Жюль Верн
Таинственный остров / The Mysterious Island. Уровень 3

© Матвеев С.А., адаптация текста, комментарии и словарь, 2021

© ООО «Издательство, АСТ», 2021

Chapter I

– Are we going up again?

– Not at all; we are going down!

– Mr. Smith[1] , we are falling!

– Throw over all the ballast!

– The last sack is empty!

– Does the balloon rise again?

– No!

– I hear the waves, they are splashing!

– The sea is under us!

– Five hundred feet!

– God help us![2]

These words rang through the air above the Pacific[3] , at 4 o’clock in the afternoon of the 23d of March, 1865.

The hurricane was lasting without intermission from the 18th to the 26th of March. It covered a space of 1,800 miles, it occasioned immense destruction in America and Europe and Asia. Cities were in ruins, forests were uprooted. Hundreds of shipwrecks, thousands of persons in the sea!

While these catastrophes were upon the land and the sea, something was in the heavens, too.

A balloon was spinning around as in some aerial whirlpool. It rushed through space with a velocity of ninety miles an hour. Below the balloon, there was a basket with five persons.

The storm was terrible. The balloon came from a great distance, the passengers were unable to determine the course. They could not calculate their position. They could not see anything, the thick fog was under the balloon. Around them everything was obscure. The clouds were very dense. No light, no sound, no roaring of the ocean penetrated that profound obscurity.

Meanwhile the balloon rose to a height of 4,500 feet, and the passengers discovered that the sea was beneath them. They realized that the dangers above were less formidable than below.

The night passed. At dawn, the clouds rose high into the heavens; and, in a few hours more, the whirlwind disappeared. Now, however, it became evident that the balloon was again sinking slowly. The voyagers threw overboard different articles, few provisions, and everything they had in their pockets. But the gas was escaping, and the voyagers were going down!

There was no land, not even an island, beneath them. It was a vast sea on which the waves were surging. It was the limitless ocean. Not even a ship was in sight.

In order to save themselves it was necessary to stop the downward movement. But the balloon continued to descend!

It was a terrible situation. These men were unfortunate. The gas continued to escape. They fell faster and faster. At 1 o’clock they were not more than 600 feet above the sea. The gas poured out. If no land appears before nightfall, voyagers, balloon, and basket will disappear beneath the waves.

It was evident that these men were strong. Not a murmur escaped their lips. They were ready to struggle to the last second. The basket was constructed of willow osiers, it could not float, and they could not support it on the surface of the water. It was 2 o’clock, and the balloon was only 400 feet above the waves.

Then they heard a voice. It was the voice of a man whose heart knew no fear.

– Is everything thrown out?[4]

– No, we yet have 10,000 francs in gold.

A heavy bag fell into the sea.

– Does the balloon rise?

– A little, but it will soon fall again.

– Is there anything else to throw out?

– Nothing.

– Yes there is; there is the basket! Let it go.

This was, indeed, the last means. They wanted to lighten the apparatus. The five passengers clambered into the net around the hoop, and looked into the abyss below.

The balloon went up. But soon it began to descend. It was impossible to repair the rent, through which the gas was rushing.

At 4 o’clock, when the balloon was only 500 feet above the sea, they heard the loud barking.

– Top[5] saw something! Land! Land!

They saw a land. But it is far, it takes an hour to reach it. An hour! They did not know whether it was an island or a continent. They do not know what part of the world the tempest brought them. How to reach that land?

At 4 o’clock they saw that the balloon could not sustain itself much longer. It grazed the surface of the sea.

A half hour later, and the land was a mile distant. The balloon jumped into the air. It rose 1,500 feet, and soon, however, it fell upon the sand. The passengers, assisting each other, hastened to the ground.

The basket contained five passengers and a dog. Four men were upon the shore. The fifth one, then, was in the water. His friends cried:

– Perhaps he is trying to swim ashore. Save him! Let us save him!

Chapter II

They were neither professional aeronauts nor amateurs. They were prisoners of war who succeeded to escape. Their aerial voyage lasted five days. How did it happen?

This same year, in the month of February, 1865, many officers were captured by the enemy. One of the most famous of them was Cyrus Smith[6] . Cyrus Smith was an engineer by profession, and a scientist, to whom the Government gave the direction of the railways.

He was thin, bony, lean, about forty-five years old, with heavy moustache[7] . His muscles showed remarkable firmness. He was highly educated, practical, and clear-headed, his temperament was superb. Cyrus Smith was also the personification of courage.

At the same time with Cyrus Smith another man fell into the hands of the Southerners[8] . This was Gideon Spilett[9] , reporter to the New York Herald[10] . Gideon Spilett obtained exact information and transmitted it to the journal. He was a well-known reporter.

A man of great merit; energetic, prompt, and ready; full of ideas; soldier and artist; resolute in action.

He also was in all the battles, revolver in one hand and notebook in the other. Gideon Spilett was tall. He was forty years old or more. Sandy-colored whiskers encircled his face. His eye was clear and lively.

Cyrus Smith had a devoted servant. This man was black, he was born of slave parents. Smith freed them, but the servant had no desire to leave his master. He was a man of thirty years, vigorous, agile, adroit, intelligent, quick, always smiling and honest. His name was Nebuchadnezzar[11] , but everybody called him Neb.

All these people were in Richmond[12] , and it was very difficult to get out. They were prisoners. The reporter wanted to get out of Richmond at any risk.

Meanwhile, the siege continued. Among the people in the town there was Jonathan Forster[13] , who was a violent Southerner. This Jonathan Forster conceived the idea of passing over the lines of the besiegers in a balloon.

