A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder | Page 3

was drawn to the dark spot already mentioned as the goal of the race.
"That's a queer-looking thing," said he, suddenly. "Pull up, lads, a little; let's see what it is.
It doesn't look to me like a spar."
The others, always on the lookout for some new object of interest, were attracted by these
words, and looked closely at the thing in question. The men pulled. The boat drew nearer.
"It's some sort of floating vessel," said Oxenden.
"It's not a spar," said Melick, who was at the bow.
And as he said this he reached out and grasped at it. He failed to get it, and did no more
than touch it. It moved easily and sank, but soon came up again. A second time he
grasped at it, and with both hands. This time he caught it, and then lifted it out of the
water into the boat. These proceedings had been watched with the deepest interest; and
now, as this curious floating thing made its appearance among them, they all crowded
around it in eager excitement.
"It looks like a can of preserved meat," said the doctor.
"It certainly is a can," said Melick, "for it's made of metal; but as to preserved meat, I
have my doubts."
The article in question was made of metal and was cylindrical in shape. It was soldered
tight and evidently contained something. It was about eighteen inches long and eight
wide. The nature of the metal was not easily perceptible, for it was coated with slime, and
covered over about half its surface with barnacles and sea-weed. It was not heavy, and
would have floated higher out of the water had it not been for these encumbrances.
"It's some kind of preserved meat," said the doctor. "Perhaps something good--game, I
dare say--yes, Yorkshire game-pie. They pot all sorts of things now."
"If it's game," said Oxenden, "it'll be rather high by this time. Man alive! look at those
weeds and shells. It must have been floating for ages."
"It's my belief," said Featherstone, "that it's part of the provisions laid in by Noah for his
long voyage in the ark. So come, let's open it, and see what sort of diet the antediluvians

had."
"It may be liquor," said Oxenden.
Melick shook his head.
"No," said he; "there's something inside, but whatever it is, it isn't liquor. It's odd, too.
The thing is of foreign make, evidently. I never saw anything like it before. It may be
Chinese."
"By Jove!" cried Featherstone, "this is getting exciting. Let's go back to the yacht and
open it."
The men rowed back to the yacht.
"It's meat of some sort," continued the doctor. "I'm certain of that. It has come in good
time. We can have it for dinner."
"You may have my share, then," said Oxenden. "I hereby give and bequeath to you all
my right, title, and interest in and to anything in the shape of meat that may be inside."
"Meat cans," said Melick, "are never so large as that."
"Oh, I don't know about that," said the doctor, "they make up pretty large packages of
pemmican for the arctic expeditions."
"But they never pack up pemmican in copper cylinders," said Melick, who had been
using his knife to scrape off the crust from the vessel.
"Copper!" exclaimed Oxenden. "Is it copper?"
"Look for yourselves," said Melick, quietly.
They all looked, and could see, where the knife had cut into the vessel, that it was as he
said. It was copper.
"It's foreign work," said Melick. "In England we make tin cans for everything. It may be
something that's drifted out from Mogadore or some port in Morocco."
"In that case," said Oxenden, "it may contain the mangled remains of one of the wives of
some Moorish pasha."
By this time they had reached the yacht and hurried aboard. All were eager to satisfy their
curiosity. Search was made for a cold-chisel, but to no purpose. Then Featherstone
produced a knife which was used to open sardine boxes, but after a faithful trial this
proved useless. At length Melick, who had gone off in search of something more
effective, made his appearance armed with an axe. With this he attacked the copper
cylinder, and by means of a few dexterous blows succeeded in cutting it open. Then he
looked in.

"What do you see?" asked Featherstone.
"Something," said Melick, "but I can't quite make it out."
"If you can't make it out, then shake it out," said Oxenden.
Upon this Melick took the cylinder, turned it upside down, shook it smartly, and then
lifted it and pounded it against the deck. This served to loosen the contents, which
seemed tightly packed, but came gradually down until at length they could be