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

Chapter 145 The Mysterious Island (30)
The pantry of "Granite Palace" has always had rabbit meat provided by "Rabbit Forest".Since the rabbit forest is a little far away from the "glycerol canal", no matter how high the rabbits jump, they can't jump to the highland where the crops are planted, so the freshly planted crops can be preserved.There is also the "oyster farm" in the middle of the beach rocks, which is constantly renewed and replenished, so that you can eat good quality molluscs every day.In addition, fish are also harvested a lot.This was mainly because Pencroft was a good fisherman.He set several deep-water rods in the lake and on the Thanksgiving Creek, and the iron lines worked well, and there were always some like the beautiful trout and other delicious fish that voluntarily took the bait, and the catch was plentiful.These cute little fish have silver-white belly, and some are covered with yellow spots, very delicious and attractive.This gave Naboo, a chef, the opportunity to show his talents and cook delicious food for everyone in different ways every day.However, there is still no bread on everyone's table.This is a great concern to them, and every time they eat, they feel that something very important is missing.

Turtles often come and go on the sandy beach at Jawbone Cape.So during this time, they also often catch turtles.There are many small bulging sandbags on the beach, and some round turtle eggs are buried in the sandbags.Unlike bird eggs, sea turtle eggshells are white and hard, and the egg white has the property of not coagulating.Sea turtle eggs are hatched mainly by the heat of the sun, and each sea turtle lays up to 250 eggs a year, so there are countless sea turtle eggs on the beach.

Jardin Splane said happily: "It's a veritable egg field, just harvest it."

Even so, they were still not satisfied.They not only want sea turtle eggs, but also need producers of sea turtle eggs, so they launched an operation to capture sea turtles.As a result, they brought a dozen turtles back to Granite Palace.Sea turtles are very nutritious, boil it into soup, add some cruciferous plants, and match with some herbs, so that a soup with a complete color, flavor and taste is ready. Therefore, Master Nabu is often praised by everyone for this dish praise.

One more happy thing to mention is that they have harvested a new winter stock. The "Grateful River" has a new guest, and some salmon venture out in groups and swim up the river for several nautical miles.This time is the season for female fish to lay eggs.A large number of females seek suitable spawning sites.So these two-and-a-half-foot-long fish flooded into the "Grateful River".There are as many as a thousand of them, and they make a lot of noise as they swim to and fro in the water.It is also very simple to catch them, as long as a few dams are set up, a large number can be caught.So they have hundreds of salmon that they salt for the winter.At that time, even if the river freezes, everyone will not be short of fish to eat.

In this period, there is another gratifying thing. The bright and bright Jupu was promoted and became a personal servant.It put on a men's dress and a pair of white cloth shorts, and tied an apron around its waist. Probably it liked the pockets on the apron most, and it often walked around with its hands in it like a human being, and refused any search of people.Everyone has trained the clever orangutan to be obedient and obedient.Jupu's progress can be said to be rapid. When Naboo and Jupu chat, it can understand each other's words.

And Jupp liked Neb very much, and Neb was very fond of him.They admire each other.Except for giving Jupe other jobs, such as carrying logs or climbing to the top of a tree, he spent almost all of it in the kitchen.It has a strong ability to imitate, and it will follow what Naboo does.The master taught the apprentice patiently and meticulously.It can be said that Naboo taught in a persuasive and persuasive manner, and the apprentice lived up to expectations, and used his intelligence to learn very well.

Master Zhu Pu was also very self-conscious. One day, before the owners of the "Granite Palace" greeted them, Master Zhu Pu put a napkin on his arm and came to serve them like a waiter.They are very satisfied.Master Zhu Pu is attentive and dexterous in his work, such as delivering food, changing plates, and pouring drinks, etc., he does a great job.The conscientiousness with which everything was done, and the dexterity with which any service was rendered, delighted everyone, especially Pencroft, who was full of joy and excitement.

Everyone cheered and called Jupu loudly.

"Jup, some soup!"

"Have some agouti, Jupe!"

"Jup, here's a plate!"

"Jup, good Jup! Honest Jup!"

Calls kept coming, and there were many things to do, but Jupu was never in a hurry, dealt with it calmly, and was comprehensive and responsive.Seeing Jupp's excellence, Pencroft joked to him again as he had done on the first day: "You've done such a good job, Jupp, it seems that you should be paid double!" Shaking its clever head.

Needless to say, the orangutan was perfectly attuned to life at Granite House, and, although he often accompanied his masters to the forest, he never showed signs of fleeing.Let's see how it walks again: with a wooden stick that Pencroft made for it, it is carried on its shoulders, as if it were a gun, and it makes people laugh when they see it.So funny!Jupp's role is irreplaceable.If there is a fruit on the top of the tree that needs to be picked, it will fly to that high place!Once the wheels were in the mud, Jupp gave the car a hard push with his shoulder, and the car came out of the mud, and they were on their way again!

"This guy! If it's as bad as it is good, we really can't control it!"

