 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 17 The next day, the 7th of May, Harding and Gideon Spillett, leaving Nebb to prepare breakfast, climbed Prospect Heights, while Herbert and Pencroft ascended by the river to renew their store of wood. The engineer and the reporter soon reached the little beach on which the dugong had been stranded. Already flocks of birds had attacked the mass of flesh and had to be driven away with stones, for Cyrus wished to keep the fat for the use of the colony. As to the animal's flesh it would furnish excellent food, for in the islands of the Melee archipelago and elsewhere it is especially reserved for the table of the native princes, but that was Neb's affair. At this moment Cyrus Harding had other thoughts. He was much interested in the incident of the day before. He wished to penetrate the mystery of that submarine combat and to ascertain what monster could have given the dugong so strange a wound. He remained at the edge of the lake, looking, observing. But nothing appeared under the tranquil waters which sparkled in the first rays of the rising sun. At the beach, on which lay the body of the dugong, the water was tolerably shallow, but from this point the bottom of the lake sloped gradually, and it was probable that the depth was considerable in the center. The lake might be considered as a large center basin which was filled by the water from the Red Creek. Well, Cyrus, said the reporter, there seems to be nothing suspicious in this water. No, my dear Spillet, replied the engineer, and I really do not know how to account for the incident of yesterday. I acknowledge, returned Spillet, that the wound given this creature is at least very strange, and I cannot explain either how Topp was so vigorously cast up out of the water. One could have thought that a powerful arm hurled him up, and that the same arm with a dagger killed the dugong. Yes, replied the engineer, who had become thoughtful. There is something there that I cannot understand. But do you better understand, either, my dear Spillet, in what way I was saved myself, how I was drawn from the waves and carried to the downs? No! Is it not true? Now, I feel sure that there is some mystery there, which doubtless we shall discover some day. Let us observe, but do not dwell on these singular incidents before our companions. Let us keep our remarks to ourselves, and continue our work. It will be remembered that the engineer had not as yet been able to discover the place where the surplus water escaped, but he knew it must exist somewhere. He was much surprised to see a strong current at this place. By throwing in some bits of wood he found that it set towards the southern angle. He followed the current and arrived at the south point of the lake. There was there a sort of depression in the water, as if it was suddenly lost in some fissure in the ground. Harding listened, placing his ear to the level of the lake, he very distinctly heard the noise of a subterranean fall. There, said he rising, is the discharge of the water. There, doubtless, by a passage in the granite cliff, it joins the sea, through cavities which we can use to our profit. Well, I can find it. The engineer cut along branch, stripped it of its leaves, and plunging it into the angle between the two banks, he found that there was a large hole, one foot only beneath the surface of the water. This hole was the opening so long looked for in vain, and the force of the current was such that the branch was torn from the engineer's hands and disappeared. There is no doubt about it now, repeated Harding. There is the outlet, and I will lay it open to view. How! asked Gideon Spillett. By lowering the level of the water of the lake three feet. And how will you lower the level? By opening another outlet larger than this. At what place, Cyrus? At the part of the bank nearest the coast. But it is a massive granite! observed Spillett. Well, replied Cyrus Harding. I will blow up the granite, and the water escaping will subside, so as to lay bare this opening. And make a waterfall by falling on to the beach, added the reporter. A fall that we shall make use of, replied Cyrus. Come! come! The engineer hurried away his companion, whose confidence in Harding was such that he did not doubt the enterprise would succeed. And yet how was this granite wall to be opened without powder, and with imperfect instruments? Was not this work upon which the engineer was so bent, above their strength? When Harding and the reporter entered the chimneys, they found Herbert and Pencroft unloading their raft of wood. The woodman had just finished, Captain, said the sailor, laughing. And when you want masons— Masons? No, but chemists, replied the engineer. Yes, added the reporter, we are going to blow up the island. Blow up the island! cried Pencroft. A part of it, at least, replied Spillett. Listen to me, my friends, said the engineer, and he made known to them the result of his observations. According to him, a cavity, more or less considerable, must exist in the mass of granite which supported prospect heights, and he intended to penetrate into it. To do this, the opening through which the water rushed must first be cleared, and the level lowered by making a larger outlet. Therefore, an explosive substance must be manufactured, which would make a deep trench in some other part of the shore. This was what Harding was going to attempt with the minerals which nature placed at his disposal. It is useless to say with what enthusiasm all, especially Pencroft, received this project. To employ great means, open the granite, create a cascade—that suited the sailor. And he would just as soon be a chemist as a mason or bootmaker, since the engineer wanted chemicals. He would be all that they liked, even a professor of dancing and deportment, said he to Neb, if that was ever necessary. Neb and Pencroft were first of all told to extract the grease from the dugong and to keep the flesh, which was destined for food. Such perfect confidence had they in the engineer that they set out directly without even asking a question. A few minutes after them, Cyrus Harding, Herbert and Gideon Spillett, dragging the hurdle, went towards the vein of coals, where whose schistose pyrites abound which are met with in the most recent transition soil, and of which Harding had already found a specimen. All the day being employed in carrying a quantity of these stones to the chimneys, by evening they had several tons. The next day, the 8th of May, the engineer began his manipulations. These schistose pyrites, being composed principally of coal, flint, alumina, and sulfuret of iron, the latter in excess, it was necessary to separate the sulfuret of iron and transform it into sulfate as rapidly as possible. The sulfate obtained, the sulfuric acid could then be extracted. This was the object to be attained. Sulfuric acid is one of the agents the most frequently employed, and the manufacturing importance of a nation can be measured by the consumption which is made of it. This acid would later be of great use to the settlers in the manufacturing of candles, tanning skins, etc., but this time the engineer reserved it for another use. Cyrus Harding chose, behind the chimneys, a site where the ground was perfectly level. On this ground he placed a layer of branches and chopped wood on which were piled some pieces of schistose pyrites, buttressed one against the other, and the hole being covered with a thin layer of pyrites, previously reduced to the size of a nut. This done they set fire to the wood, the heat was communicated to the schist, which soon kindled, since it contains coal and sulfur. Then new layers of bruised pyrites were arranged so as to form an immense heap, the exterior of which was covered with earth and grass, several air holes being left, as if it was a stack of wood which was to be carbonized to make charcoal. They then left the transformation to complete itself, and it would not take less than 10 or 12 days for the sulfuretive iron to be changed to sulfate of iron and the alumina into sulfate of alumina, two equally soluble substances. The others, flint, burnt coal, and cinders, not being so. While this chemical work was going on, Cyrus Harding proceeded with other operations, which were pursued with more than zeal, it was eagerness. Neb and Pencroft had taken away the fat from the dugong, and placed it in large earthen pots. It was then necessary to separate the glycerin from the fat by saponifying it. Now, to obtain this result, it had to be treated either with soda or lime. In fact, one or other of these substances, after having attacked the fat, would form a soap by separating the glycerin, and it was just this glycerin which the engineer wished to obtain. There was no want of lime. Only treatment by lime would give calcareous soap insoluble and consequently useless, while treatment by soda would furnish, on the contrary, a soluble soap which could be put to domestic use. Now, a practical man like Cyrus Harding would rather try to obtain soda. Was this difficult? No, for marine plants abounded on the shore, glasswort, ficoides, and all those focacciae which form rack. A large quantity of these plants was collected, first dried, then burnt in holes in the open air. The combustion of these plants was kept up for several days, and the result was a compact grey mass, which has long been known under the name of natural soda. This obtained, the engineer treated the fat with soda, which gave both the soluble soap and that neutral substance glycerin. But this was not all. Cyrus Harding still needed, in view of his future preparation, another substance, nitrate of potash, which is better known under the name of salt-niter, or of salt-peter. Cyrus Harding could have manufactured this substance by treating the carbonate of potash, which would be easily extracted from the cinders of the vegetables, by azotic acid. But this acid was wanting, and he would have been in some difficulty, if nature had not happily furnished the salt-peter, without giving them any other trouble than that of picking it up. Herbert found a vein of it at the foot of Mount Franklin, and they