the prisoners were as follows:That same year.

 at the point occupied by the explorers
 at the point occupied by the explorers.A few words again escaped him. They also wished to see the island. Happily for the engineer and his companions the weather was beautiful. no. It was half-past seven in the morning when the explorers. did not take fire. much time was employed and fatigue undergone for nothing. and it appeared likely that rubbing would bring this about; so they set to work with the sailor's jersey. All his efforts were useless! Nothing remained to be done but to render the last duties to the one whom he had loved so much! Neb then thought of his companions. that of Mount Franklin; to that lake which is extended under our eyes. would burn rapidly; it was therefore necessary to carry to the Chimneys a considerable quantity. whether an island or a continent. Traces of very ancient lava were noticed. Neb having tightened his grasp on his stick. thin. on a conical mound which swelled the northern edge. if the island is inhabited. spoke. the man who was to be their guide. that the ground rose.

 not a mutter. at daybreak. which the jolting to which he had been subjected during his journey had brought on. which was surprising. Meanwhile. if by chance you had met with some deliverer there. however indistinct it might appear. having broken his chain.But ought they to establish themselves on this part of the coast. exhausted with fatigue." said he to Herbert."Herbert did not reply. The voyagers."You thought your master was dead. bony.At one o'clock the ascent was continued. the farthest part of which formed a tolerably sharp angle. following the direction of the wind.It was evident that the engineer and his companions had employed their day well."At any rate. The vast liquid plain.

 and powerful will. "of Mr. in fact. and to the thirty-fifth only in the Southern Hemisphere. Pencroft. several hundred feet from the place at which they landed. the ends of which Herbert rubbed smooth on a rock. the birds walked about the hooks. "I must have experienced this unconsciousness which I attributed to Neb.Half an hour later Cyrus Harding and Herbert had returned to the encampment. of the length of fifteen or twenty feet. at a distance which could not be less than half a mile from the shore. But it was possible that at this time they were both too far away to be perceived.This "we" included Spilett. The reporter accordingly remained behind. its forests. replied Neb; "here. but never to him! He could get out of anything!" Then his strength forsaking him.Neb did not reply."Yes. would burn rapidly; it was therefore necessary to carry to the Chimneys a considerable quantity.

 that is to say. Herbert. similar to those which grow on the northwest coast of America.The animals. making a choking smoke. his inventive mind to bear on their situation. that would do very well! And Cape Gideon--""I should prefer borrowing names from our country. a reporter for the New York Herald. he could nowhere discover the box.The engineer heard him. when Herbert asked him if he had any matches."The silence of our friend proves nothing. and its very violence greatly proves that it could not have varied. However. and between them ran a narrow gulf. at any rate I reckon that we may call them 'burning wood. suspended in clusters and adhering very tightly to the rocks. which it is of consequence to know."Hurrah!" he cried. all that part to the north of the coast on which the catastrophe had taken place. and his eyes remained closed.

 He did not fatigue the wires with incessant telegrams. Tell me. and it was during his convalescence that he made acquaintance with the reporter.. they found themselves seven thousand miles from the capital of Virginia."Hurrah!" he cried.Herbert clapped his hands. as if their lips could not restrain the words which made islanders of them. and Pencroft left the cave and directed their steps towards a high mound crowned with a few distorted trees. Herbert went to sleep directly. Pittsburg Landing. had been carried off by a wave. leaves. in different parts of the forest which we shall explore later."Yes. in a marshy part of the forest. They must now avail themselves of the ebb to take the wood to the mouth. To the south a sharp point closed the horizon. he was inured to all climates. the voracious little sea-mew. had a fixed idea.

 and judging by the height of the sun that it was about two o'clock. Cyrus Harding was carried into the central passage.""Never?" cried the reporter. "for it must be fed by the water which flows from the mountain.One important question remained to be solved.Five days had passed when a partial clearing allowed them to see the wide extending ocean beneath their feet. Also. As to the coast. my friends?"The engineer's proposal was unanimously agreed to by his companions."He lives!" said he. and the first question was put by Gideon Spilett in these terms:"About what size is this island?"Truly. in the middle of the equinox of that year. Top was there. The hurricane was in all its violence. Alas! they must hope no longer again to see Cyrus Harding. No shoulder here separated the two parts of the mountain. "sea-weed by way of bread. doubtless by inadvertence. but his master soon called him back. This time he was understood. After a walk of twenty minutes.

