large/8765/captain_hatteras_2_1401_librivox_64kb_mp3/captainhatteras2_06_verne_64kb_24
large/8765/captain_hatteras_2_1401_librivox_64kb_mp3/captainhatteras2_06_verne_64kb
English
8765
This preparatory work occupied the whole of Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. At last they came to hard granite close in grain, and containing garnets and felspar crystals, which flew out with every stroke of the pickaxe. [Illustration: ] The dimensions and plan of the snow house were then settled by the Doctor. THIS PREPARATORY WORK OCCUPIED THE WHOLE OF MONDAY TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY AT LAST THEY CAME TO HARD GRANITE CLOSE IN GRAIN AND CONTAINING GARNETS AND FELDSPAR CRYSTALS WHICH FLEW OUT WITH EVERY STROKE OF THE PICKAXE THE DIMENSIONS AND PLAN OF THE SNOW HOUSE WERE THEN SETTLED BY THE DOCTOR
 summer months. Towards the north, a promontory stretched out into the sea, and about three miles away was an island of moderate size. The roadstead thus formed would have afforded safe anchorage to ships, but for the difficulty of entering it. A considerable distance inland there was a solitary mountain, about 3000 feet high, by the Doctor's reckoning; and half-way up the steep rocky cliffs that rose from the shore, they noticed a circular plateau, open on three sides to the bay and sheltered on the fourth by a precipitous wall, 120 feet high. This seemed to the Doctor the very place for this house, from its naturally fortified situation. By cutting steps in the ice, they managed to climb up and examine it more closely. [Illustration: ] They were soon convinced they could not have a better foundation, and resolved to commence operations forthwith, by removing the hard snow more than ten feet deep, which covered the ground, as both dwelling and storehouses must have a solid foundation. URING THE SUMMER MONTHS TOWARDS THE NORTH A PROMONTORY STRETCHED OUT INTO THE SEA AND ABOUT THREE MILES AWAY WAS AN ISLAND OF MODERATE SIZE THE ROADSTEAD THUS FORMED WOULD HAVE AFFORDED SAFE ANCHORAGE TO SHIPS BUT FOR THE DIFFICULTY OF ENTERING IT A CONSIDERABLE DISTANCE INLAND THERE WAS A SOLITARY MOUNTAIN ABOUT THREE THOUSAND FEET HIGH BY THE DOCTOR'S RECKONING AND HALF WAY UP THE STEEP ROCKY CLIFFS THAT AROSE FROM THE SHORE THEY NOTICED A CIRCULAR PLATEAU OPEN ON THREE SIDES TO THE BAY AND SHELTERED ON THE FOURTH BY A PRECIPITOUS WALL ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY FEET HIGH THIS SEEMED TO THE DOCTOR THE VERY PLACE FOR THIS HOUSE FROM ITS NATURALLY FORTIFIED SITUATION BY CUTTING STEPS IN THE ICE THEY MANAGED TO CLIMB UP AND EXAMINE IT MORE CLOSELY THEY WERE SOON CONVINCED THEY COULD NOT HAVE A BETTER FOUNDATION AND RESOLVED TO COMMENCE OPERATIONS FORTHWITH BY REMOVING THE HARD SNOW MORE THAN TEN FEET DEEP WHICH COVERED THE GROUND AS BOTH DWELLING AND STOREHOUSES MUST HAVE A SOLID FOUNDATION
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