Таємничий острів

           Copperwasabsolutelywantingtotheengineer,who,notwithstandingallhisresearches,hadneverbeenabletofindanytraceofitinLincolnIsland,andwasthereforeobligedtodowithoutit.Retortcoal,thatistosay,thehardgraphitewhichisfoundintheretortsofgasmanufactories,afterthecoalhasbeendehydrogenized,couldhavebeenobtained,butitwouldhavebeennecessarytoestablishaspecialapparatus,involvinggreatlabor.Astozinc,itmayberememberedthatthecasefoundatFlotsamPointwaslinedwiththismetal,whichcouldnotbebetterutilizedthanforthispurpose.

           CyrusHarding,aftermatureconsideration,decidedtomanufactureaverysimplebattery,resemblingasnearlyaspossiblethatinventedbyBecquerelin1820,andinwhichzinconlyisemployed.Theothersubstances,azoticacidandpotash,wereallathisdisposal.

           Thewayinwhichthebatterywascomposedwasasfollows,andtheresultsweretobeattainedbythereactionofacidandpotashoneachother.Anumberofglassbottlesweremadeandfilledwithazoticacid.Theengineercorkedthembymeansofastopperthroughwhichpassedaglasstube,boredatitslowerextremity,andintendedtobeplungedintotheacidbymeansofaclaystoppersecuredbyarag.Intothistube,throughitsupperextremity,hepouredasolutionofpotash,previouslyobtainedbyburningandreducingtoashesvariousplants,andinthiswaytheacidandpotashcouldactoneachotherthroughtheclay.