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.As to the interior of the island, its general aspect was this, very woody throughout the southern part from themountain to the shore, and arid and sandy in the northern part.Between the volcano and the east coast CyrusHarding and his companions were surprised to see a lake, bordered with green trees, the existence of whichThe Mysterious Island 52 The Mysterious Islandthey had not suspected.Seen from this height, the lake appeared to be on the same level as the ocean, but, onreflection, the engineer explained to his companions that the altitude of this little sheet of water must be aboutthree hundred feet, because the plateau, which was its basin, was but a prolongation of the coast."Is it a freshwater lake?" asked Pencroft."Certainly," replied the engineer, "for it must be fed by the water which flows from the mountain.""I see a little river which runs into it," said Herbert, pointing out a narrow stream, which evidently took itssource somewhere in the west."Yes," said Harding; "and since this stream feeds the lake, most probably on the side near the sea there is anoutlet by which the surplus water escapes.We shall see that on our return."This little winding watercourse and the river already mentioned constituted the water-system, at least such asit was displayed to the eyes of the explorers.However, it was possible that under the masses of trees whichcovered two-thirds of the island, forming an immense forest, other rivers ran towards the sea.It might evenbe inferred that such was the case, so rich did this region appear in the most magnificent specimens of theflora of the temperate zones.There was no indication of running water in the north, though perhaps theremight be stagnant water among the marshes in the northeast; but that was all, in addition to the downs, sand,and aridity which contrasted so strongly with the luxuriant vegetation of the rest of the island.The volcano did not occupy the central part; it rose, on the contrary, in the northwestern region, and seemedto mark the boundary of the two zones.At the southwest, at the south, and the southeast, the first part of thespurs were hidden under masses of verdure.At the north, on the contrary, one could follow theirramifications, which died away on the sandy plains.It was on this side that, at the time when the mountainwas in a state of eruption, the discharge had worn away a passage, and a large heap of lava had spread to thenarrow jaw which formed the northeastern gulf.Cyrus Harding and his companions remained an hour at the top of the mountain.The island was displayedunder their eyes, like a plan in relief with different tints, green for the forests, yellow for the sand, blue for thewater.They viewed it in its tout-ensemble, nothing remained concealed but the ground hidden by verdure,the hollows of the valleys, and the interior of the volcanic chasms.One important question remained to be solved, and the answer would have a great effect upon the future ofthe castaways.Was the island inhabited?It was the reporter who put this question, to which after the close examination they had just made, the answerseemed to be in the negative.Nowhere could the work of a human hand be perceived.Not a group of huts, not a solitary cabin, not afishery on the shore.No smoke curling in the air betrayed the presence of man.It is true, a distance of nearlythirty miles separated the observers from the extreme points, that is, of the tail which extended to thesouthwest, and it would have been difficult, even to Pencroft's eyes, to discover a habitation there.Neithercould the curtain of verdure, which covered three-quarters of the island, be raised to see if it did not sheltersome straggling village.But in general the islanders live on the shores of the narrow spaces which emergeabove the waters of the Pacific, and this shore appeared to be an absolute desert.The Mysterious Island 53 The Mysterious IslandUntil a more complete exploration, it might be admitted that the island was uninhabited.But was itfrequented, at least occasionally, by the natives of neighboring islands? It was difficult to reply to thisquestion.No land appeared within a radius of fifty miles.But fifty miles could be easily crossed, either byMalay proas or by the large Polynesian canoes.Everything depended on the position of the island, of itsisolation in the Pacific, or of its proximity to archipelagoes.Would Cyrus Harding be able to find out theirlatitude and longitude without instruments? It would be difficult.Since he was in doubt, it was best to takeprecautions against a possible descent of neighboring natives.The exploration of the island was finished, its shape determined, its features made out, its extent calculated,the water and mountain systems ascertained.The disposition of the forests and plains had been marked in ageneral way on the reporter's plan.They had now only to descend the mountain slopes again, and explore thesoil, in the triple point of view, of its mineral, vegetable, and animal resources.But before giving his companions the signal for departure, Cyrus Harding said to them in a calm, gravevoice,--Here, my friends, is the small corner of land upon which the hand of the Almighty has thrown us.We aregoing to live here; a long time, perhaps.Perhaps, too, unexpected help will arrive, if some ship passes bychance.I say by chance, because this is an unimportant island; there is not even a port in which ships couldanchor, and it is to be feared that it is situated out of the route usually followed, that is to say, too much to thesouth for the ships which frequent the archipelagoes of the Pacific, and too much to the north for those whichgo to Australia by doubling Cape Horn.I wish to hide nothing of our position from you--""And you are right, my dear Cyrus," replied the reporter, with animation
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