Таємничий острів

           DuringthistimeNebwasstrugglingvigorouslyagainstthecurrent.Hewascrossinginanobliquedirection.Hisblackshoulderscouldbeseenemergingateachstroke.Hewascarrieddownveryquickly,buthealsomadewaytowardstheshore.Ittookmorethanhalfanhourtocrossfromtheislettotheland,andhereachedtheshoreseveralhundredfeetfromtheplacewhichwasoppositetothepointfromwhichhehadstarted.

           Landingatthefootofahighwallofgranite,heshookhimselfvigorously;andthen,settingoffrunning,soondisappearedbehindarockypoint,whichprojectedtonearlytheheightofthenorthernextremityoftheislet.

           Neb’scompanionshadwatchedhisdaringattemptwithpainfulanxiety,andwhenhewasoutofsight,theyfixedtheirattentiononthelandwheretheirhopeofsafetylay,whileeatingsomeshell-fishwithwhichthesandwasstrewn.Itwasawretchedrepast,butstillitwasbetterthannothing.Theoppositecoastformedonevastbay,terminatingonthesouthbyaverysharppoint,whichwasdestituteofallvegetation,andwasofaverywildaspect.Thispointabuttedontheshoreinagrotesqueoutlineofhighgraniterocks.Towardsthenorth,onthecontrary,thebaywidened,andamoreroundedcoastappeared,trendingfromthesouthwesttothenortheast,andterminatinginaslendercape.Thedistancebetweenthesetwoextremities,whichmadethebowofthebay,wasabouteightmiles.Halfamilefromtheshorerosetheislet,whichsomewhatresembledthecarcassofagiganticwhale.Itsextremebreadthwasnotmorethanaquarterofamile.

           Oppositetheislet,thebeachconsistedfirstofsand,coveredwithblackstones,whichwerenowappearinglittlebylittleabovetheretreatingtide.Thesecondlevelwasseparatedbyaperpendiculargranitecliff,terminatedatthetopbyanunequaledgeataheightofatleast300feet.