Chapter 14

Three years had passed away since the escape of the prisoners from

Richmond, and how often during those three years had they spoken of

their country, always present in their thoughts!

They had no doubt that the civil war was at an end, and to them it

appeared impossible that the just cause of the North had not triumphed.

But what had been the incidents of this terrible war? How much blood had

it not cost? How many of their friends must have fallen in the struggle?

They often spoke of these things, without as yet being able to foresee

the day when they would be permitted once more to see their country.

To return thither, were it but for a few days, to renew the social link

with the inhabited world, to establish a communication between their

native land and their island, then to pass the longest, perhaps the

best, portion of their existence in this colony, founded by them,

and which would then be dependent on their country, was this a dream

impossible to realize?

There were only two ways of accomplishing it--either a ship must appear

off Lincoln Island, or the colonists must themselves build a vessel

strong enough to sail to the nearest land.

“Unless,” said Pencroft, “our good genius, himself provides us with the

means of returning to our country.”

And, really, had any one told Pencroft and Neb that a ship of 300 tons

was waiting for them in Shark Gulf or at Port Balloon, they would not

even have made a gesture of surprise. In their state of mind nothing

appeared improbable.

But Cyrus Harding, less confident, advised them to confine themselves to

fact, and more especially so with regard to the building of a vessel--a

really urgent work, since it was for the purpose of depositing, as

soon as possible, at Tabor Island a document indicating Ayrton’s new

residence.

As the “Bonadventure” no longer existed, six months at least would

be required for the construction of a new vessel. Now winter was

approaching, and the voyage would not be made before the following

spring.

“We have time to get everything ready for the fine season,” remarked

the engineer, who was consulting with Pencroft about these matters. “I

think, therefore, my friend, that since we have to rebuild our vessel

it will be best to give her larger dimensions. The arrival of the Scotch

yacht at Tabor Island is very uncertain. It may even be that, having

arrived several months ago, she has again sailed after having vainly

searched for some trace of Ayrton. Will it not then be best to build

a ship which, if necessary, could take us either to the Polynesian

Archipelago or to New Zealand? What do you think?”

“I think, captain,” answered the sailor; “I think that you are as

capable of building a large vessel as a small one. Neither the wood nor

the tools are wanting. It is only a question of time.”

“And how many months would be required to build a vessel of from 250 to

300 tons?” asked Harding.

“Seven or eight months at least,” replied Pencroft. “But it must not be

forgotten that winter is drawing near, and that in severe frost wood is

difficult to work. We must calculate on several weeks delay, and if our

vessel is ready by next November we may think ourselves very lucky.”

“Well,” replied Cyrus Harding, “that will be exactly the most favorable

time for undertaking a voyage of any importance, either to Tabor Island

or to a more distant land.”

“So it will, captain,” answered the sailor. “Make out your plans then;

the workmen are ready, and I imagine that Ayrton can lend us a good

helping hand.”

The colonists, having been consulted, approved the engineer’s plan,

and it was, indeed, the best thing to be done. It is true that the

construction of a ship of from two to three hundred tons would be great

labor, but the colonists had confidence in themselves, justified by

their previous success.

Cyrus Harding then busied himself in drawing the plan of the vessel and

making the model. During this time his companions employed themselves in

felling and carting trees to furnish the ribs, timbers, and planks.

The forest of the Far West supplied the best oaks and elms. They took

advantage of the opening already made on their last excursion to form a

practicable road, which they named the Far West Road, and the trees were

carried to the Chimneys, where the dockyard was established. As to

the road in question, the choice of trees had rendered its direction

somewhat capricious, but at the same time it facilitated the access to a

large part of the Serpentine Peninsula.

It was important that the trees should be quickly felled and cut up, for

they could not be used while yet green, and some time was necessary to

allow them to get seasoned. The carpenters, therefore, worked vigorously

during the month of April, which was troubled only by a few equinoctial

gales of some violence. Master Jup aided them dexterously, either by

climbing to the top of a tree to fasten the ropes or by lending his

stout shoulders to carry the lopped trunks.

