1 20 Deserts ^ 



by the violent rains, leaving bare rock and utter barren- 

 ness behind. Still the destruction was allowed to go 

 on, until, as the timber rapidly vanished, not only did 

 the soil follow, but the vain deserted it also, and the 

 Governor, taking alarm, reported that the island, 

 hitherto abundantly watered, was beginning to suffer 

 from drought. 



But the authorities — the island was then in the 

 hands of the Hon. E. I. C. — were not to be persuaded 

 that there was any connection between the loss of 

 trees and the want of rain, and returned for answer 

 that the goats were more valuable than the ebony- 

 trees, and were not to be destroyed. So the goats 

 stayed, and the ebony-trees went ; and the general 

 aspect of St. Helena became that of a dreary rocky 

 desert. 



On the other hand, a change greatly for the better 

 has taken place in the region round about the Suez 

 Canal. Here there was formerly hardly a blade of 

 grass to be seen, and the land was a desert. But the 

 cutting of the canal has brought water into the midst 

 of the parched land ; this soaks through the sandy 

 soil, and everywhere herbage is springing up along the 

 banks. Rain is still rare, but the air is moister; for 

 the blazing sun draws up from the canal large volumes 

 of water, which, though it is only invisible vapour by 

 day, is chilled and condensed into water again by the 

 lower temperature of the night, and falls upon the 

 thirsty land as a heavy, refreshing dew. 



But the very fact that it is a sandy district is in its 

 favour in one way, for water soaks easily through it, 

 and is thus brought to the roots of all plants growing 

 within reach. 



