able ocean was now, to a
very large extent, dry land! That is to say, the ship appeared to be
floating--or was she aground?--in a kind of pond, or small lake, of
perhaps eight or ten acres in extent, surrounded on every side by land
of some sort, off the rugged surface of which the salt water was still
pouring in a multitude of little streams and cataracts. How far this
land extended it was at that moment quite impossible to say; but, so far
as could be seen in the dim uncertain light of the stars, it appeared to
extend nearly or quite to the horizon. And the whole of it had been
hove up from the ocean depths in the space of a few seconds. True, this
part of the great Pacific Ocean was thickly dotted with reefs and
shoals, the positions of many of which had never been accurately
determined, while it was known that there were many others with a
sufficient depth of water upon them to allow a ship to pass safely over
them in any weather. This might possibly be one of them; but, even so,
the fact remained that a low island of quite respectable extent had
suddenly been created.

"Well, Gurney," I exclaimed, looking round in ever-growing amazement,
"this is something quite new in the way of shipwrecks; something,
indeed, that, if recorded in the newspapers, would be denounced by the
clever ones who know everything as an outrageous falsehood, an audacious
attempt to impose upon people's credulity."

"Very possibly," agreed Gurney. "I have run up against a good many
people in my time who seem to make a point of disbelieving everything
that has not come within the scope of their own actual experience. Yet
there is nothing so very wonderful in this business, after all. New
land is frequently being discovered where deep water is known to have
previously existed; and this is a case in point, that is all. And, as
to calling our present plight a shipwreck--well, I think it is rather
anticipating matters to do that. If we had chanced to be caught
floating immediately over any of that portion that has been hove out of
water, and the ship left high and dry, we might be justified in calling
ourselves shipwrecked; but here we are, still afloat; and who is to say
that a way may not be found out of this dock into the open ocean?"

"Yes," I agreed, "there is certainly something in what you say. But are
we really afloat? The ship seems too absolutely motionless for that.
Let us get the lead-line, and take a cast."

"Ay, ay, Mr