 This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. This recording is by Mark Smith of Simpsonville, South Carolina. The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne, Part 1, Chapter 12. They now began the descent of the mountain. Climbing down the crater, they went round the cone and reached their encampment of the previous night. Pencroft thought it must be breakfast time, and the watches of the reporter and engineer were therefore consulted to find out the hour. That of Gideon's spillet had been preserved from the sea water, as he had been thrown at once on the sand out of reach of the waves. It was an instrument of excellent quality, a perfect pocket chronometer, which the reporter had not forgotten to wind up carefully every day. As to the engineer's watch, it, of course, had stopped during the time which he had passed on the downs. The engineer now wound it up, and, ascertaining by the height of the sun that it must be about nine o'clock in the morning, he put his watch at that hour. No, my dear spillet, wait! You have kept the Richmond time, have you not? Yes, Cyrus. Consequently, your watch is set by the meridian of that town, which is almost that of Washington? Undoubtedly. Very well, keep it thus. Content yourself with winding it up very exactly, but do not touch the hands. This may be of use to us. What will be the good of that? thought the sailor. They ate, and so heartily, that the store of game and almonds was totally exhausted. But Pencroft was not at all uneasy. They would supply themselves on the way. Stop, whose share had been very much to his taste, would know how to find some fresh game among the brushwood. Moreover, the sailor thought of simply asking the engineer to manufacture some powder and one or two fouling-pieces. He's supposed there would be no difficulty in that. On leaving the plateau, the captain proposed to his companions to return to the chimneys by a new way. He wished to reconnoitre Lake Grant, so magnificently framed in trees. They therefore followed the crest of one of the spurs, between which the creek that supplied the lake probably had its source. In talking, the settlers already employed the names which they had just chosen, which singularly facilitated the exchange of their ideas. Herbert and Pencroft, the one young and the other very boyish, were enchanted, and while walking the sailor said, Hey Herbert, how capital it sounds! It will be impossible to lose ourselves, my boy, since whether we follow the way to Lake Grant, or whether we join the mercy through the woods of the far west, we shall be certain to arrive at prospect heights and consequently at Union Bay. It had been agreed that without forming a compact band, the settlers should not stray away from each other. It was very certain that the thick forests of the island were inhabited by dangerous animals, and it was prudent to be on their guard. In general, Pencroft, Herbert and Nebb walked first, preceded by Top, who poked his nose into every bush. The reporter and the engineer went together, getting in spillet ready to note every incident. The engineer silent for the most part, and only stepping aside to pick up one thing or another, a mineral or vegetable substance, which he put into his pocket without making any remark. What can he be picking up? muttered Pencroft. I have looked in vain for anything that's worth the trouble of stooping for. Towards ten o'clock the little band descended the last eclivities of Mount Franklin. As yet the ground was scantily strewn with bushes and trees, they were walking over yellowish calcinated earth, forming a plain of nearly a mile long, which extended to the edge of the wood. Great blocks of that basalt, which, according to Bischoff, takes three hundred and fifty millions of years to cool, strewed the plain, very confused in some places. However, there were here no traces of lava, which was spread more particularly over the northern slopes. As I was harding expected to reach without incident, the course of the creek, which he supposed flowed under the trees at the border of the plain, when he saw Herbert running hastily back while Neb and the sailor were hiding behind the rocks. What's the matter, my boy? asked spillet. Smoke! replied Herbert. We have seen smoke among the rocks a hundred paces from us. Men in this place! cried the reporter. We must avoid showing ourselves before knowing with whom we have to deal, replied Cyrus Harding. I trust that there are no natives on this island. I dread them more than anything else. Where is Top? Top is on before. And he doesn't bark? No. That is strange. However, we must try to call him back. In a few moments the engineer, Gideon Spillett and Herbert had rejoined their two companions, and like them they kept out of sight behind the heaps of basalt. From thence they clearly saw smoke of a yellowish color rising in the air. Top was recalled by a slight whistle from his master, and the latter, signing to his companions to wait for him, glided away among the rocks. The colonists, motionless, anxiously awaited the results of this exploration, when a shout from the engineer made them hasten forward. They soon joined him, and were at once struck with a disagreeable odor which impregnated the atmosphere. The odor, easily recognized, was enough for the engineer to guess what the smoke was, which at first, not without cause, had startled him. "'This fire,' said he, or rather this smoke is produced by nature alone. There was a sulfur spring there, which will cure all our sore throats.' "'Captain!' cried Pencroft. "'What a pity that I haven't got a cold!' The settlers then directed their steps toward the place from which the smoke escaped. They there saw a sulfur spring which flowed abundantly between the rocks, and its waters discharged a strong sulfuric acid odor after having absorbed the oxygen of the air. Cyrus Harding, dipping in his hand, felt the water oily to the touch. He tasted it, and found it rather sweet, as to its temperature that he estimated at ninety-five degrees Fahrenheit. Herbert, having asked on what he based his calculation, "'It's quite simple, my boy,' said he. For, in plunging my hand into the water, I felt no sensation either of heat or cold. Therefore it has the same temperature as the human body, which is about ninety-five degrees.' The sulfur spring, not being of any actual use to the settlers, they proceeded towards the thick border of the forest, which began some hundred paces off. There, as they had conjectured, the waters of the stream flowed clear and limpid between high banks of red earth, the color of which betrayed the presence of oxide of iron. From this color the name of Red Creek was immediately given to the water-course. It was only a large stream, deep and clear, formed of the mountain water, which, half river, half torrent, hear rippling peacefully over the sand, their chafing against the rocks or dashing down in a cascade, ran towards the lake, over a distance of a mile and a half, its breadth varying from thirty to forty feet. Its waters were sweet, and it was supposed that those of the lake were so also. A fortunate circumstance, in the event of their finding on its borders, a more suitable dwelling than the chimneys, as to the trees, which some hundred feet downwards shaded the banks of the creek, they belonged, for the most part, to the species which abound in the temperate zone of America and Tasmania, and no longer to those coniferae observed in that portion of the island already explored to some miles from prospect heights. At this time of the year, the commencement of the month of April, which represents the month of October in this atmosphere, that is, the beginning of autumn, they were still in full leaf. They consisted principally of Casuarinas and Eucalypti, some of which next year would yield a sweet manna, similar to the manna of the east. Clumps of Australian cedars rose on the sloping banks, which were also covered with a high grass called Tussac in New Holland, but the coconut, so abundant in the archipelagos of the Pacific, seemed to be wanting in the island the latitude doubtless being too low. What a pity, said Herbert, such a useful tree and which is such beautiful nuts. As to the birds, they swarmed among the scanty branches of the Eucalypti and Casuarinas, which did not hinder the display of their wings. Black, white, or gray cockatoos, parakeets, with plumage of all colors, kingfishers of a sparkling greening, crowned with red, blue lorries, and various other birds appeared on all sides, as through a prism, fluttering about and producing a deafening clamor. Suddenly a strange concert of discordant voices resounded in the midst of a thicket. The settlers heard successfully the song of birds, the cry of quadrupeds, and a sort of clacking which they might have believed to have escaped from the lips of a native. Neb and Herbert rushed towards the bush, forgetting even the most elementary principles of prudence. Happily they found there neither a formidable wild beast nor a dangerous native, nor a dangerous bird, nor a wild beast, nor a wild beast, nor a wild beast, nor a wild beast, nor a dangerous native, but merely half a dozen mocking and singing birds, known as mountain pheasants. A few skillful blows from a stick soon put an end to their concert, and procured excellent food for the evening's dinner. Herbert also discovered some magnificent pigeons with bronze dwinges, some superbly crested, some draped in green, like their congeners at Port Mackery, but it was impossible to reach them, or the crows and magpies which flew away in flocks. A charge of small shot would have made great slaughter among these birds, but the hunters were still limited to sticks and stones, and these primitive weapons proved very insufficient. Their insufficiency was still more clearly shown when a troop of quadrupeds, jumping, bounding, making leaps of thirty feet, regular flying mammiferae, fled over the thickets so quickly and at such a height that one would have thought that they passed from one tree to another like squirrels. Kangaroos! cried Herbert. Are they good to eat? asked Pencroft. Stood, replied the reporter, their flesh is equal to the best venison. Gideon Spillett had not finished this exciting sentence when the sailor, followed by Neve and Herbert, darted on the Kangaroos tracks. Cyrus Harding called them back in vain, but it was in vain, too, for the hunters to pursue such agile game which went bounding away like balls. After a chase of five minutes they lost their breath, and at the same time all sight of the creatures which disappeared in the wood. Top was not more successful than his masters. Captain, said Pencroft, when the engineer and the reporter had rejoined them, Captain, you see quite well. We can't get on unless we make a few guns. Will that be possible? Perhaps, replied the engineer, but we will begin by first manufacturing some bows and arrows, and