We were, in truth, much amazed at this spectacle, and the more so
when we observed that the new crab was larger than the crab that it
came out of. It was also quite soft, but by next morning its skin
had hardened into a good shell. 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 sea-weed and animals to put into a certain amount of water, the
tank needed no farther 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