had nothing to do but purify this salt. These different works lasted a week. They were finished before the transformation of the sulfuret into sulfate of iron had been accomplished. During the following days the settlers had time to construct a furnace of bricks of a particular arrangement to serve for the distillation of the sulfate of iron when it had been obtained. All this was finished about the 18th of May, nearly at the time when the chemical transformation terminated. Gideon Spillett, Herbert, Nebb, and Pencroft, skillfully directed by the engineer, had become most clever workmen. Before all masters, necessity is the one most listened to, and who teaches the best. When the heap of pyrites had been entirely reduced by fire, the result of the operation, consisting of sulfate of iron, sulfate of alumina, flint, remains of coal, and cinders was placed in a basin full of water. They stirred this mixture, let it settle, then decanted it, and obtained a clear liquid containing in solution sulfate of iron and sulfate of alumina, the other matters remaining solid since they are insoluble. Lastly this liquid being partly evaporated, crystals of sulfate of iron were deposited, and the not evaporated liquid, which contained the sulfate of alumina, was thrown away. Cyrus Harding had now at his disposal a large quantity of these sulfate of iron crystals, from which the sulfuric acid had to be extracted. The making of sulfuric acid is a very expensive manufacturer. Considerable works are necessary, a special set of tools, an apparatus of platina, leaden chambers, unassailable by the acid, and in which the transformation is performed, etc. The engineer had none of these at his disposal, but he knew that, in Bohemia especially, sulfuric acid is manufactured by very simple means, which have also the advantage of producing it to a superior degree of concentration. It is thus that the acid known under the name of Nordhausen acid is made. To obtain sulfuric acid, Cyrus Harding had only one operation to make, to calcine the sulfate of iron crystals in a closed vase, so that the sulfuric acid should distill in vapor, which vapor, by condensation, would produce the acid. The crystals were placed in pots, and the heat from the furnace would distill the sulfuric acid. The operation was successfully completed, and on the 20th of May, 12 days after commencing it, the engineer was the possessor of the agent which later he hoped to use in so many different ways. Now, why did he wish for this agent? Simply to produce azotic acid, and that was easy, since Solpeter, attacked by sulfuric acid, gives azotic or nitric acid by distillation. But, after all, how was he going to employ this azotic acid? His companions were still ignorant of this, for he had not informed them of the result at which he aimed. However, the engineer had nearly accomplished his purpose, and by a last operation he would procure the substance which had given so much trouble. Taking some azotic acid, he mixed it with glycerin, which had been previously concentrated by evaporation, subjected to the water bath, and he obtained, without even employing a refrigerant mixture, several pints of an oily yellow mixture. This last operation Cyrus Harding had made alone, in a retired place, at a distance from the chimneys, for he feared the danger of an explosion, and when he showed a bottle of this liquid to his friends, he contented himself with saying, Here is nitroglycerin. It was really this terrible production, of which the explosive power is perhaps tenfold that of ordinary powder, and which has already caused so many accidents. However, since a way has been found to transform it into dynamite, that is to say, to mix it with some solid substance, clay or sugar, porous enough to hold it, the dangerous liquid has been used with some security. But dynamite was not yet known at the time when the settlers worked on Lincoln Island. And is it that liquid that is going to blow up our rocks?" said Pencroft incredulously. Yes, my friend, replied the engineer, and this nitroglycerin will produce so much the more effect, as the granite is extremely hard, and will oppose a greater resistance to the explosion. And when shall we see this, Captain? Tomorrow, as soon as we have dug a hole for the mine, replied the engineer. The next day, the twenty-first of May, at daybreak, the miners went to the point which formed the eastern shore of Lake Grant, and was only five hundred feet from the coast. At this place the plateau inclined downwards from the waters, which were only restrained by their granite case. Therefore, if this case was broken, the water would escape by the opening and form a stream which, flowing over the inclined surface of the plateau, would rush on to the beach. Consequently the level of the lake would be greatly lowered, and the opening where the water escaped would be exposed, which was their final aim. Under the engineer's directions, Pencroft, armed with the pickaxe, which he handled skillfully and vigorously, attacked the granite. The hole was made on the point of the shore, slanting, so that it should meet a much lower level than that of the water of the lake. In this way the explosive force, by scattering the rock, would open a large place for the water to rush out. The work took some time, for the engineer, wishing to produce a great effect, intended to devote not less than seven quarts of nitroglycerin to the operation. But Pencroft, relieved by Neb, did so well that towards four o'clock in the evening the mine was finished. Now the question of setting fire to the explosive substance was raised. Generally nitroglycerin is ignited by caps of fulminate, which in bursting caused the explosion. A shock is therefore needed to produce the explosion, for simply lighted this substance would burn without exploding. Cyrus Harding could certainly have fabricated a percussion cap. In default of fulminate he could easily obtain a substance similar to gun-cotton, since he had esotic acid at his disposal. This substance, pressed in a cartridge, and introduced among the nitroglycerin, would burst by means of a fuse and cause the explosion. But Cyrus Harding knew that nitroglycerin would explode by a shock. He resolved to employ this means and try another way, if this did not succeed. In fact the blow of a hammer on a few drops of nitroglycerin, spread out on a hard surface, was enough to create an explosion. But the operator could not be there to give the blow, without becoming a victim to the operation. Harding therefore thought of suspending a mass of iron weighing several pounds by means of a fiber to an upright just above the mine. Another long fiber, previously impregnated with sulfur, was attached to the middle of the first by one end, while the other lay on the ground several feet distant from the mine. The second fiber being set on fire it would burn till it reached the first. This catching fire in its turn would break, and the mass of iron would fall on the nitroglycerin. This apparatus, being then arranged, the engineer, after having sent his companions to a distance, filled the hole, so that the nitroglycerin was on a level with the opening. Then he threw a few drops of it on the surface of the rock, above which the mass of iron was already suspended. This done, harding lit the end of the sulfured fiber, and leaving the place he returned with his companions to the chimneys. The fiber was intended to burn five and twenty minutes, and in fact five and twenty minutes afterwards a most tremendous explosion was heard. The island appeared to tremble to its very foundations. Stones were projected in the air as if by the eruption of a volcano. The shock produced by the displacing of the air was such that the rocks of the chimneys shook. The settlers, although they were more than two miles from the mine, were thrown on the ground. They rose, climbed the plateau, and ran towards the place where the bank of the lake must have been shattered by the explosion. A cheer escaped them. A large rent was seen in the granite. A rapid stream of water rushed foaming across the plateau, and dashed down a height of three hundred feet on to the beach. End of chapter. Mysterious Island by Jules Verne. Part 1. Chapter 18. Cyrus Harding's project had succeeded, but according to his usual habit he showed no satisfaction. With closed lips and a fixed look he remained motionless. Herbert was in ecstasies, neb bounded with joy. Pencroft nodded his great head, murmuring these words, Come, our engineer gets on capital! The nitroglycerin-headed deed acted powerfully. The opening which it had made was so large that the volume of water which escaped through this new outlet was at least treble that which before passed through the old one. The result was that a short time after the operation the level of the lake would be lowered two feet or more. The settlers went to the chimneys to take some pickaxes, iron-tipped spears, string made of fibers, flint and steel. They then returned to the plateau, top accompanying them. On the way the sailor could not help saying to the engineer, Don't you think, Captain, that by means of that charming liquid you have made one could blow up the whole of our island? Without any doubt the island, continents, and the world itself replied the engineer. It is only a question of quantity. Then could you not use this nitroglycerin for loading firearms? asked the sailor. No, Pencroft, for it is too explosive a substance. But it would be easy to make some gun-cotton, or even ordinary powder, as we have azotic acid, salt-peter, sulfur, and coal. Unhappily it is the guns which we have not got. Oh, Captain, replied the sailor, with a little determination, Pencroft had erased the word impossible from the dictionary of Lincoln Island. The settlers, having arrived on prospect heights, went immediately towards that point of the lake near which was the old opening now uncovered. This outlet had now become practicable, since the water no longer rushed through it, and it would doubtless be easy to explore the interior. In a few minutes the settlers had reached the lower point of the lake, and a glance showed them that the object had been