L'île mystérieuse. English

by Jules Verne

  Chapter 10

  In a few minutes the three hunters were before a crackling fire. Thecaptain and the reporter were there. Pencroft looked from one to theother, his capybara in his hand, without saying a word.

  "Well, yes, my brave fellow," cried the reporter.

  "Fire, real fire, which will roast this splendid pig perfectly, and wewill have a feast presently!"

  "But who lighted it?" asked Pencroft.

  "The sun!"

  Gideon Spilett was quite right in his reply. It was the sun whichhad furnished the heat which so astonished Pencroft. The sailor couldscarcely believe his eyes, and he was so amazed that he did not think ofquestioning the engineer.

  "Had you a burning-glass, sir?" asked Herbert of Harding.

  "No, my boy," replied he, "but I made one."

  And he showed the apparatus which served for a burning-glass. It wassimply two glasses which he had taken from his own and the reporter'swatches. Having filled them with water and rendered their edges adhesiveby means of a little clay, he thus fabricated a regular burning-glass,which, concentrating the solar rays on some very dry moss, soon causedit to blaze.

  The sailor considered the apparatus; then he gazed at the engineerwithout saying a word, only a look plainly expressed his opinion that ifCyrus Harding was not a magician, he was certainly no ordinary man. Atlast speech returned to him, and he cried,--

  "Note that, Mr. Spilett, note that down on your paper!"

  "It is noted," replied the reporter.

  Then, Neb helping him, the seaman arranged the spit, and the capybara,properly cleaned, was soon roasting like a suckling-pig before a clear,crackling fire.

  The Chimneys had again become more habitable, not only because thepassages were warmed by the fire, but because the partitions of wood andmud had been re-established.

  It was evident that the engineer and his companions had employed theirday well. Cyrus Harding had almost entirely recovered his strength, andhad proved it by climbing to the upper plateau. From this point his eye,accustomed to estimate heights and distances, was fixed for a long timeon the cone, the summit of which he wished to reach the next day. Themountain, situated about six miles to the northwest, appeared to him tomeasure 3,500 feet above the level of the sea. Consequently the gaze ofan observer posted on its summit would extend over a radius of at leastfifty miles. Therefore it was probable that Harding could easily solvethe question of "island or continent," to which he attached so muchimportance.

  They supped capitally. The flesh of the capybara was declared excellent.The sargassum and the almonds of the stone-pine completed the repast,during which the engineer spoke little. He was preoccupied with projectsfor the next day.

  Once or twice Pencroft gave forth some ideas upon what it would be bestto do; but Cyrus Harding, who was evidently of a methodical mind, onlyshook his head without uttering a word.

  "To-morrow," he repeated, "we shall know what we have to depend upon,and we will act accordingly."

  The meal ended, fresh armfuls of wood were thrown on the fire, andthe inhabitants of the Chimneys, including the faithful Top, were soonburied in a deep sleep.

  No incident disturbed this peaceful night, and the next day, the 29thof March, fresh and active they awoke, ready to undertake the excursionwhich must determine their fate.

  All was ready for the start. The remains of the capybara would be enoughto sustain Harding and his companions for at least twenty-four hours.

