<p><SPAN name="link2HCH0010" id="link2HCH0010"></SPAN></p>
<h2> Chapter 10 </h2>
<p>In a few minutes the three hunters were before a crackling fire. The
captain and the reporter were there. Pencroft looked from one to the
other, his capybara in his hand, without saying a word.</p>
<p>"Well, yes, my brave fellow," cried the reporter.</p>
<p>"Fire, real fire, which will roast this splendid pig perfectly, and we
will have a feast presently!"</p>
<p>"But who lighted it?" asked Pencroft.</p>
<p>"The sun!"</p>
<p>Gideon Spilett was quite right in his reply. It was the sun which had
furnished the heat which so astonished Pencroft. The sailor could scarcely
believe his eyes, and he was so amazed that he did not think of
questioning the engineer.</p>
<p>"Had you a burning-glass, sir?" asked Herbert of Harding.</p>
<p>"No, my boy," replied he, "but I made one."</p>
<p>And he showed the apparatus which served for a burning-glass. It was
simply two glasses which he had taken from his own and the reporter's
watches. Having filled them with water and rendered their edges adhesive
by means of a little clay, he thus fabricated a regular burning-glass,
which, concentrating the solar rays on some very dry moss, soon caused it
to blaze.</p>
<p>The sailor considered the apparatus; then he gazed at the engineer without
saying a word, only a look plainly expressed his opinion that if Cyrus
Harding was not a magician, he was certainly no ordinary man. At last
speech returned to him, and he cried,—</p>
<p>"Note that, Mr. Spilett, note that down on your paper!"</p>
<p>"It is noted," replied the reporter.</p>
<p>Then, Neb helping him, the seaman arranged the spit, and the capybara,
properly cleaned, was soon roasting like a suckling-pig before a clear,
crackling fire.</p>
<p>The Chimneys had again become more habitable, not only because the
passages were warmed by the fire, but because the partitions of wood and
mud had been re-established.</p>
<p>It was evident that the engineer and his companions had employed their day
well. Cyrus Harding had almost entirely recovered his strength, and had
proved it by climbing to the upper plateau. From this point his eye,
accustomed to estimate heights and distances, was fixed for a long time on
the cone, the summit of which he wished to reach the next day. The
mountain, situated about six miles to the northwest, appeared to him to
measure 3,500 feet above the level of the sea. Consequently the gaze of an
observer posted on its summit would extend over a radius of at least fifty
miles. Therefore it was probable that Harding could easily solve the
question of "island or continent," to which he attached so much
importance.</p>
<p>They supped capitally. The flesh of the capybara was declared excellent.
The sargassum and the almonds of the stone-pine completed the repast,
during which the engineer spoke little. He was preoccupied with projects
for the next day.</p>
<p>Once or twice Pencroft gave forth some ideas upon what it would be best to
do; but Cyrus Harding, who was evidently of a methodical mind, only shook
his head without uttering a word.</p>
<p>"To-morrow," he repeated, "we shall know what we have to depend upon, and
we will act accordingly."</p>
<p>The meal ended, fresh armfuls of wood were thrown on the fire, and the
inhabitants of the Chimneys, including the faithful Top, were soon buried
in a deep sleep.</p>
<p>No incident disturbed this peaceful night, and the next day, the 29th of
March, fresh and active they awoke, ready to undertake the excursion which
must determine their fate.</p>
<p>All was ready for the start. The remains of the capybara would be enough
to sustain Harding and his companions for at least twenty-four hours.</p>
<p>Besides, they hoped to find more food on the way. As the glasses had been
returned to the watches of the engineer and reporter, Pencroft burned a
little linen to serve as tinder. As to flint, that would not be wanting in
these regions of Plutonic origin. It was half-past seven in the morning
when the explorers, armed with sticks, left the Chimneys. Following
Pencroft's advice, it appeared best to take the road already traversed
through the forest, and to return by another route. It was also the most
direct way to reach the mountain. They turned the south angle and followed
the left bank of the river, which was abandoned at the point where it
formed an elbow towards the southwest. The path, already trodden under the
evergreen trees, was found, and at nine o'clock Cyrus Harding and his
companions had reached the western border of the forest. The ground, till
then, very little undulated, boggy at first, dry and sandy afterwards, had
a gentle slope, which ascended from the shore towards the interior of the
country. A few very timid animals were seen under the forest-trees. Top
quickly started them, but his master soon called him back, for the time
had not come to commence hunting; that would be attended to later. The