attained. In fact in the side of the lake, and now above the surface of the water, appeared the long-looked-for opening. A narrow ridge, left bare by the retreat of the water, allowed them to approach it. This orifice was nearly twenty feet in width, but scarcely too in height. It was like the mouth of a drain at the edge of a pavement, and therefore did not offer an easy passage to the settlers. But Neb and Pencroft, taking their pickaxes, soon made it of a suitable height. The engineer then approached, and found that the sides of the opening, in its upper part at least, had not a slope of more than from thirty to thirty-five degrees. It was therefore practicable, and provided that the declivity did not increase, it would be easy to descend even to the level of the sea. If then, as was probable, some vast cavity existed in the interior of the granite, it might perhaps be of great use. Well, Captain, what are we stopping for? asked the sailor impatient to enter the narrow passage. You see, Top has got before us. Very well, replied the engineer. But we must see our way. Neb, going, cut some resinous branches. Neb and Herbert ran to the edge of the lake, shaded with pines and other green trees, and soon returned with some branches which they made into torches. The torches were lighted with flint and steel, and Cyrus Harding leading, the settlers ventured into the dark passage which the over-plus of the lake had formerly filled. Contrary to what might have been supposed, the diameter of the passage increased as the explorers proceeded, so that they very soon were able to stand upright. The granite, worn by the water for an infinite time, was very slippery and falls were to be dreaded. But the settlers were all attached to each other by a cord, as is frequently done in ascending mountains. Happily some projections of the granite, forming regular steps, made the descent less perilous. Drops still hanging from the rocks, shown here and there under the light of the torches, and the explorers guessed that the sides were clothed with innumerable stalactites. The engineer examined this black granite. There was not a stratum, not a break in it. The mass was compact, and of an extremely close grain. The passage dated then from the very origin of the island. It was not the water which little by little had hollowed it. The pitot and not Neptune had bored it with his own hand, and on the wall traces of an eruptive work could be distinguished, which all the washing of the water had not been able totally to efface. The settlers descended very slowly. They could not but feel a certain awe in thus venturing into these unknown depths for the first time visited by human beings. They did not speak, but they thought, and the thought came to more than one that some polypus or other gigantic cephalopod might inhabit the interior cavities which were in communication with the sea. However, Top kept at the head of the little band, and they could rely on the sagacity of the dog, who would not fail to give the alarm if there was any need for it. After having descended about a hundred feet following a winding road, Harding, who was walking on before, stopped, and his companions came up with him. The place where they had halted was wider, so as to form a cavern of moderate dimensions. Drops of water fell from the vault, but that did not prove that they oozed through the rock. They were simply the last traces left by the torrent, which had so long thundered through this cavity, and the air there was pure, though slightly damp, but producing no mephitic exhalation. Well, my dear Cyrus, say giddy and spill it, here is a very secure retreat, well hid in the depths of the rock, but it is, however, uninhabitable. Why uninhabitable? asked the sailor, because it is too small and too dark. Couldn't we enlarge it, hollow it out, make openings to let in light and air? Replied Pencroft, who now thought nothing impossible. Let us go on with our exploration, said Cyrus Harding. Perhaps lower down, nature will have spared us this labor. We have only gone a third of the way, observed Herbert. Nearly a third, replied Harding, for we have descended a hundred feet from the opening, and it is not impossible that a hundred feet farther down. Where is Top? asked Ned, interrupting his master. They searched the cavern, but the dock was not there. Most likely he has gone on, said Pencroft. Let us join him, replied Harding. The descent was continued. The engineer carefully observed all the deviations of the passage, and notwithstanding so many detours, he could easily have given an account of its general direction, which went towards the sea. The settlers had gone some fifty feet farther when their attention was attracted by distant sounds which came up from the depths. They stopped and listened. These sounds carried through the passage as through an acoustic tube came clearly to the ear. That is Top Barking, cried Herbert. Yes, replied Pencroft, and our brave dog is barking furiously. We have our iron-tipped spears, said Cyrus Harding. Keep on your guard, and forward. It is becoming more and more interesting. murmur Gideon's spillet in the sailor's ear, who nodded. Harding and his companions rushed to the help of their dog. Top's barking became more and more perceptible, and it seemed strangely fierce. Was he engaged in a struggle with some animal whose retreat he had disturbed? Without thinking of the danger to which they might be exposed, the explorers were now impelled by an irresistible curiosity, and in a few minutes, sixteen feet lower, they rejoined Top. There the passage ended in a vast and magnificent cavern. Top was running backwards and forwards, barking furiously. Pencroft and Neve waving their torches threw the light into every crevice, and at the same time Harding, Gideon's spillet and Herbert, their spears raised, were ready for any emergency which might arise. The enormous cavern was empty. The settlers explored it in every direction. There was nothing there, not an animal, not a human being, and yet Top continued to bark. Neither caresses nor threats could make him be silent. There must be a place somewhere by which the waters of the lake reached the sea, said the engineer. Of course, replied Pencroft, and we must take care not to tumble into a hole. Go, Top, go!" cried Harding. The dog, excited by his master's words, ran towards the extremity of the cavern, and there redoubled his barking. They followed him, and by the light of the torches, perceived the mouth of a regular well in the granite. It was by this that the water escaped, and this time it was not an oblique and practicable passage, but a perpendicular well into which it was impossible to venture. The torches were held over the opening. Nothing could be seen. Harding took a lighted branch and threw it into the abyss. The blazing resin, whose illuminating power increased still more by the rapidity of its fall, lighted up the interior of the well, but yet nothing appeared. The flame then went out with a slight hiss, which showed that it had reached the water, that is to say, the level of the sea. The engineer, calculating the time employed in its fall, was able to calculate the depth of the well, which was found to be about ninety feet. The floor of the cavern must thus be situated ninety feet above the level of the sea. Here is our dwelling, said Cyrus Harding. But it was occupied by some creature, replied Gideon Spillett, whose curiosity was not yet satisfied. Well, the creature, amphibious or otherwise, has made off through this opening, replied the engineer, and has left the place for us. Never mind, added the sailor, I should like very much to be top just for a quarter of an hour, for he doesn't bark for nothing. Cyrus Harding looked at his dog, and those of his companions who were near him might have heard him murmur these words. Yes, I believe the top knows more than we do about a great many things. However, the wishes of the settlers were, for the most part, satisfied. Chance, aided by the marvellous sagacity of their leader, had done them great service. They had now at their disposal a vast cavern, the size of which could not be properly calculated by the feeble light of their torches. But it would certainly be easy to divide it into rooms by means of brick partitions, or to use it, if not as a house, at least as a spacious apartment. The water which had left it could not return. The place was free. Two difficulties remained. Firstly, the possibility of lighting this excavation in the midst of solid rock. Secondly, the necessity of rendering the means of access more easy. It was useless to think of lighting it from above because of the enormous thickness of the granite which composed the ceiling, but perhaps the outer wall next to the sea might be pierced. Cyrus Harding, during the descent, had roughly calculated its obliqueness, and consequently the length of the passage, and was therefore led to believe that the outer wall could not be very thick. If light was thus obtained, so would a means of access, for it would be as easy to pierce a door as windows and to establish an exterior ladder. Harding made known his ideas to his companions. Then, Captain, let us set to work! replied Pancroft. I have my pickaxe, and I shall soon make my way through this wall. Where shall I strike? Here, replied the engineer, showing the sturdy sailor a considerable recess in the side which would much diminish the thickness. Pancroft attacked the granite, and for half an hour by the light of the torches he made the splinters fly around him. Ned relieved him, then Spillett took Ned's place. This work had lasted two hours, and they began to fear that at this spot the wall would not yield to the pickaxe. When at a last blow given by Gideon Spillett the instrument passing through the rock fell outside. Hurrah! Hurrah! cried Pancroft. The wall only measured there three feet in thickness. Harding applied his eye to the aperture which overlooked the ground from a height of eighty feet. Before him was extended the sea coast, the islet, and beyond the open sea. Floods of light entered by this hole, inundating the splendid cavern and producing a magic effect. On