The bottle would not swim.

And if it did not fall on somebody and crack his skull it might never be found.
The colleagues were about to sacrifice one of the bottles on board when an idea occurred to Uncle Prudent.

He took snuff, as we know, and we may pardon this fault in an American, who might do worse.

And as a snuff-taker he possessed a snuff-box, which was now empty.

This box was made of aluminum.