engineer was not a man who would allow himself to be diverted from his
fixed idea. It might even have been said that he did not observe the
country at all, either in its configuration or in its natural productions,
his great aim being to climb the mountain before him, and therefore
straight towards it he went. At ten o'clock a halt of a few minutes was
made. On leaving the forest, the mountain system of the country appeared
before the explorers. The mountain was composed of two cones; the first,
truncated at a height of about two thousand five hundred feet, was
sustained by buttresses, which appeared to branch out like the talons of
an immense claw set on the ground. Between these were narrow valleys,
bristling with trees, the last clumps of which rose to the top of the
lowest cone. There appeared to be less vegetation on that side of the
mountain which was exposed to the northeast, and deep fissures could be
seen which, no doubt, were watercourses.</p>
<p>On the first cone rested a second, slightly rounded, and placed a little
on one side, like a great round hat cocked over the ear. A Scotchman would
have said, "His bonnet was a thocht ajee." It appeared formed of bare
earth, here and there pierced by reddish rocks.</p>
<p>They wished to reach the second cone, and proceeding along the ridge of
the spurs seemed to be the best way by which to gain it.</p>
<p>"We are on volcanic ground," Cyrus Harding had said, and his companions
following him began to ascend by degrees on the back of a spur, which, by
a winding and consequently more accessible path, joined the first plateau.</p>
<p>The ground had evidently been convulsed by subterranean force. Here and
there stray blocks, numerous debris of basalt and pumice-stone, were met
with. In isolated groups rose fir-trees, which, some hundred feet lower,
at the bottom of the narrow gorges, formed massive shades almost
impenetrable to the sun's rays.</p>
<p>During the first part of the ascent, Herbert remarked on the footprints
which indicated the recent passage of large animals.</p>
<p>"Perhaps these beasts will not let us pass by willingly," said Pencroft.</p>
<p>"Well," replied the reporter, who had already hunted the tiger in India,
and the lion in Africa, "we shall soon learn how successfully to encounter
them. But in the meantime we must be upon our guard!"</p>
<p>They ascended but slowly.</p>
<p>The distance, increased by detours and obstacles which could not be
surmounted directly, was long. Sometimes, too, the ground suddenly fell,
and they found themselves on the edge of a deep chasm which they had to go
round. Thus, in retracing their steps so as to find some practicable path,
much time was employed and fatigue undergone for nothing. At twelve
o'clock, when the small band of adventurers halted for breakfast at the
foot of a large group of firs, near a little stream which fell in
cascades, they found themselves still half way from the first plateau,
which most probably they would not reach till nightfall. From this point
the view of the sea was much extended, but on the right the high
promontory prevented their seeing whether there was land beyond it. On the
left, the sight extended several miles to the north; but, on the
northwest, at the point occupied by the explorers, it was cut short by the
ridge of a fantastically-shaped spur, which formed a powerful support of
the central cone.</p>
<p>At one o'clock the ascent was continued. They slanted more towards the
southwest and again entered among thick bushes. There under the shade of
the trees fluttered several couples of gallinaceae belonging to the
pheasant species. They were tragopans, ornamented by a pendant skin which
hangs over their throats, and by two small, round horns, planted behind
the eyes. Among these birds, which were about the size of a fowl, the
female was uniformly brown, while the male was gorgeous in his red
plumage, decorated with white spots. Gideon Spilett, with a stone cleverly
and vigorously thrown, killed one of these tragopans, on which Pencroft,
made hungry by the fresh air, had cast greedy eyes.</p>
<p>After leaving the region of bushes, the party, assisted by resting on each
other's shoulders, climbed for about a hundred feet up a steep acclivity
and reached a level place, with very few trees, where the soil appeared
volcanic. It was necessary to ascend by zigzags to make the slope more
easy, for it was very steep, and the footing being exceedingly precarious
required the greatest caution. Neb and Herbert took the lead, Pencroft the
rear, the captain and the reporter between them. The animals which
frequented these heights—and there were numerous traces of them—must
necessarily belong to those races of sure foot and supple spine, chamois
or goat. Several were seen, but this was not the name Pencroft gave them,
for all of a sudden—"Sheep!" he shouted.</p>
<p>All stopped about fifty feet from half-a-dozen animals of a large size,
with strong horns bent back and flattened towards the point, with a woolly
