Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1876-09-20
Herbert was very sorry that Top had

i
not caught one of these carniyora.
Can we eat them p asked Pencroff
who always considered the fauna Of tn
island from that special point Of view.
"No, said Herbert, but zoologist
have not yet ascertained whether The oy
Of this fox is diurnal or nocturnal, o
whether the animal would come unde
the genus canine"
Smith could not help smiling at this re
mark Of the boy. which showed thought
fulness beyond his years. As for til,
sailor, from the moment these foxe
ceased to belong to the edible species
they ceased to interest him. Ever sine,
the kitchen had been established a
Granite House no had been saying tina
precautions ought to be taken agains
these four-footcd plunderors A fac
which no one denied
Having turned Jetsam Point the par
! " came upon long reach washed b,
the sea. 1T was then o'clock in th,
morning The sky was very clear as i,
usual in prolonged cold weather; but
warmed by their work, Smith and hi,
companions did not suffer from the sharp.
ness Of the atmosphere Besides there
was no wind, the absence of which al
ways renders low temperature more
endurable. The sun, bright but cold
rose from the ocean, and bis enormus disc
was poised in the horizon. The sea
was a calm blue, sheet of water, like n
iand-iocked sea under a clear sky
Claw Cape, bent in the shape of an
ataghan, was clearly defined about four
miles to the southeast. TO the left
the border of the swamp was abruptly
intercepted by little point which
shone brightly against the sun. Ger
tainly in that part of Union Bay, which
was not protected from the open sea,
even by a sand bank, ships beaten by
an east wind could not have found shelf
er.
By the perfect calm of the sea, with no
shoals to disturb its waters by its uni
lofin color, with no ,fngv vf Yellow and
nhaiiy by the entire absence ofreefs they
knew that this side was steep, and tbot
here the ocean was fathoms doc,
Behind them, in the west, at q distance
of about four miles, they saw the be-
ginning e the Far West They could
have believed themselves upon some
dcsolate island in the Antarctic regions
surrounded by ice
The party halted here for breakfast;
fire of brush wood aud scaweed was light
ed, and Ncb prepared the meal Of cold
meat, to which he added cups ofOswego
tea. While eating they looked around
them. This side of lincoln island was
indeed barren, and presented a strong
contrast to the western part.
The reporter thought that if the cast
aways had been thrown upon this coast,
they would have had very melancholy
impression Of their future home.
II do not believe we would even have
reahed it," said the engineer, for the
sea is very deep here, and there is not
even a rock which would have served as
a refuge; before Granite House there
were shoals, at least, and little island
which multiplied our chances of safety ;
here is only the bottomless sea-"
1T is curious enough" said Spilett,
"that this island, relatively so small.
presents so varied sod This diyersi-
ty OF appearau.e belongs, logically only
One eofs womid really think that the western aFsa
side of Lincoln Island, so rich and
fertile. was washed by the warm waters
of the Gulf of Mexico, and that north
ern and southern coasts extended IN
sort of Arctic Sea.
"You are right, my dear Spilett, :
replied the engineer. Il have observed
the same thing. | have found thi.
island curious both in its shape and il
its character. 1t has all the peculiari
ties of continent, and | would not b.
surprised if it had been a continen
formerly"
"What continent in the middle 0
the Pacific :" cried Pencrof
"Why not ?" answered Smith "Why
should not Australia, New Ireland, al
that the English goographers cal
Australasia, joined to the Archipelago.
of the Pacific Ocean, have formed il
times past a sixth part of the world a
important as Europe or Asia, Africa o
the two Americas My mind does no
refuse to admit that all the islands risin!
from this vast ocean are mountains of
continent now engulphed, but whicl
formerly rose majestically from thes
waters"
Like Atlantis 2" asked Herbert.
"Yes, my boy, if that ever existed
And Lincoln Island may have beel
q part Of this continent y asked Pen
croft.
1T is possible replied Smith
"And that would explain the diversi
ty Of products upon the surface, an,
and the number Of animals which still
live here" added Herbert
Yes, my boy" answered the ongin
Ger, and that gives me new argumen
in support Of my theory II is certain
after what We have seen that the ami
mails in the island are numerous, an,
what is more curious, is that the specie
are extremely varied There mus; be