Таинственный остров

           CyrusHardingthussoonhadeverythingreadyforsettingtowork.

           Thetool,themanufactureofwhichpresentedthemostdifficulty,wasthepipeoftheglass-maker,anirontube,fiveorsixfeetlong,whichcollectsononeendthematerialinastateoffusion.Butbymeansofalong,thinpieceofironrolleduplikethebarrelofagun,Pencroftsucceededinmakingatubesoonreadyforuse.

           Onthe28thofMarchthetubewasheated.Ahundredpartsofsand,thirty-fiveofchalk,fortyofsulphateofsoda,mixedwithtwoorthreepartsofpowderedcoal,composedthesubstance,whichwasplacedincrucibles.Whenthehightemperatureoftheovenhadreducedittoaliquid,orratherapastystate,CyrusHardingcollectedwiththetubeaquantityofthepaste:heturneditaboutonametalplate,previouslyarranged,soastogiveitaformsuitableforblowing,thenhepassedthetubetoHerbert,tellinghimtoblowattheotherextremity.

           AndHerbert,swellingouthischeeks,blewsomuchandsowellintothetube-takingcaretotwirlitroundatthesametime—thathisbreathdilatedtheglassymass.Otherquantitiesofthesubstanceinastateoffusionwereaddedtothefirst,andinashorttimetheresultwasabubblewhichmeasuredafootindiameter.HardingthentookthetubeoutofHerbert’shands,and,givingitapendulousmotion,heendedbylengtheningthemalleablebubblesoastogiveitacylindroconicshape.