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           AndIbelievethatcenturiessucceedingtocenturies,andinsectstoinsects,thisPacificmayonedaybechangedintoavastcontinent,whichnewgenerationswillinhabitandcivilizeintheirturn."

           "Thatwilltakealongtime,"saidPencroft.

           "Naturehastimeforit,"repliedtheengineer.

           "Butwhatwouldbetheuseofnewcontinents?"askedHerbert."Itappearstomethatthepresentextentofhabitablecountriesissufficientforhumanity.Yetnaturedoesnothinguselessly."

           "Nothinguselessly,certainly,"repliedtheengineer,"butthisishowthenecessityofnewcontinentsforthefuture,andexactlyonthetropicalzoneoccupiedbythecoralislands,maybeexplained.Atleasttomethisexplanationappearsplausible."

           "Wearelistening,captain,"saidHerbert.

           "Thisismyidea:philosophersgenerallyadmitthatsomedayourglobewillend,orratherthatanimalandvegetablelifewillnolongerbepossible,becauseoftheintensecoldtowhichitwillbesubjected.Whattheyarenotagreedupon,isthecauseofthiscold.Somethinkthatitwillarisefromthefallingofthetemperature,whichthesunwillexperiencealtermillionsofyears;others,fromthegradualextinctionofthefiresintheinteriorofourglobe,whichhaveagreaterinfluenceonitthanisgenerallysupposed.Iholdtothislasthypothesis,groundingitonthefactthatthemoonisreallyacoldstar,whichisnolongerhabitable,althoughthesuncontinuestothrowonitssurfacethesameamountofheat.