Загублений світ
For once I was the Hero
Thesunwasjustabovethewesternsky-line,andtheeveningwasaparticularlybrightandclearone,sothatthewholeextentoftheplateauwasvisiblebeneathme.Itwas,asseenfromthisheight,ofanovalcontour,withabreadthofaboutthirtymilesandawidthoftwenty.Itsgeneralshapewasthatofashallowfunnel,allthesidesslopingdowntoaconsiderablelakeinthecenter.Thislakemayhavebeentenmilesincircumference,andlayverygreenandbeautifulintheeveninglight,withathickfringeofreedsatitsedges,andwithitssurfacebrokenbyseveralyellowsandbanks,whichgleamedgoldeninthemellowsunshine.Anumberoflongdarkobjects,whichweretoolargeforalligatorsandtoolongforcanoes,layupontheedgesofthesepatchesofsand.WithmyglassIcouldclearlyseethattheywerealive,butwhattheirnaturemightbeIcouldnotimagine.
Fromthesideoftheplateauonwhichwewere,slopesofwoodland,withoccasionalglades,stretcheddownforfiveorsixmilestothecentrallake.Icouldseeatmyveryfeetthegladeoftheiguanodons,andfartheroffwasaroundopeninginthetreeswhichmarkedtheswampofthepterodactyls.Onthesidefacingme,however,theplateaupresentedaverydifferentaspect.Therethebasaltcliffsoftheoutsidewerereproducedupontheinside,forminganescarpmentabouttwohundredfeethigh,withawoodyslopebeneathit.
