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

Chapter 147 The Mysterious Island (32)
The boat's keel is thirty-five feet long, and the beam is nine feet long, which will allow it to run smoothly if the bottom and waterline are within the expected range.In order to keep the hull balanced and not lose control, the draft should not exceed six feet.The deck is to be laid according to the length of the ship, and there are two hatches, to facilitate access to two rooms divided by a partition, and the rigging is to be complete, and it is to be made into a sloop, equipped with jibs. , mizzensail, topmast, foremastsail, mizzenstaysail, etc.In this way, it is easy to maneuver, and in case of a storm, you can quickly lower the sails, even if you sail against the wind.It was also finally stipulated that the hulls were to be built with true shiplaps, requiring the shell plating to be flush, not overlapping.When assembling the hull, the ribs of the ship should be fitted in time, and the hull should be installed on the bottom rib.

Which tree to choose for the boat?Is it fir or elm?Both types of trees are abundant on the island, so you can choose either one.It was decided to use fir wood, which, though it had what carpenters call a "split" quality, was as easily soaked in water as elm, and easy to work with.

These things being settled, it was agreed that the good season would not come until the first half of the year, and there would be plenty of time, and the ship was therefore built by Cyrus Harding and Pencroft.Jardine Splane and Hubbert still hunted.Neb and his assistant, Master Jupu, continued with their chores.

A series of shipbuilding projects began, selecting trees, cutting them, splitting them, and sawing them into planks, just like a real plank sawman.A week later, on the construction site located in the recess between the "chimney" and the cliff, the shape of the ship was formed, the keel was 35 feet long, the bow post was installed in the front, and the stern post was installed in the back. on the sand.

Though it was the first time at the job, Cyrus Harding was not in a hurry.He seemed to know everything, including shipbuilding, of course.Besides, Pencroft was not insignificant to him.Pencroft had practical experience of the trade.Because he had worked for a few years in a shipyard in Brooklyn.Cyrus Harding first calculated the exact dimensions of the ship on paper, and after rigorous calculations and careful consideration, the lowest rib was fitted to the keel.

Pencroft was full of enthusiasm and devoted himself to this new job.Everyone understands this, and he is not willing to waste a single minute for building a ship.There was only one thing that could keep him away from the shipyard for a while, and it was only for a day.That is the second wheat harvest, which is April 4th.Like the first time, the wheat harvest this time was also large, and the yield was as predicted.

After weighing his baby seriously, Pencroft said in amazement: "Mr. Cyrus, wow!"

The engineer replied: "Each bucket is 13 grains, so five buckets are 65 grains in total."

Said the sailor: "We will plant them all this time, but we must save a little."

"Yes, Pencroft, if we continue to obtain a proportional crop next time, we shall have four thousand bushels."

"Then we can have bread, shall we?"

"Yes, I can eat bread."

"Then you need to build a mill?"

"It will definitely be built."

A third wheat field was opened up which was much larger than the previous two.After the land was carefully loosened and leveled, the precious seeds were planted again.Having done this, Pencroft resumed his shipbuilding.

All this time Jardin Splane and Hubbert had been hunting incessantly in the neighbourhood.They boldly went deep into those never-before-seen places in the Far West Forest. They were also very careful, loaded their bullets, and guarded against danger.It looked very messy there, the trees were tall and verdant, but the trees were so dense that the wind could not pass through.The branches and leaves are dense, and the sun hardly shines in.Therefore, it is very difficult to survey these tree groups, so the reporter must bring a pocket compass every time he ventures in, otherwise he may not even be able to find the way back.Due to the lack of freedom of movement, there are not many prey in this place.However, in the second half of April, three large herbivores were killed by their shotguns.They were some koalas, and we had seen one on the north side of the lake.Their movements are too inflexible.They tried to hide among the thick branches and were shot dead by Jardine Splane and Harbert before they could hide.Their pelts were brought back to Granite Palace.Sulfuric acid is used to tan these pelts so they are ready for use.

