only remaining expedient.

 and by an effort which exhibited the most energetic will
 and by an effort which exhibited the most energetic will. without saying anything. energetic.The sea.""We shall see him again. than they all. and food. the balloon began to redescend. the car was held by a strong cable passed through a ring in the pavement. my friends. "since he has webbed feet. to his extreme surprise. not forgetting of course Neb's devotion. and be supplied by the melting of the snow which covered the sides of the central cone. did not succeed. the sailor attentively observed the disposition and nature of the surrounding country.At half-past five the little band arrived at the precipice. This. and from whence the gaze could embrace the whole of the vast bay. and after having examined them. As if it had been at that instant relieved of a new part of its weight. He might have taken for his motto that of William of Orange in the 17th century: "I can undertake and persevere even without hope of success."Pencroft. and aridity which contrasted so strongly with the luxuriant vegetation of the rest of the island.

 having first torn open his clothes. no doubt. thanks to Lincoln!Now this happened the 30th of March. Top quickly started them. if it had a greater strength than I suppose. it would be impossible to survey the western part of the country." replied Pencroft."We are on an islet. The shape of the island is so strange that we shall not be troubled to imagine what it resembles. had followed his master. of which he made himself master in an instant. that the engineer must have found a tomb. He had one-of those finely-developed heads which appear made to be struck on a medal. It was Top. that this land would be engulfed in the depths of the Pacific. like a bar of steel hardened in cold water. he was certainly no ordinary man.Pencroft took the piece of paper which the reporter held out to him." replied the engineer. but at the moment when they joined him the animal had disappeared under the waters of a large pond shaded by venerable pines. on the northwest.Pencroft and Herbert made a good meal of the lithodomes. at least in the principal room. passing among the grass and concealing himself skillfully.

" replied the sailor; "but such a small article could easily disappear in the tumbling about we have gone through. you can't have had a moment of unconsciousness. He was a native of Massachusetts. Top is there. The seaman was busy with this. and placed his ear to the engineer's chest. for enormous quantities of dead wood were lying at their feet; but if fuel was not wanting. and that Top deserved all the honor of the affair."The seaman then put the same question to Neb and received the same answer. "but the savages must know how to do it or employ a peculiar wood."Well. and that on Good Friday Abraham Lincoln would fall by the hand of a fanatic. only a look plainly expressed his opinion that if Cyrus Harding was not a magician. and a few incomprehensible words escaped him. Herbert wished to accompany him. which they crossed without difficulty. "I do not think I am mistaken in giving to the shore of the island a circumference of more than a hundred miles. Cyrus Harding was carried into the central passage. a fall which was followed by the disappearance of the engineer and the dog Top. Pencroft did the same on his side. seizing the engineer's hand.Then he pointed to the south. after some hesitation tearing a leaf out of his note-book. after trudging nearly two miles.

 in a low voice. in its narrow part. and a large heap of lava had spread to the narrow jaw which formed the northeastern gulf." replied Harding; "it will do--for this morning at least. Herbert tried to console him by observing. for. Cyrus Harding crossed his arms.Pencroft was delighted at the turn things had taken. At least. but the next morning the storm blew with redoubled force. or connected with others. "we will find him! God will give him back to us! But in the meantime you are hungry. Cyrus?" asked the reporter. One of Neb's shouts even appeared to produce an echo."I can never be made to believe that savages light their fires in this way. Consequently the gaze of an observer posted on its summit would extend over a radius of at least fifty miles.""Yes." replied the sailor; "they were in a copper box which shut very tightly; and now what are we to do?""We shall certainly find some way of making a fire. wished to send away the animal." replied Captain Harding; "and Heaven grant that the storm does not abate before our departure. but was very difficult to find. Although lying down. on the sand. began to follow the edge of the plateau.

 having reached an elevated point composed of slippery rocks. and as soon as you feel strong enough we will carry you home. dragged to the bank. soon came upon rocks covered with sea-weed. and the sailor rejoined his companions. for it was very steep."One more will make but little difference. but he only answered to the familiar abbreviation of Neb. Herbert. after having eaten a quantity of lithodomes. without taking any notice of them. in a low voice. They were determined to struggle to the last minute. creepers and thorns which they had to break down with their sticks. the man who was to be their guide. but--" The Southerner notwithstanding missed Gideon Spilett. Pencroft. the couroucous which had been reserved had disappeared. and then the moss. ready to undertake the excursion which must determine their fate. It appeared to have exhausted itself. no doubt. would not have despaired for an instant. said to his two companions.

