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We
did
not
think
this
likely
,
however
,
because
,
in
such
circumstances
,
the
crew
of
a
ship
would
cut
wood
of
small
size
and
near
the
shore
;
whereas
this
was
a
large
tree
,
and
stood
near
the
top
of
the
mountain
.
In
fact
,
it
was
the
highest
large
tree
on
the
mountain
,
all
above
it
being
wood
of
very
recent
growth
.
"
I
ca
n't
understand
it
,
"
said
Jack
,
scratching
the
surface
of
the
stump
with
his
axe
.
"
I
can
only
suppose
that
the
savages
have
been
here
and
cut
it
for
some
purpose
known
only
to
themselves
.
But
,
hallo
!
what
have
we
here
?
"
As
he
spoke
Jack
began
carefully
to
scrape
away
the
moss
and
fungus
from
the
stump
,
and
soon
laid
bare
three
distinct
traces
of
marks
,
as
if
some
inscription
or
initials
had
been
cut
thereon
.
But
although
the
traces
were
distinct
,
beyond
all
doubt
,
the
exact
form
of
the
letters
could
not
be
made
out
.
Jack
thought
they
looked
like
JS
,
but
we
could
not
be
certain
.
They
had
apparently
been
carelessly
cut
,
and
long
exposure
to
the
weather
had
so
broken
them
up
that
we
could
not
make
out
what
they
were
.
We
were
exceedingly
perplexed
at
this
discovery
,
and
stayed
a
long
time
at
the
place
conjecturing
what
these
marks
could
have
been
,
but
without
avail
;
so
,
as
the
day
was
advancing
,
we
left
it
,
and
quickly
reached
the
top
of
the
mountain
.
We
found
this
to
be
the
highest
point
of
the
island
,
and
from
it
we
saw
our
kingdom
lying
,
as
it
were
,
like
a
map
around
us
.
As
I
have
always
thought
it
impossible
to
get
a
thing
properly
into
one
's
understanding
without
comprehending
it
,
I
shall
beg
the
reader
's
patience
for
a
little
while
I
describe
our
island
,
thus
,
shortly
:
It
consisted
of
two
mountains
:
the
one
we
guessed
at
five
hundred
feet
;
the
other
,
on
which
we
stood
,
at
one
thousand
.
Between
these
lay
a
rich
,
beautiful
valley
,
as
already
said
.
This
valley
crossed
the
island
from
one
end
to
the
other
,
being
high
in
the
middle
and
sloping
on
each
side
towards
the
sea
.
The
large
mountain
sloped
,
on
the
side
farthest
from
where
we
had
been
wrecked
,
gradually
towards
the
sea
;
but
although
,
when
viewed
at
a
glance
,
it
had
thus
a
regular
sloping
appearance
,
a
more
careful
observation
showed
that
it
was
broken
up
into
a
multitude
of
very
small
vales
--
or
,
rather
,
dells
and
glens
--
intermingled
with
little
rugged
spots
and
small
but
abrupt
precipices
here
and
there
,
with
rivulets
tumbling
over
their
edges
and
wandering
down
the
slopes
in
little
white
streams
,
sometimes
glistening
among
the
broad
leaves
of
the
bread-fruit
and
cocoa-nut
trees
,
or
hiding
altogether
beneath
the
rich
underwood
.
At
the
base
of
this
mountain
lay
a
narrow
bright-green
plain
or
meadow
,
which
terminated
abruptly
at
the
shore
.
On
the
other
side
of
the
island
,
whence
we
had
come
,
stood
the
smaller
hill
,
at
the
foot
of
which
diverged
three
valleys
--
one
being
that
which
we
had
ascended
,
with
a
smaller
vale
on
each
side
of
it
,
and
separated
from
it
by
the
two
ridges
before
mentioned
.
In
these
smaller
valleys
there
were
no
streams
,
but
they
were
clothed
with
the
same
luxuriant
vegetation
.
The
diameter
of
the
island
seemed
to
be
about
ten
miles
,
and
as
it
was
almost
circular
in
form
,
its
circumference
must
have
been
thirty
miles
--
perhaps
a
little
more
,
if
allowance
be
made
for
the
numerous
bays
and
indentations
of
the
shore
.
The
entire
island
was
belted
by
a
beach
of
pure
white
sand
,
on
which
laved
the
gentle
ripples
of
the
lagoon
.
We
now
also
observed
that
the
coral
reef
completely
encircled
the
island
;
but
it
varied
its
distance
from
it
here
and
there
--
in
some
places
being
a
mile
from
the
beach
,
in
others
a
few
hundred
yards
,
but
the
average
distance
was
half-a-mile
.
The
reef
lay
very
low
,
and
the
spray
of
the
surf
broke
quite
over
it
in
many
places
.
This
surf
never
ceased
its
roar
;
for
,
however
calm
the
weather
might
be
,
there
is
always
a
gentle
swaying
motion
in
the
great
Pacific
,
which
,
although
scarce
noticeable
out
at
sea
,
reaches
the
shore
at
last
in
a
huge
billow
.
The
water
within
the
lagoon
,
as
before
said
,
was
perfectly
still
.
There
were
three
narrow
openings
in
the
reef
:
one
opposite
each
end
of
the
valley
which
I
have
described
as
crossing
the
island
;
the
other
opposite
our
own
valley
,
which
we
afterwards
named
the
Valley
of
the
Wreck
.
At
each
of
these
openings
the
reef
rose
into
two
small
green
islets
,
covered
with
bushes
,
and
having
one
or
two
cocoa-nut
palms
on
each
.
These
islets
were
very
singular
,
and
appeared
as
if
planted
expressly
for
the
purpose
of
marking
the
channel
into
the
lagoon
Our
captain
was
making
for
one
of
these
openings
the
day
we
were
wrecked
--
and
would
have
reached
it
,
too
,
I
doubt
not
,
had
not
the
rudder
been
torn
away
.
Within
the
lagoon
were
several
pretty
,
low
coral
islands
,
just
opposite
our
encampment
;
and
immediately
beyond
these
,
out
at
sea
,
lay
about
a
dozen
other
islands
,
at
various
distances
,
from
half-a-mile
to
ten
miles
--
all
of
them
,
as
far
as
we
could
discern
,
smaller
than
ours
and
apparently
uninhabited
.
They
seemed
to
be
low
coral
islands
,
raised
but
little
above
the
sea
,
yet
covered
with
cocoa-nut
trees
.
All
this
we
noted
,
and
a
great
deal
more
,
while
we
sat
on
the
top
of
the
mountain
.
After
we
had
satisfied
ourselves
we
prepared
to
return
;
but
here
,
again
,
we
discovered
traces
of
the
presence
of
man
.
These
were
a
pole
or
staff
,
and
one
or
two
pieces
of
wood
which
had
been
squared
with
an
axe
.
All
of
these
were
,
however
,
very
much
decayed
,
and
they
had
evidently
not
been
touched
for
many
years
.
