Таинственный остров

           OnthissubjecttheingenuityofHardingwasatfault.Theymustprovidefortheirmostpressingwants,settletheirdwelling,andlayinastoreoffood;thusthecoldmightcomeuponthembeforethequestionofclotheshadbeensettled.Theymustthereforemakeuptheirmindstopassthisfirstwinterwithoutadditionalclothing.Whenthefineseasoncameroundagain,theywouldregularlyhuntthosemusmonswhichhadbeenseenontheexpeditiontoMountFranklin,andthewooloncecollected,theengineerwouldknowhowtomakeitintostrongwarmstuff....How?Hewouldconsider.

           "Well,wearefreetoroastourselvesatGraniteHouse!"saidPencroft."Thereareheapsoffuel,andnoreasonforsparingit."

           "Besides,"addedGideonSpilett,"LincolnIslandisnotsituatedunderaveryhighlatitude,andprobablythewintersherearenotsevere.Didyounotsay,Cyrus,thatthisthirty-fifthparallelcorrespondedtothatofSpainintheotherhemisphere?"

           "Doubtless,"repliedtheengineer,"butsomewintersinSpainareverycold!Nowantofsnowandice;andperhapsLincolnIslandisjustasrigourouslytried.However,itisanisland,andassuch,Ihopethatthetemperaturewillbemoremoderate."

           "Why,captain?"askedHerbert.

           "Becausethesea,myboy,maybeconsideredasanimmensereservoir,inwhichisstoredtheheatofthesummer.Whenwintercomes,itrestoresthisheat,whichinsuresfortheregionsneartheoceanamediumtemperature,lesshighinsummer,butlesslowinwinter."

           "Weshallprovethat,"repliedPencroft.