Page:The crater; or, Vulcan's peak.djvu/391

OR, VULCAN S PEAK. 151 By a very simple process, water was pumped up from the largest spring by means of wind-sails, and conveyed in wooden logs to every building in the place. The logs were laid through the gardens, for the double purpose of getting soil to cover them, and to put them out of the way. Without the town, a regular system had been adopted, by which to continue to increase the soil. The rock was blown out, as stone was wanted; leaving, however, a quay around the margin of the island. As soon as low enough, the cavities became the receptacles of everything that could contribute to form soil ; and one day in each month was set apart for a " bee;" during which little was done but to transport earth from Loam Island, which was far from being exhausted yet, or even levelled, and scattering it on those hollow spots. In this manner, a considerable extent of surface, nearest to the town, had already been covered, and seeded, and planted, so that it was now possible to walk from the* town to the crater, a distance of a quarter of a mile, and be the whole time amid flowering shrubs, young trees, and rich grasses ! As for the crater itself, it was now quite a gem in the way of vegetation. Its cocoa-nut trees bore profusely ; and its figs, oranges, limes, shaddocks, &,c. &.C., were not only abundant, but rich and large. The Summit was in spots covered with delicious groves, and the openings were of as dark a verdure, the year round, as if the place lay twenty degrees farther from the equator than was actually the case. . Here Kitty, followed by a flock of descendants, was permitted still to rove at large, the governor deeming her rights in the place equal to his own. The plain of the crater was mostly under tillage, being used as a common garden for all who dwelt in the town. Each person was taxed so many days, in work, or in money, agreeably to a village ordinance, and by such means was the spot tilled ; in return, each person, according to a scale that was regu lated by the amount of the contribution, was allowed to come or send daily, and dig and carry away a stated quan tity of fruits and vegetables. All this was strictly regu lated by a town law, and the gardener had charge of the execution of the ordinance ; but the governor had privately