Таємничий острів

           Withoutexpectinggame,someusefulplantmightbemetwith,andtheyoungnaturalistwasdelightedwithdiscoveringasortofwildspinach,belongingtotheorderofchenopodiaceae,andnumerousspecimensofcruciferae,belongingtothecabbagetribe,whichitwouldcertainlybepossibletocultivatebytransplanting.Therewerecresses,horseradish,turnips,andlastly,littlebranchinghairystalks,scarcelymorethanthreefeethigh,whichproducedbrownishgrains.

           Doyouknowwhatthisplantis?"askedHerbertofthesailor.

           "Tobacco!"criedPencroft,whoevidentlyhadneverseenhisfavoriteplantexceptinthebowlofhispipe.

           "No,Pencroft,"repliedHerbert;"thisisnottobacco,itismustard."

           "Mustardbehanged!"returnedthesailor;"butifbychanceyouhappentocomeacrossatobacco-plant,myboy,praydon’tscornthat!"

           "Weshallfinditsomeday!"saidGideonSpilett.

           "Well!"exclaimedPencroft,"whenthatdaycomes,Idonotknowwhatmorewillbewantinginourisland!"

           Thesedifferentplants,whichhadbeencarefullyrootedup,werecarriedtothecanoe,whereCyrusHardinghadremainedburiedinthought.

           Thereporter,Herbert,andPencroftinthismannerfrequentlydisembarked,sometimesontherightbank,sometimesontheleftbankoftheMercy.

           Thelatterwaslessabrupt,buttheformermorewooded.Theengineerascertainedbyconsultinghispocket-compassthatthedirectionoftheriverfromthefirstturnwasobviouslysouthwestandnortheast,andnearlystraightforalengthofaboutthreemiles.