all the strong
men now in the mines down from the mountains, and build ships and cities by the sea, and make a permanent commonwealth.
These thousands of men can, at best, in a year s time, only take out a few millions of gold. A ship goes to sea and sinks with all these millions, and there all that labour is lost to the world for ever. Had these millions been in paper, only a few hours labour would have been lost. There are two hundred thousand men, the best and bravest men in the world, wasting the best years of their lives getting out this gold. They are turning over the mountains, de stroying the forests, and filling up the rivers. They make the land unfit even for savages. Take them down from the mountains, throw one half their strength and energy against the wild, rich sea- border of the Pacific, and we would have, instead of these broken mountains, muddied rivers, and ruined forests, such an Eden as has not been seen by man since the days of Adam.
At last Paquita came. The Prince went forth to meet her with his arms held out, but she was too bashful and beautiful to touch.
And why had she not returned before? It is a sad story, but soon told.
When she reached the region of her father s camp, she found the grass growing in the trails. She found no sisters to receive her; no woman to bring her water; not a human being in all the lodges. The weeds grew rank, and the wolves had possession.
