The Mysterious Island Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Captain Grant's Children

Chapter 134 The Mysterious Island (19)
Soon, everyone got used to using this rope ladder.They were nimble and nimble, and Pencroft, who was accustomed to climb the shrouds quickly as a sailor, was able to teach them how to climb the rope-ladders.And Top, the poor four-legged dog, was born unable to climb the ladder.But Pencroft was a patient and enthusiastic teacher. Under Pencroft's teaching, Top climbed well, and soon became as proficient as those of his kind in the circus.The sailor was very happy to see his students making such progress.But he couldn't express it, so he put Top on his back again and again.Top seemed to enjoy it so much that he never complained.

Work was progressing rapidly, and the season of bad weather was approaching.What I want to say here is that the question of food has not been forgotten during this period.The reporter and Harbert had become everyone's food provider, spending hours each day hunting.Because there is no bridge or boat, they are still unable to cross the "Grateful River", and they are only hunting in the Central and South American forests on the left bank of the "Grateful River". Therefore, this vast forest known as the Far West Forest has not yet been surveyed. Pass.They want to save this survey until the sunny days of next spring.However, there are already a lot of prey in the forests of Central and South America.Wild boars and kangaroos are everywhere.The hunters' iron-tipped spears, bows and arrows were thus used.In addition, Hubbert also discovered a natural rabbit forest in the southwest corner of the lagoon.It was a somewhat damp meadow, and the air was filled with bursts of fragrant herbs, such as thyme, basil, thyme, campanula, and various other herbs of the Labiatae family, which rabbits love to eat.

According to the reporter's thinking, since there are so many grasses for rabbits to eat here, it would be too disappointing if there were no rabbits.So the two hunters carefully searched for rabbits in this rabbit forest.This wood is rich in vegetation, and if a naturalist comes here, he will certainly have a rare opportunity to study plant specimens.Therefore, Hubbert collected a certain amount of buds of rosemary, basil, medicinal stamens, melissa, etc. They all have different medicinal effects, such as expectorant and antitussive, astringent, and fever-reducing, and some are Antispasmodic or rheumatic.Afterwards Pencroft asked what was the use of the gathered grass.

The young man replied: "It is used to treat diseases, and it can be used to treat diseases when we are sick."

said Pencroft with affected seriousness. "Why should we be sick, and there are no doctors on the island?"

The lad was speechless, but gathered the herbs anyway, and they were very popular at Granite Palace.In addition to these herbs, he also collected many plants with symmetrical leaves. In North America, it is called "Oswego tea", which can be made into a very delicious drink.

Finally, on that day, after earnest searching by two hunters, they came to the real location of the Rabbit Forest.The ground there is full of holes.

Harbert yelled, "Rabbit Hole!"

The reporter said, "Yes, I saw it."

"But will the rabbit be in there?"

"That's a problem."

The answer will come soon.Almost immediately, countless small animals resembling rabbits fled in all directions at such a speed that even Top could not keep up.After a vain pursuit by hunters and dogs, the rodents easily escaped.But the reporter must catch it half a dozen before leaving.He wants to fill the pantry with them, and catch some later to tame.As long as some covers are set at the entrance of the hole, it will be successful.But currently there is no cover, and there is no material to make a cover.So he had to be patient and stick a stick into each hole to search for them.

After searching for an hour, four rodents were finally caught in the nest.These rabbits are much like their European counterparts, commonly known as "American rabbits."

The little prey was then brought back to Granite Palace, where it appeared at dinner.The masters of this rabbit forest are not to be underestimated, and they bring delicious food to everyone.This is a precious resource for everyone, and it now appears that these resources will be inexhaustible.

On May 5, the partition wall was built.The next step is to furnish the room with furniture.This will be what the long winter days will need to dry.A chimney was installed in the first room used as a kitchen.The pipes used to guide the smoke caused some trouble for the temporary furnace builders.Cyrus Harding thought that the clay of brick-making would make a simple chimney-pipe; and as there was no need for it to reach the higher ground above, they cut a hole in the granite above the kitchen window, and placed it diagonally. Pipes lead into this hole, like the pipes of a tin furnace.However, such an installation has the potential to cause smoke to flow backwards when strong winds from the east hit the frontage.Of course, such winds are rare.Besides, Master Neb, the cook, didn't care much about it.

As soon as the interior decoration was completed, the engineer was busy blocking the original drain leading to the lake, absolutely blocking this road.They rolled large chunks of rock into the hole and reinforced it with cement.Cyrus Harding had not yet carried out his plan of flooding the outfall with lake water.He wanted to build a dam to restore the lake to its original height.And now he just covered up the blocked hole completely with bushes, grass and thorns.These plants are planted in the crevices of the rocks, and by next spring they will be thriving.

However, he still used the tunnel to lead a small stream of fresh water from the lake to his new house.A ditch dug under the water surface completed the introduction of fresh water.A continuous flow of pure spring water can provide twenty-five to thirty gallons of water for the "Granite Palace" under such diversion.In this way, "Granite Palace" will never lack water.

