to make white
tow, for he was without tar.

The ropes mended, he proceeded to repair the chains.

Thanks to the lateral point of the stone anvil, which served the part of
the conoid bicorn, he was able to forge rings rude in shape but strong.
With these he fastened together the severed lengths of chains, and made
long pieces.

To work at a forge without assistance is something more than
troublesome. He succeeded nevertheless. It is true that he had only to
forge and shape articles of comparatively small size, which he was able
to handle with the pliers in one hand, while he hammered with the other.

He cut into lengths the iron bars of the captain's bridge on which
Clubin used to pass to and fro from paddle-box to paddle-box giving his
orders; forged at one extremity of each piece a point, and at the other
a flat head. By this means he manufactured large nails of about a foot
in length. These nails, much used in pontoon making, are useful in
fixing anything in rocks.

What was his object in all these labours? We shall see.

He was several times compelled to renew the blade of his hatchet and the
teeth of his saw. For renotching the saw he had manufactured a
three-sided file.

Occasionally he made use of the capstan of the Durande. The hook of the
chain broke: he made another.

By the aid of his pliers and pincers, and by using his chisel as a
screwdriver, he set to work to remove the two paddle-wheels of the
vessel; an object which he accomplished. This was rendered practicable
by reason of a peculiarity in their construction. The paddle-boxes which
covered them served him to stow them away. With the planks of these
paddle-boxes, he made two cases in which he deposited the two paddles,
piece by piece, each part being carefully numbered.

His lump of chalk became precious for this purpose.

He kept the two cases upon the strongest part of the wreck.

When these preliminaries were completed, he found himself face to face
with the great difficulty. The problem of the engine of the Durande was
now clearly before him.

Taking the paddle-wheels to pieces had proved practicable. It was very
different with the machinery.

In the first place, he was almost entirely ignorant of the details of
the mechanism. Working thus blindly he might do some irreparable damage.
Then, even in attempting to dismember it, if he had ventured on that
course, far other tools would be necessary than such as he could
fabricate with a