The Wonder Island Boys: Exploring the Island

y topics were mentioned, things connected with the day's adve

the one to utilize the meaning, and generally the first to tak

ed to delve down into mysteries; but Harry utilized the knowledge in constructing and building art

out a nice sample of bread, and Geo

sed a change in the dough, and that it was due to heat. I

at millions are produced. These living organisms cause gases to form, and they c

that stuff and

he little creatures, and they really keep you alive,

y s

m in every cubic inch. Professor Dewar, a great English chemist, calls them nature's policemen. If a typhoid fever germ, for example, should be introduced among so many germs

nds like

ibes, as it were; some of them can live only where oxygen is present, and some live on nitrogen only; others on carbon. But

g! In what way

is first placed in a reservoir, and at a certain temperature the germs grow very rapidly, and, of course, eat up the vegetable and animal matter until it is nearly all consumed. Then it is run off into another reservoir which has another tribe of germs in it, those that live on carbon

ject is to cultivate one

further learned that certain germs make nitrogen, just the same as we found that certain germs made carbonic gas in the dough; so that the United States Department of Agriculture, th

em, how do they s

ed is taken out, more or less of the germs remains on each kernel, and when it is put into the ground the germs keep on working, making nitrogen which th

North of the equator it was growing warmer, because the winter had passed. Here the summe

hall not have any snow

or freezing weather. Many of the trees about here do not shed their leaves, and the kind of a

their time prospecting in the hills and in carting va

ak pelts which had to be tanned, as shoe leather was badly needed. The hide o

use for the t

find either oak, hemlock, birch or beech trees, we can prob

he bark of those tr

Other elements also are used, such as gallic acid, alum

the chem

. Tanni

bumen in the skins, and thus harden the texture and preserve it. Where tannin is not used an

where there are several oak trees

and by the way, if you can find gall

know what

get some sumac,

e kind with the

s what

nuts have t

will also tan the skins so as to make leather. Th

ree does the ga

nd of tree

s rathe

the tree in trying to treat the wound covers up the egg, and the sap, flowing from the tree, forms a sort of nut which finally hardens and produces a most bitter su

next two days, and a tank prepared in which the hides were lai

s, and especially the leaves to call them by certain names. It would hel

understanding of the term used to describe a thing. In our talks I have tried to avoid the use of what is called technical terms, but it is difficult to describe some things without

rate. Fig. 1

kinds of leaves and give their names we could

e on, because it is the most important

e fruit or the flower, or the

of the orange or the jasmine, you are simply seeing or smelling leaves. The fruit itself, whether in the form of an apple, or a berry or a nut, is simpl

d of such a t

rm of the leaf. We can go into that branch of the subject later on. What we now want is to know something about the shape of the leaf, so we can have a starting point. There are two particular things about leaves; on

of a saw. This is called the serrate leaf. Th

eeth themselves have a lot of little saw teeth, as in the

nting in any particular direction, like the o

f angular teeth, and is called crenate. Gr

ll take us along another step, and thus enable us to find

ntate. Fig.

which George had discovered at the time he found the bi

he air pocket George spoke about, and we

about taking our luncheon along." And off they

e than the one which had so mysteriously disappeared two months before. On every such v

of home, and had given up all hopes of a final rescue. If they could only let the people at home know they were ali

the night their thoughts often wandered back again to their homes and fri

of your mysteries. Isn't it fortunate that the tide

s in a hurry to get down as quickly as possible he followed a course,

s very much annoyed. He could not be mistaken in the position, as it was directly to the right of Observa

At high tide this place is all covered with wa

shortly afterwards cried out: "I have

ove them, but so rugged were the cliffs tha

. Cave

n the water and in the rock. As these rocks are limestone formations, we may b

the candles," he said, as he glanced at the Professor,

hink we had

do so, but we ha

ere for the purpose o

we d

id this he drew out one of the small candles which they had

he other hand, did not make another remark on the subject. No doubt the silent rebuke w

nd veneration for him; and the Professor, by his constant attitude toward them, showed that even these careless actions or

ooked like springs, and the Professor was of the opinion that th

hink so?" was

e water. The height of the mouth from the normal level of the water is much above the usual high tide level of the water, and

eorge. "I have no objection to

and at least that much in width, but irregularly formed. They went in straight for twenty feet or more, when George annou

After making a jog the cave again turned into the cliff, practically on a line with the opening section or mouth of the ca

that pecul

it is merely white

caus

s or crevices, and leaving the deposits there. It is not an uncommon thing in caves, and I foreshadowed it in the c

hat was that?" asked George, as he retreated. In doing so he tripped, and,

rd, a little closer," said the Professor. "You

ge of water, and the light threw a be

ations here." As they looked, the water was agitated, and

amples, as he said: "Don't lose the candle until we get where we can see daylight. Although we are not more than two hundred feet fro

nimal do you su

sea lion,

id: "I do not see how this cave would account f

y n

ep. It is not a tru

ll larger, and lower down. Here, hold t

his is what

which extended in about fifty fe