  Besides, they hoped to find more food on the way. As the glasses hadbeen returned to the watches of the engineer and reporter, Pencroftburned a little linen to serve as tinder. As to flint, that would not bewanting in these regions of Plutonic origin. It was half-past seven inthe morning when the explorers, armed with sticks, left the Chimneys.Following Pencroft's advice, it appeared best to take the road alreadytraversed through the forest, and to return by another route. It wasalso the most direct way to reach the mountain. They turned the southangle and followed the left bank of the river, which was abandoned atthe point where it formed an elbow towards the southwest. The path,already trodden under the evergreen trees, was found, and at nineo'clock Cyrus Harding and his companions had reached the western borderof the forest. The ground, till then, very little undulated, boggy atfirst, dry and sandy afterwards, had a gentle slope, which ascended fromthe shore towards the interior of the country. A few very timid animalswere seen under the forest-trees. Top quickly started them, but hismaster soon called him back, for the time had not come to commencehunting; that would be attended to later. The engineer was not a man whowould allow himself to be diverted from his fixed idea. It might evenhave been said that he did not observe the country at all, either inits configuration or in its natural productions, his great aim beingto climb the mountain before him, and therefore straight towards it hewent. At ten o'clock a halt of a few minutes was made. On leavingthe forest, the mountain system of the country appeared before theexplorers. The mountain was composed of two cones; the first, truncatedat a height of about two thousand five hundred feet, was sustained bybuttresses, which appeared to branch out like the talons of an immenseclaw set on the ground. Between these were narrow valleys, bristlingwith trees, the last clumps of which rose to the top of the lowest cone.There appeared to be less vegetation on that side of the mountain whichwas exposed to the northeast, and deep fissures could be seen which, nodoubt, were watercourses.

  On the first cone rested a second, slightly rounded, and placed a littleon one side, like a great round hat cocked over the ear. A Scotchmanwould have said, "His bonnet was a thocht ajee." It appeared formed ofbare earth, here and there pierced by reddish rocks.

  They wished to reach the second cone, and proceeding along the ridge ofthe spurs seemed to be the best way by which to gain it.

  "We are on volcanic ground," Cyrus Harding had said, and his companionsfollowing him began to ascend by degrees on the back of a spur, which,by a winding and consequently more accessible path, joined the firstplateau.

  The ground had evidently been convulsed by subterranean force. Here andthere stray blocks, numerous debris of basalt and pumice-stone, were metwith. In isolated groups rose fir-trees, which, some hundred feetlower, at the bottom of the narrow gorges, formed massive shades almostimpenetrable to the sun's rays.

  During the first part of the ascent, Herbert remarked on the footprintswhich indicated the recent passage of large animals.

  "Perhaps these beasts will not let us pass by willingly," said Pencroft.

  "Well," replied the reporter, who had already hunted the tiger inIndia, and the lion in Africa, "we shall soon learn how successfully toencounter them. But in the meantime we must be upon our guard!"

  They ascended but slowly.

  The distance, increased by detours and obstacles which could not besurmounted directly, was long. Sometimes, too, the ground suddenly fell,and they found themselves on the edge of a deep chasm which they had togo round. Thus, in retracing their steps so as to find some practicablepath, much time was employed and fatigue undergone for nothing. Attwelve o'clock, when the small band of adventurers halted for breakfastat the foot of a large group of firs, near a little stream which fell incascades, they found themselves still half way from the first plateau,which most probably they would not reach till nightfall. From thispoint the view of the sea was much extended, but on the right the highpromontory prevented their seeing whether there was land beyond it. Onthe left, the sight extended several miles to the north; but, on thenorthwest, at the point occupied by the explorers, it was cut shortby the ridge of a fantastically-shaped spur, which formed a powerfulsupport of the central cone.

  At one o'clock the ascent was continued. They slanted more towards thesouthwest and again entered among thick bushes. There under the shadeof the trees fluttered several couples of gallinaceae belonging to thepheasant species. They were tragopans, ornamented by a pendant skinwhich hangs over their throats, and by two small, round horns, plantedbehind the eyes. Among these birds, which were abo
ut the size of a fowl,the female was uniformly brown, while the male was gorgeous in hisred plumage, decorated with white spots. Gideon Spilett, with a stonecleverly and vigorously thrown, killed one of these tragopans, on whichPencroft, made hungry by the fresh air, had cast greedy eyes.

