Таинственный остров

           Now,ontheonehanditwasimportanttosettlethemselvesintheneighborhoodofagoodstreamofwater,andontheotheritwaspossiblethatthecurrenthadthrownCyrusHardingontheshorethere.

           Thecliff,ashasbeensaid,rosetoaheightofthreehundredfeet,butthemasswasunbrokenthroughout,andevenatitsbase,scarcelywashedbythesea,itdidnotofferthesmallestfissurewhichwouldserveasadwelling.Itwasaperpendicularwallofveryhardgranite,whicheventhewaveshadnotwornaway.Towardsthesummitflutteredmyriadsofsea-fowl,andespeciallythoseoftheweb-footedspecieswithlong,flat,pointedbeaks—aclamoroustribe,boldinthepresenceofman,whoprobablyforthefirsttimethusinvadedtheirdomains.Pencroftrecognizedtheskuaandothergullsamongthem,thevoraciouslittlesea-mew,whichingreatnumbersnestledinthecrevicesofthegranite.Ashotfiredamongthisswarmwouldhavekilledagreatnumber,buttofireashotagunwasneeded,andneitherPencroftnorHerberthadone;besidesthis,gullsandsea-mewsarescarcelyeatable,andeventheireggshaveadetestabletaste.However,Herbert,whohadgoneforwardalittlemoretotheleft,sooncameuponrockscoveredwithsea-weed,which,somehourslater,wouldbehiddenbythehightide.Ontheserocks,inthemidstofslipperywrack,aboundedbivalveshell-fish,nottobedespisedbystarvingpeople.HerbertcalledPencroft,whoranuphastily.

           "Herearemussels!"criedthesailor;"thesewilldoinsteadofeggs!"

           "Theyarenotmussels,"repliedHerbert,whowasattentivelyexaminingthemolluscsattachedtotherocks;"theyarelithodomes."

           "Aretheygoodtoeat?"askedPencroft.