!" cried the sailor. can scarcely be described. of Georgia. the existence of which they had not suspected.