its left side it did not measure more than thirty feet in height and breadth. But on the right it was enormous and its vaulted roof rose to a height of more than eighty feet. In some places granite pillars irregularly disposed supported the vaulted roof, as those in the nave of a cathedral, here forming lateral piers, their elliptical arches, adorned with pointed moldings, losing themselves in dark bays, amid the fantastic arches of which glimpses could be caught in the shade, provided with a profusion of projections formed like so many pendants. This cavern was a picturesque mixture of all the styles of Byzantine, Roman, or Gothic architecture ever produced by the hand of man, and yet this was only the work of nature. She alone had hollowed this fairy Alhambra in a mass of granite. The settlers were overwhelmed with admiration, where they had only expected to find a narrow cavity they had found a sort of marvellous palace and never taken off his hat as if you'd been transported into a temple. Cries of admiration issued from every mouth, her eyes resounded, and the echo was repeated again and again till it died away in the dark knaves. Ah, my friends! exclaimed Cyrus Harding, when we have lighted the interior of this place and have arranged our rooms and storehouses in the left part, we shall still have this splendid cavern which we will make our study in our museum. And we will call it, asked Herbert, Granite House, replied Harding, a name which his companions again saluted with a cheer. The torches were now almost consumed, and as they were obliged to return by the passage to reach the summit of the plateau, it was decided to put off the work necessary for the arrangement of their new dwelling till the next day. Before departing, Cyrus Harding leaned once more over the dark well which descended perpendicularly to the level of the sea. He listened attentively. No noise was heard, not even that of the water which the undulations of the surge must sometimes agitate in its depths. A flaming branch was again thrown in. The sides of the well were lighted up for an instant, but as at the first time nothing suspicious was seen. If some marine monster had been surprised unawares by the retreat of the water, he would by this time have regained the sea by the subterranean passage before the new opening had been offered to him. Meanwhile the engineer was standing motionless, his eyes fixed on the gulf without uttering a word. The sailor approached him and touched his arm. Captain said he. What do you want, my friend? Asked the engineer, as if he had returned from the land of dreams. The torches will soon go out. Forward! replied Cyrus Harding. The little band left the cavern and began to ascend through the dark passage. The drop closed the rear, still growling every now and then. The ascent was painful enough. The settlers rested a few minutes in the upper grotto, which made a sort of landing-place, halfway up the long granite staircase. Then they began to climb again. Soon fresher air was felt, the drops of water dried by evaporation, no longer sparkled on the walls. The flaring torches began to grow dim. The one which Neve carried went out, and if they did not wish to find their way in the dark, they must hasten. This was done, and a little before four o'clock, at the moment when the sailor's torch went out in its turn, Cyrus Harding and his companions passed out of the passage. The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne Part 1, Chapter 19 The next day, the 22nd of May, the arrangement of their new dwelling was commenced. In fact, the settlers longed to exchange the insufficient shelter of the chimneys for this large and healthy retreat in the midst of solid rock, and sheltered from the water both of the sea and sky. Their former dwelling was not, however, to be entirely abandoned, for the engineer intended to make a manufacturing of it for important works. Cyrus Harding's first care was to find out the position of the front of Granite House from the outside. He went to the beach, and as the pickaxe when it escaped from the hands of the reporter must have fallen perpendicularly to the foot of the cliff, the finding it would be sufficient to show the place where the hole had been pierced in the granite. The pickaxe was easily found, and the hole could be seen in the perpendicular line above the spot where it was stuck in the sand. Some rock pigeons were already flying in and out of the narrow opening. They evidently thought that Granite House had been discovered on purpose for them. It was the engineer's intention to divide the right portion of the cavern into several rooms, preceded by an entrance passage, and to light it by means of five windows and a door pierced in the front. Pencroft was much pleased with the five windows, but he could not understand the use of the door, since the passage offered a natural staircase through which it would always be easy to enter Granite House. My friend replied, Harding, if it is easy for us to recharge welling by this passage, it will be equally easy for others besides us. I mean, on the contrary, to block up that opening, to seal it hermetically, and, if it is necessary, to completely hide the entrance by making a dam and thus causing the water of the lake to rise. And how shall we get in? asked the sailor. By an outside ladder, replied Cyrus Harding, a rope ladder which, once drawn up, will render access to our dwelling impossible. But why so many precautions? asked Pencroft. As yet we have seen no dangerous animals, as to our island being inhabited by natives, I don't believe it. Are you quite sure of that, Pencroft? asked the engineer, looking at the sailor. Of course we shall not be quite sure till we have explored it in every direction, replied Pencroft. Yes, said Harding, for we know only a small portion of it as yet. But at any rate, if we have no enemies in the interior, they may come from the exterior, for parts of the Pacific are very dangerous. We must be provided against every contingency. Cyrus Harding spoke wisely, and without making any further objection, Pencroft prepared to execute his orders. The front of granted house was then to be lighted by five windows and a door, besides a large bay window and some smaller oval ones, which would admit plenty of light to enter into the marvellous nave which was to be their chief room. This façade, situated at a height of eighty feet above the ground, was exposed to the east and the rising sun saluted it with its first rays. It was found to be just at that part of the cliff which was between the projection at the mouth of the mercy, and a perpendicular line traced above the heap of rocks which formed the chimneys. Thus the winds from the northeast would only strike it obliquely, for it was protected by the projection. Besides, until the window frames were made, the engineer meant to close the openings with thick shutters which would prevent either wind or rain from entering and which could be concealed in need. The first work was to make the openings. This would have taken too long with the pick-hacks alone, and it is known that Harding was an ingenious man. He had still a quantity of nitroglycerin at his disposal, and he employed it usefully. By means of this explosive substance the rock was broken open at the very places chosen by the engineer. Then, with the pick-hacks unspade, the windows and doors were properly shaped, the jagged edges were smoothed off, and a few days after the beginning of the work, Granite House was abundantly lighted by the rising sun, whose rays penetrated into its most secret recesses. Following the plan proposed by Cyrus Harding, the space was to be divided into five compartments looking out on the sea. To the right, an entry with a door which would meet the ladder, then a kitchen, thirty feet long, a dining room, measuring forty feet, a sleeping room of equal size, and lastly, a visitor's room, petitioned for by Pencroft, and which was next to the Great Hall. These rooms, or rather this suite of rooms, would not occupy all the depth of the cave. There would be also a corridor and a storehouse in which their tools, provisions, and stores would be kept. All the productions of the island, the flora as well as the fauna, were to be there in the best possible state of preservation and completely sheltered from the damp. There was no want of space so that each object could be methodically arranged. Besides, the colonists had still at their disposal the little grotto above the Great Cavern, which was like the garret of the new-dwelling. This plan settled. It had only to be put into execution. The miners became brick-makers again. Then the bricks were brought to the foot of Granite House. Till then, Harding and his companions had only entered the cavern by the long passage. This mode of communication obliged them first to climb prospect heights, making a detour by the river's bank, and then to descend two hundred feet through the passage, having to climb as far when they wished to return to the plateau. This was a great loss of time and was also very fatiguing. Cyrus Harding, therefore, resolved to proceed without any further delay to the fabrication of a strong rope ladder, which, once raised, rendered Granite House completely inaccessible. This ladder was manufactured with extreme care, and its uprights, formed of the twisted fibres of a species of cane, had the strength of a thick cable. As to the rounds, they were made of a sort of red cedar with light-strong branches, and this apparatus was wrought by the masterly hand of Pencroft. Other ropes were made with vegetable fibres, and a sort of crane with a tackle was fixed at the door. In this way, bricks could easily be raised into Granite House. The transport of the materials being thus simplified, the arrangement of the interior could begin immediately. There was no wad of lime, and some thousands of bricks were there ready to be used. The framework of the partitions was soon raised, very roughly at first, and in a short time Cave was divided into rooms and storehouses, according to the plan agreed upon. These different works progressed rapidly under the direction of the engineer, who