Chapter 21 Chapter 21

From that day onwards Pencroft was not absent from the place which he called the cornfield.Woe to any insect if it dares to go there!Pencroft must have treated them without courtesy. Towards the end of June, after several days of cloudy rain, the weather became noticeably colder.On the 29th, the temperature was around 20 degrees Fahrenheit (6.67 degrees below freezing point), and the next day was June 30, which was equivalent to December 31 in the northern hemisphere, which was Friday. .Neb said that the last day of the year was unlucky, but Pencroft said it was better, because the first day next year would be a good one.

In any case, the beginning of the year is always very cold.The mouth of the Mercy is frozen over, and soon the whole of Grant Lake will be. Residents often need to replenish wood.Pencroft was very clever, and he took advantage of the few days when the river was not frozen to bring back a large amount of firewood on a raft.The river is an indefatigable power, and they use it to carry firewood until it freezes over.In addition to obtaining large quantities of fuel from the forest, they brought back carloads of coal from under the spurs of Mount Franklin.Coal, which generates high temperatures, is popular in cold weather.By the Fourth of July, the temperature was eight degrees Fahrenheit, or minus thirteen degrees Celsius.In the dining-room, where the people usually did their various work, another fire was built, and the water used in Granite Palace was originally Cyrus.Smith drew it from Lake Grant, and although it was cold now, the channel that brought the lake water from under the ice remained open, and he was satisfied with this small stream of water.In order to store the inflowing lake water, a cistern was dug behind the warehouse, and when the cistern was full, the excess water flowed into the sea through the underground well.

The weather was very dry these days, and the settlers decided to choose a day to dress up and explore between the Mercy River and Claw Point.It was a wide swamp, where they thought they could get good game, as waterfowl were likely to be abundant in such an area. They figured it was eight or nine miles to get there, and a whole day's work to and fro.Since the destination was an area of ​​the island that had not yet been visited, all the emigrants took part in the expedition.At six o'clock in the morning, July 5th, just after dawn, Cyrus.Smith, Keating.Spilett, Herbert, Neb, and Pencroft, armed with javelins, snares, bows and arrows, and provisions, set out from the Palace of Granite, with Top hopping in front of them.

At this time, the Mercy River was frozen over, and the shortest way was to cross the river on the ice. But, the engineer was right, this is no substitute for a regular bridge!Therefore, bridging is listed as one of the future jobs. For the first time the inhabitants set foot on the right bank of the Mercy, venturing deep into tall and beautiful pines, now covered with snow. They had not gone half a mile when Top disturbed a brood of beasts that had made their home in the thick wood, and fled into the open. ah!I look like a fox!Herbert looked at the group of animals busy moving and said.

They were a pack of foxes, but they were so large that Top, startled when he heard a howling sound from them in the pursuit, stopped suddenly, and the swift animals took advantage of them to flee without a trace. A dog does not understand natural history, no wonder it is surprised.But after such a cry, these gray-red foxes with a tuft of white hair on the tip of their black tails have revealed their identities.Herbert told everyone without hesitation that the scientific name of this beast was the white fox.Visible throughout Chile, the Falkland Islands, and the United States between 30 and 40 degrees north latitude.To Herbert's regret, none of the carnivorous Tops were caught.

Is it tasty.asked Pencroft, who was concerned only with the animals of the island. Not tasty, said Herbert, but zoologists do not yet know whether the fox has diurnal or nocturnal eyes, or whether it is correct to classify it with dogs in general. The young man remembers it very well, which shows that he is very attentive to this homework. After hearing this, Smith couldn't help smiling.As for the sailor, once he heard that this kind of fox was not edible, he put it aside.But he also thinks that after the poultry farm is built near Granite Palace in the future, we should be more careful to prevent these four-legged robbers from visiting. No one has an opinion on this point.

