The disposition of the forests and plains had been marked in a general way on the reporter's plan.

They had now only to descend the mountain slopes again, and explore the soil, 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, grave voice,-- "Here, my friends, is the small corner of land upon which the hand of the Almighty has thrown us.

We are going to live here; a long time, perhaps.

Perhaps, too, unexpected help will arrive, if some ship passes by chance.

I say by chance, because this is an unimportant island; there is not even a port in which ships could anchor, and it is to be feared that it is situated out of the route usually followed, that is to say, too much to the south for the ships which frequent the archipelagoes of the Pacific, and too much to the north for those which go to Australia by doubling Cape Horn.