HOUSE, PLANS, AND SPECIFICATIONS. 45 



ern Arcadia, however, was sadly affected by the rapid 

 diminution of whales, was injured by the invention 

 of kerosene, and ruined by the discovery of petro 

 leum, the barbarous names of which had been, until 

 lately, unknown in all that country. Whales tried, 

 for a time, to compete with these innovations, J)ut, 

 finding the effort useless, gave up in disgust, and re 

 tired to their northern homes beyond the reach of 

 man. This would have made little difference if ships 

 were used in obtaining petroleum ; but, although en 

 thusiasts suppose it comes from the decayed bones of 

 whales that existed when this old world was young, 

 they had been buried &quot;deeper than ever plummet 

 sounded&quot; beneath the accumulations of modem dust; 

 so the whalemen, being useless, were sunk in Charles 

 ton Harbor, and the whaling-men sought &quot;green fields 

 and pastures new&quot; in California. 



Nan s inheritance went to decay, and her people 

 were our people that is, they learned to cheat, and 

 the hackmen imitated their fellows. Population di 

 minished, building lots were worthless, and one half 

 the houses were vacant. But the inhabitants were a 

 Scriptural people, and, remembering how the patri 

 archal tribes, when water and grass became scarce, 

 struck their tents and struck out for better quarters, 

 they pulled down every man his house and not only 



