Books: The Mysterious Island

J >> Jules Verne >> The Mysterious Island

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Several expeditions were made about this time into the depths of the Far
West Forests. The explorers could venture there without having anything to
fear from the heat, for the sun's rays scarcely penetrated through the
thick foliage spreading above their heads. They thus visited all the left
bank of the Mercy, along which ran the road from the corral to the mouth of
Falls River.

But in these excursions the settlers took care to be well armed, for they
met with savage wild boars, with which they often had a tussle. They also,
during this season, made fierce war against the jaguars. Gideon Spilett had
vowed a special hatred against them, and his pupil Herbert seconded him
well. Armed as they were, they no longer feared to meet one of those
beasts. Herbert's courage was superb, and the reporter's sang-froid
astonishing. Already twenty magnificent skins ornamented the dining-room of
Granite House, and if this continued, the jaguar race would soon be extinct
in the island, the object aimed at by the hunters.

The engineer sometimes took part in the expeditions made to the unknown
parts of the island, which he surveyed with great attention. It was for
other traces than those of animals that he searched the thickets of the
vast forest, but nothing suspicious ever appeared. Neither Top nor Jup, who
accompanied him, ever betrayed by their behavior that there was anything
strange there, and yet more than once again the dog barked at the mouth of
the well, which the engineer had before explored without result.

At this time Gideon Spilett, aided by Herbert, took several views of the
most picturesque parts of the island, by means of the photographic
apparatus found in the cases, and of which they had not as yet made any
use.

This apparatus, provided with a powerful object-glass, was very complete.
Substances necessary for the photographic reproduction, collodion for
preparing the glass plate, nitrate of silver to render it sensitive,
hyposulfate of soda to fix the prints obtained, chloride of ammonium in
which to soak the paper destined to give the positive proof, acetate of
soda and chloride of gold in which to immerse the paper, nothing was
wanting. Even the papers were there, all prepared, and before laying in the
printing-frame upon the negatives, it was sufficient to soak them for a few
minutes in the solution of nitrate of silver.

The reporter and his assistant became in a short time very skilful
operators, and they obtained fine views of the country, such as the island,
taken from Prospect Heights with Mount Franklin in the distance, the mouth
of the Mercy, so picturesquely framed in high rocks, the glade and the
corral, with the spurs of the mountain in the background, the curious
development of Claw Cape, Flotsam Point, etc.

Nor did the photographers forget to take the portraits of all the
inhabitants of the island, leaving out no one.

"It multiplies us," said Pencroft.

And the sailor was enchanted to see his own countenance, faithfully
reproduced, ornamenting the walls of Granite House, and he stopped as
willingly before this exhibition as he would have done before the richest
shop-windows in Broadway.

But it must be acknowledged that the most successful portrait was
incontestably that of Master Jup. Master Jup had sat with a gravity not to
be described, and his portrait was lifelike!

"He looks as if he was just going to grin!" exclaimed Pencroft.

And if Master Jup had not been satisfied, he would have been very
difficult to please; but he was quite contented and contemplated his own
countenance with a sentimental air which expressed some small amount of
conceit.

The summer heat ended with the month of March. The weather was sometimes
rainy, but still warm. The month of March, which corresponds to the
September of northern latitudes, was not so fine as might have been hoped.
Perhaps it announced an early and rigorous winter.

It might have been supposed one morning--the 21 st--that the first snow
had already made its appearance. In fact Herbert looking early from one of
the windows of Granite House, exclaimed,--

"Hallo! the islet is covered with snow!"

"Snow at this time?" answered the reporter, joining the boy.

Their companions were soon beside them, but could only ascertain one
thing, that not only the islet but all the beach below Granite House was
covered with one uniform sheet of white.

"It must be snow!" said Pencroft.

"Or rather it's very like it!" replied Neb.

"But the thermometer marks fifty-eight degrees!" observed Gideon Spilett.

Cyrus Harding gazed at the sheet of white without saying anything, for he
really did not know how to explain this phenomenon, at this time of year
and in such a temperature.

"By Jove!" exclaimed Pencroft, "all our plants will be frozen!"

And the sailor was about to descend, when he was preceded by the nimble
Jup, who slid down to the sand.

But the orang had not touched the ground, when the snowy sheet arose and
dispersed in the air in such innumerable flakes that the light of the sun
was obscured for some minutes.

"Birds!" cried Herbert.

