barbarous and ignorant; he highly esteemed also the constitution, but
regretted that it was not in the slightest degree adapted to the
existing want of society: he was not for destroying any establishments,
but, on the contrary, was for courteously affording them the opportunity
of self-dissolution. He finished by re-urging, in strong terms, the
immediate development of the island. In the first place, a great
metropolis must be instantly built, because a great metropolis always
produces a great demand; and, moreover, Popanilla had some legal doubts
whether a country without a capital could in fact be considered a State.
Apologising for having so long trespassed upon the attention of the
assembly, he begged distinctly to state ** that he had no wish to see
his Majesty and his fellow-subjects adopt these new principles without
examination and without experience. They might commence on a small
scale; let them cut down their forests, and by turning them into ships
and houses discover the utility of timber; let the whole island be dug
up; let canals be cut, docks be built, and all the elephants be killed
directly, that their teeth might yield an immediate article for
exportation. A short time would afford a sufficient trial. In the
meanwhile, they would not be pledged to further measures, and these
might be considered only as an experiment. *** Taking for granted that
these principles would be acted on, and taking into consideration the
site of the island in the map of the world, the nature and extent of its
resources, its magnificent race of human beings, its varieties of the
animal creation, its wonderfully fine timber, its undeveloped mineral
treasures, the spaciousness of its harbours, and its various facilities
for extended international communication, Popanilla had no hesitation in
saying that a short time could not elapse ere, instead of passing their
lives in a state of unprofitable ease and useless enjoyment, they might
reasonably expect to be the terror and astonishment of the universe, and
to be able to annoy every nation of any consequence.