I don't doubt that you will become as clever in the use of them as the Australian hunters. Bows and arrows, said Pencroft scornfully. That's all very well for children. Don't be proud, read Pencroft, replied the reporter. Bows and arrows were sufficient for centuries to stain the earth with blood. Powder is but a thing of yesterday, and war is as old as the human race. Unhappily. Faith, that's true, Mr. Spillett, replied the sailor. And I always speak too quickly. You must excuse me. Meanwhile, Herbert, constant to his favourite science, natural history, revered it to the kangaroos, saying, Besides, we had to deal just now with the species which is most difficult to catch. They were giants with long gray fur, but if I'm not mistaken, there exists black and red kangaroos, rock kangaroos, and rat kangaroos, which are more easy to get hold of. It is reckoned that there are about a dozen species. Herbert, replied the sailor, sententiously, there is only one species of kangaroo to me, that is, kangaroo on the spit, and it's just the one we haven't got this evening. They could not help laughing it, Master Pencroft's new classification. The honest sailor did not hide his regret at being reduced for dinner to the singing pheasants, but fortune once more showed itself obliging to him. In fact, Top, who felt that his interest was concerned, went and ferreted everywhere with an instinct doubled by a ferocious appetite. It was even probable that if some piece of game did fall into his clutches, none would be left for the hunters, if Top was hunting on his own account, but Neb watched him and he did well. Towards three o'clock the dog disappeared in the brushwood, and gruntings showed that he was engaged in a struggle with some animal. Neb brushed after him, and soon saw Top eagerly devouring a quadruped, which ten seconds later would have been passed recognizing in Top's stomach. But fortunately the dog had fallen upon a brood, and besides the victim he was devouring, two other rodents, the animals in question belonged to that order, lay strangled on the turf. Neb reappeared triumphantly, holding one of the rodents in each hand. Their size exceeded that of a rabbit. Their hair was yellow, mingled with green spots, and they had the merest rudiments of tails. The citizens of the union were at no loss for the right name of these rodents. They were meras, a sort of agouti, a little larger than their congeners of tropical countries. Regular American rabbits, with long ears, jaws armed on each side with five molars, which distinguished the agouti. Hurrah! cried Pencroft. The roast has arrived, and now we can go home. The walk, interrupted for an instant, was resumed. The limpid waters of the Red Creek flowed under an arch of cassuarinas, panxias, and gigantic gum-trees. Superb lilacs rose to a height of twenty feet. Other aberrescent species, unknown to the young naturalists, bent over the stream, which could be heard murmuring beneath the bowers of Verdure. Meanwhile the stream grew much wider, and Cyrus Harding supposed that they would soon reach its mouth. In fact, on emerging from beneath a thick clump of beautiful trees, it suddenly appeared before their eyes. The explorers had arrived on the western shore of Lake Grant. The place was well worth looking at. This extent of water, of a circumference of nearly seven miles, and an area of two hundred and fifty acres, reposed in a border of diversified trees. Towards the east, through a curtain of Verdure, picturesquely raised in some places, sparkled an horizon of sea. The lake was curved at the north, which contrasted with a sharp outline of its lower part. Numerous aquatic birds frequented the shores of this little Ontario, in which the thousand aisles of its American namesake were represented by a rock which emerged from its surface, some hundred feet from the southern shore. There lived in harmony several couples of kingfishers perched on a stone, grave, motionless, watching for fish. Then darting down, they plunged in with a sharp cry, and reappeared with their prey and their beaks. On the shores, and on the islets, strutted wild ducks, pelicans, water hens, red beaks, philodons, furnished with a tongue like a brush, and one or two specimens of the splendid manura, the tale of which expands gracefully like a lyre. As to the water of the lake, it was sweet, limpid, rather dark, and from certain bublings, and the concentric circles which crossed each other on the surface, it could not be doubted that it abounded in fish. This lake is really beautiful, said Gideon Spillett. We could live on its borders. We will live there, replied Harding. The settlers, wishing to return to the chimneys by the shortest way, descended towards the angle formed on the south by the junction of the lake's bank. It was not without difficulty that they broke a path through the thickets in brushwood which had never been put aside by the hand of man, and they thus went towards the shore, so as to arrive at the north of Prospect Heights. Two miles were cleared in this direction, and then, after they had passed the last curtain of trees, appeared the plateau, carpeted with thick turf, and beyond that, the infinite sea. To return to the chimneys it was enough to cross the plateau obliquely for the space of a mile, and then to descend to the elbow formed by the first detour of the mercy. But the engineer desired to know how and where the over-plus of the water from the lake escaped, and the exploration was prolonged under the trees for a mile and a half towards the north. It was most probable that an overfall existed somewhere, and doubtless through a cleft in the granite. This lake was only, in short, an immense center basin, which was filled by degrees by the creek, and its waters must necessarily pass to the sea by some fall. If it was so, the engineer thought that it might perhaps be possible to utilize this fall and borrow its power, actually lost without profit to any one. They continued, then, to follow the shores of Lake Grant by climbing the plateau. But after having gone a mile in this direction, Cyrus Harding had not been able to discover the overfall, which, however, must exist somewhere. It was then half-pass four. In order to prepare for dinner it was necessary that the settlers should return to their dwelling. The little band retraced their steps, therefore, and by the left bank of the mercy, Cyrus Harding and his companions arrived at the chimneys. The fire was lighted, and Nab and Pencroft, on whom the functions of cooks naturally devolved, to the one in his quality of negro, to the other in that of sailor, quickly prepared some broiled agouti to which they did great justice. The repast at length terminated. At the moment when each one was about to give himself up to sleep, Cyrus Harding drew from his pocket little specimens of different sorts of minerals and just said, My friends, this is iron mineral, this a pyrite, this is clay, this is lime, and this is coal. Nature gives us these things. It is our business to make a right use of them, to-morrow we will commence operations. Well, Captain, where are we going to begin, as Pencroft next morning of the engineer? At the beginning, replied Cyrus Harding, and in fact the settlers were compelled to begin at the very beginning. They did not possess even the tools necessary for making tools, and they were not even in the condition of nature who, having time, husbands their strength. They had no time, since they had to provide for the immediate wants of their existence, and though profiting by acquired experience they had nothing to invent, still they had everything to make. Their iron and their steel were as yet only in the state of minerals, their earthenware in the state of clay, their linen and their clothes in the state of textile material. It must be said, however, that the settlers were men in the complete and higher sense of the word. The engineer Harding could not have been seconded by more intelligent companions, nor with more devotion and zeal. He had tried them, he knew their abilities. Gideon Spillett, a talented reporter, having learned everything so as to be able to speak of everything, would contribute largely with his head and hands to the colonization of the island. He would not draw back from any task. A determined sportsman, he would make a business of what till then had only been a pleasure to him. Herbert, a gallant boy, already remarkably well informed in the natural sciences, would render greater service to the common cause. Neb was devotion personified, clever, intelligent, indefatigable, robust, with iron health, he knew a little about the work of the forge, and could not fail to be very useful in the colony. As to Pencroft, he had sailed over every sea, a carpenter in the dockyards in Brooklyn, assistant tailor in the vessels of the state, gardener, cultivator during his holidays, etc., and, like all seamen, fit for anything. He knew how to do everything. It would have been difficult to unite five men better fitted to struggle against fate, more certain to triumph over it. At the beginning, Cyrus Harding had said, now this beginning of which the engineer spoke was the construction of an apparatus which would serve to transform the natural substances. The part which heat plays in these transformations is known. Now fuel, wood, or coal was ready for immediate use, and an oven must be built to use it. What is this oven for? asked Pencroft. To make the pottery which we have need of, replied Harding. And of what shall we make the oven? With bricks. And the bricks? With clay. Let us start, my friends. To save trouble we will establish our manufacturing at the place of production. Neb will bring provisions, and there will be no lack of fire to cook the food. No, replied the reporter. But if there is a lack of food for want of instruments for the chase. Ah, if only we had a knife, cried the sailor. Well, asked Cyrus Harding. Well, I would soon make a bow and arrows, and then there would be plenty of game in the larder. Yes, a knife, a sharp blade, said the engineer as if he was speaking to himself. At this moment his eyes fell upon Top, who was running about on the shore. Suddenly Harding's face became animated. Top, here! said he. The dog came at his master's call. The latter took Top's head between his hands, and, unfastening the collar which the animal wore round his neck, he broke it in two, saying, There are two knives, Pencroft. Two hurrahs from the sailor was the reply. Top's collar was made of a thin piece of tempered steel. They had only to sharpen it on a piece of sandstone, than to raise the edge on a finer stone. Now sandstone was abundant on the beach, and two hours after the stock of tools in the colony consisted of two sharp blades, which were easily fixed in solid handles. The production of these their first tools was hailed as a triumph. It was indeed a valuable result of their labour, and a very opportune