himself handled the hammer and the trowel. No labor came amiss to Cyrus Harding, who thus set an example to his intelligent and zealous companions. They worked with confidence, even gaily, Pencroft always having some joke to crack, sometimes carpenter, sometimes rope-maker, sometimes mason, while he communicated his good humour to all the members of their little world. His faith in the engineer was complete. Nothing could disturb it. He believed him capable of undertaking anything and succeeding in everything. The question of boots and clothes, assuredly a serious question, that of light during the winter moths, utilizing the fertile parts of the island, transforming the wild flora into cultivated flora, it all appeared easy to him. Cyrus Harding helping, everything would be done in time. He dreamed of canals facilitating the transport of the riches of the ground, workings of quarries and mines, machines for every industrial manufacture, railroads—yes, railroads, of which a network would certainly one day cover, Lincoln Island. The engineer let Pencroft talk. He did not put down the aspirations of this brave heart. He knew how communicable confidence is. He even smiled to hear him speak and said nothing of the uneasiness for the future which he felt. In fact, in that part of the Pacific, out of the course of vessels, it was to be feared that no help would ever come to them. It was on themselves, on themselves alone, that the settlers must depend, for the distance of Lincoln Island from all other land was such that to hazard themselves in a boat, of a necessarily inferior construction, would be a serious and perilous thing. But, as the sailor said, they quite took the wind out of the sails of the Robinsons, for whom everything was done by a miracle. In fact, they were energetic. An energetic man will succeed where an indolent one would vegetate and inevitably perish. Herbert distinguished himself in these works. He was intelligent and active. Understanding quickly, he performed well. And Cyrus Harding became more and more attached to the boy. Herbert had a lively and reverent love for the engineer. Pencroft saw the close sympathy which existed between the two, but he was not in the least jealous. Neb was Neb. He was what he would be always, courage, zeal, devotion, self-denial personified. He had the same faith in his master that Pencroft had, but he showed it less vehemently. When the sailor was enthusiastic, Neb always looked as if he would say, Nothing could be more natural. Pencroft and he were great friends. As to Gideon's spillet, he took part in the common work and was not less skillful in it than his companions, which always rather astonished the sailor. A journalist, clever, not only in understanding, but in performing everything. The latter was finally fixed on the 28th of May. There was not less than a hundred rounds in this perpendicular height of eighty feet. Harding had been able, fortunately, to divide it in two parts, profiting by an overhanging of the cliff which made a projection forty feet above the ground. This projection, carefully leveled by the pickaxe, made a sort of platform to which they fixed the first ladder, of which the oscillation was thus diminished one half, and a rope permitted it to be raised to the level of granted house. As to the second ladder, it was secured both at its lower part, which rested on the projection, and at its upper end, which was fastened to the door. In short, the ascent had been made much easier. Besides, Sowers Harding hoped later to establish an hydraulic apparatus which would avoid all fatigue and loss of time for the inhabitants of granted house. The settlers soon became habituated to the use of this ladder. They were light and active, and Pencroft, as a sailor, accustomed to run up the masts and shrouds, was able to give them lessons. It was also necessary to give them to Top. The poor dog with his four paws was not formed for this sort of exercise, but Pencroft was such a zealous master that Top ended by properly performing his ascents, and soon mounted the ladder as readily as his brethren in the circus. It need not be said that the sailor was proud of his pupil. However, more than once, Pencroft hoisted him on his back, which Top never complained of. It must be mentioned here that during these works which were actively conducted for the bad season was approaching, the elementary question was not neglected. Every day the reporter in Herbert, who had been voted purveyors to the colony, devoted some hours to the chase. As yet they only hunted in Jackamar Wood, on the left of the river, because for want of a bridge or boat the mercy had not yet been crossed. All the immense woods to which the name of the forests of the far west had been given were not explored. They reserved this important excursion for the first fine days of the next spring. But Jackamar Wood was full of game, kangaroos and boars abounded, and the hunters' iron-tipped spears and bows and arrows did wonders. Besides, Herbert discovered the southwest point of the lagoon a natural warren, a slightly damp meadow covered with willows and aromatic herbs which scented the air, such as thyme, basil, savoury, all the sweet-scented species of the labiated plants, which the rabbits appeared to be particularly fond of. On the reporter observing that since the table was spread for the rabbits it was strange that the rabbits themselves and two sportsmen carefully explored the warren. At any rate it produced an abundance of useful plants, and a naturalist would have had a good opportunity of studying many specimens of the vegetable kingdom. Herbert gathered several shoots of the basil, rosemary, balm, betany, etc., which possessed different medicinal properties, some pectoral, astringent, febrefuge, others antispasmodic or anti-rheumatic. When afterwards Pencroft asked the use of this collection of herbs, for medicine, replied the lad, to treat us when we are ill. Why should we be ill, since there are no doctors in the island? asked Pencroft quite seriously. There was no reply to be made to that, but the lad went on with his collection all the same, and it was well received at Granite House. Besides these medicinal herbs he added a plant known in North America as Oswego Tea, which made an excellent beverage. At last, by searching thoroughly, the hunters arrived at the real site of the warn. There the ground was perforated like a sieve. Here are the burrows! cried Herbert. Yes, replied the reporter. So I see. But are they inhabited? That is the question. Most immediately hundreds of little animals, similar to rabbits, fled in every direction, with such rapidity that even Top could not overtake them. Hunters and dog ran in vain. These rodents escaped them easily. But the reporter resolved not to leave the place until he had captured at least half a dozen of the quadrupeds. He wished to stock their larder first and domesticate those which they might take later. It was difficult to do this, with a few snares stretched at the openings of the burrows. But at this moment they had neither snares nor anything to make them of. They must therefore be satisfied with visiting each hole and rummaging in it with a stick, hoping by dint of patience to do what could not be done in any other way. At last, after half an hour, four rodents were taken in and are commonly known by the name of American rabbits. This produce of the chase was brought back to Granite House and figured at the evening repast. The tenets of the warn were not at all to be despised, for they were delicious. It was a valuable resource of the colony and it appeared to be inexhaustible. On the 31st of May the partitions were finished. The rooms had now only to be furnished and this would be finished in a few days. A chimney was established in the first room, which served as the kitchen. The pipe destined to conduct the smoke outside gave some trouble to these amateur brick layers. It appeared simplest to harding to make it of brick clay, as creating an outlet for it to the upper plateau was not to be thought of. A hole was pierced in the granite above the window of the kitchen perhaps the winds which blew directly against the facade would make the chimney smoke, but these winds were rare and besides master Nebb the cook was not so very particular about that. When these interior arrangements were finished the engineer occupied himself in blocking up the outlet by the lake so as to prevent any access by that way. Masses of rock were rolled to the entrance and strongly cemented together. Cyrus Harding did not yet realize his plan of drowning this opening under the waters of the lake by restoring them to their former level by means of a dam. He contended himself with hiding the obstruction with grass and shrubs which were planted in the interstices of the rocks and which next spring would sprout thickly. However he used the waterfall so as to lead a small stream of fresh water to the new dwelling. A little trench made below their level produced this result and this derivation from a pure and inexhaustible source yielded twenty-five or thirty gallons a day. There would never be any want of water at Granite House. At last all was finished and it was time for the bad season was near. Thick shutters closed the windows of the facade until the engineer had time to make glass. Gideon's spillet had very artistically arranged on the rocky projections around the windows plants of different kinds as well as long streaming grass so that the openings were picturesquely framed in green which had a pleasing effect. The inhabitants of this solid healthy and secure dwelling could not but be charmed with their work. The view from the windows extended over a boundless horizon which was closed by the two capes on the north and claw cape on the south. All Union Bay was spread before them. Yes, our brave settlers had reason to be satisfied and Pencroff was lavish in his praise of what he humorously called his apartments on the fifth floor above the ground. This recording is by Mark Smith of Simpsonville, South Carolina. The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne Part I, Chapter 20 The winter season set in