So a balloon was made and placed at the disposal of Forster and five of his companions. They found arms and food. The departure of the balloon was on the 18th of March. On the morning of the 18th there were symptoms of a storm, and soon the tempest began.

The balloon was ready, but the weather was terrible. The night of the 19th and 20th passed, but in the morning the storm was hard, and departure was impossible.

On this day Cyrus Smith in one of the streets of Richmond met a man whom he did not know. It was a sailor named Pencroff[14] , aged from thirty-five to forty years, strongly built, his eyes were bright and glittering. Pencroff came to Richmond on business, he had with him Herbert Brown[15] , of New Jersey[16] , a lad fifteen years old, the son of Pencroff’s captain, and an orphan. Pencroff loved the boy as his own child. He also wanted to get out. He did not hesitate to address Mr. Smith without ceremony.

– Mr. Smith?

The engineer looked at the man who added in a low voice:

– Mr. Smith, do you want to escape?

– How? – answered the engineer, quickly. – Who are you? – he demanded, in a cold voice.

Pencroff told him about himself.

– Well, – replied Smith. – And how do you propose to escape?

– By this idle balloon which is doing nothing, and is ready to take us!

The engineer seized Pencroff by the arm and hurried him to his house. There the sailor explained his project, which was simple enough. The storm was terrible, it is true; but a skilful engineer like Smith knew well how to manage a balloon. He saw many storms in his life.

Cyrus Smith listened to the sailor and he was silent. This was the opportunity! The project was very dangerous, but it was real. During the night, in spite of the guards, they might reach the balloon, creep into the basket, and then cut the lines!

– I am not alone, – said Smith.

– How many people more? – demanded the sailor.

– Two; my friend Spilett, and my man Neb.

– Three, – replied Pencroff; – and, with Herbert and myself, five. Can the balloon carry six?

– Very well. We will go! – said the engineer.

– Tonight, then, – said Pencroff.

– Tonight, at ten o’clock, – replied Smith.

Pencroff returned to his lodging, where he found young Herbert Brown. This brave boy knew the plans of the sailor, and he was ready to go with him.

The storm did not abate. The engineer feared but one thing; that the balloon could be torn into a thousand pieces.

Evening arrived. Thick masses of fog passed over the earth. Rain mingled with snow fell. The weather was cold. The streets of the city were deserted. In such weather, no one guarded the square in which swung the balloon.

– Bad weather, – said Pencroff, holding his hat, which the wind was trying to take off, firmly to his head.

At half past 9, Cyrus Smith and his companions came together at the basket. Without saying a word, four of them took their places in the basket, while Pencroff, under the direction of the engineer, unfastened the bundles of ballast. Then the sailor joined his companions. At that moment, a dog leaped into the basket. It was Top, the dog of the engineer, who had followed his master.

Then the storm burst upon them. The engineer did not dare to descend during the night. It was not until five days later that they saw the sea below them.

So of these five men, who started on the 20th of March, four were thrown, four days later, on a desert coast, more than 6,000 miles from this country. And the one who was missing[17] was their leader, Cyrus Smith.

Chapter III

A wave swept away the engineer. His dog had disappeared at the same time. The faithful animal tried to rescue its master.

– Forward! – cried the reporter, and all four began their search. Poor Neb wept with grief and despair. But Smith’s companions hoped to find him.

– Look for him! – cried Neb.

– Yes, Neb, and we will find him, – replied Spilett.

– Alive?

– Alive!

– Can he swim? – demanded Pencroff.

– Oh, yes, – responded Neb. – And, besides, Top is with him.

The sailor looked at the roaring sea, and shook his head.

It was nearly 6 o’clock. The fog made the night very dark. The men went northward along the shore. Where are they? They could not guess their geographical situation. They walked upon a sandy soil, mixed with stones. The little party was searching all the corners.

After a walk of twenty minutes the four men were suddenly stopped by a rock. They found themselves[18] upon the extremity of a sharp point upon which the sea broke with fury.

– This is a promontory, – said the sailor, – we must turn back.

– But if he is there! – cried Neb.

– Well, let us call again.

And all together uttered a vigorous cry, but without response. They waited, and tried once more. And again there was no answer.

Then they turned back. They were following the opposite side of the promontory over ground equally sandy and rocky. However, Pencroff observed that the shore was bold there, and the birds were less numerous on this shore.

They were walking towards the south. Soon they found themselves again upon a high promontory of slippery rocks.

– We are on an island, – exclaimed Pencroff.

The words of the sailor were true. The castaways were not upon a continent, but upon an island not more than two miles long.

This desert isle, covered with stones, without vegetation, did it belong to a more important archipelago? They could not tell. It was necessary to wait until the next day to search for the engineer; who made no cry to signal his presence.

– The silence of Cyrus proves nothing, – said the reporter. He may be wounded, and unable to reply.

The reporter then offered to light a fire upon the point of the island. It can serve as a signal for the engineer. But they searched in vain[19] for wood or dry branches. Sand and stones were all they found.

One can understand the grief of Neb and his companions, who loved their brave comrade. It was evident that they could not help him now, and that they must wait till day. The engineer escaped. He was already safe upon the land, or he died. The hours were long and dreadful, the cold was intense. But the castaways did not think of sleep. They moved back and forth upon that arid island. They listened, they shouted, they tried to catch some call.

Once the cry of Neb was answered by an echo; and Herbert said:

– That proves that there is land not far to the west.

The sailor nodded; he knew his eyes could not deceive him. The land must be there! Meanwhile the sky was clearing slowly.

The night passed; and towards 5 o’clock in the morning the heavens began to brighten, though the horizon remained obscure.

