where the soil was absolutely
unhealthy, and the sanitary condition of the inhabitants has been
gradually ameliorated. No more intermittent fevers prevail in the
regions now covered with forests of the myrtaceae. This fact is now
beyond doubt, and it is a happy circumstance for us settlers in
Lincoln Island."

"Ah! what an island! What a blessed island!" cried Pencroft. "I tell
you, it wants nothing--unless it is--"

"That will come, Pencroft, that will be found," replied the engineer;
"but now we must continue our voyage and push on as far as the river
will carry our boat!"

The exploration was therefore continued for another two miles in the
midst of country covered with eucalypti, which predominated in the
woods of this portion of the island. The space which they occupied
extended as far as the eye could reach on each side of the Mercy,
which wound along between high green banks. The bed was often
obstructed by long weeds, and even by pointed rocks, which rendered
the navigation very difficult. The action of the oars was prevented,
and Pencroft was obliged to push with a pole. They found also that the
water was becoming shallower and shallower, and that the canoe must
soon stop. The sun was already sinking towards the horizon, and the
trees threw long shadows on the ground. Cyrus Harding, seeing that he
could not hope to reach the western coast of the island in one
journey, resolved to camp at the place where any further navigation
was prevented by want of water. He calculated that they were still
five or six miles from the coast, and this distance was too great for
them to attempt traversing during the night in the midst of unknown
woods.

The boat was pushed on through the forest, which gradually became
thicker again, and appeared also to have more inhabitants; for if the
eyes of the sailor did not deceive him, he thought he saw bands of
monkeys springing among the trees. Sometimes even two or three of
these animals stopped at a little distance from the canoe and gazed at
the settlers without manifesting any terror, as if, seeing men for the
first time, they had not yet learned to fear them. It would have been
easy to bring down one of these quadrumani with a gunshot, and
Pencroft was greatly tempted to fire, but Harding opposed so useless a
massacre. This was prudent, for the monkeys, or apes rather, appearing
to be very powerful and extremely active, it was useless to provoke an
unnecessary aggression, and