Таинственный остров

           Thecanoefollowedthewindingsoftheshore,avoidingtherockswhichfringedit,andwhichtherisingtidebegantocover.Thecliffgraduallyslopedawayfromthemouthoftherivertothepoint.Thiswasformedofgranitereeks,capriciouslydistributed,verydifferentfromthecliffatProspectHeights,andofanextremelywildaspect.Itmighthavebeensaidthatanimmensecartloadofrockshadbeenemptiedoutthere.Therewasnovegetationonthissharppromontory,whichprojectedtwomilesfromtheforest,anditthusrepresentedagiant’sarmstretchedoutfromaleafysleeve.

           Thecanoe,impelledbythetwooars,advancedwithoutdifficulty.GideonSpilett,pencilinonehandandnotebookintheother,sketchedthecoastinboldstrokes.Neb,Herbert,andPencroftchatted,whileexaminingthispartoftheirdomain,whichwasnewtothem,and,inproportionasthecanoeproceededtowardsthesouth,thetwoMandibleCapesappearedtomove,andsurroundUnionBaymoreclosely.

           AstoCyrusHarding,hedidnotspeak;hesimplygazed,andbythemistrustwhichhislookexpressed,itappearedthathewasexaminingsomestrangecountry.

           Inthemeantime,afteravoyageofthree-quartersofanhour,thecanoereachedtheextremityofthepoint,andPencroftwaspreparingtoreturn,whenHerbert,rising,pointedtoablackobject,saying,—

           "WhatdoIseedownthereonthebeach?"

           Alleyesturnedtowardsthepointindicated.

           "Why,"saidthereporter,"thereissomething.Itlookslikepartofawreckhalfburiedinthesand."