– I feel the land, – said Pencroff, – it is there!

The fog soon rose. A clear sun warmed the sky. At half past 6, the sky was clear. Then the sea appeared. Yes, the land was there! The island and the main land were separated by a channel half a mile wide. Into this current one of the party precipitated himself. It was Neb. Pencroff called to him in vain. The reporter prepared to follow, but the sailor ran to him, and exclaimed:

– Do you want to cross this channel?

– Yes, I do, – replied Spilett.

– Well, then, listen to me a moment. Neb can rescue his master alone. If we throw ourselves into the channel we are in danger: this strong current can carry us away. You see the tide is going out. Wait, just wait a little.

– You are right, – answered the reporter.

Meantime, Neb was swimming vigorously in a diagonal direction, against the current. He was gaining towards the other shore. It took him more than half an hour to cross the half mile which separated the isle from the mainland.

Neb landed at the base of a high rocky wall, and clambered quickly up its side, and then disappeared behind a rock.

Neb’s companions looked upon that land. They ate some of the shellfish which they found upon the sands; it was a poor meal, but then it was better than nothing.

The opposite coast formed an immense bay, terminated to the south by a sharp point. This point at its junction with the shore was abutted by high granite rocks. Towards the north, on the contrary, the bay widened, with a shore more rounded. It was extending from the southwest to the northeast, and ending in a narrow cape. Between these two points, the distance was about eight miles. A half mile from the shore the island, like an enormous whale, lay upon the sea. Its width was about a quarter of a mile.

Before the Island, the shore began with a sandy beach with black rocks. Beyond this rose, like a curtain, a perpendicular granite wall, at least 300 feet high and terminated by a ragged edge. This extended for about three miles.

Upon the upper level of the coast not a tree was visible. To the right, however, and back of the smooth face of rock, some verdure appeared. Finally, distant towards the northwest about seven miles, shone a white summit. It was the snowy cap of a mountain.

It was not possible to say whether this land was an island or a part of a continent. Gideon Spilett, Pencroff, and Herbert looked upon this land.

– Well, – demanded Herbert, – what do you think of it, Pencroff?

– Well, replied the sailor, – there’s good and bad in it, as with everything else. But we will soon see. In three hours we can reach that shore, and we will see what we can do to find Mr. Smith.

Pencroff was not wrong in his predictions. Three hours later, at low tide, Spilett and his two companions waded through the water. Herbert, where the water was too deep, swam like a fish; and all arrived without difficulty at the other shore.

Chapter IV

The reporter walked along the coast. Herbert wished to go with him.

– Stay, my boy, – said the sailor. – We must pitch our camp for the night, and try to find something to eat. Our friends will need food when they come back.

– I am ready, Pencroff, – said Herbert.

– Good, said the sailor. – We are tired, cold, and hungry: we need shelter, fire, and food. There is plenty of wood in the forest, and we can get eggs from the nests; but we must find a house.

– Well, – said Herbert, – I will look for a cave in these rocks.

– Right, said Pencroff. – Let us start at once[20] .

They walked along the base of the rocky wall. Then they turned to the south. Pencroff noticed a narrow inlet in the coast. Now it was important to pitch the camp in the neighborhood of fresh water; in that part of the island, too, they could find Smith.

The rock rose 300 feet, smooth and massive. It was a sturdy wall of the hardest granite. About the summit hovered a host of aquatic birds, with long, narrow, pointed beaks.

Meanwhile Herbert soon noticed some rocks. On them lay hosts of bivalves. Herbert called to Pencroff.

– Ah, they are mussels, – said the sailor.

– They are not mussels, – said Herbert, examining the mollusks carefully, – they are lithodomes[21] .

– Can we eat them? – said Pencroff.

– Certainly.

– Then let us eat some lithodomes.

The sailor could rely on Herbert. Pencroff and Herbert made a good meal of them, they tasted like oysters.

Their hunger was allayed for the moment. The thing now was to find fresh water. Two hundred feet further on Pencroff and Herbert reached the inlet, through which a little river was flowing.

– Here is water, – said Pencroff, – and over there is wood. Well, Herbert, now we need the house.

The river water was clear. Pencroff and Herbert went down between the rocks, into sandy corridors.

– This is just what we want, – said Pencroff. – These Chimneys will be our house. But first we must get together some firing.

Herbert and Pencroff left the Chimneys, and walked up the left bank of the river. After a quarter of an hour’s walk, the two reached the elbow which the river made to the left. From this point they saw a forest of magnificent trees.

– Good, – said the sailor, – I do not know the name of these trees, but I know they will help us to make a fire, and that’s important.

It was easy to gather the firewood; plenty of dead branches lay at their feet. This dry wood burn rapidly. But how can two men carry such a load to the Chimneys? Herbert asked the question.

– My boy, – said the sailor, there’s a way to do everything.

– We have the river, – suggested Herbert.

– Exactly, said Pencroff. – The river will be our road and our carrier, too.

They looked at the ocean. The sea was a watery desert. The coast, too, was desolate.

– Something tells me, – said Herbert, – that Mr. Smith is a very energetic man. So he got to the shore; don’t you think so, Pencroff?

The sailor shook his head sadly.

– No doubt, – said he, – our engineer saved himself.

Pencroff and Herbert walked towards the west, they looked at the snowcapped mountain, which rose six or seven miles away. They saw a forest. Then from the edge of this forest to the coast stretched a plateau.

– Are we upon an island? – muttered the sailor.

– It is big enough, – said the boy.

– An island’s an island, – said Pencroff.

