An isolated rock, thirty feet in length, twenty in breadth, scarcely ten from the water's edge, such was the only solid point which the waves of the Pacific had not engulfed. It was all that remained of the structure of Granite House! The wall had fa...
The next day, the 8th day of January, after a day and night passed at the corral, where they left all in order, Cyrus Harding and Ayrton arrived at Granite House. The engineer immediately called his companions together, and informed them of the immin...
At break of day the colonists regained in silence the entrance of the cavern, to which they gave the name of Dakkar Grotto, in memory of Captain Nemo. It was now low-water, and they passed without difficulty under the arcade, washed on the right by t...
Day had returned. No ray of light penetrated into the profundity of the cavern. It being high-water, the entrance was closed by the sea. But the artificial light, which escaped in long streams from the skylights of the Nautilus was as vivid as before...
At these words the reclining figure rose, and the electric light fell upon his countenance; a magnificent head, the forehead high, the glance commanding, beard white, hair abundant and falling over the shoulders. His hand rested upon the cushion of t...
The colonists, warned by the engineer, left their work and gazed in silence at the summit of Mount Franklin. The volcano had awoke, and the vapor had penetrated the mineral layer heaped at the bottom of the crater. But would the subterranean fires pr...
Three years had passed away since the escape of the prisoners from Richmond, and how often during those three years had they spoken of their country, always present in their thoughts! They had no doubt that the civil war was at an end, and to them it...
How had it happened? who had killed the convicts? Was it Ayrton? No, for a moment before he was dreading their return. But Ayrton was now in a profound stupor, from which it was no longer possible to rouse him. After uttering those few words he had a...
The next day, the 18th of February, was devoted to the exploration of all that wooded region forming the shore from Reptile End to Falls River. The colonists were able to search this forest thoroughly, for, as it was comprised between the two shores...
Gideon Spilett took the box and opened it. It contained nearly two hundred grains of a white powder, a few particles of which he carried to his lips. The extreme bitterness of the substance precluded all doubt; it was certainly the precious extract o...
Of the convicts, the dangers which menaced Granite House, the ruins with which the plateau was covered, the colonists thought no longer. Herbert's critical state outweighed all other considerations. Would the removal prove fatal to him by causing som...
The convalescence of the young invalid was regularly progressing. One thing only was now to be desired, that his state would allow him to be brought to Granite House. However well built and supplied the corral house was, it could not be so comfortabl...
So the convicts were still there, watching the corral, and determined to kill the settlers one after the other. There was nothing to be done but to treat them as wild beasts. But great precautions must be taken, for just now the wretches had the adva...
At Herbert's cry, Pencroft, letting his gun fall, rushed towards him. They have killed him! he cried. My boy! They have killed him! Cyrus Harding and Gideon Spilett ran to Herbert. The reporter listened to ascertain if the poor lad's heart was still...
However, the chief business of the colonists was to make that complete exploration of the island which had been decided upon, and which would have two objects: to discover the mysterious being whose existence was now indisputable, and at the same tim...
