Таємничий острів

           "Well,"saidPencroft,"thisbaywouldmakeadmirableroads,inwhichawholefleetcouldlieattheirease!"

           "Whatisespeciallycurious,"observedHarding,"isthatthegulfhasbeenformedbytworiversoflava,thrownoutbythevolcano,andaccumulatedbysuccessiveeruptions.Theresultisthatthegulfiscompletelyshelteredonallsides,andIbelievethateveninthestormiestweather,theseaheremustbeascalmasalake."

           "Nodoubt,"returnedthesailor,"sincethewindhasonlythatnarrowentrancebetweenthetwocapestogetinby,and,besides,thenorthcapeprotectsthatofthesouthinawaywhichwouldmaketheentranceofgustsverydifficult.Ideclareour‘Bonadventure’couldstayherefromoneendoftheyeartotheother,withoutevendraggingatheranchor!"

           "Itisratherlargeforher!"observedthereporter.

           "Well!Mr.Spilett,"repliedthesailor,"Iagreethatitistoolargeforthe‘Bonadventure,’butifthefleetsoftheUnionwereinwantofaharborinthePacific,Idon’tthinktheywouldeverfindabetterplacethanthis!"

           "Weareintheshark’smouth,"remarkedNab,alludingtotheformofthegulf.

           "Rightintoitsmouth,myhonestNab!"repliedHerbert,"butyouarenotafraidthatitwillshutuponus,areyou?"

           "No,Mr.