Chapter V

Pencroff made the Chimneys habitable. One narrow, winding passage was arranged to carry out the smoke and to quicken the draught of the fire. The Chimneys were divided into three or four chambers. They were dry, and they could stand up in them. The floor was covered with sand. Herbert and Pencroff chatted together.

– Perhaps, – said the boy, – our companions found a better place than ours.

– It is possible, – answered the sailor, – but don’t stop. Better have two houses than none at all!

– Oh, – said Herbert, – if they can only find Mr. Smith, and bring him back with them!

– Yes, – murmured Pencroff. – He was a good man.

– Was! – said Herbert. – Do you think we will not see him again?

– Never! – replied the sailor.

The work was rapidly accomplished, Pencroff was satisfied.

– Now, – said he, – our friends may return, and they will find a good shelter.

It was 5 o’clock when they returned again to the Chimneys. Towards 6 o’clock, Herbert, who was walking upon the shore, announced the return of Neb and of Gideon Spilett. They came back alone. The sailor was right: they could not find the engineer.

The reporter seated himself upon a rock. He was tired and very hungry, he was unable to utter a word. Neb’s eyes showed that he was weeping and lost all hope.

The reporter told about their search. Neb and he followed the coast for more than eight miles. The shore was deserted. Not a trace upon the sand, not a footprint, was upon the shore.

At that moment Neb raised his head, and exclaimed:

– No, he is not dead! It is impossible!

Herbert ran to him and cried:

– Neb, we will find him; God will give him back to us; but please eat something.

And the lad offered the poor servant some shell-fish. But Neb refused them. He wished no longer to live.

As to Gideon Spilett, he devoured the mollusks, and then laid down upon the sand at the foot of a rock. He was exhausted, but calm. Herbert took his hand.

– Mr. Spilett, – said he, – we have discovered a shelter where you will be more comfortable. The night is coming on; so come and rest there. Tomorrow we will see.

The reporter rose, and proceeded towards the Chimneys.

Pencroff took the match and made some fire. Herbert brought two dozen eggs and the reporter watched them. Did Cyrus still live? If alive, where was he?

In a few minutes the food was ready, and the sailor invited the reporter to eat. This was the first meal of the castaways upon this unknown coast. The eggs were excellent.

Thus passed the 25th of March. The reporter retired to a dark corner. Herbert fell asleep at once. The sailor passed the night by the fire. Neb wandered upon the sands. He was calling his master.

Chapter VI

The castaways had only the clothes they wore in the balloon. We must add Spilett’s watch and note-book; but there were no firearms and no tools, not even a pocket knife. They threw everything overboard to lighten the balloon. The castaways relied on their own hands.

It seemed to Pencroff better to wait a few days before an exploration. They must try to find food. It was decided then to wait a few days at the Chimneys, and to prepare for an expedition either along the coast or into the interior of the country.

Neb did not believe that Smith was dead. Upon the morning of the 26th of March, at daybreak, Neb started along the coast northward.

For breakfast that morning they had only eggs and lithodomes, with salt. Herbert found it in the cavities of the rocks. When the meal was over they divided forces. The reporter stayed to keep up the fire, Herbert and Pencroff went into the forest.

– We will hunt, Herbert, – said the sailor. – We will cut our guns in the forest.

At 9 o’clock the breeze blew from the southeast. When Herbert and Pencroff reached the forest, Pencroff broke from the first tree two thick branches. He made them into cudgels. The sailor carefully observed the character of the region. On this left bank the surface was flat. Sometimes it was moist and swampy. The opposite bank was more undulating. The hill was covered with trees. Along this right bank they could hardly walk, because the descent was steep, and the trees were only sustained by their roots. It is needless to say that both forest and shore looked wild. They saw fresh traces of animals.

They did not speak, their hunting was fruitless. Birds were singing and flying under the trees; but they showed an instinctive fear of the men. Among fir trees were fluttering birds with small bodies and long, glittering tails.

– These are couroucous[22] , – said Herbert. – Their meat is delicious. Besides, I think we can easily get at them with our sticks.

They used their sticks like a scythe, and they mowed down whole rows of the couroucous, of whom 105 were killed.

Then they saw a river. They followed it downward. And by 6 o’clock, Herbert and Pencroff re-entered the Chimneys.

Chapter VII

Gideon Spilett stood motionless upon the shore. He was gazing on the sea. The wind, already strong, was freshening, and the heavens had an angry look. Pencroff began to prepare dinner. At 7 o’clock Neb was still absent.

The storm began. A furious gust of wind passed over the coast from the southeast. At 8 o’clock Neb did not return. The birds were all they had for supper, but the party found them excellent. Pencroff and Herbert devoured them. Then each one retired to his corner, and Herbert was soon asleep.

It was about 2 o’clock when Pencroff suddenly woke up. The reporter was shaking him.

– What’s the matter? – Pencroff cried.

The reporter was bending over him and saying:

– Listen, Pencroff, listen!

The sailor listened, but could hear nothing interesting.

– It is the wind, – he said.

– No, – answered Spilett, – listen again! I think I heard…

– What?

– The barking of a dog!

– A dog! – cried Pencroff.

– Yes, the barking.

– Impossible! – answered the sailor.

– Wait and listen, – said the reporter.

Pencroff listened most attentively, and he caught the sound of distant barking.

– Is it? – asked the reporter.

– Yes, yes! – said Pencroff.

– It is Top! It is Top! – cried Herbert, and the three rushed to the entrance of the Chimneys. The darkness was absolute. Sea, sky, and earth were black.

For some moments the reporter and his two companions stood in this place. Then again, in the hush of the storm, they heard, far away, the barking of a dog. This must be Top. But was the dog alone?