At last it was all over, and in time.Because the season of bad weather has finally arrived.Thick slats seal off the front windows first, allowing them to be replaced when engineers have time to create the window panes.

On the rocky outcrops around the window, Jardin Splane also artistically arranged various plants and long floating grass, so that the window opening seems to be framed with a chic and beautiful green frame, which is eye-catching. It feels very comfortable.

The new residence is strong, safe and tidy, and everyone is very satisfied with the results of their labor.They could see far, far through the window, and could see the two Collarbone Capes to the north and the Claw Cape to the south.The entire "United States Bay" majesticly presented in front of everyone.Their honest and brave men, therefore, had reason to be satisfied with it, and Pencroft, unable to restrain his delight, raved about the new abode, which he jokingly called "a suite on the second floor above the sixth floor"!
a grain of wheat

June on this island is equivalent to December in the northern hemisphere.So, with the arrival of June, winter begins.As soon as winter came, everyone felt the bad weather, with strong winds accompanied by continuous showers.But this has no effect on the "Granite Palace", which shows the superiority of the new residence even more. The place where the "chimney" lives can't resist the severe cold in winter, and from time to time, we have to worry that the tide caused by the sea breeze will pour in, causing the "chimney" to fall and kill people.Cyrus Harding also took some precautions against various dangers, in order to protect as much as possible the iron furnace installed there.The whole month of June was good for odd jobs, including fishing and hunting, so that the pantry was always well stocked.As soon as Pencroft had time, he suggested digging traps, in the hope of getting the most advantage out of them.He has made covers out of vegetable fibers, so that the rabbit farms are able to submit rodents for them every day.Neb spends almost all of his time making bacon and cured meat, which ensures that everyone has some easy-to-keep, high-quality meat.

The question of clothing was also seriously discussed.They had no change of clothes except those they wore when the balloon dropped them on this lonely island.Although the clothes were warm and strong, and they took care to keep them as clean as possible, they still needed to be replaced.In addition, if the winter is very cold, the big guys are likely to be frozen with these clothes.

There was not much Cyrus Harding could do in this respect.He was preoccupied with solving the most urgent and important problems, such as building shelter, securing food supplies, etc., rather than clothing.There is a possibility of a cold snap, so we have to endure the first winter on the island.When the good spring comes, they will get down to hunting those blue sheep in earnest.They had noticed their presence while surveying "Franklin Peak".Once wool is collected, engineers can weave it into warm and strong clothing.how to weaveThen there will be a way.

"Come on," said Pencroft, "calves are roasted at Granite Palace, no big deal! Fuel is plentiful, and we don't need to save."

Jardine Splane continued: "Besides, 'Lincoln Island' is not a region with a very high latitude, and it may not be very cold in winter. Didn't you tell us that this 35° latitude is the same as that of the other hemisphere? What about Spain's latitude of 35°?"

The engineer replied: "It's almost the same, but in Spain, sometimes the winter is very cold! There will be snow and ice. Maybe 'Lincoln Island' will also experience severe cold. However, on this small island, the temperature may be lower. Take it easy."

"Why is that, Mr. Cyrus?" asked Harbert.

"Because the sea seems to be a huge warehouse, which stores the heat in summer. When winter comes, it releases the heat, which makes the temperature in the area near the ocean relatively moderate. It is not too hot in summer and not too hot in winter." cold."

"Then we'll see," said Pencroft. "I only think I can bear the cold. One thing is certain, the days are short and the nights are long. Shall we discuss the lighting?"

"It couldn't be easier," replied Cyrus Harding.

Sailor asked: "Does this mean research?"

"No, it means solving."

"So when do we start working on this?"

"Tomorrow, a seal hunt."

"Is it for candles?"

"Yes! Pencroft, for candles."

This is indeed the engineer's plan, and it is a completely achievable plan.He himself has sulfuric acid and lime.Moreover, the amphibians on the small island can provide him with a large amount of fat needed to make candles.

It was Sunday, June 6th, Pentecost.It was unanimously agreed to observe the rules of the festival, suspend all work in hand, and pray to heaven.Now that prayer becomes an act of thanksgiving.The big guys are no longer the poor victims who were abandoned on the island. They no longer beg to the sky, but are grateful.

On June 6, the weather was unpredictable, but they set out for the island anyway.Take advantage of low tide to wade through that channel.With this in mind, they all agreed to build a small boat.With a boat, it is easy to cross the waterway, and you can also go up the "Grateful River" to the southwest of the island for reconnaissance.This survey is very necessary, but we will have to wait until spring when the flowers bloom.

There were many seals on the island, and the hunters easily killed five or six of them with iron-tipped spears.Neb and Pencroft skinned them, and brought back only their hide and fat to Granite Palace, where the leather could be used to make shoes.

The hunt was very fruitful, and three hundred pounds of fat were obtained, all of which were used to make candles.

The process of making candles is very simple. Although the finished product is not very beautiful, it is very practical.Cyrus Harding now has only vitriol.To this end, he first heated sulfuric acid and the neutral fat bodies of seals together to separate glycerin, and then used boiling water to easily separate margarine, triolein and stearin from this new compound.To further simplify the process, he used lime alkalized fat.The result thus obtained is a calcium carbonate soap which is readily decomposed by sulfuric acid, which precipitates the lime as sulphate and separates the fatty acids.

