Таинственный остров

           Hardingpreferred,therefore,tomanufacturepyroxyle,thatistosaygun-cotton,asubstanceinwhichcottonisnotindispensable,astheelementarytissueofvegetablesmaybeused,andthisisfoundinanalmostpurestate,notonlyincotton,butinthetextilefiberofhempandflax,inpaper,thepithoftheelder,etc.Now,theelderaboundedintheislandtowardsthemouthofRedCreek,andthecolonistshadalreadymadecoffeeoftheberriesoftheseshrubs,whichbelongtothefamilyofthecaprifoliaceae.

           Theonlythingtobecollected,therefore,waselder-pith,forastotheothersubstancenecessaryforthemanufactureofpyroxyle,itwasonlyfumingazoticacid.Now,Hardinghavingsulphuricacidathisdisposal,hadalreadybeeneasilyabletoproduceazoticacidbyattackingthesaltpeterwithwhichnaturesuppliedhim.Heaccordinglyresolvedtomanufactureandemploypyroxyle,althoughithassomeinconveniences,thatistosay,agreatinequalityofeffect,anexcessiveinflammability,sinceittakesfireatonehundredandseventydegreesinsteadoftwohundredandforty,andlastly,aninstantaneousdeflagrationwhichmightdamagethefirearms.Ontheotherhand,theadvantagesofpyroxyleconsistinthis,thatitisnotinjuredbydamp,thatitdoesnotmakethegun-barrelsdirty,andthatitsforceisfourtimesthatofordinarypowder.

           Tomakepyroxyle,thecottonmustbeimmersedinthefumingazoticacidforaquarterofanhour,thenwashedincoldwateranddried.Nothingcouldbemoresimple.