It was indeed Top. But he was alone! Neither his master nor Neb accompanied him. It seemed inexplicable how, through the darkness and storm, the dog came to the Chimneys. Herbert drew the dog towards him; and the dog rubbed its neck against the lad’s hands.

– Top will guide us to its master! – said Herbert.

Pencroff made no objection. The tempest was terriblr. It was difficult to follow a straight course. The better way, therefore, was to trust to the instinct of Top. The reporter and the lad walked behind the dog, and the sailor followed after. The rain was not heavy, but the strength of the storm was terrible.

Probably, Neb found his master and sent the faithful dog to them. But is the engineer dead?

– Saved! He is saved! Isn’t he, Top? – repeated the boy. And the dog barked.

By 4 o’clock the wind was drier and colder. No murmur passed their lips. They were determined to follow Top wherever he wished to lead them.

At 5 o’clock the sailor and his companions were six miles from the Chimneys. Top ran ahead, returned, and ran again. The dog left the coast, and walked among the downs. The border of the downs was composed of hills and hillocks. It was like a little Switzerland of sand, but a dog instinct could find the way.

Five minutes after the reporter and his companions reached a hollow, before which Top stopped with a loud bark. The three entered the cave. Neb was there, he was kneeling beside a body upon a bed of grass. It was the body of Cyrus Smith.

Chapter VIII

Neb did not move. The sailor uttered one word.

– Alive? – he cried.

Neb did not answer. Herbert stood motionless. It was evident that the poor servant did not hear the voice of the sailor.

The reporter knelt down beside the motionless body, and pressed his ear to the chest of the engineer. Then he tried to detect some movement of the heart.

Gideon Spilett, after a long and attentive examination, rose up.

– He lives! – he said.

Pencroff knelt down beside Cyrus Smith; he also detected some heartbeats. Herbert hurried in search of water. Soon he found a brook; so the lad soaked his handkerchief in the stream, and hastened back with it to the cave.

The drops of fresh water produced an instantaneous effect. A sigh escaped from the breast of Smith.

– We will save him, – said the reporter.

Neb removed the clothing from his master. Neither on his head nor body nor limbs was there a bruise or even a scratch. That was astonishing.

– You thought he was dead? – asked the sailor Neb.

– Yes, I thought so, – answered Neb. – And I wanted to die beside my master.

Then Neb told them everything. Neb followed along the coast to the north, until he reached that part of the beach. There he searched the shore, the rocks, the sand for any marks. He did not hope to find his master. Then he decided to continue some miles further up the coast.

– I followed the shore two miles further, and yesterday evening, about 5 o’clock, I discovered footprints upon the sand.

– Footprints?! – cried Pencroff.

– Yes, sir, – replied Neb.

– And did they begin at the water? – demanded the reporter.

– No, – answered Neb, – above high-water mark. The sight of these footprints made me wild with joy. They went towards the downs. I followed them for a quarter of an hour. Five minutes later, I heard a dog bark. It was Top. And he brought me here, to my master.

– So you, Neb, – said the reporter, – did not bring your master to this place?

– No, it was not I, – answered Neb.

It was a real mystery. But they must carry Cyrus Smith to the Chimneys as soon as possible.

Soon the engineer opened his eyes. Neb and the reporter were leaning over him.

– My master! my master! – cried Neb.

The engineer heard him. He recognized Neb and his companions.

– Is it an island or a continent? – he murmured.

– What is the difference? – cried Pencroff, unable to restrain the exclamation, – you are alive! Island or continent? We will see that later.

The engineer seemed to sleep. The sailor was repeating:

– Island or continent! To think of that! What a man!

Pencroff and his companions constructed a litter, which they covered with leaves and grass. This work occupied some little time, and it was 10 o’clock when the three returned to Smith and Spilett.

The engineer woke from the sleep. The color came back to his lips. He raised himself slightly, and looked about.

– Well, – said the sailor, – Mr. Smith, your litter is ready, and we will carry you to our house.

– Thanks, my friend, – replied the engineer. – in an hour or two we will go.

The reporter related everything.

– But, – asked Smith, in a feeble voice, – you did not pick me up on the beach?

– No, – replied the reporter.

– And it was not you who brought me to this hollow?

– No.

– How far is this place from the reef?

– At least half a mile, – replied Pencroff, – and we are very surprised to find you here. But cannot you remember anything that happened after you were washed away?

Cyrus Smith tried to think, but he remembered little. The wave swept him from the net of the balloon. Then Top sprang to his rescue. Smith found himself in the midst of the tumultuous sea, more than half a mile from shore. He was swimming vigorously against the waves; but a strong current seized him. It carried him to the north, and soon he sank into the abyss. From that moment he remembered nothing.

– It’s strange, – said the reporter. – Did anyone rescue you from the waves?

– That is inexplicable.

Towards noon, Pencroff asked Smith if he felt strong enough. Fortunately, the rain stopped. At half past 5 the little party reached the Chimneys.

Chapter IX

The engineer was sleeping. First of all, they carried Cyrus Smith into the main corridor. There they were able to make for him a couch of seaweeds. The supper this evening consisted of the lithodomes.

The next day, the 28th of March, when the engineer awoke, about 8 o’clock, he saw his companions beside him, and, as on the day before, his first words were,

– Island or continent?

It was his one thought.

– Well, Mr. Smith, – answered Pencroff, – we don’t know.

– You haven’t found out yet?

– But we will, – affirmed Pencroff, – when you are able to guide us in this country.

– I believe that I am able to do that now, – answered the engineer, who rose up.

– That is good, – exclaimed the sailor.

– When you were carrying me here yesterday, did I not see a mountain in the west?