Of the three acids, heptadecanoic, oleic, and stearic, the first is a liquid that is squeezed out with force.The other two are the substances that will be used to make molded candles.The entire process takes no more than twenty hours.Through many tests, the candle wick is made of plant fiber and immersed in the above-mentioned molten substances. They only need two processes of whitening and polishing, and they become real handmade stearic acid candles.If the candle wick is soaked in boric acid, it can form a glassy object during the burning process and can be completely burned out, but the candles they made probably do not have this advantage.However, Cyrus Harding made a beautiful pair of candle scissors out of this.There was much satisfaction in the part these candles played in the long night at Granite House.

During the whole month they did not idle about in their new dwelling, the joiners made some tools.Although these tools are crude, they are also practical, and they are ready for further processing.

A pair of scissors was also made, and the big guys can finally cut their hair. Although they can't shave, they can also trim them according to their own preferences.Hubbert had no beard, and Neb hardly had any, but the others had beards all over their chins, which shows that making scissors is very necessary.

Also made a hand saw - this one belongs to the knivesaw or something.Although it took a lot of effort, they finally made it.As long as you use a little force when using it, you can saw the wood.With this hand saw they made chairs, tables, chests, furnished the main room a little, and made bed frames with mattresses made of eelweed.In the kitchen, some shelves were installed, on which clay vessels, brick ovens, and stone slabs for washing were placed. it is good.

But soon the joiner is going to be a carpenter instead.Because a new drainage channel was formed by blasting, so two bridges needed to be built.One was built on the beach and the other was built on Prospect Heights.Currently, Prospect Heights and the beach are indeed cut laterally by a current.If you want to go to the north of the island, you must cross this current, and there is no other way to choose.In order to avoid it, everyone had to make another big bend and climb to the west to reach the source of the Red River.The easiest way, therefore, is to build two bridges over Prospect Heights and the beach, as long as they have a length of twenty to twenty-five feet.It only needs to use an ax to trim a few trees into a square shape, and the structure of the whole bridge is formed.The project took several days.As soon as the bridge was built, Neb and Pencroft made use of it.They went as far as the oyster colonies they had found around the dunes.They used a four-wheeled delivery cart instead of the previous baskets.Because that basket is so inconvenient.They shipped back thousands of oysters and raised them among those rocks.In this way, many natural oyster breeding ponds have been formed at the mouth of the "Grateful River".These molluscs are great food, and big guys eat some almost every day.

It can be seen that the current "Lincoln Island" has met all the needs of everyone, although they have only surveyed a small part of it.And probably, when they got to its deepest point, the wooded area that stretched from the Thanksgiving River to the Serpentine Headland, there would be more natural treasures to be found.

To the big guy's embarrassment, there's one thing they don't have yet.They have no shortage of nitrogenous foods, nor do they lack botanical products that dilute their effects: the fermented rhizome of the dracaena tree gives them a slightly sour drink.This drink is somewhat similar to beer, better than pure water.

They were also able to produce sugar without either cane or beets, by collecting the liquid distilled from the "sugar maple". The 'sugar maple' is a species of maple in the maple family that grows well in temperate regions.This tree grows all over the island.They made very good tea from plants they brought back from the rabbit forest; they had a lot of salt at the end, which was the only mineral product in the food...but bread was missing.

Perhaps in the future the big guys will replace this food with a similar food, such as bread tree starch or sago flour, and there may be these precious trees among the species of the southern forests, but they have not found them so far.

In this case, maybe God will come to help, of course, this is very unlikely.Ingenious and inventive as Cyrus Harding was, it was by no means possible that he could have produced what Hubbert had happened to discover in the middle of his jacket.Of course this is thanks to the jacket that was being mended at the time.

That day, it rained heavily.Everyone gathered at Granite Palace to take shelter from the rain.Suddenly the lad cried out: "Look, Mr. Cyrus, a grain of wheat!"

He happily showed the grain of wheat to his companions.This is also the only grain of wheat on the island, which fell into the interlayer from his holed pocket.The existence of this grain of wheat can explain what Hubbert's habits are like.

While at Richmond, Herbert fed some pigeons which Pencroft had given him.

The engineer asked quickly, "A grain of wheat?"

"Yes, Mr. Cyrus, but only one, and only this one!"

cried Pencroft, laughing, "Well, my boy, we've got a good deal now! But what can this grain of wheat get us?"

Cyrus Harding replied solemnly: "We can use it to make bread.".

Then the sailor continued: "Bread, pies, cakes! Come on! Just this grain of wheat? Surely this bread won't choke us right away!"

Seeing that everyone did not pay much attention to his discovery, Hubbert was about to throw away the grain of wheat.Cyrus Harding took the corn, examined it carefully, and seeing that it was in good condition, he looked at the sailor, and said calmly, "Pencroft, you know how much a grain of wheat can yield." Spike?"

The sailor replied: "I think it is one!" He was surprised how this question could be asked.

(End of this chapter)