Таємничий острів

           Inafewdaysthehullofashipofseveralhundredtonswoulddisappearentirelyinthere!"

           "So,Pencroft,"askedtheengineer,"ifashiphasbeenwreckedonthesebanks,isitnotastonishingthatthereisnownotraceofherremaining?"

           "No,captain,withtheaidoftimeandtempest.However,itwouldbesurprising,eveninthiscase,thatsomeofthemastsorsparsshouldnothavebeenthrownonthebeach,outofreachofthewaves."

           "Letusgoonwithoursearch,then,"returnedCyrusHarding.

           Atoneo’clockthecolonistsarrivedattheothersideofWashingtonBay,theyhavingnowgoneadistanceoftwentymiles.

           Theythenhaltedforbreakfast.

           Herebegantheirregularcoast,coveredwithlinesofrocksandsandbanks.Thelongsea-swellcouldbeseenbreakingovertherocksinthebay,formingafoamyfringe.FromthispointtoClawCapethebeachwasverynarrowbetweentheedgeoftheforestandthereefs.

           Walkingwasnowmoredifficult,onaccountofthenumerousrockswhichencumberedthebeach.Thegranitecliffalsograduallyincreasedinheight,andonlythegreentopsofthetreeswhichcrowneditcouldbeseen.

           Afterhalfanhour’srest,thesettlersresumedtheirjourney,andnotaspotamongtherockswasleftunexamined.PencroftandNebevenrushedintothesurfwheneveranyobjectattractedtheirattention.Buttheyfoundnothing,somecuriousformationsoftherockshavingdeceivedthem.