All this timber was piled up under a large shed, built near the

Chimneys, and there awaited the time for use.

The month of April was tolerably fine, as October often is in the

northern zone. At the same time other work was actively continued, and

soon all trace of devastation disappeared from the plateau of

Prospect Heights. The mill was rebuilt, and new buildings rose in the

poultry-yard. It had appeared necessary to enlarge their dimensions,

for the feathered population had increased considerably. The stable

now contained five onagers, four of which were well broken, and allowed

themselves to be either driven or ridden, and a little colt. The colony

now possessed a plow, to which the onagers were yoked like regular

Yorkshire or Kentucky oxen. The colonists divided their work, and their

arms never tired. Then who could have enjoyed better health than these

workers, and what good humor enlivened the evenings in Granite House as

they formed a thousand plans for the future!

As a matter of course Ayrton shared the common lot in every respect,

and there was no longer any talk of his going to live at the corral.

Nevertheless he was still sad and reserved, and joined more in the work

than in the pleasures of his companions. But he was a valuable workman

at need--strong, skilful, ingenious, intelligent. He was esteemed and

loved by all, and he could not be ignorant of it.

In the meanwhile the corral was not abandoned. Every other day one of

the settlers, driving the cart or mounted on an onager, went to look

after the flock of musmons and goats and bring back the supply of

milk required by Neb. These excursions at the same time afforded

opportunities for hunting. Therefore Herbert and Gideon Spilett, with

Top in front, traversed more often than their companions the road to

the corral, and with the capital guns which they carried, capybaras,

agouties, kangaroos, and wild pigs for large game, ducks, grouse,

jacamars, and snipe for small game, were never wanting in the house.

The produce of the warren, of the oyster-bed, several turtles which were

taken, excellent salmon which came up the Mercy, vegetables from the

plateau, wild fruit from the forest, were riches upon riches, and Neb,

the head cook, could scarcely by himself store them away.

The telegraphic wire between the corral and Granite House had of course

been repaired, and it was worked whenever one or other of the settlers

was at the corral and found it necessary to spend the night there.

Besides, the island was safe now and no attacks were to be feared, at

any rate from men.

However, that which had happened might happen again. A descent of

pirates, or even of escaped convicts, was always to be feared. It was

possible that companions or accomplices of Bob Harvey had been in the

secret of his plans, and might be tempted to imitate him. The colonists,

therefore, were careful to observe the sea around the island, and every

day their telescope covered the horizon enclosed by Union and Washington

Bays. When they went to the corral they examined the sea to the west

with no less attention, and by climbing the spur their gaze extended

over a large section of the western horizon.

Nothing suspicious was discerned, but still it was necessary for them to

be on their guard.

The engineer one evening imparted to his friends a plan which he had

conceived for fortifying the corral. It appeared prudent to him to

heighten the palisade and to flank it with a sort of blockhouse, which,

if necessary, the settlers could hold against the enemy. Granite House

might, by its very position, be considered impregnable; therefore the

corral with its buildings, its stores, and the animals it contained,

would always be the object of pirates, whoever they were, who might land

on the island, and should the colonists be obliged to shut themselves

up there they ought also to be able to defend themselves without any

disadvantage. This was a project which might be left for consideration,

and they were, besides, obliged to put off its execution until the next

spring.

About the 15th of May the keel of the new vessel lay along the dockyard,

and soon the stem and stern-post, mortised at each of its extremities,

rose almost perpendicularly. The keel, of good oak, measured 110 feet

in length, this allowing a width of five-and-twenty feet to the midship

beam. But this was all the carpenters could do before the arrival of the

frosts and bad weather. During the following week they fixed the first

of the stern timbers, but were then obliged to suspend work.

