Chapter 11 Chapter Eleven

Half an hour later, Cyrus.Smith and Herbert returned to camp.The engineer simply told his partners that God had thrown them on a desert island, and we will study the other situations tomorrow.Then everyone went to bed.The inhabitants of this group of deserted islands slept peacefully for the night in a cave at an altitude of 2,500 feet. The next day, March 30th, after a hasty breakfast of nothing but roasted ceras, the engineer intended to climb to the top of the volcano again, to observe carefully, and if the deserted island was not near any land, Or outside the routes to and from the Pacific Islands, then they may be stuck here for the rest of their lives.This time the partners followed him on a new quest.They also wanted to see the deserted island, because all their needs would be supplied by the island's products in the future.

About seven o'clock in the morning, Cyrus.Smith, Herbert, Pencroft, Gideon.Spilett and Neb left the camp.They don't seem anxious about the situation.They have faith in themselves.There is no doubt about it, but one thing must be pointed out is that Smith's confidence base is not the same as that of his partners.Smith was full of confidence because he thought he could get all the necessities of life that he and his companions needed from this desolate land, and the companions were not worried because of Cyrus.Smith is with them.Pencroft, especially, never felt pessimistic at any time since the incident of the fire, nor was he afraid even on a bare stone, so long as the Engineer was with him.

Pooh!He said we could leave Richmond without official permission!What's more, there is no one here who will stop us. If we can't think of a way to escape, then it will be strange! Cyrus.Smith set off the same way he had walked the night before.They followed the plateau that formed the shoulder, skirting the volcanic cone toward the great cavern.It was very sunny.The sun hung in the cloudless sky, and the sun shone across the entire eastern slope. They walked to the crater.It was exactly as the engineer had discerned in the darkness, that is to say, like a great funnel, widening from top to bottom, a thousand feet from plateau to apex.Below the hole is a wide and thick lava, which meanders from the hillside to the bottom of the mountain, marking the way the magma flowed to the lower valleys. The northern part of the deserted island is full of grooves formed by these valleys.

The slope inside the crater is only 35 to 40 degrees, so it is neither difficult nor difficult to climb up.It can be seen here that the lava left over from a long time ago probably overflowed from the top vent before the new vent on the side opened. The volcanic tube leads from the bottom to the crater, and its depth cannot be observed with the naked eye because the light is too dim.Yet the volcano has completely extinguished, there is no doubt about it. Just before eight o'clock Smith and his companions reached the crest of the crater, where they stood on the northern conical hummock.

The sea, the sea everywhere!They cried out involuntarily, and the words made them inhabitants of the island. Yes, a vast and boundless sea surrounded them!Maybe Cyrus.Smith hoped to discover the seashore and island shore this time, not seeing clearly in the darkness the night before, until he climbed a second time to the top of the volcanic cone.But as far as the sky, that is to say, within a circle with a radius of more than fifty miles, there is nothing.Not a single piece of land to be seen, not a single sail to be seen.In the open space around, only the vast ocean can be seen. The deserted island is the center of this vast and boundless circle.

The engineer and his companions stood motionless, and for some minutes observed in silence, every direction of the sea, to the farthest edge.Pencroft's eyes were always remarkably good, but he could not see anything, and if there was a piece of land on the horizon, even if it was obscured like vapor, it would surely be found by a sailor, for he seemed born with a pair of eyes. telescope. They looked back at the ocean and looked back at the whole island below them, Gideon.Spilett first asked: How big is the island? Indeed, in this boundless ocean, it does not appear very big. Cyrus.Smith thought for some minutes; he looked carefully round the island, taking into account the height at which they were; and then said:

My friends, the circumference of the island is about a hundred miles, so I don't think it can be wrong. What about the area? Difficult to estimate, replied the engineer, because the terrain is so irregular. If Cyrus.Smith's estimate was right, and the island would be about the same size as Malta or Zand in the Mediterranean, but with a much more complex topography and fewer capes, headlands, promontories, bays, and rivers.This flat and strange terrain is particularly conspicuous, Gideon.Spilett drew the outline of the island according to the engineer's opinion. They felt that it looked like a strange animal, as if it were a huge sea beast lying on the water of the Pacific Ocean.

It was in fact of such a shape that the island was of such a shape that it was of great importance that the correspondent at once drew a sketch of the island quite correctly. The eastern part of the coast, where the wrecks had landed, formed a broad bay, terminated by a prominent promontory.When Pencroft first observed it, he did not see it because he was hidden by a raised headland.There are two other capes in the northeast surrounding the harbor, and a long and narrow strait is left between the capes, which looks like a terrible horned dragon with its mouth half open. The coast is curved from northeast to northwest, much like the flattened cranium of an animal.Following the coast, it protrudes upwards, a large part above the ground, but the shape of this part of the island is not very clear, and the middle of the island is a volcano.

