Таємничий острів

           Herberthavingaskedonwhathebasedthiscalculation,—

           "Itsquitesimple,myboy,"saidhe,"for,inplungingmyhandintothewater,Ifeltnosensationeitherofheatorcold.Thereforeithasthesametemperatureasthehumanbody,whichisaboutninety-fivedegrees."

           Thesulphurspringnotbeingofanyactualusetothesettlers,theyproceededtowardsthethickborderoftheforest,whichbegansomehundredpacesoff.

           There,astheyhadconjectured,thewatersofthestreamflowedclearandlimpidbetweenhighbanksofredearth,thecolorofwhichbetrayedthepresenceofoxideofiron.Fromthiscolor,thenameofRedCreekwasimmediatelygiventothewatercourse.

           Itwasonlyalargestream,deepandclear,formedofthemountainwater,which,halfriver,halftorrent,hereripplingpeacefullyoverthesand,therefallingagainsttherocksordashingdowninacascade,rantowardsthelake,overadistanceofamileandahalf,itsbreadthvaryingfromthirtytofortyfeet.Itswatersweresweet,anditwassupposedthatthoseofthelakeweresoalso.Afortunatecircumstance,intheeventoftheirfindingonitsbordersamoresuitabledwellingthantheChimneys.

           Astothetrees,whichsomehundredfeetdownwardsshadedthebanksofthecreek,theybelonged,forthemostpart,tothespecieswhichaboundinthetemperatezoneofAmericaandTasmania,andnolongertothoseconiferaeobservedinthatportionoftheislandalreadyexploredtosomemilesfromProspectHeights.