It was there that, following Ayrton's
directions, they must look for the powder-magazine. Cyrus Harding
thought that it had not exploded; that it was possible some barrels
might be saved, and that the powder, which is usually enclosed in metal
coverings, might not have suffered from contact with 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; but, 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
not be long in disappearing 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 every
one's use, shoes for every one'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 delighted 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! And now, even although the
industrious colonists had