Таємничий острів

           Itwasbothfatiguesparedandtimegained,fortheywouldhavebeenobligedtocutapaththroughthethickwoodwiththeiraxes.Butsoontheflowcompletelyfailedthem,eitherthetidewasgoingdown,anditwasaboutthehour,oritcouldnolongerbefeltatthisdistancefromthemouthoftheMercy.Theyhadthereforetomakeuseoftheoars.HerbertandNebeachtookone,andPencrofttookthescull.Theforestsoonbecamelessdense,thetreesgrewfurtherapartandoftenquiteisolated.Butthefurthertheywerefromeachotherthemoremagnificenttheyappeared,profiting,astheydid,bythefree,pureairwhichcirculatedaroundthem.

           Whatsplendidspecimensofthefloraofthislatitude!CertainlytheirpresencewouldhavebeenenoughforabotanisttonamewithouthesitationtheparallelwhichtraversedLincolnIsland.

           "Eucalypti!"criedHerbert.

           Theywere,infact,thosesplendidtrees,thegiantsoftheextratropicalzone,thecongenersoftheAustralianandNewZealandeucalyptus,bothsituatedunderthesamelatitudeasLincolnIsland.Somerosetoaheightoftwohundredfeet.Theirtrunksatthebasemeasuredtwentyfeetincircumference,andtheirbarkwascoveredbyanetworkoffarrowscontainingared,sweet-smellinggum.Nothingismorewonderfulormoresingularthanthoseenormousspecimensoftheorderofthemyrtaceae,withtheirleavesplacedverticallyandnothorizontally,sothatanedgeandnotasurfacelooksupwards,theeffectbeingthatthesun’srayspenetratemorefreelyamongthetrees.