said; and as for the
extent of the island, it was sufficient to provide each individual of
the party, including the children, with ample subsistence for the rest
of his or her life.

Then he proceeded to sketch out--for about the thousandth time--the
principle upon which the community was to be governed. It was to be
subject to laws which were to be enacted from time to time by a council
of seven--including himself--of which he was to be president for life in
virtue of the fact that the whole scheme and idea was of his
originating, the remaining six members of council to be elected once
every three years. There were to be no distinctions of rank or class;
all were to be absolutely equal; there was to be no such thing as
private property, everything being held in common; everybody was to
labour diligently for the benefit of the entire community; and the
natural increase due to every person's labour was to be delivered into a
sort of general store, or warehouse, and apportioned out in accordance
with rules to be framed by the council. There was a great deal more
said that night to the same effect, some of the statements being
received with rapturous applause--chiefly by the lazy and ne'er-do-well
members of the party; but I could see that although all hands had in the
first instance jumped readily enough at the prospect of an easy and
luxurious life, free--as they thought--from all restraint, in a land of
eternal summer, there were those among them to whom the Socialistic
doctrine of perfect equality and all things in common was already
distinctly distasteful; and I believed that if I could but school myself
sufficiently in the exercise of that patience which is said to be a
virtue, I should hear more of that distaste, and also of other things
that might be advantageous to me in my determination to effect my escape
from a community with the aims of which I was entirely out of sympathy.

Wilde closed his discourse with the announcement that on the morrow all
hands would be permitted to go on shore, immediately after breakfast, to
view the island and sample its products for themselves, returning to the
ship at sunset, in time for supper, after which another meeting would be
held for the purpose of electing the six members of council, who would,
upon election, immediately proceed to frame laws for the good government
of the community, and also make arrangements for its settlement upon the
island. Accordingly, soon afte