All at once the reporter sprang up, and telling the sailor that he would rejoin them at that same place, he climbed the cliff in the direction which the Negro Neb had taken a few hours before. Anxiety hastened his steps, for he longed to obtain news of his friend, and he soon disappeared round an angle of the cliff. Herbert wished to accompany him.

"Stop here, my boy," said the sailor; "we have to prepare an encampment, and to try and find rather better grub than these shell-fish. Our friends will want something when they come back. There is work for everybody."

"I am ready," replied Herbert.

"All right," said the sailor; "that will do. We must set about it regularly. We are tired, cold, and hungry; therefore we must have shelter, fire, and food. There is wood in the forest, and eggs in nests; we have only to find a house."

"Very well," returned Herbert, "I will look for a cave among the rocks, and I shall be sure to discover some hole into which we can creep."

"All right," said Pencroft; "go on, my boy."

They both walked to the foot of the enormous wall over the beach, far from which the tide had now retreated; but instead of going towards the north, they went southward. Pencroft had remarked, several hundred feet from the place at which they landed, a narrow cutting, out of which he thought a river or stream might issue. Now, on the one hand it was important to settle themselves in the neighborhood of a good stream of water, and on the other it was possible that the current had thrown Cyrus Harding on the shore there.

The cliff, as has been said, rose to a height of three hundred feet, but the mass was unbroken throughout, and even at its base, scarcely washed by the sea, it did not offer the smallest fissure¹ which would serve as a dwelling². It was a perpendicular³ wall of very hard granite⁴, which even the waves had not worn away. Towards the summit fluttered myriads⁵ of sea-fowl, and especially those of the web-footed species with long, flat, pointed⁶ beaks--a

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1 fissure
n.裂缝；裂伤
参考例句：
Though we all got out to examine the fissure,he remained in the car.我们纷纷下车察看那个大裂缝，他却呆在车上。 Ground fissure is the main geological disaster in Xi'an city construction.地裂缝是西安市主要的工程地质灾害问题。

2 dwelling
n.住宅，住所，寓所
参考例句：
Those two men are dwelling with us.那两个人跟我们住在一起。 He occupies a three-story dwelling place on the Park Street.他在派克街上有一幢3层楼的寓所。

3 perpendicular
adj.垂直的，直立的；n.垂直线，垂直的位置
参考例句：
The two lines of bones are set perpendicular to one another.这两排骨头相互垂直。 The wall is out of the perpendicular.这墙有些倾斜。

4 granite
adj.花岗岩，花岗石
参考例句：
They squared a block of granite.他们把一块花岗岩加工成四方形。 The granite overlies the older rocks.花岗岩躺在磨损的岩石上面。

5 myriads
n.无数，极大数量( myriad的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Each galaxy contains myriads of stars. 每一星系都有无数的恒星。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The sky was set with myriads of stars. 无数星星点缀着夜空。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

6 pointed
adj.尖的，直截了当的
参考例句：
He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。 She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

7 clamorous
adj.吵闹的，喧哗的
参考例句：
They are clamorous for better pay.他们吵吵嚷嚷要求增加工资。 The meeting began to become clamorous.会议开始变得喧哗了。

8 domains
n.范围( domain的名词复数 )；领域；版图；地产
参考例句：
The theory of thermodynamics links the macroscopic and submicroscopic domains. 热力学把宏观世界同亚微观世界联系起来。 来自辞典例句 All three flow domains are indicated by shading. 所有三个流动区域都是用阴影部分表示的。 来自辞典例句

9 gulls
n.鸥( gull的名词复数 )v.欺骗某人( gull的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：
A flock of sea gulls are hovering over the deck. 一群海鸥在甲板上空飞翔。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 The gulls which haunted the outlying rocks in a prodigious number. 数不清的海鸥在遥远的岩石上栖息。 来自辞典例句

10 voracious
adj.狼吞虎咽的，贪婪的
参考例句：
She's a voracious reader of all kinds of love stories.什么样的爱情故事她都百看不厌。 Joseph Smith was a voracious book collector.约瑟夫·史密斯是个如饥似渴的藏书家。

11 crevices
n.（尤指岩石的）裂缝，缺口( crevice的名词复数 )
参考例句：
It has bedded into the deepest crevices of the store. 它已钻进了店里最隐避的隙缝。 来自辞典例句 The wind whistled through the crevices in the rock. 风呼啸着吹过岩石的缝隙。 来自辞典例句

12 swarm
n.(昆虫)等一大群；vi.成群飞舞；蜂拥而入
参考例句：
There is a swarm of bees in the tree.这树上有一窝蜜蜂。 A swarm of ants are moving busily.一群蚂蚁正在忙碌地搬家。

