Затерянный мир
Who could have Foreseen it?
Therecouldbelittledoubt,however,thatthestonewasaimedatus,sotheincidentsurelypointedtohumanity—andmalevolenthumanity—upontheplateau.
Wewithdrewhurriedlyfromthechasm,ourmindsfullofthisnewdevelopmentanditsbearinguponourplans.Thesituationwasdifficultenoughbefore,butiftheobstructionsofNaturewereincreasedbythedeliberateoppositionofman,thenourcasewasindeedahopelessone.Andyet,aswelookedupatthatbeautifulfringeofverdureonlyafewhundredsoffeetaboveourheads,therewasnotoneofuswhocouldconceivetheideaofreturningtoLondonuntilwehadexploredittoitsdepths.
Ondiscussingthesituation,wedeterminedthatourbestcoursewastocontinuetocoastroundtheplateauinthehopeoffindingsomeothermeansofreachingthetop.Thelineofcliffs,whichhaddecreasedconsiderablyinheight,hadalreadybeguntotrendfromwesttonorth,andifwecouldtakethisasrepresentingthearcofacircle,thewholecircumferencecouldnotbeverygreat.Attheworst,then,weshouldbebackinafewdaysatourstarting-point.
Wemadeamarchthatdaywhichtotaledsometwo-and-twentymiles,withoutanychangeinourprospects.Imaymentionthatouraneroidshowsusthatinthecontinualinclinewhichwehaveascendedsinceweabandonedourcanoeswehaverisentonolessthanthreethousandfeetabovesea-level.Hencethereisaconsiderablechangebothinthetemperatureandinthevegetation.
