Таємничий острів

           Properlyprepared,itisextremelyinflammable,especiallywhenithasbeenpreviouslysaturatedwithgunpowder,orboiledinasolutionofnitrateorchlorateofpotash.But,tillthen,theyhadnotfoundanyofthesepolyporesorevenanyofthemorelswhichcouldreplacethem.Onthisday,theengineer,seeingaplantbelongingtothewormwoodgenus,theprincipalspeciesofwhichareabsinthe,balm-mint,tarragon,etc.,gatheredseveraltufts,and,presentingthemtothesailor,said,—

           "Here,Pencroft,thiswillpleaseyou."

           Pencroftlookedattentivelyattheplant,coveredwithlongsilkyhair,theleavesbeingclothedwithsoftdown.

           "What’sthat,captain?"askedPencroft."Isittobacco?"

           "No,"repliedHarding,"itiswormwood;Chinesewormwoodtothelearned,buttousitwillbetinder."

           Whenthewormwoodwasproperlydrieditprovidedthemwithaveryinflammablesubstance,especiallyafterwardswhentheengineerhadimpregnateditwithnitrateofpotash,ofwhichtheislandpossessedseveralbeds,andwhichisintruthsaltpeter.

           Thecolonistshadagoodsupperthatevening.Nebpreparedsomeagoutisoup,asmokedcapybaraham,towhichwasaddedtheboiledtuberculesofthe"caladiummacrorhizum,"anherbaceousplantofthearumfamily.Theyhadanexcellenttaste,andwereverynutritious,beingsomethingsimilartothesubstancewhichissoldinEnglandunderthenameof"Portlandsago";theywerealsoagoodsubstituteforbread,whichthesettlersinLincolnIslanddidnotyetpossess.