Page:The crater; or, Vulcan's peak.djvu/266

 26 THE CRATER; well as contributing to the more rapid decay of the vege table substances. In that climate the changes are very rapid, and Mark saw that another year or two would con vert the whole of that vast range, which had been formerly computed at a surface of a thousand acres, into very re spectable pastures, if not into meadows. Of meadows, however, there was very little necessity in that latitude; the eternal summer that reigned furnishing pasturage the year round. The necessary grasses might be wanting to seed down so large a surface, but those which Socrates had put in were well-rooted, and it was pretty certain they would, sooner or later, spread themselves over the whole field. In defiance of the hogs, and their increasing in roads, large patches were already green and flourishing. What is more, young trees were beginning to show them selves along the margin of the channels. Heaton had brought over from Betto s group several large panniers made of green willows, and these Socrates had cut into strips, and thrust into the mud. Almost without an excep tion they had struck out roots, and never ceasing, day or night, to grow, they were already mostly of the height of a man. Four or five years would convert them into so many beautiful, if not very useful trees. Nor was this all. Heaton, under the influence of his habits, had studied the natures of the different trees he had met with on the other islands. The cocoa-nut, in particu lar, abounded in both groups, and finding it was a tree that much affected low land and salt water, he had taken care to set out various samples of his roots and fruits, on cer tain detached islets near this channel, where the soil and situation induced him to believe they would flourish. Sea- sand he was of opinion was the most favourable for the growth of this tree, and he had chosen the sites of his plantations with a view to those advantages. On the Peak cocoa-nuts were to be found, but they were neither very fine, nor in very large quantities. So long as Mark had that island to himself, the present supply would more than equal the demand, but with the increase of the colony a greater number of the trees would become very desirable. Five or six years would be needed to produce the fruit- bearing tree, and the governor was pleased to find that the