n the forward deck later
in the day. The landing party returned about three o'clock. Acting on
advance instructions, they made their report in private to the Captain,
denying all information to the clamorous passengers. A brief conference
of officers, to which a number of men from the first cabin were invited,
was held immediately after Percival's return. A course of action was
discussed and agreed upon, and then all on board were summoned to the
open deck to hear the result of the expedition.

Percival reported the following facts and conclusions:

1. The island was approximately fifteen miles long and six or seven
miles wide in the centre. The basin in which the Doraine rested was
about midway between the extreme points, and about two miles inland from
the northern shore. The southern slope of the range descended to a flat
plain, or perhaps moor, some two miles across at its broadest point and
ran in varying width from one end of the island to the other. It was
green and almost entirely devoid of timber. The central eminence from
which the observations were taken was the loftiest of a range of ten or
twelve diminishing hills that formed what might actually be described as
the backbone of the island. The eastern extremity tapered off to a
long, level, low-lying promontory that ended in a point so sharp and
wedge-like that it bore a singular resemblance to the forward deck and
prow of a huge ironclad. The hills, as they approached the plateau,
terminated altogether a couple of miles from the tip of land. The
western half of the island (strictly speaking, it was a separate bit of
land, cut off from its neighbour by the ribbon-like channel), was of
a more rugged character, the hills, in fact, extending to the sea,
forming, no doubt, steep and precipitous cliffs, rising directly from
the water's edge.

(Since his return, Percival had painted on a large piece of canvas a
fairly accurate outline map of the bisected island as it had appeared
to him from the top of the mountain. This crude map was hung up in full
view of the spectators, and served him well in an effort to make clear
his deductions. His original sketch is reproduced later on in this
chronicle.)

2. There was no visible sign of past or present human habitation.
Absolutely nothing appeared to indicate that man had ever attempted to
claim or occupy this virgin land.

3. The channel through the mountain was less than one hundred feet wide.
The walls of this g