mixed with two or
three parts of powered coal, composed the substance which was placed
in crucibles. When the high temperature of the oven had reduced it to
a liquid, or rather a pasty state, Cyrus Harding collected with the
tube a quantity of the paste, he turned it about on a metal plate
previously arranged so as to give it a form suitable for blowing, then
he passed the tube to Herbert, telling him to blow at the other
extremity.

[Illustration: THE GLASS-BLOWERS]

And Herbert, swelling out his cheeks, blew so much and so well into
the tube--taking care to twirl it round at the same time--that his
breath dilated the glassy mass. Other quantities of the substance in a
state of fusion were added to the first, and in a short time the
result was a bubble which measured a foot in diameter. Harding then
took the tube out of Herbert's hands, and, giving to it a pendulous
motion, he ended by lengthening the malleable bubble so as to give it
a cylindro-conic shape.

The blowing operation had given a cylinder of glass terminated by two
hemispheric caps, which were easily detached by means of a sharp iron
dipped in cold water; then, by the same proceeding, this cylinder was
cut lengthways, and after having been rendered malleable by a second
heating, it was extended on a plate and spread out with a wooden
roller.

The first pane was thus manufactured, and they had only to perform
this operation fifty times to have fifty panes. The windows at Granite
House were soon furnished with panes; not very white, perhaps, but
still sufficiently transparent.

As to bottles and tumblers, that was only play. They were satisfied
with them, besides, just as they came from the end of the tube.
Pencroft had asked to be allowed to "blow" in his turn, and it was
great fun for him; but he blew so hard that his productions took the
most ridiculous shapes, which he admired immensely.

Cyrus Harding and Herbert, whilst hunting one day, had entered the
forest of the Far West, on the left bank of the Mercy, and, as usual,
the lad was asking a thousand questions of the engineer, who answered
them heartily. Now, as Harding was not a sportsman, and as, on the
other side, Herbert was talking chemistry and natural philosophy,
numbers of kangaroos, capybaras, and agoutis came within range, which,
however, escaped the lad's gun; the consequence was that the day was
already advanced, and the two hunters were in danger of having made a
useless excursio