Таємничий острів

           Belowthisfalltheengineerfixedacylinderwithpaddles,whichwasjoinedontheexteriorwithastrongcablerolledonawheel,supportingabasket.Inthisway,bymeansofalongropereachingtotheground,whichenabledthemtoregulatethemotivepower,theycouldriseinthebaskettothedoorofGraniteHouse.

           Itwasonthe17thofMarchthattheliftactedforthefirsttime,andgaveuniversalsatisfaction.Henceforwardalltheloads,wood,coal,provisions,andeventhesettlersthemselves,werehoistedbythissimplesystem,whichreplacedtheprimitiveladder,and,asmaybesupposed,noonethoughtofregrettingthechange.Topparticularlywasenchantedwiththisimprovement,forhehadnot,andnevercouldhavepossessedMasterJup’sskillinclimbingladders,andoftenitwasonNeb’sback,orevenonthatoftheorangthathehadbeenobligedtomaketheascenttoGraniteHouse.Aboutthistime,too,CyrusHardingattemptedtomanufactureglass,andheatfirstputtheoldpottery-kilntothisnewuse.Thereweresomedifficultiestobeencountered;but,afterseveralfruitlessattempts,hesucceededinsettingupaglassmanufactory,whichGideonSpilettandHerbert,hisusualassistants,didnotleaveforseveraldays.Astothesubstancesusedinthecompositionofglass,theyaresimplysand,chalk,andsoda,eithercarbonateorsulphate.Nowthebeachsuppliedsand,limesuppliedchalk,sea-weedssuppliedsoda,pyritessuppliedsulphuricacid,andthegroundsuppliedcoaltoheatthekilntothewished-fortemperature.