Theinventoryofthearticlespossessedbythesecastawaysfromtheclouds,thrownuponacoastwhichappearedtobeuninhabited,wassoonmadeout.Theyhadnothing,savetheclotheswhichtheywerewearingatthetimeofthecatastrophe.Wemustmention,however,anote-bookandawatchwhichGideonSpiletthadkept,doubtlessbyinadvertence,notaweapon,notatool,notevenapocket-knife;forwhileinthecartheyhadthrownouteverythingtolightentheballoon.TheimaginaryheroesofDanielDefoeorofWyss,aswellasSelkirkandRaynalshipwreckedonJuanFernandezandonthearchipelagooftheAucklands,wereneverinsuchabsolutedestitution.Eithertheyhadabundantresourcesfromtheirstrandedvessels,ingrain,cattle,tools,ammunition,orelsesomethingswerethrownuponthecoastwhichsuppliedthemwithallthefirstnecessitiesoflife.Buthere,notanyinstrumentwhatever,notautensil.Fromnothingtheymustsupplythemselveswitheverything.

           Andyet,ifCyrusHardinghadbeenwiththem,iftheengineercouldhavebroughthispracticalscience,hisinventivemindtobearontheirsituation,perhapsallhopewouldnothavebeenlost.Alas!theymusthopenolongeragaintoseeCyrusHarding.ThecastawayscouldexpectnothingbutfromthemselvesandfromthatProvidencewhichneverabandonsthosewhosefaithissincere.

           Butoughttheytoestablishthemselvesonthispartofthecoast,withouttryingtoknowtowhatcontinentitbelonged,ifitwasinhabited,oriftheywereontheshoreofadesertisland?

           Itwasanimportantquestion,andshouldbesolvedwiththeshortestpossibledelay.Fromitsanswertheywouldknowwhatmeasurestotake.However,accordingtoPencroft’sadvice,itappearedbesttowaitafewdaysbeforecommencinganexploration.