13 wrack
v.折磨；n.海草
参考例句：
Periodic crises wrack the capitalist system,and they grow in size and duration.周期性的危机破坏着资本主义制度，这种危机的规模在扩大，时间在延长。 The wrack had begun to stink as it rotted in the sun.海草残骸在阳光下腐烂，开始变臭了。

14 abounded
v.大量存在，充满，富于( abound的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
Get-rich-quick schemes abounded, and many people lost their savings. “生财之道”遍地皆是，然而许多人一生积攒下来的钱转眼之间付之东流。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件 Shoppers thronged the sidewalks. Olivedrab and navy-blue uniforms abounded. 人行道上逛商店的人摩肩接踵，身着草绿色和海军蓝军装的军人比比皆是。 来自辞典例句

15 attentively
adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神
参考例句：
She listened attentively while I poured out my problems. 我倾吐心中的烦恼时，她一直在注意听。 来自《简明英汉词典》 She listened attentively and set down every word he said. 她专心听着，把他说的话一字不漏地记下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 perfectly
adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地
参考例句：
The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。 Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

17 industrious
adj.勤劳的，刻苦的，奋发的
参考例句：
If the tiller is industrious,the farmland is productive.人勤地不懒。 She was an industrious and willing worker.她是个勤劳肯干的员工。

18 excavate
vt.挖掘，挖出
参考例句：
They plan to excavate a large hole.他们计划挖个大洞。 A new Danish expedition is again excavating the site in annual summer digs.一支新的丹麦探险队又在那个遗址上进行一年一度的夏季挖掘。

19 oysters
牡蛎( oyster的名词复数 )
参考例句：
We don't have oysters tonight, but the crayfish are very good. 我们今晚没有牡蛎供应。但小龙虾是非常好。 She carried a piping hot grill of oysters and bacon. 她端出一盘滚烫的烤牡蛎和咸肉。

20 palatable
adj.可口的，美味的；惬意的
参考例句：
The truth is not always very palatable.事实真相并非尽如人意。 This wine is palatable and not very expensive.这种酒味道不错，价钱也不算贵。

21 condiments
n.调味品
参考例句：
Refill and clean all salt and peppers, sugar bowls, and other condiments. 清洁并续满所有的胡椒瓶、盐瓶、糖缸及其他调料。 Go easy on condiments, they tend to be salty. 别放太多调味品，这样往往会太咸。

22 appeased
安抚，抚慰( appease的过去式和过去分词 )； 绥靖（满足另一国的要求以避免战争）
参考例句：
His hunger could only be appeased by his wife. 他的欲望只有他的妻子能满足。 They are the more readily appeased. 他们比较容易和解。

23 uneven
adj.不平坦的，不规则的，不均匀的
参考例句：
The sidewalk is very uneven—be careful where you walk.这人行道凹凸不平—走路时请小心。 The country was noted for its uneven distribution of land resources.这个国家以土地资源分布不均匀出名。

24 regained
复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地
参考例句：
The majority of the people in the world have regained their liberty. 世界上大多数人已重获自由。 She hesitated briefly but quickly regained her poise. 她犹豫片刻，但很快恢复了镇静。

25 ascertained
v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
The previously unidentified objects have now been definitely ascertained as being satellites. 原来所说的不明飞行物现在已证实是卫星。 来自《简明英汉词典》 I ascertained that she was dead. 我断定她已经死了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

26 subterranean
adj.地下的，地表下的
参考例句：
London has 9 miles of such subterranean passages.伦敦像这样的地下通道有9英里长。 We wandered through subterranean passages.我们漫游地下通道。

27 creek
n.小溪，小河，小湾
参考例句：
He sprang through the creek.他跳过小河。 People sunbathe in the nude on the rocks above the creek.人们在露出小溪的岩石上裸体晒日光浴。

28 stunted
adj.矮小的；发育迟缓的
参考例句：
the stunted lives of children deprived of education 未受教育的孩子所过的局限生活 But the landed oligarchy had stunted the country's democratic development for generations. 但是好几代以来土地寡头的统治阻碍了这个国家民主的发展。

29 limpid
adj.清澈的，透明的
参考例句：
He has a pair of limpid blue eyes.他有一双清澈的蓝眼睛。 The sky was a limpid blue,as if swept clean of everything.碧空如洗。

30 grotto
n.洞穴
参考例句：
We reached a beautiful grotto,whose entrance was almost hiden by the vine.我们到达了一个美丽的洞穴，洞的进口几乎被藤蔓遮掩著。 Water trickles through an underground grotto.水沿着地下岩洞流淌。