fleece, hidden under long silky hair of a tawny color.</p>
<p>They were not ordinary sheep, but a species usually found in the
mountainous regions of the temperate zone, to which Herbert gave the name
of the musmon.</p>
<p>"Have they legs and chops?" asked the sailor.</p>
<p>"Yes," replied Herbert.</p>
<p>"Well, then, they are sheep!" said Pencroft.</p>
<p>The animals, motionless among the blocks of basalt, gazed with an
astonished eye, as if they saw human bipeds for the first time. Then their
fears suddenly aroused, they disappeared, bounding over the rocks.</p>
<p>"Good-bye, till we meet again," cried Pencroft, as he watched them, in
such a comical tone that Cyrus Harding, Gideon Spilett, Herbert, and Neb
could not help laughing.</p>
<p>The ascent was continued. Here and there were traces of lava. Sulphur
springs sometimes stopped their way, and they had to go round them. In
some places the sulphur had formed crystals among other substances, such
as whitish cinders made of an infinity of little feldspar crystals.</p>
<p>In approaching the first plateau formed by the truncating of the lower
cone, the difficulties of the ascent were very great. Towards four o'clock
the extreme zone of the trees had been passed. There only remained here
and there a few twisted, stunted pines, which must have had a hard life in
resisting at this altitude the high winds from the open sea. Happily for
the engineer and his companions the weather was beautiful, the atmosphere
tranquil; for a high breeze at an elevation of three thousand feet would
have hindered their proceedings. The purity of the sky at the zenith was
felt through the transparent air. A perfect calm reigned around them. They
could not see the sun, then hid by the vast screen of the upper cone,
which masked the half-horizon of the west, and whose enormous shadow
stretching to the shore increased as the radiant luminary sank in its
diurnal course. Vapor—mist rather than clouds—began to appear
in the east, and assume all the prismatic colors under the influence of
the solar rays.</p>
<p>Five hundred feet only separated the explorers from the plateau, which
they wished to reach so as to establish there an encampment for the night,
but these five hundred feet were increased to more than two miles by the
zigzags which they had to describe. The soil, as it were, slid under their
feet.</p>
<p>The slope often presented such an angle that they slipped when the stones
worn by the air did not give a sufficient support. Evening came on by
degrees, and it was almost night when Cyrus Harding and his companions,
much fatigued by an ascent of seven hours, arrived at the plateau of the
first cone. It was then necessary to prepare an encampment, and to restore
their strength by eating first and sleeping afterwards. This second stage
of the mountain rose on a base of rocks, among which it would be easy to
find a retreat. Fuel was not abundant. However, a fire could be made by
means of the moss and dry brushwood, which covered certain parts of the
plateau. While the sailor was preparing his hearth with stones which he
put to this use, Neb and Herbert occupied themselves with getting a supply
of fuel. They soon returned with a load of brushwood. The steel was
struck, the burnt linen caught the sparks of flint, and, under Neb's
breath, a crackling fire showed itself in a few minutes under the shelter
of the rocks. Their object in lighting a fire was only to enable them to
withstand the cold temperature of the night, as it was not employed in
cooking the bird, which Neb kept for the next day. The remains of the
capybara and some dozens of the stone-pine almonds formed their supper. It
was not half-past six when all was finished.</p>
<p>Cyrus Harding then thought of exploring in the half-light the large
circular layer which supported the upper cone of the mountain. Before
taking any rest, he wished to know if it was possible to get round the
base of the cone in the case of its sides being too steep and its summit
being inaccessible. This question preoccupied him, for it was possible
that from the way the hat inclined, that is to say, towards the north, the
plateau was not practicable. Also, if the summit of the mountain could not
be reached on one side, and if, on the other, they could not get round the
base of the cone, it would be impossible to survey the western part of the
country, and their object in making the ascent would in part be altogether
unattained.</p>
<p>The engineer, accordingly, regardless of fatigue, leaving Pencroft and Neb
to arrange the beds, and Gideon Spilett to note the incidents of the day,
began to follow the edge of the plateau, going towards the north. Herbert
accompanied him.</p>
<p>The night was beautiful and still, the darkness was not yet deep. Cyrus
Harding and the boy walked near each other, without speaking. In some
places the plateau opened before them, and they passed without hindrance.