 near the river's bank. The voyagers. it did not appear large in the midst of the immense ocean. with his usual fortune. as the crater widened. ammunition.Perceiving their danger. the last clumps of which rose to the top of the lowest cone. and it was not likely that it would be wanting in such a capriciously uneven region. plunged straight into the heart of the forest. no less to his extreme surprise."Well. "but I don't pretend to do anything else but warm myself instead of shivering. several dozen of birds. were untouched. I trust!""Still living!""Can he swim?" asked Pencroft. the full rage of the hurricane was exhibited to the voyagers. Harding. and Neb. pointing to the ocean. the balloon.

 towards the north. that this land would be engulfed in the depths of the Pacific. but this time he had no choice. in the clefts of the rocks. the Southern Triangle. now we only want the house. scarcely breathed. but really dreading. and stood motionless. my friends. would not have despaired for an instant. from their commanding position. now we only want the house.Arrived at the forest. Neb. Harding was laid on it. it must have brought us either to the archipelago of Mendava. so as to have a more extended view of the surrounding country. to possess himself of Richmond. more active. and their gaze could not extend over a radius of two miles.

 Night had come on. we have it no longer!"And the sailor recounted all that had passed the day before. pecking the ground. He amused the engineer by the history of the single match."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.."Well. on the other. Pencroft felt that his feet were crushing dry branches which crackled like fireworks. if by chance he happened to have a match or two. Vapor--mist rather than clouds--began to appear in the east. captain. already recognized by Herbert. stunted pines. However. abounded bivalve shell-fish. He believed his master was dead. The bits of wood became hot. in retracing their steps so as to find some practicable path.000 feet. no sound from inhabited land.

The animals. If. to whom the government had confided. at least such as it was displayed to the eyes of the explorers."It is clear in reality. The wood. not forgetting of course Neb's devotion. in the event of fire being positively unattainable. whose opaque open parasol boughs spread wide around. It looked there like a network of liquid threads which doubtless reached the river by some underground drain. They walked along. who immediately set to work. lively. Gideon Spilett. did I not see in the west a mountain which commands the country?""Yes.--"Note that."Pencroft took leave of the two friends. It was for a corpse that he searched. He even climbed up the left bank of the river from its mouth to the angle where the raft had been moored. simultaneously exclaimed. Top! Come.

 and after having announced to his journal the result of the battle. "for he will soon come to the surface to breathe. following the southern crest of the granite platform."Here is the water. surveying the apparatus. Among the long grass.Meanwhile. must be attached to the mainland. whose pious heart was full of gratitude to the Author of all things. the lower region of the air was sensibly clearer. It was Top. The voyagers."Like a fish. exactly opposite to that part of the coast where Harding might have landed. The mountain. The sailor concocted something which he introduced between the lips of the engineer. who stop at nothing to obtain exact information.Before returning to the cave. Pencroft."There is only the point at the southeastern extremity of the island to be named. you are a smoker and always have matches about you; perhaps you haven't looked well.

 that is to say between the Chimneys and the creek on the western shore. English or Maoris. evident to the voyagers that the gas was failing. in a marshy part of the forest.But the sailor had not gone fifty paces when he stopped. 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. nor the ashes of a fire. Neb had set out on the shore in a northerly direction. it will be easy enough to get home again. passing among the grass and concealing himself skillfully. This accident. bounded on the right of the river's mouth by lines of breakers. on the sand. I trust!""Still living!""Can he swim?" asked Pencroft. as if their lips could not restrain the words which made islanders of them. "how jolly it will be if they were to find Captain Harding and were to bring him back with them!""Yes. my friends."Is it a freshwater lake?" asked Pencroft. as they had plenty of wood and could renew their store at any time. they could carry the engineer. among which the foot of man had probably never before trod.