31 penetrated
adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式
参考例句：
The knife had penetrated his chest. 刀子刺入了他的胸膛。 They penetrated into territory where no man had ever gone before. 他们已进入先前没人去过的地区。

32 equilibrium
n.平衡，均衡，相称，均势，平静
参考例句：
Change in the world around us disturbs our inner equilibrium.我们周围世界的变化扰乱了我们内心的平静。 This is best expressed in the form of an equilibrium constant.这最好用平衡常数的形式来表示。

33 exterior
adj.外部的，外在的；表面的
参考例句：
The seed has a hard exterior covering.这种子外壳很硬。 We are painting the exterior wall of the house.我们正在给房子的外墙涂漆。

34 abridged
削减的，删节的
参考例句：
The rights of citizens must not be abridged without proper cause. 没有正当理由，不能擅自剥夺公民的权利。 The play was abridged for TV. 剧本经过节略，以拍摄电视片。

35 isolating
adj.孤立的，绝缘的v.使隔离( isolate的现在分词 )；将…剔出（以便看清和单独处理）；使（某物质、细胞等）分离；使离析
参考例句：
Colour filters are not very effective in isolating narrow spectral bands. 一些滤色片不能很有效地分离狭窄的光谱带。 来自辞典例句 This became known as the streak method for isolating bacteria. 这个方法以后就称为分离细菌的划线法。 来自辞典例句

36 labyrinth
n.迷宫；难解的事物；迷路
参考例句：
He wandered through the labyrinth of the alleyways.他在迷宫似的小巷中闲逛。 The human mind is a labyrinth.人的心灵是一座迷宫。

37 shrieks
n.尖叫声( shriek的名词复数 )v.尖叫( shriek的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：
shrieks of fiendish laughter 恶魔般的尖笑声 For years, from newspapers, broadcasts, the stages and at meetings, we had heard nothing but grandiloquent rhetoric delivered with shouts and shrieks that deafened the ears. 多少年来， 报纸上， 广播里， 舞台上， 会场上的声嘶力竭，装腔做态的高调搞得我们震耳欲聋。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

38 utilize
vt.使用，利用
参考例句：
The cook will utilize the leftover ham bone to make soup.厨师要用吃剩的猪腿骨做汤。 You must utilize all available resources.你必须利用一切可以得到的资源。

39 ebb
vi.衰退，减退；n.处于低潮，处于衰退状态
参考例句：
The flood and ebb tides alternates with each other.涨潮和落潮交替更迭。 They swam till the tide began to ebb.他们一直游到开始退潮。

40 naturalist
n.博物学家(尤指直接观察动植物者)
参考例句：
He was a printer by trade and naturalist by avocation.他从事印刷业，同时是个博物学爱好者。 The naturalist told us many stories about birds.博物学家给我们讲述了许多有关鸟儿的故事。

41 opaque
adj.不透光的；不反光的，不传导的；晦涩的
参考例句：
The windows are of opaque glass.这些窗户装着不透明玻璃。 Their intentions remained opaque.他们的意图仍然令人费解。

42 boughs
大树枝( bough的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The green boughs glittered with all their pearls of dew. 绿枝上闪烁着露珠的光彩。 A breeze sighed in the higher boughs. 微风在高高的树枝上叹息着。

43 moored
adj. 系泊的 动词moor的过去式和过去分词形式
参考例句：
The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London. 该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。 We shipped (the) oars and moored alongside the bank. 我们收起桨，把船泊在岸边。

44 ascent
n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高
参考例句：
His rapid ascent in the social scale was surprising.他的社会地位提高之迅速令人吃惊。 Burke pushed the button and the elevator began its slow ascent.伯克按动电钮，电梯开始缓慢上升。

45 vigor
n.活力，精力，元气
参考例句：
The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。 She didn't want to be reminded of her beauty or her former vigor.现在，她不愿人们提起她昔日的美丽和以前的精力充沛。

46 attaining
（通常经过努力）实现( attain的现在分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况）
参考例句：
Jim is halfway to attaining his pilot's licence. 吉姆就快要拿到飞行员执照了。 By that time she was attaining to fifty. 那时她已快到五十岁了。

47 catastrophe
n.大灾难，大祸
参考例句：
I owe it to you that I survived the catastrophe.亏得你我才大难不死。 This is a catastrophe beyond human control.这是一场人类无法控制的灾难。

48 watery
adj.有水的，水汪汪的；湿的，湿润的
参考例句：
In his watery eyes there is an expression of distrust.他那含泪的眼睛流露出惊惶失措的神情。 Her eyes became watery because of the smoke.因为烟熏，她的双眼变得泪汪汪的。