one, they set out. Cyrus Harding proposed that they should return to the western shore of the lake, where the day before he had noticed the clay-y ground of which he possessed a specimen. They therefore followed the bank of the mercy, traversed prospect heights, and after a walk of five miles or more they reached a glade situated two hundred feet from Lake Grant. On the way Herbert had discovered a tree, the branches of which the Indians of South America employ for making their bows. It was the Cregimba of the Palm family which does not bear edible fruit. Long straight branches were cut, the leaves stripped off, it was shaped, stronger in the middle, more slender at the extremities, and nothing remained to be done but to find a plant fit to make the bow string. This was the Hibiscus heterophilus, which furnishes fibers of such remarkable tenacity that they have been compared to the tendons of animals. Pencroft thus obtained bows of tolerable strength for which he only wanted arrows. These were easily made with straight, stiff branches without knots. But the points with which they must be armed, that is to say, a substance to serve in lieu of iron, could not be met with so easily. But Pencroft said that having done his part of the work, chance would do the rest. The settlers arrived on the ground which had been discovered the day before. Being composed of the sort of clay which is used for making bricks and tiles, it was very useful for the work in question. There was no great difficulty in it. It was enough to scour the clay with sand, then to mold the bricks and bake them by the heat of a wood fire. Generally, bricks are formed in molds, but the engineer contended himself with making them by hand. All that day and the day following were employed in this work. The clay, soaked in water, was mixed by the feet and hands of the manipulators, and then divided into pieces of equal size. A practice workman can make, without a machine, about ten thousand bricks and twelve hours. But in their two days' work the five brick-makers on Lincoln Island had not made more than three thousand, which were range near each other until the time when their complete desiccation would permit them to be used in building the oven. That is to say, in three or four days. It was on the second of April that Harding had employed himself in fixing the orientation of the island, or in other words the precise spot where the sun rose. The day before he had noted exactly the hour when the sun disappeared beneath the horizon, making allowance for the refraction. This morning he noted, no less exactly, the hour at which it reappeared. Between this setting and rising, twelve hours, twenty-four minutes passed. Then, six hours, twelve minutes after its rising, the sun on this day would exactly pass the meridian, and the point of the sky which it occupied at this moment would be the north. At the set hour, Cyrus marked this point, and putting in a line with the sun two trees which would serve him for marks, he thus obtained an invariable meridian for his ulterior operations. The settlers employed the two days before the oven was built, in collecting fuel. Branches were cut all round the glade, and they picked up all the fallen wood under the trees. They were also able to hunt with greater success, since Pencroft now possessed some dozen arrows armed with sharp points. It was top who had furnished these points by bringing in a porcupine, rather inferior eating, but of great value, thanks to the quills with which it bristled. These quills were fixed firmly at the ends of the arrows, the flight of which was made more certain by some cockatoo's feathers. The reporter in Herbert soon became very skillful archers. Game of all sorts, in consequence abounded at the chimneys, capybaras, pigeons, agotes, grouse, etc. The greater part of these animals were killed in the part of the forest on the left bank of the mercy, to which they gave the name of Jackamar Wood, in remembrance of the bird which Pencroft and Herbert had pursued, when on their first exploration. This game was eaten fresh, but they preserved some capybarahams by smoking them above a fire of green wood, after having perfume them with sweet-smelling leaves. However, this food, although very strengthening, was always roast upon roast, and the party would have been delighted to hear some soup bubbling on the hearth, but they must wait till a pot could be made, and consequently till the oven was built. During these excursions, which were not extended far from the brick-field, the hunters could discern the recent passage of animals of a large size, armed with powerful claws, but they could not recognize the species. Cyrus Harding advised them to be very careful, as the forest probably enclosed many dangerous beasts. And he did right. Indeed, Gideon's spillet and Herbert one day saw an animal which resembled a jaguar. Happily the creature did not attack them, or they might not have escaped without a severe wound. As soon as he could get a regular weapon, that is to say, one of the guns which Pencroft begged for, Gideon's spillet resolved to make desperate war against the ferocious beasts and exterminate them from the island. The chimneys during these few days were not made more comfortable, for the engineer hoped to discover, or build if necessary, a more convenient dwelling. They contented themselves with spreading moss and dry leaves on the sand of the passages, and on these primitive couches the tired workers slept soundly. They also reckoned the days they had passed on Lincoln Island, and from that time kept a regular account. The fifth of April, which was Wednesday, was twelve days from the time when the wind threw the castaways on this shore. On the sixth of April, at daybreak, the engineer and his companions were collected in the glade, at the place where they were going to perform the operation of baking the bricks. Naturally this had to be in the open air, and not in a kiln, or rather the agglomeration of bricks made an enormous kiln which would bake itself. The fuel, made of well-prepared faggots, was laid on the ground and surrounded with several rows of dried bricks, which soon formed an enormous cube, to the exterior of which they contrived air-holes. The work lasted all day, and it was not till the evening that they set fire to the faggots. No one slept that night, all watching carefully to keep up the fire. The operation lasted forty-eight hours, and succeeded perfectly. It then became necessary to leave the smoking-mass to cool, and during this time Neb and Pencroft, guided by Cyrus Harding, brought on a hurdle made of interlace branches, loads of carbonate of lime and common stones which were very abundant to the north of the lake. These stones, when decomposed by heat, made a very strong quick lime, greatly increased by slacking, at least as pure as if it had been produced by the calcination of chalk or marble. Mixed with sand, the lime made excellent mortar. The result of these different works was that, on the ninth of April, the engineer had at his disposal a quantity of prepared lime and some thousands of bricks. Without losing an instant, therefore, they began the construction of a kiln to bake the pottery, which was indispensable for their domestic use. They succeeded without much difficulty. Five days after, the kiln was supplied with coal, which the engineer had discovered lying open to the sky towards the mouth of the red creek, and the first smoke escaped from a chimney twenty feet high. The glade was transformed into a manufacturing, and Pencroft was not far wrong in believing that from this kiln would issue all the products of modern industry. In the meantime, what the settlers first manufactured was a common pottery in which to cook their food. The chief material was clay, to which Harding added a little lime and quartz. This paste made regular pipe clay, with which they manufactured bowls, cups molded on stones of a proper size, great jars and pots to hold water, etc. The shape of these objects was clumsy and effective, but after they had been baked at a high temperature, the kitchen of the chimneys was provided with a number of utensils, as precious to the settlers as the most beautifully enameled china. We must mention here that Pencroft, desirous to know if the clay thus prepared was worthy of its name of pipe clay, made some large pipes, which he thought charming, but for which, alas, he had no tobacco, and that was a great privation to Pencroft. But tobacco will come like everything else, he repeated, in a burst of absolute confidence. This work lasted till the fifteenth of April, and the time was well employed. The settlers, having become potters, made nothing but pottery. When it suited Cyrus Harding to change them into smiths, they would become smiths. But the next day, being Sunday, and also Easter Sunday, all agreed to sanctify the day by rest. These Americans were religious men, scrupulous observers of the precepts of the Bible, and their situation could not but develop sentiments of confidence towards the author of all things. On the evening of the fifteenth of April they returned to the chimneys, carrying with them the pottery, the furnace being extinguished until they could put it to a new use. Their return was marked by a fortunate incident, the engineer discovered a substance which replaced tinder. It is known that a spongy, velvety flesh is procured from a certain mushroom of the genus Polyphorus. Properly prepared, it is extremely inflammable, especially when it has previously been saturated with gunpowder, or boiled in a solution of nitrate, or chlorate of potash. But till then they had not found any of these Polyphorus, or even any of the Morales which could replace them. On this day the engineer, seeing a plant belonging to the Wormwood genus, the principal species of which are Ebsinthe, Balmint, Terragon, etc., gathered several tufts, and presenting them to the sailor said, Here, Pencroft, this will please you. Pencroft looked attentively at the plant, covered with long silky hair, the leaves being clothed with soft down. What's that, Captain? asked Pencroft. Is it tobacco? No, replied Harding. It is Wormwood. Chinese Wormwood to the learned, but to us it will be tender. When the Wormwood was properly dried it provided them with a very inflammable substance, especially afterwards when the engineer had impregnated it with nitrate of potash, of which the island possessed several beds, and which is, in truth, salt-peter. The colonists had a good supper that evening. Neb prepared some aguti soup, a smoked capybara ham, to which was added the boiled tubercules of the Coladium Mycorrhizum, an herbaceous plant of the Arum family. They had an excellent taste, and were very nutritious, being something similar to the substance which is sold in England under the name of Portland Sego. They were also a good substitute for bread, which the settlers in