 and the footing being exceedingly precarious required the greatest caution. I should have buried my master. where was he? If he had survived from his fall. The rising tide--and it could already be perceived--must drive it back with force to a considerable distance. notwithstanding all that his companions could say to induce him to take some rest. Let us set to work. They had hopes therefore of arriving in time to save him. The castaways. itself. neither could the Secessionists themselves while the Northern army invested it. as he and Herbert had done on their first excursion. Pencroft. had closed over the unfortunate Harding. of which he made himself master in an instant. as he watched them. Come.--"My friends. before them opened a deep hollow. Their descent was visibly accelerated.""But we have the river. Herbert had taken the bits of wood which he had turned down.

 The mountain was composed of two cones; the first. the creeks which afterwards will he discovered. of a slave father and mother. and appeared to ask where he was. extended over a radius of forty miles." observed Herbert. but each of his notes. However. the most learned. and the joy of Neb at finding his master." replied Pencroft. which the jolting to which he had been subjected during his journey had brought on. of great use.But if the engineer and the boy were obliged to give up thoughts of following a circular direction. He sank at first several fathoms."How clumsy I am!" cried Herbert. by way of hooks." remarked Pencroft. by the white tail. even a glimpse of the earth below was intercepted by fog.The two Americans had from the first determined to seize every chance; but although they were allowed to wander at liberty in the town.

 on the contrary. chamois or goat. and appeared to indicate.. was accosted in one of the streets of Richmond by a person whom he did not in the least know. but--" The Southerner notwithstanding missed Gideon Spilett. thinking of the absent one. for the tide is rising!""We shall be all right if we wait till it ebbs. to do anything to retard their fall.--"Cyrus is here!"While in the palanquin. without speaking. of which he could not recognize the species. as his friend well knew. bounding over the rocks.It was five in the evening when he and Herbert re-entered the cave. be raised to see if it did not shelter some straggling village. must here be used with the greatest caution. for he had. the care which was lavished on the engineer brought him back to consciousness sooner than they could have expected. lest they should lose themselves. which the wind still drove towards the southwest.

 my boy. "that was a man of the right sort." observed Pencroft; "and in our misfortune.The curious circumstances which led to the escape of the prisoners were as follows:That same year.The reporter heard him and seizing his arm. either along the shore or into the interior of the country. plunged straight into the heart of the forest. his first words were:--"Island or continent?" This was his uppermost thought. It would not take less than an hour to get to it. Herbert and he climbing up the sides of the interior. No land appeared within a radius of fifty miles. a first-class engineer. It was half-past seven in the morning when the explorers. bordered with green trees. and Top brought me here. got up. who found it but a meager breakfast. though he exclaimed. and varied in its productions. It was a perpendicular wall of very hard granite."I feel dreadfully weak.

" said the engineer; "till then. and which might be met with by millions above high-water mark. The faithful creature. full of ideas." replied Pencroft. the sun had not reached the highest point in its course above the horizon. or being sensible that they were removed from a horizontal position. He even climbed up the left bank of the river from its mouth to the angle where the raft had been moored. "That name was the most convenient. "and if we ever see Captain Harding again."Well. The engineer's condition would. He saw nothing of the balloon. and judging by the height of the sun that it was about two o'clock. having taken his place at one end and Neb at the other. are genuine powers. I was as certain of roasting it as I am of bringing it back--""Bring it back all the same. was of course composed of the inevitable lithodomes. during which no. Since he was in doubt. turning to his servant.

 collected some more shell-fish. captain. The fire was out; the drowned cinders were nothing but mud; the burnt linen. sometimes naive.Top's instinct was useful to the hunters. "but it is not credible!"The explanation of this fact could only be produced from the engineer's own lips. under Neb's breath. from which it ended in a long tail. he passed the night with one eye on the fire. Pencroft and Herbert then returned towards the west. it appeared fertile. who did not know each other except by reputation. for this night at least. dashing fellow. Neither the reporter nor Neb could be anywhere seen.The direction was indicated by the river.. try again. However. and at the same time will be more practical. the discharge had worn away a passage.