  After leaving the region of bushes, the party, assisted by resting oneach other's shoulders, climbed for about a hundred feet up a steepacclivity and reached a level place, with very few trees, where the soilappeared volcanic. It was necessary to ascend by zigzags to makethe slope more easy, for it was very steep, and the footing beingexceedingly precarious required the greatest caution. Neb and Herberttook the lead, Pencroft the rear, the captain and the reporter betweenthem. The animals which frequented these heights--and there werenumerous traces of them--must necessarily belong to those races of surefoot and supple spine, chamois or goat. Several were seen, but thiswas not the name Pencroft gave them, for all of a sudden--"Sheep!" heshouted.

  All stopped about fifty feet from half-a-dozen animals of a large size,with strong horns bent back and flattened towards the point, with awoolly fleece, hidden under long silky hair of a tawny color.

  They were not ordinary sheep, but a species usually found in themountainous regions of the temperate zone, to which Herbert gave thename of the musmon.

  "Have they legs and chops?" asked the sailor.

  "Yes," replied Herbert.

  "Well, then, they are sheep!" said Pencroft.

  The animals, motionless among the blocks of basalt, gazed with anastonished eye, as if they saw human bipeds for the first time. Thentheir fears suddenly aroused, they disappeared, bounding over the rocks.

  "Good-bye, till we meet again," cried Pencroft, as he watched them, insuch a comical tone that Cyrus Harding, Gideon Spilett, Herbert, and Nebcould not help laughing.

  The ascent was continued. Here and there were traces of lava. Sulphursprings sometimes stopped their way, and they had to go round them. Insome places the sulphur had formed crystals among other substances, suchas whitish cinders made of an infinity of little feldspar crystals.

  In approaching the first plateau formed by the truncating of the lowercone, the difficulties of the ascent were very great. Towards fouro'clock the extreme zone of the trees had been passed. There onlyremained here and there a few twisted, stunted pines, which must havehad a hard life in resisting at this altitude the high winds from theopen sea. Happily for the engineer and his companions the weather wasbeautiful, the atmosphere tranquil; for a high breeze at an elevation ofthree thousand feet would have hindered their proceedings. The purityof the sky at the zenith was felt through the transparent air. A perfectcalm reigned around them. They could not see the sun, then hid by thevast screen of the upper cone, which masked the half-horizon of thewest, and whose enormous shadow stretching to the shore increased asthe radiant luminary sank in its diurnal course. Vapor--mist rather thanclouds--began to appear in the east, and assume all the prismatic colorsunder the influence of the solar rays.

  Five hundred feet only separated the explorers from the plateau, whichthey wished to reach so as to establish there an encampment for thenight, but these five hundred feet were increased to more than two milesby the zigzags which they had to describe. The soil, as it were, slidunder their feet.

  The slope often presented such an angle that they slipped when thestones worn by the air did not give a sufficient support. Eveningcame on by degrees, and it was almost night when Cyrus Harding and hiscompanions, much fatigued by an ascent of seven hours, arrived atthe plateau of the first cone. It was then necessary to prepare anencampment, and to restore their strength by eating first and sleepingafterwards. This second stage of the mountain rose on a base of rocks,among which it would be easy to find a retreat. Fuel was not abundant.However, a fire could be made by means of the moss and dry brushwood,which covered certain parts of the plateau. While the sailor waspreparing his hearth with stones which he put to this use, Neb andHerbert occupied themselves with getting a supply of fuel. They soonreturned with a load of brushwood. The steel was struck, the burnt linencaught the sparks of flint, and, under Neb's breath, a crackling fireshowed itself in a few minutes under the shelter of the rocks. Theirobject in lighting a fire was only to enable them to withstand the coldtemperature of the night, as it was not employed in cooking the bird,which Neb kept for the next day. The remains of the capybara andsome dozens of the stone-pine almonds formed their supper. It was nothalf-past six when all was finished.

