Anisolatedrock,thirtyfeetinlength,twentyinbreadth,scarcelytenfromthewater’sedge,suchwastheonlysolidpointwhichthewavesofthePacifichadnotengulfed.

           ItwasallthatremainedofthestructureofGraniteHouse!Thewallhadfallenheadlongandbeenthenshatteredtofragments,andafewoftherocksofthelargeroomwerepiledoneaboveanothertoformthispoint.Allaroundhaddisappearedintheabyss;theinferiorconeofMountFranklin,rentasunderbytheexplosion;thelavajawsofSharkGulf,theplateauofProspectHeights,SafetyIslet,thegraniterocksofPortBalloon,thebasaltsofDakkarGrotto,thelongSerpentinePeninsula,sodistantneverthelessfromthecenteroftheeruption.AllthatcouldnowbeseenofLincolnIslandwasthenarrowrockwhichnowservedasarefugetothesixcolonistsandtheirdogTop.

           Theanimalshadalsoperishedinthecatastrophe;thebirds,aswellasthoserepresentingthefaunaoftheisland—alleithercrushedordrowned,andtheunfortunateJuphimselfhad,alas!foundhisdeathinsomecreviceofthesoil.

           IfCyrusHarding,GideonSpilett,Herbert,Pencroft,Neb,andAyrtonhadsurvived,itwasbecause,assembledundertheirtent,theyhadbeenhurledintotheseaattheinstantwhenthefragmentsoftheislandraineddownoneveryside.

           Whentheyreachedthesurfacetheycouldonlyperceive,athalfacable’slength,thismassofrocks,towardswhichtheyswamandonwhichtheyfoundfooting.

           Onthisbarrenrocktheyhadnowexistedforninedays.