Lincoln Island did not yet possess. When supper was finished, before sleeping, Harding and his companions went to take the air on the beach. It was eight o'clock in the evening, the night was magnificent. The moon which had been full five days before had not yet risen, but the horizon was already silvered by those soft pale shades which might be called the dawn of the moon. At the southern zenith glittered the circumpolar constellations, and above all the southern cross, which some days before the engineer had greeted on the summit of Mount Franklin. Cyber's Harding gazed for some time at this splendid constellation, which has at its summit and at its base two stars of the first magnitude, at its left arm a star of the second, and at its right arm a star of the third magnitude. Then, after some minutes thought, Herbert, he asked of the lad, is not this the fifteenth of April? Yes, Captain, replied Herbert. Well, if I am not mistaken, tomorrow will be one of the four days in the year in which the real time is identical with average time. That is to say, my boy, that tomorrow, to within some seconds, the sun will pass the meridian just at midday by the clocks. If the weather is fine, I think that I shall obtain the longitude of the island with an approximation of some degrees. Without instruments, without a sextant, asked Gideon Spillett. Yes, replied the engineer. Also, since the night is clear, I will try this very evening to obtain our latitude by calculating the height of the southern cross, that is, from the southern pole above the horizon. You understand, my friends, that before undertaking the work of installation in earnest it is not enough to have found out that this land is an island, we must, as nearly as possible, know at what distance it is situated, either from the American continent or Australia, or from the principal archipelagos of the Pacific. In fact, said the reporter, instead of building a house, it would be more important to build a boat, if by chance we are not more than a hundred miles from an inhabited coast. That is why, returned Harding, I am going to try this evening to calculate the latitude of Lincoln Island, and tomorrow at midday I will try to calculate the longitude. If the engineer had possessed a sextant, an apparatus with which the angular distance of objects can be measured with great precision, there would have been no difficulty in the operation. This evening by the height of the pole, the next day by the passing of the sun at the meridian, he would obtain the position of the island. But as they had not won, he would have to supply the deficiency. Harding then entered the chimneys. By the light of the fire he cut two little flat rulers, which he joined together at one end, so as to form a pair of compasses, whose legs could separate or come together. The fastening was fixed with a strong acacia thorn which was found in the woodpile. This instrument finished, the engineer returned to the beach, but as it was necessary to take the height of the pole from above a clear horizon, that is, a sea horizon, and his claw cape hid the southern horizon, he was obliged to look for a more suitable station. The best would evidently have been the shore exposed directly to the south, but the mercy would have to be crossed, and that was a difficulty. Harding resolved in consequence to make his observation from prospect heights, taking into consideration its height above the level of the sea, a height which he intended to calculate next day by a simple process of elementary geometry. The settlers therefore went to the plateau, ascending the left bank of the mercy, and placed themselves on the edge which looked northwest and southeast, that is, above the curiously shaped rocks which bordered the river. This part of the plateau commanded the heights of the left bank, which sloped away to the extremity of claw cape and to the southern side of the island. No obstacle intercepted their gaze, which swept the horizon in a semi-circle from the cape to reptile end. To the south the horizon, lighted by the first rays of the moon, was very clearly defined against the sky. At this moment the southern cross presented itself to the observer in an inverted position, the star alpha marking its base, which is nearer to the southern pole. This constellation is not situated as near to the Antarctic pole as the polar star is to the Arctic pole. The star alpha is about 27 degrees from it, but Cyrus Harding knew this and made allowance for it in his calculation. He then took care also to observe the moment when it passed the meridian below the pole, which would simplify the operation. Cyrus Harding pointed one leg of the coppices to the horizon, the other to alpha, and the space between the two legs gave him the angular distance which separated alpha from the horizon. In order to fix the angle obtained, he fastened with thorns the two pieces of wood on a third place transversely, so that their separation should be properly maintained. That done there was only the angle to calculate by bringing back the observation to the level of the sea, taking into consideration the depression of the horizon which would necessitate measuring the height of the cliff. The value of this angle would give the height of alpha, and consequently that of the pole above the horizon. That is to say, the latitude of the island, since the latitude of a point of the globe is always equal to the height of the pole above the horizon of this point. The calculations were left for the next day, and at ten o'clock everyone was sleeping soundly. CHAPTER XIV The next day, the sixteenth of April, and Easter Sunday, the settlers issued from the chimneys at Daybreak and proceeded to wash their linen. The engineer intended to manufacture soap as soon as he could procure the necessary materials, soda or potash, fat or oil. The important question of renewing their wardrobe would be treated of in the proper time and place. At any rate their clothes would last at least six months longer, for they were strong, and could resist the wear of manual labour. But all would depend on the situation of the island with regard to inhabited land. This would be settled to-day, if the weather permitted. The sun rising above a clear horizon announced a magnificent day, one of those beautiful autumn days which are like the last farewells of the warm season. It was now necessary to complete the observations of the evening before by measuring the height of the cliff above the level of the sea. Shall you not need an instrument similar to the one which you used yesterday? said Herbert to the engineer. No, my boy, replied the latter. We are going to proceed differently. But in as precise a way. Herbert, wishing to learn everything he could, followed the engineer to the beach. Pencroft, Nebb and the reporter, remained behind and occupied themselves in different ways. Cyrus Harding had provided himself with a straight stick, 12 feet long, which he had measured as exactly as possible by comparing it with his own height, which he knew to a hair. Herbert carried a plum line which Harding had given him, that is to say, a simple stone fastened to the end of a flexible fibre. Having reached a spot about twenty feet from the edge of the beach, and nearly five hundred feet from the cliff, which rose perpendicularly, Harding thrust the pole two feet into the sand, and wedging it up carefully, he managed, by means of the plum line, to erect it perpendicularly with the plane of the horizon. That done he retired the necessary distance, when, lying on the sand, his eye glanced at the same time at the top of the pole and the crest of the cliff. He carefully marked a place with a little stick. Then, addressing Herbert, Do you know the first principles of geometry? he asked. Slightly, Captain, replied Herbert, who did not wish to put himself forward. You remember what are the properties of two similar triangles? Yes, replied Herbert, their homologous sides are proportional. Well, my boy, I have just constructed two similar right-angled triangles. The first, the smallest, has for its sides the perpendicular pole, the distance which separates the little stick from the foot of the pole, and my visual ray for hypotenuse. The second has for its sides the perpendicular cliff, the height of which we wished to measure, the distance which separates the little stick from the bottom of the cliff, and my visual ray also forms its hypotenuse, which proves to be prolongation of that of the first triangle. Ah, Captain, I understand, cried Herbert, as the distance from the stick to the pole is to this distance from the stick to the base of the cliff, so was the height of the pole to the height of the cliff. Just so, Herbert, replied the engineer. And when we have measured the first two distances, knowing the height of the pole, we shall only have a sum in proportion to do, which will give us the height of the cliff, and will save us the trouble of measuring it directly. The two horizontal distances were found out by means of the pole, whose length above the sand was exactly ten feet. The first distance was fifteen feet between the stick and the place where the pole was thrust into the sand. The second distance between the stick and the bottom of the cliff was five hundred feet. These measurements finished, Cyrus Harding and the lad returned to the chimneys. The engineer then took a flat stone which he had brought back from one of his previous excursions, a sort of slate on which it was easy to trace figures with a sharp shell. He then proved the following proportions. Fifteen is to five hundred, as ten is to x. Five hundred times ten equals five thousand. Five thousand divided by fifteen equals three three three point three, from which it was proved that the granite cliff measured three hundred and thirty three feet in height. Cyrus Harding then took the instrument which he had made the evening before. The space between his two legs giving the angular distance between the star alpha and the horizon. He measured very exactly the opening of this angle on a circumference which he divided into three hundred and sixty equal parts. Now this angle by adding to it the twenty-seven degrees which separated alpha from the Antarctic pole, and by reducing to the level of the sea the height of the cliff on which the observation had been made, was found to be fifty-three degrees. These fifty-three degrees being subtracted from ninety degrees, the distance from the pole to the equator, there remained thirty-seven degrees. Cyrus Harding concluded therefore that Lincoln Island was situated on thirty-seventh degree of the southern latitude, or taking into consideration through the imperfection of their performance, an error of five degrees, that it must be situated between the thirty-fifth and the fortieth parallel. There was only the longitude to be obtained, and the position of the island would be determined. The engineer hoped