The Mysterious Island · Chapter
XXVII explained
The colonists explore the southern coast of Lincoln Island in search of signs of a shipwreck, finding only a natural harbor they name Balloon Harbor.
What happens
The colonists explore the southern coast of Lincoln Island in search of signs of a shipwreck, finding only a natural harbor they name Balloon Harbor. They return to the Mercy at midnight to find their canoe drifting downstream, which they recover, only to discover upon reaching Granite House that the ladder is missing.
Themes in this chapter
Isolation and Longing for Home
The colonists' search for a shipwreck and their discussion of lost chances to return home highlight their isolation and desire for rescue.
Nature and the Sublime
The description of the southern coast's rugged beauty, including the mists, reefs, and natural harbor, evokes the sublime power of nature.
Providence and Mystery
The mysterious drifting canoe arriving just in time and the missing ladder suggest a supernatural or providential force at work on the island.
Characters to notice
- Cyrus Smith
Leads the exploration and deduces that a ship must have touched the island but left no trace.
- Gideon Spilett
Proposes continuing the exploration along the south coast to settle the question of the shipwreck.
- Pencroff
Strongly supports the exploration, discusses building a bridge and a decked launch, and recovers the drifting canoe.
- Herbert Brown
Points out the distance to Claw Cape and later spots the drifting canoe.
- Neb
Provides provisions for the journey and helps recover the canoe; discovers the ladder is missing.
- Top
Scouts ahead along the edge of the forest and barks furiously upon arrival at Granite House.
Key passages
“Smith and his companions slept like mice in the cavern which the jaguar had so politely vacated, and, by sunrise, all were on the extremity of the promontory, and scrutinizing the horizon visible on either hand.”
The group slept soundly in the cave the jaguar had left, and at dawn they stood at the tip of the promontory, scanning the horizon in both directions.
Describes the start of the day's exploration.
“A ship would surely be lost on these sands and shoals and reefs. It is poor quarters!”
Pencroff remarks that the treacherous sands, shoals, and reefs would likely cause a shipwreck, calling the area dangerous.
Highlights the hazardous coastline.
“Had there been such things as genii, this incident would have been sufficient to make the colonists believe that the island was inhabited by a supernatural being, who placed his power at their disposal.”
The timely arrival of the canoe was so fortunate that it might have convinced the colonists of a supernatural presence on the island.
Emphasizes the mysterious nature of the event.