The Mysterious Island

The next morning, they begin the final leg of their expedition and soon come upon a previously undiscovered stream. They follow this stream all the way to the ocean, as they assume it must lead there eventually. Much to their surprise, they do shortly arrive at the ocean and learn that here there is no beach: The forest simply runs right up to the edge of the water. The men fail to discover any trace of shipwreck survivors or other visitors to their little island; wanting to rule out any doubt, they decide to continue walking along the edge of the forest around the edge of the island.

When sunset approaches, Harbert and Pencroff search about for a suitable spot to make camp. They are suddenly confronted by a massive jaguar; at the same moment, Gideon appears around a large rock and shoots the giant cat dead right as it is springing for the two exposed men. After this confrontation, they decide to use the jaguar’s lair for their sleeping quarters.

The next day, they decide to return by continuing along the coastline, another estimated 40 miles at least. While taking a break in the afternoon, Top begins to bark loudly, rushing off into the trees. When he returns, the men notice a piece of canvas between the dog’s teeth and, suspecting a possible castaway, dash headlong into the trees after the dog. Once in the trees, the dog stops at a large tree, and there in the branches lies the remains of the crew’s long-lost air balloon.

The men are happy to find it, as the canvas can be used for clothing or perhaps even the sails of a ship. After storing the canvas, they continue on their way. Later that evening, they see a boat floating along the river, only to recognize it as their own canoe that has somehow broken free of its moorings. Thinking it curious, though perhaps explainable, they finally return to Granite House, only to find something wholly inexplicable: Their rope ladder up to the home is missing.

At a loss for what to do, they return to the Chimneys to sleep, leaving Top to guard the entrance. The next day, they return, and rather than finding a human intruder as they had feared, they discover a company of orangutans. They decide to enter Granite House via the old waterway they had walled off, but they realize all the orangutans are fleeing the home in terror, knocking down the ladder on their way out as well. Venturing up to their home, they capture one straggling creature, naming him Jupiter, or “Joop” for short.

Having recaptured Granite House, the men gather for a meal and discuss plans: “The most urgent [needs] were a bridge over the Mercy, which would make the southern half of the island accessible from Granite House, and a sheepfold to hold the mouflons and any other woolly animals they might capture” (324). In doing so, they could bring back the stranded balloon with ease and raise enough sheep to make new clothing from the wool. Cyrus lays out plans for creating a series of barriers and water features to isolate Granite House and the surrounding area, protecting it from any intruders. The men also plan to eventually build the sheepfold and a dovecot for birds.

They capture two beasts of burden around this time: dauws, which are something like zebras. Once the dauws are domesticated, they are quite useful and haul the cart with the balloon canvas. The men use the canvas quite resourcefully, crafting dozens of articles of clothing. They use seal leather to cobble brand-new shoes.

To pass the days, the men engage in all manner of activities. Cyrus Smith is determined to find a way to replenish and add to their stock of ammunition by creating his own. The company continues to train Joop, their orangutan servant, and over the next few weeks, they plan out and build their sheepfold, building roads across the island along the way.

Now in the month of March, the weather worsens, and the storms inspire the men to continue making improvements in their home. Pencroff and Cyrus devise a means of installing a water-powered elevator to replace their rope ladder, and the men transform their kiln into an instrument for blowing glass, thus creating windowpanes for their home. After the weather changes, Harbert discovers a plant known as a bread tree, whose inner pith is useful for creating a flour from which bread can be baked.

Having been on the island for a year, the men take stock of what they have accomplished and their present condition. The question of their precise location is raised; they use the sextant found in the treasure chest to take a second reading to confirm their previous findings. They discover that Cyrus was quite accurate, but they remember the atlas in the chest as well. They learn that they are less than 150 miles from an island on the map known as Tabor Island, and they resolve to build a ship and visit it the next spring.

With winter approaching, they spend the cold months on separate tasks. Pencroff and Cyrus design a boat large enough to undertake the voyage, Harbert and Gideon are the regular hunters and food gatherers, and Neb is in charge of Granite House and the surrounding areas. Much to Harbert and Gideon’s delight, they discover tobacco on one of their hunting trips, determining to keep this information secret from Pencroff—who has spent the last year complaining about his desire to smoke a pipe—until they have time to prepare it properly for him.

The greatest excitement comes in the form of a giant Right Whale that has gotten stuck in the harbor, eventually beaching itself only three miles from Granite House. The men butcher it. Several weeks after this arduous undertaking, the men’s tobacco process has been successful, and they present their gift to Pencroff: “‘I promise you all, I’ll make this up to you someday!’ the sailor answered. ‘Now I’m yours forever, in this life and the next!’” (370).