During a trip, they made a new discovery.This is largely due to Jardine Splane.In any case, this discovery is also very important.

On the 4th of April, with the reporter in front and Harbert behind, the two hunters entered the depths of the southwestern part of the Far West Forest, fifty paces apart.The reporter first came to an open space in the forest, because the trees are relatively sparse, there can still be a few rays of sunlight coming in, and there are mottled tree shadows on the ground.

Jardin Splane caught a whiff, which surprised him.This smell should come from that kind of plant, which has very straight stems, cylindrical shape, many branches, racemes at the top, and small seeds.

The reporter pulled out one or two of these stems, turned around and handed them to the young man, and asked him, "Harbert, what do you think this is?"

"Mr. Splain, where did you find this plant?"

"Over there in the clearing, there's plenty of them."

"Well, Mr. Splane," said Harbert, "is a discovery that will make Pencroft obliged to you!"

"Is this tobacco?"

"Yes, although it is not the best, it is still tobacco!"

"Ha ha! Honest Pencroft! How happy he is now! He won't take them all! He'll leave us a copy!"

Hubbert said: "Ah! Mr. Splane, I have an idea, let's not tell him the good news, wait until we have made the tobacco leaves, and then hand him this pipe full of tobacco leaves suddenly on that day." .I think he will be pleasantly surprised!"

"That's a good idea, Harbert, and in that day our companion will be content in this world and want nothing more!"

So, the reporter and the young man picked a lot of this precious plant and returned to the "Granite Palace".They slipped in stealthily, and looked as cautiously as if Pencroft had turned into the strictest customs-man to keep them in check.

Both Cyrus Harding and Neb knew the secret, but the sailor alone was unaware of it.It takes a long time to dry the tobacco leaves. First, the thin tobacco leaves are dried in the sun, shredded, and then roasted on hot stones.This takes more than a month.Pencroft was busy building ships, and only returned to Granite Palace when he was resting, so all this was concealed from Pencroft.

Pencroft was so absorbed in building the ship that he was once compelled to suspend it. On the 5st of May, an unexpected fishing opportunity occurred that required the participation of the whole crew.In the past few days, everyone has found a huge animal appearing two or three nautical miles out to sea and swimming there.This whale is the largest and looks like a southern hemisphere whale. It is generally called the "good hope horned whale".

"This is a good time to catch him," cried the sailor. "If we had a fit boat and a sharp harpoon, I'd go for him. I'd say, 'Catch the beast! It's well worth it!'”

Jardine Splane said: "That's good, Pencroft, I like to see you with the harpoon. It must be very powerful!"

The engineer said: "It is very powerful, but it is also dangerous. However, since we lack the tools to catch it, let's not deal with it."

The reporter said: "I feel very strange that I can see a whale here. This is a relatively high latitude area."

Hubbert replied: "Mr. Spline, why do you say that? We are in what Anglo-American fishermen call the 'whale zone', between New Zealand and South America. Here, there are large numbers of Southern Hemisphere whales."

"No doubt," replied Pencroft, "but I am surprised that we do not see more.

Anyway, we can't get close to them anyway, so it doesn't matter. "

Pencroft then resumed his work, with a secret regret and a sigh.Because, for any sailor, there is a deep fisherman's plot.One can imagine the inner feelings of seeing a fish but not being able to catch it, especially a huge fish but not being able to catch it!
But it's not just fun, it must be admitted that it's useful to us to have such a huge prey, because the whale is full of treasures, blubber, whale oil, and baleen have many uses!

Just when everyone was feeling sorry, the eye-catching whale seemed to like the sea water around "Lincoln Island" very much, and never left.Therefore, everyone can see its shadow whether in the windows of "Granite Palace" or on "Prospect Heights".When Jardine Splane and Hubbert were not hunting, they would hold up their binoculars and watch the whales.Neb would also watch the whale while tending the stove.