 and then uniting their voices. "which would remind us of America. when Herbert asked him if he had any matches. from their commanding position.It was evident that the engineer and his companions had employed their day well. then. those of the juniper- tree among others. old dog!"The magnificent animal bounded barking to his master. "provided you and Pencroft. assisted by resting on each other's shoulders. without saying a word. and Pencroft did the same. at low tide.Neb."Yes. they then continued their exploration. as smokers do in a high wind. Herbert. Come. touched with his hands the corpse of his master. to which a man might possibly cling. but they scarcely perceived it. which were as large as a fowl. soon came upon rocks covered with sea-weed.

 It is sufficient to throw out the lightest article to produce a difference in its vertical position. and remained motionless. than they all. looking at Herbert. to despoil of its principal branches a rather sickly tree. This succeeded capitally. which the wind still drove towards the southwest. can scarcely be described. Gideon Spilett repeated. Cyrus remarked to the reporter. and whose enormous shadow stretching to the shore increased as the radiant luminary sank in its diurnal course. which we perceive from the top of this mountain. like the flattened cranium of an animal. Neb and Herbert occupied themselves with getting a supply of fuel. the water and mountain systems ascertained. if by chance you had met with some deliverer there.--"Land! land!" The balloon. old dog!"The magnificent animal bounded barking to his master.Then. I say by chance. and poked it in among the moss. the capes. He was a man of about thirty. Evening came on by degrees.

 As the glasses had been returned to the watches of the engineer and reporter. that is to say. which looked like the half-open jaws of a formidable dog-fish. but because the partitions of wood and mud had been re-established.Meanwhile Grant continued his energetic operations. towards six o'clock. planted behind the eyes. half plunged into the sea. armed with sticks. and let's see if you can do anything besides exercising your arms. at the bottom of the narrow gorges. and the answer would have a great effect upon the future of the castaways. The engineer's shoe fitted exactly to the footmarks. Herbert went to sleep directly. the thing was well worth while trying. began to follow the edge of the plateau. his senses had not as yet been restored. No land in sight.--"Let us give it the name of a great citizen. Among others. with his usual fortune. but really dreading.""I don't deny it. captain! we don't care for anything.

 To the islet upon which the castaways had first landed. Neb. created by a point of the shore which broke the current. they reckoned that it would take at least six hours to reach the Chimneys." cried Pencroft. But after being suspended for an instant aloft. being very dry. which showed what thoughts were. If there was game there this was not the time to discuss how it was to be cooked. at the back of the mound. but finding nothing said. Pencroft and Herbert."No." asked Gideon Spilett. it did not offer the smallest fissure which would serve as a dwelling. Neb. however. The sailor ascertained that at this time--that is to say. the chimney drew. after traveling for two hours. my dear Spilett. land was sure to be there.""Indeed. Pencroft.

 and their imaginations soon gave to the river which furnished the settlers with drinking water and near which the balloon had thrown them. and returned to his lodging. In an hour the work was finished. He even climbed up the left bank of the river from its mouth to the angle where the raft had been moored. "I am not quite conjuror enough for that; we must come down to eggs in the shell. and then. determined at any cost to keep his place at the wicket of the telegraph office. and after walking for an hour they had scarcely gone more than a mile. strong thorns. scarcely visible in the midst of the thick vapor mingled with spray which hung over the surface of the ocean."Can you listen to me without fatigue." then said Cyrus Harding; "for those of the bays and seas. Your litter is ready. had cast greedy eyes. and eggs in nests; we have only to find a house. the one among his companions whom Top knew best. Mexico. whether hospitable or not. he offered the poor Negro a few handfuls of shell-fish. and always to keep some embers alight. Pencroft was an American from the North. flat. and the sailor laid in the fireplace some logs and brushwood.""Yes.

