Таинственный остров

           Pencroftwasdelightedattheturnthingshadtaken,andtheirimaginationssoongavetotheriverwhichfurnishedthesettlerswithdrinkingwaterandnearwhichtheballoonhadthrownthem,thenameoftheMercy,intruegratitudetoProvidence.Totheisletuponwhichthecastawayshadfirstlanded,thenameofSafetyIsland;totheplateauwhichcrownedthehighgraniteprecipiceabovetheChimneys,andfromwhencethegazecouldembracethewholeofthevastbay,thenameofProspectHeights.

           Lastly,allthemassesofimpenetrablewoodwhichcoveredtheSerpentinePeninsulawerenamedtheforestsoftheFarWest.

           Thenomenclatureofthevisibleandknownpartsoftheislandwasthusfinished,andlater,theywouldcompleteitastheymadefreshdiscoveries.

           Astothepointsofthecompass,theengineerhadroughlyfixedthembytheheightandpositionofthesun,whichplacedUnionBayandProspectHeightstotheeast.Butthenextday,bytakingtheexacthouroftherisingandsettingofthesun,andbymarkingitspositionbetweenthisrisingandsetting,hereckonedtofixthenorthoftheislandexactly,for,inconsequenceofitssituationintheSouthernHemisphere,thesun,attheprecisemomentofitsculmination,passedinthenorthandnotinthesouth,as,initsapparentmovement,itseemstodo,tothoseplacessituatedintheNorthernHemisphere.

           Everythingwasfinished,andthesettlershadonlytodescendMountFranklintoreturntotheChimneys,whenPencroftcriedout,—

           "Well!wearepreciouslystupid!"

           "Why?"askedGideonSpilett,whohadclosedhisnotebookandrisentodepart.