– Yes, – said Spilett, – quite a high one.

– All right, – exclaimed the engineer. – Tomorrow we will climb to its summit and determine whether this is an island or a continent.

– But, – asked Spilett, – where has this storm thrown us, Cyrus?

– In truth, I cannot say, – replied the engineer, but the probability is that we are somewhere in the Pacific. When we left Richmond the wind was northeast, and its direction did not vary much. We crossed North and South Carolina[23] , Georgia[24] , the Gulf of Mexico[25] , and the narrow part of Mexico, and a portion of the Pacific Ocean. I estimate the distance less than 6,000 or 7,000 miles. But if this coast belongs to some barren island in the Micronesian Archipelago[26] , perhaps we will never leave it.

– Never? – cried the reporter. – Do you say “never”, my dear Cyrus?

– We will know how to act when we first ascend the mountain, – answered Smith.

– But will you be able, Mr. Smith, to make the climb tomorrow? – asked Herbert.

– I hope so, answered the engineer, – if Pencroff and you, my boy, are good hunters.

Chapter X

The three hunters were seating before a fire. Beside them sat Cyrus Smith and the reporter.

– Yes, my good fellow, – said the reporter, – a fire, a real fire!

– But who lighted it? – said the sailor.

– The sun.

The sailor could not believe his eyes.

– Do you have a burning-glass[27] , sir? – asked Herbert of Cyrus Smith.

– No, my boy, said he, but I made one.

And he showed his lens. It was simply the two glasses, from his own watch and the reporter’s. He took them out, filled with water, and put together with some clay. Thus he made a veritable burning-glass, and concentrated the solar rays on some dry moss.

With the help of Neb, the sailor arranged the spit. The engineer and his companion made good use of their day[28] . Smith recovered his strength. They had a pleasant supper. The engineer said little; he was planning for the next day. After supper, the party lay down to sleep. The morning found them fresh and eager for the expedition.

Everything was ready. At half past 7 they left the Chimneys, each with a stout cudgel. By Pencroff’s advice, they took the route of the previous day, which was the shortest way to the mountain. They turned the southern angle, and followed the left bank of the river. They took the path under the evergreens, and soon reached the northern border of the forest. The soil was flat and swampy, then dry and sandy. Among the trees appeared a few animals. The engineer was going to the top of the mountain.

The mountain was composed of two cones. The first was truncated about 2,500 feet up, and supported by fantastic spurs. Between these spurs were narrow valleys. On the northeast side of the mountain, vegetation was scanty.

On the first cone lay the second one, slightly rounded towards the summit. The surface seemed bare. The object of the expedition was to reach the top of this cone, and their best way was along the edge of the spurs.

– We are in a volcanic country, – said Cyrus Smith, as they began to climb. They were gradually ascending. At noon, when the little company halted to dine, they were still half way from the first plateau, and could hardly reach it before nightfall. From this point the sea was beneath their feet. On the left they could see directly north for several miles; but the northwest was concealed from them.

At 1 o’clock, the ascent again began. The easiest route slanted upwards towards the southwest, through the thick copse. The climbers reached a terrace, almost bare of trees, whose soil was evidently volcanic. From hence, their course was a zigzag towards the east. Neb and Herbert led the way, then came Smith and the reporter; Pencroff was last.

They all stopped fifty feet from large animals, with thick horns curved backwards and flattened at the end, and with woolly fleece. They were not the common sheep. Their name, according to Herbert, was а Moufflon[29] .

As the ascension continued, the traces of lava were more frequent, and little sulphur springs[30] intercepted their route. As they neared the first plateau, the ascent became very difficult. By 4 o’clock they passed the last belt of trees. Fortunately for the engineer and his party, it was a pleasant, mild day. The sky overhead was extremely bright and clear. A perfect calm reigned around them. The sun was hidden by the upper mountain, which cast its shadow westward to the edge of the sea.

There were only 500 feet between the explorers and the plateau where they wanted to encamp for the night. It was almost night when the party arrived at the top of the first cone.

Now they must pitch their camp, and think of supper and sleep. The sailor built up a fireplace with huge stones. Neb and Herbert soon brought a load of thistles.

The night was beautiful and still; and not very dark. They walked together in silence. Sometimes the plateau was wide and easy, sometimes very encumbered with rubbish. There were yet 1,000 feet to climb. Fortunately, the long and sinuous declivities made a staircase, and greatly helped their ascent. The volcano was not only quiet, but extinct.

It was nearly 8 o’clock when they set foot on the summit[31] of the cone. The darkness was by this time complete, and they could hardly see around them. Was the land an island or a continent? They could not yet discover. At one point of the horizon suddenly appeared a vague light. The line of the horizon was now cloudless, and as the moon touched it, the engineer seized the boy’s hand.

– An island! – said he.

Chapter XI

Then they walked back to the camp. The country is an island, and tomorrow they will consider what to do.

The next day, March 30, after breakfast, they started out for the summit of the volcano. All desired to see the isle. Maybe they will spend their lives here. It was about 7 o’clock in the morning when they left the camp.

– Bah! – said Pencroff, – we got out of Richmond without the permission of the authorities, and it will be strange if we can’t get away from this place!

It was a superb day, and the southern side of the mountain was sunny. The crater was a huge shaft gradually opening to a height of 1,000 feet above the plateau. The interior of the crater was easily scaled. They saw on the way traces of ancient lava. As to the volcano chimney, its depth was lost in obscurity. Before 8 o’clock, they were standing at the summit of the crater.

