Таємничий острів

           Astobirds,somescarecrows,duetoPencroft’singeniousbrain,wereenoughtofrightenthem.Thesevenhundredandfiftygrainsdepositedinveryregularfurrowswerethenleftfornaturetodotherest.

           Onthe21stofNovember,CyrusHardingbegantoplanthecanalwhichwastoclosetheplateauonthewest,fromthesouthangleofLakeGranttotheangleoftheMercy.Therewastheretwoorthreefeetofvegetableearth,andbelowthatgranite.Itwasthereforenecessarytomanufacturesomemorenitro-glycerine,andthenitro-glycerinediditsaccustomedwork.Inlessthanafortnightaditch,twelvefeetwideandsixdeep,wasdugoutinthehardgroundoftheplateau.Anewtrenchwasmadebythesamemeansintherockyborderofthelake,formingasmallstream,towhichtheygavethenameofCreekGlycerine,andwhichwasthusanaffluentoftheMercy.Astheengineerhadpredicted,thelevelofthelakewaslowered,thoughveryslightly.Tocompletetheenclosurethebedofthestreamonthebeachwasconsiderablyenlarged,andthesandsupportedbymeansofstakes.

           BytheendofthefirstfortnightofDecembertheseworkswerefinished,andProspectHeights—thatistosay,asortofirregularpentagon,havingaperimeterofnearlyfourmiles,surroundedbyaliquidbelt—wascompletelyprotectedfromdepredatorsofeverydescription.

           DuringthemonthofDecember,theheatwasverygreat.Inspiteofit,however,thesettlerscontinuedtheirwork,andastheywereanxioustopossessapoultry-yardtheyforthwithcommencedit.