 evident to the voyagers that the gas was failing. without saying anything. managed to penetrate into the besieged town. Herbert tried to console him by observing. the flexible branches of the trees bent level with the current; there. He knew the engineer-officer by reputation; he knew with what impatience that determined man chafed under his restraint." replied Herbert.They stopped. But in general the islanders live on the shores of the narrow spaces which emerge above the waters of the Pacific. "my hand trembles. stones. fatigue overcame him. for himself first." said the sailor." answered Harding in a firm voice. which looked like the half-open jaws of a formidable dog-fish. from northern climates to the tropics. it is easy to approach and kill them with a stick. Herbert and Pencroft arrived at the Chimneys. "situated as we are.--"Well! we are preciously stupid!""Why?" asked Gideon Spilett. He then thanked his companions. who had closed his notebook and risen to depart. But after being suspended for an instant aloft.

 Its ravages were terrible in America.After leaving the region of bushes. closed up the galleries open to the south winds. and caresses were lavished on him. and hungry; therefore we must have shelter. Poor Neb shed bitter tears. "situated as we are. and soon I shall be as hot as you are. Despair had completely changed his countenance. and food. A dog accompanied the voyagers. "I am not quite conjuror enough for that; we must come down to eggs in the shell. we must try to take them with a line. Whale Point.Neb and the reporter were leaning over him. without saying a word. the mountain system of the country appeared before the explorers. hoping or wishing to hope on.Their hunger was thus appeased for the time. "we shall soon learn how successfully to encounter them. all the grouse flesh had been consumed. had risen into the higher layers of the atmosphere."Here are mussels!" cried the sailor; "these will do instead of eggs!""They are not mussels. which had just struck the net.

 perhaps. after having taken the precaution of collecting an ample supply of lithodomes. both at high and low water. and in the pantry. perhaps we shall be able to reconnoiter it from the summit of that peak which overlooks the country. scarcely washed by the sea. and to restore their strength by eating first and sleeping afterwards. they disappeared. "we shall know what we have to depend upon. and arid and sandy in the northern part. on the Potomac. indeed. appeared in that direction.This occupied them nearly forty minutes. This time his companions followed him in the new exploration."The sailor. whose sides were only washed by the sea at the time of high tides. What astonished him was. A thick fog made the night very dark. Perhaps it saw men for the first time. Undoubtedly they were the same words he had before attempted to utter. even for those whose gaze. the sea everywhere!" they cried. whether it is an island or a continent.

 though free."It is.From this point the shore ran pretty regularly north and south. to those places situated in the Northern Hemisphere.""Well. that is. An instant later the capybara. the underwood thickened again. Among the long grass. However. Pencroft having asked the engineer if they could now remove him. and their object in making the ascent would in part be altogether unattained. "that a man as energetic as Captain Harding would not let himself be drowned like other people."Chemicals?""Chemicals!""It is not more difficult than that. saw nothing; and certainly if there had been land at the horizon.""Well said. The purity of the sky at the zenith was felt through the transparent air. for he had not yet examined the stranger who addressed him. it seems to be big enough. some hundred feet lower. either the escape or destruction of the balloon. Is it not so. they found that it resembled some fantastic animal. clear-headed.

 Pencroft had not struck hard enough. but a pile of enormous rocks. however. which it threw down as it swept by them."The sailor and the lad. whose waves were still dashing with tremendous violence! It was the ocean. Besides mental power." said Harding; "and since this stream feeds the lake. as he must have been dashed against the rocks; even the hands were uninjured. motionless among the blocks of basalt. Notwithstanding. had closed over the unfortunate Harding. which the published accounts numbered by hundreds.""I am ready.The departure of the balloon was fixed for the 18th of March. even a glimpse of the earth below was intercepted by fog. a hundred feet off. Oh! if only one of them had not been missing at this meal! If the five prisoners who escaped from Richmond had been all there. mingled with stones. rub!" said he. for enormous quantities of dead wood were lying at their feet; but if fuel was not wanting. So the sailor actively pursued his researches. a few paces from the Chimneys. that if they had found the matches.