In others, obstructed by rocks, there was only a narrow path, in which two
persons could not walk abreast. After a walk of twenty minutes, Cyrus
Harding and Herbert were obliged to stop. From this point the slope of the
two cones became one. No shoulder here separated the two parts of the
mountain. The slope, being inclined almost seventy degrees, the path
became impracticable.</p>
<p>But if the engineer and the boy were obliged to give up thoughts of
following a circular direction, in return an opportunity was given for
ascending the cone.</p>
<p>In fact, before them opened a deep hollow. It was the rugged mouth of the
crater, by which the eruptive liquid matter had escaped at the periods
when the volcano was still in activity. Hardened lava and crusted scoria
formed a sort of natural staircase of large steps, which would greatly
facilitate the ascent to the summit of the mountain.</p>
<p>Harding took all this in at a glance, and without hesitating, followed by
the lad, he entered the enormous chasm in the midst of an increasing
obscurity.</p>
<p>There was still a height of a thousand feet to overcome. Would the
interior acclivities of the crater be practicable? It would soon be seen.
The persevering engineer resolved to continue his ascent until he was
stopped. Happily these acclivities wound up the interior of the volcano
and favored their ascent.</p>
<p>As to the volcano itself, it could not be doubted that it was completely
extinct. No smoke escaped from its sides; not a flame could be seen in the
dark hollows; not a roar, not a mutter, no trembling even issued from this
black well, which perhaps reached far into the bowels of the earth. The
atmosphere inside the crater was filled with no sulphurous vapor. It was
more than the sleep of a volcano; it was its complete extinction. Cyrus
Harding's attempt would succeed.</p>
<p>Little by little, Herbert and he climbing up the sides of the interior,
saw the crater widen above their heads. The radius of this circular
portion of the sky, framed by the edge of the cone, increased obviously.
At each step, as it were, that the explorers made, fresh stars entered the
field of their vision. The magnificent constellations of the southern sky
shone resplendently. At the zenith glittered the splendid Antares in the
Scorpion, and not far was Alpha Centauri, which is believed to be the
nearest star to the terrestrial globe. Then, as the crater widened,
appeared Fomalhaut of the Fish, the Southern Triangle, and lastly, nearly
at the Antarctic Pole, the glittering Southern Cross, which replaces the
Polar Star of the Northern Hemisphere.</p>
<p>It was nearly eight o'clock when Cyrus Harding and Herbert set foot on the
highest ridge of the mountain at the summit of the cone.</p>
<p>It was then perfectly dark, and their gaze could not extend over a radius
of two miles. Did the sea surround this unknown land, or was it connected
in the west with some continent of the Pacific? It could not yet be made
out. Towards the west, a cloudy belt, clearly visible at the horizon,
increased the gloom, and the eye could not discover if the sky and water
were blended together in the same circular line.</p>
<p>But at one point of the horizon a vague light suddenly appeared, which
descended slowly in proportion as the cloud mounted to the zenith.</p>
<p>It was the slender crescent moon, already almost disappearing; but its
light was sufficient to show clearly the horizontal line, then detached
from the cloud, and the engineer could see its reflection trembling for an
instant on a liquid surface. Cyrus Harding seized the lad's hand, and in a
grave voice,—</p>
<p>"An island!" said he, at the moment when the lunar crescent disappeared
beneath the waves.</p>
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