with the month of June which corresponds with the month of December in the northern hemisphere. It began with showers and squalls which succeeded each other without intermission. The tenants of granted house could appreciate the advantages of a dwelling which sheltered them from the inclement weather. The chimneys would have been quite insufficient to protect them against the rigor of winter and it was to be feared that the high tides would make another eruption. Cyrus Harding had taken precautions against this contingency so as to preserve as much as possible the forge and furnace which were established there. During the whole of the month of June the time was employed in different occupations which excluded neither hunting nor fishing, the larger being therefore abundantly supplied. Pencropp, so soon as he had leisure, proposed to set some traps from which he expected great results. He soon made some snares with creepers by the aid of which the warren henceforth every day furnished its quota of rodents. Neve employed nearly all his time in salting or smoking meat which ensured they're always having plenty of provisions. The question of clothes was now seriously discussed. The settlers having no other garments than those they wore when the balloon threw them on the island. These clothes were warm and good. They had taken great care of them as well as of their linen and they were perfectly whole but they would soon need to be replaced. Moreover, if the winter was severe the settlers would suffer greatly from the cold. On this subject the ingenuity of harding was at fault. They must provide for their most pressing wants, settle their dwelling and lay in a store of food. Thus the cold might come upon them before the question of clothes had been settled. They must therefore make up their minds to pass this first winter without additional clothing. When the fine season came round again they would regularly hunt those muskmen seen on the expedition to Mount Franklin and the wool once collected the engineer would know how to make it into strong warm stuff. How? he would consider. Well, we are free to roast ourselves at Granite House, said Pencroft. There are heaps of fuel and no reason for sparing it. Besides, at a Gideon's spillet Lincoln Island is not situated under a very high latitude and probably the winters here are not severe. Did you not say, Cyrus, that this thirty-fifth parallel corresponded to that of Spain and the other hemisphere? Doubtless replied the engineer. But some winters in Spain are very cold, no want of snow and ice, and perhaps Lincoln Island is just as rigorously tried. However it is an island and as such I hope that the temperature will be more moderate. Why, Captain? asked Herbert. Because the sea, my boy, may be considered as an immense reservoir in which is stored the heat of the summer. When winter comes, it restores this heat which ensures for the regions near the ocean a medium temperature less high in summer but less low in winter. We shall prove that, replied Pencroft, but I don't want to bother myself about whether it will be cold or not. I am certain that is that the days are already short and an evening's long. Suppose we talk about the question of light. Nothing is easier, replied Harding. To talk about, asked the sailor, to settle. And when shall we begin? Tomorrow, by having a seal hunt. To make candles? Yes. Such was the engineer's project and it was quite feasible to do so with sulfuric acid while the amphibians of the islet would furnish the fat necessary for the manufacture. They were now at the Fourth of June. It was Witt Sunday and they agreed to observe this feast. All work was suspended and prayers were offered to Heaven. But these prayers were now thanks-givings. The settlers in Lincoln Island were no longer the miserable castaways thrown on the islet. Furthermore, they gave thanks. The next day, the Fifth of June, in rather uncertain weather, they set out for the islet. They had to profit by the low tide to cross the channel and it was agreed that they would construct for this purpose as well as they could a boat which should render communication so much easier and would also permit them to ascend the mercy which was put off till the first fine days. The seals were numerous and the hunters armed with their iron tip spears easily killed half a dozen. They had been pencroft skinned them and only brought back to Granite House their fat and skin, the skin being intended for the manufacture of boots. The result of the hunt was this. Nearly three hundred pounds of fat all to be employed in the fabrication of candles. The operation was extremely simple and if it did not yield absolutely perfect results they were at least very useful. Cyrus Harding would only have at his disposal sulfuric acid but by heating this acid with the neutral fatty bodies he could separate the glycerin. Then, from this new combination he easily separated the olean, the margarine and the sterin by employing boiling water. But to simplify the operation he preferred to saponify the fat by means of lime. By this he obtained a calcareous soap easy to decompose by sulfuric acid which precipitated the lime into the state of sulfate and liberated the fatty acids. From these three acids oleic, margaric and steric the first being liquid was driven out by a sufficient pressure. As to the two others they formed the very substance of which the candles were to be molded. This operation did not last more than four and twenty hours. The wicks, after several trials, were made of vegetable fibers and dipped in the liquefied substance they formed regular steric candles molded by the hand which only wanted whiteness and polish. They would not doubtless have the advantage of the wicks which are impregnated with boracic acid and which vitrify as they burn and are entirely consumed but Cyrus Harding having manufactured a beautiful pair of snuffers these candles would be greatly appreciated during the long evenings in Granite House. During this month there was no wad of work in the interior of their new dwelling. The joiners had plenty to do. They improved their tools which were very rough and added others also. Scissors were made among other things and the settlers were at last able to cut their hair and also to shave or at least trim their beards. Herbert had none, neb but little but their companions were bristling in a way which justified the making of the said scissors. The manufacture of a handsaw cost infinite trouble but at last an instrument obtained which, when vigorously handled could divide the lignious fibers of the wood. They then made tables, seats, cupboards to furnish the principal rooms and bedsteads of which all the bedding consisted of grass mattresses. The kitchen with its shells on which rested the cooking utensils its brick stove looked very well and neb worked away there as earnestly as if he was in a chemist's laboratory. While the joiners had soon to be replaced by carpenters, in fact the waterfall created by the explosion rendered the construction of two bridges necessary one on prospect heights the other on the shore. Now the plateau and the shore were transversely divided by a water-course which had to be crossed to reach the northern part of the island. To avoid it the colonists had been obliged to make a considerable detour by climbing up to the source of the Red Creek. The simplest thing was to establish on the plateau and on the shore two bridges from twenty to five and twenty feet in length. All the carpenters work that was needed was to clear some trees of their branches. This was a business of some days. Directly the bridges were established. Neb and Pencroft profited by them to go to the oyster bed which had been discovered near the Downs. They dragged with them a sort of rough cart which replaced the former inconvenient hurdle and brought back some thousands of oysters which soon increased among the rocks and formed a bed at the mouth of the mercy. These mollocks were of excellent quality and the colonists consumed some daily. It has been seen that Lincoln Island, although its inhabitants had as yet only explored a small portion of it already contributed to almost all their wants. It was probable that if they hunted into its most secret recesses in all the wooded part between the mercy and reptile point they would find new treasures. The settlers in Lincoln Island had still one privation. There was no want of meat nor vegetable products. Those lignus roots which they had found once objected to fermentation gave them an acid drink which was available to cold water. They also made sugar without canes or beet-roots by collecting the liquor which distills from the acer saccharinum, a sort of maple tree which flourishes in all the temperate zones and of which the island possessed a great number. They made a very agreeable tea by employing the herbs brought from the Warren. Lastly they had an abundance of salt, the only mineral which was used in food but bread was wanting. Perhaps in time the settlers could replace this want by some equivalent. It was possible that they might find the sego or the breadfruit tree among the forest of the south but they had not as yet met with these precious trees. However providence came directly to their aid. In an infinitesimal proportion it is true, but Cyrus Harding with all his intelligence all his ingenuity would never have been able to produce that which by the greatest chance Herbert one day found in the lining of his waistcoat which he was occupied in setting to rights. On this day, as it was raining in torrents, the settlers were assembled in the Great Hall in Granite House when the lag cried out all at once Look here, Captain, a grain of corn! And he showed his companions a grain, a single grain which from a hole in his pocket had got into the lining of his waistcoat. The presence of this grain was explained by the fact that Herbert, when at Richmond, used to feed some pigeons of which Pencroft had made him a present. A grain of corn? said the engineer quickly. Yes, Captain, but one only one. Oh, my boy! The pencroft laughing. We're getting on capitally upon my word. What shall we make with one grain