to attempt this the same day at twelve o'clock, at which moment the sun would pass the meridian. It was decided that Sunday should be spent in a walk, or rather an exploring expedition to that side of the island between the north of the lake and Shark Gulf, and if there was time they would push their discoveries to the northern side of Cape South Mandible. They would breakfast on the downs and not return till evening. At half-past eight the little band was following the edge of the channel. On the other side, on safety islet, numerous birds were gravely strutting. They were divers, easily recognized by their cry, which much resembles the braing of a donkey. Pencroft only considered them in an eatable point of view, and learnt with some satisfaction that their flesh, though blackish, is not bad food. Great amphibious creatures could also be seen crawling on the sand, seals doubtless, who appeared to have chosen the islet for a place of refuge. It was impossible to think of those animals in an elementary point of view, for their oily flesh is detestable. However, Cyrus Harding observed them attentively, and without making known his idea he announced to his companions that very soon they would pay a visit to the islet. The beach was strewn with innumerable shells, some of which would have rejoiced the heart of a conchologist. There were, among others, the fazionella, the terra brittula, etc. But what would be of more use was the discovery, by Neb, at low tide of a large oyster bed among the rocks, nearly five miles from the chimneys. Neb will not have lost his day, cried Pencroft, looking at the spacious oyster bed. It is really a fortunate discovery, said the reporter, and as it is said that each oyster produces yearly from fifty to sixty thousand eggs, we shall have an inexhaustible supply there. Only I believe that the oyster is not very nourishing, said Herbert. No, replied Harding. The oyster contains very little nitrogen, and if a man lived exclusively on them he would have to eat not less than fifteen to sixteen dozen a day. Capital! replied Pencroft. We might swallow dozens and dozens without exhausting the bed. Shall we take some for breakfast? And without waiting for a reply to this proposal, knowing that it would be approved of, the sailor and Neb detached a quantity of the mollusks. They put them on a sort of net of hibiscus fiber, which Neb had manufactured, and which already contained food. They then continued to climb the coast between the downs and the sea. From time to time Harding consulted his watch, so as to be prepared in time for the solar observation which had to be made exactly at midday. All that part of the island was very barren as far as the point which closed Union Bay, and which had received the name of Cape South Mandible. Nothing could be seen there but sand and shells mingled with debris of lava. A few sea birds frequented this desolate coast, gulls, great albatrosses, as well as wild duck, for which Pencroft had a great fancy. He tried to knock some over with an arrow but without result, for they seldom perched, and he could not hit them on the wing. This led the sailor to repeat to the engineer, You see, Captain, so long as we have not one or two fouling pieces we shall never get anything. Doubtless, Pencroft, replied the reporter, but it depends on you. Procure us some iron for the barrels, steel for the hammers, salt-peter, coal and sulfur for powder, mercury and nitric acid for the fulminate, and lead for the shot, and the captain will make us first-rate guns. Oh, replied the engineer, we might no doubt find all these substances on the island, but a gun is a delicate instrument and needs very particular tools. However, we shall see later. Why, cried Pencroft, were we obliged to throw overboard all the weapons we had with us in the car, all our implements, even our pocket knives? But if we had not thrown them away, Pencroft, the balloon would have thrown us to the bottom of the sea, said Herbert. What you say is true, my boy, replied the sailor. Then, passing to another idea, Think, said he, how astounded Jonathan Forster and his companions must have been when, next morning, they found the place empty and the machine flown away. I am utterly indifferent about knowing what they may have thought, said the reporter. It was all my idea that, said Pencroft, with the satisfied air. A splendid idea, Pencroft, replied Gideon Spillett, laughing, and which has placed us where we are. I would rather be here than in the hands of the southerners, cried the sailor, especially since the captain has been kind enough to come and join us again. So would I, truly, replied the reporter. Besides, what do we want? Nothing. If that is not everything, replied Pencroft, laughing and shrugging his shoulders, but some day or other we shall find means of going away. Sooner perhaps than you imagine, my friends, remarked the engineer. If Lincoln Island is but a medium distance from an inhabited island or from a continent, we shall know in an hour. I have not a map of the Pacific, but my memory has preserved a very clear recollection of its southern part. The latitude which I obtained yesterday placed New Zealand to the west of Lincoln Island and the coast of Chile to the east. But between these two countries there is a distance of at least six thousand miles. It is therefore to be determined what point in this great space the island occupies, and this the longitude will give us presently, with a sufficient approximation, I hope. Is not the archipelago or the pommatus the nearest point to us in latitude? asked Herbert. Yes, replied the engineer, but the distance which separates us from it is more than twelve hundred miles. And that way, asked Neb, who followed the conversation with extreme interest pointing to the south, that way nothing replied Pencroft. Nothing indeed added the engineer. Well, Cyrus asked the reporter, if Lincoln Island is not more than two or three thousand miles from New Zealand or Chile? Well, replied the engineer, instead of building a house we will build a boat, and Master Pencroft shall be put in command. Well then, cried the sailor, I am quite ready to be captain, as soon as you can make a craft that's able to keep at sea. We shall do it if it is necessary, replied Cyrus Harding. But while these men, who really hesitated at nothing, were talking, the hour approached at which the observation was to be made. What Cyrus Harding was to do to ascertain the passage of the sun at the meridian of the island, without an instrument of any sort Herbert could not guess. The observers were then about six miles from the chimneys, not far from that part of the downs in which the engineer had been found after his enigmatic preservation. They hauled it at this place and prepared for breakfast, for it was half past eleven. Herbert went for some fresh water from a stream which ran near, and brought it back in a jug, which Nebb had provided. During these preparations Harding arranged everything for his astronomical observation. He chose a clear place on the shore, which the ebbing tide had left perfectly level. This bed of fine sand was as smooth as ice, not a grain out of place. It was of little importance whether it was horizontal or not, and it did not matter much whether the stick six feet high, which was planted there, rose perpendicularly. On the contrary, the engineer inclined it towards the south, that is to say, in the direction of the coast opposite to the sun, for it must not be forgotten that the settlers in Lincoln Island, as the island was situated in the southern hemisphere, saw the radiant planet describe its diurnal arc above the northern and not above the southern horizon. Herbert now understood how the engineer was going to proceed to ascertain the culmination of the sun, that is to say, it's passing the meridian of the island, or in other words, determining due south. It was by means of the shadow cast on the sand by the stick, a way which, for want of an instrument, would give him a suitable approach to the result which he wished to obtain. In fact, the moment when this shadow would reach its minimum of length would be exactly twelve o'clock, and it would be enough to watch the extremity of the shadow so as to ascertain the instant when, after having successively diminished, it began to lengthen. By inclining his stick to the side opposite to the sun, Cyrus Harding made the shadow longer, and consequently its modifications would be more easily ascertained. In fact, the longer the needle of a dial is, the more easily can the movement of its point be followed. The shadow of the stick was nothing but the needle of a dial. The moment had come, and Cyrus Harding knelt on the sand, and with little wooden pegs which he stuck into the sand, he began to mark the successive diminutions of the stick's shadow. His companions, bending over him, watched the operation with extreme interest. The reporter held his chronometer in his hand, ready to tell the hour which it marked when the shadow would be at its shortest. Moreover, as Cyrus Harding was working on the 16th of April, the day on which the true and the average time are identical, the hour given by Gideon's spillet would be the true hour then at Washington, which would simplify the calculation. Meanwhile, as the sun slowly advanced, the shadow slowly diminished, and when it appeared to Cyrus Harding that it was beginning to increase, he asked, What o'clock is it? One minute past five replied Gideon's spillet directly. They had now only to calculate the operation. Nothing could be easier. It could be seen that there existed, in round numbers, a distance of five hours between the meridian of Washington and that of Lincoln Island. That is to say, it was midday in Lincoln Island when it was already five o'clock in the evening in Washington. Now the sun, in its apparent movement round the earth, traverses one degree in four minutes, or fifteen degrees an hour. Fifteen degrees multiplied by five hours gives seventy-five degrees. Then, since Washington is seventy-seven degrees three minutes eleven seconds, as much as to say seventy-seven degrees counted from the meridian of Greenwich, which the Americans take for their starting point for longitudes concurrently with the English, it followed that the island must be situated seventy-seven and seventy-five degrees west of the meridian of Greenwich, that is to say, on the hundred and fifty-second degree of west longitude. Cyrus Harding announced this result to his companions, and taking into consideration errors of observation, as he had done for the latitude, he believed he could positively affirm that the position of Lincoln Island was between the thirty-fifth and the thirty-seventh parallel, and between the hundred and fiftieth and the hundred and fifty-fifth meridian to the west of the meridian of Greenwich. The possible fault which he attributed to errors in the observation was, it may