Таинственный остров

           "Theislandisquitecomfortablewhereitis!"

           "Well,whoknows,"returnedthereporter,"whoknowsbutthatwemaybemuchnearerinhabitedlandthanwethink?"

           "Weshallknowto-morrow,"repliedCyrusHarding,"andifithadnotbeenfortheoccupationswhichleftmenoleisure,weshouldhaveknownitalready."

           "Good!"saidPencroft."Thecaptainistoogoodanobservertobemistaken,and,ifithasnotmovedfromitsplace,theislandisjustwhereheputit."

           "Weshallsee."

           Onthenextday,therefore,bymeansofthesextant,theengineermadethenecessaryobservationstoverifythepositionwhichhehadalreadyobtained,andthiswastheresultofhisoperation.HisfirstobservationhadgivenhimthesituationofLincolnIsland,—

           Inwestlongitude:from1500to1550;

           Insouthlatitude:from300to350

           Thesecondgaveexactly:

           Inlongitude:150030’

           Insouthlatitude:34057’

           Sothen,notwithstandingtheimperfectionofhisapparatus,CyrusHardinghadoperatedwithsomuchskillthathiserrordidnotexceedfivedegrees.

           "Now,"saidGideonSpilett,"sincewepossessanatlasaswellasasextant,letussee,mydearCyrus,theexactpositionwhichLincolnIslandoccupiesinthePacific."

           Herbertfetchedtheatlas,andthemapofthePacificwasopened,andtheengineer,compassinhand,preparedtodeterminetheirposition.

           Suddenlythecompassesstopped,andheexclaimed,

           "ButanislandexistsinthispartofthePacificalready!"

           "Anisland?"criedPencroft.

           "TaborIsland."