of corn? We will make bread of it, replied Cyrus Harding. Bread, cakes, tarts, replied the sailor. Come, the bread that this grain of corn will make won't choke us very soon. Herbert, not attaching much importance to his discovery, was going to throw away the grain in question. Herbert examined it, found that it was in good condition, and, looking the sailor full in the face, Pencroft he asked quietly, Do you know how many ears one grain of corn can produce? One, I suppose, replied the sailor, surprised at the question. Ten, Pencroft, and do you know how many grains one ear bears? No, upon my word. About eighty, said Cyrus Harding. Then if we plant this grain at the first crop, we shall reap eight hundred grains, which at the second will produce six hundred and forty thousand. At the third, five hundred and twelve millions. At the fourth, more than four hundred thousands of millions. There is the proportion. Harding's companions listened without answering. These numbers astonished them. They were exact, however. Yes, my friends, continued the engineer. Such are the arithmetical progressions of prolific nature, and yet what is this multiplication of the grain of corn of which the ear only bears eight hundred grains compared to the poppy plant, which bears thirty-two thousand seeds, to the tobacco plant which produces three hundred thousand. In a few years without the numerous causes of destruction which arrest their fecundity, these plants would overrun the earth. But the engineer had not finished his lecture. And now, pencroft, he continued, do you know how many bushels four hundred thousand millions of grains would make? No, replied the sailor, but what I do know is that I am nothing better than that. Well, they would make more than three millions at a hundred and thirty thousand of bushel, pencroft. Three millions, cried pencroft. Three millions. In four years? In four years, replied Cyrus Harding. And even in two years, if as I hope, in this latitude we can obtain two crops a year. Pencroft could not reply otherwise than by a tremendous hurrah. So, Herbert, added the engineer, you have made a discovery of great importance to us. Everything, my friends, everything can serve us in the condition in which we are. Do not forget that, I beg of you. No, Captain, no, we shan't forget it, replied Pencroft. And if ever I find one of those tobacco seeds which multiply two hundred and sixty thousand, I assure you I won't throw it away. And now what must we do? We must plant this grain, replied Herbert. Yes, added Gideon Spillett. And with every possible care for it bears in itself our future harvests. Provided it grows, cried the sailor. It will grow, replied Cyrus Harding. This was the twentieth of June. The time was then propitious for sowing this single precious grain of corn. It was first proposed to plant it in a pot, but upon reflection it was decided to leave it to nature and confide it to the earth. This was done that very day and it is needless to add that every precaution was taken that the experiment might succeed. The weather, having cleared, the settlers climbed above Granite House. There on the plateau they chose a spot, well sheltered from the wind and exposed to all the heat of the midday sun. The place was cleared, carefully weeded, and searched for insects and worms. Then a bed of good earth improved with a little lime was made. It was surrounded by a railing and the grain was buried in the damp earth. Did it not seem as if the settlers were the first stone of some edifice? It recalled Pencroft the day on which he lighted his only match and all the anxiety of the operation. But this time the thing was more serious. In fact the castaways would have been always able to procure fire in some mode or other, but no human power could supply another grain of corn if unfortunately this should be lost. 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 21 From this time Pencroft did not let a single day pass without going to visit what he gravely called his cornfield, and woe to the insects which dared to venture there no mercy was shown them. Towards the end of the month of June after incessant rain the weather became decided to colder, and on the 29th the Fahrenheit thermometer would certainly have announced only 20 degrees above zero. That is considerably below the freezing point. The next day, the 30th of June, the day which corresponds to the 31st of December in the northern year, was a Friday. Neb remarked that the year finished on a bad day, but Pencroft replied that naturally the next would begin on a good one, which was better. At any rate it commenced by very severe cold. Ice accumulated at the mouth of the mercy, and it was not long before the whole expanse of the lake was frozen. The settlers had frequently been obliged to renew their store of wood. Pencroft also had wisely not waited till the river was frozen, but it brought enormous rafts of wood to their destination. The current was an indefatigable moving power, and it was employed in conveying the floating wood to the moment when the frost enchained it. To the fuel which was so abundantly supplied by the forest, they added several cartloads of coal from the foot of the spurs of Mount Franklin. The powerful heat of the coal was greatly appreciated in the low temperature, which on the fourth of July fell to eight degrees of Fahrenheit, that is, 13 degrees below zero. A second fireplace had been established in the dining room, where they all worked together at their different avocations. During this period of cold, Cyrus Harding had great cause to congratulate himself on having brought to Granite House the little stream of water from Lake Grant. Take him below the frozen surface and conduct it through the passage. It preserved its fluidity and arrived at an interior reservoir which had been hollowed out at the back part of the storeroom while the overflow ran through the well to the sea. About this time, the weather being extremely dry, the colonists clothed as warmly as possible, resolved to devote a day to the exploration of that part of the island between the mercy and claw cape. It was a wide extent of marshy land, and they would probably find good sport for water birds ought to swarm there. They reckoned that it would be about eight or nine miles to go there and as much to return, so that the whole of the day would be occupied. As an unknown part of the island the whole colony took part in the expedition. Accordingly, on the fifth of July, at six o'clock in the morning when day had scarcely broken, Cyrus Harding, Gideon Spillett, Herbert Nebb and Pencroft, armed with spears, snares, bows and arrows, and provided with provisions left Granite House preceded by Topp who bounded before them. Their shortest way was to cross the mercy on the ice and covered it. But, as the engineer justly observed, that could not take the place of a regular bridge, so the construction of a regular bridge was noted in the list of future works. It was the first time that the settlers had set foot on the right bank of the mercy and ventured into the midst of those gigantic and superb conifere now sprinkled over with snow. But they had not gone half a mile when from a thicket a whole family of quadrupeds who had made a home there, disturbed by Topp, rushed forth into the open country. Ah! I should say those are foxes! cried Herbert when he saw the troop rapidly decamping. They were foxes, but of a very large size, who uttered a sort of barking at which Topp seemed to be very much astonished for he stopped short in the chase and gave the swift animals to appear. The dog had reason to be surprised as he did not know natural history. But by their barking these foxes, with reddish-gray hair, black tails terminating in a white tuft, had betrayed their origin. So Herbert was able, without hesitating, to give them their real name of Arctic foxes. They are frequently met with in Chile, in the Falkland Islands, and in all parts of America in the 40th and 40th parallels. Herbert much regretted that Topp had not been able to catch one of these carnivora. Are they good to eat? asked Pencroft, who only regarded the representatives of the fauna in the island from one special point of view. No, replied Herbert. But zoologists have not yet found out if the eye of these foxes is diurnal or nocturnal, or whether it is correct in the genus Dog, properly so called. Harding could not help smiling on hearing the lads' reflection which showed a thoughtful mind. As to the sailor, from the moment when he found that the foxes were not classed in the genus eatable they were nothing to him. However, when a paltry yard was established at Granite House he observed that it would be best to take some precautions against a probable visit from these four-legged plunderers, and no one disputed this. After having turned the point the settler saw a long beach washed by the open sea. It was then eight o'clock in the morning. The sky was very clear as it often is after prolonged cold, but warm by their walk neither Harding nor his companions felt the sharpness of the atmosphere too severely. Besides there was no wind which made it much more bearable. A brilliant sun but without any calorific action was just issuing from the ocean. The sea was as tranquil and blue as that of a Mediterranean gulf when the sky is clear. Claw cape, bent in the form of a yadigan, tapered away nearly four miles to the southeast. To the left the edge of the marsh was abruptly ended by a little point. Certainly in this part of Union Bay which nothing sheltered from the open sea not even a sand bank ships beaten by the east winds would have found no shelter. They perceived by the tranquility of the sea in which no shallows troubled the waters by its uniform color which was stained by no yellow shades by the absence of even a reef that the coast was steep and that the ocean there covered of deep abyss. Behind in the west a distance of four miles rose the first trees of the forest of the far west. They might have believed themselves to be on the desolate coast of some island in the Antarctic regions which the ice had invaded. The colonists hauled at this place for breakfast. A fire