reader all the delight which
these specks of incipient verdure conveyed to the mind of Mark Woolston.
It far exceeded the joy that would be apt to be awakened by a relief
from an apprehension of wanting food at a distant day, for it resembled
something of the character of a new creation. He went from hill to hill,
and everywhere did he discover plants, some just peeping through the
ashes, others already in leaf, and all seemingly growing and thriving.
Fortunately, Kitty had not been on the mount for the last fortnight, her
acquired habits, and the total nakedness of the hills, having kept her
below with the other animals, since her first visits. Mark saw the
necessity of keeping her off the elevation, which she would certainly
climb the instant anything like verdure caught her eyes from below. He
determined, therefore, to confine her to the ship, until he had taken
the precautions necessary to prevent her ascending the mount. This last
was easily enough done. On the exterior of the hills there were but
three places where even a goat could get up. This was owing to the
circumstance that the base of the ascent rose like a wall, for some ten
or twelve feet, everywhere but at the three points mentioned. It
appeared to Mark as if the sea had formerly washed around the crater,
giving this form to its bottom for so wall-like was the rock for these
ten or twelve feet, that it would have defied the efforts of a man for
a long time, to overcome the difficulties of the ascent. At two of the
places where the _debris_ had made a rough footing, half an hour's work
would remove the material, and leave these spots as impassable as the
others. At the third point, it might require a good deal of labor to
effect the object. At this last place, Mark told Betts it would be
necessary, for the moment, to make some sort of a fence. Within the
crater, it was equally difficult to ascend, except at one or two places;
but these ascents our mariners thought of improving, by making steps, as
the animals were effectually excluded from the plain within by means of
the sail which served for a curtain at the gateway, or hole of entrance.

As soon as Mark had recovered a little from his first surprise, he sent
Bob below to bring up some buckets filled with the earth brought from
Loam Rock, or island. This soil was laid carefully around each of the
plants, the two working alternately at the task, until a bucket-full had
been laid in each hill. Mark did no