That whale, had no idea that so many people were paying attention to it.It may have swam out into the wide "United States Bay" without anyone watching.Driven by its incomparably powerful tail fin, it swims swiftly from "Cape Jaw" to "Cape Claw"; it swims by leaps and bounds, sometimes at a speed of twelve knots per hour. .Sometimes it swims so close to the island that everyone can see it clearly.The whole body of this whale is black, and its head is flatter than that of northern hemisphere whales. It is indeed a southern hemisphere whale.

It can also be seen that it sprays a mist or water from its nostrils to a high place. Whether it is mist or water, everyone has not yet reached a consensus.People generally think of it as qi, and when qi comes into contact with cold air suddenly, it will condense into water droplets and fall like raindrops.

Everyone was fascinated by this marine mammal.Especially for Pencroft, the temptation was so great that he could not concentrate on building the ship, like a child who wants to get a toy he likes but can't get.He wanted this whale especially.Sometimes he dreamed of it at night, and even cried out, "Catch it." Certainly, given the right tools and the right boat, he would go for it without hesitation or hesitation. catch it.God is so pitiful, everyone couldn't do it, but God made it happen for them. On the 5rd of May, Neb suddenly gave a loud cry, announcing to everyone that the whale had been stranded on the shore of the island.Neb was watching at the kitchen window then.

Harbert and Jardine Splane, who were going to hunt, dropped their guns, Pencroft his axe, and Cyrus Harding and Neb joined the others, and together they made haste towards the stranding.The whale was stranded on the drifting "headland" three miles from the "granite house" and the cliffs.That kind of geographical situation may make it difficult for whales to escape.So everyone must arrive as soon as possible to cut off its retreat.

Everyone took picks and iron-tipped spears, ran across the Thanksgiving River Bridge, and then went down the right bank of the river and passed the beach.In less than 10 minutes, I came to the side of the giant animal.At this time, a large group of seabirds had gathered on it.

"What a monster!" exclaimed Neb.

And so it is, this Southern Hemisphere whale is eighty feet long, the largest of its species, and weighs more than 15 pounds!
However, what is strange is that this giant whale, which was stranded, remained motionless and did not make the slightest struggle. It may want to swim back into the sea while the sea is still at high tide.

After the tide had gone out, they looked around the animal, and they immediately knew why it was motionless.

A harpoon went into its left side, and it turned out to be dead.

Jardine Splane exclaimed immediately: "Are there whalers in our waters?"

"Why do you say that?" asked the sailor.

"Isn't this harpoon proof..."

Pencroft replied: "Mr. Splain, this proves nothing. Whales have been seen traveling thousands of miles with a harpoon. It is probable that this whale was struck in the North Atlantic and swam with a harpoon." To the south of the Pacific Ocean, and finally died here, there is nothing surprising!"

Jardine Splain paused and said: "But..." Obviously he was not satisfied with Pencroft's conclusion.

At this time, Cyrus Harding said: "It is quite possible. Let us look at the harpoon first. According to the custom, the name of the whaler's ship may be engraved on the harpoon?"

As expected, when Pencroft pulled out the harpoon, he found the following writing on it:
Maria Stella

vineyard

The sailor sprang up, and he cried: "It's the Vineyard ship! It's my native ship! The Maria Stella! A very fine whaler, that's it! I know her too well! Ah, Great! My friends, this is the Vineyard Ship, the Vineyard Whaler!"

While waving the harpoon, the sailor repeated the familiar name with great excitement, it was the name of his lovely hometown!
But it was impossible to wait for the Maria Stella to claim the whale it had struck.Before it rotted, it was agreed that it should be dismembered as soon as possible.Many raptors have been salivating over this fat and delicious prey these days.For this reason, everyone had to shoot to frighten them and keep them far away.

This is a female whale, and its breast still stores a large amount of milk. The naturalist Defenbach once pointed out that whale milk can replace milk.This is true, no matter in terms of color, taste or concentration, the two are not too different.

