Таємничий острів

           Pencroft,havingtorntheharpoonfromtheanimal’sside,readthisinscriptiononit:

           MARIASTELLA,VINEYARD

           "AvesselfromtheVineyard!Ashipfrommycountry!"hecried."The‘MariaStella!’Afinewhaler,‘ponmyword;Iknowherwell!Oh,myfriends,avesselfromtheVineyard!—awhalerfromtheVineyard!"

           Andthesailorbrandishingtheharpoon,repeated,notwithoutemotion,thenamewhichhelovedsowell—thenameofhisbirthplace.

           Butasitcouldnotbeexpectedthatthe"MariaStella"wouldcometoreclaimtheanimalharpoonedbyher,theyresolvedtobegincuttingitupbeforedecompositionshouldcommence.Thebirds,whohadwatchedthisrichpreyforseveraldays,haddeterminedtotakepossessionofitwithoutfurtherdelay,anditwasnecessarytodrivethemoffbyfiringatthemrepeatedly.

           Thewhalewasafemale,andalargequantityofmilkwastakenfromit,which,accordingtotheopinionofthenaturalistDuffenbach,mightpassforcow’smilk,and,indeed,itdiffersfromitneitherintaste,color,nordensity.

           Pencrofthadformerlyservedonboardawhaling-ship,andhecouldmethodicallydirecttheoperationofcuttingup,asufficientlydisagreeableoperationlastingthreedays,butfromwhichthesettlersdidnotflinch,notevenGideonSpilett,who,asthesailorsaid,wouldendbymakinga"realgoodcastaway."