They were indeed swarms of sea-birds, with dazzling white plumage. They
had perched by thousands on the islet and on the shore, and they
disappeared in the distance, leaving the colonists amazed as if they had
been present at some transformation scene, in which summer succeeded winter
at the touch of a fairy's wand. Unfortunately the change had been so
sudden, that neither the reporter nor the lad had been able to bring down
one of these birds, of which they could not recognize the species.

A few days after came the 26th of March, the day on which, two years
before, the castaways from the air had been thrown upon Lincoln Island.

Chapter 19

Two years already! and for two years the colonists had had no communication
with their fellow-creatures! They were without news from the civilized
world, lost on this island, as completely as if they had been on the most
minute star of the celestial hemisphere!

What was now happening in their country? The picture of their native land
was always before their eyes, the land torn by civil war at the time they
left it, and which the Southern rebellion was perhaps still staining with
blood! It was a great sorrow to them, and they often talked together of
these things, without ever doubting however that the cause of the North
must triumph, for the honor of the American Confederation.

During these two years not a vessel had passed in sight of the island;
or, at least, not a sail had been seen. It was evident that Lincoln Island
was out of the usual track, and also that it was unknown,--as was besides
proved by the maps,--for though there was no port, vessels might have
visited it for the purpose of renewing their store of water. But the
surrounding ocean was deserted as far as the eye could reach, and the
colonists must rely on themselves for regaining their native land.

However, one chance of rescue existed, and this chance was discussed one
day on the first week of April, when the colonists were gathered together
in the dining-room of Granite House.

They had been talking of America, of their native country, which they had
so little hope of ever seeing again.

"Decidedly we have only one way, said Spilett, "one single way for
leaving Lincoln Island, and that is, to build a vessel large enough to sail
several hundred miles. It appears to me, that when one has built a boat it
is just as easy to build a ship!"

"And in which we might go to the Pomoutous," added Herbert, "just as
easily as we went to Tabor Island."

"I do not say no," replied Pencroft, who had always the casting vote in
maritime questions; "I do not say no, although it is not exactly the same
thing to make a long as a short voyage! If our little craft had been caught
in any heavy gale of wind during the voyage to Tabor Island, we should have
known that land was at no great distance either way; but twelve hundred
miles is a pretty long way, and the nearest land is at least that
distance!"

"Would you not, in that case, Pencroft, attempt the adventure?" asked the
reporter.

"I will attempt anything that is desired, Mr. Spilett," answered the
sailor, "and you know well that I am not a man to flinch!"

"Remember, besides, that we number another sailor amongst us now,"
remarked Neb.

"Who is that?" asked Pencroft.

"Ayrton."

"If he will consent to come," said Pencroft.

"Nonsense!" returned the reporter; "do you think that if Lord Glenarvan's
yacht had appeared at Tabor Island, while he was still living there, Ayrton
would have refused to depart?"

"You forget, my friends," then said Cyrus Harding, "that Ayrton was not
in possession of his reason during the last years of his stay there. But
that is not the question. The point is to know if we may count among our
chances of being rescued, the return of the Scotch vessel. Now, Lord
Glenarvan promised Ayrton that he would return to take him off from Tabor
Island when he considered that his crimes were expiated, and I believe that
he will return."

"Yes," said the reporter, "and I will add that he will return soon, for
it is twelve years since Ayrton was abandoned."

"Well!" answered Pencroft, "I agree with you that the nobleman will
return, and soon too. But where will he touch? At Tabor Island, and not at
Lincoln Island."

"That is the more certain," replied Herbert, "as Lincoln Island is not
even marked on the map."

"Therefore, my friends," said the engineer, "we ought to take the
necessary precautions for making our presence and that of Ayrton on Lincoln
Island known at Tabor Island."

"Certainly," answered the reporter, "and nothing is easier than to place
in the hut, which was Captain Grant's and Ayrton's dwelling, a notice which
Lord Glenarvan and his crew cannot help finding, giving the position of our
island."

"It is a pity," remarked the sailor, "that we forgot to take that
precaution on our first visit to Tabor Island."

"And why should we have done it?" asked Herbert. "At that time we did not
know Ayrton's history; we did not know that any one was likely to come some
day to fetch him, and when we did know his history, the season was too
advanced to allow us to return then to Tabor Island."

"Yes," replied Harding, "it was too late, and we must put off the voyage
until next spring."

