Chapter 20 Chapter Twenty

Beginning in June, winter has entered, which is equivalent to December in the northern hemisphere. After winter, there is either strong wind or heavy rain, without a break.With the protection of the Granite Palace, the residents can sit back and relax, and don’t have to worry about this dangerous weather. The grottoes are different, they cannot withstand the invasion of severe cold, and the raging tide may pour in again.Cyrus.Smith had foreseen this possible accident, so he made many defensive works, trying to protect the iron-working tools and furnaces already installed there. During the whole of June they did odd jobs and did not go hunting or fishing, for the pantry was well stocked.Pencroft, at his leisure, proposed the construction of traps, in which he placed great hopes.Before long he made several traps out of creeping vines, and there never was a day without a supply of rodents in the warren.Neb was busy with cured and smoked meats almost all day long, making sure that there was always something good to eat.The inhabitants, however, had no other clothes than that which they had worn with them when they came down from the balloon on the island.So they had a serious discussion about dressing.The old clothes were warm enough and strong, and they wore them sparingly, and even their shirts were not damaged at all; but it was time to change them.Besides, if it is a severe winter, the residents will be unbearably cold.

Smart Smith is having a hard time with this problem.So far they have taken care of their most urgent needs: to settle down, and to store up a great deal of food; but in this way, the weather will turn cold before they can wait to solve the problem of clothing.So they had to try to get through the first winter without extra clothes.On their last expedition to Mount Franklin they had seen mouflons, and they would be hunting them more often when the weather warmed up.Once wool is available, engineers can weave it into clothing that is both warm and strong. How?He is thinking. Let us roast ourselves as much as we can in Granite Palace, said Pencroft, since there is plenty of fuel here, and there is no need to economize.

And, Keating.Spilett added that Lincoln Island is not located at a very high latitude, and the winter here will probably not be too cold.Cyrus, didn't you say that thirty-five degrees is equivalent to Spain in the northern hemisphere? Of course there is no problem, replied the engineer, but Spanish winters are sometimes very cold, with a lot of ice and snow, and Lincoln Island may be as cold as that.However, this is an island, and I think the climate will be warmer here. Why, Mr. Smith?asked Herbert. Because the sea is like a huge storage container, it stores all the summer heat.In winter, it releases heat, which can ensure that the temperature along the coast is moderate, lower than summer, but higher than winter in ordinary places.

We shall know that in due time, and there is no need to talk about it, said Pencroft, though I do not care whether it is cold or not.One thing is for sure, the days are getting shorter and the nights are long these days.Let's talk about lighting. It couldn't be easier.Smith replied. Is it easy to talk about?asked the sailor. easy fix. When do we start to figure it out? Tomorrow, go hunting seals first. Make candles? correct. Such was the engineer's plan, and it was quite feasible, since lime and sulfuric acid were readily available, and the amphibians of the island could supply him with enough fat to make candles.

It's the fourth of June.This day is Pentecost Sunday.Everyone agreed to take a day off as was customary.All work stopped, and they prayed to God and said some words of thanksgiving.Now the inhabitants of Lincoln Island are very different from the poor victims who fell on the island.They don't ask for anything anymore, they just thank God.The next day, June 5th, the weather was a bit unreliable, but they set out for the island anyway.At present, they can only cross the strait when the tide is low, so everyone decided to build a small boat and try to build it as well as possible. With the boat, the transportation will be much more convenient. They will go to the southwest of the island for large-scale They could also use it to sail upstream along the Mercy River during large-scale expeditions. They decided to wait for the weather to improve as soon as the weather improved.

There were so many seals that the hunters easily killed six of them with their javelins.It was there that Neb and Pencroft skinned them, and brought back to Granite Palace only the skin and fat, the sealskins being used for boots. Nearly three hundred pounds of fat were obtained from the hunt, all of which were to be used in making candles. Making candles is very simple, if not perfect, at least very functional.Cyrus.Smith had only sulfuric acid in his hand, and then heated the sulfuric acid and neutral fat together to separate glycerin; then, from this new compound, he easily separated fat, margarine and stearin with boiling water, To simplify the process, he alkalized the fat with lime.Thus he obtains a calcareous soap, which is readily decomposed by sulfuric acid, which precipitates the lime as sulfate, freeing fatty acids.

Of the three acids oleic acid, pearlic acid, and stearic acid, the first is liquid and can be expelled if sufficient pressure is applied; the other two are the raw materials for making candles. The work took less than twenty-four hours in all.Then tried a few more times.They use plant fibers to make candle wicks, put it in melted wax oil, and knead it by hand to become an authentic grease candle. The only difference is that the color is not white enough and the appearance is not smooth enough.The wick of a candle, if soaked in boric acid, half-melts in the process of burning and burns out with the wax; of course, present candle wicks do not have this advantage, but Cyrus.Smith made an ingenious pair of candlestick scissors.During the long evenings at Granite Palace, these candles will no doubt be a big hit.

They have a lot of work to do in their new home this month.It was meticulous work, they refined rough tools and added new ones. The residents were the first to make scissors, and only now are they cutting their hair for the first time, not shaving their faces, but at least they can cut their beards shorter.Herbert had no beard, Neb had one, but very little, and the other three companions had beards all over their faces, which showed that the scissors were still very much needed. It was very troublesome to make a small saw, but it was finally made. As long as you use some force when using it, you can saw wood.So they made many tables, stools, and cupboards, and put them in the principal room, and also bedsteads, on which straw mats were spread for bedding.The kitchen has a pantry rack with cooking utensils and a brick oven.The entire kitchen appears to be in order.Neb often worked as diligently as a chemist in a laboratory.

