Itwassixo’clockinthemorningwhenthesettlers,afterahastybreakfast,setouttoreachbytheshortestway,thewesterncoastoftheisland.Andhowlongwouldittaketodothis?CyrusHardinghadsaidtwohours,butofcoursethatdependedonthenatureoftheobstaclestheymightmeetwithAsitwasprobablethattheywouldhavetocutapaththroughthegrass,shrubs,andcreepers,theymarchedaxeinhand,andwithgunsalsoready,wiselytakingwarningfromthecriesofthewildbeastsheardinthenight.

           TheexactpositionoftheencampmentcouldbedeterminedbythebearingofMountFranklin,andasthevolcanoaroseinthenorthatadistanceoflessthanthreemiles,theyhadonlytogostraighttowardsthesouthwesttoreachthewesterncoast.Theysetout,havingfirstcarefullysecuredthecanoe.PencroftandNebcarriedsufficientprovisionforthelittlebandforatleasttwodays.Itwouldnotthusbenecessarytohunt.Theengineeradvisedhiscompanionstorefrainfromfiring,thattheirpresencemightnotbebetrayedtoanyoneneartheshore.Thefirsthatchetblowsweregivenamongthebrushwoodinthemidstofsomemastic-trees,alittleabovethecascade;andhiscompassinhishand,CyrusHardingledtheway.

           TheforestherewascomposedforthemostpartoftreeswhichhadalreadybeenmetwithnearthelakeandonProspectHeights.Thereweredeodars,Douglasfirs,casuarinas,gumtrees,eucalypti,hibiscus,cedars,andothertrees,generallyofamoderatesize,fortheirnumberpreventedtheirgrowth.