At the end of January, a major project in the middle of the island began.It has been agreed that a livestock pen should be built at the foot of the "Franklin Peak" near the source of the "Red River" to house ruminants.If they are not restrained, they will have an impact on Granite Palace if they run wild.If those blue sheep are raised in pens, the wool for making winter clothes will be available.

So, every morning, everyone went to the source of the "Red River" to build a stable, sometimes to a part, sometimes all, and each time they were led by Cyrus Harding, Harbert and Pencroft.Through the newly opened road, although the distance is five nautical miles, with the help of the two wild donkeys, we don't have to travel hard, and the trees are shaded.Under the green vault, everyone seems to be strolling leisurely.This road is called "The Corral Road".

On the back of the small round hill on the south side of the mountain, we selected an open field.It was a meadow, with clumps of trees, at the foot of a ridge branch, which enclosed one side of it.A small stream flows down the slope and then into the Red River.The air here is fresh, the grass is green, and the trees are lush and sparse, which is very suitable for building livestock pens.It is only necessary to build a ring-fence round the lawn, with each extremity of the fence resting on the branches of the ridge, so high that no animal, not the most alert, can get over it, so long as the fence is set high.The fenced site is large and houses hundreds of horned animals at once, ibex or blue sheep are very loose.Even if newborn lambs continue to arrive in the future, it will not be very crowded.

After the engineer planned the corral area, everyone began to cut down trees to build the fence. A large number of trees were cut down when the road was opened, and now they are used. These tree trunks can be used as hundreds of stakes. Inserted into the ground it becomes a fence.

A large entrance and exit was specially set up in front of the corral, and two door leaves were made of strong planks. After the double doors were closed, wooden bars were used to reinforce the outside, so that the entire livestock pen was very safe.

It took no less than three weeks for the stables to be erected.In order that the ruminants might have shelters, Cyrus Harding built large sheds out of planks.Both the fence and the shed need to be extremely strong, because the strong and powerful blue sheep have a strong explosive power, and once they lose their temper, they are terrible.

The tops of the stakes are sharpened, hardened over a fire, and reinforced with cross-pieces bolted together, and the whole corral is reinforced with stanchions at intervals, and the construction of the corral is completed.

Once the corrals are complete, the next step is the big ruminant hunt.The time for the operation was on February 2, and the location was set at the foot of "Franklin Peak", in the middle of the pasture where ruminants are often active.It was a really nice summer day and everyone attended.The two wild asses, well trained, were ridden by Jardine Splane and Harbert respectively.They played a big part in this operation.

Blue sheep are abundant in this part of the island.It is tall and majestic like a yellow deer, and its thick horns are even stronger than those of a ram. Its light gray and thick hair is mixed with long hairs. At first glance, it looks like a bighorn sheep.

The main thing was to hunt blue sheep and ibex, until at last the circle dwindled, with Cyrus Harding, Pencroft, Neb, and Jupp at various points in the wood, and the other two riders, and Top, about halfway around the corral. Run back and forth within the range of the sea mile.This day of hunting is very tiring!Running and running back and forth countless times, shouting loudly countless times!Hundreds of blue sheep were driven over, and although two-thirds of them escaped from the tiger's mouth, there were still about thirty of these ruminants and a dozen or so wild goats left.They were slowly driven to the corral, and the door at the entrance of the hole provided a good exit for the animals.They didn't know the pros and cons of it, and they threw themselves into it, and they were immediately closed.

This hunting has achieved satisfactory results, at least everyone has nothing to complain about.Most of these blue sheep are ewes, and the good news is that a few of them are likely to be on the verge of giving birth.From this it can be concluded that the herd did not take long to prosper.At that time, everyone would have endless wool and sheepskin.

That night, everyone dragged their tired bodies back to the "Granite Palace".The next day, regardless of their fatigue, they rushed to inspect the corral to see how the captured animals were doing.As expected, the captives resisted suddenly, and tried to break down the bars and escape from the cage, but their purpose failed.But they were also very knowledgeable and quickly quieted down.

The immigrants spent the entire month of February in peace, and no major event worthy of a thrill occurred.The plan conceived was proceeding step by step, and measures were taken to improve the "Corral Road" and "Balloon Harbor Road", and at the same time, work began to open a third road.It starts from the corral and leads to the west coast. That part of "Lincoln Island" with its tall trees was still untouched by settlers.It was still a mystery to them that the dense trees covered the entire "Serpentine Peninsula" where the beasts hid.Therefore, Jardin Splane has been thinking about how to eradicate them from his territory.

They tended the wild plants transplanted from the forest to Prospect Heights before the cold winter returned.Every time he went out, Hubbert would bring back some valuable plants.One day it might bring back a common sorrel, whose anti-scurvy effect is worthy of attention; tomorrow it might be some chicory plant, the seeds of which can be squeezed out of good oil; They can be grown all year round in the Americas, that is, the potatoes we often eat. There are about 200 varieties of them.Due to the sufficient irrigation and everyone's attention to guarding against birds, all kinds of vegetables are growing gratifyingly. The vegetable garden is really colorful!They also divided the vegetable patch into beds of oval potatoes, lettuce, radishes, sorrel, horseradish, and other cruciferous plants. The soil on Prospect Heights is very fertile and promises a bountiful harvest.