During the last days of the month the weather was extremely bad. The

wind blew from the east, sometimes with the violence of a tempest. The

engineer was somewhat uneasy on account of the dockyard shed--which

besides, he could not have established in any other place near to

Granite House--for the islet only imperfectly sheltered the shore from

the fury of the open sea, and in great storms the waves beat against the

very foot of the granite cliff.

But, very fortunately, these fears were not realized. The wind shifted

to the southeast, and there the beach of Granite House was completely

covered by Flotsam Point.

Pencroft and Ayrton, the most zealous workmen at the new vessel, pursued

their labor as long as they could. They were not men to mind the wind

tearing at their hair, nor the rain wetting them to the skin, and a blow

from a hammer is worth just as much in bad as in fine weather. But when

a severe frost succeeded this wet period, the wood, its fibers acquiring

the hardness of iron, became extremely difficult to work, and about the

10th of June shipbuilding was obliged to be entirely discontinued.

Cyrus Harding and his companions had not omitted to observe how severe

was the temperature during the winters of Lincoln Island. The cold was

comparable to that experienced in the States of New England, situated at

almost the same distance from the equator. In the northern hemisphere,

or at any rate in the part occupied by British America and the north of

the United States, this phenomenon is explained by the flat conformation

of the territories bordering on the pole, and on which there is no

intumescence of the soil to oppose any obstacle to the north winds;

here, in Lincoln Island, this explanation would not suffice.

“It has even been observed,” remarked Harding one day to his companions,

“that in equal latitudes the islands and coast regions are less tried by

the cold than inland countries. I have often heard it asserted that the

winters of Lombardy, for example, are not less rigorous than those of

Scotland, which results from the sea restoring during the winter the

heat which it received during the summer. Islands are, therefore, in a

better situation for benefiting by this restitution.”

“But then, Captain Harding,” asked Herbert, “why does Lincoln Island

appear to escape the common law?”

“That is difficult to explain,” answered the engineer. “However, I

should be disposed to conjecture that this peculiarity results from the

situation of the island in the Southern Hemisphere, which, as you know,

my boy, is colder than the Northern Hemisphere.”

“Yes,” said Herbert, “and icebergs are met with in lower latitudes in

the south than in the north of the Pacific.”

“That is true,” remarked Pencroft, “and when I have been serving on

board whalers I have seen icebergs off Cape Horn.”

“The severe cold experienced in Lincoln Island,” said Gideon Spilett,

“may then perhaps be explained by the presence of floes or icebergs

comparatively near to Lincoln Island.”

“Your opinion is very admissible indeed, my dear Spilett,” answered

Cyrus Harding, “and it is evidently to the proximity of icebergs that

we owe our rigorous winters. I would draw your attention also to an

entirely physical cause, which renders the Southern colder than the

Northern Hemisphere. In fact, since the sun is nearer to this hemisphere

during the summer, it is necessarily more distant during the winter.

This explains then the excess of temperature in the two seasons, for, if

we find the winters very cold in Lincoln Island, we must not forget that

the summers here, on the contrary, are very hot.”

“But why, if you please, captain,” asked Pencroft, knitting his brows,

“why should our hemisphere, as you say, be so badly divided? It isn’t

just, that!”

“Friend Pencroft,” answered the engineer, laughing, “whether just

or not, we must submit to it, and here lies the reason for this

peculiarity. The earth does not describe a circle around the sun, but

an ellipse, as it must by the laws of rational mechanics. Now, the earth

occupies one of the foci of the ellipse, and so at one point in its

course is at its apogee, that is, at its farthest from the sun, and

at another point it is at its perigee, or nearest to the sun. Now it

happens that it is during the winter of the southern countries that

it is at its most distant point from the sun, and consequently, in a

situation for those regions to feel the greatest cold. Nothing can be

done to prevent that, and men, Pencroft, however learned they may be,

can never change anything of the cosmographical order established by God

Himself.”

“And yet,” added Pencroft, “the world is very learned. What a big book,

captain, might be made with all that is known!”