"But suppose the Scotch yacht comes before that," said Pencroft.

"That is not probable," replied the engineer, "for Lord Glenarvan would
not choose the winter season to venture into these seas. Either he has
already returned to Tabor Island, since Ayrton has been with us, that is to
say, during the last five months and has left again; or he will not come
till later, and it will be time enough in the first fine October days to go
to Tabor Island, and leave a notice there."

"We must allow," said Neb, "that it will be very unfortunate if the
'Duncan' has returned to these parts only a few months ago!"

"I hope that it is not so," replied Cyrus Harding, "and that Heaven has
not deprived us of the best chance which remains to us."

"I think," observed the reporter, "that at any rate we shall know what we
have to depend on when we have been to Tabor Island, for if the yacht has
returned there, they will necessarily have left some traces of their
visit."

"That is evident," answered the engineer. "So then, my friends, since we
have this chance of returning to our country, we must wait patiently, and
if it is taken from us we shall see what will be best to do."

"At any rate," remarked Pencroft, "it is well understood that if we do
leave Lincoln Island, it will not be because we were uncomfortable there!"

"No, Pencroft," replied the engineer, "it will be because we are far from
all that a man holds dearest in the world, his family, his friends, his
native land!"

Matters being thus decided, the building of a vessel large enough to sail
either to the Archipelagoes in the north, or to New Zealand in the west, was
no longer talked of, and they busied themselves in their accustomed
occupations, with a view to wintering a third time in Granite House.

However, it was agreed that before the stormy weather came on, their
little vessel should be employed in making a voyage round the island. A
complete survey of the coast had not yet been made, and the colonists had
but an imperfect idea of the shore to the west and north, from the mouth of
Falls River to the Mandible Capes, as well as of the narrow bay between
them, which opened like a shark's jaws.

The plan of this excursion was proposed by Pencroft, and Cyrus Harding
fully acquiesced in it, for he himself wished to see this part of his
domain.

The weather was variable, but the barometer did not fluctuate by sudden
movements, and they could therefore count on tolerable weather. However,
during the first week of April, after a sudden barometrical fall, a renewed
rise was marked by a heavy gale of wind, lasting five or six days; then the
needle of the instrument remained stationary at a height of twenty-nine
inches and nine-tenths, and the weather appeared propitious for an
excursion.

The departure was fixed for the 16th of April, and the "Bonadventure,"
anchored in Port Balloon, was provisioned for a voyage which might be of
some duration.

Cyrus Harding informed Ayrton of the projected expedition, and proposed
that he should take part in it, but Ayrton preferring to remain on shore,
it was decided that he should come to Granite House during the absence of
his companions. Master Jup was ordered to keep him company, and made no
remonstrance.

On the morning of the 16th of April all the colonists, including Top,
embarked. A fine breeze blew from the south-west, and the "Bonadventure"
tacked on leaving Port Balloon so as to reach Reptile End. Of the ninety
miles which the perimeter of the island measured, twenty included the south
coast between the port and the promontory. The wind being right ahead it
was necessary to hug the shore.

It took the whole day to reach the promontory, for the vessel on leaving
port had only two hours of ebb tide and had therefore to make way for six
hours against the flood. It was nightfall before the promontory was
doubled.

The sailor then proposed to the engineer that they should continue
sailing slowly with two reefs in the sail. But Harding preferred to anchor
a few cable-lengths from the shore, so as to survey that part of the coast
during the day. It was agreed also that as they were anxious for a minute
exploration of the coast they should not sail during the night, but would
always, when the weather permitted it, be at anchor near the shore.

The night was passed under the promontory, and the wind having fallen,
nothing disturbed the silence. The passengers, with the exception of the
sailor, scarcely slept as well on board the "Bonadventure" as they would
have done in their rooms at Granite House, but they did sleep however.
Pencroft set sail at break of day, and by going on the larboard tack they
could keep close to the shore.

The colonists knew this beautiful wooded coast, since they had already
explored it on foot, and yet it again excited their admiration. They
coasted along as close in as possible, so as to notice everything, avoiding
always the trunks of trees which floated here and there. Several times also
they anchored, and Gideon Spilett took photographs of the superb scenery.

About noon the "Bonadventure" arrived at the mouth of Falls River.
Beyond, on the left bank, a few scattered trees appeared, and three miles
further even these dwindled into solitary groups among the western spurs of
the mountain, whose arid ridge sloped down to the shore.

