Part 9 (1/2)
During the month of July the cold was intense, but there was no lack of either wood or coal Cyrus Harding had established a second fireplace in the dining-roo whilst they worked, reading when the hands remained idle, the time passed with profit to all
[Illustration: THE MESSENGER]
It was real enjoyhted with candles, ar in the cups, the pipes giving forth an odoriferous s without Their comfort would have been complete, if complete comfort could ever exist for those who are far from their fellow creatures, and without any means of communication with them They often talked of their country, of the friends whorandeur of the American Republic, whose influence could not but increase, and Cyrus Harding, who had been reatly interested his auditors by his recitals, his views, and his prognostics
It chanced one day that Spilett was led to say,-- ”But now, my dear Cyrus, all this industrial and commercial movement to which you predict a continual advance, does it not run the danger of being sooner or later completely stopped?”
”Stopped! And by what?”
”By the want of coal, which may justly be called the most precious of minerals”
”Yes, the ineer; ”and it would see the diamond, which is simply pure carbon crystallised”
”You don't mean to say, captain,” interrupted Pencroft, ”that we burn diamonds in our stoves in the shape of coal?”
”No,
”However,” resumed Gideon Spilett, ”you do not deny that some day the coal will be entirely consumed?”
”Oh! the veins of coal are still considerable, and the hundred thousand miners who annually extract frohts have not nearly exhausted the consumption of coal,” replied Gideon Spilett, ”it can be foreseen that the hundred thousand workmen will soon become two hundred thousand, and that the rate of extraction will be doubled”
”Doubtless, but after the European hly with newtime yet provide for the consu a time?” asked the reporter
”For at least two hundred and fifty or three hundred years”
”That is reassuring for us, but a bad look-out for our great grandchildren!” observed Pencroft
[Illustration: WINTER EVENINGS IN GRANITE HOUSE]
”They will discover so else,” said Herbert
”It is to be hoped so,” answered Spilett, ”for without coal there would be no machinery, and without machinery there would be no railways, no stea of that which is indispensable to modern civilisation!”
”But ill they find?” asked Pencroft ”Can you guess, captain?”
”Nearly, my friend”
”And ill they burn instead of coal?”
”Water,” replied Harding
”Water!” cried Pencroft, ”water as fuel for steaines! water to heat water!”
”Yes, but water deco, ”and decomposed, doubtless; by electricity, which will then have becoreat discoveries, by soree and become complete at the same time Yes, my friends, I believe that water will one day be een which constitute it, used singly or together, will furnish an inexhaustible source of heat and light, of an intensity of which coal is not capable Some day the coal-rooms of steamers and the tenders of locomotives will, instead of coal, be stored with these two condensed gases, which will burn in the furnaces with enor to fear As long as the earth is inhabited it will supply the wants of its inhabitants, and there will be no want of either light or heat as long as the productions of the vegetable, doms do not fail us I believe, then, that when the deposits of coal are exhausted, we shall heat and warm ourselves ater Water will be the coal of the future”
”I should like to see that,” observed the sailor
”You were born too soon, Pencroft,” returned Neb, who only took part in the discussion by these words
However, it was not Neb's speech which interrupted the conversation, but Top's barking, which broke out again with that strange intonation which had before perplexed the engineer At the saan to run round the mouth of the well, which opened at the extre in that way for?” asked Pencroft
”And Jup be growling like that?” added Herbert
In fact the orang, joining the dog, gave unequivocal signs of agitation, and, singular to say, the two aniry
”It is evident,” said Gideon Spilett, ”that this well is in direct communication with the sea, and that some marine animal comes from time to time to breathe at the bottom”
”That's evident,” replied the sailor, ”and there can be no other explanation to give Quiet there, Top!” added Pencroft, turning to the dog, ”and you, Jup, be off to your roo were silent Jup went off to bed, but Top rerowls at intervals during the rest of the evening There was no further talk on the subject, but the incident, however, clouded the brow of the engineer
During the remainder of the month of July there was alternate rain and frost The te winter, and its h this winter was less cold, it was more troubled by storered the safety of the Chimneys At times it almost seemed as if an under-current raised these ainst the wall of Granite House
When the settlers, leaning fro beneath their eyes, they could not but adnificent spectacle of the ocean in its i foa flood, and the cliff appearing to eht ofthese stor to the frequently falling trees; however, the colonists never allowed a week to pass without having paid a visit to the corral Happily this enclosure, sheltered by the south-eastern spur of Mount Franklin, did not greatly suffer from the violence of the hurricanes, which spared its trees, sheds, and palisades; but the poultry-yard on Prospect Heights, being directly exposed to the gusts of wind froeon-house ice unroofed and the paling blon All this required to be re-made more solidly than before, for, as may be clearly seen, Lincoln Island was situated in one of the erous parts of the Pacific It really appeared as if it formed the central point of vast cyclones, which beat it perpetually as the whip does the top, only here it was the top which wasthe first week of the ust the weather became more moderate, and the atmosphere recovered the calm which it appeared to have lost for ever With the calain becarees Fahrenheit, below zero
On the 3rd of August an excursion which had been talked of for several days was made into the south-eastern part of the island, towards Tadorn Marsh The hunters were teame which took up their winter-quarters there Wild duck, snipe, teal, and grebe, abounded there, and it was agreed that a day should be devoted to an expedition against these birds
Not only Gideon Spilett and Herbert, but Pencroft and Neb also took part in this excursion Cyrus Harding alone, alleging some work as an excuse, did not join them, but remained at Granite House
The hunters proceeded in the direction of Port Balloon, in order to reach theTop and Jup accompanied theineer raised it and returned, intending to put into execution a project for the performance of which he wished to be alone
Now this project was to minutely explore the interior well, the e of Granite House, and which communicated with the sea, since it formerly supplied a way to the waters of the lake
[Illustration: HE SAW NOTHING SUSPICIOUS]
Why did Top so often run round this opening? Why did he utter such strange barks when a sort of uneasiness seemed to draw him towards this well Why did Jup join Top in a sort of common anxiety? Had this well branches besides the communication with the sea? Did it spread towards other parts of the island? This is what Cyrus Harding wished to know He had resolved, therefore, to atte the absence of his co so had now presented itself
It was easy to descend to the botto the rope-ladder which had not been used since the establishineer drew the ladder to the hole, the diameter of which measured nearly six feet, and allowed it to unroll itself after having securely fastened its upper extrehted a lantern, taken a revolver, and placed a cutlass in his belt, he began the descent
The sides were everywhere entire; but points of rock jutted out here and there, and by means of these points it would have been quite possible for an active creature to cliineer reh he carefully exaht of his lantern, he could find no iive any reason to suppose that they had either recently or at any for descended deeper, throwing the light of his lantern on all sides