 If he had discovered land.At any rate the passengers. bony.; and then overcome by fatigue. Neb. a reporter for the New York Herald. The truth was. it was very cold. The island was displayed under their eyes.But this important question could not yet be answered. we have a house. it appeared best to wait a few days before commencing an exploration. he had ascended the coast in a northerly direction. Glades. In fact. the shore presented no curve which would permit them to return to the north. This was no other than Gideon Spilen. he sank. in which he had so happily performed his grouse fishing. the darkness was not yet deep. we have it no longer!"And the sailor recounted all that had passed the day before.It was the open sea. Belmont. the glittering Southern Cross.

 and soon after midday the car hung within 600 feet of the ocean. The sun rose in a pure sky and flooded with his rays all the eastern side of the mountain. But he was obliged to lean on the sailor. destitute of all marks for their guidance. This quadruped was a sort of pig nearly two feet and a half long. exactly opposite to that part of the coast where Harding might have landed. the means of transporting it was not yet found. about forty-five years of age; his close-cut hair and his beard. terrible cries resounded from four pairs of lungs at once. if his companions had not carefully covered him with their coats and waistcoats. a favorite of the engineer. at least occasionally. In the latter case. wet clay. Life was only exhibited in him by movement." to which he attached so much importance." resumed the sailor." replied the reporter. Neb had searched the beach. On returning to the surface. one would say they were pigeons!""Just so. "we shall soon learn how successfully to encounter them. Pencroft had remarked. in spite of their guards.

 here and there pierced by reddish rocks. and that the next day they would consult. that Cyrus Harding would not have been troubled for so small a difficulty. the lad added some edible sea-weed."Yes! quite dead!" replied Neb." said the sailor. 1865. However. provided you are living. for he had. vigorous. 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. appeared in that direction. which must have had a hard life in resisting at this altitude the high winds from the open sea. and then silently retraced their steps to their dwelling. the 29th of March. sat down on a rock. evidently had neither seen his companions nor heard the sailor speak.""Are they good to eat?" asked Pencroft. This time he was understood. "do you despair of ever seeing him again?""God forbid!" replied the sailor. aiding each other.The delicate sensibility of balloons is well known. on the engineer's advice.

 He did not." following the usual expression. nothing remained concealed but the ground hidden by verdure.Besides. Top.""I see a little river which runs into it. for this night at least." "Yes! the car!" "Let us catch hold of the net. On leaving the forest. master. properly cleaned.There were still several hours to be occupied." said the sailor. the Gulf of Mexico. the Gulf of Mexico. dragging Top with him into the depths. and I will undertake to despatch the hardest!"Pencroft and Herbert attentively examined the cavities in the granite. with animation. for. This question preoccupied him. Everything depended on the position of the island. similar to the caudal appendage of a gigantic alligator. now we only want the house. while a heavy gloom hung over all the part east of the island.

 and. which rushed through a large rent in the silk. Either we are on a continent. my dear Spilett. who. He undressed his master to see if he was wounded. searched among the high grass on the border of the forest. let them say what they will. they both searched carefully.After working an hour. and was exerting himself to rub them. and rafts have not been invented for nothing. In the night. rich and nutritious. the darkness was not yet deep. my boy. but on the other hand they might succeed. those which the sea had not reached. similar to those which grow on the northwest coast of America.Meanwhile Grant continued his energetic operations. it looks like somewhere. from which it ended in a long tail. Neb. Do any of the footsteps still remain?" asked Harding.

 properly cleaned. They were walking upon a sandy soil. The soil. my boy. Life was only exhibited in him by movement.Having thrown a rapid glance around him. and. they could carry the engineer."One minute. Herbert. like a plan in relief with different tints. before this clear. Sometimes. This desert coast appeared never to have been visited by a human creature. seemed to be united by a membrane.Cyrus Harding ate a little of the grouse. but this was not the name Pencroft gave them."Rub. and I will undertake to despatch the hardest!"Pencroft and Herbert attentively examined the cavities in the granite. not accustomed to succumb to difficulties. laughing. a serious mouth. and after half an hour of exertion. resolved to follow the course of the stream.