There is no shortage of drinks on the island. For those who don't want to drink, living on this island is very pleasant.The double-leafed Lamiaceae provide "Oswego" teas, as well as fermented beverages extracted from the root of the dracaena tree.In addition, Cyrus Harding has also newly made a real ale.He boiled fir shoots containing melanin and fermented them.This kind of wine is called "hot spring beer" by Anglo-Americans, that is, cedar beer.

It's the end of summer and the poultry farm has a new resident.A pair of beautiful great bustards, with feathers like short capes, belong to the class of "boba bustards"; a dozen shoveler ducks.Their upper beaks have membranous extensions on each side; some roosters of rich plumage, with black combs, warts, and cuticles, look much like Mozambican roosters in appearance.They walk around the lake full of energy every day.

In this way, all the plans were successfully realized, which is due to everyone's hard work, wisdom, intelligence and ability.Their survival to this day is also a testament to the great adage: God helps those who help themselves.

After the hot day passed, it was night.As the moon rose, under the verandah of Prospect Heights, above the green climbing plants, which Neb had built with his own hands, facing the sea breeze, they liked to sit there chatting, making plans, and learning from each other. Its happy attitude infects everyone, making everyone laugh and laugh again and again. The small society composed of these few victims is so harmonious and beautiful.

My dear hometown and the great America are also topics that everyone often talks about. Will they discuss the current situation of the Civil War together?Then imagine that the war must have stopped!General Grant may soon take Richmond!It is also possible that the final act of this disastrous war will be the capture of the Confederate capital!Right now, the just cause in the North is victorious.To the castaways of "Lincoln Island" they hoped for a newspaper, and if there was one, it would be most welcome!They've been socially isolated for eleven months, and March 3 is fast approaching, the anniversary of their ballooning onto this strange shore!On this day a year ago, they were poor and helpless victims, without any hope for the future, not even sure whether their lives could be saved.

But today, fortunately their leaders are knowledgeable, fortunately their own cleverness, they have weapons, tools, instruments, so that they can make full use of the plants, minerals and animals on the island, that is, everything in nature, for their own use !They survived and became the masters of the island.

In this way, they often recall, imagine, talk about these things that happened, and dream about the bright future!
Cyrus Harding, on the other hand, was silent for the most part, always thinking, and often listened more than talked.Many times, too, he smiled at Pencroft's quips and Harbert's own reflections.But every moment, he was thinking about those things that he had not found the answer to, that amazing mystery!

lift and glass
The change of weather starts from the first week of March.At the beginning of the month, the moon was still very round, and the weather was scorching hot.People feel the suffocation of the atmosphere, as if the air is about to explode, indicating that a long or short thunderstorm season is coming.In this regard, everyone has some concerns in their hearts.

As expected, on March 3, thunder rumbled, and after a thunderclap, the wind blew from the east, followed by hailstones hitting the front of the "Granite Palace".The crackling of hailstones sounded like machine gun fire.Everyone quickly close the doors and windows to prevent the items in the room from being submerged in water.

When he saw the hail, which was as big as a pigeon's egg, Pencroft immediately thought of his cherished wheat field: he was worried that the wheat field would suffer a great disaster.

So he ran into the wheat field at once, risking being attacked by hail.The ears of wheat have already headed, standing there like little green heads.For this reason, he immediately covered the wheat field with a thick cloth.He was not lightly hit by the hail, but he didn't regret it at all.

The bad weather lasted for a week.This week, the thunder in the deep sky is always constant.Even in the brief lulls between thunderstorms, there would seem to be a dull thunder rolling in from beyond the sky; then the sound would become furious again, and after flashes of lightning, there would be another downpour.Several trees on the island were struck by lightning and fell down, including the giant pine that pierced into the sky by the edge of the lake and the forest.Strong lightning also hit the beach, and at the moment of the electric shock, the sand melted and became glassy.Engineers discovered these shiny substances.He knew that the windows of Granite House could now be fitted with thick and strong glass of this kind, so that wind, rain, and hail would be kept out.

Everyone didn't have urgent outdoor work to do, so they took advantage of the time when they couldn't go out due to bad weather to deal with the internal affairs of the "Granite Palace". In this way, various supplies in the palace were also enriched day by day.The engineer assembled a lathe, produced several pieces of cooker's and toilet's, and turned some buttons, to meet the needs of all.He also made a rack for the weapons, which were kept with the utmost care.The shelving and cabinets are done very nicely.All through the bad weather there was constant sawing, planing, and spinning.The entire "Granite Palace" is filled with the sounds of lathes and various tools, and these wonderful sounds are interwoven with the rumbling thunder outside.

Everyone did not forget Master Jupu, and specially arranged a room for it, near the warehouse. The room was like a cabin, with a bunk covered with comfortable hay. This room was very suitable for Master Jupu to live in.

Pencroft used to speak of Master Jupp: "Jup never talks back, honest Jupu, never rude, what a servant, Neb, I wonder how good this Jupp is! "

(End of this chapter)