at the present time exceeded fifty full-grown
animals, and there were twice that number of grunters at their heels.
Then the work they had done on the Prairie was incredible. Not less than
hundreds of acres had they rooted over, mixing the sea-weed with the
mud, and fast converting the whole into soil. The rains had washed away
the salt, or converted it into manure, as well as contributing to the
more rapid decay of the vegetable substances. In that climate the
changes are very rapid, and Mark saw that another year or two would
convert the whole of that vast range, which had been formerly computed
at a surface of a thousand acres, into very respectable 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 inroads,
large patches were already green and flourishing. What is more, young
trees were beginning to show themselves along the margin of the
channels. Henton 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 exception 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 particular, 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 certain 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,