be seen, of five degrees on both sides, which, at sixty miles to a degree, would give an error of three hundred miles in latitude and longitude for the exact position. But this error would not influence the determination which it was necessary to take. It was very evident that Lincoln Island was at such a distance from every country or island that it would be too hazardous to attempt to reach one in a frail boat. In fact, this calculation placed it at least twelve hundred miles from Tahiti and the islands of the archipelago of the Pomatus, more than eighteen hundred miles from New Zealand, and more than four thousand five hundred miles from the American coast. And when Cyrus Harding consulted his memory, he could not remember in any way that such an island occupied, in that part of the Pacific, the situation assigned to Lincoln Island. CHAPTER XV. The next day, the seventeenth of April, the sailor's first words were addressed to Gideon Spillett. "'Well, sir,' he asked, "'what shall we do to-day?' "'What the captain pleases,' replied the reporter. Till then the engineer's companions had been brick-makers and potters. Now they were to become metallurgists. The day before, after breakfast, they had explored as far as the point of mandible cape, seven miles distant from the chimneys. There the long series of downs ended, and the soil had a volcanic appearance. There were no longer high cliffs as it prospect heights, but a strange and capricious border which surrounded the narrow gulf between the two capes, formed of mineral matter thrown up by the volcano. Arrived at this point, the settlers retraced their steps, and at nightfall entered the chimneys. But they did not sleep before the question of knowing whether they could think of leaving Lincoln Island or not was definitely settled. The twelve hundred miles which separated the island from the Palmatus Island was at considerable distance. A boat could not cross it, especially at the approach of the bad season. Pencroft had expressly declared this. Now, to construct a simple boat, even with the necessary tools, was a difficult work, and the colonists not having tools they must begin by making hammers, axes, adzes, saws, augers, planes, etc., which would take some time. It was decided therefore that they would winter at Lincoln Island, and that they would look for a more comfortable dwelling than the chimneys in which to pass the winter months. Or anything else could be done. It was necessary to make the iron ore, of which the engineer had observed some traces in the northwest part of the island, fit for use by converting it either into iron or into steel. Medals are not generally found in the ground in a pure state. For the most part they are combined with oxygen or sulfur. Such was the case with the two specimens which Cyrus Harding had brought back, one of magnetic iron, not carbonated, the other a pyrite, also called sulfuret of iron. It was therefore the first, the oxide of iron, which they must reduce with coal, that is to say, get rid of the oxygen to obtain it in a pure state. This reduction is made by subjecting the ore with coal to a high temperature, either by the rapid and easy Catalan method, which has the advantage of transforming the ore into iron in a single operation, or by the blast furnace, which first smelts the ore, then changes it into iron, by carrying away the 3-4% of coal which is combined with it. Now Cyrus Harding wanted iron, and he wanted to obtain it as soon as possible. The ore which he had picked up was in itself very pure and rich. It was the oxygilus iron, which is found in confused masses of a deep gray color. It gives a black dust, crystallized in the form of the regular octahedron. Native lodestones consist of this ore, and iron of the first quality is made in Europe from that with which Sweden and Norway are so abundantly supplied. Not far from this vein was the vein of coal already made use of by the settlers. The ingredients for the manufacture being close together would greatly facilitate the treatment of the ore. This is the cause of the wealth of the mines in Great Britain, where the coal aids the manufacture of the metal extracted from the same soil at the same time as itself. Then Captain, said Pencroft, we are going to work iron ore? Yes, my friend, replied the engineer, and for that, something which will please you, we must begin by having a seal-hunt on the islet. A seal-hunt! cried the sailor, turning towards Gideon's spillet. Are seals needed to make iron? Since Cyrus has said so, replied the reporter. But the engineer had already left the chimneys, and Pencroft prepared for the seal-hunt without having received any other explanation. Cyrus Harding, Herbert, Gideon's spillet, Nebb and the sailor were soon collected on the shore, at a place where the channel left a ford passable at low tide. The hunters could therefore traverse it without getting wet higher than the knee. Harding then put his foot on the islet for the first, and his companions for the second time. On their landing some hundreds of penguins looked fearlessly at them. The hunters, armed with sticks, could have killed them easily, but they were not guilty of such useless massacre, as it was important not to frighten the seals, who were lying on the sand several cable lengths off. They also respected certain innocent-looking birds, whose wings were reduced to the state of stumps, spread out like fins, ornamented with feathers of a scaly appearance. The settlers therefore prudently advanced towards the north point, walking over ground riddled with little holes, which formed nests for the sea-birds. Towards the extremity of the islet appeared great black heads floating just above the water, having exactly the appearance of rocks in motion. These were the seals which were to be captured. It was necessary, however, first to allow them to land, for with their close short hair and their fusiform conformation, being excellent swimmers. It is difficult to catch them in the sea, while on land their short webbed feet prevent their having more than a slow, waddling movement. Pencroft knew the habits of these creatures, and he advised waiting till they were stretched on the sand when the sun before long would send them to sleep. They must then manage to cut off their retreat and knock them on the head. The hunters, having concealed themselves behind the rocks, waited silently. An hour passed before the seals came to play on the sand. They could count half a dozen. Pencroft and Herbert then went round the point of the islet, so as to take them in the rear and cut off their retreat. During this time Cyrus Harding, Spillett and Nebb, crawling behind the rocks, glided toward the future scene of combat. All at once the tall figure of the sailor appeared. Pencroft shouted. The engineer and his two companions threw themselves between the sea and the seals. Two of the animals soon lay dead on the sand, but the rest regained the sea in safety. Here are the seals required, Captain! said the sailor, advancing towards the engineer. Capital, replied Harding, we will make bellows of them. Bellows! cried Pencroft. Well, these are lucky seals. It was, in fact, a blowing machine necessary for the treatment of the oar that the engineer wished to manufacture with the skins of the amphibious creatures. They were of a medium size, for their length did not exceed six feet. They resembled a dog about the head. As it was useless to burden themselves with the weight of both the animals, Nebb and Pencroft resolved to skin them on the spot, while Cyrus Harding and the reporter continued to explore the islet. The sailor and the negro cleverly performed the operation, and three hours afterwards Cyrus Harding had at his disposal two sealed skins which he intended to use in this state without subjecting them to any tanning process. The settlers waited till the tide was again low, and crossing the channel they entered the chimneys. The skins had then to be stretched on a frame of wood and sewn by means of fibers, so as to preserve the air without allowing too much to escape. Cyrus Harding had nothing but the two steel blades from Topps Collar, and yet he was so clever and his companions aided him with so much intelligence that three days afterwards the little colony's stock of tools was augmented by a blowing machine destined to inject the air into the midst of the oar when it should be subjected to heat, an indispensable condition to the success of the operation. On the morning of the twentieth of April began the metallic period, as the reporter called it in his notes. The engineer had decided, as has been said, to operate near the veins both of coal and ore. Now, according to his observations, these veins were situated at the foot of the northeast spurs of Mount Franklin, that is to say, a distance of six miles from their home. It was impossible, therefore, to return every day to the chimneys, and it was agreed that the little colony should camp under a hut of branches so that the important operation could be followed night and day. Once settled they set out in the morning. Neb and Pencroft dragged the bellows on a hurdle, also a quantity of vegetables and animals, which they besides could renew on the way. The road led through Jackamar Wood, which they traversed obliquely from southeast to northwest, and in the thickest part. It was necessary to beat a path, which Wood in the future formed the most direct road to Prospect Heights and Mount Franklin. The trees belonging to the species already discovered were magnificent. Herbert found some new ones, among others some which Pencroft called shamleaks, for in spite of their size they were of the same lilicious family as the onion, chive, shallot, or asparagus. These trees produce lignious roots which, when cooked, are excellent. From them, by fermentation, a very agreeable liquor is made. They therefore made a good store of the roots. The journey through the wood was long. It lasted the whole day, and so allowed plenty of time for examining the flora and fauna. Top, who took special charge of the fauna, ran through the grass and brushwood, putting up all sorts of game. Herbert and Gideon Spillett killed two kangaroos with bows and arrows, and also an animal which strongly resembled both a hedgehog and an anteater. It was like the first because it rolled itself into a ball and bristled with spines, and the second because it had sharp claws, a long, slender snout which terminated in a bird's beak, and an extendable tongue covered with little thorns which served to hold the insects. And when it is in the pot, asked Pencroft naturally, what will it be like? An excellent piece of beef, replied Herbert. We will not ask more from it, replied the sailor. During this excursion they saw several wild boars, which, however, did not offer to attack the little band, and it appeared as if they would not meet with any dangerous beasts. When, in a thick part of