Таинственный остров

           Infact,aballoon,asaballmightbecarriedonthesummitofawaterspout, hadbeentakenintothecirclingmovementofacolumnofair andhadtraversedspaceattherateofninetymilesanhour,turningroundandroundasifseizedbysomeaerialmaelstrom. 

           Beneaththelowerpointoftheballoonswungacar,containingfivepassengers, scarcelyvisibleinthemidstofthethickvapormingledwithspraywhichhungoverthesurfaceoftheocean. 

           Whence,itmaybeasked,hadcomethatplaythingofthetempest? Fromwhatpartoftheworlddiditrise? Itsurelycouldnothavestartedduringthestorm. Butthestormhadragedfivedaysalready,andthefirstsymptomsweremanifestedonthe18th. Itcannotbedoubtedthattheballooncamefromagreatdistance,foritcouldnothavetraveledlessthantwothousandmilesintwenty-fourhours. 

           Atanyratethepassengers,destituteofallmarksfortheirguidance, couldnothavepossessedthemeansofreckoningtheroutetraversedsincetheirdeparture. Itwasaremarkablefactthat,althoughintheverymidstofthefurioustempest,theydidnotsufferfromit. Theywerethrownaboutandwhirledroundandroundwithoutfeelingtherotationintheslightestdegree,orbeingsensiblethattheywereremovedfromahorizontalposition. 

           Theireyescouldnotpiercethroughthethickmistwhichhadgatheredbeneaththecar. Darkvaporwasallaroundthem.Suchwasthedensityoftheatmospherethattheycouldnotbecertainwhetheritwasdayornight. Noreflectionoflight,nosoundfrominhabitedland,noroaringoftheoceancouldhavereachedthem, throughtheobscurity,whilesuspendedinthoseelevatedzones. Theirrapiddescentalonehadinformedthemofthedangerswhichtheyranfromthewaves.