– The sea! the sea everywhere! – was their exclamation. There it lay, an immense sheet of water around them on every side. Nothing appeared to the horizon-line, a radius of more than fifty miles. Not a sail was in sight. Around the island stretched an ocean.

Silent and motionless, they surveyed every point of the horizon. Then they looked down upon their island. Spilett asked:

– How large do you think this island is?

– It seemed small enough in the midst of the infinite ocean.

– My friends, – said Smith, – I think, the coast of the island is more than 100 miles around.

If Smith was right, the island was about the size of Malta[32] ; but it was more irregular than it. The eastern coast was a curve, it was embracing a large bay. On the northeast, two other capes shut in the bay, and between them lay a narrow gulf. From northeast to northwest the coast was round and flat, like the skull of a wild beast. Then came a hump, whose centre was occupied by the volcanic mountain. From this point the coast ran directly north and south. For two-thirds of its length it was bordered by a narrow creek; then it finished in along cue, like the tail of a gigantic alligator. The narrowest part of the island, between the Chimneys and the creek, on the west, was ten miles wide, but its greatest length was not less than thirty miles.

The southern part, from the shore to the mountain, was covered with woods; the northern part was arid and sandy. Between the volcano and the eastern coast there was a lake, surrounded by evergreens.

– So, it is a fresh water lake? – asked Pencroff.

– Yes, of course, – said the engineer.

– I can see a little river there, – said Herbert. He was pointing to a narrow brook.

The volcano did not occupy the centre of the island. It rose in the northwest. On the southwest, south, and southeast, the beginnings of the spurs were lost in masses of verdure.

They remained for an hour at the summit of the mountain. The island lay stretched before them. They understood the configuration of the entire island, but there remained a great question: was the island inhabited? It was the reporter who put this question. Nowhere could they perceive the handiwork of man; no late settlement on the beach, not even a lonely cabin or a fisherman’s hut. No smoke.

The exploration of the island was finished. They drew a map of it, and calculated its size. They wanted now to descend the declivities of the mountain, and to examine into the animal, vegetable, and mineral resources of the country. But before the departure, Cyrus Smith, in a calm, grave voice, addressed his companions.

– Look, my friends, upon this little corner of the earth. Here, perhaps, we may long dwell.

– Mr. Smith, – said the sailor, – we will make a little America here. We will build cities, lay railroads, establish telegraphs. We will be not castaways, but colonists. Well, let’s start!

– One minute, my friends, – said the engineer; – let’s name the island, the capes, promontories, and water-courses.

– Yes, – said Smith, – for instance, let us call the great bay to the east Union Bay[33] , the southern indentation Washington Bay[34] , the mountain on which we are standing Mount Franklin[35] , the lake beneath our feet Lake Grant[36] . These names will recall our country and its great citizens. What will you say, my friends?

The engineer’s proposal was unanimously applauded. Spilett put down the names over the proper places, and the geographical nomenclature of the island was complete.

– Now, – said the reporter, – to that peninsula projecting from the southwest I propose to give the name of Serpentine Peninsula[37] , and to call the twisted curve at the termination of it Reptile End [38] . It is just like a snake’s tail.

– And the other extremity of the island, – said Herbert, – the gulf is like a pair of jaws, let us call it Shark Gulf[39] .

– Good enough, – said Pencroff, – and we may call the two capes North Mandible[40] and South Mandible[41] . Now we must name the southwestern extremity of the island.

– Claw Cape[42] , – suggested Neb.

The river with fresh water they called the Mercy[43] . The islet on which they first arrived, was Safety Island[44] ; the plateau at the top of the high granite wall above the Chimneys, from which the whole sweep of the bay was visible, Prospect Plateau [45] . And, finally, that mass of impenetrable woods which covered Serpentine Peninsula, the Forests of the Far West[46] .

The colonists were going to descend the mountain, when Pencroff cried:

– Why, what idiots we are!

– Why so? – said Spilett, who had closed his note-book.

– We have forgotten to name our island!

Cyrus Smith said quietly:

– Let us give it the name of a great citizen, my friends, of the defender of American unity! Let us call it Lincoln Island[47] !

Chapter XII

The colonists of Lincoln Island walked around the verge of the crater. Half an hour afterwards they were again upon the lower plateau. Pencroff thought it was breakfast time.

As they were leaving the plateau, Smith proposed to his companions to take a new road back to the Chimneys. He wished to explore Lake Grant. The colonists used only the names which they invented, and found that they could express themselves much more easily. Herbert and Pencroff were delighted, and the sailor said as they walked along:

– Well, Herbert, this is jolly! We can’t lose ourselves now, my boy, since, whether we follow Lake Grant or get to the Mercy through the woods of the Far West, we must come to Prospect Plateau, and so to Union Bay.

Pencroff, Herbert, and Neb walked in front, preceded by Top, who poked his nose into every corner. The reporter and engineer walked together. The reporter was ready to note down every incident, the engineer seldom spoke, and was picking up sometimes one thing, sometimes another, vegetable or mineral, which he put in his pocket.

About 10 o’clock the little company descended the last declivities of Mount Franklin. A few bushes and trees were scattered over the ground. They were walking on a yellowish soil, which extended to the border of the wood. Suddenly they saw Herbert, he was running back.

– What’s the matter, my boy? – said Spilett.

– Smoke, – answered Herbert. – We saw smoke, it was ascending from among the rocks, a hundred steps in front.

– Men in this region! – cried the reporter.

– We must not show ourselves till we know with whom we have to deal, – answered Smith. Where is Top?

– Top is on ahead.

– And did it bark?

– No.

– That is strange. Still, let us try to call him back.

In a few moments the three rejoined their companions. They saw, very evidently, a yellowish smoke. Top was recalled by a low whistle from his master.

