Таємничий острів

           Theblubber,cutinparallelslicesoftwofeetandahalfinthickness,thendividedintopieceswhichmightweighaboutathousandpoundseach,wasmelteddowninlargeearthenpotsbroughttothespot,fortheydidnotwishtotainttheenvironsofGraniteHouse,andinthisfusionitlostnearlyathirdofitsweight.

           Buttherewasanimmensequantityofit;thetonguealoneyieldedsixthousandpoundsofoil,andthelowerlipfourthousand.Then,besidesthefat,whichwouldinsureforalongtimeastoreofstearineandglycerine,therewerestillthebones,forwhichausecoulddoubtlessbefound,althoughtherewereneitherumbrellasnorstaysusedatGraniteHouse.Theupperpartofthemouthofthecetaceanwas,indeed,providedonbothsideswitheighthundredhornyblades,veryelastic,ofafibroustexture,andfringedattheedgelikegreatcombs,atwhichtheteeth,sixfeetlong,servedtoretainthethousandsofanimalculae,littlefish,andmolluscs,onwhichthewhalefed.

           Theoperationfinished,tothegreatsatisfactionoftheoperators,theremainsoftheanimalwerelefttothebirds,whowouldsoonmakeeveryvestigeofitdisappear,andtheirusualdailyoccupationswereresumedbytheinmatesofGraniteHouse.

           However,beforereturningtothedockyard,CyrusHardingconceivedtheideaoffabricatingcertainmachines,whichgreatlyexcitedthecuriosityofhiscompanions.Hetookadozenofthewhale’sbones,cutthemintosixequalparts,andsharpenedtheirends.