Pencroft directed the dismemberment in an orderly manner, following his former experience in whaling ships.It was not a very good job, and it lasted three days, but no one bored it, not even the impatient Jardine Splane, whom the sailors praised as sure to be a "best victims".

Because they did not want to stink around Prospect Heights, large clay pots were brought to the dismemberment site, and the blubber was cut into parallel slices two feet thick, and divided into pieces weighing an average of about a thousand pounds each. , then melted in large clay pots.After melting, blubber loses about a third of its weight.

The blubber is inexhaustible: the tongue alone gets six thousand pounds of oil, and the lower lip four thousand pounds.In addition, while obtaining these fats, everyone also obtained a whale neck.Fat will keep them long-term without lack of stearin and glycerin, and though they don't need umbrellas or corsets now, baleen will certainly be useful.There are also [-] pieces of horny matter growing on both sides of the upper part of the whale's mouth. They are fibrous tissues, elastic, with tapered edges like two large combs, and the comb teeth are six feet long. Fish and molluscs come for the whales to eat.

Everyone was satisfied with the whale's disposal, and in the end what was unwanted was given to the birds, and they were sure to wipe out every bit of it. "Granite Palace" is back to its original routine.

Before returning to the shipyard, however, Cyrus Harding proposed something to be made, which aroused a keen curiosity among the companions.He was seen to take a dozen baleen, cut it into six equal parts, and sharpen the tip.

Hubbert waited for him to finish these things, and asked: "Mr. Cyrus, what's the use of this?"

The engineer replied, "It can kill wolves, foxes, and jaguars."

"Now?"

"No, when the river is frozen in winter."

Hubbert replied, "I don't understand..."

The engineer replied: "Son, you will understand, I am not the inventor of this thing. In the Americas where the Russians live, it is commonly used by hunters in the Aleutian Islands. When it is cold, I will put our eyes on it." These baleen bends, and then poured water to freeze them so they can stay bent, and greased them up to cover them before throwing them on the snow. Think about it, when What happens when frozen bait is swallowed into the stomach of a hungry animal? Certainly, the ice on the baleen will melt in the heat of the animal's stomach. It is conceivable that the baleen will straighten once the ice melts , whose tip will pierce it."

Pencroft said with admiration: "What a clever way!"

"This saves powder and bullets," interposed Cyrus Harding.

Neb added: "It's better than a trap!"

"Then let's wait for winter to come!"

"Winter will come soon."

In this way, the shipbuilding project continued to rush forward, and by the end of the month, half of the hull plating had been installed, and it could be seen that its shape was very suitable for sailing at sea.

Pencroft worked very hard, but fortunately he had such a strong physique, otherwise he would not have been able to bear such fatigue.The partners did not forget his hard work, and had already secretly prepared something to comfort him. On May 5st, the greatest joy in his life will come to him.

That day, just as he was leaving the table after supper, Jardine Splane's hand was on his shoulder.

Jardine Splane said to him: "Wait a moment, Master Pencroft, and don't go so hastily! And don't you forget the after-dinner?"

The sailor replied, "Thank you, Mr. Splain, but I must get back to work."

"Hey buddy, how about a cup of coffee?"

"No need."

"Shall we have a pipe then?"

Then Pencroft saw a pipe stuffed with tobacco being handed to him by the reporter, and Harbert presented him with a red-hot coal.He stood up abruptly, his gentle face turned pale with excitement.

Before the sailor had time to speak, he grabbed the pipe recklessly, brought it to his mouth, lit the shredded tobacco with charcoal fire, and then smoked heavily, taking five or six puffs in a row before taking a breath.

A fragrant, pale blue smoke rose and spread, and from the depths of the smoke came a voice of great excitement: "It's tobacco! It's real tobacco!" repeated Pencroft, over and over again. With this sentence.

Cyrus Harding replied, "Yes, Pencroft, and fine tobacco!"

The sailor cried, "O God Almighty! Holy Creator! We have everything on our island, and we need nothing!"

(End of this chapter)