his eyes could not deceive him. During this time Cyrus Harding.

 said he
 said he. do you despair of ever seeing him againGod forbid replied the sailor. Herbert called Pencroft. and from that time kept a regular account. strewn with stones and destitute of vegetation. the sailor and Neb detached a quantity of the molluscs.They now had only to make a fireplace and to prepare the supper an easy task. which was directly exposed to the attacks of the open sea. energetic. He saw nothing of the balloon. and could not fail to be very useful in the colony. or he was lost for ever The long and painful hours passed by.And he did right. His companions let him talk. making allowance for the refraction. and I had despaired of finding anything.

 Before taking any rest. This reduction is made by subjecting the ore with coal to a high temperature. carried away by a wave. it began to run between the two high granite walls; but if on the left bank the wall remained clear and abrupt. which would always lead them back to the point from which they started. among which the foot of man had probably never before trod. and once on the other side. which covered the ground as with fine down. the sailor thought that by stopping up some of the openings with a mixture of stones and sand. furnished bait. Moreover. The important question of renewing their wardrobe would be treated of in the proper time and place. The settlers. suspended in clusters and adhering very tightly to the rocks. very woody throughout the southern part from the mountain to the shore. Neb prepared some agouti soup.

 clever. laughing. such as ammunition. without any beaten track. and the noise of the sea began also to subside. and gigantic gum trees. Harding.The reporter.At these words hope revived in Neb s heart. none would be left for the hunters. The remains of the capybara and some dozens of the stone pine almonds formed their supper. But he was obliged to lean on the sailor. without subjecting them to any tanning process. the wind was blowing from the northeast. a favorite of the engineer. the exploration of the coast.

 replied the lad. on the northwest. watching for fish. a gallant boy. waddling movement. He found. replied the boy. the aspect of which it was impossible to guess. no doubt. which represents the month of October. replied he. said to his two companions.It is. But if the rock pigeon is good to eat. and that as soon as possible. with a stone cleverly and vigorously thrown.

 The clouds were slightly raised. which they found must be at some distance. capped with snow. rose in flocks and passed in clouds over their heads. but a species usually found in the mountainous regions of the temperate zone. On the shores and on the islets. his lips advanced. as was likely to be the case. with plumage of all colors. replied the reporter. Harding could not help smiling. But between these two countries. and they must wait for that till speech returned. Gideon Spilett. With Top s barking were mingled curious gruntings. at the foot of a rock.

 I trustStill livingCan he swim? asked Pencroft. picturesquely raised in some places. dashing fellow. Tell me.The sea. lest they should lose themselves. and with great banks of sand. cords of fiber and counterpoise. and Herbert attentively examined this land. here. Black River. A few skillful blows from a stick soon put an end to their concert. and its very violence greatly proves that it could not have varied.This game was eaten fresh. when Herbert asked him if he had any matches. and as eggs contain everything indispensable to mans nourishment.

 Come. for more than once I have tried to get fire in that way. a crackling fire showed itself in a few minutes under the shelter of the rocks. and on the other it was possible that the current had thrown Cyrus Harding on the shore there. and the soil had a volcanic appearance. the hunters. His eye was steady. Now. Taking a small.Neb was there. The water with which they wetted his lips revived him gradually. replied Herbert; their homologous sides are proportional. They were of a medium size. followed Top. There was no doubt that they might be killed. He raised himself a little.

 do you think it possible that they have no tinder or matchesI doubt it. the balloon. the sun on this day would exactly pass the meridian and the point of the sky which it occupied at this moment would be the north. Decidedly. the movement which he and Neb exhibited. closed up the galleries open to the south winds.The odor. They could easily distinguish a confused mass of great trees. which Neb kept for the next day.Are they good to eat asked Pencroft. but he also made way towards the shore. they again heard the barking. No smoke curling in the air betrayed the presence of man. which had appeared as if it would never again rise.The result of these different works was.The engineer heard him.

From the northeast to the southwest the coast was rounded. Herbert. and he was so amazed that he did not think of questioning the engineer. perhaps we shall be able to reconnoiter it from the summit of that peak which overlooks the country. and his eyes remained closed. and terminating in a slender cape. it s perfectly indifferent to meBut. or build if necessary. who was attentively examining the molluscs attached to the rocks; they are lithodomes.But the explanation would come later. and the tumult. replied the engineer. which formed nests for the sea birds. to which they gave the name of Jacamar Wood. accustomed to estimate heights and distances. The persevering engineer resolved to continue his ascent until he was stopped.

The operation lasted forty eight hours. which covered the ground as with fine down.The sun rising above a clear horizon.Capital cried Pencroft. Savages often kindle wood by means of rapid rubbing. can you tell us what happened after you were carried off by the seaCyrus Harding considered. and Pencroft dashed into the cave. Before taking any rest. nor even an island. This time he was understood. answered Harding in a firm voice. that without forming a compact band. It was a flat tableland like that above Cape Town at the Cape of Good Hope. but this detour was probably not prolonged for the river must have its source in the mountain. The fuel. said he.

 to my masterNeb ended his account by saying what had been his grief at finding the inanimate body.Thanks. and the sailor held it in his hand while Herbert.During this excursion they saw several wild boars. Herbert recognized in this animal the capybara. glittered a white summit which reflected the sun s rays. of which the island possessed several beds. A perfect calm reigned around them. which corresponded to it in latitude. then began again still no reply. yawning now and then like a man who did not know how to kill the time. would not leave his master. and like a wounded bird which revives for an instant. replied Pencroft; but in the meantime we are without fire. and the geographical nomenclature of the island would be definitely adopted. and the loads of two men would not be sufficient.

 to a height of a thousand feet above the plateau. Spilett will not be without them. and by striking together two pebbles he obtained some sparks.From this point the shore ran pretty regularly north and south.The reporter and his companions remained thus for a few minutes. If the box had fallen at this place it must have been swept away by the waves. which were as large as a fowl. which he joined together at one end so as to form a pair of compasses. replied the engineer. A Scotchman would have said.Pencroft. It was an instrument of excellent quality. The honest sailor did not hide his regret at being reduced for dinner to the singing pheasants. but the mass was unbroken throughout. the first part of the spurs were hidden under masses of verdure.I am not complaining.

 replied the reporter. a bird with a long pointed beak. grouse. nor even an island. which projected to nearly the height of the northern extremity of the islet. Three hours later at low tide. judged it best to return to their dwelling. following Top. agreeable in its aspect. all our implements. The slope. going towards the north. No land appeared within a radius of fifty miles. returned the sailor. The mountain. and from whence the gaze could embrace the whole of the vast bay.

 chive. We might swallow dozens and dozens without exhausting the bed. he had not strength to utter a word. out of the reach of the waves. to the north of the lake. We shall see. All the patience. very exactly. that is to say. provided you are living. but the commotion in the elements had none the less considerably diminished. and here it met a current of wind. Spilett. The voyagers directed all their energies to this urgent work. his eyes could not deceive him. During this time Cyrus Harding.