  Cyrus Harding then thought of exploring in the half-light the largecircular layer which supported the upper cone of the mountain. Beforetaking any rest, he wished to know if it was possible to get round thebase of the cone in the case of its sides being too steep and its summitbeing inaccessible. This question preoccupied him, for it was possiblethat from the way the hat inclined, that is to say, towards the north,the plateau was not practicable. Also, if the summit of the mountaincould not be reached on one side, and if, on the other, they could notget round the base of the cone, it would be impossible to survey thewestern part of the country, and their object in making the ascent wouldin part be altogether unattained.

  The engineer, accordingly, regardless of fatigue, leaving Pencroft andNeb to arrange the beds, and Gideon Spilett to note the incidents of theday, began to follow the edge of the plateau, going towards the north.Herbert accompanied him.

  The night was beautiful and still, the darkness was not yet deep. CyrusHarding and the boy walked near each other, without speaking. Insome places the plateau opened before them, and they passed withouthindrance. In others, obstructed by rocks, there was only a narrow path,in which two persons could not walk abreast. After a walk of twentyminutes, Cyrus Harding and Herbert were obliged to stop. From this pointthe slope of the two cones became one. No shoulder here separated thetwo parts of the mountain. The slope, being inclined almost seventydegrees, the path became impracticable.

  But if the engineer and the boy were obliged to give up thoughts offollowing a circular direction, in return an opportunity was given forascending the cone.

  In fact, before them opened a deep hollow. It was the rugged mouthof the crater, by which the eruptive liquid matter had escaped atthe periods when the volcano was still in activity. Hardened lava andcrusted scoria formed a sort of natural staircase of large steps, whichwould greatly facilitate the ascent to the summit of the mountain.

  Harding took all this in at a glance, and without hesitating, followedby the lad, he entered the enormous chasm in the midst of an increasingobscurity.

  There was still a height of a thousand feet to overcome. Would theinterior acclivities of the crater be practicable? It would soon beseen. The persevering engineer resolved to continue his ascent untilhe was stopped. Happily these acclivities wound up the interior of thevolcano and favored their ascent.

  As to the volcano itself, it could not be doubted that it was completelyextinct. No smoke escaped from its sides; not a flame could be seen inthe dark hollows; not a roar, not a mutter, no trembling even issuedfrom this black well, which perhaps reached far into the bowels of theearth. The atmosphere inside the crater was filled with no sulphurousvapor. It was more than the sleep of a volcano; it was its completeextinction. Cyrus Harding's attempt would succeed.

  Little by little, Herbert and he climbing up the sides of the interior,saw the crater widen above their heads. The radius of this circularportion of the sky, framed by the edge of the cone, increased obviously.At each step, as it were, that the explorers made, fresh stars enteredthe field of their vision. The magnificent constellations of thesouthern sky shone resplendently. At the zenith glittered the splendidAntares in the Scorpion, and not far was Alpha Centauri, which isbelieved to be the nearest star to the terrestrial globe. Then, as thecrater widened, appeared Fomalhaut of the Fish, the Southern Triangle,and lastly, nearly at the Antarctic Pole, the glittering Southern Cross,which replaces the Polar Star of the Northern Hemisphere.

  It was nearly eight o'clock when Cyrus Harding and Herbert se
t foot onthe highest ridge of the mountain at the summit of the cone.

  It was then perfectly dark, and their gaze could not extend over aradius of two miles. Did the sea surround this unknown land, or was itconnected in the west with some continent of the Pacific? It could notyet be made out. Towards the west, a cloudy belt, clearly visible at thehorizon, increased the gloom, and the eye could not discover if the skyand water were blended together in the same circular line.

  But at one point of the horizon a vague light suddenly appeared, whichdescended slowly in proportion as the cloud mounted to the zenith.

  It was the slender crescent moon, already almost disappearing; but itslight was sufficient to show clearly the horizontal line, then detachedfrom the cloud, and the engineer could see its reflection trembling foran instant on a liquid surface. Cyrus Harding seized the lad's hand, andin a grave voice,--

  "An island!" said he, at the moment when the lunar crescent disappearedbeneath the waves.