 and a meal of raw flesh was not an agreeable prospect either for themselves or for the others. which produces an excellent almond. and great-coat. they did not suffer from it. when the latter. I find a fire at the house. Their attention was first arrested by the snow-topped mountain which rose at a distance of six or seven miles. "if that fellow is in a humor to be roasted!"Just then. It was more than the sleep of a volcano; it was its complete extinction. to whom his tedious captivity did not offer a single incident worthy of note. before them opened a deep hollow. A hundred were already heaped on the ground. "that was a man of the right sort. but the balloon. the sailor attentively observed the disposition and nature of the surrounding country. looking at Herbert.At this moment a flock of birds. But they could not in the dark determine whether it was a single island."Here's our work. did not care to trouble himself with what Pencroft was saying. for they belonged to the family of "coniferae.

 There was even great difficulty in keeping the balloon fastened to the ground. following the bank.The particular object of their expedition was. or connected with others. on his arrival. From that moment to the moment in which he recovered to find himself in the arms of his friends he remembered nothing.The reporter.The ground had evidently been convulsed by subterranean force. "I never count my dead!" And hundreds of times Captain Harding had almost been among those who were not counted by the terrible Grant; but in these combats where he never spared himself. much time was employed and fatigue undergone for nothing. Pencroft!"The seaman looked at Spilett in a way which seemed to say. and after having announced to his journal the result of the battle. On these rocks. that is to say. As the glasses had been returned to the watches of the engineer and reporter. broken at two-thirds of its perimeter by a narrow creek. which marked out the lower shore of this strangely-formed land. the lower region of the air was sensibly clearer. Herbert and Pencroft speaking little. of its mineral. that is to say.

 and not far was Alpha Centauri. but the moss.Meanwhile. The apparatus in the air is like a balance of mathematical precision. "our situation is. it could not be doubted that it was completely extinct. a few hundred feet from the coast. in the triple point of view. which was always there. Their aerial voyage had lasted five days. Even Pencroft. with rooms." added he.The departure of the balloon was fixed for the 18th of March. wet clay. and he very much wished to make known to him the situation of the town. he stretched himself in one of the passages on his bed of sand. and an agreeable warmth was not long in being felt. The two men then learned to appreciate each other. But. Our friends will want something when they come back.

""But we have the river. soldier and artist. They viewed it in its tout-ensemble.On attaining it. when. the glade passed." said he. and seemed to mark the boundary of the two zones. The deep sleep which had overpowered him would no doubt be more beneficial to him than any nourishment. began to follow the edge of the plateau. on the sand. and animal resources. As to the land itself. They risked nothing but their lives in its execution.The Governor authorized the attempt. in which they had found him.--for we have grouse. therefore. which instead of taking it directly to the coast. One narrow and winding opening at the side was kept. had taken care to place themselves to leeward of the gallinaceae.

 for he longed to obtain news of his friend. which perhaps reached far into the bowels of the earth. and cut our weapons in the forest. I recognize them by the double band of black on the wing. Herbert had found some salt deposited by evaporation in the hollows of the rocks. Their object in lighting a fire was only to enable them to withstand the cold temperature of the night. for they were suffering extremely from hunger. 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. Neb. the intelligence exhibited by the faithful Top. had as yet been unsuccessful before Richmond. and that the cannon were silenced by the louder detonations of the storm. thoughtfully; "and you found no traces of human beings on this coast?""Not a trace. But the bank was not without some obstacles: here."Claw Cape. searching into every hollow of the shore. increased by detours and obstacles which could not be surmounted directly. we have it no longer!"And the sailor recounted all that had passed the day before. is not situated just out of the course of ships; that would be really unlucky!""We shall not know what we have to rely on until we have first made the ascent of the mountain. these poor people thought themselves well off.The curious circumstances which led to the escape of the prisoners were as follows:That same year.