Таємничий острів

           Atitsbasewashollowedoutalittlecreek,thefarthestpartofwhichformedatolerablysharpangle.Thewatercourseatthatpartmeasuredonehundredfeetinbreadth,anditstwobanksoneachsidewerescarcelytwentyfeethigh.Theriverbecamestrongalmostdirectlybetweenthetwowallsofgranite,whichbegantosinkabovethemouth;itthensuddenlyturnedanddisappearedbeneathawoodofstuntedtreeshalfamileoff.

           "Hereisthewater,andyonderisthewoodwerequire!"saidPencroft."Well,Herbert,nowweonlywantthehouse."

           Thewateroftheriverwaslimpid.Thesailorascertainedthatatthistime—thatistosay,atlowtide,whentherisingfloodsdidnotreachit—itwassweet.Thisimportantpointestablished,Herbertlookedforsomecavitywhichwouldservethemasaretreat,butinvain;everywherethewallappearedsmooth,plain,andperpendicular.

           However,atthemouthofthewatercourseandabovethereachofthehightide,theconvulsionsofnaturehadformed,notagrotto,butapileofenormousrocks,suchasareoftenmetwithingranitecountriesandwhichbearthenameof"Chimneys."

           PencroftandHerbertpenetratedquitefarinamongtherocks,bysandypassagesinwhichlightwasnotwanting,foritenteredthroughtheopeningswhichwereleftbetweentheblocks,ofwhichsomewereonlysustainedbyamiracleofequilibrium;butwiththelightcamealsoair—aregularcorridor-gale—andwiththewindthesharpcoldfromtheexterior.However,thesailorthoughtthatbystopping-upsomeoftheopeningswithamixtureofstonesandsand,theChimneyscouldberenderedhabitable.