What a contrast between the northern and southern part of the coast! In
proportion as one was woody and fertile so was the other rugged and barren!
It might have been designated as one of those iron coasts, as they are
called in some countries, and its wild confusion appeared to indicate that
a sudden crystallization had been produced in the yet liquid basalt of some
distant geological sea. These stupendous masses would have terrified the
settlers if they had been cast at first on this part of the island! They
had not been able to perceive the sinister aspect of this shore from the
summit of Mount Franklin, for they overlooked it from too great a height,
but viewed from the sea it presented a wild appearance which could not
perhaps be equaled in any corner of the globe.

The "Bonadventure" sailed along this coast for the distance of half a
mile. It was easy to see that it was composed of blocks of all sizes, from
twenty to three hundred feet in height, and of all shapes, round like
towers, prismatic like steeples, pyramidal like obelisks, conical like
factory chimneys. An iceberg of the Polar seas could not have been more
capricious in its terrible sublimity! Here, bridges were thrown from one
rock to another; there, arches like those of a wave, into the depths of
which the eye could not penetrate; in one place, large vaulted excavations
presented a monumental aspect; in another, a crowd of columns, spires, and
arches, such as no Gothic cathedral ever possessed. Every caprice of
nature, still more varied than those of the imagination, appeared on this
grand coast, which extended over a length of eight or nine miles.

Cyrus Harding and his companions gazed, with a feeling of surprise
bordering on stupefaction. But, although they remained silent, Top, not
being troubled with feelings of this sort, uttered barks which were
repeated by the thousand echoes of the basaltic cliff. The engineer even
observed that these barks had something strange in them, like those which
the dog had uttered at the mouth of the well in Granite House.

"Let us go close in," said he.

And the "Bonadventure" sailed as near as possible to the rocky shore.
Perhaps some cave, which it would be advisable to explore, existed there?
But Harding saw nothing, not a cavern, not a cleft which could serve as a
retreat to any being whatever, for the foot of the cliff was washed by the
surf. Soon Top's barks ceased, and the vessel continued her course at a few
cables-length from the coast.

In the northwest part of the island the shore became again flat and
sandy. A few trees here and there rose above a low, marshy ground, which
the colonists had already surveyed, and in violent contrast to the other
desert shore, life was again manifested by the presence of myriads of
water-fowl. That evening the "Bonadventure" anchored in a small bay to the
north of the island, near the land, such was the depth of water there. The
night passed quietly, for the breeze died away with the last light of day,
and only rose again with the first streaks of dawn.

As it was easy to land, the usual hunters of the colony, that is to say,
Herbert and Gideon Spilett, went for a ramble of two hours or so, and
returned with several strings of wild duck and snipe. Top had done wonders,
and not a bird had been lost, thanks to his zeal and cleverness.

At eight o'clock in the morning the "Bonadventure" set sail, and ran
rapidly towards North Mandible Cape, for the wind was right astern and
freshening rapidly.

"However," observed Pencroft, "I should not be surprised if a gale came
up from the west. Yesterday the sun set in a very red-looking horizon, and
now, this morning, those mares-tails don't forbode anything good."

These mares-tails are cirrus clouds, scattered in the zenith, their
height from the sea being less than five thousand feet. They look like
light pieces of cotton wool, and their presence usually announces some
sudden change in the weather.

"Well," said Harding, "let us carry as much sail as possible, and run for
shelter into Shark Gulf. I think that the 'Bonadventure' will be safe
there."

"Perfectly," replied Pencroft, "and besides, the north coast is merely
sand, very uninteresting to look at."

"I shall not be sorry," resumed the engineer, "to pass not only to-night
but to-morrow in that bay, which is worth being carefully explored."

"I think that we shall be obliged to do so, whether we like it or not,"
answered Pencroft, "for the sky looks very threatening towards the west.
Dirty weather is coming on!"

"At any rate we have a favorable wind for reaching Cape Mandible,"
observed the reporter.

"A very fine wind," replied the sailor; "but we must tack to enter the
gulf, and I should like to see my way clear in these unknown quarters."

"Quarters which appear to be filled with rocks," added Herbert, "if we
judge by what we saw on the south coast of Shark Gulf."

"Pencroft," said Cyrus Harding, "do as you think best, we will leave it
to you."

"Don't make your mind uneasy, captain," replied the sailor, "I shall not
expose myself needlessly! I would rather a knife were run into my ribs than
a sharp rock into those of my 'Bonadventure!'"