– Nature is responsible for that smoke, – said Smith, – It is nothing but a sulphur spring[48] , which will be good for our sore throats.

– Good! – said Pencroff; – what a pity that I haven’t got a cold!

The colonists walked towards the smoke. There they beheld a spring of sulphate of soda, which flowed in currents among the rocks, and whose waters, absorbing the oxygen of the air, gave off a lively odor. Smith dipped his hand into the spring and found it oily.

The colonists walked towards the thick border of the forest, a few hundred paces distant. There they saw a brook with bright limpid waters between high, reddish banks. Its color showed the presence of oxide of iron. They named the water course Red Creek[49] . It was a large mountain brook, deep and clear. It was a mile and a half long; its breadth varied from thirty to forty feet. Its water was fresh.

Happily, there was neither wild beast nor savage native, but merely mountain pheasants. Some crows and magpies flew about. The colonists had nothing but stones and sticks, very insufficient weapons. Suddenly a troop of quadrupeds[50] leaped away through the underbrush.

– Kangaroos! – cried Herbert.

– Can you eat them? – said Pencroff.

– They make a delicious stew, – said the reporter.

The sailor with Neb and Herbert rushed after the kangaroos. Smith tried in vain to recall them. After five minutes’ chase, they came back.

– You see, Mr. Smith, – said Pencroff, – we need guns. Will it be possible to make them?

– Perhaps, – replied the engineer; – but first we will make bows and arrows.

– Bows and arrows! – said Pencroff. – They are for children!

– Don’t be so proud, my friend, – said the reporter. – Bows and arrows were sufficient for many centuries for the warfare of mankind. Powder is an invention of yesterday.

– That’s true, Mr. Spilett, – said the sailor. – I always speak before I think. Forgive me.

Top rushed hither and thither. About 3 o’clock Top disappeared into the rushes, from which came grunts and growls. Neb rushed in. Top was greedily devouring an animal. Neb reappeared in triumph with a rodent in each hand. They were a sort of agouti[51] , American hares with long ears.

– Hurrah! – cried Pencroff, – the roast is here; now we can go back to the house.

As the party emerged from a massive thicket of fine trees, the lake suddenly appeared before them. They were now on its left bank, and a picturesque region opened to their view. The smooth sheet of water, about seven miles in circumference and 250 acres in extent. It lay among the trees. Towards the east, appeared a shining horizon of sea. To the north the curve of the lake was concave. Numerous aquatic birds frequented the banks of this lake. The waters of the lake were fresh and limpid, somewhat dark, and were evidently full of fish.

– How beautiful this lake is! – said Spilett. – We could live on its banks.

– We will live there! – answered Smith.

The colonists went down towards the angle formed at the south by the junction of the banks. After a two miles’ walk they came upon the thick turf of the plateau, and saw before them the infinite ocean. To get back to the Chimneys they had to walk across the plateau for a mile to the elbow formed by the first bend of the Mercy. It was now half past 4. The party reached the Chimneys by the left bank of the Mercy. Then the fire was lighted, and Neb and Pencroff broiled the agouti. When the meal was over, Smith drew from his pocket little specimens of various kinds of minerals, and said quietly,

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Примечания

1

Mr. Smith – мистер Смит

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2

God help us! – Да поможет нам Бог!

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3

the Pacific – Тихий океан

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4

Is everything thrown out? – Всё ли выброшено?

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5

Top – Топ (кличкасобаки)

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6

Cyrus Smith – Сайрес Смит

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7

heavy moustache – густые усы

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8

the Southerners – южане

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9

Gideon Spilett – Гидеон Спилет

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10

New York Herald – «Нью-Йорк Геральд» (названиегазеты)

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11

Nebuchadnezzar – Навуходоносор

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12

Richmond – Ричмонд

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13

Jonathan Forster – Джонатан Форстер

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14

Pencroff – Пенкроф

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15

Herbert Brown – Герберт Браун

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16

New Jersey – Нью-Джерси

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17

was missing – отсутствовал

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18

found themselves – оказались

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19

in vain – напрасно

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20

at once – немедленно

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21

lithodomes – литодомы

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22

couroucous – куруку (птица из породы ворон)

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23

North and South Carolina – Северная и Южная Каролина

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24

Georgia – Джорджия

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25

Gulf of Mexico – Мексиканский залив

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26

Micronesian Archipelago – архипелаг Микронезии

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27

burning-glass – увеличительное стекло

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28

had made good use of their day – провели день с пользой

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29

Moufflon – муфлон

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30

little sulphur springs – сольфаторы (небольшие вулканы)

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31

set foot on the summit – вышли на вершину

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32

Malta – Мальта

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33

Union Bay – бухта Объединения

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34

Washington Bay – бухта Вашингтона

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35

Mount Franklin – гора Франклина

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36

Lake Grant – озеро Гранта

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37

Serpentine Peninsula – полуостров Извилистый

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38

Reptile End – Змеиный мыс

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39

Shark Gulf – залив Акулы

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40

North Mandible – Северная Челюсть

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41

South Mandible – Южная Челюсть

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42

Claw Cape – мыс Коготь

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43

the Mercy – Милосердие

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44

Safety Island – остров Спасения

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45

Prospect Plateau – плато Кругозора

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46

Forests of the Far West – леса Дальнего Запада

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47

Lincoln Island – остров Линкольна

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48

sulphur spring – сернистый источник

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49

Red Creek – Красный ручей

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50

quadrupeds – четвероногие

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51

agouti – агути (млекопитающие отряда грызунов, обитающие преимущественно в тропических лесах и саваннах)

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