Таємничий острів

           Butalltheresultsofthechasewerenotmadeintopreservedprovisions;andasthegamekeptperfectlyintheintensecold,wildduckandotherfowlwereeatenfresh,anddeclaredsuperiortoallotheraquaticbirdsintheknownworld.

           Duringthisweek,Pencroft,aidedbyHerbert,whohandledthesailmaker’sneedlewithmuchskill,workedwithsuchenergythatthesailsofthevesselwerefinished.Therewasnowantofcordage.Thankstotheriggingwhichhadbeendiscoveredwiththecaseoftheballoon,theropesandcablesfromthenetwereallofgoodquality,andthesailorturnedthemalltoaccount.Tothesailswereattachedstrongboltropes,andtherestillremainedenoughfromwhichtomakethehalyards,shrouds,andsheets,etc.TheblocksweremanufacturedbyCyrusHardingunderPencroft’sdirectionsbymeansoftheturninglathe.Itthereforehappenedthattheriggingwasentirelypreparedbeforethevesselwasfinished.Pencroftalsomanufacturedaflag,thatflagsodeartoeverytrueAmerican,containingthestarsandstripesoftheirgloriousUnion.Thecolorsforitweresuppliedfromcertainplantsusedindyeing,andwhichwereveryabundantintheisland;onlytothethirty-sevenstars,representingthethirty-sevenStatesoftheUnion,whichshineontheAmericanflag,thesailoraddedathirty-eighth,thestarof"theStateofLincoln,"forheconsideredhisislandasalreadyunitedtothegreatrepublic.