We came thus to know that crabs grow in this way,
and not by the growing of their shells, as we had always thought before
we saw this wonderful operation.
Now I considered well the advice which Jack had given me about
preparing my tank, and the more I thought of it the more I came to
regard it as very sound and worthy of being acted on. So I forthwith
put his plan in execution, and found it to answer excellently well,
indeed, much beyond my expectation; for I found that, after a little
experience had taught me the proper proportion of seaweed and animals
to put into a certain amount of water, the tank needed no further
attendance; and, moreover, I did not require ever afterwards to renew
or change the sea-water, but only to add a very little fresh water from
the brook, now and then, as the other evaporated. I therefore concluded
that if I had been suddenly conveyed, along with my tank, into some
region where there was no salt sea at all, my little sea and my sea-fish
would have continued to thrive and to prosper notwithstanding. This
made me greatly to desire that those people in the world who live
far inland might know of my wonderful tank, and, by having materials
like to those of which it was made conveyed to them, thus be enabled to
watch the habits of those most mysterious animals that reside in the
sea, and examine with their own eyes the wonders of the great deep.
For many days after this, while Peterkin and Jack were busily employed
in building a little boat out of the curious natural planks of the
chestnut tree, I spent much of my time in examining with the burning-
glass the marvellous operations that were constantly going on in my
tank.
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