Going around this area, the residents found a long stretch of beach washed by the sea.It was eight o'clock in the morning and the weather was very clear, as it often does after long periods of severe cold.They walked for a while and felt warmer, and neither Smith nor his companions felt the chill.And, since there is no wind, the cold is not so unbearable.The sun was rising on the horizon, but there was no warmth at all.The sea is calm and blue, just like a Mediterranean harbor on a sunny day.The horn of the claw was like a machete, curving southeast until it reached a point four miles away, tapering off.The edge of the swamp on the left suddenly formed a small sharp angle, which was now illuminated by the fiery sun.In this part of Union Bay there is nothing to protect the sea, not even a sandy beach, from which ships evidently seek shelter if they are attacked by an easterly wind.The sea here is calm and there are no shallows.The color of the sea is the same everywhere, there is no earthy yellow hue, not even a single reef; the coast is steep, and from what I have seen, it can be concluded that the sea along the coast is very deep, and below the surface of the water is an abyss, four miles westward behind. The place is the edge of the Far West Forest.They could think of it as the desolate shores of the Antarctic islands ravaged by snow and ice.Here the emigrants stopped for breakfast, and a fire was built with wood and dried seaweed, and Neb roasted frozen meat for breakfast, and made some mint tea.

As they ate, they looked around.This part of Lincoln Island is very barren, in stark contrast to the whole of the west.The correspondents could not help thinking that if they had fallen on this part of the coast, they would not have been able to imagine what the future territory would look like. I believe that if we fall here, we will not be able to get ashore. The engineer said that the water here is so deep that there is not even a rock to climb on.There is at least some sandy beach in front of Granite Palace.Especially that small island, it greatly increased the possibility of our escape.There is nothing here, only the abyss!

It is strange, said Spilett, that such a small island should have such a complex topography, which logically can only be found on a relatively large landmass.It can really be said that the western part of Lincoln Island is rich in products and fertile land, due to the passage of the warm Mexican current; while the north and southeast regions seem to follow the Arctic Ocean. You are right, my dear Spilett, Cyrus.I've noticed that too, Smith said.I think the topography and natural conditions of this island are very special.It sums up the whole face of the continent, and it doesn't surprise me at all to say that it used to be a continent.

What!Is there a continent in the middle of the Pacific Ocean?cried Pencroft. What's so strange about this?Cyrus.Smith replied, Aren't Australia, New Zealand, Australasia and the islands in the Pacific Ocean the sixth largest continent in the world?Isn't it as important as Europe, Asia, Africa, and the two Americas?I think that all these islands in the ocean may be the high ridge of a continent, which is now submerged, but in prehistoric times, they were on the water. Like Atlantis in the past.Herbert said. Yes, children, if they exist, are like that. Could Lincoln Island be part of that continent?asked Pencroft.

