Таємничий острів

           Thistailformedaregularpeninsula,whichstretchedmorethanthirtymilesintothesea,reckoningfromthecapesoutheastoftheisland,alreadymentioned;itcurledround,makinganopenroadstead,whichmarkedoutthelowershoreofthisstrangely-formedland.

           Atthenarrowestpart,thatistosaybetweentheChimneysandthecreekonthewesternshore,whichcorrespondedtoitinlatitude,theislandonlymeasuredtenmiles;butitsgreatestlength,fromthejawsatthenortheasttotheextremityofthetailofthesouthwest,wasnotlessthanthirtymiles.

           Astotheinterioroftheisland,itsgeneralaspectwasthis,verywoodythroughoutthesouthernpartfromthemountaintotheshore,andaridandsandyinthenorthernpart.BetweenthevolcanoandtheeastcoastCyrusHardingandhiscompanionsweresurprisedtoseealake,borderedwithgreentrees,theexistenceofwhichtheyhadnotsuspected.Seenfromthisheight,thelakeappearedtobeonthesamelevelastheocean,but,onreflection,theengineerexplainedtohiscompanionsthatthealtitudeofthislittlesheetofwatermustbeaboutthreehundredfeet,becausetheplateau,whichwasitsbasin,wasbutaprolongationofthecoast.

           "Isitafreshwaterlake?"askedPencroft.

           "Certainly,"repliedtheengineer,"foritmustbefedbythewaterwhichflowsfromthemountain."

           "Iseealittleriverwhichrunsintoit,"saidHerbert,pointingoutanarrowstream,whichevidentlytookitssourcesomewhereinthewest.

           "Yes,"saidHarding;"andsincethisstreamfeedsthelake,mostprobablyonthesideneartheseathereisanoutletbywhichthesurpluswaterescapes.Weshallseethatonourreturn."