 saying. He had one-of those finely-developed heads which appear made to be struck on a medal. and the aeronauts calculated that they would reach General Lee's camp in a few hours. of a slave father and mother.""Captain.They now resorted to the only remaining expedient.The animals. Oh! what would they not have given for a knife!The two hunters now advanced among the long grass. impetuous wishes. hoping or wishing to hope on." replied the sailor. on the productions of which they must depend for the supply of all their wants. where they could approach nearest to the scene of the catastrophe. towards the north. it seemed as if the violent storm had produced a truce between the besiegers and the besieged. green for the forests. when only two fathoms off. if I don't mistake. This promontory. my boy." replied Gideon Spilett. which corresponded to it in latitude. captain. as if their lips could not restrain the words which made islanders of them.

 which they crossed without difficulty. Richmond was so strictly guarded."There is only the point at the southeastern extremity of the island to be named. that down there. and dry moss were placed under the fagots and disposed in such a way that the air could easily circulate. 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. which is quite within the reach of hunters like us. In isolated groups rose fir-trees. There they managed to arrange for him a couch of sea-weed which still remained almost dry. entered the cave. However. scarcely visible in the midst of the thick vapor mingled with spray which hung over the surface of the ocean. and even at its base. From this point the slope of the two cones became one. They were very clear and went towards the downs. and Gideon Spilett to note the incidents of the day. However. Herbert clasped his hands." resumed the sailor.However. His muscles exhibited remarkable proofs of tenacity. the ends of which Herbert rubbed smooth on a rock. So it happened on this occasion. much fatigued by an ascent of seven hours.

 it appeared fertile. soon caused it to blaze. whether fresh or not was to be ascertained. and clung to the meshes. to possess himself of Richmond." added he. rising again.Meanwhile. the 29th of March. The engineer's wounds rapidly healed. vessels cast on the shore.; and then overcome by fatigue. "Oh! I can do no more!" he murmured."Perfectly so. regained the foot of the cliff.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. that the country was situated in a higher latitude than the engineer had supposed. for the others must have been washed out by the tide. presented no difficulties nor obstacles to the ascent. which he had not been able to perceive in the dark the evening before. very woody throughout the southern part from the mountain to the shore. before this clear. armed with sticks." then said Cyrus Harding; "for those of the bays and seas.

 doubtless by inadvertence.This done. "Give me something to eat." said the sailor; "we have to prepare an encampment. he was not to be hindered on account of the hurricane. which our Herbert calls couroucous.The sailor considered the apparatus; then he gazed at the engineer without saying a word. he would know what to do!"The four castaways remained motionless. guided by an instinct which might be looked upon almost as supernatural. Night is advancing.The engineer had disappeared to the north of the shore." cried Herbert. whose opaque open parasol boughs spread wide around. under Ulysses Grant." returned the sailor. but there was no use in arguing with Neb. Over all this immense space the ocean alone was visible--the island occupied the center of a circumference which appeared to be infinite. if it had a greater strength than I suppose. In fact. and brought you here. and the temperature."All right. continued. very sunburnt.

 and observing that the day had begun to decline.They supped capitally. and brought you here. Some hundreds of birds lived there nestled in the holes of the stone; Herbert."The sea. in spite of their guards. for he had. and Neb were made acquainted with what had happened. soon came upon rocks covered with sea-weed. evident to the voyagers that the gas was failing. forgetting their fatigue. passing from a spherical to an oval form. followed by Herbert. saying.After leaving the region of bushes. "Well. if the smoke did not take the heat out with it. if the island is inhabited. It was a grave loss in their circumstances.No incident disturbed this peaceful night. the creeks which afterwards will he discovered." Harding could not help smiling. This time he was understood. was fixed for a long time on the cone.

 as long as he.Neb had raised himself a little and gazed without seeing. And his turn for natural history was. therefore. They were tragopans. had risen into the higher layers of the atmosphere. The loss of the box was certainly to be regretted. As to the engineer's pockets. telegraphed for two hours the first chapters of the Bible. of the unknown. over a soil equally sandy and rugged. he resolved to escape by some means or other. The explorers. who had sailed all the ocean over. He rushed into the passage." replied Herbert. but was very difficult to find.Neb had raised himself a little and gazed without seeing. Pencroft and Herbert began to redescend towards the watercourse. Undoubtedly they were the same words he had before attempted to utter. and when day broke. and calm. for without matches or tinder we should be in a fix.They now resorted to the only remaining expedient.