That which Pencroft called ribs was the pan of his vessel under water,
and he valued it more than his own skin.

"What o'clock is it?" asked Pencroft.

"Ten o'clock," replied Gideon Spilett.

"And what distance is it to the Cape, captain?"

"About fifteen miles," replied the engineer.

"That's a matter of two hours and a half," said the sailor, "and we shall
be off the Cape between twelve and one o'clock. Unluckily, the tide will be
turning at that moment, and will be ebbing out of the gulf. I am afraid
that it will be very difficult to get in, having both wind and tide against
us."

"And the more so that it is a full moon to-day," remarked Herbert, "and
these April tides are very strong."

"Well, Pencroft," asked Harding, "can you not anchor off the Cape?"

"Anchor near land, with bad weather coming on!" exclaimed the sailor.
"What are you thinking of, captain? We should run aground, of a certainty!"

"What will you do then?"

"I shall try to keep in the offing until the flood, that is to say, till
about seven in the evening, and if there is still light enough I will try
to enter the gulf; if not, we must stand off and on during the night, and
we will enter to-morrow at sunrise."

"As I told you, Pencroft, we will leave it to you," answered Harding.

"Ah!" said Pencroft, "if there was only a lighthouse on the coast, it
would be much more convenient for sailors."

"Yes," replied Herbert, "and this time we shall have no obliging engineer
to light a fire to guide us into port!"

"Why, indeed, my dear Cyrus," said Spilett, "we have never thanked you;
but frankly, without that fire we should never have been able--"

"A fire?" asked Harding, much astonished at the reporter's words.

"We mean, captain," answered Pencroft, "that on board the 'Bonadventure'
we were very anxious during the few hours before our return, and we should
have passed to windward of the island, if it had not been for the
precaution you took of lighting a fire the night of the 19th of October, on
Prospect Heights."

"Yes, yes! That was a lucky idea of mine!" replied the engineer.

"And this time," continued the sailor. "unless the idea occurs to Ayrton,
there will be no one to do us that little service!"

"No! No one!" answered Cyrus Harding.

A few minutes after, finding himself alone in the bows of the vessel,
with the reporter, the engineer bent down and whispered,--

"If there is one thing certain in this world, Spilett, it is that I never
lighted any fire during the night of the 19th of October, neither on
Prospect Heights nor on any other part of the island!"

Chapter 20

Things happened as Pencroft had predicted, he being seldom mistaken in his
prognostications. The wind rose, and from a fresh breeze it soon increased
to a regular gale; that is to say, it acquired a speed of from forty to
forty-five miles an hour, before which a ship in the open sea would have
run under close-reefed topsails. Now, as it was nearly six o'clock when the
"Bonadventure" reached the gulf, and as at that moment the tide turned, it
was impossible to enter. They were therefore compelled to stand off, for
even if he had wished to do so, Pencroft could not have gained the mouth of
the Mercy. Hoisting the jib to the mainmast by way of a storm-sail, he hove
to, putting the head of the vessel towards the land.

Fortunately, although the wind was strong the sea, being sheltered by the
land, did not run very high. They had then little to fear from the waves,
which always endanger small craft. The "Bonadventure" would doubtlessly not
have capsized, for she was well ballasted, but enormous masses of water
falling on the deck might injure her if her timbers could not sustain them.
Pencroft, as a good sailor, was prepared for anything. Certainly, he had
great confidence in his vessel, but nevertheless he awaited the return of
day with some anxiety.

During the night, Cyrus Harding and Gideon Spilett had no opportunity for
talking together, and yet the words pronounced in the reporter's ear by the
engineer were well worth being discussed, together with the mysterious
influence which appeared to reign over Lincoln Island. Gideon Spilett did
not cease from pondering over this new and inexplicable incident, the
appearance of a fire on the coast of the island. The fire had actually been
seen! His companions, Herbert and Pencroft, had seen it with him! The fire
had served to signalize the position of the island during that dark night,
and they had not doubted that it was lighted by the engineer's hand; and
here was Cyrus Harding expressly declaring that he had never done anything
of the sort! Spilett resolved to recur to this incident as soon as the
"Bonadventure" returned, and to urge Cyrus Harding to acquaint their
companions with these strange facts. Perhaps it would be decided to make in
common a complete investigation of every part of Lincoln Island.