of brush wood and dried seaweed was lighted and Ned prepared the breakfast of cold meat to which he added some cups of Oswego tea. They looked around them. This part of Lincoln Island was very sterile and contrasted with all the western part. The reporter was thus led to observe that if chants had thrown them at first on the shore they would have had but a deplorable idea of their future domain. I believe that we should not have been able to reach it, replied the engineer, for the sea is deep and there is not a rock but for a granted house at least there were sand banks and islet which multiplied our chances of safety. Here nothing but the depths. It is singular enough, remarks Billet, that this comparatively small island ship presents such varied ground this diversity of aspect logically only belongs to continents of a certain extent. One would really say that the western part of Lincoln Island so rich and so fertile is washed by the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico and that it shores to the north and the southeast extend over a sort of Arctic sea. You are right, my dear spillet, replied Cyrus Harding. I have also observed this. I think the form and also the nature of this island strange. It is a summary of all the aspects which a continent presents and may not be surprised if it was a continent formerly. What a continent in the middle of the Pacific? cried Pencroft. Why not? replied Cyrus Harding. Why should not Australia, New Ireland, Australasia, United to the archipelagos of the Pacific have once formed a sixth part of the world as important as Europe or Asia, as Africa or the two Americas? To my mind it is quite possible that all these islands, emerging from this vast ocean, are but the summits of a continent now submerged, but which was above the waters at a prehistoric period. As the Atlantis was formally replied Herbert. Yes, my boy, if, however, it existed. And would Lincoln Island have been a part of that continent? asked Pencroft. Probable, replied Cyrus Harding, and that would sufficiently explain the variety of productions which are seen on its surface. And the great number of animals which still inhabit it, added Herbert. Yes, my boy, replied the engineer, and you furnish me with an argument to support my theory. It is certain, after what we have seen, that animals are numerous in this island, more strange, that the species are extremely varied. There is a reason for that, and to me it is that Lincoln Island may have formally been a part of some vast continent which is gradually sunk below the Pacific. Then some fine day, said Pencroft, who did not appear to be entirely convinced, the rest of this ancient continent may disappear in its turn, and there will be nothing between Asia. Yes, replied Harding, there will be new continents which millions and millions of anima-culae are building at this moment. And what are these masons? asked Pencroft. Coral insects, replied Cyrus Harding. By constant work they made the island of Clermont-Tonaire and numerous other coral islands in the Pacific Ocean. They needed to weigh a grain, and yet with the sea salt they absorb the solid elements of water which they assimilate, these anima-culae produce limestone, and this limestone forms enormous submarine erections of which the hardness and solidity equal granite. Formerly, at the first periods of creation, nature employing fire heaved up the land, but now she entrust to these microscopic creatures the task of replacing this agent of which the dynamic power in the interior of the globe has evidently diminished which is proved by the number of volcanoes on the surface of the Earth now actually extinct. And I believe that centuries succeeding to centuries and insects to insects this specific may one day be changed into a vast continent which new generations will inhabit and civilize in their turn. That will take a long time, said Pencroft. Nature has time for it, replied the engineer. But what would be the use of new continents? asked Herbert. It appears to me that the present extent of habitable countries is sufficient for humanity, yet nature does nothing uselessly. We certainly, replied the engineer. But this is how the necessity of new continents for the future and exactly on the tropical zone occupied by the coral islands may be explained. At least to me this explanation appears plausible. We are listening, Captain, said Herbert. This is my idea. Philosophers gently admit that some day our globe will end. Animal and vegetable life will no longer be possible because of the intense cold to which it will be subjected. What they are not agreed upon is the cause of this cold. Some think it will arise from the falling of the temperature which the sun will experience after millions of years. Others, from the gradual extinction of the fires and the interior of our globe which have a greater influence on the planet. I hold to this last hypothesis, grandling it on the fact that the moon is really a cold star which is no longer habitable although the sun continues to throw on its surface the same amount of heat. If, then, the moon has become cold it is because the interior fires to which, as do all the stars of the stellar world it owes its origin are completely extinct. Lastly, whatever may be the cause our globe will become cold some day but this cold will only operate gradually. What will happen, then? The temperate zones at a more or less distant period will not be more habitable than the polar regions now are. Then the population of men as well as the animals will flow towards the latitudes which are more directly under the solar influence. An immense emigration will take place. Europe, Central Asia, North America will gradually be abandoned as well as Australasia and the lower parts of South America. The vegetation will follow the human emigration. The flora will retreat towards the equator at the same time as the fauna. The central parts of South America and Africa will be the continents will be gradually inhabited. The Laplanders and the Samoids will find the climate of the polar regions on the shores of the Mediterranean. Who can say that at this period the equatorial regions will not be too small to contain and nourish terrestrial humanity. Now may not provident nature so as to give refuge to all the vegetable and animal emigration be it present laying the foundation of a new continent under the equator? And may she not have entrusted these insects with the construction of it? I have often thought of all these things, my friends, and I seriously believe that the aspect of our globe will some day be completely changed that by the raising of new continents the sea will cover the old and that in future ages a Columbus will go to discover the islands of Chimborazo, of the Himalayas, or of Mount Blanc remains of a submerged America, Asia, and Europe. Then these new continents will become in their turn uninhabitable. Heat will die away as does the heat from a body when the soul has left it and life will disappear from the globe if not forever at least for a period. Perhaps then our spheroid will be left to death to revive some day under superior conditions. But all that, my friends, is the secret of the author of all things and beginning by the work of the insects I have perhaps let myself be carried too far in investigating the secrets of the future. My dear Cyrus, replied Spillet, these theories are prophecies to me and they will be accomplished some day. That is the secret of God, said the engineer. All that is well and good, then said Pencroft who had listened with all his might. But will you tell me, Captain, if Lincoln Island has been made by your insects? No, replied Harding. It is of a purely volcanic origin. Then it will disappear some day? That is probable. I hope we won't be here then. No, don't be uneasy, Pencroft. We shall not be here then as we have no wish to die here and hope to get away some time. In the meantime, replied Gideon Spillet, let us establish ourselves here as if for ever. There is no use in doing things by halves. This ended the conversation. Breakfast was finished, the exploration was continued, and the settlers arrived in the region. It was a marsh of which the extent to the rounded coast which terminated the island at the southeast was about twenty square miles. The soil was formed of clay-flint earth, mingled with vegetable matter such as the remains of rushes, reeds, grass, etc. Here and there, beds of grass, thick as a carpet, covered it. In many places, icy pools sparkled in the sun. Neither rain nor any river increased by a sudden swelling could supply these ponds. They therefore naturally concluded that the marsh was fed by the infiltrations of the soil, and it was really so. It was also to be feared that during the heat miasmas would arise which might produce fevers. Above the aquatic plants on the surface of the stagnant water fluttered numbers of birds flock, teal, snipe, live there in flocks, and those fearless birds allowed themselves to be easily approached. One shot from a gun would certainly have brought down some dozen of the birds they were so close together. The explorers were, however, obliged to contend themselves with bows and arrows. The result was less, but the silent arrow had the advantage of not frightening the birds, while the noise of firearms was the cause of the marsh. The hunters were satisfied for this time with a dozen ducks, which had white bodies with a band of cinnamon, a green head, wings black, white and red, and flattened beak. Herbert called them tadorns. Top helped in the capture of these birds, whose name was given to this marshy part of the island. The settlers had here an abundant reserve of aquatic game. At some future time they meant to explore it more carefully, and it was probable that some of the birds there might be domesticated, or at least brought to the shores of the lake, so that they would be more within their reach. About five o'clock in the evening Cyrus Harding and his companions retraced their steps to their dwelling by traversing Tedorn's fens and crossed the mercy on the ice bridge. At eight in the evening they all entered Granite House. End of chapter.