Таємничий острів

           "Atanyrate,"remarkedPencroft,"itiswellunderstoodthatifwedoleaveLincolnIsland,itwillnotbebecausewewereuncomfortablethere!"

           "No,Pencroft,"repliedtheengineer,"itwillbebecausewearefarfromallthatamanholdsdearestintheworld,hisfamily,hisfriends,hisnativeland!"

           Mattersbeingthusdecided,thebuildingofavessellargeenoughtosaileithertotheArchipelagoesinthenorth,ortoNewZealandinthewest,wasnolongertalkedof,andtheybusiedthemselvesintheiraccustomedoccupations,withaviewtowinteringathirdtimeinGraniteHouse.

           However,itwasagreedthatbeforethestormyweathercameon,theirlittlevesselshouldbeemployedinmakingavoyageroundtheisland.Acompletesurveyofthecoasthadnotyetbeenmade,andthecolonistshadbutanimperfectideaoftheshoretothewestandnorth,fromthemouthofFallsRivertotheMandibleCapes,aswellasofthenarrowbaybetweenthem,whichopenedlikeashark’sjaws.

           TheplanofthisexcursionwasproposedbyPencroft,andCyrusHardingfullyacquiescedinit,forhehimselfwishedtoseethispartofhisdomain.

           Theweatherwasvariable,butthebarometerdidnotfluctuatebysuddenmovements,andtheycouldthereforecountontolerableweather.