the wood, the reporter thought he saw, some paces from him, among the lower branches of a tree, an animal which he took for a bear, and which he very tranquilly began to draw. Happily for Gideon Spillett the animal in question did not belong to the redoubtable family of the plantigrades. It was only a koala, better known under the name of a sloth, being about the size of a large dog, and having stiff hair of a dirty color. The paws armed with strong claws, which enabled it to climb trees and feed on the leaves. Having identified the animal, which they did not disturb, Gideon Spillett erased bear from the title of his sketch, putting koala in its place, and the journey was resumed. At five o'clock in the evening Cyrus Harding gave the signal to halt. They were now outside the forest, at the beginning of the powerful spurs which supported Mount Franklin towards the west. At a distance of some hundred feet flowed the red creek, and consequently plenty of fresh water was within their reach. The camp was soon organized. In less than an hour, on the edge of the forest, among the trees, a hut of branches interlaced with creepers and pasted over with clay, offered a tolerable shelter. Their geological researches were put off till the next day. Supper was prepared, a good fire blazed before the hut, the roast turned, and at eight o'clock, while one of the settlers watched to keep up the fire, in case any wild beast should prowl in the neighborhood, the others slept soundly. The next day, the twenty-first of April, Cyrus Harding, accompanied by Herbert, went to look for the soil of ancient formation, on which he had already discovered a specimen of ore. They found the vein above ground, near the source of the creek, at the foot of one of the northeastern spurs. This ore, very rich in iron, enclosed in its fusible vein stone, was perfectly suited to the mode of reduction which the engineer intended to employ, that is, the Catalan method, but simplified, as it is used in Corsica. In fact, the Catalan method, properly so-called, requires the construction of kilns and crucibles, in which the ore and the coal, placed in alternate layers, are transformed and reduced. But Cyrus Harding intended to concentrate these constructions, and wished simply to form, with the ore and the coal, a cubic mass, to the center of which he would direct the wind from his bellows. Doubtless it was the preceding employ by Tubal Cain and the first metallurgist of the inhabited world. Now that which had succeeded with the grandson of Adam, and which still yielded good results in countries rich in ore and fuel, could not but succeed with the settlers in Lincoln Island. The coal, as well as the ore, was collected without trouble on the surface of the ground. They first broke the ore into little pieces, and cleansed them with the hand from the impurities which soiled their surface. Then coal and ore were arranged in heaps and in successive layers, as the charcoal burner does with the wood which he wishes to carbonize. In this way, under the influence of the air projected by the blowing machine, the coal would be transformed into carbonic acid, then into oxide of carbon. It's used being to reduce the oxide of iron, that is to say, to rid it of the oxygen. Thus the engineer proceeded. The bellows of seal skin, furnished at its extremity with a nozzle of clay, which had been previously fabricated in the pottery kiln, was established near the heap of ore. Using the mechanism which consisted of a frame, cords of fiber, and counter-poise, he threw into the mass an abundance of air, which by raising the temperature also concurred with the chemical transformation to produce in time pure iron. The operation was difficult. All the patience, all the ingenuity of the settlers was needed, but at last it succeeded. And the result was a lump of iron reduced to a spongy state, which it was necessary to shingle and fag it, that is to say, to forge so as to expel from it the liquefied veinstone. These amateur smiths had, of course, no hammer, but they were no worse the situation than the first metalurgist, and therefore did what, no doubt, he had to do. A handle was fixed to the first lump, and was used as a hammer to forge the second on a granite anvil, and thus they obtained a coarse but useful metal. At length, after many trials and much fatigue, on the 25th of April several bars of iron were forged, and transformed into tools, crowbars, pincers, pickaxes, spades, etc., which Pencroff and Neb declared to be real jewels. But the metal was not yet in its most serviceable state, that is, of steel. Now steel is a combination of iron and coal, which is extracted either from the liquid ore, by taking from it the excess of coal, or from the iron by adding to it the coal which was wanting. The first, obtained by the decarburation of the metal, gives natural or puddled steel. The second, produced by the carburation of the iron, gives steel of cementation. It was the last which Cyrus Harding intended to forge, as he possessed iron in a pure state. He succeeded by heating the metal with powdered coal in a crucible, which had previously been manufactured from clay suitable for the purpose. He then worked this steel, which is malleable, both when hot or cold, with the hammer. Neb and Pencroft, cleverly directed, made hatchets, which heated red hot, and plunged suddenly into cold water, acquired an excellent temper. Other instruments, of course, roughly fashioned, were also manufactured, blades for planes, axes, hatchets, pieces of steel to be transformed into saws, chisels, then iron for spades, pickaxes, hammers, nails, etc. At last, on the 5th of May, the metallic period ended, the smiths returned to the chimneys, and new work would soon authorize them to take a fresh title. End of chapter. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. This recording is by Mark Smith of Simpsonville, South Carolina. The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne. Part 1, Chapter 16. It was the 6th of May, a day which corresponds to the 6th of November in the countries of the northern hemisphere. The sky had been obscured for some days, and it was of importance to make preparations for the winter. However, the temperature was not as yet much lower, and a centigrade thermometer transported to Lincoln Island would still have marked an average of 10 to 12 degrees above zero. This was not surprising since Lincoln Island, probably situated between the 35th and 40th parallel, would be subject in the southern hemisphere to the same climate as Sicily or Greece in the northern hemisphere. But as Greece and Sicily have severe cold producing snow and ice, so doubtless would Lincoln Island in the severest part of the winter, and it was advisable to provide against it. In any case, if cold did not yet threaten them, the rainy season would begin, and on this lonely island, exposed to all the fury of the elements, in mid-ocean, bad weather would be frequent and probably terrible. The question of a more comfortable dwelling than the chimneys must therefore be seriously considered and promptly resolved on. Pencroft naturally had some predilection for the retreat which he had discovered, but he well understood that another must be found. The chimneys had already been visited by the sea, under circumstances which are known, and it would not do to be exposed again to a similar accident. Besides, at it, Cyrus Harding, who this day was talking of these things with his companions, we have some precautions to take. Why, the island is not inhabited, said the reporter. That is probable, replied the engineer, although we have not yet explored the interior, but if no human beings are found I fear that dangerous animals may abound. It is necessary to guard against a possible attack, so that we shall not be obliged to watch every night, or to keep up a fire. And then, my friends, we must foresee everything. We are here in a part of the Pacific often frequented by melee pirates. What, said Herbert, at such a distance from land? Yes, my boy, replied the engineer. These pirates are bold sailors as well as formidable enemies, and we must take measures accordingly. Well, replied Pencroft, we will fortify ourselves against savages with two legs, as well as against savages with four. But, captain, will it not be best to explore every part of the island before undertaking anything else? That would be best, added Gideon Spillett. Who knows if we might not find on the opposite side one of the caverns which we have searched for in vain here? That is true, replied the engineer. But you forget, my friends, that it will be necessary to establish ourselves in the neighborhood of a water-course, and that, from the summit of Mount Franklin, we could not see towards the west either stream or river. Here, on the contrary, we are placed between the mercy and Lake Grant, an advantage which must not be neglected. And besides, this side, looking towards the east, is not exposed as the other is to the trade winds, which in this hemisphere blow from the northwest. Then, captain, replied the sailor, let us build a house on the edge of the lake. Neither bricks nor tools are wanting now. After having been brick-makers, potters, smelters, and smiths, we shall surely know how to be masons. Yes, my friend, but before coming to any decision, we must consider the matter thoroughly. A natural dwelling would spare us much work, and would be a sure retreat, for it would be as well defended against enemies from the interior as those from outside. That is true, Cyrus, replied the reporter. But we have already examined all that massive granite, and there is not a hole, not a cranny. No, not one, added Pencroft. Ah, if we were able to dig out a dwelling in that cliff, at a good height, so as to be out of the reach of harm, that would be capital. I can see that on the front, which looks seaward. Five or six rooms. With wind as delight them, said Herbert, laughing, and a staircase to climb up to them, added Nebb. You are laughing, cried the sailor, and why? What is there impossible in what I propose? Haven't we got pickaxes and spades? Won't Captain Harding be able to make powder to blow up the mine? Isn't it true, Captain, that you will make powder the very day we want it? Cyrus Harding listened to the enthusiastic Pencroft, developing his fanciful projects. To attack this massive granite, even by a mine, was Herculean work, and it was really vexing that nature could not help them at their need. But the engineer did not reply to the sailor, except by proposing to examine the cliff more attentively, from the mouth of the river to the angle which terminated it on the north. They went out, therefore, and the exploration was made with extreme care over an extent of nearly two miles. But in no place in the bare, straight cliff could any cavity be found. The nests of the rock pigeons which fluttered at its summit were only, in reality, holes