These delicate workers must soon become master carpenters.Because of the waterfall created after the explosion, two bridges had to be built, one on Prospect Heights and one on the shore.There is now a water which separates the plateau from the shore, and must be crossed to reach the northern part of the island.In order to avoid wading, the immigrants had to climb to the source of the Red River and detour from there.The simplest solution would be to build a bridge twenty to twenty-five feet long between Prospect Heights and the shore.In this project, all the carpentry required was logging, which took several days.The bridge was soon erected, and Neb and Pencroft crossed to the clam-fields which had been discovered near the dunes.They replaced the inconvenient baskets with a simple and rough cart, pulled thousands of clams back, and deposited them at the mouth of the Mercy River.Before long they are breeding among the rocks, forming a new clam field.The mollusk is so tasty that the settlers eat some every day.

Although the residents have only explored a small part of Lincoln Island so far, it can be seen that this small part can almost fully meet their needs.If they went down to the most hidden places, and hunted throughout the forest region between the Mercy and Reptilian Point, they might find new things. The residents have only one thing to dissatisfy.Meat and vegetables were not lacking; the woody roots they found, when fermented, gave them a sour drink, much better than cold water; It is the liquid distilled from the brewed maple, which is a kind of maple tree, which is found in all temperate regions, and there are many on this island; they add some vanilla picked from the rabbit farm to the drink, and it becomes a very There was delicious tea, and finally, they had plenty of salt, the only mineral in the food, but no bread.

It is quite probable that the inhabitants will soon find a substitute for bread, for the sago, or bread-tree, is to be found in the southern forests, though hitherto they have not found this valuable tree.However, in this matter, God gave them direct help soon.Indeed, it gave them very little, but Cyrus.Even though Smith racked his brains and exerted all his wisdom, he couldn't create it. One day, when Herbert was mending his waistcoat, he accidentally discovered it in the interlayer. It was pouring rain outside that day, and the residents were all gathered in the hall of Granite Palace, when suddenly the boy shouted loudly: Behold, Mr. Smith, a grain of wheat! So he showed his companions a single grain of wheat, which had fallen from a hole in the waistcoat pocket into the jacket. The origin of the grains of wheat can be explained as follows: when at Richmond, Pencroft once gave Herbert some pigeons, and the grains of wheat were used by Herbert to feed the pigeons at that time. Einkorn?asked the engineer immediately. Yes, Mr. Smith, but only one! Well, boy, laughed Pencroft, our days are getting better and better!Um!What can a grain of wheat do? make bread.Cyrus.Smith replied. Bread, cake, pie!Ah, said the sailor, this bread of wheat will surely not choke us! Herbert felt that this discovery was meaningless, and was about to throw away the corn, but Smith took the corn, looked at it carefully, and found that the corn was complete and not damaged at all, so he was serious and calm to the sailor. and said: Pencroft, do you know how many ears a grain of wheat can bear? I think it is one!The sailor was surprised to hear this question. Ten, Pencroft!Do you still know how many grains of wheat can be produced by one ear of wheat? No, I don't know that. About eighty grains!Cyrus.So, says Smith, if we plant this grain of wheat, we shall receive eight hundred grains the first time; Twelve million grains; the fourth time there are more than 400 billion grains!Proportional numbers are just that. Smith's companions listened in silence, surprised at these figures, but they were true. Yes, my friends, continued the engineer, this is the geometric progression of general reproduction.But don’t think that eight hundred grains per ear of wheat is too much. What is it compared with poppy and tobacco?The poppy produces 32,000 seeds; the tobacco produces 360,000. If there were no reasons for restricting their reproduction, the whole earth would be covered with these plants in a few years. The engineer didn't go any further. Now, Pencroft, he went on, do you know how many bushels there are forty billion grains of wheat? No, replied the sailor, only that I am a fool! An average of 130,000 grains per bushel, 400 billion grains can make up more than 3 million bushels, Pencroft. three million!cried Pencroft. three million. Within four years? Within four years, Cyrus.Maybe even two years, Smith replied, and I think there could be two crops a year, depending on the latitude. Pencroft, still in his old temper, could not help substituting a loud applause for an answer. Therefore, Herbert, added the engineer, your discovery is invaluable to us.Everything, my friends, is useful to us in our present circumstances.I hope everyone will not forget this. "No, Mr. Smith, we shall not forget," replied Pencroft, "if I ever find a tobacco with three hundred and sixty thousand seeds, I assure you, I will never throw it away." !Now, what should we do? Let's plant this grain of wheat.replied Herbert. Yes, Keating.Be as careful as possible, added Spilett, for our future success depends on it. Let's see if it sprouts!shouted the sailor. Will sprout.Cyrus.Smith said. This day is June 20th.It is time to sow the only precious grain of wheat.At first it was suggested to plant it in a box, but after consideration, it was decided to plant it in the ground and let nature take care of it.Planted it that day.Needless to say, they were extremely concerned and bent on making the experiment a success. After the rain, the residents climbed up the high hills of the Granite Palace.They chose a sunny and sheltered place on this high ground.They cleaned the ground, cleared weeds, and killed insects, and made a seedling bed with good soil quality, sprinkled a layer of lime on it, put railings around the bed, and buried the wheat grains in the moist soil. Isn't this situation of the residents just like laying the first foundation stone for a building?Pencroft couldn't help thinking of the day when he lit the only match and his anxiety at that time.This time the situation is more serious.If the fire is extinguished, the victims can always think of other ways, but if the grain of wheat is unfortunately lost, it is not humanly possible to find another grain.