Таємничий острів

           Usingthemechanismwhichconsistedofaframe,cordsoffiberandcounterpoise,hethrewintothemassanabundanceofair,whichbyraisingthetemperaturealsoconcurredwiththechemicaltransformationtoproduceintimepureiron.

           Theoperationwasdifficult.Allthepatience,alltheingenuityofthesettlerswasneeded;butatlastitsucceeded,andtheresultwasalumpofiron,reducedtoaspongystate,whichitwasnecessarytoshingleandfagot,thatistosay,toforgesoastoexpelfromittheliquefiedveinstone.Theseamateursmithshad,ofcourse,nohammer;buttheywereinnoworseasituationthanthefirstmetallurgist,andthereforedidwhat,nodoubt,hehadtodo.

           Ahandlewasfixedtothefirstlump,andwasusedasahammertoforgethesecondonagraniteanvil,andthustheyobtainedacoarsebutusefulmetal.Atlength,aftermanytrialsandmuchfatigue,onthe25thofAprilseveralbarsofironwereforged,andtransformedintotools,crowbars,pincers,pickaxes,spades,etc.,whichPencroftandNebdeclaredtoberealjewels.Butthemetalwasnotyetinitsmostserviceablestate,thatis,ofsteel.Nowsteelisacombinationofironandcoal,whichisextracted,eitherfromtheliquidore,bytakingfromittheexcessofcoal,orfromtheironbyaddingtoitthecoalwhichwaswanting.Thefirst,obtainedbythedecarburationofthemetal,givesnaturalorpuddledsteel;thesecond,producedbythecarburationoftheiron,givessteelofcementation