1 8 ANCIENT HSTORIC TRAILS. 



trace throughout its whole extent the ancient trail, 

 and even the very stones, over which it is probable 

 that St. Paul, and even Christ Himself, travelled 

 nearly 1900 years ago. But the rocky nature of the 

 soil has in most places prevented its becoming deeply cut. 

 In wild countries the Wilderness often, indeed 

 usually, comes up to the very walls of the city, within 

 whose boundaries but too frequently there is nothing 

 but decay ; and on reaching the limits of the cultivated 

 zone we at once enter the wild domain of Nature that 

 extends beyond. In very many cases the thorny bush 

 comes up to the very edge of the gardens, of which 

 we have already spoken and the track, if we continue 

 to follow it, may lead us for miles and miles it may 

 be even for days through an uninhabited region, till 

 we reach the next city. If we diverge from the beaten 

 path, for any distance to either side, we find ourselves 

 immediately enveloped in the trackless waste, the 

 haunts of wild beasts that is " the Wilderness. " 



The rapidity with which the settlers of a civilized 

 and powerful nation over-run the lands of savage races, 

 and turn even the barren wilderness into fruitful plains, 

 is well known. The hardy and adventurous spirits 

 who act as their pioneers are, as we have said, mostly 

 professional hunters and trappers, who quickly clear the 

 country of the larger herds of game. 



As agricultural and pastoral settlers begin to establish 

 themselves, of course considerable numbers of wild 

 animals of the larger kinds, in a state of nature, become 

 incompatible with profitable agriculture. * Consequently 



* Thus, we regret to state, the Boers in South Africa are killing all 

 the game that remains. " It eats up the grass they want for their 

 cattle," they say. 