bored at the very top and on the irregular edge of the granite. It was a provoking circumstance, and as to attacking this cliff, either with pickaxe or with powder, so as to affect a sufficient excavation, it was not to be thought of. It so happened that, on all this part of the shore, Pencroft had discovered the only habitable shelter, that is to say, the chimneys, which now had to be abandoned. The exploration ended. The colonists found themselves at the north angle of the cliff, where it terminated in long slopes, which died away on the shore. From this place, to its extreme limit in the west, it only formed a sort of declivity, a thick mass of stones, earth, and sand, bound together by plants, bushes, and grass, inclined at an angle of only forty-five degrees. Clumps of trees grew on these slopes, which were also carpeted with thick grass. But the vegetation did not extend far, and a long, sandy plain, which began at the foot of these slopes, reached to the beach. Cyrus Harding thought, not without reason, that the over-plus of the lake must overflow on this side. The excess of water furnished by the Red Creek must also escape by some channel or other. Now the engineer had not yet found this channel on any part of the shore already explored, that is to say, from the mouth of the stream on the west of Prospect Heights. The engineer now proposed to his companions to climb the slope, and to return to the chimneys by the heights, while exploring the northern and eastern shores of the lake. The proposal was accepted, and in a few minutes Herbert and Ned were on the upper plateau. Cyrus Harding, Gideon Spillett, and Pencroft followed with more sedate steps. The beautiful sheet of water glided through the trees under the rays of the sun. In this direction the country was charming. The eye feasted on the groups of trees. Some old trunks, bent with age, showed black against the verdant grass which covered the ground. Crowds of brilliant cockatoos screamed among the branches, moving prisms, hopping from one bow to another. The settlers, instead of going directly to the north bank of the lake, made a circuit round the edge of the plateau, so as to join the mouth of the creek on its left bank. It was a detour of more than a mile and a half. Walking was easy, for the trees, widely spread, left a considerable space between them. The fertile zone evidently stopped at this point, and vegetation would be less vigorous in the part between the course of the creek and the mercy. Cyrus Harding and his companions walked over this new ground with great care. Bows, arrows, and sticks with sharp iron points were their only weapons. However, no wild beast showed itself, and it was probable that these animals frequented, rather, the thick forests in the south. But the settlers had the disagreeable surprise of seeing top stop before a snake of great size, measuring from fourteen to fifteen feet in length. Nebb killed it by a blow from his stick. Cyrus Harding examined the reptile, and declared it not venomous, for it belonged to that species of diamond serpents which the natives of New South Wales rear. But it was possible that others existed whose bite was mortal, such as the deaf vipers with forked tails, which rise up under the feet, or those winged snakes furnished with two ears, which enable them to perceive with great rapidity. Top, the first moment of surprise over, began a reptile chase with such eagerness that they feared for his safety. His master called him back directly. The mouth of the Red Creek, at the place where it entered into the lake, was soon reached. The explorers recognized on the opposite shore the point which they had visited on their descent from Mount Franklin. Cyrus Harding ascertained that the flow of water into it from the creek was considerable. Nature must therefore have provided some place for the escape of the over-plus. This doubtless form to fall which, if it could be discovered, would be of great use. The colonists walking apart, but not straying far from each other, began to skirt the edge of the lake which was very steep. The water appeared to be full of fish, and pencroft resolved to make some fishing-rods, so as to try and catch some. The northeast point was first to be doubled. It might have been supposed that the discharge of water was at this place, for the extremity of the lake was almost on a level with the edge of the plateau. But no signs of this were discovered, and the colonists continued to explore the bank, which, after a slight bend, descended parallel to the shore. On this side the banks were less woody, but clumps of trees here and there added to the picturesqueness of the country. Lake Grant was viewed from dense in all its extent, and no breath disturbed the surface of its waters. Top, in beating the bushes, put up flocks of birds of different kinds, which Gideon Spillett and Herbert saluted with arrows. One was hit by the lad, and fell into some marshy grass. Top rushed forward and brought a beautiful swimming bird of a slate color, short beak, very developed frontal plate, and wings edged with white. It was a coot, the size of a large partridge, belonging to the group of macro-dactyls which formed the transition between the order of wading birds and that of palma-peds. Sorry, game and truth, and its flavor is far from pleasant. But Top was not so particular in these things as his masters, and it was agreed that the coot should be for his supper. The settlers were now following the eastern bank of the lake, and they would not be long in reaching the part which they already knew. The engineer was much surprised at not seeing any indication of the discharge of water. The reporter and the sailor talked with him, and he could not conceal his astonishment. At this moment Top, who had been very quiet till then, gave signs of agitation. The intelligent animal went backwards and forwards on the shore, stopped suddenly, and looked at the water one paw raised, as if he was pointing at some invisible game. Then he barked furiously and was suddenly silent. Neither Cyrus Harding nor his companions had at first paid any attention to Top's behavior, but the dog's barking soon became so frequent that the engineer noticed it. What is there there, Top? he asked. The dog bounded towards his master, seeming to be very uneasy, and then rushed again towards the bank. Then all at once he plunged into the lake. Here, Top! cried Cyrus Harding, who did not like his dog to venture into the treacherous water. What's happening down there? asked Pencroft, examining the surface of the lake. Top smells some amphibious creature, replied Herbert. An alligator, perhaps, said the reporter. I do not think so, replied Harding. Alligators are only met with in regions less elevated in latitude. Meanwhile Top had returned at his master's call and had regained the shore, but he could not stay quiet. He plunged in among the tall grass, and, guided by instinct, he appeared to follow some invisible being which was slipping along under the surface of the water. However, the water was calm, not a ripple disturbed its surface. Several times the settler stopped on the bank and observed it attentively. Nothing appeared. There was some mystery there. The engineer was puzzled. Let us pursue this exploration to the end, said he. Half an hour after, they had all arrived at the southeast angle of the lake on prospect heights. At this point the examination of the banks of the lake was considerably finished, and yet the engineer had not been able to discover how and where the waters were discharged. There is no doubt this overflow exists, he repeated, and since it is not visible it must go through a granite cliff at the west. But what importance do you attach to knowing that, my dear Cyrus? Asked he and spill it. Considerable importance, replied the engineer. For if it flows through the cliff there is probably some cavity, which it would be easy to render habitable after turning away the water. But is it not possible, Captain, that the water flows away at the bottom of the lake, said Herbert, and that it reaches the sea by some subterranean passage? That might be, replied the engineer. And should it be so, we shall be obliged to build our house ourselves, since nature has not done it for us. The colonists were about to begin to traverse the plateau to return to the chimneys when Top gave new signs of agitation. He barked with fury, and before his master could restrain him he had plunged a second time into the lake. All ran towards the bank. The dog was already more than twenty feet off, and Cyrus was calling him back when an enormous head emerged from the water which did not appear to be deep in that place. Herbert recognized directly the species of amphibian to which the tapering head with large eyes and adorned with long, silky mustaches belonged. A laminatin! he cried. It was not a laminatin, but one of that species of the order of cetaceans, which bear the name of the dugong, for its nostrils were open at the upper part of its snout. The enormous animal rushed on the dog, who tried to escape by returning towards the shore. His master could do nothing to save him, and before Gideon's spillet or Herbert thought of bending their bows, Top, seized by the dugong, had disappeared beneath the water. Nebb, his iron-tipped spear in his hand, wished to go to Top's help and attack the dangerous animal in its own element. No, Nebb, said the engineer, restraining his courageous servant. Meanwhile a struggle was going on beneath the water, an inexplicable struggle, for in his situation Top could not possibly resist, and judging by the bubbling of the surface it must also be a terrible struggle, and could not but terminate in the death of the dog. But suddenly, in the middle of a foaming circle, Top reappeared. Throne in the air by some unknown power, he rose ten feet above the surface of the lake, fell again into the midst of the agitated waters, and then soon gained the shore, without any severe wounds, miraculously saved. Cyrus Harding and his companions could not understand it. What was not less inexplicable was that the struggle still appeared to be going on. Doubtless the dugong, attacked by some powerful animal, after having released the dog, was fighting on its own account. But it did not last long. The water became red with blood, and the body of the dugong, emerging from the sheet of scarlet which spread around, soon stranded on a little beach at the south angle of the lake. The columnist ran towards it. The dugong was dead. It was an enormous animal, fifteen or sixteen feet long, and must have weighed from three to four thousand pounds. At its neck was a wound, which appeared to have been produced by a sharp blade. What could the amphibious creature have been, who by this terrible blow had destroyed the formidable dugong? No one could tell, and much interested in this incident, Harding and his companions returned to the chimneys.