From this raised point the coast is fairly straight from south to north, and is divided two-thirds of the way along by a narrow creek, which from where the creek divides the coast becomes a long, narrow strip, like the tail of a big crocodile. This tail juts more than thirty miles into the sea, forming a veritable peninsula.The peninsula curves to form a wide bay for mooring boats, and it is the low coastal part of this peculiarly topographical land. From the grotto to the creek on the west coast of the same latitude, the narrowest point of the island is only ten miles; but the longest point, from the mouth of the northeast gorge to the tail of the peninsula at the southwestern tip, is at least thirty miles.

The interior of the island is roughly like this, with many trees from the mountains to the south coast, while the north is dry and sandy.Between the volcano and the eastern seaboard, beyond Cyrus.To the surprise of Smith and his partners, there was a lake.There are many evergreen trees growing along the lake, which they did not expect to have on the island.From the top of the hill, the lake appeared to be as low as the sea, but the engineer measured it, and told them that the lake must be about three hundred feet high, because the shore rises up into a plateau, and the lake is on the plateau. .

Is this a freshwater lake?asked Pencroft. Of course, the engineer said, the lake must have flowed down from the mountains. look!A small river flows into the lake.Herbert pointed to a narrow brook, which evidently flowed from the west. Yes, Smith said, since there is a small river carrying water into the lake, there must be an outlet near the sea, from which the water of the lake drains most of the time.We can check it out when we go back. The water system of the island includes at least this meandering stream and those already mentioned, which explorers have seen.However, almost two-thirds of the whole island is covered with trees, forming a vast forest, so it is also possible that other rivers flow into the sea from under the trees. There are too many varieties of beautiful temperate vegetation.There are no rivers to be seen in the north, perhaps some stagnant water in the swampy areas in the northeast; otherwise there are some dunes, sandy beaches and dry land.This is so different from the rest of the wooded parts of the island. The volcano is not in the center of the island, on the contrary, it stands in the northwest, which seems to be the dividing line between these two areas; on the southwest, south and southeast sides, the branches of the first part are covered by green shade.It is different in the north, where the branches of the mountains are clearly displayed before one's eyes, and these branches extend to the sandy plain.When the volcano erupted, a breach was opened to this side, and a large pile of lava spread all over the gorge that formed the northeast harbor. Cyrus.Smith and his companions remained on the summit for an hour.The islands are placed under their eyes, like a colorful three-dimensional topographic map, the green represents the forest, the yellow represents the sand, and the blue represents the water.They looked at it all, and there was nothing hidden from sight except the shaded land, the sunken valleys, and the inner walls of the crater. There is an important question that remains unanswered, and the answer to this question could have a huge impact on the future of this group of victims. Is there anyone on the island? The question was posed by the correspondent, and upon careful observation the answer seems to be in the negative. There is no sign of human colonization anywhere.Not a cluster of houses, not a hut, not a single fishing ground on the shore, not a wisp of smoke on the land to prove that there is a home.They were, indeed, nearly thirty miles from the farthest point, the peninsula, which stretched to the southwest, and even Pencroft's eyes could hardly discern dwellings there.Three-quarters of the island was covered with forest, and they could not uncover it to see if there were scattered cottages hidden underneath.But generally speaking, they landed on an empty island in the Pacific Ocean, which seemed to be an uninhabited wilderness. In order to be sure whether there are any residents on the island, it needs to go through a more thorough exploration.But are there frequent at least occasional visits by natives from the neighboring islands?This question is difficult to answer.No land was visible for fifty miles around.But whether it is a Malay galleon or a Polynesian canoe, it is easy to cross fifty miles of sea.The question depends on the location of the island. Is it isolated and independent in the Pacific Ocean, or is it close to some archipelago?Cyrus.Can Smith work out their latitude and longitude without instruments?This is difficult.Before you understand the situation, you should take precautions according to the possible arrival of the nearby natives. The island has been inspected.They affirmed its shape, understood its topography, calculated its size, and found out its mountains and rivers.The distribution of forests and plains was also outlined by the correspondent.Now we just need to go down the mountain to investigate the resources of this land from the three aspects of minerals, animals and plants. Before calling his companions to leave, Cyrus.Smith calmly and calmly said to everyone: My friends, we have been dropped on this little piece of land.We're going to live here, maybe for a long time.If a ship happens to pass by, it may also be rescued suddenly.I say coincidence because the island is so small.There is not even a port of call here, and I am afraid that we are out of the course of ordinary ships, that is to say, we are too far south for ships that frequently ply the islands of the Pacific, but we are not suitable for rounding Cape Horn. As far as ships going to Australia are concerned, we are too far north.I have nothing to hide from you about our situation. You are right, my dear Cyrus, said the correspondent excitedly, that you are with men.We all trust you, and you can trust everyone.Right, friends? I am completely at your command.Herbert grabbed the engineer's hand and said. No matter when and where, you are my master!cried Neb. As for me, said the sailor, if I'm going to snort whatever I'm called to, I ain't Jack.Pencroft, if you will, we will make this island a little America!We will build