Possibly, Cyrus.That, Smith said, would easily account for the variety of properties on the island. There are also a large number of birds and animals left behind.Herbert added. Yes, boy, said the engineer, what you said gave me a basis for my theory.According to the results of the inspection, there are many animals on the island, which is certain. What is even more strange is that there are many kinds of animals.There's a reason for that, I think Lincoln Island may have been part of some continent that gradually sank to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. Some day, then, said Pencroft, as if he did not quite believe, that all that remains of the ancient continents will sink, and there will be no land between America and Asia. No, Smith said, there will be new continents, and thousands of microbes are building them now. What are these plasterers?asked Pencroft. Coral, Cyrus.Smith answered that, as a result of their continual construction, Clermont Island and many other coral islands in the Pacific Ocean were formed.Forty-seven million of these insects weigh only one gram, but after absorbing the salt in the sea and digesting the solid matter present in the water, the microorganisms can produce lime, which can be deposited on the seabed The material that makes up the bulk is as hard and as strong as granite.In the past, in the early days of ancient times, nature used fire to accumulate land.The dynamics inside the earth's crust are now clearly reduced (as evidenced by the fact that many volcanoes on the surface are now completely extinguished), but microbes have taken over the duties of the fire.I believe that year after year, through the hard work and accumulation of countless coral polyps, the Pacific Ocean will one day become a continent for our descendants to live and develop. That can take a long time.said Pencroft. Nature has had time for this work.said the engineer. But what is the use of the New World?Herbert asked, I think there are enough places suitable for human habitation. Of course, the things created by nature will not be useless. Yes, it won't be useless, replied the engineer, and that is why there must be new continents in the future in the tropics occupied by the Coral Islands, or at least I think this explanation is plausible. Tell us more about it, Mr. Smith.Herbert said. This is my opinion.Scientists generally believe that the earth will be destroyed in the future, at least no animals and plants can survive in the future, because the earth will become very cold at that time.Where they disagreed was simply the cause of this severe cold.Some people think that after millions of years, the earth will become colder due to the temperature drop of the sun, and some people think that it is due to the gradual extinguishment of the fire inside the earth.This effect will be greater than generally imagined, and I agree with the latter statement.Based on what?For example: the moon is actually a cold planet. Although the sun is always impartial and gives it no less heat, no one can live on it. The reason why the moon is so cold is because of the fire inside it. The planets, including the moon, were completely extinguished by the heat provided by this fire.In the end, regardless of the reasons, our earth will cool down one day, and this cooling process will only happen gradually.So, what will happen then?After a certain period of time, the temperate zone will become as uninhabitable as our present Arctic and Antarctic zones.Humans and other animals will flock to the equator in large numbers.At that time, large-scale immigration will form.Europe, Central Asia, and North America will gradually be abandoned, as will Australasia and the southern part of South America, where the vegetation will also move with people.Plants and animals develop toward the equator at the same time.Central South America and central Africa will become the main inhabited continents.The Labradors and Samoans will find the climate on the coast of the Mediterranean as cold as it gets.It is very likely that the equatorial area will be too crowded at that time, and the resources will not be enough for human consumption on the earth. Who would have expected that, but nature is far-sighted. It is now laying the foundation of a new continent in the equatorial area, so that all immigrants Isn't it great that all the animals and plants don't have a place to live?Might not these little insects also be entrusted with this work by nature?All these things I think about a lot.Friends, and I firmly believe that our earth will be changed beyond recognition in the future.After the creation of the new continent, the sea will submerge the original land. In the future, a person like Columbus will discover the islands formed by Chimborazo, Himalayas and Mont Blanc. The remnants of the sinking of Europe.Then it will be the turn of these new continents to become uninhabitable; the heat will gradually dissipate, just as a dead body cools down slowly.Life on Earth will then be wiped out, if not permanently, at least for a period.Maybe at that time, our entire earth will rest in peace and become lifeless, and will be revived when the conditions improve!But, my friends, all these are nature's secrets.I started from the work of the coral polyp and continued to talk about the secret of the future, maybe I went too far. My dear Cyrus, replied Spilett, I think these theories are prophecies, which will come true in the future. That is God's secret.said the engineer. You are all right, said Pencroft, after he had listened intently; but can you tell me, Mr. Smith, whether Lincoln Island is made of those worms you speak of? No, Smith replied, it was purely volcanic. So will it disappear in the future? possible. Wish we weren't here by then. No, do not worry, Pencroft; we shall not be here then, for we do not wish to die here, and we wish to leave here sooner or later. However, Keating.Spilett said that we should also build our homes as if we would live here forever.If you get discouraged and quit halfway through the work, there will be no results. The talk ends here.After breakfast, continue to move forward, the residents arrived at the edge of the swamp.The swamp, about twenty square miles in length, extends to the circular coast on the southeast of the island, and the soil is of volcanic clay, intermingled with the remnants of rotting vegetation, such as rushes, reeds, weeds, and the like.A thick layer of grass was carpeted here and there across the moor.Many puddles were frozen over and glistened in the sun.It is impossible for rainwater or surging river water to form a pond here.So they thought it was natural that the water in the swamp was seeped out of the soil, and it was.When it is hot, there may be miasma here that makes people sick. There are some aquatic plants growing in the stagnant pond, and many birds flap their wings on it.Wild ducks, mallards, and sandpipers live here in groups. They are not afraid of people at all, and people can walk to them all the time. These waterfowl are so densely packed that a single shot must kill several dozen.Explorers, however, had to use bows and arrows.Although the effect is poorer, it also has the advantage that there is no sound, which will not disturb other birds. If it is a gunshot, it will scare them away to all over the swamp.This time the hunters were satisfied, and they caught a dozen ducks, which were white with a yellow-brown pattern, green heads, black, white, and red wings, and flat beaks; Herbert called them puddles.Top also helped in the capture.They called this part of the island the Flooded Marshes.Residents can get plenty of waterfowl from here.They plan to reconnaissance carefully in the future, and they may find some domesticable birds. If they can be driven to the lake, it will be much easier to catch them. At five o'clock in the evening, CyrusSmith and his companions walked back across the Swamp, across the ice bridge over the Mercy. At eight o'clock in the evening they returned to Granite Palace.