magazine. Cyrus Harding thought that it had not exploded; that it was possible some barrels might be saved, and that the powder, enclosed in metal coverings, might not have been damaged by the water.
This, in fact, was just what had happened. They extricated from amongst a large number of shot twenty barrels, the insides of which were lined with copper. Pencroft was convinced by the evidence of his own eyes that the destruction of the Speedy could not be attributed to an explosion. That part of the hull in which the magazine was situated was, moreover, that which had suffered least.
"It may be so," said the obstinate sailor; "but as to a rock, there is not one in the channel!"
"Then, how did it happen?" asked Herbert.
"I don't know," answered Pencroft, "Captain Harding doesn't know, and nobody knows or ever will know!"
Several hours had passed during these researches, and the tide began to flow. Work must be suspended for the present. There was no fear of the brig being carried away by the sea, for she was already fixed as firmly as if moored by her anchors. They could, therefore, without inconvenience, wait until the next day to resume operations. As to the vessel herself, she was doomed, and it would be best to hasten to save the remains of her hull, as she would soon disappear in the quicksands of the channel.
It was now five o'clock in the evening. It had been a hard day's work for the men. They ate with good appetite, and notwithstanding their fatigue they could not resist, after dinner, their desire of inspecting the cases which composed the cargo of the Speedy. Most of them contained clothes, which, as may be believed, were well received. There were enough to clothe a whole colony—linen for everyone's use, shoes for everyone's feet.
"We are too rich!" exclaimed Pencroft. "But what are we going to do with all this?"
And every moment burst forth the hurrahs of the dilighted sailor when he caught sight of the barrels of gunpowder, fire-arms and side-arms, balls of cotton, implements of husbandry, carpenter's, joiner's, and blacksmith's tools, and boxes of all kinds of seeds, not in the least injured by their short sojourn in the water. Ah, two years before, how these things would have been prized! Ana
