n our way up we came to an object which filled us with much
interest. This was the stump of a tree that had evidently been cut down
with an axe! So, then, we were not the first who had viewed this
beautiful isle. The hand of man had been at work there before us. It
now began to recur to us again that perhaps the island was inhabited,
although we had not seen any traces of man until now. But a second
glance at the stump convinced us that we had not more reason to think so
now than formerly; for the surface of the wood was quite decayed and
partly covered with fungus and green matter, so that it must have been
cut many years ago.

"Perhaps," said Peterkin, "some ship or other has touched here long ago
for wood, and only taken one tree."

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 can'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