cities, lay railroads, and wires and telegraphs.One day, when the face of the island has changed and everything is organized and civilized, we will hand it over to a coalition government.Now I have only one request. any request?said the correspondent. That is, we should not regard ourselves as people in distress, but as a group of immigrants who came here to cultivate. Smith couldn't help laughing, and the sailor's proposal was accepted.He then thanked them all and added that he was counting on them. Well, now let's go back to the grotto!cried Pencroft. Wait a minute, friends, said the engineer, I think this island should be given a name, and the capes and headlands and rivers we see. Well, said the correspondent, we'll have a lot to do in the future, and having a name will make it a lot easier. Verily, said the sailor, we have something to express now that we come and go.at least there seems to be such a place For example, the Grotto.Herbert said. Not bad at all!This name, said Pencroft, was the most convenient, and was quite an accident of mine.Shall we call the place where we spent the first night the Grotto, Mr. Cyrus? Well, Pencroft, since you have named it, so be it. great!Other things are also easy to handle, the sailor said happily, Herbert often told me the story of Robinson Crusoe, let us imitate Robinson and name these places, such as God's Bay, Whale Point, and Cape of Disappointment! Or else, Mr. Smith's name, said Herbert, Mr. Spilett's name, Neb's name! my name?said Neb, showing his white teeth. What's wrong?Answered Pencroft, Naboo Harbor, is it not very good?and Keating Point I am in favor of borrowing place names from our motherland, said the correspondent, so that we will not forget America. Well, for the main place, Cyrus.Smith said, I am very much in favor of naming harbors and seas in this way.For instance, we may call the great bay on the east Union Bay, and the great bay on the south Washington Bay; call the hill on which we stand Mount Franklin, and the lake below which we see Grant's Lake; and Well no more, my friends.These are the names we use to remember our country and the great citizens who honored it.As for the rivers, bays, promontories, and headlands which we see from the top of this hill, they are best named after the peculiarities of their shape.This is easier to remember and more realistic.The appearance of this island is very special.We should have no difficulty in thinking of something that can express its shape.Although we don't know the rivers in various forests now, these forests will be explored in the future. We can name those rivers and creeks that will be discovered in the future after the discovery.What do you guys think? The engineer's proposal was unanimously agreed by the partners.The island spread out before their eyes like a map, and it was only necessary to give names to the points and places.Ji Ding.After Spilett wrote down these names, the geographical name of the island was officially determined. First, according to the engineer's proposal, they named the two harbors Union Bay and Washington Bay, and the mountain named Franklin Mountain. Now, says the correspondent, I propose to call the peninsula to the south-west of the island the Coiling Peninsula, and the curved tail at the end of the peninsula to be called Reptilian Point, because of its resemblance to a reptile's tail. agree.said the engineer. Now, said Herbert, pointing to the other end of the island, this bay is almost like the mouth of a great fish, and we shall call it Shark Bay. great!exclaimed Pencroft, we would call the upper and lower parts of the mouth the jaws, and that would be exactly right. But there are two capes.said the correspondent. It does not matter, replied Pencroft, that we may call them the northern and southern jaws. I wrote it all down.Spilett said. Only the cape at the southeastern tip of the deserted island has no name.said Pencroft. Is it the end of Union Bay?asked Herbert. Let's call it Claw Horns.Neb blurted out that he too wanted to be godfather of a part of his realm. Neb's name was apt, for the strange shape of the land was like a monster, and the cape was like the strong claws of the monster. Pencroft was satisfied with the way things had turned.The balloon landed them near the river, so that they could drink the fresh water of the river, so they quickly thought of a name for it, called the River of Mercy, to express their sincere gratitude to God.The island on which the victims landed first was named Safety Island, and above the grotto there was a high granite cliff, and at the top of the cliff was a plateau from which the whole bay could be seen, so they named this plateau Prospect Heights. Finally, they called the whole dense forest covering the Serpent Peninsula the Far West Forest. The visible and already known places on the island have been named in this way. If there are new discoveries in the future, this work will continue to be completed. As for the orientation of the various parts, the engineer made an approximate determination based on observations of the altitude and direction of the sun: Union Bay and Prospect Heights were due east.But the next day, according to the precise time of sunrise and sunset and the position of the sun at noon, he accurately determined the true north direction of the island. North instead of south is not the same as the movement of the sun seen in the northern hemisphere. All work was done, and the inhabitants were only waiting to go down Franklin Hill to the Grotto, when Pencroft suddenly cried out: Hurrah!What fools we are! how?Ji Ding.asked Spilett, who had closed his notebook and got up to go. how!The island we are on has forgotten to name it! Herbert was about to propose to name the island after the engineer, and his companions would definitely agree, but at this time Cyrus.Smith put it simply: Friends, let us name this island after a great citizen who is now fighting to preserve the unity of the American Republic, and let us call this island Lincoln Island! Everyone cheered three times, expressing support for the engineer's proposal. Before going to bed that night, the newcomers spoke of the country they had left; It is the cause of justice that will surely win! This happened on March 30, 1865.They could not have imagined that sixteen days later, a terrible conspiracy would take place in Washington. On Good Friday, Abraham.Lincoln died at the hands of a deranged mob.