Копи царя Соломона
Water! WATER!
Afterrestinganhourortwo,driventoitbyourtorturingthirst,wewenton, toilingpainfullyintheburningheatupthelavaslopes, forwefoundthatthehugebaseofthemountainwascomposedentirelyoflavabedsbelchedfromthebowelsoftheearthinsomefarpastage.
Byeleveno’clockwewereutterlyexhausted,and,generallyspeaking,inaverybadstateindeed. Thelavaclinker,overwhichwemustdragourselves,thoughsmoothcomparedwithsomeclinkerIhaveheardof,suchasthatontheIslandofAscension,forinstance,wasyetroughenoughtomakeourfeetverysore, andthis,togetherwithourothermiseries,hadprettywellfinishedus. Afewhundredyardsaboveusweresomelargelumpsoflava,andtowardsthesewesteeredwiththeintentionoflyingdownbeneaththeirshade. Wereachedthem,andtooursurprise,sofaraswehadacapacityforsurpriseleftinus,onalittleplateauorridgeclosebywesawthattheclinkerwascoveredwithadensegreengrowth. Evidentlysoilformedofdecomposedlavahadrestedthere,andinduecoursehadbecomethereceptacleofseedsdepositedbybirds. Butwedidnottakemuchfurtherinterestinthegreengrowth,foronecannotliveongrasslikeNebuchadnezzar. ThatrequiresaspecialdispensationofProvidenceandpeculiardigestiveorgans.
Sowesatdownundertherocksandgroaned, andforoneIwishedheartilythatwehadneverstartedonthisfool’serrand.