49 solitary
adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士
参考例句：
I am rather fond of a solitary stroll in the country.我颇喜欢在乡间独自徜徉。 The castle rises in solitary splendour on the fringe of the desert.这座城堡巍然耸立在沙漠的边际，显得十分壮美。

50 reposing
v.将（手臂等）靠在某人（某物）上( repose的现在分词 )
参考例句：
His parents were now reposing in the local churchyard. 他的双亲现在长眠于本地教堂墓地。 来自辞典例句 The picture shows a nude reposing on a couch. 这幅画表现的是一个人赤身体躺在长沙发上。 来自辞典例句

51 extremity
n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度
参考例句：
I hope you will help them in their extremity.我希望你能帮助在穷途末路的他们。 What shall we do in this extremity?在这种极其困难的情况下我们该怎么办呢？

52 evergreen
n.常青树；adj.四季常青的
参考例句：
Some trees are evergreen;they are called evergreen.有的树是常青的，被叫做常青树。 There is a small evergreen shrub on the hillside.山腰上有一小块常绿灌木丛。

53 scattered
adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的
参考例句：
Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来，塞进文件夹里。

54 glades
n.林中空地( glade的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Maggie and Philip had been meeting secretly in the glades near the mill. 玛吉和菲利曾经常在磨坊附近的林中空地幽会。 来自辞典例句 Still the outlaw band throve in Sherwood, and hunted the deer in its glades. 当他在沉思中变老了，世界还是照样走它的路，亡命之徒仍然在修武德日渐壮大，在空地里猎鹿。 来自互联网

55 winding
n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈
参考例句：
A winding lane led down towards the river.一条弯弯曲曲的小路通向河边。 The winding trail caused us to lose our orientation.迂回曲折的小道使我们迷失了方向。

56 abrupt
adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的
参考例句：
The river takes an abrupt bend to the west.这河突然向西转弯。 His abrupt reply hurt our feelings.他粗鲁的回答伤了我们的感情。

57 isolated
adj.与世隔绝的
参考例句：
His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。 Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

58 shingle
n.木瓦板；小招牌(尤指医生或律师挂的营业招牌)；v.用木瓦板盖（屋顶）；把（女子头发）剪短
参考例句：
He scraped away the dirt,and exposed a pine shingle.他刨去泥土，下面露出一块松木瓦块。 He hung out his grandfather's shingle.他挂出了祖父的行医招牌。

59 varied
adj.多样的，多变化的
参考例句：
The forms of art are many and varied.艺术的形式是多种多样的。 The hotel has a varied programme of nightly entertainment.宾馆有各种晚间娱乐活动。

60 providence
n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝
参考例句：
It is tempting Providence to go in that old boat.乘那艘旧船前往是冒大险。 To act as you have done is to fly in the face of Providence.照你的所作所为那样去行事，是违背上帝的意志的。

61 pious
adj.虔诚的；道貌岸然的
参考例句：
Alexander is a pious follower of the faith.亚历山大是个虔诚的信徒。 Her mother was a pious Christian.她母亲是一个虔诚的基督教徒。

62 gratitude
adj.感激，感谢
参考例句：
I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。 She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。

63 inspection
n.检查，审查，检阅
参考例句：
On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。 The soldiers lined up for their daily inspection by their officers.士兵们列队接受军官的日常检阅。

64 crest
n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖
参考例句：
The rooster bristled his crest.公鸡竖起了鸡冠。 He reached the crest of the hill before dawn.他于黎明前到达山顶。

65 conjuror
n.魔术师，变戏法者
参考例句：
The boys looked at the conjuror in silent wonder.孩子们目瞪口呆地看着那魔术师。 The conjuror's magic delighted the children.魔术师的戏法逗乐了孩子们。

66 despatch
n./v.(dispatch)派遣；发送；n.急件；新闻报道
参考例句：
The despatch of the task force is purely a contingency measure.派出特遣部队纯粹是应急之举。 He rushed the despatch through to headquarters.他把急件赶送到总部。

67 embark
vi.乘船，着手，从事，上飞机
参考例句：
He is about to embark on a new business venture.他就要开始新的商业冒险活动。 Many people embark for Europe at New York harbor.许多人在纽约港乘船去欧洲。

68 steer
vt.驾驶，为…操舵；引导；vi.驾驶
参考例句：
If you push the car, I'll steer it.如果你来推车，我就来驾车。 It's no use trying to steer the boy into a course of action that suits you.想说服这孩子按你的方式行事是徒劳的。

69 fathoms
英寻( fathom的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The harbour is four fathoms deep. 港深为四英寻。 One bait was down forty fathoms. 有个鱼饵下沉到四十英寻的深处。