“And what a much bigger book still with all that is not known!” answered

Harding.

At last, for one reason or another, the month of June brought the cold

with its accustomed intensity, and the settlers were often confined to

Granite House. Ah! how wearisome this imprisonment was to them, and more

particularly to Gideon Spilett.

“Look here,” said he to Neb one day, “I would give you by notarial

deed all the estates which will come to me some day, if you were a good

enough fellow to go, no matter where, and subscribe to some newspaper

for me! Decidedly the thing that is most essential to my happiness is

the knowing every morning what has happened the day before in other

places than this!”

Neb began to laugh.

“‘Pon my word,” he replied, “the only thing I think about is my daily

work!”

The truth was that indoors as well as out there was no want of work.

The colony of Lincoln Island was now at its highest point of prosperity,

achieved by three years of continued hard work. The destruction of the

brig had been a new source of riches. Without speaking of the complete

rig which would serve for the vessel now on the stocks, utensils and

tools of all sorts, weapons and ammunition, clothes and instruments,

were now piled in the storerooms of Granite House. It had not even

been necessary to resort again to the manufacture of the coarse felt

materials. Though the colonists had suffered from cold during their

first winter, the bad season might now come without their having any

reason to dread its severity. Linen was plentiful also, and besides,

they kept it with extreme care. From chloride of sodium, which is

nothing else than sea salt, Cyrus Harding easily extracted the soda and

chlorine. The soda, which it was easy to change into carbonate of soda,

and the chlorine, of which he made chloride of lime, were employed for

various domestic purposes, and especially in bleaching linen. Besides,

they did not wash more than four times a year, as was done by families

in the olden times, and it may be added, that Pencroft and Gideon

Spilett, while waiting for the postman to bring him his newspaper,

distinguished themselves as washermen.

So passed the winter months, June, July, and August. They were severe,

and the average observations of the thermometer did not give more than

eight degrees of Fahrenheit. It was therefore lower in temperature than

the preceding winter. But then, what splendid fires blazed continually

on the hearths of Granite House, the smoke marking the granite wall with

long, zebra-like streaks! Fuel was not spared, as it grew naturally a

few steps from them. Besides, the chips of the wood destined for the

construction of the ship enabled them to economize the coal, which

required more trouble to transport.

Men and animals were all well. Master Jup was a little chilly, it must

be confessed. This was perhaps his only weakness, and it was necessary

to make him a well-padded dressing-gown. But what a servant he was,

clever, zealous, indefatigable, not indiscreet, not talkative, and

he might have been with reason proposed as a model for all his biped

brothers in the Old and New Worlds!

“As for that,” said Pencroft, “when one has four hands at one’s service,

of course one’s work ought to be done so much the better!”

And indeed the intelligent creature did it well.

During the seven months which had passed since the last researches made

round the mountain, and during the month of September, which brought

back fine weather, nothing was heard of the genius of the island. His

power was not manifested in any way. It is true that it would have

been superfluous, for no incident occurred to put the colonists to any

painful trial.

Cyrus Harding even observed that if by chance the communication between

the unknown and the tenants of Granite House had ever been established

through the granite, and if Top’s instinct had as it were felt it, there

was no further sign of it during this period. The dog’s growling

had entirely ceased, as well as the uneasiness of the orang. The two

friends--for they were such--no longer prowled round the opening of the

inner well, nor did they bark or whine in that singular way which from

the first the engineer had noticed. But could he be sure that this was

all that was to be said about this enigma, and that he should never

arrive at a solution? Could he be certain that some conjuncture would

not occur which would bring the mysterious personage on the scene? who

could tell what the future might have in reserve?

At last the winter was ended, but an event, the consequences of which

might be serious occurred in the first days of the returning spring.

On the 7th of September, Cyrus Harding, having observed the crater, saw

smoke curling round the summit of the mountain, its first vapors rising

in the air.